Once they arrived back in town, Cornfield saw it was fit to only take Marshals Star and Cross along the river with them as the remaining officers set to the north. When they passed by, Celerity was heard going on his usual bitter rant.

“Ya goddamn cockteasers! I swear I'll have the bitches ya'll call'r mothers and fuck 'em 'till they die!” He maniacally shrieked when he saw the three of them trot by.

…..

“He hasn’t been around for a thousand years or some shit like that, no way he’s really influencing this kind of stuff they’re doing.”, Siringo said as they trekked through the sand to see Appleloosa’s buildings shrink across the horizon.

“Yes, he would.” Marshal Star replied. “If he’s able to depress a whole empire, or city in his absence, he likely can guide any group of crooks to just make a whole slaving ring with the ‘evil’ he has to spare.”

“Star does sound like he’s making sense, Siringo.” Cornfield added.

“Who’re we talking about?” Mac asked.

“It’s not like his evil’ll just float away down south here from the north. And we’re talking a lot north.” Siringo responded.

“Hey, we don’t even know that. Just you wait until he himself returns and makes us all a slave.” Star said.

“Who’s he?” Mac repeated.

Siringo immediately talked over Mac, “Why wait? We’ll just be skeletons by the time he’d come back. Maybe doing some readi-”

“YOU DON’T READ!” Cornfield blurted.

“Who the hell are we talking about?” said Mac in a louder voice.

“King Sombra! Some tyrant from whatever long ago that just went and enslaved a whole empire way in the arctic.” Star answered.

“Just. Yeah, just.” Siringo muttered.

“Y’know, we’ve been talking about this for years now. Cross, go and scout ahead, see if there’s an outpost, farm or something far by.” Cornfield commanded Cross as he flew off.

“Cross can fly, Cornfield. Why couldn’t we just grab a wagon and have him fly us?” Star wondered.

“‘Cause us just flying in a large box out here is easy target practice. Marshal Cross by himself probably won’t be seen at all.” Siringo replied. “The same goes for the other group of marshals. Shit, they don’t know much ‘bout the desert, do they?”

“I do not think I said this before, but they’re not actually going straight to the Gristle Brothers’ plantation like us. They’ve a different mission to just clear out some other gang that’s been hassling Appleloosa. If we ourselves do get into problems, Cross will go and fetch them here as quick as they can.”

“So we know what’s close to us yet?” Mac asked in the background.

“Hunh?” Siringo looked back, momentarily forgetting about his existence. “Oh, I forget, to be honest. Marshal, get out that old map you showed me?”

“Alright, gimme a...” Cornfield stared blankly into his saddle bag. “Gah-dammit. It’s in the sheriff’s office.”

“What?!”

“The last time I ever looked at it was when I asked you to point out anything in our path. I think I just left it somewhere there.”

“Fuck that, Marshal. That’s just really swell now.”

“Hey, all I remember when we got back at the office was Mac beating the hell out of Celerity again.”

“Ok, well, which way did Marshal Cross fly? Was it that way?” Siringo directed his hoof vaguely in a random direction.

“That’s going back to Appleloosa.” Mac pointed out.

“How did you-? Jeez, you need to know how to talk more, Mac.”

“Shut up!” Cornfield yelled. “He flew this way, the direction which we’re walking.”

“Okay, okay. Gimmie a second to try and remember.” A pause went through the group as Siringo stopped and thought. “Well, we left Appleloosa limits some time ago, so the closest place would be a little farm more than kinda far from here.”

“Ergh, well that sounds like it makes a little sense. Cross’d better be coming back to us in due time then.” Cornfield said.

…...

The quartet wandered for another 15 minutes when they decided to make a stop to take five. Marshal Cross was nowhere to be seen yet.

“Marshal, you did say Marshal Cross would be coming to us ‘in due time’, right? Does that also mean in terms of years?” Siringo asked in an irked way.

“No, I-ahh!” Cornfield yelped as he tried to lay on the scorching sand. “No, I was sayin’ that he should be. Er, in a demanding way.”

“You don’t suppose he could’ve been taken?” Star wondered.

Mac remained quiet above all, merely staring over the nearby river.

“Well considering the time that’s passed, he really was held back by some bandits. We should get and go as soon as we ca-” Siringo stopped himself when he saw Cornfield lazing on the ground. “Marshal, can you just stay off your ass for at least more than 5 feet at a time?!”

“Hey, I could be repeating myself over and over, but it’s because I’m damn tired!” Cornfield retaliated, almost whining.

“Marshal Star looks just fine!”

“Uh yes, I still feel okay, Cornfield.”

“I could not give less of a rat’s shit right now, I’m going to stay down here for a few more minutes.” Cornfield proceeded to roll onto his face, yelping in pained pleasure again.

Siringo scowled when he noticed Mac still sitting by the river in solitary.

“Watch over your husband for a moment.” He snarled to Star while he approached Mac.

“Heard enough quarreling of the Marshal and I, have ya?”

“Eeyup.”

“You probably had it figured by now, but this thing always happens whenever I happen to breathe the same air as him. The same thing happens with you and - er, Applejack?”

“What.” He maintained his gaze looking forward.

“Uh, when the two of you argue with one another.”

Mac barely turned towards Siringo with an almost stern expression. “Not that I want to remember.”

Siringo realized the stupidity of his question and faced away cringing. “Okay - uh, well there’s another thing I’ve been wanting to ask.”

“Ask.”

“We were back over at that shack where we thought we’d find Legerity. As soon’s we started attacking the Gristle bandits, you just went and easily picked three of em off, faster than me, I suppose.”

“Your point?” Mac asked confused.

“Point is, that - no, what I want to ask is you felt anything at all from that. Come on, I bet that was the first time you killed anything, more specific, another pony.”

Mac made a slight, unruffled pout. “No. I did not think they mattered to me.”

Siringo felt appalled by his sadistic-sounding statement.

“Really, now?” He said raising an eyebrow, fairly confused.

“Why’d you sound offended. You know who you are.”

“Well - wait, gah-dammit the second fucking time.” Siringo cursed flat-out under his breath. “Well, Cornfield probably told you, but I only ever have that kind of non-remorse or whatever it is when I kill my bounty. But when it comes down to just any other pony, yes there’s remorse. I don’t know either, that’s what I’ve told myself for years.”

“What of that buffalo?”

“Huh? Ah, Marshal told ya that, of course. I was a little liquored, also that was a buffalo, so no. You’re going to ask of the other two ponies I probably killed back by Dodge, and yes I didn’t feel easy at first.”

“Sounds selfish.”

“Killing that buffalo?”

“For money.”

“Jeez, haven’t I already said it enough times already? Lemme still ask this now, why wouldn’t you feel remorse for killing those three ponies?”

Mac faced back at the river and stubbornly said, “I ain’t gonna say that.”

Siringo rolled his eyes and walked off.

“The way you speak...” he whispered. “Marshal Star! Is your kissing ass done sleeping?”

“I’m up and fine already!” Cornfield called as he got on his four hooves.

“Marshal, Cross’ life is probably at stake right now, so I say we better hurry along if you care for him enough.”

“Oh, like I didn’t know at all, Siringo. Go ‘n lead the way, now.”

…..

After a mile or so of fast-walking, the group at last stared ahead to spot the outpost that eminently stood in front of them. It was a little combination of a set of shabby cabins and a shed with a couple of apartments that looked passably new.

“Hm - it seems they’ve grown a little to a settlement over the meantime...” Siringo said to his mild surprise.

“Where’re they supposed to get they all their materials to make whatever they do?” Star wondered.

“No one notices? Sometimes they straight up go to your forest in Appleloosa and chop a few trees down.”

“You know what name the place goes by?” Cornfield asked. “The guys back won’t mind writing this down on the map we’d make.”

“I never really had a clue. Also, don’t expect anyone expecting the settlement friendly, bandits and the like still live around there.”

Mac added in one last question, “Will Legerity be there?”

“He must be. He’d maybe think we’ll just zoom past him as he sleeps in one of those houses. Not to mention Cross,” He looked to Cornfield and Cross. “He’d have no reason to be anywhere but there if he didn’t come back to us.”

“The fool was probably lazy enough to just slack over there until we would get there.” Star speculated, appalled.”

As they all got closer to the houses, it was noted that it seemed like an absolute ghost town, with no pony to be seen at all. Only the sounds of the creaking, old cabins were heard blowing with the wind.

“They’re all just a little wary about law people like us walking in, right?” Cornfield asked nervously as they began at the dirt road splitting down the buildings.

Star kept his hoof ready to pull out his revolver, “Considering that Cross was around, they’re maybe just as...” His eyes were peeled wide open when something very horrific and shocking caught their attention.

A solitary stick was pinned deep into the middle of the road far ahead, bended back and forth by the wind. Bounded on it was Marshal Cross, barely looking conscious. His badge sparkled beaming through the dust as it laid on the ground under him.

“Oh my sweet goodness...” Star started to step back, almost tripping when he flatout dashed behind the cabin that was just to the right of them.

Mac made the mistake of stepping towards Cross when a gunshot popped. A bullet grazed his leg. He toppled on the ground, grunting in pain.

“Ah shit!” Siringo ducked as he tried to drag Mac through the rugged dirt to the left, splitting up with Cornfield while he followed Star. Another gunshot, followed by two, then three more sounded off. Trying to conjure a shield and tugging Mac, he collapsed in fatigue when they got behind cover.

Siringo was going to ask Mac if he was alright when the assault suddenly stopped. He gave himself a few more seconds until he would give a quick peek at their attackers. The pegasus slaver, Sharps, was standing beside Cross.

“Yes, please. Poke your head a little more outward, if you want!” The pegasus called out in a mock-friendly tone as he kept his rifle aimed at the two of them.

“What beef do you have with us?!” Siringo yelled back, pinning his back on the wall.

“Well, a friend and I, along with three others, have somepony we need to see back at Appleloosa and it looked like this law person or whoever the fuck he is didn’t want that to happen, flying around us and all!”

“Who is he?” Mac asked, breathing heavily while he held on to his leg.

“Shh! He’s Sharps, one of the other slavers. He doesn’t go around the desert, though.” Siringo whispered to him.

“Could his friend be Legerity?”

“Let me ask: Is your friend Legerity?!”

“Ye..!” Sharps stopped when he was heard to be speaking with someone else. “He’d rather not say!”

“It’s Legerity...” Siringo told Mac. “Listen now, we’re both sure as shit the marshals won’t do shit, so we’d better put this in our hands - er, hooves. Like last time.”

Sharps fired his weapon towards the sky, “Hey! Hello?! You all can still hear me? If you just turn back, I can untie this stallion and he’ll go back to sucking all your dicks and what not. Make another move closer and I’ll cut his off and impale his face with it!”

“Alright, that was harsh. Anyways, Mac, go and climb this wall.” He tapped the wooden, rugged wall behind them. Be able to peek you and your repeater just enough so they won’t see you. Give me some cover while I get over to Cornfield and Star. Got it?”

“Eeyup.” Mac sit himself up straight and started to carefully scale the old cabin. His eyes were barely an inch higher than the roof as he grabbed his rifle from his sling.

“You ready?”

“Yes. Go.” He was able to get a more visible look on their attackers. Legerity was seen standing tentatively not far from Sharps, behind the two-story apartment. The other three bandits were moving up to Sharps out of cover.

Siringo sprinted across the road, feeling too drained to attempt to make another shield. He would’ve easily been burst to bits if it wasn’t for Mac.

Mac almost fired blindly at the ponies, intending to scatter them off. Legerity was in his sights, running with the other bandits. He ached to just simply pull the trigger to pin him on the ground, but he didn’t want to kill him just yet.

Sharps, though, started to hop to the sky. “Wait, you forgot that I can fly? Let me see you, you little bitch!” He quickly took off towards the counter-attacker.

Mac felt confident that he would be able shoot Sharps as he continued to get closer, until he began to feel uneasy. It was no longer like the time by Dodge, where he was able to safely hide behind a rock.

He fell off the roof of the cabin, landing flat on his back. He heard the flapping of Sharps’ wings get closer, so he rolled under the building. He could see the frightened expressions of the guiltless residents looking down at him through the floorboards.

Sharps was hovering above the house, preparing his pistols. “Okay, boy. If I’ll have to shoot through this thing, I will.” He began laying fire carelessly through the ceiling.

The ponies inside screamed in despair while they struggled to exit. One was unfortunately struck by Sharps and fell face down just above Mac. The pony’s friends rushed back to his corpse crying, attempting to get him on his hooves.

“Ah, shit. What have I done.” Sharps muttered with a feeling of remorse when he entered the house. The other ponies inside huddled to the corner of the room at the killer’s sight. Gazing down at his unlucky victim, he caught Mac through the floor.

“You absolute piece of shit, you’ll make up for that.” He snarled as he pointed his pistol straight between Mac’s eyes.

“No, you will.” Mac growled just as viciously when he fired his revolver up at Sharps. Splinters of wood spiked up in the air as the bullet struck past his left foreleg.

“Argh!” Sharps roared as he staggered to the ground, alongside his casualty.

Mac tried to compose himself for a second, filled with enough guilt and burden, until he remembered Legerity. He rolled back out from under the cabin back to the roasting sunlight. An unusual silence was over the small town.

“Whatever did Siringo and the others do?” He thought to himself while he stepped out on the road. Surprised, he saw the three corpses of the bandits. “I mustn’t have heard the gunshots.”

Mac began jogging down the road looking either for his friends or for Legerity. He even stopped and was shocked at the fact that he referred to them as his friends. Mac reached the edge of town where, instead, he found the latter.

Legerity shuffled about, distressed and impatient for Sharps to come back. He felt Mac’s presence and slowly turned around to face him.

“Stay right there.” Mac warned, pointing his revolver at the unicorn. He knew he was at this point, but now had one of two options he had to choose in a matter of milliseconds. Mac would have to get up to Legerity and take him back for capture, or shoot him right now on the spot, but doing so would cause him to lose any further confirmation of where Applejack is.

However, something caught Legerity’s attention, making him lose tension and smirking as he looked at the sky. Mac couldn’t afford to look away, as he could’ve been obviously making a distraction.

“Mac! Wait! Keep him there!” Siringo and the other shouted as they were almost on their way alongside him. Marshal Cross was there along them, still injured from torture.

Legerity continued to grin when he held up his foreleg high up in the air. Macintosh kept locking his eyes on him, getting frustrated.

Marshal Cornfield and the others finally stopped next to Mac, “Legerity, you son of a bitch, don’t you make another-!”

Sharps darted by to scoop up Legerity. Mac immediately fired at the two of them, panicked, missing all shots until the rest of his seven shots were used.

Siringo pulled out his rifle when the flying duo were already a quarter of a mile away, “I’ll be able to pick them off, I know it.” He muttered reassuringly. He steadied his sights over them as they shrunk over the horizon. His body tightened up when his horn’s magic went to pull the trigger.

Click.

Everyone else tensed up awaiting the shot, but heard nothing.

“No! Not now! Not fucking now!” Siringo complained. “Of all times, gah-dammit!”

“What the hell happened?!” Cornfield asked.

“My rifle fucking misfired, that’s what happened! Shit!”

Mac sighed, sitting down and resting his head on his hooves.

“I - I’m sorry, Mac. We were close.” Cornfield said gravely. “What do you suppose we do now?”

“...What else.” He looked up at the thin dust trail left by Sharps. “We keep going.”

Author's Note

I got the chapter title from here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoRGH1T-MhY

I decided to go and change the opening dialogue because I realized how quirky it sounded for someone like Celerity. Other words, it didn't sound "Western" enough, dammit I never know the correct word for that.

I like using these "Author's Notes".