After the Surge: Las Pegasus

Chapters

Chapter 1: A New Beginning
Chapter 2: Delta's Prison
Chapter 3: Snowing in the Rain
Chapter 4: Drowning in a Rustbowl
Chapter 5: The Gate to Paradise
Chapter 7: Falling
Chapter 8: Powerful Allies
Chapter 9: Blue Mane
Chapter 10: Gus
Chapter 11: True Power
Chapter 6: Junkyard Jam

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

"Six? Breakfast is done!"

Six Shooter whistled happily as she brushed her brown and black mane. The mirror... was cracked, but she could still see her reflection. She finished brushing and lightly levitated the brush down to the chipped porcelain sink.

"Six? Are you coming?" her mother yelled again from down the hall.

"Coming mom!" Six replied, while opening the bathroom door with her magic. The kitchen/living room was cleaned recently; no doubt it was her mother's doing. Fresh salads were set neatly around an old circular table—one of only a hoof-full of things they scavenged when they moved here. Six plopped down in her spot, but before she could start eating, her mother sat next to her, a worried look written across her face.

"Honey... are you sure about this?" her mother asked. Six rolled her eyes then smiled.

"It'll be fine mom," she started. "I know the trading routes like the back of my hoof!"

"I know you and Reins travel them for work... but New LP is miles from here... it could be dangerous!" Her mother looked away.

"It's okay, I'll be fine, besides, you have Buck to protect you!" As if on cue, a young brown colt, no more than ten, burst through the door. "Speak of the little devil," Six giggled.

Buck shot her a glare.

"Don't call me little!" he demanded as he climbed into his chair. Following right behind Buck was a pegasus pony named Gus. It wasn't his real name, but it was what he wanted to be called.

"H-Hi Gus!" Mom stammered.

"Ma'am, Six," he said with a smile as he stroked his thick beard. Behind him quietly trotted a pink pegasus filly.

"Sit next to me Molly!" Buck shouted, even though she was only a few meters away.

"So," Gus started as he took a seat at the table. "You're heading out today huh?"

"Yep," Six replied. "Going to meet up with Reins at that old convenience store. We'll take the trade route until we hit Rustbowl, then circle around and head straight for LP... i-if the map’s right."
Gus opened his right wing, used it to reach into his saddle bags, and produced a cigar. Mom scrambled up and used her magic to ignite it.

"You didn't have to, ma'am," Gus told her. Mom didn't care. "The map'll work Six, made it m'self back in the day." Gus stated puffing on his cigar.

"Good, shouldn't run into any trouble then!" Six smiled while using her magic to levitate a tomato slice into her mouth. She couldn't believe today was the day she would be moving out. Finding a home of her own. Maybe even striking it rich in LP!

"Always expect trouble out there. The ruins ain't a place to take lightly," Gus told her. She looked at him, trying to read him, but it was useless. They'd met Gus and Molly 3 years ago when they settled here. Turned out Gus and Molly had a house just up the hill. A shack really. Mom took to Gus like a bee to honey. Six didn't mind, she liked Gus, even though they barely knew him.

"I'm done!" Buck announced as he held his empty salad bowl up in the air.

"D-Don't yell so loud Buck..." Molly whispered.

Six turned back to Gus but he was just puffing on his cigar, his salad untouched.

"I have somethin' for ya to use in LP, Six." Gus told her.

"Yeah?"

"Eeyup. When do you plan to head out?"

"Soon, safer to travel in the daylight." As the words left her mouth she could see her mother frown and look away.

"Six'll be fine," Buck chimed in. Gus smiled at the colt.

"That she will. The filly is a crackshot. One of the best I've ever seen," Gus chuckled, puffing on his cigar more. "It's a shame I never got to meet your pa."

Six gave a nervous laugh and turned to her mom. "Dad taught me all I know about guns. You would have gotten along with him, Gus."

Gus noticed Six's reaction and adjusted himself in his chair. "Sorry ma'am... Shouldn't have mentioned him."

Buck and Molly got up and trotted outside to play leaving the three there to eat in silence. Six gave a stretch as she chewed on the final tomato slice.

"Honey?" her mother asked.

"Yeah?"

"You'll come visit, right?"

"Well yeah!"

A smile formed on her mother's face.

Bang

Gus sprang out of his chair and and turned quickly.

Bang Bang

Six's eyes went wide as she heard Buck scream outside. In a flash Gus was out the door.

"Buck!!" her mother screamed. Quickly, Six sprang up and ran for the door.

Bang

The morning sun was hanging high in the sky. Six tried to shield her eyes but was blinded.

"Six get down!!" Gus yelled out. Without thinking, she dove right as a stray bullet flew by, barely missing her head and landing directly into the wooden door.

Bang Bang Bang

Six's vision slowly came back and she crawled as quickly as she could for the shed. There was an old revolver in there, if she could just-

There was another scream. It was Molly.

"You bastards!!" Gus screamed. The shed was only a few meters away now. Six quickly rose to her hooves, slammed through the door, and ran head first into a barrel that was stored inside the shed. Six stopped moving and searched.

"Here!" she said while quickly levitating the old revolver down from a shelf above her.

"Six shots... please be enough..." she told herself while she slowed her breathing. With the gun levitating in front of her, she opened the door and sprinted to the wagon next to the house.

"There!" a voice called out. Six lept and rolled behind the wagon as a loud shot rocked her ears. She levitated the gun and fired randomly. Nothing.

She sat there, completely still, her heart racing and adrenaline coursing through her veins. Then, she heard hoofsteps. Quickly she sprung up from cover, her old revolver already aiming at the source of the sound. There he was, a large stallion, eyes bloodshot, with a wrap around his muzzle. But she didn't fire. The stallion wore an aiming apparatus on his right front leg and had his large .50 caliber handgun trained on her.

"Who are you!?" Six spat out.

"Put down the gun little Filly... we'll talk it allll out," the attacker laughed. "Nice... and easy."

Bang

From atop a hill a rifle was fired. A sizable hole was now where the attacker’s face should be. He collapsed on the ground. Six took cover again. The shot came from the hill on her right. It was Reins... it had to be. She scanned the hillside but couldn't find him.

"Don't move," a voice said softly from behind her... she wasn't watching her back... why didn-

"Unload that revolver... and I won’t kill you," the voice said again. Whoever he was, he spoke in a calm tone. Nothing like the stallion from earlier. Without turning around, Six spoke up.

"You'll just kill me after..." Slowly, Six turned and locked eyes with her attacker—a slender looking unicorn stallion with a giant Colt Python aimed inches from her head. He had a messy grey mane and a scar over his left eye. He was different. He sported a bulletproof vest over his torso with speed loader pockets. He wasn't an average raider.

"You out there!" he shouted to the hills. "Follow us and die. Leave and live, the choice is yours." In a quick motion, the stallion turned back to Six and slammed the butt of his revolver against her head. She fell to the dirt with a thud and was out cold.

Chapter 2: Delta's Prison

Six woke up in a prison cell. She stood up and rubbed her eyes. It was dark but the prison block she was in had working electricity. Six had heard of that but never seen it before. Apparently it was everywhere before the surge. She looked around her cell and saw a broken toilet that had probably not been used for years. There was a sink... and just above that a window. Rain was pouring in from the storm outside. Six trotted to the sink and stood on it, but the window was just out of reach.

"Still got some fight in ya, huh?" Six jumped off the sink and turned to meet her kidnapper. She was a tall but slim mare. She sported a blood-red mohawk and a dirty orange coat. On her right front hoof was a state-of-the-art hoof gauntlet with a shotgun attached to it. Simply aim and turn your wrist... then boom. Six glared at her.

"Where is my family?" Six demanded. The orange mare laughed.

"Tell me your name and I'll tell you where they are," the orange mare said with a devilish grin. Six stepped back for a moment.

"S-Six Shooter."

"Wow... shit name you got there kid. Would explain the ass mark. Good with revolvers huh?"

"Give me one and I'll show you," Six replied making sure to hide all her fear. The orange mare broke out into a fit of laughter.

"Spunky! The boys will like that."

Six's eyes went wide, the fear she was holding back finally started to creep through.

"Young too... I'll tell 'em to go easy on you." The orange mare laughed again and began walking down the hall. Six ran for the cell bars and yelled to her.

"Where is my family?!" she screamed. The orange mare stopped, turned and smiled back to her.

"My name’s Delta by the way... enjoy your stay!"

Minutes were passing like hours. Six tried the window again but there was no way she could reach it. She swore and cursed herself for not learning more about magic. She heard some ponies could teleport before the surge. Some could teleport miles away even. Finally Six gave up and just sat on the cold wet floor, watching the the storm through the tiny window. Her mind wandered to her family. She thought back to the firefight... she didn't remember seeing blood but... the screams from Buck and Molly. And what about Gus? He struck her as the type to not go down easy... could they have really killed him too?

"Stop it... There was no blood, and no bodies. Maybe they're here... or maybe they got away," Six thought to herself and sighed just as something landed beside her. She looked down and saw a dripping wet rock. She was just about to dismiss it when another rock flew through the window.

"H-Hello?" Six said quietly.

"Six?!"

Six's frown immediately turned around.

"Reins! Thank Celestia you're safe!"

"Six, they're everywhere, this place was some kind of prison back in the day or something. I can't believe I found you!" the young stallion exclaimed. "Listen, I can't reach the window from this side. I'm going to find a key and get you out... stay put!"

"Okay! Have you found the others?"

"I... shit! I'll be back!"

"Reins? Reins?! Damnit!" Six kicked the rock against the wall and suddenly the door to her cell block opened. She ran to the bars expecting to see her friend but instead it was him—the stallion with the scar on his eye. He trotted up to her cell, a chair floating above his head with his magic. He was still in all of his gear, expect his Colt was fastened in a holster on his back leg. He set the chair down, then sat in it, staring at her. Six said nothing to him.

"I'm sorry."

Six looked at him with a mix of shock and disgust.

"You don't get to be sorry, you... you murderer! What did we even have worth taking?! Why did you do it!!?" Tears started to well up in Six's eyes.

The stallion sighed. "It was just business."

"Business... what kind of merc teams up with raiders?!"

"I was only after Gus," the stallion stated coldly. Six didn't reply, just stared daggers at him. "The others here... I'm sorry."

"The others are your murdering, thieving, and raping friends," Six hissed.

The stallion’s ears perked up. “Raping?! That’s not… They don’t..."

Six looked away from him. "Don't act like you don't know. " The stallion sat there shocked for a moment.

"Look I... fuck! I-I'm not with them! I was hired to find Gus," the stallion began. "Delta and I... I never knew she'd let the gang get away with... that."

"Leave me alone," Six ordered coldly, turning her back to him. Outside, the storm raged on, thunder rolling and lighting illuminating the small window. Six watching the rain pour in through the window when all of a sudden there was a low sound. The door down the hall had opened.

"Snow?" a voice yelled from down the hall. Six turned and noticed the stallion with the scar get up and trot towards the exit. "Tryin’ t’ take first dibs?!" the voice yelled. "Yeh, walk away, this filly's ours!"

The door to the exit shut and Six's eyes went wide. Ours?! Six's heart was pounding, these must be the "boys" Delta mentioned. Quickly, Six jumped to her hooves and scrambled to the sink, reaching desperately for the window. Rain began cascading onto her muzzle and face but it wouldn't- no, couldn't stop her. The sound of their hooves began to draw closer on the wet cement floor. Using all of her strength, Six pushed off the sink and lept for the window. The old ruined sink gave way and crashed onto the cell floor below just as her hooves connected with the base of the window.

"Look at that! She's trying to get out!"

Six froze, hooves still gripping the base of the window. She slowly turned as she hung there and saw two massive stallions standing just outside her cell. One began laughing hysterically, the other met her turn with a grin before beginning.

"Do me a favor an’ flip yer tail aside farm girl... or..." Slowly, he pulled a knife from his belt and waved it in front of his muzzle "Or I'll cut it off."

Six unfroze and used every ounce of her upper body strength to try and pull herself up. The rain whipped at her face as she heard the cell door begin to open slowly. Finally she pulled her head to be level with the window and could see outside for the first time. She reached her forehoof out to grab the outside of the window but something tightly grabbed her back leg.

Without looking she used her free hind leg to kick, rewarding her with a cry from one of the stallions and the feeling of hooves gripping her started to fade. She reached her hoof out and and grabbed the outside of the window but it was too late. The second stallion grabbed both her legs and pulled her down with all his strength. Six slipped from the wet window and slammed down hard into the cell's bars and cement floor. Her heart pounding and vision blurred, she looked up to see the two stallions standing over her.

"I get first go... she owes me fer the broken muzzle."

Suddenly Six felt a massive weight pin her to the ground. Her vision returned and she ignited her horn, searching for anything to use against her attackers.

"Oh no you don't, filly!" the standing stallion said, reaching down quickly and yanking her head up by her horn to meet his gaze. "You owe my friend here!" Suddenly Six felt her back legs being spread by the pony on top of her. "Now you gotta pay up," he laughed, the hysterical laughter returning. The stallion atop her huffed a hot breath onto Six's neck. Six closed her eyes as tightly as she could, trying not to cry.

Bang Bang

Six's ears rang as she felt the weight atop her disappear. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around the cell to see the two stallions laying in a combined pool of their blood, a wide hole between each of the stallions’ eyes. Six looked up. The pony with the scar on his eye blew the smoke from his floating Colt and locked eyes with her.

"I'm getting you out of here," he stated.

Chapter 3: Snowing in the Rain

"What are you do-" The scarred merc grabbed Six by the foreleg and hoisted her up quickly.

"Grab Wick's knife!" he yelled. Six looked confused but then heard the overhead alarm and ran for the two blooded stallions. Six scanned quickly, valuable seconds ticking by. "Hurry it up!" Six gasped and smiled.

"Found it!" she exclaimed, scooping up the blood-covered knife. She whipped around and ran out into the hall. Her savior was already running down the hall for the exit.

Bang

Six's smile grew as she heard the loud, distinct crack of Reins’ sniper rifle. Not wasting any time, she met the stallion at the exit right as he flung open the door, his Colt still suspended above him as he dove into the pouring rain. Six rushed out after him.

"There!" a voice screamed out. Six ran as fast as she could through the rain and mud as suddenly the rattle of machine gun fire began to drown out the rain. She could heard the bullets pounding into the mud just behind her as she ran.

Bang

The machine gun fire stopped. Six released a brief sigh as she ran, silently thanking Reins. Suddenly the scared merc stopped in front of the prison's chain fence. His horn ignited as he unlatched a pouch from his vest. Six closed in on him as he sat there messing with something.

"Why are you-" she began, but before she could finish he quickly turned and ran towards her.

"Get down!" he yelled, diving into her. As soon as they collided, a massive explosion of fire erupted from the fence, illuminating the stormy night. The merc swiftly rose back to his hooves and offered a hoof to Six. She grabbed hold and the two ran for the sizeable hole in the fence.

"Snow!"

The merc stopped, Six ran a little more before turning to him in confusion.

"Hurry up!" Six yelled back. The merc turned away from her and to the pony behind them. Six looked in the same direction as the scarred stallion, and saw the mare from earlier standing there.

"Where do you think you're off to Snow?" Delta asked with a crazed smile. Six looked up at Snow, her savior. Delta's question was nearly the same as hers. But Snow was silent, rain droplets running down his toned features. "Nothing to say? Come on, it's me, Delta!"
The orange mare laughed, aiming her shotgun gauntlet at Snow. "Speak, damn you!"

"You've lost it Delta..." Snow said coldly. Delta's smile faded instantly. She looked almost... betrayed.

"You killed Wicks and Boris... And you have the BALLS to tell me 'I' have lost it?!" Delta yelled. Six looked back towards the smoldering hole in the fence. If she ran now, she might be able to make it while these two fought it out. Slowly, Delta raised her hoof gauntlet to her muzzle and began speaking.

"South gate," she ordered, giving Snow a smile. "The gang’s a little... bigger... since you left. The rest were out on raids, but will be here in about 3 minutes. Stormy nights like this were always the best for raiding caravans... remember Snowy?" she said, raising the shotgun to him again. This time Snow was ready—quickly taking aim at Delta with his massive revolver.

"Ooooh... feisty, aren't we!" Delta taunted, taking a small step forward. Closing the distance between her shotgun and its target.

"S-Shoot her Snow!" Six yelled. Snow gritted his teeth.

"Shut up!" he yelled without taking his eyes off Delta.

"Shoot me Snow!" Delta laughed, taking another step forward. "Or can you...?" Six began to see Snow's chest start rising and falling rapidly. She looked up to him again and noticed the revolver in his magical grasp start to shake. She quickly looked back to Delta who had gained two more steps. She was in range!

"Say hi to the gang for me in hell, Snow," Delta whispered.

Snow started to lower his revolver when suddenly an object flew past him straight for Delta. The orange mare let out a painful scream, firing her shotgun up into the air, missing Snow by a mile. Snow turned to Six, who's horn had just stopped glowing, then back to Delta. Protruding from the gang leader's left eye was Wick's knife. Delta screamed again, stumbling around on three legs, the other holding her head. She slipped, falling hard on her side into the mud.

"Hurry up!"

Snow turned and saw Six standing outside the fence. He nodded and ran to her, the two disappearing into the darkness. Six ran in the direction that she hoped Reins’ sniper fire came from. That's when she saw a dark figure waving a sniper in the distance. Reins!

Two Minutes Later

"Delta!" a stallion explained. "She's over here!" Delta couldn't make out much. Partially from blood loss, the other reason being obvious.

"Is that a fucking knife in her eye?!"

She glared but that only shot a bolt of pain through her skull.

"Get her up and take her to the nurse!"

Delta tried to speak but her entire face felt swollen and numb. Hearing she was being taking to the nurse was enough. She'd get pumped full of chems... maybe some poison joke if she was lucky. That's what this knife buried in her eye reminded her of, the numbing, refined poison joke. There was no joke about that high.

She heard a door open and a bright fluorescent light hummed to life above her. Delta closed her one good eye and smiled.

Nurse's Station.

Chapter 4: Drowning in a Rustbowl

"Another cider, Reins?" the old earth pony bartender asked. Reins looked at remainder of his bottle of cider with a frown. It wasn't great—not even good—but Rustbowl Hard Cider reminded him of home... of his mother. He adjusted his old cowpony hat and brought the bottle to his muzzle, chugging the rest of it. With a sigh of hot, alcohol-riddled breath, Reins slammed the bottle down. The bartender gave him a hearty smile and passed Reins another warm bottle of cider across the counter.

"Your friends having any?" the bartender asked. Reins slowly turned from his spot at the bar and looked at the table Six was sitting at. Her two front hooves were on the table and she was looking down at the floor. Reins turned further until he was sitting backwards at the bar and facing the booth Snow was sitting at. The grey stallion was polishing his Colt with a soft-looking piece of fabric. Snow stopped suddenly and just barely looked up to Reins. The young brown stallion huffed and turned his attention back to the bartender.

"Both of them won't say a word..." Reins told the bartender. The old earth pony chuckled.

"Takes two to have a conversation there, Reins."

Reins smiled at his fresh bottle of Cider and then to the bartender.

"Get me one more," he began. "I'm makin' a new friend."

Snow had no sooner slid his Colt back into its holster before the tannish earth pony he had come to know as Reins suddenly joined him at his booth.

"Howdy!" Reins said, using his open bottle of cider to adjust his worn cowpony hat. Snow looked up to the young colt, then away to a random corner of the room. Reins set his bottle down and hooved snow the second cider bottle. Snow turned back to Reins and glared at him. Slowly, Snow ignited his horn and cracked open the bottle. Reins smiled and nodded to him.

"Fancy revolver ya got there... where did you come across that?"

Snow stopped sipping the Cider and sighed. "Found it..." Snow stated.

"Uh... that's... interestin'," Reins chuckled. Maybe this was a bit more than a bottle of cider and idle banter could handle.

"Where did you get the ugly hat?"

Reins glared at the unicorn across from him while Snow sipped his free cider. Reins quickly regained control and smiled. "To be truthful with ya... it belonged to my mom."

Snow looked back to the earth pony, but this time with a look of sympathy.

"I-I'm sorry," Snow replied.

Reins just smiled in response. "So what happened back there?" the young colt began. "I could see the exchange through my scope... Who was the mare with the red mohawk?"

Snow gave another sigh. "Don't ask... please." With that, the grey mercenary got up from his seat, chugged down the last half of cider, and walked to the bar. Reins turned his attention to Six, who was still sitting silently and alone at her table.

"Hey," Reins started, before sitting down across from her. Six looked up and gave him a weak smile. Bags had started to form under her eyes. "What happened down there, Six?" Six's weakened smile slowly died. "Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't-"

"No," Six answered. "I just... things... happened... back at the prison. Well, almost happened." Six's gaze slowly turned up to Snow at the bar. "But he stopped them."

"Well I helped," Reins said with hearty laughter. Six even let out a giggle.

"You did." As the words escaped her lips, a single tear dropped onto the table. "H-Ha! C-Ceiling must be leaking!"

"Six..." Reins extended a hoof across the table to her. "Who did he stop?"

"There were..." Six began, but stopped to collect herself before continuing. "There were these stallions... I tried to escape through the window but they grabbed me and tried to... then Snow came back and killed them. I was horrified, Reins."

Reins adjusted his hat and took a sip of cider.

"I'm sorry... I should've been faster getting to you!"

"It's not your fault Reins," Six said. "Without you, Snow and I would be wandering around in the dark... or worse."

Reins smiled to her. "I'm not going to ever let that happen again... I promise Six."

Six blushed as she looked to the stallion across the table. She returned his smile with a genuine one—something Six hadn't sported since the morning. Six stood up and smiled. "Let's get a drink."

Snow peered down at a freshly poured shot of vodka. His horn ignited and the shot started to float and swirl.

"Taking the job, huh?" a young Delta asked an even younger Snow as she leaned back in her chair. Snow looked out the prison window and smiled.

"Casino guard for the most exclusive casino on the Las Pegasus strip?! This is once in a lifetime!" Snow said, turning to his partner. He trotted over to the chair next to her. "I know you want this too."
Delta gave a laugh as she reached down for a cigarette filled with refined poison joke.

"Spark me up with that horn, pretty boy." Snow leaned down and ignited his horn at the tip of the drug. Delta inhaled, holding in the smoke for a moment before blowing it up into the air with a violent cough. The smoke hung in the office for awhile. "It's going to suck... giving up the drugs... this life."

"Every day," Snow began. "Every day we're stealing, getting high, drinking till we black out... then waking up and doing it again. One day... you or I... we aren't going to wake up."

Delta looked down at floor. She knew he was right.

"Hey Snowy, you remember when we were kids?"

"D-Don't call me that... but yes."

"You said you wouldn't leave me," Delta started. "When the surge took our homes... we still had each other." She stopped leaning in her chair and turned away. Snow trotted over in front of her... he could almost see a tear escape from his partner's bloodshot eyes. "Snowy... when you get to Las Pegasus and have a place there... will you come back for me?"

"Summer..."

"H-Hey now! If I can't call you Sno-" Delta began but was interrupted by his massive embrace.

"I promise Summer... I will never forget about you... I will come back... we'll get away from all this." Delta could no longer hold back her tears. Snow nuzzled into her neck before he broke the hug and smiled down to her. Delta looked up to him, her eyes more bloodshot from crying than the drug.

"I love-"

"Snow!"

Snow's brain was zapped back to the present in a violent flash. He gritted his teeth for a moment but fought back his anger.

"You've been staring at that shot for like 3 minutes dude," Reins said. "You gonna do it? Six and I are waiting on you." Snow turned to his left to see they had surrounded him at the bar, both ponies holding identical shots of vodka, ready to toast. Snow raised his glass with his magic and the three connected with a ting sound.

"To being alive," Reins said.

"To staying that way," Six replied. Both turned to Snow.

"To... letting go," the grey stallion said before downing his shot.

Chapter 5: The Gate to Paradise

Finally they had made it—the infamous city of New Las Pegasus. Six looked up and saw the large gate that separated the city from the rest of the ruins. The gate was connected to a large pony-made barrier crafted from random pieces of steel, wood, and aluminum. From what she could see, the barrier wrapped around the entire city.

Six looked up from the back of their small group and to Snow at the front. That night when they drank at Rustbowl, Six had told Snow about their plans to go to Las Pegasus. He offered to take them but that was all. Ever since they left 3 days ago she felt uneasy around him. Trust was obviously the major issue, but the fact that Snow refused to answer any questions about her family was a point of concern for her as well—he would just change topics or walk away.

Six sighed and wiped the sweat from her forehead. At the prison, Snow had told her he was only after Gus and wasn't with the gang. But one thing she knew for sure is that Snow had been hired by somepony.

Standing in front of the imposing gate to (New) Las Pegasus were two massive guard ponies, and two more, a male and female, were patrolling atop the barrier. One guard looked directly to Snow and simply nodded.

"You know the rules, bud..." the intimidating guard told Snow as he moved his gaze to Six and Reins. Snow turned to face them.

"This is as far as I can take you," Snow stated coldly. Six began to glare at him. "Everypony has to either submit to a bit check to show they have enough bits to gamble, or take on a job."

"Never thought to mention that before, did you Snow?" Six said in an annoyed manner. The gates opened and Snow faced forward again before walking inside. Six gritted her teeth in anger.

"Are you kidding me?!" she screamed. "So that's it? I save you from Delta and you just leave us? No answers, nothing!?"
Snow stopped when he heard Delta's name. It looked for a moment like he was going to turn and face her but he picked up the pace before the gates quickly closed behind him.

"Snow you motherfuc-"

Before Six could insult him more, Reins put a hoof on her shoulder. She turned, about to punch him, but stopped. Her anger quickly died and left nothing but a defeated frown. Reins smiled to her, then smiled to the guards.

"So what's that bit check big guy?"

"2000 bits."

Reins gave a snort followed by a quiet laugh before turning back to Six.

"You wouldn’t happen to have brought a chest ‘a gold, wouldja, Six?"

"Funny..." the guard chuckled, although he was not amused.

"The job," Six cherped up. The guard turned his attention towards the young mare.

"How old are you kid? 16?"

"18."

The guard burst into laughter. "Kid... go home."

Six began to see red. Her home had been taken from her by the stallion they just let in. Her horn began to spark uncontrollably. Reins grabbed her shoulder again, forcing her behind him.

"My partner and I are pretty good shots," Reins smiled up to the stallion. The stallion guard cocked an eyebrow. " 'Ah can shoot the pecker off a porcupine from 100 yards, and Six here... well, they don't call 'er Six Shooter for nothin!"

The guard looked them both over, his eyes wandering to the rifle Reins had strapped to his side, then to Six.

"Where's the filly's gun?"

Six blushed, releasing she had lost her only gun when she was taken to the prison. The guard shot her a rather annoyed look.

"We got into a bit of tussle... got a spare?" Reins laughed nervously.

"As a matter of fact we do!" The guard grinned turning to the ponies on the barrier above them. "Daisy, we need a revolver down here!"
In seconds, a small filly appeared on the barrier. She spread her wings and flew down to meet them, revolver in hoof. Daisy was a child, no older than Buck, Six thought. The filly smiled up to her, hoofing her an old worn-out revolver.

"A-Aren't you a little-" Six began but the guard stallion cut her off.

"Daisy's our weapons handler. The kid's smart, and a real valued member around here." Six looked to the filly and picked up the revolver with her magic. From out of nowhere, the guard produced a slip of paper to Reins. "It's a bounty. Raider by the name of Nasty Neigh. Sick bastard that one."

Daisy flew back to the barrier before the guard could continue.

"He's fast, bat shit crazy, and a cannibal," he started. "That's where we got the name for him, his breath probably smells like shit."

"Handsome, huh?" Reins smiled to Six, showing her the wanted poster. The earth stallion on the wanted poster had a bald head and a crazy smile. His front row of teeth were filed and sharpened... no doubt to make ripping meat from bone easier. He was also missing most of his left ear.

"We want his head as proof you killed the sick fuck," the guard snarled in an angry tone.

"Not alive?" Six asked.

"The reason he made that list... is because he murdered... and ate... one of the gate guards here." The guard sounded almost... sad. "Dead as dead can get... then bring his head to me." Six nodded her head and began to turn before the guard spoke up. "Hey, we need a deposit for that gun!"

Six turned, not even thinking about the revolver anymore.

"D-Deposit? But I do-"

"I got it," Reins interrupted. "How much?"

"40 bits."

Reins reached into his saddlebag and produced four of the faded currency.

"I'd normally give you your bits and take back the gun if you return... but bring me Nasty's head... and you can keep the bits and gun."

"It's a date then!" Reins smiled and turned to head back out into the ruins of Equestria, Six close behind him.

As the duo faded into the desert, Daisy flew back down to meet the guard.

"Do you think they'll come back?"

"I hope so Daisy... I want to see Nasty's head in a sack... I want him to pay."

Six trotted side by side with Reins, the young stallion whistling happily like they weren't about to face down a cannibal.

"Hey," Six asked. Reins looked to her, still whistling. "I just want to say... thanks for sticking with me through all this."

"I ain't got nothing better to do," Reins chuckled. Six let a shy giggle slip.

"I just... I definitely couldn't make it out here without you..." Six said, looking down at the dirt as the two walked, ashamed. "I have no money... hell, I didn't even have a gun til you bought me one."

Reins stopped, and Six turned around confused. "Six," he began. "I know I don't take things seriously too often but... I am serious about protecting you. We've been friends for what? 3 years now? We have to stick together." Six looked shocked. In the three years they had known each other, she'd had only seen his serious side within the last three days. Reins trotted up and put a hoof on her shoulder. He smiled up at her warmly and she felt... safe. "I will always protect you Six." Suddenly, the tannish colt moved closer to her. Six blushed as it finally dawned on her what he was doing. She threw her hooves around Reins and kissed him, the passionate embrace lasting for what felt like forever to the young ponies. Six's mind was racing. Her first kiss. Did this mean they were a couple? Were they in love? Her thoughts stopped when Reins broke the kiss finally.

"You're an awful kisser Six," he teased. Six's blush intensified and she pushed him away.

"And what? Are you some sort of expert?" she stammered. Reins started giggling but it quickly grew to laughter. Six couldn't help but smile and laugh herself. They could be dead tomorrow, but she could at least be happy for now.

Chapter 7: Falling

"They're back!" yelled Daisy as she beamed at Six's return. "Wait... where is..."

It didn't take long before Six was at the gate again, hooves caked in blood and a large bag balanced across her back.

"Is that him?" the guard stallion asked. Six merely tossed the bag off her back and to the guard. The bag, once brown, was now a dark crimson. The guard pony slowly opened it to find the severed head of Nasty Neighs.

"Finally..." he began. "He's finally dead. Thank you."

Six looked out to the ruins, not hearing the guard. She only paid him mind when he hooved her a bag of gold, silver, and bronze bits.

"Where is your friend? Is he..."

Six stopped for a moment, Reins' face flashing back to her like a bolt of lighting. The smile he gave her. His last smile before... before he...

"He's gone... may I enter?" Six asked, looking back to the wasteland of Equestria. The guard nodded before looking back at the bag.

"Stick around... this is for you as well as me," he stated to Six without looking at her. With one quick motion, his upper half lifted from the ground. He hung there for a moment, front legs in mid-stomp, before bringing them down on the head of Nasty Neighs. There was a loud wet sound as the severed skull caved in to the hooves of the massive guard.

"That was for my sister..." the guard stated coldly.

Six looked at the mush that was now Nasty Neighs and wondered, was she happy now? Once revenge is quenched, there is nothing but an empty void. A void that will never truly be filled again. Nothing could bring Reins back... and she knew that.

"May I enter?" Six asked again.

"Yeah," the guard stallion replied. "The Trots is the best bar in town... just in case you need it."

"Thanks," she replied.

The gates to Las Pegasus opened slowly. It was bright—the place always lit up the desert like a star atop a Hearth’s Warming tree, but actually being in the city was different. Six took her first steps into the famed city. To her right was a small bar and grill, to her left, 3 young looking mares wearing rather revealing clothes smoking cigarettes. One of them winked to her, before she looked away and kept walking.

The further she got into the city, the higher the buildings reached. And there it was, the Trots. The building itself was almost completely undamaged, sure few cracks here and there but it was amazing! At the front door stood one guard, a black young stallion with a brown leather jacket and some kind of high tech gauntlet strapped to his right hoof. As Six approached the stallion stepped in front of her.

"Gotta search you for weapons, kid," the black stallion said with a smile. Six looked at him, confused.

"Ponies aren’t allowed to carry weapons here?"

The guard laughed.

"You must be new," the guard began. "I assume you didn't have a weapon when you arrived otherwise you'd have known about the search. Or maybe our gate partol is getting soft with age. Regardless, high class casinos like the Trots have guards. And sometimes ponies hide weapons in... hard to find places."

Six rolled her eyes and sighed. "I have this bag of bits, I got it from the Nasty Neighs bounty, that is all."

"A bounty hunter without a weapon... I dunno, that's awfully-"

"Fuck it, I will head back down the st-"

"Nah, you can head in kid, I trust you."

Six looked at the stallion. She didn't know if she should be confused, angry, or happy. She tried to read him but she couldn't get past that smile... the smile. Six put a hoof on her head for a moment, trying not to think of Reins’ smile.

"Thanks," Six said whilst moving quickly past the guard.

"The name's Lucky Streak! See ya around Six."

Six trotted further in but stopped. Did she ever tell him her name? She must've, she thought to herself, before making her way past the blackjack tables and to the bar. The bar itself was basically empty, anypony drinking was playing at the tables. She took a stool and sat down, looking at all the drinks this place had, and oh, they had many.

A few moments passed and a young mare in a suit made her way to the bar.

"Sorry ma'am!" the mare told Six in a begging manner, like she'd be struck for not being her as soon as Six had arrived.

"It's no big deal, I just got here," Six told her. The mare let out a nervous giggle, clearly waiting to be scolded, but it never came.

"M-My name is Olive Drop, what can I get you Ms.?"

"Six Shooter, and..." Six turned her attention to all the drinks behind Olive. Six closed her eyes as she decided, without her even knowing it, a smile was forming on her face.

"Get me a spiked apple cider, the cheap stuff," Six said. Olive's eyes widened at the weird request but quickly she straightened up and smiled to Six.

"At once!" Within seconds, the young mare had produced one, cheap, spiked apple cider. "4 bits please!"

Six's horn ignited, and her bag of bits floated onto the bar. She reached in and gave Olive 4 bits. Olive smiled.

"Yeah, b-barkeep!" a slot-machine-playing stallion yelled to Olive. "More gin and tonic dude!"

Olive gave Six a nervous laugh before bowing to her and hurrying to make the stallion his drink.

And then she was alone there. Six took a gulp from the cider before allowing herself a moment to reflect. Not even a week ago she was in Rustbowl, drinking with Snow and Reins. Not even two weeks ago she was planning her trip to this place with Reins. The two were going to strike it big at a casino... stupid she thought. She was in such a hurry to leave home and be out on her own and now... she had no home to go back to. No family or friends at her side. But she got what she wanted. She had bits, she was in Las Pegasus.

"Guess it all worked out didn't it..." Six told herself quietly. "You stupid bitch..."

"Ms. Six?"

Six looked up from her empty bottle. She hadn't realised Olive had returned, or that she had finished her bottle... or that she was crying.

"A-Are you... alright ma'am? Is it because I took too long to get back to you?! I'm sorr-"

"N-No!" Six blurted out quickly wiping away the tears. "Just uh... allergies! I got 'em bad," Six lied with a nervous giggle. Olive could tell her patron was distraught, but didn't want to pry into her personal life.

"Hey Olive, long time no see!" a voice sounded from behind Six. Olive's eyes started sparkling.

"H-Hey Lucky, done with your shift?" Olive said. Lucky. Six rolled her eyes and tossed four more bits to Olive for another cider but Olive didn't seem to notice.

"Yeah, give me the usual, cutie," Lucky said, pulling up a stool next to Six. Olive nodded excitedly as she poured a rum and cola for the black stallion. It was only then that she noticed four bits sitting there in front of Six.

"Why are... oh my! I'm so sorry Ms. Six!" Olive exclaimed. Quickly, she gathered up the bits and gave Six another cider before rushing back to the casino floor.

Six sipped on her cider, trying her best to pretend Lucky wasn't there.

"So... staying long?" Lucky asked with a smile while he sipped on his mixed drink.

"No."

"Oh? Well in that case you better buy a weapon from our gate patrol... or maybe you had one all along," Lucky said in a sultry manner. Six was quiet.

"Go hit on Olive," she told him coldly. "She seems to like it."

"Hey," Lucky told her in a stern tone. "Olive is a nice girl."

"Is that why you lead her on?" Six asked, turning to him.

"N-No!" Lucky stated, flustered. Never before had a mare been able to make him get like this. "Olive is... she's had a hard life. Still does," Lucky told her while signalling her to look at Olive with his glass. Six turned to see the slot machine stallion arguing with Olive about how the gin and tonic was made wrong. Lucky downed the rest of his drink before beginning again.

"My flirting with her makes her smile... really smile."

Six huffed and chugged the rest of her cider. "You're giving her false hope... believe me. I know." Suddenly Six had a flash to her and Reins' kiss... the first and last intimate moment.

Lucky looked down to the mare beside him. She wore that look he had saw when she first walked toward the Trots.

"Hey," Lucky asked. Six looked back to him. "Wanna get wasted?" Six looked at him a bit confused, then shrugged. "I'll take that as a yes!" Without giving Six a chance to protest, Lucky threw a gold bit down on the bar. After a few moments of silence Olive was back at the bar, she almost looked 5 years older since she was last there.

"Trouble?" Lucky asked.

"Yeah... he kept telling me his drink was made wrong and... wh-what am I doing? You two need a drink?" Olive beamed.

"3 shots each, Golden Hoof, you can have the change Olive," Lucky smiled to her. Olive looked down to the gold bit and back up to Lucky.

"A-Are you sure? That's a 20 bit tip..."

"You deserve it, cutie," Lucky told her with a smirk. Olive's eyes started sparkling again and a blush covered her face.

"Thank you so much Lucky!!"

Before the pair knew it, 6 shots were in front of them. Lucky picked his up with a hoof, Six with her magic. Lucky extended his hoof towards her for a cheers. Six huffed and rolled her eyes, clinking his glass before they downed the shots. Six's eyes widened as the liquid ran down her throat. It was... smooth, unbelievably so!

"This is... really good!" Six said, her face already getting warmer from the drinks. Lucky set his down and smiled at her.

"Finally loosening up?" Lucky asked. Six gave a laugh.

"Don't get any ideas wiseass."

The two laughed and cheersed their second shot, then the third.

"What's uh... What's the, fuck!" Six stuttered.

"It's 60% alcohol," Lucky told her. She looked to him, his face was flushed too but he still seemed sober. "It sneaks up on ya, that's for sure!"

Six gave him a drunken smile before reaching into her bag of bits and producing a gold bit before passing it to an absent Olive. Just then, Six remembered something.

"Hey!" she asked Lucky. "When I walked in... you... you called me Six. How did you know my name?"

Lucky stopped for a moment before giving her a laugh. "Maybe we shouldn't do three more, I didn't know your name was Six you silly filly."

Six looked at him for a moment, then gave him another smile. "Shut up, you perv, frisking ponies all day."

Lucky gave her another smile. Six smiled back... but she only saw Reins' smile again. She looked away and frowned. Lucky frowned back.

"Something wrong?"

"N-No..." Six replied. "Let's just get those shots!"

"My mare, now you're speakin' real Equestrian!"

The next three shots came and went. Six hiccuped and set a half-full shot down at the bar.

"Finish it, pussy!" Lucky taunted. Six looked at the remaining shot and gulped. She ignited her horn and the shot slowly levitated to her muzzle before she downed it.

"Th-" Lucky burped before finishing. "There you go! S-See? You stay and we can do this every night!"

"I would... I would like that," Six said, this time, her blush wasn't front the booze. She smiled back to Lucky... then she saw him. It was Reins. He was looking at the shot glass. Then he turned to Six and smiled to her. Six's eyes widened.

"Hey... y-you gonna be okay," Lucky asked, bringing her back to reality. Six watched as Reins’ face faded... he was gone, again.

"I... I need to go," Six said as she got up from the bar quickly.

"Bathroom is down the hall there!" Lucky laughed. But that wasn't where she was headed. Six ran down the hall and tapped on the elevator button for "up". Slowly the doors opened and she ran in, tapping the button for the top floor. Her head spun as the elevator ascended and all the tears she was holding back were trying desperately to get out. The doors opened, and she ran for the roof access. As the door gave way, the cold night air washed over her and she could no longer contain the tears. This was all her fault. If she had stayed at home. If she had never came to this city. If she had been a better partner for Reins...

Six stood there, on the edge of the Trots casino. She smiled to herself. It'd finally be over... all of it... done with.

"Six!!" Lucky yelled from behind her. Six turned, her face wet from the tears she had been holding back, and a smile across her face.

"Six please! Get down!" Even as the words left his muzzle, she swore she heard Reins.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry Reins. I... I can't go on without you..."

"Six no!!" Lucky yelled, running for her, but it was too late. Six fell back, off the rooftop and down to the alleys of Las Pegasus.

Chapter 8: Powerful Allies

Snow fell back to the bed in a drunk lump. He craned his head and looked to the mare who pushed him down with a knowing smile. The mare, known only as "Nurse," slowly removed her silk dress and let the soft garment drop to the floor. Snow bit his lip and just watched as the mare turned, exposing her most private area to him.

"I always loved the view in Las Pegasus!" Snow stated, spreading his legs and inviting his new mate to take a "ride".

"Me too!"

Snow's eyes shot open, his horn igniting but quickly fizzling out as a hoof-gauntlet came into view. He turned his attention to its owner and froze. The orange mare with a blood-red mohawk and eyepatch laughed and took a step forward. Snow couldn't believe she had gotten into Las Pegasus, let alone found him here.

"Babe," Delta said to Nurse. "Get his revolver."

Snow turned back to the white pegasus mare who was already dressed and picking up his Colt Python with her wings. A bead of sweat running down Snow’s forehead. He could disarm Delta but the other... even if this Nurse bitch was a horrible shot she wouldn't miss, not from this range. He looked back to Delta, who sported a terrifying smile, one that almost touched ear to ear. Through all the fear and adrenaline running through him, Snow gave her a cocky smile right back.

"Looks like you finally made it," Snow said.

Delta's smile faded completely.

"Are you... are you making jokes? You never came back and now you ARE MAKING JOKES?!! I waited for you and then you come back just to use MY guys!" Delta pressed the gauntlet right against the side of his head. "You abandoned me... then you come back... get my guys killed on your secret mission... and do this!!" Delta backed away and used her gauntlet hoof to remove her eyepatch. Her eye and eyelid were completely gone leaving nothing but burns and scar tissue. Her one good eye shed a single tear before she slapped her eyepatch back on. "But... it's over now. I am going to kill you Snow... I am going to unload every shell into your body until there is nothing left. Then I am going to find that little brown bitch... and scoop both her eyes out."

Snow stopped smiling at the mention of Six. Even if he died here, there was no reason for her to be involved.

"Delta... leave Six out of this," he started. "I won't blame you for killing me but leave her alone."

Delta just laughed as she pressed the gauntlet to his temple again. "D'aww, don't you have the most cutest daddy complex. No deal."

"Delta please!!" Snow protested. "If it weren't for me bringing her there she would have just been another robbery for your..." Suddenly it hit him. "Delta... how would you like to be extremely rich?"

The raider mare almost burst into tears from laughing so hard. "Bargaining now, huh? Sweet Celestia, show some fucking balls when you are about to die!"

Snow felt her wrist begin to twist slowly to fire the gauntlet.

"I work at one of these casinos Delta!"

The twisting stopped. Snow's heart was pounding but he was alive... which meant she took the bait.

"D-D... you can't be thinking about this!" Nurse stamped. "He is lying!"

"Am I, Delta? Remember when I left I told you I was going to be working at one of the casinos here."

"And why should I care?" Delta asked, still pressing the gauntlet against him. "You wanna rob your boss?"

"That's exactly what I wanna do... just like robbing a caravan, just with more bullets and blood."

Delta began to slowly smile as she took the gauntlet away from his head.

"D he is playi-" Nurse began, but all it took was a glare from Delta to shut her up. Delta smiled back to Snow but was silent. She knew it was bait... but it didn't matter. "You're baiting me Snow... you're going to gamble on me accepting this and then turn on me."

Snow remained straight faced.

"There is one thing you seem to forget... that night in the prison... you couldn't pull the trigger."

The realization dawned on him—he couldn't pull the trigger that night. Snow thought for a moment but decided it was time to fold. He closed his eyes and smiled.

"Do it."

"That's it? 'Do it?’ How cliché."

"I don't care anymore... I've been dead since your gang and I attacked Six. So just do it, Summer."

Delta gritted her teeth and pressed the gauntlet against his skull harder... then she sighed. "You're too pathetic to kill," Delta said, lowering her gauntlet and looking towards the balcony.

Snow sat up quickly, but Nurse took aim and he stopped. "Snow?" Delta asked, sliding a cigarette between her lips. Snow slowly turned back to her, making sure not to worry Nurse. "Meet me on the balcony."

Nurse looked extremely worried, the heavy revolver shaking in her wings.

"Nurse, just put the damn gun down," Delta ordered. Nurse bit her lip before tossing the revolver down. "Snow, hurry the fuck up already." Snow turned and walked out onto the balcony, following the orange mare's lead. As he stepped onto the balcony he saw Delta staring out towards the direction of her prison.

"You Las Pegasus ponies have the best view," she stated. "Hey... spark me up?"

Snow trotted over and lit her cigarette with his horn. She inhaled quickly and blew the smoke into the wind where it was whipped away in a flash.

"Why not just kill me, Delta?" Snow asked bluntly. "You have the right."

"Fuck that," Delta said in a commanding tone. "I want to kill Snow, not some pussy who begs for death. Grow a pair and fight back... then we'll talk."

Snow couldn't help but chuckle at her vulgarity—she was always like that. Delta had never changed since they were foals.

"Your boss..." she asked, looking out to the ruins again. "They are the one who sent you to kill Six's family right? What was the issue?"

Snow didn't answer. Delta looked to him, her face unchanged.

"There were kids there..." Snow answered. Delta took a long drag off her cigarette before flicking the ash into the wind. "A colt and a filly... as soon as I saw movement I ordered your men to fire... my boss said there was only one pony, a rogue agent of hers... not kids. One went down... then the other moments later. When I was there it all went by so fast but now... I see it all, clear as day... we butchered two kids and Six's mother, Delta."

Delta kept looking to the ruins, inhaling the last bit of her cigarette as Snow finished his story. She knew how he felt. When the surge hit, they were both just foals... no different from the foals her gang and Snow killed. She turned to him and noticed he was silently crying. She thought to make fun of him... but stopped. When they made their gang as teens, they had two rules: Listen to Delta, and Don't kill kids. Snow was right, Las Pegasus changes ponies, and it had changed him.

"Hey Snow..." Delta asked. Snow didn't look at her. He wiped away his tears and looked to the ruins. "I want to ask you something Snow, so fucking look at me."

Snow turned to her, glaring.

She just smiled to him. "How about you come work for me."

Chapter 9: Blue Mane

The lights of New Las Pegasus were ablaze as the sun finally set over the desert. An older mare watched from her office on the top floor of The Trots, as more and more ponies rushed to her many bars and casinos. Every night brought in more than the last. The older mare, known only as Blue Mane, let out a soft giggle at how ironic her situation was. She liked to think of herself as a mare who gauged every outcome before addressing a situation, yet she ran a town based on luck and risking it all. Blue brushed her crystal mane out of the way before smiling and turning to face her office’s entrance—she was expecting company.

Within only a few seconds, a young brown unicorn mare with a black and brown mane was escorted in by two stallion bodyguards. The mare had a bandage on her head and looked incredibly nervous, but not due to that—it was as if she was worried about something else entirely. Blue nodded to the stallions and they returned to their posts outside Blue's office. As the door to the office was shut, all of Blue's attention went to the young mare in front of her.

"It's nice to meet you Six Shooter," Blue began. "My associates call me Blue Mane, for obvious reasons." Blue reached a hoof up to her mane and moved a strand of it out of the way.

Six stared at the unicorn in front of her. The captivating sapphire eyes and mane, and the pure white coat! This mare clearly kept looks in high regard. That's when Six noticed something—a faint glow radiating off of Blue Mane.

"Why are you glowing?" Six asked bluntly. Blue Mane laughed as she remembered some ponies around here had never laid eyes on a crystal pony before.

"I was born in the Crystal Empire in the north," Blue stated with a warm smile. "I am what is known as a crystal pony."

"Crystal... pony?"

"That's right. Before the Surge, most of my race was enslaved and brainwashed to fight for Sombra." Blue closed her eyes as she recollected her youth—but stopped and merely nodded. "You won't see many of us anymore. Especially this far south of the empire."

"Ms. Blue Mane... is Lucky going to be okay?" Six asked.

Blue suddenly sported a very serious look. "He is recovering from a broken right wing and two broken ribs. He will make a full recovery, but it'll take time."

Six looked down at the floor. Last night had been hazy because of the alcohol but she remembered what she tried to do. The fall, the air whipping at her back as she descended, Lucky yelling... then a crash.

"Six." Six looked up to Blue again—the older mare's expression was still as serious as before. "Lucky is an associate of mine, one with a lot of value to me. Thanks for your stunt, he’s out of commission for a few weeks."

Six frowned and looked to the floor again, ashamed about what she had done. Not only had she put her own life in danger, but also that of another.

"Ms. Blue Mane... I am so sorry."

Blue smiled warmly to the young mare. Six caught it and looked to her in surprise. She expected anger, or maybe even to be killed. But Blue Mane was just... smiling.

"It's a setback, but I like to leave nothing to chance," Blue started. "I would like-"

The door opened again. This time a stallion with a bulletproof vest with a massive revolver strapped to it trotted through the door. Six turned and froze upon seeing him.

"Ah, Snow, thanks for finding time to report back to me," Blue said to the grey stallion. Snow didn't seem to hear her. Instead he stared right at Six like he was seeing a ghost. Quickly, Snow gathered himself and looked to the smiling older mare.

"You bastard!" Six screamed. Without thinking, Six jumped at him, her horn already sparking. Snow's own horn quickly sparked to life as he began to draw his revolver, but he wasn't fast enough for the frenzied mare. Six tackled him to the ground and delivered a powerful right hoof to his muzzle.

Snow could already taste blood in his mouth but quickly ignited his horn once again, bringing the butt of the massive revolver to Six's ribs. Six wheezed and fell to her side. As Six opened her eyes she saw Snow standing over her, his revolver pointed right at her. She gave him a confident smile before whispering.

"Go ahead... f-finish the job," Six began "You already killed my family."

"Six I-I..." Snow started but quickly turned his attention back to Blue Mane. "If you're going to blame their deaths on somepony, blame them on her!"

Six looked at Blue Mane, who was still just smiling.

"I tasked Snow with an important mission, Six," Blue began. Six glared at her. "His mission was to kill a pony named 'Gus', an ex-employee of mine, and bring back what Gus had stolen from me. I never once asked Snow to kill your family, nor did I ask him to involve drugged-out raiders." Blue closed her eyes and sighed.

"That's a lie and you know it! Y-You knew her family was there and you still wanted the mission carried out!!" Snow screamed.
Blue Mane stared at Snow for a moment. "I did. That is why I sent you. If you had gone in alone, quietly, you could have secured Gus and the package. But you involved the Raiders... why was that, Snow?" The older mare smiled to him, but the room was silent.

Slowly, Six stood up. Snow watched her carefully as she stared him down.

"She has a point... Snow," six spat.

"Y-You can't be serious Six!" Snow yelled. "I-I..." But no answer came. Slowly, the revolver slid back into its holster. "Please Six I didn't-"

Smack

Six glared at him. Her hoof stung but not as much as Snow's face did.

"You left Reins and I out there Snow." Six began. "He is dead now... my family is dead now... and it's your fault, Snow."

Snow froze for a moment. He hadn't even thought about Reins not being here.

"I-I'm sorry Six... I should have helped you two... I just didn't think-"

"You can leave, Snow," Blue Mane interrupted. "Don't bother coming back."

Snow looked to her, then to Six.

"I am sorry for all I've done to you, Six," Snow said. His horn ignited and he unfastened the vest and dropped it to the floor. He started to walk out when Blue spoke up.

"I'll need my revolver too."

Snow stopped and turned to his former boss with a glare. She just smiled back at him. The thought of shooting her then and there entered his mind... but Blue Mane had planned all this. Six being here to surprise him was no coincidence. He looked down to his Colt Python one last time, then dropped it on the floor as he left the office.

Chapter 10: Gus

“Everything alright?” Lucky asked as he and Six trotted through the Las Pegasus desert. Six was lagging behind and hadn’t said a word since the two had left Blue Mane’s office in search of Gus.

“Yeah, I just…” Six started but the words fell flat in her throat. She surveyed the landscape and noticed she recognized this place. “How long ‘til we get there?”

“Not long, hour or two if we keep up the pace.”

“It’s… going to be weird being back,” Six said. Lucky kept silent. The thought of trying to comfort her came to mind but she’d been through so much in so little time. She was returning home a completely different pony than when she’d left. No amount of comforting would help her now. The two ponies travelled in silence for the next two hours until Lucky spotted some shacks atop a hill in the distance. He stopped and turned to Six, and the mare nodded.

“Before we go any further,” Lucky started, “our objective is to secure the area and search for Blue Mane’s attaché case.”

“And eliminate Gus,” Six added.

“Yes… Look Six, I understand if you-”

“Stop,” Six interrupted. “I know what my orders are.”

“Well yeah but-” Before Lucky could continue, Six unholstered Snow’s, or rather “her,” Colt Python from her chest holster and spun the chamber in her magical grasp.

“Gus put my family in danger by stealing that thing and bringing it to us. Putting him down won’t be a problem.”

Without a word Lucky turned his focus back to the shacks on the hill and galloped towards them, with Six close behind.

The shacks were silent. Six looked around but saw nothing but the home she had left behind. No case. No Gus. The two ponies trotted low along the back of Six’s old home until Lucky suddenly stopped.

“Let me go first,” he suggested, though it was more of an order. “You stay behind and cover me since you have range.” Six nodded to him and right as he ducked out of cover, something caught her eye. In the wall was a bullet hole. Flashes of the gunfight came to her. The bullets blasting through her mother and out through this very wall. Maybe this hole was from the bullet that-

“Six!” Lucky said in a loud whisper, his voice jerking her back to reality. He was pointing at something. Six peered around the corner and saw a pony sitting on the ground. They weren’t big enough to be Gus… unless he had gotten smaller since the last time Six had saw him. Six looked back to Lucky who was standing perfectly still. He met her gaze and pointed to himself before he began trotting closer to the seated pony. Six took aim, ready to fire should the pony move.

Suddenly the seated pony fell back.

“What the fu-” Lucky couldn’t finish before he lept backwards towards Six. He hadn’t hit the ground before the seated pony erupted in a brilliant explosion. Six took cover and could feel the heat from the blast even from her position behind the house. She looked from cover once again to see Lucky running to her, parts of his leather jacket smoldering. He took the corner to Six’s cover and quickly threw off the jacket.

“Lucky are you-”

“Fuck!” Lucky swore trying his best to remain quiet. “It was a dead raider. Some kind of explosive was strapped to his chest… it was a trap!”

Six looked around the corner again but the burning pony was all she could see.

“Do you think it’s Raiders?” Six asked.

“Raiders are pretty fucked… but I…” Lucky breathed slowly, trying to catch his breath. The leap to get away from the bomb must’ve knocked the wind out of him. “I doubt they’d use one of their own.”

“You think it’s…” Six started.

“It’s Gus,” Lucky answered quickly. “Bad news is, he knows he’s being attacked. Good news, he probably thinks it’s raiders.”
Six looked up to the hills. But saw nothing.

Bang

Six ducked behind cover just in time as a bullet whizzed past her muzzle and into the desert sand.

“How far?” Lucky asked, still trying to regain his breath.

“50 meters. Give or take.”

“Hmm…” Lucky thought for a moment as another bullet smacked into the sand near Six. The unicorn looked at the crater in the sand and suddenly had an idea. She turned to face a bullet hole from when the raiders attack her family and peered through.

“Six get the fuck down!” Lucky ordered, trying again to keep his voice low.

“I see his rifle,” Six stated, going back into a crouching stance.

“Alright, okay, good!” Lucky replied. “You think you can get a shot off?”

“Nah, I couldn’t see him, only the barrel of his rifle.”

“Shit…” Lucky began scanning his surroundings for anything when Six suddenly spoke up.

“I could trying hitting his barrel,” Six suggested. Lucky looked back to her, his expression was doubtful to say the least. “Look just… distract him while I line up the shot. I won’t miss.”

“F-Fine, if we make it out of this, you are buying rounds.”

The fire from the raider corpse had began to spread to the house. Their cover would soon be a burning rubble. Six was on the left side, Lucky on the right. Lucky turned to the mare he was entrusting with his life—her dark brown coat, the light brown and black mane… the rather firm looking flank. He looked away, focusing back on the cover he was intended to run to. A shed just 5 meters from him… An otherwise short distance, made to feel endless by the experienced sniper trained on the position. He sighed and turned back to Six. She met his gaze and nodded. She was ready.

As fast as Lucky could muster he threw himself from behind cover. Six ducked out from her side and lined up her shot with the barrel. She had less than a second before-

Bang

Six’s Colt was smoking from its powerful shot. The barrel of Gus’s rifle was separated from the rest of the carbine. Both pieces flew high into the air… but not before it fired one final shot. Quickly Six ducked back into cover.

“Lucky?!” she yelled, running to the right side of the house were Lucky had been in cover, then froze.

Lucky was face down in the sand, he wasn’t moving or breathing.

“L-Lucky… C-Can you hear-”

Lucky flipped over and grinned up at the young mare.

“Good shooting there Six!”

Six blushed for the first time in what felt like years.

“You’re lucky I fired first,” she bragged. They both smiled to one another then looked to the hills for Gus.

“Ready?” Lucky asked. Six turned to the burning building to her left. Her home… or what was left of it. It wasn’t a home anymore, Snow made made sure of that. They were Delta’s raiders who attacked though so maybe she was to blame, assuming she was alive. Or… Gus was the reason Snow had came in the first place.... Or maybe the real pony to blame was Blue Mane after all.

“Six?” Lucky asked again. Six snapped back to him. “Are you ready to head up there? We shouldn’t give him time to recover.”

“Y-Yeah,” Six answered. The two ponies galloped to the hill. As she ran, Six took one look back at her former home and silently swore she’d kill whoever it was that took it from her.

The hilltop on which Gus had been positioned was abandoned, but both Six and Lucky spotted a blood trail leading away from the sniper nest to a small shack to the north.

“Blood?” Six asked. “You think he’s injured?”

“When you shot his rifle it must’ve blew back at him. I’m surprised he had the strength to walk it off.”

Six looked to the shack to which the blood trail led—no doubt they’d find Gus inside. They both trotted to the shack and stopped at the entrance.

“Let me do this,” Six stated. Lucky looked to her and shook his head.

“He could be setting another trap for us.”

“I’ll be careful… please Lucky.”

Lucky sighed and finally backed away from the door.

“Just keep your gun handy.”

Six nodded and slowly opened the door. Inside was a run-down living room. A kitchen, table and chairs. Slowly, Six inched back further into the home, and into a small room separated from the rest of the shack. Whipping around the corner, revolver raised, she found the pony she had been sent to kill.

Slowly Gus turned to face her and went wide-eyed when he saw who it was that had tracked him down.

“S-Six Shooter? You’re alive?!” A smile began to form across his muzzle but it died when he saw the revolver she had pointed at him in a magical grip. He sighed and began limping slowly towards her.

“Don’t move!” Six ordered. Gus froze and looked to her in almost a sad manner.

“That gear… you must be working for her now,” Gus said with a cough. “I knew this day would come… but I wasn’t expecting you, Six.”

“You knew you were being hunted and you still decided to involve my family?!”

“I... urg… I am sorry Six,” Gus told her as he slumped over against the wall of the shack. That’s when Six noticed pieces of metal from the rifle buried into his legs and neck. The wounds in his neck were bad and blood was flowing freely from there.

“I should’ve never involved myself with other ponies while I was on the run from… from Blue Mane… I’m… I’m so sorry Six.”

Six felt a massive anger swell within her.

“That’s all you can say?!” she yelled. “‘I’m sorry’ doesn’t cut it! They’re dead because of you!”

Gus coughed again, this time blood spilled out of his mouth and into his grey beard.

“Six when… when I escaped Blue Mane I found a filly out in the desert,” Gus began. “That filly… was Molly. I-I knew taking care of her would put her in danger but… she would have died. I told her I’d find… her a new family… and I did, I found your family.”

Six’s revolver started to shake in her grasp.

“Shut up! Molly, Buck, my mom, they’re all dead because of you!”

“That’s true.” Gus coughed again, and more blood came up onto his chest. “I should have left when I found… when I found your family but I… I grew attached to that little filly… and attached to you all too! That’s no excuse but I… I just wanted you to know… that I never wanted any of this.”

Gus raised a hoof and pointed to the corner of the room where a dusty old attaché case was lying. Six trotted over to the case, never taking an eye of Gus. Quickly she scooped up the case with a flick of her horn and trotted slowly back to the kitchen area. She turned away from Gus and right as she was going to leave the hall he spoke up one last time.

“Six.”

Six turned to face him, the revolver and case still in her grasp.

“Don’t let revenge take you. You’re a smart, bright, young girl with her whole future ahead of her… don’t… don’t let it…”

Gus coughed again then closed his eyes, his hoofs falling limply to the dirt floor.

Six stared down at him. His breathing had stopped and she knew it was done, still… she had felt like avenging her family’s death would make her happy but she felt nothing. Maybe revenge wouldn’t make her happy, but if revenge wasn’t the answer to her problems… then what did she have left?

Chapter 11: True Power

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 6: Junkyard Jam

"You have 17 sir..." Snow looked down at his bourbon and tapped a hoof on the blackjack table, signaling he wanted to hit. The dealer flung a card to Snow with his magic. A 4 of diamonds. The ponies surrounding snow clopped their hooves together, clearly impressed with his cards. Snow downed his bourbon, collected his winnings in a magic grasp, and made for the counter.

"Hi there!" the young-looking mare behind the glass smiled. Snow silently hooved over his chips. The mare counted them up quickly for the silent stallion in front of her. "Payment in platinum bits okay?"

"Yeah."

"Alrighty! One sec!" she beamed. A machine to her right lit up as she piled the chips neatly in and pressed a few buttons, the machine dropping out 11 platinum bits—each worth 100 normal bits one would find when out in the Ruins. The cashier mare slid him the small fortune and smiled as he took it straight to the bar. Most of the stools were empty besides one. A small, white mare in a silk dress was sitting at the left end of the bar. Snow took a stool three down from her.

"What'll it be sir?" the bartender asked in an uncaring tone. Snow thought for a moment before downing his bourbon, unknowingly getting the attention of the mare across the bar. Snow let out a hot sigh and slammed the glass down. "A bourbon."

The bartender nodded and gathered up a few cubes of ice. Snow watched as the drink flowed, causing the ice cubes to slosh around a bit.

"Hi there."

Snow had only just picked up the glass with his magic when he noticed the white mare was now sitting next to him. "Do I know you?" he asked, taking a generous sip of his bourbon.

The mare giggled. "No... but maybe we can change that?"

"I doubt it," Snow replied, taking another drink.

The mare ignored his rudeness and smiled to the bartender. "One scorcher please," she mewed.

The bartender gave her a smile back and took out a bottle of yellow liquor from an ice box under the counter. Snow looked at the odd yellow bottle, thinking it must be some fancy drink rich ponies like her indulged in. The yellow fluid was poured into a shot glass and given to her. Her right wing extended and grasped the shot. Snow watched in amazement for a moment as the pegasus mare swirled the shot around. As she picked up speed, the shot began to sizzle and spark and change color until it was an orangish-red... the color of fire. The mare quickly downed the shot as it was still sizzling and sparking. She swallowed it fast enough but a slit of pain was shown through her otherwise solid poker face. She rubbed her chest through the silken dress and smiled to Snow.

Snow looked back to her, then to the bartender. "I'll take one too," he said, trying his best to sound uninterested.

The mare giggled. "You'll enjoy it, just do it fast, high alcohol and high... heat"

Before he knew it, his shot was ready. He swirled it with his magic and soon it was sizzling. He gave the mare a cocky grin and downed the shot without taking his eyes off her... initially. As soon as it got past his throat he felt a burning sensation. Snow gave a hard cough, then a half hardy smile to his companion which earned him another cute giggle from the mare.

"So what's..." Snow stopped, rubbing his chest before continuing. "What's your name anyway? I'm Snow."

"Most ponies just call me Nurse."

Bullets flew in from the north. Six was in cover behind an old building that had fallen long ago in the Surge. Reins had taken up a sniper’s post but Nasty had been expecting company, something first-timers like Six and Reins weren't prepared for.

Bang Bang

Two more shots slammed into Six's cover. She swore under her breath for not asking for ammo before they left. Six shots... ironic, she thought.

Bang

This one came from Reins on the hillside.

The cannibal raider known only as Nasty Neighs let out a high pitched laugh. "Ya both are dead!" he laughed. "I got my grill fired up... and I'm starting with that FUCKING SNIPER!" As he finished his threat, he began to let loose a deafening barrage of machine gun fire. Six quickly lept over her cover and ran to a large rock. She ducked down, diving headfirst to her new cover. The rock splintered and dust covered her as the bullets pounded the formation. Suddenly the machine gun fire came to an abrupt stop and was replaced by repeated clicks—he was out of ammo.

Six sprung out from her cover again and fired her revolver at Nasty before he could vanish into his shack. Droplets of crimson splattered onto the aluminum wall behind where Nasty had been. She had barely hit him before he retreated into his fort in the junkyard.

"Damnit!" Six yelled before running after him. Six stopped immediately as she reached the now-bloodied hall that lead into Nasty's makeshift junk shack. Slowly, she trotted down the hall. The smell of burning meat became stronger the further she walked into the shack. The hall turned to the right, most likely leading straight to the room Nasty resided in. Taking a deep breath, Six raised her old revolver and turned the corner.

"What in the..." The smell was almost overpowering. In the corner was a sleeping bag that had multiple stains and a small duffle bag laying next to a dark brown pillow. But the main attraction of this room was a rusty grill... cooking a burned pegasus wing. She coughed, then emptied her stomach onto the floor. Quickly wiping the puke away from her muzzle she finally realized something, Nasty wasn't here... besides the crackling of the grill, it was silent.

Six scanned the room and noticed a back door cleverly disguised as part of the junk. The entire home Nasty had constructed just looked like a huge junk pile from the outside, but was actually quite the castle. Six trotted to the duffle bag to search for ammo but just found copious amounts of drugs, refined poison joke, needles filled with a red substance, mushrooms, but no ammo. It was most likely taken when Nasty ran through. To her surprise, she found no blood trail aside from the splatter from when she shot him.

Splat

Something wet landed on Six's cheek. She reached a hoof up to wipe it off, but froze as she saw what it was.

Blood.

Six looked up but it was too late. Nasty dropped from the ceiling beams and onto her, causing her revolver to fall onto the dirty floor and skid away. Nasty let out a twisted laugh as he stared at his prey below him.

"They sent some rookies to kill me? I'm gonna enjoy those juicy eyes of yours, girl."

Six's heart raced as she struggled, but Nasty was impossibly strong, undoubtedly an effect of the drug use. Nasty ran his muzzle through Six's chest fur before tearing some away with his teeth. Six screamed as loud as she could, both from the initial pain, and in hopes of getting Reins’ attention.

"Six!!" Reins called out, his hoofsteps getting louder as he ran down to the junkyard from his hill.

Nasty just smiled down at her with his toothy grin. "Don't go anywhere now!" With that, he delivered a powerful right hoof to the side of her head, knocking Six unconscious.

Six's eyes opened slowly as she winced from the lingering pain of Nasty’s right hook. It wasn't until he heard Reins scream outside that she fully woke up. With her horn lighting up and revolver in check, Six ran outside to the confrontation. She was already aiming the revolver when she exited the hallway but froze when she saw them. Nasty had Reins and was using him as a shield.

Reins was a bloodied mess. Cuts and bite marks dotted his body like a map. The worst was his right ear, which was gone, completely bitten off. Nasty greeted Six with a gory smile before bringing a knife to Reins' throat.

"You're up sooner than expected," Nasty began. "Don't worry, we're just about done here."

"Let him go, you son of a bitch!" Six demanded, aiming the gun right at Nasty’s head. It wasn't a hard shot. She was almost sure she would hit him between the eyes at this range... but what if she missed? The revolver began to shake violently in Six's magical grasp.

"What's wrong? Most mercs would take the shot, unless... you like this stallion, don't you?" Six tried not to pay attention to him and just steadied her aim, but nothing helped, she couldn't stop the shaking. "Do it girl... pull the trigger."

Nasty began to apply more force to the knife, a tiny trickle of blood ran down Reins' neck as a result. He was going to kill him! Six couldn't keep her aim under control but it didn't matter, she had to take the shot.

"Don't hurt him!!"

Click

Six's eyes went wide, and she tried again.

Click

She couldn't be out of ammo, she only fired once.

Click

"You tried to kill me, girl," Nasty laughed. "Good thing I took the bullets."

Six looked up at Nasty slowly, a begging look in her eyes.

"Are you afraid, girl? You all taste so much better when you're afraid."

As the words left Nasty's blood covered muzzle, she saw Reins slowly look up and smile to her. In one quick motion, the knife slide across Reins' neck. Blood began to run freely down his chest and stomach before his body fell limply to the ground. Six couldn't believe what she was seeing—her best and only friend laying in a growing pool of his own blood, his body mangled by the laughing stallion in front of her. Nasty was saying something but Six couldn't hear him. Her whole body began to feel heavy, so much so that she felt she may faint. The revolver quickly fell to the ground with a thump, Six's gaze with it. She was only brought back to reality by Nasty's hoof on her chin raising her focus to him.

"I'm going to eat him... and then I'm going to eat you."

Suddenly, the only emotion Six could feel was rage. Her horn ignited brighter than ever. Nasty swiftly jumped back, trying to avoid any magic she was going to cast.

As soon as he landed, a thundering bolt of pure magic was blasted from Six's horn.

"DIE!"

Nasty felt a strange burning in his chest and the familiar smell of charred meat. He looked down to see a sizeable hole where his ribs once were. He began to see random colors... before seeing nothing at all as his dead body fell to the ground.

Six ran to his body, scooped up the knife with her bare-hooves, and began stabbing Nasty repeatedly.

"DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE!!"

She raised the knife high, before sending the blade and part of the hilt into the heart of the raider pony. Slowly, she got off the mangled corpse of Nasty, knife still deep in his heart. She sniffed as her gaze met Reins... her best and only friend in this terrible wasteland once known as Equestria.

"Reins..." She trotted over to him limply, sniffling as she tried to stay calm. She stopped and knelt down next to him. "S-Stop..." she began. "Stop messing around... y-you can get up." Reins remained still. "Reins please get up..." Her tears started flowing freely now. "You can't die! You can't..."

Six sat there until the sun began to set, just laying next to him.

After hours of silence she slowly got up, and looked around. She needed a shovel. Luckily the junkyard had all kinds of old world tools. It didn't take long to find a shovel, or dig the hole. Using her magic, she levitated her friend's corpse to the hole, and gently set him inside. The wind began blowing, reminding Six that night was approaching and that she needed to get back. Before she could start burying him, something brushed against her leg. She looked down to find Reins' cowpony hat, the hat he wore to remember his mother. At first Six thought to keep it... but decided against it.

"I don't need an item to remember you by," she started, placing the hat on Reins' chest. "I will NEVER forget our time together. I... I loved you... so much."