"Keep your eyes and ears open. Even though we are going to the dirthouse, that does not mean that we are scott free from assassins. Got me Rarity?" Pinkie asked over her shoulder. She looked at her friend who had her gun ready in her hand, she had a contemplative look about her as she looked over. Her eyes concentrated and set upon a goal, she was acting a little strange as of late.

Rarity replied, "Okay. I am ready."

Pinkie nodded her head with a grunt and they looked on. The sun had begun to set and the dying rays peaked through the treetops. Pinkie lost sight of the rays as they trudged on deep into the Everfree. They were going to go to the very edge, the Dirthouse lied at the edge of a cliff. Something that Pinkie was going to use to her advantage. Even from that distance she could hear and feel the resonant beat of the Dirthouse. She gripped hard against the hilt of her dagger, reversed the grip and focused on what lied in front of her. She stepped and watched as the scenery quickly had less light and their field of vision lessened. Pinkie drew out a sigh of annoyance and activated her Instinct.

Slowly her eyes open and she saw through the darkness and saw where they needed to go. Rarity looked over at Pinkie and asked, "How are you doing that?"

Pinkie trudged on as they continued, "I have always been able to do this. My family called it The Instinct. They seemed to think that I was some sort of veteran at this. At killing..."

Her voice trailed off as she started remembering the bodies she has buried. All those feelings she buried so long ago, they came rushing back, making her feel the increased amount of remorse that she had felt at the time she tried to bury them. Pinkie looked away from her friend and her gaze went down cast, "I was the perfect killer in their eyes...they were proud of me...and I hated them for it. I hated me..."

There was not anger in her voice. Not a drop of hatred, but what was there was sorrow and longing. As they continued on, the brush and vegetation thickened. Their footsteps almost echoing in the dead silence of the forest. Pinkie elevated her senses to activate her Instinct. Her mind dead set and ever present within her dark mind.

The soft crunching of the grass and flora sounding loud in her ears. The distant calls of cicadas and owls, their haunting voices sounding as though they were right on her shoulders and not miles away. Like a ghostly choir raising their voices to Pinkie. But what remained stark above the near silence of the Everfree, was the occasional howl of a lone wolf. Banning at the pale maiden moon. Their lost cries as broken and forgotten members of their pack. Pinkie's heart grew heavy as she understood the wolf's pleas. Thinking they were forever lost, it made her think and question her decisions. She knew what it was like to be without a pack. Pinkie was taken out of her thoughts as she heard the soothing voice of her friend, "You seem lost in thought darling, are you alright?"

Pinkie slowed her pace and lowered her knife as she answered solemnly and her gaze set low, "Just...thinking...that's all."

"About?" Rarity asked. Prodding in a sing song tone that was unmistakable. Pinkie looked over at her friend, her skin glistening in the starlight. Her eyes sparkling as they promised nothing short of benevolence and friendship. Innocent eyes that Pinkie had come to love. Her soft jawline, her kitten like soft skin, her full lips and her makeup. Everything toned and made to expertly improve her beauty. Everything about her was beautiful, she has stressed this so many times but she could not help herself.

Pinkie stopped herself from staring and answered quickly, "I...just...about my family and if what I'm doing is right."

"What do you mean?" Rarity inquired in her ever accented and soft voice.

Pinkie walked alongside Rarity and replied in a distant tone, "I mean if killing my entire family is the right course of action. I want to tell myself that this is the only answer. That this is the only way. But...I just can't shake the feeling that maybe there is someone like me...a killer with a conscience."

Sorrow filled Pinkie but did not last long as it was banished far away once she rested a soft and tender hand on her shoulder. Rarity gently squeezed her shoulder and caressed it as she said, "If there is a slight chance that there is someone like you then we should not hesitate to help them."

Pinkie held back all she could not to moan in pleasure under her soft touch. Pinkie was sent to her own nirvana each time she felt Rarity's warm touch. Rarity stopped caressing her shoulder and Pinkie asked in somewhat of a lighter mood, "So...how are you holding up?"

Rarity seemed to look distantly ahead of herself and then cast her gaze down at Peacemaker and she replied in more of a darker tone, "I'm...I'm holding up as much as I can..."

Her voice trailed off and Pinkie added gruelingly, "It ain't easy. To just shut off your emotions when you kill."

Rarity rested the chamber of the gun in her other palm and asked, "What does it feel like? When you kill someone I mean?"

Pinkie's blood drew cold as she answered carefully, "Like I am someone completely different. Like something dark takes hold of me and shuts me away when I start killing. It...it is so cold..."

Pinkie felt herself tremble and shiver, even though it was not that cold out. She wrapped her arms over her stomach and shook herself. She stopped once she felt loving arms wrap around her. Offering her their warmth and love from a friend. Making Pinkie feel that she was not alone, that she would never be alone. She remembered back to their promise and Pinkie said, "Thank you Rarity."

Rarity answered in her silken voice, "Any time darling."

Before Pinkie became drunk with the loving embrace and unload her feelings she felt a wave shoot up through her veins, from her feet to chest. Her eyes shot open and they became as hard as iron and focused ahead of her. She heard Rarity ask, "What is it? What's wrong?"

A cruel smile found its way on Pinkie's lips and she said, "We have arrived."

Rarity slowly moved her hands away from her friend and readied her gun. Waiting for a crack shot to rip through the air and find its mark into someone else's head. Pinkie lifted her knife and said, "Once we are inside then we find the witch and we kill or disrupt whoever he or she is. Then we burn it to the ground."

"Why do that? Won't it draw attention?"

"I don't care," A primal voice exchanging for Pinkie's, "As long as I make them pay for trying to kill us."

The brush lowered and a thin layer of mist rested calmly at their feet. Pinkie's breathing almost non exsistent, but she remained careful not to go too far. There was nothing that could break the still silence of the air around them. A determined and focused face found its way to the marshy environment around her. She dared not think about the outcome of her decision. She shook her head and raised a hand motioning for Rarity to stop and she listened closely.

She could hear pairs of silently placed feet. Pinkie took it to heart that she was the only one that could do this, likes she had said before. It can be a blessing and a curse. The still wind leaving a sort of apprehensive pull in her breathing. They were nearby she could feel it, and judging by Rarity's expression she had a feeling they were not alone as well. Pinkie focused and tried to see the residual energies and the steady heart beats of her family members.

Pinkie knelt, the marshy waters enveloping her legs as she said, "Three of them. All armed with standard equipment to fight. A scout band. Not a huge threat."

Pinkie looked up as she heard the resounding tone of a twig snapping and Pinkie rushed over as fast as lightning to where she heard the twig snap. The world rushed past her. She closed her eyes as she rushed on, sensing the place where she saw the one of her family. Once she came within range of him she dove under as he swung a sword to try and cut her in half at the chest. She slid on the ground, outstretching her arm and smashing her arm back to hit the back of his knees. He fell to his knees and she heard a loud crunch as she broke bone. Pinkie opened her eyes and in her left hand held tight was her knife. She spun around and stabbed it deep into his shoulder. Wrenching it down hard, he released a whimper and moan of pain. She took out her knife and grabbed his scalp in her hand pulling it tight back and lifting his head to the sky. She stared down into his eyes and she said in a cold blooded tone, deep and marauding, "You made a grave mistake."

Pulling her knife hard over his throat she cut deep and like a water fall it spilled out. Dripping down fast, falling and forming into a sea of red staining the dirt. In her eyes lied no emotion as she heard his sputtering and gargling as he choked on his own blood. She pushed his body down and it thumped as it crashed limply on the ground. Pinkie looked on and found her next target. She moved her knife reversed in her right hand and sped along, moving faster than any person should run. Dashing over overgrown vines, boulders, and vegetation.

Her mind anything but clear, with every fibre of her being she willed herself not to let Pinkamena overtake her. She felt at the brim, at the very edge of her renewed sanity since six years ago. She felt determination not to let Pinkamena out, bold conviction not to let Pinkamena see the light of day. She heard her sharp and raspy voice say to her, You can't hold me back for much longer. I can feel your mental strength breaking. Like a damaged dam it is about to burst.

Pinkie dictated her opposite, "You can try, Pinkamena. And you will fail."

Don't be so sure about that, Pinkie. You are at the edge of snapping. I can feel it, stop lying to yourself. Just let it out Pinkie. You know you want to. Her words speaking loudly and echoing off the walls of her mind. Pinkie breathed heavily as she felt mental fatigue overcome her. She used Instinct for too long and she felt a mind splitting head ache accompanied by a glancing blow against her shoulder. Another sword, a niching cut over her shoulder. Her left shoulder. Slicing through cloth and cutting into skin. Pinkie looked at it briefly and saw no blood leave. Just as she had expected. She looked and saw the assassin thrust forward as Pinkie was caught off balance. It stabbed deep into her stomach, twisting as it entered. The assassin hissed, "Looks like you are getting rusty, Machine."

She leaned back as she looked down at the sword stabbed deep into her stomach and piercing through her back. She gave a deadly look at the assassin as she regained her balance. The assassin looked perplexed as she expected her to be bleeding, taking advantage of her being struck hard. Pinkie grabbed the sword with her free hand and gripped the steel blade tightly. Pinkie slowly pulled out the blade. The sound of metal escaping meat loud in both their ears. Pinkie grunted as it came fully out, tossing the blade aside and flying out of the grip of the assassin. Pinkie growled at her, "You are not worthy to see my blood."

Pinkie shoved her knife hard and deep through her head. Stabbing straight through her head. Entering through the bottom jaw and stabbing straight up through the top of her head. Blood dripping from the wound and running down from her eyes that popped out of their sockets, making enough room for the newly entered knife. Pinkie stared long into her perplexed eyes, seeing the shocked look. Striking a nerve that somewhat loosened Pinkamena. Very close she was to being forgotten, feeling the warm tide of blood dripping onto her hands and staining over her face. She clenched as she pulled out her knife. Fury swelled through her veins and she began to shake trying to hold back Pinkamena. Her strength depleting fast. She gathered back her wits as she heard a loud rip of thunder. Pinkie walked over and stood top a small hill and watched as Rarity had both her arms raised, both hands holding her gun. Pinkie looked on and saw the third, a smoking hole in the space between his eyes. She slowly regained her breath as she remembered who she was fighting to protect, the innocent woman she loved ever so much. With new refound vigor she pushed Pinkamena back in the darkest recesses of her mind. Calming her nerves she slid down the hill. Pinkie stopped and grunted as she gripped her wounds on her shoulder and her stomach. Pinkie looked down and saw blood beginning to flow out of her fresh wounds. Staining the cloth over her wounds. She clutched her hand over her stomach and gasped at the pain.

Her heartbeat increased, causing more blood to pump through her, allowing more blood to spill out of her. She felt at edge again, Pinkamena almost coming out but she retreated as she felt a soft and sympathetic hand on her shoulder. Pinkie looked up, opening her worn eyes. Rarity knelt in front of her and asked, "Are you alright darling?"

Pinkie clutched at her wounds harder, feeling her somewhat older wounds burn as she looked inside herself and offered a piece of herself so that the wounds would heal. Pinkie controlled her ragged breathing and looked up at Rarity as she was on her hands and knees, she responded, "Yeah...let's go."

Rarity shook her head as Pinkie gasped in sudden pain, "No. You need medical attention, you can't-"

"I said I'm fine!" Pinkie snapped, the pain not helping her anger, "I just need a second!...I'm sorry for snapping at you, but you go on ahead I'll catch up with you."

Rarity seemed surprised at her sudden anger, raising her hands away from her friend. Rarity clutched Peacemaker tighter and nodded. She ran off, the ankle high swamp water sloshing as she ran off towards the house, now somewhat visible past a thin wall of mist in an outcropping to Pinkie's left. Past the house was a large cliff, over the face leading to the White Barrens. A desert famous for it's pure white sand, famous because the surface of the desert is so hot that it is nearly impossible to traverse.

She groaned as the pain rose once more up her side, her muscles tightening up and seizing under an invisible force. She clenched her hand over the would be wound. Pinkie's breathing was as controlled as possible, trying to remain calm. She overused her amount of magic she could use, maybe even broke past the barrier of what she could do. She felt on the verge of death.

It was cold as the air broke through her chilled and numb skin. Pinkie remembered back to some of her teachings as a child. She drew in large breaths through her nose and released them out her mouth. She did this for a minute or two, and then sat down her legs crossed underneath the warm surface of the murky water. She laid her hands on her knees and stood up straight. Her posture opening up her fiery lungs. All thoughts fading away into her mind, drawing her brain clear of all senses. Opening her mind to the world around her, letting the energy flow through her. She released a small fraction of the shared power and a light breeze danced over her. It's soothing feeling inviting Pinkie to relax her muscles and her wounds to numb away. She had twenty hours before the pain would return, temporary strength offered by the resting dead spirits around her. They answered, but did not care enough to grant her their permanent blessing.

Her eyes closed and resting silently, her heart calming back down from her heightened and irregular rate. Her lungs lowering back down and now numb from the fire that coursed through her at a time. She shot her eyes quickly open, a glossy layer peeling away and her eyes beginning to glow bright pink she smiled cruelly and said, "Let's finish this."

Rarity walked through the thick layer of fog. Her eyes barely able to see pas the mist. Clutching Peacemaker tightly in her hand she gulped down a knot of fear. She had down some scary things in her life, but this was something completely different. Rarity was willingly offering herself to the crazy cursed house where she might not make it out alive.

A breathe of calm escaped her lips as she suppressed her anxiety. If only for a short while. All she heard seemed to echo off of walls and suspend in the humid and damp air. It seemed to strangulate her in her throat. She coughed absent mindedly, her steps gently disturbing the murky waters around her ankles. She never had to face situations like this before, the whole mood making her skin crawl and her soul scream. It was a feeling like no other.

Drawing herself closer she could feel a residual magical energy being radiated off of something. It was dark and foreboding. The shadows almost leaping out to catch her. Rarity pulled back the hammer on Peacemaker and brought it closer to her face, her breaths as controlled as she could make them. She shoved past hanging moss from some of the trees and past the curtain she felt the swamp and and the dry dirt and grass ground of the normal forest floor. As she moved on she saw the signs of various attacks.

Claw marks along the trees. Trees fallen and lying restless on the ground, splintered and broken. Their souls gone and their normal brown glow now dull and black. The vegetation was almost a dark grey, the gentle brushes against her jeans were unfriendly and wanted to cut through her. The feeling growing stronger and causing her to become even more on edge. Her heart pounding in her throat and her breaths short and staggered. Her skin felt heavy, as what came into view almost froze her.

Standing in a clove of dark green emerald clearing was an aged and rotted house. Bleak rafters and roof, laid bare from any and all detail. Porch posts cracked and almost falling over, barely supporting the small ceiling. The oak wood was stained and slightly darker from her knowledge of housing and interior decorating. The entire sight making her skin crawl and her eyes sore from the decrepit and decaying house. What was worse than the look was how she felt from the house, a deep dark ancient magic pulsated from the house. Moving over her skin with every wave, fear and despair only continuing to grow underneath her. Almost the exact same feeling she had when she first met Pinkie. Her crazed eyes, her shaking form, forever scarred from the horrors she was put through.

Death, blood, murder, rape. So many sins at once that she bared witness to. Rarity could have related to Pinkie, being subjected to abuse for most of her life. But those dark memories could wait as a loud crack of a twig rose high in her ears. Her heart beating threateningly fast, feeling the pulsations in her throat and her wrists. She took in calm breaths and focused, 'Fight to defend...fight to defend.' She repeated in her mind, keeping the dark thoughts out of her head. She readied Peacemaker and shot her head to find the source of the sound.

To her left she found nothing but the outside edge of the outcropping, dead leaves waving on the wind. She shot her head to her right and straining her eyes she could see the cause of the noise. A perched and laying in wait to pounce and kill Rarity. A stern face came over Rarity's face as she focused all of her magic into this shot. Almost slowing time itself she spun to face the assassin as it sprang from the bushes to kill Rarity. She stretched out her arm and took aim down the iron sight, aiming between the eyes. With a crack of thunder she pulled the trigger back and the bullet ripped through the air and found its target. Past the smoke she saw the assassin fall back on the ground. A hole in between its eyes, blood slowly falling out of the wound.

Rarity had a few minutes before the others in the house would take notice to her crack shot, and inspected the body. It was a female dressed in a large black trench coat, leather buckles and straps around the thick leather vestments she wore. Rarity took note of that choice of clothing and would remember that fact for another time. It was very similar to Pinkie's cloth robes she wore more often now. But she dodged her head out of the way as a bullet whizzed past her ear and shot into a tree. Rarity quickly found cover behind a large dead stump and pressed her back against the dead wood. She pulled the hammer back and readied for another shot, glancing back to see the shooter.

She saw the front porch and the door was wide open, she saw the silhouette of the shooter. A male carrying a rifle, a Remington 700 from the looks of it. An excellent hunting rifle, whether it be a deer or another man it got the job done. She saw another silhouette for a second, almost blinking out of existence and then blinking back in behind a tree in the grove. Carrying two Colt Sidehammers, a .28 and a .31 caliber.

The rifleman peeked out of his cover and taking the advantage Rarity took aim with Peacemaker and stared once more down the iron sight aiming for his neck, his exposed pink flesh shining in the pale glow of the moon peering in from a window in the house. Time seemingly slowing down she cracked off the shot, the bullet sailing through the air and connecting into the man's throat. The wound almost instantly exploded in a shower and splatter of dark red blood. He roared back in pain, his comrade cracking off two shots from each of his Sidehammers. One shot glancing just off where Rarity rested her head and the other whizzing past over her as she quickly sat back against the stump. Her breath gathering back to her as she leaned up to see the shooter.

Rarity peered on and saw the shooter's Sidehammers were slightly modified, as Rarity could tell. The cartridge had rounds and not balls. Normally Sidehammers used balls but these were changed to take in .28 and .31 rounds. Rarity had no idea where she was getting this information from but she decided not to question it and continue her firefight with the anonymous shooter. Rarity peered up again and rested Peacemaker on the stump, readying and aiming to fire. Peering down the sight once more she pulled back the hammer and waited until the shooter peered out, cracking off another shot.

BANG!

The shot rippled through the air and found its target set in the shooter's skull. She was impressed at the two shooter's accuracy. All the shots fired at her were well placed and had she not been aware she would have been stone cold dead. She decided that after immediate danger she would go and collect the Remington 700 and two Sidehammers. Would not hurt to have a few extras, she would always grab for Peacemaker first. She relaxed a bit and holdstered Peacemaker back at her side and immediately regretted it. She felt a hand grip the back of her hair and yank hard, pulling her to her feet.

The grip was somewhat loose and she turned and saw another black cloaked assassin trying to kill her. Rarity clenched her teeth as she tried to break free from the grip on her ponytail. Rarity then pulled back one of her hands and flung it forward into the assassin's throat, causing the assassin to reel back in pain. Rarity then went to take out Peacemaker and as she did she rushed forward and slammed her shoulder into the disoriented assassin, knocking him straight on his back. A grunt of pain issued from the assassin and Rarity aimed Peacemaker and shot the assassin right in the head. The assassin falling limp and a slight small splatter of blood as the wound ripped into the assassin's jaw.

She had never been this alert before, her mind and wits open to take down any challenge thus far to face her. She straightened her hair and held Peacemaker close and advanced towards the house. Rarity had no idea what she was getting into or how many were going to be waiting for her but she suspected that it would be almost too much. Her steps hard and determined as she placed them on the porch and climbed the small set of stairs, Peacemaker cocked back and ready to rip into another foe. Three shots left before she had to reload, she had decided to move the extra rounds in her pocket so they would be better to access. And she did not regret that decision.

Peacemaker lowered and pointed in front of her, ready for another shot. She looked and just inside the door in the house she saw the two dead forms of the shooters. Rarity quickly leaned down and picked up the Remington 700 and pulled the gun over her shoulder. And as well picking up the two Sidehammers and putting both in little pockets on the strap. Not a perfect fit but snug enough to hold the two new pistols. Her weaponry now extended to four guns. She slightly smiled at the fact and raised Peacemaker once again and stepped through the threshold of the house and felt something strange wash over her. Her wits disoriented for a second as she crossed the threshold into the house. The whole atmosphere of the house made her feel as though Dirthouse was an understatement for the inside of the house.

The walls were rotted and the wallpaper peeling, revealing the aged skeleton of the dirthouse. The ceiling and floorboards in no better shape than the walls. Holes dotted the floor and ceiling as it rose high, no more than three feet above her head. She could see into the holes above her head and see the rooms almost as clear as day. She looked on and the hallway continued in front of her by about fifteen to twenty feet ahead of her. Or there was the living room to her immediate right. She decided that investigating the upstairs was an adventure that she dared not go alone. Not in a place like this.

Overall it was not the look of the inside of the dirthouse that scarred her, it was the loud intense silence that ensued for hours upon hours. She would have expected to hear the pitter patter of feet above her, marching as if ready to engage an enemy soldier. She expected to be met wholeheartedly by Pinkie's mad relatives, yet not even a whisper carried in the wind around her. Her breaths slowed and controlled to keep herself calm. In extreme situations like this she has been known to lock up and freeze when danger arrived but that was not her. No, the Rarity now was a fighter. Not a coward that hid behind her friends, not a prissy noblewoman incapable of fighting her battles. No, she held death and fate in her very hooves. Lives depended on her aimed precision shots, and it was for this reason that all fears and devils were banished from her.

Washing over her like an ocean wave was the soothing and calming wave of discipline and courage. Fear no longer had a place in her evermore. But this did not mean she was freed from her inner demons that hid inside. She now knew what it meant to fight to defend and not to mindlessly kill. She understood it all, death was always predetermined and she was only the deliverer of fates. She was only a messenger to delver the message of death. She clutched Peacemaker with a slightly loosened grip and for once in so many hours her breathing was normal. She opened her sore eyes and ushered herself into the living room.

As she did so she felt a hand press onto her shoulder. She spun her head around to meet the strange touch, only to see Pinkie. Her hood was pulled up and her wounds somewhat healed from the state that Rarity left her in. She brought her hand that held her knife to her mouth and pressed her index finger to her shadowed lips and Rarity nodded her head. She secretly found a great enjoyment in this, her and Pinkie sneaking through a house and killing as they went on. Pinkie in the front and Rarity to offer support.

They sneaked their way through the lightly furnished living room. A large dust filled rug in the middle of the floor, a fire place on the right wall, a large sofa aged with time and rotted with holes in the soft perhaps cotton sofa, a large table decorated with a vase of dead flowers with black water in the clear glass vase. Dust over almost every surface, the air feeling heavy and very humid, she released a breath out of her mouth and walked through the room. Various ripped and torn paintings lied around the wall. Crooked and not align with one another. On the other side of the room there was a large hall opening which connected the kitchen with the living room. She could see the dirt and dust covered white tiled floors in the kitchen. Bare aside from the quick rush of mice that scattered when they saw them.

Rarity quickly rushed to the edge of the large frame to take quick cover and she nodded to Pinkie, who reversed her dagger and crouched down low. She large steps carrying her quickly across the floor. Her movements reminding Rarity of a spider, slow movements waiting for their prey so they might spring and surprise them. Rarity pressed her back against the post and reached her arm out readying Peacemaker for a fight. The hammer already pulled for the readied shot. She peered over the corner and saw her friend creep across the floor, stopping in the center her educated and studied gaze set over all details and waited for something. Rarity had no idea what she had been waiting for but she was getting impatient as she watched Pinkie.

The silence carried for what was longer than needed. Not a sound broke the glass surface of the silence between the two invaders. She clutched Peacemaker with two hands and kept the cold metal barrel close to her face. Her breathing seemed to slow to a manageable rate and she peered back around to see any movement from Pinkie. She glanced over every surface of the kitchen, her studious gaze trying to see anything off putting or out of place. She sifted through contents on the counter and mumbled something to herself. She then stopped and motioned for Rarity to come towards her.

Lowering Peacemaker a bit and readjusting her rifle slung over her shoulder, she sashayed over to her friend. Careful and quiet footsteps as she traversed the creaky floors. Finally she found herself at Pinkie's side and glanced over her shoulder and asked, "What's wrong? You seem troubled by something?"

Her face told it all. She grabbed her knife once again and said, "It's too quiet...they should have sensed us by now. There is no way these bags are that powerful. And I was also thinking of where we are going to get the explosives."

She rubbed her chins as she leaned against the counter and after a few minutes she mused, "They are in the basement closet if I am remembering correctly, I could be wrong through I have not set foot in a house like this in a little over a few years."

Rarity nodded and they moved their way to the basement where they had found a certain detail odd. They saw the basement door ajar. Pinkie looked over at Rarity and readied her knife to strike, nodding slowly to Rarity. She lifted Peacemaker and followed Pinkie down the oaken stairs. Like they were walking on the wooden planks of a harbor docks. It was pleasant on most days but they needed to remain silent. Careful footsteps placed quietly and with expert placement. Time seemed suspended in the silence as they traversed back to the main stairs. Pinkie turned back to Rarity and whispered, "Stay here, I'm going to go get the explosives."

Rarity only nodded and lowered her gun. Allowing her enough time for her to regain her breathing, as she had become overwhelmed with nervousness. She did not recover very quickly however as she heard movement. She shot her head up in attention and moved her gaze to the source of the sudden movement. She looked and saw the basement door a little bit opened and heard struggling happening just beneath the stairs. Rarity put Peacemaker away and pulled out her two Sidehammers, cocking back and readying them both for a fight.

She quietly traversed the floor and pushed the door ajar and strode down quietly. Listening carefully as she heard voices. A male and a female. The male said, "How long can she keep that up?"

The female answered, "Only as long as that girl can live. Then she will be replaced by another."

"Poor little shit," The male snorted, "A shame that we have to waste such a young woman for this."

"What you offer is a pain worse than death, but I can understand."

"What if I just interrupted the spell for a few minutes?" Rarity silently growled as she crept through the shadow filled stairs and finally identified the sources of the voices, "Just seven minutes."

Rarity stepped onto the cold stone floor and saw a small open and bare area, coarse and rough stone as the walls and over near the far wall was a sight that was odd looking and gave off more magic than Rarity had ever sensed before. She saw a girl, naked in a bauble of pure magic. Curled in a bubble, her head tucked into her lap. Could not have been older than fifteen. Which made the implication of what the male had said even crueler and more gross. Once Rarity returned back from her inspection of the room she noticed that the girl was gone and the male was advancing towards the girl. Rarity's heart raced and she now crouched and brought herself a little bit closer to get an even shot.

But before she could aim to shoot her guns crashed to the floor as she felt an arm wrap around her elbows and pull her tightly back. The sudden movement knocking her rifle off her shoulder and clattering to the ground. She as well felt a knife press to the nape of her neck, just below her chin. She gasped and she heard the female voice whisper in her ear, "What do we have hear? Mmm...a pretty little bitch I've found..."

Rarity was about to return something clever back to her when she felt a hand rise up from her right elbow and forcefully grasp her breast. Under other circumstances Rarity might have fund this arousing, but this was just wrong. Rarity squirmed and tried to break free from her grasp but there was just something about Pinkie and her family and them being stronger than most people and it annoyed the living hell out of her. Rarity gasped as she squeezed tighter, the female purred, "Do you have somewhere to go little bitch?"

Not wanting to hear another word out of her mouth Rarity pushed her head forward and then brought it back hard, the blow connecting above the female's nose. The force breaking through skin and cartilage. She reeled back and Rarity quickly turned and with as much force as she could muster she swung her clasped fist and it smashed against her temple. She toppled to the floor and Rarity fixed her ruffled shirt and growled at the girl lying on the ground, "You could at least have the curtesy to buy me a drink first."

Enraged the woman sprung from her vulnerable state and tackled Rarity to the ground, not only did she feel a fist hit her nose but she also had to face her head slamming against the concrete. Her senses blurring for a few seconds she felt two more blows, one to her mouth and the other just below her eye. Her vision returned to her and she hiked her foot to her waist and kicked her leg back, the woman flying back a few feet and falling to the ground with a large thud. Rarity pulled out Peacemaker and cocked the hammer and she stood up and aimed at the prone woman and shot once. The bullet ripping through the air and shattering its way into the woman's head, blood splattering over the floor.

Smoke billowed from the barrel and she blew it away and snickered at the corpse, "No one calls me a bitch."

She dapped the back of her hand to the cut just below her eye and saw the blood on her hand, she would have to stitch it up later. Luckily she did not have any black eyes, she could not stand those things. Rarity slung her rifle over her shoulder and sheathed her Sidehammers and refocused and found the spell broken and the man forcing the girl against the wall. Rarity could now hear her screams, as before she could not hear anything above the grunts of their scuffle a few seconds ago. Rarity aimed Peacemaker and activated her magic, time seeming to slow as she took aim. She pinpointed exactly where she wanted to hit. She shot three times, once in the shoulder, once in the back of his knee, and the other into his lower spine. Three shots almost releasing at the same time rang out and a gut wrenching scream rippled through the air, coming from the man and the girl.

The girl fell to the ground, and the man followed her as he stooped in pain. Bleeding onto the floor from three holes in his body, the blood starting to gather in a pool beneath him. He forced to keep tears from falling from his clenched eyes as he shouted, "Fuck! Fuck!"

Rarity closed the distance between them and she knelt and said to the male. Normally she would have sympathy for her kills but this time it was different. Her tone was dangerously serious as she explained, "Now darling, I am going to give a question and you will answer. Whether you answer or not will be our decision but let me give you the terms. I have paralyzed you and shot you twice, it's only a matter of time before you bleed out. So, you can tell me where the rest of you fuckers are and I give you a quick end. Or you can just lay there and just bleed out. Your choice dear."

She fluttered her eyes awaiting an answer and he groaned, "N-Never...you...you bi-AGH!"

She shot him in his knee, causing him to cut his word short and she added, "Make that three bullet wounds and lets not use such vulgar language in front of the minor."

Rarity sifted through her pockets and brought out six bullets and started to reload them into Peacemaker and as she flicked the loading cartridge she said, "You have three seconds to choose before I leave you here. Make your choice."

He sat there for a good few seconds weighing his options and finally after she flicked the full cartridge back and cocked the hammer with an audible click he gasped out, "Okay...okay I'll talk...there...there's an ambush...set...just around the perimeter of the Dirthouse...Spider holes they call up...waitin' for ya."

Rarity hmphed in response and stood up taking aim and shooting him once in the head, blood and pieces of his brain came out and splattered on the floor and she put Peacemaker back and said in a genuine and friendly tone, "Now that was not so hard now was it darling?"

Rarity then spun on her heels and focused on the girl who was averting her gaze into her lap, her legs blood splattered. Rarity knelt down and rested a careful hand on her knee. She was a little pale and her hair was long and jet black. She gasped and lifted her head and tears flowed from her eyes and she yelped, "Please don't hurt me!"

Rarity soothed, "Darling it's okay. I'm not here to hurt you."

The girl sniffled and she stopped crying and said shakily, "You...you killed him...you saved me..."

Rarity nodded, "Yes. My name is Rarity, what is yours?"

She wiped her tears away and seemed to think for a few minutes and finally answered, "Bethany...my name is Bethany-"

Before they could exchange anymore pleasantries the house heaved and rocked back. Rarity said to herself, "Damn it Pinkie, you were supposed to wait."

She looked and the house creaked and exploded on one side, the force hitting hard against her and her head smashing against a cross beam. Her vision slowly turned back, the last thing she remembers is Bethany falling with her and grabbing her tightly around the waist. The house fell off the cliff. Her vision turned fully black and she fell limp.

Author's Notes:

Down in Flames by Blue Stahli is the reason for the title of this song, mainly because I found it highly appropriate to both the chapter and the characters of this story. So, I hope you enjoyed this extra long update that I have been piecing together for a little over two months. Yeah, I went through a dry spell where I could not write for a while and during that time I got so scared.

But I'm back in the groove of things and I am ready for more updates on my fics. Expect more!

~Sylus~