Author's Notes:

A little pre-warning here. This chapter touches on some very dark subject matter. With that in mind, I have wrote it so that it can be skipped and you will miss nothing of the main story.

Consider yourself warned.

“Lieutenant, we are being followed.”

I gave a nod of acknowledgement from where I walked next to Cortland as he pulled the wagon along. A glance at my watch told it was nearing eleven. We were on day two of our trip to Appleloosa. About a hour in front of us was a little village we planned on checking on and stocking up on fresh water.

“You want me to go skybound, boss?”

I didn’t shake my head. “No, Lightning Dust, stay up there in the seat. It is just one, I think a pony. They are trying to be stealthy but let's face it. Stealth and being bright blue don’t really go together.”

“What is the plan, Shane?” Cortland questioned as he continued to pull the big wagon at a slow steady pace.

I spoke without making a gesture. “See that set of rocks up there, about a hundred yards or so. When we get around them on the turn, I am going to duck in and behind them and see what our tail wants from us.”

Lightning Dust frowned. “What if they are hostile?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “Then you and Cort double time it back to pull my stupid ass out of the fire?”

Both gave a snort, but it was Cortland that muttered, “Like that is something new.”

As agreed on as soon as we were around the rocks, I stepped into the shadow then made my way quietly up, and along the top back of them. Reaching down, I drew the Peacemaker but didn’t thumb the hammer back. I just crouched quietly behind a bush and watched for movement.

The pony in question came up along the rocks, peaking around the corner of them to watch the wagon. Earth pony, I had to guess a mare by her size and head shape. Her dark blue coat and warm soft orange almost yellow mane stood out. On her flank a pick axe striking a stone that was split in half to show a gem.

Taking note of things, I noted her coat was matted, her ribs showed some. She had a slight limp, and I could see a few fresh scabs along her flank and spine. Someone had been at this mare with a bull whip, that was the only thing that made marks like that. I frowned deeply at her condition, before I spoke up, dragging the hammer back so the clicks of it locking in place would alert her to where I was.

Click-click.

“Easy now, just stand where you are, ma’am.”

Her eyes shot wide open. She wanted to run, but fear glued her in place. I could not miss her breathing grow rapid and panicked, nor the stain of yellow run down her leg and puddling on the ground.

“D-d-don’t h-hurt me.”

I slowly slid down and stood a few feet from her. I kept the gun low, not aimed right at her but I did not lower the hammer. “Ain’t nobody going to hurt you ma’am. We are Canterlot Rangers.”

I whistled loudly to signal Cort and Lightning to come back to us.

I lifted an eyebrow as she let out a sob. “O-oh...” and collapsed onto the ground.

---

“She is bedded down on my bunk, Lieutenant,” the teal pegasus said as she returned from inside the wagon.

It was going on five now, we had been with her in spot for the whole afternoon. We had made the decision to move the wagon off the road and over near a dead end canyon so our fire couldn’t be seen.

“So what do you think, Shane?”

I was sitting on the chair Big Mac made to hold me comfortably. Neat little thing, folded up along with two other chairs, and a table and slid under the wagon into a slot.

“I think the ponies in Dust Gulch need help, and we are it right now.”

That was a understatement. We had gotten her to tell us the whole story once she had finally calmed down and ate something. Cortland treated her wounds while talked. It was a story of eight Diamond dogs taking over. Slavery, rape, ponies beat, and two stallions killed for standing up to them. The little village was only forty or so ponies, two gryphon females, and ten foals who were all held in captivity to insure no one fought back.

“I think we should send Lightning Dust for backup, perhaps bring in the Guard,” Cort suggested.

I exhaled and shook my head. “We don’t have time. Lightning, how long would it take you to get to Canterlot?”

She pondered, then looked over at me. “At top speed, a hour,” then she muttered, “If I could figure out how I managed to do a sonic rainboom, I could do it in twenty minutes.”

I shook my head at that. “Don’t beat yourself up on that one, Lightning,” then continued “that means help wouldn’t be here for a good six hours even at best” pondering some I glanced to where the sun was setting, where the little village sat about a twenty minute walk still away.

“Cort, get your gear out. Lightning Dust, wake Gem Hunter up in two hours and get her to draw us a layout of the town, where the mine is, and where the dogs sleep. Anything she can tell us will help.” I glanced over at the pegasus.

“Cort,” I began, not looking at him. “It’s time.”

A confused look took form on her countenance. She glanced back and forth before settling her sights back on me. “Time for what, Lieutenant?”

I was dead serious now as I spoke. “Lift your right hoof, Lightning Dust. Repeat after me.”

She gulped and gave a nod, doing as I bid her.

“I, Lightning Dust, of my own free will, swear to uphold the laws of Equestria, to protect life, harmony, and peace, and to follow the lawful commands of the Rangers that have deputized me. “

She was quiet for a moment, I could see the fear in her eyes. Then she swallowed that fear and spoke up, repeating what I said with a glint to her golden orbs.

I nodded at that “Go get that box I asked you to stash, Cort.”

He got up and trotted to the front side of the wagon, soon the unicorn returning with an oak box held in his magic. He slowly lay it down before the confused pegasus. “Go on, LD, open it.”

She reached out and ran her hoof over the box, before lifting the lid. She gasped as she looked inside and reached forward, drawing out a badge from the right corner of it. “T-this says Canterlot Deputy,” she said, in a partial whisper from a shortage of breath.

I smiled just a bit. “You have proven yourself time and time again already to us, Lightning Dust. Consider yourself a badged sworn officer of the law.”

She gulped then gave a nod, using her hooves to lightly pin the badge to the small harness she wore that her saddle bags hooked to. She looked down into the box again and once more her breath was held. “Sh-Shane, this, this is a set of pegasus hoof and wingtip blades.”

Cortland softly spoke up. “We are officers of the law, Lightning, being armed is part of that duty.”

I nodded in agreement with my unicorn friend and partner. “I won’t have you going into this without being prepared for it, Lightning. I hope it won’t come to it, but if things get rough, I want you able to answer back in kind. I know you were trained in them, Rainbow’s told me you are pretty darn good with them.”

Lit up with a blush, she glanced back to the two of us. “She is better.”

I shook my head. “Now, both of you, grab a nap. We have a long night in front of us.”

---

About an hour into their rest, I was sitting just looking out at what I would call high desert, when it hit me. I had the stub of the message candle with me! I had not thought about it and simply tossed it into the wagon’s storage next to pens and paper.

Poking my head into the back of the wagon, the first thing I took notice of was that Lightning had a protective wing looped around the emaciated blue mare. That kind of set my jaw to grinding. She had been a raped, beat, tortured. That sat real bad with me, so I silently tugged the hatch open and dragged out some paper, the old dragonfire candle and a pen, along with a little well of ink.

By the time they were up, I was just ready to send the note off. Cort agreed it was good thinking and off with a flare of green fire our SOS went.

“So, Shane, do we wait for them?” he queried.

I shook my head. “We move in, Cort. Soon as they find out somepony escaped, they are going to be harder on the ones still trapped in that village.”

He gave a comprehensive nod. “What is our RoE?”

Lightning Dust, sitting over near the fire making a small meal of rice and carrots for our rescued guest, looked over and asked, “What is a RoE?”

Speaking of the guest, she was still sleeping, though we had woken her to tell her we were heading out and to stay put. Help was coming.

“Rules of Engagement, Cort here still thinks like a guardspony sometimes.” I winked at him then continued. “Standard, if you witness a hostile act, are attacked, or see an innocent in mortal danger. Engage with force, lethal force if needed.”

Cort gave a nod, but poor Dust blanched some and looked down at the pot of rice she was cooking. “I... I don’t know if I could-could kill somepony, Shane.”

I got up and walked over. Taking a knee so I was at her height I put a hand on her withers. “Lightning, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, but... if you see a life in danger, or your life is in danger, you fight. You fight to win, and you make sure the perp can’t get up to hurt you or someone else.”

She gave me a nod and looked up to make gentle eye contact. “T-thank you, Shane, I won’t let you down.”

I sighed. “Just don’t get hurt, make sure you come back safe at the end of the day, okay?”

Lightning offered up a half smile and nodded her head. “Rainbow said she has the same worries, now that she is in combat training. Fighting to kill doesn’t come natural to us ponies.”

I nodded my head once more to her. “I know, Lightning, I know.”

---

I peeked around the corner of the old wooden-framed building, ensuring there was only one guard still. Best as we could figure this building was some kind of jail, or perhaps once was the town hall. We knew there were ten foals inside, and one diamond dog standing guard at the door outside.

I glanced over to Cortland, who pressed up to the side of the building next to me, then up where I spotted Lightning Dust posted on top of the town’s water tower. I gave a nod, and Cortland picked up a little stone in his magic, and tossed it, making the small stone ping off the rail of the building next to this one.

As soon as it did, we heard a grunt, then footsteps on wood. The moment the diamond dog stepped clear of the corner, I brought the butt end of my Winchester into his temple with a good deal of force. I was ticked, and I didn’t really hold back on this one.

The dog hit the ground like a sack of potatoes from the impact, and the effect of an item from my world. It didn’t help him any the old 1873 had a metal plate at the base of the shoulder stock.

“Did you have to hit him so hard, Shane? He’s bleeding! Looks like you fractured his skull.”

I snorted. “Don’t matter, he is a rapist. Tie him up, we will treat him later.”

I noted the frown on my partner’s face, yet he did as told. Soon as that was done, we dragged the ugly ass creature back behind the building more, then snuck back around the front, scanning to make sure no one else had witnessed. I managed to get the lock undone with a key recovered from the incapacitated guard.

The inside was a mess, the smell of unwashed ponies, of urine and worse. The foals all huddled in a corner around one in particular, motionless in nature. My heart sunk deep as I gestured to Cort and Lightning to close the door.

“All right, kids, relax, we are Canterlot Rangers,” I said lowly as I made my way closer, crouching down on my knees.

One little pegasus stood in front of the rest of the ponies and flared her wings defensively. “I-I-I won’t l-let you hurt them!” she said defiantly. I could see the black eye and the fact she favored one wing.

Shaking my head, I spoke softly and reassuringly “No- no pony is here to hurt anypony,” forcing myself to use the proper terms. “That is Lightning Dust, that is Cortland Apple, and I am Shane. We are Rangers as I said.” looking the de facto leader in the eyes.

Her ears lifted a little. “Apple… l-like, Miss Cameo?” ears dropping again. “S-she is our teacher, she said Apples can always be trusted.”

I heard Cortland grind his teeth. “What is your name, little one?”

She looked up. “M-my name is Dust Rider, can you help my friend Tea Light? She isn’t feeling good...”

I moved as the other foals cleared the way some for me. The little earth pony’s green coat was covered in dirt and dust. Signs of blood along her flank welled up bile in my throat.

I had to keep my composure, I couldn’t let the foals see me angry or upset. “Dust, what happened to her?”

Another little foal chimed in. “B-Butch, he is the diamond dog leader. Took her away yesterday. S-she came back crying and w-wouldn’t talk, n-now she is just sleeping.”

I checked, and to my immediate relief, there was a pulse. My eyes looked to Cortland, then to Lightning Dust, and I could see both held back rage the same as I. “Lightning, gather up the foals, get them back to the wagon then take up a spot above town. Kids, you are going to go with Deputy Lightning. She is going to take you someplace real safe, okay?”

They nodded as I picked up the little green coated foal and lay her across Dust’s back.

As soon as they were out of sight and clear, I looked at Cortland, who had his crossbow out in his magic and a powerful, burning anger in his cores.

“Set up on the water tower, Cort. We are going to wake the diamond dogs up and give them a surprise.”

He huffed. “And if they don’t give up, Shane?”

I glanced at him as I checked to make sure there was a round in the Winchester. “Then we gun them down. Dead or alive, they are going to face justice. Every. Last. One of them.”

He just gave a concurring nod.

---

Sun up was in about ten minutes as I stood out in the road that served as the center of town. Cort was up on the water tower, splayed out, with his crossbow set. We knew the other diamond dogs including the leader was hold up in the saloon. I’d given a look in a few dirty windows to note five of the remaining seven passed out over tables and in chairs. I had found the last two upstairs, both passed out, with mares that looked like they didn’t have many choices if one went by the ropes I saw around their hooves and the posts of the beds.

Cortland had uncovered a small stash of valuable items in a room off the side of where they had kept the foals locked up. Included in it were two sticks of dynamite that looked like they were serviceable. They would work well for a wake up call, so as I stood there I tugged out a wood match.

Striking the match, it flared, and I held it up to the fuse stuck in the stick I held in my right hand. Pulling back I tossed it down the road, so it would skitter to a stop in the dirt well away from the buildings. Dropping the match, I picked up my rifle and thumbed the hammer back to lock.

“Three, two, one,” I muttered, thenKABOOM. The shock wave caused a few windows to shatter, but there could be no doubt that would wake up the dead.

Not twenty seconds later, seven diamond dogs stumbled out of the saloon in various stages of dress, with various weapons held. One was a big guy, but had that odd glint to the eyes that said he wasn’t the brightest bulb. Another was a short bulldog-like male, who donned nicer clothing and held a crossbow rather than a club or a spear, and had that look about him of a leader.

His eyes made contact with mine as the sun started to come up behind us. Squinting, he called out, “This our town, you stupid to come here!” Well, his english sucked.

I watched his eyes go to the front of the building where the foals had been then snap back to look at me. “Where Spike! Where my brother!”

It was my turn to talk. “Tied up at the moment. You must be Butch. We are Canterlot Rangers, you are to throw down your weapons and put your paws in the air, you are under arrest.”

The sun continued to climb, they would see Cort in a few moments and we would lose an ace.

I watched him sneer. “Don’t know what ranger, but you one, we are seven. You are stupid.”

Then I saw the glint in his eyes and my gut did a power drop. “Fuck,” I cursed, even as the rifle came up to my shoulder. I watched as his crossbow snapped up in time. We both fired, and my rushed shot clipped his left ear. His sunk deep into my left shoulder. I cried out in pain as the rifle fell from my grip.

His buddies started to charge off the stoop and at me, before the dull thump of a crossbow bolt came three times. The one up in the lead, the big dumb-looking one with a huge club, had three bolts sticking out of his chest, he fell to the ground dead.

“Kill him!” I heard the runt dog, Butch, scream.

Even if Cort could drop three more, he would have to reload. I scrambled to get my old peacemaker to clear the holster, but the pain in my other shoulder was bad, real bad. Already it radiated out, my chest starting to ache.

Just as I brought the Colt up, thumbing back the hammer, light came to the world. I do not mean the light of the sun, but, LIGHT. It was as if another sun came into creation just above the buildings. Heat radiated out from it, making it impossible to look at whatever it was. A beam of pure yellow, like a laser shot from the ball of… whatever it was. I watched in horror as it struck Butch, and nothing but gray ash fell to the ground where once he stood. The wood scorched around the spot, flamed licked lightly at its edges.

A voice, God himself spoke, but in this case I clearly recognized that voice, and she sounded absolutely pissed!

“YOU DARE BRING HARM TO ONE OF MY PONIES?!”

All five of the remaining diamond dogs dove to the ground and shook in fear as the ball of light came down. It dimmed, soon becoming tolerable to look at. There stood Celestia, flames rippled along her wings and her mane. Her eyes narrowed, almost slitted and burning with the power of the sun.

You know, despite the pain I was in, a thought passed through my head. In that moment, clarity hit. It was not because she was weak that she never acted on her own, it was because that kind of power, that kind of destruction is something that must be held back. I had just bore witness to a mare who typically has a heart of gold turn another creature into ash in mere seconds.

Her was voice deep and commanding as she bellowed out. “Captain, round up the Diamond Dogs and start to deploy the corpsponies.”

A solar pegasus snapped to attention. How had I missed him, along with the chariots in the air, and the twenty or so guards already on the ground all around me. “By your command, Princess!”

Turning to me, her eyes found mine and I felt an overwhelming need to bow, so I did. As I watched the flames flickered and died out, the eyes returned to the kind, knowing, and planing eyes I knew her to have. Compassion returned to her face as she called out. “Corpspony! We have a wounded Ranger!”

---

I sat in a tent, on a fold out cot as a mare tended to my bandage to make sure the bleeding had been stopped. In the tent stood Celestia, watching quietly until the medical mare pulled back and gave a nod, heading out.

“You were foolish to try and attack alone, Shane. Foolish, but brave and your actions saved the life of a foal.”

I glanced up at her, temporarily shoving worry aside for what the princess had to say. “She is okay? Where is Lightning Dust? Celestia, the foal she was…”

A hoof came up and touched my chin lightly, and eyes looked at me. Eyes that knew the truth already, and were broken by it. “My sister is with the foal now, trying to fix the damage to her mind. Her body is being healed by the best unicorn magic in the world.”

I gave a nod, looking down at my hands. “How did you know?”

She exhaled and sat before me. “We arrived just as Lightning Dust brought the foals. Know this Shane, she held it together, and would not leave their side even as my guards took over.” she paused. “I noted you deputized her. Does this mean you seek to train her as a Ranger?”

I nodded and she smiled. “I can think of none more dedicated to change and doing what is right.”

I was quiet for a time, then I spoke softly, very softly so it was only the two of us who could hear. “That is why, isn’t it? Why you didn’t attack Chrysalis, why you sent Twilight to the Crystal Kingdom, and why you did not fight Tirek alone.”

She was quiet for a bit before she nodded her head. “Once, Shane, once I fought,” she looked at the wall of the tent. “Long ago, in fact just over one thousand years ago. The Badlands were a lush and fertile paradise. It is where my sister and I fought an invading army.” shaking her head and hanging it in shame. “You saw but one one thousandth of my power. I can never let that go, Shane. To do so would burn Equestria from the face of the planet.”

I tilted my head again and stared at her. “And Butch?”

She frowned and looked back at me. “How many would be hurt by his trial? That little earth pony foal, how is it fair to ask her to relive that? Her mother? Her father and family? Friends?”

I held up a hand. “I get it, I don’t agree one hundred percent, but, I get it. I gave him his choice to surrender or fight. He made his choice.”

Again, I was quiet for a bit, so was she before I asked. “You will make sure everypony, and the gryphons, will get help they need, right?”

Celestia nodded slowly. “My sister and I will do all in our power to heal the wounds in this village. Shane, once more you, and your Rangers are the heroes here. Without your intuition, without your dedication. The ponies of this village would still be under the diamond dogs control.”

Picking up my hat, I slid it atop my crown, then lifted my shirt up and started to slide it on gingerly. “Just doing my job, ma’am.”