Third person, ghost town:

Hours later…

Charlie trotted up to Milo’s stiff body and gave him a nudge with his hoof. “Looks like the best way to kill a sniper… is with a sniper.” Charlie muttered before walking through a hole that had been smashed into the bottom floor wall recently.

He walked around on his hindlegs, anticipating somepony to leap out at him. He spotted several blood splatters, then an automatic pistol and a dead gryphon. Charlie picked up the pistol and felt its weight then looked to the dead gryphon on the floor.

“I hate gryphons…” He trailed off as he dropped the pistol then whistled to the others. “Alright colts… mount up. Ain’t no pony here.” He called to the others. He flopped down to all fours then trotted away from the dead body of Red.

John’s perspective:

We had put considerable distance between us and the ghost town. I looked to Mane then to the revolvers that he hadn’t taken with him when he and Red tried to escape. “Why didn’t you try and take your guns?” I asked and Mane shrugged.

“Figured you would’ve probably woken up and killed us…” Mane said with a chuckle. I rolled my eyes. That would’ve hardly been the case. “You know John… I used to read Hearth bible passages.” Mane stated, striking an emotional nerve in me. I didn’t say anything and simply nodded.

Elijah had kept quiet for most of the journey through the desert, not speaking much to anypony.

For the next two weeks we kept our pace apart from Mane’s gang, though we wondered now if they were even pursuing us. Every morning, Brixie seemed nauseous and would throw up.

Billy and I would ask if she was okay but she’d simply nod and say it was nothing. Mane kept quiet to himself, only on a few occasions would he say anything, and when he did, it was that awful song ‘Gonna hang me in the morning’.

Daring and I had expanded upon our relationship, but not by much. Mostly just sleeping together at nights and not quarrelling about random things like we used to. Billy would constantly say “Ah told yah so.” Resulting in both of us just rolling our eyes and admitting that he was right.

It felt weird though. Not having the playful golden retriever known as Bear, hanging around. His playfulness and happy smile always brings a smile to my face, but when I remember that he’s gone, never to return, it always makes me shed a tear.

We stopped for the night. Ponyville was barely half a day’s ride from here and then we’d be home free and this adventure, would finally come to a close. Mane rested his hooves on his knee then his chin atop his hooves as he watched us.

“You know… you have all got to be the most misfit group of adventurers I’ve ever seen… maybe they’ll make a story about you all one day.” Mane laughed. We all looked over to him with loony looks. He simply laughed. “Just saying is all.” He chuckled. Somehow, despite being the outlaw we were transporting across Equestria, he had become like part of the group, kind of like a jester almost. Elijah hadn’t really befriended him, but didn’t hate him because he knew Red was a wild card and killing Bear wasn’t his idea and he probably would’ve steered away from that route.

A few times we had even unlocked his hoof cuffs, but only to wash him. Mane looked to me then to his food, then back to me and wiggled his hooves. “John… if you would be so kind as to unchain me so I can eat?” Mane asked sympathetically. I contemplated it for a moment then tossed him the keys, to everypony’s shock.

He casually unlocked his hoof cuffs then tossed the keys back to me and began to eat his food. “Why thank you Ms. Brixie… it truly is delicious.” Mane complimented. Brixie smiled.

“The great and powerful… thank you…” Brixie trailed off. Her egoistical nature had started to fade ever since the whole ‘Lunar Titan’ incident.

“Well… I assure you, it is me who should be thankful. You all have been so kind and graceful to me.” Mane said as he finished his food.

Elijah finally spoke up. “You know… you don’t seem all that bad.” Elijah stated. Black Mane looked over to him and smiled faintly.

“I assure you… I’m all bad.” He commented. “Anyway… when I was young, I was alone. I was met by a stallion who taught me how to shoot guns and reload bullets. Eventually we went our separate ways and I started my own gang… one day our gangs crossed paths and… I killed my old mentor.” He commented then looked to me. “So how bout it John? You
wanna kill me?” He asked.

“You didn’t teach me.” I replied scornfully. “Hearth taught me, you just sat back and watched… and burned my flank…” I said scornfully as I pulled up my duster coat flap to reveal my scarred cutie mark. Billy, Brixie and Elijah looked in silence to my scar, knowing that it lay where my cutie mark once stood proud.

Mane sighed. “You know what Charlie would’ve done if he had have found out.” Mane replied.

“Did it matter in the end? You ended up shooting Hearth and then me… only thing is… I survived.” I said scornfully. Mane sighed.

“Yes well… indeed… well John!” He exclaimed as he stood to his feet. Billy brought up his rifle and Mane snickered. “I gotta piss.” He commented. I smirked then rolled my eyes. I got up and escorted Mane towards a more secluded part of the Everfree.

Mane zipped down his pant zipper and began to take a leak. The steam from his urine filled the air. “Mark my words John… by the beginning of the twenty first century, ponies won’t wear much in the terms of clothes… and they’ll all walk on four legs, rather than two. And they won’t use guns anymore.” Mane told me. I simply scoffed at the idea of ponies always walking on four legs, not wearing any clothes, and not able to use a firearm.

“John?” He asked in a more serious tone. “Why did you risk that stupid plate gag back in El Paso? What if Charlie had have aimed for your head?” He asked. I shrugged.

“You know Charlie, always aims for the chest.” I replied and he chuckled.

“You and Daring should get married… you’re so… alike.” He told me, making me chuckle slightly.

Mane finished and began to zip up his pants. “Funny thing… saving ponies… you do it once… and then you tend to do it more often than not.” Mane stated.

“Yeah… well Mane, it sure is a strange world isn’t…” I trailed off as I turned around to see that he was no longer where he was. “Shi…” Was all I managed as he grabbed me and pulled me low to the ground.

He brought a hoof around my lips so I couldn’t speak. “Sssh…” He whispered as he pointed to the depths of the forest that surrounded us like a prison cell. Wooden wolves paced around near us. “Timberwolves…” He whispered.

No sooner had he whispered the name, then one snapped its attention to us, like a hawk that had just spotted its prey. It groaned out a long and ghostly howl as it slumbered towards me.

“Buck!” I muttered as I unslung the double barrel shotgun from my back.

“You better have more than two shots.” Mane muttered as we were quickly surrounded by at least nine of these things. I had left my bandolier of ammo back at the campsite. “The revolver.” Mane interjected.

“What?” I gasped. He rolled his eyes. His back was against mine and we were standing on our hindlegs as the creatures kept quarrelling towards us, like rabid creatures getting ready to pounce.

“Give me my revolver and you use Celestia’s.” Mane replied. I was going to interject but I realized that there were five more things behind me, in front of Mane. I reached to my left holster and removed his revolver before handing it to him. I then unsheathed Celestia’s revolver and took aim.

“This thing doesn’t work though!” I hissed. He scoffed irritably.

“John… it’ll work… just believe in it.” He replied. I rolled my eyes and took careful aim. ‘Please baby, please baby, please baby…” I thought to myself.

Mane chuckled. “Like old times, huh?” He asked. A smile crept across our faces as we lit up the quiet forest in a blaze of gunfire.

Each time I fired the revolver, a mist of what looked like magical dust fluffed from the end of the barrel, sparkling in the night. Each round would collide with a Timber wolf and knock it to the ground in a pile of tree pieces.

In mere seconds, all the Timberwolves were dispatched. I brought the revolver up to my lips and blew out the smoke that wisped from the barrel. Mane did the same. He sighed then handed me his revolver which I holstered just as the entire group rushed over to us.

Mane chuckled as Billy slapped the hoof cuffs on him again. “What happened?” Elijah asked worriedly then looked to the revolver in my right hoof. “No way… you… used it?” He gasped and I nodded. He stood there in pure shock. “How… did it feel?” He asked and I shrugged.

“Pretty over rated… I like my M1911 more.” I replied. My custom handgun gave more kick than the legendary revolver so I assumed my gun had more stopping power.

We all trotted back over to the fire and I began fidgeting with the revolver as I tried to figure out how to reload it. I knew these LeMat revolvers were black powder but the cylinder on this looked more like a…

“Break barrel… like a Schofield.” Mane told me and I looked up to him. “Just…” Mane motioned to break barrel the pistol while making a clicking sound. I did as he said and the revolver cylinder opened up, spitting out nine empty brass casings and a paper 20gauge shell which was still loaded.

“But… LeMat are black powder revolvers…” I trailed off as Mane simply laughed.

“It isn’t a LeMat… It’s Celestia’s revolver.” He chuckled. I realized that I didn’t have any extra ammo for this pistol. This was a cartridge I had never seen before. “Give me the casings… and a few of your .45s.” Mane said.

I did as he asked and Mane proceeded to break down the cartridges and use their powder and primers to reload the brass casings of Celestia’s revolver. He then floated the lead shots over the fire with his magic until they were melted. After retracting them and molding them into perfect diameter, he began placing them back into each shell and crimping the shell to fit the lead shot into the case snuggly.

He floated the rounds over to me and I quickly reloaded the pistol. “Hearth didn’t teach you ‘Everything…” He said with a genuine smile. I smiled back, I really smiled. It wasn’t forced, or half assed, but a real smile.

Author's Notes:

I know, I know, it's been almost a week since an update. I have either been getting home late from work, or trying to make the scene with Celestia's revolver seem... not so melodramatic... which I probably failed to do... seemed pretty over rated... sorry for the wait