Chapter 11-

Chips on the Table

“I’ll pay you double to outrun them!”

As I was escorted through the double doors of the Ironclad Firearms factory, the jingle blared loudly again over the speakers. I didn’t find Hotshot outside anywhere, or stealthily following behind me. “Maybe he’s invisible?” I thought, looking over my head.

My escort was mostly quiet while I was busy internally panicking over what the mayor could possibly want at this hour. All my mind had to go off of was immediately jumping to the most outrageous conclusion it could think of.

When I got to the mayor’s office Gamble was already waiting for me there, along with the mayor and two other ponies I didn’t recognize. One was an older stocky earth pony gentlecolt wearing an old sweatshirt and beanie, and had on a permanent cock-eyed expression, while the other was a tall, gaunt unicorn mare with an overly styled purple-ish mane and way too much makeup on. She levitated her long cigarette holder up to her lips and exhaled a wisp of smoke. She creeped me out the most...

Their eyes all fell on me as I stepped through the door. What the hell were they doing here? Apparently I’d trotted in on a discussion that had just concluded, and I stood aside as they exited Rubi’s office in single-file. Gamble greeted me with an annoying smile as we exchanged glances on his way out.

The Mayor sat at her usual desk, watching me this time with a keen observant eye, dressed prim and proper as always, but wearing an uncharacteristically friendly grin. Her griffon bodyguard, Sharp Eye, remained in the corner and didn’t say a word. He watched me curiously, showing great interest in what the mayor was about to say.

Her office cleaned up nice as always, but I made a stronger point to look at all the photographs this time. My eyes followed along the room full of photographs and newspaper clippings, with pictures of the wartime mare shaking hooves with important government ponies and signing military contracts, painting a picture of a much more prosperous Dodge City back then. Another had her standing next to and marvelling over a giant gun, having just completed a successful test firing. There were even newspaper clippings of her standing and making deals with a Buffalo chieftain!

Then I noticed in the background of one of the photos an earth pony stallion who was dressed in similar attire to Fester, although he was a beige coated earth pony stallion here, with a grey mane. He was standing off to the side behind her, amongst a bunch of worker ponies. I supposed he was alive back during the war too?

Cherry Jubilee was the one who built this city into what it was during the war. This mare had connections to the wartime government, was the CEO of a major weapons manufacturer and had a secret weapons R&D lab underneath her mansion. I wanted to know who she was. But more importantly, I wanted to know who the hell that pony named Lightning Dust she was standing with, in that one photograph, was?

Rubi offered me a seat across from her, but I chose to stand. “This ain’t a bad time, is it?” she asked. It was, although she likely didn’t care and was merely making pleasantries.

“No, ma’am.” I answered. “What do you need this evening, Miss Mayor?” I was almost nervous to ask. My instinct told me nothing good could come of any request she was about to make.

“Y’see, I’ve got a problem,” she began. “I heard about how you were the one who blew up the Rot. Caused me a whole heap of trouble, you did.” My ears folded back as she continued. “Midas Touch, my forepony, was telling me about how a few of our mining operations had tunnel collapses as a result of that explosion. That alone might’ve singlehoofedly set profits back a week!” The dusty rose colored mare pounded her hoof on her desk.

“Oh… uh, about that. That just sorta happened?” I laughed sheepishly. She proceeded to go through a whole list of troubles like she was getting ready to throw the book at me.

Then the mayor stopped and looked back at me with her pink eyes in bewilderment. As if she couldn’t tell what I was anxious about, and she laughed as though someone had just told her a hilarious joke. I wished someone would tell me what was so funny already. “Aw, don’t you worry your pretty little head, filly!” she reassured. “Y’ain’t got nothing to worry about! Mama’s already pinned all of it on that no good bastard Jagged Knife!”

“Pardon? I’m not sure I heard that right. Are you commending me on a job well done?”

“No need to be bashful. You’ve done real fine work, darling! Never did like them much anyways! Those zombies might’ve provided a valuable service in the city, but Fester and his ghoul boys skirted their dues and cut a bit too much off the top too often for my liking. Plus their side dealings were disrupting my business interests at the casino and that ain’t no good! Dodge City will be better off for it, and it’s thanks to you!”

“Yeah. Um, I appreciate that and all, but why…?” I asked again.

“Aw, hush!” she chided, trotting right up to me. “Enough with those silly pleasantries, y’hear?“ She had on a warm smile not unlike a parent looks at their foal. “From now on just call me Mama.” As she squished my face between her hooves I was feeling even more confused than ever. “After Gamble told me everything, I just knew I had to speak with you mare to mare. I had a feeling he wouldn’t steer me wrong when he picked you! What a sweetheart he is! Ain’t you just the cutest lil’ thing?” She beamed. I was feeling extremely conflicted about this. Was it too late for me to escape out the door?

“Is that the reason you called me here, Miss Mayor?” I asked, still extremely confused while she was still rubbing my cheeks.. It was more than a little uncomfortable with her acting so nonchalant around me, especially with her olive green cyber-griffon bodyguard leaned up against the wall, silently watching, with a bemused smirk on his face. He was really the only factor unaccounted for in this. All I could really gather from him was his past association with Fillydelphia due to the faded insignia on his cybernetic arm. When she finally released me, I was allowed to breathe again.

“Please, call me Mama, won’t ya?” she urged, wearing a big smile.

“Right… um, didn’t you tell everyone that Jagged was the one who did that, Mama?” I asked, tacking on that last bit awkwardly.

She smiled deviously. “That’s cus I couldn’t let this opportunity go to waste.”

The griffon interrupted us, rapping a talon over his cybernetic arm impatiently. It was marked by a red eye-mark insignia on the shoulder which connected into the shoulder socket. “Why don’t you let me go after him, Rubi? Those are the terms of my contract,” he urged. “It isn’t good to have loose ends running around. I’ve heard there’s a skyranger in town looking into it too. Could lead back to you if you’re not careful.”

“Pay you no mind to all that! Trust me darlin, I’ve got this handled.” The Mayor told him, dismissing her griffon bodyguard with a wave of her hoof. “Now be a dear and leave us, Sharp Eye?” she requested, continuing to smile at me in a strange and overly-friendly manner.

The griffon jeered in annoyance. “So you’re gonna leave it to this rookie then? Fine. Tell me once you’ve finally come around to your senses.” He fell on all fours and shot me a dirty at me, scraping his cyber talon on across the floor as he passed me. The door shut closed behind him, leaving me alone with the smiling mare.

“Uh, I think you’ve got the wrong pony.” I said. “I’m nopony special.”

She scoffed. “Oh, please! I know full well enough that Jagged couldn’t pull off a move like that on his own. Fightin’ off Papa Bighoof’s raiders on your lonesome? Blowing up a gang of ferals in an irradiated mine! Mama knows everything about you. I know everything there is to know about you. From what Gamble’s been telling me, some of the things you’ve accomplished by yourself are downright amazing. I could use a pony like that!”

My ears flattened. “Wait,” I replied, “you know...?”

Rubi got up from her desk and walked up behind me brushing my face with her tail. “Of course I know! No need to be so humble in front of your mama, darling!” she came up close behind me and began rubbing my shoulders. “I dunno where in the wastes you came from, but I know greatness when I see it!”

She was getting a little too close into my personal space for my liking.

“Tell me, sweetheart. Did you ever have any parents?” I shook my head and she began to brush my mane. “Aw, poor thing. Ain’t you a cutie though. You look just like me at your age. I should buy you a pretty dress and curl your mane up all nice-like. Get you looking like proper lady!” I couldn’t see any resemblance personally. The last thing I wanted was to find out I was secretly related to a drug running mafioso ringleader this whole time.

“Did you need something from me?” I asked, not really buying into her act.

She groaned aloud. “I’ll cut right to chase, sweetheart. I’ll pay you ten thousand caps if you kill Jagged Knife.”

“Hubbasaywhut now?” Um. Did I hear that right? “How much?” I asked her to repeat.

“Fine. Make it twenty thousand,” she said and my mouth nearly dropped to the floor. “I want him dead, darling. He knows too much about my internal operations, and with everything I’ve worked for up until now on the line, it just don’t make no sense leaving a liability like that amongst the living.” She reiterated to me how important this job was. “I’m giving you a very generous proposition here, you understand? You can even have his job after you’re done! Just no more explosions from now on, okay?”

I agreed in utter confusion. “I, uh, promise. Why me though?”

The mare grinned. “Like I said, I know greatness when I see it!” She declared, taking great care to make sure her mane remained styled every two seconds. Rubi led me to the factory overseers window and draped her foreleg around the back of my neck. She pressed a button, causing the factory lines to light up. “Tell me, Roulette. What do you see down there?”

“Weapons?” I shrugged.

“Industry,” she corrected. “I ain’t stupid. I can see where this wasteland is going. Moreover, I want a say in how things are going to be run from now on. Only fair that I get what I deserve!” Rubi spoke matter-of-factly, as though she were truly entitled to everything the wasteland had to offer. “Stroke of genius, if I do say so myself! I secretly got all my ponies lined up to work the NCR’s factories while Gawdy wasn't looking. She might not be taking my demands seriously now, but this big dustup with Papa Bighoof was just the excuse I needed. One word from me, and I can bring her entire industry to a grinding halt! We’ll see how long she lasts with raiders breathing down her neck, and when she’s got no guns or resources to fight em with!” she snickered deviously. “See, darling? Everyone has a price. Sometimes you just gotta use a little extra leverage.”

As I watched the mare speak, I tried to wrap my head around what I was hearing. My mind was stuck. All I could think of was that this was way higher than I could’ve imagined when I started chasing after simple raiders conducting hits on caravans.

“To me, there’s only one thing that matters: that I’m always on top…. I just got this one final loose end to tie up. Then once the NCR agrees to all of my demands, I’ll be free to take over Gawdy’s little charity project for myself. Without even firing a shot! Sure, it might take a while. A corrupt official here, a bribed worker there, but I always get what I want.”

“How do you even have that kind of money?” I asked in bewilderment. “Did you rob a pre-war bank?”

Rubi laughed out loud at the mere suggestion. “You’re such a card! That’s easy, I acquired a bunch of Ironclad Firearms weapon schematics used during the war and sold em off to Gawdyna to help kickstart Dodge City, then made double the money selling those same weapons to other ponies who wanted em on the side. Weapons trade is always a booming market in the wasteland. But all I really needed, was to make sure the mines and the steel refineries were operational for Gawdy to open up trade negotiations. Their steel shortages just made em easy pickings. Dumbasses. Word of advice: never negotiate from weakness, sweetie. I just built things up from there, the rest is history! The gangs and mercs all serving my interests came after that, now this whole city is practically one big money machine, with me at the top! And I don’t plan on letting go of that any time soon… Red Eye’s time is over. Soon ponies across the wasteland are gonna know the name Rubi Royale!”

The mayor marvelled at the factory’s long line of weapons and stockpiles of ammo, infatuated with whatever twisted imagery she’d conjured up inside her imagination. After she finished her super-villain speech I was at last given a chance to get a word in. “What about all the ponies in Dodge City?” I asked. “Don’t they hate the NCR?”

She appeared mostly unmoved. “Most of them are bandits or outlaws with pre-established bounties from the New Canterlot Republic, so what happens to them is none of my concern.” she replied disinterestedly. “All the other gangs in the city have already signed onto my plan, except for the merc’s union, but they’ll have no choice but to come around. For now, just keep it on the downlow until the deal goes through.”

I stood still, nodding along. Hearing all of this straight from the mayor’s mouth was admittedly a lot to take in, but I still wanted to find out more about Sunny’s current standings with her.

“So then what did you need the password for?” I asked, seeing an opportunity.

Rubi wheeled around and shot me with a suspicious eye, “How do you know about that...?” she demanded.

Shit. “Uh... Jagged Knife mentioned it. Something about an Overmare?” I answered, playing dumb.

She bought it, thankfully. “Y’know what? Doesn’t matter.” She replied. “Guess it makes plenty of sense. Jagged always took a keen interest in that lil filly. I should probably put up more security up at the mansion just in that case. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, darling.”

My ears perked up again at hearing Accolade’s name mentioned. The more I learned about her, the further she baited my curiosity. Normal fillies don’t have eyes like that. I should know.

“No problem. So, uh, what’s it for?” I asked, trying my luck.

“Some bigshot from the NCR wanted whatever’s down there,” she replied with a dismissive hoof wave. “Supposed to be real hush-hush. Though, I suppose I didn’t need it after all. Despite this whole stunt, everything is playing out the way I want it to. So I’m considering just tossing that lil brat on the street calling it done, tell ya the truth. She’s been leeching off my hospitality for too long. In fact, we can forget about the password altogether. I’ll just have my boys bring down some heavy mining equipment and cut that door open with a thermic lance, lickity split-like. I only wanted to avoid damaging the wood floors, y’see? Historical Appleloosan architecture like that is so difficult to come by. Pity...” She pouted in sadness, clearly showing more remorse over the loss of artistry than tossing a poor filly out on the street. That alone nearly made me vomit inside my mouth.

“Hasn’t your caretaker been doing a good job?”

The mare’s patience began to grow short, a hint of annoyance barely present in her voice. Although she remained cheery and grinning from ear to ear, her mask was starting to slip a little. She wasn’t a mare who liked to hear no for an answer in any regard. “Well Sunny’s been a dear, and admittedly, I do like the idea of having an Enclave Scout’s daughter on my payroll, but I’ve got some interested parties in the wing who might want a word with her first. Funny, she just came under my employ a few days ago and now she’s gonna get me practically everything I was asking for! So if I had to answer...? It really depends on if she can make herself more useful than what they’re offering.” She smiled sweetly as my blood went cold. “Anyways, it’s nothing y’all need to concern yourself with, Roulette sweetie! It’s like your mama always says, you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette! Now, about Jagged Knife?” She asked, batting her eyelashes.

“Uh, well with him on the run, how do you expect me to get close to him?”

Rubi dropped the facade entirely for a moment and spoke candidly with me. Her voice dropped into an almost threatening tone. “That’s your job to figure out.” she said. “See, I know Jagged Knife, and you were the only pony he let get close to him before. He’s wily like that. So I bet you’re the pony who can get close enough to kill him. You never send a stallion to do a mare’s job. That’s what I always say.” So that was the reason then. “So what do you say? You game?”

“I’ll need a new gun in that case...” I answered.

“Consider it done!” she reassured, smiling again happily at hearing the words she wanted to hear. Her ability to switch back and forth like that was impressive. “I’ll get you everything you need! Just say the word and your mama’s got you covered! See Brass Casing, and tell him that you're allowed to see the ‘special’ stock. Put it on my tab. You can even take a couple thousand bottle caps with you, in case he gives you any trouble.”

I nodded my head, barely listening as I accepted the huge upfront payment of caps with stars in my eyes. “Gotcha.”

“Jagged has been a major thorn in my side ever since he came to Dodge City. It was a mistake for me to take him in. I admit, I might’ve fallen for his charms once or twice…. You catch that no-good Jagged Knife and put a bullet in him for your mama, y’hear? It’s extra important to me that you put that sonofabitch in the dirt.” She trotted me over to a changing mirror where we stood side by side, while she admired the way she looked standing next to me. “Lookit you. Ain’t you a cutie? Like mother, like daughter. You look just like me when I was your age, pumpkin.” she marveled at. Then the mayor gave me a peck on the cheek, and began stroking my mane. I never knew what it was like to have a mother personally… but I was sure this wasn’t it. “Once he's dead, it'll be just you and me darling. There’ll be great things in your future.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” I said, still trying to imagine how all this was going to play out in my head.

“Please,” she insisted, “call me Mama.”

“Uh... Yes, Mama,” I corrected awkwardly.

Have you ever noticed how the ponies who are good at killing always ended up being the most sought after, for some reason? I noticed. I guess there’s value in a pony who can get results, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done. Ponies always say we’ve moved past that, but the wasteland was what I knew best. Sometimes you just happen to be in the right place at the right time.

After that semi-productive meeting with the mayor, I was allowed to leave, I felt even more uneasy than when it was only Jagged Knife that I had to deal with. I didn’t find Hotshot waiting for me outside either, so I figured he must’ve gone somewhere else. “Weird,” I thought. “He was so desperate to get my attention earlier.” Hopefully we’d meet up later and he could tell me if he found anything useful. I also had to figure out a totally-not-awkward way of telling him that I was just offered Jagged Knife’s job by the mayor.

They assigned me a pony named Deuce to work under me. He was a chubby grey earth pony with a thick jawline and a blaze on his snout. He was a good sort, as far as the Dodge City Gang folk went, if maybe a bit thick-headed and overly talkative at times. He followed me on my way out, but I quickly began to grow tired of his presence.

On my way to the Wrangler, I sent him to put in an order with Brass Casing to fix up my battle saddle and I’d meet with him in the morning. He gave a mock salute and “Yes, ma’am!” before galloping off on his task. Admittedly, it was good being the one in charge for once.

When I arrived back at the Wrangler, both Hawkins and Hotshot were absent from their usual spots, so I just went up to my room instead. Brandy asked me if I was doing alright but I ignored the poppy colored mare. I left her a hoofful of bottle caps for the night on the counter in order for her to collect.

As I lay on my bed staring up at the ceiling, having successfully paid my tab off thanks to the mayor’s generous upfront paycheck, I heard the rowdy ponies making a ruckus downstairs. The mayor had offered me free lodging up at Cherry Hill Ranch but I turned it down. The music and fighting somehow made me feel better, but also more alone again inside my head.

Finally left to my own thoughts, I briefly considered to myself if maybe my pegasus friend had the right idea. If this was the way things would be from now on, it made sense to get in on the ground floor. Right?

“That’s got to be the dumbest idea you’ve ever had...” I scoffed. Even though I was still hurting from what she said, I needed to warn her about the mayor’s plans. At the very least, I owed her that much.

My mind was too cloudy to think properly, so I just focused on that one spot on the ceiling until I managed to drift off.

In the morning, I awoke in my room and drew back the curtain without getting out of bed, staring outside at the Dodge City streets. I rubbed my eyes, yawning, but was jolted awake in an instant by a sudden loud commotion coming from downstairs.

I quickly got up and went outside my room to look over the railing. The annoying unicorn that I had become frustratingly-familiar with was casually sipping on a drink he had lifted off of Brandy. Others had stood up from there chairs, surrounding him while he smugly ignored them.

“Ah, just the pony I wanted to see,” said the smug looking raider, grinning up at me.

I uttered a solitary word in anger. “Sting...”

Brandy raised her hoof threateningly which he barely acknowledged with a passing glance. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, sitting there all smug-like!” the poppy mare growled.

I rushed downstairs, putting my armor on over my jacket as I went, and stood in front of the raider. He turned to face me with a flip of his midnight green mane, and an extremely punchable look on his face as usual. “What do you want?” I asked.

“How’s your girlfriend doing?” he laughed. Suffice to say, I was already in a bad enough mood without him showing his ugly face.

“Need me to punch your other eye out?” I spat.

The pony chuckled back gingerly. “I’m only the messenger, Girly,” he told me. “The boss wants to speak with you alone. You know the spot…. Later.” I had no idea where he was referring to at first, but before I could ask, Sting’s horn flashed again and he blinked out of existence, leaving me very annoyed and confused. The other patrons who were previously crowded around him looked at me for answers.

“I’ll be back.” I growled marching outside.

“Glad you could make it.” Jagged greeted me from a shadowed booth in the Hole in the Wall, balancing the single poker-chip-like device on the tip of his hoof out of boredom. It didn’t take me long to figure it out. It was dark in the saloon, even for this time of day. The piss smell of the dingy place filled my nostrils. It didn’t take too long for me to figure out what he meant, thankfully. “Seems the horseshoe is on the other hoof. Now you’re the one who’s doing mayor’s dirty work...”

I scoffed, stepping towards him. “Screw off. What’s to say I don’t just shoot you right here?” I asked. As I strode over to Jagged Knife, all the other patrons funneled out of the establishment so it was just me and him. Likely a few of them went to get the local law. “After what you put me through in the mine? I ought to call the mayor’s goons in here and have you arrested.”

Drawing out my pistol, I pointed it at the raider stallion, but he just smirked back and I realized that sort of intimidation tactic wasn’t going to work on him. I noticed he was wearing his wasteland jacket again. The one with his insignia sewn onto the shoulder. Still, he looked more...disheveled than usual. I probably screwed things up, big time for him.

Checking over my shoulder again in suspicion, I couldn’t see anypony else. It felt like a setup, but Jagged Knife was quick to alleviate my worst fears. “Simmer down. It’s just the two of us,” he promised.

I put my gun away and pulled my hoof back. “No funny business, or else you get punched.” I swore, then I sat down across from him. I watched in annoyance as he casually tried on one of the hats that a bar patron had left behind, silently judging his appearance before throwing it off in disgust. “You’ve got only until the Dodge City Gang gets here,” I said. “Now talk!”

He leaned in close to me, his face gnarled like a mad dog. “Hold on, I’m still trying to piece this together for myself. You just so happened to botch a caravan raid and then you come running after my boys into raider country, meet up with the professor who’s supposed to be dead. Then you have a lil’ meet and greet with the NCR, and you followed me across the Wasteland all the way to Dodge City. Do I have all that right?”

“More or less.” I scoffed. “Why? Didn’t Sting already tell you all about me?”

“Only the basic rundown. So how about you tell me, who the hell you are then?” he demanded.

“Name’s Roulette.” I told him again. “Nopony worth mentioning.”

His normally placid demeanor flared. “Bullshit. No normal pony could live through all that! Tell me who you really are!” He snarled back, leaning inward. “First, half my gang betrays me. Now Rubi’s sent every goddess-damned gang in the city after me! And all I’ve got to show for it is this little bargaining chip. Tell me your angle. Just to fuck with me?”

I leaned backwards, kicking my hooves up on the table. “Yeah, I guess I am pretty rad when you think about it,” I smirked, “but you’re also conveniently leaving out the whole ‘trying to kill me’ part...”

“That’s the point of a ‘test’.” Jagged argued sardonically. Hardly an acceptable answer from my point of view. “I’m relatively sure we haven’t met before. Thanks to you though, I didn’t have to go down there and get it myself,” he admitted.

“You went through a lot of trouble for that thing. What’s it for?” I demanded.

“No idea.” he shrugged forthcomingly, balancing the poker-chip sized device on the tip of his foreleg, then made it disappeared with some sleight-of-hoof. “Just figured it’d be worth something.”

I snorted. “I’m starting to see why your gang was taking issue with your leadership.” I spat out, and he laughed. “I heard about your little hit on the Republic a while back. How you lied about your brush with the Lightbringer to gain notoriety?” When I mentioned the Lightbringer again his eyes suddenly glinted at me, showing off his killer. At least somepony in the wasteland could put the fear of Celestia in him.

Then a wry smile crept across Jagged Knife’s face as he recollected the memories, stroking his goatee. “Ah, yes. It’s all about maintaining a fearsome reputation. Less young punks looking to prove themselves when they think you’re gonna gut em for looking at you funny,” he replied.

“...”

He chuckled in disbelief. “Heh, you aren’t going to go all goody four horse-shoes on me, are you? Trust me, they had it coming.”

“...Nah. That’s how the wasteland is.” I replied soberly. Although, there was an almost bitter curiosity that I needed to sate. “Are any of them still alive?”

“The adults? Nah.” he shrugged, levitating a knife from a leather sheath in his coat and waving it around whimsically. It was wicked and serrated. The exact sort of knife a pony like him would carry around. “After I didn’t get what I was looking for, I cut that stuck-up pegasus asshole’s wings off and slit his throat for good measure. Watched him choke to death on his own blood. Left the kids alive to let the wasteland deal with them. Only the strongest or the smartest survive.” As he recounted he mimicked slashing motions as to how he performed each slice. “Edgy stayed behind with a few others. We’d had one too many screwups for his taste, lately. Others agreed. You’ve heard the rest of that story, I’m sure. Reckon some of those fillies and colts are still alive somewhere back in New Canterlot.” Jagged put the knife away under his coat again, reminiscing. “Edgy was a good underling. Bit of a psychopath and with a thing for fillies, but then raiders never were the most mentally stable bunch. Chems addle the brain over years of continued use.”

“Boo-fucking-hoo.” I mocked. “Seems like most of your friends have a high mortality rate, Jagged.”

“Didn’t get as much as I was hoping for out of that job, but perhaps I found one or two useful things out of it… And you just so happen to have a connection to Radar too?” He grinned wickedly in response.

“Yeah, what of it?” I spat, getting further annoyed when he didn’t say anything. I blew smoke, raising from my seat. “Quit screwing with me! What the hell are you after?!” I demanded.

“I already told you. I want to retire,” he answered freely.

“Ponies like you don’t get to retire!” I shouted, losing my cool. “You’re the one who sparked off that conflict between Papa Bighoof and the NCR and sent me through hell! The one who killed Cottontail, and got me caught up in all this shit!”

“Personally, I think you give me too much credit,” he chuckled.

“If you were really planning to retire, then why don’t you do the obvious thing and hang up your pistol? At least pretend to show a little Luna-damned remorse, huh?!”

He shrugged, making mock apology. “Sorry, but it has to be this way. Do you really think that ponies in the NCR would let me live after what I done?” I sat unmoved. To me, that was more his problem than mine. “How do you know that you’re not the final loose end to tie up once I’m done? You know how Rubi is.” he asked. To that, I honestly didn’t have a good answer, though I figured I had a better shot dealing with her than with present company. At least talons stuck to their contract. “Tsk, tsk. So hard to find ponies you can trust nowadays...”

I squinted. “I’m sure it’s so hard.”

“Let’s use what limited time we have, shall we?” he suggested, and the flickering light seemed to agree. I plopped my rump back down in acquiescence, crossing my hooves, leaning back. “You have questions. That’s the only reason you didn’t come in guns blazing. Lucky you, I’ve got all the dirt on Rubi the NCR needs, but if I die, then you won’t learn anything or even have a chance at stopping her. That includes about potential connections to the Enclave and Radar I might have.”

I sat there wondering to myself what a raider could even know about them. “Do you know what’s in that R&D Lab? Is that what you’ve been after?” I asked, attempting to put two and two together.

Jagged was barely able to contain his laughter, “Nah. Whatever it is, likely won’t be of any help to Rubi either,” he replied. Always hinting that he knew something, but never revealing what. He really knew how to push my buttons. When I asked him for more he just grinned and answered mysteriously, “Who knows?” Maybe he already knew what was down there. No, he was just trying to bait me.

“That’s not going to work on me…” I snarled. “If I kill you, then maybe things will settle down. Everything can go back to the way it was.”

The seasoned raider smiled again, this time the flickering lights making him look almost snake-like in appearance. “You should know better than that. Things can never go back to the way they were.”

My eyes shot off to the side in annoyance and they fell to the ground, as I scowled. “And why should I accept that? Give me one good reason why I should give a shit?”

“You want to know?” he asked, calmly calling my bluff. “Then come on one last job with me. That’s my only condition.”

“You think I’m going to play your little game?” I asked, meeting his ice cold eyes with my fiery ones.

“I’m meeting with my supplier before I high tail it out of Dodge City. Just wanted to let you know. You can come of own accord, and you’ll get your answers then, but only then. Up to you whether you want them or not.”

“Tch.”

We could both sense we didn’t have much longer. The mayor’s thugs were likely making their way here as we spoke.

“Y’know,” He sneered a wicked grin. “I think, I finally understand what you are.”

“And what’s that…?”

Jagged Knife raised his brow and replied, “That fire in your eyes. You’re a killer, like I am. It’s easy to see.”

My face contorted in anger. “You and I are nothing alike.”

“Ponies like us… the wasteland is a part of us. It’s in our blood. It ain’t so easy to change your nature after you’ve already lived it.”

“You don’t know me…” I exhaled.

“You want to kill me bad right now. I can feel it.” He teased.

“It’s awfully tempting.” I spat sarcastically. “No deal! Cut the crap and tell me what you’re planning already!”

Jagged didn’t answer. Instead his ears perk up and he stood up from the table. He casually looked down and grabbed another hat off the floor in an aura of telekinesis, trying it on and looking at himself in disgust before donning a black coat over himself. “If you're not satisfied with your answers, then go ahead and kill me after it’s done. That’ll solve both our problems.” he said, heading towards the back of the establishment and drawing out his plasma pistol. “Meet me at Gallows Rock outside of town, after the sun reaches its highest point. Come alone. Don’t be late.”

Jagged waited near the back door of the establishment, plasma pistol drawn, just as enforcers from the Dodge City Gang stormed into the Hole-in-the-Wall wearing the rotten star of the law.

“You’ll never take me alive!” he bellowed, firing eldritch green blasts at the front entrance before darting out the back. Others galloped after him.

He must’ve thought I was stupid or something. I watched him in stunned silence, until I realized there were other dustered ponies watching. I quickly turned to face them and put on a gruff voice. “Uh, he got me with a stun spell... !” I lied. “Caught me off guard. Heh, I didn’t know he could do that sort of magic. Damn unicorns, am I right?” The others easily accepted that excuse, nodding amongst themselves in agreement.

Deuce shoved his way to the front of the crowd to praise me. “Wow, I saw it all Roulette! That was amazing! You almost had him!” He cheered enthusiastically. “Don’t worry, we’ll get him next time, guys!”

Pacing helps me think, so I took the long way back to the Wrangler. Deuce followed closely. What Jagged Knife said really weighed in the back of my head. Even though he was a rotten scumbag, the bastard had a sharp tongue and knew how to get under my skin.

Ponies whispered rumors about what had been going on, and strange suspicious glances were thrown at me as I passed. Shooting a look back at them made them act as though they had been looking elsewhere. I had to admit, it was interesting how ponies were now standing out of my way.

Not only was there Jagged, but there was also the mayor to worry about. At least I actually knew what she was planning, even if I had no fucking clue what to do about it. I was just one pony though. What the hell was I supposed to do? I stopped and groaned aloud in frustration.

“You say something, boss?” Deuce asked readily.

Oops. “No, it was nothing,” I replied. I had grown too used to being on my own in these past months.

Glancing for a second at my brother’s gun holstered to my leg, I paused, then looked back at the chubby grey earth pony. “Hey, you knew Jagged Knife for a while, right? What do you know about him?”

He was apparently caught off guard a little. “Uh, not much to be frank,” he admitted, rubbing his head in embarrassment. “Jagged was never the open-book type. You’re a lot nicer than he is though! He always used to threaten to gut me for talking too much.”

Not sure if I appreciated the compliment, I kept walking ahead and sent him go check on my order again. Telling him I’d meet him at the gun store.

After I stepped through the double doors of the Wrangler, I saw ponies crowded around the radio, listening to DJ Pon3 for radio updates on the situation. Or at least trying to. One of them pounded on it to clear out the static, but unfortunately there were only a bunch of weird unrelated news stories.

“Put on the New Canterlot Trade Reports! Maybe Daily Day knows something!” Another pony shouted, but as I sauntered back into the saloon, they stopped what they were doing and their heads turned to watch me. My eyes were locked on my usual spot which had been conveniently left open for me, where both Hotshot and Hawkins were in the middle of a heated debate over whether a single sniper shot she made against a raider once was actually possible.

"Twelve-hundred meters! No joke. Had to time my breathing between my wing-flaps and everything. Freefall, fire, then caught myself. Boom! Headshot." She boasted. “Superior griffon eyesight.”

Hotshot remained unconvinced. "That's next to impossible if you account for wind resistance, coriolis force, humidity and about a dozen other factors," he argued.

Hawkins looked stunned for a moment. Then she scowled looked away. "…Okay it was a thousand," she admitted, ever-so-slightly irked at being called out as Hotshot beamed victoriously.

“Good to see you two getting along,” I spat sarcastically.

Before I could even ask him where he had gone off to last night, Hawkins greeted me first. “Hey there, Dirt Muncher. What’s with the mood?” She joked, taking a long drink of Moonshine. “How’d the lil’ meet n’ greet go?”

“...”

Staring at the griffon skyranger in irritation, I had begun to grow more suspicious of her intentions. Doubly so, after my conversation with the mayor.

“I said, ‘hey there’,” she squinted back at me.

I uttered under my breath, “By the way, I heard some things you might be interested to know. Or more like, there are some things I want to know from you.”

The griffon stopped what she was doing and turned around to face me, the two of us getting into a minor stare-off. “Oh?” She snorted. “And what are those?”

Hotshot turned and whispered into my ear, “Uh, Roulette, we should probably get out of here…”

“Shut up.” I scoffed. “What are you worried about?”

Then I noticed the unusual silence, causing me to take a second to peek over my shoulder, where all of the mercenaries and vagrants who made up the bars’ usual patrons seemed to have stopped what they were doing as well to listen in. The card players had all paused their game, leaning inwards with anticipation.

“Hold up a sec...” I said, putting our conversation on hold. “Um, you guys need something?”

“Hey, don’t mind us!” One of them said. “Keep talking.”

My eyebrows arched in confusion.

Suddenly, a white cowboy unicorn stallion wearing a serape came up and leaned against the bar next to me, shoving Hotshot to the side.

“Why hello there lil senorita,” he smirked, tipping his hat with his magic. My pegasus friend scowled in annoyance, as my random admirer brushed his dark mane from his face seductively. “I couldn’t help but overhear about your daring exploits around Dodge City. That’s a pretty nice Stable-Tec issue ten mil’ you got there, if I do say so myself. They call me: Lone Hoof, the Gun Hunter.” I could see that he was hiding all sorts of weapons underneath his poncho.

My face was left somewhere between disgust and confusion, with a minor hint of wanting-to-punch-someone. “Uh…thanks?”

“And I’m Wild Iron!” The minotaur flexed, bowling ponies over to show off his hulking pecs and biceps. I backed away slowly as he posed and spoke in a booming voice, only to find another of the bar patrons in my personal space.

“Do you guys have brain damage?” I asked warily.

“We’ve just got a vested interest in what happens in Dodge City.” A mercenary stallion revealed.

Then some raider-looking mare added, “Every time something crazy happens here, you’re somehow in the middle of it! Things ain’t been this interesting in months!” I supposed that made sense, though it was still hard to believe that I had built up that much of a reputation so quickly.

“Yeah, we’re trustworthy! So tell us!” Shouted another pony from across the room. Then they all gave a collective “Yeehaw”.

“Oh. Um, thanks I don’t know what to say.” I said feeling embarrassed, rubbing the back of my mane at the room full of newfound admirers. Even though I had been coming here for the last couple days, I barely had taken the time to know any of them.

“That story about you trying to help your friend is just… so beautiful!” The minotaur sniffed, wiping a tear from his eye. “If that isn’t true friendship, I don’t know what is!”

“Wait, where did you hear that?” I asked, but instead everyone crowded around me, flooding me with questions. I attempted to look around at the ponies in the saloon. Something was wrong.

Hawkins appeared annoyed at the others pushing her and Hotshot aside to get to me, pointing a gun in some hapless pony’s face.

Wild Iron leaned in close with bottle caps in his eyes, pushing Hotshot out of the way. “I heard that the mayor is offering up a ton of money to kill Jagged Knife, that true?” Smoke blew out of his nostrils in excitement.

I put on a cocky smirk as I took a seat and ordered up a drink from the bar and answered him. “Oh, yeah. It’s all true. The mayor wants him dead, see? So she’s paying me to put that old hasbeen in the dirt.”

“So it’s all true then? Everything?” Another pony I wasn’t paying attention to asked from the crowd.

“Yup! All of it.” I replied confidently.

“Y’hear that? All of it’s true!” one of them shouted over to the others. “She says the mayor’s gonna sell us out to the NCR!” Ponies outside heard it as well.

My ears shot up in astonishment. “Wait. What?! That’s not what I said!”

Then the entire saloon erupted into a riot of shouts and obscenities.

“Screw the mayor!” shouted another one furiously while I made a futile effort to try and calm them down. A pony threw a bottle that nearly missed my head and I shot a dirty look around, searching for whoever threw it. Things quickly devolved into anarchy and confusion from there.

The confused minotaur looked around uncertain. “Uh, oh... NCR? Hold up, I owe Gawdyna a ton of money too! What am I supposed to do guys?”

Unfortunately, I had also neglected to notice the Steel Ranger Renegades who I met when I first moseyed into town, were also sitting in the bar that day.

Bombshell appeared to be a rather feminine, red-coated, earth pony mare with a stripe on her snout, and a luxurious blonde mane. More than I would’ve expected underneath that T-51b helmet, since she had the personality of a hellhound. She raised herself up and pointed at me accusingly. “That earth pony bitch was wearing NCR uniform when she first trotted in here, and I’ve seen her going back and forth between them and the Mayor! Now, isn’t that suspicious?” She sneered, and I heard shouts of agreement from the crowd.

They stopped and turned to look at me, smelling blood in the air. Threats of violence and vile obscenities spewed towards me as Bombshell and her crew stood up, enjoying the spectacle of some poor NCR saps about to get torn limb from limb.

Immediately sensing danger, Hawkins drew out her revolver and pointed it at the crowd of oncoming patrons to prevent them going for their weapons, and making distance between us. “Back the fuck away from the mare, dirtbags!” She snarled. Lone Hoof stopped short of drawing out his own gun with his magic, seeing Hawkin’s massive hand cannon pointed in his face, and she cocked back the hammer in response to his annoying commentary on the pristine quality.

I dropped into a fighting stance, having only slight reservations about getting my hooves dirty here. “I can probably take them.” I thought, looking back and forth between them. “Maybe that hulking minotaur in front of me? Yeah, he doesn’t look so tough,” I agreed with myself, cracking my neck. Glancing around, I noticed Hotshot had also disappeared from my side and I couldn’t see where he’d gone. Dammit.

No matter how fast and accurate Hawkins was, there were more than six ponies here. They had the exit blocked off and surrounded us. Meanwhile, Bombshell was grinning like the frigid bitch she was, content on letting the angry patrons handle us. It looked like there was a possibility we might need to fight our way out of this. We both glanced at each other and seemed to be thinking the same thing. “Just my luck. I’ve already been having a pretty shit day, today. It’d be nice to get a break once in a while.” I exhaled.

In retrospect, maybe making our home base the main saloon in town wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had.

Nobody moved from their spot. Sweat crept down our necks.

Then there was the click of a shotgun cocking next to the skyranger’s head. “Drop the weapon, Talon.” Appleshot Brandy demanded. Hawkins groaned, but complied, sticking her gun underneath her bandolier and put her claws in the air. I waited, hoping that someone would come through that door to bail us out. Then the poppy mare turned to the others. “The rest of you too! We don’t do that here!” Everyone in the saloon murmured and moaned putting their weapons away. A few turned back to their seats, feeling dejected.

“Actually, it’s ‘Skyranger’ now…” Hawkins corrected, aggravated amongst the crowd of murmurs.

The Radgoat who was serving as hired muscle for Brandy raised his head and spit out the tin can he had been chewing, then immediately went back to… whatever he was doing, now that the situation was handled.

Bombshell was the only one who seemed to still have a problem. “Are you kidding me?! They’re NCR! They deserve everything coming to ‘em!” She argued looking dumbfounded, and there was some agreement from a few ponies. Especially from the her merry band of Steel Ranger rejects, trying to take advantage of the situation.

Brandy was quick to silence them though. “No. That ain’t our way!” She declared. “This mare ain’t the one responsible. Even if she was, killing her wouldn’t do ya no good.”

Still unsatisfied, the steelclad mare stepped forward and pointed her armored hoof at me. “We rangers are offering up a five hundred bottle cap bounty to the one who offs this bitch!” She declared boldly. It was chump-change as far as bounties went, but she was probably hoping for any pony desperate enough to consider it.

The barmare spat back, further admonishing her. “Don’t be daft! Anyone here knows you’d have to be crazy to accept that job! Five hundred alone is hardly worth the blowback you’d get from the Dodge City Gang!” This seemed to calm down most of the others.

Bombshell spat sideways, glaring at her. Then she donned her helmet, deciding to usher her little squadron out the door with her, but not before making one last threatening pass at me, telling me to watch myself.

Hawkins smirked and waved as the Steel Ranger left. “Sorry. Better luck next time, steel-rejects,” she mocked, causing the steel-clad mare to wheel back around.

Drawing up her autocannon briefly, the steel ranger snarled. “I bet I could take you one-on-one, Talon...” she growled, but the skyranger’s smirk just widened.

“Try me,” she grinned. I hated to admit it, but I liked this side of her.

“Not in here!” Gin pleaded, waving his hooves. “Who the hell do you think has to pay for all the damages?!”

I could almost feel the Bombshell’s eyes boring into me from underneath her helmet, but perhaps feeling as though it wasn’t worth it right now, she powered down her cannon and walked out the door. A collection of metal stomps followed out behind her.

I let out a small breath of relief.

After she’d gone, Appleshot shouted at the crowd. “Stop crowding her and let her speak,” she demanded, folding her hooves. I felt like all of their peering eyes were locked onto me, waiting on my next word. “From what we’ve been hearing, the mayor is planning on selling us all out to the NCR. Do you know anything about that, mare?”

“What have you heard?” I asked her, ignoring the pegasus’ strange and desperate hoof gestures. Was that supposed to be some kind of weird pegasus mating ritual? I shot him a funny look, telling him to “shut up” and he face hoofed.

“That’s what that feller who was in here earlier was telling us. Not sure why you both lied to my face yesterday, but I ain’t surprised.” Brandy informed me. Sting was involved in this? Shit.

“I wasn’t lying. I mean, she’s been in negotiations with the NCR for months…” I replied. “This shouldn’t come as a surprise.”

The mare’s eyes narrowed. “So that’s how it is…”

Hotshot appeared at my side again, and leaned over to whisper into my ear. “That bit about the selling out the town? Jagged’s been spreading that rumor all morning.”

My ears fell flat. “Why didn’t you warn me earlier?!” I demanded.

“That’s what I was trying to do!”

“Fuck me. I’m an idiot.” I thought, and facehoofed.

Appleshot climbed onto the bartop to address all the Dodge City denizens crowded around us. “Listen up! We’ve known this was coming for a while!” she shouted as everyone else stopped to listen. “I dunno about you, but I ain’t gonna stand for it anymore! Rubi’s gotten away with treating us like dirt for too long! Now she thinks she can sell us out to the NCR?! We’re Dodge City folk!”

Most of them cheered in support, with some calling out for blood from the NCR and the Dodge City Gang.

“I’m gonna go around, roundin’ up as many as I can, to do what we should’ve done ages ago! Probably can’t count on Brass Casing, since it don’t matter to that pony who’s in charge, so long as he’s making money, but I still know a few in this town who might be willing to support the cause! If we can get the Merc’s Union on our side, our chances’ll be even greater!”

The crowd was beginning to rile up again, and ponies outside were joining in. Meanwhile, Hawkins and I were feeling exceedingly uncomfortable being placed in such a dicey spot. At least we had something we could agree on for once.

Her father Gin urged calm, attempting to be the voice of reason, “This ain’t nothing worth dying over, sweetie!” He called, but the mare shook her head. Her voice was filled with purpose now.

“I ain’t taking Apple Whiskey’s offer,” she replied, her voice filled with purpose. “This has gone on for long enough.”

“C’mon, be reasonable!”

“Y’know, maybe I’m a silly filly for wishing all the guns were gone from Equestria, but ponies like Rubi only understand one thing. Sometimes you have to take a stand for what you believe in. Maybe none of this would’ve happened if I’d been wiser back then, or y’all hadn’t been too scared to pick up your guns. She’d still be alive too... Don’t worry though. There won’t be no blood. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

“Let’s go boys!” She cried, accompanied by cheers and shouts. The barmare glanced down at me one last time, “Since we’re squared up, clear your things out from my upstairs, mMare.” Brandy sneered at informed me. “I don’t ever want to see you again.”

I nodded, unable to mentally process another reply, and watched them funnel out of the Dodge City Wrangler, Brandy marching alongside the huge crowd of ponies. She put up a ‘we’re closed’ sign on her way out, leaving the bar practically empty. Drinks were left out in the open and tables overturned.

Hotshot gave a huge sigh of relief, nearly collapsing on the floor from the tense stress of that situation.

Her aged father leaned against the counter and pulled out a handkerchief, wiping his forehead. “Well, this brings back memories.” He exhaled, then turned to his hired muscle. “Why don’t you take the rest of the day off, Musk?” he suggested, causing the radgoat to snort and leave as well. Then Gin began cleaning up the mess left behind, alone, polishing the countertop where his daughter just stood on.

“Alright, that could’ve gone better…” I admitted.

“Don’t blame yourself,” Gin sighed. “This has been building for a while.”

“Thanks for the backup back there, Mohawk!” I added with sarcasm. “You totally left me hanging!”

“I didn’t leave though…” he argued in his defense. “I’m not a hoof brawler like you.”

I rolled my eyes and noticed a cloaked NCR unicorn trooper standing in the doorway. He found the place mostly empty to his surprise, and trotted straight up to me. Then he gave a small salute. “Miss Roulette?” he acknowledged.

I facehoofed. “Jeez... you couldn’t possibly have worse timing, could you?”

“Sorry ma’am,” he replied indifferently. “Lieutenant Ginger Gale requested that you meet her at the territorial HQ.”

I scoffed. “You mean the train station?” These griffon and NCR-types were always keeping to protocol. I glanced at Hawkins who wasn’t saying anything but had her eyes locked on me and the soldier. “Fine. Tell her I’ll be there soon.” I told him, and he quickly departed with the message.

“So is all of that stuff about Rubi true?” Hotshot asked me.

I buried my head in my hooves and groaned. “Yeah, all of it...” I grumbled.

The pegasus went wide-eyed, “Damn. That bitch is seriously bad news. I mean, I should know.”

“She belongs in a Power Ponies comic.” I agreed. “Too bad, there’s no magical way to just make her disappear and everyone goes back to singing happy songs, right?” I grinned.

Hawkins chimed in humorlessly. “Ironically, if anyone were in a good position to assassinate her, it’d be someone technically not with the NCR. Someone who wouldn’t get bound up in red tape…”

That wasn’t what I meant. “Oh, I’m sure it’d make things much easier on you,” I growled, none too appreciative of that insinuation.

The griffon shrugged casually. “Hey, I’m just saying. We have rules and regulations we have to abide by. In a way, you’re lucky you still get to play by wasteland rules.”

“You make it sound so damn easy. And I don’t suppose there’d be plenty of pissed off ponies looking for someone to pin the blame, huh?” I asked her. When she didn’t give me a clear answer one way or the other, I became increasingly irritated. By wasteland standards Rubi had it coming, but I wasn’t in a rush to win the idiot awards. To be honest though, I wasn’t really gaining any sudden sparks of inspiration either. “And I don’t suppose you have a take?”

She sipped the last of her remaining booze and huffed. “Sorry, it isn’t my place to get involved. True, the mayor’ll cause big problems for the NCR in the long run, no doubt about it, but… eh, orders are orders. I’m only here for one thing.” The griff’s response was somehow even more frustrating given the situation. I scowled at her general unhelpfulness.

Hotshot, being the good wingpony he was steered the topic of conversation back to the task at hoof. “So do you know where Jagged Knife’s going to be?” He asked.

“Great suggestion, featherhead!” Hawkins grinned cheekily. “How about we focus on offing Jagged for now? Simple. You got no problem with capping raiders, right, dirt muncher?” She said, giving me a mocking jab with her elbow. “I know I ain’t got no problem with putting a bullet in some raider wife’s poor raider-husband. “Oh no, how am I ever going to put enough defiled pony corpses on the table to feed little junior McStabby?!””

I squinted back at her, unamused. “Would you just shut up, already? And quit calling me that...” I growled. Then I held my face and grumbled aloud. “Ugh... Jagged Knife wants me to come on some stupid job with him, out in the middle of the stupid desert...”

My pegasus companion frowned, pointing out the obvious. “You’d have to be stupid to take him up on that. Sounds like a trap to me...”

“Yeah, no duh.” I replied flatly. “But if he’s retiring anyways, why should I even be bothered to kill the bastard? Especially if that’d only help Rubi.”

My grim outlook on the matter only caused the skyranger to rather annoyingly point out, “We can’t pick and choose just cus it’s convenient. Some ponies just need to be put down. You saw firsthoof what he did.”

That sounded like the complete opposite of what she said before. “And who gets to make that call?” I asked, turning to look at her.

“We do.” She answered that so self-assuredly that it was almost annoying. “We’re the good guys, remember?”

After that whole fiasco, Gin suggested we all find another place to stay. We all agreed.

Thankfully, Hotshot told us about an old wind farm where we could rest and all meet up later to decide on a plan. “I was going to suggest moving there, but there was never a good opportunity. It’ll be safe. Don’t worry,” he assured, and flew off. I didn’t get a chance to catch up with him, but I was sure there would be plenty of time. Whatever it was, I’m sure he had a good reason. The griffon followed him out shortly.

I told them both I’d have decided by the next time we met.

I chose to stay behind briefly, to complete one last order of business I had with the old timer. As I dusted my coat off, I felt something inside of my front pocket. It was the star bottle cap. So much had been happening I forgot. I pulled it out and gazed at it briefly, pretty sure that I still had a wish to make. “I wish answers came that easily for me...” I sighed, barely able to make humor of the situation.

There was one other pony that remained who sat by himself, sulking alone. I thought I recognized him among the other patrons: A dark coated stallion wearing patchwork clothes. Down Luck was his name, I think. He sighed loudly.

“What a sad sack.” I thought. “Hey buddy, you alright?” I asked.

He shook his head somberly. “What’s the point? Don’t matter if it’s NCR or Rubi in charge, our debt ain’t going away… besides, I’ve got a family to feed.” he replied.

Gin feeling sorry for him said, “Hey Down, why don’t you take that drink on the house? You’ll pull through. Take care, and say hi to the wife for me.” The pony thanked him half-heartedly as he sauntered out the door.

I turned back, facing the old timer now that we were finally alone. “She?” I asked. “Brandy mentioned that ‘she’ would still be alive. What was that all about?”

Gin exhaled loudly, picking up another glass and cleaning it with his magic. “My impetuous daughter was referring to the late Mayor Gladhoof. That’d be Accolade’s mother.”

“Yeah, that’s something that’s been on my mind since last night, actually. Do you know something about Accolade?” I asked, and he looked reluctant to speak, or maybe unsure of how to answer. “I feel like you know more than you’re letting on.” I told him.

“It’s among my many regrets…” he finally admitted.

I narrowed my gaze. “You holding out on me?”

“Nah. You should know about it.” The old unicorn sighed. “That filly…,” he began, “Before Rubi became the mayor of Dodge, our mayor was a mare named Gladhoof. She was descended from a long line of stable dwellers, same as we were. Always looking out for the town, trying to steer us right even when we done wrong. Everypony in town loved her. And that filly of hers’ Accolade, was a shy little thing. Had a big set of horseshoes to fill. All of us assumed that she’d grow up to be like her mother one day, but nopony ever thought too much of her otherwise. ”

“That wasn’t the look of a shy child up there.” I pointed out. “She looked like she had death in her eyes.”

“That’s one way to put it...”

“Tell me what happened to her.” I pressed.

The old pony gave a nod, recalling a time back in the wasteland when Dodge City ponies couldn’t properly agree on how they were supposed to deal with their troubles. “Dodge back then wasn’t a paradise by any means, but nothing like it is today. Rubi was the same as she always was though, seeing opportunity where folks saw hardship. While she’d been run out of town previously, she made a few little investments in her time away. Called in plenty ’o favors and debts from gullible former-lovers and had enough dumb kids who were all willing to pull the trigger for her. With her Dodge City Gang in hoof, she came into town and took over the old Ironclad Factory, with the intent on dealing with Red Eye.”

I looked at the old pony. “Wait. This town was dealing with Red Eye?”

“Not a big secret. Figured you’d have known that, being NCR,” he admitted, “but yeah. He was interested in the old stable and the technology. Y’all may not agree from that look on your face, just understand, we were all tired of fighting the wasteland back then and Red Eye was offering up a new future. Rubi promised she was there to help, and the factory would give us something to bargain with. So we all agreed to let her stay. Even helped her fix some of those old broken machines.”

I hated the fact that my brain had even a shred of sympathy for that perspective. “No. It was completely different.” I decided, but then I realized something. “Wait. What about the Buffalo?” I asked. “Were they harassing you guys back then too? What’s their role in this?”

“Nah,” he shook his head, “the Greathorns didn’t used to exist, and the Stronghearts were always a peaceful tribe. Nopony’s heard from em in decades, though. Also it was mostly normal raiders.”

“Maybe Jagged Knife is planning on using an army of disgruntled Buffalo! That’s gotta be it!” I shouted, pointing wildly.

“Eh, as outlandish as that sounds, I doubt it…”

I pouted foalishly at my theory being rejected. Hell if I knew how they were supposed to factor into this mess. It was probably better if I didn’t ask myself.

Gin continued the story in spite of my hangups. “Anyways,” he said, “things weren’t getting better on sentiments alone. After Red Eye fell, and Sunshine and Rainbows came and went, with the renovations to the factory, the town was finally doing well enough where it didn’t matter who was in charge. Still, Gladhoof was the only mare who was against the whole thing and was willing to speak up about it. ”

My eyes fell off to the side in disinterest. I’d heard this story before, although everyone always seemed to give a different telling. I could already picture how this one ended.

“That was when the trouble really started…” he pained. “When Jagged Knife came to town.”

My ears immediately perked up at hearing those words.

“Remember round when that whole Stable Dweller fiasco first started?” he asked, and I gave a small nod. “You heard the story. Jagged was looking for a new place to lay low, so Rubi agreed and offered to take him in. He was quick to settle in, and set up shop like he owned the place. Living off the fruits of our labor. Threatened to kill anyone who gave him trouble. Meanwhile Rubi was living it up at Cherry Hill Ranch with the support of the factory, getting rich off trade. They were quite the pair, those two... and then more vagrants began to come into town after Sunshine and Rainbows. Town started to become lawless, and the more ponies began to wake up to what she was really doing. Pretty soon we all saw it, and unanimously decided we’d had enough of her.”

“So what then?” I asked, leaning my head into my hoof.

“...Back then, we locals barely outnumbered the Dodge City Gang, though despite all the heartache she’d put us through, we still didn’t want it to come to violence. So Gladhoof promised she’d be willing to give over the old overmare’s password if Rubi would leave us alone for good. Rubi was plenty interested in that offer. So she went to meet with her one day, but never came back. Met with Jagged instead, and her corpse got dropped off on Boot Hill like the others...”

“Get to the part about Accolade already!” I pounded my hoof, getting impatient.

The old timer’s voice sounded regretful as he got to the part of the story that apparently nopony in this town liked to remember. “She’d gone missing when we heard the news. The rumor started going around town that somepony else shot and killed Gladhoof. As we put the pieces together, we realized what’d been done.”

“What?” I challenged. “You’re not saying that Accolade killed her, are you?!”

“Didn’t want to believe it either, but the look in that kid’s eyes seemed to speak plenty. And the mere suggestion was enough to kill any hopes for the town. Whether it was true or not didn’t matter in the end. If Jagged could turn a young filly on their own blood, then what hope did we have? Maybe they blamed her in their hearts for killing her, but they never did look at that filly the same way again. Pretty much left alone her alone to the consequences....”

Gin strained out the words uneasily, despite my ever-increasing glare. “That’s wasteland justice. Or at least the level of it we were willing to give to a filly. It ain’t fair and we weren’t proud to do it, but that’s just how it is. Or maybe we were looking for somepony to blame besides ourselves. Regardless, Gladhoof was the first and last pony to stand up to the mayor and with nopony else to oppose her, Rubi just did what she wanted. That’s where we’re at now.”

When he finished the story my blood was near boiling. “That’s fucking awful! Abandoning a filly like that!”

“That’s the wasteland. Not that I’m trying to justify it.” he said.

“That’s not an excuse! Besides, it’s not a wasteland anymore!” I countered, smashing a glass with my hoof in anger. “What if she was just scared and confused?! There’s gotta be more to it than that!” He simply stared back in stunned silence. I saw the look in that filly’s eyes. They were also the eyes of a foal who had given up on hope.

“It’s a story best heard from Accolade, truth be told,” he told me. “Only she’s gonna know what really happened. Would tell ya if I knew, but I’d wager that filly’s got secrets she won’t tell nopony. I guess that’s what makes Jagged such a cunning bastard. He’s got ways of turning you on your own. A part of me wonders, if I hadn’t been too scared to pick up my gun again at the time and I faced Jagged myself, if all this coulda been avoided?”

“So that’s it then?” I asked. I wasn’t interested in offering any condolences to him in that regard. This whole affair made me sick to my stomach. Now his daughter was probably trying to right that old wrong herself, in her mind. “If I’m going up against Jagged Knife… any advice on how I beat him?” I asked.

“Getting nervous?” He asked amazed. “That doesn’t sound like you.”

“No, I’m just weighing my options.” I replied.

Gin thought for a moment, then offered some sound advice on gunslinging. “When wielding the gun between two trained shootists,” he advised, “there’s only one thing that matters: reaction time. When you get right down to it, there’s really little difference between unicorns and earth ponies. Unicorns got their magic o’course. Makes it much easier to grab a pistol from its holster, but a unicorn’s telekinesis is only as fast as their mind can internally process. So just draw first. That’s all.”

Since I didn’t do much quick drawing, that approach gave me little confidence. I wasn’t a fast shot like Hawkins. Maybe it gave me a few ideas though. With that weighing on my mind, I headed off to go meet with Lieutenant Ginger. “Thanks.” I said, turning away. “Oh yeah… fuck you, and fuck this town!” I refused to look back at the Wrangler as I went.

I was really starting to hate this town.

The news quickly spread throughout Dodge City’s streets like wildfire. Suddenly there were thugs roaming the back alleys. More specifically, ponies openly carrying in brazen defiance of the mayor. Gunshots were becoming a more frequent occurrence in the city. With even a few of those aimed at Dodge City Gang ponies, forcing the mayor to further bring down the hoof of the law which increased tensions further.

The old unicorn local said he was going to attempt to keep tempers from flaring too high, and warned us that if we were planning to get out of Dodge City, it’d best be soon. I had no intention of leaving yet.

“Bunch of damn cowards.” I muttered to myself as I marched, remaining a little on edge.

At the train station what limited staff were available were on high alert. Peregrine’s office had been barricaded, and the train station was piled with flimsy makeshift defenses. They nearly prevented me from passing before they realized who I was.

Lieutenant Ginger was barking out orders in Peregrine’s stead at soldiers and NCR contractors who were scrambling around her. “Make triply sure that Crane has that train secured to leave at a moment’s notice! Keep those tracks clear!”

One of them saluted. “Already done, ma’am!”

She shouted at them, “Then check it again!” Her face immediately lit up when she saw me. “Roulette! Oh, um…,” she cleared her throat regaining her composure. “Miss Roulette. Fine day we’re having?”

I wore an unamused scowl.

Ginger Gale urged me to speak with her behind the train station, apologizing for the urgency and unofficial nature of the circumstances. “Sorry, with the way things have been going it was too dangerous to meet you in the saloon.”

“Yeah, things are getting bad around here.” I admitted, looking over my shoulder, which was punctuated by another gunshot. It felt like the gangs were losing their grip on control.

“I needed to tell you, that I received important info. I recently heard from my contact within the Dodge City Gang. He told me that Jagged Knife is planning to use this unrest to his advantage, but I don’t know the full details. Jagged still won’t have enough firepower to take on the Dodge City gang, or the NCR if he somehow takes over the city.”

“I can’t begin to think of what he’s after...” I replied. Though I was surprised by at least one part of the news. Not the bit about Jagged Knife, but that she was still in contact with ponies who were close to him given the situation. “Is it anyone I’m familiar with? Can they help?” I asked her, but the griffon seemed intent on not giving up her source.

“I’m sorry.” she said, bowing her head in apology, at least being understanding of appearances.

My glare at the first lieutenant griffon sharpened. “I heard from the mayor directly that the NCR have been plotting to bring Dodge City into the Republic under the table. I’ve got a lot of questions I need answered. Now.”

Ginger appeared equally uneasy. “This is actually the first I’m hearing of it as well. That’s part of the reason why Peregrine went back to New Canterlot. Someone within the NCR might be complicit,” she replied.

“Complicit how?”

“Listen up, this is your mayor speaking!” a voice announced over the loudspeakers of the Ironclad Factory.

We both stopped and turned to look up at the factory as Rubi’s voice echoed over the city, causing other ponies around to stop what they were doing and look upwards at the factory.

“I’m hearing a mess of rumors going around, accusing me selling Dodge City out to the NCR? Now see here! That’s nothing but a pack of seditious lies being spread around by Jagged Knife and his band of ne’er-do-wells! Why I’ve never heard such slander before in my life! So I’m offering up ten thousand to the pony who kills him dead! Y’hear that Jagged?! Nopony messes with Rubi Royale!”

Seemed that the mayor got fed up with waiting and declared the bounty open season. Although overplaying her cards like this reeked of desperation.

“There’s not a lot of time, so ask me anything and I’ll do my best to answer. You have my word.”

“Go back to what you were saying before. You said someone from the NCR might be in on it?”

Worry crossed over the lieutenant’s face when I mentioned the general. “General Blackhawk… it all makes sense. I’ll have to tell the Colonel about this right away.”

“General who?” I asked in confusion.

“General Griswalt Blackhawk. He’s the griffon hero who took the rank of Star General in Sir Calamity’s place when he turned down Miss Grimfeathers’ offer.” she replied. “There might be a level of politics going on that I’m unaware of.”

“Oh. Well, I got more bad news for you…” I revealed. “Rubi said she’s planning to use her money to buy off workers in NCR factories. She’s gonna bring your economy to a grinding halt if you don’t do exactly as she says in negotiations.”

The lieutenant’s eyes widened. Probably already stressed to all hell and back with everything she was dealing with, and now this on top of it. She held remarkable discipline in barely showing it. “...Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I’ll relay that to the Colonel as well, but you may be forced to deal with it on your own.”

“Oh, sure! Just ask me to kill her, will you?! Why does everything have to be on me?! Am I nothing but a Luna-damned hitmare now?!”

The lieutenant nearly lost her composure for a second, hearing those words. “I wasn’t suggesting that… Sorry if you’re feeling under pressure Miss Roulette.”

I sighed, “I’m...sorry. I have to admit though, this wasn’t in the job description…”

“I have to apologize as well on the Colonel’s behalf, for letting you get caught up in this. He really should be here saying this to you personally.”

My eyes fell downwards. “It’s fine. I have my own reasons for getting involved..." I muttered.

“Thankfully, he and I are both behind you, and doing everything in our power to try and stop this. Admittedly, it might be hard for you to take at face value, but most of us really do care about what happens to the ponies living here.”

“It was easier when there was only one badguy to deal with and there weren’t a bunch of stupid politics involved...” I groaned. “Is there any way we can stop her that doesn’t involve… you know?” I made a mock gun motion and sound with my outstretched hoof.

“I’m not sure…” she admitted. “Dodge City lies outside the NCR’s jurisdiction, so it would undermine our standing with the rest of the wasteland and future plans greatly if we were caught assassinating major figures in rivaling settlements to achieve our own political ends.”

I hung my head in frustration. “Right…” I felt fire boiling in my gut, imagining Rubi being able to do something like this and get away with it. Even more so that there was seemingly nothing I could do to stop it. “Wait!” I blurted out as I remembered something important. What if I could do something to stop it? I looked straight at Ginger Gale with my hoof outstretched, and she blinked back in confusion. “Rubi openly discussed assassinating Colonel Peregrine while I was in the room! Couldn’t you arrest her for that?”

Her eyes widened in shock. “The mayor said that?!” She gasped.

“Yeah, I told Hawkins about it. Didn’t she pass that information along?”

She shook her head. “No. Gabriela didn’t give us anything...”

I cursed under my breath trying to imagine what that bitch was after. I thought we were all on the same team here.

“Between you and me, you should be careful around Gabriela,” she warned. “She’s taking orders from General Blackhawk on this mission.”

I cocked my head. “Who is this General dude and why is he so important, anyway?” I asked, feeling like I’d heard that name before.

“He was a respected Talon veteran from the Griffon-Enclave wars. One with lots of political clout.” Ginger warned. “I don’t know what exactly his involvement pertains, but I do know that someone back in New Canterlot was pigeonholing the reports we were sending about Jagged Knife. I found out about it this morning. This could be bigger than both of us, so you should be wary that her and your goals here might not exactly align.”

I felt a cold sweat, going down the back of my neck at the news. I nodded, promising to keep that detail in mind. “Fan-fucking-tastic”, I thought. Wasteland politics sucks ass. Yet another problem for me to throw on the trash fire. All this sounded way above my paygrade.

Then the lieutenant looked around both ways to make sure no one was listening. She spoke in a hushed tone. “It’s also none of my business, but I think you should know, Hawkins has a lot of unsubstantiated rumors surrounding her… well, there’s no easy way to say this.” She leaned in close and whispered. “It’s unconfirmed, but she might’ve broken contract.”

“Oh.” From the way she built that up, I thought it was going to be a lot worse. But it was a big deal to the NCR, because Talons were known for taking all of their contracts extremely serious. I remembered how she insisted on staying to help the NCR troopers over the night we spent in the spooky abandoned town, even though it was supposedly in spite of orders. So she couldn’t be all bad. Right? I wasn’t sure I was ready to buy that.

Ginger paused considering the proposal again, then frowned and shook her head. “Wait, no… It’s a nice idea, but like I said; Dodge City is technically outside of NCR jurisdiction.”

“Yeah, but what if you go along with it for now? If you agree to most of her demands, then you can just arrest her after she joins the NCR and undo any of those shitty provisions you want later.” I said.

At first she frowned, considering the idea, but the more she pondered on it, the more her face lit up. “In theory, if you testified before the NCR council... Wow that’s very astute of you, Miss Roulette! I never took you for a wasteland politico!”

I shrugged. “Eh, I have my moments.”

“This might actually work...!” She beamed. Then the starry-eyed lieutenant’s expression then sunk. “Wait, but that’d make you a target.” She realized.

“I’m pretty sure that I can handle whatever the mayor can throw at me.” I replied.

She nodded. “I’ll run it by the Colonel then. Focus on dealing with Jagged Knife for now. Do you have a way of getting close to him?”

“Yeah, I do. I’m about to meet with him soon.”

“Good” she said. “You should go handle that. If things get fubared from here, Rubi might end up asking the NCR to help put down rioting in the city. If that happens, there’ll be a lot of needless bloodshed. So for as long as I’m in Dodge, I’ll be able to help you, but with the situation here being what it is and law and order continuing to break down, I don’t know for how much longer.”

Hearing another gunshot echo prompted me to look over my shoulder.

“But if I do this for you, I need you to do one incredibly important favor for me before I go. Between the two of us? Please get into contact with Page Turner from the Followers of the Apocalypse. Tell him it’s from Roulette. Please?” I begged her.

Lieutenant Ginger Gale nodded, seeming to understand the gravity of what I was asking. “I’ll see what I can do.” she promised.

I saw the chubby grey earthpony waiting outside Brass Casing’s shop, wearing a big dumb grin and a new cowpony hat. Had he gone out and purchased that just to impress me? I scoffed.

“Howdy, Boss!” Deuce grinned, looking up in an eager attempt to get me to notice. “How do you like it?”

“It looks stupid.” I replied disinterestedly. To which Deuce immediately tossed it in the street and blasted it with his shotgun. He urged the other passerby’s to fire at it as well for good measure until there was barely a scrap left of it. Then he turned back to me, nodding with approval. My mouth hung open, staring down at the remaining tattered fabric. “I sure showed that hat what for! No ma’am, there’ll be no inferior headwear sitting on this head! Good call there, boss!”

I looked back up at him in disbelief. “Did you put in my order like I asked...?” I sighed.

“Yes, Ma’am!” he said moving to hold the door open for me. “Right this way!” The two guards who had given me a hard time the other day even stood at attention, practically afraid to look me in the eye. I followed him through.

Inside the heavily fortified gun store were highly attractive red carpets and oak wooden walls which were stocked with varying styles of battle saddles, rifles, revolvers and ammunition protected behind enchanted display cases. I jealously glanced at ‘Winona’ in the display case as the gun merchant tapped his hoof impatiently.

Brass Casing stood behind the service counter, and he was none too happy to see me. Remembering our dispute from the other day, he groaned. “Great, you’re not here to start trouble again are you?”

I rolled my eyes. “I was joking!” I repeated in exasperation.

“Hey, watch it Brass!” Deuce snapped, “This mare’s bout to take Jagged’s old job, so you’d better show some respect!”

The unicorn raised his brow doubtfully. “Oh really? I sure hope Miss Mayor knows what she’s doing then.”

“Duh, of course she does! That’s why she’s the mayor!”

“Is my battle saddle ready?” I asked him, and Brass went into the back muttered to himself. He came out lugging my battle saddle and set it onto the counter. It looked brand new with top-quality loading and ammo-switching mechanisms, with a quality machinegun hooked up to it. Then he began showing off each of the individual mechanisms in action, lecturing me on gun trivia before finally giving it over. “I think you’ll find everything is in working order. I couldn’t do a proper fitting since you refused to show up, but I took my best guess. Don’t blame me if it doesn’t fit.”

“Thanks, this is fine.” I acknowledged, trying it on. Though I frowned as I viewed the standard-looking machine gun at my side. “I want that one.” I said, pointing at Winona.

“What?!” he exclaimed. “You can’t have my Winona! It saw service by the hero Sergeant Big Macintosh during the Great War! My family’s spent countless hours polishing the wooden furniture and maintaining it down to the tiniest detail! It’s one of a kind! You can’t expect me to part with it!”

I smiled devilishly. “Gee, I wonder what Rubi would say about that?”

Deuce pounded on the counter. “You heard her! Or the mayor will hear about this!” He threatened.

Brass Casing sulked as he was forced to open the display case and affix the gun to my battle saddle. He looked like he was going to cry as he said goodbye to the gun and I carried it out of the shop with me. But all that really mattered was that I had this fancy new gun!

With an automatic rifle, and a few hundred rounds worth of ammunition I wouldn’t have to worry about Jagged’s stupid magic. I could just spray bullets at the fucker. That’s earth pony ingenuity for you! I even got a couple of grenades, for good measure. “Roulette, you’re a genius.” I thought, praising my clever brain.

As I stood outside the shop with my battle saddle shinied up and looking like a newborn foal, I suddenly paused dead in my tracks for a while. Noticing some orphans playing in the streets, I realized that I hadn’t seen other kids since I’d come to Dodge City. They were laughing, practically oblivious to all the shit going on around them.

“Think there’ll be trouble?” asked the lazy eyed guard, referring to ponies starting to gather outside of the Ironclad Factory, carrying whatever firearms they had with them. Some calling on the mayor for answers.

“Nah,” Deuce replied confidently, following me out of the gun store. “Miss Mayor’s got this.” Then he turned to me and said something else I wasn’t listening to. Probably something about Winona.

I stood by and watched the foals in a trance, remembering better days and reflecting on growing unrest in front of me.

Then one of the little colts suddenly bumped into me, and the rest scattered, galloping off. Deuce pointed to my empty leg holster.

“Whu- That little street rat’s got your gun! Don’t worry, I’ll get it for ya boss!” he cried, galloping after him like the wind.

Before I could stop him he had already turned down an alleyway after the small colt, completely unaware of me holding the pistol in my other hoof. I sighed aloud, looking back at the other two guards who were watching, and said in disbelief. “I grew up in the wastes. I wasn’t born yesterday.” They both nodded in approval, impressed by my sleight of hoof as I returned my brother’s gun to its rightful place. I wasn’t an expert, but I wouldn’t let some little kid get the best of me.

Looking at the motley collection of angry ponies gathering outside the factory, I could see that things were getting bad.

I remember hearing somewhere that Dodge City has always had a history of violence in the wasteland, but I always unsure where that rumor got started. Seeing it left an uneasy feeling in my gut. Hopefully, I could figure this all out before anyone got hurt.

When Deuce came back, he was carrying the small orphan colt by the tail. “Hey, Roulette!” he smiled stupidly. “I caught the lil brat who tried to steal your gun.”

I looked down at the little colt who was crying, begging for mercy. Fear filled his eyes.

“What you wanna do with him? Want me to string him up good?”

“Put him down!” I commanded, and Deuce immediately spat out his tail, allowing him to scurry to safety. The stallion seemingly unable to comprehend that he’d done something wrong, apologized in confusion. “Uh, sorry. I thought you’d be happier. Actually, I forgot to mention. I got a message for you, from Miss Caretaker.”

Sunny again. “Ugh, did she say what she wanted?” I groaned.

Deuce shook his head, revealing she hadn’t gone into much detail. “Nope. Just that she wanted to meet to discuss private matters pertaining to her role and your new position. I didn’t understand half of those words, but they sound pretty important.” I personally lamented how formal she was being here.

Admittedly, I even considered just blowing her off, before my conscience got the better of me. “Fine.” I thought. “I’ll try to reason with Sunny one last time. Even if she doesn’t want to be friends anymore… the least I can do is warn her about the mayor’s plans and wish her well from now on.”

I took my usual way into Cherry Hill Ranch, but this time with ponies averting their eyes with submissive glances like I was the one in charge. As soon as I got closer to Accolade’s room, I heard sobbing coming from behind the door of the painted playroom door and I could immediately sense something was wrong. I opened it and stepped inside to find Accolade, crying alone.

The apple green filly startled and looked up at me, only to relax when she realized who I was. “R-Roulette!” She cried, galloping up to me on her tiny legs. She hugged my foreleg and started sobbing into my breast.

“Accolade?” I gasped in confusion, putting my hoof on her head. “Is everything okay? Where’s Sunny?”

Accolade was too upset to get a word out, and my question just caused her to cry harder. She tried desperately to fend off tears, rubbing her eyes with her tiny hooves. “S-She tried t-to make me-...” she managed to force out. “She tried to make me-”

“Shh, it’s okay.” I said, attempting to comfort her. “Just tell me what happened.”

She managed to calm herself enough to finally speak properly. “S-Sunny tried to make me give her my password! She got mad and yelled!”

I gasped in astonishment. “What?”

“S-She broke her promise to me! She said she wouldn’t! Sunny knows how important it is to keep me safe! B-But she was real nervous after she stopped talking with you. She tried to make me give it over, and when I wouldn’t she got really mad and left me alone!”

My heart sunk. “Sunny…” I sighed in disappointment. “Sorry kid, that was kinda my fault. These sorts of things are complicated... she’s had her own share of troubles to deal with for a while, whether or not she’s willing to admit it. She didn’t mean it though, I promise. I’m sure she’s just scared. I’ll talk to her for you.”

As I stood up the small filly tugged on my jacket and shook her head. She was trembling. Accolade looked up at me with pleading eyes.

“Is this about Sunny?” I asked, and she shook her head again. I stayed silent for a moment. “Accolade? Is everything okay?”

She paused for a moment, unsure whether or not to speak, then ushered me in close. Accolade paused again, then whispered something into my ear, and my eyes widened. That changed things. That changed a lot of things...

Accolade looked up at me again, this time begging for help.

I felt my internal temperature spike up as my blood skipped past simmering and went straight to boiling. Thinking of everything she’d been through just made me forget about everything else in the moment. More than anything, it hit me in a place I didn’t want to think about. “I’m gonna kill Jagged Knife.” I thought.

“Please don’t go. I’m scared...”

“It’s okay, kid.” I told her, laying my hoof on her head. “Your big sis is gonna fix everything.”

Accolade cried into me and wiped her snout on my sleeve, making a wet patch. I stayed for a minute and took the small filly in my arms, and I could see the scars hidden behind the braid on the back of her neck as she did. All of this and she didn’t even have her cutie mark yet. I sneered in disgust imagining how she got those scars.

When I first met her she looked like she had death in her eyes. Now I finally understood why. Accolade didn’t need to worry about holding it in any longer though.

After she stopped crying, I set her down again. “Hey Accolade, I need you to do something super-duper important for me. Okay?” I asked her, and she tilted her head. “For now I need you to hang tight, and wait for me to come back for you.”

She didn’t know how to respond so she just nodded.

“You’re really strong, you know that kid? Stronger than me when I was your age.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the star bottle cap. “Take this,” I said, putting it in her little hoof. “Do you know the story about star bottlecaps?” I asked. “Keep it and you can wish for anything. I hear it works better for fillies than full grown mares.”

She nodded in confusion as I brushed her mane from her eyes.

“I’ll be back for you,” I said. “And, uh… try to use your wish on something good, alright? Heh.”

She was looking down silently, staring at the bottlecap as I turned away but she stopped me.

“W-Wait!” she cried. Her head hung down nervously. “I-I don’t know if it’ll help, but… I want you to have the old overmare’s password,” she said. “My mommy always said it was for emergencies, but maybe you can use it. It’s-” I leaned close to her and she whispered the password into my ear. ‘Chimmy_cherrychanga’. Hell if I knew what that was.

“What’s it for?” I asked.

She shook her head again. “I dunno... Miss Rubi always said it was used to open that door. So she could see the ministry secrets that way. My mommy gave it to me for safety before she… s-she-” Accolade began to choke on her own tears and I shushed her. I wouldn’t make her relive it again.

I gave her a hug and ruffled her mane, telling her that everything would be alright. “Thanks, I’ll try and put it to good use. Be back for you as soon as I can.” I told her, giving her one last smile before shutting the door. “That’s a promise.”

Sunny Hymn was standing outside in the hallway, looking like a mess with a look of guilt plastered all over her face. I immediately frowned at the mare who should've known better. “Rou, uh…. Can we talk?” she asked.

My brow furrowed at her in anger.

She averted her eyes, clearly aware of the deep load of brahmin shit she was in. “I thought I could get through it on my own... but I couldn’t hack the security system. There was another layer of security on top of it! It’s some kind of fancy triple-locked ministry tier door with backup systems for its backup systems! Hey, I’m thankful she at least disabled the turrets at least...heh.”

I wasn’t in a jokey mood. “I heard about what you did to Accolade. Tried to do, rather.”

The mare spoke through frantic breaths, checking over her shoulder constantly. “Yeah. I know. I fucked up bigtime, Rou… You were totally right! I panicked, thinking about everything you said. I’m screwed if the mayor finds out about this!”

I sighed out loud. “Sunny…”

“You said we should get out of here and go to Las Pegasus, right? Forget all of this! Let’s go together. Just you and me, like you wanted. Please, Rou? I want to get to know you. The real you. We’ll be able to get to know each other for real this time! No more lies!” She spread her wings excitedly, though tilted her head in confusion when I didn’t light up. “That was what you wanted… wasn’t it?”

Admittedly even now it did sound appealing to me, but it was too late for that. “Sorry, but there’s something I have to do now. Accolade told me everything. I have to pay back Jagged Knife for what he did to her.”

She turned her head away in shame, realizing she was still doing it. “I’m sorry… that was wrong of me. I noticed she was afraid of him, but I thought it was only because he was a creep. I saw her scars... I didn’t know what to do. She wouldn’t tell me about them when I asked. What did he do to her…?”

I shrugged, taking my best guess. “The scars? No idea. Maybe he was trying to groom her into being a raider or something? She lost everything and then the town turned on her. She’s been living with these sick fucks for months after what happened to her mother. What he forced her to do... It doesn’t matter the reason. That fucker’s gonna pay.”

Sunny put her hoof to her mouth and held her breath, quivering. “I broke my promise to her… I feel so ashamed.”

“I have the overmare’s password now too.” I revealed, but then she just averted her eyes again, too ashamed to even look me in the eye. “Call it a hunch, but I don’t think that it’s for that R&D lab, after all.” I admitted.

She looked back up at me slowly. “It’s not...? But if isn’t for the R&D lab then what’s it for?”

“Honestly, I couldn’t say… but you have to get to it before the mayor does.”

Rubi may have simply assumed that the password had to be for the R&D facility. That was the only explanation. Part of me suspected that Jagged Knife may already have known what was down there all along. That was the most concerning part.

“M-Me?!” She asked in disbelief. “Why?”

“I heard it straight from the mayor. Some General wanted whatever’s down there. She’s also planning to sell you out to the NCR. You were right... They’re involved in this after all.”

The mare’s pupils constrained in fear. She went breathless, quivering and barely able to speak, but I kept talking to keep her focused on my voice.

“Sunny, focus. Right now she’s distracted, but pretty soon the mayor is planning to come down here with mining equipment and cut the door open herself. I don’t know what the hell she wants or whatever’s down there, but if most of the other shit I’ve found in Dodge are any indication, it ain’t good.”

“Well... what are we going to do?”

“How close were you to cracking it the first time? ” I demanded. “Sunny, you still have that stealthbuck, right?”

“Whu-? There’s no way I can hack it on my own…! I mean, maybe with the right tools. If I had an automatic lockpick, perhaps.”

“Do you know where to get one?”

She paused, thinking for a short moment, “I-I think so…?” She nodded, anxiously ruffling her wings. “If I, uh… disabled enough of the security so I don’t trip the alarm? Yeah. That’d be easier than hacking the whole system. I think I could brute force the door without anypony noticing…” Sunny gave me a longing look as if she was biting back words. “Wait. Give me a moment. This is all coming so fast...”

We didn’t have the time, unfortunately. “Sorry, but this is important. Whatever’s down there, you need to make sure you get to it first. I’m going to settle things once and for all with Jagged Knife. I’ll be back later tonight, and we’ll all leave tomorrow morning. It’ll be all Sunshine and Rainbows. But if anything happens, I need you to take Accolade and run at the first sign of trouble. Take the next train back to Junction Town. I’ve made arrangements with the Followers for you. Remember Page Turner? You’ll be safe with him, I promise.”

Sunny stopped and shook her head, slowly. “Why are you doing this for me…?” she asked in disbelief. “After everything I said. After I lied to you. With the way I treated you.”

“Cus that’s what friends do, dummy.” I replied, cracking a tiny smile.

Sunny paused, swallowing back words. “Rou… did my daddy really call you a wingless freak?” she asked.

I frowned and nodded slowly, feeling the biting pain in my chest.

She choked, and tears began to well up in her eyes. “No… How could I have been so stupid...? Celestia, I’m so, so sorry Rou…!” Putting her hoof on my shoulder as she attempted to keep from crying more than me, but in the tears that came out I could see the Sunny Hymn I knew. The real Sunny. “H-How could he?! I mean, I can’t believe he said that to you…!” She sobbed. “Or that I didn’t listen to you sooner…! Stars above, I’m such an idiot! I feel like such a terrible friend!”

“I’m sorry too. You were also fighting hard and I didn’t see it...” I said. “We’re both pretty terrible at this whole friendship thing.”

The mare snorted, and managed a small laugh. Wiping away her tears, worry remained in her eyes as she looked up at me. “Yeah, but… will you be alright?” she begged.

I smirked and flexed my foreleg. “Yeah, I got healing powers, apparently. So I’m pretty much a force of nature.”

The mare nodded, brimming with new barely summoned false confidence. “A-Alright... I’ll have that sucker open in less than twenty-four hours! That security system’ll be singing like a canary in no time! Be careful though, please? Promise you’ll come back?”

“I will,” I promised with a smile. “Stick a cupcake in my eye.” We both hugged, and I felt her soft coat brushing up against mine. I wished I could savor this moment.

Sunny and I both turned our heads and quickly stood apart as we heard a familiar voice coming down the hallway. It was Deuce again. His special talent seemed to be bad timing and his inability to read the room. Or hallway, technically. I groaned in annoyance.

“Howdy, Boss!” Deuce greeted me eagerly. “I did everything you asked me to! Did you find out what Miss Caretaker needed?”

I had to come up with a fast excuse. “Oh, uh, Accolade was just nervous about Jagged Knife coming to get her. So I assured Miss Sunny Hymn that everything was perfectly safe.” Sunny nodded quickly in agreement, following ahead with the routine nicely.

Deuce smiled, grinning stupidly while eyeing her up and down. “Don’t you worry, I’ll make sure you stay safe from that no good Jagged Knife personally, ma’am.” he assured, making clumsy attempts at flirting with her. Sunny really didn’t seem to appreciate it, smiling awkwardly. He probably didn’t realize that her barn door didn’t swing that way. I rolled my eyes and groaned in annoyance.

“Heck, it’s just so doggone hot out here sometimes, y’know? I don’t know how ponies stand it so easy?” He complained, adjusting his armor and wiping the sweat from his brow.

Then I held my breath. For just a moment, he revealed a tattoo of Jagged Knife’s mark underneath his shirt. Sunny saw it too and she looked back at me, the color draining from her face.

He looked back at me confused “Sorry, you say something Boss?” he asked. “I didn’t quite catch that.”

“Uh, I was just saying, you done good, Deuce. Keep up the good work.” I said, catching myself. Then I turned to my friend and told her slowly. “I have to go now Sunny. And I don’t know that I’ll be coming back. I can’t keep wasting my time protecting you. You understand what I mean, right?” I asked her. The mare nodded subtly in response.

Sunny was a smart girl. She more than got the message. “I understand. This is goodbye then, Roulette.” She replied, mock-turning her nose up at me to really sell it. Then she subtly mouthed the words “good luck” to me.

Deuce tried to comfort me as I looked back at Cherry Hill Ranch. “Sorry, Roulette. I heard from Sting you two used to be friends? Sometimes friendships just don’t work out like that.”

My face contorted at the mere mention of his name. “That asshole should stay out of my damn business,” I thought to myself. “It’s whatever.” I lied aloud.

I told Deuce that I had something else to take care of and get away, although I had a feeling like he knew exactly where I was going. As I left the ranch I began noticing more ponies hiding Jagged Knife’s symbol under their clothes. Especially the ones with scars on the left side of their faces. I couldn’t believe it had taken me this long to notice.

How many? Less than half? A third? Not nearly enough to take on the whole of the Dodge City Gang. Not b