Boom! chichak. Boom! chichak. Two of the assailants who had attempted to waylay Tempest Shadow slowly collapsed to the ground. Their drawn weapons tumbling from their now lifeless hands.


The unicorn looked at third member stood there frozen in place. His weapon still in his holster as his now dead comrades who'd been standing on either side of him slowly made ever growing pools of blood from the holes in their skulls. He was an earth pony probably 16 years old at most. Not even truly a stallion.


The mare had one of her revolvers leveled at his head. Still peering through her revolvers sight's Tempest spoke.


"We don't get to chose when we're born, and often we have no say when we die. Today you have a choice. Is this the day you chose to live or die?"


Now visibly trembling the young stallion's hand slowly left the grip of the pistol on his right hip. Palms out he raised both his arms to chest height. He swallowed several times before finally speak in a small voice.


"I, I, I, chose not to die. Ma'am."


Carefully Tempest decocked her revolver and raised its muzzle. Black powder smoke wafted from the muzzle of it. The mare's sheer presence kept the young stallion rooted in his place. For what seemed like an eternity Tempest stared at him. Finally she addressed him.


"You may have just made the most important decision of your life. Okay here's what's going to happen. You're going to turn around and walk away. I can see it in your eyes. You're not cut out for this lifestyle. Don't take that as insult. It's just as a truth. Walk away from this path you're on, and chose a better path." The deep maroon mare casually waved her gloved right hand. "Now on your way." She looked down at the bodies. "I'll clean up this mess."


"T,t,thank you ma'am." With a distant look in his eyes he slowly turned around and walked off on shaky hooves into the rapidly darkening dirt road. Tempest sighed and holstered her pistol.


One of the drawings I started during my recent Old West themed Picarto stream. I could imagine a redeemed Tempest Shadow being a gunslinger in an Old West setting, and this is the story that popped into my head as I working on the piece.



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