=Fracture 5=

>Dust crunches underneath your boots as you walk through the desert.
>Walking had been your preferred mode of travel as of late, it was difficult to get passage on trains when you were the only human around and with your record.
>Fortunately, Appleoosa was the right combination of a town in the middle of nowhere and hospitable enough that it let you treat it as a hub to the rest of the Mild West.
>Among other factors.
>As you cross the town border, you take in your surroundings.
>The smell of hey and dirt.
>The low din of the townsfolk going about their day.
>Creaking wood as carriages rolled past you towards the edge of town. 
>The buildings were taller than most, but not too high.
>+Ponies cannot jump that high, should the need to escape become apparent, the rooftops are safe.+
>:What about pegusi?:
>+Move fast to avoid a tail.+
>You weaved your way through the townsfolk as you thought.
>Now where was that shop...
>+"Strong Defense". East end of town. Across from the open air market.+
>You grimace.
>Sometimes you annoyed yourself.
>More wagons rode down the street towards the edge of town, the same direction as the first.
>+What are they all meeting for...?+
>:You're sure it's a meeting?:
>+It is the most likely scenario.+
>*Keep moving, these sheep are looking.*
>You stare around at the ponies walking through the street. Sure enough, a lot were staring at the bipedal ape man dressed in leather armor who seemed to be having three different conversations to himself.
>You're sure you snarl at them as you walk further down the road, a storefront with a shield and a sword on the sign out front.

>You step up to the counter and drop your bag of bits onto it.
>The clerk behind it stares at both you and the bag for a good few seconds each before meeting your gaze with wide eyes.
>"No questions asked, got it." he says.
>You smirk, at least there were some people who knew the proper way to conduct trade.
>You walk along the rack of weapons and mull the choices over.
>Hmmm...
>*Get me something that I can rend and tear with.*
>:Ooooohh~. Throwing darts~.:
>+We DO need more ranged offensive weaponry.+
>You listen to all of your advice as you pick and choose.
>*A pair of tomahawks.*
>+Bandoliers and throwing knives.+
>:Flash bombs!:
>And a few smoke bombs for getaways.
>The clerk eyes you as you pick out what you wanted.
>"Jeeze pal, you planning to take on the army with this stuff?"
>:Didn't he say no questions?:
>*Should reach over there an-*
"Just some work." you say.
>Have to keep a lid on it...
>"One o' them mercenaries, eh?"
"You...could say that."
>:REACH OVER THERE AND GUT HIM!:
>You rub a finger on your temple.
>Justaclerkjustaclerknotlikethelastone.
>"Uh...you okay there, buddy?"
"Y-yeah, just the heat getting to me..."
>The clerk rings up your purchase and slides the bits into the register.
>"If the heat's gettin' to ya, head on over to the local watering hole. That'll bring you right back up..."
>You quiet the angry tornado in your head and walk out with your things.
"Yeah, might check that out..."
>You had a friend there anyway.

-Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdjgLFcpFw4-
>You push through the doors of the bar and let out a contented sigh.
>This place was nice...even Red liked it.
>You walk around or past all the other ponies in the bar as they drank, played cards and revel.
>You pound twice on the bar.
"Pohito."
>The bartender makes a slightly odd face as he trots away.
>A golden stallion next to you chuckles once. "Only one guy I know round these parts who drinks Pohitios."
>You turn to face him.
"I like the minty taste."
>He tilts up his hat. "And here I thought apples were your thing."
>You roll your eyes and sip your totally not-stereotypical drink.
"Hello, Braeburn."
>Braeburn tosses off his hat and throws back his own drink. "So why'd you blow into town this time, Anon?"
"Can't I just stop by when I'm in the neighborhood?"
>"When ya got those this time?" he asks pointing towards your head.
>You wince and run a finger over the scars leading up to your hairline.
"Cougar got me in the hills..."
>Braeburn shakes his head. "Why ya gotta go and be so reckless, ya big idiot?"
>:It's cute that he worries:
>+He should understand that we're fine+
>:Aw, he's just worried about his squeeze:
>*We are not his "squeeze"*
>*He is ours*
>You feign another pass at your scars as the fire in your veins lights.
>Braeburn seems to not be taking it.
>"You alright, pard?"
>You try to stem the tide of Red.
"Yeah...yeah, I'm fine...you wanna get outta here?"
>Braeburn gets his own red going on his face.
>You find your hand going to the back of his neck on its own.
>"C-c'mon, Anon...everyone's lookin'..."
>You let your vision grow redder as you lean into his ear.
"What do I care~?"
>Braeburn shudders and slams his hoof on the table.
>"Tab!"

>The sun rise over the horizon of the Appleoosan desert.
>You lift your hand to shield your eyes from the harsh rays of the star from your face as you eat your eggs.
>:At least Brae fixed his chair:
>We spend enough time here, he ought to have...
>Speaking of the devil, the golden stallion trots out of the room behind you with a appeased smile on his face.
>"Ah tell ya, pard. You n' yours are one of two things that can tucker me out like this."
>You sip your coffee. [spoiler][/spoiler]"The other being?"
>"Tryin' ta out-buck cousin AJ."
>You smirk.
"Comparing me to a tree-kicker? Now I'm all mad."
>"And we can't have that none, can we?"
>Braeburn hops up to a chair across the table from you.
>"Can't end up like them dragons, huh?"
>Your mind goes blood red and you grip the edges of your hair at mention of the dragons.
"DON'T. TALK. ABOUT. THEM."
>Braeburn winces at your outburst and shies away a bit.
>"N-now...calm down...no need to be gettin' all ornery..."
>Your fingers dig into the table as you glare daggers at the golden pony across from you.
>*HE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOU-*
>You take a deep breath and calm the raging inferno in you enough to regain yourself.
"Brae...you know you can't talk about that..."
>He shuffles in his seat a bit. "Sorry, Anon...know ya have got some bad memories there..."
>You remember back to that time...all the blood and anger and heat...the foremost thing that comes to your mind is holding a young dragon down as you tore out his throat with your hand.
"Some good ones too..." 
>Braeburn starts to poke at his own eggs with his fork.
>"Still don't understand all that stuff with your head..."
>You sigh.
"Let me explain it..."

-Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiEJOzAVAXc-
>You put your fork down and run your hands through your hair.
>You do you explain this? It was always the hardest part...
"Brae...you know how you have that voice in your head? The one who tells you to do things?"
>Braeburn nods his head.
"Well...I have three."
>His eyes widen as he gulps down his food.
>"Three...? Do they all say the same stuff?"
>You slowly shake your head.
"They all sound different and say different stuff...it's like-"
>You  grab you knife and fiddle with it.
"It's like they're all three different people, but me too, you know?"
>Braeburn sits across from you in rapt attention.
"I've started calling them things...you know, when I talk to them."
"There's Blue, I think he's all my time in the guard or my logical thinking, or whatever. He's smart and gotten me out of a lot of problems, but he's a bit of a pill."
>:HA!: 
>+Hmph+
"Green" as I call him seems to be some sort of reaction to what happened...with the dragons and Mac..."
:Or those four months we spent alone in that cave!:
>"An what's he like?" Brae asks.
"He's..."
>Green proceeds to mark farty noises in your minds ear.
"Unique."

>Braeburn sets down his fork. "And...the last one?"
>You sigh again as the bloody tint edges its way back into your brain.
"R-red...he was the first...all that anger at what happened that's still getting out in whatever way it can..."
>"...Like?"
"Violence, sex, destruction, you..."
>Braeburn is taken aback at that. "Me...? S'that what this is? Just a way to appease the devil in your head?"
>You sigh and lean back.
"I don't know, Brae...I'm not thinking that far ahead..."
>Braeburn is silent for a bit, uncomfortably so.
>*Weak*
>You sigh. [spoiler][/spoiler] "I'll just go..."
>You climb out of your chair and gather your shirt and your things. He can't handle all this? Fine, his problem.
>As you grab your things, you blow past the quaking cowboy and walk out the door.

>You walk West away from the sun towards the edge of town, eager to get away from the accusatory words Braeburn or anyone else had for you.
>You were how you were, anyone who couldn't handle that would just have to...leave.
>Not like you could.
>You reach the edge of town and spot a circle of wagons with about a dozen ponies clustered in the center.
>As you pass by, you hear some of what they're talking about.
>"Heading north-"
>"-big haul-"
>"-big risk-"
>"-more bits than you can imagine-"
>You stood still next to the wagon circle as you heard them out.
>*Sounds like a good opportunity for violence.*
>You turn towards the wagon circle draw closer.
>Need to do SOMETHING, gotta get away.
>A pony hops up on a box and flares his wings
>"Alright! Y'all know the job and what the reward is, now who here wants a piece of that action?"
"I do." you boom.
>The ponies all turn to look back at the stranger who barged into their circle.
>"Now who in the hay are you!?" one shouts.
"Nobody important, but I want in."
>The lead speaker cocks an eyebrow. "You know what this job entails, Stranger?"
"Doesn't matter."
>You and he stare each other down for a few moments.
>"...Alright, that's one. Who else?"
>Several of the other ponies follow your example and raise their hooves.
>*Good...more meat.*
>:This job'll be fun!:	
>+We'll need some things, first.+