The town of Black Rock is situated on a flat stretch of hot, dusty land just beyond the Black Rock Ranges. A near-empty place with only the ranges to break up the monotony of there being little else other than flat land and cloudless blue sky for as far as the eye can see.

At first glance, it is just like any other town in the area. The weathered wooden buildings creak at the slightest movement. The water tower shimmers in the heat. Horses trot to and fro along the main stretch through the town.

But there was one such horse-and-rider that always elicited excitement and curiosity whenever they made an appearance.

The horse, a giant speckled specimen named Josephine, would canter into town just as the bell struck noon. Josephine, knowing exactly what to do, (having done it many times before) would park herself outside the saloon.

Then her rider would hop off, worn black leather boots thumping on the wood as she made her way across the porch and through the squeaky set of doors.

Everyone inside would idly glance up at the sound, only to stop and freeze when they realised who it was.

She was immediately recognizable. No one else wore black clothing edged with turquoise, no one else wore a skirt like the one she wore. No one else had hair like hers. No one else in town carried two guns with her at all times.

Indeed, she was the one and only Black Rock Shooter.

Miku Hatsune was her name, and although her past was as murky as her motivations, there was little doubt that she considered Black Rock her home. Besides being named after the place, she moved about the town with a sort of wistful, dreamlike demeanour, as if recalling a certain fondness about the water tower, the well-kept church, the uneven rows of houses.

Despite her semi-frequent appearances, there is no record of her having ever lived in the town, or any of the surrounding towns, for that matter. (It should also be noted that she never visited other towns as much as Black Rock.) It can be inferred from this that she was nomadic, shifting from one location to another when it suited her. There is also no record that she ever married or had any children. She was, for all intents and purposes, a loner, a ghost, a wandering soul.

This doesn't mean she didn't make one hell of an impression on the townspeople, however.

Yuki Kaai is a life-long resident of Black Rock, and is determined to breathe her last within the same walls she breathed her first. She is full of old stories starring the Black Rock Shooter, and, now in her twilight years, she spends hours entertaining the town children with these tales.

Although Miku Hatsune has been dead for nearly seventy years now, her adventures are still just as daring and delightful as when they actually took place. She has become something of a martyr for the town, the citizens looking up to her and secretly wishing that they too could be as stoic and coolheaded as she was.

Miku had many misadventures over the course of her surprisingly short life, but the two most well-known are often summed up as "the kidnapping story" and "the rich people story." These tales never cease to delight the youngsters, or the adults, for that matter.

Even if a few details have been lost to time, they still get the point across: Miku was awesome, and she was also someone you didn't want to mess with.

THE KIDNAPPING STORY

The Ronin, The Archer and The Kidnapped Child

Some cowboys and rogue citizens have a policy of "shoot first, ask questions later." Others have a policy of "ask questions first, shoot later."

Miku shot whenever she felt the situation depended on it, even if it meant not being able to ask questions afterward. She was quick with her weapons, but not so trigger-happy that she'd escalate the situation by shooting too soon.

It was this self-restraint that led to Black Rock's sheriff coming to her for help with a case of kidnapping.

Miku rode through town, intent on going to the saloon for a nice refreshing drink, when she was waved over by the sheriff. When she reached him, she slowed Josephine to a stop but did not disembark, instead looking silently down upon the sheriff, her stoic face shaded by her wide-brimmed hat.

The sheriff was quick to explain. "I'm so sorry to disturb you, miss, but there's a situation we could use your help with."

Miku nodded for him to continue, still silent.

"It's the candy-maker's daughter. She's just been kidnapped. The ronin from Silver Lake is responsible. Someone saw him take the girl and flee the town, and we were just getting ready to go out after him." The sheriff stopped briefly to wipe some sweat from his brow, then continued.

"But I would appreciate it if you came along, and there is a cash reward for whoever apprehended them, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to-" he was cut off by Josephine neighing as Miku took off through the town once more, not even bothering to wait for the sheriff and the rest of the law enforcement.

She burst out into the desert at a great speed, a look of grim determination on her face.

Her drink could wait, for now. She had to go stop that ronin.

Gakupo Kamui was another legendary figure in the area surrounding the ranges, well known for his skills with a sword. He was easily the best sword-fighter around for miles. He was so quick and fast, any onlookers could only see a blur of white, silver and purple. This led to people giving him the all-too-predictable nickname "The Blur."

He had been residing in the town of Silver Lake ever since the untimely death of his master in considerably suspicious circumstances. Gakupo lived in a very small wooden hut on the outskirts of the town and made a rather disgraceful living by robbing travelers.

Samurai and ronin are people with morals and codes of honor. Rules. Policies. One major one being to not stoop to the level of criminals.

Gakupo was an avid follower of those policies once. But he had fallen on hard times and, unable to find a job, had resorted to theft. It was purely to survive, he told himself. He needed the money.

The only reason he hadn't been apprehended was because he moved so quickly that the victims could not properly identify the thief. All they saw was a blur.

Soon though, it became apparent that he could not survive on petty theft alone. He needed more.

That was why he chose to kidnap a child and hold them for a random.

Why he chose to specifically target the hapless daughter of Black Rock's candy-maker was unbeknownst to all but himself - perhaps it was a decision solely driven by desperation - but it was a decision that ended up costing him his life.

He had brought the wrath of the Black Rock Shooter down on himself.

Before we move on to the action, there is one more important player in this story whom we cannot neglect to mention.

Her name was Zunko Tohoko and she was an expert archer. She was from a city hundreds of miles away, bustling with noise, smog and crime. The dog-eat-dog attitude which plagued the streets on which she lived had hardened her into a worrisome person who had a policy of "shoot them before they shoot you," which had gotten her into trouble in the past.

She was someone who craved adventure. It was for that reason that she had decided to leave her city and explore someplace new. Even if the place she ended up in had very little to offer. But she thought the Black Rock Ranges seemed interesting enough.

She was in the middle of the plains when she heard the flurried thumping of horse's hooves on the dry earth. Sitting astride her own horse, she cantered over to meet them and see what all the fuss was about.

The lead horse slowed down. The rider, a young woman no older than Zunko herself and wearing a black wide-brimmed hat edged with turquoise, squinted at her. Zunko opened her mouth to inquire but the rider cut her off.

"Did a man with purple hair and a sword pass through here?"

Zunko shook her head no.

"Then don't waste my time by talking to me." The rider flicked the reins and the horse took off again.

Zunko sat scratching her head, wondering what all that was about, when several other horsemen rushed past her, trying to keep pace with the rider. One slowed down as if to talk to her. He was wearing the gold pin that identified him as a sheriff.

"Excuse me miss, but did you happen to see a young man with purple hair and a sword?"

Zunko replied that she hadn't, and asked why they were looking for such a man.

"He's kidnapped a child. We are trying to apprehend him before he hurts her."

Zunko shifted the bow and sheath of arrows on her back. "May I come along? My archery skills may be of some use."

The sheriff nodded gratefully. "Yes please. We need all the help we can get." He took off again, trying to catch up to the others.

Zunko grinned as she followed suit, glad that she was getting some adventure in her life.

Miku had a hunch that Gakupo would return to his house in Silver Lake and, as she approached the outskirts and saw his horse tied to a post outside, knew that she was right.

She jumped off her horse and expertly rolled several times before coming to rest on one knee, guns already in hand. Gakupo's hut was ahead of her, a small wooden thing with a tin roof. A child's cries could be heard from within.

Miku knew she had to be careful. A child's life was at stake here; Gakupo might act rashly and end up killing someone if he felt threatened.

When she heard the others approach, she held up her hand to signal to stay quiet. They came up alongside her, drawing their guns and dismounting their horses.

After the crunches from their footsteps faded away, the only sounds that could be heard was the wind whistling past them, and the girl's muffled sobbing. The nearby church, with its imposing bell tower, cast long shadows on the ground in front of them. There was no one else around except for the criminal, the victim and the law enforcement.

"Gakupo!" The sheriff called into the eerie near-silence. "We have you surrounded! Come out with your hands up!"

There was an uncomfortably long absence of movement.

Then came several light, creaking footsteps, accompanied by a loud shuffling.

The door slowly opened outwards, squeaking loudly.

Standing in the doorway was Gakupo, with a disheveled face, messy hair and dusty clothes. Tightly pressed against him with one hand and quaking in fear was the candy-maker's daughter. In his other hand was his sword, held threateningly close to her neck.

Gakupo blinked when the light hit his face, gazing out at the Black Rock Shooter and her entourage. He steeled himself and re-organized his face into a snarl.

The sheriff, upon seeing him, aimed his gun at him. "Let her go, and we won't hurt you."

Gakupo shook his head. "No! I need money!" He paused for a moment. "Two thousand dollars!"

"We don't have that kind of money," the sheriff replied carefully. "Please just let the girl go. We don't want any trouble."

"Give me the money first."

"I told you. We don't have that kind of money. Now please, just-" He was suddenly cut off by Miku waving her hand to silence him. She stepped forward cautiously, watching the way Gakupo recoiled at her movement, like he was afraid of what she'd do next.

"We're not going to hurt you," she said smoothly. "We just want the girl."

"I'm not handing her over until I get the money!" Gakupo shouted, fire burning in his eyes. "Just give me the goddamn money!"

"We don't have the money right now," Miku explained, keeping her eyes on the sword, "but we can get it for you. But first, you have to give us the girl. And you have to be guarded by someone to make sure you don't get up to anymore dirty tricks."

Gakupo's eyes narrowed. "And what if I don't comply?"

"Then you don't get the money. And we'll probably shoot you." To make her point, Miku pointed both guns in Gakupo's direction.

Gakupo seemed to consider this for a moment. "So, if I let the girl go and let someone guard me, you'll give me the money?"

"Yes."

"All of it?"

"Yes."

"...This isn't a trick, is it?"

"No. I mean it. Just do what we say, and you'll be rich. In fact, why don't I throw in a little extra? How does three thousand sound?"

Gakupo's mouth was practically watering at the thought of how much food three thousand dollars could buy. How many new clothes. A new blanket, to replace his old, threadbare one. Three thousand dollars was a small fortune in those days. He'd be rich!

Miku, of course, had no intention of giving him the money. Her plan was to get the girl to safety, then go back and have Gakupo arrested. So far, it was working out perfectly. Even the sheriff and the others had caught on to it, and were readily agreeing to the deal.

Gakupo's grip on the sword relaxed. He nodded to the others. He was agreeing to the deal with dollar signs in his eyes.

He was about to release the sword - and the girl - entirely, when something stuck him in the arm.

He let out a roar of pain. His hand jolted and the sword sliced the girl's arm. His head darted from left to right, trying to work out where the attack had come from.

But more importantly, he had finally realised that he had been tricked! He was never going to get the money! He was a fool!

He shoved the girl to the ground. She was of no use anymore, now that his plan was foiled.

He gripped his beloved sword with both hands and steeled his nerves, turning to face the group who were all pointing guns at him. He would have to fight his way out of this.

This was one of the very few policies from his master that he still observed: never give up without a fight.

Another of his master's policies, one which he ignored, was, ironically enough: know when a situation is out of your hands.

As he charged towards Miku, ready to live up to his nickname The Blur, Miku fired two shots, one from each of her guns.

One hit Gakupo in the chest.

The other was aimed at the top of the bell tower. It skimmed past Zunko's arm and struck the bell with a loud noise that caught the attention of everybody there.

After the flurry of chaos that immediately followed died down, everyone else that wasn't Miku learned that Zunko had, in fact, snuck away from the main group and gone up to the top of the bell tower in order to get a vantage point over everyone. As she watched the scene unfold from a distance, she had the disadvantage of not being able to properly hear what was being said. As such, she jumped to conclusions and, reverting back to her policy of "shoot them before they shoot you," had strung up an arrow and let it fly into Gakupo's arm.

Miku was displeased at her for escalating the situation like that. She decided that Zunko should be taught a lesson in self-restraint.

So when she aimed one gun at Gakupo, keeping her eyes on him, she aimed the other at the bell tower, without even looking at it!

She never intended to actually kill her, but it was Zunko's own reflexes that saved her from a more serious injury.

The group's return to Black Rock was victorious. For the past few hours, the town had been anxious, waiting to hear if the girl was okay. Now, there were cheers on the streets as the girl rushed into her parents' arms and they all held each other tightly.

The girl was checked over by the doctor soon after that. Luckily, her wound wasn't that deep, and it would heal in a couple of weeks. After it was cleaned and dressed, she was free to go.

Zunko was similarly treated as again, her cut wasn't serious. Her pride was wounded though; having acted too quickly and gotten injured because of it. She received a small fraction of the reward money and left town immediately after, having learned her lesson about shooting too quickly.

Miku received the rest of the reward money, as well as a large bag of assorted caramels and hard candies as a gift of thanks from the candy-maker. She accepted it with gratitude, though she must have dismissed the notion of eating them all by herself, because a little while later she shared some of them with a group of children.

One of the children, a small five-year-old girl with a red dress and her hair tied into pigtails, held out her hands. Miku dropped several caramels into them. Once she was finished sharing, she politely bid the children farewell and left.

The small girl, Yuki Kaai, said that they were the sweetest, most delicious caramels she'd ever tasted.

THE RICH PEOPLE STORY

A New Horse, A Dear Friend and A Third Gun

Most women wouldn't even dream of wearing a dress or skirt while riding a horse, for fear of it getting in the way.

Miku Hatsune was not one of those women.

Her skirt was short enough - just above her knees - that it didn't hinder her at all. It caused a little controversy at the time. Many people from the surrounding towns - men and women alike - thought it distasteful and inappropriate to show that much leg. They thought she was "showing off."

(There were also rumors that she kept a third gun strapped to her leg under her skirt, hidden from view, only to be pulled out in extreme emergencies.)

Miku didn't care what they thought. She quite liked her skirt. It was made from a thick, sturdy material and, like most of her clothes, it was black with turquoise trim. It was an expensive gift from a wealthy friend of hers.

In fact, quite a few of her belongings appear to have been gifts from her friend, including Josephine, her life-long companion, believe it or not.

Josephine was once the property of Rin Kagamine, who lived in the large seaside town of Port Cepage. She and her twin brother Len were among the wealthiest citizens in a town that was already filled with wealthy citizens. Their parents owned a successful fishing company and weren't afraid to splurge on non-essential items. Nor were they afraid to give their only two children large amounts of cash to spend however they wish; most parents would be a little more careful with that sort of thing.

But there were plenty of fancy trinkets to buy. Port Cepage was - and still is - a world away from Black Rock. Sturdy modern seaside villas compared to small rustic wooden dwellings. Luxury shops and boutiques versus only the bare essentials, plus a saloon. Stylish, impractical suits and dresses with frivolous little details that would otherwise be considered a waste of fabric. If it is not obvious by now, Port Cepage was a place with more money than its residents knew what to do with.

This has, predictably, led to quite a few citizens throwing money at whatever new and shiny object catches their eye. Rin Kagamine was no exception to this. One of her most recent purchases were two magnificent horses that were housed in a stable a few miles out of town, along with other horses owned by those who didn't have a stable of their own.

No one is entirely sure exactly what the fabulously stylish Rin Kagamine and the stoic, nomadic Miku Hastune saw in each other, but it must have been quite something. Maybe Miku was enticed by Rin's riches; maybe Rin was drawn by the security Miku could provide. Nevertheless, the two would meet up every once in a blue moon. At the stable, at the beach, at a cafe. To others around them, it appeared very one-sided. Rin would do all the talking while Miku simply listened, nodding when it was appropriate. Rin would shower Miku with gifts (clothes, food, even a gun, it was rumoured) with Miku seemingly giving nothing in return.

But no matter what it seemed like to other people, Rin still trusted Miku enough to help her with something very important.

After hearing the sudden news about a close friend of theirs being robbed, Rin's parents began to worry about the safety of their own fortune. Port Cepage had been their bubble, where they could forget that worries and woes even existed, but the burglary had burst that bubble. Their hearts heavy with concern, they made arrangements to transfer a sizable chunk of their money to the most unassuming bank that was also far away from where they lived. It was during a very tense conversation with their children at the dinner table when Rin floated the idea of taking their money to Black Rock, and in fact she would personally accompany the money to make sure nothing happened to it.

Rin was fairly capable with a gun and she was very confident in her abilities, but her parents still fretted over the possible dangers the journey could present. To calm their nerves, Rin assured them that she wouldn't go alone. She would bring along someone she knew would do anything it took to complete the objective. Someone she trusted quite well.

And no, it wasn't her own twin brother.

Very early in the morning of the transfer, Miku hitched a ride to Port Cepage to meet up with Rin and help her prepare for the journey. It would not be quick; Black Rock was several day's worth of travel away. Miku was already tired from traveling that distance to Port Cepage and wasn't exactly looking forward to going all the way back again. But Rin had promised her payment. Payment that Miku needed.

Working together, they prepared a spacious covered wagon. The crates containing the money were disguised among the crates of food and covered by thick blankets. Rin's new horses, Sasha and Josephine, were saddled up and ready to go. Rin herself was dressed up in her simplest, most unassuming clothes. The last thing she wanted was to draw attention to the fact she was rich.

As the sun climbed higher into the sky, Rin climbed into the back of the wagon as Miku sat up front behind the reins, and off they went.

Both of them were expecting a safe, if not long and boring journey, but that did not end up happening.

If you were to tell me the first thing you thought of after hearing the word "fairy," it would probably be the image of a sweet-faced young lady the size of a thimble, with translucent wings and a glossy dress made of flower petals.

The Fairies, on the other hand… were anything but.

They were a group of notorious cowgirls from a town some miles away from Port Cepage. Despite their sweet and unassuming physique, they were stubborn, selfish thieves. They often spent their days roaming the plains, looking for some hapless travelers to target. They were in want of money, of course, like many outlaws, but they chose to earn it through thievery, much like Gakupo Kamui had. Unlike Gakupo, however, they took an immense amount of pleasure from it, and loved to taunt their luckless victims.

And on that day, they spotted the covered wagon of the Kagamines lumbering its way inland, and rushed to claim whatever treasures lay inside.

"Look over there!" Merli and Lapis Aoki, the group's leaders, called simultaneously. They both pointed long, dainty fingers in the direction of the wagon. "Let's go, girls!"

With that, they raced off on their horses with the rest of the group following close behind, hooting and hollering at the thought of an exciting chase.

The sounds of whooping, as well as multiple horse's hooves thumping along the ground when you least expect it, would startle anyone. It startled Rin, who poked her head out to see what was going on. It startled Miku, who nearly rattled the whole wagon with the speed and intensity with which she swivelled round, to see where all the noise was coming from.

And it startled Sasha and Josephine, who, in their attempt to evade imminent danger, took off in completely different directions.

The suddenness and force at which it happened was powerful enough for Josephine to completely break free from the wagon. Miku, trying to prevent her from running away completely, grabbed a loose strap connected to Josephine's harness.

She was immediately yanked away from the wagon, Rin screaming her name as it happened.

Miku was dragged along the ground, feeling her bare arms and legs get scratched and bruised. She was enveloped in a cloud of dust that stung her eyes and dirtied her clothes. She really should have let go, but she stubbornly held onto the strap for dear life. She was not going to simply give up on the horse. She was not going to let it escape.

Finally, Josephine slowed down, then stopped. Miku picked herself up off the ground and looked back the way they'd come. The snow-white hood of the wagon was getting smaller as it traveled further away, followed by a large dust cloud. The excited hollering of the Fairies was still loud enough that they could have been standing right next to Miku.

Then something much louder rang out across the plains.

A gunshot.

Several of them, in fact.

Miku's facial expression changed from one of pain to one of calm, but intense, purpose.

Her friend was in danger of losing her life.

And she'll be damned if she was going to let the Fairies walk all over them like that.

It was time for revenge.

Miku jogged over to Josephine and nimbly climbed up onto her back. She patted the horse's soft, speckled fur reassuringly for a moment. Then she said, with intent: "Let's go show them what we're made of."

Josephine gave a shrill neigh, as if she understood what was being said.

And with that, they headed off in the direction of the wagon.

Even after they'd disappeared over the horizon, they weren't hard to find. The Fairies' excessive yelling and cheering could have been heard from halfway round the world. Miku and Josephine followed it like she was being drawn by a magnet.

They eventually came upon the wagon. It was lying on its side, its contents spilled out onto the ground. Sasha, still harnessed in, was also on her side. She was thrashing about, trying to break free. Rin was on the ground next to a couple of crates, looking dazed but frightened. Standing around the scene were the five Fairies with their guns drawn, edging closer and closer as they taunted Rin mercilessly.

"Aw, wassa matter?" Merli chuckled. "You scared?"

"Don't cwy, pwincess," Lapis added in a mockingly high voice, her lips pulled back in a venomous smirk. "We just want your money. Would you be a good girl and hand it over?"

"You don't have to worry about a thing. This'll all be over before you know it." another Fairy said. "Now, give us everything you have."

"Yeah! Every last cent!"

"Give it! Give it up!"

Rin, overwhelmed by their insistence, began to cry.

"I-I don't h-have any!" she stuttered, in one last ditch effort to get them to leave her alone.

"A fancy-dress dame such as yourself, out here with a wagon and two horses, without so much as a cent? Likely story!" Merli snarled. She pointed her well-worn gun at the sobbing girl, aiming right for her heart. Her finger curled precariously on the trigger. "If you won't hand it over to us, then we'll just have to remove you from the equation and take it ourselves!"

Before she could pull the trigger, she heard horse's hooves rapidly thumping right behind her. She turned around to see Miku leaping off of Josephine's back and landing perfectly on her feet, both her guns already in hand.

"Well, well, well." Merli said. "When that horse practically dragged you away at the speed of light, I was honestly hoping I'd never see you again. But now that you're here, you can die alongside the princess over there." She took several steps closer, tilting her head to get a better look. Almost like clockwork, the other four Fairies aimed their guns at Miku.

"Drop your weapons, honey," Lapis called. "You're outnumbered. There's no point in trying to take us on."

She was right, but Miku wasn't quite finished with them yet. She still had one more trick up her sleeve. Or, rather, her skirt.

She looked past Merli at Rin. Rin was still crying softly, but seemed much more alert than before. Her eyes met Miku's. They were wide and terrified. Miku gave her a very small, subtle nod. Rin blinked, like she was unsure of what was going to happen next.

Then, as Miku slowly bent down to place her guns on the ground, even giving them a light pat each whilst not breaking eye contact, Rin seemed to understand. Gradually, she began to reach for her own gun, gazing round at the Fairies to make sure none of them saw.

"Ooh, I like having people at my feet!" Merli cooed.

Right as Miku made to stand up straight, she suddenly reached under her skirt and pulled out a third gun. Before Merli could properly process it, she was shot in the chest at point-blank range. Her body swayed to the side, then fell to the ground with a thump.

Lapis made a wordless noise of shock as she watched her partner's life be snuffed out right in front of her. Then, when she focused back on Miku, her face was screwed up with rage. She pulled the trigger and fired off a shot in Miku's direction, screaming "YOU BI-" before she too collapsed when another shot rang out, the bullet hitting her in the back.

Rin tried to ignore the fact that she just killed someone as she took aim at the three remaining Fairies.

Miku was hit in the shoulder by Lapis's bullet. She dropped to her knees as the blood gushed down her arm, her nerves alight with pain. She gritted her teeth as she tightened her grasp on the gun and shot another Fairy in the leg.

She and Rin both swivelled round to face the last two Fairies. The Fairies exchanged a brief nod and both ran for their horses at the speed of lightning. These two survived the confrontation completely unscathed, though without their leaders and no idea what to do next. They just simply panicked and ran, abandoning their one colleague who was still alive.

Miku and Rin let them go. Miku turned her attention to her wound, and Rin put her gun down and pressed a hand to her chest, taking one deep breath after another.

That was way too close for comfort.

She really should have listened to her parents and just stayed home.

Miku and Rin managed to get the wagon - and Sasha - upright again, with a lot of difficulty, heaving, and huffing and puffing. After that, they reloaded all the crates, as well as the injured Fairy, into the back of the wagon. They re-harnessed Josephine as best they could, tore off one of one of Rin's dress sleeves as a makeshift bandage for Miku's shoulder - and another one for the Fairy's leg - and once more set off for Black Rock.

This time, Rin was behind the reins and Miku sat in the back, watching over the Fairy who whimpered pitifully as every jolt of movement brought forth another stroke of pain.

It was a long, strenuous journey for all involved. Rin was tense and tired after all the adrenaline and fear, and Miku and the Fairy both had bullet wounds to deal with.

There was a continuous silence as each woman was lost in her own thoughts. The Fairy knew that jail awaited her and that there was no getting out of it this time. Rin was thinking about the shootout and how terrified she had been. She wished that she could have been just a little bit more brave. She also wished she hadn't so readily taken the job of transferring the money.

And Miku, well, she had a constant poker face, so no one could tell what she was thinking.

There was only business to take care of once they reached Black Rock.

First, they dropped the Fairy off at the jail and requested immediate medical assistance for her.

Then they took the money to the bank. As Rin watched the giant vault door shut, securing her money safely inside, she let out one of the biggest sighs of relief she had ever released.

After that, Miku walked across the road to the doctor and showed him her shoulder. She was glad when she was given a bed to lay down on. It had been a long few days and she was ready to sleep the next few days away.

She only ended up sleeping through to the next morning, because the doctor had woken her up, telling her that someone was here to see her.

It was Rin. She came into the room, carrying a small brown bag. She smiled as brightly as possible.

"How are you feeling?' she asked.

"Fine." Miku responded. "I've been hurt worse before."

Rin's smile faltered a little. She composed herself and walked primly over to the bedside. "I've brought you something, to say thank you. For saving my life." She held out the bag.

Miku took it with her good hand and peered inside. It was full of coins!

She looked up at Rin. "What-"

"You deserve it. Besides, I was going to pay you anyway." Rin shrugged. "Mother and Father won't mind."

"Well, then, thank you."

Rin bounced nervously up and down on the balls of her feet. "Actually, there's something else I want to give you…"

"What is it?"

She smiled again. "It's Josephine. I couldn't help but notice that you've gone without a horse for a long time, and, well, she seems to have taken a liking to you."

Miku carefully sat up and looked out the window. Josephine was tied to a post outside, her speckled fur shining in the bright morning sun.

Miku blinked, like she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Then she threw her good arm around Rin in a grateful hug.

"Thank you," she said breathlessly.

Miku and Josephine, knight and steed, would remain together for the rest of their lives. Josephine was a great horse and Miku was a fine master.

Now that Miku could finally give up hitchhiking to places and move around on her own, the two quickly became a semi-regular sight around Black Rock. The Black Rock Shooter and her companion.

Even today, long after both of them had passed, they still remain together in spirit as well as part of the scenery: as a mural painted on the wall of the local saloon.

Fin