"Are we sure we're not lost?" Wynona asked, squinting across the desert, at the boulder in the distance. They had been walking towards it for the last twenty minutes and hadn't gotten any closer.

"Nonsense!" Wyatt exclaimed. "We've been out here a hundred times, and my map is always accurate."

Wynona glanced at the embroidered handkerchief he was following, tattered from years of use, and considered retorting, but changed her mind. If they went South, they would run into the river and be able to follow it home, so they weren't really lost.

Even if Wynona didn't know where they were right now.

They just needed to find enough rocks to beat the Monday rush at their little shop. They'd meant to go during the weekend, but one thing had led to another, and it was... Monday morning.

Ahead of her, Wyatt bent over to pick up a jagged pink crystal.

"What do you think this one does?" He asked, tossing it to her.

Wynona rubbed it on her shirt tail, which might have just made it dirtier. The early morning wind had covered both siblings in grime.

It was a dusty pink, leaning towards red. "I expect this stone would have something to do with fire, but it's hard to tell."

Wynona looked up as she slid the stone in her pocket, realizing they had reached the boulder. "Hat was fast," she mused, but her words were lost on Wyatt, who was already crouched down, scoping stones into his buckskin bag by the handful.

I hope these aren't all duds." Wynona squatted down, joining him. "We need a really good batch today."

Their store, Wy's and Wy's Rock Store was the only rock store in the county, so their stock was always in demand.

Ranchers trying to bulls in check, rangers preparing to fight monsters, weathermen, flustered homemakers looking to keep their homes cool - Everyone needed rocks.

"Especially Annie." Cut in Wyatt, and Wynona realized that she'd been talking out loud.

"And Annie," She agreed, picking up a chunk of quarts the size of her thumbnail. It was a faint, dusty gray, with a pale pink blush at the base, and if it was charged, Wynona expected that it would release a desert wind when broken. She dumped it unceremoniously into her bag and moved on.

Wynona was good at identifying what a stone would be good at. What she struggled with was telling whether or not a stone was charged.

Ahead of her, Wyatt tied off his bag, full already. "This should last for the day."

Wynona had been pickier with her selection, and her back was much smaller when she stood.

She squinted, "Hey, when did we get so close to the boulder?"

It dwarfed them now, fully casting them in its shadow. Wyatt turned to look, pausing for just a moment.

The realization hit jointly.

"Oh no," Wynona scrambled backwards at the same time Wyatt said a word that wouldn't have been allowed in front of Annie.

The boulder, a rock beast that had crept close in disguise, reared up. Definitely made from earthquake crystal, Wynona noted, seeing the burnt umber color, before the ground started to shake.

She hated being right.

Wyatt was already running, looking over his shoulder to check on her.

Stumbling as earth shifted, she followed. "That thing... is... huge!" She gasped as she caught up.

Wyatt spared a glance, but didn't bother responding, fumbling with his belt. Wynona figured that he was mourning the fact that they couldn't kill it and sell it. Earthquake crystal that pure would be worth a fortune.

Wynona, however, was more focused on escape. She dodged a cactus, and jumped, clearing a dry creek bed. Up ahead, she spotted their horses. They were both sidestepping with ears pinned back, clearly nervous.

Next to her, Wyatt exclaimed as he pulled out a gun that she hadn't known he'd had. "Got it!"

Wynona knew that he wouldn't have any ammo though. They were all out of rocks, after all. She fumbled with one of her earrings. "Here!"

Wyatt caught the crystal as she tossed it to him, stopping to load the gun.

Wynona raced onwards, untying his horse from the mesquite bush they'd tied it to first, before scrambling for hers. Behind her, there was a pop as the gun went off and broke the rock.

Wyatt was at her shoulder in an instant, and she thrust his reins at him, mounting her own horse smoothly. She squeezed her knees to keep it from bucking.

With a shower of dust, Wyatt flung his leg over his horse, and they were off.

From the relative safety of her saddle, Wynona risked a glance back. The beast stumbled in place, clearly confused, and Wynona nodded in satisfaction. The mirage crystal had done its part, then. The beast was, quite literally, left in the dust.

That was the downside of being made of stone - rock beasts were incredibly powerful, but slow. And incredibly susceptible to stone power.

"Where'd you get the gun?" She yelled at Wyatt as she turned around.

Wyatt pulled alongside her, laughing. "Nabbed off the last group of rangers last month. They're so armed, I doubt they even noticed.

Wynona couldn't help but just in his laugh as they rode off into the sunset - er, town.

*

For all her concern, Wyatt did lead them back quickly.

Los Rois was less of a town, and more a strip of buildings lining the road next to the river. The building were, both wood and adobe alike, the color of the desert, years of dust and grime staining them.

Still, the town was in full swing for Monday already.

Miss Clara, the newest school marm, was the first to greet them as they rode in. "Good morning," she called up, her severe bun and black dress belying her youth. "Will I be seeing Annie today?"

Wyatt smiled charmingly, deflecting the question. "Good morning, Miss Clara. You look lovely as ever."

Clara broke her careful professionalism to roll her eyes, turning to yell after them as they rode on. "You're going to have to let her out of the house sometimes!"

Wynona turned in her seat to wave goodbye.

"When she had allergies?" Wyatt shook his head, addressing Wynona. "She obviously needs to rest."

Wynona didn't bother adding anything. Wyatt knew she agreed with him, and, besides, the other town folk had spotted the twins.

"Good morning!" Jedidiah, the grocer, was waving. "I got more of those licorice whips your sister likes back in stock!"

Wyatt waved, smiling winningly as more people started calling out.

"How'd the hunt go?"

"Got any monsoon crystals for me?

Wynona ducked her head, letting Wyatt do the talking. She didn't do well in front of groups.

"Rangers," She heard Wyatt murmur, and she looked up to see the starched shirts and tell-tale six shooter hollisters. Smoothly, Wyatt dismounted, putting his horse between them, hiding his gun from sight.

Rangers were their best customers, but Wynona didn't like serving them, even when Wyatt wasn't actively stealing from them. They were interluders in their tiny town, and Wynona didn't care for it. Besides, they were always so demanding, like other people didn't need high quality rocks too.

She followed Wyatt off her horse, and he took the reins from her easily, handing off his rock sack in exchange.

It clanked in Wynona's hand, and she nodded after him. "I'll go see about getting the shop opened, then."

Their shop was the last on the row, and Wynona hurried up the porch. The windows, which were real glass, rattled as she opened the door, and Wynona blinked as her eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness of the interior.

Home sweet home.