[ TT ] Write a Wild West adaption of a Greek myth . ( Inspired by the original cowboy , the minotaur . )

`` Peter an' Nerry are gettin' married!'' Harmony practically squealed. 
 
 `` Nerry's gon na marry *Peter*?'' Erin asked. `` You're foolin. Peter's some nobody kid, Nerry practically runs her own town up-river.'' 
 
 Harmony waved around the piece of paper she'd apparently been reading. `` Says so on the invite! An' bring gifts,'course, but that's only proper.'' 
 
 Despite the unlikeliness of the news, Erin found herself getting excited. `` You know someone like Nerry's gon na have herself one hell of a ball! Everyone who's anyone's gon na be there!'' 
 
 Harmony smirked. `` Got that right, sister.'' 
 
 `` Oh, what should I wear? What should I get'em? I'm a passin' metalsmith, but they got tools, they've got to already got tools.'' 
 
 Harmony's smirk did n't dim for a moment. `` Oh, you wo n't have to worry about that.'' 
 
 Erin looked over at her sister suspiciously. `` What's your meaning?'' 
 
 Harmony handed over the paper. `` Read the invitation, girlie. Your name's not on it!'' And with that, she flitted away. 
 
 Erin read the paper, infuriated. It was one thing that only Harmony had been invited, but the letter had gone on to *specifically* state that her `` disruptive influence of a sister is not welcome to attend''. 
 
 All day and all night, Erin fumed, until she received a late visitor that very day. 
 
 `` Zachariah?'' She asked, when she saw the aged man at the door. Zachariah ran this town. Zachariah practically ran *all* the towns. Everyone who was anyone - and this time that included Erin - was related to him. 
 
 `` I heard the news there.'bout the wedding.'' He said, not making a move to come in. 
 
 Erin knew there was definitely more to this visit than consolation. She was n't close to Zachariah. The man was always working an angle, and not above using his relations to do so. 
 
 `` Nerry and Peter?'' Erin said. `` I don' need them. Don' need nobody.'' 
 
 Zachariah chuckled. `` Young lady, I do not doubt you are correct about that. Still, it is helpful to have friends. More helpful to have powerful friends, and more helpful still to have powerful friends who might owe you a favor or two.'' 
 
 Erin did n't have the patience for this. `` Come on then, old man! What's your game?'' 
 
 Zachariah had a temper, and for a moment his eyes flashed anger, but then it passed. `` My wife Helen, she's all about the weddings. Loves the matrimony, the romance, all of that.'' He waved to dismiss the ideas, and Erin knew full well the extent to which the man was faithful to any of them. `` Great-Aunt Venus, too. Even my little girl Athy, smart as she is, she ca n't help herself. Everyone's going to the wedding.'' 
 
 Erin liked even less where this was going. `` Come to rub it in, then?'' 
 
 Zachariah grinned. `` Not my idea to keep you off the list, girl.'twere up to me, you'd be right there with them. You know how to make a party... lively.'' 
 
 `` So what do you want?'' 
 
 Zachariah shrugged. `` To console a heartbroken relative in her time of need, of course!'' he said, and even he could n't say it with a straight face. `` And to remind that relative that gifts, even from those who are n't attending, are accepted.'' 
 
 Erin was still not sure if she was supposed to be insulted or not. `` You expect me to send a gift to the lovely couple who do n't even want me there?'' 
 
 Zachariah's face kept grinning, but it seemed more predatorial now. `` Why not? What better way to mend fences than with a gift?'' 
 
 Clearly, this gift was not supposed to be of the fence-mending sort. `` Why?'' Erin asked. Zachariah was throwing the damn party, why did he want it busted up? 
 
 `` Oh, no reason, just a friendly reminder.'' 
 
 `` Not good enough.'' Erin said. 
 
 `` Well, I'm not here how to tell you to gift things. Just keep in mind that that boy Peter's more than he seems. Fought the mexicans in that business down south: He's a soldier. And with him in the family tree, he stands to inherit quite a bit. And his kid, well, any kid those two have would be set up to topple empires.'' 
 
 Erin understood now. `` And you just want to hold on to what little empire you have as hard as you can.'' 
 
 Zachariah spread his hands innocently. `` I am what I am. Anyway, Miss Erin, I'll be on my way. I'm glad we had this talk.'' 
 
 As little as Erin liked doing Zachariah's dirty work, her seething anger at having been snubbed far outweighed her caution. She got to work. 
 
 -- -- 
 
 The ball was everything a proper party should be. Dignified at first, and raucous by the end. Erin showed up outside the town's hall where it was held toward the'raucous' portion of the evening. 
 
 `` What you got there?'' Harmony was standing around outside, seemingly to get some air. 
 
 `` Present for the couple. Made it myself.'' 
 
 Harmony looked suspicious of her sister, and rightfully so, but her voice did n't change. `` What is it?'' 
 
 `` A golden apple. Cast it and engraved it myself. Was up nearly all night workin' on this.'' 
 
 Harmony looked impressed. `` You can afford that kinda gold?'' 
 
 Erin just smiled. `` Oh, this will be worth it.'' 
 
 Harmony shrugged. `` That's all well and good, but they ai n't gon na let you in.'' 
 
 `` That's okay,'' Erin said. `` I'll just roll this on in toward the sounda Helen's voice.'' And with a quick underhand throw, she did exactly that. 
 
 Only a few moments later, raised voices were heard. Shouts, counter-shouts, arguments, and the party turned into a fight with predictable rapidity. Then, there was gunfire. Blood-feuds were sworn, deals were broken, and wounds between families that would never heal were created. 
 
 Harmony stood shocked as she overheard the same thing. `` Sister, what *did* you engrave on that apple?'' 
 
 Erin put on her best look of innocence. `` To the most beautiful''
