//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9: The Buffalo Tribe. 
// Story: The Chronicles Of ARTIMUS: Book One 
// by AlkapwnZ 
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	Twister can resist all kinds of pain. Distrust is one of the few he cannot.
The whole conflict went downhill from The Buffalo's accusation. Applejack surrendered, and the other three mares weren't exactly in positions to argue, so it was only Twister who stood against the Buffalo warriors.
So, he too surrendered. Not because he couldn't have fought back; he was certain that he could have made short work of the warriors before nightfall. But Applejack couldn't be lied to. Lying to her, and fighting against those who had a right to attack him, wouldn't gain any trust from the mares.
If they had any chance to get out of his situation alive, then the mares were going to have to trust him. But Twister knew Trust isn't given; it's earned. So, Twister set a plan to regain their trust in motion, beginning with surrendering to the buffalo.
So, the plan had begun. Twister's hooves were tied up with an admittedly weak rope, and Twister wondered how they managed to handle prisoners if the ropes could be ripped as easily as paper. Twister pushed this thought out of his head; he had to make a limp in order to give the Buffalo's a small sense of security that he couldn't escape.
The group was escorted through the San Palomino Desert, and Twister himself was pushed into the center of the group, buffalo surrounding him on all sides. No way could he escape now, even if he wanted to. Twister didn't care about what was happening to him, because his blood was boiling at how his companion's were being treated.
Fluttershy looked the most fearful of the four. She stumbled along, gasping each time one of the Buffalo pushed her forward. The poor thing looked ready to cry. Twilight constantly sputtered for breath, the warriors forcing her to move faster than she could, and Rainbow was too tired to give Twister her usual look of distrust. Only AJ was giving Twister a nasty look, and if looks could kill, he'd be skewered on the spot.
Twister sighed. Things will clear up on their own, and he would be ready. Twister forced himself to calm down; the buffalo wouldn't actually harm the mares, but it still didn't change the fact that they could go easier on them.

The Buffalo finally brought Twister to their camp, and he found it hadn't changed much since he last saw it; The hut's still stood in their usual positions, set up next to each other in a ring formation. This gave it a big clearing in the center, where a fire usually sat to provide warmth and light for the tribe. But, even though Luna's moon was out, there was no fire.....wait...how did Twister manage to see in the dark of night anyways?
Twister was pulled out of his observations when the Buffalo closest to him suddenly headbutted him, forcing him into the center of the camp clearing. Several buffalo women and children had come out to see what the commotion was all about, and several started jeering and tossing miscellaneous items at him. Twister grimaced at how it reminded him of the stoning he was planned to be given as a child.
Twister looked at each of the Buffalo's faces directly, giving each a defiant stare. He dared them to do worse. As Twister's head turned, he finally saw the his companion's faces. Twilight was sitting on her rump, gasping for air, her eyes fluttered as she took each breath, Rainbow was finally giving him her usual look of defiant distrust, and AJ gave him a similar look. But in her eyes....somehow, it felt worse how she did it.
Twister felt even worse when he turned to look at Fluttershy. She didn't look back, hiding her face behind her mane. It somehow...hurt. Hurt? Twister was rarely hurt by these things. If anything, she had every right to despise him. And yet...she didn't seem to. She just seemed to despair. Was she despairing FOR him? Why?
Twister was pulled out of these thought's when he heard the bellowing voice of the Buffalo chieftain, Chief Thunderhooves. "QUUUUUUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEETTTT!!!!" The Buffalo children and women stopped their jeering, turning to look to their leader for further instructions. He gave them a grim smile, knowing he had their attention. The smile was brief.
"This trial handles the defilement of our people, religion, and resources. This trial is not for the faint of heart; all parent's are asked to take their children back to their homes now!" Thundrehooves waited patiently as the buffalo shuffled between each other, children and their parent's trying to return to their homes. Twister wondered what would keep the children from hearing the trial, if the hut's were just outside of it.
He didn't press on this; as soon as all the children had moved into their homes, Thunderhooves stepped up to Twister, seeming to stare into his soul. Twister didn't see anger in the chief's eyes; only disappointment. Thunderhooves opened his mouth again, his deep voice ringing out to the whole clearing as he spoke.
"Twister, you are charged by our tribe for the defilement of our sacred rites. You willingly broke into the cave of lost memories, willingly and knowingly defiled the Sunstone, and killed three of our warriors in your attempt to escape from your fate. Do you have anything to say in your defense? Speak now, and let the gods decide if your words ring the truth." Twister couldn't believe what he was hearing. Yes, he had killed three warriors, but they had jumped to conclusions before he could explain what was happening. Twister never even HEARD of this 'cave of lost memories', nor did he ever hear about the 'Sunstone'.
Thinking back to his last visit to the tribe, Twister remembered nearly dying of thirst in the middle of the San Palomino Desert on his way to the Everfree. Chief Thunderhooves himself found Twister, and took him back to the camp and nursed him back to health. Thunderhooves had shown him the camp, given him a tour of the Desert, and gave Twister a basic understanding of their religious rites. He had NEVER mentioned any cave, or ANY stone of any kind. Twister didn't even remember entering a cave during his visit!
"I object to these accusations! Yes, I admit to....killing three warriors, but they jumped to conclusions! I did what was necessary to survive. I tried to be diplomatic, but they refused to listen! And, I never even heard of this 'cave of lost memories', or this 'Sunstone'. You never told me anything of these things!" Twister protested. Thunderhooves was his friend; Twister wouldn't lie to him. Twister just hoped Thunderhooves knew he was telling the truth.
Thunderhooves paused, closing his eyes as if to be thinking carefully of what to do next. After a moment that felt like forever, the chieftain finally reopened his eyes, and looked at Twister dead in the eye. "I want to believe you friend, but we have witnesses. I'm afraid your objections ring false."
Twister couldn't believe his ears. "Witnesses? What witnesses?" Twister knew who ever these witnesses were must be lying. "We have two witnesses. One of our own, and an outsider who helped save her life. FROM YOU. According to them, you stole the Sunstone from the Cave of Lost Memories, and killed three warriors in your escape. You injured a fourth, and she was our first witness.
Twister felt anger seeping into him. "I didn't steal anything!" Thunderhooves shook his head, and his voice had an edge of urgency in it. "We have the word of one of our own. You are an outsider, in spite of what you've done for us in the past, and the word of our tribemembers go above that of the outsiders. Admit your guilt, and your punishment will be less painful." Thunderhooves didn't sound like he was threatening Twister; it actually sounded like he was BEGGING him to gove in.
"Who's word do you have!?!" Twister shouted at the chieftain. Twister hadn't become friends with all of the Buffalo, and it would make sense if one of his rivals within the camp made the story up. Thunderhooves blinked, surprised by the force in Twister's voice. Then, he closed his eyes again, and slowly turned his head to the left. Opening his eyes, he called out, "STRONGHEART!!! COME HERE!" Twister couldn't believe his ears.
Little Strongheart was the witness? Twister never fought her, and he had become good friends with the young Buffalo warrior. Why would she make this up? Twister's thought's all came crashing down when he saw Strongheart step out from the crowd, nervously joining Thunderhooves' side.
Twister looked at the young buffalo warrior with disbelief. "Why?" Twister hadn't meant to say this, but it just came out. Strongheart lifted her chin, and she spoke with a nervous edge to her voice Twister never heard from her before. "I saw you...take the sunstone. Why?....of....of all...." She stopped speaking, and Twister was left wondering what was making her do all this.
Thunderhooves suddenly spoke up. "OUTSIDER! YOU AS WELL!" Twister hadn't seen any other ponies in the buffalo crowd, but he couldn't believe what was happening here.
The crowd parted, and a pitch black pegasus stepped through the newly opened pathway. Twister's blood ran cold, and he felt rage that only ever rose in him because of this pony. He knew this pegasus...this..."TRAITOR!!!!"
Twister lost all self control. He ripped apart his bindings, and charged into the dark pegasus with new found energy. Twister knew he was acting like an animal, but he didn't care! This pony started all of this! Twister forced the pegasus to the ground, strangling him while he was down.
He was forcing Strongheart into this! Nothing was sacred to him!! He...
Twister was pulled back by the other buffalo warriors, but he gave them a run for their money. He lashed out at the incoming warriors, determined not to let the black pegasus get away again. He brought several warriors down before a dozen of them pinned him down and dragged him away from the pegasus, and back into the clearing.
"LET ME GO!! DAMN YOU TO HELL!!!!!!" Twister screamed like a madcolt. He struggled to escape his wardens, keeping his eyes on the black pegasus. Twister eventually ripped one of his hooves free and struck the throat of one of the buffalo warriors. He pulled himself away, and Twister ran towards the pegasus again. The black pegasus looked fearful, and rightfully so. Twister reached him again, relentlessly beating him down with his hooves.
Twister suddenly felt a sharp blow to the back of his head, and everything became dark.

Twister woke up, groggily taking in his surroundings. Twister shook his head, trying to clear his vision. The back of his head ached from the strike that had knocked him cold, and Twister found himself tied to a giant wooden pole. Twister's vision cleared, and he realized he wasn't alone.
On his left, Fluttershy was also tied to the pole, and AJ was tied on his right. Twister couldn't see Twilight or Rainbow Dash, but he guessed they were tied on the back of the pole.
"Well, look who's back in the land o' the livin'!" Applejack snarled spitefully at Twister. Fluttershy suddenly looked up, seeing Twister, and her eyes grew bigger than dish plates as she whimpered. Wait...is she afraid of me?
Twister realized he must have scared all of the mares with his rage. He would've facehoofed there and then, if his hooves were free. Why did he let his rage get the better of him?!
As his vision cleared up some more, Twister realized the pole was on the edge of a cliff. He could look out at the whole of the San Palomino Desert from here! Looking downwards, he realized, just at the horizon line....
"Appleloosa! Over there!" Twister leaned forward, letting himself get excited. His excitement vanished when Applejack growled, "Don' matter now, though, does it?" She glared at Twister with a kind of spite Twister hadn't seen in any other ponies before.
"So, since yer up and at 'em, why don'cha start explainin'?" The cowfilly's voice had a ticked off edge to it, and Twister realized just how bad he made the situation look for him by attacking the pegasus. "I..." Twister didn't want the fillies to know how he knew that pegasus...that damn traitor.
"You're better off not knowing." Twister sighed wretchedly. He already lost the mares trust from the accusation, but now, he wondered if he could ever earn it back. His rage had likely passed him off as a mentally unstable murderer.
"Yeah, well, we would'v been better off never knowin' ya. We still do, though, don' we?" Applejack hissed. Twister hoped AJ's lie detector skills were good enough to understand that this was a personal matter. Nothing more.
"I can't tell you." Twister put it as plain and simple as he could. He hoped he wouldn't have to deal with this any longer while here.
"Why are you tied here with me? You didn't know what I've done!" Twister was getting pissed as he started puting two and two together. That damn pegasus must have done something to make the four look bad.
"We traveled with ya, so they're keepin' us here till it's time for our interrogations. You're first." Applejack spat this last part out, as if she expected him to tell the truth when he was to be interrogated. Twister would, but the thing is, ponies only hear what they WANT to hear. Twister's side of the story wasn't something they wanted to hear.
Twister looked around, trying to see if he could find a way out of his prison. Lightly pulling on his ropes, Twister deduced they were built more recently, and that they were expertly tied. Twister wouldn't be able to rip these ties like the last. But...could he untie them? Twister leaned his head down, biting into his ropes. He pulled back when he heard a cry of disgusted surprise.
"Even after all o' this, you'd still run away?!" Applejack looked disgusted with him now. Twister racked his head up, trying to find the right words to explain. "Look, this isn't the place to explain. They won't show mercy, not with...HIM around." Twister tilted his head down to the camp, referring to the black pegasus. "We'll be safer away from here. You need to trust me on this. It's not what it looks like." Twister gave the cowfilly a pleading look. She had no reason to believe him, other than understanding he was being genuine.
The cowfilly paused, and Twister knew she realized he was telling the truth. Finally, she snarled reluctantly, "Fine. Hurry, 'cause once it's time, Ah wanna FULL explanation." AJ looked away from the crippled pegasus, and Twister took his chance. He had gotten more than he deserved, and he had to make the most of it.
Twister returned to his ropes, biting into them as thoughts rapidly entered and exited his mind. How would he explain without putting them in danger? How would he spare them of his enemies wrath?
Twister quickly pulled his head away from the ropes when he heard hoofsteps coming from the slope up the cliff. As he turned his head to the slope, he saw three figures step towards him. Two were buffalo warriors, and the third was Chief Thunderhooves himself.
"It's time."

Twister bit his bottom lip to prevent himself from crying out. Thunderhooves had his warriors tie Twister to a small wooden board nailed to a cliff wall. Twister resisted torture before, and this was no different from the last time. Other than his friend being the one putting him through it.
The buffalo torturers were using basic methods of torture that barely affected Twister in comparison to his previous interrogations. Cutting into him with small knives, giving him buffalo burns, etc etc.
Twister was going to have to give them SOMETHING, something that would buy his companions time. He didn't know where this 'Sunstone' was, or what it even IS, but the buffalo think he knows. So, in order to buy time, Twister was going to have to act like this pathetic excuse for torture was actually bending him, and give them a false location.
Once he did this, then he would be able to escape, and take the four mares to his contact in Appleloosa. Then they would be out of his situation without any more complications, and it would be a happy ending. Well, at least for them.
Twister tried to force tears to make it more believable, but to no avail. He would have to stick with the usual. "ALRIGHT! I'LL TELL YOU!! NO MORE!!!" Twister's cries of 'pain' were exaggerated. He could have handled HOURS of those pitiful bit's of pain, but he needed to make his 'confession' believable.
Thunderhooves called off the torturers, and stepped towards Twister. "Where is the Sunstone?" Twister knew he had the chieftain's attention, and he took advantage of the situation.
"It's in..." Twister drew a blank card. He realized he hadn't even thought of what false location to give them. Buck...just give them the first thing that pops in your head. Twister still drew a blank card. What was happening? He was never good at coming up with lies, but this was ridiculous!
What happened next surprised Twister. Thunderhooves sighed, and he gestured to the torturers. Twister expected them to continue his torture, but instead untied him and pulled him down from the board. Pointing at him with their horns, another buffalo rebound Twister's hooves in order to prevent him from escaping.
"Take him back to the pole. I need to speak with our ambassador." Thunderhooves marched towards the camp, and Twister suspected that black pegasus was 'the ambassador'. Twister cooperated with his warden as he was escorted back to the tying pole, where the four mares waited.
As he was brought back to the pole, Twister got his first real look at Twilight and Rainbow Dash since his surrender. Twilight was out cold, tired from using so much magic and trekking in the heat of Celestia's sun. Rainbow Dash seemed to be renewed with energy, and she was tapping her hind hoof impatiently while she sat there, all tied up. The cyan pegasus turned to look at Twister when she heard his escort, and she gave him the usual 'I don't trust you' glare.
Twister gave her a weak grin. "Y'know your face'll freeze that way if you keep it like that." Twister had been making a light-hearted joke, but Rainbow suddenly seemed to be taking it seriously. She started making several different faces, looking away from Twister while doing so. The crippled pegasus rolled his eyes.
His escort kindly tied him back up to the pole, and they pulled on it to make sure it was tight. They then left their prisoners, mumbling to each other something about 'the ambassador'. Twister tried to lean in, to grab what little audio from the buffalo's lips as possible. He needed to know what the black pegasus was doing here!
He didn't get anything. The only word he recognized was 'ambassador', and they left before Twister could hear anything else.
"Well, what's going on now?" Rainbow turned to Twister, giving him the usual scowl. Twister looked to the mares on both of his sides. On his left, Rainbow was now tied next to him, and Fluttershy was now on his right. The timid pegasus still looked fearful of him, and this somehow hurt Twister even more.
Twister shook his head, pulling himself out of these thoughts. "We're going to escape." He announced to the four mares, loud enough for them all to hear him, but quiet enough so that it couldn't be heard down at the camp. Twister bit down on his bindings, trying to tear them apart.
"WAIT! What's going on?! I want to know why these buffalo think you stole that....'Sunstone'!" Twister was surprised by how she worded that. "'Think' I stole it? You believe me?" Twister looked at her with surprise clearly shown on his face.
"While you were gone, me and AJ talked for awhile. We're going to trust you....for now." Twister couldn't believe his lucky break. "Alright. I promise, I'll explain what's going on, but first, we need to get out of here and into Appleloosa." Rainbow nodded.
"So, how do we get out?" Twister bit back into his bindings when she asked this. "Like dis." He mumbled through his teeth as he bit into the bindings. Rainbow copied Twister, biting her bindings in an animal-like fashion. After about a half-hour of biting, Twister finally tore through his first binding. He stretched himself out, wriggling and worming his way out of the binding's. With one rope ripped, all Twister had to do was struggle to loosen the rest up. Twister finally got himself out when his bindings became loose enough, and he then helped pull Rainbow out of her ties.
Rainbow flew over to get Twilight out, who was still sleeping, and Twister turned to help Fluttershy. The pink-maned pegasus flinched in surprise at his appearance, but didn't say anything as he tore away at her ropes. After about ten minutes of this, Twister finally pulled Fluttershy out, and the pegasus wandered back to her friends when Twister turned to help AJ.
"Y'know, this would go a lot faster if you helped." Twister remarked as he pulled at the cowfilly's binding's. "Naw, you seem to know whatchyer doing." The cowfilly retorted humorlessly. Twister sighed in frustration. Another ten minute's had passed, and Twister finally managed to pull AJ out of her bindings. The cowfilly stepped away from the pole, stretching her hooves out as she did so.
Twister turned his head to check on the other three mares. Rainbow had gotten Twilight out of her bindings, but was having trouble trying to get the unicorn to wake up. Fluttershy hovered a few feet away from the pair, shuffling her hooves nervously as she waited for her friends. AJ galloped past Twister, joining Rainbow in an attempt to wake Twilight up.
After three minutes had passed, and Twilight still refused to wake up, Twister groaned in exasperation. "I've got her. Just move!" Twister pulled the unconscious unicorn onto his back as the other three mares moved towards the slope. Twister followed, careful where he stepped. He wished the mares would slow down; they would give away their position if they weren't careful, and he couldn't keep up with them while carrying an unconscious pony.
The group moved down to the camp, and Twister followed the other three behind one of the huts to hide. Twister could hear the snoring of buffalo children coming from the tent, and Twister prayed to Celestia that they wouldn't wake up and hear them.
Rainbow signaled to Twister, and the group moved stealthily from hut to hut, hiding carefully behind each as they moved. Twister clumsily leaped behind another hut, careful not to drop Twilight. He was about to move on to the next hut, but he froze when he heard the sound of Thunderhooves' voice.
"I'm sorry, ambassador Nightshade, but our land is NOT for sale."

NIGHTSHADE! The black pegasus! Twister forced his anger back down, pausing to listen to the conversation within the hut.

"Come ON! My company has already done so much for you! We've given you weapons, we've given you resources, so why not sell us some of your land in return?" Nightshade's voice drawled from the tent.

"We would, except that land is sacred ground. It holds great importance to our religion, so we..."

"I know, I know! You've told me this before! The whole 'religious symbolism' speech! But this land holds it's own treasure within the ground that can prove resourceful to both parties! You just need to sell it to us to make it legal. We won't damage your precious temples, or whatever you have!"

Classic Nightshade. Never knew when 'No' means 'No'.

"I'm sorry. We cannot allow outsiders to roam freely on it. If we did that, the gods would never forgive us!"

"What gods?! Look, Celestia's laws hold nothing against this, so you don't need to worry about these 'gods' punishing you!"

"This isn't politics, ambassador. This is our religion. I'm sorry. No means NO, and that is the end of it." Twister heard the hoofsteps of the chief as he left the hut. Twister remained when he heard a small chuckle.
"Oh, it's not over. Not by a LONG shot."
Twister wanted nothing more than to stab Nightshade with his switchblade, but he knew this wasn't the time. Twister turned back to the group when he heard Rainbow hiss, "What they hay are you doing?!" Twister held his hoof up, signaling her to wait. Twister moved back to follow the mares, still being careful where he stepped.
Almost there... Twister's heart felt like it would burst from the adrenaline. He was so close to getting the group out of the camp, he couldn't help but get excited.
Then things went to hell.
Twister moved to another hut, but something happened he hadn't been expecting. Twilight suddenly gasped in surprise, and she fell with a loud THUD! off of Twister's back. Ah, Buck!
Twister pulled Twilight up, shushing her as she spoke up. "What's going on?!" The lavender unicorn was looking around wildly, confused by what was happening. "Where are we?"
"Damn it, SHUT UP!" Twister hissed at her in an urgent whisper. But, it was too late.
A buffalo woman had left her hut, looking around to see what the commotion was about. When she turned to see the five ponies, she gasped and shouted at the top of her lungs.
"THE PRISONERS ARE ESCAPING!!!!"