Acrylic was pleasantly surprised. Not only because of the painting he did of the festival in the cherry orchard where he captured the blurring crowd playing and eating in the shade of the trees very well; but he did manage to finish quickly enough to finally enjoy himself along with his husband. For the first time since they got to Dodge Junction, he and Fancy were able to have fun with the carnival games and the sweet, greasy warm food. Not what he expected out of a honeymoon in a place that was in the middle of nowhere, but it was welcoming nonetheless.
The artist was pleased to see Fancy happy as well. Taking in the simple… quaintness of the activities that cast a spell on him, turning the unicorn back into a playful colt. Just the very sight of him getting excited over something as simple as tossing an apple to knock down a stack of cups was enough to put a smile on his face.
“That was delightful!” Fancy beamed as they and Braeburn walked back to the yellow stallion’s old home. Acrylic carried the freshly made oil painting on his back while the sun was setting in the west. Casting a warm glow over the dry, orange land. “I can’t thank you enough Mr. Apple for inviting us to the festival. I never knew the diverse characters that your family alone has. Such extraordinary ponies!”
Braeburn smiled at the praise, “Awe shucks, thank ya kindly. Mah folks are real great ponies. Although, kinda sad that cousin AJ, Big Mac, Bloom, and Granny couldn’t make it. They’re the real life of the party. However, Rock is in town, so maybe Ah could convince him ta come before it’s over.”
“Sounds good to me!” Fancy smiled, turning to Braeburn. “Where do you think he is?”
“Oh, he would be ‘round mah parent’s place right about now. He should have finished in the caves. After all, that’s where we’re stayin’ at fer the mo’.”
“What about the miners that are supposed to guard the paintings?”
The cowpony waved a hoof, “Remember, they work for Rock Slide. By the time we get there, Ah think he’ll jus’ take over ta look after ‘em.” As the three of them walked over to the top of a hill, Braeburn paused as at the sight of his old home, some carts were parked around the back and front of the property, all lined and covered with cloth. What looked to be rocks protruding from the canvas. “What the hey?” he asked aloud. “What’s goin’ on over there?”
Acrylic looked over at the carts, “Is something wrong?”
“Ah don’t know yet,” he said as he started to go forward, “but those carts certainly weren’t there this mornin’.” The three of them trotted over to the property, as they got closer, Rock Slide was busy fastening the covering of the last one, which seemed to be very tightly too. “Rock,” Braeburn called out. “Rock, what’s goin’ on?”
“Brae!” Rock said in surprise as he put a sack he was carrying down. “Ah didn’t know ya were comin’ back already. Weren’t ya fellas at the festival?”
“We just got back,” Acrylic said, raising an eyebrow. “What’s going on here?”
The dark stallion turned pale. “Uh…” His eyes darted around, waving at the other miners to clear off. “Well, ya know that this place is closer ta the cave and some of us were a bit tired and we have too heavy loads ta take inta town. Ah was kinda hopin’ that we could drop in and rest for a bit, so that we are refreshed for the trips between here and Minetown. That by the time y’all got back we’d got everythin’ cleared. That, and we needed water ta refill our canteens.”
“Hey Rock,” the yellow stallion wrapped a hoof around his neck. “Ya don’t need ta take all of this stuff inta town tonight, do ya?”
“Ah’m afraid so.” He glanced over toward the direction of the garden. “But maybe we all should go inta town and have a drink. That festival musta been real exhaustin’, no?”
“Oh absolutely,” Fancy replied with a smile. “But how about we check up on those paintings first?”
“Hold up, sorry, you can in a bit but my lads are de-fuming out there, gettin’ mine chemicals off out there, but don’t you worry! The paintings are safe and away from where they are doing it. Give it till the morning for the chemicals ta clear, they’re not exactly the safest things ta be puttin’ inta those lungs of yers.” Rock Slide moved over to Braeburn and hugged him. “Ah promise we’ll be back in a couple of days and we can have all the time we need.”
Braeburn looked… angry, an emotion both Fancy and Acrylic both naturally deemed impossible from the optimistic carefree stallion. His teeth grinded and his face contorted in a very bizarre and unfitting way.
“Rock Slide… Can I talk to ya… Privately?” Braeburn hissed, barely managing to keep his anger on the inside.
“Uhhh Brae? Do you really think this is the time? We got guests!” Rock Slide smiled desperately over to Fancy and Acrylic.
“Yes… Ah do, meet me on the garden porch.” The look on Braeburn’s eyes said it all, but in a death-defying act, Rock Slide jumped in front of Braeburn.
“The boys will hear us! Let’s go to the back room Brae...” Pushing Braeburn over to the other side of the house, Fancy and Acrylic having stood there the whole time exchanged glances.
“Fine, come on then,” Braeburn muttered through his teeth, following Rockslide into the bedroom and slamming the door behind him. Acrylic and Fancy in a matter of seconds looked at each other and rushed over to the door to press their ears against the wood. Much to their dismay they could only hear mufflings of the angry indecipherable argument.
After what seemed like minutes of forward and backward between an angry stallion and a defensive one Braeburn’s shout made the couple jump and bang their heads into each other.
“BY THE GODDESSES ROCK SLIDE, IF YA LEAVE ME ONE MORE NIGHT FOR THAT DAMN MINE, WE ARE THROUGH!”
Fancy and Acrylic then heard the fear-inducing walk towards the door, both moving at lightning pace to sit on the couch, rubbing their heads as they tried to act naturally.
“Suddenly I feel like I’m back in my village again.” The artist commented and his spouse asked him what he meant. “I mean, this sort of argument sounds rather familiar. Miners at home get greedy over the opals then they spend time at home. I wonder if that’s what’s going on.”
Fancy rubbed his head and glanced at the back door. “Hey ‘Crylic, why not we just go over and grab the paintings?”
“Shouldn’t we wait for them or…?”
His husband raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to stay here while they’re having a go?”
“IT’S NOT LIKE AH’M TRYIN’ TA AVOID YA!” Rock shouted.
“OH REALLY?!” Braeburn questioned, “SO WHAT EXACTLY DO AH HAVE TA THINK WHEN YOU’RE OVER THERE MORE THAN AT HOME?”
“Good point,” Acrylic agreed as the voices returned to a dull muffle. “We’ll just slip into the back and get them.”
Yet, the second Acrylic rose to get the paintings the couple opened the door, Braeburn looking a lot happier and Rock Slide looking slightly miserable but with a fake smile thrown over the top. Acrylic plopped himself down the second he heard the door opening, trying to return to a natural pose.
So they all sat. and watched, and waited, and begged for someone around the room to break the deathly awkward silence that had plummeted upon the group of very disgruntled stallions.
“Uh… Sorry about that,” Braeburn was the first to speak. “But perhaps it’s startin’ ta get a little late so maybe we could all go back in for the festival, this is when all the nighttime stuff starts. And, Ah do mean, all, of us.” He finished, glaring at his coltfriend.
“And we’ll bring back yer paintings by mornin’.” Rock added, “Since after all, we can’t go inta the garden right now with all them chemicals about.”
Acrylic raised an eyebrow, “Doesn’t that harm the plants back there?”
The charcoal stallion shook his head, “Ta plants, they’re harmless. But if ponies without the right protection get caught up… well, point bein’ that Ah don’t any of ya gettin’ sick.” As he got up, he added, “In fact, why not go ta the evening festival? Ah buy all of us some drinks. All on me.”
“Fair enough.” Fancy stood up. “Although, we’re sorry for… whatever happened back there.”
“Oh no no no,” Braeburn shook his head with a forced smile. “You two got nothin’ ta apologize over. It’s just… we had ta go over a couple of things. Surely ya understand.”
Both spouses glanced at one another. “I promise that we won’t raise the issue again,” Fancy said. “After all, with the good day we had, let’s not ruin it on a sour note.”
Braeburn exited the house, beaming as he strode down the stairs with his three friends tailing close behind. Turning backward he looked on at the three pony crowd he had. “Ah’m telling ya! If y’all liked the festival during the day, ya gonna love it at night! It’s got all these wild crazy shows-” As Braeburn spouted off he bumped the gate open with his rear, getting more and more excited as he trotted backward and smiled at his friends. “And it’s got some mighty fine drink prices if ya know where ta look!”
“Ah, Braeburn!” Rockslide called out to no avail.
“Some vendors stay behind and drop their prices ta get rid of stock and right at the end, there is a huge firew-aaaarRGGHHHH!”
Braeburn had trotted right into one of the carts with such gusto he had managed to fall over it backward and send himself with the cart flying with him. No sooner did the yellow stallion flopped onto the ground did the cart tip over with a crash. “Oh shoot!” The cowpony rushed around. “Rock, Ah’m so sorry Ah didn’t see where…” His voice was cut off as he and the others got a good look at what spilled out.
With the canvas that covered it now opened, the contents of it confused him as the stones that fallen out, weren’t stones at all. When Braeburn picked up one of the rocks, not only did he find them to be incredibly light, but they turned out to be painted sponges made to look like rocks.
“Don’t look at me,” Rock said as he made him drop the flux stone. “I know that I didn’t put these on here.”
“Hold on here,” he turned to his coltfriend. “Rock, why is this here cart full of sponges? And what are those?” He pointed to the now exposed sacks that were toppled over.
Rock Slide, paused for a moment before replying: “Brae, Ah swear ta Celestia that Ah’ve never seen those bags before. They’re not mine or any of mah miners… Or at least… Ah don’t think so.”
Acrylic gasped. “Th-that’s the powder!!”
Braeburn turned to the artist in confusion. “What are ya takin’ about?”
“Look at those bags Braeburn! They have that blue color I saw. They’re filled with that powder! Open it up, quick!”
Fancy used his horn to lift a sack and tear a hole in it, spilling forth blue powder from the sack.
“Sweet Celestia! That powder there is enough ta light up half tha desert! Bucking ‘ell, Ah think we’ve just found the main supply.” The yellow stallion turned to his coltfriend. “Are ya absolutely sure ya didn’t know about any of this?” Rock shook his head.
“Braeburn… I think I know who did this…” Acrylic’s eyes widened. “Take me to the Sheriff, Brae! We’re going to the inn!”
The yellow stallion raised an eyebrow and looked back at Acrylic, “Don’t ch’ya think it’s not the best time fer a drink?”
Acrylic rolled his eyes and grabbed Braeburn by the hoof. “Come on!”
“Now hold on now,” the yellow cowpony stopped him, “somepony’s gotta stay behind to look after all of this.”
“Fancy, can you stay with Rock while we go get the sheriff?”
After telling him that he would, he and Braeburn galloped through the desert as dusk was creeping over the sky. The artist was at the front as they rode into town, towards the only sheriff’s office. Bursting in, the only one there was a board-looking stallion that was laid back in his wooden chair, his hind hooves kicked up on the desk.
“Are you the sheriff?” Acrylic questioned.
“Yeah?” he answered, “Somethin’ wrong?”
“Howdy sir,” Braeburn tipped his hat, “Ah’m afraid you’d might be needed to make an arrest.”
His hind hooves came down. “Why? What happened?”
“We’ve found a cart that has bags of Sky Salt.”
“And I think I know who might be the one selling them,” Acrylic added.
“Who?” Both stallions asked.
“The barpony at the inn.” He said.
The sheriff raised an eyebrow, “And what proof do ya have?”
“I questioned him last night about something I saw, about somepony having blue powder on the bottom of their hooves and he acted like I found out something that I wasn’t supposed to.”
“That’s a rather weak argument ta arrest someone.”
“Sir,” Braeburn spoke. “We did find a whole cart full of the drug so that’s evidence enough.”
He hummed before he walked behind the desk, “Tell ya fellas what, we’ll go over to the inn ta ask ‘em some questions. If he’s cleared, Ah’d let him go free. But if Ah has some justified reason ta believe that he is a drug dealer of sorts, only then will Ah arrest ‘em. And not a single second before Ah am certain.”