With a squealing of brakes and a hissing of steam, the afternoon train slid into the platform at Appleloosa Junction. The carriage doors opened and Deputy Braeburn hopped out, taking a deep breath of his hometown air.
“Welcome to Appleloosa, ponies!” he declared to his traveling companions as they disembarked. Rainbow Dash zipped out, taking in the sights with wide, admiring eyes.
“Haven’t been down here in a while,” Daring commented, looking around the town. Main Street stretched off to the horizon in both directions, the dirt road pounded flat by the many hooves and wheels that passed over it. Creatures passed to and fro, flitting in and out of the wooden stores that had been standing since the town was founded during the 1832 Macintosh Hills Gold Rush; the boardwalks creaked beneath the trampling hooves, paws, and talons. Drawn wagons still outnumbered the cars traveling up and down the streets. Hearth’s Warming decorations were still hanging in most windows and eaves, even though there was barely any snow to be seen in the desert.
“When did you come here?” Phillip asked.
“It was...during my time with the Family,” Daring admitted. “I was hired to steal some relics from the local buffalo tribe for a collector who couldn’t buy them for himself. When I turned myself in, I made sure that he was arrested and the relics returned.”
“Ah,” Phillip nodded. He slowly raised a hoof and reached out towards her.
“I’m over it,” she reassured him with a smile. “I just hope the buffalo have forgiven me.”
“Hope so too,” Phillip said.
“So what’s the plan?” Rainbow asked. “We find this spy and bring them in?”
“The best place to start is with figuring out what Boar One is,” Phillip stated. “Where are the buffalo tribes camped around here?”
“To the northwest of town,” Braeburn said. “It’s not that far, follow me.”
They proceeded up the walkway, passing other Appleloosan natives, many of whom greeted them warmly with a tipped hat and a “Howdy,” which Braeburn never failed to return.
Before long, they reached the edge of a massive grove of apple trees, stretching out as far as the eye could see. The branches of the trees were all bare of leaves, though a few workers were still milling about the orchard, performing winter maintenance.
“This grove borders the local tribe’s stampeding grounds,” Braeburn explained as they walked around the grove, passing through a gate. “The town’s founders made a deal with the tribe leaders to let them grow next to the grounds in exchange for part of the crop. You see where the tracks are?”
They saw them, thousands of overlapping buffalo tracks imprinted into the ground over generations, rushing past the grove.
“What’s so special about running over a path?” Rainbow wondered out loud.
“It’s their way of connecting to their past,” Daring explained. “They run across the same ground that their ancestors ran across as nomads, moving with the seasons. It's how they keep their identity as a tribe and honor their ancestors and the spirits.”
“Not unlike Aborigineigh songlines,” Phillip commented.
“Now, bear in mind, that’s sacred ground to them, so let’s walk alongside it,” Braeburn said. “The tribe’s camp is this way."
They proceeded up the path, walking parallel to the tracks. They soon left the orchard behind and were walking along grassy hills that rolled over the landscape in every direction, the peaks crowned by the remnants of the snow that had come for Hearth’s Warming.
Braeburn paused at the top of one hill to wipe off his brow and fan his face with his hat. “Not much farther,” he announced. “You’ll be able to see the teepees from the next hi--”
“Think fast, Deputy!” a brown figure shouted, bursting from the bush. The stallion barely had time to turn around before he was tackled to the ground.
“Oof!” Braeburn grunted, then grinned up at his attacker, who was currently hugging him around the neck. “Howdy, Strongheart!”
“Saw you coming from over the next hill,” the young buffalo cow with a single eagle feather in her blonde mane grinned down at him, then turned to smile at Braeburn’s companions. “Welcome, strangers,” she nodded to them. “I am Little Strongheart. What are your names?”
“Phillip Finder, Daring Do, and Rainbow Dash,” Phillip introduced them. “We’re here on a case.”
Little Strongheart’s face fell into a frown. “A case? Is there something wrong?”
“We’re looking for Boar One,” Rainbow Dash asked. “You know who that is?”
Strongheart tilted her head to the side in confusion. “We have no boars here.”
“Rainbow,” Phillip hissed before turning back to Strongheart. “We believe that there’s something or someone in your camp that might be in danger.”
The young buffalo’s reddish-brown eyes widened slightly, darting side to side in their sockets as she swallowed quietly.
“You know something, don’t you?” Phillip pressed.
Strongheart turned to Braeburn with a concerned frown.
“Strong, they’re good ponies,” Braeburn coaxed her. “And whoever this pony is, they might be in big trouble. We gotta help ‘em.”
Strongheart stared at the trio, then sighed and lowered her head. “C’mon,” she beckoned. “There’s somepony at the camp you should meet.”
As the group crested the next hill, they spotted their target about a half-mile ahead: a circular cluster of teepees and tents that spread over the sprawling plains, centered around a group of logs encircling a campfire. The scent of cooking oats and coffee wafted over to the group from the smoke. Buffalo, ranging in size from smaller than Little Strongheart to the size of a car, milled about the campgrounds.
Rainbow looked at the distance between them and the buffalo lands, then grinned at the others. “Race you there!” she declared and sprinted off in a cloud of dust.
“Hey!” Little Strongheart shouted, racing off after her in another dust cloud, leaving the others coughing and rubbing their eyes.
“Kids,” Daring grumbled, following at a quick trot.
Rainbow Dash pulled ahead of Little Strongheart as they neared the central campfire, but the buffalo bounded off a nearby drum and performed a forward flip over one of her larger companions, somersaulting to a halt next to the perimeter of logs just ahead of Rainbow. Several of the younger buffalo around them cheered and applauded this feat, prompting Little Strongheart to bow.
“Nice!” Rainbow Dash grinned at her, offering a hoofbump. “Where’d you learn to do that?”
“Lots and lots of practice,” Little Strongheart replied.
There was a chatter of voices among the buffalo as the intruders entered their grounds. Summoned by the noise, a massive dark brown buffalo with a huge headpiece of feathers emerged from his tent, apprising his visitors.
“Chief Thunderhooves, sir,” Braeburn greeted him, doffing his hat respectfully.
“Deputy Braeburn,” the buffalo chief nodded to the deputy before turning to the other ponies. “Strangers. You are welcome to our la--YOU!” he suddenly shouted, whirling on Daring Do with a furious recognition burning in his eyes. That same recognition suddenly flared in the eyes of several of the older buffalo, who all glared at Daring. Weapons were suddenly displayed, from native clubs and tomahawks to old but well-tended shotguns and carbines.
“Come to steal from us again, thief?” Thunderhooves spat, lowering his head threateningly.
Phillip started to step in front of his wife, but Daring Do stepped forward to face her accusers.
“What?!” Rainbow Dash shouted, whirling to face the chief. “She’s not a thief anymore! We--”
“Rainbow. It’s okay,” Daring cut her off.
She faced the burning coals that were Chief Thunderhooves’ eyes, swallowed back her fear, then dropped to a crouch, placing her forehead against the cold ground.
“Tēnétkē Ellv’ksv, Chief of the Buffalo,” she declared. “My decision to steal your tribe’s relics was born of youthful arrogance and greed; it is one of many mistakes that I would take back in a heartbeat if I could, which is why I arranged for them to be returned to you. I do not expect nor ask for your forgiveness. But I believe that you and your people may be in danger. Please, give my friends and me enough trust to get to the bottom of whatever may be happening, and then we will leave and trouble you no more.”
There was a brief murmur among the tribe around them, notes of disbelief and concern amidst the symphony of the native tongue.
“And what danger is this?” Thunderhooves asked imperiously.
“Deputy Braeburn intercepted a message sent by a pony that we believe was, or is, a spy for Sombra and his forces,” Daring explained, keeping her head lowered. “We think that they discovered something that your tribe has. And they want it for themselves.”
The buffalos all went completely silent, exchanging glances.
Chief Thunderhooves snorted, continuing to glare down at Daring. Little Strongheart sidled up to him and began to whisper in his ear; the observing ponies noted that the younger buffalo was just barely the size of the chief’s head.
Chief Thunderhooves glanced at Little Strongheart, who gave him a firm though imploring gaze. The great buffalo sighed.
“Very well,” he said flatly. “Do what you need to do to protect our tribe. You will be accompanied at all times while you are here.”
“Thank you, Chief,” Daring said, rising.
Little Strongheart briefly conversed with another buffalo in her native language; the other buffalo shook her head and replied, pointing to the hills to the north.
“Follow me,” Little Strongheart said to the ponies, leading them away from the camp.
As Daring moved to follow, she glanced behind her to see two older buffalo fall into step behind them, both of them armed with shotguns. She sighed to herself, though she silently conceded that she couldn’t blame the buffalo for not trusting her.
Still, she felt a pang of old, forgotten pain as they continued on, exiting the camp under the close watch of their guides.
Little Strongheart guided them to the top of a particularly large hill far to the north. The lowering sun painted the grasses in shades of gold and orange, dancing in a quiet southerly wind.
“These two ponies came to us a year ago,” she explained to her guests. “They said that they were travelers studying magic and history, moving from place to place. We allowed them to stay since then; they’re very helpful around the camp, but they almost never stray far. If they ever go into town, they always disguise themselves.”
“Who are they?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Where did they come from?”
“You’ll meet them soon,” the younger buffalo replied.
As they crested the hill, Little Strongheart frowned as she looked around. Laying on the ground were two kites, hastily dropped with their strings trawling across the ground; one was roughly bird-shaped and covered in purple fabric, while the other was a vivid red and shaped like a butterfly’s wings.
“Starlight! Tempest!” she called out, looking around.
There was no answer save the whisper of reeds in the wind.
“It’s okay, these ponies are friends!” Little Strongheart continued, looking around as Phillip bent down close to the ground, studying the trampled grass and hoofprints. “They just want to talk to you!”
There was still no answer.
“Starlight, we think somepony found you!” Strongheart pressed. “You might be in danger! Please come out and talk to us!”
Phillip frowned at the ground, then turned towards the east. He proceeded down the slope to a small grove of trees, where he paused, staring into the branches.
“Cinghiale uno,” he said out loud. “We’re here to help, I swear.”
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the air in front of him shimmered, turquoise waves of magic dancing through the air. Two unicorns appeared as the invisibility spell faded away.
One was a small, light purple mare with a two-toned purple mane. Her violet eyes stared at the detective with a mixture of fear and suspicion as she hugged her coat tight to her body.
Her taller companion had a dark orchid coat and a long rose-colored mane. Her icy opal eyes glared at the strangers, flicking to each one of the ponies as if calculating distance and trajectory. The coat around her body was partially opened to reveal the black armor beneath it; Daring’s eyes went to the tomahawk on her belt.
Then they went to the scar over her right eye and the fractured horn on the larger mare’s head, blue sparks dancing around the broken stump. Recognition flared through her mind; she’d seen the mare before, splashed in black and white across a newspaper page. In the picture, she’d been wearing the uniform of a Crystal Army Colonel and her mane had been cut into a severe mohawk.
“Whoa,” Rainbow Dash breathed, staring at the broken horn. “Badass!”
The tall mare glared at Rainbow. Daring sharply nudged her protege, who nodded and closed her mouth with an audible clop.
“I take it you know who I am, Detective Finder?” the mare with the broken horn asked Phillip icily.
“Colonel Tempest Shadow,” Phillip said calmly. “Youngest Captain in the Crystal Gendarmerie’s history. Made Colonel in winter of 1942 after the Siege of Cloudsdale. Disappeared late 1943. I always wondered why; knew you hadn’t died, it would’ve been bonzer news for our side.”
She smiled without warmth. “Your reputation clearly was not exaggerated, Detective,” she stated with just a hint of sarcasm.
“And you must be another defector,” Phillip said, turning to the smaller mare.
“How did you see us?” the pink unicorn demanded, a tinge of a Crystalline accent around the edges of her voice. “I erased our hoofprints down the hill.”
“A blank space of hoofprints amidst all the other tracks,” Phillip said. “Like an arrow pointing right at you.”
“Who are you?” Daring asked.
The pink unicorn took a breath to settle herself, then planted a false grin on her face. “Doctor Starlight Glimmer, Doctor of Theoretical Magic. But I think you know me as ‘Boar One,’” she said, punctuating her sentence with a nervous laugh. “That’s what they called me after I defected. She's Boar Three,” she added, nodding at Tempest.
“Why?” Rainbow Dash pressed.
“Who found us?” Tempest asked, ignoring Rainbow’s question.
“Deputy Braeburn intercepted a radio message Hearth's Warming Eve,” Daring said. “It was encoded. It said that Boar One was in Appleloosa with the buffalo.”
Starlight’s face went pale, her eyes widening. “Hearth's Warming Eve…? That was when--” She started gasping for air, her knees trembling as she hyperventilated.
“When you went into the general store to get the fabric for this,” Tempest said coolly, giving a glance at the purple bird-shaped kite. She gave the smaller unicorn a cold glare. “Seven years of being cautious, Starlight. Thrown away for a gift.”
Starlight recovered enough to glare at her. “I just...I just wanted to do something nice for Hearth’s Warming! You’re always on and on about how we have to be safe and hide from everypony! I’m sick of hiding and running!”
“I have kept us alive!” Tempest snapped back.
“This hasn’t been living!” Starlight shouted back. “It’s just been surviving!”
“There’s no point in gifts if we aren’t alive to enjoy them!” Tempest replied through her teeth, sparks shooting from her horn like a miniature meteor display as she strode up the hill, her interrogators forgotten. “The one time you didn’t listen to me and look what happened!”
“Well, how was I supposed to know that there was a spy in Appleloosa?!” Starlight protested, following behind her.
“You have to assume that there are spies everywhere!” Tempest answered. “If you had remembered that and hadn’t wasted your time on trinkets, we wouldn’t be in this mess!” She punctuated her sentence by raising a hoof and bringing it down on the ground like a hammer.
With a sharp crack, the kite snapped into pieces. It lay pathetically on the ground, the fabric fluttering feebly in the wind.
Starlight’s jaw dropped as she stared at her ruined craft. She slowly looked up at Tempest, tears shimmering in her eyes.
The anger on Tempest’s countenance evaporated in a heartbeat, replaced by numb horror. “Starlight,” she whispered. “Starlight, I didn’t mean--”
Starlight choked, then turned and ran away, her sobs carried on the wind. “Starlight!” Tempest called after her, starting to give chase, only to be stopped by Little Strongheart’s hoof.
“I’ll go talk to her,” she said, trotting after Starlight. Tempest started to say something, then hung her head with a sigh.
The intruders all glanced at each other as Tempest gathered up the kites, studying the broken one with a frown.
“Maybe it’s best if we head into town and start asking some questions,” Braeburn suggested.
“Aces,” Phillip said flatly, already turning to leave.
The two buffalo escorts guided them back south towards town. As they left, Daring looked back over her shoulder.
The broken unicorn was still staring after where her friend had gone, the broken kite dangling from one hoof.
The spy lowered their binoculars with a frown.
On the upside, they confirmed that both of the traitors were there, and got some useful intel on the area.
On the downside, those two detectives were here. The ones that killed Zugzwang. The ones who had fought the Doctor and lived. Who had stolen back the Kyaltratek. Anypony with that kind of power needed to be watched carefully.
How did they...fuck. Somehow they must’ve overheard the radio message. The master wouldn’t be happy about that. He might...
They took a breath to calm their nerves. No. They hadn’t failed yet.
And they knew better than to take any more risks. They’d wait until tonight, when the Doctor came in, to make a plan.
If all went well, the master would have two of his most valued prizes back. And two of his most dangerous enemies out of the way.