Chapter 1: Welcome to Paradise
A cloud of dust rose from the desert floor, grains of sand lit orange by the fading light of the setting sun as the four massive stallions tore through the desert at a steady pace, grunts of exertion mingling with the sound of their hooves and the rumbling of the train cars they pulled as they made their way down the long, thin line of steel, wood and stone cut by the railroad tracks.
As the cars they pulled rattled and shook, an onlooker might, for a brief moment, notice one of the cars was rocking improperly; out of synch with the rest of its fellows in a display of raw defiance of physics. However, if they were to look inside, an explanation would be quickly forthcoming.
“Ooh! There’s one! Ooh, there’s another! There’s one! And another! And another! And anotherandanotherandanotherandanother!” The bright pink earth pony zipped back and forth between the windows of the car at an impressive pace, pointing out the windows with the pure, excited glee of a six year old filly on Hearth’s Warming Day. The rest of the car’s occupants, a collection of brightly coloured mares of all races, appeared to be attempting to make one of their number, a cyan pegasus with a multichromatic mane and a guilty grin, catch fire with their minds.
She chuckled a bit sheepishly, scratching the back of her head with a hoof, wilting under the stares of six of her companions. “Oh, come on, guys... How was I supposed to know she’d do it out loud?”
“It’s Pinkie Pie.”
“Well, maybe, but-”
“Come on, I just-”
“It’s Pinkie Pie.”
“Well, I... Uh... It just... I mean...” She sighed. “Okay, I should have seen this coming.” With a second, louder sigh, she dragged herself from a sitting position and laboriously trudged down the aisle towards the bouncing pink blur. “Hey, uh... Pinkie?”
“Yeah, Dashie?” The giggly pink nightmare in question paused in her mad rush from window to window to regard her friend.
“Look, maybe playing ‘Spot the grain of sand’ wasn’t the best idea... Let’s find something else to do, ok? Maybe we can-WOAH!” Rainbow Dash tumbled backwards as she was tackled, rolling backwards in a blur of blue and hot pink, landing with a thud, her giggling friend sitting on her chest.
“Ooh, like what? Maybe we can play cards, or we can go and check out the other cars, or we can go find something to eat, or we can-mmph!” Taken momentarily aback, Pinkie crossed her eyes, examining the hoof that was suddenly preventing her from speaking.
Applejack sighed. “Now, Pinkie. Ah’m gonna move mah hoof. When Ah do, yer gonna be nice’n quiet. We clear?” Mollified, Pinkie nodded. “Alrighty then.” Removing the hoof, she sat back in her bunk. “There we go. All quiet-like.”
Pinkie giggled a bit, helping Rainbow to her hooves. “Sorry girls... I’m just so excited! I just can’t *WAIT* to go back! There’s so much I want to there! I-” she paused, casting a glance towards the irritated cowpony giving her a bit of a look. “Sorry.” She giggled again. “I just can’t wait! I can’t decide what to do first! OOH! That’s what we can do, Dashie! Let’s make a list of all the stuff we can do in Appleloosa! And then we can make a list of all the stuff we CAN’T do, just so we’ll know what we can do when we get home!” As she darted back to her own bed, fishing about in a balloon-emblazoned saddlebag , she was halted by a stern reprimand.
“Pinkie.” Twilight fixed her with a reproachful stare. “We’re not going to Appleloosa for a vacation, you know that. We’ve got something important to do. You can play around after we’ve gotten everything settled. Ok?”
Pinkie sighed, pulling her head out of her bags. “Ok, Twilight...” With a bit of a yawn, she curled up in her bunk. “You’re right. This IS important. She needs our help, and any Pinkie that puts having fun in front of helping a friend is no Pinkie of mine! Besides, I need to get my rest. Need to be ready for tomorrow! I’ve got it this time, I know it!” She giggled. “There’s no way they won’t like it this time!” She sat upright, lifting herself onto her forelegs. “Hmm, maybe... Hey, do you guys want to hear it again? Maybe I should practice-”
Placing a comforting hoof on her shoulder, Rarity gave her a warm smile. “Pinkie, darling. We’ve all heard your new song several times. We absolutely love it, and I’m sure they will, too.”
Giggling a little, Pinkie settled back down. “I’m glad you all love it so much! I mean, at first I thought you guys might have got tired after the second or the third or the fifth or the eighth time I sang it today but I’ve GOT to practice it I mean I don’t usually write my songs beforehand but they really really HATED the last one I think they’re the first ponies who hated one of my songs so I had to make super duper mega ultra sure that they liked this one so I wrote it all down beforehand so I could be sure they’d like it because I let them all down because I couldn’t come up with a good enough song last time but now this time I just KNOW they’ll love it!” She paused again, thinking a moment. “Hmm... Maybe I should sing it again, just to practice!”
Opening her mouth and taking a deep breath, she was promptly silenced by a chorus of protest. Freezing in place, she seemed almost like an ice sculpture, liable to shatter if not treated with the greatest care. “...Don’t... Don’t you like my song?” Her voice quivered, her eyes wide as her usual bubbly demeanour deserted her.
Hurriedly, Rarity wracked her brain, searching for a way to simultaneously let her pink friend down easily, yet simultaneously defend her poor eardrums from yet another rendition of ‘You Gotta Share 2: Share Harder’. “Oh, of course we like your song, dear! We positively love it! And that’s exactly why we don’t want you to sing it again. We just feel that it would be simply horrid if you were to strain your voice! You don’t want to render yourself unable to sing your lovely song for them, do you?” Horrorstruck, Pinkie promptly clamped both hooves over her muzzle, like a foal refusing to eat her vegetables, and dove beneath her covers.
“Well, Ah’m glad we cleared that up... But she’s right, y’all. We ain’t headed down there for a party. Now come on... we’d best be gettin’ some rest. Big day tomorrow.” Applejack indicated the bunks surrounding them, coupled with several meaningful looks flashed to her friends. Amid noises of agreement, the seven mares readied themselves for bed, climbing into their bunks. Soon, the lamps in the car were extinguished, only the light of the rising moon, worming its way through slight gaps in the drawn curtains, to illuminate the fast approaching night.
All snuggled up in bed, Twilight Sparkle was fast slipping into sleep’s welcoming embrace when a soft voice from the bunk below hers tugged her back into wakefulness.
“...Twilight?” The unicorn in question groaned slightly, yawning.
“Mhm?”
“...you asleep?” The sound of hoof meeting forehead was audible. “...sorry...stupid question...” Twilight sighed, rolling over to peer over the side. Meeting her eyes were those of a shy young unicorn, the reason for their journey.
“Don’t worry about it... How are you feeling? Tomorrow’s a big day for you.” The mare below her sighed, curling up and drawing her blankets close about herself.
“It is... I...” she took a deep breath. “...I’m scared... I know it’s for the best, and I know you’ll come visit, and I know I really don’t have many other options, at least there I know there are some ponies who’ll help me but-” She fell silent, wrapped in a gentle but heartfelt hug.
“It’s ok... I know you’re scared, this is a big change for you... I’m sorry we can’t stay to help you settle in, but-” It was Twilight’s turn, it seemed, to
“No, no, please... I know that you all have important things to do. I can’t expect you all to drop everything and stay in Appleloosa for a few weeks.” She sighed, the sigh turning to a yawn even as it passed her lips. “It’s been a long day... We should get some rest.” She laughed a little, noting the look on Twilight’s face, and cutting her off. “I’ll be fine, I promise.”
With a bit of a laugh, Twilight once again climbed the ladder to her bunk. “Alright... Just remember. If you want to talk tonight, don’t be afraid to wake me up. I know that the Equestrian Surgeon General recommends at least six hours of sleep per pony over the age of fifteen, so if you happen to wake me up, we should still get enough sleep to function properly tomorrow, unless the time exceeds three hours, in which case-” The tail end of her sentence was cut off by a barrage of pillows, flung from several bunks. “Ok, ok! I’m going to bed, sheesh! Just don’t blame me if you all- Gah! Ok, I’m going, I’m going!” Ducking under another barrage of puffy white missiles and sliding under her covers, Twilight curled up once again, closing her eyes and softly drifting away to dreamland.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight awoke with a jerk, eyes snapping open at the sudden jolt that rocked the carriage. “Come on, sleepyhead, we’re here!” With a yawn, Twilight shook her head, knocking the last vestiges of sleep from her brain. Hopping out of her bunk, she noticed that all of her friends, save one, were already preparing to disembark, fitting the last of their belongings into their saddlebags. With a sigh, she nudged the lump buried beneath the covers. “Come on... It’s time to go.” When there was no response, Twilight took the obvious next step, which was to magically whisk the blankets from the bed.
As she pulled the blankets from the bed, she paused, momentarily confused by the empty bed beneath them. After a moment of thought, she brought a hoof to her forehead, massaging her temples with a sigh. It was far too early in the morning for this. Bringing the blanket overtop of the bunk once more, she gave it a thorough shake, sending a green form tumbling out of the suspended duvet. Twilight sighed, giving the disgruntled lump an affectionate nuzzle.
“Come on, now... It’s time to go. You don’t want to stay on the train, it’ll go back with you still on it.”
“Good.” Movement slowed in the car as its occupants took note of the exchange.
Twilight closed her eyes, sighing. “Misty... Come on, now... Please... Please don’t...” With a quiet sigh, the veridian unicorn climbed out of the bed, brushing her striking cerulean mane from her eyes, and enveloped Twilight in a tired hug.
“...I’m sorry... I know this is just as hard for all of you as it is for me... I... I shouldn’t-!” Misty fell silent, suddenly wrapped in five more hugs as her friends abandoned their bags on their bunks and turned their attention to the two unicorns.
“Nah, sugarcube... Don’t be sorry... Just... Just remember we’ll miss ya plenty, alright?” Applejack smiled softly, doing her best to remain dry eyed. Misty nodded, beginning to tear up a little herself.
“Come on, girls! This isn’t the time for goodbyes! That’s at the goodbye party! And that’s after the ‘Welcome to your new home’ party! We’ve got a lot of partying to do before you can even *THINK* about being sad!” Pinkie’s antics never failed to draw at least a chuckle from her assembled friends.
Wrapping her friends in a big bear hug, Rainbow Dash gave Misty a quick nuzzle, smiling encouragingly. “Yeah, come on, guys. Besides, it’s not like this is goodbye goodbye or anything! We’ll TOTALLY come visit! And we’ll send letters and junk, too! We’ll be a lot closer than you think. And it’s like Pinkie said, we’ll have time for all the mushy stuff later.”
Misty nodded resolutely. “You’re right, Rainbow... Come on, girls. Let’s go. We’ll have plenty of time for all that later. Appleloosa awaits!” Renewed, the seven mares packed their bags and made their way off the train into the station beyond. It was a slightly rickety building, the paint on the wood beginning to fade slightly. Being one of the first buildings built during Appleloosa’s establishment and colonization, it was beginning to show its age, especially considering its slapdash construction. Applejack closed her eyes, breathing in the familiar scents of dust, sweat, steel and apples that the town exuded like a haze. Opening them again, she proceeded to scan the dusty street for...
“Aha, there you are!” Breaking from the group, Applejack rushed forward, closing in on the young stallion that she’d spotted. Upon seeing her, a broad grin spread across his face, and he ran to meet her, embracing one another as they met. “Braeburn! It’s sure as sugar good to see you again, cuz!”
“Sure is, cousin Applejack! It’s been too long! And your friends, too!” Releasing Applejack from the rib-crushing hug he’d wrapped her in, he addressed the assembled group. “It’s fantastic to see y’all again! We still owe y’all a great deal’a thanks fer all the help with the whole buffalo situation.” As he spoke, his eyes travelled across the group before resting on Misty, who had firmly ensconced herself behind Twilight and Rainbow Dash, trying as hard as she could to avoid being noticed. Braeburn glanced at Applejack, who nodded once in confirmation.
Approaching with an almost uncharacteristic gentleness, he gave her a warm smile. “Hey there, darlin’. Ah’m Braeburn. It’s a pleasure ta meet you. Applejack told me in her letter that y’all are movin’ out here?”
Nodding quietly, Misty coughed slightly. “Thank you... And yes, yes I am. Moving, I mean. Out here. I-” Misty sighed, bringing a hoof to her forehead in irritation with herself. “I’m sorry... I’m a little ‘off’ today, I’m just... Dealing with a lot, right now...”
Braeburn chuckled, shaking his head a little. “Don’t you worry yerself, ma’am. Applejack’s told me everything. And I do mean everything.” At these words, Misty’s head shot up, making frantic eye contact with the farmer. Her fears confirmed with another quiet nod, she began to back away, only to be stopped by Twilight’s comforting hoof on her shoulder. Braeburn chuckled again. “Come now, darlin’... If’n I cared even slightly ‘bout what’s gone on, Ah’d have long since mentioned it. Yer out here ta start over, an’ I’m here to do everythin’ I can ta help you.”
Mollified slightly, Misty relaxed with a little sigh. “Sorry... I... I’m just a little bit paranoid.”
Braeburn laughed, giving her a friendly smile. “If’n half of what mah cousin’s told me’s true, you’ve got every right to be. Just you remember, though... These are good folks ‘round here, an’ you’ve got nothin’ ta be afraid of. Now... Is there a name to go with that pretty face, or am I just s’posed to make one up?”
With a bit of a laugh, she brushed the mane from her eyes yet again and gave him a small smile. “Misty. Misty Veil.” taking Braeburn’s offered hoof, she shook it gently.
A broad grin spread across his face, and he let out a laugh. “Well now, Misty Misty Veil, allow me to be the first to welcome you...” rearing up on his hind legs, he took a deep breath, only to find a hoof blocking his mouth, and a rather unamused Applejack giving him a flat stare.
“Braeburn. We’re family. That means more’n just about anythin’ ta me. If the need arose, Ah would die for you. However. If you yell ‘Appleloosa’ one more time, I swear to Celestia I will discipline you. Are we clear?”
Pacified, Braeburn settled back down, amid quiet laughter. “Well... Sorry ‘bout that... At any rate, welcome ta Appleloosa. Ah’m sure that you’ll fit right in here. Come on, Ah’ll give y’all the grand tour. Again!” Lowering his head, he placed himself behind the group, and pushed them along, off the station platform and out into the dusty street.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“An’ this here’s the local waterin’ hole, the Salt Block!” With a grin, Braeburn indicated the building in front of the tired and hungry group, a medium sized saloon, its sign emblazoned with the image of a salt shaker. “Ain’t she a beaut? Best grub in town! Say, y’all haven’t had a bite ta eat yet, what’dya say we head in and get some break-” Braeburn paused, noticing the dust clouds that billowed where his cousin and her friends had once stood. “...-fast. Ah’ll take that as a yes.” He chuckled to himself, shaking his head, before following them inside.
Inside the already bustling saloon, it seemed the girls had already found themselves a table, and were laughing and joking with one another. Taking a seat, Braeburn laughed. “Makin’ yerselves right at home now, ain’cha? Good, ‘s about time. Any thoughts on what y’all might be wantin’ fer breakfast? My treat.” At these words, the eyes of the assembled mares grew wide, and they all shifted slightly away from Pinkie Pie, whose grin was currently spreading wider than physics declared it had any right to. Braeburn tilted his head curiously. “What’s wrong?” Catching their pointed stares at Pinkie, he chuckled. “Ah, Ah get it. Y’all’re worried Ah don’t have enough coin on me ta sate her appetite. Now, don’t you worry one bit, Ah got this. ‘sides, how much could she eat?”
Several dozen plates of food later, Braeburn was involved rather deeply in a debate with himself on why, exactly, he felt a deep, pressing need to always open his big mouth and challenge fate.
Applejack laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. “Well, cuz, somethin’ tells me that y’all weren’t quite expectin’ a hungry Pinkie Pie... but don’t you worry. We got enough in our emergency ‘Feed Pinkie’ fund ta take care of it.” Sharing a bit of a laugh, the two conversed a while longer, catching up on the news from their respective towns.
“Well now, y’all sure can put it away. If’n you all are ready, we might as well make our way to the last stop on our tour, Miss Misty’s new home sweet home.”
At these words, Misty sighed a little, closing her eyes, but then opened them with a small smile. “I’d like that...” Lifting a hoof, she raised her mug, holding it out to her friends. “To new beginnings.” With a smile, her friends joined her in the toast.
“To new be-”
“HOLY HAYSEED, IT’S HIM!” As the shout echoed throughout the saloon, the patrons of the saloon flocked to the windows, jostling for position as each fought to get a glimpse of the street beyond. As the mares turned to Braeburn, hoping for some sort of explanation, they found his chair empty. A closer examination of the crowd at the window revealed that he was pressed right up at the front, doing his best to get a glimpse of the street. With an annoyed sound, Applejack fished about in her saddlebag a moment, extricating a length of rope. With a practiced flick of her neck, she cast the lasso, neatly snaring Braeburn’s tail. Several seconds later, the stallion found himself facedown beside the table.
Fixing her cousin with a stern gaze, Applejack quickly stowed her rope.“Now, if’n it wouldn’t be too much trouble, would ya mind fillin’ us in on what in the hay is goin’ on? Who’s ‘He’?”
Braeburn picked himself up, sighing, and returned to his seat, taking a long drink of his coffee. “Right, right... Ah s’pose it ain’t fair ta keep y’all in suspense... Now... Do ya remember how, in mah last letter, Ah told you ‘bout some trouble they’d had a few miles west’a here?”
Applejack paused, thinking, before digging about in her bag, coming up with a piece of slightly crumpled paper.. “Ah do recall... Somethin’ about a bank heist?”
Braeburn nodded. “Right... Two stallions knocked over a bank down in Brayston... Killed four ponies, one ‘a them a filly not even outta her teens.” He paused a moment at the shocked gasps.
“Woah woah, what do you mean, ‘knocked over’? You mean somepony robbed a bank? In Equestria? No way! You seriously expect us to believe that somepony killed somepony else just for a stinking pile of bits?” Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs. “Nuh uh, stuff like that doesn’t happen!”
Braeburn sighed, taking another sip from his already empty mug. Twilight lifted a nearby coffeepot, filling the cup again, although he barely took notice. “Thanks... But Ah’m afraid yer wrong on that. Maybe that sorta thing don’t happen back where y’all are from, but... It’s a different world out in these parts, a hard one... Ponies’ll do things that y’all would never consider possible.” He shook his head. “It’s a hard land, with hard ponies livin’ in her.” He paused again, allowing those at the table to digest what he’d said. “At any rate... Couple’a stallions knocked over a bank, killed four ponies and ran fer it. Now-” He fell silent as he was again interrupted.
Rarity paused a moment, glancing between the crowd at the windows and Braeburn. “Wait, wait wait wait. Are you telling us that those ruffians are in this town? This one? Right out there? In that street?”
Again, Braeburn sighed. “Please, Miss Rarity, let me finish.” After a slight apology, he continued his tale. “About a week back, a pony came through town. He was askin’ after ‘em. Well, we sold him some supplies an’ sent him on his way with all the information the sheriff had on ‘em... Can’t say-”
“Wait, are you telling us you just sent their friend after them to help them out? Dude, SO not cool!”
“May ah PLEASE finish mah story, Miss Dash? Please?” Taking a moment in silence to make sure that the mares would, in fact, allow him to finish. “Thank you. Now... He weren’t no friend ‘a theirs... He was a bounty hunter, somepony who hunts down outlaws fer the reward money. An’ he’s just turned up back in town, so it seems. Alone.”
Pinkie frowned a little, disappointment written across her face. “Awww... He couldn’t find them... He must be so sad! OH! We should throw him a ‘Sorry you didn’t find the baddies’ party! We can h-mmph!” Pinkie stopped mid sentence, considering the cupcake that she suddenly found its way into her mouth.
Twilight grinned sheepishly, shrugging a little. “Emergency Pinkie stash.”
Braeburn held his head in his hooves, mentally counting the seconds until the conversation would be over. “Right... Anyways, though... This fella got himself a reputation. He don’t come back alone. Ever.”
Twilight tilted her head curiously. “But... You just said he was alone... If he has such a reputation, why would he be back if he hadn’t succeeded?”
“...I believe he did succeed, Miss Twilight.”
The mares looked at each other, confusion apparent on their faces. Surprisingly, it was Fluttershy, of all ponies, who spoke. “But... um... If, If he did... where are they?”
Braeburn raised a hoof, bringing it slowly across his neck in an all too familiar pantomime that had the seven mares gasping in horror.
“...You’re telling us that he... he...” Braeburn’s nod was all it took to send the mares flying from their seats, pressing their noses against the glass. From their perspective, they had a clear view of the scene before them. Across the street, the friends watched as a stallion they recognized as sheriff Silverstar, accompanied by several of his deputies, speaking with a strange figure.
He was an earth pony, they surmised; It was impossible to make out either wings or a horn due to the long duster and the wide brimmed hat that hid his face. As they watched, the pony passed the sheriff two large, bulging sacks. Opening the first one, the sheriff dipped a foreleg inside, pulling out a hoofful of bits. Nodding, he closed the bag and passed it backwards to a deputy standing behind him.
Applejack pointed. “That must be all’a the money them stallions stole!”
As they continued to watch, the stallion passed the sheriff the second bag.
Dash’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Wait, if that one’s the money, what’s in that one?” As they watched, the sheriff opened the second bag, he peeked inside, before pulling his head back immediately, disgust etched across his face. Shaking his head, he passed it back to a second deputy, who held it gingerly as far away from himself as he could manage. Silverstar gestured to a third deputy, who brought forth another, smaller sack, which he presented to the stallion. Tipping his hat, the stallion then turned away, making his way across the street.
Towards the saloon.
“...He’s coming this way, isn’t he?” For a brief moment, there was dead silence. Every single patron could hear the slow drip-drip of the coffeepot behind the bar counter. Only for a moment, though. Within seconds, the entire saloon exploded into motion, mares and stallions scrambling to return to their seats. As the last pony made it to their seat, the double doors swung open.
The slow clop of large hooves hitting wooden boards at an easy, unhurried pace echoed throughout the saloon as their owner made his way to the bar. Not a single pair of eyes moved from their drinks, as if the sheer act of pretending he wasn’t there would remove the stallion from her midst. Well, maybe a single pair of eyes moved.
“Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie! What’s your name?”
~To Be Continued~