//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 - Act As If Fighting Bees // Story: Outlaw Mares 1: A Hoof Full of Trixie // by Digodragon //------------------------------// It was a cloudy mid-morning day, but despite the overcast sky it remained unusually warm. A gentle breeze casually walked through the little town of Saddlestone with a colossal thunderhead that loomed on the horizon. The storm gave off the scent of ozone as a threat to parade rain upon the town by lunch time. Trixie, Ellie, and Cheryl were all sore from last night’s exploits and felt slow this morning due to a few hours of missed sleep. They capitalized on the morning’s breeze as they sat under the shady front porch of Ellie’s house to relax. Cheryl napped lazily under the shade with her slouch hat over her face. Beside her were an empty tin cup and half a bottle of brandy that she purchased from the Cactus Gulp saloon. Trixie lied sideways on a rocking chair next to Cheryl. One of the rocks stolen from last night’s raid magically rotated in front of the Unicorn’s eyes. Trixie tried to decipher the varying patterns of scratched lines on the stones, but despite her nagging suspicions, nothing came to mind from her travels. Ellie sat beside the front door, playing lazily with the moss she had pulled off of the rocks. The Pegasus had no clues to the meaning of the plant. However, it had inspired her to build a new contraption that would allow her to shoot a hooked rope over a wall. The trouble was that she needed a way to coil the rope quickly after its use. Ellie hoped that if she played more with the moss, another inspiration would surface. Lisa slowly stepped out of the house and secured a saddlebag around her waist. It was the first time Trixie saw Ellie’s mother without the blindfold on. The Unicorn clearly saw that the older mare had milky-gray clouds behind her dull green eyes. “I’ll be off to the general store for more food gals,” Lisa stated. “Do you all need anything?” “No thanks,” Trixie responded absently. Cheryl grunted out a “No”. Ellie stood up. “Let me walk you over to the store,” the Pegasus offered. “I’ll be fine, Ellie,” Lisa countered. “I’ve been walking myself to the store for years now. You just relax here with your friends like a good host and I’ll be back in two shakes of a polecat’s tail.” Ellie sat back down and tugged at the ends of the moss ball. She watched as her mother carefully stepped off the porch and walked down to the town center. After Lisa was out of earshot, Trixie cleared her throat and asked Ellie a question. “How long has your mother been… you know, blind?” “For quite a few years if I’m remembering right,” Ellie answered after a pause. “It was a slow loss over time. The doc said it was some kind of inherited eye disease and that there isn’t a cure in Equestria for it. Ma learned to live it, but she will claim that she can still pick out shapes in the daylight. I worry about her all the same though.” “Perfectly understandable,” Trixie agreed. Ellie let out a soft sigh and changed the subject. “So what did you figure out with those rocks? Did you find another clue to the puzzle?” “Nothing yet,” Trixie grumbled as the levitated rock began to float above her nose. “However, our adventure wasn’t a complete waste of time. I am quite certain that the mining company unearthed a ruin of some sort. I just can’t fathom anything beyond that. I don’t suppose the moss means anything to you, Ellie?” Ellie tossed the moss to the side. “No, I’m not an expert at plants,” the uninspired Pegasus answered. “I thought you were the smart one?” Cheryl muttered from under her hat. “If this were something mechanical I’d have it figured out,” Ellie explained, “Even basic metals would be something I could work with if I got Iggy over to help me. Moss though? I mean what’s there to know about it? It’s green, icky, and I don’t know.” The Pegasus snorted and picked up two random gears from a pile of parts beside her, turning the gear over in her hooves as her inspiration did indeed return. “What about you, Cheryl? You got any ideas?” the Pegasus asked. “Yup,” Cheryl responded without inflection, “I say you two come pour yourselves a couple of drinks and loosen up from being all flustered over these here useless clues.” Trixie tossed the floating rock at Cheryl’s head. It bounced harmlessly off her hat. “Fat lot of help you are, pink puff,” the unicorn scorned. “Point proven,” Cheryl retorted dryly. Trixie stretched in the rocking chair and flicked her tail at a buzzing fly. “I hope Iggy will be alright,” she said lazily. “He seemed acutely agitated from seeing those creatures, and we did get him home rather late.” “His ma seemed understanding enough,” Ellie added optimistically. “Don’t know about his pa since he wasn’t home yet.” “Works at the mines, right?” Trixie asked. “It might be a good idea to butter him up since my next plan will be to go rummaging through that place.” “Brilliant, our crime spree continues,” Ellie mocked playfully. “I hear the mining company recently got a fancy new drill that runs on a steam engine. I’d love to see that thing in action! I bet it cuts like a knife through butter.” Ellie giggled at the thought of interacting with such a powerful machine. “Calm your wings,” Cheryl half-heartedly warned. “You’re going to make all the boys jealous.” Trixie magically picked up the rock she threw a moment earlier and floated it back over to herself. She needed access to a library, one that had books on old cultures. Trixie was sure she could decipher the marks then and glean information on what the rocks were from. The blue Unicorn blinked when something on the horizon appeared out of the corner of her eye. She slowly tilted her head upright and the details became clear then that it was Deputy Valiant, Lulu, and two zebra rail workers approaching her. Trixie quickly hid the rock in one of her saddle-belt pockets. “Trixie Lulamoon,” Valiant called out sternly. Trixie’s heart skipped a beat and she bolted upright in the chair. When someone of authority called Trixie out by her full name, it was never for an autograph. Ellie quickly sat up as well to follow Trixie’s lead, but Cheryl remained in her relaxed position. The pink-mane pony only tilted her hat back to see the approaching posse. “Good morning Valiant, Lulu, esteemed workers,” Trixie greeted calmly. “Restrain your false pretenses, Ms. Lulamoon!” Lulu scolded in her husky voice. “My warehouse was assailed last night and the guards identified that this time it was by pony folk.” “How utterly specific,” Cheryl commented sarcastically. “Did they all have four hooves and a nose?” “Do not mock me woman!” Lulu snapped. “You are but a wino without a whinny!” Cheryl jumped up and got nose to nose with Lulu. She began to stagger from sudden vertigo, but her eyes remained locked to the Zebra’s. “You want to square dance with a bull?” Cheryl threatened the zebra. “I’ll much oblige you in that prospect.” The two mares swished their tails angrily at each other. Lulu’s two workers pawed the ground in Cheryl’s direction, ready to protect their boss. Valiant stepped between the two mares and pushed them apart. “Now calm down you two! I didn’t get dragged out here to referee a wrestling match.” Lulu backed off, but Valiant was looking at Cheryl. “No more sass from you, missy,” Valiant cautioned, “Or I’ll give you another night in the pokey.” Cheryl scowled at the zebra, but finally relented. The Earth pony stumbled backwards slightly as she sat down to reorient herself. Trixie stood up and stretched her legs. “I would like to inquire what evidence you have that I was the pony who broke into your warehouse.” “No pony is accusing you specifically,” Valiant clarified. “However, you have one strike against you from the prior incident so I have to entertain the possibility of you being a prime suspect in this new break-in.” “If I had done it,” Trixie inquired, “What crimes am I to be facing here?” Lulu stepped in with her gruff voice, “Trespassing on private property, assault, vandalism, and tampering with my warehouse ledgers. Why, if I were already mayor of this province, I’d make those hanging crimes!” “How shrewd,” Trixie responded. The Unicorn remained quite calm in the face of what was mostly the truth about the incident last night. Lulu pressed the Unicorn for answers. “I want to know where you were last night, between the hours of eight and nine specifically.” Trixie glanced at Ellie and tried to think of something to say. A lie, a fib, an alibi… Trixie needed an answer that preferably did not include the phrase ‘breaking and entering’ anywhere within the statement. Trixie’s mind raced for words, but she was only able to shake her head in Ellie’s direction. The Pegasus shrugged and uttered, “I don’t know, I’ve been looking at moss all morn-” Ellie quickly covered her mouth. She just had given up the game too quickly. “Moss?” Lulu asked with an incredulous look. “Alright, Valiant, you got us,” Trixie sighed with resignation. Cheryl turned to Trixie and gave what may have been the first genuine shocked expression Trixie ever saw out of her. “The gals and I were out last night and we imbibed a few too many drinks,” Trixie confessed. “We then went fishing for mudskippers by the river and made jesters of ourselves. I apologize if I stirred up the livestock with my magical fireworks. Turns out you can’t catch fish with show spells.” “Lulu, your guards did say they heard fireworks a distance outside the warehouse grounds, correct?” Valiant asked the zebra. “I would have used something more suitable to the customs of the common clay folks around here, like dynamite,” Trixie continued, “But I’m not sure if that’s illegal or not in these backwater Equestrian provinces. You know how it is Valiant; those zany stereotypes exist for a reason, right?” One of the two workers nodded with a smirk, which earned a back-hoofed slap in the head from Lulu. Valiant himself had a look of absolute bewilderment on his face, made all the more solid when Ellie picked up the ball of moss beside her and stretched it out for the deputy to see. Lulu continued to run the interrogation, although even she questioned the sanity of continuing this conversation with the Unicorn. “Mudskippers are not native to these lands,” Lulu corrected with a huff. “Why would you go casting for a creature that you would not find?” “Did I mention I was inebriated?” Trixie retorted. “I’m sure a well-traveled pony such as you has had a few drinks here and there, tested your limits and learned a few lessons the following morning? It does funny things to your mind. Obviously I was out of mine.” “Obviously,” Cheryl muttered under her breath. Lulu rubbed her temple. She had grown frustrated with the way Trixie was mocking this interrogation. Trixie decided to take a chance and drew out several of the stones she stole from the crate. With her slight-of-hoof, Trixie rotated them so that the marks faced away from Lulu and Valiant. “Here, I acquired these from the river bed,” Trixie stated. “Is this proof enough of where I was? I can fetch Ellie’s mother over from the general store and she’ll vouch that we got home by eight-thirty.” Lulu looked at the unremarkable stones and shrugged. “Alright Unicorn, your case has been made,” Lulu stated angrily, “But do not be so smug about it, for I will remember what you have said.” “That’s a terrible rhyme,” Trixie said with a deceitful sad expression. Lulu scowled and stormed off, her two workers stayed close to her sides. Valiant let the others leave ahead of him so that he could talk to Trixie privately. “For the love of Luna’s left hoof, Trixie!” the deputy scolded. “I don’t know where you get the gumption for the words coming out of your mouth, but if I find out you are trying to belly through the brush, I’m going to personally lock you up and throw your cell key down the town well!” “Aw, come on,” Trixie said innocently, pouting her lips. “Now you’re just making those phrases up. Don’t you believe me, Valiant?” Valiant angrily pointed a hoof in her direction, “Your story gives you a where, but that’s a might tentative when. You’re not off the hook just yet. I’ll be talking to your ma later, Ellie, but until then you all stay put and don’t get any fancy ideas.” Valiant trotted off to catch up with Lulu’s entourage, which left the three girls alone on the porch. “Did you just con Lulu and the deputy right there?” Cheryl asked the Unicorn. “I make confidence an art,” Trixie playfully boasted with a smile. Ellie let out a sigh of relief. “Well, my ma will confirm the time we got back home, but I reckon Lulu is going to snoop around our business a while longer.” Trixie looked down at the hoof-full of rocks she held. “She doesn’t know.” “Pardon?” Cheryl questioned. “Lulu doesn’t know anything about the electrum or these rocks,” Trixie explained. “Consider what she said moments ago, that the crimes included messing with her ledgers. As in plural! I only went through one and none of us made any changes to it. That’s evidence Lulu would have to hand over to Valiant. If she were in on the theft, she would have omitted it.” “By gum, you’re right!” Cheryl exclaimed. “Lulu didn’t recognize those rocks you presented to her either. If she did, she could have had you by the horn right then and there for stealing.” “Exactly,” Trixie agreed. “Lulu didn’t flinch when she saw these rocks, so she genuinely did think they came from the river.” “Wait, if Lulu isn’t forging her own ledgers,” Ellie interrupted, “Then who is?” “Better question- How?” Trixie rebutted. “I’ve noticed Lulu has a discerning eye for detail. Look at how she dresses. When I was arrested for the first break-in, Lulu had personally checked every detail of the crime scene. I’d bet my cutie mark that Lulu could have recalled where every hole was made. If she’s that detailed oriented she would have found out about the forged ledger entries then.” “What about the electrum we found?” the Pegasus questioned. “She should have noticed that.” “I’m sure Lulu did,” Trixie conceded, “But she likely doesn’t know what electrum is to recognize it. Evidence needs context. Whoever did edit the ledgers knows exactly what is going on and I am positive that they have some pull out there at the mining company.” Cheryl joined in on the debate. “Alright, let’s suppose that Lulu isn’t involved and that her ledgers weren’t messed with until after your arrest. The only folks going around that place during the day would be the miners storing the crates and the rail workers fixing the giant hole in their warehouse. That’s a lot of witnesses mucking about that our perpetrator would have to dodge.” “Maybe they hid in one of the crates until after hours?” Ellie guessed haphazardly. Cheryl took off her hat and slapped Ellie in the back of the head with it. “Listen chicken wings, I think you’ve been out in the sun too long.” “I have a name you know!” Ellie snapped irately. “Time out, little hayseeds,” Trixie interrupted with her hooves in a t-shaped motion. “I think Ellie’s question has enough merit to inspire a theory on how it’s done.” “Hang on, let me get another drink before I hear this theory,” Cheryl stated incredulously. “I feel like I’m too sober for the logic that I’m about to hear.” Cheryl reached down to grab her cup, but Trixie magically flicked it out of the pony’s grasp. The cup bounced off the porch steps and into the dirt. “Here it is in simple terms for the common clay,” Trixie stated rudely. “Some pony in the mining company hides a partner in a crate and ships it to the warehouse for storage. During the night the partner climbs out of the crate, edits the ledger, and then hides back inside the crate to get picked up in the morning.” “I don’t know,” Cheryl muttered with apprehension. “I’d reckon retrieving crates often would raise a flag of some sort, unless the boss is in on it and keeps it hush.” Ellie raised a hoof in question. “What about the two monsters and the hare you fought off? Are they working for Debon, the mining company, or themselves?” “I still believe the creatures were Diamond Dogs,” Trixie defended. “I’m not sure about the hare, or if Debon is involved at all. He has motive to hate the company though.” Trixie glanced at the rocks again, but now she saw something new. The lines had formed a bigger pattern. With a sudden bolt, Trixie kicked away Ellie’s parts off to the side and she began spreading the rocks around. “What the hay was that for?” the Pegasus asked in surprise. Trixie didn’t slow down to answer. “These aren’t a language, they’re a picture!” The Unicorn directed the mares to align the rocks together in neat rows. The stones didn’t quite fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, but the carved lines on them still lined up nicely to make connections on the order the rocks should go. Trixie quickly swapped and arranged the rocks to form a crudely carved image. After the last rock was placed, Trixie took a step back and observed her work. Before her was a carved image of a spiral around some kind of cup or bell shaped object. It eluded Trixie all morning because she was thinking the carved lines were elements of a language, not an image. Now that Trixie had something to work with, research could begin. The only problem was where to get historical books in a town that didn’t even publish its own news. “So,” Cheryl began as she retrieved her tin cup, “Is this what they call the big picture?” Trixie followed the jagged spiral pattern with her hoof. She delved deep into the farthest recesses of her memory. “If I had access to a library, I could look up this pattern, “Trixie mused aloud. “However, I imagine Saddlestone’s literary collection consists of two-bit novels and the morning paper from Dodge Junction.” “Pretty much,” Cheryl said dryly. “Sorry, I only have a tool catalogue and a stack of manuals on fixing things,” Ellie apologized. “I really hate this town,” Trixie muttered. She gathered all the rocks together and slipped them into a small sack she produced from one of her saddle-belt pouches. “It appears there’s nothing further I can accomplish with this clue. We will have to move ahead with our plans to infiltrate the mining company.” Cheryl shook the dirt out of her cup before she poured more liquor from the bottle. “Sounds like a mighty fine plan to me. When do we start?” she asked. Cheryl moved the cup to her lips, but Trixie slapped the drink away with her magic a second time. “Right now, hayseeds!” The Unicorn sternly answered as she threw the front door open to enter. The tin cup tumbled into the dirt again and spilled its contents in a long, thin splatter. The alcohol was quickly soaked up by the parched sandy ground, along with Cheryl’s relaxed demeanor. “That cross-grained Unicorn!” Cheryl angrily growled. She shoved Ellie aside to follow Trixie. “One side chicken wings, I’m going to find me a big canteen with a thick cap and then I’m going to tie it up to my foreleg with the thickest rope you got here! Let’s see that blue bunko try and snatch that outta my hooves!” Ellie rolled her eyes. “I’d be afeared at the headway we’d make on this case if those two spent as much effort actually working together.” ~ ~ ~ Dark, stormy clouds rolled over Saddlestone as the noon-hour approached. The three mares reached the town mines as the scent of ozone permeated the nostrils of every pony in the area. Trixie waved at her friends and they took cover behind a large pile of rocks to watch the activity further down the dusty road. Ellie carried several handheld contraptions to help them deal with the mob of busy miners and the coming rainstorm. Indeed, the mines were bristling with activity. The area the mining company operated appeared as a semi-circular cut in the hills. The company’s on-site office was located in a small wooden cabin in the center of the lot with the central mine entrance behind it against the back hills of the west. Here, the workers were scrambling to cover their equipment before the muddy quagmire of a storm fell upon them. To the left were rows of tents that served as housing for the miners and to the right, stacks of filled crates surrounded a rail track waiting to be moved to the warehouses by a flatbed cart. Many workers were at their tents as well, prepared to pack away their things and ride out the storm, but the crate area appeared relatively quiet. Standing outside the mine entrance was a tall, muscular stallion with a maroon coat and short blonde hair. Dark mine dust covered his face, body, belt pouch, and the pickaxe cutie mark on his flank. From the inaudible bark of orders he yelled out to the workers, he was certainly a no-nonsense pony. Trixie pointed out a large rock outcropping that was closer for them to hide behind. The mares moved one at a time and hunkered down behind the large stone quickly to avoid detection. The mine itself was now a short distance away and the majority of the miners were nearly done with the cleanup. Soon they would all retreat to their tents. However, closer to the three mares was a modest-sized cabin labeled ‘Office’ above the front door. This was Trixie’s primary target. “Would some pony mind explaining to me why we’re doing this in broad daylight?” Cheryl inquired, specifically to the Unicorn. Trixie pointed to the sky. “Simple, the coming storm will force all the miners to take shelter. This gives us the opportunity to sneak in and gather any evidence we can find on the company without witnesses.” “That’s a mighty weak plan you got there,” Cheryl countered. “Would you prefer to battle the guards here on a clear evening?” Trixie asked in defense. “We were almost identified last night and with Lulu breathing down our necks, we need to pick up our pace. Besides, it is unexpected that anyone would sneak around here during a downpour and even then they will have a difficult time identifying us in the rain.” “No worries, Cheryl,” Ellie cheerfully piped in, “I brought along a few gadgets to help us!” The Pegasus donned a white hardhat and tugged its chin strap. The helmet rapidly bloomed like a flower and unfurled a cloth umbrella that was folded within. Ellie beamed proudly. “So jealous,” Cheryl sarcastically muttered. “Alright, here’s the plan,” Trixie started. “Ellie, you go and chatter with the supervisor. Keep the stallion distracted and his back facing the office.” “What should I talk about?” Ellie asked worriedly. “Talk about their equipment,” Trixie responded. “I’m sure you can blather a couple hours on that drill you mentioned earlier.” She patted Ellie to go ahead with her part of the plan. “Cheryl, I want you to sneak into that little office cabin. See what you can dig up in the mining company’s records. Pay attention for any new branches in the mine maps.” “Alright, so I reckon you’re going to be the distraction for me?” Cheryl questioned. Trixie smiled confidently. “Yes. Just leave it to The Great and Powerful Trixie.” “Yeah, that dog won’t hunt,” Cheryl muttered, unsure how effective such a simple plan will be. “How’s this for a hunting dog?” Trixie muttered with eyes closed. She began to concentrate on an illusion spell with the image of Roxy held solidly in her mind. The spell began flowing out from her horn and it swirled around the Unicorn with the familiar shimmer from last night. It began to tighten and solidify around Trixie like a second skin before the magical light faded. A moment later, Trixie had the appearance of a slightly shorter Roxy with lanky arms. Trixie winked to Cheryl and then confidently stepped out from behind the rock. The Unicorn in disguise marched over to the mining office, but with an awkward gait that gave the impression of a Diamond Dog walking on all fours. Cheryl snorted at the scene about to unfold. “Yeah, this isn’t going to end well.” Trixie glanced at where Ellie was, over by the central mine entrance. The little Pegasus was gushing over the aforementioned steam-driven mechanical drill that had just been rolled out of the mine. The supervisor seemed a bit annoyed at Ellie, but he did not push her away yet. His back was indeed facing Trixie’s direction and luckily all the workers were heading into the mine to secure it from potential flooding. “I’m astounded you could afford such a powerful drill, Geo,” Ellie said in wonderment. “This must have sent you back by a mint.” “I got the backing of a prominent investor back east,” the supervisor nonchalantly responded. “It’s worth the gain we have in production. I reckon this equipment will pay for itself in another month or so.” Geo helped one of his workers get a tarp over the drilling machine to keep it dry. “Boss!” one of the miners shouted out. “That there Roxy is sneaking off to your office!” “It’s just her alone! Chase her off, boys!” shouted Geo. Several miners of both genders grabbed pickaxes and shoves to attack what they perceived was Roxy. They converged from several angles toward the disguised blue Unicorn. Trixie gulped. “Bull patties!” she thought as she sprinted away from the cabin, galloping hard toward the stacks of ore-filled crates behind the cabin. Trixie estimated at least a dozen miners were closing in on her, and another three were at the crate stacks prepared to catch her when she got close enough. “Why did I think this was going to work?” Trixie muttered to herself in a panic. As the horde chased Trixie off, one of the miners, a curiously pink-mane chocolate mare in a hard hat, slowed down and separated from the pack. She quietly snuck into the back door of the cabin. Trixie reached the crates barely ahead of the miners. The first two workers there had a tarp ready and flung it over who they assumed was Roxy. The disguised Unicorn quickly dove to her right, stumbling as she slid from the tarp that nearly entangled her legs. Trixie spun around to face the oncoming mob, took ahold of her illusion and threw it at the crowd behind her. The spell shimmered brightly and exploded into a cacophony of brightly colored flashes and loud popping noises. The miners stumbled into the fireworks, stunned and unable to see their quarry. One of the miners blindly leaped forward at Trixie. On luck alone he found the Unicorn’s hind leg and grabbed on. Trixie lurched forward like an unbalanced stack of blocks. The blue Unicorn clapped her fore-hooves together just before she hit the ground with an audible thud. A burst of purple smoke filled the area and concealed Trixie’s form for a moment. The miner thought he held on to the intruder, but the smoke proved too thick to see what it was the stallion actually grabbed. Other workers soon arrived and fanned the purple smoke away with their hardhats. This revealed not their intruder, but one of their own, a gray colored Earth mare. The captured coworker shrugged sheepishly. “Um, not it?” she squeaked. “Spread out!” barked one of the senior miners. “That Diamond Dog or whatever it is shouldn’t have gotten far!” He paired off his coworkers and waved them off in different directions. The mob of workers dispersed in order to search the area systematically. All except the gray mare who quietly walked away from the horde and traveled back to the office. On her way over to the cabin she saw Ellie and Geo rush to the still smoke-filled crate stacks where the chaotic fireworks had exploded only moments ago. Ellie was still a distraction to the supervisor with questions posed about the possible dangers of a fire. The mare smiled and snuck through the office back door. Inside the office, Cheryl had rummaged through all the ledgers pulled from a desk drawer she had smashed open. When the back door opened and a gray mare stepped in, Cheryl threw the books to the floor and reared back in a defensive stance. She was about to charge when the intruding pony raised her own hooves in a sign that either was a truce or a request to Cheryl not to aim for the eyes. The intruding gray mare grabbed her own face and pulled it off as one pulled back a curtain on stage. The illusion peeled as a thin, shimmering veil which revealed the true identity of the pony underneath- The Great and Powerful Trixie. “Hold the kick, hayseed!” Trixie exclaimed. “I see you are ever the consistent one.” “Yeah, well I can’t much kick that big metal safe in the corner,” Cheryl countered. Trixie strode over to the safe and looked over its design. It was a simple lock box that required a key to open, but Trixie knew she didn’t need one. The Unicorn pulled out her mane-pins and got to work. The lock refused to yield at first as it stubbornly held its latch down, but the blue Unicorn was persistent. After two minutes, the lock surrendered and Trixie opened the safe. “Alright, show me the money!” Trixie giggled with enthusiasm. She flung the safe door wide open with all the grace of a professional magician. Trixie found two ledgers and a map inside the old metal container. She tossed the map to Cheryl. “Hey, see if this is relevant,” instructed the Unicorn. Trixie rummaged through one of the ledgers with her levitation magic. It was a book that contained all of the mining company’s finances over the past two months. She found a pattern among the scribbles of numbers and notations. The company had been receiving several anonymous investments. That by itself was only a minor suspicious detail, but what swiftly caught Trixie’s attention was the handwriting the records were written in. It was the same as the handwriting that edited the warehouse ledger. With heightened suspicion, Trixie opened the other ledger. It was an exact copy of Lulu’s ledger from the ore-storing warehouse. “Cheryl,” Trixie cried out, “Our culprit is the company supervisor!” “Yeah?” Cheryl replied with amazement. “Well, check out this map. The company is digging a tunnel heading under the town. Why do you reckon they’re doing that?” The office’s front door swung open and slammed against the cabin frame like a hammer. Both mares leaped to attention and saw the supervisor, Geo, in the doorway with a hoof tightly wrapped around Ellie’s mane. “Why indeed?” the stallion asked with a sinister tone. With a forceful heave, Geo shoved Ellie into the cabin. The Pegasus stumbled across the rough floor before falling adjacent to the large desk in the center of the room. Geo then grabbed the door by its handle and shut it tightly behind him with an audible click of the lock. “Now what the hay are your three trying to pull here?” he asked with an indication to the open safe. Trixie pocketed the ledgers and stood tall in the face of her adversary. “I know you are the one forging Lulu’s ledgers!” Trixie accused with a firm tone. “I suggest you stand down before you get yourself hurt.” The stallion took one step forward. “Well Trixie,” Geo began with licked lips, “I reckon you’re getting too big for your britches.” The supervisor slowly unbuckled a pocket and revealed that he was carrying a slingshot. “If you’re on the prod, I’ll much oblige you.” “Prod this!” Trixie motioned at the desk and with all her magical strength she shoved the heavy piece of furniture toward the stallion. Ellie quickly rolled out of the way of the abruptly mobile furniture. The supervisor leaned forward and slammed his shoulder against the oncoming desk. The two momentums came to a halt, locked in a match of strength. Trixie strained to push the desk harder, but ultimately she gave up the fight, already fatigued by all the earlier illusions she had cast. With a grunt, Trixie’s magic evaporated from the desk and the large object made a booming thud as it fell and cracked the wooden floorboards. The stallion grinned with the satisfaction that he was stronger physically than Trixie was magically. However, his victory was cut short by a chocolate-colored mare that rushed him like a freight train. Cheryl leaped over the desk and kicked the stallion with both rear hooves to the face. The stallion’s body hit the door with a thunderous crack, the wood splintered wide open and outward in a shower of tiny fragments. Geo flew backwards out of the cabin like a ragdoll. He hit the dusty floor with a single, hard bounce and rolled onto his back. The stallion clutched his nose in great pain. Several workers rushed to the boss’ aid. The cabin office was surrounded by a horde of miners who all demanded to see their boss’ assailant. Trixie burst out of the office’s rear entrance first. She carried the two ledgers and the map that contained the incriminating evidence she needed. Trixie was followed closely behind by Cheryl and lastly by Ellie. The three ponies raced right into the armed crowed of workers. Hooves shoved and kicked at and around the crowd, but ultimately the shovels and pickaxes formed an impenetrable blockade against the three mares. Trixie moved the girls to keep their backs together as the mob of angry miners closed in on them. No amount of talent or luck could escape the situation this time. “Parley!” Trixie shouted. The miners halted their advancement. A collective look of confusion fell over the workers as they all met Trixie’s gaze for clarification. “It means we surrender,” Trixie explained with an annoyed tone. “Trixie?” Cheryl asked the Unicorn with concern. “You sure we shouldn’t just take them on with your magic?” Trixie shook her head at Cheryl before she addressed the crowd. “We’ll go quietly if you don’t hurt us! However, I demand to see deputy Valiant. I will explain then why I have assaulted your boss.” ~ ~ ~ The first few drops of rain began to fall as the girls were escorted back into town by the crowd of miners. There was a mix of fear, anger, and determination among the three outlaw mares, though it was plain to see which pony specialized in what emotion the most. The miners, however, were all business. Half of them still carried their tools like a company of soldiers that returned from the battlefield. Geo was carried back in a cart, unable to walk under his own volition from his injuries. “You reckon you have what you need to get us out of this pickle?” Ellie asked Trixie. “Indubitably,” Trixie said with confidence. “The evidence I found will bring this mystery out in the open and put the heat on the mining company. I’m sure we can even milk out a technicality with the deputy once I explain our case to him.” “I sure could go for a drink right about now,” Cheryl muttered. She looked longingly in the direction of the Cactus Gulp saloon. Trixie smiled at the Earth pony as raindrops dripped playfully off her Stetson. “Once I clear our names, the first round will be on me,” she assured Cheryl. The large horde of ponies turned the corner toward the deputy’s office by the town jail. They slowed in their pace despite the quickening fall of rain due to another large crowd gathered under the awnings to either side of the road. This second crowd was hollering over the scene that unfolded on the moistening road. The Diamond Dogs were there and they had just taunted Valiant and Lulu to try and stop them. Roxy pushed an old, blind mare into a fresh puddle of mud. A flash of lightning reflected off her weary, milky eyes. “Mama!!” Ellie screeched. The thunderclap quickly followed the Pegasus as she shoved past her friends and the miners to rescue her mother. Trixie and Cheryl exchanged worried glances and raced forward after their exasperated Pegasus. Trixie stopped and looked over her shoulder. The miners refused to follow. Ellie ran past Roxy, showed no concern for her own well-being, and came to a stop by her mother’s side. Cheryl arrived right behind the Pegasus and helped Ellie pick her mother out of the mud. Bella and Ginger looked to Roxy for direction, but Roxy shook her head to let the mares go. Roxy had a bigger target in mind. “What is wrong with you morons?!” Trixie scolded the crowd around her. “Can’t you see that together we can take them all down for good?” Trixie’s heart pounded anxiously in her chest. “Is that so?” Roxy sneered as she pulled out a slingshot. Several gasps hissed out of the gathered crowds as adults moved their children further away. Rain dripped lazily off Roxy’s weapon. “Well isn’t this just the cat’s purr?” “The word you're looking for is Meow, Roxy,” stated Bella in a matter-of-fact tone. Roxy sucker-punched Bella in the jaw and knocked the smaller dog to the ground. “Thanks for the correction,” Roxy sarcastically sneered. The lead Diamond Dog turned her full attention to the blue Unicorn, the one pony in the entire area that had dared not to bow down before her intimidating presence. “I do believe I owe you a whooping,” Roxy said. She slowly raised her slingshot to Trixie. The miners quickly parted to either side of the road for fear of being caught in crossfire. Trixie turned to face Roxy and with her magic she smoothly drew out her own holstered slingshot. “Ellie, get your ma home,” Trixie commanded. “Trixie, you back down this instant!” Valiant shouted. “Do not try to be a hero!” “Shut up!!” Roxy roared at the deputy with rage. The Diamond Dog threw a fist at Valiant and delivered an uppercut clean to the stallion’s jaw. Valiant’s hooves left the ground completely. He sailed backwards for a full second, hitt the muddy ground with a wet thud and slid back several inches before coming to a stop on his backside. Lulu quickly ran to Valiant’s side, helping the law-pony sit up. Valiant wiped his throbbing mouth with a foreleg, seeing his own blood smeared across his hoof. “You are a pathetic bull,” Roxy berated the deputy. “Leave them be!” Trixie shouted to Roxy. The rolling distant thunder behind her voice echoed over the town skies. “Why were you even picking on a blind mare of all ponies?” “For me, this is just another Tuesday,” Roxy grinned. Trixie held her slingshot steady with her pony-kinesis magic. The rain began to pour down hard on the town as Trixie squared off with Roxy. With a thought, Trixie magically undid the button over the pocket that held the small rusty spheres of ammo. As Bella got back up to her feet, Ellie rushed her panicked mother away from the battleground. Cheryl slowly backed away as well from the Diamond Dogs, having moved toward the crowd closest to Trixie. “So you really want a showdown, do you?” Roxy asked with an amused expression. She reached down and undid the button to her own bullet-filled pocket. A flash of lightning and the immediately trailing clap of thunder shook the townsfolk with alarm. “This would make a great headline, don’t you reckon?” Roxy shouted gleefully at her opponent. “Roxy, the fastest dog in the west, faces off with the has-been unicorn from the east.” Trixie adjusted her stance in the softening mud. A thunderous boom shook the very air around her from above. “I believe you meant to say,” she corrected, “The Great and Powerful Trixie of Equestria.” Roxy sneered. “Let’s put your money where your mouth is and settle this right now.” Trixie felt her heart pound hard in her ears. Determination and fear fought over Trixie’s mind. She couldn’t explain why she was doing this, why she was facing off against a Diamond Dog in a deadly shoot-out. Trixie could only breathe in and follow through. Cheryl walked to Trixie’s side and adjusted her own hat. “What are you doing?” Trixie whispered to Cheryl, having not taken her eyes off of Roxy. “Doing what I reckon everyone should be doing,” Cheryl answered. “Besides, if you die here, I’m going to the pokey seeing as you got all the liberating evidence on you.” Trixie smiled at the Earth pony. “Thanks for nothing, pink puff,” the Unicorn joked. “Any time, blue bunko,” Cheryl responded with a grin. Roxy’s two partners stepped up to her side. Bella stood there awkwardly, but Ginger cracked her own knuckles, ready to fight. The lightning flash and thunder behind her gave the tall dog a frightening presence. Time slowed down to a halt around Trixie. The rain froze in place, breaths became mute and unmoving, and the world ceased to exist for just that one significant moment. It was a moment where the collective consciousness of the crowd saw that the essence of bravery had taken a solid form. It was a deadly showdown of vigilante heroes against immoral thugs. A small pinto colt leaped at Roxy and bit her hard in the leg. Time snapped forward back into its place. The Diamond Dog angrily kicked Iggy off herself with a forceful thrust. “You no account nipper!” With her slingshot tightly in hand, Roxy’s fist came down on the little colt like a ball-peen hammer. Iggy was flattened and hit the muddy ground like a dropped ragdoll. Roxy followed up with a reared back leg and kicked the downed foal as a professional soccer player would a ball. “ROXY!!” Trixie screamed at the top of her lungs. The Unicorn dashed forward and quickly drew an iron bullet. With a great magical might Trixie pulled the metal sphere back against her slingshot band and fired it at the Diamond Dog. It missed wildly in the rain, splattered against the muddy ground with a low, but resounding blow. However, it got Roxy’s full attention. Cheryl sprinted after Trixie, aiming her trajectory at the big, strong Ginger to prevent a tag-team attack upon the Unicorn. The rain poured down like a waterfall. Roxy shoved her hand into her pouch to draw a bullet with all due haste. Trixie’s horn glowed brightly as she scooped up a pack of mud with her magic and threw it at Roxy’s face. The Diamond Dog howled as her vision was robbed from her momentarily by the stinging muck. The bright blue blur of a Unicorn slammed into Roxy at a full gallop. The two opponents rolled in the mire and traded several blows of fist and hoof until Roxy shoved Trixie away. The injured Diamond Dog hastily wiped the muck out of her eyes. Ginger put her arms up in defense as Cheryl slammed into the titan at high speed. The brutish dog grabbed both of Cheryl’s forelegs and lifted the pony up into the air. Cheryl curled up and kicked out, her hooves slammed square against Ginger’s nose. The two fell over to the ground and stumbled away from each other. Roxy scrambled to her feet, still with her slingshot clutched in hand, but Cheryl swung and kicked the Diamond Dog in the foot. Roxy slipped backwards down into the muck. Bella roared as she ran up behind Trixie, eager to wrestle the Unicorn down. Trixie scrambled to get up and dodge the oncoming Pomeranian. As Bella closed within three feet of Trixie, Ellie swooped down from an awning and slammed all four hooves at Bella’s back. The little Diamond Dog’s face was planted into the mud and Ellie rode her like a surf board for the remaining distance to Trixie. "Not ungrateful for the help, Ellie," Trixie said with concern, "But I thought-” “I belong here alongside you just as much as Cheryl does!” Ellie exclaimed. Roxy broke up their reunion as she leaped at Trixie and slammed a fist into the side of the Unicorn’s head. Trixie’s world spun in a blur as she staggered down to her knees from the blow. Trixie screeched and shot a bouquet of magical fireworks at Roxy, but the heavy rain drowned out their smoke and bright colors to leave just a spark that caused Roxy only to flinch a moment. Ginger backed away from Cheryl and nearly tripped over the mud-covered Bella. The massive Great Dane pulled Bella out of the puddle and the mud-soaked Pomeranian let out an unrecognizable cuss in between a spat of muck out of her mouth. Ginger turned her attention to the little Pegasus and lunged toward her. Ellie kicked a wave of the mire at the huge dog and ducked away and toward the oncoming Cheryl. “Trade you!” Cheryl shouted with a charge past Ellie and into Ginger’s chest. The Earth pony’s slam caused the titan dog falter and Cheryl followed up with a sweeping kick. Ginger spun to keep her balance and reached out for the pink-maned pony. The Earth pony pulled off her hat and caught Ginger’s fist within, twisting her own body in the other direction with Great Dane’s arm held fast. Ginger howled as she felt her arm nearly dislocate at the shoulder. Cheryl held on to Ginger and closed in, kicking the Diamond Dog behind the knee. Ginger buckled with a grunt and fell over, trying to wrench her captured arm free from the Earth Pony. Bella grabbed two fists full of rocks and threw them at the avoidant Ellie with a screaming rage. Ellie hunkered down with a raised mechanical wing acting as her shield. The stones reverberated with two loud clangs off the metal. The Pegasus got up and pointed a contraption she wore on her left foreleg toward Bella. The device let out a metallic snap as springs released their tension and shot out a grappling hook toward the small Diamond Dog. Bella ducked and grabbed the unfolding rope above her. With a hard yank, she pulled in the Pegasus close. “Come here, pony!” Ellie grabbed on to her contraption’s straps with her teeth and tore them off. Freed from the device, Ellie stumbled into a sitting position while Bella snapped backwards and brushed up against Trixie’s flank. The Unicorn raised her rear legs and bucked Bella hard in the back. The Pomeranian shot forward and crashed into the quagmire once more. Roxy came barreling from Trixie’s right and landed a blow to the Unicorn’s shoulder. Trixie gritted her teeth and magically commanded her levitating slingshot to intervene. It jabbed Roxy hard in the chest and halted the dog’s follow-up blow. Meanwhile, the Pegasus backed up to keep out of Bella’s grasp. The small Diamond Dog crawled at Ellie with determinate anger, but could not close the distance. Ellie ran a wide circle toward and around Roxy. She splashed mud at Roxy to distract her, but wily Diamond Dog ignored the ruse. Trixie dodged several blows from Roxy which gave the Unicorn an opening to pull out another bullet from her pocket. Unable to load it, Trixie simply threw the iron sphere at the Diamond Dog. Roxy dodged out of the way and pulled out a bullet of her own, readied in her own slingshot within moments. Trixie summoned forth a purple bolt of magical lightning from her horn. The electrical force prickled and tickled the Diamond Dog, which ruined her shot. The steel bullet landed far short of its target and Trixie charged into Roxy with enough force to knock them both down into the muddy ground. Ginger wrenched her arm free and swung immediately at Cheryl twice with her good arm. She grazed the pink-maned pony on the second swing. Cheryl grabbed Ginger’s arm and heaved it toward herself. With her center-of-gravity off, Ginger was forced to stagger forward. The Great Dane’s face met with both of Cheryl’s rear hooves, the force cracking the dog into a sideways tumble toward the ground. Ginger cried out in pain as she slammed into the wet muck. Her jaw stung with a fury between her hands as a dark red liquid oozed out between her teeth and her nose. Ellie made her full circle and then charged at Bella with a full gallop. The pint-sized Diamond Dog was ready and side-stepped the attack. Bella retaliated with a fist to Ellie’s ribs that knocked the Pegasus down to her knees. Bella leaped at Ellie with a roar and Ellie countered with a swing of her metal wing fully extended. The prosthetic appendage crushed Bella’s stomach in and completely blew all the air out of the Pomeranian’s lungs. Ellie backed away as Bella laid down in the mud in a coughing fit for air. Roxy managed to get up on her knees and she thrust a hand into her pocket for another bullet. Trixie threw her own slingshot at Roxy’s shooting arm. The rubber band of the weapon caught Roxy’s shooting hand. Trixie continued to push hard with all her magical might against Roxy’s hand as she rushed forward at the Diamond Dog. Roxy swung with her free arm, but Trixie ducked down under Roxy’s fist. Trixie’s momentum carried her through. With a final thrust forward Trixie straightened out her neck and hit Roxy with the force of a tornado. The dog let go of her slingshot as she fell backwards, impaled by Trixie’s magical horn. Trixie pulled her head back as she toppled over on top of Roxy, the two bodies hitting the wet mud with a splash. Trixie reared up angrily and then slammed her hooves down on the Diamond Dog’s fingers. The Unicorn swung a hoof at Roxy’s face, followed by a second blow, then a third. Trixie devolved to punching Roxy repeatedly in the head with her hooves. The Diamond Dog screamed in a gurgled agony, trying to cover up her face from the mad, frothing pony. Cheryl came up from behind and hooked a foreleg around Trixie’s waist. With a hearty pull, she managed to yank the berserk Unicorn off of Roxy. Trixie physically protested and flailed out to hit Roxy again. “Enough!” Ellie shouted. The Pegasus grabbed a hold of Trixie’s right foreleg and assisted Cheryl to restrain the Unicorn. “You beat her Trixie! You won! Please stop fighting!” Trixie’s legs slowed down and soon went limp. Her breathing was labored and the taste of mud and copper started to register in her mouth. Trixie relented in her attacks and wobbled to a standing position. She looked around for Iggy, but thankfully several ponies were already around the little colt and had carefully lifted him out of the mud. Trixie let out a sigh of relief when she heard Iggy cry out in pain. The colt was still alive. Trixie watched as the injured colt was rushed to the doctor. The crowd drew near and remove Roxy’s weapon. All three Diamond Dogs had their arms tied together before they too were escorted to the doctor. Roxy was placed in a sling, having suffered too serious an injury to even stand on her own. Applause and cheers rang out in appreciation for the three mares, Trixie in particular. Trixie heard the whistles and joyous calls all around her, the uproar due unto a hero. Trixie blinked and then, just… Snapped. “NO! No, you do not get to applause me!” Trixie berated the townsfolk at the top of her lungs. It was a scream of pure fury that took every pony by utter surprise. “You want to cheer for some pony? Cheer for that little colt over there!” Trixie pointed in the direction Iggy was carted off to. “That foal did what none of you spineless, worthless sacks of leather could do! He stood up against the Diamond Dogs! He stepped forward to take back this town! The victory belongs to him, not me! I’m not your flicking savior!” Trixie stomped a puddle of mud to accent her point. A clap of thunder heightened her anger, causing several ponies to flinch and take a step back. “I don’t give a flying feather about any of you or this washed out two-bit town,” Trixie stated, her tone softer now due to fatigue, “Because if the only pony in this town that had the chutzpah to stand up for what’s right was that child over there, then… then you all don’t deserve my help.” Tears streamed down Trixie’s face as she stumbled toward the deputy. The Unicorn pulled out the two muddy ledgers and the moist map by hoof, her body too exhausted to use even the simplest of magic. With shaky legs, she handed the evidence over to Valiant. “This is who messed with Lulu’s ledgers.” Trixie continued on with a slight limp as she walked down to the doctor’s house. Cheryl and Ellie exchanged solemn glances, but said nothing. They merely picked themselves up and followed Trixie to the doctor’s house. Ellie paused for only a moment to retrieve her grappling hook gadget. The crowd lingered a while longer as the mining supervisor, Geo, was the last to be carted for medical care. The demeanor of the crowd was quite mixed. Ponies were surprised, angry, scared, disgusted… Several mares broke down into quiet sobs. A few stallions muttered curses and moved on. Lulu sat down on a chair under a covered porch and watched the procession of the injured go by her. Then she watched Trixie walk by with a limp still present. The Unicorn’s tears still fell and she did not even give Lulu the courtesy of a glance. Lulu opened her mouth to speak, but words failed the zebra. Thoughts failed the zebra. Lulu nodded, but said nothing. She was a coward, like every pony else in this town.