//------------------------------//
// Three Amigos 
// Story: My Little Western 
// by Laurence Brown 
//------------------------------//

Sheriff Silverstar and Trixie stood staring at the gaping hole left in the wall of the jail. Neither of them had wanted to believe Braeburn when he had met them on the way back to the jailhouse, but the physical evidence of the feat erased any doubts from their minds. Silverstar started swearing under his breath as Trixie walked out to examine the discarded halters and chains left by the outlaws.

Braeburn headed back inside through the open cell door and pushed the sheriff's desk away from the jail's entrance. He then unlocked it and placed the key back on the desk, asking, "Is there anything else you need me for, sheriff?"

Silverstar shook his head in disgust, unable to tear his gaze away from the wreckage. "Not unless you know how to get the jail back in one piece." he replied furiously. He kicked a shard of wood in anger. "I haven't had to keep anypony in here for anything worse than to cool them down after imbibing too much salt, and now that I actually need the dang fool place, it's wrecked!"

Trixie watched as Braeburn seemed to deflate during the sheriff tirade and walked over to him. "I'm certain that Sheriff Silverstar is mad at what happened, and not at you Braeburn."

"And if he is?" Braeburn asked glumly.

"Then the Great and Powerful Trixie will set him straight, don't you worry." She looked back at the damage that had been done. "Still, even Trixie is impressed by how strong those buffalo are. It's going to be hard to overcome something like that."

Braeburn blinked, and looked at Trixie. "Well, we could always go ask the buffalo tribe if they'd be willing to help us out. Get a couple of buffalo on our side as well, that'd work, right?"

Trixie gave Braeburn an appreciative look. "You know what, that just may do the trick. Do you think they'd be willing to help?"

"They might. There was a time when us and them actually came to blows, but we've managed to come to a compromise since then." Braeburn walked towards the sheriff. "Sir, do you want us to go and see if the buffalo might be willing to help?" he called out to the lawman.

Sheriff Silverstar paused and looked at Braeburn. "That's not a bad idea. You think you two can pull it off?" he asked, his tirade momentarily forgotten.

Braeburn nodded. "I reckon we can, sir!"

"Well then, why don't you two go and see what you can do? I'll go and round up some ponies and get them to help me clean this mess up." He returned his attention to the mess that his jailhouse wall had been turned into.

Trixie turned to Braeburn. "I would like to stop by my wagon and get my cloak and hat back, if you don't mind. If we're going to do any sort of travel under the sun..."

"It's a fair distance out to their camp." Braeburn confirmed.

"Then The Great and Powerful Trixie would like to avoid getting a stroke from the heat, if at all possible."

Braeburn grinned. "Well, I'd like to stop by my place too then. I'll grab my saddlebags and get us some grub for the trip, and there are a couple of quick things I'd like to attend to as well, if you don't mind a short wait?"

Trixie shook her head, ignoring the small twinge of pain it caused. "Not in the least. That will give me time to get my things in order too. How about I wait for you at the stage?" she asked.

"Sounds good to me! I'll see you in a bit then, ma'am!" Braeburn trotted off, with a small hop to his stride.

Trixie watched the enthusiastic stallion trot off and then turned her attention to the desk. Opening the door, she focused and lifted the knife out from the pile of papers it had been resting on, and then grabbed the hilt in her mouth. She then trotted over to the sheriff, who had finally calmed down from his earlier outburst.

"Ere an I ine sunnun oo ake is indo a nekwace?" Trixie asked as well as she could with her mouth full.

Sheriff Silverstar blinked. "Uh... I beg your pardon?"

"I edd, ere an I ine..." with a sigh, Trixie floated the knife briefly in front of her. "I said, where can I find someone to make this into a necklace?" she asked, voice filled with annoyance, before grasping the knife in her teeth again.

"Hmm, well, we don't have anypony who specializes as a jeweler, but maybe one of the outfitters could help you." he answered.

Trixie waited a moment, and then said, "An ere an i ine..." With a growl, she levitated the knife again and said, "And where can I find one of these outfitters?"

Sheriff Silverstar gave Trixie an abashed look. "Sorry about that. I forgot you've only been here for a day so far. See that store with the sign displaying a cowboy hat?" He pointed with a hoof down the main street. Seeing Trixie nod, knife once again in her mouth, he continued, "That's the one I visit regularly. The other one is down the road a bit further, its sign is a pair of red cowboy boots. Can't miss it."

"Ank oo!" Trixie mumbled around her mouthful. She proceeded to trot off to the first store the sheriff had pointed out, since it was closer.

Trixie walked through the door, causing a small bell to ring to announce her entrance. The building was filled with various hats and vests, for both mares and stallions. "Coming!" yelled a voice from the back area, which could only be seen as a curtain covering an entryway behind a desk with a cash register. Trixie walked towards it, but just before she got there, a yellow mare wearing a brown cowboy hat with a green mane and tail adorned with pink bows emerged from behind the curtain.

"Hello, what can I.. Ack!" The mare's eyes widened in shock. "Please don't hurt me! You can have all the money, it isn't much, but I... pleeeeease don't hurt me!"

Trixie quickly looked around, wondering what could be causing such an extreme reaction when she belatedly remembered what she was carrying in her mouth. Quickly spitting the knife onto the floor, she waved a hoof in front of her. "Please! The Great and Powerful Trixie has no desire to rob your fine establishment! Indeed, the sheriff himself recommended that I come here for my shopping needs!"

The mare behind the counter calmed down some, and then noticed Trixie's bandaged horn. "Oh! It's you!" she gave off a nervous chuckle. "I'm sorry, but with everything that has happened the last couple of days, I'm just a bit on edge is all. By the way, my name is Cactus Wren, pleased to meet you Trixie! How can I help you? Ooh! I know! I bet you need a hat, to keep people from staring at your horn!"

Trixie smiled. "No, thank you though. I have one back at my wagon that will serve me quite well for such purposes." She raised the knife from the floor and had it come to rest on the counter. "I was hoping to turn this into a necklace."

Cactus Wren studied the knife apprehensively. "Do you mean, melt it down and use the blade for the material for a necklace, or...?"

Trixie shook her head. "No, I mean I'd like to somehow make it so I can wear this around my neck. I was thinking maybe drilling a hole through the handle, and then threading some sort of fine chain through that."

"Ah, I see what you mean." the store mare replied. "I'll be honest, I wouldn't be capable to doing that myself, but I could easily weave some leather strands around the bottom of the handle, and then make a loop so you could wear it like that." Cactus Wren gave Trixie a puzzled look. "Wouldn't it be dangerous to have such a thing hanging from your neck all the time though?"

"I would think that if the loop was snug enough, the knife wouldn't be able to swing about that much. Trixie believes that she will be perfectly fine," she stated with authority.

Cactus Wren nodded slowly. "I see what you're talking about now. Hold on, let me go get my measuring tape. I think I can whip something up real quick if you don't mind waiting a few minutes?"

"Not at all." Trixie said with a welcome smile.



Cousin, let me tell you, things keep on getting wilder and wilder by the hour it seems. The good news is that Trixie can still use her magic, although I guess she runs the risk of hurting herself even more if she pushes things. The bad news though is that those outlaws have freed the pegasus we caught, and ruined the jail in the process! It was quite the sight seeing those buffalo rip the wall right off, let me tell you!

We may be on the defensive right now, but I still have a good feeling about things. I'm going out to the buffalo with Trixie to see if we can't get some help from them, help even the odds some. We're not going to let The Coyote Colt keep us down, dang it! Anyway, I need to finish packing food and water for our trip onto the plains, I'll make sure to add on how our trip went when I get back!

Braeburn shook his head in disbelief at how long his letter to his cousin Applejack had grown over the last couple of days. Normally he had trouble coming up with enough things to write to even justify the cost of sending a letter down to Ponyville. But now? He had already covered two pieces of parchment, front and back, and he still had more to write when he returned!

Leaving the letter on his table so the ink could properly dry, he went and got his saddlebags on. He had already packed enough food for a couple of meals for him and Trixie, although he hoped that he could maybe get some food from the buffalo if they needed it. He didn't think they would be delayed that long, but he knew from experience that the weather had a habit of turning sour without warning sometimes. After digging through his closet for a minute, he finally found a couple of canteens, filled them up and put them in his saddle bags too. At a loss for anything else they might need, he exited his house and headed to the stage to meet Trixie.

As he approached he saw Trixie talking with a couple of other ponies. She was once again wearing her magician's hat and star covered cloak, and he saw hanging from her neck a knife, held in place by a leather choker. Seeing him approach, Trixie said some last words to the other ponies, hopped off the stage and met Braeburn halfway.

"So, um" Braeburn started, unsure of how to broach the subject tactfully, "a knife?"

Trixie sighed. "Why is it that everypony assumes that the moment The Great and Powerful Trixie wears a knife around her neck, that she is going to somehow find a way to slit her own throat?"

"Because sharp blades have a habit of cutting things if ponies aren't careful?" Braeburn shot back. "Aren't you just asking The Coyote Colt to try to use his magic on it and hurt you?"

"Oh, please!" Trixie sniffed. "I can forgive your ignorance, since you are an earth pony, but trust me. It is quite difficult to control items if they are moving around, or are being worn by others. While I can lift it if I need too, other unicorns would have a difficult time trying to target it." She motioned for Braeburn to start walking. "After all, does not The Coyote Colt wear a whole bandoleer of knifes across his chest?"

Braeburn started walking out of town, considering Trixie's words. "That makes sense. Still, why would you even want to wear such a thing? It makes me nervous just thinking about it!"

Falling into stride next to Braeburn, Trixie gave him a grim smile. "As a reminder. Not for myself, mind you. This crack in my horn is all the reminder The Great and Powerful Trixie requires. I want The Coyote Colt to see it, and for him to know that even with what he did to me, it wasn't enough to keep me down." She looked around at the vast expanse of flat, rocky soil stretching out. "So, how far do we have to go to meet with these buffalo?"

"It's a couple of hours out or so. I'm not exactly certain where they live, to be honest." Seeing Trixie starting to grow angry, he quickly added, "They keep an eye out for strangers! Odds are they'll see us from a ways off, and send someone to meet us. That's what happened every time I've come out here before."

Mollified, Trixie looked ahead. The landscape was full of large rocks and cacti that seemed to reach for the sky with their spiky, thick branches. "I can see why Appleloosa is where it sits. There really isn't anything out here in this direction, is there?"

"Not that we could use, anyway." Braeburn agreed. "Still, the amount of things that live out here is surprising. And the buffalo have been out here for, well, I don't know. For a long, long time."

The two of them walked in silence for a time. Midday came, and they stopped for lunch in a small sliver of shade provided by a boulder. "So," Braeburn asked after they had finished and started to move on again, "do you have any idea on how we can stop The Coyote Colt? Do you have enough magic left to stand up to him?"

Trixie's faced twisted in frustration. "I didn't have enough magic to stop him the first time. In my current condition? I wouldn't stand a chance against him straight up. As much as The Great and Powerful Trixie detests the idea, I'm going to have to come up with something to give me an edge."

"An edge? Like what?" Braeburn asked, curious.

"I don't know." Trixie admitted, annoyed that she couldn't provide an answer. "Something to either boost my magic, or make his less effective."

The two continued walking for a bit, mulling over the problem. "From what I could see of the fight, laying where I was," Braeburn said, "all he seemed to do was throw those knives of his around. That's all you have to worry about, right?"

Trixie shook her head. "You didn't get to see it since you were at the jail, but he has some fire magic too. He tossed a large fireball into the air, and it made a large explosion."

"Ah!" Braeburn exclaimed. "That must have been what I heard then. I was wondering what made that noise. So, why wasn't he throwing those things at you during your duel then?"

"He watched my show, and saw that I knew how to manipulate fire." she explained. "Actually, I can control any visible, intangible object like that. Fire, smoke, mist, rainbows..."

Braeburn blinked. "Rainbows?"

"They show up more often than you would think." Trixie replied with a smirk. "Still, it takes a lot of effort. It isn't something I'm eager to try out in my condition."

"Okay then, knives and fireballs." Braeburn said, trying to puzzle things out. "We need something that can stop both of them. Do you think throwing water on the fireball would be enough to put it out?"

Trixie considered it for a minute. "Possibly," she answered, "but I don't think it would be a feasible strategy. It would take more water than what a bucket could hold, and the magic needed to put enough water into a fireball's path would require more effort than me just redirecting the attack."

"Hmm. How about armor then?" Braeburn asked. "I've seen pictures of the Royal Guards. They have some sort of metal barding that covers most of their body. That would stop the knives for the most part, right?"

"Maybe, but where would we find some?" Trixie asked.

Braeburn shrugged. "I'm just tossing out ideas. Anyway, look over there." He pointed ahead, where a cloud of dust could be seen. "If that isn't a lookout coming out to meet us, I'll dip my hat in Tabascolt sauce and eat it!"

After another minute of walking, two buffalo came running up to the ponies. "Howdy!" Braeburn called out to them. "Sorry to intrude, but we really need to talk to your chief."

"Oh?" one of the buffalo replied in a deep, gruff voice. "And why is that?"

"Because of a couple of buffalo have been helping cause havoc on the village of Appleloosa." Trixie said. "Their names are Weed and Tumble, and they've joined up with a gang of criminals."

Hearing the names, the two buffalo looked at each other before turning back to face the ponies. "Very well, come with us." They then turned around and started heading off.

Braeburn looked at Trixie. "I'm impressed! How did you know their names?"

Trixie covered her mouth and coughed. "I, uh, overheard one of the other outlaws mention it. Come, let's get a move on, we don't want to be left behind!" She then ran off after the buffalo, leaving Braeburn to follow without giving him the opportunity to ask any further questions.

Half an hour later, Trixie and Braeburn found themselves in the center of a cluster of teepees. Over a dozen buffalo stood in a half circle, facing the two ponies, with the largest buffalo of the group standing right in front of them. While most of the buffalo wore a feather or two, this one wore a full headdress with larger feathers. "So," the large one spoke, "I hear that you have news that I should listen to."

Braeburn stepped forward, bowing his head to him. "That's right, Chief Thunderhooves. Our village is currently having problems with a gang of outlaws, and they have two buffalo among them. Their names are... Tumble and Weed?" he looked back at Trixie for confirmation, who nodded. The rest of the buffalo started to murmur, and Chief Thunderhooves had to clear his throat to regain their attention.

"What exactly have those two idiots done? Do you have any proof?" he asked.

"I saw them tear down the wall of our jail with my own two eyes." Braeburn replied. "It happened only this morning. If you were to come with us back to Appleloosa, you could see the damage for yourself. There ain't no way a pony could have done what they did."

Chief Thunderhooves paused to consider things. "If what you say is true, then indeed we owe you ponies some aid." Seeing Trixie grow indignant, he raised a hoof. "I am not calling you liars, but I would not be doing my duty as chief if I did not make sure of the truth of your words. I will send one of our tribe's best scouts with you. If she finds what you say to be true, then she will remain and help you until the two rogue buffalo have been dealt with."

Braeburn bowed his head. "Thank you very much, Chief. We greatly appreciate this."

Chief Thunderhooves grunted, and then turned to look around. "Little Strongheart! Where are you?"

"Right here, chief."

Trixie was surprised by the soft, feminine voice she heard reply, and then outright shocked when she saw a buffalo slightly smaller than herself step forward. "Braeburn!" she hissed, motioning for her companion to come close.

"What is it?" Braeburn asked, looking confused at Trixie's consternation.

"We're being... duped! We're dealing with two large buffalo, and they're handing us someone who looks like she would get squished flat if either one of them sat down on her!" Trixie whispered, obviously upset over the situation.

"Now, don't you worry about that!" Braeburn said calmly. "I've seen her in action before. Granted, she may not look it, but she packs quite the punch. She'll run circles around those other two, you just wait and see."

Seeing that her concerns weren't going to be taken seriously, Trixie studied the buffalo that was being sent back to Appleloosa with them, watching as Chief Thunderhooves gave her some instructions. She just couldn't help but think that they were being given a token piece of aid, with the hope that it would shut them up.

"You're looking at this the wrong way." Braeburn said, watching Trixie. "While I doubt their chief is thinking of it, this is probably the best thing he could have done. How do you think the villagers would have reacted if they saw us return with several large buffalo, after all the havoc those outlaws have caused?"

Trixie considered things. "They'd be really nervous, unsure about which buffalo they could trust probably." she admitted. "Still, The Great and Powerful Trixie was hoping for a squadron of them to come charging in and flatten The Coyote Colt unequivocally. That'd solve all of our problems."

"Sure," Braeburn conceded, "that would be nice. But how would the villagers feel about that? I know it wouldn't sit well with me that we had to go beg for help from others like that in order to take care of our situation." His face took on a sour look, like he had just bit into a lemon. "What would be the point of us living out here if we had to have other folk solve all of our problems for us?"

She gave Braeburn a quizzical look. "So, how do you feel about me helping you then? I don't live in Appleloosa, after all."

"True, but you were forcefully dragged into it. That's different. The Coyote Colt hasn't made any moves against the buffalo yet." Seeing Little Strongheart come up to them, he turned to face her. "Howdy!"

"Greeting, Braeburn. It has been a while since we last saw each other. How have you been doing? And who is this?" she asked, looking at Trixie.

"Besides the current problem, I've been doing okay, thank you." He gestured at Trixie. "This here is..."

"I am The Great and Powerful Trixie!" she interrupted. "Entertainer extraordinaire, practiced prestidigitator, and currently helping the settlers of Appleloosa combat The Coyote Colt and his band of miscreants." She stood tall and proud.

Little Strongheart looked over at Braeburn, who shrugged. "Um, pleased to meet you. I look forward to helping you." she replied, doing her best to be cordial.

Giving a noncommittal hmmph, Trixie turned to Braeburn. "Well, shall we be heading back to town? I'd like to get back before sunset." Not bothering to wait for a reply, Trixie turned and started to leave the buffalo encampment.

Braeburn and Little Strongheart looked at each other in confusion. Braeburn shrugged and said, "Just give her a chance. She doesn't know what you're capable of. I'm sure she'll come around." They started after the departing unicorn. "Trixie!" he called ahead. Seeing her ignore him, he muttered under his breath before yelling, "Darn it, Trixie, wait up! You're heading the wrong way!"

Trixie paused, and then lowered her head. She waited for the other two to catch up. "I am sorry. It's just..." she sighed. "It has always been hard for me to ask for help from others. Even with these kind of circumstances and my injury, it is a bitter pill to swallow that The Great and Powerful Trixie is not up to the task on her own."

Little Strongheart looked at Trixie. "You do not appear to be hurt."

Trixie closed her eyes, and levitated her hat off of her head to reveal her bandaged horn. "The Coyote Colt cracked it yesterday when we faced off against each other." She lowered her hat back onto her head. "Even doing that small of an amount of magic gives me a headache, and I've been told that I risk aggravating my injury if I push myself too far."

"I am sorry to hear that!" Little Strongheart said, sympathy showing on her face. "But who is this Coyote Colt?"

"We'll fill you in on the way back." Braeburn said as he turned towards Appleloosa. "It's a long story."



The Coyote Colt levitated his saddlebags onto his back. "So," he said, turning to face his diamond dog companion, "do you think you and Willie will be okay while I head out with the buffalo brothers?"

Douglas smiled. "I am certain that, should the worst happen, me and Willie can escape that other unicorn easily enough. And I don't honestly see the townsfolk trying anything after what we did this morning."

"There's no need for us to fly away." Willie piped up. "That witch is only able to use half of her horn at most."

"What do you mean?" the outlaw leader asked, his curiosity piqued.

"I saw it while they had me cooped up. She can barely lift a knife off of the ground without hurting herself." the pegasus explained.

The Coyote Colt chuckled, and then started to laugh loudly. "Oh, that's rich! I was worried when I saw her earlier today, already up and about. But knowing this? I don't think anything will be able to stop us now, boys." He looked over at Tumble and Weed. "You two ready?" Seeing them grunt, he grinned.

"Alright then. Let's go catch ourselves a train."