Applejack
As much as she enjoyed going out to Appleloosa to visit everypony, she always knew that her place was at Sweet Apple Acres and the feeling always gnawed at her until she finally had to leave. Of course, that was on happier occasions.
The freckled earth pony sighed, her emerald eyes drooped slightly and gave her a tired look. Tired from all the crying from the ride on the train to get here, and tired from waiting in the station, afraid to finally get this horrible thing over with.
Her cousin, Braeburn had been found dead outside of the doctor's office just a few days earlier. The second she had heard of the news, she took the train out of Ponyville, promising her brother and grandmother she would be back before the weeks end. She would have liked nothing more than to head back now the moment she had laid hoof into town.
As she stepped out into the harsh southern sun, an air of uneasiness was present from the first second she laid eyes on the dry town that was Appleloosa. It practically felt dead, even though its citizens still went about their daily business.
She suddenly realized she had no idea who to ask or see as to where and what exactly had happened to her cousin. She immediately stopped a stallion who was wearing a beaver furred top hat and asked him about the recent death that had occurred in town.
He shook his head, and called it 'a damn shame' and left her with nothing more than that. She never remembered any of the townsfolk being so anti-social, but she assumed it had to do with what had happened. She was about to ask another passerby when a gruff voice called out for her.
The marshal of the town trotted up to her, a badge anointed both his chest and his flank, revealing both his talent and current role in life to be in perfect symmetry. His mustache was starting to gray, breaking from his rather dark mane and coat, and beginning to compliment his dark green eyes much more.
It hadn't been long since Sheriff Silverstar left to pursue positions at other towns containing more family, but she still hadn't expected his replacement to be so much... older. There had been a rumor going around since her last visit. Apparently, the current marshal had been the sheriff long before Silverstar, but eventually resigned, leaving the position to the younger stallion. Now that he was gone however, he had returned to take his position, as nopony else had the talent or calling for such a task. Of course, this had just been rumors, and that's what confused her the most. Why didn't anypony remember? It couldn't be that hard. Still, that wasn't important right now.
“I had a feeling one of the Apple family would soon drop by. Nice to see you, Applejack,” he held out his hoof for her to bump reluctantly, which she did.
“Marshal Law, you've got some answers for me?” If he didn't know, then nopony would in this now skeleton of a town.
“I might have a bit more than your average citizen, but it still ain't much. Why don't you come on down to the station with me and we'll discuss this whole sorry ordeal?” She followed him back to his headquarters within the town, a splintered sign hanging outside of the small building that read 'sheriff.'
Inside, Applejack took a seat across the desk, while the marshal lit up a cigar, taking a few puffs and looking her down before speaking. “So, what do you know as of right now, Missy?”
“All I know is that my cousin is dead, and it ain't by natural causes,” she felt hollow speaking like this, but it was why she was here to begin with.
“Clever mare, you are. That's more than what most of this town knows thankfully. Some whisper, though. They're getting frantic. Some know it's gunshots that put him down, and so do I. Two in the back, one in the head.” The marshal pony moved the cigar around in his mouth, gauging a reaction from Applejack.
“W-what? Gunshots?” Only unicorns could use such things, and they didn't like to live so far out here, and the ones that did were beyond friendly. It didn't make much sense. “Could it be unicorns, Marshal?”
“Could be. I have half a mind it's Human though,” Marshal Law looked out the window of the station, taking another puff from the cigar.
“Hoo-man? What kind of pony name is that, Marshal?” She was beginning to grow confused.
“Thankfully, he ain't a pony. We're not sure what he is, but he calls himself: 'Human.' A downright silly name I know, but it's his. And get this: he got them claws, like a dragon's. He can operate one of them revolvers, and he has one I've seen it.”
“Are you planning on taking him into custody?” If the murderer of her cousin was right in town, then what in Equestria was the marshal waiting for?
“He ain’t running, and that’s what’s got me curious. Could be worth looking into, he’d probably come willingly.” The marshal tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Suppose I will, couldn't hurt. Care to join me?” Marshal Law took the cigar out from his mouth and buried its head into the ashes of the tray that laid upon his desk.
Applejack swallowed harshly in a fit of surprise. “Why would you want me around some criminal? Ain’t that a bit of a risk?”
“Relax. Doubt Human would put up a fight. Besides, I don’t know anypony that would hurt a mare,” the marshal began to walk out, gesturing for Applejack to follow.
“B-but Marshal!” She followed after him, but only out of a certain curiosity. As dangerous as this sounded, she couldn’t help but find herself wanting to at least see who was suspected in her cousin’s murder.
They crossed the town once more and they found themselves at the local saloon. Applejack could hear the melody of a piano being played, just barely reaching above the bustle of voices inside. This sounded busy, even for a bar.
“Just let me do the talking,” the marshal told her, pushing through the swinging doors.
If the place sounded busy, then it looked a lot busier. Almost every table was full, throngs of ponies all standing about or sitting. All looked to be having a good time. All ponies at least.
Over by the bar was a figure that was considerably larger than those around him. He wore clothes as well, something Applejack could never understand, especially when it came to her friend, Rarity.
“Is that him?” She found herself whispering to the marshal.
“Fine guess, and you’d be right,” before Applejack could say a single thing, the marshal immediately began making his way across the saloon and in between tables to get to the queer creature at the bar.
Applejack didn’t follow after him, she sucked in her breath and just watched the sheriff finally confront the suspect. She worried for the worst to happen.
“Human?” Marshal asked the slumped figure at the bar. He didn’t look at him, which prompted the old marshal to speak again. “Human, you’re coming with me.”
Here it came. Applejack bit her lip as she waited to see the reaction of the creature.
He shifted just slightly, and that was enough to make Applejack flinch even from all the way on the other side of the saloon. She wanted to leave now, but just couldn’t seem to find the will to leave. She needed to see what would happen.
“What for?” The figure finally answered in an empty tone.
“On suspicion of the murder of Braeburn, a citizen of the town of Appleloosa.”
The bar itself began to quiet down, the majority of eyes now only realizing who had entered and what was going on by the bar. It seemed that they were all waiting just like Applejack, unable to return to their previous revelries.
The slumped figure finally stood up, much taller than the marshal upon comparison. She had no idea what this thing was going to look like, but there it was: scruffy, unkempt and disinterested. It stood on two feet and it reminded her slightly of an ape, something not entirely native to Equestria.
He looked around at everypony in the saloon, his eyes scanning them all around, as if sizing them up. What was he thinking? He watched them all... and then his gaze found her.
His dark eyes studied her and she couldn’t look away. She was suddenly frightened, as if this thing was going to reach out and end her any second. This was the moment she felt certain the marshal had made a mistake, and everypony around would all pay for it.
“Alright. If you feel like you need to, sheriff,” he hardly sounded as defeated as the words he spoke suggested, but Applejack hadn’t even noticed, she was just shocked that the creature had given himself willingly.
The marshal wasn’t done just yet, though. “I’m gonna need that weapon of yours.”
The creature brought a hand to his waist where a holster laid. She hadn’t noticed it, but it did indeed hold the six shooter the marshal had mentioned back at the station. He pulled it out, and everypony in the saloon held their breath, thinking this was the end.
He tossed it carelessly on the floor, and Marshal took it into his mouth. With that done, he gave the gesture to move out.
One of the ponies spoke up from a nearby table, confused. “Marshal? Ain’t you gonna hogtie him?”
The sheriff pony spat out the gun in his mouth and grumbled. “I think I can take my chance that Human here has got a bit of integrity,” after the comment was made, he picked the gun back up in his mouth and no more comments were made by the others.
The marshal was about to exit with Human trailing when he gestured for Applejack to join up with them. Again, common sense played second fiddle to curiosity and the orange earth pony found herself following the two back to the station.
After returning, the marshal left the six shooter on his desk and led Human to the back room, where several cells laid. They placed him in one where a ragged looking unicorn stewed in the back corner. “He won’t bother you. He’s all bark and no bite,” the marshal told Human before leading him into the small chamber.
The marshal left the cell and blew out a held back sigh of relief. “I’m glad that’s done with for now,” he turned back to Human, who was sitting at the bench by the wall of the cell. “I’ll get back to you in a little bit.”
“Take your time. I’m not going anywhere,” was the answer he got.
Back in the front room, Applejack found herself in the familiar setting of her in a seat by the desk, with the marshal puffing on another cigar on the opposite side.
“Who was the unicorn?” She found herself asking after a quiet moment, wanting to keep things going. She had waited in silence long enough on the way to Appleloosa.
“Ah, the unicorn. Found the cretin loitering out behind the station this morning. He didn’t put up a fight, but he had some choice words. I took him on the same suspicion as Human here. I’m going to question them tonight, when I get the time.”
“I see,” Applejack huffed out a tired breath. “Marshal?”
“Hmm?” He puffed out a bit of smoke and coughed as he inhaled a bit of smoke that he had not meant to.
“You’re going to do justice to my cousin’s killer, aren’t you?” She wanted to believe. She wanted something to put her nerves at ease. She wanted something to tell Granny Smith when she came back.
The marshal frowned at the question, his eyes watering from the unexpected inhalation still. “Filly, I can’t promise you anything but that I’ll do my best to make sure I got the right stallion before anypony finds a noose around their necks.”
“I guess that’s all that I can ask for,” Applejack responded sadly.
Both of their eyes directed towards the window, where the sun was finally begin to dwindle down and submerge itself behind the dusty mountains so far away.
“You don’t got a place to sleep tonight, do you?” The marshal questioned gruffly.
Applejack began to stammer, kicking herself mentally for not planning out a room to stay in one of the few saloon’s in town. “I… no, Marshal. I don’t.”
“Figured,” he stood up and left the desk to the doorway where the back cells were located. He turned back and pointed towards one of the benches that sat near the corner of the station. “You can stay here, or I suppose I can trust you in my home tonight. I’ll be here all night anyways.”
“I couldn’t Marshal…” Applejack trailed off, knowing she would have to accept his offer anyways.
“Ahh shush. No need to be all polite. I insist,” he spoke out, trotting into the back room now.
“O-okay,” Applejack spoke, looking back at the splintery bench where the marshal likely placed criminals or those too unfortunate to get a seat closer to his desk. Still… she didn’t really feel comfortable being alone right now when a murder was still so fresh around these parts. “I guess I’ll stay with you, marshal.”
“Alrighty missy,” he called back from the back room. “See if you can make yourself comfortable, I suppose. I’ll be back here, trying to get some answers from these two.”
“I’ll try…” She looked back at the bench. It was going to be a long night.