//------------------------------// // Five - Right Outside // Story: Treasure in the West // by DiveBomb //------------------------------// "Are ya' sure 'bout this?" "Ohoho yeah. I haven't been more sure about anything." "Don't ya' think it's a bit...snug?" "It's supposed to be like that. It's never been used before." "But it feels so...weird." "What's so weird about it?" "Ah guess Ah'm just not used to these kinds o' things." "Well get used to it, 'cause you need it." Braeburn gave his reflection in the tall mirror a quizzical look. In the place of his usual vest was now a long brown duster, draped over his back. The mantle of the jacket hung loosely around his shoulders, flared outward at the sides. The stallion had protested against such a garment, for it gave the impression of malevolence and hostility. Whenever he thought of a pony wearing a duster, his mind immediately drifted to criminals and bandits. He knew it to be nothing more than profiling, but the idea still lingered in his thoughts. However, he couldn't disagree with Daring Do's argument. The smooth canvas kept the temperature of his body cool, and would inevitably provide protection from the sun's scorching rays. The tailor had taken his rifle into consideration, and quickly lined the interior of the duster with several loops designed for holding cartridges. Not only would he no longer have to dig haphazardly into his saddlebags for rounds, but now if he needed to reload, the deed was a mere reach away. "Will you just take the darned thing so we can go?" Daring groaned with evident facetiousness. "Yer the one that took me fer this here fashion show!" "You're the one that's making it a show," she scoffed with a smile, sitting upon a high stool with her legs crossed. "It's a simple decision! It'll keep you from getting heat stroke out there. Not to mention the tailor is giving it to you for saving the town. Plus, it looks really cool." "Alright, fine," he conceded, although reluctantly. "Oh splendid!" came a flamboyant male voice. Braeburn turned his head to find the tailor returning through the many coat racks. Unlike the plethora of tan and beige earth ponies usually that resided out West, Silver Snips was a unicorn with a coat of brilliant cyan blue. Several lengths of ribbon and fabric were draped around his slender neck, as if he were in the middle of designing a new garment. His long, swaying mane and tail were a dark shade of navy blue, a single line of bright silver streaking them both. Upon the tailor's flank was a pair of silver shears, interlaced with a white ribbon. Silver Snips was a pony that Braeburn hadn't seen much of before founding Appleloosa, for he never found himself in need of clothing other than his cowpony vest. "I am nothing short of overjoyed that I can repay you for dispatching that wretched bandit, Mister Apple," Silver beamed, his voice laced with the air of a Manehattenite. "Why, what could have happened if you weren't around!" "Glad to help, Silver," he replied, giving the tailor a nervous smile. "Just doin' what's right is all." "Oh and he's humble too?" Silver spoke with heavy emphasis, clapping his forehooves together. "Yeah, yeah. He's a gracious hero," Daring replied sarcastically as she hopped off the stool. "I don't mean to be rude Snips, but we're kind of busy today." "But of course Miss Do," he answered with a smile. He then floated Braeburn's old vest into the air, regarding it with an air of disgust. "And what do you wish for me to do with...this?" "Well Ah can't get rid o' that," said Braeburn, taking the vest and stuffing it into his saddlebags despite Silver Snips' subtle cringe of disapproval. "Thanks again though." "Anytime Mister Apple. Now I must tend to my other customers, but you two have a fine afternoon," said the cyan unicorn. He turned on a hoof and disappeared amoungst the small sea of clothing racks. "That was mighty kind o' him," Braeburn commented once the tailor was out of sight. He turned his head at a faint, growling sound. He found Daring next to him, wearing a sheepish grin. "And by 'busy,' you meant 'hungry', right?" "Hehe, I may have," she admitted in a small voice. "We still have to figure out Cunning's second clue, so why don't we brainstorm while we eat something?" Braeburn followed Daring Do through the two swinging wooden doors. The riflepony may have been familiar with the outside of the building, but never found himself eager to enter the dark saloon. While Dodge Junction was normally a peaceful town, he had his own preconceived notions of the kinds of ponies that would occupy the place. However, his previous thoughts were quelled at the sight of the interior. The Final Chance Saloon was indeed a dimly-lit establishment, but the ponies inside were a far cry from menacing. The building was alive with happy conversation and an uplifted mood. Almost every table was filled with smiling customers, eating and drinking merrily. In spite of his prediction, nopony looked to his new appearance with hesitance, but instead with joy. At the sight of the new guests, the majority of the crowd raised their mugs and gave the beige stallion a loud, belting cheer. Still unaccustomed to praise, Braeburn merely smiled with a tip of his hat. He sat aside Daring in the two remaining stools at the long bar, resting their heavy saddlebags on the floor underneath them. "Looks like you've become quite the celebrity Brae," Daring mused. "Ah guess so. But Ah'm not sure how Ah feel 'bout it," he admitted. The pegasus didn't cock an eyebrow like he expected her to, but instead gave him an inquisitive look, silently asking him to elaborate. "Well...Ah dunno. It's all just so much to take in overnight. Yesterday morning Ah was just a simple farmpony buckin' apples in the orchard. Now everypony is cheerin' at the sight o' me, not to mention givin' me things now. How much d'ya think this here jacket costs? A hundred bits? Two-hundred?" "So it's a lot at first, big deal," she replied as polite as the word could be said. "If you think this is bad, then maybe you don't want your name on the front page when we find Cunning's legacy." Braeburn's eyes widened. "Wait, what?" Daring almost looked taken aback. "Did you think you wouldn't get any credit? Of course you will! I'm not going to ignore that you helped me!" "No Ah didn't...Ah just didn't think about it is all," he stammered, flustered at the accusation. Daring only chuckled in response. "Relax Brae, I'm just giving you a hard time. Jeeze you're too easy." The riflepony exhaled a silent breath, glad that he didn't insult the dark-yellow mare. Laughing with a friend was something he wasn't exactly used to, but it was truly an amazing feeling compared to working on the farm. Never before did he feel so relaxed, so free of the usual stress and monotony. A grateful smile formed on his face as he leaned his elbows on the stained wooden bar. Ten minutes later their sandwiches and cider had arrived, and Daring Do couldn't have jumped on her food faster. Any other pony may have considered her utter lack of table manners repulsive, although Braeburn actually found it endearing. He was tired of the fussy and uppity mares from Canterlot, regarding the West as a 'barbaric' or 'rustic' part of Equestria. Daring Do however, was a complete contrast from the usual high-class city folk that would typically hail from such a city. "Okay, problem-solving time," said the pegasus excitedly after swallowing a mouth-full of sandwich. She laid out the map again, this time not interrupted by the sound of gunfire. "The clue said 'right outside.' Vague, yes. But also very informative." "How d'ya figure?" he asked before sipping at his glass of cider. "Sometimes the most amount of information can be extrapolated from the least amount of words," she stated matter-of-factly. "But at the same time, it can be difficult to see what their meaning is. I dunno, maybe I'm just over-thinking this." Daring let out a breath of air through her nose, placing her forehead to her hoof in contemplation. Something about those last six words sparked an idea in his mind. 'Over-thinking' it...There had been times when Braeburn tried to solve a seemingly-complicated dilemma, only to find that the problem had the simplest of answers. Perhaps it was possible that she was indeed attempting to solve an addition problem with intermediate division. Daring Do was, in fact, a very intelligent mare, so it made sense that she would subconsciously float to more complicated solutions. Maybe a pony of average intelligence could find the answer to Cunning's second clue. The archeologist had found the clue in a house down the road, and couldn't find the next one 'right outside' of the building. The third and final clue had to be adjacent to something similar then, perhaps something different to the home itself, but still somehow relative. Braeburn cast a curious gaze over to the map between them, looking over the vast expanse of poorly-drawn buildings. While Daring had restricted her illustrations to the town's limits, she had also drawn Dodge Junction's abandonned silver mine right outside of... Braeburn's mind lit up in realization, and he threw his hoof across the parchment, pointing to the mine. "Right there!" Daring Do had almost fallen out of her chair in fright, pulling her head back with a muffled squeak. "Horseapples, Braeburn! Don't do that!" "The silver mine!" he exclaimed, ignoring her flustered demeanor. "What about it?" she asked, regaining her composure. "Those caves have been abandonned fer hundreds o' years, and were around during Cunning's time!," he started to explain. "Where else is a better place to hide somethin'? That, and it's right outside of Dodge Junction!" As soon as he finished his sentence, Daring's eyes widened, elation emphasizing their bright color of magenta. "He wasn't talking about the house," she whispered before raising her voice. "He was talking about the whole dang town! Braeburn, you're a genius!" She threw a hoof-full of bits onto the counter before taking flight through the swinging saloon doors, yanking Braeburn off his stool on her way. With a yelp, the riflepony felt himself lift into the air, Daring's forelegs wrapped around his own. The pegasus grinned like mad as she flew the both of them out of the saloon and into the streets, landing at a skid. "Come on! Let's go already!" she exclaimed, bouncing on her hooves. Braeburn could only smile as his saddlebags were dropped onto his back. The earth pony cracked his neck in several places as Daring impatiently waited. "Oh Celestia, I wish you were a pegasus right now. To have to walk over to the mines, knowing what's there..." "Ah'm excited too Daring, but next time warn me before ya' yank me through the air like that," he groaned, rubbing his shoulder. The jubilant pegasus turned toward the Eastern road, flapping her wings as if to take off. But then something came over her face. She put a hoof to her chin, her eyes tracing the ground. "Wait a sec, you said the silver mines have been abandonned for how long?" "Hundreds o' years," he repeated, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Well that's...kind of a problem," she exhaled, her disappointment obvious. "Those caves might be unstable by now, and the structures securing the ceiling might be too weak to enter." Braeburn's heart fell. He had been so elated to find out where Cunning's next clue was, he never thought of the safety of the mines. If Cunning were to hide his final clue anywhere in those caves, it would have been far down underground, where he doubted they could safely venture. Of course, he thought. Why would we be able to go any further? That'd just be too dandy, Ah reckon. Ah let myself get excited over a pipe-dream. "But..." Daring said quietly. Braeburn's head shot up at the optimistic sound in her voice. "We can still check it out you know. Not all is lost. I have the proper equipment back at my place. We can still do this! But I'll have to warn you Braeburn, my previous statement may not be true for long now. It may get a little risky in those caves, and well...anything can happen. It's not like traveling into a volcano, but it can be a little dangerous. I for one, am not letting anything stop me from finding Cunning's legacy, regardless of your answer to this next question: Do you still want to do this, knowing the risks you could take going in there?" Daring Do may have asked the question with a very level tone, but her body language was saying something else entirely. She looked anxious, her heels almost tapping with an apprehensive beat. In the short time that he knew her, Braeburn was somehow able to pick up on her subliminal tells, and her eyes were the key. Whenever she was saying something that conflicted with her thoughts, her large eyes seemed to shimmer an even brighter shade of rose. It was a pleading gaze that Braeburn couldn't possibly say no to, and this time it wasn't any different. "Ya' think Ah'm gonna quit now? Naw, Ah'm in it fer the long run," he said with a grin. "Just don't pull my shoulder out like that again." He held out a forehoof, which Daring immediately bumped with her own. "Good. Let's go then." As the afternoon drew on, a cooling breeze whistled through the dirt roads of Dodge Junction. The riflepony thanked Celestia that something had brought the temperature down, if even for a moment. His long, thick blonde mane blew in the wind, his duster flapping to his right. The brass cartridges clinked softly from inside the heavy jacket, reminding him that they were there. He followed the pegasus from the ground as she drifted through the air, taking in the cool breeze with a smile on her face. Once Daring landed, she indicated a tall house to their left. Braeburn flicked his tail, confusion upon his face. He had expected the archeologist's home to be large and lavish, and somewhere on the outskirts of the town. Instead, they were standing in front of an old boarding house, three stories tall. Regardless, he followed the pegasus through the front door and down a long, dimly-lit hallway. The paper on the walls had started to peel, and every floorboard creaked underhoof. Overall the place was ordinary compared to the rest of the old town, but Daring strode through it as if it were the castle gardens in Canterlot. She held her head high, striding with a skip in her step while humming joyfully to herself. At the end of the hallway was an ascending stairwell next to a black wooden door, marked with the number zero. Daring withdrew a small ring of keys from her bags in her teeth, inserting it into the lock and turning it with a click. A small part of Braeburn's mind lit up with foalish joy. He was about to enter Daring Do's home. The stallion may have known about her existence for over a day now, but he still found himself mildly giddy at the thought. Braeburn snorted out a breath, silently telling himself to grow up and remain composed. Braeburn followed her down a long flight of stairs, feeling the heat of the summer day fade into the blissful, cool underground floor. Daring opened the second door, flicking on another light. Over the threshold was a large, ornately-decorated apartment. Its concrete walls were plastered with a burgundy wallpaper, patterned with gold lace. In each corner of the vast living room was a tall bookshelf, filled to the brim with a cornucopia of tomes varying in age. The brilliant wallpaper was almost veiled by the many shelves and maps. Several odd-looking trinkets and trophies were abundant in the beautiful home, somehow avoiding the look of a mess. In fact, it was something a pony could call 'controlled chaos.' The theme of dark-red was shared by the plush furniture, organized in the middle of the living room around a mahogany coffee table. All in all, the home looked like a larger version of her personal train car. While there was no sign of air conditioning, it was simply unnecessary. Any heat from the surface hadn't been able to penetrate the underground apartment. Braeburn reveled in the warmth of his long duster, finding the temperature to be almost winter-like. Daring Do however, seemed completely at ease with the cold, stretching her wings in comfort. "Wow," he whispered to himself, his eyes darting around the apartment. "Yeah, it's a bit of a mess. Sorry," Daring chuckled nervously, dropping her bags to the carpeted floor. "Not at all. This place is amazin'! But why does it have to be so cold?" he asked, sitting on his haunches and wrapping his forelegs around his shoulders. "Maybe it's cold for an earth pony accustomed to the Western heat, but it's perfect for a pegasus. I wanted to live out here without dealing with the hot sun, so I moved underground," she explained. "Anyway wait here, I'll get some supplies." With a flap of her nimble wings, Daring took off into another room and out of sight. Braeburn took the opportunity to cast a glance around the room. Suddenly his mind went back to their interrupted conversation on the train. He looked around the cluttered shelves and tables for any sort of picture that would give a hint about her life. Normally he wouldn't try to intrude in another pony's past, but he justified his curiosity with one simple thought: If Daring had placed anything out in plain sight, then it was okay to look around, right? Right. However, the only pictures he found were of maps or tombs. Perhaps Daring just never had anypony over before, or maybe she was simply very adamant about keeping her past to herself. When he had previously inquired about the subject, her demeanor had shifted awkwardly, immediately dismissing the matter. That and what Artemis had told him only made the beige earth pony worry about her. What had happened to her that was so horrid? Had she talked to anypony else about it before? Augh, why can't Ah just let it go? he thought. It's none o' my business. If she wants to keep it to herself, then let her. Don't press her fer somthin' that you don't need to know about. But...she is my friend, right? Don't friends help each other out with things like that? No Braeburn. Just keep yer dang mouth shut and enjoy the opportunity she's givin' ya'. "You alright?" Braeburn shook his head around, focusing his eyes. He found Daring next to him, poking him in the shoulder with a hoof. She had brought a large cardboard box with her, sealed shut with packing tape. "What? Oh! No Ah'm fine, just thinkin'." "Oh yeah? What about?" Braeburn froze, struggling to find an excuse for the pensive look on his face. "Um...N-Nothin'. It's nothin'." Daring furrowed her brow with a sly smile, unconvinced. "You're not afraid of those caves, are you?" "O' course not! What'd we just talk about?" he retorted, although relieved that her suspicions were of something else entirely. "Okay, okay. Just making sure," she smiled, dragging the heavy-looking box between them. She withdrew a small box-cutter from the pocket of her shirt, slicing the tape apart. The pegasus sat on her haunches and rummaged through the contents of the box. Braeburn watched as she pulled out what looked like spelunking equipment; two lengths of rope, a couple of harnesses, a small steel pickaxe and a first-aid kit. "Better safe than sorry." "How do we use this stuff?" "Don't worry, I'll show you if we end up needing it," she replied, stuffing her saddlebags. Braeburn followed suit with the supplies he was given, casting a brief glance to the large grandfather clock in the far corner. Its pendulum swung back and forth, ticking loudly. The ornate, scroll-work hands indicated that it was already four o' clock in the afternoon. How had the day flown by so fast? The stallion must have lost track of time in the excitement of the day. "What're you looking at...oh jeeze," Daring sighed, tracing his gaze to the clock. "What's wrong?" "Have you ever been hundreds of feet underground in the middle of the desert at night?" she asked, her chest deflating. "Uh, no Ah guess not. What's the difference?" "Well it's cold, freezing actually," she answered with disappointment in her voice. "As much as I hate to admit it, it's probably not a good idea to go there tonight. Even pegasi can't handle cold like that. The last time I tried something like that, I ended up with pneumonia." "So yer sayin' we should wait until mornin'?" Braeburn asked. "Yeah. Darn it, I was waiting to do this," she snorted. "The next clue is in those caves and we have to wait? Gah!" Daring groaned and flopped onto one of the plush couches. She let her head fall on the arm of the couch, her monochromatic mane laid across her chest. He understood her annoyance, although Braeburn actually felt somewhat relieved. Sure, he wanted nothing more than to find Cunning's treasure as soon as possible, but at the same time he'd rather do it right. The day had indeed been eventful, and the riflepony found himself smiling at the idea of resting for a bit. He strode over to the opposite couch, settling atop the burgundy cushions. "Well I guess we can leave first thing in the morning," Daring said, removing her pith helmet and placing it on her stomach. "That's alright Daring. Ah have family Ah can stay the night with," Braeburn said. "You can just sleep on the couch you know," she said matter-of-factly, turning her head towards him. Braeburn shifted oddly, tucking his forelegs underneath his chest. "Oh no, Ah couldn't do that to ya'. Ah wouldn't want to impose." "Pfft, impose? I appreciate your manners, but this way I wouldn't have to come and wake you up someplace else. It's just quicker this way." Instead of answering, Braeburn replied with a grateful smile. With a sigh, he took the opportunity to rest is head on his elbows, closing his eyes in content. From the other couch, it seemed as if Daring was as tired as he was. He heard the pegasus stretch, grunting and yawning. It was far too early to sleep for the night, but perhaps a nap would be a good idea. "Alright then. Early in the morning."