The Outlaw, The Star and the Big, Big Sky

by TotalOverflow

Chapter 5

The Outlaw, The Star and the Big, Big Sky

By TotalOverflow, 2012

Chapter 5

“Oh, Braeburn!” Applebumpkin said as she descended the staircase on the left of the store, eyes half open and bleary, “how nice ta see you!”

He grinned. "Howdy cuz’." He placed the red book on a nearby table next to a small folded menu. Being a small bakery, there were only a couple such tables, and on the far end of the room stood a counter with a glass display half-full with muffins, fritters and sweet buns. Braeburn took a deep breath of the warm, tasty air. “Just came by fer a couple o’ your famous fritters!”

Applebumpkin smiled weakly through her red, curly mane. “Well, lucky fer you I just so happened ta bake a few this mornin’. Hopefully they won’t be the last ones.”

“Hmm? What’s that mean?”

“Well,” she sighed, stepping behind the counter and collecting the treats, “I was s’pecting a shipment of cinn’mon a few days ‘go, but it never came in.”

“Cinnamon?” Braeburn puzzled, “didn’t the store...yeah, there was a big shipment o’ supplies the other day!”

She wrapped the fritters and procured a paper bag, placing them delicately inside and tightening the string around its opening. “Got most of the supplies I need, but not cinn'mon. Cinn’mon comes from overseas, but I've never had any problems gettin' it b'fore.” She walked over to him, tilting slightly to the side and stifling a yawn as she placed the bag on the table. “But I’m sure it’ll come in. Anyhow, here ya go, Brae. Ya must be hungry t’day.”

“Yup, sure am. Thanks, cuz’! How much do I owe ya?”

“No, don’t worry ‘bout it,” she said, unable to hold back a second yawn, “I baked too many t’day anyhow, an’ I doubt I’ll be gettin’ any other customers t’day. They’re all asleep...Like I should be. Even some space rock ain’t enough ta keep me awake,” she added with a weak chuckle.

“Well thanks fer this, Applebumpkin,” Braeburn smiled sweetly, stuffing the book into his vest. With a swift flick of his hooves, Braeburn tossed his hat in the air and slipped the stringed bag around his neck before his hat landed back on his head. “I’ll let ya get back ta sleep. Sorry ta wake ya!” She smiled, nodded and clambered back upstairs. The bell jingled happily behind Braeburn as he left.

He took a long, leisurely look around the nearly barren streets of town. He breathed in the smell of the apple fritters around his neck and sighed. With the rock gone, maybe things could return to normal. At least, now nopony in town would discover it was a fake after all. In a few days, this whole thing would blow over and everyone would move on.

“Maybe...maybe things ain’t gonna be so bad after all.”

He knew he had spoken too soon, however, once he saw Vinny cantering toward him, a crazed grin plastered on his face.

“Braeburn!” he nearly shouted before puffing out his cheeks, lowering his head and dropping his voice, “Braeburn.”

Braeburn rolled his eyes and begun a light gait down the road with Vinny in tow. “What is it, Vinny?”

“So, hey, I was thinking...About that space rock, you know...”

Braeburn’s breath caught in his throat for a second but he walked steadfastly. “An' what were ya thinkin’ ‘bout it?”

“Well,” drawled the icy-blue maned stallion, “I feel a little ripped off. I mean, I never even got to see it! The buffalo came and took it before I had a chance.”

“It really wasn’t anythin’ special.”

“Oh come on! It was a rock from outer space! How many times do you get to see something like that?”

Braeburn licked his rapidly drying lips. “It really wasn’t very interestin’, Vinny,” he said with finality. When the cream-coated stallion wouldn’t leave Braeburn pulled out ‘the big guns.’ “Ain’t ya got some grapes ta take care of?”

Vinny gasped dramatically. “They aren’t just grapes, I’ll have you know! It's a full on vineyard, and it takes a lot more effort and care than some apple trees! And besides, I’ve already taken care of them for-”

“AH SHAID, GIMME ANUDDER BLOCK!”

The pair stopped in the road and stared at the double doors of The Salt Block which were rocking gently. Braeburn smiled inwardly, thankful for the distraction as he trotted over to the doors and poked his head inside the saloon.

“Salty, you’re gonna run me dry. 'Sides, I really think you’ve had enough.”

“You’ve had e-e-nough!”

Seated at the bar, his lips parched, raged Salty. Morton, cool as ever, kept rubbing a glass clean. Salty downed the last of his water and shoved his bowl at the barkeep, demanding another block of salt. Besides the pair, the saloon seemed empty.

“What’s going on in there?” Vinny asked, bringing his head beside Braeburn’s.

“Salty’s bein’ his ol’ self again. Got an early start t’day, looks like.” Braeburn pushed through the double doors and approached the bar.

“Howdy Braeburn,” Morton said, his voice even as he pushed a salt shaker out of Salty’s reach, “didn’t imagine I’d be gettin’ any other customers t’day.”

“Salty causin’ trouble fer ya?” Braeburn asked, leaning on the counter, taking care not to damage the bag around his neck.

“Ah ain’t doin’ no nuddin’!” belched Salty, his eyes lolling, “allsh Ah want ish a deshent block o’ shalt! Ish dat sho much ta ashk?”

“Whoa,” Vinny chuckled, joining the group, “what’s with this guy?”

“He’s dehydrated,” Braeburn replied flatly.

“Oh, oh, oh, oh, an’ like you ain’t?” Salty accused, raising his hoof but unable to ascertain where to point it, “Ah jesh’ watched mah whole diggin’ work go down da drain! Ah ‘member it like t’were yeshterday!”

“It was yesterday.”

“You were yeshterday! Hee hee hee!” Salty wheezed uncontrollably at his joke, slamming his hoof on the bar top.

“Yep. I sure was.” Braeburn leaned over and hoisted one of Salty’s arms over his shoulder. “C’mon, buddy, let’s get you home an’ get ya a nice, cool glass o’ water. Vinny, help me out here! This fellow’s heavy!”

“Ah *cough* godda shay,” Salty reeled as Vinny and Braeburn carried him to the exit, “you five are mah besht friendsh!”

“This guy’s hilarious!” Vinny laughed. Braeburn rolled his eyes.

"It jes'...*hic*...ain't right, y'know?" said Salty, "all dem rocks, Ah dug! Dug an' dug gettin' rock's'n now dey’re all gone...Ah mean, what'm Ah sh'poshed ta do now? Dumb rocks..."

"Speaking of rocks," Vinny said, "I still don't think it's fair that I never got to see the meteorite."

Braeburn groaned. "Vinny, just drop it, okay?"

"I don't get you, Braeburn. A rock from outer space lands in your backyard, the buffalo steal it, and all you have to say is 'drop it?'"

The pair stepped outside into the daylight and Salty moaned loudly, drawing the attention of whatever ponies were in the street.

“Dem buffalo shtole it? Dey took yer metro light? Well, den you godda get it back! Shteal it back, Ah alwaysh shay!”

“Steal it back?” Vinny said in a tone much too thoughtful for Braeburn’s liking. “You know, that isn’t a bad-”

“Yes, it is! It’s a terrible idea!” Braeburn blurted.

“Oh, come on! They stole it, so it’s like, fair game or something now, right?”

“Egshactly!”

“Get the idea out o’ yer head, Vinny. B’sides, you don’t even ‘member the way to the buffalo camp.”

“Sure I do!”

“No, you don’t.”

“I could figure it out.”

Salty belched loudly, drawing the attention of even more ponies who stuck their heads out their doors and windows, blinking sleepily at the daylight.

“An’ how would you even plan on gettin’ it back, anyhow? You expect them ta just hoof it over?”

“Ah think it’s worth a shot.”

Braeburn looked up in horror to see somepony approaching the group. “Ah’m a fair good sneak," he said, "Ah could prob’ly get it back b’fore they notice.”

“Yeah!” somepony else added, “them buffalo have some nerve, just waltzin’ into ‘pony land’ an’ takin’ what ain’t theirs!”

“Exactly!” Vinny cheered. As the crowd grew, the color sapped from Braeburn’s cheeks. He even saw Slate and Cinder among growing numbers.

“We can’t jes' ferget the time they busted up our town!”

“That space rock was ours! Our ticket to famousness!”

“Dat’sh da shpirit’r somdin’...”

“I think we have the right ta head over there now!”

“They need ta learn ta respect other’s property once an’ fer all!”

“Let’s do it!!”

“EVERYPONY SHUT UP!”

The world fell deadly silent as all eyes turned upon Braeburn. He breathed quickly and sharply, dropping Salty onto Vinny.

“Listen ta yerselves!” he shouted, “y’all are soundin’ like savages! Talkin’ of raidin’ the buffalo camp like y’all have every right in the world!”

“What are you talking about, Braeburn?” Vinny shouted back, letting go of Salty completely. The dehydrated stallion fell onto the dusty ground and promptly fell asleep, snoring loudly. “You sure didn’t have a problem blaming the buffalo out at the crater this morning! Of anyone in town, I’d have expected you to jump at the chance to get it back!”

“B-but,” Braeburn stuttered as the audience turned their silent gaze back to him, “we don’t even know for sure that the buffalo did take it!”

“What!?” Aghast, Vinny approached the stallion. “You were the one that spotted their tracks! What’s the deal, Braeburn? Why are you so keen on letting them keep that rock? Whose side are you on, anyway?”

“He’s not on anypony’s side.”

The crowd split, clearing a path for Silverstar as he approached Braeburn and Vinny. Braeburn felt his breathing stop altogether.

“‘Cause we ain’t playin’ in teams,” the sheriff continued, staring down Vinny through his great mustache, “an’ I sure don’t like the kind of talk that suggests we go sneakin’ around, stealin’ from others.”

“But Sheriff-”

“Shut it!” Silverstar shot a glare that could freeze the sun at the poor soul who had interrupted. “I’m not finished!”

A shiver ran up Braeburn’s neck as the sheriff turned his piercing gaze toward him. “I expected better of you all. An’ I’ll be danged if I’m goin’ ta allow this sort o’ behavior in my town!” He slammed his hoof, sending a shudder through the crowd. “Now. I want all y’all ta git these ridiculous ideas out o’ yer head’s b’fore-”

“WHERE IS SILVERSTAR!?”

Everypony spun in shock to see Thunderhooves and an enormous brigade of buffalo standing tall upon the hill that overlooked town. The same hill, Braeburn realized as a prickle of adrenaline shot through his chest, that they had used to attack the town several months ago. The buffalo chieftain and three other bison tore down the side of the hill, charging toward the crowd as a few ponies screamed and ran for cover.

“I’m right here, Thunderhooves!” Silverstar replied, stepping forward to the bison as he stopped his stampede mere inches away from the stallion. The chief’s eyes were burning in anger and terror at once.

“What treachery is this!?” bellowed the chief. Braeburn heard Vinny whimper from behind a barrel.

“I don’t know what yer talkin’ ‘bout,” Silverstar said, his voice steady and unwavering.

Thunderhooves looked back to the row of buffalos along the crest of the hill and nodded. In response, one of them kicked something down the side of the cliff. It rolled and bounced along the way, until one of the buffalos beside the chief caught it and presented it to the sheriff.

Braeburn had to fight to refrain from gasping when he saw his rock, wiped clean of ash and applesauce, held in the hooves of the buffalo he suddenly recognized as Watergaze, his mis-matched eyes glowing with anger at the sheriff.

“THIS!” roared Thunderhooves, “what have you to say, Silverstar!? How do you explain this act of deceit!?”

“An’ just what is this s’posed ta be?” the sheriff responded, his voice raised ever so slightly.

“This is what we found at the impact site! How DARE you replace what fell with this...this trick!”

“Hey now!” Promontory shouted, stepping forward and standing tall. He really was a very large stallion, Braeburn realized, instinctively cowering a little. “That ain’t the space rock!” The buffalo all glared at him, but he stood even taller, staring down his snout at them. “Ah got a good look at that rock this mornin’, an’ that ain’t it! This is jes’ any ol’ rock from the desert! Seems ta me y’all are holdin’ onto the real thing, considerin’ you stole it!”

Thunderhooves reared up and crushed the rock beneath his enormous hooves, sending shards of stone flying in every direction. Promontory and the crowd jumped away, some shrieking in surprise, and Braeburn dropped his head, slowly creeping away toward the alley between the Saloon and the building next door.

“YOU DARE ACCUSE US OF THIEVERY? WHERE IS IT? WHERE HAVE YOU HIDDEN IT!?”

The bison, his nostrils flaring, stared down the crowd. Nopony dared speak. All eyes were on the buffalo chief, allowing Braeburn to sneak further away unnoticed.

After a long, agonizingly silent moment, Silverstar spoke.

“I swear to you, Chief, we ain’t done nothing with whatever fell. Whatever was there this morning when you...found it, is what we found. Nopony in town switched it or nothin’.”

The chief took a long, sad breath and lowered his gaze. “I...I must apologize, Silverstar. It is...of great importance that we locate what fell last night. It is a matter greater than any of you realize.”

“An’ yet you still won’t tell us what that matter is.”

Braeburn, creeping between the buildings, could no longer see the chief or the sheriff, but he stopped and perked his ears to listen in.

“It is a buffalo matter. Our honor relies upon this, and it is not something easily shared with outsiders.”

Braeburn curled his lip in disgust. “Their ‘honor?’ ‘Outsiders?’ Is that what this whole thing is about? Their pride?” Fuming, he continued crawling away, unable to hear what was further said. A few minutes later he heard the distinct sound of hooves galloping away and, peeking around the edge of a building, watched as Thunderhooves rejoined his army on the hill, turning to look once more upon the town of Appleloosa.

Braeburn growled. “There ain’t a chance in heck I’m lettin’ you come near Starlight, you prideful bunch o’ thievin’ snakes.”

The buffalo stampeded away, sending a great cloud of dust into the air behind them. Braeburn, his eyes narrow, stood and galloped for home, staying in the shadows, never looking back to town. The bag around his neck bounced noisily and the book in his vest dug into his shoulder.

---

Rocking gently on his stinging hooves, Braeburn stared at his front door. A moment ago he had considered himself lucky for not being seen or followed home. It was then that he had to pause, asking himself how he had ever allowed himself into a position where being followed would be a concern at all.

He clenched his eyes shut and tried to console himself. “It’s only fer a little while. Them buffalo can’t keep lookin’ forever. This’ll all blow over soon. B’sides, I didn’t leave any proof or nothin’...”

He didn’t feel any better. Taking a moment just to breathe and listen to the wind howling across the desert landscape, he shuffled uncomfortably, suddenly conscious of the book in his vest. Opening his eyes, he slowly opened his front door and stepped inside, closing it behind him.

“Starlight?” No response. “Starlight, it’s...it’s okay now. You can come out o’ there.” Walking over to his kitchen, he reached into his vest and pulled out the red book, placing it on the table. Then, breaking the string around his neck with his teeth, dropped the paper bag next to it.

“Starlight, I brought you somethin’ ta eat,” he said, somewhat guiltily. It wasn’t right, keeping her cooped up like this, but at the moment he didn’t feel he had much choice. If she was found...

He shook his head and walked over to his closed bedroom door, rapping gently on it. “Starlight? I’m comin’ in, ‘kay?” The handle clicking in his hoof, he gingerly swung open the door and poked his nose inside.

The room was empty.

“Starlight!?” he shouted, rushing inside. He threw the blanket aside, peered under the bed, kicked aside the quill on his floor; she was gone.

“STARLIGHT!”

Tumbling back into the main room, he frantically checked every corner and crevice for any sign of the filly. Besides him, the house was empty.

“Oh no...oh no, no, no!” The room spun around him, a dizzying display of brown and grey as the color sapped from his face and the world and he grasped for every breath as he ran for the front door. He found himself standing outside, every fibre of his body frozen in shock. Head swimming, hooves itching, chest shaking, eyes shrinking, ears ringing, he couldn’t even blink.

“STARLIGHT!!” Although he shot his head in every direction, the empty, dull orange desert landscape, wavering in the heat of the noon sun, offered no sign of the filly. He coughed, choking on the fear in his throat. A tremble of his knees and he barely caught himself from falling.

“Okay, okay, breathe!” Inhale, exhale. Panic would only worsen any prospect of finding her. He needed to think. While he was out in town, someone must have found her. Could it have been the buffalo? His mind raced with possibilities. Did Thunderhooves send someone to search the area while it was deserted? What if whoever hurt Starlight had followed her here?

Breath sluggishly returning, he looked around in a frenzy for any hoofprints or tracks. The dusty ground was barren save his own prints, and even they were swiftly being blown away in the wind. Any hope of tracking her and her captors now would soon be hopeless.

He ran. He ran and then stopped, and ran another way. Stopping again, he ran in another direction. Ran, stopped.

Where could he go? This desert was far too vast to find one pony.

It was hopeless.

She was gone.

He had failed. He couldn’t protect her.

“No, no...” His head clutched in his hooves, he choked on a sob. “No! This can’t be happenin’! I can’t lose her! This can’t be happenin’!”

His voice cracked into a whisper.

“Not again...”

She was gone, and all alone.

To be all alone in these deserts...

The wind died and his body quaked in sudden torment. His ears plugged and his breath caught in his throat as the desert fell horribly silent.

“Alone...”

A sudden gust of wind blew the hat from his head. Dazed, he watched it fly away, fluttering in the breeze. It flew around to the back of the house and after a moment he gave chase. The hat was caught on the pile of firewood kept below the bedroom window. Eyes watering from the dusty wind he grabbed the hat with bandaged hooves and cradled it.

“No! Don’t go!”

“Sorry, son, looks like...like Ah ain’t got no choice.”

“Please...Please, don’t leave me all alone again!”

“Don’t worry...You’ll find yer way. Ah know it.”

“JAKE!”

Green eyes narrowed and he stood tall, placing the brown, buckled Stetson back on his golden mane.

“I will NOT let this happen again!”

He looked to his open bedroom window, its curtains dangling outside the window and flittering in the wind. A flash of wit returned to him and he followed the curtains down to the ground with his eyes, where a faintly visible set of tracks led away from his home toward the apple orchard.

Dirt grit between his teeth as he galloped off, following the rapidly disappearing trail toward the tree line. As he bore down upon the apple trees, the tracks became easier to follow, being protected from the wind by the trees. Weaving and darting between branches and trunks his eyes were locked on the tracks, his hooves guiding him around the trees he’d spent so much time amongst. He careened over the crest of Bloomburg’s hill, barely able to prevent himself from tumbling down into the crater, in the middle of which stood Starlight.

“STARLIGHT!!” He leapt for and tackled her to the ground. “Starlight! Oh, sweet Celestia, I found you!”

“Burn??” she gasped for air beneath him.

“I thought...I-I thought they’d-! I thought I’d lost you!” Opening his eyes he stared down at the bemused filly. “Oh, Starlight! I...”

“H-hi,” she said softly.

Braeburn closed his eyes held her tightly as though she could vanish should he dare let go. After a minute, he finally brought himself to stand and release her, and the pair stood in the center of the glossy black crater staring at each other.

The yellow stallion’s happiness quickly soured. “Starlight, I told you ta stay at home!”

“Bu...” she frowned, trying to find the words she wanted to say, “W-w-bu...”

“Now c’mon! Before anypony sees you!” He pulled her by the hoof away from the crater and back up the hill. Staring longingly at the hole in the ground, she pulled her hoof away and glared at Braeburn.

“N-no!” she shouted, pointing a hoof at the crater, “wu-wu...what am...”

“Starlight, we have to hurry!” panicked Braeburn.

“Wh-why!” She demanded, her scarlet eyes glimmering in angry confusion.

Braeburn was taken aback. “Wha...why?” He stepped closer, breathing heavily. “Starlight, I...there’s bad people out there! Like the-”

The buffalo?

He choked on air, his eyes clouded. What had happened? How did things come to this? The buffalo were good folk; he’d said so himself. They were good folk.

...Right?

He looked up to Starlight, her coat gleaming a pale pink in the sun. The filly was clearly not satisfied.

“Look, Starlight...” Braeburn clenched his eyes, swallowing heavily. “I can’t lose you. I’m sorry I’ve been making you hide, an’...I’m afraid, Starlight...” His head drooped, his hooves thumping below him. “I’m afraid of what might happen to you if they...I promised I’d protect you.”

A pink hoof touched his cheek and he looked up to see Starlight, her eyes riddled with concern. She embraced him.

“Brave...Knight...”

Braeburn, his green eyes wide with surprise, exhaled long, slow sighs of relief as he stood motionless in her arms.

After a minute they stepped apart. Starlight smiled sweetly at him, and he stared into her deep, scarlet eyes. The sun caught on her dark mane and it glistened as a starlit sky for a moment.

“Thank you,” he whispered, “I promise, it’ll only be for a li’l while longer an’ you won’t have to hide anymore.”

Stepping toward the stallion she nuzzled him gently, and the pair trotted back toward his home, Braeburn’s hat fastened tightly on his head.

---

Motes of dust drifted lazily through the air, thrown from the floor as the door closed behind Braeburn. Starlight walked, her face unreadable, into the middle of the room and waited, silent. Inhaling, Braeburn ambled to the kitchen, eyes fastened on the book and brown bag beside it. He couldn’t, not now anyway, eat one of the fritters in any semblance of good conscience, not after what he’d been putting Starlight through. Not that he could stomach any food at the moment, his gut still trembling mildly.

“Here ya go.” He strained to sound cheery and upended the paper bag, allowing the wrapped (and slightly crushed) fritters to slide to the table. Unwrapping them and pushing them toward the filly, he smiled widely. “Eat up. Made fresh this mornin’ by my cousin. Ya ain’t gonna find any tastier apple fritters ‘round fer miles.”

“Apple!” Starlight excitedly bit into the treat, her eyes forming happy little crescents as she chewed. “Mmm!” Scooping it up into her hooves she took another large bite, chomping rapidly. His stomach growled a little at the loss of a meal.

“Whoa, now!” chuckled the stallion, pressing a hoof to her cheek, “slow down or you’ll get another stomach ache an’ more hiccups!” Starlight stared into his eyes and resumed chewing, slowly and thoughtfully. Braeburn smiled crookedly and, realizing he was still touching her cheek, blushed and pulled away his hoof. His eye lingered for a moment on the second fritter but he pulled himself away and trotted over to the couch. He yanked at the crumpled blanket and spread it out on the floor, then grabbed the book with his teeth and set it down in the center of the blanket before sitting down himself. Starlight, the half-eaten fritter in her hooves, waddled over and sat down next to him.

“This book means a lot to Marmalade, I s’pose,” Braeburn said softly, running his bandaged hoof over the cover, “got it a long time ago. Don’t have a name, though, but I guess that ain’t important. I don’t read much, so forgive me if’n I stumble over some words, heh. What say we read together?”

Gently swinging open the cover, Braeburn read the first line aloud. “‘Once, in a land far away but not too far, there was a great kingdom. This kingdom’s name was-’” He looked over to Starlight, who squinted and tilted her head at the writing. Sighing deeply, Braeburn’s face lost all expression.

If she had ever learned how to read at one point she seemed to have forgotten now. Braeburn had heard tales from Morton of ponies who’d lost their memories through an accident or some kind of trauma. To be traumatized so badly that you’d forget how to read...and talk...

Braeburn winced. What could have happened to her? Where did she come from? He looked up to the pale, pinkish-blue mare with the dark, swirling mane who stared at the book and chewed on a fritter. The stallion fought a sudden urge to hug the filly tightly and protect her from even the tiniest of spiders.

Could whoever have hurt her still be out there, searching for her? Moments ago he had been certain she had been kidnapped, stolen away from him while he was gone. He wasn’t proud of his reaction, nor was he particularly proud of his treatment of the filly. To another set of eyes, this could very well be kidnapping...

He looked back to the book. Maybe if they started with the basics, reading and writing, she could learn to talk properly, and then she wouldn’t draw any unwanted attention to herself. She wouldn’t have to be hidden anymore, and even the buffalo wouldn’t think her unusual. They could finally go into town. She could begin to have a life of her own, if not regain the one she had, assuming it was one worth regaining.

Standing suddenly, he put on his brightest smile. “Hey now, guess it’s been a while since you’ve read, eh? Well, don’t worry ‘bout it. After all, half the town'r idiots an' they can read, so it'll be no problem for a smart cookie like you!” He trotted over to the kitchen and pulled out a few pieces of parchment and some ink before heading to his room for his quill. “Why don’t we start with the basics an’ just go from there?”

---

The pair worked through the afternoon and into early evening, writing down and practicing simple letters. Starlight learned quickly, and after a few hours was already able to write her and Braeburn’s names, along with several other simple words, the first (and most exciting to her) being ‘apple.’ They went through several sheets of parchment and much ink, and by twilight Starlight had a good understanding of the alphabet.

They (or more accurately, Braeburn) talked about whatever came to mind over the course of the afternoon. He told Starlight about his family, about his cousin Apple Cider: an artist who sent her artwork to Canterlot museums multiple times, although it was always rejected. He rattled on about his relatives in Ponyville and showed her some letters Applejack and Big Macintosh had sent him. He talked a lot without saying much, but the filly hung onto every word, even if it was clear she didn’t understand half of what he said. Using the art of writing (although his writing looked less than artistic) he spelled out common words and she was soon able to form simple sentences, finally able to speak what was on her mind, albeit with the skill of a young foal.

With each hour that passed, Braeburn’s heart froze for a moment at the toll of the clocktower bells, barely audible from this distance. At any moment he expected the door to be battered down and Silverstar to rush in, with (his imagination would insist) his revolver aimed and ready to fire. It never happened, though; for the rest of the day the pair were never disturbed. It made Braeburn even more unsettled for a reason he couldn’t articulate. He felt like he did before a desert storm would brew, his hair rigid and his ears perked for any noise. The longer a storm had to simmer, the more destructive its force.

Apples were their dinner. Braeburn snuck out and bucked a few from the closest tree, hurrying back inside. He devoured an extra helping to make up for missing lunch and the two ponies, growing gradually tired as the sky grew ever darker, shared a yawn and finally decided to call it quits for the day.

“Today was a long day,” Braeburn said, stretching and cracking his sore neck, “prob’ly time we hit the hay.”

“‘Kay,” said Starlight, springing to her hooves, “bed...time?”

Braeburn laughed. “That’s right! It’s bed time.”

The filly grinned widely. “Th-thanks!”

“You’re learnin’ real fast, Starlight. Why, I reckon that by t’morrow night, you’ll be smarter’n half the town!”

“And, read book?”

He chuckled. “Well, not t’night. We’ll get a start on the book t’morrow.”

Starlight’s face fell and she weakly nudged the red bound book.

“...Buuuuut,” Braeburn swaggered over to it, scooping it up in his hooves, “I suppose I could read a li’l fer ya t’night.”

Starlight giggled excitedly and the pair walked into the bedroom. Starlight, yawning loudly, slid into the covers, her light blue coat radiant, even in the evening light. Braeburn lit a lamp and sat on the floor next to the bed, the red story book clutched in his hooves. Gently, he opened the cover, cleared his throat and began reading.

“‘Once, in a land far away but not too far, there was a great kingdom. This kingdom’s name was Tam...Tambelon,’” he blushed slightly at his less than stellar reading skills. “‘An’ it was a wonderful place full of magic. It was a town full of unicorns, who attended the regal-”

“Um,” Starlight interrupted, “yoon...corns?”

“Uhh,” Braeburn said dumbly, “oh, unicorns! Yeah, uh, y’know, unicorns.”

Starlight tilted her head in an obvious ‘no, I don’t know’ motion. Braeburn coughed. Wasn’t this common knowledge? Then again, if she was raised only among earth ponies...

“Um, unicorns are like us, ‘cept they have this horn thingy, right here on their heads.” He tapped his forehead and Starlight tapped hers, entranced. “I know a couple of ‘em out in Ponyville. Friends of my cousins, but I never got too close with ‘em. Anyway, uh, their horns, I guess, let them do magic.”

“Magic...”

“Yeah, like levitatin’ an’ stuff. Some unicorns ain’t too powerful, but others have so much magic that they can create fire or fight monsters with their magic!”

“Oooh.”

“But we earth ponies’r strong too,” he boasted, puffing out his chest, “we ain’t got no magic, but by gum we ain’t gonna let that stop us! Some ponies - some ponies in town, even - are kinda, well, let’s just say they ain’t too fond of unicorns.”

“Why?” Asked Starlight. ‘Why’ was one of the first words she learned, and she was determined to get as much use out of it as she could.

“Pride, I s’pose,” he said nonchalantly, “but mostly just ‘cause they’re different. It ain’t really their fault, though. Most of the ponies who live out here never even met a unicorn before, since you’d be hard pressed ta find one out here in the badlands. Plus, lots’o ponies ‘round these parts came from up north, from a place called Gildedale. Only earth ponies up there, an’ they really ain’t too fond o’ unicorns, so...well, that’s just the way things work out sometimes.”

He looked up to starlight, who, although trying her best, was having a hard time following what he said.

“Ah, don’t worry ‘bout it. Let’s just keep readin’, eh?”

“‘Kay, Burn!” No matter how many times he corrected her, she refused to call him anything else.

He smiled. “Okay, let’s see...uhh...‘they attended the regal schools an’ ac...academies, where they learned ta do amazin’ magic spells an’ tricks...’”

---

This story is incomplete, and I need your help to finish it. Please comment and leave feedback on this chapter. Let me know what you think and any way this story can be improved.
Thank you.

Comments

[mechafone]

Good stuff, mang. Again, I'm not sure how much help I could be. I think if I could write as well as you do, my stories would be more popular