Belles of Bridlewood Detectives: The Chain Pony

by Short-tale

Chapter 3: The Old Stallion

Old Stallion Wispy lived in a small shack on the corner of town. The woods that bordered his home were tall dark hemlock. They draped their branches over the home like they were trying to take it for themselves. The house had slightly tipped to one side as one of their roots grew under the opposite side. A crow cawed as we approached.

“I like it,” I declared. It held the same decaying, off-balanced, view of the world I resonated with. It wasn’t natural to try to control the forces of nature. Letting it have free reign seemed to make sense to me. Of course, I still kept my home neat and orderly so it was more of a dream idea I couldn’t actually live by.

“Yeah, if you like creepy,” Lyrica tsked. I wondered if she ever read any of my poems.

“I do,” I said flatly.

“Well maybe you and Old Stallion Wispy will get along then,” Lyrica said, as she rapped on the door. It was followed by a pulpy wood sound. The door probably should be replaced but it had character.

“Who’s knocking at my door?” shrieked an old crotchety voice. “Stop whacking it, you’ll put a hole in it.

The door shuddered and shook then popped open in violent motion. I stood still as it swung by inches from my face. Then I joined the others in stepping back. I don’t have good reflexes.

“Fillies?! Three fillies no less,” the tiny withered unicorn eyed us up and down. Then his eyes stopped on Silent. “Well, sweetie back for more eh? Maybe this time you’ll talk to me.”

I noticed that Lyrica didn’t sign any of this and Silent looked at me in askance. I could say anything to her with my ears. But I hoped my expression confirmed her suspicions. I didn’t like that Lyrica was keeping it from her.

“Come in, come in my beauties,” Old Stallion Wispy said with a wave of his hoof. “What brings you to Wispy’s house.”

I didn’t move. Silent followed suit and Lyrica paused mid-step when she noticed us still standing. She returned back to the line we had unconsciously formed.

“What’s the matter? My home not good enough for you?” Wispy grumped when we didn’t enter.

“It’s nice outside. I feel better out here.” I hoped it didn’t sound rude, but it was nice out. Despite my fondness for aesthetics, the home didn’t seem structurally sound.

“Well, I guess if the cute little filly wants to enjoy the weather then this old stallion can accommodate.” He stepped off the lip of the home and stood next to us. The raised home had made him look taller. As he stood next to us I realized he only came up to my shoulder. “So what brings you all to my little home?”

“Did you happen to hear about the body they found in the woods earlier?” Lyrica asked with her ears signing the entire time.

“No can’t say I have,” Wispy stroked the white stalk of mane he still had. “But what does that have to do with me? Or you lot for that matter?”

I looked at Silent with concern. She mirrored my expression after Lyrica’s translation. Lyrica was unphased. “We’re thinking of making a detective agency. This is our first case.”

I tried to let the shock not show on my face. I succeeded. I didn’t think about doing this more than once. I assumed this was a strange coincidence, nothing more.

“Case huh? Awww that’s cute. Are ya thinking I’m yer suspect?” The sarcasm couldn’t be any plainer. I couldn’t fault him. It sounded far-fetched even for somepony like Lyrica.

“Oh no,” Lyrica continued, not noticing any of the snark. “We have a good idea who did it.”

“Oh, what sneaky, evil unicorn do ya think lurks through the trees?”

“The Chain Pony.” The mention of his name alone brought a cold wind. The three of us shivered at its passing. Old Stallion Wispy shook more.

“Don’t say that name!” He snapped. “Don’t talk about him outside. Are ya fools? Don’t ya know how close to a crossroads we are?”

I fell silent. The deaf pony behind me looked at me in confusion because Lyrica was cringing and backing away. I couldn’t translate or tell her anything.

“Let’s go to the park,” he growled. He turned and marched away.

Silent and I began to follow. “What is wrong with you two!?” Lyrica cried jumping in front of us. “Did you see that reaction?!” Her ears cut through the air with sharp movements. Her face was overtly stern. “You think this is something we should still be involved in?!”

“You want it to happen to somepony else?” I asked with no heat whatsoever.

“I don’t want it to happen to me!” Lyrica looked hysterical.

Silent walked over to her and placed a hoof on her shoulder. The deaf pony’s ears gently moved as her friend beheld her.

“You really think we can do this?” The wordless pony moved her ears in response. “I know. I know you two have some sort of weird power. You both got visions. That doesn’t mean we have to fight it.”

“It feels like we are supposed to do something about it,” I said, agreeing with Silent.

Lyrica looked back at us and began to wilt. She swallowed then fell in line with the rest of us.

The park wasn’t as cold as before. No foals were playing now. The sunburnt grass contrasted the bright blue of the hoof-painted playground equipment. Hoof-painted. That’s something I won’t see anymore. Not now that the magic is back.

We took a seat on the spinning roundabout. Each of us took a section. I took blue. Old Stallion Wispy sat on the yellow side across from me. Silent and Lyrica sat next to me.

The roundabout began to slowly spin as Old Stallion Wispy’s magic took over. The world began to blur as the speed increased. It was just a little faster but not nauseating.

“Why are we spinning?” Lyrica asked. I wasn’t sure if it was her or Silent.

“It helps keep others from hearing. Especially…him,” Wispy’s voice was grave and my blood ran cold for a second. “You fillies are messing in something that was stalking us long before we lost our magic. He has always been at the crossroads. He always waits to make deals. He left when our magic was gone but now it’s back and so is he.”

“So what can we do about it?” I asked as I watched Lyrica start to turn greenish. “Also Lyrica is getting sick.”

“Fine! We’ll just hope it doesn’t hear us.” The roundabout stopped. I shifted a little as the g-forces pulled but my magic took hold and slid me to the far end of my seat.

Old Stallion Wispy cocked an eyebrow at me and shook his head. “I don’t know why I’m encouraging this. The chain pony is ancient. Few things can scare it away or hurt it. If we had a sword of radiant friendship, that would work. But the only thing I can think of is the Bell of Bridlewood.”

“The bell of Bridlewood?” Lyrica asked, her ears unconsciously moving. Silent began to respond before Wispy and Lyrica brightened in recognition. “Oh, the big bell in the courtyard.”

“What is that filly doing with her ears?” the stallion asked, stroking his dwindling mane.

“Talking,” I informed. “She’s deaf.”

“Really?! Why did she tell me?! Oh right,” the old unicorn glanced at the ground. “That explains why I haven’t been whacked yet.”

“Whacked?”

“Most of the fillies I hit on whack me. It’s just a game I like to play. It don’t mean nothing. Ya all could be my grandfoals. But she never hit me no matter what I said. So I might have tried ta press her harder. Guess that doesn’t make sense much. I’ll just leave ‘er alone.”

The grey-haired pony shook his locks. “Anyway, she’s right. The ol’ bell is the one in the courtyard covered in moss and vines. It’s the ol’ heart of this here town. Folks used to ring it fer important events or celebrations. But after the magic left there was little use fer it.”

“Do you think they would let us borrow it?” Lyrica asked. She still looked nervous. I wasn’t sure she wanted to use it to get rid of the chain pony so much as just keep herself safe.

“Ha! Like anypony would notice,” Wispy scoffed. “But if ya run out there and grab it now, folks would be mighty confused. Probably make ‘em worse if ya told them what it was fer.”

“So much for the easy way,” sighed the dejected dancer.

“Should we sneak it out tonight then?” I recommended. The bell was large enough that two of us had to carry it. “We could meet at my place after dark. Nopony comes over and it’s relatively isolated.”

“You think you three are a match fer the chain pony?” the old pony snorted. He hopped off the roundabout. There was a slight wiggle as he dismounted. “If I was you I would grab yer favorite stuffed animals.”

“Stuffed animals?” Lyrica turned to me in confusion. I just shrugged. I’m a poet not an expert on crazy stallions.

“Yeah, and stick by them in yer bed.” Wispy got off the roundabout. “But what do I know? I’m just the strange old unicorn that warns ponies of this stuff right?”

He began to trot away. Paused then looked back at us. “If yer not going ta follow my advice then at least stick close ta yer dancing friend there. She’s the only one of ya that has sense.”

He walked away. The sun’s light began to die as his form morphed into the dark shadows of the woods. It was like he was a specter himself.

I looked at my new comrades. Lyrica was shaking a little and Silent stared at the center of the roundabout. None of us spoke or communicated. Fate was testing our resolve.

“Are we really going to do this?” Lyrica finally asked the two of us. She pitched forward on a roundabout handle.

“Well, we have more of an idea what to do..”

“‘We must do this!’” Lyrica cried in a raspy voice.

“Why are you talking like that?”

“It’s what Silent sounds like to me in my head,” shrugged the despondent unicorn. “I use that voice so you know it’s her talking, not me.”

“This job is ours,” the raspy voice continued. “‘I can feel it. We were given gifts. You and I. We don’t know if Lyrica has them. We need to get that bell and defeat this demon.’”

Lyrica sighed. She looked at me like a lost puppy. I glanced at Silent. The unicorn’s eyes said it all. She was going to go the distance no matter what.

“I guess we could,” I said with an unchanging tone. It’s not like I had much writing to do anyway.

“Ok, it’s going to get cold and dark soon. We should get some warmer gear and think stealthy,” Lyrica commanded.