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We currently find ourselves at the Appleloosan train station. A brown and white doted stallion, with a brown mane trotted off the train. Along with many other ponies.

He looked around the crowed station for his new boss. He spotted a nicely built stallion wearing a brown cowpony hat that matched the description he was given. Checking to make sure that his hunting dagger was neatly placed inside his red scarf, he smiled and trotted over to the fellow.

"G'day mate!" he exclaimed. That got the southern stallions attention. "Are you my new boss? A Mr Braeburn".

The stallion looked over the younger male and brightly smiled.

"Ah' reckon that your Pipsqueak then? Well it's great to meet' ya!" Braeburn shook the stallions hoof. Then he took a step back and stood on his back legs. "Welcome to Appleloosa!" he cheered.

Pipsqueak raised an eyebrow. 'What an odd fellow. But eh, money is money. If I have to deal with strange blokes to earn a killing, then that's fine with me' Though Pipsqueak.

Once done with his regular greeting ritual, Braeburn went back on four legs. He asked Pipsqueak to follow him into town, and the city colt did as he was told. On there way to Braeburns chosen destination the two talked about the new job.

"Ah can't thank ya enough' for answering the add when ya did. The situation with the buffalo has gotten' out of control. And ah' fear that will be pushed out of our homes thanks to all the resent attacks" said Braeburn, dismayed.

"Well, Sir I was actually wondering about that. Your add said that the buffalos have been acting like bloody savages the last few months. With all the attacks on the town and such. But I though that the town of Appleloosa and the Buffalo tribes were on good terms?".

Braeburn sighed and stopped. Pipsqueak stopped too and noticed that they had arrived at there destination. A graveyard. Tons of newly dug graves covered the land. The amount was so great that the ponies had to start burying the dead in the desert. The closed off grass fence had just become to full.

Pipsqueaks mouth fell agape.

"Dose dat' look like good terms to you?" questioned the southern stallion.

For a moment, Braeburn scanned over the graveyard with sorrowful eyes. 'Bloody hell. How many of his friends and love ones must be buried here. Poor fellow' thought Pipsqueak. Then Braeburn laughed and transferred his gaze back to the city colt.

"Will ya just look at me!  I'm getting more worked up than a chicken' in a cock fight. Ah apologize for dropping all this dark stuff on ya' right when ya just arrived here" Braeburn apologized.

Pipsqueak shook his head and smiled.

"That quite fine..." Pips belly growled and he blushed. It had been a long train ride and he was in dire need of food. "Um.. eh, I don't suppose that you have anything to eat do you?".

Braeburn laughed and put his hoof around Pipsqueak. Only making his blush grow brighter.

"My friend, you're in the south now! Nothing but the best homemade meals from here on out for our new deputy!" Braeburn and Appleloosa's newest deputy: Pipsqueak began to trot down the street. "Follow me friend. My ma'am makes the best apple pie in all the south!".

Pipsqueak licked his lips. "Mmmm.. apple pie".

Unannounced to them two old stallions sat on there porch and watched their newest deputy, very unimpressed.

"How long do ya' reckon he'll last?" asked the first old stallion.

The second scratched his beard. "Well, the last one we had made it through two days..." he thought for a moment. "I'll just give this youngster... about an hour".

The two elderly stallions laughed.

*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*

At that very moment, far away from the town of Appleloosa, a deer warrior trotted into a buffalo tribal camp. Young buffalo children galloped around playing with each other, but then stopped at the site of the deer. They had ever seen such a creature before. Heck! most Equestrians have never seen a deer nether. Their people tended to stay as far away from the pony devils as they could.

A tough looking buffalo dressed in a large white and blue native headdress noticed his guest.

The buffalo trotted up to the deer and looked him over.

The deer was brown and had a reddish mane. He was thin, but not to the point that he was weak. He also had blue eyes and his horns (antlers to the deers) were sharp and ready for a fight. The deers look was completely different form his personalty. The young deer smiled and his energy seemed to lighten up the mood of every buffalo in the camp.

The buffalo and deer headbutted. So was the way of there peoples. And then backed away and shared a laughed.

"Welcome Prince Bambi the second, of the LongTrot Deer tribe. By the starts! the last time I saw you, you were just a child. Now look at you!" The buffalo shuffled with the deer mane. "Hows your father, Bambi the Great?".

Bambi Junior smirked from the roughhousing. "My father is well, Chief Thunderhooves. Your messenger said that you have been having some problems with the pony devils?".

Thunderhooves raised an eyebrow. "Quick to point I see. I like that. Please have a seat" he sighed and sat down. Bambi did the same and smiled at the buffalo children who poked at his antlers.

"Well hello young one's. You haven't seen many of my kind have you?" Bambi asked.

The children shook there heads. A young calf pushed to the head of the group.

"What you doing here mister?" asked the male calf.

"I'm here to help your tribes beat the ponies for good" answered the buck.

The young children's eyes seamed to brighten with excitement. A female calf poked his spear that was fastened to his side with a ceremonial green fabric. The spear itself was made out of rock and wood. It was a far cry from the Equestrian Royal Guards powerful metal lances, but it got the job done.

"Are you gonna use this thingy?" she asked.

"Well I-" before he could answer her question, a thin female buffalo came up and beckoned them away.

"Come now children lets leave our guest alone. He has much to discuss with Chief Thunderhooves, and then he'll need his rest" said the female buffalo.

"Aweeeee... but Miss little Strongheart..." complained the children.

"No buts! you all go along and play" commanded Little Strongheart. Before they scattered away, Bambi grinned.

"Don't you worry little ones. Once I get some food in me and some sleep, then will play I promise".

The calf's seemed to like that idea and they nodded in agreement. Then they all ran off to who knows where.

'Sometimes I envy them. They run around and play without a care in the world. By the earth winds! I miss those days' Thought Bambi, smiling.

Chief Thunderhooves rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry for the children. They haven't seen a deer ever before in their young life's".

Bambi nodded. "So... whats the situation?".

Thunderhooves looked up to the sky. He eyes seamed to harden.

"At first we allowed the ponies to live on our land. That was seven years ago. But now they call it there land and they keep building onto our running grounds everyday. We thought that we had this problem settled long ago, but they keep wanting more! and more!" The Chief burred his face into his hoofs. "When will it be enough!? We don't want to hurt anyone, but they have to stop! our children starve!".

Bambi placed a hoof on his shoulder. The Chief looked up into the cold eyes of the deer.

"My father told me of the ponies and their ways. He had lived among them years ago, and knows of there greed. From what he tells me they will never be satisfied" he stood up and noticed the gathering of buffalo around him. Bambi stood proud and tall. His voice booming with power and confidence.

"The reason my people stay as far away from the pony devils as we can is because of this very same reason. They will ever stop! Their huger never ends! They are a plague to both our peoples and our lands. And this plague can only be eradicated with spears and arrows!"

The buffalo warriors stopped their hoofs in applause. The children screamed in excitement (though not really understanding what he meant) and the females cried in affection over their new hero figure.

Chief Thunderhooves recovered from his disrepair and was empower by Bambi's speech. The great buffalo stood tall also and spoke:

"You heard our deer comrade! No more small attacks and skirmish's. At this moment the buffalo tribes go to WAR with Applelossa!".

*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*

As the buffalo's and ponies celebrated that night in honor of their newest (leaders/heros you could call them), a powerful evil watched from the shadows. Everything was falling into place, and the buffalo and ponies were the perfect pawns to its game.

"So the game is finely set..." whispered the demonic voice. "... then lets play"