The air swirled and danced before me as I stood on the platform. Today had dawned cool, but by midday Celestia’s bright summer sun had brought the mercury up to at least one hundred degrees with no breeze to be had. As one might expect from a town with very few pegasi.
I stepped off of the platform and into the shade of the train station itself, -essentially just large porch with a ticket office- casting my green eyes over the town in front of me.
Appleoosa, it would seem, sprang out of the ground in a hurry. Every dirt street met with its fellows at a right angle to form a simple grid pattern; each building was square with a taller, more elaborate facade on its front face.
Despite the fact that the whole town could have been built in a matter of weeks, it certainly wasn’t hurting for residents. The main street before me was fairly bustling as a matter of fact. Each and every pony wearing a ten-gallon hat. No accounting for taste, I guess.
I quickly brushed my short, red and orange mane back into place before taking a few steps forward, intent on joining the masses on a crowded sidewalk.
“Well howdy there!” a young earth stallion greeted from the busy sidewalk “Welcome to AAAPPLEOOSA!” he yelled, rearing onto his hind legs as he did so.
I looked to my left. Nopony. Same on my right. Guess I was the only pony on the train this far out. He must be talking to me, then.
“Ma name’s Braeburn. I grow apples ‘round these parts” the now-named stallion continued. The brown vest and stetson he wore contrasted against his yellow coat and orange mane. The hat, at least, seemed to be a uniform of sorts for the locals. He turned his green eyes to me now, expectantly.
“Rocky Soil” ...And there it is. The look. “Weird name, I know”
Definitely not a typical unicorn name. Kind of odd for an off-white pony, too. But, I put up with it.
I offered him my hoof, and he accepted it with his own “Do you greet everypony you meet that way?”
“Sure do.” He stated matter-of-factly “Somepony’s got to make ‘em feel welcome. Now where ya from?”
I lifted one hoof and pointed to a cluster of craggy peaks off on the distant horizon. Braeburn whistled appreciatively.
Know to the world as the Shatterpeaks, the mountains surrounding my home are some of the most active volcanoes in Equestria. Despite their inhospitable facade, little valleys hidden here and there between the slumbering giants are rich in both resources and beauty.
Stark beauty, but beauty nonetheless.
“If I grew up in a place like that, I’d leave some place far off too”
“To be clear, I very much liked it there. Just, sometimes we all need a change of scenery.”
“Mighty sorry, I didn’t mean to offend ya” Braeburn winced
“It’s fine” I sighed. I’d just gotten here. It wasn’t worth making an enemy- at least over something so small. Glancing up at the clock tower some distance down the street, I was shocked to see it read only nine O’clock.
“That’s been broke for quite a while, I reckon” Braeburn explained “The only clock-maker in town ran off a little while back, and now there ain’t no pony can fix it.” His face fell a little as he spoke. I wasn’t sure if it was because the clock was broken or because somepony left town, though.
“Has anypony tried? It’s certainly not my area of expertise, but I’m good with machines. Should I give it a look?” I asked. I didn’t plan to stay here in Appleoosa forever, but a few extra bits never hurt; I would certainly need more to get all the way to Canterlot.
“Darn tootin, you should! Tell you what, I’ve been helpin’ Sheriff Silver Star run things here in town ‘till we get the new mayor elected; if you can fix that clock, I’ll make sure there’s a reward for ya”
“Alright, I’ll try-”
“Alrighty, then. You seem like a nice enough stallion, I’m sure you’ll fit right in. Let me show you around town”
Braeburn took me on a quick tour of the growing town. We visited the orchards, the post office, the hotel -where I dropped off most of my things and bought a room for the week-, the saloon, the Sheriff’s office, and the general store.
Finally, we found ourselves at the base of the clock tower. Like the rest of the town, it was simple and square; the kind of thing very dedicated ponies could put together in only a few days. It rose to about fifty feet high not far from the center of town. Somepony had taken it upon themselves to decorate the otherwise plain wood of the tower with red paint and an apple motif at some point, making it noticeably more elaborate than many other buildings in town.
All around us, the townsfolk went about their business. Buying, selling, walking, talking; the everyday goings-on of a frontier town.
One thing did surprise me, though. I saw a few diamond dogs out and about as well. Diamond dogs are typically known for causing trouble, so I felt more than a little curious. I decided to ask my companion about it.
Braeburn, predictably though, was the first to speak: “Here we are! It ain’t fancy like the ones in Canterlot, but we Appleoosans are still proud of our little tower anyways. You know I was there when we first built this here tower. Took us six days to do build it, but then we had to wait a month for the clock to get here! Hahaha ain’t that funny?”
That actually was kinda funny. “Haha! Yeah, thats-”
“At least we had a whole month to decorate it!” Braeburn cut me off. Again. I’d had about enough of that for one day, so I opened my mouth as he stopped for breath.
“I noticed there are some diamond dogs over there-” I never got a chance to finish my question.
“The whole pack came to town one day. Said they wanted to make peace, so we did. Now they come to town just like any pony.” Braeburn replied, before smiling and waving to a few nearby mares.
Most of the ponies around us did not seem to be enjoying the heat. I wasn’t bothered, -and neither was Braeburn- but the rest of the town definitely was. They loitered in the shade, wiped their brows as they walked, or sat fanning themselves with those big hats. suddenly, a hat that big actually seemed a lot more reasonable.
“They’re not the only non-ponies here, either” Braeburn continued “We had some trouble with the buffalo at first, but they came around. They’ve set up camp just beyond the orchard. Maybe I should show you…”
I was saved from any further gab when another pony -this one with a large mustache to match his oversized badge and hat- trotted over to the two of us. Huge black marks marred his face under the eyes and he walked with slow, heavy steps. Beads of sweat ran down his coat as he gave me a quick, tired hello before turning his attention to Braeburn.
“Those Timber mares are at it again, Braeburn.” he sighed “Another of their shipments got delayed…”
“Don’t you worry, Sheriff, I’ll talk to them. Lack of materials ain’t no reason to start causing trouble.” Braeburn gave Sheriff Silver Star an encouraging smile. “But where are my manners? This here is Rocky Soil; he’s said he’s gonna fix up the clock tower.”
I nodded politely. The Sheriff gave me a good once over until his eyes fell upon my cutie mark - a magnifying class superimposed over a small flame-. I could practically feel the question coming on, so I beat the tired stallion to it “It’s not my talent, but I’m good with machines. I said I’d give it a look”
Silver Star gave me as much of a smile as he could muster “Well, it’s still nice to hear some good news for a change. If you can fix it, that’ll be one less thing for everypony to worry about.”
He shot me another inquisitive glance before continuing “How long are you staying? Seems like more people have been leaving than staying lately.”
Braeburn must have felt he was more qualified to answer the question than I was, because he jumped right in “I just got done giving him the tour, Sheriff. He’s got a room in the hotel and everything.” Good to know I’m not the only one he interrupts. He must like to hear himself talk.
The Sheriff grumbled something about ‘lots to do’ before heading off in the direction of his office. Braeburn agreed and gave me one of his signature smiles before trotting off to parts unknown. “I’ll check up on ya later today, partner”
Finally on my own, I took the opportunity to take a few breaths. Nice as he may be, I definitely could only tolerate so much of Braeburn’s flowing tongue before it got on my nerves. That pony liked to talk. No question about it.
I spun around and started to search the tower for an entrance. I found it quickly enough, opposite the street, and mounted the stairs towards the top.
Ch2: The Clocktower Caper
The interior of the tower was dark, as one might expect. The only light to be had came in through cracks in the wooden walls. While the exterior was nicely painted and sanded, the interior had been left in a much rougher condition. It lent the tower a dark, mysterious air. The whole place would have been ripe for exploration if I was still a youngster.
At the top of the stairs, the railing gave way to a large, open floor. It was a little brighter in here; diffuse light spilled in through the face of the clock, masking the interior in shadow. Throughout the room I could see silhouettes of various sizes adhering to the walls, or rising from the floor.
After soaking in the ambiance to my satisfaction, I gathered my concentration for a simple light spell. In a moment the room was filled with a flickering light. It danced around the room and across my cream-colored coat alike as I took a look around.
Most unicorns use the spell to create a steady, uniform light. Me though, I like to let the magic move as it will. It has a natural tendency to flow and dance if you let it. The result is not unlike the flame from a candle. Plus, it literally makes my horn look like it’s on fire.
Now that I could see clearly, the silhouettes resolved themselves into large cogs and wheels; the inner workings of a clock. Below me, through an access hole in the floor, I spied the big pendulum meant to keep this all moving. At the moment it was stopped near the very bottom of its arc.
I spent the next few minutes looking over each cog, trying to place where each one fit into the machine. Near the opening above the pendulum, I spotted a lever. I grasped it in both forehooves before pulling down. Down below me I heard the pendulum quietly come to life. As I watched, it swung slowly back and forth a few inches to either side.
Gravity continued to have its way with the now disconnected pendulum as I formulated a plan of attack. With that removed from the system, I could start toying elsewhere without causing any damage to the mechanism.
I wasn’t lying before when I said that clocks aren’t my special talent; but careful examination, or troubleshooting is. I set to work examining the remaining setup. The pendulum itself was fine, so the problem had to lie somewhere else.
After several more minutes of scrutinizing the clockwork, a noise caught my attention. Somepony was climbing the stairs. Quickly. I turned to face them, slightly peeved at the interruption. The flickering illumination from my spell fell across the pony in question as she reached the upper landing.
She was a pegasus, large and charcoal grey. Her white mane and tail looked extremely pale in the soft light. I had only a split second to react. She hefted a bucket and sloshed some of the water within out onto my head.
“HOLD IT!” I yelled “It’s just a spell.”
The newcomer relaxed and lowered her bucket. She smiled sheepishly as she apologized “Sorry about that. I saw somepony up here, and the flickering light, and…”
“You thought the tower was on fire.” I completed icily. She nodded, still looking at the floor. “So you decided to dump a bucket of VERY cold water on my head”
“I’m really sorry…” she replied quietly
The unsteady light from my illumination spell fell across the two of us. The mare in front of me scraped little circles on the floor, unable to meet my gaze.
I let out a loud sigh, pushing aside most of my anger. “I’m not an arsonist. Braeburn asked me to take a look at the clock, see if I can fix it.”
“Braeburn?” she asked
I blinked a few times. If the way he greeted me was any indication, I would have thought everypony in town knew him. “He’s that really talkative stallion…”
“Welcome to APPLEOOSA!” She imitated
“Yeah.” I chuckled “That one.” She giggled along with me.
“I feel kinda bad about dumping water on you. Do you need any help?”
I considered for a moment before I replied “Sure. I think I saw some rags and grease downstairs. Would you mind bringing that up here?”
She nodded. Partway down the stairs, she jumped the railing and spiraled down to the ground. My attention returned to the clockwork mechanisms around me.
So far as I could tell, nothing seemed to be wrong with these cogs outwardly. The problem then, had to be inside somewhere. A simple conclusion, yeah, but a lot of ponies will just throw up their hooves and walk away rather than think a little.
I opened my saddlebags and withdrew the one tool I had with me; luckily it would be enough. Thank Celestia for adjustable wrenches.
The pegasus returned, rags and grease in-hoof. She set them down next to me. “My name’s Ashes, by the way.”
“Rocky Soil” I presented my hoof and she took it with that same incredulous look on her face. “Yeah, I get that a lot.” We both chuckled a bit.
“So.. how do you plan on fixing this?” Ashes asked
“Well, I haven’t found anything wrong yet, so I plan to remove and check each cog individually. It’s kind of a longshot, but just putting on the grease might fix it. Stranger things have happened, after all” I brought my wrench to bear on the nearest cog.
Just a little magic, and the nut popped of. I carefully removed the large gear and floated it towards the rags and the water. To my surprise, Ashes took it in her hooves and began wiping it down with a wet rag. I shrugged and turned to remove another piece of machinery, revealing some parts that had previously been obscured.
The two of us eventually fell into a rhythm. Ashes would clean and oil the pieces as I removed them, and I would either return them to their places or set them aside for the moment. As we went along, Ashes decided to break the silence. “What brings you into town?”
My current task wasn’t particularly difficult, so I decided to humor her. “Just passing through mostly. I plan to sign up for the guard when I reach Canterlot. Appleoosa just seemed like a convenient enough place to earn bits for the train ride. What about you?”
“I’m a messenger.” she explained as she took yet another cog from my magical grasp “Sometimes I find places I like, and I stay there a while. Then I move somewhere else as I get new jobs.”
She finished washing the gear and began to apply a fresh layer of grease. “Why do you want to join the guard?”
I took the newly greased sprocket back from her. “Despite living so far away in Canterlot, Princess Celestia still saw fit to help the little town I grew up in. It seems every story I hear about her involves hard work or sacrifice on her part to help all ponies.
“I don’t think those stories are the absolute truth, mind you. But, there has to be some grain of truth in there. I guess I just want to be a part of that.” I put the clean sprocket back in place with my wrench and handed her another one.
Silence fell upon the room at that point, though not necessarily in an uncomfortable way. We each continued with our tasks, and soon enough we had removed, cleaned, greased and returned nearly all the bits and pieces in the room. My mane even dried out.
There were about ten cogs we had not yet checked when I spotted something. Our work had revealed a large wad of fabric jammed between the gears in one corner near the floor. “I think I found something.” Ashes trotted over to take a look as I removed the offending object.
My psuedo-candlelight revealed an old, dirty and very squashed doll. From the looks of it, this doll was old enough to be mine from back on the vineyard. Its two button eyes didn’t match, its gray fur looked like it had been to Tartarus and back several times, and its striped pants had been patched more times than I could count.
“What a weird place to hide a doll.” Ashes commented, pointing in between the gears where we had found it. I laughed.
“They probably didn’t mean for it to fall in there, but yes.” I was still smiling “I don’t think they could have found it again.
“This might just be the source of our problem. Lets get the rest of these finished off and then give it a whirl.”
The two of us got right back down to work. In a few minutes I reconnected the pendulum, and we were rewarded with a rhythmic ‘Tick-Tock’. One pony out on the street even happened to have a pocket watch we used to set the proper time.
That left Ashes and I alone on the sidewalk outside the tower. It was late afternoon by this point, but there were still a fair number of ponies out and about in their broad hats. I sat on my haunches and squinted down the road in both directions. “Braeburn said he would come back to check on me. That should be anytime now.”
My stomach rumbled. “After that, I think I’ll find something to eat.” Ashes nodded absent-mindedly. She seemed to be totally lost in her own thoughts. I decided to let her brood while we waited in companionable silence. Suddenly, she broke spoke up:
“Could I come with you?”
“Uumm… okay.” I did not expect her to make that kind of remark after being lost in thought so long. Oh, well. Not really my concern anyway. “I’m sure they’ll have more than one chair.” I snarked
“No. Not that…”
“Then what are you talking about, Ashes?” I felt more than a little confused. Sure every pony out there can surprise you at one point or another, but that came way out of left field. I turned to look at her.
“To join the Guard.” she clarified
I turned to look at her, eyebrow raised.
“Of course you can. I sincerely doubt they’d turn down an extra set of hooves.” As soon as the words left my mouth Ashes immediately relaxed. Did she really think that would offend me? Weird. I might have a temper, but she gave me no reason at all to be upset.
I turned my attention to the townsfolk, hoping to let the awkwardness pass. Time passed as I studied to locals. Ponies walked up the street, ponies walked down the street, ponies talked in the street, ponies wore hats in the street. Yet somehow I could not shake the feeling that something was off.
I watched one mare in particular. She walked into the general store across the way. I saw her gather the items she needed and bring them to the clerk. The clerk wrote down the name and price of each item before drawing up a bill. The mare paid her tab, spoke with the clerk a while longer, and trotted off.
An entirely ordinary sequence of events. I decided to wash the doll we had found jammed in the clock. Anything that old would only be around if somepony really treasured it. Or couldn’t buy their foal a new doll. Either way I was doing somepony a favor. That feeling still did not go away.
It felt to me like some strange beast was trying to claw its way out of my throat. I ignored it as best I could, but the stubborn sensation just would not go away. There was something nopony was telling me. I had to know what was up. I just had to.
I turned back to Ashes. “Ashes?” I waited for her to acknowledge me. “There’s something wrong here.”
“Are you sure. I just see everypony acting normal.” she looked at me quizzically.
“They are doing the same things as every other day, true… but it’s still off.” I took a moment to compose my thoughts. “There’s no eye contact. Everypony is avoiding everypony else’s eyes. And they’re all talking quietly. Like something might break if they’re too loud.” I was on a roll now.
“It fits, too. I saw the Sheriff earlier and he looked more tired than anypony has any right to be. He must be having to deal with it.” I looked back over at her. Her face had changed. I took that to mean she believed me. “The question is what is it?”
“Maybe somepony died.” she look horrified at her own suggestion
“Maybe, but we have no way of knowing for sure. It could even be nothing.” I had to find out. If everypony really was hiding something, though, I probably couldn’t just ask.
The two of us once again fell silent, both drawing continual blanks.
Braeburn chose this time to make his appearance. I spotted him quite a ways off as he -loquacious as ever- casually greeted every pony he came across. I smirked at Ashes. “I might just have a plan”
