How'd you get injured Braeburn?
"How'd you get your leg hurt, butters?" Applejack asked, staring at Braeburns bondaged leg.
"Didn't ah already tell you, cousin?" Braeburn asked.
"Well yeah, but you only told me very little about it." The orange mare said as she kicks a bundle of haystack into the barn." A broken leg by candlesticks" she muttered then snorted.
"It ain't such a big deal, really, just a few mishaps along the way." Braeburn replied. Grabbing a rake, with his mouth, to clean up wild hay.
"Few mishaps? Ah thought you just got yourself a bit of an accident with them candlesticks?" Applejack said, eyeing Braeburn.
Out from a corner, three fillies came to greet applejack. The orange one wearing a cactus hat too big for her head, the other, yellow coated little filly, has a pair flags tied on to the backside of her head and the white one eating a sweet chocolate creamed apple in a stick.
"Hi, there sis! What're you two talkin about?" Applebloom asked. Her face gleaming with excitement, and sweat dripping down her neck. Playing all day under the hot desert sun hadn't stopped the crusaders from enjoying the rodeo, especially with their new friend, Troubleshoes, who they helped realize what his cutiemark meant.
Grinning, Applejack wiped her forehead with her hoof."Well ah was just askin' Braeburn here how he got injured. How's the rest of the rodeo?"
"It was fun!" Sweetie Belle chimed. "Scootaloo tried bull riding. She got knocked out immediately!" She giggled.
"Hey! At Least I tried!" Scootaloo complained. Staring at Sweetie Belle with her lips curled to a pout.
"So much for a bull riding cutie mark." Sweetie said, starting with a giggle. The two burst into laughter.
"Hey sis! Wasn't cousin Braeburn's caused by the candlestick incident?" Applebloom asked, a raising an eyebrow.
"Well yes, but I know there is more to it than that." Applejack implied.
"Behcush ith dos," Braeburn mumbled through the stick his mouth.
"What did you say?" Applejack asked," And spit that thing outta' your mouth!" Pointing a fetlock at the yellow cowboy.
Braeburn dropped the rake and looked up to Applejack." There's more to it than those damn candlesticks. the events are quite extraordinary, you see, everypony might think I was hallucinating, delirious or I'm just makin' stuff up!" His voiced squeaked with the last two words." So I dismissed the Idea and said it was only those damn candlesticks — not that it wasn't true or anythin." Grabbing his hat with one of his forelegs and putting it on his rib."my legs were sore that day..." He mumbled.
"Well, shucks sugar cube, What happened?" Applejack asked. Feeling remorseful for what his cousin had said. She sets a hoof on Braeburn's withers and patted his back.
He stared at his orange cousin. "Do you really want to know?" Applejack nodded. Pointing a hoof at the three fillies." How bout' you girls?"
The Cutie Mark Crusaders nodded their head in unison. Interested in what the yellow stallion did to get such injury which he needed an alibi for. They smell adventure. A bizarre story that might help them earn their cutie marks in the future.
"Well grab a sit ya'll this might be a bit long." Braeburn suggested. Without any ado the mare and three fillies got themselves a pile of hay, Braeburn got himself some as well. Four of them facing Braeburn, ears perked up. Scootaloo was already fidgeting with excitment.
"It happened yesterday, when Little Strongheart and I went south. Some Buffalo says that there were bandits lurking near Apple Junction..."
It was a hot and sunny day in the desert. Little Strongheart and I just got out of the train and wandered off heading south. She took the lead of course, cause' she knows the place better than I. They used to be stampeding on this grounds, so as the chief said, until it's oasis dried up. Water became scarce all around the region, being unable to support anybuffalo, the chief restricted the area from all tribes. Now, there are mysterious stuffs happening in it. The chief and the sheriff wants to know what it is.
We stopped by atop a hill of dry land, as Little Heartstrong surveyed the area for any potential hideouts for those bandits.
"Over there! A cave see?" Little Strongheart said pointing at a huge cave opening by a tall tower of rock. "Big and shady, Suitable for a hideout. Let's go and have a look."
We trotted down the hill and into the mouth of the cave.
"See anythin?" I asked, squinting my eyes in an effort to look in further.
"No, come on let's go inside." The young female buffalo said. Cautiously trotting into the dark cold cave.
"Hey, we're suppose to be scoutin. Just scoutin . We ain't seein no fire, no guards, no bandits. It perfectly says that their ain't here!" I whined. It is bad to go in because if they are inside our presence will be known and we'll look all over again, or some might be outside, hiding, waiting for the perfect opportunity to surround us. Or something might be hiding there, not the bandits, but something else entirely.
Little Strongheart just snorted, rolling her eyes, then continued to wander off into the cave. I was force to come inside after her, yet as fast as she went in;the faster she ran out. As she went pass me, I got curiosity hanging on my face on why she was looking so afraid. From the deepest part of the cave lies my answer. Something roared from inside, rather than a roar, it sounded more like a load hiss. Then I knew that something bad is in there and we disturbed it. So I turn around and took off as fast as my legs could take me.
Both Strongheart and I was on top of the hill once more, gasping for air. The large king cobra's head was peeking out of the cave, looking annoyed at us for intruding his house, but then anypony — snake would. He should just put up a door or so, so people can come knocking into their deaths.
I glanced at Little Strongheart, who was grinning. "Well... that was fun... wasn't it?" She said between gasps.
" fun? You almost got us killed down there!" I said, a grin slowly creeping its way upon my face. It was fun. A bit more thrilling than apple bucking — Don't get me wrong, I love apples more than anything... Yet.
"We should keep going, the sun isn't on its highest peak yet so we got a lot of time before it gets dark." The young troublemaking buffalo said.
We trotted our way across the region. Sometimes, having to run away from dangers that Little Strongheart got us in. I swear that mare, er, buffalo got a knack for trouble. She should get one for a cutie mark! If they have those.
While we were trotting in Celestia knows where, but someplace south. My barrel made a gurgling growl.
"Ugh... Let's rest for a while. Ah ain't goin' anywhere with an angry stomach!" I grumbled as the living creature in my stomach lets out another growl.
"We can take a break by that shade over there." She pointed at the shade by a huge rock, its size like a small mountain.
We both rested there for a while, me eating a couple of apples while she just sat there in a buffalo loaf formation.
" I heard you ponies are having an event tomorrow?" She asked, staring into the far horizon.
I excitedly answered while chewing an apple,"yeah, Every year... Appleloosa... Sets a rodeo..." I swallowed the apple with a barely yet audible gulp." Everypony comes to join in the festivities. You should go!" I said, grabbing another apple.
She turned her head to look at me. "Are you sure?" She asked.
"Yeah, you could come with me if ya want." I said looking at her as I jammed another apple into my mouth.
"Really!" She squeaked, bouncing around like a little filly whose mom just told her they'll be going to ponyland.
Right there I felt something jumped up in my throat. Which made me gag and spit my half eaten apple. She caught it and ate with one single gulp. She leaned close to me and landed a kiss on top of my muzzle, between my eyes. For a moment there I thought Little Strongheart was dazzling. Her beautiful brown coat, her slim legs, her cute little muzzle and her eyes...
"Thanks! Now, Let's get moving, there are more places left unexplored!" Little Strongheart shouted, bouncing out of the shade, where I sat quite shocked. Little Ms.Strongheart really is a troublemaker.
In a couple of hours, in which we search places and tracks. Holes and caves and any other possible hideouts. Sometimes I find myself giving quick glances towards Little Strongheart.
"Braeburn, is something wrong?" The female buffalo asked in her sweet voice, grinning.
Wait, what am I doing? We're in a scouting mission and there's something bugging me. And it was her. What she did awhile ago is making me confused. I got to get my head straight, and keep my eyes on the task at hoof.
I shook my head." No, Everything is fine." I said, offering a good smile. Which she didn't return, she look rather worried. What? Wasn't she smiling just a moment ago? Are all female like this? I'm pretty damn sure Applejack is like this too. What's wrong with females? They're so hard to crack like a hard boiled egg!
We were trotting around a nearby plateau, when Little Strongheart ran passed me, I broke into a gallop after her. She paused by a small ramp of soil that has a few vegetation that stretch for a few meters. I slowed down to a trot and stood beside her.
"What in the name of hay —" I was cut off by Little Strongheart, shutting me up with a fetlock on my mouth, then she brought me down with her as she lay on her barrel.
"Shhh..." She pointed at a few figures by the Oasis that I goofed about. They were wearing tribal uniforms and had a cloak strap on their backs.
"There are those bandits. we should go back and report to the sheriff." I said. I tried to get up but Little Strongheart put a hoof over my neck and shoved me back into place." Uff... what?" I asked, raising and eyebrow and my lips curling into a pout.
"Look closely, they've caught somepony down there." She whispered.
I squinted my eyes and surveyed the land by the Oasis. My eyes caught sight of a blue mare, her hair was silver with a few strands of pink, she was tied to one of those peach trees with an older mare that has a grey hair wearing a tropical hat. Why would anypony wear a tropical hat and vest in the desert? This ain't no jungle! This is dry land and dang!
"There are only three of them..." Little Strongheart stated. Making a hmmm sound.
"you're thinking of goin' down there, ain't ya?" I asked, even though I knew her answer.
As she nodded, my hunch was sealed. Two bits for Braeburn! Yay!
" one of them has a bow and arrow . The other two probably got a knife or swords." I said, thinking about different scenarios on how we'll die.
"We move slowly and free the ponies, then we run away from here, towards north to the train station." She said gesturing me to come with her." We'll need to be fast and out ran them, their earth ponies."
"No, the archer has her hood on. Might be a unicorn."
"We need a plan,"
"Can't we just return to the sheriff and let them handle all this?" I whined. I'm not really a fan of this, go waste your life and be a hero stuff, it's too much work and I already have too much on my hooves.
Completely oblivious about what I said, Little Strongheart was making up sketches, on the ground, with a stick. "You distract the bandits here. I'll free the captives while you do your thing. We will rendezvous there by that odd looking rock."
"Do ah even have a say in this?" I said raising an eyebrow.
"No"
I tapped my hat."well then, ma'am. I'll do my best."
Well... That rock got their attention.
I running for my life, yet again, thanks to Little Strongheart. The unicorn got angry, really angry, when I hit her horn with a pebble. Unicorn horns are very sensitive as they say. Now all three of those tribal bandits and I are on a nice chase, except arrows are flying in my direction as well. An unfair advantage on their side.
Looking for someway to protect myself, something to throw back at them. I grabbed another rock, a bit bigger than the first, and hurl it towards my pursuers. The earth pony leaned right to dodge it. I grabbed another. And this time it's a small dry branch, hurled it... Nope nothing.
I turned left into a small stone arch. It was a narrow way between two walls. I knew I was in trouble, the unicorn has a good chance of hitting me here.
The exit was near. I was so close. I closed my eyes when something came hurling towards me from the outside. But nothing came it sorta just passed me. I opened my eyes and Turned to look back at those bandits. The unicorn was gone. But there earth ponies were still in pursue.
I was outside, turning my head left and right, when I heard somepony shout my name. It was Little Strongheart. She was atop a cliff, gesturing me to hurry up.
I galloped towards her, not moving my eyes away from her. When I suddenly found myself being carried of the ground. "He— hey! What in tarnation are you doing? Put me down!" I said struggling, trying to get away from the thing that grabbed me.
"Stop squirming! I'm trying to get you to safety." The mare pagesus said.
I looked up, it was the grey haired mare." Daring Do? What are you doin here?"
"I'll explain later. First let's get you where your marefriend is." She replied.
"Mare... Marefriend? "I stammered."Oh no no no! We're not in that kind of a relationship."
"Well too bad. I thought you two were, cause' she was quite worried." She snorted."romance." She said. Making a few ,tsk, sounds at the end.
Daring Do set me on the ground while she landed near the blue mare. I turned my head towards Little Strongheart. pak. She slapped me... SERIOUSLY WHAT IS WRONG WITH MARES!
"When I say distract them. I didn't mean you go and go play chase with the!" She looked furious."they might have caught you! Don't you know the word stealth?"
"Well ah did get the job done." I said rubbing my swollen cheeks." Why'd you slap me for?"
"Because your an Idiot!"
"Wha—"
"We need to move and get back to Appleloosa. Our friend Daring Do here might help us with the bandit problems." She said, Ignoring me.
"I don't need help. This Bandits your messing with is Ahuizotl's. And all they wanted is her. So when I get her back to the west;in the ocean, her home where she will be kept safe. And Ahuizotl will give up the search and you won't have a problem anymore. So leave this to me and go home." Daring Do stated.
"Well, then, let's just go and head west!" Little Strongheart said. Daring do shook her head and I swear there was a little smile there too.
"Little Strongheart, things might get dangerous."
"You two are acquainted? " I asked. Suspicious of the familiarities.
"We got ourselves a good exchange of pleasantries, while I was bailing them out." Little Heartstrong said." And no I don't care even if danger is involve. This is going to be fun!"
"We should go now." Daring Do said, walking with the blue mare behind her."We can take the train and head west, it's much faster. And also you two can go back to where you came from."
"Dammit," Daring Do scowled.
We were laying on our barrels looking over the train station, which has a bandits waiting. Ahuizotl's ponies as Daring Do said. Their numbers was too much for us to handle, even with Daring Do on our side.
"We can't take the train now. We'll go on foot." Daring do said. Her eyebrows furrowed.
"I'm sorry," The Blue Mare whose name is Yunya, sniffled."I shouldn't have gotten myself caught.now, I cause too much trouble." Yunya said. Her ears folded downward.
"It's okay,Yunya, it is their fault for intruding in your turf."
"But —" Daring Do sets a hoof on Yunya's mouth.
The pegasus smiled."Shush, we're going to get you home." Yunya smiled back.
"Okay, everypony lets get moving."
Lifting myself up on my hoofs." You know, you haven't told us anythin about Yunya, except that her home is down west." I said.
"Yunya here is a kelpie, one of the last of her kind. ahuizotl wants her magical gifts to farther dry the lands." Daring Do replied.
"Oh..." Crack! The three of us looked back at Little Strongheart. She was lifting one of her foreleg, her ears drooping on her skull. In this vast wasteland where very few vegetation grew, she had to step on a wild dry stick.
"Oops..."
"Over there!" A pegasi pony bandit shouted.
Quickly we galloped away from the train station. Our pursuers right behind us. I felt an arrow shot overhead. "Ahh.. Shoot!"
"Over here inside the cave!" Daring do said as she ran into the mouth of the cave. "Don't stray from the group!"
It was dark inside. Even though our eyes had adjusted a bit, we still can't see three feet away from us. We settled on a formation where each of us rest a hoof on the pony in front of us.. Daring Do was up front, Yunya right behind her then Little Strongheart and me at the end.
On the mouth of the cave. The bandits had already caught up. So we picked up our pace and trot further into the abyss. Strangely the further we go in the more we notice that there were some clicking and clacking noises echoing somewhere in the cave. The Bandits shouts can still be heard behind us."Come out, Come out wherever you are.", "We ain't gonna hurt ya," and "we just want the kelpie, and we'll be on our way.". Still, those can't block the clicks and clacks.
"Stop poking me Braeburn!" Little Strongheart said.
"Ah didn't poke you, I only have one hoof which is holding on to you." I stated.
"With your other hoof!"
"Ah can't do that!"
"Stop it you two, you'll give our location away!" Daring Do whispered.
Even in the dark. I could tell Little Strongheart was glaring at me.
With a jerk I bumped into Little Strongheart, whom bumped into Yunya and Daring Do.
"Shush... Did you hear that?" Daring asked from in front the group.
"Ah hear nothin" I said.
"Nope," Little Strongheart said. Yunya just shook her head.
"Exactly, the bandits are gone." Daring said. Her eyes squinted.
Little Strongheart cringed."Maybe they just quieted down. You know stealth approach?" Oh if she could just let it go!
"No, their footstep ain't echoing like ours." I said, feeling that the situation has changed. We're not alone here. There's something in this cave and it did something to those bandits.
Yunya shrieked."Something just licked me!" She said squirming.
"Since the bandits are gone maybe I can light this up now." Daring said. Grabbing something from her hat and setting it down on the floor where she sis her thing.
"Wouldn't that give our location away to those who caught the bandits?" Little Strongheart said.
"
In a few moments of blowing and huffing, Daring Do held a flaming torch. Which was — I guess the thing that she took from her hat. She waved it around. And what we saw, we didn't like. It was horrifying. Changelings were luring on the ceiling, some pose as half pony and half spiders. We noticed that all eyes were staring at us, Pairs of Blue orbs with no pupils.
"Run..." Without hesitation we dashed back, heading out of the cave, with an amazing speed, both from adrenaline and large amounts of fear. From behind us, we can hear their shrieks and their hoofs and legs tapping on the rock surfaces.
Tap tap tap.
It was like hundreds of legs running to bring use down.
"There's too many of them! We'll be overwhelmed!" Little Strongheart said.
"We have to keep moving!" Daring Do shouted. The path was blocked with more changelings. "To the left, let's go, hurry!" We turned left away from the horde of changlings. That was our way out! Are there anymore exits available or even exist?
Out of nowhere a menacing voice lingered in our heads. "Well... What do we have here?" Said the voice. "Visitors? Are you one of those ponies that are um... Friendly, in a wild manner?"
"What was that?" Little Heartstrong said. As we continue to avoid the monstrosities following us.
"Their queen, probably." Daring Do stated. "This aren't wild changelings. We're in a hive."
"That's a bad thing right?" I asked.
"Real bad." Oh luna's dung.
"Ah... The bright one I see, the leader." The Voice said." You are correct! I am Queen Aldramia, of the Alcradai Hive And you my little munch— Ponies are on a long way from home."
Yunya let out a small squeak which made the queen cackle.
"Keep your heads together! Don't let them get under your skin!" We skidded to a stop, before us was a dead end. What did she say? Under our skin? I certainly don't want that! I shivered with the Idea.
The Pony-Spider changelings were surrounding us. "Oh, looks like you ponies are trapped. Well do not be afraid. We welcome you to our hive as guests! Do mind my changelings they got upset when you waved your torch right on their faces. It's okay they won't hurt you." The queen said.
"Really?" Yunya whimpered.
"Why, yes dear. We do not get much visitors around here and get them for dinner."
"Dinner?" Yunya was shivering behind us.
"Yunya stop talkin to it!" I warned.
"Yeah, Changelings are quite good at deceiving ponies. Too good." Daring added.
"Well, I did say we're having our visitors for dinner did I not? Say your last words ponies! Before you all die!" There was a slurping sound after she said the last word. Yuck! A queen without manners, I see.
With that said, I turned to look at Little Strongheart. We were both staring at each others eyes. She opened her mouth then closed it, stammering looking for words to say.
"Little Strongheart, Ah'm sorry if ah can't take you to the rodeo tomorrow." I chuckled. Giving a nervous smile. "And you were looking forward for it so much too! Bouncing about like a little filly,er, buffalo."
Little Strongheart giggled, tears swelling up on her eyes."Dummy," she said, nudging me with a fetlock.
The Queen laughed maniacally but soon was covered by an eerie sound that made everypony confused and changelings frozen in place. Behind us a strange blue box came into an existance.
The door opened and a light-brown stallion's head popped out. "We'll hello there chaps! And hello Aldramia!" He said.
Another pony's head peeked out and it was a grey mare."Hi! Everypony!" We just stood there bewildered.
"WHO ARE YOU!" The queen asked in an intimidating loud voice.
"I'm the doctor!" The doctor grinned." And you lot better get in! Before something terrible happen."
We hesitated for a bit, how can we all fit inside a small blue box? But when Daring had gone inside, she assured us that it's okay and quite bizarrely It's quite bigger in the inside.
"Well, then everypony. Let's get you all home shall we?" The Doctor said as he tap his machine and pulled a lever.
"Hi, my name is Ditsy Doo" the grey mare said to Yunya.
"And then what happened?" Sweetie belle asked. Leaning forward, her eyes glittering with amusement.
"Well, we were somehow on the beach by the west coast of Appleloosa. Then we left Yunya back into her home, the Ocean."
"What happened to Daring Doo?" Scootaloo asked. A huge smile on her face.
"The Doctor dropped her off near her house after saying a few words."
"That still doesn't say anythin about how you got your injury!" Applejack complained. Scratching the her ear.
"Ah told you it's the candlestick accident!" Braeburn chuckled.
"But where's Little Strongheart? Ah thought you two are goin to the rodeo together?" Applebloom asked raising an eyebrow.
"Well we both got injured from the candlestick incident, her father wont let her go."
