The Outlaw, The Star and the Big, Big Sky

Author's Note:
While looking through my notes and resources for this story, I came across something I wrote and completely forgot about. In an effort to make sure the story played out properly and everyone was accounted for and acting in character, I wrote every chapter of the story again (albeit much shorter) from the perspective of the Buffalo. These unfinished chapters, much like the Braeburn flashbacks, were likely to never see the light of day in the final story, but re-reading them, I found them enjoyable, interesting, and worth sharing. Even though the buffalo know more than the ponies, I took care to write this in a way which did not reveal too much. Even so, if you've read the previous chapters (and if you haven't, it'd be weird to jump in at this point?), you'll probably piece together major plot elements yourself. Also, bear in mind, there are likely many spelling/grammatical mistakes, as these were written mostly for my eyes only. Even so, I wanted to share, and I hope you enjoy!

The Buffalo

Prologue

“Watergaze.”

Thunderhooves slowly surveyed the landscape, blinking quickly and infrequently.

“Yes, Chief?” Watergaze replied, eyeing the dark desert in much the same way. The moon, bright and nearly full, cast an ivory glow across the dusty hills.

“I sense it is beginning,” said the chief, his voice low and rumbling. “After last year’s attempt they would no doubt wish an early start.”

“If what you’ve told me is accurate, then there is no cause to worry,” said Watergaze, “if after all these millennia they have not been successful, what cause for concern is there now?”

“Their attempts have not been in vain, Watergaze. My father’s father encountered them once, when they broke the seal and escaped. He had thought them legend; an old story passed down through time, and resented the traditional patrols by the eastern mountains.” Thunderhooves took a long breath. “But when he saw them with his own eyes - the first eyes to behold them in centuries - he knew our task was not complete.”

Watergaze nodded. “I must admit, I had thought them little more than stories to scare the young.”

“As is expected for someone who had never seen them. Pray you never do.”

“I remember the stories of what they did to our ancestors...” Watergaze frowned, his blue eye glistening in the moonlight. “For our honor and the honor of those who came before, I swear: they shall never escape to wreak destruction upon us again.”

Thunderhooves smiled broadly. “You are a fine bison, Watergaze. You will make a fine chief someday, when I can no longer.”

“Thank you,” replied the other.

From behind a nearby rock, a small figure cursed quietly to herself.

Chapter 1

Thunderhooves stared into the bowl of boiled cactus and shrubs and the apple beside. The apples were a gift from the Appleloosans, a sign of their newfound friendship, the gruel a traditional meal among his family. He wished for an apple pie, but this was no time for sweets.

“I don’t like it,” said a young, feminine voice.

Thunderhooves sighed, staring at the red fruit. “It...is certainly not ideal, but I fear we have little choice.”

“But it just seems wrong! Like...like a lie!”

Thunderhooves looked up to Little Strongheart, who watched him with unhappy eyes. He sighed.

“It is to avoid suspicion. Besides, this is what we do every week at this time.”

She scoffed. “Chief, I’ve spent time with the ponies! They are good, kind and fair. If we were just to tell them what was going on, or even ask for help-”

“Have you forgotten what they did to your parents, to my son?” Thunderhooves growled, glaring at the red apple before him.

“Not them, Grandfather! Not Braeburn, or Silverstar, or any of the others!” Strongheart took a long, shaky breath, her head dropping. “What...what those ponies did was awful...b-but they were bad people. The Appleloosans aren’t like them!”

Thunderhooves exhaled, long and slow. “We do not know that. I have seen ponies betray our kindness and our faith before, and I cannot trust them with such a dire matter.”

With a groan, Strongheart stood. “I trust them, and I think you should too. Tradition is only kept because people are afraid of change.” She walked away, leaving the buffalo chief to fume.

And fume he did. He glanced around the camp, at all the bisons chatting and playing with the young. Like Strongheart, they had no respect for the old ways, not like him. Tradition was kept because without tradition, what is there to stand by? Stories and histories must be preserved, and to change tradition would be to change what makes the buffalo who they are. This new generation - a foolish, child-like bunch with no respect for their own language - seem more concerned with playing and eating. They only kept watch over the deserts and stood sentry because he commanded them to do so, not because they believe in the threat that he knew was all too real.

Over to the left hills stood Watergaze, watching the skies with a steadfast purpose. Thunderhooves smiled. That bison, unlike so many of the others, believed in the old stories and firmly believed in tradition. He even spoke as a true buffalo.

Yes, he will make a fine chief.

***

Strongheart leaned against a rock, staring across the desert hills to the distant town of Appleloosa, its clocktower a faded pink and wavering with the sun’s heat. Braeburn was down there, probably working hard right now.

She glanced around her nervously, hoping no one saw her blush. She and Braeburn worked together on the clocktower restoration, although she knew he hardly noticed her. He was such a hard worker, pouring so much of his time and effort into fixing the mess that her grandfather caused without any spite against them. He was such a kind, fair pony. He, above all, would come to their aid if they only asked.

But no, Grandfather forbade speaking of it to the ponies, and as much as she disagreed with him, she could never disobey. If only he would give her a chance she could prove she would make a good chieftan.

Better than Watergaze.

Speaking of...

“Little Strongheart,” he said, rounding the corner, “I am not disturbing you, am I?”

“No more than usual,” she grunted.

“In a few hours I shall leave to inform the ponies of our gathering tonight. I was wondering if you wished to accompany me.”

Her heart skipped a sudden beat at the thought of seeing Braeburn in town but it sank when she realized it meant a whole trip there alone with Watergaze.

“Uh, no, thank you.”

Strongheart held her eyes ahead at the town, but she could feel Watergaze staring at her for a moment before he looked away too.

“Very well. If you change your mind, I shall be relieving Running Bear from his outpost.” He left, leaving the young buffalo alone. She didn’t watch him go, instead staring blankly out into the desert.

“Idiot,” she grumbled when she was certain he was gone. Ever since they found him out in the northern deserts a year ago he’d been causing problems for her, not the least of which was his incessant desire of her company. She couldn’t blame her grandfather for bringing him into the herd; after all, he was the only survivor of his own tribe. He didn’t have anywhere to go and was just a wreck when they found him. All signs seemed to point to that awful pony Tanner being involved.

Regardless, Watergaze was helpful, she couldn’t deny that. He was extremely skilled at locating water, which got their tribe out of a few rough spots over the last year. But if she had to choose between water and how much her grandfather favored him...

She stood and slowly wandered back to the camp. There wasn’t much she could do right now, other than wait until evening. She could at least try to have fun then, even if her grandfather made it seem like the world was about to fall apart.

***

The fire crackled and burned, warming her face and sending little embers into the sky. Any minute now, Watergaze and the Appleloosan ponies would be arriving. The chief sat beside her, staring down his snout at the large fire. The other buffalo were playing around and roasting marshmallows, a treat the ponies shared with them. It became very popular among the calves, although she never really cared for the sugary things. Looking out at the hills and flat levels of rocks that surrounded the campsite, she pursed her lips at the buffalo keeping lookout. She warned her grandfather that having lookouts was not a good way to avoid suspicion, but he was adamant they stay.

One of the lookouts signaled, and the signal was carried over to the nearest lookout. The sound of hooves and chatter echoed around the rocks. A moment later, Watergaze appeared from around a hill with a dozen or so ponies in tow. She immediately recognized the brown hat, vest and yellow coat of the pony next to Watergaze and she swallowed, her face suddenly growing even hotter. She hadn’t expected Braeburn to come. As they approached, she made quick glances at him, trying not to appear as nervous as she was.

The chief rose and made a long bow as the other buffalo cleared room for the visitors.

“Greetings, ponies of Appleloosa,” he said, standing tall. She made a short bow of her head as the ponies did the same.

Braeburn smiled his big, handsome smile. “It’s our pleasure to join you, Chief Thunderhooves. Sheriff Silverstar wasn’t able ta come,” he said.

She heard her grandfather groan quietly. “A pity. He would have enjoyed tonight.” Having Silverstar visit was one of the main reasons he invited the ponies, so the sheriff could be led to believe everything was fine. She took a small bit of pleasure in the fact that the plan failed.

“If you’ll excuse me, then,” said Watergaze, bowing to the chief, who did the same. Watergaze shot a smile at Strongheart and she had to fight to hide her disgust as he hurried back to his lookout post. She simply could not get over how amazingly dense that bison was.

“If you will all take your seats we can begin,” said her grandfather as he sat again. The other ponies all took seats around the fire and the chief motioned for Braeburn to join him. The stallion cantered over and took a seat right beside Strongheart, giving her a small wink.

“Hey there,” he said.

“Hello,” she replied quietly, staring at the ground and hoping to Celestia he didn’t see her blush. She wished she could say something, anything to him, but absolutely no words rose to mind beside ‘hello.’ Luckily, her grandfather began his story before she could feel like a complete illiterate.

“A long time ago, before my father’s father, and before his father’s father, there was a young pony named Wingless. Wingless loved the night, for it was at night that his good friends the Stars would come out.”

“He sure starts right into it, huh?” whispered Braeburn.

“Shh!” she hushed him instinctively, as she had with the small calves in past story sessions. She felt a little bad about shushing him and wished she could be more like him: carefree and easygoing. Instead, she had Thunderhooves as a grandfather, and she was doing Braeburn a favor by hushing his interruptions, of which there were several more.

Strongheart had heard this story many times before, so she tuned herself out and stared into the flames. The ponies in town, comparatively, had an easy life; that’s what her grandfather would say, anyway. She knew it wasn’t entirely true: they had struggles with bandits and horrid ponies like Tanner and that gang from the south western regions, but they couldn’t understand the trials that a migratory herd faced yearly. Due to recent events, the buffalo had found themselves staying in this area for months - far longer than any other settling, as it was both a good vantage point to observe the events, and a good base to send out patrols to investigate. As such, she found herself growing somewhat attached to the idea of settling down. Not having to pack up and roam seemingly aimlessly for weeks made life much simpler. Why couldn’t they just be like the ponies, and choose a nice place, build homes, and raise families there, rather than always travel? Her grandfather, no doubt, would say it’s ‘traditional.’

She curled her lip. She hated that word: Tradition. It only made things hard for her. ‘It’s traditional to eat this glop.’ ‘It’s traditional to get lost for a week.’ ‘It’s traditional to have a male chief.’

Braeburn suddenly leant over and whispered, rather loudly, to Strongheart. “Wait, sun and moon? Does he mean Celestia and Luna?”
“Yes, I do, Braeburn,” replied her grandfather. She could hear frustration in his voice, although he tried to hide it. “Are you ready to listen to the rest of the story now?”

“Sorry Sir,” Braeburn said sheepishly, cowering a little. Strongheart fought to hide a giggle. Why couldn’t she be like him? He wasn’t afraid to say whatever was on his mind. Sure, she had seen him get in trouble for it sometimes, but he was always able to laugh it off and act like nothing happened. To be so free, to just talk...to not have to worry about being ‘honorable’ and ‘traditional’...

“...That is how the pegasus ponies came to be.” Thunderhooves finished his story, bringing Strongheart back to reality. She knew she’d better say something quick or her grandfather would berate her later for not paying attention.

“I love that story,” she said, “it’s always been one of my favorites.”

“Ah alwaysh wondered where them pegashushesh came from,” said a weird pony in the crowd.

Strongheart noticed Running Bear, trying and failing to approach unnoticed, walk up to the chief.

“I am glad you enjoyed it,” her grandfather said, “is there-”

Running Bear whispered to him; she knew about what, too. The patrol by the mountains. And judging from her grandfather’s reaction, it was not good news.

“What’s that about?” Braeburn whispered to her.

She looked at him for a moment before she could reply. “Oh, uh,” she stuttered. How she wished she could tell him! The ponies could help so much! With the two groups working together, they could prevent ‘Them’ from ever escaping...

“it’s n-nothing, it’s fine.” She tried to appear confident, but knew she failed when Braeburn frowned and stared into the fires. He knew something was wrong, and Grandfather was not doing well to avoid suspicion from the ponies. She warned him about the lookouts!

Running Bear left and the chief began to tell another story. She knew ‘They’ were a real threat. At least, she did now. Like most other buffalo, she was raised being told tales of hideous, murderous monsters with long, curling horns that would come and steal them away if they didn’t behave. And, like most other buffalo, shrugged them off as being no more than stories. But two weeks ago, when she, Watergaze, her grandfather and a few others made a patrol past the western mountains (a patrol she at the time despised) she saw it.

Those mountains - mountains she had seen many times in her life - were always shrouded by a veil of mist. Her grandfather told her is was a spell placed on the mountains by the ancient King and Queen of Equestria thousands of years ago to keep ‘Them’ trapped. She didn’t believe him, but that one patrol they all saw the sparks and flares of magic, flashing amongst the fog and the jagged rocks. Then, there was a tremendous CRACK and a bolt of lightning shot up into the air and into the stars.

She didn’t believe ‘They’ were real. Who would? Creatures with long, spiraling horns and a long lost army, banished by the father and mother of the princesses. But that night she knew they were real, and she also knew one other thing:

The buffalo alone would never be able to stop ‘Them.’

***

Thunderhooves gently kicked dirt over the dying flames. The evening had gone about as well as he’d hoped, barring Silverstar’s absence. He had concerns about keeping the ponies suspicions low - he’d never admit it to her, but Strongheart was right: keeping the lookouts probably attracted unwanted attention. Luckily, that one pony, Braeburn, drew much of the attention to himself. A fool can be a great help sometimes, although considering that pony’s disrespect for the old stories, Thunderhooves regarded himself as showing restraint. He deserved much more than a stern word.

Regardless, the evening was over now. Running Bear and Watergaze would be returning soon with news on their patrols, and then a new patrol would be sent out for the night. They had little choice but to watch and wait. The next move belonged to ‘Them.’ Hopefully they wouldn’t do it, but should they escape, he would be ready. The buffalo were strong and could handle this on their own. To request the aid of outsiders would be a betrayal to the honor of their race.

“So. Tomorrow’s the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration,” came Strongheart’s voice. She sat next to her grandfather, and he nodded slowly.

“It is. I fear, much like last year, it will be the eve of their escape attempt.”

“I...I guess, I should apologize,” Strongheart said, “I didn’t believe you last year when you told me about the lights in the sky above the mountains. I know now, after the other week...”

“You are forgiven.” He said.

The silence wafted around them, thick and heavy. His ears were perked for any sound, his body tense with sleepless nights. After a moment, his granddaughter stood and bid him goodnight before leaving for her tent.

He really should get some sleep too. He’d be in no shape for battle if he could hardly keep his eyes open. Watergaze could handle the rest of the night, surely.

He stood and made his way for his teepee. He’d need all the rest he could get for tomorrow.

Chapter 2

Running bear rushed through the camp, tripping over himself along the way as he hurried to Thunderhoove’s side.

“Chief! Chief! The quarry!” he stammered, “it totally collapsed!”

“What!?”

“There was this big rumble, and the whole thing just FWOOOM, like sunk into the ground and crumbled!”

“Was anyone harmed?” Thunderhooves asked, tensely.

“Uh, not badly, I don’t think.”

“Hmm,” said the chieftan, closing his eyes and frowning. This was just as he predicted. “Go join Watergaze and the others in training. We must be ready.”

“Yes, Chief!” Running Bear ran off. From beyond the camp, the sound of grunts and smashing could be heard. His bison were sparring and sharpening their horns, preparing for war. This was not like the battle with the appleloosans, oh no: that time they had confidence in their success, training only in spirit and war paint, for only the night before. Their efforts were mostly in vain, as their attacks were outmaneuvered and outsmarted by the ponies and their delicious pies.

He licked his lips.

He would not let himself be so easily outmatched again. No, they would train day and night until each member of his tribe was a warrior.

And he would need them. He looked up into the clear, blue sky at the star still in the sky: the North Star. ‘Their’ magic was successful. They had reached The North, the Keeper of the Stars, and it was falling to earth. He knew not why they wished it to fall, but whatever the reason, it must involve their escape from the mountains. Perhaps they would use its magic to break the seal over their prison?

He sighed. To face them, the buffalo would still need at least a day or two of training. This younger generation had rarely seen battle. Then, they would strategize their attacks against ‘Them.’ Although it was risky to allow them the chance to escape at all, rushing into those mountains to attack was even more risky. ‘They’ had spent thousands of years in those mountains. Venturing inside was a death warrant. However, to reach their destination, they must cross the deserts; the deserts the buffalo had roamed for thousands of years and knew better than any other. It was their battlefield, and they would have the upper hoof.

He stared at the star again. They would need to watch it. It’s fall to earth would be as a signal: a signal of war.

Hopefully the ponies would be too busy with their quarry problems to notice.

***

Strongheart fumed. How could they just leave the ponies like that? They were hurt, afraid and confused: somepony could have died in that quake! But instead of helping them, her grandfather insisted they resume training.

She groaned.

“Oh, what’s the use.” It’s not like she could change his mind or go against his will. Why bother complaining?

She looked down the hill at the buffalo below, training. Her grandfather refused to allow her to train, due to her diminutive size; a remark she resented. She could fight - though she didn’t want to.

Why did this have to happen? All this stuff about ‘Them’ escaping, why did it have to be real? She was finally making some real friends, and Braeburn...

Why now?

Thunderhooves wouldn’t even let her visit their Celebration because she had to keep lookout.

She hated it.

She almost hated him. An old, bigoted fool obsessed with tradition, raising an outsider to be the chief.

Oooh, he’d get mad if she said that to him. She smirked.

As night fell, she sat upon her hill, ignoring the hills she was supposed to be watching and instead craning her neck to see the bright, glowing lights of Appleloosa. The town looked beautiful! How she wished she could go there and see them up close! She could even hear singing, if she listened closely over the sound of the buffalo training.

She sighed. They didn’t even have their own celebration this year. Most of the guys didn’t mind, they liked the chance to buff themselves up by ramming into each other, the morons. Watergaze especially. But the calves were so disappointed, that someone had taken it upon herself to throw a small party for just the women and children. Thunderhooves begrudgingly allowed this, but refused to allow Strongheart to participate.

“As my granddaughter,” he had said, “it is your responsibility to remain vigil, even in the face of other’s merriment. Look to Watergaze: he never falters and remains loyal to his duties at all times. You must learn this as well.”

Oh, the things she wanted to say to that old man!

She rested her head on her hooves and stared at Appleloosa as the fireworks began to flare overhead and the clocktower tolled midnight’s arrival. Braeburn was down there right now, probably having the time of his life. He probably didn’t even notice she wasn’t there.

Or, maybe he did. Maybe he was looking this way right now, hoping she would join him. Maybe he hoped they could...

BOOOOOM

Strongheart’s head shot up. The entire night sky lit up and flashed and thumped as the North Star flew to the ground, heading right for the western mountains. So her grandfather was right: ‘They’ did cause it to fall. It fell, plummeting toward the earth.

But at the last second it swerved and crackled and careened right for Appleloosa. As it fell the ponies’ fireworks lit up the sky above town and she had to look away from the bright lights. The fireworks obscured the star’s descent: it had landed somewhere around Appleloosa.

But where?

Chapter 3

Strongheart was not permitted to go into town with them. Her grandfather said he didn’t want her ‘feelings’ for the ponies to complicate things. He, Watergaze and one or two others had gone toward the pony town, although only Thunderhooves entered. She could just barely make him out at this distance, and she could see the swaths of multicolored ponies standing frozen in the street, watching him.

She couldn’t risk getting any closer to town, or she might be seen by the others. They saw the star fall as well, but they didn’t have nearly as good an idea where it fell, and...she didn’t exactly tell them, either.

She knew that they would stop at nothing to get it, and if they knew it fell by Appleloosa they would nearly tear the town apart searching for it. Besides, she didn’t exactly see it land in town, so she wasn’t lying when she told her grandfather she didn’t know where it landed. Besides, it would teach him a lesson. Maybe now they’d have no choice but to ask the ponies for help.

A small, yellow speck approached the chief in town. Was it Braeburn? It was hard to tell, but she hoped it wasn’t. Her grandfather was not too fond of the stallion, calling him a naive, talkative fool. But what did he know.

She sighed. He knew a lot more than she did, but not about the ponies.

The brown speck of her grandfather turned and walked away, leaving the other specks alone. She crawled away from her vantage point and rushed back to her assigned outpost.

For now, all she could do was wait.

Chapter 4

“Chief!”

Watergaze ran between the tents toward Thunderhooves and Strongheart. The morning sun cast long shadows over the ground and Thunderhooves tried to stay in the shade, away from the sunlight, his eyes red and weary. Strongheart was resting beside him.

“Yes, Watergaze?” The chief said rubbing his eye.

“I believe I know where it is!”

Thunderhooves flew to his hooves, his strength returned.

“Where!” he demanded.

“Among the apple trees! I have seen the ponies gathering and crowding around a certain spot!”

“Let’s go!” Thunderhooves called. A few other bison jumped to his side as they prepared to ride out. Strongheart watched them, her brow furrowed.

“Grandfather,” she said. The chieftan slowly turned to face her. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“I will not have you question me, Little Strongheart,” he said, “our fate - and the fate of those ponies you hold so dear - rest upon our success. If the North Star is something ‘They’ desire, then we must prevent them from obtaining it at all costs.”

Strongheart said nothing. Thunderhooves and his troop rode out, and she watched them go. This was so much sooner than she’d hoped. If only it could have been a few days before they found it...maybe then...

It didn’t matter now.

***

Thunderhooves watched eagerly, his breathing heavy. From their hidden spot, they could just barely see the ponies between the trees. After a minute or two of watching, they could see the colored ponies leaving the orchard. Watergaze stood.

“Wait,” said Thunderhooves, “we must wait until we are absolutely certain none remain.”

Watergaze nodded and crouched again. A moment later, a yellow stallion left the treeline, heading for his shack on the hill overlooking the orchard.

“Braeburn,” Thunderhooves murmured. Last night, the way that stallion looked at him...perhaps he was not as naive as he thought.

Braeburn looked back over the orchard for a second and then pushed open the door to his home, disappearing inside.

“NOW!”

Thunderhooves, Watergaze and one other buffalo rushed toward the trees while the others spread out, keeping watch for any unwanted visitors. As the chief hurried around the trunks, he felt a smile creep across his face. To cheat ‘Them’ out of their plan! He did not know the exact reason why they desired the star, or what form the star would be, but he knew it must be important to ‘Their’ cause, and as such it must be kept away from them.

As he entered the clearing, Thunderhooves marveled at the destruction. The apple trees were bent and torn, blackened and smashed by the impact. A long, black trench led to a round crater, crystalline and dark red. In the center was a black sphere, jagged and covered in soot and crushed apples. This was it.

“Woop, woop!” The call echoed around the trees and Thunderhooves and the others ducked instinctively. Two calls. That meant someone had approached the area, but for the moment they were safe.

“This is it?” asked Watergaze, staring down the rock, “I had imagined something...more grand.”

“It is not to us to decide the form of the stars,” said the chief. Truth be told, it was somewhat underwhelming to him as well. Regardless, this must be what they were looking for.

“I don’t get it,” said the other bison, named Young River, “that thing’s supposed to be a star? I though stars were like big or something.”

Thunderhooves frowned. This was curious. For the North Star, it was remarkably small. Was this really the keeper of the stars, watcher of the night, guide of the lost?

“Let’s remove it,” he said at last, walking to the other side of the crater. “We must return it to our camp to properly examine it. Perhaps then we-”

Another call. This time, a bird call: the alert. Someone was approaching the crater.

“Quickly now!” he hissed, pushing the star out of the crater and rolling it away, “we must flee before they see us!”

Watergaze leapt to the star and helped the chief roll it away while Young River scuffed out their tracks like he was trained. The bird call sounded again and the bison panicked, randomly throwing dirt about before darting away, out of the trees. The trio ran toward the hills, rolling the stone as they went.

“You hid our tracks?” Watergaze asked the young bison.

“Uh, yeah,” he said, swallowing a little.

***

Little Strongheart admired the boulder. Was this really what had fallen? It seemed so...ordinary.

Thunderhooves paced around it, frowning furiously.

“I am not sensing any power emanating from it,” Watergaze said.

“I’m not sensing any power,” Strongheart mocked silently. Talking like that was just a waste of time.

“Nor am I,” the chief said. Strongheart stared sideways at him. The entire camp had gathered around, staring at the thing and mumbling to each other.

“I thought this is what you said fell from the sky,” she said, not really asking.

“Indeed. I wonder...Fetch me some water!” Thunderhooves barked. A moment later Running Bear returned with a bowl. Thunderhooves took it and approached the ‘star.’

He poured the water on it, and some of the blackness washed off, revealing a small bit of sandstone yellow beneath. He rubbed the fur of his arm against it and even more washed off.

“MORE WATER!” he bellowed, sending a shiver throughout the camp. When the water arrived he threw it at the star, washing it cleaner and cleaner until at last it was clean, and its true form was revealed.

A rock. A normal rock from the desert, simply coated in soot and ash.

The entire world held its breath. Strongheart watched her grandfather. His eyes burned and he reared up upon his hind hooves. He smashed his front hooves down with such force that the ground cracked beneath him.

“WE HAVE BEEN DECEIVED!!!”

Chapter 5

Once again, Strongheart was not allowed to enter town, but she watched. her Grandfather had taken nearly the entire herd to the large hill that overlooked the town. The same hill from which they had launched their attack on the town only a few months earlier. She shivered. She knew he had chosen this hill deliberately.

Although so far away, she clearly heard his angry accusations against the ponies of Appleloosa. The entire town seemed to have gathered in the middle of town, and her grandfather and Watergaze rushed down the hill to meet them. Many of the ponies cowered, some even ran from the chief’s intimidating presence, and she could hardly blame them, although she did feel pity for them. One of the buffalo on the crest rolled the boulder down the hill, where Watergaze caught it.

Strongheart sighed. Who could have swapped the star for that ordinary rock? Who would do such a thing? She watched as her grandfather crushed the rock beneath his hooves and shouted angrily at the ponies. The ponies of Appleloosa were honest and kind folk, and they were caring and would help whenever the opportunity arose, although there were certain questionable citizens. Could one of them have taken the true star?

As her grandfather and Watergaze returned to the hill a few minutes later she stood and prepared to return to the camp. As she was about to leave she saw a small figure running between the buildings in the direction of the apple orchard.

Braeburn?

She watched for a moment as the yellow figure stopped outside Braeburn’s home and stood at the door. She could not watch long, for she needed to return to the buffalo camp before her grandfather; lucky that she knew a quick path.

As she galloped toward her camp, her thoughts dwelled on Braeburn. The pony who overlooked the orchard, the one whom she knew to be a kind and caring, honest stallion. She hadn’t seen him since that night around the campfire...

She needed to speak with him. He, of all the ponies in town, would be the most understanding and willing to help their cause. Surely he had nothing to hide.

Author's Notes:
At this point, I can comfortably say I've shared everything which was written in the story to this point. As for my plans on where to take it, I need to give it some more thought. As mentioned before, I know the overall path the story would take, but life became so much busier since 2013, and once again in these last several weeks even. When I've made a decision on what to do, I'll share it here with you all. For now, I hope you've enjoyed what you've read, and will consider checking out my other main story, Macintosh.