Justice, Integrity, and Service

by TheRedFox

Rating: teen
Tags: Death, Daring Do, Twilight Sparkle, Lyra, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Sad, Braeburn, Bon-Bon, Adventure, Violence
Length: 35157

Historically, the Royal Investigative Service and the Marshal's Office of Equestria hasn't gotten along. Deputy Marshals Braeburn Apple and Daring Do are all too aware of this. So why are there two RIS agents poking around their past?

The Marshal's Office of Equestria used to be a highly respected, highly reputable, and highly acclaimed agency. However, over the years, their influence and power has been greatly diminished, to the point where their very name draws angry rants and glares.

Deputy Marshals Braeburn Apple and Daring Do are all too aware of this. They were there back then, but they're still there now. They know what they've seen and they know what they've lost. But most importantly, they both know that they can't ever get back everything they lost.

When agents from the Royal Investigative Service arrive and start asking questions, Braeburn and Daring find themselves reopening old wounds and uncovering memories better left forgotten.

The golden days may be gone, but reliving them isn't as hard as it may seem.

Published 2019-09-15 06:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-09-15 06:30:01 UTC

Chapter 1

It would have been a perfect day. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and a cool wind blew through the empty desert town. Fillies and colts played in the street, kicking up dust and laughing at each other while their parents watched from their porches. The only thing ruining it was them.

As they approached, they could feel the mood change. The parents called back their young when they saw them coming, eyes wide with disbelief. Why were they here? Nobody spoke, but the question was there.

“Way to make an entrance, Brae,” she scoffed. Although, with her monochrome mane, compass cutie mark, and wings, the pegasus knew that even if she were alone she would stand out.

“I just have that effect on ponies, Darin’,” came the response. Her partner, a yellow earth stallion with a battered brown hat, blended in a bit better to the western cityscape, but still drew a few concerned glances. It must have been the rifle strapped across his back.

Behind the two ponies was a wagon being pulled by one of the sheriff's deputies. Two more deputies flanked them, smiling and nodding reassuringly at the families gaping at them. The deputies, like themselves, wore thick, heavy ballistic vests, designed to protect the wearer from gunshots and stab wounds at the cost of comfort and mobility.

Both of them knew why everyone else was on edge. It was simply the two words printed on the back of their vests: “Deputy Marshal.” It was funny how two simple words could alter a pony’s mindset.

The posse arrived at their destination, a plain brown house with a dirty fence surrounding the perimeter. The marshals opened the gate and trotted up the path before arriving at a heavyset wooden door. The stallion raised a hoof and pounded at the door.

From the other side there was some cursing and shuffling before a black earth stallion poked their head through the door, squinting in the sunlight. “Whaddya want?”

The stallion stepped forward, pulling out a silver badge. “Mornin’. I’m Deputy Marshal Braeburn Apple, this is Deputy Marshal Daring Do. We’re lookin’ for a Broken Arrow. Would that be you?”

Braeburn could see a flash of emotions cross his face. There was anger, confusion, fear, and disgust. “What is this all about?”

“We have warrants for your arrest,” explained Daring, producing several sets of official documents. “You’ll have to come with us.”

“Arrow? What’s going on?” floated another voice, as a yellow coated unicorn appeared in the doorway. “Who are these ponies?”

Daring knew what was going through the stallion’s mind. Would he surrender himself? Shut the door? Try and fight his way out? Broken Arrow stepped forwards, but made it clear it wouldn’t be an easy arrest.

The deputies moved forward to help, attempting to wrangle the pony into hoof cuffs. “What the- let me go! I didn’t do anything!” he protested.

And they were off, Daring thought. The mare in the door realized what was happening and started screaming. She latched onto the stallion, swearing and cursing at the deputies. “Fuck you! Fuck off! What did he do?!”

Daring and Braeburn exchanged a silent glance, nodding to each other. They had done this dance hundreds of times now, but that didn’t make it any easier. A crowd began forming around the house, curious as to what was happening.

“Let me go! What did I even do?!” the stallion’s voice raised into a shout, causing the deputies to flinch. He began struggling, pulling away and stiffening his body.

Braeburn sighed and rolled his eyes. "Unbelievable," he muttered. " Brutally beat a pony half to death, stab another to an inch of their life, and ponies still stick up for you."

Daring just shook her head in disgust. The first pony had recovered, the second was still in critical condition. A father of two and a hard worker, just trying to do the right thing. But all of that didn't matter apparently.

It didn’t take long for the crowd to jump in. “Now, y’all leave that poor pony alone!”

“Yeah, there’s no need to rough him up like that!”

Arrow Head was on the floor now, having been pushed down by the combined effort of the four of them. With intense effort, they were able to get cuffs on his forehooves. “Alright, let’s get him in the wagon.”

The four dragged him down the steps, while being hounded by the sobbing mare and harrased by the crowds.

“Fuckin’ Marshals! Who do they think they are?”

“Can’t believe this. ‘Protect and Serve’ my ass.”

“Nice gun, dep! What, you scared of one pony?”

They drowned out the insults and jeers as best as they could. After a struggle they were able to load him into the wagon, with the deputies locking his hoof cuffs to a metal ring inside.

“All things considered, that went well,” grunted Braeburn.

“Kiss my ass, Marshal!” someone shouted.

Daring rolled her eyes. “Just another day, Brae. Just another day.”

Justice, Integrity, and Service

By TheRedFox

Chapter 2

The train’s shrill whistle pierced the air, an announcement that it was leaving. The cream colored pony didn’t react, keeping her gaze out the window. She turned over thoughts in her head, ignoring the drone of conversation from the few other passengers in the car.

“Bon Bon?” One voice in particular pulled her from her thoughts. A mint green pony sat next to her, staring at her with concern. “What’s wrong?”

Special Agent Bon Bon blinked and sighed. “Oh, it’s nothing, Lyra.”

The unicorn narrowed her eyes. “Bon Bon, how many years have we worked together?”

“Five?”

“And you still think you can lie to me?”

Bon Bon sighed. She knew Lyra was right. The two had been friends since the academy, and they had learned how to read each other well. Almost too well. “Well…” she trailed off, not knowing how to finish.

Special Agent Lyra Heartstrings was concerned. It took a lot to leave her friend speechless. “Is it something I should know about? Something about why we’re headed out to the middle of nowhere?”

“I told you why we’re headed for Dodge Junction,” Bon Bon replied, taking out some papers from her saddlebags. “The RIS has been looking for Bulls Eye for almost three months now. We picked up one of his aliases buying a train ticket out of Canterlot days after an unsolved murder. The ticket was for Dodge Junction, but we lost him after that.”

“I know that,” Lyra scoffed. “I don’t know why you asked them for help.”

Bon Bon blinked. “Lyra, you know that the Equestrian Marshal Service is the oldest and most distinguished law enforcement agency in Equestria, right? They’re known for tracking down fugitives. This is basically their job!”

“And do you know that historically speaking the RIS and the Marshals don’t get along?” countered Lyra. “We could have just sent them the warrants and information by mail like we do every other time. So why are we going to Dodge Junction?”

“Because it’s an important case, and it’s important that we catch this guy,” assured Bon Bon.

Lyra blinked. The answer didn’t seem genuine, but before she could pry further, they were interrupted by a high pitched voice.

“Woah! Are you guys really from the Royal Investigative Service?!”

The two looked to their right to see a young colt staring at them wide-eyed.

Bon Bon smiled at him. “Yes, yes we are.”

“Wow,” gushed the colt. “That’s so cool! How many bad ponies have you caught? Have you ever met the princesses? Can I see your gun-”

“Now, now,” came an older stallion’s voice. Another pony trotted up behind him and nudged the colt forwards. “Let’s leave the agents to their jobs.”

“Okay grandpa. It was nice to meet you guys!”

“Uh, nice to meet you too,” Lyra replied.

“I apologize, he gets excited easily,” said the stallion. “But you mares do fine work.” He nodded, and the two trotted on.

The two blinked, trying to recall what their conversation was before they were interrupted. “Huh. Anyways, I do know that the Marshals and the RIS have history,” Bon Bon said. “But what’s the history all about?”

Lyra thought for a minute. “I don’t know exactly,” she relented.

“Well, from what I’ve heard, the RIS and the Western Marshals ran a joint operation, but it went terribly wrong. Several deputies were injured, some accusations were made, but not much else is known about what happened.”

“And is this why we’re going? So you can find out what happened?”

“Well aren’t you a little curious too?”

Lyra sighed, rubbing her forehead with her hoof. “So what? You’re just going to ask them if they were there?”

“No, because they were there.” Bon Bon pulled out two folders from her bags. “I pulled up the RIS’s investigation files from the incident. Most of it is still classified, but there were two statements from two deputy marshals that were declassified. I checked, and these two deputies still work there today.”

Lyra’s eyes widened. “Isn’t this breaking some sort of rule? Or something?”

“Not that I know of. But while we’re there, I would love to talk to those two.”

Lrya sighed, hanging her head in defeat. There was just way to talk her partner out of this. “Okay, Bon Bon. Let’s just hope this crazy project of yours doesn’t get us killed.”

The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful. Eventually they arrived at their destination, stepping out onto a dusty platform. The air was dry around them and the sun beat down hard above their heads. “I hate it here already,” grumbled Lyra as she squinted in the light.

“I’m not surprised,” Bon Bon replied. The two trotted down the dusty roads side by side, drawing a few glances from the locals.

Lyra rolled her eyes at the comment. “Right.”

Bon Bon looked up and down the street, frowning. She called out to another stallion trotting past them. “Excuse me! Do you know where the Marshal’s office is?”

The pony blinked. “Marshal’s office? Now why would you want to go there?”

Bon Bon blinked, taken aback. She turned slightly, showing the letters emblazoned on her saddlebags. “We’re with the Royal Investigative Service.”

“Oh! Well, their office is the two storied one on Second Street. Can’t miss it.”

“Thank you!” As they parted, Bon Bon sighed. “Well, looks like the Marshals aren’t all that popular.”

“Have they ever been?”

“Yes, actually. Don’t you remember when we were at the academy? They were the most respected agency in all of Equestria.”

Lyra frowned. “Huh. Yeah, I guess they were. Wonder what happened to them.”

“We’re about to find out,” Bon Bon said excitedly. After following the stallion’s directions, the two found themselves in front of a fairly large wooden building that was a bit worse for wear. Dust caked the windows and the front of the building, which had chipped paint and a few dents and scratches.

Bon Bon went up the stairs and into the building, apparently not noticing the small imperfections. In the lobby, she was greeted by an elderly stallion with a green coat. The stallion squinted at her through a pair of broken glasses and smiled.

“Howdy! I’m Deputy Marshal Marshall. How can I help you today?” he asked in a creaky voice.

Lyra snickered from behind Bon Bon.

Marshal Marshall rolled his eyes. “Yes, Marshal Marshall, very funny.”

“Um, ignore my partner,” said Bon Bon as she fished for her badge. “We’re here to see Deputy Marshals Braeburn Apple and Daring Do.”

Marshall cocked an eyebrow. “Any particular reason?”

“We’re from the Royal Investigative Service,” Bon Bon explained. “We could use their help.”

At the mention of their agency, Marshall’s mood changed. “Well now, most times y’all just send us a warrant,” he creaked.

“It-it’s an important case,” Bon Bon replied, caught off guard.

“Aren’t they all.” Marshall stood up. “Fine. Follow me and I’ll get them for you.”

Bon Bon and Lyra shared a glance before following him. Marshall led them through a room that resembled the office spaces in Canterlot, with chairs and desks filling the spaces. Papers seemed to be tacked to every available surface. The majority of the desks were strangely empty, as Bon Bon could only see three or four deputies scribbling at papers or reading books.

Each of them wore brown jackets with a badge affixed on the right side. A name tag was attached to the left side, and the back of the jackets had the words “Deputy Marshal” stitched into it. Several wore western hats along with their jackets. Bon Bon figured this was their standard uniform.

Marshall led them into a room labeled as the Conference Room. “Wait right here, I’ll go get them.” He shut the door, leaving the two alone.

Lyra shrugged and took off her saddlebags, setting them on the large wooden table. Bon Bon set off to explore the room. The thing that caught her eye was a large map of Equestria that had been mounted on the far side of the room. “Wow. This is amazing,” she said in awe.

“Huh,” Lyra said as she walked over. “Is this hoof drawn?”

“Looks like it. Look at the detail,” mused Bon Bon. “This must have taken forever.”

Lyra just shrugged, quickly losing interest. “I don’t feel welcome here, Bon.”

“Yeah, I noticed that Marshall kind of got cold towards us,” admitted Bon Bon.

Lyra snickered at the name again. “Marshal Marshall. What a guy.”

“Oh, grow up, Lyra.”

Chapter 3

Marshall was very worried. He hadn’t heard of the words ‘Royal Investigative Service’ for a long time now, and although he was old, he didn’t forget what happened the last time the RIS set hooves in their office.

He had half a mind to go back to the conference room and tell them that the deputies they were looking for weren’t there. But at the same time, maybe it was time to mend the broken ties between the two.

He made his way through the bullpen of desks and chairs to a room marked as the Marshal’s office. He knocked once and nosed it open.

Inside, two ponies were seated behind the large desk. “Hey Marshall,” greeted Braeburn. The stallion had a newspaper in his hooves. “What’s up?” Daring sat next to him, reading a book on some obscure topic.

“Hey, Brae. There’s some agents from the RIS here.”

The words drew both of their eyes. “RIS?” asked Braeburn. “Is it Twilight?”

“No sir. Two mares.”

The two glanced at each other. “Did you tell them that Earp’s not here,” Daring asked.

“They asked for you two specifically.”

Daring snapped her book shut.

“Thanks, Marshall, we’ll be right with them,” Braeburn told him. Marshall smiled and nodded before leaving the office.

As soon as he was gone, Braeburn’s smile fell away into a frown. “RIS. Now what in Celestia’s name are they doin’ out here again?”

“We should kick them out,” Daring growled.

“Now hold on. That seems a bit excessive,” Braeburn countered.

Daring raised an eyebrow. “Excessive? After last time?”

“I remember last time, but these aren’t the same ponies. Why don’t we just see what they want before we go jumpin ‘ to conclusions?”

With a sigh, the pegasus relented. “Fine. But this better not go as badly as last time.”

“Trust me, I’m with you there.”

The door opened, causing Bon Bon to flinch. The first pony that walked in was a yellow stallion wearing the trademark brown jacket and a worn brown hat. The second was a pegasus in a green shirt with rolled up sleeves. “Good mornin’, said the stallion. “I’m Deputy Marshal Braeburn Apple, this is Deputy Marshal Daring Do.”

Bon Bon smiled and shook his hoof. “Hi! I’m Special Agent Sweetie Drops, but you can call me Bon Bon. That’s Special Agent Lyra Heartstrings.”

“Pleasure.” Braeburn gestured to the chairs. “Please, have a seat.”

Lyra noticed that while Braeburn was acting polite, Daring hadn’t said a word. In fact, she kept a blank face throughout the introductions, yielding no information as to her thoughts.

“To what do we owe the pleasure,” continued Braeburn.

Bon Bon cleared her throat and removed some papers from her bag. “We’re after a pony by the name of Back Blast. Apparently he’s been abusing his wife and recently fled Canterlot. The RIS knows he bought a train ticket to here under a false name, but we don’t know where he went after that. We think he might be tied into some drug activity so this is kind of high priority.”

Braeburn glanced over the papers Bon Bon gave him. He tried to ignore the suspicious look Daring was giving him. “Well, I must say this seems like a fairly straight forward case. Usually we just get sent warrants. Haven’t actually had the agents come out here in a long time.”

“Well, I just thought that this case was important and I wanted to make sure-”

“Make sure of what?” Daring narrowed her eyes at Bon Bon. “That we can do our jobs? The same job we’ve been doing for the past ten years?”

Lyra leaned forward in her chair. Now things were getting interesting.

“No, I’m not saying that,” Bon Bon replied, eyes going wide.

“Pay her no mind,” Braeburn said, giving Daring a light punch in the shoulder. “But she’s right. We can take care of this.”

“Is there any way at all we can help?”

The two deputies shared a strange look. “Uh, I think it’s fine,” Braeburn finally said. “Since you don’t know exactly where he is, I’ll have to send telegrams to the local sheriffs and see if they can find him. From there it’s a waitin’ game.”

Bon Bon’s heart sank a little. She was getting brushed off already? “We’ll stay in town then,” she said. “If we find any clues to help narrow down his location we’ll let you know.”

Braeburn smiled and nodded before leaving the room, Daring following.

When they left, Bon Bon sank into her chair.

“That went well,” Lyra chuckled.

“This is fine,” Bon Bon said. “We just have to get through to them. Braeburn seems to be the more open one, so I’ll see if I can talk to him. Lyra, you need to get through to Daring.”

The unicorn blinked. “Me? Uh, I don’t know if you noticed Bon, but I think Daring hates us.”

“That’s why it’s up to you to get through to her.” Bon Bon opened the door, seeing Braeburn enter a side office.

“Bon, wait-” But it was too late, the mare was gone. Lyra grumbled to herself, wondering how she got dragged into this before leaving to search for the pegasus.

Braeburn and Daring had made their way over to their desks, which were in the far corner of the bullpen. “Can’t believe them,” Daring huffed. “Who are they to doubt our jobs?”

“Come on now, Darin’. Let’s just give them who they want and get ‘em out of here, alright?”

“Yeah, whatever, but I’m not dealing with them.”

“That’s the spirit,” Braeburn chuckled. “I’ll go get this telegram out.” With that, he left for the Marshal’s office.

The addition of the telegraph machine to the office had been phenomenal. It allowed for easy communication directly to the other sheriff’s offices. All Braeburn had to do was mention that it was a priority bulletin and give the descriptions of the pony they were looking for. He would then send it to the main telegraph office in Dodge Junction, who would then forward it to the other offices.

Braeburn took a pencil and paper, eyeing the reference sheet when necessary and translating the letters into dots and dashes. The message would have to be sent using Horse code, a series of dots and dashes representing letters and numbers.

As he finished typing the message into the receiver the office door opened. “Sorry, are you busy?”

“Nope, just finished.” Braeburn turned to face Bon Bon, wondering why the mare was being so persistent.

“Okay, good. So you sent the message to the other Sheriffs?”

“Yep, in every town nearby. If your pony’s in one of them, we’ll know soon enough.”

Bon Bon nodded. “But what if he’s not?”

“Then we’ll have to take some more extreme measures, but we haven’t had to do that in a long time. Trust me, Agent Bon Bon. These are small towns. The sheriffs will know if they see any new faces.”

Braeburn paused, eyeing Bon Bon with regard. “Excuse me for askin’, agent, but why exactly are you here?”

“What do you mean?”

“I said it earlier. It’s a routine case. Usually we just get sent a warrant, we’ll grab the pony, and send him back. So what made you come all the way out here?”

Darn, Bon Bon thought. He saw right through her. “Look, I know that the relationship between the RIS and the Marshals hasn’t been great, but I don’t really know why. I was kind of hoping to figure it out and see if I can fix it.”

A small smile fell onto Braeburn’s face. “Now that’s a tall order.” He settled into the seat behind the desk.

“Uh, are you sure the Marshal won’t mind that we’re using his office?”

Braeburn waved a hoof dismissively. “Marshal Earp’s going to be in Canterlot for the foreseeable future. With him gone, Darin’ and I are the acting Marshals, which means this is technically our office.”

“Oh, alright then. Do you mind if I ask you some questions then?” Bon Bon ventured. Braeburn seemed to be open with her but she didn’t want to risk pushing too far.

Luckily, the smile on Braeburn’s muzzle grew a bit wider. “Fire away.”

“You and Daring seem pretty close. How long have you worked together?”

“I’d say comin’ on ten years now. She didn’t start out here, you know. In the beginning it was just me.”

The hot desert sun shone high above them, beating down furiously on the workers milling about the orchard. A farmhouse sat in the center, spanning two stories tall. Two ponies were seated on the front porch, pouring over numbers and figures.

“These figures can’t be right,” Braeburn was saying. Across from him sat a very large red stallion, with half of a green apple as his cutie mark. The stallion was scrutinizing some figures written on the papers in front of him.

The red stallion said nothing, shifting the sprig of wheat from the left side to the right side of his mouth. Eventually, he scribbled a number on the paper and slid it across the table.

Braeburn looked at the sheet, then at the one he had been writing on. “These numbers are the same.”

“Eeyup,” nodded the stallion.

“So you’re sayin’ you got the same thing I did?”

“Eeyup.”

Braeburn groaned and dropped the papers on the table, holding his head in his hooves. “Great. We’re doomed. There’s no way in Celestia’s name that we’ll turn over enough money to stay operational. Thanks for checkin’ my work, Big Mac, even if it ain’t what I want to hear.”

Big McIntosh gazed at his cousin with his half-lidded gaze. He had to agree, the figures didn’t bode well.

“Damn this stupid drought. We’re losin’ crops left and right and baely able to sustain ourselves,” Braeburn muttered, shuffling some papers around. “Looks like we might have to lay off some workers. Hate to see it happen but I don’t see another way. And even then...”

He was so engrossed with his words that he failed to notice three stallions headed up the hill. “Mornin’ Braeburn. Big Mac,” came a voice.

Braeburn looked up to see the familiar voice of Sheriff Silverstar. Behind him were two ponies Braeburn had never seen before.

The one in front wore a white hat with a star pinned in it. He had a brown coat and piercing black eyes. The second had a white mustache and a black coat, as well as a lazy stare. Both wore matching brown jackets with badges pinned over their hearts.

“Mornin’, Sheriff. Is somethin’ the matter?” Braeburn asked.

“Nothin’ you’d need your gun for,” he replied. “This is Marshal Earp from the Marshal’s Office of Equestria. He’d like to have a few words with you.”

Marshal Earp smiled from beneath his black mustache. “Thank you kindly, sheriff.”

Braeburn’s jaw dropped. “Earp? As in the Marshal Earp? I ain’t in any kind of trouble, am I?”

Earp and the other stallion laughed. “Trouble? Far from it. Actually I’m here to ask you somethin’. You see, Sheriff Silverstar here told me some great things about you.”

Braeburn blinked. “Great things, sir?”

“About your work with the posse, Brae,” Silverstar clarified.

“Well I wouldn’t call that good work. Just doin’ what any upstandin’ citizen would have done.”

“Now you know that ain’t true, Brae,” Silverstar interjected. “Why, you’ve got more experience with law enforcin’ then half of my own deputies! You’ve done more for Appleoosa than anyone else in Equestria has!”

“Which is why we’re here,” continude Earp. “Braeburn, I must say I’m impressed with all you’ve done. You took a chance comin’ out here and helpin’ to found a city. You’ve braved storms and worse, and when the town needed your help, you picked up a gun and you rode out into the great unknown. Now that takes courage, son.”

“More than that, I think,” agreed the other stallion.

“You’re the exact kind of pony that I’m lookin’ for to join the force.”

The last statement caught Braeburn off guard. “Join the force?”

“We’re always lookin’ for more deputy marshals, Braeburn. And I think you’ve got what it takes.”

Braeburn glanced at Big Mac but found nothing useful in his eyes. “Sir, I’m honored, but I think you’re makin’ me out to be someone I ain’t. I’m just a farmer. I’m not a cop.”

Earp smiled and jerked his head at the other stallion. “And Doc Holliday here is a dentist. We don’t care what’s on your flank or where you came from.”

Braeburn fell back in his chair, thoughts flying through his brain. “But the farm-”

“I’m aware of your current situation. If you’d like, we could start you as a part time deputy, one that stays out here in Appleoosa. You’d get called to assist whenever Silverstar or I need an extra hoof, and you’d get some pay out of it too.”

“This is a big decision, sir. I hope you’re not offended if I can’t give you an answer.”

“Take your time, Braeburn. Tell you what, our office is in Dodge Junction. I’ve got a badge with your name waitin’ there. Just stop by and it’s yours.” Earp nodded at him and left, Doc Holliday and Silverstar following behind him.

Braeburn watched the three leave in silence. A part of his mind refused to believe that he was just offered a job by a Marshal.

He had heard legends of the Marshals before. But he never thought Earp and Holliday to be more than legends.

“Well, shucks, Mac. Can’t say I expected that.”

“Eenope,” Mac agreed.

Braeburn sighed, staring out at the dead trees around them. “But it ain’t like I can take it, not at a time like this.”

“Now hold on.”

The fact that Big Mac had just used a full sentence was alarming. It was an accepted fact that he never spoke more than he needed to, so whenever he spoke more than one word it was best to pay attention.

Mac leaned in, eyeing his cousin. “They did say you’re gettin’ a bit of pay out of this. I think it’s best if you do it. Sure ain’t gettin’ no pay from dead trees anyhow.”

“But Mac, I ain’t got what it takes! You know that the Marshal’s Office is legendary out here!”

“I think you got exactly what it takes. The Marshals exist to help people. You’ve been helpin’ people your whole life cuz. Plus you ain’t that bad with guns either.”

Braeburn rolled his eyes. “That was one time at a family reunion. Doubt I could do that again if I wanted to.” He paused, considering his cousin’s words. “But I reckon you’re right. But I ain’t gonna do it forever. Just til’ the crops heal.”

“Eeyup.”

Bon Bon had found herself captivated in Braeburn’s story. “Wow. So Earp actually approached you?”

“Sure did. Lookin’ back I reckon Silverstar had somethin’ to do with it, but I guess they both saw somethin’ in me that I didn’t see. Somethin’ I still don’t see today.” His chipper tone seemed to waver at the last sentence but he recovered quickly. “But anyhow, that’s where it all began. But I guess it doesn’t answer your question of how I met Darin’.”

“Do you know why Daring joined the Marshal Service?”

“That’s a story for her to tell, not me.”

“Right, sorry.” Bon Bon inwardly cursed. She hoped that Lyra was having as much success as she was.

“Anyways, where was I?”

Braeburn breathed in, steadying his heart and his mind. A long barreled rifle lay in his forehooves, which were propped up against a wooden shelf. The stallion stood perfectly still, the sun glinting off of the badge on his chest. He pulled the trigger, and a bottle shattered at the far end of the ranch.

“Hot damn!” The stallion known as Doc Holliday cheered from behind him. “Nice shot, Brae!”

“Thanks, Doc.” Braeburn smiled. It had been a few months now since he had first agreed to be a part time deputy, but the months had gone by fast. Braeburn found himself familiarizing himself with the criminal scum of the West, helping the Sheriff and Earp serve warrants and hunt down runaways.

It was exhilarating. More excitement than he could ever find on the farm. The drought had long since passed and the farm had recovered nicely. He was afraid his family would be disappointed in him for leaving it behind for other work, but they instead were overjoyed that one of their own was serving Equestria. Or maybe they were convinced by Doc’s charm.

The two stood in an open field on the outskirts of Appleoosa, at the makeshift target range Silverstar used to train his deputies. Both wore the signature brown and tan jackets of the Marshal’s office, which identified them as Deputy Marshals and also kept them cool in the day and warm at night.

Braeburn lay the rifle on the table, the sounds of the gunshots fading from his ears (ear protection wasn’t a thing back then). “Reckon it still works fine. You hear they’re developin’ some new type of gun in Manehattan? Some sort of self loadin’ gun or somethin’.”

“Ah, it’ll be a good few years before we could get our hooves on that,” Doc chuckled.

Doc Holliday had been very helpful to Braeburn during his first few months. Holliday had told him of his old dentist practice, and how he had grown bored of it and moved west where he met Earp. He told of many colorful stories about chases and bandits, gunfights and brawls. It seemed that nothing in the world could stop him after all he had seen.

“Hey, if this thing works when I need it to, I ain’t got a problem,” Braeburn said.

Doc shifted on his feet. “Hey, Brae. I’ve been meanin’ to ask you somethin’.”

“Shoot.”

“How much longer do you think you’ll be with us?”

Braeburn paused. “To be honest, I haven’t a clue. It seems like there’s more work to do now than there ever has been. Not like I can leave you all to do it yourselves.”

“You can, though. That’s the whole point of bein’ a part time deputy.”

He opened his mouth to counter Doc’s statement, but Braeburn froze. Doc was right. “Huh. Well, reckon you’re right.”

Doc looked up at him, locking onto his emerald green eyes. “Braeburn, I’m speakin’ on behalf of Earp here. What do you think about becomin’ a full time deputy marshal?”

The hill fell silent as Braeburn considered his words. “I dunno. Why?”

“I’ll be honest with you, Brae. Things ain’t good. There’s more scum out there than there ever has been, and it’s gettin’ to be too much for Earp and I to handle. We need someone with experience and someone we can trust. That means you.”

Braeburn kicked at the dirt. “What would takin’ the job mean?”

“You’d have to move to Dodge Junction. From there it’s pretty much what you’ve been doin’. We go out and serve warrants for other agencies, we assist local departments when needed, and we go get the bad guys. Except your pay would be a lot better.”

“Well… if y’all want me…”

Doc lay a hoof on Braeburn’s shoulder. “We don’t just want you, Brae. We need you.”

Braeburn had led Bon Bon out of the office, talking the entire time. He took her back into the conference room, boiling some water in the coffee machine. “Don’t think Doc’s words really registered with me then, but they sure do now.”

“Things were that bad?”

“Worse than bad. Earp and Doc were two ponies. Meanwhile your home agency was steppin’ up their game. That meant a whole lotta ponies were fleein’ in every direction. The other Marshal Offices handled it alright, but things weren’t great out here.”

Braeburn stared at the map, a lost look in his eyes. He fell silent for a few seconds, allowing Bon Bon to process everything he told her.

Eventually the stallion blinked and came back to life. “By the way, where’s your partner?”

Chapter 4

After Bon Bon left, Lyra found herself wandering around in the bullpen. She was given an odd glance or two by a few of the deputies, but not much else happened. Soon she found Daring, sitting at a desk tucked away in a far corner of the room. The mare had kicked up her rear legs on the desk and was reading a book titled ‘Rumors and Legends: A History of Western Equestria.’

Lyra stood still for a moment, unsure of what exactly Bon Bon expected her to do.

“Are you going to say something or just stand there,” the pegasus asked without looking up from her book.

Lyra blinked. “Well, I just had some questions I guess.”

Daring rolled her eyes and shut her book. She pulled up a chair from the empty desk on her right.

“Thanks.” Lyra sat down, wondering what to say. “I guess I should apologize if we offended you in some way.”

“You didn’t.” The pegasus eyed her, silently asking if there was anything else.

Lyra cursed inwardly. She sucked at these kinds of conversations. It would have been easier with Braeburn, she thought, he seemed like a good conversationalist. She decided to just bite the bullet and be direct.

“I guess I should tell you the real reason we came out here. My partner, Bonnie, she’s been obsessed with trying to figure out what happened between the RIS and the Marshals. She’s been looking for some excuse to come out here and talk with you guys.”

“Why?”

The unicorn sighed. “I wish I knew. I think she just wants to try and fix whatever happened.”

Daring blinked and chuckled softly. “Wow. That’s not an easy task.”

“I know it isn’t. Can I ask you something, Daring? You don’t seem like the type of pony who’d become a marshal.”

“And you don’t seem like an RIS Agent. Yet here we are.”

Lyra’s mind began to form a plan. “Tell you what, how about we swap stories? I’ll tell you how I got here if you tell me how you got here.”

Daring considered the offer before deciding that having a chat wouldn’t hurt her. “Fine.”

The halls of Canterlot University were silent. Most of the students were hidden away in their dorms, cramming for the impending doom that was finals season, while others were trying to abuse their professors’ office hours to get last minute questions in. Or to beg for extra credit.

Daring Do was doing neither of those things. Instead, she was pacing the hall, muttering to herself. There was no point in studying, she knew, as she had mastered all of the content last week. Besides, her mind wouldn’t let her focus on anything.

The thoughts had started a few weeks ago. In the beginning the uncertainty was fine. After all, didn’t everyone change their majors a few times before graduating? But here she was, in her final year and still filled with doubts and concerns.

After a few failed attempts and multiple major changes Daring felt that she had found her passion in archaeology. After all, she had received her cutie mark based on her ability to find things, so it all made sense. Or, that was what she told herself.

Her mother had promised to support her no matter what. She hadn’t gone to college, and she was thrilled that her beautiful daughter had a chance to do what she never could. Her father on the other hoof was a bit more difficult.

He had been a high ranking officer in the Equestrian Air Force for years. A proud veteran loyal to the cause, he had high expectations for her. Mainly he wanted her to succeed, but he was also a very realistic pony. He was a bit disappointed to hear of his daughter’s obsession with archeology. It wasn’t a major that paid particularly well.

Daring’s father had sent her countless newspaper articles and studies which generally agreed that a major in business or economics would boost her chances at getting a career. Or, she could follow in his hoofsteps and join the armed forces. Who knows, maybe she could even become a legendary Wonderbolt.

But Daring knew that none of those options were for her. She had tried to explain it so many times, but she just couldn’t get the point across. Besides, the only alternative major she could think of was writing, and that was quickly shot down.

The pegasus collapsed onto a bench. Her counselor assured her that she should follow her heart, and not her parents, and that advice suited her fine. Until she got the letter. The letter from her mother that said her father was deathly ill.

Daring wasn’t sure what the problem was, but the doctors didn’t think he had a long time left. He didn’t say it, but she knew that his final wish was to know that his daughter would be safe, and have a job that paid and house to live in.

What was she supposed to do after college? Daring had no idea. Even if she was a certified archeologist, it wasn’t like she could find a job right out of the gate. Sure, she had made connections through networking, but the best she could get would probably be an entry level internship that would take years to build on. And it wasn’t like she could just up and leave, searching for some hidden treasure.

With a frustrated sigh, Daring rubbed her forehead. “What am I supposed to do,” she muttered. In the empty hall nobody answered.

Daring stood from the bench when something caught her eye. It was a poster that had been attached to the notice board across from her. Daring trotted over, examining it closely.

“Are you ready to serve Equestria,” it asked. “The Canterlot Division of the Marshal’s Office is looking for dedicated, hard working individuals from all backgrounds,” declared the brown jacketed pony in the corner. “Whether you’re a unicorn, earth pony, or pegasus, and no matter your skills, we want you. Inquire at the Marshal’s Office for more details. Temporary and permanent positions available.”

Something clicked in Daring’s mind as she read the words. She didn’t know much about the Marshal’s Office, but she did know that it was a very esteemed office, and having a job there could pad even the worse of resumes.

The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She could finish college with her major in archeology and a minor in creative writing, then she could join the Marshal Service for a few years. When she was sure she had enough money she could finally leave and pursue her dreams.

A smile fell on her face. For the first time in a long time, things were looking up for her.

Daring paused, taking a sip of water from a plastic cup before tossing it away. A water cooler was located near the cubicle, which Daring explained as both a blessing and a curse. Sure it helped cool her off in the terrible summer heat, but it also meant that ponies were always crowding near her desk. “Anyways, that’s where it all began for me. A poster on a wall.”

“And who says recruitment drives are a waste of money,” Lyra joked.

The pegasus cracked a smile and Lyra was relieved. She was getting somewhere, which was always good. “Yeah, I guess so. Wish they could help us now, though.” She shrugged off the thought. “Anyways, there was an application and an interview, followed by a physical exam which I passed easily. After that, I was in.”

“Was your father proud?”

“Oh, yeah. He was a bit surprised at first, but he was happy I decided to serve Equestria like him, although in a different way.” A remorseful sigh escaped Daring’s lips. “He passed shortly after I got in though.”

“Oh! I’m so sorry-”

Daring waved a hoof dismissively. “It’s fine, I’ve learned to live with it now. Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah, that’s how I started as a Deputy Marshal.”

Daring stood in front of the office door, shifting on her hooves. She wondered how exactly she needed to approach the situation.

It had been a few months since she joined the Marshal Service, and Daring was surprised to find that she was enjoying it. Finding ponies was a lot harder than finding objects, she discovered, as ponies liked to move around while objects mostly stayed buried.

The Canterlot Division was directed by the Marshal of Canterlot, a pony by the name of Pinkerton. Pinkerton was a well educated pony who had spent ten years working with the Manehattan Police Department’s Homicide Unit before becoming a Marshal.

He had guided Daring through her training, in which she learned how to shoot a gun and conduct an interview. In the past few months she had followed him, along with the other deputies, and hunted ponies who committed crimes even Discord wouldn’t dream of doing.

But something still felt off to her. Daring had no idea what it was, but the thought of displacement had been nagging at her mind. Daring just didn’t feel like she belonged in Canterlot.

Daring shook her head and rapped her hoof against Pinkerton’s office door. “Come on in!”

She nosed it open and trotted into the fresh, clean office. Pinkerton was a very neat and organized pony, to the point where even the books on his shelf were meticulously organized by author.

“Hey, Marshal.”

“Deputy Do. How can I help you?”

Daring settled into one of the red chairs from across him. Pinkerton, a large, thin unicorn, wore a brown jacket like the rest of them. He didn't want to seem like he was above everyone else, and did his best to be approachable to his deputies. Daring only hoped she wasn’t taking advantage of his openness.

“Uh… I’ve just been thinking, sir. You know, about my time here and my position and stuff.”

Pinkerton cocked an eyebrow. “Is something wrong? Are you not satisfied here? Because I think you’re a damn fine deputy.”

“No, sir. It’s not that. I love working here, being a deputy. It’s just… Lately, I’ve been feeling like I don’t belong here, sir.” Pinkerton was silent, urging her to continue. “Not like here with the Marshal Service. In Canterlot. If that makes sense.”

Realization began to dawn on Pinkerton. “Ah. So you’re tired of the city.”

“Yes sir,” Daring replied. She was surprised how quickly Pinkerton was able to find her problem and put it into such simple words. “It just feels too clean here. Like the streets are always pristine. And everything’s always so perfect.”

“And the ponies are a bunch of stuck up brats who won’t talk to you if they think you’re poor,” chuckled Pinkerton. “Don’t you worry, you’re not the first pony to tell me that.” Pinkerton rubbed his chin, thinking. “I think you’d benefit from a change of scenery. You’d like somewhere more open, with secrets and mystery all around. Somewhere you can see the stars at night. Somewhere without tall buildings blocking out the sunsets.”

Daring smiled. The Marshal seemed to know exactly what she wanted.

“I think you’re in luck. There’s another division of the Marshal’s Office that’s in dire need of more deputies. Now don’t get me wrong, losing you to them is devastating to me, but I won’t stand in the way of what you want.” Pinkerton pulled a piece of paper from his drawer and handed it to her. “How do you feel about moving out west?”

“You ever feel that way about Canterlot?”

Lyra smirked. “All the time. I grew up in a smaller town. Setting hoof out there for the first time was a real culture shock for me.”

Daring chuckled. “Yeah, I guess it can do that to people. Nice place though. The ponies there just suck. Anyways, that’s my origin story. What’s yours?”

Lyra sighed. A part of her didn’t want to go into detail, but she knew she owed Daring that much. Besides, even though she was able to get Daring talking, they still hadn’t hit the core issue that Bon Bon had set out to solve. “Alright. It’s nothing that special…”

Snow was falling around the city, covering everything in a thin white blanket. Lyra Heartstrings forged on, trying to ignore the biting cold around her. The wind blew through her fur, causing her to shiver. Her trusty lyre was safe in its case, strapped around her shoulder. As she walked, she tried to remember the details of the past half hour.

It was just another gig for her, at some rundown bar in the lower part of Canterlot. It wasn’t much, but it was one of the last venues that let solo musicians like her perform at. It was a place she had been performing at for years, until she threw it all away half an hour ago.

All it took was one stupid pony drunk off his ass, who kept hitting on her the entire time. Then he took it too far and tried to grope her. He deserved that punch, if not harder. But still, it was enough for the owner to cut off their deal and ask her not to return.

Lyra kicked at the snow, grumbling to herself. Now she was out of a job. She loved doing charity performances, but most of it was pro bono, which meant no bits. She cursed her luck as another gust of wind blew through her.

Before she knew it, she was in central Canterlot. She blinked, realizing she must have gotten lost in her thoughts as she walked around absently. Looking around to get her bearings, Lyra realized she was in front of a building that she had never seen before.

Looking up and squinting, she made out the letters ‘RIS.’ The Royal Investigative Service, Equestria’s premier law enforcement agency. A chuckle escaped Lyra’s lips.

When she was young, Lyra had always wanted to be a special agent. She thought it was just natural for fillies to want to join organizations like the Equestrian Secret Service but quickly found she was alone on that desire.

Eventually she abandoned those dreams when she discovered her talent for playing the lyre. But somehow, her heart had guided her to the RIS headquarters. Even though she had never been there before and didn’t even know where it was for that matter.

She turned thoughts over in her head. Was it too late to apply? She was still young. And it wasn’t like she had any other plans for a career. A crazed smile fell on her face. Maybe it was time to take a chance.

Lyra felt embarrassed at the story. “So yeah. It really wasn’t some cool moment. I just ended up there and applied on a whim. Somehow I got in, and here I am now. Just some dumb luck, I guess.”

“Maybe it was more than that,” Daring said.

“Probably now. If I ended up in front of a hayburger place I probably would have applied there too.”

“Hey, fate works in mysterious ways,” Daring replied. “But either way, you’re here now. And since you haven’t quit, I guess you like that job?”

Lyra’s eyes flickered to the closed door of the Marshal’s Office, where Bon Bon had gone. “Uh, yeah. Love it.”

A knowing smile fell on Daring’s lips. “Okay. Sure thing,” she chuckled.

Chapter 5

Braeburn sipped at his coffee, gazing at the mare across from him. They had taken a break from his stories, and in that time Braeburn had tried asking her questions, but Bon Bon would deflect and avoid them. Braeburn decided that Bon Bon didn’t want to talk about her past and decided not to push the issue.

“So, what did you say to the Marshal?”

“Hm?”

“After he offered you the job,” Bon Bon clarified.

“Oh. Well, it took me a bit to get back to him.”

“So there we were, sittin’ on this guy’s front porch. Earp goes knockin’ away but he ain’t comin’. So I say, ‘Reckon we missed him.’ Now right as the words leave my mouth, Brae turns around and says, ‘No we didn’t! He’s right there!’” Doc’s story was interrupted by a chorus of drunken laughter.

“I ain’t kiddin’,” Doc continued. “We all stand there, starin’ at each other before he bolts. So then the three of us are climbin’ over each other tryin’ to get him!”

“I’ll drink to that, Doc!” one of the patrons called. There were cheers and clinking of glasses as the crowd around Doc downed their drinks.

In the far corner of the bar sat Braeburn and Earp, observing the drunken chaos as Doc ranted aloud. All three were a few drinks deep already, but it was a known fact that Doc was a light drinker.

“So I hear Doc gave you my proposition?” Earp asked.

Braeburn nodded. “Yup. I’ve been thinkin’ it over.”

“You decide yet?” Earp couldn’t hide the eagerness in his voice. Everything Silverstar had told him about Braeburn had been true. The stallion was one of the best deputies he’d ever trained.

Braeburn sighed, staring into his cup. “I dunno, Earp. It’s a big thing. I’d have to leave the farm behind. Not sure how my family would take it either. We’re generations of farm ponies after all.”

“I understand.” Braeburn could almost hear the Marshal’s heart sink.

He sighed, finishing his drink. Braeburn watched as Doc waved his hooves around in the air, to emphasize some key points in his story. A smile fell on his muzzle. “Ah, you know what? Screw it.” He looked the Marshal in the eye. “I’ll do it.”

A wide smile replaced the forlorn look on his face. “Now that I’ll drink to.”

Lyra had been listening to Daring talk about her views on fate and luck for the past five minutes. While it was an interesting perspective, Lyra was eager to learn more about her story. She just wasn’t quite sure how to ask.

“Oh, am I rambling?” Daring caught the lost look in the mint green unicorn’s eyes. “Sorry. Braeburn rubs off on me sometimes.”

Seizing her chance, Lyra moved to segway the conversation. “Speaking of Braeburn, what was it like when you two first met?”

To her surprise, Daring laughed and rolled her eyes. “Oh man. My first day out here was something else entirely.”

Meanwhile, in the conference room, Bon Bon had reached the same point as Lyra. “And that was the moment you took up the Marshal’s offer?”

“Eeyup. I packed up my things, handed the farm over to my family, and moved to Dodge.”

“How’d your family take it?”

Braeburn sighed. “Some weren’t thrilled, but they all accepted it. I guess they figured it would have to happen eventually.”

Bon Bon’s gaze dropped for a second. Something in his words struck a chord with her, but she decided to ignore it. “What about Daring? When did you meet her?”

“That happened a few months after I became a full-fledged deputy.”

“So he didn’t tell you?”

Braeburn sighed as a pony shoved his way past them. “No, Doc didn’t tell me nothin’.”

He stood with Earp on the train station platform, which was crowded with ponies on their way out of Dodge. Dodge Junction had the only train station out of the western cities that lead to Canterlot, and that meant it was usually crowded.

Earp laughed. “I should have known. Doc Holliday’s got the mind of a goldfish.”

“What didn’t he tell me?”

“We’re gettin’ a new deputy.”

Braeburn raised an eyebrow at that. “Really? Fresh hire?”

“No. A transfer, from Canterlot.”

“You’re pullin’ my leg,” laughed Braeburn.

“I ain’t. But from what Pinkerton tells me she’s a damn fine deputy.”

“You say that about everyone, Earp. Earth pony?”

“Pegasus,” Earp answered as the train began pulling into the station.

Braeburn watched as ponies filed out of the train. The fact that there was only one pegasus on board dismissed any doubts he had as to her identity.

Earp stepped forwards, removing his hat. “Daring Do?”

The pegasus nodded, giving a cocky grin. “The one and only, at your service.”

“I’m Marshal Earp, this is Deputy Braeburn,” Earp said.

“Howdy.”

The two began eyeing each other over, as if searching for any sign of weakness. Braeburn extended a hoof, and the pegasus accepted. Both grabbed and shook hard, looking to walk away with the stronger hoof. To their disappointment they seemed to have the same amount of power.

“Welcome to the west, ma’am. Hope you don’t mind a lil dust.”

The pegasus scoffed. “Drop the formalities. I don’t care much for them.”

“Oh? I thought all Canterlot ponies lived and breathed for-mal-it-ies.”

“What, you have to sound it out? You in grade school or something?”

The statement was matched with an angry glare from Braeburn. Daring just matched his glare, refusing to back down.

Earp sighed as he watched the two. This wasn’t quite what he was hoping for.

“Uh, why don’t we show you to the office, Miss Do?” Earp tried to break the tension between them.

Braeburn brushed off the glare from Earp. He cracked a smile as he took in the new deputy. A softie pegasus from Canterlot, who was probably used to a dainty and proper life? Showing up her would be fun.

“Of course, sir. Lead the way,” Daring responded, flashing a grin of her own. A rough and tumble westerner who was all brawn and no brain? Upstanding him would be fun.

“So you guys didn’t like each other?”

Daring shrugged. “Can’t say that we loved each other. But with Brae being a senior deputy and me being a transfer, I guess we both felt that we had something to prove.”

Lyra nodded in amusement. “Huh. Interesting. Can’t say it’s similar to my first day. I just had a senior agent throwing me around the building, getting coffee for him.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything different from the RIS. Anyways, where was I?”

The office was much smaller than the Canterlot Office had been. Daring had been shown the reception room, the bullpen, the Marshal’s office, the detainment cells, and finally the conference room. What caught her eye was the massive map that was hung on the wall.

The pegasus spent some time observing it and taking in every detail. It was carefully made, she saw, with an amazing amount of detail added.

“That there map took Earp half a year to finish,” Braeburn said from the door. “Or that’s what I’ve been told anyways.”

“I didn’t know he did this,” she responded without looking away. Spending the entire day with the talkative stallion had worn her out a bit. It seemed like he had a story for every corner and a history with every pony.

“What, do art? He doesn’t like to talk about it much, but he’s quite the artist. Anyways, there’s one more thing we gotta do before we can call it quits.”

Daring sighed, turning to the door. “What’s that?”

“We gotta get you a hat.”

She blinked, not expecting that. “A hat?”

“Yep. Come on, let’s get a move on.”

“A hat?”

Braeburn flashed Bon Bon a knowing smile. “A hat. What, you think these things are standard issue?”

The mare paused. “I’ve never considered that actually.”

“Well, there you go. Hats aren’t officially required, which means we gotta go buy our own.” He paused to take a sip from his glass of water. “So there we were, on our way to get her first hat.”

The walk from the office to the store wasn’t particularly long one, but Braeburn’s endless talking seemed to make it longer. She tuned him out, taking in the surroundings of Dodge Junction instead.

Ponies left and right nodded and smiled at them, a few even shouting out to Braeburn. The brown jackets they wore gave them away as deputy marshals, Daring discovered, and she wasn’t sure if she liked that or not.

The jacket itself was fine, as she heard it got cold during the night. Most importantly it had holes for her wings, allowing her to fly without taking it off. She silently thanked Celestia that somepony in the office had the foresight to make a custom pegasus jacket, as most of the other deputies were earth ponies.

“Here we are,” Braeburn suddenly declared. They had arrived in front of a tiny, unmarked store, nestled in between two other wooden buildings. Braeburn trotted up the stairs and onto the porch before heading inside.

By the time Daring had entered, Braeburn had already struck up a conversation with the mare behind the counter. “Pick out whichever one you want,” Braeburn said as he waved a hoof at the racks of hats behind him. “First one’s on me.”

She rolled her eyes and wandered about the store. Most of the hats looked the same to her, with slight variations in color. One, however, quickly caught her eye. Tucked away in the bottom of a shelf was a white pith helmet. The sort that someone would wear if they went off on an adventure.

A chuckle escaped her lips as she shook her head sadly. Just another reminder of the dream that she was now leaving behind. And it was further than it ever was. The realization finally hit her as she turned over the helmet in her hooves. She was miles away from her home now, in a completely unfamiliar place.

She had been telling herself that she always had room to turn around, but what if she didn’t? What if she had dug herself into a hole so deep that she couldn’t fly out of it?

Absently, she put the helmet on her head and looked into a mirror, smiling at how ridiculous she looked. “Like someone straight out of a story book,” she said to herself.

“Hey, I like it,” remarked Braeburn as he appeared next to her. “It fits you.”

Daring scoffed. “Yeah, I’m sure it does.”

“You pick a hat yet? I don’t know about you but I got places to be.”

The pegasus rolled her eyes and grabbed the closest hat in her mouth: a brown stetson hat.

Braeburn blinked. “Huh. My cousin’s got a hat just like that. Oh well.” They went over to the cashier, who glared at Daring over her glasses.

“Just the hat or the helmet too?”

Daring blinked. She forgot that she was still wearing the helmet. She raised a hoof to take it off, but something made her hesitate. “I’ll buy both,” she said.

“Suit yourself.”

“I still have that stupid helmet tucked in a bookshelf in my house somewhere,” Daring said fondly.

Lyra rolled her eyes. That just seemed tacky to her but she decided to keep quiet. “So what was your first case with Braeburn like?”

To her surprise the pegasus stood up. “If I’m telling that story again, he’s gotta be there. Come on, I saw him go into the conference room.”

The two left the bullpen and went into the conference room, where Braeburn was wrapping up a conversation with Bon Bon. “Hey there,” he directed at Daring. “What’s up?”

“Lyra here wanted to know about the first case we worked together on.”

Braeburn’s eyes lit up. “Really now?”

“First year on the service. Sheriff of Mustang asked for backup from us to check out a suspicious incident. Tell her what we found, Doc,” Braeburn said confidently.

Doc’s stomach churned as he remembered the case Braeburn was talking about. “I’d really rather not remember that one, Brae.”

“Blood everywhere. Like, seepin’ through the floorboards. There was a body of course. What he did was take a bucket, and -”

“Enough!” Doc shouted. The entire ride to Broken Valley, Braeburn and Daring had been ‘discussing’ their most violent and disturbing experiences. Doc was just caught in the middle of it, with a full stomach nonetheless.

Daring rolled her eyes. In truth that story was a bit mortified, but she wouldn’t show it. “Nah, I still think my story about the Manehattan Monster was scarier.”

Braeburn was inclined to agree, not that he would say it. The way she described it made it downright horrifying to think about.

“Enough, please. We’re here,” Doc said as the group paused on the dirt road. “Let’s just find the pony and go home before I lose my lunch.”

Both ponies simultaneously rolled their eyes. “I win,” they both mouthed at each other.

“Aw, would you look at that,” Doc grumbled. “The sheriff started without us.” Sure enough, a group of badged ponies stood around a blue earth pony, who was arguing loudly. One of the deputies stepped forwards, trying to grab the suspect when the pony suddenly bolted forwards.

The blue pony shoved the out of shape deputies aside and ran down the street towards them. Before any of the ponies could draw their weapons, the blue pony breezed past them.

“Woah! Get him!” In a flash, the three ran off after him. The streets had a moderate amount of ponies, but the suspect’s blue coat stood out against the shades of black and brown, making him easy to spot.

On Main Street, the suspect pony shoved over an elderly mare as he ran by. “Ma’am! Are you alright?” Doc paused, gasping for air. He helped the mare to her hooves, thankful for an excuse to rest. Braeburn and Daring ran right past him, green and violet eyes locked on the fleeing suspect. “Damn it. Careful, you two!”

Doc’s words didn’t register in their ears. “We’re gonna lose him,” Braeburn cursed.

“Nah. You’re going to lose him,” Daring laughed. She hopped into the air and spread her wings, taking to the sky. From high above, Daring was easily able to make out the form of the blue pony and prepared to dive at him.

However, the pony was smarter than most. He ducked into the farmer’s market, where the large crowd and close proximity of the stalls and wagons made it hard to dive. Braeburn kept pushing forwards, breathing hard and moving as fast as he could.

The pony knocked over a barrel of apples, forcing Braeburn to jump at the last second. “Deputy Marshal! Make way!” The crowd was slow to react, forcing him to nudge and shove others aside.

“Woah!” Braeburn had to jump to the side again as a wagon almost hit him.

“Watch it!” Braeburn cursed, sweeping the market again but failing to find the suspect.

Then, Daring’s voice came from above. “He’s by the bank, Brae!”

Braeburn quickly located the building and headed towards it.

“Moving towards the red building now!”

He continued to follow Daring’s instructions until he saw the stallion again. Braeburn growled, pushing himself harder again. As strong as he was, he couldn’t keep this up all day. They had just run halfway across the town, but the pony had yet to show signs of stopping.

The suspect turned, wide eyed, and sped off again.

“Give up! The market’s surrounded,” Braeburn shouted at him. The suspect grimaced and ran faster. With a final burst of speed, the suspect pony crashed through a market stall, and headed to the outskirts of the market. A grin fell on his face. However, he had forgotten the reason he ran towards the market in the first place.

Daring saw her chance and took it. She dove down, beating her wings fast and hard, before landing right on top of the surprised pony. They both grunted as they hit the ground. Daring, using the suspect as a cushion, recovered quickly and drew her pistol. She heaved herself onto her hind legs and steadied the gun with her other hoof. Just like we trained, she thought.

Braeburn came up behind her, drawing his own pistol. “Don’t you move now.” Behind him, a few deputies jogged over from the marketplace.

“Thanks, we got him from here,” one of them said as they wrestled the suspect into hoofcuffs.

The two holstered their weapons and dropped back to the ground in exhaustion. “I swear you’re tryin’ to get me to wear myself to death,” Braeburn panted.

“Not my fault if you can’t keep up,” Daring replied, wiping her brow.

“It would be if we lost him.”

“I wasn’t going to lose him!”

Braeburn rolled his eyes. “Hey, where’s Doc?”

Daring laughed. “I think we left him back on Main Street.”

“Should we get him?”

The pegasus rolled her eyes. “Eh, he can wait.”

“And if it wasn’t for me, Brae would have lost them.”

Braeburn gave Daring a light punch on the shoulder. “I think you mean that if it weren’t for me, you would never have gotten him.”

Daring shrugged, smirking. “Whatever you say.” She went over to the window, noticing that it was getting dark. “What time is it?”

“Shift just ended,” said Marshall from the doorway. “I was wonderin’ if you needed anythin’ from me before I left.”

“Nah, get on out of here.” Braeburn leaned back in his chair, stretching. “Damn, shift’s over already? You two sure did get me talkin’.”

“Yeah, once Brae starts he doesn’t know when to stop,” Daring agreed.

“Real funny. You two stayin’ the night?”

Bon Bon nodded. “Yeah, we were planning to stay and work the case until it’s done.”

“There’s a motel setup down the street from us. You flash your badges at the receptionist and she’ll give you a discount,” Braeburn said. “In the meantime, I’ve got a few reports to sign off on.” He held the door open as the mares left the conference room.

“Will you be back here tomorrow?” Lyra questioned.

“Bright and early. And we’ll see if anyone’s found that pony you two were lookin’ for,” Braeburn assured. “Now get outta here.”

The two deputies watched as their RIS counterparts left. Around them the bullpen was mostly empty, the other deputies having left for the day. Since there wasn’t anything urgent going on, there was no reason to keep ponies in the building at night, which meant Daring and Braeburn were the last two in the office.

“Well. Those two are quite the hoofful,” Braeburn chuckled.

Daring nodded. “Yeah. You figure out what they want from us yet?”

“Haven’t a clue. I don’t get it, what do they get from our old stories?”

“Who knows, Brae. Who knows. Let’s get this paperwork done so we can leave.”

Chapter 6

It didn’t take long for Bon Bon and Lyra to find the motel in question. The mare smiled at them and told them there was always room for first responders, and even offered a steep discount. Bon Bon could only wonder how many first responders came around these parts, and how often that discount was actually used.

“What a day,” Lyra said as she collapsed onto the bed.

“So what’d you find out about Daring,” Bon Bon asked as she settled into the second bed.

Lyra recounted her deal with the pegasus, and how she was sick of Canterlot and moved out west for a change. “Interesting,” Bon Bon said. “Braeburn’s story wasn’t what I expected. Apparently, he was originally from a town called Appleoosa…”

As Bon Bon went on recounting everything Braeburn had said, Lyra’s mind couldn’t help but wander to when she first met her old friend.

“Shooters, cease fire! Cease fire!”

Lyra set the pistol down on the counter, squinting at the targets far down range. As the other shooters around her set their guns down as well, she used her magic to pull the target towards her.

A machine above her went to life, automatically pulling in the bullet ridden paper targets for those who didn’t have magic. Lyra scrutinized the target, frowning at two holes that were a little bit off the center. “Damn.”

“Excuse me? Lyra Heartstrings?” A voice came from behind her. Lyra turned to see a light brown earth pony with an inquisitive gaze.

“That’s me,” replied the unicorn. She recognized the mare from the other academy classes, but the two hadn’t really interacted much.

“I’m Sweetie Drops. I couldn’t help but notice your shooting stance.”

Lyra raised an eyebrow. “What, you got a problem with it?”

“No, of course not,” the mare backpedaled. “I’m actually really interested in it. I think you’re one of the best shots in the academy, and I was just wondering if you had any tips for helping me improve my shooting.”

Lyra blinked, not expecting the compliment. “Oh. Well, other unicorns like to rely on their magic to help steady the gun. It lets them shoot on the move, but sacrifices a lot of accuracy. Plus, I prefer to do things with my own hooves.” Lyra slid the empty magazine out of her pistol, making sure the gun was empty. Then, she reared up onto her hind hooves and steadied herself. “The hard part is finding your balance, I guess. Then, you just slide your other hoof underneath like this, and there you go. You’re able to land shots a lot easier than if you were using only one hoof.”

Bon Bon was listening intently the entire time. “Huh. I remember hearing about this stance from our firearms instructor. He said it’s called the Beaver Stance?”

“Weaver,” corrected Lyra. “And yeah. Most RIS agents just shoot from only one hoof, but the Weaver stance makes so much more sense. I guess most ponies are just turned off by having to balance on two hooves. It’s used a lot by the Marshals and other agencies, but I guess the RIS has yet to figure it out.”

“Shooters ready,” declared the shooting range instructor.

“Here, why don’t you try?”

Bon Bon shrugged and stepped up to the booth next to her, setting her gun on the table. She copied Lyra’s movements, struggling for a bit to find her balance. Lyra gave her a reassuring smile and the two raised their guns.

“Shooters, fire when ready!”

“Lyra?”

The unicorn blinked. She had at some point laid down and closed her eyes, leading Bon Bon to think she had fallen asleep.

“Sorry, Bon. I’m wiped out,” Lyra replied.

“That’s fine,” Bon Bon said. “We should probably rest. Tomorrow’s another long day.”

“Got that right. Night, Bonnie.”

“Night, Lyra.”

“Deputy Braeburn!”

Braeburn looked up to see the agent from yesterday heading towards him. Her partner was lagging behind, shooting daggers from her eyes. “Howdy! So you two did stick around after all.”

“Of course! I have so many more questions to ask you!”

The stallion chuckled. “I take it your friend’s not much of a morning pony.”

“Oh, don’t mind Lyra. She’s grumpy because she hasn’t had coffee yet.”

“We can fix that.” Braeburn opened the door, wincing as it creaked. “Have to get that fixed. Come on in.”

As they entered, Bon Bon noticed that Marshall was already there, sitting behind the reception desk. “Mornin’, Marshall,” Braeburn greetd. “Anythin’ on tap?”

“A few warrants from the RIS, ESS, and the Royal Guards. I sent out the telegrams already and left them on your desk,” he replied.

“Perfect. Any news on the current warrants?”

“No hits yet.”

“Alright. Thanks, Marshall.” With another smile, Braeburn led the two into the mostly empty bullpen. “You two are a bit early. Shift technically hasn’t started yet. I’m just used to livin’ on the farm and wakin’ up at the crack of dawn, unlike-” The stallion paused. “Well I’ll be damned.”

Bon Bon followed his gaze to see Daring already sitting at her desk. “Darin’ Do, here in the office before me? Has everythin’ gone to Tartarus?”

“Shut up Braeburn,” she replied. “Can’t a mare be excited to come into work early?”

Braeburn went to the desk next to her, which Bon Bon realized must have been his desk. “Somethin’ botherin’ you?”

“Just looking over old photos,” she said. She held one up for Braeburn to see. Braeburn recognized the photo instantly: there was one tacked on his own cubicle wall and another one framed in Earp’s office.

The photo showed the four of them in Earp’s office, cheering and laughing. A bottle of cider sat on Earp’s desk, and each of them had a glass raised.

“Do you remember?”

“How could I forget, Darin’? That was the best celebration we ever had.”

“Damn straight!”

“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!”

“Hot damn!”

The four ponies clinked their glasses together in a celebratory toast. Earp had broken out his best bottle of aged cider, and the four were celebrating in the otherwise empty office.

“I’m tellin’ you, Brae,” Doc declared. “You’re a damned champion!”

Daring nodded, punching him in the shoulder. She didn’t really care much for sports, or him for that matter, but she was a betting mare. And she knew that Braeburn had put all his bits on black and came out victorious, somehow. “How did you manage to pull that off?”

“Blind luck and a bit of skill,” he chuckled.

Earp smiled. “I’m damn proud, gents. Damn proud. Tonight, we shall drink!”

Earp went to the door and shouted out into the bullpen. “Marshall! Get your sorry old ass in here!”

“Land’s sake, Earp, I’m not retirin’ yet,” laughed Marshall as he trotted in. A few more bottles sat in his saddlebag. “Got the last of old Bottle Neck’s supply before he closed. Let’s get this party on!”

The statement was met with cheers and hoots from the office. Marshall set the bottles on the desk, then pulled out a battered old camera. “Let’s get this on film, lads.”

Earp nodded and raised a glass again. “Here’s to blind luck and a bit of skill.”

“To blind luck!” the glasses clinked in unison as the camera flashed.

“What were you guys celebrating? It must have been a high profile arrest, right?”

Daring and Braeburn snickered at Bon Bon’s statement. “Nah. That was the day the Dodge Dusters beat the Canterlot Ivys in the national Buckball league. Brae was the only one who put money on the Dusters winning that, and damned if we didn’t make a fortune.”

“Buckball? Who the fuck bets on buckball,” Lyra grumbled.

Daring and Braeburn stared at Lyra like she just insulted her mother. “She did not!”

“Uh, excuse her! She hasn’t had her coffee yet! Come on, Lyra,” Bon Bon stuttered as she pulled her into the conference room.

Daring snickered as the door closed. “Heh. She’s too easy to mess with.”

“Uh huh. Or maybe’ you’re just bein’ a big bully,” Braeburn replied.

“Lyra deserved it,” Daring scoffed. “Buckball is love, buckball is life.”

“You kiddin’?”

The pegasus flashed him a cocky grin. “Nope. What, you doubting the power of the underdog? After last year?”

Braeburn scoffed. “Course not, but that’s a stretch.”

“Well at least I’m doing something interesting. You’re just playing favorites.”

“Of course! What, you think I ain’t gonna support the first buckball team my hometown’s ever had?”

Daring laughed. “I don’t care who they’ve got managing, they’re getting destroyed, Brae. Hate to break it to you.”

Marshall chuckled, shaking his head. “Alright you two. Final bets, please.”

“Fine,” Braeburn said. “Five hundred bits on the Appleoosan Angels.”

“Five hundred bits on the Manehattan Monsters.”

“Deal.” The two shook hooves, setting the bet in stone with Marshall as their witness. “After champs I’ll be five hundred bits richer.”

“Sure. Hey Doc!”

Doc Holliday raised his head at his name. “Yeah?”

“Who’s your bet on?”

Doc cracked a smile. “Well Earp’s got his money on the Dodge Dusters again.”

“He really think they can pull of two wins in a row?”

“Dunno, but I’ve got a thousand bits on the Las Pegasus Poppies!”

Marshall, Daring, and Braeburn all stared at each other before they burst out laughing.

“The Pansy Poppies?! Are you kidding me, Doc?”

“You might as well pay up right now, Doc! Oh, man, a thousand bits on THAT team!”

“What were you thinkin’? Were you thinkin’?”

As the others fell out of their chairs in laughter, Doc frowned, grinding his teeth. “Just you wait! They’ll show y’all! Just you wait!”

Daring gave a content sigh as the memory faded from her mind. “Ah, those were the days. The days when buckball teams were actually good.”

“Also the days where we all lost money,” Braeburn replied.

“Ugh, don’t remind me. Stupid Fillydalphia Fillys and their miracles. Robbed us clean of all our bits.”

After practically chugging her coffee, Lyra felt much better. She had started on her second cup when she noticed Bon Bon glaring at her. “What?”

“Lyra, you have to be more careful with what you say to them!”

Lyra rolled her eyes. “It was a joke, Bon Bon. Come on.”

“Well they certainly didn’t find it funny!” Bon Bon sighed and shook her head. “Look, just be more careful, okay? I don’t want to throw away everything we’ve built with them.”

“Bon, why do you care so much about this? And don’t tell me you just want to fix the relationships between the RIS and the Marshals.”

“What are you talking about, Lyra?”

The unicorn frowned. “Bon, you never get this riled up about anything. What’s bothering you?”

“It-it’s nothing.” Bon Bon waved her hoof dismissively. “I promise. Let’s go talk to them.”

Bon Bon left the conference room before Lyra could protest further. Lyra frowned, sipping at her coffee. She had never seen Bon Bon like this before. Usually her friend was calm and collected, if not a little bit intense.

But this wasn’t a typical case. Lyra knew that much. She just couldn’t figure out why Bon Bon was being so invested in the lives of two ponies they had never met before. With a defeated sigh, she threw the paper cup into the trash can and followed Bon Bon out the door.

Eventually she found Bon Bon in the marshal’s office. Daring was in the corner, leaning against a bookshelf, while Braeburn shifted through some papers on his desk. “Okay,” he said to Daring. “I’ll send Fetter Locks and Gold Badge out to Mustang when they get in.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Lyra took a seat next to Bon Bon, watching as the deputies talked about their work.

“And still no response to our bulletin on your pony. Guess we’ve gotta keep waitin’,” Braeburn finished.

“That’s fine,” Bon Bon replied. “How long do you think it will take?”

“I reckon we wait til tomorrow. We’ve got contacts at the station, so if a pony matchin’ his description tries to leave we can stop him. There’s only so many places he can be out here. Only a matter of time.”

“Yeah, what he said,” echoed Daring. “So, what memories do you want us to go digging up today?”

Bon Bon cringed and gave a sheepish smile. “I-I mean if it’s too much for you guys-”

Braeburn cut her off and waved his hoof dismissively. “Ah, don’t listen to her. You should never take her seriously.”

The statement earned him another punch on the shoulder. “Shut up, Braeburn.”

“You say that a lot,” Lyra chuckled.

“Yeah, well he deserves it every time.”

“But that’s the thing. If you’re tryin’ to take a guy who’s barricaded up in the front door, you’d want somethin’ like a shotgun. Closer quarters and more power. Thing is though you gotta watch your backdrops, ‘cause those rounds tear through anythin’ and everythin’.”

Daring grunted in annoyance, rolling her eyes and flipping a page in her book.

“I heard a story once from a friend in CPD. Said it was the early days, back when trigger discipline didn’t exist. They said a recruit used a shotgun in downtown, and everythin’ went to shit. Poor guy didn’t understand the concept of bullet penetration. Lot of ponies got hurt that day-”

“Braeburn!” Daring slammed her book onto the desk. “Can you shut up for one minute?!”

The stallion blinked, then smirked. “What’s the matter? I thought you liked the sound of my voice?”

“No! Just shut up, please! You’ve been going on about this for the past half hour!” Daring glared at him, shooting daggers from her eyes. “I don’t care!”

To her chagrin, Braeburn just laughed. “Well, you should! Earp told us to learn all of this stuff to help with our policin’.”

“You’ve been talking about nothing for half. An. HOUR!”

“And? I ain’t finished!”

Earp stuck his head out of the office, squinting at the two ponies. “Celestia save me,” he muttered. “Doc, you’ve gotta do somethin’. I can’t take this anymore.”

Doc, who was seated in the office, glanced up from his newspaper. “Whaddya expect me to do?”

“Anythin’. Please.” Earp flinched as Daring slammed her hooves on the table again.

Doc sighed, setting down his paper. “I’ve tried, Earp. I tried with the whole buckball thing. I thought gettin’ them involved would help ‘em bond.”

“All it did was make them compete more!”

“It’s probably fine, Earp-”

Both flinched as a roaring shout came over the cubicles. “SHUT UP BRAEBURN!”

Earp glared at Doc, who gave a nervous chuckle. “Then again, I’ll see what I can do.”

“That’s only accordin’ to you, Darin’. Our guests hear love to hear me talk!”

The pegasus rolled her eyes again. “That’s because they haven’t known you long enough. I swear, Brae, the only one who loves listening to your shit is you.”

Braeburn gave a mock gasp and threw a hoof over his heart. “Are you hearin’ this! The abuse!”

“You’ll live, you pansy.”

Bon Bon chuckled as the two bickered. It was strange how these types of carefree insults only came around after years of friendships. It reminded her of her own partnership with Lyra. One that she hoped she wasn’t putting on the line.

The smile faltered for a bit. Lyra knew that there was more to the story than she was being told. Bon Bon knew that eventually she would have to tell her the truth about why she really was there.

She would tell Lyra, Bon Bon decided. Just not now. She shook off her thoughts and tried to focus as Braeburn launched into another story, this time about how Doc played a role in their friendship.

“Brace yourselves, this one’s a long one…”

“Yessir, y’all just missed him. He booked it right on out of here into the desert, ‘bout fifteen minutes ago.”

Doc raised an eyebrow at that statement. “Well I’ll be damned. Haven’t had that happen in a good while.”

Braeburn and Daring stood behind him, watching as he conversed with the deputy.

Remembering what Earp had wanted, an idea formed in his mind. “Alright then. We’ll go get him.” Doc turned to the two, a twinkle in his eye. “You two, go to the sheriff’s office and grab some supplies. You’re goin’ on a desert pursuit.”

A desert pursuit just meant that they were going to chase him through the desert. Braeburn grimaced at the thought. Desert pursuits had a tendency to be lengthy, dirty, tiring, and not all that fun. “Us? What about you?”

“I’m pullin’ rank on you two. Now go on, get!”

After a half hour of grumbling, complaining, and gathering materials, Braeburn and Daring set off from the town, laden with supplies. Soon they reached the outskirts of the town, with nothing but sand stretching out around them.

“So what you’re telling me is that we’re going to be chasing this guy through the desert?”

Braeburn gave a disgruntled nod. “Yep. Remember how when you signed up they made you say ‘We will chase you to the ends of Equestria?’ This is the part where we chase them until the ends of Equestria.”

Daring sighed, adjusting the brim of her hat. At first she thought the hat was stupid and borderline sterotyipcal of western ponies, but she soon found out that it worked great for keeping the sun out of her face. “Well, I’ve never had to do one of these before. Not many open spaces to flee to in Canterlot.”

“It’s simple enough. He took off with no supplies, meanin’ he ain’t gonna last long in this heat. So we go out and find him, dead or alive. And when we do, we use this,” Braeburn explained. He patted a strange red gun holstered next to his service pistol. “Lingering flare. Fire it up in the sky to mark your location. The sheriff and Earp will see it and send a carriage to find us. Then it’s an easy ride back.”

The pegasus looked around. A set of train tracks ran out into the distance on their left, while the land to their right was completely flat save for a few mountains in the distance. “First step would be finding where he went, then.”

“Reckon so.” The stallion gave a forlorn sigh. “Still, we gotta be careful. Weather out here can be unpredictable without a weather team.”

Daring’s eyes swept the horizon. It was a big space to find one pony. “Lucky for you I’m good at finding things.”

“Oh yeah?”

Daring pointed a hoof at the railroad track. “If I were to head off into the desert, I’d stick to the tracks. It’s gotta lead somewhere, and since I’m unfamiliar with the terrain, I’d move parallel to it, using it as a guide.”

“That’s assumin’ this pony is thinkin’ rationally.”

“Don’t doubt the power of unconscious instinct.”

Braeburn kicked at the dirt. “Fine. But if we get lost, I’m blamin’ you. Why don’t you go fly up and see if you can’t see him.”

“Sure.” The pegasus spread her wings and took to the sky, while Braeburn started moving. He went parallel to the tracks, like Daring had said. It made sense, he knew, even though he didn’t want to admit she was right.

The two hadn’t talked much since their argument last week. Sure they had their fair share of bickering but last week was… intense.

In the end both said some things they regretted, but both remained too proud to apologize. So a cold silence fell between them. Doc hadn’t been sure what was worse: their constant arguing or their now uneasy silence.

Braeburn sighed as he took in their surroundings. The desert was beautiful in its own dusty, rustic way. He kicked at the dirt, shifting the weight of the tents, canteens, and other equipment on his back, and set off.

He glanced up at the sky, where Daring was flying high above him. She wasn’t the only one who thought he talked too much. It wasn’t like he could help it. Braeburn had spent far too long suffering in a dark veil of silence. Who could blame him for wanting to shut it all out?

But she didn’t understand that. She didn’t know. She couldn’t know, he realized, because he never told her. His ears dropped a bit. Maybe some of the things he said yesterday were a bit overkill.

High above him, Daring was amazed at the endless expanse of sand that stretched in every direction. Some shrubs and cacti dotted the horizon, but other than that it was empty. It was a whole new frontier of space, something that sure didn’t exist in Canterlot.

Just the name of the city made her grimace. There was a lot she left behind there. There were things she didn’t tell Pinkerton when she asked for her transfer. Things that made her a bit more reclusive, and made her a bit more wary of ponies who tried to get close to her.

Who was Braeburn to make judgements about her? What right did he have to keep talking when she had told him-

She hadn’t told him. The realization fell on her like a bucket of ice water. All of their conversations were competitive in some way. They were two ponies with something to prove. But they had never once discussed why they had to prove it.

With a sigh of defeat, she looked behind her, seeing the tiny form of Braeburn make his way down the sandy dunes. She guessed she owed him that much. After all, there were some things she said last week that she ended up regretting.

The pegasus dove down, landing next to Braeburn. The stallion didn’t react, keeping his eyes on the horizon. “No sign of anything,” she reported. “I mean maybe we can find hoof prints or something, but we’d have to look pretty closely.”

“Let’s just follow the tracks, like you said,” he responded absently.

“Right. Like I said.”

The two continued in an awkward silence, until Daring ventured to break it. “Hey, uh, I was wondering. About like why you joined and stuff.”

“I thought I told you, Earp hoofpicked me to be a deputy-”

“No, not that. I know that. But like, why did you agree? You know?” Daring rubbed one forehoof with the other, trying to piece her thoughts together. “Like besides the extra pay. Was there another reason?”

Braeburn thought for a second, trying to understand what he was being asked. “You mean like a motive? I dunno. But I guess if you really want to know, it’s just the way I am.”

Daring glanced at him expectantly, urging him to elaborate.

“I guess my whole family has sort of been, ah, what’s the word. Al-tur-ist-ic? Somethin’ like that. Point is we like helpin’ each other out any way we can. Family means family. But when I first started out here, I didn’t have a family. So the town became my family. And I’d do anythin’ for my family. But doin’ anythin’ soon became just doin’ somethin’ to keep the town alive. I guess that’s when I really started investin’ myself in public service and whatnot.”

The stallion paused to consider something before resuming.

“When I told my cousins about the offer, their first complaint was that I could get hurt. Killed even. That’s when I realized somethin’. That I would lay down my own life in a heartbeat for someone else’s. I couldn’t figure out if it’s because I don’t value my own life that much or if it’s just extreme kindness.”

“Maybe it’s a bit of both,” Daring suggested. “It sounds like you’re just dedicated to helping those who need it. However that may be.”

Braeburn chuckled and shook his head. “Eh. I say things a lot. Doesn’t mean they mean anythin’. Now I ain’t makin’ sense.”

“No, I think that makes a lot of sense actually.”

“What about you?”

The pegasus shrugged. “I mean, I guess all my life I’ve thought about doing thankless work. I told you that I used to be obsessed with history and stuff. One thing I kind of stumbled on is that nobody really cares about who found an artifact. Ponies remember the artifacts, not the pony who discovered it. But that thought never really bothered me. I was never in it for fame or glory. I was just doing what I knew had to be done.”

Braeburn chuckled. “Thankless work. Huh. That’s a way to think about things.”

“I guess so. Hey, I’m sorry about the shit I said last week.”

“Nah, I should be the sorry one. I could use a reminder to shut up and stop ramblin’ every now and then.”

Daring giggled. “Heh. It’s fine, really. Just glad we got it sorted out.”

The two continued their trek, each thinking about the things they hadn’t mustered the courage to share yet.

“I’ll sweep again,” Daring declared. She spread her wings and shot up into the clear blue sky.

Chapter 8

“Damn it, I’m an idiot,” muttered Bon Bon. The mare had slammed her head down on her desk and covered her head in her hooves.

Lyra awkwardly rubbed her friend’s back, unsure of what to do. “I, uh, I’m sorry?”

“Not your fault. I should have known that would have struck a chord with them.”

“Well how would you have known?” Lyra wasn’t really sure what to say to her. It was becoming more and more obvious that Bon Bon needed to know what happened between the two offices, and it was becoming more and more infuriating that she wouldn’t tell her why. She decided to just bite the bullet and say what came to her mind. “Look, Bon, as much as I enjoy being in a dusty, backwater town, I have to ask. Why are we putting up with these idiots? It’s clear that they don’t want to talk about what happened, so why are we bothering?”

Bon Bon pulled her head up and glared at Lyra. “Because it’s important to me,” she snapped.

“And you still haven’t told me why it is!”

“I made a promise,” Bon Bon replied. “To myself and to my-”

Before she could continue, the door opened again and Braeburn and Daring reentered. “Sorry ‘bout that,” said the stallion.

He was still smiling, but Lyra could see that it was a little more forced now. Daring just looked pissed off.

Braeburn cleared his throat as he sat back down. “Still no reports on that warrant. So, uh, what were we talkin’ about?”

Bon Bon opened her mouth, but Lyra decided to jump in. “Doc Holliday. What happened to him?”

The stallion sighed. “Right, Doc Holliday. Crazy guy. Born right here in Dodge Junction, with three teeth in a diamond for a cutie mark. I remember he got it by punchin’ a guy so hard he knocked out three teeth. He thought it meant he was goin’ to be a dentist, so he went off to medical school to get his degree. But he only did it for two years before he got tired of it. Somewhere along the lines he met Earp, and he realized his mark probably meant that he was a fighter, not a dentist.” He chuckled at the memory. “But anyways.”

He cleared his throat awkwardly, and when he spoke again it was slower and less chipper then it had been before.

The office was quiet for once. Daring was enjoying the silence, finishing up the last few chapters of her cheesy adventure book. “Amateur stuff,” she chuckled. “I can write better than this.”

She shut the book, setting it back on the desk, and looked around. Braeburn was engrossed in a crossword puzzle, something that was apparently very effective at getting him to be quiet. It was a good idea introducing him to those, she thought to herself.

Doc meanwhile had his head down on his desk. His body rose and fell in a steady rhythm. Daring could make out a bit of drool on the papers underneath his head and rolled her eyes.

A mischievous grin fell on her face. She set aside her novel and opened her desk drawer. With a grunt, she pulled out a very thick book entitled ‘An Introduction to the Ancient History of Equestria’ and grabbed it in her mouth.

She trotted over to the sleeping form of Doc Holliday. Once she was next to the desk, the thick book fell from her mouth and onto the desk, right next to the sleeping pony’s ear.

The pony woke up with a yelp, flailing his hooves and falling backwards in his chair. Doc came crashing down to the ground, blinking and cursing.

“You alright there, Doc?” Braeburn asked, stifling a laugh.

Daring didn’t bother, letting loose a hearty laugh. “Sorry! I must have slipped!”

“I swear to Celestia, I’ll have your badge for this,” Doc grumbled as he picked himself off the floor. “I am your senior deputy! You can’t treat me like this!”

The other two just laughed, Daring returning the book to her desk. Before Doc could complain further, Marshall trotted in. “Marshal Earp? There’s some ponies here to see you!”

Earp stuck his head out of his office. “Send them in, thank ya kindly!”

All eyes turned to the entry way as two unicorns entered. The first was a larger white unicorn wearing a suit coat. He held his head up proudly and projected an aura of confidence and assurance.

The purple coated unicorn that followed seemed to be a bit more awkward. She wore a deep blue jacket with the letters ‘RIS’ emblazoned on the back in bright yellow text.

“Good morning,” said the white stallion. His voice was tinted with a Canterlot accent. “I am Senior Special Agent Blueblood, with the Canterlot Office of the Royal Investigative Service. This is Special Agent Twilight Sparkle. We are looking for Marshal Earp?”

“That’d be me,” responded Earp. He trotted up and extended a hoof. Blueblood eyed it strangely before hesitantly shaking it. “Why don’t you come on in to my office, and we can talk.”

“Excellent. Sparkle, please wait out here.” The two disappeared into the Marshal’s office. Doc quickly stood up and followed them.

Twilight shrugged her shoulders and wandered into the conference room. As soon as she was out of sight, Daring leaned over to Braeburn. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“That ponies from Canterlot as still as stuck up as they ever are?”

“No! That if agents from RIS Canterlot are here, then whatever case they’re working on must be a big deal!”

Braeburn rolled his eyes, turning back to his crossword. “Reckon so. Guess we won’t know until Earp tells us what’s up.”

“Why wait? The other agent’s still in the conference room. The question is, how are we going to approach her?”

“You askin’ her out? Didn’t know you swung that way,” Braeburn chuckled.

Daring hit him in the shoulder. “Shut up, Braeburn.” The pegasus stood and trotted off to the conference room. She opened the door and went inside.

Daring entered the room to find the unicorn scrutinizing the map. Her jacket was off and draped over a chair, revealing a star-shaped cutie mark. Daring cleared her throat. “Uh, hi! I’m Deputy Marshal Daring Do, with the Marshal’s Office of Equestria.”

The unicorn didn’t respond, instead squinting intently at the map.

“I guess you knew that already, since you’re here and all,” Daring fumbled. “Uh, we’re actually the western office. There’s other offices in other places that aren’t the western office, because they’re not in the west.”

Still the agent failed to respond. In fact she leaned in closer, her violet eyes narrowing and skipping from town to town.

“So where are you from? Probably Canterlot since you work with the Canterlot office. Uh, where do you work- no, I just answered that.” Daring face hoofed with a frustrated groan. Everything made sense in her head until she tried to put it into words. This is why writing was so much easier than speaking.

The pegasus went to the door and pulled it open, pony on the other side to almost fall in. He had been leaning against the door, trying to listen in, Daring realized. “I give up. You’re up, Brae,” she replied as she grabbed the stallion’s jacket.

With a yelp, Braeburn found himself being pulled into the room. He gave Daring a quick punch to the shoulder before cautiously approaching the unicorn. “Quite a map isn’t it?”

“AH!” everyone flinched as the unicorn jumped in the air. She whirled around to see the two staring at her. “Oh! I’m so sorry,” she sputtered. “I was so focused I didn’t hear you come in!”

Braeburn blinked at her outburst. “Uh, that’s alright. Can’t blame you, it’s a nice map.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up at the mention of the map. “Yes! It’s beautiful! I wish we had a wall-sized map in the office. It’d be a great addition.”

“Right. I’m sure-”

“I’m trying to work on my memorization of all the towns,” Twilight cut in. “It might come in handy someday. I know Dodge Junction, but then again everyone knows Dodge Junction so that’s a freebie. Appleoosa is familiar, I read about it in the papers. The others are a bit more tricky.”

Braeburn raised a hoof “Well-”

“I wonder if we’ll ever get an office out here? An RIS Dodge office would be interesting. But I guess that’s more of your guys’s jurisdiction. You know, as a filly I’ve always admired the Marshal Service. ‘Justice, Integrity, and Service.’ I love that motto! Nice, simple, and clean. Did you know the RIS motto was written by Director J. Edge Hoofer himself? ‘Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity.’ A bit too many ‘y’s for my taste. Now, the modus operandi on the other hoof…”

Braeburn’s eye twitched and he turned to Daring. Daring just snickered. It looked like Braeburn had finally met his match when it came to talking.

They both decided to wait until she finished talking before interjecting. “Although, other agencies have more complicated mottos,” she was saying. “Some are even full sentences. Take the Equestrian Secret Service, for example…”

Then, they both promptly realized that this was a fruitless task. The mare seemed like she could go on forever.

Daring looked around the room and spied a book on the conference table. She shoved it off the side, letting it hit the floor with a thud.

The noise seemed to reset her. “Sorry, was I rambling? I do that a lot,” she muttered as she rubbed a foreleg with her hoof. “I’m Special Agent Twilight Sparkle!”

“A pleasure to have you here, Agent Sparkle,” Braeburn replied.

“Please, call me Twilight.”

Daring nodded. “How can we help you today?”

“Well, we need your help. There’s a pony we’re after, and we think he’s fled out here.” The unicorn went over to the desk and levitated some folded papers from her jacket pocket. “Let me explain.”

“Special Agent Twilight Sparkle?” Bon Bon blinked in surprise.

“You know her?”

She nodded. “Yeah, she’s our boss. She’s actually a Senior Special Agent now. I had no idea she came down here before us.”

Daring grimaced at that sentence but Bon Bon didn’t notice.

“Good for her,” replied Braeburn. “She was a damn good agent then, she must be amazin’ now.”

Twilight stuck a mugshot of a brown stallion onto the conference room’s board. “This is Billy “The Colt” Barnstead. Forty years old and born in lower Manehattan. Moved to Canterlot where he dropped out of the University of Canterlot and fell off the map.”

The deputies were seated around the table, listening as the mare spoke.

“Barnstead first came to the RIS’s attention when we executed a raid on a house belonging to a high ranking member of the Outlaws gang. Traditionally the Outlaws have stuck to the western territories, but a few chapters have sprung up in the cities, particularly Canterlot. At the time we pegged him as a low level member. Now we have reason to believe that he’s become a high ranking lieutenant who hides out here from time to time.”

Everyone knew of the Outlaws and how dangerous they were. The Outlaws thrived on robberies and murders, and were once very unified and highly powerful. Now, the gang had mostly split into splinter factions of varying threats.

“What are we nabbing him for?” questioned Daring.

“Murder. A witness came forward in a case a few years old, back when Barnstead was still a hitpony. It’s enough to put him away for life, and it’ll deal a huge blow to the Outlaw leadership.”

“That’s right,” came a voice from the door. Blueblood entered, flashing a charismatic grin. “That’s why we’re going after him. We’ve got the warrants approved, all that’s left is to take him down.”

Blueblood hadn’t planned on meeting with the Marshal. He was looking for one easy case to close to cinch a promotion to Supervisory Special Agent, which meant less field work and a bigger paycheck.

It wasn’t really that he was lazy, more so that he was getting bored and tired. A few years in the same job could do the same to anyone. So, he figured he’d nab an easy target, sweep up a promotion, and set off with a new job.

Twilight was the one who suggested they worked with the Marshals. The mare had begged for a chance to work with ‘Equestria’s Finest’ on the case. Blueblood feared that a joint operation would hurt his chances, but to his relief Earp didn’t really care about credit.

Go in, get the pony, get out. Blueblood smiled again. It would be easy.

Chapter 9

“Woah! Is that an Urban Tactics version four ballistics vest?”

Braeburn blinked and looked down at the vest he was wearing underneath his jacket. “Uh, it’s a vest?”

“I didn’t even know these still existed! The RIS phased them out years ago!”

The stallion looked at his own vest, then at the one Twilight was wearing. He quickly realized they were different. His was much more bulky and thick, with several straps connecting it to his body. Twilight’s on the other hand was smaller and slimmer.

“I’m afraid we don’t have the luxury of new equipment out here,” Marshal Earp replied. The group was headed down the roads of Dodge Junction, with a sheriff’s wagon in tow. “Out here we just gotta make do with what we got.”

“Don’t get it wrong though, these things can still take a hit,” Doc replied. “I’d put my life on it.”

“You kind of do already, Doc,” chuckled Braeburn.

“Shut up, Braeburn. This is the house,” chimed in Daring.

The carriage stopped, and the lawponies gathered in front of a derelict, rundown apartment. Earp’s eyes swept the street, assessing the situation. “Looks quiet, not many ponies around. Shops look closed, skies are clear.”

Blueblood didn’t know what any of that had to do with anything but nodded. “So it would seem. Shall we, Marshal?”

“After you, Agent.”

The inside of the apartment was dark and musty. The windows were half drawn, keeping out the mid morning light. They climbed the creaky stairs to the second floor and proceeded down a long, narrow hallway.

“Well this ain’t creepy at all,” muttered Doc.

Braeburn and Daring were right behind Earp, Doc, and Blueblood. Daring frowned, glancing from side to side. Something didn’t feel right. She nudged Braeburn in the side. “Are you feeling this too?”

The stallion nodded. “Yep. Narrow hall, not much cover. This can get shitty mighty fast.”

The air was suddenly very tense, if only between them. Eventually the posse stopped in front of the door. Blueblood rapped one of his hooves against the door and called out in a booming voice. “Billy Barnstead! RIS, we have a warrant!”

The knocks were met with silence. After a few seconds past, Blueblood huffed in annoyance. “Well, I guess he’s not here.”

“We could go inside,” said Twilight as her horn lit up. “We have a search warrant as well.”

Doc rolled his eyes. He turned around and threw out his legs, bucking the door wide open. “Learned that one from Brae-”

Whatever he said next was drowned out with a deafening crack. “GUN!”

The next seconds were filled with chaos. “Go! Go! Get out! Get out!” Earp shouted. Twilight, Daring and Braeburn ran to the right side of the door. Earp and Blueblood ended up on the left side, closer to the stairs. A gunshot landed above Blueblood’s head, causing him to curse. As experienced as he was, he had never been shot at before.

Doc, who was closest to the door, had tried to run to the left but quickly fell down. “I’m hit!”

Earp froze, turning. Blueblood was fumbling with some black device in his hooves. “I need an HRT down here! Dodge Junction! Can you hear me?! Damn it!” Blueblood ran down the stairs while shouting into the box.

“Damnit, Blueblood,” Earp cursed. “Stay down, Doc!”

On the other side of the hall, Daring was dismayed to find there were no stairs. That meant no escape. The pegasus knew that they had to get out of the building and come up with a new plan as the situation had just gone to Tartarus in a handbasket.

Braeburn bucked one of the apartment doors open. Thankfully it was empty, and the deputies fell on top of each other getting inside. “Fuck, someone’s down,” he cursed.

“What do we do?” asked Daring.

“I don’t know,” Braeburn swore. “This entire thing is shit! What are we supposed to do? We never trained for this!”

“Hey, calm down, at least we’re safe for now-”

“Safety? We don’t even know if this room is safe,” hissed Daring as realization dawned on her. “We haven’t cleared the rooms! We don’t know if there's somepony waiting with a gun in here!”

“Okay, calm down!” Twilight was truthfully just as panicked as the both of them, but knew she had to play the voice of reason. “Just remember what they taught you at the academy and fall back on your training.”

“Twilight, none of us went to the academy,” Daring responded.

The unicorn blinked in surprise. “Really? Wait, that’s… not important.” The mare thought hard for a second, remembering the dozens of training scenarios she had practiced in. “Okay. I can make a shield spell to protect us in the hall, but we need to find a way out of here.”

Daring took a deep breath. “You’re right. There’s a window outside. We might be able to fit through it.”

Braeburn nodded, unslinging his rifle. “I reckon I can do that. Alright, let’s do this.”

The smile was completely gone from Braeburn’s face now. He paused and reached for a glass, only to realize the glass was empty. Daring wasn’t looking at him, but instead had her eyes fixated on the map across from them.

They both knew where the story was going to end up. There was no way around it. But Bon Bon and Lyra were staring at him expectantly. He took a deep breath and continued.

Earp was scared for the first time in his life. Bullets were still flying out of the door and through the walls. There was no way to get him, unless he fired a lucky shot through the walls, but that wasn’t his concern at the moment.

His concern was with the pony laying in a heap near the doorway. Doc hadn’t moved since he went down, and Earp had no idea where he had been shot.

Earp glanced up to see that Twilight had formed a shield on the other side. The shield extended to the edge of the hallways, effectively protecting them from the doorway.

“Doc! Can you hear me?”

There was no response. Earp holstered his weapon and ran towards his old friend, keeping his head as low as possible. He wrapped his hooves around Doc and dragged him back to the stairway.

The sound of shattering glass stole Earp’s attention. He looked up to see that Braeburn had shattered the window with the butt of his rifle. “Marshal! Is Doc alright?” Daring shouted.

He decided to listen to the more rational part of his brain. “Go with Braeburn! Jump out the window. I’ve got them.”

“But-” Twilight’s interjection was cut off by another gunshot.

“Go!” he snapped.

Earp then turned his attention to Doc. From down the stairs he heard the voice of one of the deputies. “Sir! Are you alive?”

“I need towels, a tourniquet if you have one,” Earp shouted. “If not then a belt of some kind!” The marshal flipped Doc onto his back. First he saw the blood trails on the floor. Then he saw the open eyes and the empty stare.

Time seemed to stop for Earp as the truth hit him. He froze, unsure what to do for the first time in his life. “Damn it Doc, don’t leave me now.” Earp searched desperately for something, anything to put his mind at ease. But he found nothing.

No pulse. No breath. No movement. A sense of crushing despair struck Earp. Doc Holliday was dead.

The words hung in the air for a second. Even after so many years, saying those words crushed him. Braeburn wiped his brow, trying to fight off the memories of loud gunshots, echoing down the halls. Of breaking the window with his gun, and looking back to see Doc lying motionless on the floor. Of the blood, so much blood.

They had questions, but Braeburn didn’t notice. He continued almost robotically.

The next few hours had been a complete blur for Braeburn. He remembered crashing out of the window with Daring. He remembered Blueblood spending a very long time shouting into some tiny box.

The Sheriff of Dodge had gathered enough ponies to form a perimeter around the apartment and enough doctors for each of them. Braeburn remembered the fear in between everyone.

Daring and him were scratched up and bruised from falling or jumping through a window. But then Earp came out, with Doc draped over his back.

They knew he was gone. They could see it in Earp’s eyes.

Still the doctors whisked him away, although everyone knew it was a useless task.

“What happened?” someone asked.

“The walls,” replied Earp in a hollow, absent voice. “He was shooting through the walls. It hit him in the head. He never had a chance.”

A strange feeling set in on them. It was a feeling of loss, a feeling of failure. The feeling that told them they could have, no, they should have done more. That it was all their fault.

The rest of the day was just a haze. Someone got on a bullhorn and started shouting instructions towards the building. Twilight was running around trying to coordinate a plan. Was there anyone trapped in the apartment? How many shooters were there? Did he have any hostages? Nobody knew.

At some point someone remarked that the shooting had stopped. An eerie silence fell over the streets. Then a group of heavily armed ponies clad in black body armor and heavy weaponry showed up.

“That’s the RIS’s Emergency Response Team,” Twilight explained. “Blueblood called them earlier but it took them awhile to get out here. They’ll take it from here.”

Eventually the team went in. Branstead was already dead. Whether he killed himself or someone shot him, nobody knew.

There were ponies asking questions. The HRT left. The Sheriff offered his condolences. Earp didn’t care about any of it. The skies were clear. Doc was dead.

Braeburn blinked a few times, regaining his senses.

Whatever questions Bon Bon had, they died on her lips when she saw the forlorn look on both deputies’ faces. It was a look of hopelessness, of loss.

A few more seconds passed before Braeburn continued in a low voice.

The office was quiet. No one had slept the night before, that much was clear. Most of their nights were spent at the crime scene or at the hospital, getting cleared by doctors. Then there was a trip to the morgue to escort Doc’s body.

In a way it was strange that they had all shown up for work the next day. Yet here they were, gathered in the bullpen, trying not to look at Doc’s empty desk.

“Just send your reports to the District Attorney,” Earp said. His voice was empty and his eyes staring off into space. “They’ll launch an investigation. And the RIS will launch their own. Just send in your reports.”

Earp turned and entered his office.

Daring didn’t quite understand how she was feeling. It was a mix of anger and sadness, but she mostly just felt numb. Like she had no idea how to feel. It was strange, she knew. One of her oldest friends was gone, never to be seen again. She would never hear him laugh or see that twinkle in his eye again, yet she couldn’t feel anything.

In a fit of anger, she slammed her hoof on the desk. “Damn those stupid RIS ponies!” she cursed. “If that dumb stuck-up piece of work hadn’t run off we might have had a chance!”

Braeburn said nothing in response.

“What was he thinking?” she continued. “He knew that any backup he called would take ages to get here!”

Normally Braeburn would have tried to calm her down, but in reality he agreed with her.

Earp stuck his head out of the door. “Daring,” he said in an unenthused warning.

“What? Come on, can’t we all agree that Blueblood should have stuck around and fought instead of running off?”

“Marshal Earp?”

The deputies and Marshal Earp froze at the sound of Marshall’s voice from the door. His brown eyes flicked to the doorway before going back to the group. “The, uh, RIS ponies are here again.”

Daring narrowed her eyes as the ever familiar face of Agent Blueblood appeared. The stallion was attempting to hide behind Agent Twilight, who herself was intently staring at the ground.

The tension in the room was high. Twilight cleared her throat, deciding to speak first. “On behalf of the Royal Investigative Services, we would like to offer our sincerest apologies.”

“Thank you,” Braeburn said in an eerily flat tone. “But apologies don’t change the fact that one of our own is dead.”

Blueblood scowled but remained silent.

Braeburn felt Daring tense up next to him. “Darin’, don’t,” he whispered. “It’s not worth it.”

“Please, is there any way we can help you?” Twilight’s violet eyes flicked between the deputies, desperately attempting to dissolve the tension.

“A pony is dead,” spat Daring. “You’ve done enough.”

“And we said we’re sorry,” replied Blueblood.

Daring took a step forward. Braeburn stuck out a leg, his green eyes pleading with her to stay back.

Whatever the pegasus was feeling earlier, it was being replaced with pure anger. To think this stuck up piece of work had the nerve to show his hide around here, right after what happened?

“Can’t you see this looks just as bad for us as it does for you?” sputtered Blueblood. It probably wasn’t what he meant to say. It definitely could have been worded better, but it was too late.

With a snarl, Daring spread her wings and lept forwards. She charged at him, unsure of what she would do when she reached him. But she never did. Braeburn had somehow reacted faster than her and managed to grab her, pulling her back.

“YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH!” She screamed.

“Daring!”

“DOC’S DEAD! AND IT’S YOUR FAULT!” she pointed a hoof aggressively at Blueblood, who’s eyes went wide in fear.

Around her, some of the other deputies left their desks to stand next to her. Braeburn kept an iron grip on the pegasus, knowing that if he let her go it wouldn’t end well. But his heart was with the others, and he found himself agreeing with every word his old friend spoke.

Twilight looked around the room, sensing a feeling of rising anger. The deputies stood unified, each wearing a disapproving frown or a scowl. She lowered her ears in defeat.

Earp stepped forwards. “I think,” he said in an emotionless voice. “It would be best if you left and never came back.”

With a nod, Twilight turned on her hoof and left quickly. Blueblood blinked and began to follow, but Earp grabbed him for a second. “Brae,” he said while looking at Blueblood. A look of pure malice overcame him. “If you ever see this bastard around here again, don’t hold her back.”

“With pleasure, sir.”

Blueblood had never left a room faster.

Bon Bon’s eyes widened. “That’s… wow.”

Braeburn sighed. “Wasn’t our finest hour, I guess, but that answers your question. After that we stopped getting visits from the RIS. And any agency, for that matter. I guess word got around.”

“I would have hit him for saying that,” Lyra said.

“I think we all would have.” Braeburn replied. “He got reprimanded pretty heavily and lost most of what he had. Is he still in your office?”

Bon Bon shook her head. “No, he resigned a while ago. He’s in politics now or something. But what happened next?”

Braeburn opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Daring.

“I cried.”

Once the agents had left, Earp herded the two into his office. When the office door shut, Earp collapsed in his chair and held his head in his hooves. He didn’t speak for a few seconds.

Daring’s anger began to fade. “Sir? What do we do now?”

“I have no idea,” he said softly. “No FUCKING IDEA!”

Braeburn and Daring flinched. None of them had ever seen the Marshal like this. He slammed his hoof on the desk, knocking papers and pencils aside. His black eyes were burning with an anger they had never seen from him.

“Sir?” started Braeburn.

“Don’t call me that,” Earp said. “I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve it because I’ve failed you, I’ve failed this office, and I’ve failed Doc.”

Before either of them could speak, Earp cut them off.

“You all are my deputies. You’ve placed your trust and your face in my hooves. And I’ve lost it. I couldn’t protect Doc when it was my job to.” He took his badge off of his jacket and set it on his desk. “I don’t think I’m worthy of this badge anymore.”

“Sir, that’s nonsense,” Braeburn interjected. “We knew what we were signin’ up for. Don’t go beating yourself up.”

Earp took a deep breath. “Maybe. But it doesn’t change the fact that someone- no, that my friend died on my watch.” He stood up shakily. “I need to think this through. Plan the next step. You two are the most senior deputies I have now that Doc’s gone. That means I’m leavin’ you two in charge. I don’t know when I’ll be back. But we lost one deputy already, I don’t want to lose anymore. Am I clear?”

“Crystal, sir,” replied Daring.

With another nod, Earp left the office.

The two left silently to find a mostly empty squad room. Daring went over to her desk and took a deep breath. She turned around and bucked her chair as hard as she could, sending it flying across the room. “Fuck, fuck FUCK!” she shouted.

The weight on her shoulders came crashing down around her. Doc was dead. The pony she had joked with, talked with, and drank with was dead. Her friend was dead, and she had watched it happen. She swung her leg, sweeping all sorts of objects off of her desk and sending them crashing to the ground. Then she turned and punched the wall as hard as she could.

“Hey!” Braeburn’s shout barely registered in her mind. She kept punching the wall, fueled by a blind rage. She ignored the pain shooting through her system, too angry to stop. Braeburn wrestled her to the ground. “Dairn’! Stop!”

Then the floodgates opened. She drew a shaky breath and the tears came flooding out. She sobbed, lying on the office floor, helpless to do anything else.

“It’s okay, Dairn’. It’s okay,” Braeburn was saying. She looked up to see that he had tears in her eyes too.

He hugged her, and she hugged him back. She buried her head in his chest and cried, while he rubbed her back and whispered in her ear.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he said absently. They both knew that it wasn’t.

Chapter 10

An odd silence hung in the air after Daring finished her account. “I haven’t cried that hard in a long time,” she remarked softly.

Braeburn just nodded absently. “We, uh… haven’t had to tell that story in a very long time. Nopony’s every bothered to ask, I guess.”

“Well, we’re asking you now,” Lyra ventured. “And I’m really sorry to hear about that. But why didn’t we know about this? I mean, when an RIS agent dies, it’s all over the news. I can’t believe we’ve never heard about this.”

Daring gave her a sad smile. “Because that was the turning point. The point where everything changed. The point where we became a target for everyone’s hatred.”

“Story for another time,” Braeburn said. “We’re gettin’ ahead of ourselves.”

The funeral was mostly a blur. The deputies sat together, dressed in dark suits and ties, with their badges affixed to their chests. A thin black stripe was placed diagonally over the star, signifying the death of a deputy. There were speeches and tears from family members and friends, hugs and words of encouragement.

Daring didn’t remember much of it. She thought she had seen Twilight and Blueblood in the background, but they disappeared before the service ended.

As they left the cemetery, someone absently suggested getting some drinks. Earp had excused himself, but the others obliged. And so they found themselves at Dusty’s, swapping tales of Doc and Earp, doing nothing more than enjoying each other’s company.

A few drinks later, Daring found herself in a booth with Braeburn. The other deputies were sitting around the center of the bar, not looking in their direction.

“This might be the first time I’ve been here without Earp and Doc,” Braeburn noticed, drinking from a bottle.

Daring said nothing. She had at some point taken her badge out, and was staring at the black band that covered it. A mourning band, it was called. Something she had heard about but never dreamed that she would see.

“Darin’? When you charged at Blueblood, what were you going to do to him?”

The pegasus pondered on that for a second. “I dunno.”

“Then why’d you do it?”

“It seemed like something Doc would do.”

Braeburn smiled and raised his glass. “Yeah. I guess it does. Here’s to Doc.”

Daring raised her glass. “To Doc.”

The glasses clinked and the bar fell silent.

At some point, Bon Bon realized that Braeburn had stopped talking. Daring had picked up the story, and instead the stallion was staring off into space, a lost look in his eyes.

That caused her to frown. She knew now why the RIS and the Marshals barely spoke, but something was nagging at her. There was more to this story, she realized. There had to be. She had what she wanted, but she couldn’t quit now.

“Not much happened after that, not for a few months anyways…”

Braeburn didn’t need to look up from his work to feel Daring staring at him. “What is it?” he asked.

Daring hesitated, unsure of how to phrase the question. She decided to abandon caution and just get to the point. “How are you holding up?”

The stallion blinked. He sure hadn’t been expecting that. “What are you talkin’ about?”

“Just, in general. You’ve been, I dunno, quiet lately.”

Braeburn chuckled. “I thought you liked it when I’m quiet.”

“You’ve said three words to me in the past four days.”

The stallion fell silent. “Not well, to answer your question.”

Daring knew what he meant. It had been a few weeks since the death of Doc, but the pain was clearly still there. She sighed, searching for the right words to say to him. “Yeah. Me neither. Know what, I think I need a drink. Care to join me?”

“I think I’d like that.”

Dusty’s was fairly busy, but Braeburn and Daring were able to secure their usual booth, tucked away in the corner. They lay their hats on the desk and threw back a few drinks before they started talking. “You know,” Braeburn stated, “We haven’t been here since the funeral.”

“Hm.” Daring turned her cup around in her hooves. “I think I know why.”

Braeburn took another sip, listening.

“It’s the same reason Earp hasn’t been here since the funeral either.” She waved her hoof around the room. “It reminds him of Doc.”

The answer was simple, but the more Braeburn thought about it, the more it was right. He could almost feel Doc there, sitting at his usual seat by the bar.

“But you know what? I think he’s afraid of it.”

Braeburn was confused. “Afraid of what?”

“Remembering him, I guess,” Daring replied. “Like he’s scared that all of these memories are going to be painful.”

“Can’t blame him,” Braeburn acknowledged. “They kind of are.”

“Yeah, but if we don’t remember him, we’re going to forget him.” The pegasus hesitated but continued. “And I’m saying this because it’s what happened when my dad died.”

Braeburn raised an eyebrow. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine. But when he passed, I wasn’t sure how to feel. I didn’t really want to see anything that reminded me of him. I thought the pain would be too much. But my mom told me that forgetting him wasn’t the same as healing.” She sighed. “Loss doesn’t get any easier though. Each one hurts as much as the last.”

She glanced up to see a strange expression on Braeburn’s face. It seemed to be empathy, mixed with sadness and understanding. “You’ve been through a lot, I take it.”

“More than you could ever imagine.”

Braeburn offered a sad smile. “Then I won’t imagine it.” He offered his cup in a toast.

Daring returned the gesture, the two cups clinking together. The rest of the night passed in silence.

“So what did happen to the Marshal?”

“What didn’t happen to him? Doc was our friend, but he was closer to Earp than anyone else. And Earp didn’t really take the loss all that well,” Daring replied. Her nostalgic tone had faded away and was being replaced by a creeping bitterness.

Lyra was worried. She wondered if it was worth it to keep pushing forwards. It was clear that these stories were more recent, and the pain still present. She wondered if it was too late to turn back.

Daring grumbled to herself, pulling her favorite tan hat down over her eyes. Stupid sun, she thought. Maybe she should invest in some sunglasses.

“I’m worried about Earp,” said Braeburn.

“I didn’t even know he was back,” Daring replied, her eyes finally safe from the sun.

“That’s because he locked himself in the office and didn’t talk to anyone,” Braeburn said. “He told Marshall not to let anyone in, even us.”

The pegasus let out a low ‘hm,’ furrowing her brow. “Why would he do that?” She shook off the thoughts as they came to a stop at yet another wooden building. It was funny, she thought. She had been doing the job for so long that the buildings were starting to look the same.

After a few knocks on the door, a yellow coated mare answered. Daring zoned out for a bit as Braeburn explained that a warrant had been issued and that she needed to come with them.

“No,” the mare protested, trying to back away. “There has to be some mistake.”

“Ma’am-”

The mare suddenly slammed the door. “Ah!” One of Daring’s hooves was in the way, and the pegasus winced in pain. “That’s it!”

Daring shoved the door open, accidentally smacking the mare in the face with it. “Ow!” The mare recoiled in pain and was quickly forced to the ground by the combined efforts of Braeburn and Daring. “Help!”

Outside, some of the neighbors had gathered in the yard. Looks of concern fell upon their faces as they heard the mare’s screams.

Braeburn led her out, having secured her in hoofcuffs. “You alright?”

“Peachy,” Daring hissed. She hobbled out, trying not to put weight on her injured hoof. The neighbors gasped and pointed, eyes wide in shock. Daring was confused until she saw that the mare’s face had a jagged cut from being hit with the door.

“Hey, deputy, can you find some towels or somethin’? She had an accident with the door,” Braeburn called. One of the deputies nodded and dug around in the wagon, coming up with a rag.

“Next time, don’t resist,” Braeburn remarked as he tried to wipe the blood off of her face.

“We didn’t know it at the time, but that would be the case that fucked everything up.”

Bon Bon blinked in surprise. “Why? It sounds like you did everything right?

“Because,” Braeburn cut in, snapping out of his stupor. “We didn’t know it at the time, but things were happenin’ behind the scenes.”

“What kind of things?”

“Politics,” spat Braeburn angrily.

Daring Do knew that something was off the minute she stepped into the office. The first clue that tipped her off was that Marshall wasn’t behind the front desk. The second was that Braeburn wasn’t in the bullpen. However, she could hear loud voices coming from the door of the marshal’s office.

“Land’s sake, Braeburn, what are you? Stupid?”

That was the third clue that something was wrong. It was the voice of Marshal Earp, but she had never heard him use that tone, or call Braeburn stupid.

“Sir, I”m tellin’ you-”

“I don’t care what you’re tellin’ me, Marshall! I don’t care!”

Deciding against her better judgement, Daring went over to the office and timidly knocked on the door. Marshall opened it, his face falling when he saw her. His eyes flicked backwards.

“Is that her? Send her in. Don’t stand there like a cactus.”

Marshall complied, and Daring entered the office. She saw Braeburn slumped in a chair on the right, looking exhausted. He looked up at her with apologetic eyes, his face lacking the usual smile he had when he greeted her in the mornings.

“Deputy,” Earp said from behind his desk. Daring saw the bags under his eyes, but was more concerned about the scowl on his face. “Have a seat.”

She tentatively sat down next to Braeburn, a bit confused. “Sir? Is everything-”

“You will speak when spoken to,” Earp spat out.

That was odd. Any hint of Earp’s normal, easygoing manner had vanished. Earp leaned forward. “Tell me what you did to Sandy Storms.”

Daring blinked. “Who?”

“The mare who slammed the door on you,” muttered Braeburn.

“Uh, why?”

Earp rolled his eyes. “Because she is suing us for excessive use of force.”

The pegasus’s eyes went wide. “What?!”

“She is saying that you slammed her against the wall and shoved her to the ground while pointing a gun at her,” Earp said matter-of-factly. “Her attorney is claiming she is in emotional distress. And she has some injuries to prove it.”

Daring shot out of her seat in anger. “Sir! You’re not believing that crap! I hit her with a door because-”

“I don’t care why you hit her!” Earp’s thundering voice silenced her. “The point is you did! And now we’re in a whole crock of shit!”

An uneasy silence filled the room. “Sir, I-”

“We all have to go to Canterlot for the trial,” Earp said as he stood up. “Just stick to your story and listen to your lawyer and we’ll do fine. Next time be more careful, we can’t afford to deal with this shit. Now get the fuck out of my office.”

Daring opened her mouth, but she couldn’t piece a sentence together. She numbly stood and turned to see Marshall still holding open the door, not meeting her eyes. She glanced at Braeburn to see a strange fire burning in his emerald eyes as he glared at Earp.

A million thoughts were flying through her mind as her hooves guided her out of the office and to her desk. Marshall left after her and shut the door. “Terribly sorry,” he said. “I don’t know what’s gotten into Earp. I’m sure you did the right thing and this will all blow over.”

“S’fine,” Daring heard herself say. She sat down at her desk, staring at the wall. She heard voices from behind the closed door but couldn’t make out the words. The voices rose in volume until the door opened again and Braeburn stormed out.

He took one look at Daring and his gaze softened. He jerked his head in the direction of the conference room. Daring stood and followed him, still trying to process what had just happened.

Chapter 11

“The nerve of him,” Braeburn huffed. He paced the room while Daring sat idly in a chair, facing the map. “He ought to stand up with his deputies, not ridicule them.”

The pegasus said nothing. There were feelings churning inside of her, feelings that she had tried to keep suppressed for years now. Feelings of confusion. Of failure.

She couldn’t have failed, she told herself. She was Daring Do! The best Deputy Marshal in all of Equestria!

Well that was a fat lie, she scoffed. If she truly were the best this wouldn’t have happened.

“Are you listenin’ to me?”

Daring blinked and looked up to see Braeburn standing in front of her.

He sighed, his anger softening. “Hey, I don’t know what’s up with Earp, but it ain’t your fault.”

“It is,” Daring replied. “He’s right. I could have handled that a million other ways.”

Braeburn stomped his hoof and shook his head. “I’m not hearin’ any of this. You did what you needed to do in that moment. We had to arrest her and we did. If she hadn’t tried to resist and slam the door on us, you wouldn’t have had to knock it in her face. You followed the protocol and that’s that.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but Braeburn cut her off again.

“That’s that, Darin’. Don’t beat yourself up over this, okay? The court will rule in your favor, I’m sure of it,” Braeburn said reassuringly. He gave her a confident smile. “Everythin’s going to be okay.”

The pegasus found something reassuring in his smile. It was nice to know that someone believed in her. She returned the smile and nodded. “Okay. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“You ever been to a trail?”

Bon Bon nodded. “Several.”

“Well it’s a whole different experience when you’re the one on trial.” Daring shook her head in disgust. “Everyone’s eyes boring into you, judging you, trying to decide if you’re a monster.”

The Canterlot Courthouse was tall, grand, and amazingly boring in design. There were large paintings hung out in the hallway of very famous and very ugly lawmakers who had long since passed. Daring had plenty of time to take in every excruciating detail as she paced the hallways again and again.

The proceedings dragged on and on, from one day to the next. Daring testified and told her story, standing by her point that she thought the suspect was fleeing and threw open the door to stop her. The prosecutor had drilled her with questions during an intense cross examination that left her unsure of everything, even her own name.

Earp was called to the stand and asked to explain why his officers lacked the body cameras that had become standard issue in the RIS. He explained rather impatiently that he could barely afford enough vests for all of his deputies, let alone whatever newfangled device the RIS was currently using. He then delivered a canned testimony that said he stood by his deputy’s actions.

Braeburn was called by Daring’s defense attorney, and he delivered an admirable speech about how he had worked with Daring for years and trusted everything she did and every judgement she made. He spoke easily and with confidence, sneaking glares at the prosecutor every now and then. He held up find during the cross examination until the prosecution ceded the fight with a
‘No further questions, your honor.’

It brought her a little joy to watch as her defense attorney, a fiery mare in a suit, dismantled the suspect mare’s argument, pointing out plot holes and posing questions to the jury. The court then broke for a recess, leaving Daring pacing the halls of the courthouse.

Braeburn had found her and offered support, but she quickly excused herself, saying she needed to be alone. And that was how she found herself wandering the halls, feeling all the more out of place in her brown jacket and tan Stetson hat, alone in a sea of ponies in suits and ties.

Eventually she settled down on a marble bench, looking down at the polished tiles, holding her hat in her hooves. She sighed remorsefully, taking a second to gather her thoughts.

In truth she couldn’t explain why she was so conflicted. She never had room for doubt in her life. Doubt wasn’t what got her to where she was, she would tell herself. Yet it was there. It had been there during her college years. It had been there when her father passed away.

It was always there, she realized, nagging away in the back of her mind. While on the outside she would act rashly, without worrying about consequences, the doubt was still there. Doubt that she was a faker, a liar, a cheater. A fraud who had lied their way to the top. A liar who had managed to fool her boss into thinking she was amazing, who had fooled herself in thinking that she was above everyone else, but worse of all, who had fooled Braeburn into thinking she was his friend.

She paused. Was that stretching it? They were friends, weren’t they? Was it all built on some sort of terrible lie? She rubbed her chin in thought. The only lie should could think of was that she was a good pony. She wasn’t. She was a fraud, a liar, a cheat, a-

“Excuse me.”

Daring was interrupted from her mental tirade by a low, gravely voice. She looked to her right to see a maroon unicorn in a black suit standing next to her. “Seat taken?”

She blinked and shook her head.

The stallion nodded in appreciation and settled down on the bench. “Thanks.” His amber eyes flicked at the hat in her hooves and a knowing smile came upon his face. “Tough time?”

“You could say that.”

The unicorn let out a low chuckle. “Ah, you’ll be fine. The judge likes your agency, and I don’t think the jury is full of idiots this time.”

“You know about my case?”

“I know a bit about everything. And that’s not a boast, it’s just my job.” He extended a hoof, which Daring shook. “My name is J. Edge Hoofer, Deputy Director of the RIS.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Uh, I’m Deputy Marshal Daring Do, but I guess you knew that already.”

“I’ve known who you are for a while, Miss Do, and I must say you’ve got our attention. Marshal Pinkerton had quite a bit to say about you. He holds you in very high regard.”

“He shouldn’t,” Daring muttered under her breath.

“Well why shouldn’t he? You have a very good record in both offices that you’ve worked at. You seem to be well liked by your co-workers and you have more courage than most of the higher ups in the RIS.”

She scoffed. “Like Blueblood?”

“Blueblood cares about himself and himself only,” Hoofer declared with a dismissive wave of his hoof. “Good riddance to him. I’m glad he left, he wasn’t doing us any good. But I didn’t come here to talk about him.”

“Why are you here then?”

“To talk to you. You see, the director of the RIS is set to retire soon. And if all goes well, that job will soon fall to me.”

“Congratulations,” Daring said, wondering why she was expected to care.

“There’s a lot of ponies out there who wouldn’t mind having the director of the RIS as an ally,” Hoofer said nonchalantly.

“And you’re feeling generous?”

“Possibly. I do want to help you, Miss Do. You have potential. We could use ponies like you in the RIS.”

Daring raised an eyebrow, giving him a sideways glance. “So you came out here to offer me a job?”

“I came here to tell you that the RIS has your back on this one. But trust me when I say that your skills have gotten our attention. You should know that when this all blows over we’d be happy to have you join our ranks.”

The pegasus let out a low chuckle. “I’d think you’d be making this offer to Braeburn. He’s better at this than I am.”

“Oh please, that drunkard?” Hoofer rolled his eyes. “That poor soul wouldn’t last a day. But that’s what you get when you let Earp deputize whoever he wants.”

That statement made Daring frown. “What are you talking about?”

“You don’t know? We’ve had our eye on your office for awhile now. There were some… concerns with the ponies Earp was hoofpicking for his office. The RIS decided to keep some tabs on them. And those concerns were well founded too.” Hoofer shook his head sadly. “I mean he could have picked anyone, and he ended up with a dentist and a drunk farmer. And we offered to run them through our academy, but the idiot insisted he’d train them himself. It was only a matter of time before he lost someone.”

Daring scowled at the last sentence, but something else was bothering her. “Why do you keep saying Brae’s a drunkard?”

“Deputy Marshal Braeburn has had some… problems in the past. Problems that would usually serve as an automatic disqualifier if he applied by traditional methods. He started his fair share of bar fights back in the day. I’m quite sure Earp knew about it too, but what possessed him to give him a badge is beyond me.” Hoofer stood from the bench, cracking his neck. “But that’s that. Please do think about my offer, Miss Do. I think you have too much potential to be wasted on where you are now. Besides, Earp may not be your boss for much longer.”

“What-”

“All I can say is that the good marshal is facing some rather intense pressure to, shall we say, get his house in order.” The unicorn levitated a business card out of his suit jacket and stuck it in the brim of Daring’s Stetson. “But I suppose you have enough to worry about at the moment. The best of luck to you on your case.”

With that, the unicorn nodded, turned, and trotted off down the hall, leaving a very confused Daring behind.

Chapter 12

After an exhausting week, the ordeal was finally over. The jury ruled in their favor, leading to additional charges against the suspect for false accusations. Finally, she was allowed to leave.
She boarded the train, exhausted, and nodded as Earp told her he would stay in the city for a few more days.

She leaned back in her seat, not listening as Braeburn went on about one thing or another. Her thoughts went back to the meeting with Hoofer, and she found herself thinking about what he had said.

He had given him a lot to consider. If Earp was really being scrutinized by the other agencies and the politicians in Canterlot, that explained his short fuse and aggressive behavior. Not that she agreed with it. Leave it to politicians to capitalize off the death of a pony.

But what about Braeburn? She thought about how Hoofer had casually mentioned that he had drinking problems. Several times, in fact.

The pegasus let out a yawn. The proceedings had left her mentally and emotionally exhausted. She didn’t have enough willpower to process everything that Hoofer had thrown at her. “Hey, you can rest easy now,” Braeburn said, breaking up her thoughts. “It’s over now.”

“Yeah,” she whispered. “Yeah, it is.” She closed her eyes and leaned her head against Braeburn’s shoulder. She let out a sigh. “Never again, Brae. Never again.”

The stallion chuckled and fell silent, letting Daring drift off into a much longed for sleep.

The door to the conference room opened, causing all heads to turn. Marshall stuck his head in. “Scuse me, we got a message from Appleoosa.”

Braeburn nodded and stood up, leaving the room.

Daring sighed, stretching her wings. “Hopefully that’s the warrant. Then we can get you two out of here.”

Lyra frowned at that. “What, are you tired of us already?”

“Maybe I am,” replied the pegasus. “After all, you two have been asking quite a lot of questions.”

Lyra was tired. She was tired of being stuck in this small town and being stuck in the conference room, listening to hours on hours of stories. Stories that Bon Bon assured her were important, but she wouldn’t tell her why. She was tired of not knowing, she was tired of being there, and she was tired of Daring’s attitude.

“Look, are you mad at us? Because we had no control over what happened.”

The pegasus raised an eyebrow. “Why would I be mad at you? Not your fault the RIS is piss poor at decision making and agent selection.”

“And what does that mean?”

“Just saying that the RIS has a habit of picking questionable ponies to be their agents.”

Lyra narrowed her eyes. “Oh, you’re one to talk!”

“Lyra,” Bon Bon hissed at her.

Braeburn interrupted by opening the door again. “Heads up, a pony matching the description was found in Appleoosa. Someone named ‘Front Load’ rented an apartment there, but the sheriff’s pretty sure it’s Back Blast.”

Bon Bon had forgotten about Back Blast in the midst of all the information. “Oh, uh, that’s great. Let’s go,” she said as she dragged Lyra out the door.

Once they were out of earshot, Bon Bon gave Lyra a swat on the back. “What happened in there?”

Lyra rolled her eyes. “Bon, I’m sick and tired of this. You might care about all of this shit, but I don’t, and you haven’t given me a reason to.” She headed for the exit, not looking back. “Let’s just find this guy and go home.”

In the conference room, Braeburn glanced strangely at Daring. “You alright? What happened?”

“That unicorn is getting on my nerves,” Daring replied. “She has no reason to be here and she knows it.”

The stallion rolled his eyes. “Well, if we find this pony we can send them home and forget we ever met them.”

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

The walk to the station was an awkward one. Braeburn pointed out some of the sights while Bon Bon nodded along. Daring and Lyra exchanged glares the entire time. When they reached the station, Braeburn flashed his badge at the ticket window attendant, who smiled and gave them four tickets.

The four ended up on the platform, waiting for the train to arrive. “Well, I’m off to the bathroom,” Braeburn said.

“Mind showing me where it’s at,” Lyra asked, eager for a chance to get away from the pegasus.

Bon Bon watched the two leave. She sighed, turning to the pegasus. “I’m sorry about her. She’s just tired.”

“I can tell,” Daring grumbled. “Brae can probably calm her down.”

“I didn’t realize how close you two were,” confessed the mare. She kicked at the platform. “It sounds like you two have really been through a lot.”

Daring took a deep breath, venting her anger. “I guess we have. He was there for my trial, I tried to be there when he went through his… situation.”

Daring had spent a long time thinking about everything Hoofer had told her, while keeping an eye on the mysterious pony. Soon enough it was announced that Hoofer was the new director of the RIS, and Daring watched with amusement as ponies threw themselves at his hoofs to get in his favor.

She kept the card he gave him, which was sitting on her desk, hidden away in a drawer. She spent her days trying to figure out the best way to confront Braeburn, but was never sure exactly how to word her thoughts.

One day, the door to the Marshal’s office slammed open. A very angry deputy by the name of Hot Shot stormed out. He marched right over to Braeburn’s desk.

“What’s up, Shot?”

“Don’t give me that shit,” spat the stallion. Braeburn raised an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

Hot Shot threw a pink slip of paper to the ground. “Earp fuckin’ sacked me!”

Braeburn’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Oh, don’t act like you didn’t know!”

By this time some of the other deputies had gathered around their desk, listening in on the conversation.

“Oh, and how was I supposed to know?”

Hot Shot laughed. “Because I think we all know that you spend your free time suckin’ off Earp!”

Braeburn recoiled in shock. “The fuck does that mean?”

“Come on, Earp fuckin’ loves you! You do whatever the fuck you want and he doesn’t bat an eye!” He swept around the room with his hoof. “And we all know that Earp just chose to conveniently forget the fact that he found you passed out in the streets, drunk off your ass, and-”

Daring suddenly slammed her book shut, reminding Hot Shot and the others that she was there. She slowly stood and turned on him. “Hot Shot. Earp fired you because you’re shit at your job,” she growled in a low voice. “You’re sloppy, you’re lazy, you don’t do your paperwork. You’re careless, you have no care for the safety of others, and you put the lives of your fellow deputies and civilians in danger. You’re here for glory and not for work. You’re pathetic and jealous, and this encounter proves it.”

Hot Shot faltered, taking a step backwards. He recovered with a roll of his eyes. “What fuckin’ ever. I’m gettin’ a drink at Dusty’s. Anyone who doesn’t sleep with Earp is invited.” With a cocky grin, he left the office, a few other deputies following while shooting glares in Braeburn’s direction.

Daring turned back around to see that Braeburn was staring at the ground.

“Hey, conference room,” she said to him. “Let’s talk.”

Daring frowned. “I tried my best, but I’m useless in talking. My strength is in writing, not talking.”

“I think you did a great job,” Bon Bon offered. “”Just look at how Braeburn is now.”

“I guess.”

Daring offered Braeburn a glass of water from the ever-present pitcher. He kindly refused, fiddling with his jacket zipper instead.

With a sigh, the pegasus decided to approach the problem like she always did: head on. “What did Hot Shot mean by all of that?”

Braeburn opened his mouth, thought about it, then closed it again. He took a deep breath and found his voice. “You know that Earp came and hoofpicked me. But I guess you didn’t know what happened before that. I… wasn’t in a great place. Yeah, I had started drinkin’, and I guess I developed an addiction of sorts. Got into stupid fights over stupid things, woke up hungover, sometimes at home and sometimes in jail.”

“And he still picked you,” Daring said.

“Yeah. I guess that’s what he was so mad about. And he’s not alone. I know a lot of people here think that Earp treats me better than he treats them. Funny thing is this is exactly the type of bullshit I wanted to avoid. I never wanted to be treated like I was better than anyone else. Back in Appleoosa, I hated when ponies would say they looked up to me. In my eyes I’m no better than they are.

“I told you about what happened with the wagon. That’s kind of when the drinkin’ started. After the third or so time I found out Silverstar was keepin’ it off my record. I went off on him, even though he was just lookin’ out for a friend. I wanted to be held accountable for myself, not be able to get away with everythin’. So he gave me an alternative: either go to jail or join his posse.”

Daring rubbed her chin in thought. “And then he told Earp about you.”

“Yeah, bless his heart. And I guess it did help me kick my drinkin’ habits a bit. I started usin’ work as my distraction instead of drinkin’. I thought I left that in the past, though. Guess I was wrong.”

“Ponies say shit all the time, Brae. You know this.”

Braeburn sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. They do. I just… I don’t know where Earp and I stand anymore. We used to be friends, but after the trial? I guess he’s not over Doc, but still, that ain’t no excuse.”

“You need to talk to him.”

The stallion looked up, confused. “What do you mean?”

“Look, you have a good history with Earp. You’ve known him longer than I have, and you’re right. He’s not himself, but I don’t think he realizes it.” Daring stood up, patting him on the back. “So let’s talk to him. I’ve got your back.”

Braeburn gave her a smile, some of his confidence returning. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Daring nosed open the door without knocking, as she did for months before the trial.

Earp looked up in surprise before narrowing his eyes at the two. “What?”

Braeburn shut the door and approached the desk. “Earp. We need to talk.”

Daring nodded, taking a seat in the corner of the room.

“You’re not well, Earp. You’ve changed,” Braeburn continued. “You ain’t the same anymore. I just want to know why.”

Earp sighed, rubbing his eyes. “First of all, I heard what happened with Hot Shot. Ain’t anythin’ personal against him, but it’s pretty much what Darin’ said. That, and budget cuts means I gotta let some ponies go.”

Braeburn shrugged. “That wasn’t the question, Earp.”

“I know. I’m just sayin’ that the official reason you won’t get fired is because you and Darin’ are my most senior deputies. Unofficially… you’re my friends.”

“No offense, but it sure don’t feel that way.”

Earp blinked. “I guess I never explained myself. I’m gettin’ a lot of shit from Canterlot. Politicians, other agencies, even some citizen action groups. Fact of the matter is they want me to be a boss first, a friend never. And I’ve been tryin’ to run this office like that, but it ain’t my style. You know this.”

Braeburn sighed. “Right, I understand. If it’s any consolation, I think we’re all still hurtin’. But I get it if you can’t drink with us anymore. Just know that we still got your back, no matter what happens.”

“Thanks. And I’m sorry for the way I handled the trial. I’ll have your backs, no matter what happens.” He nodded at that, smiling. “I won’t lie to you two. Things aren’t going to be easy from here on out. And if you two want to leave, I won’t blame you.”

“We won’t leave, Earp. We still got jobs to do.”

With a nod, Braeburn turned and left the office, Daring following close behind.

Chapter 13

Almost as soon as the door closed, the smile fell from Braeburn’s face.

“What’s wrong,” Daring asked. “You did great!”

“Did I?” Braeburn sighed, kicking at the carpet. “I dunno if I should stay here.”

The pegasus blinked. “What?”

“Hot Shot’s going to say shit. You know he does. How do you think it’s going to look for Earp when reporters find out that he employed someone with a known drinkin’ problem? You heard him, ponies are just itchin’ to find some dirt on him.”

“Brae, enough of that. It’s just talk. Ponies always have been looking for ways to hurt us, and they always will be. You can’t let them break you.”

Braeburn just sighed again. “I don’t know. What if I’m not who Earp thinks I am?”

“Let me stop you right there, because I’ve had those exact same thoughts before,” Daring interjected. “Brae, you’re the kindest pony I’ve ever met. You might not see it in yourself, but you’re a better pony then I could ever be.”

“That’s nonsense. You’ve got the confidence, the skill, and the determination that I never had,” Braeburn replied.

“Let’s agree to disagree then. And face it, I don’t think anyone can see in themselves what others see in them.”

The two shared a laugh. “Well, here’s to tomorrow then, whatever it may bring.”

With a nod, Braeburn trotted off. Daring went back to her desk, seeing the card Hoofer had given her. “Sorry, sir, but I think I’m just fine where I am.” She picked up the card in her mouth and dropped it in the trash can.

[br]

Soon after the story, Braeburn and Lyra returned. The train arrived shortly after, and the four boarded. They were given a car to themselves, as was apparently customary. The ride was mostly silent, with Braeburn and Daring reminding themselves of who they were after and why. Lyra kept stealing glances at Bon Bon, as if to silently ask when they could leave.

“Gotta say, I expected more than this,” Braeburn said aloud. “Granted the crimes are serious, but I think we’ve all seen worse.”

Bon Bon shrugged. “I explained it already. I just wanted to see why our agencies don’t talk much anymore.”

Daring and Braeburn exchanged a glance. It was time, they decided. “Bullshit on that,” Daring declared.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Braeburn gave her a sad smile. “It means we know there’s somethin’ more to this that you’re not tellin’ us. We can see it written all over your face.”

Bon Bon cursed inwardly. Had she been that obvious? Yes, she realized, as she remembered how Lyra had been nagging at her the entire time to tell the truth. Speaking of Lyra, the unicorn wasn’t offering much support to her. She wanted to know as much as they did.

She hesitated, wondering what they would think of her. “Well, the truth is a little… complicated. I guess I’ll just say it outright: my dad was a Deputy Marshal.”

Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise. Nobody knew that, not even Lyra. “Where did he work?”

“He worked in the Northern offices. You probably don’t know him. But you know, he loved his job.” A nostalgic smile fell upon her face as she spoke. “He served for over thirty years, I think. And from the stories he told, I think he loved every second of it. When I was a filly I wanted nothing more than to follow in his hoofsteps. So you can probably imagine how sad I was when I got my cutie mark in confectionary making.

But my dad just smiled and reminded me that being a lawpony isn’t something that everyone’s born into. It takes determination and work, not natural talent or magic.” She looked around the car. “And I think we’re all perfect examples of that. So when I hit the legal age, I applied.”

She sighed, shaking her head. “I’ll never forget finding out that I didn’t make the cut. I didn’t know it at the time, but the Northern Office has the lowest selection rate out of all the offices except for the Canterlot Office. I was so angry, I locked myself in my room and cried for hours.

“My dad said to me later that I should take this as a lesson. A lesson that I shouldn’t take anything in life for granted, because you don’t know what’s going to happen. Nopony does. Anyways, I focused my studies and went to apply again. I still didn’t make it, but I caught the attention of another agency.”

“The RIS,” Lyra guessed.

“Yeah. So I took the job, hoping I could do a lateral transfer someday. But… I guess I just fell in love with the RIS. I don’t know how my dad took it, but I think he was proud of me for finding something I loved doing.” Her smile faltered. “I came here because he died two weeks ago.”

Lyra’s jaw dropped. She knew that Bon Bon had taken some time off due to personal reasons, but she had no idea what had happened. “Bon, I’m so-”

“Sorry, I know. Please, I’ve heard enough condolences for now.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “I… I’ll get over it. I just need time, not apologies.”

Braeburn frowned. “It wasn’t in the line of duty, was it?”

“No, he was retired. He went peacefully in his sleep.” Bon Bon took a deep breath. “But that’s the reason I came out here. I met one of his friends, and he said he was surprised to find out I worked with the RIS. That was the first time I learned that the Marshal’s Office had some sort of grudge against the RIS. I asked him what had happened, but he just said something about the Western Office. I did some digging and found your names, and now here I am.”

“Why didn’t you tell us that to begin with,” Daring asked. “We keep thinking you’re here to fuck us over again.”

“I thought it was stupid,” Bon Bon confessed.

“Ain’t nothin’ stupid about that,” Braeburn replied. “That’s damn admirable. In fact, I think this ‘grudge match’ is settled now. If everyone at the RIS is like you and not like Blueblood, I think we can get along.”

Bon Bon smiled, wiping her face. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Lyra pulled her into a hug. “You should have told me, Bon. Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course, I just… I don’t know, I was afraid you’d say no.”

“I probably would have,” she joked. “But still.”

“That’s enough sentimental shit for me,” Daring replied.

Braeburn chuckled. “Hey, at least it’s a happy endin’. Don’t you think we need one of those, Darin’? ‘Specially after the, uh, thing.”

“I’m leaving for Canterlot tomorrow morning.”

Braeburn blinked at the news. “Why?”

Earp growled. “Pinkerton tells me that those greedy bastards are trying to slash funding to the ground. He needs my help to plead our case. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. You two are in charge until I get back.”

The two nodded, wide eyed and confused. Why were the bureaucrats in Canterlot trying to cut off their funds? Were the firings and pay reductions not enough? They barely had anything as it was.

“Look, public perception of us has gone to shit every since that Blueblood fiasco,” Earp said. “The government thinks this is the perfect time to divert funds to their own pet projects. Not to mention they want to replace me with someone who will blindly agree with whatever they say. But let me worry about that, you two just keep the office running.” With that, he left the office.

“Well, shit,” Braeburn huffed as the two left.

“You’re telling me,” Daring grumbled. “We’re still understaffed and not getting any new recruits. Of course Pinkerton would pull him to Canterlot now.”

Braeburn shot her a surprised look. “What? Pinkerton’s just tryin’ to fight for us, what’s so bad about that?”

“Please,” scoffed Daring. “You really think that talking to politicians is going to save us? Pinkerton’s been talking with politicians all his life. What’s one pony from Dodge frickin’ Junction going to do to change their minds?”

“What do you suggest then? That we should just accept our fate until we’re all outta jobs?”

“At this rate we’re going to be out of jobs no matter what happens,” Daring exclaimed. “What, are you blind? You’ve seen how Earp’s been acting! He hasn’t been the same since Doc bit the dust!”

“You’re not the same either,” Braeburn responded. “Don’t call me blind! Your attitude’s gone to shit, you don’t respect anyone anymore, you don’t listen, you-”

“Oh, I don’t listen? I don’t respect anyone? That’s real rich coming from the guy who just blindly sucks off the marshal every chance he gets! Seriously, fuck Earp and fuck you!”

Anger flashed in the stallion’s emerald eyes. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Darin’, you need to get your head out of your own ass-”

“SHUT UP BRAEBURN!” Daring snarled at him.

The stallion didn’t flinch at the yell but fell silent. The two stared at each other for a few more seconds before Daring spun around and left the room. Braeburn turned in the opposite direction and went into the empty office. The only sound was the slamming of doors.

The pegasus grimaced. “Uh, yeah. Especially after… that.”

Lyra was staring at them, eyebrow cocked. “Wow. Are things really that bad for you guys?”

“They’re worse,” Braeburn lamented. “Last week we had protestors outside the office all day, harassin’ everyone who came and went.”

“Yeah. Earp tried to fight it off, but they cut our funding again. It’s only a matter of time before they bleed us dry,” Daring remarked sadly.

Bon Bon frowned, thinking hard.

“Hey, it’s alright. We made peace with what’s going on a while ago.”

Daring spent the night fuming. “Stupid fucking Braeburn,” she muttered under her breath. She gave up on sleep, her emotions raging like a storm in her mind. “Stupid Earp.”

She could quit. Finally start the archeology career she had longed for. Smile and laugh as the Marshal’s Office slowly fell apart. She could leave it all behind.

No, she suddenly realized. She couldn’t. If she wanted to she would have done it a long time ago. Then why was she still here?

There was a knock at the door. Daring opened it a crack to see Braeburn standing outside. “Darin’. I reckon we need to talk.”

She had half a mind to slam the door in his face, but decided against it. He was right, they did need to talk.

And so they found themselves seated at Daring’s kitchen table. “I was thinkin’ about what you said earlier,” Braeburn said, not meeting her eyes. “And you’re right. Earp’s changed for the worse. He’s a different pony than the one I met years ago.” He paused to rub his eyes. “But I don’t think I’m the same either.”

“None of us are, Braeburn. You were right too, I’ve changed,” Daring said.

“So have I. We all have. Doc’s death hit us harder than we knew. I think it’s just been everythin’.”

Daring just nodded. “I’m sorry about what I said earlier.”

“Hey, I’m sorry too,” Braeburn answered.

The two breathed a sigh of relief, glad they hadn’t ruined their friendship over a stupid argument.

“Brae, I’ve been thinking,” Daring said.

“That’s not good.”

Daring cracked a smile. “Shut up Brae. I’ve been thinking about the job. And how we’ve been doing the same thing for so long, and now everything’s changing. Do you ever feel like you want to just quit?”

“A little bit. I can’t say I haven’t thought about it. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I just left, went back to my farm in Appleoosa. But I can’t bring myself to do it.”

“Me too. It feels like I’ve given too much of myself, you know? And it feels like I owe it to everyone to stay. Especially to Doc. Doc would never have let me quit, and quitting now seems like insulting him.”

Braeburn nodded again. “Right. So we just push forwards. We stay because we tell ourselves we have to. And we just keep sayin’ that things will get better. We might be goin’ down, but damned if we don’t go down fightin’.”

They fell silent for a second, looking out the kitchen window at the empty roads. “Things aren’t getting better though, are they,” Daring sighed.

“I dunno. But honestly? I don’t think so.”

The four ponies found themselves in front of a dusty, rundown building on the outskirts of Appleoosa. It was funny, Bon Bon thought. She had been listening to so many stories in this setting that the house was almost exactly what she expected.

After they arrived, they had met up with Sheriff Silverstar, who gave them a wagon and two deputies, who were currently lounging in the shade, watching them from afar.

“Here we go,” Braeburn said as he trotted up the stairs. He pounded his hoof on the door. “Front Load? Deputy Marshals, we need a word with you!”

There was a shuffling from inside. The door opened, and a ragged, gray coated pony answered the door. The pony pushed his glasses up with his hooves and blinked in surprise.

Braeburn stepped back and looked at Bon Bon expectantly. “Are you Back Blast?” She asked.

The pony’s eyes widened as he saw the letters on the backs of Lyra and Bon Bon’s jackets. Then, he chuckled. “Well. I guess you got me.”

Daring suddenly stepped forwards. “I wouldn’t do that.” She reached out and seized his foreleg.

Bon Bon hadn’t realized that the pony had been slowly raising his hoof towards his coat.

Braeburn stepped forwards and pulled a gun out of the coat pocket. “Nice try.” He then procured a set of hoofcuffs. “You’re under arrest.”

Back Blast just smiled as he was read his rights. The smile unnerved Bon Bon.

“We’ve got him from here,” Braeburn grunted as he and Daring led him away.

“Bon?”

Bon Bon frowned, turning to Lyra. “Something’s not adding up here.” She turned back to the door, nosing it open. “Let’s look around.”

Once inside, Lyra cast a preservation spell to prevent the disturbance of any evidence. Bon Bon glanced around the room, noticing that it was mostly empty except for a single brief case that sat on a rickety desk.

The mare pulled on a set of gloves and opened the case, her eyes widening as she saw the contents. Inside were four different sized knives, as well as a dozen photographs. Each photograph pictured a different pony who was unaware they were being photographed. Bon Bon’s mind worked frantically. Where had she seen these before?

“Bon? What’s up?” Asked Lyra.

“Lyra, look at these. Do they look familiar to you?”

Lyra lifted some of the pictures in her magic and squinted at them. She thought hard for a second. “Wait, yeah. Yeah, we saw these at a briefing. It was… the Ghost of Fillydelphia. A serial killer who left these a picture of his next victim at each crime… scene.”

The realization hit them both at once. “The offical report was that the Ghost was an earth pony,” Bon Bon remembered. “Black or gray coat, wearing glassess… Lyra, did we just catch the Ghost of Fillydelphia?”

“I think we did, Bon.”

Bon Bon smiled widely. The Ghost was number four on the RIS’s Most Wanted List. And to think they caught him all by themselves-

No, not themselves, she remembered. “Come on, we should tell Daring and Braeburn.”

The two exited the house, but paused on the porch. A crowd of ponies had surrounded the wagon, jeering and yelling.

“I bet they don’t even have a warrant!” someone shouted.

“What has Equestria come to, where innocent ponies are being harassed like this!”

“Look at him! He wouldn’t harm a soul!”

“I bet they planted evidence on him! Scoundrels!”

In the center, Daring and Braeburn were ignoring the complaints, instead talking with the deputies, who were only half paying attention.

Whatever joy Bon Bon felt at catching the Ghost were quickly replaced with feelings of anger. “What are they saying? The Ghost killed a dozen ponies!”

Lyra just gave a sad shrug. “I dunno. Ponies will be ponies, I guess.”

“I can’t imagine going through that every day,” Bon Bon said, her anger fading.

“Well, not like there’s much we can do.”

“Actually, maybe there is,” Bon Bon said, a plan forming in her head.

Chapter 14

“You know, for somepony who’s special skill is finding things-”

“Shut up Braeburn! Don’t you dare finish that sentence.”

“-It sure is funny that we’re lost.”

Daring glared at him. Braeburn just laughed. The two stuck out amongst the Canterlot crowd, dressed in their matching brown jackets and hats. Ponies shot them odd glances every now and then, but nopony actually confronted them.

“Didn’t you used to live here? How do you not know the way?”

Daring huffed in annoyance. “I didn’t frequent this area, idiot, and it’s not like this is Appleoosa, where everyone knows everyone and their cousin.”

Braeburn just grinned at her.

“Wipe that stupid grin off your face before I hit you,” Daring spat.

Abruptly, the two rounded a corner to see a massive crowd in front of a tall building. There was chattering and the clicking of cameras.

“Press conference?” Braeburn guessed.

“I think we’re here,” Daring noted, pointing at the letters ‘RIS’ emblazoned on the top of the building.

Before either pony could move, a familiar mint green unicorn tore through the crowd frantically. “Where have you been?! We’re about to start!”

“Someone decided they just had to visit the museum before we came,” Braeburn said, earning a punch in the shoulder. “But what do you mean ‘about to start?’”

“Never mind that,” Lyra said as she shoved the two towards the front. A podium had been set up in the center, with press ponies surrounding it expectantly. “Just stand to the side and look pretty.”

Suddenly, Braeburn and Daring found themselves standing on the right side of the podium, facing the crowd of reporters. Lyra then went to the left side of the podium, and Bon Bon trotted behind it. The crowd got quiet as she began to speak.

“Thank you all for being here. I’m Special Agent Sweetie Drops with the Royal Investigative Service,” the mare began. “About two weeks ago, the RIS began investigating a pony by the name of Back Blast, on accusations that he had physically abused his wife. Before we were able to apprehend him, he fled the city. The RIS then coordinated with the Western Division of the Marshal’s Office and arrested Mr. Blast in the city of Appleoosa.”

She paused as the reporters frantically scribbled down notes. Braeburn and Daring shifted uncomfortably, blinking every time a camera flash went off.

“Upon searching the house Mr. Blast was residing in, we discovered that Mr. Blast was actually the pony known as the Ghost of Fillydelphia. From there, Mr. Blast was transferred here where he currently awaits trial.”

Having reached the end of her rehearsed script, Bon Bon glanced to the left, where Lyra gave her an encouraging smile.

“But none of this would have been possible without the help of the Marshal’s Office. In particular, we’d like to recognize Deputies Braeburn Apple and Daring Do, not only for their assistance in their case, but for their service to Equestria.”

Both deputies blinked in surprise. When Bon Bon asked them to come to Canterlot, they hadn’t been expecting this.

The crowd stomped their hooves in appreciation.

“For a few years now, the RIS and the Marshal’s Office have mostly worked separately,” Bon Bon continued. “But in modern times this can not be the case. There needs to be communication and teamwork, because there are problems that no single agency is equipped to resolve. That is why we have created the first ever cross-agency task force. This Special Task Force will include myself, Special Agent Lyra Heartstrings, and Deputies Apple and Do. Our mission will be to not only investigate crimes and find the individuals responsible, but to further the safety of both Canterlot and the western cities. Please defer all questions to Senior Special Agent Twilight Sparkle.”

Bon Bon then stepped aside as the purple unicorn took to the podium. Twilight gave a nod and a smile at the two before turning to the crowd and taking the first question.

Lyra made eye contact with Braeburn and jerked her head to the building. The four then climbed the stairs and entered the lobby, where Bon Bon’s business like attitude quickly vanished. “Where were you guys? You almost missed it!”

“We took the scenic route,” Daring quickly interjected before Braeburn could answer. “But what’s all this about a task force?”

Bon Bon blushed and kicked the ground. “I, uh, was going to explain it to you before the conference, but you guys were late so… Um, anyways, I was just thinking about your guys’s situation and was wondering how we could help. So I asked Twilight if it was possible to set up a task force or something between our two agencies, so we could help you out and stuff, and she pulled some strings and-”

“She just wants to see you guys more,” Lyra said, rolling her eyes. “Although I can’t imagine why.”

Braeburn blinked. “Wait, so this means we’ll be workin’ together? And everyone’s okay with this?”

“Twilight has more connections than you would believe,” Lyra explained. “She got Hoofer’s approval, Earp’s approval, hay, I think she even went and got the Princess’s approval.”

“I know it’s not much,” Bon Bon said. “But I hope it’s a start. Maybe we can try and fix everything.”

Braeburn opened his mouth, but words didn’t come out.

Daring rolled her eyes at her friend’s speechlessness. “You know what? It sounds like a great idea.”

The four newfound friends then exchanged smiles. The conference outside continued, but none of them really cared. Suddenly, the future was looking a lot brighter for everyone.

Epilogue

Senior Special Agent Twilight Sparkle frowned as she read the report for the umpteenth time. The frown on her face deepened every time she read it. “Honestly, what was the Princess thinking,” she asked aloud. “Ponyville? It’d be much safer to hold the celebration… well, anywhere else! Except maybe Detrot…”

There was a soft knocking at the door. “Hey, Twi? Bon Bon wants to see you.”

Twilight dropped the paper from her magic, stretching. “Thanks, Spike, send her in.”

Soon, the creme colored mare trotted in, still wearing her suit coat from the conference. “Hey, Twi.”

“Hey, Bon! Great job with those statements, you might have changed some minds out there.”

Bon Bon laughed. “I doubt it. You know how those press ponies are.”

“I guess I do,” replied Twilight with a knowing smile. “What can I do for you?”

“I just wanted to thank you for getting the task force approved so quickly.”

Twilight nodded. “Of course, it really wasn’t that big of a deal. Being Celestia’s student has its benefits I suppose.”

Bon Bon raised an eyebrow at that, but Twilight continued before she could ask.

“But I really should be thanking you. I don’t know how I didn’t think of this sooner. Think of the options! We can form task forces with the Royal Guards, the Secret Service… Oh, and I think the Marshal’s Office is in dire need of new equipment.”

“They need a lot of things,” Bon Bon confessed, “more than we can give them.”

Twilight gave a sad sigh. “I know. I’ve felt bad about that whole mess from all those years ago, but I guess life got in the way. This job really does take a lot out of you.” She leaned forwards. “But did you do the report?”

Bon Bon nodded, sliding a folder across the desk. “Here it is. Everything that happened, as they told it.” She hesitated before letting go. “This isn’t going public, right?”

“Of course not,” Twilight agreed. “I’ll be the only one who reads it. And maybe the Princess too.”

Bon Bon raised an eyebrow again but didn’t say anything. She nodded and let go of the folder. Twilight grabbed it in her magic and slid it into one of her saddlebags tucked away under her desk.

“But really, you did a great job. I think you helped them heal too, and you made new friends!”

The mare rolled her eyes. “I guess so. Hey, Lyra and I were going to get some drinks after this. Did you want to come?”

“Sorry, I’m needed in Ponyville tomorrow. I have to monitor security for the upcoming festival.”

“You think something’s going to happen?”

Twilight shook her head. “Probably not, but it always pays to be careful. But if something does happen, you guys will be the first ponies I call.”

Bon Bon nodded and stood. She turned to leave the office. ‘What’s the worst that could happen,’ she thought to herself. ‘Nightmare Moon returning?’ She laughed at the thought.

The stars above Canterlot shone as brightly as they usually did, but it felt dimmer to Daring. She sighed, her eyes skimming the constellations high above her. She stood on the balcony of their rented hotel room, looking out at the streets below and the skies above. She lay her forehooves over the balcony and gave a wistful sigh.

The door behind her slid open. She ventured a glance behind her to see Braeburn step out, not wearing a vest, hat, or jacket. He nodded at her, moving next to her.

“Stars aren’t as bright out here,” she said aloud.

Braeburn copied her position, slinging his forehooves over the railing. “Reckon not.”

They fell silent for another second. “Well, what do you think? About everything?”

“I dunno, Darin’. I dunno. Is it wrong to say that things might change?”

She laughed. “Things are always changing, Braeburn.”

“Right. But are they gettin’ better?”

She didn’t answer, but he didn’t expect her to.

“Well, there’s always more work to do,” Braeburn said.

“Nopony said we’re the ones who have to do it,” Daring retorted.

He shrugged. “But here we are.”

Daring draped her right wing over Braeburn’s back. “Yeah. Here we are.”

Braeburn smiled and leaned his head against Daring’s neck. He closed his eyes and sighed again. “If it gets worse, or even if it gets better, at least we’re here.”

“Ah, shut up you big lug,” Daring replied. “Let’s just enjoy tonight while it lasts.”

“Amen to that.”

The two fell silent as they breathed in the night, as feelings and memories flew around them. And they stood, with a bond formed by years and years, by the best of times and the worst of times, by emotions and pride, unwavering and unbroken.

Chapter 7

Braeburn paused to take a drink from his canteen. “Poor fool. Can’t imagine what’d happen to this pony if we don’t find him soon,” he said.

“Hey, Brae, just curious. What if I’ve got to use the little filly’s room?”

“You go dig a hole somewhere and I look in the other direction.”

Daring rolled her eyes, wiping some sweat from her brow. “Figured as much. Why would he run without any supplies?”

“Scared, probably.” The stallion scanned the horizon with his eyes, noticing something ahead of them. “Is that the wagon wreck you were talking about earlier?”

“Yeah. Didn’t look like anypony was there though.”

Within a few minutes, they approached the wreck of the old wagon. The wagon was covered in layers of dust and sand, half buried in the sand. Only one broken wheel was still attached to it. The body of the wagon was broken and riddled with holes, suggesting that it had been there for some time.

“Bullet holes,” Braeburn observed, kneeling by the wreck.

“You’re kidding,” replied the pegasus dryly.

The stallion just rolled his eyes. “Looks like they got hit by bandits. We had a real problem with them years ago. Some of the cattle ranchers that pass through these parts still run into them. All the more reason to carry a gun, I reckon.”

Daring was about to move on when she noticed a strange look in Braeburn’s eyes. He hesitated, still standing near the wrecked carriage. “Brae? You good?”

Braeburn snapped back to reality. “Uh, yeah. Fine.” He trotted past her, moving at a faster pace, as if eager to get away from the wreck.

The pegasus was caught off guard and had to move quickly to catch up. “What’s up?”

“Nothin’,” he hastily replied.

Daring raised an eyebrow, sensing that he was lying. “Brae, if something’s bothering you-”

He stopped again, almost causing Daring to crash into him. Braeburn dropped his head down and took a deep, shaky breath. “Okay! It is somethin’. Just…. I haven’t talked about this in years.”

The pegasus went to his side and draped her wing across his body. Braeburn tensed at the contact. “That bad?”

“Yeah. Yeah, pretty bad.” With another deep breath, he continued. “Years ago, back when Appleoosa was first gettin’ started, we had problems. Tons of ‘em. Back when the railway was still under construction we had to depend on wagon convoys to move our supplies around. Wasn’t far from Dodge, but still. Ponies quickly figured out that it was quick and easy to rob them.

“The first time it happened I don’t think anyone was ready. There were rumors and whatnot, and Silverstar urged the transporters to carry guns, but they didn’t listen. So one day a convoy didn’t come in at all. The tow was gettin’ antsy without those supplies, so the next day I set out by myself to look for them. What I found wasn’t pretty.”

Braeburn drew a deep breath again, his head still down.

“All the wagons were busted up, just like that one. Filled with bullet holes, turned on their sides, all the supplies stolen. But it was the bodies.” He shuddered at the word. “Dead. All of them. Had to be at least six of them. I knew half by name. And there they were, lyin’ in the red sand. Oh, Celestia, and the vultures… It had been a day, but those bastards couldn’t wait. I threw up right there and cried for a good bit.”

Daring opened her mouth to say something, but Braeburn kept talking.

“What got me was the quiet. After I composed myself, I realized how quiet it was. There wasn’t a sole around. Just six ponies who would never make another sound ever again. I stayed there for an hour before I went back to town to break the news. That night, when I couldn’t sleep. It was too damn quiet. And in the quiet all I saw were those broken, lifeless eyes scattered around me.”

A single tear fell down his cheek.

“Sometimes, at night, when it’s quiet, I find myself there again. Alone, in the desert, with bodies and vultures around me.”

Braeburn felt a hoof on his shoulder. “Hey, it’s alright. That’s horrifying, nobody should have to see that,” Daring said softly.

“I don’t like it when it’s quiet. I guess that’s why I just keep talkin’.”

The pegasus chuckled softly. “Yeah? Wish you told me before, I would’ve let you talk as long as you needed to.”

With a chuckle, Braeburn wiped the tears from his eyes. “Didn’t mean to get this emotional about it. Just wasn’t expectin’ to have those memories surface again.”

Daring retracted her wing, and the two set off again.

“But seriously,” Braeburn said aloud, “Thanks for puttin’ up with me.”

The smile on Daring’s face faltered a bit. “Uh, yeah.” She hesitated before continuing. He told me his story, she reasoned. I owe him mine. “Listen, I, uh, want to apologize.”

“What for?”

It was her turn to look at the sand now. “Look, I know I’m not the most outgoing of ponies. I’m just used to being on my own, I guess.”

“Yeah?”

Daring kicked at the sand. “Yeah. Back in Canterlot, a lot of the other deputies weren’t… the brightest. Or the bravest. A ton were in it for the glory. I had a friend there who got paired with another deputy when they went to take a call. It got ugly and they started fighting. They beat him up pretty badly while his partner just ran away.”

“Damn. He get canned?”

“Yeah, but that kind of shook me. Made me wonder how I was supposed to depend on others, put my life in their hooves. It made me mad, you know? I started complaining to Pinkerton, telling him to get rid of those ponies. Made a lot of people mad. Then I heard rumors going around that they were trying to get me fired. That’s when I lost hope, I guess. I asked for a transfer and ended up here.”

Braeburn shot her a sympathetic look. “Damn, that’s hash.”

“I guess I learned to live with. Just by relying on myself and myself only. I thought it’d be safer that way too, you know? Not having to worry about anyone else getting hurt because of me. Not having to put my trust in somepony that I couldn’t count on.”

The two continued in silence. “Do you trust me?”

Daring looked from the ground to the pony next to her. She gave him a small smile. “You know what? I think I do.”

He returned the smile. “I trust you too.”

“Aw, look at us. The heat’s making us all sappy. Let’s find the guy before we end up falling in love or something.”

Braeburn laughed. “Wouldn’t you like that?”

“Ah, shut up Braeburn.”

Their conversation tailed off after that, with Daring taking to the skies every now and then to see what she could see. It wasn’t long before she spied another wrecked wagon. She had scarcely made out its shattered form, laying in heaps and pieces, buried in the sand. But something seemed off about it. The pegasus narrowed her eyes, making out a strange shape among the wreck.

She descended a bit to where Braeburn could hear her. “Brae! There’s a wagon wreck up ahead! I’m going to check it out!”

Braeburn nodded, and Daring flew off. In a few seconds she had closed the distance and approached the wreck. It looked the same as the other one they had seen, laying half buried and forgotten in the lone and level sands. But something was still off.

It was the slight discoloration that caught her eye. A bit of orange sticking out in a sea of yellow sands. “Brae! I found him!”

From somewhere behind her Braeburn picked up his pace. Daring ignored him for a second, shrugging off her saddlebags. The form of an orange pony lay, covered in sand and dust, unmoving. He lay in the remains of the carriage, seeking any shelter from the ruthless heat that surrounded him.

Daring took his pulse with one hoof while rummaging in her bag with her free hoof. “Hey? Can you hear me? Hello?”

The stallion’s eyes slowly opened, dazed and unfocused. He gasped, trying to sit up. Daring held him down with one hoof. “W-wha-”

“Stay down.” She pulled one of several canteens from her bag and held it to his mouth. “Drink.”

As the pony graciously accepted the water, Daring’s training kicked in and she quickly ran her hooves along the pony’s body in search of weapons, noticing the intense heat that radiated from him.

“Holy horseapples, you found him,” Braeburn exclaimed as he arrived behind her.

“Yeah, but he’s not looking too good,” Daring muttered.

“I’m with you there.” Braeburn unslung his bags and removed a small towel and a water canteen, pouring some water on the towel. “Here, put this on his forehead.” He then removed a set of hoofcuffs.

“Are those necessary? I don’t think he’s going to be running anytime soon,” Daring grumbled.

Braeburn sighed. “I know, but protocol is protocol.” He went about securing the stallion’s hooves. “You checked him already, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Great. Let’s get this thing set up and get him out of the heat.” Braeburn pulled out a folded up tent from the bags. It was officially called a ‘Emergency Heat and Sun Resistor’ but was really just an over glorified tent. “Keep an eye on him,” Braeburn instructed.

The pony in question groaned, moving the empty canteen away from his lips. “Th… Thank you,” he gasped.

“I wouldn’t thank me yet,” Daring replied, holding up her badge. “You’re still under arrest.”

The pony blinked, then gave a weak shrug. “Better than being dead.”

Daring offered him a small, sad smile. “Why’d you run?”

“I was scared,” he replied. “And probably stupid. Heh, never thought I’d be saved by a browncoat.”

“Browncoat?”

“Yeah. Your jacket. It’s brown,” the pony explained.

“All done!” Braeburn shouted from the tent.

“Come on,” Daring said as she extended a hoof. “Let’s get you in the shade.”

Soon, they had the stallion lying down in the sand, underneath a piece of cloth held up by four metal poles. (It was the latest technology four years ago, Doc had assured them.)

“You went soft on him,” Braeburn observed. The two stood in between the tent and the wagon, with the suspect stallion lying on his side and recovering.

Daring scoffed. “He ran because he was scared. He’s not wanted for murder or anything. He just made a mistake.”

“He’ll still have to pay for it,” Braeburn noted. “Runnin’ from the law ain’t an easy charge. But that ain’t the point. I’m usually the one tryin’ to tell him it’s gonna be alright.”

“And what does that imply? That I’m the one who doesn’t give a shit and kicks them while they’re down?”

“Course not,” he replied with a cocky smile. “It must be the heat.”

“Speaking of the heat, let’s say we get out of it, yes?”

Braeburn nodded and went over to the saddlebags. He took the flare gun in his hoof, then opened another bag with several colored flares in it. “Let’s see. We got him, we’re not in need of immediate backup, nopony is dead, and he definitely has heatstroke.” He selected the green flare and loaded it into the gun.

“Someday somebody will make something where we just push a button and they’ll know all of that,” Daring grumbled as she fanned herself with her hat.

“Maybe,” Braeburn replied. He raised his hoof and fired. The green colored flare soared high, high into the air, flying way above their heads.

The conference room fell silent. At some point Daring had ducked out of the room to give instructions to the other deputies, leaving Braeburn to tell the story. As he finished, he had fallen silent, staring off into space with a strange smile on his face.

Lyra shifted in her seat, uncomfortable. Bon Bon knew that even if Lyra found these stories mildly interesting, she was getting bored. It was their second day now, and they were no closer to answering the question they had set out to answer.

Which begged the question: why was he starting with the beginning? Wouldn’t it be easier to just tell them exactly what happened? Bon Bon wasn’t sure. It didn’t feel like he was hiding something, in fact he had been nothing but open the entire time.

“But I digress, I guess. That was a long time ago.” He stood from the desk, and for a second Bon Bon panicked.

“Come on,” she thought. “Keep him talking. Ask him a question.” Then something occurred to her. “Where’s Doc?”

The question made Braeburn freeze. The more she thought about her outburst, the more Bon Bon realized that it was actually a good question. So far, everyone else was accounted for: Marshall, Braeburn, and Daring were still there and Earp was in Canterlot. So where was Doc?

But Braeburn didn’t answer the question, even as a memory ran through his head.

“I don’t mean to be rude, Doc, but don’t you have anythin’ better to be doin’ now?”

Doc snapped his gaze from the apple trees growing around him to shoot Braeburn an offended glare. “What’s that supposed to mean? Don’t you enjoy my company?”

Braeburn rolled his eyes, keeping his brisk pace down the orchard path. “Don’t you think we spend enough time together already? Couldn’t you just let me enjoy my one day off?”

“If this is what you do on your day off, then I just might,” Doc replied. “Really, I thought you’d be doing anything else but this.”

“You sayin’ this is a waste of time?” Doc flinched at the gruff voice from behind them. Sheriff Silverstar had been glaring a hole in his backside the entire walk.

“Of course not, Sheriff. What Brae does with his time ain’t none of my business,” he quickly said.

The group stopped in front of an older tree. Large wooden buckets had already been set up around it, empty and waiting. “Watch and learn, gents,” Braeburn declared as he trotted up to the trunk.

He turned around and gave the tree a powerful buck. The tree shook at the impact, and several dozen apples dropped out and landed in the buckets. However, one much larger and much more surprised object also came crashing out of the tree with a yelp.

Sheriff Silverstar glared at the stunned object on the ground. “Damnit, D.C, don’t you ever learn?”

The object, a brown coated red maned pegasus, shakily stood up. “Mornin’, Brae.”

“Mornin, D.C. If you could kindly get on out of my orchard, that’d be lovely.”

D.C blinked. “This ain’t even your orchard any more, Brae!”

“It ain’t yours either, and I’ve told you what’d happen if I caught you nappin’ in my- these trees again.”

D.C. looked at the sheriff and considered flying away, before realizing the sheriff knew exactly where he lived. With a dramatic roll of his eyes, he trotted off, the sheriff following closely behind him.

“Quite a show,” mused Doc as he watched the pegasus defend his actions.

“No surprises there, this is his favorite tree.” Braeburn had moved to the next tree and was setting up to buck again. “You got places to be? Or do you just wanna watch me work?”

“You ain’t in no place to criticize what I do in my time off. I mean, look at you. You take a day off work and what do you do? You go and do more work.”

Braeburn paused, musing over Doc’s words. “Reckon that’s right.” He bucked the next tree, smiling at the sound of apples landing in the buckets.

“Why?”

He responded to the question with a shrug. “Because there’s work to be done, and I might as well do it.”

Doc watched as his friend bucked a few more trees. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand that.”

“Nah, you’re far too lazy too,” Braeburn shot back playfully.

“Brae, I’m tryin’ to have a heart to heart here. Can you not insult me for five seconds?”

“I can try,”

Doc huffed in annoyance but continued. “Hear me out, ya big lug. I’m just tryin’ to understand you a bit better, there a crime in that?”

That made Braeburn pause. “What’s there not to understand?”

“Well, you work all the time like I said. Ponies that do that usually have somethin’ they wanna prove, but as far as I can tell you ain’t got anythin’ to prove with anyone. Now I first thought you were just tryin’ show up Darin’ by puttin’ in more work than her, but now you two are closer and I ain’t so sure.”

“Now listen here, Doc. I’m not tryin’ to prove anythin’ to anyone. Fact of the matter is that if there’s work that needs to be done, I’ll step up and do it.” Braeburn wasn’t sure why spite was creeping into his voice. But he felt the need to defend himself for some reason, as if Doc was accusing him of slacking off.

Doc held up a hoof. “I ain’t accusin’ you of doin’ nothin’. I’m just worried you’re gonna burn yourself out. Just reachin’ out, friend to friend.”

Braeburn took a deep breath, calming himself. “You’re right. Dunno why I’m gettin’ so riled up over this. Thanks for checkin’ up on me Doc, but I’m fine. Really.”

“You know, Darin’s been worried about you.”

“Well she’s a filthy liar and you know it,” Braeburn spat back. “Now if you’re going to be here you might as well work. You ever buck a tree before?”

Doc backed away. “On second thought, I got things to do. See you around, kid.”

“Yeah, see you, Doc.”

“Doc’s… not here right now.” Braeburn suddenly stood, heading for the door.

“Wait, what do you mean by that?”

“I mean he ain’t here,” Braeburn snapped back. “Excuse me, I need to check on somethin’.”

With that, Braeburn left the conference room without another word, leaving behind two confused mares.

With a huff of annoyance, he shook off the memory. He crossed the bullpen, giving a smile and nod to some of the other deputies who passed him. Eventually, he found Daring sitting at her desk, pouring over some papers. Her ear twitched as she heard his hoofsteps behind him. “What’s up?’

Braeburn took a deep breath, feeling a pang of regret at leaving the two so abruptly. “I think I might know what those two are gettin’ at. They asked me about Doc.”

The pegasus flinched at the mention of the name.

Daring hummed to herself as she entered the living room of her comfy apartment. She settled down on the sofa, eager to get back into her reading before a slight noise made her ear twitch.

Oh, right. She had a guest. “You can sit, if you want,” she said.

“Thanks,” Doc replied as he uneasily entered. “Bit cold in here.”

“Just the way I like it,” replied Daring as she eased herself back onto the couch.

Doc Holliday looked around the room, taking it in. There were several bookshelves around the room, each one crammed with novels and books as well as other memorabilia. The books ranged from reference guides to fantasy novels, and Doc spotted some odd items like a pickaxe, small sculptures of famous figures, and a white pith helmet lying on the coffee table.

“Kind of pictured you the type to live in one of them fancy cloud houses,” Doc noted.

“So I’m a hooves-on mare, sue me. What’d you need to talk about,” asked the pegasus nonchalantly.

“Just had a few questions, I guess,” Doc replied. “About you, about why you chose to come down here of all places.”

Daring frowned. “I’ve answered those questions before, Doc.”

“I know, just hear me out. I’ve been doin’ some thinkin’ lately and I realized I still don’t know all that much about you.”

The pegasus rolled her eyes. “Alright then. Hi, my name is Daring Do, I’m a pegasus, born and raised in Canterlot. Let’s see, I joined the Marshal’s Office after college, double majored in History and Archeology-”

“See, that right there is what I don’t get,” Doc cut in. “You’re a very clever pony, Darin’. Much smarter than I could ever be. So what made you come out here?

“Well… I mean, I told all that stuff about my dad. But I guess it’s just…” she paused, searching for words. “Like, this is my dream, you know? To go out into the unknown and find what time forgot. But I never thought I’d be able to go do it. That’s what makes it a dream, you know? The fact that it’s unattainable.”

Doc rubbed his mustache. “Never thought of it like that.”

“I dunno. Also, going out and actually doing what I’ve dreamed of doing… it means letting go of a lot of what I’ve got. Taking a big leap off into the unknown. Dealing with the darker side that you don’t think about.”

“Sounds to me you’ve talked yourself out of it,” Doc said. “Kind of happened to me when I quit my dental practice.”

Daring shrugged. “Maybe I have. I wouldn’t be the first. But coming out here was a step in the unknown for me. I guess I’m putting off my dreams because I want them to stay dreams, not become nightmares or some stupid shit. And coming out here’s changed me a bit. I’ve always known that if I set out to be an adventurer, I’d be doing it alone. But after spending more time than I’d like with you idiot, I don’t remember what it’s like having alone time.”

“I can take the hint. You want me to leave, I’ll leave,” grumbled Doc as he stood up. “But Braeburn’s been worried about you, you know. He thinks you’re closin’ yourself off to us.”

The pegasus laughed. “Brae doesn’t know what he’s talkin’ about. Don’t listen to a word he says.”

“Right. See ya ‘round.”

“Get outta my house, Doc.”

“Why do they care what happened to Doc?”

Braeburn shrugged. “I dunno. They’ve been pushing us in that direction though. We should have known it’d come up eventually.”

Daring sighed, rubbing her face with her hooves. “Typical RIS. Always trying to fuck us somehow.”

“Look, we have to decide right now if this is somethin’ we’re willin’ to dive into. These are old wounds, Darin’, are we ready to rip off this bandage?”

The pegasus paused, her eyes sweeping over the many photos that decorated her desk. “Honestly? I don’t know. But if it shows those two how badly their agency fucked us up, then I guess we should.”