CHAPTER 8

I'm back, everypony! And I come bearing the gift of another chapter. I'm sure you will all like this one. I do realize that this story is a bit shorter than some of the other cases Drake and crew have worked on, but not all of their adventures will be twenty and thirty chapter fics. This one is unique as well, in that the case itself is only part of the entire plot, if you've followed so far. In a way, it's easier for Drake to solve a baffling criminal case than it is for him to come to terms with certain elements of his own past. Being in the old frontier somewhat forces him to face down some of those demons that he's carried with him since the events of Volume 2. So with that said, I'll let you get to the story now. Do enjoy, and please review

The three of us crept into the mine after nightfall, but we didn't go with empty hooves. Besides my saber, I also carried a pick, as did Dashie. Budder on the other hoof was wearing a white bedsheet from one of the bunks, with a mining helmet on her head. In her mouth, she held the lantern we had created. We had found a red glass bottle, from which I had broken off the bottom, and rigged it to one of the lanterns. Now, the lamp gave off a creepy red glow that made my sister's costume even more macabre. Now prepared to catch the criminals, we put my plan into motion. We had already closed off the air vent, plugging the hole in the wall that the rats were using to get in and out. This left them only one exit, and that was the idea.

"Sis, you wait here with the red lantern." I explained. "Me and Dashie are gonna scare the wits out of those wannabe ghosts. When they come through here, trying to get out of the mine, do your best impression of a big spooky ghost, and chase them back our way. By the time they get to me, they'll be too mortified to put up a fight, and we'll arrest 'em, and get this thing over with already. Sound good?" My sister pulled the sheet up off of her head and looked at me a moment.

"Mortified?" She asked. "What does that mean?"

"Ugh. Scared." I simplified the plan for her. "Just be...scary...you know, like how you always are."

"Heehee. Gotcha." Budder grinned evilly.

"And be careful, okay?" I added. She smiled.

"I'll be okay bub. I gotta be. For you."

"Love you, sis." I said, and kissed her on the forehead.

"Love you too bubby." She smiled. "You guys be careful too."

"Oh, we don't have to be careful..." I grinned. "We're ghooOOoooosssts. OOOoooOOO..."

Dash and I turned our oil lanterns down low, and walked deep into the mine, until we came to the passage that led off of the main tunnel. I paused and perked up my ears. Sure enough, I could hear the criminals still working away far off in the shaft. Fortunately, they were still unaware that they weren't alone on the jobsite. I nodded to Dashie, and my marefriend nodded back. The illegal miners were about to get what was coming to them. In spades.

I took my position about fifteen yards beyond the tunnel where the criminals were working, blissfully unaware of what was about to befall them. Dashie and I shared our traditional good luck kiss before my marefiend moved on, about fifty yards down the shaft. The mine was a perfect conduit for carrying sound, and from where I was, I could hear the faint sound of a pick, and the abrasive tell of a shovel working in the side tunnel. I waved my lantern, and a few seconds later, I saw Dash's go out. I then flipped up the globe of my own light, and blew out the flame. We needed to work in absolute darkness, and without the lanterns, I found myself in a darkness I had never known before. I had to feel for the wall, and pat around on the ground for my pick. I found the instrument, and got myself ready for the most creative ruse I had ever used in case.

I took a deep breath, ready to set our conspiracy into motion. I swung the pick, striking the wall repeatedly, sending off a sharp 'clink...clink...clink' that echoed through the tunnels. After a few seconds, I paused. That was my signal. After a moment of silence, I heard Dashie start with her pick. The sound of the metal point of the tool against the stone wall reverberated through the mine. The sound of work in the tunnel stopped, and so did we. We waited for a few minutes, and the two ponies resumed their excavation, probably after convincing themselves their ears had been playing tricks on them. Again, I started hitting the stone wall of the tunnel with my pick. The sound of the working stopped again. Now, the criminals were bound to be sure that they had heard somepony else down here. I stopped and waited. From far down in the shaft, Dashie hit the wall four times with her pick and stopped. Alright. Now, we just had to wait.

Sure enough, after a few minutes, I heard voices coming from the side shaft. The two culprits had gotten spooked, and tried to make good their getaway, but had found their little escape tunnel blocked, and were coming our way, just as planned. I backed away further into the main tunnel, well beyond the scope of their lanterns, and into position for stage two of my plan. I finally heard them enter the main mine shaft, and saw the soft glow of their lanterns from the distance.

"I told you to shore up that tunnel." One of them said.

"I did, I swear!" The other one argued. "I dunno what could've happened."

"Well shut up and come on. I'm telling you I heard somepony down here. We got some ore out tonight, and that'll have to do." The first one stated. Now was the time for Dashie to play her part.

"OOOooooooOOOOOoOoOOooo." A ghastly moan sounded from far back in the mine.

"What was that?! You hear that?" The second pony called out.

"Yeah...I told you somepony else was down here." His companion replied. I saw the dancing of the light on the walls of the mine as the two stallions looked around. My turn.

"DiiIIIiiIIIiiiieEEEEeeeeeee..." I growled.

"Who said that?!" The first stallion called. "Who's down here?! This is private property!"

"WaaaaooooOOOOooooooo..." Rainbow Dash moaned in the blackness. I then heard her pick strike the wall several times. Nice touch, sweetheart.

"It's ghosts...it's ghosts Brick! We gotta get out of here!"

"W...we only m...made up all that ghosts stuff, remember?" The first one stammered.

"Let's go...we...we'll come back later..."

"Yeah, alright..." I heard the first one say nervously. As they started for the entrance, I hit the wall twice with my pick, paused, and then hit it twice again, the signal for my marefriend to move up. A few seconds later, she was standing next to me in the darkness. I nudged her, a signal for us to follow. We silently pursued the culprits, closing the gap between us, but still staying in the darkness, out of reach of the light of their lanterns. It was my sister's turn now, and I knew she would not disappoint.

Budder's POV, Taken from her autobiography

I heard all the noise my brother and Dash were making, and I knew they had to be scaring the heck out of the criminals. I also knew that it wouldn't be long before it was up to me to really put some fear into the two fake ghosts that were scaring everypony away from the mine. I lit the small carbide lamp on my mining helmet, and turned the flame down low. A few minutes later, I heard two voices coming my way. I adjusted my ghost costume, and took the red lantern in my hoof. Ready to be an evil ghost, I started down into the mine.

"Come on, I'm not messin around with no ghosts!" I heard somepony say.

"I'm telling you, it ain't ghosts..." Another voice said. "There ain't no ghosts...I mean...is there?" At that moment, the two stallions came around a bend in the mine, and there I was, standing there like a ghoul, the red light from my lantern making me look even scarier.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed, and ran at the two stallions. For the first time in my life, I heard a grown stallion scream like a filly. They both almost fell over, and started running for their lives, screaming with every breath.

End Budder's POV

I heard the terrified screams of the criminals ahead, and knew that my sister had done her job well. The pair of panicked ponies were coming my way, and Dash and I pressed ourselves up against the walls on each side of the mine. We didn't have to lie in wait for our quarry long. As soon as the two came barreling toward us, we jumped out in front of them, I with my sword drawn, Dashie holding up a lantern turned up brightly.

"STOP!" I yelled. The two stallions cried out and halted so abruptly that they actually tripped over one another, and fell flat on the floor of the mine. They lay there, terror-stricken for a few moments, then one of them finally looked up at me and Dash. He narrowed his eyes.

"Wha...you ain't no ghost." He said.

"Nope. I'm a detective." I answered. "And you're both under arrest."

"Yeah, sure...whatever..." The criminal replied. "Just get me the hell out of this mine. It's haunted!"

"Come on now, you two don't believe in ghosts, do you?" I asked mockingly. I nudged Dashie, and she snickered.

"Yeah, laugh it up lawdog. We just got chased by a damned ghost!"

"Hey, I take offense to that." I remarked. "That damned ghost is my sister."

"What..."

"Hey sis, come on out!" I called.

"Boo!" Budder exclaimed, popping out from behind a timber, the sheet wrapped around her shoulders like a cloak, and a big grin on her face.

"Aw damnit..." The more talkative criminal growled. "We done got hoorahed by a couple of cops and a little filly in a bedsheet!"

So ends chapter 8. This had to be the most out-of-the-box strategy Drake has ever used to catch a criminal yet. What did you all think? We still don't know why the two stallions were scaring everypony off though. Much will be revealed soon, I promise. I will try to have the next chapter up late tonight or early tomorrow afternoon. Depends on how long the energy drinks hold out. Heheh. Until next chapter, please review, and thanks for reading everypony!