None of Appleoosa knew of the discussion that occurred between Braeburn and Prince Blueblood within the hotel suite.  Braeburn himself mentioned it to no one, and Blueblood didn’t leave the hotel for a few days after his arrival.  Braeburn received no response from Blueblood or the military pegasi that came with him, and neither did the pegasi ever come near Braeburn’s farm.  As for the deeds, Braeburn kept them hidden, ready to pull them out whenever the time arose yet never in the most obvious place.  For all he knew, Blueblood was trying to think of a way he could use his position to get the deeds from him.

If that was Blueblood’s plan he didn’t show it.  What was seen was a larger amount of the dark grey pegasi appearing around town.  First there was the four that came with Blueblood on the train.  Over the following three days, eight more pegasi arrived.  Two always stayed at the hotel, but the other ten started walking around town, scanning the whole of Appleoosa, from the red rock ridges that looked over Braeburn’s property to the hills just north of town to the river that flowed by the town.

A few pegasi tried to enter Braeburn’s farm once.  They flew overhead and started looking around the orchard.  Braeburn had been out in the barn and was heading in for lunch when he saw the two pegasi flying over his orchard and shouted to them: “Hey!  You’re over private property, and that means private airspace!”

One of the guards snorted and called back to Braeburn “Says who?”

“Says the pony who holds the deed to the town, that’s who!” Braeburn said.  “At this stage, I have more power over you than your prince does!  So either get off my turf or I’ll make you!”

“You’re just an earth pony!” the guard called as Braeburn ran inside.  “Aw… little earth pony is afraid of battling the pegasi.  Little earth pony thinks he can fight us when he can’t even… is that a gun!?”

Braeburn fired the revolver into the air, creating a loud bang! that caused the pegasi to jump in the air a few feet.  “I’d take that back if I were you,” Braeburn said.  “With this little thing, it’s now an even fight.”  The pegasi flew away in a set of grey blurs before Braeburn could even take the chance to aim the revolver at them.

After Prince Blueblood had been in town a few days, he showed up at Braeburn’s farmhouse.  The stallion watched him walk up from behind the curtains in the kitchen, watching as the unicorn faded into view coming in from the town and past the barbed-wire fence.  With him was the jet-black pegasus Captain, walking alongside him with a lance under his wing.  Braeburn could see them through the curtains as they walked up to the door and the pegasus knocked on the door three times with the butt of his lance.

“Are you sure he’s home at this time?” the pegasus Captain asked.

“That was what the residents were saying,” Blueblood said.

“They could say whatever they wanted, sir,” the Captain replied, turning to face Blueblood.  “Residents of small towns don’t take kindly to those that come from the big cities.”

“Dodge Junction didn’t at first, either.  If we ever manage to get the mine started, the ponies here at Appleoosa will change their mind, too.”

“But what do you make of what this Braeburn said earlier about their being former residents of Dodge Junction being here in Appleoosa?”

“I wager it was a bluff.”  Blueblood whirled around to face the Captain and slammed his hoof on the porch as Braeburn opened the front door.  “He thinks he can bluff royalty?”

“You have to watch out, sir,” the Captain said as Braeburn put a straw in his mouth and leaned against the doorframe.  “You know how people in these towns can get.  They’ll look like they’re weak and defenseless, but the moment you turn your back on them, they will stab you in the back then kick you while they’re down.”

“That’s only because you’ll do it to us if we don’t act first,” Braeburn quipped.

Blueblood and the jet-black pegasus whirled around to see Braeburn calmly chewing on a piece of straw in his mouth.  Blueblood’s jaw had dropped while the pegasus’ eyes were wide and the pupils were nearly pinpricks.  Eventually, Blueblood put a hoof to his mouth and coughed into it a few times before speaking.

“Might I ask how long you’ve been standing there?”

“Not very,” Braeburn said, putting on a smile for the both of them.  “Welcome, Your Majesty.”

Blueblood didn’t return the formality.  “I’ve come to see if you’re willing to discuss more about the deeds for Appleoosa and Dodge Junction that you were telling me about yesterday.”

“It’d be a pleasure,” Braeburn said.  “Can I get you two gentleponies something to drink?  A glass of cider, perhaps?”

“I’d rather not,” Blueblood said.  “It might be… I don’t know… poisoned with how you treated me yesterday.”

“If you’re willing to treat me fairly,” Braeburn replied, “I’m willing to treat you as an honored guest in this household.”

Blueblood flicked to get a piece of his golden mane off his forehead.  “Very well,” he said.  “Lead us in.”

Braeburn nodded and opened the door the rest of the way to let Blueblood and Captain Lancer into the house.  Once inside, Braeburn took the two to the kitchen where he pulled the deeds from their hiding place and poured three glasses of cider from a keg in his kitchen, passing one to Blueblood and Lancer as he invited them to sit down at the table.  The two ponies sat down but initially didn’t drink any of it.  Braeburn took a few sips of his own then tipped his glass towards Blueblood and Lancer as though inviting them to drink.  Only then did Blueblood taste it, but Lancer didn’t have any.

“Well, I know you two aren’t here for a drink of cider,” Braeburn said.

“No,” Blueblood said.  He opened his mouth as he looked at the cider, but put the cider down and sighed and didn’t speak for a while.  “I came to talk about your deed.”

Braeburn adjusted his hat.  “I suspected as much.”  He motioned to the jet-black pegasus with Blueblood, who was unaware that Braeburn had listened in to his conversation.  “Who is this pegasus?  Every time I see you, he isn’t far behind.”

Blueblood motioned to the pegasus with a hoof.  “This is Captain Lancer,” he said.  “He’s a member of the royal guard under my jurisdiction, and happens to be the military leader and second command to me.”

Braeburn nodded.  “Sleekest pegasus I’ve ever seen.”

“We’re not here for flattery,” Lancer said flatly.  “Quit skirting around the issue.”

“Now, Lancer,” Blueblood said, placing a hoof to the pegasus’ chest.  “We’re not here to force ourselves upon this farmer.”  Blueblood set his hooves on the table.  “All I want to do is talk.  About you, about the deed, and about your land.”

Braeburn finished his own mug of cider and looked over to Blueblood.  “You’re the one that came here wanting to know about the deed.  I’ll simply answer the questions you have for me.  Whatever you want to know about the deed, ask me.  Otherwise, I shall say something.”

“I am the prince of Equestria,” Blueblood said.

“As far as I’m concerned, in name only,” Braeburn fired back.

“That’s what you think,” Blueblood said.  “I still need you to comply with my requests.  No matter what you think, you are not the one with the upper hoof here.”

“You wanted a conversation,” Braeburn said.  “If I’m the one speaking, it’s simply a lecture or dissertation.  Ask me questions, tell me what you want to know, and I can answer them for you.”

Blueblood gritted his teeth.  “Fine then.  Let’s begin with the deed for Dodge Junction.  How exactly did your father come to receive the deed?”

“At the time, most of the desert region was unexplored because ponies didn’t ever have the guts to explore it,” Braeburn said.  “My father, Baldwin Apple, managed to build a community on one of the fertile patches he found when he was looking for a new place to live.  Eventually, he built up the city of Dodge Junction.  It grew when ponies realized that things in the desert could be used for profit, like certain conditions to grow crops or the appearance of a few mineral deposits.  It grew profitable and soon gathered into a small town.  It was then that my father had a talk with Princess Celestia.  Celestia declared my father to be the leader of the town and that he and his descendants were the ones who could tame the land, and so handed him the deed for the land to mark it as his, though he always obeyed the order of the Princess.”

“How did you come about receiving the deed for Dodge Junction?”

“A few years after starting the town, my father came down with an illness.  My mother soon came down with the same illness and sent me and the deed to live with my cousin Applejack in Ponyville, where the deed came into the possession of my grandmother Granny Smith since I wasn’t of age and didn’t even have my cutie mark yet.  When I came of age, I came out here and started Appleoosa. I started it much the same way my father started Dodge Junction, and received the deed for Appleoosa in the same way.  A few months ago, however, Granny Smith died and ended up leaving me the deed for Dodge Junction in her will, since I was the heir to the deed originally.”

“So, the deeds are signed by the Princess?”

“Princess Celestia signed both of them.  At the signing of both the deeds, Princess Luna had not yet returned to power after her thousand years as Nightmare Moon, yet both are perfectly legal if you were to speak with either princess.”

Blueblood nodded.  “I bet you’re wondering why I’m here in Appleoosa, especially considering your backwards town is hardly up to speed.”

“I think I know why,” Braeburn said.  “But I’ll let you explain for me.”

“I received reports about gold stores found here on your property,” Blueblood said.  “The Equestrian government has relied on gold for many things, including the minting of bits, the creation of jewelry and other adornments, and even sometimes as a magical conduit.  That’s—”

“A channel,” Braeburn said.  “I might be an earth pony, but I know a thing or two about magic and how it behaves.”

Blueblood raised an eyebrow and his originally emotionless expression became a smirk.  “You’re more intelligent than you look, Mister Braeburn.  Anyways, the various reasons I explained are nothing compared to the fact that Equestria needs money to run the government and make sure that everything runs smoothly all over the land.  Gold is the primary store of wealth the Equestrian government has.”

“As if it doesn’t have enough?” Braeburn asked.  “I’ve neither seen nor heard of any reason that the Equestrian government would run out of funding when it takes in as much revenue as it does from taxes every year.”

“Gold is not just used inside of Equestria,” Blueblood said.  “It is also used as a bargaining tool.  It is used to make compromises and trades with other states and other kingdoms.  Equestria is not alone on this planet, Braeburn, and we need to keep ourselves at peace with those around us.  Gold is one of the ways we make peace.  It becomes an offering of fellowship and an item of appeasement.”

“You could do without one vein,” Braeburn said.  “Why do you need mine?”

“For all the reasons I just explained,” Blueblood replied.  “Simple transactions, yet necessary to keep Equestria running as it should.”

“That doesn’t explain the purpose of my vein,” Braeburn said.  “It seems to me that things are running quite fine and the government has plenty of funds if it was able to create a new board within the past few years that it hasn’t needed for at least a thousand years.”

Blueblood sat there for a moment before responding, the smirk on his face now gone and a look of worry in its place.  “Whether or not it needs it is not the issue here.  I’ll get straight to the point, Mister Braeburn: I would like you to sell both of the deeds to me.  If you sell me the deeds, I’ll make sure you have a nice home and are cared for by the Equestrian government, living in the lap of luxury.”

“I am happiest with my farm to tend,” Braeburn said.

“We can always move the farm,” Blueblood replied.

“There isn’t another fertile area around here,” Braeburn said.  “And I’d prefer to stick by Appleoosa, around which this is the only plot of land that can support the orchard of my size.”

“There must be something else we can do to help smooth this transaction out.”

“I’ll give you something: I don’t want what happened in Dodge Junction to happen here.  I know what happened over there.  I’ve heard about the division between the residents that were there originally and the group you brought in from elsewhere – how they took over the town and ran some of the residents out.  The town’s likely gone into debt from having to pay you back.”

“It’s not as bad as you think…”

“But it is.  If you were to build a mine here, you’d not only shunt me – the most prosperous farmer here – off my property, but you’d place the land in debt through a combination of not being able to sell as much and having to help pay for all the costs of construction.  Not only that, with me gone, we wouldn’t have as much food grown on our own.  We’d have to bring in food from elsewhere just to make it by, and that’d put us in more debt from the cost of bringing it in.  I can’t sell you the deed, Blueblood, and I can’t let you build a mine on my property.  Now, if you would so kindly, I would like you to get your hooves off my property, as the privacy laws are still in effect.”

Blueblood didn’t move.  “I’m a high-ranking government official.  You can’t tell me what to do.”

“Need I remind you those deeds are signed by Princess Celestia.  If you were to try and take my land or start building on my property without my permission – which I’m not giving to you – I could write a letter to her and you’d be in hot water so fast you’d wonder what happened.”

Blueblood laughed.  “That’s big talk for a small farmer.”

Braeburn looked at Blueblood.  “How far are you willing to push me, Prince Blueblood?”

Blueblood started laughing even harder.  “You’re threatening me again?  Oh, how rich!  Lancer, look at this pipsqueak, thinking he can talk back to royalty and government!”  And Captain Lancer started laughing along with Blueblood.

Braeburn huffed and walked off to his room, Blueblood and Captain Lancer still laughing uproariously at him.  He went to the gun stand on his shelves and pulled off the revolver.  Bringing it over to the kitchen, Braeburn took aim just over Captain Lancer’s shoulder and fired, causing there to be a loud bang followed by the shattering of glass.  Cider exploded out of the still-full mug and soaked the jet-black pegasus, causing the laughter to stop immediately.  Blueblood turned around with a disbelieving look on his face and looked from Braeburn to the revolver then back.

“…you’re serious?” Blueblood said.

“I would shoot you right now,” Braeburn said, “but I’m opposed to violence if I can avoid it.  So, for now, I’d appreciate it if you left the premises and quit bothering me about having my deed.  I’m not interested in selling it.”

Blueblood motioned for Captain Lancer to go on ahead of him and watched as the pegasus left the house.  Blueblood himself got up from the table and walked out the door after the pegasus, but turned around while he was still on the porch and looked at Braeburn.

“There are more ways to pay for a deed than just gold, Mister Braeburn” Blueblood said quietly.  “And I’ll take whatever payment I can get.”

“There are more poisonous things than a drugged cider,” Braeburn said darkly.  “And there are worse ways to be hurt than by a gunshot.”

Blueblood sighed.  “You disappoint me.  I thought we could be friends, what with an intelligence that seems higher than the others in this town.  But it seems I was wrong.  Good day, Braeburn.  I’ll come back to take my payment in due time.”  And he turned back around and left.

Braeburn closed the door and watched Blueblood leave from the kitchen window.

A few days later, Braeburn found himself going to the train station after receiving a letter that Applejack and Twilight were coming back into town.  It had been a long time since the two had come to visit him and Braeburn was looking forward to another visit from them, especially after the talk he had with Blueblood.  Braeburn looked eagerly for the train to come, waiting with anticipation then excitement as a line of smoke appeared on the horizon.

The train came up and slowed down as it entered the station, the engine stopping near where Braeburn was waiting.  Braeburn walked to the coach opening behind the engine and watched as two familiar ponies stepped out, an orange mare with a Stetson similar to Braeburn’s and a purple alicorn mare with a white gold and amethyst pendant around her neck.  As soon as she caught sight of Braeburn, the purple mare ran up to him and threw her forelegs around him in a hug.

“Braeburn!” Twilight shouted.

“It’s good to see you too, Twilight,” Braeburn said.

“She’s done nothin’ but talk about you ever since I mentioned I was headin’ out this way,” Applejack said.  “I figured it wouldn’t hurt to take her along with.”

“You have any particular reason for coming out here?” Braeburn asked as he and Twilight let go and the three started walking along the road through Appleoosa.

“Not really,” Applejack said.  “Just that I got to thinkin’ about what you said the last time I came down after Granny Smith died.  Other than the reunions, we never really get around to talkin’ much.  I mean, the last time I really came down to speak with you about anything was seven years ago during the conflict with the buffalo.”

“Yeah,” Braeburn agreed.  “I wish I wasn’t such a stranger, but with the conditions here, it’s hard to do much outside of Appleoosa.  I need to start digging the trenches for the flood waters soon to make sure the land stays fertile.”

Not a word more was said until the three returned to Braeburn’s farmhouse.  It was late into the evening and Braeburn made a simple salad for them to eat paired with a loaf of fresh-baked bread from the market.  It was over dinner when Applejack finally spoke.

“What’s with the barbed-wire fence?  Are the buffalo givin’ you trouble again?”

Braeburn sighed.  “You know Prince Blueblood, by any chance?”

“He gave Rarity a tough time at the Gala a few years back,” Applejack mentioned.

“He was adopted into the royalty once he showed promise in magic and in bureaucratic order, neatness, and efficiency,” Twilight said.  “However, he’s also either lazy or disconnected, and is simultaneously considered indispensable and a thorn in their side.”

“He’s being a thorn lately,” Braeburn said.  “That’s part of the reason, at least.”

“What’s been going on?” Twilight asked.

“During the harvest season, I had a few prospectors come through.  I let them search a little while for gold, but they went crazy and started digging up my orchard.  I built the wall to keep them out; the only way they could enter was the way I could see them from.”

“What does that have to do with Blueblood, though?”

“Blueblood’s come through Dodge Junction lately and built a mine there.  But he hasn’t exactly been reasonable; half the town belongs to Blueblood due to some Land Management Committee he’s using to take over the land to control the mine.  In addition, he’s got some guard under him that’s been terrorizing the town to make things go their way as if they own the place.  From the sounds of it, he intends to do the same here.”

“Is there anythin’ you can do to stop him?” Applejack asked.

“I own the deeds for both here and Dodge Junction,” Braeburn said, “after the one for Dodge Junction was given to me in the will.  Both are signed by Princess Celestia, so logically Blueblood shouldn’t be able to do anything.  However, he’s trying to buy it off me.”

“Are you gonna let him?”

“Of course not!”  Braeburn pounded a hoof on the table.  “I intend to keep things the way they are!  Blueblood building the mine here would mean I’d be shunted off my land, and Appleoosa would go into debt from the mine and needing to bring food from elsewhere.  And then there’s the fact that the guard oppresses those who don’t like it, so those who don’t want it can stay how they are but are going to be pushed around anyway.”

“I’d say ‘that doesn’t sound good’,” Applejack said, “but I have a feelin’ that would be statin’ the obvious.”

“When’s he supposed to ask about the payment again?” Twilight asked.

“He came around a few days ago,” Braeburn said.  “He said he would come back later to try and discuss it again, but I haven’t seen him or any of his guard around here lately.  I don’t think he’ll be giving up any time soon, though.”

It was dark outside when Braeburn finished speaking, the sky a deep dark blue and a large, white, full moon shining overhead lighting up the house and the apple orchards.  In the distance, the lights of Appleoosa started to slowly fade and die away as the town went to sleep, but still Braeburn’s household stayed lit as the three ponies continued talking amongst themselves.

It was Twilight who noticed something different about the sky outside that night.

“What’s that shape in front of the moon?”

Braeburn and Applejack both turned in the direction of the window to see what Twilight was now pointing at.  There was a vaguely pony-like grey shape in front of the moon, though it appeared to have a large pointed rod sticking up from it.  Eventually the rod lowered and the point seemed to be headed in the direction of Braeburn’s farmhouse.

“Oh, no…” Braeburn said.

Applejack looked at Braeburn.  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.

Braeburn turned around and looked at the two.  “Get to the center of the house.  Back away from the window.  Now!”

“Braeburn!” Twilight said, voice shaking as she got out of her chair and started backing away.  “What are you—”

Twilight’s question was cut off by her screaming.  A large spear crashed through the window and landed right where the alicorn had been sitting.  A second one soon followed it and slammed on the table, firmly lodging it in the wood.  Braeburn ushered Applejack and Twilight out as a third spear crashed through the other window facing the front porch.

“Get to the center hallway!” Braeburn shouted.

The three ponies dashed off for the hallway and huddled in a pile there as more spears crashed through the windows.

“What the hay is going on!?” Applejack shouted.

“It must be Blueblood’s orderlies,” Braeburn shouted back.  “I knew he was pissed when I said I wouldn’t take the deal.  I didn’t think it would be this bad, though!”

“Bit of an overreaction, don’t you think?” Applejack asked.

After a while, the flood of spears stopped.  The kitchen windows were broken, as was a window in the living room.  Spears were scattered around the kitchen and living room and a few had landed at the entrance of the hallway.  Braeburn and the others remained huddled in the hallway, hiding from the pegasi outside.

After a moment of silence, there came a growling voice from outside.  “Braeburn Apple!  This is Captain Lancer of the Royal Guard!  We need you to come out here and follow us to Prince Blueblood to talk about the conditions under which you will surrender the deed!”

“If Blueblood wanted to talk,” Braeburn shouted back, “why didn’t he just come over here and talk himself instead of sending you!?”

“Prince Blueblood doesn’t have time to spend messing with you!”

“He certainly does if he sent you out in the dead of night!”

“That’s enough!  You have one last chance.  If you don’t come out in five seconds, I’ll have my soldiers continue their assault!”

Braeburn got up from the pile in the hallway.

“Don’t do it…” Twilight pleaded.

“Twilight’s right,” Applejack said.  “You can’t go out there.  It ain’t gonna mean anything but bad news if you do.”

“I never said anything about complying,” Braeburn said.

Twilight and Applejack watched as Braeburn went into his bedroom and loaded the revolver, pocketing a few extra bullets in his pockets.  Braeburn eventually walked back into the kitchen, spinning the revolver’s chamber as he did.  Braeburn pointed the revolver barrel at the broken window as Applejack and Twilight nervously peeked around the corner.

“If you want me to talk to Blueblood,” Braeburn said, “you’re going to have to have to bring Blueblood to talk to me.  Otherwise, I’m not going.  So, either you bring Blueblood here, or I fire at you, and I can tell you that a bullet is faster than a lance.”

There was a long moment of silence, and Braeburn could only imagine that Captain Lancer was actually thinking.

“There’s also a princess in here,” Braeburn shouted.  “Princess Twilight Sparkle is here with me.  If you do something to hurt her, I’m sure that Celestia would be completely willing to send all of you either into prison or to banishment.”

There was another long silence.

“I still don’t hear a response!” Braeburn shouted

The grey shape in front of the moon raised its lance to point upwards, then pointed it back down again.  As quickly as he could, Braeburn flipped the kitchen table over and ducked behind it as more spears came through the window.  A large amount hit the table and bounced off, and others went around to either side.  One came close to Braeburn and ended up scratching his foreleg.

“Keep throwing!” Capain Lancer barked.  “Don’t hurt the Princess inside, just attack Braeburn as ordered!”

When Braeburn noticed a break in the onslaught, he quickly picked himself up over the table and fired the revolver out the window.  He delivered three quick shots; none hit, but suddenly there was a frantic and confused shouting from outside as the pegasi stopped throwing to try and regroup themselves.

“Don’t flitter about you fools!” Captain Lancer shouted.  “Stand firm and keep throwing!”

Braeburn ducked as another volley of lances entered the kitchen.  Applejack and Twilight hid themselves in the hallway again as a few lances struck the front door and caused it to rattle on its hinges.  After the volley, Braeburn picked himself back up over the table and fired a few more shots, and this time one hit.  The dark night outside was suddenly stained red as one of the pegasi spiraled and flailed towards the ground below, eventually landing just inside the barbed-wire fence surrounding Braeburn’s property.

“Retreat!” Captain Lancer ordered.  “Forget trying to get the lances!  We’ll come back later!”  And the jet black pegasus started leading his squadron away from the farmhouse, leaving the one pegasus screaming out in pain.

Braeburn walked outside the house, Applejack and Twilight following cautiously behind, and up to the pegasus.  The feathers on his left wing were bent and broken, and a very clear hole could be seen from where the bullet had landed and hit the bone in the pegasus’ wing. The wing was bleeding profusely, and he was scratched in multiple places on his right side were scratched up from hitting the barbed-wire fence.

Braeburn turned around to Applejack.  “Call the hospital.”

Applejack nodded and galloped back off towards the house as Braeburn turned back around to face the pegasus.  “Why did you and the others attack me and vandalize my household?”

“Ugh…” the pegasus groaned in pain.  “Blue… Blueblood ordered us to.”

“Why did he order you to attack me?”

“He… he wanted you dead.  He… he said if he could kill you the deeds for Appleoosa and Dodge Junction could be transferred over to him.”

Braeburn put the revolver to the pegasus’ throat.  Twilight gasped behind Braeburn, but the stallion hadn’t done anything.  Yet.  He tapped the revolver barrel against the pegasus’ chin.  “I’m not going to kill you.  However, if I ever see you coming around here again with the intent to attack me, my family, or my friends again, I will not hesitate to put a bullet straight through your skull.”

Braeburn pulled the trigger while the gun was pointed at the pegasus’ throat.  Twilight gasped against and the pegasus flinched, but all the gun did was give a little click, leaving the pegasus a shivering, whimpering wreck.

Braeburn holstered the revolver.  “The paramedics are on their way.”

Braeburn and Twilight stayed outside of the farmhouse until the paramedics arrived and took the pegasus away.  No one in Braeburn’s house got any sleep that night, gathering up the thrown lances and bundling them up before locking them away in Braeburn’s cellar under the barn.

Next Chapter: Chapter 12 - The Oncoming Storm Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 23 Minutes