Twilight slammed the ancient book closed, jolting Celestia's attention away from the legal forms she was asked to go over at the beginning of the day that Luna had been unable to. The young alicorn still wasn't completely used to doing a majority of the ruling, but now was not the time to fuss over such things.

It was almost eleven in the morning, and the studious young unicorn had practiced and repeated the mantra since late the previous night when she finally managed to piece together the final of the six lines. After being able to speak the words without looking at them several times, she was completely confident in her ability to perform the spell. She made a mental note to occasionally say the verses again after they began the second part of their mission, just to keep the words fresh in her mind.

"Done. I've got it down."

The Princess set the scrolls and quill down on her nightstand and walked up to her student, putting a congratulatory hoof on her shoulder.

"Excellent work, Twilight. Now, we must find a trinket of some kind that Pinkie Pie would have held dear to her."

"First place to look would be Sugarcube Corner. I just hope the Cakes haven't gotten rid of her things yet," she said, her ears drooping.

"Then we must make haste. But first, we need to return this book to its chamber. As I said before, I don't want to risk it falling into the wrong hooves," Celestia said, taking the tome with her magic and escorting it back to the archives. Nodding, Twilight rose and joined her teacher.

Silverstar laid on the bench in his holding cell, his back to the bars. A few hours ago, his deputy found him laying on the floor beside the body of one of his best friends. As much as Dusty didn't want to do it, he had no other choice but to slap the cuffs on him and lock him away for questioning once they moved Chief Thunderhooves corpse from the building.

Seeing the once proud tribe leader being carted out of the sheriff's office missing a chunk of his head made the morning hangovers of the citizens who were just waking up and getting their days started completely disappear. Once again, the Appleloosans and the buffalo herd came together, but not for celebrating. All everypony could do was ask 'Why?'. Those who saw the pair drunkenly step inside the station saw them leaning on each other for support while others mentioned how they were laughing, most likely thanks to some jokes and stories brought on by alcohol, through the streets during the last leg of the party.

Everything Dusty asked Silverstar was met with a response that nopony found satisfactory. Talk of how he found the buffalo shrieking on the floor and fighting a ghost or something was making Silverstar sound like he had suddenly gone mad. After going over the doors and windows, as well as leaving everything where it lay so as not to disturb the crime scene, there was nothing to indicate that somepony had broken in with the intent to murder Thunderhooves. Not only that, why leave Silverstar alive? None of it made any sense.

The only thing that anypony could come up with was that, for whatever reason, Silverstar attacked Thunderhooves, there was a struggle, and the sheriff came out on top, despite falling and hitting his head. The only things they didn't have were a motive and a murder weapon, unless the sheriff had hidden it really well before slipping and injuring himself. Unfortunately, everything else was pretty airtight, and Silverstar's reasons would come out eventually.

A loud squeak came from the far side of the room, followed by a loud klank. Three sets of hoof steps made their way to his cell. He rolled over and looked up through the bars at Dusty, Braeburn, and Little Strongheart. Each of them were as mind-boggled as the rest of the town.

"Sheriff.. what.. what happened? Why'd you do it?" Dusty asked.

"I told you already. It wasn't me! I can't explain what I saw other than what I said earlier! I know it doesn't make any sense, but it's the truth!"

"You know we went over this place from top to bottom, Silverstar. Nopony else came in or out. It was just you two." Dusty sighed heavily. "Look, later today, we're going to start getting a jury lined up, and I'll see what I can do about getting you a good lawyer, but.. I gotta be honest. It doesn't look good for you."

"You monster!" Little Strongheart chimed in. "How could you?! After everything we've done for you! He was your friend and you.. you.. !"

She gritted her teeth and turned away. Looking at him disgusted her right now. As much as Braeburn wanted to try and comfort her, he knew it wouldn't do any good. She might not want to even look at him either, given that he was a friend of Silverstar's as well.

She knew Braeburn had nothing to do with what transpired, but at the moment, she wanted nothing to do with anypony or anything Appleloosan. She turned and faced her special somepony with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Brae," she said, sobbing, "I.. I think we need to keep our distance for a little while, y'know?"

"Ah understand. Ah hope we can get through this mess. Still can't believe it myself. Wish there was something Ah could do to fix this."

"Just promise me he'll pay for what he's done. Please?"

"Ah will, darlin'. Ah swear to it."

She leaned in and hugged him tightly, still crying and sniffling. He reciprocated and nuzzled her cheek. "Thank you. I'm going to go round up the others and we'll head back home. I don't know how they're going to react, but.. "

"Wouldn't surprise me if they may want to seek some retribution. Wouldn't blame them, to be honest."

"Yeah, that's what worries me. Nopony here except him had anything to do with this. I'll try and make them see that." Little Strongheart released Braeburn from their embrace and took a step toward the gate.

"Ah know you will. They'll listen to you. If there's anything you need, you let me know, OK?"

Glancing sadly at the floor as she made her way out, she nodded. "Thanks, Braeburn. I'll let you know what happens. Take care."

"You too."

As Little Strongheart left the detention area and disappeared from sight, Braeburn let out a heavy, miserable sigh. "First Applejack, and now this. What the hay is going on?"

"Braeburn, you know me. Why would I do such a thing?" Silverstar pleaded.

"Ah'm not the one you're gonna have to convince, sheriff. The jury is, once it's put together. Ah'm gonna go, Dusty. Ah.. Ah just can't be here right now."

The deputy nodded and watched the distraught stallion exit the premises. He turned and glared angrily at the inmate.

"Dusty, come on, how long've you been working with me? You know I didn't do anything!"

"How long I've been working with you ain't the point," Dusty said. "We've got the body of a chief on our hooves! If Little Strongheart can't convince the rest of the tribe to just be angry at you, it'll be like what almost happened a year ago all over again, except this time, they won't stop trampling the town until there ain't anything left! Everything that we worked through will be for nothing!"

Silverstar slumped over as, little by little, he saw all the good times and fond memories of the past year being erased. Dusty was entirely right, too. If it wasn't for a well-placed pastry, the town would have been decimated. The buffalo were bigger, stronger, faster, and had more of a fighting spirit than the Appleloosans ever did. Looking back, he realized they never would have stood a chance in the end. Now, it seemed quite likely that the events that never happened would come to pass after all.

"I'm sorry, Dusty," the sheriff whispered.

"I'm sorry, too." The deputy took a step toward the gate and paused, smirking and practically growling his disgust. "You might as well get comfortable in there. Won't be until tomorrow by the time we get the trial going. Next day at the latest. I'll be back in a little while with some food."

Without another word, Dusty left the officer alone in the quiet, dank cell staring at the floor, losing himself to his misery. He laid back down on the bench and curled up in the same position they found him earlier, his back to the bar. With nothing really to do to occupy his time, he closed his eyes and dozed off.

Silverstar slowly walked down the main road at the center of Appleloosa. The citizens were going about their usual daily business; hitting up the general store, fixing a carriage, carrying groceries home. Nothing out of the ordinary.

The sun overheard was brutally, oppressively hot. He wiped his brow clean of sweat, only for it to be dampened again a moment later. A dry smell wafted through the air, almost tickling his nose with traces of dirt and dust. What he wouldn't give for a nearby water trough.

"Sheriff!" a voice yelled out from behind.

At the sound of his name, the townsfolk dropped what they were doing and raced inside the closest buildings, slamming and locking the doors closed. In an instant, Appleloosa turned from a bustling little village into an abandoned ghost town.

Silverstar squinted and slowly turned his head. In the distance, a shadowy figure stood. A low, wide-brimmed hat hid the intruder's face. A loose-fitting, tan poncho was wrapped around their neck, concealing most of their upper body and flapping ominously in a welcome, gentle breeze. Around the mystery visitor's waist was a tight, fake leather belt with a slingshot on one side and a small bag with pellets and stones in the other.

"I've been lookin' fer you," they said with a fake accent.

"There a problem, stranger?"

"Eeyup. I'm lookin' right at it."

Now angry, Silverstar turned and faced the mysterious adversary. He couldn't make out who it was, but somehow this guest knew them. He had to have bumped into them at some point. It was only a matter of time until he discovered their identity, he reasoned. Ponies like this one always felt the need to let you know who they were before they did the deed.

"What've you got against me?" Silverstar asked.

"You 'n Chiefy have shared a lot these last several months. But there's still one thing left you boys gotta share. If you cared about him at all, that is."

The sheriff's blood suddenly boiled. Thunderhooves was a close friend, and this lunatic wasn't about to bring the recent tragedy into this. Not if he had anything to say about it.

"Who are you?! What do you want?"

The newcomer flipper their hat out of way of their face. A flat pink mane fell from the side and dangled freely. A pair of angry blue eyes peered out from under the brim, and a grizzly smile reached across her face. Silverstar gasped when he saw her. Though it had been a while, he remembered the mare as clear as day. Her and that awful song that nearly led to the town being destroyed, if it weren't for a well placed pie.

"Howdy, par'ner!" Pinkie growled.

"You! Wh-what're you doing here?"

She spat on the ground, never taking her eyes off Silverstar. "I'm 'ere to kill ye."

"What? Is this some kind of joke?"

Pinkie didn't respond. They stared each other down, he in confusion and she with a fury in her eyes that burned as hot as the sun overhead. A light gust of wind blew a tumbleweed by and kicked up a swirl of reddish dust.

"Draw," she said quickly.

"Huh?"

"Draw!" In a flash, she stood on her hind legs, pulled out her slingshot and a pellet, rocketing it at the shocked sheriff. He ducked out of the way just as quick and unholstered his pistol, firing off a single shot at the psychotic pony and catching her square in the chest.

"Ooo! Ye... ye got me! Everythin's.. goin' dark! So cold... uuugh!"

With a hoof held dramatically at her forehead, Pinkie fell backwards, seemingly dead. Silverstar gritted his teeth behind his lips, angry with himself for what may have been a justifiable death, but another body on his conscience nonetheless. He returned his pistol to its case and slowly crept up to the motionless pink pony.

He stopped his approach about ten feet from her body. She didn't appear to be breathing. Silverstar's stomach started turning. It was a rare thing that he actually had to do something as drastic as he just did, but it had to be done. He sighed heavily, grateful that the worst was over.

Suddenly, Pinkie sat up and fired again at the sheriff before he could react, hitting him square in the eye.

"Aaagh!"

"Aww darnit! I was aiming between your eyes! I must be getting rusty!" She gracelessly hopped up and threw her garments off, bowing to an audience that didn't exist.

"Thank you, thank you! You're a terrific crowd! Thank you!"

The only sound in the air was the screaming sheriff. She looked around and, finding the area empty, snorted disappointedly.

"No fair! I was sure I was going to win an award for that performance! Ah well. Guess I'll just do what I came here to do and call it a day," she said to herself.

She grabbed the poncho and, in a rapid series of twirls, twists and bends of her hooves, unwove and threaded it back together in the shape of a noose. She wrapped it around Silverstar's neck, catching one of his limbs under the rope, and pulled it tight.

Pinkie put on the fake accent again, addressing her latest victim. "Sheriff Silverstar, fer the crime I committed of murderin' yer dear friend Chiefy, I sentence ya ta death! By hangin'!"

With that, a six-foot tall platform with a drop-down section sprang out of the ground below the pair. As it rose from the earth, Pinkie tied the rope around the suspension beam that built itself over their heads. The sheriff's free hooves settled on the trap door as Pinkie adorned a black executioner's hood. A release lever grew from the floor in front of the maniacal pony.

"Does the condemned have any last words?"

"I didn't do- !"

"Too late!"

Flicking the large switch, the trap door fell open and Silverstar right behind it. The hoof trapped against his throat prevented the rope from completely tightening itself around his neck, much to the annoyance of Pinkie. His hind limbs kicked at the air desperately as he tried to pull himself up from the sudden black pit below him that somehow appeared out of nowhere.

"Oh come on! This couldn't be easy and quick?" Pinkie snarled. "Well, I do have an idea that will help speed this along!"

Reaching behind the platform, she clumsily dragged up the scalped dead body of Chief Thunderhooves and flopped it onto the floor. It had a rope already tied to his neck similarly to the sheriff's. Silverstar's eyes widened at the grisly sight of his deceased friend and kicked even harder. The hole that the condemned was hanging through grew larger on its own as Pinkie strapped Thunderhooves' body to Silverstar's hoof and rolled him down into the chasm. The sheriff gasped and wheezed as the rope around his neck suddenly tightened, but he still managed to fight, barely.

"Wow, you're tough! Must be the earth pony in you! OK, you forced me to pull out the big guns!"

Ducking below again, Pinkie yanked a refrigerator, a large rock, the barred door of his jail cell, two life sized dolls in her own image, and a kitchen sink from out of nowhere. Each item already had their own rope wrapped around them as well. With an unspoken command, she pointed at Silverstar and the ropes came to life, darting after and around his legs and hips, tying themselves tight. The floor opened again and swallowed everything whole.

With the excessive weight too much for his fragile body to handle, Silverstar's midsection tore and spilled his innards into the abyss, dragged down with the plethora of items Pinkie found. What was left of the sheriff's body sputtered and twitched involuntarily for a few seconds before his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Satisfied with her latest kill, Pinkie bounced with joy, squealing with delight.

"Well, I should be off now. Appleloosa's been good to me, but there's someplace else I need to be in a little while," Pinkie said. Suddenly, an idea came to her and she smiled widely. "Ohohoh! This whole thing here reminds me of a song! Silverstar, you want to help me sing it?"

He didn't answer.

"Phooey on you!" She cleared her throat and began to dance. "I hung the sheriiiiiiff! But I did not hang the deputy! Ha cha cha cha!"

A few hours had passed and it was getting close to lunch. Deputy Dusty stepped inside the sheriff's office and headed into the kitchen. Pulling out a plastic tray from a cabinet by his hooves, he set a plate with a few bits of chilled fruit from the fridge onto it. Even though it was likely that Silverstar was going to be found guilty of murder, he could still at least try and be gracious with him. He rarely showed any signs of hostility to anypony and certainly not to his buffalo chums. He balanced the tray on his back and closed the refrigerator door.

"Sheriff? I've got some stuff for you," he said, unlocking the detention wing's gate and stepping inside.

He took a few steps until he saw Silverstar's body hanging by his vest that had been wrapped around his neck from the highest horizontal bar. But that wasn't what caused him to jump in fright and spill the plate and its contents onto the floor. Below his torso was his lower half, and his intestines, stomach and just about everything else laid in a terrible pile, leaving no evidence as to how something like this could have happened. The awful stench and the buzzing flies almost made Dusty vomit where he stood.

"Oh dear goddess.. help! Somepony help!" he screamed as he ran out the building.