The loud grinding from the rails pierces her ears. Like an abstract painting, the world outside is blurry and disoriented from the window's view. The train ride is scheduled to go on for three days. Pulling out her pocket watch, she looks at the time.

3:08 p.m.

"Neighson, fetch all the suspects. It's time I confronted the murderer." Neighson nods, galloping out of the cart. All the clues were here, but something was amiss. Even with the answers in front of her, she couldn't place her hoof on it. Marelock could only hope this plan will work. Neighson returns with three ponies, each looking worried. Looking to the ground, Marelock begins to pace back and forth.

"Tell me, Cassandra. What does the guilt of having another's blood stain your soul feel like?" Cassandra's jaw drops as her ears receive the statement.

"How dare you accuse me of killing my husband!?" Marlock quickly shakes her hoof to get her to stop.

"I never once accused you, I merely asked you a question." The mare looks at her, baffled.

"I wouldn't know. I’ve never killed anypony." Marelock walks over to the dark blue colored stallion.

"Carlton, if given the chance, would you kill Mr. Fillyton if you wouldn’t be caught? It would mean your freedom, wouldn’t it?" He fiercely shakes his head.

"Never! I owed Mr. Fillyton my life. The day he save me was the was the day I swore to serve him!" She breaks eye contact with him and moves to the last pony.

"Mr. Fillyton was quite a rich stallion. Why wouldn't he leave some money to his mistress upon death, Carol?" Cassandra's eyes quickly widen and turns to glare at the silver-maned mare. Carol turns her head away to break eye contact with her.

"I would never stoop to murder. I'm not some petty two-bit whore." With a roll of her eyes, Marelock walks away from the three.

"Each one of you had a reason to kill him. Each one of you had an alibi. But one of you messed up." They all look at each other in confusion.

"The murderer is none other than-" The cart instantly grows dark as the train enters the tunnel. Throwing the book to the ground in frustration, you give up.

You have been trying to finish that Marelock book since the beginning of this trip. Constant distractions have kept you from completing your goal. Light quickly fills the cart as a smiling Pinkie comes to focus.

"What’samatter Anon?" Picking up the book, you dust it off. Twilight was going to be pissed about this. She had already charged you a nice fee for folding the corner of a page on the last book. Turning to Pinkie, you sigh.

"It's nothing, Pinkie. I guess I'm just nervous about this bounty is all." She giggles and puts a hoof on your shoulder as she shrugs.

"There's nothing to worry about, Anon! With Zecora's training and me as your partner, nothing can go wrong!" Actually, with only a week of training and her as your partner, everything could go wrong. Looking out the windows, you notice a huge change in scenery. The once luscious green trees were nothing but rock, sand, and dirt as the sun began to set. This train trip wasn't cheap and it left you with only three bits to spare. Looking down at your feet, you let out a sigh.

Were you really ready for this? Are you really willing to throw your life away for a few bits? You take your staff out from under your seat and look at it. This thing looks like it's been well used over the years as you examine the scruffs and nicks all over it. There were strange writings across it as well. You had completely forgotten to ask Zecora about them. Pinkie slowly raises her head into your view.

"Whatcha lookin at?" You place the staff back under the seat.

"I was just thinking. Let me ask you something, Pinkie." She turns her head like a curious dog. You give her a serious face and look her in the eyes.

"Do you think I'm ready for this?" Pinkie replies with a happy smile.

"Nope!" You look down at your feet in dismay. She pokes her head into your view again, this time with a serious face.

"You’re heading into a place you know nothing about, fighting someone you don't know, and you’re fighting using a style you know little about. Of course you're not ready! You'll never be. But you ARE prepared." She had a point. No matter what the bounty was for, you were never going to be ready. The little bit of realization lifts your spirits. You ruffle her hair, making no change to its style.

"Thanks Pinkie. You always know how to put a smile on someone's face, don't you?" She nods her head.

"That’s my job! Oh! I even have a song for smiling!" She begins filling her lungs, taking a deep breath. You quickly put your hand over her mouth to silence her.

"No. Not even now. You know how I feel about singing." Like a gust of wind, she expels the excess air out of her lungs. The sound of a sharp whistle pierces your ears. You look outside to see an old-western style town slowly creeping into view. The train comes to a full stop as you stand up.

Grabbing your staff and belongings, you make your way to the door. As you emerge out onto the station platform, a bunch of ponies begin to stare at you. A few whisper to each other as others begin to leave. Being in Ponyville for so long made you forget about the fact that not everyone has seen a human before. Ignoring the fact you were a circus freakshow again, you walk to Pinkie, who is talking to some stallion. She turns around and waves to you.

"Anon, come here! I have somepony to show you!" You stand next to Pinkie as the stallion looks you up and down.

"Hmm, he's a fine piece o' work, he is." He begins to lick his lips as he gives you a creepy smile. Pinkie jumps up onto your shoulder.

"Braeburn, Anonymous." She jumps down and points to the stallion. "Anonymous, Braeburn!"

Slowly, you extend your hand for a handshake. Braeburn shakes it with his hoof and removes his hat.

"Pleasure meeting ya Anonymous! Pinkie told me all about you in her letter." You turn to Pinkie, confused. She looks at you and smiles.

"I sent a letter to Braeburn here since he's been here from the town's beginning. He'd make the perfect guide!" He smiles and shakes his head.

"Well, I don't mean ta brag, but I know this town better than anypony 'round these parts." His face completely changes to a serious one. "I know you're here for him, and I gotta say, ya got a pair on ya, Anonymous. Billie the Baddie ain't no joke." You suppress a chuckle at the name. Anyone going by the name of Billie the Baddie deserves a bounty under the charge of a stupid name.

"He's been causin' a ruckus ever since he stepped hoof in this here town. Robbing stores, havin' his way with the mares. Dang it, he even had the nerve ta make fun of my mane!" He angrily stomps his hoof into the dirt. "It's about time somepony put a stop ta his ways." You give him a shrug.

"I don't really care what he did. All I care about is bringing him in and getting my money." Braeburn's brow raises.

"There's a reason for the thousand bits on his head. He ain't exactly an easy catch." Again, you shrug.

"I'm aware of the problem. I'm here to take care of it; that's my job." Braeburn places his hat back on his head and takes a deep breath.

"I sure hope so." His face quickly perks back up into a happy one. "Well, enough of that! Let me show you around APPLELOOSA!" You cringe. The stress on Appleloosa was not necessary at all. Staff and luggage in hand, you follow the yellow stallion to the main road, Pinkie at your side. He begins to point at buildings, naming each one and describing its purpose.

"That there's the doctor's office. He's a unicorn who can take care of anything from cuts to snake bites and broken bones! That there's the saloon!" You head quickly jerks into the direction of his hoof. A nice drink right about now would calm your nerves. Unfortunately, the reminder of having close to no money hits you.

Another problem arises.

"Hey Pinkie, where are we going to stay? I don't really have the money for a hotel room." She gives a shrug alongside her signature smile.

"I have no idea." Braeburn turns his head and gives a cheery smile.

"Y'all can stay at my place if ya like. I don't mind the company."

"I'm sorry, we don't want to intru–" He abruptly stops and turns around with a creepy look on his face.

"It's no problem at all!" You give him a concerned stare.

"O-okay... Thanks?". He turns back and continues his tour.

"This here is the town bank. Billie’s hit it multiple times, so we've had to up the security on it. Doesn't mean it'll stop him from trying again." Looking at the front of the bank, you see four Royal Guards standing outside. Royal Guards didn't come cheap, especially in an outside area, so this was no laughing matter. It's best to be on your toes with this guy.

"How did he get through such a heavily guarded place?" Braeburn looks to the floor.

”Don’t worry, Anon. You’ll be fine. All you need to do is smile.” She give you one of her signature grins. You give her a fake smile in return. Pinie might have your back on this, but you couldn’t put her in any danger. If Billie got a hold of her... god, even thinking about it sent shivers down your spine. Braeburn comes to a stop and clears his throat.

“And this, my friends, is my humble abode. Ain’t too shabby if I say so myself.” Looking at the home, it wasn’t anything extraordinary. It was a normal home with a nice red paint job. He opens the door and motions for both of you to come in. Slowly entering the home, you look around.

The interior was very luxurious. Painting of ponies covered the red-colored walls. The furniture consisted of mahogany and velvet. Though it looked small from outside, the inside was huge. Light filled the rooms from the sun shining through the windows. Braeburn chuckles at look on your face.

”Ya seem surprised.” You close your gaping mouth.

“I didn’t expect it to be so big and nice!” Braeburn looks at you with half-lidded eyes.

”They all say that the first time.” You back away from him and quickly try to change the subject.

“S-so where are we sleeping? I presume the couch?” A look of disgust fills his face.

“Oh no! I wouldn’t put y’all through that! I have a guest room upstairs with two beds. You both can stay there.” He grabs your bag and begins to walk up the stairs, shaking his flank a little more than necessary. You start to follow him when you feel a tap on your leg. Looking down, you see Pinkie with her eyes half-lidded as well. She points to him as he continues his venture up the stairs.

“Braeburn totally has the hots for you. He has a nice flank as well. You should totall-” You smack her on the back of the head before she finishes.

“Damn it, Pinkie. Don’t even joke about that.” She rubs her head and whines.

“You know, if you keep doing that, it’s going to give me head problems later down the road.” You shake your head.

“I think it’s too late for that already.” Heading up the stairs, you enter the guest room. There are two twin beds on opposite sides of the room, along with a nightstand and two dressers. Pinkie places a small box in the middle of the room and pulls a string on it. The box explodes into balloons and streamers, covering the room in confetti. Her bed has become a large pile of party favors and candy. She rolls around in the bed, covering herself in streamers.

“Ah, feels just like home!” Shaking your head, you place your staff on the bed and take a seat. Opening your bag, you grab all your belongings and place them on the nightstand. It wasn’t much; just a few articles of clothing and a couple of trinkets from when you first came to Equestria.

A wallet filled with photos, a ring of keys, and a cell phone that died long ago. You look into your wallet, staring at the pictures you had inside. Photos of family and friends, a picture of you with your dog, simple little things. Pinkie takes note of the items and looks at you.

“Hey, Anon? Now that I think about it, you’ve never told me anything about yourself.” You turn to her, pictures in hand.

”Before I came here, I was just a simple construction worker. I used to go to work every Monday through Friday, working on the roads so that people could get around easier.” Pulling out a picture from the wallet, you show it to her. It was a picture of you posing with a shovel, pretending to use it as a guitar. She giggles at the silliness. Shuffling through the remaining photos, you pull out one of you standing with a few of your friends.

“I had a few close friends. We used to go out for drinks on Friday nights and act stupid. It was just an all around good time.” Pinkie takes notice of the girl riding on your back.

“Was that your special somepony?” she asks, giving you a wink. You smile at the photo and shake your head.

“No, but she was very close to me. She was a childhood friend. We used to play together when our mothers would meet up to gossip.” Pinkie gets up from her bed and trots over to you. She takes a look at the remaining photos of you—some containing you sticking your tongue out at the camera or making funny faces—and giggles.

“You seemed so silly back then, Anon. What happened?” Letting out a deep sigh, you grab a picture of your friends pointing at you laughing with a silly face on.

“I came here. Not that it was a bad thing, but I had to start over again. All the things I had worked for, all the things I achieved, all the ones I loved... They’re all gone. It kind of draws the happiness away.” Pinkie looks into your eyes, a frown beginning to form. She wraps her hooves around your torso, embracing you in a hug.

“I’m so sorry to hear that, Anon.” You pull her off and set her onto your bed.

“Listen, Pinkie, it’s fine, really. Things weren’t exactly happy from the time I set foot here. But that doesn’t mean everything has been upsetting for me. I’ve had my happy moments. And I’ve definitely met some great ponies in my short time here.” She looks at you and sniffles.

”Like who?”

“Well, for starters,” You ruffle her hair and give her a big grin. “You.” A warm, soft smile appears on her face. She dives across the bed and entangles you in a tight hug.

“Well, ain’t that sweet?” Looking over at the doorway, you see Braeburn with a big shit-eating grin on his face. You shoot him a glare for ruining a touching moment. He disregards it and walks into the room.

”I was thinking we could all do with some drinks. My treat!” Your head perks up like that of dog who has been offered a treat. Pinkie releases her grip and jumps onto the floor.

“I think a few cups of cider is what we need! Let’s go!” She bounces out the doorway and heads downstairs. You slowly rise from the bedside, grabbing your staff, and approach Braeburn.

“Listen, I really appreciate everything you’re doing for us, but I just want to ask you one more favor.” He raises an eyebrow.

“Sure, whatcha need?” You point over at the nightstand.

“If I die when I go after Billie, I want you to give Pinkie those items on the nightstand as a memento. Something for her to remember me by. That’s all I ask.” Braeburn’s face turns serious for a moment and he nods.

“Of course. I’m pretty sure you’ll be fine, though. With somepony like Pinkie at yer side, you’ll never lose.” A grin stretches across your face. You extend your fist out. Braeburn bumps your fist with his hoof, following up with a similar smirk.

“You’re alright, Braeburn.”

Both of you quickly catch up to Pinkie, who’s already halfway to the saloon. She continues her bouncing as she makes her way down the road. As you all approach the saloon, a few stallions stand out front. They begin to make cat calls as Pinkie enters the building. A sudden silence befalls them as you pass with Braeburn. You can feel their uneasy eyes gazing at you as you walk through the swinging doors.

As you make your way in, you feel the gazes intensify. It feels as if everypony’s eyes were fixed on you. Braeburn makes his way for to the bar and you follow in suit. Everypony continues what they were doing. Maybe it was all the old western movies you used to watch, but this place felt cliché as hell.

A table of stallions were playing poker in a dark corner to the far side of the saloon, two were hoof wrestling on a different table, and a brown stallion was trying to hit on a mare who clearly had no interest in him. Shaking your head, you turn to the barkeep. He was a very stylish Zebra. He was fitted with a nice tuxedo vest and sported a nice slicked back hair style.

“What can I get for y-” Braeburn interrupts and slams a few bits down on the counter.

“Two ciders, if ya would.” The bartender nods and grabs two cups. Placing them under the taps, he begins to fill the containers. He looks up and takes notice of the staff on your back. His eyes widen as he nearly drops the two cups. Catching himself, the barkeep cleans the surrounding area and serves you your drinks. As he places your cup down, he leans in towards you.

”Be wary of that one. She was great once, but foolish. Because of her, he rules the land with an iron hoof.” You look at him in complete confusion.

“What are you-” Your words are cut short as something knocks you forward. Turning around, you see the stallion how was hitting on the mare from before on the floor. Another stallion with a grey coat and black mane is in front of him, anger filling his face. It was clear that a fight was going on between them and talk had turned to shove.

“Who do ya think ya are, trying to hit on my mare?” The pushed stallion regains his composure, an evil grin across his face.

“Do ya know who yer bucking with? It’d be a shame if I had to call Billie over here.” Your ears perk up. This could be a clue. The grey stallion backs away, fear clearly taking control of his body.

“Yer just messing with me! Ya don’t even know Billie at all!” The brown stallion was now slowly making way towards him.

“Billie ain’t too far from here. He’s got a nice camp about two miles out north from here. All I gotta do is holler and he’ll be here in an instant.” He was now snout to snout with the grey stallion. “If ya know what’s good fer ya, I suggest ya high tail it outta here.”

The grey stallion didn’t need to be told twice. He quickly makes his way to the door, leaving nothing by a cloud of dust behind. The brown stallion smiles triumphantly and makes way for the mare again, who looks completely nervous now. You chug your drink and make way for the door. Looking around the saloon as you leave, you see Pinkie dancing with Braeburn on the opposite side of the saloon.

She’s having too much fun to notice you. Moving quickly, you head out the door. You flag down a carriage and walk over to the carrier.

“I need to head north, about two miles out.” Pulling out your purse, you hand him the last three bits to your name. “I’m in a hurry.”

The stallion nods and bobs his head back as a signal to get in. You quickly climb into the wagon and take off towards the moon. The dusty road leaves a thick cloud as you make your way through the open desert. With no city lights glowing, the moon and stars illuminate brilliantly in the sky. Looking back inside the carriage, you notice a rope sitting on top of a cardboard box.

“HEY! YOU MIND IF I TAKE THIS ROPE?” you had to yell over the loud creaking of wheels and horse trotting. The stallion turns his head and yells what sounds like a ‘no’. Wrapping the rope around your shoulder, you look out into the horizon. A bright light surrounded by tents can be seen in the distance.

“YOU CAN STOP HERE! I DON’T WANT TO US TO BE SEEN SO I’LL NEED TO MOVE IN ON FOOT FROM HERE ON IN.” The stallion comes to a stop and lets you down. Before you can even turn around to say thank you, the stallion is already on his way back.

Standing in the shroud of dust, you begin to cough excessively. Catching your breath, you begin walking towards the camp site. As your come close to the tents, you wrap the rope around your shoulder. You walk straight towards the fire, where a group of stallion are sitting. All of them are yelling and screaming at each other, laughing as they exchange stories. A loud yell is heard across from the front gate.

“We got some freak coming in, boys!” Silence dawns as you approach them. They all scramble and begin to surround you.

“Well fellas, seems we got us a real numbskull, huh? A few chuckles follow the statement. You raise your hands into the air and stare them into the eyes.

“I’m not here to start trouble for you guys. Quite the opposite. I’m here to join you.” They all exchange looks. The group begins to laugh, only to be silenced as something creeps from the dark towards them. They quickly back away from you as the figure closes in on you. The moonlight reveals a tall minotaur, sporting a short boxed beard and a trench coat. He looks you up and down whilst circling you.

“Why would you want to join me? What makes you so special?” You look into his eyes, trying to be as serious as possible.

“What reason would any creature want to be a bandit for? Money, mares, and most importantly... revenge.” Billie raises an eyebrow from this statement. You continue.

“For too long they’ve considered me a freak, an outsider. You and I, we’re no different. We’re both stuck in a place we don’t want to be. The only option we have is to do what WE want.” Billie continues to stare at you. A smile creeps onto his face as he pats you on the shoulder.

”I like you kid. You got balls. You come into my camp, right through the front gates, nonetheless, and present yourself in the face of danger. But it ain’t that easy.” He turns to the group of stallions.

”He’s gotta pass the initiation rite, right boys?” What the hell could he have in mind? A stallion trots up from behind you and whispers to BIllie. You can’t hear him, but you get nervous as Billie begins to smile.

“Seems we’re just chock full of unexpected guests today! A mare was seen not too far out as you came in here. You’ll just have to rape her. Easy enough for anyone!” Your heart sinks. There’s no way you could just rape somepony. But you had to get Billie to trust you. You follow Billie and the others to a tent where two stallions stand outside.

Billie holds open the curtain door and motions for you to head inside. Your eyes widen at the sight. On the floor lies a familiar poofy pink pony, tied up and gagged, tears flowing from her eyes. Her eyes shoot open upon seeing you and she begins to mutter incoherent grunts as she squirms. You wink to her and she takes the sign. She stops her attempts to escape as you walk up to her. Billie stands at the doorway and clears his throat.

‘We’ll leave you two lovebirds alone.” He lets out a maniacal laugh, covering the doorway with its drape. You turn to Pinkie and lean in on her.

“I have a plan, but I need you to keep quiet.” She nods as you begin to untie her.

“Listen, I want you to run. I’ll keep them all busy.” She stretches out her legs and looks up to your with her puppy dog eyes.

“Anon, I can’t just leave you here! They’ll kill you!” You shake your head and pull your staff out from your back strap.

“Listen, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I just want you to get as far as possible from here.” She opens her mouth to object, only to be stopped by your hand. You stare into her eyes and pat her head. She nods her head in response. You stand up and ready yourself. Slowly, you open the drape and walk out. Billie stands at the campfire with his arms crossed, waiting for you.

“You’re all done? What are you, a quick shot?” The stallions behind him begin to laugh. You quickly jab your staff’s tip right for his face.

Fear quickly grabs hold of you as you take in the scene happening before you. Billie stands before you with your staff in his hand, mere centimeters from his face. He takes the staff and pushes it against you, throwing you on your ass. Four earth stallions begin to laugh maniacally as they circle around you. Billie stands in the same spot and chuckles.

“You really think I’m that stupid, kid? I know who you are. I know why you’re really here.” You stand up and dust yourself off.

“I’ve met some dumb people in my time, but you... You take the cake!” The stallions start to slowly move in on you. Positioning yourself, you ready your staff. Completely eradicating all distraction, you focus only on the stallions around you. One stallion with a red coat lunges at you from behind. The sound of his hooves digging into the dirt before his attack gives him away. You quickly turn around and swat him in the face. He plunges to the ground and tumbles over, his jaw loosely hanging from its hinges.

A second one charges at you from the side. Quickly stepping aside, he tumbles into the stallion on the other side of you. You rear back to the stallion who is behind you and place one foot slightly forward. He steps back and digs his hooves into the ground. In one swift motion, you move forward while swinging the back end of your staff upwards. The end barely misses as the stallion rears his head back. You stop the staff in mid air, leveling with his head.

Pushing your weight forward, you ram the end of the staff into the stallions forehead. He falls back, holding his head as he screams in agony. The sound of hooves striking the ground turns your attention back to the two stallions. They charge forward at full speed. Placing the end of your staff on the ground, you wait. The stallions continue to charge at you. The moment they come close enough, you swing your staff at their legs. Both tumble to the ground, landing on their faces. Giving a few quick slaps, you smack both of them on the back of their heads until welts begin to form.

The sound of an object slicing through the air catches your attention. Moving quickly, you roll to the side and turn around upon recovery. Billie stands there with a large steel baton in his hand. His face is red with rage.

“Never send a horse to a minotaur’s job.” He dashes toward you, baton ready in the air. Swinging his arm forward, he throws his weight into the attack and aims for you side. Your body won’t able to react in time. There was nowhere to go, the only possible thing to do was reduce the attack’s power. You raise your staff and attempt to use it to absorb the attack. As the baton makes contact with the staff, your heart sinks when the wooden splinters and shards explode from your weapon.

The staff snaps in two as the baton rips through it, making contact with your ribs. You fall over on your side, clutching yourself, and roll over a flat rock. Billie walks up to you and raises the baton over his head.

“You could have been one of us, kid. But you went and screwed that up for yourself. You instead chose to follow these pony folk instead running your life how you wanted.” He swings the baton towards the ground, aiming for you. Rolling over to the side, you narrowly miss the strike. A loud clang echoes out as the baton makes direct contact with the rock.

Billie screams out in anger from missing his target. Ignoring the pain, you shoot yourself up and tackle down Billie. Rearing your fist back, you commence to introduce it to his face. Again and again, your knuckles make direct contact with his head. Billie’s arm reaches up and collides with your chest. You are sent flying back, landing on your side. The agonizing pain from your ribs destroys all manner of focus you had.

Your breathe is cut short as something tightly grasps your throat. Bring you to his face, Billie looks at you with his swollen eyes. His deep breaths echo as his snout flexes. He lifts his enormous hand up and plants it again your nose, completely destroying it. Pain fills your face as the minotaurs hand rears back, covered in blood. He begins a chuckle, slowly escalating it to hysterical laughter.

“You really got a pair on you, ya know that? Too bad this is where it ends for yo-” His grip is released as he is hurtled away. Landing on your side yet again, you let out an agonizing scream. The pain is too much to take, everything was beginning to fade. Things were too blurry to see, but you could make out the outlines of a few thing. Something big and brown ended up tackling Billie, saving you from death.

What seemed like Billie’s outline was making a break for it as it got chased by more brown creatures. A pink figure was now in front of you, screaming. You couldn’t make out what it was saying; your eyelids were getting heavy. Darkness consumes your vision as you lose consciousness.