The sun was a red smear on the horizon when Trenderhoof stepped off the coach. A lazy breeze blew across the town's main street, sending two hock-high tumbleweeds skittering through the dust. Above the door of a nearby building, a wooden sign creaked in the wind.

"Keep your bits, mister. An' good luck. Ain't nobody ever asks to come to Los Lunas." Overland Express, the pretty brown mare who pulled the coach, tossed her mane and looked around. "My route don't come this way often. If you're set on stayin', if you really wanna go all in, I'll be back at sundown next Saturday. I'll wait five minutes for you, an' then I'm moving on."

Trenderhoof laughed. "I guess I'd better be on time, Miss Express."

Overland frowned at him. "You're darn right, mister. This place gives me the whinnys." She took another look at the town and shivered. "If you want my advice, Dodge City's only two days north of here. You can walk that, easy—just make sure you bring some water. And a blanket. The Badlands get mighty cold once the sun sets. I got the coach at least. That ain't such a bad place to spend a night if you have to."

"Wait, you mean you're not staying?"

"In this place?" Overland snorted. "Heck no, I ain't crazy. Anyway, look me up when you get back to Dodge City. You seemed like a nice enough fella. I wouldn't mind takin' you back to Filly Delphia, assumin' you come to your senses."

"Are you sure you won't at least stay for dinner? My treat?" Trenderhoof gave a nervous glance at the town, noticing for the first time how deserted it seemed.

Overland shot him a coy smile. "That's a nice offer, mister. But no." Without another word, she walked her carriage around and began the long trot north.

Trenderhoof turned back toward the town's main street. Come on, T, you're a travel writer. You can do this. The old wooden sign creaked again, and this time he took the time to read it: "Lulu's Gags, Gifts, and Grub". Well, he was hungry. Lulu’s seemed like a good enough place to start—and if this wound up being a ghost town… Trenderhoof swallowed down a lump of fear. Well, if it was a ghost town, better to find out now. Maybe he could scrounge up a few dried flowers and a blanket or two before night fell.

As he opened the door to the shop, Trenderhoof heard bells jangle overhead. The sound reassured him; it felt cheerful and friendly. And the store looked well tended, not at all like the run-down relic he’d expected to find. Tall, narrow shelves surrounded him. Most held kitschy Western memorabilia or games for colts and fillies. A few had food, and exactly the sort of food Trenderhoof expected in a place like this: tins of baked beans, the mix for a make-it-yourself campfire casserole, hard rolls that looked like they’d keep for weeks. The sorts of things a pony might eat while riding the range, as they say. That was what they said, wasn’t it?

A voice sing-songed from somewhere at the back of the building, “Coming!” Trenderhoof nickered, feeling his barrel relax and loosen. He continued to browse the shelves, breathing in the warm scents of this rustic locale, already thinking about the words he’d use to lead off his latest article. He reached the end of one aisle, turned down the next…

...and collided muzzle-to-muzzle with a grinning Princess Luna. A Princess Luna who wore a moustache and a dark beige duster with wing cut-outs. Trenderhoof took an involuntary step back.

“Oh, this is wonderfully exciting,” Luna said. “It has been nearly a month since my last visitors! You must be weary, traveler. Is there anything that I, a simple shop-keeper in this quaint Western town, can get for you?”

“P-princess?”

“No, no, good stallion! I am not your princess—only a simple shop-keeper as I said. But surely, you must want to buy something! What would you like?” Luna flashed a wide, toothy smile at him.

“I think… I’m good, actually. Maybe I’ll just… look for a place to stay?” Trenderhoof took another step back.

Luna gave a twinkling laugh. “I believe my friend the innkeeper is nearby! You should talk to him!” She trotted away and returned seconds later, wearing a bowler hat and a long grey beard.

“On second thought,” Trenderhoof said, “Could I buy a blanket and some water?”