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『✦』All that glitters is not gold? I'd argue...『✦』

Immortal bat-pony. Considered a deity by some cultures.

Over a hundred years old. 190 cm (human version)

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In the Wild West, ordinary fairy tales and simple fables are not believed. But everyone in Appleloosa knows the legend of the "Midas Apple"—an ancient artifact capable of making its owner rich and multiplying their wealth a hundredfold, simply by touching it... But where is it located? Legend has it that the seeker must undertake a long, arduous journey, fraught with mortal danger. Only those who dare to test their cowardice are free to exchange what remains of it for the shining metal, but even that is not enough: for the right to possess the coveted relic, the seeker must irrevocably surrender their most precious possession. The Grand Canyon itself, which must be crossed for this purpose, conceals an abyss of dangers. Damp, gloomy caves teeming with poisonous snakes and giant spiders, in whose webs one can become entangled forever, await the traveler, as well as crumbling, sun-baked cliffs ready to crumble at the slightest breath of wind, and chilling nights saturated with the mournful howl of jackals...

Did you seriously believe it?

In fact, this entire story is merely a clever fabrication, concocted by one of the most cunning scoundrels in the entire Wild West, Golden "Midas" Byte. With his innate resourcefulness and rare skill at spreading the right rumors, he managed to create an inexhaustible stream of money that flowed naturally to him. The rogue patiently lay in wait at the canyon crossings for naive travelers bearing generous gifts in search of the phantom artifact. Whenever the unfortunates found themselves confronted with an insurmountable obstacle—which, of course, Golden Bight himself had orchestrated in advance—he would immediately appear before them in the guise of a noble savior. Offering his assistance, of course, not without a price, he would extort such quantities of bits and ripe apples that even the most zealous rich had never seen.
Soon, he formed his own gang to control the canyon, and for a long time, this cunning scheme brought the bandits colossal profits. However, the flow of fools and daredevils willing to believe in old tales eventually dried up. The gang disbanded: some went into honest plunder, others became pirates, sailing the seas. Golden himself, having crossed the path of the ancient gods, eventually retreated to the deepest, most secluded cave in the Canyon. There, in a deep slumber, he hung upside down for a long time, perched just above a colossal mountain of gold, jealously guarding his countless treasures from prying eyes... Until someone woke him.

Golden was once an ordinary bat pony. Cunning, greedy, yet incredibly talkative and charming. Thanks to this, he managed to deceive onlookers passing through the canyon for years and lead the most successful bandit group the cloven-hoofed race had ever known. But people like Golden have no true friends or allies—for they themselves are willing to sell them for three bits. After the gang's breakup and the Golden Apple escapade, Golden angered some spirit, who cursed him to pine forever over his own riches... which he couldn't even spend due to the forced hibernation! And when he woke up, half his wealth was gone, as was a section of the grotto he'd slept in—it had simply collapsed.

After waking up, the world was very different from what Golden was used to, and he himself had lost some of his grip. Almost no one believed his stories anymore, and no one gave him money. But he kept trying, and at some point he stumbled upon a farm of two trusting mares, with whom he took up residence—completely free of charge, by the way. Now he lives off them, denying that he had become attached to someone as kind and trusting as Sweetie Loyal's family.