Attack of the Equine Empire

Applejack awoke from a dreamless sleep as the train whistle sounded off. They were leaving the last stop the train would make in Equestria and after that they would arrive in Mustangia. When the whistle had blown Applejack nearly jumped from her seat. Her Stetson had fallen off her face and onto the floor of the cabin. Applejack grumbled a bit and put the hat back on her head.

The girls wanted to take a walk around the town, maybe do some shopping. Applejack didn't quite understand why as they had done the same when the train stopped at Manehatten hardly twelve hours ago. Applejack decided that she'd rather take a nap on board than go prancing around another town that they stopped in.

The train had red and blue carpeting that was soft on their hooves while they walked on it. Throughout the passenger cars were separate cabins that could hold about six ponies each, so they were happy for that. Applejack didn't pay much mind to the food. She had a daisy sandwich that didn't do much for her. Applejack just sat back and waited for her friends to return. While she waited she thought back to when she had left home just a few days before.

"What's Mustangia?" Apple Bloom asked as Applejack was packing her saddlebag. It was early in the morning and the whole Apple family was up. Granny and Big Mac waited downstairs while Applejack packed.

"Well, Mustangia is the country right next ta ours," Applejack said. She didn't have to pack much. She didn't have a ton of clothes to bring like Rarity.

"So why are ya goin' there?" Apple Bloom sat on the bed and watched her big sister pack. She had been asleep when Applejack discussed the details of the trip with the other Apples.

"Cause Twilight asked me to."

"Are yer other friends goin' too? Ya know, Rarity and Rainbow Dash and 'em?" Apple Bloom asked as she sat up and leaned in closer to Applejack.

"Yes, they're goin' too." Applejack slung her saddlebag over her back and exited the room with Applebloom following close behind.

"Is Rarity takin' Sweetie Belle?" the young filly asked.

"No Apple Bloom, and ah know what yer gonna ask next. The answer is no."

Apple Bloom gave out a moan of displeasure. "But ah've never been ta another country before. It's not fair that you and yer friends get ta go all over and ah don't."

"Apple Bloom, ah need you ta stay here with Mac and take care of Sweet Apple Acres while ah'm gone."

"But ah'm too small ta help out, see." As they got to the top of the stairs she gave a few small hops to display her stature, then she suddenly disappeared from her sister's view. Applejack heard a series of thuds and looked down the stairs to see Apple Bloom lying at the bottom. "See...ah can't even...walk down stairs right." Applejack could have sworn to Celestia that she had almost seen stars flying around the young filly's head. She rolled her eyes as she walked down the stairs.

Apple Bloom followed her out the door where they joined their older brother and granny. "Ready ta go youngin'?" Granny asked. Applejack just gave her a nod and a smile. "Good. We've come ta see ya off."

"Eeyup," said her brother Mac. He took her in his strong arms and gave her a tight brotherly hug. He was a stallion of few words but he always got his point across.

"Now stay safe Applejack," Granny Smith said, "You can never tell what you'll find in a place you don't know."

The words echoed in her mind as Applejack woke up again to a slamming sound. She had dozed off and not even realized it. What seemed to have woken her up was Rainbow Dash opening the cabin door. "Yer back before the others," Applejack said to her. Rainbow took the seat across from her.

"There really wasn't much to do. I got bored pretty quickly. How about you? Why didn't you come with us?"

Applejack shifted in her seat. "Ah didn't really feel like it."

"You didn't really feel like it back in Manehatten either." Rainbow gazed out the window. "Look. We're far enough north that it's snowing. We'll be going east pretty soon."

"That's nice," Applejack said, sounding a little more uninterested than she thought she would. The snow was beautiful, though. In Ponyville, the pegasi usually just scheduled one or two blizzards a winter. Hardly ever the soft fall like Applejack saw that night. With the moon and the lights from the train station reflecting off each flake as it floated down. Each flake was gentle in its descent and its landing. Even when it covered the ground or formed mounds and piles of itself, the snow seemed so delicate. Then a slamming sound broke the silence. Once again, Applejack was brought back by the opening door.

"There you are Rainbow," Twilight said as she entered. The others followed, with Spike carrying a few bags behind them.

"I got bored so I flew around a bit, then I came here to hang out with Applejack," she responded. Applejack's friends sat down and Rarity started going through the bags.

"Oh Applejack, you completely missed out on some lovely family run stores here. I simply adore the city boutiques but there is definite charm to these quaint little town shops, much like my own. Look," she pulled out a piece of head-ware, "this hat was woven by hoof by an earth pony."

"So?"

"So?! Look at it. Look how intricate the patterns are, and it was made without magic. It certainly is impressive."

"It's a hat Rare. My hat was made the same way, without magic." She touched her hat, remembering the contest she won it in.

"Well, it would seem that, funny enough, being a unicorn I have much more appreciation for earth pony craftsmanship than you do, Applejack." Rarity sighed and looked out the window. They could hear the conductor yelling "All aboard!" and the train beginning to whistle. As it started moving, Rarity thought out loud. "I wonder what kinds of new outfits we'll see when we get to the capital."

"Ooh," Pinkie said, "I wonder if all sorts of things are different about Mustangia. What if they wear hats on their hooves, or if they eat weird food that we've never heard of, or if they just go to the bathroom on the ground anywhere they want."

"Pinkie that is disgusting," Rainbow Dash said, "just because they're from a different country doesn't mean they don't have toilets."

She receded into her seat. "I'm just saying, anything could happen when we get there."

"Eeyup," Applejack added, looking back out the window. With the train moving the snowfall looked faster, harsher. "We don't know what to expect in a place we've never been."