Derpy on the E.T.A.

A few minutes after Derpy had departed Ponyville for Dodge Junction, the first meeting of the Equestrian Transit Authority was held at the town hall. The main topic of the meeting was what should they do to keep the Friendship Express in service. The committee of the ETA voted for somepony to lead this new authority. The committee were soon shocked when they discovered that Mayor Mare, mayor of Ponyville, had been unanimously selected as the president of the ETA. In one of the meeting rooms in the town hall, Mayor Mare began the meeting.

"Alright everypony, let's all have a seat so we can discuss this situation," she exclaimed.

After a couple of minutes, the members of the committee were soon seated. Each member of the authority had a specific job that made up the ETA. One pony was in charge of the maintenance of the Friendship Express, basically in charge of making sure that the train was clean and spotless for every journey. Another pony, a pegasus, was in charge of marketing and advertising, hiring pegasi to fly with banners advertising the Friendship Express. Two more ponies were responsible for fare collection and the finances of the authority. Basically deciding how much money should be spent on fixing signals, train tracks, stations, and repairs to maintain the Friendship Express. The last member of the committee was in charge of security. This pony had hired conductors to monitor every station and every coach on the Friendship Express.

"Excuse me Mayor," said the pony in charge of security. "But I think that we should try to make a documentary on this train service to increase advertising."

Everypony stared at him. Then all at once, they shouted at him that they didn't have the technology or the money to produce, direct, and film a documentary.

"Yeesh, I was just making a suggestion," he said sternly.

"Anyone else?" asked Mayor Mare. The room was silent. Nopony knew what to do. Just then, one of ponies in charge of financing spoke up.

"I've done some research in Manehatten and found out that their subway system has this thing called an exit fare."

The rest of committee or Mayor Mare didn't know what an exit fare was. The pony was annoyed.

"Ugh! It's when a pony has to pay an extra fare in order to leave the subway system!" she shouted as she pounded a hoof on the table. "It will increase the finances of this company and will help fund enough money to pay for the maintenance and advertising of this train service," she said importantly.

"Well then!" replied Mayor Mare. "Who here agrees with this new policy?" Everpony's front right hoof was raised.

"Then it's settled. From this day forth, the Friendship Express shall have an exit fare policy for all ponies who commute on this great train service!" Mayor Mare announced. The committee cheered at the decision and soon the news spread to all conductors at every station in Equestria.

The time was now 5:00pm. Instead of enjoying dinner at her hotel, Derpy was sitting on one of the benches in one of the passenger coaches. The train had been traveling since 10:00am when she got on the train in Ponyville. 2 hours ago, she found out that she couldn't pay the exit fare to get off the train. Now, dissapointed, she sat there, watching the scenery go by outside one of the coach windows.

"I wonder how my family is doing?" she asked to nopony in particular. An hour later, the train arrived in Manehatten, the terminus of the Friendship Express. The doors opened and the conductor in the coach started collecting the exit fares.

"Attention everpony!" he announced. "This is the last stop for this train. Please take all your belongings." Derpy began making her way to the coach door when the same conductor stopped her again. "I am sorry miss, but you are going to have to spend the night in this coach. I can't provide you food and water, but I'll try and make sure the heat is on." he said to Derpy. "It's going to be a cold night tonight."

"Thanks," Derpy sadly replied.

The conductor closed the doors and soon the train had departed Manehatten to be stored in the train yard. The train stopped in a siding and the lights in the coach were turned off. The only light was from the train yard lights, shining through the coach windows.

"Well, here I am on the Friendship Express," Derpy said to herself. "I better get some sleep."

She yawned and fell asleep on one of the benches in the coach. That night she had a terrible dream. She was at a muffin factory, watching the muffins being made. At the end of the assembly line, the muffins were being packaged into boxes and put on a train. The smell of the muffins made her hop into one of the freight cars and soon was eating the muffins happily. Suddenly, the doors of the boxcar closed shut!

"Hey! Let me out!" she shouted. She began kicking the door with her backhooves. After a couple of minutes, the door broke open with a splintering crash! But Derpy's kick was so strong that she had lost her balance. Unknown to her, the train was crossing a tall viaduct and she helplessly fell out of the boxcar. Since she had eaten too many muffins, her wings couldn't support her weight!

"AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" she screamed as she tumbled into the valley, boxes of muffins falling around her. She closed her eyes and braced for impact.

THUMP!

"Ow!" she yelled. "What a-" she stopped. She was on the floor of the coach! She had just fallen off the bench that she was sleeping on.

"Oh...my...goodness! It was only a dream!" she happily exclaimed to herself. "I realize now that the only way I can get off this train is to be patient. No matter how long it takes, somepony will find me and rescue me from this train!" she yelled happily. "Well then, I better get some sleep, what a day," she said as she got back on the bench. After one long yawn, she fell asleep, snoring happily. And soon, at 9:00pm, the heating system came on, giving warmth to Derpy as the weather pegasi outside began making snow in the clouds, ready to fall on Hearth's Warming Eve the next day.