The Shattered Heart

Sunburst and Sand walked through the fallow fields that surrounded Appleoosa, flanked by purples to the east and oranges to the west, shimmering aurora above their heads and rusted rails by their sides and naught in their ears but the crunch of hooves on snow and the creak of wood against wood.

"Sunburst?"

"Yep?"

"Why did you suggest this?

"What do ya mean?"

"Yesterday, when you suggested that we go traveling. I mean, I don't think I need to explain to you why I decided to come. But what is is that you are looking for out here?"

A few seconds of silence. Then, "You're a smart pony, Sand. You'd've come up with the same idea, sooner or later."

A few more steps forward, before the cart ground to a halt. Sunburst turned to Sand, a quizzical look on her face.

"You didn't actually answer my question," said Sand.

Sunburst sighed, head lowered and ears pinned. And was that worry writ upon her face? "Please, Sand, I'd really rather not  --"

Sand wrapped her friend in a hug -- the only response she could think of. "Come on, Sunburst. What's gotten into you?"

She pawed at the snow for a few seconds. "You found those maps, and it was only a matter of time before you had the same idea I did. And, no question about it, you'd go, no stopping you. Maybe even alone. I just ... needed to make sure I was there when it happened."

"What? You know I'd have asked you along before I went on a trip like this. And even if I didn't, what's the big deal? I go scavenging on my own all the time!"

"And what if you didn't come back?"

Sand retracted her head, confused. "Why wouldn't I come back? I've never gotten into trouble out here -- I've always come back!"

"I know, Sand. But don't you think there's a reason nopony's ever visited Appleoosa? It's like you said, there was a huge library in Ponyville. They'd have maps too, so why haven't we seen any of them?"

Sand processed this for a moment, then froze, her eyes wide. "I - you - why didn't you bring this up earlier? I hadn't even considered that!"

"Would ... you like to turn back? It's not too late." Sunburst motioned to the town still not far behind.

Sand stomped a hoof, her voice resolute despite its tremor. "Of course not." Then it softened. "Although, I would not blame you if you did choose to return home. I would hate for you to get hurt on my reckless treasure hunt."

"There's your answer, Sand -- I know you, and bringing it up earlier wouldn't have changed a thing." Then Sunburst returned Sand's hug, doubly tight, a grin once again plastered on her face. "And no, ya aren't gonna get rid of me that easily."

In warmer months, these fields would bristle with waves of rustling golden hay, far as the eye could see; now at the edge of Appleoosa's farmland, Sunburst and Sand walked past those few bales, silent and still and grey, that had not yet been rolled in to feed the town. Then, all within a hundred paces, the crunch of hoofsteps became the clack of hoofsteps became the squelch of hoofsteps; as snowy fields gave way to frozen barrens, gave way to grainy muddy soil, and the seasonal magic of Appleoosa's pegasi gave way to the wild magic of the land.

Then finally, back to the crunch of hoofsteps on white as they found themselves on the slow-shifting sands of the San Palomino desert, cool breeze in their manes.

Not long after Appleloosa faded from sight beneath the dunes, Sunburst turned to Sand.

"Hey Sands, that where ya found those maps?" She inclined her head. On its side in a depression by the rails, surrounded by piles of freshly dug sand, a dull-grey train engine lay -- long since flayed of paint by the desert winds, yet untouched by rust or rot.

At Sand's nod, "What do ya think happened to it?"

"Well, the train looked mostly intact, except for a few dents on the side it fell on, so it probably wasn't moving when it fell over. And although you can't see them -- they're still buried under the sand -- the carriages were empty. No, um, ponies in them." Sand gestured at the mound trailing from the depression -- Sunburst had assumed it was just another dune.

"So, my guess is that it just ... broke down on the rails. The ponies inside abandoned it, and it tipped over at some later point -- desert sandstorms, while quite rare in the San Palomino, can be extremely powerful when they do happen. Or maybe the ponies from the next train removed it so they could pass, and just left it there to gather dust. I don't know."

The two friends stood, heads bowed, silent, solemn, paying their respects to the venerable machine.

Then, Sunburst and Sand continued on their way -- joking and reminiscing and laughing as they walked to pass the time.

Hours later, Sunburst leaned against Sand, her eyes heavy and her legs wobbling beneath her.

"Say, d'ya know how long we've been out here for? Might be 'bout time to settle down for the night," she yawned.

Sand screwed her eyes shut in concentration, her horn aglow, "Hold on. Let me do a quick scry."

When she turned back to Sunburst, her ears were flat against her head. "We've never been this far from town before. I can't see the clocktower from here."

As she lay at Sunburst's side, Sand could not help but stare south, to where Appleoosa should have been. And though she had spent many a night on these desert sands, this time Sand did not feel at home.