Her Sentence as a Pony: Book One

“Phew-wee!” Braeburn whistles as his eyes survey Appleloosa. “We Apples sure know how to build towns!”

“I’d say,” Jonathan comments to the left of Braeburn.

“Six months. That’s gotta be a new record!”

“Eeyup.”

“Do ya really have to go back to Canterlot? You ain’t gunna stay for the celebration?” Braeburn asks his cousin.

“The buffalo situation is gettin’ out of hoof. Princess Celestia needs to know about their train robberies. I have come up with a few solutions that I want to go over with her.” Jonathan informs and starts his walk to the station.

“Well, I know Applejack will be a little sad that you won’t be here.”

The pinto stallion stops in his tracks. “Applejack is comin’?”

“Eeyup!” Braeburn beams.

Jonathan flips a pocket watch out from his vest pocket to check the time. “When?”

“Day after tomorrow.”

“Are Big Mac and Applebloom comin’, too?”

“I don’t think so,” Braeburn answers.

The bronze gift from the crown slides back into its resting place in Jonathan’s vest pocket. “It has been some time since we last saw each other,” he mumbles out loud. He turns to Braeburn and gives a small grin, “I s’pose I can at least stick around to see the tree planted.”

“For all the modern technology we have, why are there ponies pulling the train?” Shade wonders aloud, adding to the idle chatter.

Indistinct chatter fills the coach where everypony is lounging in their beds. Everydragon on the other claw keeps tossing and turning in his bunk. Rarity had just came back from the private car for Bloomberg—an apple tree—no doubt voicing her annoyance to Applejack who had gone there to read the tree—an in animate object—a bedtime story.

None of this made sense to Shade. She knows her friends come with a few quirks so she learns to just go with the flow. She floats some popcorn to her mouth and watches out the window as the sparse landscape passes.

“Do you guys mind?” Spike finally voices his aggravation. “I was up early, fire-roasting those snacks you're all eating, and I'm pooped!”

“Uh, speaking of, some of these popcorn kernels didn't get popped,” Rainbow Dash informs the sleepy dragon as she nudges the popcorn beside her.

“Okay, fine...” Spike groans.

A flash of green from behind brings a grin to Shade’s muzzle.

“Good night!” Spike huffs as he retreats under his cover.

“Uhh... maybe it's time we all got a little shut-eye. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.” Twilight says. She turns off the lamp which prompts Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash to voice their mild protest.

Shade closes her eyes to drift off to the land of dreams where Spike apparently is at if his snoring is any indication.

“Psst!”

Her ear swivels toward the sound.

“Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash whispers, “you asleep, yet?”

“No, are you asleep yet?” Pinkie asks in a hushed tone.

“If I was sleeping—“ Rainbow Dash’s retort is suddenly cit short.

“You would not be talking,” is Shade’s snarky reply. Her horns flash again to unmute Rainbow Dash. “Don’t make me cast a spell to put you all to sleep.”

“I think I may need one, Shadey-wadey,” Pinkie inputs. “I’m too excited for tomorrow!” A confetti canon goes off.

“Oh for Pete’s sake!” Spike interjects. He hops out of his bunk, with pillow in claw, and storms off to the private sleeping coach.

“Well, that was kinda huffy,” Twilight remarks from her bunk.

“Huffy the magic dragon,” Fluttershy jokes from hers.

Shade chuckles and everypony else giggles—sans Rarity. The giggling crescendos into laughter.

“Would you all be quiet—NOW!” Rarity demands from her bunk.

Her sleeping mask and tone frighten everypony.

“Goodnight!” The others say in quick unison.

Shade wakes up to the sunlight blasting in her face. She closes the curtains with her crimson magic. With a yawn she straps the welding goggles over her eyes. She hears the sound of hooves outside.

A jolt presses her muzzle up against the glass window. Everypony awakens from the sudden movement. Shade peeks out of her bunk to see her friends huddling around a window on the opposite side. She goes to the window opposite her.

“A buffalo stampede!” Twilight exclaims.

“Breakfast...” Shade comments to herself and licks her lips. Her brows furrow at the number and closeness of the buffalo.

“They’re getting awfully close to the train...” Twilight voices her concern.

Shade’s eye grow wide as the buffalo slam into the stallions pulling the train. The group of mares are flung to the opposite side of the car and Shade knocks her head on her bunk. She descends into a world of darkness.

Jonathan narrows his eyes at the pocket watch.

“Huh. The train is runnin’ late,” Braeburn says.

“The only time the train runs late is when buffalo are involved,” Jonathan inputs.

“Oh! There’s the train!” Braeburn points a hoof down the line at the approaching train on the horizon.

When the train stops, the door barely gets open before Applejack and company burst out of the car. They stop with a skidding halt before a light gold stallion sporting a brown hat.

“Hey there! Welcome ta A-A-ppleloosa!” Braeburn greets them, rearing back on his hooves in excitement.

Jonathan groans inwardly as he walks up to his cousin and her friends. Their look of concern catches his attention.

“Braeburn, listen—“ Applejack begins but is cut off by Braeburn.

“Cousin Applejack, mind yer manners, you have yet ta introduce me to your compadres! Shame on you!” He admonish her.

“Braeburn, listen, somethin' terrible's happened—“ she starts and is cut off again.

“Terrible is right, your train is a full seven minutes late! That's seven minutes less—Oof!” An elbow to his ribs suppresses him.

“Shut yer damn apple hole, Braeburn, and let Applejack talk!” Jonathan growls. He straightens his vest and tips his hat to introduce himself, “The name’s Jonathan Apple. Sorry ‘bout Braeburn. He doesn’t know how to be quiet.”

“Jonathan!” Applejack hugs her older cousin.

“Applejack...” he replies lamely, taken by surprise from the hug. He politely coughs and Applejack pulls off of him. “So what happened.”

“We have a hu-uge problem! Some of our friends are missin'!”

“A stampede of buffalo,” Fluttershy begins.

“They stole Spike!” Rarity adds.

“Rainbow Dash went after them!” Twilight inputs.

“And I think Pinkie Pie went after them, as well,” Shade states.

“And we had an apple tree with us for your orchard, but they took that too!” Applejack says finally.

“Buffalo,” Jonathan sneers and walks off. He takes a second look at the ivory mare with the red and black mane and three horns before continuing on his way.

“Did you say... buffalo?” Braeburn sighs. “Them buffalo, they want us settler ponies to take every single tree you see here off this land. They sure as hay don't want any new ones added in,” he explains.

Shade watches the pinto stallion, about the size of Big Mac, walk down the train tracks and decides to follow him.

“Where are you going?” she asks.

“Going to go look for your friends,” Jonathan answers.