I could feel the gentle swaying of the train beneath me as I rode towards Canterlot in a half asleep state. Twilight’s visit to Ponyville was a wonderful success, I’m glad she and Trixie stopped by and met the girls early.

The rest of the week had been one filled with work, fresh cider, and plenty of fun hanging out with the girls. Fluttershy had stopped by on the second day to offer her help and Rarity had Joined the sorting team to get to know Trixie better. Both bonded over a flair for the dramatic and a good romance story. Dash of course helped out when she heard about the special cider and Forest made sure she earned it while also using it as training. I almost wish I didn’t have to go back to school.

“Shh keep it down moron. We don’t want to wake him.” My ears flicked a bit, somepony had just dropped something on the floor with a clatter before the Mare’s voice hissed out.

“Sorry.” As the second, a male, voice spoke I yawned and was grateful that whoever it was didn’t want to bother my nap but something in the tone bothered me and caused me to frown. Mares don’t normally talk to stallions like that.

As I laid there pondering my ears flicked back and forth in distress at the lack of specific sounds. It wasn’t until a few moments later until I realized, Where’s the sound of the tracks?

My body was currently swaying gently but now that I was more awake I realized it felt more like the bumpy motions of a cart not smooth clacking of a train car. Where the heck am I?

I shot up and looked around. I was definitely in a large passenger cart instead of the train.

“Well look who’s awake.” I turned towards the female voice and found out why it was throwing me off. The female was not a pony but a large Griffin hen.

I tried to light my horn but felt the familiar ache of a null ring on my horn.

“Sorry colt but no magic for you.” The hen gave a smug grin.

I tried my wings next but they were tightly bound.

“No flight either.~” the male clacked his claws together in a threatening gesture.

“Do you two know who I am?” I tilted my head. Is this going to be a yearly thing? If that’s the case Fate owes me two bits. I snorted unhappily.

“Of course we do. Balanced Dawn, only male alicorn in existence and future breeding stud for the highest bidder. Do you know who we are?” The Hen asked and tried to be menacing but it came off as comical compared to Luna.

“Lunch?” I growled at the two laughing Griffins.

I wasn’t about to put up with being foalnapped again so I put my guard training, Thank you Shining, to use. Channeling magic through my hooves I sent out a powerful stun wave which knocked out the two Griffins and apparently the driver, since the cart lurched to a stop.

“Oh Buck, he escaped!” One of the apparent escorts, yelled. Looks like I should have made it stronger.

I didn’t wait another moment and escaped my bonds using shadow magic before blasting my way out of the roof of the cart. With a quick survey I spotted about ten escorts with various weapons.

“Get him, but alive!” One of the escorts yelled and threw an enchanted bola at me. The small contingent of griffins continued to throw bolas or nets at me but all were easily dogged or blasted away thanks to my smaller size.

I gave them all one last angry look before sending out another, stronger stun pulse from my horn knocking all but one of the griffins out.

“Nice trick colt, too bad it won’t work on me.” The griffin cock tapped his enchanted armor.

I didn’t bother with dialogue and instead just dive bombed him with my forehooves covered in magic. The resounding crunch from my impact and smell of blood told me I had done some serious damage but the sound of pained breathing let me know I hadn’t killed him.

“You should have taken the spell.” I huffed and flew skyward to get a better view of my surroundings.

“Where the Buck is this?!?” Looking around in all directions I could not spot a single familiar landmark, even using my pegasus enhanced eyesight.

“I can’t even see the Canterhorn mountains. Just how far did they take me while asleep?” My heartrate increased and I slammed back onto the ground as I remembered another fact.

“I wasn’t alone, Where are the girls?” I frantically shot back up looking for another cart in the area but spotted nothing so began making wider circles in a standard search pattern.

“What do you mean he didn’t arrive?!?” Celestia’s mane was almost on fire. It took a comforting hoof from Imago to calm her back down enough to not burn an average pony.

“Well he wasn’t on the train. Twilight, her family, friends, and the rest of the passengers are all accounted for, though all still passed out.” The guard answered unsteady. “The conductor looks to have fled along with whoever released the sleeping gas onto the train.”

“Two years in a row that poor colt.” Imago was hugging her mare friend after they dismissed the unlucky messenger.

I may not have been able to do much to Dawn’s grandparents but whoever messes with my alicorn colt will pay! Celestia’s mane had gone full inferno again. Imago could sense her partners emotions so simply stood back and let her vent. Anything less would be unhealthy.

When I returned to the cart, expecting to find the stunned griffins, I was greeted by a bloody mess and distinct lack of bodies instead. “Buck, I didn’t want them dead. Also I needed them to guide me back.”

Walking slowly through the scene I could tell the unfortunate griffins had come under attack by wild animals. Perhaps if awake they would have had no issue against whatever beast came through but with all of them knocked out they hadn’t stood a chance.

With a tear in my eye I bowed my head and hoped it had been quick. Considering I had been gone for a few hours, flying a circular search for other carts, there was no way I could tell exactly when it happened.

“Well, dwelling won’t help.” I wiped my eyes. “They were going to sell me as a slave.” Stomping my hoof I formed an earth wall around the remnants of the cart and began setting up a makeshift camp by using whatever remained. Night was falling quickly so I decided to move in the morning after some proper rest. I could fly at night thanks to my Thestral disposition but I couldn’t see nearly as far even with night vision.

Putting a hoof into my mane I pulled out a muffin from my inventory that was still relatively fresh and began munching away. “I’ll definitely have to thank Pinkie next time I see her for making these. Hopefully I don’t get sick of them again.”

I couldn’t sleep. Whatever forest I was in was not a quiet one like the Whitetail woods. Wolves howled and a few times something stopped by to scratch at my barrier eliciting the need for repairs.

“Stupid Griffin foalnappers taking me to Harmony knows where and dying before I could even get information.” I grumbled as my anger built. When another creature came sniffing around my barrier I went full Thestral, flew on top of the earthen wall and let out a scream of rage, scaring whatever it was away.

“Bu-uck.” I let my emotions overwhelm me before I wiped my face with my leathery wings to calm down. After a few deep breaths I flew back to the makeshift bed I made from the cart’s bench.

It was going to be a long night.

“Report Shining.” Celestia sat in her situation room with others running around compiling information.

“Well, all the witnesses that were awake said the same thing ‘the train cars filled with gas, we panicked, and then fell asleep’. The whole thing happened just after leaving Ponyville so it’s hard to tell when they got off with Dawn.” He finished the report with a sigh.

“Considering how long most were knocked out Dawn should only just be waking up.” Celestia tapped her chin and surveyed a map that was rolled out.

“If they didn’t drug him again. Another issue is the residual magical energy that was found. According to the investigators Dawn was teleported off the train meaning they could be further than we expect.” Shining winced as Celestia flashed a hint of anger.

“Buck.” Everypony froze. The princess never swore.

“Why didn’t I just sleep on a cloud?” I kicked the remains of the cart off the road. I wasn’t about to leave a mess behind and had already broken down my earth wall.

“I can make anything out of them and I choose to sleep on the bucking ground like a scrub.” I kick it one last time and sigh skyward. Being angry wasn’t going to help my situation so I instead took stock of what I knew.

“I didn’t find anyone else so they probably only took me for a quick payday. I’m not near Canterlot but roads mean civilization and I didn’t actually walk that far plus I spotted what looks like train tracks so that’s good.”

Checking my inventory I had plenty of muffins and cider I was going to share with school friends as well as paper, school supplies, and a few other odds and ends. “Least food isn’t an issue and I could always eat grass.” I idly took a bite and spit it out. “Right wild grass isn’t nearly as good.”

I could eat it but it tasted really bad.

“Guess I’ll get going.” I looked around for anything else useful then shot one last therapeutic blast at the cart before flapping my leathery wings and picking a direction of the road to follow.

“Maybe I should also hide this.” I tapped my horn while flying and hid it with Shadow magic. I now looked like an ordinary Thestral colt, even my fur had been slightly darkened my my application of shadow magic.

“Perfect.” I glided down the path wondering, Just where the Buck am I?

Author's Note

Surprise! This chapter was actually done before some of the others so y’all get it now.

Approximately how Dawn looks, just whit slit eyes and tufted ears.