Ponyville Station was probably the most consistently active place throughout the small, rural town. Each and everyday, ponies would depart to or arrive from their travels across Equestria and, unless easily susceptible to motion sickness, would always look forward to riding the Friendship Express and gazing out its windows to the vast countryside the line passed by.

Currently, the station was bustling with about two hundred or so ponies either purchasing tickets or, already having bought them, waiting for the Friendship Express to arrive either so they could begin their journey, or for a family member. Among the crowds of ponies waiting for a family member to arrive were five mares, one of which being an alabaster unicorn whom was the relative of the pony they were waiting to greet.

"I know I've said it before like a zillion times, Rarity," Pinkie Pie stated with a slight bounce to her step, "but I can't wait to meet Sol Do again." She pulled, seemingly from nowhere, a scrapbook and opened it up to a series of photos that depicted the two of them, plus Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, along with a unicorn mare sporting a green mane and tail, brown eyes, a white coat much like Rarity's, and wearing a straw hat with blue overalls. The pictures depicted the group having a good time, one which they would've loved to share with all of their friends.

Twilight and Applejack looked at the pictures. "This is at Hiddenite, correct?" Twilight inquired. "This is what you all were doing while I talked with DELOS' management regarding . . ." Twilight paused as she became aware of the tensions rising in the orange-coated mare next to her. She sheepishly chuckled and coughed into her hoof.

"Oh, Applejack," Rarity said, laying a hoof on the grief-stricken mare's shoulder. "Don't tell me you're still upset over what happened?"

The farm mare scowled for a moment before breathing deep and letting it out slowly replying. "'T ain't that, Rares. It's jus' that whenever the image of that cotton-pickin', mask-wearin' bucket o' bolts, Sin, pops in mah head . . ." Applejack couldn't finish her sentence as her legs began trembling in response to the rage she was feeling.

"Woah woah there, cowgirl," Rainbow Dash said, coming over and also laying a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "No need to get so worked up over something you don't have any control over."

Applejack sighed. "Ah know girls; I jus' wish Ah could've smashed that robot's face in myself."

"Oh, don't you worry darling," Rarity said smugly, "I did plenty of smashing for the both of us."

"Whatever," Applejack replied, exasperated, and resumed looking at Pinkie's scrapbook. "Anyhoo, so this is yer cousin, Sol Do?"

"Indeed she is, Applejack," Rarity replied. "And I must admit, she has a lot in common with yourself."

Applejack raised her brow. "How so?"

"Well, for starters, she's obsessed with manual labor almost to the point of insanity." Rarity rolled her eyes. "I swear, she makes sure to admonish any and everypony she deems to be lazy or a slouch of any kind."

"Well then, it's a good thing none of us are lazy slouches," Rainbow Dash stated with pride.

". . . . . . Anyway," Rarity continued, "as you can probably guess from these pictures, Sol Do is quite the country mare despite having been raised by upper class parents." She sighed in exasperation. "It makes no sense to me why she would abandon such a lifestyle for that of a gem miner, but to each their own I suppose."

"Why don't you ask her when she arrives?" Pinkie suggested.

"Heavens no, Pinkie!" Rarity scoffed. "Far be it from a lady to poke and prod another pony for information regarding their choices in life."

". . . . . . Anyway," Twilight said as she sidestepped to allow another pony passage around her to the ticket booth, "what else is Sol Do like as a pony? Applejack and I never got a chance to talk with her back in Hiddenite, but judging from what you guys said it sounds like she's a nice pony."

"Oh, she's more than just nice!" Dash proclaimed, flying in close to Twilight's face. "Heck, Sol Do might just be the second awesomest pony in the world!"

"And who's more awesome than her?" Applejack asked with a sly smile, already knowing the answer.

"Me and Daring Do tie for first, of course," Rainbow spun around to stare at her farmer friend. "And trust me, Rarity's cousin has to be awesome if I'm saying she is."

"Sure, RD, sure." Applejack shook her head. "But Ah won't believe it 'til I see fer myself."

"Well, you're about to get your chance," Pinkie said, "because here comes the train!"

Everypony on the platform looked down the tracks to the steadily growing sight of the Friendship Express barreling towards them. A long trail of smoke puffed from its pink funnel as the driver and firemare worked to keep it running along the line. Upon passing a sign indicating Ponyville Station was just a quarter mile ahead, however, the firemare ceased shoveling coal and the driver checked the engine's speed before slowly applying the brakes. The train gradually slowed down as it approached the station before coming to a complete stop perfectly aligned with the platform.

Immediately, the train's doors opened and ponies began rushing out, either to return home or greet friends and/or relatives who were waiting for them. Rarity and her friends began searching for the fashionista's country cousin amongst the crowd. They started at the front coach and made their way down the train, always courteous to give the passengers plenty of room to leave the coaches. The group kept at this until they reached the brakevan, yet they'd sighted neither mane nor tail of Sol Do.

"Are you sure she was coming today, Rarity?" Twilight asked the concerned unicorn.

Rarity looked up along the platform once more before replying. "I don't understand, she said in her telegram 'I'll be on the 2:00 train; prepare for a surprise, cousin'."

"What do you think she meant by 'surprise'?" Rainbow Dash asked, tilting her head.

"Ooh, I like surprises!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Ooh ooh ooh! I should totally throw Sol Do a surprise 'Welcome to Ponyville party!'" Pinkie then squeed and her eyes lit up.

"Um, Pinkie," Applejack said, stepping up beside her friend, "correct me if Ah'm wrong, but every party y'all throw for new ponies is a surprise one."

"Besides that," said a voice from behind them all, "a surprise party only works if'n the pony y'all are throwin' it fer doesn't know 'bout it, which Ah most certainly do now."

The group paused for a moment before turning as one around to the voice's owner. There, standing behind them at the tip end of the platform, was the same pony seen in Pinkie's photos. Same green hair, white coat, brown eyes, straw hat, though she was wearing a fancy cream colored dress, rimmed in white with pink frills and embedded with rubies and sapphires, rather than blue overalls. Next to her was a large, blue luggage bag.

"Sol Do!" Rarity exclaimed, and rushed over to embrace her country cousin; Sol Do returned the embrace in kind. "Why weren't you on the train? You had me worried sick!"

Sol Do chuckled, and let go of her cousin. "Ah, Rarity, good ta see y'all haven't changed one bit. As fer where Ah was," she gestured to the brakevan they were all standing next to, "Mr. Conductor in there was kind enough ta let me ride with him in the brakevan fer the whole trip. Ah always preferred goin' backwards and watchin' everythin' move away from me." She snapped from her thoughts and looked to everypony. "But enough about me, darling; how's everypony doin' since we last met?"

Pinkie Pie hopped over to her. "Even if you can't have a surprise welcome to Ponyville party, can I still throw you a regular welcome to Ponyville party?"

Sol Do chuckled. "Ah don't see why not. Sure, go ahead."

Pinkie squeed again and, before anypony could blink, zoomed out of the station and into Ponyville proper. Sol Do, as well as everypony else, took a moment to recompose themselves in response to Pinkie being Pinkie.

"Still as energetic as she was at Hiddenite, Ah see," Sol Do mused with a chuckle, and turned to look at everypony else. She frowned upon realizing somepony was missing. "Rarity, where might Fluttershy be at?"

"Fluttershy was called by the princess for an emergency in Canterlot," Rarity replied. "Something about her pet phoenix being under the weather."

"Well shoot, Ah was lookin' forward ta chattin' with her." Sol Do sighed. "Well, no use cryin' when Ah've yet ta be introduced to Ponyville's own premiere princess of friendship!" She made way toward Twilight, who by this point was wide-eyed and slack-jawed at Sol Do's mannerisms. "It's an honor ta finally meet ya, princess; Ah do so hope ta leave a good impression of myself on you."

Twilight stared blankly, completely out of tune with her surroundings before shaking her head clear of befuddlement and smiling sheepishly. "Er, yeah well . . . you've certainly left a strong impression on me already."

Sol Do frowned. "A good one, surely?"

Twilight hesitated. "Well . . . I guess it is."

"Excellent," Sol Do replied cheerily, and turned to Applejack. She took a moment to scrutinize the farm mare, who visibly tensed from being examined, before extending out a hoof in greeting. "Pleasure ta make yer acquaintance, Applejack."

". . . Uh, sure, Ah guess," Applejack said uneasily, and shook her hoof.

Sol Do giggled in response before levitating her bag over to her. "Well then, shall we get goin', gals?"

"But of course!" Rarity replied, trotting up alongside her. "By the way, what was the 'surprise' you alluded to in your letter?"

Sol Do smirked. "Well, Ah fer one plan on keepin' my surprises as such. But don't worry none, cousin, as you'll get it eventually." She turned to face the station's exit. "Now let's get goin'; after such a long train ride my belly's whinier than a Canterlot noble in Day Court."

"Do not fret, dear cousin," Rarity said. "I intend to make every aspect of your stay in Ponyville the best they can be, food included."

"Wait 'til you see the local sights," Rainbow Dash said as she joined them. "Did I tell you that I live in a cloud mansion?"

"No, ya didn't," Sol Do replied as the three of them began heading into Ponyville proper. "Tell me more."

Rarity turned back to the other two mares, who were staring at them in stunned silence. "Coming, girls?"

Twilight and Applejack managed to snap from their stupor and nod in unison. They began following the other three mares, all the while keeping their attention on Sol Do and her . . . unique, personality. It wasn't until the group had reached the fountain in town square where Rarity and Rainbow Dash began pointing out places of significance to Sol Do that Twilight and Applejack were able to speak to each other.

"Well," Twilight said, hesitantly, "she sure is . . . something."

"Ah'll say," Applejack replied. "It's like Rarity's country persona became its own mare, dyed her hair green, and started wearin' brown contacts."

"Just what I was thinking," Twilight replied with a nod. "To be honest, it's kind of creepy."

"That's an understatement if'n Ah ever heard one," Applejack said. She began rubbing her temples in an attempt to ease her brain's ache from processing all of what'd happened in less than a half hour; it didn't work. "It was creepy enough seein' Rarity actin' like me when Trenderhoof visited. Seein' a unicorn who acts like that naturally . . ." Applejack couldn't complete her sentence as she shuddered.

"She's certainly special," Twilight admitted. "This week is going to be very interesting."

"Goodness gracious!"

The sudden exclamation from Sol Do started Twilight and Applejack. Once recovered, they turned their attention to the gem miner to find she'd taken notice to a cluster of gopher holes surrounding the fountain. The holes were fresh, so much so that little bits of dirt could be seen flying out of one of them.

"Why are there gopher holes in the middle of town square?" she asked her cousin.

Rarity took one look at the holes and sighed. "They've been quite an annoyance ever since Fluttershy left for Canterlot," she explained. "In case you forgot she's Ponyville's animal expert, so this would be a problem for her to fix."

Sol Do eyed the holes with a murderous gaze. "How rude of them to dig where ponies walk every day; somepony could get injured if they stepped in one of these burrows and tripped."

"Want me to take care of them?" Rainbow asked, bringing her hooves together menacingly.

Sol Do waved a dismissive hoof. "Ah'll handle this myself." She then used her magic to open her bag and pulled out a strange-looking object. It was T-shaped with a short plastic grip, metal tips on either side and, oddly, a spring jutting out the top. Twilight and Applejack joined Rarity and Rainbow as they watched Sol Do carry the odd contraption over to the hole still being dug and stopped. She tapped the ground next to the hole with the object twice, as if knocking, to which the gopher inside stuck its head out in curiosity.

"Pardon me, sir and or ma'am, but ya aren't allowed ta dig holes here." She pointed behind her. "There's a nice field over yonder y'all can dig ta yer little heart's content in. So, would ya kindly fill in these holes and move there, please?"

The gopher stared blankly for a moment before blowing her a raspberry. Sol Do's eye twitched, but she remained calm and asked politely again. "Please move yer holes someplace where they won't be a safety hazard. Ah won't ask nicely again."

This time, the gopher retreated into the hole for a second before re-emerging with a clump of dirt in its tiny hands. Before Sol Do could say or do anything, the little rodent chucked the dirt right at her face. She growled in response, but kept her composure.

"So, y'all wanna play dirty?" Sol Do asked, wiping the dirt off her face. "Perfectly fine by me, that is."

Sol Do brought the object she was holding by her side. In a blink's time, the handle and metal tips extended to five times their previous sizes, revealing the entire thing to be a portable pickaxe. Sol Do raised the contraption over her head, poised to strike the ground with the metal tip. She smiled wickedly while the gopher, having done a complete one eighty in attitude upon seeing the weapon, cringed in fear.

"Ah'll ask again," Sol Do said, her tone one of raw, wicked delight, "will y'all fill in these here holes and dig someplace else from now on?"

The gopher nodded furiously and began scooping dirt surrounding the holes back into them. Satisfied, Sol Do put down her pickaxe and watched over the rodent to make sure it completed its job, all the while her cousin and friends stared with their jaws hung open in disbelief at the scene they'd just witnessed.

"I retract what I said earlier," Twilight said, to which the other three mares turned to her. "This week is going to be downright insane."