By the time the sun rises above the horizon, Shade and Cherry Pie are walking on thin prairie grass with a town in sight. "Town" is giving the place too much credit. A medium yellow building on the left of the tracks is the only complete structure in town. The skeletons of several more buildings rise from the dusty ground to the right of the tracks standing in four rows.

Shade grunts in mild amusement, "Hm. Frontier town."

"Wow," Cherry Pie awes as she steps beside Shade. "To be honest, I had never heard of Appleoosa and thought you were making it up."

Shade cocks a curious brow at the grape pony. "So you just follow random strangers for fun or do I need to sleep with both eyes open?"

"What? No! I was just…" Cherry Pie steps away from Shade and heaves a sigh to the side.

She looks back at Shade weilding her neutral expression.

Cherry Pie takes a deep breath, "When I was a filly, my 'friends' Spring Rain, Glitter Drops, and I were playing ball when we threw it too far rolling into a cave. They suggested I go in and retrieve it. The cave belonged to an Ursa Minor and I ran into it when I found the ball. It attacked me, left this scar and broke my horn." Cherry Pie swallows her tears.

Shade shifts in her spot.

Cherry Pie continues her story, "Wihout my horn, my magic went—goes—wild. I can't control it. I tried to play with Spring Rain and Glitter Drops but they didn't want to play with me. They abandoned me when I needed them the most. Even my parents started to treat me differently. So I ran away."

"I spent seven years moving from town to town, searching for any hint to help me fix my horn. I survived off scraps. A few months ago, I decided to leave Equestria since I found no answers here and thought perhaps an answer lays beyond Equestria."

"Then, I met you. You helped me out with food and water. You didn't shun or chase me away. You just… kinda accepted me. I promise to pay you back and then I'll be out of your mane."

Shade had occupied her attention to inspecting her left hoof. When she no longer hears Cherry Pie speaking she switches her focus to the grape pony in front of her with a slight cross expression.

"Oh, so you can stop talking. I did not need your life story. Running away because of that, well, you were only a 'filly,'" Shade turns away from Cherry Pie to continue to the yellow building. "Still, you have a little more of my respect for making it this far on your own. I guess I could say something encouraging but that is not my style."

Cherry Pie deflates. She kicks herself for even thinking about those two and thinking Shade could be a friend. Something clatters on the ground and skates over to her. Her eyes grow wide staring at the little, broken horn.

"Was this 'ursa minor' blue or purple?" Shade asks over her shoulder. "Well, I guess it matters not—I killed them both when I found all this stuff."

"You did what?!" Cherry Pie nearly drops the horn in her mouth.

She quickly packs the horn safely in a pouch and trots up to catch up with Shade. She jumps in front of Shade's way and grabs her ivory shoulders. "You can't be serious!"

Shade smirks and pushes the grape pony out of her way. "Guess you will have to pay me in monthly installments. I do not accept checks nor do credit," Shade informs the pony.

Cherry Pie watches the ivory pony continue walking ahead. Who is the pony called Shade? Cherry Pie smiles and follows after a new enigma. She wonders to herself which will happen first: finding a way to fix her horn or finding all there is to know about Shade? She quickly places her bits on the former.

A few minutes later, Shade barges through the wooden double doors of the yellow building which startles the stallion behind the ticket counter.

"Gee, you ever heard of 'knocking?'" Cherry Pie comments behind Shade as she draws her hood over her head.

Shade rolls her eyes and strolls up to the desk where the pinto stallion with dark brown mane waits. "This is Appleoosa, correct?" Shade inquires.

The stallion’s chocolate brown eyes light up, "Eeyup. How may I be of assistance?"

"Call me Evanescence." Shade points a hoof behind her, "This is my companion Persistence. Do you sell supplies?"

"Quite exotic names you two got. My name's Jonathan Apple. Yes, ma'am. Though, right now I'm outta stock at the moment. Train should be here by noon bringing general goods and the like along with the rest of the town," the stallion replies.

"Fantastic. I love waiting. It is my favorite pass time," Shade comments.

The stallion chuckles. "Feel free to rest on the benches. About six more hours 'til the train arrives."

"Maybe I can get some sleep," Shade speaks aloud to nopony in particular as she makes her way to a nearby bench.

Cherry Pie rolls her eyes and walks up to the stallion. "So, you're an Apple, huh? Kind of figures with the name of the town and all."

"Right? Not an ounce of originality in my clan. And they wonder why everyone thinks we are inbred hicks," Jonathan voices what is on his mind.

Cherry Pie chuckles. "Still, your family is well known. Not too many can say they have a town named after them."

Jonathan shrugs. "Thanks but I'm the black sheep of the family. I'm only here because I'm heading south to survey the land for the Princess."

"What for?"

"Whatever she wants to do with the land. I just report to her what I find and give general ideas." Jonathan taps his chin in thought. "I guess she did give us this land because of my suggestion. I never said to give the Apples the land I just told her it would make decent farm land if the land is worked properly."

"Wow. Guess you got big points with your family for that?"

"Yes. But I still didn't get to name it." The stallion sighs, "I'll live."

"Have you ever been outside of Equestria?" Cherry Pie inquires.

"No. I work for the crown so her royal highness has me working within the borders of Equestria. Sadly."

"Ever wish to travel past the borders, for instance, explore the south?"

Jonathan narrows his eyes at her. "What's your game?"

"No game. I'm just interested going south of the Badlands." Cherry defends.

"Old maps show that the south eventually becomes jungles then more desert," Jonathan shares.

"Any cities down there?"

"Dunno. I'm just a surveyor not a historian."

"Where could we learn more about the south?"

"Probably from somepony who has been down there. Or books. Books are always a first for me when I go to new places," the stallion reveals.

"No quater!" Shade commands as she aims her cutlass at the already burning ship with red sails and a red flag with a skull and cross bones. "They aren't people they are pirates. Send them to their watery graves!"

She cheers on as her boarding party jumps over the black, wooden rails of the Sea Wolf to board the pirate ship. Shade cuts down a pirate that had the audacity to try and board her ship by swinging down from a rope. With a flick of her wrist she deflects a musket ball with her cutlass. She unholsters one of her clockwork pistols from her belt, takes aim, and shoots the man reloading the musket between his eyes.

A grappling hook sinks into the rail in front of her. She huffs and leaves the gold-ivory wheel to dislodge the hook. With a single kick, she removes the hook. Moments later, the fighting dies down on the pirate ship. Shade orders her men off the ship and to bring the captian.

Shade descends the stairs, her swords and guns talking with each careful step of her mahogany leather bound feet. Her straight press, immaculate, black uniform and her gate commands the attention of all on the main deck and looking down from the rigging.

A man of about forty, with dark blue hair and beard and equally blue eyes, glares at the woman as she makes her way to him. He struggles against the hempen binds holding him. The woman of well know infamy stands before him and grins down at him victoriously.

"If you want—"

A punch to the face cuts him off mid sentence.

"No talking," Shade demands with a chilling tone. She implants her cutlass into the chest of the pirate captain. "Hold that for me, if you would be so kind."

The pirate grunts and gurgles as blood and steel fill his lungs. She kicks the pirate over with satisfaction.

She thrusts her fist high in the air, "Tonight, these pirates dine in Hell!"

"Yeah!" Her crew roars.

"Tonight, we all dine like kings! Helmsman, take us the Hell out of here!" Shade commands.

The gunshot report lurches Shade awake.

"Pirates. Traitors," Shade sneers.

A train whistle blows. Shade yawns and smacks her lips. A quick search of the area and she locates Cherry Pie at the counter where she is going over a map with Jonathan. The train whistle blows again, twice more.

Shade yawns as she walks over to the counter. She is smacking her lips as she cranes her neck to see the map. Jonathan slides a canteen over to Shade who graciously accepts. The water whets her cotton mouth, rejuvenizing her. After going without water for two days, she did not notice her thirst until she had woken up.

"Another," Shade requests, panting.

Jonathan brings out a canteen from under the counter and passes it to Shade.

"Thanks." Shade flips open the top and takes a sip, "Somepony drank all my water on our way over here."

"You could have kept it," Cherry counters.

"And have you die? You still owe me and I get my dues," Shade states and finishes the canteen. "How much?" Shade asks the stallion.

"Pardon?"

"How much for the water?" Shade clarifies.

"It's water. It's free," Jonathan answers somewhat confusedly.

Shade reaches into her left saddle bag and bites a mouthful of coins and places them on the counter. "Take it."

"Normally, I would say something along the lines of 'try and make me' but I think you could and I doubt I'd pose a challenge," Jonathan grins. He slides the bits from off the counter and into a small bag he had picked up from behind the counter with his mouth.

"A male that can think. What a rare breed," Shade remarks.

"Yeah. We're a dying race. The friend zone kills us all off slowly," Jonathan retorts as he puts up his bag and stuffs the canteens away.

The train comes to a stop in front of the station, releasing hissing steam. Jonathan walks from around the counter to the front door which swings open. A golden stallion with an apricot mane and green eyes stands in the doorway. He wears a brown vest and equally brown hat.

"Good afternoon, Braeburn," Jonathan greets the stallion lazily.

Shade notices the red apple on Braeburn's thigh and Jonathan's compass with an apple pointing north on his thigh.

"Hello, cousin," Braeburn replies with a false smile.

Jonathan pushes pass the stallion.

Braeburn walks over to the mares and grins. He tips his hat at them, "Hey there! Welcome to Appleoosa! I hope Jonathan has been mindin' his manners. He can be a bit... difficult to talk to."

"No he has—"

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

The noise draws closer to the doors. They swing open and Jonathan trudges in carrying a load of supplies where only his hooves can be seen.

"Out of the way," Jonathan grunts. Braeburn, Cherry Pie, and Shade step to the side as the stallion labors forward. He crouche and crawls out from under his load which stays intact. He releases a snort of exhaustion and walks back outside.

"That pony," Braeburn grumbles and follows after the stubborn stallion, "Always not asking for help. That'll be the death of him, I swear."

The next twenty minutes the ponies unload the train and then immediately get to work building their prospective establishments. Jonathan restocks the back shelves of the station along with the help of Cherry Pie and Shade. Braeburn goes to his budding apple orchard to begin working on a barn.

When Jonathan is done, he turns over the keys to his uncle and leaves. Cherry Pie nudges Shade's ribs when she spots Jonathan at the edge of town.

"He said he was heading south. Maybe he could be our guide for a short ways?" Cherry Pie suggests.

Shade shrugs her shoulders. "Do not see the harm in asking."