The muffling sound of hooves makes Jonathan look behind him. He cocks his head as the two mares slow down as they approach him. He switches from looking at the grape mare and the ivory mare, the quarter moon trying its best to illuminate their faces.

"We came to the agreement that we would need more supplies if we are to journey through a desert," Persistence finally answers the stallion's questioning expression.

"Okay…" Jonathan replies uncertainly.

Shade walks past him and says over her shoulder, "I'll take point."

Jonathan chuckles and gets in step with the ivory pony. "Thanks. Nearly broke my neck tripping over a few rocks."

As the first rays of sunshine for the new day peek over the horizon, the trio enter the skeleton town of Appleoosa. They travel down the main road to the train station.

"What supplies were you thinking on taking?" Jonathan asks breaking their silence.

"Water, food, maybe extra bags…" Shade begins to list.

"Sleeping bags, telescope, compass," Cherry Pie adds.

Jonathan hums. "Y'all might need a wagon or a cart to hold all that stuff."

"No. A wagon would slow us down," Shade inputs.

Before Jonathan can get a word in, Cherry Pie speaks up,"A wagon could keep us cool during the hottest times of day."

"Not when the temperature is over forty-five pyros…" Shade stops herself.

"Ladies," Jonathan steps between the two mares, "y'all are both right. Cherry Pie, the wagon would protect you from solar radiation and Shade is right because the temperature is technically the same in shade and in the sun. It just feels hotter in direct sunlight because of the radiation."

Jonathan shakes his head and continues walking towards the yellow station. The two mares exchange a glance.

"I can order a wagon and get you desert gear," he informs them as the mares catch up to him.

"Why?" Shade inquires with suspicion.

"Not for free, if that's what you're asking," Jonathan clarifies. "I'll send a letter to the quartermaster to prepare one for me and when I reach Canterlot and conclude my business I'll return with the wagon."

"How long will it take?" Shade asks.

"Three days." He holds up his left tan hoof to stop Evanescence, "I can arrange for you to work here for those three days to earn back some bits and have a place to sleep."

"Well, I have no problem getting my hooves—" Cherry Pie is cut off by Shade.

"I was going to say that I want to go to this 'Canterlot.' You said it was the capital, yes? Seems like a lucrative place to sell my loot."

"Canterlot is full of nothing but snobby, inbred unicorns with their own horns shoved up their plots!" Cherry Pie rants.

"Please, tell us how you really feel," Shade replies cynically. "What you think matters not—you will still accompany us."

"Why?" Cherry Pie steps up to Shade.

A slow grin spreads across Shade's muzzle. She leans closer to the grape mare with her forehead nearly pressing against Cherry Pie's hood and speaks low, "Because I own you." Shade draws back to her full height stating, "Just as I giveth so shall I taketh."

Cherry Pie scowls at Shade. With a snort of defeat, Cherry Pie lowers her head before Shade. "As you say, master," is Cherry Pie's bitter remark.

"Right…" Jonathan pipes up and shifts uncomfortably in place. "I'm… going to go check the train schedule then…" He trots away as casually as possible.

Shade laughs. She punches Cherry Pie's shoulder playfully. "Relax! I hate slavery and slavers. I do love a good joke. I took it too far, yes? I… will not do it again."

Cherry Pie snorts. "Yeah," she snaps and walks after the pinto stallion.

Shade enters the station and spies Jonathan at the desk "writing" a letter of sorts with a black ink pen. She makes her way to him when he stops writing and places the pen in ink well. He has a small grin on his muzzle.

"We're in luck. The train is coming back from Dodge Junction and should be here in an half hour. And the mailpony should be here soon to—"

The front double doors swing open. A gray pegasus mare with a blonde mane enters the station. She wears a sullen expression.

"Why the long face, kiddo," the older lime green stallion begind the counter asks.

The pony puts on a a small smile and trots up to the counter. "Just a long flight over here is all, sir. Don't have any letters but do you have some for me?"

If the pony wants to lie that is her prerogative Shade thinks to herself. The pony takes a lazy look around and her eyes shoot wide at Shade.

"Shade?" the mailmare walks up to the ivory mare with a black and crimson mane.

Shade steps away from the advancing mare. "Who the Hell are you?"

"What happened to your horns? And your mane?" the pony continues to question.

"I have no idea who the fuck you are or what the fuck you are talking about," Shade states.

"But you look and sound…" the gray pegasus examines the ivory pony and notices a missing cutie mark. "Is this another one of your spells?"

"She can't use magic. She's not a unicorn," Cherry Pie inputs. "Plus, I don't notice any magic on her."

The gray pegasus shifs her uncertain yellow eyes between the Shade look alike and the hooded pony. She begins to step backwards. "I…need to go…"

"Not before taking this," Jonathan speaks around the letter in his mouth.

The pegasus opens her saddlebag with a wing without taking her eyes off of Shade. Jonathan places the letter in the bag. She makes her way slowly to the doors. When her flank touches the wood she zips out the door.

Cherry Pie glances at Shade. Shade shrugs her shoulders.

"That was… awkward…" Jonathan breaks the silence.

"Where does she live?" Shade asks the old stallion.

"Ponyville, if I'm not mistaken," he answers.

"Anything else you can tell us about her, uncle Adam?"

"Not really, no," the stallion replies with a shake of his head.

"I am curious to meet my doppelgänger," Shade muses.

"She said 'horns'…" Cherry Pie voices.

"I noticed that, as well," Shade says.

"So… no wagon?" Jonathan asks.

"Maybe I can ask her to give me one of her horns," Shade jokes.

"Why?" Jonathan inquires.

"Why not?" Shade grins and walks to the front doors.

Jonathan looks over at the hooded Persistence. She just shrugs and follows after the ivory mare. A couple minutes later and the train pulls up to the station.

As they board the train Jonathan tells Evanescence, "Ponyville is on the way to Canterlot. If you still want the wagon, I can drop it off there on my way back."

"How much?"

"100 bits."

Shade takes her seat and Jonathan sits in the row next to her. She reaches into her saddle bag and pulls out a purse full of bits to toss at Jonathan. "Half now, the rest upon delivery."

Jonathan catches the purse with his white right hoof. "Deal," he nods.

The trip to Ponyville is a silent one.

When Shade and Cherry Pie step off the train at the Ponyville station, Jonathan calls out to Shade, "Hey," and tosses the book in his mouth at the ivory pony.

Shade dodges the book which sails into the side of Cherry Pie's head. Cherry Pie looks back and scowls at the pinto stallion.

"She was supposed to catch it!" he defends himself.

Shade rolls her eyes at the glower Cherry Pie gives her. "What for?"

Jonathan sighs and shakes his head. "Just read it. It'll be helpful."

Shade cranes her head down to see the battered brown book that had "Journal" written across it. She recognizes it as the book Jonathan had written in during the first night's rest. The train lurches forward and she sees Jonathan tip his hat before returning to the coach.

Shade eyes the book on the ground. She places a hoof on the edge and picks the book up in her hoof. "Odd…" she muses and places the book in her saddlebag.

"Let's see how crazy things will get," Cherry Pie huffs.