Jonathan lowers the binoculars from his eyes and turns to address the mare beside him. His face scrunches up in confusion when he sees her wipe a fetlock across her muzzle.

“You. . . alright?” he dares to question her.

“They look plump and juicy, don’t they?” Shade speaks slowly between heavy breaths. She keeps her eyes on the buffalo in the distance.

“Riiiight. . .” Jonathan replies uncertain. He stuffs the binoculars back in his pack. “Well, we found your friends. They look perfectly fine. We should go back to town and inform the others.”

“I’m sure one wouldn’t even notice a leg missing. . .”

Jonathan waves a hoof in front of her eyes. Shade shakes her head and follows the leg to a pair of brown eyes.

“Welcome back from planet carnivore,” Jonathan quips. “Let’s head back to town and tell the others about the situation.”

“Hm. . .” Shade taps her chin thoughtfully. She turns her eyes to the distant campfire where her friends are. “Nah.”

Jonathan watches the ivory mare stand and walk towards the buffalo camp. A sigh leaves him.

“Why would she be any different?” he thinks as he begrudgingly follows her.

Pop!

“Sup?” Shade says to the curious light blue and cerise eyes.

“Shadey-wadey!” Pinkie exclaims. She zips over to the alabaster tricorn to wrap her hooves around the mare.

“My head. . .” Jonathan groans as he tries to rub the stars from his eyes.

“Why are you here? And who’s he?” Rainbow Dash questions drawing closer.

Pinkie disengages from her hug with Shade.

“I just came here for Pinkie,” Shade answers with a smile.

Pop!

Rainbow and Jonathan stare at the empty space Shade had occupied with mouths agape.

Pop!

Pinkie Pie’s giggling fills the air behind them. “Nice one, Shade!

Shade does a little curtsy and walks back over to the two ponies she left behind.

A smile finds Rainbow’s muzzle. “That was pretty good.”

A short cough draws their attention to the pinto stallion.

“Not to be rude and disturb this reunion,” Jonathan says and points to the buffalo that had encircled them.

“How can a species so large be that quiet?” Rainbow coments aloud.

The buffalo part to let a dark grey buffalo with a feather headdress step forward.

“We already gave you an answer, Apple pony,” Chief Thunderhooves addresses the pinto stallion with a snort.

Jonathan steps up to the large buffalo. “Mules could learn a lesson or two from you,” he quips with a scowl. “Running around the town is easier than us having to uproot and rebuild.”

“If you had asked for permission first you settler ponies wouldn’t need to move,” Rainbow Dash inputs.

“‘Ask for permission’? This land belongs to Equestria. Princess Celestia has graciously allowed these buffalo to live here,” Jonathan states and returns his ire to the chief to add, “Tax free and law free, I’ll add.”

“You have until the day after tomorrow, when the sun is highest to be off our land,” Chief Thunderhooves devilers his ultimatum.

Jonathan’s eyes shoot wide. “That is when we have to harvest our apples! All that ground shaking and dirt. . .” Jonathan trails off as he brings a hoof to his chin to think.

After the gears in his head had finished turning he smiles up at the chief, “I definitely will need a raise or bonus after I pull this off.”

The ponies and buffalo share an uncertain glance with each other.

A long yawn breaks the silence and everyone turns to look at the baby dragon.

“Is it time for breakfast?” the young drake asks as he smacks his mouth.

Braeburn and Sheriff Silverstar look up from the map to Jonathan then back to the map and finally to Jonathan. The three of them are in the “Salt Block” with the new ponies around them. Little Strongheart also waits patiently on the outcome of this meeting in between Rainbow Dash and Spike.

“Genius, I know,” Jonathan states wielding a smug grin.

“This way you do not need to resettle and the buffalo can continue on their tradition stampede route,” Twilight speaks, “A compromise to make both sides happy.”

“We would lose thirty percent of our harvest along with the twenty percent we would lose if we move the trees now,” the Sheriff complains. “I think we should just drive them buffalo out!”

Jonathan hooks a hoof across the Sheriff’s back, “As the newly appointed mayor, what you think doesn’t matter. This is what we are doing.”

Sheriff Silverstar and Braeburn share an expression of surprise. Jonathan rifles through his saddlebag and pulls out a letter with his mouth. He unrolls the letter on the table on top of the map.

“Well I’ll be!” Braeburn smiles. “Congratulations, cuz!”

“Is that the letter from this morning?” Applejack inquires.

“Eeyup,” Jonathan confirms with a nod.

“Golly! That’s amazin’! Good job!” Applejack praises and hugs Jonathan quickly.

“Thanks. Celebrating will have to wait for later.” Jonathan returns he attention to the Sheriff. “We can make up the difference of less apples for us with more revenue we will earn with tourism,” Jonathan explains.

“And we will be more than happy to trade our crafts and blankets in exchange for the apples,” Little Strongheart adds.

Sheriff Silverstar sighs. He looks up from under his hat where a hint of a smile hides under his mustache, “Guess I’ll start handing out the axes.”

Evanescence grunts with amusement. She folds the letter to place inside the journal. Cherry Pie sits across from the ivory mare.

“Letter from Jonathan?” the grape mare inquires.

“Mayor Apple now,” Evanescence chuckles.

“Who voted him into office?”

Evanescence sips water from a wooden pint tankard. “Princess Celestia appointed him apparently.”

The din and clamor of the bar begins to settle down when music begins to play. Gentle chords resonate from a lute in the paws of a local Abyssinian. The dark grey, black stripped tom strums on the lute begins to sing a mournful song about loss.

“Why are we even here?” Cherry Pie voices her annoyance.

“Answers.”

“This is just another wild goose chase your faux-mom sent us on.”

“Perhaps,” Evanescence shrugs. “Beats sitting in a stuffy library.”

Cherry Pie huffs and drinks her water.