Chapter 8: To Appleloosa

Applejack and Von went back into Ponyville and gathered their friends together in order to inform them of the idea of going to Appleloosa. Pinkie squealed in delight. "Ooo. I wanna go there again. I wanna see all the ponies again. Oh, and the buffalo. I wonder how they're doing. Well, we don't know because we haven't left yet." She said, giggling. "Oh hey! Maybe I can do my show again. Would you like to see it, Von? I can give you a peek." Von laughed nervously. "No no. That's quite al..." Von was quickly interrupted by Pinkie as she started to sing. "You gotta share. You gotta..." Immediately, everypony shouted "No!" causing Pinkie to stop singing her song and she looked a little sad. "Sorry, Pinkie. But don't forget, your song caused a big fight last time we went to Appleloosa." Twilight said to her.

Von looked at them. "So we're going?" "Yeah! You're gonna like it. It's really cool." Rainbow Dash boasted. Von smiled and straightened his face. "That's right. I'll need to ask Celestia if I can leave. Excuse me!" Before anypony could stop him, Von spread his wings and took off towards Canterlot. Rainbow Dash was about to fly after him, but Twilight stopped her. "It'll be ok. I'm sure he'll be fine." She looked towards Von, who faded in the distance. "I hope..."

Von soon arrived at Canterlot Castle and landed in front of the doors. The royal guard were not to be seen, which confused him. "I thought they'd be here at their posts. Guess they're on break." He told himself. With the royal guard gone, Von walked into the castle and shut the door behind him. Von walked through the hall and began looking around. Though he had been here before, he could not remember the way to the throne room. He kept wondering around and stopped in one of the halls and sat down, pouting. "Ugh. I can't find the throne room. Just how big IS this castle?"

Von continued talking to himself until Princess Luna, the princess of the moon, came into the hall and saw him sitting there. Von stopped talking and looked at her and smiled a bit. "Oh good. Someone I can talk to. Excuse me. Do you know the way too..." His sentence was cut short as Luna began yelling at him. "YOU DISGUSTING VILE CREATURE!!! HOW DARE YOU INVADE CANTERLOT CASTLE!!! THIS ANGERS US GREATLY!!!" Von covered his ears, reeling back at the pain the yelling was causing him. "Excuse me. Could you please not yell? You don't have to..." "WE ARE NOT YELLING!!! WE ARE SPEAKING IN THE ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE!!! SOMETHING THAT A FILTHY BEAST LIKE YOU COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND!!!" She yelled.

Von backed further away from her, wanting to escape this. But he needed to talk to Princess Celestia so he could go to Appleloosa. "Listen. I just want to see Princess Celestia and..." She cut him off once more. "HOW DARE YOU SPEAK OF MY SISTER IN SUCH A FAMILIAR MANNER!!! THIS DOES NOT PLEASE US!!! WE MUST TEACH YOU A LESSON, YOU DISGUSTING CREATURE!!!" Von's body was covered by a dark royal navy blue aura and Luna's horn glowed the same color. Von realized that Luna was using her magic on him as he levitated and was carried down the hall. Von struggled his hardest to escape, but he couldn't. He uttered a low growl, but Luna continued to ignore him as she carried him to the throne room.

Luna lowered Von to the ground and held him there with her magic. In that minute, Princess Celestia magically appeared in the throne room and looked down at her sister and Von. "Luna, what is this?" "LOOK SISTER!!! WE HAVE FOUND THIS DRAGON ROAMING THE CASTLE GROUNDS!!! HE SPEAKS OF THEE IN A FAMILIAR TONE!!! SHALL WE IMPRISON HIM FOR TRESPASSING?!" Luna yelled. Von growled again, causing Celestia to giggle. "My precious sister. This dragon means no harm. He is our honored guest." Luna's eyes went wide upon hearing her sister's words. Immediately, her magic faded and Von was released from her power. "But sister...he's a dragon! He isn't like Spike. He..." "...Is friends with the ponies in Ponyville." Celestia said, finishing her sister's sentence.
Von went over to Celestia and bowed before looking her in the eyes. "Princess Celestia. I'd like to ask you something." Princess Celestia looked at him with a smile. "What is it, Von?"

He breathed calmly. "The girls and I wish to go to Appleloosa. But I thought that I couldn't go without asking you, so..." Celestia stopped him before he could finish. "You are a resident of Ponyville. If you wish to go, you can. Have fun with your friends." Von smiled big and jumped for joy. "Thank you, Princess. See you soon!" He yelled as he was flying out of the castle.

After he left, silence filled the room. Celestia looked at her sister. "I'm very sorry, sister. I didn't mean to attack a guest. I..." Celestia stopped her sister from finishing. "You did not know. It is alright. Furthermore..." Celestia turned back to the doors. "...He looks quite similar to his father. Just like before..." Luna's eyes went wide and looked back towards the door. "That's was HIM?! Sister, we have to..." "No!" Celestia yelled, causing her sister to go silent. "All we can do is observe...and pray that things will be different this time..."

Von was flying back to Twilight's, hoping to find his friends still waiting. Upon his return, he saw that they were gone. "Where are they?" He asked himself. He looked around when suddenly he noticed a note on the door. He flew over to it and saw words on it. Dear Von, We have gone to the train station. The train should be leaving soon. Please hurry. This trip is supposed to be for all of us. We will wait as long as we can. See you soon, hopefully. Twilight Sparkle. Von began to panicking as he did not know where the train station was. He started flying around Ponyville, asking how he could get to the train station. Eventually, one pony that was shopping at Sugarcube Corner gave him directions and he took off as fast as he could. He felt his wings were going to fail him because he was going beyond his normal speed. But he didn't care. He wanted to go on this trip and he wanted to have his friends there with him.

Meanwhile at the station, Twilight and Applejack were waiting by the train, the conductor beginning to grow impatient. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy kept an eye out in the air, looking around for any sign of Von. At last, the conductor reached his limit. "All aboard for Appleloosa!" He shouted. Twilight panicked. "Please wait! I'm sure he'll be here soon." The conductor shook his head and went into the train. "Sorry, sugarcube. Guess he'll have to come next time." Applejack said, getting onto the train. Twilight kept looking, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy giving up and going back into the train. "Come on, Twilight! If he didn't make it, we can understand. Come one already!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

Twilight sighed and went onto the train. She felt sad, knowing that they were leaving a friend behind. The doors closed and the train began to start moving. Rarity went to Twilight's side and put her hoof on her back. "There will always be a next time, darling. It was just a stroke of bad luck for him to miss the train, I guess." Twilight looked down and nodded her head. She looked towards the back of the train. At that moment, she saw a figure in the distance. "What's that?" The other girls looked at her and looked in the direction she was facing. She went to the back cart and looked outside, the figure getting closer. All of them went to the back with her, wondering what the figure was. As the figure got closer and closer, it finally came into view. Rainbow Dash smiled and called to the figure. "Von!"

Von smiled, hearing Rainbow Dash call his name and started flapping harder. The girls looked at Rainbow Dash with surprise. She blushed and quickly looked away. "Heh. I knew he'd show up. I-I was just testing you guys." They laughed and looked back at Von, cheering him on. Von flapped harder and harder and tried reaching out for one of them. Applejack held out her hoof to him. "C'mon, Von. Almost there." When Von got a bit closer, the train picked up speed, Applejack going out of his reach. Von snorted and started to flap harder in an attempt to get closer. The girls kept cheering him on, causing him to fly faster. He got closer enough and reached for Applejack's hoof. All of a sudden, he reeled back somewhat in pain. His wing had cramped up. He was starting to lag behind, only flying with one wing. They kept cheering for him, but it wasn't enough for him to get on board. "That's it! Hold on, Von!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she was about to take flight. "No! Don't!" He yelled at her. She was shocked and got back on the floor.

He was starting to lose his breath. "I...I need to do this myself. I know I can do it." Von was at a loss. He felt he can do it, but he wasn't truly sure he could do it. One cramped wing, one working wing and poor flying skills. But regardless of those problems, he kept trying. The train was now going at full speed and was beginning to pull even further away from him. The girls looked sad, seeing that their friend wouldn't make it. Von flapped harder, dust hitting up his nose as he was. Von was about to sneeze, but he tried to shake it off. His attempt failed as he sneezed at the ground, but when he did, a large gust of wind shot from his mouth causing him to shoot up into the air. All of the girls' mouths dropped open after seeing that display. They looked up into the sky, hoping to see Von, but all they could see were clouds. A few moments later, Von came crashing back down through the roof of the back cart.

His friends looked at him and began laughing, Von managing to smile while he lay there in a daze. Applejack smiled at him. "Nice job, sugarcube. Glad ya'll could make it."

Next Chapter: Passing Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 4 Minutes