"It's allright, Sundowner, please lie back," Twilight Sparkle instructed the panicking Apple mare. Only a few minutes after arriving at the library, she went into a full blown panic attack. Twilight took her upstairs and placed her in her bed. Now she and Cheerilee were trying to calm her down.

"They're gonna kill me! They're gonna kill me!" Sundowner cried out loud. She curled up in fetal position and Cheerilee had her hooves around her, trying to calm her down.
"Shhh, 'Downer, please, you're safe,"

Twilight didn't bother waiting. She instantly cast a spell on Sundowner to calm her down. The spell slowed her heart rate and breathing, and forced the muscles in her body to relax. Poor Sundowner still had that terrified look on her face as if she saw a ghost or narrowly escaped death. Tears streamed from her eyes, and her upper body heaved as she cried. A few minutes passed, with Cheerilee and Twilight talking her down from her angst. Eventually the spell kicked in like a drug, and she managed to calm down. She was also terrified when she felt Twilight's magic flow through her body with a tingling sensation and had a fear she was about to burn alive, but that didn't happen.

"See? Everything's fine, you're perfectly safe and sound." Twilight said with a smile. Sundowner, eyes red and teary from crying, nodded. The magic from the spell drained the adrenaline from her body and she felt completely sapped and exhausted.

When she came in, Sundowner seemed calm until right after she arrived, and Twilight explained the memory crystal test, and her mind exploded with stress.

"Now then," Twilight said softly, "I want you to know that the memory crystal test won't hurt you one bit. You won't feel a thing, honest. You've seen me administer this test at the guard house so many times. Now then, are you ready?"

Sundowner nodded. She just wanted to get this high treason over with. If the Apples knew she was here, they'd hoof beat her to a pulp, then burn her alive, and send her to hell.

"Allright, please open up," Twilight instructed. Sundowner obeyed and Twilight gently levitated the agate rock into her mouth.
"Now, please hold it there, and relax. This should take about eight degrees, okay?"

Sundowner nodded. Her eyes were read and teared from crying. Now tranquilized by the spell, in less than a degree, she fell asleep. Twilight placed the blanket over her, and talked quietly with Cheerilee.

The previous day, after parting with Cheerilee, Sundowner returned to join Applejack.
"Sundowner! What the sam hell you gone so long for?" Applejack shouted.

"I...I was taking Miss Cheerilee back, just like you said, ma'am."
"Well y' ain't got no time for yer' dilly-dally Sunday walk, ya hear? We got lots to discuss and you gotta be here taken yer notes an' all. Now get writin! We can't afford to have problems or misunderstandin's 'cause of you not writin!"

"R-right," Sundowner stuttered nervously as she took out her notebook, hoof shoe, and pen. The others, a Blood Apple couple, Rainseed and his wife Scarlet Sleet; Applegem, a mere guest among these ponies, and two older Nimbuscait stallions dressed in their business suits.

"Now then, now that our young cousin has joined us again," Rainseed spoke, 'I'd like to see how those unicorns of yours are doing, having eaten some of our delicious apples over the last few days." He looked at the Nimbuscait colt.

"Very well, this way, if you will."

The group walked to the far southern edge of the field, close to the Everfree border. There, a newly occupied farm stead, and it's three old decrepit barns from decades past welcomed them. The entire premesis was being patrolled by countless big lug Apple stallions, whose sole purpose was to keep unwanted intruders away. They greeted their masters and let them in, and led them to the one barn being occupied.

The barn was old, and most of the paint had peeled off, and the exposed wood turned grey. Moss and mold spread along the roof. Inside, the barn had been hastily converted into a prison over the last few days; new stall doors built and installed to keep the unicorn prisoners in. The 'feeding' experiment was being conducted by the Blood Apples, who already paid the bits to 'rent' the unicorns out from their Nimbuscait jailmasters.

Sundowner tried to keep up as the group walked down the center aisle, looking at the unicorn prisoners. She was horrified to see such sorry creatures. Many were thin, unhealthy, and had 'gone gray.'

All ponies' skins produced a pigment made in part by spectra, a hardly known-compound of atoms altered from their original state by sunlight. The various colors were based on nutrition and genetics. One could tell if a pony was sick by becoming 'discolored,' as nutrients that would be used to make pigment were diverted to fuel the immune system. But these sad sacks were entirely gray, devoid of color in their coats, manes, and even their eyes.

The group stopped and observed as the Blood Apple stallions opened one stall, and dragged out two scrawny looking unicorns. The unicorns grunted and cried out and recieved a quick beating, until they complied, and were forcefed blood apple chunks. After being pinned to the dirt floor until they swallowed, the unicorns were violently shoved back into their stall, and the door slammed shut.

The mare standing accross from them, overseeing this with her aquamarine eyes, just watched with a cold, calculating look.
"Applejack, and everypony, I'd like to introduce you to our brilliant mare, Sangshine." Rainseed announced.

"Pleasure to meet ya." Applejack bumped hooves with Sangshine Blood Apple, a white mare with a crimson and black mane; notorious for having a heart of 'black ice.' She was the medic of her own family, and before this work began earlier in the week, she had been working closely with Apple Mend, trading concoction recipes and information. Sweetie Belle had met her, and broke out a cold sweat when she caught Sangshine's sadistic gaze.

"The pleasure is all mine, dear," Sangshine said with a smile, "Welcome to my new work place. I am more than grateful to be here helping to expand your farm, it seems these pathetic wretches you see aren't so thankful. Apparently, they have not eaten a decent meal where they came from, but I guess it serves them right."

Everypony nodded. Even Applejack felt slightly put off. Even though she had no problem beating a filly nearly do death, she felt shocked to see how much the unicorns in here had suffered, but she put that thought away and kept to business. And so did Sangshine.

"As you can see, Applejack, these unicorns have gotten quite ill from the blood apples. You'd think that it's because their processing a very rich fruit, but blood apples contain nutrients and proteins designed by their creators to suck the magic out of them. All that you've heard of blood apples making unicorns burst aflame and burn alive is but a tall tale from the past. Maybe the Pegasi designed this fruit to cause such a death, however that trait did not persevere in nature."

Sangshine peered through the wooden bars at a unicorn who sat heaving, as if trying to puke. Nothing came up.

"And a little interesting fact," Sangshine said as she turned back to her audience, "blood apples refuse to be ejected. Anypony who eats them will be forced to process the fruit until defecation. It will not be wasted. Another property that is a concern is the possibility of nutritional addiction. Have anypony, especially a unicorn eat blood apples for a few moons, then cut off the supply. The body will not take other nutrients because it will only accept the superior nutrients of a blood apple. This goes on for a week or so, causing the pony to become ill. Not so prevalent in earth ponies or pegasi, but unicorns are prone to being addicted to having their magic sucked out of them." Sangshine said the last sentence with a chuckle.

"Afterall this fruit was originally designed to destroy them."

"Well," Applejack replied, "Ah ain't lookin to kill nopony, Ah just want to sell these and make money. Are all of these unicorns in here gettin' sapped dry?"

"Let's take a look at our freshly caught ones, shall we?" Sangshine beckoned as she began to walk ahead, leading the group.

The 'freshly caught' unicorns, captured from wherever they came from and brought here, hardly fared better. They sat around the stall groaning and heaving, but unable to vomit. Sangshine glared at her subjects with an imcompassionate blank look on her face. Applegem, having been invited to join Applejack and her business partners on this tour of the barn, quickly developed an admiration for Sangshine. The two had already met and got acquainted, and seemed to become good friends.

"It appears these blood apples are too strong for them," Sangshine explained, "If you want to make your bits off these apples, it's obviously better to have them merely sap the unicorn of its magic, but in a way they will not feel it. They should only be confused and wonder why they can't cast a spell or levitate an object. I have experience with this. After the blood apples are harvested, let them sit for no less than 13 days. That should allow for the nutrients that sap magic to break down enough so as the unicorns will not feel the effects. The nutrients and proteins that do sap magic mainly exist for growth purposes, and once the apple is harvested, they break down. A natural restriction imposed on these magnificent fruits."

"Ah agree with you there. Is there any other types of blood apples you have?" Applejack asked.

"Of course. This way please."

Sangshine led them to a table on which sat three white red-spotted apples. One had been cut open, and unlike the black blood apple, the hypanthium was white, and the 'juice' was white and thick as milk. The 'meat' components were still red.

"This is our newest strain, the albino blood apple. We've actually given these out to so many active unicorns in the cities and towns we visited, and hardly ever did they blame us when they found they couldn't cast a single volt of magic. This one unicorn, Trixie Lulamoon, a witch who goes on tour putting on ridiculous magic shows for the locals, was instantly hooked to this apple. Everyday for the week she spent in Full Moon Valley, she came by our stand in the market and ate at least a whole blood apple a day. She drank the apple milk, and chowed on the burgers made from the meat. Then when the poor moron went to perform, she was rendered unable to cast even a spark!" Sangshine Apple laughed. "Everypony laughed at her and called her a fraud! And the best part is, she didn't suspect a thing about our food."

Applejack remembered Trixie and how she humiliated her and her friends when she came to Ponyville. She chuckled at Trixie's embarrassment. "Perhaps that's why that witch went and got her hooves on that infernal amulet. Next time we see her aroun' here, y' can stuff her with all these blood apples y' want."

Sundowner didn't like Trixie either, but she wasn't amused one bit. She remained silent as the other ponies chuckled together.

"So, Applejack, until we pin down the right time to sell the black apples to the markets, these white ones will better suffice."

"Ah agree fully, Miss Sangshine. Thank you fer' all yer hard work. An' as promised, Ah got you yer new lot at Sweet Apple Acres fer that cottage you want built. Ah got ponies digging out the dirt for the foundation already."

After the tour of that barn, Sundowner had to accompany the group back to Applejack's house, where a tense meeting convened with the Sweet Apple's newest guests of honor, the Cashapples of Manehattan, whom Applejack went, visited, and invited them here.

Applejack, along with the Blood Apples, wanted to break into the markets of Manehattan, fill them with blood apples, and stamp out the 'fraud apple' competition, non-Apple ponies who sold apples. The Cashapples offered some money in exchange for a cut of the profits in their areas. Sundowner was present for every minute of it.

After the meeting, they had their own dinner party, and toasted to good times. As Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo collected the dishes for washing, the big time ponies laughed, drank pitchers or cider and swapped stories and jokes with one another. The three former cutie mark crusaders came to hate Sangshine just as much as Applegem, who were at that point always spending time together, bonded by their hatred of unicorns.

That night, Sundowner retreated to the chapel. She was never the psycho zealot type, however she did believe and respect Princess Celestia as the ultimate and merciful god queen. She sat on the bench facing the altar, which was a quartz statue of the sun, with a lightbulb in the center, lighting it. Her mind wandered but she tried to remain calm, for what she planned to do next would mean living in fear and being on the run from the pious Apple ponies for the rest of her life. Six rows behind her a fat old stallion and his wife read the book of sun, whispering out verses.

Sundowner pushed them out of her mind and in her thoughts she prayed, and begged Princess Celestia for aid or guidance. She was terrified of the prospect of betraying the god queen, since she'd be betraying the Apple ponies as well. The more she thought, the more upset she became, and put her hooves to her eyes to cover her tears. In Apple culture, ponies who cried were weak willed wimps.

She would have considered cowering, and not doing anything, and letting the Apples continue on their business, and ride on her perceived faint hopes of being granted into Celestia's pony heaven upon death. But from the bottom of her heart, and the core of her moral fiber, her conscience absolutely refused to let her sit on her flank and do nothing. Hundreds, even thousands of ponies- unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi were going to be at risk with these blood apples in the stalls at the Ponyville market. She did not like what the Apples were doing, she didn't like Applejack's dangerous ambitions, and she had a daunting fear this was going to become way worse.

Later that night, she left the chapel and returned to the camp set up for new arrivals. Ever since she was taken from her home in town, and kept under watch by the Apples, she had been living in a tent with three other mares, none whom she liked.

With work going on all day and night, the door to Applejack's house was unlocked, strange for a paranoid mare living there. Sundowner waited until nopony was looking, and went inside. She got into Applejack's study where all the evidence was kept.
Shelves held the paperwork for everything that went on. Stacks of cash boxes full of bits piled high, and of course, Applejack's desk. Sundowner slid the door shut. The room was dark and the only light came in through the windows from a hanging lamp outside. Sundowner dared not risk attracting attention by closing the blinds. She crept low around the room, and began collecting paperwork and stuffing it into her side bags. Steeled determination was the only thing keeping her from a full blown screaming panic attack.

After spending nearly a degree in the study, Sundowner came accross an opened mail package. Two letters and two rocks. She took that too, then snuck out of the house. She prayed frantically for guidance as she walked along the fences, hedges, and trees of the perimeter of Sweet Apple Acres. A big hulking stallion from the Applehill clan yawned as he kept his eye on the only open spot she could find- some old dead hedges that had been removed, leaving an open pit of dirt, the only escape path she could find.

The stallion looked bored. The big haulers weren't ones to stay in one spot until exhausted after a long day of work. He paced up and down for a bit, then he appeared to be far away enough for her to spring out from behind some bushes, and leap through the opening-

"Hey, you," a mare cooed. Sundowner jumped and felt her heart skip a beat. She breathed when she realized that was directed at the big lug. The mare appeared, and she was just as large and muscular as he was.

"Howdy, Appleglaze," he said with a rush of excitement.
The two talked.
"Ah'm awful bored tonight, care to keep a lady like me company?"
The stallion chuckled with excitement.
"An' don't worry about it, it's not like anypony's going to be around to see or hear us..." the mare cooed. They talked quietly some more and retreated to a hiding spot near by. Sundowner waited for several minutes before she heard them breathing, and that Appleglaze freak moaning. This was her chance, and she took it.

Sundowner moved slowly, then jumped into a gallop out from behind the bush and through the gap in the hedge. In seconds, she was gone, and out of sight. She galloped accross the road and into the next field, not yet occupied by Apples. Large corn plants were ready for harvesting, and if anypony came looking for her, she'd be hard to find.

Sundowner made her way through the corn field, and into town. She snuck around the back alleys and made her way to Cheerilee's house when nopony carrying a street lamp on his back was walking by.

It was 25 degrees in the morning when she knocked on Cheerilee's door. No answer, and afraid of pissing off the school mare, Sundowner galloped off and made her way over to the library, and hid in a nearby bush. There, the frightened young mare waited for the rest of the night. She couldn't sleep and just waited as the sky slowly turned from black to blue to green, then gold as the Sun came up. She waited for several hours and watched from her hiding spot as ponies went about their Sunday morning business. Most went to the solar temple or church to attend the worship service. Others trotted peacefully through town. She frantically kept her eye out for Apple ponies. And she was paranoid they were watching her too.

The clock tower rang its tune, indicating it was now 140° in the morning. She contemplated knocking on Twilight Sparkle's door, then she heard hoofsteps. She dared to peer from her hiding spot and saw it was Cheerilee.
"Psst, Cheerilee!" she hissed, startling the schoolmare.

"huh? Who's there?"

"It's- it's me," Sundowner appeared.
"Oh for the love of Celestia, you scared me!" Cheerilee said.

"Shh, they're looking for me know, if they find me they'll kill me," Sundowner said desperately.

"Ugh," Cheerilee said, recalling everything. Still she was very glad to see that the Apple mare had made it. She knocked on the door, and Twilight Sparkle opened up.
"Yes?"
"Twilight? Good morning, I- we need to talk to you. Remember I mentioned getting her to come to your house?"

Twilight Sparkle, not a unicorn for early mornings shook her head. "I don't remember...who are you?" she asked Sundowner, who felt really awkward right now.

"Go on, tell her," Cheerilee prompted her. But Sundowner hardly said a word.

"She has information on Applejack," Cheerilee said plainly, and got the reaction she was looking for. "And she needs a memory crystal test."

Twilight was wide awake now. She pushed the door open further. "Come in," she said, as she ushered the two mares in.

Sundowner was fast asleep in Twilight's bed, and slept most of the day. She appeared to be so exhausted that Twilight and Cheerilee didn't bother waking her up when the crystal was removed from her mouth.

When Twilight placed the rock into the reader device, and the memories began playing out, both she and Cheerilee were struck with horror when they watched a seemingly endless movie of the things that went on at Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight was left speechless when she watched the barn tour and saw the unicorn test subjects, and that Sangshine freak.

After hours of looking at video footage, pictures, and text from Sundowner's thoughts, the two mares took a lunch break. The two didn't say anything at first as they ate their peanut butter banana sandwiches.

"I thought their Applegem was a freak," Twilight said between bites, "but this Sangshine Blood Apple is serious business. She ought to be banned quickly."

"But the Apples have taken over the town guard already," Cheerilee lamented. Twilight didn't argue. She knew it too.

Twilight looked at her letters and memory crystals she sent two and a half weeks earlier. All this time she wondered why Celestia never responded, and now she knew some Apple stole it. They found the scope of Applejack's growing control over Ponyville unnerving and difficult to comprehend. Chief Tibbs, the one who made her write to Celestia for help, was also out of town on some business trip to Hoofington, leaving the town guard to its vice chief, some stallion named Vigilance.

"I can't even use my telepathy spell and call Celestia directly. She blocked me," Twilight said sadly.

"What for?" Cheerilee asked in disbelief.
"I...I called Celestia too many times, and she got fed up with me."

"Oh...hey, did you read that article in the Canterlot Times a while back? The one about the Mane Six and how they are corrupted by their elements? Do you think that- the Element of Honesty screwed Applejack up this bad?"

Twilight remembered Chief Tibbs reading it out to her. "Yes, we're all...having a hard time. I've been so busy this last moon I hardly had a chance to ask Celestia about that. I want her to know what Applejack is doing but I can't call her, Spike is not here to send letters to here, and now Applejack is stealing all my mail. Buck, it's pissing me off," Twilight grunted in frustration. She was also extremely anxious of her own failure to solve this Apple crisis, which she now knew was beyond resolvable.

"Where is Spike? He's been gone since the beginning of Spring," Cheerilee commented.

"Ugh," Twilight sighed in frustration, "He was sent on an expedition to dragon-occupied territories. They're supposed to observe and open communication between ponies and dragons. It's one of those classified expeditions. Last letter I recieved in the mail from Spike said he should be back for the Summer Sun Celebration. I've been going crazy without my number one assistant..." Twilight looked around the library. The whole place was a mess. Spike usually was the one to cook and clean up after her when she became extremely busy. "...and as you can see, this place, like me, is a huge mess. More coffee?"

"What if you go to Canterlot and tell Celestia yourself?" the schoolmare suggested.

Twilight shook her head, "I wish. Even I need a permit to get back into Canterlot, and the guards don't give those out so freely. 'Hi, I'm Princess Celestia's student, and the Element of Magic, can I get a pass into Canterlot?' That sounds so stupid."

"But all that is true," Cheerilee added.

"I know, but unless I am actually summoned to Canterlot, I can't get in. They won't even let me off the train there. I've even asked other ponies going to Canterlot to pass some mail on for me but nopony will even bother. They're all scared and don't want to get involved."

Twilight got up to fetch more coffee for the two of them. She drank hers like it was water, while Cheerilee sipped slowly from her cup.

"Another thing," the schoolmare asked, "Sundowner is terrified of being hunted down and killed by the Apple ponies for coming here. She asked for you to copy her memories, she wants safe passage out of Ponyville. She even asked if you could get her into Canterlot."

"I already told you," Twilight said impatiently, "even I can't get into Canterlot, what makes Sundowner think she's got a chance? And I'm Celestia's student!" The lavender unicorn hated repeating the same thing twice.

"Well, can you help her get somewhere safe? Her life is probably on the line." Cheerilee persisted.

"I know, I know," Twilight said, trying to conceal her frustration. She was trying to figure out where to send the Apple mare. She tried looking around the archives at the town administration building, only to find out Applejack had the place ransacked of Apple pony-related materials. She even ordered a book from the library in Canterlot, but Applejack was blocking all her mail.

Twilight was on edge herself, ever since her last visit to Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack was monitoring heras well, and she didn't like it. Simply escorting Sundowner to the station and putting her on the next train going either direction was out of the question as the town guard's Apple members would pounce and arrest them. And Twilight didn't like the idea of being seen with the Apple family's traitor.

"I've got it!" Twilight said, "I know how to get Sundowner out of her. I have the magical invisibility spell in these books somewhere. I can make her invisible long enough to get to the train, and by the time it wears off, she'll be long gone, out of Applejack's sight."

"Wonderful."

Later that evening, when Sundowner woke up, she nearly panicked again when she couldn't find the crystal, and Twilight told her she already took it.

"Are you hungry at all?" Twilight asked.

"Um, not really, thanks."
"That's a yes," Cheerilee commented. She knew 'fraidy-mare didn't eat when she was on edge, "Sundowner, you need to eat."

"Oh...okay,"

"Relax, I've made us some butternut squash soup. Trust me, you'll like it," Twilight said as she retreated to the kitchen, and came back with three bowls in her magic grasp. After the three ate, Cherrilee hugged Sundowner before she left.
"You did very well today, 'Downer. I'm very proud of you."

"Alright, the bad news is," Twilight explained, "I can't get you into Canterlot, I'm sorry. Even I, Princess Celestia's student, and the Element of Magic, have to get a permit to get in if it's not official Mane Six business. It would be if I could actually reach Celestia through telepathy or mail, but both those things are not an option. Celestia blocked me from telepathy because I called her too much."

"Oh...okay...thanks for your help..." Sundowner said quietly.

"But, I have a plan B," Twilight continued, "I spent this afternoon practicing an invisibility cloaking spell. I cast that on you, and get you onto the next train out. All that paper work you stole from Applejack's office, I want mailed. You can go to the post office-"

"B-but the Apples are watching the post office-"

Twilight waved a hoof. "No, not here, I mean somewhere else. I want you on the train for at least a full day and night. I don't just want you out of our county, I want you far away. Anywhere beyond Roundbottom is fine. I compiled a list of Apple clans currently involved with all the activity going on here, and I can safely guess that wherever you go, the local Apple ponies won't be on the marehunt for you. Not that you can approach them, I forbid it. Just don't act like a criminal on the run, it will make you look suspicious. Take the package to the post office and have it mailed top class.

"There is a way you might be able to get into Canterlot: Take the package to the post office, and even apply for an express self delivery permit. Tell them the contents are classified, and for Princess Celestia only. If approved, that will grant you temporary access into Canterlot. While you are there, request to see Celestia. I even wrote up a bunch of consent letters that should get you through. And while you're there, feel free to ask for asylum. You may ask Celestia directly, or claim refugee status at the administration offices at city hall. The unicorns there probably will ask you for another memory recording, go along with it. You can even talk to the royal guard. They have authorization to look at everything, and they will escort you to Celestia themselves- hey, Sundowner, what's with the freezing up?"

Twilight tried shaking Sundowner, who just became petrified with fear. "t...T...talk with the Solar Mother...?"

Twilight caught onto her religious fear, and went in for the kill. She looked Sundowner right in the eye, and said, "I want you forget everything you were ever taught about Princess Celestia. It is nothing but lies. I grew up with Her. I'm her student. She is practically my second mom. She has been to Ponyville before, you know what she is like, well sort of. Celestia will not kill you, set you on fire, or send you to hell. I am very honest about that. You have way more to fear about Applejack than Celestia at this point."

"Oh...okay...um," Sundowner gulped, "When's the next train?"

"Easy now, I still have to give you the juice to make you invisible." Twilight retreated to the kitchen, and went to work cooking up the brew which with magic would activate the spell. Two degrees later, Sundowner and Twilight both drank from their cups the hot steaming brew. They both grimaced and gagged, as if it was vodka.

That night, despite the threat of rain, which could expose a magically invisible pony, the weather held up by the time the night train arrived. Twilight and Sundowner, both invisible, along with everything 'Downer was carrying, walked silently around the outskirts of town to the train station. The town guards, put on alert following a reported theft at Sweet Apple Acres, kept a vigilant watch. No doubt they were looking for Sundowner.

Apple Bread made his round through the train station when the freight train arrived. The few passenger cars at the end of the train were full of more Apple ponies coming in from the south. The town guards got distracted when they went over to greet them, allowing enough time for Twilight to sneak Sundowner into an empty box car.

Twilight waited in the box car as the train lurched and began moving forward. The two locomotives roared, and the horn belched, probably waking up half of Ponyville; and the train began moving. Several minutes after the train left the brightly lit station, Twilight said her goodbyes.

"Aren't you coming too?" Sundowner hissed. She really didn't want to be left alone. But she was about to be with an important task and Twilight's reassurance that Celestia would not flame broil her.
"I can't I have work here." Twilight replied. She was standing right next to Sundowner even though neither mare could see the other. "Do as I say and be good, you hear?"

"Yes."

And with that, Sundowner heard Twilight's hooves bang against the wooden floor of the box car and the unicorn disappeared into the night, leaving her all alone. Several degrees later, the train picked up speed. With no delivery or pickup at any of the other nearby towns, the train's locomotives roared as it thundered through the night. Hours later, the train sped over the bridge of the canyon separating the Breadbasket region and the rugged, lifeless Roundbottom mountains. The sun came up, and Sundowner, now no longer invisible, basked in the warm sunlight.

Around noon that day, the train pulled into a station at the mining city of Hammerhoof. Sundowner fell asleep on the way and and was woken up by a local town guard patrol.
"You there!" the colt barked, startling her. "Come on out!"

Scared again, Sundowner jumped down.
"What's your name, lass?"

"....Leafy Sticks"
"You don't look so leafy to me. Where are you from?"

"...Vanhoover..." she said dumbly.
"Where you going?"

"Ca- Derbyshire..."

"What are you doing sitting in the box car? It's illegal to be anywhere except the passenger car, young mare. Come on, we're leaving this station-"

"Wait!" Sundowner said in panic, "I have an important package to deliver. I need to get an express self delivery permit. It's top secret, highly classified. Time sensitive...I have to get it to Canterlot quickly."

She pulled Twilight's package out and showed it to the officer.

"Very well...Leafy. Come with me."

Terrified as she was, she still followed the town guard colt through Hammerhoof. The city was far bigger than Ponyville, and she felt intimidated by the hige buildings, and large numbers of ponies running through the streets. Large coal and steam powered vehicles of the likes she never saw before sped past her. The officer led her aboard a tram that sped on its own tracks past the town guard place, to the post office.

"Allright, look, missy, I don't know who you are or what your deal is," the officer said when they arrived at the post office, "I don't even believe your name is Leafy Sticks. If it weren't for this package of yours, I'd have arrested you for illegal train hopping, and lying about yourself. Get this package delivered, and pay for your train ticket. If you can't, then find an employment agency office, they'll give you enough work to earn bits for your ticket. In the next day I want you either gone or registered at the town hall. Got it? We ponyfolk at Hammerhoof don't put up with any crap, so get on with your business and stay out of trouble, now hear?"

Sundowner nodded, and the town guard colt left. She regained her composure and entered the post office.

Author's Notes:

Sangshine = Blood Shine.
Sang = french word for blood. Had a nice ring to it.