Chapter Two: The Final Leg

Applejack, with Pinkie and Twilight, continued their trip around the world by re-crossing Seaquestria. To make it through the Changling Kingdom, the trio relied on railroad carts, with Pinkie and Applejack doing most of the work. The final leg from Maretropolis to Ponyville would take nine days by a steam ship. They'd arrive in the early morning of Sunday, December 19, just in time, unless they had a run in with a very greedy Mare.

You see, Spoiled had taken a ship to Maretropolis, just to ride back on the same freighter Applejack and her friends would be using, and she wasn't planning on being friendly.

()()()()()

Applejack was talking to Twilight that night.

"You're gonna love Ponyville." Applejack said with a smile. "Once I pay off all the bills for the orphanage, I'll show you, Pinkie, and our other friend, Rarity the best time, money can buy! We'll have a dinner; take in a show. Maybe we'll even go dancing."

"That sounds great." Twilight said with a smile.

Just then, Pinkie popped up.

"It's terrible!" Pinkie called out. "Horrible! Awful! ... Am I interrupting?"

"Yes, but what's so bad, Pinkie?" Applejack said with a sigh.

"The coal!" Pinkie called out. "Somepony dumped all the coal off the ship!"

()()()()()

That person was Spoiled, she chuckled wickedly as she sat back in a row. That money was all hers now.

()()()()()

"GOT DANG IT!" Applejack shouted as she kicked the railing.

"Now we'll never make it." Pinkie sighed.

"We've gotta!" Applejack said. "We've come too far ta just give up now! We just need ta think of something else we can use as fuel."

"Well the only thing I can think of to burn is wood, but where are we gonna find wood in the middle of the ocean... Never mind."

"Let's do it." Applejack remarked as she quickly grabbed one of the wooden chairs.

()()()()()

The next morning, Applejack could see the outline of the Equestrian shoreline.

"We're going to make it!" Pinkie called out.

()()()()()

It took an extra day to get to Ponyville thanks to the three having less and less wood to fuel the ship. They were a whole day late. When they came home, they looked so dejected that Rarity didn't even bother being angry at them for leaving her there.

"We didn't make it." Pinkie sighed as she sat down.

Applejack then walked up and gave Twilight all the money she had, five bits.

"Here." Applejack said dejectedly. "This'll get you, at least dinner and a show, but you'll just have to go by yourself. Pinkie, Rarity, I'm afraid the orphanage can't afford to keep ya 'round."

"It can if we're volunteering…" Rarity said plainly.

"Right." Pinkie said. "We're your friends, Applejack, and that doesn't cost anything."

"And if I can't go with my friends, I'm not going at all." Twilight said as she gave Applejack the money back.

"Thanks guys." Applejack sighed.

They then heard bells ringing.

"What's that?" Applejack asked.

"The church bells." Rarity said. "It is Sunday, you know."

"Sunday?" Applejack asked. "But… Of course! We gained a day when we re-crossed Seaquestria! There's still time!"

Applejack rushed off as the three smiled.

()()()()()

At the Reform Club, Spoiled looked at her watch with a smirk.

"Looks like she's not going to make it." Spoiled said unable to hide the smile.

"She's not late yet, Spoiled." Mayor Mare pointed out.

"Right." Filthy agreed. "The girl's still got a shot."

"5… 4… 3… 2…"

Just then, Applejack burst in and stood next to a globe in the room.

"Around the world in eighty days!" Applejack called out with a smile as Mayor Mare and Filthy congratulated her while Spoiled could only close her watch, agitated.

()()()()()

So Applejack got the inheritance and used it to pay off the bills, and she, Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity, and the rest of the orphanage lived happily ever after.

"Rumbling, how many times do I have to tell you to stop drawing on the walls?!" Rarity shouted as the rest had a good chuckle.

Well that was fun.