My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: The Last Roundup

A/N: Happy New Year! Yes, I know that was yesterday and we're already into the second day of the New Year, but it's a new year and that's what matters. Anyway, this is the final chapter for this story and you can expect the start of the next story tomorrow. Now it's time to figure out why Applejack is refusing to return to Ponyville.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

CHAPTER FIVE: CHASE AND TRUTH

Applejack was certain that she was in the clear when the coach left Dodge Junction behind and there was no sign of her friends. She was starting to relax when something hit the side of the coach hard, and she was nearly knocked off. "Whoa! What the hay?" she yelped and saw that her friends had managed to catch up.

"Pull over!" Rainbow Dash ordered and they collided with the side of the coach again.

"Hey! Cut that out!" Applejack protested every time they hit the side of the coach. "Whoa!" She spoke to the coach ponies. I'll pay you double to outrun them." And the coach ponies ran faster.

Twilight Sparkle nodded to the pegasi, who raced after them, and then she called out to the coach ponies. "We'll pay you triple to slow down!"

When her friends pulled ahead in their own wagon with the coach ponies slowing down, Applejack made her own offer. "I'll pay you quadruple to leave them in the dust!" The coach ponies neighed and put on an extra burst of speed, leaving the six ponies behind, coughing.

"That was rude!" Rarity complained when they got freed of the dust cloud and kept after the coach.

"Get them!" Pinkie Pie shrieked. "Get them!"

Rainbow Dash glanced at the yellow pegasus. "Come on, Fluttershy!" And they ran even faster, not wanting their friend to escape.

Spotting her friends coming up fast, Applejack grabbed the reins and she whipped them at the coach ponies. "Hyah! C'mon, y'all! Go, go!"

When they were alongside the coach, Pinkie Pie leapt across the gap and landed next to the orange pony. "Applejack, you broke your Pinkie promise!" she yelled over the noise and the wind. "Apologize!"

"Pinkie, I did not break my promise!" Applejack snapped and sighed when the pink pony gave her a blank look. "If y'all reckon back, I told you that I would tell you everything at breakfast," she reminded her friend. "But I didn't come for breakfast. I couldn't come to that breakfast, not if it meant telling y'all what happened."

Pinkie Pie wasn't sure what to make of this. "Well, I… I…"

"I'm sorry, Pinkie, but I can't tell y'all the truth," Applejack apologized. "I just can't!"

"Well I heard a "sorry" in there, so that'll have to do for now," Pinkie Pie decided. "I'll get a real apology later. Rarity, catch me." And she leapt backwards off the coach.

"What? Pinkie-" Rarity screamed as the pink pony collided with her and they both fell out of the wagon.

"Rainbow, go back!" Twilight Sparkle yelped.

"No time!" said the blue pegasus. "They knew what they were getting into!"

As the two vehicles disappeared into the distance, Rarity sat up, coughed and glared at Pinkie Pie, who was grinning sheepishly.

"Come on, Applejack!" Sunrise Blossom called out to her friend. "Just talk to us!"

Applejack shook her head and she saw the railway just ahead and the crossing bells were going crazy as the arms began lowering, which meant the train was coming. "Yes," she said and she whipped the coach ponies to get them to go even faster. "Hyah!" She kept urging the coach ponies, even when they could hear the train whistle, and they crashed through the crossing arms, getting to the other side just as the train shot past.

She hopped off the wagon and cheered since her friends wouldn't be able to cross until the train was gone. "Yee-haw!"

"Lady, you're trouble," the coach ponies said in unison before running off, not caring if they ever got paid.

Applejack grinned, not worried. "Ha, try and catch me now," she cackled when suddenly the wagon shot over the train thanks to the two pegasus, and they landed on the other side. "Oh, nuts." And she bolted.

Poor Fluttershy was panting, but the blue pegasus wasn't about to let their friend get away, and freed herself of the harness.

Rainbow Dash flew after the orange pony. "Not so fast!" she shouted and tackled her with a loud thump!

Fluttershy, Sunrise Blossom, and Twilight Sparkle ran up, and they blinked when they saw a bunch of colorful ribbons and medals falling out of the saddlebags.

"Fine," Applejack moaned, not bothering to run anymore. "Now you know."

The twins exchanged perplex looks. "Know what?" they asked in unison.

Applejack pointed at the ribbons and medals. "Well, just look!"

"I am," Twilight Sparkle said, nodding to the pile. "You won an amazing number of ribbons, just like Miss Jubilee said!"

"And also an amazing number of medals," Sunrise Blossom agreed.

Applejack got up with an exasperated look on her face as she gestured to the ribbons and medals. "Don't you get it? There's every color of ribbon down there," she stated. "Every color… but… blue. I came in fourth, third, even second, but I didn't win one first prize, and I certainly didn't win any prize money."

"But the telegram said you were gonna send money," Rainbow Dash reminded her.

Applejack sighed. "That's why I came here," she explained. "I wanted to earn some money. After that big old send off Ponyville gave me, I just didn't have the nerve to come home empty-hooved. I couldn't come home a failure."

"Applejack, you're not a failure," Twilight Sparkle assured her.

"And you will never be a failure," said Sunrise Blossom confidently.

Rainbow Dash nodded. "And we're your friends!" she added. "We don't care if you came in fiftieth place! You're still number one in our books."

"So… you're not upset or disappointed?" Applejack asked, confused.

Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Sunrise Blossom, and Twilight Sparkle shook her head. "Nn-nn."

"But what about the mayor?" Applejack asked, worried. "I don't think I can face her and tell her I didn't get that money to fix the broken roof."

"Applejack, we can always find a way to fix that hole in the roof," Fluttershy assured her. "But if you don't come back, we'll never be able to fix the hole in our hearts." And she and the twins hugged the orange pony.

Rainbow Dash, who was hovering above them, began sniffling, and rubbed her eyes to get rid of the tears. "Darn it!" she complained. "Now you got me acting all sappy!" And her friends laughed.

After failing to locate Pinkie Pie and Rarity, the five ponies caught the next train, and they returned to Ponyville. Getting off the train, Applejack was greeted by her family and knocked down by her dog before being buried in hugs from Big Mac, Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom.

Once the hugs were done, Applejack apologized to Mayor Mare for not winning any prize money and promised that she would find a way to earn enough money to help repair the roof. She then wrote a letter to Princess Celestia.

Dear Princess Celestia,

It's a tad easier to be proud when you come in first than it is when you finish further back. But there's no reason to hide when you don't do as well as you'd hoped. You can't run away from your problems. Better to run to your friends and family.

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie and Rarity were using a hoof-powered railroad cart to return to Ponyville, and the pink pony was cheerful while the grey unicorn wasn't happy with their situation in the slightest.

"What do you think, Rarity?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Chimicherry or cherrychanga? Chimicherry, cherrychanga? Chimicherry, cherrychanga? Chimicherry, cherrychanga? Chimicherry, cherrychanga?"

"When I get back, you're gonna get it, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity grumbled while the pink pony kept asking the question over and over again while they continued pumping the cart.

A/N: Well, that's a wrap and I will see you all tomorrow! R&R everyone!