Part 2
Winona stopped. Where did Applejack say that they were going? Whinnyconsin? Where in the world is that? Winona was so eager in going that she didn't think of where it could be. She whimpered. Great. Her plan had failed, and it hasn't yet begun.
She perked up when she had an idea. She could ask where it was. Perfect! She may not know where Whinnyconsin was, but an animal or two might know. She went to search for any animals and asked the question.
Every single animal she asked didn't know where it was, or had no clue what she was talking about. She whimpered again. Great! That plan didn't work either.
She perked up again. She had another idea. She knew that Applejack and friends would take a train to get to the places that they want to go. She, once again, asked each and every animal that she could find, but this time about a train.
Once again, she didn't get far. Each animal she asked either didn't know what a train was, or didn't know where one was. She whimpered once again.
Well, she just had to find them anyway. And with that, she continued on her way.
On her way, she heard a faint crying. She stopped, confused. Who was crying? She went to investigate.
She saw that it was an elk calf. She strolled over to it.
"Why are you crying?" She wanted to know. The calf pointed his hoof at an apple tree.
"I'm trying to get an apple," The calf began. "But I can't reach a single one, and Mama doesn't want me to ram into it like she does when it's too high for her. She said I might hurt myself. I'm starving!" He cried and cried.
"There, there, it's all right." Winona consoled him.
"No, it's not. I'm still hungry!"
"I can help you." The elk calf stopped again, and was confused.
"Huh?" He asked. "How? You can't reach it, can you?" Winona shook her head.
"Don't need to." The calf looked even more confused. Winona went to the tree. "Here, I'll show you." She pushed the tree with her feet like Applejack would do. An apple fell to the grass. The elk was awestruck.
"Whoa!" He marveled. "That was so cool! Where did you learn that?"
"My family works on a farm. They do it when they want apples from trees."
"Cool." The calf began eating the apple. "Thanks!" Winona smiled.
"No problem. I like helping out." Just then an adult elk jumped out of the bushes.
"STAY AWAY FROM MY BABY!" She yelled, unclipping Winona's collar with one of her raised hooves. The collar fell to the ground. Winona gulped. Uh oh! She backed up. The elk was about to charge at her when the calf ran and stood in the way.
"Elkson," The Mom said. "get out of the way."
"No, Mama." Elkson said. "She didn't hurt me. She just helped me get the apple." The mother elk looked at the uneaten apple, then at Winona.
"Is this true?" Winona gulped, and nodded.
"Yes." The adult elk lowered her head. Winona winced, afraid of what might happen.
"Thank you." Winona looked as the elk raised her head.
"You're welcome." Elkson went to the unfinished apple to finish it.
"Is there something I can do to repay you?"
"Oh, no, you don't have to do anything for me. Really."
"No, I do. You saved my baby from starving. I want to do something nice for you."
"No, really, I don't need anything." The elk raised her eyebrow.
"Really?" Winona was about to say something, when she thought of something.
"Well, there's one thing you might be able to help me with."
"Really, what?"
"I'm looking for a train. Do you know where I can find one?" The elk nodded.
"North of here are some hills. The train station lies beyond the last one." Winona smiled.
"Thanks."
"Will you be okay? Do you need me and my baby to go with you?" Winona shook her head.
"No. I'll be fine. Thanks."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure."
"Okay." And with that, the elk went off.
"Bye!" Elkson said to her before following his mother when his apple was gone. "And thanks again!" Winona smiled after the two, feeling proud of herself. It did feel good to help out those in need. And with that, she went off.
Elkson told his mom how Winona had gotten the apple for him, when Winona's friends came.
"Oh, hello." His mother greeted them.
"Hello." The pets said back.
"Can I help you animals with something? You all look like you're in search of something."
"Yes," Owlowiscous told her. "As a matter of fact we are. Has a collie dog happen to pass by here?" The elk mother nodded.
"Yes, she did. Just minutes ago." All of the pets' faces brightened.
"She helped me get an apple down from a tree." Elkson spoke up.
"Do you know where she went?" Angel wanted to know. The elk mother nodded again. Angel brightened again. "Really, where?"
"To a train station just north of here."
"Thanks!" Angel and the pets were about to go off when Opal noticed Winona's collar still on the ground.
"Is that Winona's?" She asked out loud.
"I believe it is." Owlowiscious observed. "Take it with. We'll give it to her when we find her." Opal nodded. She put the collar around her neck, above hers "Now, let's resume on our way." Opal nodded again, and the pets strolled off. The elk adult called after them.
"Glad I could help!" She looked at her son. "Okay Elkson, show me how she did it." Elkson did, and a bunch of apples came raining down from the tree.
Winona had just gotten over the last hill, and indeed saw the town and train station down below.
"Whoa!" She marveled out loud. "There's the town!" A train was parked there, ready to go. "And look; there's the train. Just in the nick of time."
She was about to go when something landed around her neck. Huh? She tried to go, but was forced to stay. She then saw what was keeping her, and she gasped. A dogcatcher pony, and he had thrown a noose around her neck. She tried to go again, but the dogcatcher wouldn't let her.
"Oh no you don't!" He said to her in a firm voice. "You're coming with me!" Winona barked, trying to call for Elkson, his mother, any help at all. But no matter how many barks she made, no help came. She was forced to go with the dogcatcher. A robin watched all of this on his perch on a nearby tree branch.
Winona was thrown into a cage. The dogcatcher closed and locked the cage door behind her.
"There you go." He said, "You won't get away now." The dog looked up at him with pleading eyes. The dogcatcher sighed. "Look, I'm not the bad guy here. I just brought you here so you can go with home with somepony. It's my job. I hope you understand." He then left.
"But, I do have a home." Winona said to herself. She looked down at her neck, noticing her missing collar. Darn it! She completely forgot about her collar.
Winona tried to undo the lock. When she couldn't, she whimpered, and laid down on her paws. Oh, how do I get out of here?
Winona watched as a little filly was going from cage to cage, trying to pick out the perfect pet, as her parents watched behind her. Winona sighed. She was about Apple Bloom's age, and this reminded her of how Applejack picked her.
"Hurry, Sugarplum." Her dad spoke. "We don't have forever you know."
"I'm trying!" The little filly responded. "But it's hard. All of these dogs need loving homes. I wish I could take all of them."
"We only agreed on one, remember sweet heart?"
"I remember, Mom. " She gazed at all of the cages again.
"Oh, your fur is beautiful!" The filly said to Winona when she went by her cage. "Want to come home with me?" Winona barked. No, thanks. I'm here by mistake. I already have a family. But of course, the little horse couldn't understand. She turned to her parents and the dogcatcher. "I want this one!" The dogcatcher went to Winona's cage, and got her out.
"This one didn't stay long." He said. "I caught it just yesterday."
"I love her fur. Isn't she a collie?"
"Indeed she is." The filly smiled, and looked at Winona.
"My name is Sugarplum."
"What are you going to call her?" Sugarplum's mom asked her.
"Hmmmm," Sugarplum thought for a second. "Cocoa."
"Cocoa?" Her mom said. Sugarplum nodded.
"Her fur's brown like cocoa." The filly explained. "That, and I just love the name." The mom smiled.
"I love Cocoa too. I think it's a wonderful name for your dog."
"Alright, Cocoa it is." The father stated. He turned to the dogcatcher and paid him.
"Enjoy your furry family member." Said the dogcatcher.
"We will." Sugarplum told him. She looked at Winona. "We'll be the best of friends."
Sugarplum and her family tried to get Winona in her new kennel, but Winona didn't cooperate. This concerned the child.
"What's wrong, Cocoa?" She asked. "We're going to take you home. Don't you want to go home with us?" Winona looked at her. You look like a great kid, but I already have a home. I'm sorry, but I can't stay with you. She tried to run off when the dad stopped her in her tracks.
"Whoa, where are you going?" He forced her into the kennel, and locked it. "There, now you can't get away." Winona whimpered. If only she can make this girl and her parents understand.
Angel, Gummy, Tank, Owlowiscious, and Opal went to the train station. They looked all around for Winona.
"Oh, no!" Angel stated. "We're too late; Winona must have hopped on a train and is now heading towards Whinnyconsin!"
"Then we must wait for the next train." Owlowisious spoke.
"But who knows how long the next train will be." Tank said. "It could take forever."
As long as I get my rest," Opal pointed out. "that's fine by me."
"Can I help you?" A voice wanted to know. The pets turned around, and saw a robin on a tree branch. It was the same robin that saw Winona being taken away.
"Yes," Owlowiscious answered him. "Did you see a collie dog around here?"
"I did see a collie being taken to the pound earlier." The pets gasped. Angel stepped up.
"Look," He said. "That collie is our friend. We need her back."
"Oh dear. Well, if you follow me, I can take you to it." The pets smiled.
"Thanks; that's really generous of you."
"No problem! Always glad to help." The robin flew off. "Come on; stay close! I'm Chirpy by the way." The pets went after Chirpy. Opal sighed.
"It's for a friend, Opal."" The cat told herself. "It's for a friend." With that, she went after them.
"This is my room." Sugarplum told Winona when she and the dog were in her room. She unlocked Winona's cage, freeing the dog. Winona tried to escape, when Sugarplum stopped her. '
"Where are you going?" She asked. "Never mind. I have some outfits I like to try on you." Winona gulped. Uh oh! She didn't like the sound of that.
Winona was right to be worried. She had tried on outfit to outfit. Although Sugarplum complimented on how cute Winona was in them. The collie dog didn't like them one bit. Sugarplum has even fetched her camera, and photographed every one to show off. As she was getting her camera, Winona tried to get it off, but Sugarplum had caught her in the act.
"I can't wait to show all of my friends at school tomorrow." Sugarplum said when she was done with the outfits. "First, they'll be so jealous that I got a collie. Then they'll marvel at the pictures I've taken. I might even get a spot in the yearbook committee."
"Sugarplum, Cocoa!" Sugerplum's dad called as he poked his head in his daughter's room. "Supper's on the table!"
"Yes, Daddy!" She said. Her dad was about to go when she spoke up. "Do you like what I dressed Cocoa into?" Her dad looked at 'Cocoa' and smiled. Winona was in a fairy outfit.
"Yes." He answered. "She looks really cute, just like you." Sugarplum beamed. She helped Winona out of the dress, and went off. Winona sighed. She was glad that was done.
"Winona!" Sugarplum called. "You have dinner too!" Winona sighed again, and strolled out of the room.
Winona saw kibble and water in the bowls that Sugarplum's parents had brought for her on the tile floor.
"After dinner, we can play some more." Sugerplum told her. "Okay, Cocoa?" She went to sit with her parents and all began to eat.
Winona sniffed the kibble and ate a few, licking her chops. MMMMM! This was the best kibble she ever tasted! She began to wolf it down.
"Whoa!" Sugerplum observed, watching her eat. "She's really going to town with that kibble." Sugerplum's father smiled.
"She must be really hungry." He said.
"That or 'the best kibble brand' really is the best."
After Winona was done with her kibble, she began to lap up the water. Maybe when she's back with the Apples, she'll have to beg Applejack for the brand. Although this girl and her parents were friendly, she had to leave. She didn't belong here. She had to make her escape tonight when everypony in the house was fast asleep.
"Well, this is it." Chirpy told Angel and friends when the reached the dog pound. "Here is the only dog pound for miles."
"Thanks, Chirpy!" Angel thanked her. Chirpy began to fly away.
"Hope you can find your friend!" She called.
"Okay," Owlowiscious told the pets. "One of us should go in there and ask around if anyone knows about Winona." The pets nodded.
"I'll go." Gummy volunteered, stepping up. After all I let Winona go." He looked ashamed. "This is all my fault that she's gone I'm sorry."
"You didn't let Winona go, dear." Opal said to the little alligator. "Did you watch her go? Yes. Could you have stopped her? No, but you could have tried."
"Opal's right." Owlowiscious agreed. "But it's all in the past now, and the important thing right now is her safe return." The owl looked at Gummy. "Okay Gummy, we'll be right out here." Gummy blinked.
"Okay." And with that, the dogcatcher opened the door when the dogcatcher went out with a Boston terrier, and slipped inside.
Gummy went to the first cage he saw. Inside was a Dachshund. "Is there a collie dog here?"
"Was!" The Dachshund explained. "She was adopted today."
"Adopted?" The Dachshund nodded.
"By a little girl and her parents."
"And you don't know where they went?"
"Probably to her house."
"And you don't know where that is?" The Dachshund shook her head.
"Sorry, no." Gummy sighed.
"Okay, thanks." He went off.
When the dogcatcher opened the door, Gummy slipped out, and went to his friends. The same Boston terrier from earlier thanked them, and scampered off.
"Well, Angel, you saved a life." Opal said to the bunny. "You must be really proud of yourself." Angel stood tall with a smile.
"I am." He replied. They, along with the other pets looked at Gummy. "Well, what did you find?"
"She got adopted. I'm sorry, she's gone." The pets sighed.
"Well then, we need to look for her then, don't we?" Owlowisious said.
"But she could be anywhere!" Angel complained. "We won't find her."
"You don't know that. We can't give up." He flew off. "Now, come on!" The pets all sighed, feeling this would be hopeless, followed the owl.
That night when everypony was sleeping, Winona awoke. She got up and went out of the doggy door, but not before taking one last sip of the water in the water bowl.
She went a few feet, and looked back. She sighed, feeling a little bad. She knew that by running away, this family would be heartbroken, especially the girl. But she couldn't help it. She was the Apples' dog, not theirs. Maybe this family will get another pet, maybe another dog. And with that, she went off.
She passed by a river. She went over to the water, and took another drink. She sighed heavenly when done. Aw; that felt good! It was better than the water at Sugarplum's place. Satisfied, she was about to go when a squirrel chittered loudly, scurrying from under her. It's tail brushed against her under fur and chin. She tried to balance herself, but couldn't. She fell in.