Part 3

"HELP!" Winona yelled, flailing her paws around, as she was being pushed by the strong currents. She was trying to grip on a rock ledge or something. "SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

Minutes later, she heard rushing water. The collie turned around, and gasped. She was headed straight towards a waterfall! Why is it always a waterfall?

She tried with all her might to swim against the current. But, it was just too strong for her. She even sunk her teeth into a low tree branch, but it broke off right away, and fell into the water and was swept away. "PLEASE; SOMEONE; HELP ME!"

She was about to fall over the fall, when someone grabbed her paw. She looked and smiled. It was her friends! Angel was the one holding onto her paw.

"DON'T WORRY, WINONA!" Angel yelled over the roar of the fall. "I got you; you'll be okay!" Winona sighed, but gasped again when she saw Angel's leg was slipping.

"ANGEL! YOUR LEG IS SLIPPING! YOU'RE GOING TO FALL IN!" But just as Angel's leg was about to cave in, Owlowiscious, Gummy, Opal, and Tank all grabbed one another, holding Angel secure. Winona sighed again as she was being dragged away from the waterfall.

Winona collapsed onto the grass when she was all saved. Her friends collapsed too.

"Thank you guys for saving me. I would've been a goner for sure."

"Don't mention it." Angel told her. "We're your friends. It's what friends do. You'd do the same for us if we were in danger." Winona smiled.

"I would do it even if we weren't friends! It's the right thing to do."

"Winona," Owlowiscious told her. He had her collar in his talons. "I believe this is yours." Winona perked up, and allowed the owl to place the collar, and tie it around her neck. Winona looked down at it. Safe and sound!

"It's too dangerous to go alone; we'll go with you." Winona looked at her friends, and nodded.

"I appreciate that. I appreciate that very much."

"After all," Angel stated. "Journeys are more fun when you go on them with friends." The collie looked at the bunny.

"So true."

"Though it may be long," Opal put in. "and I might get my paws dirty, I'll do it for you."

"We'd do anything for you, Winona." Tank said to her. "Anything!" Winona fought back tears.

"Oh, guys!" She cried. "You mean so much to me too." Her friends all smiled.

"So, are we going to find our owners?" Gummy wanted to know. "Or are we going to go back to the pet hotel?"

"We're going to find our owners." Owlowiscious said. "Though we are missed at the hotel, I don't know where that is, do you?" Gummy shook his head.

"Nope; don't have a clue!"

"Then we shall go onwards, unless any one of you have any objections." The rest of the pets shook their heads. "Then we go onwards and find our owners. We go together." And with that, all of the animals went off.

The Mane Six arrived at GoldieFinch's Pet Paradise when their trip was over. A cream colored pony was with them. They all went inside. Twilight went up to the front desk.

"GoldieFinch!" She called. "We're here to take back our pets." GoldieFinch did arrive, but with a sullen expression on her face. The ponies, and Spike were confused.

"Are you alright, GoldieFinch?" Twilight wanted to know.

"Yeah," Rainbow Dash put in. "You don't look too hot." GoldieFinch looked at all of them, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry." She told Twilight. "It seems all of your pets escaped. We haven't seen them." All of the ponies gasped. The cream pony ran up to the desk in a panic.

"But not my kid's Chance, right?" GoldieFinch looked at her and smiled. "Chance is fine. I'll let someone go get him." She called for some pony to get Chance. The cream pony sighed in relief. She looked at Twilight.

"Sorry about all of your pets."

"We'll get them back." Twilight told her, staying calm. "We're all glad that you and your family still has Chance."

"Alright," GoldieFinch said as some pony came in with Chance in a cage. "Here's your Chance." The assistant gave it to the cream pony.

"Thank you." She thanked him. The assistant went away. She looked at Chance. Chance looked back at her. "Sorry we're late, pal. You were probably worried, and thought we ditched you here. Our cart crashed, and we all had to go to the hospital. Luckily, these ponies were there to help us." She took Chance, said goodbye and thanked the other ponies, and went outside.

"Well," Applejack stated. "Since they're not here; we should all go home." She saw that her sister was sniffing away her tears. "Aw, sugercube. Winona will come home."

"But, what if they're all here?" she sobbed. "M-maybe they're hiding."

"For a few days? With all of that food they fed them, I don't know." Apple Bloom looked at GoldieFinch.

"Can't you check again? Pretty please? I'm sure that when you tell them we're here, they'll all come runnin'. GoldieFinch frowned.

"I'm sorry, but we checked several times. They're missing."

"Please; it wouldn't hurt to check again, will it?"

"Apple Bloom." Apple Jack told her sister. "I know you're hurt and shocked. We all are, but you have to trust her. Winona and the other pets aren't here."

"No! They have to be here!" And with that, she ran to the playroom.

"Apple Bloom!" The ponies shouted after her.

"Little filly," GoldieFinch said. "You can't go back there." She and the others went to the playroom.

"WINONA!" She called. Nothing. She tried again, running everywhere in the playroom. "WINONA; WINONA! Where are you, girl?"

"I feel bad for Apple Bloom." Rarity said. "The poor thing refuses that her pet is gone. She's deep in denial."

"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack." Spike observed. "Only there isn't any needle."

"What needle?" Pinkie Pie asked. "What haystack? Won't it hurt?"

"I don't see her or the others in here." Apple Bloom said to her sister. "I'm going to have a look outside." But before Apple Bloom could head towards the door outside, Applejack blocked her path. Apple Bloom looked up at her.

"What are you doing Applejack? Winona may be outside. Don't you wanna see her?"

"You know I do, sugercube." She replied.

"Then, why block the way? If I could go outside, maybe…"

"I know you don't want to hear it." GoldieFinch told the filly. "But, I told you the truth, painful as it is; Winona is gone."

"But…but…" Apple Bloom sputtered.

"I'm sorry, little filly." Applejack told her young sister. "But we have to trust GoldieFinch. If she says Winona is gone, Winona is gone." Apple Bloom shook her head.

"No." She kept trying to go, but Applejack blocked her each time. Apple Bloom's voice was cracking, and grew teary eyed. "No, no, no, no." She couldn't take it anymore. She burst out crying. "No, it can't be!" She cried and cried. Everypony felt sorry for her. Rarity comforted a crying Sweetie Belle, and Rainbow Dash, a crying Scootaloo.

"There, there." Applejack consoled her sobbing sister. "I know; I know, the truth hurts. But, it won't do any good moping about her all day. We'll find her, as well as the others."

"But, she could be anywhere!" Apple Bloom sniffed. "She could be hungry, or lost, or…or…" She couldn't get it out. "or worse."

"You can't think like that. You must remain positive, and confident that we'll find her. Can you do that?"

"I don't think I can."

"I know it's hard. It's going to be hard on all of us. But, you must try to be strong. We're with you, Apple Bloom. You are not alone." Apple Bloom nodded, wiping her tears away with her hoof.

"Okay. I'll try." Applejack smiled.

"I know you will. We all have to be strong right now."

"And if you think you might break," Twilight added. "Remember that we're here. We'll help you in any way we can." Apple Bloom smiled at her.

"Thanks." She then frowned. "Sorry about Owlowiscious." She looked at each of the remaining Mane Six. "Sorry about all of your pets" She then grew determined. "But if my sister says we'll find them, then we'll find them. We can't lose hope."

"That's my sister!" Applejack complimented her. Apple Bloom smiled as her sister smiled back.

"I'll let you know if we see any of them." GoldieFinch said. "And I'm sorry they're missing."

"It's not your fault." Twilight told her. "And thanks." And with that, she and her friends all left the hotel.

Winona and her friends were traveling in a grassy field when something caught Winona's eyes. She stopped. Her friends stopped too, confused to why she stopped. It was a lone sheep, eating grass.

"Winona, why'd you stop?" Opal wanted to know. "I thought you wanted to find your family ASAP."

"I do." Winona answered.

"Okay. You know, you won't get very far if you don't move your feet."

"You see that sheep over there?" Her friends all looked at the sheep as it ate and chewed more grass. They looked back at her.

"Yeah; so?"

"That sheep doesn't belong here. I'm going to go and talk to it."

"But we need to continue on our journey!" Angel reminded her.

"This will only take a minute." Angel sighed as she went over to the sheep. Her friends went with her.

"Hello." Winona greeted. "Don't mind me asking, but you don't belong here, do you?" The sheep looked all around, panicking.

"Where am I?"

"You're in a grassy field eating blades of grass."

"Ohhhh! I must have wondered off again. Sorry, but when I see a field of grass, I can't resist."

"Do you know where home is?" The sheep shook his head.

"No; I'm completely lost!" Winona frowned.

"Oh." She then perked up when an idea struck her.

"My friends and I will help you find your home."

"What?!" Angel asked. The sheep looked at the dog, and smiled.

"Thanks." He thanked her. "I'd appreciate that. I'm Sebastian."

"I'm Winona." She looked at her friends. "And my friends: Angel, Opal, Owlowiscious, Gummy, and Tank." Her friends all said their hellos. Sebastian smiled.

"Friends are good to have on long journeys. They make great company." Winona smiled back.

"You got that right."

"Well, I didn't travel far, so the farm should be nearby. I can probably find it myself." Winona shook her head.

"We'll help you just in case." Sebastian nodded.

"Then let's get going." And with that, the pets walked with Sebastian. Angel stayed put.

"Hello!" He called. "We have our own way to go, or did you all forget?" Owlowiscious flew back to the bunny.

"It doesn't hurt to have a few delays, Angel." The owl told him. "We need to think of others before ourselves. Helping will be good. Plus, Sebastian said that he didn't travel far from the farm. It shouldn't be long." Angel sighed.

"Fine!" The owl smiled. And with that, the two went after Sebastian and the others.

"Well, this is it." Sebastian told them once they were in front of Herding Sheep Farm. "Herding Sheep Farm; my home sweet home. I thank you again. I can take it from here."

"Okay, try not to wonder off again." Winona told the sheep. Sebastian smiled.

"I'll try not to."

The pets said their farewells, and Sebastian went to the farm.

"See?" Owlowiscious said to Angel. "It doesn't help to help, does it?" Angel sighed.

"You're right." He agreed. "It doesn't. At least it was quick."

"Hey!" A young voice shouted. "A collie dog!" The pets all turned and saw a brown colt. In his mouth was a coil of rope.

"RUN!" Angel yelled. And with that, the pets began to run away. The colt smirked. He chased after Winona, twirling the rope above his head.

"Oh? Playing hard to get I see! I love a challenge!" He lassoed Winona, the rope landing around her neck. The pets gasped as Winona tried to get free. The colt laughed.

"Ha! You're not going anywhere, except for with me!" Winona pilled and pulled. But no matter what, the colt didn't allow her to go free. She gave up, and went as the colt led her

The colt then stopped. Winona stopped as well. Why did they stop? She then felt hopeful. Was he going to let her go? He looked down at her collar and tags. Winona smiled. Yes; he knows she belongs to somepony else, and was going to let her go!

"Shoot!" He cried. "You belong to somepony else!" He thought about this. Winona gasped as the colt took the collar off her neck. He threw it into some bushes. "Not anymore! You're my dog now." He pulled on the rope. "Come; I'd like you to meet my folks." Winona gave in again, and went after the colt.

"Come on!" Owlowiscious urged the others. "We must follow them. Opal, you get Winona's collar." The pets agreed, Opal got Winona's collar around her neck again, and they all went after them.

"MOM! DAD!" He called. "COME OUT HERE!" Two bronze colored ponies came out of a farmhouse. The colt showed them Winona. "I found another collie dog to replace Charcoal. The parents looked at Winona, then back at their son.

"She looks like a fine dog, Lil' Twister." She told him. "But we never discussed to get another dog."

"Come on, Mom!" Lil' Twister urged. "I've seen Charcoal. He's getting old. He's slower. This dog is young. She'll get the job done faster then Charcoal can."

"Well, I don't know."

"Come on Mom, please?" His mother looked at her husband.

"What do you think, Tornado?" Tornado thought about this.

"Well," He began. "Lil' Twister is right. Charcoal is getting older, and is much slower then he used to."

"So?" Lil' Twister questioned out loud. "Can I keep the dog?" Tornado nodded.

"You may keep the dog." Lil' Twister cheered.

"All right!" He looked at Winona. "I'm going to show you around the farm." He led Winona after him.

Sebastian saw Angel, Owlowiscous, Tank, Opal, and Gummy from his pen. The sheep went to them.

"What are you doing back here?" He wanted to know.

"Our friend, Winona the collie, had been taken in here by a young colt."

"Lil' Twister? Yeah, he's a good colt, but since Charcoal has gotten slower and

not fun anymore', all he talks about is a new collie dog. When I saw you guys with her, I should've warned you."

"It's not your fault." Owlowiscous told the sheep. "We'll get her back. That's the important thing." The sheep nodded.

"Right."

"And now here's the dog that'll you'll replace," Lil' Twister told Winona. They approached an older, black collie dog. He was laying down on his paws on the grass, watching the sheep. "Charcoal meet…" He looked at Winona. "Oh yeah, you need a name, don't ya?" Winona looked at him as he thought this over.

"Flame." Winona was puzzled. "You know, because you are the flame that'll keep this farm burning. I'll leave you two to be acquainted." He then left. Charcoal looked at Winona.

"So, you are the new dog that's going to replace me, huh?" He asked.

"I guess." She answered. Winona then realized what she said. "What am I saying? No! I don't belong here. I belong to Applejack, Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, and Big Mac back on Sweet Apple Aces."

"What are you doing here, then?"

"Oh, your owner caught me, and led me here."

"Oh, that Lil' Twister. He talked about getting a new collie for some time now. Didn't think it would have been so soon." He sighed. Winona noticed this.

"What is it?"

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just that I wished I was young again, then Lil Twister can love me again, and I can do what I love; herding sheep and being a great pet to my owners." Winona was confused.

"What do you mean? I'm sure you are a great pet already, and what do you mean? Doesn't Lil' Twister already love you?"

"Oh, he does. Just not how he used to."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm old. I'm slower and weaker. You're lucky that you're still young, so you can be loved for years to come, but me? My time is just about up."

"No; that's crazy! You may be slower, and not up to what you used to do; but they still love you as much as they always did. You are never too young or too old to be loved." Charcoal smiled.

"Thanks, kid. I really appreciate this. You really know how to make an old dog's day." Winona smiled back.

"I got something to show you." Lil' Twister said to Winona, coming over to the two collies. Winona looked at him. "Did you and Charcoal turn into friends?" Winona gave out a bark. Lil' Twister nodded.

"That's good. Daddy says it's good to make friends, no matter how old the other pony, or dog in this case, is." He started off. "Well, come on!" Winona left after him.

"Ta-da!" Lil Twister said when he led Winona to a doghouse in a fenced-in area. "What do you think? My friend's dad built this for me. Go on; try it out!" Winona shrugged. What the heck! She went into the doghouse, and peered out. It was a perfect fit.

"Perfect fit!" Winona laid down inside it. She liked it, and it was nice and cozy. She barked that she liked it.

"I'm glad that you liked it. It took my dad's friend a few days. He just finished it this morning." They then heard sheep in the distance. Lil' Twister saw that they were not all together.

"Looks like your first job. Come; let's see what you got!" So, Winona strolled after him.

Charcoal was trying very hard to keep all of the sheep in line, but age had gotten the best of him. He just couldn't keep up with them all.

"Charcoal!" Lil' Twister called to the old dog. "Let Flame take over. You're just too old for this job!" When Charcoal saw Winona running to his side, he glared at her, and a growl escaped his throat, but didn't complain as he slowly went back to the entrance. Winona gathered the sleep like she had been doing this her entire life.

"Showoff!" Charcoal murmured to himself. Lil' Twister cheered when done as his parents approached. Sebastian and Winona's friends saw this.

"Wow!" Sebastian observed. He looked at the others, "Your friend is a natural!" They went over to the young collie, and Sebastian went to the flock.

"I didn't know you herded sheep." Opal said to her. "You were wonderful; just wonderful."

"Yeah!" Tank added. "You were terrific!"

"It was really something all right." Angel put in.

"So, are you ready to come with us and find our families?" Owlowiscious wanted to know. This caught Winona off-guard.

"I…uh…" She stutterd. She had so much fun herding the sheep that she had forgotten about the Apples.

"Awesome job, Flame!" Lil' Twister called to her. He turned to his parents.

"Did you see that, Mom and Dad? Flame is a sheep-herding champion!" His parents both chuckled.

"Yes, sweetheart." His mom said. "We did. Now come inside; dinner is ready."

"Flame!" Lil' Twister called to her. "Come on; we'll give you some kibble!" Lil' Twister left with his parents. Winona looked at her friends.

She wanted to go with her friends to find their families, but the awful dream that she had of her family back at the pet hotel had popped back into her mind. She also remembered what Chance said what his family did to him. She wanted her family to love her, but if what Chance said was true and she got reunited with her family, only to be disowned by them would be a waste of a journey.

"FLAME!" Lil' Twister called again. Winona had made her decision.

"Guys," She began. "I'm sorry, but I'm not going back; I'm staying here." Her friends gasped.