Journey Unexpected, Part Four

JOURNEY UNEXPECTED

Written by James Patrick Buchanan

(The audience sees the central six ponies falling under the charm of Dream Valley society.)

One week later, Unity City’s Private Pansy convention center was swarming with Dream Valley ponies, eager to talk with real Pegasus ponies.  The wide steps are covered with Earth and Unicorn ponies.  Some ponies are wearing shirts with images printed on them of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, while others are wearing full body costumes of Rainbow and Fluttershy.  Some native ponies are carrying plush dolls of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.  Today is for meeting Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, while the next two days are for meeting the Wonderbolts.

Inside the convention center’s main hall, Earth and Unicorn ponies cheer as Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, who is hiding behind Rainbow, walks onto the stage.  Walking beside them is Ceremonies Mare who has a shiny chrome coat, with a Strawberry mane and tail with light and dark streaks, with a microphone cutie mark.  Ceremonies Mare walks up to a pony-sized, speaking podium.

Ceremonies:  My name is Ceremonies Mare and I welcome each of you to the first Pegasus Con.  This we hope will be an annual celebration of the unexpected return of Pegasus ponies to the skies of our homeland.  Miss Fluttershy, would you like to greet all the convention ponies?

Fluttershy’s legs tremble like the vibrating strings of Octavia Melody's Cello as she walks up to the podium, while Ceremonies side steps, allowing Fluttershy access to the podium.

Fluttershy:  (Closing her eyes in fear, Fluttershy speaks.)  My name is Fluttershy, and I’m … really and honestly honored to be with you today.  In Equestria, I’m one of many thousands of Pegasus ponies, some of which, well most of which are far better fliers than I am.  So, why don’t you listen to my friend Rainbow Dash?  She’s much better at public speaking than I am.

Rainbow rushes up to the podium, pushing Fluttershy into Ceremonies and almost knocks both mares over.

Rainbow:  (She is very excited and exclaims), “A good morning to all of you, Dream Valley Earth and Unicorn ponies.  I’m the one and only, Rain-bow Da-sh!  Remember this day well, so you will be able to tell your grand-fillies and grand-colts that you met the best flier in all of Equestria and a member of the world famous Wonderbolts!

Rainbow rises off the ground, slowly fluttering her wings as the crowd gasps in amazement.

Rainbow:  I have no idea how you Dream Valley ponies were able to organize a three day con in three days, but color me impressed!

Rainbow hovers about ten feet in the air, as the crowd shouts out thunderous cheers.  The flashbulbs of photographer cameras make interesting patterns of light on Rainbow’s blue body.  Rainbow is grinning while she drinks in the crowd’s attention.

Philippe:  (A background stallion standing in the back of the crowd shouts to a mare across the room), Fork over the money, Nova that there Rainbow Dash is a real Pegasus!

Nova:  (A background mare shouts back), I don’t know about Philippe.  Rainbow’s wings could be faked with Unicorn Magic.

Philippe:  There is no glow around her wings, if a Unicorn were using their magic to make her fly.  Thus, her wings must be real.  I can’t believe it!  Wow!  A real Pegasus pony has returned to Dream Valley!

The pony audience erupts with cheering, laughter, and hoof stomping.

Fluttershy:  (While covering her ears with her hooves, Fluttershy mutters), “Even my princesses don’t get such boisterous cheering from my fellow ponies when the royal sisters make an appearance.  I think I’m going to have a long day.

It was a long day for Fluttershy, as the Dream Valley ponies dragged her unhappy self and a happy Rainbow Dash from one crowded event to another crowded event.  Late in the day, the stars appear in the night sky and the convention centers outside lights provided illumination for the happy convention ponies to return home.  Automated doors opened to allow Rainbow and Fluttershy, pulling art deco inspired carts full of Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Wonderbolts inspired blankets, calendars, costumes, banners, shirts, and figurines.

Rainbow:  Do you think we bought enough Rainbow Dash merchandise?

Fluttershy:  You bought at least two of everything on sale and even attempted to buy things that were not for sale.

Rainbow looks over her shoulder and blushes.

Rainbow:  Well, I needed a complete set for the Canterlot museum and another set for the Ponyville museum.  After all, nopony can get too much Rainbow Dash!

Fluttershy:  Tomorrow, could we do something else?  No matter how nice those fan ponies are, I’d rather not be the center of their attention.  Besides, I think we’ve told them everything we can about us Pegasus ponies, as well as our home of Cloudsdale and Ponyville.

Rainbow:  So Fluttershy, you don’t feel comfortable spending another day at Pegasus Con?  You don’t want to spend another day talking with all our new Dream Valley friends?

Fluttershy:  That’s right; one day of being the center of attention for so many fan ponies is all that I can take.

Rainbow:  Panorama described in detail an abandoned Pegasus city located on a mountain peak.  That mare told me that this cloud city is a fifteen minute flight from our airship.  Tomorrow, we can have an adventure all by ourselves without being mobbed by starry-eyed fan ponies.  Do we have a deal?

Fluttershy:  “Deal!”

Rainbow and Fluttershy smile and then brohoof each other.

(Dissolve to long shot of Stone Mare City.  This city is carved into a mountain side and designed to resemble a seated mare.  On the stone mare’s lap is a plaza for an outdoor market built to bear a resemblance to a huge dinner plate.  Today, Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie were rushing from bookstand tent to bookstand bicycle wagon, with Pinkie pulling a pony cart that is filling up with all kinds of books.)

After Twilight piles another foreleg load of books into the cart, the cart’s padded harness begins to chafe against Pinkie’s coat.  This cart was getting heavy, even for Pinkie, a physically fit Earth pony.

Pinkie:  Twilight, have you bought enough books for Cheerilee yet?  Or, can we at least return to our airship and put these books into the cargo hold, before we purchase any more books?

Twilight stops, turns around to look at Pinkie.

Twilight:  We could exchange our rented pony cart for a rented bicycle wagon.  But, it was you who volunteered to pull our merchandise cart.  Anyway, I must tell you that Dream Valley is the greatest place for intellectual ponies.  I could live here forever!  Just think Pinkie!  Can you imagine all the scientific advancements, all the history, all the poetry that was written down in more than one thousand years of isolation from Equestria?  Pinkie, you should know by now that as you can never have enough cupcakes, I can never have enough books.

Pinkie stops walking, a half smile appears on her face.

Pinkie:  (To no pony in particular), “I suppose that reading books is Twilight’s sugar rush.  I can totally relate to that.

Looking around Stone Mare City, Pinkie sees what looks like a thirty foot diameter satellite dish covered in gemstones with a metallic unicorn pony mare standing in the center of the dish.  The pony lights up her horn and the entire dish lights up as well, sending a rainbow into the sky, dissipating part of a thunderhead cloud.

Pinkie:  (Almost yelled), Twilight, do you see that, the Unicorn ponies here control the weather.  As a winged unicorn, you have two ways to control the weather, the Pegasus way and the Unicorn way.

Twilight:  Pinkie, controlling the weather would be cool, but do you know what would be even better?

Pinkie:  No Twilight, what would?  I know, I know!  How about buying cake from that cake shop?  Or buying ice cream from that ice cream shop?

Twilight:  That would be buying more books for Cheerilee’s history project.

Pinkie responded to Twilight’s remark by groaning and then continues to follow Twilight to the next bookstore in the marketplace.

(Fade out)

(Fade in as the audience sees Rainbow and Fluttershy are flying among the decayed buildings of a long abandoned and dilapidated Pegasus cloud city that overlooks Dream Valley.  The stone structures on the mountain and the cloud structures around the mountain remain intact, yet show signs of long neglect.)

A sad Rainbow looks at the time neglected structures.

Rainbow:  I’m sure that somewhere in these ruins are the homes that our ancestors once lived and worked in, laughed and loved in.

Fluttershy:  Ponies hating other ponies turned this once beautiful city into an abandoned ruin.

Both Pegasus ponies gasp as they fly lower and slower, and then landing before the front gates of a grand structure.

Rainbow:  (After reading the inscription in the arch above the gates, Rainbow in an excited voice told Fluttershy), I can’t believe this is Commander Hurricane’s palace.  I wonder if we can recover anything for the Dream Valley National Museum and the Ponyville Museum.

A happy Rainbow and a timid Fluttershy walk into Commander Hurricane’s palace.  The palace appears to have been deserted in a hurry, with belongings scattered on the ornate floor.  Paintings hang on crooked angles on the walls, while furniture sits in piles, awaiting pony furniture movers that never came to collect them.

Rainbow:  (With an even more excited voice said), I can’t, I can’t believe that I’m walking in … Commander Hurricane’s palace.  I can’t believe that I’m walking on the same floors that so many generations of great Pegasus ponies have walked on.

Fluttershy:  (In a meek voice), “Ponies, please pardon our intrusion.”

Rainbow:  (Rolls her eyes), “Fluttershy, there is nopony here to apologize to.”

Rainbow points with her hoof to a grand dining hall with heroic portraits of famous Pegasus military leaders.

Rainbow:  From reading Commander Hurricane’s confidential journal, this is where he and his staff ate their last meal in Dream Valley.

Rainbow then makes a yucky face as he walks past the discarded tables, topped faded tablecloths and dirty dishes.

Rainbow:  It looks like the Pegasus ponies were in such a hurry to leave that they didn’t take the time to wash their dishes before they flew away to find a new homeland.

Rainbow and Fluttershy walk into an ornate bedroom.  The furniture and floor are covered in discarded clothing.  Fluttershy walks over to inspect the commander’s writing desk.

With her hoof, Fluttershy picks up a snow globe that contains a miniature of the Pegasus city.  Fluttershy shakes it with her hoof and the globe appears to be snowing on the miniature Pegasus city.  Fluttershy puts the snow globe down with a sad expression on her face.

Fluttershy:  How ironic that Commander Hurricane would own a snow globe of this city.  I wonder what other secrets we’ll find here.

Rainbow:  I don’t know.  But, we will never know until we make the effort to explore this stronghold and the city around it.”=

These two Pegasus friends walk into a room that’s full of pony armor and weapons still on rows of racks.

Fluttershy:  (With a shocked face). Oh my, look at all the weapons.

Rainbow:  Fluttershy, of course there would be weapons here.  After all, Commander Hurricane took pride in governing “a mighty tribe of warriors”.

Rainbow shines as if illuminated by a theater spotlight.

Rainbow:  “And thus, you shouldn’t be surprised that ponies would make and keep so many weapons.”

Fluttershy:  Look at all the metal that could have been used to make miniatures of Rainbow Dash.

“That is correct, wait what do you say?”

Fluttershy:  Well, I’m very thankful that Pegasus ponies have grown out of our ancestors’ warlike behavior.

Rainbow:  I’m also happy that we Pegasus no longer live for battle nor do we look down upon our earthbound kindred.

Fluttershy:  When we’re flying high in the sky, it is kind of hard not to look down on Earth and Unicorn ponies.

Rainbow:  What, oh that was a joke?  Nice one, Fluttershy.

Rainbow looks around the armory and sees a full-body suit of Pegasus armor that has enclosed wing and tail covers inside a locked steel cage.

Rainbow:  The inscription says that this armor belonged to Commander Updraft, the first pony commander.  Commander Updraft claimed that her unique armor increased her agility, endurance, speed, and ability to summon combat thunderstorms.  But, only a very few exceptional Pegasus ponies have been able to fly while wear it without crashing.  I wonder why Commander Hurricane left that valuable armor here and why it was locked up in a steel cage.  Why haven’t I heard about Commander Updraft’s magical armor before today?

Rainbow looks back at Fluttershy.

Rainbow:  Anyway Fluttershy, it looks like we got some work ahead of us.  We need to find or have some craft ponies build a Pegasus transport wagon, and then start getting these artifacts down to the Dream Valley ponies and our airship.

Fluttershy:  There may still be Pegasus Air Force cargo carts in the cloud city military barracks.  Um, Rainbow, what are you thinking about?

Rainbow:  I was thinking that if I repaired and restored Commander Hurricane’s palace, I’d own a home that’s as big and grand as Canterlot castle.  I’d have to convince some Pegasus ponies to move to Dream Valley to maintain such a gigantic home.   But, living in this palace would be so awesome!

(A clock wipe finds Applejack and Rarity trotting toward a bakery.  Applejack is paying attention to an image printed on a canvas store window awning that is a stylized apple that looks like baked bread.)

Rarity:  (Rubbernecking at the metallic ponies), I never imagined that there is an entire nation that is populated with handsome, metallic ponies.  I could live the rest of my life here!

Rarity has a dream sequence where she is the center of attention in a lavish, Busby Berkeley like musical.

Applejack:  (Ignoring Rarity’s emotional display, Applejack walks up to the store’s front door, sniffs the air, and then says), I do love the aroma of baking apple pies.

Then, Applejack sees inside a glass display case that these pastries are fluffy pancakes, imprinted like waffles to resemble whole apples.

Applejack:  Wait, those treats don’t look like pies, these look like apples.  Rarity, what in tarnation are these treats?

Rarity:  Those treats, whatever they are, are too cute.  And they must taste divine.  I’m sure that Sweetie Belle would love these in her school lunch box.

Walking out from the store’s kitchen is a Dream Valley, Earth pony mare with a brushed aluminum coat, with her metallic purple mane and metallic purple trail done up in buns.  She is wearing a white apron and a green shirt.

Confectionery:  (Trotting up to Applejack and Rarity, the brushed aluminum mare says), “My name is Confectionery and from your dull coats you two must be those Equestrian Ponies.  Welcome to my humble bakery.  I was taught in school that all the ponies that left Dream Valley had froze.  I never expected to see the descendants of the emigrants return to Dream Valley.  So, what can I help you with?  Have you come to buy some of my treats?

Applejack:  What are those pastries in your display case?  They have an aroma of baked apples, but they don’t look like any apple pie I’ve ever seen.

Confectionery:  These are my apple-shaped cakes, a type of baked pastry.  About fifty years ago, there was a shortage of apples, combined with a surplus of wheat.  To make the most of the apples we had, my grandmother decided to make an apple shaped pastry made with sweet waffle batter, filled with sliced apples and cinnamon applesauce.

Applejack:  I’ll take two, one for me and one for my friend Rarity.  From the display case sign, I believe that these are two dollars each, for a total of four dollars.

Rarity:  Applejack, I’ll pay for these treats, as I am the element of generosity.

Rarity used her magic to float four Dream Valley dollars out of her saddlebags and over to a happy Confectionery.

Confectionery:  Equestrian ponies bought my pastry and that means I can advertise my pastry as world famous.”

Applejack:  You Dream Valley ponies sure do things a bit different than in Equestria.  I’m still getting used to paying for things with dollars instead of with bits.  But, different does not mean better or worse, just different.”

Applejack sniffs the air in the bakery.

Applejack:  You know I could spend months and months here finding new ways to sell my family’s apples.  I bet a cartload of my family’s apples that I could live and learn here forever!  What do you think, Rarity?

Rarity:  My dear Applejack, after we eat our apple treats; let’s walk to Crossroads City’s most popular fashion boutiques.  I’m sure that after more than one thousand years of isolation from Equestrian society, that Dream Valley fashion culture rivals the fashion cultures in Canterlot and Manehattan.  Dream Valley fashions, fabrics, colors, and patterns are … I have no words to describe them.  I also could live here for years studying centuries of Dream Valley fashions.

While Rarity spent her day shopping for dresses, Applejack spent her day shopping for practical work clothing.  They each returned to the airship pulling a cartload of very different clothing.  But, they didn’t mind as they saw that each other had bought sets of clothing that made them happy.

(Iris-wipe to Pinkie and Twilight, along with Newsie and Panorama are riding on a steam powered, canal boat in a tree lined canal.)

This boat was built for a comfortable ride for about twenty to thirty passengers.  But Twilight had rented it so she could travel without being bothered by Equestrian pony fans.  In fact, the fan ponies had become so annoying that Twilight had used her magic on herself so her coat appears to be a steel gray Tungsten, while a wildflower pattern sundress hid her wings and cutie mark.

Twilight wrote in her group’s journal, “I didn’t know how Pinkie did it, but on her own she had turned her pink coat, mane, and trail into the bluish color of polished cobalt.  I didn’t ask how Pinkie had turned from a bright pink to shiny cobalt.  Similar to Pinkie Sense, this is something that I have stopped attempting to understand, but accepted as Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie.  The fact is that Pinkie has a magic that I didn’t comprehend nor understand, but accepted as something that is outside of my ability to understand with observation and science.

“Two Dream Valley Unicorn mares named Captain Quarterdeck and first mate Roadstead, as well as a deckhoof Earth pony stallion named Afloat.  They are wearing sailor berets, sailor tunics, and slip resistant boat shoes for their rear hooves, these ponies are keeping their boat moving.  These boat ponies would take time to point out landmarks and every hour offered food and drinks to Pinkie, me, and the two reporter ponies.  Quarterdeck told me that she, Roadstead, and Afloat had met each other in the Dream Valley Republic’s navy.  After their enlistment was over, they pooled their money and then bought a new canal boat and had been taking passengers and mail along the valley’s canal network for two years.”

On the canal shore, Pinkie sees some brightly colored flowers, and then she bounces to the other side of the boat to get a closer look.

Every time their rented canal boat was going to pass by another boat, Pinkie would blow her crystal flugelhorn.  Pinkie thought blowing her horn was fun.  But, it also meant that Captain Quarterdeck had one less thing to worry about as she guided her boat deeper into Dream Valley.

Twilight’s canal boat comes to a stop next to what looked like to her eyes to be the bottom of a huge and robust ferrous wheel.  But, unlike the Equestrian ferrous wheels Twilight had seen that were built to entertain ponies, this canal wheel was for moving boats up and down a steep hillside.  The canal wheel had two water-filled gondolas, suspended by four huge rotating rings, where boats could enter on the bottom and exit on the top, or vice versa.

Twilight’s canal boat begins to ascend counter clockwise as a coal barge descends.

With Panorama operating her television camera, The Unicorn Newsie, holding a wireless microphone in her magic, begins to speak with Twilight.

Newsie:  For your information Twilight, ponies and cargo travel in Dream Valley as well as to and from our distant provinces by our canals or by our roads.  Of course, trade and travel slows down during winter, as the water in the canals freeze solid and snow makes travel by road rather difficult.

Twilight:  Why don’t you use trains?

Newsie:  “What are trains?”

Twilight uses her magic to levitate a book out of her saddlebags and opens it up to a picture of an Equestrian train.

Twilight:  Trains roll on steel tracks and have engines designed to pull carriages for passengers and freight along steel tracks.  Trains in my nation carry passengers, mail, and freight, while they almost never are stopped by winter’s cold and snow.

Newsie:  (Amazed), I’ve never seen anything like that train contraption in Dream Valley or in any of the nearby kingdoms.

Twilight:  So what you’re telling me Newsie is that Dream Valley ponies invented and built amazing canals, but not trains?  From my pointy of view, these Dream Valley ponies are living unexpected lives.

Pinkie:  (Bouncing by on her hooves, Pinkie says), Oh Twilight, think of all the unexpected things that have happened in your own life.  As a foal, did you expect that Princess Cadence would become your foalsitter?  Before you enrolled in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, did you or your parents expect that you would become Princess Celestia’s most faithful student?  Did you expect that you would meet such diverse Ponyville friends?  Did you expect that you and your friends would become the bearers of the Elements of Harmony who would overcome Nightmare Moon, Trixie, Discord, Queen Chrysalis, King Sombra, Trixie again, Discord's black thorny vines, the Mane-iac, and Lord Tirek?

Pinkie:  (Standing on her hind legs, Pinkie added), Twilight, part of growing up is dealing with unexpected events in our lives.  Yet, as a result of all those unexpected events, we pony friends are living far-out, groovy, and terrific lives.

Twilight puts a hoof on her chin, considers Pinkie’s words for a moment.

Twilight:  When I was a blank flank filly, I had no idea how wonderful my life would turn out.  I suppose that my life has been a series of unexpected events, between weeks or months of predictable routine.  However, what were these foalish ponies thinking when they build canals that froze for three months during winter?

Pinkie:  Twilight, from the point of view of the Dream Valley ponies, Equestrian history seems as strange to them, as Dream Valley history appears to us.  Twilight, you should accept the fact that simply because these ponies invested in canals but not railroads does not mean that they are worse off than you or better off than you.

While Twilight considered Pinkie’s observation, Twilight’s rented canal boat comes to a stop at the top of the boat wheel.  And then, the boat continues down the canal, now lined with homes and retail businesses.  The boat’s public address speakers come to life, as Quarterdeck’s voice interrupted Twilight’s thoughts.

Quarterdeck:  On behalf of Roadstead and Afloat, I would like to thank our passengers for choosing our canal boat.  Please look around and take all your belongings with you.  Please walk with care off this vessel and we hope to see you soon for another pleasant journey.

Twilight’s boat came to a stop in a marina dug out of the ground beside the canal.  Quarterdeck and Roadstead used their Unicorn magic to attach the boats mooring lines to the dock, while Afloat used his shoe-gloves to put the boat’s gangway down, allowing the four ponies to walk to the dock, and then walk to the shore.

Twilight:  Quarterdeck, thanks for the ride.  I’ll send you a PDA message when my friends and I will need a ride back to our airship.

Pinkie:  You guys have a great boat and your cookies are wonderful!

Then, the four ponies walked into a city park, where they saw an outdoor concert with six musician ponies making upbeat trumpet and piano music, on a stone stage for an audience of thirty ponies dressed in business attire.  But, much to Pinkie’s dismay, their group or in this case Twilight didn’t have time to listen to music, no matter how good the music was.  Pinkie started talking to the journalist ponies, leaving Twilight to consider all the things she had seen so far in Dream Valley.

(Dissolve to Twilight’s diverse group soon found themselves walking down an artistic pedestrian boulevard.  The boulevard was paved not in cobblestones like in Ponyville.  Instead, the boulevard was paved with brightly colored, rubber titles.  The easy on the hoof titles created large patterns depicting rain, flowers, and the waves of the sea.)

Twilight:  Newsie, I’ve seen many references in the Dream Valley Republic about the sea and ocean-going ships.  So what is the reason why Dream Valley ships hadn’t sailed to Equestria?  In fact, on the airship voyage to Dream Valley, I had seen few ships on the ocean.

Newsie:  (Acting more like a tour guide than a journalist), Most Dream Valley ships don’t leave sight of land.  There are several reasons for this cautious approach to sailing, the most important reason is; oh, here are, at the Princess Platinum University and Library.  Not only did Panorama and I earn our journalism degrees here, this university is also the site of the Unicorn tribe’s royal castle.  But, since the University and Library have been rebuilt so many times there is very little of the original, above the ground structures remaining.  All the books that Princess Platinum saved in her cavern have been copied and published as either paper books or as electronic books.”

The University is protected by a wall ten ponies tall, with an ornate wrought iron, double gate.  The university itself is a series of white marble structures with much detail and statues of ponies befitting of a home for pony royalty, rather than as a home for classrooms and books.

Above the library’s ornate entrance gate is a stature of three Earth and three Unicorn ponies, raising the national flag of Dream Valley.  The flag is an image of a smiling Earth pony mare and a smiling Unicorn pony mare giving each other a happy brohoof.

Twilight:  (Pointing with her hoof at the national flag), “That’s the same image that’s on Dream Valley dollars.”

Newsie:  “Yes, it is.”

Twilight:  “I assume that the Dream Valley ponies built a university library around Princess Platinum’s book collection and that library has only become bigger over the many centuries since the Great Pony Migration?”

Newsie:  “Yes Twilight, we Dream Valley ponies have an uninterrupted history going back for seven thousand years.  When I was a journalism student, I spent my library time in the library’s Journalism section.  But, I’m sure that you can find a book on every topic that you can image.”

Twilight:  (With wide eyes, she replied), “Thanks for everything Newsie.  I’ll talk to you soon.  I’ve got many books to read, so goodbye for now.”

Twilight’s rush to get into the vast library was so fast that a rainbow, sprinkled with sparkles appeared behind her flowing tail and hind legs.

Pinkie:  (With a nonchalant tone in her voice, Pinkie told Panorama), “Well, there is nothing interesting for me here, Equestrian’s best party planner, in a dusty old library.”

Panorama:  Oh, really?  When I was planning my husband’s birthday party, I found an entire bookcase of books on party planning.”

That statement got Pinkie’s attention even more than the words all you can eat free cupcakes.

Pinkie:  There is an entire bookcase … on party planning … here in this library?

Panorama:  I never counted those books.  But, I’d guess that this library has two or three hundred party planning books.

Pinkie:  Wow!  This old library does have interesting books.

Pinkie’s eyes get big and then she also dashes off through the library gatehouse.  Pinkie, without Twilight, walks down rows of bookshelves.  Pinkie checks her PDA automatic mapping feature while she walks.  Pinkie smiles when she sees that some of the Dream Valley student mares and stallions are wearing vests with many sophisticated Dream Valley electronics, making them appear like high technology versions of Hearth's Warming Eve Trees.

When Pinkie finds an entire bookcase filled with party planning books, her face takes on the same appearance as when she first saw Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Rainboom.

Pinkie:  (With one of the happiest faces to ever appear on the face of a pony, Pinkie said to herself), I could spend years here reading about party planning.  The information in these books, combined with what I already know, means that I could become the most famous party planner in Dream Valley.

(Dissolve to Fluttershy was pulling a Pegasus sky cart, still painted in a dull gray and full of ancient paintings of famous Pegasus commanders, from the abandoned Pegasus city to Twilight’s airship.  This was Fluttershy’s third round trip that day, and she was getting tired.  From high in the air, she sees a series of wide roads built as loops connecting unusual appearing homes.  Yet, when Fluttershy landed on one of these roads, she saw that these homes are for animals and that she was in a zoo.

After taking off the cart’s harness, and getting a drink of water from a fountain, Fluttershy saw a mare about her age.  This mare has a zinc coat, a white gold mane and tail, a pink heart for a cutie mark.  The mare wore a forest green blazer, a white shirt and a green tie.  The zinc coated mare taps her hoof on her PDA several times, smiles, and then walks over to Fluttershy.

Warm:  (Speaking to Fluttershy.)  You must be the Pegasus Fluttershy.  My name is Warm Heart, the chief zookeeper for Chancellor Puddinghead’s Zoo.  But, don’t let the name fool you.  This zoo has been rebuilt; contracted in size and expanded in size so many times that Puddinghead’s original Zoo has been reduced to one fountain, topped with an ancient bronze statue of her.  What brings you to my zoo?  We have few pony visitors on a weekday, and never had a Pegasus pony visitor, that is until today.

Fluttershy:  Well, I was getting tired from pulling this Pegasus cart, so I landed here.  Is that OK with you?

Warm:  Fluttershy, I don’t mind, as the paved path you landed on is wide enough to park five carts side by side and still have sufficient room for ponies to walk past them.  Where did you get that cart?  It looks so ancient.

Fluttershy:  My friend Rainbow and I found this cart in the cloud city military barracks.  By the way, you must have a wonderful job taking care of the many animals here.  I see several species that I don’t recognize and I’m skilled at taking care of animals.

Warm:  Fluttershy, you have skills in taking care of animals?

Fluttershy:  I sure do Warm Heart; take a look at my photos.  I had one of the airship crew members transfer my photo album into my PDA.

Fluttershy extends her hoof, so Warm can see photos of Fluttershy’s home and all the animals that she cares for on her PDA.

Warm:  (After seeing about one hundred photos said), “Fluttershy, that’s impressive.  I could use some extra help around here.  Could you considering working for me at my zoo?  There is more than five hundred different species of animals here.

Fluttershy:  I don’t know what to say.  I’d love to work here, but I don’t want to leave my animal friends in Ponyville.

Warm:  You could bring your animals to this zoo.  I’ll even pay for their travel expenses and I’d make sure that they will be well cared for.

Fluttershy:  You’ve given me something to think about, to consider Warm Heart.  Thanks for taking your time to have a delightful conservation with me.  Well, my friend Rainbow will be cross with me if I’m late delivering these Pegasus artifacts to Twilight’s airship.  So, I’ll be going now.

Fluttershy get into her cart harness, then flies up and toward Twilight’s airship.

(A horseshoe transition the resembles the old batman spinning logo)

After nightfall, within the airship’s observation lounge, Twilight and Pinkie are both reading books about Dream Valley.

Twilight:  I’ve found that trade between Dream Valley and Equestria could be very advantageous to both nations.  Dream Valley ponies have goods and resources that Equestrian ponies want to buy; while Equestrian ponies have goods and resources that Dream Valley ponies want to buy.

Pinkie:  That’s nice, but how will Dream Valley and Equestrian trade happen when their nation and our nation are on opposite sides of the Western Ocean?

Twilight:  Well Pinkie, I don’t think modern ponies are going to walk to each other’s nations like the ancient ponies did.

Pinkie:  Twilight, my pink hoofs are aching just thinking about that long walk.  And to think those Earth and Unicorn ponies walked or the Pegasus ponies flew all that distance without one candy store, without one bakery, or without one Hay Burger franchise along their journey.

Twilight:  We could build a railroad and a road along the same land that the ponies took to immigrate around the Western Ocean to walk to Equestria.  That would mean a two week journey by rail or a three week journey by road.  At least, we can propose building that railroad and road to President Moderator and Princess Celestia.  What do you think, Pinkie?

Pinkie:  Applejack’s really good at construction.  Let’s get her to supervise construction.  Applejack might even become the Princess of Really Big Construction Projects!

Twilight:  Pinkie, what you said makes sense, I mean makes sense for this world.  I suppose that someday Applejack could become the Princess of Really Big Construction Projects.  But, we need to consider all possible trade options and then choose to build the best ones.  We could build fleets of passenger and cargo airships.  But, our existing Equestrian airports are too small for a huge increase in trade.  We could build more oceangoing ships, but somepony needs to chart safe trade routes in the Western Ocean between Dream Valley and our Equestria.  This is one of many topics that I and the President of Dream Valley will talk about.

(Fade to black)

My Little Pony:  Friendship is Magic, Copyright © 2010 Lauren Faust, Hasbro Studios, and DHX Media