Rainbow sat on the speeding train, lost in thought. Pinkie Pie was babbling about how excited she ought to be now that she was going to see Canterlot. Braeburn was moping by another window, obviously crying.

"Has anypony seen our trainer?" Rainbow finally said. "Or whatever he's called. Shouldn't he be, I dunno… training us?"

"She, silly-filly!" Pinkie Pie giggled. "Her name is Berry Punch; a real crackup!"

Braeburn looked over mournfully, got up, and sat down next to Rainbow Dash. "Berry Punch? Ain't she, well, a drunk?" he stammered.

"What?" Rainbow said sarcastically. "Don't wanna be rude?"

"Ah've got my reasons," Braeburn drawled quietly. "Ya'll got yers."

Pinkie gently tapped the table. "Sorry to be a rudie-pony, but I gotta interrupt. Berry Punch is, well…"

Almost as if on cue, a grape-colored pony burst through the doors of the dining car. "You called?" she slurred, almost toppling over. She tried to walk on two legs, falling into Braeburn's front legs. "Hey," she noted. "You're pretty."

"Um… thank ya?" Braeburn stammered.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. She was sick and done with all of this mess! All of the ponies who were sad to see her go, all of the gifts, all of the stupidness! With a hoarse cry, she opened the window on the speeding train, and threw the first thing her hooves found out the window. It just so happened to be the cookies. "Damn!" Rainbow muttered. "I like cookies."

Braeburn cowered into the seat with big eyes. "Uh… Miss Dash?" she stammered. "C-can ah ask you a… a… question?"

"What?" Rainbow sighed tiredly, wanting more than anything to block her ears with a pillow and forget this whole stupid thing.

"Um… ah don't mean to offend ya, but're ya'll… ya know, manic 'r somethin'? 'R maybe bipolar?"

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Rainbow muttered, stalked out of the train car and into her room for a nap.

In her room, Rainbow was surprised to find a pale yellow mare with a crazy orange mane in her bedroom, making the bed with hospital corners. Upon hearing the approach of hoof steps, the mare turned around with fear in her eyes. She shook her head and displayed her hooves in front of her, in the universal symbol of Don't shoot!

"Who are you?" Rainbow asked suspiciously. "Why are you in my room?"

The mare shook her head again, frowning with scared eyes. She looked at the ceiling and angled said scared eyes at a video camera recording everything.

Rainbow shook her own head this time, disgusted. What was wrong with everypony?!

The mare made a choked whimper and bowed her head, mouthing, "I'm sorry."

"About what? Who are you? Why won't you talk?" Rainbow demanded.

The mare sighed and pointed to her pelt.

"Um… fur?" Rainbow asked.

A head shake was the scared mare's response.

"Yellow?"

The mare tilted her hoof in a "so-so" motion.

"Er… golden?"

The mare nodded earnestly. The mare mimed digging, hoeing, and picking.

"Um… farm work?"

A headshake.

"Appaloosa?" This was Equestria's harvesting District, otherwise known as District 11.

Another headshake.

"Harvest?"

The mare nodded with bright eyes, mouthing, "Golden Harvest."

"Is that your name?"

The mare nodded.

"Golden Harvest. Nice name. Why won't you talk?"

The mare opened her mouth. Rainbow stared into the cavernous black space. Something was wrong. Something was missing. Oh, God. Rainbow squeezed her eyes shut and shoved a hoof in her mouth to keep from vomiting.

Golden Harvest didn't have a tongue.

She was an Avox, the tongueless servants of Canterlot.

"Oh, God," Rainbow muttered, "Oh, God. I'm… I'm so sorry. Crap."

Golden Harvest nodded sadly, taking Rainbow's hoof in her own and squeezing it. She mouthed, "Good luck."

Rainbow felt tears coming, but harshly wiped them away. "D-do you have a nickname, Golden Harvest?" Rainbow said, her voice breaking.

Golden Harvest pointed to her cutie mark, a bunch of carrots.

"Carrot?"

A nod.

She pointed to the crown of her head.

"Head?"

No.

"Crown?"

No.

"Mane?"

No.

"Uh… top?"

Nod.

"Carrot Top? That's cute." Rainbow put a foreleg around the sad pony. "I promise, Carrot Top. I'll avenge you," she snarled.