Over a Barrel

"Look... Both the settlers and the buffalo have good reasons to use this land. There must be something we can do..."

- Twilight Sparkle

Over a Barrel is the twenty-first episode of the first season and first aired on March 25 2011.

Writer: Dave Polski

Summary
Twilight and friends were taking a train to Appleloosa, where Applejack was planning to transport one of her trees, of which the farm pony named "Bloomberg" for some reason, to her relatives' place. While they were all looking forward to the destination, the journey was another story, as Rarity and Spike were a tad cranky. Rarity did not like the fact that Applejack's tree was placed in rear private cart, forcing her to bunk with her friends. Spike was tired after cooking snacks with his fire breath and, after lacking sleep from a confusing conversation, something about the tree and Fluttershy, he snuck into the private cart with "Bloomberg" for some much needed sleep.

They were in for a rude awakening as the sun rose. At first, the ponies were struck with awe over the herd of buffalo roaming next to the train. Soon, though, they were just plain struck! The herd began bumping into the side of the train, risking a terrible derailment. The youngest of the herd jumped onto the train and headed towards the caboose. Rainbow Dash noticed something was up and went topside to confront her. She tried to talk to the calf, but was ignored. The young buffalo reached the last cart, where Spike and the tree was still inside, and detached it before calling out the rest of the herd.

Reaching the western town of Appleloosa, Applejack was about to warn her cousin Braeburn, the first pony they ran into after leaving the train, about what had happened. Her cousin, however, started giving them the tour of the town leading them all the way to the beautiful apple orchids where Applejack was supposed to replant "Bloomberg". When she finally got her cousin's attention and told him what happened before they came, Braeburn was not happy. As a matter of fact, he was well aware of the overall situation. The buffalo demanded the town to remove all the trees from the land. They don't know why, but they hoped to find out. Dash was already on the chase some time ago. And Pinky Pie had disappeared.

Coincidentally, Pinkie had the same idea as Dash to find and rescue Spike by getting to the buffalo herd, but the herd managed to get to them first. Before a possible fight or chase was about to happen, Spike, unharmed, arrived to break it up. The buffalo found some respect for the young dragon, especially since they captured him by accident. They were all treated to dinner the following night, where they (or more specifically, Dash) met the same calf who had hijacked the cart with Applejack's tree. Little Strongheart, as she was called, explained that Appleloosa's townsponies had taken over their traditional stampeding grounds some time ago. The theft of the tree was meant as a message for them to take out the rest of the trees that were in the way. They met with the herd's leader, Chief Thunderhooves, who had confirmed the young one's explanation. The herd held a great grudge over the settlers for planting the trees on the land they claimed as their own, without their permission, and because of that, their yearly stampeding tradition was disrupted. Dash felt for the herd and hoped to talk with the townsponies.

Pinkie and Dash met up with their friends and Braeburn, who were planning to rescue them the next morning. Dash brought Strongheart with them to explain the situation and why the Appleloosans should move the trees. AJ brought her cousin to explain the situation and why the trees should stay. The cousin and calf were actually prepared to listen to each other, but Dash and AJ began arguing who was in the right. Twilight intervened before it became worse. Both sides had a good reason to have the land, but she was unsure how this can be settled.

Pinkie Pie came up with an idea.

Setting up a stage where the two groups met, she and Spike created a quick musical number which just boiled down to one simple solution: compromise! The ponies and buffaloes had so many things in common, there was no reason to fight. So why not share the land?

To their dismay, Thunderhooves and the town's sheriff Silverstar were not listening. The fact that they hated the pink pony's show did not help either. Instead, the buffalo chief made a clear ultimatum: the townsfolk must uproot all of the trees, or the herd will do it for them (and destroy Appleloosa in the process). Silverstar only promised that his group will do whatever it takes to defend the orchid they worked so hard to grow. With that, both sides parted for reparations.

The argument had officially become a war.

Twilight and the others tried to talk both the Appleloosans and the buffaloes out of the fight, but no one listened. Unless one side was willing to give up, nothing would stop the impending battle. High noon had finally arrived, and both sides were about to clash. Strongheart gestured the chief to back down, and it almost worked... until Pinkie Pie made an encore of her number from yesterday in a last-ditch, last-minute(and horrendously ill-timed!) effort to stop the fight before it even began. Thunderhooves was somehow enraged and finally lunched the attack, using nothing more or less than their own brute strength. The townsponies were doing a good job trying to counterattack by blocking the herd's path and bombarding them with countless ammunition of apple pie. The war quickly ended when Chief Thunderhooves was "pie'd" himself and fell. Both sides were saddened by the big creature's defeat, until he tasted the "ammo". Dazzled by the delectable confections of pie, Thunderhooves came up with a compromise of his own.

Allowing the town of Appleloosa to keep the land, the herd would be allowed to have some of the pies. The townsponies, meanwhile, created a road across the orchid so the herd could continue their stampeding tradition. Both sides found this to be agreeable and the dispute finally ended. Best of all, Applejack was able to plant "Bloomberg".

Twilight learned that with compromise and understanding, the worst of enemies can become the best of friends.

Major Events

 * Twilight Sparkle and her friends learned about the dispute between the Appleloosans and the buffaloes.
 * Little Strongheart, Braeburn, Sheriff Silverstar and Chief Thunderhooves debuted in this episode.
 * The Appleloosans and the buffaloes settled their disputes in the end.

Quotes

 * Rarity: Applejack! Were you reading a bedtime story to... An apple tree?


 * Rarity: Hmph! You talk about it as if it's your baby or something.
 * Applejack: Who you calling a baby?! Bloomberg's no baby! Don't wet widdle Rarity make you all saddy-waddy. Bloomberg's a big and strong apple tree. Yes, he is. A-coochie-coochie-coo-coo-coo!
 * Rarity: It's widdle Rarity who's all saddy-waddy! Rrgh!


 * Rainbow Dash: When we get to Appleoosa, you think we'd have to carry that big, heavy tree all the way from the train to the orchard?
 * Pinkie Pie: What tree? You mean Bloomberg?
 * Rainbow Dash: (sarcastic) No, Fluttershy.
 * Pinkie Pie: Fluttershy's not a tree, silly!
 * Twilight Sparkle: What's going on?
 * Pinkie Pie: Rainbow Dash thinks Fluttershy's a tree!
 * Rainbow Dash: I do not think she's a tree! I was just--
 * Twilight Sparkle: Did you say she was a tree?
 * Rainbow Dash: No! Well, yes. But not exactly--
 * Twilight Sparkle: You know she's not a tree, right?
 * Pinkie Pie: She's not a tree, Dashy!
 * Fluttershy: I'd like to be a tree...


 * Twilight Sparkle: Well that was kind of huffy.
 * Fluttershy: Huffy the magic dragon!


 * Applejack: But, Braeburn, we –
 * Braeburn: And here's the most wonderful sight in all of... A-a-a-pplelooosa! Our apple orchard
 * Applejack: Braeburn!
 * Braeburn: First harvest should be any day now.
 * Applejack: Braebu –
 * Braeburn: Good thing too!
 * Applejack: Brae –
 * Braeburn: 'cause we need that grub to live on.
 * Applejack: BRAEBURN!!
 * Braeburn: Uh, yes, cuz?


 * Chief Thunderhooves: Hmmh. We have a long and winding stampeding trail, that we have run upon for many generations. [breath] My father stampeded upon these grounds... And his father before him. And his father before him. And hiiss father before him. And his father before him. And –
 * Little Strongheart: I think they get the idea, Chief.


 * Chief Thunderhooves: It appears that Sheriff Silverstar and I have come to... An agreement.
 * Sheriff Silverstar: We have.
 * Chief Thunderhooves: That was the worst performance we've ever seen...
 * Sheriff Silverstar: Teh... Abso-tively!


 * Twilight Sparkle: Dear, Princess Celestia. Friendship is a wonderous and powerful thing. Even the worst of enemies can become friends. You need understanding and compromise. You've got to share. You've got to care –
 * Pinkie Pie: HEY! That's what I said!

Trivia

 * The Episode title is a reference to the idiom "Over a Barrel", meaning to be in a predicament or helpless in a situation where others are in control.
 * Apple-loosa is a play on words, combining apple and Appaloosa, a spotted breed of horse.
 * Fluttershy calling Spike "Huffy the Magic Dragon" is a reference to the 1963 folk song "Puff the Magic Dragon" sung by Peter, Paul and Mary.
 * This episode is also has a reference to the 1959 Western classic High Noon.