The Last Roundup

The Last Roundup is the fourteenth episode of the second season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and the fortieth episode overall. After Applejack sends a note to her friends and family that says she will not return to Ponyville after competing in the Equestria Rodeo in Canterlot, her friends decide to find her and understand her motives.

Production and airing
The episode is included in The Friendship Express DVD, and its title was mentioned a month before it aired on television. Many Flash assets from Over a Barrel are reused, including the four train pulling ponies, who pull the coach Applejack commandeers.

According to the episode's writer, Amy Keating Rogers, Derpy's scene was originally longer and included a flashback that showed why town hall was in such a state of disrepair: during a bout of removing the lightning from thunderclouds, Derpy "bucked bolts" too close to the town hall and ended up damaging it. Rogers also originally intended this clumsy pony to be Ditzy Doo as a callback to the episode Winter Wrap Up, but was asked to name her Derpy as a "tip of the hat" to the fans.

The episode was removed from rotation and iTunes due to complaints about Derpy's portrayal, and was later put back up, after Derpy's voice and eyes had been changed, and the mention of her name removed. The original version of the episode is retained in the Friendship Express DVD, but reruns on The Hub are the altered version. Treehouse TV in Canada also airs the altered version.

Practicing for the rodeo
In the beginning of the episode, Applejack runs an obstacle course, which involves jumping over hurdles and shot putting a bale of hay. Apple Bloom, who is watching her, is confident of her sister's success in the upcoming Equestria Rodeo Competition. Apple Bloom says that Applejack is the ten-time rodeo champion of Ponyville, and hold more blue ribbons than any pony in Ponyville. The filly says that she can't wait for her sister to "win every blue ribbon in Equestria and bring home the title of Equestria Rodeo Champion".

The send-off to Canterlot
Outside the town hall, Derpy tries to help Rainbow Dash set up a banner, but ends up destroying most of the town hall. The Mayor gives a short speech to an excited crowd about Applejack's participation in the Canterlot rodeo and her generous promise to use her prize money to repair the town hall. Applejack thanks the ponies for sending her off before every competition and promises to make Ponyville proud. The scene cuts to the Apple family and friends saying their goodbyes to Applejack on the train platform.

The surprise party
A week later, her friends and family set up a surprise party in her barn. However, instead of Applejack turning up, a courier with a note does. The courier is surprised by the party, saying, "How did you know it was my birthday?" The family and friends read Applejack's note, which tersely says that she won't be returning to Ponyville but will send the prize money. Saddened by the news, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity assure the baffled Apple family that they will go to the rodeo to find out why Applejack doesn't want to return. The friends also tell a crying Big McIntosh that they will search all of Equestria if they must.

The search
The five friends go to the rodeo and show a picture of Applejack to the ponies there, but to no avail. Luckily, a pony indicates that she saw Applejack in a distant town located in the middle of a desert. The friends immediately take a train to the town, Dodge Junction. Pinkie Pie hurries to the nearest restroom; when she opens the door, she finds that Applejack was inside. The group runs to them and begins asking why she didn't want to come back to Ponyville. Applejack has been working at a cherry farm that is run by a pony called Cherry Jubilee. Cherry Jubilee recounts how Applejack was looking for "a change of scenery" and how she hired her to work on the farm. Applejack leaves her friends, telling them they can go home and asking them to tell her family that she's doing fine. The friends believe that Applejack is not telling the whole truth.

The cherry factory
Inside the factory, Applejack's job is to walk in a wheel that powers a nearby conveyor belt. The conveyor belt carries yellow and red cherries, and Applejack appears to be displeased by the fact that Cherry Jubilee has hired her friends to be red/yellow cherry sorters. Twilight and Rainbow Dash leave their positions to talk to Applejack; Twilight asks what she thought of Canterlot and the rodeo, and Rainbow Dash asks if she saw "Wild Bull Hickok" and "Calamity Mane". Rarity also leaves her post and asks how Applejack met Miss Jubilee. Applejack curtly responds that Miss Jubilee had a cherry stand at the rodeo selling "real good treats", and begins to walk faster.

As Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Rarity relentlessly question Applejack's motives for staying in Dodge Junction, Applejack becomes frustrated and moves the conveyor belt too quickly for Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. In an attempt to handle the onslaught of cherries, Pinkie Pie stuffs their saddlebags and then her own mouth with cherries. This is a reference to the I Love Lucy episode Job Switching in the candy factory. Fluttershy cries "Stop!" and Applejack skids to a halt. The cherries on the conveyor belt retain their momentum and hurtle towards Applejack, covering her with cherry juice.

Next, the five friends are seen mopping up the juice on the floor and walls. Calling for drastic measures, Rainbow Dash says it's time to "call in the big guns", and the camera dramatically zooms in on Pinkie Pie.

Calling in the "big guns"
When Applejack is bucking cherry trees, Pinkie Pie asks her if she needs some help, promising to not ask any questions. Pinkie Pie starts talking about cherry-based dishes and fun things to say such as "Chimicherry", "Cherrychanga", "kumquat", and "pickle barrel". Applejack is overwhelmed and begs her to stop. Rainbow Dash, who is wearing earplugs, tells Applejack that the only way she can stop the madness is to spill the beans. Applejack finally says that she will tell her friends the truth tomorrow at breakfast, and when Pinkie doubts her, she gives a Pinkie Promise. The next morning, the five go to Applejack's bedroom, but nobody is there. Pinkie Pie is enraged, because Applejack had broken her Pinkie Promise.

The chase
Applejack, who has her belongings with her, is anxiously waiting at the Dodge Junction train station When she sees her friends running towards her, she jumps on a coach and orders the four ponies pulling the coach to run away from her friends. Twilight spots an unused horse-drawn cart, and Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy start pulling the cart and chasing Applejack. The friends are gaining ground on her when Fluttershy comes to a halt to avoid hitting a rabbit. The rabbit sniffs at one of the wheels and bounds away, allowing the chase to continue. The friends catch up with Applejack again and the two parties attempt to bribe Applejack's drivers to their own advantage. Pinkie Pie leaps into Applejack's coach to ask why she broke her promise, but Applejack says she never went to breakfast so she didn't have to tell them anything. Pinkie Pie temporarily accepts her excuse and then jumps backwards into the wooden cart, shouting "Rarity, catch me." Rarity does not respond in time and both of them tumble off of the cart. Twilight tells the Pegasi to go back, but Rainbow Dash refuses.

Applejack sees a railroad track stretching across the desert and a train hurtling down the track. The ponies drawing her coach doubtfully look at her, but she whips them on and their coach crosses the track, narrowly avoiding the oncoming train. Applejack jumps off and says, "Yee-haw!", but the coach ponies say, "Lady, you're trouble!" and drive away. The long train appears to block the way, but it is no obstacle for the Pegasi-drawn cart. Upon landing, Fluttershy is panting, but Rainbow Dash tackles Applejack. The contents of Applejack's bags spill out, revealing a number of medals. Twilight says that she won an amazing number of ribbons, but Applejack despairs because none of them are blue and she did not win any prize money. She reveals that she felt she had to earn money on the cherry farm because she promised to send money to Ponyville. Twilight contradicts Applejack's belief that she is a failure, and Rainbow Dash supports her by saying that as friends, they don't care if she came in fiftieth place. Fluttershy reassuringly says that they can always find a way to repair the hole in Town Hall, but they can never repair the hole in their hearts if Applejack never came back. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash quietly cries while hovering in mid-air. She says, "Darn it! Now you've got me acting all sappy!"

Epilogue
Applejack learns that while it is easier to be proud when you finish first, there is no reason to hide when you don't. Instead of running away from your problems, you should turn to your friends and family. When Applejack comes off the train, Winona and her family happily hug her.

The episode ends when Rarity and Pinkie Pie, who were left behind after being thrown off the cart, use a railroad hand-powered cart to travel home. Pinkie Pie is still considering the "Chimicherry" versus "Cherrychanga" issue, and Rarity mutters that Rainbow Dash will get it when they return.

Quotes

 * Rainbow Dash: Huh? Now, careful, Derpy! Don't want to do any more damage than you've already done.
 * [crash]
 * Derpy: I just don't know what went wrong!
 * Rainbow Dash: Yeah. It's a mystery.
 * Derpy: Nice work, Rainbow Dash!
 * [thud]
 * [wood splintering]
 * Rainbow Dash: [yelps]
 * Derpy: You okay, Rainbow Dash? Anything I can do to help?
 * Rainbow Dash: No! Nothing! In the name of Celestia, just sit there and do nothing.
 * [Derpy sits down, floor cracks, Derpy and Dash crash through it]
 * Derpy: Oops. My bad.


 * Pinkie Pie: And drink sarsaparilla! What? It gives you extra sass.


 * Fluttershy: Oh, I hope Applejack is surprised by this surprise party!
 * Rainbow Dash: Well, that is the point.
 * Fluttershy: I know, but I hope she isn't so surprised she's startled, because while being surprised can be nice, being startled can be... very startling.
 * Pinkie Pie: Surprise!
 * Fluttershy: [gasps] Oh, Pinkie, you startled me.


 * Rainbow Dash: I hope this lead doesn't turn out to be a dead end. I don't wanna go back empty-hooved after we promised we'd find her.
 * Fluttershy: I don't know how we'll break it to the Apple family.
 * Twilight Sparkle: I don't know how we'll break it to Ponyville!
 * Pinkie Pie: I don't know how I'll make it to the next stop!


 * Pinkie Pie: Have you ever had a cherry changa? Ooh! Sorry, that was a question.
 * Applejack: That kind of question is fine, Pinkie. No, I-I never had a cherry changa.
 * Pinkie Pie: Well no wonder, because I made it up myself! A cherry changa is mashed up cherries in a tortilla that's deep fried. Cherrychanga. Great name, huh? Oh, but maybe I should call it a Chimicherry. Ooh, that's good too. Which do you think sounds better? Cherrychanga or Chimicherry? Or what if I combine them? Chimicherrychanga! What sounds the funniest? I like funny words! One of my favorite funny words is 'kumquat'! I didn't make that one up. I would work in a kumquat orchard just so I could say 'kumquat' all day! Kumquat, kumquat, kumquat! And 'pickle barrel'! Isn't that just the funnest thing to say? Pickle barrel pickle barrel pickle barrel. Say it with me! Pickle barrel, kumquat, pickle barrel, kumquat, pickle barrel, kumquat, Chimicherrychanga!
 * Applejack: No! Make it stop, make it stop!


 * Pinkie Pie: Nopony breaks a Pinkie promise!


 * Pinkie Pie: Applejack! [lightly distorted] You Pinkie promised!
 * Applejack: Dah!


 * Pinkie Pie: Rarity, catch me.
 * Rarity: What? Pinkie–[screams]
 * [crunch]


 * Applejack: Yee-haw!
 * Coach ponies: [in unison] Lady, you're trouble.


 * Pinkie Pie: What do you think, Rarity? Chimicherry, or Cherrychanga? Chimicherry, Cherrychanga? Chimicherry, Cherrychanga? Chimicherry, Cherrychanga? Chimicherry, Cherrychanga? [continues under]
 * Rarity: When I get back, you're gonna get it Rainbow Dash!