One in the evening from the day they departed.
The duo stepped away from the train tracks to eat their breakfast and lunch at the same time, a passenger in a train could recognize them and alert the authorities once they would get to their destination, making their trip harder being the last thing Mane and Pinka wanted was the Royal Guard chasing them with muskets.
"I think we're close to White Tail Woods." Said Mane.
"Means we are halfway from Undiscovered West's border." Pinkamena added.
"We could go through the forest. We won't step away that much." Mane suggested.
"Sure, why not?" She nodded.
They walked away from the train tracks and headed to the woods next to them. The trees blooming their flowers among the green leaves lit up their spirit a bit. Some of the trees already had some of their leaves dry, showering the sight with a mixture of orange and yellow among the green. They walked down the path where the Running of the Leaves event occurs every autumn.
"It's pretty out here." Pinkamena commented.
"I know right? My knowledge of Equestria's places is a bit limited too."
"Where have you been then?" She asked.
"Let me see. Crystal Empire, Canterlot, Everfree Forest and Ponyville." Mane counted with his fingers.
"Well... let me see my list counting my childhood before I ran away." Pinkamena thought for a moment. "Rock Farm, how we call It. Ghastly Gorge, Ponyville, Crystal Empire thanks to you, and... Canterlot but I don't know shit about It."
"I don't blame you. We got there just because of a contract from one of your contacts. Still, going there is suicide for both of us." Mane sighed.
"But you've been there. Enough time I guess. How is It there?" She asked curiously.
"A place for rich bastards. It's not only the capital, but also where the Royal Sisters live."
"I have a guess how much a house costs there."
"A house and everything. It's like you have to sell a kidney to have a dinner there." Mane groaned.
"Jeez..." Pinkamena sighed. "But you lived there before."
"Yeah, under some special conditions until I fucked up." Mane answered somewhat in a bad mood.
"What did you do? You were with the princesses, you must have pissed them off really bad." She said in a way it sounded like a documentary.
"Simply put, I discovered things and passed a good time analyzing them... until I fell asleep and got caught by Celestia herself." Mane groaned.
"Was It about them?" Pinka asked nervously.
"No. It was a series of forbidden books, mostly black magic used for fight and destruction. And attending my origins and the blood running inside me, Celestia though It was dangerous to keep me there since I knew about those now... so she kicked me out..." Mane sighed sadly.
"That's so harsh! And do you remember anything from those books?" She asked worried.
"Ironically, I don't! And she didn't give me a second chance. The only one who remained by my side was Luna, because you know... we had some stuff in common and she was more understandable."
"She was like a mother to you, wasn't she?" Pinkamena sounded sad.
"The mother I never had or met..." Mane sobbed even more sad. "You have a mother and a dad. How are they?"
"Yeah... about them. I have not written to them in a long time, and with a reputation like mine and with you next to me, I don't know what they would think. I don't even know if they know of this!" Pinka panicked for a bit.
"Hey girl, chill... if we happen to visit them, It's not like they would attack us or their own daughter." Mane tried to comfort her.
"What if they reject me?" She asked startled.
"Then we are on our own..." Mane sighed.
The word "our" aroused Diane. Clearly Mane choose to stand by her side no matter what, just like she had choose months ago to stay with him as a debt from saving her from herself. To lighten up the grim mood they had created, two foxes passed by in front of them, stopping and staring at them.
"Shhh." Said Mane with a whisper. "No sudden moves."
"Yeah." Pinka whispered back. "They're so cute. Are they a couple?"
"I don't kn-" A third smaller fox showed up from where the other two came from and stopped next to them, staring at the two ponies staring back at them. "This answers the question." Mane whispered.
"Can I pet them?" Pinkamena whispered with a smile.
"I don't think they allow you. Give a try, I guess." Mane suggested.
Pinkamena stepped very slowly fowards and the three animals run away back in the dense bushes and keep running along the woods back inside to It's core.
"Dammit..." Pinka sighed sadly.
"Too bad." Mane giggled quietly.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Seeing you have a girly side." Mane laughed.
"What do you mean, crystal brain?" She pouted.
"Most of times you are so rough. It's rare to see you being so sweet." Said Mane still giggling.
"I comforted you many times in the Crystal Empire when you were depressed." She stated.
"Maybe I was too distracted to notice then." Mane looked around the woods. "It's takes more time when the road is straight, doesn't It?"
"Quite a change of topic." She grumbled. "And yeah, at least we now have a more pleasing view in our trip."
"There's a river nearby." Said Mane while checking the map. "Should we camp there? We've been walking for a while."
"Nothing against that. My back could use a rest from this backpack." Pinkamena complained.