Soon, the train reached its cruising speed, and ran at a steady pace. Applebloom strolled on over to the doorway, staring off into the field as she saw rocks and trees pass by.
"Oh come on, Applebloom," said Scootaloo with a hint of flattery, "Look at the bright side; we're finally living the dream! Oh man, feel that breeze, and this view, an-"
"Ten minutes," interrupted Applebloom.
"Huh?"
"We would be in the same place as we are now. Except with safety, and a better experience for me and Sweetie Belle," Sweetie Belle cringed as she backed into a corner. She knew that Applebloom was going to blow at this point. "And what was the last thing? Oh yeah, a conductor. Instead, we’re three fillies on a train without the conductor!"
"Who needs a conductor? Right, Sweetie Belle?" Scootaloo turned to see that she wasn't on her side this time. The pegasus then realized that flattery wasn't going to get her anywhere at this point.
"All we had tah do was wait 10 minutes," Applebloom muttered, "10 minutes." Scootaloo approached her from behind to comfort her, but before she knew it, the pony turned around and yelled, "10 MINUTES!!!"
Scootaloo jumped with fright while the furious pony looked at her dead straight in the eye. Sweetie Belle watched in terror as Applebloom backed the pegasus into the corner across from her.
"But no," said Applebloom in a soft but harsh tone, "All you could think of was yourself, and your curiosity got the best of yah. Some friend you are, ya big chicken."
Scootaloo began to tear up at that statement, realizing what her dreams had done. All she could think about at that time, was getting her train engineer cutie mark instead of taking it slow. She should have listened to Applebloom while she could.
Sweetie Belle watched her begin to sob in shame. She had never seen anything like this; Applebloom didn't get angry that easily, and she was normally less coarse with her tone. Sweetie had a feeling that something wasn't right about Scootaloo, or Applebloom.
Applebloom began to regain her cool again, and began to try grasping the situation.
Sweetie Belle then got up and went over to Applebloom's side. "How do we stop this?" she asked.
"Ah don't know," Applebloom responded with uncertainty, "Ah’m feelin’ fogged in the head right now."
She looked over at the switch that Scootaloo pulled. She thought, "If pulling it down started this thing, then pulling it back up must turn it off!" She grabbed the lever with her hooves and began to push up as hard as she could. SNAP! With an audible gulp, she looked down to see the remains of the lever, and Applebloom began to panic a little. Just a little.
“It’s alright,” Applebloom said,”It’s alright.” She took a deep breath; brushing off the stress. ”It’s not like the train’s got anypony on it right?”
Sweetie Belle didn’t want to respond to that question. She saw Applebloom looking at her, expecting an answer. She didn’t know how to break the bad news to her, so she smiled to try to cover up her expression.
Applebloom knew that Sweetie Belle’s expression meant anything but good news.”Heh...,” she nervously responded, “Guess the thought of a train that’s ready to leave, and the good chance of having ponies aboard it…” She gulped, “…Must have slipped mah mind.” A dribble of stress began to pool within Applebloom.
"Isn't there a brake switch or something?"
"Yeah," the red headed filly said, very uncertain, "Y-you're right."
Applebloom walked on over to the train's controls to find the brake. She searched through the complex controls high and low, but she was still not sure. As she gazed at the many levers, gadgets, and buttons, she felt her anxiety growing steadily.
She turned back to see a nervous Sweetie Belle smiling nervously behind her back, along with a crying Scootaloo in the corner. She turned back to the controls, and placed a hoof on a lever, ready to pull it.
Sweetie Belle then said, "Don't worry! Things can't get any worse, right?"
Applebloom closed her eyes, and pulled the lever down, with hopes that nothing bad would happen. She still had her eyes shut tight, but nothing happened. Suddenly, she and Sweetie Belle felt a jolt fling them back. Applebloom had pulled the lever for the gearbox, putting the train into the second gear.
The two were now up against the door of a passenger cart, with a weak acceleration holding them back. "Wrong lever," strained Sweetie Belle, pointing out the obvious.
Applebloom rolled her eyes and said, "No dip Sherlock Hooves!" She then began to crawl up to the lever, pushing forward with the forces pushing her backwards. "Scootaloo!" she called, "Push up the gearbox lever!" Scootaloo didn't answer. "Fine then, I'll do it myself!” She reached the gearbox controls, and pushed it up. The train began to slow down back to its cruising speed.
Sweetie Belle was finally able to move again. She walked back into the engine room and noticed Scootaloo still crying. She felt sorry for her, and was starting to get tired of Applebloom's attitude.
Meanwhile in the hazy cyan sky, Rainbow Dash was flying around in the same area as the train was traveling. She had the talent of multitasking by her side, allowing her to monitor both the sky and ground at the same time. Being a weather pony, this was an important necessity.
After thorough inspection, she decided to check on another area, for everything there seemed to be in order. Right before she was about to leave, she spotted the train as a mere speck from the height she was flying. Rainbow Dash thought it might be a thoughtful idea to report the status of the area to the conductor, just to give him some assurance.
The rainbow-maned pegasus began to slightly descend. She then angled herself to gain some speed in her downward glide. As she was approaching the train, she straightened back out, now gliding above the cart’s tops. She slightly accelerated herself to the engine, while quickly going over what she’d say.
She made her way up to the engine window. Before she was able to say anything, she jaw dropped in surprise from what she saw. It wasn’t the conductor, it was the CMC driving.
"I didn't know you could drive a train!" she screamed out. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at the window to see the frightened Rainbow Dash.
"Rainbow Dash!" squeaked Sweetie Belle in relief, "You gotta help us! We can't stop this thing, and there are innocent ponies on board!"
The cobalt pegasus harshly interrupted. "Wait a minute, how did this even happen?!"
"Let me explain," said Sweetie Belle," We wanted to get a demonstration from the conductor, and get our cutie marks as train engineers! But Scootaloo got curious and activated the train on accident!"
"Accident?!" Applebloom denied, “That inconsiderate no-pony did that herself!"
Rainbow Dash became surprised by Applebloom's tone of voice. She had never heard her voice so hoarse before, "Uh, Applebloom? …Are you ok?" she tentatively asked. "Is everything alright with you?"
She then looked over at Scootaloo, she noticed that she wasn't looking at her favourite idol like she normally would. The pegasus normally would go nuts if she found one of her blue feathers. Her head immediately added Applebloom’s yelling, and Sweetie Belle’s tale, revealing the reason for her sobbing. Astonished, she then said "Jeez, Applebloom!" The pony turned her back and gave out a "Humph!" in disgust.
Sweetie Belle then asked, "Look, can you help us or not?"
Rainbow Dash then said nervously, “No... But the conductor might."
"Go get him! He's back at the train station in Ponyville."
"Roger that." She did a somersault, twisting her body; turning in the opposite direction. She gained elevation with her rainbow contrail behind her. As soon as she was at a safe distance with the train far behind her, she performed the Sonic Rainboom.
"Wait a minute," realized Sweetie Belle, "Doesn't this thing have a manual?"
Applebloom then turned to her in surprise and said, "Manual? Sweetie Belle, you're a genius!" she squeed, hugging the white unicorn tightly. Her stress levels began to dive down again. She began to search the engine for anything that might look like a glove box, or a something that's used for safe keeping. "Where is it? Where is it? Where is it?" she mumbled to herself.
She then stumbled upon a small dusty wooden box. She thrust the lid open in hopes for a manual, but no manual could be found. Applebloom’s stress returned, now at a level she wasn’t used to. "What kind of train doesn't have a manual!" she thought to herself.
Sweetie Belle walked on over to the box to see what was in it. Instead of a manual, she found what looked like a folded piece of paper. She lifted it out and began unfolding it, turns out that it was an old map. It had many sketched out lines indicating the paths of all the railroads in Equestria. All the words inscribed were the names of destinations.
Applebloom turned to Sweetie Belle with the piece of paper in her hooves.
Sweetie Belle examined it closely. She needed to figure out where they were. The white unicorn asked,” Hey Applebloom, where is this train supposed to be heading to?”
Applebloom slowly answered. “Dodge Junction, why?”
Sweetie Belle peeked her head out the doorway to find any land marks that were on the map she found. She saw that the train was traveling on a bridge, in the middle of Ghastly Gorge. Surprised at the sudden scary change of scenery, she pulled her head back inside and turned back to Applebloom.
Applebloom looked at Sweetie’s face; she had a shocked expression, as if she came out of sensory deprivation.
“Where are we?” Applebloom asked with nervous anticipation.
“Ghastly Gorge!” she said quickly.
Applebloom walked up to Sweetie Belle and grabbed the map out from her hooves. She pointed her hoof at the sketch of Ghastly Gorge and traced her hoof on the map. She followed the line, passing the branch that lead to Sweet Appaloosa. She continued until she hit the words Dodge Junction. Applebloom felt a cringe at the sight of the text.
Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. Applebloom was so stressed at this point, that she couldn't think straight at all. And Scootaloo was so depressed that she couldn't help out. Only Sweetie Belle was still sane at this point, but why her?
"Sweetie Belle," said Applebloom with slurred speech,” We can do this, there is still time…" The unicorn began to massage her back to ease her anxiety. "Thanks." she muttered. She looked at the doorway to process her own thoughts.
“We need a plan,” Sweetie Belle explained,” we need to-“
"PULL THE BRAKE!!" said a voice from nowhere.
Applebloom then turned her head at Sweetie Belle, "That wasn’t me!" She quickly responded.
"PULL THE BRAKE!" it called out again, it was coming from the outside. Sweetie Belle then began to question if she was starting to lose her own sanity. Then there was a sudden tapping at the window. Applebloom turned towards the noise, only to find it was Rainbow Dash, holding the conductor in her arms. The blue pegasus was struggling as she was trying to flap harder.
"Thank sweet Celestia!" cheered Applebloom feeling relieved, "We’re saved!"
As the conductor looked deep inside the engine, he realized that not only Scootaloo was aboard, but Sweetie Belle and Applebloom as well," Three fillies? That lying irresponsible colt! Me and him are gonna have a nice long-"
"Get on with it!” yelled Rainbow Dash, struggling to hold the pony in her hooves, “Tell them where it is?"
“The brake is on far left," he hurriedly explained," In fact, it's labelled in big fat yellow letters."
Applebloom turned to where the conductor directed. "Huh, now how did I miss that." she said in confusion. She walked over to the lever on the wall, and began to pull down hard.
"No wait! Yah gotta-" said the conductor, being interrupted by a loud snap. The brake lever was now broken! The last chance they had to stopping this wild train ride was now discarded, they're going to crash without a doubt."Ya fool!" he yelled in anger," Ya gotta press on the release!" Applebloom then looked at the two switches that she broke.
As it turned out, they both had a little release at the end. If Applebloom knew what they were, she would have been able to shut down the train from the very start. Applebloom then turned to the conductor, with a very violent twitch in her eyes.
The conductor then noticed her face. She not only had twitchy eyes, but also looked exhausted and overheated. Instead of yelling at her more, he said with concern, "Uh, young filly, have you been baking in the sun recent-."
"Gah!" screamed Rainbow Dash in pain, "Wing Cramp!" The two came crashing down to the ground, tumbling and rolling in the cloud of dirt that formed around them. The train ended up outrunning them, leaving them in the dust.
"Rainbow!" screamed Sweetie Belle in terror. She then turned to Applebloom, now with the stress gushing back in, filling up to the critical point. She then noticed a red mark on her forehead. She walked over to her and placed her hoof on it. She felt a burning sensation coming from it. Applebloom had a burning fever.
Applebloom removed the hoof off of her forehead, and walked on over to the left side wall, twitching violently.” O-ok,” she mumbled about to break down,” There are ponies on board, and every means of stopping the train are gone.”
“Applebloom?”
“I’m fine Sweetie Belle,” sniffled the earth pony,” A-Ah can get through this.” She placed her hoof on the wall and stared at it. A few seconds later, Applebloom finally snapped in half. “It’s a lost cause!” she screamed, sobbing violently.
Sweetiebelle then thought about what the conductor tried to say. She remembered something about Applebloom baking in the sun. She then remembered Applebloom saying that she felt a little fogged in the head. This has been the case ever since she said that.
That might also explain why Scootaloo was so happy. She was so bored, and the sun's rays had her hazed in the mind. She ended up being too excited for the chance at getting a train engineer cutie mark. She wanted to escape her boredom.
Sweetie Belle also began to realize that Applebloom had a more severe condition than Scootaloo. Since all the pegasus had done was sit in a shady corner for some time now; she must have recovered most of her wits.
Applebloom however, kept on getting stressed out. Her burning fever had made her forget how to handle stress. The more stressed she got, the harder it was on her head. Even when she got over the stress, the stress came back worse than before. It got so bad, that the poor filly lost all hope, nor did she give Scootaloo any mercy.
Sweetie Belle knew that she was the one who could stop all of this, but she couldn't do it alone. It was all up to her to pull the Cutie Mark Crusaders back together. But if she can't do it… Everypony will die a horrible gruesome death.