Delta Airlines Flight 747 lifted off from John F. Kennedy airport, bound for Los Angeles International Airport. On board, seated toward the back next to the window, was Babs Seed, staring vacantly toward the open horizon.
The last two days had consisted of frantically packing for this journey. Down the hold was her computer, her suitcase with several changes of clothes and some toys, and her guitar. Her mom had suggested she take it with her. It had been hard to disagree.
“Hello ladies and gentlemen,” said a voice over the intercom. “This is your captain speaking. We have just lifted off from JFK, and are due into LA at 2:03 in the afternoon. Local time is 8AM in the morning, so please reset your watches now. Flight time is estimated to be about 5 hours.”
The seatbelt sign switched off overhead.
“You may now make use of the backseat Entertainment System, and we will be serving a selection of hot and cold beverages as the flight progresses.”
Babs snorted. She knew enough of flying to know that the food tasted of nothing, and by the time the trolley reached the back of the plane, the vegetarian option was all that was left. This was a problem, as it was essentially regurgitated puke.
Her mind began to drift as she remembered what had led up to this...
Her mother opened the door. “I think you need a break from it all.”
“How would that help?” Babs was incredulous. “Where can I go?”
Mrs Orange smiled. “I think I know a place...your cousin’s place in California.”
“What?” Babs asked. “I don’t even know my cousin!”
“You met her a long time ago, when you were both very young. I still have the pictures!”
Mrs Orange showed her an image of that day. Babs winced looking at it. There was a redhead next to her, but both of them were dressed in such embarrassing outfits!
“Who else has seen this?” she asked, worried.
“You scared it would compromise your tough girl image?” her mother teased. “Nobody outside of this family has seen it.”
“But how would a trip out to California help?” Babs questioned. “Isn’t it really urban, and full of hippies?”
“That’s the north!” Mrs Orange laughed. “Canterlot is a lovely place in the country. Besides, their home backs onto a railroad. You’ll like that.”
Babs couldn’t deny that. Although she knew the New York Rapid Transit system very well, New Jersey was a bit lacking in steam railroads.
“OK,” she said. “I’ll do it. But if you’re wrong, and I just get bullied by somebody else, I’ll hold it against you.”
“Canterlot is a lovely place! I’m certain you’ll have no problems.”
Babs very much doubted that. They had frantically thrown her stuff together in a day, and had travelled together to JFK that morning, where she had said farewell to her parents and headed into the checkpoint.
After having a New York style pizza at one of the restaurants in the departure lounge, as a way of saying goodbye to home, she had boarded her flight.
Now here she was, in the air over America, contemplating whether to watch a film or listen to music. She settled on flicking through the films, and came across a couple from that year.
“Yeah”, she thought to herself. "I can think of worse ways to kill time than watch Pacific Rim.”
2 hours later, and a surprisingly impressed girl later, Babs was served her lunch. It was, no real surprises, utterly horrible.
After watching a couple more films, including one that was utterly awful but had an amazing soundtrack which Babs committed to memory, the flight began its descent pattern into Los Angeles International Airport. Babs often got nervous on landings. She never liked the sensation of her ears popping. She slapped on some music to reduce the discomfort.
The flight touched down on the runway an hour late. Babs had never been more relieved to be off a plane. She was bored rigid, wanted to be out of the artificial air, and besides, flying gave her horrible backache. She’d have rather done this journey by express train, but sadly they’d canned the Super Chief many years ago.
She wandered through the airport toward baggage reclaim. There was snow on the ground in places, but the sun was bright and the snow wasn’t descending. Suddenly, her phone beeped, and she pulled it out.
It was a number she didn’t recognise.
“Hello?”
“Howdy there! Ha yoo lahk Cafornia?”
Babs looked confused. “Sorry?”
“Ha Yoo Lahk Cafornia?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”
“Let me talk to her Granny!” said a voice further away.
“Good afternoon Babs!” said the second voice.
“Who is this?”
“Mah name’s Applejack! I’m yer cousin, and Ah’m lookin’ after you whilst you’re here. When you arrive in Canterlot, mah little sister will pick you up.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Babs answered.
“Nice to here. See ya!” With that, the call ended.
Babs groaned. “Of all people, I have to be related to a bunch of hillbillies.”
After grabbing her case and clearing security, Babs exited the airport and headed for the taxi rank.
“Where’d you like to go ma’am?” ask the taxi driver.
Babs was flattered. Nobody had ever called her ma’am before. “The train station please,” she said.
“Sure thing!” the driver replied. Momentarily, they set off for the station.
The railway station for the California Central Railroad was situated on the north of the city, near San Fernando. Babs had never seen place names like this before. Most of the place names back in New Jersey and Manhattan were either British or Dutch.
The taxi pulled up at the station. “That’ll be 10 dollars please,” said the driver.
Babs was stunned. That cheap? “Here you go sir,” she said.
“Thank you, hope to do business again!” After Babs had unloaded her bags, the driver set off.
The station for the California Central Railroad was undeniably impressive. It was a massive building, with an overall roof that spanned the entire ticket office. It almost felt like a pastiche of Grand Central back home. Babs wondered over to the ticket booths and joined the queue.
“Good afternoon ma’am,” the ticket attendant said.
“It’s evening in my head,” Babs replied. “I flew in from NYC earlier today.”
“That is a long way!” the ticket attendant smiled. “Where would you like to travel today?”
“Single to Canterlot please.”
“What car?”
Babs looked puzzled. “Excuse me?”
“We offer a number of different cars to ride in, based on price.” The attendant pointed to the list posted next to the ticket window.
The options given were First, Crown, and Coach. Babs frowned as she weighed up the differences. On the train back home, it was one ticket and that was it. True, the trains were often filthy, but that was the price you paid!
“Crown, please.”
“That’ll be 15 dollars, ma’am.”
Again, this railroad was a bargain compared to the ones at home! Babs handed over the dollar bills.
“Would you like a porter to help you with your luggage?”
“What’s the charge?”
“None at all!” the attendant smiled.
Soon enough, a porter came over to help. His name badge read Micro Chips, and he was dressed in a classic porter’s uniform from the golden age of rail travel. He picked up her case, leaving Babs with her rucksack and guitar.
“You’ll be in Coach E, that’s 5 behind the engine. I’ll help you load your bags and you can get settled down.”
“Thanks,” Babs said.
“It’s the least I could do!”
Micro Chips put her case, and her guitar, up on the luggage rack above the seats. Babs sat down underneath it.
At 4PM, the intercom in the carriage started up. “Good afternoon, this train is now ready to depart. The journey will take approximately 3 hours, with stops at Crystal City and Halfway. Conductor, do the honours.”
From the back of the train, a voice cried out: “AAAAALLLLLL AAAAAAABBBBBOOOOAARRRRDDDD!”
The train clattered forward with a rattle and a clunk, the engine easily getting into its work. Babs ran the math in her head. "3 hours huh,” she thought. She looked over another passenger. “Excuse me, but how far is it to Canterlot from here?”
“It’s about 300 miles.”
“About 100MPH then.”
Time passed extremely slowly. Babs must have nodded off, as she suddenly realised they were passing through Halfway.
She looked around her. The carriage was completely empty, apart from her.
“That’s odd”, she thought. “Hello?” she called.
Nobody answered.
Babs got out of her seat, and decided to walk to the carriage door. She opened it up-
-and standing there was one of her tormentors. The one who had tried to pressure her into...inappropriate activity a few days ago.
“Thought you could escape from me?” he laughed.
Babs simply swung around and ran, but she didn’t seem to be able to get away. The carriage seemed to stretch endlessly into infinity.
She crashed to the floor as he leaped on top of her.
“I’ve got you now,” he laughed.
“HELP!” Babs yelled out, but nobody heard her.
Her tormentor laughed loudly. “I’m gonna enjoy this.”
Babs suddenly jolted awake in the carriage. She looked around her, heart pounding in her chest as she looked for any signs of her attacker.
But sign there was none.
“Did I have a dream within a dream?” she asked.
Suddenly the intercom activated. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are now arriving into Canterlot Station. If this is your stop, please have your bags ready. I repeat, Canterlot Central Station is our next stop.”
Babs gathered up her stuff, but failed to account for the train braking, and was sent flying when it stopped. Getting up, she rubbed her arms. “Yeesh, that guitar did a number on my arm.”
She stepped out onto the platform, with her bags in her hands. Just then, she saw what was on the front of the train, and headed forward quickly to get a snap.
The station was wreathed in steam, looking like something out of Brief Encounter. Locomotives and trains were scattered through the platforms giving the impression of the golden age of steam. New York wasn’t the best in that regard.
On the front of her train, was an engine that Babs had never seen before. It was long, with a streamlined casing and massive driving wheels. The tender was suspended on two massive bogies, and the engine had 4 leading and trailing wheels, and 6 driving wheels. It was painted silver, and had the letters NYC painted on the tender.
Babs smiled. "It’s from home!” she thought. She pulled her phone out, and hit record.
The engine whistled, a beautiful chime whistle that echoed through the station. It pulled away, a deafening exhaust beat as the engine rolled forward, steam blasting from its cylinders as this majestic machine shifted the coaches effortlessly.
When it had disappeared, Babs was left with a massive grin on her face.
“Howdy!” shouted a voice behind her.
Babs was so stunned, she jumped and spun around.
There were 4 girls standing there. The first had yellow skin and red hair. The second had white skin and candyfloss hair. The third had orange skin and purple hair, and the fourth had pink skin and blue hair, rolled up into curls.
“Are you Applejack’s little sis?” Babs asked.
“Sure am!” the first girl. “Ah’m Apple Bloom, and this is Sweetie Belle, and this is Scootaloo, and that’s Cozy Glow!”
“Nice to meet you,” was all Babs could say.
“Are you OK?” asked Scootaloo. “You don’t seem OK?”
“Sorry,” Babs replied. “I’ve been travelling for a long time, and it’s almost midnight back home in New York.”
“Oh, golly!” exclaimed Cozy Glow. “That is a long way.”
“Well, let’s help her with her bags!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle.
The girls helped her pull the bags onto a waiting streetcar. Babs had never seen streetcars before. Maybe they were exclusive to the West Coast?
As the journey progressed, Apple Bloom explained that they had formed a group called the Crusaders, who performed music and generally hung around together. It sounded fun, so Babs contemplated asking if she could join.
The streetcar arrived at the final stop, and the girls got off and hauled the stuff toward Sweet Apple Acres. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Cozy Glow headed back home after that, but promised to be back tomorrow.
Babs had seen houses like that before, in old pictures of the Deep South. At the door a woman was there to greet them.
“Howdy Babs!” she called. “Ah’m Applejack, I spoke to ya on the phone!”
“Nice to meet ya,” Babs replied.
“Applejack! Big Mac!” called another voice. “Get Babs’ stuff to the guest bedroom!”
“Eyup!” shouted a distant voice.
The second female voice came around the corner. “Hello Babs,” she smiled. “It’s been such a long time since you were last here. Ah’m Pear Butter, Apple Bloom’s mother.”
“Should I call ya Mrs Apple or Pear?”
“Pear, if you don’t mind.”
Later that evening, they gathered around the dining table for dinner.
Babs wasn’t entirely used to local conventions, and so picked up her cutlery when she got her portion.
“Put yer cutlery down!” shouted Granny Smith.
Babs dropped them in fright and recoiled.
“There was no need to be so aggressive Ma,” said Bright Mac. “Down here, ya wait for everybody to be served. Sorry we didn’t explain that to ya.”
“It’s OK,” Babs replied. “Back home, my family rarely if ever eat together.”
Once everybody had their food, which in honour of their guest was Manhattan Clam Chowder, grace was said, and they dug in. Babs was stunned at the taste. Freshly prepared! And it tasted amazing too.
“I hope I didn’t make it too strong,” Pear said.
“It tastes better than at home. Mom rarely has enough time to prepare food from scratch, as we are so busy.”
“When do you guys eat together?”
“Apple Bloom!” Applejack snapped.
“It’s OK,” Babs replied. “Not very often I’m afraid. My dad spends almost all his time in Manhattan, my sister is often out late, and my mom often works long hours.”
“So, what’s it like in the Big Apple?” Bloom asked.
She got no reply, for Babs’ face was in her food. She was fast asleep.
“Bless her, she’s had a very tiring day,” Bright Mac said.
“Could you guys get her upstairs and changed for bed?” Pear asked.
And so, Babs was placed into bed, utterly oblivious to all else that was happening, after a long a very tiring day.
Apple Bloom popped up quickly to see her afterwards. “Good night, cuz,” she smiled, and then headed off for her room.