//------------------------------// // Easter Break // Story: Big World! Big Adventures! // by The Blue EM2 //------------------------------// It was a few days after term had concluded at Canterlot High School, and that meant one thing. The holidays were here at last, a time of fun, relaxation, and enjoyment for all. Well, except most of the teachers, as they would have work to mark, but for everybody else of note in Canterlot, it would be a time of relaxation, fun and enjoyment. Come to think of it, it wouldn't be much fun for the Dazzlings or the train robbers, as both groups were currently behind bars in Canterlot. In the former case, it was for trying both to break friendships apart via cyberbullying, then trying to blow the town up with a runaway train. And in the latter case, it was for trying to rob a train (which itself had been foiled). On the edge of town where Sweet Apple Acres resided, there was a small wooden structure that sat in one of the old trees. It was linked to the ground by a wooden drawbridge, and had a further series of ladders that went up and up into the tree, until they reached an observatory at the top of the tree, home to a big telescope that was often used by the residents to observe the stars, assuming somebody upstairs either hadn’t clouded the sky over or put the telescope back the wrong way around. This was the clubhouse of the Crusaders, a convenient meeting place for the four girls who made up this close-knit group of adventurers, determined to find out who they truly were. The four of them sat inside the clubhouse, but none of them looked particularly happy. Scootaloo shrugged and looked out of the window. “As much as I like holidays,” she said, “I’m not looking forward somehow.” “Oh cheer up grumpyboots!” Apple Bloom laughed. “What is there not ta like about the holidays? Yer not stuck in classroooms fer 5 days a week, the sun shines, and ya can do whatever ya want! As Ah say, what is there not ta like?” “Because I won’t get to spend it with you guys,” Scootaloo sighed. “We’re going to a place called Fort Bragg for a few days.” When she got quizzical looks, she quickly continued. “It’s where my dad was born, and he wants to reconnect with his past or something like that.” She resumed looking out of the window. “Ain’t that where the Skunk Train is?” Apple Bloom asked, her eyes wide. “The what?” Cozy Glow asked. “California Western Railroad,” Sweetie Belle explained. “It’s a heritage line that ran a series of gas turbine railcars, which were really smelly.” “Ah can imagine,” Apple Bloom groaned, pre-emptively holding her nose. “We’ll be going on that!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “I’ll do some filming.” Apple Bloom spoke up next. “Ya know, Ah’ll be near a railroad too.” “Oh, really?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Which one?” “We’re goin’ to a place called Chama, in New Mexico,” the apple girl told her. “They’ve got a line called the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad which we will be ridin’ on.” Sweetie Belle jumped to her feet. “Wait!” she cried. “I may be going to the UK, but I’ll be on the Bluebell Railway! It was the first standard gauge preserved line in the United Kingdom, and I think the world as well.” “The Strasburg Railroad beats it in terms of age, but that was never a heritage line as it technically never ceased operations. But you visiting the Bluebell is rather apt, I think,” Scootaloo said. “Sorry, what?” Sweetie Belle asked, confused. “Sweetie Belle, Bluebell Railway?” Scootaloo pointed out, putting particular emphasis on the matching parts of the words. “Oh!” Sweetie Belle replied. “Right! That makes sense.” “I’ll be in the UK as well,” Cozy mentioned to her friends. “I’ll be going to a place called Loughborough.” Sweetie Belle looked over. “It’s pronounced ‘Luftborough’,” she told the other girl. “Fine,” Cozy answered. “I’ll be going to a place called ‘Luftborough’, and there they have a line called the Great Central. I’ll make sure to ride on it.” Just then Apple Bloom had a brainwave. “I’ve got it!” she cried. “Got what?” Cozy asked. “Ya see, Ah’ve been seized,” Apple Bloom smiled, her face resembling the Cheshire Cat....sort of. “Was it something you ate?” Scootaloo asked. “No, silly!” Apple Bloom replied. “Ah’ve been seized by inspiration!” “And what is this inspiration?” Sweetie Belle asked. “How about,” Apple Bloom, excited at her plan, explained in painstaking detail, “we each record film and interestin’ photos and stuff at the railroads we each plan ta visit. Then, when we get back, we can edit them inta a video, and put it up on our YouTube channel, and therefore see what we were all getting' up to when we were away from one another in different parts of the world! How does that ideas sound?” She looked at her friends, expecting a response. There was a very brief silence, possibly the briefest silence ever recorded in the history of the entire human race. Then the responses came. “I’m in!” Scootaloo called. “Me too!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “Oh golly!” Cozy Glow added. “I’ll go along with it too!” “Excellent!” Apple Bloom smiled. “We got plenty of time in order ta plan what we wanna take with us in order to record all of this, but make sure not ta do anythin’ stupid.” “Don’t worry about us!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “We’ll be fine!” They then came together, and raised their hands. “CANTERLOT MOVIE CLUB AMATEUR RAILROAD FILM-MAKERS, YAY!” and performed a four-way high five. Just then, there was a knocking at the door. “Scootaloo?” a voice asked. “Sweetie Belle? Cozy Glow?” “Yes, Mr Mac?” Cozy asked in response, a little surprised that somebody had headed out here. “Your parents are here to pick ya up,” Bright Mac finished. “So Ah hope ya got done whatever ya were doin’ in there.” The three girls got up and headed to the door. “See you after the holidays Apple Bloom!” they called, as they headed off into the sunlight, and off on a new adventure.