Diamond slowed her engine down and brought it to a complete stop next to the stricken goods train. As the George V Class simmered there, the safety valve lifting, Diamond called over to Apple Bloom.
“Are you in need of some assistance?” she asked.
“What’s it look like ta you?” Apple Bloom snapped. “Ah can’t get steam pressure up fer some reason.”
“How about we work together?” Diamond suggested. “I can couple my engine to the front of yours, then we attach both engines to the front of the passenger train. Then, we bring both steam engines forward, and shunt them backwards onto the goods train. That way, we can get both trains back to the other end of the line in one piece.”
Apple Bloom thought. “Well, it’s better than just bein’ stranded here with no ability ta move. Ah’ll take yer offer.”
Diamond nodded. “Excellent! Let’s get to work, shall we?” With that, she hopped out of the cab and went alongside the engine, uncoupling her loco and running it forward slowly. She then picked up her radio.
“Control,” she said, “we have a goods train with a stricken locomotive. I’m requesting permission to back into the loop and couple up to the front.”
“Are you planning on hauling it to the other end of the line?” asked the voice on the other end.
“Yes, Control, I am,” Diamond answered.
There was a pause that seemed to last for all eternity. Then the voice finally replied. "We are releasing the points now. Good luck.”
With a loud clunk, and the rumble of an electric motor, the points behind her engine shifted to allow her to reverse. The engine began to back down on the much larger Mountain type locomotive and impacted the buffers with a soft clunk.
Apple Bloom hopped forward, and coupled up the two locomotives. She then went further back, and uncoupled the trucks, before sitting back in the cab again. “Good ta go!” she called.
Both engines rolled forward, steam leaking gently from their cylinders as they rolled forward and over the points, to hear them click back again. Both engines then backed down onto the passenger train, which a soft clunk that suggested good, experienced driving that could only be obtained through years of experience.
They then drew the coaches forward slowly, until they were clear of the points. Diamond took out her radio again. “Control, requesting permission for loop switch to be changed again.”
“To pick up the goods train?” the voice asked. "Are you sure the two engines can handle it?”
“I am certain they can handle it,” Diamond replied. “Besides, we’ve got Apple Bloom driving one of them. If she can correct wheelslip on a 1-in-70 gradient, she can restart a goods train and passenger working combined.”
Apple Bloom blushed at the compliment.
“Good luck.” The points moved again, and the train was moved backwards onto the trucks. Apple Bloom hopped out and coupled the two formations together, the now 20 car train snaking away behind them.
Jumping back into the cab, Apple Bloom sounded four long, deep, chime notes on the whistle. Diamond followed by four, high pitched notes on the whistle of her engine. And with a groan, the colossal train got underway.
The two engines snorted and roared as they moved the huge working along the line. The sound would never be forgotten, as they flew along, driven by two girls who had once been mortal enemies, but were now close friends on the rails and off them. The train flew round the curves, and into the tunnel, reaching speeds of up to 25 miles an hour as it zoomed along the rails.
It was after a long, epic journey, that would always be in the history books, that the train arrived at the Rich Estate station, coming to a stop in the station.
Filthy Rich smiled with pride. “Good work Diamond!” he said. “Your quick thinking saved the day and prevented a lot of embarrassment.”
“Thanks father,” Diamond replied. “But it wasn’t just me. Apple Bloom drove the second engine, and drove it very well.”
Spoiled Rich came over. “I may have been wrong about all this, you know. That ride I had earlier was most enjoyable.”
“Well, glad ya enjoyed it,” Apple Bloom said.
That evening, the families and guests retired to the Steel estate for the after-event dinner and party, and took the opportunity to chat amongst each other.
“That was great!” Scootaloo called over to Sweetie Belle.
“I know, right?” Sweetie Belle replied. “We had so much fun!”
Apple Bloom looked a tad down. “A shame Babs’ couldn’t be here,” she said. “She’d have loved this.”
Cozy put a hand on her shoulder. “I know how much you miss her, but she can’t be down here all the time,” she said. “She has her own friends in New York, and besides, if she’s here, who will run the East Coast Crusaders?”
Apple Bloom nodded. “True. But let’s have some fun!”
Suddenly, all went dark, and a disco ball switched on.
“Greetings everyone!” called a voice, that of Dark Steel. “I hope you are all having a good time. Now it is time for a bit of fun. Who better to host the next portion of our night, the disco, than the legendary DJ himself, El Dragonequus Espagnol!”
There was a man sitting at the control booth, and he promptly started up a track which was an old disco classic.
“Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena
Que tu cuerpo es pa' darle alegria y cosa buena
Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena
Ey Macarena, ¡ay!
Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena
Que tu cuerpo es pa' darle alegria y cosa buena
Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena
Ey Macarena, ¡ay!
Not entirely surprisingly, everyone joined in with the staple of dancefloors across the world. It looked most incredible, the sheer number of people in perfect sync.
Except one person, however. Spoiled Rich stood off to one side, looking on in... nobody was entirely sure how she looked on. But she looked on in some manner.
Diamond called over to her. “Come on mother, join in! It’ll be fun!”
Spoiled pondered her options, looking over everyone else, and then shrugged her shoulders, joining in as she did so.
“Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena
Que tu cuerpo es pa' darle alegria y cosa buena
Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena
Ey Macarena, ¡ay!
Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena
Que tu cuerpo es pa' darle alegria y cosa buena
Dale a tu cuerpo alegria, Macarena
Ey Macarena, ¡ay!
Once proceedings had concluded, Diamond helped to see everyone off.
Apple Bloom was laughing. “Ya know, Diamond,” she said. “If y’all had told me last year that in a year’s time Ah’d be dancin’ the Macarena alongside you, Ah’d have called ya crazy!”
“Same here,” Diamond smiled. “See you at school!”
That evening, Diamond retired to bed, happy in her heart. It had been a good day, and an event that was always worth looking forward to.