//------------------------------// // Mailbag Horror // Story: The Great Canterlot Train Robbery // by The Blue EM2 //------------------------------// It is no understatement to say that the news of the train robbery caught the ears of almost everybody in Canterlot. Throughout the school, people were busy discussing the incident, with varying degrees of subtlety, but all of them were worried for the safety of their valuables. Rumble sat with Pip and Button, both of whom were highly concerned over the incident. “Will it still be safe to shunt up at Cloudsdale yard?” Button asked. “I’d rather not have people jump on my engine whilst I’m working!” “Relax Button,” Pip replied. “I’m certain that they’ll catch them. Money doesn’t just vanish.” “Pip’s right,” Rumble added, frustrated. “But what concerns me more is how they were able to make off with the money in the first place. The yard is supposed to be secure, for crying out loud!” Button shrugged. “What if they had a spy in the company?” “A spy?” Pip asked, shocked. “Yes, a spy,” Button repeated. “Why is everyone repeating what we are saying to one another?” “I don’t know,” Rumble replied. “Why is everyone repeating what we are saying to one another?” “Maybe the author is trying to draw the conversation out as long as he can, so that he can ensure he hits the needed wordcount,” Pip suggested. “What?” the other two boys asked. “Are you not aware of other individuals reading this on their computer screens as we speak?” Pip asked. Button shook his head. “And I thought I had problems.” Rumble spoke up, a similar look of concern on his face. “Pip, you really should stop spending time with Pinkie Pie. Her weirdness seems to be rubbing off on you.” Pip sighed. “Well, there is this princess of the night who keeps turning up in my dreams.” Button laughed. “A princess of the night? That’s just as ridiculous as there being a portal in the Wondercolt statue-oh wait,” he stopped, and facepalmed. “Argh!” The bell then went, and the boys agreed to continue their conversation later. The girls were having no easier a time either. “So, what do you think was in those mailbags we saw dropped?” Scootaloo asked. “What are you getting at Scoots?” Sweetie Belle asked in response. “Why are y’all answerin’ each other’s questions with questions?” Apple Bloom asked. “Come ta think of it, why am Ah doin’ it now?” “I don’t know, why are we?” Scootaloo enquired. “Well, there’s every possibility of the bags we saw being dropped containing the stolen valuables,” Sweetie Belle noted. “But that seems an odd place to dump them.” “Maybe they had a waiting lorry to drive them off to a farmhouse where they play Monopoly with real money?” Scootaloo suggested. “Like in that movie we watched once. What was it called?” “I believe you are referring to The Great Train Robbery,” Sweetie Belle said. “That was based on a true event, though I don’t believe they dropped the mail off in bags.” “If so, the money would still be in the local area,” Scootaloo continued. “Though how do you hide it?” “How about we all stop speculatin’ and leave it ta the Police” Apple Bloom snapped. “Gossipin’ about it will not make the Police catch them!” The other girls were somewhat stunned at Apple Bloom’s outburst, and chose to remain silent as the bell went. After school, the girls and their boyfriends headed for the railroad station to try and settle the matter conclusively. Heading into the control room, they went to speak to the regional controller. Mr David gave them a warm smile as they entered. “Good evening girls,” he said. “And boys,” he quickly added. Rumble was the first to speak. “Sir,” he said. “Did you have an odd freight movement on the records yesterday?” Scootaloo elbowed him. “You could have been a bit more tactful!” she hissed. “That’s rich, coming from you!” Pip hissed back. Mr David paid them no attention. “Yes, we did.” “Told you it would work!” Rumble snapped. “A Class 40 came into the section with a radio report that the engine unit had caught fire and it needed priority clearance into the sidings,” Mr David finished. “As a result, we priority cleared it through the network, and brought it here. Only by then, the fire had been successfully extinguished by the engine crew, and the engine was cleared to continue its run.” The students all looked at each other in surprise. “Well,” Button began, “we saw a Class 40 race through and perform a mail drop without any apparent engine problems.” “In fact,” Apple Bloom added, “the engines were screamin’ as it flew through the drop off point.” “We had no mail trains scheduled in that direction for that time,” Mr David noted. “Thanks for warning me.” Sweetie Belle had remained silent the entire time. “Sir,” she spoke up, “Is it possible if we could head back now?” “By all means,” he said. “After all, it’s not a work day.” As was the expected course of action, they headed for Sweet Apple Acres. Riding on the streetcar, they hopped off at the stop and walked over to the section of fence which gave a clear view of the railway line and the TPO drop point. What they saw were two men struggling with a bag. “Blimey, this back is heavy Biggs!” said the first, an immensely large man with a monstrous chin. “I know Daly!” said the other, as he heaved the bag up. “This is the last one we need.” “When’s the train coming through?” asked the first. “Apparently this evening,” ‘Biggs’ finished. “Goody and Wisbey have already got the diesel and the TPO vans. From there, we can ship them to Los Angeles and sell the gold and diamonds off.” “And then we’ll be rich!” added ‘Daly’. “But we may need help setting this up. We can leave it here until this evening.” Just then, both men disappeared off and vanished into the distance. “That was weird,” Pip said. The girls and boys crossed over the fence and checked the line for oncoming traffic. Once they reached the bags, Apple Bloom took a close look. “The bag’s open,” she observed. Sweetie Belle reached for it. “No!” Button snapped. Upon seeing Sweetie Belle recoil in fright, he spoke more gently. “We don’t want to get our fingerprints on it, do we?” Apple Bloom produced a piece of wood, and levered the bag open. What was inside made her jaw drop. It was diamonds. Lots of them. “Looks like we were right to be suspicious,” Rumble said. “So what do we do?” Scootaloo asked. Apple Bloom closed the bag, and motioned for the others to cross the line. “We go ta the Police. We got them a lead.”