//------------------------------// // Love train // Story: Love is in the Air, Literally // by Nexas //------------------------------// After a minor incident involving the forward and reverse switch, Pinkie had actually managed to get the train up and running and on its way to Canterlot. The train ride fortunately gave the group some time to think. The group sat in one of the passenger cars, Applejack was fast asleep in the back of the car, her hat over her face to block out the light. Pinkie opened the door to the engine room and stepped out; her normally bright pink fur smudged by black coal. "That should keep it going." She wiped her brow, only getting more black dust on her face. "And hopefully not exploding." She cheerfully added. Spike sat in one of the seats, staring down at the Heartbreaker plant in his hands despairingly. "Spike?" Bon Bon, who sat in the seat across from him called to him. "Is something wrong?" "What are we going to do?" He asked quietly. She tilted her head questioningly. "What do you mean?" He was silent for a moment before looking up at her. "What are we going to do when we get to Canterlot?" "We're going to save everypony silly." Pinkie told him. "That's what we have the antidote for!" "But how?" The two earth ponies looked at each other, confused. "We're going into the biggest city in Equestria." He elaborated. "A pony that loves me is building some kind of army for our wedding, one of the rulers of Equestria, who has power over the sun, and her sister may be next!" Spike had jumped up in his seat, his face filled with anger. "And you think we can stand a chance against that?!" Nopony said anything, a heavy silence hung over the room every so often broken by Applejack mumbling in her sleep. "Well...yeah!" Pinkie finally answered. "Even when you're alone, you need to keep going for the sake of your friends. Discord tried to tear us apart and almost succeeded too but Twilight chose not to give up and we shouldn't either." "Yeah!" Bon Bon added. "I'm not about to give up on Lyra." Spike watched in startled confusion as the two ponies talk about how they wouldn't stop until their friends and loved ones were normal again. He looked down at the plant that was the key to this horrible mess. And strangely enough, he found himself to be grinning. Maybe they can do this. Suddenly a resounding crash rocked the passenger car, knocking everybody out of their seats and on to the ground. "What in tarnation!?" Applejack babbled, she had been knocked out of her chair and sent crashing to the floor. Another resounding crash shook the car, it seemed closer than before. "It's getting closer!" Spike shouted. "We got that." Bon Bon dryly noted. "That sounded like the car behind us." Applejack estimated. "It'll be here any moment, be prepared for anything!" The group waited and steeled themselves for the eventual crash but it didn't seem to come. "Huh?" Pinkie looked back at her tail that had begun to twitch erratically. "Twitcha twitch!" She shouted. "Here it comes!" Applejack shouted. "Everypony take cover!" The group quickly ran for cover, Bon Bon included and just in time for the roof of the car to break open. The dust quickly cleared and they could finally see what had caused all of the senseless destruction. "Applejack?" Rainbow Dash called. When she noticed the Earth pony in the Stetson her face lit up with joy. "Applejack!" "Of course it's Dash." Spike grumbled from underneath the seat he was using as cover. "Well, Ah wasn't prepared for this." Applejack murmured. After a moment she climbed out from under her chair and looked up at the Pegasus lodged in the ceiling. "Rainbow Dash, what are ya'll doing here?" "I've been looking for you babe!" She replied as she struggled to get through the hole she was trapped in. "I've been looking all over Ponyville for you!" Applejack sighed, the smallest hint of a smile on her face. "Well Ah have to admit; that is kind of sweet." Just then, the door to the car was violently ripped off its hinges. Everyone looked at the hole in the wall where the solid metal door once was in horror. "By the way." Dash added unsurprised. "I brought somepony along." A pink blob suddenly peered through the open hole. "Um...is Bon Bon in here somewhere?" Fluttershy mumbled. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!" Bon Bon screamed in horror, jumping behind Pinkie Pie for protection. "She's right here Fluttershy." Dash pointed to the cowering Earth Pony. Fluttershy hopped into the car, instantly growing anxious under the looks the group was giving her. Mumbling something that sounded like an apology she walked over to Bon Bon, who was using Pinkie as a divider between them. "Hi." She said quietly to the earth pony. "I just wanted to apologize for acting up a little before." "You just ripped a six inch metal door off its hinges with you bare hooves!" Bon Bon shrieked after a moment of silence. Fluttershy looked back at the once-door and blushed, hiding her face behind her mane. "Uh...sorry." She whispered. While they were talking, Spike and Applejack were conversing quietly with each other. "What do you think we should do?" Spike whispered to the farmer. She shrugged. "Ah think we should bring them along." "What?!" Spike jumped back. "But they're insane!" The glare from Applejack shut him up. "They're still our friends and besides, maybe we can control them." She looked up to Rainbow Dash. "Hey Rainbow!" The Pegasus in question was currently attempting to push herself through the hole she was stuck in, to no avail. "Yes dear?" Applejack wore a tight smile, strained by the Pegasus's words. "We're going to Canterlot for a...uh...very important mission." She chose her words carefully. "Would ya'll like to join us?" Rainbow Dash finally broke through the ceiling, landing at Applejack's hooves. "Really?!" She jumped up quickly. Applejack nodded. "But you have to behave yourself there, alright?" "Right, right whatever." She latched on to Applejack excitedly. "A mission with my marefriend! This is going to be so awesome!" She squeaked. "Yeah..." Applejack muttered, prying Dash off of her. "Try not to do that." She turned to Fluttershy, who was trying to get close to Bon Bon while Bon Bon was trying to keep them separate by placing Pinkie Pie between them. They were going in a continuous circle; Fluttershy trying to walk around Pinkie while Bon Bon was contiuously turning Pinkie to face the Pegasus while she was behind her. "Whee!" Pinkie cheered. "It's like a ride!" "Bon bon!" Applejack called. "Get Fluttershy to come with us!" "Are you insane?!" She shouted back. "I don't want her near me!" Pinkie was unexpectedly ripped from Bon Bon's hooves and threw aside by a suddenly very angry Fluttershy. "Take me with you." She growled. "Okay." Bon Bon squeaked. After she agreed, Fluttershy's angry visage dropped instantaneously and she sat quietly next to Bon Bon, something that she found to be even scarier. "Well, now we have two more ponies to help us." Pinkie noted from her new position of under the luggage rack, upside down. "Things are on the up and up!" Any other words were cut off as yet another crash shook the car. "Now what?!" Spike cried. Applejack turned to Dash. "You didn't bring anypony else, did you Sug-uh, Dash?" Dash shook her head vehemently. "Nopony else dear." Spike looked up through the hole in the ceiling. "Well then who could that be?" "SPIKE!" A familiar voice screamed from outside. "Oh no..." Spike muttered. "Twilight." Applejack confirmed. "I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! I CAN SENSE YOUR PRESENCE!" "Come now Twilight..." Another voice could be heard saying. "Do you really need to scream every word like that?" Pinkie recognized the second voice. "Is that...Rarity?" "I thought I told you to stop following me!" Twilight shouted. "Twilight is coming for me!" Spike panicked. "What do we do?!" "Again; why don't you just control her?" Applejack asked. Her question was shot down quite literally when a bolt of purple magic smashed through the door that connected the passenger cars together. Twilight stood in the doorway; pure anger on her face. Spike ducked behind Applejack. "Yeah, that's not going to happen." "Alright, friends." Twilight glared at each of the Ponies one by one. "Hand over my Spike and nopony gets hurt." Nopony said anything until Applejack turned to Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie? The train seems to be slowing down, why don't ya'll go and speed it up." "Speed it up?" Pinkie asked, confusedly. "But the train is going fast enough." Applejack glared at her. "Just do it." Pinkie quickly excused herself and left. Applejack turned back to Twilight. "Twilight?" Applejack stepped slowly and carefully towards the unicorn, her voice full of concern. "Ya'll need to calm down." "Calm down?" Twilight snorted derisively at the farmer. "I have been running around half of Equestria, looking for the love of my life who has been avoiding me for Celestia knows why." She slammed her hoof down in rage, managing to shake the car a little. "And you want me to calm down?!" "Twilight please." She pleaded. "Try to calm down and come to your senses." "All of my senses are fine!" Twilight glared at the Earth pony once more. Applejack sighed. "So there's no getting through to you then?" "Please get out of my way, Applejack." "If this is what you want." Applejack made to move out of the way for Twilight but in a split second she had twisted around so her back was facing Twilight. Before Twilight could react, Applejack's hind legs shot out and connected with Twilight's face, sending her flying back into the passenger car behind her. "Sorry about this, sugercube." Applejack shouted over the rapid movements of the train. She reached down and undid the coupling, dethatching the cars behind them and leaving Twilight stranded. With the combined loss of cars and the added fuel Pinkie was giving the engines, the train sped off quickly and was soon out of sight while the line of engineless cars came to a grinding halt. Applejack turned back to the group; each of them looking at her with a different level of awe. "Now..." She started. "Can we please get this mission underway?" Rainbow Dash leapt forward and wrapped Applejack in an embrace. "That's my girl!" It was at that moment that Pinkie Pie came back from the engine room. "Alright-y Applejack, I did what you said but I really don't see why..." She trailed off as she noticed the destruction in the room she had left only a moment ago. "Awww...did I miss something?" *** Twilight sat on the edge of the train car, the train with Spike in it had gone behind a mountain ridge and out of sight. Rarity walked up and sat down beside her. "Troubles dear?" Twilight looked up at the pony that had followed her despite her repeated threats. "I need to find my love." She said simply. "Hmph." Rarity huffed. "I am all for spreading the love but let me remind you that you have sompony of your own species right here that loves you." "I need to find Spike." Twilight ignored her. Rarity was about to say something else but the car they were in suddenly began to move, despite not having an engine. Rarity looked up and found Twilight standing in the middle of the car; her horn glowing brightly. The car was covered in a magic aura and slowly began to move, breaking away from the other cars. "Twilight?!" Rarity asked confusedly before a band of magic shot out and wrapped around her mouth, quieting her. "It's time I get my Spikey wikey back." *** After the Twilight Sparkle attack, the group had sat back down into what was left of the seats and waited for when they finally got to Canterlot. Applejack went back to sleep in the back with Rainbow Dash sneaking in beside her. Fluttershy also fell asleep in her seat beside Bon Bon; Bon Bon herself didn't want to risk going to sleep, afraid that the Pegasus next to her might eat her in her sleep or something. Spike had taken his seat again with the antidote plant and Pinkie Pie was still in the engine room, overseeing the maintenance. Sometime later, Pinkie Pie walked back into the room, oblivious to a small fire burning at the tip of her mane. "Guys!" She bounced up and down excitedly, waking up the others. "Wha-?" Applejack stirred, rising in her seat and brushing Rainbow Dash off. "What is it Pinkie?" Spike asked. "Canterlot is close and coming up fast!" Pinkie smiled. "Well that's great." Bon Bon replied. "Yeah but there's one small problem with that." Pinkie added. Applejack's eyebrows raised in realization. "You can use the train brakes when we're there, right Pinkie?" Pinkie shrugged. "Brake means stop moving, right?" "Brace for impact!" Applejack shouted, latching onto the seat in front of her. "I'll protect you dear!" Dash pledged, latching onto Applejack. "I'll protect you too Bon Bon." Fluttershy said, trying to grab the Earth Pony. "Stay away from me!" She screamed. Spike jumped up and looked out the window; the grand city of Canterlot loomed in the distance and was getting closer by the second. The closer they got though; spike noticed that something was wrong. The castle was damaged, cracks ran up the entire building and out of every window and opening poured the familiar pink mist that had been harassing them for this entire adventure. The entire city seemed to be soaked in the stuff much like how Ponyville was. "Here comes the station!" Pinkie, who was also looking out the window cried. "Hold on!" Spike quickly pulled his head back in and braced himself for the crash alongside everypony else. They waited and waited and waited still but nothing came. "Pinkie?" Bon Bon called, her eyes closed and braced for the crash. "Yeah?" Pinkie replied, also bracing herself. "Aren't we supposed to be crashing?" "Yes and I'm sorry for that." "But we're not crashing Pinkie." At this, Pinkie opened her eyes and looked around. "So we are!" She said surprised. Everypony else opened their eyes and found that the train was not in fact crashing and instead had come to a stop right outside of Canterlot station. They quickly strapped on their masks and Spike carried the antidote plant and they hesitantly stepped out of the car through the gaping hole that was once the door and looked around. "Look at this!" Spike pointed at the train. Everypony looked and were surprised to see that the train was in fact still going, the spinning wheels of the locomotive lifted off the ground by a golden aura. Applejack inspected the floating, spinning wheels. "But who could do this?" "I did." The group spun around at the sound of a voice behind them. Spike gasped. "Princess Celestia?!"