//------------------------------//
// Just Drives Along 
// Story: Legends of Equestria: South Swamp Rag 
// by JimmyHook19 
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That horn blew so sweet and clear, Mage Meadowbrook was tempted to cover up her ears, not to mention reference John Denver whilst she was at it. But still, she proceeded deeper into this town, caring not that she still looked like a pony, and so not spotting the odd looks coming from the residents of the town as she proceeded deeper into it. She had to find the source of the noise, and whilst at it enjoy herself. For she knew that a sound that good had to herald a good reward, and anything else that preceeded the word good, for that matter. Onwards down that street she raced, looking for anything to give her clues to the source of the noise, which seemed to be getting closer, sounding in a LONG LONG SHORT LONG pattern ahead of her. Then she reached an intersection, and saw exactly what the source of the noise was. She crossed over a street marked 6th Street, and it was there, only after stopping on the side of the street, did she see the significance of this street.

In the center of the road were a pair of metal rails. These rails ran perfectly straight down the road, and ran as far as the eye could see. And coming toward her, blasting it's horn furiously, and trundling along at only 15 miles an hour or so, was a big, utilitarian diesel locomotive, painted blue, with white lines running down the side of the engine body and casing. Marked on the sides were the words 'Conrail', and the numbers in the top of the cab read '8098'. It roared toward the bridge, the engine making a total racket as it rumbled past, the units behind it roaring equally loudly as it passed, with 40 cars being dragged along behind it, clattering and clanking, making an incredible noise. The entire train took approximately 5 minutes to pass in it's entirety, with more noise echoing from the front as it rolled by, and on the back a flashing red lamp could be seen, a FRED (aka Flashing Rear End Device), apparently.

No sooner had that train vanished, then another set of horns echoed going the other way. Rolling off the bridge, and onto 6th Street, but going in the opposite direction, was a diesel of the same class, but painted much more vividly. The entire body was painted scarlet, with a yellow stripe down the side. Inside this stripe was painted the words 'Norfolk Southern', laid down in black letters. In addition to the yellow stripe on the front of the engine, there were three black lines running along the body and nose, which gave the engine the appearance of a face. It had the number which read '8114' on the nose as well as near it. This unit bore a logo on the cab sides, with the text NS in a yellow box, and the words 'Norfolk Southern Railway Company' looped around it in a circle. Not only that, but the entire logo was contained inside another white box, and all the text was black. The unit continued to honk furiously as it rolled past them, and the freight train it and 3 other locos were pulling was even longer, 60 cars. On the end of that one was a caboose, rather than a Flashing Rear End Device, though why was a mystery as it was no longer needed, what with in cab signalling and all. Once the train was gone, Meadowbrook nodded, and headed onwards toward the bridge over the Savannah River. But she had been seen by a Brony.

"Mage Meadowbrook?" he asked, confused, as he looked at his bottle. "This sure is potent stuff."





Mage Meadowbrook headed south along 6th Street, then turned right onto Reynolds Street, turned left onto 8th Street, turned left again onto Broad Street, took the on ramp for US 78/1, crossed over the Savannah River into South Carolina, putting her ever so slightly closer to her intended destination, turned left onto York Street, and proceeded north east. She then took a slight right onto main street, which then became Augusta Road, and after that took the on ramp for I-20. She then left at Exit 70, turned left onto Fairfield road, which reminded her of Rockhoof as Fairfield is a suburb of Glasgow, made a sharp right turn onto north Main Street, turned right onto Elmwood Avenue, then turned left off the same road. She then joined US 321/176 and 21, turning right onto Blossom Road, and then crossed the Congaree river. Not long after, she took a sharp right onto Airport Bulevard, turned left onto Tarrytown Lane, took the on ramp for I-26, then took Exit 116, followed by Exit 221B. This was promptly followed by a sharp right onto Septima Clark Parkway, then onto Spring Street she went. This was followed by a sharp right onto Spring Street, a left onto Lockwood Drive, a road she then stayed on for a bit. She then headed onto another Broad Street (not the same one as before, as that would be needlessly confusing) and turned right onto Meeting Street. She then turned left onto Atlantic Street, followed by a sharp left onto East Battery, which then merged into East Bay Street. She then proceeded out of Charleston (but not Charles Towne, as that is an entirely different place, you know), and over the west end of the Arthur Ravenel Junior Bridge. She then crossed the Cooper River via the Arthur Ravenel Junior Bridge, then off the east end of the Arthur Ravenel Junior Bridge, and curved onto Church Street. She then crossed over the Great Pee Dee River (more or less guaranteed to make anybody laugh, as I can hear you back there!), then curved away from the US 17 Bypass, onto the US 17 Business Loop, and then back onto US 17 again for a while. Then at last, she neared the border with North Carolina. 





With the sun setting off in the west, she set up camp near the stateline and chose to sleep inside the tent for the night. How she was able to get a tent is beyond us, but don't question logic. Anyways, to make it easier for her to sleep during the night, she first removed her headbands in front of her mane and then removed the blue hairtie in her mane which in doing so, all of her mane fell down over her face. Blowing some out of her face so that she can see, she also took off her green skirt, and undid the blue hairtie in her tail, which also was set free after being tied up. She then set her headbands, blue hairties for the mane and tail, and green skirt aside in her tent. Once that was done, she decided to keep her neckwear, collar, and hoofband on her for the night. "Time for me ta get some shut eye." she yawned tiredly.





With a yawn, Mage Meadowbrook then fell asleep at once, awaiting for what the final day of her journey will bring and reaching her destination of Manteo, North Carolina.