Meanwhile, Steamer and Locomotion had just arrived at Ponyville Motive Power Depot, and were signing on for their day's work. The festive season was always a busy time of year for the railways, with hundreds of extra trains being run for the many parcels that needed delivering, as well as shoppers and tourists wishing to visit the big Hearth's Warming markets in places like Canterlot and Fillydelphia. Today, Locomotion noted, was no different; looking at the Special Train Notice board, he could see that at least twenty extras would be running over the next week.
“Gonna have our work cut out for us, eh, Uncle Steamer?” he quipped with a small smirk.
“Oh well,” mused Steamer, “nothing Ponyville MPD can't handle as yet. We'll just have to take it in our stride, that's all.”
“Mind you,” went on Locomotion longingly, “it'd be great if I could work one of those specials. I kinda miss being out on the main line.”
Steamer smiled and patted his nephew's shoulder. “Cheer up, Loco,” he encouraged. “Your work is just as important as ours – vital, even. Think of all the chaos we'd face if we didn't have you or the 5118 to shunt the yard! Besides, you never know,” he added optimistically, “you may yet get a place on one of those trains if you're lucky.”
Locomotion smiled back as his uncle trotted away to the canteen; but deep down, he wasn't so sure. His right arm, though mostly healed, was still prone to cramp under heavy loads, so firing turns were out of the question – and they were his only chance of getting rostered to a Hearth's Warming special. For while his uncle had taught him well as a foal, he hadn't become a driver overnight, and was still a long way off being officially passed to drive top-link expresses. How ironic, he thought wryly as he went to begin his shift, that having been promoted, he had gone straight back to the more mundane jobs! Still, somepony had to take care of the shunting work.
He arrived at the goods yard to find Lignite already waiting for him. “Morning, Loco!” he said brightly. “How's tricks?”
“Not bad, thanks,” answered Locomotion, trying to sound casual. “Uncle Steamer's already ordered our tree, and we should be making a start on decorating the house tomorrow. How about you?”
“Well...not much been going on my end, really,” admitted Lignite. “I was hoping my sister could come over for Hearth's Warming, but she's been held up in Vanhoofer and can't make it back till January.”
“Oh...sorry to hear that,” sympathised Locomotion. “Never mind – at least your parents can still come, right?”
Lignite nodded thoughtfully; but his attention was distracted as the 5118 approached them, stopping at the throat of the yard. The driver and firepony stepped down from the footplate, briefed Lignite and Locomotion on what needed doing where, and went to sign off while the two young stallions set to work.
Locomotion couldn't stay wistful for long. There was more than enough shunting to keep him and Lignite busy, and every time they had to take a milk van or an extra coach to the station, they found it looking more and more festively decorated. This made the red-furred unicorn feel much better, and he soon forgot about the Hearth's Warming specials.
They ended their shift feeling tired but satisfied, and took the little tank engine back to the shed for a well-earned rest. Much to their surprise, as they pulled up by the water tower, they found Max Pressure waiting for them.
“Hullo,” remarked Lignite. “What's Max want from us?”
“You tell me,” muttered Locomotion, feeling an unsettling sense of deja vu. The last time Max wanted to speak to him after a shunting turn, he had been distracted over Hornette and nearly caused an accident. Surely he couldn't have done something else wrong today, could he?
“Hi, Loco!” called Max jovially as he trotted up to their cab. “Another successful day's work, I see.”
“Uh...yeah – so it would appear, Max,” conceded Locomotion, quickly looking back towards the yard to see that he hadn't misplaced any trucks or coaches. To his relief, they all seemed to be in their proper sidings; but this only confused him even more. Had Max seriously been waiting just for a simple chat? Or was there something else he wanted?
“I'm glad I caught you,” continued Max. “As you know, we've got a lot of excursion trains booked for the Hearth's Warming season, and...”
“I know, I know,” sighed Locomotion unhappily, “you're asking me to work somepony else's turn while they get to work the trains. Yeah, I'll be okay with that...I guess...” He trailed off, hanging his head in disappointment. And just when he had managed to get his mind off it... “I suppose Uncle Steamer's getting an excursion turn too?”
Max stared in bewilderment. “Well, yes, he is. I'm giving him the Northern Lights Limited this year. But that's not why I wanted to speak to you,” he added hastily. “See, the thing is, Loco...I've been making inquiries with Head Office, checking which engines are being used for which trains.”
“Yeah? What of it?”
“You know we've got one running to Manehattan and back in two weeks time?”
“Yeah, the Flying Mistletoe. What's the point?” quizzed Locomotion, a little impatiently.
Max paused impressively. “How would you like to be on that train as firepony?”
Locomotion was so stunned he could hardly move a muscle, let alone speak. “M....me?!” he choked out at last.
“Yes, you,” affirmed Max, beaming broadly. “Your work in the yard has been really good...apart from that one time in September; but that's all in the past. The point is, you've been doing a splendid job overall, and I reckon you deserve a treat. I know it's no driving turn, but...it was the best I could do.”
“Oh, no, no, no, I don't mind,” blustered Locomotion, as concerned as he was eager for the job. “It's just...are you sure I'll be okay on an express firing turn? My arm's still not a hundred percent.”
“That's exactly why I'd been on the phone to Head Office!” laughed Max. “They're using a 484P to pull the train; and they're fitted with automatic stokers, so all you need to do is open a valve, and in goes the coal. So how about it, Loco? You up for it?”
Locomotion grinned with delight. “I'd consider it a real honour, Max!”
“Good lad!” smiled Max, giving the young stallion a proud pat on the back. “You and John Bull will be working her as far as Fort Maine on the 15th, and back again on the 18th; that should give you more than enough time to fit in a bit of extra Hearth's Warming shopping should you so wish.”
“Thank you, sir, that'd be great.”
“No problem. Change is as good as a rest, after all,” and Max strode cheerfully back to his office.
Locomotion, meanwhile, could barely contain his excitement, and it took all his willpower not to jump for joy until he had signed off and left the depot. Wait till Hornette and Uncle Steamer heard about this, he thought gleefully...
Back in Market Square, Hornette and Sweetie-Belle had taken a lull in their shopping and were treating themselves to some hot cocoa at Matilda's tea room. They had had a wonderful day together, and their bags were bursting with treats, presents and novelties – some of which mystified Hornette a great deal. She sipped at her cocoa, curiously examining what she could only describe as a glass dome with white flakes and a wintery scene inside it.
“What purpose does this serve?” she wondered.
Sweetie-Belle giggled. “It's a snow globe,” she explained simply. “You shake it, and the flakes come down like real snow. Watch,” and taking the trinket in her magic, she shook it vigorously for a few seconds before setting it down again.
Hornette watched in amazement as the tiny flakes swirled around like a blizzard inside the globe. “Oh, wow!” she breathed. “That's so clever.”
“Yeah, it is pretty neat, isn't it?” agreed Sweetie-Belle with a smile. “I thought Lickety-Split might like this as part of his present. He always has a display of Hearth's Warming ornaments on his mantelpiece at this time of year.”
“And how many of them came from you, I wonder?” murmured Hornette cheekily, prompting another giggle from her white-furred friend.
“You think that's all I ever give him, a whole load of useless trinkets?” retorted Sweetie-Belle heartily. “What about that ice cream maker he got for his birthday last year, for instance – who was it that saved up to buy it for him?”
Hornette stifled a giggle of her own. “I know,” she soothed, “I'm just being playful.”
“Seriously, though,” went on Sweetie-Belle, her smile fading slightly, “I'm surprised you haven't got anything for Loco yet. I'd have thought he'd be your number one priority.”
“Well, that's just it,” confided Hornette, now starting to look and sound uncertain. “I was hoping for something really, really special for Loco's present. Something to remind him of our first Hearth's Warming together...something he can truly cherish for the rest of his life...”
Sweetie-Belle nodded patiently. “Yeah, and...?”
“...I just can't seem to find anything that suits him. Those snow globes and baubles and all the other little gizmos are really cute and all, but...they're just not enough.”
“Well, that's alright,” soothed Sweetie-Belle. “You don't have to get him anything big or extravagant – even if it's something small and simple like...maybe a Rodney the Railway Engine snow globe, I'm sure he'll appreciate it. It's the thought that counts.”
“Yeah, but...I don't feel right just buying him any old present,” persisted Hornette. “This is Loco we're talking about – the most special and important pony in my whole life – the only creature I've ever truly loved. Surely he deserves more than a mere snow globe.”
“Hmm... yeah, I can understand your feelings,” sympathised Sweetie-Belle thoughtfully. “If I had a bit for all the times I thought the same thing about Lickety-Split, I'd have enough to buy him everything he's ever wanted.” She pondered for a moment. “I suppose we could go and ask Silver Spoon and her family if they've got anything.”
“Someone say my name?” Both changeling and unicorn looked up as the grey mare trotted up to their table.
“Oh, hey, Silver Spoon,” said Sweetie-Belle, shuffling to one side and inviting her to join them. “Yeah, actually, Hornette and I wanted to know if you could be of any help.”
“Oh right?” answered Silver Spoon as she sat down. “How come?”
“Well, as you can tell,” explained Sweetie-Belle, motioning towards her shopping bags, “we've been out buying presents together; but Hornette's having trouble choosing one for Loco. We wondered if you might have something she could give to him.”
Silver Spoon looked perplexed. “Well...why not just buy him something Rodney the Railway Engine related?”
“I already looked,” replied Hornette, “and there's nothing I can find that really...speaks to me. I want it to be the sort of present he'll always remember as the first I've ever given him.”
“Hmm...I see,” Silver Spoon mused. “So what sort of a budget did you have in mind?”
Hornette pondered for a moment. “Well, Mr Steamer did suggest twenty bits, but I'm not sure it's enough. How much do you spend on a special somepony anyway?” she ventured.
“I usually spend about thirty to forty on Lickety-Split's presents,” said Sweetie-Belle.
“About two hundred is my upper limit for Diamond Tiara,” added Silver Spoon, chuckling wryly as Hornette gaped in disbelief. “Mind you, my family and I are pretty well off – and I'm buying for a filly as rich as yours truly, so I'm hardly the best example. You'd probably want to spend...say, sixty bits at most.”
The young changeling nodded. “Okay...so what would that buy me?”
“From what Loco tells me, there's any number of model train stuff you can get for that price. Maybe get him a few coaches or trucks for that model railway he's building,” suggested Silver Spoon. “The other option would be to have a go at making him something yourself – that'd save you a lot of money, Hornette.”
“What about your mom?” put in Sweetie-Belle. “Couldn't she make something in silver?”
“Well...I'd ask her, but she's really bogged down with commissions around this time of year. Besides, they don't come cheap.”
“Oh...right, point taken.” Sweetie-Belle looked away ruefully – but only for a few moments. “Actually,” she remarked, her eyes lighting up again, “that's not such a bad idea.”
“Say what now?”
“What you said about Hornette making something. Maybe Apple Bloom could help her with that.”
“You reckon?” asked Hornette hopefully.
“If I know Apple Bloom, she won't have much to do around the farm now that winter's here,” asserted Sweetie-Belle knowingly. “Come on, let's go ask her.”
Hornette smiled back eagerly. “You bet!” she replied, and downed the rest of her cocoa before standing up to gather her bags. “Thanks for your advice, Silver Spoon.”
“That's alright,” said Silver Spoon, shrugging modestly. “I'm just glad I could help.”
“You wanna come with us?” offered Sweetie-Belle.
“No can-do, I'm afraid; I've still got a lot of shopping still to get on with. I'll catch you some other time, I promise.”
“Alright then. See you later.”
Apple Bloom was tidying up the barn at Sweet Apple Acres. She had spent the afternoon chopping extra firewood for the farmhouse, and was looking forward to warming herself up by the fireplace. She had just returned the axe to its holder when she heard Sweetie-Belle's voice from the doorway; “Hey, Apple Bloom. Got a moment?”
“Howdy, Sweetie-Belle,” called Apple Bloom, trotting over. “Been busy with yo' Hearth's Warmin' shoppin', Ah see?”
“And helping Hornette with hers,” affirmed Sweetie-Belle with a smile.
“Ah, well, it's good that yo' feelin' better, Hornette. Ah la'k yo' Eskimo garb, by the way.”
“My what?” Hornette's hearty smile gave way to a puzzled frown.
“Yo' coat. It's kinda la'k what a lot o' ponies wear in the Frozen North,” explained Apple Bloom. It was certainly a lot more inviting than the simple green scarf she was wearing, she thought enviously. “So anyways,” she continued casually, “is there somethin' y'all need, or did ya just wanna stop an' chat?”
“Well...actually, there is,” replied Hornette. “See, I've got a rough idea what to get for you and the others, kudos to Sweetie-Belle...but I want something extra special for Loco, and there's nothing in my price range that really grabs my attention.”
“Ah take it that includes...”
“Rodney the Railway Engine? I regret to say, yes.”
“That's why we came to you,” added Sweetie-Belle. “We were wondering if maybe you could help Hornette carve him a model train or something. There's only Chip Cutter who's better at woodworking than you.”
Apple Bloom nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, that is true,” she mused.
“So...could you?” ventured Hornette.
“Well...Ah'll have ta run it past Applejack an' Big Mac, but Ah should be able ta set some time aside. Ah'll come round yours tomorrow mornin' an' let ya know when Ah'll be available.”
Hornette beamed with delight. “Thank you, Apple Bloom,” she said, hugging the yellow Earth mare gratefully. “That'd be wonderful.”
“Ah, don't mention it,” replied Apple Bloom, giving the changeling a warm smile of her own as she returned the embrace. “It's what friends do fo' each other.”
Hornette returned home with a spring in her step and and an excited flutter in her heart. She felt pleased with what she had accomplished that day, and couldn't wait to see the look on Locomotion's face when she gave him his present. True, she had never carved anything before, but if Rudolph could carve toys for a whole village, she told herself resolutely, then who was to say a changeling couldn't do the same for her beau?
Passing through the front gate, she could only smile when she saw that Locomotion had arrived before her. He was standing in front of the living room fireplace, putting up the few cards he had already received from his workmates. She must have had a good day, she thought with a barely suppressed giggle, to have come home so late. “Hey, Loco,” she called as she stepped inside, “I'm home!”
Locomotion trotted out into the hallway with a broad grin. “Hullo, Hornette,” he said, drawing her into a hug. “You enjoy yourself?”
“I sure did,” beamed Hornette. “Sweetie-Belle was out shopping today too, and offered to help me with mine. Hence the, er...” and she cocked her head towards the bags she had just set down.
“Wow!” remarked Locomotion. “Someone's been a busy bee, and no mistake. I just hope I'm not redundant already.”
“Redundant? Never!” giggled Hornette. “I've still got loads of presents to buy, Loco. These are just for Surfie, Elli, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom – plus a few little extras for the tree and suchlike. How about you, tender heart?” she added. “Anything special happen at work?”
Locomotion's eyes lit up. “Now you come to mention it, yes – and I'm sure looking forward to telling Uncle Steamer about it tonight!” he grinned eagerly.
Hornette smiled back. “Yeah, I thought you felt a little excited about something,” she mused. “Care to tell me what that something is?”
“Well, I was gonna wait until Uncle Steamer got back,” replied Locomotion, still beaming from ear to ear, “but I suppose it can't hurt to tell you now. You see...” and he explained what Max Pressure had told him earlier.
“...you've been assigned to the Flying Mistletoe?” Steamer stared in amazement.
“That's right,” affirmed Locomotion, puffing out his chest. “I'm firing her from Ponyville to Fort Maine on the 15th, and back again on the 18th. Max says they've got a 484P rostered, so I won't need to worry about straining my arm.”
“Aw, that's brilliant!” smiled Steamer. “You see, Loco? I told you you might still have a chance,” and he ruffled his nephew's mane.
Locomotion chuckled. “Only because of a mechanical stoker,” he retorted playfully. Then, becoming more serious, he added, “I take it Max told you about the Northern Lights Limited?”
“Yes, he said I was taking the Ponyville to Trottingham leg on the 14th and returning with the Sugarplum Fairy the following day.”
“Right...that means Hornette's gonna be on her own for the day,” murmured Locomotion, his smile fading. The ambush hoax that had taken place the last time she had been left alone was still fresh in his memory.
“That's okay, Loco,” interjected Hornette, who was in the middle of cooking dinner under Steamer's instruction. “I'll be fine here on my own, now there's no Electro Diesel to deceive us.”
“Besides,” added Steamer, “those other ponies have more than learned their lesson from last time. Any problems regarding Hornette, they'll take them straight to the police – Twilight Sparkle's seen to that.”
“I know,” sighed Locomotion. “I just can't help worrying sometimes. When I think back to that scam in Market Square...it just sickens me to think how hostile they were.”
Hornette shrugged. “Well, at least we've got Surfie and your parents to support me if need be,” she observed, ignoring her own painful memories of that day as she peered into the saucepan. She paused for a moment, arching a thoughtful eyebrow. “Mr Steamer, could you give me an opinion on this pasta, please?”
“Oh, sure.” Steamer cantered over and spooned out a strand of the spaghetti Hornette was boiling, blowing over it a few times before tasting it. “That's fine, Hornette. I think we can go ahead and serve.”
“Oh, good. I'll just drain it and then start dishing it up.”
“And I'll go lay the table,” put in Steamer. “Oh, and Loco...”
“Yes, Uncle Steamer?”
“...could I ask you something in private?”
“Uh...sure.”
Locomotion, mildly perplexed, followed his uncle into the dining room. Once they had entered, Steamer shut the door behind him and whispered into his ear, “Have you thought about what you're gonna be getting for Hornette?”
“Oh! Umm...” Locomotion pondered. “...well, yes, I have been thinking about it,” he replied, lowering his voice, “and straight away, I don't think I dare buy her present from the Ponyville market stalls.”
“Any particular reason?” ventured Steamer.
“Well, for starters, the Hearth's Warming market in Fort Maine's a lot bigger and more varied than here; and I'm headed there anyway, so it can't hurt to look. Also, any chance I get to go shopping between now and my Flying Mistletoe turn, Hornette's almost certainly gonna want to come with me.”
“Which could easily spoil the surprise,” mused Steamer. “Yeah, that's sound logic there, Loco – just as long as they have what you want. And if they don't...?”
“Then I'll have to try my luck here after all,” decided Locomotion. “Assuming you can keep Hornette busy while I'm out, that is.”
“Don't worry, lad,” smiled Steamer resolutely. “I'm sure there'll still be a bit of baking or wrapping to do by then...”
“Are you nearly ready, Mr Steamer? Dinner's getting cold.”
“Oh, uh...” Steamer hastily turned to the cutlery drawer. “...nearly done, Hornette!” he blurted out as he and Locomotion scrambled to get the table laid.