//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 
// Story: What the Truck 
// by totallynotabrony 
//------------------------------//

	The drive to town was pleasant.  Twilight enjoyed the breeze from the open window.  The speedometer read “25.”  It was certainly faster than a pony could trot, but Applejack reported that it felt slow to her.
“Hey, what is that thing?” a distant voice called.  Seconds later, a blue pegasus with multicolored mane and tail appeared next to Twilight’s window.  She looked in surprise at her friend before glancing at the strange machine.
“Hello Rainbow,” said Twilight.  “This is Applejack.  She’s um…currently in a bit of a strange situation.”
“That’s pretty much it,” agreed Applejack.  
Rainbow nearly fell out of the air in astonishment, but quickly recovered.  “So what are you going to do about it?”
“We’re on our way to Canterlot to see the Princesses,” explained Twilight.
“Want to come?” asked Applejack.  She chuckled.  “I’ve got room.”
Rainbow opened the passenger door and sat, copying Twilight’s posture.  She opened the window and stuck a hoof out.
The three of them entered Ponyville.  Applejack slowed down, cruising the streets.  Residents of the town were clearly surprised, but being Equestria, it was not the strangest thing they had seen in the past few years.  Most of them gave curious looks to Twilight and Rainbow, who were clearly enjoying themselves.
“Hey look, it’s Pinkie,” said Rainbow, pointing at a bouncing pink mare who was coming their way.  Her eyes were closed, but she managed to hop in a perfectly straight line down the street.  Applejack stopped as she approached.
Pinkie paused in midair and her eyes popped open.  Her nose was inches from Applejack’s grille.  Pinkie smiled and dropped to the ground.  “Hi Applejack.  Hi Rainbow.  Hi Twilight.”
“How did you know it was me?” asked Applejack.
“Silly, who else could it be?”  Pinkie jumped through the window and wiggled into position between the two mares already inside.
“There’s lots of room in the back seat,” Twilight pointed out uncomfortably.
Pinkie hooked her hooves around her friends’ necks and hauled them close with a giggle.  “But what’s the fun in that?  Now we can have a mobile party!”
“Just don’t stain the upholstery,” muttered Applejack as she began to move again.
“Rarity mentioned to me the other day that she wanted to go to Canterlot,” thought Twilight out loud.  “Since we’re on the way, we should stop by and pick her up.”
Applejack sighed and stopped outside the Carousel Boutique.  Twilight got out and went to find Rarity.  To say that the fashionable white unicorn was skeptical of the machine parked outside would be an understatement.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” said Rarity, very disapprovingly.
“Come on, there are rubber weatherstripping seals on her doors,” said Twilight.  “No dirt is going to get in.”
“Well, I do have quite a lot to bring with me,” said Rarity.  “The train would charge a mane and a tail for baggage fees.”
After wrapping her wares in several layers of dirt and water proofing material, Rarity consented to let Applejack carry them.  She took it a step further by stretching a tarp over the top of the truck’s bed.
“I suppose that also helps with aerodynamics,” commented Twilight as they climbed in.
“What’s that mean?” asked Pinkie.
“It’s the way wind moves over various shapes,” explained Twilight.  “It helps determine things like performance and fuel economy.”
“I was meaning to ask about that,” said Rainbow.  “If Applejack is a machine now, doesn’t she need something to run on?”
Twilight indicated the fuel gauge.  “It still shows mostly full of gasoline.”
In an effort to see what Twilight was pointing at, Rainbow leaned across Pinkie, who giggled at her friend’s head in her lap.  Twilight tried to get out of the way, somehow ending up facing the wrong way and her face only inches from Pinkie’s.
After several more uncomfortable and slightly questionable contortions, somehow Rainbow ended up in the driver’s seat and Twilight on the other side.  Continuing on as if nothing had happened, Rainbow said, “So what’s this?  Gasoline?  Where are we supposed to get more of that?”
“She’s also compatible with ethanol,” put in Twilight.
“Well we knew that,” Pinkie laughed.  “Applejack is the local cider maker, after all.”
“Could you keep it down?” called Rarity from the back seat.  “This is very comfortable, like a fine settee, and I am trying to sleep.”
Pinkie was about to accuse her of being a party pooper, but spotted Fluttershy and began insisting that Applejack pull over.
The timid yellow pegasus didn’t see the truck until Applejack’s imposing shadow fell across her.  Had it not been for a simultaneous partyblindfolding by Pinkie, the poor mare’s heart may have given out from shock.  It came close anyway when the blindfold was removed and she found herself inside a strange machine rolling down the street.
“Did you have to scare her like that?” asked Applejack.
“Where is that voice coming from?” asked Fluttershy, looking around for her friend.
“Applejack turned into this strange contraption,” explained Pinkie.  “But we’re going to see the Princesses about it, so everything will be fine.”
“Oh, okay.”  Somewhat reassured, Fluttershy leaned back and made herself comfortable.  Rarity, no longer having the whole back seat to herself, sat primly beside her.
As they passed the park, a mint-green unicorn glanced up from the magazine she was reading, doing a double-take as Applejack drove by.  She stuffed the monthly publication into her saddlebags and ran to catch up.  “Wait!”
Twilight leaned out the window.  “What is it, Lyra?”
“I need a ride!” exclaimed the green mare.
“We’re going to Canterlot,” said Rainbow.
“That’s perfect.”  Lyra yanked open the back door and settled herself between Fluttershy and Rarity.  She was grinning like a madmare and rubbing her hooves together in delight.  “This is so amazing!  I’ve been waiting forever to get a chance like this!”
The top of the magazine protruded far enough for Fluttershy to read the title, Motor Trend, but not see the cover.  It didn’t sound like something she was interested in, and looked away without comment.  In fact, none of the other ponies said anything, either.  Lyra was generally regarded as “pretty weird,” and outlandish reactions to foreign technology was just part of her personality.
Outside of Ponyville, Applejack began to pick up speed.  While it was very hard to read her emotions because she didn’t have a face, Twilight thought she might be enjoying herself.  “How do you feel, Applejack?”
“Well, it’s mighty nice to exercise a bit.  Kind of weird having you all inside me, though.”
“Wow, I think it would be weird having ponies inside me, too,” exclaimed Pinkie.
Rarity looked out the window.  “Are you sure this is safe?  You’re going at least as fast as the train.”
“I doubt she's faster than me,” said Rainbow.
“It’s okay,” said Applejack.  “I sure as heck weigh more than you.”
The banter continued for a while, but tapered off as they drew closer to Canterlot.  
“Didn't you say that this was a radio?” said a bored Pinkie, gesturing to the dashboard.  “Let's have some music!”
Twilight began adjusting the buttons and knobs, looking for a station.  Equestria used different frequencies than AM and FM, and nopony had any idea what a Compact Disk might be.  Something called satellite radio seemed to work, however, and Pinkie quickly began flipping through the channels and giggling at the strange alien music.
Looking forward out the windshield as they approached Canterlot, Twilight grew nervous as she noticed that nopony seemed to be about.
Nopony, that is, except for a giant cloud of Changelings that had descended on the city.