//------------------------------// // Train Ride // Story: Fallen Star // by xara //------------------------------// Twilight Sparkle, famed student of magic and frequent organizer of, well, all that things could be organized, needful or not, sat atop a plump cushion in front of a table in her tree-house library when the familiar sound of hiccup-woooooosh came from upstairs. Ignoring the interruption for the moment - Spike would bring the message down to her - she continued to focus on the scroll in front of her. She was levitating a small, well-used quill whose tip was far along the way to becoming a useless nub. Being a frequent user of lists, letters, checklists, double-checklists, and more, her home was well-stocked in quill, parchment, and ink. Indeed, in the case of the last item, a certain merchant pony who stocked the pigmented liquid had seen his business improved greatly since Twilight's arrival, to his glee. Her horn glowing a soft hue of purple to indicate her use of magic, she dipped the quill in the nearby inkwell, slipping it alongside the well to brush away the excess ink. An aged tome lay to the side, a light cobalt-colored page-holder keeping the worn leafs from shuffling to some random page. Dragonsteps sounded on the circular staircase that led to the room where she and Spike slept; the Library proper was, in theory, a public place. She laid the quill's tip to the paper to finish a sentence. "... is why the author of Magyckal Practyce believes it is possible to secure a spell such that the caster need not continue channeling to maintain it." Spike appeared at the foot of the stairs, holding up a parchment of his own, unrolled but curling at each end. "Twilight, a letter from the Princess!" he announced. The dragon was one of Twilight's fastest links to Celestia with his ability to both send and receive letters in a puff of green fire. She'd never found out just how the flammable material survived such a trip (not to mention traveling so many miles in mere seconds), but she'd never spoken long enough with any other adult dragons to question them about it. Spike, an orphan she had cared for since she was a filly, accepted the talent as an inherent ability and could provide no meaningful answer. Didn't Zoological Notes on Sentient Creatures have a section on dragons she hadn't yet read? She made a mental note to check its index and explore further, though she had many other books to study now at Celestia's recent request. Spike's parchment waved almost in front of her face. "Just a moment, Spike," she said sternly. Held down by a few paperweights, her writing was safe enough to leave as the ink dried. The quill floated gently to a small sink, where Twilight washed out the remaining ink before plopping the quill into a clear glass bowl. Satisfied that everything was in place, she looked at her scaled friend. She focused once more, and the parchment left his grasp and floated in front of her. Backwards. She blushed and saw the beginnings of a grin on Spike's face, but he wisely stifled it and returned to an expression of interest. The paper spun around. "Dear Twilight Sparkle," the letter began. "My faithful student, I know that soon it shall once again be your birthday. How time flies in these exciting days! You have been working admirably hard on the assignments I have given you, and I believe you have earned some well-deserved rest. It would be my pleasure to host a small celebration on your behalf here in Canterlot. Please extend this invitation to Spike and your Pony friends, as well - your old tower has been cleared and cleaned and awaits the seven of you. Your teacher, Princess Celestia." Below the writing was Celestia's mark. "Are we going?" asked Spike hopefully. "Of course!" It didn't take long to complete a suitable reply, accepting for herself and on behalf of her friends, who would no doubt leap at the chance. "Now we just need to... " "Don't say it... " "...make a list of what to bring!" "... argghh," the dragon lamented, scooping several clipboards off the pegs on the wall. Several hours later, the clipboards were lined carefully along a table. Her birthday was a few days away still, so she would tell her friends about the invitation and shop for a few missing items (her book-bag had gotten so worn, she had to get something sturdier!) in town today. Spike stayed behind, rolling his eyes and hauling empty baggage out to stuff with their belongings, but Twilight left to seek out her friends. Her first stop was the Carousel Boutique, Rarity's fashion workplace and shop. The bell tinkled a sweet melody as Twilight stepped through. The fashionista appeared to be embroiled in an argument with another pony as they stood beside a large crate. "Twilight, hello! Just a moment, darling," Rarity called out as she noticed her friend's entrance. Twilight smiled and moved to the side of the shop, inspecting some of the displays. Beautiful fabrics had been expertly sewn into various designs, some with sharp, eye-catching lines and others with soft, flowing curves that seemed to sigh with their ripples. Rarity had apparently taken a liking to rubies this season, as one deeply red dress sported dozens of the gemstones. "No, no, no! That will not do," huffed Rarity, stamping the floor in exasperation. "I specifically ordered Burgundy satin, not Chestnut! You can't possibly expect me to 'make do' with this." The other pony, a unicorn with a soft olive coat sporting his cutie mark of a box with an up arrow within it, started to speak, but was headed off by Rarity. "Anyway, I already have plenty of Chestnut. Please," she batted her eyelashes at the stallion, "take this back and see that they fill the order properly?" The deliverypony faltered in the face of Rarity's little pout, and soon had the crate levitated and heading out the door. Smiling at her victory, the designer moved to greet Twilight with a happy clasp of hoof to mane in a pony hug. "So good to see you, Twilight. What can I do for you?" Twilight returned the hug. "Well, you probably know it's my birthday later this week." "Oh yes," Rarity answered. "I just know you'll love my gift." "Princess Celestia has invited all of us to come to Canterlot for the party!" Rarity's eyes widened and lit up at the mention of the star-studded capital. "I thought we could take the afternoon train tomorrow, if you would like to go." "Would I? Would I?! Of course, darling, I should love to join you." Rarity sparkled with delight. "Great... I was hoping to get a new bookbag before we go. I don't know if you have any accessories that might fit?" She shouldered down the sad, ragged pack that had served as tome transport, and Rarity flashed a horrified look for just a moment as it hit the floor. "Why... yes. I have just the thing. Something in a light blue, I think, with the most adorable buckle... " "Something simple is fine," said Twilight. "Nonsense... " After accepting a new bag at Rarity's insistence, Twilight left the shop before Rarity eyed her up for a makeover or dressing, and continued on to find her other friends. She found Rainbow Dash happily dozing in the shade of a tree; the pegasus accepted the invitation with a query. "I don't suppose we'll be traveling with an incredibly delicious multistory icing-covered cake again, will we?" she asked with her mouth watering. Twilight just shook her head. She continued through her, heading for Sugarcube Corner next. "Ohh, we'll have to bring a totally tasty cake towering with tons of icing!" said Pinkie Pie in high-pitched glee as she bounced in circles around Twilight. "I'm sure the Princess will have somepony making a cake so we don't have to transport one," said Twilight. Pinkie paused, then started bouncing again. "Oh they'll have cakes and pies of every shape and size... " Twilight fled before what was obviously going to be a song got into full swing. Pinkie didn't mind - the Cakes still got to hear. Down at her cottage, Fluttershy accepted the invitation without incident. "Oh, it'll be so nice to have a nice, quiet party with you and the Princess and the others," she said, spinning in a little twist with her wings. Twilight accepted a hug from the excited pony, then, pausing for a moment, nodded her head when she confirmed that Sweet Apple Acres was her last place to visit. Twilight caught Applejack as the Apple family was sitting together for lunch. Her friend was a little hesitant. "Aw hay, Twilight, I don't know. I figured we'd have your party here in town. I don't know if I can spend a week away from the farm just now, we've got a lot of chores 'bout this time of year." Applejack's younger sister, Apple Bloom, had been happily munching on a hay sandwich. She spoke up, spraying little bits of it onto the wood table. "I can help, sis! I'll do your chores." Applejack looked wary. "Now I appreciate that, sis, but that's a lot of work for a young filly like you." "Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo can help too, I'm sure of it! Especially since Rarity and Rainbow Dash are going and we all like helping our big sisters." The older sister ruffled Apple Bloom's mane with a smile. "Well heck, we sure are lucky to have such lovin' sisters. That sound okay to you, Big Mac?" she asked her muscular brother. "Eeyup." With all the invitations passed out and accepted, and a brand-new book-bag at her side (she could swear she had heard Rarity mutter something about 'burning this old horrible thing' when she had left the old one behind), it was time to return home. She found Spike curled atop one of her travel trunks, snoozing, but she let him be for now. She picked up a clipboard and began ticking off items. ~ ~ ~ The night passed without incident, though all across Ponyville certain mares struggled to sleep with heads filled with excitement about the upcoming trip. The next day, the friends met for breakfast at Ponyville's cafe. Sipping on hay shakes and nibbling bits of biscuit, they discussed the upcoming trip and celebration. "Where shall we be staying, Twilight?" questioned Rarity. "Do you remember the ivory tower that I used to stay in?" said Twilight. "I showed it to you the night of the Gala." The ponies nodded. "Well, the main bed and some spares should keep us all cozy there; the Princess said the place had been cleaned and would be set up for us." "Mmm, I bet it has quite the loveliest view," murmured Rarity. "Who cares about the view?" snickered Rainbow Dash. The two began an argument, but Twilight turned to Fluttershy as the quiet pony tapped a hoof to Twilight's shoulder. "Do you think... we can visit the gardens together, Twilight?" asked Fluttershy. Twilight smiled. "I'm sure we can, Fluttershy, we'll have a few days to visit all the city." "Oh, good!" Breakfast done, the ponies parted ways and agreed to meet in a few hours to catch the train to Canterlot. Twilight entered her home, and was immediately accosted by Spike. "Twilight, I don't know what books you want me to pack." She thought about it, but patted the dragon atop his head with her hoof, gently. "No study books, Spike. The Princess knows its a break from my studies and we'll be busy having fun. I've got a new bag," she indicated the shiny acquisition, "but I'll just take a few light fiction books." Spike faked collapsing to the floor, one claw over his eyes in exaggerated response. "No books to study, she says! I must have gotten a fever... I'm becoming delirious... " Twilight nudged the fallen dragon, who rolled once across the floor before hopping back to his feet. "Very funny, Spike. Now, I need my checklist... " He groaned. Afternoon arrived and Twilight set out from home, several bags and cases laden on a small cart which Spike pushed alongside her. Applejack and Fluttershy were already at the station chatting as she approached. They both smiled at her and she returned one, passing by to approach the ticket booth. She showed the letter from Celestia with the mark on it to the stallion manning the booth - he spared it only a cursory glance. Twilight was a familiar passenger by now, and he was happy to issue seven tickets gratis. She thanked him, whisking the tickets into her little pack. Returning to her luggage, she helped Spike roll it over to the Bag-pony. He looked over the belongings, writing out some symbols upon little tags which he affixed to the cases before nodding at several burly ponies who hefted the luggage into the train's storage. Applejack, Fluttershy, and now Rainbow Dash came forward, getting their own bags into the queue. Just before three o'clock, all the ponies (and one baby dragon) comfortably seated in one of the passenger cars, the train's whistle sounded and the conductor pony called out "All aboard for Canterlot!" three more times. He spared a last glance at the station before trotting up the ramp and hopping the little gap to the train, signaling the engineers to depart. The whistle's shrill tone pierced once more, and with the grinding protest of metal against metal the train began to pull away. They chatted a bit again, but they'd already spoken about most of the news each had to share so conversation waned after a short time. The trip to Canterlot was an overnight one; each of the friends had brought something to occupy their time. Rarity acquired a hot towel from one of the staff and placed it over her face ("Must keep the complexion clear", she quipped), relaxing on the cushioned seat while Fluttershy brushed the unicorn's purple mane. Twilight and Dash grinned at each other when they both pulled out the same novel from the Daring Do series. Pinkie Pie had bounded to the next car over, wanting to meet the other passengers, and Applejack pulled up her legs for a snooze. Spike had already beaten her to that activity. They shared supper in the dining car, exchanging words with some businessponies that Pinkie Pie introduced to the group. The businessponies were inventors, they told the group, and were traveling to Canterlot all the way from Fillydelphia to meet with Celestia at her request. The two ponies wouldn't say just what they had invented, but only smiled slyly and said "it was sure to change things in Equestria." Twilight and the others eventually returned to their passenger car, and as night came, they began to yawn, and one by one each retired to a small, private bunk. Twilight tucked Spike into his bunk before yawning and slipping under the soft linen covers of her own. The great big pillow sank under her head and sleep came quickly. She rose fairly early the next morning; only Applejack, so used to farm hours, was up before her, sipping a warm morning drink. "Mornin', Twilight," came the greeting, which she returned. Twilight walked over to the window, looking out at the wide open plains they were passing through. She could see the engine at the front as the train followed a gentle right curve across the land. They rumbled over the tracks loudly, and she felt her teeth vibrating within her mouth. Applejack had brought a tray of biscuits back from the dining car, and Twilight took a bite of the warm treats. "This track sure seems rougher than the last time we came this way," noted Applejack. Behind her in the sleeper area, Rainbow Dash had rolled out from the curtained bunk and was yawning and stretching in the hallway. "Yes, it does, I... " Rumble. The droning and vibrating of the train suddenly rose to an even greater level. Twilight's teeth started chattering as if the air had turned frigid. "Must be... a bad... patch," she struggled to get out. "Hoofbrain!" cursed Dash from the sleeper section; Fluttershy had been vibrated straight out of her bunk and down onto the surprised pegasus. "I'm so sorry!" cried Fluttershy, scooting off and trying to straighten Dash's feathers. Twilight was about to speak when she caught something from the corner of her eye and turned to the window. She gasped, nearly unbelieving. Perhaps a mile in front of the train's path, a massive cloud of dust obscured the tracks and the landscape behind it, but something dark loomed within the cloud. Twilight saw an expanding ring of dust trembling across the plain, and she shouted out, "Brace yourselves!" They flung themselves to the floor as a quake struck the train, threatening to derail it. Cushions fell to the floor; the plate holding the biscuits slid off the table and cracked on the floor, spilling the goods all over the carpeting. There were shrieks from the other passenger car, and a few yells of surprise from the bunks. One voice called out "WoooooOOOOO what a ride!" Miraculously, the train stayed on the rail. As the quake passed, Twilight got back to her hooves to peer out the window again. By the sun's light... she thought. The huge dust cloud above the tracks had dissipated just a little, enough to reveal a towering structure of what looked like black crystal. It jutted out from the land; she could see a piece of the metal railway hanging, broken, from one of its dark outcroppings. They were headed straight for it. The engineers had hit the brakes, but they were going fast, too fast. "Everypony come here, quick!" shouted Twilight. Rarity, Pinkie, and Spike flew from the bunks and crowded beside Twilight. Her horn glowed brightly and she forced herself to focus as she brought a shielding spell into being. Her heart sank as she realized she only had time enough to cover her friends. She could only hope the train's employees and the other passengers could protect themselves the same way. The train was slowing, but still struck the crystal with thunderous force. Metal buckled and collapsed, and the group of ponies was flung to the side and tipped end over end as their car was swept off the track. Twilight struck her head on something, and knew only darkness.