The train lurched to the side, knocking Pinkie and Applejack off the sofa. Applejack pushed herself up against the sofa. "What in tarnation was that?"
Rarity reached down to help Pinkie up. "Did the train derail?"
Pinkie hopped to the window. "Nope, we're still movi-"
All three were flung forward as the train suddenly stopped. They landed in a heap at the front of the cabin. As they struggled to untangle themselves and get back on their hooves, another roar echoed though the train. "Did we just stop?" asked Rarity.
Pinkie leapt up and rushed to the window. "Nooo we're still moving but really really slow."
Applejack grabbed her hat and flipped it back on her head. "Somethin's up, c'mon girls." She ran to the door followed closely by Rarity and Pinkie. Applejack flung the door open just in time to see the conductor and a dark brown stallion gallop past.
The conductor was stopped in her tracks when an aqua glow engulfed her tail. She struggled for a moment before she realized she was being held by magic and she looked angrily back at the three mares as they stepped out of the cabin. "LET ME GO!" she yelled, tugging at the magic gripping her.
"Not till ya tell us what's goin' on around here," said Applejack as she stepped over to the peach colored mare.
The conductor grunted and made one last tug against the magic holding her. "Something is attacking the train, it's grabbed one of the flatbed cars or something. I can't tell what it is in this rain, but it's big." Another roar echoed though the air around them. "And loud. We gotta get it off the train so LET ME GO!" she strained again against the magic.
Rarity released the conductor who rolled forwards till she hit the door. Pinkie and Applejack ran forwards followed closely by Rarity.
The conductor gave them an upside down glare then rolled over onto her haunches.
"Are you ok?" asked Pinkie as the three of them reached her.
The conductor grumbled something and straightened her hat as she got to her hooves then rushed out the door with one final angry glare at them. After a moment's hesitation they followed her.
The seats in the next car were still mostly full of ponies, but this time almost all of them were looking to the back of the train with varying expressions of fear. A group of braver ponies was huddled up next to the door looking out the window. The brown stallion who had been running with the conductor was trying to push his way through the crowd, without much luck. The conductor reached him and it looked to Rarity like she was about to yell something when the train shuddered again and another roar cut though the air, causing all the ponies around the door to duck down then slowly stand up again.
Applejack was the first to reach them. "MAKE WAY!" she hollered and bulldozed her way through the crowd as ponies scrambled to get out of her way. She skidded to a stop at the door and reared up to look out the window. The conductor and the brown pony used this opportunity to move up though the crowd and peered out the window beside Applejack.
"Can you see anything?" asked Rarity as she and Pinkie came up behind.
Applejack squinted, trying to see though the pouring rain. "Ah can't make it out, but it looks dang big."
"I don't care how big it is, we have to get it off the train," said the conductor before she turned around to face the crowd of ponies in the car. "Alright," she shouted and the noise in the car settled down. "There's something out there attacking the train, can't see what it is but we gotta get it off, I don't think me and Amcan," she pointed her hoof to herself and the brown stallion beside her, "can do it ourselves so we need volunteers to help. Any takers?" she asked and turned her head back and forth, scanning the crowd of ponies.
Applejack pointed at herself and her friends. "We'll go."
Pinkie hopped up next to her. "Yeah, that mean monster won't stand a chance against us," she put her foreleg around Rarity. "Isn't that right Rarity?"
Rarity sighed and flipped her main out of her eyes. "If we must. I suppose I cannot end up looking any worse than I already do."
Several ponies from the crowd stepped forward shortly after. In the end they had a group made up of Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, the conductor, the dark brown stallion the conductor called Amcan, three other earth pony stallions and a unicorn mare. They all stepped out of the rear door into the pouring rain.
There were two cargo flatbed cars being hauled behind the passenger cars. The first flatbed was clear aside from Pinkie's balloon, which was tied-down at the back of it. Through the rain Rarity could make out a huge form by the second car. "Hydra..." The words were barely a whisper as they escaped her lips. "HYDRA!" she yelled, making sure everypony knew what they were dealing with.
"Yer kiddin', another one?" asked Applejack as she turned to Rarity.
Some of the ponies hesitated upon hearing Rarity's shout but the conductor pressed forwards. "Well I don't care what it is, we've gotta get it away from the train."
The group of ponies followed her confident stride. When they reached the balloon they could see the hydra chasing the train. Two of its heads were locked onto the rear flatbed car and the other four appeared to be glaring at it.
"Okay-" the conductor started when the hydra's four free heads lunged forwards and all grabbed whatever part of the flatbed they could. The conductor's jaw dropped as it struggled to lift the car up and managed to get the rear wheels off the track before it had to release it. The rear of the flatbed car slammed back onto the track with a loud clang and the whole train shook. The impact knocked several of the group off their hooves. The train began to pull away from the hydra, but just before it got out of reach two heads lunged forward and bit back down onto the rear of the flatbed.
Applejack spoke up, "Ah reckon if we can get that varmint to let go of the train and keep it busy for a bit, we can git away." She reached up to the basket and tugged her rope loose from around the fan.
"Think she's right," said Amcan, he turned to the assembled ponies, "you earth ponies can help me knock those heads off the train." He turned to the two unicorns. "Can any of you use any magic that can help?
Rarity shook her head, "Unfortunately I don't think so and I don't see anything I can hurl at the beast."
The other unicorn mare reluctantly nodded. "I can make small magic shields. That might help, right?" she looked hopefully at Amcan.
"Good, then-"
A roar cut though the air and all the ponies looked up to see the hydra staring at them with twelve pairs of angry eyes.
"We ain't gotta lotta time here," Applejack looked between her friends. "Pinkie and Rarity come with me, you too conductor. We're gonna try and kick that left head off the train." She looked at the stallions. "You boys try an' knock off the other head. Ya can shield us, right?" she asked the unicorn.
"Uhh, well I don't thin... uhh yeah, yeah I can protect everypony," the mare hastily nodded.
"Atta girl. C'MON EVERYPONY!" shouted Applejack, 'LETS GO!" She charged ahead followed by Pinkie, the conductor and Rarity. The other group charged beside them. As they all jumped from one flatbed to the other they split up.
Rarity watched two pairs of eyes tracking her group. Ahead of her she could see Applejack tense up as she prepared her attack on the head chewing the left side of the flatbed car. As they got closer, one of the heads watching the other group suddenly turned and three hydra heads lunged towards Rarity's group. She was about to dive to the side when two glowing pink walls appeared in front of them. All three heads slammed into them and quickly pulled back in pain as the walls faded. Rarity glanced behind her and saw the other unicorn giving her a smile. There was a loud crash beside her as the other hydra head impacted the flatbed car. Two of the stallions just managed to jump out of the way.
A shout from Applejack turned Rarity's focus back to the task at hoof. "EVERYPONY BUCK AT THE COUNT OF THREE!"
"ONE!"
Rarity spun herself around. Beside her the conductor and Applejack did the same.
"TWO!"
Pinkie hopped up beside her, rearing up on her front legs like Rarity was. She grinned at the white unicorn. Above them, the three recently deflected hydra heads shook themselves to regain their bearings.
"THREE!"
Rarity kicked with all her strength. Four pairs of back hooves impacted the hydra's head at once. The flatbed car shook beneath her as the head was pushed back, its teeth leaving deep gouges in the surface till it finally opened its mouth and shot into the air, letting out a howl of pain.
Another roar sounded, letting them know the other head had released its grip. The flatbed jerked forwards as the weight of the hydra was suddenly released and it began to pick up speed.
All the ponies let out a triumphant cheer that was cut short as another hydra head darted forward and managed to just catch the back of the car. They were thrown off their hooves as the train was suddenly slowed again. The hydra was running behind the train to avoid being pulled over by it. The other three heads recovered from the shock of ramming the shield; they all lunged forward and grabbed the rear of the flatbed. The train slowed more while the two kicked heads waved around above the monster.
The ponies struggled back onto their hooves. "Dang it!" Applejack threw her hat on the ground. "What's with this varmint!? The dang thing just won't give up." She squared up her shoulders. "Okay, teams on each head, LETS GO!" She barely gave everypony time to get ready before charging again. They got about halfway down the flatbed before the hydra shook the car again, causing them to fall over each other and land in a heap.
Before they could get back up the hydra began scooting its heads up the side of the flatbed. "What on earth is it doing?" Rarity asked no pony in particular, as they all stood up.
"I don't know but I don't like it," spoke up the conductor, "let's just get it..." The words died in her throat as the hydra began to drag its huge body onto the back of the flatbed.
Amcan recovered first. "The rear flatbed, lets disconnect it. EVERYPONY TO THE NEXT CAR!"
They all scrambled to the other car as the hydra managed to stand up. The conductor and the brown stallion worked between the cars for a moment before the train jerked forwards and began pulling ahead of the rear flatbed car. They had all reached the balloon in the middle of the front flatbed car when Pinkie stopped.
"Applejack! Your hat!." She turned around and leapt over the growing divide between the cars and galloped towards the brown Stetson laying perilously close to the now standing hydra. Its heads tracked the pink pony, ready to strike.
"PINKIE!" shrieked Rarity as the hydra charged towards her special somepony. Pinkie Pie grabbed Applejack's hat in her mouth and bolted back to the second flatbed car. Rarity's horn glowed and she reached out for anything she could grab with her magic. Without thinking she grabbed a hold of a sheet of fabric. She ripped the fabric from whatever it was attached to and flung it at the hydra just as its heads dove down towards Pinkie. Before they could bite her, the colorful canvas of the balloon wrapped itself around the three heads that had lunged at the pink pony. Pinkie used the confusion to gallop with all her might back to the forward flatbed car. The gap was even wider now as the rear car began to slow down.
As Pinkie's hooves left the rear car, Rarity could see she wouldn't make the jump. She raced to the rear of the flatbed and reached out with her magic, but Pinkie was just too far to grab. Before she fell between the cars, Pinkie pulled her party cannon from behind her, pointed it at the ground and was propelled forward by an explosion of confetti and streamers. Narrowly dodging a charging hydra head that slammed into the cannon as it fell onto the tracks and got stuck under the flatbed car. "IT'S BACK!" Pinkie squealed before crashing into Rarity. They tumbled end over end until they slammed into the side of the basket.
The hydra's two free heads let out one last roar as the train sped away from it. The ponies let out a triumphant cry.
Applejack walked around the basket while the rest of the group jumped up and down, slapping each other on the back and congratulating themselves for saving the train. Rarity and Pinkie were still lying where they had landed, Applejack's hat covering their heads. She leaned down, grabbed her Stetson from them and flipped it onto her head. "Thanks Pinkie but ya shouldn't have done..." she stopped when she saw the two of them deeply kissing. One by one the other ponies of the group poked their heads around the basket to see what had caught Applejack's attention.
The other unicorn's giggling snapped Applejack back to the present. She turned and addressed the rest of their group. "Okay everypony, shows over. Let's give em some privacy and git out of this rain. The rest of the group grumbled but complied as Applejack pushed them back into the passenger car. When they got back in they were greeted with cheers from the rest of the ponies in the car. The dark orange mare who had provided snacks for Applejack the day before stood next to a cart at the door and was giving towels to everypony who had gone out. The rest of their group went back to their seats amidst a sea of adulation from the other passengers.
"Well that was crazy," the conductor turned to Applejack and smiled. "Great job out there."
Applejack smiled back and raised her hoof. "You too sug."
The conductor hoof bumped her and trotted up the aisle towards the front of the train. Applejack rubbed the towel over herself and her hat then sat down beside the door to wait for her friends. A short time later, a sopping wet but smiling Rarity trotted in, carrying a just as wet, but sleeping Pinkie on her back.
Rarity cleared her throat and looked slightly embarrassed. "Terribly sorry to have kept you waiting, darling."
Applejack stood up. "No worries. Tired her out did ya?." She said then held out a pair of towels to them. "Here ya go."
Rarity ignored the remark but a light blush crossed her cheeks. A light blue glow enveloped the towels as she levitated one of them onto Pinkie's back and used the other one to quickly dry her mane. "Thank you darling. Shall we?"
Applejack nodded and the two of them trotted back to their cabin. After they entered the room Applejack laid down on the sofa while Rarity levitated Pinkie in the air, softly drying her off with the towel.
"Why don't ya just use yer magic?" Applejack asked quietly.
Rarity kept her eyes on Pinkie as the towel moved gently over every nook and cranny. "The clean spell can cause split ends. I prefer not to use if it I do not have to." She finished drying Pinkie then gently placed her on the middle of the bed, where she curled up in a ball. Rarity removed her necklace and put it on the nightstand then quickly dried herself and crawled up onto the bed. As soon as Rarity came near Pinkie, the pink pony uncurled herself and leapt at the unicorn. "Waahahaaaa," shrieked Rarity as Pinkie wrapped herself around Rarity's body, still fast asleep. Rarity sighed and looked down at Pinkie "I do wish you wouldn't do that dear."
Applejack took off her hat and set it on the back of the sofa. "What'd she do?"
"She has a habit pouncing on me when I think she's asleep. You would think I would be used to it by now," Rarity leaned down and softly kissed Pinkie's forehead, a big smile spread across Pinkie's face. "I suppose that's one of the things that I love about her. It is simply impossible to know what will happen when she's around."
"Still seems a might strange that ya'll are together. Ah mean ya'll just seem like opposites, ya know?"
Rarity gave Applejack a sultry look and flicked her mane. "Darling, haven't you heard that opposites attract?" She let out a quick laugh then looked down at the pony sleeping against her and a smile crept along her lips. "In all seriousness, we aren't quite as much of opposites as we seem. We are both artists despite working in different mediums, we both enjoy parties despite preferring different kinds and we both want to bring happiness to everypony, just in our own ways."
Applejack rubbed her chin with her hoof. "Suppose ya'll do have more in common then Ah thought, but that ain't what I meant, sug. Ah mean Pinkie likes ta make messes and yer pretty," she thought for a moment before finally settling on "anti-mess."
Rarity giggled softly and stroked Pinkie's cheek with her hoof before responding. "Believe me darling, we had difficulty overcoming that when we began to see each other romantically. However, it did not take long for her to understand my discomfort and for me to become a bit more accepting of her messiness."
"Then what was all that with ya-" Applejack waved her hoof in a circle as she thought for a moment. "Freakin' out on Pinkie like that, when we found ya in the forest?"
Rarity frowned and looked down at her special somepony, lightly stroking her coat. "I said I'm getting better, but I still have... difficulty when somepony important sees me at less than my best."
"So Pinkie being the one that saw ya-"
"Yes, I am afraid I over-reacted a little."
Applejack chuckled, "A little? Ya freaked out more than Pinkie did when ya didn't come home."
"Oh dear. I do hope she wasn't too distraught. I asked Hoity Toity to send her a letter before I left for Prancington so she wouldn't worry."
Applejack shook her head. "Ah'm afraid he fergot to send that. We only found out ya went someplace else when we got a letter from Hoity Toity asking bout yer trip."
"Oh my." Rarity leaned down and nuzzled Pinkie's neck lightly. "The poor dear must have been beside herself."
"Ya don't know the half of it. One day Ah found her..." Applejack paused for a moment. "Ok, now Ah ain't sure Ah should be tellin' ya this, but yer her special somepony so ya outta know 'bout it. Did Pinkie ever tell ya 'bout her imaginary friends?"
Rarity shook her head.
"Well, when she gets real sad, they apparently come out and try an' make her happy again. When ya disappeared they were tellin' her that ya weren't coming back or ya didn't love her or some nonsense like that. The really weird thing is that they would kinda appear around her."
Rarity cocked her head. "What do you mean?"
"Well, before we left yer boutique she had a pile of rocks, a bucket of turnips, a sack of flour, and a ball of lint."
"A ball of lint?"
Applejack shrugged. "Got me, but Pinkie was movin' them around and making voices for em all. She looked pretty crazy doin' it."
Rarity frowned at Applejack, "Do not call her crazy. I know she can be a bit... eccentric but do not call her crazy."
"Ok ok, Ah apologize. Mah point is that she was actin' really weird and ya oughta talk to her 'bout it or somethin'."
Rarity relaxed. "I suppose you're right. It does sound like she might have gone a bit far."
Applejack nodded. "Might be for her best, sug."
The two sat in silence for a moment. Rarity looked out the window, the heavy rain had become a light drizzle and she could see a dark blue sky between the gaps in the clouds. "Is it night already?" Asked Rarity.
Applejack looked out the window. "Looks like the sun might be settin'." She let out a yawn. "Kinda feels like it too. Ah'm gonna turn in."
"Would you like to join us on the bed?" Rarity patted the bed beside her.
Applejack shook her head. "Nah. Don't feel right sharing a bed with ya'll two love birds."
"Alright darling, but if you change your mind there is more than enough bed for you."
"Thanks fer the offer, but Ah'm fine here," replied Applejack as she reached up to her hat, pulling it down onto her head. The last thing she saw before the brim covered her eyes was Rarity turning to look out the window.
------------------------------------
Applejack shut her eyes tightly as sunlight attempted to force its way through her eyelids. A soft humming trickled into her ears, finally causing her to open her eyes and tip up the brim of her hat. She squinted and could see familiar hills "Must be gettin' close to Canterlot," she mumbled to herself before her attention was drawn back to the humming coming from the other side of the cabin.
On the bed Pinkie was softly humming while holding Rarity's head in her lap. Applejack watched as the pink pony softly drew a brush she had acquired somewhere through Rarity's long mane.
"Does Rarity know yer touching her mane?" asked Applejack with a raised eyebrow.
Pinkie softly giggled and nodded. "Yeppers," she said quietly. "But don't tell anypony, she is very selective about who touches her mane and if everypony knew how wonderfully silky smooth it was then they would want to brush it also."
"Err, if ya say so Pinkie," said Applejack while Pinkie finished the tips of Rarity's mane. Last night when Applejack had seen her, Rarity's mane hung limp from the rain, but now it looked coifed to perfection.
Pinkie set down the brush and leaned back to examine her work. "Hmmmmm, PERFECT!" she exclaimed.
"Hold on, ya mean yer the one who styled her mane?"
Pinkie giggled again and nodded. "Yepperuny, I taught myself how, since I know how much Rarity loves her mane to look perfect." Pinkie leaned down and nuzzled Rarity's cheek. "Wakeup my shining diamond," she sang softly.
After a moment Rarity began to stir, she slowly cracked an eye and a wide smile formed on her lips as she looked up at the pony hovering over her. "Goodmorning my frisky spinel." She leaned up and Pinkie leaned down, their lips meeting. Rarity reached up with her front hooves and wrapped them around Pinkie's neck as the kiss deepened.
Applejack felt her cheeks heating up and she loudly cleared her throat. "AHEM!"
Rarity jerked up and her head knocked into Pinkie's with a loud thwack. Knocking the pink pony off of her and her head back to the pillow. "ACK Applejack what are you..." her voice trailed off as she realize where she was then she remembered Pinkie and leapt out of the covers and over to her special somepony. "PINKIE!"
Pinkie sat on the side of the bed in a daze for a moment then she suddenly shook her head and grinned at Rarity. "Hiya Rarity, did you sleep well?"
Rarity scooted over to Pinkie and pulled her into a hug. She glanced over at Applejack. "I am terribly sorry, Applejack. For a moment I forgot we weren't alone, in my boutique."
Applejack waved her hoof. "No problem sug, Ah'm sorry fer startlin' ya. Jus' didn't want ya'll going nuts with me here."
"I'm sorry too," sang Pinkie as she jumped up and down on the bed.
Rarity grabbed Pinkie in her magic and held her down on the bed. "What are you sorry for darling?"
Pinkie struggled lightly against Rarity's magic. "What? I have to be sorry for something? I can't just be sorry because?" Rarity giggled demurely and Applejack rolled her eyes.
A call from the hallway grabbed their attention. "We will be arriving in Canterlot soon. Please be ready to disembark."
"Oh my, this train does move fast." Rarity could see lush green trees with specks of red in the distance. "I do believe I can see Sweet Apple Acers in the distance."
Applejack rushed to the window. "Ah'm almost home." She smiled to herself.