//------------------------------//
// Chapter Three 
// Story: Cowboy Hats And City Slickers 
// by TheSundewOrder 
//------------------------------//

	“Oh my gosh!”
Mac watched as Cheerilee literally vaulted herself over him and, somehow, landing on the other side of the then sleeping Mae. Mae started awake and immediately shot the most hateful glance at Mac. He gulped and shrunk.
“Canterlot, Mae! We’re back!”
“Yay.”
Mac found himself up on his feet, cautiously looking over Mae and Cheerilee. And sure enough, the high towers and dancing banners of Canterlot loomed over them, up in the skies. Unexpectedly, the train began to ascend and soon they were in a dark tunnel. Confused, Mac sat back down, his heart racing at this new development.
“What’re you doing?”
“Huh?”
“Get your bags down! We’re five minutes away from the station!”
He watched as Cheerilee and Mae began pulling their small suitcases out of the compartments above their heads. Cheerilee’s was a medium sized, polka-dotted suitcase that was basically bulging at the seams, and Mae’s was a compact, hard-shell, designer bag on wheels. Mac then proceeded to pull out his own —Granny Smith’s dull green bag complete small, pink flowers as decoration. 
While Mae deliberately stared at it in disgust Cheerilee avoided looking at it and smiled at Mac. He smiled back in appreciation.
“We’re here!”
The train began to slow on approach of the city. It passed through high, golden gates flanked with stallions dressed in military uniform. Mac stared at them in awe. The train then disappeared into another tunnel and then, shortly, appeared out into the large Canterlot station.
Much to Mac’s dismay, it was packed.
“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” cried Cheerilee.
“Calm down”, Mae said, but anyone could tell by the small smile dancing at her lips that she was just as excited as the purple mare. She was watching the crowd as the train slowed into a trembling stop, releasing smoke that floated over the large crowd outside.
If Mac’s heart was racing before, it was now running a marathon all over Equestria and all the other lands of Gaeia. His mouth had fallen open, and his mind had completely blanked, and he found himself completely unable to move. He had literally frozen in his seat, not sure of how to handle the horrific situation that he had suddenly found himself in.
He hadn’t prepared for this.
How in the hell was he supposed to find his cousin in that massive crowd full of city ponies?!
“Mac?”
He heard her at a distance.
“What’re you waiting for, Mac? Come on!”
Before he knew it, he was being dragged by the hoof off his seat and down the isle, towards the train doors. All the while he was wondering why there would be so many people at the station. The train was basically empty —all these people couldn’t possibly be there just for Cheerilee and Mae and himself! 
All his questions were soon answered however.
Soon after Cheerilee had dragged him out of the carriage, several ponies had began to push past him with suitcases, briefcases, rucksacks and ear-phones. It was astoundingly loud, with the passengers shouting and the train puffing and the attendants checking. There was steam and smoke everywhere, which was extremely unnerving for Mac, and he couldn’t once get his bearings right. All he knew was that he was being dragged by a bright purple pony, and followed by an angry hazel pony. As long as these two stayed close, he was sure he was heading, if not the right way, some where.
When the crowd finally began to thin, Mac got a chance to orientate himself with his surroundings.
The Canterlot Train Station was one of the largest buildings he had ever been in, and he was sure there were bigger. It was a large glass feat of engineering, with soaring steel framing and beautiful metal work. This, however, did not take away from the feeling of still being outdoors, with the sun blazing high above them. There seemed to be no separations of the bustling streets outside the stations and the station proper, as throngs of ponies swarmed in and out. Cheerilee and Mae were not exactly dragging him out onto the streets, but towards a set of kiosks on the side, where several ponies stood waiting eagerly for their arrivals.
Mac hoped desperately that his own welcoming committee was going to be there.
He’d once seen a photograph of Gaff Apple, but that was years ago. He now cursed himself for not having picked it up when he’d left, assuming that he’d easily remember. Though, after the shock of seeing Cheerilee after so many years and being in Canterlot for the first time, he couldn’t for a second imagine what his cousin looked like. Hopefully Gaff would be on the look out for him.
So, basically, Mac’s only other option was to allow Cheerilee to drag him towards her own welcoming committee. And, oh sweet apples, was it a crowd.
“Cheerilee!”
“Oh, Cheery, we missed you!”
“Mae! Mae!”
“Babe!”
At that point Cheerilee had let go of Mac’s hoof. Mac, who’d been distracted the whole time in his own head, didn’t realise this and kept waddling ahead. Soon he found himself caught in an awkward embrace behind Cheerilee, held tightly by a tall, white stallion.
This embrace, however, lasted a very short time. Both stallions fell way hastily and looked away. Cheerilee giggled.
“Wow”, she said, grinning. Mac watched as she ran a hoof through the other stallions untidy crimson mane. “That was cozy.”
Mac remained silent.
The white stallion, who was just a couple of inches taller than Mac, smiled at him. He wore a chequered, black and white scarf around his chest and one earring on at the top of his left ear. He playfully nudged Cheerilee, who suddenly seemed unable to control her giggles, then approached Mac. “Hey. I’m Long Play, but you can call me LP. Everyone does.”
Before Mac could say anything, however, Cheerilee had stepped in front of him and was speaking at a super speed. “He’s Mac. He’s an old friend of mine, from kindergarten, visiting Canterlot for —“ and then she cut herself off. She turned to face Mac and smiled sheepishly. “I just realised. You never told me.”
Right, Mac thought to himself, because you never stopped talking.
“Well”, Mac began, only to be interrupted again.
This time by a short, pretty-looking mare that was standing next to Mae. 
If Cheerilee was Mae’s extreme opposite, then this mare was a completely different universe. With flowers decorating her mane, ridiculous extensions and a jacket that looked like it had been worn for several generations before her, she stood out like a sore thumb. 
Then again, Mac realised, this whole group was filled with such extremes in looks and fashion that he didn’t quite know how they’d been standing still for so long without attracting attention. Looking outwards, however, he soon realised why.
The whole station was crawling with oddly dressed, almost eccentric looking ponies. Mac was confused. Was this what the city was like?
“… and that’s why we should head off right now”, the odd looking, bright yellow mare was saying. Mac caught onto this final sentence, not quite understanding it’s implications.
“What about…” Mae was saying, “… this pony over here? He looks confused.”
Mac stared at her. Was she talking about him?
“Dude”, said the white stallion, LP. “Where are you going?”
“Who’s your cousin, Mac?”
Mac stared at Cheerilee. Hadn’t he told her yet?
“His name’s —“
“MAC! COUSIN MAC!”
Exasperating by the constant interruptions, Mac turned angrily at the pony who’d called his name. He immediately lost all his frustration —his cousin Gaff was galloping towards him, followed by another pony who Mac guessed must’ve been his friend. 
The relief that washed over Mac was unimaginable.