Today, the dream project conceptualized by Silver Spoon’s parents so many years ago has finally come to fruition. The recently completed Canterlot Central Terminal would act as the hub for the new passenger light rail system serving the whole capital and its surrounding urban areas.
All this was made possible by the efforts of several parties. The trains were designed and built by the Flim Flam brothers, both of whom are happy to see their engineering skills put to use in other areas. The Boy Builders constructed the terminal and the rail lines. In these two years, business has been brisk, allowing them to add Rarity along with Jack Hammer and Rivet to their crew. And finally financial assistance was provided by the Canterlot Royal Castle, and a ‘mysterious benefactor’, as mentioned by Princess Luna in her speech.
“All of this could not have come to fruition if it were not for the contribution of a benefactor, who chose to remain anonymous therefore I cannot say who. Nonetheless, we here today shall say our sincerest thanks for the pony’s generosity...”
In the crowds, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were among the attendees listening to the speech.
“They will be so proud of you, Spoony,” Diamond Tiara whispered.
Silver Spoon nodded to acknowledge her foster sister’s words. She has no doubt her parents would be happy to know that their efforts were not in vain. Yet it would have been much better for her if they were still alive to witness this.
Luna cut the ceremonial ribbon and thus Canterlot Central was declared open for operation. The Flim Flam brothers, the Boy Builders crew, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon and everypony else attending the opening ceremony gave their applause.
At the Canterlot Royal Castle, Flash Sentry came in urgently into the office.
“It looks like the prisoners have banded together,” he reported to his captain. “They now call themselves the ‘Criminal Syndicate of Equestria’. As soon as they broke out, they went straight to rob several banks and jewelry stores along the way. The guards, police who tried to stop them, all were incapacitated.”
“Chaos, that I shall not stand!” Discord furiously proclaimed. “Do we know they’re heading now!?”
“Eyewitness accounts point to Canterlot Central,” the officer replied.
Discord’s face fell.
Multiple pellets rolled on the floor under the unsuspecting crowds. Seconds later, thick smoke emitted by the pellets engulfed the terminal, causing everypony to panic.
Luna emerged from smoke to face the troublemakers responsible.
“Which mooncalves are so daring enough to cause trouble on this fine day before me!?” shouted the enraged princess.
Before her is the Criminal Syndicate of Equestria (CSE), commanded by Applejack’s cousin and mob boss, Braeburn. The rest of the members are the Terrible Cake Twins, Baby the unicorn and Doll the pegasus, whose real names are actually Pumpkin and Pound Cake respectively; Mane-iac Mayhem, the maniacal villainess with the ability to manipulate her tendrils-like mane; and lastly, the leather-suit clad Rough Diamond, responsible for a number of jewel heists in Manehattan but then fumbled when she moved to Canterlot.
“Do you really think you can get away with a mere smokescreen!?” Luna sneered at them.
“Big mistake, princess!” Baby giggled. “It isn’t smoke!”
“It’s sleeping gas!” her twin brother, Doll said.
The princess realized it too late. She suddenly became dizzy and disoriented. At that point, the smoke had mostly cleared. Luna collapsed to the floor along with the other victims.
“Let’s get a move on now, y’all!” Braeburn commanded his underlings.
The CSE cantered past the fainted Princess Luna with their bags of loot except for Mane-iac who uses her animated, iron-strong tendrils to move around.
“So much for the great and powerful Princess of the Night!” Mane-iac gloated.
As they make their way to the terminal’s concourse, Flim and Flam are revealed as being fine and were safely away from the smoke by hiding around the corner of the wall.
“Brother, looks like our ol’ ‘pals’ are back looking for a ride out of town on a rail,” Flim said.
“Then let’s give it to ‘em, shall we?” Flam responded.
Flim could not agree more.
Doll removed the unconscious driver from the driver seat allowing his twin sister to take over the controls.
Outside, Mane-iac and Rough Diamond have just finished loading the last bags onto the train. The train horn signaled shortly after. They boarded the train before it started to depart from the platform.
As Braeburn hopped onto the moving train, somepony called out to him. He looked out to check if he had heard the voice wrong. There far behind the last car, Applejack galloped to catch up to him.
“Why cousin Applejack,” Braeburn said sarcastically, “always a pleasure to see ya.”
“Darn you, cuz!” Applejack yelled. “That bank ye bandits just robbed holds all mah family’s life savings!”
“Then, ah’ll be sure to send y’all somethin’ for Hearth’s Warming. Unless of course, if ah forget or too busy runnin’ some errands.” Braeburn waved a goodbye then moved back into the car.
The train gained more speed, resulting in the rear car trailing further ahead of Applejack.
“Aw naw! Ya ain’t gettin’ away dat easy!” The country Earth pony was not the type that quits so easily.
She worked her strong legs even harder. She caught up alongside the rear car at last but barely made it through the door before the train reached its full speed.
Flim and Flam, wielding an electric orb gun and an air-powered net cannon respectively, arrived too late. The train had already left the terminal.
“To the Super Speedy Chaser 6000!” they proclaimed in unison.
Unfortunately for Applejack, however strong she is, she is still no match for CSE due to their advantage in numbers.
“Robbing ye own family, dat’s too low even for de lowliest lowlife in de Apples!” she shouted, struggling futilely to free herself from the tight grasp of Mane-iac’s tendril.
Braeburn had gotten tired of hearing his cousin’s shouting.
“Throw her overboard,” he commanded Mane-iac who complied with glee.
Applejack cursed them repeatedly until with one hard swing, she was hurled out through the open door.
At the same time, Braeburn noticed a vehicle pulling alongside the car. He popped his head out to check.
“De hay!?” the stallion exclaimed in dismay. “It’s dem unicorns again!”
How could the mob boss not recognize the Super Speedy Chaser and the brothers who ruined what would have been his greatest bank heist so many years ago.
Flam drove the Super Speedy Chaser 6000 to keep up with the opened door so that Flim could board the train.
But what happened to Applejack? She is at the rear seat with Flim after the latter caught her fall. For a short moment in the critical time, from the way they hold close and gaze one another, it looks as if a special bond had begun to form between the two.
At the thought of her family’s money, Applejack snapped out of it. She brushed Flim aside, then without hesitation, made a daring leap back onto the fast moving train.
Back on the train again, Applejack did not hesitate to kick her cousin out through the door in retaliation to his treachery.
Flam ducked his head as Braeburn hurtled over the Super Speedy Chaser 6000 into a water-filled drain. He looked back for a while before keeping his eyes straight ahead.
Flim had made it safely into the car the same way Applejack did. After he joined the Earth pony, Mane-iac and Rough Diamond stood in their way to the driver’s compartment.
Flim used his bolas on Rough Diamond, whereupon the latter tripped after her legs gets entangled by the projectile’s cord.
“Ha! Looks like it’s two against-” Before Applejack could finish, Mane-iac’s tendril thrusted Flim into the another car.
Flim reeled against the passenger seat after the hit. After Applejack came into the car, she dragged him with her towards the door to the next car, because right behind them, Mane-iac was giving chase. In the villainess’ blind attempt to pummel the pair, her tendrils wrecked the car’s interior by accident.
One of Mane-iac’s tendrils caught Flim and had him pinned down on the floor. Applejack turned back to help, but Rough Diamond, who had freed herself earlier by chewing the rope around her legs, slammed her down to the floor.
While the two mares wrestle each other on the floor, Flim was left solely at maniacal villainess’ mercy. The unicorn is not without resources however. He managed to take out his electric orb gun from his holster when Mane-iac’s other tendrils were about to smother him. The gun’s electrical beams incapacitated the villainess instantly.
Rough Diamond got quite a beating by Applejack. Her speed and agility is useless in tight spaces against the latter’s sheer strength. She held her hooves up to signal her surrender, but unfortunately for her, the country Earth pony was not yet satisfied. With one swift final blow, Applejack knocked Rough Diamond out cold.
Having dealt with their respective opponents, Flim and Applejack banded together to take out the Terrible Cake Twins and stop this train.
Flam maintained his Super Speedy Chaser’s speed to match it with the train. From the train’s windows, he could see his brother moving through the cars with Applejack.
Applejack smashed open the locked door to the driver’s compartment. “De jig is up!”
She looked to her side and there was Baby halfway crawling out through the broken side window.
“So long suckers! Good luck on stopping this train!” Baby laughed mockingly at her before disappearing to the roof.
“Runaway train!” Applejack screamed in panic once she realized the service break was destroyed.
“Calm down, little missy,” Flim said, rushing past the panicked the Earth pony to one of the control consoles.
He looked underneath it, his hooves reaching for something, and finally found it. At the press of the button, the engine powered off, the wheels locked. The train skidded on the tracks to a full stop almost immediately.
Applejack felt relieved but could not help asking, “Golly. How did ya do dat?”
“Driver’s emergency brake is standard issue on every train my brother and I designed,” Flim explained to her.
“The twins!” Applejack shouted, suddenly remembering the escaped last two criminals.
She quickly looked out through the broken side window. Doll had already taken off in the distance, carrying his sister with him.
But their escape was short-lived. Flam arrived then pulled over the Super Speedy Chaser next to the front car. He fired his cannon at the twins whereupon they got caught in the net and both crashed to the ground immediately.
Flim and Flam relished their latest accomplishment as Flash Sentry’s subordinates took the CSE into custody.
Discord approached the brothers and gave them a congratulatory pat.
“As always,” he said, “I knew I can always count on you two.”
After the captain left to take the criminals away, Applejack decided to thank the brothers, albeit reluctantly due to the fallout between them and her family in the past. “H-hey, thanks. Mah family would’ve gone broke... and… and ah might’ve wound up in the hospital with five broken ribs and a dislodged jaw…if it weren’t for you two.”
“Your welcome,” Flim responded. Whoa, never thought I’d get thanked by an Apple.
“But back there,” Applejack wanted to be sure, “nothin’ personal, right?”
“Right,” Flim agreed.
Their gaze met and there was an awkward silence between the two.
“Yer breath stinks, by de way,” Applejack said all of a sudden.
“And I could see a birthmark on your neck,” Flim stated.
Applejack responded by giving Flim a playful punch on the shoulder. If Applejack was truly offended, Flim would have gotten a broken rib, or two. Then, another awkward silence.
This solicited suspicion from Flam. He popped his head in between them.
“So, what’s going on, hmmm?” he asked while eying at his brother and Applejack alternately.