The lost Empire

by Q_The_Exile

Chapter 6

Author's Note:

The inspiration for this chapter came from Logic Flip's work, Smokestack Lightin' please go and read his book, i would recomend it for all groups and that it should be extended more than what it is currently.

Location: Ponyville station

On the ponyville station platform stood a earth pony wearing a blue vest and hat with the insignia of the equestrian national railway stitched onto them and wearing a white undershirt. Signal Mast, the station master of the Ponyville station stood and watched as the semaphore signal to Canterlot dropped to clear as the last rain of the day exited out of the signal's block. He could not be any more glad to go back to his home and see both of his foals after his long day of work. However as he began to do his final checks he heard a deep moan from the direction of the forest.

Curious, he stepped back out and onto the platform and looked down the rails. as he stood their he spotted a move ment beside the tracks and looked over at them, small pebles were beggining to vibrate on the sleepers as he began to feel a rummble under his hooves.

going back inside, he chescked his schedual to see if there was suposed to be another train comming and was just late.

'That's odd, their shouldn't be another train.' he thought as he whent back outside as the rummbleing grew worse.

A second later and he could see a light in the distance and was steadaly drawing closer to the station. Stepping back from the edge, he had to clench his jaw as he feared it would vibrate his teeth out as the vibration got worse. Steeling a glace over to the tracks he saw that they had started to vibrate enough that any loos spike danced out of the ties and the tracks danced on the track bead. glancing back at the train, he had to step back in suprise and awe for the sheer size and speed when it finaly got to within the lights of the town.

With a thundering raor and bellowing whistle it thundered past the station and Signal could only watch in awe as car after car raced past him. after a second he realised that he had not seen a driver in the cab and raced inside the station to call the station in Canterlot.

"Hello, this is Canterlot station how may i help you?" he heard over the line.

"Coal Dust this is Signal Mast. You have a LARGE train thundering towards you. I Didn't see a driver inside the cab." Signal explained.
"And How long is this train? he heard Coal ask.

"I don't know it is still passing me currently but i estimate that it is between 30 to 40 cars, BIG cars." He explained as he watched the caboose on the train race past.

"I'll get the princess and prepare down here, thank you Signal I'll give you a call when we get news.." he heard before the line went dead.

Looking at the clock he sat down in his chair and waited for any news.

A second later he heard a knocking on the door to the station. walking over to it he saw a purple unicorn standing at the gate with a little purple and green dragon.

"Excuse me sir but are you the station master?" the unicorn asked as a cyan Pegasus and tan earth pony walked up to the gate along with a snow white mare and a meek looking Pegasus hovered behind and a pink earth pony sprung up out of no-ware.

"Yes I am, my name is Signal Mast, what could I do for you?"

"My name is twilight Sparkle, And me and my friends were wondering what that loud noise was." she asked as she gestured to her six friends and the dragon as they introduced themselves.

"We just had a runaway train go by nothing to worry about." Signal told them.

"Sounded mor' like a stampede than anything," Applejack commented to him.

"Well the station master at Canter lot can stop the train, i am just waiting for news about whether it was stopped or not." he told them just as the phone rang in his office.

"If you ladies could excuse me for a moment." he told ten and left them on the station platform.

He returned a minute later and looked at the expectant girls.

"They could not stop it, instead it dissipated onto a siding without a trace." He told them before the phone rang again.

"Ooo! I bet it was a ghostie train!" Pinkie commented before rainbow dash started making ghost sounds, making them laugh.

"No, No their has to be a logical explanation for this." twilight said before Signal mast came back out looking slightly nervous.

"I just received word that the train is on it's way back with a full load of rock. I have been ordered to wait until it stalls on the hill between Ponyville and Canterlot before going up and seeing if i can stop it," he told them.

"I heard it go by earlier, it sounded strong, are you sure it will work?" Fluttershy asked Signal as he grabbed a lantern from his office.

"It should work. the grade is a 1% grade that even our strongest engine needs help on of it will stall on the hill. the chances of it making it up that hill with any speed at all is slim." Signal comforted them.

"Well, I wouldn't count on that." Spike commented as he looked down the tracks.

"Spike, why do you say that?" Twilight asked confused with the rest of them.

"Because here it comes." he replied, pointing down the tracks.

Looking down they could see the light and hear the chug from far off. They stood back as the engine raced up the hill and thundered by the station. the whole group looked amazed as the long and heavily loaded train raced past.

"What was that?" Twilight asked dazedly as the last of the cars sped past and exited around a corner.

"I don't know but i will let the rest of the station masters know." Signal said as he went back into the office and called before coming back and escorting the group out of the station and locking it down.