Sunny the Sentinel

by Sanguine Blade

Rejection (1st Draft)

Author's Note:

WARNING!: Beofre you tear this story a new one i want to tell you that this is a ROUGH DRAFT. Thus I'm posting it right now so that contructive criticism can be taken into consideration before the story is finished. Plz be considerate and give me a hand by telling me what could use tweaking.

Thank You

The Equestrian Railway was started long before the return of Princess Luna. It was nationalized in its infancy to begin connecting all the towns,cities and villages to Canterlot, the heart of the kingdom of Equestria. The system was run by the nobility who were very quick to modify the national network. Any place that they saw as "excessive" was simply left off the plans for railway expansion. Thus, several towns and villages were left to rot at the hands of the greedy nobility who saw them as not worth extorting for profit. Whilst some thought this was good that they could be left alone, most felt abandoned by their fellow ponies. This left the small town of Solaris in a bind.

It had been many years since the start of The Equestrian Railway. Bigger steam locomotives were on the rise and this left many of the old designs to be put on the scrap heap. In Wood Hoof's Scrapyard sat many locomotives. However, one had just arrived with an interesting story of its own.

The year was 989 and The Equestrian Railway had sent out invitations to all the major locomotive companies to build them a new shunter to help expand the railway. Today was the day of displaying the engines.

"Alright, time to display your locomotives to the board of the Equestrian Railway." A stallion said as the companies stood by tarped locomotives.

"First we have the Sapphire Locomotive Group" The stallion said. Up stood a mare with blue eyes and fur with a mark of a sapphire.

"Thank you. Allow me to unveil my locomotive. I call it the Gem class." She said using magic to pull away the tarp.

The engine was petite and looked very cute.

"Hmm. Small, but it does look pleasing to the eye." One judge said.

"Yes truly a good start." Another said.

"Thank you Miss Sapphire. Now for the next designer the Rich Family Corporation Locomotive Division." the judge said. Up stepped a pony with dirty gold mane and fur with the mark of a gold coin.

"Thank you. May I present the Bit Class." The stallion said removing the tarp by hoof and there it was.

The locomotive looked highly respectable and the name Rich was written on side of the tanks.

"A truly good looking locomotive" One said.

"A beautiful vehicle, but it is too great to be a mere shunting loco." said another and the judges began murmuring to each other.

"Thank you Mr. Rich. Now for our third major company Equestrian Locomotive Company or ELCO." said the diractor and up stepped a stallion with elegant dress.

"Thank you. Now may I present to you the one and only ELCO Class 2." He said using his magic to pull away the tarp and their stood the locomotive standing in all its glory.

"Gentlemen of the board this locomotive is a perfect shunter with six coupled wheels, top of the line manufacturing and a tr active effort of over 18,000 pounds." The stallion said.

"Exquisite!" One board member said.

"Powerful!" cried another.

"Truly a locomotive worth funding!" shouted a third.

"Well that seems to be it. Thank you all now the board members will-" The director was saying when suddenly a voice cried out.

"Wait!" called a voice that caught everyone's attention. Everyone turned to see a sweaty, tired, but formally dressed Earth Pony. His fur was copper with blotches of darker copper and his mark was a puff of steam with a shield. "Wait. Sorry I'm late. I was saw the locomotive competition flyer and came to present.

"Pff. You puh leze. You are a mere ragged commoner playing dress up. We are locomotive experts. What makes you think that-." The ELCO representative was about to continue ridiculing when...

"Now now no need for that." Another voice called. Standing in her regalia was none other than Celestia herself walking up from behind the locomotive.

"Y-Your Majesty i thought you were too busy to attend this." The board said bowing, but also nervous.

"Well, I was just walking around the city when I saw this stallion and I decided to guide him here. I trust he can still at least show his locomotive?" The Princess asked in a kind tone, but one that was secretly commanding.

"Very well Princess. We will allow him to show what he has made." The chairmare of the board said whilst the other members agreed. Celestia took a seat with them and motioned for the stallion to display his creation.

"Greetings members of the board and her Royal Highness. I am Steam Sentinel and I would like to present to you SENTINEL MARK 1." He said pulling away the tarp with his teeth. revealing his creation and jaws dropped to the floor.

This engine looked hideous to the board members. They glared at it with disapproving eyes.

"That thing is a wreck!" Said the ELCO representative while he laughed.

"To make such a thing is Disgraceful!" Jeered a board member.

"Disgusting!" Agreed another.

"Despicable!" Called a third. The stallion slumped on his haunches as everyone insulted him in front of the Princess.

"I like it." said Celestia and everyone turned to her.

"You do?" Sentinel asked. Celestia walked down to it and looked at Sentinel.

"Yes I do. To create a functioning locomotive all on your own and with the parts you had which were not many I presume?" Celestia asked.

"No. I built this from the rails up out of reused scrap metal. Every curve, corner and rivet was done by myself." Sentinel said.

"Truly you are skilled." She replied.

"Your highness we can't use that locomotive." A member said and she turned her head.

"Why not. Its small, strong and cheap to build." She said, then turned her attention. "Surely that would only benfit cost effectiveness?" Celestia asked. The board members huddled together and spoke to each other before turning back to the Princess.

"Very well your highness. We shall allow this to go forward." A member said and the meeting was adjourned shortly afterward.

"What are we going to do. we can't let that hideous thing roll on our network." A member whispered.

"Now now. We cannot accept a locomotive that doesn't exist can we?" The chairmare said.

"How are we gonna get rid of it then?" another asked.

"Relax. I spoke to ELCO before he left and he's taking care of it for us." the mare replied. Th others grinned wickedly as they left knowing exactly what this meant for that...thing.

The moon rose giving way to night and Sentinel had kept his locomotive parked in a small shed which he locked with a padlock and deadbolt system before he went to the inn for rest. That night three stallions dressed in black arrived at the shed.

"You sure this is it?" One stallion asked.

"Of course it is. No real engine would be held in this dinky shed with such simple locks." A unicorn stallion replied using his magic to pull the padlock and removing the deadbolt. The trio slowly moved into the shed and the unicorn used his magic to light up the locomotive sitting quietly in the dark.

"This thing looks horrible and is definitely what we're looking for." the third stallion said. The trio got to work lighting the fire and steaming the engine up. Once the fire burned, the trio slowly moved the engine out of the shed and it started rolling away down the line.

"HEY WHAT's THE MEANING OF THIS!" a guard called seeing the locomotive and its thieves rolling away.

"Quick we've got to get outta here!" one said and they stoke the fire to get the engine going faster. The Sentinel rolled faster down the line towards the main line. The sleeper train nearly crashed into the runaway engine as it roared down the line up to Canterlot down the mountain. The unicorn of the group teleport ed them out at the bottom of the hill as the engine steamed away into the night while the stallions chuckled waving the engine goodbye mockingly.

---

The day rose as the Vanhoover Flyer was rolling along the line at a brisk pace making good time when...

"STOP STOP THE ENGINE!" The fireman called as the driver slammed on the brakes. The wheels screeched along the line until it finally stopped.

"What's wrong?!" the driver asked startled and angry before looking down the line to see something on the track. The guard came up and they pointed to the blockage. As the guard walked along the line he saw the blockage was a small engine.

"It's an engine!" the guard called.

"What about the crew?!" the driver called back.

"Nowhere! This one's abandoned!" the guard shouted in reply whilst walking back. "We'll have to put her in a siding back at Vanhoover." The guard said as some onlookers from the train groaned.

"We're going to be late!" a mare called.

"It can't be helped." the guard said getting back in the brake coach as the Vanhoover Flyer coupled up to the little engine and rolled backwards to Vanhoover slowly down the line.

"what are you doing back?" the Vanhoover stationmaster said confused.

"We found an engine stuck on the line." The driver replied as the small engine rolled into view of the stationmaster. The engine was small and somewhat cute in his eyes.

"Well just put it in the siding while we get another engine to pull the flyer in your place." replied the stationmaster as the spindly 4-4-0 rolled the Sentinel into the siding to be dealt with later...

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Is this a crossover?

[Sanguine Blade]

With what? Its more of an story created with elements of Ivor but not a crossover.