The Legend of Midnight Hour

by Stratocaster

Chapter 8: Last Train Out Of Town

Chapter 8: Last Train Out Of Town

The escort led Midnight and his pals through the remaining empty streets. They galloped in fear of the Workhorses surprising them from the next corner. After what seemed like a lifetime of arduous sprinting, they eventually stopped at a part of the mountainside where a large boulder rested. The two guards heaved to push the boulder to the side revealing a cave in the mountainside.

“Everypony get inside; hurry!” Saber ordered.

They rushed into the cave with the guards closing the boulder behind them. Inside, the cave was lit by exposed light bulbs hanging from their wires on the walls. A ladder led from where the group was standing down to a lower level where a train track ended. On the track rested what looked like a single train car. It was an odd looking thing that sat eight passengers and two engineers and carried a bulky engine in front of the seats. They climbed down the ladder to the railcar.

“Wait, I thought all the railroads were closed.” Marigold said.

“All except this one;” replied Saber. “The Princess had this track made for carrying ponies out of the mountain in secrecy only in times of crisis.”

“It can take you as far as Neighagra Falls.” Cutlass added. “But we must leave now before we’re found.”

“We’re getting away on that thing?” scoffed Noon. “We’ll go flying off the rails!”

Suddenly, a violent rumbling was heard outside the sealed boulder. It seemed as if it was being forced open.

“It’s better than facing them.” Andromeda said.

“Get on!” told Cutlass.

Without hesitation, all nine of them hopped aboard the railcar and watched the cave entrance nervously. Saber stepped up to a set of levers behind the engine and pulled a couple. There was a brief clanking noise from underneath, but the engine did not start.

“Ugh, it’s been a while since this thing was used.” Saber said. “The engine’s having trouble turning over.”

“Oh great, this is it,” groaned Takeoff. “We’re gonna die on this hunk of junk! This is the end! My time’s up! I regret nothing!” Marigold slapped him clear across the face. “Sorry.” He muttered.

Then, the boulder at the entrance exploded letting in daylight. The silhouettes of several Workhorses stood outside and proceeded into the cave. Saber frantically yanked the levers repeatedly still with no result. Fry then sprang up next to him.

“I don’t have time for this!” he exclaimed and gave a quick mule kick to the engine. Miraculously, it clanked a few times before finally sparking to life. The railcar began to move slowly making a steady loud chugging sound while the Workhorses gained closer. Before the robots could seize the railcar, it picked up speed along with the chugging and left them in the dust. The runaways were finally out of the Workhorses’ clutch as they sped through a tight dim tunnel. Fry gloated a little.

“The same thing happens with the dishwasher at Appetizer’s.” He said. “The principle is pretty much the same.”

The rickety railcar clambered down the tunnel with its passengers looking back for any sign of the Workhorses. Eventually, Midnight saw a distant light further down the tunnel and knew it would be the exit. They approached the light and at last cleared the inside of the mountain. While the railcar now rolled along an old rail track on the mountainside, the ponies gawked at the enormous landscape below which stretched far throughout northern Equestria. On the horizon were the snowcapped Crystal Mountains, to the west in the sky was the floating Pegasus metropolis of Cloudsdale, and to the east was the valley that led to the gigantic Neighagra Falls. Midnight stared until the creaking and shuddering of the track distracted him. It didn’t feel at all safe to him speeding along the old planks.

“Where exactly are we going?” asked Andromeda.

“There’s a safe house somewhere along the track on the ground.” Cutlass answered. “You can stay there until the Princess says it’s safe to come back to Canterlot.”

“I hope she’ll be okay,” said Marigold. “Those Workhorses were everywhere. You think the guards were able to hold them off?”

“Locust may be powerful,” responded Midnight. “But he won’t stand a chance against Princess Celestia.”

“Look!” shrieked Cassiopeia.

Everypony looked back at the track behind them where she was pointing. Shrinking in the distance was the cave exit in the mountainside. A few moving figures manifested from the exit and flew toward the railcar. They appeared into view as five Workhorses flying in a V formation.

“Good gravy!” exclaimed Fry. “Can’t this thing go any faster?”

“This is as fast as it gets!” said Saber.

Suddenly, the railcar jerked violently from a surprise green burst. The ponies looked back to see that the airborne Workhorses were firing changeling magic from their metal horns at them. They struggled to hold on to the railcar for dear life.

“That’s it,” blurted Takeoff. “If I’m going down, I’m taking a few of them with me!”

“Takeoff, what the hay are you doing?!” exclaimed Midnight.

“I’m saving our flanks from these Pegasus knockoffs!” he answered as he flew up and toward the Workhorses. He swerved, ducked and rolled to avoid their magic blasts. Then, Takeoff rammed the center Workhorse from below at an alarming speed. The robot stalled for a moment then clumsily floated back to the scene. The other four dispersed to collide with Takeoff, but he was able to shoot off again causing the machines to crash into each other. They rejoined their wing commander to gang up on the daredevil Pegasus who still managed to avoid and knock them at every turn; however he took a few knocks himself.

“He can’t take them on by himself,” said Andromeda. “I have to help him.”

“Andromeda, don’t,” protested Midnight. “I’m not going to loose you, let alone Takeoff.”

“I’ll be fine, Midnight, it’s you we can’t loose.”

With that, she unfurled her wings and sprang into the air toward the one-sided dogfight. The Workhorses shot after her chasing her above the railcar. She was in fact baiting the machines and leading them to Takeoff who continued to broadside them. But as the aerial battle ensued, the Workhorses still managed to fire upon the railcar. The clunky transport jerked and popped from the blasts. An especially powerful hit caused Marigold to loose her balance and trip over the edge of the railcar with a scream. Before she could fall, Noon grabbed her hoof.

“I got you!”

He strained to pull her back up onto the platform of the railcar. He looked up to see that one of the Workhorses was flying straight toward the dangling Marigold. Then on pure impulse, Noon bowed his head and fired magic from his horn. He opened his eyes to see that the incoming Workhorse twitching and sparking as it lowered to the ground to recover. Midnight was shocked to see the damage that his brother was able to inflict on the machine. Noon finally pulled Marigold up with a grunt and she hugged him tightly in both fear and gratitude. His face had never turned redder.

Eventually the railcar came to a descending slope leading down the mountain to the ground. Midnight’s stomach dropped as gravity pulled them faster and faster down the steep drop. He held onto a seat tightly and watched Andromeda and Takeoff tangling with the Workhorses. At this point, Andromeda led two of them at a breakneck speed and Takeoff did the same. It seemed as though the two Pegasi would collide, but they shot upward at the last second causing all four Workhorses to slam into each other. The impact was so hard that they fell spiraling to the ground. Midnight was astounded at his friends’ victory as they both landed on the railcar as it bounded onto the ground track.

“Guys, that was incredible!” he told them.

“We didn’t destroy them,” panted Takeoff. “They’re just beaten really badly.”

“Those robots are tough,” added Andromeda. “I bet they’ll be up and running again.”

“Wait, weren’t there five of them?” asked Noon.

Just then, the fifth and final Workhorse sprang out of nowhere and landed on the railcar. It stared intently at Andromeda, who was standing at the rear of the railcar, as if it wanted revenge on her for taking out its comrades. Her eyes widened in fear as she backed up slightly. The Workhorse knelt down ready to attack when Saber and Cutlass pounced on it. The brawny guards tried to pin it to the ground, but the machine’s inner parts whined and screeched as it shoved them off and over the edge of the railcar. Saber and Cutlass landed with a thud on the ground and disappeared out of view from the rest of the group.

“We really need to stop pushing our luck.” Saber said lying dazed on the ground.

“Maybe our injuries will excuse us from getting fired.” Cutlass replied next to him.

Now unprotected, Midnight and his friends were left with the monstrous Workhorse. The robot continued to glare at the frightened Andromeda and began to slowly step toward her. Takeoff stopped the Workhorse and stuck his face in its.

“Oh no you don’t! I already took down your buddies so don’t think I won’t do the same to you!”

The Workhorse simply stared back briefly then grabbed him by the neck. In a split second, it tossed Takeoff behind it and he slid into the engine casing banging his head. He muttered something in gibberish before fainting. The Workhorse then pinned Andromeda to the floor and bowed its head aiming its glowing green horn in her face. She screamed in terror.

“Andromeda!” cried Cassiopeia.

Midnight gritted his teeth and glared at the Workhorse. Without hesitation, he bowed his head and yelled.

“GET OFF HER!”

He fired an enormous blast from his horn and the machine disintegrated in the magic. When Midnight stopped, all that was left was a cloud of ashes that blew off in the wind. He felt woozy from generating that much magic, but he shook it off and tended to Andromeda quivering on her back.

“Are you okay?” he asked her.

She didn’t say a word and instead grasped Midnight in a desperate hug. Andromeda trembled and sobbed a little as he held her tight.

“I told you I wasn’t going to lose you.” He told her.