Friendship's Magic Railroad. Volume 1.

by Rednbluescooter

2. Sunny Town (October 1907)

Author's Note:

Big Thank you to BigEngines87 for the thumbnail edit. (Original Photo by Jan Animations)

Story of The Blanks is a story/game created by Donitz. Said game was adapted into a fanfic by Aoshi Stark
I recommend reading the original fanfic and/or playing the original game before reading my butchered version.

Also credit to Frederick Wilson for pics

Happy Halloween

Silver had been helping around the midland region after the events of the flood. The wooden bridge, having submitted to the raging force of the flooding water, had begun to rot as the sun came back out. So while the bridge was being rebuilt, Silver Puff and her engine were stuck helping around Ponyville.

The Appleoosan Railroad and the Midland Equestrian Railroad thankfully weren’t rivals for business, and in exchange for Silver’s help around Ponyville, the MER would build a modern Midland Equestrian “Saddle Tank” Engine for them to replace one of the older Appleoosan Engines.

It wasn’t bad, the ponies inhabiting the town were really friendly and marvelled at the sight of such an old engine. That being said, however, because of the age of her locomotive, she was stuck to the boring tasks like switching (or shunting) cars and carriages around for the more modern locomotives.

If she was lucky, she’d take an odd short distance freight train to and from a farming area. But even that had it’s cons. Two of the farms: Sweet Apple Acres & Ponyville Pear Precipice were in a heated feud against one another. Pickups and deliveries would sometimes run late when the two farms would run into each other, loading the cars with their produce would then take forever.

However, work aside, she always looked forward to the end of the day where all of the engines were parked in the engine shed for the night. Thankfully, there was an extra spot for visiting engines that took long distance trains from far away places like Vanhoover or Manehattan. So Silver parked her engine there at night.

One night, it was Nightmare Night, and all of the engine drivers of the Midland Equestrian Railroad, along with Silver Puff, were cooling their engines down before going home. While they did so, they decided to tell spooky stories. They didn’t have any plans for Nightmare Night, so this was the best they had.

“..And every year, on the date of the accident, it runs again as a warning to others, plunging into the gap, SHRIEKING, like a-”

“Oh just skip to “The End” already, you obviously made it up as you went.” Scoffed Summer Smoke, rolling her eyes. “A random train driver gets possessed by an evil spirit, then decides to drive his passenger train off of Ghastly Gorge’s unfinished viaduct?”

Wheel Turner was the newest and youngest driver on the fleet, he was still trying to make a good impression and impress his older co-workers, but so far, nothing seemed to work. “Hey..it could happen..”

Silver Puff spoke up. “Well..it could use some work, but the concept is fairly good.”

“Does anypony have any REAL scary stories?” Summer asked impatiently. “Because otherwise, I’d rather just get this over and done with so I can go home and get some sleep.”

The other drivers looked at each other hopefully, hoping this Nightmare Night wouldn’t be a complete bust after all. But after a few sighs of disappointment, nopony came forward.

But seemingly at the very last moment:
“Would..The Everfree Line be a touchy subject?” Silver Puff asked. The older drivers of the MER shared a look of concern.

“The Everfree Line?” Wheel Turner asked.

“Might as well tell it” Groaned Summer. She too had never heard of the story, not being much older than Wheel Turner.

Silver Puff looked to the other drivers, who eventually gave nods of approval, then she began.

“As I’m sure you’re aware. Your railroad builds these fine engines and sells them to other parts of Equestria, sometimes even with custom liveries..like Ponyville Pink, Baltimare Blue, etcetera.”

Both Wheel Turner and Summer Smoke nodded, so Silver continued.

“Well there used to be a mini freight branch line up the everfree forest that requested a locomotive as well. The Everfree Line. Their locomotive was green”

“Who’d have thought..” Grumbled Summer, before being shushed by Wheel Turner.

“Anyway..The line was shared among a population in the forest. Zebras, and earth ponies. Only..the earth ponies didn’t have cutie marks. They didn’t know what those were. Only the Zebras came to ponyville to pick up goods and other essentials for the forest's population.”

Silver stopped momentarily, expecting a question from Wheel Turner or a rude interruption from Summer Smoke. But was pleasantly surprised when she got neither. Both were actually intrigued, so Silver pressed on.

“The Zebras and blank ponies lived together in harmony throughout the forest. The blanks lived in a village called “Sunny Town”, whereas the Zebras decided to make their homes out of trees, living in little huts. There’d be little halts along The Everfree Line for groups of huts to get their goods from Ponyville. There was also a junction leading into Sunny Town for the blanks to get their own goods from the engine as well.”

“What happened? Did they go to war or something?” Asked Wheel Turner

“Of course not..Zebras are the kindest group of creatures Equestria has. They speak in riddles or rhymes so it’s sometimes difficult to understand them, but they’re really patient with you provided you’re patient with them. I met the Zebra driver of The Everfree Engine at Ponyville, I was making a stop during a Buffalo Bullet run a few years back.. Before everything came to an abrupt end..”

“Well..what happened..?”

Silver sighed.
“She essentially told me that Sunny Town’s blank ponies had theories of cutie marks..only, they were called “curse marks”. Where marks appear on you from Poison Joke. And it spreads like a virus among your peers. She told me they had it all wrong. They’re not “curse marks”, it’s just a wacky illness called “The Cutie Pox.” It’s not even contagious either. A few herbs and ingredients to make a special bubble bath is all it takes to clear up anything from Poison Joke.”

“Anyway.. On the 50th anniversary of Sunny Towns founding..the locomotive was carrying empty cars filled with blanks and Zebras to Sunny Town for a huge town celebration..it went over the junction entering the town..and was never seen again.”

“..what?” Summer Smoke cocked an eyebrow skeptically.

“The train, it’s passengers, and the entirety of Sunny Town: Completely vanished.” Silver replied.

“..Why..? What happened..?” Wheel Turner asked, desperate for answers.

“..The blanks found out what cutie marks were..”

Silence fell.

“When two inhabitants found their special talents, the town went into panic. They tortured one to brutally remove their cutie mark, and when the other got theirs, the town leaders went to the only solution they thought they had..”

Wheel Turner & Summer Smoke were seemingly glued to Silver’s every word, waiting for her to continue. But one motion of Silver’s hoof being dragged across her throat was all they needed to understand what she meant.

After another few moments of silence, Silver continued.

“The forest was angry, finding your special talent is just nature. Punishing or forbidding that just isn’t right. Because of this, Sunny Town, along with everything & everyone inside it, disappeared.” Silver sighed sharply, as if she had just finished a rant, then she continued again.

“When the blank ponies & zebras who hadn’t been at the party attempted to walk to Sunny Town, they found nothing. Just acres and acres of trees. Some got lost trying to find Sunny Town and were never found again. Others moved away to other parts of Equestria to start new. One pony named “Green Tea” allegedly came here after losing her older sister to the curse of Sunny Town. Rumoured that the apple family took her in. Giving her work and a loving family, teaching her about cutie marks and other norms outside of her former home. You see, there’s only one last inhabitant of The Everfree. She’s a Zebra. Nopony has seen her however because nopony dares to walk into that forest, for fear of getting lost too.”

Assuming the silence of everypony listening would continue, Silver headed for the final leg of the race, finishing her story.

“Throughout Equestria, relics of the past lay forgotten and alone, never truly resting, awaiting recognition. They say if you venture into the forest, there’s a chance you might find Sunny Town, but not in the way you’d imagine. Once found, there’s a chance you’ll never leave again.”

“..And they say that some nights, when the air is cold, and the yard goes quiet. You can hear the ghostly whistle of The Everfree Line’s locomotive coming from the forest, heading to Sunny Town, but never truly making it there..”

“..The End.”

“That..” Summer began. “Was the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard. It doesn’t even make any sense! How-”

“Pick out all the flaws that you want, Summer Smoke.” Silver interrupted. “But do it on your own time. You can choose to believe that story is false, but I was there to witness The Everfree Line in good working order. I was told first hoof about how life in the forest was like, all you have to do is put 2 and 2 together to figure out what happened when everything vanished, and forest inhabitants fled to find life elsewhere.”

All Summer Smoke did was give her trademark scoff, and the shed returned to quiet.

---

Eventually, one by one, all of the drivers left for home. Summer Smoke was the last to leave. She turned out the lights in the shed, then made a beeline for the door, closing it behind her as she entered the cold. She shivered, fixed her scarf, then headed for home.

As she walked, all she could hear in the Ponyville railyard was her own hoof steps crunching the gravel beneath her, and the occasional metal or wooden clunks when her hoof would step on a rail or sleeper, walking across the train tracks. It was eerily quiet, and she felt uneasy.

She suddenly jumped when 2 short blasts of a whistle came from the direction of The Everfree Forest, followed by faint distant chuffing. It only lasted a few seconds, until once again: Silence.

Eerie silence.

Summer stood there for a moment, then started trotting for home, eventually turning into a gallop. She didn’t stop until she was in her house, under the blankets, with all of her doors locked.

Comments

[Rednbluescooter]

Apologies if this one feels rushed, I was hoping to get this out on time for Halloween