Canterlot & Everfree: The Early Years

by Smokey_Cinders

Chapter 7: It’s Just A Ghost Story… Right?

Celestia’s sun was beginning to set over Equestria as Smokey, Crosby, Steam and Brass fired up 13 and got it ready. Smokey had used 109 to arrange a short freight made up of two boxcars, a flatcar, and the caboose, which sat on track two. 109 was coupled behind the caboose to act as a backup incase 13 broke down.

Smokey smiled as he polished the number plate until it gleamed like gold. 13, while still rusty, was looking much better after being cleaned and polished, with some touch ups to its black paintwork. He stepped off the pilot and looked up to the engine. “She’s lookin’ purdy good!” He said as he went to the cab.

Steam and Crosby were in the cab, building pressure for the run. The two were having a very technical discussion over firing techniques. “No no no! You have to keep the fire thin and keep down the smoke!” Steam said as he looked into the fire.

“Well, I’ve only fired a couple times, but all the books say keep the fire level, even and feed it as much as it needs!” Crosby countered and tossed another shovel's worth into the fire.

“Hey y’all! How’s she doin’?” Smokey called up as he grabbed an oil can to lubricate the rods and bars.

“Ready and raring to leave!” Crosby replied as he adjusted the water injector. 13 hissed and gurgled as the injectors activated.

“Terrific! Once it gets dark enough, we’ll head out and see how far we can get!” Smokey said as he began oiling the various connections and cranks, his sharp eyes looking for any defects, to which none were apparent.

Brass held a broom in his magic, sweeping the caboose out and cleaning the inside. “How could any self respecting conductor let his quarters get this filthy?” He said to himself as he cleaned the inside of the caboose so well, one could have almost eaten off the floors. He then reached into a box they brought along and began taking out a few things he kept over the years. A pair of red warning lanterns to hang on the rear of the caboose, a white lantern for directing the train without radio, a bundle of various flags, his old conductor's whistle, and a few pictures to hang inside.

As time went on, the four inspected every wheel, every bolt and every coupler on the train before moving 13 off the turntable track and down the ladder track, backing down onto track two. Smokey inched 13 back onto the freight cars, coupling up with a dull clank before connecting the air brakes and charging them, they were set.

The four walked to the front of the train to make the final arrangements for the run. “Alright, we’re going starting at channel six on the radio, and about every fifteen minutes we’re going to change channels, we’ll say we’re going to five, but we go to four, three is two, and one is nine, can’t afford anyone eavesdropping on this,” Smokey instructed as he looked to the three. “Now, who’s riding where?”

“I’ll be riding in the caboose, but I can teleport to the cab if you need me,” Brass said as he pulled out a solid gold pocket watch and glanced at it.

“I’m hoping to ride in the cab with you two,” Steam eagerly asked. “Last time I got to ride in the cab was when I was a young colt at the Manehattan Museum of Equestrian History”

“You're welcome to it!” Smokey chuckled as he went to climb into the cab.

“Thank you!” Steam said as he and Crosby boarded the cab as well, Brass heading back to the caboose.

After a few minutes, Smokey radioed back to brass for clearance. “This is C&E 13 calling conductor, are we clear for departure? Over.”

“Copy that C&E 13, clear for departure, over.” Brass replied as he mounted the cupola and opened the window to lean out.

Crosby began to ring the bell as Smokey gave two blasts of the boiler tube Five Chime whistle before tugging the throttle open. With a hiss of steam and a groan, 13 began to forge ahead, its deep staccato exhaust echoing around the yard as black smoke accompanied by fiery sparks and Cinders leaped from the stack with every chuff.

---

Apple Bloom looked up as she and her two friends picked their way across the old ballast and rotting ties. “Did you hear that?” She asked as she looked at the two.

“Hear what? Scootaloo asked as she looked at her friend.

“I thought I heard that train whistle again,” Apple Bloom said as she looked ahead.

“I really don’t think we should be doing this guys, I don’t think Smokey would like us on the tracks, what if a train comes?” Sweetie Belle spoke worriedly, using her horn to light their way.

“We’ll be able to see and hear a train coming! Especially with the moonlight!” Apple Bloom reassured sweetie belle confidently as they trekked down the line.

After almost half an hour walk from Sweet Apple Acres, they came to the old trestle. While there were several trestles on the C&E, the old trestle was the oldest and the only completely wooden one, and stood tall and foreboding over the river below.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were waiting nearby, the two grinned when they saw the Crusaders approaching. “Well well well, looks like you blank flanks decided to actually show up!” The former laughed.

“Aren’t you scared about the Train to Tartarus?” Silver Spoon said as she looked at them, smirking.

“We told ya, thar ain’t no such thang,” Apple Bloom retorted confidently.

“Yeah! It’s just a ghost story!” Scootaloo supported.

“Oh yeah?... THEN WHAT'S THAT!?” Diamond Tiara said before a bright light appeared behind them and a train whistle blasted, making the Crusaders jump back in fear, screaming in fright until they saw a large speaker and a spotlight had been hidden in the bushes. The two bullies howled in laughter.

“You should see your faces!” Silver Spoon shouted as she pointed.

“That wasn’t funny you two! Besides, that ain’t the whistle I heard!” Apple Bloom, irritated by the two.

“Oh it’s hilarious!” Diamond Tiara cackled before catching her breath. “You blank flanks are so gullible! A ghost train in the Everfree? I’ll believe it when I see it!” She said...just before hearing a distant train whistle. “Silver, turn off that train recording,” she said as the whistle sounded again.

Silver spoon looked like a Diamond Tiara, wide-eyed. “I already did,” she said as she turned to look across the bridge, freezing.

The others looked to see...an old steam engine chuffing and clanking it’s way out of the tree line, black smoke and fire coming from its stack as it whistled again.

---

Crosby glanced out of the cab and gasped. “Smokey!” He shouted, “Some fillies from the school are by the track!”

Smokey ran to Crosby’s side and swore “what are we gonna do!?” He said in a panic. “They’ll blow the lid off this whole thing!” He said as he tried to think of an explanation, visions of 13 being cut up for scrap or being confiscated for a museum display flashing in his mind.

“I got an idea! Get Brass up here,” Steam shouted as he lit his horn.

Smokey shut the throttle and began to slow down as brass teleported into the cab. “What’s wrong?” He asked, concerned.

“We’ve been spotted, you know an illusion spell?” Steam said as he looked at Smokey. “When I say now, stop and take us back”

“Yeah, I know one,” Brass said as he ignited his horn, charging his magic.

“Right!” Smokey said as he put a hoof on the brake handle, reaching his other hoof for the whistle cord.

Steam’s and brass’ horns glowed brightly as they began across the trestle. “Now!” Steam commanded.

---

The five fillies watched in utter shock and terror as the ghostly steam engine and its train disappeared as it rolled halfway across the trestle. The five stared for a moment before screaming and bolting back through the trees towards Sweet Apple Acres.

Applejack was sitting on the porch, enjoying the peace and quiet with a bottle of cider. She heard the whistling again, and this time saw a wisp of smoke. She was about to get up to make sure the Forest wasn’t on fire...when she heard five voices screaming and saw Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon vaulting over the fence, making a beeline for the house.

“What the hay’s goin’ on!?” Applejack asked as she followed the panicking fillies inside, the only thing she could make out from their terrified rant was...“GHOST TRAIN!”

---

Meanwhile, Smokey, Crosby, Steam and Brass had made it to the yard, dropped 13’s fire and shut down the boiler before putting the 13 back in the shed to let it finish cooling off.

“Quick thinking with an invisibility spell!...but we have a problem, now that they think they might have seen a ghost train, they may come back...or tell others...” Smokey assessed as he checked 13 over.

“Think we should take up the rails?” Crosby asked as he looked to 13, its future was now in question...

“I don’t know...think we should file a permit now and hope?” Steam asked as Smokey shook his head.

“That would mean Twilight would know...” Smokey replied as he looked at his pride and joy. “I just want to protect this thing and keep it safe...” he confessed with a sigh as he tried to think of what to do now. “We’ll have to lock down the shed tight… if anyone asks about any trains running tonight, we were doing some late night track work” Smokey said, crafting a cover story.

“Once 13’s cooled off, let’s lock the shed and head back, make it obvious we’re going by the farm, it’ll be less suspicious to see us go by with the diesel” Crosby remarked as he looked to Smokey, who was closing the shed door, using a rusty chain to lock it and make it appear to have not been opened.

What they didn’t notice, was a quartet of ponies watching them in the distance from the windows of a bus.

Comments

[The final eclipse]

Couldn’t they pass off the the ghost train as a nightmair night illusion that they were trying out?

All so loving the story so far