The Apple Family reunion is due, and this year is taking place in Bright Mac's birthplace, Cass, West Virginia. The family converge on the small town for a truly memorable reunion.
Dedicated in memory of John Denver, 1940-1997, and a tribute to the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.
The sun rose over Canterlot, and with it came the start of the first day of the school holidays. This meant, for most people, the start of trips overseas, or alternatively an opportunity to do whatever they had planned at home, whether that be seeing friends, going on day trips, or just chilling out. Chilling in the literal sense, as most people chose to go where there was air conditioning, and admittedly in Canterlot you were not short of places with air conditioning. Given how wildly the weather varied in the city across the year, it took considerable hardiness to endure there year-round, but somehow the townsfolk managed, helped along by air conditioning, heating, and suitable clothing for the weather conditions (though not all necessarily in that order).
The Summer Dance had gone down a storm, with the students coming together for the last time that year to simply have fun together. It was truly great to see so many people together having a blast and partying (responsibly, of course, this being a school), although there were some sad eyes upon the presentation. As must be the case with all schools, some students were moving on that year, and Principal Celestia gave a speech at the event, thanking them for their time at Canterlot High School and wishing them luck for the future. Amongst those students was Big Mac, marking the end of his fourteen-year career at CHS. It will surprise nobody to hear that many were sad for him to go, not least his friendly smile and calm, gentle nature, but also his superb singing voice. It would be hard work to find a bass good enough to replace him, such was the quality and tenor of his voice-
“Ah’m a bass, Mr Narrator. Please don’t contradict yerself.”
Big MacIntosh, I do apologise. Just let me know if you run into Pickersgill, OK?
I shall now resume the story. Another sad fact had occurred to those assembled at the Summer Dance that night, that the next year would be the first in a long time that only two members of the Apple family were active students at the school; Applejack, and Apple Bloom, although Granny Smith had no intention of retiring as the school cook. Strictly, she didn’t need to work as the money her son, Bright Mac, brought in from his city job was more than enough, so she mainly did it in order to give her something to do. Anyway, the outgoing students had been given three cheers by the assembled student body, and there was not a dry eye in the place.
Others had done well that day as well. Only that morning, Misty Fly had been formally re-admitted into the Wonderbolts soccer team, which was a significant moment as it allowed the team to put the dark stain of their past at Christmas behind them. It also allowed for Misty Fly to reconcile with not only her team mates, who had regarded her with an air of hostility (although, on reflection, that may prove to be an understatement) for attacking Scootaloo, but her own past. However, upon seeing the air of regret surrounding her, they forgave her, but it took a while. She will hopefully be playing in the next game the team has, which is next Saturday if you want to consult your diaries.
But this is all digression, for our important tale is elsewhere. All the way over where this very story series began, at the farm, or should I say orchard, of Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom and her friends had gathered for what they suspected would be the last time in a while. At the moment we enter this pastoral scene, Apple Bloom was telling her friends all about a place in the east of the country.
"An' so, the discovery of large amounts of lumber in the hills of West Virginia led to the foundation of the Virginia Pulp an' Paper Company. They set up at the bottom of nearby Cheat Mountain, buildin' a large sawmill at the base of the hill."
"What happened next?" Cozy Glow asked, her eyes aglow (aptly enough). Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, however, were prett familiar with the story, and as a result simply rolled their eyes.
"Well, the lumber firm needed a place fer the workers ta live, and so started buildin' a company town. Somebody had the bright idea of namin' it after the President-"
"Vice President," Scootaloo corrected.
"Ok, OK!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "Somebody had the bright idea of namin' it after the Vice President of the Virginia Pulp an' Paper Company, Joseph Kerr Cass. It were incorporated as a town in 1900, and the railroad started operations not long after. This line made extensive use of geared locomotives, not disimilar ta the one mah cousin Babs drove back at Christmas ta delivier that Christmas tree we had ordered."
"I don't think Sunset will be forgetting that one!" Sweetie Belle chimed in, remembering the more positive side of that Christmas. Scootaloo, on the other hand, started subconsciously rubbing her gut.
Apple Bloom didn't notice this, and continued. "The loggin' operation employed hundreds o' people, until the loggin' operation stopped in 1960, due to a lack of wood. An' the town was left to rot."
"What happened next?" Cozy Glow asked.
Apple Bloom launched into the next portion of the story with gusto. "The state of West Virginia bought the town and railroad, in order ta preserve the industrial heritage of the state of West Virginia, not to mention provide tourism for the state, which is always a good thin'. The lumber workers found themselves State employees, and the place is still run ta this day as a state run system."
"Why are you telling us this?" Scootaloo asked, impatiently.
"Because," Apple Bloom replied, a glint of cheerfulness in her eyes, "mah family, or at least the Apple side of it, is from Cass. There's an Apple in the records of each year of the lumber mill's operation, and Pa operated on the railroad side o' things back in the 1990s, before he moved out here. The old house where they lived is still there, and we'll be stayin' there this summer!"
"Is this for this reunion you've mentioned?" Sweetie Belle asked again, somewhat less impatiently than Scootaloo had, who truth be told had been told the tale many times before.
"Yep!" Apple Bloom exclaimed, a smile on her face. "Apples, Pears, Oranges, loadsa relatives Ah've never met, alla them will be descendin' on Cass soon for our reunion... the Apple Family Reunion."
Just then, a shout came from upstairs. "Apple Bloom! Can ya come pack please?"
"Comin' pa!" Apple Bloom called, as she looked back to her friends. "Gotta dash! See ya!" and she ran upstairs as fast as her legs would carry her.
Cozy Glow got up. "I wish we were going. It sounds fun."
"We're not apples, are we?" Scootaloo asked rhetorically.
"It still sounds fun," Sweetie Belle said, as they stepped out of the door and off into town, where they would not see Apple Bloom for a while, at least.
The day had run relatively smoothly, and the packing of clothes, personal possessions, and other such items, like toiletries (this is items such as soap, shower gell, shampoo, deoderant, and other useful items when trying to stay clean) had gone well. In fact, the family had been so efficient in packing that the entire process was concluded in approximately 2 hours. This was in itself an impressive achievement, as packing is the least popular part of a holiday, and often it took a whike with whiny family members to content with. But nontheless, the process of packing was completed at last, and the family had some extra time on their hands, which consisted of going outdoors, and assesing which trees needed the apples picking off them that Autumn. It was mainly a side exercise, as apples themselves wouldn't bring in enough money to run the place. This was why Bright Mac had his job, as it kept the entire operation financially sustainable. Not to mention raising three children wasn't exactly cheap, but it was what they had, and so they rolled with it. Later on, as the sun began to set, dipping below the horizon and bathing the world in orange, the entire family retreated back indoors to take their dinner. No, that sounds odd. Later on, as the sun began to set, dipping below the horizon and bathing the world in orange, the entire family retreated back indoors to have their dinner.
As the meal progressed, Bright Mac began his briefing for the evening and the next day, his flipchart being covered in numbers. "So then, Ah'll want everybody in bed by 10 this evenin', as we have an early start tommora. By this, Ah mean in bed with lights out, not 'thinkin' of gettin' changed ta sleep'," he said, glancing at Applejack.
"Sorry, pa," Applejack replied. One night she had stayed up slightly too late by mistake, and 'old reliable Applejack' hadn't heard the end of it for weeks! To a certain degree, she still hadn't now, but to dwell on this matter would be needlessly cruel.
"This brings us onta tommora," Bright Mac continued, pointing to another set of numbers. "Our flight out of Los Angeles is at 9 in the mornin'. Therefore, we need ta be up here at 3, and load the truck and the trailer. After that, we need ta drive down ta the station and board the express down ta Los Angeles. After that, we go ta the airport and check in, and if we've done it right, we'll have 4 hours ta do so, get breakfast, and catch our flight." There was a brief pause as he stopped speaking briefly. "So, any questions?"
"Ah have one," Grand Pear asked. "Are we goin' ta West Virginia (my first visit there, interestin'ly enough), or we stormin' a beach somewhere? This looks like a military invasion plan!"
"If thin's ain't planned ta clockwork, ya end up with nothin' but a great big mess," Granny Smith reminded him, peering at the board. "Though Ah do agree it is a bit early."
"Ah thought we wanted this ta go well," Apple Bloom observed. "That probably is about the level o' plannin' we want."
"Sorry if Ah asked this before," asked Big Mac, his deep, broad voice echoing through the room and reverberating with a wondrous tenor-
"Fer the last time, Mr Narrator, Ah'm a bass!"
Pear Butter looked over. "Mac, who are ya talkin' ta?"
"The narrator. The person tellin' the story."
"There's a person watchin' us?" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "Ah jolly hope they ain't watchin when Ah'm in the shower!"
Granny Smith facepalmed. "This is like the 50s all over again. What was the question that ya wanted ta ask, Big Mac?"
"Sorry if Ah asked this before," asked Big Mac, his deep, broad voice echoing through the room and reverberating with a wondrous rumble, "but what precisely is the reunion?"
His grandmother's face lit up as he said this, and her eyes glowed gently as she began to recount the tale, as she had many times before. But although she had told it many times before, it never ceased to get old with each and every retelling.
"As ya undoubtedly know, our family is scattered all over the place. There's Apples in California, and Apples in Virginia, and even some in North Carolina of all places."
No, Jimmy Hook, you are not in this story.
Granny Smith, not aware of the narrator, continued her tale. "And that's just Apples. There are Oranges in New York, and Oranges in Oregon, and Oranges and Kansas. Then there's the Applesauces, the Cherrys, the Tomatoes, and even some others. Like the Seeds!"
"That's a lot, in other words," Bright Mac said. "But ya ommitted the Pears."
"They only joined the clan recently, ya know," Granny Smith replied. "Goldie Delicious is still updatin' all her records. On that note, Apple Bloom's the computer whizz here, so she'd be best fer helpin' her with that. But anyways, every 20 years we hold a reunion of all the bits of the clan, in a different part of the States. The very first was in 1914, so we're markin' the 100th anniversary of the first one."
"As part of that," Grand Pear entered, "we've decided ta hold it where the very first one happened all those years ago. Cass township. We really pushed ourselves gettin' everybody together."
"In fact," Pear Butter chimed in, "we're anticipatin' this ta be the biggest reunion we've ever had. As well as mah first," she said nervously. "Ah've no idea how we'll be taken, pa," she added.
"Oh, Ah'm certain we'll be fine," Grand Pear replied. "The list's gonna be huge though!"
"Tell me about it!" Bright Mac exclaimed, picking up a list of names. "Amongst others, we've already had ourselves confirmed, plus Apple Fritter, Apple Bumpkin, Red Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicous, Caramel Apple, Apple Strudel, Apple Tart, Baked Apples, Apple Brioche (all the way from France), Apple Cinnamon Crisp, Apple Cider, Apple Cobbler, Apple Honey, Apple Munchies, Gala Appleby, Jonagold, Lavender Fritter, Peachy Sweet, Perfect Pie, Apple Strudel, Brown Betty, Braeburn, Chili Pepper (who is red hot), Goldie Delicious, Pine Apple, Cherry Jubilee. No word on the Oranges yet."
That evening, as Apple Bloom prepared to turn in, she sat on her bed and sighed. Just then, her door opened, and Applejack walked in, already dressed for bed. "Hey there, youngin'!" she called. "How are ya?"
"Hey big sis," Apple Bloom said sadly.
"Hey, what's wron'?" Applejack asked her, sitting down next to her.
"They said the Oranges ain't confirmed on the list," Apple Bloom said sadly. "And Ah really wanna see Babs again."
"Don't ya worry none," Applejack reassured her little sister. "They ain't confirmed yet. Ah have no doubts they'll be there. Have a nice night." And with that, Applejack turned the light off, and headed out.
"Ah'm still in here," Apple Bloom sighed, sliding into her bed as she did so. She looked up at the roof for what would probably be the last time in a while. "Ah hope yer there Babs," she said quietly, as she let sleep claim her, and descended into the world of dreams.
It was very dark, as it was incredibly early in the morning. In fact, it was so early that the cockrel was yet to crow, and this meant that the members of the Apple family, still abed, could hold their manhoods cheap upon their breasts that they were not there.
Watermelody, I politely ask thee to take leave of my keyboard, or else the consequences that may cometh thy way would not be expressable in a rhyming couplet. Forsooth, it would be-
I mean it. Off my keyboard. NOW.
Zounds, tis a longprick note you touch!
This is silly. Far too silly for my taste. Excuse me please, whilst we, or should I say I, fix this chapter, or what exists of it thus far.
APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES LATER...
It was very dark, as it was incredibly early in the morning. In fact, it was so early that the cockrel was yet to crow, and this meant that the members of the Apple family, who were still in bed, were not awake, their minds still firmly residing in sleepyland, that distant realm that the mind occupies when one is in the land of dreams. It is a strange place indeed, and Apple Bloom found herself asleep, dreaming of terrifying monsters, or tea at the bandstand near Cranston's or Crawford's.
Having firmly got the urge to quote W. H. Auden out of her system, Apple Bloom was suddenly awakened by a loud truck horn. "Ah!" she cried, and shot up in bed. "What in the?"
"Rise and shine, folks!" called a voice from downstairs, that of Bright Mac. "We've got a long journey ahead of us, and the truck ain't gonna pack itself!"
Apple Bloom jumped out of bed, and pulled some clothes on that she had left out the previous night on her chair. Once she was done with that crucial maneuvre, she grabbed her case and wheeled it towards the door, opening the door in order to get it out of said door. A procession of cases had already rumbled down it, Applejack, Big Mac, Granny Smith, Grand Pear, and Pear Butter already wheeling theirs down the corridor and down the stairs to the landing. Apple Bloom filed in at the back, and followed along, dropping hers in alongside the others as they rolled along, making a great noise as they did so.
Eventually they made their way outdoors, and Bright Mac lifted the cases up and began to load them into the trunk. "That's mine," he said, "and Macs, and Ma's, and Pear's, and AJ's, and Grand's, and finally, yours, Apple Bloom."
"That's a lot," Apple Bloom sighed. "Are ya sure we're just goin' on holiday?"
"Ya gotta do it properly if ya gonna enjoy it," Bright Mac smiled. "Now, please take yer seat. We've got a drive ahead of us ta the station."
Apple Bloom went around the side of the truck, and hopped into the seat, squished in next to Applejack and Big Mac. "Howdy sugarcube!" Applejack said. "How ya feelin'?"
"Squashed," Apple Bloom replied.
"Well, yer the smallest," Big Mac laughed.
"And?" his vertically challenged sister challenged.
"Ya take up the least space. Therefore, ya only need ta get on last, as we can easily squeeze ya in."
Anybody who knew that family well knew that Apple Bloom did not like being teased about her height. She simply huffed, and turned to look out of the window. In front of her, the engine suddenly started up, a gentle hum coming from the old Jalopy.
"Who ya callin' a jalopy?!" Granny Smith suddenly asked.
"Ya can here him too?" Big Mac asked.
"Hear who?" Pear Butter asked.
"Why the narrator," Granny Smith replied.
"Ma, are ya feelin' alright?" Bright Mac asked his mother.
"Never felt better!" she cried, her face having a grin attached to it. "Now let's go and catch that train!"
"Right ya are!" Bright Mac smiled. He set the engine into forward, and away they drove to the station, down country roads slowly yielding to smooth roads, along which streetcars were yet to roam, and quiet houses with curtains drawn and lights off. The occupants of those buildings appeared to be asleep, which was of great comfort to them, as there were few people to disturb.
After a short road trip, Bright Mac pulled up in the station parking lot, and cut the engine. "Let's get unloaded!" he called, and hopped out of the door on his side. The entire family joined in, as Mac attached a parking ticket to inform them he'd be parked there for a few days. They dragged their bags into the station building, showed their tickets, which Mac had had the foresight to prebook, and went indoors to under the great canopy of the station. And what a sight awaited them!
Rolling in, under the canopy, producing an incredible jet of smoke and steam, was a Union Pacific 4000 Class, or as most would call it, a Big Boy. The numbers 4014 were illuminated as it rolled into the platform, 20 coaches behind it. Fearing that the Union Pacific would attempt to purchase one for service, the California Coast Railroad had bought all 8 preserved examples from their owners, and restored them to working order. Now, they hauled fast passenger and goods up and down California, with 4014 being the undoubted flagship of the eight. And they were going to get a high speed run behind one! The Apples all picked their cases up, and loaded them onto the train, ready to go. The guard blew his whistle, and they were off on their way!
They flew so fast it seemed as if they would fly into the air, and thereby not need to take a plane flight. Over beautiful plains, by starlit seas, and up through rugged mountains the train roared, clouds of steam pouring from its funnel and the whistle echoing beautifully through the clouds. The run was immensely swift, and when they rolled into San Fernando station, they were more than ready for their holiday. So off they went, and check in was mercifully quick. After that, they went to get some food. Apple Bloom recalled from her previous flight from here that there was a nice place that did cooked breakfasts. And so, to wave goodbye to California, they had breakfast... of seafood.
"Ah must say Ah've never done anythin' like this," Mac sighed, as he helped himself to a piece of salmon. "A meal of fish in the mornin'."
"Babs said ta me once that one of her friends always has salmon fer breakfast," Apple Bloom mentioned. "Silver somethin', her name was."
"Silverstream?" Applejack motioned.
"Yeah!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "That's it! Silverstream."
Granny Smith sighed with a smile as she sat back. "It's nice ta not be the one cookin'. Ah just hope the State has kept the house in good order!"
"The house?" Big Mac asked. "Ya mean where we're stayin'?"
"The very same," Grand Pear said. "Number 22. Where the Apples lived in Cass."
Suddenly, a loud beep alerted Bright Mac, who checked his watch. "Alright folks!" he said. "We've got about 30 minutes before we're needed fer our flight. So let's finish up here, and get ready ta go. We want this ta go off without a hitch!"
There were some murmers of agreement, and the family set about finishing their breakfasts.
American Airlines Flight 3024 took to the skies about 90 minutes later, climbing higher and higher until the Earth below was but a tiny ball of nothing below them. The skies were a wonderful place, and Apple Bloom looked out at the world as it rolled by below.
"Ya lookin' forward to it?" asked Pear Butter, sat next to her.
Apple Bloom nodded. "Ah still find it weird, seein' the world so tiny below me," she said. "And yeah, Ah'm lookin' forward ta seein' Babs again. How long has it been, four months, since that trip ta New York?"
"Ya went in February, so yeah, four months," Applejack added, overhearing the conversation from just in front.
"Ah wonder what Scoots and the others are up ta," Apple Bloom sighed, looking in front of her as the flight attendants started serving lunch. Which, as expected of airlines, was absolutely disgusting, a messy mush of... something. What that something was nobody knew, but it was something.
After several hours in the air, they were happy to be off the plane. They checked their baggage out, and took the shuttle to the nearby hotel. Having been travelling for several hours, they were exhausted, and upon arrival, after their evening meal, took to their beds, with dreams of the hills in their hearts.
The morning came in West Virginia, all those thousands of miles away from home. It was seven in the morning, an altogether much more reasonable time to be awake than that ghastly three o clock they had had to endure the previous day. It was time to awaken here, and in a set of hotel rooms, or should I say only one hotel room, Apple Bloom awoke from her sleep, and rubbed her eyes.
"It's a bit late fer ya, isn't it?" asked a voice from across the room. Apple Bloom looked over to see that Pear Butter, or rather, her mother, had been speaking, and she looked equally tired. But it seemed as though she'd had a good night's sleep, based on how her hair was already in order. Or as orderly as the frizzy, uncoordinated mass of hair that Pear boasted could be.
"Bout an hour behind," Apple Bloom admitted, getting out of bed, removing the covers and putting her feet down on the floor in front of her. "Ah had no idea this trip would be leisurely, but Ah suppose that's a holiday fer ya."
"You've had more o' them than me, kid," added the voice of Bright Mac, who had only just appeared from behind the head of Pear. "What with all those adventures you and yer friends have been goin' on, you've had quite the year."
Apple Bloom nodded, wandering over to the shower door. "Who wants ta go in first?"
Showering was fairly uneventful, and the family gathered downstairs in the hotel lobby for breakfast. The breakfast room was off to the side of the lobby, and was filled with the typical coffee machines, pancake and waffle makers, and even, to Grand Pear's intense confusion, a device that dispensed cereals, including cheerios (which, in Applejack's frank opinion, tasted of cardboard), something called fruit loops but had no trace of fruit in them (making the title somwhat misleading), or failing that something made of wheat that fell apart upon contact with the spoon.
Whilst trying to get some sustenance of some description, Bright Mac was busy talking to the others. "Now then, when we get ta Cass, Ah take it y'all know what ta do?"
"Sing that John Denver song about the state?" Applejack asked. "Take me Home, Country Roads?"
"Yeah!" Big Mac smiled, nearly sending milk flying through the air. "Good song, that."
"Especially fer basses," Grand Pear noted, making short work of a bowl of fruit. It was, to nobody's surprise, mostly pears.
"Then we need ta collect our house key." Bright Mac quickly counted. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. I hope we all fit!"
"It was a bit small, last Ah recall," Granny Smith observed. "Course, Ah haven't been ta that old home in 20 years. It'll be interestin' ta see what has changed in the intervenin' years."
"It sounds like we're basically takin' the place over!" Apple Bloom chimed in, forgetting her mouth was full.
"That's more or less it," Pear Butter laughed, rubbing her youngest daughter's head. "It was quite the headache co-ordinatin' all these people to get the homes we needed on the same day." She then seemed to look somewhere else. "or days. We'll be here fer a while."
"The Last Run will sure be busy!" Grand Pear laughed as well.
"The Last Run?" Applejack asked.
"The main waterin' hole in Cass," Bright Mac explained. "The visitors ate there, and the engine crews liked goin' there after a workin' day."
The meal was at last concluded, and they headed out to put their cases in the hire car. They then squashed the family in, and off they went, driving across Interstate and plain, gentle road and hill, and up the map, rolling into the hills, through the rolling landscape of West Virginia. At last, the flat terrain gave way to rolling hills and mountains, slopes covered in wondrous, beautiful trees. At long last, they reached their destination. Cass, West Virginia.
They pulled up in the parking lot at Cass, and stepped out to look about, not to mention stretch their legs in order to recover after such a long road journey of several hours, as that is enough to knacker anybody. It was just then a sound that Bright Mac knew so well echoed through the air, a wondrous, harmonious sound. It was the sound of a chime whistle, a 6 chime to be precise, and it was a whistle that Mac knew very well, as he had regularly sounded it 20 years ago.
"C'mon y'all!" he called. "That's Number 5! Let's see her in!"
"Slow down!" shouted Granny Smith. "Ah can't run as fast as y'all!"#
As they reached the old station building, the engine emerged from the treeline, puffing and panting noisily as it backed down toward the station, whistle sounding long and loud and bell ringing loud enough that anybody anywhere could easily hear it. And it rolled to a stop, the cylinders finally stopping spinning as the engine stopped in the platform. The boarding ramps dropped, and the passengers from the run up to Bald Knop disembarked, heading toward their cars and trucks ready for their journeys home. The engineer looked over his engine, and prepared to run the other way, when he looked out and saw something that made him do a double take.
"Bright Mac?" he asked. "It's been, what, twenty years?"
"Valve!" Bright cried, stepping closer to the cab. "What'd are ya still doin' here?"
"Never really had a reason to move away," Valve Gear laughed, as he moved the gear into the forwards position. "Unlike you, Ah never had a girl from the West Coast ta steal mah heart."
Bright smiled. "Yeah, about that. We're gonna be hear a while, so we'll have plenty of time ta catch up. We need ta get our keys, so see ya!"
Valve smiled in return, and waved. He then sounded the whistle furiously, and the engine began to steam forwards as it vanished into the treeline toward the depot. The Apples, on the other hand, walked toward the office whilst Grand Pear and Granny Smith headed back to the car. Bright opened the door, and stepped through with his wife and three children. The room was panelled in wood, and was exactly as he recalled it 20 years earlier. Standing behind the desk was an old man, with grey skin and blue eyes. Not only that, he had one of the most impressive beards that Bright had ever seen. He was also dressed in blue, with grey pants and shoes. He also had a pointy hat on, for some reason.
"Welcome, weary travellers!" he said. "Are you, perchance, here for the reunion?"
"Why, yes we are!" Bright replied, and handed over his booking papers. The man on the desk looked over them calmly.
"Ah, yes," he said. "Apple Family. House number 22, seven occupants, one week. If you need anything, I am Mr Starswirl. I hope you enjoy your stay, and tomorrow night I will be running a stargazing session. Here, the skies are very clear, and s a result it is very easy to see the stars."
"Thanks," Bright Mac replied. "Hope ta see ya again!"
"You too!" Starswirl smiled, as the family existed outdoors. He thought to himself. "I'm certain I've seen them somewhere before..."
After unloading all their cases in the house, and stocking the wardrobes as best they could, the family headed out for dinner at The Last Run. Upon entering, music echoed through the room, old country classics which may or may not have had a connection to the area. Apple Bloom's attention was immediately attracted to the photos of the old days on the walls, including a Shay climbing through the snow, and a Climax double heading with a Heisler out on another part of the network.
"Good pictures, ain't they?" asked a voice. Apple Bloom glanced over to see it belonged to a woman who was standing behind the counter. She had blue skin, red hair done up above her head similar to that a Cajun woman might have, and light blue eyes. She wore a cotton blouse and a green skirt, which was all that the young girl could see. She had clue what her footwear was.
"Erm, yes?" Apple Bloom asked in response. "Yes, they are."
"Most of them were taken in the local area," the woman said again. "Back long before Ah came here from Eunis. That's in Lousisiana."
"Ah don't recall seein' ya around," Bright Mac said. "Are ya a newcomer ta Cass?"
"Why, Ah am!" the woman replied. "Meadowbrook, head of caterin', pleasure ta meet ya. And you are?"
"Bright Mac, ma'am. Ah was born here, and the Apples were one of the foundin' families o' Cass."
Meadowbrook's eyes widened. "Well then, sir, it's an honour to have ya here. Ah moved here not too long ago to take up this post. Now then, what can Ah get y'all? Menus are on the tables behind ya."
The food mostly consisted of old American classics, ranging from Mac and Cheese to items such as hot dogs and burgers. All had their fill, although the coleslaw wasn't to everybody's taste, and they headed off to bed contented, to start the first day of the reunion.
As had been the case for all previous days that year, the sun rose out of the belly of the earth (well, not literally) and floated in the beautiful cloudless sky, turning the blackness to orange, and then a wondrous blue. The weather was perfect for a wonderful day of friendship, bonding, and reunions. Nothing could ruin the sleeping bliss of the residents of Cass No 22, facing onto the old sidings built on top of the former alignment away from Cass, built for shipping wood and lumber away from the town to the neighbouring communities and the main line, as there's had been a good and quiet sleep, with nothing to disturb them. But just then, as the clock hit seven exactly, it happened.
"Galileo!" said a sudden voice from the top of the building. Such was the suddenness that Big Mac tumbled out of bed and hit the floor. He pulled himself up and looked around, trying to figure out where the noise had come from.
"Galileo?" he asked, confused as to why somebody should be saying the name of a famous astronomer. Then it came again.
"Galileo!" There was no mistaking it. Something (or somebody) was shouting 'Galileo' from somewhere. Big Mac wondered if maybe one (or both) of his little sisters were trying to prank him. But then, he heard another voice, that belonging to Applejack.
"Galileo?" she asked, sounding equally confused.
"Galileo Figaro!" said the first voice again, the very voice which had caused all of this confusion. There was also a loud fluttering noise, and when Big Mac went over to the window, he could see a bird flying off into the distance.
"A cockrel, sayin' Galileo'," he sighed. "And Ah thought that thin's in Canterlot were gettin' wierd." Just then, there was a knock on his door. "Hello? Who is it?"
"Hey Big Mac!" came the voice of Apple Bloom. "Were y'all just singin' Bohemian Rhapsody? Pa sent me over ta check."
"No," Big Mac replied. "It were a cockrel."
"Oh. OK. Ah'll tell them it were a cockrel," Apple Bloom answered, and the pattering of feet informed Big Mac that she was headed downstairs.
After he had showered, and dressed properly, he headed downstairs to find his fellow family members sat in the living room (or, according to one of the brochures, a 'get together' room, whatever that meant). He looked over to his younger sisters. "Ah wasn't the only one who heard a cockrel sayin' Galileo?" he asked.
"Ah heard it alright," Applejack said, adjusting her hat to sit properly on her head. "But why Galileo?"
"Beats me," Big Mac replied, sitting down as he did so. "So, how did y'all sleep?"
Bright Mac looked over. "It's a bit strange bein' here," he admitted. "This is where Ah grew up, and spent most, if not all, of mah formative years here."
"Ah was here before ya!" Granny Smith said. "As was yer father, and his father, and his father before him, and even before him, his-"
"Yes, thank you," Grand Pear interrupted, waving his hand politely. "Never havin' been here, Ah certainly appreciate how you Apples are so hardy. You'd need ta be, up here, in the mountain air."
"Well, ya do live next ta the sea," Bright Mac joked.
"What's wron' with the sea?" Pear Butter asked.
The argument (or conversation, depending on whos side you were on) was suddenly interrupted by a loud rumbling noise. A rumbling noise that came from a stomach. "Erm," Apple Bloom said, suddenly looking very red indeed, "shall we go get breakfast?"
After breakfast, which was the classic American combination of eggs, sausage (links, rather than patties. Seriously, who eats patties?), and bacon (but no sticks), the family gathered on the porch just outside the Last Run, to be greeted with a wondrous sound. The first sound to be heard was a 5 chime echoing off the hills.
"Sounds like Number 2 has just woken up," Bright Mac said, looking into the distance, seeing a plume of steam and smoke rising over the valley. Not long after, a fast, multi-cylinder beat followed the whistle, rumbling down the valley and toward the station. Then another whistle was heard. "And Number 5 too!"
"Ya can recognise the engines from their whistles?" Grand Pear asked.
"Ah drove them back in the old days!" Bright Mac replied. As if to contradict him, another whistle echoed through the valley. "Ah don't know that one. Any clue?"
"Ah think that's an NYC 6 chime," Apple Bloom said. "But it's a bit lost, ain't it?"
Applejack opened her mouth to contribute. "Maybe they bought a new one since you've been here."
Suddenly, the very Earth beneath them began to shake. It trembled, as something approached. It felt as though a stampede was approaching the town, and in a sense, they were right. For, riding right towards them, was a vast convoy of cars and trucks, and even a helicopter! They rolled into the parking lot near the station and stopped, people piling out of their vehicles and looking around. There were young and old, tall and short, thin and... somewhat less thin, energetic and slow. Some had city attire and smart suits, others had jeans and checquered shirts. From everywhere they seemed to have come, and the crowds were great. Before long, they reached the Apples, and people were shaking hands, greeting old friends that they hadn't seen in years, and chatting about the old days, and the glories of reunions long, long ago. Apple Bloom looked desperately through the crowd, looking for one particular person. There were lots of people from a place called Dodge Junction whom she didn't recognise (something about cherries and Humbrol paint), a crowd of Pears from elsewhere, and even some other folks she couldn't place. As she went along, she mentally ticked people off.
"Apple Fritter, Apple Bumpkin, Red Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicous, Caramel Apple, Apple Strudel, Apple Tart, Baked Apples, Apple Brioche, Apple Cinnamon Crisp, Apple Cider, Apple Cobbler, Apple Honey, Apple Munchies, Gala Appleby, Jonagold, Lavender Fritter, Peachy Sweet, Perfect Pie, Apple Strudel, Brown Betty, Braeburn, Chili Pepper, Goldie Delicious, Pine Apple, but where is she?"
Suddenly, a hand touched her on the back of her shoulder. Apple Bloom swung around, only to find herself being pulled through the crowd. "Hey! Watch it! Ah still want mah arm in its socket!"
"Don't worry, I know how tough you are," replied a familiar Bronx voice. Apple Bloom finally got a clear look, and saw who the voice belonged to. Her favourite cousin.
"Babs!" she cried, throwing her arms around the New Yorker.
"Cuz'!" Babs replied, a massive grin on her face. "I know it's only been four months since we last met, but-"
The two of them chorused together. "It felt like forever!"
"So, what's been goin' on in New York?"
"Oh, you wouldn't believe it," Babs said with a smile. "I'm sure you know that Silverstream is back in New England, but her dad is looking at getting a transfer to Norfolk for an engineerin' job. Not to mention it brings them back closer to their roots in the US Navy. As for the East Coast Crusaders, what can I say? Still jammin', and those bullies haven't been a bother." As is well observed, that trip to see her cousin had done Babs Seed a world of good, made clear by her interactions with Apple Bloom here. "How about you, apart from stoppin' train robbers?"
"It's been pretty crazy!" Apple Bloom smiled. "We've-"
"Now, c'mon, y'all!" Applejack called. "You'll have plenty o' time fer talkin' later. Pa has put me in charge of the kids, and as such Ah've got some really fun stuff fer y'all ta do!"
Apple Bloom looked annoyed, but let herself be dragged along.
"Is wantin' to talk too much around here?" Babs asked, rhetorically.
Elsewhere in the crowd, Granny Smith and Grand Pear found a group of older women sat around a table, with glasses on that sat upon their noses. "Goldie!" Granny Smith called. "How are ya, dear?"
"Well, well!" Goldie Delicious laughed, looking up toward the sun. "The last time Ah saw ya, you were only Mrs Smith! How has that grandson of yers been?"
"Not just one grandson, but two granddaughters!" Grand Pear added. "True, they were a handful at first, but we wanted ta help them, and so we did in the only way we could."
"And that was?" asked another woman, Apple Rose, glancing away from her knitting for a split second.
The look on Granny Smith's face said everything, as she took a seat. She glanced around, as another series of whistles echoed. "Now, where has that son of mine got to?"
The locomotive and carriage workshop was located a short way north of the town of Cass, down a gravel road. This road ran parellel to the railway, before curving over the former alignment that ran to a place called Durbin, before it got washed out in a flood a long time ago. The road then curved across the railway line and passed the water tower, which was a favoured photography spot for, well, photographers, and followed the railway towards the workshop. This was a large building constructed from steel and concrete, and boasted four roads, each devoted to maintenance of a differing type. Inside, it was very dark, and a large number of different devices could be seen scattered about, ranging from wheel repairs to lifting bogies to even spot welding boilers, which was a tough and time consuming task, to say the least. The one thing they had never attempted at Cass, however, was to make a boiler. The site didn't have the resources to build such a thing, and as a result they tended to get replacement boilers for their Shays built at the Virginia Museum of Transportation, Virginia, or failing that at Spencer, North Carolina. But today, the works would be reunited with one of its former sons.
Bright Mac walked down the road as engine whistles continued to echo up and down the Pocohontas Valley. He walked along, listening to the gentle and idle talk from all around, gradually fading into the distance as he walked along. The air was beautiful and smooth, and gentle and wondrous in his nostrils, just as he remembered it from all those years ago. He took a left as he walked past the water tower, and walked towards the depot structure. It had changed little since he had last been here, and that was a relief to him, as that had been twenty years ago. He walked closer, and stepped inside, soaking up the smell of grease, oil, and coal. "It's good ta be back," he said, happily, as he walked over to Cass Number 5, and put his hand on the cab side. "Hello, old friend," he said quietly. It had been many years since he had last been on the footplate, but he was certain he still had it.
"Did you used to work here?" asked a voice, marked by a Scottish accent. Bright Mac looked over as he saw a man approaching. He had blue skin and wild brown hair, which would have made any Highlander proud, and he had a red moustache and beard (red being closer to ginger in this case, not literal red as might be the case). As would befit a man who worked in engineering, he currently wore a pair of engineering overalls combined with a white shirt and black boots. In his hands were a toolkit and a spanner, and he extended his hand. "Well?" he asked. "Did you used to work here?"
"Yeah," Bright Mac replied. "Ah did. Mah name's Bright Mac."
The man's face lit up. "Ah!" he said. "The Bright Mac! The one who still holds the Bald Knob ascent record!" He paused a moment, as if recalling something, and then proceeded to speak again. "Oh, where are my manners!" His hand took Bright Mac's. "My name's Rockhoof. I'm the chief engineer around here, and have been since 2000."
"Where did ya work before then?" Bright Mac asked him.
"Oh, in maintenance," Rockhoof replied. "I have an engineering degree, and spent most of my time building or fixing bridges. I fancied a change of pace, and so here I am, fixing steam engines instead. It's a lot more fun!"
Bright Mac laughed. "Ah can agree with that. Say, how's the brake ejector holdin' up on Number 2? It could be a little sticky back in the day, if ya know what Ah mean."
Rockhoof laughed at this. "Ah yes, we had issues with it back in the day too. We replaced it with a newer one, made right here, and nobody has had a problem with it since, you see!"
"Well, that's a relief," Bright Mac replied. He turned to go. "Ah'd better see how mah Ma and family are doin'. But it was great to meet up with ya."
"No problem," Rockhoof replied. "Hey, Valve Gear spoke to me about you. It seems you were pretty skilled, and we've got a pretty heavy train due out tomorrow. If you want, you can take up the engineer's position on the rear locomotive."
Bright Mac's jaw dropped in amazement. "Say no more!" he exclaimed. "Ah'm in!"
Meanwhile, the younger members of the reunion were on the other side of the town. To be precise, they were on the side of town furthest away from the depot, and Applejack was busy distributing rope to the kids.
"What's all this for?" asked one.
"Yeah?" Apple Bloom added, equally confused. "Ah kinda wanna catch up with Babs, that's all."
Applejack smiled. "Oh, you'll get plenty o'time fer catchin' up and family bondin' whilst competin' against yer fellow cousins." She stepped back, to check everybody was in the correct lines. "Ma put me in charge of keepin' you youngin's in good order and safe, and what better way than to engage in old fashioned, harmless fun?"
Babs looked down. "This looks worryingly like a three legged race," she said, looking worried. "I have terrible balance," she added.
"Then how did ya drive that GG1?" asked another child. "Seriously, we saw that in the news! Restoring an entire engine? Incredible!"
"That was mostly sitting down," Babs replied.
Applejack sounded an air horn very loudly. "Alright folks!" she called. "It's time fer a three stage competition. The first stage is the three legged race." Applejack pointed to a large flag.
"Whoa, is that the finish line?" Babs asked. "It's like a mile away or somethin'!"
"Actually," Applejack told her, "that's just the marker where you go on to the next leg of the race." She then pointed to a set of trees next to the path. "After bobbin' fer apples next ta the tree, you'll run around these trees fifty times until yer real good and dizzy." Then she indicated a set of wooden hurdles, and finally a pile of plates. " And then there's the final leg, where you'll balance plates on yer head while sayin' "Pappy people picked a pluck of prickly pluffnuggets" over and over and over again. Last pair standin' wins!"
Apple Bloom looked at her sister incredulously, and a look on her face which suggested she thought the entire idea was stupid. "Seriously?" she asked.
Applejack didn't reply, but instead stepped back, sounded her air horn, and waved her hands in a dramatic fashion. "What ya waitin' fer? Let's go and make some memories!"
The racers set off, in staggered lines, with some wobbling forward, and others struggling to stay upright as they ran along. Apple Bloom and Babs took the lead fairly early on, but coordinating foot movements proved to be insanely difficult, a situation not helped by the fact each girl naturally started walking on a different foot. The pair hobbled along, making for a most ridiculous sight, until at last they got to the trees. There, after apple bobbing, they began speeding round and round them, the world turning into a shapeless blur.
"How are Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle?" Babs gasped. "It's been a while since I last saw them!"
"Great," Apple Bloom groaned. "Not feelin' great."
"You OK?" Babs asked, not having caught the last part. The pair then toppled over onto the ground.
Later, they found themselves with the plates. Those spun around furiously as they tried to say the rhyme over and over. "Pappy people picked a pluck of prickly pluffnuggets!" the assembled children chorused.
"Any new students want to join the band?" Apple Bloom asked.
"We gotta few, drummers mostly," Babs replied. "One has the surname Starr, and rings a lot."
Suddenly noticing Applejack looking their way, they started repeating the rhyme over and over. "Pappy people picked a pluck of prickly pluffnuggets! Pappy people picked a pluck of prickly pluffnuggets! Pappy people picked a pluck of prickly pluffnuggets!"
In the meantime since we last saw them, the older folks, such as Granny Smith, Apple Rose, Auntie Applesauce (though precisely whos aunt she was was unclear in that regard) had got out their knitting needles and had set themselves up in the chairs set aside. Before them was a large and incredibly long quilt, which had at least one foot on it for every reunion. As there had been 20 reunions thus far, the quilt was at least 20 feet long, and ran forward in front of them in piles and curls, rolled up and flowing along like a wave, not a piece of fabric.
"Well!" Apple Rose joked, her false teeth producing a smile. "It seems as if we've been workin' on this quilt fer years."
"They started it at the first reunion back in 1914," Grand Pear explained, having been briefed on the story of the quilt. "Ah believe it was Mrs Smith's grandmother who did the first stitch on the quilt, and here we are, 100 years and 20 feet later!"
"You got that one right," Granny Smith smiled, as she sat back in her chair and looked up at the sun, before dropping in her sun shades. "Ah doubt this quilt will ever be finished, and part of me hopes it won't. What else will Bright and Pear do in their old age? Or Big Mac, Applejack, or Apple Bloom, fer that matter?"
"Ya don't necessarily need ta finish it," said a voice, which rapidly turned out to be that of Bright Mac. "But we brought a special somethin' that Ah think will help ya make more of it." He stepped behind them, and then whisked off a dust cover and a tarpaulin. Under that dust cover and tarpaulin had been sitting a set of sewing machines, gleaming and modern with delightful new metalwork. "These sewin' machines will help reduce the strain on yer hands," he explained, clearly quite proud of his idea. "Not ta mention, you'll be able to make more than one foot of quilt. You'll be able ta make up ta three feet in a day!"
"Three feet in a day?" Auntie Applesauce exclaimed. "Now, where's the fun in that, youngin'?"
"It's a labour savin' device," Bright Mac replied, with a smile on his face, as he pulled the ripcord, which started the machines up. They began to rumble and roar, and the ground shook as they got going. "Won't workin' together with these machines be excitin'?" he asked, over all the noise.
Unfortunately, the older folks were a little hard of hearing. "What?" Apple Rose asked, as her false teeth floated out of her mouth and floated through the air.
"AH SAID, WON'T IT BE-" Bright Mac reached over, and the machines switched off -"excitin'?" He headed off toward the centre of town as the ladies got to work on the sewing machines.
"These machines make havin' a conversation difficult!" Granny Smith shouted.
"WHAT?"
"These machines make havin' a conversation difficult!" Granny Smith repeated loudly.
"Ah can't hear ya, these machines make havin' a conversation difficult! And Ah was gonna ask about mah Parasol!"
And it went on like this for several minutes.
Elsewhere, Pear Butter was keeping an eye on fritters. A fritter, for those who do not know, is a delicacy made of batter or bread, and often covered in sugar or other such preservatives, and filled with a variety of different food items, such as meat, seafood, vegatables, fruit, or many other things. They existed a few miles south in the form of Beignets (which Babs knew all about from her trip to New Orleans), and the major constituent families all did variations on the fritter. In a table in the centre of town, with large Dutch ovens sitting near the railroad lines, fritters with oranges, pears, apples, cherries, and many other items were being processed into the ovens. But the process was going a lot slower than Pear would have liked. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and she didn't want anybody there to miss out on the cooking. So, she decided to use an old technique the Pears had perfected. Stepping over to the table where a group of women were working, she spoke to them.
"Here, try this," she suggested. Her hands worked swiftly, and she produced a perfect one in seconds. "Roll, fold, crimp, slide to the left." She then demonstrated it again. "Roll, fold, crimp, slide to the left." She then repeated it one last time. "Roll, fold, crimp, slide to the left. Very good. Now then y'all, let's keep this assembly line movin'! Ah don't want a single person here missin' out on a fritter." She turned around, and looked over to where the kids were busy racing round a tree and falling over. "Please don't overdo it, Applejack," she asked quietly. "We don't want any injuries today." She glanced back, seeing fritters positively flying into the ovens, which Big Mac was watching over. "How are the temperatures?" she called.
"Hotter than a boiler on a Shay!" Big Mac called. Just then, a Shay did roll past, blowing steam as it did so. The steam flew through the air and covered over the ovens, making Big Mac very confused. "Well, Ah didn't know these ovens could make so much steam."
Pear Butter facepalmed. "Honestly, Mac."
As the first day of the Apple Family Reunion came to an end, it had yeilded mixed results. Whilst people had got to know each other, a lot feared that proceedings, as organised by the Apple Family, were simply far too hectic and compromised the values of just seeing each other once again. After dinner at the Last Run, most people simply retired to their homes and relaxed with their families, but some came back out again under the cover of night. In the centre of the town courtyard sat a telescope. And standing next to the telescope, dressed like an old wizard, was Mr Starswirl, and he was ready to give a planetarium display.
The stars continued to glimmer in the sky, over a perfect cloudless sky, with the sky staying a vibrant blue above them, which was perfect conditions for stargazing. Sorry, were perfect conditions for stargazing. Before the assembled crowd, who took their seats on the front of the general store and some of the outdoor seats at The Last Run, stood Starswirl, who raised his hand.
"Thank you all," he said, "for joining me tonight for the night time program. Whilst I do spend most of my day overseeing the site and ensuring that proceedings run properly, I also worked as an astronomer when I was younger. This meant that I spent most of my day staring at the stars, down a high powered telescope. Whilst, of course, those days are long since gone, I still take the opportunity to observe the skies and see what they are up to. And tonight seems like a very good night for 'Stargazing with Starswirl'!"
When people applauded, he continued his speech. "Now then, the night sky can be a very difficult place to navigate for those who have never tried. I intend to provide some useful pointers for those who wish to find their own ways around the skies. And the first place to look is the North Star!"
Apple Bloom patted Babs on the shoulder. "Ah've heard of this one!" she whispered.
Starswirl went on, not noticing the brief snippets of some quiet conversation. "The North Star was a crucial asset to navigators, as it always stays in the same relative position in the sky, so no matter where they were in the world, sailors could always use the North Star to figure out where they were. In this regard, we can also use it to figure out where other stars are in the night sky." He then pointed straight up. "There is the North Star," he finished.
There was another pause from him. "The North Star is about 433 light years away from us, but if we follow an imaginary line down," he continued, pointing as he did so, "we find our way to the Seven Stars of Dubhe, Merak, Phecda, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar, and Alkaid. These, however, are not arranged in a perfect line as you might expect. These stars are instead arranged like this!" His hands made a shape that closely resembled a common kitchen implement, and then he picked one up.
"A saucepan!" said one of the children in the crowd, clearly amazed at this revelation. Then again, they were from an urban area, and the light pollution in such places made it almost impossible to see the stars.
Starswirl smiled. "Yes indeed!" he said, his face warm and friendly. "But we don't call it a saucepan, or at least it would be a very bad saucepan, as the handle is bent!" He then picked up a piece of paper and showed it to the assembled crowd. "Where I am from, in the United Kingdom, we call it the Plough, as it looks like an old farmer's plough."
Applejack spoke up. "That's a thin' used to made field suitable fer crops."
"I think we know that!" said somebody else.
"We do," Applejack smiled, "but Ah suspect some of the youngin's here from the big city won't know that. Fer instance, where does milk come from?" she asked a boy.
"The supermarket?" he replied, completely straight faced, without a hint of irony.
"No!" Babs replied. "Milk comes from a cow! How can you not know that?"
"Well, I've never seen a cow," the boy replied.
Applejack facepalmed. "Ah think we need ta get him ta Sweet Apple Acres, fast," she said finally.
"If I may continue?" Starswirl asked calmly. The entire crowd fell silent, and allowed Starswirl to continue. "Thank you. Over here in America, you call it the Big Dipper, due to the dip in the handle. But these stars form a small part of a much greater constellation of stars. The Great Bear."
"Ursa Major?" Applejack said. "Twilight said somethin' about havin' ta face one of those back in Equestria." Just then she realised what she had let slip, and put her hand over her mouth.
Starswirl chose to ignore the slip up, and continued speaking regardless. "This formation is so named because it looks like a large bear. Admittedly, the line between the stars makes it seem more like a giant havelina-"
"What's a havelina?" somebody asked, though thankfully not the same boy as earlier.
"We'll explain later," Starswirl replied, getting slightly tired of all the interruptions. "This constellation was first identified by Ptolomy in the 2nd Century AD, and is the third largest of the modern constellations, of which their are eighty eight."
There was a brief pause, before a hand went up. "Yes?"
"What are the other eighty seven constellations?" another person asked.
Starswirl paused for a moment, before putting his hand on his enormous beard. "Let me see. I think I have them all off from memory, and all in here somewhere, I think." He then began his list, starting at the top of the list (in alphabetical order, at least), and worked his way to the bottom. "Andromeda, Antlia, Apus, Aquarius, Aquila, Ara, Aries, Auriga, Bootes (not the pharmaceutical firm), Caelum, Camelopardalis, Cancer, Canes Venatici, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Capricornus, Carina, Cassiopoeia, Centaurus, Cepheus, Cetus, Chamaeleon, Circinus, Columba, Coma Berenices, Corona Australis, Corona Borealis-"
"We are the Emprah's Fury!" somebody said, loudly.
"Quiet!" called the voice of Miss Meadowbrook. "Besides, what does that even mean?"
Starswirl sighed. "Now, where was I?" he said. "Ah yes, I remember. Corvus, Crater, Crux, Cygnus, Delphinus, Dorado, Draco, Equuleus (which is rather like a pony, just not little and not mine), Eridanus, Fornax, Gemini, Grus, Hercules, Horologium, Hydra, Hydrus, Indus, Lacerta, Leo, Leo Minor, Lepus, Libra, Lupus, Lynx, Lyra-"
"Isn't the girl at Canterlot High who's really inta unicorns?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Shhh!" Applejack hissed. "But yes, it is. Why she's so fascinated by them is a mystery."
"Anthropology?" somebody suggested.
Starswirl resumed speaking before anybody else could interrupt. "Mensa, Microscopium, Monoceros, Musca, Norma, Octans, Ophiucus, Orion, Pavo, Pegasus, Perseus, Phoenix, Pictor, Pisces, Pisces Austrinus, Puppis, Pyxis, Reticulum, Sagitta, Sagittarius, Scorpius, Sculptor, Scutum, Serpens, Sextans, Taurus, Telescopium, Triangulum, Triangulum Astrale, Tucana, Ursa Minor, Vela, Virgo, Volans, and Vulpecula. That is all for tonight, and see you tomorrow."
After having had a good night's sleep, the families assembled at the Last Run for breakfast. Meadowbrook certainly had her hands full trying to keep all the carering running efficiently, and waiters were carrying trays covered in plates and drinks. The plates, in turn, were covered in (in no particular order) eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, tomatoes, apples (for some reason) and other items. Most drinks were coffee, milk, orange, apple, and even cherry juice!
At one of the tables, the Apples and the Oranges were sharing a table. The adults were all busy chatting, and Applejack was trying to get Sunflower interested in proceedings, to no avail, as Sunflower was more concerned about the fact she had no cell phone coverage. Apple Bloom and Babs talked in hushed voices.
"Well, yesterday was crazy," Babs said, picking at her bacon. It was certainly a lot crispier than at home, but not as good as she'd remembered it at Sweet Apple Acres.
"Ah know!" Apple Bloom said. "Ah know mah folks want ta make this a great reunion an' all, but the sheer amount of stuff we did yesterday were ridiculous!" She took a sip of her milk, as if to prove her point.
"Yeah," Babs sighed. "We didn't even get a minute to talk or somethin'! I thought the whole point of this gatherin' was to find out how everybody else is doin'!"
Suddenly, the table was banged, and all fell silent. "Attention everybody!" called Bright Mac. "In a few minutes, we need ta meet at the station. Today, we're goin' up Bald Knob, and it looks like a great day on which ta do it!"
Apple Bloom groaned. "Oh not again," she said.
"At least you and Babs are right next ta the engine," Pear Butter told her. "Won't it be fun?"
"It'll sure be noisy," Babs replied.
Outdoors, they walked over to the platform to be surprised. There was not one Shay sat at the back of the train, but TWO. In front of the engines was a formation of 6 coaches, labelled A through F, with A being closest to the engines. The carriages were already filling up, passengers taking their seats. Apple Bloom and Babs took up position next to the engine, to suddenly see Miss Meadowbrook boarding the train and sitting down in their carriage.
"Hello girls!" she said. "Looking' forward to it?"
"Do you often catch the train up?" Babs asked.
"Ah often catch the Bald Knob departure," Miss Meadowbrook replied. "It's a great way of startin' a day. And besides, we've got the best seats in the house."
"We'll definitely here the engines!" Apple Bloom said. "But Ah don't know how well mah ears will hold up."
"It will be very loud," said another passenger, with a smile. "That's what I love about Shays."
Meanwhile, Bright Mac boarded the rear Shay. The stoker looked over to him. "Sir," she said, "it'll be an honour to work alongside ya."
"No problem, ma'am," Bright Mac replied. "Ah haven't done this fer years, but Ah remember what everythin' does." He then heard the guard's whistle. "Here we go!" He reached forward, and sounded the whistle four times. The locomotive in front sounded its whistle four times, and with a whirr and a great puffing noise, they were off and away! The train stormed up the slopes of Bald Knop slowly, but producing enough noise to rival 10 Big Boys. Bells swung, funnels produced massive jets of black smoke, cinders flew through the air, and whistles boomed through the air as the train stormed up the hill. The train stormed through Whittaker, and they paused to pick up food partway up the hill, but resumed their trip past the Wye (though nobody knew why it was there). But, at last, thundering up the final strait, the train arrived at the summit of Bald Knop. Miss Meadowbrook looked at the other passengers.
"Well," she asked, "shall we look around the summit?"
"Sorry?" Apple Bloom asked. "That din blew mah eardrums!"
The top of Bald Knob was very warm, despite being so high up, and the skies were clear as far as anybody could see. The clouds had all gone away, and were probably busy dropping water over North Carolina.
"Hey! It's wet enough already! We don't need West Virginia's rain as well!"
Jimmy, please stop infiltrating my stories. Go back to Manteo and turn into Sunbutt, for all I care. Where was I? Ah yes, there was no rain to be reported that lovely summer day, and the families got off to go and see the sights, whilst some made a hasty visit to the restrooms built near the station. The scene was happy, and the feeling of merriment spread amongst all. Apple Bloom and Babs Seed had occupied themselves with looking off the lookout platform, trying to see what was going on.
"Apparently y'all can see the rest of the Appalachians around from up here," Apple Bloom said.
"And Monte Rosa, in all likelihood," Babs joked.
"Sorry, what?" Apple Bloom asked, confused at Babs' comment.
"Something a pen friend of mine said once," Babs explained. "He used to go to Switzerland quite a bit, before it got too expensive for most tourists, and most mountains had signs proclaiming you could see Monte Rosa from them. Almost invariably you couldn't, but they never bothered to change the sign."
"Where is Monte Rosa?" Apple Bloom asked.
"It's in the Alps," somebody else said, "and sits between Italy and Switzerland. It's the second highest peak in the Alps, after Mont Blanc in France."
"Wow!" Apple Bloom exclaimed, her eyes full of their usual childlike wonder. "How do ya know that?"
The man laughed. "Wikipedia," he said.
Apple Bloom looked at Babs. "Oh. Right."
Meanwhile, at the train, the second Shay had been decoupled, and with a loud blast of its whistle, it began to run down the hill, gears flying and whistles echoing as it rolled backwards down the line toward Whittaker. Bright Mac was at the controls, and brought the engine down the mountain in an expert and controlled manner, stopping it smoothly at the siding just outside the locomotive shed, ready for the engine to be disposed of for the evening.
Back up top, Granny Smith and Apple Rose were talking about the old days, again.
"Ya know," Granny Smith smiled, her face aglow, "Ah recall it has been a long, long time since Ah was last up here. Probably back in the 1990s or somethin' like that. Anyways, it stuns me, seein' how this place has barely changed since the last day Ah was here, that the world could change so much or so fast."
"Yer not the only one!" Apple Rose laughed. "Ah can vaguely remember computers bein' invented, and now those youngin's are carryin' them around in their pockets, able ta talk ta anybody they want to at the touch of a button. And no need fer those switchboard operators anymore!"
"In mah day," Granny Smith replied, "phones were thin's that sat on yer mantlepiece and had to be turned in order ta be used. But now, as you say, they can carry them about with them wherever they want and know whatever they want, whenever they want. Crazy!"
"Do they ever actually learn anythin'?" Apple Rose sighed. "In our day, we had to learn from big books. But now they can just look it up. No wonder it all goes in one ear and out the other."
"Sorry?" Granny Smith asked. "Did ya say somethin' about it all goin' in one ear and out the other?" Suddenly, a loud whistle sounded from the engine positioned at the back of the train. "Ah blast, the train's leavin'!" Granny Smith cried, heading toward the platform.
"It won't go until we're all aboard, Granny," Applejack called, speeding toward the platform herself.
"How can we be sure?" Big Mac called as well. "What if the driver leaves the guard behind?"
"Please don't tempt fate!" called Pear Butter, also headed for the train.
Once everybody had taken their seats, the brakes came off, and the train began to descend the hill toward Cass. It rolled back and forth through the switchbacks, through the many curves that characterised the line up to Bald Knob, and stopped off briefly at Whittaker in order to allow passengers a rest. The many coaches sat in position, held in position by the locomotive they were coupled to. Another whistle informed the travellers that they were ready to start the final portion of the trip, and on they got. Another blast of the whistle, and they were away down the hill. Unfortunately, this was where things began to go wrong. Once the train comes out of the bottom switchback, it must descend a steep slope in order to get to Cass station. Brakes must be carefully maintained on the descent, in order to control speed, as this place was the site of many runaways back in the history of the line. Unfortunately, history was about to repeat itself. Valve Gear checked the speed gauge, and adjusted the brakes on the engine, to minimal effect.
"We have a problem!" he shouted. "The train's too heavy! We're on the verge of a runaway!"
He was right. The heavy coaches slammed together, forcing the engine backwards down the hill. The train bounced down the hill and the steep gradient.
"What's goin' on?" Apple Bloom asked, holding on for dear life.
"The train's got some sort of speed issue, or somethin'!" Babs shouted back.
"We're gonna wreck!" another called. "Hold onto somethin', it may save yer life!"
The train shot straight through Cass yard, past the engine workshops, and by logical extension past the banking engine detached at the top of Bald Knob. Bright Mac looked over in shock. "No!" he cried. "They're headed for the carbarn!"
And indeed they were. The switches were not set correctly, and the train raced into the carbarn. The engine left the rails inside, as a flange was poorly configured, and crashed into a wall as it impacted the buffers. The wall gave way, and so did the rest of the building, collapsing on top of the other coaches and the train, wood and metal landing everywhere.
Luckily, nobody was hurt. But as the passengers got up, it was clear that the damage was severe. Broken wood, messy plaster, and metal lay everywhere. A worker looked over angrily. "JUST LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO MY VARNISH!" he shouted. "NO I'LL HAVE TO APPLY IT AGAIN!"
Valve Gear sighed. "Some poeple have no sense of priority," he said.
Pear Butter looked about her sadly. "Some reunion this has turned out ta be," she said sadly. "Ah tried ta make it the best, but it's by far the worst one ever!"
Granny Smith came over to comfort her. "We're all alive, nobody's hurt, and that's what matters most," she said calmly. "Now then, Ah suggest we head away from this place before anythin' else happens."
Just then, Applejack had an idea. "That's it!" she said.
"That's what?" Apple Bloom asked.
"We may have knocked their old carbarn down," Applejack said, "but we can build the Cass Scenic Railroad a new one. Who's with me?"
A loud cheer echoed from the train, as a group of workers suddenly picked up fiddles and other suitable instruments.
This being the setting it is, the musicians began playing a catchy tune. And not only that, then Applejack started to sing! "Listen in people!" she called. "Let's get ta work!"
The song started proper a moment later.
"Raise this barn, raise this barn, One, two, three, four, Together, we can raise this barn, One, two, three, four!"
"Up, up, up, go the beams, Hammer those joints, work in teams; Turn 'em round quick by the right elbow, Grab a new partner, here we go!"
In perfect unison, each and every member of the Apple family cried "Yeah!", much to the confusion of the Cass railroad workers, who just looked on in astonishment at the scene unfolding in front of them.
"Is this normal?" asked one.
"Apparently it is, on the West Coast," said another, shrugging his shoulders. "Bunch of hippies."
"Come on, Apple family!" Applejack called, unaware of the exchange going on behind her. "Let's get to it! Wee-hoo!" She then resumed the next part of the song, as the small band continued to play furiously and in sync with the action.
"Raise this barn, raise this barn, One, two, three, four; Together, we can raise this barn, One, two, three, four!
Finish the frame, recycling wood, Workin' hard, you're doin' good! Turn 'em round quick by the right elbow; Grab a new partner, here we go!"
And appropriately enough, came another cry of "yeah!" from the assembled Apples.
"Whoo-whee!!" Applejack exclaimed, whiping her brow. "Ah should probably help with somethin' here."
"Raise this barn, oh, raise this barn, One, two, three, four; Together, we can raise this barn, One, two, three, four!
Slats of wood come off the ground, Hold 'em up and nail 'em down Turn 'em round quick by the left elbow Grab a new partner, here we go!"
By this point the new carbarn was coming along nicely, but yet more wood was needed in order to complete the structure. A steam crane was moved into position by another Shay in order to assist with construction, whilst Apple Bloom and Babs Seed go to work shaving wood for contruction work. As if she already knew the song (despite the fact they were all making it up on the spot), she began to sing, the band switching key to compensate.
"Look at us, we're family!" she sang, loud and clear, her country twang more prominent than ever.
Workin' together thankfully!" Applejack interjected with a smile.
"We Apples, we are proud to say!" Apple Bloom then called.
"Stick together the country way!" everybody chorused together. Then it was just Applejack on her own again.
"Bow to your partner, circle right, Get down if you're scared of heights; Forward back and twirl around, That barn's gonna be the best in town!"
"There only is one barn!" shouted the crane operator.
"Don't matter!" Applejack called. "It'll still be the best one if it's the only one!" She then looked over to see another Shay rolling into position with a paint spraying truck, Apple Bloom at the controls. "Attagirl, sugarcube!"
Apple Bloom gave her a thumbs up as she brought the engine to a stop. "Alright, let's get to it!" she cried, indicating to the spraying nozzles attached to the sides of the truck.
Everybody suddenly joined in singing in unison as they grabbed a paint sprayer, the structure having been miraculously assembled at great speed.
"Raise this barn, raise this barn, One, two, three, four! Together, we can raise this barn; One, two, three, four!"
Applejack then took up the song again.
Take your brushes, young and old, Together, paint it, bright and bold; Turn 'em round quick by the left elbow (without sprayin' em!), Grab a new partner, here we go!"
At long last, the barn was complete, and fully painted, a wondrous shade of red. It fitted in perfectly, and was in many ways better than the structure that had stood there a few minutes previous (the Shay that had demolished it had by this point been rerailed, and was now moving out of the building to stop in the entrance door).
As they gathered together in front of the building, a Cass employee bringing a camera out in front to take a picture of the scene. And as is always the case in these matters, they began to sing!
"We raised this barn, we raised this barn, Yes, we did; Together we sure raised this barn, Yes, we did!
Being together counts the most. We all came here from coast to coast; All we need to strive to be Is part of the Apple family!"
And just as the flash bulb went off, there was time for one last "Yeah!" from all assembled.
The families relished in their achievement. But this was momentarily shattered when Rockhoof walked over. "Excuse me," he asked, "but why on earth were you singing about a racist barn?"
"Sorry?" Granny Smith asked. "What 'racist barn'? How can a barn be racist?"
Applejack facepalmed. "Raise. This. Barn," she said, putting very deliberate emphasis on the words. "Not racist barn."
"Oh," Rockhoof sighed. "But what about being scared of hats?"
"Heights," said the crane operator. "Not hats. Being scared of heights is perfectly rational. Being scared of hats isn't."
"I'm scared of hats," said one of the children, quietly. "It's why I'm not wearing one."
The reunion continued on for many days, with much happiness, music, and memories being made. But as with all good things, and many bad ones as well, it all had to come to an end. One morning, Apple Bloom was helping Babs load her bags into her parent's car.
"Ah can't wait fer the next reunion!" Apple Bloom said cheerfully. "Course, Ah'll be quite a bit older by then."
"Me neither!" Babs smiled. "Though we need ta meet up before then at some point. Twenty years is a very long time not to see somebody yer so close to."
Apple Bloom nodded in agreement. "Ah mean, of course we have ta get together before then."
"Obviously," Babs laughed, before sharing a hug with Apple Bloom. "Well, I guess this is it. See ya around, cuz'."
Apple Bloom stepped back as Babs' parents started their car, and pulled away, rolling onto the road away from Cass. She stood and watched as it got smaller and smaller, until it was nothing more than a dot on the horizon. And even that vanished as well. She walked sadly back to the depot, where to her surprise her family were waiting. "What's goin' on?" she asked.
Just then, three Shays backed up to the station and stopped. Out of the first one leaned Valve Gear. "Three cheers to the Apple Family!" he cried.
"Hip hip!"
"Hurrah!"
"Hip hip!"
"Hurrah!"
"Hip hip!"
"Hurrah!"
And just then, all three engines sounded their whistles, echoing long and loud across the valley. And as those three engines returned to the shed, all agreed that this was the best Apple Family Reunion ever.
Peter New-Big Mac, the cockrel, Goldie Delicious Michelle Creber-Apple Bloom, female stoker Sunni Westbrook-Cozy Glow Madeleine Peters-Scootaloo Claire Corlett-Sweetie Belle Bill Newton-Bright Mac Ashleigh Ball-Applejack, Apple Rose, assorted children William Shatner-Grand Pear Tabitha St. Germain-Granny Smith Felicia Day-Pear Butter Brian Drummond-Valve Gear, Cass workers Chris Britton-Starswirl Mariee Devereux-Miss Meadowbrook Brynna Drummond-Babs Seed Matt Cowlrick-Rockhoof Jimmy Hook-JimmyHook19
