As Twilight Boarded the train for Canterlot, there was only one thing concerning her. Would the costume fit over her wings? She hadn't had them the last time she had been in the pageant with the girls. No matter, if anyone could make the needed adjustments, it was Rarity... Or perhaps Fluttershy. Twilight never had figured out how she had learned to sew like that. Sitting in the rear coach with the others, she relaxed, joining in the conversation as the train started with a jerk.
Half an hour later, the train was climbing the Canterhorn. By now the conversation had moved from local gossip to last years Pageant. Just as they were reaching the argument over who was going to close the windows however, Applejack paused. "Uh... Girls? Ya'll hear that?"
One by one, the others stopped talking, listening to a strange creaking sound. "That sounds a lot like-" Twilight began. Then, suddenly, there was a snap, and the coach slowed to a halt. "-Metal stretching..." And then the coach was going downhill. "Oh snap!" Everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs as the coach careened the mountain, even as they scrambled to find the emergency brake. It was Spike who found it... Outside, on the rear platform where it was exposed to the full force of the wind. At this speed, not even Rainbow Dash was willing to risk doing that- If she could even open the door.
There was nothing the passengers could do, but other ponies could help. With a clank, a set of points changed, sending the coach into an unused siding, ending in a set of buffers after a small climb. As the coach started to slow, everypony- except Fluttershy , naturally- sighed in relief. "I thought we were going to crashie-washie..." Then the the coach hit the buffers, and was gone from Equestria.
Twilight had been braced for impact, and was surprised when it never came. She looked up. The others were still braced, but were slowly starting to look around. Confused, she walked over to a window. What she saw made her gasp. No longer were they on the the Canterhorn, but instead careening across a grassy plain. This barely managed to register however before there was a flash of blue light and the sound of bells.
Twilight moaned as she picked herself up off the floor. All around her, Spike and the girls were doing the same. The coach was tilted slightly to one side, several windows were cracked, and Twilight could have sworn one of the axles had snapped. This coach was not going anywhere any time soon. "What happened..." Rarity moaned.
"I don't know, but I don't think we're in Equestria anymore... " Groaned Twilight, "Lets get out of here before the coach tips over or something."
As the group descended the steps, Fluttershy happened to look at the track. "Um... Twilight? Uh... The wheels are off the tracks... But... Um... Only on this side..."
"What?"
"Now how in Luna's name did that happen?"
"Well that's so not cool..."
"The gauge broke? But Why?" Twilight wondered, "Where are we anyway?"
Looking around, it rapidly became clear that they they had come to rest in a rail-yard of some kind. Coaches and trucks were scattered all about, some of which contained what looked like slate. There were only around a dozen tracks, but that seemed to be more than enough. There were several wooden structures nearby. The coaches were rather bland by Equestrian standards, all blue and white, with little variation, but still rather handsome. The only things they didn't see were the engines.
That was soon to change.
Skarloey hurried towards where he had heard the derailment. He had just been going to sleep when it happened, and was still a bit groggy, but if someone crashed, you helped. It was a bit odd that it had happened now though. Normally, everyone was already asleep. Skarloey's confusion only grew when the coach came into view. Nobody that he had ever heard of (apart from one american inter-urban, and that had been more of a salmon color) used pink for their coaches. The fact it was standard gauge only added to the oddness. Still, someone could be hurt.
Skarloey called out. "Is everyone all right"
It was a rather soft voice that responded, and one that felt somehow familiar. "I- I think so..."
A pause, then another voice. "Where are ya anyhow?"
"The other side of the coach by the look of it. How did that get here anyway? The gauge is all... wrong..."
Skarloey trailed off. The people who had been in the crash had just come around the coach, and everything was suddenly starting to make perfect sense. For the moment however, all he could do was stare. The ponies (and dragon) were all doing the same.
It was all Twilight could do to not drop her jaw on the ground. I must have hit my head pretty hard... She glanced at her friends, only to see they were all having the same problem she was. She blinked a few times, trying to get rid of the apparent hallucination. However, the engine was still there... and it was still staring. Or perhaps this is all real... Somehow...
"There's no way," muttered Applejack, breaking the silence, "that this is Equestria..."
It was the engine who spoke next. "In all my years... I have never met any talking horses..."
"If I may," ventured Rarity, "Where are we? And who are you?"
The engine chuckled. "Of course you may. Welcome to the Island of Sodor, Crovans Gate to be exact. My name is Skarloey." He paused. "And you are?"
Twilight indicated each of her friends in turn. "My name is Twilight Sparkle. My friends are Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and-"
"Don't tell me... Spike?"
Twilight could only stammer, and her pupils shrank to pinpricks. "H- h- h- h..." "I think ya broke her." Applejack paused. "How'd ya know that anyway?" She glanced at Spike, who was trying to get Twilight fixed.
Skarloey chuckled nervously. "It's... a long story."
Twilight was not totally broken. She was still regretting everything going on around her. However, all she could do at the moment was stand as still as a statue, continue stuttering, and listen.
How did he know that?!? I haven't said Spike's name since we got here!!! Has someone from this world made the reverse trip? That... would actually be rather helpful... What's he saying anyway?
"Well, give us the short version then!"
Rainbow...
"Well, about four years ago now, Hasbro, an american toy company, came out with a new line of toys. In order to help promote their products, they also released a television show, named 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'.That was actually the fourth time someone tried that same basic thing, now that I think about it. Anyway, the show really took off, and it stars... The seven of you. They've finished releasing three seasons and a movie so far."
"Television?" asked Fluttershy, "What's that? Ifyoudon'tmindmemyaskingthatis..."
"Well, it's kind of like a movie, except the image is produced behind the screen, which is smaller." Skarloey paused. "The technology has only been around since the 1920's, and color was only introduced in the 50's."
It was now that Spike finally managed to slap Twilight back to normal. "Thank you Spike." She turned back to Skarloey. "Sorry about that... I think the shock got to me there." She paused. "By the way, what's today's date?"
"December 20, 2013. Why?" He paused. "Today's Friday by the way."
"That's... Exactly the same as back home..." Twilight scratched her head with a forehoof. "Well, except for the year, but that's most likely just differing starting events."
"By the way," interjected Rarity, "you wouldn't know of some way of getting us home, would you?"
"Well... If you got here the way I assume... Yes, but it'll take a while."
"Wait wait wait wait," exclaimed Pinkie, "YOU know how we got here?"
"Well... Ah... I have a good guess..."
Spike, who had been trying his best to assess exactly what had happened to the coach since he got Twilight working, grunted. "What is it? A magic railroad or something?"
"Yes actually, how did you know?"
Spike sat up with a jolt , hitting his head on the frame. "Ow..."
Rainbow paused and glanced at Spike before turning back to Skarloey. "Something tells me that was a lucky guess." "Actually, I was being sarcastic."
"Oh, ok. Say, uh, are you ok over there?"
Spike rubbed his head before returning to work "Yea, I'll be fine."
"That's cool."
Skarloey yawned, letting off steam in the process. "You know what, we can go over this tomorrow. Right now, we should find you somewhere to sleep."
Applejack glanced up at the night sky. "What time is it anyway?"
"Must be close to eleven by now... I was just going to sleep when you... er... arrived."
"Well," began Rarity, "where are we going to sleep? This is a rail-yard."
"Well, there's no room in the shed..." Skarloey thought for a moment before continuing.
"I don't think Agnes would mind much, at least not for just one night"
Twilight was puzzled. "Agnes? Who's that?"
"Our First-Class coach. Her seats are padded, so they should be fairly comfortable."
"So..." started Rainbow, "Lemme get this straight... We're going to be sleeping inside somepony?"
"Don't worry, she's almost as old as I am! Although this will be the first time she's been used as a sleeper..."
"How old are you anyway?" asked Pinkie, "Maybe I can throw you're party if it happens while we're here!"
"Not unless you're stuck here until spring. And I'm 148 years old, if you must know."
Pinkie's jaw dropped. "That's a lot of candles."
Skarloey chuckled. "It's only three if you get the ones shaped like numbers. Come on, Agnes is over here."
It had taken some convincing, but Agnes had relented in the end (Although she had insisted they find somewhere more permanent in the morning.). Now everyone was fast asleep. Everyone, that is, but Twilight. Try as she might, she simply could not get her brain to turn off for the night.
What am I going to tell Celestia? Oh...Do I even need to worry about sending her a letter right now? I don't even know if time is still passing back home yet! And would the letter even go through? Twilight sighed softly. I'm going to have to ask Skarloey about that in the morning... If I could just fall asleep I could get in contact with Luna... Assuming time still works...
Another sigh. If time does still work, everypony is going to be so worried about us. Not even getting into my royal duties, we are the Element Bearers, I have the library to look after with spike, Applejack has the farm and Applebloom, Rainbow has weather duty, Rarity has her boutique and Sweetie Belle, Fluttershy has the animals, and Pinkie has... All of her friends! And we were all supposed to be in Canterlot for the Pageant! At least we have understudies, so that will still happen.
Twilight moaned, rubbing her eyes. Well, can't worry about all that now. I need sleep... She focused, sending some magic up her horn and casting a simple sleeping spell on herself. Less then a minute later, Twilight joined her friends in sleep.
Upon entering her dreamscape, Twilight stood and concentrated, shaping it to resemble her current surroundings, complete with her sleeping friends. Not her actual friends of course, but images of their sleeping forms instead. After taking a good look around to make sure everything was as she remembered it, she took a deep breath and called out.
"Luna! If you can hear me, I ... Kind of need to talk to you it's important!" Taking another breath to refill her lungs, Twilight sat back down and started to do some mental math. Let's see... If a one followed by a hundred zeros is a googol, and a one followed by a googol zeros is a googolplex...
Twilight never finished her thought as she suddenly found herself with a mouthful of hair. "Twilight Sparkle! What is so important that you could not wait to tell us in Canterlot?"
