A Loco Motion Picture

A few weeks later, my co-stars and I were gathered at the Town Hall with our friends and family and countless other ponies for the première of “Battle of the Griffins”. The event was hosted by none other than Technicolour Tarquin himself, who made a proud speech about the film before showing it to pony eyes for the very first time. As Sweetie-Belle's sister Rarity said at one point, that movie was a real “tour de force”; the music was brilliantly composed, the scenes were very well edited, and our characters were wonderfully well played. It gave me a great sense of achievement, especially when I noticed how well everypony else appeared to have taken to my characterisation.

When at last the film ended and the lights came back on, the whole audience cheered loudly, and some even threw flowers in the direction of me and my co-stars. I found all this praise and attention so overwhelming that I didn't know what to think, but I still enjoyed it a great deal, and didn't care that Diamond Tiara wasn't even acknowledging me.

“Thank you,” announced Tarquin, stepping forward again. “Thank you very much, fillies and gentlecolts. You've all been a wonderful audience, and I sincerely hope it was a wonderful film you've all been watching.” (As if he needed to say that! All his films are wonderful in my book.) “I'll be here all week; be sure to tip your waitresses.”

I couldn't help but chuckle as I watched him rear back and raise his arms into the air. Having already spoken to him about Diamond Tiara the day before, I had a pretty amusing idea of what might be coming next...

“MOVIE MAGIC!” boomed Tarquin, and a cloud of smoke burst up from around him as if he was going to teleport. But instead of vanishing, he remained right where he was, smiling in an awkward manner as if he had messed it up.

Diamond Tiara smirked broadly as if she were about to make a rude remark, but her insult was instantly drowned by raucous laughter from the rest of the audience. Only then did I realise what Tarquin had done – he had magicked an ill-fitting rabbit costume onto that snob, thus making her look so ridiculous that even Filthy Rich, her father, couldn't help laughing. Secretly, Tarquin gave a hearty chuckle of his own, and winked broadly at me, a gesture that I immediately returned in kind.

The film was a huge hit throughout Equestria – not only did it win massive returns for Tarquin and his crew and actors, myself included, but it put Ponyville Motive Power Depot on the map and made quite a name for me any my friends. For a long time afterwards, visiting ponies would stop me in the street and say, “You're that pony who starred in Technicolour Tarquin's latest film, aren't you?”, “Your name wouldn't happen to be Locomotion, would it?” or “Hey, I remember you from 'Battle of the Griffins'!” I have to say, it was really nice to have achieved such fame so quickly, and if Tarquin ever asks me to star in another one of his films, I'd be delighted to accept; but my life has always been devoted to the railways and everything they stand for, so I was happiest of all to be back in Ponyville MPD, tending the engines just as I had always done.

I still clean the engines and carry out odd jobs around the depot when needed, but the Superintendent was so impressed with my handling of the “City of Cloudsdale” that, just a week after the film's release, he promoted me to trainee firepony. Much of my time on shed nowadays is spent firing the depot pilot, Hayseed Class 0-6-0 tank engine No. 5118, under the tutelage of Driver Top Notch and his regular firepony, Anthracite. Just another wrung on that long and arduous ladder to becoming part of a mainline locomotive crew, and one day crossing the cab to become a driver in my own right. It may be that, soon enough, I get to fire the “City of Cloudsdale” on a run from here to Trottingham or Fort Maine, alongside my Uncle Steamer. Who knows?