Chapter 1: The Final Run.
The Pere Marquette, the Polar Express, mind you, had dropped off the last believing child of the night to their home. He walked off and opened the door.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" the conductor yelled to the boy. He waved and the boy waved back. Before the coach he was in passed the house, he saw John standing in the doorway with his son. He waved and the conductor waved back. The Polar Express rumbled away to let the children open their gifts.
"What do we do now boss?" the wider of the two engineers said.
The conductor sighed and looked out of the cab window and saw house after house fly by the engine. "We let the magic fade away. Without belief, there's no point to this train. So, once the magic fades away, we will too. Then this train will be a normal old train sitting in the scrap heap." he said sadly.
"Oh, the taller engineer said. Tears were on the verge of breaking through. "I really liked this job though."
"We disappearin', eh. Well, I's just wants to say that, it's been a pleasure riding' with yous." the hobo said, shaking all their hands. They all nodded and started humming Believe in a slow, sad tone.
***
It was Hearth's Warming Eve in Equestria and the Mane 6 were walking to Canterlot to act out their pageant. They were playing I spy.
"I spy with my little eye, an eight foot candy cane." Twilight said.
"I spy a snowpony!" Rainbow Dash shouted.
"I spy some pony eating a gingerbread house!" Pink Pie said, rocketing to the nearest bakery and eating the entire gingerbread house in one bite. "And it's me!" Her friends stared at her for a few moments and then started to giggle.
***My Little Pony, My Little Pony!***
The Polar Express was approaching Flat-Top Tunnel.
"I still remember what I said to John, that night he tried to return the ticket to that girl and we's skied down that tried. 'There's but one inch of clearance between the roof of this rattler, and the roof of Flat-Top Tunnel." The hobo said. He smiled in remembrance. "That boy has gots to be my favorite one." The wider one, known as Jacob, looked at the speedometer. "Looks like we're picking up speed. You best get ready." he said. The engines wheels spun faster and faster until the driving rods were only a blur. The train disappeared into the gaping maw of Flat-Top Tunnel. They were approaching Glacier Gulch and Jacob lower the speed into low gear. The train whizzed down the steep grade turning left and right. Inside the cab, the hobo disappeared and the conductor, Jacob, and the other engineer, known as Drake, were all clinging onto something. The conductor looked out the window and held onto his cap. Due to all the factories and global warming, and the elves preparing the bridge, the ice hadn't frozen over. The train ride to the North Pole was very uneventful, until the entered the arctic circle. They looked up at the amazing sight. They strangely got brighter and brighter. "That's not right." The driver thought to himself. The Northern Lights started flashing furiously. The Polar Express' whistle shrilled. But nobody was pulling the cord. The headlamp grew more intense with every passing second. The sound of the pistons grew louder. The lights in the coaches increased to a blinding yellow. Suddenly, the conductor, Jacob, Drake, even the hobo were out cold.
***
"I can't believe Princess Celestia chose us to put on the most important play of the season!" Twilight said. "Do you guys know what an honor this is?"
"Oh, I wish she hadn't honored me so much. I don't want to go on stage! I don't want everypony looking at me!" she shouted nervously. She ran away and ducked her head in a box.
"Oh Fluttershy darling," Rarity tried to assure Fluttershy, "There's nothing to be worried about."
"Really?" she asked getting out of her box. But instantly hid back in when she, and all the other ponies backstage heard a shrill whistle and the windows flew open. Cold wind and snow flew into the building from the window.
"Oh, my hair!" Rarity cried. "AppleJack? Be a dear and shut those windows, would you?" she asked pointing a hoof to the window.
AppleJack walked to the window only to find Rainbow Dash infant of a mirror chanting, "Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash! Aaahhh! Thank you, thank you!"
"This is the reenactment of the founding of Equestria. It's not the Rainbow Dash show." AppleJack pointed out. They heard another shrill whistle coming from outside. Before anyone else could continue arguing, a random pony pointed out into the snow covered air and said, "Look, it's a train!" Every pony looked out of the windows and saw that this pony was right, only, they had never seen an engine like it before. It had a large black boiler, a black tender, and five blue coaches. And embedded on the tender and coaches were the words: "Polar Express" in large gold letters.
"Polar Express?" Twilight asked. It's large driving rods were a blur as it raced up the hill towards Canterlot station.
***
The conductor woke with a start. He looked around and saw he was still in the cab of the Polar Express with the other three men. But something was off. Where his crew and the hobo once lay were two grey unicorns, one had a long brown beard and mane, the other had a bald head and a dark brown tail, and a brown pegasus with a ruffled up grey mane. He looked down at his hands. But there were no hands, only black hooves. He tried to stand on his hind legs, but to no avail. Natural instinct took over and he stood on all fours. A disgruntled groan came from the far side of the cab. The brown pegasus with the same torn hat tried to get up. He looked at the conductor and smiled. A wind blew and he disappeared into the snow. The two crewmen had finally woke up.
"What happened?" Drake asked.
"I don't know Drake. I don't know." the conductor said. "We need to go, now!" The conductor shouted as he stood up. The two crewmen looked at the controls of the train.
"Hm, maybe if I..." Jacob's voice trailed off as he climbed onto his fellow crew member and pushed the throttle forward. "Ah ha!" he shouted in victory.
***
Billy knocked on John's door slowly. Ever since the Polar Express incident, they had become best friends and had secret knocks. Even in their fifties, they still do it. John was married to Charlene. She, John and Billy still believed, and every year at Christmas, they would hang John's bell in the center of the room on their chandler. John let Billy inside and they were discussing what their children experienced last night. Then, Billy's daughter mentioned something that stopped all of them in their tracks. "Mr. Conductor said that that would be the last run she'd ever have. I wish I knew who she was."
"Honey, did you say that the conductor said that?" John asked. She nodded and all the adults were stunned. Last run? Did nobody believe anymore? These thoughts raced through all of their heads. Tears threatened to burst out. Then, Billy broke the silence by saying that he needed to go. He raced out the door with his daughters in tow. Tears welled up in the two's eyes.
***
"What in Celestia's name is that?!" Twilight shouted.
"On stage in tw..." his voice trailed off as he saw everypony crowding the windows, "Watcha looking at." He didn't have to be answered as he saw the gigantic metal beast rushing to Canterlot Station. "What in the hay is that?!" he shouted.
Celestia sat in a place secluded from everypony else. She tapped her hoof impatiently. Though, she was the one for patience, she never really liked sitting around doing nothing. "Where are they?" she mumbled. She finally decided to take action and flew down to the stage. She walked passed the curtain and saw everypony gathered around the window. "What are you doing?" she whispered. Everypony gave way and Twilight said, "See for yourself." She stared ou the window in awe as the giant metal monster thundered down the rails. It was at least twice as large as the Ponyville Express. The coaches were a magnificent blue capped with snow, and the tender and coaches all had the gold letters stamped into it, 'Polar Express'.
"Hm, where have I heard that before?" Celestia asked herself.
