Chapters It was an incredibly hot summer on Roanoke Island. The sun shone high in the sky, reflecting glorious beams upon the ground and making all around truly happy.
In one such home on this island, illuminated by Celestia’s rays, a young man stirred, and rose from his bed, groaning as he did so.
“Boy is it hot!” he exclaimed, wandering over to the air conditioning unit to check if it was turned on.
This fellow was a Mister James T. Hook, though everyone who knew him called him Jimmy. He had Caucasian skin, and blue eyes that glimmered with intensity and imagination. He also had a long, thick mane of shaggy hair that would rival the hair of Brian May. What most people did not know about him was that he had been on many adventures.
For like most of us on this website, Jimmy was a brony, and proud of it. He had many friends within this close-knit community, but what was less obvious was that he knew that the world of My Little Pony was real.
He had been the subject of many a transformation that had taken him into Equestria, whether it be a bat pony, Princess Luna, or even a certain fashionista with a habit of using comparatives incorrectly. He had had a most enjoyable set of escapades, which made his life back here almost seem boring in comparison.
After a quick run through the shower, he thought it was high time to get dressed. His clothing of choice was as follows; a red T-shirt with beige shorts, as well as white socks and black shoes. He also placed his glasses upon his face: colored red, it would make it hard for him to see where he was going otherwise.
He popped down the stairs and into the kitchen, where he opened the fridge. It was here he suddenly hit a rather obvious hurdle. His fridge was low on supplies, and the one thing he needed now was food. OK, there was some cheese, but it was exceptionally mature, and slid about like a ship on choppy waves.
“OK,” he said. “Looks like I need to do some shopping. But before that, slip and slide!”
The cheese proved to be most uncooperative, as it simply would not stay still, and what should have taken a few minutes ended up taking closer to an hour. But at long last, he triumphed against the cheese, his mortal foe, and was ready to head out for a grocery run.
But he went and checked his calendar before he did so. In addition to being a brony, Jimmy was a keen railfan, and kept a close eye on every movement of Norfolk and Western 611, a J Class engine that was frequently used on excursions in the region. And to his luck, there was such an excursion, due to head out from Norfolk to Richmond and return, that very day!
“To Norfolk!” he cried, as he stepped out of the door, entered his car, and set off up the highway.
He got to Norfolk at around 1 in the afternoon, just in time to see 611. The machine looked glorious, a glorious giant of black and gold, with 8 mighty driving wheels and two support trucks to support the engine’s weight. It had two tenders, thereby giving it a head start over Flying Scotsman , the first of which carried coal, and the second water. Behind it were 20 coaches gleaming in the same black and red colors, the last of which was a dome car. Some idiot had also thought it a good idea to couple a diesel to the back of the train, which completely ruined the aesthetic, but I suppose health and safety has to employ someone!
Jimmy had remembered his camera, and set it to record as 611 whistled loudly, a low, deep whistle that reverberated through the ground and shook the trees. As steam shot from the engine’s cylinders, it rolled forward, effortlessly shifting the gargantuan weight of the passenger cars, no doubt loaded with hundreds of excited passengers on a most glorious of days. It vanished into the distance, but could still be heard many miles away, the diesel on the back not so much pushing as being dragged!
After witnessing this scene, Jimmy went shopping, purchasing the groceries he needed for the week. Never missing a trick, he also made sure to check if the mall had any new plushies, including, to his surprise, a Cozy Glow. He shuffled past it and purchased a Sunset Shimmer instead, as she was his favorite pony, and by logical extension, Equestria Girls character. His mission complete, he headed back for his car and set off on his long journey back to the island, not realizing what was in store for him that day.
It was late when he got back, and as he stepped through the door, he spotted something on the floor next to the doormat. It was a pink hairband, though why it should be inside his house was beyond him.
He put his bags down, and picked it up. He felt a sudden jolt through his body, and as he staggered back in surprise, he suddenly got stomach cramps.
“I’m gonna be sick!” he exclaimed, as he ran to his bathroom and locked the door. He flicked the light on and looked in the mirror, and what he saw shocked him.
The hairband was now in his hair. And not only that, his hair had changed color, from its usual brown to a vaguely candyfloss color of pink and purple. Not only that, it was growing longer before his very eyes!
“What the?” was all he said, before he stopped in fear. His voice was getting higher in pitch, now sounding almost squeaky. “What’s happening to me?”
His eyes suddenly changed color, from blue to green, followed by his skin that went a pale white, almost the color of snow. He also gained purple eyebrows to complement the hair.
Wait a second. The green eyes, the hair, the squeaky voice...squeaky...
Suddenly, Jimmy’s fear was replaced with elation. “I'm turning into Sweetie Belle!” he cried, in the high-pitched tone that characterized the young crusader.
His face shifted into that of a 12-year old female, but what happened next surprised him even further. Although the bones had rearranged, they hadn’t pushed forward into a muzzle. In fact, they stayed as a human face, which meant only one thing: fate had decided to change him into her Equestria Girls counterpart!
His elation was briefly replaced with pain as his (or should I say, her) manhood receded into his body, officially making him female. Having said that, she’d switched genders so often that the sensation didn’t really surprise her anymore. This complete lack of surprise was maintained when her chest swelled into a pair of breasts. Given how old the character was, they weren’t that large, but still enough to give the gender of the subject away.
But before long, the world began to get bigger all around her, which caused obvious issues with her clothing, most of which simply fell to the floor whilst her shirt hung loosely off of her, now several sizes too big. Her feet now sat inside a shoe that was at least 2 sizes too large, and her socks were hanging off her feet. And of course, there was the hairband, which was now massive compared to the size of her head, and rocked loosely on one side. Her hands were now tiny, thin fingers and thumbs attached to the ends of them, a fraction of their former size.
Worry soon filled her heart. Where am I going to get clothing from? She thought. I’m not going to be able to buy any! She was now a near-naked little girl, lying on a bathroom floor far away from anywhere else.
Thankfully, fate had thought ahead. Her socks shrank around her feet, becoming a perfect fit. When that had happened, her shoes shrank as well, but began to grow taller, almost reaching her knees. They changed color to pink, and became threaded with two yellow straps, each with a silver buckle on the side of the boot.
This was promptly followed by her underwear, which we shall not discuss for reasons of taste, and then her shorts. They shrank to fit the new contours of her frame, but then the legs merged together, followed by the zip and button vanishing, transforming the garment into a skirt. This turned yellow, and grew longer until it almost reached her knees. She giggled at the sight of it. Although she was no stranger to changing gender, this was the first time fate had put her in a skirt.
Her shirt followed promptly, also decreasing in size. It changed color from red to white with pink stripes. The collar vanished from the shirt, which was a perfect fit, and the sleeves became slightly shorter to compensate.
A pink jacket suddenly formed on top of both the shirt and skirt, and gained a purple belt with a silver buckle. This jacket also had short sleeves, which were exactly the same length as those on the shirt. Finally, the hairband shrank in size, to fit her now much-smaller head.
Sweetie Belle (as Jimmy had decided to call herself) pulled herself up from the floor and looked in the mirror. She was pleased with what she saw, and threw open the door to the house, skipping through as she did so. She was in exceptionally high spirits, as she was now her favorite Crusader.
Just then, she stopped, and removed the hairband, looking at it in confusion.
“Is this what caused me to change?” she asked. “And how did it end up inside my house?”
“It was destiny, you see,” said a voice, and a woman stepped forward.
“How did you get in here?” the girl squealed in surprise.
“Bronies are so easy to find, if you know where to look. Now run along, your friends miss you.”
Sweetie Belle tried to reply, but she suddenly felt drowsy. She fell backwards, and everything went black.
Author's Note
So..... my first story on this website.... I hope it's not too bad everyone ^^;
Sunlight danced across a clear sky and shone into Sweetie Belle’s eyes. She murmured as she slowly stirred.
"Man, that was a great dream...” she said groggily. Then something hit her. "Wait, why is my voice so high?” She finally awoke, and gave herself a quick check-over.
Sure enough, she was Sweetie Belle. White skin, long pink/purple hair, green eyes, a pink/white T-shirt, a pink jacket, yellow skirt, and pink boots. She could also confirm that her-
-Sweetie Belle immediately dismissed that thought. No way would she undress here! That was most unladylike! "I guess Rarity’s manner must be rubbing off on me,” she sighed. She then stood up, realising she was propped against the portal to Equestria. As a test, she quickly put her hand through, and could see a larger Caucasian one on the other end.
"Well, that’s...weird,” was all she said.
She looked around to see if there was anybody else there. Sure enough, students were milling around, walking between lessons, or simply enjoying the lovely sunny day. But what was on top of the plinth?
She reached up, and grabbed onto the top ledge of the plinth. She tried to pull herself up, but couldn’t quite get herself up there, and her legs flailed as she dangled perilously on one side of the statue.
"Here,” said a male voice. "Let me give you a boost!”
A hand suddenly appeared under her boot, and pushed her upward. She safely reached the top and turned around to see who had helped her.
"Thanks, mister-”
The words froze in her mouth as she saw who was standing there. A boy with brown skin and brown hair, wearing a brown hoodie and grey T-shirt, with blue pants and red shoes. He had a delightful smile on his face, and had a propeller hat upon his head, which never stopped spinning.
Sweetie Belle’s heart immediately turned to mush when she made eye contact. This was Button Mash, the most adorable boy in the school, and indeed in the town of-
"Wait a second!” she thought. "Did the transformation give me her feelings for Button?”
"Hi Sweetie Belle!” he called. "What’re you doing out here?”
"I must have dozed off somehow!” Sweetie Belle explained to him. "Thanks for the boost Button.”
Button grinned. "Anything for the most beautiful girl in the world.”
Sweetie Belle blushed. Actually, that is not an accurate description. Her face went red with the complement.
What was she doing again?
Oh yes. She turned around, to see that there was no statue, and simply a gaping hole where it had once been. "This is after Friendship Games, then,” she thought.
However, it seems she forgot to think it, as Button seemed puzzled. "How do you not know that the Games are in the past?”
"Well,” he admitted, "I was wondering if you wanted to go to Sugarcube Corner this afternoon after school.”
"I’d love to!” Sweetie Belle squealed. Sometimes, she wondered why nobody called her ‘Squeaky Belle’.
Just then, the bell for lessons went.
"For whom the Belle toils,” Button joked.
Sweetie Belle laughed at the awful pun. "Let’s go!”
At least Button’s presence made Mrs. Berry’s history class bearable. Because of how the school schedule was set up, she had two history teachers. Doctor Turner was the better of the two, as he was wonderful, energetic, and kept things genuinely interesting. There was one time where he got incredibly enthusiastic about the history of shoes!
The other was Mrs. Berry, or ‘Mrs. Bearry’, as most people called her. This was because of her habit of going off on random tangents in the middle of a spiel. Today’s lesson was a perfect demonstration of this very problem.
"And today we are looking at the Battle of Gettysburg!” she droned, like a GP38 horn that had got stuck. "I remember when I was at Gettysburg.”
Button elbowed Sweetie Belle. "I didn’t realize she was that old!”
"When I was looking around the battlefield park!” she exclaimed. "I recall that the sun was setting over Little Round Top, and there were cannons lined up where Pickett had charged. A bugler was even playing ‘Ashokan Farewell’ as I left the site and travelled onward to...”
Sweetie Belle sighed. It was very obvious that she was incapable of staying on topic or even divulging relevant information. As Mrs. Berry droned on about the issues of the highway system, Sweetie Belle resorted to using her textbook to learn about the battle. It had detailed maps, and paintings, and actual facts of relevance to the topic, rather than anecdotes about drivers of breakdown lorries.
"Are you even listening?” Mrs. Berry demanded, slamming her hand down on Sweetie Belle’s desk.
"Uh-uh-!” Sweetie Belle stammered, trying to come up with an answer.
"She was reading history!” Button covered. "All due respect, but facts about Sid the Breakdown Crane are not hugely relevant to the defeat of Lee.”
Mrs. Berry sighed. "Kids these days.” She walked back, and changed the slide. "Where was I? Ah yes.”
Onwards she went with the ACTUAL LESSON. "Gettysburg was an attempt by General Lee to outflank the Union Army and break their moral...”
Sweetie Belle shrugged. "I read that 20 minutes ago,” she whispered.
Button just looked at her, wide-eyed, and shrugged.
After the lesson ended, they filed out and ended up going into a Literature lesson on poems that made no sense. The teacher, Mrs. Harshvoice, seemed to think that they were absolute works of genius.
"Look at this particular poem, a masterwork of word association and description,” she said proudly. ’A little monkey goes like a donkey that means to say that means to say that more sighs last goes. Leave with it. A little monkey goes like a donkey.’ "This poem is a telling work on the state and nature of the life of canines and the state of the human condition, as we are eternally condemned to repeat our actions for all of time.”
"And I’m eternally condemned to be bored out of my mind in this class,” Sweetie Belle thought.
One of the other students, Featherweight, spoke up. "Excuse me miss,” he said, "But it just looks like she threw some words onto the page and saw what came out!”
"That,” said Mrs Harshvoice, "is the genius of this work. In the randomness there is order. For it is only through randomness we can make sense of our thoroughly random lives.”
She then looked down. "Miss Belle!” she snapped.
Sweetie Belle’s head snapped up. "Yes, Mrs Harshvoice?” she asked.
"Tell us the meaning of this one,” the dragon said. This was what was posted:
‘Rub her coke’.
Sweetie Belle took a look at it, and snorted. "It is a, uh, reflection on how the process of how making pencils is a violation of, uh, people’s rights and those of trees!”
Mrs. Harshvoice nodded. "Interesting answer,” she said. "I would like you to analyse this one together.” She brought another one up.
Button looked at Sweetie Belle. "Who thought these were a good idea?”
That afternoon, after school, the two of them walked outside and prepared to set off for Sugarcube Corner when a voice called over to them.
"Howdy, y’all!”
Sweetie Belle looked back, and saw Apple Bloom walking over to her. "Hi Apple Bloom!” she called.
"Hey, Button, do ya mind if me and Sweetie Belle talk for a bit?” the apple girl asked.
"Sure, take your time,” Button replied. "And it’s ‘Sweetie Belle and I’!”
Apple Bloom shrugged. "He knows what Ah mean.”
"So, what’s this about Apple Bloom?”
Apple Bloom paused. "You fell outa the portal, right?”
Sweetie Belle gasped. "How did you know?”
"Cause Ah did. Does the name Tom Haddington ring a bell?”
"The brony who vanished at BronyCon? It was on the news!” Sweetie Belle squealed.
"Well, Ah was Haddington. Ah lived as Apple Bloom for months, and Ah’m here for good. Now then, what was yer name originally?”
"Jimmy Hook. But I go by Sweetie Belle now!”
"OK. Look, Ah imagine yer probably scared and confused, but-”
"Are you kidding?” Sweetie Belle interrupted. “This is the best day of my life!”
Apple Bloom looked confused. "Yer sayin’ you wanted to be transformed?”
"Well, Sweetie Belle is my favorite Crusader, and now I AM her! WHOO!” Sweetie Belle punched the air in excitement.
Apple Bloom nodded. "Well, if ya need help with anythin’, know you can call me. Ah’m over at Sweet Apple Acres.”
A loud horn beeped from across the car park. "Apple Bloom!” called Bright Mac.
"Ah gotta go!” Apple Bloom called. "Enjoy yer evenin’, and don’t forget we got some Crusadin’ to do this Sunday!”
"Got it!” Sweetie Belle replied. She then walked back over to Button.
"What was that about?” Button asked.
"She was just checking how I was,” Sweetie Belle casually replied. "Now, how about we get this date started?”
"Your on!” Button laughed, and the two kids raced each other through the streets.
Author's Note
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :D
After a long sprint down the road, Button Mash and Sweetie Belle arrived at Sugarcube Corner. It was a popular place for students to meet after school, especially if they had had a long day of boring lessons (as indeed they had). Button pushed the door open and held it.
"After you,” he said, indicating for Sweetie Belle to step through.
The girl stepped forward, letting the air conditioning wash over her body, which was incredibly soothing given the outdoor temperatures. As she came through the threshold, Button closed the door behind her, and they walked over to the counter.
"We like it here!” Button admitted.
"And we often use it for Crusader meetings!” Sweetie Belle added.
"Oh, so that’s what you three do!” Mrs. Cake laughed. "I've often heard you three discussing what film you’ll be watching for your YouTube channel. What’s it called again?”
"The Canterlot Movie Club,” Button said quickly. "I’ve subscribed, and I really like their style. The review of Son of Alladin was-”
"NOO!” Sweetie Belle cried. "Do not mention that film. It was terrible!”
"Well, how about Leo the Lion ?” Button offered. "That one made me laugh.”
"Lion King rip-off!” Sweetie Belle quickly countered.
"OK,” Mrs. Cake replied. "But Pumpkin and Pound Cake watch some of them.”
"How old are they know?” asked Button.
"Eight, and boy are they a handful!” Mrs. Cake paused. "But what can I get you today?”
"Chocolate milkshake please!” Button said.
"A vanilla one for me,” Sweetie added.
"The usual then,” Mrs. Cake smiled. "Coming right up!”
About a minute later, the two drinks were ready, and the friends walked over to a table and sat down.
"So, how’s it going between your sister and Blueblood?” Button asked.
"They broke up last week,” Sweetie Belle explained. "It turns out he’s an absolute jerk who let her get splashed by a passing car.”
"I can only imagine she reacted badly,” Button answered.
"Reacted badly?” Sweetie Belle snorted. "This is Rarity we’re talking about! There’re floods of tears if she so much as gets a toenail the wrong length with the scissors. Not to mention the screaming fit that once resulted when she got dressed in the dark and was wearing, I quote, ‘purple socks with a burgundy top’. Really?”
"I wouldn’t know the difference,” Button admitted. "I thought Burgundy was a place in France?”
"I said to her, ‘Rarity, they’re both shades of purple, nobody’s gonna notice’. Her response was to mope for a bit, and then berate me for using contractions!”
Button shrugged. "She does seem to think she’s an English aristocrat. I thought your family was French originally!”
"No, Cajun. My great-grandad was from Louisiana, and we still have family in New Orleans.”
Sweetie Belle stopped herself. How did she even know this, given she’d only been Sweetie Belle for 16 hours? "Is this transformation messing with my memories?” she thought.
She must have zoned out for a moment, as she was suddenly aware of Button waving in her face. "Earth to Sweetie Belle! Come in, please!”
"Huh, sorry?”
"You went all silent for a moment or two.”
"OK,” Button said.
"How are things going for you Button?” Sweetie Belle asked.
"Well,” Button began, "My brother’s still running his rock band (he can’t sing!), which makes the house really noisy for a while. I just lock myself in my room and put Trainz Simulator on really loud. If he’s gonna play guitar loud, I get to run SD40s even louder!”
"I bet your mom doesn’t like the volume wars,” Sweetie Belle suggested.
"No, she doesn’t. Which is why one time she said Gibson could only practice if he let me play with them, on piano! You should have seen the look on his face!”
Both kids fell about laughing at that.
Button took another sip of his milkshake. "Nice and slow,” he said. "I learned that one the hard way.”
"So that happened here as well?” Sweetie Belle thought. "Yeah, brain freeze isn’t fun.”
Button stopped for a moment. "I need to do something,” he said, and got up quickly from the table.
"Where could he be going?”
Button walked over to the jukebox, and scrolled through the numbers to see what tracks there were. "Blimey, there are a lot,” was his reaction. But at last he found the track he was looking for. He clicked on it, inserted a quarter, and walked back over to the table.
The portion of the café next to the jukebox was set up as a dance area, just in case anybody wanted to dance along to the jukebox.
And what came on next most certainly awakened that feeling in Sweetie Belle.
"Allons dance?” she asked Button, in a voice of mock annoyance. "Really?”
"C’mon!” her crush replied. "Allons dancez!”
Turns out Button was a very good dancer, and they made a superb couple. He’d taken the dance elective at the start of the year, and in spite of the snorts of derision that had received, he was actually very good.
"So, who else is in the class?” Sweetie Belle asked.
"There’s Tender Taps, Featherweight, myself, Din-watch your foot!-Dinky, Twist, and Scootaloo.”
Sweetie Belle did a double take. "Scootaloo?”
"She’s actually really good, but she’ll never admit she does it. She’d die of embarrassment!”
"So how are you paired?” Sweetie Belle asked.
"I’m usually with Dinky, but sometimes with Twist. She’s better at the Jazz and Rock n’ Roll stuff.”
"Can she do the Twist?” Sweetie Belle asked.
"Very funny!” Button replied.
Having had good fun, and received applause, they returned to their seats and finished their drinks. But soon it was time to head home.
They walked to Button’s house first, as it was closer, and took their time.
Button stepped up to the door and turned back. "See you tomorrow,” he said.
But he didn’t anticipate what Sweetie would do. She stepped up to him, and kissed him. Button was surprised, but quickly went with it.
"À demain, mon amour,” Button said to her.
"You're so sweet,” Sweetie Belle said, as she turned away.
"Not as sweet as you!” he replied.
"Thanks, Casanova!” the girl answered, as she walked home.
Sweetie Belle arrived at her home, a fairly boring two-story house, about half-an-hour later. She went up and knocked on the door.
Hondo Flanks opened it. "Hi Sweetie!” he said with a smile. "You been out with Button again?”
Sweetie Belle nodded. "It was great!”
"Well, you can tell us all about it over dinner,” Hondo laughed. "Come in!”
Truly was Cookie Crumble’s cooking some of the best in the town. Today was chicken, boiled potatoes and carrots. In most circumstances, the vegetables would be bland and boring, but she somehow had a way of making them interesting (not to mention edible).
"How’s the day been Rarity?” Hondo asked.
"A distinct improvement over last night,” the older girl admitted. "Although Pinkie Pie ended up making a frightful mess in kitchen class, and Applejack’s only contribution to our music video idea was a video about eating pastries.”
"That’s not too bad,” Cookie Crumbles added. "What about you, Sweetie Belle?”
"Had another of Mrs. Berry’s history lessons.” The younger girl sighed.
"I know what you mean,” Rarity agreed. "That teacher cannot stay on topic for more than half a sentence. What was she regaling you with this time? The benefits of tax-and-spend?”
"No, the wonders of the Pennsylvania highway system and its breakdown trucks.”
"You may want to consider changing classes,” Hondo Flanks suggested.
"It’s a bit late for that!” Rarity admitted. “Besides, Sweetie Belle has discussed infinitely more boring things around this table.”
"What?” Sweetie Belle squeaked.
"Didn’t you once give us a treatise over how Holcroft valve gear was superior to Vivaldi and Capaldi valve gear?”
Hondo sighed. "It’s Walschaerts valve gear, not Vivaldi. And there’s no such thing as Capaldi valve gear; you’re thinking of Caprotti."
"Well, they’re both Italian!” Cookie Crumbles observed, helpfully.
"And at least half the family was bored rigid,” Rarity added. "It is most unladylike to be interested in technology of that sort. It’s so dirty and...smelly!”
"That’s why it’s fun!” Sweetie Belle cut in. "I remember seeing 611 that time, when it made a truly wonderful sight and sound!”
Sweetie Belle suddenly realized she’d slipped up, as the others looked at her.
"We’ve never seen 611,” Hondo replied.
"I meant that time when I... I saw it on YouTube!”
"Ahh! That makes perfect sense!”
The meal was soon concluded, and away went Sweetie Belle to her room. After completing her homework (but by God, making sense of those poems was tough), she went onto Steam and fired up Trainz Simulator 12.
She then received an alert from Button. "Want a race?”
"What route?” Sweetie Belle typed back.
"Mojave Subdivision,” came the response.
"Motive power?”
"4-8-4s.”
Sweetie Belle booted up the scenario, and loaded 611. Next to her spawned 844, which was Button’s engine.
The chat turned on with a clunk. "You ready Sweetie?”
"I sure am!”
"Engine race! 1,2,3, GO!”
Both their engines accelerated off into the distance, either friend determined to win.
Author's Note
Now normally I don't publish 2 Chapters in one day, but I will make this as an exception.
Also I will be fixing some of the Italic's in the first three chapters once I get back from having Thanksgiving Lunch/Dinner with my dad and my brother David. See y'all later! :D
It truly was a spectacular sight, these two locomotives blazing down the track. 844 was producing a racket, but was pulling ahead due to its superior acceleration. 611 was lagging behind, but Sweetie Belle didn’t worry one bit. That other engine may accelerate faster, but her locomotive had the superior top speed, and this was a fact she was planning on using to her advantage.
That, and there was a trick which Button didn’t know about, not at all. A trick that could tip the scales of the race, once and for all.
The locomotives clattered over a set of junctions and blazed over the point work. Whilst in real life this would be extremely dangerous, the simulator was not necessarily realistic, given that diesel rail buses could pull 500 ton trains, and A4 Pacifics could take bends that would cause derailments in excess of 100 miles an hour. So, there was nothing to be worried about taking some points at high speed with excess bouncing. Mind you, Train Simulator 2014, which Apple Bloom played-wait a second, how did she know that?-was equally unrealistic, if the lurching on one of the British routes was anything to go by. What was it again? Woodstock? Woodhouse? Something like that.
As the track began to narrow to two lines, 611 began to close in on its target. The finish line was now 20 miles away, but 844 was still maintaining a solid lead over the N&W J Class. Wheels rumbled and rails shook as these two titans of steam waged a battle for mechanical supremacy. Wheels thundered round at speeds not seen since the Golden Age of American Steam, and steam shot everywhere, from cylinders, smokestacks, and even the safety valves of the two locomotives as they were pushed to their very limits. These two powerful competitors fought onwards, neither giant willing to give way on the prize that was victory.
Sweetie Belle glanced at the boiler pressure gauge, and could see it had gone through the roof. The front coupler of 611 was now level with 844’s rear tender coupler. As the two engines ran at tremendous speed, Sweetie Belle switched control from CAB to DCC.
The results were dramatic. The speedometer shot upwards, as 611 continued to gain incredible quantities of ground. It roared past 844 and shot into the distance as it did so.
"Wait, what?” came the voice over the headset.
"You didn’t say you couldn’t use DCC!” Sweetie Belle replied.
"All right, that’s it! Two can play at that game!” 844 suddenly lurched forward as well, gaining a colossal speed boost as it did so, covering the distance between it and 611 in a few minutes.
The two engines were very close as they approached the finish line. Both engineers put every single last ounce of power and steam into attaining maximum possible line speed.
Both engines were almost neck-and-neck as they shot over the finish line.
But the replay made it clear. 611 was the winner!
"Nice job!” said Button.
"Thanks!” Sweetie Belle replied.
"Button, time for bed,” said a distant voice.
"OK Mom. See ya at school!”
"See ya Button!”
Sweetie Belle logged out of Trainz and brought up YouTube. Apart from some random cat videos, and quite a few videos of railroading, there was little that was of interest to her. Seriously, who thought videos on perfume would be at all exciting?
Suddenly, her phone rang, with a furious ring. Sweetie Belle quickly grabbed it, and answered it.
"Hi, this is Sweetie Belle!”
"Howdy, Apple Bloom here!”
"What’s going on?”
"Yer parents may have told ya, but we got a party at Sweet Apple Acres tomorrow. Would ya like ta go?”
"Oh, I’d love to!” Sweetie Belle squeaked. “Who else is going?”
"Well, Scoots will be there, as will Rumble, Button, and Pip. Then there’s mah sis, her friends, Big Mac, Sugar Belle, the Wondertones, and mah parents.”
"Sounds fun, count me in!” Sweetie Belle replied.
"Will do! See ya tomorrow!”
"I’ll see you then!” The line then hung up.
There was a knock at her door. "Sweetie Belle, time for bed!”
Sweetie Belle paused. "Got it, Mom!”
"Very good, have sweet dreams!”
Sweetie Belle got undressed, hanging her clothes up ready for tomorrow. There was no point in changing them out for something else given she’d only worn them one day. She then went and took a shower before drying herself off and checking her door was locked. She wouldn’t have anybody burst in on her now.
Dumping her towel in the storage bin, she grabbed her pajamas from her bed and pulled them on, before enabling the bedside table light. Wandering back over to the main light, which was still blazing, she threw the switch and enjoyed the smaller light bathing the room in its spectral beauty. She wandered over to the window and closed the curtains. There was no need to have the window open as the air conditioning was running full blast, which did more than an adequate job of keeping the room cool.
Sweetie Belle knew from her previous life what it was like sleeping in an un-air-conditioned rooms during spring and summer, and knew for a fact that it was not at all fun for anyone concerned.
There was another knock at the door.
"Hello?” the girl asked.
Hondo Flanks opened the door. "Hi there Sweetie,” he said. "I’ve got some fantastic news.”
"What is that?” Sweetie Belle asked, liking what she was hearing.
"I’ve been able to secure the dates for our summer holidays,” her father smiled. "I’ve got two weeks in August, so I’ve suggested a trip to the Southeast.”
Sweetie Belle was growing more and more excited. "Would that mean going via Roanoke?” she asked.
"I’m currently negotiating with your mother about that part of the trip, as she wants to see the streets of New Orleans. But I suspect that we will be able to head up and see 611, even though your mother and sister don’t really understand steam engines the way we do.”
"Are you talking about those smoky things again?” asked Cookie Crumbles.
"They are works of beauty, just as lovely as old buildings!” Hondo shot back.
"At least old buildings don’t set the countryside on fire!” Rarity added.
"They do have spark arrestors,” Sweetie Belle pointed out.
Rarity sighed. "I don’t get it,” she said, and walked into her room.
Hondo sighed. "Well, I don’t get her fashion sense. Purple socks and a burgundy top? What’s the big deal?”
Sweetie Belle laughed at that. "That’s precisely what I think!”
Hondo went to close the door. "Goodnight sweetheart,” he said.
"You too Dad,” Sweetie Belle replied.
After Hondo was gone, Sweetie Belle turned her light off, and within a few minutes was fast asleep.
Author's Note
I hope y'all enjoyed the race in the chapter!
The next morning arrived, the sun spreading its glorious rays over the world. Sweetie Belle got out of bed and went into the shower to start her day. She then gave her hair a comprehensive comb, and got dressed in her trademark outfit. She then wandered down the stairs, the smell of a cooked breakfast wafting up her nostrils. It had been a while since she’d last had a breakfast like this.
"So, what does today bring?” asked Cookie.
"Off to the office for me,” Hondo sighed, pouring his coffee. "There’s a deal that needs clearing with Barnyard Bargains, but if we can pull it off, it’ll make us a lot of money.” Hondo worked as an advertising executive in a local firm, which had led to him being compared to Don Draper more than once.
"Undoubtedly you will save the day once again,” Rarity said approvingly. Hondo’s job paid extremely well, which was perfect as it allowed Rarity to source plenty of raw materials. "But there is one question I was considering.”
"Which is?”
"I was wanting to take a placement at a local fashion outlet this summer, hone my skills.”
"That’s entirely reasonable,” Hondo nodded. "I hope you enjoy yourself whilst doing it.”
"I’ve just got more lessons today,” Sweetie Belle added. "And that means Mrs. Berry.”
"I’ve heard things about her,” Cookie noted. "And none of them are positive.”
"She can barely string a sentence together,” Rarity added.
"While I do get that you don’t like her, there’s no need to be rude,” Hondo informed his eldest daughter. "Besides, that new model of Duchess of Sutherland has just been released. It’ll hopefully be delivered today, so I’ll be giving it a test run.”
"I swear that layout keeps getting bigger!” Cookie joked. "Before long we’ll be running the track up and down the corridors!”
"Don’t give him ideas!” Rarity exclaimed.
"There’s an idea,” Hondo muttered.
A few minutes later, the meal was concluded, and Sweetie Belle shouldered her bag.
"See ya this evening!” she said. "Apple Bloom’s invited me over.”
"Tell Mr. Mac I’m sorry I couldn’t make the party,” Hondo asked. "This business deal may go long.”
Sweetie Belle nodded. "I will. Goodbye!”
The walk to school was uneventful, apart from Button Mash walking into a lamp-post, Laurel and Hardy style. At the front door, they split up and went their separate ways. First off, art, which mostly consisted of throwing paint at an easel.
Then came Mrs. Harshvoice, which consisted of analyzing yet more nonsense and trying to stay awake.
That afternoon (as the rest of the morning is not worth narrating), was more math, which was equally dull, as Apple Bloom was not there to help. That day, in fact, the Crusaders only saw each other at lunch, due to the setup of their timetables. This was very annoying, as it meant they got little time together, and for reasons that ought to be obvious they were happiest together. They had been friends for nearly a decade by that point, and intended for it to stay that way until the end of time.
By the time the final bell went, Sweetie Belle was ready to go to Sweet Apple Acres. Button Mash met her outside school.
"Shall we go?” he asked.
"Sure!” Sweetie Belle replied, just as steam and smoke announced a beauty in red and gold. Sadie swung around and stopped next to them.
"Hello!” called Grand Pear. "Do you two need a lift?”
"Yes please!” Button called.
The trip along the road was slow, but leisurely. Sadie made a wonderful sound as it rolled along the road, the ride being most smooth as it clattered down the lane. The drive and traction was superb as well, but the traction engine was a bit slow.
"The cars behind us seem annoyed!” Button observed.
"They can wait all they like!” Grand Pear laughed. "This was how we travelled when I was a boy, growing up in the 1950s and 60s!”
"It must have been fun!” called Sweetie Belle.
"Oh, it was at times. The music especially.” Grand Pear paused. "Some of it wasn’t though, but you’re too young to learn about that.”
After a few minutes, the farmhouse loomed over the hill, and the parade of trees sheltered the traction engine as it rattled along the hill. Arriving in front of the farmhouse, the two passengers hopped off, and saw Apple Bloom chatting with her friends.
"Sorry I’m late Apple Bloom!” called Sweetie Belle, running toward Apple Bloom and pulling Button along at incredible speed.
"Sweetie, be careful!” Button shouted. "I’d prefer for my arm not to leave its socket!”
Sweetie Belle paid him no attention, and stopped in front of Apple Bloom. "It’s so nice to see you again!” she squealed.
"Sweetie, it’s been 2 hours at the most,” Apple Bloom said flatly.
"But we’re all back together!” Button exclaimed. "Are we still on for the CMC movie night on Sunday evening?”
"We sure are!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. "How have you two been?”
"Well, Button’s a great dancer,” Sweetie Belle started. "Turns out he’s in dance class, and he sometimes gets to partner up with Scootaloo.”
"I don’t like her that way!” Button exclaimed. "Besides, Sweetie’s not too bad herself. She put down a solid Cajun 2-step yesterday!”
“What is all this Cajun business?” asked Rarity, walking over to her. Sweetie Belle then remembered that Rarity had been performing with the Wondertones. "Has Sweetie been dancing again?”
"If you can waltz, I can do the two-step!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "Besides, the waltz is German, not English. So there!”
"I suppose we do have that Cajun spirit in us,” Rarity admitted. "But it looks like the band is getting going again. Tootaloo!”
Button smiled as he spoke to Sweetie Belle. "J’ai passe devant tu porte,” he said with a smile.
"That’s because it’s on your route to school!” Sweetie Belle replied, laughing.
A most magnificent supper was had, and Sweetie Belle was later sat around with Button, idly chatting about transportation.
"So, which is superior,” Button asked. "Duplex Drive or Articulated Drive?”
Sweetie Belle thought for a moment. "Well, Duplex is considerably less versatile than Articulated, but having said that, Duplex has considerably reduced Hammer Blow.”
"Hammer blow?” Button asked.
"Hammer Blow is the downward force exerted on the rails by the engine’s cylinders,” Sweetie Belle explained. "The more cylinders an engine has, the more the Hammer Blow is reduced on the rails. This is why 1218 has a better performance on the track than 9000; the extra 2 cylinders reduce the force on the rails.”
"Based on that, why not just go for articulated?” Button reasoned. "Surely the increased versatility would dramatically outweigh the disadvantages of rail damage.”
"Duplexes are faster,” Sweetie Belle answered. "A T1 4-4-4-4 was clocked at 140 miles per hour in 1950.”
"There’s no proof that it did,” Button countered. "The most a T1 was every clocked at was 100 miles an hour. That’s slower than Mallard, and that had half the tractive effort!”
"Mallard was going downhill, remember,” Sweetie Belle pointed out.
"Well, Sir Nigel Gresley achieved 112.5 miles an going uphill. And several of the Bulleid Light Pacifics managed 100 miles an hour will little to no difficulty.”
Sweetie Belle was about to counter, when she suddenly felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.
She took it out and saw it was a text from Apple Bloom.
Meet me in the clubhouse! I’ll explain when we get there!
Sweetie Belle jumped up out of her seat. "Sorry Button, Apple Bloom wants to see me about something. I’ll be back as soon as I can, OK?”
"Got it!” Button replied. "I’ll see if I can find some ice cream for us in the meantime.”
Sweetie Belle sprinted over to the clubhouse, catching up to Scootaloo and Apple Bloom and speeding through the door. Apple Bloom then closed the door and turned to face Scootaloo.
"Scoots, you’ve got some explainin’ ta do,” she said.
"What’s this all about?” asked Sweetie Belle, confused at why a Crusaders meeting had been scheduled at such short notice.
"Scoots here just mentioned President Trump. But here he ain’t gonna be elected for another two years.”
"That is a considerable oversight,” Sweetie Belle pondered.
Scootaloo looked sheepishly at Apple Bloom. "Fine, I’m not from here!” she exclaimed.
"Then where are you from?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Scootaloo sighed. "My name was Emily. I was at a convention dressed as Scootaloo, when I purchased a helmet and scooter. Next thing I know, I wake up here as Scoots. But what was even weirder was that I was knocked over by a cosplayer whose Apple Bloom was absolutely perfect. She sounded so upset as well!”
Apple Bloom looked as if she was going to be sick. "Sorry, what did ya say?” she asked.
"It was a perfect cosplay,” Scootaloo replied.
Apple Bloom looked as though her brain was processing some horrible thoughts. "Scoots,” Apple Bloom said, "it was me you knocked over.”
"Really? That explains so much!” Scootaloo exclaimed. "Like how we were both found in the same place before we woke up.”
"And me!” added Sweetie Belle. "I used to be somebody from Roanoke Island. Jimmy Hook?”
"Hey, I know you from Fimfiction!” Scootaloo exclaimed.
"And it seems we all got here as a result of purchasin’, or bein’ given, an item by that merchant”, Apple Bloom noted. "Very strange. But it can wait. We got somethin’ more important.”
"Namely?” asked Sweetie Belle.
"Ice cream!” Apple Bloom replied.
The three of them charged back over to the clubhouse, knowing that no matter what, they would always be friends. The question mark of how three Bronies (or Pegasister) had become MLP characters still hung in the back of their minds, but could wait.
Sweetie Belle ducked under a barrel as a barrage of fire came her way. Skidding to a stop, she poked her Plasma Carbine up over the battlements, and fired off a stream of plasma at an approaching alien. It was blown onto the ground, but more crawled over it and closed in on them.
Sweetie Belle leaned over to Scootaloo. "How did we get into this mess?”
"I don’t know!” Scootaloo shouted back, firing off some more shots from her Pulse Laser. "I suggested that exploring an abandoned space station might not be the best of ideas, but Apple Bloom just had to land us on it!”
One hour earlier...
The USS Crusader sailed through the blackness of space, it’s mission of exploration and adventure. This spaceship was commanded by the bravest of crew, for it had only three people onboard. Their names were Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom.
"Control, we are approaching’ the target, over,” Apple Bloom radioed over.
"Good work Apple Bloom,” the voice came back. "Dock with the target, and proceed to assess for recoverable cargo.”
"Thank ya control, USS Crusader out.”
"So, what is it that this station was doing?” Gunnery Officer Scootaloo asked.
Sweetie Belle brought up her display. "It seems the station was doing research on a number of things. Plant development, research into thermodynamics, the Hydrofluoric Reactor project-”
"What’s that?” Apple Bloom inquired.
"It was a power source run by reversing the polarity of the neutron flow,” Sweetie Belle replied, in her best technobabble. "But what is most intriguing is that there is an entire section about bio-research. It’s completely redacted.”
"That generally bodes badly,” Scootaloo noted. "Remember the last time we had that?”
"That’s true,” Sweetie Belle added. "It was full of lava people, right?”
"Yeah, the sort that just got mad if you shot them.”
"Quiet please!” Apple Bloom called. "We’re comin’ inta land!”
The large spacecraft touched down on the station. It was this massive oblong with three mighty towers standing tall and free, which had once been filled with people. The docking bay closed, and the three adventures stepped out onto the station, clad in their armored spacesuits.
Sweetie Belle’s was pink, whereas Scootaloo’s was purple. Apple Bloom’s was green. The plating was sleek and modern, and fitted their bodies well. Long gone were the bulky designs of the past. In were sleek, modern pieces of equipment suitable for the new age.
They stepped through the station, their weapons primed. There was no sign of life, and the place seemed to be in perpetual state of disrepair. Panels were hanging off walls, great claw marks ran through the walls, and there was a green substance across most of the walls.
"What happened here?” asked Scootaloo.
"Sweetie Belle, scan fer any signs o’life,” Apple Bloom commanded.
Sweetie Belle brought up her scanner, and looked around. "No signs here,” she said. "This place is a ghost town.”
"A ghost town, you say?” Scootaloo asked. Sneaking behind Sweetie Belle, she leapt up and shouted "BOO!”
Sweetie Belle shrieked. "For heaven’s sake, Scoots, it wasn’t funny!”
"Well, you said it was a ghost town.”
"Quiet, you two,” Apple Bloom whispered. "There’s somethin’ up ahead.”
A loud scuttling noise could be heard, and a small creature moved through the corridor in front of them.
Apple Bloom aimed her Boltgun. "No lock,” she said. "That thing were movin’ too fast.”
Scootaloo kicked down a door, and entered another room. Before her was a console, and she accessed it.
"There’s some text on here,” she said.
"Should we read it?” asked Apple Bloom.
"It may give us a clue as to what happened here,” Sweetie Belle pointed out.
Scootaloo brought up the text and began to read.
"Journal entry, day one.
"The shipment of creatures was safely moved onboard the station. These creatures are currently eggs, and so hopefully can be easily molded to do as we see fit.
"Preliminary testing will begin tomorrow.”
"Journal entry, day fifty.
"The creatures respond well to light and sound, but have shown little interest in the human prey we have brought them. They can be sluggish in low-oxygen environments, and are also vulnerable to fire.
"They are easy to keep under control, as they can be incinerated if need be.”
"Journal entry, day one hundred and two.
"The creatures are getting increasingly unpredictable. They frequently throw themselves at the observation windows and have a worrying appetite. They chewed through the test subjects at a terrifying rate, leaving nothing left of their victims.
"We may be looking at incinerating them.”
"Journal entry, day two hundred and forty three.
"The creatures have broken loose and are devouring everything in their path. This station is no longer safe, and has been quarantined until further notice. I have no idea if colonial authorities will respond, but it is crucial they do.
"I only hope God will forgive us for what we did.”
"Journal entry, day three hundred and thirty seven.
"I am the last human left alive on the station. The creatures had killed the rest, and it is clear that the authorities will do nothing to stop them. I hereby issue this warning; do not come here, and if you hear this message, then please destroy the station.”
Oh God, I can hear them in the vents. They’re coming for me. If you are hearing this, stay away, STAY AWA-”
Scootaloo disengaged the monitor. "That’s all there is,” she said.
Sweetie Belle had gone pale. "Sweet mother of God, what have we walked into?” she asked.
Apple Bloom looked out of the window. "If we don’t destroy this place, there’s no telling where those things could get to.”
"What if they find us?” Sweetie Belle asked.
"We can blast them,” Scootaloo pointed out. "According to this map, there is a central station with a control box. If we go there, we can overload the reactors and blow this place to kingdom come.”
"Then whatta we waitin’ for?” Apple Bloom asked. "We need ta take those things down!”
The three of them crossed into a narrow passageway and walked forward. Hell awaited as they found more of the green stuff secreted onto the walls.
But then, a creature jumped forward and grabbed Apple Bloom.
"Apple Bloom!” Sweetie Belle cried, firing on the monster with her plasma carbine and blowing it back into a wall. It crashed into the wall and lay silent and still.
Apple Bloom stepped closer. The creature was made of chitin, and had large mandibles and biting claws. It was almost ponylike, and had glassy eyes that glowed in the dark.
"Changelin’s,” she groaned. “Why does it have ta be Changelin’s?”
"If it’s Changelings,” Sweetie Belle whispered, "what chance do we have?”
"Our guns still work,” Scootaloo noted. "So we can take them down. Let’s go!”
They finally arrived at the central control chamber. Apple Bloom walked over to the monitor, whilst Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo took up defensive positions. The apple girl opened up the monitor and clicked on the access button.
Access reactor temperature system Yes/No?
Apple Bloom tapped yes with her gloved hand. Another option came up.
Initiate Reactor Meltdown Sequence? Yes/No?
Apple Bloom tapped yes.
Secondary authorization required.
"C’mon you two, we need two more people ta initiate the sequence.”
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo walked over and placed their hands on the activation panels.
A loud siren sounded in the air and a warning flashed up on screen.
Warning: Reactor meltdown sequence initiated. This sequence cannot be overridden. The reactor will detonate in T-minus 10 minutes. Repeat, the reactor will detonate in T-minus 10 minutes. Please get clear of the station.
"Let’s go!” Scootaloo called.
Through the corridors they ran, back to the docking platform. But a horde of the creatures charged at them just as they were about the escape the station.
Sweetie Belle ducked under a barrel as a barrage of fire came her way. Skidding to a stop, she poked her Plasma Carbine up over the battlements, and fired off a stream of plasma at an approaching alien. It was blown onto the ground, but more crawled over it and closed in on them.
Sweetie Belle leaned over to Scootaloo. "How did we get into this mess?”
"I don’t know!” Scootaloo shouted back, firing off some more shots from her Pulse Laser. "I suggested that exploring an abandoned space station might not be the best of ideas, but Apple Bloom just had to land us on it!”
"Stop it!” Apple Bloom shouted. "We got bigger priorities, and dyin’ ain’t one o’them!” She fired her Boltgun again, the mass-reactive round throwing several more aliens back.
At least, they cleared the path to the spaceship, and ran aboard before more of those creatures could swarm out. The panels above them opened up, and the craft flew outward, ready to escape the station which exploded behind them in a fireball of red and blue.
"We did it!” Sweetie Belle chorused. She and Scootaloo high-fived.
Apple Bloom looked back. "Remind me ta never explore an abandoned space station again, will ya?”
"That was fun!” Scootaloo exclaimed. "Great scenario Apple Bloom!”
"Ah thought you’d enjoy it,” Apple Bloom replied.
"Sci-fi is fun,” Sweetie Belle admitted, "but maybe if we don’t have aliens next time.”
"If ya want clean Sci-fi, that’s good by me,” Apple Bloom finished.
Just then, a truck pulled into the car park, with Grand Pear at the wheel.
"What’s happened Grandpa?” Apple Bloom asked.
"Yer father’s had an accident with one of the machines,” he groaned. "He hit his head on the shaker and it knocked him out.”
"Is he OK?”
"He’s fine, but he’s got a bit of amnesia,” Grand Pear replied. "He’s got most of it, but there are some gaps.”
Scootaloo looked at Apple Bloom nervously. "I hope he’s OK, because my family owes him a lot.”
"We fixed the hole where the rain got in, right?” Apple Bloom asked.
"Did you?” Sweetie Belle asked.
"Yeah.”
They arrived back at the house to start setting up for the evening. Down the basements, assembling some racked seating for the cinema effect was an early objective.
Next came assembling the screen.
"No, Scoots, the tripod does NOT go on the roof,” Apple Bloom exclaimed.
"I know that!” she exclaimed. "Besides, you don’t seem to be having much luck yourself.”
"Sweetie Belle! How’s the screen?”
"Mounted to the post, but we can’t unroll it yet.”
After Scootaloo had got the tripod in the right place, the projector screen was unrolled and checked for picture quality. But it came up blank!
"There’s no picture!” Sweetie Belle despaired. "This is terrible!”
Scootaloo looked around the front. "The screen lock is engaged.” She pushed the catch back, and the picture came up on the test card. This was really Sweetie Belle’s screensaver, a gif of 611 running past the camera.
"When was that recorded?” Apple Bloom asked.
"The 1994 season, when it was last operational,” Sweetie Belle replied.
Eventually, the others arrived. Sweetie Belle heard Apple Bloom greeting the boys.
"Howdy y’all!” she called.
"We good to go for tonight?” Button asked.
"That we are! We can’t start until after dinner.”
The boys came in, and Sweetie Belle blushed when she saw Button Mash, who sat down next to her.
"How’s your day been?” he asked.
"Good thanks. We had a fun day out in the park. And you?”
"Finally beat Gibson’s high score in Super Mario Brothers 2: The Lost Levels. I’m going for the speedrun of SMB next!”
"That’ll be tough to beat!”
"Luckily, I know exactly how to use the game design to my advantage.”
Sweetie Belle and Button were largely oblivious to the conversation until Apple Bloom spoke to them. "Erm, hello? Earth to Sweetie Belle?”
She shook her head in surprise. "Sorry, Button and I were just...ya know.”
Pear Butter came over. "You know, Mac and I were just like you two when we were dating.”
"We’re not like that!” Button protested.
"Sure ya are,” Apple Bloom snorted.
"Says you!” Rumble exclaimed. "Scoots came across you kissing Pip!”
Apple Bloom went crimson. Pip seemed totally oblivious to this fact.
"Well, I do love her, I admit,” he said.
Another awkward (and dare I say, jovial) conversation later, they trooped downstairs to partake of the evening’s event. Sweetie Belle put the disk in the computer, and set it running. She then started her camera and pointed it at backward.
"Hello, everybody! This is Sweetie Belle!”
"Scootaloo here!”
"And Ah’m Apple Bloom! We are the CMC!”
"The Canterlot Movie Club!”
"This evening, we have some special guests to join us,” Sweetie Belle continued, rotating the camera as she did so.
"I’m Pipsqueak!” said Pip.
"Rumble, at your service.”
"Hi. I’m Button Mash. I’m 12 years old, and I like-”
"Yes, thank you Button,” Scootaloo interrupted. "Today’s entry is What’s Up .”
"This movie has a curious history,” Sweetie Belle continued. "It appeared in 2010, and probably looks like a knockoff of Up , but the two films have almost nothing in common.”
"If everyone’s ready,” Apple Bloom said, with a smile, "let’s go!”
The film was a most puzzling experience.
"That plot made no sense,” Rumble observed.
"Yeah, many of the scenes felt like they solely existed to draw out the runtime, and the audio editing was dreadful!” Button added.
"It could have been animated a lot better,” Pip added. "I’m pretty certain that metal doesn’t bend in that matter. You know, the Eiffel Tower scene?”
"What was with the rampant racism?” Apple Bloom asked. "They were unnecessarily harsh on that French guy, and the Chinese one felt a little...stereotyped.”
"A little?” Scootaloo asked. "That last line was needlessly cruel, not to mention the dialogue sucked.”
Sweetie Belle shrugged. "It certainly had its comedy value, but I wouldn’t watch again. Besides, the studio that made it, Video Brinquedo, solely exists to make knockoff films. It makes The Asylum look high budget, and that’s saying something!”
"Please, I still haven’t forgotten Transmorphers !” Scootaloo begged.
"Or American Warships ,” Apple Bloom added.
"The film that parodies was pretty terrible,” Rumble noted.
"So, what do you want us to watch next time?” asked Sweetie Belle to the camera. "Let us know in the comments. Until then, see ya!”
"Agreed,” Button said.
Suddenly, there was a call from upstairs. "Guys, your parents are here!”
Sweetie Belle trooped upstairs and met her mother.
"Did you have a good evening?” Cookie asked.
"Yes mom!” Sweetie Belle replied. She knew her day was about to get even better. For tomorrow was Camp Everfree, and she intended to go, even she hadn’t necessarily been invited.
Author's Note
As y'all can tell by that last sentence, we are about to head into the Legend of Everfree Timeline!
And also confirmed by The Blue EM2, the Collab will be heading into it's first Major Arc! :D
Sweetie Belle traveled home with her sister that fine Spring afternoon. The sun shone in the sky, meaning it was warm, but not unpleasantly warm. The shadows were cascading back onto the ground, making a most pleasant scene.
"Do you think mom will sign it?” Sweetie Belle asked her sister.
"I’m certain she will, darling,” Rarity reassured her. "Mother is a most reasonable person, and understands that it is important for siblings to spend time together.
As they arrived at the door, Rarity knocked upon it, and waited for a few moments in order for the answer to arrive.
At last she got it. Cookie Crumbles opened the door with a smile. "Hello girls!” she said. "It’s not often you travel home together!”
"The circumstances were most certainly beneficial in that regard,” Rarity noted, in her typical convoluted gobbledegook manner. "We certainly had a fair and fine morrow, with the sun most pleasing to the firmament.”
Cookie laughed. "You sound like a character out of one of those costume dramas!”
Sweetie Belle saw this as a fine opportunity to speak up. "What Rarity means is that we had a good day and it was sunny.”
"How can't thou possibly speak without using spun-out and esoteric altercation?” Rarity asked. "Aforementioned abide rushed over climactic lexicon.”
Cookie Crumbles looked confused. "What?” she asked.
"That means, ‘this sentence was run through the thesaurus,” Sweetie Belle explained.
"How did you figure that out?” Rarity asked.
"Err, lucky guess?” Sweetie Belle asked.
A moment passed before Rarity spoke again. "Mother, we have an important matter to discuss.”
"And that is?”
"Sweetie Belle would like to come to Camp Everfree with me and my friends. Wouldst thou permit such a thing?”
There was a deafening silence.
Then Cookie spoke. "No.”
Rarity began to speak again. "I knew that you would-what?”
"I said no, she cannot go.” Cookie was very firm.
"What’s going on?” Hondo Flanks asked, emerging from his layout room.
"Mom won’t let me go to Camp Everfree!” Sweetie Belle protested.
"Well, I have to say I agree with her.”
"But why?” Rarity asked. "Sweetie Belle has been but the model of decorum this last magnitude!”
"By that does she mean the last year?” Hondo asked, confused.
"Yes.” Cookie Crumbles was quick to enter the conversation. "And she cannot go for a very simple reason: she’s too young.”
"She’s hardly a juvenile, she can take care of herself.” Rarity was trying to be reasonable. "She even walks to school by herself some days when I cannot take her.”
"Besides, you let Rarity go to Roaring Trees when she was my age!” Sweetie Belle protested. "And that is much further away!”
"It’s not a matter of how far away it is, I’m just scared you’ll get hurt and... there are so many beasts out there!” said Cookie.
"It’s a perfectly safe environment,” Rarity insisted. "The entire area is a former gravel pit and slate quarry, so wildlife is not a concern.”
"A quarry?” Hondo exclaimed. "I must model one onto the layout!” His face then fell serious. "But I agree with your mother still. All those industrial remains could be extremely dangerous.” He winced. "I had a nasty fall exploring Penrhyn Quarry once. Left me in stitches for weeks. And it was not funny!” he snapped.
Sweetie Belle had one last trick left up her sleeve. She walked up to her mother and went on tiptoe, making her face as adorable as possible. "Can I go to Camp Everfree?”
"I just said no, so stop-”
"PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-”
"Oh dear.”
"-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-” Sweetie Belle’s lungs ran out of air, and she breathed in again, before resuming.
"-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-”
Hondo blew a fuse. "Sweetie Belle, shut up!” he roared. Upon hearing silence fall, he continued. "Our decision is final. You are NOT going to Camp Everfree.”
"At this rate, we may re-christen you Repeaty Belle,” Cookie suggested.
"How unreasonable,” Rarity interrupted.
"Now, both of you, go to your rooms and stay there until dinner,” Cookie snapped.
Sweetie Belle ran up the stairs, but not before shouting, "Why do you do this? I’m sick of being treated like a baby!”
Rarity shrugged her shoulders. "Frankly, I don’t blame you.”
Sweetie Belle was cross. She sat on her bed, fuming: the smoke coming out of her ears could be confused for a Duchess in full flight. She couldn’t believe her parents would do this. Not after how well behaved she’d been all year!
She had calmed down sufficiently by the time dinner came around to formulate a plan. The resentment still bubbled inside her heart, however, and she remained completely silent whilst eating. Rarity did the same as an act of solidarity. Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles attempted to stimulate conversation, but the attempts failed to produce any noticeable effect.
That evening, Rarity came into Sweetie Belle’s room, to find her vacantly staring at a wall.
"I can tell something is wrong, so I won’t bother asking if you are OK,” she said.
"Why?” Sweetie Belle said, her voice full of annoyance. "I’ve been good all year: why don’t they listen to us?”
"It is utterly petty, you know,” Rarity sighed. She took out her phone and texted to Applejack.
My parents refuse to let Sweetie Belle go to Camp Everfree. Ridiculous, she’s been a good girl all year!
Sweetie Belle put her hands on her cheeks. "Well, looks like I’ll have to stay at home whilst you have fun.”
Suddenly, Rarity’s phone beeped. "Ah, I've got one from Applejack. Applejack: I have a plan to get the Crusaders to Camp Everfree. Pack Sweetie Belle’s bag and get to the bus first thing.”
Sweetie Belle smiled and jumped off her bed, grabbing her bag as she did so and putting it on her bed.
"OK, so we need several changes of clothes, waterproofs, a few books in case of wet weather, a swimsuit or two, and plenty of sunblock. I don’t want you getting sunburnt!”
"Got it Rarity!” Sweetie Belle said, getting some out of her wardrobe. "I’ll also need my phone charger.”
It took them all evening, but their bags were packed by that night. Sweetie Belle got changed into her pajamas ready to go to bed, and Rarity quickly checked on her.
"Ready for tomorrow?” she asked quietly.
"Yeah!” Sweetie Belle replied, as quietly as she could.
"Rarity, get to bed!” shouted Hondo.
"I’m going there, father!” Rarity replied. "See you in the morning!” she whispered.
Sweetie Belle gave her a thumbs up, and then flopped on her bed.
The next morning, they got up nice and early, and set off down the road to the school, dragging their bags with them. And in Rarity’s case, it was many, many, MANY bags. She had at least 11 bags trailing behind her, compared to Sweetie Belle’s one.
"Why did you need to bring so many bags?” the younger girl complained.
"A lady never goes anywhere without being properly supplied,” Rarity informed her. "I imagine you’ll get used to this fact one day.”
"I’d never want to be an aristocrat!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "They’re days must be SO boring, endlessly meeting diplomats or rich people!”
"Wouldn’t it be the life?” said Rarity dreamily.
They arrived at the bus to find Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo already there.
"Yer late!” Applejack said.
"Sorry, Rarity had to bring half the Ritz with her,” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.
"Only half?” Scootaloo joked. “That’s at least three-quarters!”
"And why is she bringin’ that many crackers with her?” Apple Bloom asked confused.
"It’s a hotel in London!” Rarity protested. "Oh, never mind, let get these bags loaded.”
They put the Crusader’s bags in first, followed by the older girls. They then shuffled the Crusaders into the back seat of the bus, whilst they waited outside.
Sweetie Belle took the opportunity to observe what her friends were wearing. Both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were mostly wearing their normal outfits, but had swapped their shirt and hoodie respectively for a dark green collared shirt. Sweetie Belle herself was wearing purple shorts and a pink sleeveless top.
The other students filed onboard, and the bus set off on its long journey to Camp Everfree. It seemed as if the plan was working, but unfortunately, they hit a rather major hurdle.
A lorry suddenly surged across the road, forcing the driver, Discord, to brake hard. The girls went flying forwards, and Sweetie Belle hit her nose on the seat in front. "Owww, my nose,” she moaned.
Discord looked around. "Who said that?” he asked.
"Sweetie Belle, keep it down!” Scootaloo said.
But Discord knew where they were. He walked back through the bus and stared angrily at the three girls.
"We’ll deal with you three later,” he said, sounding displeased. He then turned around and walked back to the front of the bus. The bus accelerated away and eventually stopped in a layby nearby.
Principal Celestia looked surprised, but otherwise had no reaction. Discord killed the engine, and motioned to the three middle-schoolers. They stepped forward with awkward looks on their faces.
Applejack motioned to Rarity and Rainbow Dash, and they stepped out after their sisters onto the tarmac.
Discord berated the three girls. "What are you doing here? You’re not on the student list!”
"We wanted to come,” Scootaloo protested.
"But why sneak onto the bus? It's dangerous if students are unaccounted for! What possessed you three to do this?”
"Er, we’re partly responsible fer that,” said Applejack, raising her voice. Rainbow Dash and Rarity also had awkward expressions on their faces, as if they’d been caught doing something they shouldn’t.
"Who wants to go first?” Discord asked.
Apple Bloom raised her hand, and began to explain what had happened. When she was finished, Discord had an intense look of annoyance on his face.
"Well, it’s too late to take you three back now. But your parents will be informed the moment we get there. Understand?”
"We’ll be the ones doing that,” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “Our parents deserve ta know.”
Discord sighed. "Brilliant. Well, we might as well get going again.”
They arrived after a few hours, a briefing, and a singalong. Stepping off into the warm air of Camp Everfree, Rarity dialed her mother.
"Hello Rarity!” she said. "Did you and the luggage get their safely?”
"Yes mother, they did,” she replied. “But we packed an item by mistake.”
"Which one was that?”
“Sweetie Belle.”
There was a pause. And then a loud roaring came from the other end. Rarity had to hold the phone at least 12 inches away from her face.
"YOU SMUGGLED HER INTO THE CAMP? YOU ARE BOTH IN A LOT OF TROUBLE FOR THIS!”
Rarity flicked the phone onto speaker so Sweetie Belle could hear.
"Sweetie Belle is here, so you can tell her.”
"We’ll be grounding both of you for a week. We’ll also shut off your internet for that week.”
Rarity spluttered. "Wha-what?”
"On the bright side, that’ll give you plenty of time to use Sweetie Belle as a model for your outfits, won’t it?”
The look on Sweetie Belle’s face was priceless.
"Yes mother, I’m certain she’ll enjoy that greatly,” said Rarity flatly. "Well, goodbye.” She hit red before Cookie could reply.
"You won’t do that, will you?” Sweetie Belle asked.
"I suppose I could rush through them as fast as I could,” Rarity sighed. "But I think you’ll like the summer dresses I’ve designed.”
Once the conversation had concluded, Sweetie Belle went over to Scootaloo, who was being shouted at by one of her aunts. Rainbow Dash was being berated by her own parents at the same time, resulting in a horrific cacophony of scolding.
Eventually the noise stopped. Rainbow Dash kicked a rock in frustration. "Typical!” she shouted. "I get punished for doing the right thing!”
Scootaloo looked equally cross. "Well, there goes my scooter for a week...again.”
"I’ve got to try outfits,” Sweetie Belle mentioned. "But at least Rarity promises each will be fairly quick.”
"I suppose we are allowed to talk to one another,” Scootaloo reflected.
They both became aware of Apple Bloom running over to them. "It go well for ya?”
"So grounded,” Scootaloo informed her.
"Rarity’s already planning the outfits she’ll be modeling on me,” Sweetie Belle repeated for Apple Bloom’s convenience.
"At least they ought ta look good on ya,” Apple Bloom noted.
"I know it’ll take her at least three hours on each,” Sweetie Belle continued. "And I won’t be permitted internet access except for homework.”
"At least it’s only for a week,” Scootaloo said hopefully.
"And we can speak ta each other, so it won’t be too bad.”
Just then, the intercom went, a loud, noisy system no longer fit for purpose.
"Hey, everyone! If you could start heading to the courtyard, that would be rad! It's time to start the best week of camp ever!”
Gloriosa Daisy greeted the campers in the courtyard. "Hi, everyone! Welcome to Camp Everfree! I'm Gloriosa Daisy, your camp director! Think of me as your friendly camp and nature guide. And this is my brother, Timber Spruce!”
She indicated to the man standing next to her. "Think of me as that awesome guy... who should always be invited to fun things.” He juggled a microphone.
"We aim to please,” Gloriosa continued, "so before we hand out our tent assignments, we'd like to hear from all of you. You're free to do whatever you like here!”
"Uh, except hike near the rock quarry,” Timber added. "That's off-limits.”
It was all rather boring, and Sweetie Belle found herself drifting off. That was, until Scootaloo and Apple Bloom headed off into the forest.
"Wait, what?” she said, before following them into the forest.
Author's Note
Well everyone, this is the last chapter I will do for now.
Now don't freak out! As pointed out on a recent thread on Canterlot Adventures Group from The Blue EM2, both me and him are taking a pause so that everyone else in the group can catch up to us.
Heh, and ironic enough.... the chapter number this one is on is one of the numbers I know really well: 7
