TCB: Rails and Dreams

I find a place to stay
Berry Pony

"Attention, ponies!"

I stretched out and opened my eyes. Around me, the walls of the old Royal Guard barracks echoed to the noise of fifty other ponies waking up. We had arrived the night before, collected from various Conversion Bureaus, flown by chartered jet to several port cities, and transported to Canterlot. The last stage was a nerve racking ride on one of Celestia's flying chariots from Los Pegasus to Canterlot. I'm not good with heights - while I'm not frightened - I'm very much uneasy and always happy to head back down to safer ground. I'm so glad that I'm not a pegasus.

"Time to get up." A white pegasus in the Royal Guard armor was striding up the rows of bunks. "Today, you will get your assignments."

In the bunk above me, a blue pegasus yawned and looked over the side of his bed. "Good morning, Cherry Shine," he said, catching sight of me.

"Good morning, Blue Dew"

Blue Dew had been one of my fellow passengers on that flying chariot run. He was the one that ran from side to side of the chariot, exclaiming over the sights passing far below us. From my position, lying against the front of the chariot as far as possible from the edge, I could only watch his antics. He was probably the kind of idiot that did free base jumping from tall radio towers. I couldn't even watch a video of people climbing a radio tower without cringing.

"'morning," came a voice from the bunk next to mine. Sandstorm was one of the two earth ponies that came from the Phoenix Conversion Bureau. He was a tan pony with a brown and white mane. "What's up?"

"We're going to see where we've been assigned," Morning Dew said. He hopped out of bed and fluttered to the floor. "I hope we get breakfast first."

Slipping into our saddlebags, we followed the white guard pegasus out of the barracks, down the hallways of Canterlot castle and into the messhall. The white pegasus walked to the front of the room and waited to get everypony's attention.

"You will have thirty minutes to eat breakfast." the white pegasus said. "Then you will wait until your name is called and go with the waiting guard pony. Follow their instructions." With that, the white pegasus turned and left.

As I ate my breakfast and drank my juice, the first names were starting to be called. When Blue Dew's name was called, he wished me luck, stood up, and walked away.

"Cherry Shine!"

I stood up and walked out to meet my guide. The grey unicorn in golden armor nodded and led me down echoing hallways to a room. The name plate hanging over the doorway read 'Conversion Bureau Services'. She knocked once and opened the door. I thanked her and entered. The door closed behind me.

The room was occupied by several low desks covered in papers. Shelves containing scrolls stood against the walls. Windows gave a glimpse of the castle's gardens outside. Underneath a wall clock, a bluish grey unicorn sat at a desk. He kept reading as I entered.

"Um... hello."

The bluish grey unicorn looked up at me. "Cherry Shine. Your papers say that you are able to grasp the basic elements of magic. You are able to read and write unicorn script at starting level. Is that true?"

"Yes, sir."

"Courteous at least," he muttered. "I have an opening for a newfoal here in Canterlot for an ambitious young unicorn mare, serving as Upper Crust's aide-de-camp. She will provide training in exchange for your services. You will be handling her social affairs, booking parties, arranging gatherings and such."

"Pardon me sir, what is a newfoal? I haven't come across that term before."

"Newfoal? Ah yes. It is the term for those recently converted to a pony." He examined me before asking, "are you interested in the position?"

"I'm sorry, sir. Thank you but I'm not interested."

"I am sorry to hear that," he said. "It is a good opportunity and opens the door to future social contacts. Do you have any particular position in mind?"

"Are there any openings in... Ponyville?"

The bluish grey unicorn stared at me. "Why would you want to go there? There is nothing there but muddy roads and low-class yokels. You certainly can do better than that here in Canterlot. If Upper Crust's position does not suit you, would you be interested in a position at the Royal Canterlot Library? Initially, you would be re-shelving books but I am sure that you would find it easy to advance to a research position."

I was very much tempted. There was nothing I liked more than digging into a large library. I had spent most of my time at the university, sitting in the depths of the stacks of the library, reading up on one subject or another. I love books. Books had the most interesting things to teach.

"Sir, you have given me a most generous offer. But I'm afraid I'll have to turn it down. I spent too much of my time buried in libraries and ended up without friends. I don't wish to make the same mistake again. No. I wish to go to Ponyville."

The bluish grey unicorn looked at me like I had lost my mind. "Why?"

I considered telling him about my vision in which I would bring a modern electrified railroad to Equestria. But as I glanced at his scowling face, I decided that a different approach was needed. "Sir, I think that going to Ponyville would allow me to easily make more friends. Staying in a small place like Ponyville would teach me more about Equestria and its ponies than working for a socialite or digging myself into a library. And besides, it isn't that far from Canterlot after all."

"Very well," he finally said. "I should warn you that outside of the aid of the local Bureau representative, Conversion Bureau Services is unable to give you further aid. You will have to make your own way, find your own job, and pay your own costs.

I smiled. "I wouldn't want to have it any other way. Um, what is the name of the Bureau representative in Ponyville?"

"Lyra, Lyra Heartstrings. For some reason, she is fascinated by humans." The bluish grey unicorn wrote something down on a piece of paper. "Here. This is a voucher for transportation to Ponyville." His magic lifted the paper off his desk to float in front of my muzzle. "Present it at the Canterlot Station. Take care, Cherry Shine."

I grabbed the floating voucher from the air and placed it into my saddlebags. Then I thanked the bluish grey unicorn, turned and left the room.

Walking down the hallway back to the mess hall, I ran into Sandstorm and Blue Dew. "Cherry Shine, I'm going to work for the weather team," Blue Dew shouted. "I'll start my training in Cloudsdale. I'm leaving tomorrow by flying chariot."

Sandstorm was quiet. When I asked him what they had found for him, he replied he was going to help in land reclamation in the area around Dodge Junction. He reached in his saddlebags and pulled out his travel voucher. "I'll be travelling by this train."

I looked at the train voucher held in Sandstorm's mouth. An uneasy feeling came over me as I pulled my own voucher from my saddlebags. "Sandstorm," I said. "I think that we've got the same train heading south. When I left the Conversion Bureau's office, it was shortly after nine. If we want to catch that train - we need to run!"

I can't say that I saw much of Canterlot that morning. I just remember endless rows of clean, white buildings, tidy street squares, and lots of ponies that couldn't be bothered to help two breathless ponies because their lack of cutie marks showed that they were newfoals. A street cleaner that we ran across, guided our steps downhill in the right direction. A quiet unicorn that we almost bumped into was kind enough to point out the Canterlot Station.

A few minutes before the train's departure, we arrived on the station platform. We presented our vouchers to the mare at the ticket window and stamping or hooves with impatience, waited for her to issue our tickets. Then we ran out to our waiting train.

Boarding the tiny cars, we found seats, hopped up and sat or lay down. Sandstorm was tired and I was completely wiped out. "At least, we made it," I said once I caught my breath.

Sandstorm raised his head and picked up his ears. "We barely made it. But shouldn't the train be moving?"

I sat up and glanced at the large clock affixed to the Canterlot Station. "Actually, Sandstorm, we should have missed the train by two minutes. Of course, that clock could be fast - but I can see another clock showing the same time."

"Wait a moment," Sandstorm said, poking his head out the window. "I think that the four earth ponies now boarding the train are probably our crew."

After another two minutes, two of the train crew entered our car, headed for the caboose at the end.

"Excuse me," I called out to one of them. "Do you know when this train is leaving?"

The brown earth pony glanced at me, then at my bare flank. "Well, missy, engineer's gotta stoke up steam and we'll be moving along presently." His partner gave me a look and the two left through the rear door.

Seven minutes later, there was a rush of steam, the car gave a lurch and the train slowly began to pull out of Canterlot Station. There was a brief clatter as each car passed over the switch points and then we felt the train pick up speed.

Now that we were finally on our way, I had a look around. We were riding in a coach - eight cushioned seats on a side, six of them paired up to a window. There were no real backs to the seats - just a green glass-like separator. The coach was lit by individual magical lanterns. Figuring that giving two ponies to a cushion, eight cushions to a side, I came up with a carrying capacity of 32 ponies to a car. I hoped that the toilet facilities would be adequate for that number of ponies, I checked the corners of the coach. There was no toilet on board. Suddenly, I wished that I hadn't drank that juice at breakfast. I stood up and got down off the seat.

"Where are you going?" asked Sandstorm.

"I'm going to have a look around," I replied. "This is my first chance to see an Equestrian train in action and I'm curious. I'll be back."

I walked down the end , opened the door, stepped onto the platform and stopped. The train's cars were not connected by a vestibule. Rather, I had to jump from car to car. The landscape rushed past and the wind howled. Beneath me, the rails and ties looked like a blur. The cars - as far as I could tell - were coupled together with a simple link and pin. I could not see a method for the caboose to communicate with the engine nor any signs of air brakes. My best guess is that the crew brought the train to a stop by tighting the hand brakes on some of the cars.

I jumped to the platform on the next car and opened the door. The car looked like our own - 16 cushioned seats and no bathroom. There were a few other ponies that looked at me when I entered. I grinned and kept on walking.

A few cars later, I stood on the platform of the caboose. Instead of entering, I looked through the little window. Inside, it held a kitchen and bunks for the train crew. I caught a glimpse of one of the crew members riding up in the cupola. Watching for hotboxes, I guess. (When a railroad car's wheels are improperly greased, the friction can ignite the grease - this is called a hotbox. Old time railroaders spent a lot of time watching for hotboxes.)

Returning the way I came, I smiled at Sandstorm and headed in the other direction. Two cars identical to ours - and then the engine. I studied the engineer from the first car's platform. He watched the oncoming track and from time to time, fed the firebox with the loose coal around his feet. He looked back and I waved at him before leaving the platform.

"I have seen 1840's railroading and somehow, it works," I said when I came back to Sandstorm. "Not well but I now know what it was like when the Baltimore and Ohio first stretched rail lines along the Potomac or the 'Adler' first steamed between Nuremberg and Fuerth in 1835."

While I had been taking my tour of the train, the train had descended from the heights that Canterlot stood on, through a set of spiral tunnels similar to those on the Canadian Pacific, dropped into narrow valleys, through many tunnels, across high bridges and now ran generally southward. The clouds grew from a thin veil over the sun to an ominous grey cover. As it grew darker, a member of the train came through the cars and lit the coach's lanterns. When we entered a broad valley, the first few drops began to fall.

The engine whistled sharply and the train began to slow down. Peering from my seat, I could see a station and a platform slide into view. Our train slowly shuddered to a stop. There was no signboard as to which station it was.

"I think this is your stop," said Sandstorm. "Write to me, Dodge Junction, and let me know how you are doing."

I put on my saddlebags and descended from the lit train into the light drizzle. The station was closed and dark. I turned to wave good bye.

The clouds suddenly poured down a deluge of rain. I quickly ran for the narrow eaves of the station but I was completely drenched. A whistle blew and the train slowly pulled out of sight, taking with it, my last source of warmth and light. I was left, huddled against the station, watching the walls of rain.

This is why I don't like travelling. It always leaves you somewhere stranded far from home, looking at rain coming down from the clouds.

Just as suddenly, the rain stopped and the sky became lighter. I looked out from underneath the eaves of the station to see lots of brightly colored pegasi flying among the clouds. Some were kicking the cloud cover apart, others were steering the clouds off towards the forests. The sun finally broke through and began to warm the ground. Watching those bright pegasi tear through the clouds, it struck me for the first time, what a strange, alien culture I had become a part of.

I blew a long strand of yellow mane out of my face and left the darkened station, heading into town. Just as in many European cities, the railroad came long after the place had been settled and therefore was on the outskirts of town. Ponyville lay mostly to the south of the station with farms and houses creeping up the sides of the valley. In the far distance behind me, still partially hidden by rain and clouds, were the towers of Canterlot.

Jumping over puddles and stepping past rivulets of rainwater, I trotted into Ponyville. The half-timber construction was familiar to me - I had often seen similar construction in the villages of central Germany. The thatched roofs and colorful decorations, however, were new to me. I stopped to admire a white and pink fence with hearts on every upright. Across the street, a house bore shutters with heart stencils. On every roof, there were heart shaped lighting rods.

I closed my eyes. It was all too much for me to take in at once.

"Pardon me, miss," a voice broke into my thoughts. "Are you all right? You look soaked through and through."

I opened my eyes to see a flying white pegasus with a red and green mane looking worried at me.

"We're sorry. We had a cold front coming in from north of Canterlot that ran into our scheduled afternoon shower. That created this really big rainfall."

"I see."

The pegasus kept hovering in the air in front of me. "We told everyone to stay under cover until we could deal with the problem but I guess... you didn't get the word."

"I've just arrived here from Canterlot." I began. "And don't worry about the rain. Ponies are waterproof by design. I laughed. "You know your way around town, right? Do you know where I could find Lyra Heartstring's place?"

"Lyra?" she mused. "I don't really know her. You might inquire at the town hall."

"The town hall. That's a good idea. Where do I find the town hall?"

The white pegasus flapped higher in the sky and pointed toward the southwest. "It's in that direction," she shouted down to me. I can see it from here."

I looked in the direction that she was pointing at and saw more houses, gardens and trees blocking my view. "Thank you," I shouted up at her. "I think I can find it from here." As the white pegasus flew off, I went in search of more information at the town hall.

The town hall was a tall cylindrical structure set out in its own public area. It was with relief that I trotted through shallow puddles up onto its large encircling porch. Wiping my hooves on the doormat, I pushed the door open and went inside.

There was a office inside with a broad set of stairs leading upstairs. In the front, a distinguished looking silver grey earth pony was filing scroll cases. He bore a pair of round eyeglasses on his muzzle.

"Hello," I said.

He paused in his filing. "May I help you?" he asked without turning from his task.

"Would you be so kind as to tell me where to find Lyra Heartstring's house? I'm new in town - just arrived in Ponyville - and I'm feeling my way around."

"New in town?" He turned to face me. His face was in a state of shock. "Has... has Pinkie Pie found you yet?"

"No, why?"

He started to speak quickly. "Lyra Heartstring's house? Go up the street just to the left as you leave the town hall. It'll be the fourth on the left. If that is all, good bye." He seemed to be eager to push me out the door.

"Um, one more thing. If I wanted to start a company, who would I see?"

"A local company?"

"I think, the company would cover all of Equestria."

"We would be able to provide you with local charter here. For a company that serves all of Equestria, you would need to acquire a royal charter as well. Good bye," he said as he pushed me out the door. I heard him lock the door.

I turned away from the town hall - to face a poofy-haired, bright pink pony with a mischievous smile. "Hi, you must be new here, Miss Pink-as-me," she began.

I don't remember too much after that. There was a welcome wagon. A cake. Singing. Balloons and party streamers. Somehow, there was an alligator too. I can only remember coming to, standing in the middle of a muddy street, a party invitation in my teeth, wondering what had just happened. Shaking the remnants of the party confetti out of my mane, I went to look at the address that the silver grey pony had given me.

I knocked carefully at the door. A few moments passed and a mint green unicorn opened the door.

"Hi, I've just arrived from Canterlot-"

"Have you seen Pinkie Pie yet," the mint green unicorn quickly asked.

"Yes, yes, I have."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, good. Why don't you come in. The pegasi have messed up the weather - again - and it will take the rest of the day to straighten it out. My name is Lyra Heartstrings and how can be of assistance?"

I entered a cozy room with comfortable seating and low tables. "As I was saying, I've just come from Canterlot and they told me that you are the local Conversion Bureau representative..."

Lyra brightened up. "Yes, I am. Do you have your paperwork from the Conversion Bureau?"

"One moment." Using magic, I opened my saddle bags and levitated the papers over in front of Lyra.

"This, this is a party invitation from Pinkie Pie!" she said. "Tonight."

"Um, that must have slipped in with my other papers."

Lyra looked me in the eye. "Do not consider even thinking of not going to that party at Sugercube Corner. Bad things, really bad things happen to ponies that skip a Pinkie Pie invitation."

"So, I had better go?..."

"Yes, you should! At least, there's enough time to find you a place to stay before the party. I have around twelve other newfoals staying in and around Ponyville. I'd prefer you to room with a unicorn family but they don't have any free rooms." She tapped her muzzle with her hoof, thinking. "I suppose you want to stay close to Ponyville?"

I nodded.

"Ah, I know of a place that might suit you. Baritone and Bottlecap run a hay farm up on the north side of Ponyville. That's not too far. They're earth ponies - would you mind staying with them?

"Not at all," I replied.

"That's good. Some of the newfoal unicorns have such strange ideas about being better than everypony else - luckily, we don't see them down here in Ponyville." She used her magic to write something down on a piece of paper and floated it into the air. "This will give you an introduction. Their daughter's gone up to Canterlot to study and they have a free room."

"Thank you, Lyra."

"After you arrange things with Baritone and Bottlecap, make sure that you come back in plenty of time for your big welcome party."

I found their farm out past the railroad station. Vast fields of tall grass stretched from their barnyard almost to the edges of the forest. There was a few large barns, a smaller equipment shed or two and a inviting farmhouse. As I entered the barnyard, two large dogs ran out and started barking at me. I wanted to run but pushing the urge aside, stood my ground. Trembling.

"Harlan. Able. What is it?" came a shout from the farmhouse. A door opened and a grey earth pony with a darker grey mane appeared.

"Hello! I understand that you have a room to rent?" I said as the two dogs circled me and growled. "Lyra sent me."

"Harlan! Able! Come here!" The stallion walked across the barnyard. "We've had some things wander in from the Everfree Forest," he said as an explanation, "and the dogs are here to help us defend the farm. Who's a good dog, who's a good dog. You are, yes you are."

The two dogs came up to the grey stallion and wagged their tails. He signaled that I should come up and let the dogs become acquainted with me. I nervously walked up and after bumping noses with them, they decided that I was harmless.

"Who is it, Baritone?" asked a blue mare as she came to the door.

"This pink unicorn," the grey stallion responded. "She's asking about Spring Leaf's old room. Wants to rent it."

"That's nice. Why doesn't she come in for a spell?"

I followed the farmer and the dogs to the farmhouse where I presented them with my letter from Lyra. There was a short discussion which ended up in me paying half my bits from my small bag for rent. In turn, the pair would provide me with a room and board for the month.

I lay on my bed, legs folded under me. My few belongings were hung up or folded and packed away. A moment to relax. A moment to - oh no, the party!

I rushed downstairs to the kitchen. Bottlecap was washing up dishes. "I've got to go back into town!"

"Why? It won't be safe after dark."

"I've got to go to my Pinkie Pie welcoming party!"

"Oh dear. You certainly don't want to miss that. Bad things happen to ponies that miss a Pinkie Party. I'll tell Baritone to stay up and keep a watch for you. Go - and please come home early. Baritone has to start early to start cutting hay on the western 40."

I nodded and galloped off.

I woke the next morning. It took me a few moments to remember where I was. I remember... the party. The balloons, the cake, the party games. Dancing and singing. I remember shaking hooves with a lot of ponies, none of whom I could name anymore. There was punch. I remember the punch because I got tipsy. A brown stallion offered to walk me home. The last thing I remember was being tipped into bed.

I rose, brushed my mane and tail and washed up. Then I descended downstairs to find Bottlecap working in the kitchen. "'morning," I quietly said.

"Morning? It's almost noon. Baritone's been out all morning. I'm just making lunch. I know that Pinkie Pie's parties are infamous but please don't make a habit of it."

"Did I... Did I come in late last night?" I asked as I planted my haunches on the floor near the kitchen table.

"No. Baritone told me that you had come in early but you looked like you had a bit too much." She turned and laid a plate of food in front of me. "Eat up. This is some of the lunch I'm making for Baritone."

I quickly set to work, clearing off the plate.

"What do you plan to do this afternoon?" Bottlecap asked as she finished packing her husband's lunch.

"I thought that I'd start looking for a job. I'm going to need bits to pay my way here, to take care of expenses and as seed money for my big dream."

"That's admirable. And before you start looking, could you do me a favor, dear. Baritone is in the northwest quarter. Would you terribly mind, bringing this lunch pail out to him?"

"No problem." I took the tin pail's handle in my teeth and trotted away.

(Edits - 28-August 2012: Formatting, typos, Stupid oversights.)