A Hearth's Warming Nightmare
Snow gently falls at the Ponyville train station, Luna's moon shining through the clouds. Ponies rush about the platform as a train eagerly awaits the coming journey.
Princess Cadance, her beautiful pink fur covered by winter clothing, looks at the steam locomotive next to the train. It is grand and elegant, with red and silver paintwork lining its streamlined jacket. Six massive driving wheels, led by four small driving wheels and trailed by four more, carry its massive boiler. Such an engine is a perfect fit for the elegant, luxurious red train at the platform.
At least, it would be, if it wasn’t for the destroyed valve gear on one side that rendered the engine immobile.
She looks down the track, spying the replacement locomotive slowly reversing toward the train. It is bigger than the original engine, but not as grand. It is an oily black and lacks a streamlined jacket, revealing the many bits and pieces that made the engine work. It is carried not by six large driving wheels, but eight smaller ones. While the drivers are still led by four small wheels, trailing them was merely two small wheels. Despite this, its huge, tall stature is a sight to behold.
It is by all means a freight engine, not designed for passenger work. Alas, given the urgency in getting the train to its destination before midnight, it would have to do.
“All aboard the Last Train for Hearth’s Warming!”
Cadance winces as the conductor calls to the passengers.
CRACK!
She winces again as the locomotive hits the front carriage, the couplings cracking as they connect.
“Cadance! Ugh… Cadance!”
She looks to her right, spotting none other than Twilight Sparkle running toward her.
“Twilight! You’re just in time,” Cadance greets.
“YES! Good! Uh, where are my friends?” the younger princess asks.
“They just boarded the tenth car.”
Twilight looks down the length of the train, her eyes widening at the size.
“Why is the train so big?” she asks, counting fifteen carriages.
“Many other trains have been delayed,” Cadance explains. “This train is the last chance ponies can get to the Crystal Empire before Hearth’s Warming. Now, Twilight, go board the coach with your friends. I’ll be in shortly.”
“Okay. Love you.”
As the Lavender Alicorn runs down the platform, Cadance takes a second to step to the window of the locomotive’s cab. The engineer and firemare gasp upon seeing the princess.
“I just want to thank you both for sacrificing your evening for all of these ponies,” she says, softly. “I know passenger duties aren’t usually what you tend to, but me and everypony aboard appreciates your service.”
The engineer tips his hat with a smile. “It’s a pleasure.”
“Thank you. I hope we still have a chance at making it on time.”
The engineer puts his hoof to his heart. “Princess Cadance, I promise we will do everything in our power to get this train to its destination on-the-advertised.”
Cadance nods. “Thank you.”
She turns and walks away, slightly shivering as she steps across the platform and toward the carriage.
“Alllll ABOARD!” the conductor shouts as Cadance steps into her carriage. The conductor follows her inside, closing the door with a SLAP!.
The engineer gives the whistle cord a pull. The tall, Princeton three-chime sounds off a powerful wail as steam enters the cylinders. The familiar chuffing sound commences as the wheels begin to roll, steam billowing from the smokestack as torque is transferred to track.
The sheer power of the steam locomotive shakes the ground, its rhythmic chuffing emitting for miles in all directions.
Cadance sits down as she listens to the chuffing, steadying herself as the engineer further increases throttle.
She smiles as she looks at Twilight and her friends. They all basked in the warmth of the carriage, the Cutie Mark Crusaders mewling in the embrace of their older sisters.
“Cadance?” Fluttershy asks, softly, as she huddles in a blanket. “Do you think we’ll make it in time for Hearth’s Warming?”
Cadance smiles. “We’ll make it on time. I just know it,” she reassures, softly.
Crash…
The distant thunder goes unnoticed by the passengers of the first class coach.
Crash…
It grows slightly louder, but continues to go unnoticed. In the locomotive cabin, the engineer smiles as they pass a green signal.
CRASH!!
The thunder whips through the air as the train speeds through the snow, crossing white fields and tearing through golden towns. The locomotive’s mechanism shudders as it is thrown violently around and around, still accelerating the train to greater speeds.
The carriage gently sways back and forth as the train speeds along. Princess Cadance watches as Twilight and her friends settle in for a nap. She bites her lip as Rainbow Dash wraps her wings around Scootaloo before putting a blanket over both of them. She watches Apple Jack and Rarity do the same to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, sans the winghug.
She feels Twilight lean in next to her, rubbing her winter coat. She smiles as she nuzzles the young princess, draping a blanket over both of them.
As they settle into their warm, cozy blankets, I face the worsening blizzard far ahead of the train.
My wagon shudders and creaks behind me as I pull it through along the trail. The cold wind bites my winter coat, the snow crunching beneath my hooves.
CRASH!!
The thunderous sound startles me as I look to my left, spying the river next to me. The water rages through its natural path, the lahar seeking to destroy everything in its way.
My eyes follow the river upward to a massive train bridge ahead. Its old concrete foundations support the iron structure, fighting valiantly against the raging river that attacked it.
The bridge begins to lose the battle, however, as the volume of the lahar in the river increases. The mud and debris turns into slurry as it slams into the concrete supports, which begin to crack. The bridge creaks and groans, aching from the prolonged attacks.
I stand paralyzed as one of the supports suddenly gives way, splitting apart and separating from the iron framework. As concrete washes down the river, the platform above bends and snaps. It begins to fall, bringing another support column with it as it splits apart.
“Oh my gosh…” I let out, shocked at the scene.
FoooooooooWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
My body freezes at the sound, my head shortly following suit as I sighted the headlight of the approaching train.
“Tuh… Puh… F-Fireworks. FIREWORKS!” I scream as I drop the wagon hitch and dive into said wagon.
I quickly grab every red firework, effect, and light I had. I tore open the door and ran out of my wagon and toward the tracks, dropping several items into the snow as I run up the embankment.
“Stop the train! STOP THE TRAIN!”
Fireworks shoot into the sky, lighting the area in a deep red as the train grew nearer.
In the cabin, the engineer and firemare look ahead at the bright red show.
“What in blazes is going on?” the engineer asks.
The firemare leans out the left side of the engine, staring as she sees me jump off the tracks. Her eyes widen as I light my horn in the brightest possible red flame.
“Stop the train,” she says, pausing as she looks at the engineer. “STOP THE BUCKING TRAIN!”
The engineer panics as he slams the brakes into emergency. The whistle turns into a scream as an infernal screeching noise fills the air.
The train destroys my equipment, ramming through and continuing to the bridge. The coaches shudder and creak as they bang into one another, the train fighting to slow down before the bridge.
I watch the engineer and firemare jump from their cab as the train speeds on. My heart clenches as the train enters the bridge, still traveling at a frantic pace.
Time slows as the engine leaves the rails. It soars across the river and plows into the embankment on the other side, burying itself in water and snow.
Car after car takes flight across the river, twisting and compressing as they bang into one another and land in the water. One carriage rotates on its axis as it hits the embankment. Another carriage slams into the center of the first, crushing it into an L-shape and nearly snapping it in two.
The river crashes into the fallen cars as more fall in. I finally watch the remaining carriages come to a screeching halt, seeing the lights flickering as their power supply is jostled.
The frontmost carriage, being the tenth of the train, balances precariously on the bridge’s edge, the coupling loosely keeping it from plunging into the raging river below.
Cadance, Twilight, and her friends are nearly thrown out of their seats as the carriage comes to a stop.
“What the hay just happened?!” Twilight exclaimed.
Cadance looks out her window, her eyes widening at the angle of the carriage and the river below.
“WE NEED TO GET OUT OF THIS COACH NOW!” she screams, throwing the blanket off of them and jumping to her hooves.
Outside, I watch the carriage teeter back and forth, my tentative walk turning into a sprint as I get closer.
CRACK!
I hear a sickening crack as the coupling finally gives, sending the carriage forward.
“NO!”
I scream as I light my horn, wrapping my magic around the back half of the carriage, stopping it from moving any further.
It feels like my horn is about to shatter, causing me to grunt and scream as I keep the carriage from moving.
Inside, half the passengers in the carriage are frozen from my magic. This included Cadance, Twilight and her friends.
“Why can’t we move?!” Twilight exclaims as she tries to use every spell she had.
Cadance manages to look outside her window, spotting me as my magic coils around the carriage.
“There’s somepony out there holding us!” she yells.
Twilight barely manages to turn her head to see me. Upon doing so, she nearly screams;
“TRIXIE!?”
Outside, I take a step back as I slowly wrench the carriage backward, bumping it into the carriage behind it. I panic as I pull harder on the coach.
The underside draws sparks as it scrapes against the edge. Slowly, I move the first carriage and the other carriages backwards. The brakes squeal as they try to keep the train from moving. My horn starts to glow with heat as I shove through these brakes.
“Please… just… GO!”
I move my head down, forcing the carriage to pivot on its axis downward. The wheels slam into the rails with a metallic CRASH as I finally let go, my magical glow dissipating from in and around the carriage.
I collapse into the snow, the white powder entering my winter coat and biting my fur. I didn’t feel it, having been entirely spent from the feat I had accomplished.
The world around me blurs. I can vaguely make out the shape of the train and the ponies evacuating it. I watch a predominantly purple blur come toward me alongside a larger pink shape.
Twilight and Cadance run up to me, seeing my horn smoking and my eyes weary. The former couldn’t believe what she was seeing. This mare she thought was the worst in the world, saving a carriage of passengers. It simply could not compute inside her.
The latter, however, was focused on my horn. She gently touches it, yanking her hoof back in shock.
“She’s completely spent,” Cadance states. “She needs a doctor.”
“But what about-”
“Twilight, I want you to try and save as many ponies as you can from the other coaches,” Cadance commands, interrupting the younger Alicorn. “I’ll take Trixie to the nearest town and call for help.”
Before Twilight could respond, I felt myself being gently lifted by Cadance. Not by magic, but by her own wing. I feel warmer as I slide along her feathers and onto her back.
Keeping her movements soft, Cadance got a running start before letting her wings carry her into the air. I bury my face into her coat, terrified of how high we are. I hold the princess tightly as we flew along the train tracks, using them as an iron compass to get back to civilization.
In moments, we reach the small village of Cantertine. In seconds, Cadance locates the telegraph station. We land softly on the ground just outside it, and the princess attempts to locate the telegrapher. She can’t find them, so she steps inside the office and starts sending a message herself.
All I hear is urgent clicking. It drones on, nearly becoming the only thing I can hear if not for the beating of Cadance’s heart.
When the clicking stops, I cling to her beat. I let out a soft purr, relaxing and nearly melting into her coat. The princess looks back at me with a sorrowful look, tensing as she once again looks at my horn.
She takes a deep breath in, holding it for a few seconds before letting it out.
“I’m sorry…”
The sun shines through the thick clouds and soft snow as a crowd sits in front of a plinth. Stepping onto this plinth is Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Cadance, and Princess Twilight. The snow gently nips at their winter coats as the crowd waits eagerly for their announcement.
Celestia takes in a breath as she stares across the crowd, letting her usual smile fade into a real, genuine frown.
“After a thorough investigation, we have enough information about this disaster to tell you, my little ponies,” she begins, speaking slowly and with a more serious tone than usual. “I am unable to sugarcoat the events that have befallen us on this past Hearth’s Warming Eve, nor do I want to.”
She takes in a breath.
“Over two hundred of your fellow ponies are dead, and more bodies are being found every day. I know you are scared, and I know you want answers.”
“The cause of this crash was the bridge itself. The lahar that littered the river tore apart four foundations, and the iron framework was too weak to cope. The reason the train went over the side was nothing but oblivion. Nopony could have known about the bridge, so the train was sent through.”
“As to why the train could not stop in time, that was simply due to its speed. It was running late, and the engineer and firemare were instructed to do everything they could to get to the Crystal Empire on time. This, clearly, is an oversight by all of us. Braking power is much lesser in bad weather, so train speeds should be reduced to compensate.”
Celestia pauses as she lets her little ponies take in the information. Quiet murmurs and writings momentarily fill the air.
“While this train derailment is sad for everypony involved,” Princess Luna begins, “it serves as a catalyst to a safer railway. We can use what we have learned to develop new technologies and routines to prevent such atrocities from happening in the future. Even if we can prevent the death of just one pony, the research will be worth it.”
Celestia nods in agreement.
“Speaking of lives,” Cadance begins, stepping up to the stand. “We cannot forget how many more would have been lost if it wasn’t for the actions of a single passerby. Trixie Lulamoon.”
Half the crowd gasps, recognizing the name.
“Now, I don’t know what Trixie did. But I can assure you that whatever she did in the past has been outright invalidated because of her actions that night.”
“That mare is a witch, is what she is!” one stallion yells.
“I would love to see a witch nearly kill herself to save a coach full of passengers,” Cadance snaps. “Both me, Twilight, and the element bearers were in the tenth coach, which would have fallen into the river if she hadn’t grabbed it with a level of magic she shouldn’t have been using.”
“It is because of Trixie Lulamoon that me and the element bearers are still around. I hope that, due to these actions, you will all see her as a reformed mare, and forgive the crimes she committed in the past.”
Far away, in a hospital room, I feel my heart clench as I read the transcript. Tears fill my eyes as I remember the experience, the cold coming back to bite me despite the covers on my fur. For so long I had been living in fear of everypony hating me. I could barely process the fact that somepony, a princess, forgave my actions.
I hug the transcript tightly, tears falling down my cheeks as the paper crumples in my hooves.
“Thank you,” I say, quietly. “Thank you so much…”
Author's Note
2800 words written in a full-blown SPRINT from 5 in the morning to eight in the evening. I hope this was worth it.
