A Ponyville Ghost Train

The History of the Legend

They said that legends can live forever. Not many ponies believed that saying. Sure there was the legend of Nightmare Moon, but many had written it off until that fateful day that she returned and almost plunged the world into endless night. However, the other legends were ignored as being fairytales. Nothing more than stories to tell young colts and fillies to behave at night.

One legend however, had faded into history and was hardly spoken of for the last forty years. Not since that day thirty years before the return of Princess Luna had the story been known. All but few had forgotten it and even then, the younger generation wrote it off as nothing more than a foals' tale.

The mare in the moon shone brightly over Equestria on that fall night as the last train of the day was unloading its cargo and passengers. Ponyville was growing quick, but not to the level many of the other cities had expected. Part of this was mostly due to its location near the Everfree Forest. No pony would dare enter the woods in fear of what awaited them.

As the cars were empty, the engineer drove the train to a siding and waited for the firepony to return to the engine. The engineer was a dark blue earth pony with a dark red mane. His cutie mark included two crossed swords, a sign that he had spent years in the royal guard, but after retiring, he began to drive the train from Canterlot to Ponyville on the new Ponyville Railroad.

His name was Crimson Crown. After beginning his new job, he had ran his train on time with no accidents. His train of choice was the 4-4-0. It was brand new for it's time. The smokestack was very wide on top, helping to regulate the steam made from the wood. Four wheels in the front behind a device known as a cow catcher. Four large wheels around the cab helped the engine move with the steam produced in the cylinders. His train was the state of the art, but was still experimental.

His son had joined him when he was thirty years old, working on the engine. Crimson and his son, Hope, and Hope's son, Iron Shield, were the last of their family. Iron was about fifteen years old and getting ready to strike out on his own.

Crimson was brought out of his musing by the sound of another pony entering the cab. He turned to see his son, Hope, enter the cab. Hope was a green earth pony with a bright yellow mane. His dark blue eyes held tears as he went to his place.

"Visiting your wife's grave again?" Crimson asked, his voice close to breaking as he remembered his daughter-in-law. Hope's wife, Light, with a shining spark always present in her eye. Lips as bright as a red rose, her short brown mane and her beautiful smile. Her personality and good treatment of Hope made her well liked by Crimson when her and Hope began dating. She was quite literally the light of Hope's life. When she perished to a Timberwolf attack, Hope had been devastated. Her grave was on their hill overlooking Ponyville. The same place they were married at.

"I can't believe how long it's been," Hope replied. "It seems like yesterday we were all laughing and having fun playing tag. Is this how it was when mom passed?"

"I'm afraid so," Crimson answered, looking down as he closed his eyes, picturing his beautiful wife. Her long mane and beautiful eyes that shone brightly when Crimson was home from training. "She was my other half and when she died in a Griffon raid, it hurt. It's part of the reason I left the guard. The other part was to finish raising you. I can tell you that leaving the guard was the best decision of my life."

Just as they were about to take their engine back to the shed, another pony walked up.

"We need you to take this car to Dodge Junction," he said. It's what we have left and we decided to send it to them."