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steam-beasts · 5 months

Text

Oh Sheep!

December had rolled around on Sodor, and the snow was at its strongest. On the Arlesdale Railway, Diesel Junior – or "DJ" as he liked to be called – was resting in the diesel sheds at Arlesburgh West. It was early morning, but the schedules were a lot more relaxed than how they were during the autumn rush.

DJ was sitting at the very back of the shed, fast asleep and trying to keep his radiator warm. Just then, the doors slowly swung open, the chilly air sweeping in. DJ's face at the cold and opened his eyes to see Mr Fergus Duncan walking towards him.

"Good morning, DJ. Apologies for waking you" He said. DJ yawned "It's alright, Mr Duncan. Do...Do you need me to do something?" He asked tiredly. Mr Duncan hummed softly in agreement "Yes, I need you to go to Arlesdale Green to collect a left behind ballast cart. Rex forgot to bring it before going to sleep" the Small Controller explained.

DJ raised an eyebrow "Not that I'm refusing to do it, Mr Duncan. But can't one of the Blister twins do that? Or...Frank?"

Mr Duncan sighed "The Blister twins are off doing a passenger run, and Frank is away taking wool bales to market" he replied with a shrug.

"Oh, well...ok. I'll go"

Mr Duncan gently smiled, giving DJ's roof a pat "Atta boy. Off you go!" DJ lightly smiled back and watched as the Small Controller turned heel and left the shed.

Eventually, the little diesel soon set off out of the sheds and into the cold himself, wincing at the bright light after being shrouded in the dark shed.

Snow had begun to fall by the time DJ reached the Arlesburgh bridge street. He glanced at the upcoming platform to see a couple of workers shoveling away snow, and a middle aged lady. This was the Stationmaster, seemingly wanting to talk to him as she waited on the platform. DJ frowned.

"Oh no, not her!" The little diesel groaned quietly "She's always pestering me about something small and unimportant..."

He was proved to be correct as the Stationmaster took out a red flag waved him down. DJ knew he shouldn't be disrespectful despite his annoyance from her, so he slowed to a stop with a fake grin on his face, plus, she had a red flag so it was probably important... this time "Is something the matter, Mrs Stationmaster?" He asked sweetly ."Yes, you don't happen to be going towards the Marthwaite Woodland area, do you?"

"Yeah, I'm collecting a stray ballast truck down at the green. Is something wrong?" He replied nonchalantly. The Stationmaster scratched her head "Well, due to a shortage of sand, the tracks beyond the Ffarqhuarr road don't have any grit, so best be careful" she warned. DJ honked his horn in acknowledgement and continued on down the line. Once she couldn't see his face, DJ rolled his eyes "Pah, 'be careful' she said. Nonsense, the rails can't be slippy! I haven't slipped on them, neither of the twins have slipped, and neither has Frank. All that comes out of her mouth is a bunch of malarkey!" He scoffed. As he said this, a few cars on the road nearby were slipping and swerving, not dangerously of course.

By the time DJ reached the Ffarqhuarr road, the snow fall was getting heavier, and more like a blizzard. DJ had to squint a little as Farmer Willie came dawdling by with a cart packed with sheep. Willie noticed DJ and came to a brief stop "Hullo' there, DJ! You alright?"

DJ gazed up at Willie and smiled "I'm F-Fine, Farmer Willie. I'm just going up to collect a ballast truck!"

Willie hummed and nodded "Ah, ok..." he said before glancing over at his sheep. Some were asleep, some were not and simply sat in the cart...not all of them were accounted for. He then heard DJ gasp "Are those sheep?!"

Willie shook out of his small daydream "Oh, uh– yes! My boss wants me to take these little guys to the barn for winter!"

A sheep then looked over at DJ and bleated, making the diesel "Aww! Hi there!" He cooed. Farmer Willie just stared at the sheep for a solid minute before realising something "Oh yeah, uh...DJ? If you see a sheep on it's own somewhere, let me know please. It, uh... got out. It has a little bell around its neck and... it's not here..." He trailed off, staring into space.

DJ wasn't listening, he was more focused on the sheep "Look at your little faces...what were you saying, Farmer Willie?"

Farmer Willie shook his head again and scratched his head, haven partially forgotten about what he was talking about "Huh? O-Oh, erm...look out for sheep! Oh crumbs, I better get going" He muttered before driving off. DJ honked goodbye to the farmer and set off once more once the gates reopened.

DJ chuckled to himself "Hehe, sheep..."

____________________________________________

The Marthwaite Woods were littered with trees and bushes. The bare tree branches had icicles dangling off of them. The bushes were piled on with snow and the rails were all icy and slippery, but DJ didn't know this yet.

DJ honked his horn and took his time to look at his surroundings "Wow, the forest looks so mysterious during winter..." he commented to himself.

He then looked forward and remembered that Arlesdale Green was a few miles ahead. He smirked confidently and went faster up the steep track "Nearly there, nearly there" He panted eagerly.

However, the little baby diesel had to come to a stop as up ahead, a lone sheep stood on the line, using its nose and hoof to dig at the snow – presumably in search for grass. DJ skidded to a halt, clenching his teeth as his wheels slipped on the rails. He was still moving (at a more slower pace now), and was getting much closer to the sheep.

DJ frantically tried calling out to the sheep and honking "Out of the way! Out of the way!". The sheep just looked up and glanced at him with vacant eyes. DJ shut his eyes tight as he couldn't stop.

Why oh why didn't he listen to the Stationmaster?!

The sheep was unfazed as the engine ahead was skidding on icy rails towards it's direction.

Just then....

BUMP!

"Baa!"

DJ gasped from feeling the bump and whimpered, fearing what he may have very likely done. Cautiously, he opened one eye to survey the damage he had done, only to see a white furry face in his vision, lazily munching on a mouthful of grass. He then opened both eyes and sure enough, he wasn't dreaming – the sheep was okay. Thank goodness.

"Dizzy diesels...that was close" He sighed with relief. He kinda forgot he's not a big monsterous engine like his big brother, or else the sheep would most certainly become wooly paste.

The sheep bleated and sniffed at DJ, its ear twitching. DJ felt his (currently) non-existent heart melt as the sheep sniffed at him.

"Ooh, sorry about that, sheep. The rails are all icy! What are you doing out here anyway? Shouldn't you be..." he then gasped, thinking back to what Farmer Willie said.

"Oh! You're the sheep that got away!" He exclaimed. The sheep bleated and went back to chewing the little patch of grass it dug up. DJ paid no mind.

"Well, come on! We gotta get you home, and collect the ballast!"

The sheep didn't move, it paid no attention to DJ whatsoever.

A few minutes went by, and DJ huffed "Come on! Get going!"

The sheep remained on the line. DJ loved the sheep, don't get him wrong – but it won't MOVE for him! DJ thought decisively, then honked at the sheep. The sheep looked over at him, but went back to eating soon after.

DJ groaned "Oh I don't have all day!"

The sheep bleated and turned to face him, its ears flicking. This sheep was stubborn, stubborn like a troublesome truck. Maybe that's why they both look alike?

A good 20 minutes passed by, you'd think that the sheep would've moved off the line by now, NOPE! It was still there, but sitting down now.

"Pleeeaaase! Move...please, sheep?: DJ begged, but no avail.

Suddenly, an ear-piercing shriek ripped through the air, alerting both DJ and the sheep. The sheep bleated fearfully and looked around frantically. DJ gulped, doing the same thing.

"Hehe...i-its alright, sheep. I'm sure it's just a..."

An echoey roar was then heard somewhere in the distance as well as crunching snow, increasing DJ's worries "B-BEAR!" He yelled fearfully. He shut his eyes tightly like he did when slipping on the rails.

The sounds of crunching snow got closer and more clearer. DJ only feared the worst...until he heard the voice of a very tired Rex.

"Are you alright there, DJ?"

DJ's eyes shot open and he looked to the side to see Rex in his beast form, gazing at him softly with very tired eyes. The baby diesel's jaw dropped upon seeing him "R-Rex?! But... you're supposed to be hibernating!"

Rex chuckled "Well, I can't hibernate if I keep hearing you honk to your heart's delight. Remember, my hearing's a LOT more sensitive and sharper than it used to be..."

"Oh..." DJ blushed in embarrassment "...sorry. I didn't mean to"

"It's ok, kiddo. No hard feelings..." Rex assured him "...now that we have that cleared up, you appear to be in one baa-ad situation" the miniature engine teased, pointing at the sheep.

DJ sighed "Yep...I think its one of Farmer Willie's. He said something about one of them escaping"

"Escaping, eh? Lots of livestock escape here all the time. They should really improve the fences but then again...me, Bert and Mike can just ram through them" He chuckled. Rex then turned to face the sheep.

He made a little chittering noise at the sheep, leaning forward. The sheep turned to Rex with interest and bleated, walking off the track at last. DJ watched in amazement as Rex continued the chittering sound, leading the sheep into the foliage. It kinda reminded him of that evil snake from The Jungle Book, except Rex isn't evil of course!

"Wow..." he whispered. DJ soon resumed to his task; collect the ballast.

He oiled through the forest, much more carefully that time.

____________________________________________

DJ had managed to make it to the Green and was making his way back to Arlesburgh West. Along the way, he saw Rex trotting along the tracks, still looking rather sleepy. He honked "hello" to the older engine, who whistled back "Did you get the sheep home, Rex?"

"Of course! It's not like I ate it, hehe!" Rex chuffed cheekily.

"Yeah, anyway...how did you hear me all the way from the sheds in the first place?" The miniature 08 diesel asked, feeling rather curious.

"I wasn't sleepin' at the sheds, I was sleepin' in a nearby cave around here! That's how I heard you!" He laughed tiredly. DJ giggled as well, then looked over at the ballast truck "Hey, Rex? Did you know you forgot to bring a ballast truck back to the station?"

Rex frowned and raised an eyebrow. He then glanced at the truck behind the small diesel and gasped with understanding "Oh! Fire and smoke, I forgot about that one!" He groaned.

"It's alright, Rex. It's easy to forget things" DJ assured him. The small green engine smiled warmly, then walked in front of the diesel, blocking his way.

"Rex?"

Rex said nothing and gave DJ's forehead a lick, probably his own way of 'kissing' him goodnight. DJ's eyes went wide, but he grinned nonetheless as Rex chirped happily before setting off into the woods "Have a good hibernation, Rex!" He called out.

As soon as Rex left, DJ oiled away with the ballast truck. Back to Arlesburgh West he goes.

Until Spring...

#thomas and friends #thomas the tank engine #monster engines #ttte rex #ttte oc #ttte dj #ttte mr duncan #ttte frank #ttte blister twins #short story

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steam-beasts · 4 months

Text

The Little Steam tram and Brakevan that Could

It was a stormy winter's night at Arlesburgh West. In the diesel sheds, Toby and Henrietta's pups; Bruno and Tabitha were staying the night with DJ to keep him company. To pass the time, DJ was telling the two about his journey for the ballast truck a couple weeks ago.

"And so, I brought the ballast truck back! The end!" DJ said happily. His little audience of two just sat there quietly, it was hard to tell if either were looking at him with their still unopen eyes. Nevertheless, he knew the two were listening, especially Bruno.

Speaking of Bruno, the little orange brakevan replied with a squeak and a little wiggle. DJ giggled and smiled "Glad you liked it, Bruno"

"Gaahhh...pbbbffhh!!!" Tabitha babbled, DJ rolled his eyes "I didn't mean to wake Rex up, Tabitha"

The steam tram pup blepped her tongue out and yawned. DJ raised an eyebrow and looked up at the clock "Oh, I guess it's bedtime, huh?" He remarked to Bruno, who was also yawning. He couldn't help but let out a yawn himself.

As if right on cue, a guardsman wearing a thick coat cracked open the shed door with a lantern and walked inside. Strangely, he had a pair of fluffy blankets and baby bottles full of milk.

He tipped his hat to DJ "Hullo', DJ"

"Hi, Mr guardsman. Why do you have those?"

The guardsman gently shook one of the baby bottles "These are for these two little boxes here" He said, gesturing to the two pups on either side of him. Tabitha looked up at the guardsman despite her very blurry vision and perked up excitedly once she smelt the warm milk. Bruno stirred in his sleep, but was stopped from crying as the familiar smell of his mother filled the air, hitting his nose.

The man chuckled "Alrighty, you two. One at a time" and so the tiny diesel watched as the guardsman sat down and set Bruno in his lap first.

After the first bottle was emptied, the brakevan was set back on to the miniature guage rails, where one of the cozy blankets was set on top of him. The same pattern happened with Tabitha and soon enough, both of DJ's friends were wrapped in blankets.

"What's with the blankets?" He asked curiously.

"Bruno and Tabitha normally sleep beneath their father or mother for warmth during the nights. But since those two can't do it this particular season, we've had to improvise and give them blankets" the man explained. The wind outside howled loudly and deeply, sending shivers through the mini diesel's frame. The guardsman patted the young engines roof.

"Settle down, little one. The storm will only be here until tomorrow night" He assured him. DJ gave him a small smile and closed his eyes with a sigh as the man left.

____________________________________________

Bruno's eyes fluttered open with a yawn, the bright daylight shining into his eyes. He looked around groggily at his surroundings and squinted at the sunlight shining on his face.

Ignoring the light the best he could, Bruno took a better look around and... was it just him, or did everything shrink? Or maybe he grew? It certainly seemed that he grew overnight, because the brakevan saw who he was pretty certain was DJ and his big sister Tabitha out of the corner of his eye. Tabitha warmly smiled at him as she rolled out of the shed "Morning, Bruno" she greeted kindly. Bruno gasped – when did his sister learn how to talk like their parents?! The brakevan watched, slightly dumbfounded as Tabitha rolled away into the distance. Was she leaving without him? Also, were they grown-ups?

Hesitantly, unsure of what would come out, he called out "W-Wait, where are you going?" To his surprise, he could also talk!

"Don't worry! I'm coming back, Bruno. Like always, don't get your axles in a twist! I'm just gonna to switch to your track" she called back.

"What's the matter, Bruno?" He heard DJ ask. He looked over to the diesel, who looked back, waiting for an answer. Bruno averted his gaze "Uhhh..." He tried to think of a good answer, something that he would hear his mother or father, or even the workers would say. So awkward...

"I'm... fine, DJ. W-What, um... makes you say that?" He replied, simply reciting words he'd heard before "Eh, just curious. You looked like you saw a ghost for a second, heh heh!"

"Oh, ok..." he mumbled, taking his time to get a good look at his friend and playmate. As a pup, the little brakevan would typically be able to make out a blurry box shape in his dark and blobby vision, but this time, DJ looked a lot more detailed. He had a pointy nose, lots of weird little boxes along his sides, lumps and bumps here and there...the red rectangle below his face even looked more clear! Bruno then yelped as he felt a bump on his front, the bump turned out to be Tabitha backing up into him. Out of thin air, a man dressed in a blue uniform appeared with a big stick with a hook in his hand. He began poking at his sister's rear buffers and hooked on to the small chain thingy. Next thing he knew, the man hooked the chain thingy on to the hook thing on his buffers and shouted something to Tabitha.

Everything that happened next was a blur, and Bruno found himself being hauled along the track by Tabitha. All around them were infinite amounts of grassy green fields filled with sheep and cows, along with plenty of mountains. He had no clue what Sodor actually looked like in detail, but he supposed it was something like it. It was all bright and sunny, a complete opposite to all the weirdly cold white fluffy stuff that had been everywhere.

He and Tabitha then found themselves going up a big hill...a very big hill. Tabitha went slower and slower as they went up, strangely not talking to him. Well, to be honest...he was kinda glad she wasn't saying anything, they're both supposed to be little pups and talking felt too abnormal. As they rolled further up the slope, the gentle breeze began to get colder, and significantly stronger. Dark clouds began crowding in the sky, the sky's natural blue colour slowly transitioning into a dark purplish hue

The brakevan looked around anxiously, taking notice of the rabid change of weather "It's dark..." He gulped in a quiet and nervous tone. Tabitha didn't say anything, remaining deathly silent. Only the sounds of her chuffing and the rumble of their wheels against the ground was heard. He may not favour how they were now capable of talking, but he didn't like how silent it was besides the howling wind. It was scary.

Eventually, they finally reached the top of the hill. Rain drops had begun falling from the sky as soon as the sun's light was completely snuffed out by the clouds. The cold rain sent unpleasant shivers through Bruno's frame, making him shudder "T-T-Tabitha, can't you go at least a bit faster...? The rain is c-cold"

Tabitha still remained completely mute. Bruno really hated this now, the silence was creepy and he wanted to hear something or someone speak. They were going really slow now, they weren't even going down the hill yet. Mountains and forests could be viewed as far as the eye could see.

Just then, Bruno's attention was dragged over to something in the corner of his eye – a man. Not just any man, a conductor. Bruno didn't know what a conductor even was, so he had no idea what he was looking at.

The two siblings were slowly approaching the man, wheel turn by wheel turn, they got closer within each agonising minute.

(A/N; Lengthy character description coming up! Be prepared, and warned)

The conductor had a tall and slenderish build, his uniform was a maroon pink colour...or was it maroon ruby? Nevertheless, his uniform looked quite fancy, and was accented with golden trimmings that absolutely popped out of the jacket, almost as if they were glowing. His conductor's hat was the same.

Admittedly, there were a couple coal stains here and there, but it was overall stylish. His trousers were black and he wore a pair of sleek black shoes. Something creepy about the conductor though was his strange looking mask which prevented his face from being seen.

The mask looked identical to that of a steam engine's face, except cartoony. The mask held an eerily cheery grin with rosy pink cheeks and eyes that bulged out slightly. The eyes themselves were an amber yellow colour, both glowing like an engine's lamplight in the darkness.

He held an umbrella above his head, a sensible thing to do in this type of weather. Bruno didn't like him already, his face was creepy and he just stood there. Not to mention that a weird droning sound filled the air as he came closer.

Soon enough, they were now coming up beside him, and the conductor was staring right at him. Bruno stared back down at him intensely. The conductor slowly pulled his hand up to his mask's mouth and made a shushing sound, as if to keep him quiet. Then in the blink of an eye, he disappeared immediately, no quieting footsteps, nothing. The conductor was gone...

Bruno then felt a sudden tug on his buffers and noticed Tabitha moving much faster...and faster...and faster. Too fast! They had already began going down the hill when he began frantically putting on his brakes, but they were failing.

"A-AAH!! S-STOP, PLEASE STOP!! AHHHH!!!" He screamed and begged to his sister, tears leaking out of his eyes. They were going to crash!

A scorching pain erupted from his wheels as they barreled down the oh so huge hill. As they were about to hit the bottom, poor little Bruno woke up...

____________________________________________

High pitched wailing could be heard from the diesel sheds at around 4am at night, the storm hadn't stopped, but that didn't stop the guardsman from going inside and checking. Once he found that it was Bruno behind the sobbing, he quickly managed to console him and put him back to sleep. Tabitha cuddled up to him for the rest of the night to make sure no scary monsters entered his dreams. Poor Bruno was a weeping, sniffling mess for the rest of the night.

_________________________________________________________

The next week rolled around fast, Christmas Eve was two days away. Over at Knapford station, decorations such as bunting and fairy lights were being hung around the station. Sir Topham Hatt was out on the platform, finishing off on telling a couple of workers where to put the wreaths.

"Hmm, right a bit... no, left a bit...ah, yes! Thank you very much, lads. That'll do!" He smiled gratefully. The two workmen nodded and retreated with their step ladders and boxes. Until they were out of sight, the stout man's face fell a little as he took out his pocket watch and looked at the time with slight concern. He glanced around for any diesels that could've been pulling any particular goods train. None so far.

Sir Topham Hatt turned heel and went into his office, sighing and shaking his head as he sat down at his desk "Dear, oh dear...it was supposed to be here last week" he muttered under his breath. He was about to drink some of his tea when he heard his phone ring.

"Oh, bother that telephone..." he groaned before picking it up "Hello?"

"Good morning, Sir. Apologies if I bothered you, but Theodore and Charles have arrived at Platform 5" the stationmaster informed.

"Oh, right. Tell them that I'll be over in a few minutes" Sir Topham Hatt replied before setting the phone down.

Roughly 15 minutes later, Sir Topham Hatt made it to Platform 5, where on the benches sat Theodore and Charles, Toby's driver and fireman. Beside them was a rather big stroller with two babies that the controller recognised well.

"Hello, you two. Sorry about the wait, I was at Platform 1 helping some men with the decorations" He apologized. Theodore waved dismissively "Oh its alright, Sir. No rush"

"We're not in a hurry" Charles added.

"Very well, then. So, what brings you two here with these little bundles of joy?" He asked, squatting down a little to see Bruno and Tabitha who were hiding under the blankets. Charles beamed at the question "Oh! That's actually the reason..." he said as he pulled the stroller closer "...you see, these two little flower petals have a little surprise for you"

Inside the stroller, the two pups were squirming around in blankets. Theodore pushed down the roof more and gave the blanket lumps a little poke as Sir Topham Hatt moved closer to see.

Tabitha and Bruno finally shook the blankets off themselves and looked up at Topham, who gasped – the two pups had finally opened their eyes!

The two little babies babbled and giggled as they looked up at the controller and their surroundings, leaving the stout man dumbfounded.

"W-Wow...oh goodness me, their eyes are open!" He stuttered, still bewildered at the sight. Toby's crew chuckled at his reaction, because it was the same as theirs.

---------

Theodore and Charles, a pair of divorced old men who shared a house and drove an elderly steam tram. Their kids often came around every couple weeks or so, so they weren't depressed or lonely. They both had each other as well, so it wasn't entirely sad. They also had Bruno and Tabitha to look after while their parents were sleeping.

Theodore had just woken up when he went over to the playpen with his mug of coffee.

"Good morning, lil' ones..." he cooed, sticking his hand down to tap the blankets. To his surprise, Tabitha shot right out of the little makeshift pillow den she and her brother somehow made. She pinned his hand down with her wheels and nibbled at Theodore's wrist, which didn't really hurt as her teeth still haven't came through.

The old train driver chuckled "Good morning, Tabby-catty, still attempting to fight my hand, eh?" He then gently pulled his hand away, much to the steam tram's disappointment. She looked up at Theodore and whined for attention, ringing her bell and making little wheeshing noises. The moment he got a good look of her face, Theodore nearly spat out his coffee – Tabitha's eyes had opened at last. She was now staring at him with those little dough eyes.

"Oh my..." he gasped, hands trembling as he set down his mug. Bruno came rolling out of the den, and sure enough, his eyes had fully opened as well, though they were more half-lidded that his sister's. Theodore stood there in amazement, taking in what he saw. The pups looked up at him blankly, making little chirping noises. Another pair of footsteps were then heard behind the old man, accompanied by a yawn and the creak of the door. It was Charles "Morning, Theo... heard you gasping and –"

"Call Sir Topham Hatt"

"Huh? What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Theodore then snatched his shirt and pulled Charles over to the playpen, at first Charles complained, but once he saw what Theodore talking about, his mouth was shut tight. He looked down at Bruno and Tabitha, then back at his co-worker in stunned silence.

"I'll call him..." he said in a quiet whisper.

--------

"Ah, so this was why Charles sounded so hyper on the phone" Sir Topham Hatt commented, petting Bruno's roof, making the latter blush with embarrassment. He then paused momentarily, remembering Toby and Henrietta and sighed "It's quite a shame their parents aren't here to see this wonderful change"

Theodore and Charles both frowned and exchanged deflated looks as Sir Topham Hatt took a step back from the stroller, adjiusting his hat "Now, gentlemen, I must get back to my office, you never know when that telephone will go off"

"Of course, Sir. We'll see you at Christmas Eve then?"

"Certainly! Oh, and one more thing?"

Theodore raised an eyebrow "Yes, Sir?"

"Could you maybe collect the star for the Christmas treeat Brendam Docks? It will be arriving on Christmas Eve afternoon, i...erm...couldn't get an earlier date" He said. The driver and firemen exchanged looks shrugged "Sure?"

Suddenly, the loud honk of a horn filled the station, accompanied with Diesel oiling in at Platform 1 with a big rectangular crate on a flatbed "Oh Sir! I've got a special gift for yooou~!" He called out in a sing-song tone. The Fat Controller perked up "Ah, finally! The Christmas tree is here. Got to go, lads! I'll be sure to see you at the party" He said, bidding farewell as he walked off the platform. Indeed, on Christmas Eve, there was to be a big party in Knapford. Tabitha and Bruno both babbled and cooed as they watched the man with the top hat get smaller and smaller until he disappeared. Then the stroller began to slowly move, letting them see the rest of the station.

Bruno was too busy giggling and looking around to notice the same man from his dream at the platform opposite from them.

_________________________________________

It was an early Christmas Eve morning, the whole station was getting prepared for the big party, and all the workers were invited. All the decorations had been set up and the tree was standing right in the middle of the station. The tree stood tall and was already being decorated by the many workmen and stationmaster. Sir Robert Norramby was even there, insisting that he wanted add some extra "razzle dazzle" to the place. By "razzle dazzle", he meant littering the station with fake elves and reindeer, along with a few mini christmas trees. He even added a fake Santa Claus with his sleigh and reindeer on the roof (which Sir Topham Hatt thought was quite unnecessary).

"So, what do you say, Bertram? Does the station have the razzle dazzle that you needed?" The older man asked, hand falling on the stout man's shoulder. Topham jolted a little from surprise and smiled with a little strain "W-Well, it certainly looks festive"

"Indeed, all that's needed now is the star! In fact, I believe it should be at Brendam as we speak. Are any of your engines free to go and collect it" The Earl chirped cheerfully. Sir Topham Hatt sighed "Afraid not, the rails on the mainline are severely icy, and there's been a shortage of sand recently, so I've sent Toby's crew to collect it. In fact, I'd say they should be coming from Brendam Docks as we speak!"

—-------

And so they were.

Theodore drove along the frosty road of Suddery, Charles sat beside him with the star in his hands, humming a merry Christmas song. The darkening sky was a beautiful orange, but the road ahead was dark, so they had their headlights on.

"Well, to Knapford station we go then, aye?" Theodore piped up, glancing at his co-worker

"Yeah..." Charles replied quietly. An awkward silence filled the car, neither had much to say. The only noise was the ringing of a bell.

Theodore broke the silence "Charles, check on the little puppers" Theodore told him. Charles huffed and set aside the star before looking at the back passenger seats. Playing on a nest of heated blankets were Tabitha and Bruno. Bruno was currently nudging at his sister's bell.

Charles looked back at Theodore "Yeah, they're alright" he murmered. All was silent on the drive, until Charles spotted two little pin prick eyes up ahead, they were very small but still noticeable.

"Hey, there's eyes on the road"

"No there's not. I don't see any" Theodore replied.

"Uh, yeah. There are, just look!" Charles argued. Theodore glanced at him "No, there's not –"

Just then, Bruno began jumping up and down, making little barking noises. Tabitha just giggled and babbled, as if she were encouraging him. Theodore sighed annoyingly and looked over at Bruno "Bruno, settle down —"

"COW!!"

Theodore yelped and looked back at the road to see a escaped cow on the road. The car slid and slipped on the road and careened down the slope towards a stretch of tracks. Everyone screamed and the pups squealed as the car hit the rails and went over them. Finally, the car came to stop as it hit a muddy ditch.

The two old men stared at nothing for a dead minute, their eyes blown wide, their hands trembling, Tabitha and Bruno were whimpering, and everyone was catching their breath.

Slowly, Charles dragged a glare towards Theodore "...I told you there were eyes on the road" He hissed.

"Oh, shut up..." The driver spat back, narrowing his eyes. Their attention was quickly drawn to the pups behind them, who were crying and whimpering. Theodore's gaze snapped to them, and his frustrated look softened into a more sympathetic one.

He let go of the wheel and opened the door "C'mon, Charles. We gotta get outta here" Charles shoved his angry mood and followed suit , taking the star with him.

Bruno and Tabitha watched tearfully as the men left the car. They wanted their parents, they were so scared.

Soon enough, the men came back like they hoped and lifted them out of the car.

Theodore and Charles grunted as they scrambled up the slope and past the splintered and broken fence with the pups (and star) in hand.

Theodore panted as he set Bruno on the wide track, Charles doing the same.

"Oh man..." The fireman panted, hands on his knees. They took a moment to gather their breath before setting their focus on the situation;

"Alright...wheeeere did we crash?" Theodore drawled, looking around. Charles hummed, taking in the sight around them "I think...this is where Edward broke down during that passenger run"

"What do you mean?"

"Edward's driver told me a story he heard from Edward; Edward's crank-pins broke somewhere in this area. He had his siderods taken off and still had to pull the train home, but he pushed through the struggles and got back safely...I think he got an overhaul after that or something" he told him in a rather ominous tone, which was a little opposite to the story's actual tone.

Theodore raised his eyebrows with intrigue "Huh, never knew that" He muttered. He then glanced back at the car "How're we gonna get to Knapford now? Car's a wreck and we need to get that star there before 6pm" He said, pointing to the decoration.

Charles shrugged "I suppose we have no choice but to continue on foot"

"In this weather and time?" Theodore exclaimed "It'll be two to three bloody hours or so until we reach Knapford!"

"We might as well try. Here, hold this" Charles replied, handing him the star "I'll be right back" and then he went back down the hill to where their car crashed.

After a few minutes, he came back carrying a small green wagon "This will do" He grinned.

His co-worker frowned "How's that old thing gonna help? It's as old as you!"

Charles rolled his eyes "Very funny. I got it when I was 5! Quit your whining!" He shot back as he set it on the track in front of Bruno. He then went back and grabbed the star from Theodore's hands. He placed the star gently in the wagon and beckoned Tabitha and Bruno to come closer. The pups rolled up to him with curious little chirps and squeaked as he lifted both of then into the wagon.

"Tada! It's like a baby-sized flatbed. We'll just pull this to Knapford and–"

Theodore cut him off "Woah woah woah...what do you mean by we?" He asked. Charles picked up the handle and started pulling "We'll take turns!"

Theodore just watched as Charles walked to Suddery with the star and pups in tow. Tabitha and Bruno babbled and gurgled as they were taken along the track. Reluctantly, Theodore groaned and followed behind. This was gonna be a long trip...

They travelled...

...and travelled.

...and traveled. It was until they reached the Wellsworth bridge that something happened.

"Ah shit!" Charles cursed, picking up the handle which had snapped and came off. They in the very middle of the mainline, and things were a little tense but all the more cold. It was now 5:00pm, the two were miraculously fast walkers, so at least it didn't take several more hours.

"Oh that's just great!" Theodore growled, smacking his face. Bruno sniffed at where the handle used to be and sneezed.

"We should just wait for an engine to come by" Theodore told Charles "Maybe if we shout, they'll hear us. They have ears like a rabbit!"

"There are no engines here or nearby! The mainline is closed for maintenance and gritting you stupid plonker!!"

While the two were arguing, both Tabitha and Bruno had climbed out of the wagon. Bruno was at the back and Tabitha at the front. They felt agitated and nervous from all the frustrated noises the two men were making, and it was almost night time.

"Tablpfffffffh! Ba...!" Bruno chattered, using his pilot wheels to pull himself up to see his sister.

"Braappffh! Gabah...bah!" She blabbered back. Just then, the two heard the sound of footsteps crunching against the ground. A fire-yellow colour drenched the snow in its hue, and a funny sense of calmness overcame both babies.

They looked up, and Bruno squeaked as looking back down on them was the man from his bad dream a few nights ago. He loomed over them, and Toby's crew didn't even acknowledge his existence, it was almost as if they couldn't see him.

He stared down at them, even with that creepy mask, it still felt like he was boring his eyes into their souls. Behind him, there was something big coming closer, it was gold and slightly sparkly; it was a golden cloud of mist. As it came closer, outlines appeared, along with two angelic eyes.

The outline soon took the shape of a ghostly engine, a steam engine, coming up behind the conductor. The ghost soon came to a stop directly behind him, both stared down at the two with golden eyes.

Theodore and Charles seemed to have faded out of existence, now only the siblings, the engine and the conductor remained. The conductor turned to face the engine behind him, the engine's mouth moved like she was talking to him, and he nodded. He turned back to them and stepped forward.

He gazed and crouched down to them, holding some sort of sparkly golden powder. Gently and slowly, he sprinkled some into Tabitha's funnel. Next, he sprinkled some gold powder into Bruno's funnel (tube? I know he's a brakevan but I'll just call it a funnel–). Both ended up sneezing and coughing a bit.

The gold dust felt weird, but nice...it was like having some lovely warm soup enter your stomach.

Soon, a burst of adrenaline coursed through the pair! Their faces lighting up and their wheels itching to move! Without waiting for Theodore and Charles to stop arguing, Tabitha and Bruno rolled forward at an amazingly fast pace.

"Wait, wha..." The driver and fireman noticed the two leave, moving the wagon themselves along the track. In panic, they gave chase.

"Stop! No, stop!!" Charles yelled.

"Oh god, Toby's gonna KILL us if they get hurt!" Theodore fretted, following Charles.

The two little pups panted and hurried along the tracks, whizzing past the nearby Nunnery.

Even with the energy burst, both babies were getting tired. Tabitha sweated profusely, on the verge of crying from the ache, even Bruno was crying a little.

Eventually, the sped past Crock's Scrapyard, where the workers gasped and yelled. Then, they zoomed through the town of Crosby. Bear gasped as he watched the two whizz past, confused and startled.

A tunnel soon came along and consumed them. It was dark and scary for a moment, but the light came back, what a relief! Bruno cried from the funny burn under his wheels, but kept pushing from behind while Tabitha pulled. They had the feeling of doing something important; never ever EVER give up!

After what felt like an hour of irresistible energy bursts, the two pups soon came to a halt, and found themselves pushing the wagon off the rails and up on to the platform where Sir Topham Hatt and his wife stood along with Mr Percival, Mr Fergus Duncan and the Earl.

Tabitha weakly rang her bell and squeaked for their attention. The Earl was the first to notice, and as soon as he did, he came running over "Oh my goodness!" He exclaimed, stopping and scooping up the two babies "Oh you poor poor things! What were you doing pushing such a heavy decoration?!"

Sir Topham Hatt and the other controllers came over as well, baffled and dumbfounded as well at the sight.

"What is the meaning of this?! Where are Theodore and Charles??" Sir Topham Hatt said, looking around angrily, angry at the thought that his own employees may have forced the two babies to work their frames off. It wasn't right!

"Sir!" Came a new voice.

Following the voice, two cold and out of breath men came running on to the platform. But before they could say anything, Sir Topham Hatt cut them off.

"What were you two THINKING?!" He boomed, stepping forward "...making an engine and her brakevan, who are still INCREDIBLY young do your own work?! Why, I am BEYOND disgusted!"

"W-Wait, no, Sir! Please, let us explain!"

"Explain?! Explain why you—" just then, Lady Hatt interrupted him with a hand on his shoulder "Hold on, Bertram. Let them explain...we need the full story if we are to understand the situation" She said soothingly.

The Fat Controller glared at the driver and fireman before sighing "Alright then, you two...tell us what happened"

And so, the duo explained their actions. They explained how it all started with nearly hitting a cow on the road, crashing into a ditch. Then how they used a little old wagon to pull the star across a chunk of the railway, then entering a problem with the handle snapping off. Finally, they ended on how the two pups suddenly began speeding off with the wagon in tow.

The group stared at them with blown wide eyes. They were as silent as mice, not a peep. Finally, Mr Percival spoke up "Ehem! Well, considering how our engines became giant furry train monsters, that story doesn't seem our of the ordinary!" He chuckled. Everyone took a second to murmer their agreements and giggled themselves.

"Well then, now that we got our star...I believe the party should be going underway right about now?" Sir Topham Hatt asked. Now that was something everyone would settle with.

So, the star was taken to the new Christmas tree and placed on top where everyone would see! The light shows were spectacular, and the music was amazing. It was certainly the dawn of a happy new year!

Happy New Year!!

Credit songs (listen to if you want ^_^)

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