"Come on, lets go and shunt over there!"
...
"Hehehe! You're such a slowcoach!"
...
"Last one back to the shed is a broken brakevan!"
...
"H-Hey! W-What th-"
...
"MARIPOSA!"
...
"VICTO- AHH!"
...
"MARIPOSA!? MARIPOSA!"
"DAH!"
His eyes popped open, and looked around. Victor, the Cuban engine, just sat on his siding, blinking and panting from the fright. He looked around. It was very quiet in the Steamworks. No one was around, and apart from himself, Kevin and Angel, there was no other engine – or crane – around.
Kevin was sleeping soundly in the corner, snoring peacefully. And in a siding beside Victor, Angel, the angelic white engine, was sleeping too, she appeared undisturbed by Victor's sudden outburst.
Victor could've sworn he saw the engine in his...dream. But now he knows, it was just his memories playing tricks on him. He looked down sadly, sighing in sorrow.
"...Mariposa..."
Victor slowly moved from his siding, trying his best to stay as quiet as possible, as not to wake his two companions. He quietly steamed outside, sighing a bit in sweet relief from the cool night breeze and looking up at the beautiful night sky.
It wasn't like the sky from his home in Cuba, but it was still beautiful. Victor just smiled a bit, as he watched the stars glimmer the night away.
"Ciao bello."
Victor almost burst his boiler from the surprise, and looked beside him, only to sigh in relief to see it was Angel, slowly rolling up beside him, "Oh! Uh, hello Angel...um...did I wake you?"
"No." Angel giggled a bit, "Just needed to get some fresh air."
Victor smiled softly at his companion. Ever since Angel first arrived, there was a strange feeling he would have in his boiler whenever he was around her. He wasn't exactly sure what it was, but he loved it, and adored being around Angel – and secretly, Angel felt the exact same way with Victor.
"So, what are you doing up Victor?" Angel asked.
Victor quickly went silently, quickly looking away from the angel beside him. Angel took notice of this and looked at him sympathetically.
"You're...thinking about her again, aren't you?"
"W-Who you talking about..."
"...Mariposa..."
Victor couldn't hide it any more, a few small tears fell from his eyes and onto his buffers. Angel watched him, and refused to part from him, staying close to him for comfort.
"Just...another dream." Victor uttered sadly, choking on his tears, "I move forward, but the memories are still there..."
"You...told us briefly about her. Why not tell me more about her?" Angel suggested, "Maybe talking about her might help you feel better."
"Well, where do I start..." Victor spoke, slowly smiling as he remembered every detail of his long friend, "She was beautiful. Golden with an ebony smoke box. She was just like a butterfly, and she glided along the tracks..."
Angel smiled a little. She was a little jealous of this Mariposa, but she could tell she must've been very important to Victor. So there was no way Angel could object against her.
"I remember her so well..." Victor sighed dreamily, "I remember the day she arrived."
"Would you like to tell me?" Angel offered, listening with actual interest.
Victor smiled as he looked up at the sky, "It was a scorching hot day, it was a clear sky and the sun was beaming brightly..."
Working at the sugar mills, you either had work, or no work at all. On this day, we had done a majority of the work, so we went on a break to relax and enjoy ourselves.
I was just shunting trucks, with Miguel and Anton, the sun making our yellow paintwork sparkle like gold. We were playing some silly shunting game – it involved us using one shunt and we had to see who could shunt the most trucks in the furthest distance...
To be honest, I hated the game, but I only tagged along because I was bored.
"Alright! My turn!" Miguel boasted.
"No! No!" Anton objected, "You've stolen two of my goes already!"
"Only because you keep losing!"
"No! You're cheating!"
I was getting really annoyed at this point. Although I do get along well with Miguel and Anton, they did have some...characteristics that could drive anyone over the edge.
"Come on you two!" I huffed, "Can't you think of something else to do?"
But my voice was heard upon deaf ears, and those two just kept on arguing. It was starting to become embarrassing.
I was about to steam off, but then I heard a whistle that I have never heard before – it even caused Miguel and Anton to stop their quarrel.
Approaching us, was an engine. It was painted in golden yellow livery, very similar to my own, and they had an ebony smoke box. The engine slowly approached, and from the look of their face, it appeared...very feminine, and magnificent.
"Um, hello?" They spoke, and I just went respectfully silent and gazed at them, it was a gorgeous female engine. To be honest, there were very few female engines around at that time, so it was a big surprise to see a female engine around.
Miguel and Anton also stopped and gazed at her, we were just speechless.
The engine just looked at us, very puzzled but smiled a little, "Um...hello?" She repeated, "Are...you working here at the sugar mill too?"
I was the first to speak up, "Uh...y-yes. We do work here." I felt very silly by what I said, and I could hear Miguel and Anton laughing in the background.
The new engine just smiled sweetly, "Okay. Sorry to interrupt. I'm just...trying to find my way around." And she soon left the scene, her sweet smile never left her face.
I just gazed at her, still in surprise, and awe. Miguel and Anton were looking at her too, but...in a more different way.
"Look at that boiler, she is a beauty." Miguel chuckled.
"I liked that smokebox most of all!" Anton argued.
I didn't even listen to those two, and I just slowly followed the new engine, I refused to take my eyes off of her. She was stunning in so many ways, she looked beautiful.
I followed her and saw her shunting some trucks, I tried to hide from her, but as I tried to look for a place to hide, a truck was shunted onto a siding, and there I was...
I was there, face to face with this new engine. She gazed at me, as I gazed at her. I slowly smiled, giving her some reassurance, and she smiled a bit back.
"You...were one of those engines, weren't you?" she mentioned.
I was very nervous, but I couldn't help but smile, "Yes, I was. My name is Victor."
She just giggled, "That's a nice name, Victor!"
I just beamed, "And, what might your name be?"
The engine just smiled bashfully, "Hehehe, my name is...Mariposa."
I couldn't help but blush as I smiled, "That is a...beautiful name."
Mariposa giggled bashfully, "Thank you Victor..."
We remained silent for a while, rather awkwardly, and just looked around at the trucks around us.
"Um, would you...like me to show you how we do things here at the sugar mill?" I offered.
Mariposa's face just lit up and smiled, "Oh yes please Victor!"
For the rest of that afternoon, we just shunted trucks where they were needed, and we just enjoyed one another's company. We just chattered, and laughed, and just had a very good time. I have never been so useful before, it's almost like Mariposa had an effect on my work ethic.
"Come on! Let's go and shunt over there!" Mariposa cheered cheerfully, as she shunted some trucks into place. I just continued watching her. The pure smile on her face, and she didn't even bash into the trucks like everyone else did. It was like a gentle glide along the rails.
I just couldn't be away from her, sometimes during the day, we just glided along the rails like a pair of swans, side-by-side and gazing into one another's eyes.
It was probably one of the best days of my life.
"Hehehe! You're such a slowcoach!" Mariposa would tease, "Last one to the shed is a broken brakevan!"
She certainly had a bubbly and cheerful personality, and I loved it. From the start, I could tell...I just had some feelings for her, but I dared to utter it...
"Wow..." Angel uttered, "She sounded...amazing."
"She was." Victor smiled softly, "One of the most beautiful engines I've seen, and her bubbly smile, and her cheerful attitude. She would brighten up everyone's day."
Angel didn't want to say anything. She had to admit, Mariposa did sound like an amazing engine, but she was still a little jealous inside.
Victor then sighed sadly, "But...I remember what ended up happening so well too..."
Angel quickly looked at him, looking to comfort him. She knew briefly about what he was talking about...
"Do you want to talk about it?" Angel soothed, "We don't have to if you don't want to."
"...I may as well..."
It was a beautiful sunset on this day. One of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. The sun slowly began to disappear over the horizon and the sky was a beautiful orange colour with a few clouds hovering overhead.
As usual, we were all hard at work, shunting trucks to where they needed to be, getting ready to call it a day. I was shunting with Mariposa, we couldn't help but laugh together. We had become so close...and we both knew there was more in this friendship, but...we were both very bashful to admit something...
"Come on Mariposa." I spoke to her, "We best start heading back to the shed now. We can carry on again tomorrow."
"Okay Victor!" Mariposa chimed, "Well, I just need to get these trucks to that siding there."
"Can't it wait till tomorrow?" I asked, "We can do it together then."
"I'll be very quick, I promise." Mariposa giggled as she began to shunt the trucks.
I just watched her and gazed dreamily, watching her glide along the rails. But then, I heard the trucks giggling mischievously.
Mariposa was still smiling cheerfully as she began to shunt the trucks into their siding, "Almost there!"
"No your not!" The trucks laughed and began to bash into one another.
I watched in horror and quickly tried to get to her, watching them in horror as they pushed Mariposa along the rails!
Mariposa was horrified, and tried her best to brake and stop the trucks in their path, "Stop! Stop! Stop it!"
"Mariposa! Hold on!" I called, and tried to chase them – but then I gasped in pure horror...
Mariposa was aiming towards the end of the cliff – and the cliff had no buffers!
"MARIPOSA!" I yelled, desperately trying to get her to stop, but the trucks buffed harder and harder!
"Hey! W-What th- NO!" she shrieked, upon noticing she was heading for the cliff!
All the other engines just watched in horror, knowing there was nothing they could do, and all the workmen ran over, desperate to try and stop them, but it was no use!
After a long battle against the trucks, Mariposa's crew knew they couldn't do anymore, and jumped off their engine!
"MARIPOSA!"
"VICTO- AHH!"
"MARIPOSA!"
I couldn't do any more...
With a final bash, Mariposa was over the edge! Her shrieks and cries echoed as she fell, and the sounds of smashing metal could be heard all the way! After one final bash, the cries stopped, and the final sound was of what remained of the golden engine splashing into the ocean...that was the final straw...
All the engines gasped in horror, and all the workmen looked over the edge to see if they could find any trace of their beloved engine. Mariposa's crew were visibly horrified, and they couldn't hold back their own emotions upon realising their precious engine was no more...
I couldn't utter a word, I couldn't even move...
All I could do...was watch in horror, knowing that this once beautiful engine...was never going to come back, and I have lost every true chance of telling her everything...
I lost it all...
Angel was horrified as she listened. She could see Victor's face change a lot, and could see tears falling from his eyes, but he didn't sob at all. He just remained silent, looking at the puddle of tears on his buffers.
"I...I tried to help the best I could with recovering her but...it was no good..." Victor explained, "All that was...really intact, was her wheels...they looked perfect, like nothing had happened to them...but everything else...w-was so damaged and broken...they knew there was nothing that could be done for her..."
"V-Victor..." Angel stuttered, a few tears coming to her eyes.
"I couldn't work at all after that..." Victor sighed sadly, choking on his tears, "I wasn't useful at all...I couldn't be bothered to work, and...I couldn't be bothered to talk to any of my friends for a long time...but that was when I was told that I was going to be going to Sodor. My life was going to start afresh, and I thought that would be what I would need."
Angel just listened to Victor, she felt great sympathy for him/
"And so, here I am now. I...miss her so much...and I can't stop thinking about her...but I know I have to keep moving forward."
"Of course Victor." Angel sighed sadly, moving up the track to get closer to him, their buffers almost touching.
Victor than began to smile a little, "My driver managed to, take Mariposa's wheels with me when I left my home country, and we took them with us as memorials for her, and they are still inside my personal shed. So I can't be that sad."
Angel blinked a bit in surprise.
"And besides," Victor chuckled, "I have a lovely job here on Sodor, and I have many friends. All the engines, and Kevin, and..."
Angel smiled a bit, now seeing how happy Victor was.
"You."
Angel quickly blushed and looked at him, "Really?"
"Of course, you're...you're a snow angel. You make me so happy." Victor explained, although he was struggling to find the right words.
"Hm...go on." Angel blushed, smiling slightly in relief.
"I mean, everyone makes me happy. Even Kevin, despite his mistakes, he is always my little buddy, and he can always make me proud. But you Angel...you make me happy in so many different ways. Just being there...you make me so happy." Victor explained bashfully, blushing, "You make me feel safe, and I can tell you anything...you remind me so much of Mariposa. You're...just like her."
Angel suddenly beamed and blushed at him, "Y-You really mean that?"
Victor just smiled, "Of course."
Angel tried her best not to squeal excitedly, and just let of steam excitedly.
Victor just chuckled, "Come on Snow Angel, lets get back to sleep. We might have a busy day tomorrow."
"R-Right behind you Victor!" Angel giggled, trying her best not to squeal. Victor slowly went back to his siding, and Angel followed, staying as close to Victor as possible. She made sure he was asleep before getting closer to him, and telling him what he wanted to hear.
"...I love you Victor..."
Somewhat a continuation from We Will Remember, and overall, Trip Down Memory Train ;)
This is actually something my best friend on DA requested, because she adores Victor, so she wanted to see more about him. Angel belongs to her.
Now, if you remember from We Will Remember - Victor had a love interest before he arrived on Sodor, but it was never meant to be. A horrific accident ended her life too soon :( So this story basically tells you that.
I actually like Victor too 3 Poor guy needs more love and attention.