Ichihiro had been in the works for weeks now, for preparation for his to Sodor, he had been regauged from the Japanese Standard Gauge (3 feet, 8 Inches) to the British Standard Gauge (4 feet, 8 and a half inches). He felt weird being on track that seemed to him was unusually wide. His coaches, Ani and Kuraraberu were also being regauged as well as they two were going to Sodor.
Finally the day arrived, Reimu Hakurei, the entire Yakumo clan, Nitori Kawashiro, as well as the Scarlet Controller and her head maid, Youmu Konpaku and her mistress, Yuyuko Saigayouji came along. Burke-Chan and Blair-Chan came along as well as this was very important business for them and thus have taken the trip to Sodor seriously.
"I can believe we'll all be going on vacation!" said Yuyuko gleefully.
"Why did you bring her and her gardener with you? Yukari?!" asked a grumpy Blair-Chan.
"She doesn't get out much." said Yukari, simply.
"Alright, Ichihiro." said Yukari.
"I'm going to put you into one of my gaps." she continued, "Once we get to Sodor, it will be night and I need you to be prepared for that."
Ichihiro blew steam in excitement.
"That's a good engine." said Yukari, only to wince at what she had just said.
She created a gap, it was big enough for Ichihiro to pull his train into. Yukari boarded the train and Ichihiro went slowly forward into the gap. Once into the gap, she saw many things. It was like a space between spaces, the sky was of a thousand eyes, peering down at him. The purple horizon greeted Ichihiro with a certain feeling of the unknown, giving him a sense of dread.
"This is giving me the creeps." said Ichihiro.
"I can feel it too." replied his driver.
It felt like an hour until Ichihiro was told to stop. Yukari got out and she created another gap.
"Alright Ichihiro, this should put us somewhere on Sodor, I don't know where but we're over the boundary." she said.
Ichihiro could only gulp as he moved into the gap to his final destination.
It was night on the Island of Sodor, a green Stainer Black 5 with red lining was waiting on a siding, he waiting for his train to be finally arranged. He was looking around when he saw a shape that look familiar to him.
"Thomas?" he said.
He whistled and called out, "Thomas! What are you doing?! Aren't you supposed to be at Ffarquhar?!"
But the engine didn't respond.
"Strange." said the Black 5.
Ichihiro's eyes had to adjust to the sudden darkness, inside of Ani, Ran had set up a map of the island and was showing where they were.
"We should be here, in this place called Tidmouth." she said.
"Where is this 'Tidmouth'?" asked Burke-Chan.
"Right on the coast right here." replied Ran.
Ichihiro didn't know but he was on the mainline, he knew to whistle when he approached a signalbox and they cleared him, soon Ichihiro reached Knapford, where he would be put until the next morning, when he will be shown off to Sir Stephen Topham Hatt, also known as the Fat Controller by the other engines of his railway.
However, back in Tidmouth, the Green Black 5 was stuck.
"Sorry Henry." said his driver.
"What do you mean by that?" Henry replied.
"Somehow we missed our path, we would have to wait for a little while. The signalmen down the mainline are really confused right now, something about a mystery engine."
"Bother."
"Bother is right."
The engine and his crew were confused by what had just happened, just like the signalmen. The mystery engine however was at the next station down from where he was. But for now, the Flying Kipper would have to wait.
