You parked your truck next to Lady's shed, and walked back to the station. Once you were there, you brought up your theory.
"If your smoke goes to high into the air in the wrong place, you could easily be spotted by others." you said. The others pondered your thought.
"But what can we do? Our steam has to get out somehow." Rosie said. You nodded.
"You're right, it does. But who says it has to come out the top? I have an idea. If there was an extension of pipe running from your funnel, down one side of your frame, with an opening at the back, it would come out lower to the ground, and be less noticeable." you said, waiting for feedback. But the others looked unsure.
"Wouldn't that make it harder to fit through small spaces?" James asked. You had thought of that as well.
"Small engines don't create as much smoke as larger ones, so the pipe won't need to be very large. As for James, and Hiro, I would have to split the pipe by the funnel, and have one small pipe running down both sides of your frame, so the pipes are still small, and your steam can still be let out properly." you explained. Lady was intrigued.
"I had thought about smoke problems before, and had advised others to puff gently for that reason, but that's not always something you can do. Like when James has to move Hiro around, he has to use a lot of force, because Hiro is a heavy engine." she said. You nodded.
"Right, and that brings me to my next subject. Over the next few days, I'm going to look at each one of you, and see if I can't make you better. Best case scenario, Hiro will move under his own power." you said. All the engines were happy to hear that.
So, over the next few days, looked over and repaired any problems on all of them, saving Hiro for last.
The day you finally got to Hiro, you went over to his shed during the day with your repair cart. He was waiting patiently.
"Hello Hiro." you greeted.
"Hello Anon. Do you really think I'll be able to move again?" he asked. You shrugged.
"I don't want to give any false hope. I can't say anything until I have a look for myself." you said, beginning to look him over. A few minutes in, Hiro spoke again.
"You know, there's another part of the Legend. But Lady stopped me before I could tell you." he said, piquing your interest. You set down your tools and faced him.
"The Legend says that the Guardian of the Railway is a lonely engine, with a cold heart. But when the Chosen One to help us comes, the Guardian will have a companion, and her heart will become golden again." Hiro paused.
You rolled that round in your head. Assuming the Guardian is Lady, like she calls herself, that part of the Legend was very accurate. Lady was a lonely engine with little to be happy about, but ever since you had arrived, she had been seeming happier and warmer. You motioned for Hiro to continue, as you picked up your tools and began to check out Hiro's piston rods.
"It also says that after a Grand Adventure, the Guardian will be so close to the Chosen Helper, that they will find love together." Hiro finished. You dropped the wrench you were holding in surprise, and it landed on your foot.
"OW! Goddammit that hurt!" you said, falling backwards into your cart of tools, which fell over under your weight. You lay on the ground, surrounded by all of the tools, all in a matter of about two seconds.
"Are you alright?" Hiro asked. You wearily waved a hand around as you sat up.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." you wheezed, rubbing your head. Then you remembered what Hiro had said.
"You know Hiro, it's just a Legend. The first part might be true, but that doesn't mean the rest of it will be. I mean, for crying out loud, Lady is a train, and I'm a human! It won't work for several reasons. Lady hates humans being the main one. For another, I really don't think engine's and human's could ever in any way, shape, or form be attracted to each other." you said, standing up. Hiro smiled.
"Love does not have to involve physical attraction. It might just be two lonely souls who have found attraction in each other." he said. You rolled your eyes, and got back to work.
"Whatever you say man. I really don't think anything like that is EVER going to happen." you said, crawling under Hiro's chassis.
. . .
You threw your tools back into the tool cart.
"I'm sorry Hiro, but I don't have the faintest idea of why you aren't able to run. Everything looks more or less fine. It's most likely a problem inside your boiler that I can't get to." you said, wiping your brow. To your surprise, Hiro smiled.
"Thank you anyway for looking. I know you did the best you did. You made all the other engine's so happy by fixing their problems, it makes me happy to see them happy." he said. You smiled. It was nearing the time for all the engine's to gather at the station. You walked out from Hiro's shed, and waited for everyone to arrive at station. Lady was the first one to arrive, as usual. Her face immediately brightened upon seeing you.
"Hello Anon. Were you able to fix Hiro?" she asked. You shook your head. Lady slowed to a stop.
"That is a shame. I can't possibly imagine what is wrong with him." she said.
While you waited for the others, you remembered something about the portal.
"Hey Lady, you said you traveled on the magic portal rail line. Was it always so cold and dark like it is now?" you asked. Lady looked worried.
"It does that when I haven't been through it in years. I had forgotten about it for the longest time, to be honest. If that portal falls apart, Sodor will be gone. I don't know why, but that portal stabilizes Sodor. I should probably have a run through it. The sooner the better." she said. You nodded, not even feigning to understand what she just said.
"Could we go tonight? I've been stuck inside sheds for a few days, fixing up the other engines. I could use a small adventure back to the portal." you said. Lady steamed.
"I don't think you should come along, in case something happens." she said, clearly worried for your well being.
"Actually, I need to tell you a thought I had earlier, and that would be a great time to do it." you said, hoping Lady would change her mind. She sat there for a moment, just looking at you.
"I really don't want to risk you getting hurt, Anon. You're all we've got." she said quietly. You sighed.
"Lady, I've spent days in a magical land I didn't know existed until recently. I think I'll be okay." you said. Lady bit her lip, and looked as if she was deep in thought.
"Fine. Climb in." she said. You both waited for the others to arrive, so that you could inform them of your plans. Then, you and Lady turned around in the yard, and headed for the magic buffers.
As Lady puffed along, you took in a breath of the cool night air. The gentle rocking of Lady as she traveled down the tracks, the calm night scenery. It was very relaxing.
After a few more minutes, the buffers came into sight.
"We are approaching. Are you ready?" she asked, increasing her speed. You grabbed onto a handle bar, and gave her the go ahead. She plummeted through the buffers with a flash of light, and you both found yourself in the tree root ridden, eerie green glowing rail line. Lady slowly chuffed down the length of the track, and after a moment, golden sparks began to fly from her spinning wheels.
You watched in awe as the golden spirals flew up into the air, and Lady herself seemed to glow. The green light of the rail line seemed to get brighter, and the roots slowly receded. Lady let a whistle ring out throughout the magic tunnel, and you smiled.
"You have an awesome whistle." you complimented.
"Thank you. It's been a while since I have been able to use it. We try to keep quiet when we are out, so whistle's are off limits." she said. Lady slowed to a stop, and you hopped out, now eyeing the beautiful scenery of the magic line. All the roots were gone, and instead there were lush green fields as far as the eye could see on either side of the track. Beautiful blue sky was overhead, with a lovely sun shining.
"Almost looks like a painting." you speculated. Lady smiled.
"This was always my favorite place to come when I was feeling stressed, or sad. It always helped me remember my role of both worlds, and how even though I am a small engine, I have a duty to perform." she said, looking off into one of the fields. You stayed quiet, and watched Lady. For the first time since you had met her, she looked completely at peace. Her face was free of worries, anger, hatred, and even judgment. She just looked happy.
"Sometimes I think about just staying here, in between the two worlds, where nothing can happen to me, and I don't have to worry about anything. But, I know then all the other engine's would be helpless. It would be boring for me after a while as well. Dreadfully quiet, with nobody to talk to." she said, slowly moving forward. You walked at a steady pace next to her as the two of you moved in in silence.
Eventually, the other end of the line was before you.
"Hop back in. I have to go through it to complete the cycle." she said. You did as she said, and she slowly went through the portal. The two of you were met with the blinding light of day, and you looked around.
You were sitting on Muffle Mountain, at the end of the magic railway line that you had discovered with the map.
"Who would have thought that the way to such a magical world was so close to my home all these years?" you said. Lady chuckled.
"You live around here?" she asked.
"Yep. Probably a mile or two off down the mountain. Man, it feels like ages since I've been here. I wonder what's been going on lately. I wish I could catch up." you said. Lady let off a cloud of steam.
"You really miss it here, don't you?" she asked quietly. You nodded.
"Of course I do. This place is my life. I know that currently, my place is helping you guys, but I wonder if I'll ever be back here, living a normal life. I've probably lost my job at this point, considering I've missed so many days without any notice." you said. You found yourself having a few tears in your eyes.
You got out, and stood on the edge of the track in front of Lady, looking out at the valley below. How could two worlds exist so closely? One beautiful, and one on the brink of collapse. You sniffed, and turned back towards Lady, who had a look of guilt on her face.
"I've kept you from what you love so much." she said sadly. "I had no right to force you, or even expect you to stay and help us. I can't believe myself. It's been so long since I've been on this side, I had forgotten about the beauty. How could I expect you to want to stay on our horrible, war ridden world, when you have this one to live in?" she said quietly. Now it was your turn to feel guilty.
"Lady, don't feel bad. I wandered into your world on my own, and I decided to stay and help. I could have walked back through that portal at any time, and never come back. Sometimes helping those in need and doing the right thing are more important than personal preference." you said, patting Lady's bumper. Lady gave you a small smile.
"What made you want to stay? Surely you just didn't decide to stay based off of a whim?" she asked. You stuffed your hands into your pockets.
"No, I had a few things that helped my decision. It's a new world, who wouldn't want to explore it? And sentient trains, that's cool! But mainly, I will always help anyone who needs it if I can." you said. Lady looked at you.
"We are very fortunate that you found us. You have a very kind heart." she said. You blushed at her honesty.
"Well, we should probably be getting back." Lady said. You nodded, and climbed back into her cab. She slowly reversed back into the buffers, and slowly traveled to the other end.
. . .
Back at the station, you realized you hadn't told Lady about your idea. You decided to tell her back in her shed.
Eventually, the sun started to peek over the horizon, so all the engine's heading back to their refuge. As Lady took you back to her shed, you voiced your idea.
"Lady, you said you haven't seen any sign of the bad humans in six or so years, right?" you asked. Lady slowed her speed, unsure of where you were going with the question.
"Yeah? I haven't seen them personally for at least that long, but I know they're still out there." she said, slowly rolling into her shed. As you got out and closed the door, you continued.
"But what if they're not? Think about it, if Sodor is as small as you say, surely they would have been along this area by now. What if something happened to them? They may not be a threat anymore, or even here at all!" you said. Lady's brow furrowed.
"Don't be ridiculous Anon. Why would they have left? The only way to leave is the portal, and I have felt no one go through it besides you." she said. You sat on the brick pile in front of her.
"I know, but what if something happened to them? Maybe they were forced away, or maybe they were struck down by some unseen force." you said. Lady's eyes narrowed.
"Just where are you going with this, exactly?" she asked. You sighed.
"I'd like to take my truck, and go out towards the other side of the island. I want to see if there even is still anyone around. I doubt they'll hurt me, since I'm not made of metal, and I'm a fellow human." you said. Lady visibly stiffened.
"NO! Absolutely not! I won't have you out there risking your life. I know they are still there, Anon! I can feel it." she barked, steam whooshing from underneath her. Your shoulders slumped.
"Okay okay, just a thought." you muttered. Lady's gaze softened.
"I know you want to help us, Anon, but I don't think that is the way. There must be a safer solution." she said firmly, closing her eyes. Her steam thinned, and as you watched Lady fall into a deep slumber, you had made up your mind.
Lady would not be pleased with you, but you had to go to the other side of the island. You knew the nature of humans better than she did. If there were any humans still on Sodor, they would have been here by now. But you needed proof. You needed to go there and see for yourself.
You quietly walked out of Lady's shed, so you wouldn't wake her. For one, it was rude, and another, she would blow her boiler if she found out what you were going to do. Once you had gently shut the shed door, you ran towards your truck, and hopped in. You set your pocket contents into the passenger seat. The magic map, the magic letter, the kazoo, and the gold powder. Your food and other provisions were still in the bed, and you had a full tank of gas. Yup, you were good to go.
You started the engine, and rolled your truck onto the nearest road. You hit the gas, and headed for the other side of Sodor.