"Lugias and Tugs"

Crossover story with Gyass the Lugia and TUGS

Chapter 7

The tugs had all woken up, ready to start the day's work. They were also looking forward to meeting the tender engine that Captain Starr had purchased the previous day. The captain soon arrived and greeted his tugs.

"Good morning, Star Fleet." Captain Starr said. "The tender engine I purchased has arrived overnight. I need one of you to go to the rail yard to greet him."

The tugs got into an argument over who got to meet him first. They all wanted some help.

"Oh, I think I should meet the engine." Top Hat said. "The railway deliveries desperately need help, I say."

"Oh come on!" Ten Cents said. "We all need help too!"

"That's enough." Captain Starr said. "Top Hat, you are right, surprisingly. Since you're a railway tug, you can go to the yard and greet him."

Top Hat sneered and went off to the yard.

Meanwhile the engine was resting in a siding near the water. He was waiting to be given instructions. Just then Top Hat pulled in, and parked right next to the engine. Top Hat looked over, and gasped. The engine was a tender engine like Captain Starr had said, but it had 3 funnels!

"I say!" Top Hat said. "What's with that ridiculous getup?"

The engine laughed. "It's an experiment! It makes me turn invisible!"

"Oh, I must see this." Top Hat said.

"Invisibility, ON!" The engine said as he released a huge steam cloud.

Top Hat couldn't see a thing. Then the steam cleared, and the engine was gone.

Top Hat looked around, and he saw that the engine was now in a different siding, farther away from him.

"Oh, how thrilling, how absolutely thrilling." Top Hat said as he looked away.

But when Top Hat looked back, the engine was right next to him again!

"Hello again!" The engine said.

Meanwhile in the Lugia Lands, Gyass had just woken up. He flew outside and saw Oliver the orange Lugia strolling along. Oliver looked over and saw Gyass.

"Morning, Gyass!" Oliver called. "I've recently heard that Albino Lugia found a trace of Melanistic Lugia and Mono at this old cave, in the Eastern Lands I think."

"Oh, good!" Gyass said happily. "He's getting closer, soon enough he'll find and defeat them again, then he'll be back home, hopefully."

Oliver smiled. "Don't be worried, Gyass. It's Albino Lugia. He can take on anything."

Gyass had to agree. "Well I'm going down town today, I have something important to tend to." He said. Gyass then flew off to the docks.

Meanwhile Top Hat and the engine were working. The engine was getting a goods train loaded up to make his first delivery.

"Do be careful." Top Hat said. "It's your first run, you know."

"I have the power of stealth!" The engine replied. "It'll make me hidden from all danger!"

Just then Gyass flew into the yard and landed next to Top Hat.

"Oh, I say hello, Gyass." Top Hat said. "I assume you're here to meet the engine as well?"

"Yes, Captain Starr told me you were here, so here I be!" Gyass said.

Just then the engine rolled back in to attach the last truck to his train, but then he saw Gyass.

"Oh, goodness!" The engine cried. "A monster! Invisibility, ON!" He then created a large steam cloud again, making him... well….. Invisible.

"I'm not a monster, I don't want to hurt you!" Gyass cried. "Please don't be scared!"

The steam cloud cleared, and the engine showed himself.

"My name is Gyass. I am a Lugia from the Lugia Lands. I assure you I have no interest in hurting you." Gyass said.

The engine looked more pleased.

"Oh, that's a relief!" He said. "I'm Merlin by the way. Nice to meet you, Gyass!"

"So that's his name." Top Hat said to himself.

Gyass noticed Merlin's 3 funnels and was amazed.

"Woah, you have 3 funnels?" He said. "That's incredible!"

"Ah, thank you, good Gyass!" Merlin said. "As you have already seen, I can turn….INVISIBLE!" He then weeshed his steam.

Gyass was even more amazed. A huge smile spread across his face.

"An invisible engine? Wow!" He said.

Top Hat did not approve. "I say, Merlin, we must get to work, there's important jobs to be done." He said sternly.

"Bye Gyass, see you later." Merlin said as he got back to work quickly.

Merlin finished shunting his train and got ready to leave. He coupled up to the front and blew his whistle. Gyass was amazed at the sound of it. He then left quickly.

"Now to get back to my more important jobs, much more important indeed." Top Hat said as he pulled away.

"Do you have something against Merlin?" Gyass asked.

"Oh, do keep to yourself, little bug." Top Hat replied.

"I'll take that as a yes." Gyass said. "He seems so nice, what's your problem?"

"He's much too annoying for my liking." Top Hat said, trying to sound important.

Gyass decided to say nothing. He didn't want to start a fight. Instead he flew back to the Star Dock. He decided to tell Captain Starr. He flew up to his window and saw the captain working in his office. Gyass lightly knocked on the window. The captain walked towards him and opened the window.

"Yes?" Captain Starr said.

"Excuse me…..captain, but I was recently down at the rail yard with one of your tugs, Top Hat, and….well….. He didn't take a liking to Merlin at all." Gyass said carefully.

"Is Merlin my tender engine?" Captain Starr asked.

"Yes, sir. The one you purchased yesterday." Gyass replied.

Captain Starr nodded. "I see. Thank you for reporting this to me. I absolutely cannot tolerate any bullying on my team. I will definitely make sure Merlin is welcome everywhere he goes." He said.

"Thank you, sir." Gyass said. He then flew off.

Meanwhile Merlin was cruising through town, nearly reaching his destination. He was almost there, but suddenly he saw a man on the side of the tracks waving a red flag. Merlin had to stop.

He braked hard and stopped near the man.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked.

"The high tide has risen over the tracks." The man replied. "It's too dangerous to continue on."

"But who will deliver these goods?" Merlin asked.

"Were still trying to figure that out. Perhaps a tug could finish the journey." The man said.

Meanwhile Captain Starr was sitting in his office, enjoying some tea. Just then the phone rang.

"Ugh, what is it this time?" Captain Starr said.

The man on the other line of the phone told Captain Starr about the flooded line and how Merlin's goods couldn't be delivered.

"I see." Captain Starr said. "I'll have my railway tug deliver the goods. He's got rail barges."

Meanwhile Merlin was still suck and couldn't go anywhere.

"Oh dear." Merlin said. "Whatever will we do?"

Just then Top Hat sailed in out of the horizon and stopped near where Merlin was. He had two railway barges with him.

"Hello again!" Merlin said.

Top Hat ignored Merlin and explained to the man that he was due to make the deliveries himself.

"Right then." The man said. "We'll have to take the goods back and have them loaded onto your railway barges."

So Top Hat and Merlin went back to where they started and began loading the goods train onto Top Hat's railway barges. They were nearly done, but Merlin was worried. He saw that the two barges were almost completely full of trucks and salt vans.

"But… where can I go?" Merlin asked innocently.

"Afraid there's no need for you." Top Hat said. "I have this under control."

Merlin was saddened that he didn't get to travel on the railway barges. But he knew he had other jobs to do, and knew what it meant to be really useful. So he went back to work at once.

Later that night when the day's work was over, all the tugs were gathered at the Star dock, ready to call it a night. But then they saw a railway track that had been nailed down on the dock in front of them.

"What's this for, m'dears?" Hercules asked.

Just then Captain Starr stuck his megaphone out the window.

"Good evening, Stars." He said. "I must say, I am very pleased with all of your work today. You've done a great job."

"Thank you sir!" All the tugs said.

Then Captain Starr turned to Top Hat.

"Unfortunately Top Hat, I've heard that your behavior today wasn't as good as your work."

"What's this?" Top Hat said.

"What's this about bullying Merlin, and what's this about bossing others around? That's what this is!" Captain Starr said sternly.

Top Hat said nothing. He knew Captain Starr was right.

"For your punishment you will be on garbage duties with Warrior tomorrow." Captain Starr said.

Just then Merlin puffed in on the dock where the new rails were.

"Hello everybody!" Merlin said happily.

Top Hat looked away.

"Hello there!" Ten Cents said. "I'm guessing your Captain Starr's new engine?

"Yes indeed!" Merlin replied. "My name is Merlin, and I am an experimental King Arthur class stealth engine!"

Ten Cents was most impressed. "Well nice to meet ya, Merlin! Welcome aboard!" He said.

O.J. was also quite impressed. "Ah yes, the King Arthur engines. Lovely engines, I must say." He said.

"Ah, thank you friend!" Merlin said.

Captain Starr then cut in. "Well, Merlin, I heard that you've been working real hard today. I am proud to have you be part of the fleet!" He said.

"Oh, thank you sir!" Merlin said happily. "What jobs will I be doing tomorrow?"

"Well, I need you at the loading docks again. You'll have to deliver the unloaded goods from the incoming trampers," Captain Starr said.

"Okay, sir!" Merlin said.

"Welcome aboard, Merlin m'dear!" Hercules said as they all blew their whistles.

Meanwhile in the Lugia Lands, Gyass was telling everybody about Merlin. Gyassman the green Lugia was very surprised.

"I've never seen a locomotive with 3 funnels." Said Gyassman. "I hope I can see this Merlin fellow one day."

"Oh, I'm sure you will." Gyass replied. "He's working all around the docks, from what I've heard."

Gyassman nodded.

Rupert the red Lugia then cut in.

"Oh, what color was Merlin?" Rupert asked.

"He was painted silver." Gyass said. "Why do you ask?"

"Silver?!" Rupert exclaimed. "Well if I ever see him, he must know that his old silver paint will never match up to the glory of my beautiful red scales!"

Gyass smirked.

"If you're going to insult someone of their appearance, it would help if you actually looked better than them." Gyass said, sounding important.

"Oh, I say!" Rupert yelled. "You'll see how good I look!"

Rupert flew off, leaving Gyass with Oliver and Gyassman.

"Well Gyass, how are things with being in charge, and all?" Oliver asked.

"It's not as hard as I thought." Gyass replied. "Turns out I only have to just check on things every now and then and make sure nobody's hurt."

"Right you are." Oliver said as he yawned. "It's getting late, perhaps we should all go to sleep."

Gyass looked up at the starry sky.

"I agree." Gyass said.

The three Lugias flew off to their homes, not realizing what tomorrow will bring them…

To be continued!