CHAPTER 7: A "PARTY" THAT'S OVER.
(POV: Mysterious Narrator.)
On the road towards Muffle Mountain, Stacy drove Lily to meet up with Burnett. On the way there, the pre-teen had a question.
"Stacy?" She asked. "Have you ever met my grandmother?"
"My mother did." Stacy replied. "and she said she was a wonderful dancer."
"I know." Lily replied. "However, I'm not sure, but, I think on a few occasions, grandpa called her Lady."
"Lady?" Stacy quizzed.
"Yes." Lily replied. "I heard that name being mentioned in their conversations."
"I wish..." Stacy began as she then sighed. "Oh never mind."
As Stacy then arrived at the intersection where she was to meet Burnett, she found that she and Lily were not the only ones there.
"Tell me no, all you like, Burnett!" The motorcyclist sneered. "I know that you're keeping that 'girl' and engine somewhere in the mountain!"
"Even IF you found either one of them, Boomer.." Burnett said with a solemn tone. "I'd doubt that you'll get much use or profit out of either of them."
"Oh I will find a way, Burnett!" Boomer replied. "Just you wait."
As Boomer then boarded his motorbike and drove away, Lily looked on worriedly as she walked towards her grandfather.
"Hi grandpa." She greeted as Stacy followed behind with her bag in hand.
"Hello Lily." Burnett replied back. "Hello Stacy."
"Hello Burnett." Stacy greeted back. "I hope Boomer wasn't giving you too much grief."
"I doubt that I'll ever get enough of it." Burnett replied as he then took Lily's bag.
"Please have a good evening Burnett." Stacy said kindly
"Thanks, Stacy." Burnett replied back. "Good night."
Stacy was about to turn and leave, until Lily remembered something.
"Stacy." She said. "You said I wish earlier."
"I wish? Stacy asked, feeling puzzled. "Oh... I wish that you'd come back and visit us at Shining-Time again tomorrow. If your grandpa lets you of course."
Lily smiled as she took in Stacy's wish.
"I definitely will return." She said as she then said her goodbyes and hopped into her grandfather's truck.
As Burnett then drove Lily to his home, his granddaughter gave him her present.
"Here grandpa." Lily said kindly. "I made a friendship bracelet for you."
"Thank you Lily." Burnett replied. "You learned well from Tasha."
"Thanks, grandpa." Lily replied as she smiled.
That night, Lily was in her bed. The pre-teen was about to fall asleep, until a sound echoing from the mountain startled her.
"PPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPP!"
"Huh?" She went as she looked out of the window to find nothing there.
Meanwhile outside, Patch was busy watching his horse gallop until...
"PPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPP!"
"That whistle." Patch exclaimed as he heard it. "I just hope Boomer doesn't find it."
Meanwhile back inside his home, Burnett was busy tending to the fire in the fireplace until he heard the same whistle,...
"PPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPP!"
Which was then followed by a soft but yet familiar whisper.
"... Burnett..."
"Lady." Burnett said softly as he heard the voice.
"... It needs me..."
"... It's dying..."
"Lady.." He said "What more can I do? I tried every trick I know."
"... Thomas..."
"Thomas?" Burnett then said with a confused tone. "Who are you talking about?"
But Burnett got no reply to his question, as he sat tended to the fire, pondering what the princess was trying to tell him. As Lady's magic echoed through muffle mountain, all the Sorcerer Knight trainees had her much in their thoughts. As Percy pulled into Knapford station in his saddle tank, he didn't notice a certain warship operator hiding in a shed behind him. The teen looked to his right and smiled when he saw Thomas.
"Hey Thomas." He greeted.
"Hey Percy." The E2 driver greeted back. "What's up?"
"Well I have a question." He began. "How exactly does Mr. Conductor travel to Sodor from Shining-Time and back?"
"Well.." Thomas replied. "He does it by using Gold-Dust."
"Well.." Percy then continued. "This may just be a crackpot theory, but if there's a Lost Engine and Princess, there might be a lost railway too."
"Actually Percy.." Thomas then replied. "You might be onto something. On the day when I had picked him up, Mr. C Said that the journey from shining time was getting bumpier and bumpier. But.." He went on. "If there's a lost railway, wouldn't that be hard to not find?"
"Hmm." Percy pondered. "Fair point... Wait a moment, just what if it wasn't actually lost just... Hidden."
"Hidden?" Thomas quizzed.
"Yes." Percy replied. "With the existence of portals it's possible that Mr. C goes through one."
"But in order to do that, it would possibly need an anchor that would blend in." Thomas inquired.
"Exactly my point." Percy replied. "Just think for a moment. What if just there is one set of buffers on this very island right now, that isn't the end of the track, but just the end of the NWR. These specific buffers are most likely the ones to not just lead to any railway, but to a secret railway."
"One that belongs to the lost princess!" Thomas then exclaimed. "My goodness, Percy you're very clever."
"Well..." Percy said modestly. "I do try to prove that I'm not the dumbest person on the island."
"Heh-heh. Figures." Thomas chuckled as his smile suddenly turned into a frown as he sniffed the air. "Oh-no. Uh Percy, I think Diesel 10 was here!"
"Uh-oh." Percy said worriedly. "I hope that he didn't hear everything I just said."
"I'd hate to break it to you guys." Toby said as drove his tram into the station after spying on Diesel 10. "But I think Diesel 10 heard every word you've said."
"Oh no!" Thomas and Percy said in unison.
"Don't worry." Toby said to try to reassure them. "I'm planning to go after him to see what he does next. You both get the mail delivered."
"Man, you're a really brave guy, Toby." Said Percy, as the J70 driver nodded and drove after the Class 42 warship operator.
(POV: Toby.)
As I then drove after Diesel 10, I knew that I had to hurry while also being careful, for this diesel driver was dangerous and I could be killed if too close. Though I'm still a trainee, I was still a Sorcerer-Knight, and so it was my duty to do what I can to protect the Allcroft Family and the island. As I then parked my tram into a siding, I ran and hid behind some scrap right as Diesel 10's lackeys arrived in their class 08s.
"Come in. Come in." Diesel 10 said. "And join the party, Splodge."
"Oh I love parties!" Splatter exclaimed.
"Yes!" Dodge hooted. "Who's got the balloons?!"
"Correction." Diesel 10 then said. "Join the party that's over. Just like Twinkle toe's railway is going to be."
"What?" I said under my breath, for I was confused on what was going on here.
"GONE." He then continued. "Just like the lost princess, that engine of hers, and those buffers that lead to her."
"Oh, what is this coming to?" Splatter quizzed.
"Yes, yes. Do tell." Dodge added.
"Ok then." Diesel 10 then answered. "It's time to put twinkle toe's lights out. Which is a job... FOR THE BOSS!"
Upon hearing Diesel 10's plan to kill Mr. Conductor, I knew that I had to do something fast.
"I got to delay him." I thought. "I got to distract him. Think! Think!"
Then suddenly an idea came into my mind, as I then hopped back into my engine and began to both ring the bell and blow the whistle.
"It's Tony and his old wooden scrapheap!" Exclaimed Diesel 10 as he began to operate his Diesel's arm. "Destroy them!"
"Destroy?!" Splatter exclaimed with confusion.
"Um boss.." Dodge quivered. "Watch out. Your diesel's arm is going to hit the..."
"CRASH!"
"Support." Dodge then finished as he peered through the roof of the now collapsed shed.
As I then looked at the mess I made, I couldn't help but laugh for the scene I saw was priceless. As I then quickly departed in my tram, I could not stop laughing, for Diesel 10 was now in a massive dump.
(To be continued...)