CHAPTER 9: THE JOURNEY TO SODOR.
(POV: Mysterious Narrator.)
Meanwhile, back on Muffle Mountain, Lily was sitting next to the river by Burnett Stone's yard. She was bored and so she skipped stones to try to keep herself occupied. As the pre-teen did this, Patch, who was nearby saw her, and decided to meet her.
"Hey." He greeted. "I bet that you can't climb that tree." He said jokingly as he pointed at the tree next to her.
As Lily then looked at the tree next to her, she smirked with great confidence. As Lily then hopped onto the tire swing, she pulled herself up and onto one of the tree's branches.
"Nice." Patch remarked. "I can't even climb that darn thing. How did you learn that?"
"Loads of practice on my fire escape." Lily explained. "Climbing on things is exhausting but a lot of fun."
"I bet." Chuckled Patch. "Anyway my name's Patch."
"I'm Lily." Lily replied as he then climbed down. "Do you live around here?"
"Yes." Patch replied. "My parents run the stables."
"I see." Lily replied, now with an intrigued look across her face.
But before either pre-teen could say a word to each other, Burnett came outside of his house to head to his workshop.
"Morning, Patch." He greeted solemnly.
"Morning, Mr. Stone!" Patch greeted back. "I'm going to be heading off to Shining-Time soon, can Lily come with me?"
"I would like too." Lily said to let her grandfather know that she was indeed agreeing with the idea.
"Sure." Burnett replied. "Just make sure that you both get back by sunset."
"Sure thing." Patch replied.
"Don't you want to come too, Grandpa?" Lily asked.
"I don't go there now." Burnett replied solemnly as he then walked off to his workshop.
"Bye, Grandpa." Lily said sadly.
As she then watched her grandfather depart, Patch could obviously tell that she really wanted him to come. As he took this in, he just knew the question that might cheer her up.
"So." He began. "Have you ever ridden on a horse before?"
"No." Lily replied as her face began to brighten up. "I haven't."
A little later, as they were travelling on horseback through some fields towards Shining-Time, Lily smiled broadly as so did Patch. Though they came from different places, they both found it fun to ride a horse. As Lily smiled, and looked around her, Patch explained the route they were taking.
"I always wanted to go this way." He began. "We're currently following some shadowy lines I've seen on a map. They're like railroad tracks, but without any rails."
"So, what if they once were railway tracks?" Lily suggested.
"Possibly." Patch replied. "But this valley is full of many mysteries and magic, so it's also possible that they're magic ones. But if they are, why did their energy stop?"
"Beats me." Lily replied. "But I'm sure we'll find out sooner or later."
As Patch then nodded and smiled, he and Lily continued their way to Shining-Time. Meanwhile, in his workshop, Burnett was busy dusting Lady's coffin off. As he then looked at beautiful teen he sighed
"Well Lady." He said to the sleeping princess. "What are we to do?"
As Lady's hair glowed, Burnett sighed and went to other parts of his workshop to ensure that they were secure. Meanwhile, at Shining-Time, the two pre-teens had arrived and disembarked as Patch then tethered his horse to a lamppost. No sooner than the preteens had made their way to the station, Billy came out and stopped Boomer nearby along with the branches blowing in the wind.
"There appears to be a storm coming. We've been safe from them for years. Let's hope this one is just passing like you are now, Boomer."
"Oh, I'm passing through alright!" Boomer sneered as he then placed a box onto his motorcycle. "Right through that mountain and valley to be exact!" As he then gestured an explosion. "No more protector, no more stupid engine and so called magical girl, no such thing as magic!"
As Billy then stood aghast of what the motor biker just told him, Boomer drove away, looking very pleased and pretty evil.
(POV: Lily.)
As I sat by the mural, I awaited for Patch's return. The horse rider that I just met had some errands to do, and so I didn't exactly want to get in his way. As I then tried to figure out what to do, a certain goof-ball who I met the day before, appeared from a cloud of gold in front of the mural, standing on a skateboard, acting like a train.
"Junior." I chuckled in amusement.
"Bisto!" Junior exclaimed as he saw me "I've given up on seeing you again. What's blue, green, red, and goes BEEP-BEEP?!"
"A parrot and you mean chirp-chirp." I answered.
"No, trains." Junior corrected as he then kicked the skateboard away. "Many Trains. I'm off to see them on the Island of Sodor right now. Want to come?"
"Hmm." I pondered. "Is it possible to be back by sunset?"
"Hope so." Junior replied. "Cause I want to be back at my own things and business."
"What do you think, Mutt?" I asked as I looked at the dog.
"RUFF! RUFF!" The pooch barked in agreement.
"Alright." I replied.
"Okay." Junior said as he checked his whistle. "So there's two of us so... Oh, looks like I have to use my cousin's extra supply whistle. There's not enough Gold-Dust in mine."
"I see." I replied as I then picked up some of the excess Gold-Dust off of the ledge. "Could I bring some of this back to Grandpa?" I asked.
"Of course." Junior replied. "But just for precautions, allow me to hold on to it for ya. One sniff of this stuff and you'll get high."
"Oh." I replied with a slight bit of shock and surprise as I then handed it to Junior. "So that's what the whistles are for then?"
"Yup." Junior replied. "Now enough chit chat, here we go!"
Then without another word, Junior blew into both whistles and we were both surrounded by this cloud of Gold-Dust. As I then looked about, I gasped in amazement as I looked at my new surroundings of vines and lines.
"What is this place?" I thought, as I then saw Junior. "Whoa!" I exclaimed. "You've grown bigger!"
"Maybe smaller." he replied. "I'm still adjusting to my surroundings. This place is the only time it happens to me."
As we continued to float across the railroad track that was beneath us, we hit a bump.
"Whoa!" Junior chuckled. "A bit bumpy isn't it?"
"Where are we?" I quizzed, wanting to finally know the name of this new place.
"Conductor's Railroad." Junior replied.
"Magic Railroad?" I asked, seeing that it was full of magic.
"Oh, whatever." Junior remarked. "Right now we're traveling miles and miles to the island. However, I doubt this place is going to last too much longer. It'll vanish just like the Princess"
"What Princess?" I asked, now feeling very curious.
"The one who inherited this railroad." Junior explained. "Cuz and I never met her, but we do know that she was a Magicborn."
"Magicborn?" I then quizzed, now with some confusion for this new term I never heard before.
"A Magicborn is someone who's born in a magic filled area, or a person who is descended from a person who was born in one." Junior explained to me. "They are the very people who can easily wield the more powerful magic spells and sigils."
"A person who was born in a magic filled area, or related to someone who was?" I thought as we continued to float down the track. "I never knew such kind of people could exist."
As I then was about to ask Junior another question, we suddenly saw a truck of coal that was definitely NOT from Shining-Time.
"What's that doing here?" He remarked as we floated passed it, before seeing the exit ahead. "Ready, Lily?" He asked. "Because here are the buffers. NOW!"
(To be continued...)