CHAPTER 11: ANOTHER MATTER.

(POV: Patch.)

As I rode my horse towards Shining-Time, I knew that I had to tell Billy about Boomer's plan. As I then saw the rainbow sun stopping, my horse skidded to a stop as I then began to tell Billy everything.

"Mr. Twofeathers!" I cried. "I'm quite sure Burnett knows the secret of the mountain and that there's an engine there. But because of me, Boomer now knows too and will put us all in great danger. I don't even know where Lily is, and I was supposed to bring her home by now."

"Don't blame yourself, Patch." The engineer replied kindly to me. "Boomer had always been the most unkind of people and would use any dirty tactic to get what he wants. We'll find Lily."

"Actually.." Stacy said as she cutted in. "I think I know just where Lily might be. She may have come with Junior to the Island of Sodor. But.." She continued. "If they're not back yet, then there might be something wrong."

"Then what can I do?" I asked. "How do I even get to Sodor?"

Mr. Twofeathers just smiled as he gave me a reply.

"I believe you already know the answer to that, Patch."

"I do?" I quizzed as realization then hit me. "I do! Thanks Ms. Jones! Thanks Mr. Twofeathers!" I then greeted as I rode off to Muffle-Mountain once more.

"Good luck, Patch!" Mr. Twofeathers said to me.

"Come back safe!" Stacy then said to me.

As I rode my horse towards Muffle-Mountain, a hunch of where the engine might be came to me. If Boomer had intentions to destroy an engine that Burnett Stone was guarding during a time when Lily was on an Island out of my reach, then the best solution was to help Mr. Stone repair his engine, and then use it to get Lily. As I then continued to ride towards the mountain, I only hoped that I would make it in time.

(POV: Mysterious Narrator.)

As the colorful sun-set across the sky turned into the navy blue of night, Percy Avonside was on board his 0-4-0 saddle tank with it's lamp shining bright.

(POV: Percy.)

As I drove my saddle tank through the night, I was going to check on the buffers. Every shadow, shape and sound seemed very eerie.

"I'm brave. I'm brave." I said to myself as I brought my engine to one of the sidings. "Thomas says I'm brave, so I'm brave. Man, it's not easy being brave."

As I then brought my engine to a stop, I grabbed my spell-book, turned on the light that was on my phone and opened the book up to a night vision spell.

"Beende die Dunkelheit. ohne Licht sehen. Sehsinn nicht beeinträchtigt." I chanted quietly as my vision became brighter. "Much better." I thought. "Time to check on the buffers."

As I then quietly walked through the forest, things only got spookier and spookier. As I then arrived at the buffers, a chill went down my spine because I had found a pair of class 08 diesels parked just yards from them.

"Oh, no!" I thought. "There's Splatter and Dodge. Oh now what's going to happen?"

"Are these the buffers that the boss is looking for?" Quizzed Splatter as he looked at his twin.

"Uh, duh!" Dodge replied. "What are we supposed to do? Drive our engines through them?"

"Not we, YOU!" Splatter retorted.

"Not me, YOU!" Dodge said back.

"Uh.. This is a job for the boss." Splatter said weakly.

"Yeah. it sure is." Dodge agreed as then one of the trees randomly fell.

"W-we'll tell him tomorrow." Splatter stuttered.

"Yeah. Tomorrow's good." Dodge agreed as he and Splatter then went back to their engines.

"Oh dear." I thought as I then made my way back to my engine. "I must go back and warn Thomas."

(POV: Mysterious Narrator.)

As Percy went back to his engine, Mr. Conductor was doing his best to keep Lily cheerful as they camped out by the railway line. As Lily watched Mr. C do some card tricks, she was amazed.

"Wow, Mr. C!" She exclaimed. "I didn't know that you know that kind of magic."

"This and loads more." Mr. C replied. "Heck, I'm even a teacher for a school that teaches the proper use for spell magic."

"Really?!" Lily exclaimed. "That's so cool!"

"I know." Mr. C replied. "But though interesting to look at, magic can be pretty dangerous too if you're not careful. Some mages.." He continued. "Would not give a care if they misuse this great power as long as they fulfil their greedy desires. This is why it's important to know right from wrong."

"I see." Lily nodded in agreement. "Anyway, I was supposed to be home by sunset."

"I know." Mr. C replied. "However, I wouldn't worry too much. For I believe that your grandpa could guess where you are."

"Really?" Lily quizzed.

"Yes." Mr. C replied. "For I do believe he has once come here a long time ago." He explained. "If he could help I'd wish he'd hurry. I haven't told Junior yet, but soon he'll grow as weak as I am."

"I see." Lily then said with a sigh, as she suddenly remembered something. "Junior told me that there was a Princess who inherited the magic railroad. If we could just find her and her engine, we could all head back."

"Ah.." Mr. C then sighed. "But that princess disappeared from Sodor, without a trace five years back, Lily. She was never to be seen or heard from again."

"Not entirely true, Mr. Conductor." Said a voice, as the conductor and pre-teen looked over at Thomas, who was resting on his E2's tank.

"What do you mean, Thomas?" Mr. C quizzed.

"I had spoken to the Lost-Princess, telepathically on two occasions." Thomas replied. "The second being a dream state where she revealed to me her name and appearance."

"Really?" Lily exclaimed.

"Yes." Thomas replied. "Her name was Lady. And if she's still around, I bet her engine is too."

"I see." Mr. C replied as he smiled. "Wait.. Lady." He then froze as he remembered something. "I just remembered the first part of the clue! Stoke up the magic in the mountain and the engine will sound, Awaken her and the Lady will smile!" Mr. C said with a smile, before frowning once more. "But we need more info, Lily. I know that your grandfather could really help if he'd just believe that he could."

Meanwhile, inside of Muffle-Mountain, Burnett had indeed got a feeling that Lily could be on Sodor, so he went into his workshop to see what he could do to get Lady's engine up and running. However as he shined his light at the engine, he heard footsteps from the caverns. The man was about to grab his shot-gun when he saw not a certain motor-biker, but a certain horse-rider.

"How did you find this place?" Burnett quizzed.

"I saw it sometime back." Patch replied. "Just never really entered it until now."

As Burnett then smiled slightly he pointed to a switch on the wall.

"See that switch?" He asked. "Flip it on."

And so Patch did and gasped in amazement as he saw a beautifully architectured 0-4-0 tank engine before him.

"I knew that there was something about this mountain." He said.

"All mountains have their secrets, Patch." Burnett replied. "But this shouldn't surprise a kid like you. However.." He went on. "This engine is only one part of the secret of this mountain."

Patch's smile only grew bigger, as he then followed Burnett to a certain room nearby. As Patch then looked at the glass coffin, he saw a sleeping teenage girl with long golden hair and a dress of the same color scheme as her engine outside.

"Who is she?" Patch asked.

"The heir and second princess of the Allcroft's royal family of Magicborns." Burnett explained. "Lady is her name."

"Why is she locked up?" Patch quizzed in confusion.

"She isn't." Burnett corrected. "She's safe from harm. Five years ago, Lady's eldest sister, Strea had become jealous of her being chosen as the heir." Burnett began. "She chased her in her engine and made her crash on the magic railroad."

Burnett paused as he sighed and took another deep breath.

"Being the chosen caretaker of the railroad, I found Lady, patched her up, and her mother tasked me with raising her until she was old enough to be queen. However, Boomer had tracked us both down one day and shot her while also damaging her engine once more."

Burnett then sighed as he then went on to finish telling Lady's backstory.

"I did what I could to heal her, but with her engine severely damaged, and her link to it, she is stuck in this coma." Burnett sighed as he then placed his hands on Lady's coffin. "Patch, she's precious as gold."

"But I have heard it whistle!" Patch exclaimed.

"Yeah." Burnett replied. "So have I. That's because it's magic."

As Patch then took this in, he looked over at the wall behind him and saw an old map that had a familiar pattern of lines on it.

"That's the map of her railroad." He said aloud. "But it's all fading away. I sensed it as I was riding above it."

"The railroad needs Lady and her engine." Burnett sighed. "Sadly, I'm still to make her engine's steam. Patch." He then went on. "I'm going to need your help."

"Of course." Patch replied. "Just tell me where and what to do."

As Burnett then nodded, he and Patch began work on Lady's engine.

(To be continued...)