DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!

A/N: HI THERE! YOU'RE JUST IN TIME FOR CHAPTER 54! THIS MARKS THE START OF THE SECOND CROSSOVER IN THIS STORY!

Yet, before I let you loose on reading and reviewing alike, I would like to go over a few things.

First of all, I went to see Disney's "'ENCANTO (2021)'" yesterday, and it was an amazing work of art to behold! However, should any of you go, please be advised of something. When you hear the musical segments, try to pay attention to what they are saying. It sounded rather garbled and sped-up to me. It would be nice to actually know precisely what they were singing.

Secondly, it has come to my attention that a reviewer has been pretending to be me. Whomever this imposter may be, I request you stop at once. Having dealt with impersonators on FairyABC in the past (two times against the same pair, no less!), I have a negative tolerance level for such behavior. So, please, stop pretending to be someone you are not! I do not wish to make the same request twice.

Last, yet certainly not least, I would like to remember a certain actor who left us last month, and I learned had done so this past Tuesday.
WILL RYAN - (May 21ST, 1929 TO November 19TH, 2021; AGED 72). He is best known for his performances as Petrie in "'The Land Before Time (1988)"' and the ever-comical Eugene Meltsner in the Christian radio drama series (animated adaptation, too), "'Adventures In Odyssey'". I am VERY acquainted with both of these roles, the latter being one of my childhood favorites. He also was the voice of the Classic Disney Villain Pete for some time before Jim Cummings took over the role. This includes Disney's "'Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)'", making him one of the last surviving cast members from that holiday classic to leave us.
His performances were unforgettable, and I, for one, am going to miss him so much more than I can express in words.

That all aside, IT IS TIME TO READ AND REVIEW TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! HAVE FUN, AND BE REALLY USEFUL AT IT, TOO!

CHAPTER 54
Arriving Into Shining Time

Herbie soared through the vastness of space and across the Other Sky like it was a simple time trial for the old, modified racecar. Launchpad clung to the steering wheel, still determined to seize full control. Once more, Herbie prevented him from success.

Sora yawned and stretched. He reclined in his seat and his eyes started to get heavy. The showdown against Hacker and his Heartless minion(s) had taken its toll. Hopefully, things would begin growing easier from here on out. Then again, judging from his experiences in the past, chances were, that would not be the case. Not by a long shot.

He gazed around the cabin. Indigo was still strapped in by the window to his right. Her head was turned toward the front, a pair of headphones mounted over it and a navy-blue iPod in her hands. Launchpad was to his left, his hands still attached to the wheel. In the backseat, Amemi was showing Donald and Goofy another episode of "WordGirl" on the television monitor. Goofy seemed to be enjoying the show whereas Donald had pieces of paper from a yellow book in his hands stuffed into his ears.

Sora sighed with relief. So much had taken place on this quest, yet it appeared the worlds were becoming more and more peaceful with each one he and his friends defended from the Heartless and Maleficent's Council. True, Organization XIII occasionally interfered, but it wasn't anything they could not handle. At least there was not any sign of Master Xehanort himself….

"Sora, is something wrong?" Indigo asked.

Sora shifted his eyes to the angel. She had removed her headphones and placed her music on pause. Now all her attention was on him. "What do you mean?"

"You sighed," Indigo smiled. "It is simply alrighty. I can understand what you meant."

Sora paused in thought. " …I don't get it," he answered after a minute. "I was just thinking about how much has happened since this quest started."

"A lot has taken place, has it now?"

"Yeah," after visiting Atlantis and Pocahontas's village, helping Quasimodo, Kim Possible, and Belle, saving Cody and Pete, and meeting new friends such as Lilo and Periwinkle, Sora continued to hope the next world would have something new to explore and someone new to meet. For all he knew, it would be a place he'd already been to sometime ago.

Sora fixed his eyes onto the indigo-haired angel. "There is something I've been wanting to ask. You started to say something about your sister, Teal, but you never finished. What happened to her?"

Indigo sighed. "I wish I knew," she turned back to her music. Sora gazed out the windshield. The immense expanse of space seemed to glow — just the way the Other Sky traditional did. So many stars… so many worlds… and so much drama unfolding on them at every second. He knew there would never be enough Keybladers to protect everyone in every world whenever assistance was needed. Still, he longed to restore peace, no matter what the cost. Now if only he could brighten his friend's spirits….

Goofy burst out laughing in the backseat. "A-Hyuck!" he chuckled. "That there Dr. Two Brains is so funny!"

"He's a bad guy!" Donald snapped. "He's not supposed to be 'funny'!"

Amemi had to laugh along with Goofy. "He does have a point. A lot of these villains are very comical."

Donald grumbled to himself. "…Aw phooey!"

Sora wanted to shake his head. The Gummi Ship lurched to a halt so suddenly, the young man nearly thrown from his spot. He was glad he had remembered to strap in this time. All eyes turned to Launchpad.

The pilot pointed out the window. "We can't go any further," he explained. "Not unless you wanna end up looking like spaghetti."

Sora stared. Situated not far before the ship was a large, bluish swirl. It was rotating with such speed, the black and blue parts seemed to alternate the way a pinwheel turns. It started to make the young man feel a little dizzy. "A warp hole?" he asked, recalling the special passageways that had offered shortcuts between the worlds on his first adventure with Donald and Goofy.

"It's a black hole," Donald realized. "Uncle Scrooge knows all about them. He wanted to travel to another world using one, but he had to change his mind when the King said it was too dangerous."

Indigo sat up. She paused her iPod and removed her headphones. Her antennae seemed to move, angling themselves at the swirling mass. "I sense a strong Darkness coming from inside there, along with… a strong Light."

The Kingdom Key Keyblade showed up in Sora's hand. The blade was gesturing at the swirl. He gave a nod. "Then let's go!"

Launchpad waved his arms in front of him and shook his head. "No way! I'm not about to get stretched thinner than Willy Gilligan!"

Herbie beeped a few times and started his engines. The duck pilot reached for the wheel, but it was too late. The Gummi Ship roared to life and made a bee line for the swirl. Everything went a tad blurry and the whole world became a bluish tint with white thrown into the mix.

Sora looked around once the flash of blue and white colors had faded. To his relief, Herbie was still in one piece. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, Indigo, and himself were intact, too. He gazed out the window and his mind froze. Gone were the typical colors of the Other Sky's outer space. In their place was a vast blackness that seemed to spell out "this is the void" in no particular language aside from the words of the forces of Darkness. Millions of stars shone from every direction at once, alongside a bright yellow Sun shining its light upon a single planet.

"Whoa!" Sora marveled.

"This place is amazing," Amemi awed.

Donald and Goofy were speechless. The instant Launchpad looked out the side window, he slouched in his seat and wiped his forehead. With an audible CLICK, the seatback lurched rearward and slammed onto Donald. "Ow!" the magician yelped. Launchpad hastily righted the back of the seat. Donald was redder than a sunset in Twilight Town. "What's the big idea, ya big palooka?!"

"Heh! Never thought I'd crash a seat in an aircraft," Launchpad opened his scrapbook and marked an "X" over one of the items on the list; the one showing a passenger seat from an airplane. "Another thing to cross off the 'Crash Everything' list."

Indigo's eyes were focused straight ahead, as were her antennae. "I can sense the Light and Darkness coming from there," she announced.

Sora looked straight ahead. The location before Herbie appeared to be in the same design as the various worlds they had visited previously. It resembled a railroad town in the middle of a vast valley with a tall mountain on the other side. Before the Keyblader had a chance to think about what he was seeing, his Keyblade appeared to him. All eyes shifted to the glowing weapon. "May-bee it's tryin' ta tell us somethin'," Goofy surmised.

"Maybe," Sora seemed to acknowledge. He returned his vision back onto the world below. Perhaps the Keyblade knew something he did not. Was somebody down there requiring his help? Could the Darkness Indigo had sensed be stronger than any of them had anticipated and the Keyblade was attempting to alert them to the danger? Maybe the world's heart and the Keyblade's power inter-communicating? There was only one way to find out for sure. "Let's go check it out."

Amemi looked at Launchpad. "Can you bring us down?"

"And no crashing this time!" Donald stated.

Launchpad scowled. "Aw gee…. "

Herbie beeped in agreement with the former two. The racecar-turned-spaceship soared down into the world ahead. White clouds flew past the windows until the Gummi Ship was within view of a large, green valley. Sora and his friends were grateful to still be strapped into their seats.

During the descent, Sora's Keyblade slipped from his fingers and smashed against the dashboard. All the lights in the candy list lit up in a heartbeat, resulting in M&Ms, Caramels, and even Starburst pouring out of the machine and into the backseat. Goofy scooped up a bunch with his hat and tossed them into his mouth. "A-Hyuck! Sweets!" he observed.

In a matter of ten seconds, which felt more than ten minutes, the Gummi Ship had settled on a small section of pavement just outside a large wooden building the color of a classic, red covered bridge. Launchpad shut off the engine and unstrapped himself. Sora, Indigo, Donald, Amemi, and Goofy all followed suit and exited the aircraft and (carefully) shut the doors behind them.

The six teammates scanned the surrounding terrain. A small town had been constructed in the heart of the lush, green valley. People passed by on occasion, with many of them not taking note of the two teenagers from the Destiny Islands, two ducks, a dog, and an angel standing a few feet away from the modified racecar. "This doesn't feel like a very friendly place," Amemi muttered.

Sora turned to Indigo. "Where's that Darkness you said you sensed here?"

Indigo pointed straight ahead. "There is part of it now!"

A dark portal opened a couple yards away from the group. Out strode a man in a black-hooded coat, his hood shrouding his face. "The Organization!" Donald exclaimed.

In the blink of an instant, Sora's Keyblade, Donald's wand, Goofy's shield, Launchpad's gas-gun, Amemi's slingshot, and Indigo's Keyblade were armed and ready. The man in black snorted in a way that made it feel he was enjoying this reaction. "I see you still haven't lost your touch," he snickered. He reached up and lowered his hood. He had very short blond hair and yellowish eyes. A goatee that matched his hair was displayed proudly upon his chin. Five silver piercings decorated his ears. "Nice to see you again, Sora."

"Luxord!" Sora declared in a snarl. His mind leapt back to when he had first met this guy. The tenth member of Organization XIII had been in Port Royal to conduct experiments using the Aztec Treasure from Isla De Muerta. The man had forced a big Heartless to place the treasure's curse upon "Captain" Jack Sparrow — all to collect more captive hearts for Xemnas. "What're you doing here?!"

The man turned around and glanced back over his shoulder. "That's not my name anymore. Although I'd rather skip the formalities, you may call me 'Rudol'. I don't have time to play games with you right now, but I can tell you this: should you wish to play again, you may find me on the other side of the railroad."

With a snap of his fingers, Rudol departed the scene through another dark portal. Sora and his team put their weapons away. "No way," the brown-haired youth sighed in disbelief. He looked down and his fists clenched. "Why… why is he here? What does Organization XIII want from me? We already destroyed their Kingdom Hearts… I… I don't get it!"

The seventeen-year-old yelled with such intensity, everyone else could only watch. He retreated to a metal bench outside the building and plopped himself down. His eyes drifted to the sky. The bright Sun was shimmering down into the shining valley. He gave a deepening sigh. He knew one thing — if Organization XIII was lurking in this world, trouble was not far behind. He was certain of that, having at least learned that much from his past encounters with them.

Amemi sat down beside her brother. She put her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," she reassured him. "I don't know why he's in this world either."

"Neither do I," Donald agreed.

"But I know we can figure it out together," Goofy encouraged.

"Three minds are better than six!" Launchpad stated. He paused. "Or was it 'six minds are better than four'? I forget…. "

Indigo had to smile. She headed for the building. "We may find some answers to our questions inside this station."

Sora was back on his feet. "How do you know where that is?"

The angel pointed up at the green sign above their heads. In clear letters it read,

SHINING TIME STATION

Sora gave a nod. "Okay, sure!" he headed into the building through the entrance doorway and signaled for the others to follow. "C'mon!"

Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were directly behind. Indigo started to follow and then halted in her footsteps. She looked back at the mountain peak overlooking the valley. The summit was not quite tall enough for an icy cap, nor was it short enough to be a knoll. In the midst of the wind blowing past her ears was a faint whistle. The sound reminded her of a steam engine from the late nineteenth century. Along with it came a warm feeling, the type of sensation often associated with Light.

"This feeling… could it be… hers?" Indigo turned and walked into the station. Her mind kept shifting back to the warm sensation and the eerie train whistle. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo had arrived in Shining Sodor.

The interior of the train station was quiet. A few ceiling fans blew dust and excess heat out of the open doorways and windows. The windows were decorated with colored glass and illuminated when the sunlight shone through them, causing pleasant sparkles to form. Amemi was admiring one such display as Sora looked around the place. He noticed Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad looking at a pile of books left on a shelf that was attached to a wall. All the books contained stories about trains of various shapes, sizes, and colors.

He found himself stepping up to a large display case hanging from the wall. The inscription on the bottom of the frame indicated it was a map of a place called "Shining Time", which he presumed was the name of the town. Why else would the station have the same name? Following the edges, he spotted the mountain overlooking the valley. The letters engraved onto the parchment read "Muffle Mountain". "Strange name…. "

He continued to sweep his eyes across the illustrated terrain. Rudol had claimed he was going to "the other side of the railroad". Using the map's key, the Keyblade wielder spotted two railroad lines. He sighed. 'Two? How can I find where that guy went if there's two railroads here?' he thought to himself.

"Is something wrong?"

Sora turned to see Indigo standing beside him. "I guess," he said, a grin showing on his face. He gestured to the map. "Look!"

Indigo gazed at the drawing. "This must be a map of the whole valley. It is drawn very nicely… almost like Teal made it."

"Huh?"

"It is not important at this time," Indigo traced her left index finger along the long railroad line cutting its way through the valley to the station and beyond. "This must be the tracks we can see outside."

Sora glanced out the window to his right. To his surprise, a long stretch of railway tracks was positioned on the opposite side of the station. A concrete platform rose between the two. The sound of an approaching whistle echoed through the silence. His eyes turned back to the map. "He said he was going to 'the other side of the railroad'," he reminded his angelic friend. "I don't know which one he means."

Indigo scanned her eyes across the terrain shown. They landed upon a second line making its way down the mountain's slopes and into the station. Unlike the one clearly visible outside, this one came to a dead end. Then, a second faint line in the key's style for a railroad was noticed in her line-of-sight. This one curved around the town and zoomed to the south. "There is another one," she indicated. Her eyes spotted another such line in the eastern side of the map. "Here is another one."

To say Sora was confused was an understatement. That was when he realized the map was covered in lots of faint lines — exactly like the others. They went this way and that, sometimes crossing over one another, passing and twisting and turning. "That's great," he complained. "He could be anywhere!"

Indigo turned toward a large desk nearby. "Maybe she could help us?"

Sora swung his attention to the desk. A woman sporting shoulder-length black hair and decked out in a red station master's uniform stood behind it. At present, she was answering a call on her telephone. "Shining Time Station — Manager Stacy Jones speaking… No, the 10:15 from Pelican Falls to Shining Time is running a little behind. I'm sorry."

"Why not?" Sora shrugged, and away he marched to the counter. "Uh… excuse me?"

Stacy had just finished her call and turned her eyes to the young man. "Oh, hello! Welcome to Shining Time. I'm Manager Stacy Jones. How may I help you?"

"We have some questions about your map," Indigo informed the station master as she strode up. "There are a lot of railway lines on it, yet only one is visible outside."

Stacy glanced at the map on the wall, and then she returned her focus back to the pair. "Don't mind that old thing! There are a lot of tales about this valley, and they go back many decades."

Sora sighed. "Look, there's someone we're looking for, but he's 'on the other side' of a railroad. Are you sure there isn't another set of train tracks around here?"

Stacy shook her head. "Some of our residents claim this place is full of magic, and some days, I can agree, but this is not one of them," at that precise second, her telephone rang. "I've got to get back to work. Things are quieter around here than they used to be."

As the woman answered another call, Sora turned to Indigo. He threw his arms in the air and yawned. "Well, I guess we're stuck."

Indigo gestured toward the far wall of the building, the side opposite where Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were exploring. "We could always ask her."

Playing with the colored light shining in through the stained-glass window near the far wall was a girl with long dark hair. Her outfit consisted of a violet sweater, blue jeans, and a pair of sneakers. To Sora, she seemed to remind him of his sister. Perhaps it was merely due to her fascination with the light dancing across her fingers? He stepped behind Indigo and gently pushed the angel forward a few feet. "How about you ask her?"

Indigo reached out her arms and wings. She tried to drag her feet, yet her heeled shoes were little match against the sanded, wooden floorboards. "Wait a second! I did not mean — !"

Her words clung to the inside of her throat. Sora had already succeeded in moving her up to the girl in question. The raven-haired girl seemed a bit startled by the approach of the angel and the spikey-headed young man. "Oh. Hi," she said.

Indigo offered her hand. "Hi there! It is nice to meet you. My name is Indigo, and this young man behind me is Sora."

Sora poked his head out from behind his angelic friend to give a wave. "Hiya!"

The girl had to smile. "I'm Lily," she accepted Indigo's handshake. "Do you live here in Shining Time?"

Sora put his right hand behind his head. "Uh… not exactly. Why? Are you from here?"

Lily shook her head. "No. I'm from the big city. I'm staying with my grandpa," she pointed out the window toward the tall mountain in the distance. "He lives near Muffle Mountain."

"So, you're not from here either," came Amemi's voice. Sora and Indigo looked back. The sandy-headed girl, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were strolling forward. The former smiled at Lily. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lily. My name's Amemi. Sora's my brother."

Donald waved his hand. "I'm Donald!"

Goofy waved with both hands. "Name's Goofy."

Launchpad gave a very steady bow. "The name's Launchpad McQuack! If it's got wings, I can… !" The pilot lost his balance and tumbled forward onto the floor. "… crash it!"

Lily gave a laugh. "What brings you here?"

"We're looking for someone," Sora explained. "It's a guy in a black coat. He said he'd be 'on the other side' of the railroad."

Indigo gestured at the map displayed on the wall. "Yet, according to this map, there are lots of railroads in this valley."

Lily strode up to the map and took a few minutes to look it over. "I don't see any tracks other than the ones outside the station."

"Huh?" Sora stepped closer to the display. He pointed at the thin lines. "Look! Here's one! And there's another! They're everywhere!"

Lily shook her head at the Keyblader. "No, I don't see it," she returned to the far wall and started dancing her fingers in the sunlight.

Sora sighed. "We struck out…. "

"Gee, Sora. You don't seem like the kinda feller who gives up so easily," Goofy commented. "There must be someone here who knows what that map means."

"And we're gonna find them!" Donald approved.

Sora's smile returned to his face. "Thanks, guys," he paused in thought. "Now… where to start again?"

A loud crash came from the far wall. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo all swung their attention to the left. The wall looked the same as it had when they'd come into the station. The illustrations of trains and railway homes, businesses, and tracks decorated the otherwise blank surface. Lily spun her head at one such painting of a signal house. She strode up to it and knocked her hand against the painted door. "Who is it?" came a voice.

A moment later, a small man with messy hair appeared in a flash of magical golden dust. He was dressed in a blue conductor's uniform with summer clothing poking out around the collar and waist. A beach bag was wrapped around his torso. He smiled when he saw Lily. "I'd given up on meeting you again," he said with relief. "Hey, it's starting to look a bit gloomy 'round here, isn't it?"

"Whoa!" Sora was caught by surprise, as were the rest of his teammates. The group raced forward and stopped beside Lily.

"It talks!" Donald declared.

The man nearly jumped when he saw the six team members standing close by. "Oh! Hello."

"Good mornin'!" Goofy waved. "I'm Goofy!"

The man glanced at the watch on his wrist. "'Mornin''? It's nearly tea-time," he replied.

"A-Hyuck!" the knight chuckled, having completely lost track of time.

"I take it you're a friend of Lily," Sora said. He gestured to his companions. "I'm Sora. This is Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo."

The man relaxed and grinned brightly. He took a bow. "C. Junior!"

"Why're ya so small?" Launchpad questioned.

"Maybe yer just so big," Junior teased back. He faced Lily. "Anyway, what's blue, green, red, and says 'peep-peep'?"

Lily had to smile. "A parrot, and you mean 'chirp-chirp'."

Junior was pacing back and forth in front of the painted signal house. "Nah. Trains — talking trains."

Sora exchanged looks with all his friends. "'Talking… trains'?" he repeated. It was true he had made friends with stranger things — including a racecar in possession of a heart. Still, the concept of trains being able to openly have discussions with one another and others still felt a little far-fetched in his mind. It sounded like there was still a lot he had to learn about the worlds and lands beyond his own.

"I'm off to see them now on the Island of Sodor," Junior told everyone. He wiped down the silver whistle in his hand until it sparkled. "… and my cousin. I overslept, so I better hurry," he paused and gazed directly at Lily. "Do you want to come?"

Lily seemed a little nervous. "Can we be back by sunset?"

"Hope so," Junior looked down and brushed off his uniform. "I want to get back to the beach."

Lily nodded. "All right."

Sora turned to the two. "Wait! I didn't see any 'island' around here, and believe me, I'd know one if I saw one. How will you get there?"

Junior smiled. He approached a painting of a tunnel situated next door to the signal house. "It's this way. We'll take the shortcut!" he pounded his fist against the mural. The sound of something metal being hit was in the air.

"Are there any railroads there?"

Junior had to grin brighter. "There are lots."

Sora turned back to his friends. "We should go with them," he decided.

"But… what about the World Order?" Goofy inquired.

"The 'World Border'!" Donald corrected. He realized what the knight had done a moment later and his face turned bright red.

"If there's crashing to be done, count me in!" Launchpad proclaimed. He saluted; his face aimed at the wall to the left. Amemi brought him back to reality (whatever "reality" that was). "If you're sure this is a good idea," she said.

Indigo shrugged. "I feel like this is a good plan of action," she remarked. "Let's see it from start to finish."

Sora gave a large grin and thumbs-up. He spun his attention to Junior and Lily. "Can we come, too?"

Junior looked down at the silver whistle in his hands. "…I could take you all, but I'll have to use Cuz's emergency supply of gold dust," he shrugged. "It's the only way to travel and we'll find lots more soon."

Sora was a little perplexed. Gold dust? Based on what C. Junior had said, it sounded like that substance operated in a similar manner to Pixie Dust and Fairy Dust. Was it supposed to be… magical (or something like that)?

He had heard of peculiar objects and chemicals through the numerous worlds he had visited thus far. Pixie Dust in Never Land and Pixie Hollow… Crystals in Ancient Empire… the power of the Sun in the Kingdom of Corona… the bells of Notré Dame in La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches… the enchanted rose in The Beast's Castle… the Olympus Stone at Olympus Coliseum… the bottles, flowers, and other odds and ends in Wonderland… the lamps in Agrabah… he felt dizzy. Why had he never truly considered how many magical and strange trinkets and elements existed beyond the Destiny Islands? Riku probably had already made a list of his favorites. Maybe it was time the seventeen-year-old did one of his own? Kairi might be impressed by it.

Lily reached out her hand and wiped some sparkly dust from the bench directly below the signal house painting. "Can I take this little bit back for Grandpa?"

Junior smiled again. "Be my guest. I'll look after it for you," he turned to Sora. "Just let me know when you're ready to set out."

Sora nodded. He faced his team. "If there's anything we need to do, let's get it done now."

"I'm ready," Donald spoke up.

"Me, too," Goofy agreed. He reached into his pockets and pulled out thirteen Hi-Potions. "See? I already bought a buncha Hi-Potions back at thuh Radiant Garden."

Launchpad stood proud. "All set for crash-landing!"

Amemi scraped some more of the golden dust off the wall near the murals. It shimmered in her fingers, the way glitter shines in light. She smiled. "I am ready to go!"

Indigo smiled as well. "Simply say when you are all set to travel with them and us."

Sora gave a nod. He was glad his friends were ready on a moment's notice. If Organization XIII was messing around in this place, who knew what trouble would await? Besides, that island C. Junior had mentioned appeared to be one full of "talking" trains. Wherever there were trains, there had to be tracks. Perhaps the railway Rudol had been referring to was located on that island? It seemed likely.

He spun back around. "Yeah! We're ready."

"Here we go," C. Junior grinned and blew into his whistle. The noise it made sounded like a buzzer. In a flash of golden dust, Junior, Lily, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo had all vanished from the inside of the station and been sucked into the painted tunnel next to the signal house in the mural.

When Sora could see again, the view was not as pleasant as he expected. Shadows and branches shrouded out the railroad tracks below. It cold and a good, strong wind was blowing through the area. Still… he was floating like he was lighter than a feather. Around him, Donald, Goofy, Amemi, Indigo, Launchpad, Lily, and C. Junior were also floating along the railway. Gold dust flew from their bodies as they proceeded down the railroad.

The whole experience reminded Sora of when he had first flown in Neverland to escape from Captain Hook's Heartless crew. All he needed to do was believe and it seemed anything was possible. Could gold dust work by using the same effect?

Lily turned to C. Junior, who now was a lot bigger (about the size of an average adult). "You've grown bigger," she commented.

"You are bigger!" Amemi declared.

Junior grinned. "Or maybe you're all smaller. I'm just adjusting properly to my new surroundings. This is the only place it happens to me."

"Then this island must be full of tiny people," Goofy said.

Donald scowled. "Aw phooey! I'll be the smallest of all!"

"Not really that small," Junior clarified. "You'll see."

At that moment, a huge gust of wind surged the group upward and back down in a similar style to that of a roller coaster. "Whoa!" Sora shouted. "This is so…. "

"Bouncy?" Junior offered.

"Yeah!"

"So, where in the world are we now?" Indigo inquired. "I sense Darkness coming from everywhere…. "

"On the Conductor's Railroad," Junior informed.

"A… magic railroad?" Lily asked.

"Whatever," Junior shrugged. "We're travelling thousands of miles to the island, but… I don't think this railroad will last much longer. It'll vanish, like the engine."

"What engine?" Launchpad questioned. "An airplane?"

"No. A train," Junior blew into his whistle again to ensure the gold dust would continue to flow properly. "The one that used to travel on this railroad. Cuz and I never saw it, and we don't know what happened to it."

Sora looked down at the tracks below. A train engine had once used these very tracks? Judging from the amount of undergrowth and the thickness of the trees and branches, it was evident the railroad was in terrible need of repair. Yet, who would come to such an out-of-the-way place to fix it?

Indigo tapped him on the shoulder. "Sora, I sense Darkness coming at us."

Sora looked directly ahead. In the midst of the darkness caused by the shadows in the foliage tunnel was a number of flying shadowy creatures that nearly blended into the scenery.

Junior must have seen them, too. "Hey," he declared. "What's that doing there?"

"Heartless!" Sora summoned his Keyblade. "I got this!"

"We've got this!" Donald added in. Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo all approved the statement by taking out their corresponding weapons.

The group surged ahead. "Be careful!" Lily called out to them. "Don't let them get you."

Sora flew very close to one of the Shadowy Copters and slashed his weapon clear through it. Donald took out a few with a few strikes of his Thundara spells. Goofy hurled his shield into the air and knocked out a couple as it returned to him. Amemi's slingshot aim was a little off; Sora blamed the constant movement as they continued down the tracks. One of the Heartless swooped in close and lunged at Launchpad. The duck pilot aimed his gas-gun and fired two shots. One of them struck the Heartless directly and terminated it into Darkness. The other hit a second enemy and put it to sleep.

Sora grinned. "Nice one, Launchpad!"

"No problem-o!" Launchpad replied.

Indigo sliced and slashed her way through multiple Heartless. Although her flying would normally be unsteady thanks to the tear in her wing, the gold dust made it possible to stay aloft with ease.

"Take this!" Sora announced as he struck another Heartless. Spotting one more left, he called, "It's over!"

He smashed his Keyblade into the Heartless's head. The creature exploded into Darkness. He wiped his forehead and put his weapon away. "That was weird," he muttered.

"These Heartless sure aren't like thuh ones we usually see," Goofy murmured.

"I wonder why they're so special," Donald added.

"At least they're gone," Launchpad brightened.

Amemi turned to her brother. "They were hard to take down. Maybe range attacks aren't the best right now…. "

"You'll get better," Sora reassured his sister. "It takes practice. I wasn't always the best at the Keyblade."

"No kidding," Donald commented.

"You threw it through that there window in Traverse Town when it slipped from your arms. It knocked the crystal case over the counter of the Accessory Shop."

"Hey!" Sora snapped in a friendly manner. He glanced down to see a wooden freight car filled with coal resting along a siding on the railway. 'Huh? Where'd that come from? I thought there weren't any trains on this railway anymore…. '

Indigo looked back down the railroad. "Here come C. Junior and Lily," she told the others.

The messy-haired man and the girl had caught up with the rest of the group. "Are you ready?" the former called to everyone. "Here are the buffers."

In front of everyone present was a set of wooden buffers, the kind used to keep trains on railways from crashing. As they approached, a rainbow light appeared accompanied by the loud sound of a train's whistle.

The landing was very rough and rocky. When Sora could see again, he realized everyone was in the sunshine making its way through the treetops of the surrounding hillsides. Green grass sprouted all around. A graceful wind swept through the scenery, reminding him of the breeze back home on the islands. The scent of salt in the air was ever present, so he laid back onto the ground to soak it all in. The rocks strewn between the rails jolted him back to reality. He rubbed his back. "Man," he winced. "That hurt."

"This isn't our island, silly," Amemi laughed. She held out her hand. Sora accepted the offer and was back on his feet in seconds. He brushed off his clothing.

Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo were all looking around the immediate area. The lush hills and trees in the distance made the scene feel like something out of a pleasant dream. Lily and C. Junior were rising to their feet a few steps away. Behind the group were a pair of wooden railway buffers. Sora quickly presumed they had exited the "special" railway via those train-crash-stoppers.

"Where is this place?" Sora asked.

Junior pulled out a compass. He fidgeted with it and grinned. "The Island of Sodor, of course!" he pointed to the left. A tall hill sloped up in that direction. "This way."

Goofy and Donald approached the Keyblade wielder. "What now?" the knight inquired.

Launchpad and Indigo closed in to hear what the young man held in reply. "We should follow Junior," Sora decided. "He's the only one who's been here before."

He headed for the hilly slope. The others were right behind. Lily and Junior were already halfway up. Junior let out a sneeze. "Bogus!" he grumbled.

"What is wrong?" Indigo asked. "Are you allergic to something here?"

"Yes. I think I'm allergic to grass," the man responded, followed by another large sneeze from his nose.

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered. "And this here hill's got plenty of grass."

"Perfect for rollin' downhill in the Summer!" Launchpad approved. "But… I thought it was Winter."

Within minutes, all eight of them had scaled the hill to its peak. Junior wiped all the grass blades trying to cover his uniform. From their heigh advantage, they could all see well into the distance. Numerous rail-lined bridges, viaducts, and tunnels carved their way through the beautiful landscape. Railroads ran this way and that. Trains of steam engine and diesel engine variety alike chugged their way along the pre-determined courses. Whistles filled the air.

"What's that noise?" Lily asked.

"It sounds like trains," Indigo said.

Goofy raised an ear and cupped his hand to the side of his head. "Hey! I hear voices!"

"It is the trains," Junior explained. "I told you, they talk."

"A-Hyuck!"

Donald cupped his hand to the side of his head. He scowled. "I can't hear them."

"We're just too far away to hear what they're saying yet," Junior said.

"Aw phooey!"

Sora turned to Indigo. "This place is full of railroads. How do we know which one is the 'other side'?"

"Maybe the answer is simpler to find than you think?" the angel offered.

Sora had to sigh. Violet had the tendency to say such things instead of outright being clear to the point, too. Perhaps he should reconsider seeking advice from angels in the future? Then again, how often does one get to meet an angel in person? As far as he knew, it was exceptionally rare. Getting to travel throughout the universe with one was most-likely even rarer. He should simply make the most of it… or something like that.

Junior re-aligned his compass. He pointed to the right. "This way now."

The group carefully made their way down the steep embankment. To Sora's relief, the area was pretty clear of Heartless. Of course, no sooner had he thought that did a few Shadowy creatures appear. With Keyblade in hand, he cleared the way for the others. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo all helped. Deep down, Sora had the feeling they would be spending most of their time in this world protecting Lily and C. Junior from the Heartless than actually finding Rudol's scheme location. He remembered how Luxord had planted a massive Heartless in the town of Port Royal to collect hearts while Sora, Donald, Goofy, and their friends were busy retrieving the missing four medallions from those Gambler Nobodies. If Rudol was anything like Luxord (and Sora was positive they were the same person), this adventure would be a maze until they found his current whereabouts.

The base of the hilly slope was easier to manage footholds upon. Sora's oversized shoes were strapped on so he could not lose them while crossing hills or sand dunes. He was glad he had remembered to fasten them the other day or one of them might have slipped free and tumbled down the hill onto the tracks rounding their way along the base.

Once Sora had reached the bottom, he gazed back up. Donald and Goofy were sliding down on the latter's shield, almost like it was a sled. Launchpad was tumbling head over heels, clearly having lost his balance. He hit the ground on his head. A pebble bounced off his flight cap. "I meant ta do that," he claimed.

Sora shook his head and decided to check on the others. Amemi and Lily were tackling the slope one step at a time. C. Junior was having a major sneeze-fest as he trotted along. Indigo had already reached the ground ahead of everybody else, her wings gliding her safely to her destination. Sora wished he could still fly, the way he had back in Neverland and Pixie Hollow alike. Yet, things did not work that way in other worlds — especially those lacking fairy or pixie dust.

The sound of a peeping whistle echoed. Sora and his team all turned their eyes down the railway to the left. "Look!" Goofy pointed out. "There's a train!"

Coming down the tracks toward them was indeed a small blue tank engine with a clear number "1" painted on its side. Despite its little size, the steam engine was capable of pulling along two wooden coaches with covered roofs. Still, what caught Sora's attention was the large face at the front of the engine's boiler. "Annie, Clarabel, there's Mr. Conductor!" the engine declared with delight. "We've found him!"

C. Junior grinned when he saw the engine. "It's Thomas!"

The train came to a halt before everyone standing beside the track. Steam hissed from the boiler. Its face was no longer pleased. Junior waved to the train. "Hi, Thomas! Don't look so surprised. I know you haven't seen me since…. "

Thomas frowned. "…You stuffed party poppers down my funnel."

Amemi turned to the young man. "You did… what?"

Junior stretched out his arms. "Hey, we had a laugh."

"You did," Thomas scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Lily seemed awestruck by the sight of the steam engine. "You're talking to each other."

"Cool!" Sora agreed.

Junior smiled. He gestured to Lily and Thomas. "Lily, this is Thomas. Thomas, this is Lily."

Sora strode forward. "I'm Sora."

"Donald," Donald introduced.

"Name's Goofy," Goofy chuckled. "Nice to meetcha!"

"The name's Launchpad McQuack!" Launchpad threw in. "If it's got wings, I can crash it!"

"My name's Amemi," Amemi waved. "You can call me 'Amy', if you'd like."

"My name is Indigo," Indigo gave a polite curtsey. Her antennae and wings curtseyed with the rest of her body.

Thomas beamed. "Hello, Lily! Hello, Sora! Hello, Donald! Hello, Goofy! Hello, Launchpad! Hello, Amy! Hello, Indigo! Welcome to Sodor!"

Sora had to admit, it was fun getting to meet a talking train. According to Junior, the whole island was supposed to be home to talking trains. How many other friends might he make while he was here? Only time would tell….

"We're looking for my cousin," Junior said. "Thomas, have you seen him?"

"Mr. Conductor?" Thomas paused in thought. "He said he was going to the windmill, but he never arrived there. I've been worried sick about him."

"Maybe we should search the windmill?" Sora suggested. "Other than that, I'm out of ideas."

"What's new?' Donald gave a sneaky grin.

"Climb aboard!" Thomas told the group. "I'll take you there. Just give a shout when you're ready to roll."

"How's about now?" Sora put his hands behind his head. He grinned brilliantly.

Before long, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, Indigo, Lily, and C. Junior were aboard the little tank steam engine. It was a pretty tight fit, reminding Sora of his experience inside Herbie before Launchpad had pushed the button to expand the interior. Speaking of the Gummi Ship… he hoped Herbie was doing okay waiting back outside of the station in Shining Time.

Thomas uncoupled from his coaches. "I have to be really useful now, Annie and Clarabel," he told them. "I'll send Percy to pick you up later."

"We've heard that one before," the coaches answered.

Thomas steamed off down the tracks. As they passed through a tunnel and under a signal on the other side, Sora began wishing he was a train, too. Imagine all the fun times he could have while exploring an island like Sodor! Then again, it would probably involve a lot of heavy and hard work. Perhaps that was not cut out for him….

The thought of Rudol's statement flashed back into his mind. Thomas was a train, so maybe he had seen the guy from the Organization lurking around here somewhere. "Thomas? Have you seen a guy in a black coat anywhere on the island?" he asked.

Thomas thought hard for a minute. "Sorry! Can't say I have. Is he related to Diesel 10?"

Sora shrugged. "No idea."

"Who's 'Diesel 10'?" Lily asked.

"A mean diesel train," C. Junior sighed.

"He's the meanest meanie on the island," Thomas commented. "He hates steamies. The other night, he woke us up and threatened Mr. Conductor. He kept talking about a 'lost engine', but he didn't find out what he wanted."

"A 'lost engine'?" Amemi wondered aloud.

"Yes. I don't know of any 'lost' engines, but there might be a lost railway, too. That's what Percy and I think."

Sora started to contemplate. Lost engines… lost railways… Diesel 10… Organization XIII… Shining Time… Sodor… there had to be a connection somewhere. The question now was… what? Could that "lost railway" possibly be the railroad Rudol had meant? It seemed likely. Either way, the brown-haired young man was certain they would all have to keep an eye out for this Diesel 10 engine as they continued their search on the Island of Sodor.

The trip across the island was long and windy. The trees shifted calmly with the wind. The distant smell of the ocean was carried by the gusts. To Sora, it was just like home. The sound of the waves was a sound he longed to hear again. True, he had heard them just before the swim into the Atlantean ruins, and they had echoed from the shoreline near the fort at Jamestowne (though in a subtle way). Yet, the best encounters of the waves had been at the lighthouse outside Passamaquoddy, and at the beach near Lilo and Nani's hometown. Now he could visualize the seaside surrounding the Island of Sodor, too. How he wished to go home and swim in the ocean on the Children's Play Island…. He should be able to do precisely that once this quest was completed.

A large windmill carrying four sails was mounted atop a small knoll alongside the track. As Thomas drew close, the sunlight landed onto something gold and shiny. "What's that shiny thing?" Launchpad inquired, squinting at the view.

C. Junior stared with relief. "It's my cousin."

"He's here?" Donald quacked. He scanned the surrounding area. "Where's the Organization?"

"Not here," Sora sighed in disbelief. He had always operated under the belief that Organization XIII and the Heartless preferred to target the purest of hearts and shiny stuff. It looked like this was not one of them. 'This is gonna be harder than I thought…. "

Thomas came to a stop beside the windmill. "Mr. Conductor! Thank heavens you're safe!"

Once all the steam had wheezed out of the tank engine, Sora led his team out of the cab. Lily and Junior were right behind them. All eight of them marched up to a pile of sacks containing freshly-ground flour. Standing next to the wall on the other side of the pile was a tall man with neat dark hair. His blue conductor's uniform was a little worn, yet still in better shape than his cousin's.

"Hey, Cuz," Junior smiled at his cousin. "What're you doing? Enjoying the Sun?"

Mr. Conductor had a stern look on his face. "No, Junior, I am not. I landed here after escaping from a heavy metal monster."

"Diesel 10?" Sora inquired.

"He doesn't like me. He doesn't like steam engines," Mr. Conductor turned to the others. "And he won't like you either," he paused. "Who are all of you?"

"I'm Sora," Sora introduced. He gestured to his teammates. "Donald… Goofy… Launchpad… Amemi… Indigo."

Junior grinned. "I say, Cuz, you look rough," he stepped closer and put his arm around Mr. Conductor's shoulders. "Let's get more gold dust, then you can sort the monster out and go home, and I can get back to the beach."

Mr. Conductor removed his cousin's arm. "Listen to me, Junior, I've got bad news…. "

"What is it?" Amemi asked.

The conductor gazed at everybody else. "I'm all out of gold dust," he smiled. "But, I do know the clue!"

"The clue to what?" Sora questioned.

"More gold dust?" Junior leaned in close.

Mr. Conductor nodded. He started to speak. "'Stoke up the magic in the mountain…. '," his voice stopped short. He snapped his fingers. "Dang it!"

"Bother!" agreed Thomas.

"So, you don't remember it," Sora looked down. He was hoping for anything interesting. He did not know why he was longing for something new. Unless…. He looked up. "We'll help you remember it!"

"We will?!" Donald and Amemi exclaimed simultaneously.

"How can we help him remember something if we don't know what it was to start with?" the sandy-haired girl quizzed her brother. "You are so naïve…. "

Sora placed his hands behind his head. "Well… y'know."

"Oh brother," Donald rolled his eyes.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy covered his mouth to hold back a laugh.

The seventeen-year-old Keyblader shifted his sight to Indigo. "Do you sense that Organization XIII guy around here?"

Indigo shook her head. "No, yet I am sensing a strong Darkness someplace else on this island."

"Really?" Sora stood up and returned his hands to their proper placements. "Where?"

The angel gave a shrug. Her antennae were vibrating, yet they were not indicating any specific direction. "It could be anywhere. I sense it is on the move."

Sora took a minute to think. A Darkness that was moving… it could be a Heartless travelling across the island. His memory recalled the dragon Heartless Xigbar had unleashed upon the Imperial City in the Land of Dragons and the Wargoyle Heartless Frollo and Pete had commanded in La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches. If this was a powerful enemy — one they would have to deal with in addition to Rudol…. Then again, it could otherwise be that Diesel 10 train C. Junior and Thomas had mentioned.

Whatever it was, the Keyblade would be awaiting command from his heart, the way a Minuteman was ready to defend his town on a minute's notice. At least, he hoped so!

Junior gestured at Lily. The girl had been standing off to the side, silently watching the windmill's sails spinning around. "Cuz, this is Lily. She's staying with her grumpy old Grandpa Stone."

Mr. Conductor smiled and politely shook hands with the dark-haired girl. "Hello, Lily."

Sora started to wonder why the conductor had acted much more surprised when greeting he and his team. He hadn't been so startled by Lily. Could it have something to do with how they were dressed? Was it because Donald was a duck, Goofy was a dog, Launchpad was a pelican, and Indigo was an angel? That couldn't be correct. Through all the worlds they had visited, no one had questioned the anthropomorphic characters from Disney Castle. 'I'm overthinking this again,' he decided.

In a single blur of movement, Junior and Launchpad vanished from sight. Goofy, too. Caught off guard, Sora looked around. "Launchpad? Goofy?"

"Junior?" Mr. Conductor called, taking notice of his cousin's sudden absence.

Donald shifted his gaze up. "Look!" he cried, pointing at the windmill. All eyes went up, including Thomas's. There were C. Junior, Launchpad, and Goofy, riding on the sails. Around and around they went, slowly and gracefully. Laughs came from the knight and pilot.

"Hey! What's gotten into you two?!" Sora shouted at his friends. "Get back down here!"

"Junior, get down!" Mr. Conductor yelled to his cousin. "It's too windy."

"Aw shucks," Goofy wept. He hopped off the sail and used his shield as a substitute parachute. Launchpad continued to cling to the wooden sail, enjoying the ride.

"This is just like the funfair," Junior declared. "Give us two secs!"

"Two seconds is all it takes for you to land in trouble," Mr. Conductor countered.

Almost like the conductor's prediction had been real, an enormous rush of wind surged across the landscape. Sora shivered, his mind recollecting the freeze back in Pixie Hollow. Donald held onto his hat; Goofy replicated the act. Amemi forced her skirt down amid the gale. Indigo's wings wrapped around her, forcing her to push them out of the way. The gust sent the windmill on a turning frenzy. Faster and faster the sails spun, until the messy-headed young man and Launchpad couldn't keep their grip any longer. The sail flung them in a catapult fashion into the sky. Away they soared, off into the distance.

"Launchpad!" Donald exclaimed. "Aw phooey! Now I'll have to fly the Gummi Ship!"

"Junior!" Lily hollered against the wind.

Thomas looked concerned. "Diesel 10 might've hijacked them!" he cried.

"Oh no!" Sora shouted. The idea of losing a member of his team in the middle of a mission was unthinkable. He had watched Goofy get donked on the head and lie motionless once. The knight had come to and returned to the others, mentioning how the impact had "really hurt". Hopefully Launchpad would turn out to be alright in the end, as well.

Amemi must have sensed her brother's distress. She stepped over to him and wrapped her hand around his arm. "It's going to be okay. They can make it through anything."

Sora kept his eyes trained into the distance. "Yeah…. "

Lily seemed unconvinced. "What's going to happen to Junior?"

"Oh, our family is pretty good at getting itself out of trouble," Mr. Conductor answered. "Eventually."

Thomas seemed uncertain. "I don't know what 'eventually' means, but it sounds really, really long."

Sora swept his eyes across the distance. Wherever their friends had landed, he hoped he would locate them before Rudol or the Heartless did. Who knew what would happen if the Darkness came first? Still, he knew only time would tell….

A/N: THIS IS GETTING INTERESTING . . . . WHAT RAILROAD DID RUDOL MEAN? WHERE ARE LAUNCHPAD AND C. JUNIOR? WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD? THE ANSWER(S) TO AT LEAST ONE OF THESE QUESTIONS MIGHT BE ANSWERED SOMETIME UP AHEAD!

Remember - We are not Alternating Chapters between Sora's Team and Riku & Mickey's groups!
Therefore, Chapter 55 shall return to the Realm of Darkness to catch up with whatever the others are dealing with in the search for Aqua and Shelly.

In the meantime, allow me to go over this stuff:
(1.) It ought to be clear by now, yet just in case, SHINING SODOR is based upon the movie, "'THOMAS AND THE MAGIC RAILROAD (2000)'"! I really, really, REALLY wanted to include it in one of these stories since it is a major part of my own childhood. That, and the rest of anything "Thomas The Train" / "Thomas The Tank Engine" related. Like one of the songs from the movie states, "'Some Things Never Leave You'" - a statement I completely agree with in every way, shape, and form!
(2.) Yes. Rudol is supposed to be Luxord. Of course, I have the feeling you already knew that.
(3.) For those of you who have seen the movie, you might notice how I combined the dialogue of the original screenplay with that of the final movie itself. I recently came across the original screenplay, and I have to admit, it is much DARKER than the released outcome. I am actually glad the movie was not that dark, considering what it is based upon. Ironically, it is a Crossover between "'Thomas The Tank Engine'" and "'Shining Time Station'". So, now there is a Crossover Within A Crossover Story!
(4.) That is all I have to say today / tonight!

So Then, I'll See You Next Time!
In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!

REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!

This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"