The Paris Connection
At long last the time had come. Rayne and Anton's time to return to Japan and Italy had arrived. For Rayne it would take some time to recover from the damage done to her but she'd be back to her old self in due time but for Anton it would be good for him to be heading home to engines of his own kind.
Anton: Well this is really it. The time has come for us to return home Driver. I've learned so much from our hosts and I've taken my time on the Kalos Railway seriously.
Anton's Driver: We both have learned a lot form our hosts and took our time seriously Anton. Fortunately, the threat off Arcanon seems to have overshadowed the fury that our hosts have for us at the moment.
Anton: Agreed let's get our train and return to Italy where we belong.
Anton left to get his trucks on that note unaware that one of Lord Arcanon's minions heard everything that was said and was spying on the Kalos Railway upon Lord Arcanon's command before the spy prepared to shift gears and link up with Arcanon's crew in another country. But first the spy pulled out a burner phone to make a call after finding a secluded location.
Spy: Lord Arcanon. This is the observer reporting in. Anton is returning to Italy as scheduled. Shall we resume our attacks on the Kalos Railway?
Lord Arcanon: Not just yet. Once the visiting Italian diesel is out of range we will prepare to attack Sodor and the Kalos Railway. Payne industries has yet to get a new CEO and the LMS kettle is preparing to replace the current CEO. This we cannot allow.
Spy: Then what do you suggest we do next? Sodor will be difficult to attack because everyone who hates steam engines has somehow been crushed. People say it's like the Karma capital of the world.
Lord Arcanon: The key to the conquest of Sodor is to remove the Hatt Family. Removing them from the equation will allow us to spread fear and terror. The Hatt Family are the reason that steam engine still exist. If the Hatt family is eliminated then so will those tin kettles on wheels.
Spy: I get the plan but what of Jen's Understudy Lieutenant Piper Kelly?
Lord Arcanon: once again I'm way ahead of you. I've called in some help from the east and as for that help they'll bring forth a terror and a beat like you cannot even imagine and speaking of terror it's time to tie up some loose ends in preparation for my visit to Canada and to wreak havoc on the Island of Sodor. My relatives present will unleash their fury soon enough.
The spy understood soon enough as Arcanon's plans were about to reach their fruition and everything that Master Arcanon planned would come to pass. The spy could feel the winds of change blowing and they were much colder and chiller which let the spy know that the end was getting closer and closer and victory was to be theirs. Soon the glorious reign of Coi would be overshadowed by the glorious reign of the Dark Lord Arcanon once again and it would be a most glorious reign.
At the same time the Canadian Branch of Lord Arcanon's organization had found the secret prison that held the leader of the Canadian Terrors after Arcanon's hackers had done a lot of data crunching and now they were observing the prison at a distance and the guards as well knowing that their leader would let them know when the time to act would come. All of Arcanon's ambitions would be set into place and the Canadian Branch of Arcanon's Organization would show themselves and terrorize all of Canada just as the Canadian Terrors did years ago.
Back in France, Anton collected his final goods train on the Kalos Railway before heading home as Rayne was already loaded on a ship bound for Japan. Jake and Noah were at the Dock Yards collecting their trains.
Noah: Looks like I'm on my own again. No matter. I can manage.
Jake: The boss knows you can manage and you've got Josh helping you. Remember it's not about muscle it's about believing in yourself.
Noah: Thanks for the vote of confidence. I really needed that. You're a true friend Jake.
Jake: What kind of friend would I be if I didn't help you out or try to give you support?
Noah and Jake finished waiting as they collected their passenger and goods trains respectively before heading out. However, what they didn't know was that in addition to additional security in the form of the Gold Dragons traveling on Noah's train as passengers and the guards for both trains being members of the Gold Dragons, counter surveillance was being done on them by members of Arcanon's organization.
On the Island of Sodor Arcanon's advance crew were observing and taking notes and secretly assisting Coi's daughter in her own plans which synched with the plans of Arcanon's even if Coi's daughter didn't know it. Arcanon's crew was to also deliver news to Coi letting her know that Arcanon was coming, he knew about her treason and that he didn't tolerate traitors at all and that this was to be the same harsh lesson that Arcanon's crew taught the parents of Samara, Rachel and Viveca for paying the fines for the damage done to an outdated tin kettle. The harsh lesson had come in the form of a brutal beating and a visit from the mother's siblings. They were also responsible for a hand full of incidents such as helping fugitives fleeing from justice in the United Kingdom by sending them to Egypt and out of reach of the United Kingdom's justice system.
Arcanon's advance team were currently preparing to contact their boss after having helped another fugitive escape justice.
Advance Team Leader: Lord Arcanon, this is the advance team reporting in. we bring news. It's good news but unfortunately we also bring bad news.
Arcanon: Give me the news you wish to present first then I'll decide on our course of action.
Advance Team Leader: The other railway has gained Lieutenant Piper Kelly as Jen's understudy as the controller of the Other Railway and she's already bringing in the Mainline Certified Steam Engines to fill the gap for the diesels that she's already shut up in the sheds.
Arcanon: (Yelling) WHAT?! How could this have happened? I thought I told you to eliminate any military officer from England chosen for the job. You said you finished them off. How did she escape the attack? I want her eliminated!
Advance Team Leader: Fear no my lord. We have some diesels and some of the staff happen to be relatives of members of the Crows and the crows were led by Coi. If I had to guess I suspect that the Gold Dragons have something to do with Lieutenant Piper Kelly's selection as controller. Fortunately we have a plan on that. We've got crows following Lieutenant Kelly and some of the British branch of your crew are ready to take the lieutenant out.
Arcanon: Excellent on the plan to dispose of the swan. I'm in France for now and I want that swan gone by the time I arrive. Don't disappoint me.
The Advance Team Leader understood and finished the phone call. Upon leaving the Advance team Leader prepared to hunt down Lieutenant Piper Swan Kelly and Eliminate her and her whole family as per Arcanon's orders.
On the island of Sodor the big engines had a terrible feeling that the forces of the crows were about to call upon an even more dangerous force. They also feared for the life of Lieutenant Piper "Swan" Kelly after she put the Mainline Certified Steam Locomotives in charge of the passenger trains on the other railway to fill in for the diesels she had shut up in the sheds for being rude and obnoxious and suspended staff that had allied with the crows.
Henry: Lieutenant Piper "Swan" Kelly is already stepping up to the plate as a leader. She's putting the steam engines with mainline permits in charge of all the passenger trains and she's borrowed Kayla back to help with the workloads. We should've asked Swan for her help when Coi was terrorizing the United Kingdom years ago and we didn't. This of course means we will have to ask for Swan to help us fight the Crows and Arcanon's organization.
Gordon : I agree with you on that Henry but let's remember this. Swan is only one person and Arcanon's Organization operates all over the world and we don't know the full extent of the size or power of Arcanon's organization. Swan may be friends with the Gold Dragons but that may get her attacked or eliminated. Lord Arcanon rules the Criminal Underworld and he has strengthened other street gangs. Case in point the United Kingdom terrors and the Crows have grown even stronger as of late and the Leaders of the terrors are so bad even Mavis and her driver and his wife are scared to death of Arcanon. Case in point the damage done to my boiler by Rachel and Viveca landed their parents in the hospital after paying the fine and giving them a piece of their minds as well. That was retaliation by Arcanon's crew to gain favor with Coi's daughter but this is only speculation at best.
James: Let's also remember that Mavis has to face the impending threat of the Crows who are after her driver and his wife, the Gold Dragons who are after her driver's wife, and Arcanon's crew who are after her, her driver, and her driver's wife. Personally I'd stay clear of Mavis and Thomas' branchline just to be safe lest Arcanon comes. Every time somebody opposes Arcanon and his crew they wind up in the hospital or worse. The only engines brave enough to fight Arcanon and his crew are from the Kalos Railway in France and the Johto Railway in Japan.
Henry: We're aware of that and need we remind you of what happened there?
James; How could we forget? The Johtoh Railway suffered a massive attack for running a company of lorries out of business because it was run by one of Arcanon's lieutenants. That in turn landed one of the Johto Railway's own locomotives on the chopping block. And I fear we may all share the same fate.
Gordon: Then what do you suggest we do about it?
James: For now, in order to stay in one piece and to keep our drivers and firemen safe, we may have to keep our funnels out of the affairs of Arcanon, his crew or their clients. At this point the Fat Controller may not be strong enough to take on Arcanon or his crew just yet and don't even get me started on the issue of Edward's other task.
Henry: I do not know what Edward was thinking when he agreed to that. Does he not know who he is dealing with?
Gordon: Obviously he does not know who he is dealing with or he would've been wise enough to say no. Even Duck would agree with us on this. In fact, Every Steam Engine on Sodor agrees on the subject that the task Edward has taken is impossible. It can't be done.
James and Henry both agreed with Gordon on that statement even as night began to fall and Nia, Belle, Bear, and Rebecca arrived.
Belle: I never thought I'd say this but I'm inclined to agree with you lot. Reforming Diesel's driver's demon spawn of a daughter is an impossible task.
Rebecca: That makes two of us Belle. I even told Edward that he was out of his mind trying to help Coi after Camille made bad jokes about my paintwork and shape.
Nia: I'm usually tolerant but at this rate I'm thinking that those who said that Duchess Corrinne had the right idea about Coi's sentence going to execution or life in prison were right.
Bear: Normally I'm not the type to say such things but in this case we may have to get Duchess Corrinne to take the lead and let her handle this. Edward has tried his best but something tells me that he's running out of time. Either way it looks like you lot may want to stay clear of Vicarstown for a while.
Belle: What makes you say that?
Bear: The place has a crime problem but ever since it was revealed that Camille is Coi's daughter the crime problem has not only grown but it's spreading across the entire island and beginning to seep into all of Vicarstown.
Henry: I don't blame you. Sometimes at night when I'm taking the Flying Kipper through Vicarstown it's like I can feel the full extent of the Crows influence. In another life where magical powers existed Vicarstown Station would have a dark gothic theme to it due to the dark power covering the place and the foul rain and endless night Sodor and the United Kingdom would suffer. In this life however that isn't the case but the sense of fear is there and it's only a matter of time before something happens.
Belle: Which means we're all gonna be headed for the scrapheap if Edward fails and Duchess Corrinne is unable to help us. It looks like we may need Duchess Corrinne to come to Sodor after all.
Nia: We shouldn't think like this. Yes we're aware that the darkness is starting to take over but if you let doubt and fear paralyze you then we've already lost. We have to have faith but that alone isn't enough. Sometimes if you want things to change then you have to be the change.
Gordon: Who on earth told you that?
Nia: Duchess Corrinne according to Gervase. Gervase said that Corrinne is the teaching type considering it was she who taught him the ways of Parcel services and she in turn was mentored by the Black Fives.
James: Considering who Duchess Corrinne's teachers are I'm not surprised. Either way we may as well enjoy what little time we have left before Arcanon makes a big move.
The fleet knew that while James was sounding a bit morbid they knew he was right and the weather was reflecting this as rain was staring to pour down all over Sodor and the British Isles. The fleet could only pray that things would change in the days to come. The only semblance of good news was that they were expected to get a visitor or two from France which meant that the Kalos Controller was sending somebody to check on them even if the Kalos Controller was mainly there to hinder Arcanon.
Author's Note: I apologize if some people find this too morbid but this is my style of writing and it's been influenced by media series such as the Wizarding World and Kingdom Hearts. As you can also see I've referenced ThomasZoey3000's adaptation of Gordon Springs a Leak into this story as well and changed the name of some of my characters since I felt their old name weren't working out. Anyway please read and review. Thank you that is all.