Heatwave
Written by Historyfan15
(Morning: we get an overhead view of the sheds of the narrow gauge engines. We then see Duncan sleeping soundly when...)
Skarloey: Wake up, Duncan!
Duncan: (wakes up suddenly) Gah! Who's there?! (groans) Och, what is it, Skarloey? Can't you see I'm trying to sleep here?
Skarloey: Haven't you forgotten? It's your turn to take the picnic train this week.
Duncan: (grunts) Find someone else to do it. I'm not going out into that blistering heat.
Skarloey: Ooooh, yes, you are. Each week, we take it in turns to pull the picnic train up into the mountains, and this week, it's your turn.
Duncan: Well, who says I'm going to? Ye' can't make me move out of this shed.
Rheneas: I wouldn't be so sure about that, Duncan. We're not settling for no slackers on this railway. We pull our weight equally and you're going to do just that.
Duncan: Hmph, and what happens if I don't, hmm?
Rheneas: Oh, that's easy. We'll just keep you in the quarry for the rest of the summer. It'd be less noise for us to deal with here, what without your constant grumbling.
Skarloey: Who knows, it might work like it did for Sir Handel.
Duncan: WHAT?! I do not grumble! In fact, I'm gonna go right now and show you two how a REAL engine pulls a train. Just you wait and see! (storms off in a huff)
Skarloey: Thank you, Duncan! (winks at Rheneas)
Rheneas: (smirks) Gets him every time.
Duncan: (suddenly realizing upon approaching the carriage shed) Wait, did I seriously just…(growls and grumbles vulgarly as he backs down on the coaches and snorts off to the station)
(Sir Handel comes out from behind a line of trucks with a glance at the sheds)
Sir Handel: You just wait till you find how many trucks you have to take, Skarloey, hmmhmmhmm.
(soon, Duncan is seen waiting at the platform of Pine Station, awaiting James' passengers from the standard gauge railway)
Duncan: Come on, come on! It's already getting too hot for my liking.
(just then, Rusty passes by with a train of stone and smiles at the impatient Duncan)
Rusty: You know, I wonder what's hotter, the day's heat or your fiery temper?
Duncan: Och, shut up, Rusty!
(just then, James arrives with his train, scowling at an already furious Duncan as Edward pass by on the other line with a train of coaches)
Duncan: Took ye' long enough!
James: Well, excuse me, princess, but I had to wait for extra coaches, what with all these passengers. So stop complaining like it's my fault. I don't wanna deal with this heat any longer than you.
(the passengers disembark from James' coaches; among those being the Crystal Gems, Blitz, Jinks, Snagglepuss, Top Cat, Hokey, Yogi, Angelina, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Trixie, Antoine, Diaspro, Lola, Pongo, Tod, Sylvester, and Tom)
Amethyst: I still don't understand why we couldn't have just gone down to the beach. For crying out loud, we LIVE near one.
Pearl: Well, I think going out for a picnic in the mountains will be a nice, relaxing way to spend the day. Wouldn't you agree, Garnet?
Garnet: At least we have an umbrella. That's all that really matters.
Duncan: (blows whistle impatiently) Come on, hurry up!
Pearl: (scowls) Although, I do feel the mode of transport could have been a bit more...cooperative.
(as soon as all the passengers board the coaches, the guard blows his whistle, indicating for Duncan to leave)
Duncan: (blows whistle) Off we go...FINALLY!
(Duncan huffs out of the station as James gives a grin while Gordon passes by on the other line with the Express)
(soon, we see Duncan chuffing dutifully through the countryside)
Duncan: I'm overworked, and I won't stand for it! Honestly, I should be given a pay rise for this...or at least something that's equivalent to a pay rise.
(Peter Sam comes down the line with a line of slate trucks in the opposite direction, whistling a greeting to Duncan)
Peter Sam: Hello, Duncan, you're looking quite sunny today.
Duncan: (sarcastically) Hahaha, where'd ya' get that one, the pound shop?
(meanwhile, in the coaches, Pearl is looking out the window, taking in the scenery)
Pearl: You know, traveling by rail has a sort of quaint feeling to it. It may be ancient, but I can see why people would take great interest in something like this. Wouldn't you agree, Amethyst? (Amethyst doesn't respond) Amethyst? (sees that Amethyst is zoned out) Amethyst!
Amethyst: (snorts) What? You say something, P?
Pearl: Ooh, never mind.
(soon, they pass a field with the railway and the road run alongside each other. Due to the low amount of rain, the patch of tall grass have become dry and crisp)
Duncan: Talk about being dry. (sighs) Speaking of dry, I'm gonna need a drink at the next water column.
(unbeknownst to Duncan and the passengers, the grass begins to give off a little bit of smoke as the sun continues to scorch down on it)
(soon, they reach a little station on the outskirts of the mountains, known as Crimson Lake Station. The station also has a cafe for passengers who want food and drinks)
Rarity: At last, refreshments to quench my thirst from this unbearable heat.
Duncan: Ugh, speak for yourself.
Rarity: (offended) Why, I never! Come along, Sweetie Belle! I'm sure the company indoors will be less rude.
Duncan: Bah, whatever. (proceeds to have his water tank filled up)
Garnet: (bluntly) You know, you could do with smiling a little more.
Duncan: (sarcastically) What's there to smile about? All this heat, you lot cramming up the coaches, remembering the seasonal timetable? Yeah, I have SO MUCH to be happy about, don't I?
Garnet: (dismissively) Oh, well. I tried. (turns and walks away)
(after a rather uneventful journey through the mountains, Duncan begins his journey back to Crimson Lake Station in the late hours of the afternoon)
Duncan: Ugh, finally! As soon as I drop this train, I can have a rest, long in the-(suddenly starts coughing). What the?! When did everything get so smokey?! (coughs again) And when did the sky get all grey all of a sudden?
(then, to his horror, he sees that the lineside where he passed by earlier is now ablaze. The hot sun has finally caused the dry grass to go up in flames and Duncan comes to a stop, coughing all the while)
Garnet: (looks out the window) Yeah...this isn't good.
Amethyst: Huh? (also looks out the window) Holy smokes!
Pearl: (unamused) Very funny, Amethyst. (changes to being worried) But this is awful. There's a fire outside this coach and it looks like it's spreading fast! And right towards us!
(the passengers look out the window in shock to see a blazing inferno)
Rarity: Oh, goodness me!
Jinks: My God, it's a fire!
Snagglepuss: Heavens to Murgatroyd, the place is burning up!
Angelina: It's covered the entire field!
Hokey: What a way to go, burned to a crisp in my prime, woe is moi!
Garnet: (opens the carriage door) We're going in.
Top Cat: Hey, lady! Are you crazy or somethin'?!
Garnet: (plainly) Yes.
Duncan: What on Earth are-(cough)-you lot doing (cough)?!
Garnet: Preferably saving you and the others from getting burnt to a crisp.
Pearl: But how are we going to extinguish these flames? If only we had some sort of water on hand!
Amethyst: Oooh, if only Lapis were here! We could have really used some of her water stuff!
Duncan: Ahem! I think "I" may be of assistance. In case you haven't guessed, I'm a steam engine. And the steam comes from the water in my tank. Maybe if you found a way to use the water from me' tank, perhaps that might douse down the fire.
Amethyst: Weellll, I could just turn into an elephant. In fact (shape-shifts into an elephant) I just did. Now, com'here, lil' yellow guy! I'mma need some of that water.
(as soon as they open the filler cap, Amethyst inserts her "trunk" into Duncan's water tank. The little engine shivers at the feeling (yeahyeahmakethejokesifyouwish)).
Garnet: Ready? (Amethyst nods in agreement) RELEASE!
(Amethyst sprays the burning field and soon, the flames begin to decrease. The passengers cheer from inside the carriages)
Rarity: Marvelous work, darlings!
Snagglepuss: They saved us from being burnt, fried, gettin' our goose cooked, even.
Angelina: (sighs with relief) Thank goodness for that.
(soon the fire brigade arrives to put out the rest of the decreasing flames)
Amethyst: ALRIGHT! Thanks, Duncan! What would we have done without you?!
Duncan: Not much, I assume. But, while I appreciate the gestures, I'd like to remind ye' all of something.
Pearl: And what would that be?
Duncan: (bluntly) I literally have no water left in my tank. (looks at Amethyst)
Amethyst: (notices and blushes) Oh, yeah...sorry about that, bro.
Pearl: Well, I guess we're stuck here then. At least until help arrives.
(back at the yards, Rheneas is shunting trucks when a call comes in from Porky)
Porky: Dea-dea-leave those cars, Rheneas, there's guh-guh-been an emergency up the line!
Rheneas: Oh, what kind of emergency?
Porky: There's been a fi-fi-fire by the grasslands and Duncan's str-str-stranded nearby.
Rheneas: (gasps) Dear me, is anybody hurt?
Porky: Thankfully, no one was reported as a fata-fata-as being injured or died, just stuck on the line since Duncan's ru-ru-run out of water.
Rheneas: Phew, thank goodness for that. Alright then, I'm on my way. (whistles as he leaves the yard)
(soon, Rheneas arrives to pull Duncan and his train all the way to the station)
Rheneas: Goodness me! It's like a bush fire ran through here!
Duncan: Ye wouldn't be wrong on that front, the heat musta caused the grass ta' go up in flames.
Rheneas: I see…well, from what I can tell, a certain someone had a hand in putting the fire out.
Duncan: Yeah, I suppose I was resourceful for what it was. But mind gettin' me home? I dinna want to stay out here any longer than I have to.
(Meanwhile, at said station, a group of people have gathered around, waiting anxiously, particularly Exile, Applejack, Pepe, Penelope, Flora, Tina, Alice, Robin, Boo Boo, Benny, Lapis, and Peridot. Henry is waiting on the standard guage platform, looking slightly on edge at the reporters waiting to document the event)
Lapis: I hope they're okay. If I'd been there, I could have helped them.
Peridot: It couldn't be helped, Lapis. Besides, if they can take on homeworld, then I'm sure a little fire won't falter them.
Lapis: Hmm, touché.
Henry: (squints before his eyes open wide) Look, I can see them! Here they come!
(the crowd cheers as Rheneas hauls Duncan and his train into the station. As the passengers disembark, they, Henry's passengers, and the reporters crowd around the Crystal Gems)
Amethyst: Whoa, hey now! We can't take ALL the credit. Much thanks to this lil' guy here.
Duncan: (grunts) I'm not little.
Rheneas: You know, I'm proud of you, Duncan. That was a great thing you did today.
Duncan: Well, it was nothing, really. I just swooped in and saved the day is all.
Rheneas: (rolls his eyes) Whatever you say, Duncan. Whatever you say.
Duncan: But, thank you, Rheneas. That really means a lot to me.
Rheneas: (smiles) You're welcome.
Duncan: (gives a genuine smile for the first time that day) Hehe, yeah…
The End
