(AN: I made this story many moons ago, I'm just now putting it up. The following review of reviews is an addition to the original document).

Now that the first five chapters are up, let's get to reviews!

Guest 20, on Lady being magical: No, she isn't. Mr. Conductor is not canon to this story either.

Guest 44, on what the China Clay Twins will do: They will TRY to ask her about her origins, but she won't tell them. Why is coming in a later chapter.

Guest AZ, on what D10 will do: Um...I'm pretty sure Chapter 3 explicitly stated that Thomas and the Magic Railroad didn't actually happen.

Guest, on spirituality: The line in question was meant to show that Crana truly is alien, and thus has a different mindset on human culture. Living machines wouldn't have much of a concept of religion anyway (seeing that many would've actually met their builders at some point).

DJ Scales, on the story: Thanks. I worked very hard on this.

Speaking of the story...

The three engines were making their way to Blue Mountain when Diesel Ten suddenly asked "So, did The Golden ever figure out it was okay to have diesels?"

Billy wasn't expecting him to ask that, but he was happy to answer. "Yeah, they're a lot better about nominating diesels now. And they're better about taking diesels on as apprentices too; in 2008, Murdoch's other apprentice besides me was Derek."

"So that's where he popped off to."

"And in 2012, the winner was a Class 52 named Betty, and everyone really likes her."

"Wow. They've done a good job being more accepting." He sighed. "Wish it wasn't because I was the martyr."

"What's a martyr?"

"Someone who has to die for an important change to happen. Obviously, I'm not actually dead, but it serves as an accurate metaphor for my situation."

"Oh."

Silence.

"What about Lady?" Rusty asked. He didn't know that was such a sensitive issue.

"Well," Billy sighed, "she was ruined by the story just as much as Diesel Ten. People thought she really was magical, and would crowd around her daily."

"How would fame qualify for 'ruin'?" Diesel Ten inquired, a bit snappier now.

"Apparently, she's not very good with being the center of attention."

"Oh. Huh, I never knew."

"Those people delayed her repairs by coming to the works and blocking the workmen," Billy continued. "Lady's repairs took fifteen years instead of five months like they were supposed to. And she's never been able to get back to work." He left out how he, Derek, and Murdoch had met her, and had planned on smuggling her onto Sodor.

"I never got a chance to apologize to her," Diesel Ten said sadly.

More silence, until Rusty said "We're here."

"It's good to see you again, Rusty!" Skarloey exclaimed as he and the other narrow-gauge engines in the quarry greeted him and their standard-gauge guests. "Luckily, the rockslide wasn't too big, so it was cleaned up in no time!"

"Yay, Rusty's mended!" Peter Sam added.

"That's a big engine..." Luke gasped on seeing Diesel Ten for the first time.

"Okay Rusty, time to get you back to work," the aforementioned diesel said. He backed up next to the flatbed where Rusty was while the latter's drivers removed the chains tying Rusty down. Once they were gone, Diesel Ten lifted Rusty off the flatbed, careful not to grip him too tightly or Rusty would need more repairs. He moved his claw over to a section of narrow-gauge track and set Rusty down.

"Thank you," Rusty said. "I feel fifty years younger now that my radiator's been replaced."

"That claw of yours sure looks dangerous," Rheneas noted to Diesel Ten. "But I'm sure you can be really useful with it."

Diesel Ten chuckled. "Thanks, Rheneas."

"Really useful? Pah!"

That voice belonged to a standard-gauge viridian Wilfort saddletank engine, currently pulling a train of stone. A light green brakevan was at the back.

"Who is that?" Billy whispered to Diesel Ten.

"You mean what is that. I've never seen anything so...ugly!" Diesel Ten whispered back.

"I'm much more useful than that monstrosity!" Samson griped.

"I could say the same regarding you, Cabless," Diesel Ten snarked back.

"Who's that speaking to us?" the brakevan asked.

"No one important, Bradford," Samson said. "Just that cheap imitation Class 42."

"Your claw violates the law! You're taller than British loading gauge, Ten!" Bradford barked at Diesel Ten.

Diesel Ten responded by opening his roof and putting his claw away.

"I didn't know you could do that," Billy said.

"Normally, I don't need to," the diesel explained. "I'm meant for American loading gauge. Besides, the Class 42 itself is a cheap imitation of the V200 from Germany, so shut up," Diesel Ten growled at Samson.

"I will not! I'm stronger than you-"

"I've pulled American freight trains twenty-five cars long. Without needing to double-head."

"-more reliable than you-"

"My maintenance costs $4500 a year. Yours is definitely higher."

"-and faster than you!"

"Faster?" Diesel Ten scoffed. "Hardly. A Class 42's maximum speed is ninety miles an hour. And as a Class 42 1/2, I'm meant to be even faster, so mine is one hundred."

"Speak in kilometers! This is Britain, not America!" Bradford shouted.

"Fine. 144 kilometers per hour and 160 kilometers per hour. Happy?"

"...That is indeed very fast."

Samson ignored Bradford and addressed Diesel Ten. "Please. I could outrun you any day. Uncouple me from my train, driver. I want to show this fool a lesson."

Samson's driver complied, but as he did he muttered "Sounds to me like the fool is someone else."

Diesel Ten got himself turned around by looping through the quarry (startling Fearless Freddie in the process) and pulled up next to Samson. One blast of Peter Sam's whistle, and the two shot out of the quarry.

"SAMSON!" Bradford roared, furious at being left behind.

Samson soon hit his top speed and quickly found himself unable to keep up. Diesel Ten, meanwhile, effortlessly coasted down the track.

Samson stopped. "Alright...you win...I can't keep pace with your top speed."

"Top speed? I was traveling only half that." Diesel Ten looked ahead confidently. "THIS is my top speed!"

His engine revved like no one had ever seen, and he raced off faster than anyone else on Sodor (except Spencer) could.

"Samson? What are you doing here?" James, who'd just arrived, asked the cabless tank engine.

"Don't ask."

Gordon thundered down the main line with his six coaches, who were unusually quiet today. But Gordon didn't pay mind to that. "EXPRESS-"

"COMING THROUGH!" Diesel Ten bolted ahead of Gordon and effortlessly sped over a hill.

"What on Sodor?!" Gordon said.

"Was that Diesel Ten?" the coach behind him asked.

"It was. I don't understand why he's out, Carly. He normally slinks around in the background. He's almost never out in the open."

"He was going a lot faster than you," the second coach said. "Why can't we go that fast?"

"Oh, Tabitha, don't start this again!" Gordon groaned.

As Diesel Ten raced down the line, a memory came to him.

1986. Diesel Ten was two years old. Back then, he was painted differently. He was light blue with two white stripes, above them a red outline of two incomplete rectangles on his side, next to which were the words MESA ROJA. On his back was a white D10.

Racing alongside him in the desert was an electric engine, a Milwaukee Road Class ES-1. He was painted in the same colors as the diesel.

"I win again!" Diesel Ten said, pulling up to a ledge. "Sorry Zach, but you just can't beat me."

"Won't stop me from trying," Zach chuckled. The two then looked over the ledge to the setting sun.

Eventually, Billy found Diesel Ten on a siding on a hill. "Oh boy. You would not believe how bossy that brakevan was."

"Is that a problem?"

"When you do your lazy brother's work for forty-five years, you get a little..."

"Crazy?"

"Yeah."

The two looked over the hill to the towns below. Diesel Ten felt the wind in his face and sighed happily.

"You look happy."

"I am. This brings back so many good memories..."

Our first glimpse of Mesa Roja! Sure looks like Diesel Ten used to be a lot happier. Also, the coaches can talk again! The names of Gordon's express coaches are, from first to last: Carly, Tabitha, Marli, Nadia, Valentina, and Wendy. The red coaches will be named shortly.

I do not like Samson. He is a prideful little moron whose ego puts James' to shame.

How did Diesel Ten get so cynical? Will he get to pull the express? Or will I surprise you next chapter with something completely different?

All this and more in the next chapter - An Inspection!