(Hey guys. As promised, here is a preview of one of the episodes for my Gift Of The Magi fanfic. I put up a poll for the fanfic in my last post over what episode looks the most intriguing but unfortunately, either it didn't evoke any interest, or maybe you guys didn't get a very clear memo of it. No worries. I thought about what should be previewed and one reviewer told me that he liked them all so I decided to include the strongest works from each of the four stories, just to give you guys something to look for forward to. May I remind that the Arlesdale Railway story about the little engines Stuck In The Snow is still in development and the rest are rough drafts so if you encounter any differences in the final draft that will be posted in about a week, this is just a heads up on that. That's all. Enjoy!)

1. Flying Kippers! (Wednesday, December 23rd, 2015)

Moral: safety first/signals and traffic are essential to every engine or driver

Short Synopsis: Henry loves pulling the Flying Kipper but winter arrives on Sodor and ice and snow bring the signals down. Henry doesn't heed Harold's warning about faulty signals too carefully and carries on down the wrong line...with disastrous results!

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(Dusk turns to nighttime. The snow starts to fall)

As Sir Topham Hatt foretold, it did snow. Henry had to be very careful when leaving the sheds

(Henry leaves Tidmouth and chuffs along the line to the docks. Scene cuts to Brendam Docks)

When Henry arrived at Brendam Docks, Porter was there, shunting his wagons into place.

Henry: (whistling) Good evening, Porter.

Porter: Good evening, Henry. Taking the Kipper, are you?

Henry: Just like I do every night, Porter. The Flying Kipper is my favorite train to pull.

Then Gator pulled in.

Gator: (tooting his horn) The tracks are a little icy tonight. You'd better careful with your train, Henry.

Henry: (sighing) Thank you, Gator. But I believe I know all about ice and snow by snow.

Cranky: Gator is right, Henry. Many ships get delayed at sea in this cold weather. Believe me. I know.

Henry: Thanks for the warning, Cranky. But I believe there's quite a major difference between rails and water, don't you think?

Before Cranky could answer, Harold hovered overhead.

Harold: (stopping over the engines) Routine weather report, chaps. The tracks look very icy and most of the signals look like they're down.

Gator: Down? No, that can't be right in this kind of weather. Sir Topham Hatt can't run a railway with all the signals down throughout the way.

Harold: I was getting to that, Gator. Thank you very much.

Henry: Ice and snow are no problem for me now, Harold.

Harold: Listen, Henry, old chap. I've given Percy the same warning when he taking the mail train and I'm warning YOU now: take caution about each and every signal you pass because routine maintenance doesn't start until morning. (hovers away)

Cranky: Harold is right, Henry. Take caution.

Henry: I've dealt with signals before, Cranky. (whistles while chuffing away) Goodbye now.

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2. The Gift Of The Magi (Thursday, December 24th, 2015)

Moral: true friendship is the greatest gift of all/those who realize the true meaning of Christmas are the wisest

Short Synopsis: Thomas gets stuck in the snow trying to deliver a Christmas tree for the town hall, so Toby helps him and tells him the story of the Sodor Magi. Inspired by Toby's story, Thomas thinks of different ways to return the favor for his friend, but ends up realizing that the greatest gifts are the ones that that keep on giving.

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Thomas and Toby returned to Knapford Yard to collect Annie, Clarabel and Henrietta.

Thomas: Thanks again for helping me, Toby.

Toby: No problem, Thomas, old friend. That is what Christmas is all about: helping out your friends. (short pause) Say, Thomas, I don't believe I ever told you the tale of the Sodor Magi.

Thomas: Sodor Magi? No, Toby, you haven't. But Edward's told me stories about them at Tidmouth Sheds. Aren't they like…wise engines or something?

Toby: Indeed, Thomas. So you do know a bit about the Magi, don't you?

Thomas: Mm, a little. Please, Toby. Please tell me more before I go off and fetch Annie and Clarabel.

Toby: (sighs) Well, I guess I do have a bit of time before I go off to fetch Henrietta. Alright, Thomas, I'll tell you the story of the Sodor Magi.

Thomas: Thank you, Toby.

Toby: Oh, don't mention it. Anyway, the Sodor Magi are also known as the Three Wise Engines and they belonged to different working classes.

Thomas: Pardon me, Toby. But what does the word "Magi" really mean?

Toby: It's a root word, Thomas, for "magician."

Thomas: Magician? You mean that the three engines were magic?

Toby: (chuckling) No, no, Thomas. Not in any way did they even use magic. (jokingly) You make them sound like they can grant wishes and perform tricks.

Thomas and Toby laugh.

Toby: Anyway, the Magi were not any of those things, Thomas. They actually learnt all the wisdom from the ancient East parts of Sodor, just like I learned my wisdom through experience.

(Thomas rolls his eyes and chuckles)

Toby: The Three Wise Engines were philosophers, Thomas, and the counselor engines of the rulers of Sodor. They were upright engines of integrity.

Thomas: (confused) Integrity? What's that?

Toby: Integrity, Thomas, meant that The Three Wise Engines were honest and they also had strong moral principles.

Thomas: (gasps) I can be both of those things. (Toby looks weirdly at him. Thomas sighs) Or at least I say. Anyway, great story. I need to pick up the choir now.

Toby: The Hatt family will be waiting for me too. I have to go pick up Henrietta and bring the workmen home from the quarry. (ringing his bell as he chuffs away) Goodbye, Thomas.

(Thomas watches after him then goes to collect Annie and Clarabel)

While buffering up to Annie and Clarabel, Thomas thought hard about the story Toby had told him. He wished that he could return the favor to Toby but he didn't know how.

Thomas: (sighs) I wonder how I could find a way to thank Toby for helping me through the snow. I do, after all, feel bad for just forgetting about him for an important delivery.

Annie: (as the shunter couples Thomas up) Don't worry, Thomas.

Clarabel: (as Thomas chuffs away) Toby is a very kind engine who asks for nothing in return.

Thomas: I know that. I just wish I could give Toby a present for helping me that he will never forget.

(Annie and Clarabel laugh. Soon Thomas reaches the school)

As Thomas reached the school, he waited by the platform while the children went over their last school rehearsal.

(The children sing Deck The Halls in E Major as Thomas waits)

Thomas stood there watching the children. He kept thinking and thinking about how much he enjoyed doing this job when…an idea came into his funnel.

Thomas: How about if Toby and I switched duties for a bit?

Annie

And What?

Clarabel:

Thomas: (as the choir boards Annie) What if I gave you to Toby and he could deliver the choir to the village square where I pick up the workmen in Henrietta?

(The doors slam and Thomas takes off, whistling)

Annie: (chuckling) Oh, Thomas.

Clarabel: Toby's a kind engine but our journey is not the same without you, Thomas.

Thomas: My mind is made up, Annie and Clarabel. I'm heading to the quarry right now and I'm giving Toby the job I like best.

Annie

And (sigh) If you say so, Thomas.

Clarabel:

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3. How Diesel 10 Stole Christmas (double-length story) (Friday, December 25th, 2015)

Moral: Christmas means more than just a commercial value/there can be a good side in everyone

Short Synopsis: Based on the Dr. Suess story How The Grinch Stole Christmas, it is Christmas Eve on Sodor but Diesel 10 is the only engine who doesn't feel the holiday spirit whatsoever, so he devises a nasty scheme to stop Christmas from coming, but learns an important lesson about the holiday season and has a change of heart in the process. (with an original of mine called You're A Mean One, Diesel 10 featured within the story)

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When Percy returned to Tidmouth Sheds, all the other engines shared their Christmas Eve experiences as the snow began to fall.

James: I think I took more passengers home than any other engine.

Gordon: I think I took the most important passengers home. Maybe even a few VIPs.

Edward: Oh, really? Was Father Christmas on board the train too? (chuckle)

(All the engines chuckle after Edward)

Percy: Delivering the holiday mail was a fun job for me. There is just one problem though.

Emily: What's that, Percy?

Percy: I know one engine who doesn't like the Christmas holiday season at all.

Thomas: Who, Percy?

Percy: Diesel 10.

All: (gasping) Diesel 10?

Percy: Tonight, I had just delivered the last of the holiday mail and as I returned to the yard, well, I wished him a merry Christmas and he just told me how much he hated the holiday season. I felt all the festive spirit fly out of me. But now that I'm back here, I guess I've found it once again.

Thomas: Don't worry, Percy. If Diesel 10 doesn't enjoy Christmas, then who cares? He doesn't have much a heart to him anyway.

Edward: Eh, Thomas. But inside every engine can be a heart of gold.

Henry: Even Diesel 10?

Edward: Yes, Henry. Even Diesel 10.

Thomas: I bet he's in the DieselWorks right now, trying to get all the festive visions out of his head.

Percy: Maybe even having a hard time with it too.

(All the engines laugh as the scene zooms out and the snow continues to fall. Next scene cuts back to the DieselWorks with all the diesels lined up in their sheds. Diesel 10 slowly opens the door his shed on the upper part of the building)

All the steam engines on Sodor liked Christmas a lot. But Diesel 10, who lived at the DieselWorks in Vicarstown, did not.

(Diesel 10 chuffs slowly onto the turntable, which takes him down to the bottom floor)

Diesel 10 hated Christmas; the whole Christmas season. Now it's not stated why; no engine quite knows the reason.

(The turntable stops on the bottom floor and Diesel 10 pauses for a moment)

Perhaps he thought that his claw wasn't screwed on just right; or maybe he thought that his wheels felt tight; but the most likely solution all could be that his heart was two sizes too small.

(Diesel 10 moves slowly off the turntable and races out of the DieselWorks, through the scrapyard to the entrance and beyond towards the Search And Rescue Center. He arrives there soon after)

Whatever the reason, his heart, his claw or his wheels, he roamed around every Christmas Eve, hating Christmas and it's commercial appeal.

(Diesel 10 stops on the track by the tide and looks out to sea at the Sodor towns)

He stared across from the Rescue Center with a sour, cringing frown at all the warm lighted windows from all the Sodor towns. For he knew that everyone down on Sodor were happy now that they were home, decorating their houses with lights and mistletoe.

Diesel 10: (tightening his claw before continuosuly opening and closing it) Tomorrow is Christmas! It's practically here!

Then he growled, with his steel claw nervously drumming…

Diesel 10: Pinchy! We MUST find a way to stop this Christmas from coming! Tomorrow for sure, all the girls and boys will wake up bright and early. They'll rush for their toys! And then, oh, the cringe-worthy thought of it, the noise! The noise! The noise, noise, NOISE! The one thing I hate on Christmas from all those girls and boys! Then tomorrow night, the people of Sodor would gather in the village square and right above the mistletoe wreath…oh, they'd feast! And they'd feast! And they'd FEAST, FEAST, FEAST! (drumming his claw) And then they'd do something that I can't stand and can't stand above all. They'd all gather in the town hall with engines big and small. Then standing close together with the Christmas bells ringing, oh, they'd stay side-by-side and oh, they'd start singing!

And the more Diesel 10 thought of it, the more he hated it.

Diesel 10: Pinchy! We must stop this whole thing! But how?

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4. Stuck In The Snow (Saturday, December 26th, 2015)

Moral: safety first/always be careful with snow

Short Synopsis: Mike, Rex and Bert deliver coal to all the stations around Arlesburgh during winter nights but Mike gets fed up with wearing his snowplow and decides to make his delivery without one…until disaster strikes with a surprise snowstorm.

There it is, fellas. The preview for Thomas & Friends in The Gift Of The Magi!. Stay tuned for my other episodes within the fanfic:

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Meanwhile, Duck and Oliver were busy clearing snow drifts along the tracks of the "Little Western" branch line when they met each other at a signal.

Duck: (whistles) Good evening, Oliver. Good evening, Toad. How have you two been enjoying your passengers trains today?

Oliver: Same as always, Oliver. Everything is fine. But all this snow makes my boiler feel chilly. Not only that but we have much more passengers to carry. Isabel and Dulcie are packed and I bet your coaches Alice and Mirabel have the same feeling.

Alice: Quite right, Oliver.

Mirabel: It's always the same with these cold winters.

Isabel: Same here. We've felt so full the entire day, right, Dulcie?

Dulcie: (sighs) You can say that again, Isabel.

Toad: I know how you ladies feel. It's a little hard for Mr. Oliver and I to deliver coal in this weather.

Duck: Well, we'll just have to put up with it, Toad. Anyway, we're not the only ones delivering coal tonight. Douglas is bringing coal up to Arlesdale so that the engines who work up there can deliver coal as well. I'm off to bring Alice and Mirabel back to the yard. You best be doing you're the same with your coaches, Oliver. (whistles and chuffs away when his signal turns green) Later, you two.

Oliver: (whistles) Bye, Duck.

Toad: Bye, Mr. Duck.

(Oliver chuffs away as soon as his signal turns green. Next scene cuts to Douglas bringing coal up to Arlesdale)

Meanwhile, Douglas was bringing several trucks of coal up to the Arlesdale railway where the smaller engines worked. This way the stations on Arlesdale could keep warm as well. Bert, Rex and Mike gave him a warm welcome when he arrived.

Bert,

Rex And (blowing their whistles) Good evening, Douglas.

Mike:

Douglas: Good evening, ya three. Here is yer coal trucks for the long wintry night. My twin Donal' is busy delivering coal to all the stations by the harbor. Eh, isn't this weather a fine sight?

Mike: Not when it's blistering cold, Douglas.

Bert: (sighs) What Mike means to say is that he doesn't really enjoy the cold weather.

Rex: Like he doesn't act cold enough as it is (chuckles, while Mike just looks away in indignance)

Douglas: (chuckles) Well, I don't blame the wee lad. I mean, Donal' and I, we're used to snow and we always make sure we have our snowplows are fitted when we go out in this weather.

Mike: Well, I think snowplows are useless. They're not much fun to wear and very uncomfortable if you ask me.

Bert: But Douglas is right, Mike. Snowplows are essential to every engine no matter what the condition is.

Rex: The only problem I have with the snow is that sometimes I have traction trouble. The cold weather is not always adjustable to it.

Douglas: Aye. But we must always be prepared for this weather regardless of how we feel aboot it. (whistles) Good night, laddies. (chuffs away)

Bert: (sighs) Well, come on, you two. Let's get to work. We have many stations to deliver coal to.

(Bert, Rex and Mike whistle as they get ready for their journey)

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The fanfic will also feature a cover song I wrote for The Twelve Days Of Christmas, probably after the Christmas Eve episode and You're A Mean One, Diesel 10 in the middle of How Diesel 10 Stole Christmas. I will be not only be including the four stories in this particular fanfic but also create a separate fanfic titled Thomas & Friends in The Gift Of The Magi on Wednesday, December 23rd, with The Twelve Days Of Christmas at the end of the fanfic. I hope this all looks very promising to you guys. I've already gotten to work on drafting it but still, it needs proofreading and editing, which I know will be done by the deadline if I really work at it. Stay tuned, fellas and peace out)