Sorry for the long wait, I wanted to update my American Railroad Series. But now we have the next chapter.

Chapter 9

Thomas rolled his engine onto a line that would take them to Ffarquhar. "They'll be able to start searching there" Thomas thought to himself.

Lily was sticking her head out the side window, looking at the scenery flying by. "Sodor looks so pretty" she said to Thomas. "It shure is, it's one of the reasons I love living here" said Thomas.

"UGH" groaned Junior, who was kneeling on the floor. "What's the matter" asked Lily. "Travel Sickness" said Junior.

"If you puke in my engine I'm going to throw you onto the tracks, literally" said Thomas sternly.

Then, Lily looked ahead, and saw that they were approaching the windmill. Then, she noticed something. "What's that shining at the windmill" she asked.

Junior (still groaning) got up and looked. "Well Lily, I think it's my cousin" he said with a small smile.

Thomas stopped his engine in a siding near the windmill, and he, Lily, and Junior walked out. Then, Thomas saw who was making that shining. "Mr. Conductor" shouted Thomas as he ran over to a man in a conductor's uniform. "Thomas" said Mr. C. "Thank goodness your safe" said Thomas as he stopped in front of him.

Then, Junior and Lily walked up to where the two were standing. "Hey cuz what's up? Enjoying the sun" asked Junior with a smile.

But Mr. C looked angry "No Junior I am not. As a matter of fact I just landed here after escaping a mad man". Then, in a less angry voice, he asked "Junior, where have you been"?

But Thomas decided to help Junior out, and quickly asked "Uh, is your Gold Dust back Mr. Conductor"?

Mr. C huffed sadly "No Thomas it isn't; but I do know the clue" he said happily. Junior smiled and got closer.

"Stoke up the magic in the mountain and the engine will live. And…" said Mr. C, trying to remember the clue. "AND" asked Lily, who was also listening. "Darn, I can't remember" said Mr. C. "Dither" said Thomas, who was leaning against the windmill.

Then, Junior walked up to Mr. C. "Hey cuz, you're looking terrible. So why don't we get more Gold Dust; because I used yours up. THEN" said Junior, cutting off Mr. C from saying something "you can go back home, and I can go to the beach"?

Mr. C looked annoyed "Junior I want you to listen to me and I want you to listen to me very carefully". But right before Mr. C could say anything; a small box attached to the windmill started ringing.

"Uh oh" said Thomas.
"I'll get it" said Junior quickly, and he opened the box and answered the phone.

"Hello" said Junior. "Mr. Conductor" asked STH. "No, this is his cousin" said Junior. "Oh" said STH. "Who's this" asked Junior. "Sir Topham Hatt" said STH. "Oh hello hatty" said Junior cheekily. "What, how dare you say that. Where is Mr. C" asked STH angrily. "Oh, he's hanging around her somewhere" said Junior, and then Mr. C grabbed the phone out of his hands.

"Yes STH sir" said Mr. C. "Was that man trying to insult me" asked STH. "No, he just wanted to be friendly" said Mr. C. "He's more like a dog than a friend" said STH. "No he's not a dog. Let's just say he's a puppy in need of a good trainer" said Mr. C angrily. "Well, will this cause any harm to my railway" asked STH. "No nothing to worry about sir" said Mr. C. "Very well then. Well I have to go. Goodbye" said STH. "Goodbye sir" said Mr. C, and he put the phone back into the box and turned to Junior.

Junior was on his back, looking at the windmill blades going around. Then he saw that Mr. C was looking at him angrily. Junior decided to quickly change the subject.

"Oh cuz, this is Lily, she's staying with Burnett Stone" said Junior pointing at Lily.

Mr. C looked at Lily, walked over to her, and shook her hand. "Hello Lily" he said with a smile. But then Junior ran up to one of the windmill's blades and grabbed on. Thomas was the only one who saw it. "Hello" said Lily.

Then Mr. C looked back "Junior" he asked looking around.

"You might want to look up" said Thomas backing away from the windmill and looking up.

Mr. C and Lily looked up, and gasped in horror. Junior was riding one of the blades of the windmill. "Junior what are you doing up there come down; It's too windy" called Mr. C.

But Junior was having the time of his life. "This is just like the fun fair. Give me two seconds" he called down happily. "Two seconds is all it takes for you to land in trouble" called Mr. C.

And he was right, because then the wind started to blow hard. The blades on the windmill began to turn faster and faster. "Waho" cheered Junior, who was still having fun. But then, the blades moved so fast, that Junior was flung off at the top.
"Junior" cried Mr. C as he watched Junior fly through the air. Down the line, a large diesel with a claw on the top was rolling towards Tidmouth. Then, Junior landed on its roof.

As Junior got up from the daze, he looked and saw that a man with a metal hand was standing in front of him.

"Ah ha, Twinkle Toes Junior" said D10 with an evil smile. "Oh, now I wish I was back on the beach" said a scared Junior. As D10 walked towards the front, he said "You won't be doing any surfing up here, Mr. Canhona". "Really, watch me" said Junior standing up. "Impressive, but I've seen better" said D10, and he let out a very evil laugh.

Back at the windmill, Thomas heard D10's laugh. "Oh no, D10's got him" he said worryingly. Lily turned to Mr. C. "What's going to happen to Junior now" she asked. "Well my family is usually go at getting out of tight situations… eventually" said Mr. C. "Meaning with Junior, we may never see him again" said Thomas with a frown.

Meanwhile, on Muffle Mountain, Burnett was watching the sunset from the top of a valley. Then, Patched walked up to him. Burnett looked around at him.

"Where's Lilly" he asked. Patched sighed.

"I wish I knew. I'm sorry Mr. Stone; she wasn't at the station when I went back for her" he said sadly.

Burnett looked down at the Valley, then at Patch. "It's alright patch; we'll find her, don't worry", and then he walked away, leaving Patch alone.

Back on Sodor, Percy was driving his engine through the night, towards the little grotto.

"I am Brave, I am Brave. Thomas says I'm Brave, so I'm Brave" said Percy was he passed a face carved into a hill side. "Oh, it's not easy being brave" said Percy as he stopped his engine in a siding, then hopped out and walked over to where the buffers were.

But when he arrived, he saw two diesels parked near them, and two figures looking at the buffers. Percy quickly hid behind a large rock.

"Oh no, it's Splatter and Dodge. And they found the buffers, oh now what's going to happen" he asked in a scared tone.

Splatter and Dodge looked at the buffers. "These must be the buffers that D10s looking for" said Splatter. "Are we supposed to drive our engines though them" asked Dodge.

"Oh, not me, You" said Splatter. "Not me, You" said Dodge. "You know what, this is a job for the boss" said Splatter.

Then, something fell in the forest, making a loud and scary noise. The twins were scared. "Uh, we'll tell him tomorrow" said Dodge who was holding onto Splatter. "Ya tomorrows good" said Splatter who was holding onto Dodge.

Since Percy had heard everything, he was nervous. "I'd better hurry back and warn Thomas" said Percy, and he rushed back to his engine.

Meanwhile, Mr. C, Lilly, and Thomas were sitting around a camp fire near the tracks. Thomas had put his engine in a nearby siding, and had decided to camp out here for now to keep Lilly and Mr. C safe.

While Thomas was roasting a marshmallow, Mr. C was entertaining Lily with a few card tricks.

"I was doing my best to keep Lily cheerful. I knew she was worried about being late for her grandfather."

Lily looked up at the sky "Mr. Conductor I was supposed to be back by sunset" she said in a concerned voice.

"You know Lily, perhaps your grandpa can guess where you are" said Mr. C. "He can" asked Lily, a little confused.

"Maybe, because I think he's been here himself long ago. And if he can help I'd sure wish he'd hurry. I haven't told Junior this, but soon he'll grow as weak as I am" said a concerned Mr. C.

Lily and Thomas looked sad, but then Lily spoke. "Junior said that a lady used to run the magic railroad, she even had an engine. And if only we could find those two then we could get back to Shining Time" said Lily.

"Oh that lady disappeared; never to be seen or heard from again" said Mr. C. "Bummer" said Thomas, as he chomped down on his marshmallow.

Then, Lily spoke "I have to tell you something Mr. C, I've heard a train whistle and it sounded like it was coming from the mountain. Also I heard my grandpa talking about hearing a lady's voice".

Then, Mr. C eyes widened "Lady… I've just remembered another part of the clue.

Stoke up the magic in the mountain and the engine will live. Show the Lady the cure and she will smile.

But we need more information Lily, and I know your grandpa could help, if he just believed that he could."

But then Lily gave a confused look "Lady"?

Back inside Burnett's workshop, Burnett and Patch were looking over Lady's golden engine. "It can whistle; I've heard it" said Patch.

Burnett looked at the two wood doors in the corner, then at Patch. "Ya, so have I; it's because it's magic like Lady" he said once again in his normal tone.

Then Patch noticed an old piece of paper on a workbench with many lines on it. "This must be a map of her magic railroad" said Patch as he looked over the paper. "But, the railroads energy if fading away, I sensed it while we were out riding. Lily and I were traveling on the ground above it" Patch said to Burnett.

Burnett sighed "The railroad needs Lady, but I still haven't been able to find the cure to her disease. And I still can't make her engine steam, and I need it to now more than ever" he said sadly.

"Because of Lily" asked Patch. "Yes because of Lily" said Burnett.

Back on Sodor, Percy had found Thomas. He had parked his engine in the siding with Thomas' engine, and was now talking to Thomas.

"So Thomas, we must get Lily back to her grandpa now incase D10 gets rid of the railway" said Percy. "But how can Lily go without Gold Dust" asked Thomas.

"Only in the lost lady's engine" said Mr. C, who was lying down, looking at the stars. But then, he got up and smiled "Unless" he said happily.
"Unless" said Thomas nervously, worried about what he was going to say.

Mr. C walked up to Thomas. "Thomas, will you please take Lily" he asked. "Through the buffers" asked Thomas nervously.

"Yes" said Mr. C. "But what if I go on the railway and my engine doesn't work" asked Thomas. "But what if it does" asked Mr. C.

"But what if, if" said Thomas, trying to think of a good reason not to go. "Yes" asked Mr. C.

"What if it's dark" asked Thomas. "Your engine has a lamp" said Mr. C with a smile.

"And cold" said Thomas. "Your engine always has a warm fire" said Mr. C.

"And just HOW will I get back again" asked Thomas. "Because you're a wise teenager and will find a way" said Mr. C.

Percy, Lily, and Mr. C looked at Thomas, who was thinking. Then, he looked at the three and smiled "Then, I'll try" he said determinedly.