"This is a load of codswallop!" Thomas snapped at the dead laptop. The black screen just stared back at him. He couldn't correspond to Carter now. Where the hell where he to find a charger for this?

"What brand even is this-?" He closed the top of the laptop and saw a giant half-eaten apple.

Thomas blinked. "This... Is that Apple brand, right?" He opened the top back, and noticed that there was a little name at the bottom of the screen, sketched into the plastic.

PowerBookG4

Thomas sighed, then got up, still holding the laptop in his hand. He walked over to the door and opened it. But once he opened it, and looked out, he saw Duck walking towards his room.

"Oh, Thomas? I was just about to knock," Duck said. He was wearing fishing apparel. "I was just about to ask if you'd like to go fishing with me. Was out trying to catch some, but tough luck got the best of me, and I couldn't catch a single one,"

As much as Thomas wanted to go with him, he needs to find a charger. He doesn't know how he'll find one, but he couldn't be here for months and not be able to talk with Carter ever again.

"Sorry, I can't at the moment," Thomas told him.

Duck tilted his head. "Oh? Why not?"

"I was talking to Carter, and-"

"Oh! That's right! I forgot you were trying to catch up with your boyfriend. How is he doing?"

Thomas smiled a little. "He's doing ok. But we're not talking anymore at the moment."

Duck saw Thomas's expression and thought something bad had happened. "Oh dear, did something happen?"

"Bad? If only it was that. My dumbass forgot my laptop charger at home, and it just died,"

Duck gasped. "Oh, dear... That is bad,"

"You wouldn't happen to know of any place here that could have chargers for laptops, would you?" Thomas asked.

"Here on our side? No. But on the other side, but... the actual other side- Walney Island, yes, I'm sure they have something. Hell, even Barrow-In-Furness," Duck told him. That was all Thomas wanted to hear. "Are you wanting to go? You should ask Toby or Edward to go with you. Just to be safe outside. We don't usually go outside of the Island like this, but I'm sure either one of them would make an exception for this,"

Thomas nodded.

"I saw Toby as I walked past him earlier, he should be outside of the dorm,"

Thomas was about to exit the dorm to look for Toby. He was nearing the front doors, but before he could reach closer to open them, someone came in.

More like, they banged the door open.

It was no other than Diesel.

Thomas just stopped in place, eyeing him. Diesel noticed Thomas standing there, a few meters away from the doors. He rolled his eyes and scoffed, then walked past.

And again-

Thomas's heart started to pound. Every time he thinks about him or sees him... His body reacts harshly toward it. He took a couple of deep breaths, to calm himself. After the last calm breath, he started again.

"Carter is right. I need to see a therapist probably," He said to himself as he walked out of the dorm.

He felt the afternoon sun, splash on his face. "Bother, that sun is scorching," He said wincing as he stepped out. He looked around the familiar area. "Now, where is Toby?" He walked to the right- To where that little park is located.

He noticed the stature of the lady's engine she drove. But, trying to figure out the pieces to the puzzle of the lady, the magic, and her engines, wasn't on his agenda right now.

Sitting on a bench, near the same area he saw James, was someone he has never seen before. He was wearing a purple shirt, with black pants. Thomas walked towards them. He was going to ask them if they'd seen Toby and take it from there.

"Hello?" Thomas asked.

The fellow student looked up at Thomas. "Oh! Um, Thomas, right?"

Thomas nodded. "Yep, that's me the engine-"

"Of the prophecy, I know," They said.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I'd like to chat with you, but I'm kind of in a small rush with something. Have you seen Toby? Or Edward?"

"Oh, yes! Toby is just over there- he's watering the planets around the fences,"

Thomas looked up and saw the old man taking his time, watering the flowers that were lined along the fence. "Thank you! Uh..."

"The name's Ryan! Nice to meet you,"

"Likewise," Thomas said.

He quickly made his way over to Toby.

"Ummm... Mr. Toby?" Thomas called out.

"Hmm?" Toby looked to the left. "Oh! Thomas. How's your day so far? You've talked to Carter and your other friends yet?"

"I have, but it seems I have left my laptop charger at home, and the laptop ran out of battery power,"

Toby stopped watering the planets. "Oh dear," He said with his voice dropping. "That's not good."

Thomas sighed. "It really isn't."

Toby set the watering can down. "Come," he said placing his hand on Thomas's shoulder, then walked forward. "I'm sure we can find a device shop in Barrow-In-Furness,"

Thomas came to a halt in front of the buffers. They had traversed across the island and made their way to the old magical gateway.

"Just chug into it, Thomas. It'll be alright," Toby told him. He was inside Thomas's cab. Thomas took a deep breath, then tried to rev himself up like a race car.

Thing is, he didn't know that it's not possible to rev up a steam locomotive.

Then, allowing all the pressurized steam to forcefully push into his pistons, he took off into the buffers.

He had his eyes shut the entire time. But once he opened them, he could see he was back inside that space between the magical Island and the other side.

Thomas always felt a little creeped out by it. All those dark trees that loomed over the railway lines, felt uncomfortable to him. He felt a little uneasy. But, he kept a brave face on and chugged through.

In no time, he reached the other side.

Thomas had traversed across the entire Island, to get back to where he once was. He took a long time. Just as he was pulling into that giant station he saw when he was with Burnett Stone, he remembered how Duck told him that Toby and Edward have some weird magic, where they could make the Island look invisible to regular people. But, his thought go cut off when Toby spoke something.

"Once you reach Jubilee Bridge, Thomas, transform into a human. But come to a complete stop, to let me get out,"

"Sure," Thomas said. He rolled through the deserted station, then came up to the start of the bridge.

He came to a slow halt, then Toby stepped out of the cab.

"Alright, you may change now, Thomas," Toby said.

Thomas changed, into a human.

They both walked across the bridge on foot.

Once they reached the other side, Toby turned around.

"Let's see if Walny Island has any first,"

Toby rose his hand above his head to the left. Then, he swayed his hand to the right-

The entire Island disappeared.

The mountains that were in the distance, all vanished.

The Island shrunk into a smaller Island.

"C-Cinders and ashes!?" Thomas exclaimed. Well, that answered his question.

Toby looked behind him and saw Thomas's shocked expression. "I'm sure Duck told you about this, am I right?"

"Right you are!" Thomas exclaimed. "But I wasn't expecting it was this literal!"

"Come, if I remember correctly, Walny is supposed to have a device shop somewhere here in Vickerstown,"

They walked into the small Island. 'Vickerstown' no longer had the station. There was not a single railway line that went anywhere. It was just paved streets. "There are no train tracks here?"

"No. Walny is much too small to have any railway system," Toby told him. They were walking through the town, looking for the shop. There were many houses and some small stones nearby. One was a British Pub.

"Hmmm... Come with me, into the pub right here. I'll ask them if they're aware of any device place,"

Both Toby and Thomas walked into the pub.

The aroma of freshly fried fish and chips blasted into Thomas's nose. Damn did it smell good. "I usually come here with Edward a couple of times. They make the finest Fish and Chips this side of England," said Toby. He looked back at Thomas. "Would you like some? I'll pay. They also have the best tea, I kid you not. Would you like a spot of some?"

Thomas usually never likes to impose on people like that, but that smell coming from the kitchen of his pub was making his stomach growl like he hasn't eaten in years.

So, he nodded. "Very good, you can sit at one of the tables while I order. Oh, and while I ask some questions,"

Thomas smiled, then sat at one of the nearby tables.

"Oh! Hello Toby, how are you? Come for your usual Fish and Chips?" The bartender asked. Toby smiled at them. "Hello Benjamin, yes, please. But, two orders of it. I got a kiddo with me who'd love to try your award-winning fish and chips,"

Benjamin smiled. "Oh shucks, stop. You know I only try," He said. "Would any of you love a cuppa tea along with your orders?"

"Yes please," Toby said.

"Okay... that'll be £14," said Benjamin. "I made one of the orders on the house,"

"Why thank you," Toby smiled gratefully. Toby took his change, then quickly remembered about the laptop charger. "Oh! Benjamin! I almost forgot, do you where I can find a... um..." Toby looked behind him. "Uh, Thomas, what is it called again?"

Thomas looked up at him. "A... laptop?"

"Right!" He turned his head back to Benjamin. "S-Sorry, my old brain can't keep up with this generation's new magical devices," He said.

Benjamin chuckled. "You're looking for a laptop?"

"The charger, more like,"

"Ah," Benjamin said. "There is a shop that sells stuff like that, it's just up the street from here,"

"Brilliant! Thank you!"

"How old is your young friend over there? Would he like some Butterbeer with his fish and chips?"

"Oh, he's 14. He isn't 16 yet," Toby said.

"No worries. Would you like some?"

"You know it," Toby chuckled.

Toby and Thomas got to know a little about each other over their meal. Toby told Thomas more about his magic works, to shield the outside world, from knowing about the Island's existence.

"We figured we also needed to hide the other side. Because if we didn't, people could wander in, and more or less find the buffers," said Toby. Thomas nodded.

"I can see why that would be a problem," Thomas said.

"Yes. Um... Duck and your friends just have mouths that never stop talking," Toby chuckled. "I'm sure they've mentioned about...him, right?"

Thomas tilted his head, a little confused about what Toby meant, but then he caught on. "Oh! Uh-huh, they sure did," Thomas told him. "Um... would you mind to... tell me more about him?"

Toby nodded after taking a bite of his chips. "Yes, so where do I begin-"

This was long ago. Well, not that long, but long. Your friends weren't here yet. This was when I and Edward were younger. We always were connected with this Island. We figured out that we soon had to look after this place. We both teamed up together as the lovers we were and took it on to help this Island thrive. At the same time, we met Burnett Stone, who told us he was the husband of the Lady. But, no matter what we could do, we couldn't bring her back. We couldn't end the curse. Edward and I just were two blokes that could turn into steam locomotives. Him being a mixed-traffic tender engine, and I was a small little tram.

Stone didn't know what to do with us, but he was aware of this Island. The magic affected us greatly because it's as if, the lady, or the Island, wanted us as the caretakers.

Years went by, and we found out that there were other people like us. People who can change into locomotives. But, these people didn't have the power Edward and I have. Once more people started to come in, we knew something had to be done. Because these people were from all over the world, and we figured if everyone was just going to be getting powers like this randomly, it would put a big risk on us-

-And expose our magic and world, and nothing could get repaired.

Then, this bloke came into the picture. Diesel 10. Yes, that was his name. He had the same name as your classmate. He was an Orphan, as he told us. 10, was what the shitty Orphanage called him as a name. Once he left, he soon figured out that his real name was Diesel. But, he loved the name "Diesel 10" and kept that as his name.

Edward was the first to pick the sense out of the entire thing and noticed right away that this lad connected with the buffers too. But we soon figured out that he wanted to power for himself. He never said why, and he never tried to reason with us. He was trying to drain out its magic. If we have let him succeed, only lord knows what would have happened. It was when both of us, Edward and I, came together to use the ultimate spell... and that was to shield the Island from everyone, including those who have the power to change.

Thomas had to really process all of that. It was basically what Duck and Oliver said, just with a better understanding. He now knows the name of the man. But he had one question. "That last part you said... about Diesel 10,"

"Yes," Toby said, awaiting a response.

"So... No one can see the Island? Not even people who can turn into engines?"

"No," Toby said.

"Then how... How did I? How did my dad see it?"

"Well, I can only say it's because you're the Engine Of The Prophecy. And your father is the father of the Engine Of The Prophecy," Toby said. "You connect with this Island more than the rest of us."

Thomas thought about that. He was about to say something, but then Toby had something extra to say.

"You know, coming to think about it, when Diesel 10 was near our presence, he seemed to have magic of his own, that wasn't connected at all with the buffers,"

Thomas tilted his head. "Oh? What do you mean?"

Toby leaned a little closer. "When he was here, I remember something was emitting from him. It wasn't all the time, but when it did... weird it was. It didn't look normal. And that's really saying something with how we can do magic here."

Thomas didn't understand. "Something was being emitted from him? What do you mean?"

"He was standing near a post one day, and I saw black smoke or something leaving his body. It looked misty at some moments,"

Thomas was unsure if he heard that correctly. He Toby just say black smoke?

"Mist...?"

Toby nodded.

Could it be?

No...

How could it?

Nerraw couldn't exist back then...

Right?

Now Thomas was worried. How connected is he with Nerraw? He remembered Mark said he wants him, but what for? What did he ever do to him? He didn't deserve this, as he thinks.

Thomas took a sip of his tea. He could see Toby was looking at him. "Judging by your reaction, something tells me... You somehow know about... what I'm talking about," Toby said.

'Should I tell him?' He thought to himself. He hasn't even told his dad. Hell, he hasn't even told his new friends here. But Toby is a guardian, and he knows one or two things about magical things.

So, he decided.

"Bloody hell mate," Toby said blinking. Thomas sighed after his long talk of everything that has happened to him, since his engine started to come out in Toronto.

"I thought at first it was just stress, because I... well, I was going through stress," Thomas said. "All of that dimension-hopping, and Nerraw... I'm telling you..." tears started to swell into his eyes. "If... I-If...*sniff* if it wasn't for Carter... and... *sniff*," Thomas sobbed in between words. Toby put his hands across the table and held onto Thomas's shoulder.

"Shhh, it's alright," Toby said in a soft tone.

Thomas wiped his eyes. "If it wasn't for Carter, Mei, Abby, Miriam, Pyria, hell, even Tyler, I don't know how I would have gotten through all of that utter hell,"

Toby just softly smiled. "Just be grateful that you have that loving boyfriend, and those loving friends. I'm very happy and glad that their paths lead to you. We'll get through all of this, there is no turning back. We just got to keep moving forward. Or, in our engine form... keep chugging forward."

Thomas smiled. "I'll try,"

Toby shook his head. "We'll try."