At a distant place, Stephanie and Rex, with his engineer, appeared and landed roughly on the ground.
Stephanie was against Rex's face with her stomach as she landed on her bottom with her arms over Rex's boiler as his engineer tumbled a little with his hat over his face.
"…hng hhnngh!" Rex muffled against Stephanie's stomach as Stephanie lifted her head up while moving her hair from covering her face.
She noticed the surrounding area looked different, with trees everywhere and tall grass, but the Arlesdale Railway was gone!
Stephanie gasped as she sat up from where she was, and Rex's engineer adjusted his cap and noticed the same thing.
"Mhrh'h grnng rn?" Rex muffled through Stephanie's stomach as Stephanie glanced down at him.
"Sorry!" Stephanie apologized as she moved away from his face, and he gasped from being smothered before accidentally toppling backward on her back.
Rex coughed a little after Stephanie got off as his engineer stepped out, and Rex asked, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Stephanie nodded as she pushed herself up before standing on her feet with the help of his engineer. "But, um, we're not on the Arlesdale Railway anymore."
Rex looked around after Stephanie told him and saw the surroundings, exclaiming, "What?! How did we get from Arlesdale Railway to here?"
Stephanie pushed her sleeve up and showed Rex the bracelet around her wrist, now a cuff with a gemstone, explaining, "This just teleported us here!"
Said cuff's gemstone glowed and tugged Stephanie forward, yelping as Rex's engineer wrapped his arms around Stephanie and moved back, stopping Stephanie from being dragged forward.
"Can't you take it off?" Rex asked as he glanced over from the corner of his eye as they were dragged together.
"I don't think I can!" Stephanie struggled with the cuff.
Luckily, the bracelet stopped glowing and stopped dragging both Stephanie and Rex's engineer as she tried slipping the cuff off, but it was tight around her wrist.
"Darn," Stephanie groaned, trying to tug it off.
Rex's engineer placed Stephanie down and grabbed the bottom of the cuff while standing in front of her, and they both tugged, trying to get the bracelet off.
But it was still stuck to Stephanie's wrist no matter how hard they tugged, and it started hurting her hand.
"Darn!" Stephanie exclaimed as they stopped.
"What's happening?" Rex asked. "I can't move without rails."
"Sorry, Rex," Stephanie apologized as she returned to him with his engineer. "But I think my bracelet won't get off."
"Have you tried smashing it?" Rex asked.
"Worth a try?" Rex's engineer shrugged.
Stephanie laid her arm down on a rock as Rex's engineer picked up a hand-sized rock and aimed, hitting it, but instead of the cuff breaking, the rock in his hand broke into two.
"Well, crap," Stephanie winced as Rex's engineer looked at the crumbled rock in his hand and the perfectly intact bracelet around her wrist.
"Let's try another rock," Rex's engineer assured her.
He picked up a bigger rock with both hands as Rex watched anxiously, seeing his engineer hit the bracelet with it.
It cracked in two instead as it crumbled in Rex's engineer's hand, as Stephanie looked surprised.
"That didn't work." Rex's engineer winced.
Stephanie looked at her cuff worriedly after the next rock was destroyed before being tugged again as Rex's engineer caught her from being dragged forward.
Rex watched as Stephanie was being dragged for a minute before it stopped, and Stephanie moaned, "What are we going to do?"
"Let's see where the bracelet is trying to take you," Rex suggested. "Maybe it took you because there is something here?"
"That could be it," Stephanie said, nodding as she looked at her bracelet. "But what about you, Rex? We can't leave you here by yourself."
"We can't carry him, Stephanie," Rex's engineer added. "There are no cranes around here, and he weighs a lot for us."
"Hey!" Rex blushed. "But you do have a point."
Stephanie then got an idea as she reached into her garments, taking out her Dust Whistle, as Rex noticed the whistle around her neck.
"Is that the Dust Whistle?" Rex asked.
"Yes," Stephanie nodded as she looked at the symbols.
She tried Silver Dust and Gold Dust, but she could not use Silver Dust as that could only transform a human into a vehicle, and there were no coal or water tanks around.
Gold Dust would reverse the other Dust's effect and teleport humans in and out of Sodor… but what about Copper Dust?
Stephanie turned the knob to the symbol for copper, and Rex asked, "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to use Copper Dust," Stephanie explained to him. "Hold still."
"What's Copper-?" Rex's sentence was cut off when Stephanie whistled, watching as Copper Dust came out of her whistle and was engulfed in the Dust itself before it cleared, and a person was sitting between the old rails.
He has Caucasian skin, light brown eyes, short brown hair, and a green uniform with a red tie and black shoes.
The stranger looked a little dizzy after the Copper Dust faded before lifting a hand to his temple, pausing when he noticed he had arms.
"So that's what Copper Dust does!" Stephanie remarked as he glanced over at them in confusion.
"The Copper Dust does this?" the person asked, speaking like Rex.
"Well, sort of." Stephanie smiled sheepishly. "I didn't test this Dust."
Rex glanced back at his hand before noticing he had another as Rex's engineer walked over to him, putting his hands underneath his armpits before picking him up.
Rex was startled when he was picked up from the ground before being placed on his feet, wobbling a little before grabbing his engineer's arm when he almost fell as he kept them at his height.
"Th-This is a little new," Rex stuttered, noticing that everything looked so much different at a different height and even at how small he was compared to his engineer as he reached his middle. "How long does it last?"
"Until I use Gold Dust," Stephanie explained. "It's the only thing that can change you back to normal."
Then she paused as she noticed Rex's expression, asking, "Are you scared?"
"What?" Rex perked. "No. Just a little startled by the height. I'm not scared."
"You'll get used to it," Stephanie chuckled, assuring the former miniature engine. "But you've got legs and are no longer stuck between the rails."
Rex noticed he had his own legs and even movement, as he could tell from the shaking from his legs.
Stephanie's bracelet started tugging again, and she yelped, stumbling forward as she gently scolded, "Okay, okay, we'll follow you! Geez."
Rex's engineer started following her while going at Rex's pace, allowing him to take the first couple of steps forward before stumbling a little with his legs.
"Easy, Rex, easy," Rex's engineer held him as Rex adjusted them underneath his body. "Take one step before another."
Rex nodded as he attempted again, taking careful steps as he went forward, slowly becoming used to his new legs.
All three went deeper and deeper into the woods as Stephanie followed her bracelet as it switched from a cuff to her normal bracelet, allowing her to move her wrist freely without feeling cramped or hurt.
As Stephanie's bracelet pulled her forward, Rex noticed the strange layout of the area and the numerous abandoned buildings.
"Stephanie," Rex spoke as Stephanie glanced over at him. "I think I know where we are."
"You do?" Stephanie asked.
"Yes," Rex nodded. "This is Duke, Sir Handel, Peter Sam, and Bertram's old line from long ago. Your bracelet somehow took us onto the Mid-Sodor Railway!"
As they walked past it, Stephanie looked at a worn-out building that looked like a station house, saying, "You're right! So then we are close to your railway?"
"Almost," Rex nodded. "Maybe we can find our way back to Arlesdale Railway after finding what your bracelet is trying to show us."
Stephanie nodded as she dove underneath a low-hanging bush branch, as Rex and his engineer did the same before coming across a vast empty place with a few noticeable things.
"Hey, this is where they found Duke!" Rex remarked as Stephanie glanced at him. "Well, after going through his roof."
He pointed to where the hole was, as it had vines growing into it, and Stephanie hummed with curiosity.
Stephanie's bracelet started tugging her toward Duke's shed as Rex and his engineer looked around, noticing some things had disappeared over time while others stayed perfectly the same.
Stephanie climbed onto the side of Duke's shed and looked around, watching her bracelet glow brighter.
She looked curious as she looked at the bracelet and turned around, watching as it dimmed a little whenever she turned.
Stephanie walked forward as it glowed brighter and brighter before it stopped glowing, and she looked confused when it stopped.
She took a step forward, and instead of solid ground, Stephanie's foot slipped, and she tumbled forward, shrieking as she landed roughly on the rocky ground.
Meanwhile, Rex and his engineer looked around, wondering why Stephanie's bracelet had brought her here when nothing was around.
Suddenly, Stephanie's shriek filled the air, perking Rex and his engineer's attention from what they were looking at, and they glanced over to where she had walked.
"Stephanie?" Rex called.
With Stephanie, she groaned in pain after tumbling from the side of the 'hill' where Duke's shed was, feeling scratches on her hands.
"Ow," Stephanie winced as she slowly sat up from the ground, reaching over to her glasses that fell off and placing them on. "That's going to leave a mark."
She felt a sting on her cheek, and she winced, reaching with a hand to feel it as faint traces of dark blue, warm liquid staining the tips of her fingers.
A faint creak caught Stephanie's attention, and she glanced over her shoulder to see where it came from before looking surprised at what she had discovered.
A locomotive was sitting in a shed, except it was covered with moss, vines, and rust, covering the chipped and faded olive green paintwork.
The basis of the locomotive was a Fletcher Jennings Class Bb, and he was staring at her with confusion before smiling a little.
"T-Thank God," he stammered before starting to cry. "Oh, thank God, someone finally came here!"
Stephanie perked up as the locomotive cried as she looked at the state, seeing it did not have wheels and the funnel snapped in half from rust.
"Please let me out of the shed," the locomotive begged Stephanie. "I want to be useful!"
"Who are you?" Stephanie spoke as he stopped begging.
"Smudger," he answered before continuing to cry. "Please let me out of here. I don't want to stay in this shed forever! I don't want to be alone!"
Stephanie glanced back at him as he was crying before pulling her sleeves down, gently wiping his tears away with her sleeves.
"Don't worry, Smudger," Stephanie gently assured him as she gently laid her head against his forehead. "I'll get you out of here in no time."
Smudger stared at Stephanie with hope before smiling as he started crying with happiness, and Stephanie had a few tears pricking the corner of her eyes.
"Thank you so much!" Smudger cried.
Stephanie smiled as she gently wiped Smudger's tears away with her sleeves before tearing the brick wall down.
"Stephanie?" After hearing Rex's voice, Stephanie perked up and glanced up as Smudger looked panicked. "Where are you?"
"I'm here!" Stephanie called.
"No, no, no, no," Smudger panicked as Stephanie glanced at him. "Don't leave! Don't leave me behind!"
"I'm not going to leave you behind," Stephanie softly assured Smudger. "I'm calling my friends."
Smudger sniffled after Stephanie assured him as Rex poked his head over the ledge and looked down at Stephanie with his engineer.
"Are you okay, Stephanie?" Rex asked.
"I'm fine!" Stephanie nodded. "I found an engine, though!"
"You did?" Rex's engineer asked.
"Yeah!" Stephanie nodded as she looked over at Smudger. "His name is Smudger."
Rex's face turned from confusion to surprise after Stephanie explained, asking, "You found who?"
"Smudger!" Stephanie called.
Rex looked at his engineer after Stephanie called, and his engineer asked, "What is his number?"
Stephanie glanced back at Smudger as he responded, "Two."
"Thank you." Stephanie thanked him before calling, "Two!"
"Yep, it's him." Rex nodded as he looked at his engineer.
Stephanie glanced around at where she was and said, "I'm going to attempt to get him out of here. You two keep an eye out if anything goes wrong, okay?"
"Erm, alright!" Rex nodded. "Be careful down there!"
"I will!" Stephanie called before returning to what she was doing.
Stephanie started to remove the vines from around Smudger as he waited, watching Stephanie remove everything from him.
She winced when she saw where his wheels were supposed to be and were in place with rusted metal, asking, "What happened to you?"
Smudger was saddened after she asked and responded, "This was my punishment for causing so many derailments."
"Wait, what?" Stephanie perked up, glancing at him. "What do you mean?"
Smudger glanced away from her as he sighed heavily, saying, "I… was being a prat a long time ago. I had this little show-off personality toward the other engines but kept derailing and spilling everything every time I showed off. Dukie-"
He winced after mentioning someone and corrected himself, "Duke tried to warn me to be careful… but all I did was laugh at him."
Stephanie listened to his story as she carefully unhooked everything to release Smudger.
He started to finish the story, "Things went downhill after that accident at one of the mines, where I was acting roughly and went derailed, but the trucks stayed on the track. …Unfortunately, it went into the mines where a young man named 'Clive' worked, and… it killed him."
Stephanie felt her heart sink as she finished getting everything off him, listening to his story as she was getting dust and dirt off his face with her hands.
"The manager heard what happened from Clive's father," Smudger continued. "And I thought Duke would back me up because it was an accident… but Duke just stayed silent. So the manager transformed me into a generator and took away my wheels, and I was stuck back here ever since, even when the railway closed down too."
He glanced at Stephanie as she rubbed his cheek with a few tears staining her cheeks, saying, "I'm so sorry you were punished and forgotten."
Smudger softly smiled after Stephanie apologized and said, "It's alright. I received my punishment and learned my lesson. I have someone here who can help me, too."
Stephanie nodded as she rubbed her ears away with her sleeves, saying, "That's right. So now that you are free from all those things attached to you and the vines are removed, let's get you out."
She reached into her garments and took out her Dust Whistle, checking if she was on the right Dust as Smudger looked confused.
"What's that?" Smudger asked.
"It's a Dust Whistle," Stephanie explained as Smudger looked confused. "I'll explain it after getting you out."
Stephanie whistled with the Dust Whistle as Copper Dust came out, startling Smudger as it engulfed him before disappearing, leaving behind a human sitting on the ground.
He had pale skin and long, oily jet-black hair that reached to his back with a few strands of gray and was in terrible condition.
His uniform was all raggy and shredded, and the color of his clothes had faded, but what stood out the most was that he was missing both legs, and each stump was in bad condition.
"Holy crap in a pita!" Stephanie winced as Smudger looked panicked. "Hold on."
Stephanie walked over to him as he tried to scoot back, but he stumbled a little from his stump legs as he instead went on his back.
She looked at his missing legs to see their damage as Smudger stiffened, watching as she inspected them thoughtfully.
"These look really bad," Stephanie gently winced.
She reached into the pocket of her blue jeans and tapped the top, transforming into her Rat Zodiac hybrid as Smudger flinched.
"Y-You-You-you-" Smudger panicked as he stammered.
"Sorry!" Stephanie apologized. "Once again, I'll explain everything after getting you out of here. Right now, let's bandage these."
Stephanie transformed her bracelet into a paintbrush and painted a bandage fabric roll, tapping it as it turned real and holding it in her hands.
"Lay all the way on your back," Stephanie instructed as he did so, staring at her with a surprised expression.
Stephanie wrapped his legs with the bandage fabric as he stayed still, watching as she used her teeth to snap the fabric before tying it.
After the last leg was bandaged, Stephanie looked outside and called, "I'm going to attempt to-"
"Stephanie, there's a rat!" Rex called after she stepped out.
"It's me!" Stephanie called. "I'm the rat!"
"What?!" Rex and his engineer exclaimed.
"I'll explain once I get up there, okay?" Stephanie called.
Stephanie stepped back into the shed, reached up to her neck, took the necklace of the Rat Zodiac pendant off, and transformed back to herself.
She tapped it again, transformed into her Falcon form, glanced at her hands, and muttered, "Okay, I think this can work."
Then she looked at Smudger and walked up to him as he exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around his middle, "Wait, wait, wait, wait! What are you doing?!"
"I'm picking you up," Stephanie responded as she did so, startling him as she effortlessly picked him up. "And then carrying you outside and out of here by flying."
"Is that going to work?" Smudger asked worriedly as he gripped Stephanie's sweater with his hands.
"Hopefully," Stephanie nodded. "I've never done this before, but this could be a start."
Smudger gulped nervously after Stephanie explained to him before watching her spread her wings and take off into the air, causing Smudger to yelp.
Rex and Rex's engineer went backward after watching something fly up, seeing Stephanie as a harpy while carrying someone in her arms but stumbling a little.
"Be careful, be careful, be careful, be careful!" Smudger panicked as she soared through the sky.
Luckily, Stephanie landed on the ground on both feet but slipped and fell onto her bottom as she yelped, but she was somewhat smothered underneath Smudger's chest.
"Ow," Stephanie muffled underneath him as Rex and Rex's engineer approached.
"Are you two okay?" Rex asked as Smudger pushed himself up.
"We're fine!" Stephanie nodded as she took her necklace off, transforming back to normal.
Smudger stared at Rex with confusion, never seeing another human who was both short and wearing green… But then there was the familiar clothing that looked like a steamie's paintwork.
"Smudger, may you please get off of me?" Stephanie politely asked.
Smudger glanced down and said, "Sorry."
He flipped onto his back to get off Stephanie, realizing he was staring at the blue sky and lifting a hand to cover his eyes when the sun shone.
He was finally out of that dark, damp, and cold shed!
Smudger started crying with relief as he stared at the sky, covering his eyes with his arm and sobbing, "I'm finally free!"
Stephanie smiled as she crawled over, picked him up onto his bottom, and hugged him from behind.
"Thank you," Smudger thanked her as he placed his hands on hers over his chest. "Thank you so much, Stephanie!"
"You're welcome, Smudger," Stephanie nodded with a smile. "Let's get you to the Steamworks to be repaired."
Smudger nodded as Rex's engineer came over, wrapping his arms around Smudger after Stephanie released him before he exclaimed while grabbing Rex's engineer's hands, "Wait, wait, wait! We can't leave him here by himself!"
"Who?" Stephanie asked.
"Stanley!" He pointed at the shed in the distance, near a collapsed entrance.
"'Stanley?'" Rex asked. "I thought Stanley was back in Tidmouth?"
"Not your Stanley," Smudger explained as he looked slightly distressed. "The Stanley that used to work here. Can't you save him too?"
Stephanie looked at the bracelet around her wrist as it glowed somewhat, proving Smudger's case that there was another.
"Okay," Stephanie nodded. "Let's go find him first."
So Stephanie followed her bracelet as it gently tugged at her before arriving at the sheds, where Smudger pointed as he was being carried, seeing how many years had passed.
"So, where did he come from?" Smudger asked, mentioning Rex.
"I came from the Arlesdale Railway, which was built further away," Rex explained before glancing at himself. "I was turned human by Stephanie's whistle, too, after we were teleported here."
"Wait, what?!" Smudger exclaimed. "You all teleported here?"
"Yes, by this," Stephanie sighed as she mentioned her bracelet. "I accidentally took Rex and his engineer with me after it dragged me from Arlesdale Railway."
"That's not good," Smudger winced. "What about your parents?"
"Sir Topham Hatt and Mr. Fergus Duncan don't know about this," Rex explained. "Worst of all, there's nothing around here to call them to let them know."
Smudger looked confused after Rex explained as they approached the shed, and the bracelet stopped glowing as Stephanie looked at the open view.
Sure enough, an engine at the back of the sheds was asleep but slowly woke up after hearing footsteps.
The engine's basis was a Baldwin Locomotive Works, and like Smudger, he was missing his wheels, and his funnel was snapped in half from rust but was covered with mud, and other items even had more moss growing on him than Smudger did.
His red paintwork was chipped and rusted, too, as Stanley looked, saw Stephanie, and blinked.
"Who are you?" he asked before noticing Smudger held in Rex's engineer's arms. "Who is that?"
"It's me, Smudger," Smudger chuckled. "Stephanie is here to free you, Stanley!"
"She is?" Stanley perked as Smudger nodded. "Great! Get me out of here."
Stephanie nodded and went to work, getting the bricks off, and started to clear his body the best she could as he watched.
Then he noticed Rex and asked, "Friend of yours?"
"He's from the Arlesdale Railway," Stephanie explained. "The railway that is built where you used to work."
"Huh," Stanley remarked as Stephanie started wiping his face with her sleeves to get some dry mud off. "That many years have passed, eh? Missed a lot then."
Stephanie nodded as she finished before looking at her whistle to check how much Copper Dust was inside.
Luckily, there was just enough inside for Stanley to transform into a human, as Stanley asked, "What's that in your-?"
Stephanie whistled her whistle, and Copper Dust emerged from it and swirled around Stanley before it disappeared, revealing him sitting on the ground without legs.
He wore a red, shredded, faded uniform with black shoes, pale skin, light brown eyes, and long, oily, dark brown, somewhat curly hair that reached his chest.
"Okay," Stanley coughed as Stephanie walked up to him. "I did not expect that to happen."
"Welcome to learning about Dust," Stephanie chuckled before bandaging his legs with the roll she made.
"That was Dust?" Stanley asked, and Stephanie nodded her head. "Huh. I heard stories about it from Duke but didn't think too much before I was turned into a generator."
"Because you kept derailing and spilling the items from the trucks?" Stephanie asked with a cock of her eyebrow.
Stanley looked at Smudger with an unamused expression as Smudger shrugged, saying, "You had the same story as me, Stanley!"
"Yes, I know we had the-" Stanley nodded before wincing a little after moving his almost bandaged leg.
"Sorry," Stephanie apologized.
"It's okay, kiddo," Stanley assured her. "Just moved a wheel too much."
"You mean leg?" Stephanie asked.
"Leg, wheel," Stanley rolled his eyes. "It's the same thing!"
"Basic uses, yes." Stephanie nodded. "But it's not the same thing if you compare it."
Stanley looked slightly confused after Stephanie nodded before she finished tying the fabric after the roll was empty, asking as she turned to Rex's engineer, "Can you pick two people up?"
"I could." Rex's engineer nodded as he walked over. "Here."
He reached down to Stanley and helped him onto his back, wrapping his arms around his neck as he stood back up to his height.
"Is that everyone?" Stephanie asked Smudger.
"Yes, that's everyone." Smudger nodded before looking at the bracelet around her wrist. "Does your bracelet think that's everyone?"
Stephanie looked at her bracelet after Stanley was on Rex's engineer's back and saw it was not glowing or tugging at her wrist.
"No, I think it's done." Stephanie nodded, seeing the slight red marks on her wrist but did not mind. "Now, how to get from the Mid-Sodor Railway to Arlesdale Railway?"
"We could try walking there," Rex suggested.
"It'll take all day," Rex's engineer mentioned.
"Even if Harold or any aircraft discovered us," Stephanie explained. "They would not be able to land."
"Good point," nodded Rex.
"Well," Stephanie sighed as she looked through the forest. "Let's try walking then."
So Stephanie, Rex, and Rex's engineer, who is carrying Smudger in his arms and Stanley on his back, went through the abandoned Mid-Sodor Railway, crossing rough terrain and helping each other.
It lasted half a day as Stephanie followed the old tracks through the forest, finally entering a familiar station that perked Rex up.
"We're back on the Arlesdale Railway!" Rex perked.
He rushed forward and cupped his hands over his mouth, calling, "Mike! Bert! I'm back!"
Just as he called, two familiar whistles went through the air, and Rex grew excited, patting himself down as he felt a whistle in one of his pockets.
He took the whistle out and returned to the sound, surprising Mike and Bert as they approached with Jock, Frank, the Blister twins, and Sigrid of Arlesdale.
"Rex?!" they all exclaimed after seeing him.
"What happened to you?!" Mike exclaimed.
"Yeah," Frank nodded. "How did you become human?"
"Is this the work of Wendell?" both Blister twins asked simultaneously.
"That's part of my fault," Stephanie spoke, smiling sheepishly as she blushed. "I used Copper Dust to turn him human after we got teleported to the Mid-Sodor Railway."
The engines looked surprised after Stephanie explained as Rex's engineer came, panting while still carrying Smudger and Stanley.
"Are you okay?" Stephanie asked Rex's engineer as he placed Smudger and Stanley on the platform's floor.
He nodded soundlessly as he pushed himself onto the platform, lying on his back with his hat over his face to block the sun.
"I think that's the last time he has to carry us," Smudger lightly joked as Stanley chuckled.
The miniature engines slowly approached the two legless people with confused expressions before a familiar voice exclaimed, "Cinder and ashes!"
Thomas approached the station with a couch behind him, seeing Stephanie standing before two strangers and Rex's driver lying on his back.
"There you are, Stephanie!" Sir Topham Hatt exclaimed as Sir Topham Hatt instantly got out of his cab with the other conductors and Dowager Hatt.
"Oh, boy," Stephanie softly winced as she knew she was in trouble before being startled when she was hugged by Sir Topham Hatt.
"What happened to you?" Sir Topham Hatt asked as he released her with his hands on her shoulders before noticing Smudger and Stanley.
Smudger looked worried, while Stanley looked confused about this stranger hugging Stephanie.
"And who are those two with you?" Mr. Fergus Duncan asked as Notches hopped out of Thomas' cab with Lucy on his back.
"Let me give you all a short summary," Stephanie responded as Thomas' driver and fireman stepped out to assist Rex's engineer while one of them entered the station.
"In short," she pushed her sleeve down to show the bracelet to Thomas and the controllers. "This bracelet, also a staff, which I'll show you all in a minute, thought it was the perfect moment to take me with Rex and his engineer on a joyride to the Mid-Sodor Railway up in the mountains to find these two," she mentioned to Smudger and Stanley as they waved hello. "Smudger and Stanley, and then we had to walk all the way here from there."
"That's what happened to you?" Dowager Hatt asked.
"Yep," Stephanie sighed as she blushed with embarrassment, and her ears drooped. "And I am in big trouble, right?"
After Stephanie asked, the conductors looked at each other, and Sir Robert Norramby assured her, "No, you're not, Stephanie. Yes, you did send Dowager Hatt and Sir Topham Hatt into a panic after learning you disappeared with one of Mr. Fergus Duncan's engines, but you are not in trouble after you explained what happened."
Stephanie smiled softly after Sir Robert Norramby explained before Dowager Hatt noticed her hands, gently taking them and asking, "What happened to your hands?"
"I got a little scratched," Stephanie explained. "I didn't see that fall after getting onto Duke's shed."
"So that's how you found me?" Smudger asked as one of the conductors was looking at his cut legs.
"Ironically, yes," Stephanie nodded as Dowager Hatt reached into her purse and took out bandaids.
"Bless me," Mr. Percival winced after seeing how bad they looked. "Who on Sodor does this to you both?"
"Ask the previous conductors," Stephanie responded. "They're the ones who turned them into generators."
Everyone's faces were confused as they looked at Stephanie, and she asked with an unamused expression, "I didn't explain that part, didn't I?"
"No, you didn't," Sir Topham Hatt responded.
"Right," Stephanie nodded. "I used Copper Dust to help them become carryable humans."
"Is Copper Dust the ones you showed me?" Dowager Hatt asked.
"Yes, ma'am," Stephanie nodded as she smiled a little.
She winced when a twinge of pain came from her palms, watching as some dark blue liquid somewhat came from her faint injuries.
Dowager Hatt noticed Stephanie's strange blood color but kept it to herself as she finished mending her hands and cheeks.
Once her injuries were mended, Stephanie looked at the conductors and asked, "Will Smudger and Stanley be taken to the Steamworks for repair?"
Smudger and Stanley waited anxiously as they held hands, waiting for their responses as the conductors looked at each other.
"I think it is a perfect idea!" Sir Robert Norramby nodded as Smudger and Stanley perked.
"Yes! The Blue Mountain Quarry Manager would like two extra engines, too," Sir Topham Hatt nodded.
"Y-You're letting us work?" Smudger asked, not believing what he and Stanley had heard.
"Of course!" nodded Mr. Percival. "You were forgotten for far too long at the closed Mid-Sodor Railway. We think you both should return."
"Thank you so much, Sir!" Stanley thanked. "We won't let you down, right, Smudger?"
"Right, Stanley," nodded Smudger.
Stephanie smiled with happiness before pausing a little as she looked at the bracelet around her wrist, wondering if it could tell if there was anyone to rescue, just like Smudger and Stanley.