Knowing how much she needed to look through the histories, Stephanie decided to go to Ulfstead Castle rather than let other things distract her.
Since both clothes were dirty from pie goobers and 'train vomit,' Stephanie patiently waited for her clothes to be washed.
When she returned to Hatt Manor, Dowager Hatt was not impressed that Stephanie had been covered once with pie goobers but understood it was an accident.
But when she returned after having 'train vomit' on her from Sir Handel on accident, she was again not impressed.
But she could not complain since Sir Topham Hatt and Grandfather Hatt once appeared in a coal hopper when their horse-drawn carriage's wheel snapped off when it went across a hole, and the horse ran away.
Luckily, Stephanie was responsible for the actions and promised to clean her clothes, which she did.
When the next day came, after washing her clothes, she had breakfast with the Hatt family and told them of her plans.
Dowager Hatt packed her lunch to take with her, which she was puzzled about someone making lunch for her but accepted.
Once she had everything, instead of seeing Smudger or Stanley, Stephanie went to Ulfstead Castle but needed a map to see where she was going!
She had already exited Hatt Manor and was a few miles from the mansion, which meant she was perhaps wandering around a forest near some rails.
But she is not that crazy to go near some rails with some trains passing by!
"Oh, darn it," Stephanie groaned as she facepalmed after realizing the situation and blushed with embarrassment. "I didn't get a map."
"We'll get one once we get to one of the stations," Notches assured her. "We're almost near one of them anyway."
"Really?" Stephanie perked up with curiosity. "Which one?"
"Wellsworth," Notches answered. "I know my way around here since my mother would carry me around here."
"Oh," Stephanie perked up with a smile. "I didn't know that."
Notches rubbed his head against Stephanie's cheek with a purr as she continued walking, soon arriving at Wellsworth.
As she stepped onto the platform, Stephanie looked around for a map, pushing her glasses into place before seeing one of the conductors.
"Excuse me?" Stephanie politely spoke as the conductor looked in her direction.
"Yes?" He knelt a little to her height as she politely asked, "Is there a map I could use?"
"Of course," the conductor nodded. "Follow me, please, ma'am."
Stephanie nodded and followed the conductor, passing by passengers who instantly recognized her, seeing her long blue hair, azure blue eyes, and pointed ears.
Since she had a haircut a long time ago, none of the kids nicknamed her 'Cousin Itt,' but they were googling at her ears, making her feel worried.
The conductor led her to a board with different railroads and a map of the paths, making Stephanie feel curious about what it could be.
He opened a map dispenser and took one of the map pamphlets out, handing it to Stephanie as she said, "Thank you so much, sir."
"Anytime," he said, tipping his hat towards her before walking away.
A familiar whistle went through the air, and Stephanie perked up, glancing over to see Gordon pulling into the station with James on the other side, screeching instead of slowing down like he does.
Stephanie's ears flicked like crazy after hearing the screeching noise, and she instantly covered them with her hands while the other was holding the map pamphlet, wincing in pain as Gordon noticed from the corner of his eyes.
"James!" Gordon glared at the red engine after he finally stopped. "Don't screech your brakes next time you pull up to a station!"
"When are you the Fat Controller?" James huffed indignantly as Stephanie slowly removed her hands from her ears. "Besides, that's how I always pull up to the station!"
"Not screeching!" Gordon argued as Stephanie walked over, wincing as she rubbed one of her ears.
His expression instantly softened after seeing Stephanie approaching, asking, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Stephanie said, nodding as she rubbed her ear. "Does your friend James do that all the time?"
"Yes," Gordon glared at the number five red engine. "Constantly. Always bumping his passengers around."
Stephanie winced after Gordon nodded as her ear flicked, feeling her hearing return after the screeching noise had disappeared.
"Why did he call Sir Topham Hatt the 'Fat Controller?'" Stephanie asked. "Isn't it a little rude to call him that?"
"Not to his face," Gordon responded warmly. "We call him that when he's not around." He paused a little. "And he is a little 'round,' to add."
"Thus, the Fat Controller," James butted with a cocky grin.
"Oh," Stephanie perked up with a smile. "That makes sense! I think I need to come out from under the rock."
Gordon chuckled warmly as James noticed, cocking an eyebrow as Gordon asked, "So what are you doing out here, young lady?"
"My name is Stephanie," Stephanie responded. "And I came here to get a map to walk to Ulfstead Castle."
"All by yourself?" Gordon perked. "That's a long way for someone smaller than an adult."
"I'm at a reasonable size," Stephanie blushed with gentle protest. "And, yes, it is a long walk, but it's healthy! It helps a lot with the human body."
Gordon was unsure how a small young girl could walk alone, but her confident voice softened him.
"Alright," Gordon nodded. "But if something is wrong, let either of us on the Steam Team know and avoid any troublesome diesels."
Stephanie looked confused as the conductor's whistle was blown, and he whistled back, taking his passengers as he puffed down the line as Stephanie watched.
"'Troublesome diesels?'" Stephanie repeated in confusion.
"There are some troublesome diesels here," Notches explained to Stephanie. "Avoiding them is best because they can play tricks on you. Especially their leader, Diesel 10."
"Who is he?" Stephanie asked as she began her walk, using the map after looking at it. "I heard some stories from Sir Topham Hatt about how he almost destroyed Lady after P.T. Boomer."
"Well," Lucy began. "Diesel 10 is malicious and evil. He didn't believe in the magic of Sodor and wanted to get rid of it so only diesels could roam Sodor."
Stephanie looked nervous as she asked, "But what will happen if Lady is destroyed?"
"You saw what happened to the island if its magic was drained," Notches explained. "But if Lady was destroyed, Sodor would become inhabitable, and everyone that was once magical would disappear off the face of the earth."
Stephanie's stomach nervously clenches after Notches explains, looking at the Dust Whistle around her neck after removing it from her garments.
It sounded like something would happen if Stephanie did something about it, but she was still determining if she could defeat Diesel 10.
"But," Stephanie spoke as she glanced at Notches and Lucy. "What would happen if Diesel 10 learned about my powers?"
"Then we'll have to fight against him," Notches explained. "No matter what happens or how dangerous the situation is, we'll always fight back against the danger. No retreat, no surrender."
Stephanie smiled softly after Notches explained and reached over with a hand, gently scratching his face as he purred as she said, "Thank you, Notches." She glanced at Lucy and added, "You too, Lucy."
Lucy nodded after Stephanie added and continued walking, staying away from the roads, including the rails, to be safe from incoming cars and trains, mainly from diesels approaching her after hearing a little explanation about Diesel 10.
But a familiar black diesel was going down the line before perking when he noticed a blue-haired girl walking down the side of the road with a map in her hands.
"Honking horns," Diesel remarked with a perk. "That's her! I wonder where she is heading off to now."
He continued down the line after seeing Stephanie as she continued walking, pausing whenever she stopped at a fork in the road or turning points.
She would look at the map in her hands and look at the pathways, muttering to herself with Notches and Lucy, seeing which way was which.
Stephanie could use Google Maps to help, but how would a piece of crap phone from the early 2000s help her determine where she is going?
Instead of seething about the lack of directions, Stephanie continued following the map in her hands, turning from left to right, stopping whenever she heard a car passing by, and allowing whoever to pass.
But she was startled when a racecar zoomed past her at over a hundred miles per hour, causing her to yelp in surprise as she went to the side.
Said racecar screeched to a halt after zipping past her before backing up and going beside her.
"Hey, ankle-biter!" Stephanie looked at the racecar with confusion, seeing it was another sentient vehicle. "Wat ahah ya doin' out heah by self?"
The racecar's basis was a Triumph Spitfire 1500 painted yellow with white stripes and silver wheels and a four-leaf clover painted in a white circle.
The number forty-three is painted on the sides of his doors in black with white lines around the black forty-three.
"I'm Ace!" The racecar cockingly responded. "The world's fastest worldwide racecar!"
"Really?" Stephanie remarked. "Then you were practicing for the next one, right?"
"Exactly, ankle-biter!" Ace nodded as Stephanie huffed a little. "Though ya didn't answah my question."
"Oh!" Stephanie perked. "I'm heading over to Ulfstead Castle."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Ace exclaimed as Stephanie stopped walking, turning in his direction. "You're heading to Ulfstead Castle on foot?!"
"Yes," Stephanie nodded. "And it's fine with the adults, and I know my way to Ulfstead Castle with this map! So, if you were planning, I don't need a ride with you."
"Well," Ace began, slightly startled that she knew what he was planning. "You sure, though? There's a lot of mud ahround 'n there's a prized bull wanderin' ahround heah."
"Wait, what?" Stephanie perked up as she glanced over at Ace. "There's a what roaming around here?"
"A prized bull," Ace responded. "Big one too! Almost scratched up my payynt wen I came across it."
Stephanie was starting to feel worried about encountering this prized bull after hearing that it was roaming around the place with no fence.
"Uh," Stephanie spoke. "I think I can walk around that prized bull. Besides, I don't think the bull would think I am threatening."
"It will still chahrge at ya even if ya don't think so, ankle-biter," Ace sighed. "But let me know if it comes towahrds ya, alright? See ya, ankle-biter!"
"It's Stephanie!" Stephanie called as Ace zoomed down the road.
But Ace did not listen as he sped down the line, and Stephanie mumbled, "How many people are going to ask me if this was alright?"
"Everyone is worried about a kid walking through Sodor alone," Notches assured Stephanie.
"Fair enough," Stephanie nodded, calming down after hearing Notches point it out.
During Stephanie's walking, she came across a traction engine named Trevor, who was surprised to see Stephanie walking alone but allowed her to walk after talking to her a little.
Stephanie then came across a caterpillar tractor named Terence, who greeted her and asked where she was going.
Like the others, Stephanie responded that she was heading towards Ulfstead Castle, surprising him at how long of a walk it was for her, but Stephanie assured him and continued.
But one of them, George, a steam roller, was partially rude, saying, "Free the roads!" whenever a steam locomotive puffed by.
When he sees Stephanie walking down the road by herself, he exclaims, "What are you lookin' at, kid?"
She responded, "You would be much likable if it weren't for that hole in your mouth that noise comes out of."
That instantly shuts George up after Stephanie insults him as his driver starts snorting with laughter while Stephanie continues walking, causing George to hiss, "Oh, shut up!"
After spending a few hours walking, Stephanie finally came across some stations where it was on the map, smiling, "Great! So this is where the-" Her face dropped in surprise after looking up at Ulfstead Castle, and she gasped.
Ulfstead Castle was atop a gigantic mountain as she moaned, "Oh, holy crap."
"We tried telling you," Notches responded. "And yet…?"
"I didn't listen," Stephanie sighed, her cheeks flustered with embarrassment as her ears flicked. "I thought it was just like a normal castle, something out of a fantasy book! I'm so sorry, Notches and Lucy."
"It's alright, Stephanie," Lucy assured her. "But since we made it to Ulfstead Castle, what do you want to do next?"
Stephanie looked at the castle's height thoughtfully, seeing they were almost near where they could cross the way and up the spiraling way to the castle.
This meant they needed to walk next to the rails, which was something Stephanie was trying to avoid in the first place.
"We can continue walking," Stephanie smiled hopefully. "But we can try avoiding the rails from incoming engines."
"Well, if you say so." Notches nodded. "Be careful."
Stephanie nodded and continued walking, carefully crossing the tracks to reach the start of the path to the castle, seeing that it was a very tall hill.
But she tilted her body at the angle of the ground and continued carefully climbing the mountain, huffing and puffing as she stayed to the side, away from the rails.
Stephanie soon finally reached the top of Ulfstead Castle and was huffing and panting, her face blue and sweating as she looked up, seeing the castle's gate and the drawbridge.
"Holy crap!" Stephanie smiled. "We made it!"
One of the engines was puffing down the line before perking when he noticed Stephanie on the side of the line and looked confused.
"Excuse me?" Stephanie perked up after hearing the voice and looked over.
An elderly engine puffed up next to her, and his basis was the first locomotive, Stephenson's Rocket.
He was painted golden yellow and black with gold nameplates reading 'Rocket' on each side of his boiler, and his domes, whistle, exhaust pipes, and boiler bands were painted bronze with a white funnel with a gold finial.
"Oh, hello!" Stephanie tiredly waved her hand to him as he instantly saw her blue cheeks. "Was I too close to the rails?"
"No," he responded. "But your face!"
"What's wrong with my face?" Stephanie asked, lifting her hands to her cheeks and feeling them as they felt warm.
"It's all blue!" he exclaimed. "Are you alright?"
"Oh!" Stephanie chuckled as her glasses were a little fogged. "I'm alright. I'm just sweating from walking all the way up here."
"Really?" He perked up. "I thought you were low on breath or had poor circulation."
"I'm fine, sir," Stephanie smiled gently. "My face is just the same shade as humans' when exercising. Nothing is wrong with me."
He sighed in relief after Stephanie assured him as she walked up to him, wobbling a little as he winced.
His driver instantly stepped out to catch her as she gently collided with his arm, causing her blue to deepen slightly.
"Ah, thank you," Stephanie thanked as her lips dried from not drinking anything as she continued huffing and puffing. "Sorry. I think I exhausted myself."
"Well, you're at the right moment," he smiled. "Come aboard the Rocket!"
Stephanie perked up as his driver gently picked her up and took her into his cab, and she took her glasses off while holding onto the driver.
The steam engine whistled and puffed forward, entering Ulfstead Castle as Stephanie was in his cab, her blue color fading slowly as sweat came from her forehead.
"That's the last time I'm ever having to walk to Ulfstead Castle," Stephanie softly reminded herself. "Or not even listening to you two."
Notches and Lucy nodded in agreement after Stephanie gently huffed before entering Ulfstead Castle's grounds as two engines watched him enter.
One of their bases was a Head Wrightson & Co Ltd. Type 1 'Coffee Pot No. 1,' painted red with gold boiler bands.
He has a gray steam space cap and funnel with a brass funnel top, brass control caps, and brass nameplates named 'Glynn.'
The number one is painted underneath his nameplates in yellow, just like Thomas'.
The second basis was a Decauville No. 8069 Tabamar painted in French blue with white lining, brass fittings, a golden running board, boiler bands, wheel spokes, and wheel rims, which are also French blue.
She also has a crest painted on her cab sides and the name 'Millie' painted in white on the sides of her boiler.
"Here we are," the Rocket smiled as Stephanie was helped down, and the blueish color faded to a normal blushing color.
"Erm, Stephen?" the red coffee pot engine spoke worriedly. "Do you know that her face is…?"
"It's normal," Stephanie assured the worried elder. "It's my 'reddish' color to a human's blushing. So there's nothing wrong."
But she wobbled a little, causing Sir Robert Norramby to scramble over to catch her as she gently leaned on him.
"Excuse me, sir." Stephanie apologized before adding, "Except for that one."
Cleo came over and gently took Stephanie's other arm as Sir Robert Norramby said, "Let's get you a seat to sit down. You must be exhausted walking here."
"Yes," Stephanie nodded with a gentle groan. "A seat would be nice."
The group glanced at Stephen with a confused expression as he said, "She walked all the way here by herself. She was standing almost next to the rails after reaching the place."
"Sacré bleu!" Millie gently exclaimed. "She didn't even ask for an engine for a ride either?"
"Nope," Stephen responded. "All by herself and on foot. Many people did that back before cars were invented, though."
In the background, Diesel followed where he last saw the blue-haired girl, seeing the elderly engines talking to each other as he growled a little.
"Bother," he groaned. "I almost had it. Maybe I'll wait here and see if she could step out."
It was now or never.