He had made up his mind.
Once and for all, he was going to show it.
Besides, it was for a reason.
'I hope this doesn't backfire...'
"Guys... follow me," he said, turning away from them and walking out of the Temple. His friends exchanged puzzled looks. Even Carter seemed unsure.
"Huh? Where are we going?" Mei asked.
"And why?" Tyler added.
"Just follow me," Thomas said, crossing the street toward the tram depot. If he was going to make the change into the engine, it needed to be away from the bustling main street. With the trams not running, there was hardly anyone around.
"Uh, why is Thomas walking over to where the trams park?" Miriam whispered to Mei. Mei only shrugged, equally confused.
Thomas reached the tram tracks, took a deep breath, and turned to face his friends. "There's only one way to get those things to the SkyDome fast."
"Huh? What? The streetcars? We already said they're not running..." Mei frowned.
"No, not the them..." Thomas glanced at Carter. "Me."
Carter raised an eyebrow, a knowing look on his face. His expression telling Thomas: "Are you sure?"
Thomas wasn't sure. He wasn't sure how'd they react.
"Guys... remember when I said I was like Mei?" Thomas asked.
"Ooh, I do!" Abby cheered, raising her arms in excitement.
"What, can you really turn into an animal or something?" Priya tilted her head, puzzled.
"Yeah! Maybe something bigger and stronger than Mei's panda!" Abby said.
"Huh?" Carter looked at Thomas in confusion. "When did you tell them?"
"Wait you know?!" Abby gasped at Carter. "What does he turn into!? You have to tell me!" Abby loudly spoke, almost bouncing with anticipation.
"I didn't exactly tell them what I turn into..." Thomas replied to Carter.
"This is all news to me..." Tyler blinked. "So, you can turn into something like Mei?"
That's when Thomas realized Tyler wasn't with them when they where all in the closet together.
He felt the pressure mounting with all the questions. So, he decided to just show them.
"I'm... just gonna change into it..." Thomas muttered.
"YES! I CAN'T WAIT!" Abby yelled.
Thomas took a deep breath. He hadn't shown anyone—not even Carter. But now, all of them would see. Just for the sake of the dance. "You all better stand back. I don't want a repeat of what happened when I was younger..."
"Hm? What happened?" Miriam asked, but Carter quickly gestured for her to back up. They all took a few steps back.
Thomas stood on the tram tracks, focusing. He'd always focused on how to change back into a human. He'd never forced himself into the form of an engine. The heat began to rise inside him. He could hear steam whistles in his mind as he concentrated.
"Uh... what's happening?" Tyler whispered. Carter observed, then replied, "I think... he's trying to change."
Mist began to swirl around Thomas, his skin turned gray. Mei gasped, recalling the last time she saw that color. The steam thickened. His hair turned blue, and when Thomas opened his eyes, they were blue too.
Then, WHEEESH.
Steam exploded from Thomas, enveloping the area. "Woah!" Tyler exclaimed. Everyone shielded their eyes from the burst of steam. Mei blinked through the haze, She saw something large and blue ahead. "T-Thomas? Ugh..." she coughed. "Thomas, where are you?"
"Mei, where am I? I can't see!" Tyler called out.
"Carter? Where are you?" Mei asked. He was right next to Mei just before.
Slowly, the steam cleared, revealing something both familiar and foreign.
Everyone stared.
Carter turned to look at his friends, then back at the tank engine. His face was a mix of disbelief and surprise. The face on the engine was nervous and bashful.
"W-What the hell?!" Tyler gasped.
"Oh..." Priya said.
"WOAH! WHAT THE?!" Abby shouted, grinning and laughing. Miriam just stood there, bewildered.
"How? How... are you a train?!" Mei exclaimed, walking around the massive blue engine.
Carter stood still, staring at Thomas's face. Their eyes met, and Thomas quickly looked away, blushing. "So... this is what you look like," Carter said.
Thomas still looked away, blushing. "I know, I look weird..."
"No! You look amazing!" Carter assured him. "Seriously!" he smiled.
"Oh my gosh! Are you serious? That number was on your coat!" Abby pointed at the side of Thomas.
"Oh, you're right!" Miriam said. "How is this even possible? You can turn into a living, breathing machine?"
"Yeah, I don't know how to explain it... I don't even know how it's possible myself," Thomas muttered.
"Wait! You can move on the tram tracks! Is that what you wanted to do? Drive us and the boxes to the Skydome?" Mei asked.
"Uh... yeah! That's exactly what I wanted to do."
"The boxes... you sure they can fit in your cab?" Carter asked. Thomas wasn't sure, but they had to make it work.
Of course they could just wait for Ming, but the SkyDome needed the stuff probably really soon.
"I'll wait here until you get the boxes," Thomas said.
Mei nodded. "Right! I'll get one—"
With a quick shift, she transformed into her panda form and darted off across the street.
"I'll help you Mei!" Miriam said.
"Me too!" Abby added.
Tyler, however, stayed put, staring at the blue engine.
"Is this why you're a train nerd? Because... you are a train?" Tyler asked.
"Actually, I'm a tank engine. Not a train," Thomas corrected him
Tyler rolled his eyes. "Ugh, whatever."
Carter shot Tyler a disapproving look. "Don't listen to him, Thomas," he said, his voice firm.
Thomas just lowered his eyes and quietly waited for the others to return.
When they came back with three boxes, Mei placed one down and switched back to her human form. Thomas couldn't help but notice how effortless it seemed for Mei to transform back. "How do you change back so quickly?" Thomas asked.
Mei chuckled. "Honestly, I don't really know. I guess I just got used to it over time."
Thomas thought about it. If only he could change back just as easily. Being twice the size of Mei's panda form made it impossible for him to show off his full power. There must be a way to control it without constantly changing... he thought.
Mei took a box, then climbed the small step that was below the cab door. "Woah, Mei... You didn't even ask Thomas permission for you to go inside him," Miriam said, and that caused Tyler to snort, then laugh very loudly. Miriam turned her head to Tyler.
"What's with you?" She arched her eyebrow. Tyler couldn't even speak properly because he was still laughing.
Mei, halfway up the step, peered around the engine. "Oh, sorry, Thomas—" she said.
"It's fine, Mei," Thomas replied, though he felt a little nervous.
Once Mei sat the box down. Miriam handed her the next one, followed by Carter handing another. After she sat the last box down, she looked out of the doorway. "You want to come with us? I could use the company at the SkyDome."
"Come with you?" Miriam asked. "Are you sure we'll all fit?"
"I think so?" Mei glanced back at the cab, which did seem a little cramped with all the levers, valves, and gears. There was even a small door at the back wall that was spilling out what looked like black rocks. "Uh, Thomas? What are those... black stones?"
"Black stones?" Thomas echoed, confused.
"Coal," Miriam answered. "It's coal."
"Oh right!" Mei said, snapping her fingers. "We learned about these in class." She blinked, then looked out the cab. "Thomas... how do you exactly work as... an engine? Do you control yourself, or...?"
"Yes, I can control my own levers."
Mei sighed with relief. "Oh, thank God, because I was thinking we'd have to drive you or something... I don't think I could do that."
"Well, it shouldn't be too hard, right?" Miriam added.
Mei opened the door. "Okay, climb in, everyone! Let's see if we all fit."
Thomas couldn't see them from his vantage point, so he hoped they'd be safe. No one had ever ridden inside his cab, not even when he visited the island. He was nervous about going too fast, so he decided to start slow. Luckily, one of the tram tracks ran directly in front of the stadium, so he knew the route.
It wasn't as cramped as expected, even with all five of them inside. Usually, only two people fit in a steam engine's cab, and none of them knew about the dangers posed by the firebox. But hopefully, nothing would go wrong.
"There's still room!" Mei exclaimed.
"Just barely. I seriously can't believe you're a damn train!" Tyler said, shaking his head.
"Alright, Thomas! We're ready!" Carter called out.
Thomas tried to move, but then he realized something was wrong—there was no steam. He also thought he had no water. It was the same issue he'd faced before when he transformed outside the school. His wheels were locked in place. 'Oh bloody hell,' Thomas muttered to himself.
"Uh... guys..." Thomas said.
They all realized Thomas's tone changed. "Huh? What is it?" Priya asked.
"I don't have any steam..."
They exchanged nervous glances. "Uh oh..." Miriam said, glancing at the control panel. With the little steam engine knowledge they'd gained in class, she searched for something specific.
"What are you looking for?" Tyler asked.
"That... tube that shows how much water's in the boiler..." The panel was covered in gauges, knobs, and levers—enough to give anyone a headache who wasn't familiar with steam engines.
Then, she spotted it. "Bingo! Found it!" She pointed. The water level in the tube was high.
"Uh... what is that?" Tyler asked.
"Ugh, did you not pay attention in class?"
"He never does." Miriam chimed in.
"Great, I've got water..." Thomas said. "But someone's gotta shovel coal in me..."
A shovel rested on a rack at the back of the cab. "Alright!" Mei said, grabbing it. "I remember this from class! Miriam, open the firebox!"
Miriam scrambled, looking for the lever to open it but couldn't find it. "Uh? Where's the lever? This looks different than what was in the textbook-"
Thomas overheard. "There's a foot pedal on the floor. Step on it..." he said, relieved he remembered how his own cab was supposed to look.
Miriam placed her foot on the pedal, but it wouldn't budge. Priya and Abby jumped in to help, and together, they finally got it down. "Wow... that takes some force. Hurry with the coal, guys..."
Carter grabbed the shovel and started loading coal into the firebox. "Wait... isn't the firebox supposed to have fire in it?" Abby asked, noticing how cold it looked.
"Oh... shoot.. is it not lit?" Thomas asked. "I don't know if it's there, but my cab is supposed to summon some matches when I turn into a steam engine."
"Matches?" Everyone asked.
Abby spotted a box of matches on a little stand by the window. "There!" She grabbed it. "Let me light it!" She smirked as she pulled a match out, but Mei snatched it away.
"We are not letting you accidentally set Thomas on fire."
Abby pouted then backed away.
Mei carefully struck the match and tossed it into the firebox.
Within seconds, the coal caught fire. "Yes! Fire! Hahaha!" Abby laughed manically.
"You got problems..." Tyler said.
"Please... don't get too close to the firebox," Thomas said.
"Don't worry, Thomas! We won't!"
Soon, the water was boiling. Thomas felt the heat inside his metal body—a comforting sensation he hadn't felt in ages, especially on a cold day. As the water heated up, steam began to escape beneath him. "Ooh! Are we ready to move?" Abby asked, bouncing with excitement
"I think so," Thomas said. "Let's check if there's enough steam..."
"Check? How are you gonna check?" Tyler asked.
PEEEP! PEEEP! PEEEP! P-P-Peeeeeeppp!
"Woah! Awesome!" Miriam shouted as Thomas blew his steam whistle.
"Why is your whistle so high-pitched?" Tyler snorted.
It had been a while since Thomas was the tank engine, but he remembered how to get himself started. A lever moved up, making everyone gasp. Then another lever pushed forward, followed by one that went down, then—
Chuff... Chugg...
Black smoke billowed from Thomas's funnel, right in his face. "COUGH Ugh..." Thomas groaned. "You guys added too much coal..." he wheezed. "Or that's some old bloody coal..."
"Are you okay?" Carter asked.
"Woah! We're moving!" Abby shouted.
"Yeah, I'm fine..." Thomas said, his wheels slipping a little. He regained control and chugged out of the tram depot, turning onto the streetcar track. Steam hissed from his pistons as he moved along.
"Okay... I gotta admit, this is kinda cool..." Tyler said.
"Exactly!" Mei replied. Thomas smiled as he overheard them—though no one could see it. He sighed contentedly, puffing along at a steady pace through the street. He didn't care if cars noticed him.
'This is gonna go smoothly...'
If only it had.
His friends were busy watching the scenery, but Thomas noticed the street was starting to slope downhill. He felt himself gaining speed. Not an issue, he thought, since he had his brakes. He tried to apply the brakes to slow himself down, but the lever wouldn't budge. "Huh?" Thomas furrowed his brow. He strained against the lever, but it wouldn't move.
Mei and Carter noticed the brake lever vibrating as if stuck. "Thomas? What's going on with your lever?" Carter asked.
"That's the brake, isn't it?" Mei asked. The others turned toward the cab, watching as the brake struggled to move.
The chugging grew faster. "Guys! Can someone push the brake lever?"
Mei grabbed it, trying to force it.
But it wouldn't move.
It was stuck. "It's jammed!" she grunted, putting all her strength into it, but nothing happened. Everyone piled on, but it still wouldn't budge.
Thomas started to panic. He was speeding up, and there was nothing he could do! His speed was increasing, and he started to go even faster than what the trams are meant to go. "Guys! Do something! I can't stop!"
"Thomas! We can't! The brake's jammed!" Carter shouted.
"Maybe this will help!" Tyler said, yanking another lever, but that only caused a violent jerk, sending Thomas rocketing downhill even faster. "AHHH!" Thomas screamed.
"Woah! Tyler! Don't touch anything!" Abby yelled.
"Tyler, you pushed the reverser foward!" Miriam cried.
In a panic, Thomas shut off the power by closing the throttle to shut off steam. The chugging stopped, but gravity was still pulling him down the hill.
Then there was trouble.
There was a sharp turn up ahead on the street.
Thomas gasped, "Guys! HOLD ON!" he shouted.
Mei peeked out of the cab and saw the sharp curve. "Grab hold of something, now!"
Everyone gripped anything they could find. Just as Tyler reached for the window sill—
Thomas started to tilt.
"OH NO!" he cried, shutting his eyes.
Mei, thinking quickly, ushered everyone to the other side of the cab. The shift in weight pushed Thomas back onto the rails with a violent jolt. "OW! Cinders and ashes!" Thomas shouted.
"Great thinking, Mei!" Miriam cheered.
"Yeah!" Abby smiled.
But the danger wasn't over.
Thomas's whistle blasted, loud and frantic. The tram tracks ran through an intersection, and Thomas was desperately blowing his whistle to clear the cars out of the way. He was nervous about being seen, but it'd be far worse to crash.
"We need to try again!" Mei shouted, grabbing the brake lever. "Everyone, grab hold!"
They all pulled. "On three... One... two... THREE!"
All of them strained, and grunted as they where trying to unjam the break.
"It's no use!" Tyler panted.
"No! Try again!" Mei said urgently.
Thomas turned onto some switch. And the sudden jerk, caused all of them to nearly fall.
"Woah!" Tyler gasped as Mei caught him, then grabbed Miriam. "Got you," she said, struggling to keep everyone steady.
Poor Carter and Abby slammed into the back wall.
Thomas had no idea where he was anymore—he wasn't on the street anymore. The tracks were old, rundown, and has bushes everywhere.
"Where am I?!" he said, looking around.
Until he steamed past a small bend, and onto another track, that had about 4 track lines next to him. "W-What? These aren't the tram tracks!"
Miriam noticed the lever shaking. "It's loose!" Mei grabbed it and slammed it down. Instantly, Thomas's brakes locked, skidding on the tracks. Now that the brake was unjammed, Thomas released the brakes and opened the throttle to a steady pace.
Panting, he finally calmed down. The rest of his friends collapsed onto the floor in the cab.
"That... was intense," Tyler said, breathless.
"I need to do that again!" Abby cheered.
"Please no..." Priya muttered.
"Are you all okay?" Thomas yelled out.
"Yeah, Thomas! We're okay!" they replied.
"What about the boxes?" Thomas asked.
Mei looked around. "Oh no! One of the boxes must've fallen out!"
"Forget it, it probably wasn't important..." Tyler sighed.
Thomas still had no idea where he was. But then he noticed something. A train—a full-sized passenger liner—was moving alongside him, the passengers staring in their direction. Thomas felt nervous as he figured out they where all looking at him, but then he read the name on the side of the coach.
VIA Rail.
"VIA Rail...?" Thomas couldn't believe it. "Wait a minute... How did I end up on the mainline?!"
That wasn't the only problem.
A giant station appeared ahead, with the CN Tower looming in the distance. "Wait a minute... That's UNION STATION!"
Then, Thomas spotted something even worse: a green and white GO commuter train parked at the station. "CINDERS AND ASHES!" Thomas screamed, slamming on the brakes, but it was too late.
His front slammed into the diesel engine, lifting his front wheels off the track slightly before crashing back down, derailing himself.