This story was written up back in 2010, and this version, which was edited by SF64Rules, was edited in May of 2016. Thanks again to SF64Rules. Also, to all you readers, Episode 31 is in the works and will be out within the summer, not sure what day or month, but it is coming.
Sodor High School: Thomas & Friends Tales
Written by: ThomasZoey3000/Edited by: SF64Rules
Based on the Railway Series by: The Rev. W. and Christopher Awdry
Based on the Television Series by: Britt AllCroft, David Mitton, Lionsgate, and Universal Pictures
Episode 8: Looking Back on the Younger Days
As the cold winter weather was starting to come in on the Island of Sodor, Thomas and Emily decided to go shopping for new winter clothes at the Knapford Department store. Which is why they were riding the local train from Ffraquhar to the junction, then get on a main line train for Knapford.
"Wow, it's really cold out here." shivered Emily. "I know I keep saying that, but I'm being serious here."
"Well it won't be long now." said Thomas. "The main line train will be arriving soon."
But the teens were in for a huge disappointment. No sooner had Thomas said those very words, the stationmaster came out to speak to the passengers, sounding very grave and disappointed.
"We are very sorry folks, but the engine for your train had derailed coming out of the yards. Our workers are doing the best they can to get the engine back on it's wheels, but it might be another thirty minutes until your train arrives."
"Botheration." groaned Thomas. "That's the last thing we needed to hear."
Most of the other passengers were grumbling too. Emily didn't complain, but she was feeling cold and found herself shivering some more.
"Maybe we could wait inside till our train arrives." suggested Thomas.
"Sounds like a good idea," agreed Emily.
So the two teens walked into the station, which was indeed warmer than it was outside thanks to the fireplaces built behind some glass windows.
"This almost reminds me of my first train ride years ago." giggled Emily. "Boy, was I ever in a big muddle that day."
"Why? What happened? Could you tell me about it?" Thomas asked, sounding very curious.
"Sure Thomas, I'd be happy to tell you."
And so, the two teens went over and sat down on one of the plastic seats. And this was the story Emily started to tell...
It all happened when Emily was eight years old. She had wanted to see what it would be like to ride on a train for the first time, and so her mother, Lady Hatt, agreed to show her what it would be like.
"Now remember to stay close dear." she said to young Emily. "I don't want you to get lost."
"I'm holding on, Mommy."
Emily was holding onto Lady Hatt's hand softly as they waited for their main line train to arrive. When the train arrived, that's when the trouble began. The engine on the front end blew off steam and people started rushing to the coaches. Emily tried to hold on as much as she could, but with all the people around her and her mother, she lost her grip and disappeared.
"EMILY!" cried Lady Hatt in horror.
She tried to get to her daughter quickly, but was pushed into the train before she could even reach Emily. The doors slammed shut, then with the blowing of the guard's whistle, the train departed without Emily.
"Mommy? Mommy! Where are you?!" Emily was getting scared, but then she saw another train pull up onto the other platform. "They came back for me! Hurray!"
Unfortunately, that was the wrong train, not that Emily knew that at the time. She rushed into the train and jumped into the first coach, a minute later, the doors closed and the train departed. It was a long train ride, far too long for Emily. As she looked frantically for her mother, she was starting to get more and more scared.
"Where is she?" Emily asked quietly to herself.
Then she felt the train stop at a station known as 'Ffraquhar'. Quickly, she got off with the rest of the passengers before the guard could ask for a ticket.
"Hmm? Huh, I thought there was someone riding in here." he thought to himself, before shrugging and resuming work. "Oh well."
Emily meanwhile was looking around the station, but she couldn't find her mother anywhere. But she did see something interesting, it was a young blue-haired boy hanging out with a similarly aged green-haired boy.
Emily stopped telling her story and gasped. "Wait! I remember seeing you and Percy both as kids."
"Small island isn't it?" chuckled Thomas.
"How come you didn't tell me before?"
Thomas shrugged. "Well, to be honest, I had forgotten all about that until now. But I don't know the rest of the story, so could you tell me more of it?"
"Sure." And thus Emily continued telling her story.
"Listen Thomas," said the young green haired boy, sounding sad. "I never meant to cause that accident at the coal yards."
"I know that now, I shouldn't have gotten mad at you. This bike turned me into a bigger drip than we both thought. Either way, thanks for coming to help me." replied young Thomas.
"No problem. Now I'll take your bike to Victor's repair shop and I'll have it back at your house soon." Young Percy stated.
"Take as much time as you need. There's no rush, but I was wondering, could we could be friends again?"
Percy smiled. "Thomas, we are and always will be best friends!"
Thomas smiled and high fived Percy, then he watched his best friend walk away with his ruined bike. It was then the young blue-haired boy looked over to the platform to see a young dark green-haired girl standing there.
"Hello there!" he called out to her.
The girl was far too scared to answer, and so she tried to hide. Thomas was confused, but he thought the girl was playing a game, and so he decided to play too. He ran onto the platform, but he couldn't see the girl anywhere.
"Morning Thomas!" called the driver of the tank engine. "Are you looking for that girl?"
Thomas nodded. "Yes, have you seen her?"
"I have," called the fireman, pointing down the road. "She's running down the gravel road and heading into town!"
"Where's your bike, Thomas?" asked the driver.
"Percy's taken it to the shops to be repaired. I would like to tell you two what has been going on, but right now, I need to catch up to that girl!"
Thomas waved goodbye to the driver and fireman of the train and then ran out of the station after the girl. Outside the station, Thomas rested for a moment because the girl had gotten very far away in a short amount of time.
"Hello, Thomas." called another voice, it was young Toby on his own bike. "What are you up to today?"
"I'm looking for someone, but she's proving to be a little faster than I thought." Thomas replied, looking and sounding a little winded.
"Well, if you want, you can borrow my bike." Toby offered.
"But what about you?"
Toby merely smiled. "I'll be okay. It's a nice day for walking anyway."
"Thanks, Toby."
And so, Thomas climbed onto Toby's bicycle and rode after the little girl. It didn't take him long to catch up to her as she had stopped by a farmer's field to rest for a moment.
"So this is where you ran off to."
"Leave me alone!" The girl suddenly snapped.
"Why? Why would you want me to leave you alone?" Thomas asked innocently.
"My parents always told me never to talk to strangers." The girl answered.
"They're smart parents to tell you that, but I want to be your friend, if that's okay with you."
"Says the boy who ran into a couple of snowdrifts already!" laughed a voice, it was Terence the Farmer on his tractor.
"Need I remind you Terence that I once brought help to you when you and your tractor went into a ditch?" Thomas retorted.
"Nah, you don't need to remind me." Terence chuckled. "Besides, I was only joking. No harm intended."
And so, Farmer Terence went back to work ploughing the ground. Thomas looked back to the fence, only to find the girl missing. He got back on the bike and rode off to find her, which didn't take him long. The girl was taking another little rest on the side of the road when Thomas biked over to her.
"You don't need to run away from me," The boy said kindly.
It was then he noticed that the girl was crying her eyes out.
"I'm lost!" she sobbed. "I just want to go home!"
"Well you're doing this all wrong, you're walking away from the station, it can help you get home." Thomas said calmly. "If you would like, I could help you get home."
The girl sniffled a bit. "You mean it?"
"Sure." Thomas smiled. "I'd be happy to help a friend in need. My name is Thomas."
"It's nice to meet you Thomas. I'm Emily." The girl introduced herself.
Thomas walked with Emily back to the station, where they met up with Toby again. Thomas gave him his bike back, briefly talked to him, and then walked with Emily onto the platform.
"I'll get the tickets for our next train ride," Thomas said.
Emily continued to look around nervously, she was wondering if her new friend would really help her get home.
Back at the Junction station in the modern day, Emily had halted her story when the stationmaster came out to inform the passengers of a new situation.
"The engine has been put back onto the rails, but it's in bad shape, so you'll have to wait a little longer while a new one is called for."
The groaning continued from the passengers.
"This never happens on the branch line," groaned Thomas quietly. "I know Clyde and Jim would never cause an accident."
"Who?" asked Emily.
"Clyde and Jim, they're old friends of my parents. In fact they helped us out on that day." Thomas explained.
"I see." Emily nodded. "I just never got their names. They were kind people..." And Emily continued with her story.
Young Thomas came back over with some more bad news.
"Tickets are all sold out for the rest of the day."
"Now what?" groaned young Emily, who was almost ready to cry again.
Thomas wasn't sure, until he heard the sounds of a shrill whistle in the distance.
"Oh I'm sure we'll find a way to get you home."
Within a minute, a blue tank engine pulled into the station with two long passenger carriages.
"Hello again, Thomas," called Clyde the driver. "I thought you were looking for that girl."
"I was and I did." said Thomas, looking back to Emily. "But now we have a small problem; she's lost and all the tickets for all the passenger trains are sold out. Could you guys give us a ride?"
"Anything for our good little buddy." said Jim the fireman. "But it'll be uncomfortable."
"Well anything is better than being lost."
"So where is she suppose to be at?" asked Clyde.
"I'm not entirely sure to be honest." Thomas sighed. "I don't know if she knows either. I guess we'll have to ride with you two until we find her station."
Jim nodded. "Alright then kids, climb aboard."
Thomas kindly allowed Emily into the cab first like a proper gentleman, then he climbed aboard next. A few minutes later, a guard's whistle blew, Clyde blew the tank engine's whistle and the small branch line train started smoothly out of the station. Emily was indeed impressed with the scenery on the branch line, and the many stations they passed along the way, but not one of them was hers.
"We're coming up to the end of the line soon." Jim announced. "One of those stations must be the one."
"We'll just have to keep looking old friend." said Clyde.
As they came close to the junction, Emily started pointing frantically.
"Wait, that's the place!" cried Emily. "That's the station I was at before with my mommy."
"Well, we would like to stay with you two to help look, but we have to keep to our timetable." said Jim.
"That's okay you guys." said Thomas. "I'll look with Emily."
The junction station soon came into view and the train was brought to a smooth stop. Thomas and Emily both thanked Jim and Clyde, and after a few minutes, they waved to them as they left.
"They'll be back in thirty minutes." said Thomas to Emily. "They just need to turn the train around."
And so, the two young kids started their search until at last, they found her.
"That's my mommy!" cried Emily, seeing Lady Hatt nearby, who was looking positively worried.
"Then you better go to her." suggested Thomas. "It's probably better if she doesn't see me with you."
"Alright, but thank you for your help Thomas."
She gave Thomas a small hug, to which she got a hug from him, then he watched as Emily ran off to rejoin her extremely relieved mother. Thomas watched from a distance and waited untill Clyde and Jim both came back to take him home. But somehow, Thomas thought that he would see Emily again someday.
"And that's it." smiled Emily, finishing her story. "My mother was a nervous wreck, but she was still very happy to see me safe and sound."
"Did you get a chance to ride a train again?" Thomas asked curiously.
"Yep, only next time was with my father." Emily replied. She then looked down to the floor and sighed, "I wonder if they're okay."
"I'm sure they are, it's not like Alexander is going to get to them."
"Alexander? But I thought he was named..."
Thomas hushed the dark green-haired girl. "Don't mention his name around here," he whispered quietly. "Nobody likes hearing his name. Alexander is his real name, but he prefers that name of his for a reason."
And thus Thomas began to tell Emily everything about 'Diesel 10'.
When Alexander started off at the school, he was a kind teacher for two years, but when the third year began, which was right around when Thomas and his friends started attending, he had a sudden change in attitude and thought that the Smelters Class should be known as the top ranked class of the whole school. Nobody in the school could understand why he was suddenly acting like this, not even Sir Topham Hatt.
"Why do you have all these weaklings running around in the school?" he asked one day in the office, sounding very harsh. "This school is better off with students like those Smelter Class kids. I've taught them for two years and I think they deserve a change."
"Every student deserves a chance to be taught here." said Sir Topham Hatt firmly. "Besides, much of those Smelter Class kids are almost always causing great confusion around here. And as you know, it also causes delays to the timetables, and I do not like that at all."
"But they can learn to be better!" argued Alexander.
"I'm sorry Alexander, but it isn't going to happen."
"Grr! Fine!" Alexander growled, standing up and storming out of the office, slamming the door in the process.
Well, despite being told 'no', Alexander wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer and took matters into his own hands. What did he do? Alexander tried to take over the school and kick all of the so-called 'weaker' kids out, but nobody was going to allow him to do that. Not even Thomas, his family, or friends.
One day in the office, while Sir Topham Hatt was out for a few minutes, Alexander had announced to much of the staff that he intended to steal control of the school and put it under his control no matter what they had to say about it. To put it mildly, no one, and I mean no one, was happy to hear about it at all.
"You've gone too far, Alexander!" shouted Mister Percival in outrage. "This school is for ALL students. Not just for those you only like the most!"
"Not true!" Alexander shouted back, suddenly taking a gun out of his coat pocket. "This school is better with only the best! And the best are the Smelter Class kids."
Mister Percival was more furious than ever. "But some of students around here are some of the best of the whole school!"
Alexander aimed the gun at the staff. "No, they are not!" He then smirked evilly. "Besides, that man, Alexander, is dead. My name now...is Diesel 10. Remember it well, you fools!"
Alexander...err, I mean Diesel 10, was then just about to open fire on Mister Percival and the other office staff, however, he never got the chance to shoot anyone. Why? Well...
"Very well then, you're fired!" shouted a familiar voice, causing Diesel 10 to start looking around the room in shock. Standing in the doorway to the main office was Sir Topham Hatt, with several police officers following behind him. "Your attempt to take over the school is finished!"
"Not a chance!" Diesel 10 sneered, dropping his gun and opening the nearby window, jumping out it, and escaping into the distance. "I'll return again. Mark my words!"
And so, his plans to steal control of the school were derailed, but that didn't stop him from trying to initiate a hostile take over. Diesel 10 tried again one day over a year later, but this time Thomas and his pals were there to stop him. When they heard about Diesel 10's new invasion of the school, they went to confront him and his new gang.
During the chaos of the fight, while the other kids were battling the gang members, Thomas was confronting Diesel 10 inside the main office, but that was proving to be a bit of a problem seeing as Diesel 10 was bigger and stronger than he was.
"Well, boy-" laughed Diesel 10, lifting a desk over his head and preparing to throw it. "-you've got no way out now!"
"You're wrong! There's always a way out." Thomas replied bravely.
Angrily, Diesel 10 threw the desk, but the blue-haired boy managed to dive over to the left and dodge it just in time. The man then rushed forth and tried to throw a punch, but Thomas avoided it by quickly sliding under Diesel 10's legs. Thus Thomas ended up behind Diesel 10 and quickly dashed out the door of the office, and that's when it finally happened. Part of the roof started to collapse, most likely due to the chaos of the battle for the school, and the glass ceiling, along with some rubble of the principal's office finally came crashing down and smashed onto Diesel 10, crushing his body, but mostly his left arm.
While Diesel 10 survived, his left arm became so bad that he was given a robotic arm to replace the lost limb, which came with many different functions, including the claw hand. With his new arm and power, Diesel 10 lead on a full on assault on the school for the third time, but that didn't last within five minutes. Why? Because Sir Topham Hatt anticipated this invasion and had the police on standby. And thus, Diesel 10 was finally arrested and taken away to jail.
"Bertram!" he shouted to Sir Topham Hatt while being loaded into the police car. "You will pay for this! You and your whole family! Just wait and see, I'll be back one day!"
The police car then drove away from the school along with several other police cars. Sir Topham Hatt merely watched with a concerned look on his face, wondering if he really will see Diesel 10 again someday.
"We never heard word from him again, until now." Thomas said, finishing the story while sounding very serious.
"And now he's after my parents." groaned Emily. "And if he knew who I was, then he would come after me especially."
"If I know your father, he'll find a way to stop Diesel...I mean Alexander, before he tries to put his master plan into action." Thomas said, sounding confident in Sir Topham Hatt.
"Do you really think so?" Emily asked, not sounding at all convinced.
"I know he will. There's no need to worry, Emily."
"Thank you, Thomas." Emily smiled.
Both Emily and Thomas continued to stare at each other, before they looked down to their hands and noticed that Emily's left hand was holding onto Thomas' right hand. The two teens turned away while blushing until they both suddenly heard a loud whistle and noticed the main line train arriving with five passenger carriages behind it.
"Ready to go?" Thomas asked nervously.
"Yes, and Thomas, you don't need to worry either. I won't say a word about this, if you promise not to say anything."
"I promise." smiled Thomas.
They both walked out of the station to rejoin the other passengers as the train came to a stop. They climbed on board and discovered that most of the seats were taken.
"It's usually this busy during this time of the year." Thomas said to Emily.
"Actually, it's busier that that." said another voice.
The two teens walked along until they found where the voice was coming from. It was from Henry. He was reading a magazine on trains and drinking from a soda can.
"Henry!" smiled Emily, sounding happy to see the older green-haired boy. "How are you doing?"
"Oh, I'm okay," Henry smiled back.
"So what are you up to today?" Thomas asked.
"Oh, I'm just enjoying a nice peaceful train ride. I always ride the train to the end of the line during this time of the year...well, during the times when I wasn't at the hospital. Thankfully, I'm back in good health."
"It's good to see you back in good health Henry," Thomas said happily.
Henry's smile never left his face. "Thank you, but I owe a great deal of thanks once more to you, Percy, James, Gordon, and Emily, of course."
"We're always happy to help a friend."
Henry continued to smile, but then frowned a bit. "Speaking of James though, I would advise you to stay out of his way right now."
"Why would you say that?" Thomas sounded puzzled to hear that.
"Well, I often see him looking over to you and Emily, and I think he's a little angry and jealous to constantly see you both together." Henry explained.
"But we're just hanging out." said Emily innocently. "That's all. I'm not ready to fall in love just yet."
"Well James doesn't know that. It might be a good idea if you tell him the next time you see him-" Henry then added rather darkly: "-before he tries to beat Thomas up."
"It's that bad?" asked Thomas.
"It is I'm afraid." sighed Henry unhappily. "Which is why Gordon and I aren't hanging out with him today."
"Speaking of Gordon, where is he?" Emily asked.
"Take a wild guess..." When neither of the teens could answer that, Henry decided to answer. "...Gordon's gone to see the newly built engine 'Tornado'. It's coming to our island for a month, and he wants to see it for himself."
"It's suppose to be part of that railway show at Knapford, right?" asked Emily.
"That's right." Henry nodded, and then looked out the window. "With the speed we're going at, it looks like we'll be arriving at Knapford within twenty minutes."
The guard came on the P.A. system and said they would be arriving in twenty minutes. Emily was surprised by this, but Thomas wasn't.
"Always good with timetables." he chuckled to himself. "Same old Henry."
"It comes from the many times I've been in the hospital," he chuckled.
And so, for the next twenty minutes, Thomas, Henry, and Emily each talked about their younger days as the train continued on down the tracks. But what about James? Was Henry right about the red-haired boy and his jealousy towards Thomas' friendship with Emily? I'd like to tell you, but I won't because it will spoil the next story.