"Thomas!" Carter shouted, his voice laced with panic.
But Thomas remained silent—still trapped in his engine form. He sat unmoving, eyes closed, with no trace of steam escaping his metal frame. Not a sound came from him. "Thomas, speak to me!"
Worry rippled through everyone. Even Mei, usually composed, was visibly shaken by Carter's outburst. The quiet, normally gloomy Carter now looked horrified, convinced that Thomas might be... gone.
"Why isn't he waking up?" Aaron T asked.
"Try tapping him," Mei suggested gently. Abby hurried over to the steam engine, raised her hand, and knocked on the metal side-tank of Thomas. But he didn't stir. "Oh, come on! Wake up, man!" Abby banged on it repeatedly, only to be halted by Carter. "Abby! You're going to hurt him!" Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she stopped.
Carter sighed, "Oh, Thomas..."
"What are we going to do?" Tae asked, anxiety evident in his tone.
"Let me try something," came the calm voice of Mark. All eyes turned to the mysterious boy who'd appeared out of nowhere earlier—none of them fully trusted him yet, but he had saved them from that darkness-cloaked creature. "I'll try to heal him, but I can't promise it'll work." In that moment, the key-shaped weapon he'd used against Nerraw materialized in his hand once more. Sora, the boy from the portal, looked on with concern. "You sure you've got enough magic for that?" he asked.
Mark shook his head. "Won't know unless I try," he replied as he aimed the enchanted weapon directly at Thomas.
"W-What are you doing?" Carter demanded, worry thick in his voice.
"Don't worry—Thomas will be fine," Mark assured him.
Carter glanced at Sora. "Y-You sure?"
Taking a deep breath and clenching his weapon, Mark intoned, "HEAL!" Immediately, the tip of his key glowed a vibrant green, swirling particles dancing around it. The sight left everyone awestruck—until, just as suddenly, the magic faded. The green light dimmed to nothing.
"Huh? What happened?" Carter asked.
"Shit, I don't have any magic left," Mark muttered
Sora sighed, "See? I knew you were running on empty."
Carter's eyes drifted to Thomas. "He... isn't gone. We can bring him back..."
"I'm sorry, Carter," Mark said quietly. "But Nerraw is a truly formidable entity—stronger than the being he's modeled after. I haven't told you enough, but if Nerraw invades a certain dimension, what you'll call impossible..."
"And... what exactly is that?" Mei interjected.
Mark exhaled slowly, glancing at Sora before continuing, "In my world, all of you belong to a movie—'Turning Red.' And Thomas? He's from a TV show called 'Thomas The Tank Engine.' Meanwhile, Nerraw has seized control of an old, yet functional, hidden realm known as the Fictional Dimension."
Before Mark could finish, jaws dropped all around. "EXCUSE ME, WHAT?!" Mei screamed.
Mark winced. "I know it sounds crazy—"
"Crazy? More like insane! What the hell are you talking about?" Robaire demanded.
"Just let me finish," Mark pleaded. "Being part of this doesn't make any of you any less thna what you are. Everything you've experienced is genuine—even if dimension rules are complex, none of you are 'fake.' You're all real."
Mei exchanged glances with her friends and the rest of 4 Town. Shock was written on every face. "Wait... are you saying that I'm famous?" Abby asked.
"All of you are," Mark replied, "but please—don't overthink it."
"That might be easier said than done," Jesse muttered.
Mark shook his head. "This Fictional Dimension is supposed to be hidden—off limits. But Dark-Blade broke through once."
"Dark-Blade? Who's Dark-Blade?" Mei asked.
"A redeemed soul, though not here right now," Mark explained. "Anyway, he opened it, made me go on an adventure, and—accidentally—helped me meet the love of my life." He glanced at Sora, who blushed.
"Oooh~," Abby cooed.
"And then Nerraw came along and mashed two dimensions together—'Turning Red' and 'Thomas'."
"...So are you saying that Thomas has to leave us?" Mei asked.
"No. Not at all. But it'd be wise to stop Nerraw once and for all before he merges things that shouldn't be merged and causes massive chaos," Mark replied, shaking his head. "We've tried for years, but he's too powerful for Sora and me. He can be stunned, but he always gets back up."
Mark sighed. "I know none of you can take him on. But—"
Tae interrupted, "Uh... why does that thing even want to merge dimensions?"
Mei nodded in agreement. "Yeah, what's the gain?"
"Good question," Mark said. "We don't know much, but he's trying to follow in Dark-Blade's footsteps. Dark-Blade used to merge dimensions to harness energy—the energy each one holds. Merging two dimensions amplifies that energy, even though they exist separately. Essentially, he drains them to grow more powerful."
"Damn, what a sicko..." Miriam muttered.
"So he just roams other dimensions, killing things to get energy?!" Mei asked.
"Not exactly killing, but it wreaks havoc on both sides," Mark replied. "Imagine if Nerraw merged Thomas's world with, say, 'Stranger Things'—let's hope that never happens."
"Stranger Things?" Mei asked.
"The hell is that?" Abby added.
"Just a show—I won't go into it now," Mark shrugged.
"Wait... where are Tyler and Carter?" Mei suddenly asked. They scanned the area—no sign of them.
"Uh, Carter?" Aaron T called.
Then voices came from Thomas's cab.
Both Carter and Tyler were inside.
"Wait, I think they're in the cab," Miriam observed. The group walked over, finding Carter and Tyler either arguing or shouting at each other. "No! Open that door! Not the firebox!" someone yelled.
"Guys, what are you doing?" Mei asked.
Peeking out, Carter and Tyler explained, "We're trying to get the heat back into Thomas. It might wake him up!"
"You sure that'll work?" Robaire asked.
"It has to!" Carter insisted.
They scrambled, using everything they'd learned when they first started Thomas. "Anyone got a match? Thomas is out of them," Tyler complained. No one did.
"Ugh, no lighter either?!" Carter shouted.
"Now I wish I'd never quit smoking a year ago," Robaire joked, though Carter's anxiety was palpable.
"No... I don't want Thomas to die," Carter whispered, on the verge of tears. Then Tyler touched his shoulder reassuringly. "He's not— we'll light the firebox."
"How, dude?" Carter asked.
"With this," Mark announced, climbing the steps. "You're lucky I have enough magic for a bit of fire." He stepped into the cab, opened the firebox, and summoned his weapon, aiming it at the exposed coal.
"Fireaga!" he chanted, and in a flash, a small fire bolt shot from his key, igniting the coal instantly. Carter gasped, "Yes!"
"Did you guys do it?!" Mei called from below. Carter peeked out, "Yes! We did!"
"Now," Mark continued, "we just need to keep the heat up."
For the next twenty minutes, Carter and Tyler busied themselves stocking the coal to maintain the heat. None were sure how long it would last or if Thomas would ever wake. Tyler stoked the coals diligently, while Carter's nerves got the better of him. "Come on, Tyler, do it faster!"
"Dude, I'm trying!" Tyler retorted. "I was never any good at this—my family's cookout was a disaster because I couldn't keep the coals lit for the life of me," he sighed. Carter, tearing up, wiped his eyes. "I... we... didn't even get to go on a real date yet..."
Tyler looked up from the coals. "Guess what? You are. He's going to wake up—I promise. Just as soon as these damn coals get hot enough!" he yelled, then shouted out the cab window, "Mei! Somebody, go grab some dry twigs or something!"
"On it," both Mei and Miriam responded in unison.
Carter sniffled, and Tyler softly sighed, "Hey, don't cry. Your eyeshadow is sliding off,"
"All this happened so suddenly... I actually had a crush on Thomas for a while, though I never realized it," Carter confided to Tyler as he wiped away his tears.
"Well, that's understandable. I once had a crush on someone and ended up acting like an asshole to her. We were both clueless about love last year I guess," Tyler replied.
Carter looked up, "...Is that girl Meilin?"
Tyler paused, glanced outside, then whispered, "Y-Yes..." Carter smiled softly. "Okay, I just never knew how to tell Mei."
"Tell me what?"
"AHHHH WHAT THE?!" Tyler yelled, then jumped in the air like a kangaroo.
"Whoa, what's gotten into you?!" Mei asked, raising an eyebrow. "Here, these are the dry wings you wanted! Geez, jumping like a maniac," Mei laughed, handing Tyler the twigs.
"Th-thank you..." Tyler mumbled, blushing.
"And some leaves—Miriam grabbed them," she added, passing them along.
"Thanks," Tyler said.
Tyler tossed the dry debris into the firebox. Behind him, snickering could be heard. "Hey, that wasn't funny, Carter," Tyler pouted.
"It kinda was," Carter chuckled.
Tyler continued working the coal with the stoker, mixing in the new twigs and leaves. The fire began to build, and soon water started boiling inside the boiler. "How did Thomas check for steam again?" Tyler asked. "The whistle! Pull the lever!" Carter pointed.
And so Tyler did. He pulled the lever, and then—
PEEEP PEEEP PEEEEEEP!
"Holy shit! What was that?" Robaire exclaimed.
"That was the whistle—awesome!" Tae gasped.
"Is Thomas awake?!" Mei asked. Though Thomas's face remained lifeless, steam was now steadily rising from his funnel.
"Guys, has he woken up?" Tyler pressed, but Miriam could only whisper a soft, "no."
Carter sighed, "I guess he's never going to—"
"No, don't say that. He will wake up," Tyler insisted.
More steam began to rise. "He's only letting off steam—nothing more," Mark observed.
"You sure he has water in his boiler?" Sora asked.
"You better hope so!" Tae warned. "A steam engine without water while it's hot will explode!"
The thought sent shivers down Carter's spine. The thought of Thomas exploding didn't sit right with him at all.
"Uhh... Mei?" Miriam started.
"Huh? What is it?" Mei asked as she noticed Miriam pointing at Thomas. His face was twitching slightly.
"He's... he's fine?" Mei gasped.
Miriam nodded. "Tyler, keep that firebox hot!" she commanded.
"Huh?! Why? Is he awake?!" Tyler shouted.
"Ugh... Ow..." muffled sounds came from Thomas, and everyone gasped.
Thomas blinked, then slowly focused ahead. "Huh? Ow..." he muttered, struggling to get his bearings. As his vision cleared, he saw countless faces before him. "Hello? Who... who are you?" he asked.
"Thomas! You're awake! Oh, thank God!" someone cried. Almost immediately, Thomas felt a warm hug on his front left buffer. "Wait... am I still an engine?" he wondered aloud. When his sight fully returned, he recognized Carter and the entire 4 Town crew staring at him. Regaining his senses, he asked, "Oh, shoot... I forgot what happened. Are you all alright?" Thomas asked.
"And are YOU okay?" Tyler queried.
"Yeah!" Carter yelled. "You had me so worried!"
Thomas blushed slightly. "Man, I feel like I got hit by a truck," he admitted.
"Nerraw gave you a real beatdown—he's still knocked out from what you did," Tyler noted.
Carter, still hugging Thomas's buffer, pleaded, "Please, turn back into a human when you can—I want to hug you so badly."
Thomas blushed even more as he looked around.
"Yeah, Carter was worried sick," Tyler added with a nod.
"We all were," Miriam said softly.
Then Thomas noticed the boy band giving him odd looks. "What...?" he blinked, before realizing he hadn't shown them his true power. "Oh my gosh! You five probably think I'm a weirdo."
"Honestly, with everything that went down, you're a breath of fresh air compared to Nerraw," Aaron Z commented.
"Tell me about it, man!" Aaron T agreed.
"I still can't believe I'm standing before a talking train," Robaire blinked.
"Engine, Robaire. Engine," Tae corrected him.
Thomas sighed. "I'm... gonna try to change back," he announced. "So, Carter, please stop hugging my buffer."
"Okay," Carter replied, stepping back. Thomas closed his eyes and took deep, steady breaths—the sound of whistles and rising steam fading into the silence of the closed Skydome, punctuated only by the soft breathing of his friends.
Then, in a sudden burst, steam enveloped him and, in a flash, human Thomas reappeared as his engine form vanished. The only hiccup was that poor Tyler was too close—human Thomas landed right on top of him. "Ow, my bones..." Tyler groaned. Thomas gasped, trying to help Tyler up, but before he could fully assist, Carter dashed forward and hugged him tightly, causing Thomas to drop Tyler. "OW!" Tyler cried.
"I'm so happy you're okay!" Carter exclaimed, holding Thomas tightly. Thomas, cheeks burning, hugged him back. "I was so scared I'd never get to hold your hand again..." Carter said as he hugged Thomas ever tighter.
"Carter, it's fine—I'm okay," Thomas reassured, and Carter pulled him in for another embrace.
"Uh... guys, sorry to break the mood, but Nerraw is getting up," Abby announced.
"WHAT?!" Mark yelled as Carter, now fed up, stepped in front of Thomas protectively. "Keep him away from Thomas," He said.
Mark and Sora summoned their weapons.
"We can't keep using our keyblades like this—we're nearly out of magic," Sora noted.
All eyes turned to Nerraw, who was rising slowly, his dark form pulsating with anger. "You all will pay for this," he snarled.
Mark and Sora gripped their keyblades tightly.
"M-Mark? S-Sora, what do we do now?" Tae asked nervously.
"I don't know," Mark admitted.
Then Nerraw did something that left everyone utterly uncertain. Floating upward as before—but this time, with a different intent—he declared, "If I can't take the energy, this dimension is useless to me." His hands flashed with glitching, incomprehensible numbers.
"W-What is he doing?!" Miriam yelled.
"Mark, do something!" Abby pleaded.
But before Mark or Sora could react, Nerraw slammed his fist into the ground. Instantly, the entire stadium began to glitch and warp.
"S-Shit! Shit, he's trying to destroy the dimension!" Mark shouted.
Frozen for a moment, to process this new information, Robaire shouted, "HE'S TRYING TO WHAT?!"
The stadium's walls, ceiling, and floor twisted and flickered like a malfunctioning simulation—it was only a matter of time before this chaos would collapse the entire dimension.
Nerraw himself began to glitch, unleashing an unearthly power that threatened to annihilate the energy of Turning Red. If he succeeded, the entire dimension would collapse, wiping out everyone. "Come on! Sora, open your light portal, now!" Mark shouted in desperation.
"But Mark, my magic..." Sora protested weakly.
"Sora, JUST TRY!" Mark urged.
"Please, try—I don't want us to die from this!" Abby cried. "Oh my god, this is horrifying!" With every ounce of remaining strength, Sora summoned his keyblade one last time and, with a burst of adrenaline, opened the portal.
"EVERYONE, GET INSIDE!" Mark ushered.
Mark practically shoved everyone into the portal, and Sora leaped in just before—
A massive explosion rocked the area, propelling them all into the portal faster.
They landed in a tangled heap on the ground. "Oww..." Tyler groaned.
"Are we dead?" Abby asked in a trembling voice.
"Thomas? Where's Thomas?!" Carter yelled.
"You're on top of me..." Thomas mumbled, disoriented.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Carter said, helping Thomas up.
"Carter, it's fine—I'm okay," Thomas reassured, and Carter hugged him once more.
"Is everyone else okay?" Thomas finally asked as he looked around.
They all were there—4 Town, all his friends, even Mark and Sora. But now they found themselves in an unfamiliar place.
A long hallway stretched out before them, lined with doors adorned with strange artwork and accompanied by screens. At one end, a brilliant light shone through; on the other, a glowing lone portal rim stood.
"Where the hell are we?" Robaire asked.
"Oh no... nononono..." Mark muttered, staring at one open door. On the side, a screen flashed the words "Turning Red" before they began to glitch and fade, and the door slowly closed.
"Uhhhh... what happened?" Thomas asked, confused.
Mark sighed heavily. "The bastard actually destroyed your dimension," he said