//------------------------------//
// The song of the Iron Horses 
// Story: TCB: Invasion of Sodor 
// by autobotfan15 
//------------------------------//

May 29th 2:32 pm
From the Journal of Keith Hartley:

These last few days were like a blur. I haven't been able to write due to how busy we've gotten. Then again, when it comes to war, the railways never stops moving. The whole world has been trying to break through barriers and taking out any pro-conversion propaganda. Princess Twilight has been a great help to the military. In fact, word is the UN will show extreme Leniency for the princess even though she was instrumental in making the potion. 

The Barriers haven't expanded any further than they had on the day they formed but Some people living by them still don't want to chance it. For that reason Mr. Duncan had his miniature engine fleet taken to a safe place further away from Aresdale. Last I heard they're doing fine. Though the same cant be said for every other engine on the island.

Despite the military's best effort they weren't able to find any engine that has gone missing. So far the only engines unaccounted for are Rebecca, Charlie, Daisy, Spencer, Murdoch, Molly, Dennis, Phillip, and Neville. All we can do is pray that they and their crews are alright.

As part of an effort to try and make things less painful between the ponies and humans. The railway board and the military decided to let the rebel ponies help out on the railway as long as they are close to railway personnel and they report anything suspicious. These ponies have proven very helpful and, like long ago, they've began to re-establish close connections with humans and engines and in some cases form stronger friendships. No wonder I often see Rarity polishing James at the sheds.

Twilight Sparkle did say there was a magical thing about music that keeps our hopes up and gets us going and she's right. I sometimes hear the engines singing how they shouldn't stop in fact I might as well put the lyrics since I cant stop singing it myself:

Don't stop keep on moving Fuel’s hot it keeps us cruising
Helping the whole world everyday
With conflicts ever rising from beyond our own tracks
We're grunting and we're shunting there's no time to relax
We have to keep on chugging on like a well built machine
With the world depending on us there's no time for daydreams

Don't stop let’s work together 
because our fuels hot we’ll go on forever
there's nothing standing in our way

We'll do all our best
We're like a warship
We don't stop to rest
We'll count on all our friendship

Don't stop keep on moving
The Railways keeps on cruising
Ponies helping us everyday
Don't stop we'll work together
Because the fuels hot well go on forever
There's nothing standing in our way.
No not today.
And we won't stop.

That song really speaks to me as a railway we keep hope and we will never stop. Not until we win.

May 29th 6:10 pm
Report by Gallant Spear:

The yards is starting to reach its capacity of imprisoned engines. We had to silence a noisy class A4 engine as he was disturbing the Newfoals. Fortunately the conversion of the engine crews has been successful and we are considering utilizing them and their engines for our advantage but that would require full cooperation by the locomotives. 

One engine at some point started singing a song. According to a Newfoal it was some sort of religious song from a Christian church. We wanted to silence them but her highness forbade us too as she wanted the prisoners to "let them have this peace." She thinks they'll cooperate if we treat them without too much discipline. Sometimes I can't tell if she's being too strict or too soft. The Princess is a mystery but we should never question it.