//------------------------------// // 5. Lyra & Sweetie Drops Through The Portal // Story: Agents of S.M.I.L.E: Otherworldly Recruits // by LPFanFic //------------------------------// Agents of S.M.I.L.E. Otherworldly Recruits 5 – Lyra & Sweetie Drops Through The Portal Lyra was the type of person who wouldn't turn down anything if it meant getting to spend time with or help out her friend Sweetie Drops. Despite her excitement, however, Lyra was beginning to question and even worry about her choice in joining the ranks of Sweetie Drops' secret, monster catching organization. There was so much to take in. Tango and Bravo didn't do much to ease her concerns, as they kept pressuring the dangers of being an agent, almost as if to scare her away from their organization. On top of that, the brief equipment and close quarter combat training she received the day before was more intimidating than she thought. Luckily, Sweetie Drops was the one training and instructing her. She had an easier time learning from her best friend, who managed to give clear and informative instructions, over Tango or Bravo, who wouldn't have any interest in properly training an outsider. And because it was Sweetie Drops teaching her, Lyra began having fun with the idea of being a secret agent again. Bravo and Tango set up a training course in the woods where their Mobile Command Center was parked. And to their surprise, Lyra was able to ace almost all exercise trials. She jumped and climbed over obstacles, dodged projectiles, and mastered the most important task, catching a monster, albeit a dummy with a dollar store, monster mask that moved horizontally on a makeshift machine. The more she watched, the more Sweetie Drops felt a little envious at first. She didn't master the training regimen on her first trial when she joined S.M.I.L.E. This subsided when she taught a puzzled Lyra the basics of using S.M.I.L.E. tech. This worried Lyra the most as she wasn't sure how to handle such technology that strikingly resembled everyday devices. Despite all this, Lyra stayed on board. And in doing so, catching on the basics quicker than anyone expected. The team knew they could only go over so much preparation for their trip through the Portal in the school's Wondercolt Statue, and decided to put her training on hold. Cale, a plesiosaurs type monster, was trapped in another world due to unexpected tampering that saw him transported somewhere he wasn't suppose to be. And now that Lyra was up to speed, it was time for her and Sweetie Drops to enter the portal. Both Agents put on their glasses, which turned into black, opaque shades when they tapped their side temples. They share a concentrated glance and nod with unphased expressions. The next day, Lyra and Sweetie Drops arrived at Canterlot High and stood in front of the Wondercolt Stature, facing the portal on the west side. Sweetie Drops sported her black blazer, white dress shirt, short, black pencil skirt, black leggings, and black, low heeled shoes. Lyra was fitted with her own S.M.I.L.E. uniform, now wearing a black blazer, blue dress shirt, bootcut dress pants, and black, polished shoes. They clipped on their gold, hexagon shaped badges to the side of their shoulders, with Sweetie Drops' baring the number Twenty, and Lyra the number Nineteen. "Agent Sweetie Drops, do you copy?" Tango radioed over their ear piece. Sweetie Drops tapped her ear piece. "Copy that, Agent Tango. We've arrived at sight 900-SH C/sight SD-P." Lyra looked at her with confusion. Her eyebrow can be seen raising above her shades. "Just in case Honey Rays does pick up any of this." "Ohh." Lyra gave a thumbs up. "Got it! Very discreet of you, Agent Drops." "Kinda like I'm a secret agent, isn't it?" Sweetie Drops said with a wink. Lyra rose her shades a bit. "Are you winking? I can't tell under these shades." "Loud and clear on our end, Agent Drops," Tango said from their Command Center. "Let's hope it stays that way," Bravo commented. "If it stays this way." Lyra and Sweetie Drops were equipped with S.M.I.L.E.'s basic espionage and monster catching tools and devices. Black, opaque shades with built in camera, thermal vision, lights, and location scanning. Com Plugs, an ear piece device that can contact and communicate with other agents. Black, standard band watch with silver brushed steel face that tells time, traces coordinates, hacks hardware, and has a built-in laser for cutting through solid objects. The Neutralizer Len: A small, lens shaped device made to wipe a person or creature's memory. It Can be permanent, temporary, and adjusted to erase certain events. And lastly, both agents were equipped with a new, highly advanced monster catching tool. The Containment Wand: A black, two handed, stick-like device that shrinks and grows the molecule structure of organic substances to microscopic and original sized proportions. Orange lights beamed through the small holes around the tube and down to the controls. Creatures captured are contained in a small, clear dome attached to the handle for visible examination. "You have readings on Cale?" Sweetie Drops asked. "Affirmative," Bravo said, examining his computer screen. Cale's coordinates were displayed on a small monitor with a green, blinking light to indicate his location. The surrounding area where the beacon blinked was barren. They didn't have any official outline of Cale's environment, leaving Agents Lyra and Sweetie Drops to go in blind. "Now listen, Agent Drops," Tango began, "There's no telling what's on the other side of that portal." Both agents listened to her instructions. "So as an Agent of S.M.I.L.E., it's imperative that you keep to the code and don't give away your position to anyone, especially to whoever may be residing in that dimension." "Stay away from men with metal claws on their backs," Bravo commented. "Essentially." "Copy that," She said. "Good luck, Agent Sweetie Drops," Tango said. "Uh, you know I'm here too, right?" Lyra asked through her ear piece. "And to you, Agent Heartstrings," She said, irritably. Lyra cleared her throat and tapped her ear com. "Breaker, breaker. This is Agent Heartstrings requesting a pat on the back from Agent Bravo. I repeat, Agent Heartstrings requesting good luck from my fellow agent." "Affirmative… Agent Heartstrings," Bravo said, begrudgingly. "Oh, yeah!" She smirked and nodded with pride. Sweetie Drops smiled as well, but her face quickly fell upon gazing at the Neutralizer Len strapped to her artillery belt. A sense of dread kept washing over her the more she thought about using it, and when she'll eventually have to regardless, even if they don't encounter anyone in the other world. She never had to use it in all her time as a S.M.I.L.E. agent, and she already didn't like having it on her one bit. "Listen, if we promise to be extra discreet, will you please take back the Neutralizer Len?" "Negative," Tango said. "Exploiting our world to another is in direct violation of rule 501. Whoever you encounter must have their memory wiped. Sorry, kid, but it's-" "Yeah, yeah, I get it," Sweetie Drops groaned with slouched shoulders. "Stupid protocol." "Relax. They've been preset to erase an hour. The inhabitants will still remember their names and what not." "We'll keep monitoring your coordinates and guide you to Plesio 565," Bravo said. "It's Cale," She corrected. "Whatever." Sweetie Drops could almost picture Bravo rolling his eyes. She looked over to Lyra. Just a minute ago, she was beaming from cheek to cheek. Now she appeared more afraid as she inspected her Containment Wand. This confused Sweetie Drops. "You okay, Lyra?" She asked, removing her shades. "Fine. Just fine." "You sure?" She nodded meekly before turning to face Sweetie Drops. Lyra seemed more than eager to be an Agent, which Sweetie Drops felt annoyed with than she was pleased, especially seeing how exceptional Lyra was on her first trial. But seeing her best friend anxious to enter the portal slightly changed this perspective. She spoke her mind upon noticing Lyra's subtle distress. "I know it's taken everything in me to accept the fact that you're an agent now, but," "Wait," Lyra interrupted while removing her shades as well. "You didn't want me to be a secret agent?" Sweetie Drops rubbed her head. "No. Well, I mean. It's just, this life is dangerous, Lyra. I couldn't forgive myself if I let something bad happen to you." "You won't let anything bad happen to me," Lyra said sweetly, while placing a hand on her shoulder. "Sure, this might be very intimidating, but knowing you'll be by my side makes bearing this burden all the more possible." "It does?" "Of course. We both need each other. There's nothing we can do together that we can't do apart. And it's what makes you my very best friend." "Aw, Lyra!" Lyra and Sweetie Drops then embrace each other in a hug. "You two done hugging yet?" Bravo chimed through their ear coms. The two finished their hug after rolling their eyes and face the portal again. This was almost as overwhelming for Sweetie Drops as it was for Lyra. Neither of them has ever been to another dimension before. That is, if this even leads to another inhabitable world much like their own. "You ready?" Lyra asked, more so asking herself. "I have to be," Sweetie Drops said, boldly. "Cale's in there somewhere. He could be scared and all alone, or worse." "Worse?" Lyra asked, a bit nervous. Sweetie Drops glanced over to her, still seeing a little fear in Lyra's eyes at the thought of Cale's fate, and possibly their own. "Never mind," She corrected. "Wherever Cale is, we're his only hope in bringing him back home." Lyra smiled again. "Right!" After exhaling a sigh in anticipation, Sweetie Drops volunteered to go in first. Lyra nodded and allowed her to approach the statue. Timidly, she pressed her hand against the Statue base' surface. A pool of ripping waves glowed a bright white upon contact. Lyra just watched with amazement. She then pushed her hand, her entire arm, and eventually the rest of herself into the portal, until Sweetie Drops was no longer standing on School Campus. Lyra gripped her Containment Wand, trying to muster up courage. "You can do this, Lyra," She said to herself. "For Cale. For Bon Bon." Embracing for impact with eyes shut, Lyra charged towards the base and into the portal, disappearing between the ripping waves. Slowly but wearily, Lyra awoke with her foggy vision clearing up and focusing again. Not a second ago was she completely revitalized, now she felt all her energy returning as if she'd been out for quite awhile. "Ag_nt _Sw_tie D_ops?" Called a voice. "Age_t L_ra? Do _ou co_? Wha_ Y_ Stat_s?" She could hear Agent Tango's voice echoing in her head. Suddenly snapping back into consciousness, Lyra anxiously surveyed her surroundings. But all she could see from left to right and above was a tunnel of thorny vines circling all around her. "Agent _yra," Called Tango again. "You're signal's - We're worki_ on," In front of Lyra was a light, apple greenish gray surface, and below that a set of buffers attached to a red headstock. Lyra tried to move her head, but she couldn't. She tried reaching out to the strange box shaped object, but she couldn't do that either. It wasn't until looking down at her own set of buffers did Lyra start realizing something off about her, and froze after gasping with complete shock. Sweetie Drops, meanwhile, was still gaining consciousness while trying to discern her surroundings. She was not yet aware of her own appearance just yet. "B-Bon B-Bon?!" She called, nervously. "W-where are you?!" "Lyra?!" Sweetie Drops said. "Is that you?!" She too quickly realized something off about her appearance, as she lost the ability to turn or look over her shoulder. Now Sweetie Drops was on the verge of panicking. "Wha-? What are we?!" Lyra now recognized the object in front of her to be none other than Sweetie Drops, but as something entirely beyond what they expected going into the portal. Both were too speechless by their appearance to form proper words. Lyra stuttered. "I-I-I think we're…Trains!" "Agent Drops?" Tango called from the Command Center. "Lyra? Do you two hear me now?" Sharing a brief second of silence, Lyra and Sweetie Drops then let out a loud scream that echoed across the vine covered tunnel. The two were now fully operational steam locomotives. Tango removed her ear com the more Lyra and Sweetie Drops yelled at the top of their lungs. Their wailing blared through Tango's communicators and began interfering with their signal. Tango's heart raced as she worked to keep their comms up. An unphased Bravo looked over to her. "So, what's our next plan?" "Sweetie Drops, Lyra!" Tango called. "What's going on in there?! Hey!" She was both fed up and worried after not getting a response back until they slowly but surly ceased screaming. Both agents could hear Tango better now than when they entered, but were still terrified by their unexpected change to respond at first. Lyra and Sweetie Drops tried examining their now locomotive appearances. Sweetie Drops was a K2 South Eastern Class 2-6-0 steam locomotive. Her funnel, smokebox, and coupling rods were painted in a light fuchsia pink, and her stipes a light blue. The base of her boiler, cab, and tender were painted a light, apple greenish gray with a few shades of moderate cobalt blue painted on her sandboxes, axle boxes, cab roof, and driving and tender wheels. Lyra Heartstrings was also a South Eastern type class, being a 101 (GSR J15) 0-6-0 No.186 steam locomotive. Her funnel and smokebox were painted in a pale, grayish cyan with some white streaks along the circumference of her funnel and face. The base of her boiler, cab, tender and coupling rods were painted a very light aquamarine while her strips were painted pink, and her axle boxes, cab roof, and driving wheels were gold. Both girls have white footplates, running boards, red buffer beams, and a white lantern placed on their left while the Containment Wand was attached to the right on their front as well. Their black shades, which were currently switched from opaque to transparent, remained on their faces with the temples now missing. "Talk to me, Agents!" Tango commanded. "What do you see?" Sweetie Drops tried to speak, still freaked out but mustering all her will power to remain calm. "Um, Tango, Bravo. Don't wanna alarm you… but," "WE'RE TRAINS!" Lyra shouted, and proceeded to let out another scream. "What's gotten into you, Agent Heartstrings?" Tango asked. "Did just she say they were trains?" Bravo asked. "Bon Bon?" Lyra cried. "What's happened to us?!" "We've both been turned into Locomotives," Sweetie Drops explained to Tango, more calmly. "There's a set of tracks in front of us that leads down a tunnel covered in vines." "You're both locomotives now?" She asked, beyond baffled. "How did that happen?" "How does that work is more like it," Bravo commented. "Much more like it." "It must have been when we entered through the portal," Sweetie Drops said. "We weren't like this before we jump in." "Can you move?" Tango asked. Meanwhile, Lyra was shuttering from boiler to tender. She lurched backwards out of panic, which caused the lens of her shades to change to opaque black again. Before Sweetie Drops could answer Tango, Lyra charged forward and ended up bumping into Sweetie Drops' tender and giving her a bit of a jerk. "Ow! Lyra!" "Sorry! I'm sorry! I don't know how I did that!" Suddenly, Lyra's lantern emitted an almost blinding, flash of light followed by a high-pitched whine. Sweetie Drops knew that sound all too well. "Lyra! Lyra! Are you okay?!" She asked, urgently. "I think so. Was that flashing light thing suppose to do something?" Sweetie was relieved. Lyra must have still had her shades on when the light went off. "Be careful! You just activated the Neutralizer Len. It could've wiped away your memory." Lyra's shades fade to transparent. "Wow! So, we can still use our tools in these forms?" Sweetie Drops scoffed. "Agent Tango, Agent Bravo? Do you still have a reading on us?" "Affirmative," Bravo said. "Still have no idea where you are." "Keep in touch while we collect our bearings. We'll start heading down this track and see where it takes us." "You're not seriously thinking of going a head still?!" Lyra said. "We have to, Lyra." Despite her confusion, Tango nodded and complied. "Copy that. Just keep going straight. It'll take you to where Plesio 565 is located. We'll let you two know when you're getting closer." "The signal where you're at is pretty bad," Bravo mentioned. "Barley keeping in touch with you on our end." "Bravo's right. Be careful, Agent Drops. And stay out of trouble." "Why do I get the feeling that last one was for me?" Lyra moped. Sweetie Drops ended her call with Tango and Bravo then surveyed her surroundings and the track in front of her. The line was without any light and consumed in a thick, pitch-black ambiance; making it hard to see far a head, where you were going, or even the sight of a hand waving in front of your face. If was possible to see anything in this gloomy railroad, a tunnel of woody, lianas vines surrounded every corner of the tracks; leaving enough room for an engine to pass through like a tunnel, but not enough to branch out beyond the direction of the tracks due to the hindrance of the sharp thorns poking out of every corner. "What is this place?" Lyra asked. "I'm not sure," Sweetie Drops said. "It feels sorta… depressing." "How's that?" "Just feels like something's missing. And it's all gloomy and lonely because of it." "Okay? But, seriously," Lyra began. "Why are we both trains?" "Well," Sweetie Drops said, legitimately searching for an answer, "If there are tracks in this world, then maybe the only way to get around is by rail. So, we were magically turned into trains to compensate this?" "That doesn't help how closed off this all feels." "I know, Lyra. But we can't turn back now. Cale needs us. We'll just have to roll with it." Lyra continued shuttering in an attempt to move, an action that felt more alien to perform now. "Speaking of which," She strained. "How exactly are we suppose to do that?" Then suddenly, a bright pink and blue light began peering through the thorny walls of the tracks. Both girls were mystified as it gleamed and shined on them and the tracks they were parked on. The contrasting lights lit up the proximity enough to make the direction a head seem more visible. "Guess we'll start by heading forward… Somehow," Sweetie Drops said, doubtfully. Putting in all her effort, she tried with all her strength to move forward. But her wheels barely moved an inch. Sweetie Drops tried again, gaining only an inch or so. Her wheels screeched and coupling rods clattered. Then, she felt another jerk from Lyra who was attempting to move forward again. Instead of being bumped, Sweetie Drops found herself being pushed down the line at a minimum slow pace. She tried looking back, realizing Lyra had found a way to drive and push her along in the process. "How are you doing that?!" "I don't know!" "Well, whatever you did, don't stop!" Smiling with determination, Lyra built up more speed and kept on hauling herself and Sweetie Drops down the gloomy tracks. Despite the long journey a head of them, both friends kept each other focused by going over a plan to save Cale, and stopping Professor Honey Rays and Caballeron. The more Lyra talked about how great being an agent was so far, the more upset it made Sweetie Drops. She was glad her best friend couldn't see her face, as she bared nothing but sadness at the thought of what repercussions are soon to follow by allowing Lyra in on the world of Monster Hunting. All the while, Lyra drifted off in thought herself, and remembered Sweetie Drops' request to hand in the Neutralizer Len. She must really hate the sole purpose if its design. "Bon Bon. If it makes you feel any better, I can take care of the mind wiping if we meet anyone." "No. I couldn't ask you to do that," Sweetie Drops said. "Its not as easy to bear as you think." "I thought you never had to use a Neutralizer Len?" "And I was hoping I wouldn't have to up until this point." "Come on, how hard can it be?" "A lot harder than most things you'd have to do at S.M.I.L.E." Sweetie Drops said, dejectedly. "You're telling me you never Imagined how awesome sneaking behind the scenes would be, knowing more than what other people are allowed to, and wiping their memory clean to keep our organization secret?!" "This isn't a movie, Lyra. It's real life. The consequences we make will hurt more than any criminal out to get us." Lyra giggled a little, half paying attention. "Also, just seeing the look on people's faces when we have to describe what they really saw. Okay, that didn't sound as funny out loud. But, that's why I'm asking to handle it while you worry about Cale." Sweetie Drops convinced herself to just go along and let her friend carry most of the burden. If anything, to avoid using the Neutralizer Len herself. She sighed, and reluctantly agreed. "Fine. I'll do the talking. You do the memory wiping." "Yes!" Lyra smirked, while her shades switch to opaque, "It's monster hunting time!" Sweetie Drops smiled while rolling her eyes. The Engines eventually passed a set of points that continued taking them further down the line. Eventually, Sweetie Drops began chuffing on her own as her tender's buffers moved more and more away from Lyra's. Sweetie Drops hadn't noticed, though. She was too fixated on the pink and blue lights shining through the thorny tunnel. Lyra, however, was in both shock and amazement. "Bon Bon!" She called. "You're moving!" "I am?!" Sweetie Drops looked down at her buffers and noticed clouds of steam evaporating beneath her. That, followed by Lyra's near distant voice confirmed this to be true, and a true shock it was to Sweetie Drops. She smiled proudly. "There's no time to waste, Lyra! Cale's waiting for us!" A bit put off for not being addressed as agent, Lyra couldn't help but beam happily, and caught up to her best friend. The two engines soared down the tracks, practising how fast each can go without bumping into each other again. Lyra thought it was fun to make a game out of it, and would try to stop or slow down the closer she got to Sweetie Drops' tender. The two friends were still having great fun despite their alien appearances. Being with each other almost made them forget about their locomotive forms. Lyra was so excited, she blew a whistle that startled both her and Sweetie Drops. "Now how did I do that?" Lyra asked, a little freaked out again. Before she could ask herself, Sweetie Drops noticed a set of buffers approaching her. She soon began panicking as she had no idea how to stop. "Oh no! Lyra! Lyra! I'm gonna crash!" "What?! Bon Bon?!" Without thinking, Sweetie Drops' brakes applied hard and stopped her wheels from moving. But she continued skidding forward and dragging her screeching wheels against the rails as sparks flew off the tracks. Lyra didn't know how to stop either. And as a result, she rams right into Sweetie Drops' tender again, jerking and pushing her closer and closer to the buffers. Both girls screamed even as a spherical, golden portal, followed by a series of whistling trains and signal lights whooshing past materialized before them. Lyra and Sweetie Drops entered and disappeared through the portal, now leaving the barren railroad they were just traveling down. If the tunnel of vines didn't confuse them enough, Lyra and Sweetie Drops now found themselves in an entirely different setting. The two were now in a forestry area. The trees, branches and leaves blocked out the bright sun beaming past the small openings through the blockage, making their location a bit dim. The leaves where bright green and beaming with life. The cool afternoon wind whooshed against the trees, and the little rays of sunlight peaking through the trees warmed their boilers. "Where are we now?" Lyra asked. "You think I'd know?" She replied. Lyra and Sweetie Drops were parked on a siding next to three rows of tracks all leading down different directions. Unlike the dark, gloomy Railroad they were just in, this place felt a lot more peaceful and whimsical. There was something inviting about their environment despite its old and abandoned nature. "A_ent Dr_ps?" Tango radioed. "Are you st_ll with us?" "Uh, I am," Lyra said, offensively. "You know, in case you were concerned." "Now's not the time for jokes, Agent. Listen up, you're exactly near Plesio 565's location, but Bravo's having difficulties keeping your signals up." "What does that mean?" Lyra asked. "It means," Sweetie Drops explained. "They're having a hard time tracking our location." "Which means leading us to Cale is going to be just as difficult," She finished. "We still have a read on him," Bravo said. "And they're definitely somewhere in a large body of water still." "Can you two handle the search without our input just a little more?" Tango asked. "We'll try," Sweetie Drops said. "I'll update you if we find anything. Agent Drops out." "Agent Heartstrings out!" She giggled. Though Lyra couldn't help but overhear Bravo and Tango groan on their end just as they end their call. "Okay, Lyra," Sweetie Drops began. "Uh, Agent Heartstrings," She corrected. Sweetie Drops glared. "Agent Heartstrings. Let's begin our search." "Affirmative, Agent Drops!" Lyra wasn't taking her job seriously, but at the same time she was. This frustrated Sweetie Drops to no end. Regardless, they were still on a mission, one that they must undertake together. Releasing steam, Sweetie Drops drove out of the siding along with Lyra who followed her onto the next lane. Both engines were now puffing down what's known as the Mainline, passing by a series of bushy, forestry trees planted beside the tracks. Lyra had found herself on another set of tracks and was now chuffing beside her best friend. "Bravo said Cale's still in a lake somewhere," Sweetie Drops explained. "So, we should start by searching the first body of water we come across." "Why don't we ask any of the locals if they've seen him?" "We're not allowed to, Lyra. It's against Agency rules to interact with otherworldly beings. We're already breaking rules 455 to 499 by being here." "Yeesh! How many rules does this crazy Agency have?" "A Lot," Sweetie Drops pressed. "But, Agent Drops, what if people have already seen Cale? Don't you think we should, you know, wipe their memories so they don't remember there being a lake monster in their world?" Sweetie Drops sighed in frustration. "I guess you have a point." "If Tango and Bravo's signals aren't working, maybe we'll get closer to finding Cale if we ask people what they know." "Alright, fine. But who are we suppose to ask?" Lyra looked around her surrounding. So far there was nothing but trees and more track in their direction. There weren't any people or creatures in sight. Then, a green, GWR 1400 Class tank engine came puffing down the line a head of them. He was pulling five, red passenger coaches along another track to their right. This engine, of course, was Oliver the Great Western Engine. Lyra beamed determinedly and came to a stop. Sweetie Drops does the same upon noticing the other engines approaching them. She was surprised to see this train also had a face. How common is it in this world exactly? "Guess we're not the only non-faceless trains in this world after all," She whispered to Lyra. Oliver was just minding his own business until he noticed two engines he'd never seen before parked in the middle of the line. He applied his brakes and stopped inches away from them. "Oh? Hello!" Oliver introduced himself. "I don't think I've seen you two on Sodor before. What brings you both here?" "Sodor?" Sweetie Drops asked. "That's right! We're on the Island of Sodor. Home to the North Western Railway." "So, this world does run on a railway network," She whispered to herself. "We were wondering if you could provide us some… information," Lyra asked discreetly with eyes darting left and right. "Uh, sure? Are you lost?" "No!" Lyra squeaked, before quickly settling down. "I mean, no." "We just need to ask a few questions," Sweetie Drops explained. "Then we'll be on our way." "Oh, okay then," Oliver agreed. "My name's Oliver by the way. What's yours?" "Now watch how an expert does it," Lyra boasted. "Expert?!" Sweetie Drops nearly exclaimed. "Shh!" Oliver raised a brow in confusion. None of them had answered his question yet, and their behavior was rather peculiar. Clearing her throat, Lyra deepened her voice and nudged forward a bit. "Good evening, good sir!" "Still day time," Sweetie coughed. Lyra continued. "Have you by any chance seen anything particularly out of the ordinary recently?" "You mean other than you two?" Oliver asked. "Hey!" "Well, I haven't ever seen you before. That counts as a bit unordinary, doesn't it?" "I meant anything that you wouldn't normally see here. Like maybe, I don't know; a giant, grey sea creature with a long neck, glowing red eyes, and could possibly be hiding somewhere in a lake making whale like noise?" "Expert," Sweetie Drops grumbled to herself. "You're not talkin' about the Loch Ness Monster, are you?" Oliver said. Lyra and Sweetie Drops' eyes widened. "The what?" "The legendary creature that swims in the lakes of Scotland." The two agents shared a confused glance. "Are they common around here?" Sweetie Drops asked. "Not if you don't believe in that kind of stuff." He groaned, "I tell you, that's the only thing engines on this Island seem to wanna talk about." Lyra and Sweetie Drops were still muddled. "First Donald and Douglas get into an argument about it, and now here you two are askin' me if I've seen it. You'd almost think the Monster's made its home on Sodor or something." "But, have you actually seen him?!" Sweetie Drops urged before correcting herself. "I mean, the Monster?" Oliver laughed. "Of course, not! As neat as it'd be, there's no such thing as monsters. I should know, my friends told me so." Lyra and Sweetie Drops were unamused. Oliver looked a bit nervous. "Uh. Is everything alright, girls?" Sharing glances with each other, the two Agents then looked back at Oliver and materialize their shades into an opaque black. Lyra's lantern began beeping and blinking a white light. "What in the world?!" He said in surprise. "Thank you for your cooperation, Sir," Lyra said in a deep voice. "But I think we've gathered all the information we needed." "This interview is now terminated," Sweetie Drops said, in a professional tone. A bright, unexpected flash of light from Lyra's lantern blinded Oliver. His eyes remained wide and while his pupils shrunk. All that could be seen was white, and all that could be heard was a high pitched whining sound, until it finally everything cleared again. Blinking back to normal again, Oliver looked around and found he was all alone and parked beside the Mainline. "Wh-what?" He had no idea what just happened. Weirder still, he could barely remember what he was doing. Oliver's eyes felt sore, and his smokebox was aching a little. "What was I just doing?" He asked himself. An angry voice coming from his coaches quickly reminded him. "What's the hold up?!" A passenger complained. "Honestly. I'm going to be late!" Another commented. "S-Sorry!" Oliver apologised with a small chuckle. "Off we go!" Blowing his whistle, Oliver took off with his five passenger coaches again, trying to make up for lost time. But he still couldn't quite understand what he was doing moments ago. He could only remember his morning, when Sir Topham Hatt gave him the job of pulling this load of coaches. Why would he just stop in the middle of the line though? Regardless, Oliver knew he couldn't let the passengers down and hurried towards the next station. "Um, not to alarm everyone. But," He asked, bashfully. "You wouldn't know where I'm suppose to take this train next, would you?" To Be Continued.