//------------------------------//
// Bowled Out 
// Story: Thomas and Friends: The Retold Adventures 
// by The Blue EM2 
//------------------------------//

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and Stepney and Sweetie Belle's visit to the Island of Sodor was close to its conclusion. The pair had worked their way into the hearts of the islanders with their kind ways and eagerness to please, and Sir Toppham Hatt spoke to them one morning.

"Thank you, both of you!" he said to them. "You two have been very helpful indeed, and have pulled your weight comfortably. We shall miss you both very much."

"Yeah," Apple Bloom said quietly, "Ah will too." She had become quite good friends with Sweetie Belle, and in truth didn't want to see her go. However, she had little time to think before Sir Toppham Hatt spoke again.

"All of you have worked very hard," he said. "However, it is obvious that you need help, and to this end I have hired a diesel to help out. Please do your best to avoid any trouble or possible disturbances." He walked away.

Duck sighed. "I'd have thought the experience with the Class 08 and his prat of a driver would have taught him not to trust diesels," he said. He remembered all too well when Diesel and Silver Spoon had tried to frame him and Apple Bloom for bullying, but had been sent away in disgrace. Last anybody had heard, they were at Bounds Green depot near London.

"Another difficult diesel," James said. "Brilliant. And this weekend looked to be so nice too."

"I know, darling," Rarity sighed. "I just hope the driver isn't a bore."

Sweetie Belle laughed. "Rarity, you haven't changed a bit since I last met you!"



The diesel arrived the next day. He had a long bonnet on either end, and cooling fans on top of his roof. He had a green stripe running down his frames, with a main body painted a darker red. He had the British Railways late crest on his side, and the number D261 painted on the cabside.

"Not bad," he said. "I've seen worse. At least you're all clean, unlike those engines based at Holbeck."

"That's Leeds, isn't it?" asked his driver. She had yellow skin and two tone white and purple hair, complemented by purple eyes and blue eyeliner. She wore black shoes, a purple tartan skirt, and a purple jacket. "I'm glad to be away from that mess of a place. Stay in the south, if you ask me!"

"Quite right!" the diesel gaffawed.

The engines were stunned at the diesel's rudeness. But before they could say anything, the diesel went on. "It's not your fault really, this island's behind the times. Get some diesels instead. A touch of oil, a turn of the key, and I'm off and away."

"As if we'd want Whistlers around us all the time!" Gordon shouted. "Go back to making noise near Bedford!"

"They have to fuss about you lot for hours," the girl snorted. "And yes, Class 40s are so much better. The name's Upper Crust, by the way, Ursula Charles is so last season."

The engines were furious, and held an indignation meeting the very next morning. Their drivers were also on hand to provide some information.

"Disgraceful!" said Gordon.

"Disgusting!" put in James.

"Despicable!" finished Henry.

"Do you ever say anything else?" Rainbow Dash asked rhetorically.

"Ta speak to us in that way!" Donald boomed. "It's ta teach him a lesson we'd be wantin'!"

"Anybody got any bright ideas?" Lyra asked. "Because I'm right out of them right now, I have to admit."

"Wait," Bon-Bon said. "Diesels need air for their engines to run, right?"

A smirk suddenly formed on Lyra's face. "I have an idea," she said, grinning like an idiot. Her chance came sooner than later, as the diesel was being fired up for passenger work and receiving a work test. Upper Crust hopped into the cab, and started the engine. A whistling noise echoed from the engine as the diesel slowly began to roll forward. The wind picked up as the diesel moved off the siding and towards the mainline.

At that moment, Lyra dashed forward, and knocked the inspector's bowler hat off of his head! It flew through the air to a place unknown. But the diesel was unaware. "Look at me, Duck, Stepney!" he cried. "I'll show you small country engines what the best of big city engines can do."

"Ah dear," Apple Bloom sighed. "He's from the Metropolitan elite."

Just then, there was a loud rumbling noise, and the engine began to shake. Then it happened, as the engine stalled, and cut out altogether. The diesel came to a complete stop. "What?" he asked.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom nearly fell over with laughter. Stepney and Duck helped to push the diesel back into the shed, and only then did it become apparent what had happened. There was a bowler hat, lodged in the air intake.

"My hat!" the inspector cried. "It was that girl who knocked it off my head!"

"I knew it was an act of sabotage!" said the diesel.

"Shush you," said Sir Toppham Hatt. "And bother your hat," he said to the inspector. "Now we have no engine with which to take the train."

"Please sir," asked Duck. "Can Stepney and I take it? It's our last day together, and I want a good run to remember our friendship by."

"I'd like that very much, sir," Stepney added.

"Very well," said Sir Toppham Hatt. "Off you go, the train's waiting!"



"Now then," said Sir Toppham Hatt, once the two engines were coupled up, "you two need to get it to Marron. Gordon will take the train the rest of the way to Vicarstown, where another engine will take it on to Carnforth. Are you two ready?"

"Ah'm ready!" Apple Bloom called. "Are ya ready, Duck?"

"Let's show them how Great Western engines do things!" the pannier tank replied.

"I'm so excited I could burst!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "I'd rather not, though, that'd be messy."

"Bluebells forever!" Stepney cried. The train moved off, out of the station, and both engines reached the mainline. They opened up on the sprint, and flew along at high speed. "Think you can keep up?" Stepney asked.

"Is that a challenge?" Duck asked, with a smile. The train thundered down the line, but began to slow as they went over Gordon's Hill. Duck was doing the bulk of the work here. "I thought you wanted me to keep up!"

"Just checking you!" Stepney replied, as Sweetie Belle checked his gauges.

"We're a bit low on water!" she called.

"Good thin' we ain't goin' far!" Apple Bloom called, as they flew along. At last, they cleared the top, and came to a stop at Marron station where Gordon was sitting in a siding.

"You. Were. AWESOME!" Rainbow Dash cried, looking at the pair of engines.

"You're early," Gordon smiled. "That's one in the buffers for old diesel back there."

"They're still pulling the bits of bowler hat out, apparently," Stepney told Gordon. Gordon pulled away, and Stepney was released from the train.

Stepney looked at his driver as she hopped off to operate the water crane. "That was a good day!" he exclaimed.

But Sweetie Belle wasn't happy. "If it was so happy," she said, "then... why do I feel like crying?"



The next day, Sir Toppham Hatt came by the shed to find Stepney looking at him, and Sweetie Belle leaning on his footplate. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Sir," Stepney asked, "I request to remain on Sodor. I've already spoken with my controller, and he's happy for me to stay here if you are."

"Whatever for?" Sir Toppham Hatt asked. "Haven't you got friends there?"

"There's so little to do," he said. "I mostly take up useful space. Here, I can help you in any way I can."

"Besides," Sweetie Belle added, "Rarity says she wants to see more of me. She's already offered the spare room at Carousel Boutique for me to stay."

"You're Rarity's sister?" Sir Toppham Hatt asked. Sweetie Belle just looked at him in astonishment.

"You've only just figured that out?"

"Erm, anyway," Sir Toppham Hatt said quickly, "given the circumstances, I am happy for you two to become honorary members of the North Western locomotive fleet. This saves me needing to buy a Boxcab from America anyway."

Apple Bloom ran over from Duck's footplate and tackle hugged Sweetie Belle. "Ah'm so glad yer stayin'!" she said. "We've got so much ta do. Ah gotta introduce ya to mah folks!"

"I'd love to meet them," Sweetie Belle replied. "Friends forever!"

"No," Stepney said. He glanced over to Duck, who smiled. "Bluebells Forever!" they chorused, and a great chorus of cheers and whistles started up from the shed.



As for the diesel, however, he'd left quite a while earlier. He left nothing but a nasty smell, and a battered bowler hat.