Sentinel sat in the yard with all the other old locos. Rusted metal engines and rotting wooden wagons sitting silent. The days rolled on as every night the sounds of scrappers torches and loud banging or clanging of objects rung out. The line of engines shrank everyday. Sentinel became filthy with the rain that came often. Mr. Hoof would sometimes show people the stock he had and the lucky ones got purchased for some purposes like water carts, steam generators and even one mobile house for one lucky coach. Despite lacking steam, Sentinel would sometimes let out little noises as if steam was still in her.
The sun broke over the horizon as a small carriage let out a smartly dressed stallion with a clean coat, simple hat and tie along with shoes for his hooves. He entered the yard and Wood Hoof walked over.
"Hello. How can I help ya?" Wood hoof asked.
"I'm looking for an engine. Our town needs one since no carriage company lives within miles of the place." The stallion replied.
"Of course i can get you an engine. Why don't we have a look." Wood Hoof said showing the stallion around the locomotives. The first was a simple 2-6-0, but the stallion said it was too rusty, the second a 4-8-2, but that was too heavy for the line, an 0-6-0 which was already sold apparently and a 2-8-2 with no tender.
"I'm sorry I couldn't get you an engine." Wood Hoof said.
"I know maybe better luck will be at another scrapyard." The stallion said, but as he turned to leave a clang rang in his ears. "What was that?" he asked.
"I don't know. Let's check" Wood Hoof replied as the two walked to the back of the yard, and saw a tree branch had landed on top of the 0-4-0 he had gotten from Vanhoover.
"Looks like a tree limb just fell off." Wood Hoof said as he saw the stallion walking up to the engine.
"What can you tell me bout this one?" the stallion asked.
"I got it barley a month ago from Vanhoover. According to her records the locomotive performs great, but they didn't want it because they didn't know its owner. Poor thing was abandoned on the line." Woodhoof said.
"Can it pull passengers?" The stallion asked.
"It has plenty of power for it." Wood Hoof said. He knew many small towns couldn't afford a passenger engine so they reused freight engines for their cheap cost.
"I'll take it. Name your price." The stallion said.
"I'll part with her for 8,000 bits and as an act of kindness I'll throw in a coach for another thousand." Wood Hoof said. The two shook hooves and Sentinel was cleaned up for her new home. Two days later a flat wagon was prepared to take Sentinel to her new home along with the coach she had been bought with. Within a day the engine was at the new town and unloaded. The stallion had the engine moved to a shed and painted from her former black paint. Now she wore a livery of crimson with shiny silver buffers and the coach was painted the same. The workers even put nameplates on her that read Sunny. The workers were originally supposed to give her the name sunbeam, but the group convinced the stallion otherwise.
One day the stallion who bought her came into the shed.
"Today's the day Sunny. The ponies will be glad to see you." The stallion said as the engine was being prepared. he put a hoof on the front buffer. "I know you aren't alive, but...it sure feels like it." He said before walking away. After an hour Sunny was steamed up and rolled out of the shed as ponies stomped the ground and cheered as a stallion stood in front of her.
"Mares and Gentle colts. It has been a long time coming, but with the help of the the living descendant of our founder's kind investment in our cause, our town of Solaris finally has its railway returned. With that said I hereby open the Solaris Railway and welcome our hero Sir Solaris Ray the Third!" The mayor said as up came the stallion who had purchased Sunny.
"Thank you. When great grandfather had founded this city, he made sure that all his children loved this town as much as he did. Each of his descendants gave some kind of gift to this town to help it grow to what it has become. When my grandfather founded the original Solaris line, he hoped it would finally put us on the map. I stand before you to make that dream a reality. We shall grow and improve ourselves to show we can stand on our own hooves and its all thanks to Sunny. With that said I declare Sunny the first engine of the Solaris Railway!" Sir Ray said and the ponies cheered as Sunny whistled her own cheer. Sunny might have gone through a lot, but she was in a new home to be loved and as she pulled away with the first ride of the line. She whistled with joy away down her new home.