//------------------------------//
// Twin Trouble 
// Story: Thomas and Friends: the New Adventures 
// by The Blue EM2 
//------------------------------//

Donald and Douglas, the Scottish twins, frequently work together on Sodor, working long, heavy goods trains, exactly as they did back on the mainland, hauling goods from Dumfries to Stranraer and back again if need be. They work extremely hard, and always know what the other is doing. Lyra and Bon-Bon, of course, also keep a watchful eye on them as well, and as they puff along through the countryside, it is easy for them to relax and just enjoy the run.

One afternoon, the Scottish Twins bounced along the track with a mixed train for Vicarstown, where a mainline engine would pick the train up and take it onwards to places far away. This was not the train the railwaymen call the Flying Kipper, but instead a Class H through freight. Up ahead, however, there were problems. Trevor had stalled on the level crossing when the cart he was hauling fell to pieces, and Grand Pear was frantically phoning the railway to tell them of the accident.

"Ya need ta stop all trains until the mess can be cleaned up!" he said, over the telephone. "We'll try ta move it as best we can, but right now all trains must-"

Suddenly, Donald's whistle echoed in the distance.

"Oh no."

Donald rounded the bend, and there it was. The cart! "Stop!" he shouted. "There's a great big cart in the way!"

Lyra and Bon-Bon both slammed on the brakes on their respective engines, but it was too little, too late. The heavy, unfitted wagons banged into each other and propelled the two engines forward, and Donald hit the cart at 20 miles an hour, blowing it to pieces and derailing, falling into the side of the embankment.

Lyra pulled herself out of the hay. Both she and Donald were unhurt, but were very cross indeed. Not at Trevor, though.

"What was that for?" Lyra demanded.

"What was what for?" Bon-Bon replied.

"Bein' pushy an' all!" Donald added.

"Bein' pushy? What are ye talkin' aboot?"

"You pushed me into the cart!" Donald snapped.

"You pulled me, more like!" Douglas snapped back. "You shouldnae been goin' so fast!"

"We were doing the speed limit," Bon-Bon pointed out.

"Didnae!"

"Did too!"

"DIDNAE!"

"DID TOO!"





About an hour later, Donald was lifted back onto the track, but although he was able to continue with his journey, he was still fuming, as was Lyra, who was covered in hay. Sadly, it was only to get worse. Neither engines nor their drivers spoke to one another for the rest of the day, and in the morning they were still cross.

Sir Toppham Hatt arrived at Arlesburgh West to speak to the Caledonian twins. "I," he said, "need an engine to assist Duck. He's down at the smelting yards moving trucks about, and we need another engine in a similar power category."

"I'll go, sir," said Donald.

"I only need one engine, not two."

"He only is one engine," Lyra pointed out, "and we'd both like to work there. Away from Douglas."

Bon-Bon glared at her. Sir Toppham Hatt was surprised, but he agreed to the plan.

Oliver spoke up. "Won't you two miss each other? I'm sad whenever Stepney and Duck aren't around."

"And I miss Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom when they are elsewhere as well," Scootaloo sighed.

"I get you three are close knit," Douglas sniffed, "but there are some days I work better on my own. This is one of them."





At first, Donald and Lyra had a good time working with Duck, and Apple Bloom was happy to see them again. However, things soon started going wrong. Donald stormed into the yard in a huff. "Did you put those trucks on the other line?" he snapped.

"Yes," Duck replied. "As you asked me to."

"Not that other line!" Lyra exclaimed, facepalming. "The one next to it!"

"Ya never said which one y'all wanted it on," Apple Bloom replied, looking a bit confused.

"Whatever," Donald grumbled as he puffed away. "Douglas would've known what I meant."

Duck sighed. "He's in a bad mood."





Elsewhere, Douglas was also working solo, and enjoying himself (somewhat). The scenery was nice, and the trucks were better behaved than usual. But he only had Bon-Bon to share it with. "As weird as it soonds," he sighed, "I miss Donald."

"It just isn't the same without Lyra," Bon-Bon admitted. "I know! Let's visit them tonight, once we've delivered our last trucks."

Late that evening, Douglas came to see Donald. "Hello!" he said.

"Here to apologise?" Donald snapped.

Douglas was furious. "There's nothin' to be sorry for!" he snapped, and he puffed away.

"That," Bon-Bon said curtly, "was an accident, and you know it as well as I do, Lyra."

"Well, good riddance!" Lyra shouted back.





The day after, Donald was not looking where he was going, and Duck spotted this. "Look out for the buffers!" he called.

It was too late, of course. Donald crashed through the buffers and fell into a pit, the sound of deflating bagpipes audible all around.

Lyra climbed out of the cab, unhurt, and shook her fist at Douglas. "This wouldn't have happened if you'd been working with Douglas-"

"Shut yer pie hole!" Donald snapped. "You've been havin' a hissy fit over Bon-Bon, and not speakin' a word to her either! We're as bad as each other in that regard! Take the log out of yer eye before ye remove the speck from mine!"

Duck rolled his eyes. "How about we stop arguing and get help?"

Douglas was shunting nearby when Duck raced in. "Help!" he said.

Apple Bloom then started speaking. 

"DonaldfellthroughsomebuffersandLyraishurtandtheirbothyellingateachotherand-"

"Slow down," Bon-Bon said. "I can't understand what you're saying."

"Donald's hurt," Duck explained calmly. "I can't pull him to safety myself, and there are no other engines available."

Douglas was shocked. "There's no time to waste!" he said. When he got there, Donald and Lyra had stopped shouting, and looked very sorry for themselves. Hooking up guide cables, and attaching Duck to the back to provide support, Douglas began to pull. His wheels slipped and smoke and steam belched from his chimney as he pulled his twin up the messy slope and back onto the rails.

"Are you hurt?" Bon-Bon asked.

"Only my pride," Donald replied. "Look, Douglas, I'm sorry about a few days ago."

"Me too," Douglas sighed. "This has been rather silly. Shall we put it behind us?"

"I think we should," Donald said.

Lyra and Bon-Bon made up too, and hugged each other. "Best... friends... FOREVER!"

All four of them rarely quarrel now, and remember that the most important thing is to be really useful indeed.