Autumn Blaze once again checked her watch in concern. "Where on Earth is Juniper?" she asked. "We have little time, and I don't think it could take that long to get here! What could have held her up?"
Elsewhere, On Time was walking Sunset over to Sombra's workshop, a small shed that was built next to the main shed used by the Sulzer Locomotive Group. As they walked along, they were chatting with one another.
"What's it like in London?" On Time asked. "I'm a Midlander, born and bred, and haven't been south of Watford Gap in decades!"
"It's very busy, and the roads get so clogged it sometimes seems like it would be faster to walk than drive!" Sunset replied. "It's a good thing that the trains are so cheap, or else it would be impossible to travel around the city." She paused, as it was now her turn to ask a question. "I don't really know my parents. I know my dad's a bit of a crackpot-"
"Your father is a very fine man, and a very good engine driver," On Time sternly told her. "It's not his fault that accident happened."
Sunset either didn't hear, or pretended not to. "But what about mom?"
"Mary Meadowbrook?" On Time asked. "I'll admit I've only met her once or twice. As a matter of fact, maybe I should ask Sombra if I can-"
They turned a corner, and saw Sombra and Storm King in a fierce argument.
"What's going on now?"
"I want that engine!" Storm King demanded. "She's in that shed, and I want her!"
"I want doesn't get," Sombra coldly replied. "Now kindly leave, before I call the police and report you for trespassing on private property."
Storm King rolled his eyes. "Oh well," he said. "It's only a matter of time before I get my revenge." And he stalked off into the distance.
Sombra glanced over to his two visitors. "Good afternoon," he said. He did not seem especially happy to see his daughter. "Hello Sunset. Stellar called, told me you were coming."
"Who was that man?" Sunset asked.
"He likes to cause trouble," Sombra replied. "That's all you need to know. On Time, what is it?"
"One of the diesels is having throttle trouble," On Time replied. "I was wondering if you'd take a look at it?"
"Tomorrow," Sombra curtly replied.
Sunset looked to On Time. "Thanks for walking me over."
"No problem," On Time replied, tipping his cap. "We're running trains tomorrow, if you want to take a trip." He then set off for the station again.
Sombra glanced back to Sunset. "I'll get the shed locked up," he said, "and then we'll drive to my house. With any luck, your mother will be waiting, and we can talk. We have a lot to discuss."
Sombra's home sat in the middle of a housing estate in Ruddington. It was a fairly normal suburban detached affair, nothing spectacular, but nontheless a bit cramped and not entirely welcoming. After tea, the trio sat around the fireplace, Sombra having got a wood fire going, and they sat engaging in conversation. Well, Sunset and Meadowbrook did. Meadowbrook, Sombra's wife, was a woman in her late fourties, with blue skin and red hair she wore in a topknot. She had light blue eyes, and currently wore a white cotton blouse, a green petal-like skirt with a cream band around the bottom, a golden bracelet, and something else around the top of her head and around the tops of her ears. She had been asking Sunset about her life in London, when Sunset tried to engage Sombra in conversation again.
"Dad?" she asked. "I saw something interesting today. I ran into a girl who seems to be a keen photographer, based on the fact she had a camera with her."
No reply.
"On that note, why are there no pictures in here?"
"Because I don't like pictures," Sombra answered, the first thing he had said in about an hour. "For the same reason I don't live next to the Great Central anymore. I don't like to hear trains."
"But dear," Meadowbrook began, "Your workshop is in that yard. Surely ya hear the trains there?"
"The windows and doors are soundproofed," Sombra replied, still not looking at either of them. "That way I never have to hear a train again."
Sunset, confused as to why somebody who dislikes trains would have a workshop next to a railway, got up to look, and accidentally knocked a record player, which began playing a long, slow waltz.
Sombra wheeled around, and quickly turned it off. "Never run that record," he snapped, his eyes fiery. "It was the last thing I heard before the accident."
Sunset, noticably chastened, chose to leave the room. Meadowbrook looked at her husband, disappointment in her eyes. "She didn't mean it," she started.
"I don't care if she meant it or not," Sombra answered coldly. "That memory is too painful. Why can't I get that engine to work?"
In the distance, despite the fact that the last train of the day from Ruddington had run, the sound of a steam whistle echoed loud and long.
Meanwhile, On Time and Flim sat, looking at another old photograph unearthed from the area in the 1970s.
"Sombra and Storm King were childhood friends," On Time started, "but a few years back had a falling out over that engine that Storm King keeps talking about."
"Have you ever seen the engine?" Flim asked. "What does it look like?"
"I can't tell you," On Time answered. "It stays locked in that shed, and Sombra won't let anybody else in. But I've been thinking."
"Yes?"
"Ever since that accident, the number of engines that can speak and communicate has fallen drastically. I don't think it's a coincidence, and those black lines, I think, mark some sort of special way of travel. Though to what, I don't know."
"That may explain how Autumn can seemingly travel so fast without ever catching a train," Flim noted. "We've got a mystery on our hands."
Meanwhile, on Sodor, Thomas and Percy arrived at Knapford station with the up and down mail trains respectively. "Good work Thomas!" Twilight exclaimed. "We're in on time! Autumn would be pleased!"
"Speaking of Autumn," Percy asked, "where is she?"
"Last I saw," Thomas replied, "she was making a phone call to somebody on the mainland. Why?"
"I overheard some talk of buffers from Diesel 10 and his cronies," Percy answered. "What about that?"
"Maybe there's a super special secret railway that Autumn uses to travel and it powers sentient locomotives and if it's put out of use they cannot work and cannot talk and we all lose our jobs and end up with a guided busway!" Pinkie suggested.
Toby stopped in a neighbouring platform. "Sorry to break up the chit chat," he said, "but Diesel 10 is right over there. He would have heard everything you two just said."
"Oh dear," Thomas replied. "What should we do?"
"Toby and I have a plan," Flash replied, and his hand went for the bell chord. "Wait and see; he won't suspect a thing." And Toby puffed bravely into the night.
Diesel 10 was cross. "What do you mean we lost George?!" he snapped.
"Well, sir," Suri started, "his driver came back and the narrow gauge engines prevented us from getting the drive link. We got very wet too!"
"Can't you knuckleheads do anything correctly?" the Warship growled. "Not only do we have a potentially rogue steamroller out there, we also have Autumn still on the run! We'll have to smash the buffers on our own!"
"Why?" asked Dodge.
"Because we don't know which one is the entrance to the Magic Railway," Diesel 10 replied. "If we get them all, Autumn cannot escape!"
"Yes she can!" Coco pointed out. "She can get on a boat and sail back to the mainland."
Toby sat there, behind them, as they sat in a shed. "Now?" he asked.
"Now!" Flash replied. He reached up, sounded Toby's whistle, which echoed through the night in a ghostly fashion, and rang the bell as loudly as he could. Diesel 10, startled, slammed his claw into the support pillars and demolished the structure, trapping them inside.
Toby retreated as Splatter and Dodge glanced between one another. "Erm, boss?" asked Splatter. "Did you mean to do that?"
"I always mean what I do," Diesel 10 replied, his embarassment obvious.