//------------------------------// // Chapter 12: Spike's Apology, A Sibling Reunion and The Steam Team vs. The Elements of Distrust // Story: MLP: The Equestrian Engines // by SuperSamYoshi //------------------------------// Twilight was having a great day. She had helped Fluttershy and Sonata in the yard, helped push a train Pinkie was struggling with and learned the ways of the Great Western from Duck and Oliver. Right now, she was making her way back to the yard, when she saw Spike sitting in the coach shed. He looked sad and alone. Twilight knew he was sorry about what he did. And she could be mad at Spike for too long. She came up to him and whistled hello. “Hey Spike,” she said giving him a soft smile, “are you ok?” “Huh, oh hey Twilight,” Spike responded sadly, “I guess I’m ok.” “Spike I’ve known you since you were born,” Twilight told him, “I can tell when you are sad.” “Well, it just… I-I know you probably still…” Spike struggled to say. ‘I know what he’s trying to say,’ Twilight thought. “Look, Twilight,” Spike finally got him words to work, “I’m sorry that I didn’t believe you about Chrysalis”. “It’s okay Spike,” Twilight said. “No Twilight it’s okay,” Spike retorted, “I’m your number one assistant…” “But you’re also my little brother,” Twilight said as she moved closer to him until their buffers touched, “and you will always be forgiven. I love you Spike.” “I love you too, Twi,” Spike cried, tears leaking from his eyes. From that point onward, Spike and Twilight worked together. On passenger runs, freight and goods trains, even simply going for a run. One day, Twilight was sent to work on the Ffarquhar, Thomas and Toby were very busy, so Twilight took care of Annie, Clarabel, Henrietta, Victoria and Elsie with Spike as a ‘backup braker’. As Twilight was puffing down the track, Spike slammed on his brakes halting the train so suddenly, luckily no one was even on the train yet. “Spike what’s wrong?” Twilight asked. “Yes, why did you stop so suddenly,” huffed Annie. “Indeed,” Agreed Clarabel. “Sorry girls,” Apologized Spike, “but I thought I saw something in the bushes.” “Spike, Dearie,” Henrietta said, “are you sure you weren’t seeing things.” “No, I really saw something,” Spike insisted. “Okay, we got a few minutes before we have to get to the platform to be on time,” Twilight said, “so we’ll have a quick look.” With that said, Twilight reversed back up the line to find some old points. Her fireman got out and switched the points, and Twilight moved down the old and over-grow track. She pushed passed branches and bushes which scratched her face and her, the coaches and Spike’s paint. After puffing for another 5 minutes, Twilight bumped into something. “Oof, do you mine?” said a posh feminine voice. Twilight noticed that whoever she bumped into, had puffers and coupling chain. Her driver hooked Twilight up and she pulled whoever this was out the bushes and into the sunlight. She had pulled out a coach that resembled Victoria but old and rusty. “Hello, who are you?” Twilight asked kindly. “I’m Helena and thank you for getting me out of there,” the coach replied. “Wait, Helena?!” Victoria shouted, “It that you?!” “Victoria?!” Helena yelled, “no, that’s can’t be you surely?!” “let’s get you to the Steamworks,” Twilight suggested, “you two then can catch up there.” And with that, Twilight took Helena to the Steamworks to get fixed and restored. But as she puffed out onto the mainline, Rainbow Dash shot past at a dangerous speed. “Rainbow!” She yelled, but Rainbow Dash didn’t hear her. Twilight was cross. Just then Thomas puffed up the line looking cross too. He was covered from funnel to footplate in muddy water. “I was talking these coal tucks to the docks and Rainbow comes out of nowhere and splashes me with muddy water,” He complained. “She doesn’t listen to anyone,” said Twilight, “if only we can teach her a lesson.” Then Thomas had a cheeky idea. “I have an idea,” Thomas whispered to Twilight, “and I know just the two tricksters.” Rainbow was waiting at a station for her signal to change, just as Thomas puffed in with a small yellow Bagnall 0-4-0ST steam engine. “Hello Rainbow Dash,” Thomas greeted her with a fake smile. “What do you want, urm… Travis?” Rainbow asked forgetting Thomas’ name. The Bagnall laughed. “Thomas,” Thomas corrected, “and I want you to meet my friend, Bill”. “Hello, Rainbow Dash,” Bill greeted her. “Why would I care about meeting a friend of yours?” she rudely replied. “Oh Okay,” Thomas said defeatedly, “sorry Bill, I guess Rainbow doesn’t was to race the fastest engine in the world.” Rainbow heard this and laughed, “You think you’re the fastest engine?” laughed Rainbow, “don’t make me laugh.” “You don’t believe me?” Bill stated pretending to be shocked, “I race Conner the Streamline Engine up to the castle and won.” Rainbow was now concerned no way this little engine win a race against a streamline engine. “Okay, let’s have a race you to the castle,” but let’s set some rules.” “Okay,” Bill agreed, “if I win you have to listen to the Fat Controller and a do the jobs you are asked to do.” “And if I win,” Rainbow thought, “I’m going home to Equestria and I’m taking everypony with me”. “Deal!” Thomas and Bill said together. The race was set up. Rainbow and Bill where lined up ready to race. The signal turned green and Rainbow shot off, leaving Bill in the dust. Thomas and Bill chuckled and took a shot cut up to the castle knowing who’s waiting up at the castle. Rainbow raced along the mainline, feeling happy that she was winning the race. She was enjoying her victory so much, she made Toby crash into a mud puddle, Rosie into a bed of roses and Stanley into go down a siding and crash through the puffers. But She didn’t care. Soon she started to climb the massive hill to the castle. But once she got to the top, she was stunted to see the yellow Bagnall from before. Of course, this was Ben, Bill’s twin but Rainbow didn’t know that. “What took you, slowcoach?” Ben laughed. “H-how did you…?” Rainbow stuttered, “I didn’t see you run past me!” “I must of be going so fast, I must have been a blur,” Ben said. Rainbow was so confused, just then Thomas and Bill puffed up, they were in tears laughing. “What’s so funny?” Rainbow asked until she saw Bill, “wait there’s two of you! You played a trick on me!” “The same trick we did on Conner!” Laughed Bill, the twins laughed so hard, they thought they will fall apart. Rainbow’s cheeks turned red in both fury and embarrassment. Just then, The Earl of Sodor, Sir Robert Norramby and The Fat Controller arrived on board Millie. “Rainbow Dash, you have cause confusion and delay!” boomed the Fat Controller, “you’ve pushed Rosie into a bed of roses, Toby into a muddy pond and Stanley off the rails.” “But…” was all Rainbow could say. “I don’t want to hear it,” The Fat Controller said, “I was told of the race by an orange engine who happened to be at Crovan's Gate at the time.” As if on cue, Scootaloo puffed around the corner. “Scootaloo!” Rainbow yelled, “Why?!” “It’s because you’ve been nothing but trouble, in fact you’ve have done nothing since you got here,” Scootaloo bravely said, she had never stood up to her idol before. Rainbow felt betrayed. “Now as Bill and Ben have tricked you,” The Fat Controller said looking at Bill and Ben, “You are on MY Railway and you will do what I say!” “Yes sir, sorry sir,” Rainbow said downcast. “Now, go and shunt trucks in the yard until you learn to be reliable,” the Fat Controller ordered, and Rainbow Dash puffed away slowly. The next day, Thomas was sent to get some paint for all the engine sheds on Sodor. The Fat Controller had the idea to paint all the doors of the colour of that engine and had a number painted as well for the ones with numbers. Thomas puffed carefully into the yard and buffered up the to paint wagon. But Rainbow Dash was also in the yard. “Now I’ll show Thomas why you don’t prank the Dash,” she muttered. She shot forward and rammed the wagon launching the paint into the air and land all over Thomas. There was green, yellow and red paint, Thomas felt very silly indeed. “Stripy boiler,” laughed Rainbow as steamed away. “I’ll show those ponies why you don’t mess with the Steam Team. So, the next Thomas saw Aria and the quarry, he gave her a biff under the hopper, Aria was covered in quarry stone and dust. And when Aria saw James at the oil factory, she bumped oil drum into him, covering James from smokebox to cab. Soon all members of the Steam Team and Pony Engines were biffing and bashing each other all over the island. Applejack bumped Henry into a broken sludge pipe, Gordon bashed Adagio into a truck of flower, Rarity pushed Rebecca into a tar wagon, Rainbow forced Percy into under the coal hopper, Nia shoved Rarity into a ditch and Donald thrust Applejack of the rails and into a mine. By late afternoon, the Steam Team and Elements were in a terrible mess. Everyone needed a good washdown and no work had been done. That evening the Fat Controller gathered the whole together at Tidmouth Sheds. Twilight was there as well, and she was very disappointed with them. “So, who’s going to tell me why and how this happen?” the Fat Controller asked sternly. “I was collecting the paint sir,” Thomas said, “and Rainbow bashed the paint into me, and I got covered in paint.” “And then you thought it be a good idea to bump Aria under the quarry hopper” the Fat Controller said. “I wasn’t thinking properly sir,” Thomas replied, his voice getting softer each time. “I hate to do this,” the Fat Controller sigh, “but all of you are grounded for five days.” The engines all gasped but they knew that they deserved this. At the same time, Benson was talking down the five pony engines. “So, who’s going to be brave enough to stand up to me?” sniffed Benson. “Thomas, Bill and Ben pranked me yesterday, so I showed them why you don’t prank the Element of Loyalty,” Rainbow said blandly. “Ah but in doing so you and your friends have caused confusion and delay,” Benson replied bluntly, “You five with never survive a war. I suffered through two world wars.” “What’s are you going to do with us?” Rarity asked, wishing for a light punishment. “You all are going to be grounded for a week,” Benson replied harshly, “either that or go Railgate for a month.” The five didn’t want to go to Railgate, it sounded like a prison, so they choose the former option. The Steam Team and pony engines were grounded for a week. Twilight wasn’t along to sleep at Tidmouth Sheds with them, so she slept at Knapford Sheds with Arthur, Murdoch, Molly and Fergus. Adagio, Aria, Applejack and Rarity where starting to see where they went wrong and know want to apologize to Twilight, but Rainbow hasn’t see straight and I doubt she’s going to apologize any time soon, don’t you?