//------------------------------// // Chapter 39: The Punishment is over, It's time to go home // Story: MLP: The Equestrian Engines // by SuperSamYoshi //------------------------------// It was a beautiful day on the island of Sodor. The Birds were singing, Flowers blooming, and the engines chuffing. Thomas had just arrived at Knapford, ready pick up passengers, when the he saw the Fat Controller. He looked a little concerned and distracted. “Good morning sir,” Thomas greeted him, catching the Fat Controller off guard. “Oh, uh, good morning Thomas,” he jumped. “Is everything alright sir?” Thomas asked. “Well, I’m not sure,” the Fat Controller replied, “I found some papers on my desk this morning, and they were signed by… Lady.” “Wait what?!” Thomas exclaimed. “Yeah,” the Fat Controller continued, “she’s says she has news to tell you all later tonight at the sheds, and then she’s going to tell Twilight and all of them afterwards.” “I wonder what news she has for us,” Thomas said. “you’re guess is as good as mine,” the Fat Controller replied, “she wrote that I have to be there too.” Once everyone was on board Annie and Clarabel, the guard blew his whistle, and Thomas set off. “I’m a little nervous to what Lady’s going to say tonight,” Thomas puffed to Annie and Clarabel. “I’m stumped,” Annie replied, “I don’t know what she’s going to say.” “Same here,” Clarabel chimed in. “We’re just going to have to wait as see,” Thomas said as he continued with his jobs. Evening soon came, and Thomas arrived back at the sheds, where all his friends were already there. Percy whistle evening to his friend but Thomas didn’t reply. “Is something the matter Thomas?” Percy asked. “Oh, sorry Percy,” Thomas replied, “something’s just on my mind.” “What is it?” Percy asked. Thomas was about to tell everyone but then the Fat Controller arrived. “Right sharpen up everyone,” he said, “Lady is coming with some news.” The engines were all surprise. “I wonder was the news is,” Nia said. “I think she’s going to emit having feelings for me,” James boasted. “Yeah right,” Gordon scoffed, “if she wonder have feelings to anyone, it would be me.” “Actually, I’m more into Thomas,” said a voice, everyone looked to see Lady puff up the track and onto the turntable, “good evening Steam Team.” “Hello Lady,” replied the engines. “now you must be wondering why I’m here,” Lady said. “Yeah, why are you here?” Edward asked. “Well, it’s regarding Twilight and her friends,” Lady replied, “their punishment for betraying Twilight has been lifted, and they’re free to go home to Equestria, so tomorrow evening, they’ll be going back to their world.” Everyone was speechless, they had mixed feelings of happiness, and sadness. They’re friends that they had grown close to were leaving. “I…I don’t know what to say,” Rebecca remarked. “Our friends are going to leave,” Emily replied. “And we’re going to miss them,” Henry chimed in. “I’m going to tell Twilight and her friends,” Lady said, “goodnight everyone and see you all tomorrow evening to say goodbye to everyone.” And with that Lady puffed away, leaving everyone silent and sad. “WHAT?!” exclaimed Rainbow, Lady had told everyone the same she did with the Steam Team, “We can really go back home?” “Yes,” Lady replied, “like I said, your punishment has lifted.” “Wow,” Applejack remarked, “I don’t know what to say. It feels like we’re not been here long.” “I agree,” said Rarity. “I’ll see you all tomorrow evening,” Lady said as she became to puff away. The Equestrian Engines start to talk about how great it would be to go back home. But Twilight remained quiet, she was overflowing with emotions, and didn’t know what to think. “I’m… I’m going home,” she whispered, “but Thomas…” The ponies turned steam engines fell asleep one by one, Twilight was the last to far asleep, she wanted to go home, but she didn’t want to say goodbye to her friends. The next morning, Twilight and her friends were sent to the steam works to get repainted before they went home that evening. The CMC were the first to finish be repainted and the soon went back to the Skarloey Railway. “I don’t know y’all,” Apple Bloom said on the way back, “I’m happy we’re going home, but I don’t want to say goodbye to our new friends.” “I know,” Scootaloo said, “I was really growing close to Sir Handel and Duncan.” “The same with me, in growing close to Peter Sam and Rusty,” Sweetie Belle declared. “And me with Skarloey and Rheneas,” Apple Bloom added. When the three arrived back at the Crovan’s Gate Sheds, they were shocked to see all the engines outside. “What’s going on guys?” Scootaloo asked. “Well, we know that you’ll be leaving soon,” Skarloey said, “and we wanted to do something for you.” “What’s that?” Sweetie asked, “doing our work while we’re gone.” “Oh, ho, ho, ho,” laughed Skarloey, “no, we want to give you girls a gift.” “what’s that then?” Apple Bloom asked. Luke puffed forward revealing buckets of paint. “the workmen are going to paint cutie marks on your coal bunkers!” he exclaimed excitedly. The CMC were speechless, they smiled happily, “thank you all so much,” the replied, with tears building up in their eyes, “thank you all.” In no time at all, the CMC had cutie marks painted on their coal bunkers, Apple Bloom had a blooming flower with an apple in the centre, Sweetie belle had a pink bell, and Scootaloo had a scooter. They were very happy, and now they didn’t want to leave even more. Twilight puffed passed as saw the CMC with their new cutie marks and felt even more nervous, she didn’t want to leave, after making all these new friends, that helped her recover after her friend betrayed her all the months ago. She started to puff slower, she couldn’t make her might up weather she wanted to go home or stay here. She puffed slower and slow until she stopped. “What do I do?” Twilight said to herself, “I don’t want to say goodbye to my friends, but I do want to go home.” Twilight didn’t know what to do. She wanted some time to herself, so she quickly puffed down they line to find a siding to be alone with her thoughts. She saw one that led to some buffers. She went to apply her brakes, but then there was trouble, her brakes wouldn’t come on, she puffed onto the siding, hoping the buffers would stop her. But they didn’t. She crashed through the buffers and rolled on the ground before falling onto her side and coming to a stop. “Ow,” she replied weakly, she whistled for help, but no one was nearly by. It was getting late, as the Steam Team puffed up the Equestria Branch to Canterlot Station to say goodbye to their friends everyone was up at the top station waiting for Twilight, but Twilight was nowhere to be seen. “Where is she?” Aria remarked annoyed, “she needs to be here for us all to leave.” “Calm down Aria,” Sonata said cheerfully, “she’ll be here.” “It’s not like Twilight to be late,” Sunset remarked, “I’m going to find her.” And she started to puff down the line to find Twilight. “I’ll come too,” Thomas said as he followed her. The two puffed down the line, they soon found Twilight laying on her side, crying. “Twilight!” the two engines called to her. “I’ll get Rocky,” Sunset said. “Right,” Thomas replied, as Sunset puffed away to get the crane, Thomas puffed closer to Twilight, “Twilight are you ok?” “No, I’m not!” she blurted out, “I can’t make my mind up on what to do!” “What are you mean?” Thomas asked. “I don’t know if I want to go home, or stay here with you,” Twilight sobbed. Thomas shocked, “But I thought you would be happy to go home,” Thomas said. “But I found out that this is my home too,” Twilight added, “I’ve grown to see you more than just a friend Thomas. You were the one that help me get out of my depressed state.” “Twilight…” Thomas spoke, “you need to go home to Equestria. It’s where you belong. You’re a unicorn pony not a tank engine.” “But what if Lady disconnects the connection from Equestria to his world,” Twilight sobbed, “what if when I get back to Equestria, I forget everything that has happened.” “You know every well I won’t do that,” came Lady’s voice as she puffed up the line with Sunset and Rocky in tow. “Lady!” Thomas and Twilight exclaimed, “I would never make you forget everything you’ve been through here, nor will I disconnect the connection from here to Equestria. I fact, I was going to create magical buffers in Equestria so you or anyone else could come back here anything you want.” “Really…?” Twilight asked. “Yes,” Lady replied with a smile. “Now let’s get you back on the line,” Sunset said. After Twilight was lifted back on the line, Sunset helped her back to the others, where the other engines were waiting, and the Fat Controller was giving speeches to each of the equestrian engines. Twilight and the rest were pleased and promised to come back when they can. Soon, it was time for everyone to go home Lady had created some new buffers at the back on Canterlot Station that led to straight to Equestria. Gilda was the first, then Shining Armour, then Cadence, Trixie, Starlight, Celestia Luna, Adagio, Aria and Sonata. Until it was just the seven ponies left. “Sunset, it was a pleasure meeting and working with you,” Emily said. “The pleasure’s mine,” Sunset replied. “Keep up the parties and making everyone smile,” Percy sobbed to Pinkie. “Aww, thanks Percy-Wercy,” Pinkie smiled back. “Hope your mane will look just as good as my red paint,” James said to Rarity. “Make sure your paint says clean next time I see you,” Rarity returned with a sly look. “I’m looking forward to you and me having a race sometime in the future,” Gordon spoke to Rainbow. “Me too big blue,” Rainbow replied. “I hope you’re animal friends are all right,” Henry said softly to Fluttershy. “Anytime you come to Equestria you can come and see them,” Fluttershy replied sweetly. “Hope the Farm is well,” Edward said to Applejack. “I’ll get Granny Smith to make you an Apple Pie when you come to visit,” Applejack smiled. Thomas and Twilight looked at each other. “Take care of Victoria and Helena for me please,” Twilight asked. “I will,” Thomas said, “you make sure you look after yourself and Spike.” “I will,” Twilight smiled as a tear fell out her eye, “Goodbye Thomas the Tank Engine.” “See you soon, Twilight Sparkle,” Thomas replied. As Sunset, Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Applejack, Twilight and Spike puffed to the buffers with the CMC on flatbeds, the Steam Team whistled loudly, with the whistles of the Equestria engines replying as one by one they went through the buffers. “See ya,” called Spike as he was the last to disappear through the buffers. “See ya, Spike,” Thomas replied. The engines stayed quiet while just staring at the buffers, before one by one, they went back to the sheds. As Thomas puffed into his berth, he looked to the stars. “They’ll be back, Thomas,” said Percy. “I know, Percy,” Thomas replied, “I know.” Twilight woke up on her side in her bed, it was night as she looked around. She hoped that it hadn’t all been a dream, but then she saw something glowing from downstairs. She ran down to see that it was Lady in her alicorn form. “Lady?” Twilight asked. Lady smiled and gave her something, it was a photo of all her engine friends smiling. And a handwriting signature from the Fat Controller saying, ‘see you soon.’ Twilight hugged the photo and the hugged Lady. Lady patted her head then after the hug, went through a Golden portal behind her. Twilight smiled as she walked back upstairs and placed the photo down on her bed side table. She smiled, closed her eyes, and fell asleep, cherishing all the memories she had with her friends on the Island of Sodor.