//------------------------------//
// Chapter 13-The Long Road Back 
// Story: Thomas and Friends: a New Generation 
// by The Blue EM2 
//------------------------------//

Sophie was brought to an abrupt stop in the platform at Heywood, where the other engines were waiting.

"Well?" Porter asked, looking at the others.

"We got it!" Sophie replied. "We managed to get both of the bits of this thing without losing any ourselves!"

All the people occupying the locomotive got out and gathered onto the platform, excited by the possibility of seeing this working for the first time in decades.

Sunny picked up the first piece, which had somehow ended up in her possession in the confusion. "Right, we got the first part!" she said. She held it up to the fading light of the day, which continued to glimmer in the air. "Shall we give it a go?"

Moments later, Izzy handed her the other one. The two pieces glowed together, a winged plate with a tall shard atop it. Sunny quickly figured out how they fitted together, and so her hands placed them into position atop each other, one slotting quite comfortably into the gap where the other had a space.

Nothing happened.

"Huh?" Sunny said. "Something's wrong!" She lifted them apart, and then put them back together in the hope this would do something.

But still nothing happened.

The panic in her face gave way to despair. "No..." she whispered.

"What's going on?" Charles called. "I can't see what's going on with Sophie in the way!"

"The crystals aren't working," Porter said simply. "It seems as though something's missing."

Pipp placed a hand on Sunny's shoulder. "I'm certain we can find a way to make it work!" she said. "There might be a missing piece we're not considering."

"No," Sunny replied, her sadness and despair having consumed her. "We came all this way, covered so many rivers, so many miles." The things they had seen, the times they had had together, and the people they had met all flashed through her mind. And the soul crushing realisation crashed into her like a tidal wave. "And it was all for nothing." She sighed. "I'm sorry."

"So, this is it?" Salty said. "We're just giving up?"

"Sure looks that way," Argyle sighed. "Looks like Phyllis was right. I always was a crackpot, and I simply couldn't see it."

"Cheer up Sunny!" Izzy said. "We had a great adventure, and surely that counts, right? How can we remember this time? How about a song?"

Salty launched off into another sea shanty. "Room for a lad who's come from se-"

"Salty, no," Sunny said. "I suggest we had back to Falmouth. I legitimately thought I had a chance to make a difference in this world. I had a dream that we could bring them back. But that's the thing with dreams. Eventually, you have to wake up." She sadly walked away from the group and went towards Salty's cab to sleep.

Argyle looked to the others. "You'd best be returning to your homes as well. We'll start the return trip in the morning."

Zipp shrugged, as she looked at the fragments. "There's something we're not considering," she said.





It was late at night when Goldenella got into her home in Falmouth. She switched on the lights. "Argyle? Sunny? I'm home."

It wasn't often she was in Falmouth, and wanted to make the most of this visit. She walked through the house, confused at what had happened. It seemed as though the former occupants had left in a hurry. The place was dark, dishes were scattered all over the place, and the lights were all turned off. At least the curtains had been drawn.

She stepped into the living room, confused as to why all the lights were off. She reached for a switch.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Goldenella had no time to react before she felt a gun being put to the back of her head. The light suddenly came on, and the other side of the door revealed two men in uniform holding rifles at her. "HANDS UP!"

Goldenella did as she was told. In her peripheral vision she could see Sprout, also clad in uniform, but looking more like a South American dictator. "What's going on, Sprout?"

"I'll be the one asking the questions, not you," Sprout replied. "Things have changed a little around here. Falmouth is under martial law. There is something I want, and when the Cloverleaf family wants something it gets it." He paused. "Of course, you'll make the perfect bargaining chip. Take her away to the town hall and keep her under guard."





The next morning, the convoy at Heywood was preparing to move off. Just as Argyle was about to open the door and give the all clear, he suddenly got a buzz on his phone. He saw it was a voicemail, so played it. "Hello? Who is this?"

A heavily distorted voice played at the other end. "We have your wife. Come to Falmouth and give us the crystals, and we will release her. You have until 72 hours after the end of this message."

Argyle hung up, looking at Sunny. "They've got Goldie," he said.

"Mom's been kidnapped?" Sunny said.

"Yes. We're to go to Falmouth if we want to save her." A deep anger was beginning to boil under Argyle's skin. "Whoever you are. You can mess with me, but you don't mess with my family."

"If you two are going," Porter said, "I'm coming too."

"And me," Izzy added.

"Count me in," Rebecca said.

"I happen to be heading that way, so I'm onboard too," Hitch said. "Hopefully the CCF can help us get these guys."

"You helped us out," Zipp noted. "I want to help you too. Let's go, Charles."

"Well, of course," Charles said. "We're a team out here. You'll need my genius, won't you?"

"Something must be in the fuel," Sophie joked. "Charles is speaking about being a team."

"Sometimes we must put aside our own development and work for things greater than ourselves," Pipp noted. "I'm in too."

The cavalcade set off with a blaring of whistles and horns. They would save Goldenella, or they would die trying.