"Good morning!" Pipp greeted her friends as they all arrived at the shed. As per usual, she spoke in her familiar sing song tone which some found endearing and others found irritating.
"Morning," the others said.
"I have some excellent news!" Pipp said.
"Has the Dacia Sandero been delayed?" Ray asked.
"Oh no!" Pipp replied. "Anyway, the good news is that Misty is being released from hospital later today, and is returning to Falmouth!"
"Well, it's good to hear she's back on her feet," Hitch admitted, "but how do we fit into this?"
"I suggest we host a party to celebrate her return, and have lots of decorations!"
"All very short notice," Zipp said. "Typical Pipp."
"Well, if you're going to grumble you don't have to take part," Pipp replied. "I know you have your misgivings about her, but I think this would be a quite nice gesture."
"I say we do it," Sunny said. "We can start setting things up whilst doing our usual work. Come on Salty."
"Here we go!" Sophie called, as the shed soon sounded to the familiar sound of diesel engines firing up. Within a few minutes, the fleet was ready to move.
A few hours later, quite a few of the decorations were already in place. Balloons and tables were set up, and bunting was hung from many different places to improve the atmosphere of the place.
The centrepiece, however, was a large balloon that was being moved into place by a large balloon. "I'm not balloon engineer," Sunny said, "but that balloon doesn't look to be properly tied down. Be careful!"
Pipp stepped over and took a closer look at the problem. "Hmm," she said. "The anchoring ropes don't quite look right. Zipp? Could you give me a hand?"
Charles was brought to a stop as Zipp took a look. "Doesn't look too good. I'll secure the engine in place and help out."
Moments later, Porter rumbled backwards with another wagon. "Are the points set correctly?" he asked Izzy.
Izzy looked behind her. "Yes, but there's something parked in the way. Slowing down!"
Porter smiled. "And now, coup de grace!"
Izzy applied the brakes, but she misjudged the distance. Badly. Porter slammed into the wagon, which in turn broke the mooring rope. The balloon drifted high into the air, up and away.
Charles was annoyed. "Porter, you blithering idiot!"
"Sorry!" Porter said. "But more importantly, look at the balloon!"
Everybody looked up. "Oh no," Zipp said.
Pipp held on for dear life as the balloon drifted aimlessly through the air, buffeted by the winds blowing over the Cornish coast. "HELP!" she cried. However, her words were ripped away from her mouth by the howling of the wind.
She looked down, noticing that they seemed to roughly be proceeding in a direction towards Saltash. She knew she had to get help or else she might drift off to sea and be lost forever.
Wrapping her legs round the anchoring rope of the balloon, she fished her phone out of her pocket and started a stream. It was easy for her to set the device up with one hand, as she had years of experience. "Hello, Pippsqueaks! I'm in a bit of a bind right now! I'm on a runaway balloon and need help! If any of you can call the coast guard that'd be fab! Uploading Geotag now!"
She only hoped it would be enough. But then she saw a familiar sight rattling along the Falmouth branch.
Salty was propelling a truck along the branch as quickly as he could, keeping a close eye on the signals. "We're goin' a good deal faster than the operatin' procedures permit!" he said. "Propellin' speed is fifteen miles an hour!"
"I think the board will understand us disregarding the speed limit just this once!" Sunny replied, who opened the cab door. "Urgh, come on! Why do you never activate when I need you?"
"Think of bein' your true self, Sunny!" Salty called. "Failin' that, think of your friends!"
Salty's suggestions seemed to do the trick. Seconds later, there was a spectacular blast of golden-yellow energy as Sunny's wings flared into being, and with a running start she was soon airborne. She quickly gained height and was soon level with the balloon. "Pipp! Can you hear me?"
"Barely!" Pipp replied. "Can you get me down?"
"Yes, but I'm going to need you to let go!" Sunny replied. Her next sentence was drowned out by a Coast Guard helicopter pulling up alongside the balloon.
The pilot glanced over. "Out of control object has been found. Moving into position for recovery and- am I seeing things?"
"Please repeat, over."
"Command, there's a person holding onto the anchoring rope. And another who seems to have wings."
Back at the balloon, Sunny began frantically gesturing to the pilot, moving her arms horizontally in an opening motion.
The pilot reached down and flicked a switch. One of the doors on the helicopter side opened up.
"Right, NOW!"
Pipp let go, and with incredible precision Sunny grabbed her before flying over to the helicopter and placing her next to the crew member working the crane. She then flew back and grabbed the anchoring rope.
She grimaced at the exertion required to shift the balloon back towards the coast, but then a freak wind began to blow it towards the ground.
A series of bright golden flashes alerted her to a problem. "No, not now!"
Her wings flared out of existance, and Sunny was left frantically holding on as the balloon continued to plummet towards the ground. It collided with the surface of the ground just over a bridge and collapsed.
Sunny looked forward as she heard a loud horn. "Oh no," she said. "That's the morning train!"
Just then, Salty rattled in behind and scooped her up. She fell onto the wagon and passed under the balloon as the diesel flew past it and rumbled to a stop in the platform at Perranwell.
"Well," Salty said. "I don't think we'll be forgettin' that one any time soon!"
The DMU working the passenger train looked over. "What in the name of Perkins is going on here?"
Pipp was taken back to Falmouth by the Coast Guard, and she was later released as she was unhurt. The balloon was backed up and secured inside the truck, and Sunny drove it back down to Falmouth.
The balloon was placed into the correct location, and when the passenger train arrived, everybody was waiting.
And sure enough, Misty stepped out onto the platform and walked into town. She stopped when she saw the preparations.
CONGRATULOTIONS ON YOUR RETURN, MISTY said the banner.
"Welcome home, Misty!" said a chorus of voices, and the five she had come to know so well stepped forward.
"We thought you should receive a hero's welcome after what you've been through," Pipp explained.
"Well, Pipp did. She roped the rest of us into it." Hitch grimaced as Sunny's elbow collided with his ribcage.
"You've had quite the ordeal," Izzy commented. "How are you feeling?"
"Glad to be alive," Misty said. "But it's a bit hard to say I have a home when I don't have a place to live."
"Where do you sleep then?"
"Bellerophon's footplate."
"Don't you get cold?"
"No," Misty replied. "I use the winter coat as a blanket."
Pipp was shocked. "We can't have you sleeping on Bellerophon's footplate night after night!" she said. "You can stay with us!"
"Have you checked this with mom first?" Zipp asked.
"I imagine she'll agree when she learns the truth," Pipp replied.
Misty blinked, and wiped something out of her eyes. "I don't know what to say. Thank you, guys." The sensation she had felt back at the hospital was once again there.
She may have had no clue who her biological parents were, but it was here she felt she truly belonged. And these five were her true family.