//------------------------------// // Chapter 4-Your Best-laid Plans can Turn Upside-Down // Story: Thomas and Friends: Return to Sodor // by The Blue EM2 //------------------------------// "I can't get a response from either of them!" Lady Haven said, having just rung her daughter's numbers for what felt like the 20th time. "Where could they be?" "I'm certain they're around here somewhere," Lord Haven reassured her. "We just need to stay calm and keep a level head collectively." Argyle suddenly popped in. "No sign of Sunny in town," he said. "Last I saw they'd all gone towards that cave." "Why not look there?" Trick Shot suggested. "If they went there, and haven't returned, it makes sense tney're still there. So I'd suggest looking there next." Aurora, on the other hand, had begun checking the miracle that is the internet. She had a reasonable social media presence, and was using this to her advantage. "Hello everyone," she said to the screen. "I need your help. A few hours ago, my daughter Izzy went missing and we cannot find her. If any of you have any leads as to where she is, please send them to me either via email or direct messaging on Facebook Messenger." Isaac was also scowering the internet when suddenly he hit a lead. "Hate to interrupt," he said, "but Pipp Petals is trending really high right now." He slid down the videos, and suddenly found one that had been uploaded to the internet mere minutes ago. The video had clearly been filmed on a phone, hence the shaky video and rather poor audio quality, but it was most certainly her. "I Got my make up on/ Got that glitter and glam! Oh, this my favorite song/ Yeah, they playing my jam! I feel beautiful, I feel powerful/ I feel me! "I’m feelin’/ Fresh! Like my hair is on fleek/ Happiness is all I need/ Spreading love from you to me! "I’m feelin’/ Fresh! Magic all around my friends/ Celebration never ends/ Oh cuz we always a ten!" "I dread the effect she's having on children's grammar," Isaac said sarcastically. Lord and Lady Haven rushed over to see the video. "Never mind that!" Lady Haven said. "Pipp? Pipp? Can you hear me?" Lord Haven put a hand on her shoulder. "This isn't a live stream. It's a pre-recorded video." "Oh." Lady Haven looked closer. "But where in the world is she in that video? I don't recognise that building at all!" Argyle stepped over. "Wait a moment," he said. "Does the video have a description?" Isaac popped it open. "There you go." He then began to read the description, which sounded hilarious in his voice. "#PippPetals performing earlier today #pop #steam #surprise concert-" "That sounds like her," Lord Haven added. "Ever since she was born she bursts into song at random intervals for no obvious reason." "But where in the world is Knapford?" "Does the video have a geotag?" Argyle asked. Isaac highlighted it, and Argyle leaned in, taking a moment to decipher it. "Copy that into Google Maps," he said. Isaac nodded, and completed the process. "I recognise the string. It's somewhere in the northwest of England." Just then, Goldie arrived from looking around town. "I can't see them anywhere," she said. "Any lead?" Argyle saw the destination indicated by the co-ordinates, and his jaw dropped. "I haven't been there in so long..." "Well? Where is it?" Goldie asked. "The co-ordinates from Pipp's geotagged video show she's in Knapford, on the Island of Sodor," Argyle replied. "You know, the place I've devoted so much time to collecting information about. And if Pipp is there, and her friends were all together, it stands to reason they are all on Sodor as well!" Goldie looked confused as she looked at the map. "Sodor is 11 hours and 460 miles by car from here. We last saw them three hours ago. How did they get to Sodor so fast?" Argyle glanced in the direction of the quarry. "I think I know," he said, as he grabbed a bag from his study. "Come on, everyone. We're going to Sodor, but not the way you might be expecting." "I hope this doesn't involve any talking tumbleweeds or using flowers as telephones," Aurora sighed. Meanwhile, Percy and Izzy were hard at work at the coal mine near Wellsworth. The place was harsh and dirty, with soot and smoke drifting everywhere from the assembled black gold being loaded into trucks. Percy bustled about trying to martial the trucks together. Unfortunately, the trucks weren't being especially co-operative. "We want a proper engine! Not a catapillar with red stripes!" "How do they know about that?" Percy asked, as another set was put together. Izzy leaned out of the cab. "Listen here, you troublesome trucks," she said. "You all look a bit grimy and messy. There's a free wash out of this if you behave!" "Well, that's new," said one of the trucks. "Offering us rewards for behaving instead of bumping us? I like these new drivers already!" Still, some of them began to sing, loud, rude, and in perfect four part harmony. "Percy, Percy, Green and Small! He's no use to Us at All!" Round the yard he Puffs and Blows/ But on the Hills he Oh So Slow!" "Given you have no propulsion," Percy said, "you can't go anywhere at all. So I'd suggest being quiet." "sdrawkcab lkat t'nod ndA!" Izzy added. "It makes you look silly." One truck looked to another. "How does she know about the talking backwards thing?" "Like Yoda we must speak," said another. "We did that joke several stories ago," said another. After a few more minutes of work, the coal train was finally ready to go. Percy was coupled to the train, and made his way up the line. "I hope we can make it over the top!" he said. "Relax, Percy, we'll be fine!" Izzy replied. Truth be told, she was used to driving more powerful engines, but she still felt she knew what she was doing. The line that connects the mine to the mainline is short, but very steep, climbing at a grade of one in thirty for two miles. This is gruelling on engines, and Percy was certainly feeling the strain. He went purple in the face as he shifted the heavy load up the hill. "Oh look!" shouted a truck. "Percy's straining! I told you he couldn't do it!" And the trucks giggled in their silly way. "BE QUIET!" Percy snapped. They were partway up the climb when suddenly there was a crash and a snap, and the trucks began to roll away. "Surprise!" shouted the lead truck. Percy was shocked "Oh no!" he cried. "We have to stop them!" Izzy, thinking on her feet, moved the cutoff handle to forward and advanced steam as far as she dared. Thanks to the steep gradients, they built up speed extremely quickly and were soon in contact with the lead trucks. "Only three quarters of a mile!" Percy shouted. "Look out!" Izzy clambered out of the cab, walked along the running board whilst grabbing the side rail, and stood on the front bufferbeam when the buffers impacted the trucks. She picked up a shunting pole she had acquired from the cab, and grabbed the chain from the nearby truck. She moved it over Percy's hook, and then attached the vacuum hoses together. She scrambled back into the cab and applied the brakes, the loud screeching audible for miles as the train slowed down. It skidded under the coal loader and approached the buffers. "Jump!" Percy called. "We're going to derail!" But luck was on their side. Just as the train came into contact with the buffers, they stopped. And the coal loader chose the worst moment to deposit coal, dumping it all over Percy. "YUCK!" Percy said. "I've never been this dirty!" Izzy wiped the grime off her face. "At least we're not in the sea, or down a mine, or crashing through a chocolate factory." Her eyes then caught a strange figure moving about near a line of trucks. "That's funny," she said. "Do coal workers usually sculk around the edge of the coal field"? Misty brought Edward to a stop after they'd finished assembling some trucks. "Good work, my fine fellow!" Edward said. "You're getting the hang of this." "Thanks!" Misty said. "I'm more used to tank engines, but you're not the biggest engine I've ever seen." "Bigger is not always better," Edward admitted. "Just look at the number of times Gordon has gone wrong." "Has he gone wrong a lot?" Misty asked. "Oh yes," Edward said. "But enough about that. What brought you to Sodor?" "Me and my friends fancied a change in scenery," Misty admitted. "I'm from Cornwall, and the northern air makes for a nice change." "Are you liking Sodor?" Edward asked. "It's been my home since 1915. It's been such a long time since I last saw another Furness Railway engine." "I don't really have a sense of home," Misty replied. "I don't really know who I am, or where I'm from. I sorta just exist." Edward sighed. "I know the feeling. I'm the only surviving member of my class, so I guess the engines I work alongside are my family." "It's the same for me and my friends," Misty added. "I never expected I'd have so much in common with a tender engine." "I do miss Applejack though," Edward said. "She and have worked together for nearly a decade now, but now that she's vanished... I don't know what will come of us." "We'll find them," Misty said. "But let's focus on the here and now, OK?" There seemed to be no consistency as to where the portal was dropping people off today. Some locals were rather alarmed when a large group of adults suddenly appeared from nowhere outside Knapford Station. "And I thought flying EasyJet was rough," Lord Haven grumbled, rubbing his back. "At least my skeleton is still in one piece." "And my eyeballs haven't been shaken loose," Isaac added. Argyle glanced around. "Knapford Station. Hasn't changed all that much the early 1990s, apart from the electronic ticket machines." He indicated to the others. "Come on! Let's go!" The assembled crowd arrived on the platform. "Oh dear," Lady Haven said. "Is something wrong?" Aurora asked. "I appear to have a stray hair or two," the Duchess remarked. "I shall need to get that sorted out." Goldie glanced across the platforms. "Pipp? Pipp?" Just then, Sir Topham Hatt arrived, and went to greet Lady Haven. "Good afternoon, Your Ladyship," he said, bowing so low his nose nearly scraped the floor. "I trust your journey from Boxford wasn't too bad?" "I believe you may have me confused for somebody else," Lady Haven replied. "I thought Boxford was in Massachusetts." "Never fear, Your Ladyship," Sir Topham Hatt continued. "I shall have your special coach ready in no time." He walked across the platform to a blue tender engine. "Donald! Lyra! Fetch the Duke and Duchess of Boxford's Special Coach!" The large engine whistled. "On my way, sir! Let's not hide it amongst the others this time, eh?" Argyle checked his journal. "Ah. The Dukes of Boxford come here around this time of year to prepare for Christmas. It appears Sir Topham Hatt has confused you for the Duchess of Boxford. I wonder if it's Charles still?" Lady Haven wasted no time in getting her phone out and phoning Pipp. She waited a few seconds for it to connect before walking outside the station, as it was very noisy inside the station. "Pipp? Are you there?" "Hey mom!" Pipp replied. "I know I'm not exactly close to home, but-" "That doesn't matter to me. What matters is you're safe. But how exactly did you end up on Sodor of all places?" "Well, I found this glowy portal and we got pulled in and stopped a train accident and then came to Knapford and have been driving James since. He's this really splendid engine with a bright red coat." "What's that about redcoats?" Lady Haven asked. "Red coat. Two words. I know I sound a bit blase about being teleported halfway across the country, but I've totes been in tougher spots- #Sunny day!" "We all have," Lady Haven admitted. "In fact," Pipp added, "I'm thinking of blogging about the cable incident to the Pippsqueaks, you know, discuss the other side of showbiz." "WHAT?!" Lady Haven said. "Why would you want to do that? I thought that day left you traumatised!" "There's worse things than being suspended upside down, and I was only the wrong way up for two minutes at most," Pipp answered. "Everybody has a bad day, and I think they can relate to that." Lady Haven paused. "Well, if you're sure. If things don't go wrong, you know I'll always be here for you, don't you?" "Of course mom. Sorry, gotta go. Love you lots, Pipp Pipp Hooray!" Lady Haven put the phone down and walked back to the platform as Thomas rumbled in with a passenger train. The tank engine seemed very happy. "Hello everybody!" he said. "Welcome to the Island of Sodor!" "Why is he running backwards?" Isaac asked. "Thomas is an auto fitted engine," Argyle explained. "That means that he can be driven from a specially modified coach, meaning he doesn't have to run round his train. And that means the driver will be emerging from there." As he pointed to the door, it opened, and Sunny got out. "I'll have a bathroom break then oil round for the next run," she said, before turning her head to the left. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Dad?" Father and daughter sprinted over to one another and embraced, with Goldie joining them shortly afterwards. "I'm so glad you're safe," Argyle said softly, not a trace of anger or frustration on his voice. "I finally made it," Sunny replied. "I made it to Sodor." "You certainly did," Argyle smiled as he released her from the hug. "And it's my first visit in a long time. And it seems you're working with Thomas." "I know, right?" Sunny smiled. "I hit the jackpot with that one!" The three walked round to the engine. "Hello Sunny!" said Thomas. "Are there your parents?" "Thomas," Sunny smiled, "meet my mom and dad, Goldie and Argyle Starshine." "Nice to meet you at last, Thomas," Goldie said. "My husband's frequently mentioned Sodor, and it's a bit surreal being here for real." "I hope you enjoy your time here," Thomas replied. He glanced to the clock. "Sunny, you'd best be taking that bathroom break or else you won't have enough time to prepare me for the return run to Ffarquhar!" James arrived a few seconds later. "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE'S JAMES!" Pipp handed him over to a member of station staff and dashed for the canteen, saying a quick hello to Sunny on the way before diving through the door. "Hey Misty!" she said. "Any news?" "Not really," Misty replied. "Edward and I just got back from a run from Brendam, and we're waiting for new work orders." Just then, a work order popped through a slot, and Pipp went and picked it up. "Slow goods to Brendam Docks. Engines 2 and 5 on lead." She smiled. "Looks like that's us, Misty!" A few minutes later, the two engines were hooked up to the heavy train. "Are you ready, James?" Edward asked. "Let's go!" James said impatiently. "A splendid engine like me should not be pulling ballast." "Is he usually like this?" Misty asked. "Unfortunately, yes," Edward replied, and with a whistle the train set off. Even with two engines it proved to be slow going, and the heavy trucks rumbled behind them. Some of the ballast bounced out of the hoppers and hit James' tender. "Mind the paintwork!" After a long journey, they were required to wait at Wellsworth to let the Suddery branch clear. A few minutes later, Percy rattled off the branch line with a coal train and came to a stop in a loop. "Hello Edward! Hello James!" he called. Izzy looked back and addressed them. "Have you two seen anything weird lately?" she asked. "Apart from our parents now being on Sodor somehow, no," Pipp replied. "Percy and I saw a really shifty figure moving around the coal yard," Izzy explained. Percy chimed in. "He was behaving very oddly." "How do you know it was a man?" Izzy asked. "Fair point," Percy conceeded, as the signal dropped. He began to move off- backwards! "STOP!" Izzy glanced down. "Had the cutoff set the wrong way. Oops!" James snorted. "It's not a backing signal, Percy!" No sooner had Percy left then Gordon arrived in the Up Loop, with a drone hovering next to him. "Whatever is this buzzing thing?" the big blue engine asked. "I think I know who that is," Pipp sighed. "Zipp, what are you doing with your drone?" Zipp appeared, her goggles in the down position. "Scanning the area. I saw some very strange activity nearby, and needed to investigate it." Pipp thought for a moment. "Izzy saw some strange activity nearby. Apparently a shady person walking around the coal mine?" Zipp scribbled this down. "That's good to know. Otherwise, everything OK?" "As far as I know," Pipp replied. "Hey, can I ask your opinion on something?" "As long as it's not dresses, go ahead, cause if it is the answer is they suck." Pipp sighed. "I was planning on blogging about the concert incident with the cables." Zipp nodded. "Just be careful what you post about yourself. As I've said before posting too much personal information online can be harmful." No sooner was she about to speak again then Henry sped through on the station with a passenger train. "EXPRESS COMING THROUGH!" the green engine cheered. Gordon sighed. "Oh, the indignity." Over on the other side, the signal for Brendam finally cleared, and Edward and James set off on the final stage of their journey. At the end of the day, the engines and their drivers all returned to Tidmouth Sheds and prepared to rest for the night. "As we are a long way from home, does anybody fancy going out for dinner tonight?" Aurora suggested. "That's not a bad idea, actually," Hitch said. "What are the local options?" Isaac began scrolling through his phone whilst Pipp walked over to Zipp. "So, what dress will it be tonight?" "We only have one set of clothes," Zipp replied. "Besides, I've already fulfilled my dress quota for the year- the Ball thing." Pipp pouted. "Suit yourself." She walked to another part of the yard and sat down on an oil drum before firing up her phone. "Good evening Pippsqueaks! Tonight I'm coming to you live from Tidmouth, on the Island of Sodor. And I have something very special to talk about." "What could it be?" a voice asked. "I know you probably see me as the musical face of the Havens, who blogs about loads of stuff. But the truth is, that's not all there is. There's another, more vulnerable side as well. One who is sometimes lonely, sad, and afraid. And one night, it nearly all came crashing down. "You probably all know about the infamous concert where I was left upside down. I legitimately thought my career was finished after that. But I had no clue that back then, the greatest adventure of my life was about to begin. True, it's been a rocky road at points, and we haven't always gotten along." Pipp turned the camera to show the others. "But they are my friends. And I wouldn't trade them for all the gold and silver in the world. They reminded me that what matters most is who I am, not the flashy effects I surrounded myself with." She paused. "That's all for now, I gotta go. See you latAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Pipp screamed as the ground suddenly opened up underneath her, and she plummeted into the darkness below.