Equestria Girls: The Railway Stories

by friggin normie

Thomas' Train

The week following Henry's refusal to leave the tunnel had been a busy one. No sooner had one train been delivered, another one was ready to go. Poor Edward and Gordon were rushed off their wheels.

"We get no rest, we get no rest," the bigger engine grumbled. Edward was afraid that he had to agree.

"Maybe I can help?" Thomas said one morning. "I can take the morning passenger train for Edward!"

"Don't be silly," Gordon yawned. "You're far too impatient, little Thomas. You'd be sure to leave something behind!"

Edward hummed in agreement. "I'm afraid he's right, Thomas. Leave the goods and passengers to us. I'm sure you'll be able to help once you've had proper training."

Thomas huffed away indignantly. He was sure he could pull a train as well as the others could.

---

"Can you believe them, Twilight?" He asked as she and Spike prepared to head home for the night. "They think that I can't pull a train properly!"

"Well..." Spike started slowly.

"What?"

"They're right," Twilight answered bluntly. "We can barely shunt properly. I think the only way you'll get to pull trains any time soon is if something happens to one of the other engines."

"Bother," Thomas sighed. "It seems like I'll never get the chance to pull trains and see the world."

Luckily, Spike was more sympathetic than Twilight. "Don't worry, buddy. Who knows? Maybe one of the big engines will break down tomorrow."

"That'd be pretty convenient," Twilight muttered.

---

The next morning, Edward had broken down.

"Wh- I- How?!" Twilight stuttered in disbelief.

"His dang regulator won't open!" Applejack grunted as she tried to fix the problem. "Bloom an' I have been trying ta fix it for the last ten minutes!"

"But we should be able to get it unstuck soon," Apple Bloom sighed.

"Not in time ta take the first train, we won't."

Twilight shot a suspicious glare at Thomas and Spike.

"Twi, I swear we had nothing to do with this!"

Thomas hadn't noticed Twilight's suspicion. "Maybe we'll get to pull the passengers today!"

"I guess we might," Twilight sighed.

As soon as his crew boarded, the little engine ran off to fetch the coaches. He bumped them excitedly and chuffed to the platform as quickly as he could.

"Be careful, be careful!" The carriages shouted.

But Thomas paid no mind. He wanted to run around to the front of the train, but Twilight wouldn't let him.

"Let's at least wait until we're told to pull the train."

In no time, the platform was crowded with people, but Edward never arrived.

"Now?" Thomas asked again.

"Not yet," his crew laughed.

Eventually, Celestia came to see what the problem was.

"Applejack says that Edward's having some technical difficulties," the guard said.

"Then find another engine!"

"There's only Thomas, ma'am."

The two looked over to see a grinning Thomas.

"Oh dear," Celestia sighed. "I suppose you'll have to take the train."

Thomas ran round front as quickly as he could and buffered up to the coaches.

"Don't be impatient now," Twilight said sternly. "Wait until everything is ready."

But Thomas wasn't listening. He was thinking of how grand he would look flying down the line with his first train.

What happened next, no one knows. Thomas says the guard blew his whistle too soon, and Twilight insists that Thomas didn't wait until he was coupled to the coaches. Anyhow, Thomas started as quickly as he could. Celestia tried to call him back to the station, but Thomas was already out of sight.

Thomas whistled cheerfully as he rattled through the countryside. People shouted and waved as he passed by, filling the tank engine with joy.

"This is amazing!" Thomas cried, and Twilight had to agree.

"I'm sorry I said you weren't ready. Turns out pulling a train is easier than the others made it out to be!"

But their fun wouldn't last much longer. They soon approached a red signal and had to stop.

"Bother!" Puffed Thomas. "And we were going so nicely, too!"

"What's the problem?" Spike asked. "We're the only ones out here, so we can't be waiting for another train to pass."

A confused signalman walked up to the engine. "Hello you three. What are you doing so far from the big station?"

Thomas beamed with pride. "I'm pulling a train! Can't you see?"

The signalman was even more confused. "Then where are your coaches?"

"Bless me!" Twilight cried. "We've left them behind!"

"You had best head back and get your coaches."

Spike sighed. "The others are never gonna let us live this down."

---

To say that the passengers were furious was the understatement of the decade. The crowd had begun screaming and yelling almost as soon as Thomas had left. Celestia wasn't sure she could keep them from rioting for much longer.

"This railway's a circus!"

"We want our money back!"

"This would never happen on the Mainland!"

A sad peep, peep stopped the passenger's complaints, for when they saw how sad Thomas was, they had forgotten to be angry.

"We're so sorry, Miss Celestia. I never meant for this happen."

"I know, Thomas. But I hope this has taught you to be more patient in the future."

"It most certainly has, ma'am." The guard's whistle blew, and this time, Thomas really pulled the train.

---

For many days afterward, Gordon, his crew, and even Edward's poked fun at Thomas' mishap.

"Look, there's Thomas!" They would say. "He wanted to pull trains but forgot about the coaches!"

Thomas said nothing, but he thought they were being very silly indeed.