Old Iron

by Fujimi200SX

2: Hallucination

"WHAT IN BLAZES!?"

"Yeah! I had just about the exact same reaction as you did!"

"But... how?!"

"I don't know! I spent all that time working out and making sure I was fit, to be turned into THIS! WHAT. THE HELL!?"

"Calm down Thomas!"

"Calm down?! EDWARD!? I'M A BAT PONY! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CALM DOWN?!"

"You're not dead, and we're not in danger! We have plenty of time to calm down and assess the situation."

Thomas let out a loud, almost bloodcurdling scream before taking in a few deep breaths. He sat down on his rump and sighed. "Yeah, you're right. So. What exactly is the situation right now?"

I raised a brow as his ears drooped. "Well, we just escaped what I'd assume is a nuclear blast. Then-"

"Nuclear blast?"

"What? The nuclear blast. Or some giant explosion, I don't know."

"What do you mean giant explosion?!"

"Uh- You mean to say you didn't see or hear that giant explosion? The whole flippin' sky turned red! That was the whole reason I tore down the line!"

"Edward- wha- There was no explosion! I remember exiting the station building, I heard you shout 'To hell with the Signal!' out of nowhere, and I jumped into the last coach as you took off! Then I was knocked out because I smacked my head into a table! THEN I woke up like THIS!"

"Thomas, there was an explosion. Maybe you didn't notice because you were knocked out."

"No, there wasn't! You just yelled out 'To hell with the signal' with no warning and took off!"

"So you're saying I hallucinated i-... tuh..."

I stopped as I thought about it more. The thought that I could have actually hallucinated the whole thing and put the lives of others at risk for no reason was unpleasant.

"Edward? Edward are you alright?" Thomas asked.

"Yeah, I'm... fine." I sighed. Suddenly, I gasped. "The Green Water! Blimey, perhaps I really did hallucinate that."

"Maybe your mind did it because Topham mentioned a Nuclear Power Plant. Weren't you always against those and feared what might happen?"

"Yeah, I was," I scoffed. "Great. A stupid hallucination made me put others at risk. We wouldn't be here right now if I had just waited a bit longer for it to clear up."

"Well, we're not dead."

I chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. Anyway, now we have a more pressing matter to deal with."

Thomas looked around, ears remaining flat. "Yeah, we do."

"Seeing as we have no idea where we are, I propose that we head over to that city and ask them where we are."

Thomas looked at the city. "Right... that. Some city. Looks like something out of the Wizard of Oz, if I'm being honest."

I chuckled. "I'm sure it does. Anyway, come on then. We can talk on the way there."

"Right. Give me a second to hop in."

"Hm. Did I ever mention how good you actually look as a Thestral?" I asked as I flicked on my headlamp.

Thomas chuckled as he climbed into my cab. "Yeah, I'll admit, I actually look pretty good... and cute."

"Ha! You? Cute? Has the world gone mad?"

We laughed as I set off down the tracks. For the next ten minutes, we traveled down the snaking line, chatting about our thoughts on what was happening. I remained relatively neutral throughout this exchange as I preferred remaining calm and taking in as much information as I could before making too many guesses. After I told Thomas this, he too remained neutral.

I also asked him how being a pony felt. He said it was... interesting. He said it was surprisingly easy to get used to being one. In fact, the only thing he wasn't used to was his extra "limbs". His wings. Well, that and the fact that he didn't quite know how he was supposed to hold a shovel.

Soon enough, we approached the crystal station. I was amazed at how massive the palace was. Even from a good half a mile away, it was taller than any building I had ever seen. It stood up on four pillars, and when I squinted I could see a glowing heart directly under it.

"Interesting..."

The station I was pulling into wasn't too special if you didn't count the crystal building. It had two tracks, one platform, and the building itself. Thomas and I were somewhat confused, wondering who would ever build anything like it out of crystals. Either they wanted maximum tourism and it cost an extraordinary amount, or there were just so many crystals in the area that it made sense to do so.

Once I stopped, my driver got out of my cab and looked around the quiet, desolate station. Only a few lights were on to illuminate the platform, but the building itself was entirely dark. Nobody was there except for us.

"Well, Edward?" Thomas asked. "What should we do?"

"Well," I began. "We could either wait here until morning, or we could keep traveling down this line until we find another town. Or you could walk down to that city and ask for help."

"Ask for help?!" My driver walked into my view. "Look at me! I'm a flippin' bat pony! I can't just walk into that town! What if someone... takes me or something?"

I sighed. "Yeah, you're right. So what do you want to do then? Wait here, or keep going?"

"I think we should keep going. Try to find another station."

"I agree. I'd prefer finding a normal town. Not whatever this crystal fantasy is."

"Right."

Thomas jumped into my cab, and I set off down the line with two toots of my whistle.

---

Meanwhile, two quadrupeds were walking away from the crystal city towards the train station. One of them was midnight blue, while the other was a bright shade of pink.

"Well, I hope your stay at the Crystal Empire was 'satisfactory' for you," the pink one said.

"Yes, it was. Though I am excited to go back to Canterlot to drive Truro again," the blue one replied.

The pink one scoffed. "You've had that train for a month now and you're still going on about it."

"I will inform you that driving a steam locomotive has been the most fun I have had in years. I have good reason to-"

PEEEP! PEEEEP!

The two quadrupeds stopped, fear quickly growing inside the blue one.

"The train was not supposed to BE HERE FOR- AGH!"

The blue one took off towards the station in full sprint, watching as the train began pulling out of the station. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, which was quite fast, even for a quadruped.

"No, no, no nonono!" she yelled as she jumped onto the platform. "No! NO!" Unfortunately, the last car left the platform before she could get to it. "CONSARN IT!"

---

I shook with surprise as I heard someone scream in anger behind me. "Was that someone on the platform?"

"Yeah, I can see them. They looked pretty angry just now," Thomas replied as we slowed to a stop.

I chuckled. "They must be. Must think we're a regularly scheduled train. Should we go back and ask where we are?"

"Sure. Here, I'm gonna duck inside the front coach. Just in case."

"Right."

As Thomas climbed over my tender and into the first coach, I blew my whistle twice and began reversing back to the platform. I could actually hear the sigh of relief escape the person who had nearly missed "their" train, which put a smile on my face.

"You know, I think that might be the angriest I have ever seen you," I heard a voice say.

"Cadance, there is nothing that can anger somepony more than them missing their train," another voice said.

"Mm. Wait, what the... which train is this?"

"I... do not know. I have never seen this engine before."

"There might be a reason for that," I said as I stopped at the platform, bringing the two quadrupeds into my view. My eyes widened in surprise.

They were ponies like Thomas, but a little bigger. One of them was a bright shade of pink with a multicolored mane and tail, and the other was a dark shade of blue with a slightly lighter shade mane and tail. A mane and tail that seemed to flow freely on its own accord. Most interesting was their regalia. The pink one wore your typical golden attire complete with a crown while the other one wore a darker equivalent.. They both had large feathery wings and long horns, so a mix between a Unicorn and Pegasus. What the proper term for that was I did not know.

We stared for a few seconds before I spoke. "Hello there?"

"AH!" the pink one yelled, jumping back.

"Y-You can talk!" the blue one yelled.

"Wha- I can talk?! YOU can talk!" I retorted.

"Of course we can talk! We are ponies! You! You are a... a... a STEAM LOCOMOTIVE!"

"Yes! I'm a steam locomotive!"

"Uh-... I-..." The pink mare struggled to find her words. "I mean I've heard of railroaders treating their engines like they're living beings, but this is just absurd!"

I burst out laughing. It had been a very long time since I had heard anyone say something like that. The laugh was contagious, as the blue mare began to chuckle as well.

"Okay, hang on. Let's just back up a bit," I said, easing the situation. "I'm Edward. Edward of the North Western Railway."

Both mares looked at each other for a second before the blue one smiled. "I am Princess Luna. Princess Luna of Equestria."

"And... I'm Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza of the Crystal Empire," the pink mare said.

"That's quite a mouthful!" I noted.

She laughed. "It is, isn't it? Most ponies call me Cadance."

I chuckled. "I'm sure of it. Anyway, the Crystal Empire? Is that where we are right now?"

"Indeed we are," Princess Luna replied. "Heh, shall I ask the obvious question?"

"How and why am I alive? I don't know."

"You don't know?" Princess Cadance asked. "How? You must be, like... huh?"

"Well, there are a few theories on why I and other engines like me are alive."

"There are more of you?"

"Yes. There are."

CLAP

"Okay I'm coming out now," I suddenly heard Thomas say as I heard a coach door shut. "Holy..."

"A... Thestral?" Princess Luna said, tilting her head in surprise.

I smiled. "Your royal highness', meet my driver. Thomas Eric Galindez."

Thomas lowered himself in an attempt to bow. "Pleasure to meet you,"

"Likewise," Princess Luna replied. "You may rise."

Thomas did so and slowly walked next to me.

"If we may, where exactly are you two from?" Princess Luna asked. "We know you are from this 'NorthWestern Railway', but where is that?"

"On the Island of Sodor," I replied.

"Where is this island located?"

Me and Thomas looked at each other with grim expressions. "We... don't think it's anywhere on this planet," I said.

"Whatever do you mean?"

I could swear Princess Luna was copying my way of speaking. That would be exactly what I would have said in her position.

"Well, about fifteen minutes ago, I popped out of a tunnel in the mountain range back there, and Thomas found himself turned into a pony. He was originally a bipedal called a human."

"So you mean to say you are beings from another world?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Wait, what tunnel in the mountain range?" Princess Cadance suddenly asked. "The tracks past here only continue for half a mile or so."

"They do?"

"Yeah!"

Me and Thomas looked at each other again. "That's... frightening," Thomas said.

"You mean to say you drove on tracks from the mountains down to here?"

"Yes," I replied. "Considering everything that has happened so far, we have good reason to believe you on the fact that the tracks either didn't exist, or only existed so we could make it onto these tracks."

"And I don't remember where the tunnel was, so I can't help locate where it... was," Thomas said.

"I know where it is, but I can't exactly help."

"Of course you know where it is, your memory is perfect."

I chuckled. "Always, Thomas. Always."

"Well. In light of this, umm... where are you two heading?" Princess Cadance asked.

"We don't know," I replied.

"Well in that case, how about you take me and Cadance to Canterlot?" Princess Luna asked.

"Camelot?" I asked

"No, Canterlot," Cadance corrected.

"Oh. Sorry, I misheard.."

Princess Cadance turned to Princess Luna. "How did you know I wanted to go all of a sudden?"

"Considering we just met a Thestral and a talking train from a different world, I had good reason to believe you'd want to."

"Hm."

I frowned. "Sorry you two, but unless the tracks are already pointed there, I don't know where Canterlot is. And I wouldn't want to crash into another train, seeing as I'm not on the schedule."

"It will be fine," Princess Luna assured. "I tend to drive my train off-schedule and I have had little to no issues."

I chuckled. "You? A princess? Driving a train?"

Princess Luna smiled. "Yes. It is my personal train. His name is Truro."

"Truro?" Thomas asked. "I take it you don't mean the train is alive?"

"No. It is for affection. The way I found Truro was quite interesting. I was forced to steam and drive him down an abandoned line that has since been restored, and throughout the journey, we bonded."

"Right. Non-faceless or not, many tend to bond with whatever train they travel the most on. Especially if they're driving it."

"Non-faceless?" Princess Cadance asked.

"I would assume he means an engine like Edward. Alive," Luna replied.

"Ah."

Princess Luna glanced over at my now-puzzled face. "Edward? Is something wrong?"

"Truro?" I asked.

She nodded.

"As in... City of Truro?"

Both mares stopped and stared at me.

"You know him? Er, it?" Princess Luna asked.

"Is City of Truro a dark green 4-4-0 with a red frame and a tender that says Great Western?"

"Y-Y-... Yes. He-... It is."

I took in a deep breath. That was surprising. I only met City of Truro once many years ago. He was an engine that had allegedly achieved 100 miles per hour back in 1904. He was in fact one of three contenders for the first steam locomotives to break the magical barrier. The other two were Scot - better known as Flying Scotsman- , the first locomotive to achieve a recorded 100MPH, and the second was a 4-4-0 owned by New York Central over in the United States numbered 999 that supposedly broke it way back in 1893.

How City of Truro wound up in this land I had no idea. And judging by Luna's description, this version of Truro was not the humble celebrity I had met previously.

"Well um... where is Truro?" I asked. "I'd like to see him- er, it for myself."

"At Canterlot," Princess Luna replied. "Here, let us get going. Mind if we ride in your cab so we can talk on the way there?"

"It might be a tight fit, but sure."

"I can handle it, Edward," Thomas assured.

The three climbed into my cab, I blew my whistle twice, and we set off down the line.

"Woah! Wait, how are we moving?" Princess Cadance asked, seeing my controls moving without Thomas' input.

"I can drive myself," I replied.

"You... You can drive yourself?"

"Of course my dear. All non-faceless vehicles can."

"Then..." Princess Cadance let out a bewildered breath. "That's amazing. Wait, why would you have crews if you can drive yourselves?"

"Common sense," both myself and Princess Luna said at the same time.

I cruised down the line and took in the sights. Equestria was beautiful, let me tell you. There were mountains, rolling hills, and expansive plains as far as I could and couldn't see. And the number of visible stars in the sky was astronomical, pun partially intended.

The hallucinations kept coming, in case you were wondering. They were nothing I couldn't handle. It usually consisted of a few strange houses in the distance or strange outlandish engines on the other track - when there was another track that is - and only once did that hallucination with everything becoming overgrown and abandoned happen. But even then it was only for a second, as me moving at my speed quickly shattered the illusion.

"So, Edward," Princess Luna began. "Do you really not know why you are alive?"

"No your highness, I do not," I replied.

"Please, call me Luna."

"Oh, I beg your pardon?"

"There is no need to be so formal, Edward. It is not like we are in a crowd. And what friends would we be if we did not call address each other via first name only?"

"Well, if you say so."

"Back at the Crystal Empire, you mentioned something about theories?" she asked.

I smiled. "Yes, I did. Would you like to hear them?"

"Of course."

I could faintly hear Thomas chuckle, knowing what was about to happen.

"First off," I began. "Even though we have been around for over a century, - in my world at least - very little research has been done on why we are alive. This is because we tend to live very long lifespans. And when a vehicle does finally expire, and an examination is conducted on our remains, these quasi-autopsies tend to reveal nothing of value. There are several theories as to how we come to life, and I'll describe three of them for you."

I felt the princesses shift with excitement.

"I'll begin with the Chemical Reaction Theory," I continued. "This one is somewhat self-explanatory, as it's thought that when a vehicle experiences its first firing - as it is known - a peculiar chemical reaction occurs that triggers the birth of life. For a while, this was the generally accepted theory, until the arrival of non-faceless rolling stock. Since they don't experience any kind of ignition or combustion, their presence added a further layer of mystery to the non-faceless topic and even questioned the validity of the first firing altogether."

"Next is the Attentive Theory," I smiled. "This one puts forward the idea that those vehicles that were built with an extra layer of care are the ones destined to become sentient. I've never really believed this one as It's a bit... 'flowery' for my liking. Furthermore, it's been argued that care and attention goes into the development of all vehicles. So why wouldn't that mean they all come to life?"

"I have to agree with that," Luna stated.

"As do I," Cadance agreed.

"Where did you get that notebook and quill?" Thomas suddenly asked.

"Hey, I'm writing down notes for Twilight because this stuff is freaking interesting," Cadance retorted.

I chuckled. "Finally, we have..." I paused for dramatic effect. "The Revenant Theory, which suggests that all non-faceless vehicles are the mechanical reincarnations of the dearly departed. Though this might sound utterly ridiculous, there is a lot of evidence to support it. You see, even when an engine is less than twenty seconds old, they are able to speak. Furthermore, they always introduce themselves by name. That's the way it's been for every non-faceless vehicle since the first. We wake up knowing how to speak, how to read, and what our names are. No non-faceless vehicle has ever been given their name. We've always known it. How would that be possible, for what is essentially a newborn, unless they've already led a full life?"

"However," I said before they replied. "This theory has never really been accepted. Not just because it sounds so outlandish, but because as time went on, vehicles began appearing with more... 'unusual' names. I don't know about you, but I've never met anyone named Splatter or Dodge."

...

...

"Is that all?" Cadance asked.

"For those three theories, yes. It is," I replied.

"Twilight is going to love you if that's the way you talk about your history."

Thomas and I laughed.

"Believe me," Thomas began. "When he starts telling the actual stories and not relaying theories, he becomes a record you don't need to flip. It's extraordinary."

"I believe it," Cadance replied.

I chuckled.

"By the way, Edward, this has been an amazingly smooth ride," Luna noted. "And that was certainly an experience. I never thought I would be so enamored by somepony-... somebody talking about mere theories."

"I aim to please," I replied, feeling flattered.

"If I may, how old are either of you?"

"35," Thomas said. "I'll be turning 36 in two weeks.

"82," I replied.

I could quite literally feel their reactions. "82?" they both asked.

"Yes," I replied. "I am- or, was, one of the oldest engines on Sodor."

"So that's why you have such a knack for storytelling," Cadance said. "You just have experience."

"I like to think of it as a gift," I replied. "I've been telling stories for many years, since before I even helped build the Ffarquhar branch. Oh, sorry, you don't know what that is."

"Ah, so you are the perfect vessel for explaining the history of your world," Luna noted, rubbing the wall of my cab.

I chuckled. "Yes, I suppose I am. Though, I do hope to get back to Sodor soon. I would hate to be put back on the rails after so long just to leave the island right after."

"Excuse me? Whatever do you mean?"

"Ummm... Well, before that, what's this town we're approaching?"

Ahead, there was a very old town. I should say ancient, since by 'old' I meant thatch roofs and wooden frames. The only building that was different was a large multi-story circular building in the center which I could only assume was the town hall. Another building within the town looked like a candy-themed bakery, and a third was a complete eyesore that looked like it belonged in the Crystal Empire.

"Ah. That is Ponyville," Luna stated.

"What kind of name is Ponyville?" Thomas asked.

"An uncreative one," I plainly replied.

"I concur," Luna said.

"Wait a minute, was Twilight in Ponyville or staying up in Canterlot?" Cadance suddenly asked.

"...I do not know," Luna replied.

"Well shoot. Should we stop and get her on? Or just keep going and send a letter to her in the morning?"

"What are the odds that Twilight is up in Canterlot?"

"I don't know!"

"Who is this Twilight fellow?" I asked.

"Twilight Sparkle. A fellow princess," Luna replied. "One who is extremely eager to learn new things. She will be ecstatic when she finds out about you."

"I'm sure everyone in this world will be."

"None as much as her."

"Hm. Well, I'm up for either option."

"Thomas? What do you think?" Cadance asked.

Thomas shrugged. "Same as Edward. You two are the princesses."

As we puffed closer to the station the princesses thought of what to do. But Thomas said something before they could come to a conclusion.

"Actually, I think we should keep going," he stated. "It's already crowded enough in here."

"You have a point," Luna said. "Very well. Cadance?"

"Let's keep going."

I smiled. "Very well then. If that castle up on that mountain is where we're going, I can't wait to get there."

Thomas leaned out of my cab. "Wait what castle- WHAT IN BLAZES IS THAT?!"

Author's Note:

This chapter should have come out DAYS ago, but nope! I'm a procrastinating moron!

By the way, in case you haven't noticed, this does not necessarily go by regular Thomas The Tank Engine canon. It goes by the canon of a fan series on YouTube called "The Stories of Sodor". It is by a YouTuber of the name "Victor Tanzig" and is a VERY good watch. There are four (Recently completed!!!) seasons, with a fifth in the works, including two Sodor Specials and even a mini-series.

I highly recommend the series for those looking for amazing Thomas content, or just love watching trains. Victor's writing is truly something else and deserves to be recognized. In fact, the bit with Edward explaining the theories was pulled straight out of the video linked below. If you liked that bit, you'll love the whole thing.

Comments

[Even Evil Has Standards]

There's an upcoming mini series that will involve the SCP.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

I honestly like that this story follows the genera of Victor Tanzig's series.

[Sentinel053]

11196054
XD still keep it up man cause I am hooked

[Fujimi200SX]

11196067
A lot of people seem to be! And I LOVE IT! Never thought it would gain this much traction!

[Aresnightsworn]

I guess this is a story for another day

[The Blue EM2]

I took in a deep breath. That was surprising. I only met City of Truro once many years ago. It was an engine that had allegedly achieved 100 miles per hour back in 1904. It was in fact one of three contenders for the first steam locomotives to break the magical barrier. The other two were Flying Scotsman or 'Scot', the first locomotive to achieve a recorded 100MPH, and the second was a 4-4-0 owned by New York Central over in the United States numbered 999 that supposedly broke it way back in 1893.

Scotsman's 100mph run has actually been disqualified as the dynamometer car was incorrectly calibrated. The highest speed the engine achieved on the run was 96mph. It would actually be impossible for both 3440 and 999 to achieve 100mph as that would require more steam than the boiler could produce.

[The_GWR_Pannier_Tank]

11213209

Scotsman's 100mph run has actually been disqualified as the dynamometer car was incorrectly calibrated. The highest speed the engine achieved on the run was 96mph.

Say what now?