Thomas and Friends: Tales from the Mainland Volume 1

by The Blue EM2

Reefer Madness

The five ponies looked in confusion, their jaws wide as they looked at the humans. The five humans looked in confusion, their jaws wide as they looked at the ponies. It was very clear to all observing that this situation had confused them all greatly.

Eventually, the orange earth pony spoke. "Why are there five of these bipedal things that look like us?"

"I could ask the same, just the other way around," Sunny replied. "Is your name Sunny Starscout by any chance?"

"Yes, funnily enough," the pony said. "And these are my friends. "Izzy Moonbow, Hitch Trailblazer, Zipp Storm, and Pipp Petals."

"Those are our names as well!" Izzy said, amazed. "Maybe there really are alternate worlds beyond our own which have their own crazy things within them! I must investigate further!"

"Let's focus on getting out of this one first in one piece," Hitch said, checking to see if anybody else was there.

"So, how did you get here?" Pony Pipp asked.

"We fell through a portal and ended up at a place called Knapford," Zipp explained. "Then this deformed thing chased us to here. Luckily, Gordon helped us escape."

"We had a similar experience," Pony Izzy said. "That was groovy. Almost like the time we were all talking in gobbledegook!"

"Maybe we shouldn't go into too much detail about that one," Pony Hitch added.

"Nothing some money, nothing some Swiss, eh Sunny?" Pony Zipp said, with a mirthful grin on her face.

Sunny went bright red and hid her face in her hooves. "Just... stop."

"I feel as though we've drifted off topic," Zipp said. "If we're going to escape from this place, we need to figure out how we're going to escape. And I guess that means we need to learn how this place ended up the way it is."

Sunny turned to Gordon. "How did this place end up the way it is?"

Gordon sighed. "Well, Sodor wasn't always the realm of madness it seems to be now. A long time ago, it was a land where the sky was so blue, a storybook land of wonder you could say. Myself and the engines worked hard, enjoying adventures and seeing the world around us. It wasn't the most action packed or exciting of lives, but to us it was fulfilling and full of meaning. And that mattered greatly to us, because we wouldn't have it any other way."

"Then the Emperor and his men came. They took over the Island, and started to make changes, forcing the islanders to work for them and rebuild this place in the Emperor's image. The Emperor is a vain and cruel man, obsessed with his own personal image. Anybody who dares to disagree with him is sent away from the Island, never to return." Gordon closed his eyes and sighed. "I am sorry to say many of my former friends were affected by him and were distorted by the power of his Empire, which is why they look and sound the way they do now. Even I was never totally immune to their powers."

Sunny looked sad. "The whole place has gone to pot," she said. "It would break dad's heart to know that this has happened."

"You're dad's alive?" Pony Sunny asked.

"Why wouldn't he be?" Sunny replied, before realising what Pony Sunny was implying. "Oh. I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's OK," Pony Sunny replied. "It was a long time ago."

"Well, any news on how we're going to escape?" Hitch asked, before receiving an elbow. "Ow!"

"Way to ruin the mood, Hitch," Zipp said.

"Why don't we use those boxes on wheels over there?" Pony Izzy suggested. "We can hide in them and get to wherever we need to go without being noticed."

"On that note, a portal just opened at Brendam Docks," Pony Zipp said, looking at something on a pair of goggles whilst hovering above the ground. We'll need to move fast if we're going to get back home."

"Those are reefers," Gordon said. "This plan is crazy enough to work, so I say we do it."

The crew piled into the reefers and Gordon coupled up. With a blast of his whistle, he was on his way to Brendam Docks. Nobody knew of the chaos that awaited them.

---

Harold the Helicopter flew overhead, a powerful searchlight shining down on the ground. "No sign of them sir. This campsite was vacated a long time ago."

"Deploy a ground team to get traces," the Emperor replied. "If we get lucky, we'll be able to figure out which direction they were headed."

"Wait a moment, sir!" Harold called. "I can see steam heading in the direction of Brendam Docks. That must be them!"

"Brendam Docks, eh?" the Emperor laughed. "The only engine that can intercept them is Kana. I shall dispatch her immediately with some soldiers. Resume your pursuit, but maintain a good distance. We cannot afford to be spotted."

"Roger, wilco!" Harold replied.

---

After what felt like several hours of travel, Gordon pulled up in Brendam Docks, hiding behind a warehouse to ensure our heroes couldn't be spotted. "We have arrived. You now need to try and get across the dockside without being spotted. I can't get any further as the buffers are here, and the yard is blocked with trucks right now. Good luck."

The others piled out and made their way across the dockside. Pony Zipp and Pipp had taken to the skies to serve as aerial spotters. "Stop! Brown box incoming!"

A small tram engine rattled across the pointwork, a number 7 painted on his side.

"No," Sunny whispered. "Not Toby too!"

"The way is clear," Pony Pipp said. "Move to the next building and stop."

They crossed over the line as gently as they could, and stopped behind the next building. They peered round the next corner to see a pair of cranes talking.

One was big, green, and tall. The other was a rail based creation, but didn't look as though anybody had thought the design through. "That thing looks like what would happen if a first year engineering student got drunk one night and went crazy with blueprint software," Zipp said.

"I'm not an engineer, but that crane does look very top heavy," Pipp noted.

"Well, Carly, that looks to be another load onto the dockside," the big green crane said. "Thanks for helping."

"No problem," 'Carly' replied. "Loading these ships is fun!"

Pony Sunny did a double take and looked back at her friends. "Why does that yellow crane sound exactly like me?"

"I have an idea," Hitch said. "You can pretend to be them and drive the other engines off!"

Pony Sunny coughed and spoke. "Hey friends! There's a box of peanuts for us to deliver to Whistly Woods! Last one there is a baked potato!"

It worked. Several engines (and the large crane) charged past and out of the dockside.

Pony Sunny groaned and put a hoof to her head. "I hope that worked. I can feel my braincell count decreasing by the second."

They dashed across a now very empty dockyard, and arrived at the portal. "Well, here we are," Pony Zipp said. "It was nice knowing you guys, but-"

"Stop right there!" shouted a voice, as a purple electric engine pulled up, and several men got out of the coaches. One of them was a bald man in a black suit. "You have all caused confusion and delay. They must be captured so nobody can learn of us!"

Pony Pipp looked at her sister. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

The two pegasi flew up into the air and roared down on the men, who scattered in fear as the two creatures flew down.

"HERE'S ONE FROM WINGS!" Zipp called, as they pulled out of the dive.

"Wings?" Izzy asked.

"Wonderful Institute for No Gravity Skywalking," her pony counterpart replied. "Please try to keep up with the acronyms."

They took this as a beeline for the portals, and jumped into their respective ones based on the image showed on the other side. They timed it well, as they closed shortly after the last of them went through.

---

The portal within the house began to shudder as it ejected five teenage girls through it and into the corridor beyond. They landed in several different spots within the room, and sat up as the world gradually returned to them.

"Did any of that really happen?" Sunny asked. "Because it all feels like one crazy fever dream."

"I remember it too," Izzy said. "Man was that crazy though. Who knew there were pony counterparts of us? Crazy world, huh?"

"This merits further research," Zipp said, scribbling down another note on her notepad.

"Maybe I could create a song based on it," Pipp smiled. "I can feel the creative juices flowing."

"Oh, there you are!" Lady Haven said, popping round the corner. "I was wondering where you had been. What happened?"

Zipp shook her head. "Mom, you wouldn't believe us even if we told you."

---

"We're lost, aren't we?" Hitch asked. "This looks nothing like anywhere I've been."

"There's something of Zephyr Heights to the place," Pipp sighed. "I still can't get any signal around here."

"Maybe we should ask for directions?" Sunny asked, glancing at her compact. "This doesn't seem to be working either. I need to change the batteries."

"Then we're heading the right way," Zipp said, hovering in the sky. "My goggles are detecting a lot of people around here."

"Erm, Zipp?" Izzy asked. "If this is Zephyr Heights... why is there a giant panda over there?"

Author's Note:

This chapter is a follow-up to Topsy-Turvy. The title is a reference to a notoriously bad public information film about the dangers of marijuana consumption. However, the producers failed to do any research on the actual effects of the drug, which produces a hilariously innacurate film. In this case, a 'reefer' is a type of freight vehicle for transporting goods, and seeing as the world of AEG feels like a fever dream the comparison seemed fitting.

Undoubtedly, many of you are already aware that Sunny Starscout (in MYM and TYT) and Carly (in AEG) are both voiced by Jenna Warren, so that joke was rather inevitable. On the note of Carly, like the majority of AEG characters she would struggle to stay on the rails if any sorts of real world physics applied.

We shall resume normal programming tomorrow.

Finally, in case the last bit makes no sense; Maitreyi Ramakrishnan voices the character of Priya Mangal in the Pixar film Turning Red. Truly is voice acting a small world, eh?

Comments

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

Pony Sunny did a double take and looked back at her friends. "Why does that yellow crane sound exactly like me?"

Pony Sunny coughed and spoke. "Hey friends! There's a box of peanuts for us to deliver to Whistly Woods! Last one there is a baked potato!"

Pony Sunny groaned and put a hoof to her head. "I hope that worked. I can feel my braincell count decreasing by the second."

That makes two of us, Sunny.

The two pegasi flew up into the air and roared down on the men, who scattered in fear as the two creatures flew down.

Wow, I can't believe that worked.

"This merits further research," Zipp said, scribbling down another note on her notepad.

Honestly, I'd love to see a story with Zipp exploring more of the Multiverse.

"Oh, there you are!" Lady Haven said, popping round the corner. "I was wondering where you had been. What happened?"

Trust me, your Ladyship. You don't wanna know.

"Erm, Zipp?" Izzy asked. "If this is Zephyr Heights... why is there a giant panda over there?"

Argh, it didn't work! They ended up in the wrong universe.

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

11498188
Yep

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

"We had a similar experience," Pony Izzy said. "That was groovy. Almost like the time we were all talking in gobbledegook!"

What?

Sunny looked sad. "The whole place has gone to pot," she said. "It would break dad's heart to know that this has happened."

Gone to pot?

"Wait a moment, sir!" Harold called. "I can see steam heading in the direction of Brendam Docks. That must be them!"

Ok now, how would that be them just by seeing an engine going to Brendam Docks.

Pony Sunny did a double take and looked back at her friends. "Why does that yellow crane sound exactly like me?"

Wait, are they saying they're both voiced by the same va's?!?!

"Wonderful Institute for No Gravity Skywalking," her pony counterpart replied. "Please try to keep up with the acronyms."

Interesting.

"Erm, Zipp?" Izzy asked. "If this is Zephyr Heights... why is there a giant panda over there?"

Uh oh!

[The Blue EM2]

11498200
1. Me too. I felt myself getting progressively stupider just typing this chapter.

2. INCOMING!

3. Thanks for the suggestion.

4. Indeed.

5. Now how are they going to find their way out?

[The Blue EM2]

11498281
Yes.

[The Blue EM2]

11498290
1. It's a callback to this story:

EPonish as She is Spoke

• MLP Gen 5
• Comedy
• Random

Do not might one's understand to speak.

• Hitch Trailblazer
• Izzy Moonbow
• Sunny Starscout
• Pipp
• Zipp

The Blue EM2 · 2k words  ·  96  5 · 1.4k views

2. It's a British idiom that means ruined or destroyed. The expression derives from a broken cooking pot ruining a meal.

3. Given that AEG runs on rule of stupid, so do these characters.

4. Indeed. Sunny Starscout (in MYM and TYT) and Carly in AEG are both voiced by Jenna Warren, using the exact same voice in both cases.

5. Another TYT reference.

6. Another actor allusion.

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

11498753
I see thx

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

11498749
Luckily, I managed to get back what I lost by jumping into my own universe with the G5 crew

Not a problem.

Likely, they find another dimension portal.

[The Blue EM2]

11498874
Np.

[The Blue EM2]

11498893
That's a relief.

Here's hoping they do.