Thomas and Friends: Journey beyond Cornwall

by The Blue EM2

Bright Star Arising!

The next morning dawned, and the engines were ready for a new day. Porter was the first to roll out of the shed, rolling towards the freight train and coming to a stop. "I slept like a log last night!" he said confidently.

"What a silly simile," Bellerophon said.

"It means to have a good's night sleep," Izzy explained. "It's considered a positive thing." She glanced about the footplate. "Where did I put the bucket?"

"Why do you have a bucket in the cab?" Misty asked, innocently. "Seems an odd thing to have."

"If somebody mentions white pudding, I can jump in it and sing Jerusalem."

Misty sighed. "Forget I asked."

As Porter was attached to the train, Frankie spoke up. "You wouldn't mind helping us out for a bit, would you Bellerophon? We've got some freight that needs shifting within the yard, and three engines are better than two, so to speak."

Assuming it would only be a few hours, Bellerophon agreed. "Of course. Doesn't sound too bad."

"See you in a bit!" Porter called, as the train left for the yard. "Hopefully we won't be too long!"

---

Unfortunately for all concerned, it wouldn't be a few hours. Not even close to a few hours.

A few days had passed, and the workload had not eased up. Not only that, it seemed to be Bellerophon and Hurricane doing the bulk of the work. Frankie rarely appeared, and when she did there was sometimes this strange figure watching from a balcony.

"Why am I doing the bulk of the work?" Bellerophon asked, as he put the hoppers into place atop the hill. The heavy slag inside soon tipped out and fell down into the pit, forming a new slag heap in the process.

"Because you are capable of working, little tank engine," Frankie replied. "You are a machine. Your purpose is to work. And work you shall. And be careful with those. That slag could make a right mess of your frames if you're careless."

Frankie gunned her engine in the other direction as Misty called back. "We have been helping you! You said this would only be a few hours! You can't keep as as slaves!"

Frankie stopped, and a brief flash of a cruel smile came across her face. "Oh, you foolish child," she said. "I never said the work would be a few hours. You merely assumed it would be. And you aren't slaves. You volunteered your labour for however long is needed. Legally, we're in the clear."

Bellerophon sighed as the last slag carrier finished emptying, and he began to work back down the hill. "We're in a right mess here, aren't we?"

Misty sighed. "I know. I really haven't learned a thing, have I?"

Later on in the day, the pair began to lament. The world seemed ever more dark and grey, with no hope of escaping this steelworks that had become their prison. The grey skies orbited over their positions as the duo decided to express their emotion in the first way that came to mind.

Song.

Bellerophon led off. "How much longer will we have to stay here?
One more day, or a month, or a year?
Far from everything we've ever known!
Far away from the County called Cornwall/
Far away from that County called home."

Next was Misty. "Where are you Izzy and Porter?
Have you gone back to the shed?
Or are you out on the branch line
With some other people instead?

And then the two together. "We miss all of my friends!
We miss hearing their names!
Sunny and Salty and Sophie/
It's strange but I even miss Charles.
I'm not joking, I even miss Charles!"

Misty then went off on her own. "I wanted to have an adventure!
I wanted to wander and roam!
I wanted to see places I'd never seen/
But now I just wanna go home.
Tell me when do I get to go home?"

As they made their way back indoors, they had an idea. If they were effectively slaves here, they could lead a revolt. After all, nothing drives an individual more than the desire to be free.

As they began assembling trucks, they continued to sing, a new defiant tone having taken over their voices.

Bellerophon was first. "All I wanna do is go back to Cornwall!
All I wanna do is get back to my friends!
I don't wanna be stuck here forever and always/
In this hot house where work never ends!"

Then Misty, as the heavy load was finally assembled. "I wanted adventure!
I wanted to roam!
I wanted new places but now I want home!
I mean it, I have to go home!"

As they reached the gates, they positioned the trucks in front to check they were aligned properly. And of course, continued with the song as they went along.

"So lock up your gates with your skeleton key!
You can't make us stay where we don't wanna be!
It's not right, it's not fair/
This is no place for us!"

Neither of them focused too much on the fact that last line didn't fit the rhyme scheme as they started backing up to try and avoid being detected. After all, who knew who was listening?

"We want to, we need to, we have to be free to go home!" both called defiantly, and moments later Bellerophon began his charge.

"We'll find my way home!
We'll make my way home!
It's time to go home!
We're going home!"

"Bellerophon, Misty, stop!" called a voice. They suddenly saw Hurricane come to a stop in their path, and slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting him.

"Why did you do that?" Misty snapped. "You just got in the way of our freedom?"

"Why are you attempting this escape in broad daylight?" Hurricane countered. "There's lots of potential witnesses all around, and all that noise is bound to attract attention. You should wait until midnight."

"Are you giving us advice on how to escape?" Bellerophon asked.

"Yes," Hurricane said. "I'm a friend. Frankie is not to be trusted.

"I picked that much up," Misty said sarcastically.

"But tonight should give you a perfect chance to escape. At midnight, I shall create a distraction to lure Frankie away. That should give you ample time to knock down the gates and head for the sidings on the other side of the main line. Once there, a woman will arrive and ask if the lion is still hunting."

"What about you?" Bellerophon asked. "Won't Frankie hurt you if she finds out what you did?"

"She'd never break me. I'm too important to operations here."

Just then, Frankie arrived. "What are you two doing gossiping?" she snapped. "Get back to work."

"How about you do some work!" Misty snapped, as she began to back Bellerophon up.

"You would be wise not to cross me, orphan," Frankie replied as she backed up.

Misty froze. She had barely disclosed any information about herself. How did Frankie know she was an orphan?

---

Night came at last. The clock had hit midnight, and Bellerophon had hid his train well. The trucks would be perfect for such an escape. Hurricane had said he would be providing a distraction, but the thunder booming and the lightning striking the ground more than provided a distraction.

Deeper in the facility, Misty suddenly heard two voices talking. "I saw a fault on one of the machines and figured we should take a look."

"Whatever you say, Hurricane."

Bellerophon overheard the conversation as well. "Let's go."

Without wasting another second, the pair coupled to the train and got into position. The gates lay before them, and were the last obstacle in their way. Steam pressure was building. It has often been said that the road to freedom is a long walk, but today it was more of a sprint to the finish.

"Now," Misty replied. She released the brakes, opened the regulator, and held on as the formation rattled forward. Speed continued to build as the train rattled along, and was doing about twenty miles an hour when it hit the gates. They were forced open by the crash, and the formation continued to rattle along as it crossed the main line.

Once on the other side (there was no opposing traffic at this time of night), Bellerophon dumped the trucks in a siding and positioned himself on a siding, hoping nobody could see him.

Suddenly, a voice spoke out from the darkess. "Are you escaping from scrap, little tank engine?"

"That was a male voice," Misty whispered. "But we have few friends out here."

"What if he's in league with Frankie?"

What if he's not?" Misty spoke up. "Yes. We are escaping. Who are you?"

"Why, I am just a noble knight roaming the land, fighting to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

Another voice then spoke up. "Are the lions still hunting?"

---

Frankie was not pleased, to say the least. "Those two have escaped," she said. "And you helped them. You're one of them, aren't you? I have something especially unpleasant in mind for you."

Hurricane looked agape. "Scrapping engines is illegal! Besides, that's a death sentence!"

Frankie returned with a cruel smile. "You'd be amazed what you can live through, Hurricane."

Author's Note:

Well, the big escape has happened, and more figures. But are they friend or foe? Only one way to find out, my friends. This story will now take a break over the weekend to let us refuel and recharge the batteries.

But what could Frankie have in mind for Hurricane?

Comments

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

11550605
No. They weren't set to stun. But they never actually hit either engine, they fired at the walls, support columns, or the ground. The idea was spook them into falling back or get behind cover.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

First off, I really like this very of Hurricane.

Second off, I got a bad feeling about this.

Thirdly, this oddly gave me some vibes to Madeline: Lost in Paris. Mostly the song number and Misty's bits.

[The Blue EM2]

11550608
I'm guessing the weapons weren't powerful enough to actually threaten the structural integrity of the building.

[The Blue EM2]

11550611
1. Hurricane being a spy was an idea that came to me whilst working on the story, as it allowed me to take his character to some interesting places.

2. In fiction, things typically get worse before they get better. We're currently in the rising action phase.

3. I'm not familiar with that film, but I just googled it and I can see the resemblance. I also noticed the cast list included quite a few MLP performers, including a then up-and-coming Britt Irvin (Princess Cadence).

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

A few days had passed, and the workload had not eased up. Not only that, it seemed to be Bellerophon and Hurricane doing the bulk of the work. Frankie rarely appeared, and when she did there was sometimes this strange figure watching from a balcony.

I wonder what's the reason behind this?

Next was Misty. "Where are you Izzy and Porter? Have you gone back to the shed? Or are you out on the branch line With some other people instead?

They must've gotten lost for all we know.

"Yes," Hurricane said. "I'm a friend. Frankie is not to be trusted.

trusted."*
And here I thought he'd be against it.

"But tonight should give you a perfect chance to escape. At midnight, I shall create a distraction to lure Frankie away. That should give you ample time to knock down the gates and head for the sidings on the other side of the main line. Once there, a woman will arrive and ask if the lion is still hunting."

The lion is still hunting?

Misty froze. She had barely disclosed any information about herself. How did Frankie know she was an orphan?

Ok, making her work against her will was bad enough but just how on earth does she know that!

"Why, I am just a noble knight roaming the land, fighting to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

I think I know who that might possibly be.

Frankie returned with a cruel smile. "You'd be amazed what you can live through, Hurricane."

My anxiety is on a whole new level trying to figure out what she's got planned for him.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

11550624
No. Cause most of the time when Clones fire their weapons at walls in ships the blaster bolts don't penatrate the metal.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

11550626
Well it works perfectly.

Aye.

Um, Britt Irvin voices Sunny Flare, not Cadance. Cadance was voiced by Britt McKillip.

And I also know Andrea Libman also voiced Madeline herself.

[The Blue EM2]

11550853
I see.

[The Blue EM2]

11550856
1 and 2. Yes.

3. Lapse in concentration on my part.

4. That she did.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

11550886
Which is why last year when I saw Andrea at Everfree Northwest last year, the poster I made for autographing featured Madeline on it with other characters she voices that I enjoyed (Including Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Bon Bon)

[The Blue EM2]

11550887
That's pretty neat.

[The Blue EM2]

11550754
1. So do I.

2. Seeing as this entire saga started with them getting lost, that seems fitting.

3. Oh?

4. This will make more sense later on.

5. Good question.

6. Good.

7. You'll need to wait until Monday to find out.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

11550914
Yeah. I do the same for the majority of the VAs I have a chance to meet at these cons.

[The Blue EM2]

11551345
Have many UK actors appeared? Steven Kynman, John Hasler, Keith Whickam, etc?

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

11551428
Not those 3. But at Emerald City Comic Con there was a British actor present. Simon Kassianides

[The Blue EM2]

11551639
Ooh. Nice.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

11551706
Yeah, he does the role of one the other Mandalorians in The Mandalorian.

[The Blue EM2]

11551814
Well, there is a long tradition of British actors in Star Wars. Fun fact: George Lucas was able to pursuade the British Arts Council to give Star Wars funding by claiming that the characters in A New Hope played by British actors were the main characters, and the Americans played secondary roles.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

11552156
Of course. You got Peter Cushing, Sir Alec Guinness, Daisy Ridley, Anthony Daniels, and Sir Christopher Lee.

Wow, I never knew that.

[The Blue EM2]

11552159
It clearly worked, as they let them come back and film subsequent films at Elsetree until production moved to larger facilities at Pinewood for the Sequel trilogy.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

11552351
This is really something!

[The Blue EM2]

11552588
Indeed. In a sense, Star Wars is quite British.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

11552599
It definitely is.
I mean, most of the weaponry all were made with European made firearms.

[The Blue EM2]

11552679
That they were. The observant eye can even see rounds being ejected from some of them.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

11553016
I noticed it in The Empire Strikes Back when Han fire his blaster at Vader.

[The Blue EM2]

11553017
It can also be observed with Imperial blaster models.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

11553018
Like in the opening hall shootout from A New Hope.

[The Blue EM2]

11553020
Precisely.