One Snowplough at a Time: ThomasNATION Fanstory [Part 1]
December 17, 2016
"One Snowplough At A Time" (Part 1/2)
Written by JFtheLOLZOR
Edited by ThomasFan3000
Artwork by Adam Oxlade-Lennon (TheEngineDepot)
Artwork by Adam Oxlade-Lennon (TheEngineDepot)
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It was a cold winter morning on the Island of Sodor. Snow was everywhere, and a storm was about to come that night. The engines were tucked in their cozy sheds. But, not at the China Clay Pits. The Clay Pits were as busy as ever, with a ship coming at the docks the next day, and a huge delivery to be made.
"I think it might start snowing again soon. We might need to fit our snowploughs on," said Timothy.
Marion, who was working hard, replied, "Oh! I love the snow! So white, so fun, so... so... crumbly!"
Bill wasted no time quipping to Ben. "I bet she's saying that because she wants to dig up the skeleton of a woolly mammoth!" he whispered.
"Is that true, Marion?" asked Ben.
"Of course! In fact, who knows what I might dig up!" replied Marion.
The twins knew what this meant. Marion, now went ahead to tell them for the hundredth time all the things she had dig up. "Here we go..." said Bill.
Timothy was attached with some trucks he had to deliver to the Docks. Near the entrance of the Clay Pits, he met Ashima. She had been brought to Sodor to help out for a couple of days. She was very happy, and even more when she thought she saw her old friend! "Oh, Thomas! What are you doing at the... oh," she said, mistaking Timothy for Thomas.
"'ello! Who're you?" asked Timothy.
"Well, I'm quite sorry, indeed. I though you were another engine." replied Ashima.
"Don't worry about it! I'm Timothy."
Marion came chuffing, "Is that who I think it is?!" She looked at Ashima, quite closely, and squealed, "Oh my! It is! It's an engine from the Nilgiri Mountain Railway class! The only standard gauge engine built in the entire class! You must be Ashima!"
"I certainly am." replied the brightly painted engine, "And let me just say, you look so very unique, you know, with the shovel."
"Oh, I seen you noticed it! You know, I once dug up some forgotten treasures!"
Ashima was surprised: "Really?"
"Yes! Egyptian tombs, pillars from Roman villas, and even the skeleton of a Megolasaurus! You probably think I'm a madwoman, but it's up at..."
"...At the Town Hall?" interrupted Ashima, "I passed it on the way here."
Back in the middle of the Clay Pits, a fight broke out... between the twins. "Its my turn for the red one!" "Its my turn!" "You had it last!" "Did not!" "Did too!"
Ashima asked, "Who are they?"
Timothy replied, "They're Bill and Ben. There's no real harm in them, but they're maddening at times."
Ashima was quite surprised, "Wow. I used to think every engine in the world was different, but... those two are exactly the same!"
Bill suddenly shouted, "We can hear you! We're not the same!"
Ben put in, "Yeah! I'm more handsome!"
Ashima denied. Bill had an idea just then. He asked her, "Say, ma'am, help us settle an argument. Ben wants the red snowplough but he had it last. Can you tell him to get his own?"
Ben was quite taken aback. He shouted at his brother, "What?! You get your own!"
Ashima pondered for a second. "Don't you both have snowploughs?"
"They do," Marion said, "but here's the problem: both of them have red snowploughs. But Ben lost his, and neither of them knew where. They'd been sharing one single snowplough since the last many days, and it had been causing fights every day."
Ashima came up with a solution, "Well, how about I get one for you? A new one?"
Bill and Ben were happy with the idea, and Ashima was happy to help. And so, she chuffed away to get them a new snowplough.
"For Ben. He and Bill were bickering, becuase one of theirs was lost. Except...I don't really know where to find one."
"Well, James' derailed at the castle. Maybe you can go borrow his!" put in Percy.
"Brilliant idea!" Ashima chimed with a grin.
Ashima went forward to Ulfstead Castle. Up there, James was off the line. Jerome and Judy had been called since Rocky had gone to the Mainland for special repairs, but they weren't at the scene of the accident just yet. Stephen, Glynn and Millie were there observing the accident.
"Ah, a case of broken rails, I see." said Glynn, who'd just come from inside the castle.
"Yes, Glynn." said Stephen, "We've called Jerome and Judy. They should be here within the hour."
It was only then, that they noticed Ashima. "Hello!"
Glynn was started. "Oh, hello there! And who might you be?"
"That's Ashima, Glynn. She's from India. She's going back but she's here until her ship takes her back. Right, Ashima?" said James, who'd been together that morning at Tidmouth, when she'd arrived.
"Yes, James! Sorry to see you've derailed. Though, seeing as you won't be fit for the next few days, can I borrow your snowplough?"
"But you've already got one!" said James, seeing Ashima's magenta snowplough.
"Oh, but its not for me!"
"Oh, well, yeah, okay then."
"Maybe you could come work here, Ashima! You'd fit in with your bright colours!" put in Glynn.
All the engines laughed. And suddenly Millie and Ashima stopped.
"Now that I think about it, we sound a bit alike, Ashima." said Millie, who indeed - even with her French accent - sounded quite like the Indian Beauty.
"I guess we do!"
Ashima fetched the snowplough, it was put on a small flatbed, and she left.
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The twins knew what this meant. Marion, now went ahead to tell them for the hundredth time all the things she had dig up. "Here we go..." said Bill.
Timothy was attached with some trucks he had to deliver to the Docks. Near the entrance of the Clay Pits, he met Ashima. She had been brought to Sodor to help out for a couple of days. She was very happy, and even more when she thought she saw her old friend! "Oh, Thomas! What are you doing at the... oh," she said, mistaking Timothy for Thomas.
"'ello! Who're you?" asked Timothy.
"Well, I'm quite sorry, indeed. I though you were another engine." replied Ashima.
"Don't worry about it! I'm Timothy."
Marion came chuffing, "Is that who I think it is?!" She looked at Ashima, quite closely, and squealed, "Oh my! It is! It's an engine from the Nilgiri Mountain Railway class! The only standard gauge engine built in the entire class! You must be Ashima!"
"I certainly am." replied the brightly painted engine, "And let me just say, you look so very unique, you know, with the shovel."
"Oh, I seen you noticed it! You know, I once dug up some forgotten treasures!"
Ashima was surprised: "Really?"
"Yes! Egyptian tombs, pillars from Roman villas, and even the skeleton of a Megolasaurus! You probably think I'm a madwoman, but it's up at..."
"...At the Town Hall?" interrupted Ashima, "I passed it on the way here."
Back in the middle of the Clay Pits, a fight broke out... between the twins. "Its my turn for the red one!" "Its my turn!" "You had it last!" "Did not!" "Did too!"
Ashima asked, "Who are they?"
Timothy replied, "They're Bill and Ben. There's no real harm in them, but they're maddening at times."
Ashima was quite surprised, "Wow. I used to think every engine in the world was different, but... those two are exactly the same!"
Bill suddenly shouted, "We can hear you! We're not the same!"
Ben put in, "Yeah! I'm more handsome!"
Ashima denied. Bill had an idea just then. He asked her, "Say, ma'am, help us settle an argument. Ben wants the red snowplough but he had it last. Can you tell him to get his own?"
Ben was quite taken aback. He shouted at his brother, "What?! You get your own!"
Ashima pondered for a second. "Don't you both have snowploughs?"
"They do," Marion said, "but here's the problem: both of them have red snowploughs. But Ben lost his, and neither of them knew where. They'd been sharing one single snowplough since the last many days, and it had been causing fights every day."
Ashima came up with a solution, "Well, how about I get one for you? A new one?"
Bill and Ben were happy with the idea, and Ashima was happy to help. And so, she chuffed away to get them a new snowplough.
⬤ ⬤ ⬤
Ashima set out, away from the Clay Pits. The snow was falling hard and it was very difficult for her to see. Ashima saw Thomas and Percy in the distance. Percy was on her right, delivering the mail, and Thomas on the further right side, with Annie and Clarabel. They were both wearing snowploughs. Thomas saw Ashima and said, "Ashima! I thought you were going at the Clay Pits? Didn't Sir Topham Hatt tell you so this morning?"
"I know, I know. But I'm out here," replied Ashima, "to get a snowplough."
"A snowplough? What for?"
"Well, James' derailed at the castle. Maybe you can go borrow his!" put in Percy.
"Brilliant idea!" Ashima chimed with a grin.
Ashima went forward to Ulfstead Castle. Up there, James was off the line. Jerome and Judy had been called since Rocky had gone to the Mainland for special repairs, but they weren't at the scene of the accident just yet. Stephen, Glynn and Millie were there observing the accident.
"Ah, a case of broken rails, I see." said Glynn, who'd just come from inside the castle.
"Yes, Glynn." said Stephen, "We've called Jerome and Judy. They should be here within the hour."
It was only then, that they noticed Ashima. "Hello!"
Glynn was started. "Oh, hello there! And who might you be?"
"That's Ashima, Glynn. She's from India. She's going back but she's here until her ship takes her back. Right, Ashima?" said James, who'd been together that morning at Tidmouth, when she'd arrived.
"Yes, James! Sorry to see you've derailed. Though, seeing as you won't be fit for the next few days, can I borrow your snowplough?"
"But you've already got one!" said James, seeing Ashima's magenta snowplough.
"Oh, but its not for me!"
"Oh, well, yeah, okay then."
"Maybe you could come work here, Ashima! You'd fit in with your bright colours!" put in Glynn.
All the engines laughed. And suddenly Millie and Ashima stopped.
"Now that I think about it, we sound a bit alike, Ashima." said Millie, who indeed - even with her French accent - sounded quite like the Indian Beauty.
"I guess we do!"
Ashima fetched the snowplough, it was put on a small flatbed, and she left.
⬤ ⬤ ⬤
Back on the mainline, Ashima was going very slow. The flatbed wasn't heavy, but the snow was terrible. She could barely see her buffers. "Ugh! Oh... I can't see anything... oh..."
Suddenly, she heard Thomas' whistle. She whistled back.
"Ashima! Is that you?" shouted Thomas.
"Yes, its me, Thomas!" replied Ashima.
"You need help there?"
"No, I've got it, thanks!"
"Okay. Oh, just to be clear, there's a broken line ahead. You may need to take the line at Arlesburgh!" shouted Thomas.
Ashima couldn't hear it with all the snow around. "What did you say, Thom- Oh no!" There was indeed a broken line ahead. Before Ashima could stop, her wheels came off, and she was derailed.
"Oh no!" cried Ashima.
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Soon, Ashima was on a flatbed. The snow had receded quite a bit.
"Ashima, you should have known better than to rush around the island in this snow. It doesn't help that you've abandoned your duties at the Clay Pits, and caused a great deal of confusion and delay! said Sir Topham Hatt, who'd also come.
"I was, sir." replied Ashima, "but Bill and Ben needed a new snowplough, and so I went to fetch one."
"Oh." sighed Sir Topham Hatt. "Ashima, if you needed a snowplough, you could've just lent them yours. I know you're leaving for India again on Wednesday, but even James needs his snowplough. Now, I'd put you back onto the rails, but you still need repairs."
"Don't worry, sir!" said Judy.
"We'll get her and James to the Steamworks soon!" added Jerome.
"Let's go!" said Henry. And so, Jerome, Judy, Ashima and James (on flatbeds) - all pulled by Henry set off towards the Steamworks.
They were at the Steamworks. Ashima and James were both being fixed. A faint clang was heard in the distance - Kevin, of course. James' old snowplough - that Ashima had taken - was at the Steamworks. It hadn't gone to Bill and Ben - as James would need it, as The Fat Controller had said...
"Are you sure you're fine taking over for me at The Clay Pits?" asked Ashima, to Thomas, who was there as well.
"Yes, Ashima. My branch line's been taken care of - Daisy will be pulling Annie and Clarabel. And James, I think Sir Topham Hatt said something about your jobs being covered by Samson and Paxton."
"Oh..." sighed James.
"Thank you, Thomas! I knew I could count on you!" said Ashima. "I'll be fixed tomorrow, so I can board the ship back home."
Ashima was going on the same ship with the Clay Pits delivery.
As of the Clay Pits, suddenly Bill and Ben arrived.
"We're sorry, Ashima!" said Bill, "Are you okay?"
"You look a bit, um... damaged." put in Ben.
"I'm fine, guys." said Ashima. "Wait, where did you get that snowplough? You never got James'?" Ashima said, as she noticed that both the twins had snowploughs on.
"Well, we found the lost one." said Ben.
"Oh! So, you sent me on this goose chase for nothing?" said Ashima.
"We said we're sorry." said Bill innocently.
"Its okay, Bill." said Ashima. "But how did you find it?"
"Oh. Funny story, actually..."
To Be Continued...
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Thanks for reading!
Celebrate #XmasAtThomasNATION! -
How did Bill & Ben find their snowplough? What was Marion up to? Find out in Part Two! Read Here.
How did Bill & Ben find their snowplough? What was Marion up to? Find out in Part Two! Read Here.
Here's some more Christmas Cheer: "Santa Baby" Christmas Music Video - Presented by ThomasFan3000 & ThomasNATION
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#XmasAtThomasNATION on Twitter!
The Author: Jack L Frefigs (JFtheLOLZOR)
The Editor: Jainil Devani (ThomasFan3000)
Merry Christmas & A Very Happy New Year!
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