Long Distance Friendships: ThomasNATION Fanstory
September 19, 2020
It was the end of a busy day on Sodor. Thomas was pulling into the Knapford Station shunting yard to drop off Annie and Clarabel. He was exhausted from all the work he had to do on his branch line.
āGoodnight, you two. See you tomorrow!ā Thomas said as he dropped the two coaches off in a siding. Just as he was headed out, he saw Nia. She looked as if she was saying something to Tom Tipper, Sodorās local mailman.
āWhatās she up to?ā he asked as he went in for a closer look.
āā...and just today, my friend Percy nearly left with the express and not his mail trucks!āā Nia laughed. āāAnyway, I hope youāre able to write back soon. Regards, Nia.āā
āGot it, Nia!ā Tom Tipper declared, folding a letter and placing it into Percyās mail van. āIāll make sure this letter gets delivered.ā
āThank you, Mr. Tipper!ā Nia called out.
āWhat were you doing, Nia?ā Thomas asked as he pulled in closer.
āOh, that,ā said Nia. āI was just writing to my old friend in Africa. You remember Kwaku, right?ā
Thomas thought for a second and then remembered. āOh, yes! That engine! What were you writing about?ā
āNothing important, I was just telling him about my day.ā Nia answered.
āOh. Well, how is he?ā
āHeās quite well, thanks.ā
āReally? How are his wheels? Howās his boiler? How are his pistons? Are the tracks taking him where he wants to go? And are hisā¦ā
Nia was confused for a second, but soon caught on. āā¦fellow engines treating him well?ā she joined in. āYes, Thomas, all that and more. Iāll tell him you asked if you want.ā
āWow, I actually never thought of sending a letter to one of my friends around the world!ā Thomas exclaimed, intrigued.
āWell, why not give it a shot?ā said Nia. āIām sure someone would like to hear from you!ā
āGreat idea, Nia!ā Thomas called as he left. āIāll do that!ā As he left, he ran into a bit of a problem. āItāll be fun to write to someone I knowā¦but who?ā
Thomas had so many friends from across the globe that he just didnāt know where to start. He was pondering this to himself as he pulled into Brendam Docks.
āLetās see, who can I write to?ā Thomas asked himself. āMaybe I could write to Hong-Mei? Though, then again, I havenāt really heard from Lorenzo in a whileā¦Tamika, probably?ā
Thomas wasnāt focused on where he was going, and was headed straight for a truck full of marigolds. āThomas! Heave to!ā cried Salty.
But Thomas took no notice of Saltyās warnings, he was too preoccupied. āWhat about Gustavo, actually? Or maybe Frieda? No, she wouldnāt want to hear from meā¦ā
Just then, Thomas crashed into the truck. Marigolds spilled everywhere!
āOops!ā Thomas called out. āSorry, Salty!ā
āAh, no need to hang the jib, matey.ā Salty chuckled. āIt only be a few marigolds. Easy fix!ā
āMarigolds, eh?ā Thomas thought. āYāknow, this is my friend Ashimaās favorite flower. She was all dressed up in them during a fancy costume contest, andā¦ā
Then Thomas had an idea. āThatās it! I could write a letter to Ashima!ā
Thomas was abuzz with his grand idea. It had been a while since he visited India, so he hadnāt seen Ashima in ages and he wanted to hear from her again.
āWhy didnāt I think of this before?ā he asked himself, excitedly as he pulled into a level crossing, where Nia was waiting.
āOh, hello, Thomas!ā said Nia. āDid you think of who to write to yet?ā
āI did, actually,ā Thomas replied with a grin. āI was thinking of writing to my friend Ashima from India.ā
āThatās great! Iām sure sheād love to hear from you!ā Nia responded.
āYou think so?ā
āI do. Now, I should get going, I need to take the brass band over to Vicarstown.ā
Nia left the crossing, leaving Thomas in amazement.
āWow!ā he spouted. āA brass band? I bet Kwaku would love that!ā
Thomas then looked at his train. It was a long train full of bags of sand. He started to feel a bit let down with himself. āHmmā¦ā
Later in the day, Thomas was collecting some pigs from Farmer Trotterās. Nia then passed by, humming happily as the brass band played their hearts out. He began to feel a little jealous.
āIt isnāt fairā¦ā he groaned to himself. āNiaās always having these great stories and jobs, and my life is just soā¦mundane.ā
And so, Thomas sadly puffed away.
That night, at Tidmouth Sheds, he was talking about his dilemma to Percy.
āWhy do you even need to write to Ashima anyway?ā asked Percy. āYou could just ask Sir Topham Hatt to contact Charubala and visit her yourself.ā
āBut I have so much work to do on my branchline!ā Thomas complained.
āThat didnāt stop you beforeā¦ā Gordon yawned.
āI just need something exciting to write about,ā Thomas continuted. āso I can keep Ashima interested.ā
āMaybe you donāt need to,ā Percy assured his friend. āperhaps sheās just interested in just hearing about how youāve been.ā
āI know, but everyoneās had something amazing happen to them every day,ā Thomas moaned. āand Iām just stuck pulling sand bags and pigs.ā
āI know!ā Emily chimed in. āIāve got deliver that jet engine to Professor Friedrichās vacation home, but maybe you could take it.ā
āReally?ā Thomas asked, lighting up again. āThanks, Emily!ā
āNo bother, Thomas,ā Emily responded with a smile. āIām sure Ashima would love to hear about it.ā
The next day, Thomas met Salty at Brendam Docks, who was hauling the Blastbooster-7.
āAhoy there, matey!ā Salty hollered. āHave ye written your letter to Ashima?ā
āNot yet, Salty.ā Thomas replied. āI still need something to write about, and I think this is it!ā
āWell, take it easy this time,ā Cranky grumbled. āLast time we had that doohickey here, Friedrich nearly pulled his arms out of their sockets.ā
Thomas scoffed. āDonāt worry about it, Cranky! I know what Iām doing.ā
āI wouldnāt get too confident there, Chuck,ā Carly chimed in. āYouāve had some dodgy experiences with jet engines before, you know.ā
āI realise that, but you guys can trust me!ā Thomas reassured the crane. āThis jet engine is much more advanced than that old gizmo!ā
āWeāll see about thatā¦ā Cranky muttered as Thomas left.
Thomasā travels to Friedrichās vacation home were going relatively smoothly. The rails leading to the home were actually very lovely, with lush forests and a beautiful, sparkling river. He was so enthralled with the natural beauty of this pathway that he almost forgot about writing a letter to Ashima. Then, he encountered Harvey, who was clearing a fallen tree.
āOh, hey, Thomas!ā Harvey called out. āIāll let you through in just a moment, I just need to clear the rails.ā
āNo worries, Harvey!ā Thomas exclaimed with glee. āTake your time!ā
Harvey then decided to have a spin of his crane. āHaha! Look at it go!ā
āHa! Youāre in a good mood!ā
āI know, I just had my crane fixed and it feels brand new!ā
Then, Harvey accidentally threw a few branches onto the jet engine, narrowly missing the ignition button.
āWhoa, whoa, whoa, easy, Harvey!ā Thomas called out.
āOops. Sorry!ā said Harvey as he went back to lifting the tree. āWhat is that thing anyway?ā
āItās a jet engine, Harvey,ā said Thomas. āItās highly delicate, so you need to be very careful.ā
āRighty-o!ā Harvey exclaimed. He then proceeded to pick up the tree, which was really heavy, causing him to lose balance.
āHarvey!ā
āIāll be okay, Thomas!ā Harvey called out. āJust go on! Donāt worry about-ā
And then, the worst happened. Harvey accidentally slammed the tree into the jet engine, right into the ignition button and giving the machine a mighty dent. āOhā¦ā
āHarvey, what did you do?ā Thomas said in a panic. But before Harvey could answer himā¦
WHOOSH! The jet engine launched Thomas and sped down the line at a supersonic speed.
Thomas went down the track so fast he felt he was about to derail. āHELP! HELP! I CANāT SLOW DOWN!ā
Somewhere down the Main Line, Connor and Caitlin were having a race, as they always they did.
āIām going to win today!ā Caitlin called out.
āNot if I have any say in this!ā Connor responded.
Then, Thomas sped past them, startling the two streamlined engines.
āWhat was that?!ā Connor asked.
Soon enough, Thomas was approaching Friedrichās vacation home, and the jet engine began to run out of fuel, much to Thomasā relief. But while that was all well and good, Thomas was coming up to a set of buffers.
āOh no!ā he cried. He applied his brakes, but it was no use. Thomas crashed into the buffers, derailing himself and the jet engine. Friedrich ran outside to see the scene of the accident.
āAch nein!ā Friedrich yelled. āThomas, are you okay?ā
āNot really.ā Thomas said in pain.
Soon, Thomas was put on the rails again as Friedrich repaired the jet engine.
āIām just glad youāre okay, Thomas,ā Sir Topham Hatt told the engine as he was lifted onto the rails. ābut what happened to cause this?ā
āItās not my fault, sir.ā Thomas explained. āHarvey was lifting a tree, but it was way too heavy and he accidentally shoved it into the jet engine.ā
āI see. Now, we should get you to the Steamworks to get your wheels fixed,ā Sir Topham Hatt ordered. āNia, you donāt mind, do you?ā
āNot at all, sir.ā Nia said as she hauled Thomas away. āSo, I take it you have something interesting to write Ashima about, eh?ā
āActually, no,ā Thomas replied. āI figured I may as well talk about how Iāve been doing and how life on Sodor is, and whatnot.ā
āOh,ā said Nia, surprised. āis it because you realised that you donāt need something spectacular to write about and Ashima will accept it either way?ā
āNo, itās because Iām still traumatised over what happened!ā Thomas chuckled as he and Nia headed to the Steamworks.
A few days later, over on the Indian railway, Noor Jehan was pulling in with with a mail car. The other engines were just waking up, Ashima included.
āAh, donāt you just love mornings like this?ā Rajiv asked with a smile.
āI suppose it is a nice sunriseā¦ā Shankar yawned.
āI wasnāt referring to the sunrise, Shankar!ā Rajiv laughed. āI was referring to how my crown glows in the sunlightā¦ā
Ashima rolled her eyes as Charubala approached her, holding a letter. āThere appears to be a letter here for you, Ashima!ā
āMe?ā Ashima asked. āWhoās it from?ā
āIt says here that the letter comes all the way from Sodor,ā Charubala explained, āso I can only assume that itās from Thomas.ā
āReally?ā Ashima gasped. āWhat does it say?ā
Charubala opened the letter and began to read.
Dear Ashima,
Hi! Itās Thomas! I decided to write this letter to you just to check in and see how you were doing. Life on Sodor has been doing quite okay. Nothing too spectacular has happened, itās just been the same old thing thatās been happening every other day. Sorry this letterās so short, but nothing much has really happened. I hope to hear from you soon!
āGoodnight, you two. See you tomorrow!ā Thomas said as he dropped the two coaches off in a siding. Just as he was headed out, he saw Nia. She looked as if she was saying something to Tom Tipper, Sodorās local mailman.
āWhatās she up to?ā he asked as he went in for a closer look.
āā...and just today, my friend Percy nearly left with the express and not his mail trucks!āā Nia laughed. āāAnyway, I hope youāre able to write back soon. Regards, Nia.āā
āGot it, Nia!ā Tom Tipper declared, folding a letter and placing it into Percyās mail van. āIāll make sure this letter gets delivered.ā
āThank you, Mr. Tipper!ā Nia called out.
āWhat were you doing, Nia?ā Thomas asked as he pulled in closer.
āOh, that,ā said Nia. āI was just writing to my old friend in Africa. You remember Kwaku, right?ā
Thomas thought for a second and then remembered. āOh, yes! That engine! What were you writing about?ā
āNothing important, I was just telling him about my day.ā Nia answered.
āOh. Well, how is he?ā
āHeās quite well, thanks.ā
āReally? How are his wheels? Howās his boiler? How are his pistons? Are the tracks taking him where he wants to go? And are hisā¦ā
Nia was confused for a second, but soon caught on. āā¦fellow engines treating him well?ā she joined in. āYes, Thomas, all that and more. Iāll tell him you asked if you want.ā
āWow, I actually never thought of sending a letter to one of my friends around the world!ā Thomas exclaimed, intrigued.
āWell, why not give it a shot?ā said Nia. āIām sure someone would like to hear from you!ā
āGreat idea, Nia!ā Thomas called as he left. āIāll do that!ā As he left, he ran into a bit of a problem. āItāll be fun to write to someone I knowā¦but who?ā
Thomas had so many friends from across the globe that he just didnāt know where to start. He was pondering this to himself as he pulled into Brendam Docks.
āLetās see, who can I write to?ā Thomas asked himself. āMaybe I could write to Hong-Mei? Though, then again, I havenāt really heard from Lorenzo in a whileā¦Tamika, probably?ā
Thomas wasnāt focused on where he was going, and was headed straight for a truck full of marigolds. āThomas! Heave to!ā cried Salty.
But Thomas took no notice of Saltyās warnings, he was too preoccupied. āWhat about Gustavo, actually? Or maybe Frieda? No, she wouldnāt want to hear from meā¦ā
Just then, Thomas crashed into the truck. Marigolds spilled everywhere!
āOops!ā Thomas called out. āSorry, Salty!ā
āAh, no need to hang the jib, matey.ā Salty chuckled. āIt only be a few marigolds. Easy fix!ā
āMarigolds, eh?ā Thomas thought. āYāknow, this is my friend Ashimaās favorite flower. She was all dressed up in them during a fancy costume contest, andā¦ā
Then Thomas had an idea. āThatās it! I could write a letter to Ashima!ā
Thomas was abuzz with his grand idea. It had been a while since he visited India, so he hadnāt seen Ashima in ages and he wanted to hear from her again.
āWhy didnāt I think of this before?ā he asked himself, excitedly as he pulled into a level crossing, where Nia was waiting.
āOh, hello, Thomas!ā said Nia. āDid you think of who to write to yet?ā
āI did, actually,ā Thomas replied with a grin. āI was thinking of writing to my friend Ashima from India.ā
āThatās great! Iām sure sheād love to hear from you!ā Nia responded.
āYou think so?ā
āI do. Now, I should get going, I need to take the brass band over to Vicarstown.ā
Nia left the crossing, leaving Thomas in amazement.
āWow!ā he spouted. āA brass band? I bet Kwaku would love that!ā
Thomas then looked at his train. It was a long train full of bags of sand. He started to feel a bit let down with himself. āHmmā¦ā
Later in the day, Thomas was collecting some pigs from Farmer Trotterās. Nia then passed by, humming happily as the brass band played their hearts out. He began to feel a little jealous.
āIt isnāt fairā¦ā he groaned to himself. āNiaās always having these great stories and jobs, and my life is just soā¦mundane.ā
And so, Thomas sadly puffed away.
That night, at Tidmouth Sheds, he was talking about his dilemma to Percy.
āWhy do you even need to write to Ashima anyway?ā asked Percy. āYou could just ask Sir Topham Hatt to contact Charubala and visit her yourself.ā
āBut I have so much work to do on my branchline!ā Thomas complained.
āThat didnāt stop you beforeā¦ā Gordon yawned.
āI just need something exciting to write about,ā Thomas continuted. āso I can keep Ashima interested.ā
āMaybe you donāt need to,ā Percy assured his friend. āperhaps sheās just interested in just hearing about how youāve been.ā
āI know, but everyoneās had something amazing happen to them every day,ā Thomas moaned. āand Iām just stuck pulling sand bags and pigs.ā
āI know!ā Emily chimed in. āIāve got deliver that jet engine to Professor Friedrichās vacation home, but maybe you could take it.ā
āReally?ā Thomas asked, lighting up again. āThanks, Emily!ā
āNo bother, Thomas,ā Emily responded with a smile. āIām sure Ashima would love to hear about it.ā
The next day, Thomas met Salty at Brendam Docks, who was hauling the Blastbooster-7.
āAhoy there, matey!ā Salty hollered. āHave ye written your letter to Ashima?ā
āNot yet, Salty.ā Thomas replied. āI still need something to write about, and I think this is it!ā
āWell, take it easy this time,ā Cranky grumbled. āLast time we had that doohickey here, Friedrich nearly pulled his arms out of their sockets.ā
Thomas scoffed. āDonāt worry about it, Cranky! I know what Iām doing.ā
āI wouldnāt get too confident there, Chuck,ā Carly chimed in. āYouāve had some dodgy experiences with jet engines before, you know.ā
āI realise that, but you guys can trust me!ā Thomas reassured the crane. āThis jet engine is much more advanced than that old gizmo!ā
āWeāll see about thatā¦ā Cranky muttered as Thomas left.
Thomasā travels to Friedrichās vacation home were going relatively smoothly. The rails leading to the home were actually very lovely, with lush forests and a beautiful, sparkling river. He was so enthralled with the natural beauty of this pathway that he almost forgot about writing a letter to Ashima. Then, he encountered Harvey, who was clearing a fallen tree.
āOh, hey, Thomas!ā Harvey called out. āIāll let you through in just a moment, I just need to clear the rails.ā
āNo worries, Harvey!ā Thomas exclaimed with glee. āTake your time!ā
Harvey then decided to have a spin of his crane. āHaha! Look at it go!ā
āHa! Youāre in a good mood!ā
āI know, I just had my crane fixed and it feels brand new!ā
Then, Harvey accidentally threw a few branches onto the jet engine, narrowly missing the ignition button.
āWhoa, whoa, whoa, easy, Harvey!ā Thomas called out.
āOops. Sorry!ā said Harvey as he went back to lifting the tree. āWhat is that thing anyway?ā
āItās a jet engine, Harvey,ā said Thomas. āItās highly delicate, so you need to be very careful.ā
āRighty-o!ā Harvey exclaimed. He then proceeded to pick up the tree, which was really heavy, causing him to lose balance.
āHarvey!ā
āIāll be okay, Thomas!ā Harvey called out. āJust go on! Donāt worry about-ā
And then, the worst happened. Harvey accidentally slammed the tree into the jet engine, right into the ignition button and giving the machine a mighty dent. āOhā¦ā
āHarvey, what did you do?ā Thomas said in a panic. But before Harvey could answer himā¦
WHOOSH! The jet engine launched Thomas and sped down the line at a supersonic speed.
Thomas went down the track so fast he felt he was about to derail. āHELP! HELP! I CANāT SLOW DOWN!ā
Somewhere down the Main Line, Connor and Caitlin were having a race, as they always they did.
āIām going to win today!ā Caitlin called out.
āNot if I have any say in this!ā Connor responded.
Then, Thomas sped past them, startling the two streamlined engines.
āWhat was that?!ā Connor asked.
Soon enough, Thomas was approaching Friedrichās vacation home, and the jet engine began to run out of fuel, much to Thomasā relief. But while that was all well and good, Thomas was coming up to a set of buffers.
āOh no!ā he cried. He applied his brakes, but it was no use. Thomas crashed into the buffers, derailing himself and the jet engine. Friedrich ran outside to see the scene of the accident.
āAch nein!ā Friedrich yelled. āThomas, are you okay?ā
āNot really.ā Thomas said in pain.
Soon, Thomas was put on the rails again as Friedrich repaired the jet engine.
āIām just glad youāre okay, Thomas,ā Sir Topham Hatt told the engine as he was lifted onto the rails. ābut what happened to cause this?ā
āItās not my fault, sir.ā Thomas explained. āHarvey was lifting a tree, but it was way too heavy and he accidentally shoved it into the jet engine.ā
āI see. Now, we should get you to the Steamworks to get your wheels fixed,ā Sir Topham Hatt ordered. āNia, you donāt mind, do you?ā
āNot at all, sir.ā Nia said as she hauled Thomas away. āSo, I take it you have something interesting to write Ashima about, eh?ā
āActually, no,ā Thomas replied. āI figured I may as well talk about how Iāve been doing and how life on Sodor is, and whatnot.ā
āOh,ā said Nia, surprised. āis it because you realised that you donāt need something spectacular to write about and Ashima will accept it either way?ā
āNo, itās because Iām still traumatised over what happened!ā Thomas chuckled as he and Nia headed to the Steamworks.
A few days later, over on the Indian railway, Noor Jehan was pulling in with with a mail car. The other engines were just waking up, Ashima included.
āAh, donāt you just love mornings like this?ā Rajiv asked with a smile.
āI suppose it is a nice sunriseā¦ā Shankar yawned.
āI wasnāt referring to the sunrise, Shankar!ā Rajiv laughed. āI was referring to how my crown glows in the sunlightā¦ā
Ashima rolled her eyes as Charubala approached her, holding a letter. āThere appears to be a letter here for you, Ashima!ā
āMe?ā Ashima asked. āWhoās it from?ā
āIt says here that the letter comes all the way from Sodor,ā Charubala explained, āso I can only assume that itās from Thomas.ā
āReally?ā Ashima gasped. āWhat does it say?ā
Charubala opened the letter and began to read.
Dear Ashima,
Hi! Itās Thomas! I decided to write this letter to you just to check in and see how you were doing. Life on Sodor has been doing quite okay. Nothing too spectacular has happened, itās just been the same old thing thatās been happening every other day. Sorry this letterās so short, but nothing much has really happened. I hope to hear from you soon!
Regards, Thomas
Ashima was ecstatic to hear from her friend again. āOh, what a very nice letter!ā
āI donāt suppose youāll be writing him back, eh?ā Rajiv chuckled.
āActually, I think I willā¦ā Ashima said, as she thought of what to write Thomas.
About the Author: JF the LOLZOR
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