Where in the World is Diesel? - ThomasNATION Fanstory
April 22, 2023
As I'm sure you all recall, Diesel had one concocted a plan to get into the Great Railway Show. His plan? Disguising Den, Dart and Paxton as crates to get into the strength competition. But that plan horrifically backfired when Thomas tried pulling them away but ended up crashing. Diesel was unbelievably annoyed at Thomas, but was infinitely more upset at Den, Dart and Paxton.
"What happened back there?!" Diesel growled as he removed the disguises.
"Sorry, Diesel," explained Dart, "but we really thought that was you pulling us. We heard the-"
"Ugh, likely story. You should have known Thomas pulling you and not me." grumbled Diesel before loudly blowing his horn. "Does that sound like a steamie's whistle? PEEP-PEEP?!"
"But it is very hard to hear when you're under a crate, Diesel." protested Paxton.
"Or to see." added Dart.
Diesel was absolutely livid now, pushing Dart into the Dieselworks crane, Happy Hook. "Stop making excuses! If I was under a crate, I be able to-"
Then, there was trouble. Happy Hook was still carrying Dart's crate, but it immediately dropped it on Diesel shortly after Dart bumped into it.
"Ow! Get it off! Get it off!" cried Diesel as Den, Dart and Paxton laughed. However, when the turntable lowered, Diesel was gone!
"He's disappeared!" gasped Dart.
"He really is full of surprises." smiled Paxton.
"No, I'm not! Get me down! Get me down!" Diesel cried from above before Happy Hook dropped him onto the rails. "Get me out of here!"
Diesel began wandering aimlessly out of the Dieselworks, with Den, Dart and Paxton following closely behind.
"I won't lie to you guys," said Den, "I can't help but feel this is a little bit ironic."
"I second that." chuckled Dart. "Getting him out of there won't be too hard, though, I bet."
Oh, how wrong Dart was. The three followed Diesel all over Sodor, through shunting yards, stations and quarries, but their search became fruitless upon reaching the docks. The three, plus Cranky, looked everywhere for Diesel, under every last crate on every freight train, but there was no Diesel.
"I don't get it!" cried Den.
"What he means is," added on Dart, "Diesel should be right here! There's nowhere else he could've gone! I mean, where in the world is he?!"
"OVER HERE!!" screamed a familiar voice on an outgoing ship. The four of them looked to see what the voice was. It was Diesel...on a ship...going away from Sodor.
"...lads?" said Cranky.
"Yeah?" replied Den, Dart and Paxton.
"We...we cannot tell Sir Topham Hatt."
"...yeah."
The next day, the Great Railway Show was over to an array of different emotions. Thomas was ecstatic that he had won the shunting challenge, James was frustrated he lost the best decorated parade, and Ashima was curious about staying on Sodor before the ferry arrived. But no one was more emotional than Gordon. He was absolutely embarrassed that he not only didn't show up his brother and that his boiler had exploded. He was really upset as he had his streamlining stripped away.
"Oh, the indignity..." sighed Gordon.
"Gordon, that's the fourth time you've said that." said Victor. "It'll be fine. No one is going to judge you for what happened. They probably don't even remember it."
"How do you know?" Gordon complained. "I saw one of the workmen reading it on his newspaper. It was the front page, Victor."
"Okay, it may take a moment to die down," Victor reassured the blue titan, "but still, no one is judging you, no one is seeing you any different."
Gordon tried to smile. "...you're right. At least things can't get any worse."
Just then, Sir Topham Hatt pulled up to the Steamworks aboard Philip to check on everyone. Gordon wasn't the only one getting fixed after the railway show. Percy and Ashima were there too, but they were checking on how everyone was coming along. Thomas, James and Emily were being repainted back to how they were before. "Morning, everybody. How are you holding up, Shooting Star?"
Gordon sighed. "Don't remind me. This is the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to me."
"Don't be so sure," chuckled Sir Topham Hatt. "at least this time you've still got your dome, eh?"
"What does he mean by that?" asked Philip.
"I can answer that, Philip," laughed James, as he was getting repainted. "He lost his dome trying to break a visitor's record!"
"Don't tell him that!" cried Gordon.
Sir Topham Hatt rolled his eyes slightly. "Ah, well, more pressing matters at hand. Has anyone seen Diesel? He needs to take some trucks of rubbish up to the dump."
"I haven't seen him since yesterday, sir." said Thomas. "Has anyone else?"
"Not since your crash," said Ashima.
"Last I saw him," added Emily, "he was pulling a heavy train back to the Dieselworks."
"Hmm. Must be hiding away again." sighed Sir Topham Hatt. "I'll be back in a bit. Come along, Philip."
Philip swiftly took Sir Topham Hatt to the Dieselworks, where he was greeted by Den and Dart.
"Hello, sir!" said Den. "What brings you here today?"
"I'm looking for Diesel." replied Sir Topham Hatt. "I haven't seen him recently."
Den and Dart panicked. What do they do? What do they say? "Um, er, uh...hmm..." they stammered.
"Uh...what's the matter?" Sir Topham Hatt asked, growing suspicious.
"Uh, nothing! Nothing, nobody got shipped off anywhere, no sir!" Dart said quickly, not realising what he just said.
"Dart!" gasped Den. "What are you doing?!"
"He's gonna find out eventually." protested Dart, before immediately gulping.
"Stop talking!" whispered Den.
"Den? What have you two been up to?" Sir Topham Hatt said, leaning on him.
"Um...here's the thing, we might have, sort of, kind of, accidentally...sent Diesel away?" said an intimidated Den.
"You did what?!" gasped Sir Topham Hatt. "Well, then...where on Earth is he?!"
Where was Diesel? He had been sent off to a far-off country, somewhere he and most other engines on the island had never been. Diesel had wound up in India.
News of Diesel's disappearance spread fast. In fact, that afternoon in Vicarstown, when the engines were all back to normal, it was all everyone could talk about.
"That little weasel!" grumbled Thomas. "I should've known those trucks were his doing! When I get my buffers on him, he's gonna-"
"Now, now, Thomas." said Sir Topham Hatt. "Calm down before you do something rash. What matters now is that we get him home safely. Cranky tells me he loaded him onto a ship to India. Now, does anyone have any ideas?"
"I might," said Ashima. "I could catch the ferry to India and then send Diesel right back."
"Why doesn't one of us go with Ashima and get him?" asked Philip.
"Not a bad idea, but who?" asked Henry. "I mean, I can't do it. I've never travelled that far before; I won't know my way around."
No one was sure about who to send to India. Thomas had work on his branch line, Percy had the mail train, and Philip had...whatever he had going on. No one was sure if they should speak up or not...except for one.
"I'll go." Gordon steamed proudly.
"What?!" cried the other engines.
"Are you sure, Shooting Star?" asked Percy. "...wait, I mean Gordon. Force of habit."
"Of course, I am!" exclaimed Gordon. "I could find my way around India no problem. Besides, my plans have always worked."
"What? No, they don't," protested Henry. "They've always blown up in your face."
"Nonsense!" scoffed Gordon. "Name one time."
"There was that time you ran yourself into a ditch to get out of a goods train," suggested Henry.
"And that time you treated us like scrap metal when your firebox was rattling?" added James.
"Or that time you got us into a strike which got us shut in our sheds?"
"And even just recently, that Shooting Star thing blew up in your face. Literally blew up in your face."
"Or how you're just generally unlikable in a way that's hard to pin down."
"Alright, alright!" Gordon shouted. "I get it. I had some issues in the past. But this should be a cake walk!"
"Hmm...alright." said Sir Topham Hatt. "First thing tomorrow, you and Ashima will head off to India. Now, back to work, everyone. We still have a railway to run."
As the engines dispersed, Thomas stayed behind to talk to Gordon. "What's this really about, Gordon? You never volunteer for rescue missions. Is this about the Falling Star thing?"
"Shooting Star, Thomas!" corrected Gordon. "And yes, it is. I'm still really embarrassed about everything that happened, so I figured if I rescued Diesel, I wouldn't feel so bad about myself anymore."
"Gordon, come on," sighed Thomas, "we've all moved past that. That was an accident."
"I know," Gordon sighed, "but I've never messed up that bad before. I need to at least try to redeem myself."
"But you can just redeem yourself by being really useful!" protested Thomas.
"Thomas. Let me do this. Okay? I need this." rebutted Gordon.
Thomas conceded eventually. "Alright. If you say so."
The next day, Gordon and Ashima were in India. Ashima was glad to be back home, but only one thing was on Gordon's mind: finding Diesel.
"Isn't India lovely, Gordon?" Ashima asked, before noticing Gordon run off. "Wait, uh, Gordon! Come back! Where are you...um, never mind."
Gordon looked all over the Indian railway for an hour. There was so many engines all over the railroad, so many unusual buildings, it was all unlike anything Gordon had seen before to the point where he had to take a moment to sit in a siding and catch his breath.
"Okay, relax..." Gordon said to himself. "This is a large railway, but that's never stopped you before, right? You can find him."
A little shunter noticed Gordon in the siding. "Are you okay, friend?"
"Uh, yeah. Fine, just...never been here before. Have you seen a little diesel shunter? Painted black? Goes by Diesel?"
"Oh, I think I know him." said the shunter. "I saw him head to the abandoned palace. You know, the one overrun with monkeys?"
"Hmm. I think I know what you're talking about." Gordon said as he disembarked. "Thanks."
Gordon headed straight to the monkey palace. He could see nothing but trees. He was about to turn back, but then, after ages of searching, he had finally found... "Diesel!"
"Gordon?" asked Diesel. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be streamlined?"
"Long story." said Gordon. "Let's go, now. I've come to take you home."
"About time." scoffed Diesel. "I mean, while you lot were gallivanting off to the Great Railway Show, I've been attacked by monkeys and bashed by coconuts!"
"Hmm, you know," Gordon thought, "maybe I don't need to send you home."
"Send me home!" Diesel gasped. "Quick! Please!"
Soon, Diesel was back home and the events of the Great Railway Show was a thing of the past, especially for Gordon. After saving Diesel, no one had even brought up the boiler explosion. He was back to being as confident as ever. As for Diesel, he didn't get off scot-free. Paxton told Sir Topham Hatt Diesel's plans, and needless to say, he was pretty mad.
"Not only have your antics resulted in both Thomas and Norman getting damaged," scolded Sir Topham Hatt, "but you also decided now would be a good time to have a holiday!"
"Sorry, sir," sighed Diesel. "I won't do it again. Honest."
"I'm not so sure I can trust your word," said Sir Topham Hatt, "but for now, I'll have to let you off with a warning. Okay?"
"Okay."
Sir Topham Hatt left soon after, with Diesel feeling a bit confused over everything.
"Maybe being full of surprises isn't your thing, Diesel." chuckled Paxton.
"Yeah, at least not like this." sighed Den.
"What he means is," continued Dart, "we were worried sick. We thought you'd never return."
"Oh, lighten up," complained Diesel. "just be glad I'm back at all."
"Alright, but you can't say you didn't learn anything from all this." suggested Paxton.
Diesel scoffed. "If you ask me, the only one who learned anything was Gordon, and even then, he didn't learn much."
"True." said Den.
"But no matter," said Diesel. "I'm just a bit mad none of us have an excuse to go to the Mainland anymore. I mean, why would anyone need to go now that there's no railway show?"
Just then, the four diesels overheard James singing as he pulled up to Knapford. "Somebody has to be the favorite, the one that everybody wants to see..."
"Why do I get the feeling that someone found a reason?" asked Paxton. And, oh, how naive he was.
About the Author: JF the LOLZOR
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