Stefano the Shipwreck - ThomasNATION Fanstory
August 31, 2024
One day, Thomas had been sent to help out across Italy. He had been going back and forth across the fields of Florence, the nooks and crannys of Naples and Catania, the mountains of Milan and the rails of Venice. He was still new to the Italy scene, so he still had a few questions, as evidenced by when he met Lorenzo and Beppe that morning.
"Isn't it just a bella mattinata?" Lorenzo said to Thomas as he took in the fresh late-summer breeze. "You won't believe the views over in Genoa. It will literally take your breath away!"
"Isn't it just a bella mattinata?" Lorenzo said to Thomas as he took in the fresh late-summer breeze. "You won't believe the views over in Genoa. It will literally take your breath away!"
"Oh, I've never been there," said Thomas, "I'll need to run by there after I drop this off at Stefano."
"Oh, it is truly amazing." thought Beppe. "It's on the Riviera."
"The Riviera?" asked Thomas.
"Yes. The most beautiful coastline in all Italy. Where the ocean is so big, it's connected to the French Riviera. Gina's been across that border!"
"No way!"
"Ask her yourself if you like." said Lorenzo as they parted ways. "Ciao, amico!"
Thomas kept on trundling down the way until he reached the seaside station, where he met Stefano, patiently waiting for him.
“I’ve got the last bit of your load, Stefano!” called out Thomas. “Where are you taking this anyway?”
“Ah, nowhere big and fancy, Thomas.” chuckled Stefano. “Just a round trip to Porto di Napoli and back.”
“Is that on the Riviera?” asked Thomas.
Stefano burst out laughing. “Oh, you amuse me, Thomas. No, but I will pass it along the way.”
“Take me with you!” pleaded Thomas. “Please?”
“Aw, not today, Thomas.” sighed Stefano. “You’ve got far more jobs to do. Ti dico una cosa, maybe we can go down before I take you home, okay?”
"Yeah, alright," Thomas chuckled. "Sounds like a plan."
Soon, Stefano was fully loaded and ready to go to Porto di Napoli. But before he left, the stationmaster ran out. "Just a second there, Stefano! There's a storm coming in tonight, you might want to be extra careful out there."
"Please, look at how big I am!" chuckled Stefano as he left. "A fifty foot tsunami wouldn't knock me over. I'm gonna be okay."
Thomas rolled his eyes a little. "Every time someone back on Sodor said something like that, they always would up in trouble."
"Maybe Stefano will be different," said the statiomaster, "I don't know. That's for the seas to decide."
The next day, the storm died down as Thomas pulled into the station, where he greeted Gina.
"Morning, Gina!" Thomas said. "I've been meaning to ask, is it true you crossed the French Riviera?"
"What is with you and the Riviera?" Gina smirked. "Anyways, have you seen Stefano? He didn't come back from Porto di Napoli last night."
"He didn't?" gasped Thomas. "That's not like him. Do you think he got lost?"
"I know Stefano, Thomas." Gina retorted. "He'd never get lost even if he tried."
Just then, Lorenzo rushed in, looking panicked beyond belief. "Thomas! Gina! Notizie terribili!"
"What happened?" asked Thomas.
"It's Stefano! He's crashed up at Imperia!"
"Imperia?" Gina gasped. "That big city in the Riviera?"
"What are the odds?" chuckled Thomas.
"Bad time, Thomas!" Gina scowled. "What happened?"
"I don't know for sure," Lorenzo explained. "All I know is I was taking Beppe along the way and all of a sudden, I see Stefano, lopsided like the Leaning Tower of Pisa and blocking the track!"
"How are we meant to get him back up?" asked Thomas. "Gina, any ideas?"
"Come dovrei saperlo?" Gina responded. "I don't know the first thing about shipwrecks. Maybe if we had a lifeboat or something, but other than that, I'm stumped."
Thomas, Gina and Lorenzo kept thinking on that. But one word rung in Thomas' mind. Lifeboat. An idea flew into his funnel.
"Wait a minute!" Thomas gasped. "You don't know a lifeboat, but I do!"
A few hours later, Thomas, Lorenzo and Beppe were waiting at the seaside station, waiting for the help.
"Where is this guy?" asked Lorenzo. "He should be here by now."
"Wait for it..." Thomas said, looking over the waters. And lo and behold, in raced his old friend Captain!
"I came as soon as the manager got your call!" Captain announced. "Ready and raring to be really useful!"
"Brilliant!" laughed Thomas. "Lorenzo, Beppe, this is Captain!"
Lorenzo inspected Captain carefully. "Okay, I mean this with nessuna mancanza di rispetto, but...this boat's so small! How is he gonna help Stefano?"
"He may be small," said Thomas, "but he's a very strong and capable worker. He's like if Beppe were a rescue boat."
Beppe chuckled a little. "I'm not that strong!"
"Alright, well, what are we waiting here for then?" Lorenzo announced. "We need to get going!"
"Right on, Lorenzo, sir!" cried Captain. "Full steam ahead!"
Thomas, Lorenzo and Captain raced down to Imperia, searching for Stefano. The city was a bit of a mess after the storm, but thankfully, he wasn't hard to find. Ester was there, clearing the rubble from his hull.
"Stefano!" Thomas cried. "Are you alright?"
"A little." Stefano muttered, still dazed from the wreck. "So much for "a fifty foot tsunami wouldn't knock me over", huh?"
"Don't worry, we're going to get you back up!" Thomas reassured the titan. "Captain! You know what to do!"
Captain had a chain attached to Stefano's wheel, ready to start the rescue. "On your word, Lorenzo!"
"Now!" cried Lorenzo. Captain kept pulling and pulling with all his might. But he could only get Stefano off the ground a bit.
"He's never gonna make it!" whimpered Ester.
"What do we do now?!" cried Lorenzo.
Thomas noticed a pair of sidings facing towards the sea. Captain had lifted Stefano high enough to make a clear path, but he wasn't gonna hold forever.
"We need to get to that siding!" cried Thomas.
"But Captain's about to slip!" worried Lorenzo. "Stefano could crush us!"
"Just trust me!" Thomas shouted. Lorenzo gulped as the two raced towards the siding, making it in the nick of time before Captain slipped and dropped Stefano.
"Hook us up to Stefano!" yelled Thomas. The rescue team obliged and chained both him and Lorenzo up to Stefano. "On three! One! Two! THREE!"
Thomas, Lorenzo and Captain pulled with all their might. It took wheel turn after wheel turn, but finally, they pulled Stefano back onto his wheels again. The rescue team cheered before tending to Stefano's broken hull.
"Nice work, you two!" Ester congratulated Thomas and Lorenzo. "I was worried Stefano would be stuck there forever!"
"Well, we couldn't have done it without Captain's help." smiled Thomas, looking at his friend. "What, you think a tiny tank engine like me could've done that myself?"
Two days later, Thomas had boarded a newly-repaired Stefano, ready to head back to Sodor, Captain by their side.
"Sorry we couldn't show you the whole Riviera, Thomas," Lorenzo sighed.
"We can take you up next time you're in Italy, if you like." assured Beppe.
"It's fine," chuckled Thomas, "besides, it wasn't as important as helping Stefano."
"Aw, grazie, Thomas." smiled Stefano. "Ready to go, Captain?"
"Lead the way, Stefano!" called Captain.
Stefano and Captain sailed off into uncharted waters, en route to Sodor. But Stefano had a little idea as Thomas noticed something off.
"Hey, this isn't the way to Sodor." gasped Thomas.
"I know, I thought we should take the scenic route." Stefano said as they overlooked the Riviera. Thomas gasped in awe, it was unlike anything he had seen before.
"Whoa!" Thomas whispered. "This is incredible! What are we doing here?"
"I told you I was going to take you up here before you headed home." smiled Stefano. "Resplendant, huh?"
"Absolutely!" said Thomas, taking in the beauty of the Riviera.
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