It was a cold winter morning in the Fal Valley, but that didn't mean things stopped. Just because there was snow and frost on the ground didn't mean goods wasn't moving or people needed to travel. As such, the engines were working at their usual rate, shuffling passengers, trucks, coaches, and freight (delete as appropriate) up and down the line.

Sophie, however, was not too happy. "I've just been repainted!" she complained. "Why should I be taking messy coal trucks up to Truro? Give it to another engine!"

"Like Charles?" Salty said, with a smile.

"Don't be absurd!" Charles spluttered. "I am an officer, and-"

"Officers are lazy," Porter said.

"Teeth, be quiet." Charles went on. "Besides, the only types of trucks we should pull are containers- clean, sensible things that come quietly and don't make a fuss. I used to do that sort of thing between Southampton and Waterloo all the time. We called them CONDORs too."

"CONDORs?" Rebecca asked. "As in the birds?"

"Indeed," Charles said. "But it was an acronym. It stood for Containers Door to Door. People would put their items into large containers, which were then placed on wagons to take them to their destination. It meant things could go direct without needing to be loaded and unloaded, which really sped things up. You know, Rebecca, I'm surprised you're not familiar with the practice."

"I was only allocated to Nine Elms for a short period in the 1950s," Rebecca explained. "Other than that I spent most of my time being bounced between Ramsgate, Salisbury, Exmouth Junction, and Bricklayers Arms."

"That explains so much and yet so little."

"Anyway," Salty said, "Sophie, just some friendly advice, diesel to diesel. I know the work doesn't exactly seem like fun, but it's important and helps others. And thinking of others can, if nothing else, be a real mood booster."

"I second that!" Porter said.

As Sophie was backed out of the shed by Pipp, Porter looked up to see a biplane flying over. "It's got a banner behind it!" he said. "Falmouth Pleasure Beach Grand Opening tonight. Please come and visit."

"Nice that they finally settled on a name," Charles joked.

"A shame they picked such a noisy aircraft to advertise it," Rebecca said.

"Oh well," Salty said. "We'll be down in the docks today. Apparently we've got a special load to pick up. Whatever that may be."

Sophie had finished assembling a train in Lighthouse Quarry, and I'm sorry to say her mood had not improved. "Urgh! All this dust does not go well with red and black!" she said.

"Black is quite good at hiding dust," Pipp said. "But it's a bad idea to wear it in summer. Especially Cornish summers!"

Once work was done, Pipp received a special message. It's time to put the plan into action. Proceed to Falmouth Station at once. Don't tell anybody who you're picking up.

Pipp leaned out of the cab. "Change of plans, Sophie! Apparently we are to collect a special visitor!"

"Hooray! Nice to get away from dirty trucks in dirty sidings."

"You'd be dirty too if you spent your whole life carting rocks and coal about," one of the trucks pointed out.

"Not only that, we're stuck here too," said another. "What sort of deity makes trucks that can talk, eh?"

"You're in a curiously philosophical mood today, Fred."

The truck sighed. "Sitting about without much to do means I have a lot of time to think."

Sophie had collected a single coach, namely Clara, from her usual siding at Perranwell, as apparently the special guest deserved to travel in style. She pushed the coach into the platform and waited.

"Well, where is the special guest?" she asked.

"Sophie, be patient," Pipp said, as she looked down the platform. Sure enough, she had soon arrived. "Welcome about, Ms Firstmorne! We have made all the arrangements."

"Faven, please," Faven replied. "And sorry for the delay. Had an unexpectedly high number of flue shots to administer today." She opened the door and stepped into the coach. "Oh, how lovely. It's like a parlour in here."

Once doors were closed, the guard blew his whistle and waved his green flag. "RIGHT AWAY!"

"Easy on the throttle!" called Clara. "We don't want all the furniture sliding about, do we?"

Meanwhile, Salty and Porter were looking at something that had just arrived at the docks. One of the cranes was busy unloading lots and lots of boxes.

"What could be in all these boxes?" Porter wondered.

"Maybe it's for the Pleasure Beach!" Izzy said. "I had been wondering what else they were going to add!"

Sunny put a hand to her chin. "Mom says that no amusement park is complete without a carousel. And many theme park designers feel the same way- Walt Disney got the idea for Disneyland whilst watching a carousel."

"And we have sorta been building our own park, haven't we?" Porter ventured.

"Well, it would have been easier if I'd been able to acquire a magical object that just caused a boardwalk to pop into existance!" Izzy said.

"Don't be absurd!" Salty laughed. "That sort of thing only happens in web cartoons!"

Sophie came to a stop in the platform at Penrhyn, and Pipp leaned out to call over to Alphabittle. "Ready whenever you are!" she called.

Alphabittle nodded. "Just need to finish oiling this crane. Then I'll be on my way!"

Soon enough he was, and he walked across the line and joined the train. "Here's hoping this works!"

"I would comment on your choice of clothing, but I'm not exactly poshly dressed myself," Faven admitted.

Once at Truro, they collected Misty and began to work back to Falmouth. It was dark when they got back, and the trio walked to the sight of the Pleasure Beach.

Just then, Misty spotted her friends. "They're here!" she said, with a happy smile. "They're all here!"

"Well," Zipp said, "we thought it only fitting. You see, we only recently learned that today is your birthday, Misty. And we want to celebrate it with you, as true friends should."

Just then, the Falmouth Pleasure Beach was bathed in incredible light. Each and every stand was switched on- food stalls, the rides, the ferris wheel, the whole lot. With the neon and the glowing lights and the music, it was a truly magical atmosphere.

As the six friends walked down the boardwalk, Sunny looked over. "Guys, I can hear music," she said. "I think a musical number is approaching!"

Pipp led off.

"When we are all different, but one and the same!"

Izzy took up vocal responsibilites.

"Like starlight and moonshine, we all have our place!"

Misty then followed up.

"You can't make a rainbow without all the colors!"

Sunny then joined in.

"And we can't make a friendship-"

And Hitch finished the sentence.

"-without one another!"

Before they all sang together, looking directly to Misty.

"'Cause there is nobody quite like you!"

There was a pause, before Pipp sang again.

"So let your magic run wild!"

As the music behind them began to build up, Misty joined in.

"Let your magic run wild!"

As they made their way towards the first ride of the evening, Hitch and Zipp dueted.

"If you could only see everything you could be/
You would spend your whole life shinin'!"

"Let your magic run wild!" Pipp added.

As they Wild Blue Wonder cleared the first drop, they continued together.

"Let your magic run wild!
(Now it's the time to light up the sky)
Let your magic run wild!
(Now it's the time)"

Now dashing to the edge of the pier, Izzy pointed up to the skies. "Look at the night sky, fillеd up with stars!"

"Each one is perfect, just as thеy are!" Hitch pointed out, pointing to the Ferris wheel.

"But they're brighter together, each leaving their mark!" Zipp noted, looking upwards from the passenger car of the Ferris wheel.

"So beautifully different, all lighting the dark!" Misty observed.

"'Cause nopony sparkles quite like you, ooh!" Pipp and Hitch noted, both pointedly looking Misty's way.

Izzy took over vocal duties again.

"So let your magic run wild!"

(Now it's the time to light up the sky)

And Pipp joined her.

"Let your magic run wild!"

Then the vocals bounced to Zipp.

"If you could only see everything you could be/
You would spend your whole life shinin'!"

Then they all sang together.

"So let your magic run wild!

Let your magic run wild!
(Now it's the time to light up the sky)
Let your magic run wild!
(Now it's the time)

Then they each took turns to harmonise with Izzy.

"We are all different/
but one and the same!
Like starlight and moonshine/
we all have our place!
We can't make a rainbow/
without all the colors!"

Before they all sang together.

"And we can't make a friendship without one another!"

"So let your magic run wild!
(Now it's the time to light up the sky)
Let your magic run wild!
If you could only see everything you could be/
You would spend your whole life shinin'!
So let your magic run wild!"

As they looked out to sea, Zipp spoke up. "Happy birthday, Misty."

Misty smiled in return. "Thanks, guys." Truth be told, she knew this was her place. It is often said that friends are the family you choose.

And Misty knew there was nobody she would rather be with.

Author's Note

This chapter is an adaptation of the Thomas and Friends episode of the same name, and is narratively a direct follow-up to the previous chapter. Given how miserable much of Misty's life was, I felt it only fitting she get a happy day courtesy of her friends.

CONDOR was a heavy freight service introduced by British Railways in 1959 as part of Modernisation. These services consisted exclusively of container stock and ran at express passenger speeds to try and speed up freight delivery (the primary benefit of containers being no need to move goods between trucks). The trains ran until 1965, and were replaced by the Freightliner brand in 1966.

The sheds Rebecca mentions are all real places; Nine Elms was the main works of the London & South Western Railway, and Salisbury and Exmouth Junction were major junctions on the West of England Mainline, a route that Rebecca would probably have travelled regularly in steam days. Bricklayers Arms was one of the early depots of the South Eastern Railway (which later merged with several other companies to create the Southern Railway), and was situated in Southwark (pronounced Su-thuk) in south London. Bricklayers Arms closed in 1962, but many of its structures were saved and moved to Ropley on the Mid-Hants Railway, most notably the wheeldrop.

According to the official history of the Walt Disney Company, Walt got the idea for Disneyland when he was visiting an amusement park in LA with his daughters. At the time, it was normal for children to go on rides whilst the parents watched. Whilst he was doing this, Disney found himself thinking; what if somebody built a park where adults and kids could have fun together? This idea would eventually evolve into Disneyland, which is often described as the first theme park.