Thomas and Friends: Across the Sea

by The Blue EM2

Rating: teen
Tags: Queen Haven, Alternate Universe, Other, Original Character, Comedy, Misty, My Little Pony: A New Generation, Adventure, Equestria Girls, Mane 5, Violence, Crossover
Length: 23175

A new land reveals a new realm of wonder...

One day, Izzy is out exploring when she finds a strange rock on Swanage beach. No sooner has she started fiddling with it, she and Pipp suddenly find themselves on the other side of the world.

Whilst having to adapt to a new time zone and life on the water alongside a fleet of boats, they will also have to contend with challenging work conditions, a new world completely, and some old enemies thrown into the mix. Will all be ship shape, or will the Mane 6 and the Star Fleet be sleeping with the fishes?

Based on the Set your Sail miniseries of MLP G5 comics, and a formal crossover with Tugs, the sister series of Thomas and Friends. Written to mark the second anniversary of Thomas and Friends: a New Generation.

Published 2024-11-04 14:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2024-11-15 15:08:25 UTC

Intro

This story is dedicated in memory of Patrick Allen (1927-2006) and Timothy Bateson (1926-2009). Rest in Peace.

Fimfiction Proudly Presents

A Story by The Blue EM2

Sponsored by the Guild of Equestrian Railroaders

And Based on an Idea by Thomlight Sparkle

THOMAS AND FRIENDS: ACROSS THE SEA

Starring the voices of:

Vanessa Hudgens

Kimiko Glenn

Sofia Carson

Liza Koshy

James Marsden

Julie Lemiux

Charles Dance

Steven Fry

Simon Nash

Sean Barrett

Michael Sheen

John Baddeley

Mike O' Malley

Shaun Prendergast

Chris Tulloch

Nigel Anthony

Lee Cornes

Joanne Good

and Jeffrey Holland

Animation by Boulder Media and Arc Productions

Model Effects and Sequences recorded at Ellstree Studios

A Hasbro and Mattel Co-Production, Copyright MMXXIV

Credits

CAST - IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:
Kimiko Glenn - Izzy Moonbow
Vanessa Hudgens - Sunny Starscout
James Marsden - Hitch Trailblazer
Liza Koshy - Zipp Storm
Bahia Watson - Misty Brightdawn
Sofia Carson - Pipp Petals
Arturo Hernandez - Thunder Flap
Jane Krakowski - Lady Haven
Michael McKean - Argyle Starshine
Tara Strong - Goldie Starshine
Richard E. Grant - Lord Haven, Master of Ceremonies
Lee Cornes - Grampus
Stephen Fry - Captain Star
Simon Nash - Ten Cents
Mike O'Malley - Warrior, The Pirates
John Baddeley - Top Hat, Puffa, The Pirates, Zip
Sean Barrett - Big Mac, Captain Zero, Izzy Gomez
Michael Sheen - OJ, Lord Stinker, Big Mickey
Shaun Prendergast - Sunshine, Zak
Halle Bailey - Anenome
Sigourney Weaver - Calla Lily
Julie Lemiux - Allura
Chris Tulloch - Zorran
Nigel Anthony - Zug
Jeffrey Holland - Captain Mitchell

Allura punched a button on her display. "Allura reporting," she said.

A familiar face appeared on the screen. "Report," he said. "Do you have the Nova Charm?"

"Not at the moment," Allura said. "But we have hunted down who last had it. According to my research, her boat crashed in a small harbour town called Falmouth."

"Deploy there immediately. I'll have Alfred on standby as transportation."

"Yes my lord." Allura ended the communication, before smiling to herself. "When that charm is mine, we shall be reunited once more."

And Henry Shields as Sir Percy Armitage-Haven.

Chapter 1-Set your Sail

It began so suddenly that nobody saw it coming.

The ship seemingly appeared from nowhere, bearing down upon the city like a tidal wave. Its horn blaring at full volume like the shrieks of lost souls, forever doomed to sail the seas forever. As it approached, the city bridges were down. Nothing could have fitted underneath them with a ship of that size.

The ship had no intention of stopping, however, and simply crashed through them. Its decks were manned with ghostly figures, and they had no intent of showing mercy to the living. The weapons of the ship continued to fire upon anything that moved. Civilians were fired upon. Buildings were shelled. Explosions rocked the sides of the city, and damaged structures severely and shipping alike.

The rampage continued, unabated, for over an hour, until the military could rally its forces and sink it in the seas. The mysterious ship plummeted to the bottom, seemingly gone for good along with its mysterious crew.

But the story didn't end there. Legend has it that the ship is still there, waiting at the bottom of the sea. Waiting for somebody to lift her from the depths of the oceans. And then, she will have her revenge...

"And that's the story of the USS Nightmare!" Izzy finished, as she and her friends sat on the beach.

Sunny blinked. "Another ghost story? Just how many ghost stories do you know?"

Izzy shrugged. "I may have embellished some of the details, but the gist of the story is as presented. Besides, stories like this have elements of truth to them." She threw some sand into the air. "Besides, could you imagine seeing an actual ghost ship? It may happen, touch wood."

Sunny shook her head. "We don't have any wood here. And given that a ghost train stalked my mom and tried to kill me, I'm in no mood to meet ghost machines any time soon. Dad did do some research on myths and legends, though."

"I know!" Izzy said. "I saw them in his study. Though he does keep them apart from the scientific books for some reason..."

"He uses the Dewey Decimal System to organise his bookshelf."

"But who wouldn't want to sail the sea and see exotic new places?" Izzy asked, as she showed Sunny something new. "The seven seas and four oceans call to some like a lover with open arms! Salty would know."

"Hey Sunny!" Hitch called. "Why are you down on the beach?"

"Izzy's showing me something!" Sunny replied, before turning back to Izzy. "Salty's never left the UK. I know he talks like a pirate, but he's never been to a foreign country. Mainly because he's scared of meeting actual pirates."

For those of you wondering precisely what is going on, the Falmouth crew had been invited to Swanage for Thanksgiving, as a way of saying thank you for the previous year's invitation to Falmouth for Swanage residents. The sun was quite shiny, but overall the weather was fairly pleasant for November.

And they were on the beach because of something Izzy had found.

Izzy showed this something to Sunny. "I found this whilst walking along the beach," she grinned. "I tripped over it and noticed the odd shape, so began to read it. Until I realised it was written in a really funny way." She opened the book to the first page.

Sunny squinted at the text. "Die Vliegende Hollander? I have no idea what that means."

Just then, Zipp arrived and leaned in at the text. "I'm not sure what language that is either," she sighed. "It certainly isn't any that I speak." She tried to read some of it. "Dit is het verhaal van de Vliegende Hollander, een figuur wiens naam door de zeeën spookt. Als je hem ziet, bereid je dan voor op gevaar."

"You'd be really good at reading audiobooks, Zipp!" Izzy said.

Sunny put her hand to her chin. "I don't know what language this is either," she said. "It certainly isn't Cornish. But mom may be able to help here."

"How so, Sunny?" Misty asked, who had suddenly arrived herself.

"She speaks German, and some of the sounds in that passage Zipp just read sound like some of the sounds I've heard mom using when speaking on the phone for business purposes."

"Seems an odd thing to have overheard," Hitch noted.

"Her office is right next to the stairs. It's kinda hard not to."

Suddenly, there was a loud scream. "CAN SOMEBODY HELP ME? THESE SEAGULLS ARE TRYING TO STEAL MY CHIPS!"

"On my way!" Hitch shouted, and dashed over to Pipp.

Sunny picked up the book. "If you don't mind, can I show this to mom?"

"Sure you can, Sunny!" Izzy smiled. "Just make sure to give it back, OK?"

Sunny nodded.

Hitch glanced over to Zipp. "I just went looking in the area where Izzy found that book, and found this." He picked up a bottle and showed it to her.

"Message in a bottle?" Zipp said. "Somebody was sending out an SOS to the world."

"I'm not sure our American readers will get that joke," Hitch said. He removed the piece of paper from the bottle and rolled it out. "It's not a message. It's a map. Showing a very big lake."

"And with no indication of where the lake is," Zipp said, her face scrunching up in confusion. "A key would be really handy. And what's this? Where's Big City Port?"

Pipp and Izzy strolled along the waterfront, back towards the substancial pile that was Purbeck House. "And that, my friend," Izzy finished, "is why you should read them!"

Pipp shrugged. "I've read plenty of ghost stories, Izzy. I have a tradition of doing dramatic readings of spooky stories around Halloween and Christmas. Besides, I get enough of that from mom. She thinks I don't read enough."

"Do you?" Izzy asked.

"I do read... on my phone. I find I can read better on screens!" Pipp pouted. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all she's done for me, but things have changed a lot since she was my age. Phones used to look like bricks, for one!" She showed her phone to Izzy. "Not like this slender piece of engineering excellence."

"She probably just worries about you, like any good mom would," Izzy replied, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Pipp sighed. "Thanks, Izz. And I know she'll be there to support me. You comin' to the launch of my new song?"

"What's it about?" Izzy asked.

"It's called Across the Sea, and is about the importance of knowing that, no matter where you are in the world, you aren't alone. I had considered releasing Set your Sail first, but ballads are performing better with my target audience right now. I'll be going live in about an hour, so see you then!"

"Sea ya!" Izzy smiled. "The ocean is a limitless reserve for puns."

Pipp arrived back at home and prepared to enter the door when she suddenly smelled a funny smell. "Can you smell a smell?" she asked Thunder, who was on door duty.

"No, ma'am," he replied. "I can't smell a smell."

Pipp nodded and stepped inside. She walked through to the kitchen- only to find her mother in her boilersuit and currently preparing some sandwiches.

Lady Haven looked over and smiled. "Hello, Pipp! How are you? Is the launch going well?"

Pipp nodded. "Going live in about fifty minutes. But may I ask why you're dressed in... well... your boilersuit?"

Lady Haven sighed. "Myself and Ray have been invited to the Bluebell Railway for their Thanksgiving Steam Spectacular. The original guest engine had to drop out, so we've been asked to help."

Pipp blinked. "That starts on Thursday! That's rather short notice!"

Lady Haven nodded. "I know. But one good turn deserves another. After all, they helped with Ray's overhaul, so I think it's only fair I help them in their hour of need."

Pipp's face fell.

Lady Haven noticed this, and placed her hand on Pipp's shoulder. "I know I said I would be there for the launch, but I'll be there in spirit. I'll have my phone set to the stream, so I'll be watching whilst I'm preparing Ray for running."

Pipp nodded. "Thanks mom. Good luck."

Pipp sat down in the garden and felt somewhat deflated. She knew it was unreasonable to expect her mother to drop everything just because of something she was doing. But she was close to her, and she had said she would be there for the launch.

She looked down. "Maybe I should postpone the launch until after Thanksgiving."

"Hey Pipparoni!" said a familiar voice. Pipp looked up to see Izzy approaching.

"What's the news? The tea?" Pipp asked.

"It's not finished brewing," Izzy said. "But look what I found!" She showed Pipp a small blue stone. "Isn't it pretty?"

As both girls looked at it, the stone suddenly started to glow. There was a bright flash of light, and when it cleared neither Pipp nor Izzy were there.

Their newest adventure had only just begun.

Author's Note

What is up, everypony? Welcome to the newest adventure, which is written to mark two years since I started this setting. As last year, this is another adaptation of the G5 comics, this time focusing on the Set your Sail miniseries released earlier this year.

The story that Izzy tells at the start of the chapter is inspired by a real incident that occurred in 1993, when a dredger broke from its moorings and drifted down the Ohio River, wreaking havoc as it went. The vessel was eventually recovered and turned into a haunted house attraction. I, however, have added the elements about the ship attacking random people; this did not happen in the original incident.

'Touch wood' is a colloquial expression derived from an old superstition that touching a wooden object after making a bold claim will cause that claim to come true. Note that there is no actual requirement to touch wood; merely stating that you intend to do so is enough.

Seagulls stealing chips and crisps (french fries and chips in US parlance) is a problem that has plagued the English seaside for decades. Whilst a recent study shows that seagulls would prefer fish, chips are often easier for them to source (and steal from unsuspecting tourists). One case that made headlines in the UK was that of Steven Seagull, who stole more than thirty packets of crisps in six years.

The sequence with Lady Haven is heavily reworked from the original comic, where Queen Haven essentially voluntells Pipp into visiting the seaponies (despite the fact that Pipp has existing commitments and the letter that Queen Haven receives is riddled with spelling errors that an official communique should not have). The comics have consistently struggled with depicting Queen Haven accurately to her show persona, and she frequently comes across as a bit of an idiotic jerk, missing obvious red flags and dumping responsibilities on her daughters at incredibly short notice, seemingly not caring that they have their own lives. This is especially notable considering a big part of her arc in Make your Mark was accepting Pipp and Zipp have their own lives now. The scene here was part of an effort to fix that and have the character behave more consistently with how I have historically portrayed her.

And now Pipp and Izzy are off on another adventure! Where will they end up?

Chapter 2-Oh, They Built the Ship Olympic

Sunny and Zipp arrived back at Purbeck House later that day, with the copy of Izzy's book firmly under Sunny's arm.

"Here's hoping this works," Zipp said.

"It should do," Sunny smiled. "Mom's pretty chill most of the time."

"The time you've been spending with Pipp is clearly rubbing off on you," Zipp replied. "You'll be speaking in hashtags next."

"That wouldn't be fun," Sunny answered, sighing. "I used to get enough crap for using American English as a kid. There was this girl called Mandy who called me an idiot for calling biscuits cookies and 'using American words'. Well, why do you think that I use a mixture of British and American English?"

"Because your mom's American?" Zipp ventured.

"Rhetorical question, Zipp."

Just then, they arrived in the main dining room. Argyle was sitting at a chair, going over a book. "Rumours of an engine underneath the main line," he mused. "Could be worth looking into. I know Awdry wrote about something similar, but this could be worth studying."

"Hey dad," Sunny said.

Argyle looked up from his book and smiled. "Hey Sunny!" he said. "Have a nice time at the beach?"

"Pretty much," Sunny replied. "Hey, have you seen mom anywhere?"

Just then, a door opened, and Goldie walked in. She looked a tad hot and bothered. "That has to be the most perdantic client we have ever worked with," she grumbled. "He was constantly correcting me on my use of US English."

"Was he British?" Argyle asked.

"No, German," Goldie replied. "And one trait many Germans have is correcting other people's languages for them- even if the corrections are wrong." Her face softened when she saw Sunny. "Hello Sunny. How are things?"

"Mom, I was wondering if you could help us with something," Sunny asked. "Izzy and I found this strange book on the beach, and the language it's written in is one we can't understand. Zipp read some out and it sounded kinda like German."

Goldie nodded. "Well, I'll give it a look." Sunny slid the book down the table to her, and Goldie opened it up. "Wow, this is dusty." She turned to the first page and started reading aloud. "Dit is het verhaal van de Vliegende Hollander, een figuur wiens naam door de zeeën spookt. Als je hem ziet, bereid je dan voor op gevaar." She shook her head. "I'm not too sure of that one myself. I recognise quite a few of the words, such as zeeën, which in German means sea, but other than that I'm a bit lost."

Then Lord Haven arrived. "Ah! Zipp! There you are!" he said. "Good to see you. What's going on here?"

"Trying to translate a very odd book," Zipp said. "We asked Sunny's mom to take a look, but she's having difficulty understanding the text."

"May I take a look?" Lord Haven asked, and leaned over Goldie's shoulder. "Dit is het verhaal van de Vliegende Hollander, een figuur wiens naam door de zeeën spookt. Als je hem ziet, bereid je dan voor op gevaar." He smiled. "Well, that was simpler than I anticipated. It's Dutch. Translated, it means this is the story of the Flying Dutchman, a figure whose name haunts the seas. If you see him, prepare for danger."

Zipp looked over. "Didn't know you speach Dutch, dad."

Lord Haven nodded. "I sort of do and sort of don't. As most of you probably know, I'm originally from South Africa. My ancestors were amongst a group of Dutch settlers who came there in the 18th Century, and over time the language shifted from Dutch to Afrikaans, which I speak. It has come in handy quite a few times. With luck, I should be able to translate most of this book for you."

Argyle glanced over. "Apologies for probing, but I must say that Haven doesn't sound particularly like an Afrikaaner surname."

Lord Haven smiled. "It's alright. Intellectual curiosity never hurt anybody. I actually opted to take my wife's name when I married Elizabeth, and my original name was Opwinden." He then glanced to Zipp. "Before I go, have you seen Pipp anywhere? I thought she was supposed to be going live with a new song soon, but I can't seem to find her anywhere."

Once the light had faded, Pipp soon realised she was in a bit of jam. A sticky situation, you could say.

For one, she was currently underwater. For two, she was currently in a heavy diving suit with an oxygen tank stuck to the back.

Pipp looked about in a panic. "Izzy? Izzy! Where are you?"

"Right next to you!" Another diving suit suddenly floated in front of her, similarly heavy and stocky. Pipp could clearly see Izzy's face through the glass of the helmet. "Why are you looking so worried, Pipp?"

Pipp rolled her eyes. "Oh, I don't know, it may be the tiny little detail that WE'RE UNDERWATER?!"

"It could have been worse," Izzy said. "We could have dropped in without diving suits and had to swim to the surface." She pointed upwards. "And swimming there would probably take a really long time, and-"

"Stop talking."

"Pipp, isn't that a bit ru-"

"I'm serious. I can hear something overhead."

Suddenly, the light from above them was cut off, and a large object passed overhead, blasting its whistle as it did so. Another large object passed nearby, its propellers churning up the water.

Pipp looked at Izzy. "Those are ships. Somehow we are out at sea!"

Izzy grinned. "Do you think we'll meet mermaids?"

"I'm more concerned about getting thrown about by the wake of ships! We need to get out of here, and fast!"

Suddenly, a voice spoke behind them. "You two aren't supposed to be here, are you?"

Both girls turned around and screamed at what had appeared before them. Sitting there was a long, black submarine, with a conning tower and long base, with propellers and a rudder at the back. But this was not what had caught the attention of Pipp and Izzy.

The submarine had a face, with a pair of goggles over his eyes. He laughed. "Is that how you say hello where you're from?"

"How did you sneak up on us?" Pipp asked.

The submarine smiled. "I'm a submarine! Sneaking up on things is part of the job." He dropped his smile. "But I can sense you're lost. This waterway isn't safe for divers, and Lake Michigan appears to be very busy at the moment, so I can transport you two to safety in the city." A hatch opened on the top. "You'd best be getting into the decompression chamber."

Both girls, knowing the alternative was probably getting smashed to bits by shipping, agreed, and swam over and into the hatch. The hatch closed, and the water drained out, allowing them to exit the chamber and take the diving suits off.

Pipp, understandably, was relieved to see the clothes she had been wearing were still there under the suit, and took a seat on one side. "This is really cramped," she said.

"I was built for military service," a voice said, that of the submarine. "Let me introduce meself. I'm Grampus of the Star Fleet."

Izzy, however, seemed to be musing. "What was that strange book about though?" she asked. "I can't figure out who this vligiende hollander was. Is it a person? A ship? A type of sauce?"

"I don't know many Dutchmen round here," Grampus said, "but I'd be more than happy to take you to see somebody to help you out. Off we go!"

With that, Grampus' engines rumbled into life, and he set off through the waters of the lake.

Pipp looked around and noticed something. "Izzy, something unusual is going on," she said.

"What's that?" Izzy asked.

"Grampus doesn't have a driver," Pipp said. "He's moving by himself!"

"They're called pilots in the navy," Grampus said, suddenly. "People in the navy who fly planes are called aviators for that reason."

"Hence why Tom Cruise jokes about landing on boats rather than sailing them in Maverick," Izzy said.

"Still haven't gotten round to watching that," Pipp said.

As they continued to move along through the water, the scenery seemed to change, and suddenly they felt upwards movement.

"We're at the port now, so we need to surface," Grampus said. Moments later, he stopped, and some hatches opened. "Have a nice time up there! If you need a water taxi, just ask for Grampus."

Pipp climbed out of the submarine and into a glorious open sky. Once on the dock, she saw a vast skyline of towering buildings and mighty structures. And her heart filled with excitement when she saw it.

"I've always wanted to come here!" she said.

"Where are we?" Izzy asked.

Pipp turned around, grinning. "Izzy... we're in Chicago!"

Suddenly, Grampus spoke again. "Sorry about this, but I seem to have dropped you off at the wrong dock. I'd forgotten that Zero Marine had moved premises recently. Hop back aboard, and I'll take you to the Star Fleet dock."

Author's Note

Hello folks, and welcome back to a new chapter! This time around, our heroes find themselves in other places whilst the mystery continues to deepen.

Argyle's book is referencing the Lindal railway incident, where a locomotive fell into a sinkhole that opened up in some sidings. The engine was never recovered and was confirmed to still be down there by ground penetrating radar scans. Recovery, however, would be rather difficult as the line through Lindal is pretty busy.

Goldie's complaint about German is a reference to a road sign I once saw in France with corrections. Germans are notorious in Europe for correcting signs with mistakes in them, even if they are in other languages. Whilst seeing this sign covered in corrections was admittedly pretty funny, what made it even funnier was that the German corrections to the English were themselves wrong. Sunny's earlier comment is partly based on my own struggles with adapting back to life in the UK; if somebody asks me if I'd like chips I still often visualise crisps rather than fries.

But now we have our first Tugs character, Grampus the submarine! Grampus is based on the Plunger-Class submarines built between 1900 and 1903. Primarily intended as training vessels for submariners, they remained in service until 1921, when most were blown up for target practice (Grampus himself nearly suffering this fate in the show). Grampus having no crew is an allusion to the fact we never see any humans in Tugs; the show implies the waterborne craft can move by themselves without crews, which directly contradicts what is established in Thomas and Friends.

Finally, we have our setting- the stunning city of Chicago. I originally planned to set the story in New York, but know Chicago better, and a key component of my writing is trying to capture the spirit of places I have been. Thus, the Windy City shall be our setting for the next two weeks or so. See you tomorrow for more adventures!

Chapter 3-Sendin' Out an SOS

Later on, Grampus surfaced at another dock, and he opened the hatches. "Welcome to the Star Fleet Dock!" he said. "Serving Chicago and the Lake Michigan area since 1926!"

Pipp clambered up the ladder and set herself down on the quayside. "That was quite the day," she said. "I'm pretty certain visit Chicago was not on my to-do list for today. But I seem to have done it nontheless."

"It's always fun to explore new places!" Izzy said. "Just don't put ketchup on a hot dog here."

Pipp glanced over. "Why? I normally don't eat barbequed food- remember, I put on weight very easily."

"It's because ketchup was traditionally put on food to hide the taste of bad meat. By doing that, you're suggesting the meat here is bad."

Pipp nodded. "Oh."

"Good morning, you two!" said a voice. "Grampus told me we'd be getting some visitors, so I decided to come out and visit you in person."

A man was walking down the dock. He was a somewhat portly gentleman, with grey hair and a beard to boot. He also seemed to be fairly cheerful, and certainly had the character of a cheerful sailor to him. "Welcome to Chicago," he said. "My name is Captain Star."

"Pipp Petals," Pipp replied. "You may or may not have heard of me."

"I've heard youngsters mention that name more than once," Captain Star noted. "Short for Phillippa, I presume?"

"Yep!" Pipp replied. "An interview I did once gave my given name as Philomena once. Not sure how that happened, but it's all been cleaned up now."

"Very good," Captain Star said, and turned his attention to Izzy. "And you?"

"Izzy Moonbow, of the Bury Moonbows," Izzy said, with a smile. "I'm so glad to help. But may I ask why you have an English accent?"

"Of course," Captain Star replied. "My father founded this company many years ago, and I took it over when he retired. He was from Britain, and naturally brought his accent with him. Naturally, I inherited it, so I've been running it ever since. Certainly keeps a lot to keep an old sea dog like me down!"

He began to walk towards the dock, where a large assortment of tugboats were assembled. "It's not often I get to show visitors around the dockyard," he said, "so I want you to meet the fleet."

All of the tugboats assembled there were painted yellow with black and white frames. They had red chimneys with blue and white tops, and a chaotic jumble of machinery along the frames and hull. They also had heads sitting roughly where the wheelhouse on some other boats would be.

"Morning Captain Star!" said the first one, with a thick Cockney accent. "Are these the guests you mentioned!"

"Indeed they are, Ten Cents!" Captain Star said. "This is Ten Cents, one of my two switchers, built to move light cargo about on barges." He then walked to the next tugboat, a much larger vessel. "This is Warrior, one of my harbour tugs. Built to do just about anything. Except fly, of course."

"Big work for big tugs only!" Warrior smiled. "Like coal."

One of the other tugboats snorted. "Honestly, you never cease to amaze me, Warrior. Why, one day I thought a floating sack of coal had drifted into port. But it was only Warrior, covered in coal dust!"

"I thought that was Big Mac," Ten Cents said.

"Does it matter who it was?" the other tugboat said. "Cleanliness is close to godliness."

"The only reason you're clean is because you do no hard work," said another tugboat, with a thick Scottish accent.

"Alright, settle down," said Captain Star. He indicated to a tugboat with a top hat and a monocle. "This is Top Hat. He's my railroad tug, largely used to move railroad barges around."

Top Hat looked down. "Good morning, my fine fellows. Do I sense a touch of class in what you wear, my fair lady?"

"Posh tugboats!" Pipp said, before snapping a photo with her phone. "Totes bizarre day!"

Top Hat looked shocked. "TOTES?!" he spluttered. "Since when has that been a word?!"

"Ever since the word was coined," Pipp replied. "HashTag Keep up with the times!"

Top Hat shook his head. "Next they'll be ending sentences with prepositions. And a sentence ending with a preposition is something up with which I will not put."

"Isn't that a preposition?" asked the Scottish tugboat.

Keen to ignore the craziness going on, Captain Star simply moved on, and indicated to the Scottish tugboat. "This is Big Mac. Another of my harbour tugs. A hard worker; dependable, reliable, seldom late."

"Only the best from a Glasgow tug!" Big Mac replied.

The next vessel looked much older than the rest. He had two large paddle wheels on each side, the casings of which were painted white.

"This is OJ, short for Old Jones. He's my oldest tugboat, but a hard worker."

"If ever you need advice or some guidance, just let me know," OJ replied, revealing a distinct Welsh accent. "I know these waterways very well, having sailed them since the 1920s."

"He's also had a major rebuild recently," Captain Star said. "In many ways he's better than new now."

Finally, they arrived in front of another tugboat, who was much smaller than the others. "This is Sunshine, my newest vessel. He's another switcher, and often works with Ten Cents!"

"Good morning!" Sunshine replied in a cheery Geordie accent, although his speech was somewhat distorted by the large gap in his teeth, causing him to whistle a lot.

"I have a separate tug for working on the Great Lakes," Captain Star explained. "His name is Hercules, and he's currently away assisting a cargo ship." He turned to the other tugs. "Now, good work this morning. I've got some more work for you!"

The tugs cheered.

"Ten Cents, Sunshine, there's a fresh shipment of flour coming out from the mills on the Lake. I need you two to collect it and take it to the processing plant."

Top Hat snorted. "Flour. Horribly messy stuff. Gets in all sorts of awkward places."

"It might brighten you up a bit, Top Hat!" Ten Cents snorted, causing raucous laughter.

Top Hat fumed. "I resent that remark."

"Settle down," said Captain Star. "Now then, you all have important tasks. OJ, I need you to collect some lumber from upriver, the sawmill's got a fresh load. Hopefully Billy won't have blown himself up."

"Aye, sir," OJ said.

"Big Mac, I need you to move some steel across the bay. They've just finished reassembling Big Mickey, so they have fresh work for us."

"Sir," Big Mac said quickly.

"Warrior, you're on rock duty. They're currently dredging the harbour near Navy Pier so are removing quite a lot of the stuff."

"I'll do my best sir!" Warrior said proudly.

"Watch you don't spill the load!" said Ten Cents.

"Finally, Top Hat, you're on garbage today. Collect Lord Stinker and take him to the refuse plant."

"WHAT?!" Top Hat said. "Garbage? It'll ruin my image!"

Captain Star rolled his eyes. "Why do I always end up arguing with you, Top Hat? Just do as you're told."

Top Hat pulled away from the dock, grumbling. "I could have been bringing in the finest ocean liners in the world, and instead I tow garbage around. How is this my life?"

Pipp looked at Captain Star. "And I thought Zipp was a drama queen."

"Who's Zipp?"

"My sister. She's not here right now."

Captain Star nodded. "Now then, would you like to help out?"

"Of course!" Izzy said. "I'll go with Ten Cents, if that's OK."

"And I'll try and catch up to Top Hat," Pipp said. "I've always wanted to go sightseeing! May even get some neat new selfies!"

"Very well," Captain Star said. "If you need me, my door is always open. Now then, Star Fleet! Let's get to work!"

The dock echoed to the sound of whistles and steam engines as the tugs got their boilers up to full speed.

The bay around Lake Michigan is littered with old abandoned ships and shipwrecks, which can make navigating the Great Lakes a bit hazardous. One such vessel sat a fair distance from the shoreline, not having sailed in many, many years.

On one such shipwreck, two women were sitting. One looked annoyed with the other. "You need to be more careful, Anenome!" said one. "You know how dad will react if he learns we've been snooping around."

"No need to worry about me!" said a woman with pink skin and green hair. "It's always fun to see what washes up on Lake Michigan."

"Even so, we need to be careful our moves are not detected," the other said, a figure with yellowy skin and white hair. "It's as the old legends tell. Find the ancient markers and all shall be revealed. And our prize shall emerge, make no mistake of that. And don't tell anybody."

Anenome nodded. "Understood, Calla." Even so, she looked uneasy.

Ten Cents and Sunshine puffed across Lake Michigan, with a selection of barges behind them. "Fun work, this!" Sunshine smiled. "Less strange than some other cargoes we've moved about."

"You're right on that on, Sunshine," Ten Cents said. "You know, I've been wondering about those two newcomers."

"How so?" Sunshine asked.

"They seemingly arrived quite suddenly, and Grampus didn't know where they came from. Can people and things just appear suddenly from nowhere?"

"Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth, agreed?" Sunshine blinked. "I never thought I'd be quoting Sherlock Holmes on these voyages."

Izzy, meanwhile, was standing on the back of Ten Cents, with her arms out. "I've always wanted to do that reference!" she said.

"You're supposed to do it at the front, not the back!" Ten Cents said. "Besides, referencing Titanic carries a fine."

Izzy was about to reply, when suddenly there was a bang from the barge, and a ship seemingly bounced off it.

Ten Cents looked round. "Oi! You scraped the barge, you twit!"

Izzy looked at where the vessel was going. It was a small tugboat, about the same size as Ten Cents. But it was painted entirely black, and seemed to have a pair of strange green lights on it.

Izzy thought this was probably leading up to something. "I'll just go and check that out," she said, hopping off Ten Cents as he docked and making her way along the dockside.

"Sorry for the dent," Ten Cents said. "That tug wasn't looking where he was going and- hold on a moment. Where's Izzy gotten to?"

"What is up, everybody?"

Pipp had taken to looking around her from the deck of Top Hat. She seemed to have her eyes open in wonder as she looked about the city.

Top Hat did not share her sense of excitement. "This smell is awful," he complained. "Whyever do I continue working with this motley crew?"

"Don't talk badly of Motley Crew!" Lord Stinker, a barge loaded to the brim with garbage, said. "They recorded some very good songs. Besides, garbage is important. If we don't move the garbage, it'll all pile up. And people will complain."

"I know it needs to be done," Top Hat said. "I just don't understand why I didn't get Frank and Eddie. They are so much easier to work with, and usually clean too."

Pipp was completely oblivious to the conversation. "Now then, I know that you can't smell this, but it is somewhat wiffy here. Good thing we have this stunning skyline!" She spun the phone round, took a snap, then hit upload. "Good thing I remembered to upgrade to an international data package, but the WiFi is actually pretty good out here."

Top Hat looked around. "We'll have to take the narrow canal," he said. "This is hard enough at the best of times, and the high tide won't make it any easier."

"Come on Pipp, where are you?" Zipp said, searching through the house. She had been going for a while, and unfortunately had had no luck at all. "This makes no sense. Shouldn't she be streaming by now?"

"Ah, Zipp, there you are!" said Lady Haven, having suddenly appeared. "Have you seen Pipp anywhere?"

"Nope. Just searched the house from top to bottom." Zipp sighed and put her face in her hands as she sat down. "It's not like her to just vanish."

"That is concerning," Lady Haven said. "I've received a very strange message claiming to be her, but the number isn't recognised and it doesn't feel like the way she normally types."

Zipp took a glance. "That's AI generated," she said.

"How can you tell?" Lady Haven asked.

Zipp pointed to several suspicious features. "Firstly, the sun is in the wrong place in the sky for the current time of day. Second, if you look closely the fabric on her clothes doesn't look right. And third, I'm pretty certain Pipp doesn't have three hands. That and her thumb is on the wrong side in one."

"You'd make quite the detective," Lady Haven said. "Truth be told I had my suspicions, but I chose to run them by you nontheless."

Suddenly, Zipp's phone started buzzing loudly, so she pulled it out. "This is big," she said. "Stream from Pipp?" She swiped to one side and suddenly the image started.

There was a lot of wind in the background, which made making the voices out rather difficult.

"What is up, everybody?"

"This smell is awful. Whyever do I continue working with this motley crew?"

"Don't talk badly of Motley Crew! They recorded some very good songs. Besides, garbage is important. If we don't move the garbage, it'll all pile up. And people will complain."

"I know it needs to be done. I just don't understand why I didn't get Frank and Eddie. They are so much easier to work with, and usually clean too."

"Now then, I know that you can't smell this, but it is somewhat wiffy here. Good thing we have this stunning skyline!" The camera suddenly span, and Pipp was clearly visible before the frame changed. "Good thing I remembered to upgrade to an international data package, but the WiFi is actually pretty good out here."

Lady Haven swiped to the image section of Pipp's uploads, and studied the picture closely. "Good Heavens!" she said. "How did she end up all the way over there?"

"Where is it, mom?" Zipp asked.

"That's Chicago!" Lady Haven said, pointing to one of the building. "See that? That's the Sears Tower. I recognise it from my visit there many years ago. We have to go and help her! No doubt the poor dear is scared out of her wits!"

Zipp thought to herself. "But how are we going to get there?"

"The exact same way we got to Sodor a year ago!" Lady Haven said. "Pack your equipment, Zipp! We're finding the Magic Railway!"

Author's Note

Hello again, my fine fellow sailors, and welcome to another chapter! This time around, we focus on the return of many beloved characters of both the Thomas and Tugs fandoms, with more mystery building up as well.

The hotdog fact that Izzy mentions is entirely true-Chicagoans do frown on people putting ketchup on their hot dogs. They go to great lengths to dissuade people from doing this, to the point of one stand I ate at charging extra for ketchup. Naturally, I ate it the Chicago way, and am glad I did.

Pipp being called Philomena is an allusion to the final issue of Set your Sail (which this story is an adaptation of). One of the panels in the comic reveals that Pipp's true name is Philomena, meaning that Pipp is a nickname. Unfortunately, this doesn't make a whole lot of sense given that in the English language Pipp (with three Ps) is short for Phillippa. Furthermore, Queen Haven doesn't use it when scolding her in The Jinxie Games, compared to how she uses 'Zephyrina' to indicate her displeasure with Zipp's actions. I'll be sticking to Phillippa being her full name if that's OK with everybody.

And now the moment you've all been waiting for... the introduction of the Star Fleet!

Ten Cents is based on a San Fransisco Harbour Switcher from the 1920s, and his name reflects this. Despite this, he speaks with a UK regional accent, which has been preserved here.

Warrior is based on a London tugboat; central London used to have a thriving dockyard until containers forced operations to move to Tilbury in South London. As such, Warrior has a South London accent.

Top Hat is inspired by railway tugs, which often had very tall bridges to enable the pilot to see over obstacles and barges. This is probably what inspired Top Hat's ability to move his head up and down. In terms of accent he speaks with an extremely posh RP accent, with the top hat and monocle only reinforcing the aristocratic image (FiM used the same technique to indicate Fancy Pants' social class).

Big Mac is a freelance design, incorporating elements of both Glasgow and Baltimore tugboats. The fact he shares the name with an MLP character sometimes causes confusion (confusion made more notable by the fact the fanbases of MLP, TTTE, and Tugs somewhat overlap). In the US adaptation of the show, Salty's Lighthouse, the character's name was changed to Big Stack, presumably to avoid incurring a lawsuit from McDonald's.

OJ is one of the most beloved characters in the show, and was a favourite of the show's production team as his paddle wheels meant his model was very stable during filming. Composer Mike O'Donnell commented OJ was his favourite character as well. In terms of design he is based on Eppleton Hall, a Newcastle tugboat currently preserved by the National Park Service in San Fransisco. In Salty's Lighthouse, the character was renamed Otis partly due to the then-ongoing OJ Simpson case. OJ is one of several characters who has been recast for this story owing to Timothy Bateson passing away in 2009; here he is voiced by Welsh actor Michael Sheen.

Sunshine is also based on a San Fransisco tugboat, although precisely which one I am not sure. His Geordie accent is partly a reflection of actor Shaun Prendergast's origins. Introduced in the very first episode, he and Ten Cents went on to become the show's mascots. I am aware the above image shows him in the livery he carried when working for the salvage company, but it was the only image I could get to embed properly.

Anenome and Calla Lily are two new characters introduced for the Set your Sail comics. I'll delve into them a bit more in a future chapter, but rest assured they'll become important later on.

The two scenes with Izzy and Pipp combine elements from several Tugs episodes. If you know your Tugs well, you can probably see where some of this is heading.

The final scene with Zipp and Lady Haven is adapted directly from the comic, though as before Lady Haven has been reworked (as Queen Haven shows an astonishing level of stupidity in the original scene).

Next time, the mysteries shall deepen! So see you then, landlubbers!

Chapter 4-A Pirate's Life for Me

Izzy followed the strange tugboat at as safe a distance as she reasonably could, not wanting to be spotted by them and accidentally give the game away. She stepped gently across the dockside, able to keep up as the boat wasn't exactly what you'd call fast.

"Maybe that was just a strange way of saying hello," she mused to herself, thinking of the tugboat scraping the barge earlier. "After all, different cultures have different ways of greeting. We shake hands, whereas Japanese people bow!"

As she followed the tugboat, she saw it enter a strange building on the other side of the river. Naturally, she had to cross over and enter, so she walked to a nearby bridge and began to walk across it. Based on the access ramp on one side, it seemed this bridge was dual purpose.

This was confirmed when a steam engine puffed over it, pulling some goods. "Morning!" the engine said.

"Morning!" Izzy replied, as she walked over. She checked her watch to see what the time was. "Oh, it is morning here. The convenience of time zones!"

Once she was across the bridge, she entered into the building and hid behind a pillar, to ensure the things inside could not see her. And what she saw surprised her. A whole group of tugboats, with the same green glowing components and eye pieces, were sitting in a group in the middle of the wharf building.

"Any news?" said one of the tugboats.

"Not yet," said another. "We haven't located it yet."

"This is concerning," said another. "We need to find it and tell everybody about it. Or else things won't go to plan."

Another of the boats then chimed in. "I was thinking of the fortunate stroke of luck we've had. One of our fellows sighted a celebrity in the city. I forget what her name is, but I think she could be very useful. She has a lot of followers on social media, apparently."

"I spotted them at the Star Fleet dock earlier," said the first tugboat. "And she went off with Top Hat.

Izzy listened with growing concern. Did these tugboats want something with Pipp? And if so, what?

"We'll have to be subtle about it," said the second tugboat. "If she vanishes suddenly, people will notice. She seems to be streaming at every waking hour."

"And probably every sleeping hour, too," said another, which prompted some laughter.

"But we must move soon," said another voice, who as of that point had been yet to contribute. "No doubt she's busy moving about hunting for it herself."

"As much as I dislike working with influencers," said the third tugboat, "we need to broadcast our message as loudly as we can. Only then can we get the support we need. Taking barges hasn't generated the response I'd hoped for."

Izzy was surprised. The move to hit the barge wasn't saying hello! It was an attempt to steal it! Izzy had heard all she thought she needed to know, and snuck out of the building as quietly as she had snuck in.

The tugboats were none the wiser, and looked over as a woman entered. "How goes the plan?" she asked.

"Not as well as we'd have hoped, Allura," said one of the tugboats. "We haven't located it yet, and the attempts to drum up attention don't seem to be working. We might have to do something drastic."

Allura nodded. "I can arrange something. In the meantime, keep looking- I can arrange a distraction of sorts that'll enable us to get there before Cala does."

"Zorran, how did they get here?"

A large tugboat with black and white frames sat in front of a building. He looked up, his movement causing his hat to lift. "I found them on the dockside and they needed a lift."

"I run a towing and salvage company, Zorran, not a water taxi!"

"Well, if you think about it that could be another way of ma-"

"Shut it, Zip."

"I didn't say anything," Zipp said.

Zorran looked at the two people on the dockside. "You're called Zipp as well?"

"Yes, but with two Ps," Zipp said.

"This is going to get confusing very quickly," Zip said.

Zorran decided to reassert control over the conversation. "I figured some wealthy clients would be good for business. After all, if they have contracts for us that means money we can earn."

Suddenly, a man emerged from a building, looking very odd indeed. "There is logic in that," he said, and he walked over to Lady Haven. "Good morning. I am Captain Zero, the manager of this here towing company."

"Good morning to you as well," Lady Haven said, looking more than a bit uncomfortable. "I was wanting to ask if you had seen somebody."

"I see many people in a day. Keeping ahead of the Star Fleet is a full time job, you know."

Lady Haven showed a photograph. "My name is Elizabeth. This is my daughter, Pipp. She vanished somewhere in the city, and we're trying to locate her. Do you have any information?"

Captain Zero studied the picture closely. "I can't say I recognise her," he said. "But then again an old man like me isn't very clued up when it comes to social media. That's more my grand-daughter's thing. Anenome!"

Just then, a girl with pink skin and green hair appeared from the building. "Yes, granddad?"

"Does this person look familiar to you?" Captain Zero showed her the picture.

Anenome smiled. "Of course she does! That's Pipp Petals, the popstar!"

"This woman wishes to know if you have seen her."

Lady Haven frowned. "This woman has a name, you know."

Anenome's eyes widened in amazement. "YOU'RE PIPP'S MOM?!" she exclaimed, and immediately started shaking her hand. "I'm such a big fan of your daughter!"

"I'll be sure to let her know," Zipp said.

"I'll leave that with you whilst I try to sort out this towing mess," Captain Zero said. "There's far too much going on right now. Zak and Zug are out towing barges with steel, and Zebedee is moving Little Ditcher to a new work site. Zorran!"

"Sir?"

"I need you to collect some explosives from the munitions factory. Go slow, and ignore anything Bluenose tells you!"

"On my way." Zorran began grumbling as he moved away. "Vanishing barges, now Bluenose. Last thing we need is that twit sticking his prow in places it don't belong."

Captain Zero looked over. "Zip?"

"With one P or two?" Zip asked.

"One. You're a tugboat, she isn't. I need you to remain on standby. If a yacht needs help we can sweep in and pocket the cash before Captain Star can say flying fish."

"That's an oddly specific thing to say, I think."

"I don't ask you to think, I ask you to tow," Captain Zero replied, then went back indoors.

Anenome glanced at them. "Sorry about him. Granddad can be a bit grumpy, but running a company like this is stressful work."

"Trust me, I know how it feels," Lady Haven said. "So, where exactly are we?"

"We're a short way outside Chicago itself," Anenome explained. "The area to our north is Pearlscape Park, built on top of an old oil refinery. The local authorities wanted something to make the place seem a little more clean, that's all."

"How interesting," Zipp said to herself, before taking out her notebook and starting to write something down.

"We also grow food there. It makes more sense to grow the food you eat locally. I know we import a huge amount of food into the city, but we've all got to do our bit for the environment." She took something out and handed it to Zipp. "One of my own creations- butterscotch pie. Wanna try one?"

Zipp glanced to her mother, who nodded. So Zipp popped it in her mouth and started chewing. "Interesting flavour," was all she said.

"So, how did you end up out here? And what was that about barges?" Lady Haven asked.

"This company has been family owned since the 1920s, when it was founded to compete with the Star Fleet for Great Lake liner contracts," Anenome explained. "We also haul other stuff, like timber, oil, steel, and whatever else anybody might need delivered. But that has become harder recently. Barges have started vanishing all across the port, and nobody can get to the bottom of why or how it's happening."

Zipp continued writing. "Vanishing barges. Must investigate further. List of mysteries for the day: three."

Lady Haven nodded. "Thank you. We shall resume our search in Chicago proper."

"I could give you a lift!" Zip said.

Anenome sighed as she looked away from the others. "I don't know what to do," she said. "Should I say something? But sort of sister would I be for ratting her out?"

"What are you two nincompoops doing here?" Top Hat asked.

"That's not very nice!" said one of tugs opposite him.

"Neither was stuffing party poppers down Warrior's chimney!" Top Hat retorted. "Zak, Zug, back up! I arrived first, so I have priority."

A problem had emerged in the canal. Top Hat, Zak, and Zug sat at an impasse in the canal, neither prepared to move. Pipp, on the other hand, had hopped off and was watching from the sidelines. She had also stopped streaming, as this looked serious.

"Don't be daft!" said Zug. "We have the bigger load!" He indicated with his wheelhouse to the large cylinder behind him. "We need priority!"

Top Hat sighed. "It's High Tide, you blithering idiot. That thing will never fit under the bridges."

"Oh yes it will," Zak said. "Now out of the way, before I give you something to complain about."

Top Hat looked horrified. "Not my monocle! You swine, you can't just bully your way into getting your way!"

"It's worked pretty well so far, toff hat," Zak growled.

"That was funny, I think," Zug laughed.

"Nobody cares what you think. FULL POWER!"

Suddenly, both Zak and Zug's engines began to speed up. Top Hat quickly put his into reverse and started to back up. "You're going to hit the bridge, you blithering idiots!"

"Not if we time it well!" Zak snorted, and they moved onwards. They passed under the bridge, and continued moving.

Unfortunately, the piston didn't. The top slammed into the bridge and cut clean through some of the decking, before tipping backwards and swinging forward. It crashed into the centre of the bridge, blowing a hole clean in it, before dragging along the bottom level and pulling more bridge into the river.

"Zak! The piston's flattened the bridge!" Zug said, in terror. The bridge was giving way, and as they spoke the central portion dropped into the water.

"Run! We can say it was Warrior!" Zak said.

"What about the piston?"

"LEAVE IT!"

Both the Z Stacks ran off whilst Top Hat looked in horror. "Lord Stinker, is that what I think it is?"

Before Lord Stinker could answer, there was a loud whistle.

"Heavens above! I know that whistle!"

"It's the L!" Lord Stinker said, in shock.

And it was. With the line missing, the trains were in danger of falling into the canal. Top Hat went into action. "I must find a way to save the train!"

"Position me in case they fall in!" Lord Stinker called.

"If you think it'll work!" Top Hat said. He looked over to Pipp. "Pipp! Run to the nearest station and warn the CTA! The trains need to be stopped!"

Pipp nodded. "On my way!" She began to sprint in the direction of the nearest station, following the lines back towards the city centre. At last, she reached some steps and ran up them, taking them two at a time to cover as much ground as quickly as she could.

"Do you have a ticket?" said a security guard.

"No time for that! The line is out!" Pipp called, wheezing. "Raise... the... alarm!"

She had reached the platform, and stopped, looking across the chasm where the line had once been. Her eyes looked to the signal at the end of the platform and saw it showing green. "Oh no! The collapse must have damaged the signals!"

Luckily, on the other side of the chasm, there she saw a familiar face. Izzy was at the station on the other side of the river. She grabbed her phone and dialled Izzy's number.

"Hey Pipp! How can I help!"

"Izzy, we need to work fast! The line is out and the signal is showing green at my end! I need you to stop the trains on your side by any means neccesary!"

"How will you do that?"

Pipp glanced down at her phone, and had an idea. "I'm working on it!"

Suddenly, another whistle sounded, and a train rumbled out of the distance.

Pipp loaded a red picture onto her phone, and brought it up in the air, showing it towards the driver. "Hopfully this'll work!"

The driver of the train suddenly saw the red image on the phone, and as he looked ahead he saw the line abruptly ending before him! He slammed the brakes into emergency, and the train skidded through the platform and onto one of the damaged sections of bridge, stopping inches before it fell into the barge below.

On the other side of the bridge, Izzy was busy covering a baseball bat in red tape. Quite where she had gotten both a baseball bat and a lot of red tape from was something of a mystery, but Izzy worked in mysterious ways. "Just need a few more seconds!"

The station master was frantically working to get the signal working again, but even with the resources he had it was proving to be hard work. "Is your baseball bat ready?"

"Unicycling never failed me before!" Izzy said. "It should work this time!"

And just then, the train rounded the bend. Izzy raised her baseball bat and started to wave it back and forth. "STOP THE TRAIN!"

The driver saw the warning and slammed on the brakes, the blocks screeching as the train rattled along. Thankfully, it came to a stop before the bridge, preventing it from falling into the canal.

The driver wiped his brow. "That was lucky."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the canal the other train was starting to back up into the station. Traffic was now piling up to long lines, and people had gotten out to see what was going on.

"You saved us!" said a passenger. "Thank you, miss!"

"No problem," Pipp said. "But I can't take all the credit. Without Top Hat I wouldn't have known where to go."

Top Hat was similarly full of admiration. "Lord Stinker, you're a smelly old genius!" he said.

"Garbage is useful stuff," Lord Stinker smiled.

Pipp looked over the scene, the adrenaline quickly leaving her body as she looked down. "Well, that's one way to start your day in the Windy City."

"PIPP? PIPP!"

Author's Note

Well, hello again, and welcome to another chapter! Now, we have ventured deeper into Chicago, and more clues have come to light.

Puffa makes a brief camero near the beginning of the chapter. A steam locomotive friendly to the Star Tugs, he is best remembered for his role in Up River (which also constitutes his only speaking appearance). Despite existing in a world of anthropomorphic vehicles, he lacked a face in the TV show owing to a lawsuit filed by Britt Allcroft prohibiting the use of round faces (the faces of the Tugs were square for the same reason).

The pirate tugboats made their debut in the second episode of Tugs, namely Pirate. Their bizarre appearance is believed to be inspired by David Mitton's memories of working on the TV series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons as a special effects technician; the Mysterons in the show are depicted as a pair of glowing green circles and speak with booming, heavily distorted voices, not unlike the pirates. When filming on Pirate was completed, the models were rebuilt to create Burke and Blair (who appear in the episode Quarantine). Nobody is quite sure what types of vessel they are based on; in all likelihood they are freelance designs.

And now, to introduce the Z Stacks.

Zorran, like the rest of the Z Stacks, is based on the Moran Towing and Salvage fleet, which was active in New York in the 1920s. A technical bug with the model meant that the face and eye mechanism didn't quite fit properly, which resulted in his hat being lifted up when he looked up; this was soon incorporated as a character quirk. An urban myth continues to persist that Zorran's facial features were based on Quentin Tarantino, but this is unlikely as Tugs was made in 1989 and Tarantino did not become well known unil after the release of Reservoir Dogs in 1992.

Zip was perhaps the most accident-prone of all the models in the show, having been dropped whilst carried to the filming cradle and later damaged when a light fixture fell on the set. He is also notable for being one of two Z Stacks to have the 'smiling' whistle mouth seen on the Star Tugs. The name confusion gag with Zip/Zipp was inevitable, given I included a similar joke in Secrets of Sodor.

Zak was generally portrayed as a thug in the show, but is mainly known for his role in causing the accident in High Tide. It is unknown which tug specifically he was based on, but in a stellar moment of accidentally correct writing he was given a Brooklyn accent in Salty's Lighthouse.

Zug was unique amongst the Tugs characters for not speaking with an English accent; his accent is vaguely Estonian, although his face masks were modelled on actor Peter Lorre (who was from Hungary). Usually he was the butt-monkey of the Z Stacks, but did show an intelligent side. His model is unusual for having the lamp mounted on the wheelhouse instead of the bow.

The finale of this chapter recreates the events of High Tide, one of the most fondly remembered episodes of the show. It has also had elements of Pipp and Izzy's personalities worked in; unicycling always worked well.

But who is this arriving? Find out more tomorrow!

Chapter 5-Spirits of the Past

Pipp looked over to see another tugboat arriving nearby and stopping at a ramp. "Thank you for using Zero Marine and Water Taxis!" the tugboat said.

Pipp began to make her way down from the station to ground level, walking along the ground until she reached the dockside. To her absolute amazement, her family members were approaching her position. She wasn't alone out here! They had come to find her!

"MOM! ZIPP!" she called, and broke into a sprint towards them. Of course, she slowed down as she got closer to avoid knocking them over, as this was a routine she knew somewhat well.

Within moments they were in the same place, and mother and daughter embraced as if they had been apart for decades.

"Thanks for coming to look for me," Pipp said quietly.

Lady Haven was smiling herself. "I'm just so glad you're safe, Pipp. But how did you get here?"

"Hello, your majesticfulness!" said Izzy, who had somehow appeared near them.

"How did you get here?" Zipp asked.

"Oh, I walked across another bridge whilst the narrator was focusing on Pipp and Lady Haven."

Zipp shrugged. "Forget I asked."

"I'd been meaning to ask that too," Lady Haven said, having broken from the embrace with her daughter. "How precisely did you get here?"

"Well, Izzy found a rock, and-"

Lady Haven glanced around. "Perhaps not here. Let's find a coffee shop somewhere and unwind over a hot drink. No doubt we could all use the caffeine given our minds think we're in a different time zone. Zipp!"

"Yes?" said two voices at once, one of which belonged to the tugboat.

"There are two Zipps?" Izzy asked.

"One with two Ps, one with one P," the tugboat helpfully clarified.

"The Zipp with two Ps then," Lady Haven said. "We're off to find a coffee shop. Good thing I always carry a card with US dollars on it."

The Mean Bean Cafe quickly proved to be ideal for their needs, even if the proprietor was a slightly strange fellow who had very unusual mannerisms. Even so, the drinks were pretty good.

Pipp and Izzy soon got Lady Haven and Zipp up to speed on all that had happened. "That sounds like quite the adventure," Zipp said. "What is it with us and being randomly teleported between different places on the planet? I thought this happened last Spring!"

"It did, this Spring," Pipp said, sipping some of her drink. "The flat white's good."

"I'm surprised you didn't go for a latte, Pipp," Zipp said. "This one's pretty good."

"No. Way," Pipp replied. "Far too many calories."

Izzy shrugged. "I guess were just used to being weirdness magnets by now."

"Do you still have the thing that brought you here?" Lady Haven asked, looking closely at Izzy.

Izzy quickly felt through her pockets, but couldn't find anything as her face shifted to a look of panic. "Oh no! I must have dropped it when I first arrived in Lake Michigan!"

"That brings the list of things we have to solve up to four," Zipp noted. "What was this stone, and why did it teleport you here?"

"Why are you asking us?" Pipp asked.

"It's a question to be answered later," Zipp replied. "Rhetorical query."

Suddenly, the two of them spotted a very odd looking figure passing by their position. She seemed to be muttering to herself, but since they were inside a building they couldn't figure out what she was saying.

Izzy nodded. "I can't help but feel that's somehow important."

Pipp looked over. "Agreed," she said. She pulled up a map on her phone. "She seems to be heading away from us towards the seafront."

Lady Haven glanced around. "We'll finish up here, then follow her. Agreed?"

So they did. Leaving the cafe, they followed at a safe distance before stopping to observe the woman. She seemed to be behaving very erratically.

"You sure she isn't on something?" Zipp asked.

"I somehow doubt it," Pipp replied. "That wouldn't exactly explain why she's gone here and not somewhere else."

Izzy, on the other hand, had climbed a fire escape and was looking through a pair of binoculars. "Wait," she said. "They seem to be boarding a train!"

"Keep filling us in, Izzy!" Zipp said.

"Right, she's on it now, and she just closed the door. And now the train is starting to move, and it's running out into the harbour."

"Sorry, what?" Pipp asked.

"Yeah, I know! It's running downward into the dockside, probably into a tunnel or something like that. This is like Seattle sometimes!"

Once the road was clear, they hopped off the street and headed in the direction of the train. Or rather where Izzy had seen the train. As when they arrived there was nothing there. Not even a hole in the ground.

"You looking for the disappearing train?"

The team looked over to see OJ sitting there. "Many have tried to solve that mystery."

Pipp looked to Izzy. "I think we need to ask Captain Star for help. Can you give us a lift to the Star Fleet dock?"

"I'm just on my way back from a job, so I can do that. Just let me moor up first, and then we shall set sail."

The journey back to the Star Fleet dock proved to be a much smoother one than any outbound journey. "How did you get here, may I ask?" Pipp asked.

"We used the Magic Railway," Zipp replied.

"It seems to be much smoother than the last time," Lady Haven said. "I don't think I'll ever get used to floating down the line, though. It's still too surreal to be considered a part of everyday discussion."

"They used to say that about non-faceless vehicles," Zipp pointed out. "OK, Swanage was unusual in being home to three, but there was at least mountains of empirical evidence they had existed."

OJ sounded his whistle. "Next stop, Star Fleet Dock!"

As the old tugboat pulled into the dock, they saw Captain Star talking to the woman from earlier.

"The ship is near!" she said. "If I could borrow some of your tugs and some machinery, I could pull it out of the seas and we'd all be better off!"

Captain Star seemed moderately annoyed. "None of my vessels are for sale," he said. "Besides, I'm running a business, not a charity. If you want to gain the services of the Star Fleet you'll need to go through the official channels. In short, no."

The woman walked off, looking rather annoyed.

Captain Star sighed. "And I thought dealing with Burke and Blair was bad enough." Just then, he noticed Pipp and her friends. "Ah! Hello again! I see you brought friends!"

"I did indeed!" Pipp said. "Sir, this is my sister Zipp, and my mom." She helpfully indicated to two different people.

Captain Star looked amazed. "I never thought I'd have English nobility visit!" he said, looking stunned.

"Never mind that," Lady Haven said, getting down to business. "I'd prefer you call me Elizabeth. May I ask who the woman was?"

Captain Star nodded. "Her name is Calla Lily- sometimes you get strange names around here. But she is a rather odd customer. She turns up, asks all sorts of strange questions, once gave me a very odd invitation to a ball of some sort, has a train that seemingly goes nowhere (as nobody has been able to figure out where it starts or ends), a book in a language I can't read-"

"What's the name of the book, may I ask?" Zipp enquired.

"Die Vliegende Hollander, I think," Captain Star said. He either didn't noticed or ignored their looks of shock as he continued. "And finally, the missing barges. I can't quite pin it back to her, but I think she's somehow connected to it. She's one slippery customer."

"Thank you for your time, Captain Star," Lady Haven said. "But we should probably be finding ourselves a place to stay in the city, as we may be here a while."

"I have a few that I would recommend," the Captain smiled.

The Grand Union Hotel in Chicago was about as far removed from the industrial outer levels of Chicago where the tugboats resided. A massive building constructed in the Roaring Twenties, the main lobby was built around a massive arched roof which spanned the length of the concourse, and was elaborately decorated with golden patterns laid against a white background. Each arch had a stained glass window, which was set in a circle, and a square stained glass window below it. The floors were laid out in marble, and had fountains inside which sent water straight upwards. The check in desks were made of wood, and were also elaborately decorated.

People sat at chairs around tables, chatting, reading newspapers, or checking the news on their phones.

"Wonder how much a night here costs," Izzy mused.

"Probably a lot," Zipp said.

"Luckily, I have a little trick up my sleeve," Lady Haven smiled, as they approached the desk. "Good evening."

The greeter smiled. "Good evening, ma'am. How can I help you today?"

"One room, please." Lady Haven handed him a card. "I am aware my appearance is unconventional, but I can assure you I am who I say I am."

The greeter looked astonished. "I never imagined I would find myself in your presence, in the presence of English nobility," he said. "I'll get the best suite set up right away." He got on the phone and began talking. "Yes? I have the Duchess and her family here. We need room 507 prepped immediately." He put the phone down. "The staff are on their way. Everything should be ready for you when you arrive."

"Thank you," Lady Haven said.

As they walked away, Izzy looked stunned. "What just happened?" she asked.

"Mom's very well connected," Pipp explained. "Part of being nobility!"

Lady Haven overheard the conversation, and dropped back. "Family connection. As you can probably guess from my accent my mother was American, and she was quite the connected figure. Her family had an arrangement for staying in several hotels, and when she married my father that arrangement covered the Havens as well. Besides, it always looks good for a hotel if you have English nobility in the guest list, as Americans are fascinated by anything British."

Once inside the rather cavernous hotel room (and Pipp had taken receipt of a large box), Zipp's phone suddenly buzzed. She pulled it out, and looked at the message on it.

"Have finished decoding the book. May want to take note. Flying Dutchman was a man called Captain Mitchell. Haunted seas. May be active where you are." She sighed. "Such a shame the Ghostbusters don't operate in Chicago."

Izzy thought to herself. "Maybe it connects to the green door I heard about."

"Huh?"

"The pirates I overheard! They mentioned a green door!"

"Possibly the Green Door Tavern?" Lady Haven suggested. "It's a former speakeasy. I went there when I visited Chicago in the 1990s."

Pipp then popped into the bathroom with something. "One of the other items was for you, mom!"

"Thank you, dear!" Lady Haven said, and picked the other box up.

"Pipp, what are you doing?" Zipp asked.

"Getting changed!" Pipp replied. "If we're going to a speakeasy I need to look the part!"

"Pipp!" Zipp said through the bathroom door. "It states that period costume isn't needed. Besides, it's not as if you have-"

Suddenly, the door opened, and Pipp stepped out looking as though she'd escaped from a Speakeasy. She'd swapped her usual footwear for a pair of heels, a pink dress with a low neckline, short sleeves, and a knee length pleated skirt, a necklace of beads, and white elbow length gloves.

"Have what?" Pipp asked, picking up a handbag.

"How did you get that here given you teleported into Lake Michigan?" Zipp asked.

"I ordered it in from Crandall's! They have a branch in Chicago and I'm on their loyalty program!"

"Wow!" Izzy said. "Suits you, Pipp! Gonna sing the blues?"

"If I get the chance," Pipp smiled. "Now then, let's go. The Green Door Tavern won't come to us!"

"Not quite yet!" called Lady Haven. "I'm still getting dressed. Zipp, be a dear and help me with the corset, will you?"

Pipp nodded. "Sure thing, mom! Just need to mail the arrangements!"

The three of them left the room, Zipp still in a state of disbelief as to what she had just witnessed.

Author's Note

Welcome back to another exciting chapter! The crew is now together, and can start to work together to bring the evidence together.

The Mean Bean Cafe is a double reference. In the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, the Mean Bean Cafe is an establishment in Green Hills, MT, where the main characters live. The Cafe's name is itself a reference; Dr. Robotnik' Mean Bean Machine was a Tetris-style game for the Mega Drive/Genesis which saw the player stacking beans to generate combos. The interior is partly inspired by a coffee shop at Nottingham I often went to whilst a student.

The lobby of the hotel the characters stay in is based on Union Station in St. Louis. Originally opened in 1894, it operated until 1978, when it was converted into a hotel. I nearly stayed there when in St. Louis, but my travel companion had a Marriot membership so we stayed there instead.

The Green Door Tavern will be discussed in the next chapter, but safe to say it is well worth a visit.

Pipp's dress and flapper outfit is based on this piece of fanart:

In the main show, Pipp's overall design is heavily inspired by flapper fashion, a western fashion subculture characterised by short hair, short skirts (knee length was short by 1920s standards), and a rather more relaxed attitude to social norms.

The coronet she wears is inspired by jewellery popular amongst young women in the 1920s, and her wings are meant to resemble a feather boa, which was a popular fashion item amongst flappers. This fits with the overall art deco and Roaring Twenties aesthetic of Zephyr Heights, and when I visited Chicago I couldn't help but wonder if the city's inner core was a reference point for G5's animators.

That's all for now! See you after the weekend for the next chapter!

Chapter 6-Hoist the Colours High!

Chicago was one of the major cities to nurture the jazz phenomenon, before it spread across the United States and the world. This was due to its status as a major transport hub where people would change trains and boats to continue travelling (and increasingly changing planes). As a result, the city maintained a lively jazz scene, and people often crowded into bars to listen to bands playing the music.

Safe to say, Chicago had many, many jazz fans.

Grampus, I am sorry to say, was not one of them.

The Bridge Street Cafe Band was giving him another of his sleepless nights. "Honestly, why do they have to play so loudly?" he grumbled to himself. "We all need to sleep!" He sighed. "Maybe I should have moored at the Star Fleet Dock tonight."

Suddenly, some strange noises caught his attention from nearby, and he saw two vessels on the move. "That's funny. There weren't any towing moves scheduled for this section of the canal tonight."

He decided that an investigation was in order, and as such quickly filled his ballast tanks. The submarine dropped below the surface of the water and soon began to follow the two tugboats, both of whom seemed to be pulling something heavy.

Grampus kept at a constant depth and a safe distance, aware he would need to stop at points on the surface in order to recharge his batteries. But he was determined to solve the mystery, no matter what.

Meanwhile, Pipp and her associates made their way to the Green Door Tavern, suitably dressed up (except for Zipp and Izzy, of course). What Lady Haven had picked surprised even Pipp, though. Her mother had chosen a smaller white gown with a high waist and a green backing (the white section seemingly sitting on top of another dress). The skirt was covered in white embroidered patterns, and the high neckline was a distinct contrast to what she normally wore to balls. The sleeves were fairly loose and quite puffy as well.

Izzy glanced over to Lady Haven. "So, why the choice of dress?"

Lady Haven looked over. "Oh! This! I chose an Edwardian design partly for reasons of practicality- the skirt is much easier to move about in an enclosed space, and you'd hardly want to be bumping into things constantly, would you? That and I'm far too old to be a flapper, so representing a member of the older generation made more sense." She smiled though. "Having said that, I do have fond memories of a Jazz ball where I did choose the flapper aesthetic."

Izzy was silent for a moment. "Breathing OK?"

"I don't quite understand, Izzy."

"You're wearing one of the tightening things."

"That's because it's period accurate," Lady Haven replied. "And it's actually not that awkward. The idea that corsets were torture devices is a modern myth- they were set to be comfortable to the wearer, and the tightlacing that so many associate with the aesthetic is more of an 1870s thing, having fallen out of fashion by the 1910s. I've owned two during my adult life, actually, both custom made."

"Interesting!" Izzy said. "But why two?"

"They're designed to fit the wearer, and after I had Pipp and Zipp I'd put on rather a lot of weight, not all of which I was able to get off. So the old one no longer fitted, and I had to have a new one made, which I've worn ever since."

"That must have been awkward," Izzy said. Lady Haven was pretty slim by modern standards- which spoke volumes.

Lady Haven laughed. "Having twins does strange things to your body. But I always say it was more than worth any inconvenience. Ah! Here's the Green Door Tavern!"

And sure enough, there it was. The large, wooden framed building sat there before them, seemingly a tiny bit wobbly as the walls weren't quite aligned properly, and seemed to slump over to one side. The rest of the structure appeared to be fairly stable, and music could be heard from inside.

"Good! A jazz band!" Pipp said. "This will fit so perfectly."

"So, we know the plan?" Izzy asked.

"Yep," Zipp said. "You guys will keep them distracted. I'll try and find this meeting, and Izzy will record it on her phone. That way, we'll have evidence to take to the authorities and shut these pirates down for good."

With that settled, they stepped in through the door, and almost immediately were assailed with the sound of live music.

"Hey! It's Armstrong!" Pipp smiled, as she walked through the room and looked for a table. "One over here, guys!"

The four soon took seats around a table that had a good view of the stage, and gave good accoustics as well. The band was certainly in top form that night.

Zipp sat for a moment, and then dropped out of view as the band stopped playing and the Master of Ceremonies stepped forward. "Thank you, thank you! May I thank our musicians for tonight, the Golden Avenue Jazz Band!"

There was raptorous applause, and the crowd was clearly delighted with the performance.

"Now then, for our next act, I am proud to confirm we have a surprise guest. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a singer from overseas. Although her output is not usually that of the Roaring Twenties, I can see from here her Flapper spirit is unmatched. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage... Pipp Petals!"

There were looks of mild confusion as Pipp made her way to the stage, but polite applause anyway. Pipp stopped in front of the mic and moved it down slightly. "That's better. Good evening, Chicago! I know I probably wasn't whom you expected to see tonight-"

"Aren't you that kiddie music maker?" asked a heckler.

"If I may finish," Pipp said, silencing him with a glare. "But jazz is a genre close to my heart. And for having such a solid introduction to the genre I have my mom to thank. Those records were an influence on me, and now I'll bring you a Jazz inspired revamp of one of my best performing songs!"

She pushed a button, which automatically updated the music stands with new music.

"Take it away, boys!"

The jazz band nodded, albeit in slight confusion, and the trumpeter launched into a descending chromatic scale that would have made Fletcher Henderson proud.

Pipp bopped up and down slightly, and then started to sing.

"I know you're feelin' like there's somethin' wrong/
But don't you worry, I have just the song for you! (Mm-hmm!)
Just for you-ooh-ooh! (you-ooh-ooh)
So kick those feet up in these comfy chairs/
And you'll forget about those cares in a minute or two!
Yeah! That's what you'll do-ooh-ooh!" (do-ooh-ooh)

Zipp could hear the music from upstairs, and continued to make her way down a flight of steps towards the basement. "You can always count on my sister to draw people to her with music," she said to herself, before stopping at the bottom and slipping through the door.

"Deal me in," she said, as she dropped onto a table with a group of other people holding cards. They all looked very fishy.

"Imagine that noise from up there," said one of the pirates. "I can't call myself a fan of that sound. Put the Who on any day."

Zipp nodded, not wanting to give away the musician he'd just insulted was her sister.

"Where is it?" said another.

"The contact or the wreck?" asked the first.

"The contact is already here," said another voice, as they took a table. "And our work is close to done. Another of the ships located the wreck, and we can move on its location soon."

The hair. The voice. The clothing. It was unmistakably familiar. Zipp recognised it. "Hey, it's that woman we encountered on Misty Island!" she thought to herself.

Allura looked at the assembled sailors. "The Nova Charm will soon be in our grasp," she said. "We just have to find it before they do. Then can we move forward with the plan.

"And what about the USS Nightmare?" asked another.

"We know where that is. It'll be all hands on deck to deal with that one, but the cover of night will help us on that front."

"Besides, we know the prophecy," said another pirate. "If the Nightmare rises, the seas will rise and claim vengeance over those who hurt them."

Zipp thought she knew where this was going. "The pirates want to raise the USS Nightmare from the seabed and use it to take over the world!" she thought. She had to warn the others somehow, but how would she do this without blowing her cover?

She had to wait. Wait for a distraction and then exit the room. Her eyes scanned the room, listening closely for anything that might give her an edge.

Suddenly, applause from overhead have her an opening. "Uh, I gotta use the bathroom. See you in a bit!" She vanished out of the room at speed.

Suddenly, Allura looked over, clearly recognising the voice. "I don't think so- Zipp Storm."

Grampus surfaced near the outer port entrance, looking around him for evidence of the strange tugboats he had heard mentioned. "Now, where am I?"

"Fancy seeing you here, Grampus."

Grampus glanced over to see Big Mac sitting there. "Oh. Hello Big Mac. Seen anything?"

"Apart from all the boats drifting about, nothing. The lake is as flat as a plate of glass."

"Funny. The inner waterways are busy, and-"

Suddenly, a strange noise echoed across the harbour.

"Did you hear that?" Big Mac asked.

"I sure did," Grampus replied. "But what in the name of the oceans is out there?"

Suddenly, a selection of ghostly shapes began to steam across the bay. These boats were completely white, and seemed to be making no sound at all.

"Is that what I think it is?" Grampus asked.

"It's precisely what I think it is," Big Mac said, his voice shaking. "Ghosts!"

Suddenly, there was a whirring noise on the radio. "Eh, Big Mac, you there?"

"Loud and clear, over!"

"We need a bit of help! Sunshine and me can't get this thing into port! Warrior's doing his best, but we need more boats!"

"On my way," Big Mac replied. "I'll round up OJ and see if we can get his help too!"

"Thanks, Big Mac!"

Big Mac fired up his engines, and began to hammer across the bay. "Hopefully Zorran won't be up to his usual nonsense."

Zipp popped back up, and to her astonishment Pipp wasn't on the stage. It was her mother!

"I remember not so long ago/
The feeling of the light!
As he kissed my cheek, my time to speak/
Came and went like night!

"The crack of dawn, the curtain drawn/
The mountains I have climbed!
The truth is if it happened once/
It happened a hundred times!"

And all I have to show for it now/
Is-"

Suddenly, a loud horn blast interrupted her singing.

Zorran pulled up next to a tramp steamer. "You waiting for a tow?"

"Yes indeed, but preferably for free. You see, the waterways belong to nobody-"

"You're just as much of a cheapskate as ever, Izzy. Captain Zero's not running a charity, and Captain Star's lot will give you the same. Now pay up, or sit here."

"You're unreasonable."

"Whatever." Zorran steamed off. "No doubt some other boats will have gotten lost in the fog. Could make a bit of cash bringing them in."

As he moved off, he stopped in surprise. In front of him, five ghostly ships passed by. "What in the Seven Seas was that?"

As he glanced over, he suddenly spotted Anenome had appeared on the dockside. "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"It's coming true!" she said, looking worried. "The nightmare has arrived!"

Suddenly, her words were cut off by a loud horn blast.

Zorran glanced over. "Probably best we get back to the dock. Captain Zero's probably wondering where we are, eh?"

Pipp and her friends dashed outside the Green Door Tavern, looking about in confusion. "What the blazes was that?!" Lady Haven asked.

"I don't know, but it can't be good!" Izzy replied.

Suddenly, a nearby billboard lit up, and on it appeared a face they knew all too well.

"Allura!" Pipp said. "Is she behind this?"

"Citizens of Chicago," Allura began to say. "I must warn you that your city is in grave danger. Dark forces intend to destroy all you hold dear, and with it your entire way of life. I do not seek the suffering of your city, but we must work together to stop the Flying Dutchman. Our group of pirates are working now to contain him. So we will not be stopped."

Zipp shook her head. "You aren't fooling me, Allura. No doubt this is some scheme to disguise from your true plans!"

"Who is Allura?" Lady Haven asked, somewhat confused.

"Some woman we encountered on Misty Island whilst we were missing on Sodor!" Pipp explained. "But if she's here, this is really, really bad!"

Izzy looked around, before suddenly a device in her pocket buzzed. She pulled it out and took a look. "Guys, you might want to hear this!"

"Push harder, Ten Cents! The boat is about to hit the dock!"

"I'm trying, but Warrior's in the way!"

"I'm trying, but me rudder's jammed!"

"I'll try pulling, if that'll help!"

"Top Hat, either shut up or back off!"

Zipp looked at the others. "To the Star Dock!"

On the other side of the world, a loud horn blast awoke Sunny with a start. "Huh? What was that?"

She clambered out of bed and looked out to sea. The seas were exceptionally choppy tonight.

Misty suddenly appeared. "Did you feel that?"

"The sound?"

"Yeah!" Misty said. "It knocked me out of bed!"

Gradually, the others started to arrive. "Considering prior experiences," Hitch said, "this does not bode well at all."

Argyle arrived, and was frantically flipping through the book. "I can't find any reference to a loud horn in what we've translated," he said. "But I fear it could be worse. An ancient prophecy states that the end of the world shall begin when a trumpet is blown that wakes the dead. And I'm not prepared to rule anything out at this rate."

Sunny's phone buzzed, and she checked it. "It's a message from Chicago!" she said. "Big problems. Please send help. Izzy." Her face went white. "Izzy's in trouble!"

"We have to go and help them!" Misty said. "But how are we going to get there!"

"The exact same way we got to Sodor the last time," Argyle said. "If they got to Chicago that quickly, that would suggest that somewhere in the local area is a branch of the Magic Railway. We can ride that to Chicago and help them out!"

Goldie had joined them. "Let's not stand about like lemons, then!" she said. "Let's go!"

The team moved off, ready to save the day by any means neccesary.

Author's Note

Hello again, folkies, and I hope you had a good weekend. We now return to the story, with a fresh set of revelations.

The Green Door Tavern is an original Speakeasy from the 1920s, housed in the last surviving wooden framed building in Chicago (after the fire of 1871, all buildings had to be built with steel frames owing to its fire-resistant properties). The building is notable for having a slight lean owing to the lack of a steel frame, and the interior has been returned to how it would have looked in the 1930s. I had an evening meal there, and I would personally recommend it.

Lady Haven is wearing this:

These were typically worn to garden parties on hot days, and given that Chicago can get fairly sticky it is a good choice. I also felt it would be good to diversify beyond the usual selections of hoopskirts and bustle gowns.

The songs in this chapter are both from Make your Mark; Everything is Gonna be OK has appeared earlier in the series, but Pony Love (originally from Portrait of a Princess) appears here with modified lyrics. Pony Love is sung by Queen Haven; the fanbase quickly concluded the song was about her missing (possibly deceased) lover, and I have chosen to run with this interpretation, with a minor change that the subject of the lyrics is, of course, still alive.

Izzy Gomez makes a brief cameo in this chapter. Although a fondly remembered character by Tugs fans, he is a rather unfortunate national stereotype (that of the lazy Mexican). Safe to say, this is a charicature that would not fly on TV today.

And now the rest of the team are moving in to join the fight! What will happen next? Find out more in tomorrow's chapter!

Chapter 7-Mayday!

Pipp and Izzy were the first to arrive at the Star Fleet Dock, and what they saw was very alarming, to say the least. The Star Tugs were struggling with getting an enormous ship into the dock.

"Keep it up, Ten Cents!" OJ called. "We need to move her a little to starboard!"

"I'm trying but me and Sunshine don't have enough pushing power!"

"I believe you'll find it's Sunshine and I, Ten Cents!" Top Hat groaned. "Good grief. This thing is aerodynamic in the same way a brick isn't."

"Less correcting other tugs' grammar, more getting this boat into port!" Warrior said. "Where's Hercules when you need him?"

"Err, Big Mac, we've got a problem!" called Sunshine. "This boat is leaking! It's got more holes in it than a rusty sieve!"

"No wonder we can't move it!" Big Mac huffed. "Can somebody man the pumps?"

Captain Star was looking out over the scene, and ran onto the dockside. "If that thing hits the dockside, we've had it!" he said. "Pipp, Izzy, follow me!"

Without hesitating, the crew hopped onto a small boat, which Captain Star drove out to the boat. "We can use this ladder to get onto the boat! Hurry!"

"Captain Star!" Ten Cents called. "Are you sure that's safe?"

"Well, somebody needs to man the pumps!" Captain Star replied. "And your safety is my responsibility!"

The three of them were now onboard the boat, and dashed down into the lower levels. The ship was taking on water, and without a crew the pumps weren't running. It seemed as though the vessel was about to go under.

"Get those pumps running!" Izzy shouted, and she grabbed the handle of one and began turning. Pipp stopped next to another and began turning it as well. Captain Star was operating a third, and soon water was being removed.

But it wasn't enough. "The water's coming into the hull faster than we can pump it out!" Pipp called.

"We need more manpower, fast!" Izzy said.

"Where are we going to get more manpower from?" Pipp asked.

"From us, of course! Friends to the rescue!"

Just then, Sunny, Hitch, Misty, and Zipp dashed down into the hull of the ship and took up positions on the pumps. "Keep pumping!" Hitch said. "We're winning against the water!"

Outside, the Star Tugs began to notice a difference. "Hey, this thing is easier to move now!" Warrior said.

"Whatever it is they're doing in there, it's working!" OJ said. "Come on, now! We've just got a small push to make and we'll have her in the dock! Ten Cents, Sunshine, prepare to move clear!"

"Aye, OJ!"

"Top Hat, Big Mac, prepare to pull!"

"On it!"

"Ready as a salmon breakfast!"

"What?" Warrior asked.

"Never mind."

Luckily, the boat was now under control. "Now, Ten Cents! Sunshine! Pull back!"

Both tugboats dropped their lines and backed out of the way. With the combined pumping and the relentless work of the remaining Star Tugs, the boat was soon safely in the dock.

Onboard the ship, those manning the pumps sighed. "Well, that was exciting," Sunny said, wiping her brow. "But how are we going to stop it sinking here?"

"I've already got a salvage team on the move," Captain Star said. "We're high enough above the waterline here that water won't get in."

He then stopped, and looked. "I don't believe we've met."

Before he could say anything else, another horn blast tore across the harbour.

"Did you hear that?" said one of the pirates.

"Yes, I did," Allura said. "And it means our time is limited here. We'll have to put the plan forward and initiate the next stage of the operation. Load up and prepare to move out. We strike now. We either find the Nova Charm tonight, or we don't at all."

"On our way!" said another of the pirates, and they gradually started to filter out of the small port facility the pirates were using as a base. Each of them was towing equipment through the bay, keen to begin a campaign of interference.

Thy soon got to work causing mischief. One group steamed about the port, covering over the bouys and marker points with cloths and large bags, so their light could not be seen.

"The cops will have a harder time finding us in this darkness," said one.

"But they'll still be able to track us using RADAR," said another. "And the lighthouse is still active!"

"Not to worry, we'll take care of it."

The area suddenly shook to a loud blast, and abruptly the harbour was plunged into darkness by a series of pops and bangs.

Back at base, Allura picked up her radio and heard it buzz. "Report."

"Lighthouse is offline. The Lake Michigan RADAR has been disabled."

"Excellent," Allura smiled. "We can now move unimpeded in the region. No vessel can safely navigate without RADAR, after all, and with no light not even those Star Tugs will be able to follow us. It has been a long time coming, but at last the Nova Charm will be mine." She looked at one tugboat who had stayed behind. "Our date with destiny is here. Advance!"

"Did you feel that?" Top Hat said.

"I did indeed," Big Mac said. "Look! The lights are goin' out all over Chicago!"

And they were. The lights were gradually shutting off on major buildings. The lighthouse has even gone out, and the radio didn't seem to be functioning.

Captain Star looked over. "I can't raise the Port Authority," he said. "It's as if somebody has been through all the systems and disconnected every single wire and component needed for anything to work!"

"That's because that was an EMP," said Argyle, who had caught up along with the other adults.

"A what?" OJ asked.

"An EMP. Electromagnetic Pulse." Argyle then began to explain. "They can disrupt communications and equipment through large scale blasts of electrical energy. The Carrington Event in 1859 caused one, where a solar storm caused global communications chaos. But this one seems to have been triggered from some sort of device."

"And no doubt you know who," Ten Cents said.

"It's Allura, I know it," Zipp said. "She's done this so she can find the USS Nightmare without being interrupted! She wants to raise the wreck and use it to cause chaos!"

"So we need to stop her," Sunny added. "And we're here to help."

"And so are we!" said another voice.

Heads turned to see a set of familiar faces emerge from the darkness. Zorran led the other Z Stacks, towing a selection of barges and cargo devices. Standing on Zorran's prow were Anenome and Captain Zero.

"I must admit I wasn't expecting to see them here tonight," Sunshine said.

"These pirates are a threat to both of us," Zorran said.

"If that ship is raised we're all doomed," Zak added.

"Anenome warned me," Captain Zero said. "I know our families don't have the best of pasts, Captain Star, but we can't afford to let these pirates destroy our livelihoods. Anenome, fill them in."

"Yes sir," Anenome said, then indicated behind her. "Each of these barges is fitted with a searchlight and a selection of fireworks. We are each to search for pirates, and when we find them we activate the searchlights and use the fireworks. That'll allow the military to track the pirates when they get here."

"How will any of this work?" Pipp asked. "No electronics are working!"

"These ships are all steam powered," Captain Star pointed out. "No electronics anywhere. Now then, Star Fleet, hook up to a barge each and let's go!"

As the tugs hooked up, each of the humans hopped aboard a different one to join the search for the pirates. The fate of Chicago hung in the balance, and as the seas beckoned forth they advanced into the darkness.

Calla Lily looked with annoyance at the scene unfolding before her. "Pirates knocking out critical systems and now the Star Fleet combing the bay for them?" she asked. "That lot are getting in my way again. But no matter. If I can get my way there on my own, I should be able to retrieve the Charm before Allura does. Then, I am one step closer to victory."

She stepped up from her seat and began to make her way through her base, down to a lower dock where a small hatch sat floating above the waterline. She looked over to a guard. "Protect this location. Prepare the submarine for launch."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, and headed for the door.

Calla Lily opened the hatch and stepped into the sub, before closing it behind her. She moved down into the command position and pushed a few buttons to fire up the engines, before hitting another button.

Bubbles floated up the front glass as the submarine began to drop into the water. Once it was a short way down, she put the engine lever into forward.

"Let's see just how bright you are," she smiled.

Author's Note

Hello again, and welcome back for some more drama on the sea. This time, the plot is certainly hotting up.

The opening is inspired by the liner sequence in High Winds, coupled with elements from the comic. On a side note, the Danger theme from Tugs fits really well with that moment in the comic.

The ending of the chapter is a combination of a sequence from Pirate and a scene from the comic. We are getting closer to the dramatic conclusion of the story, so hold onto your hats and prepare for a thrilling finale!

Chapter 8-The Great Search

The elevator rolled into position on the upper floor, and several adults got out and walked forward.

"Interesting choice of building," Argyle said. "But then again it fits our needs quite nicely. The view of Lake Michigan is very good!"

"Which is precisely why I suggested it," Lady Haven replied. "I went up this when I last visited Chicago as my tour guide told me it gave a much better view of the lake and surrounding skyline. Much better than the Sears Tower, anyway."

"I thought it was the Willis Tower now," Argyle said, scratching his head in surprise. "Or maybe jumping time zones so rapidly has done a number on me."

"People around here pronounce Willis as Sears, or so I'm informed," Goldie said. "Not too different to some of the bars or high level restaurants I've been invited to after business has concluded."

"Did you do that often?" Lord Haven asked.

"You'd be amazed at how many European business trips seem to end up in fancy meals and opera," Goldie yawned. "Berlin was going to be a highlight, but the revolving restaurant at the top of the TV Tower stopped working years ago, and they haven't bothered to fix it."

"Perhaps we could give it a look!" Argyle said. "Given we seem to have fixed a lot of things over the years."

"Focus," Lady Haven said. "See the searchlights swinging across the harbour?"

The assembled adults looked down, and sure enough they could see numerous dots of light floating about on the water.

"That's quite the sight," Argyle said. "Now to see if these radios are working." He picked one up and turned a dial. "Sunny, you there?"

"Hey dad. How are things up there?"

"Sightlines are good. I'll keep you posted on anything that happens that I can see."

"Understood. I'll fill in the others if we find anything."

Argyle put the radio down. "So far, so good," he said.

Suddenly, somebody walked past. "Time travellers!" he said, referring to Lady Haven. "Somebody from the past has travelled forwards to our time! Are you finding modern conveniences fine?"

Lady Haven shook her head as he walked away. "I get this quite a lot," she said. "When in crinoline I sometimes get asked if I'm having a Scarlett O'Hara moment. But you learn to ignore it after a while."

"Why are you dressed as an Edwardian aristocrat?" Goldie asked.

"I was at the Green Door Tavern earlier today and I'm rather too old to portray a flapper," Lady Haven replied. "And I haven't had a chance to get cha-"

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, and a person cursed. "That went all over my suit!"

Argyle looked over to suddenly see something bizarre; the drinks that patrons of the bar were holding were exploding in their hands and showering them in alcohol. "That's not normal."

"You can say that again," Goldie said.

"That's not nor-"

"Haven't we done that joke to death?"

Suddenly, another loud horn blast echoed across the harbour.

Grampus was operating at the bottom of the lake as he steamed along. Well, not steamed in the literal sense as he was diesel powered, but steamed in the colloquial sense of the term. As he rattled along he could see lots of ships moving about on the surface.

"At least radios are still working," he said. "Unfortunately, the SONAR is kaput so I'll have to navigate on the surface."

He quickly surfaced to take a look around, and sure enough saw not very much. The light of the moon was barely enough to illuminate the lake, and as such lots of indistinct black shapes were moving about, combined with puffing sounds and the odd horn blast every now and then.

Grampus quickly dived underwater as he resumed his search. "Hope my batteries don't go flat," he said to himself as he continued on his way. His propellers continued to churn up the water as he continued his search along the bottom of the lake.

Suddenly, a series of explosions sounded overhead, and Grampus stayed lower to avoid them. "What the? Are they dropping depth charges or something?"

It soon dawned on him that nobody was dropping depth charges- the explosions were entirely on the surface, and presumably directed from one ship to another.

He switched to his radio. "A battle seems to have broken out on the surface," he warned. "Stay clear of the area around Lucky's Yard."

"Thanks for the warning, Grampus!" Sunshine radioed. "I'll be sure to spread the word!"

"Roger, wilco."

"My name isn't Roger."

"Come to think of it, I don't know anybody called Roger," Big Mac suddenly chimed in.

"Let's keep this channel clear for important information!" said OJ.

Grampus adjusted his rudder and got on his way, moving under some other shipping and slowly navigating his way through the waters of the underwater landscape. The bottom of the lake was a dark and foreboding place, and without his SONAR it was very slow going, as he couldn't afford to bump into things or knock objects over. There could even be sea monsters down here, for all he knew.

He fired up his searchlight for ease of vision, but that did little good as the light kept distorting underwater.

Just then, Grampus heard something, and switched off his engines to listen.

Sure enough, another submarine suddenly passed to one side of him. Grampus adjusted his light to hide his location, then glanced back to see what was passing.

A small submarine, which appeared to be a model designed for one person to use, slowly steamed past and onwards into the deep.

"Well, that's new." Grampus hadn't gotten a good look at the pilot of the submarine, but suspected something was odd. As far as he was aware he was the only submarine operating in Lake Michigan.

"Well, let's see what they're up to," Grampus said to himself. He let the submarine gain a bit of ground, and then set off himself, keeping a safe distance to the target.

"This weather is positively frightful!" Top Hat said, as he moved his searchlight back and forth. "And as it's only November and Thanksgiving hasn't happened yet, you cannot start quoting Christmas Carols yet!"

"That's a relief, because I wasn't planning on doing so," Pipp said. "Anything yet?"

"No, nothing," Top Hat said. "The fact it's so dark can hardly help. It's like being inside a coal cellar at the moment!"

"Do coal cellars usually have the moon in them?" Warrior asked.

Top Hat sighed. "When somebody describes something as being like the inside of a coal cellar, they mean a coal cellar with the light turned off. A lack of light results in blackness, and coal is also black, so you won't be able to see a thing. Must I always have to teach you plain English?"

Warrior glanced about with his own light. "Wouldn't it be amazing if you and I catch 'em?"

"Not with all this clanking about we won't," Top Hat said. "And I'd turn that light on your telephone off, Pipp. It'll barely make a difference in this gloom." He turned his attention back to Warrior. "Now pay attention, Warrior. This is a wartime situation. I’ve mustered up my courage and sense of tactical advantage!"

There was a moment of silence. "Err, what's that? This tactical thingy?"

"It means thinking strategically! Planning ahead! Doing your research!"

There was a moment's silence. "I don't think I understand."

"You don't seem to understand much, do you?" Top Hat said.

"That was a bit rude!" Pipp said.

"If you worked with him day in and day out I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever you'd be saying precisely the same thing," Top Hat said. "Oh, give me strength..."

Suddenly, there was a an abrupt stop of sound from Warrior. "What are you doing?"

"I'm shutting me engine off so I can listen," Warrior replied. "You see, with all the engine noise I can't hear what's going on around me. So, if somebody sneaks up on me I won't be able to hear them."

"But the-!"

It was too late. The barge Warrior was towing bashed into him, and the impact triggered the fireworks onboard. They rocketed into the sky, serving as a beacon that showed exactly where they were.

"YOU BLITHERING IDIOT!" Top Hat snapped.

Pipp glanced about. "Now where have I heard that one before?"

Unfortunately, the fireworks attracted unwanted attention. Two tugboats began to approach at high speed.

"It's Captain Star's lot!" said one. "They're on the move! OPEN FIRE!"

Suddenly, cannons began to fire, and shells were streaking through the air.

"We're under fire!" Warrior said. "Quick, run that way!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Top Hat said. "Good thing these pirates can't aim!"

Just as he said that, a shell struck his barge, blowing it up.

"You were saying?" Warrior replied.

Top Hat shook his head. "This is the worst night of my time here thus far..."

Calla Lily smiled as her submarine rumbled along the seafloor. "Those idiots are so busy fighting each other that they haven't noticed what I'm up to," she said, with a distinct look of glee on her face as the submarine continued on its way. "Whilst they play cowboys and indians up there, I can quietly search for the Nova Charm down here."

Her submarine continued to move along undetected (or at least Calla Lily thought she was undetected), prowling the bottom of the lack for the object of her desires. She frowned. "Come on. It's supposed to be around here somewhere."

She shook her head. "I can only hope Anenome chose to be sensible and stayed away from the area. That girl's an utter fool sometimes. But alas, I can always locate what I need on my own. If a job needs doing, do it yourself."

There was continued tracking along the seafloor, Calla Lily's thoughts being punctuated by the odd beep and whirr of equipment, whilst the mission continued unabated.

More of the explosions continued to sound on the surface whilst she rolled along under the sea, with a distinct lack of singing crabs to follow her on her journey. Those pirates were certainly convenient for creating distractions. She knew that woman Allura would need dealing with at some point, but if her plan worked they'd all be taken out at once anyway, so she didn't see any reason to worry.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when the submarine's collision alarm triggered. "I must be here!"

Sure enough, she switched the front lights to maximum beam, and smiled. Sitting before her was the wreckage of an old ship, which had been at the bottom of the lake for a while based on its current state of repair.

And next to it lay a glowing object. "Finally!"

Calla Lily pushed a button, and an arm extended from the submarine and pickd the object up. Once the object was safely secured, she placed it onto the shipwreck and waited.

Sure enough, the object began to glow intensely, and the light grew to fever pitch as the holes in the hull started to be patched and the rustwork repaired.

Calla Lily backed the submarine up, and smiled. "At long last, you are free to rise once again!"

"Where's the moon gone?" Sunshine asked. "It was there a minute ago!"

"This cloud's appeared from nowhere!" Ten Cents said. "I know weather conditions can change very suddenly at this time of year, but this is ridiculous!"

Indeed, the clouds had closed in, and the skies were invisible. Ten Cents looked up, and suddenly saw lightning streaking through the skies. "That wasn't forecast! THERE'S A STORM COMIN'!"

The cloud started to boom and roar with thunder as lightning crashed down. The waters of Lake Michigan started to churn and shake, and some of it was bubbling quite violently.

"Err, guys?" Izzy asked. "What's that?"

The water was churning especially violently in front of them.

And then, it happened.

Author's Note

Hello, folks, and welcome back for another chapter in Thomas and Friends: Across the Sea! This time round, we hit the waters to find out what lurks beneath the waves of Lake Michigan.

Argyle, Goldie, and Lady Haven have taken up position in the Hancock Center, a multiuse skyscraper opened in 1969. The building notably features an observation deck on the 94th Floor, which I visited during my trip to Chicago earlier this year. The view from it was superb, helped by the fact it was perfect weather out on Lake Michigan.

The term 'cowboys and indians' is a colloquial term used to refer to a number of different children's games. The rough UK equivalent is cops and robbers, and both terms are used to indicate two parties getting distracted from their actual goal.

And now, the deep has opened up. What will happen next?

Chapter 9-Terror from the Deep

"Can you hear that?" Ten Cents asked, looking about. "There seems to be some sort of noise coming from the water."

"Not to mention all those bubbles!" Sunshine added, his eyes looking about in confusion. "I thought we'd already gotten rid of the galleon!"

But OJ looked on concerned. "If it is as I suspect," he said, looking apprehensive, "then the old rumour may well be true."

Suddenly, a large ship smashed out of the water, throwing water and rubble everywhere. It then settled on the surface, the bow throwing water across the area of surfacing. It was very large and very long, and has guns festooned along the bodywork. Sitting above one of the gun turrets was a large drum like device, loaded with circular objects. The ship was painted, but there was a lot of rust hanging off the ship, and much of the hull was discoloured quite badly. In short, it looked as though a military vessel had just surfaced in the middle of the harbour- precisely as sunken ships do not.

Sunshine quaked. "What in the seven seas is that?" he asked.

"A bad omen, that's for sure," said OJ. "I fear the old rumour has indeed come true. For if I am not mistaken, that is the USS Nightmare!"

Zipp was jolted out of her thoughts by a loud blast of static coming from a nearby speaker. "What was that?" she asked.

Before anybody could answer her, the speaker suddenly began to broadcast.

"To anybody receiving this message, may I thank you for all your hard work. Were it not for that distraction you created, me and my ship would still be sleeping with the fishes. Now that you have done my dirty work for me, myself and me ship can finally finish what we started.

"It is our mission, and none of you can stop the USS Nightmare. I am Captain Mitchell, and this ungrateful city that took everything away from me shall feel the loss and despair I felt! LET CHICAGO BURN!"

Zipp grabbed her phone and immediately started a WhatsApp call to her friends. "Good thing this only needs WiFi to work," she said.

"What's going on, Zipp?" Hitch asked.

"We've made a big mistake," Zipp replied. "We've played right into that ship's hand! The pirates weren't trying to raise the USS Nightmare! They were trying to prevent it from being raised!"

Suddenly, the waters began to churn once more, and objects began to close in on the surface. "That's not good."

"Uhh, guys?" Sunny said. "We've got something bad going on here. A WW2 bomber just took off from under the water and is flying towards Chicago!"

Just then, planes began bursting out of the water and climbing into the sky, all of them heading for the city. "This is really bad," Zipp said.

"Understatement of the year, I suspect!" Pipp said.

"Rendezvous at the Star Fleet Dock!" Misty said. "I have an idea!"

Zipp nodded. "On my way. Now where's a motorboat when you need one..."

As the skies over Chicago suddenly sounded to the blasts of flak fire and air to air missiles (a small contingent of fighters on patrol in the area had scrambled to the scene), the Star Fleet found themselves under attack.

Top Hat backed up as fast as he could whilst motorboats roared past him. "Good grief!" he said. "Torpedo boats! Where did they come from?"

"The bottom of the lake, obviously!" Warrior said. "There's loads of sunken boats in the harbour!"

"Well, I guess that is true," Top Hat said. "But they seem to be heading for us!"

Warrior smiled. "I know an old trick." He positioned himself next to a ramp, and then just as the torpedo boats closed in he moved out of the way. The torpedo boats flew up the ramp and then crashed into a building.

Which then, inexplicably, exploded.

"I have no clue what is going on anymore!" said Top Hat.

"To all Star Fleet vessels receiving this message, please meet at Big Mickey's wharf," said OJ's voice. "I have a plan."

"We can't move off with this lot in our way!" Warrior shouted. "Those torpedoes will tear us to pieces!"

Suddenly, a hooter blasted out of the darkness, and Zorran rattled into view, towing a barge. "I'll draw their fire!" he shouted. "Now get to that dock! The Z Stacks will cover you!"

"See you on the other side, Zorran," Top Hat said, as he fired up his engine and moved away. Warrior followed him seconds later."

Big Mickey was a large dock crane based at the steelworks, where many ships were loaded and unloaded. He glanced down at the assembled tugs. "So, what's the plan? We'd best act quickly if we're going to avoid getting blown up."

"Yeah, what is the plan OJ?" Ten Cents asked.

"It's an idea I got from history," OJ said. "When England was threatened by the Spanish Armada, Sir Francis Drake had several ships loaded to the brim with gunpowder. They were then set on fire and sailed into the enemy fleet, and when they crashed into other ships they exploded and spread the flames to other ships. Hellburners, they called them."

"There's a distinct lack of wooden ships around here!" Big Mac said.

"I know that, but we've got the next best thing," OJ continued. "There's an old decommisioned tramp steamer nearby, Kraka-Toa I believe the name is. If we can go and get it, we can load it with explosives and crash it into that thing, sending it to the bottom!"

"I presume I'll be loading the ship, then?" Big Mickey asked.

"Seeing as you're a crane and none of us are, I assume so," Warrior said.

"That just leaves one teeny tiny problem," Top Hat said. "Where is the Seven Seas are we going to find that much explosive?"

"I know some," said a familiar voice. Sure enough, they saw Anenome on the dockside. "Follow me."

Several of the tugs did, the remainder staying behind to protect Big Mickey.

The Coast Guard had mobilised, and several security ships from the Port Authority were on the move across Lake Michigan. More and more ships were appearing, and those ships that could engage them could. Some of the fighting was knife fight range as the fiercest battle on the Great Lakes since the War of 1812 raged on.

One small group of torpedo boats was escorting another ship across the lake. This boat happened to have Zipp and her friends aboard.

"You sure this'll work?" Zipp asked Misty.

"I'm certain!" Misty said. "Sometimes we have to confront our problems head on! You taught me that!"

"So, let's just hope this guy is willing to talk," Sunny said. "Right?"

"We can only hope," Hitch said, adjusting his coat. "It's positively freezing out here!"

"Sixty seconds!" shouted a sailor. "Get ready, we're not gonna slow down!"

"Incoming!" shouted another voice. "Destroyer closing in, right hand side!"

"Mercury 2, break off to engage!"

One of the torpedo boats changed heading and prepared to attack the sudden destroyer, whilst the rest of the boats closed in on the USS Nightmare. The ship's guns were firing on any targets in range, and as they closed in Pipp looked surprised.

"It's that woman we saw bothering Captain Star!" she said.

Sure enough, Calla Lily was onboard and manning one battery of side guns.

"Prepare to engage the target!" shouted one sailor. "Surface battery, fire mission on my target!"

"Copy, barrage incoming. Hold tight!"

There was a slight delay as the battery set its target, but then a series of loud bangs echoed in the distance. Moments later, a series of explosions rocked the side of the USS Nightmare, destroying the side guns utterly.

"Target destroyed! Good on target!"

The torpedo boats moved to draw fire, whilst the boat with the Mane 6 aboard drew up alongside. A pair of sailors fired grappling hooks, which locked into the sides of the ship and held steady.

"Good luck!" one of them called.

Two by two, they climbed up the rope, and soon found themselves onboard the haunted ship. It was a twisted maze of spooky corridors and dimly lit rooms, which made navigating somewhat difficult.

But at last, they reached the bridge. But they were not prepared for what they saw.

A tall, gaunt man with a sharply defined nose stood at the ship's wheel, and looked out to sea. He had grey hair and a grey beard, and he was dressed in a Captain's uniform of the United States Navy.

"I returned from the briny depths, and this is the welcoming party I get?" he said, the slightest hint of an English accent in his voice. "The standards really have gone downhill."

"What do you want from us?" Misty asked.

The man looked round. "I want what any sailor wants- death to any traitorous landubber! We served this nation, and they tried to burn us away!" He laughed. "Well, now it is time for you to know what is like to everything you love torn way from you. ACTIVATE MORTAR BATTERY! TARGET THE HANCOCK TOWER!"

Pipp looked on in horror. "NO!"

Author's Note

Well, my fellow readers, welcome back to our little nautical tale. Our story continues to deepen, as we encounter more mysteries from the depths, and at last come face to face with the threat we've been facing the entire time. Although based on Set your Sail issue 5, relatively little of the issue has been used here directly.

The USS Nightmare is a Fletcher-Class Destroyer, a class of destroyer built between 1941 and 1945. 175 were built and proved to be very effective, with examples still serving in the US Navy as late as 1971. Four are preserved as museum ships; three in the United States, and one in Greece.

Lake Michigan is known for having large numbers of wrecked planes and ships at the bottom of it. Many of the aircraft date from WW2; the area around Navy Pier was used as a practice area for training carrier pilots. One notable pilot who passed through the school there was George Bush Sr., who would later go on to serve with distinction on the USS San Jacinto. According to the tour guide, he crashed at least one plane in Lake Michigan.

The Spanish Armada is a notable moment in English history. 137 ships strong, it was one of the largest invasion forces ever assembled, but some exceptionally poor seamanship and superb strategy from the English prevented it from achieving its intended goal of conquering England. Many ships would later be wrecked as they tried to ecape around the top of Scotland.

Anybody familiar with Tugs will remember Kraka-Toa, the tramp steamer which met a spectacularly fiery end in Munitions. The ship is named after a volcano in the Java Sea which erupted rather explosively in the 1880s, which was one of the loudest noises ever noted; people in Mauritius, which is more than 3,000 miles away, heard the eruption. Safe to say, I can only wonder what was going through the mind of the person who thought naming an explosives ship after a volcanic eruption was a good idea. The model for Kraka-Toa was reused in Thomas and Friends, most notably as the tramp steamer that knocks Cranky over in Cranky Bugs.

Captain Mitchell has now arrived. In terms of personality, he is based very loosely on the Captain Mitchell from the USS Nightmare haunted house. His appearance is modelled on the British actor Jeffrey Holland.

Can our heroes defeat Captain Mitchell and save Chicago? Find out tomorrow in the exciting conclusion to Thomas and Friends: Across the Sea!

Chapter 10-We Happy Few

Goldie's attention was suddenly drawn to the beach when a series of explosions suddenly started to light up buildings on the shoreline. "What the?"

Large objects were flying through the air and exploding on contact, sending wood and brick flying as they detonated with force. Coupled with all the bombs falling it made for a rather intense experience for those witnessing it. A fighter jet roared past the window and engaged one of the ghost fighter aircraft, shooting it down with a quick burst of cannon fire.

Another bomber roared overhead, causing the ground defence batteries to open up once more. Explosions rocked the skies and caused the Hancock Centre to shake.

"Looks like they've figured out where we are," Argyle said. "We should probably leave."

As if to show his point, one of the flying objects suddenly exploded nearby, shattering several windows.

"Get to the elevator!" Lady Haven shouted, and they dashed for their escape route. Hopefully the rest of the family was doing better.

Argyle switched to his radio. "Sunny, we're relocating position as the Hancock Centre is being targeted. I'll contact you as soon as I can."

There was no reply. The lift arrived quickly, luckily, and they dived in before Goldie punched the button for the bottom floor. "Ground floor, on its way!"

"What's the ground floor?" asked a businessman who had dived in with them.

"What you might call the First Floor," Goldie replied. "I live in the UK."

But that would quickly prove to be the least of their worries.

"I'm almost done loading the explosives!" shouted Big Mickey, as the last pallet started to be lowered.

"Didn't think we'd be doing this sort of work," Ten Cents said, grimly.

"I've towed explosives before, but not with the goal of blowing stuff up with them," Warrior said. "Where's Billy Shoepack when you need him?"

"I wouldn't want that pyromaniac within ten miles of this ship!" Big Mac replied. "The fool's a pyromaniac!"

"Agreed," Top Hat said. "I miss the days when the most exciting thing that happened was a liner coming in."

"It's probably best we stay focused now," Sunshine said. "I'd be keen to make it out of this alive."

OJ looked over. "Well said, Sunshine. Now then, pay attention. We only have one shot at this. We have to hit and destroy the USS Nightmare, or we'll all be sleeping with the fishes tonight. Anybody want to back out?"

There were no replies.

"I thought so," OJ replied. "Prepare to move out!"

The tugs all set their rudders to the correct direction.

"ALL ENGINES, AHEAD FULL!"

The dockside suddenly sounded to the roar of multiple steam powered ships getting up to speed, steam pouring into the night sky as the battle raged all around. The sailors looked on, knowing they would remember this day.

One by one, the tugs slowly drifted out of view, the tramp steamer being the only thing visible in the blackness. "Good luck!" Big Mickey called.

They would certainly need it.

On the bridge of the USS Nightmare, another battle had broken out amongst the carnage of the naval battle. Captain Mitchell had drawn his sword, and was engaging with all his might. "I've been through the worst the oceans can throw at a man!" he bellowed. "Can you think you can stand against the likes of me!"

"We can try!" Zipp said, rolling out of the way.

Captain Mitchell swung at Pipp, but Misty jumped in the way, generating a shield as she did so. "Nobody hurts my sister!" she yelled, sending Mitchell moving backwards.

The Captain shook his head in astonishment. "How can this be?" he asked, as he swung round at unnatural speed and knocked Hitch back. "The USS Nightmare was built to fight on the open waters and dominate her enemies- but she's been so much further than that! Can you comprehend such a thing?"

Sunny charged in, her energy blades slamming into Captain Mitchell's sword. "None of that gives you the right to hurt others!"

"You will all know what I have been through!" Captain Mitchell answered. "I was dragged to hell and back, through a realm of pure chaos... of pure evil! And now, I shall bring that nightmare to Chicago, so they know what it was like! THERE SHALL BE A HARVEST OF SOULS! LET CHICAGO BURN!"

Pipp moved back and looked through a window. Suddenly, she spotted something approaching them at speed. She quickly switched her phone to transmit an emergency signal.

"Steady!" OJ called. "Steady!"

"Warrior, increase engine power!" Big Mac called. "You're drifting!"

"I'm trying to hold it on my side! More power, Sunshine!"

Sunshine groaned. "My engine's in the red as it is!"

"I'll ramp up to take the strain off you!" Ten Cents shouted, as his engine roared even loader. "Blimey, I wasn' built for this!"

"Keep it on line!" Top Hat called. "We're nearly there!" Just then, he looked through his monocle to see familiar figures on the ship. "Good Heavens! It's the people from Britain! They're on the deck of that monstrosity!"

"We have to warn them!" shouted Big Mac. "Sound your whistles, lads!"

The sea near them sounded to the familiar whistles of tugboats, and the message was soon travelling across the lake to the deck of the ship.

Luckily, Pipp and most of the others had bailed, leaving Sunny acting as a rearguard. She moved backwards, blasting Captain Mitchell to slow him down.

But no amount of firepower seemed to bring him down. They couldn't stop him, only delay him. He charged forward through the corridors with his sword. "You foolish child!" he bellowed. "I have seen more than you can dream! You think you can stop me by just running around?"

"It's better than nothing, frankly!" Sunny replied, as she made her way towards the edge of the ship. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing the enormous tramp steamer approaching her position.

Mitchell stepped up to her. "DO YOU SEE NOW? DO YOU SEE?!"

Sunny smiled. "Yes. I do. I ain't afraid of no ghost!" She then jumped, flipping over and diving into the water, landing on a nearby lifeboat. Once onboard, she fired up the engine and roared away.

Captain Mitchell looked confused- and then saw the tramp steamer about to slam into him.

"Break off cables!" OJ ordered. "BREAK OFF!"

In sequence, the tugs disconnected their cables and began to move away from the scene. Moving as quickly as they could, they cleared the combat zone and moved away from the tramp steamer, which was now drifting without any propulsion. But it was now so close it could not be stopped.

The ship slammed into the side of the USS Nightmare, carving a hole into its hull. Seconds later, the explosives onboard detonated, tearing apart the tramp steamer in a series of massive explosions.

The explosions blew the hull of the USS Nightmare open even more, and the resulting fire spread through the ship, igniting fuel and other systems.

And, in one final show of destructive force, the magazine cooked off.

Captain Mitchell screamed as his ship was torn to pieces, the forecastle plummeting into the depths as water flooded into the ship. Within minutes, the USS Nightmare had plunged below the waves.

Warrior was the only one to speak up. "Nice fireworks display, that!"

OJ glanced about. "Well done everybody! We saved the day!"

"But what about our friends?" Ten Cents asked. "Did they get away in time?"

Just then, they saw a red flare in the sky, and traced its position back to a boat floating on the water. Sunshine was the first to reach their position, and he was delighted. "You're alive!" he said.

"We're kinda adrift here," Izzy said. "Could you give us a tow back to port?"

Sunshine smiled, his distinctive toothy grin a very welcome sight. "I'll be more than happy to."

The next morning, Chicago celebrated its victory over Captain Mitchell and the USS Nightmare, as well as the brave heroes who had helped save their city. As such, works soon began on cleaning up the mess from the battle that had consumed the night.

As the sun rose over Lake Michigan, the tugboats of the Star Fleet and the Zero Fleet gathered at Navy Pier, where a large stage stood. A set of instruments had been set up, and Pipp was sat at a piano.

"Good morning, Pippsqueaks!" she said. "I know it's a little late, but I got somewhat distracted. It's a lovely morning over Lake Michigan, if a tad cold, which is why I'm wearing a winter coat. But the big wait you've all been waiting is finally over!"

She checked the keys before continuing. "I am proud, at long last, to be debuting my new song, Across the Sea. I dedicate this to the Tugs of the Star Fleet! Give them a cheer!"

The crowds cheered, cheering the tugboats who had helped save their city.

A saxophone solo started up before Pipp started playing, her angelic voice soon echoing across Navy Pier.

"Far away, across the sea!
I'm missing you, you’re missing me!
But no matter how far away you are/
know that I’m here to guide you home!"

Author's Note

Well, wasn't that an explosive finale! Given just how epic the original comic is, it only felt fitting to have a sequence to match its ending in my own adaptation.

Captain Mitchell's speech is taken from the 1997 film Event Horizon, about a haunted spaceship which went somewhere no ship should go. The speech is delivered in the film by a possessed crewmember.

The song Pipp sings at the end was written for Bigg Freeze, the final episode of Tugs. Performed by Sue Glover, it was originally going to be released as a single before Clearwater Productions' bankruptcy put paid to the plan (and with it any future seasons of Tugs). In a way, Tugs and MLP G5 are kindred spirits; both burned short, but burned extremely bright.

We shall return in December with a new story, but until then smooth seas and wind in your sails!