Thomas and Friends: Game of Gnomes

Chapters

Chapter 1-In the Bleak Midwinter
Chapter 2-Then Why Should Men on Earth be so Sad?
Chapter 3-Deck the Halls!
Chapter 4-Four Thousand Winter
Chapter 5-Pray you Dutifully Prime
Credits

Chapter 1-In the Bleak Midwinter

"The nights are getting longer! (longer)
And there's a chill in the air!
And you feel a bit of magic/
Ooh, everywhere!

"It's a special time that we all hold dear/ (dear)
So come on, everybody, time to spread the cheer! (yeah!)
There's dancin' and there's prancin' 'round the Christmas Tree/
And a little bit of sparkle for you and me!

No, I just can't wait 'til it's Christmas Day!"

Hitch sighed as he changed the volume on the radio. "Heard this song a thousand times already, and it's only the 23rd. I know we don't get long to listen to Christmas stuff, but playing it continously from the end of November is excessive, don't you think?"

"I dunno!" Izzy said, as she climbed down from the shed ceiling, having just put up some tinsel. "I like festive music. It cheers up the mood and brightens our days! Especially given dad's gonna be away on the oil rig until tomorrow."

"Izzy does have a point, Hitch," Sunny replied. "It's probably a good thing we try to keep the holiday spirit, if only for somebody else's sake."

"You've already done a fine job of that, Sunny!" Salty said. "This shed's more ship shape than a selection of sloped salmon!"

"Is that a thing?" Hitch asked.

"Sure is, me hearty!" Salty replied.

Sunny's phone buzzed, and she took a look. "Oh! Time for lunch. See you in a bit, guys!"

"See ya!" Izzy said. "Hitch, you wouldn't mind holding the ladder whilst I climb back down?"

Sunny walked out of the shed and back towards her home, wrapping her scarf a little tighter around her neck owing to the cold. Winters seemed to be bitterly cold these last few years, and the omnipresent snow didn't help matters all that much. There was already talk of getting the snowblower out.

"It never used to get this snowy," Sunny said, as she knocked on the door. "Mom, dad, I'm home!"

The door opened a few seconds later, and her nostrils were soon greeted by the smell of festive food. "Welcome back, Sunny," Argyle smiled. "We've got quite the feast lined up here."

"Enough food to feed an army, no less," Goldie joked. "Dive in when you're ready."

Sunny took off her scarf and coat and hung them up before taking a seat. "We sure have had a busy morning."

"Dockyard been busy again?" Argyle asked.

"Plenty of ships are bringing stuff in and out," Sunny replied. "Mostly last minute Christmas goods, as it seems some people have left their Christmas shopping a little late."

"That'd be awkward," Goldie said. "I've done that more than once. When I was still living in Rhode Island I saw something in a storefront on Christmas Eve and realised it'd be perfect for Moondust. So I bought it, got it wrapped, then gave it to him the next day." She paused. "There was a film when I was a teen about two men racing across America to buy the last example of a certain toy for their children. It wasn't very good in my opinion."

"The one with Arnie in it?" Argyle asked.

"Yeah, that one." Goldie smiled. "Still, good with the bad. At least The Polar Express exists- we're watching that tomorrow, right?"

"We cannot have Christmas without it, can we?" Sunny answered, before suddenly there was a knock at the door and a letter dropped through the door.

"Must be the council," Argyle said. "Only they still send letters."

Sunny walked over and saw it was addressed to her. "It's to me," she said. "The last time that happened we ended up on Sodor and ended up at war." She opened it regardless and started to read.

"Dear Sarah Starshine,

We at the Royal Cornwall Hospital wish to collaborate with you and your railway. The children who are at the hospital are very interested in the Maritime Line, and we are organising a delivery of Christmas presents to ensure they will have the Christmas spirit at this time of year.

We would like you and Salty to deliver the presents from Falmouth to Truro, and we hope you will accept.

Many kind returns,

NHS Cornwall."

Sunny nodded. "Well, that was interesting."

"Well?" Goldie asked. "What's your reply?"

Sunny sat back down. "Given this is the season of goodwill, I'd be keen to help them. Part of the spirit of the season is helping those less fortunate than ourselves, and I have a personal connection to the hospital too."

"As well I know," Goldie commented. "Hard to believe that was nearly 18 years ago now."

"So yes," Sunny said. "I'll help."

"Not often I get a trip onto the dockside!" Harvey said.

"Well, with Porter down for parts changes we need to step up," Goldie said. "Besides, this is a nice break from endless last minute business calls."

Harvey was handy as a shunter, and had been assigned to the bottom end of the yard where the container flats were often loaded. These were a very handy means of transportation, as they could be used to move objects in bulk- such as Christmas deliveries.

Once round the train, Harvey pushed the stock along the siding to the crane before he noticed something odd. "Why is an empty crate upside down on a flat wagon?" he asked. "That's not how they're normally positioned, right?"

"I don't think so," Goldie said. "Then again I've seen all sorts of strange things in my time. Let's keep going and see what we find."

Once round the siding, they came to a stop next to the box.

"Hello? Is anypony there?"

"Did you hear that?" Harvey asked.

"I did," Goldie replied. "It sounded like a voice, if I do say so myself."

Just then, the voice was heard again, albeit a little louder.

"Hello? Is anypony there?"

Goldie applied Harvey's handbrake and stepped over to the box. "Now who is under this box?" she asked.

"I'm trapped in here! Could somepony let me out?"

Goldie thought the voice sounded familiar, but was confused by the use of 'somepony'. She lifted the lid- and was very surprised at what she saw.

"Well, it's been a while since we last worked together."

Brookes rolled to a stop in the siding at Truro, soon seeing his old friend glancing over. "Just nice to be working up here with you again, just like old times."

Nigel laughed. "We've got plenty of new goods to move about. And that means lots of work for you and me."

"Just another part of the winter season," Onyx added. "I have a new poem as well, well to sing and speak."

"Let's hear it while we work," Argyle said, as he put Brookes' cutoff into forward.

And off Onyx went:

"What are these flakes my eyes do see?
What is this chill coming over me?
Is this some... enchanted winter fan-ta-sy?
Snowpony, come and set me...
Free, free, free...
The flakes fall down, the trees don't wither.
Colts and mares, I wish you...
Frostyshivers."

There was a moment of silence that was suddenly interrupted by Brookes' whistle. "Well that was something. Who are the colts and mares you speak to?"

"It's a translation error, adaptation fault, the end falling of stars and light as we move closer to dust, dust as the end of days."

Argyle just looked confused. "I'll take your word for it!"

After some more work, the yard head at Truro walked over to them and handed Argyle a message. "Work order for you," he said. "You are to take some tankers down to Newham gasworks to be filled. Considering what happened in Calmenick last year, we'll be stationing tankers filled with gas at sidings along the line in case gas lines get cut off."

Argyle nodded. "On our way. Let's go, Brookes!"

"We'll need to collect the tankers first!"

So they did, and two brake vans to allow them to change ends. Once they had drawn the train together, they set off for Penwithers Junction and ran round before proceeding back down the Newham Branch. Already the snowfall looked to be on the verge of slipping onto the line, and this concerned them greatly.

"I'll be glad when this snow lifts," Brookes said. "The silly soft stuff causes so many problems."

Once they were down the branch, they pulled into Newham docks and ran round the train again. Now at the correct end, they shunted the stock into the siding at Newham gasworks and waited for the workmen to start filling the tankers.

Argyle hopped off the footplate for a break and to catch his breath. The cold air could sometimes play havoc with his lungs, and his coat and scarf weren't as effective against the cold as he had hoped.

Just then, he heard a voice.

"It's very dark in here! Help please!"

Argyle walked in the direction of a voice, which seemed to be coming from a tarpaulin. He pulled it off- and looked astonished.

Author's Note

Hello fellow readers, and welcome back for my annual Christmas tradition! Christmas stories are a staple of my account, and what better way to mark the holiday season than a story about giving? The program Sunny is participating in is based on something my school used to do, sending gifts to children in hospital.

But what have Goldie and Argyle found? Find out tomorrow!

Chapter 2-Then Why Should Men on Earth be so Sad?

Goldie didn't quite know what to make of what she was looking at. "What in the world is this?" she asked.

The thing sitting in front of her looked like some sort of horse. But it had a number of features that made it look very different to a horse of our world.

For one, the muzzle was oddly short and squat, and seemed to sit more like a human mouth than the long muzzles of Earth's horses. The eyes were positioned facing forwards, rather than on the side of the head like a conventional equine. The coat was also a source of confusion. Most horses were brown in colour, but this one had fur that was oddly pink in tone, and not a shade found in nature at all. The mane- where to begin? It flowed down one side of her head and almost down to her hooves, which were purple for some reason. Part of the mane had braidwork in it, and otherwise it flowed like human hair (the shades of purple, orange and yellow oddly clashing with one another in a rather strange way). The pony also had a purple tail, coloured in two different shades of purple.

The pony looked up at her. "Thanks for getting the crate off me! I have no idea how long I was under there, and I'm glad to be back in the open air. Thank hoofness you came along."

Goldie was very confused to another degree. For one, why could this pony apparently speak perfect English? Usual pony conversations she had observed mostly consisted mostly of snorting and 'neigh'. Secondly, what was up with its word choices?

And perhaps most importantly of all why was this pony's voice a dead ringer for her sister in law? Did they all have pony counterparts in some other reality?

Goldie looked at her. "I need to get you somewhere safe. Follow me." Without any hesitation, she headed back to Harvey's cab and climbed in. "I'll pull you up if you need a hand."

The pony nodded and trotted over slowly, before climbing up some steps and into Harvey's cab. "These are steep," she said. "Does nopony in this world use ramps?"

There was another example of her strange vocabulary. This pony seemed to have pony varient versions of every single phrase and word in the English language. Goldie would have to investigate this more later.

Once she got Harvey back to his siding, she took the pony with her to the house and went inside before pointing. "That spot will mean nobody will see you in here.

The pony nodded and dashed over, positioning herself in the required spot. "Thanks for helping me," she said, with a smile.

A smile that was reminiscent of Veronica. This just kept on getting weirder. Goldie sighed. "No problem," she said. "Glad to help. You know, I never got your name."

What the pony said next completely threw her for a loop.

"Oh, sorry! My name's Stella. Stella Starscout. Have you seen a filly called Sunny anywhere?"

A considerable distance away up at the Newham gasworks, Argyle was going through a similarly weird moment. He stood there, looking confused at what was sitting in front of him.

The pony that looked up was coloured blue and had a dark blue mane and mutton chops (not a full beard and moustache like Argyle himself). He also had a tail and he seemed to be wearing glasses, albeit of an unfamiliar design to account for is muzzle.

This pony was the spitting image of himself.

And was also the first of them to speak after the extremely awkward pause. "Erm, do I know you?"

"Probably not," Argyle replied. "My name is Argyle Starshine."

The pony looked astonished. "That's my name too! What a funny coincidence. Funny as in odd, not funny as in 'ha ha, I told a funny joke'."

Argyle nodded. "This is turning out to be a weird day indeed. Look, I don't know how well the locals are going to react to anthropomorphic talking horses in their locality, so I suggest you come with me to my home. I've got a place where I can keep you away from prying eyes."

"I'd appreciate that," pony Argyle said. "Something about this place feels off and away from home. I can only hope Sunny's OK. I'd find my way back if I knew how."

Argyle indicated for the pony to hop into the cab. "Sunny, huh?"

"Yeah," the pony said, with a smile. "She's my daughter. I presume you know somebody of that name?"

Argyle glanced back down the train to see the tankers were still being filled with gas. "Yeah, that my daughter's name too." A pony who looked like him, who sounded something like him, had the same name as him, and had a daughter of the same name as him. This was all getting far too strange for words. Would it turn out he was married to a mare called Goldie who worked in an office somewhere whilst he worked in a University?

Argyle set those thoughts aside as they set off on their journey. For the most part, taking the tankers down the line was fairly routine. At every station they stopped to set down tankers and place them in sidings. At some sidings this was easy, as it simply meant pushing trucks back into the sidings. Other sidings required Brookes to run round and push the trucks into place under freight sheds and in covered locations.

The train grew shorter and shorter until they arrived in Falmouth, shunting the last two into position in the station siding.

"Why does this town get two?" pony Argyle asked.

"Falmouth has a much larger population than the other settlements of the Fal River Valley," Argyle explained. "As such, they need more gas."

The journey to the house was also swift, and at last they arrived at the home, stepping inside. "Goldie, the strangest thing happened whilst I was out," Argyle said. "I found a po..."

He trailed off as another pony emerged from behind a chair, and looked at the pony next to him. "Argyle?" she asked.

Pony Argyle looked equally astonished. "Stella? Is that you?"

"Oh, the times were hard and the wages are low!"

"Leave her, Johnny, leave her!"

"I guess it's time for us to go!"

"And it's time for us to leave her!"

"Leave her, Johnny, leave her!
Oh leave her, Johnny, leave her!
For the voyage is done/
and the winds don't blow!
and it's time for us to leave her!"

As was a well established tradition in Falmouth Yard, Salty was leading the trucks in a sea shanty. The diesel shunter rolled back and forth whilst he collected the trucks he needed for his long train.

"There's Liverpool Pat in his tarpaulin hat!"

"Leave her, Johnny, leave her!"

"And Yankee John the pocket rat!"

"And it's time for us to leave her!"

Salty continued to work hard. "Well, we can't disappoint those kids, can we? Our duty is that we continue to collect the stock and so they can have a merry Christmas."

Sunny nodded. "That I can agree with. I mean, I guess I'm kinda lucky that I can spend it with my family."

"What do you mean?" Salty asked.

"This will sound crazy, but it turns out that on the other side of some portal there's a pony version of me. When we first met, I learned her parents died a long time ago. She's been alone for a long time, and she relies on her friends for something resembling a family structure."

Salty sighed. "Aye, that is sad. Remember, Sunny, those you love are never truly gone from the world. They live on in those who remember them and ensure their legacy is preserved."

Just then, Salty bashed into a van. "Oops! Hit that one going a bit fast!"

"Hello?" said a voice from inside the van.

Sunny's ears picked up. "That voice! I know it!" She secured Salty in position and walked to the van and unlocked the doors before opening them.

"Thanks for opening those! It was very dark in there and..."

Sunny's eyes widened when she saw who was sitting inside.

Her pony counterpart looked back. "Sunny? What are you doing here?"

"That's a question I was wanting to ask you as well," Sunny replied. "I live here, but I don't think this is Equestria."

Pony Sunny climbed out of the van and looked around. "Neither do I. I've hopped between dimensions a lot, but I don't think I should be here."

Sunny shrugged her shoulders. "I'd say something about this being weird, but I'm used to being a weirdness magnet by now."

"Whatcha doin'?" pony Sunny asked, as she looked at the train.

"We're putting together some stock to take presents to some children," Sunny explained. "Want to help?"

Pony Sunny nodded. "I'll do what I can!"

And so, work continued, the strangeness of the day overlooked for the moment.

Author's Note

So, now you know what the crew found- their pony counterparts (sans Goldie, of course). Otherwise, the story continues to march forward.

Stella's design here is based on Makaryo's custom rig he built for the character, which is meant to emulate the Make your Mark artstyle:

Once again, a real sea shanty appears in the story.

Chapter 3-Deck the Halls!

Night fell over Falmouth, and sure enough work was back underway in the yard. Salty continued to work as the train continued to come together. "Nice weather we're having," he said, as he looked out to sea. "The sun is nice at this time of year, and the light falls on the snow quite nicely."

Sunny looked back as the next set of vans were getting closer. "Keep it coming, keep it coming," she said to herself, keeping a close hand on the brakes.

"Is there any particular reason you're talking to yourself?" pony Sunny asked, glancing up at her human counterpart.

"It's a nervous thing," Sunny said. "Sometimes it can get pretty lonely in the cab, and having somebody to talk to is nice, even if that somebody is yourself."

"We do that all the time in Equestria," pony Sunny admitted. "Sometimes in Maretime Bay you can see whole groups of ponies interacting with nopony but themselves! Hitch once did it when watching the magic go out of control, and Pipp asked him why he was doing that!"

Sunny looked down, though not in condescension as her pony fellow was considerably shorter than she was. "So, you're from a place called Maretime Bay? What's it like?"

Pony Sunny smiled as Salty rolled to a stop next to the vans. "Well, it's a small seaside town. It has quite a few seaside businesses and several residents. It's also where I live with my friends at the Brighthouse."

"Brighthouse?" Sunny asked. "Is that like a lighthouse?"

"I used to live in a lighthouse," pony Sunny replied. "My dad did the place up when he and my mom were dating. It had been a ruin when he found it, but he got it all restored to how it used to be. I've got many happy memories of growing up there, though sadly it no longer exists. Sprout drove a war machine into it and it collapsed."

Seems that Sprout is just as much of a moron no matter which side of the portal you find him on, Sunny thought to herself. She sighed. "Sorry to hear about that."

"We got a local construction firm to build a replacement," pony Sunny said. "We live there now, me and my friends Izzy, Hitch, Pipp, Zipp, and Misty. We keep the Unity Crystals on the top floor, where nopony bad can hopefully get to them. Well, Opaline nearly stole them, but we had the protection barrier to keep them safe."

Sunny was surprised at how many details were lining up with her own life. "Was your dad called Argyle, by any chance?"

Pony Sunny looked up. "Yes. Argyle Starshine. I'm guessing that's your dad's name too?"

Sunny nodded. "Yep. Admittedly it's a nickname as his real name's Albert, but most people call him Argyle- including Salty."

"Is that a surprise?" Salty asked. "And are you planning on hooking me up to the vans rather than gossiping?"

Sunny climbed down from the cab, coupled Salty up, then climbed back into the cab. "Where was I? I remember. My mom usually goes by her nickname as well." Sunny then noticed pony Sunny looking sad. "What's wrong?"

"I guess that's another thing that sets us apart," pony Sunny sighed. "My mom's long gone."

Sunny felt awful. "Sorry."

"It's OK, you couldn't have known," pony Sunny replied. "It was a long time ago. When I only a filly, as a matter of fact. I don't remember a huge amount about her, but according to dad her name was Stella. Stella Starscout. That's apparently why my last name is Starscout rather than Starshine."

Sunny was surprised. Her pony counterpart had a dad of the same name as her, but her mother had a different name? "That's unexpected," she said. "My mom's called Goldie. Gloria's her real name."

Pony Sunny nodded. "Remember to tell her that you love her, OK? You never know how long you have left. According to dad it seemed that we'd be a happy family forever. Then she went off on an archeological dig in this place called Skyros and never came back."

Sunny nodded. "I can imagine how that must have felt. I remember one time mom went on a business trip to Europe and they forgot to tell me. I thought she'd left us forever."

Pony Sunny nodded too. "I miss my mom every day. And my dad. He died when I was only 18, and I've been alone for much of my life. Even my new friends my only be temporary, which is why I intend to make the most of whatever time I have left with them."

Argyle looked in astonishment at the scene before him. Standing there was a mare who looked astonishingly like his sister, who was currently in a loving embrace with a pony that looked remarkably like himself and was probably his pony counterpart somewhere in the universe.

"Erm, Goldie, what's going on?" he asked his wife.

"I'm not sure either," Goldie replied. "I found her under a box in the yard, and now she seems to be looking for a pony called Sunny."

The two ponies stopped their embrace and looked up. "Do you know where she is?" they asked in unison.

"No, but our daughter has that name," Argyle said. "As you know, my name is Argyle.

"That's my name too!" pony Argyle said. "But who's the lady you were addressing?"

Goldie stepped forward. "I'm Gloria, or Goldie if you prefer to use nicknames. Argyle's my husband."

Stella looked up, baffled. "But... I'm married to Argyle!"

Argyle and Goldie looked back and forth at one another in utter confusion. "So, my counterpart is not married to your counterpart but is in fact married to a pony who looks rather like my sister. Nope, that's not completely confusing."

"You have a sister?" pony Argyle asked.

"Yes, and I'm assuming by your response you don't," Argyle said.

"Nope. Only foal," pony Argyle said. "We had quite the life though."

Goldie indicated for the two ponies to sit on a sofa and then sat down at a chair. "Perhaps you could tell us more about your past?" she asked. "We can perhaps unravel this mystery by looking at our respective pasts?"

"Sure!" pony Argyle said, as he settled into a comfortable position. "I'm originally from a place called Maretime Bay, a seaside town on the western coast of Equestria. I'd lived there my entire life, and worked as a schoolteacher, having gotten my teaching degree from the University of Fillydelphia."

Argyle nodded. "I'm a college professor by trade."

Pony Argyle noted this. "Interesting. Anyway, I did my best to educate the students on the past, but the curriculum was often distorted by those in positions of power to promote and push their own agenda. Especially Phyllis, who relied on fearmongering to stay in business and frequently accused me of brainwashing."

"Plus ca change," Goldie remarked.

"What does that mean?" Stella asked.

"What a surprise," Goldie clarified. "It's one of the few bits of French I know. I mainly speak German as a foreign language."

"Sounds like Prench," pony Argyle said. "Anyway, I was off to get my lunch one day when I ran into Stella. She was out protesting against the curriculum taught in schools as she had found archeological evidence that directly contradicted what was being taught. The townsponies didn't take too kindly to that, but we were able to escape."

Goldie noted this. "Seems a bit more dramatic than us. I bumped into Argyle- literally!"

"But we then went to one of her dig sites, which was the ruins of an old unicorn settlement. It was proof that all three pony groups all lived in harmony once. A shame that Carl then had it concreted over and CanterLogic built a tractor plant on top of it."

"By destroying traces of the past, you remove the voices of those who can no longer speak," Argyle said. "I'm all too familiar with it, sadly."

"Eventually," Stella said, "we started doing up an old lighthouse that had been derelict for years. Once it was ready, we both moved in together as it made more sense than living separately. After a time, we realised we were in love and decided to take the next step."

"You two moved quickly," Argyle said. "We dated for several years and actually broke up for a spell before we got married."

"And then, nine months after the wedding Sunny came along, and the rest as they say is history," Stella finished.

"You wasted no time getting your family started, then," Goldie said dryly. Truth be told, it seemed that Stella lacked her own fertility troubles. "But that doesn't explain how you two got here?"

"Even we aren't quite sure of that," Stella admitted. "I had decided to set out for a mythical land as it would prove beyond all reasonable doubt that we used to be united. But I got waylaid and suddenly ended up here."

"This is quite the mess to unscramble," Argyle admitted. "But never let it be said we didn't try."

Author's Note

Much of this chapter is heavily inspired by the work of Admiral Producer, an incredibly prolific G5 writer and video maker. Shortly after Written in the Starscouts aired, he wrote an entire backstory for Sunny's parents, which this story draws quite heavily on.

Chapter 4-Four Thousand Winter

The sun was now set completely, and the sky was dark. The landscape had been plunged into blackness, and nobody could see very far apart from the street lamps, which cast a powerful light into the gloom. Down in the yard, Sunny fired up Salty's lamp and checked the windscreen wipers. "Wipers are running!" she said, with a smile. "We should be able to see into the dark quite easily now."

Porter worked round to the back of the train whilst people bustled back and forth on the platform, loading the vans with parcels and gifts for the children in Truro. They continued to work even as the storm got worse, trolleys rattling up and down the platform and leaving deep grooves in the snow. The wind was making a lot of noise as well.

"Good luck!" he said, as he cleared the points at the back of the station. He then moved forward and buffered up to the brake van. "We had some similarly nasty winters back in the north west. One time the roads to Rawtenstall got blocked and the railway was the only reliable way of getting people and goods up and down the valley."

"We've been in that situation before," Salty admitted, as his engine rumbled in the darkness. "I can only hope we can get up the bank with this lot."

"We'll be receiving the help of Porter as a banking engine as far as Penmere," Sunny said. "But from that point onwards we're on our own. This may be the toughest thing we've done in a while." She looked down. "I'm not sure why you're shivering. Haven't you got fur?"

Pony Sunny was also sitting in the cab. She glanced up. "Earth ponies have shorter fur as they come from a hotter climate than unicorns or pegasi. I also left my cold weather clothing at home- I didn't really have a chance to pick it up when the Emperor invaded our homeland."

The sound of doors slamming down the platform confirmed loading was complete, and Sunny glanced down the train (getting a fair bit of snowfall on her snowhat) to see a green light shining her way. "Right, clear to go!" she said, and sounded Salty's horn.

"Away we go!" Salty called.

Porter's whistle blasted in response. "Let's go!"

Sure enough, the yard soon sounded the combined roar of a diesel engine and the snorting of a steam locomotive. They soon rolled into the grade and were climbing magnificently. As the formation rolled through Penmere, Izzy shut off Porter's regulator and brought him to a stop.

"Good luck!" she called ahead, as she saw the tail lamp of the brake van vanish into the distance. "Come home safe, Sunny," she added.

Sure enough, the freight rolled over the grade and began running downhill towards the bottom of the valley. Shortly before the climb to the viaduct lies a collection of old trees, some of which have overhanging branches.

And as they got closer, there was suddenly a loud bang.

"OW!" cried Salty. "Got one in the headlamp!"

Sunny brought the train to a stop and got out to take a look. "Err, this is bad," she said.

Down at Falmouth, the situation was continuing to get worse. The storm was throwing vast amounts of snow and ice about, and those who couldn't easily get home had taken refuge at the Fisherman's Arms in order to escape the bitter cold.

Argyle and Goldie were in the lighthouse cottage looking out into the storm. The heating was firmly on full blast to keep the occupants warm, but the storm wasn't helping the situation.

"It's been a while since we had snowfall this bad," Argyle mentioned.

"I don't think it's ever snowed in Maretime Bay," pony Argyle commented, as he peered at the silly soft stuff in confusion. I once used a snow machine to create the illusion of snowfall so Sunny could experience a wishday like in the storybooks she loved to read, but I haven't seen natural snow in a very long time."

"It often snowed where I grew up," Stella said. "Part of the reason wishday was my favourite time of year."

"Wishday?" Goldie asked.

"It's our winter holiday, where we exchange presents under the wishing star and spend time with those we love," Stella explained. "It's also a popular time to go to the theatre, if I recall correctly."

"So rather like our Christmas," Argyle said. "Interesting to know what else is the same on both sides of the portal.

Just then, fog started to roll in, reducing visibility to effectively zero. "That's not good," Goldie said.

"I'll got and get the lighthouse started up," Argyle said. "Ships may need help navigating in the fog."

As he vanished upstairs, Goldie said down and looked out of the window. Stella hopped onto a chair and looked up. "I know how you feel," she said.

"Sorry?" Goldie asked.

"You're worried about her," Stella said. "Remember, I'm a mom too." The pony sighed. "And I regret leaving. Sunny ended up growing up with only one of her parents, I fear, and for that I shoulder the blame."

"Based on what you've said you couldn't have known that would happen," Goldie said. "Sometimes we just have to muddle through and give it our best shot- I once heard parenting described as dealing with one last minute disaster after another, and while I think disaster is a bit strong I've certainly had to think on my feet a lot."

Both parents laughed at that, before looking out into the cold again. "Should we try and help?" Stella asked.

"If we end up getting stuck out there it won't help other people, as they'll need to help us," Goldie pointed out, as the whirr of the generator for the lighthouse kicked in. "I'll brew some hot drinks for us. Can ponies drink tea?"

Stella nodded, and looked out to sea once more. "Sunny, if you can hear me... then please come home safe."

"OK, this is really bad," Sunny said, as she examined the problem with a flashlight. "That branch has badly damaged the light- the glass is smashed and the bulb is broken. We'll be blind in these weather conditions."

Pony Sunny looked at her. "Can't you fix it?" she asked.

"I don't have the parts I need out here," Sunny replied, sighing. "Just our luck. Just the one time we need the proper light things go wrong. We'll just have to muddle through with my existing route knowledge and the signal lights."

As the pair climbed back into the cab, pony Sunny looked over. "You know, I had a similar experience to this. Me and my friends had gone to see Pipp and Zipp perform in a concert in Zephyr Heights- that's the pegasus capital- but when it ended after six acts we couldn't find the Marestream."

"Marestream?" Sunny asked.

"It's our flying machine we use to get about. Anyway, one of us made a wish and the aircraft flew over to us, providing a light in the darkness. Maybe if we could do something similar it might work?"

Sunny had an idea, but then dismissed it in her head. "No, ponying up wouldn't work," she said. "I need to be at the controls, and if I were ponied up it would make the cab look like an overexposed photo."

She glanced down to her companion. "Any suggestions, Sunny?"

Just then, pony Sunny smiled. "I've got it, Sunny! It's based on what my mom told me the last time I saw her..."

Sunny looked in wonder at the small telescope she'd been given. But why had she been given one of these?

Daddy had picked her up to allow mommy to speak to her. She smiled at Sunny. "Just remember to watch where you're going, Sunny," she said, before hugging daddy. "I love you both. Look after each other. I'll be back before you know it."

"Watch where you're going," pony Sunny said. "And if we can get through to the stars, we should be able to find our way!"

"Good luck doing that with all this snow about," Sunny said.

"Well, Starscout is in the name," pony Sunny said. "Now you wouldn't mind opening the cab door? These cabs are not ergonomically designed for ponies."

Sunny leaned over and popped open the cab door, letting pony Sunny hop out. Seconds later, she saw the pony start to glow, and she seemed to be reciting some sort of mantra.

"I am all three pony kinds wrapped up into one. My cutie mark comes to life with hope bright as the sun!"

"Well those are a handy way of padding out the runtime," Sunny commented.

Just then, there was an incredible blast of light, and the pony who had been next to Salty was comprehensively transformed. There was a pony with glowing wings and a horn. "Yes!" she said. "Now let's cut our way through this storm and deliver those presents!"

Author's Note

The core of the plot of this chapter is based on an old Thomas and Friends picture book, where Thomas' light gets damaged and he is forced to struggle on through the darkness with minimal light. Interestingly, projecting lamps were not really a thing until after the steam age came to an end; before the 1970s lights were intended for the train to be seen, not to allow the driver to see. This is why route knowledge is so important.

Chapter 5-Pray you Dutifully Prime

The light was incredible. Pony Sunny shone like the sun (which was quite the fitting analogy when you think about it), and the brilliant light coming off her horn and wings illuminated the landscape ahead, cutting fiercely through the snowy gloom like a knife made of luminescence. Which is a slightly wierder image, but still it works for the story.

Sunny could see easily now, and cheered. "Way to go, Sunny!" she said. "Let's go!"

Salty cheered as well. "Onwards into the storm, me hearties!" he called. "The foul depths cannot stop us now! Onward as Nelson would!"

"How about a sea shanty?" a truck suggested.

Salty smiled. "I thought ye'd never ask." He thought for a moment as they powered away.

"There once was a ship that put to sea/
The name of the ship was the Billy O' Tea!
The winds blew up, her bow dipped down/
Oh blow, my bully boys, blow! (huh)

"Soon may the Wellerman come/
To bring us sugar and tea and rum!
One day, when the tonguing is done/
We'll take our leave and go!"

Thought it was tough going on the climb to Penryth, they soon rolled through the station, able to see clearly with all the snow being cut through. Pony Sunny's light was glowing and producing impressive heat, which was causing any snow that came into contact with her to melt on touch and gradually fade into nothingness. They powered on up the grade, and climbed towards the next hill. Salty's engine roared as he kept the trucks in fine voice.

Sunny looked back. "Good to hear the trucks are in good voice!" she said with a smile. "With hope in our hearts we will prevail!"

Sure enough, they were soon through the next station after having descended a hill, and were now on the final straight into Truro. The next grade rapidly approached, so Sunny advanced Salty's engine to maximum throttle and listened to the noise as they hammered up the final hill.

The tunnel loomed out of the darkness ahead of them.

"I can't fly down that!" pony Sunny called. "I'll have to go over!"

"Understood!" Sunny said. "See you on the other side!"

Pony Sunny flew upwards, and with her the light vanished. They were on their own.

They rolled into the tunnel, and immediately hit a patch of ice. Salty's wheels slipped, but he soon regained control, and he roared out of the tunnel to be bathed in glorious light.

"Now for the tricky bit- going back down!" Sunny said, as she started to apply the brakes.

Thankfully, she timed it just right, and they were down to thirty by the time they reached Penwithers Junction. With cheers they rolled into the platform at Truro, the station staff ready to start unloading.

"Well done, Salty and Sunny!" said an important looking man. "You did a stellar job out there.We'll get these unloaded, and then you can have a well deserved rest."

Indeed they did- for tomorrow was Christmas Day.

As was custom on Christmas Day, Sunny woke up to the sound of a brass band playing Christmas Carols. She yawned and stretched her limbs. "Well, you can always rely on the Salvation Army to be an effective alarm clock. Good morning, Christmas Day!"

Another figure stirred next to her on another object, and pony Sunny stirred. "Have we missed it? The Wishing Star?"

"That's not till the evening," Sunny said. "Besides, we need to see if the man with the bag has been!"

"Why would a man with a bag visit this house?" pony Sunny asked.

"In some parts of the world, a common belief is that a man called Santa Claus drops presents down a chimney for children," Sunny explained. She chose to keep other information she had to herself- after all, she was one of only a handful of people who knew Santa Claus really existed.

Pony Sunny nodded. "Kinda like the Secret Canter guy that Izzy once mentioned, only we made the presents ourselves and exchanged them. It was kinda messy, but the thought counted. Still, on we go!"

Once Sunny had showered and gotten dressed, she headed downstairs for breakfast. As was tradition, the room had changed rather dramatically. Presents had arrived under the tree, and a train was now running at the bottom of it.

Argyle looked over from the stove. "Merry Christmas, Sunny!" he said. "Breakfast will be ready soon, so feel free to make yourself comfortable at the table."

Sunny sat down, soon joined by Goldie, and sure enough they ate. After breakfast was concluded, they moved next to the tree and started exchanging gifts with one another. Things were jolly. But later on, things took a weird turn.

"Sunny, could you call Sunny down?" Argyle asked.

Sunny briefly looked confused, then realised. "You knew?"

Just then two ponies appeared- pony Argyle and Stella, to be precise. "I recognise my daughter's voice," pony Argyle said. "So I knew she was here, as I had hoped."

So Sunny went to collect her pony counterpart and brought her downstairs. "I hope this goes well," pony Sunny said, before trailing off. Her mouth fell open in astonishment.

Stella walked over to her daughter. "Hello, Sunny," she said. "I don't know if you remember me, but-"

Sunny needed no prompting, and dashed into her mother's embrace, as one would when separated from a parent for so long. "I've missed you, mom!" she said.

Just then, pony Argyle emerged and joined the embrace. "I never thought I'd see the day that our family was reunited," he said. "But here we are, together again, even if it is in a place far from the land we once called home. But such is the truth about family. Home is wherever you are."

Goldie smiled as she drew her own child closer. "I do love a happy ending."

The Starshines were happy that day, as they knew that their work had given a family the greatest gift of all- a reunion.

Author's Note

Well, the end of another tale, and on Christmas Day no less! I hope you all have a stellar day, and that you spend a good time with family. After all, in the words of Greg Lake, 'the Christmas we get we deserve.'

Credits

CAST - IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
James Marsden - Hitch Trailblazer
Kimiko Glenn - Izzy Moonbow
Vanessa Hudgens - Sunny Starscout
Keith Whickam - Salty
Michael McKean - Argyle Starshine
Tara Strong - Goldie Starshine
Nathan Evans - Harvey
Vanessa Sears - Stella Starscout
Toby Jones - Nigel
MacKenzie Crook - Brookes
Lisa Silver - Onyx
Robert Tinkler - Argyle Starshine (pony)
Jenna Warren - Sunny Starscout (pony)
Richard Hammond - Porter