Author's notes: I know you were expecting 'Pop Special', but we had to get this done 1st. It is a shame that Duncan doesn't get some form of comeuppance for his actions in the this book for teasing Peter Sam, but gladly this fixes it in this version. I can give Sir Handel's actions in 'Trucks!' a somewhat pass because he gets his comeuppance in 'Little Old Twins', but in this book, Christopher, plan the stories out better, please. Anyway, let's go.

Duncan and the Branch

Narrator: A few days after Peter Sam's dilemma with the Brambles, Rusty was feeling ill. The main 6 drivers and the little foals all tried their best to mend him but he didn't get better. He had to go to Crovans Gate works. The Thin Controller and Princess Luna came to inform the engines.

Thin Controller: Rusty is in need of repairs at Crovans Gate Works. He won't be back in 4 days.

Luna: With that said, we shall need one another engine and pony to help carry out his work whilst he's getting mended.

Thin Controller: Duncan, Scootaloo, you and Mr. Thompson will have to do it. You'll be taking Rusty's daily morning cuttings train. Peter Sam, Sweetie Belle and Miss Ravens will your 4:00 train so that you'll can collect Rusty's farmers produce train and take both the cuttings and the produce down to Crovans Gate.

Luna: Then after that, you'll be collecting truck for the hay train.

Narrator: Duncan was cross.

Duncan: Oh come on! Why can't that nature lover Peter Sam do it!

Duke: Leave him alone Duncan! At least he tried to get his train through!

Sweetie Belle: Yeah, unlike some engines that stop on viaducts cause they don't get there polish.

Scootaloo: (Aggravated) HEY! I WAS WORKING HIM THAT DAY MIND YOU!

Duncan: I TOLD YOU NEVER TO BRING THAT UP SWEETIE BELLE!

Thin controller: Settle down everyone, and Duncan, don't argue just do it!

Narrator: Duncan snorted crossly away to collect his trucks. The Viaduct incident was one event he wanted to erase from his memory. Scootaloo also wanted to forget that memory as well.

Miss Ravens: Never mind him Peter Sam. You know that Duncan is just being Duncan as usual.

Peter Sam: (sigh) you're right. I'm not gonna let Duncan get the better of me.

Sweetie Belle: That's the spirit Peter Sam. Come on now. Lets go get those coaches.

Narrator: Secretly he did feel a bit down, but that for an entirely different reason. He decided to keep it to himself so he could concentrate on work as he puffed away to fetch Ruth, Gertrude, Lucy, Agnes and Beatrice. Duncan snorted and banged about the yards as he collected his trucks

Scootaloo: Whoa! Careful Duncan. You're gonna damage the trucks like that.

Duncan: Hmph! Who asked for your opinion Scootaloo?

Mr. Thompson: Duncan, do you know how much we need those trucks and how much it costs to keep them running if you break em?

Narrator: Duncan grunted. At last, the guards whistle blew and Duncan started with a jerk.

Scootaloo: Whoa! Easy Duncan! You keep starting like that and you're gonna break a coupling!

Duncan: Oh will put a piece of coal in it Scootaloo!

Mr. Thompson: Well, you sure woke up on the wrong side of the shed.

Narrator: Duncan had to stop at current areas where they had been cutting. The men would load the cuttings into his wagons and he would pull them to the next location. He found this job tedious and soon felt bored. Scootaloo was starting to get bored as well.

Duncan: This is so boring! I want to get to passenger runs.

Scootaloo: I know. This is gonna take forever. Next thing you'll know, they'll make us do ballast work.

Duncan: (Gritting teeth) Don't jinx it Scootaloo!

Mr. Thompson: Oh stop arguing you two. Just enjoy the quiet peace.

Narrator: At last, they finally collected all the cuttings. Peter Sam passed by with Duncan's 4:00 Clock train. He grinned broadly as he puffed along and winked at Duncan who just went red in the face. Scootaloo went red too as Duncan snorted away to collect the vans for the produce train.

Mr. Thompson: Easy now Duncan. No need to ride so roughly.

Scootaloo: Yeah. We don't want you to derail again like you did in 1958.

Narrator: But Duncan was in no mood to listen to reason.

Duncan: I'll show that cheeky Peter Sam! I'll show him!

Narrator: But he said to himself. So he stopped at each station whilst the farmers loaded his vans full of produce and milk. Duncan pulled them down the line to Crovans Gate and was grumbling all the way. Soon they reached Crovans Gate and both the produce and the cuttings were transferred to Hank's and Miss Peachbottom's train and hay was soon off loaded into their trucks. This gave Duncan and Scootaloo no end of relief as they shunted the vans away and then came back for the trucks.

Scootaloo: Gee, finally! Last job of the day .

Duncan: Yeah, finally! Sooner we get this job done, the better and they better have Rusty mended tomorrow or I'm gonna go crazy.

Mr. Thompson: That's enough you two.

Narrator: Soon, the last passenger train of the day came into the passenger platform, the guards whistle blew and Duncan started off taking his train of hay up to the farmers at all the stations stiles and halts. He didn't even notice something scrap along his cab roof as soldiered on, nor did Scootaloo or Mr. Thompson. It might have been better if they had. Soon, Duncan finished and he was on his way home light engine with Cora the brake van.

Scootaloo: Ah yeah, finally! Can't wait to get home. Rainbow Dash promised to take me and Rumble to the picture show to see, "The Titfield Thunderbolt"

Cora: Rumble? Whose Rumble.

(Record scratch)

Scootaloo: (Blushing, just realising what she said) Oh uh… uh… he's uh… uh… just a colt friend… uh I mean just a friend from school back in Ponyville, who is a colt like Pipsqueak, Featherweight, Snips, Snails and Shady Daze. Heheheh.

Mr. Thompson: I see..

Duncan: Aww. Does Scootaloo have wittle crushy wushy? Hahahahaha

Scootaloo: Oh shut up Duncan!

Narrator: Suddenly, just as they exited the tunnel, they saw a weaken branch dangling right above them.

Duncan: OH HORRORS!

Narrator: Duncan shut his eyes as the branch broke and landed with a smack right on his cab roof.

Duncan: OUCH! THAT HURT!

Scootaloo: WHOA! What was that?!

Narrator: Mr. Thompson and Scootaloo got down and found out what happened.

Mr. Thompson: It looks like a branch has just fallen right onto you. And oooh… by the look of it, it kinda dented your cab roof.

Duncan: Oh you have gotta be kidding me! This just had to happen! First I get demoted to Rusty's jobs and now I get hit by a branch.

Scootaloo: Hey, look, just be thankful it wasn't a tree.

Duncan: I know Scootaloo! I know! But Peter Sam is gonna laugh his wheels off and so will the other engines, ponies and drivers!

Scootaloo: Uh… ponies and humans don't have wheels.

Duncan: Ugh! You know what I mean.

Narrator: To Duncan's dismay, he was right. When he returned from his trip that night, all the engines and ponies were waiting for him. When Mr. Thompson told them all about the tree, they all laughed and laughed. Peter Sam, Sweetie Belle and Miss Ravens laughed so hard that they cried.

Peter Sam: Hey Duncan, next time take an umbrella in case of showers of branches! Hahahahahaha!

Sweetie Belle: Don't forget to where your helmet.

Miss Ravens: Or the engine equal of that, whatever that is. Hahahahahah!

Narrator: Duncan seethed with rage as the teasing continued until both Duke, Skarloey, Rheneas and Freddie told them to stop. Later that night, Duncan and Peter Sam were still awake. It was Duncan who broke the silence.

Duncan: Uh, Peter Sam… Thank you for taking care of my 4:00 train and I'm sorry I laughed about you and brambles.

Peter Sam: It's alright Duncan, and I'm sorry for laughing about you and the branch.

Narrator: Then Peter Sam and Duncan laughed.

Duncan: Heheheheh, you know, it's actually quite ironic isn't it?

Peter Sam: Heheheheh, you got that right. I got the brambles and you got the branches.

Narrator: And the two engines hooted into laughter until they went happily to sleep.

Heh, yeah, we threw in a hint of RumbleXScootaloo. You'll see Rumble in a later book. Anyway, look out for 'Pop Special', for real this time.