Author's notes: This book and the next one will take place at the same time. I don't know why Christopher didn't think of this during production of the book because it would have explained Thomas' absence. Anyway, here we go.

(Mr. Holden opens the door to his Ffarquharr home and enters with several bags of groceries from the shops. He places them into the kitchen.)

Mr. Holden: At last, finally got all the baking materials for cakes, cream and iced buns. Lets see. Eggs, check, butter, check, milk, check, flour, check, sugar, check, dough, check, cream, check, icing, check, cake batter, check, chocolate chips, check, cool frosting, check and lets see… Oh crumbs! I forgot the ices. (Shrugs) Ah well. I'll get them tomorrow before the return party. Better go type that letter.

(Mr. Holden heads up to his study office, places a record on his gramophone, turns it on and it begins playing glenn miller's moonlight serenade)

Mr. Holden: (Sigh) That's better. Nothing like some soothing good music to help you write a letter.

(Mr. Holden heads over to his study desk and…

Dear Mike, James, Mitch, Dustin and Rachel.
The bridge near Elsbridge has now been fixed up and Thomas and Mr. Hawkins, whom were working on Edward's branchline for the time being, are coming home now…. You'll soon learn about there adventures on Edward's branchline in the next book that Mr. Holden will write. It'll be called…Thomas and the twins.

Mr. Holden: PINKIE!

Pinkie Pie: Hey Mr. Holden! I'm just writing the letter to our 5 driver friends.

Mr. Holden: Pinkie! This again! Why you… (Idea) Uh, why you're the very mare I was hoping to see.

Pinkie Pie: I am ?

Mr. Holden: Oh yes, yes of course my dear Pinkie Pie. You see, I'm gonna need lots of help to get all the baked goods ready for the celebration, so you know that means Pinkie Pie. (Wink)

Pinkie Pie: YIPPY! You don't have to tell me twice. (Dashes out.)

(Mr. Holden breathes a sigh of relief, but then Pinkie dashes in with a vinyl record)

Mr. Holden: Hey, wait a minute? What are you still doing here?

Pinkie Pie: Oh. I almost forgot. I need to do my before baking exercises.

Mr. Holden: (Baffled) Wait a minute why in the world would you need exercises before baking.

Pinkie Pie: (Giggle) Oh. I always do this before I bake anything. I just gotta get in my exercise music record playing and you'll see what I mean….

(Pinkie hurries to the gramophone, shuts it off, takes the glenn miller vinyl record out and puts it back into it's cover, then places her vinyl record on the turntable. Pinkie Pie turns the gramophone on and her record plays so loudly it knocks Mr. Holden off his feet making him scream like goofy. Pinkie Pie puts on an exercising suit complete with leg warmers wrist bands a head band and even a belt.)

Pinkie Pie: Let's do this!

Pinkie Pie: [Aerobics dancing around study office wibbles tongue] Happy! Sad. Happy! Sad. Happy! Sad. Open, shut, open, shut, open, shut, open, shut. Yep-yep-yep-yep-yep-yep-yep. Nope, nope-nope-nope-nope-nope-nope. Oooweooo, oooweooo, oooweooo, oooweooo, oooweooweooweoo! [blows raspberry] [panting]. Okie dokie lokie! I'm done …. Mr. Holden ? …Oh there you are.

Mr. Holden: (Searching for his glasses on his knees) Oh crumbs! Now where are my glasses?!

Pinkie Pie: Here they are! (Puts them back on Mr. Holden's face) Your glasses flew into your bookshelf. They were under G!

Mr. Holden: Thank you. Now can you please bake the goods? (Smiling despairingly and flutters his eye lashes )

Pinkie Pie: Not a problem my bosom friend. (Dashes downstairs to the kitchen)

Mr. Holden: Ugh! Why is it always me, for several decades?! (Takes over letter)

Sorry about that. Pinkie Pie was just being friendly again for yet another decade! But Pinkie Pie is actually correct. Thomas and Mr. Hawkins are coming home tomorrow morning and we are preparing a little welcome home party for them. You know, I cannot understand trucks at all. One minute they clatter and the next, they bang behind engines push into lorries. They never listen to the engines ponies or us drivers… well, barring Fluttershy, Edward Soarin, Oliver, Donald, Douglas, Braeburn, Big Macintosh. Then on the brighter side, they actually they did get rid of that grouchy old barge. Anyway, here are some of Rachel's, James' and my adventures we shared with Mavis, Toby, Flora, Percy and those troublesome trucks.

Your Best friend forever,

William James Holden

Mavis and the Lorry

Narrator: As you all know by now, Mavis is a diesel engine whom is privately owned by the Ffarquhar quarry company at Anopha. She is usually found with Trixie and Miss Ravens, they are in charge of the stone trucks at the quarry and when Toby, Applejack & Mr. Holden and Flora & Fluttershy are busy or there are too many trucks for Toby and Flora to handle on their own, Mavis is allowed to bring a loaded train down to Ffarquhar. Mavis and Trixie enjoy this because it gives Mavis a chance to stretch her wheels, plus they sometimes find it dull up at the quarry with no one to talk to but trucks.

Mavis: Thank goodness we get to pull a train down today. I was getting really bored up there at that quarry.

Trixie: Same here. Thy shunting at thou quarry is fine and dandy, but a good run is very nice in a great while.

Miss Ravens: Same here. You 2 are doing splendid today.

Mavis: Thank you Miss Ravens.

Narrator: The tramway that Toby, Flora and Mavis operate on runs for most of the way beside a road. Mavis, Trixie and the others are always very careful, especially at the place where Thomas had had an argument with a constable. A road cross the line here and although there are warning signs, cars and lorries often come around the corner much too fast. They made Mavis Trixie and Miss Ravens cross.

(Mavis coming towards the level crossing as a car takes the corner much too fast)

Mavis: Oh my goodness! That was near miss!

Trixie: HEY! WATCH WHERE THOU IS GOING THOU UNGRATEFUL ROAD HOG!

Mavis: My goodness. You'd think road users would be more careful!

Miss Ravens: I know. There will be an accident here one of these days!

Trixie: Yeah and thou feels that you are right.

Mavis: Same here. I'm beginning to agree with you.

Narrator: One day, Mavis was late. The trucks had been in all the wrong places and she, Trixie and Miss Ravens had to waste time sorting them out. As they came down the line, Mavis felt the trucks surge forward against her.

Mavis: STOP PUSHING!

Trixie: STOP PUSHING US THIS ONCE TRUCKS!

Narrator: They neared the crossing and Mavis saw a lorry coming towards them.

Mavis: Never mind. He'll stop when he sees us.

Narrator: But she didn't know that the lorry driver was new to the island and the last thing he expected to see was a train. Much too fast, the lorry approached the corner and too late, the driver realised the curve was sharper than he thought. He swerved and saw Mavis halfway across the road. He swung the steering wheel and brake hard.

Trixie: MAVIS! LOOK OUT!

Mavis: QUICK! BRAKE MISS RAVENS! BRAKE!

Narrator: Miss Ravens braked hard, but the weight of the surging trucks meant they couldn't stop in time. The lorries front bumper caught Mavis's cowcatcher and the lorry skidded into a ditch and landed on it's side with a loud crash! At that moment, Mavis had now stopped.

Mavis: Ouch! That hurt.

Narrator: She and Trixie looked in horror at the wrecked lorry.

Mavis/Trixie: (Alarmed) OH NO! We didn't mean to push him over.

Miss Ravens: Calm down, no one's blaming you two. But we'd better see if the lorry driver's alright. Come on Trixie.

Trixie: Right away Miss Ravens!

Narrator: And they ran over to help the driver out. The lorry's right hand door where driver sat was deep in the ditch, but now a figure could be seen struggling to climb out on the other side.

Lorry driver: I say, is that a train?!

Trixie: Well it certainly is a train. What do you think we were? A parade float?

Miss Ravens: (Glares at her) Trixie….

Trixie: Oh yes um sorry for my rudeness Mr. Lorry Driver Sir.

Lorry Driver: Oh that's alright, honest mistake. Sorry about clipping you guys. I'm new here you see and I gotta little lost on my back to Ffarquhar.

Miss Ravens: Oh that's alright. Tell you what, how bout we give you a lift? Our line heads to Ffarquhar and we can telephone a garage to take care of your lorry.

Lorry driver: Ah, thank you. That's mighty kind of M'am. You are?

Miss Ravens: Oh, Miss Rachel Marie Ravens, but call me Rachel or Miss Ravens. This is a small island and everyone knows everyone around here.

Narrator: Mavis's front was bent, but fortunately she wasn't badly damaged so Mavis was able to take her train on when the lorry driver climbed into brake van. When they arrived at Ffarquhar, they telephoned the garage and the garage sent Butch the tow truck to recover the damaged lorry. Afterwards, the quarry manager sent Mavis to Crovans Gate to be mended and asked the Fat Controller and Princess Celestia if he could borrow Toby whilst Mavis was away. But Toby and Applejack were anxious and so was Mr. Holden, Miss Ravens and Mr. Roberts

Toby: But what about the trucks down here Sir and Malady? They'll need to be shunted into the proper sidings wouldn't they? And then taken down to towards Knapford harbour.

Narrator: The Fat Controller and Pricness Celestia nodded.

Celestia: Well, we're sorry to say that it'll mean more hard work for you, Flora and Pinkie Pie, Percy.

Fat Controller: After all, Toby and Flora are the only engines that we have that are allowed up there. You remember what happened with Thomas and Twilight before Toby did come?

Mr. Holden: Oh deary me. Don't remind me, please.

Narrator: So it was arranged. Mr. Holden, Applejack, Trixie and Miss Ravens worked the quarry line with Toby, whilst Fleur Di Les and Fancy Pants worked with Mr. Thompson on Daisy's passenger runs and Flora and Mr Hoskins working on a mix of passengers and goods work, leaving Percy, Pinkie Pie and Mr. Roberts to handle both shunting and goods train duties to Knapford Harbour. And with this, all had to be content with the arrangements.

I really like this one. But I haven't got a lot to say other then I added Flora into the mix. Ok, look out for the next one.