Author's notes: This is one of the more darker stories in the book, but I think it works very, very well.

Flora's, Elsie's And Fiona's Plight

Narrator: The ponies and the 3 drivers all were very shocked by the story of Vincent's fall from grace.

Fluttershy: Oh… My.

Flora: I know, but still he got what he deserved.

Fiona: I agree with you Flora. That wretched mixed up scared me, Elsie and poor Henrietta.

Elsie: I second the motion. Good riddance to that tyrant. If you ask my opinion, he's no better than that witch of a steam lorry wagon, Ursala.

Fluttershy: Oh. That's what I meant. I couldn't believe how cruel those two meanies were.

Applejack: But if he scrapped that Vincent, then why would he sell you off like this. He sounds like a horrible man.

Flora: Oh no no no Applejack. He wasn't bad at all. The reason I'm like this is because he had no choice to sell me Elsie and Fiona off to become stationary boiler, a hen house, and tool a shed. It was also that ursala's fault as well.

Narrator: Everyone quieted down and this was the story the Flora told them.

(Tramway days)

Narrator Flora: Since Vincent's reign of terror had been subdued, life on tramway was much more quiet and peaceful. Myself and the manager were so impressed with Toby's performance that the manager decided to keep him on the tramway. As a token of appreciation and a request from Henrietta, I had given my younger brother Henrietta as his own coach. Henrietta was very fond of Toby and Toby was fond of her.

Flora: Toby, you've worked so well on this tramway that I would like to give you Henrietta.

Toby: Really, you want to give her to me? But I can't. Are you sure?

Flora: Indeed I am Toby, and so is Henrietta.

Henrietta: It's alright Toby. I've always wanted to work with you, I've grown very fond of you. You treat me and Fiona and Elsie so nicely that I would love it if I was your coach from now on.

Toby: Flora, Henrietta, I… I don't what say. This is very kind of you. Thank you. You really are like an older sister to me, Flora.

Flora: And you like a younger brother.

Narrator Flora: With that, Toby and Henrietta trundled off happily together. Me and Toby would take our coaches and trucks at the same time up and down the line and each of us sharing Elsie with the trains once a day. The two tramway engines were very happy. But I'm sorry to say, they still didn't escape the wrath of Ursala, whom would tease them and taunt them non stop.

Usrula: OH for pete's sake! Your line is just plain out pathetic and just painfully slow.

Flora: Hark whose talking. I bet you don't get any faster than we do. Besides, you if you even could, you'd more likely have more accidents like those buses cars and lorries do.

Ursula: Pah! For your information Flora I'm better than you!

Narrator Flora: I just took no notice as she went off to the farms to pick up produce. Toby was also cross with Ursula too.

Toby: That Ursula is nothing but a nasty piece of work! I reckon she's just as bad as Vincent.

Flora: Your right there Toby. She's just all hot air and no steam. Just don't pay any attention to her.

Narrator Flora: So everyday, we 2 little tram engines just carried on regardless, ignoring Ursula's jives and teasing's as we trundled up and down the tramway collecting and dropping off factory supplies and Farmer's produce. When the second world came, the tramway hit hard times. We little tram engines of the tramway had to be worked off our wheels. Goods traffic had to become top priority whilst passengers were second priority. The London North Eastern Railway had become the North eastern railway. Like all railways in the british isles during the war, all engines had to be repainted to a very dark black paint. For oblivious reasons, at night time, the enemy air forces would carry out their biggest bombings of city's all around the British peninsula. To make matters worse, we engines all across the Britannia were not even allowed to use a head lamp at all, in fear if we were spotted.

Toby: Oh dear. I understand that there's a war going and that we must do our best for our part in the war, but I wish it wouldn't have to come at the cost of using head lamps. It scares me running blind.

Flora: I understand Toby my little brother and neither do I, but we must keep going. We have to keep doing our best for the war effort.

Toby: Your right. We must keep going. We must!

Narrator Flora: So we little trams would carry on regardless. Every night, they would travel carefully and slowly along the tramway, and every day they would work harder and harder to keep up with the war demands. Even fighting the war of Ursula's jives.

Ursula: Oh dear what's the matter little tramy's too scared to travel in the dark without a nightlight? At least I can still use mine!

Toby: Hmph! At least we can still keep going, headlight or not, Ursula! We don't need your teasing during this time. We have a war to fight! So mind your manners, please!

Narrator Flora: And Toby puffed away calmly whilst Ursula just made rude faces and continued to jive and tease us rudely. However things changed from bad to worse on the old tramway. It was night time and myself and Fiona and Elsie had been rostered to take some troops and factory materials over to the junction. It was raining hard too and this meant that I had to take extra care.

Flora's driver: Alright Flora. We're all set. You ready old girl?

Flora: Yes driver. I'm ready. Take us away.

Narrator Flora: The driver earnestly opened the regulator carefully. And I set off cautiously into the stormy dark night. I couldn't see a thing. On this very night Ursula, was also making a run but unlike me, Ursula was allowed to use her headlamp. She was delivering factory product's to a transfer station into one of the towns near East Anglia, but her route was through a very muddy farmlane. She was very cross she slipped and swerved along a muddy lane.

Ursula: YUCK! This mud is getting all over my paint! OY! DRIVER WATCH WHAT YOUR DOING AND MIND MY PAINTWORK!

Ursula's driver: AH SHUT UP URSULA! Your more annoying than my wife! We've got a war to fight, so quit boiler aching.

Narrator Flora: Ursula was very cross. She hated going out in stormy weather. She slipped and snorted as she battled her way up the final hill at last Ursula made it up then it all happened at once. Ursula's driver began to apply her brakes but the nothing happened. Mud had got stuck in her brakes and they stuck fast. Ursula was out of control and frightened out of her mind!

Ursula: Stop! Stop! STOP!

Ursula's driver: I can't! Your brakes have jammed something fierce!

Narrator Flora: At the same time, I was also approaching the crossing. I was making good and safe time when I suddenly saw Ursula skidding and swerving out of control down the hill.

Flora: (Alarm) Brake Driver! Brake!

Narrator Flora: The driver whistled a warning and braked as hard as he dared, but the weight of the train and the slippery rails meant that we couldn't stop in time. The guard tightened the brakes on Fiona too help until sparks were flying out from both coach and tram engine. I then asked my crew to whistle a signal for everyone to bail out of Fiona. The driver did so and all the soldiers and the guard all jumped clear.

Flora: Driver! Fireman! Jump clear! Save yourselves!

Narrator Flora: Reluctantly, the driver and fireman did so as I slid on helplessly. Then with a loud crash! Ursula slammed smack dab into me, and I tilted. I skidded off the rails and me, Fiona, Elsie and the entire goods train derailed and slithered down into a muddy ditch. Toby was in the shed when the news came through.

Manager: (Through phone, horrified) SHE WHAT! A CROSSING COLLISION! OH GOOD LORD! NOT HER!

Narrator Flora: The manager came running up to Toby, nearly tear stricken.

Toby: Sir, what's wrong?

Manager: Toby, get the breakdown crew. Flora's been flung off the rails and into a ditch by a lorry!

Narrator: Toby was horrified.

Toby: OH GLORY! I'M ON MY WAY SIR!

Narrator Flora: And Toby hurried away but he remembered that I would want him to be careful. He puffed carefully along the line just as the sun was rising. When reached the wreak, he burst into quiet tears. Ursula had been badly damaged beyond repair. Half the war train was still on the rails whilst the rest was piled in heap down the a muddy embankment and there, to a tear stricken Toby's horror was Elsie Fiona and worst of all, me all lying crashed on their sides. Elsie's body had was broken away from her underbody with planks of wood broken from her body. Fiona's balcony was twisted and bent with several planks also broken and almost if not all her windows shattered. And there in front of Toby, I was there. My cowcatchers and sideplates twisted, bent and dented. My wooden frame work also had cracked and snapped board beams too. My driver and surprisingly the commander of the soldiers that all survived thanks to our bravery, and they told them all what had happened.

Toby: (Crying) Oh Flora. You were so brave big sister! I hope they'll fix you up.

Flora: I don't know Toby, but come what may, I will always hold a special place for you in my firebox and heart, my little brother.

Toby: (Crying) And same to you to Big Sister.

Flora: (Smiling weakly) Please don't cry Toby, my little brother. Whatever happens, I will always be your big sister and you will always be my little brother. Whatever happens, promise me you won't grieve for me .

Toby: (Trying hard not to cry) Yes Flora. I will try very hard big sister.

Narrator: Henrietta, who had the brought the workmen with Toby, was crying too over Fiona and Elsie.

Henrietta: Oh girls! This can't be happening. Oh please, this can't be the end of you.

Fiona: Oh Henrietta, please don't cry. It'll be alright. Whether me and/or Elsie are fixed, we all remain sisters together.

Elsie: Fiona's right, besides you've got a very good friend that will look after you, my dear Henrietta.

Henrietta: I… I… I understand Elsie.

Narrator: When the precession reached the yards they all heard angry shouts in the managers office. Then, after a man strode away in a car, the manager came sadly up filled with tears.

Manager: Flora, Elsie and Fiona, you all have been a great asset to the tramway and I am very proud of all of you, and especially for your bravery you managed to warn a whole platoon of soldiers of disaster and they all made it scotch free. But, I'm afraid it is with a very heavy heart that after hearing about your accident, the war department has demanded to dismantle you, Elsie and Fiona for the war effort.

Toby: (Crying) NO YOU CAN'T! PLEASE! ANYTHING BUT THAT! THAT'S NOT HOW YOU SHOULD TREAT A HERO!

Flora: That will do Toby! I understand.

Manager: However, after so many years good and faithful service, I refuse to let you all fully go. Rob the stationmaster here has talked to me and we've decided that we can still have a chance to save all 3 of you.

(Present)

Flora: And that's pretty much what happened. In the end, me, Elsie and Fiona were all reallocated here at stationmaster Rob's farm. Ursula was sent to the scrapyard and her driver sentenced to prison for near life endangerment to military troops. Toby continued running the tram and… I think you know the rest.

Narrator: The ponies and the 3 drivers felt very sorry for the poor tram engine coach and luggage van.

Twilight: Flora …. I'm… I'm so sorry to hear that.

Flora: Thank you Twilight.

Rainbow Dash: What happened to Stationmaster Rob and your manager?

Fiona: Well, after the tramway went out of business, the manager passed away in 1954 and poor Rob tried his best to use his farm as a means for income, but eventually his farm was foreclosed and he was forced out.

Narrator: Mr. Holden and Miss Ravens Looked at each other remembering another friend that they had lost. This time, they were not going to let it happen again, not even on the mainland. They whispered to Mr. Hawkins and the ponies who all agreed on the plan.

Miss Ravens: Flora, Fiona, Elsie, we're going to fulfil your managers hopes!

Flora/Fiona/Elsie: What do you mean?

Mr. Holden: We're going to restore all three of you to your former glory.

Flora: Well, we can't run here anymore. It's all roads now.

Mr. Hawkins: No, not here. You'll all be working with Toby and Henrietta on the Ffarquhar branchline's tramway of the North Western Railway on the Island of Sodor.

Elsie: You mean the Fat Controller's Railway?

Twilight Sparkle: That's right and also my pony friend Princess Celestia is very kind hearted and they've got a big new engine workshop. I'm positive that they can fix you up.

Pinkie Pie: Yeah. I'm sure they can fix you three up good as new.

Mr. Holden: We'll telephone them right away. Fluttershy, can you stay and watch over our friends? As you were the one who discovered them.

Fluttershy: Oh yes. Of course I can.

Narrator: With that, Flora, Fiona and Elsie had to be content.

Will Flora, Fiona and Elsie be accepted onto the island? Find out in part 4.