Authors Notes: Not much has changed, except the fact that Rusty and Apple Bloom overhear the conversation between Skarloey, Peter Sam, Rachel, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Miss Ravens and Mr Holden.

Home At Last

Narrator: Since Peter Sam's accident at the slate quarry, Peter Sam had to be sidelined until he was repaired. With him out of commission, Princess Luna and the Thin Controller both agreed that it would be wise to keep Rachel on the Skarloey Railway for a little while longer. While Rachel was glad that she would be staying for a little longer, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Peter Sam. Days past and the CMC, Sir Handel Rachel and Rusty along with Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Holden, and Miss Ravens were all working hard to keep trains and the railway running. Peter Sam feeling depressed. He was still getting over his accident but he was longing to start work again. Sadly, Princess Luna and the Thin Controller wouldn't let him. Rachel often came by to check up on Peter Sam and to make sure he wasn't lonely. Then one day, as Rachel and Peter Sam were talking each to other, Miss Ravens and Sweetie Belle were with him too. The little unicorn had to do a swap with Apple Bloom, as she was told that they 'might need some unicorn magic on hoof'.

Sweetie Belle: Mr. Holden once told me that back in the old days, trucks had used to come down the incline railway by gravity before the ropes and winding houses.

Narrator: Peter Sam cringed at the thought of gravity powered trucks…

Rachel: Um, Sweetie Belle…

Sweetiebelle: Oh sorry Peter Sam. I almost forgot about that incident.

Peter Sam: That's alright Sweetie Belle. It was an honest mistake.

Narrator: Just then the Thin controller along with Princess Luna came up to them.

Thin Controller: Good news Peter Sam. One more days rest will do good and you'll be back in service tomorrow. We have a surprise for you as well.

Peter Sam: For me sir and malady? How nice Sir and malady! What is it Malady and Sir?

Luna: Hmhmhmhmh! Thou shall have to wait and see. (winks at the Thin Controller)

Narrator: The surprise was Skarloey. Mr. Holden and Scootaloo push him gently alongside Peter Sam with Rusty. Mr. Holden and Scootaloo climbed down and Rusty went back to work in the shunting yards.

Peter Sam: OH! Skarloey! Am I glad you've come home!

Sweetie Belle/Miss Ravens: Oh are we glad to see you again old friend.

Skarloey: It's good to be home.

Peter Sam: Rachel. I'd like to proudly introduce you to SKRs Original No.1 locomotive, Skarloey. He 1st arrived in 1865.

Narrator: Rachel was amazed. She never thought that Skarloey was that old.

Rachel: Amazing! Oh it's a real honour to meet you Skarloey.

Skarloey: Oh, why thank you very much Rachel. Nice to meet you as well.

Narrator: Mr. Holden and Scootaloo lit Skarloey's fire and he was sizzling happily.

Skarloey: I feel all excited, just like a young engine should. I'm longing to pull my dear old coaches again. Are they running nicely?

Peter Sam: Yes. They're running very well. We have 5 other coaches and a new guards van now.

Narrator: Skarloey was intrigued.

Skarloey: Oh please, tell me about them.

Peter Sam: Well, Cora is the new guards van. She isn't as big a Beatrice and doesn't have a ticket window. Nevertheless, I like her best. She was my guards van back in the old days.

Skarloey: Oh, interesting.

Scootaloo: I didn't know you knew her before.

Sweetie Belle: What a surprise to meet an old friend.

Skarloey: Where did you two work at in the old days?

(Toink!)

Narrator: At that moment, Peter Sam realised to his horror what he just said. Peter Sam panicked. Butterflies were flying in his boiler. He glanced nervously from the two humans, to the two ponies, to Rachel and finally to Skarloey.

Peter Sam: Uh… well… I… I can't. Really, I don't remember… what my old line was called.

Narrator: Rachel looked worried.

Rachel: Is something wrong? Look like you saw a ghost Peter Sam.

Peter Sam: Oh, um… yeah. I'm alright… I'm just… still trying to keep the incline accident out of my head…

Narrator: Rachel, Skarloey and CMC, worried, decided to change the subject.

Skarloey: So, um… what the other 5 coaches like?

Peter Sam: Hmmm… Oh yes, um… lets see… Hmmm. We have 3 more plain coaches. They are called Ada, Jane and Mabel. They have no roofs. Sir Handel says they are trucks, but they have seats, so I call them coaches. What do you say Skarloey?

Narrator: The old engine smiled.

Skarloey: If they have seats, they're coaches.

Peter Sam: Sir Handel favours Gertrude and Milicent. They have bogie wheels you see. He's say that they're the only real coaches we have. They remind him of when he used to pull our old railways express and he always tries to take them alone.

Narrator: Rusty was shunting nearby with Apple Bloom and they overheard Peter Sam's last comment.

Rusty: What was the old express called?

Apple Bloom: Yeah. Ah'd really like to know.

(Toink!)

Peter Sam: (Quietly) Oh no! I've done it again. Sir Handel will not forgive me for that if he found out.

Rachel: Rusty, Apple Bloom, Peter Sam doesn't want to talk about his old line in depth right now.

Rusty: Ok sis. Sorry for interrupting, Peter Sam. Come on AB. We have work to do on the tracks.

Apple Bloom: Got it. Ah'm sorry too Peter Sam.

Peter Sam: That's ok. Curiosity does get the better of us sometimes. (To self) Bless you Rachel.

(Rusty and Apple Bloom left)

Skarloey: You were saying about Gertrude and Millicent, Peter Sam?

Peter Sam: Oh yes. Both carry passengers, but Milicent has carries a guard as well. He sits in a tiny cupboard space and sells tickets. I don't like that. Guards are very important. They need vans, not tiny cupboards.

Skarloey: Your right there young one.

Rachel: Agreed. Anyway Skarloey, I see you met my brother, Rusty. I take it he helped you off your truck?

Skarloey: Yes. He says that he and you, Rachel, have come to help mend the line and do odd jobs. I like him. He's seem's like a friendly little diesel, like you Rachel.

Narrator: Rachel smiled.

Rachel: That's good and coming from one of the very first locomotives on this line, it really means a lot.

Peter Sam: I like them too. They helped me out of really nasty accident at incline.

Narrator: And he and Sweetie Belle told him how kind Rusty and Rachel were when Rusty helped them out of the accident at the incline and how Rachel had helped Peter Sam home.

Scootaloo: I like these two diesel too, they're fun to talk too everyone likes them too, even Sir Handel. Well, at least almost everyone…

Narrator: Rachel's face fell… and so did Peter Sam's.

Peter Sam: I know what you mean Scootaloo. It's a real pity Duncan doesn't it like them.

Skarloey: Duncan? Who is Duncan?

Scootaloo: He's the railways new steam engine.

Miss Ravens: He's number 6 and he's an 0-4-0WT from Andrew Barclay works in Scotland. We got him second hand as a spare engine after Peter Sam's accident.

Skarloey: Is he useful?

Narrator: Everyone hesitated for a moment.

Mr. Holden: Well…. He'll pull anything, goods or passengers, it doesn't matter to him. We're sure he means well too. The thing is, he's bouncy and pretty darn rude too say the least. He has short wheel base and no trailing wheels, so he sways and swivels about whenever we take him out. Whenever we do, he sings so horribly when rocking about. Mr. Hawkins, Miss Ravens, Babs Seed, Scootaloo and I sometimes call it Rock-N-Roll. Before he came here, he used to work in a factory, so that pretty much explains his strong language, volatility temper and attitude.

Skarloey: (Gravely) I understand completely.

Narrator: Just then, the telephone rang.

Scootaloo: Oh bother that telephone! The conversation was going so well too.

Mr Holden: I'll get it. (Runs inside and picks up a banana thinking it's the telephone.) Hullo! Crovans Gate Station… (Realises) Oh! A banana?! Now I'm doing it. (Puts it down and picks up the phone for real) Hullo! Crovan's Gate Station. William James Holden speaking. Yes?... Ugh! I don't believe it! Is anyone hurt?… Whew that's a relief. A report would be the last the thing we need here… Don't worry. We'll get you and Babs out of there.

Narrator: He then walked over to Skarloey and Scootaloo.

Mr. Holden: Scootaloo, Duncan's done it. Again… (sigh)

Scootaloo: Oh for pete's sake! Really?

Mr. Holden: Unfortunately, yes.

Skarloey: What happened?

Mr. Holden: Duncan's stuck in the tunnel before Rheneas station and after Glenlock. We need to get him out.

Miss Ravens: Ugh! Figures!

Scootaloo: I'm afraid that we're gonna have to cut your rest short Skarloey so we can get him out.

Narrator: Skarloey was pleased. He wanted a run and looked forward to meeting Duncan.

Skarloey: Oh thank you. That's best thing I've heard all day.

Mr. Holden: That's a good engine. Now come on. Let's get the work train.

Narrator: So Scootaloo and Mr. Holden climbed into Skarloey and they set off to the yard. They found Cora, some workmen and a truck and hurried up the line.

Skarloey: How nice and smooth the rails are, they even mended all the old bumps.

Scootaloo: Rusty and Rachel helped with that.

Skarloey: I must tell them how nice it is. (Sigh) What a difference Rusty and Rachel have done to the line.

Cora: They have worked their hardest Skarloey. Rachel should become a new member for the railway sometime.

Skarloey: You're right there Cora.

Narrator: They soon reach the accident site. Duncan was stuck at the far end of the tunnel, his coaches stood outside, and the passengers and the visiting ponies were helping Mr. Hawkins and Babs Seed to dislodge some rocks wedged between the top of his cab and the tunnel roof. Duncan was cross.

Duncan: Am a plain blunt engine and I speak as find. Tunnels should be tunnels and not rabbit holes! This ancient Decrepit Railway is no good at all!

Mr. Hawkins/Babs Seed: Don't be silly!

Mr. Hawkins: This tunnel is quite big enough for engines who don't want to Rock-N-Roll!

Babs: Yeah, so put an apple in it and shut ya trap!

Duncan: Hmph!

Narrator: They soon cleared away the rocks and at last, Skarloey was able to pull Duncan and his coaches safely through. Cora was left on a siding with the promise that Rusty would pick her up and take her home and the workmen stayed behind to make sure everything was safe. Skarloey helped Duncan and his passengers home. Duncan grumbled bitterly all the way home But Skarloey, Scootaloo, Babs Seed, Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Holden paid no attention. The Thin Controller and Princess Luna were waiting for them and they sure had strict words for Duncan.

Thin Controller: Now you listen to me Duncan! There is absolutely nothing wrong with that tunnel! You were stuck because you tried to do rock n roll! Tunnels are not dance floors and you are not a pop star!

Narrator: Then Princess Luna and the thin controller gave their attention to Duncan's cab and funnel and then looked him straight in the eye!

Luna: If thou lets it happen again, both Mr. Peter Sam and I will findth ways to cut thy cab and thy funnel down to size, if thou are treading on thin lines! Needth we say more Duncan?!

Narrator: Duncan, abashed thought Princess Luna and the Thin controller said quite enough, and was neither plain or blunt for a whole evening.

I must say, doing the stories about the SkR always get me in an excited, bubbly mood. Anyway, next is 'Rock-N-Roll'. I think.