Author's notes: This story is another one that made me get the giggles. I really couldn't help but laugh at Duncan's antics and Skarloey's reaction to when Rheanes was coming home. With that said, here we go.

Passengers and Polish

Narrator: Nancy is a guards daughter who lives near the Skarloey railway and she is also a member of the Skarloey Preservation society. She is often allowed to come down to Crovans Gate to help Princess Luna, the Thin Controller, Mr. Hugh and the foals polish up the engines ready for the day's work and does other odd jobs. One day, she, Sweetie Belle and Rarity whom brought her sister to work on James' train, were working together on Skarloey with some polish and a rag. Skarloey was dozing happily but Nancy wanted to talk.

Nancy: (severely) Wake up Lazy Bones! Your brass is absolutely filthy! Aren't you ashamed?!

Rarity: It is completely covered soot and ash! Tisk tisk tisk! You should be ashamed of yourself Skarloey!

Narrator: Skarloey liked Nancy and the mane six, but sometimes Nancy and Rarity's wake up calls can sometimes make the old engine a little bit cranky.

Skarloey: (Sleepy) No…..(yawn) You two are just fusspots!… go away…

Narrator: And Skarloey closed his eyes. He was thinking about the his friend and brother Rheneas and all the good times they had shared before Rheneas went away to Hunslet works to be mended in 1951. His day dream was interrupted, when Nancy Sweetie Belle and Rarity tickled his nose.

Skarloey: AHCHOO! Hey, what was that for?!

Sweetie Belle: Well, to wake you up for a start.

Nancy: Plus, Rheneas is coming home tomorrow! Don't you want to look nice?

Skarloey: (Sleepily) Oh that's nice to hea… (record scratch) (Wakes up suddenly) WHAT?! WHEN?! TOMORROW?!

Narrator: Skarloey woke with a start. He wasn't sleepy anymore.

Nancy: That's right. Daddy told me. Well, I'm going now…

Rarity: Same here. If you really don't want to look shiny and clean for your brother, I don't see why we should have to fuss with you then. HMPH!

Narrator: Skarloey went into full panic.

Skarloey: NO! WAIT! NANCY, RARITY, SWEETIE BELLE! STOP! Uh… do I look really nice, oh please polish me again. Aheheheh, theres some good kind girls oh and good kind generous lady. Aheheheh (Never smile)

Narrator: Rarity Sweetie Belle and Nancy all exchanged winks and whisper.

Rarity/Sweetie Belle/Nancy: (Whisper) works every time.

Nancy: Heheheh… Now whose an old fusspot?

Rarity: Now then, lets get those rivets and then your dome.

Narrator: Nancy and the two pony sisters gave Skarloey another rub and clambered down. Duncan was envious.

Duncan: Oy! Aren't you going polish me too?

Nancy: Sorry Duncan, not today. I have to go now. I'm helping the Refreshment Lady, Pinkie Pie and Applejack this afternoon. We have to get the ices and other refreshments ready for the passengers on Skarloey's 2:00 pm train.

Rarity: I've got to get back to James.

Sweetie Belle: And Sir Handel is also waiting for me.

Nancy: Never mind Duncan. I'll give you a good polish tomorrow.

Narrator: But Duncan did mind.

Duncan: It isn't fair! Peter Sam gets a special funnel, Sir Handel gets special wheels passengers get Ices and I'm not even polished.

Rarity: Oh Duncan will you stop whining?!

Duncan: WHINING?! Do I look like I was built yesterday?! I'm complain!

Rarity: No you are not complaining! You are whining! You want me to demonstrate what whining is?

Sweetie Belle: BRACE YOURSELVES!

Narrator: Skarloey braced himself and shut his eyes, Sweetie Belle quickly handed Nancy some ear plugs, whipped some out for herself and they put them in just in time.

Rarity: Thiiis iiis whiiining! Oooh, this harness is too tiiight! It's going to chafe. Can't you loosen it? Oooh, it hurts and it's sooo ruuusty! Why didn't you clean it first? It's gonna leave a staaain! And the wagon's getting heeeavy, why do I have to pull it?!

Duncan: AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! STOP PLEASE I KNOW WHAT WHININING IS!

Rarity: But I thought you wanted to kkknnnoww what is whiiining!

(Rarity nods over at Sweetie Belle and Nancy to take their ear plugs out, then the little unicorn filly gently tapped Skarloey on the boiler as a signal to open his eyes. Then Rarity looks at her jewel watch)

Rarity: Oh, time for me to get back to James. Have fun Sweetie Belle, Nancy.

Sweetie Belle/Nancy: You too Rarity.

Sweetie Belle: Now, where's Sir Handel at? (Walks off to find him)

Narrator: This of course wasn't true, but Duncan liked having a grievance. He began to sulk and became sulkier still every second.

Duncan: Great, first no polish and then I get crash course lesson on whining.

Scootaloo/Mr. Roberts: Duncan…SHUT UP AND STOP WHINING!

Narrator: Duncan shuttered.

Duncan: (To himself) Ugh… Don't even mention that word, it makes my dome rattle.

Narrator: That afternoon, a message came through from the station by the divided waterfall, but it wasn't from the telephone it was coming from a weird machine that weird nosies.

Scootaloo: What the heck is that kinda call? Ugh! I can't understand this call. I think it's broken or something? HULLO! HULLO!

Narrator: Mr. Roberts came to see what the commotion was and Scootaloo, told him about the 'broken phone machine'.

Mr. Roberts: Hmmm… May I have look?

Scootaloo: Sure, go ahead.

Narrator: So Mr. Roberts Sat down got a pencil and notebook and listen to the so called broken message. He began to write back as a frustrated Scootaloo went out side

Message: [ .-. …. . -. . -. …] [ … - .- - .. - -.] [ - -] [ -.-. .-. - …- .- -. … -. .- - .] [… - - .-.]

Mr. Roberts: Hmmm, okay lets see (writing in his notebook ) Rheneas Station to Crovans Gate. Stop.

Message: [ .-] - ..-.] [ … -.- .- .-. .-.. - . -.- … ] [ -.-. - .- -.-. …. . …] […. .- …] [-.-. - - .] [ - ..-. ..-.] [ - …. .] [ .-. .- .. .-.. …] [.- -. -..] [ …. .- …] [ ... - .-. ..- -.-. -.-] [-.. - .- -.] [- . .-.. . .-. …. - -. . .-.. .. -. .] [… - - .-.]

Narrator: Mr. Roberts then looked worried.

Mr. Roberts: Oh my goodness, now that makes more sense (writing in notebook) One of Skarloey's coaches has come of the rails and struck down telephone line. Stop.

Message: [ -. -] [ .. -. .- ..- .-. .. .] [ - -] [.-. .- … … . -. -. . .-. …] [-.-. - .- -.-. …. ] [ -. - -] [ -.. .- - .- -. . -..] [… - - .-.]

Mr. Roberts : Oh thank heavens (writing) No injuries to passengers, coach not damaged. Stop.

Message: [ .-. .-.. . .- … .] [… . -. -..] [ … - - .] [ .- - .-. -.- - . -.] [ - -] [ .-. ..- -] [ .. -] [ .-. .. -. …. -] [… - - .-.]

Mr. Roberts: (Writing in his notebook) Please send some workmen to put it right. Stop.

Narrator: Mr. Roberts stopped writing, reached for the machine sending the reply message.

Mr. Roberts: We will bring workmen and the tool van up as soon as possible. Stop.

Narrator: Then he walked out.

Scootaloo: So what was that weird clicking noise about?

Mr. Roberts: There's been a derailment at Rheneas Station. One of Skarloey's coaches has come off the rails and struck a telephone line down and cut off our telephone communications.

Scootaloo: Oh dear. Is anyone hurt.

Mr. Roberts: No is hurt and the coach is not damaged. But we need to send up some workmen and the tool van.

Scootaloo: Right away… Wait hold on? How did you know? If telephone communications are down, how did they tell you?

Mr. Roberts: Remember that weird machine that made those weird clicking noise? That was the message in morse code.

Scootaloo: What's morse code.

Mr. Roberts: It's is a method of transmitting text information or messages as a series of on-off tones, lights, or in this case clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment. It was used in the old days before telephones, but we still retain our morse code signals in case of an emergency .

Scootaloo: Oh awesome. Well, we'd better get that's train ready. I'll go get Duncan ready. He's the only one in the shed and he's still in steam.

Mr. Roberts: Right, I'll go and inform Mr. Hugh of the situation.

Narrator: Duncan was resting in the shed when Scootaloo and Mr. Robers came up to Duncan.

Mr. Roberts: One of Skarloey's coaches has derailed at the station by the waterfall.

Scootaloo: So we'll have to take the workmen up there right away.

Duncan: (Cross) Oh come on! Why can't Rusty or Rachel do it? They're maintenance diesels. That's they're job.

Mr. Roberts: They're up at the quarry preparing slate trains with Peter Sam, Miss Ravens, Mr. Hugh, Applebloom, Babs Seed, Mr. Holden and Pipsqueak since Skarloey is trapped up at the top station.

Duncan: What about Sir Handel.

Mr. Roberts: Busy shunting with Sweetie Belle and Mr. Hawkins.

Duncan: All this extra work. It wears an engine out.

Mr. Roberts/Scootaloo: Rubbish! Come on!

Narrator: So Duncan grumbled away with the tool truck and Cora. The derailed coach was in the middle of Skarloey's train so Skarloey had gone on to the top station with the front ones. Duncan shunted the works train into the siding and the workmen cleared up the mess and lifted the coach back on the rails and went repair the broken telephone line. Then Duncan brought the passengers in the rear coaches home. He sulked all the way. He arrived back just in time for his own 4:00 pm train.

Duncan: I get no rest! I get no rest!

Scootaloo: Oh shut up Duncan!

Narrator: Duncan was sulky and short of steam and so Mr. Roberts waited awhile in the hopes of raising more. But Duncan wouldn't ry.

Mr. Roberts: Come on! We can't keep the passengers waiting here any longer!

Scootaloo: Yeah, show a wheel and get moving!

Duncan: (Crossly) You always think about passengers, never about me! , I'm not even polished I'm over worked and I won't stand it!

Scootaloo/Mr. Roberts: Oh for pity sake Duncan! Just put a piece of coal in it!

Narrator: At last Duncan reluctantly built up enough steam to set off again, he grumbled away, brooding over his wrongs. Duncan made heavy weather of the journey and made it very miserable for both passengers, Scootaloo and Mr. Roberts till at last they reached the viaduct near Rheneas station. This is long high and narrow and no one can walk on it when a train is there. Soon, Mr. Roberts and Scootaloo got tired of Duncan's nagging.

Mr. Roberts: Look Duncan, we're sorry we were so rude.

Scootaloo: Yeah come on Duncan just give it one more effort and then you can have rest and drink at the station.

Narrator: Then Duncan was very rude.

Duncan: AH! KEEP YOUR OLD STATION! I'M STAYING HERE!

Narrator: And he did too. He stopped his train right on the viaduct and nothing Scootaloo or Mr. Roberts could do would make him move another yard.

Scootaloo/Mr. Roberts: OH FOR PETE SAKE DUNCAN! YOU'VE GOT BE KIDDING ME!

Narrator: It's was very fortunate that Scootaloo was a Pegasus and could fly even if it was for a short time, but it was just enough to get in front of Duncan to get help. Skarloey and Mr. Holden along with Babs Seed and Scootaloo came from the top station to haul Duncan and his train all the way to the platform. The passengers were very cross they burst out of the train and told the foals and staff what a bad railway it was. Skarloey had to haul Duncan and his train all the way to Croven's Gate too. Duncan wouldn't even try. The thin Controller and Princess Luna were waiting for him at the shed and spoke to him severely. But Duncan still stayed sulky, he muttered to himself in abstinent sort of voice.

Duncan: No polish, no passengers.

And we are now onto part 4, 'Gallant Old Engine'. Can't wait to see the SkR's number 2 finally come home.