Author's notes: Just a headcanon story of how Rheneas got his cab and how Skarloey overcame his fear of a viaduct. I really like this one because, it takes a step in making Skarloey and Rheneas more mature as well as give us some more insight into their past.

Skarloey, Rheneas and the Viaduct

(Skarloey Railway, 1867)

Narrating Skarloey: One day, I was with Citrus Orange and Sean Roger Holden taking some trucks to be loaded with slate.

Skarloey: What a lovely day it is Citrus Orange and Sean Holden.

Sean Holden: Aye me lad. It reminds me of me old home back in me home country of Ireland.

Citrus Orange: Indeed so Skarloey. The day couldn't be better. Oh, here we are at the viaduct.

Narrating Skarloey: But little did I know that the viaduct had been damaged in a storm the night before. Now, back in those days, the viaduct was not made of stone like it is today. It was made of wood and had no guard rails. We started to cross, when Sean Holden saw to his horror that of the beams had crack

Sean Holden: LOOK OUT SKARLOEY ME LAD!

Skarloey/Citrus Orange: What?...

Skarloey narrator: Sean Holden braked hard as me and Citrus orange shut our eyes. Fortunately we stopped and were still on the rails, but the wooden board beam was straining to hold us up.

Citrus Orange: Oh no! This isn't good at all.

Narrating Skarloey: I didn't know how to get back onto safe rails at the time.

Skarloey: Oh. I wish Rheanes was here. What do we do?!

Sean Holden: We can't reverse away, otherwise the movement might weaken the 'll just have to whistle for help.

Skarloey Narrating: Rheneas, Apple Blossom, and Emily Ravens was waiting at Glennlock with Agnus, Ruth, Jemima, Lucy and Beatrice when they heard our distress call.

Rheneas: Oy, did you hear that? That sounds like Skarloey's whistle. It sounds as if he's in trouble.

Emily Ravens: We've got to go and save them! Come on Apple Blossom and Rheneas.

Apple Blossom: You don't have to tell me twice.

Skarloey Narrator: Apple Blossom and Emily Ravens scrambled into Rheneas and they quickly set off to the rescue. A few moments passed, and Rheneas finally arrived.

Rheanes: Oh my. Skarloey!

Apple Blossom: Oh my! Citrus orange!

Emily Ravens: Oh my goodness. Sean! Are you mates alright?!

Sean Holden: Well, we've better Emily me lass!

Apple Blossom: Don't worry, will get you guys to safety! Just don't fall off!

Skarloey: Does it look like we've have a choice?

Narrating Skarloey: After the guard anchored me down, Rheneas pulled the trucks away and when they returned, Apple Blossom got out her families lasso and lassoed my coupling hook and tied the other end to Rheneas' coupling hook. Emily Ravens opened the regulator and Rheneas gently eased back taking the strain and carefully pulled me away from the bridge. Needless to say, Citrus Orange, Sean Holden and I were very grateful.

Skarloey: Thanks brother. What would I do without you?

Rheneas: No problem. I'm just glad that you're okay.

Sean Holden: Thank you Emily me lass. I thought I'd be a goner soon.

Emily: Of course I'm not going to let my very first friend get hurt badly.

Citrus Orange: That was too close for comfort.

Apple Blossom: You are right there Citrus Orange.

Narrating Skarloey: That night, our controller Mr. Mack came to the sheds.

Mr. Mack: Rheneas, I am very pleased with you. For a reward for your bravery , I will get you fitted with a cab like Skarloey.

Rheneas: Thank you so much sir.

Narrating Skarloey: So Rheanes went to the works and came back with a cab.

Rheanes: Hey Skarloey. Like my new look?

Skarloey: I sure do Rheanes. Now your up to date, like me.

Rheneas: And I'm supposed to be the younger brother. (Chuckles.)

Citrus Orange: Really? I thought Skarloey was the younger one.

Rheneas: Nope. Other way around. I was finished later than him.

Skarloey: That's right. And I was finished earlier than him.

Apple Blossom: Oh yeah. I met you 1st, then Rheanes.

Skarloey Narrator: A few days later, Mr. Mack came to the sheds.

Mr. Mack: Good news. The viaduct has been mended. The workers trucks have been left there. Skarloey, I need you, Citrus Orange and Sean Holden to collect them.

Sean: Aye aye Mr. Mack Sir!

Skarloey: (nervously) Yes sir.

Citrus Orange: Right. (Jumps into Skarloey's cab)

Rheneas: Brother, are you alright?

Skarloey: Just really really nervous. I don't want to go.

Rheneas: Skarloey you have nothing to be afraid of. Mr. Mack said that the viaduct is mended. Apple Blossom, Emily and I will rush over there if you need us. (Sees Apple Blossom cloud watching) Won't we Apple Blossom?

(Apple Blossom still distracted )

Emily Ravens: Yoohoo, Appleblossom? Shake a leg mate.

Appleblossom: (Jumps up) Um, yes, of course Rheneas and Emily.

Rheneas: And Citrus is there too. No worries.

Skarloey: Thanks brother. See you later. (Puffs off.)

Narrating Skarloey: When I got there...

Citrus Orange: There are the trucks Skarloey.

Sean Holden: Alright now, Skarloey me lad. Let's go.

Skarloey: Ok Citrus and Sean Holden. If you're sure.

FLASHBACK PAUSES

Skarloey: I started to cross, but I stopped dead in my... Tracks. Get it?

(Everyone laughed at the joke.)

Peter Sam: Oh yeah. Stopped in your tracks, because we are engines and we run on tracks.

Rheneas: Good one my brother.

Skarloey: Thanks everyone. Now, as I was saying...

FLASHBACK RESUMES

Sean Holden: Oy! What are ye playing at Skarloey me lad?!

Skarloey: Oh my. This is scary. I can't do this.

Citrus Orange: It's ok Skarloey. The viaduct is safe now.

Narrating Skarloey: Sean opened the regulator, but I was so scared that I refused to move another yard.

Sean Holden: Ugh! Come Skarloey me lad, it's safe to cross the viaduct!

Skarloey: No! I don't want to. It's too scary!

Narrating Skarloey: Sean Holden and Citrus Orange slapped their faces in defeat.

Sean Holden: Ugh! It's no use Citrus me lass. He's petrified and no doubt about it. We'll just have to go back.

Skarloey Narrating: and so we sadly went all the way back to the sheds. When we got home, Rheneas, Citrus Orange and Emily Ravens were surprised to see us back so soon and without the trucks.

Rheaneas: Brother! What are you doing here?

Skarloey: That viaduct is too high and scary. I don't want to go back there.

Sean Holden: He's absolutely petrified of the bridge Emily me lass.

Emily Ravens: Oh dear. I guess will have to do it for you then I'll tell Mr. Mack.

Apple Blossom: (Sigh) Looks like we have to do it Rheanes.

Rheaneas: Right. But if you don't go back to the viaduct soon Skarloey, Mr. Mack will be cross.

Narrating Skarloey: And they set off. For the rest of the week, Emily Apple Blossom and Rheaneas had to do my work as well his own for that job. Each day, Rheneas would collect the trucks and coaches and puffed over the viaduct with his heavy load, sometimes combining both passenger and goods together. Then one day, Mr. Mack came to the sheds to see me.

Mr. Mack : If you can't go across the viaduct, you must shunt trucks and the coaches here at crovans gate. I can't have engines not doing as their told.

Skarloey: Yes sir. Sorry sir.

Citrus Orange: Come on Skarloey. Let's do it.

Sean Holden: Yeah. At least we'll be doing something.

Narrating Skarloey: and so we went about shunt trucks and Agnes, Ruth Jemima, Lucy and Beatrice for goods and passenger runs respectively. Then one Saturday, Rheneas was taking mine and his trucks to the viaduct as usual. But he puffed so hard that he ran out of steam.

Rheanes: Oh no. I'm out of water.

Emily Ravens: Perfect Just perfect!

Apple Blossom: That's just great now we're stuck here!

Narrating Skarloey: Back at Crovans Gate, me, Sean Holden and Apple Blossom were shunting in the yards when Rheneas' guard came down to us in an empty truck.

Rheneas' guard: Skarloey, Rheaneas has broken down on the viaduct.

Skarloey: What? My brother in trouble?! We have to save him!

Citrus Orange: Come on then.

Sean Holden: Right, their be no time to lose me lad and lass!

Narrating Skarloey: We rushed over to the Viaduct. I was scared, but determined.

Skarloey: (To self) Right. It's ok Skarloey. You can do this. Here we go.

Sean Holden: It's alright now Skarloey me lad. Me and Citrus Orange will be with yee all the way.

Citrus Orange: He's right, just do you're best.

Narrating Skarloey: I took a deep breath, Sean Holden opened the regulator and ever so carefully I eased slowly onto the viaduct. It creaked and groaned under my wheels but I kept on going.

Skarloey: I must do it! I must do it! I must help Rheneas, I must!

Skarloey narrating: I made one last great effort soon, I reached Rheneas.

Citrus Orange: Well done Skarloey.

Sean Holden: That'a boy Skarloey me lad! Well done. We've did it me lad and lass! haha

Narrating Skarloey: Sean Holden bravely climbed out and coupled me and Rheanes up, and I pulled Rheanes off the viaduct.

Rheanes: Thanks brother. You were very brave.

Skarloey: No problem bro. Happy to help.

Apple Blossom: Oh thank you Citrus Orange. I'm so glad you came for us.

Citrus Orange: Oh. Nothing to it. I'm just glad I could help.

Emily: I cannot thank you enough for saving us Sean.

Sean: Aye, nothing too it me lass. I'm just glad to help me friends. Say, how bout we all head down to Crovans Gate Inn and get a couple pints of Orange juice and Apple cider all on me. To propose a toast to Skarloey!

Apple Blossom: Best thing you've ever said!

Citrus Orange: I second the motion!

Emily Ravens: Oh thank you Sean, mate.

Sean Holden/Emily Ravens/Apple Blossom/Citrus Orange: To the inn!

Skarloey narrator: And after me and Rheanes were back in the sheds, they all raced down to Crovans Gate Inn.

FLASHBACK ENDS

Skarloey: Ever since then, I've never have been scared of the viaduct ever again. Long after that, the viaduct was strengthened by stone, and both me and Rheneas became really useful engines.

Narrator: The listeners the main 4 drivers the ponies all stirred and got up.

Everyone: Thank you Skarloey and Rheanes. Now you've told us about the old days, we can give you both a splendid birthday next week that you will never forget.

Twilight Sparkle: And thank you so much for telling us more about the lost ancestors. You two have been a great help.

Skarloey: Anytime Twilight.

Narrator: They all went home except for Mr. Holden and Miss Ravens, whom both wiped a tear from there eyes.

Miss Ravens: Skarloey, Rheneas we want to thank you so much for telling us about your past. We had no idea that my great grandmother and Mr. Holden's great grandfather were close friends.

Mr. Holden: Thank you so much. It really means so much to us. I know me and Miss Raven's have been friends for a long time, but we never knew our friendship legacy was that old.

Rheneas: Oh anytime Mr. Holden and Miss Ravens, anytime at all.

Narrator: The two best friends forever, Mr. William James Holden and Rachel Marie Ravens walked hand in hand back to their train and headed home.

Alright! Bonus one, check. Wait, how many stories are we at on the website? 99?! Oh my word! That means 'Duck And Dukes' will be number 100. Wow! What perfect timing. Skarloey and Rheanes are having their 100th birthday and so is the SkR. Look out for that everyone.