Series 2, yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

"Wow..."

"He sure is strong, isn't he?"

"Do you think he's nice?"

"Well, he's th' pal o' th' other diesels, sooo..."

"Then again, Diesel and the others aren't really our... Friends..."

"Still, we should, at least, try to make friends with..."

"Are you CRAYZEH?!" Pinkie gasped "He's so c~r~e~e~p~y!"

"Pinkie!" Twilight snapped "You're being prejudicial! We've been over this a hundred times!"

"I know..." the pink mare replied, sounding most embarrassed "But... Just look at him!"

The enigmatic "him" in question was a dark green Class 42 Warship with white stripes and a large, hydraulic grabber claw on his roof, currently in use, as he was cleaning up the track embankment with it. Clawful after clawful of rusty scrap and other rubbish was lifted and loaded into the trucks on the line beside him.

It was summer again.

Nearly a whole year had passed since "The Incident", as it was later entitled, both by gossiping mouths and official documentations.
Discord has been fulfilling his duty as the "Grand Designer" of the railway, creating architectural wonders for Equestrian Rail - stations, bridges, overpasses, and yard set-ups. Well, he only did the latter once, then he was forbidden to do so, ever again (the town and railway staff of Quaintshilling is still cringes every time).

As for the Other Railway, and their respective drivers and fitter...

They couldn't complain.

Two shunters and a powerful goods engine has joined them in the standstill quest for arseholerism, and things were going smooth. Sure there was the monthly accident of malevolent force to deal with, but nothing too over the top - the winter was nice, cool enough for Derek and snowy enough to keep the engines' plowing skills intact, but not too cold or snowy to make leaving the perimeters of the yard a dead option.

The spring was positively beautiful, especially after Fluttershy and some other ponies from the town planted an entire orchard of cherry blossom trees on a short, steeper part of the meadow on the far side of the yard. Where they got them was another question, but the staff and the engines had a hunch it was due to the shy pegasus' connection with the princesses, as the orchard was half pink, half light blue, containing the rare, midnight cherry trees - items from Princess Luna's personal garden.

And now, with the larger portion of summer behind them, engines and equines alike were beginning to feel... A peculiar emotion...
A feeling that they couldn't bare or stand, that snuck into their harts and shrouded their minds in the dead of the night, as they lay (or stood) awake, waiting for the dreams to take away the worries into Neverland.

They had to occupy their minds with other thoughts, and they jumped on every opportunity.

For the mares, one such option was to shamelessly spy on the newest members of the Other Railway.

As Diesel 10, or Vincent, loaded the trucks with debris, Splatter or Dodge showed up, taking them away, always returning in time for the next loaded one. It was a well thought-out, well-oiled machine - their movements were almost synchronized. Finally, as the Warship finished with the last lump, and the dark purple and gray shunter took the last truck away, the claw which became the main object of the ponies' interest retreated to the top of his roof. With a low rumble and hydraulic whir, he rolled forward, leaving a trail of thin, dark gray smoke.

As he disappeared around the bend, Twilight and the others continued their observation - or rather, their stalking.

"Well, wut do ya make of tha'?" Applejack asked "He's very strong."

"And fast." Rainbow Dash added "I've seen him yesterday, speeding down the line. He's at least as fast as Stuck-Up!"

"He seemed very delicate with that claw - well, as delicate as one can get with that thing!" put in Rarity "Do you think he's nice?"

"He has a claw on his roof." Pinkie stated dryly "What do you think?"

"Now you sounded just like Diesel!" Twilight snapped impatiently "Except he was nowhere as prejudicial as you are!"

"Pinkie, it's not right to judge someone by his looks!" the white unicorn added in a huff "You have to know their feelings, their personality... The content of their character!"

"Yeah!" said Applejack, glaring at the pink mare "Take Discord, fer example..."

She thought for a moment.

"Well, OK, maybe not Discord, but..."

But Pinkie had already latched onto her comment.

"And speaking of Discord!" she snapped "He tried to turn him into butchery product!"

"No, he didn't!" Rainbow snapped back "He was joking - obviously!"

"Well, Ah don' kno', Rainbo'..." the applefarmer spoke "Ya can nevah kno' i' with th' diesels..."

"There! See?!" Pinkie cried.

"That doesn't mean anything!" Twilight grunted "Discord had done some pretty cruel and horrid things in the past! He brought chaos and havoc into Equestria, twice! He almost ruined our friendship! Celestia knows what he would've done if we hadn't stopped him!"

"Make more cotton candy clouds with chocolate milk rain..." the party pony grumbled under her breath...

"Look, I still can't understand why you antagonize that engine so much!" Rarity muttered "What did he ever done to you?"

"He tried to butcher Discord!" Pinkie yelled, stubbornly.

"He was trying to take over Equestria, even after the Princesses had offered him a chance to redeem himself!"

"He tried to butcher Discord!" the pink pony repeated, quickly loosing patience.

"And did he actually do it? NO!" Twilight snapped.

"He TRIED. To BUTCHER. Discord!"

"You can't know...! Ugh..." Rainbow was growing more and more irritated "Look! Just because you've fallen head over hooves for that freak doesn't mean that you should act like that to everyone!"

"You'll find yourself very alone very soon if you keep up with this behavior!" Twilight added, her voice sounding dangerously ire "I'm warning you, Pinkie, I don't want to be the friend of presumptuous, prejudicial pony!"

"But he tried to...!"

"I did no'."

The mares froze.

Diesel 10 was right beside them, glowering at them with a great hint of disinterest.

How long he had been parking there? How much did he heard from their argument?

They felt the ground heat up under their hooves.

"W-Well, girls, I gotta go." the librarian muttered with an awkward smile "I... I haven't arranged sector 'E' yet..."

And she promptly teleported away.

"My, she IS quick all of a sudden, isn't she?" Rarity muttered, sounding quite unimpressed and disappointed. She then cast a side glance at the Warship.

"Well, I must be off, too..." she said, with as much dignity as she can muster "I still haven't finished my latest gown."

"A-An' Ah got apples ta buck!" Applejack added, and the two trotted away.

"I have a... Cloud... To catch..." the polychromatic mare was finding increasingly difficult to excuse herself. With the engine's powerful gaze upon her, she felt her tongue twist into a knot within her mouth - See you around!

Vincent "hmph"ed, and the turned his glower at the remaining two ponies.

Pinkie narrowed her eyes.

"I'll be keeping my eyes on you!" she uttered, taking a step back "...You meanie!2

He then took a few steps back, then turned tail, and ran.

The diesel then turned his gaze towards the last mare.

Fluttershy looked back it him with sincerity.

After a few moments of silence, he cleared his throat.

"Well... Dey seem ta be ou'a' characte' this mornin'..."

"I'm sorry about that..." the mare replied "It's just that the end of the summer is getting closer. It's always rouses our feelings. Nopony knows, why..."

"Probabley th' sudden realization of th' passage o' time." Vincent mused, glancing at the sky...

Another pause.

Suddenly, the mare's eyes brightened.

"Was it..." she pondered openly, before turning to the machine "Was that you who saved me back in Sunnytown?"

He thought for a moment...

"...So Dat's wha' tha' dump was call'd? Sunnytown?"

"Yes..." she replied, and her eyes brightened once more "So it WAS you!"

"Yeh." he muttered, cutting the conversation again.

There was another, awkward pause.

The silence was deafening.

Then came a sound.

A chirp.

It was a swallow, a fork-tailed one.

It flew around above them, looking for place to rest.

"Oh, it's Waverin." Fluttershy peep "She must have gotten lost again. Poor thing, she has a horrible sense of direction."

"Ya... Kno' her?" Vincent was amused "Wha's it... She's doin' 'ere?"

Fluttershy wasn't listening. She was trying to calm down the rustled bird.

"Come on down now, Ms. Waverin!" she called "Everything is all right, just... Settle down for a bit."

Diesel 10's gaze commuted between the mare and the swallow. Then, without a thought, he raised his arm.

"Oh! PLEASE! DON'T HURT HER!" Fluttershy screamed, watching with utter horror as the large hydraulic appendage lifted itself from the diesel's roof, and began to turn towards the air-space where the swallow way flying.

Fluttershy shut her eyes, and covered them up with her hooves.

"PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU! DON'T..."

The chirping stopped.

Trembling, she took a peek.

Waverin was sitting comfortably on the arm of the diesel's claw, which he left, suspended in the air.

"O-Oh..."

The pegasus felt embarrassed.

"Ay may loo' grisly..." said Vincent, his mouth curling into a comforting smile "Bu'... Ya can' judge a tree by i's bark, naw can ya?"

Slowly, Fluttershy smiled back at him, her tension easing.

They began to chat.

About work, about their pasts, about their friends - or colleges - and about life in general.

As it turned out, Vincent had quite an adventurous life, and although he wasn't exactly a "hero" type of engine, he had held his own.

Heck, in terms of personality, he was more social than some of the Other Railway's dastardly bunch...

After half an hour, the two were talking as if they've been friends since always. Or, at least, acquaintances...

Suddenly, the diesel took notice of the fidgeting of the mare. She was constantly trying to look behind her shoulder, opening her wings individually.

"Sam'in' wron'?" he asked.

"Oh, it's nothing..." Fluttershy sighed, then groaned quietly, shifting her weight "It's just that... I'm itching between the wings."

"...An' ya can' reach i'..." Vincent muttered, before ordering "'Old still!"

His claw began to move, hovering over Fluttershy, where it stopped, and began a slow descend.

"W-What are you...? - the shy pony muttered, looking utterly terrified.

"Tras' me, lass." the Warship replied "No', spread your wings!"

Shaking, Fluttershy complied, standing still, as the large grabber lowered atop her back. When it was inches from it, the claw opened, moving one half away from the mare, while the other inched closer, one teeth of it brushing the fur above her spine.

"Oh my CELESTIA!" came a cry "HE'S GOING TO IMPALE HER!"

Vincent stopped, and looked up.

It was the pink one, standing out from a bush, and pointing a blaming... Hoof at him.

He ignored it, and returned to the task at "hand".

As gently as he could, he lowered it even further, until the tip touched her skin under her fur.

Then, he began to move his claw.

Back and forth.

Just an inch's worth of movement.

Scratching the mare's back.

"Oh! Oh... Oooooohhhh...." Fluttershy's legs quivered. She felt her muscles loosening, as the very tip of the claw's sharp tooth scratched the itchy spot between her wings. She squeaked gracefully, before dropping down on her four knees, the grabber following.

"Ah don' see anythin' wrong here, Pinkie..." Applejack spoke, with a smile in her voice "The feller's just givin' Fluttershy a court'sy backrub."

"With his CLAW!" the pink mare snapped "That's just BEGGING for an accident!"

"Well, true, it isn't the most safest method..." Twilight admitted "But then again, Diesel 10 is probably an expert with his own device."

"Yeah, and from what I heard from 'Arry and Bert, he's really smooth." Rainbow Dash added.

"That's because his arm works with a hydraulic motion." the purple unicorn explained, with a hint of expertise and pride "He's capable of being both a destructive force and perform smooth, gentle movement."

The others "Ahh"d and nodded, before the polychromatic pegasus brought up a question:

"Isn't he a diesel-hydraulic, anyway?"

Silence...

"Does it really matter?" Rarity asked in a tired voice. Trivial questions DID bore her - a trait she picked up from Old Stuck-Up, among many others.

Vincent felt relaxed.

He was at peace.

Now, the only problem remaining...

...Was that nagging feeling deep down in his metallic heart, that told him that the peace couldn't last...

"WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHH!"

The sound of a steam engine's shrill, deep whistle echoed around the line.

The next second, pushing a cloud of scorching hot steam in front of himself, 84576 burst into the scene, towing a long line of trucks. The B17 rocketed past Diesel 10, making him jump. His claw opened wide, a jerked downwards, hitting the ground with an echoing CLANK!

"MAKE WAY! V.I. FREIGHT TRAIN COMING TROUGH!" the blue engine yelled, laughing as he disappeared into the distance, his trucks screaming behind him...

"Slow down! Slow down! You're shaking us apart! Slow down!"

"Overblown kettle!" Vincent growled, grinding his teeth with ire. He then glanced down at the mare.

And his eyes widened with alarm!

Fluttershy was completely hidden behind his opened grabber - he couldn't tell if she was dead or alive.

So, he did the only logical thing...

"Ya OK, miss?"

After a moment of silence, a meek voice replied:

"I... Think so..."

There, came a sigh...

"You startled me..."

"A'm sorry, lass..." he muttered "That puffball scared th' crap outta me!"

"Oh. OK..." she replied, barely whispering "Could you..."

"Wha'?"

"Could you lift your claw off of me? I mean, it's not that it b-bothers me, but..."

"Oh, of course, of course!"

After he placed his claw back on top of his roof, he examined the mare for any injuries.

"Roigh', seems laike yer alright." he grunted after a thorough examination.

"OK." she whispered, before looking up at him "Who was that?"

"84576." the Warship grumbled "The li'le wankah can' shu' 'is own faic a' taimes!"

"Oh... I see..." the mare sighed.

Suddenly, Diesel 10 came up with an idea.

"'Ey, Fluttahshy!" he called out "Ya in fer a prank?"

"Ummm..."

"Trus' me, i's gonna be sweet!"

"...Okay..."

"We'e gonna get ba' a' '576!"

"Oh!"

If one would have looked down the mane line in the following hours, they would've saw a strange thing:

A B17, rocketing down the line and crying like a little girl, trying desperately to escape a growling Class 42 with a large hydraulic claw, extended behind the tender engine and snapping viciously, with a bright yellow pegasus sitting in the diesel's cab, her pink mane flowing in the air, as she laughed maniacally.

Many bystanders on the station platforms had interesting dreams that night.

But let's not get so ahead in time.

Back in the yards, the engines were having a break. It had been a busy day, and the fact that nothing interesting has happened for over 6 months didn't helped in the starting of any conversation.

But they managed.

Because they're that fuckin' smart!

Anyways...

"I've been green since I've known." said Bowler "I had never been painted in any other color. Although, at one time, I was offered to have my cabs painted white, but I rejected the idea."

"When I first came out of the works, I was painted in the standard BR Blue color." Derek added, remembering his own past "Before I was sent to Sodor, however, they decided to paint me in the classic BR Green scheme. Of course, in both cases, I had my yellow warning panels. And to be honest, I always liked the idea of having a white cab, although it does come with a certain "Vintage" feel."

"I've always been painted blue." Stuck-Up put in his own story "Although, when I worked in Yorkshire, I received a different, lighter shade... I think it was "electric blue" or something like that. Then, when I worked near the Thames, I was painted back into my original shade. I WAS supposed to be painted in InterCity colors when I began working with the G.N.E.R., but..." he fell silent, before passing a glower at his colleges "You know, what happened."

"I use' to be BR Gree' as well." Spamcan muttered "Bu' I go' i' changed to th' unifo'm blue afte' meetin' my... Brothe', after comin' hom' from Sodor..."

The other engines stayed respectully silent for a few minutes.

"And what about 'Arry and Bert?" Steamie asked. He had always been painted fluorescent green with white wheel tyres and a black smokebox.

The two shunters were still back at the Ironworks.

"I heard that in the beginning, they were painted BR Green with yellow traction rods." Pip explained "Then they were hired by E.W.S. for a short period of time, and that's when they got their hazard stripes, alongside the usual red and yellow paintjob."

"Afterwards, they kept the yellow stripes on their sides, but their red parts were painted gray." Emma continued "They WERE to be sent to work at Sellafield...

The company let out a collective groan, and many of them shuddered.

"...But in the end, they found someone else." the Class 43 continued "When they were sent to work at the Smelters, they were painted in their dark green-grey color scheme there, along with the yellow cabs."

"Their drivers did a shabby job painting them fully yellow when they were escaping Sodor, but it was washed once they fully joined the Other Railway." Diesel finished "The Ironworks here also painted them fully yellow during the summer heatwaves, but those were temporal paint jobs."

"We've always been painted in the InterCity livery." Pip explained "And Cromwell, as I recall, has always been chocolate brown or red."

"Yes indeed!" came the reply from the far end of the shed, accompanied with an agreeing burp from Mr. Bottomsly.

"I was originally black, like any other working class steamie." BoZo muttered, mostly to himself "But by the time I arrived to the other railway, I was so rusty that it was easier to assume that I was red. So, I was painted red."

"And what about you, Diesel?" the tank engine asked.

Before the shunter could reply, Stuck-Up came up with his own explanation.

"He was always painted black so as to express his political views. Blehehe..."

The others chuckled as well.

"Oh, HA HA!" Diesel snapped "Very funny, Stuck-Up. But considering that I have to spend my time with a bunch of antagonizing bourgeois bastards, it would no surprise if I'd showed up on one of the protests."

"You did, haven't you...?" Derek asked.

Diesel gulped.

The others listened with interest.

"Uhhh... I..."

"Back in 1986, during a big riot, you found your way onto the tram lines, and helped the rioters by becoming a battling ram against the police cordon and several lines of riot police officers."

"The only reason it wasn't so big on the news is because of the Chernobyl incident that happened in the same year..." the shunter muttered "But ANYWAYS, the REAL reason I'm painted black because this is my original color. Most freight and shunting engines back in the '50s were painted black, because this color was the best to cover the dirt spots we inevitably got while working."

"Well, that explains why you "spread" your color ever so often..." said a new voice.

They all looked down at the gathering of ponies.

"How long have YOU been listening?" Stuck-Up asked sharply.

"Eavesdropping, you mean?" Bowler asked with the same tone.

"Not long." Twilight replied simply. She knew the drill by now "What's up?"

"We've been discussing liveries." Derek replied.

"And as I was saying, before being rudely interrupted, my livery is like this for PRACTICAL reasons." Diesel snarled "If you want to see a REAL propaganda train, though, then take a look at James!"

"Eeeuggh... Propaganda train?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"An interesting invention from the early years of the Soviet Union." Derek explained "A propaganda train is, well, a train that serves as a tool of propaganda."

"No manure..." the pegasus replied, rolling her eyes.

"It contains a printing press for leaflets, it's painted red or has communist symbols or agitprop on it, perhaps has revolutionary quotes and mottos written on it. It travels the country, bringing the idea to the rural masses."

"And as I was saying, James would be a good example of one."

"Who's James?" Pinkie asked.

"Isn't that that red mix-traffic engine, the same type as Eagle?" Derek asked. He'd never gotten the chance to met Sodor's number 5 engine when he was working on the island.

"Yes, indeed." Bowler replied "Painted from firebox to tender in a bright red color. Just replace his number with a hammer and sickle, give him an ushanka with a hole in it and put it over his funnel, and give him a mustache or beard, and there you have it: Communism on wheels!"

The other engines laughed, but the mares didn't understood the joke (obviously).

"Which facial hair, though?" Derek asked, suddenly.

"Hmmm... I say it should be Friedrich Engels'." Stuck-Up replied.

"Why him?" Pip asked.

"Well, he was the one who studied the miserable life and working conditions of the factory workers of Manchester in the 19th century, and that's what urged him to join Marx in the creation of Communism. Also, given that he studied factory workers and visited Manchester, he's more closer to us engines than Marx was."

"...OK..." Pip murmured, then, after a short pause, she asked "Why are we talking about this again?"

"I don't know!" the express engine snapped "Derek brought it up!"

"Sooo... Anything interesting down the main line?" Rarity asked, sensing another meaningless argument. She, like the rest of her friends, have gotten quite used the demeanor of the engines, and learned quite a few things from them. Phrases of slang, for example.

"...Nothing much." Bowler explained "As a matter of fact, things have been quite a bore, recently."

"Same here." Derek added "We've almost finished the forest branch line that will connect us with Gaslight City, but the regional leaderboard decided that it should be electrified as well."

A groan rose from the engines.

"...Anythin' else?" Applejack asked "I know there's nothin' new or interestin' in the freight service."

"Well, apa' from a larg' numbe' o' RailFreigh' eng'nes tha' hav' arri'ed..." her engine barked in.

"That reminds me!" Stuck-Up smiled, his eyes lighting up "I saw one of the Blue Pullman engines in Manehattan Central the other day."

The others whistled and grumbled with delight and agreement.

But the mares seemed confused.

"You lost us there..."

"The Class 251 or 261 diesel-electric multiple units, also known as Blue Pullmans, where luxurious passenger trains that were the poster figures of the Modernization Plan. Initiated in the late '50s, these trains are hard to come by these days."

"Well..." Twilight spoke, in a sing-song voice "It is rumored that the Princesses want to put a number of fixed-up prototype diesels back into the fleet to show of!"

Oddly enough, the engines didn't seemed amused.

"Do they?" Derek asked, sounding quite nonchalant.

"What's the matter?" Rarity asked "Aren't you glad that the pioneers of your kind will come back."

"No' really." Spamcan replied "Ya see, dese eng'nes were often major scre'-ups o'r on'-hi'-wonde's bac' in deir time."

"AND they were often quite arrogant." Stuck-Up added.

"Yeah. Just take Stuck-Up and square him, and you'll understand." Diesel snickered.

The others laughed as the Class 40 had one of his hissy fits yet again.

But as the chatter quieted down, Twilight continued earnestly.

"A number of prototype engines will have their last trials done here, in our section, perhaps, even located in our yard."

"What do their trials revolve around?" Diesel asked.

"Performance tests and social interaction, mostly."

"Oh. THIS will be lovely..." the Class 08 groaned, before realizing something "Wait! How do you know all this?"

"The Leaderboard has informed Dr. Whooves in person and me via letter about it." she answered "The first two engines will arrive tomorrow. I don't know their names yet, only their numbers: D0260 and D0280."

Silence followed.

The engines seemed to be deep in thought.

Suddenly, Stuck-Up eyes brightened up.

"That's... That's Lion and Falcon!"

And with that, the tension left.

"That's a good start." Derek muttered.

"How so?" Fluttershy asked, stepping into the shed.

"Well..." Bowler began "Both engines had been regarded as being modest and WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

The mare cringed, before smiling awkwardly...

"Out... Taking Vincent for a stroll... Down the main line?" she muttered with a wry smile.

"Yeah, and SOME stroll that had been!"

The others looked up, as CoBo rolled into the shed, parking down next to Spacman. Gilda got out from the cab.

"We've found 84576 stuck in a haystack after coming off the line in a bend, near the fields." She explained "A rescue is underway, but we had to take his driver and fireman into the nearest hospital."

Fluttershy cringed again.

"Nothing serious, though" the griffon went on "Minor concussion, small bruises, that sort of thing."

"How did it happen, anyway?" Emma asked "'576 isn't exactly a novice engine, and the trucks haven't really been that troublesome recently."

"Apparently..." the avian mused "He was chased..."

"Chased?" Applejack gasped "By who?"

"Diesel 10."

All eyes fell on Fluttershy, and the yellow pegasus squirmed, trying to pull herself together into a small space.

"Well..." Twilight spoke up, after a long and awkward pause "I'm glad that at least ONE of us had made friends with him."

"Is that really a good thing?" the pink party pony asked.

"Pinkie!"