It was a bright and beautiful spring morning on the Island of Sodor. Birds sang in the trees, a steady breeze blew, and all over the Island, people and engines were outside taking in the beauty of the day. All except for James the red engine. He was sitting in his berth at Tidmouth sheds, and he was most upset. The sun made him feel very hot and bothered, so he stayed alone in the shade of the shed and refused to move.

However, this made him feel rather lonely. Other engines passed by whilst attending to their own duties, but none stopped to say hello and speak with James. The red engine spent most of the day sitting alone in the shed. After a while, he began to doze off and fall asleep, when a loud whistle blowing woke him up with a start. When James looked, he saw that the whistle belonged to Thomas, who was laughing in his cheeky way.

“What was that about, Thomas?!” snapped James. “I was enjoying a good rest before you showed up!”

“Well I’m sorry, lazybones,” laughed Thomas, “but you looked so peaceful there, it was just too tempting to pass up!”

“Well next time, control your impulses!!” retorted James. “Some of us engines actually enjoy some peace and quiet sometimes, without the noise of fussy little tank engines!”

Thomas grew cross at this statement. “It’s not my fault you’re too puffed up in your smokebox to come out and enjoy the day, James. You’ve only yourself to blame on that matter.”

“Hah!” huffed James. “Enjoy the day? How can any engine enjoy the ruddy day when it’s too bloody hot outside?! The sun’s beaming down so hard, I’m sure it’d peel my paint off my boiler.”

Thomas laughed. “Don’t be so daft, James! It’s a gorgeous day outside! The birds are singing, children are out playing-“

“And the bloody sun is bearing down on us all,” interrupted James. “It’s far too hot to be out and about!”

“Didn’t you once say that you liked being red because it was a hot colour?” inquired Thomas.

“The situation’s different!” exclaimed James. He was about to continue, but then decided against it, and went back to sulking quietly. Thomas grew worried. James was usually quite loud and boastful, and seeing him like this was rather unnerving. He thought hard about the matter, and before long, and idea came to him.

“James,” he began in a sly voice, “would you like to see a secret of mine?”

“What?” asked James. “A special set of buffers? A tree? Some old coach hidden out of sight?”

Thomas laughed. “Don’t be silly, James. C’mon, let’s get your fire started and I’ll take you for a ride. I guarantee that you’ll enjoy it.” So the firelighter was called to light James’ fire, and within the hour it was burning brightly and making steam.

“Come along then,” said Thomas. He puffed quickly away, and James followed behind.

           Thomas and James traveled across the Island of Sodor, whistling in greeting to other engines as they passed by. James continued to complain most of the way, saying how the sun was too hot, and how he just wanted to go back to the shed and rest, but Thomas just ignored him and continued on.

A while later, the two engines finally arrived at their destination, and it was an area that James was vaguely familiar with. They had come to a stop at the Little Grotto, which was a special platform for Lady, the Magic Engine. In the distance was a lonely set of buffers. James grew furious when he saw them.

“THIS is the big secret, Thomas?!” demanded James. “THIS?! A ruddy set of old buffers?! You told me that it was nothing of the sort, but what’s this?! A SET OF BLOODY BUFFERS.”

There was silence for a moment, and then, to James’ surprise, Thomas began guffawing loudly. It was a few moments before he recovered. “I did tell you that James, and that’s exactly what I meant. These buffers are only part of the journey still. They lead to the Magic Railroad, and that leads to our destination.”

James recoiled in shock. The Magic Railroad was a legend amongst the engines of Sodor, and here was Thomas claiming that the rusty old buffers ahead led to that place of wonder. James wanted to know more from Thomas, but before he could say anything, Thomas spoke again.

“Now, in order to go through them, you have to chuff quickly, without slowing down, and charge at them. Just watch me!” And having said so, Thomas started up and ran towards the buffers. James was still in slight shock, and he thought for sure that Thomas would crash.

“Wait Thomas!!” he called out, but it was too late. Thomas charged at the buffers at full speed, and seconds later, in a dazzling flash of colorful lights, Thomas disappeared!!

James stood there for a few moments, trying to comprehend what just happened. After a few more moments of thought, he decided that he had nothing to lose, and began to move his wheels. As the buffers were still a good distance away, he had enough time to build up speed. Moments before he hit the buffers, James shut his eyes, and then he disappeared through the buffers as well.

           When James opened his eyes, he found himself on the bright, colorful, and mystical Magic Railroad. His jaw dropped and his eyes went wide with wonder and shock, as he gazed out on the mysterious and gorgeous lands of the Magic Railroad.

Thomas interrupted James’ wonder. “Don’t dawdle, James! We’re still not there yet!”

“You brought me to the Magic Railroad, something of legend, and you tell me it’s not our destination? Where on Earth are we going, Thomas?”

Thomas grinned. “To be honest James, I’m not entirely sure that where we’re headed is on Earth.” And with that, Thomas charged at another set of buffers and disappeared moments later.

James plucked up some courage now, and he chased after Thomas through the buffers, disappearing as well within moments. When James emerged on the other side, he was surprised to see that not much had changed. The sights were still bright and colorful, and the sun shone brightly in the sky. There were a number of trees ahead, and they provided the red engine with some shade so the sun wouldn't bother him. Thomas was there waiting for him as well.

“Welcome, James,” said Thomas, “to Equestria.” Before James could say anything, Thomas ran quickly away down the line, to find some friends he hadn't seen in a while.

           As Thomas went along, he came upon a Y-shaped turnabout that he hadn’t seen the last time he was in Equestria. He also saw a greater number of rails as well. “They must have been preparing for me to return,” he thought to himself. “That was mighty kind of them.”

So Thomas turned about with the points, and he puffed towards the station in Ponyville. As he approached, he saw a number of ponies looking in his direction, and some of them started to run towards him. One of them, a purple-colored pony with a pinkish streak in her mane, caught his eye. As Thomas pulled into the station, the purple pony trotted up to him with a broad smile on her face.

“Hi there, Thomas!” said Twilight Sparkle. “Long time, no see, huh?”

Thomas grinned back at Twilight. “It has been a while since I was last here, hasn’t it? I’m glad to see that you’re still around, Twilight. Anything new with you ponies?”

“A lot’s happened since you left,” explained Twilight, “but the biggest of all is that my big brother, Shining Armor, got married to my old foalsitter, Cadence!”

Thomas was slightly puzzled at the term ‘foalsitter,’ but he didn’t pay it much mind. “That’s absolutely wonderful news, Twilight! Congratulations!”

“Thanks Thomas. So what brings you back to Equestria today?” inquired Twilight.

“Well you see,” began Thomas, “a friend of mine was feeling down in the dumps today-“

“FIRE AND SMOKE!!!” shouted a voice from not too far away. Thomas knew it belonged to James, but Twilight and the other ponies didn’t. “And I decided to bring him here for a change of pace,” finished Thomas. Then he began puffing backwards towards James, and Twilight followed him.

           They found James being surrounded by three little ponies, which were known as fillies. They were crowding around him, jumping on him, and asking him question after question. James’ eyes spun wildly and his whistle blew loudly. Thomas tried blowing his whistle to get the fillies’ attention, but James’ whistle was too loud.

Just then, Thomas noticed that Twilight’s horn was sparkling, and suddenly, his whistle went off again, but this time it was much louder than even James’. Thomas realized that Twilight had just used her unicorn magic to amplify the sound of his whistle. When he looked back at James, he saw that the three little fillies had stopped bouncing around and were staring intently at Twilight and himself.

“Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo!” scolded Twilight. “You three should know better than to harass somepony like that!”

“But this ain’t just somepony, Twilight!” said Apple Bloom. “This is another one of them talkin’ engines, like Thomas there!”

“We just wanted to find out more about him,” explained Sweetie Belle.

“Yeah!” agreed Scootaloo. “We thought that we could try and have some fun with him!”

“That’s all fine and well,” said Twilight, “but why don’t you three run along now? I’d like to acquaint myself with Thomas’ friend here.”

“OK…” said the three fillies. They trundled off sadly, but within moments they began to whisper to each other, and suddenly they took off with tremendous speed.

“What was that all about?” asked Thomas.

“Those three were a group of friends who’ve named themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders,” explained Twilight. “They haven’t found their cutie marks yet, so they teamed up to try and find their special talents. They haven’t had much success, though.” Then Twilight focused her attention on James, who was still in a state of shock. “Now who might this be, Thomas?”

“This here’s James,” said Thomas. “He’s the number 5 engine on the NWR, and I have to say the most boastful engine of us all. Come on James, do say hello! Don’t be rude!”

James stuttered out a hello, to which Twilight reciprocated. Thomas and Twilight then went on to explain to James exactly where he was and what was going on. James took in the information rather well, and asked if he could see Ponyville. The three of them set off to the station, where a number of ponies had gathered.

           The ponies were all whispering in admiration and awe of James. The red engine could hear them well, and he became so puffed up in his smokebox that he inadvertently let off steam and smoke. The cloud went all over the station, and the ponies ran for cover. One, however, was caught directly in the cloud and covered in ash and water. The white pony shrieked in horror, surprising James.

“EEK! UGH! BLEH!!” exclaimed the white pony. Thomas knew this pony; her name was Rarity, and she was a close friend of Twilight’s. She was also very haughty about her looks, as she ran the boutique in Ponyville. She always wanted to look “fabulous,” in her words. But she certainly didn’t look fabulous now; the smoke and ash from James had made her and her outfit filthy.

“My ensemble!” cried Rarity “It’s ruined!” She turned angrily to James. “YOU—YOU BRUTE. YOU RUFFIAN. YOU PIECE OF RUSTY SCRAP!!”

James grew furious. “RUSTY SCRAP?!” he retorted. “My red coat is the finest paintjob on Sodor! It looks far better than your filthy little outfit.”

“OH, we’ll see about that!” snapped Rarity. With that, her horn began to twinkle, and suddenly the dirt and ash lifted straight off of her body, and then it went all over James’ bright red paintwork. James was horrified, but before he could say anything Thomas’ whistle went off.

“Enough! The both of you!” he called out. “Can’t we at least get a proper introduction before we start throwing insults at each other?” James and Rarity mumbled angrily, but said nothing more. “Now then. James, meet Rarity. Rarity – James. He’s one of my friends from Sodor.”

Rarity said nothing. Twilight, in the meantime, was busy working her magic. She summoned up a small raincloud which poured directly over James, washing off all the ash, dirt, and grime. Then she made a strong wind come through, which dried James in seconds. James’ paint began to sparkle in the sunshine, as did Rarity’s diamond-encrusted ensemble.

The two of them took another look at each other, and their eyes went wide with awe.

“You look absolutely stunning,” they said to each other at the exact same moment.

“Oh, do please excuse my rudeness,” apologized Rarity.

“No, forgive me,” said James. “I had no idea I was speaking to someone of such high class.”

Rarity blushed redder than James. “Darling, would you like to come by the boutique with me? I’d like to see if there’s something I can do to make you look spectacular.”

“I would be honored,” replied James. So Rarity trotted off in the direction of Carousel Boutique, and James followed close behind.

Thomas and Twilight stood there, stunned at the sudden turn of events.

“What just happened?” asked Thomas.

“I think that James and Rarity just became taken with each other,” replied Twilight.

           And that they had. Rarity led James over to Carousel Boutique, where Rarity lived and worked, creating amazing designs for outfits and dresses for ponies. She also created a great deal of these designs as well. The white pony went inside, telling James she would be, “Just a minute, darling.” She emerged from the store quite soon, holding up several cans of paint with her magic.

“James, dear, would mind if I tested out some new color schemes for you?” Rarity asked. “It’s not that you don’t look handsome enough in that red coat of yours, but it always helps to try out new things. Don’t you agree?”

“Certainly,” agreed James. “One must always find ways to look their finest, even if it means changing what you’re comfortable with.” And with that, Rarity began painting James’ body all sorts of colors, from the brightest of reds and blues, to the darkest shades of black and purple. Each time Rarity repainted him in a new color scheme, she showed James how he looked with one of her larger mirrors that she owned. James loved each one that she did, but both felt that none of them were quite right. Eventually, she unintentionally ended up re-painting him into his original colors. Despite this, James’ colors were much more vibrant than they had been before, no doubt due to the extremely high-quality paint that Rarity had used.

“THAT’S THE ONE!” they cried out in unison. They both looked at her handiwork for a few moments, admiring it grandly before realizing they had started over. Then they both had a hearty laugh together, and afterword they had a long chat about their lives and interests.

James and Rarity talked until well into the evening, and they didn’t even realize how late it was until they heard the familiar sound of Thomas’ whistle go off. They looked in the direction of the sound, and then they saw that the tank engine and Twilight were heading over towards them. James noticed something was off about Thomas.

“Thomas,” began a puzzled James, “what in blazes is wrong with your eyes?” Thomas was completely cross-eyed!

“Oh, this?” replied Thomas, before returning his eyes to their normal state. “Well, you see, when I was talking with Twilight, this gray Pegasus pony named Derpy Hooves fell right out of the sky in front of me, and her eyes were just like that! I thought it was because of the crash, but she and Twilight told me that’s her eyes normally behaved. I thought I’d give it a try with my eyes, and it actually worked!”

“I see…” said James. He was slightly amazed at how Thomas had found it interesting and was able to do it.

“Well, James,” said Thomas, “it is getting rather late. The Fa- err, Sir Topham Hatt and the other engines will be wondering where we are if we’re not back in time. We must get back.”

James was dismayed, and when he looked to Rarity he saw that she was as well. But then she spoke to him, saying, “It’s alright, James dear. You have your responsibilities to attend to back on Sodor, and I have mine here in Equestria. I’m sure that we’ll meet again someday.”

“Oh I hope we do,” sighed James. And with that, Rarity propped herself on James’ running plate and kissed him on the cheek. James’ face went redder than his paintwork, and his whistle went off loudly. He was at a loss for words, so he simply stuttered a goodbye, as Thomas led him back towards the buffers that took them home.

           It was nighttime when the two engines finally pulled into their berths at Tidmouth Sheds. The other engines were there already and hardly noticed their arrival.

“Well, James,” said Thomas to the red engine, “did you enjoy yourself today?”

“I certainly did, Thomas,” replied James. “You were quite right to take me out of my sulking. The journey was entirely worth it. I wish we could go there again.”

Thomas smiled broadly, but then the smile turned into a cheeky smirk as he said his next statement. “Did you enjoy your kiss, too?”

This brought the other engines out of their conversation and said in surprised unison, “What kiss?!”

But James said absolutely nothing. He merely closed his eyes and pretended he was asleep, and so did Thomas, even as the others showered the two of them with questions. When the others did finally, fall asleep, Thomas silently opened his eye and looked at James, who was still awake. As the moonlight fell on James’ face, it’s white light reminded him of Rarity, and he sighed contentedly, and closed his eyes. Thomas noticed that James was blushing once again, before he finally fell asleep himself.