Book No. 1

Thomas and the City of Tokyo

Dear Friends,

Thomas never really thought that his travels would take him to a place far away, quite like Tokyo Japan. Most of the Standard gauge lines there belong to the high speed trains except for the Little Tokyo railroad, where Thomas was worked for a grand total of four months. While he didn't like working with the one engine there, he did meet some special friends, but I won't get into that right away, you'll have to find out in the stories.

The Author

Stories Included:

-Off Course

-Thomas and Primula

-Friendly

-Truck Trouble

-Saying Goodbye to Primula

Off Course

The Fat Controller was talking to Thomas at Ffraquhar station, about a special event in Canada, where he was needed for a special "Day Out with Thomas" Event.

"Oh, not again!" he grumbled, "I'm getting a little tired of travelling! I just want to stay home and work on my branch line."

"Oh, come now, Thomas," said his Driver, "when you were a young tank engine, you said you wanted to see the world and now you're saying that you just want to stay home?"

"Can I really answer that?"

"Yes..."

"Then YES!" snapped Thomas angerily.

"Too bad," said the Fat Controller, "because I told them, that I was going to send you right away."

"Bust My Buffers," grumbled Thomas as puffed away.

That night, Thomas was talking to his friends about travelling to Canada...yet again! "All I want to do, is to stay home and do some work on my branch line," he grumbled.

"You can't always get what you want, Thomas," said Percy. "You have to go, if the Fat Controller says so."

"But, he should have told me about it, first," he grumbled.

"Maybe, he thought you wanted to do some travelling, so he thought he could do you a favour," said Toby.

"Whatever," grumbled Thomas, "All I know is, I'm not going to be enjoying this trip, one bit!" And with that, Thomas shut his eyes and went to sleep.

The next morning, the engines were all at the docks to see Thomas off.

"Have a safe trip, Thomas," called the Fat Controller. Once on board, Thomas' crew went upstairs to join the other passengers, leaving Thomas alone in the hall of the ship. Even so, he could feel the waves outside of the ship, bouncing about like a ball hitting the ground.

"This is getting tire some," he complained, "I bet it's just an excuse to get me to leave the railroad for a while, they must think all I do all day is play, well...I'll show them! And I don't care how long, it takes to prove it!"

Maybe Thomas should have kept his mouth shut, for at that moment the weather changed from great to terrible, the captain was having trouble keeping the ship in order.

"Be careful, up there!" snapped Thomas, "All these boxes are scratching my nice paint!"

The captain didn't hear Thomas, he was focusing on keeping the ship on course. Little did he know that he going the wrong way.

After a few days, the ship arrived at it's first destination. Using the ship's special crane, they lifted Thomas out of the hall and placing him onto the tracks. Then his crew came out to join him.

"And next time, be careful where you're going!" snapped Thomas at the ship's captain.

"Never mind, Thomas," said his Driver, "We're here now and that's what counts."

"But are you sure, this is Canada?" asked the Fireman.

"It should be, the captain was sure this was Canada, why?"

"Look at the flag," sighed the Fireman. Sure enough, it wasn't a Canadian flag, instead the flag was...

"It's a Japanese flag," gasped the Driver.

"So what's the big deal?" snapped Thomas, "There's probably a Japanese engine, here too. You know they bring engines from all over the world, to one area, remember?"

"Maybe so, but I don't think that Canadians have Japanese writtings everywhere."

"That ship, must have lost course, during the storm," grumbled the Fireman.

"So that's what happen," sighed Thomas, "So where are we?"

"Thomas," sighed his Driver, "We're lost. Also, welcome to Tokyo, Japan!"

"What?!"

Thomas and Primula

Well, for the longest time, all you could hear in the city of Tokyo, was the sounds of someone screaming. Namely, our friend, Thomas the Tank Engine was yelling out loudly..."WHY AM I HERE?"

"Do you want to calm him down, or should I?" asked the Driver.

"It's not going to be me," said the Fireman.

At that moment, a man in a suit walked over to talk to Thomas' crew. "Ah, you must be the crew of that engine." Of course, he spoke in Japanese.

"Can you please, say that again, in english?" asked Thomas' Driver.

"Oh, sorry," said the man, this time in english..."I guess you haven't had much time to practise our language have you? Anyways...it's good to see our new shunting engine."

Thomas blew off steam in anger, "I'm not a shunting engine! I'M THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE!"

"Sorry, I've never heard of you, before."

"WHAT? Don't you people read the railway series?"

"The what?"

"Sorry about him," said the Driver. "You see we were on our way to Canada, our boat took a wrong turn out on the ocean, so that's why we're here."

"I see, this must mean our new engine, is travelling to Canada, so until this mess up has been settled out...Thomas, you'll have to work in our yards, with Courtney."

Thomas blew off his whistle, in disbelief. Thomas wasn't happy with working on a strange railroad, and what could make things worse, Courtney (a japanese tender engine) only spoke in japanese to Thomas.

"I hate this railroad," snapped Thomas. That night, he stayed outside the shed, he felt cold and miserable. "This is why I didn't want to do any travelling!" Luckily, no one was near by to hear Thomas' moaning.

The next morning, his crew came early to see Thomas.

"Don't be so sad, Thomas," said his Driver, "you're special to us."

"You say that, just because you're my crew!"

The man in the suit, came to talk to Thomas. "Thomas, since you came here by mistake...and since our new engine, isn't here, yet...you'll have to do all the regular shunting jobs, until I can arrange for a ship to take you home."

So Thomas went back to work, feeling upset. "Stupid Boats! Stupid Trucks!"

As these were japanese trucks, Thomas couldn't understand them, so he just biffed them around the yards.

At lunchtime, the Man in the suit, took Thomas' crew to a resturant, leaving Thomas fumming at a platform.

"I hate it here!" he groaned. He watched as Courtney puffed away with some coaches to the main line, then he looked back at the platform, hoping that his crew had returned.

They hadn't, instead was a little light purple haired girl, with two pony tails and what was strange about this one, was that this girl had pointy ears but, Thomas hadn't noticed them yet. What else was weird about this little girl was that she was just staring at Thomas.

"What you looking at?" snapped Thomas.

"I'm looking at you," said the little girl sweetly, although she wasn't smiling.

Several voices were calling a name, just a few miles away from the yard. The name called out was "Primula!" All of the sudden a orange haired girl and a teenage boy ran up onto the platform.

"Why did you run off, like that?" asked the Boy.

"I wanted to see the blue train," said Primula, very quietly.

"I don't know why," poundered Thomas.

"Well, thank you for keeping an eye on her," said the orange haired girl, only with a smile on her face.

"Well, I'm just glad I could help. I'm Thomas the Tank Engine. Please tell me, that you've heard of me!"

"Sorry we haven't," said the Boy.

"Oh, Cinders and Ashes!"

"Well, thanks again for all your help, Thomas...I'm Kaede."

"And I'm Rin."

"A pleasure it is," just he said that, Thomas' Driver came back into the cab and Thomas once again charged towards the trucks, bumping them hard. Again, they started talking to Thomas but, still he had no idea what they were saying. Primula came over.

"They are saying "Ouch, that hurts, can you please be gentle?"

Well, Thomas understood that for sure, so he stopped bumping them and started shunting them into proper lines. Although the trucks wasn't the only thing on his mind.

Friendly

Over the next few days, Thomas was kept busy shunting the trucks around the yard, remembering what Primula said, he was being very gentle with them. But, he was still cross...at everything.

Well, almost everything. Everyday around lunchtime, Thomas would see Primula once again staring at him from the platform, once and a while, Kaede or Rin would show up just to watch Thomas in action.

"I don't know, why," poundered Thomas to his driver, "If they never heard of me, why are they here?"

"I think, she's you're main reason," said his Driver pointing to Primula.

"Why me?" he groaned.

"She must think you're cute or something," laughed Courtney as she steamed right past. Thomas just gave her a dirty look as she steamed off for her next job.

The next morning, Thomas was introduced to more of Kaede's friends.

"I'm Asa," said one of them, she had green hair, almost the same colour as Percy's paint.

"I'm Sai," said another, who had red hair and like Primula, had pointy ears.

"I'm Nerine," said the last girl, for this girl, she had light purple hair, with longer pointy ears then Sai and Primula.

"It's a plessure to meet you," said Thomas. "There's something I've been meaning to ask, you."

"What would that be?" asked Sia.

"Why do you, Primula and Nerine, have pointy ears?"

And so, the girls told Thomas all about the realm of the demons and the realm of the gods, it was and always will be their homeland. When they had finished telling him, Thomas' mouth was wide open in disbelieve.

"I never liked it," said Primula quietly, and showing Thomas, the little toy cat she always had with her.

"Was that given to you, while you were in the realm of the demons?"

"Yes," she answered.

Well, Thomas wasn't mad for the first time, ever since he came to the city of Tokyo. He wanted to talk to his new friends, he was enjoying himself.

That night, Thomas had to sleep in the same shed as Courtney, she wasn't what you call a light sleeper, Thomas found it a little hard to sleep. Soon though, he finally managed to close his eyes and went happily to sleep.

The next morning, the man in the suit said that Thomas and his crew could take the day off, because they had been working well. Thomas was glad, although he had no idea what to do.

"The Manager's never given me, the day off!" snapped Courtney.

"Maybe that's because you don't work hard enough!" said Thomas cheekily.

Courtney steamed away in a huff.

"Oh, while you're out," called out Thomas, "try and do something about your snoring! It kept me up, most of the night!"

"I do not SNORE!"

Thomas and his crew had a good laugh about that. By lunchtime, Thomas was getting bored of doing nothing.

"I wish I had someone to talk to," he puffed. No sooner had he said that, then his friends showed up on the platform, Kaede was carrying a bag full of food.

"What's all this," said Thomas in surprise.

"Well, we heard that you got the day off," began Asa "so...all of us, decided that..."

"We could have a picnic with you, Thomas," said Kaede.

"That is, if you're not too busy, doing...whatever it is, you do," finished Rin.

Thomas thought about for a second, then finally he agreed. Rin, Thomas and the Girls, went over to a siding, where they could eat, their special lunches. They even made some for Thomas' Driver and Fireman.

As everyone ate their lunches, Thomas told them all about his excititng adventures back on the Island of Sodor. You know something? I think for this little moment, Thomas wasn't thinking about going home, no...I think that he wants to stay. Wouldn't you agree with me?

Truck Trouble

Normally in Japan, the standard gauge tracks belongs to the high speed trains, but the manager at the dockside, needed to find an easy way to take the loads out to the shops in the towns. Lorries won't do, due to the fact the ground isn't smooth, so a railroad was made.

Tracks were provided from the United States, and from that moment on, the little Tokyo Railroad was in action.

Courtney was the one and only engine who lived in these parts, until this point when the manager said he was going to bring in a tank engine to help.

She didn't like that, one bit. However, now she wasn't cross about the little tank engine, no...she's mad with Thomas for having such a good time.

"I thought you said you didn't like it," said Courtney one night in the shed.

"Did I say that?" said Thomas cheekily, "I don't know why I said that, I'm liking every moment of it, well almost every moment."

"And what was that suppose to mean?"

"Your snoring!" teased Thomas.

"Get this through your funnel, little engine...I DO NOT SNORE!"

Thomas laughed as he went to sleep, while Courtney continued to yell.

The next morning, Thomas and Courtney were shunting trucks in the yard. Courtney was biffing them about, while Thomas just rolled his eyes in disbelive. The Trucks just had to laugh about that.

"They're making fun of me," sniffed Courtney, "I'll show them!"

And so she, biffed the trucks hard. A little too hard as they went crashing through the buffers and into the water, Courtney went in with them.

Luckily the water wasn't deep enough for Courtney to sink, while the trucks remained afloat.

"What was that, you were saying, Courtney?" teased Thomas. "You'll show us! What do you guys think?"

"She sure did," they giggled, "on how to not to be so silly!"

Courtney stayed in the water for a while, until the cranes were ready to lift her out. That evening, the manager had a long talk to Courtney, of course he spoke in Japanese. Luckily Thomas couldn't understand because I don't think he would have wanted to hear what the manager said to Courtney.

Saying Goodbye to Primula

The manager had told Courtney to stay in the sheds, for the longest period of time, so he asked Thomas to take Courtney's usual loads to the main lines.

"But I don't know where the main lines are," said Thomas.

"That's okay," said the Manager, "I'm sure you're friends can help you out."

Of course, the manager was talking about Kaede, Rin, Primula, Nerine, Sia and Asa. So it was arranged, for the next few weeks, until Courtney was ready to come out of the shed, Thomas and his friends, travelled along on the tracks to the main line. They told him, all the right paths to take and which tracks not to take as well.

If you've keeping track of time, Thomas has been in Tokyo, for three months and three weeks already.

"I bet you miss the Island, don't you?" asked Sia, one day.

"Kind of," said Thomas with a sly grin, "but I enjoy working here, more."

"Why?" asked Primula.

"Because, for one thing...these trucks are not horrid like the ones, I have back home and plus the Island of Sodor, doesn't have you guys there." All the girls blushed, the very second Thomas said that.

"Really?" asked Kaede.

"That," he started, "but then again, my railroad doesn't have an engine like Courtney around."

That made everybody laugh, except for Courtney who gave Thomas a dirty look. Thomas just ignored her and went about his work.

A couple more weeks had passed and still nobody from Sodor, came to take Thomas home, although I think he doesn't want to leave at all.

By now, Thomas was working really hard, everybody was smiling at him, well all except for Primula...who stared at him with her big sad eyes, as usual.

"I wonder why she never smiles," thought Thomas to himself.

Once and a while, Thomas asked Kaede why, Primula never smiles.

"I don't know," she said, "she never tells us anything, she's usually pretty quiet."

When Thomas asked Rin, the same question, he gave Thomas the same answer as well. "I haven't seen her smile, since I gave her a new toy cat."

Thomas wanted to do, something to make Primula smile, "But what?" he kept on thinking to himself. He decided to ask his Driver and Fireman on how he could make Primula smile but, they didn't have any ideas. He then asked the trucks, and even the manager but, still nothing. "There must be something I can do, to make her happy."

A few days later, Thomas got quite a shock. There standing next to the Manager, was the Fat Controller.

"Sir?" asked Thomas.

"Thomas! Oh, finally we found you!"

"After a grand total of four months, too," added Thomas' Driver.

"I'm really sorry about the little mix up, Thomas...the ship's captain told us, that they were sent off course but, the funny thing was that, he forgot where he left you."

"So, I called your controller and told him that you were, here," said the Manager.

Primula had unfortantly heard everything. "You're leaving?" she cried and ran off.

"Primula!" called Rin, but she didn't stop, Primula ran as fast as she could go far away from Thomas.

"Oh, great!" snapped Asa, "now how are we suppose to find her?"

"I think I know where to find her," said Thomas and asked his Driver and Fireman to take him back to the sidings. The same spot where the whole gang had their picnic with Thomas. Sure enough, sitting on a rock, with tears pouring down her cheeks...was Primula.

"Why do you have to go?" she asked quietly.

"Cause I'm needed back on my railroad," said Thomas, "the new tank engine's due to come soon and the Manager won't need me here."

"But, I need you here," she said sadly.

Thomas could see that Primula was upset, suddenly he had an idea...a great idea on how to make Primula smile. He asked her, to climb aboard, she did and Thomas steamed his way back to the dockside.

Once they were back, Primula ran to Rin and Kaede, still crying, then Thomas spoke...

"I've had a lot of fun, working here," he began, "at first, I didn't know what to do, that was until Primula helped me out, and because of her, I got some amazing friends. So thank you, Primula."

"You're welcome," said Primula, facing Thomas this time, and for the first time ever, she was smiling.

"I would also like to say, that you're all welcome to visit the Island of Sodor, anytime you want!"

Everyone clapped and cheered as Thomas made his speech. Soon the cranes were attached to Thomas and he was lifted back onto the ship.

"Goodbye, everyone!" called Thomas the Tank Engine, "I'm going to miss you, all!"

"Goodbye, Thomas! We're going to miss you too!" they all cried. Thomas blushed, and just before he was put inside the haul of the ship, he saw Primula wink right at him. For Thomas, just seeing Primula smile, was so wonderful...that there are no words to describe that moment. He blew his whistle one last time, to let his friends know that he too, was happy.