Thomas and Friends Fanfiction Series 10

Elegant Edward

Edward the Blue Engine is a kind and helpful engine and loves to run his branch line and give advice to his friends. He is also good friends with a visiting engine, Diana. Whenever she comes to Sodor, he is happy to spend time with her. 

One morning, Edward was at the Steamworks. He was being given a new coat of paint. He was very pleased to have earned it. 

"Your usual blue, Edward?" asked Victor. 

"Yes, please, Victor," said Edward politely. 

"Kevin! Blue paint for Edward, please!" 

"Coming, boss! Here comes the blue paint!" 

"Kevin, don't go too fast! You'll spill the-!" 

Blue paint splashed over Victor as Kevin whizzed round the bend to deliver it. 

"Another pot, please, slooowly, Kevin," said Victor grimly. 

"Yes, boss! Sorry, boss!" 

Kevin was abashed, and Victor went to have a wash down. 

"You can carry on with the repaint, Edward," he said pleasantly as he left. 

"Thank you, Victor," said Edward thankfully. 

As Edward patiently waited for his paint to dry, the Fat Controller came to see him. 

"Edward, your friend Diana is returning to Sodor to help with some goods traffic. I would like you to help her with the shunting starting tomorrow." 

"Yes, sir," said Edward delightedly. 

Edward was very excited to be seeing Diana again. 

The next morning, his paint dry and shiny, Edward puffed to meet Diana at Vicarstown. 

There she was in her splendid pale blue paint, which was equally shiny. 

"Hello, Edward," she said cheerfully, "have you been repainted recently?" 

"Yes, only yesterday. It's so good to see you, Diana. Your paint looks as radiant as ever." 

"And your new coat looks very elegant, Edward," complimented Diana. 

The two friends smiled and cheerfully went to work at the Wellsworth yards. They happily chatted all the way there. 

(Thomas whistles past them with Annie and Clarabel.) 

Edward showed Diana how best to handle the Troublesome Trucks. They both found that they equally enjoyed playing shunting with the trucks. They gave them a push then stopped so they'd bump into each other. 

"Ooh! Ow! Whatever's happening?!" they chanted. 

Diana and Edward laughed merrily. The trucks were all empty, so their shiny paintworks were not getting spoiled. 

Soon, they arranged some trucks for Emily. 

Emily collected them gratefully and then Edward took Diana to collect some more trucks for shunting in Suddery. 

Edward was enjoying the sunny day. It made his paint shine even brighter. Normally, he didn't take too much pride and importance in his appearance like some engines do, but with Diana complimenting him, he couldn't help but feel proud and elegant. But he wasn't going to let it go to his funnel. 

As they began collecting trucks, the two friends saw Edwina near the Suddery Wishing Well and they had a pleasant chat. 

"Your paint looks pretty, Diana," said Edwina sweetly, "and you look elegant too, Edward!" 

"That's just what I said," giggled Diana. 

Edward just beamed with pride. 

Soon, the two engines arrived back at the Wellsworth Yard with their trucks. They were to be coupled to the back of Toby and Henrietta. 

Toby soon arrived and Diana gently shunted them to Henrietta's coupling. 

"Thank you, Diana," said Toby, "ooh, and I like the elegant repaint, Edward. Must have known Diana was coming to visit. Made yourself as smart as possible!" 

As Toby rang his bell and trundled away, Diana asked Edward if he did know. 

"Not at all," said Edward, "the Fat Controller told me while the paint was drying that you and I were to be working together." 

Diana smiled. 

"What's next?" she asked. 

"Next, we need to take these remaining trucks to be filled with coal," explained Edward. 

And so Edward and Diana took the trucks to the coaling plant near the coal mines. 

(Percy can be seen there.) 

"I have never actually worked in the coal plants. I just fill up there on the Mainland," said Diana. 

"Well, there's always a first time," said Edward pleasantly. 

And in no time, Diana was working hard pushing her trucks under the coal chute. Edward was just behind her with his trucks, but his trucks decided to play tricks. 

"On, on, on!" they shouted suddenly. 

They bumped hard into Edward, who bumped into Diana and both engines ended up going under the coal chute. Coal dust flew everywhere, but nothing got as dirty as Edward and Diana's shiny, pretty and elegant coats of paint. 

"Oh no!" cried Edward. "Your paintwork!" 

"And YOUR paintwork!" cried Diana. 

"Never mind mine," gasped Edward, "I've never known you to get dirty!" 

Diana paused and then she laughed. 

"Well, like you just said, Edward, there's always a first time!" 

Edward couldn't help but laugh either. 

"I guess neither of us look very elegant anymore," he said. 

"No, but we can still be Really Useful, surely?" 

"Of course we can!" 

Edward and Diana soon biffed the trucks into order again and soon enough, despite being dirty and dusty, they managed to fill all of them with coal. 

And then, they puffed away with their loads. 

(Sonny whistles to them in farewell as they leave.) 

After the busy day's work, Edward and Diana rested at the Wellsworth Sheds. The Fat Controller approached them. 

"Goodness me, what happened to you two?" he asked. 

"We had a little accident at the coal mines, sir," said Edward. 

"It's a shame to see your new coat all dirty already, Edward," said the Fat Controller. 

"It's no trouble to me, sir," said Edward cheerily, "it hasn't made Diana or myself any less useful." 

The Fat Controller smiled. 

"I wish some of the other engines were as sensible as you are, Edward," he chortled. 

Edward and Diana smiled cheerfully and agreed to have a good wash-down first thing tomorrow. 

(The End!)