Previously...
"AHA!" A voice called out, interrupting Lady and stopping her from saying the three words she had been aching to say. "There's the blue puffball! And look who he's brought!"
Thomas and Lady both froze in fear, the two of them instantly recognising the voice, even though they had not heard it for years. They thought they would never hear it again. Lady was in shock once she heard that very voice, the very same voice that caused her crash many years ago. They were now horrified to have heard it, and the fear rose up inside them they heard the sound of a diesel engine now rolling along the line that Percy had been on. As the sound grew louder, Thomas shut his eyes, not daring to look at the engine, who was just slowing to a stop right next to him.
Hearing Lady scream in terror when she saw the engine, Thomas quickly opened his eyes. He let out a horrified gasp. Parked up on the line at Thomas' right, shooting a wicked grin at the two steam engines, was none other than Diesel 10, his claw up and ready to attack.
~*~*~
"Diesel 10!" Lady screamed out in fear, her eyes wide in terror as she looked at the diesel who had tried to destroy her all those years ago.
"That's right." The evil diesel sneered evilly. "You thought you'd seen the last of me, didn't you. Well, you were wrong. I'm now back, and you won't get rid of me! Nothing will!"
Thomas, trying hard not to show his fear, now shot a glare towards Diesel 10. "And what are you doing back, Diesel 10?" He demanded
"Ah, the little blue puffball who foiled my plans and made me fall off a bridge into a garage barge!" Diesel 10 bared his teeth at Thomas, growling angrily. He snapped his claw menacingly at him. "I've come back to do what I was meant to do! I'm gonna destroy that magic engine and finish off you, once and for all!"
Diesel 10 now swung Pinchy around to his left and tried to grab Lady, but he missed, for she now had started to puff away in fright as fast as she could. Furiously, he started to race after her, certain he was going to finally catch and destroy her.
"Lady!" Thomas cried as he watched them disappear around the bends in the tracks. Frowning in determination, he let off a sharp whistle before starting to puff out of the station, picking up speed as he raced along the tracks.
'I gotta stop Diesel 10. The fate of Lady and all of the steam engines on Sodor depends on me.' Thomas thought. 'I will not let him destroy all my friends and the engine I love. I've managed to stop that stupid diesel, once, so I can easily stop him again.'
As soon as Thomas rounded the bend, Percy puffed into the station. He let out a horrified gasp when he saw Thomas and Lady were not there. From the siding he had parked in when he had left the two, he had heard Lady scream, which told him that something was wrong. Seeing that they were nowhere in sight made him start to panic. Percy started to puff out of the station in the direction Thomas, Lady and Diesel 10 had gone. He was unaware that his friends were being chased by their old enemy, but he knew that something was wrong.
'If Thomas and Lady are in trouble, then I've gotta help them, and I will not let anything stop me.' Percy thought to himself as he raced down the tracks.
~*~*~
Further up the line, Diesel 10 had lost sight of Lady, but he was refusing to give up the chase. He soon came to a set of points, which switched him from the line on the right to the middle tracks. Diesel 10 had no idea that Thomas was now charging up right behind him, trying to stop him. His mind was focused on catching Lady and doing what he had wanted to do since he had first seen her: destroying her.
Despite managing to be far ahead of Diesel 10 to the point where he could no longer see her, Lady continued to puff on, feeling frightened and unsure if she was going to survive the chase. She did not have any idea of how to rid herself of that diesel, for she knew he was more determined to destroy her than before. He would not stop chasing her until he had caught her, and Lady did not think she would be able to outpuff him.
As Lady now looked ahead, still puffing as fast as she could, she gasped to see a snowdrift blocking the line she was racing along up ahead. Knowing that she could not let it stop her, Lady now increased her speed, hoping she could bash right through it and carry on chugging away. She ran into it - and she found herself stuck fast. Panicking, Lady tried to puff on, trying to push the snow aside, but her wheels just spun around on the icy rails, not taking her anywhere. She tried to go in reverse, but that didn't work either. She could not get out. She was stuck.
Shivering from both the fear and the coldness of the snow, Lady's eyes widened in fright to hear the sound of Diesel 10's rumbling engine rolling up beside her, letting off a hiss of his brakes as he stopped. She looked up, tremblingly as she saw the evil sneer on his face.
Diesel 10 raised Pinchy, aiming him towards Lady. "Well, well, well. The little magical engine has been stopped by snow, of all things. Looks like you won't be able to escape me now - which is good news for me."
Both Lady and Diesel 10 were unaware that Thomas was now coming up right the evil diesel. His eyes widened when he saw Pinchy right over Lady, seconds away from destroying her, but Thomas immediately picked up speed, angrily charging towards the back of Diesel 10.
"Farewell, puffballs." Diesel 10 chuckled sinisterly, ready to finish what he had started all those years ago.
At that moment, Thomas let off a loud, angry whistle, startling the two, and he bumped fiercely into the back of Diesel 10, much his surprise, sending him into the snow. Thomas pushed him forward a few inches, causing him to shake about, but he did not manage to derail the diesel, as he had hoped to do.
Thomas backed up until he passed a set of points and let to the line on the right. He switched lines, puffed forward and stopped beside Diesel 10, who was now recovering from the shaking. "Come get me, you big, smelly diesel!" He mocked.
Growling, Diesel 10 started to chase Thomas, who had already began to puff away, down the line. "You won't escape me now, little blue puffball!" He vowed, now charging on after Thomas.
"Thomas!" Lady cried with fright, watching with wide, frightened eyes as the engine she loved was chased out of sight by their evil enemy.
At that moment, Percy now came puffing along the line on the right. He spotted Lady stuck in the snowdrift. After racing up towards her, he stopped when he was beside her, looking towards her with worry. "Lady! Are you alright?"
"Percy! Diesel 10 is back!" Lady cried.
"Diesel 10?" Percy squealed in shock, his jaw dropping. "He's back?"
"Yes! He chased me away from the station! I got stuck in this snowdrift, and he almost destroyed me, but Thomas stopped him. Now Diesel 10 is after him!" Lady explained quickly.
"I'll get you out of this snowdrift!" Percy said to her.
"No, Percy!" Lady looked pleadingly at the little green engine with desperation. "Go up the line! Make sure Thomas is okay!"
"Alright! I'll see that he's alright!" Percy frowned in determination.
As Percy started to race up the line, once again, looking ahead for the sight of his best friend being chased by Diesel 10, there was nothing Lady could do except remain stuck in the snowdrift. She was growing colder and more afraid. She did not know whether or not she would never see the engine she loved ever again.
~*~*~
Thomas whistled loudly as he raced under a bridge, leaving clouds of steam behind in his wake. Knowing that Diesel 10 was chasing after him, intending to catch and destroy him, he increased his speed, remaining cautious of the ice on the rails.
Although he felt a little frightened, at the same time, Thomas knew he had to be brave. He was determined not to let Diesel 10 destroy Lady and the rest of the steam engines on Sodor. He had to somehow foil his plans for a second time, although he had no idea how he could. There were no collapsing viaducts up ahead, and it was very hard to think of a plan while being chased through a snowy countryside.
"You think you're going to stop me, again, don't you, little blue puffball?" Diesel 10 roared after Thomas, snapping Pinchy furiously as he thundered along the rails, the rushing wind picking up some of the snow. "Well, I've got news for you - you won't! This time, you won't get away! I'm gonna catch you and crunch you up into pieces of blue scrap! After that, I'm gonna tear up that magic puffball, and you won't be around to stop me! Within just a few minutes, all you puffballs will be no more!"
Thomas tried not to let Diesel 10's threats get to him as he continued to puff on as fast as he could down the line. He frowned in worry as he pictured himself as simply a pile of scrap, but he quickly wiped the thought from his mind, replacing it with the thought of Lady being in trouble.
'Must save Lady.' Thomas thought to himself firmly, depending on himself to help the engine he loved and preventing her from being destroyed by Diesel 10. 'Must save Lady, must save Lady, must-'
As he rounded a bend, Thomas' thoughts immediately stopped as his eyes widened at the sight of a snowdrift on the line he was racing along. He immediately applied his brakes, but the icy rails caused to slide into the snow drift with a gentle thump. Wasting no time in attempting to get himself free, Thomas tried to reverse, hoping he would be able to back out of the drift. He was unable to budge an inch. He puffed harder and harder, his fire burning furiously as he tried to get out of the snow drift, but all he was doing was using up the coal in his firebox and the water in his tank.
Panicking, Thomas looked ahead, squinting to try and see past the falling snowflakes. He could see that he would no have been able to go any further, anyway: the three lines each just let to a see of buffers on the edge of a steep slope. He might have been able to stop himself from crashing into the buffers, reversed up the line and quickly pass Diesel 10 before Pinchy could grab him, but now, the snowdrift prevented him from going anywhere.
Thomas now looked down at the middle line. He frowned in frustration to see that not a bit of snow was on it. Why did the snow have to fall onto his line? If it had fallen down onto Diesel 10's line, he would have been stopped, not given the chance he needed to destroy him.
Just then, Thomas froze when he heard Diesel 10 coming closer, thundering along the middle line. He could just about hear the BR Class 42 laughing manically, and he thought he could just about hear the sickening sounds of Pinchy snapping. Thomas now shuddered in fright. He was sure the terrible sounds he could hear were going to be the last sounds he would ever hear in his life.
Diesel 10 charged around the bend, and was delighted to see Thomas stuck in the snowdrift. His evil grin widened, making him look more sinister and uglier than ever. As he increased his speed, racing towards where the little tank engine was stuck on the line next to the one he was racing along, Diesel 10 swung Pinchy around over Thomas' line, snapping the claw open and shut. He was now more than ready to take his revenge on Thomas and tear him to pieces.
"It's time for you, little blue puffball, to become the pile of scrap you and all your friends are supposed to be!" Diesel 10 announced.
'I'm sorry, Lady.' Thomas thought quietly, closing his sad eyes in shame. 'I'm sorry, Percy. I'm sorry, all my friends.'
Seconds away from coming up beside Thomas, Diesel 10 opened Pinchy wide, preparing to make the destroying grab. He raced quickly alongside the frightened and miserable Thomas, then he slammed on his brakes to stop, moving Pinchy quickly down toward the little tank engine and snapped his claw shut to grab and destroy him - only to miss him as he continued to race down the line towards the buffers, much to Thomas' surprise.
Diesel 10's jaw dropped in shock and alarm. His brakes were applied and his wheels had stopped turning, yet he was still moving quickly along the line, unable to stop himself. "Huh?" He slammed down harder on his brakes, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from going forward. "Who-what's going on? Whoa-ho-ho!!" As he looked down in horror at the track, he realised why: he was sliding along the ice covering on the rails, which was now making him go even faster than he could go at full speed under his own power.
Looking ahead in worry, Diesel 10 cried out to see he was sliding towards the buffers at the end on the line. He crashed forcefully through the buffers, his wheels now beginning to roll through the thick, deep snow, and as he started to roll down the steep hill. He then turned onto his right side, now beginning to tumble towards the bottom, going cab-over-wheels, picking up a lot of damage along the way. His windows smashed to pieces and his buffers and wheels broke off in the process, his engine also being damaged in the process as his paint was scratched off by the debris. Just before Diesel 10 reached the bottom, Pinchy broke off and it rolled away on its own, never to be able to attempt to destroy a steam engine, ever again.
Diesel 10 now hit the bottom of the slope with a thud, landing on his right side. He groaned from the pain he picked up from falling down the slope. Feeling very frustrated at failing to destroy the steam engines once again, he let off a loud, angry roar.
This was a BIG mistake.
Pausing in the middle of his roar, Diesel 10 now took a few deep breaths. As he was just about to let off the rest of his roar, he instantly froze, now hearing a rumbling noise that seemed to be coming from above him, growing louder with each second. Hoping it was not what he thought it was, Diesel 10 looked up at the hillside - and cried out in terror. Thanks to his roaring, he had caused an avalanche!!
Tonnes upon tonnes of snow was falling down the hillside right down towards him, threatening to bury him. Diesel 10 began to scream in fright, but his scream was enveloped when the snow from the hillside started to fall violently onto him, beginning to bury him under tonnes of snow. It hit the derailed diesel with such force, it had caused even more damage. Diesel 10 cried out in terror, but if there was anyone nearby, other than Thomas, they would not have been able to hear him over the loud noise of the avalanche. Diesel 10's cries were changed to quiet mumbles, but they were nothing compared to noise of the falling snow that continued to bury him.
When the avalanche finally ceased, the thick snow that had been on the hillside was now piled up at the bottom. Diesel 10 was now buried inside, not a glimpse of him to be seen. No sound could be heard from inside the huge pile of snow. The evil diesel's devious attempt to destroy all of the steam engines on the Island of Sodor had been foiled once again.
Further up on the line, Thomas, who's still stuck in the snowdrift, was in shock. He could barely believe what had happened. He had been on the brink of being destroyed by Diesel 10, and it had been thanks to the ice and snow that had saved him. He had been sure that there would have been no way for him to escape Diesel 10 when he had gotten stuck, and that the evil diesel would have finally destroyed him, Lady and all of the other steam engines. Thomas had never felt so relieved in his life.
At that moment, a loud, high-pitched whistle snapped Thomas out of his shock. He grinned softly, recognising the whistle and glad to hear it. Percy came puffing fairly quickly along the same line as Thomas. He saw his friend up in front of him, stuck in the snowdrift, and applied his brakes. As he had not been going as fast as Diesel 10 had been going, the icy rails did not make Percy slip, so he was able to stop right behind Thomas.
"Are you okay, Thomas?" Percy asked.
"Yes, I'm fine, Percy." Thomas replied in relief.
"I heard Lady screaming, and I found her stuck in a snowdrift. She told me Diesel 10 was after the two of you! Where is he? Did he hurt you? Are you damaged?" Percy asked in concern and worry.
"Percy, I'm fine. And don't worry about Diesel 10," Thomas chuckled. "I managed to stop him. Well, that is, I, along with the ice and snow, stopped him. He won't be destroying any steam engines anytime soon."
Percy smiled with relief. "I'm so glad to hear that, Thomas."
"Now, could you get me out of this snowdrift, Percy? I'm glad the snow helped me, but you know I hate being stuck it." Thomas asked to his friend.
"Of course, Thomas." Percy smiled. He gently buffered up behind Thomas, coupled to him and pulled him out of the snowdrift.
Thomas let off a thankful sigh, glad to be out of the snowdrift, which had made him very cold. Luckily, his fire was still burning inside his firebox, which meant he would soon be warm, and it also meant he could puff back to Lady. "Come on, Percy. Let's go back to Lady and pull her out of the snowdrift we left her in. Once we've done that, we can enjoy the Christmas party."
With that, the two engines reversed back the line, feeling very cheerful over the defeat of Diesel 10.