The Midnight Train Crossing

"Hold on," Buffy said looking over into the sidings.
"What is that?" Ashley asked.
A strange figure rolled out from the sidings, groaning softly. It was a strange mixture of black, yellow, red and blue.
The cars made way for it. "It" was Greaseball and Electra, the crash had tangled them together. Greaseball was bent over, nearly double, with Electra draped over him.
The cars watched the two engines, somewhat amused.
Greaseball tried to straighten, without too much success.

"One rock 'n' roll too many," the two engines sang, "One night's sleep too few. Too much ringing that bell takes it's toll outta you..."
A soft bell dinged and the Rockies started shadow boxing.
Greaseball flinched and covered his ears, "The sound's too loud."
"The light's too bright," Electra complained, shielding his eyes.
"My chains are too heavy and my pants are too tight," Greaseball groaned, finishing the last word on a high note.

"One rock 'n' roll too many takes it's toll outta you," the two engines sang.
Greaseball reached up and tried to push Electra off.
"Oh ouch!" Electra yelped.
"Oh man, get off of me," Greaseball groaned.
With a gigantic shove Electra and Greaseball managed to get off of each other. They tried to pull apart but were still connected. They snapped back together, this time both upright and facing each other.

"One rock 'n' roll too many," they sang, "one more farewell show."
"Uh huh," Greaseball added.
They joined hands as if dancing and rocked back and forth.
"Come on, clap your hands," they sang, "Are you having a good time?"
Greaseball and Electra looked at each other and quickly dropped hands.
"No!" they exclaimed, trying unsuccessfully to push apart. The most they managed was to turn sideways.

"Well my raves been raided," Electra started. He made a face as he started to go down. He set a hand on his hip, "And my hip just hopped."
"My mojo ain't workin'," Greaseball said sadly.
"And my pills have just popped," Electra sang.
"One rock 'n' roll too many take's its toll," they sang. Suddenly they pushed apart, going to opposite sides of the yard, "Outta you!"
"One rock 'n' roll too many, I can't take no more."

"Whaddya say?" Greaseball asked.
Electra shook his head, "I can't hear nothing."
"Whaddya say?" Greaseball asked, waving his arms.
"I can't hear nothing," Electra said.
Greaseball, getting a little frustrated pointed to his ears, "I can't hear nothing."
"Whaddya say?" Electra asked, pointing to his mouth.
"I can't hear nothing," Greaseball said.
"Whaddya say?" Electra asked, frustrated.

They skated back together, "I said one," they started. The two engines slammed into each other and realized that was a mistake. They leaned on each other and both put a hand to their dizzied heads.
"rock 'n' roll too many," they sang softly, "takes it's toll..."
The two gently pushed apart and waved their arms, trying to keep their balance. Ashley and Buffy backed away from Greaseball. On the other side the Rockies stepped forward, a bit menacingly, towards Electra.
He tried to stay away from the boxcars, which he knew were with the steamers.
"And the soul..." they continued.
Managing to get steady, the two engines came back together. Greaseball and Electra bent over, supporting each other's weight. They closed their eyes and instantly fell asleep, snoring loudly.
Just as quickly they awoke disoriented, looked up, saw each other, and gasped.
"Outta you!" they finished.
The two engines collapsed to the ground in a heap with a groan and were still.

Poppa rolled into the yard, the cars respectfully made way for him.
He skated around the two engines and looked down at them, a bit amused.

"Control! Control! Rusty to return immediately or lap of honor will be canceled!" Control warned.
Poppa looked up startled and then looked around, Rusty was nowhere in sight.
"Lap of honor will be canceled!"

"Where's Rusty gone?" Poppa demanded.
Dustin raised his hand and skated over towards Poppa.
"Where's Rusty gone?" the cars echoed.
"Looking for Pearl," Dustin answered.
"What happened to Pearl?" Poppa asked.
Greaseball and Electra squirmed uncomfortably, unable to move, they were also unable to run.
Dustin leaned in and whispered to Poppa. The steamer looked startled and made an uncoupling motion with his hands and then pointed down at Greaseball. Dustin nodded.
"What happened to Pearl?" the cars echoed Poppa.
Poppa glared down at the two engines at his wheels. Electra pointed at Greaseball with an "it-wasn't-me" expression.
"What happened to Pearl?" Poppa and the cars demanded.
Greaseball shrank under Poppa's stern gaze.

Poppa reached down and grabbed Greaseball's rings, roughly forcing the engine to get up. Electra, half on the diesel, was also forced up.
"You'll show us if it takes you all night," Poppa commanded.
The two engines groaned as their frames protested against movement, but Poppa showed them no sympathy.
Greaseball hitched behind Electra as Poppa grabbed his couplings. The rest of the cars hitched behind Poppa in a very long train of trucks, coaches and components in no particular order.
Electra and Greaseball were bent over, nearly double as Poppa pushed them along, pulling everyone else.
They skated around the yard and then off in search of Rusty.

Pearl was alone in the freight yard, sitting on Poppa's usual spot. She sighed and brushed tears out of her eyes. She saw clearly now. Rusty had saved her during the race. He didn't have to, in fact, she thought remembering all that she had put him through tonight, he should have let her crash. The image of him lying on the ground kept flashing through her mind. And yet he had saved her, and probably lost the race because of it.
She sighed again and looked up.

"I guess I'm not too good at keeping love alive for long," she sang, "I think I've found the answers but the answer's always wrong. My first love was my true love and it should have been my last. The only time I'm happy's when I'm dreaming in the past...
Next time you fall in love it better be with me," she decided, "the way it used to be."
She sighed, now she understood. She had only really been happy in Rusty's train. Almost as if...
"Back then was when we touched the Starlight."
But what was she going to tell Rusty if...when she saw him again.

"Sometimes you turn away from what your heart tells you is right, and so you settle for whatever gets you through the night," she continued. "The flame you thought was dead may suddenly begin to burn, and broken hearts can be repaired, that's something that you learn..."
Maybe it wasn't too late, she thought hopefully.
"Next time you fall in love it better be with me," Pearl repeated, "The way it used to be. Back then was when we touched the Starlight"
She stood up.

Just then Rusty rolled in. He'd found her.
When she saw him she turned away and skated across the yard. She couldn't face him, she just couldn't. He wouldn't want her anyway.

Rusty stopped and looked at her.
"I've relived every moment that I ever shared with you," he started.
He sighed, he'd made some poor decisions tonight as well, if he had just agreed to race in the first place...
"What fools we were to end a dream that looked like coming true."
Pearl turned around.

"Next time you fall in love," Rusty sang, "It better be with me, the way it used to be. Back then was when we touched the Starlight."
Pearl rolled over towards him.

"Next time you fall in love it better be with me, the way it used to be," they sang together, "Back then was when we touched the Starlight.
I guess I'm not too good at keeping love alive for long. I think I've found the answers but the answer's always wrong. My first love was my true love and it should have been my last, the only time I'm happy's when I'm dreaming in the past."
"Next time you fall in love it better be with me," Rusty sang, "The way it used to be."
"Back then was when..." Pearl agreed.
"We touched the Starlight!" they finished together.

"Next time you fall in love..." Rusty started.
"Next time you fall in love," Pearl echoed.
"It better be with me, the way it used to be," they sang together, "back then was when we touched the Starlight."
They joined hands, "We touched the Starlight!"

Rusty let go of Pearl's hands, took a step forward and turned. He backed up and offered Pearl his couplings.
She took his rings and set a hand on his arm. Rusty smiled and took an exaggerated step forward, moving his arms along with it. Pearl copied him, moving perfectly in rhythm with him. He pulled her forward and then she unhitched. He rolled up and down the hill to come around and face her. He took her in his arms and held her close. She reached up and stroked his face.