==========================
==========================
Electra descended from the track. He was furious. His components gathered around him, a little unsure of what to do. The nationals, who had stuck around to see who would win, and the trucks and coaches were keeping a safe distance away from the angry electric engine. He was dented and scratched, bruised and disheveled. Electra glared at everyone and no one.
"Clear my track," Electra sang as he descended, "You've had your chance now, I'll find another line, no comeback!"
He could not believe he had lost to an old fashioned steam engine. He was so embarrassed, and that made him angry.
"Loosing's not my style so I can't show my face now," he continued, "Find another place now, didn't win so I'll go." He glared around, "Don't try to persuade me, loosing always wrecks it. This is my last exit--Stand by to fade me!"
The components started to orbit him in a wide circle.
"No comeback, this is the last time," Electra sang, "We'll never meet again, no comeback!"
"No comeback this is the last time," he repeated, "We'll never meet again, no comeback!"
He sparked uncontrollably. He reached out to zap something, but nothing happened. He glared at his hands and let out an angry groan; nothing was working right.
"No come, no come, no come, no come, no comeback!" he shouted, "No comeback!"
His components, circling him took up the chant, "No come, no come, no come, no come, no comeback! No comeback!"
Electra glared at everyone, at the nationals still hanging around.
"Adieu mon ami," he said to the French engine, "Addio me cara," to the Italian engine, "Aufwiedershen mien lieb," to the German engine, "Sayonara," to the Japanese engine. He glared at everyone, generating electricity.
"Eat my dust!" he shouted letting out a colossal wave of electricity, shocking everyone within range and blasting him or her off their wheels. Even the components, used to the electricity didn't recover right away.
Electra, ignoring all his dents picked up speed, weaving in and out of the components. He pushed them aside heading for the bridge.
"No comeback this is the last time, we'll never meet again, no comeback," he sang, the electric engine jumped up on to the bridge, "No comeback this is the last time, we'll never meet again..."
"No comeback!" he and his components shouted. There was an intense flare of light and then the yard was plunged into darkness.
When the light slowly returned Electra was gone.
There was a sound from behind the racetrack and everyone turned to look. A smashed up something emerged. As they reached what, who it was Ashley and Buffy looked at each other amused.
It was Greaseball and CB. The crash had entangled them firmly together. They made a few half-hearted attempts to pull apart and then gave up.
"One rock'n'roll too many," Greaseball and CB sang together, "One night's sleep too few. Too much ringing that bell takes it's toll outta you."
"The sounds too loud," CB complained, "The lights too bright," he whimpered, trying to cover his eyes.
"My chains are too heavy and my shoes are too tight," Greaseball added.
"One rock'n'roll too many takes it's toll outta you," both sang.
They struggled for a minute. Greaseball managed to wrench CB off his couplings but they were still connected.
"One rock'n'roll too many, one more joint put out," they sang, "One more twist of the wrist makes you twist--twist and shout!" With one more shove they separated, "Ooo!"
Behind them the two remaining coaches were dancing with two of the Rockies. Just watching them was making engine and caboose tired.
"One rock'n'roll too many, I can't hear no more," Greaseball and CB sang.
"Whaddya say?" Greaseball asked.
CB shook his head, "I can't hear nothing."
"Whaddya say?" Greaseball repeated confused.
"I can't hear nothing," CB answered.
Greaseball shook his head, "I can't hear nothing," he said.
"Whaddya say?" CB asked.
"Oh I can't hear nothing," Greaseball complained.
"Whaddya say?" CB asked getting frustrated.
He skated over to Greaseball and they met halfway.
"I said one rock'n'roll too many," they sang, "Takes it's toll..."
They sank to the ground, tiredly, leaning against each other, "And the soul..."
Both engine and caboose closed their eyes and instantly fell asleep, snoring loudly.
Poppa entered with Belle and they looked at the two sleeping figures amused. CB and Greaseball awoke with a start and looked around confused.
"Outta you!" they finished.
Poppa looked down at them and began to say something.
"Control! Control!"
Everyone, as usual, looked up.
"Rusty to return immediately! Rusty to return immediately! Or lap of honor will be canceled!" Control announced, "Lap of honor will be canceled!"
"Where's Rusty gone?" Poppa demanded.
Everyone looked around, the steamer was no where in sight, "Where's Rusty gone?"
"Looking for Pearl," some of the coaches answered.
"What happened to Pearl?" Poppa asked, looking accusingly at Greaseball.
Greaseball squirmed under Poppa's stern glare.
"What happened to Pearl?" Belle and the others asked, "What happened to Pearl?"
Greaseball winced as Poppa grabbed his couplings and hauled the diesel to his wheels.
"You'll show us if it takes you all night," Poppa ordered pushing Greaseball ahead of him.
CB, deprived of his engine to lean on, fell. Belle pulled him roughly to his wheels and pushed him along. The other coaches and trucks hitched behind Poppa, forming a long train.
Pearl was in the freight yard. She sank to the ground. She had been so stupid tonight, and now she finally realized it. She thought she heard something and looked up, straining to see through the darkness.
"Rusty?" she whispered. There was no response, not that she had expected one. She sat up, rubbed her eyes and sighed, "Oh Rusty."
"Known him for a life time," she sang, she sighed, "Knew him not at all." She shrugged, "Thought there was nothing special about him," she smiled, "Now I see him shining, opened up my eyes. From now on I can't do without him."
Pearl stood up, "Only he has the power to move me, and together we'll make the whole world move in sympathy." She sighed, "But I couldn't see before that only he..."
"I am the Starlight," a soft voice sang, but Pearl couldn't hear.
"Has the power to move me," Pearl sang.
"I can achieve," the voice sang.
"Take me, hold me, mould me, change me and improve me," Pearl sang, "It's not funny anymore."
She started to pace the length of the yard.
"Only he can make my burden light," she sang, "Only he can make a wrong seem right, only he can make the shadows bright, and make the darkness gleaming white."
"He," she smiled, "Him and me. Only he has the power to move me."
She sank back down.
"All the nights I've wasted, dreaming of the time when I'd discover the one to guide me, searching the horizon, didn't realize that all the time he was beside me," she stood up, "Only he..."
"I am the Starlight."
"Has the power to move me," Pearl sang.
"I can achieve."
"And together we'll make the whole world move in sympathy," she sang with a smile, "Him and me we'd be sublime."
She smiled, for the first time she could see her dream train.
"Only he could stand and wait that long," Pearl sang thinking of Rusty. She'd rejected him twice, but he had still saved her, what other engine would do that? "Stand by me when I was going wrong."
Suddenly she skidded to a stop, as a horrifying thought came over her, she had rejected Rusty so many times...
"What if he couldn't wait?" she asked panicked, "Have I left it too late? Only he..."
"I am the Starlight!"
"Has the power to move me," Pearl sang.
"I can achieve!"
"And together we'd make the whole world move in sympathy," Pearl continued.
"Anything!"
"Hope and pray that I'm in time," Pearl sang, suddenly feeling better, "Can he see or will he never guess that next time I'm gonna answer yes?" she asked, "Does he know if he comes back today this time I'm gonna make him stay?"
"He," she sang, "Only he! Only he has the power, every day, every hour, he move me so!"
"I am the Starlight!"
Rusty saw Pearl sitting in the freight yard. He skated over to her, touching her shoulder. She turned at his touch.
"Pearl, I had to find you," he said catching his breath. She had been crying, he realized, Why had she been crying? Suddenly it was very important that she shouldn't be sad.
"Why you looking blue?" he asked sinking down to his knees next to her. He took a breath, "I'm sorry you never found your dream train," he said forcing the words out.
Pearl brushed away the last tears. He was worried about her, after all that she had put him through he was still worried about her.
"Rusty, I have found him," she answered. His face fell.
"But you were looking too," she continued quickly, "For the Starlight Express. Did you have much success?"
"Yes I found him okay," Rusty answered, "Now I'm brave enough to say..." He took a breath, it was now or never, "Only you..."
Pearl threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "You are the Starlight," she sang, she could see that now.
Rusty was surprised, and then he smiled, "Have the power to move me," he finished hugging her back.
Pearl looked up, he seemed different somehow.
"You won the race," she said, it wasn't exactly a question.
"I did," Rusty answered.
==========================
==========================