Thomas and Friends Fanfiction Series 6

Ace's Muddy Day

(Based on an idea by transformersprimefan)

It doesn't rain very often on the Australian Railway. The paths and roads are often very dry and hot. And that was how Ace the Racer liked it! 

"Free and easy, that's me!" he would boast. 

He skidded and swirled around the sandy and dusty roads and honked to his adoring fans as he passed by. 

(Passengers cheer for him on platforms.) 

But there are those who find Ace to be a silly car and a bit too boastful. 

One day, Ace was filling up on petrol when Shane passed by on his tour route. 

"Hi there, Ace-Race! How goes the day?" 

"It couldn't be better, mate!" honked Ace. "I'm going for a practice run for my next big race! Around the desert plains!" 

"I'd take care, mate," said Shane warningly. 

"Why?" 

"Cos there's bad weather on the way," explained Shane, "Isla said it's gonna be a huge rainfall. The first we've had in ages, mate!" 

"The rain wont bother me!" laughed Ace. "I'm not afraid of a few drops of rain!" 

"That may be true, Ace-Race. The rain to you may be like water on a crocodile's back, but the sand is another story! The rain will make it weak and soft and slodgey! Yer must take care out on the desert, or you'll be dessert!" 

"Ha! No worries, mate! No water in sand will bother me!" 

The roads were made of dirt as well as sand. Ace didn't mind getting a bit of dust on his yellow paint, but he didn't realize that when wet, the roads would get very muddy too. 

Ace rolled along the road, keen to practice his racing skills. Even if he didn't have an audience, he was very fond of entertaining himself and having fun. 

As he raced to the desert route, he sped by some holidaymakers. They cheered for Ace as he sped by. 

"What a speedy car!" 

"He's a champion!" 

Ace felt even more proud and excitable. 

He went even faster along and he passed Ranger Jill who was trying to show some more holidaymakers a family of koalas in a eucalyptus tree above. 

"ACE THE RACER AT YOUR SERVICE, FOLKS!" 

Ace hooted, honked and grilled as he sped by to entertain the holidaymakers, but didn't realize that he had now scared the koalas away and upset the holidaymakers. 

"What a wretched little car!" snapped an Englishman. 

"Les pauvre koalas!" moaned a French lady. 

But Ace didn't know. 

Nor did he care at the moment. He was too busy dreaming of racing to a wide finish in first place, against his friends. 

"And Ace the Racer brings to you a world speed record as well as an easy win!" 

He was very happy and pleased with himself. 

But soon the clouds got dark and rain began to slowly fall. It started off softly and rarely at first, but soon the winds gathered and the drops became more drops and then heavier, and bigger. Ace was in the middle of a huge rainstorm! 

Ace was still enjoying himself, though he didn't like the rain. But he soon realized that he had bitten off more than he could chew. The dry mudded roads were now muddy, splodgy, slodgy roads and Ace was having trouble staying on it. He was getting filthy. 

"Oh, yuck!" he groaned. 

There was worse to come. 

The wind had kicked up sand from either side of the road and it blew into Ace's eyes. 

"Oh no!" he cried. "I can't see! Help! HELP!" 

But it was no good. 

Ace slid off the muddy roads and onto the sand. The sand was now just as thick, muddy and dirty as the road had been. And it was far less stable and hard as the road. Ace was heavier and his wheels began to sink into the mud! 

He was in a sandy rain-made ditch! 

"Oh, euuurgh!" he spluttered. "I'm stuck! Heeeeeelp!" 

He coughed, sputtered and moaned. 

"I shoulda listened to Shane. He's a true mate to have warned me...I'm no good mate to anyone..." he sighed. 

He was thinking of a little blue engine he had once let down. 

"You can be a good mate, mate," said a voice, "you just need some consideration. Not just for your pals, but fer yourself too!" 

It was Shane. 

He had arrived with a breakdown train. 

"One of my other mates had come off the rails near the next station, but I guess I could always rescue you too!" 

"Oh, cheers very much, mate! Shane, my hero!" cheered Ace. 

As Ace was lifted to safety and onto the breakdown crane, he whispered to Shane. 

"Thank you for rescuing me, and for trying to warn me in the first place, Shane. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you!" 

Shane was pretty sure that this was the first time that Ace ever apologised for anything. He couldn't wait to tell a little blue engine friend of his about it one day. 

"No problem, mate, just listen to old Shane in future! Besides, by the look of it, the storm is almost over!" 

Shane was right. By the time Ace was taken to the garage at the end of the line to get cleaned up and mended, the rain was gone and was already drying up in the scorching heat of the Australian sun. 

But from that day on, whenever Ace goes for a practice relay, he always asks Shane or a stationmaster about the weather, just in case! 

(The End!)