Ashley - Starlight Express story

Ashley The Smoking Car - Part 3 - The Final

"Control! Control!
Race time minus 1 minute!
I repeat!
Race time minus 1 minute!"

Bobo and I took to our positions.
He looked at me and smiled reassuringly.
I had expressed how nervous I was earlier racing against electra and greaseball.

"In track 1!
Greaseball the diesel, with Pearl the first class carriage!
In track 2!
Electra the engine of the future, and carriage change, carriage change, Electra's with the Red Caboose!"

What? I thought oh god this race is going to be brutal

"In track 3!
Bobo the French engine, with Ashley, the smoking car!"

I took a deep breath as my name was mentioned and smiled and waved at the roaring crowd.
Then suddenly we heard a whistle, and there was Rusty! He was pulling Dustin, which can't have been easy.

"Rusty is back in the race!"
Control shouted.
"In track 4! Rusty the steamer with Dutsin, the big hopper!"

Bobo shook his head at me, as if to say
He's dead meat

"10!
  9!
  8!
  7!
  6!
  5!
  4!
  3!
  2!
  1!
Trains gone!"

And we were off.
Greaseball was out front, closely followed by Electra, followed by me and Bobo, and Rusty was right at the back.
Then Electra passed Greaseball, he was going slower?
As Bobo and I passed him I saw what was happening.
Pearl was holding him back!

"Pearl is holding the champion back!
But the champion doesn't like that one bit!
He's uncoupled Pearl!
She's heading for the edge!"
Control narrated.

I gasped as I heard Pearl screaming.
But Bobo kept on going.
"we can't stop! We could win this Ashley!" he shouted over the noise.

"And Rusty saves her! Wasn't that courageous!"
I heard Control say.
I breathed a sigh of relief, I could have lost my best friend.
But now I needed to concentrate on the race.

Suddenly I felt a  hand grab me, it was Greaseball!
Racing without a partner is not allowed, so he had taken me from Bobo!
It all happened so fast, I barely had time to cry out, as Bobo looked at me in disbelief.
He was out of the race.

I was holding on to Greaseball for dear life.
We were heading for the high level, and Electra was out front with C.B.
Greaseball managed to catch up with Electra, they were head to head.
Electra zapped greaseball, sending them both out of control!
I managed to wrench myself free as they hurtled ahead, CB tried to get away but it was no use.
I stood there in shock as I watched them crash into a train wreck.
Rusty and Dustin raced past, he was free to take the finish.

The champion had lost.
And I may have lost Bobo too.