A Charming Character/Transcript

The Sun rises up giggling)

(The camera slowly moves up a hill and toward the Tubbytronic Superdome. The Windmill spins slowly in the distance)

Narrator: Over the Hills and Far away......... Teletubbies come to play.

Voice: One...

Tinky Winky: One.

Voice: ...two...

Laa-Laa: Two.

Voice: ...three...

Po: Three.

Voice:...four.

Dipsy: Four.

(The logo puffs in. Purple trim floe over the words)

Voice: Teletubbies.

(The purple trim floes out of view. The logo bursts)

(The Teletubbies run down the house towards some voice trumpets which come out of the ground)

Voice Trumpet: Time for Teletubbies. Time for Teletubbies. Time for Teletubbies. Time for Teletubbies.

Singer: Tinky Winky.

Tinky Winky: Tinky Winky.

Singer: Dipsy.

Dipsy: Dipsy.

Singer: Laa-Laa.

Laa-Laa: Laa-Laa.

Singer: Po.

Po: Po.

Singer: Teletubbies.

Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po: Teletubbies.

Singer: Say... Hello.

Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po: Eh-oh!

(Tinky Winky and Dipsy run and bump)

Singer: Tinky Winky. Dipsy.

(Laa-Laa and Po run and bump)

Singer: Laa-Laa. Po. Teletubbies.

Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po: Teletubbies. Big hug!

(The windmill starts to spin faster)

Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po: Uh oh!

(The Teletubbies run out of view)

(A Voice Trumpet rises in front)

Voice Trumpet: Where have the Teletubbies gone?

(The scene cuts to the sun smiling)

(The scene cuts to Teletubbyland)

Narrator: A Charming Character.

(The scene fades to a location in Teletubbyland)

(The Teletubbies walk into view)

Teletubbies: Eh-oh!

(A Voice Trumpet rises out of the ground)

Teletubbies: Oooh.

(The voice trumpet starts to say something)

Voice Trumpet: (With Mario's voice) Oof.

Thomas: (muttering to himself) What am I going to do?

(But that just meant the sooner he confessed to her, the more time they might have to enjoy each other's presence... if she felt the same way. She probably didn't)

"What's got you so grumpy?" a voice asked, breaking Thomas's train of thought. He looked up, and gasped. Ashima was sitting before him on the parallel track, smiling at him gently. She always smiled... and it always made her even more beautiful.

"A-Ashima? What are you doing here?" Thomas asked, blushing as she puffed closer, before turning around on a small turn table, and reversing into his shed next to him. It was a smaller shed, and it was a tight fit between the two of them. Ashima was merely inches from Thomas. He could feel the heat coming from her boiler...

"My shed is being cleaned, so I had to find another place to sleep tonight. You do not mind if I stay with you, do you?" she asked, looking at him with her bright shining eyes. Thomas shuddered as he began to lose his composure.

"Oh... well... uh... s-sure, I guess..." he stuttered, before frowning.

Real smooth. He thought to himself. Ashima giggled softly, before tucking herself into the shed fully, sidling up to Thomas the rest of the way.

"I appreciate it. It might actually get a little chilly tonight, so the extra warmth will be nice." she said. Thomas chuckled, setting on the topic of the weather to talk about.

"Chilly? After today? Is that even possible?" he asked.

"Oh yes! Once the sun goes down, the temperature can drop quickly! It doesn't always, but it can. It doesn't hurt to have a sleeping buddy to keep each other warm, or else neither engine might get enough sleep to be really useful the next day!" she said. Thomas nodded.

"You're right, I suppose. After the day I've had, I need a good nights sleep." he said. Ashima smiled.

"Well then, I'll let you get to sleep. See you in the morning, Tommy." she said, before closing her eyes.

Thomas felt his face heat up at her obvious nickname she had started calling him. The first time he heard her say it, he had immediately decided he didn't like the name, but he said nothing. Overtime, though, he began to warm up to it, and now got flustered every time she would say it.

Thomas looked at the engine next to him, studying her features slowly.

Her quiet breathing filled the near silence, and Thomas looked down at the tracks in front of him, deep in thought. Ashima would be with him the entire night. They had never had so much time together before, alone at that.

Perhaps... this would be a good time to try and tell her?

He nervously looked back up at Ashima, and startled a little when he realized she was looking at him.

"Gah!" he said, jerking slightly. Ashima giggled at his reaction.

"Having trouble sleeping?" she asked. Thomas nodded.

"You could say that." he said. Ashima sighed.

"I myself am not very tired, at least not yet. Do you have any stories to tell from your day today? Maybe it could help both of us." she suggested. Thomas thought about the Monkey Palace. That could be a funny story to tell her. He smiled.

"Sure! I can tell you about my visit to the Monkey Palace today." he said. Ashima gasped.

"You went to the Monkey Palace? Didn't Rajiv warn you about that place? The monkeys can be very mischievous." she exclaimed. Thomas smirked.

"He did, but my curiosity got the better of me. The monkeys weren't that bad. They actually helped me in the end. I ended up losing my load of coconuts, and when I went back, they helped me get new ones!" he said. Ashima looked dumbfounded.

"But... they've never been helpful before. Usually they try and play tricks on us engines, or block the tracks so we cannot pass through. Why would they have been so nice to you?" she asked.

"I don't know." he said. Ashima smiled.

"Well, what did you think of the palace? It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked. Thomas nodded.

"It was amazing! I'm glad I didn't listen to Rajiv. I would have hated to miss a place like that! The way the monkeys seemed to like me, with any luck, I could have been their King! King of the Monkey Palace!" he exclaimed. Ashima giggled at his outburst.

"I'm sure you would have made an excellent King, but at least you got the job done in the end." she said. Thomas blushed at Ashima's praise.

"You... really think I would have been a good King?" he asked timidly. Ashima nodded.

"Of course! A good king tries to help everyone, and does his best to keep everyone happy. You helped everyone by correcting your mistake, and delivering those coconuts to the station so people could have something to drink. That's very admirable." she said.

"I also had a small monkey come along with me, so I went back and returned him to his home. He was very cute, but I knew he didn't belong with me. He had a family to go home to." Thomas said. Ashima smiled.

"You'd make a fine King, Thomas. The monkeys would be lucky to have you." she said, closing her eyes. It seems Thomas's story had relaxed her, and she was finally ready to get some sleep.

No! Not yet, I haven't told her how I feel yet! But how could I... Thomas suddenly smiled a little as he got an idea. He looked over at the Indian tank engine, and mustered up his courage, before he finally forced himself to speak.

"I may not have been able to be their king... but..." he paused as Ashima opened her eyes again, and looked at him, waiting for him to finish what he had to say. Thomas stiffened as he finished the sentence.

"M-Maybe I could... be your Prince Charming?" he asked, his face as red as James's paintwork. Ashima's eyes widened at his words, and a heavy blush rose to her face. Thomas looked at her, and then down at the ground in shame. She was probably determining whether to flee, or stay in the shed.

"Oh Thomas... a-are you asking me out?" she asked, her pink blush matching her paint. Her eyes twinkled in the moonlight as she looked at Thomas.

"I-If you're willing to forgive me... for the way I treated you back when we first met... yes. I like you, Ashima. More than I've ever like anyone before. You're the most beautiful engine I've ever met, and the kindest." Thomas said, finally rallying the courage to look at Ashima. Ashima smiled sweetly, her adorable blush still present.

"Oh Thomas... of course I forgive you for the way you acted. I know you were upset about not getting to go to the railway show, and then I..." Ashima's words suddenly caught in her throat as her eyes widened. After a moment, she shuddered, and looked at Thomas with a horrified expression.

"I almost killed you..." she said softly, her eyes watering slightly. Thomas felt terrible now. This certainly wasn't going the way he had been hoping for.

"Ashima, you didn't... it was my fault, if anyone's. I was on the wrong track, and I wasn't aware of my surroundings. It wasn't your fault." he said. He leaned against her in the tight confines of the small shed as a few tears ran down Ashima's face.

"I never would have forgiven myself if I had pushed you into the Ocean. I never would have gotten to meet you. And that would be terrible." she said, nuzzling into Thomas's side. The two were quiet for a few minutes, before Thomas realized she hadn't actually answered his question.

"So... was that a yes, or a no?" he asked quietly. Ashima giggled quietly, and looked up at him.

"Of course you can be my Prince Charming silly. I've been waiting for you to ask for so long. I was starting to think you never would. Ever since... ever since you let me win in the shunting challenge, I realized that you are a very noble engine, but by the time I realized what I felt... I was already on the ship home. Imagine my surprise when you showed up here, in India." she said. Thomas chuckled.

"Imagine my glee when I knew I would be coming here. The second I was on the rails, I immediately sought you out. I was ecstatic to see you again." he said, nuzzling Ashima.

The two engines shared each others embrace the entire night, silently enjoying small kisses and nuzzles of affection.

But, unknown to them, another engine sat at the opposite end of the yard, silently watching them.