Blumiere's Lament

It was a crisp autumn evening on the Island of Sodor. The wind was blowing, leaves were scattering and the Sodor engines were just finishing up their day's work.

Two toons were walking home after having a busy day; these were Fifilina the Rose Angel and her good friend Jordan the Holden B12/3. But Fifi wasn't feeling like herself this night; she had tears streaming down her cheeks. Jordan noticed this right away. This filled him with concern.

"My dear friend, why are you thus weeping? What sorrow has now befallen you? Tell me; hide it not from me," he said.

Fifi looked up at Jordan with tear-soaked eyes, she was too shrouded with sadness to speak, but she held out a drawing she had made of herself and her beloved Master, Lord Blumiere, formerly known as Count Bleck. He understood right away and patted Fifi on the shoulder with sympathy.

"Don't worry Fifi. I'm sure your Master is okay. He knows you never give up on him and that you love him dearly, as a daughter would love her father," smiled Jordan, reassuringly.

Fifi tried to smile as she dried her tears. However, on the way back to Lord Blumiere's Sodor residence, the Scottish Castle, the two of them had to pass the Sodor cemetery. Fifi turned pale as she huddled close to Jordan, clearly scared by the spookiness of the cemetery.

Jordan looked around and suddenly saw a familiar figure walking sadly along.

"Fifi, take a look over there," Jordan suddenly piped up, pointing toward the figure.

Fifi looked in the direction Jordan was pointing and her eyes widened at what she saw.

There, walking among the gravestones, with his head hung low and a tear in his eye was Lord Blumiere himself. Something was troubling the poor man, as Jordan and Fifi could gather just by watching his actions.

"W-What do you suppose is wrong with Master Blumiere, Jordan?" asked Fifi nervously.

Jordan shifted his gaze from Fifi to one gravestone in particular, which was the first one Blumiere kneeled down in front of; the words etched into it read "Lady Timpani". Fifi gasped when she saw this.

"That must be what's bothering him. He still grieves for the loss of his beloved Timpani," said Jordan.

Fifi felt her eyes moisten again when Jordan spoke these words.

"I must comfort my Master... I can't bear to see him heartbroken..." she spoke up.

Jordan nodded understandingly. For now, both of them were watching Blumiere's every move. Suddenly, they noticed Blumiere looking up at the sky. They also heard someone singing. Fifi recognized the voice.

"It's Master Blumiere!" she shouted.

"Shh... listen," said Jordan.

Fifi looked on as Blumiere sang.

Lord Blumiere: ♪There are few who'd deny, at what I do I am the best
For my talents are renowned far and wide
When it comes to surprises in the moonlit night
I excel without ever even trying
With the slightest little effort of my ghostlike charms
I have seen grown men give out a shriek
With the wave of my hand, and a well-placed moan
I have swept the very bravest off their feet

Yet year after year, it's the same routine
And I grow so weary of the sound of screams
And I, Bleck, the Bitland King,
have grown so tired of the same old thing

Oh, somewhere deep inside of this heart
An emptiness began to grow
There's something out there, far from my home
A longing that I've never known

I'm a master of fright, and a demon of light
And I'll scare you right out of your pants
To a guy in Kentucky, I'm Mister Unlucky
And I'm known throughout England and France

And since I'm not dead, I can't take off my head
To recite Shakespearean quotations
No animal nor man can scream like I can
With the fury of my recitations

But who here would ever understand
That the Bitland King with the skeleton grin
Would tire of his crown, if they only understood
He'd give it all up if he only could

Oh, there's an empty place in my heart
That calls out for something unknown
The fame and praise come year after year
Does nothing for these empty tears

Fifi couldn't hold back anymore. She dashed out from behind the gravestone she and Jordan were hiding behind and ran up to Blumiere.

Blumiere turned his attention to his saddened daughter.

"My daughter, why are you thus weeping? What sorrow has now befallen you? Tell me; hide it not from me," he said.

Fifi fell silent and laid her head softly on Blumiere's chest, the sadness within her heart was enough of an answer for him.

Blumiere cuddled Fifi ever so gently, wordlessly reassuring her everything would turn out alright in the end.

Jordan, deeply moved by this touching scene between Fifi and Blumiere, silently puffed out of the cemetery. Looking up to the sky, he prayed to God to heal the aching hearts of Fifi and her master, Lord Blumiere.

As the golden B12 chuffed along, he saw the stars form a very different constellation, but one that was familiar to him, Fifi and Blumiere. The stars had formed the face of Lady Timpani, Blumiere's beloved wife and Fifi's beloved step-mother.

"I reassure you Timpani, somehow, some way, I will reunite you with your loved ones," Jordan said to himself as he puffed along the line, disappearing into the night.