Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Tasha Stone…

That day, everyone had worn their Sunday best, with not a drop of color in sight. Now fourteen years old, Lily Stone understood very well the importance of it all, but even so, as they scattered the dearly departed’s ashes, she longed for even a small spark among the dreary atmosphere, and as her grandfather stood alone on the hill with his back turned to the congregation, she knew that a little bit of magic had gone too.

Today, soft rain pattered the sidewalks of The Big City. It had been months since the passing of Lily’s grandmother, but the dreaded cloud continued to hang over the family. Grandma Tasha had been an endless source of joy to everyone she met, always upbeat, always cheerful. Lily delighted in her stories, and when she was younger, her grandma would sneak her a piece of chocolate when her parents weren’t watching. She had a knack for giving gifts, with many a cherished object having come directly from her.

Things just weren’t the same without her.

Headlights glittered off the surface of the wet concrete as Lily and her mother walked back home to their apartment building, weaving in and out of the busy evening crowd. Lily was distracted by the crossing lights reflected in the puddles. Her mother swiftly guided her around oncoming foot traffic, nodding quick apologies to businessmen speaking only on cellphones.

“Lily,” her mother beckoned, “look forward, and watch where you’re walking.”

“Mm…”

Still, her eyes wandered back to the ever-enticing puddles on the curb. They approached the crosswalk; Lily pressed the crossing button. She always did. “Grandpa hasn’t even said anything to us since Grandma died. He hasn’t called or anything, and he doesn’t come here to see us.”

“It’s been… hard for Grandpa. He’s dealing with things in his own way,” assured her mother. She continued as the crossing light flashed the “WALK” symbol. All in a flock, the evening commute crossed. “Maybe your visit will cheer him up, hm?”

That was the thing, wasn’t it? Grandpa had changed since it all; even in the same room as him, it felt like there was a brick wall between them. The idea of seeing him now kind of repulsed her. And she felt bad about it. But he wasn’t Grandpa. He wasn’t the same.

“I guess so…,” said Lily.

“Did you get him a present?”

Lily reluctantly fished around in her pocket and presented a small bracelet. It wasn’t much. It was just some string and beads out of a kit she’d gotten from…

“It’s… just a bracelet I made. I dunno, something so it’s not just like I just bought him, like, the first thing I saw.”

Her mother gently admired the craftwork. “Honey… that’s beautiful,” she cooed.

Lily sheepishly stuffed the trinket back into her jacket pocket. “... But I’d rather just stay here with you,” Lily finally admitted.

Her mother held her close. “I know,” she said. “But I think it would be a good thing for you, and for Grandpa.”

Inevitably, Lily had known that too. The adults around her agreed that Grandpa needed some support, but no one seemed to ask how she felt about it. It was awfully convenient; her father was away on work, and very soon, her mother would be giving birth to a new baby. No one had asked Lily how she felt about that, either. Eventually, she opted to change the subject as they arrived at their apartment building.

“I’m gonna go up the fire escape.”

“Lily—”

“I’ll be careful!” Lily insisted. “It’s safe! It’s made for climbing!”

Her mother relented with eyes closed in exasperation. “Do be careful.”

“You always say that!” Lily shouted down. She was already half way up the ladder, and her mother entered the lobby. More adults ought to try seeing things from her point of view.

Now at the top, the world below was hers to behold on her own time. People were so interesting when they could be examined from afar, and it was much easier that way. A man in a hurry stumbled over an uneven patch of sidewalk and glanced around to make sure no one saw. A careless woman tossed her drink in the trash, missed, and a stranger picked up after her. A car struggled to parallel park next to a couple of kids playing GameBoy.

She watched a car splatter a shining puddle across the sidewalk. It was inevitable. All things were.

* * *

The next morning, Lily took her time packing, something she promised to do the night before and had decided not to. Her mother was desperate to urge her along so she would not miss her train, but if she did miss her train, then she would simply have to stay home, and that would be that. But her mom’s stern gaze bored into her skull, and under such pressure, Lily had no choice but to move a little faster. Inevitable. And so Lily set on packing.

She stuffed in all her favorite shirts, some pants and shorts, hairbrush, toothbrush, a bathing suit, and...

Her hands hovered over her pillow. Sitting on it was her cherished bluebird toy. She waffled. It was just Grandpa’s house, and it wasn’t like many people lived there... but what if someone saw it?

Aren’t you a little old to still be carrying around a stuffed animal?

She flexed her fingers. Then she stuffed him into her baggy pants pocket. She couldn’t bear to be without him for the weeks she’d be away.

“Lily! Are you finished yet?!”

“Coming, Mom!”

Her mother rushed her out the door with her suitcase, and into the car.

“All buckled up?”

“Wait! I think I forgot my—”

Her mom wasn’t having it. “No, Lily, no more distractions. We’re going to the station now.”

As they trundled along the highway, Lily stared out the window, watching the summer wind blow puffy white clouds into billowing shapes. Her mother tried making small talk, to pry any cheer out of her daughter, but Lily only managed the occasional “Mm,” and “Yeah, I guess,” and “I know.”

Finally her mom said, “Lily, you’re just gonna have to accept that things change sometimes.”

Lily rested her chin in her hand, propped up by the armrest in the door. She kept watching the world go by. “... Why?” she asked flatly.

“Because that’s the way the world is.”

They had turned at a railroad crossing when the guard arms suddenly started coming down, and her mom stopped the car a bit more urgently than comfortable. A double-header train was screeching to a halt where the tracks met the road, the massive boxcars banging and bumping into each other, throwing rocks and sediment from their load out all over the rails and the nearby pavement. Pebbles and sand pelted the windshield. Lily covered her ears, and her mom threw the car into reverse. Luckily, no one was around as they backed the vehicle away from the tracks, and the train came to a stop right on the crossing.

Her mother let out a held back breath. “Did something happen on the track?! Oh, god, now we’ll be late to the station. Lily, are you okay?”

Lily nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.” The boxcars looked like they were still bumping into each other even though the train had stopped, as if they were trying to urge the journey onward.

“God... god... just my luck... Who knows how long this train will be stopped here.” The crossing bells continued to ding indefinitely, and her mother quickly reached over to open the glovebox and pull out an atlas. “Figures...” Her fingers traced along the route. “Alright, there’s another way if we go on ahead. Hopefully the train isn’t stopped all the way at that crossing too...”

And with that, her mother reversed out onto the main road, speeding just enough that she could make up for lost time, but not so much that Lily would notice. Lily noticed.

At the station, her mother quickly said her farewells. “Hugs and kisses, hugs and kisses, baby. Mwah! Now, go, go, really fast now! It’s almost 2 o’ clock!”

So Lily hurried. She clung to her suitcase and her bag as she dodged through the crowd. People were brisk and urgent about making their connections, and they didn’t particularly mind if that meant shouldering aside a small girl.

“This is worse than the city at rush hour...,” she muttered.

“ATTENTION, PASSENGERS, THE TRAIN FOR MUFFLE MOUNTAIN WILL DEPART FROM TRACK THREE, LAST STOP, MUFFLE MOUNTAIN. THIS IS THE FINAL BOARDING CALL FOR MUFFLE MOUNTAIN, TRACK THREE, LAST STOP, MUFFLE MOUNTAIN.”

She danced on her tiptoes, trying to see over tall grown-ups. “Where even is that?!” she whined to herself, growing increasingly more desperate. Now she wished she hadn’t wasted so much time.

“... THE TRAIN FOR SHINING TIME WILL DEPART FROM TRACK FOUR, SHINING TIME, TRACK FOUR...”

The intercom shrieked loudly with feedback, which only fed into Lily’s mounting anxiety. She really needed to catch this train now. Her mom was already driving back home, and if she didn’t catch the train, she would be stuck here, and that would be that. She didn’t have money for the payphone, and no one was paying any attention to her anyway, and...

Her breathing quickened and she felt her throat tighten. She swallowed hard. The only thing more embarrassing than being caught with a stuffed animal at age fourteen was being caught crying in public. She blinked several times and held her head up as high as she could, holding her breath. As the pressure welled behind her eyes, she heard barking.

In the middle of the path in front of her was a very shaggy-looking gray dog. His eyebrow hair draped over his eyes, and the fur on his muzzle grew down past his mouth in a funny little mustache. People went around him a wide birth, making him seem like a little life raft in a sea of confusion. He barked again, looking in Lily’s direction.

She looked over her shoulder, expecting to see his owner there. All she found was the endless crowd. She turned back to the dog.

“Me?” she asked, as if the dog would answer.

In his own way, the dog did answer. He barked again, and spun around in a little circle. His tongue lolled from his mouth as he watched her.

She leaned down and pet him on his head. “I don’t suppose you know where track three is, do you?”

The shaggy dog barked excitedly, prancing in a circle, then sprinting ahead. He stopped, wagging his tail as if he expected her to follow. He barked again.

“... You do?”

Another bark in response.

Lily looked around. She didn’t know how any of this worked, but this dog definitely seemed to. Maybe he had some kind of sixth sense? She didn’t know.

“LAST TRAIN FOR MUFFLE MOUNTAIN DEPARTING NOW, FINAL CALL, MUFFLE MOUNTAIN.”

Lily gripped her bags tightly. She sprinted ahead to catch up with the little dog, employing the same tactics others had used on her to squeeze through the congested station. They had the audacity to look impatient with her, but Lily was determined not to lose sight of the dog.

He stopped at the boarding steps of a set of red coaches. Panting, Lily rested her hands on her knees.

“Is it that one?” she asked breathlessly.

He barked and raised a paw.

“Well... why not?” She scratched him behind his ears. “Thanks, doggy.”

He licked her hand and ran off back the way they had come. Lily raced onto the train and took her seat—just in time, too. The doors were closed, and the train blew its whistle. She hadn’t noticed it before, but the train was a steam engine... a real life steam engine. She had never actually seen one before in her life, and since she had been distracted with all her running, she technically still hadn’t.

The engine’s rhythmic chuffing began slow—chuffa, chuff... chuffa, chuff...—and progressively began picking up pace as the coaches behind it began rolling smoothly. Chuff-chuff-chuff, chuff-chuff-chuff...! An encouraging call-and-response as the lead engine slipped seamlessly over small imperfections in the tracks, the coaches following suit with the same soft bumps that traveled down the entirety of the train’s length. It was like they were singing the same song.

The journey to Muffle Mountain was a long one. In the past, she and her parents spent the hours-long journey playing games with each other such as “I spy”. Now, she was only left with her bluebird, and her... Her...

She rifled through her baggage. Favorite shirts, pants and shorts, a hairbrush, a toothbrush, and a bathing suit. That was all she put in her bag.

For the whole summer.

She slumped back in her seat.

Chapter Text

Lily was surrounded on all sides by businessmen (and women). Again. It was hardly any better than the station or the city streets, but at least everyone was seated where no one could bustle others aside. She listened in on nearby conversations:

“I need those reports faxed over by Monday—”

“She mostly got fifty bucks to get her to shut up. I was gonna give her a hundred, but then she started yelling about—”

“I just got new lights put up in the kitchen. We’ve been renovating, so—”

“I don’t care if she’s the manager! No woman should be bossing me around—”

Hm. Nothing worth caring about.

“it’s not my fault he walked in on me. And If mom’s gonna be mad about a little bit of making out and maybe some touching—”

Ew.

Lily turned and looked over the back of her seat at the rest of the busy coach. Newspaper, cell phones, and laptops in every seat behind, and in front. She envied them. She sat back in her seat and stared out the window at the countryside flying by. The train’s whistle echoed back as it passed over a level crossing. She pulled out Bluebird and stared at it at her side by the window.

I wish I was going literally anywhere else.

* * *

In the hours passing, passengers came and went, and soon the coach was almost empty. She had tried to remain vigilant, because she didn’t know which stop Muffle Mountain would be, but as the day waned, she began to worry that maybe she had missed it.

She clutched her bird and lifted its head above the windowsill as if it could actually see. The train was empty now. It was only her and her toy.

“ATTENTION, PASSENGERS. LAST STOP AHEAD. REPEAT, LAST STOP...”

She ran her fingers over its wings, then shuffled it back into her pocket. She began to gather her things.

“... LAST STOP, SHINING TIME STATION. LAST STOP, SHINING TIME STATION.”

Lily froze, and her chest went cold. Letting off steam, the train came to a stop, and she disembarked onto the deserted platform. No one else had ridden this far, and there was not a soul in sight.

She was alerted by a familiar barking. From behind her, appeared the same scruffy dog from before.

“You again?”

“Bark! Bark!”

He pranced to the double doors, windows decorated with stained glass panes, then turned back toward her, apparently waiting for her to approach. Her lip quivered, lump forming in her throat. She pushed the door open.

Stepping inside cautiously brought her into a small, wood-furnished lobby. Murals of modes of transportation, such as boats, cars, and of course, trains, covered the walls. Everything was polished and clean; clearly well-kept. In the corner of the room, an inactive jukebox sat, waiting for a nickel. Still, there was no one around.

She sat on a bench, back facing a mural of a steam engine coming into the station. The dog hopped up on the bench closest to her and stared.

“What? You lonely too? Why did you bring me here?” she demanded, voice beginning to crack. The dog didn’t answer. He pawed at the air.

“... And why did I listen to a stupid dog? I’m stupid. I’m so...”

A small whimper choked out of her. Finally, she began to cry. To think a dog would actually lead her onto the right train. Now she had no way home, no way to call, and no one to help. Tears rolled down her nose, mixing with her snot. Thinking about how foolish she was only made her cry harder. She only had herself to blame, really. Embarrassing. Now it was a good thing no one was around.

“Are you okay?”

In surprise, she glanced up, then quickly looked back down to hide her eyes. There was a now a man standing in front of her in the empty lobby. In the quick glimpse she caught of him, she had seen a very colorful outfit.

“Um, I'm...,” she sniffled. “I'm sorry... I didn't mean to be...” She paused. “... crying, I guess.” She wasn't sure what she was saying.

“I don't think most people mean to be sad,” said the man. “Where’s your mum? Da?”

Lily didn’t respond.

“Ohh, well... Cannae be helped, I suppose... Handkerchief?”

He began to hand her one colorful handkerchief... and then another. And another. Soon, a whole rope of handkerchiefs was coming out of his sleeve. Taken aback by the spectacle, Lily couldn’t help but laugh a little.

“Presto! There’s a smile, see? Here, take one,” he said.

Lily did as prompted and dried her eyes. Less ashamed, she took a real look at the man before her: a tall man in his mid-20s with frosted hair tips and a Hawaiian shirt. He had shiny sunglasses on top of his head, and he was wearing red pants. He was properly dressed for the weather, but not the location, and he certainly clashed against everything around him. His shoes were red too... Was he some kind of clown?

“Now, why are ye here by yourself—?” he began.

“Junior!” came a voice.

He whipped around. A woman briskly approached him, black hair neatly cropped just below her jawline and a stationmaster’s coat in a proud shade of red that gave Junior’s outfit a run for its money.

“What do you think you’re doing here?” she asked him.

“Ah...” He glanced at Lily, back to the woman, then back to Lily with a roguish look. “I was helping...” He gestured quickly.

“L... Lily,” Lily supplied.

“I was helping Lily, here,” he nodded with a sense of dignity. “A poor lost soul you overlooked in your station. That’s not really useful, is it?” The woman squinted at him, eyes of daggers.

“No, what are you doing here. In Shining Time. And...” She looked at Lily, hardened gaze turning to realization. “And you’re Lily?”

“... Yes?”

“Oh. I’m so sorry. I’m Stacy Jones, I’m manager here,” she explained. “Your grandpa called down here not too long ago. He’s very upset. You must have gotten on the wrong train.”

The dog barked. He looked very pleased with himself.

“... Somehow.” Stacy pursed her lips. “It seems you’ve met Mutt. He’s a very wonderful dog, but he has some ideas about things, don’t you, boy?”

Mutt looked down pawed at his snout. Then he got down from the bench and ran off around the corner.

Stacy drew a breath. “Well, no matter. Don’t worry, we can set things right. I’ll take you there myself.”

Lily flexed her fingers anxiously, grabbing her bag. “Really? Sorry, I didn’t mean to cause so much trouble.”

“It’s alright, it’s not your fault,” assured Stacy. “Right, Junior?”

He raised his hands in a display of surrender. “Sure. Well, if that’s all settled, then I’ll be on my way—”

“No,” said Stacy, sternly. “You’re coming with. Since you’re so talented with poor lost souls, you can stay and finish the job you should have already done.”

He sighed sharply through his nose, clearly not in position to argue. Lily furrowed her brows and followed Stacy to her car, a snazzy convertible that was also in a smart shade of red. She sat awkwardly in the passenger’s seat while Junior was relegated to the back, and once they were off, he casually rested his hands on the back of his head.

The surrounding area outside of Shining Time was lush and green this time of year, and there was plenty of farmland. Lily watched the world fly by again, this time by automobile, catching glimpses of cows with their growing calves eating grass.

“Stacy...,” began Lily, “What does Shining Time mean? Like, why is the town called that? I’ve never heard of a place called something like that.”

“Oh, well, that’s an old railwaymen’s saying. ‘Shining time’ is when the train starts and the wheels spin. It’s the start of a new journey,” she said. “Shining Time has relied on trains for a long time, just as much as our people and our farms.”

Junior yawned. “It’s a sleepy old place. Not much changes ‘round here. ‘S why they’re still running that old steam engine.”

“The Rainbow Sun is an important part of our station, and you know it,” responded Stacy.

“Nothing against her,” he added quickly. “She’s just old. She gets the work done, pulling cushy passenger trains.

“And hey...,” Junior continued, leaning forward, “So, Lily... you’re going to see ol’ Mr. Stone, are ye? Don’t envy ye.”

“Don’t be rude,” chided Stacy.

“No, he... he’s right. I don’t want to go,” Lily confessed.

“Why’s that?” asked Stacy.

“I just... don’t. I want to be at home, but my mom’s having a baby, so...”

“Well, that’s exciting, isn’t it?” coaxed Stacy with a smile. “Soon you’ll be a big sister and you’ll keep your grandpa company in the meantime. That’s a big deal.”

Lily hissed a quiet sigh and stared out over the countryside again.

* * *

They finally arrived at a crossroads where a little blue truck was waiting. This was where Stacy had agreed to meet Lily’s grandpa, and there he was, readjusting the ties in the truck’s bed. They pulled over and Stacy helped Lily grab her bag.

“Stacy, I’m a little nervous,” she said.

“Well, maybe your grandpa is too,” Stacy reassured. “It’s been a while since you’ve seen each other, hasn’t it?”

The last time she had seen him was actually quite a few months ago after the funeral, but Lily decided not to mention it.

Junior waved over his shoulder from the back seat. “Good luck.”

Stacy gently started to lead Lily toward her grandfather.

“Wait!” said Lily. She turned back toward Junior. “Um, Junior, I just wanna thank you for...”

But Junior was now nowhere in sight.

“Junior??”

“Oh, Junior...!” swore Stacy.

“W-where did he go??” asked Lily, disturbed.

“He...” Stacy faltered, a hint of frustration lingering. “He’ll be fine. Don’t worry, Lily. He probably just went to get some air. Come on, your grandpa’s waiting.”

As Stacy persuaded Lily away from the car, she couldn’t help but stare after the empty seat. They hadn’t even left him for five seconds, but now there was no trace of him. He had used magician tricks before, so maybe that was it. Still, it was a really good trick if so.

At the crossroads, Burnett was still tending to his truckbed, his lightly-gelled silver-blond hair keeping hold against the mild breeze. Despite their commotion, he had his back turned as if he hadn’t heard them at all.

“Hello, Burnett,” greeted Stacy.

“Stacy,” he regarded, turning to face them at last. He looked at Lily and nodded. “Hello, Lily.”

She waved uneasily. “Hi, Grandpa.”

There was a clumsy pause between the two parties during which both sides expected the other to either continue the conversation or get on with it. Stacy drew a breath as if she was going to say something, looking between Lily and Burnett.

“Well, have a good evening, Burnett,” Stacy nodded politely, handing him Lily’s backpack.

He nodded back. “Thanks. You too.”

“Stacy,” Lily called as she was walking back to her car. “Are you sure Junior will be alright?”

Stacy nodded. “He’ll be fine. In fact, maybe you’ll see him again, if you’d like to visit us again in Shining Time.” Raising her voice a bit, she called after Burnett, “If your grandpa will let you.”

Lily let her grandpa take her bag to the truck. He didn’t respond. She frowned and followed after him, climbing into the cab. As the two groups went their separate ways, Lily kept wondering about Junior.

After all... Stacy had driven away without waiting for him.

* * *

Burnett was characteristically silent on the drive to his secluded cottage. Lily was ready to not be traveling anymore, and she was eager enough to not be forced into more conversations, so she took the uncomfortable quiet with some reprieve. Still, as Lily settled into the cottage and dinner rolled around, the silence had to crack at some point... right?

It wasn’t as if her grandfather was completely mute. He had short utterances, “yes”es and “no”s in response to prompting, but on the whole, he wasn’t exactly leading conversation. That left Lily alone to study the living room while he prepared their meal. There was a cozy fire going in the fireplace, and the snugness of the house meant that the living room doubled as the dining room with a checkered cloth neatly set over a table. She had seen Burnett within the last year, but she had not been to her grandparents’ house since she was much younger. It was far more... dull than she remembered it being. Decades of soot from the fireplace had dirtied the walls significantly, leaving visible rectangular marks on the walls where picture frames had once been. Indeed, the only frames that remained on the wall were ones of nonspecific nature scenery. There was a decorative bushel of wheat and an old radio in the corner. Lily draped her coat and bag over the recliner in front of the TV.

With dinner plated, Lily sipped idly at a small cup of water in between bites of carrot and squash. The roasted chicken was nice and all, but it did nothing to alleviate the anxiety of an empty connection.

“Grandpa?” Introducing a question into the environment felt like shattering glass.

“Yes?”

“Don’t you like pictures anymore?” That was not how she intended that question to sound.

“No.” That was not how she expected that answer to sound.

“How come you don’t live in the valley? There’s a lot more people there, so...”

“I don’t like trains.”

Lily squinted in disbelief. “But the trains come to Muffle Mountain.”

“To the other side,” he said without lifting his gaze. “On this side, there’s neither sight nor sound of them.”

She picked at a carrot. “... Are you sure you don’t like trains, grandpa?”

Lily remembered, fuzzily, Grandma Tasha giving him train-themed items as gifts. Particularly, she remembered a Christmas morning involving a blanket her grandma had made with colorful trains printed all over it. And he used it... because it was Tasha who had made it.

“I’m sure,” he said. Lily sighed and slumped her shoulders.

He wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin and cleared their empty plates to the kitchen. Lily slinked off to retire to her prepared room for the night. There was nothing left for her to do, and she was exhausted anyway. One more minute in there might have driven her crazy, and she hoped against hope that the horrible miasma would not linger for the entire visit.

Otherwise, it was going to be a very long summer.