Toby's Traditions

Toby's Traditions is the fifteenth episode of Sodor High School: Thomas and Friends Tales.
==Synopsis==
Toby tells his friends the story of when one of his brothers took one too many risks one Christmas long past.
==Plot==
It's Christmas morning on Sodor and in the Brighton home, Thomas, Annie, Clarabel, and Emily have received and opened their presents from the Brighton siblings' parents in addition to Emily having some from her own. After Thomas comforts Emily over missing her parents with a hug, everyone cleans up to prepare for their friends visiting later in the day. Around noon, Gordon, Henry, James, Percy, and Toby arrive, most of them sporting new winter jackets or Christmas sweaters while Toby wore an old jacket and was carrying a bell. He explains to a curious Emily that they're old family heirlooms, the children in his family always wearing the jacket on Christmas day, with the bell being his way of announcing to everyone it's Christmas. He started his tradition back when his family lived in East Anglia, where his Father worked on an old tramway before it closed. He then begins to tell a story...
10 years ago Christmas day in East Anglia, Toby and his brothers Jimmy and Marcus try out their new snow sleds on the hill just outside of their house. Toby and Jimmy were having fun, but Marcus isn't impressed and wants to find a bigger hill to go down, the tallest hill in East Anglia if possible. Toby attempts to get him to abandon this idea, Marcus remains stubborn until Toby suggests building ramps as a compromise, which he stubbornly agrees to. While Toby and Jimmy are pleased and have fun with the ramps, Marcus thinks it's lame and voices his desire to slide down a big hill, both of his brothers knowing they have to keep an eye on him so he doesn't do such a thing.
After multiple failed attempts to escae from their yard, Marcus finally succeeds when the boys' younger sister Flora comes outside asking if she can play with them. Toby sends Flora inside to warn their parents while he and Jimmy run to catch Marcus, finding him at top of the tallest hill in East Anglia. They try to get Marcus to see sense as the rest of the family arrive, but Marcus begins sliding down believing he knows best. While he manages to avoid many obstacles, he is unable to dodge a giant rock in his path and hits it at top speed, bouncing the rest of the way down on several bumps and small rocks. Marcus comes to a stop at the bottom of the hill, and as expected, he was badly hurt.
Mr. Holden takes him to the hospital and an hour later, he returns to tell his family that Marcus is okay but will be laid up the the hospital for the next few days. Everyone decides to go see him, so they get into the car and head to the hospital. When they arrive, they find Marcus bruised all over with a black eye and a cast on his right leg. Toby angrily calls him out for never thinking things through before storming out of the room and Jimmy tells Marcus he should've listened to Toby earlier.
Back in the present, Emily is surprised that Toby actually got angry and yelled at someone and asks if Marcus still takes risks like that today. Toby says he doesn't and continues telling the story of how Marcus learned his lesson...
An hour later, young Toby comes back into Marcus' room after calming down to find Marcus alone since the rest of their family went to the cafeteria. Marcus concedes that Toby was right and he let his need for excitement overshadow his common sense: now he just wishes he was back in their yard going down their hill. Toby agrees to do that once he's discharged and they celebrate by ringing their bells. Nowadays, Marcus never tried to take risks again; rather, he actually prevents risks from happening, often using the story of his downhill run as an example to tell other kids and teenagers in hopes of preventing accidents like that from happening again.
Having finished the story, Toby caps things off by telling Emily that Marcus is spending the day with Jimmy snowboarding down a small hill not too far from their house which has become another tradition for them.
A little later, Emily finds Percy, James, Annie, and Toby roasting marshmallows in the fireplace which used to be one of her traditions as a young girl. Annie mentions that everyone does that and she, Clarabel, Thomas have been doing that since they were young. Emily asks where Thomas is and Toby says he's building a snowman with the Clarabel: Emily decides to join in on the fun and heads outside. They spend the next seven minutes working on it and when they complete it, everyone admires their work. Emily is happy with it at first, but starts to cry and runs inside, Thomas going after her.
Thomas finds Emily in her room crying on her bed because she misses her parents so much, and he embraces her until she stops crying before leading her back downstairs. They find everyone waiting for them and after Emily assures them she's okay, she decides to tell Gordon, Henry, and Toby the truth about her. After she's done, the three of them promise to keep her secret before everyone goes to eat dinner.
After dinner, Gordon, Henry, and James all leave for home while Percy and Toby stay to help clean up and talk for a bit until they also left. Thomas and Emily are then surprised to find themselves under the mistletoe which Annie and Clarabel are implied to have hung. Both teens kiss each other's right cheeks before Emily heads off to bed while Thomas turns off the Christmas lights outside. He heads upstairs and checks on Emily, finding her already asleep. Thomas smiles and promises her he'll always be there for her.
==Characters==
* Thomas
* Emily
* Percy
* James
* Gordon 
* Henry
* Toby
* The Brighton family
** Dalton (mentioned)
** Andrea (mentioned)
** Annie and Clarabel
* The Holden family
** Flora (Debut; flashback)
** Mr. Holden (Debut; flashback)
** Mrs. Holden (Debut; flashback)
** Jimmy (Debut; flashback)
** Marcus (Debut; flashback)
* Sir Topham Hatt (mentioned)
* Diesel 10 (mentioned)
* Lady Hatt (mentioned)
* Mrs. Avonside (mentioned)
* Mrs. Stanier (mentiomed)
==Cast==
==Trivia==
* This serves as the Christmas episode of the series.
* Edward is the only "Steam Team" member to not appear in this episode.
* Emily tells Henry, Gordon and Toby the truth about herself being the daughter of Sir Topham Hatt.
== Goofs ==
* The Brighton household is called the "Billington" household in the beginning.
Category:Thomas and Friends
Category:Sodor High School
Category:Episodes
Category:Fan Fiction