Lost Into the Past Chapter 10
#10 of Lost Into The Past || A Dinosaur Train Fanfiction
Chapter 10: The Suggestion
It was finally time. After days of relaxing, Mr. Conductor could say for certain that he was in tip-top shape and ready for conducting.
"Guess since I'm going back to conducting, I'll have to change back into my conducting attire." Mr. Conductor said to himself as he began looking for his work clothes. He could find his vest relatively easily, however his hat was nowhere to be seen. "Huh, where did my hat go...?" He muttered as he started looking for it.
As he was looking, he suddenly heard Nathan giggling, followed by him talking.
"Tickets please!" He heard Nathan exclaim.
Mr. Conductor laughed. "I think I found out where my hat went." He said to himself as he followed the sound of Nathan.
Sure enough, he saw the young troodon playing and wearing Mr. Conductors' hat. It seems he was pretending to be the dinosaur train conductor. Unsurprisingly, the hat was way too big for Nathan, he kept holding it up with one of his hands so he could see.
"Next stop, Apatosaurus Acres!" He announced. "Time tunnel approaching! Woaaaaaah!" He flopped onto his back and giggled, before quickly noticing Mr. Conductor. He immediately stood up and took the hat off. "U-Umm, h-hi Mr. Conductor! I uhhh... I found your hat!" He exclaimed, smiling nervously. Mr. Conductor chuckled and took his hat, before putting it back on Nathan.
"Why hello there, 'Mr. Conductor'! You have such a lovely train that you're running here!" Mr. Conductor said, playing along with Nathan for a bit.
Nathan smiled brightly and nodded. "Yeah! The dinosaur train can only be ran by the finest of conductors! Everything must be kept in tip-top shape, and I must also make sure that my passengers are always happy!" He exclaimed.
"And you seem to be doing a fantastic job!" Mr. Conductor said.
"Why thank you! I appreciate the compliment, sir!" He exclaimed, letting out a child-like giggle.
After a few more minutes of playing, Mr. Conductor knelt down. "I know we're havin' fun n all, but I would like my hat back. After all, today is when I start conducting again!" He said, his smile getting wider. Nathan nodded and took the conductor hat off before handing it to Mr. Conductor.
"It's great to see you're finally ready to work again! You're such an amazing conductor after all!" Nathan exclaimed, bouncing up and down a little in excitement.
"Thank you, Nathan! It makes me happy hearing that!" He said, smiling as he took off his casual attire and started to change into his Conductor uniform. He looked happy putting the old vest back on as he put his pocket watch back in his pocket. He then put his hat on, adjusting it slightly so it looked nice as he gave a bright smile. "How do I look?" He asked.
"Like the best conductor in the entire mesozoic!" Nathan exclaimed in response. Mr. Conductor felt a little embarrassed hearing a compliment like that directed towards him.
"Oh- uh- well, I-I wouldn't go that far." Mr. Conductor said, stumbling over his words a bit.
"You're being too modest!" Nathan insisted, stomping his foot lightly and pouting a little. "Anyone can see that you're one of; if not the BEST conductor there ever is!"
"Well I'm flattered that you think that, Nathan." Mr. Conductor said. "Anyways, it's about time we head to the station. You ready to go?" He asked.
"Mhm! Let's go!" Nathan exclaimed, hopping up and down. Mr. Conductor took his hand and soon started walking out and heading to the train station.
As the train pulled in, Mrs. Conductor stepped out and greeted the two troodon with a smile. "Hello you two!" She exclaimed, glancing at Mr. Conductor. "And look at you, sonny boy! Back in your old attire again! And you're looking better than ever!" She exclaimed.
"That's right, mother. I'm ready to start conducting again, and I'm quite excited to get back into it!" Mr. Conductor exclaimed with a smile. As he was about to board the train with Nathan, he heard a familiar voice from behind him.
"Well, well! Back to conducting I see, ey Sonny boy?" Mr. Conductor rolled his eyes and turned around, now face to face with Thurston.
"Hello, Thurstron..." He said, folding his arms. "Yes, I'm back to conducting."
"And here I thought you were tired of that old, rusty, dinosaur train." Thurston replied, laughing a bit. Mr. Conductor stammered a bit in response.
"O-Old?! R-Rusty?!" He shouted a little, getting visibly mad at Thurston's comments. "I'll have you know that the dinosaur train is in tip-top shape!" He exclaimed. "Is that all you wanted to say, Thurston?" He asked, growing impatient.
"No, actually. I came because I had a, well, let's call it a... Suggestion for you regarding your continuation of conducting." He began. This piqued Mr. Conductor's interest when he heard this.
"A... Suggestion...?" Mr. Conductor asked in confusion.
"Perhaps it's best if you... *ahem* How do I put this." Thurston was beating around the bush, his smug demeanor never leaving him. "Perhaps leave Nathan in Troodon Town while you adjust to being a conductor again? Hm?" He said. Mr. Conductor's eyes widened at the suggestion.
"That's a horrible idea! Nathan needs someone to take care of him! That's why he's coming back on the train!" He exclaimed, seemingly insulted at the suggestion.
"I knew you'd say that. Which is why I had an idea to help remedy that issue." Thurston continued. "Perhaps I could... Take him off your hands for awhile." He added. Mr. Conductor looked even MORE shocked at the idea.
"Absolutely NOT!" He yelled. "Thurston, there are a lot of things I'm... Reluctantly willing to let you get away with, but THIS is not one of them! Besides, I have mother here to keep an eye on him!" He exclaimed as he looked towards Mrs. Conductor. "Right, mother?"
Mrs. Conductor was deeply thinking about Thurston's suggestion though. "Actually, I personally think it's a good idea!" She said, giving a toothy smile. Mr. Conductor was floored by this.
"M-Mother! You can't be serious!"
Mrs. Conductor looked him dead in the eye. "I am!" She exclaimed.
"But...!"
"Now, Sonny boy. I know you're concerned, but I think this could be a good thing. If Nathan isn't here, you can focus more on running the train." She explained, then she muttered to him. "Plus, I think it'll be a great lesson in responsibility for Thurston." She added. Mr. Conductor was speechless.
"B-But, what about Nathan? Does HE want to stay in Troodon Town with Thurston? I doubt it! He LOVES the dinosaur train after all." Mr. Conductor countered. Mrs. Conductor looked towards Nathan.
"What do you think, Nathan? Are you okay with staying in Troodon Town for a little while?" She asked. Nathan narrowed his eyes slightly as he thought about it. Sure, he didn't really enjoy Thurston's attitude, but... Mr. Conductor also needed to get back into the swing of things... For the sake of Mr. Conductor, he was willing to put up with Thurston.
'U-Umm... I'm okay with it...!" Nathan replied, staring up at Mrs. Conductor.
"R...Really...?!" Mr. Conductor asked.
"Mhm! I think it'll be for the best. You'll be able to focus more, and you won't have me to distract you." Nathan replied, putting his hands behind his back and looking at his foot as he dragged it around in circles.
"You... Really think you'll be a distraction...?" Mr. Conductor asked, narrowing his eyes. "But I don't think you're a distraction! You don't have anything to worry about with that!"
"Even if you don't think it, I do... I'll just be a hindrance to your work." Nathan replied. He couldn't help but self-deprecate himself a little, it was a bit of a habit...
"Don't say that, Nathan!" Mr. Conductor exclaimed, kneeling down. "You're anything but a hindrance!"
Nathan looked at Mr. Conductor and smiled. "I'm glad you think that, Mr. Conductor. But I still think it's better if you let me stay with Thurston..." He said. Then he gave him a bright smile to try and reassure him. "I'll be fine!" He exclaimed.
Mr. Conductor looked extremely reluctant, but he sighed in defeat. "A...Alright..." He said hesitantly, giving Nathan a hug. "I won't be gone forever, I promise..." He said as he pulled out and stood up straight, before looking to Thurston and stepping up to him. "Listen here, Thurston..." He began, putting a finger on Thurston's chest and poking it as he spoke. "If I find out that Nathan's been hurt, gone missing, or worse..." His pupils turned into small slits as he spoke, he looked dead serious. "Well, I'm sure you don't wanna know what happens next..." He said. Mrs. Conductor grabbed Mr. Conductor's shoulder in response to seeing this.
"Sonny boy..." She said. Mr. Conductor took a deep breath as his eyes returned to normal. Thurston gulped just a little and laughed nervously.
"D-Don't worry! No problems will arise while he's under my care! I can promise you that!" He exclaimed nervously. Mr. Conductor simply nodded as he boarded the train.
"Have fun, Nathan. And stay out of trouble!" Mrs. Conductor exclaimed as she followed Mr. Conductor.
"I will! Bye!" Nathan exclaimed as he waved.
Mrs. Conductor nodded as she announced "All Aboard!" Then the train started chugging off. As they left the station, Mrs. Conductor turned her attention to Mr. Conductor. "Sonny boy, what was that all about? I've never seen you act so aggressively towards anyone before, much less threatening someone." She said, folding her arms, she seemed to be a little peeved. Mr. Conductor looked away and sighed.
"Sorry, mother..." He apologized. "I don't know what came over me... When Nathan said what he said back there, and knowing he'd be under Thurston's care... I don't know, I guess I started feeling... Worried." He looked disappointed in himself to say the least. Mrs. Conductor narrowed her eyes and patted his shoulder.
"Aww, chin up, Sonny boy. You're just being protective over Nathan is all... Although you could do with toning that down a little." She said. "There is such a thing as being protective, and being overprotective." She added.
"I know, I know..." Mr. Conductor said with a sigh.
"Y'know, you keep saying that you won't be a good father... But I think what happened proves otherwise." Mrs. Conductor said, giving him a quick hug. "I think you'll be a wonderful father, Sonny boy."
"Thanks, Mom..." Mr. Conductor said, smiling a bit as he hugged her back.
"Now then..." She pulled out from the hug and gave a toothy grin. "This train isn't gonna conduct itself, is it?" She asked. Mr. Conductor laughed a bit.
"I suppose it isn't." He said as he stood up straight, a look of confidence on his face. "Let's get to conducting!" He exclaimed.
As Nathan watched the train chug away, he looked back up to Thurston. "So, uhh... Why exactly did you decide to take care of me...?" He asked.
"Oh, y'know... Sonny boy and I are SUCH close pals and all...! I thought I'd be nice and... Y'know, give him a break and... All that..." Thurston replied, seemingly making up his excuse as he spoke.
"I... See?" Nathan said, tilting his head a bit in confusion.
"Anyways!" Thurston exclaimed, changing the subject quickly. "What say I give you a tour of my *ahem* clearly superior Rocket Train!" He muttered something under his breath as he spoke, but Nathan caught it relatively easily, he chose not to say anything though. "Come on! Tooooo the rocket train!" He exclaimed in a bombastic tone as he took Nathan's hand and started walking off with a smug look on his face.
"O-Okay...!" Nathan replied as he followed. As they walked, Nathan was deep in thought. So far, he wasn't particularly enjoying his stay yet, but... Thurston wasn't TOO unbearable...
"Heh... Taking care of Nathan will be easy..." Thurston said to himself, although he wasn't doing a good job at muttering, as Nathan could hear him.
I see... Mr. Cocky, eh? Nathan thought to himself. Thurston clearly didn't have any idea as to what goes into taking care of a child... Usually Nathan was well behaved, he didn't wanna cause any headaches... But in this case, he almost felt tempted to... _This may damage my pride slightly... But I think I need to teach Thurston a lesson in responsibility... _He thought, smirking just a little. He looked back up at Thurston as his smirk disappeared. "...Are we there yet?" He asked. Thurston looked down.
"Not yet." He said. Nathan waited a moment.
"...Are we there yet?" He asked. Thurston looked right back to Nathan.
"Not yet..." He replied, already getting a little annoyed. Nathan waiting another moment.
"...Are we there-" He was interrupted by Thurston.
"No we are not there yet, I will tell you when we're there, so please... Stop. Asking." He said in annoyance, already fed up with Nathan.
_Well that was fast... _Nathan thought to himself.
It didn't take long for them to get to the rocket train. Currently it was sitting in the roundhouse. "Now we're here." Thurston told Nathan. "You're quite the lucky troodon, y'know. I just had the rocket train cleaned, and maintenance was performed on it not too long ago! Therefore, the rocket train is in perfect working order!" He exclaimed as he opened the door to the rocket train. "Care to take a look around?" He offered. Nathan stepped into the rocket train and explored it. Everything felt more modern compared to the dinosaur train. Nathan didn't exactly hate it, however he always preferred the older more rustic look of the steam engine trains. "Well? What do you think now that you've seen the inside? Hm?" He asked, awaiting Nathan's answer.
"It IS pretty nice in here..." Nathan admitted, he sat down in one of the seats. "The seats are nice too..." He added.
"Of course! Only the best for the rocket train, after all!" He exclaimed. "What say I take you on a little ride around the mesozoic?" He said as he walked over to the controls of the train.
"Well..." Nathan pondered for a bit. "I-If you're offering, I guess..." He said.
"Excellent!" Thurston exclaimed as he started the train and they started chugging along relatively quickly. Nathan wasn't expecting the sudden take off, but he managed to recover relatively quickly. "I do hope you enjoy yourself!" He added.
"O-Okay..." He said. Slowly, he hopped out of his seat while Thurston was driving the train. He walked over in curiosity and noticed there was a lever that was just in his reach, he knew that was the speed control... And he told himself he'd be an annoying child.
Nathan walked up closer and reached for the lever. "What's this do?" He asked as he pulled it downwards. The rocket train started to screech to a halt, the sudden unexpectedness of it caused Thurston to nearly fall forward. He pulled Nathan's hand away and pushed the lever back up.
"T-That's the speed control..." He replied once he recovered.
"S-Sorry..." Nathan apologized, twiddling his thumbs a little and looking down. Although on the inside, he was laughing.
"I-It's fine..." Thurston said, taking a few deep breaths from that sudden stop. "You were just curious is all..." He seemed to be quite lenient. Which wasn't really good when it came to taking care of a kid. Sure, you CAN be lenient, but there's only so much freedom you should give a child, especially a young one... That's what Nathan thought anyways.
"So, where are we going?" Nathan asked, tilting his head.
"Wherever you'd like! We'll be able to get there in a flash with the rocket train!" Thurston exclaimed, smiling smugly.
"If we aren't going anywhere in particular..." He sat back down at a seat and started staring out the window. "Then I just wanna watch the scenery go by." He said. Things were moving faster than Nathan would've liked, but he still enjoyed watching the scenery pass by.
Thurston looked surprised. "Really...?" He asked. "Just watching the scenery go by?"
"Mhm." Nathan replied.
"But, you're on the fastest train in the mesozoic! Surely there must be somewhere you'd like to go!" Thurston said.
"Hmm..." Nathan gasped when he thought of something. "I've always wanted to see a fully grown brachiosaurus up close!" He exclaimed.
"Ahhh, Brachiosaurus Gardens. Excellent choice!" Thurston stopped for a moment as he looked at Nathan. "...Noah..." He guessed his name.
"Nathan." He corrected Thurston.
"Right, right! Of course! Nathan!" He exclaimed. "Next stop, Brachiosaurus Gardens Station!" Thurston announced as he piloted the train full speed ahead.
"Maybe we could even get off the train and look around!" Nathan added excitedly, bouncing up and down.
Thurston shook his head however. "As the conductor, I can't just leave the train unattended! I have to make sure everything's running!" He exclaimed. "We'd have to do the sightseeing from the rocket train!"
Nathan's smile fell when he heard that. "Oh..." He replied, looking down sadly. Secretly trying to guilt trip Thurston.
He glanced over to Nathan, then glanced away, a nervous look on his face. Nathan started staring up at him. "...don't give me that look." He said, narrowing his eyes a little. After a moment, he groaned slightly. "O-Okay, okay! We'll take a look around for a few minutes! Just please stop staring at me like that!" He exclaimed. Nathan cheered happily in response.
"Brachiosaurus Gardens Station! In the Jurassic time period!" Thurston announced as they pulled into the station. Nathan was waiting at the train door for when they came to a full stop. Thurston glanced over to Nathan. "Excited, are we?" He asked. Nathan nodded in response. Once they came to a stop, Thurston walked over. "Well, don't worry about containing your excitement any longer!" He exclaimed as he opened the train door up. Nathan ran out and looked around the scenery. Thurston followed after him, looking around the area for a bit before he started speaking again. "Okay, now that we've looked around, what say we get back on the train and go somewhere else, hm?" He asked. Nathan looked back at Thurston in surprise.
"But you said we could explore for a few minutes!" He replied, folding his arms and pouting a little.
"Correction; I said we could look around, I didn't say anything about exploring." Thurston said, placing a hand on his hip as he spoke. "I already said I need to remain with the rocket train, so we aren't leaving the station." He added, glancing back at the train for a moment. "I do hope you understand." He said as he turned his head back. But Nathan wasn't there... It took about five seconds for this fact to set in. When it finally did set in, he just rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Great... Now I have to look for him... This is such a hassle..." He said with a sigh as he started to walk off. "Well, he couldn't have gotten too far. I doubt I have anything to worry about." He said to himself as he began the search.
About ten minutes have passed, so far Thurston had no luck in finding Nathan. He sighed for a moment as he looked around. "Where in the mesozoic is that troodon...?!" He asked in annoyance, scanning the area as he walked. He should've just kept him in the train, that way he couldn't have left his sight, and he wouldn't have to worry about this.
As time went on, he was starting to get a little concerned when he didn't find anything. "I hope that the dinosaur train doesn't stop by the station while I'm looking..." He muttered, shuddering slightly as he thought back to what Mr. Conductor said to him. "I'd rather not think about what he might do to me if he finds out I lost track of Nathan..." He added, the once confident troodon having a complete change in demeanor. His confidence was completely gone. "Crud, what was his name again...?!" He muttered. "Nick? No, that wasn't it... It started with an N... Ne...na...Nate...? Nathan? Nathan!" He said, finally remember Nathan's name. "Nathan!" He called out
Nathan was actually hiding in a bush nearby, watching as Thurston looked around. He was giggling to himself quietly. _Never underestimate kids, Thurston... Ever. _He thought to himself. After a couple more minutes of Thurston calling out for Nathan, he came out from the bushes. "Yes, Mr. Thurston?" He asked. Thurston looked over, looking relieved as he rushed over and kneeled down.
"Nathan! There you are!' He exclaimed. "Where on earth were you?!" He asked.
"I was exploring!" Nathan exclaimed, smiling innocently
"But I said we weren't going to explore!"
Nathan looked down. "Sorry..." He said, putting on a guilty face. Thurston sighed and stood up.
"Well, it doesn't matter now. C'mon, let's go back to the rocket train, okay?" He said.
"Can we please go see a brachiosaurus first? Pleaaaaaaase?' Nathan begged. But Thurston shook his head.
"I said no, Nathan. We can't waste time wandering around like this, especially after the stunt you pulled." Thurston said. "Now come on, let's get back to the rocket train." He said, folding his arms.
Nathan kind of expected that, but he was still disappointed. He sighed and nodded. "Okay..." He said. Thurston started walking ahead with Nathan following closely behind.
Once they got back to the rocket train, they were chugging along again at a standard pace. At least, standard for the rocket train.
Nathan was just looking out a window, watching the scenery pass by. He kinda missed the dinosaur train to be honest. It was pretty much a second home to him. Especially since he'd slept on the train ever since he arrived in prehistoric times.
Lately he'd been ignoring his adult side, since it caused him stress to worry about it. He did enjoy embracing his new child side, it was definitely a lot of fun, and it helped Nathan relieve stress more. But he didn't outright forget his old life... And he most definitely didn't forget the choice he had to make. But he didn't wanna worry about that right now.
While he was staring out the window, Thurston came up to him. "So, Nathan!" He began, his usual enthusiastic, yet smug demeanor. "Now that you've had time to be on the one and only rocket train! What do you think of it? Hm?" He asked. Nathan was a bit taken aback by his question.
"W-Well... My opinion hasn't changed... It's nice n all, but it doesn't hold a candle to the dinosaur train, in my opinion..." He said. For a second, Thurston's expression was that of jealousy. But It he also looked... Hurt by that
"Is that so...?" He asked. Nathan simply nodded. "I... See..." He looked away for a moment and sighed. "Well... Alright then...", He said as he went back to the controls. "We're heading back to Troodon Town now." He said. Nathan nodded slightly.
The rest of the ride was... Silent. All Nathan heard was the sound of the train. It was awkward to say the least.
Once they made it back to Troodon Town, Thurston brought the rocket train back to the roundhouse, once it came to the stop, he exited the train with Nathan following behind him. "...Mr. Thurston? Are you alright?" Nathan asked.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine..." He said. "Come along, let me show you to my house..." He added as he started walking ahead. Nathan slowly followed him from behind.
As they walked, Nathan narrowed his eyes at Thurston. His usual demeanor is gone, replaced with a more sulky one.
Soon they approached what appeared to be Thurston's home. He slowly opened the door. "Come in, make yourself at home, and all that." He said. Nathan walked inside and looked around. It was a pretty simple house, nothing too spectacular. Things were tidy and organized.
"You have a nice home, Mr. Thurston." Nathan said. Thurston just nodded as he closed the door and took off his conductor attire, putting on a more simple casual attire. Much like Mr. Conductor, he had a more casual vest, except it was a nice soft blue and looked more modern in comparison to the Mr. Conductor's.
Thurston sat down on his couch and sighed a bit. Nathan climbed onto the couch and looked at Thurston. "Okay, what's wrong?" He asked.
"Nothing's wrong." Thurston replied. Nathan folded his arms in response.
"You've started acting like this ever since I told you that I prefer the dinosaur train, what gives?" Nathan asked again. Folding his arms.
Thurston just got up and folded his arms. "It's nothing, really." He said. "I'm going to go take a nap, don't bother me." He said as he walked off to presumably his bedroom. Leaving Nathan to himself.
Nathan felt bad now. "Guess what I said put him in a bad mood..." He muttered. "Maybe I should start being nicer to him..." He added. He slowly and quietly followed after Thurston, poking his head into the room. Thurston was already laying in bed with his eyes closed, he seemed to have fallen asleep pretty quickly. Nathan walked over and climbed into bed with Thurston, he laid down next to him and snuggled in close. "I'm sorry..." He genuinely apologized. Nathan slowly shut his eyes and joined Thurston in his nap, hoping that by the time Thurston woke up, he'd feel better.
Chapter 10 has been complete! Wow I actually got it done in three months! Holy crap!
I honestly really started liking Thurston after the newest movie came out, so I wanted to take him and try to make him actually likable. I mean, we don't know much about him beyond his few appearances to begin with, so I feel I have a lot of leeway on this!
Anyways, that's all I have to say! See you guys next chapter!
This is Robert! Signing off!~