Thomas and Percy sat quietly, watching the sunset slowly turn to dusk. Percy was growing restless, and had something he desperately had to get off of him. Inside of his cab, like every engine's cab, was a small brass plate, held securely in place by two brass pins. On it was a date, which, in Percy's case, would hit in six months from the day. This plate was Percy's expiration date. Just like every engine, Percy and Thomas had expiration dates, the days on which they were predicted to die. Thomas and Percy were the only remaining members of the original steam team left. James had been around for quite a while, but a little less than a year before, he had finally given out, and was found passed on in a siding. It was just Thomas and Percy. New engines had come in and replaced everyone who'd gone. They were remnants of an older railway at this point. Percy finally huffed up the courage and looked to Thomas.
"Thomas, I need to tell you something," Percy said. "About our expiration dates, m-mine's coming up in a few months, and-and well, I'm just not ready to die yet!" Percy said. "I've barely seen anything, done anything, met anyone, and now I only have months left on this earth? It just isn't fair, I don't want to die!" Percy said, getting rather worked up. He sat breathing heavily, waiting in silence. Thomas didn't respond for a moment, and the air hung deathly quiet. Then Thomas' voice came.
"What's so bad about dying?"
Percy was rather confused by this, and huffed forwards a few feet.
"What are you going on about? Everything's bad about dying! Has your memory gone bad? I know you're old, but so am I!" Percy said. "You lose everything! You leave everyone you know behind, and I'm just not ready for that!"
"How are you not ready?" Thomas asked calmly. "You've got six months to be ready and live out your days happy and carefree, that's plenty of time. Isn't it?"
"Plenty of time? That's hardly any time at all! How am I supposed to feel content and happy with my life in six months before I lose it all?" Percy argued, going a little red in the face. Once more, Thomas was quiet for a moment, before a happy chuckle quietly escaped him. Percy didn't know how to react. "Wh-What's so funny? What are you laughing at?" Percy demanded to know. "Are you happy that I'm going to die? Is that funny to you? Is that it?"
"No, no, Percy, you misunderstand my meaning. Of course I'm not happy that you'll die, no one is ever happy when they remember that someday someone's going to die. That isn't what I was laughing about. I just think that you'll find that six months is more than enough time to feel content before you move on." Thomas explained.
"And how would you know that? I haven't heard a single word tell of your expiration date, so that means it's probably after mine. How would you know about something like that?" Percy said.
"My expiration date isn't after yours," Thomas said quietly.
"What?" Percy asked.
"It isn't." Thomas simply said again. "In fact, you want to know the truth about my expiration date, Percy? Why no one ever talks about it?" Thomas asked. Thomas had that glint in his eyes that he always got when he needed to say something. Even with age, that had never left him. Percy, now intrigued, nodded and sat quietly to listen.
"Percy, my expiration date hit over a year ago," Thomas said. Percy's eyes widened in disbelief.
"But, it can't have, that's impossible…" Percy mumbled.
"I know it is, driver thinks the overhaul I got extended it, and they just didn't update my plate," Thomas said. "But, Percy, if there's one thing I know for certain, it's that in that year, I've felt more than content. I've cheated death once; I don't want to do it again. I can feel it creeping in you know, I won't make it to sundown tomorrow, I'll be surprised if I make it through the night. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to worry you, but I've known for weeks. I'm fading away, Percy, and well, I'm not afraid of that anymore. I used to be. Used to be absolutely stricken with terror late at night when I couldn't get the thought out of my head that the clock was ticking. I couldn't get over the fact that my life had a time limit, but, having it extended, made me realize something. I was ready for death. I'm not stupid, I love being alive, but, once you've been alive long enough, you understand that you die for a reason. Nothing good lasts forever, and the best books have 'the end' written on the very last page. This is just my 'the end', and I accept that."
Percy sat in silence. The thought had never occurred to him. He didn't want to die, but…what would he do if he didn't? What could possibly make him happy if he knew his story never had a happy ending? If his story never ended, and instead just continued on and on until he'd done everything, met everyone, gone everywhere, and then what? What more could he gain once he'd gained everything? It almost seemed as if having everything made it seem more like having nothing. Percy sat in stunned silence and it finally dawned on him that he didn't need to obtain every goal he'd set for himself to be happy. It seemed as though his last days would be better spent enjoying them instead of rushing to do everything that he could until his days were up. For the first time in days Percy smiled.
But, Percy was saddened. His friend would be gone before the end of the week. It was one thing to prepare himself for his own death, but someone else's seemed unimaginable.
"I'm going to miss you, Thomas." Percy said, quietly. "I don't know what I'll do without you."
Thomas smiled softly, "Of course you'll miss me, Percy. But, you won't be without me. My legacy will live on some day. You'd be surprised at how much the smiling faces of the newer engines remind me of everyone who's gone before us. There'll be another of me, I'm certain." Thomas said, looking up at the graying sky. Stars had begun to peek through the curtain of clouds, and the moon gave an incandescent glow to the earth. "It's getting late, we should head back and get some rest now." Thomas said. Percy silently agreed and followed them back to the sheds as grass stalks rustled and crickets chirped softly.
The next morning, Percy woke up early. Not as early as Thomas though, as Thomas stayed outside the sheds, looking up at the clouds lazily drifting across the sky. Percy stoked up steam and rolled over.
"You made it through last night," Percy commented.
"Last night I'll ever sleep through. I forgot how beautiful the stars are when everything's still. I won't be here after sundown. I hope I'll get to see the last sunset though." Thomas said. Percy felt a twang of emotion, but didn't show it.
"I heard manager's sent for a new engine to replace you once you're gone." Percy said, almost mumbling.
"He has?" Thomas asked gently. "That'll be nice. They'll have an engine who can pull his cargo without creaking," Thomas chuckled. Percy tried to laugh along.
"Percy," Thomas said. Percy looked up. "I want you to do me one last favor. When that new engine is ready, tell him that I said for him to have a good life being the new number one. Can you do that for me?" Thomas asked.
"Of course I can, Thomas. I'll be sure to." Percy said. "But, I wanted to ask you something, what are you going to do in your last few hours today?" Thomas smiled and looked up at the blue sky and puffy white clouds.
"I'm pretty happy just watched these clouds. I think that's how I want to spend my day. Looking at clouds." Percy smiled, but felt a burn as tears came to his eyes.
"That's…That's a good way to spend them," Percy agreed, eyes teary. He sniffled and smiled. "The best way to spend them. Enjoy your day, Thomas." And Percy slowly huffed away, giving one last happy look at his best friend for life.
As Thomas had predicted, he made it only until the sunset had ended and the sun had settled behind the horizon. By the time the sky was dark, he was gone. Percy had cried, though he hadn't wanted to, and mourned his friend for a few days. Thomas was scrapped and a piece of his metal was put into a box with many other pieces from many other engines before him. The sheds were quiet for several days, and it didn't quite feel the same without Thomas happy face, but, in time, Percy did move on. Thomas' replacement, a new, spy young engine name Lewis had arrived and set to work straight away. For several months, Lewis went numberless, as Thomas' number wasn't used for a while for sentimental reasons. But eventually, Lewis did receive the famous number one on his side.
Six months after Thomas had gone, Percy's expiration date had arrived, and Percy sat staring at the sky, admiring the clouds more than he'd ever done before. Lewis, knowing what was to happen, sat crying beside him.
"Percy, I don't want you to go, I don't want you to go," Lewis had been repeating through his sobs. Percy smiled down at the poor little engine.
"Lewis, do you remember me mentioning how you were the new number one?" Percy asked.
"Y-Yes, of course I do," Lewis said.
"Well, the old number one, Thomas, before he passed on, he wanted me to tell you something."
"What is it, Percy?"
"Well, he wanted me to tell you to have a good life being the new number one, and to wear that number with pride." Lewis sniveled, but smiled a little. Something about Lewis, his smile, his laugh, his attitude, they all just seemed so familiar to Percy for some reason. Then, it hit him. Percy smiled. "Lewis, you…" Percy struggled to get the words out. "You're just like Thomas." Percy said. Percy went still only moments after that.
Lewis had sobbed heavily, and mourned for several days, but Percy's words had weighed on him. After many days, Lewis decided that he was going to wear his number with the pride of an empire and bring pride to both Percy and Thomas in his life. And off Lewis went to make his mark.