One day, at the Human Village terminus, the engines were working hard. Hiroto was getting ready for his express, when Akira stopped by.
"What's got you so down?" asked Akira.
"Its the state of Japan's railways." replied Hiroto.
"Why's that?"
"Its a rumor I've heard."
"A rumor? What's the rumor about"
"Nothing you should be concerned about." said Hiroto, sadly, "Besides I got some work to do."
Hiroto backed down on his coaches, he saw the Scarlet Controller standing nearyby.
"Excuse me, Remilia?" said Hiroto, calling the Scarlet Controller by her name.
She was taken aback, "Hiroto? What's going on?"
"Is it true sir? That they've abolished steam?" asked Hiroto.
"Yes, Hiroto. None of the JR companies run steam engines anymore."
"Is it also true? That western engines are bigger than us and have more tenders than us, because they are more important?"
The Scarlet Controller glanced around, she then asked "British or American?"
"Both."
"Well American engines are big because they reflect the fact that their country is generally fat and lazy and full of themselves. As for British locomotives, they just spend millions of their own currency on owning a engine that would inevitably bankrupt them in the end."
Hiroto was surprised, before he could respond, the guard blew his whistle and Hiroto set off. The next time Hiroto came back, he rested on a siding by Ahiru and Kenta and told them what the Scarlet Controller.
"My driver told me of a western engine." began Kenta, "That has two tenders!"
"What cheek! What does he think he is? He's a glutton!" said Hiroto, secretly, he was jealous.
Ahiru watched the two engines bicker about engines from halfway across the world, finally he said something to Kenta. "Kenta? I think I might have something that might interest you."
"What would that be?" asked Kenta.
"We'll talk about it, later."
Ahiru left to pick up his next train for his branchline. Ahiru's driver heard the conversation and wondered what he was going to do.
"Ahiru? What do you intend on doing with Kenta?" she asked.
"Driver? Do you think we can pick something up from the works?"
"What are picking up from the works?"
"Oh, just those things they empty the boiler sludge into." Ahiru then told his driver the plan.
The next time Ahiru met Kenta was at the sheds.
"So? What do you want to talk to me about?" said Kenta.
"So you want to be just as important as those engines from the west?"
Kenta looked from side to side, then whispered to Ahiru, "Yes."
"Great, I have several tenders that I would want to give you."
"What does a tank engine have to do with tenders?"
"So you don't want them? Hachirou, do you want my tenders?"
Hachirou was in the next berth to Ahiru's right, "Sure? Why not!" he yawned.
"Fine. Fine. I'll take them!" said Kenta.
Throughout the next day, Kenta asked Ahiru if the tenders were ready.
"Not yet." Ahiru would always say.
It took several days, but finally it was time for Kenta to have his additional tenders. All the engines waited at the big station, Ahiru went down the line and following not too far behind was Kenta. But Kenta wasn't happy, he was pulling a line of very old and very dirty tenders filled to the brim with boiler sludge.
"Have a good washout!" called a voice, "Then you'll feel like a different engine!"
Kenta wasn't sure, but he thinks that the voice might have been Hiroto's.
