The following morning, Edward and Percy met the Fat Controller in the yards by the big station. As they arrived, they heard a whistle.

"Peep peep! Hello everyone!" In puffed a blue tank engine that Percy had never seen before.

"Hello, Thomas! Long time no see!" Laughed Edward. Thomas smiled at his old friend.

"Yes indeed, Edward. And you," Thomas looked at the little green tank engine, who looked rather uneasy, "I've heard that you've been giving the big engines a run for their money. Good on you!" Percy gave a small smile.

"Thanks. My name's Percy." The little engine said, and Thomas smiled back.

"Well, its great to meet you, Percy." Thomas grinned.

"Settle down, engines," said the Fat Controller, "Seeing as Gordon, James, and Henry are in the sheds, I'll be rearranging your duties. Edward, you and Thomas will manage main-line trains, and Percy, you'll run the branch line." Both Thomas and Percy were surprised.

"Sir?" Thomas said, "Why can't I run my branch line and Percy pull main-line trains?"

"Percy can't hold as much water as you, Thomas. And besides, I'm sure Annie and Clarabel will be able to teach him to pull trains if the need arises when things are back to normal." The Fat Controller smiled, "And besides, I'll still have you down there to check on him seeing as your managing Henry's service, which stops at Elsbridge."

Thomas looked down, worried. But he gave a small smile.

"Yes, sir." Thomas said softly. The Fat Controller smiled back at him.

"Excellent. Services have been temporarily closed other than the express, which I trust you with at the moment Edward. Thomas, I want you to double-head a train with Percy along the line. Show him the ropes."

"Yes, sir." Thomas said. He looked at Percy.

"Come on, Percy. We have a train to pull!" He said and puffed off proudly. Percy was impressed.

"Wow…" he said, and followed after Thomas.


Thomas and Percy soon arrived at the carriage shed. Annie and Clarabel were there.

"Hello, Thomas! Who's this dashing young engine you have with you?" Annie asked. Thomas grinned.

"This is Percy. Percy, these two are Annie and Clarabel. They're my coaches. You're going to work with them while you run my branch line." Percy gave a shy smile.

"Hello…" Percy said quietly. Annie and Clarabel, however, were curious.

"Why's Percy running your branch line, Thomas?" Asked Clarabel.

"The big engines were being silly and now the Fat Controller's locked them up in the sheds," Thomas explained, "So the Fat Controller is having Edward and I run main line trains, and Percy will be running the branch line."

"Well, he better do a good job!" Annie scoffed.

"It'd be hard to beat you, Thomas." Clarabel said. Percy looked nervous. Thomas grinned.

"No pressure, Percy. Come on, I can't wait to show you my line!"

The two engines collected the coaches and started off.


Percy absolutely loved Thomas' branch line. He loved the grass and trees; it was much closer to nature than the industrial environments he was used to. He and Thomas passed by a river with Annie and Clarabel.

"Which river is this, Thomas?" Percy asked.

"That's the Hackenbeck Stream, Percy." Thomas said, but then he frowned. "Oh no, that means Terence is near here…"

As if on cue, the orange tractor rolled up alongside on the road.

"Hallo, Thomas! And who's this little engine you have with you?" Terence asked.

"This is Percy," Thomas grunted, "He's going to be working here for a while, Terence."

"Great!" Grinned Terence, "still wonderful to have someone around!" Thomas cut the conversation short by speeding up.

"I don't get why you don't like him, Thomas." Annie said, "He's just being friendly!"

"He thinks he's better than me." Thomas grumbled.

"W-w-well he isn't!" Percy said, before Annie and Clarabel could say anything. Thomas was surprised.

"Thanks, Percy." Thomas' closest friend was Edward, but Percy had a lot in common with Thomas.

By the time they reached the junction at the top of Thomas' line, the two engines had become great friends. The two engines chattered excitedly as they left Annie and Clarabel on a siding.

"Already like peas in a pod!" Clarabel mused.

"Yes indeed," chuckled Annie, "Those two are going to be very good friends!"

As Thomas and Percy rumbled along, they saw an old sign blocking an old line.

"What's that, Thomas?" Percy asked.

"I don't know, Percy…" Thomas asked, but Edward rolled alongside.

"That line used to lead up to the old harbour. It hasn't been used in years, but the Fat Controller is looking into fixing it up."

"A harbour on my branch line?" Thomas marveled, "Wow…tell you what, Percy. If you do well here, I'll the Fat Controller to let you work at the harbour once they've fixed it up."

Percy grinned.

"Deal."


Throughout the week, the three little engines worked hard. Edward managed the express and longer passenger and goods trains. Thomas managed the smaller trains on the main line, and Percy worked with Annie and Clarabel. There were fewer trains, but the passengers didn't mind. They knew Thomas, Percy, and Edward were trying their best. The engines kept great time and they made the Fat Controller quite proud. Percy especially was getting high praise; from Annie and Clarabel the most!

"Excellent, Percy!" Annie called to Percy as he pulled into Elsbridge right on time.

"Thanks, Annie!" Percy grinned. He heard a whistle, and Edward bustled into the station. Thomas had offered to run one of his express services, so Edward was able to take a stopping train.

"Hello, Percy! Today's the last day before the Fat Controller lets the big engines out of the shed!" Edward grinned, "It'll be great to have a rest, huh?" However, Percy was frowning.

"What's wrong, Percy?" Edward asked.

"Those big engines bullied you, Edward. Why are you happy that they're coming out of the shed? All big engines are the same. They're cowards. They can insult and belittle you all they want but as soon as you rebel back they simply moan about boiler sludge and run away. Like Clyde." Percy sighed. Edward was taken aback, but he regained his composure and smiled.

"That might be true about some big engines, Percy. But certainly not all of them. Even our big engines have good qualities."

"Really?"

"Sure! Henry may seem a little high-strung, but that's only because he's sickly, Percy. Henry was the second true friend I had on this railway, and he's one of the hardest working engines I know. And James? Most versatile engine I've ever known. He'll do whatever job he's given, even with a little complaining."

"And what about Gordon?" Percy asked. Edward paused.

"…Gordon is fast and strong, and he knows it. Even if he's a little puffed up about it, Gordon's work is very important, Percy. You have to realize that the world isn't black and white, Percy; there is good in everyone if you search hard enough." The guard's whistle blew, and Edward headed off, whistling goodbye to Percy.

Percy simply sat in thought before leaving with his own train.


That evening, Thomas returned to his branch line and Edward to his station. Percy waited for Thomas to go back to Ffarquhar at Elsbridge.

"You can come visit anytime!" Called Annie.

"Yes!" Clarabel smiled, "We'd be very happy to have you!"

Thomas smiled at his new friend.

"It was very nice to meet you, Percy. I hope I can keep my promise to you on that harbour!"

"Goodbye, Thomas!" Percy whistled, and the little blue tank engine puffed away. As he did, Percy headed back to Tidmouth Sheds.

After the Fat Controller let the big engines out, he had a long talk with them.

"I hope you three have learned your lesson." The Fat Controller said, "And I trust that incidents like this won't happen again?"

"Yes, sir." The three engines said in unison. The Fat Controller headed back to his car.

"Great," grumbled Gordon, "Back at work with that imp of a tank engine shunting our coaches. Better than nothing I guess…"

"Maybe if we were a little nicer to Percy, he wouldn't play as many tricks on us?" Henry suggested. Before Gordon could reply, they heard a familiar whistle.

"Speak of the devil," Gordon groaned, but Henry puffed forward onto the turntable. Percy was surprised to see Henry.

"Hello, Percy." The big green engine smiled gently, "I just wanted to say thanks for managing our trains this whole week. From what I heard from Sir Topham Hatt, you have been really useful." Percy was taken aback by Henry's kindness; no big engine had ever been nice to him before.

"Thank you, Henry." Percy said quietly, and Henry smiled back.

"Would you like to pull my mail train tonight? It's a relatively peaceful run. I'm sure that you'd like a nice long run after being rushed about with passengers." He said, before sadly looking down, "And besides, I usually have some sort of trouble with my firebox while I pull it, I'm sure you'd be better than me." Percy raised an eyebrow.

"Sure, I'll pull your train for you." Percy said, and he rolled away to Knapford to fetch water and coal before his evening journey.


Percy arrived at Knapford, where his mail coaches were waiting. They were loaded with mail. Percy was excited; it wasn't very often when he traveled at night. The guard's whistle blew, and Percy's driver opened the regulator.

"Come on Percy!" His driver said, "We've got our very first mail run!"

And Percy puffed off into the night.

(SONG: NIGHT TRAIN)

See how the night sky glows,

See the light from the night train,

The fire glow from the night train.

On down the line he blows...

Woooooo-oooooo!

On down the line he blows.

Percy loved the feeling of the night air across his boiler. The mail coaches thundered along behind him as he saw the empty line out in front of him. He felt the most alive he ever had; definitely more than in the workshops!

All through the night he goes.

Hear the sound of the night train.

The chugga-chugg-chugg of the night train.

Hear how his whistle blows...

Woooooo-oooooo!

Hear how his whistle blows.

Another signal shown green as Percy rolled on. He whistled as he blazed through the signal.

Pulling, heaving, little engine breathing.

Pistons pushing side by side.

Driver checking, gauging, peering,

Fireman stoking by his side.

Percy whistled again, enjoying the echo through the night air.

On down the line they go.

Fast track for the mail train,

Clear away for the post train.

Non-stop all night they go...

Woooooo-oooooo!

Non-stop all night they go.

See how the night sky glows.

Clear ahead for the night train.

Green light for the night train.

On down the track he blows...

Woooooo-oooooo!

On down the track he blows.

Percy pulled into Wellsworth to drop off some mail. As his train was unloaded, he saw Edward fast asleep.

"Hello, Edward!" Percy whispered, and Edward opened a sleepy eye.

"Hello, Percy…What are you doing pulling Henry's mail train?"

"Henry offered to let me pull it tonight, and it's wonderful!"

"He's giving up a lot…he loves that run…"

Percy was surprised. A big engine he had mistreated had allowed him to pull their favorite train?

"Wow…" Percy said, but he didn't have much time to think as the guard's whistle blew again and he rolled off into the night.

Dawn is breaking, sleepy town waking.

Children waving, watch him go.

Freight trains, milk trains,

Boat trains waiting,

Stand aside to let him go.

Percy was still making his deliveries, as morning grew nearer. Although he tried to keep himself from doing so, he began to get tired.

There in the morning glow

The sunlight on the night train

Silhouettes the night train.

On down the line he blows...

Woooooo-oooooo!

There in the morning glow.

All through the night he goes.

Hear the sound of the night train,

The chugga-chugg-chugg of the night train.

Hear how his whistle blows...

Woooooo-oooooo!

Hear how his whistle blows.

On down the line he goes,

On down the line he goes...

Percy completed his final delivery and headed back home to Tidmouth Sheds. He saw that the berth next to Henry was empty and took it. As he settled down to sleep for a few hours, he whispered.

"Thanks, Henry." He said, before yawning and falling asleep. Unbeknownst to Percy, Henry opened a sleepy eye.

"You're welcome, friend." Henry smiled, before returning to sleep himself.


Well, well, well. Thomas and Percy hit it off, and Henry tries to gain Percy's friendship? What a chapter, eh? I loved writing this chapter, especially the Night Train bit. Allow me to say that this chapter is the last of these relaxed chapters, although there was a lot of good interactions in this chapter. In a sadder note, this is the last major role Henry will play in the story. He'll appear interspersed throughout the next few stories, but he, as well as Edward, are going to be taking a backseat for the next chapter leading up to the ending. As for next chapter? See two unlikely heroes come and save the day, and prove themselves, in "Chapter 8 - Rising to the Occasion"!