Alright, here is part 1 of the two part finale of Not Like You, I do plan to have several spin offs in the future but for now I feel it has run its course and It is time to move on.
The air was thick with tension on the island of Sodor since the incident between James and Diesel 10. The diesels siding with their wounded leader and the steam engines rallying around James. Of course there were exceptions like Boco, Mavis, Salty, and Daisy who sided more with the steam engines then their own kind. Nasty exchanges between the two groups had begun to happen.
Thomas and Decker had been double heading an extra-long train of rock from the quarry when they ran across Arry, and Bert who promptly moved ahead of them to block the line at the next station.
"Oy just what do you think you are doing?" Decker exclaimed, infuriated at the thought of being late.
"Hey Arry do you hear something?" "Yeah Bert, it's the sound of the diesels taking over, what with these old steamers being late and missing shipments." The two cackled back and forth.
"Right that's it, Thomas we've got weight and momentum let's show these two that the steamers aren't here to play." Decker commanded to a nervous Thomas.
The two started to rock backwards along the line as soon as they were cleared by the signal man who had been watching the mess from above.
"Alright Decker, we're ready….3….2…..1 go!" Thomas yelled as they took off at full speed, the weight of the trucks behind them.
"Uh, Bert do you hear that?" "Hear what…" SLAM!
Decker slammed full force into the back of Arry who was knocked halfway off the tracks and into the ballast. His twin took off and switched over just before he was hit.
"Oy next time think before you mess with us old steamers you bunch of bastards!" Decker cheered as they passed leaving two cross, hurt and sulking diesels.
Of course the Diesels were not going to take that laying down.
Latter on Edward, Leonidas, and Percy were working at the docks when Diesel himself bustled in. On the docks there was a machine that packaged goods in large crates for transport, small engines like Percy were used to push goods on the machine to which cranky would then load onto the ships.
Seeing his chance Diesel pushed the small green engine on the platform who was then covered in a large tarp, snickering as he went.
Edward seeing the black diesel leaving the docks with a gleeful look became suspicious and began to look around for the others. He spotted Leonidas but not Percy.
"Hey Leo have you seen Percy?" Edward called worriedly.
"I'm over here Edward!" the small green engine called, muffled by the tarp.
"Where Percy?" he called, then he gasped as Cranky lifted a small engine shaped package up with his crane. "Stop Cranky!" The two yelled.
Cranky, startled by the command stopped suddenly, dropping the load. Percy, landed on his side groaning in pain as Edward and Leo went to check on him.
"Ow Edward, I feel awful." The small engine cried. "Diesel where the hell are you?!" the blue engine yelled in rage, it took a lot to get him pissed but when he was it was scary.
"Right here you blue scrap iron." Diesel oiled from the corner. "You wait till that fat controller gets a hold of you." Leo put in, equally upset at the events.
"He will be but the first scrapped, I just helped him along, you wait steamer, we will have our revenge and it will be sweet." He oiled as he left.
"Cocky bastard, we will see about that." Leo growled. "Edward, I'll be alright wont I, I won't be scrapped?" The young green engine said in a scared voice.
"Of course not young one, not while I and the others are still steaming, now let's get you to the steam works." The blue engine gave with a reassuring smile.
By now news of the incidents had spread throughout the island, every steam engine was on their guard, as were the diesels. James, was on the line headed toward the little western with two coaches full of passengers, upon pulling into the station he met Duck.
"Good evening Duck, best be on your guard this evening, no telling what those bastards are up to." He called to the Great Western Engine.
"You know none of this would be happening if it wasn't for you." Duck spat back at the red engine.
"What do you mean?" James said with a raised eyebrow.
"You, you and your family and Henry, had you just kept your preferences to yourself none of this nonsense would be happening." The other said sharply.
"So you'd rather an engine suffer from emotional trauma then be happy because it inconveniences you. Look, I really don't care what you think of me, but as it stands no steam engine is safe, I'll leave it to you which side you want to choose." James snapped as he thundered away leaving a cross and confused Duck.
Once his jobs were done he set back for the sheds, on the way he spoke to the two men in his cab. "You know, you two have been awful quiet today, what are you up to back there?"
"Nothing, you know nothing makes us more cheerful then dealing with homicidal diesels and hate based engine wars." Burl called back sarcastically.
"I just can't shake the feeling that something is going to happen, good or bad I don't know but something is going to happen." Confirmed Jim.
Then pulled into Wellsworth station when the signal man flagged them down. "There is a row of trucks left on the main line, I need you to go move it."
"Aw damn it! I was looking forward to getting home at a decent hour." Jim exclaimed. "As was I, oh well the sooner we get it done the sooner we can get some sleep." James grumbled as the set off down the tracks.
"When I find out what fucking idiot left these here they are getting an earful." James grumbled as he backed down on the waiting trucks. "Engines have ears?" Burl chuckled. "Oy shut it you." James replied none to amused with the joke.
"Well the way you listen to instructions I had to ask." The fireman continued to poke fun at James.
"Yeah, about as well as you do…" he drifted off as he noticed a strange glow dancing across the evening sky.
"Hey dumb and dumber, what is that?" he questioned as the two men leaned out of the cab.
"Looks like a fire of some sort, that's over near the sheds isn't it?" Their thoughts were interrupted by a shrill whistle blast, one James knew quite well.
Wolf pulled up gasping, "Fire….at the….sheds… the diesels…have trapped….Eagle and Henry."
"Come on!" James quickly uncoupled from the trucks and raced in to the sheds hoping they weren't too late.
"You won't get away with this!" Henry called from the rapidly smoke filled berth, wishing like hell, Ted and Derek were here so he could move. Eagle stuck in the next berth was having similar thoughts.
Diesel 10 had the tracks blocked so that no engine could get near the structure to the two panicked engines. The others, movement restricted by the fire department who was quickly losing the battle to the flames looked on in horror.
STH and other railway officials had tried to remove the engine but the driver the escaped gang leader promptly fired on all who approached.
James and Wolf sized up the situation. "We've only got one chance, you come in first, couple up to that bastard and pull him away, then I go in and pull them out, if we wait for clearance they both will be done." James commanded. The two agreed and set forth.
Wolf came storming through the yards, taking the warship class diesel by surprise and yanking him backwards with all of his might. As soon as he was clear James rumbled in quickly attaching himself to Henry, being the berth that the turntable was set to.
Jerking backward with all of his might he managed to move his mate out and onto an adjacent track.
Once uncoupled he yelled to the operator, "Turn it, turn it quickly we've got to get him out of there!"
The table moved painfully slow as James moved around to Eagle's berth, just when the tracks were aligned the roof on Eagle's berth caved in covering the engine.
"Eagle! Eagle!" He called in desperation, he moved forward trying desperately to see his brother.
"James! We've got to get out of here!" Just then a falling beam slammed into James side knocking him out cold.
Dream State
James found himself on an isolated bit of track, in front of him sat Daemon and Eagle.
"What, how did you guys get here? Last time I saw you here…no..no Eagle you can't be."
"I'm sorry little man, It was my time. I am glad I got to see you again." Eagle said with a small smile.
"No this can't be happening, they can rebuild you, and Victor can fix you. Please we just got together, I don't want to lose you again!" James pleaded through sobs.
"I'm sorry James, it just wasn't meant to be, no manner of fixing could have saved me." Eagle said with a sigh, trying to be strong for James.
"But, it was my fault, if I had just…." He was cut off by Daemon.
"James, it was Eagle's time, however it is not yours, you still have some work to do and a lovely green black five who is waiting on you." Daemon said trying to soothe the red engine.
"Henry… but Eagle you…" James started and stopped. "We will be fine little man, we have a lot of catching up to do."
The fog began to lift and James felt himself being dragged back into his body.
"Good bye little man, we will meet again, on the other side!" Eagle called as everything went black.
One Week Later
James opened his bleary eyes to reveal a very relieved group of men and engines.
"Oh thank God! I thought I had lost you." Henry exclaimed as he nuzzled his mate's forehead. James in a daze looked over to the sullen faces amongst the crowd. John and Sean, heartbroken over the loss of their engine, the rest of the Ashton crew who were silent tired tearstained faces over the loss of their leader. Gordon, Edward, Thomas, and Percy silent out of respect, a bit of happiness shown when James had woken up. Lastly Burl and Jim who had looked like they had not slept in the entire time that he had been unconscious.
"Thank god indeed." Burl said, small tears in the eyes of one who was normally a jokester. "We all thought we had lost you James." Jim said giving his engine a soft pat.
James, feeling suffocated by the sadness in the area turned to the two men. "If I am able, can we go to our special place?" he asked, referencing a place he kept himself and Eagle, secret even from Henry.
"Do you need me to come with you? I'm sorry James if I had never brought him here he would still be alive." Henry spoke softly to his mate, knowing the inner turmoil from losing Eagle must be unbearable.
"No honey it's fine, and do not blame yourself, Eagle wouldn't have wanted that. I just need some time alone." He said softly to his mate as Jim and Burl set him forward, the other engines looking on in sadness.
An half an hour later found James among a grove of Japanese cherry blossoms that had been planted by Hiro's crew to remind him of home. Upon arrival the large engine had offered his condolences and left him to his thoughts knowing the healing effect the trees sometimes had on people and engines.
James, rolled in amongst the trees, looking up at the sky through the beautiful bright petals. Jim and Burl sat in the cab, letting him move as he wished.
"Millions of flower petals fall,
Scattering and coloring the town,
However this time at it's end,
As the wind, had foretold it to us all.
There's no need to worry anymore
The seasons always find a way to change.
We knew that ever since the time that we,
Watched the moon in it's brilliance before.
All the time constantly, we shed these tears and we
do it again and again,
We don't know how much it's worth,
until it's gone away for good.
If I could have just one wish I would
go back to who I was
Yesterday, and I'd say
My Goodbye's to you.
If my feelings stay the same and do
not change or fade away,
Just meet me at our favorite cherry tree.
James thought of the day he had brought Eagle here to catch up the day after he arrived, laughter and whistles floated through the air back to him, bringing fresh tears to the red engines eyes. "He promised…"
We made a promise on that sunny day,
so I made sure that it won't be lost,
by tracing my fingers on the beams
of the sunlight that chased the dark away.
No moment is the same as the one after it,
you can't return to the past
I'll move on with life and then,
I won't hesitate again!
So that all my deepest prayers will reach you
Safely where you are,
To this day,
I will sing this song again for you
I promised to be there for him, In life and not in death, I will live for him, he promised, and so will I. James looked up to the sky as if looking for guidance, a warm gust swirling blossom petals around his face.
If the answers that I'm looking for
exist within the world,
Gently, please just tell me
that they do.
If I could have just one wish I would
go back to who I was
Back in time,
just to sing once again to you,
If my feelings stay the same and do
not change or fade away,
Just meet me at our favorite cherry tree.
So that all my deepest prayers will reach you
Safely where you are,
To this day,
I will sing this song again for you
If the answers that I'm looking for
are right before my eyes,
Gently, please just tell me
that they are.
...and Reset all the sadness within me.
When it is my time, I will meet you underneath the cherry tree, for now however, I will be strong in your memory, and carry out moments together always. With new resolve to finish off his brothers murderer James let out one long sorrowful blow of his whistle, answered with a ghost echo of times past covered in cherry blossoms.