Edward Strikes Out Done Right
A.N. I know I'm not the only one who has written something like this. Two others have written a story like this before I have, yet each of theirs are different from one another in more ways than one. This is no exception. How is this one different, you may ask? Well, as you'll find out below, James takes Edward's place as the one who agrees with Gordon. This was suggested by my pal BigMoose01. So, with that out of the way, let our story begin.
Edward has worked on North Western Railway more than any other engine on the Island of Sodor. He knew everybody and everybody knew him.
"Good morning, Henry!" Edward whistled one morning as he passed by Henry with a train of freight cars.
"Good morning, Edward!" Henry replied.
Later, Edward went to Brendam Docks. He had to help James with a train of heavy pipes. Thomas, Gordon, and James were already there. Thomas was very excited. A new crane had just arrived on the Island.
"Look at that crane!" he puffed. "He looks so strong! So strong I bet he could lift Gordon with almost no effort at all!"
Gordon didn't think this was funny, but Thomas chuffed away before he could say anything.
"That new crane might be strong, but he has no engine." Gordon sniffed.
"He's right." agreed James. "He can't move unless another engine pulls him."
Edward looked at the crane. The two tender engines were right.
"So what?" he asked. "Just because he can't move on his own like Harvey, that doesn't mean he can't be really useful."
"Easy for you to say." James chuffed. "Besides, Harvey is an actual engine, whereas this new crane is just a breakdown train that's been hitting the gym even though it's physically impossible."
"Quite right, James." said Gordon. "He will only get in the way."
Edward was having none of this.
"Cut it out, you two." he said.
Gordon and James rolled their eyes. Just then, Percy arrived. He was excited to see the new crane just like Thomas.
"Wow!" Percy gasped. "It's so big!"
"He is not very useful." Gordon boomed.
"He will only get in the way." echoed James.
"He's nothing but a piece of new-fangled nonsense if you ask me." wheeshed Gordon.
And Gordon chuffed off.
"What's a "new-funneled nuisance", Edward?" peeped Percy.
"It's "new-fangled nonsense", Percy." Edward explained. "That means something that is new and not very useful."
"Yeah, like that crane over there." put in James.
Edward sighed.
"Will this ever end?" he asked himself.
James and Edward's freight cars of pipes were right next to the new crane. The two engines were soon buffered up to the train, with Edward at the front and James at the back.
"My name's Rocky!" the crane smiled to Edward and James.
"Nice to meet you, Rocky." Edward replied. "I'm Edward, and this is James. Welcome to Sodor!"
"Thank you!" Rocky boomed. "Can I come with you? I could help you with those heavy pipes."
"You can if you-." Edward began.
But Edward couldn't finish his sentence, because James cut him off just then.
"No way, Jose." James sniffed. "We don't need your help, you big new-fangled nonesense."
Edward was shocked and cross at what James had just said. Rocky felt hurt.
"Don't listen to him." Edward said to Rocky. "He just likes to put others down to make himself feel important."
"I heard that!" James snapped. "Now come on!"
"Alright, alright." Edward groaned.
And with that, the two engines puffed quickly out of the docks with the pipes before they could be properly tied down.
"Uh-oh." Rocky gulped. "That's going to lead to trouble."
Meanwhile, James and Edward were puffing down the line. As they went along their way, Edward spoke to James.
"Don't you think you're being too hard on Rocky?" he asked.
"So what if I was?" James retorted. "You heard what Gordon said earlier. Rocky's just going to get in our way."
"I heard what Gordon said alright." Edward agreed. "But I'm not letting it go to my head."
Soon, a signal came into view, and James and Edward were going too fast, though they didn't know. Suddenly, the signal turned red. The two engines applied their brakes just in time, but the sides of their frieght cars collapsed, and the pipes toppled all over the tracks.
"Bust my buffers!" James puffed. "Are you okay, Edward?"
"I'm fine." Edward replied. "You?"
"Same." said James.
The two engines looked at the mess they had made.
"What are we going to do about this?" asked James.
"Thomas said that Rocky's very strong." Edward pointed out. "Maybe we could ask him for help."
"Why should we get help from some new-fangled nonsense?" James snorted.
James then asked his driver to phone for Harvey. Soon, Harvey was on the scene and began to move the pipes. But the pipes were so heavy that Harvey could only move them one by one.
"Sorry, fellas, but it looks like you'll be stuck here for a while." Harvey gasped.
Just then, Thomas and Emily arrived with their own freight train. They saw the mes of pipes.
"We have to get through!" Thomas tooted.
"You should get Rocky." Emily suggested.
"Heck no!" James whistled. "Harvey's doing just fine on his own. We just need to be patient, that's all."
"But we have a very important job to do." Thomas denied.
Just then, they heard Gordon approaching.
"Oh no!" gasped Emily. "Here comes Gordon!"
Gordon was going very fast. So fast, in fact, that he didn't see the pipes until it was much too late. He hit the pipes with a loud crunch and came off the tracks. Now the mess was even bigger than before.
"I can't lift Gordon." Harvey sighed. "He's too heavy."
"Oh, great." James sighed. "Now what are we gonna do?"
"Now we really need Rocky." said Thomas.
"Absolutely not." Gordon denied. "We shouldn't waste our time with some new-fangled nonsense."
"Defnitely not." agreed James. "Like me and Gordon said earlier, he'll only get in our way."
It was then that Edward decided he had had enough.
"You know what? Thomas is right." he said. "Rocky is the best way to go to get out of this mess. I'm gonna go fetch him right now."
James and Gordon knew there was no longer any point in trying to discourage Edward from fetching Rocky.
"Fine." James groaned. "You want to get Rocky? Go get him."
"And that's what I'll do." said Edward as he was uncoupled from his end of the train.
And with that, Edward raced off back to Brendam Docks, and soon found Rocky.
"Rocky, we need your help!" Edward whistled. "It's an emergency!"
"I'm ready and waiting, Edward!" Rocky replied happily.
So Edward buffered up to Rocky, and together, they raced to the rescue.
"Go get 'em, Edward!" Rocky called.
"Ride like the wind!" added Edward's driver.
Edward thundered down the line with Rocky as fast as his wheels could carry him. They went up hills and down valleys, and people cheered and waved to them. Edward felt proud to be pulling Rocky. They soon arrived at the scene of the disaster, and Rocky looked at what lay before him.
"This will be a piece of cake!" he smiled with determination.
And so, with his mighty crane arm, Rocky lifted Gordon back onto the track. Gordon was surprised and impressed.
"Thank you, Rocky!" he huffed. "Good work!"
Rocky winked in response, then cleared the mess of pipes from the tracks. The job was done in record time.
"See? What'd I tell you?" Rocky asked. "Piece of cake!"
Edward and Gordon were even more impressed than before. Even James was impressed.
"Boy, was I wrong to call you "new-fangled nonsense"." James said. "You might be new, but you proved to be really useful."
"Really useful indeed." agreed Gordon.
"Thanks, fellas." Rocky smiled.
But Edward knew this wasn't the end just yet.
"I think you two owe Rocky an apology." he said.
Gordon and James sadly agreed.
"Rocky, I am so sorry I was rude to you." Gordon sighed.
"Me too." added James.
"Apology accepted." Rocky smiled.
Since the tracks were clear, Thomas, Gordon, and Emily went on their way, and James left to fetch some new freight cars for the pipes while Harvey left with Rocky. This time, James and Edward waited until the pipes were properly tied down before starting off again. Later that evening at Tidmouth Sheds, Sir Topham Hatt was speaking to Gordon and James. Harvey had told Sir Topham Hatt about what Gordon and James had said to Rocky, and Sir Topham Hatt was unsurprisingly cross.
"I must say, I'm very disappointed in you two." said Sir Topham Hatt. "I've talked with you two before about treating newcomers with respect."
"Yes, sir." Gordon and James said together. "Sorry, sir."
"However, I am pleased that you two apologized to Rocky." Sir Topham Hatt went on. "Therefore, you will not be punished. Just don't let this happen again. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir!" Gordon and James grinned.
"Excellent." nodded Sir Topham Hatt. "Well, goodnight, engines. I'll see you tomorrow."
The engines said goodnight to Sir Topham Hatt, who then left in his car. As the engines fell asleep that night, Edward, Gordon, and James felt happy to have made a new friend.
The End