Tanner, Marion, and the coffin slammed down on the floor of the living room inside the Duke of Boxford's house. The coffin nearly destroyed a table as it flopped onto the floor, but everything remained intact otherwise.

"Could've warned me before doing that," Tanner chuckled.

"Forgive me, darling," Marion giggled. "Been a long time since I've been able to put a spell on you."

"And not a thing has changed since," Tanner smiled genuinely.

Marion cocked her head to the side, smiling warmly back at the serial burglar. "Now, what have we got here concerning… this thing?" she asked, gesturing to the coffin.

"I will fill you in when it's time to put it to use," said Tanner. "For now, I've got one more thing to do before we can get started."

"Which is?" Marion asked.

Tanner smirked, turning his back to the witch as he walked out of the room.

"To warn my dear friend of what's coming to him."

Tanner then stepped out of the room, and along the way, Marion heard him speak to someone else. After he left, a small, frail teenager came into the room. "Hello there, love," smiled Marion. "What's your name, then?"

"Uhm… H-Harrison, but my friends call me 'Arry," smiled Arry, wringing his hands nervously. "What's, uhm… what's yours?"

"Marion, the witch of Drosek Forest," smiled Marion, walking over to Arry and kissing his cheek. "Lovely to meet you, dearie."

"Y-You too," Arry said, smiling nervously. Marion then stepped away, and Arry sighed, looking at the coffin…

This was about to get real, huh?

-0-

Sodor High. 12:00 PM.

Thomas and Percy were walking together out of the school after finishing with their classes for the beginning part of the day, talking about the latest batch of locomotives coming out from Hornby this year as they headed for somewhere nice to eat their lunch together.

"Have you seen the remodeled 9F? Shoot man, that thing looks like a powerhouse!" Percy exclaimed.

"Haha, I have! I always loved the look of them," smiled Thomas, "even though I'm personally more of a tank engine guy. The 14XX comes to mind, especially when considering Ollie - he loves those things."

As their discussion continued, however, Arry walked up to Thomas and Percy. "Uhm… Thomas? Co-Could I talk with you, uhm, in private please? It's kinda important and personal."

"Sure bud! Percy, you wanna run ahead and I'll catch up?" asked Thomas.

"Sure thing!" Percy smiled. "You folks have a nice discussion, and you're more than welcome to join us, Arry."

"Thank you," Arry smiled gently.

Percy walked along, his riding spurs skidding against the paved school courtyard as he made sure his country roots were known. Thomas smirked, shaking his head fondly, and turning back to Arry. "What's up, man?"

"Thomas… I have… I have to tell you," Arry said nervously, "I… I'm being forced to work with Tanner Vintex."

Thomas' eyes widened. "W-What?"

"My brother, Spencer, and Diesel are all in on it," Arry continued, not skipping a beat. "A-And he… he wants to meet you personally."

Thomas scoffed. "And what? Kill me? That's a surefire way to get sent right back to jail."

"No," Arry shook his head. "I-I… I asked him. He… he just wants to talk. He said this to Diesel too - he wouldn't be bullcrapping him."

Thomas sighed, the reality of the situation setting in… Arry wasn't lying to him, he felt. He had no reason to; Arry was the only one out of that posse of four troublemakers that didn't cause trouble and actually was on good terms with most of the school.

So… Tanner really just wanted to talk?

"When will this be happening?"

"Whenever's most convenient for Tanner," shrugged Arry. "I didn't wanna pry… he scares me."

"I understand," Thomas nodded. "Thank you, Arry… I-I'll keep this in mind."

"Don't worry about getting hurt," Arry added on. "I… I don't think he wants to do that…"

"Well, what does he want to do to me?" Thomas asked.

"That, I do not know," Arry sighed. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more use…"

"You're all good dude, thank you for letting me know," Thomas said, seriously. "Just… stay out of trouble, okay? Don't let this double informant thing get you in trouble with Tanner… I don't want that to happen to you."

"Neither do I," Arry chuckled nervously. "Thanks man… see ya 'round."

"You too," Thomas nodded, as Arry departed.

The teen now had a lot to think about…

-0-

It was much later in the day now - around 6:30 PM. Thomas chilled alone at the dining room table, finishing up a chem lab for the night and the weekend.

Neither his brothers nor his mother were home at this moment - Edward was running an errand for the family after the chore wheel chose him, Gordon was off picking up food for tonight's dinner, and Rachelle had gotten a call to go to her jewelry store that she managed to check out a new jewel shipment.

He didn't really consider tonight to be one to be remembered… would probably forget about it as soon as he went to sleep, he thought.

He had just finished his last note, however, when a knock at the door startled him out of his trance.

"Package for the Awdrys! Signature needed!" the delivery man called out.

"Odd…" Thomas thought. That usually wasn't something that was called out, but he knew his mom dealt with a lot of important cargo, so it wasn't too unusual. "Coming!" he called out.

Thomas yawned, stretched, and walked over to the door…

But when he opened it, a nasty surprise awaited him.

Tanner D. Vintex was on the other side of the door.

Thomas staggered back in horror, fearing for his life. He didn't bother to shut the door as he bolted for the kitchen to grab the largest knife in the wooden block, and he pointed it at Tanner as the serial burglar stepped inside his home.

"You seem a little defensive," Tanner said nonchalantly.

"G-Get out of my house," Thomas threatened, holding the knife as close to Tanner as he could… while ten feet away from him.

"I wish only to talk," said Tanner, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. "Care to have a seat? Oh, where are my manners… may I sit down?"

Thomas gestured the knife to an open chair at the dining room table, and Tanner thanked him. He looked over at Thomas' notes. "An honest student… I truly admire that. Wish my son would take some notes out of your playbook, Awdry."

"Are you here to kill me?" Thomas asked, trying to hide any sort of suspicion that he was told Tanner wanted to talk only.

Even still, there was the possibility that Arry had lied to him… he chose not to think about that for now.

Tanner folded his hands on the table. "A bank teller who got too big for his britches - that's the closest I've ever come to killing a man. Surely you wouldn't think we're in a similar scenario here, right?"

"Depends on what's going on inside that twisted head of yours," Thomas said, trying to sound tough, but the tremor in his voice gave away all. "I-I don't know all about you…"

Tanner chuckled. "You've got grit, son. I can admire that as well… but it won't be long, you see."

"Won't be long before what?" Thomas asked.

Tanner's personality flipped on a dime - his charming smile was gone, and his eyes suddenly became soulless. He stood up, and walked towards Thomas slowly. The teen found himself frozen in fear, thinking this would surely be his end…

But he only lightly placed a hand on Thomas' shoulder.

"Before you are broken," Tanner whispered. "In every sense but the physical."

Thomas shivered, looking up at Tanner with eyes that spelled worry like he was in a damn spelling bee.

"You will be brought back down those pegs you've gone up since you became Sodor High's youngest senior," Tanner whispered. "You will know the turmoil I felt when you cost me - big time, might I add - by sending me off to prison for three months with your witness."

Thomas didn't think he was full of himself… he always tried to be kind and never brought up that he was Sodor High's youngest graduate…

So, was this really all about money?

Or was there something deeper at play here?

"You don't interfere with a man's pocketbook and expect to walk away scot-free," Tanner continued. "My dear boy… you will soon feel as low as I felt. And even more so."

"I-Is… is it all worth the effort, though?" Thomas managed to whisper.

Tanner chuckled.

"It is when you have such good partners. And when you have someone to share the load… something you do not, I'm afraid."

"Y-You're wrong. I-I've got my b-brothers, a-and friends," Thomas muttered, unable to look the madman in the eyes.

Tanner smirked. "That's awfully cute… while I don't have brothers, I do have friends. You'll be meeting them soon."

Suddenly, Thomas felt a wave of tiredness wash over him. Mysterious orange particles clouded his vision, and he slumped over into something - or someone, rather - in a deep, deep sleep.

He had no way of knowing he had just fallen into the arms of Marion the witch.

"He's cute," the fiery haired woman smiled, cradling him in her arms. "An idiot for thinking a knife would work on you, but cute nonetheless."

Tanner smirked. "Place him on the couch, and leave him there. He will believe all of this to be but a dream, if your spells work their typical magic."

"And they always do, darling," smiled Marion.

And after she placed Thomas on the couch, the burglar and the witch walked arm in arm out of the Awdry residence, leaving absolutely no trace that they had ever even been there…

For they had other work to do.

-0-

Tanner and Marion walked back into the Duke of Boxford's summer home to find only Sammy and Davie there - tonight was a quiet night.

Just how it was supposed to be… for now.

"Are we ready, boys?" asked Tanner.

"The Memento is bookmarked and ready to go," Sammy said, unable to hide the slight tremor in his voice - he and Davie, and even Tanner, were about to witness something truly unheard of in recent times.

"Are you sure this isn't overkill?" asked Davie.

"It cost us nothing except labor, and it reunited me with an old contact," Tanner said, gesturing to Marion. "I see it as an absolute win."

Sammy and Davie shrugged, and grabbed their guns as they headed to the Duke's basement. Marion led the way, click clacking down the stairs as the boys followed…

In the center of the darkened room lay the coffin.

"Jeepers creepers," Sammy muttered, shaking his head.

"We sure this dude isn't like a warlord or something?" asked Davie.

"I did extensive research after we excavated this man - he served as a bomber in World War II," Tanner said, standing next to Marion as she opened King Godred's Memento on a pre-placed lectern. "They called him the 'Mad Bomber' because of how many concentration camps he was able to liberate. He peacefully retired after helping Winston Churchill win re-election in his campaign to reclaim his position as Prime Minister, and died in 1972 of natural causes. He was 85 years old then."

"So… this dude's been dead for forty-four years," Sammy said, adjusting his gun - they had their weapons, just in case. "Fun stuff."

"Indeed!" Marion quipped. "Now… behold - the powers of a true witch."

She then began to read from a sacred page of the Memento, and orange, dark magic began to fill the room.

Tanner's trench coat blew in the wind emitting from the mantra's power manifesting itself in the room, and Sammy and Davie kept their guns pointed at the coffin in the event something went wrong with this… This…

This resurrection.

When Marion was finished, she staggered backwards - Tanner caught her before she could fall, and she panted heavily, exhausted… just because she could do a spell with ease didn't mean the after effects were all hokey pokey.

"Boys…" Tanner said slowly. "Open the coffin."

Sammy and Davie cautiously approached the coffin, and shot the locks off with precision. They slowly opened it…

Dark red eyes met theirs as the man's face came into view.

Those of you who have read the first book's original posting would likely know who that mysterious resurrected man is... ;D

I can't wait to post the next chapter! See you guys in five days' time!