DUCK'S DEMONS
Written by Zack Wanzer and Rachel Ravens
Set during Diesels and Westerners Chapter 5
"An almost Final Firing?! Are you sure?"
"I'm afraid so, Mrs. Kyndley," Toby shuddered. He had volunteered to pick up either Mrs. Kyndley or her daughter Sophia. The latter was currently booked up, but as Mrs. Kyndley had retired from her position, she'd be an ideal choice to come down to Tidmouth sheds to have a counseling session with Duck.
"Poor Duck," gulped Henrietta. "Thank goodness for that little mix-up."
"I'll say," sighed Toby. The tram engine pulled away with his old coach, and it wasn't long before they arrived back at Tidmouth sheds.
"Good afternoon, Duck," Mrs. Kyndley said in her usual warm way, and the pannier tank engine couldn't help but manage a small smile. Toby rang his bell and puffed away with Henrietta.
"It's good to see you too, Mrs. Kyndley," Duck sighed; his voice feeling dry as his reasons for sending for Mrs. Kyndley flooded back to him.
"Alright, Duck," the elderly woman said gently as she sat on his bufferbeam. "Whenever you're ready."
"There's… a lot for me to take in all at once, Mrs. Kyndley," the pannier tank engine admitted. She gave a gentle nod. "One minute, I was getting water with my crew, and the next… Arry and Bert buffered up to me. Diesel had warned us all time and again that they were dangerous, and that had been proven true in their attempts to scrap Oliver and Donald. Granted, they were trying to get Douglas initially, but still…"
Mrs. Kyndley took a deep breath to steel herself. She had heard comments like that from Oliver and the twins in their own sessions. Of course, she didn't say this out loud to Duck; doctor-patient confidentiality, after all.
"And it's no secret among us that Arry and Bert had scrapped engines in the past," Duck went on. "What I didn't know was that… my own brother, Collet, was among those victims."
Mrs. Kyndley winced. "Were you close with Collet?"
"Well… not as close as we could have been," Duck admitted. "He was on a branch line while I was station pilot at Paddington, though I did take my slip coaches down to that branch line junction occasionally." The pannier tank engine bit his lip. "We… often got into arguments…"
At Paddington station, I worked alongside several engines, including some of my siblings. Among them was my sister Jacqueline - we all called her Jackie for short.
"You go and get the coaches for King James, Duck," she said. "I'll get them for St. Mawes Castle."
"Right you are, Jackie," I said. The two of us raced off to see who would get to the platform first.
"Whoa, you two!" chuckled King James. "Always competitive, are we?"
"Can you blame us?" I asked. "It's kind of a sibling thing, but no harm's ever done."
"Not unless it got really bad to the point the relationship's irreparable," St. Mawes Castle pointed out. Jackie and I winced at that notion.
"Well, that won't happen with us," said Jackie, confidently.
"Yes," I agreed. "We're practically two peas in a pod."
"Well, we are green like peas, after all."
The four of us gave a hearty laugh. Just then, our controller arrived.
"Duck," he said with a smile, "the Sunshine Line is very banked up with extra passengers."
"Oh, so you need me to take Alice, Mirabel and Benjamin down there?" I asked, excited. Back then, we didn't know that "Alice" was really "Alistair".
"It's as if you read my mind," smiled our controller. I went over to collect the Slippies, as we nicknamed them, and the four of us trundled down the branch line.
We soon reached a station where we met up with one of my other brothers, Collet, named after our designer, and he had two autocoaches, Stella and Heather.
"Hello, Collet, Stella and Heather," I smiled.
"Someone took their time getting here," he grunted. "I thought the Great Western Railway prided itself on the 'Great Western way'."
"It takes a while to get here from Paddington, in case you didn't notice!" I snapped. "Besides, if you looked at the clock, you'd see that I'm a few minutes early."
"Come on, Collet," grunted Heather. "At least give your brother some credit."
"It sounds as if you didn't want any help at all," added Stella.
Collet sighed. "It's not that I'm ungrateful for your assistance, Montague; it's more the fact that it seems you spend a lot more time here on this branch line than you do the shunting yards at Paddington, more than most of our siblings at least. You're in charge of operations there, making sure that everything runs…"
"…shipshape and Swindon fashion," I finished. "I know, but we can't help being good at branch line runs when there's no other engines available. We're versatile machines."
"You 5700s sure are," said Alice with a chuckle. "Can you imagine what might happen if some new-fangled nonsense engines came into Paddington yards?"
"Ugh," groaned Collet. "They'd better not bring in machines like that."
Just then, the guard's whistle blew, and I started off. "Okay, you three," I called to the Slippies. "You know what to do." Collet departed in the other direction with Stella and Heather.
Back then, my precision with the Slippies… wasn't nearly as good.
"Okay, Benjamin!" I called. "Uncouple."
Unfortunately, Benjamin was uncoupled from us a bit too soon, stopping just short of the platform.
"Hold up, Duck!" called Mirabel. "We need to help Benjamin's passengers!"
"Oh dear!" I cried, slowing down to a stop. "Hold on." I reversed so we could couple up to Benjamin again, and then bring him and his passengers to the station platform. "Sorry about this, Benjamin."
"That was much closer than that first time you messed up," he chuckled. "At this rate, you'll be an expert!"
Unfortunately, Collet wasn't too impressed that evening. He had taken a through train to Paddington station and was staying with us for the night.
"Again with uncoupling at the wrong time?" he grunted. "You need to get your act together!"
"At least he made an effort to correct his mistake!" Jackie argued. "I swear, Collet, you're treating Duck as if he's a newly built engine!"
"There's a difference between the branch line and the yards, Jackie," said Collet. "Passengers rely on us to run on time!"
"They also rely on us to fetch their coaches," retorted Jackie. "What's your point?"
"I know full well what to do if I mess up with the Slippies!" I snapped. "I'd tell you to take them, but I'm afraid you might mess up more than me."
"So you're suggesting, Montague, that I don't know how to manage slip coaches?!" Collet didn't raise his voice, but his tone sharpened.
"Duck, for Brunel's sake–" began Jackie.
"I'm just saying I've never seen you take them," I retorted. "Why do you have autocoaches, anyway? No 5700s ever were autofitted!"
Collet let out a growl. "That is none of your business!"
"BOYS!" cried Jackie. "That's enough. I suggest we all get some sleep and drop this argument."
Collet and I, still seething at each other, reluctantly agreed.
From there on out, our arguments continued to escalate, mostly when it was about Heather and Stella. I was much more courteous when asking Collet about why he had them, but he still got defensive for some reason.
"Just drop it, Duck," he grunted.
"I'm just curious," I said. "It is a bit unusual…"
"Please, Duck," sighed Stella. "It's not something we like talking about."
I sighed, and reluctantly backed off for what seemed to be the hundredth time.
One day, however, Sir Topham Hatt met me at Paddington and asked me if I wanted to go to Sodor. I was very curious about the little island off the coast of Barrow-in-Furness, so I couldn't refuse.
"You really are a lucky Duck, aren't you?" giggled Jackie.
"And get this," I said. "He worked at Swindon for a period of time! I can't wait to go!"
"I'm going to miss you, Montague," sighed Jackie.
"Me too, Jacqueline," I replied. "I wonder who will take my place here."
Unfortunately, that replacement was…
"Collet?!"
"Why did you choose to leave for some island far away?!" he cried.
"Sir Topham Hatt chose me and I accepted the offer," I explained. "This will be a whole new experience, and–"
"Just straight up abandoning your family!" Collet interpreted. "You have a lot of siblings and cousins here, Montague! And what about Alice, Mirabel and Benjamin?"
"Jackie's going to be their primary engine from now on," I said. "And I will still remember all of you–"
"Even when we're all gone?"
"Collet!" I cried in shock. "That will not happen to us. I promise you, everything will be okay–"
"Forget it!" snapped Collet. "Go run off to that little island." And he steamed away before I even had a chance to respond. It was the last time I ever saw him…
Duck's eyes watered at that last sentence as a dam burst from them, tears cascading down his face.
"All this time, I-I thought he might have been preserved… but he wasn't…" he choked. "I heard some of my brothers and sisters were preserved on heritage railways, and he was scrapped at the buffers of… of Arry and Bert of all engines…"
Mrs. Kyndley gently patted Duck's bufferbeam as he continued to sob. Being engines, there was a good chance that there would be a lot of siblings in one class, and Duck's was no exception. But that also meant there was a chance that some engines wouldn't get to know each other very well, or at all.
That's what must be hurting Duck more, she thought sadly. The elderly lady looked back at Duck with gentle eyes. "At least Collet's no longer in any sort of pain," she said.
"That's true," Duck sighed as he started to calm down. "And then… Diesel said he knew about Collet since he went up with Thomas and Percy when they found Old Slow Coach. But… why would he withhold information from me like that? And for so long."
"Do you think that would have been an easy thing to explain?" asked Mrs. Kyndley.
Duck paused to process that question. The truth couldn't be hidden forever; Diesel himself would know this better than anyone.
"Well… no," sighed Duck. "I mean, Diesel's own brothers were involved in the… murder…" His face still felt hot from crying. "That would be a lot for him to take in at once. It's a pity there's no laws about withdrawn engines being scrapped."
"I know, Duck," Mrs. Kyndley said quietly. "While it's true there are those that can be cruel, there are also people who do care about you. Engines too."
"Yes," Duck smiled slightly. "It's so hard to believe how far Diesel and I have come. At first, I could barely look him in the eye and not scowl at him, and vice versa, and now… he saved my life. I'll always be grateful for that." He sighed and winced. "And… to think I almost joined Collet in the afterlife… I thought that was Black Water, when it was really Green Water…" He trailed off. "I… I don't think I can go to the Steamworks for a while."
Mrs. Kyndley winced, deep in thought. "Hmm… maybe you could go there with an engine you really trust, until you are used to it again. Or maybe that pet you have at Haultraugh could tag along."
"You mean Dallas? Yes, it would be nice to have his company at the Steamworks."
"Animals have helped many people during therapy," chuckled Mrs. Kyndley. "Maybe they can help engines too."
Duck gave a smile, feeling a lot better. I hope Collet's found peace in the Great Railway…
A while had passed following Diesel 10 and his gang's defeat, and things had returned to normal on Sodor, other than the fact that Oliver and the twins were stuck on the Tidmouth end of the Little Western and Duck and Tasha were stuck on the Arlesburgh end due to Bulgy's bridge being damaged. Due to their involvement, Arry and Bert had been sentenced to five years' worth of community service on the mainland, far away from Sodor.
"That's far too light of a punishment!" cried Diesel at Tidmouth that evening.
"Tell us about it!" exclaimed Oliver. "I'd say that's at least twenty years' worth, if not more!"
"They should be shunted for life if you ask me," Gordon put in. "Er… I mean…"
"Don't apologize, Gordon," sighed Diesel. "They should have had that punishment after trying to scrap Donald."
"Aye," agreed Douglas. "If thay try that again, Ah swear Ah will–"
"Douggie," soothed his twin. "We'll be ready fur thaim if thay try comin' 'ere neist time. Sae wull Sur Topham Hatt."
Douglas sighed. "Aye. Ye've git a point, Donnie."
"We all will be," said Henry, firmly. "Let's all get some sleep. After all these hardships, we definitely need it."
The engines all drifted off to sleep on that note, and Diesel found himself in a dream…
"Where am I…" he wondered. "This is strange…"
"Diesel… what are you doing here?"
"Duck? You're here too?" Diesel gasped.
"Well… yes," said Duck. "But I fell asleep and… am I still having side effects from the green water?"
"Not necessarily," said another voice. Both engines were surprised; this didn't come from either of their mouths, but it was a voice that they recognized, each for different reasons.
A black tank engine with the British Railways logo and a number plate reading 6737 puffed out of the shadows.
"Collet?!" both engines cried in shock.
"Okay, I'm definitely going crazy," gasped Duck.
Collet gave a soft chuckle. "You are both dreaming, and I summoned you here."
"Me and Duck?" gasped Diesel. "Even after… well, you know…?"
"I saw what happened a few days ago, Jasper," Collet said with a wink. "What you did back there, saving my brother like that… you were incredibly brave."
"I… just reacted," Diesel admitted. "I didn't know Duck was under Green Water at the time, and…"
"It's okay," smiled Collet. "Diesel… it scares me to think what would have happened if you weren't there at all. Thank you so much for saving Duck like that."
"Indeed," added Duck. "Thank you, Diesel."
The 08 gave a small smile at the green pannier tank, and Duck turned his attention back to his brother. "And Collet… wh-why did you summon me as well? I mean, we ended on such a bitter note…"
"It's a very long, complicated situation," sighed Collet, "but, because Diesel's with us, I'll try and make it quick. You're my brother, Duck; I was upset when you left for Sodor, and I said some things I shouldn't have. Not a day had gone by when I didn't think about what I'd said and how differently I might have reacted. When I was trying to escape to Sodor, I thought I could try and make things right with you. The fact that a new branch line was opening up would give me more reason to work there. But… you both know how that ended."
There was a moment of silence after Collet gave his explanation.
"I wish I was there at Barrow," sighed Diesel. "I might have been able to divert Arry and Bert long enough for you to escape."
"I think that might have been a blessing in disguise," said Collet. "Just look at you and Duck now. You're practically honoree brothers." He chuckled. "And you are going on to becoming the North Western Railway's longest serving station pilot too. I think I would have hopped over to the Little Western within the first month or so."
The trio chuckled together at the notion.
"You two continue to sleep now," said Collet. "I have somewhere else I need to be. I'll be watching both of you from the Great Railway above."
"Goodbye, Collet," called both engines as their shared dream faded away.
Diesel and Duck both had pleasant dreams for the rest of the night, but I'm afraid Duck still had a few questions regarding his brother's behavior. They would be answered with time, though; a time that would be told another day.
THE E–
Meanwhile, far away from Sodor…
"That Diesel's seriously been bumped in the radiator!" grunted Arry. "Gettin' all defensive 'bout the engine 'oo made fun o' 'im."
"Though 'e did 'ave a point 'bout diesels bein' scrapped," shuddered Bert. "Remember wot 'appened wit' Bowler? Wot if that were us in 'is wheels?"
"Don't remind me," shuddered Arry; the image of the Class 40's remains weighed heavily on his mind.
"And remember that for the rest of your lives, you monsters!"
"Eh? 'Oo said that?" snapped Arry.
"Wosn't me," said Bert. He glanced to the side. "Er… Arry…"
"Oh, wot are you bangin' on 'bout… AHHH!"
"If you ever try and scrap one of my family, or the Sudrians again," said the ominous voice, "you two might just see more enemies on the other side."
Arry and Bert shuddered in their frames; they couldn't see the source of that ominous voice, but it sounded deathly serious. Wherever Bowler ended up after death, the ironworks diesels did not want to find out.
THE END
Author's Comments
With Halloween only two weeks away, Rachel and I have written up a midquel story that takes place during Diesels and Westerners. Specifically, during its fifth chapter, expanding upon Duck's interactions with Mrs. Kyndley before he and Oliver find out about Tasha; the last few scenes are set during the aftermath of Diesel 10's attack in the final chapter. It even delves a little deeper into Duck's relationship with Collet prior to his departure for Sodor. The two were not so different during Duck's GWR days, albeit the latter was more open-minded and Collet more stubborn; the fact that they ended on bitter terms without ever making amends in Collet's lifetime makes it all the more heartbreaking. Just goes to show that if the last word you have with someone's a bitter one, that may come back to haunt you for the rest of your life.
In the meantime, we've figured out the rest of how Set 2 for Between the Lines will play out, so here's five planned stories, to be posted in no particular order:
- Branch Line Blues: Ever since being assigned to the Kirk Ronan branch line, Johnson the Midi goods engine has found life boring and longs to venture out on the main line again. Little does he realize is that he finds himself being hijacked while taking an important train.
- Alone in the Shed: After BoCo is sent to help out on the mainland, Edward begins to feel lonely at Wellsworth sheds, and it starts to affect his work ethic.
- Fiery Suns: Rheneas has been repainted following an accident at the Blue Mountain Quarry, and months later, Duncan returns to service after an extensive overhaul. This results in some passengers mistaking the two engines for one another.
- Brake on Me: Bradford returns to Sodor again to help out on the Little Western, and Oliver is the unfortunate engine to work with the overzealous brake van. Meanwhile, Toad finds himself with Samson the stubborn engine.
- Out of the Blue: Douglas goes to the Steamworks to get a repaint, but Donald feels left out which causes a rift between the Caledonian engines.
But before all of that, we go further back to the past with Skarloey the Big Engine!
