"City of Truro's coming here!" Duck yelled happily startling some of the passengers on the nearby platform at Harwick. "Oh my, oh my, oh my! Flying Scotsman must have put in a good word for us!"

Oliver rolled his eyes while Daisy gave an irritated huff but Ryan looked genuinely happy for Duck.

"You know I've never met him but the way Scotsman talked about him made him seem so nice," Ryan said.

"Maybe that's because Scotsman and Truro are a thing," Daisy said with a sly twinkle in her eye and Duck scoffed.

"A LNER and a Great Western together? Don't be ridiculous," he said. "That would be quite inappropriate, especially for the Greatest of all the GWR engines."

"That's not what Donald and Dougas have heard," Oliver suggested. "It's like a secret everyone knows but no one dares talk about on the mainland. The worst kept secret ever."

"Donald and Douglas spent a lot of time with Flying Scotsman, they'd probably know a lot more than the rest of us," Ryan said.

"Those two followed Scotsman around like a pair of lost puppy dogs," Oliver pointed out. "If Scotsman was to confide in anyone other than Gordon it would probably be those two."

Duck sniffed. "You all don't know what you're talking about."

"Hey, we're not the ones who insulted Scotsman to his face," Oliver said and Duck frowned.

"Would you stop bringing that up please? We made up, Scotsman didn't even think it was that much of a big deal," Duck said, annoyed.

Oliver only grinned at him.

"I know Duck, I'm just teasing, I'm glad that you get to see Truro again," he said with a genuine smile. "It's not everyone who gets remembered by one of the famous engines."

"Speaking of famous engines," Daisy said staring down the line at the large engine coming towards them.

"Hello Ms Tornado!" Ryan greeted her excitedly. "It's nice to see you in our neck of the woods!"

"Hello everyone!" Tornado said brightly.

"It's good to see you happier," Daisy said with a warm smile.

"I asked to be put on the seaside branchline line," Tornado told them. "Being by the sea always makes me happier."

"Aww that's lovely," Daisy said as Tornado let her passengers off. "How's that Green Arrow fella?"

"He's doing better, he went into the steamworks this morning to get his boiler fixed," Tornado said not hiding the huge smile on her face. "Ms Olivia says that they've found his voicebox and they're delivering it tonight to be reinstalled."

"How Marvellous!" Daisy said brightly. "Such a hard worker, back on the rails again!"

Duck rolled his eyes knowing that Daisy was just happy to know that her goods workload would lighten when Arrow came back into steam.

"My Cousin gets his voice back!" Ryan said with a slight bounce in his voice. "Lydia did say he had the most lovely voice."

Daisy suddenly rolled her eyes and gave a look of disgust.

"That uptight snotty coach," she seethed and Duck laughed.

"You're just upset that it's like looking in a mirror for you," he teased and Daisy looked furious.

"How dare you!" She shrieked but Oliver smiled at her.

"He's winding you up," he said before turning to look at Tornado. "Are you spending the day here?"

"Yes, I am, I thought it would be nice to bring a rail tour to Harwick and the little Railway," Tornado said shyly. "I hope that's okay. I don't want to intrude on your branchline. Some engines get funny about that."

"We're happy to have you with us Tornado!" Ryan beamed as the other engines murmured in agreement.

Tornado smiled.

"Thank-you Ryan."

"I heard that City of Truro is coming to the Island, do you know anything about this?" Duck asked and Tornado looked thoughtful.

"It was all very last minute, I think he's here for the opening of the museum but Olivia seemed very… evasive about the whole thing." Tornado seemed confused and unsure. "I'm just worried that Truro won't get to spent any time with Scotsman. He just returned to the mainland."

"So they're close then?" Daisy said visibly perking up at Tornado's words much to Duck's annoyance.

"I guess so, they share sheds at York whenever I'm there and Truro always seems to be around Scotsman when they're not on duty," Tornado said thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, Truro did speak for Scotsman when I first met him."

"I knew it, they are a thing!" Daisy said gleefully like a high school girl.

"No they aren't!" Duck protested. "You're reading too much into these things like always!"

Tornado watched them cluelessly.

"Um what?"

"They're arguing about if Flying Scotsman and City of Truro are a couple," Ryan said flatly. "I think that it's frankly none of our business."

"Er okay," Tornado was weirded out.

She'd never really cared about how close Scotsman and Truro were. She always thought it was sweet that the two rivals were now best friends or whatever they were. It was none of her business.

"Any idea when Green Arrow will be back in steam?" Oliver asked. "I know we didn't treat him the best, but we've definitely noticed the workload he left us."

"That engine's got the way of a Great Western," Duck said, making Ryan and Daisy roll their eyes.

"Victor says they have to cast him a new cylinder block from scratch and install a new boiler. He'll be up and running in November, he's hoping," Tornado said. "But December at the latest."

"That's too far away!" Daisy moaned.

"Isn't that when Ms Olivia's baby is due?" Ryan asked. "Around Christmas?"

"A Christmas birthday! How lucky!" Tornado swooned. "Mine's in July, and all I get is dumb Christmas in July jokes from Bittern."

"I can't stand screaming babies," Daisy grumbled, complaining even more. "I hope she keeps away from me with it."

"Well with that attitude of yours she probably will," Oliver shot at her snidely. Daisy only gave a humph in reply.

"I can't wait to meet her baby!" Tornado cooed happily ignoring them. "Tiny humans are the cutest! They're so small and cute!"

"You only think that because you are a baby," Duck teased and Tornado's face went bright red in embarrassment.

"I am NOT a baby!" She shrieked angrily to which Duck laughed.

City of Truro gave a strained smile as he arrived in Vicarstown. A small welcome party of engines were there including Henry, Rosie and Oliver. It was late in the afternoon and the engines were winding down for the day it seemed.

They happily greeted him and welcomed him before he went on his way. He passed Gordon on his way to Knapford who looked extremely confused but blew a welcoming whistle regardless.

Truro was distant and lost in thought however.

His mind was filled with worry about the Flying Scotsman. He hadn't slept the past two nights and he knew that it was something more than his fear of his nightmares.

"I'm so happy to see you again Truro!" He heard the Pannier Duck call out to him as he waited for Sir Topham Hatt.

"Hello Duck," Truro smiled warmly at him. "I missed you greatly dear friend. Have you been keeping well?"

"I yes sir! Very well sir!" Duck chirped happily. "I'm so happy to see you again!"

"I apologise for appearing at short notice but this visit is not a leisurely one," Truro said grimly and Duck frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Some issues have arisen," Truro said as he stared at the platform.

"Issues? Not from the North Western Railway I hope," Duck said and Truro gave a sad smile.

"Not at all Duck, your little Railway is a wonderful little thing," he assured the Pannier. "The issues come from the mainland and Flying Scotsman."

"Scotsman?" Duck asked and for a second he saw a flash of worry and pain appear on Truro's face.

"Yes, he returned safely however all was not well," the famous Great Western said. "I fear… I fear for my dear friend's health, he… is not well."

"He seemed perfectly fine while he was here," Duck said. "A few problems here and there but nothing that shouldn't be fixed with that restoration."

Truro knew Duck was trying to reassure him but it didn't help.

He looked away from Duck.

"Things are more complicated than that," Was all Truro could say.

He didn't want to inform them of what really happened with Mallard, Scotsman's complete nervous breakdown and Green Arrow's voice box.

He looked at Duck.

"I am here to deliver Green Arrow's voice box to him among other duties," he said and Duck brightened up.

"He's in the steamworks," he said. "He's being fitted with a new boiler."

"Does he work just as hard as he does on the mainland?" Truro asked with slight amusement. "Arrow is quite the impressive worker if I do say so myself. He would've made the Great Western proud had he been one of us."

"Oh yes," Duck agreed. "I found myself being shown up by him. I wasn't happy about it."

"I'm glad to hear that he has been given a new life on this railway," Truro said with a smile. "A very intelligent and clever engine, but somewhat lost, like he didn't know his place in the world. Always came to me for advice."

"Most of the engines here bullied him," Duck said with shame. "Myself included. A lot of us were still extremely upset over how he was involved with trying to scrap Scotsman."

Truro frowned.

"I expected better from you Duck," he said and Duck seemed to shrink under Truro's gaze.

"I know sir, I'm sorry sir," Duck felt his cheeks go red with embarrassment. "I should have known better."

"Truro?" Tornado's voice called out as she arrived at Knapford with coaches of passengers.

"Hello Tornado," Truro greeted her kindly as she pulled in. "I believe I owe you an apology, for not acting sooner and realising how much strain you were in."

"It's- it's okay Truro," Tornado assured him. "I'm getting better now. I just wish I could go and meet my build brother when he's fired up."

"I'll put a word in for you Ms Tornado," Truro said with a smile. "I believe that his name is Charles, after his namesake."

"Thanks Truro," Tornado blushed. "Did Scott get back to the mainland okay?"

Truro hesitated.

He didn't want to inform the young thing of the full story as he knew it would make her anxious. But she would need to know eventually.

"Scott returned safe and sound," Truro said. "However things have become complicated."

"Complicated?" Tornado asked worry spreading across her face.

"It is best if I tell you later," Truro glanced at the platform and saw Sir Topham coming towards him with a cheery greeting. "But I will tell you Tornado."

Tornado and Duck glanced at each other very confused before returning to the conversation with the Fat Controller.

Magpie had only met the Flying Scotsman a few times. Each time he had been loud, boastful and excessively charming. She usually disliked engines who were such things but Scotsman was somehow likeable despite it.

It annoyed her.

She still found him highly annoying however. She did not welcome his teasing nature in the slightest.

The Black 5 numbered 4806, or Magpie to her friends, had been tasked to bring Flying Scotsman back to Sodor for some reason. It was odd considering that he'd only just left the Island the day before yesterday.

There had been some urgency as the NRM had desperately sought an engine to take him back.

Magpie had the unfortunate pleasure of being stationed nearby after her personal rail tour had ended.

She sidled up the private berths where Truro and Scotsman slept. Truro had gone out already, possibly on his way to Sodor.

She huffed and glared at the doors to Flying Scotsman's berth.

"Good Morning Magpie," one of the Scotsman's crew greeted her brightly as they came in to check on their engine.

"Hello," she simply grumbled, making it clear that she didn't want to be there. The man looked apologetic before turning to attend to his own engine.

The atmosphere suddenly shifted dramatically as his crew suddenly began to yell and call in panic.

"Someone call Stainer immediately!"

Magpie raised an eyebrow and watched confused as within minutes one of the steamworks engines had been called in to assess the situation.

"There's nothing wrong with my face!" She heard the Scotsman snap angrily. "Stop lying to me!"

Magpie could only watch on as the amount of people grew, all examining the Scotsman and milling about completely ignoring her.

Finally, Stainer came up to speak with her.

"Thank-you for waiting Magpie," he smiled at her. "You're doing us a very big favour by escorting the Scotsman back to Sodor."

"Don't mention it," she grumbled. "No seriously, don't."

Stainer looked annoyed but said nothing. He could understand why the Black 5 was so annoyed.

She had planned to see a few of her siblings today and was extremely pissed off that she would have to be dealing with a LNER engine.

The old rivalry still ran deep with some of the old guard.

"Something very serious has occurred and we need Scotsman returned to Sodor Steamworks immediately," Stainer said with a worried expression across his face. "I will talk to your controller to see if you can have extra time with your siblings as it was not fair of us to deny that of you."

"Thank-you sir!" Magpie brightened up at his words.

"I'd appreciate if you didn't mention anything to anyone else about what you see here today," Stainer said and Magpie kept her mouth shut.

She was a gossip, everyone knew that and most likely they hadn't wanted her as a first choice but from what she saw they clearly needed her help regardless.

"Magpie," Stainer said crossly. "If I find out this information spread across the railways, I know who to trace it too."

"Yes sir, I won't say a thing sir," she relented.

Stainer gave a small smile and a nod.

"Good. Pull Scotsman out of his berth please," he ordered.

"Yes sir."

She moved into the famous engines berth and froze when she looked upon his face.

"Hello Magpie," the Flying Scotsman greeted her brightly. He didn't seem at all stressed or concerned despite everyone around him. "Haven't seen you in so many years my dear lady."

Magpie ignored his greeting and stared at his face horrified.

He looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept at all and there were deep cracks forming on his face over the left side of his face.

She knew what it meant. She'd seen it in a few of her friends before they went to the scrapyard, the stress and fear getting too much for them to bear.

Instead they had completely withdrawn from themselves and the world. They had become nothing but lifeless, empty engines rather than feel the pain and suffering of the cutters torch.

The engine before her was losing its sentience, its very soul.

If the cracks continued to spread, there would no longer be a face on the engine, only a blank featureless smokebox door.

The engine would still work, his crew would still be able to take him out but it would only be a husk of its former self, a preserved engine.

It could not talk and its performance would be average at best.

A mere soulless shell.

A simple machine.

The dreaded Cold Iron Sleep had finally taken a hold of him.

The Flying Scotsman was dying.

For updates, art and small short stories from the Young Iron AU, you can find me at tornadoyoungiron tumblr.