Gordon found Tornado facing the buffers in her berth at Vicarstown. Rebecca had taken his berth at Tidmouth sheds so that the two could have some privacy.
Rosie was busy working late that night so it gave them time to talk. Henry was also staying the night however he was currently coming back from a delivery in Manchester and wouldn't arrive until early next morning.
Tornado was crying. She'd been the very first to hear the news from Truro and the Fat Controller. She had fled to Vicarstown to hide in the sheds without a word to anyone.
He felt just as terrible, Truro had chased him down specifically so that he did not have to hear it from rumours or from other engines.
The rumours had spread fast, even Diesel of all engines had respectfully left him alone to deal with his thoughts.
His younger brother had the Cold Iron Sleep.
There was nothing he could do.
The Fat Controller had instantly relieved him of his jobs, giving them to the new diesel, Bear.
He immediately went to find Tornado, knowing that she wouldn't be taking it well. It was how he found her, in her shed staring at the wall crying her eyes out.
He pulled into the berth beside her silently and joined her in staring at the wall. He barely noticed his own tears slipping down his face.
She briefly glanced at him but said nothing, her expression saying all Gordon needed to know.
There was nothing to say, nothing he could say.
There was nothing anyone could do to help.
He felt just as terrible as she did. But, at the very least their presence could comfort each other.
The sunset over the island and the landscape grew dim and dark.
The two engines weeped in a mutual silence until they ran out of tears.
Tornado slipped into an uneasy sleep after a while, but Gordon just stared at the wall in front of him feeling numb and cold.
It was almost dawn when Gordon drifted off to sleep.
Magpie was losing her patience as she dragged the Flying Scotsman back to Sodor.
They'd set off during the night to avoid rail tourists and Scotsman's smoke deflectors and his name plate removed to hide his identity even further.
She wished they'd done something to shut him up as he spoke nonstop on their way back.
She gritted her teeth as the Flying Scotsman continued being insolent and annoying.
She knew he was doing it to try and distract himself from the fact that he'd been afflicted with a very serious and deadly ailment but that didn't make it any less annoying.
She let him continue however, no matter how annoyed she was, she knew deep down that Scotsman was terrified and scared beyond belief.
What she didn't like however was how jovial and dismissive he was being.
"I don't see all the big fuss, it's just a crack," Scotsman scoffed as the neared Vicarstown and Magpie became instantly furious. "You're all being ridiculous and stupid!"
She slammed on her brakes causing Scotsman to jolt into the back of her.
"Hey! What's the big idea-"
"That's what my friends said when they had the sleep too," she snarled angrily as she came to a stop. "They said they were just cracks, that they'd go away in time."
The Scotsman noticed the cold and dark anger in her voice and kept quiet.
"But they never did and over time they lost their faces entirely," Magpie snarled angrily. "Do you honestly know how hard that was? To watch my friends slowly deteriorate? To watch them slowly forget their friends and eventually themselves before turning into cold, dark empty machines devoid of any life?"
Magpie took a deep breath, close to tears.
"I lost so many friends like that! I lost so many that sometimes I wish I had joined them and here you are talking about it as if it's some kind of sick joke!" Magpie roared at him angrily. "Don't you dare belittle this. Just DON'T!"
The Scotsman fell silent, the fear rising in his boiler.
He began shaking, his wheels unsteady and his breathing shallow.
"I never meant to demean this," he said, his voice hoarse and strained. "Magpie, I really didn't mean to belittle this thing I have… I just… I'm terrified. Joking about things is how I deal with them… I'm sorry, I won't make jokes but, but… I'm just really scared of what's happening to me, I don't, I don't want to lose myself to this."
Magpie heard the true fear in his voice. The Flying Scotsman was truly terrified of this illness. He was on the verge of tears and she could feel him shaking through the coupling.
He was vulnerable and frightened beyond reason.
She felt guilty for reacting the way she did and yelling at the clearly frightened engine. But her point still stood.
"Alright," Magpie relented, speaking softly now. "Alright Scotsman, I believe you and I'm sorry I yelled but please don't belittle people's feelings about this. We're all just… trying to deal with what's happening to you."
The Scotsman remained silent.
He didn't want to upset Magpie, she seemed a sweet engine if a little harsh.
They began to move again but the Scotsman didn't start speaking again for a long while.
"I wonder if they'll still use my engine, even when I'm no longer sentient," he whispered quietly.
Magpie looked ahead, focusing on the rails in front of her.
"At least you will still be loved and remembered," she said. "Most of the engines that were scrapped don't even have the honour of being remembered. You're very lucky in that regard."
The Scotsman stared at the back of Magpie's tender.
"I suppose so," he said glumly.
He said nothing for the remaining trip, merely content to stare up at the stars in the night sky as his thoughts turned to his brother.
It hurt knowing that Gordon would be the last one left soon.
Tears slipped down his face as he dwelled on Gordon being alone in the world with no more siblings.
In a way, he wished he had had that fate to save his brother.
He gave a deep shaky breath and closed his eyes.
Green Arrow awoke to the sound of an engine trundling around the steamworks at night. He looked down and saw the little narrow gauge engine at his little post.
"I apologise for waking you my friend," Victor said with a small smile. "But your voice box has been delivered by the City of Truro."
Arrow found himself suddenly wide awake at the news and with a huge grin.
Victor gave a laugh.
"I thought that might cheer you up my friend!"
Green Arrow looked over and saw the City of Truro sitting quietly to the side of the steamworks, minding his own business.
Hello Truro. Thank-you for bringing my voice back to me.
Truro blinked at him wearily before giving him a tired smile.
"I am happy to assist you, Green Arrow," he said kindly. "I hope that your voice can be restored."
There was an underlying tone of worry and anxiousness in Truro's voice that Arrow picked up on.
Did the Flying Scotsman return to York safely?
Truro stared at Green Arrow with an apprehensive gaze before he looked at Victor who stared at him mournfully.
Truro gave a long deep sigh and looked back at Green Arrow.
"Major issues have emerged," he told the green engine. "The Flying Scotsman will be returning to Sodor tonight."
What? Why?
Truro closed his eyes and calmed himself so that he did not weep.
He opened his eyes and decided to be blunt.
"A crack appeared on his faceplate this morning," Truro said impassively. "Flying Scotsman has been confirmed to have Cold Iron Sleep."
Green Arrow's eyes widened in shock.
He disliked Scotsman yes but, the Cold Iron Sleep…
It was a death sentence.
He thought of Tornado and Gordon. How devastated they would be. The chaos that would come from the Flying Scotsman's passing.
He looked at Truro.
The old engine was keeping an impassive face but he knew that Truro was completely broken inside.
Truro and Scotsman were more than friends, any idiot could see that.
Losing Scotsman would break him completely.
Maybe even lead to Truro succumbing to the deadly illness himself.
I'm so sorry. Truly Truro, I am so sorry.
Truro looked away from Green Arrow and stared at the ground. He didn't cry but he had a harrowed and feeble look to him.
"There is hope," Victor put in, trying to give them hope. "Sodor has saved engines from the Cold Iron. It's one of the few places that has an abundance of Gold Dust. We can save his sentience from becoming lost."
"That only worked once," Truro suddenly said coldly. "And that engine that was saved did not remain in its engine. It was scrapped and forced to live out the rest of its days in an inadequate human shell."
Green Arrow stared at him confused.
What?
"The engine Godred," Victor began. "Was careless and brash. It worked on a Railway which scaled a high mountain. One day he was careless and fell from the mountain, he was unable to be repaired, his damage was so great. They parked him at the back of a shed and slowly cannibalised parts off him for the other engines. He tried to hold on, but the Cold Iron Sleep eventually claimed him and he begged to be saved."
Truro rolled his eyes and scoffed.
"It's a children's tale," he said interrupted. "Used to ease an engine's fears of the Cold Sleep."
Green Arrow however looked intrigued.
Regardless I am still curious.
"The owner of the Railway searched for ways to save the engine even if he couldn't be useful, he still cared for the engine despite using his parts," Victor continued. "And so he went to King Godred's keep at Ulfstead Castle and found a wellspring of a strange golden substance that wasn't liquid but more like a solid gas. It had properties like magic and he researched it, finding out that this substance had been used to give engines like the Rocket sentience, to give them willpower and strength to achieve their tasks and work better for their owners."
Green Arrow stared at Victor curiously, thoughts forming about the story while Truro sat there glumly.
"He took his broken engine to Ulfstead Castle and used the Gold Dust on him, thinking it would repair the engine entirely, like magic," Victor continued. "It did not. In fact it ripped the sentience out of the engine and gave him a human body to save him. The owner was furious but seeing how scared and terrified the engine was in this new form he gave him a home and shelter. They saw that Godred lived out the rest of his life in peace."
"The engine was still scrapped and used for parts," Truro said coldly. "Godred never returned to his engine. He may as well have died. It is a cute story, but in the end it didn't save the engine. If you did the same to Scotsman, he wouldn't be able to return and you may as well preserve him."
Victor looked at Truro.
"At least he will be alive," Victor said quietly. "You must think of what is possible. We've never truly understood Gold Dust and how it makes it engines sentient. There could be a way, we simply haven't found it yet."
Green Arrow looked thoughtful. He ignored Victor and the City of Truro as they argued about some children's story.
What if that hadn't been a ghost he had seen on Flying Scotsman's running board.
What if it had been something else?
It wasn't Pegler's Ghost I saw on Scotsman in the mine…
He flashed his lamp drawing the two arguing engines' attention.
"Arrow?" Truro asked, confused.
In Ulfstead mine, I saw Scotsman move without steam. Spencer and Gordon saw it too. There was a figure on his running board made of a golden dust. What if it wasn't a ghost we saw, what if it was the Gold Dust acting on Scotsman's subconscious fears of being scrapped?
"Don't be ludicrous Arrow," Truro chided but Arrow ignored him.
Flying Scotsman has been stationed at Ulfstead Castle these past few years. He hasn't once shown signs of the Cold Iron Sleep. Don't you find that odd?
Victor's eyes widened in shock.
"You're right!" The little engine gasped. "But the second he left Ulfstead Castle for the Mainland…"
The Gold Dust couldn't keep his illness at bay. It took a hold of him and began to kill him.
Truro frowned. He was pleased that something had kept his friend alive but something still irked him.
"What if the illness can't be stopped, even if he returns to the castle? And even if it is, being stuck at the castle he may as well be preserved," Truro chastised them. "Save him by turning into a human and he'll have no way back to his engine."
"It is still a chance, City of Truro," Victor said calmly. "A chance is better than nothing at all."
Truro took a deep breath before relenting and managing a small smile.
"I suppose you are right."
Stainer looked apologetically to Olivia who had answered the door to her house. It was after midnight and he had just been dropped off by Magpie and her crew.
"My deepest apologies Olivia, I know you are on leave and nearing the birth of your son but in light of the situation I thought it best to involve you" he bowed to her but Olivia gestured dismissively.
"It's absolutely fine," she grinned at him. She leaned towards him to whisper in Stainer's ear. "The Fat Man's here and he's worried we're going to blame him for what happened."
"Are we?" Stainer asked.
Olivia looked thoughtful for a second.
"I haven't decided yet," she smirked. "How was Magpie?"
"Grouchy but very disturbed by what's happening understandably," Stainer said. "A good engine but came off very harsh to the Scotsman after he tried to play off how serious his illness was."
Olivia looked saddened as they entered her living room.
It was no secret that she adored Flying Scotsman.
Sir Topham Hatt, Sir Robert and Oscar sat around on her couches along with two men that Stainer didn't recognise.
One was tall and quite heavyset with a similar dress to Sir Topham but with a purple waist coat. The other was a smaller gaunt man with sunken eyes, wiry hair and worn and tattered clothes, a far cry from the other people in the room. The gaunt man stood apart from the others, clearly uncomfortable and out of place.
The man in the purple waistcoat smiled brightly at Stainer and stood, offering out his hand to him.
"An honour to meet you Mr Stainer sir," he said as he shook his hand firmly. "My name is Klein Richards. I run the Culdee Fell Railway."
"A pleasure to meet you sir," Stainer said, uncomfortably aware that he smelt of coal and soot. He was still in his engineer's overalls.
He looked over to the other man who Richards gestured to stand and greet Stainer.
"This here is a very special friend of my family's. His existence is known to very few people," Richards said.
The strange man just gave a grunt and nodded at Stainer, not bothering to introduce himself.
Richards seemed annoyed but waved it off, deciding to introduce the man himself.
"This is Godred."
For updates, art and small short stories from the Young Iron AU, you can find me at tornadoyoungiron at tumblr.