I thank all my lovely reviewers, and hope that you continue to be entertained somewhat! I will admit that this episode is going to feature a completely original subplot, but it will foreshadow things that will come.
Cue the theme.
...
Oooooooooh! Spooky.
Steve, take the bedsheet off.
There is no Steve, only the ghost of-
Steve. It's too early.
Spoilsport.
...
The viaduct was quiet.
Too quiet.
Even in the night, the work was supposed to be going on, but all workmen had huddled into the coach, hiding and waiting. At last, they heard a sharp piercing whistle...and there it was.
"And every day, on the date of the accident, it runs again! As a warning to others! "
A engine, fading in and out repeatedly and with something flapping in the wind that looked suspiciously like moss strangling him, rushed across the bridge, and the workmen huddled together in horror.
It rushed on, screaming it's terrible scream, until it reached the watermill, whereupon it derailed and vanished!
"Plunging into the gap! Shrieking like a lost soul-"
...
"Percy, what are you talking about?"
Percy was pulled out of his wailing and gnashing story by a very skeptical sounding Thomas. They, along with Toby, were sitting in the midst of the mist filled Anopha Quarry. It was one of those times of year when the mist rolled in and mixed together with the steam to create something that was almost impossible to see through fully.
"The ghost train!" Percy said, deliberately putting more echo into his voice. "Driver saw it last night!"
"Where?" asked Thomas and Toby automatically.
"He didn't say! I get the sense that Mr Carlin has a shady past that we can only speculate on! Perhaps it was he who pushed the ghost train to it's death, and it haunts him to this VERY DAY! Oh, it makes my wheels wobble to think of it!"
"Huh!" said Thomas scornfully. "I saw that ghost train once on the telly! It was a fake model wrapped in toilet paper! You are a silly little engine! I'm not scared of ghosts!" And he puffed away self-importantly.
Toby rolled his eyes. "He doesn't learn, does he?" He glanced about. "So, I'll be off in a few seconds. I have to wait by the signalbox somewhere by Crowe's Farm Crossing."
"Funny you say that. I'm passing that way meself. I have to stay late at the harbor. You take care of yourself."
"And you!" Toby puffed off. Mr Carlin, having taken a leak behind one of the trucks, walked over briskly.
"Thomas didn't believe in your ghost!" said Percy.
"MY GHOST!? I'm not dead yet!"
"No, the ghost story-" cut in the Fireman.
"Oh! Fair enough, neither did I! Just a stupid programme on the television! Ghost wasn't even that impressive, just covered in toilet roll!"
Percy was more than a little bummed out, not least because he would have liked to have been able to give Thomas the bird. Or at least in as much as he could with just buffers.
...
It was nearing the end of the day, and in Knapford, there was a number of engines waiting for news of what they would be doing at night. Edward, Gordon, Henry, James, Duck, Donald and Douglas all sat and began to get rather antsy.
"Losh sakes!" snapped Donald at last. "Were there any point to all o'us coming here?!"
"Probably not." Henry sighed. "But you know how the Fat Hatt likes to keep us guessing."
"What's wrong with the coaches?" Edward asked to no one in particular. "I haven't heard them this worried in a long time."
The Fat Controller hurried out. "Damn this fog! Right, apologies you lot! You're not needed, so you can head off home!"
"Sir, that's a lamp-post."
"Oh." He hurried away, leaving the engines to consider turning back to Tidmouth. The crews were annoyed, to say the least. They weren't officially allowed to clock off for another two hours or so, and it was already getting dark.
"What's wrong?"
Everyone turned to face James, who had puffed forward towards some of the coaches and had started conversing with them.
"Odd, didnae think he was willing to listen!" Douglas coughed.
"Probably getting make-up tips." Gordon muttered mutinously. Duck rolled his eyes and turned as James puffed back down.
"Well?"
"Apparently, some of the coaches are missing." James frowned. "They said they wouldn't mind usually, but there's apparently some sort of legend about a ghost train wandering the Island, and they're rather nervous."
Everyone was silent for a moment.
"I say." started Henry. "We don't have much to do right now, do we?"
"No."
"Well...why not go and get the coaches back?"
"Could we?" There was a hint of excitement in James's voice. But also a slight bit of dread. "Don't they say it's unwise to be about the Island this time of night?"
"Ach, I'm with ye Henry!" Donald puffed forward. "We need a wee distraction before we head of to tha land of nod!"
Douglas sighed. "Suppose I'll come along. It's nae the sort of night for bed anyhow."
"You'll need someone sane to watch over you." Duck laughed.
"Eh, what have we got to lose?" Edward remarked.
Everyone's eyes turned to Gordon. He sighed. "What have we got to lose? I think, if it's all right with you, we should head to the harbor first...get the worst place out of the way."
So the cavalcade set off, unaware of what they were diving into.
...
Funnily enough, Percy was just puffing back from the harbor as this decision was being made. He rushed through the valley, wanting to get out of the dark night. But that didn't stop him enjoying himself. He knew where he was, even in the dark, thanks to having eaten so many carrots. He passed the windmill and vaguely wondered what fools would be out on a night like this.
Despite his misgivings about this night in particular, in general he enjoyed somewhat the run in nights. The air was crisp and clear the rails practically hummed, and the signal lights shone green, providing some form of light that he could navigate with.
But ahead, as always, there was trouble.
Lying ahead, there was a broken cart of lime that stretched across the crossing in the worst possible position. It had broken when Terrance, manned by a very drunk farmer, had swerved to avoid a giant mantis that only his driver could see. Sam the farmer had just gone for help, so the cart was left all on it's own.
On this Island, that was practically a death sentence.
"Hang on, isn't that a-"
There was a loud crash and crunch as the cart practically exploded into white stained pieces. Lime flew everywhere, but mostly onto Percy. His mind briefly shut down from shock, and so he missed Carlin going off on one and ranting at the fireman about idiot farmers who left carts just lying there to be run over.
At last, he puffed to the nearest signalbox. Toby, as per his remark, was waiting there for his driver to finish his cuppa. He turned and beheld the white Percy. "BY NEPTUNE'S BEARD!" He shouted in shock. "Are you trying out for the clown in the new play?"
"Oh very funny." Percy said through clenched teeth. Carlin got out and explained what had happened, in between rants about just what would happen to Sam if he ever saw him again.
"I'll see he gets the message!" said the signalman. "But you better clean Percy up, because he looks like a ghost!"
At that moment, a metaphorical lightbulb went off in both engines's heads. Percy chuckled deviously.
"Oh let's just pretend I'm a ghost! I want to scare the crap out of Thomas! Silly little engine, am I?"
Toby agreed, mostly just because he was bored and wasn't going to go against the tide. They agreed a plan, and Toby set off. He crossed the watermill and continued onwards, snickering occasionally, before he finally arrived back at the sheds. He put on a panicked expression, as he saw Thomas being oiled up for a evening train.
"PERCY'S HAD A ACCIDENT!" He blubbed to a cheerful Thomas.
"Poor engine." said Thomas, with little sympathy, or really listening that much. "Oh bother, I'll be late!"
"They've cleared the line for you-"
"Oh, thank the lord for small mercies."
"-but there's something else!" Toby paused dramatically.
"Out with it Toby! I can't wait all evening, I am a very important engine!"
"I saw something! It looks to me, and don't quote me on this, like Percy's...GHOST!"
Thomas was unimpressed. "He's probably just drunk."
"It said that it was coming here to...to...WARN US!"
"Huh! Who cares? Don't be frightened Toby, I'll look after you!" Thomas scoffed and turned back. Toby grinned.
It wasn't often he allowed himself to be devious, but when he was...
...
As they crossed the watermill, Gordon looked back at the others. "So Edward...I have a apology to make."
"Oh?"
"I made a mistake. A genuine mistake, and I punished you unfairly for it...sorry."
"Oh. Well as long as we can move on-" Edward paused. "Can you hear that?"
James frowned. "The water?"
"No, tha-"
"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESH!" screamed Percy as he rushed past, practicing his ghostly wail and scaring the crap out of seven engines as he did so. He vanished into the distance.
Silence for a moment as all engines consciously put on more speed.
"Was that a-" Henry started.
"NO!" snapped the others.
"How much further do we have to go!?" Duck grumbled. "I know we're coming up to the valley in a few minutes, so we can't be far from there, right?"
"You're quite right Duck." Douglas said, the cold clearly getting to him slightly based solely on his voice. "Aye, it's a cold one and no mistake."
"Something odd that I've noticed." Henry started again. "Now I've run night trains before, and while it's certainly quiet, it's never...this quiet, if you get what I mean. Aside from that screaming banshee we just saw, can anyone actually hear anything?"
"Maybe everyone's asleep." Edward suggested.
"No, he's right." Gordon looked as they entered the valley. "Listen. I've been through here once or twice at night, and I've always heard something, even if it's just a owl hooting or the sound of snoring from one of those tramps that always manages to wander down here."
"That is odd." Duck admitted. "You know, the morning's almost here...and yet not a sound." The engines puffed onwards a few minutes, each preoccupied with their won thoughts, before Douglas cut in.
"Listen." He said. "Now, I'm not a expert, but can anyone of yon engines see a glow in the distance?"
They looked up, and indeed they could. It was coming from the harbor, and at such a brightness that it could not possibly by a house or a cottage. And then...a song reached them.
"Stoke up the magic in the mountain, and the lady will smile.
Then watch the swirls that spin so well
Though I may not be with you again for a while.
I shall come back, and your fears I shall quell."
The voice, ethereal, soft, gentle, a woman's, was supposed to be soothing. In actuality, it had the opposite effect, and all seven sped up to escape the valley, being driven on and on towards the light.
...
At the sheds, something very different was going.
"Peep! PEEP PEEP PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP. Let me in! Let me in!" wailed Percy, using his echoy voice to great effect. Thomas's face was terrified, and Toby assumed a similar reaction.
"No no! Not by the smoke of my chimney chim chim!"
Percy snickered quietly to himself. "Then I'll CHUFF. And I'll PUFF! And I'll BREAK YOUR DOOR IN!"
And all four crew members slowly creaked the door open, Thomas opened one eye to see the ghostly grinning face of Percy and he abandoned any attempt at holding onto what remained of his dignity. "Oh dear!" he declared lamely. "It's getting late, look at the time, must find Annie and Clarabel, have a good night!" and he vanished off into the night, screaming.
Both engines made sure he was out of earshot, and then broke down into laughing.
...
"I NEVER THINK I CAN LAUGH AGAIN!" screamed James, scared so badly that grammar had failed him.
There was a hissing noise as they entered the harbor. And for a split second, the engines swore they saw the shadow of a old tank engine creeping towards them, it's eyes murderous and grim.
"MARKLIN!" spat out Edward, and Duck looked ready to take him on.
But the shadow froze, and as the light grew brighter and brighter, it screamed and vanished.
The engines took a deep breath, and soldiered on. The drivers got out, manually switched the points, and so each engine was now on a seperate track.
"The question is." said Gordon weakly. "If Marklin's scared of that thing...is it ally, or foe?"
No one spoke. They puffed on. And there...they saw the coaches.
"They're just lying there." Donald whispered. "And the light...is it protecting them?"
Edward puffed forward. "Hello!" He shouted awkwardly. The light seemed to turn towards him, and he cringed. Suddenly he heard chuffing, and all the engines hurried up to join him. "Er...please could you give our coaches back?"
The light paused. And then it suddenly began to shrink, done into a single form. The form of a engine.
The engine puffed forwards til it was face to face with Edward.
And then she smiled.
"Remember me. All of you. Please."
And then she was gone.
...
It was slowly dawning when Thomas was seen next at Tidmouth, looking twitchy and rather like he hadn't slept at all.
"Where have you been?" asked Toby innocently.
"OH, um, oh, well, I saw how upset you were about Percy. I didn't want to disturb you. I slept in the good shed and-" A whistle sent him scurrying off. "WELL WOULD YOU BELIEVE IT!? Gotta see a coach about a train!"
Percy was none the worse for his ordeal, and was grinning madly as he puffed up. "Well!" he laughed.
"Anyone would think-" said Toby. "-that Thomas had seen a GHOST!"
"Nice echo there."
"Don't! MENTION! GHOSTS!" James shouted as he and his friends puffed in with the missing coaches.
...
"Was it a dream, Edward?"
"Like a dream. And yet..."
"Not quite." Duck muttered, sleepily. Edward nodded.
"I feel tired...but in a good way." Henry murmured. The twins nodded.
"Oh isn't it just grand to just feel the sun again..." Donald sleepily whispered.
"And the wind...playing across the Island." Douglas said sleepily.
"Just like music." Gordon, half asleep and unaware of whatever it was he was saying, murmured. "Far away music."
And so they slept. For that was the last gift she could give them. The gift of forgetfulness. When they awoke, they would be happy and as light hearted as before. ust as though they had never seen the lady at the gates of dawn.
But for the longest time afterwards, a tune would come into their heads, and they had no idea what it meant.
Not yet anyway.
...
"You failed?! How?!"
"I don't know!" roared Marklin. "All I know is that SHE was there!"
"She is supposed to be DEAD!" P.T Boomer groaned. "We need to continue the long game. Go underground for a while."
"And you?"
"Me? I need to pay a visit to the states...I need to make sure our Lady doesn't interfere anymore."
...
As you can tell, I'm sort of building up stuff that'll pay off in Magic Railroad. Hence the mystery...hopefully it makes you curious.