The Island of Sodor is a small country located between England and the Isle of Man. In the summertime, it's the perfect destination for tourists who wish to view beautiful greenery, majestic hills and mountains, and of course the lovely seaside. With so many places to see and visit, proper transportation needs to be arranged. And for the Island of Sodor, there is no better way to travel than by the dependable steam engine. Railroads cover the whole land, making roads and automobiles a much less common sight than in the United Kingdom and beyond. The residents of Sodor absolutely adore their steam engines. There is nothing quite like arriving at the station and seeing the friendly smiles of an engine as they peep their whistles and greet their passengers.

Why yes, I did say they smiled. What's so odd about that? Of course they can talk, silly! All engines can! …Oh yes, I see now. The Island of Sodor is the only place in the world where trains have faces and can talk. I suppose living on the island for so long makes such a concept common knowledge and the everyday norm. These engines are very friendly, I assure you. Nothing makes them happier than working hard and being really useful, and there are definitely plenty of jobs to keep them busy all day. Shunting trucks of materials, taking goods trains, and not to mention the express which one particular engine is very proud of running! That's what a usual day on the North Western Railway looks like, but not all days are quite so mundane. Sodor is known for its surprises. From exciting parties to shocking accidents, neither person nor engine can truly know what the day could hold for them. No truer words could be said for one little steam engine one cool, windy night…

The trees rustled and shook in the gusty midnight winds. The starry, moonlight sky provided just enough light to make out the dark shadows that were cast over the normally delightful scenery. While some enjoyed the serenity of the late hours, the nighttime sights and sounds weren't as pleasing for most. In fact, they were quite unsettling for both people and trains alike. Fortunately for the residents of Sodor, they could be safe at home snug in their warm beds and sleep through blustery nights like these. Unfortunately for some of the engines and their crew, part of their work required them to push through the chilly weather in order to finish their evening duties. One of these duties was the mail train which needed to be pulled all across the island so that everyone could receive their letters, parcels, and other mail by morning.

Percy was in charge of this train. He was a small saddle tank engine with bright green paint, red stripes, four wheels, and the number six painted in yellow on his side. One of the youngest engines on Sodor, his youthful-looking face with his chubby cheeks and bright eyes brought out the childlike aura he had about him. Despite this, Percy always worked hard to prove himself a trustworthy member of the railway, and that work never went unnoticed by the railway's superintendent Sir Topham Hatt (affectionately referred to as the Fat Controller by others) who could always count on the little green engine to be really useful. Being called a really useful engine was the best compliment any of Sodor's locomotives could receive. Although being really useful wasn't always easy…

Percy shuddered as he braved through the chilly winds, determined to finish his mail route before sunrise. His driver and faithful partner Mr. Roberts gave his side a supportive pat while his fireman shoveled more coal into Percy's firebox. "You're doing great, Percy, my boy!" Mr. Roberts smiled. "You'll finish this up in no time!"

"I-I hope so, sir…" Percy shivered as they left a station. His shivers were less from the cold and more from the feeling of butterflies fluttering in his firebox. While Percy was used to pulling the mail train at night, he never quite got used to leaving the lighted areas of town where he only had his lamp and the moon to guide his way through the countryside. This was nothing new for Mr. Roberts. He simply continued uttering his comforting words to his engine as the lights from town grew further and further away.

"You've done this plenty of times before! There's nothing to be scared of out here."

Percy's eyes darted this way and that as he nervously examined the trees and bushes that swayed in the strong winds. Before he had left Tidmouth Sheds that night, James had just finished telling a spooky story to the other engines. Usually his stories just made his friends roll their eyes, but tonight, he had a real creepy one to tell about a long lost train haunting the tracks and cursing unsuspecting engines. Old Edward claimed that James got the whole story all wrong, but the red engine's tale left its mark on Percy anyway. His piston rods rattled and his wheels wobbled, his nerves starting to get the better of him. "Th-The wind is making the trees look all creepy and weird, like big c-claws trying to reach out a-and-"

"They're still the same trees that you see during the day, Percy," Mr. Roberts said before Percy could let his imagination run too wild. "Remember how beautiful they look in the autumn when all their leaves change color?"

Percy took a moment to reminisce about the gorgeous autumn leaves that he always had fun driving through, recalling the foliage crunching under his wheels as he admired the natural beauty that surrounded him. His shaking soon eased to a stop. "Yes… yes, I do! Autumn is such a lovely time of year! Except for Halloween, that's a little scary…"

"Nothing a brave little engine like you can't handle!" Mr. Roberts replied with a smile. "Perhaps even brave enough to… try driving yourself tonight?"

Percy's eyes snapped wide open in surprise. He gulped at those words. Besides their faces and sentience, another thing that set Sodor engines apart from the rest of the world's locomotives was the ability to drive and operate themselves. Drivers were still hired and required for the engine's safety, and firemen were still needed to make sure there was enough coal to fuel their fires, but it was becoming more clear as the years passed that Sodor's engines were smart enough to have a chance at independence. While many engines were intrigued by the concept of operating on their own, other engines such as Percy simply did not have the confidence for such a task. "Ah, m-maybe another time, sir. It's pretty dark, and the wind is too… windy."

Mr. Roberts simply nodded. Many years of being Percy's driver taught him that a lot of patience was needed when working with him. He knew that his little engine was much braver and stronger than other engines and even Percy himself believed. Maybe all he needed was to find a little push to get him going. Meanwhile, Percy quietly chastised himself. I'm such a scaredy little engine. No wonder the bigger engines tease me. Silly James and his silly stories…

Suddenly, he applied Percy's brakes, making him screech to a halt. Before Percy could ask why, he noticed the fork in the rails in front of him with his usual route marked with red flags and a sign that read "DANGER! Out of Order" which blocked his path. Mr. Roberts hopped out of Percy's cab to investigate. "Huh, I see…" he muttered. "It looks like the tracks ahead are damaged and need to be repaired. We'll have to take the other way."

"Th-The other way…?" Percy stuttered, looking at the track opposite of his usual. It was clear that this track wasn't used as frequently as the damaged one. It was slightly overgrown, and Percy knew he hadn't traveled down it before. "I-I'm not sure about that, sir. M-Maybe we should just head back and find another way."

"That could make us late, and you know the Fat Controller wouldn't be pleased to hear that," Mr. Roberts replied, climbing back aboard his engine. "We'll be fine. Just trust me, Percy."

With a peep of his whistle, Percy began to chuff down the old track. His wheels started to wobble again as the area became more and more wooded. While the plentiful trees gave him some protection from the breeze, the moonlight was now blocked out, leaving only his lamp to light the way. Every little noise from the hoot of an owl from the snap of a branch he ran over made him jump in fright. A crow cawed shrilly somewhere in the trees. Suddenly, Mr. Roberts found that Percy wouldn't budge. He was frozen in place, his eyes squeezed shut. "I-I can't do it! I can't go on! It's too scary!" Percy cried, his entire body rattling with fear.

"Oh, Percy…" Mr. Roberts hopped out once again to meet his engine face-to-face. "I know this path is new, but there is nothing you need to be afraid of. Just think of these woods as Henry's Forest. That's not a scary place, is it? You like to go there for some peace and quiet, don't you?"

"…I-I suppose I do, sir." Percy said quietly after a moment, slowly opening his eyes. In a way, these woods did remind him of Henry's Forest. Although he still wished it was daytime rather than night.

His driver gave him a kind smile. "See? This forest is no different from that one. You have absolutely no reason to be afraid-"

A wail echoed through the darkness which caused Percy, Mr. Roberts, and even the fireman to jump in shock. The middle-aged driver got back into Percy's cab and tried to identify exactly what was causing such an unusual noise. Percy started to shake again while his crew listened closely. At the same time, the driver and fireman turned to each other locked eyes.

"I-It couldn't be…" the fireman whispered.

"It sounds just like…" Mr. Roberts started before looking out of Percy's window. "B-But it can't be… out here?"

Even Percy was beginning to recognize the noise. It sounded like a noise he hadn't heard much of before, but something was clicking together in his smoke box. His shaking settled down, and his face shifted from a look of fear to one of concern. "It sounds… sad…"

Mr. Roberts's and the fireman's thoughts were confirmed. "Like a baby…"

"A baby?" Percy asked before he listened again and gasped. Now he remembered where he had heard that sound before! He had heard it at Knapford Station while Gordon was waiting for the express to be loaded, and the large, blue tender engine did not seem pleased about having such a noisy passenger, a fact Percy playfully teased him about. But now it was no laughing matter. "S-Someone might need help!" Percy exclaimed. His wheels started moving forward before his driver could even get him going again.

Mr. Roberts was most surprised. "Woah there, Percy!" He got a hold of Percy's controls and let him move forward at a slow pace. The engine nearly froze again when he realized that he had nearly gone off without the help of his driver, but the cry in the distance pushed those thoughts out of his funnel along with any worries he had about the eerie forest. He continued slowly deeper into the dark woods, searching carefully by the light of the lamp on his buffer.

"H-Hello? Is someone there? Anyone?" He called out, biting his lip as the noise got louder the further he went. When he thought the wailing couldn't sound any closer, Percy grunted as he bumped into a pair of buffers in a siding that were covered by an overgrown bush. Startled, he let out a big weesh of steam. That's when he saw it.

The sudden blast of steam parted away some of the leaves in front of him. Cradled amongst the green and the branches was a small, wooden crate. Inside the crate was a purple blanket that sparkled in the light of Percy's lamp. And bundled in that blanket was the source of the mysterious cry which had now died down. A tiny arm reached up to cover a pair of tiny eyes from the bright light that was being shone on them. Once their eyes adjusted, they uncovered their face and looked right up at Percy's.

"Cinders and ashes..!" Percy muttered, hardly believing what he was seeing.

His eyes went wide with wonder, his mouth gone agape and letting a soft gasp escape. His driver and fireman were right. Right in front of him, a little baby was staring at him curiously. The little green engine's boiler bubbled with a mixture of worry, excitement, and wonder. His crew seemed just as stunned as he was, seemingly unable to move as their minds tried to process what was happening. Percy didn't know what to do either. "H-Hello there… what are you doing here?" He asked softly to the tiny person below him.

He didn't get a verbal response of course. Instead, the baby reached up their arms toward him. Percy was confused, not sure what they were doing. The infant then sneezed. Percy jumped a bit in surprise. This must have looked quite funny because the baby smiled and let out a happy squeal.

A smile quickly spread wide on Percy's face as well. Just then, a fuzzy feeling began growing in his boiler that he'd never felt before… or maybe that was just his driver and fireman climbing out to lift the baby out of the bushes.

"My God…" Roberts was barely able to choke out any words. He felt short of breath even though he didn't do anything to tire him out so much. As though he were carrying the most fragile doll ever made, he carefully cradled the young one in his arms. The baby's eyes moved from Percy's to the man holding her. Mr. Roberts held the swaddled infant close to his chest, protecting the poor child from the cold night air.

The fireman looked into the crate. "Nothing's in here. No note, nothing!"

Another hoot of an owl made Mr. Roberts pull the baby closer. A howl of a fox in the distance and shapes running around in the bushes made him take back what he said about having nothing to be afraid of. He hastily turned to face his faithful engine. "We need to get her out of here! Now!"

Percy watched his crew along with the child get back in his cab. A sudden boost of determination and bravery coursed through his pipes. His brow furrowed as he stared down the darkness ahead. "Don't worry, sir! I'll get us all to safety!" With that, his pistons began pumping again. His wheels spun as fast as they could until Percy chuffed through the dark woods, around the mountain side, and toward the next station. When he stopped at the platform, the mail carriers looked cross.

"You're late, Percy!" One of them said sternly.

"I-I'm terribly sorry, sirs! B-But we were in the woods and-"

Roberts opened the cab door and showed them the baby in his arms. "We found them all alone there. No sort of identification. We need to get help."

The mail carriers didn't quite know what to say at first, just as astonished as the engine and crew in front of them until one of them spoke up. "There's a police station to the right of here. It's just outside town, I doubt you'll miss it."

Mr. Roberts thanked him before the men started unloading their needed mail from Percy's trucks. They still had a couple deliveries to make, but there was one delivery that was more important than anything Percy had carried before. So onward he went, once again diverting from his usual line toward the police station. Mr. Roberts comforted the baby near the warmth of Percy's firebox while his mind still raced and struggled to keep his thoughts straight. "I just don't get it…" said Mr. Roberts to the fireman. "How can someone just leave a helpless child out in the middle of a forest like that?"

"You mean someone just left them there? All alone?" Percy asked, baffled by such an idea. "But why?"

"I wish I had an answer, Percy," sighed Roberts, "but I guess there's no way of knowing. Unless we can find out who left them there."

Percy stopped near the police station and let his driver climb off once again. Roberts inched bit by bit, not wanting to risk potentially hurting the precious cargo by any means. He entered the small brick building and went up to the first person he saw, a man around his age looking bored and tired while sitting at his desk and sipping on a cup of coffee. "Sir! You're an officer, right?"

The man sluggishly glanced down at the badge adorning his chest. "I sure hope so. Otherwise I've been up all night for nothing."

"Please, sir," Mr. Roberts presented the bundled baby to him, "I was out with my engine, and we found this baby in the woods south of here. No one was around, and there's no sort of identification to be found!"

The weariness in the policeman's eyes seemed to vanish as he eyed the little one in front of him. He got up from his desk and walked over. "Any signs of injury or sickness?"

"N-Not that I know of. I was too shocked to check. I don't even know if it's a boy or a girl."

The officer took the infant from Mr. Roberts despite the latter looking hesitant to hand them over. However, seeing the serious yet composed eyes looking into his was enough to gain the engineer's trust. The policeman nodded and placed the baby carefully on his desk. He gently unswaddled them and checked for any visible wounds. "She looks perfectly fine, good sir."

"She? It's a girl?" Roberts went over and stared down at the baby, noticing her little head of hair colored dirty blonde. Her eyes were a brilliant icy gray and were locked on Mr. Roberts' own. He let his hand softly pet the top of her head, and his heart nearly leapt out of his chest when the baby girl smiled and cooed in response.

"I'll contact the rest of the authorities immediately and prepare a search for the girl's family," The officer said, swaddling the girl back in her sparkling purple blanket. "If you give me your phone number, I'll be sure to contact you once we find out anything."

"I'll give you Sir Topham Hatt's office number. That way you can reach me if I'm at work," Roberts replied before writing the number down on a piece of paper. The two shook hands and the officer dismissed him, but just as he was going to leave, Mr. Roberts decided to have just one more moment with the baby before he left. He gave her another pet on her head. "Be strong, okay? Everything will be alright. This nice man here will take care of you."

"Actually, I will be driving her to the hospital," said the officer. "They have more baby supplies there than I do in this little station. She'll be well taken care of there."

Roberts nodded, gave a tip of his driver's cap, and left out the door… but not before glancing once more over his shoulder at the baby girl looking back at him.

As soon as he opened the door, he heard Percy's voice. "Is everything okay, sir?! Is the baby safe?! Do we know who she belongs to?!" Mr. Roberts was immediately bombarded with questions while he got back in his cab. The fireman looked just as curious.

"She's just fine, Percy," Roberts replied calmly, starting his engine up again. "The baby's a little girl. She's not hurt, but she'll be taken to the hospital to be cared for until we find out what's going on."

Although Percy was relieved that the child wasn't hurt, he still felt a bit queasy from his anxiousness. "That's a relief, sir. Fizzling fireboxes, won't I have a story to tell the others!"

"You were a hero tonight, Percy," Roberts grinned proudly, giving his engine a couple pats. Percy beamed with pride as he hurried down the line to finish his deliveries. The people waiting for him were pretty upset at his tardiness, but both engine and driver were eager to tell their extraordinary tale to each of the stations they stopped at. As Percy dropped off his crew for the night and slowly made his way back to Tidmouth Sheds, the story was already being spread across the island.

Percy backed into his berth, gazing up at the stars draped across the sky. The other engines were all asleep as usual. While he would've loved to tell every engine his story right at that moment, his thoughts were occupied by the image of that tiny face smiling up at him from the bushes. Not only that, but he was reminded of the strange feeling he got when the baby reached up for him. It wasn't strange as in unpleasant; in fact, it was the exact opposite. The more he thought about it, the more puzzled he got. Did something inside him break? Was it some sort of malfunction? Maybe I should stop by the Steamworks tomorrow for a check-up… He thought to himself. Percy let out a yawn as sleep finally started to get a hold of him. Just before his eyes drifted shut, he had just one thing to say:

"Goodnight, little baby…"