Scaredy Engines
Halloween had arrived on the Island of Sodor, and it was very safe to say that it was one of the engines' favourite holidays for several reasons; they always looked forward to seeing Sir Topham Hatt's fireworks lighting up the night sky as well as seeing all of the people that were wearing different costumes for the holiday. But there was one thing the engines looked forward more than anything on an occasion like that, and that… was Edward's spooky stories.
In fact, there was no better place to look for the engines than at Tidmouth Sheds; the group consisting of Henry, Gordon, James, Percy, Thomas and Duck were all gathered there as they were listening to Edward's story for this year, while their drivers and firemen were all right beside them and he was sitting on the turntable telling it to them. If the expressions of fear and stunned silence written all over the group's faces were much to go by, it seemed that Edward was doing a really good job with his story so far. In particular, Thomas and Percy seemed to be the most taken in by this, as they turned their glances to each other with matching expressions of mixed surprise and worry before they turned their attention back to Edward as he continued with the story.
"They say that on Halloween, the ghost engine returns to the Smelter Yards, looking for his lost whistle…" Edward said, in an eerily haunting tone of voice, though the big grin on his face did nothing to hide just how much he was enjoying telling his story; he could tell that he had everyone drawn in when even the three big engines were all looking at each other in fright. There seemed to be nothing but silence for a few moments after Edward said this, but suddenly, a high-pitched, almost ghostly whistle could be heard echoing through the Island, leaving the engines all letting out gasps of shock.
From where she was leaning against Thomas as she was listening to the story, Anthia seemed to cross her arms as she felt shivers run down her spine upon hearing the whistle, before she rushed up to take cover inside Thomas's cab. With the number one engine in question, he nearly felt shivers run down his boiler as he shuddered on the rails a little before he turned his glance to Percy, while the small green engine was simply staring in silence. "Edward's stories never stop giving me the chills… I don't know how he does it, but he leaves me shaking on the rails every time." Thomas nervously commented, while Percy turned his glance to him in surprise upon realising that the number one engine was talking to him.
"Yeah, me too. I doubt I'll be able to sleep easily tonight." Percy agreed; this seemed to be the after effect he experienced every time after hearing one of Edward's Halloween story, and if seeing the others who were left looking at each other in fright was much to go by, it seemed that he wouldn't be the only one. Thomas kept his glance on Percy, seeing just how much the story got to him.
"Do you still remember his story from last year?" Thomas asked. Percy turned his glance to Thomas in surprise upon hearing that, but it didn't take very long for him to recognise what he was talking about. "Oh, do I ever? I couldn't come out of the sheds for a week after hearing it… and even when I could, all I could think about was that story…" Percy quietly replied, showing an expression of dismay and turned his glance downwards as he remembered just how much hearing the story got to him; it seemed to be the only thing he could think about for a while. Thomas could only watch his friend with concern before a soft smile came to his face as he seemed to know how to snap Percy out of it.
"Well, don't forget who was always there to make sure you didn't have your attention on that story, and who came to see you and make sure everything was alright when it did get to you." Thomas softly stated. Percy looked back up at Thomas before a small smile came to his face; it didn't take him very long to remember that Thomas was there to make sure he was okay after hearing the story and how he was always here to help him out in case he started to experience any lingering worries from the story. Needless to say, it was just the thing that Percy needed for those few weeks.
"Yeah… that's right. Thank you so much for all of that." Percy replied. Thomas couldn't help himself smiling back at this reply; he knew that he would always be there for Percy when he needed him. As the two were smiling at each other, they then turned their glances down to see a blue car driving over and pull up in front of them; it was Sir Topham Hatt, and it seemed that he was here to see them. The two then looked at each other in surprise, wondering just what this was about, before they figured it would be best to hear him out.
"Thomas, Percy and Duck, I have a special job for the three of you. You need to collect some scrap from the Smelter's Yard tonight." Sir Topham Hatt explained. Thomas and Duck both showed matching bright smiles as they were more than ready to get to work, but Percy didn't seem to be as enthusiastic; as a matter of fact, it seemed that an expression of worry was starting to show on his face upon realising just where they needed to go for this job.
"O-on Halloween?!" Percy worriedly gasped. It didn't take very long for Thomas and Duck to take notice of his bout of worry, though, as they both turned their glances to him in surprise wondering just what was getting into them. Sir Topham Hatt didn't seem to have the same awareness, though, as he simply showed a bright smile.
"Don't worry. You'll be back in time for the fireworks." Sir Topham Hatt replied. With this, he turned to make his way back to his car and drive off before the three engines could even get a chance to speak.
"Well… that's actually… the least of my worries…" Percy quietly said, turning his glance down with an expression of worry on his face. Thomas could only stare at the small engine in concern; normally he would take at the opportunity at poke fun at Percy for his worries. But now he seemed to know better than that, he could tell that this was something serious if Percy was looking this worried about it. So to Thomas, it seemed that the right thing to do would be to talk to Percy and see if he could figure out what the situation was.
"Percy? What's wrong?" Thomas gently asked. Percy turned his glance up to see Thomas watching him with an expression of concern, and he started to feel uncertainty of whether or not he should tell Thomas the truth about why he was feeling so scared about going to the Smelter Yards tonight. He knew that it would be best to be honest with Thomas about his feelings, but at the same time he wasn't sure of whether or not Thomas would make fun of him for it. But… that was when Percy suddenly remembered the last time he felt like this: it was after the Chinese Dragon situation, and he told Thomas the truth about how scared he felt being stuck at the siding that night. That was when Thomas told him this:
"Maybe we do get scared sometimes. But as long as we aren't afraid to tell each other about it, then that makes us brave."
Remembering that advice Thomas gave him seemed to help Percy feel more at ease about this; if Thomas was willing to listen to him back then, he didn't see any reason why he wouldn't do it now. So with that in mind, Percy slowly turned his glance to Thomas, mostly feeling ready to be honest with him.
"Well…" Percy let out a small sigh before he continued. "It's just… I'm not feeling very certain about going to the Smelter Yards. When I heard about what we had to do, I suddenly thought about Edward's story and it started to make me worry. You don't think… we'll run into the Ghost Engine while we're at the Smelter Yards, do you?" Percy worriedly asked, feeling like he was nearly close to tears from his slowly building fears and anxiety over his situation.
Thomas could only stare in stunned silence hearing this, and then he looked down to think about this, wondering just what he could say to help Percy feel better about the situation. He knew that he had to be careful, lest he accidently make Percy feel worse about his fears. Fortunately, he seemed to remember just how he handled things when Percy told him the truth about how scared he felt seeing the Chinese Dragon and being stuck at the siding that entire night, as he then felt a gentle smile slowly showing on his face before he looked back up at Percy. "Percy… there's nothing to worry about. Nothing in Edward's story is actually real; he makes them up. There's a reason he saves them for Halloween every year." Thomas explained.
Duck was listening to this the entire time, and figured that it would only be fair for him to have a word in on this. "That's right. He likes telling them to us to give us a bit of a scare, and I'd say it works every time. And it's no different this year." he agreed, with Thomas turning his glance to him listening to this before looking back at Percy. Percy stared up at the two listening to them before turning his glance down in silence; it seemed that he didn't really believe them, and in all honesty, they didn't find it all that hard to blame him. However, Thomas didn't feel ready to give up; he knew exactly how to get through to Percy at a time like this.
"Percy?" Thomas asked. Percy slowly turned his glance up to see the gentle smile on Thomas's face, as he seemed to know just how to help him with this situation. "If we do run into anything scary at the Smelter Yards, I won't let it get you. You'll be safe with me." Thomas explained.
"Really?" Percy quietly asked in response, staring in surprise upon seeing the sincere smile on Thomas's face as he seemed to know just what he was saying, and that he was being honest about it.
"I promise." Thomas sincerely replied, his smile simply saying it all.
Percy could only stare in shock before a bright smile slowly crossed his face, realising that there was no way Thomas would leave him to do this kind of job by himself, especially on a night like this; he knew that Thomas would be here by his side. "Thank you, Thomas." he replied, with the two of them happily smiling at each other. There seemed to be silence for a few moments before Duck spoke up.
"Well then… should we get moving? That scrap isn't going to collect itself, you know." Duck commented. Thomas and Percy both turned their glances to Duck as they realised that he was right, and it didn't take them very long to agree with them.
"Yeah, we probably should. We better hurry if we want to get back in time for the fireworks." Thomas agreed. He and Duck then turned their glances to Percy to hear what he had to say, and there was silence for a few moments before Percy gave his reply. "…I can't agree more with you two there. What are we waiting for?" Percy asked, with a confident smile slowly showing on his face as he seemed to feel more at ease about this job. Thomas and Duck both showed matching bright smiles at this, and so without a moment to spare, the three set off to make their way towards the Smelter Yards.
Fortunately, it didn't take the three very long to arrive at the Smelter Yards and they soon got to work right away. Unfortunately, once they were inside, all Percy could suddenly think about was Edward's story and the Ghost Engine. As he slowly made his way down the line, he looked around the Smelter Yards in increasing worry, seeing the dark red lights illuminating the area and making it seem very intimidating as well as all the machinery looming over him; it seemed as though the Ghost Engine could be anywhere without him knowing it. Percy could only stare at his surroundings in fear before he spotted Thomas on the track right beside him, and he was showing him a comforting smile as if he was saying that there was nothing to worry about. Percy gave a small smile back, but that did very little to soothe his increasing worries and fears over being in this place.
At one time, Percy was busy pulling a flatbed full of metal pipes along the track, but then he suddenly heard something rattling above him, prompting him to let out a gasp of panic. "Wh-what was that?! Is that a spook?" he worriedly gasped, looking around in fright. As he was busy trying to figure out where that sound was coming from, Thomas happened to be on the track right beside him and stopped when he saw the small engine shaking slightly on the rails. Thomas stared at Percy in surprise for a few moments before he turned his glance up to notice that a piece of scrap metal in what seemed to be the shape of a one picked claw was slowly rocking back and forth above their heads.
"It's all right, Percy. It's just a piece of twisted scrap." Thomas softly said, showing a gentle smile at his friend. Percy turned his glance to spot Thomas right beside him, and then he slowly looked up to find that he was right, much to his relief. Once he was certain that he was safe, Percy showed a small smile of relief and turned his head to see Thomas showing him a comforting smile. "Just remember, if there's anything scary here, I'll be here to make sure you're safe." Thomas gently reassured, before continuing his way down the track to continue on with his share of work. As Percy watched Thomas leave, he then looked to see Duck arriving over; he seemed to take notice of the fact that Percy was feeling fearful of being in this place.
"Is everything okay, Percy?" he asked. Percy didn't give a response, as he was feeling very much the opposite of safe; he wanted nothing more than to be out of this place as soon as possible. Duck seemed to take notice of that, fortunately, as he showed an expression of concern upon seeing just how worried Percy was feeling. "You know, Percy, nobody's brave all the time." Duck stated.
Percy turned his glance up to Duck hearing this and it didn't take very long for him to try and show a firm expression to try and hide his fears. "But… I'm not a scaredy engine!" Percy suddenly snapped. Duck stared at his little friend in surprise at this outburst before he simply showed a soft smile to try and help him feel better.
"Of course not, and I'm not saying you are either." Duck replied. The firm expression on Percy's face quickly faded and gave way to surprise at this reply, and then the two turned their glance to spot Thomas reversing his way over to them on his track before he stopped once he was beside them, so he could step in as well.
"That's right, and neither am I. All we want to do is make sure you don't feel afraid while we're here. And I have to say, I'm really proud of you, Percy." Thomas agreed, showing a bright smile. Percy looked at Thomas in surprise, wondering what he was talking about. "Just seeing how honest you've been with how afraid you are being here and still working hard to get our job done despite that… I think it makes you braver than I could ever be." Thomas explained. Percy could only stare at Thomas in amazement at this praise.
"Really? But… you've been so unfazed since we got here. I think that would make you the bravest of the two of us, not like me…" Percy replied, his voice suddenly dropping quiet as he finished that sentence, showing an expression of dismay as he turned his glance down to the rails in front of him, feeling ashamed of himself for allowing himself to get scared so easily. Figuring that maybe the two needed to be alone, Duck set off to get on with the work while Thomas and Percy were both left by themselves, with the former staring at the latter in surprise before showing a gentle smile.
"Percy… facing our fears isn't an easy thing, and I know it's sometimes frightening to think about. But you manage to do that every day without even realising it. And I think that's something you can be proud of yourself for." Thomas sincerely explained. Percy could only stare in stunned silence at this comment, before he felt a bright smile slowly start to cross his face at the fact that deep down, he knew that Thomas was right. Seeing that Percy was starting to feel better already, Thomas knew that they didn't have any more time to waste. "Come on; we have a job to get done." Thomas stated, before he quickly started to set off ahead. Percy looked up in silence for a few moments, before he seemed to agree with Thomas there and made his way down the track to catch up with him.
After some time passed, the job was nearly complete, and Thomas, Percy and Duck were all gathered to listen to the yard manager. "Well done. Now I'll just need one engine to finish up here." The yard manager said. Thomas turned his glance to have a look at their group of three, and he could already see that Percy was starting to show an expression of worry, clearly dreading the thought of having to stay here any longer, while Duck was watching him in concern, having apparently taken notice of that. Thomas looked at his little best friend in concern, before he showed a smile as he had an idea.
"I don't mind staying behind, Sir." Thomas said. Percy and Duck both turned their glance to him in surprise upon hearing this, while he looked at the two of them with a bright smile.
"Are you sure about that, Thomas?" Percy asked, showing an expression of concern at the fact that Thomas wouldn't be coming along with him. "Will you be okay by yourself?" Duck then asked, apparently sharing the same thoughts as Percy about this. Thomas simply showed a confident smile seeing their concern, as he seemed to know what he was doing.
"Of course I will. I'm sure I'll be able to finish up the job in no time. You two can go on ahead; I'll meet up with you at the station when I'm done." Thomas replied. That answer seemed to be enough for Duck, as he was already reversing on the track so he could get the scrap they had gathered up out of here. With Percy, he simply stayed where he was and he was looking at Thomas with a big smile on his face, much to the latter's concern. "Percy? Is something wrong?" Thomas asked, showing an expression of concern as he was wondering why Percy wasn't on his way out with Duck.
Percy was silent for a few moments, with his grateful smile seemingly not fading, before he spoke. "Thank you, Thomas." Percy whispered, before he started to reverse so he could catch up with Duck. Thomas stared in silence for a few moments at this before he showed a bright smile, seeing just how happy Percy was that he was offering to stay behind, while he got to leave with Duck and get as far away from this place as possible. Sure enough, Percy and Duck were on their way out of the Smelter Yards, with the flatbeds of metal pipes and scrap metals they had gathered up in tow.
Once the two of them were gone, the doors to the Smelter Yards slowly creaked shut. Now that it was just him in this place, everything started to seem that much more intimidating to Thomas; all around him, he could see flatbeds full of scrap metal on the tracks beside him, scrap metal hanging above his head on loose wires and the sparks of crackling electricity from the machinery could be heard echoing all around the area. Sufficed to say, all of this was making Thomas feel very uneasy. "Oh… it feels so much more frightening when it's just me in here… I wonder if this is what Percy felt like being in this place." Thomas nervously commented to himself.
As he looked around, he could see all of the pieces of scrap metal scattered around the Smelter Yards, and suddenly he found himself starting to think about Edward's Ghost Engine story, just like Percy did. Once he realised this, he felt himself starting to shiver on the rails slightly. "All right… there's nothing for me to worry about… There's no such thing as ghosts… It is just a story, after all…" Thomas nervously stated, mostly to himself in an effort to calm himself down. As he was trying to steady his breathing, that was when he heard the sound of a whistle echo all throughout the Smelter Yards.
"Huh?! Wh-what was that?" Thomas worriedly asked, darting his glance around the area, trying to figure out where that was coming from. He then slowly started to reverse on the track, keeping his attention on his surroundings, but not paying attention to what was behind him at the same time. As he was backing up on the track, he found himself entering the back part of the Smelter Yards, where the red lights could be seen at their brightest; they seemed to light up the entire area and make it seem very threatening. "I… I really need to calm down… Getting worked up like this won't do anything but drive me crazy… There's nothing for me to worry about…" Thomas worriedly stated to himself, though if the worry in his voice was much to go by, it was safe to say that his own advice wasn't having much effect on him.
As he was slowly backing up on the track, Thomas didn't happen to notice that there were small metal chains hanging from the ceiling behind him. So as he was backing up, the chains scraped across him, and the touch of their cold metal almost felt like ghostly fingers. "Aaah! Something's got me!" Thomas cried, darting his glance back and forth rapidly in increasing fright. As he was frantically looking around in panic, an old steam whistle lay on the track beside him. However, after a few moments, it toppled over and let out a loud whistle that echoed throughout the Smelter Yards, causing Thomas to let out a loud scream in panic.
"The G-G-Ghost Whistle!" Thomas yelled. Without a moment to spare, he sped off as fast as his wheels could carry him, right out of the Smelter Yards as the doors slowly opened to let him out. Getting the job done was currently the last thing on Thomas's mind; all he knew for certain was that he had to get as far away from the Smelter Yards as possible. "The Ghost Engine is after me!" Thomas cried as he rushed across the bridge as fast as he possibly could.
Meanwhile, Percy and Duck were at the station waiting for Thomas to show up. "You know, Percy, it was really nice of Thomas to offer to stay behind to get the job done." Duck commented, turning his glance to Percy while the latter looked at him in surprise. Percy stared in surprise for a few moments before he showed a bright smile as he seemed to agree with that.
"Yeah, it sure was. It was almost as if he knew how much I didn't enjoy being in there!" Percy cheerfully agreed. Duck was silent to think about it for a few moments; he seemed to notice that something had been different about Thomas's behaviour towards Percy throughout the entire night.
"Percy, I just realised something." Duck said. Percy showed an expression of surprise, wondering just what it was. "Thomas has been looking out for you the whole night. I know he usually does that for you, but this seemed to be more than usual." Duck commented. Percy initially started to wonder what Duck meant, but then he thought about everything Thomas had been doing during the night; making sure that he was okay, giving him reassurance that he would be okay and promising that Percy would be safe with him. Once he remembered all of that, what Duck was saying seemed to make sense.
"Yeah… now that you mention it, you're right. I wonder why that could be…" Percy commented, mainly to himself as he started to try and figure out what had gotten into Thomas during the night.
"Maybe… he thinks of you as a little brother." Duck suggested. Percy showed an expression of surprise at this suggestion, before turning his glance to Duck upon hearing that offer. "It's just a thought, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. After all, you and Thomas have always been very close from the day you both met." Duck added.
Percy turned his glance down to think about Duck's suggestion; he always knew that he and Thomas saw each other as best friends. Even though there were times that they didn't get along, they would always make it up to each other in the end. But Percy couldn't help noticing a change in Thomas's behaviour towards him, and it seemed to occur just after the Chinese Dragon situation. Initially, Percy didn't think too much of it, but everything that had happened over tonight seemed to make it clear that there had to be a reason for Thomas's change in behaviour towards him, and Duck's suggestion didn't seem to be all that implausible once he thought about all of that.
"I'll probably ask him about it when he gets back. I hope he hurries up; I wouldn't want him to be late for the fireworks." Percy stated.
As the two were busy with their conversation, they didn't notice that Thomas was fast on his way, currently in a state of panic over being in the Smelter Yards. Hearing something coming their way, Percy and Duck both turned their glances in surprise… to see Thomas suddenly rush right past them! "HE'S AFTER MEEEEEEE!" Thomas wailed.
"I don't think he'll be late." Duck teased, showing a cheeky smile over what had just happened, while Percy could only stare in shock and wonder just what had gotten into Thomas.
Once that was taken care of, Duck and Percy arrived at the station to watch the fireworks with the other engines. But as Percy looked around, he couldn't see any signs of Thomas. 'Where could he be? He's going to miss out on all the fun.' Percy asked himself, showing an expression of concern as he was starting to wonder where Thomas was. He looked down to think it over for a few moments, before he turned his glance up as he had a feeling that he knew just where Thomas could be, before he started to make his way over to Tidmouth Sheds while Duck watched in surprise, wondering just where Percy was going.
It didn't take very long for Percy to arrive at Tidmouth Sheds, and as he got on the turntable, he could spot Thomas in one of the berths all by himself. Showing an expression of worry, Percy waited for the turntable to stop at the berth right beside Thomas, and then he backed up before he was with Thomas in the sheds, with the latter turning his glance in surprise to spot the small engine. "Thomas, there you are. What are you doing in here? We're going to miss out on the fireworks." Percy said. Thomas simply remained silent, turning his glance down with an expression of dismay.
Percy could only stare at his friend in concern, wondering what was wrong; he could tell that this had to be something serious. "Are you all right, Thomas? What's wrong?" Percy softly asked. Thomas slowly turned his glance up to Percy, seeing the expression of concern he was showing; it was clear to see how worried he was for him.
"…Nothing, Percy. I'm okay. You can go watch the fireworks if you want." Thomas calmly replied; it was obvious that he didn't want Percy to know about what he had experienced at the Smelter Yards, and right now, he just wanted to be left alone. Unfortunately, this didn't seem to sit well with Percy.
"No way, Thomas. I don't want you to miss out. Besides, I can tell that there's something wrong and I'd like to know what it is." Percy replied. Thomas simply remained silent, obviously refusing to admit what had happened to him, something that obviously didn't sit well with Percy at all. "Thomas… don't you remember what you told me? That we wouldn't be afraid to tell each other when we're scared. I've been honest with you this whole time, so why can't you do the same for me?" Percy quietly asked, with an expression of sadness showing on his face at the fact that Thomas wasn't being honest with him.
Thomas was once again silent for a few moments, before he let out a soft sigh; it was clear to him that Percy wasn't going to leave until he told him the truth. "Well… Percy… I got scared." Thomas stated. Percy could only stare in surprise as he was starting to wonder what Thomas meant, but it wasn't very long before Thomas continued. "After you and Duck left the Smelter Yards, I started to let Edward's story get to me, just like it did to you. All I could think about was where the ghost engine could be… and I let my own fears get to me, so I got out of there as fast as possible. I didn't even think about getting the job done; all I wanted to do was be as far away from there as possible." Thomas quietly explained. Percy could only let out a gasp of shock hearing this, and he was about to say something before Thomas interrupted him. "I'm sorry, Percy… I'm sorry I let you down…" Thomas quietly said.
Percy showed an expression of surprise at this, before it was quickly replaced with confusion at this statement. "What do you mean?" he asked. At this question, Thomas slowly turned his glance up to Percy, and it didn't take very long for the small engine to see the sadness and anger in Thomas's eyes, but this anger seemed to be more directed at himself than it was at Percy.
"What do I mean? How can you look me in the eyes and ask me that? By letting myself get so scared the way I did, I betrayed the same advice I gave you! I'm supposed to be the one looking out for you, being there for you when you need me and always being the one to give you support when you need it. But instead, I turned and ran away from my fears! I didn't stay and face them like you do! And by doing that, I failed you as a best friend! Do you have any idea how upsetting and embarrassing that is for me?!" Thomas snapped. Percy could only stare in shock hearing just how upset Thomas was at himself for letting himself get so scared the way he did. He kept his glance on Thomas, though, even as the latter started to feel tears building in his eyes as he continued. "I didn't think it was possible… for me to get like this… But now look at me! I betrayed the same advice I gave you, I turned and ran from my fears instead of facing them, and now… how can you still stand to be near me? I'm not brave, Percy… nothing like what you are. I'm supposed to be the one you look up to, but when things get tough, all I do is turn and run. You must be really ashamed of me… ashamed to see me like this…" By this point, Thomas could feel his tears start to run down his face and he closed his eyes, feeling unable to stand seeing himself now.
Percy could only stare in stunned silence after hearing all of this, and then he looked down to think over everything Thomas had said. But as silence filled the air, Percy showed a firm expression as he knew that he begged to differ with everything he just heard. "No… I don't think that at all." Percy simply replied. Thomas slowly opened his eyes and turned his glance to Percy in surprise, wondering what he meant by that. Percy was silent for a few moments before a bright smile slowly showed on his face. "Thomas… by telling me all of this, everything you're feeling about yourself, you're holding true to the same advice you gave me: you aren't being afraid to tell me that you were scared, just like what I've done for you. And you haven't let me down at all; because you're being honest with me, it's showing me that you value the trust and friendship I have in you, and you're willing to share that same trust with me, no matter how it might hurt you to do so. So, Thomas, no matter what you say about yourself… just know that I don't think any less of you. In fact, I think even more greatly of you because of your honesty."
Thomas could only stare in dumbfounded silence upon hearing all of this, because he felt a smile of immense relief show on his face. "Thank you, Percy… Thank you so much for telling me that…" Thomas softly replied. He then blinked rapidly to brush his tears away before turning his glance to Percy, who was brightly smiling at him. "It's kind of amazing… the one engine I see as a little brother is the one who is there for me when I'm having doubts about myself." Thomas commented, showing a smile of smile of amusement.
Percy nearly froze with an expression of shock upon hearing Thomas say that. "Did… did I just hear you call me…?" Thomas stared at the small engine in surprise before he showed a bright smile.
"Yeah, that's right. I don't think any of the others know about this, but over the last few days, I've started to see you as more than just a best friend. Percy… you're someone far more important to me than just a best friend. But that's something I never actually realised myself until tonight. I want to always be there for you, to support you and believe in you when no one else will, and to be the one to show you what you can truly do when you doubt yourself. And that's why… I want to call you my little brother, and I want to call myself your big brother." Thomas explained.
Percy could only stare in shock at hearing this; here he was wondering whether or not what Duck had said was pure speculation, but between reflecting on everything Thomas had done for him over the course of this night, and what he had just heard, this seemed to confirm it entirely for him: Thomas really did see him as a brother. "Thomas… nothing would make me happier than having you as my big brother. That's something I've wanted to quite a while, and now it's actually happening." Percy replied, a big smile showing on his face. Thomas couldn't help himself smiling back at this reply; he couldn't be more thrilled that Percy was more than willing to accept his offer. A few seconds of silence passed before Percy spoke. "You want to watch the rest of the fireworks from here… Big Brother?" he asked.
Thomas let out a giggle at this offer before he replied "You know it, Little Brother."
With this, the two made their way out of the berths to watch the rest of the fireworks from where they were; they had a feeling that they would have to take care of the rest of the job, but right now that wasn't on their minds. The two then turned their glance to each other with matching bright smiles: while they knew they weren't actually brothers, they also knew that they were close enough to call themselves that, and from this night onwards, that was exactly what they would do.