27 - Darkness
Content Warning: Suggestive themes of S/A implied.
"Arthur? Are you here to pull a fish train?" Ryan asked as he saw the crimson tank engine tottering around his and Daisy's sheds. "The Flying Kipper doesn't need the fish for a few hours."
"They've shut down the Little Western," the little Tank engine complained. "All the deliveries that usually go to Tidmouth Hault are being redirected here."
"That doesn't seem right," Daisy fluttered. "We've not seen a wheel here these past 12 hours except you! Tidmouth Halt is a big fishing Port, why are there so few engines?"
"Apart from those big engines South of here," Ryan suggested and Daisy rolled her eyes.
"Those engines were so rude!" Daisy refuted. "It matters not that they look like Tydfil! They are not as precious as her!"
Arthur was intrigued.
"Wait, engines that look like Tydfil? You mean Great Western engines?" Arthur asked.
"Yeah, there's a King and Castle Class holed up in the old quarry South from here," Ryan explained. "No idea why, they seem to be important engines."
A look of worry crossed Arthur's face.
"It best not be those engines who were nasty to Tydfil," he muttered and Ryan and Daisy perked up at that.
"What's Tydfil done now?" Ryan asked, fearing the worst.
"Well, a couple of high-class engines were abusing her," Arthur told them. "She was telling us about them in the sheds. She was scared for her life."
The diesel and tank engines looked horrified.
"That certainly explains why Tydfil is such an anxious little engine," Daisy chided. "Where is the young lady now, is she safe?"
Arthur looked helplessly at the two shed mates.
"I don't know, I hope she's safe, I haven't seen her since starting work this morning," Arthur lamented.
Ryan and Daisy just glanced at each other worried.
In the distance, the howling of a 9F's whistle blasted through the air and echoed through the yard.
"Was that Murdoch?" Ryan asked, confused. "He never comes this far north!"
Arthur frowned for a second. That hadn't sounded like Murdoch, his whistle was a little different to that but then his eyes widened in horror as he realised.
"Oh no! Evening Star!" Arthur panicked and quickly went to speed away. "She's going to ruin everything!"
"Arthur, you can't go that way!" Ryan shouted at the retreating engine but it was too late the crimson engine had disappeared.
Daisy just rolled her eyes.
"Steam engines," she grumbled before closing her eyes.
There was a pause.
Daisy reopened her eyes to find Ryan throwing her an irritated glare.
"Not you though Ryan, you are an exception to your-"
"Just don't Daisy," Ryan grumbled in response.
Daisy blushed and looked away from the purple tank engine.
"Sorry- Ryan," She mumbled her apology. "Habits are hard to break."
Ryan said nothing more, but his glare turned into a small smile of forgiveness.
His mind wandered to Arthur, he considered going after the crimson tank engine but he felt that he wouldn't be much help to him. He wasn't brave like Thomas was.
Speaking of which, he wouldn't be surprised if Thomas was involved with whatever was going on.
He was always in some kind of trouble.
For once, Green Arrow was glad to see a Gresley A1 Pacific. Well, a Gresley-Stainer A1 Pacific but that was beside the point. Henry was in a nearby siding but his attention was focused on the Pacific.
"Gordon!" Green Arrow cried out as he almost barged into the engine sitting in the middle of the line for some reason. "What are you doing in the middle of the line? Have you seen Evening Star?"
"She blustered past 10 minutes ago," Gordon offered dismissively. Arrow stared at him, bewildered at his nonchalant attitude. "Quite speedy isn't she? Very remarkable, I'm actually impressed-"
"Shut up!" Arrow snapped at him, irritated by Gordon's tone. "I don't have time for your patronising!"
"Really, there's no need-" Gordon huffed, insulted but Arrow ignored him.
"I need to stop her! She's going to end up scrapping someone or killing a human!"
"Oh don't be so dramatic!" Gordon scoffed but worry crept into his voice.
"I'm not being dramatic!" Arrow shouted at him. "For once… Please! You don't know Evening Star! You don't know what she's capable of! She's going to destroy someone if we don't stop her!"
Green Arrow went to bypass Gordon but found himself quickly being blocked by Henry, the LMS Black 5 looming over him. Green Arrow hissed steam in his face.
"If I can take on Mallard, I can take on you!" Green Arrow snarled buffering up to Henry. "Get out of my way Henry!"
"You can't go on the line to Harwick!" Henry implored his smaller green friend. "Please Arrow, we don't want you to get hurt!"
"What are you talking about?!" Arrow snarled. "I need to help my friend!"
"We're using the Harwick branch line to flush out those Great Westerns!" Gordon explained, annoyance mixed with worry in his tone. "As much as I don't like you, you could get caught in the crossfire Little Arrow!"
"I've told you not to call me 'Little Arrow'!" Green Arrow suddenly roared at Gordon and he gave Henry a massive shunt that sent the surprised Black 5 down the line despite his brakes being completely on.
"I'm not putting up with your patronising! Not today!" Arrow continued before he started advancing towards Henry, the Black 5 feeling very intimidated by him despite the size difference. "I told you to get out of my way, Henry!"
"Arrow you could end up in a wreck if you go up Harwick Branch Line! It's closed!" Gordon implored the V2 but the smaller Gresley was riled up beyond reason. He wasn't going to give up and the glare he was giving Henry was irking the engines.
"I don't care!" Arrow snapped. "I need to stop Evening Star!"
Gordon and Henry exchanged nervous glances towards one another but Green Arrow still paid them no heed. Arrow looked ready to give Henry another hard shunt but he was interrupted by Gordon's yell.
"Arrow stop! I'll take you the back way!" Gordon tried to placate the V2 and Green Arrow paused, glancing back at the A1 Pacific suspiciously.
"If this is a distraction to trick me, you'll regret it," Arrow warned and Gordon narrowed his eyes on him.
"Are you threatening me?" The Blue Express engine humphed, displeased at Arrow's response.
"No, if I was threatening you I'd tell you that I'd run to Boco and tell him how you really feel about him," Green Arrow slyly remarked and Gordon turned bright red in response.
"You wouldn't dare-" Gordon began but he was interrupted.
"This is wasting time!" Arrow snarled as he pulled up alongside Gordon. "Show me! I need to stop Venus!"
Gordon and Henry glanced at each other again, worried. Henry gave Gordon a sympathetic gaze and Gordon gave a deep sigh.
"We'll have to head to Thomas's branch line, there's a track out of the quarry that leads straight to Harwick," The Blue Pacific quickly took charge and Green Arrow said nothing, waiting patiently for his cousin to lead the way.
With an awkward smile to Henry, Gordon set off, Green Arrow following him closely behind, a glare of determination plastered on his face.
"No! Keep away from me!" Tydfil shrieked trying to back away from King Edward I who approached her but instead slammed into Clun Castle who sat behind her. "Don't touch me!"
King Edward just huffed in response, ignoring the cries of the frightened young engine.
"Ms Maindy please," Lady of Legend begged desperately. "They're going to kill us!"
She was ignored however as King Edward I jolted into her, Clun Castle holding her fast so that she couldn't get away. The Castle class was cackling to herself like the witch she was but right now Tydfil didn't care.
She was terrified beyond her wits. So terrified that she couldn't move, couldn't even speak, her ability to do anything was still frozen in fear as the engine she once trusted leered over her, casting a dark shadow upon her..
She couldn't even look him in the face. She was dimly aware of Ms Parsons who had climbed onto the King Class's bufferbeam.
They were talking but Tydfil couldn't hear anything. The world around her was blurred and muffled.
A brilliant golden light that she couldn't ignore appeared in front of her. It was blinding and something that looked warm and inviting should have been warm but something was frightening about it.
Something dark was weaved into the light, like a deep droning hum that seemed to want to take her very soul. Like a dark heavy weight hung at the centre of this pulsing golden star.
It was the same darkness that Ms Parson had lain across her buffers.
She flinched and tried to pull away as the golden light seemed to attach to her and tried to pull her towards that horrid writhing dark mass at its centre. It was pulling her out of her engine, she realised as a creeping cold began to envelop her frames.
"No! Stop it!" She squealed trying to pull away from the light, fear flooding her. The dark thing lurking in the golden light was going to eat her! It was going to kill her!
"It's alright," came the calming voice of Maindy Hall from within her smokebox. "Stay strong daughter. I will handle this."
"Ms Maindy…" Tydfil quivered terrified. She had no idea what was going on, what the previous soul of her engine was going to do. "Ms Maindy don't leave me."
A sensation of warmth surrounded her and for a moment, Tydfil hung in a heavenly place surrounded by a silver glow. She never wanted to leave this state, this little respite.
There was a huge bang and Tydfil shrieked as she was shunted back into reality. Ms Parsons had fallen back against King Edward I's smokebox, the King Class's eyes were glowing Gold and he seemed to be in some kind of trance. She looked down and saw threads of silver light being drained from her to him.
Something had shoved Tydfil from behind, but what had happened?
Tydfil hissed steam and tugged the silver strands back, snapping the larger engine out of his strange trance. The King Class snarled, glaring at her but was interrupted by Clun Castle's piercing shrieks.
"Don't touch me, you ugly, stupid engine!" She was screaming, her voice slowly getting more distant as something was dragging her away.
King Edward I's eyes widened in alarm as he caught sight of the culprit in question.
"YOU!" He thundered but was ignored as the perpetrator called to Tydfil.
"RUN TYDFIL!" Came the low rumble of the engine and though she'd never heard them before she knew exactly who it was.
"Ms Evening Star!" Tydfil squeaked, she was so confused, she had no idea what was going on or what had happened but there was no celebration as King Edward began to loom over her, threatening to destroy her, his eyes glowing gold now.
Whatever Ms Parsons had done, it had given the King a threatening, powerful aura.
"I SAID RUN!" Evening Star thundered and Tydfil's wheels spun as she took hold herself and tore off down the line with a terrified squeal.
The excited squeal of the P2 Prince of Wales almost made Flying Scotsman's boiler leap right off his frames; he was so startled.
"Ms Tornado is back!" The new build squeaked but his tone abruptly changed as he saw the state Tornado was in. "Ms Tornado you're hurt! Nado your boiler! No! What's wrong!? Can I help? I want to help-"
"Easy Charlie!" Iain quickly put a reassuring hand on the new engine's frame. "Getting yourself in a panic will help no one, alright?"
The enormous engine looked saddened and looked down at his buffers shamefully.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled but Flying Scotsman chuckled.
"You're a good kid Charlie, looking after your big sister as you do," he grinned at the P2. "Tornado is lucky to have you."
The P2 looked up at Scotsman with an embarrassed smile before he looked at Tornado who gazed at him with an expression of gratefulness.
"Thank you Charlie," Tornado smiled at him and Charlie beamed.
"You'll get better right Ms Tornado?" He asked and Tornado gave a weak pained chuckle.
"Of course," she promised him. "Someone has to show you the ropes."
Charlie beamed even brighter and despite her current state, Tornado felt a spark of joy in her smokebox.
There was a pause as Iain approached them, his attention focused on Tornado, a look of restrained anger on his face as he surveyed her damage with a critical gaze.
"Thank-you for bringing Tornado back to us Flying Scotsman," he first turned to the famous engine. "I was informed what happened with 3801 and I am going to reprimand whoever greenlit this expedition!"
"Please sir, it was my fault," Tornado weakly croaked. "I was being… impulsive and brattish. I was making my crew's lives difficult. I wanted to help Ms Grey. Please don't fire anyone. It's my-"
"That's enough Tornado," Iain held his hand up to stop her. "I understand you want to take responsibility for this but this is something that cannot be overlooked. There will be consequences for all involved."
"But Ms Grey did nothing wrong," Tornado implored her chief engineer.
"I am not referring to 3801, her and her crew had nothing to do with this from what I have been told. It seems as if 3801 showed more concern for you than you did," Iain clarified. "Regardless, from what I can see the damage will take over a year to be fixed and we will be unable to fund Charlie's build in that time."
Tornado said nothing. She only cast her eyes to the ground and looked guilty.
"It will take time and a lot of money to fix this," Iain thundered. "I hope this teaches you to tell us if something is wrong from now on Tornado."
"Yes sir," was all Tornado answered in response.
Iain nodded to her before turning on his heel and diverting his attention to Flying Scotsman.
"I do apologise for this, Flying Scotsman," the engineer nodded to the A3 Pacific. "This was probably not how you wanted to celebrate your birthday."
"Not at all," Scotsman acknowledged. "But coming to the aid of friends in need is far more important than a silly build date."
"You have my eternal thanks, Flying Scotsman," Iain nodded to him. He was about to turn away when the engine called out to him.
"If I could, sir, might I be able to leave my engine in your care while I went to check on Olivia Gresley?" Scotsman asked.
"Why certainly," Iain smiled up at the famous engine. "You are always welcome here and we will take good care of your engine."
"Thank you! I am much obliged to you!" Scotsman exclaimed with a cheery grin.
There was a pause as a look of concentration appeared on his face and his eyes began to glow golden, the face on his smokebox beginning to dissolve into a flutter of gold dust.
The Gold Dust began to swirl and shine, creating a whirlwind that at its centre began to take a humanoid form.
Charlie watched in awe and amazement as the form began to solidify into a tangible and solid human. There was a moment that hung in the air as the gold dust began to settle revealing the Flying Scotsman's gold construct.
"Oh!" Tornado gasped in surprise as she stared at Scotsman.
"What do you mean oh? You've seen me before Tornado!" Scotsman reminded her.
"Well, it's just that-"
"I understand that you might still have difficulty accepting me as a construct," he waved her off dismissively, ignoring her face which was turning bright red.
"Scottie!" Tornado sounded flustered, her voice now a squeak.
"What is it?" He finally asked, frustrated. He looked to Tornado who was now avoiding looking at him at all costs.
"Really Tornado?!" Scotsman scoffed, irritated. "I thought better of you!"
"Err," Iain tried to intervene but he was interrupted by the youngest engine present.
"Why is the gold man naked?!" Charlie shouted and Scotsman froze briefly before looking down at himself.
Ah. Well then…
Scotsman's face turned red as he quickly covered himself, Rooster's boisterous laughter burst out from somewhere at the back of the sheds. Tornado, understandably, still refused to even look at him.
"I uh, still haven't managed to get a hold of my Gold Dust abilities yet," Scotsman quickly and profusely apologised. "Please forgive my, uh, undignified state."
Iain just shook his head as one of the volunteers quickly handed him their jacket to cover himself with.
"Please don't tell Gordon about this!" Scotsman begged Tornado as he was hurried away by a very kind and sympathetic member of the Trust.
He could still hear Rooster belly laughing as he entered the offices of the Trust.
Not his most proud moment, to say the least.
Rooster was following him he soon realised, talking to him about something but Scotsman barely listened. He was probably giving him an earful anyway. Such was the way of the great Cock O' the North.
Scotsman needed to get a grip on his Gold Dust powers. He would have to ask Great Northern for assistance. According to Truro and Dr Hendrick, North was probably the only person in the United Kingdom who knew all the ins and outs of Gold Dust.
He frowned. For someone who wanted his forgiveness, North went out of his way to avoid him. Not only that, someone who had had an 'obsession' with him for decades.
"We only have spare maintenance suits, sorry," the volunteer profusely apologised, handing him a pile of clothes. The man then pointed him towards a door at the end of the hall. "You can change in the toilet."
"Thank-you!" Scotsman took the clothes with an embarrassed smile. "I'm terribly sorry about this. It was never my intention, my knowledge of Gold Dust is very lacking."
"Everyone's is," came a chuckle from behind him and Scotsman rolled his eyes.
"Could you at the very least wait until I have clothes on, Cock O' the North," he snapped at the man and Rooster just chuckled.
"I suppose I could, but I know it'll be more embarrassing to you if I don't," the large man teased.
Scotsman just glared at him before giving a quick nod to the very abashed volunteer and turning heel and quickly disappearing into the toilet.
Rooster simply chuckled to himself as he watched him go.
"Get your filthy buffers off of me you classless wench!" Clun Castle hollered at the 9F who was dragging her backwards.
"Shut up you stupid old hag!" Came the booming reply much to Clun Castle's surprise.
So she hadn't imagined it. Evening Star had regained that horrid, grating voice of hers back.
It was like listening to nails on a chalkboard or a Dalek.
The Castle Class had not heard that voice in many decades. She was shocked but hid it and turned her shock into anger.
"So you spoke for the little Saint, how touching!" She sneered back at Evening Star who was still dragging her backwards, away from the sheds as her crew tried desperately to stop them. "Such a shame you found your voice for a lost cause!"
She could hear Evening Star's crew screaming at their engine to stop but the Castle Class paid her no heed. This 9F wouldn't dare lay a buffer on her. Clun Castle was far too important to be even damaged, not even the smallest scratch.
She was the jewel in the Great Western Crown. Her class out performed those bulky, ugly Gresley A1s and A3s. She was perfect.
There was an enormous jolt to her and her tender's wheels jumped the rails and hit the ballast with an almighty thud and the twisting of metal.
"What are you doing!" She shrieked, shocked at the audacity of this monstrous engine. "Cease at once! How dare you strike-"
"I've had enough of you!" Evening Star bellowed. "For years you have tormented me and demeaned me! I stood in a yard in the elements for years and lost my paint! I lost my beauty! I lost my voice! I lost my only friend! Because you sent that shunter after me!"
"You never had any friends!" Clun Castle shrilled. "You were always meant to just be a useless static display!"
"You were jealous of me!" Evening Star snarled, ignoring the Castle Class's insults. "You wanted to be the lazy pathetic static display! So you tried to destroy me!"
Clun Castle humphed and pulled a sour expression before a snide grin appeared on it.
"Is that what Green Arrow told you? My, my, my you better than anyone should know better than to trust such a silver tongued liar," she tried to goad the 9F but the engine blasted steam from her valves in response.
"You've always been a sour bitch," Evening Star replied coldly and the snide grin fell from Clun Castle's face. "You were jealous of my position and you were jealous of how Arrow was so easily able to get others to believe his lies. No one likes you and everyone can see how much of a manipulative narcissist you are and that grinds your wheels."
"SHUT UP!" Clun Castle caterwauled. "YOU- YOU PATHETIC-"
She was cut off before she could hurl a barrage of insults at the 9F, a huge impact made her driving wheels jump the rails and she found her tyres in the ballast.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Clun Castle chastised Evening Star, fear in her voice.
There was no answer however as the Castle Class felt Evening Star taking another run to charge at her.
"STOP! STOP!" Clun Castle shrieked but Evening Star paid her no heed. "YOU'RE GOING TO DESTROY ME!"
There was a snort in response.
"It's not like anyone will miss you," came the sadistic response and Clun Castle began to panic.
"Ki- King- King Edward is going to kill your- your little friend!" She stammered desperately as the situation finally dawned on her. "Plea- please Evening Star-"
"The sooner you're gone, the sooner I can have my life back!" Evening Star ranted, her voice lilting and sounding unhinged.
"Evening Star you will stop this!" Came the roar of what Clun Castle could only assume was the 9f's driver. "This is not going to solve anything!"
Clanking followed by the loud yells of some humans suggested to Clun Castle that the 9F had shaken her crew free from her footplate.
She barely had time to think before Evening Star charged at her again, this time the 9F had completely derailed her and a huge split appeared in the tender that was now encroaching on her cab dangerously, the footplate starting to crumble and bend.
Coal spilt everywhere and water began to burst from the seams where the welds had split.
It was then that Clun Castle was very aware of her mortality.
"Stop, stop!" Clun Castle screamed, terrified. "You need to go and save your little Saint friend!"
"I'm going to destroy you!" Evening Star promised her, her voice a manic snarl. "I'm going to destroy you just like you destroyed my life!"
Again the 9F rammed into her and Clun Castle shrieked and whimpered as she felt her frames groan and twist under the impact, her boiler shuddering and creaking under the stress.
If the 9F hit or impacted her boiler in any way… she would explode, she would die…
Terror gripped Clun Castle as she could feel the rails and ballast quake under the power of one of the UK's most powerful engines as it backed up for another run at her.
Yet, the Castle Class still believed herself to be blameless.
Such was her arrogance.
"Your engine was saved Ms Polly!" came the excited cry of Peony as she bounced excitedly on the couch next to Polly who smiled at her in Olivia's body.
It was distant though, Olivia/Polly seemed to be disassociating, their attention elsewhere eyes glazed and out of focus.
Peony frowned, worried. Something was wrong.
"Ms Polly? Ms Olivia? Is- Is something- are you okay?" She asked, deeply concerned.
"I-" The taller woman started but she suddenly shook her head, trying to try and reorient herself. "Why is it so cold?"
Peony frowned. It was a warm day, there was nothing cold about this time of year at all.
Something was wrong here. Very, very wrong.
"Ms Polly it's 26 degrees, it's not cold at all-" Peony leaned forward to try and reassure the woman with a gentle touch. She froze as her hand brushed against Olivia's.
Olivia was freezing cold. Colder than any human should ever be, like her skin was metal not flesh.
"Ms Olivia!" Peony cried alarmed as the woman suddenly slumped towards her, her body slack and weak. "Ms Polly please!"
Olivia began shuddering with the effort as she raised her head to look at Peony, her eyes now blue as Olivia took hold.
"Ms Olivia-" Peony stopped and stared in horror.
Dark 'cracks' had appeared on Olivia's face, disturbingly similar to an engine suffering from Cold Iron Sleep.
"No! No! Ms Polly!" Peony shrieked terrified.
"Peony… help-" Polly's voice croaked out feebly before the gold dust suddenly faded from Olivia's eyes, her natural blue eyes staring at Peony pleading and afraid.
"North…" Was all Olivia spluttered before her body went limp.
"I do believe that Tornado won't look yer in the eye for quite a while now," came the chuckle from Rooster in the driver's seat as he drove his land rover towards the Gresley estate.
Scotsman simply crossed his arms and pouted in response.
"It wasn't intentional!" He snapped back at the P2. "I didn't mean to assault everyone's eyes! My Gold Dust knowledge is extremely lacking!"
Rooster frowned at him.
"Surely North would have told yer the basics. He told everyone he brought back or saved such things," he insisted but the Scotsman gave a heavy sigh and shook his head.
"North won't even talk to me!" Scotsman snapped, surprising himself with his ferocity. "He'll talk to Truro! He'll talk to Sir Gresley! But he avoids me like the Cold Iron Sleep!"
Rooster frowned and gave a thoughtful hum but did not reply. Scotsman shook his head and stared out of the window.
It always bothered him. He always asked of North through Olivia but never got a reply in turn. North just didn't want anything to do with him.
Maybe North still saw him as a failure. Even after all these years.
"Am I that much of a failure?" He muttered to himself and Rooster's frown deepened, a look of concern in his eyes.
"There you go again, letting North get to you," the P2 chided Scotsman. "He's still there in your head, making you think that you're worthless just like he did to Mallard."
Scotsman looked over at Rooster and gazed at him before looking into his lap, dejected.
"Some things just don't go away, Rooster," he finally admitted in a soft voice. "But, why- why won't he tell me? Why won't he even talk to me!"
"Well, if I had to guess-" Rooster thoughtfully offered. "I think your little encounter with Mallard scarred him. Maybe seeing you or your engine disturbs him, makes him recall what happened."
Scotsman stared into space a long while, before looking back at Rooster.
"You mean he has PTSD?"
"He saw yer die, Scotsman," Rooster grimly pointed out. "He cradled your human construct while Mallard taunted him. It broke him."
Scotsman said nothing in response.
For a half an hour they travelled with nothing but the engine of Rooster's Land Rover ticking over and the radio softly echoing in the background.
"Do you think-" Scotsman eventually spoke. "Do you think I will be able to forgive him?"
"That's up to you Scotsman," was all Rooster said and Scotsman frowned, staring at his hands.
"I want to but… He did so much damage, he robbed me of my friendship with Mallard," he admitted.
"Hey now, very untrue!" Rooster scoffed and Scotsman glanced at him confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Mallard is his own engine and he made his own choices, certainly North influenced him but it was ultimately Mallard's choice to not be friends with you," Rooster replied. "Do not rob Mallard of his urgency."
Scotsman nodded, understanding the P2's words.
"Of course," he acknowledged. "What was Mallard like? As a friend, I mean?"
"Terrifyingly smart," Rooster chuckled. "Very quick witted, loyal as a friend could be and a devoted brother. Such a shame that his Golden Spark was taken from him by that- that goddamn cunt!"
Scotsman flinched at the vulgar word but he understood that Rooster and the other P2s had very strong feelings and opinions about a certain… designer.
"He was extremely close to our designer, you know," Rooster continued and Scotsman was surprised.
"I knew they went to see his ducks together," Scotsman admitted. "But he did that with me too."
Rooster's expression creased into a look of surprise.
"Really now? That certainly explains some things," the P2 murmured and Scotsman sat up in the passenger seat attentively.
"What do you mean?"
"It was a mystery to Quicksilver, Hendrick and I how Mallard even knew about Gold Dust let alone as much as he did. How he was able to steal Gold Dust from engines in sidings awaiting the torch," Rooster ventured. "He was so methodical about it and hardly left a trace most times. Now that explains it."
"You think that Sir Gresley told Mallard about Gold Dust?"
Rooster nodded to him.
"During the war he had misgivings, he'd begun to lose faith in North according to Quicksilver," Rooster recalled. "He began locking down his knowledge; there were suggestions that he was considering Mallard as his new Gold Warden. Nothing he outright said of course, but he was always so much happier after his trips with Mallard."
Scotsman was floored. He knew that Mallard had a close bond with Sir Gresley, but he had had no idea that it was quite this close. He stared at Rooster in complete shock, the P2 not even looking over, his eyes fixated on the road.
"I- I never knew," Scotsman hesitantly remarked.
"There's a lot people never knew about Mallard," Rooster gave a sad little smile. "He had very few friends and even with those friends, he was incredibly private. I think Merlin and Gadwall were the only two who truly knew who he was."
"So this proud arrogant persona of his that he flaunted around?"
Rooster shook his head and chuckled. "His way of faking it till he made it, I believe. He kept telling people that, kept lying to others, to himself that in the end, he believed it. He deluded himself into believing that and the Black Smoke did not help his mental state."
Scotsman fell silent.
"He convinced himself into becoming a monster," Scotsman realised and Rooster nodded.
"No one hated Mallard more than himself," Rooster explained, his tone full of sadness. "Though I do believe he hated North just that little bit more."
"Myself included," Scotsman muttered looking away from Rooster and out at the countryside whizzing by. To his surprise, Rooster laughed.
"No, I don't think he did to be honest," the P2 laughed.
"How can you say that after everything that's happened?" Scotsman scoffed. "After he tried to have me scrapped!"
"He hated your status and your attitude but he didn't hate you," Rooster clarified. "If he actually hated you there was no way in hell that he would'a teamed up with you to constantly harass Bittern."
"We did not harass Bittern!" Scotsman argued but Rooster laughed.
"That's not what Bittern says!"
"Well Bittern is a damn liar!"
Rooster just howled with laughter at that.
"I miss the bastard, how is he?"
"Still at Hornby."
"Still a toy I see," Rooster tutted. "Ridiculous blue toaster."
There was a pause.
"After Thompson took Mallard's soul… he changed?" Scotsman hesitantly queried and Rooster's mouth set in a grim line.
"It was subtle at first but then we noticed he was constantly angry, always anxious," the P2 recalled. "Then he started snapping at his friends and lacking empathy. He grew sadistic and cold which he could be at times yes but… not like this. Not to his friends and certainly not going out of his way to harm others. He sought out Northern, I remember, made every opportunity to harass him."
Rooster shuddered at the memory.
"He finally tried to kill North, take his soul but he was stopped by one of your siblings and a passing B17," a dark shadow cast over the P2s face. "I think that was when most of his friends abandoned him. Only Merlin remained at his side till the end and it killed him."
Scotsman stared at Rooster, stunned and horrified at the revelation.
"Didn't you try to help him?"
"We tried everything, it was never enough," was all Rooster grimly answered. "That Mallard we knew was gone, replaced by darkness."
"Stop it, leave me alone! I'm not playing your games anymore!" Tydfil screamed at the King Class pursuing her. "Just leave me alone!"
"It's not enough! Maindy's Soul was not enough!" King Edward I howled like a maniac behind her. "I need more! More!"
The King Class sounded completely insane, starved even as if he craved Gold Dust like an engine with an empty boiler craved water. It frightened her, the King was going to kill her.
She couldn't feel Maindy anymore, she barely knew up from down she was in such a panic.
The world spun and Tydfil struggled to steam. Tydfil burst into tears of fright as the sound of the enormous King Class echoed around her, making her confused.
Still, she ran as fast as her valve gear would allow. It was the only thing she could do right now. Whatever King Edward I and Ms Parson had done to her had left her feeling weak and confused. Only fear and terror were keeping her going now.
She couldn't even hear Maindy Hall anymore. She didn't know if she was still with her. She hoped beyond hope that she was despite their rocky beginnings.
Evening Star would save her, she was probably right behind the King Class. She had to be. She'd been right there!
She just needed to reach Tidmouth or some other engine. She needed-
Her eyes widened in horror as that same menacing cloud of Golden light appeared on the track before her. It shone gold but darkness tainted it, broiling and shrieking, threatening to consume the light and turn it into something akin to crude oil.
It terrified her.
Tydfil let out a scream and slammed her brakes on, sparkles showering the ballast beneath her as the black and gold writhing mass formed into the shape of King Edward I.
"You're not going anywhere, little Saint," the King Class hissed at her, his voice unnatural and deep.
A darkness permeated the King Class's voice, his crew looked cold and dead.
Tydfil could only wail in horror as tendrils of Black Smoke shot towards her intending to devour her soul.
There was nothing of King Edward I left.
Only a dark void that threatened to consume everything.