Recon

"Wake up, old boy," his driver greeted him, "We're running a bit late, but the switches have now been fixed and we can make up for lost time."

"Oh yes… of course," said Percy sleepily, hiding his discomfort of last night's events.

As he puffed back to Knapford, he met Gordon as he stopped by Wellsworth to take on water.

"You'd never guess what I saw last night!"

"Alright Percy, what's the problem – I'm running late," sighed Gordon.

"It was a huge dragon! It was covered in lights!"

Percy had sought advice from the wrong engine.

"Bwahaha!" chortled Gordon heartily, "You've been tanning in the sun too long! You've finally cracked!"

And with that the blue tender engine set off, leaving behind a very indignant saddle tank.

James and Henry weren't much different either.

"Maybe it was a nightmare," Henry suggested kindly, "I get plenty of those."

The green, neurotic tender engine recalled a long list of unpleasant dreams he had been having as of late.

"I get nightmares about heights. And spiders. Rain. And bees… my teeth falling out…"

While Henry was busy shuddering and remembering, James and Percy stared inquisitively at him. Then James rolled his eyes and chuffed away, calling out to Percy, "Beware of the other dragons in the archipelago! I've heard that they target little green goblins on wheels!"

"That's not funny!" Percy yelped in trepidation, "I can't believe you don't care!"

"You've been infected with Edward-itis," replied James snootily, "Who does care?"

Percy looked back at Henry for a response, but the big green engine was still rattling on about ants and snakes and rust, amongst other things, that Percy decided it wouldn't be worth the trouble.

"Maybe I did imagine things after all," he thought to himself as he puffed off to collect Annie and Clarabel. It was his turn to take the branch line passengers for the day.

But as he steamed into Maithwaite, Percy found that he indeed had not been imagining things!

"Aah! You again!" he shrieked as the dragon rounded a corner and pulled up on the opposite platform.

"Don't worry Percy," spoke up Thomas from behind the dragon, "This is just a model made out of LEDs, paper mache and wooden frames. It's not real."

Percy felt smaller than ever, and very, very green (and not in the paintjob sense).

"How was your night out yesterday?" continued Thomas.

Percy pondered for a moment, but just decided to fall back on simple honesty.

After hearing his friend's recount, Thomas spoke up his condolences.

"I'm sorry I accidentally scared you, and that I called you a silly engine. We'd never have had this semi-feud if I had just respectably disagreed with you from the start rather than attacking you for your outlooks."

Percy smiled.

"And I'm sorry I continued to push your buttons afterwards," the saddle tank said, "Friends again?"

"Now and always," answered Thomas.

And they meant it.