//------------------------------//
// Percy and the Signal 
// Story: Thomas and Friends: The Retold Adventures 
// by The Blue EM2 
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Percy was hard at work at the yard just outside Knapford, alongside his driver and human friend Pinkie Pie. It was a lovely day, much as most days on Sodor are, and this meant that the sun shone and the rails gleamed. Not a cloud was to be seen in the sky, and this meant that there was no rain.

"It's a lovely day," he sighed, as he pushed some coal trucks into a neighbouring siding. Pinkie Pie was inclined to agree with him on this very matter.

"Yes indeedally!" she exclaimed. "You know, I'm bored Percy. How about we go and play a prank on one of the big engines for some fun?"

"Sounds like a great idea!" Percy exclaimed. "Let's go!" And he shot forward into the yard. Percy and Pinkie Pie loved playing pranks on the big engines and their crews, as it helped them pass the time. However, since the incident that occurred with the trousers on the luggage trolley, not to mention copious amounts of jam that ruined Sir Toppham Hatt's clothes, they were careful to make sure nobody but their intended target was around at the time. Despite this, their shenanigans often got them into big trouble with Sir Toppham Hatt, not to mention irritated the other engines.

One morning, Percy appeared with a goods train on a section of track that had no buffers, and seemed to terminate in a false wall. Further up the line in a neighbouring siding was Gordon and Rainbow Dash, waiting for their next working. Percy saw his chance and took it.

"Peep peep peep!" he called. "Come on Gordon, you'll be late!"

"You know what'll happen if you two are late Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie smiled.

"Aaagh!" Rainbow Dash cried, taking her seat in the driver's position-only for a loud, sustained farting noise, like a person breaking wind, to echo all around. Rainbow Dash stood up and realised she had sat on a whoopee cushion.

"GOTCHA!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Percy laughed, and then pulled forward to reveal a long line of dirt, smelly coal trucks. He sped off into the distance.

"WHAT CHEECK!" Gordon boomed. "Honestly Rainbow Dash, Percy and Pinkie are out of control these days. We need to find a way to bring them back under control."

Rainbow Dash put a hand to her chin. "You know Gordon, I might just have a way of doing that. Let me talk with AJ first."



Next it was the turn of James, who was resting in a siding and thinking of how splendid he was (which, to be completely honest, was all he ever seemed to do).

Just then, Percy appeared alongside him. "Stay in the shed today James!" he said cheerfully, yet as if he had full authority.

"Oh?" James asked. "Why is that?"

"Sir Toppham Hatt will be coming to see you, that's all." Pinkie Pie grinned with a wide, toothy grin, and then the saddle tank and the driver sped off into the distance as fast as they could.

"Ah!" James exclaimed. "Sir Toppham Hatt clearly knows what a splendid engine I am. He clearly wants me to pull a special special."

Sharon Miller, please get off my keyboard.

Let us see that dialogue again, but with the correct words this time.

"Ah!" James exclaimed, completely unaware of the fact that time had just looped back on itself and suddenly reset. "Sir Toppham Hatt clearly knows what a splendid engine I am. He clearly wants me to pull a special train today."

Later in the day, Rarity came along to light James' fire and get him ready for work. But no matter what she did, she could not get him to move an inch.

"Whatever is the matter Jamesy?" she asked politely. "Did I do something wrong today? Are your coal and water levels below what you expect? Or is it something else?"

James smiled. But the other engines didn't. They had to do James' work as well as their own, and did not take kindly to James taking a day off.

"Try doin' some work fer a change, ya lazy vermint!" Applejack called from Edward's cab, as they rolled by.

"Turn a wheel, will you?" Henry asked, annoyed, as he pulled the coaches past.

"Lazybones!" Gordon grumbled.

"You said it!" Rainbow Dash added.

Eventually, Rarity felt it neccesary to go into action. "James," she said, "either you tell me what is going on here, or I shall take my lipstick to you. And won't you look silly!"

James' confidence melted away like a passing cloud. "Don't do that!" he exclaimed. "Sir Toppham Hatt wouldn't approve when he comes to see me!"

"What?" the fashionista replied. "Whatever are you talking about? Turn a wheel!"

"Sir Toppham Hatt told me to stay here! He send a message this morning, but not in a bottle."

Rarity sighed. "If that was a pop culture reference, I didn't get it. And Sir Toppham Hatt sent no such message."

"But Percy and Pinkie said that Sir Toppham Hatt had told them that he was going to see me!" James answered, desperately trying to save face in the face of things.

"No he did not!" Rarity exclaimed. "Sir Toppham Hatt is away on the mainland for a meeting of the heads of all the Train Operating Companies of Great Britain. There is no way he could have sent such a message!"

"Oh," said James quickly. Then his face went purple with fury. "OHHH! When I find Percy and Pinkie Pie, they will regret ever playing this joke on me!"

But Percy and Pinkie were nowhere to be found. They had rather wisely disappeared elsewhere, but nobody knows quite where.



Sir Toppham Hatt did get back later that week, and he did see James. But not only that, he saw Percy too. To say the very least, they both wished he hadn't bothered.

One day, Percy and Pinkie were not being careful at all. "Hello!" he called over to Gordon and James. "I have been chosen to take a load of coal over to the junction with Thomas' branch line. Sir Toppham Hatt chose me and Pinkie Pie especially for the job! He must know I'm a really useful engine!"

"He knows I'm the gal for the job," Pinkie smiled, putting on a pair of cool shades as she did so.

"More likely he wants you out of the way," James snapped.

Rainbow Dash smiled. "Say, isn't the junction where they've been doing all the track renewal work lately?" she asked.

"Yes, that's right Darling," Rarity replied. "They've taken up the old signals and installed new ones, that are connected to the bracket partway along rather than at one end."

"But I doubt an engine as useful as you would need to know such a thing," Gordon added. Percy felt flattered.

"Aren't those signals you referred to the new backing signals?" James asked.

"Why, yes they are," Rarity replied. "Would you like me to explain?"

"No need," Percy answered. "I know all about signals." But Percy was worried about what would happen if he came to one of these signals, as he had never heard of them before.

Pinkie, however, was a lot more confident. "Okie-dokie-loki!" she exclaimed, and opened the regulator, taking Percy over to his train. "We can handle anything we come across!" And away they went, not noticing Gordon chortling.



A short while later, they came to a stop at a signal, awaiting clearence onto Thomas' branch line. It was set to red, but Pinkie noticed that the signal was connected to the bracket partway along, rather than at the end.

"It's one of those backing signals James mentioned!" she said. As she said this, the signal moved, flying upwards like a gymnast performing a stunt.

"Full reverse!" Pinkie said, adjusting the screw reverser and opening the regulator. Percy began to roll backwards, before the in-cab radio began buzzing.

"Coal train to Ffarquhar, what are you doing? You're going the wrong way!"

"But it's a backing signal!" Percy exclaimed.

"Come again?"

Just then, Gordon rolled to a stop, and Rainbow Dash leaned out of the cab.

"Ha ha ha!" she laughed. "Gotcha!"

"What?" Pinkie asked. "Did somebody just outprank me?"

"There's no such thing as backing signals," Gordon snorted. "That's a somersault signal. We had lots of them back on the East Coast Main Line between King's Cross and York." He then set off again, laughing.

That night, the big engines talked endlessly about signals. They thought it was funny, but Percy, naturally enough, didn't agree.