"It is 100% true Terramar. I was the engine hit by those slate trucks."
There was a moment's silence on Terramar's end. "What happened? I was told one side of the story, but I'd be interested to know what happened on your end."
"Very well." The world began to go blurry.
"What's happening?" Terramar asked.
"I'm having a flashback," Holy War explained.
Blue Mountain Quarry, 1963.
Holy War moved into position at the bottom of the incline, ready for the loaded wagons. He knew Luke was working up at the top, and that the machinery around here was in rather poor shape. He quickly called up. "You be careful with the slate wagons, as they are very heavy, especially when loaded. I saw firsthand at Dinorwic the effects of runaway slate wagons, so please be careful Luke."
There was no response from Luke, but Holy War assumed that he had heard. How could he have not heard, given the echo chamber this place was?
As he saw the ropes being attached to the incline, he suddenly saw something was wrong. The ropes looked to be on the verge of breaking. He sounded a warning on his whistle to alert the foreman to this problem, but by then it was too late. And without his driver he couldn't move an inch. He looked as the rope snapped and the trucks roared down the incline, crashing into him and throwing him off the rails.
"Ouch!" he said. "I wasn't expecting that!"
"I was badly damaged," Holy War finished, "and taken away from the quarry. However, my original owners, Dinorwic, decided to repair me with parts from dissasembled Quarry Hunslets, and I went on working until 1967, when I was bought privately by a Mr Alan Cliff and brought to Bala. I believe you know the rest."
"Now I know the entire story," said Terramar. "Luke didn't send you to the scrapyard! You were saved for preservation!"
"Who's Luke?" Holy War asked.
"The other engine with whom you worked! He's here on Sodor!" Terramar paused. "Is it possible if you could come to Sodor?"
"I'll have to ask Miss Petricia," Holy War said. "Or Berry Punch, as I believed you call her. The local pub owner?"
"Thanks. I think we have a chance to make things right!"
The next morning, for his final day of work, Terramar caught the train up to the quarry, excited to tell Luke the news. "Luke!" he called, as he hopped out of Rheneas' cab. "I know the truth now!"
"About what?" Luke asked.
"The engine! The engine hit by the slate wagons! He survived the incident, and I knew him when I lived in Bala! His name is Holy War, and he's coming here to see you."
Skarloey's eye twitched as he heard what Terramar had said. "What have you done?" he demanded.
"I told the story," Terramar replied.
Skarloey, normally so kind and gentle, lost his temper then and there. "I distinctly remember telling you that what I told you must not leave your mouth! It was a secret, and secrets are supposed to be kept! So not only can you not keep your mouth shut, you also lied to my face!"
"Skarloey," Ocellus said, trying to get him to stop.
"That Luke is a danger with his carelessness, and at this rate the entire island will know!"
"What's the big deal?" Rusty asked. "We've all had accidents- yourself included."
"There's no need to be this harsh!" Sandbar added.
"I think maybe being this stuck up on that incident was a mistake," Rheneas said quietly.
But still Skarloey went on. "I know I've had accidents. But that doesn't excuse carelessness."
"Skarloey," Ocellus said again, a bit more forcefully.
"As a matter of fact, I should have-"
"SKARLOEY!"
The entire quarry fell silent at that moment, and everybody looked over in shock. Ocellus' face was red with righteous anger. Safe to say, none of them had ever heard her shout or raise or voice before.
"Skarloey, I have had enough of you verbally abusing Luke like this. I thought you knew better. Apologise to him now."
"Why should I?" Skarloey replied. "He caused that accident."
Ocellus looked even crosser. "Fine," she said. "Have it your way." She applied his brakes, threw his fire out, and walked over to the mess hall. "I refuse to talk to you until you show some basic courtesy."
The other engines steamed away, looking disgusted at Skarloey. "And I thought I was petty," Duncan snorted, as he set about assembling his trucks."
"Bully," Rheneas said.
"Yona think Skarloey bad engine!" Yona said.
"Skarloey not care what Yona think," Skarloey replied. "Just wait and see! There'll be another accident!"
Terramar sighed, and walked over to Luke. "Sorry about that," he said.
"It's alright," Luke replied. "I'm glad I have at least one friend."
"You don't have one friend," Peter Sam smiled. "You have 12. Now let's get to work whilst Skarloey takes time to rethink his actions."
And so, they went about their day, mostly as normal at first. But then, something happened that would change things forever.
It happened as Terramar had finished with his lunch break and was on his way back over to Luke to resume work, when unfortunately he put a foot in the wrong place. The entire side of the hill collapsed, and he went down with it.
"AAAAAARGH!" Terramar grabbed onto a rail and held himself there. "Somebody help me! It's a very long drop!"
"Peter Sam, we have to help Terramar!" called Silverstream.
"We can't," Peter Sam said. "I'm too heavy. The ground would collapse beneath my weight. And neither can Sir Handel, as he's too far away."
"Then who can?" asked Sandbar, as Rusty pulled up alongside Peter Sam.
Just then, steaming onto the damaged section of rail, was Luke. Skarloey, far down below and unable to turn a wheel, snorted. "Here we go again."
Just then, Terramar lost his strength, and began to fall.
His fall was very suddenly interrupted when his hand gripped something. He opened his eyes and, sure enough, it was a buffer. He looked up to see Luke, smiling.
"Don't worry!" he called. "I've got you!" With a grunt and a blast of smoke, he hauled Terramar over the side of the cliff and onto level ground.
"Luke, you saved me!" Terramar exclaimed. "Thanks!"
Luke smiled again. "Anything for a friend," he replied, as Terramar got into his cab. Both engine and driver returned to the lower level to choruses of whistles and cheers. They stopped outside the shed.
Skarloey looked very downtrodden, and rather ashamed of himself. "Luke," he began, "I know I probably don't deserve it, but I want to tell you that I'm sorry for the way I have treated you. I thought you nothing but a problem, but you just risked life and frame for somebody you had only just met."
"You are forgiven," Luke said. "Now if only I can forgive myself."
"There is no need," said a familiar Welsh voice, as Holy War steamed into the quarry, now painted blue and bearing a cab. "The accident wasn't your fault. It was a defective rope that caused the crash. It would have given way no matter what load was attached to it."
"So you did survive!" Luke cheered. "Thank you so much, Terramar! I've never felt this happy in my life."
Ocellus emerged from the mess hall to see Skarloey looking down. "I hope you learned an important lesson today," she said. "Just because somebody did something seemingly bad a long time ago, you shouldn't judge them until you've heard the full story."
"Indeed, and my anger clouded my judgement," the saddle tank sighed. "Ocellus, can we be friends again?"
"Of course."
Luke and Terramar were made new and permanent residents on the Skarloey Railway, and Holy War hung around to help out with the summer holiday traffic. I am happy to say that all is well and happy on the little railway in the hills.