Thomas and Friends: The Retold Adventures

by The Blue EM2

Percy takes the Plunge

A few weeks had passed since Percy had saved the day, alongside Pinkie Pie, Harold, and Soarin'. One glorious summer day that had turned a bit nasty in terms of the rain, he had successfully braved heavy rain, gale force winds, and even a flooded section of track, which had made him seem like a submarine (which was not yellow, but green with red stripes), in order to get a Sunday School group home to Knapford Junction, where Thomas had taken them onwards to Knapford in order to catch trains to other parts of the Island. Sir Toppham Hatt had also praised their bravery, calling Percy a Really Useful Engine, and Pinkie being described as equally useful, before a rousing musical number had rounded things off.

Unfortunately, this praise had gone to Percy's smokebox. He had become conceited and cocky, and would recite the story of how he had helped Thomas over, and over, AND OVER again. Nobody seemed to notice how the story seemed to change every time he told it, or how many times he had told it. One day, he was telling the tale to a group of engines who were visiting from the mainland, who seemed to be very impressed.

"So," Percy said, dramatically, "there I was, running down this branch line, water swirling all around as the track was flooded. Water went over my tanks, under my boiler, and onto my footplate, threatening to flood my firebox."

"I can second that," Pinkie added, pausing a moment from eating a massive doughnut that was at least twice the size of her hand. How it had ended up in her hand without anybody noticing was a mystery, but some days Pinkie was just Pinkie.

"I couldn't see where I was going, but with Harold's help I struggled on, and at long last I reached the station with the passengers, who were a bit wet, I will admit, but nontheless were safe and dry."

"You just contradicted yourself," said one of the engines, a J94 that was painted orange with cream lining. "How can they be dry and wet at the same time?"

"Ah," Percy replied, not keen to admit he had just commited a logical fallacy. "They were wet at one point, but by the time we got to the station they were dry."

"That makes sense," said another of the engines, a Midland 4F painted blue. "But you sure are brave, Percy."

"It wasn't anything really," Percy replied, doing his best to sound modest. "Water's nothing to an engine with determination."

"Do you want to hear more?" Pinkie asked, with a smile.

"Oh yes please!" the engines called.

Unfortunately, Henry then arrived. Henry was in a bit of a foul mood. He had just been pulling a goods train over from the mainland, which had run late thanks to track maintenance, dodgy signalling, and a 20 mile per hour speed restriction that was in place through Wellsworth for no readily obvious reason. He was looking forward to a rest at the shed, but when he backed in, he saw those two engines and Percy talking loudly with one another, which was a threat to his (in his mind) well deserved nap. He whistled loudly as he backed in.

"What are those engines doing here in a North Western Railway shed?" he demanded. "This shed is for our use only. Be off with you, you silly things!" The engines from the mainland looked sad, but puffed away nontheless. Fluttershy hopped off Henry's footplate to quickly oil him round. Given they were needed to be out again in an hour, it meant there was no time to drop Henry's fire and light it again. As a result, they were doing the maintenance now to ensure they didn't have to do it later.

Pinkie looked over as Fluttershy worked. "Does Henry ever have any fun?" she asked.

"Indeed!" Percy added. "Those engines aren't silly at all!" I am sorry to say he had been enjoying telling the story perhaps a little too much, and Henry noticed this almost immediately.

"They are silly, and so are you!" Henry snapped. "Water's nothing to an engine with determination! I beg to differ. Once, on the Midland and Great Northern Railway, flooded track on the Norfolk coast prevented rail operations for several weeks."

"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" Percy said cheekily. "I have no issue with water; I rather like it. Without it, we wouldn't be able to make steam, and we wouldn't be able to move." He puffed off toward the harbour, singing.

"One day an engine attached to a train, was afraid of a few drops of rain!"

Henry sighed. "I'm never going to hear the end of that, am I?"

Fluttershy sighed as well. "One day, Percy is going to get himself into a big mess over his cheekiness." She tapped off the sanders and oil reservoirs, then stepped back. "All done, Henry!"

Later that day, Thomas was staring absentmindedly at a board. "Now, how did that board get from the quarry at Ffarquhar to all the way down here at Knapford?" he asked.

"Maybe somebody moved it?" Twilight suggested, shrugging her shoulders. Just then Percy and Pinkie barrelled in. "Hello Pinkie!"

"Hiya Twilight!" Pinkie exclaimed. "What are you and Thomas looking at?"

"This stop board," Thomas replied. "It reminds me of an old one I encountered in a quarry near Ffarquhar a few months ago. I made the mistake of going past it-"

"On purpose," Twilight added.

"OK, OK, don't rub it in!" Thomas exclaimed. "I went past it, irrespective of whether I intended to or not, and fell into a mine as the ground gave way."

"I can't see a mine," Percy said.

"Percy, are you being an idiot on purpose today?" Twilight asked. "Just don't go past that board, or bad things will happen!"

"I learned that the hard way," Thomas sighed. Percy and Pinkie didn't know that the harbour foundations were giving way, and as a result one of the former Quays had started to sink. What had once been a level section of line was now a fierce 1 in 23 gradient. An engine going down that had no chance of stopping.

Later that day, Percy made a plan with the trucks. "Will you bump me when we get to the Quay?" he asked, as innocently as he could in order to avoid attracting attention. "Pinkie won't know my plan."

The trucks were used to engines asking them not to bump them, and as a result Percy's request caught them a little off guard. Nontheless, they chattered and giggled about it all the way to the harbour. "On! On! On!" they called, as they rolled through the harbour approaches and toward the section of track.

Percy smiled. "I'll pretend to stop at the station, and then the trucks will push me beyond the board and then I'll stop them." He honestly thought he could control them, the fool. But any wise engine knows that you cannot trust trucks in any capacity.

Just as they rolled to stop before the board, the trucks slammed together fiercely. "Here you go, Percy!" they called, as Pinkie fell of the footplate and landed on the floor.

The entire train slid down the steep slope, now powerless to stop. Percy screamed as he slid uncontrollably toward the water. "That's enough!" he cried, but it was too late. He rolled into the water and stopped, by now very wet indeed.

Pinkie got unsteadily to her feet, trying to process what had just happened. Just then, she saw Sir Toppham Hatt storming over toward her, looking very cross. "Why am I not surprised that you two are behind this stunt?" he boomed.

"I had no idea those trucks were going to bump Percy!" Pinkie retaliated.

"I don't care!" Sir Toppham Hatt thundered. "Percy, I am very disappointed in you, and hereby strip you of your 'Really Useful Engine' status."

"I'm truly sorry Sir," Percy gasped, between mouthfuls of water. "Please get me out."

"We can't do that until the tide rises," Sir Toppham Hatt sighed. "You shall stay there. Hopefully you and Pinkie will learn to behave and follow instructions." He walked away, sighing. "I am surrounded by children."

It took two cranes to lift Percy out of the drink that night. A waiting flatbed, pulled by Thomas, took Percy away for repairs. For her part in the incident, the company wantee to suspend Pinkie for a week, but Sir Toppham Hatt, realising his angry outburst had not helped the situation, got it reduced to a temporary demotion to cleaner (repromoting her a week later). And to add insult to injury, Henry was the one who took Percy to Crovan's Gate.

"Well, well, well!" Henry laughed. "I must say there is something most ironic about this. Did you like the water? No? You need more determination, I see. After all, water's nothing to an engine with determination. Perhaps you'll like it better next time."

"That's enough, Henry," Fluttershy replied, as she opened the regulator. Percy, however, is determined that there won't be a next time.

Author's Note:

In the TV series, this story and the previous one were adapted the wrong way around, meaning that Percy is referring to events that haven't ocurred yet.

Comments

[Banshee531]

Wait (googles J94) Is that Bill and Ben?

[SonicStreak5344]

10085294
Maybe.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

This was a good addition but "Percy takes the Plunge" was in Eight Famous Engines.
However, I think it was much more fitting to be in the Percy Book

[The Blue EM2]

10085294

10085405
No. Bill and Ben are Par saddle tanks. A J94 is much bigger.

[The Blue EM2]

10085563
I know. That's why it's been adapted alongside those stories.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

10085828
Well, I'm glad your version closed off with Percy takes the Plunge

[The Blue EM2]

10085906
We're in a new book now. Percy Takes the Plunge was the first story of The Eight Famous Engines.

[Thomlight Sparkle 1]

10085914
Oh. Well, ready for the next story I am

[Wessexbrony]

10085294
No, Bill and Ben were based on Alfred and Judy, the English China Clay dock shunters at the Port of Par.

[The Blue EM2]

10085937
Excellent.

[The Blue EM2]

10085941
And much smaller than a J94.

[Banshee531]

10085826 10085941 So then why is it when I looked up the episode online, Bill and Ben were the ones Percy was talking too.

[The Blue EM2]

10085951
Because the episode was adapted out of order. In the original book, Percy is talking to a group of Jinties.

[Wessexbrony]

Bit harsh on Pinkie though, it's not like she could have done anything.

[The Blue EM2]

10086228
More on that in the next story.

[The Blue EM2]

10086228
I decided to lessen it to a temporary demotion.

[SonicStreak5344]

10085826
Oh ok

[The Blue EM2]

10086335
Remember Jinty. He'll be important later.

[JimmyHook19]

But any wise engine knows that you cannot trust trucks in any capacity.

That will always be a classic line when describing about the Troublesome Trucks whenever bringing up about an engine they are not used to. ^^

[The Blue EM2]

10086844
As this scenario neatly demonstrates.

[JimmyHook19]

10086850
Indeed ^^

[The Blue EM2]

10086851
We also have Dirty Objects to go off.

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

Henry sighed. "I'm never going to hear the end of that, am I?"

Nope.

"I can't see a mine," Percy said.

Percy smiled. "I'll pretend to stop at the station, and then the trucks will push me beyond the board and then I'll stop them." He honestly thought he could control them, the fool. But any wise engine knows that you cannot trust trucks in any capacity.

Yep.

"We can't do that until the tide rises," Sir Toppham Hatt sighed. "You shall stay there. Hopefully you and Pinkie will learn to behave and follow instructions." He walked away, sighing. "I am surrounded by children."

This is what you get for hiring them to work for your railway.