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Chapter Text

In the Apollo Victoria Trainyard, there were four Hoppers attached to the Freight train. They were called the Rockies.

Rocky 4, AKA Little Blu, was the youngest of the four Rockies. He was so- called because he was covered in a bright blue livery. The other Rockies had red, yellow and green liveries.

The Rockies were very close. They would spend all day helping the Engines by moving Freight around the tracks and all night practicing their dancing or boxing moves. When they had the day off, they would listen to good old Poppa tell one of his fantastic tales. Life for them was pretty good, and they rarely had any troubles.

But one day, Little Blu found a book about colours. It said that different colours had different meanings. Red meant strength, pink meant sweetness, orange meant excitement, purple meant royalty, yellow meant happiness, brown meant honesty, green meant freshness, black meant elegance, white meant purity…

And blue meant sadness.

Poor Little Blu couldn’t believe his eyes. He had a sad livery! Maybe that was why, unlike the other Rockies, he wasn’t allowed to leave the yard.

“I need a new livery!” Little Blu said to himself. “I need to be red! If I’m the colour of strength, then maybe I’ll be allowed to go beyond the yard’s gates!”

And with that, he went to find C.B, The Red Caboose. He had a large supply of red paint. He could give Little Blu a red repaint. Little Blu was sure of it!

~

“So, do you like it?” C.B asked, watching Little Blu admire his brand new red livery.

“I don’t like it,” Little Blu replied. “I love it!”

C.B, glad that Little Blu was happy, pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m glad you do.” He smiled. “Now, be careful with your livery. Don’t let it peel off.”

Little Blu nodded. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

~

It was midday. Rocky 1, the Rocky with the red livery, was preparing to go for a run with Rusty, the King of the Track. He was currently waiting for Dustin, the big Hopper, to show up.

Instead, Little Blu appeared. He smiled as Rusty and Rocky 1 stared at his livery.

“Do you like it?” He asked. “I’m no longer the colour of sadness. I’m the colour of strength! You can take me out of the yard now, Rusty!”

There was a brief silence, then Rusty sighed.

“I’m sorry, Blu,” He replied. “But I can’t. You’re just too young. You need to stay here and grow up before you can come with us. It was never about your livery.”

“Besides,” Rocky 1 spoke up. “I’m supposed to be the red Rocky, not you. You need to get your blue paint put back on.”

Poor Little Blu felt very silly. He didn’t know he was too young to leave just yet. He didn’t know it was never about his paint.

The other Rolling Stock were staring at him and whispering. They hadn’t seen Little Blu in a red livery before. Blu suddenly felt very self- conscious. He didn’t feel strong anymore.

He quickly skated off back to his shed and started to cry.

~

Nighttime fell on the Trainyard, and no one had seen Little Blu for a very long time.

“Blu? Little Blu?” Poppa called. He had heard from Rusty about Blu’s new livery and wanted to see it for himself.

After a few minutes of looking, he arrived at Blu’s shed. He knocked on the door and slowly entered.

“Blu? I need to know what happened to you. Can I talk to you please?” Poppa asked.

Little Blu crept out of his hiding spot and walked up to Poppa, who immediately started cuddling him. The light in the shed was dim, but Poppa could faintly see Blu’s red livery.

Little Blu cried into Poppa’s shoulder for a bit, then he explained what had happened that day.

“Oh, Blu,” Poppa softly whispered. “You didn’t have to change your livery. You were fine in blue. Honestly, what was that silly Caboose thinking? Blue is such a wonderful strong colour. It’s not just the colour of sadness. It’s also the colour of the sky. And the sea. And your eyes. You already had a strong livery. Blue is a wonderful colour.”

Little Blu wiped his eyes. “You sure?” He sniffled.

Poppa leaned down and gently rubbed a tear off Little Blu’s cheek with his thumb. “I’m sure.” He answered.

Blu managed a small smile. Poppa was right. Blue really was a strong colour. “Thank you.” He sobbed.

Poppa rubbed Blu’s back. “You’re welcome,” He said. “Now, let’s get that red off of you and give you back your blue paint. It suits you, after all.”

Little Blu nodded and followed Poppa. Time to get his lovely strong blue back.

Chapter Text

Dinah the dining car had a problem.

Her husband, Greaseball the diesel, was out on an all- day shift, and her friends were all too busy to visit her.

So she was sat in her shed, doing nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not even cooking or cleaning.

She wanted to be in Greaseball’s warm arms. She wanted to be out shopping with her friends. She wanted to do SOMETHING, but she didn’t know what.

Little Blu saw her through her window and felt bad for her. She needs something to cheer her up, he thought to himself.

So he decided to give her a surprise.

~

The Hip Hoppers were sat outside the fuel station, practicing their dance moves. Hoppers 1, 2 and 3, the brothers, were pestering their sister, 4, to join them. But she was refusing. She had a comic book to finish.

None of them were busy, so Little Blu approached them. He needed help with the surprise, and he knew the Hopper who could help him.

4 eventually shooed her brothers off and returned to her book. She finished the final few pages and put the book down. Then she got up to stretch.

Little Blu rolled up to 4 and gently tapped her shoulder, gaining her attention. 4 turned around, smiling when she noticed who was trying to talk to her.

“Hello Blu!” She grinned. “How are you?”

“Fine, thanks.” Blu replied. “Can you help me with something please? It’s for Dinah.”

4 nodded. “Of course I can,” She answered. “Anything to get away from my annoying brothers.”

~

Little Blu and 4 discussed what to give to Dinah as a surprise. In the end, they both decided to give her a chocolate cake. It was a recipe that 4 knew well.

Little Blu went around the yard, asking the Coaches if they could spare some ingredients. A few refused, but a few others were more than happy to give him what he needed. He returned to 4 with full arms and a big grin.

4 mixed the cacao powder, flour, sugar, salt, eggs, butter and milk together, then she poured the mixture into a tin and put it in the oven. She gave Blu the bowl to lick out and then made some chocolaty buttercream icing. Blu tried to help, but he ended up making a big mess. So 4 shooed him out of the kitchen.

~

Little Blu was annoyed. He was sat in the middle of the main room’s floor, with his arms crossed. There was nothing he could do. He was starting to feel like Dinah. Then 4 called him back into the kitchen.

“I need you to smash some chocolate bars for me, please,” She explained. “I have three bars here, one white, one milk and one dark. Please try not to make a mess.” She said that last part very sternly.

Blu promised not to. But he somehow ended up getting chocolate on the ceiling. Even 4 didn’t see how he managed to do that.

“Just be careful, please.” She warned.

4 took the cake out of the oven and let it cool. Then she covered it in the icing and sprinkled the crushed up chocolate on top as a decoration.

When that was done, 4 made Little Blu clean the kitchen and ceiling. Blu did this without complaining.

Then he and 4 put the cake in a box and went over to Dinah’s shed.

~

Dinah was beaming as she was given her surprise. She didn’t know what was in the box, but she knew it would be nice.

“Thank you both so much,” She smiled. “This has made my day. Can I share this with Greaseball too?”

“Of course you can!” 4 replied. “Enjoy your surprise!”

Dinah waved 4 and Blu goodbye and closed the door.

The two skated off back to the other Hoppers. To their surprise, the Rockies were there with them too. They had been looking for Little Blu.

“Where have you been?” Rocky 2 asked. “It’s getting late. Poppa was getting worried. Why have you got chocolate underneath your fingernails?”

Little Blu smiled. “I made something for Dinah. With Hopper 4’s help.” He turned to 4. “Thanks for your help.” He said.

4 smiled. “You’re welcome.” She grinned.

~

The next time Little Blu skated past Dinah’s window, he saw Greaseball sat at the table with chocolate all over his cheeks and lips. Dinah was sat next to him, smiling from ear to ear while trying to wipe the chocolate off his face.

Little Blu giggled. Looks like Dinah enjoys her surprise, he thought.

Dinah saw him through the window and gave him a friendly wave. Greaseball waved too.

Little Blu waved back. Then he went to find Hopper 4 to tell her the good news.

Maybe they should start making more surprises for rest of the Rolling Stock.

Chapter Text

Little Blu had no work to do, so he was stood in a corner of the Trainyard, daydreaming, when Control approached him.

She was smaller than him, much smaller, but she still managed to look intimidating.

“Little Blu,” She boomed. “You need a hobby. I can’t have idle Rolling Stock on my tracks.”

Blu stared at her. “I’m sorry,” He replied. “But I can’t leave the yard. You said so.”

“I didn’t mean leave,” Control said. “I know you can’t go beyond the gates yet. I just don’t want to see you get bored. You haven’t had any work for the past three days, so maybe you should look for something to do. I recommend artwork.” And with that, she left.

Little Blu stood there for a moment, then he went back to his shed and pulled some paper and pencils out of his drawer.

Time to start his hobby.

~

Little Blu skated around the yard, looking for things to draw. He found a tin can, a crumpled up box, a plant growing near the track, and his own reflection.

He drew all of these things with vibrant colours, and he hung them up on his shed wall, but he felt unsatisfied.

So he tried pens instead. Their colours were even more vibrant. But he still felt unsatisfied.

Then he tried watercolours. Again, still not satisfied, even though the drawings looked beautiful.

He tried chalk, crayons, alcohol markers, and he was STILL unsatisfied.

Then he tried paint.

~

“WHAT DID YOU DO, LITTLE BLU?!” Rocky 1 yelled.

Blu winced. He hadn’t meant to get himself into trouble.

But now here he was, covered in paint. The walls, ceiling and floor were also covered. How he had managed that, no one knew.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” He stuttered. “I can clean this up, don’t worry. In fact, I was just starting to-“

Rocky 3 held up her hand, silencing Little Blu.

“What. Happened?” She asked sternly.

Blu knew that he couldn’t talk his way out of trouble, so he explained what happened that day. The other Rockies listened and had a quick chat between themselves, then Rocky 2 spoke up.

“Look,” Rocky 2 said. “It’s fine to have a hobby. And it’s nice to see you doing artwork. I mean, it’s fantastic! And you’re practicing with different media! But maybe next time you should do it in an area where you can make a mess. We’ll help you clean up, then we’ll move your supplies outside so you can continue painting. What do you think of that idea?”

Little Blu nodded. He was glad that he wasn’t in too much trouble.

~

Little Blu did some more art, then he was asked by Flat- Top to assist with some work. He didn’t get back to his painting until evening.

He was just finishing when Poppa showed up.

“Hey, Blu,” Poppa greeted. “It’s getting late. Aren’t you tired?”

Blu shook his head. “I need to finish this.” He replied. He lifted his paintbrush, but Poppa gently pushed it back down.

“I think you need to get some rest.” Poppa responded. “Come on, I have a new bedtime story to tell the Rolling Stock.”

Little Blu didn’t argue. Instead, he put his brushes down and followed Poppa.

~

Little Blu finished his art the next day.

The other Rolling Stock gathered around to take a look at it. They all complimented it and said that Blu was a great artist.

Control was happy. “Glad to see you have a hobby now,” She smiled. “Do you want another?”

Little Blu nodded. “As long as it’s not messy.” He answered.

Chapter Text

It was late at night. Very late. Poppa was just finishing the bedtime story he was telling the other Rolling Stock.

“And then, the Starlight Express appeared once more, and they all lived happily ever after. The end.” Poppa said with a tired expression.

The Rolling Stock were starting to yawn and rub their eyes. When would Control give the announcement to go to bed?

Little Blu was struggling to keep his eyes open. He had had a long day, and he desperately needed to sleep. But he wanted to stay awake.

He wanted to see the Starlight Express, the mythical train that only appeared at Midnight. He wanted it to grant him a wish.

Then, Control’s voice boomed out of the speakers dotted around the yard. “Alright, it’s bedtime.” She mumbled. “I’ll sing you all a lullaby in a minute.”

The Rolling Stock got up and made their way back to their sheds. Everyone was tired and ready to go to bed.

Little Blu was escorted back to his shed by the other Rockies. Once inside, he had a drink of warm milk, brushed his teeth, had one last oil change and hopped into his bed, pulling his tattered old blanket around him.

Soon, the yard was filled with the beautiful sound of Control singing.

“Starlight Express, Starlight Express, are you real, yes or no?” She sung.

Normally, a lullaby would send Little Blu straight to sleep. But this time, the song was making him restless.

He needed to see the Starlight Express for himself and make that wish.

So as soon as Control stopped singing, and as soon as the yard fell quiet, Little Blu snuck out of his shed and quietly made his way down the tracks.

~

It was a clear night. The stars were out and the moon was shining bright.

Little Blu climbed up onto the roof of an abandoned building somewhere in the back of the yard, somewhere where no one could see or hear him, and looked up to the sky. He was hopeful that the Starlight Express would appear soon.

A cold breeze flew around the yard, making Blu shiver. He wished he had brought his blanket with him. But he refused to go back and get it.

If I go back now, I might miss seeing the Starlight Express, he thought. Or I might get caught and sent back to my shed.

Blu decided to wrap his arms around himself and pretend that he had his blanket. He didn’t want to risk missing anything or getting caught.

~

Soon, Midnight came.

Alright, Little Blu thought, it’s time.

He carefully stood up on the roof, cleared his throat and began to sing. It was the same song Control had been singing, but Blu didn’t care. He had heard that the best way to call the Starlight Express was to sing to it, and that was just what he was going to do.

“Starlight Express, Starlight Express, are you real, yes or no?” He sung.

Nothing.

“Starlight Express, answer me yes.” He continued singing.

Still nothing.

“Starlight Express?” He asked.

Nope. Still nothing.

Blu sang a few more lines before giving up. If the Starlight Express didn’t want to show itself, then he would go back to his shed.

Blu climbed off the roof and slowly made his way back onto the track. He was deeply upset. All he wanted was to see the Starlight Express for himself and make a wish.

That was when he heard a voice. A beautiful, calm, gentle voice .

“Oh, little one, what are you doing out of bed?” The voice whispered. “You must be very tired.”

Little Blu quickly turned around, but there was no one there. All he saw was starlight.

He soon realised who the voice belonged to.

The Starlight Express!

“Now do tell me, what was your wish?” The Starlight Express asked.

Little Blu gulped before straightening himself up. “I wish… I wish…” He had forgotten what to wish for.

“It’s alright,” The Starlight Express soothed. “Take your time.”

Little Blu fiddled with his fingers, then he finally remembered.

“I wish… for everyone in this yard, every Engine, every Truck, every Coach, every Hopper, every Human, to have a good night tonight. That’s my wish.” He smiled.

He suddenly felt a warm presence around him. “What a wonderful wish,” The Starlight Express whispered. “You deserve a reward. Here, take this blanket. It will keep you nice and warm for tonight and every other cold night.”

Little Blu looked down and saw that he was wrapped up in a beautiful blanket, with swirling galaxies in multiple colours and glittering stars decorating it. Blu felt like he was going to cry.

“There, there,” The Starlight Express said comfortingly. “You don’t have to thank me, it’s what I do. Now, it’s time for you to go back to bed. Tomorrow will be a busy day. Good night.”

Little Blu suddenly felt very tired. He closed his eyes…

~

When Little Blu opened his eyes, he found himself tucked up into his bed.

Oh, it was just a dream, he thought sadly.

Then he looked at his blanket. It had swirling galaxies in multiple colours and glittering stars decorating it.

And once he was outside, he could hear the Rolling Stock talking about how good their night was, and how nice their dreams were.

Blu smiled. It wasn’t a dream.

He really had been in the presence of the Starlight Express.

Even though the mythical train had told Blu he didn’t need to thank him, Blu still looked up to the sky and mouthed a “Thank you.”

He probably wouldn’t do it again, but talking to the Starlight Express was wonderful.

And when the Rolling Stock asked Little Blu where he had gotten his new blanket from, he just shrugged and said “I don’t know.” They didn’t need to know he had snuck out of his shed late at night.

Instead, he neatly folded the blanket away and prepared to start the day.

Chapter Text

One of the unique things about Apollo Victoria was that there was a large forest right next to the trainyard.

Even though the yard was located in a desert.

The forest was full of trees and plants, including bushes bursting with berries and rare flowers and fungi growing from the ground. And somewhere at the bottom of the forest was a river. The river looked safe, but it was actually deep and fast moving, and the Rolling Stock had been warned to stay away from it whenever they went into the forest.

The forest was owned by Control, and anyone who wanted to go in there had to ask her first. Sometimes, she would be the one to ask the Rolling Stock if they could go into the forest, usually to look for tasty fruit or pretty flowers for her mother.

One day, Control was doing a routine patrol of the area when she saw Little Blu snacking on some chocolate.

Normally, Control would have allowed this, but Little Blu had been snacking on nothing but chocolate for several days, and she was starting to get concerned for his health. So she did the one thing she thought she would never do to him.

She approached Blu and said “Little Blu, you need a healthier snack. The forest is full of berries and fruits, you should go down there and enjoy yourself.”

Little Blu was startled. “But Control,” He gasped. “You said I still can’t leave the yard yet.”

Control shook her head. “You aren’t leaving the yard.” She explained. “I own that land. Just don’t go out of the fenced area and you’ll be fine.”

Little Blu wanted to argue, but the thought of big juicy berries was too good to pass. After a moment of thought, he decided to go into the forest.

Little did Control know, Blu had no idea that the river was dangerous. Control thought that he did, so she led him to the entrance of the forest and let him go in without warning him about the river first.

~

Blu had a wonderful time searching for fruit. There were so many, in different shapes, sizes and flavours.

Soon, Little Blu’s tank was full. He would need to rest and digest the fruit before he could continue. So instead, he decided to pick some berries for the other Rockies.

Little Blu explored around the forest, searching for the biggest berries. He only wanted the best berries for his friends. Fortunately, there were plenty to choose from.

Little Blu picked blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries, bilberries and cranberries. He carefully placed them in a container he was carrying around in his storage compartment and continued looking.

That’s when he arrived at the river.

To Little Blu, the river looked very calm and peaceful. And dangling over the water was a branch from a chestnut tree, almost bursting with nuts.

Blu didn’t eat nuts, but Rusty’s girlfriend, Pearl, did. Yesterday, she had helped him pick up a heavy package for Poppa, and Blu was desperate to find a way to thank her. Giving her a snack she likes would be the best gift for her, Blu thought.

Little Blu couldn’t reach the branch while standing on the track next to the river, so he decided to go into the river and pull the nuts off. The water looked nice, so Blu took off his skates and waded in.

That’s when things took a terrifying turn.

One minute, Blu was entering the water, and the next minute, he had fallen over and had been pulled under by the strong currents.

Poor Little Blu was struggling for breath while being swept down stream. He eventually managed to pull his head up from the water, but he was still trapped in the current.

Blu gasped and shouted for help. No one heard him.

He tried clinging on to the bank, but the mud was too slimy and he couldn’t get a grip.

He reached out for overhanging branches, but they broke whenever he pulled on them.

By the time he had finally reached a little island in the middle of the river, poor Blu was exhausted. He couldn’t even lift his head.

Would anyone be able to find and rescue him?

~

Little Blu had been gone for over an hour, and the other Rolling Stock were starting to get worried.

“Uhh, shouldn’t he have been back by now?” Rocky 1 asked Control.

Control sighed. She had a sinking feeling in her gut that something had gone wrong. “Yes, he should have,” She answered. “I think it’s time I sent the Diesels to find him.”

~

Greaseball and his gang entered the forest and began to search. They ignored the fruit and flowers and looked for any signs that Little Blu was around.

Then one of them found Blu’s skates near the river, which only meant one thing.

Greaseball told his gang to continue looking in the trees while he ran down the river, hoping he would see Blu.

Little Blu, meanwhile, had dozed off, but quickly awoke when he heard Greaseball’s horn. It sounded frantic. That’s when Blu realised that the diesel was looking for him.

Blu called out, hoping that Greaseball would hear him. And thankfully, he did.

~

It took an incredibly long time, but Little Blu was finally out of the river and had been carried out of the forest by Greaseball. Once back in the yard, Poppa tended to him while Control apologised.

“I’m so, so sorry!” She cried. “I should have told you about the river. I’m so glad you’re alive!”

Blu nodded weakly. “That’s okay,” He whispered, his voice too sore for him to talk properly. “I should be apologising too. I should’ve been more careful around that river. Next time, I’m sticking to the track.”

Everyone agreed with him. And Control promised to put a barrier around the river to prevent others from falling in.

Then Little Blu pulled the container filled with berries out from his storage compartment, much to the delight of the Rockies.

But right at that moment, they were just glad that their youngest member was alright.

Chapter Text

Little Blu woke up excited. Today was a very special day for him.

“It’s my birthday!” He happily shouted.

Blu ran out of his shed and down the track to the yard, hoping to see his friends. He wanted to celebrate his birthday with them.

But when he reached the middle of the yard, he found no one there.

That’s odd, Blu thought. Maybe they’re in another area of the yard.

Little Blu skated around the north side of the yard, then he checked the east side, then the south side, and finally the west side. But he still couldn’t find anyone.

Maybe they aren’t even up yet, Blu thought.

Little Blu checked the clock in the middle of the yard. It read 08:30. Way past the time the Rolling Stock were expected to be up and running.

Now it’s getting really odd, Blu thought. Everyone should be up by now. Did something happen to them?

Blu knocked against a few of the shed doors, waiting for a response. But no one came to open them. He tried opening one, but it was locked.

Poor Little Blu was starting to panic. Had he been abandoned? Had the others disappeared? Was he still dreaming?

Little did he know, someone else was having a similar problem.

~

Tucked away in a corner of the yard was Control’s house. It was a relatively large and modern house, with a living room, a kitchen and dining room, two bathrooms and four bedrooms. Behind the house was a massive garden.

Control lived here with her mother and grandmother. And today was supposed to be a very special day for her.

Today was Control's birthday! And she wanted to celebrate with her family.

But she couldn’t find any of them.

She had checked everywhere, including the attic, cellar, garage and the massive garden. But she still couldn’t find them.

She did, however, find a letter telling her that her mother and grandmother had both gone shopping. That would explain why I couldn’t see the car in the garage, Control thought.

Control decided to swallow her fear and get on with her work. She knew her family was okay, she just didn’t know where they were.

~

Control arrived at the trainyard and prepared to start her routine inspection, but was met with an eerily quiet yard and a panicked Little Blu.

“Little Blu? What happened? Are you alright?” Control asked, running towards the frightened truck.

Blu shook his head. “I can’t find anyone,” He replied. “Have we both been abandoned?”

“I don’t think so,” Control said. “My mother told me she and my grandmother had gone out. I have known her to take over the trainyard whenever I’m too sick or tired to work. Maybe she sent everybody out for the day, but couldn’t wake you and decided to leave you alone.”

Little Blu’s bottom lip started to quiver. “It’s my birthday today,” He sniffled. “I think everyone’s forgotten.”

Control looked up at him. “Today’s my birthday too!” She gasped. How had she not known?

Little Blu wiped his eyes and stared at Control. Looks like we’re both in a similar situation, he thought.

After a long pause, Control cleared her throat. “Do you want to bake a birthday cake with me?” She asked.

Little Blu nodded. At least he had someone to share this special day with.

~

Control had just taken the cake out of the oven when she heard Greaseball’s horn in the distance. Looks like he was back.

She handed Little Blu the cake outside and made her way to the yard. He was too big to fit in through her front door, so he had been mixing buttercream icing next to her kitchen window instead.

Control found Greaseball with Rusty. They were busy hanging bunting outside of Little Blu’s shed. Dinah and Pearl were standing behind them, both carrying presents in their arms.

Control walked up to them with her hands on her hips. “And just WHERE have you lot been?” She demanded.

“They were helping me decorate for a certain blue Rocky’s birthday.” Control’s mother said, appearing behind her. “And then I’m decorating for you. Who knew you two shared a birthday?”

“We’re sorry if we worried you both,” Rusty spoke up. “But we really wanted to give you a surprise party. We hope you two enjoy it.”

~

The party, though not much of a surprise anymore, was still enjoyable. There were presents, two cakes (one baked by Control and Little Blu, the other baked by Buffy and Control’s grandmother), party games and a lot of music.

The day ended with everyone tired but still smiling. Little Blu was dancing with C.B when Control asked if she could talk to him. Control’s mother escorted the two outside to a seating area and left them alone.

“Today was fun, wasn’t it?” Control asked.

“It was,” Little Blu replied. “Very stressful at the beginning, but fun.”

“Maybe next year, we can do something different. How about an outing?” Control suggested. “By then, you’ll be old enough to leave the yard.”

It then hit Little Blu. Just one more year and he would be old enough to go beyond the gates. He felt a rush of excitement and nerves.

The two sat in comfortable silence for a while, then they rejoined the party.

~

Little Blu went to bed feeling happy. The other Rockies had given him a lot of presents and they had promised to never scare him like that again.

As Blu drifted off, he remembered what Control had said.

Next year, he would be old enough to go on the Freight train and leave the yard.

Part of him was frightened, but another part was overjoyed.

He just had to wait a little bit longer.

Chapter Text

Little Blu was tired. He’d had a long day, working and playing with his friends.

He was sat next to Poppa, listening to the old train ramble on with another story, when Control made the announcement to go to bed. Blu immediately got up and skated back to his shed. He desperately needed to sleep.

Little Blu got ready, then he jumped into his bed and closed his eyes, while listening to Control’s lullaby.

The lullaby was soothing and it told the story of a little star, who used its hydrogen powers to turn itself into a shooting star. It wasn’t a realistic story, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

Little Blu quickly drifted off to sleep, with thoughts of hydrogen drifting through his head.

~

Little Blu was exploring another planet. The planet had purple soil and had musical notes instead of rings.

Little Blu skated around the planet until he saw some tracks. He followed them and arrived at a trainyard, surprisingly similar to Apollo Victoria’s own. The only noticeable difference was that it was very quiet.

Blu opened the gates and made his way inside. He couldn’t see anyone, but there was a small table covered in hot food nearby. And near that table was a green tanker truck, singing to himself and occasionally helping himself to a handful of food.

Blu got a bit closer, and he heard what the truck was singing about:

“It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when, for hydrogen!” The truck sang. Then they turned around.

“Oh, hello!” The truck smiled. “Who might you be?”

“I’m Little Blu.” Blu answered.

“And I’m Hydra,” The truck introduced himself. “Are you hungry? Do you want to stay for lunch? I’ve got plenty to share.” Hydra gestured towards the table.

Little Blu nodded and sat down. He had plenty of time to spare.

~

When lunch was finished, Little Blu and Hydra skated around the yard together. Blu told Hydra about Apollo Victoria and the Rolling Stock, and Hydra told Blu about his trainyard.

“It’s not usually this quiet,” Hydra spoke. “But everyone else had work to do, and no one wanted to work with me, so I got left behind.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Little Blu comforted. “Can I ask why no one wants to work with you?”

Hydra nodded. “I run on hydrogen.” He explained. “It’s the fuel of the future. But everyone laughs at me whenever I say that I am a better, cleaner option than coal or diesel, and they won’t let me convert their engines to hydrogen power. I hope that one day, I will be able to help an Engine and give them my powers.”

Blu felt sorry for Hydra. He reached out and held the tanker’s hand.

Hydra gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Oh, don’t worry about me,” He smiled. “I know that hydrogen will be used as fuel eventually. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when…”

“For hydrogen!” Little Blu finished the sentence.

Hydra laughed and pulled Blu into a tight hug. Then he looked up to the sky.

“It’s morning. Time to wake up.” Hydra whispered.

Little Blu didn’t know why Hydra said that. It was still dark, and the stars were shining brightly.

But before Blu could ask, he felt himself getting dizzy. The last thing he remembered was Hydra gently laying him on the ground, then he fell fast asleep.

~

Little Blu woke up with no memory of Hydra or the rest of his dream.

He did his work for the day and played with his friends.

Then Control sent him to pick up a package from near the gates.

Little Blu could go up to the gates, he just couldn’t go through them. He found the postal truck and invited him into the yard. The truck handed him the package and paperwork, and then left.

As the postal truck was leaving, Blu saw a flash of green and a familiar- looking tanker truck behind the gates.

Suddenly, the memories of Blu’s dream came rushing back to him.

Little Blu wanted to follow the green truck, but quickly restrained himself before he accidentally left the gates.

The truck turned around and waved at him. Blu waved back. Then Rusty called him.

And as the gates closed, Little Blu heard the truck singing:

“It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when, for hydrogen!”

Chapter Text

Dustin and his Boyfriend, Flat- Top, were sat at Belle the bar car’s Bar and Restaurant. Control was sat opposite to them with Rusty, Poppa and Greaseball, discussing the future of the yard with them. Belle was at the bar, flirting with Carrie and checking through her bag for sweets. C.B had a table to himself and was happily munching on some chips. And the Rockies and the Hip Hoppers were sat at the big table by the window, while Buffy and Dinah served their food.

Little Blu was restless. He hadn’t had any fun that day, and he was very bored. He kicked his legs under the table and accidentally hit Hopper 2.

“Dude, chill.” 2 said sternly.

“Sorry.” Blu muttered sheepishly.

After finishing his food, Blu decided to get up and move around, which was difficult to do in a packed restaurant. He skated as slowly as possible, but somehow still managed to crash into an empty table.

“Be careful, Blu!” Carrie called out from near the bar.

“Sorry, sorry!” Blu apologised. He really needed something to do.

Then Dustin waved him over.

“Me and Flat- Top were going to play Hide and Seek together after we finished. Do you want to join us?” Dustin asked.

Little Blu nodded. Finally, he had something to do.

Blu patiently waited until the two had finished their meals, then he followed them outside.

“Little Blu, do you want any pudding?” Rocky 3 asked. She was surprised to see him leave the restaurant so suddenly.

“In a minute,” Blu replied. “I’ll be back soon.”

~

“One… Two… Three…” Flat- Top counted.

Dustin and Little Blu quickly skated off and found some places to hide. Dustin hid behind a pile of aggregates (Not rocks!), and Little Blu hid behind some boxes.

“Ready or not, here I come!” Flat- Top yelled.

He found Dustin almost immediately. The big Hopper’s wheels were sticking out of the pile. Blu was a bit harder to find, but with Dustin’s help, Flat- Top eventually found him.

Then it was Dustin’s turn to count. Flat- Top hid behind a pile of scrap metal, and Little Blu hid behind some big old pipes.

Dustin found Flat- Top instantly. His pet brick, Brick, was sticking out of the metal. But finding Blu was very difficult. Eventually, they found him.

“How are you so good at this game?” Flat- Top asked.

“Pearl, Ashley and Duvet showed me the best hiding spots in the yard,” Blu replied, smiling. “They also taught me some tips and tricks to help me hide properly. If you guys don’t mind, I prefer hiding to seeking. Could one of you please start the next game?”

Both Dustin and Flat- Top nodded. Flat- Top started to count, and Dustin and Little Blu skated off to hide. Dustin hid behind some old tarpaulin, while Blu hid inside an in an old building.

It took Flat- Top some time, but he eventually found Dustin. Then the two went to find Blu.

They searched all around the yard, but they didn’t search the building. It was old and rotten, and the first floor was threatening to collapse.

Little did they know, that was the very floor that Blu was hiding on. No one had told him about the danger because they never thought he would go inside the building.

Dustin and Flat- Top continued to look, but they still couldn’t find Little Blu. They were now starting to panic. Had he just disappeared? Was he stuck somewhere? Did he go back to the restaurant?

Then they saw the gates. They were open.

In reality, the gates had swung open due to a strong breeze. But neither Dustin or Flat- Top knew that. They wrongly thought that Blu had left the yard.

“He could get ran over by a crazy train!” Flat- Top cried.

“He could get lost and never find his way back!” Dustin shrieked.

The two panicked and rushed back to the restaurant. Meanwhile, Little Blu giggled from his hiding spot. He didn’t know that he was starting to scare everyone.

~

After hearing about what had happened, Control ordered all the Rolling Stock in the restaurant to search for the missing Rocky.

Everyone searched everywhere, including beyond the gates, but no one checked the old building.

Control ordered the Rolling Stock around her and started explaining a plan to find him if he had indeed wandered off away from the yard. She was considering calling for extra help from other trainyards.

Then there was a loud cracking sound, followed by a surprised scream and then a thud.

Control whipped her head around. The sounds had come from the old building. There was dust coming out of the door and a shadowy figure approaching the Rolling Stock.

It was Little Blu. He’d stepped on a rotten plank on the floor and had fallen through the ceiling.

Luckily he wasn’t hurt, but he was covered in dust and was VERY annoyed with himself.

“Can we end the game now, please?” Blu asked Dustin and Flat- Top.

“Yes, we can.” The two answered. They were very relieved to know that Little Blu hadn’t left the yard.

The other Rolling Stock were also very relieved to know that Little Blu hadn’t left the yard. Not yet at least.

~

Blu cleaned himself up and made his way back to the restaurant. The other Rolling Stock were waiting for him. They were fussing over him and making him even more annoyed with himself.

Control scolded him for scaring his friends and for going into a dangerous area, though she quickly softened her tone when she learned that he didn’t know the building was unsafe. Blu apologised and sat back down at his table.

The other Rockies and the Hip Hoppers kept asking him questions about the game, but Blu was starting to feel better and he answered as many questions as possible.

Then Dinah gave him his favourite pudding. “It’s on the house.” She smiled.

Blu couldn’t help but give a soft smile as he ate. He would be playing Hide and Seek again in the near future, but next time he knew to be careful.

Dustin and Flat- Top smiled from where they were sat. They had forgiven Little Blu, and they did want to play with him again, but right at that moment, they were just glad that he was okay.

Chapter Text

Little Blu woke up with a headache and a blocked nose. Then later in the morning he got a stomachache. By afternoon he was feeling awful and could barely do any work.

The other Rockies had noticed something was wrong with their companion. Rocky 1 skated up to him and felt his forehead. It was very warm.

Concerned for Blu’s health, Rocky 1 decided to talk to Rusty about the situation. Control had gone out to another trainyard with her mother, grandmother and father, who she rarely saw. They were looking for Rolling Stock to buy. Before she left, she appointed Rusty as the yard’s controller for the day. So Rocky 1 went looking for him.

Rusty was in the middle of the yard, giving Pearl a kiss before she went back to work after her lunch break. When he was done, she gently patted his shoulder and skated off.

Rocky 1 seized the chance and quickly ran up to Rusty. “I think Little Blu’s sick,” He said. “Can you please check him?”

Rusty nodded and followed Rocky 1.

~

“So your head and stomach hurt?” Rusty asked Blu, who was feeling worse by the second.

Blu nodded, too tired to say anything. He just wanted to go to bed and snuggle underneath his favourite blanket.

“Oh dear. Poor you.” Rusty comforted. “I’m going to go get you some help, okay? I’ll be back in a minute.”

Rockies 2 and 3 had work to do, so they reluctantly said goodbye to Little Blu and skated off. Rocky 1 stayed behind and monitored him.

Little Blu was struggling to stand up, so Rocky 1 grabbed an old but sturdy crate and made him sit down on it. After a short moment, Blu started gagging, so 1 quickly rushed off and grabbed another crate for Blu to throw up into. Fortunately, it was a false alarm and Blu soon stopped feeling nauseous.

Then Rusty came back, pulling Memphis Belle behind him. She was the matriarch of the yard, and she knew how to look after Rolling Stock, but she wasn’t a medic. Still, she tried to help Little Blu and kindly escorted him back to his shed.

~

Belle stayed with Little Blu until evening, giving him water and keeping him company, then Greaseball came back from his shift. Rusty told him about Blu’s illness and the diesel immediately ran to find the sick Rocky.

One of the incredible things about Greaseball was that he had medical training. He had been taught by his old mentor in case if he ever got into an emergency with his train. Even though the other Rolling Stock were still taking their time to forgive him after his cheating during his infamous race, they still needed him to help them out with injuries and illnesses.

He was the closest thing to a repair truck they had. There was once a real repair truck in the yard, but she was only visiting and she quickly left after the train she was working for lost that same infamous race.

Greaseball knocked on the shed door and let himself in. He found Little Blu lying in his bed, armour removed and head propped up by pillows, while Belle read to him. As soon as she saw Greaseball, she finished the story and left. She knew that the two needed privacy so Greaseball could make a diagnosis.

Little Blu was barely awake. He gave Greaseball a weak smile and let the diesel sit down next to him.

“Hey, buddy,” Greaseball whispered, running his fingers through Blu’s thick black hair. “I heard you’re not feeling too good. Could I please examine you? Maybe I can find out what’s wrong.”

Blu weakly nodded and let Greaseball touch his stomach and look inside his mouth. Then Greaseball grabbed a thermometer out of his storage compartment and took Blu’s temperature. It was very high.

“You poor thing.” Greaseball muttered. “You’ve got a rotten cold. Stay here and rest for a few days. I’ll check up on you in a minute.” Greaseball pulled the blanket up and tucked Little Blu in.

Little Blu closed his eyes and was instantly fast asleep. He felt too sick to do anything except stay in bed.

~

Greaseball was worried. He’d never seen Blu this ill before. No one had.

The other Rolling Stock were gathered around him, discussing what to do to make Little Blu feel better.

“He’s always lifting up our spirits and making us feel happy,” Duvet spoke. “Maybe we should do something similar for him.”

Everyone agreed with her. Little Blu deserved something to make him smile.

The only question was, what could they give him?

They couldn’t give him any junk food. He was too nauseous to eat.

They couldn’t give him any activities or games. He was too dizzy to play.

They couldn’t give him anything loud or bright. He needed to rest.

Then they realised that they already had something to give him.

~

Little Blu woke up feeling a little bit better than he was before. But he was still tired and feeling sick.

He lifted his head and saw the other Rolling Stock had all sat down around him.

Blu used all of his remaining strength and sat himself up. “Hey guys. What are you all doing here?” He asked.

Poppa was the first to speak. “We’ve come to keep you company.” He replied.

Blu gave a big smile and that was all the Rolling Stock needed to know that they had succeeded in making him feel better.

You see, Little Blu didn’t need gifts or sweets or toys to make him smile. He needed his friends. They were the biggest joy in his life.

~

Little Blu eventually made a full recovery and returned to work. During that time, everyone helped him and kept him company until they were certain that he was completely better.

Not once did Blu get annoyed with them. He was just grateful for their help and support.

And when he got sick again, the other Rolling Stock were there to make him happy and speed up his recovery.

Chapter Text

“Hey, did you know that the Moon is made out of cheese?”

Little Blu stopped dead in his tracks and snapped his head around to where the two visiting trains were standing and talking. He knew it was rude to listen to other people’s conversations, but he was too curious to care.

“Well, did you know that Mars is made out of chocolate and is inhabited by little green humans?” Sounds like both trains know some facts about space, Blu thought.

Eventually the trains left. Little Blu got back to work and finished for the day, but he couldn’t stop thinking about what the visitors had been talking about. One had said that the Moon was made of cheese, the other had said that Mars was made of chocolate and was inhabited.

Control had been in the yard earlier in the morning, complaining about how her grandmother had used up all the cheese in the house to make some pasta dishes. Control was desperate for a cheese sandwich for her lunch, and Little Blu decided to go up to the Moon and bring her back some cheese.

Little Blu knew that leaving to go to the Moon would mean leaving the safety of the trainyard, which was a very naughty thing to do, so he decided not to tell anyone about his plan. Instead, he grabbed as much scrap metal as possible and tucked himself away in a corner of the yard to build a rocket.

~

It took Blu hours to finish the rocket. By the time he was finally finished, it was night and the Moon was out. Fortunately, he didn’t mind. Besides, the Moon was now visible and he could fly up to it.

The rocket had a crate for a body with a chair in the middle of it, a pair of rusted wings, a long cone at the front, and two hollow cylinders at the back. There was a cracked glass dome on the top, and a fuel tank with wheels on the bottom. The tank was connected to the cylinders via tubes. Everything had been Duck Taped together, except for the chair, which was glued in.

Now I need a spacesuit, Blu though. The last thing he wanted to do was go “POP” in space!

Little Blu found some old tarpaulin and a pair of rubber boots with holes in them. He used Duck Tape to cover the holes in the boots, then he cut up the tarpaulin and stitched it back together until it fit him like a baggy suit. He was very grateful for the sewing lessons Dinah had given him. Then for a helmet, he grabbed a large cardboard box, cut the front off and stuck a plastic sheet to it.

Finally, Blu built a ramp at the bottom of a great big hill in the yard and positioned the rocket on the top of it. Then he poured fuel into the tank, put on his spacesuit and stood next to the rocket.

“Five… Four… Three… Two… One…” Little Blu counted down. “BLAST OFF!” He cried and pushed the rocket forwards, quickly jumping in and closing the dome roof before it took off without him.

The rocket went down the ramp and lifted off into the sky. Blu pressed a button on a keyboard he had found and rigged up to the tank, causing fuel to go into the tubes and out of the cylinders.

I’m doing it, I’m doing it! Blu though. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of floating. He was certain he was in space now.

Then Little Blu felt the rocket crash land.

“Oh no!” He cried, opening his eyes. “Now how am I going to get back home?”

Blu looked around him. The rocket was in shambles, with sharp pieces of metal and glass surrounding him. The suit was ruined too, covered in rips, tears and fuel stains. And the helmet was crushed. All that survived was the chair.

Little Blu started to cry. He didn’t want to be on the Moon anymore. He wanted to be back in the yard, snuggled up to the other Rockies, or being taught something by the Coaches, or dancing with the Hip Hoppers, or play fighting with the Engines, or chatting to the Freight train, or listening to Poppa tell one of his amazing stories, or hearing one of Control’s beautiful lullabies.

The more Blu thought about the yard, the more tears fell down his cheeks. “I want to go home!” He wailed. He was cold, tired and very, very frightened.

Then he felt a warm pair of hands gently wiping away the tears on his cheeks. Little Blu opened his eyes and saw Dinah right in front of him.

Turns out, he hadn’t left the yard at all! His rocket fell and crashed into a part of the yard where the trains didn’t usually go. But Dinah heard his sobs and went to investigate.

Little Blu immediately snuggled himself into her chest, crying harder. He was so relieved that he was okay that he couldn’t find the words, so he just kept sobbing instead.

“Oh, sweetheart.” Dinah soothed, running her fingers through his hair. “The others are looking for you. They heard a crashing sound and couldn’t find you. Let’s go tell them you’re alright.”

Little Blu managed a nod. He needed to see the other Rolling Stock again.

~

Control wasn’t angry with Little Blu for trying to leave the yard, but she was confused.

“Blu, the Moon isn’t made out of cheese, it’s made out of rock,” She explained. “And Mars isn’t made out of chocolate, and there’s still no signs of alien life on that planet. Plus, my mother bought me more cheese this afternoon.”

Blu started to cry again. He felt so silly. The other Rolling Stock quickly moved around him, pulling him into a tight group hug.

“However,” Control put her hand up. “There is water on Mars. So who knows, maybe there are lifeforms out there that are similar to humans.”

That cheered Little Blu up. His frown turned into a small smile.

“Now,” Control boomed. “You missed both lunch and dinner building that rocket, and by the way, kudos for trying to actually build one. You shouldn’t go to bed on an empty tank. Here, I saved my last cheese sandwich. Do you want it?”

Little Blu’s eyes widened as Control held up the sandwich. “Oh no thank you!” He shook his head. “I think I need a break from cheese!”

Everyone laughed.

Chapter Text

There was a reason why none of the Rolling Stock were allowed to Slalom Skate. And that reason was because it involved a lot of injuries.

Once, Slalom Skating was allowed in the Apollo Victoria trainyard, but then the Rolling Stock started hurting themselves while doing the tricks, so Control made the difficult decision to ban it in her yard.

None of the Rolling Stock were happy with the decision, but they didn’t dare argue. Instead, they looked for other ways to entertain themselves without getting hurt.

Somewhere in an old building there was a book about how to Slalom Skate, but only Memphis Belle knew where that book was hidden. Control had entrusted her to keep the book a secret.

~

One quiet morning, Hopper 3 was exploring some old buildings with Little Blu. The two were dead bored and needed something to do. Blu had heard from a rumour that Belle was hiding something in one of the buildings and he wanted to see what it was. 3 chose to go along with him.

Little Blu climbed up onto a shelf and glanced at a row of old books that were there. They were all falling apart due to age. Suddenly, the shelf collapsed, causing Little Blu to fall. Fortunately, he only got a small dent in his shoulder armour.

3 came round the corner to see what the noise was and saw Blu laying on the floor with a book in his lap.

The book’s cover read “How to Freestyle Slalom Skate.”

~

Once Blu had recovered from the shock of falling, he and 3 read the book from top to bottom and decided to have a go at Slalom Skating.

They didn’t know that they weren’t supposed to do that kind of skating.

Little Blu grabbed some cones from a box on a nearby shelf and 3 practiced some of the easiest tricks in the book. Then Blu had a turn.

The two had a great time performing easy tricks, but then 3 said he wanted to do some difficult tricks. Blu was tired and didn’t want to skate anymore, so he let 3 do what he wanted to do.

3 skated around the cones, showing off to Blu. Then something bad happened.

Blu heard a snapping sound, then he saw 3 collapse to the ground, clutching his right foot and swearing loudly and colourfully. He’d broken something after landing at a funny angle.

Little Blu tried to comfort 3 before he rushed outside, hoping to find Greaseball. Whatever injury 3 had, the diesel would know how to heal it.

He found Greaseball sat at the station with Belle. The two were talking about the book Blu had found.

“I’m just so glad that the book is hidden from darling Little Blu,” Belle spoke. “I don’t want him to get hurt or get into trouble with Control.”

“I agree,” Greaseball replied. “I’ve had to deal with Slalom Skating- related injuries way too many times. Thank the Starlight he doesn’t know about that book. If one more train comes up to me with an injury related to those dangerous tricks, I think I might blow a fuse.”

Blu quietly skated off without talking to either of them. The last thing he wanted to do was get into trouble with Control or make Greaseball blow his fuse. Instead, when he told 3 about what the two had said, 3 decided to hide his injury, and Little Blu promised to help him do that.

~

“Hey, bro!” Hopper 4 skated over to 3, who was currently waiting for his turn at the fuel pump. Flat- Top had gotten there first and 3 wasn’t happy, especially because he was standing on his poorly foot. 3 managed to give his sister a small smile and 4 smiled back before continuing on with her jobs. She didn’t suspect that he was hurt.

Then, after fuelling up, 3 went to do his job for the day. He had been given the order to sort out the storage room. In order to stop his injury from playing up, 3 asked Little Blu to assist him with carrying heavy boxes and canisters. When the job was finished, Blu gave 3’s foot a massage, which unfortunately only made the pain worse.

“Sorry.” Little Blu stopped massaging after 3 hissed at him. The two decided to keep busy, so they practiced some playful sparring. All was going well until 3 accidentally kicked Blu with his injured foot. 3 grabbed his leg and groaned, while Blu rubbed his shoulder and tried to calm him down.

Then Blu heard a sound behind him. Carrie had seen what they were doing and was rushing off to find Greaseball.

“If Greaseball figures out that my injury was caused by Slalom Skating, we’ll both be in trouble,” 3 hissed. “We need to hide, now.”

The two moved to a quiet area in the yard, where no one could see them. They decided to sit down and rest for a bit. Little Blu grabbed three old crates to sit on, two for him and 3, and one for 3’s foot to rest on.

They chatted and joked for a long time, then the sun started to set. 3 knew that Poppa would want everyone to be in the middle of the yard for a bedtime story, so he made the decision to go back. Blu helped him up and the two skated off to where Poppa was sitting.

Carrie was stood there. As soon as she saw 3, she ran up to him. “Greaseball’s out on an emergency shift tonight. I’ll tell him to take a look at you tomorrow.” She said.

For Little Blu and 3, that was a huge relief. They listened to Poppa’s story, then Control sent everyone to bed.

3 went to sleep very quickly. He soon forgot that Carrie was still going to talk to Greaseball the next day.

~

3 woke up with a sharp, stabbing sensation in his right foot. He could barely move it. 3 looked down and saw that his ankle was very swollen. He wasn’t getting out of bed anytime soon.

Immediately, 3 called Little Blu. Blu arrived at 3’s shed at record speed with an ice pack in his hands. Blu carefully placed the ice pack on 3’s ankle and sat down next to the bed. “What are we gonna do now?” Blu asked.

That’s when Greaseball knocked on the shed door and let himself in. Control walked in next to him. She looked deeply worried.

“Carrie told me about your injury,” Control sighed. “Then Duvet told me she had seen you both going into the building where the forbidden Slalom Skating book was hidden. Tell me, did you two find and read it? Did you do any of the tricks in the book?”

Both Little Blu and 3 nodded. “It’s how I was injured.” 3 explained. “We’re both really sorry.” Blu added.

Control held up her hand. “No, I should be the one apologising,” She said. “I should have warned you both to never Slalom Skate. And I should have gotten rid of that book. I just hope that you two are going to be okay.”

“I’ll be fine,” Blu smiled. “I just have a small dent on my armour.”

“And I’ll be fine once my foot is sorted out.” 3 added.

Greaseball nodded and with 3’s permission started to repair his foot. It turned out that 3 had cracked two of the rods in his lower ankle and needed them welded back together again. Then Greaseball turned his attention to Little Blu’s shoulder and gently pulled out the dent.

3 was given strict orders from Greaseball to rest his foot for a week, and Little Blu was sent to do his work for the day. Once the work was finished, he helped Control and Belle burn the book.

“Hopefully now, no one will get hurt.” Belle sighed. “We should have done this sooner.”

Little Blu agreed. He was just glad that 3 was going to be alright.

Chapter Text

Living in a desert meant putting up with hot temperatures and only a teeny tiny amount of rain. Usually the Rolling Stock could cope with this, but one day a heatwave arrived.

This heatwave almost dried up the river and rotted the food in the pantries. It stopped the breeze and gave everyone headaches. And the one with the biggest headache out of all of them was Little Blu.

Poor Little Blu had never dealt with a heatwave before. Back where he used to live, it was very cold. Now here he was, trying to cope with the extreme heat. He could barely work and was constantly looking for shade to lie down in. Control eventually took pity on him and removed him from work, but Blu’s headache remained.

~

It had been three days, and the heatwave was getting worse. Blu could hardly leave his shed and spent most of his time sprawled out on his bed with a fan pointing directly at him. Today C.B was with him, lying on Blu’s carpet and panting heavily.

A few days before the heatwave, C.B decided to change his livery and appearance just because he wanted to. He had changed his colours from pure bright red to navy and a slightly darker red, with silver on some parts of his body, including his face. He was wearing bling, and had chosen to cover his hair with a bandana rather than dye it. He had also found an old Pork Pie Hat and was now wearing it.

C.B looked rather sinister, but Little Blu warmed up to his new look very quickly. The other Rolling Stock were taking their time. They had stopped trusting C.B since he revealed his true dark personality during the infamous race, even though his brakes had GENUINELY failed and the crash was accidental, and now only Control, Poppa, Dinah, Dustin and Blu were willing to talk to him.

Currently, he and Little Blu were still good friends. This was why Blu had asked him if he wanted to come over and play. Then the temperature rose and that’s how the two ended up turning on the fan and grabbing as many water bottles as possible.

Little Blu’s headache was worsening by the minute and C.B was struggling to not fall asleep in the heat. C.B’s panting was getting heavier, and it was starting to get on Blu’s nerves.

Blu knew that he shouldn’t blame C.B for the panting, but he suddenly felt really angry and, after a few more minutes of the temperature not dropping, Blu finally snapped at his friend.

“That’s it, you can leave now.” Little Blu said, lifting his head up and glaring at C.B.

C.B could barely lift his own head as he tried to reply. “W- W- What?” The caboose eventually rasped out.

“You heard me,” Blu replied, his voice starting to sound rude. “Get out. You’re panting too much. It’s annoying. So is your weird new livery.”

C.B’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t like being spoken to like that.

“Fine. Goodbye.” And with that, the caboose used the last of his strength to push himself up and made his way to the shed door, giving Blu an upset look as he left.

Little Blu only got a few seconds of peace and quiet before he got angry at himself. He had just remembered something Rocky 3 had once told him: “Words can hurt more than punches.” And now he was starting to cry. He had hurt one of his closest friends with only a few words, and now C.B would probably never talk to him again. He didn’t even know why he got angry at the caboose’s livery.

Little Blu knew he needed to make things right. The only question was: How?

~

C.B had retreated to the forest and was now under a tree branch, relaxing with his eyes closed. Little Blu found him in only a short amount of time. He skated over to the caboose with a container in his hands and cleared his throat to get C.B’s attention.

C.B opened one eye and quickly shut it when he saw who it was. He was in no mood to talk to Blu.

However, Blu wanted to talk to him.

“Hey buddy,” Blu smiled as best as he could. “I may have said some things that weren’t very nice. And I know that I shouldn’t have. Words hurt. Believe me, I know. I shouldn’t have told you off for overheating, and I should have been kinder about your livery. I mean, it really suits you. I know I can’t take back what I said, but I can at least apologise for my behaviour and give you some cookies. I’m deeply sorry for what I did, and you don’t have to forgive me if you aren’t ready. I’ll leave the cookies here for you.”

Little Blu put the container down and started to skate off, but was stopped when he felt C.B grab his hand.

“Blu, wait,” C.B was looking at his friend with wide eyes. “I forgive you. And I’m sorry too. It’s just that the weather is really getting to me. I think the weather’s getting to us all. Thank you for the apology, but I don’t want any cookies right now. I’ve lost my appetite from the heat.”

Blu’s shoulders sagged a little bit when C.B said he wasn’t hungry. He’d spent a lot of time cooking the cookies on a pan outside (yes, it was THAT hot), but he didn’t argue and instead gave C.B a big smile and hug.

The two left the forest holding hands and chatting. Little Blu was glad he could save his friendship with C.B.

Then, without warning, Blu became very dizzy and nauseated. He stopped in his tracks and put a hand to his head. His face felt very sticky.

The last thing Blu saw was C.B coming up to him and asking if he was alright. Then he collapsed into C.B’s arms and everything went black.

~

Little Blu awoke in his bed. Greaseball was right next to him, and C.B, Poppa and Rusty were standing by the door. Poppa was comforting C.B while Rusty and Greaseball spoke in hushed voices.

Blu tried to move, but he had awful nausea and a pounding headache. Fortunately, Greaseball saw him waking up and started running a hand through Blu’s hair.

“Hey there,” Greaseball whispered. “You’ve got heatstroke. You probably got it from cooking outside. Don’t worry, C.B raised the alarm and I was able to help you. He’s very heroic, you know.”

Little Blu lifted his head slightly and C.B came skating over. He sat down on the end of the bed, looking directly at Blu.

“You need to rest for a while,” Rusty said, coming over and giving one of Blu’s hands a gentle squeeze. “I’ve told Control, she’s more than happy to give you time off. Greaseball will be giving you checkups every day until you’ve recovered, and C.B will look after you until you’re feeling better.” And with that, the three Engines left, leaving Blu alone with C.B.

Blu stared at C.B wide- eyed. Did- Did Rusty TRUST C.B now?

C.B said nothing and instead grabbed a water bottle from the side table and held it up to Blu’s lips. Blu took a few sips before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

It’s nice to know that C.B is trusted by Rusty now, Little Blu thought.

Chapter Text

Control had a beautiful massive garden. It was full of trees and flowers and had a large pond in the centre of it. There was ivy growing on the fence and soft grass that she could lay down on. There was also an old treehouse hidden in her favourite oak tree that she used to play in as a little girl. She wasn’t little anymore though, so the treehouse had sadly rotted.

Little Blu had been in the garden a few times, usually to have Cream Tea with Control’s grandmother. He loved sitting under the old oak tree and watching birds flying overhead while the smell of blossoms wafted through the air. To him, the garden was perfect.

That was why, during a day he wasn’t working, Little Blu decided to grow his own garden. He needed something to do, and he’d heard about gardening being a good hobby.

Blu had some outdoor space behind his shed where he usually kept boxes of junk. He cleared the space out within a few hours and began prepping the ground for planting. When that was done, Blu made his way to the forest and started searching for plants he could grow.

Every time Blu found an interesting (but not endangered) plant, he would carefully pull it out of the ground, put it in a plant pot and bring it back to his shed. He put water and mulch in the pot and placed it in a sunny area. Blu did this several times until his shed was nearly full.

Then Little Blu grabbed a hose and soaked the soil in the outdoor space, before digging holes in the soil and putting the plants outside. By the time he had finished, it was evening.

Blu was no gardener, so everything he was doing was probably wrong, but he didn’t care. Blu just put mulch on the soil and wished for the best. Then he went to get dinner.

~

Buffy had cooked hamburgers and chips with cake for dessert for everyone, including Control. Blu could smell her cooking and his mouth watered.

But before he could enter the restaurant, Rusty stopped him. “Whoa, you’re filthy!” The King of the Track cried. “What have you been doing?”

Little Blu didn’t want to answer. He didn’t want anyone to know about his secret garden. It was HIS secret garden, after all.

So he lied. “I fell over in the mud.” He replied.

Rusty gave him a gentle hug. “Aww, are you hurt?” He asked. Blu shook his head. “Okay, just clean up and then come back. Your burger will still be hot, I can guarantee that.” Rusty brushed the dirt off his armour and pointed Blu to the bathroom.

After giving himself a quick wipe with some water and toilet paper, Little Blu went and sat down next to the other Rockies. Control was with them, talking about the day with Rocky 1.

Blu tucked into his burger and ignored the others. He kept thinking about his garden and how beautiful it would look in a few days time. Blu couldn’t wait until he was able to sit down in the garden and sunbathe on a hot day.

Then Rocky 2 tapped Blu’s shoulder. “Hey, you’ve been awfully quiet,” 2 said. “Are you alright?”

Little Blu nodded. “Just enjoying my meal,” He replied. “This burger’s brilliant!”

Control smiled. “I’ll let Buffy know,” She said. “Would you like to tell us what you’ve been doing today?”

Blu nearly choked on a chip. “Umm…” He was struggling to reply. “Just… chilling, I guess…”

Control frowned. “Were you bored?” She asked. “You know how I don’t like seeing bored Rolling Stock in my trainyard.”

Little Blu quickly shook his head. “Oh, that’s okay then!” Control smiled and went back to talking with Rocky 1.

Blu sighed and finished his food. He got away with growing his secret garden… for now.

~

Little Blu stayed with the other Rolling Stock until Control said it was bedtime. However, instead of heading to bed, Blu went straight to his garden and tended to the plants.

They all seemed healthy, although a few were starting to wilt. Blu decided to give them all a good watering and turned on the hose.

“Hey, what’s that trickling noise?” That was Rocky 3. Blu thought she was sound asleep and wouldn’t hear him, but that wasn’t the case. 3 peeped over the fence that divided the Rockie’s outdoor spaces and saw Blu standing in the space, surrounded by pretty plants.

“Ooh, gardening!” 3 squealed. “So that’s what you’ve been doing all day! That looks so pretty! I’m telling everyone tomorrow!”

Little Blu wanted to say no, but 3 disappeared into her shed before he could stop her. He went to bed worrying about what tomorrow would bring. Would he be in trouble with Control? Would the other Rolling Stock be jealous? Would he still be allowed to keep the garden? Blu eventually fell into an uneasy sleep.

~

Little Blu woke up to the sound of someone knocking roughly on his shed door. He peeked through a hole in his door and saw Greaseball and Dinah standing outside, holding a plant each. Behind them stood the other Rolling Stock and Control and her family. They too were carrying plants in their hands.

Greaseball knocked again. Blu opened the door and glared at him.

“Hey, we heard about your garden,” Greaseball said. “We’re here to help you.”

Blu was confused, then Control spoke up. “Rocky 3 told me about your new hobby. She couldn’t help but notice how similar your garden looks to mine. I can tell I’ve inspired you. Let us help you with your garden. My mother could give you some tips and tricks.”

~

By lunchtime, the garden was looking splendid.

Everyone had gathered inside of it and were celebrating Blu’s new hobby with a picnic. Control raised her glass of lemonade and made a toast for Little Blu and his beautiful garden.

The other Rolling Stock had been given plants of their own to grow. Control’s mother didn’t want them to feel left out, so she gave them all a little gift before heading home.

That evening, Little Blu was sat in the garden, stargazing. Rocky 3 peeped over the fence again to check on him.

“Glad to see you’re happy!” She smiled.

Blu smiled back and continued stargazing while a sweet scent wafted through the air on a gentle breeze.

Chapter Text

Little Blu woke up with a craving for some barbecue food.

He ate his breakfast at Belle’s Bar and Restaurant, but was still hungry. Blu had a disposable barbecue back in his shed that he had bought impulsively, so he decided to put it to good use.

It was a bright, sunny day, with a nice warm breeze, and it was supposed to stay that way for the rest of the week.

Perfect barbecue weather!

Little Blu let his food go down, then he skated off to the nearby pantry. The pantry was full of train- friendly food, and there was plenty to go around, so Blu decided to help himself to some meat, vegetables, cheese, fish and sauce. He had bread, soda and ice cream back in his shed, so he didn’t need to worry about that.

Blu knew how to cook, he just didn’t know how not to make a mess while cooking. He got food EVERYWHERE, on the wall, on the floor, on the ceiling, on himself. But soon he had some burgers, sausages and kebabs ready to grill, with a piece of fish covered in oil and sauce for frying. There was some salad in a bowl, some cheese slices on a plate, and the ice cream was out of the freezer and defrosting.

Little Blu’s lunch and dinner was sorted. And it was a good thing it was.

Blu had glimpsed into the kitchen that morning and saw Buffy had cooked stinky soup for lunch and slimy casserole for dinner, two foods Little Blu HATED. Knowing Control, who was usually at Belle’s for lunch, she would expect him to eat that food because it was “The polite thing to do.”

So Little Blu decided to stay in his garden and cook his own food. The other Rockies wouldn’t drag him to Belle’s against his will, and no one would be around to take the barbecue away, so Blu’s plan would almost certainly work.

There was one slight problem though.

It was raining.

Blu was surprised. Today was supposed to be a good day!

He looked outside his shed door and got soaked. It was a cloudburst. It was probably going to flood soon. No chance of having a barbecue.

Little Blu retreated back inside and had a quick shower to clean himself up. This wasn’t how today was supposed to go. It was supposed to be dry. Now Blu was wet. And he couldn’t cook his food.

Guess I’ll just have to eat that disgusting sludge that’s being served up at the restaurant, Blu thought sadly.

Little Blu got out of the shower and grabbed a towel, drying himself off. He was clean again, but he still felt miserable. He craved barbecue, and he knew Buffy wouldn’t want to cook any by the time he was in the restaurant, so he glared at the food and disposable barbecue sadly.

Then Blu saw a label on the side of the barbecue. It said “Suitable for indoor and outdoor use.”

Blu grinned. Looks like his plan could still work.

~

Rusty and Greaseball entered the restaurant with Pearl and Dinah coupled up behind them. As soon as they were inside, all four peeled off the tarpaulin coats they were wearing and sat down at the nearest table. The Hip Hoppers were right next to them, and so was C.B.

Poor C.B was completely soaked and trying to dry himself off with his bandana. Rusty took pity on him and gave him a random towel he was carrying around in his tender to use. C.B whispered a “Thanks,” before rubbing himself dry with the towel.

Control, still wearing her raincoat, approached Dinah. “Rubbish weather today, huh?” She asked. Dinah nodded. “I’m kinda worried about Little Blu,” The dining car murmured. “I haven’t seen him since this morning. Is he still working?”

Control shook her head. “I doubt it,” She replied. “No one else is working, so he probably isn’t. Chances are, he’s just refusing to leave his shed. Remember, he came from a trainyard different to ours. Back at his old home, it was constantly cold and dry. He’s not used to this weather. Though I am worried he’s going to go hungry.”

All of the Rolling Stock were in the restaurant, tucking into their lunch. Unlike Blu, they all liked Buffy’s soup. It warmed them up from the inside and it tasted amazing.

Then Hoppers 1 and 2 got bored. They had done nothing that day and were feeling restless. Control had warned them to do something that morning, but they didn’t listen to her. Now they wanted to finish their food and go outside. They didn’t care about the rain.

1 and 2 waited until no one was looking, then they skated outside and started performing tricks in the rain. The rain ran down their frames and soaked their hair, but they didn’t mind.

Then 2 noticed some smoke coming out of an open window on Blu’s shed. Fearing something was wrong, he and 1 rushed over to the shed and pulled the door open.

There, sat in the middle of the floor, was Little Blu, munching happily on a burger. The smoke was coming from the barbecue sat right next to his wheels.

Blu stopped eating and looked up to see 2 glaring at him. “You had a barbecue without telling anybody else?” 2 asked.

Blu slowly nodded. He felt very embarrassed.

“Buffy spent forever making soup and casserole for all of us, and here you are, eating something she didn’t cook. I’m telling on you.” 2 was angry. He cared about Buffy and hated seeing her food wasted.

Poor Little Blu was escorted outside to the restaurant by the two Hoppers. He knew he was in a lot of trouble.

~

“Hopper 1 and Hopper 2, you are both in a LOT of trouble!” Control boomed. “You two went outside without any waterproof protection. Now you could both fall sick. And you dragged Little Blu here against his will too. If he doesn’t want soup, then he doesn’t have to have soup. Next time, let him eat his barbecue in peace.”

Both Hoppers hung their heads in shame. They didn’t mean to get themselves or Blu into trouble.

Then Control turned to Blu. “Did you put your barbecue out when you came here?” She asked.

Blu shook his head. “I ought to go do that.” He whimpered.

Control nodded. “And Blu,” She added. “You really don’t have to eat anything you don’t want. I must apologise for the times I made you eat something. I was thinking about making a good impression, not thinking about your comfort. If you want to have barbecue for lunch and dinner, then you can do that. Just tell me next time.”

“And if you’ve got something in your mouth that you hate,” Buffy said. “Then just spit it out. I don’t mind.”

Little Blu smiled. Good to Buffy didn’t mind him not eating her food.

“Although,” Buffy added. “I didn’t know you didn’t like my soups or casseroles. Guess I’ll have to start cooking something special just for you when I make those for the others.” Buffy was smiling the entire time she said that, so Blu knew that Buffy didn’t mind cooking something different for him.

Blu thanked everyone and opened the door to go outside. “Hey, it’s stopped raining!” He yelled.

Everyone cheered. Finally they could get back to work.

And Little Blu could cook his barbecue outside like he planned.

Chapter Text

There were many good things about Little Blu. He was kind, hard working, friendly, funny, willing to help whenever he needed to, rarely complained about his job, easily forgiving, and never backed down from a challenge.

But there were some bad things about him too. He was cheeky, clumsy, over- confident, often forgot his manners, did stupid things whenever he was bored, easily distracted from a task, and always got himself into some kind of trouble.

He was also a good liar.

No one knew where, when or why Blu was taught to lie, though Control theorised that he’d picked the ability up back in his old trainyard. Little Blu never spoke about his time there, and he would get uncomfortable if anybody brought it up, so Control didn’t pressure him into telling her about his past and simply made guesses.

Of course, this meant Little Blu could continue lying. He was almost always telling a new fake story, sometimes to try and get himself out of trouble, sometimes to impress visiting Rolling Stock, and in some cases, he would lie to himself, usually to reassure himself after something bad had happened.

This did not go unnoticed from Greaseball. Being the only medic in the yard, he had sworn to help Little Blu with his mental health no matter what. But whenever he tried to ask Blu about his past or his mental state, Blu would make an excuse and skate away from him. This behaviour was starting to upset Greaseball.

So Greaseball stuck to closely monitoring Little Blu instead. Every morning and every evening, he would pull Blu over and ask him if he was doing okay. Blu always responded with “I’m fine,” even though Greaseball knew he was not. But he didn’t dare pressure Blu into telling him about his problems.

Because Greaseball never told Little Blu to tell him the truth about how he was actually feeling, Greaseball was unable to help him. So Blu continued to lie.

Little Blu’s lies were well- thought out and he rarely got caught telling them. Even Poppa and Belle were unable to tell if he was lying or telling the truth.

Then, one awful day, one of his smaller lies very nearly spiralled out of control.

~

The day had started out normal, with Little Blu doing all his morning work successfully and in time. Then the lunch bell rang.

Dinah had cooked hotdogs for lunch that day, and Little Blu couldn’t wait to have them. He loved hotdogs, and all the hard work he had done was making him hungry, so as soon as he had finished his last job, he skated off to the restaurant as fast as he could.

Unfortunately, Blu failed to notice that one of the rail spikes in the track he was on was sticking out of the rail. Blu saw the spike and swerved to avoid it, causing him to twist an axle.

Little Blu was in so much pain, he didn’t see the flatbed covered in open paint pots right next to him. Blu accidentally backed up into the flatbed, causing it to tip over onto its side.

Paint flew EVERYWHERE. There was paint on the track, paint on the nearby sheds, paint on the grass, there was even paint on the roof of a nearby building!

The only place where there was no paint was on Little Blu.

The pain in Blu’s axle had stopped and he was able to focus again. He saw the mess and panicked. He feared that if someone saw him causing the accident, they would make him clean the entire place up on his own and would make him miss the hotdogs. Fortunately, all of the Rolling Stock were in the restaurant having lunch, so no one saw him.

Little Blu went to the restaurant, skating carefully on his axle, and quietly ate his lunch. He ignored the other Rockies asking about his morning and quickly finished. He needed to clean up as much paint as possible before someone saw the mess.

That’s when Duvet happened to look out of the window. She saw the mess. She told the other Coaches, who then told the Engines, who then told the Freight.

Soon, everyone was looking out of the windows, gasping and glaring at the paint. Then Poppa spoke up.

“Alright, who made that mess?” He asked sternly.

Everyone went silent. Little Blu considered telling everyone the truth and cleaning up the mess. Then Dinah screamed.

“Greaseball, your legs are covered in paint!” She yelled. “What did you do?!”

“Uhh…” Greaseball hadn’t noticed the paint. “I was working in the paint shed all morning, then I tried to get here as quickly as possible when I tripped on a rail spike and felt myself bumping into something. I didn’t turn around and see what it was. Oh, Starlight, what have I done?” He thought HE was the one who had knocked over the flatbed.

Ashley spoke up. “Um, I don’t think-“ But Little Blu stopped her. Even though he knew he was doing something bad, he seized the chance to get himself out of trouble. “I saw him, he crashed into the flatbed,” Blu said. “I didn’t think the mess was that bad, which was why I didn’t say anything earlier, but now I’m realising that it was.”

Greaseball went pale. “Um, excuse me, I’ve got a mess to clean up.” He darted out of the door. “I’ll help!” Dinah followed.

“We’ll all help.” Rusty turned to the other Rolling Stock. Everyone, including Little Blu, agreed and they all rushed out of the door to clean up the paint.

~

It was early evening by the time everyone was finished cleaning. Most of the paint had dried during the time Blu spent in the restaurant, making the job harder. Fortunately, removing the rest of the paint wasn’t impossible.

Then everyone turned to look at Greaseball. “Let that be a lesson to you,” Poppa frowned. “Next time, go slower on the tracks. I don’t want to see you or anyone else get hurt.”

Then everyone left Greaseball alone. Even Dinah refused to speak to him. Everyone was annoyed with Greaseball because the mess had taken a long time to clean up. Now dinner would be late and anyone who hadn’t done their afternoon jobs would have to work into the night.

Greaseball was left standing alone in the middle of the trainyard, surrounded by stains the paint had left behind. He kicked a small stone around for a few seconds, then he buried his face into his hands.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Little Blu quietly skating off back to his shed. In that moment, Greaseball knew that Blu had lied and gotten him into trouble.

But he wasn’t angry or disappointed. In fact, Greaseball felt worried. Very worried. Worried that Little Blu needed his help.

~

Little Blu sat in his shed, feeling guilty. He had just gotten a friend who cared about him in trouble. Greaseball was already in hot water with the Rolling Stock, then Control would see the mess the next day and Greaseball would really face the consequences of something he didn’t do. Blu felt awful, and there was an icky feeling in his tank.

Blu decided to tell everyone the truth by dinner time. He knew he would face huge consequences, but it would be worth it to clear Greaseball’s name.

That’s when he heard a knock on his door. Blu muttered a “Come in.”

It was Greaseball. He was standing at the door, arms crossed.

Little Blu shivered and brought his knees to his chest. He knew that Greaseball had figured out he had lied and he thought he was here to punish him. Even though Greaseball had never hurt him, he was a big, strong Engine, and Blu feared that one day he would.

Then Greaseball knelt down and gently put one of his hands on Blu’s shoulder. Blu flinched and Greaseball sighed.

“Hey,” Greaseball whispered. “Not sure how to say it, so I’m just going to say it: I know you lied and got me into trouble so you didn’t have to. Look, I’m not angry. But I am concerned. This isn’t like you. You’re sweet, outgoing, cheerful. You’re never bad. That’s why I’m concerned. I know something happened to you back in your old yard. And I need you to tell me what it was. As the medic of this yard, knowing what is wrong with you is my job. Please, please tell me what is wrong.”

Little Blu shivered again, then he started sobbing. “I’m sorry,” He whimpered. “I know I shouldn’t lie. But it’s an old habit of mine. I- I had a cruel Controller who would threaten to lock me in my shed with no hot food for two whole days if I ever caused any trouble. So I started lying to avoid that punishment. And then I started lying more and more until I lost control of my lies. A- A- And now you’re in trouble and if I reveal what really happened you won’t be in trouble but I will and- and-“

“Shh, shh,” Greaseball took Blu’s helmet off and started running his fingers through his hair, which he knew Blu found soothing. “It’s okay, you’re okay. C’mere, c’mere.” Greaseball held his arms out, trying to encourage Little Blu to hug him. Blu immediately buried his face into Greaseball’s chest and cried.

After what felt like ages, Greaseball patted Little Blu’s back and helped him to his feet. “C’mon,” He whispered. “Let’s go tell the others what really happened. I know you might get into trouble, but if you explain what happened in your old yard, then maybe the consequences won’t be as severe.”

Little Blu nodded. Time to face his fears.

Chapter Text

Little Blu woke up at 7am to the alarm on his phone. Time to start another day, he thought.

He got up to have an oil change, shower and brush his teeth and hair. Then he polished his armour and put it on. Blu woke himself up a bit more by listening to pop music on his radio, before heading off to Ginny’s restaurant for breakfast at 8:30am.

Dinah had made porridge with fruit and chocolate toppings. Buffy had made bacon and egg sandwiches with barbecue sauce. And Ginny had warmed up some milky coffee and squeezed some orange juice to drink. Little Blu ate and drank as much as possible.

The other Rockies were chatting to themselves, so Blu ate in comfortable silence. Then Duvay approached him. “Can I have your help with this morning’s work, please?” She asked. Blu nodded and finished his breakfast. He checked the time on his phone. It was now 10am. Time to work.

Duvay had been given the job of preparing Carrie and Pearl for the morning run by printing off their timetables and handing them maps of their tracks. They were heading to a different station than usual, so they needed all the help they could get. Duvay had had a bad night though, and she wanted to sleep in, so she asked Little Blu to take over for her. Blu understood why she didn’t want to work and let her get some rest.

Fortunately, the job was quick. All Blu had to do was proofread the timetables and check the maps before handing them to the Coaches. Pearl and Carrie were very grateful for his help. Then Greaseball appeared to take them on their journey. He waved at Blu as the Coaches coupled up to him and left. Blu waved back before taking a look at the time on the station clock. It was nearly 12pm. The job had taken a lot longer than he thought it had.

Control was making announcements through the speakers, asking the Hip Hoppers to do the morning freight run, yelling at Flat- Top for trying to pick a fight with Caboose, asking Poppa if he knew where Rusty was, and then calming Dustin down after he tripped and spilled his aggregates all over the yard. By the time Blu thought she was finished, she suddenly yelled “It’s lunch time!” Everyone, including Blu, headed over to the restaurant.

Dinah had made chicken soup with crusty bread. Buffy had made cheese and ham sandwiches with mayonnaise. And Ginny had strained some tea to drink. Little Blu avoided the soup but gladly took the sandwiches and tea. After lunch was a quick break, which Blu was looking forward to. He didn’t think that paperwork would be that exhausting, but it sure was.

Rocky 3 invited Blu outside to spar with her. They playfully fought for the entire break, then Gear and Tank approached Blu. “Break time’s over, would you mind helping us with our chores?” Tank asked. Blu nodded. Rocky 3 glared at him.

Gear and Tank had been ordered to sweep the leaves off the tracks next to the forest. There were a ton of leaves, and the two Diesels were too lazy to do the work, so they asked Blu to do it for them. This wasn’t the first time the two had used him to get out of doing chores, and it probably wouldn’t be the last either. Blu didn’t know that the two were using him though, so he agreed to do the sweeping with a smile on his face. Before he did, Blu checked the time on his phone. 2:45pm. He had plenty of time before dinner.

Little Blu swept the tracks for a long time. Eventually they were clear. Blu sat down on the ground and sighed, letting the breeze run across his sweaty face. It felt nice to have a quick rest before going to another job.

Little Blu did have set jobs for him, but they were usually very simple, like picking up packages from the gates, moving paint pots across the yard, trimming the bushes surrounding the forest and keeping Control’s family company. He didn’t have any of those jobs that day, so Blu was going about looking for jobs instead. He didn’t want to be bored after all.

Blu went to the middle of the yard and sat on some crates, looking for work. Soon, Poppa appeared. “Did Gear and Tank make you do their work again?” He asked, hands on hips. Blu stared before realising what had happened that afternoon. He sighed and nodded his head. “I needed to do that work though.” He replied.

Poppa put a hand on Blu’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “How ‘bout you come help me and Belle put some tools away,” The old Steamer suggested. “That ought to keep ya from getting bored.” Blu perked up and carefully coupled up to Poppa, following him to the barn where the tools were located.

Belle wanted the tools sorted by type, size, shape and colour, which took a lot longer than Blu thought it would. By the time they were finished, the sun was starting to set and Control had made the announcement that it was 5pm and dinner was ready. Blu coupled up to Belle and Poppa and the three headed off to the restaurant to eat and rest.

Greaseball, Carrie and Pearl had just come back from their journey, so the first thing Little Blu did was greet them, then he checked what was on the menu.

Dinah and Buffy had both cooked chicken burgers and chips with onion rings, salad and tomato ketchup. For dessert, Buffy had baked some strawberry flavoured cakes. And Ginny was bartending, serving alcohol to the older Rolling Stock and soft drinks to the younger ones. Blu enjoyed his dinner and dessert, and Control came to join him and the other Rockies at their table, where she started a very funny conversation that made Blu smile from ear to ear.

When everyone was finished, which was about 7:15pm, Poppa called them all outside for his bedtime story. As he was leaving, Blu got pulled over by Greaseball, who wanted to know how he was doing physically and mentally. Fortunately, Blu was just fine.

The story Poppa told was amazing, and Little Blu felt himself getting sleepy. Rusty kindly pulled Blu into his lap and started rocking him, making him feel even sleepier. Then Poppa finished, and Control told everyone to go to bed. Blu pulled his phone out and took a look. It was nearly 9pm. Rusty and Pearl escorted Blu to his shed and waved goodbye. Blu managed a tired wave back before heading inside.

Once inside, Blu pulled off his armour, drank a glass of warm milk, had a very quick shower, brushed his teeth, had one last oil change and hopped into bed. Control sang a lullaby through the speakers, and soon Little Blu was fast asleep by 10pm.

Today went well. Tomorrow will probably be similar, Blu thought. But of course, he couldn’t know that. Instead, he slept and patiently waited for tomorrow to arrive.

Chapter Text

Little Blu didn’t want to admit it, but he was bored. Dead bored.

He’d been sat at the station waiting for Rusty all morning, and now it was nearly noon. Blu’s tank was rumbling and his wheels were starting to hurt. Rusty had been held up by a tree on the tracks somewhere far away, and Poppa had gone to help him, so no one knew when he would be back. But he had a job for Blu to do as soon as he was back, so Control had Blu stay at the station until the Steamer returned.

12:00pm Came way too fast for Little Blu. He was hungry, tired and desperate for an oil change. He tried to hold on, but he eventually had to run to the nearest bathroom and then went to a vending machine for a ham sandwich, a bar of chocolate and a can of cola. He sat on the platform and ate his makeshift lunch. It looked like he would have to miss Dinah’s cooking for today.

Blu was getting so bored and desperate that he was considering disobeying Control and leaving the station to find something else to do. That was when he heard a sound. It was a miaow.

A cat came from underneath a bench designed for humans. They were a beautiful reddish brown colour, with a white belly and a long tail that was ever so slightly crooked. What was unique about the cat was the cute little waistcoat that they were wearing. Little Blu couldn’t tell what species the cat was, but he loved them.

Blu stuck his arm out and gestured for the cat to come over. The cat ran up to Blu and started sniffing his hand. Then they started licking the juices the ham sandwich had left on Blu’s fingers. Blu giggled and tried to stroke the cat. The cat reached up and rubbed Little Blu’s side, purring very loudly.

Blu gave a happy sigh. At least waiting at the station would be less boring if the cat stayed.

~

Rusty and Poppa eventually returned a few hours later. By then, Little Blu had spent all his pocket money on vending machine food and drinks and his legs were going numb. But Blu didn’t care. He had a new friend now. The cat had stayed with him right until Rusty blasted his whistle. Then they calmly walked back to the bench and crawled underneath it, out of Blu’s reach.

The job itself was quick. All Blu had to do was some loading and unloading with some old trucks. Then he helped Rusty put the trucks away for the night and headed off back to his shed. Blu hadn’t seen anything he would like for dinner on the restaurant’s menu, so he decided to cook something he’d like at home.

Little Blu stopped by the pantry and helped himself to some ingredients for his meal. He was about to grab some cheese from the fridge when he heard a miaow. It was the station cat. They followed him back to the yard.

“Oh, don’t you live at the station?” Blu asked. The cat just stared at the blue boxcar. “Do you want to come with me?” Blu held out his hand, letting the cat climb up into it. Blu took the cat to his shed and gently put them down on his carpet. Then he went into his little kitchen to cook.

The cat washed themselves for a bit before going to look for Little Blu. He was standing next to a bowl of hot, steamed rice and was trying to fry some chicken, potatoes and onions in a wok. Then he poured in some spicy sauce and made himself a basic but nice chicken curry. Little Blu poured the chicken into the bowl of rice and went into the main room. He went back to the kitchen and grabbed a fork and a glass of water. Then he went back and grabbed a small piece of cooked chicken.

Little Blu held the chicken out for the cat, who ate it while purring very loudly. Blu sat down on his favourite soft chair and tried eating his dinner, but the cat was very insistent on trying it too. Blu shook his head. “No. No. Not good for cats.” He muttered with his mouth full (He was in his own home with no one else but a cat watching him, so he could talk like that).

The cat- (Blu really needed to know their name)- was still trying to get some curry. They jumped up onto the small table and started patting Blu’s kneepad. Little Blu gently pushed them away, shaking his head and glaring at them. But the cat was desperate. They jumped up onto Blu’s lap, digging their claws in, and reached up for the bowl.

Little Blu whimpered in pain as he felt the cat’s claws dig into his leggings and stab his protoform. He tried to get them off his lap as gently as possible, but when the cat managed to pull his bowl down and take a lick of the sauce on the rim, Blu was forced to grab the cat and put it onto the floor. “STAY.” Blu pointed his finger at the cat.

Little Blu took his thankfully-now-empty bowl back to the kitchen and grabbed a packet of doughnuts that Poppa got for him not too long ago. There were five of them, still soft and filled with raspberry jam and cream, with white frosting and pink sprinkles decorating them. Blu knew it was naughty to eat them all at once, but the curry wasn’t very filling and he was desperate for something sweet.

Blu was afraid the cat would try and eat the doughnuts if he brought them back to the main room, so he ate them in the kitchen instead. He got through three when the cat suddenly appeared in the doorway, staring directly at the fourth doughnut in Blu’s hands. Blu glanced at the cat and quickly shoved the doughnut into his mouth, nearly choking. That was when Blu heard a knock on the door.

Little Blu carefully sealed the doughnut packet to stop the cat from getting into it and went to see who was visiting. It was Rocky 2. The yellow boxcar looked concerned. “Umm, could you please help me and Hopper 1 with some paint?” 2 asked. Blu nodded. He decided to bring the cat with him to prevent them from doing anything in his shed, gently picking them up and holding them close to his chest.

“Nice cat,” 2 smiled. “Where did they come from?” Blu shook his head. “I don’t know,” He replied. “I met them at the station and they followed me home. They tried to take a bite of my dinner and dessert but I wouldn’t let them.” 2 chuckled.

“You know, Control may know about the cat. She tends to know what kind of animals come to the yard.” 2 spoke. “The cat looks like a regular at the station, not some passenger’s lost pet. Let’s go talk to her after we do our job.”

~

Control was sat at her desk in her office, sorting through some boring but important documents when Little Blu and Rocky 2 arrived. Control looked up at them and smiled. “Hello you two!” She greeted. “Oh! And I can see you’ve brought Skimbleshanks along with you!”

“So THAT’S the cat’s name!” 2 exclaimed. Control nodded, still smiling. “Yeah, he’s the railway’s cat. He doesn’t belong to me, he just moved into the station and stayed there. He occasionally visits Rolling Stock, usually just to steal whatever they’re eating for dinner. Let me guess, he followed one of you two and went after what food you had.”

Little Blu gave an awkward smile. “Yeahhh… He really wanted my curry and doughnuts.” 2 and Control snickered. “Don’t let him fool you. He’s a menace, but he’s so wonderful.” Control reached out to Skimbleshanks and gently stroked his fur. “Not only does he keep the station mouse-free, he’s also really helpful with the morning trains. He may look like an ordinary cat, but he’s actually a Jellicle, and is very smart. He’s a necessity for my railway.”

Blu smiled and gave Skimbleshanks a little rub underneath his chin. “I really like you, and I hope we can work together again someday,” Blu whispered to the cat. “But please don’t try to steal my food again. I really want that final doughnut.”

Skimbleshanks miaowed in response.

Chapter Text

When Little Blu watched Flat-Top’s favourite Anime show for the first time, he was completely enchanted by the animation, characters and plot. His love for the series became stronger with each episode, and he soon found himself begging Rusty to pick up merchandise and Mangas for him whenever the Steamer left the yard. Soon, Blu’s shed was filled to the brim with T-shirts, books, posters, CDs, VHS tapes, video games and cosplay supplies. He even had nothing but Pot Noodles for lunch for a whole week in a row just because one of the characters was obsessed with the dish.

So when the series was suddenly cancelled due to budget constraints, Blu took it upon himself to write his own stories for the show and give it a proper ending, especially since it ended on a really bad cliffhanger. He found a fan-made website where people shared their own fics of the show and made an account there. However, his workload prevented him from writing on there for a long time.

Whenever Blu got the chance to write and update his own story, he would also read other people’s fanfics, since he barely had any time for that either. Many of the fics he read were good, some were even great, but one day Blu stumbled upon what he considered to be the greatest fic he’d ever read.

The fic made him laugh out loud, and it was very well written, so Blu put a Like Mark on it. He hoped that the author, ENGINE123, who seemed like a kind person, would write some more. Then he checked their account and discovered that they had written a TON of fanfics! Little Blu read every single one he was interested in.

Little Blu’s own fanfic was nearing completion, and he was very satisfied with it. There were a lot of Likes and comments, all praising him, and Blu couldn’t help but start thinking about the next story and what he would do to the characters.

He also hoped that ENGINE123 would find his story and read it. He really liked them, and he wanted to be friends with them.

~

“Say, Blu darling,” Belle skated up behind Little Blu and gently placed her hands on his shoulders while he was stood at the station, writing on his account. “Since you’ve been writing online, maybe it’s time you got a social media account. It could help you find and interact with the friends you’ve met on that website. You’re old enough now, you know?”

Blu turned to look at Belle and slowly nodded his head. He wanted to find ENGINE123 and talk to them. With Belle and Poppa’s help, Blu soon had a social media account.

“Now Blu,” Poppa waved his finger at the Boxcar. “Remember what I told you about staying safe online and being careful about who you interact with. If I find you breaking any of my rules, I’ll delete your account. Got that?” Blu quickly nodded in response. Poppa smiled and let Blu go.

~

It was late at night. Very late. But Little Blu didn’t care.

He had spent the last two hours scrolling through his phone, talking to the friends he had made online via their accounts. They were all very friendly, especially one going by the name of STAR_LIGHT06. That friend had even invited Blu to join a private server where he could safely chat with other members of the Anime’s fandom.

Blu soon started writing stories and drawing art for other fans, mostly for fun. He felt so included, like he belonged with those people. He was still very new to the fandom, and yet it felt like he had been a part of them for years.

What surprised him though, was the fact that he couldn’t find ENGINE123 on the private chat. That author had written a lot of fanfics and had taken part in fun role playing servers, so Blu was confused to find that no one was talking about them.

As the night got darker, Blu decided to check STAR_LIGHT06’s social media account out of pure curiosity. They too were a great person, and they were very kind to Blu, so he knew he could trust them.

As Little Blu mindlessly scrolled through their posts, he saw something involving ENGINE123 out of the corner of his sore, tired eye. Blu decided to read what STAR_LIGHT06 had said about the author.

What Blu read made his core stop spinning and his fuel run cold:

[STAR_LIGHT06 Posted On The 1st This Month-

“To all the people new to this fandom, whatever you do, do NOT interact with ENGINE123. They are a cruel cyber bully who stole an OC my friend made.”]

~

Throughout his work hours, Little Blu couldn’t stop thinking about that warning. He’d been kept up all night wondering how he’d interacted with someone so awful. It almost got to the point that he messed up his work, nearly angering Control.

When Buffy called everyone in for dinner, Blu decided to head back to his shed instead. He wasn’t feeling hungry, and he didn’t want to talk to anyone, he just wanted to be alone to process his thoughts.

Blu lay on the floor, drumming his fingers on his stomach and trying to think about what to do next. He had just learned that he couldn’t delete his Like Mark or block ENGINE123, and now he was worrying about the consequences of his actions.

Would STAR_LIGHT06 kick him out of the server? Would Poppa ban him from social media? These thoughts were too much for Blu, and he started crying.

That’s when someone knocked on his door. Little Blu wiped his eyes and opened it. Flat-Top was outside, holding a box of warm food in his arms.

“Uh, hey.” Blu wondered what Flat-Top wanted. “You’re not with your boyfriend?”

Flat-Top shook his head. “I told Dustin to stay in the restaurant. Everyone’s concerned about you, you know. It was your favourite, deep fried chicken and onion rings that were cooked tonight. Here, if you don’t wanna eat with us, then at least take this.” Flat-Top held the box out for Blu.

Blu took a step away from the door. “Thanks Flats, but I’m not hungry. I just- I just ran into a bit of an issue online and I’m trying to process what happened.” Blu awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “Please don’t tell Poppa, I- I don’t wanna get into trouble.”

Flat-Top gave a sad sigh. “Look Blu, you ain’t gonna get into trouble for doing something bad once, you know. It’s only if you keep doing it, then Poppa’s gonna take action. Do you wanna talk about it?”

Little Blu nodded and let Flat-Top inside. He showed the Brick Truck his phone and explained what happened.

After listening to Blu’s story, Flat-Top opened his arms wide and invited Blu in for a hug. Blu curled up against the Truck’s chest and let out a sigh.

A few minutes later, Flat-Top decided to help Little Blu with this issue and gave him some advice, since he himself had been in a similar situation many years ago. Blu let him talk, occasionally taking a now-lukewarm onion ring out of the box and munching on it.

With Flat-Top’s help, Little Blu overcame his problem, and he never interacted with ENGINE123 again. He had learned his lesson. He eventually left the fandom too and moved on to something else.

~

A few nights later, Blu was scrolling through social media again, when he finally saw ENGINE123’s account. It had been suspended for posting inappropriate content.

Good, Blu though.

Chapter Text

Christmas Eve had reached the yard, and everyone was in a festive spirit. There were Christmas songs playing over the radios, Pigs In Blankets on the dinner time menu, lights pinned up on every shed, and Dinah had switched her original blue dress for a more festive red one.

Control had gathered everyone in the biggest shed, ready to discuss the plans for the annual Christmas celebration. The shed itself had already been decorated, with tinsel, lights, fake snow, and a massive tree in the corner, covered in baubles and glitter, with a beautiful white star on the top.

There was mistletoe in the doorway, and that was where Ginny and Carrie were located, snogging each other and blocking the door. It took Flat-Top a while to convince them both to move, just so he and Dustin could have a turn, but then Poppa removed the mistletoe and shooed everyone away from the door, gathering them in the middle of the shed.

Control clapped her hands several times, getting the Rolling Stock’s attention. “Alright, can I have your attention please?” The shed fell silent in response. “Good. Now, I want to do gifts this year. And I’m also interested in doing a Secret Santa, so I was wondering if you would like to do one too.”

Everyone nodded. A Secret Santa sounded like a lot of fun! Especially for Little Blu.

This would be his and Pearl’s first Christmas in Control’s trainyard. Before, Pearl would have lavish parties and massive feasts at her old yard, and Blu would be forced to work without any presents or hot drinks while the humans celebrated back at his old yard.

The only good Christmas Blu could remember was when a kindhearted brakeman gave him a whole packet of caramel sweets as a little present. It stopped being good when Blu ate all the sweets without asking anyone else if they wanted some, and as a punishment he was given extra work and was forbidden from ever talking to that brakeman again. Fortunately, shortly after this happened, Control bought him.

When Little Blu first arrived at the new yard, Control put him in a shed with Pearl, to let them rest, get used to their new setting, and to help them bond. There, Pearl told Blu about her life back in her old yard, a rich area with more Coaches than Trucks, and multiple stations decorated with flowers. She spoke about how all the trains were kindly diesels who worked without fuss and treated each Coach with respect.

Then Pearl trailed off, talking dreamily about Steam Trains and how beautiful they sounded. She had only met a couple back at her old home, and they were both gorgeous Engines who had such distinctive smells and sounds. They had taken Pearl out for a ride, and she had been completely enamoured with them ever since.

Little Blu let her ramble, lost in his own thoughts. He wished that his life was as good as Pearl’s own. He wished that his yard’s station was covered in flowers instead of dust, and he wished that the diesels working there treated him with respect and didn’t throw him around on the rails. He had also never seen a Steam Train, and from the way Pearl had described them, Steamers sounded better than diesels.

That was many, many months ago, and a lot of things had changed at the yard since. The two had arrived just before The Racing Championship. Though Pearl had been granted permission to race because she was experienced on the rails, Blu could not because he was a newbuild. Pearl eventually befriended Rusty, a Steamer, but then ditched him for a shiny new Electrical as a race partner. That had led to Rusty nearly abandoning the races, forcing Poppa and Belle to race instead. Poppa exhausted himself during the race, and Rusty agreed to take his place in the final. Blu had been forced to watch all this from the sidelines.

Blu got tired and fell asleep before the final race, but fortunately Dustin filled him in when he woke up. Turned out, Pearl had ditched the Electric for Greaseball, who had just broken up with Dinah. Rusty asked Caboose to be his racing partner, unaware that CB had made a deal with Greaseball and the Electrical to crash the Steamer. The race was completely sabotaged, and Control ordered a rerun. Rusty was blamed for the accident, and Pearl, who knew he was innocent, was forced to keep her mouth shut out of the fear that she would be deemed complicit in Greaseball’s plan.

Then, Rusty spoke to the Starlight Express, and he decided to re-enter. Dustin, who had seen the Starlight too, asked to be his new partner. During the rerun, the Electric shot Pearl with lightning, who then disconnected from Greaseball and nearly went flying off the track. Rusty saved her, causing him to fall into third place. Greaseball, desperate for a new partner, tried to snatch CB from the Electric, and CB’s brakes suddenly failed, causing all three to collide in a tunnel.

Rusty won by default, but ran off to find Pearl before he could take his Lap of Honour. Dustin, along with Poppa, Greaseball, Caboose, and the rest of the Rolling Stock, all ran off to find him. The Electrical, on the other hand, stormed off with their Minders, vowing to never return.

The group found Rusty kissing Pearl, and he finally got to take his Lap of Honour. Poppa saw how sorry Greaseball had become, and he offered to turn him into a Steam Train. Greaseball ultimately refused the offer, but he was still a changed Engine. He and Dinah attended Couple’s Therapy, where they eventually repaired their now-healthy relationship. CB was given a lifetime ban from racing, though Control was now considering softening it after seeing how much Caboose had changed. And Rusty became the new racing champion and the King of the Track, with Pearl by his side.

Little Blu smiled as he remembered all this while wrapping presents in his shed. He had:

Metal Polish for Rusty and Poppa,

A headband for Greaseball,

Some sweets for Dinah,

Makeup sets for the other Coaches,

A gemstone collection for Dustin,

A gingerbread house for Flat-Top,

A red scarf for Caboose,

Some punchbags for the other Rockies,

A radio for the Hip Hoppers,

And a hot chocolate kit for Control and her family.

The only person he didn’t have a present for was Pearl.

She was the first Rolling Stock he met in the yard, and had been one of the kindest people he’d been around. She deserved the best present possible.

The problem was: What was the best present ever?

Blu decided to go and find one. There were several shops dotted around the yard, each one selling unique items that had been handmade. Blu hoped that he could find something for Pearl in one of them.

Little Blu went outside. Then, way too suddenly, he started feeling very unwell. There was a scratchy sensation in his throat, his nose was blocked, and his head felt like it had been shaken about so much he could barely walk. Not to mention, Blu was feeling very sick in his stomach.

Still, he managed to find one of the shops. It was about to close, but when the owner saw Blu, they let him inside to browse the pretty dresses and hats on display.

It took a while, but Little Blu ultimately picked a beautiful purple dress with a see-through skirt and a matching tiara with glass diamonds. Blu grabbed all of his money and gave it to the owner. “Keep the change, it’s Christmas!” He rasped out, shocked by the hoarseness of his own voice. The owner, though surprised, happily grabbed the large amount of notes in Blu’s clammy hand.

Little Blu exited the shop and tried to make his way back to his shed, but the entire yard looked blurry, and the nausea was getting worse.

Blu managed to find his way into an unused corner of the yard, where all the sheds were rotting, and where no one, not even curious visitors, entered.

Little Blu just wanted to shut his eyes and let the nausea pass, but then it got worse. Way worse. Before he even knew it, Blu’s lunch came flying out of his mouth.

Okay, Blu thought, this is bad.

He lay down on the siding and closed his eyes, the sickness not going away. Little Blu’s limbs felt like weights, pinning him down on the ground. His nose was running like a tap, preventing him from ventilating normally. And his head was now spinning so much it hurt.

Blu just curled up and somehow fell asleep, worrying more about missing the celebrations and giving Pearl her gift than his own health.

Blu started crying. Why did he have to fall ill just before Christmas? Would Pearl ever get his gift? Would she even like it? It had been a last-minute decision anyway.

As Blu slept, snow fell on the desert.

Now he was in trouble…

Chapter Text

It was Christmas Day. The Big Shed was buzzing, with Engines, Coaches and Freight all wrapping presents, baking gingerbread, and making decorations for the tree.

Pearl, who had been awake since four in the morning, trying to decorate the walls with tinsel, was the most excited. It wouldn’t be a luxury Christmas party, like the ones she was used to back at her old home, but at least she would be celebrating with the love of her life.

Speaking of the devil, Rusty suddenly appeared behind her, playfully covering her eyes with his fingers and kissing her on the cheek. He knew that Pearl loved it when he did that, especially when she was at work and missing him. “How’s my beautiful angel?” Rusty asked, gently wrapping his arms around her waist and rocking her slightly.

Pearl giggled. “Just fine, thanks,” She replied, turning around to hug her boyfriend. Rusty gave her another kiss, this time on the lips, and Pearl swore she could taste the crumbs of Mince Pies when he pulled away. “Have you been nicking Dinah’s snacks again?” Pearl asked, hands on her hips and her brow cocked, though her facial expression wasn’t serious.

Rusty rubbed at his chin and sheepishly grinned. “Y- Yeah…” He cringed and rubbed the back of his neck. Pearl giggled, giving his Firebox a gentle poke. “Well, don’t fill yourself up yet. You’ve still got dinner to eat.” She gently scolded, trying to keep the tone of her voice playful. At those words, Rusty’s eyes suddenly lit up and his Firebox glowed. “Ooh, Turkey!” He yelled, jumping up and down.

Pearl just sighed and sat down on a beanbag in a quiet corner of the shed. Her mind drifted off from the festivities and went straight to the idea of food. There would be Turkey, Goose, Beef, Gammon, Yorkshire Puddings, Pigs in Blankets, Sprouts, Broccoli, Candied Parsnips, Red Cabbage, Bao Buns, Pork Pies, Salmon, Cod, Cheeseboards, Charcuterie… And then for dessert, there would be Ice Cream, Cheesecake, Chocolate Pudding, Treacle Tart, Mince Pies, Fruit Cake, Jammy Biscuits…

By the time Pearl was finished daydreaming, her tank was GROWLING. She thought that a nice fizzy drink would fill her up, so she headed to the stand that Ginny was tending to.

When she got there, she saw that Ginny had a worried look on her face. Pearl decided to put her hunger aside and went to talk to her fellow Coach. When Ginny saw her, she managed a small but fake smile, letting Pearl know immediately that something was wrong. Very wrong.

“Hey,” Pearl spoke softly, so as to let Ginny know that she knew something had happened. “Are you alright? You look concerned.”

Ginny looked down and sighed sadly. No point hiding her feelings from Pearl then. “Oh, I’m worried about Little Blu,” Ginny replied. “He hasn’t shown up. Poppa told me that he’s just overslept, but I’ve got a gut feeling that he’s in trouble again.”

Pearl nodded. “Okay, and how do you know that he’s in trouble?”

“I told him yesterday that I would be serving Hot Chocolate,” Ginny answered. “He NEVER says no to Hot Chocolate, especially when there’s a chance there could be Whipped Cream, Marshmallows and Sprinkles.”

Now Pearl was concerned too. “Do you want me to go find him?” She asked. Ginny nodded her head quickly in response. “And don’t forget to tell him about the drinks when you find him!” The Lounge Car added.

Pearl skated over to the door and opened it. It was still snowing. Heavily, too.

But Pearl didn’t care. If Blu was in trouble, then she would get him out of it. She borrowed Buffy’s thick warm scarf, replaced her wheels with Ice Skates, and headed out into the now-white trainyard.

~

Pearl checked all over the yard, including the areas that people didn’t go into. But it was when she checked an unused corner of the yard, that she finally found Little Blu.

Poor, poor Little Blu was curled up underneath a sheet of metal, trying to sleep and shivering badly. He was sweating heavily, his face a pale green, and Pearl swore that she could see traces of vomit on his chin.

The first thing she did was squeeze his shoulder as hard as possible in a desperate bid to wake him up. Fortunately, that worked, and Blu’s teary eyes snapped open.

“P-P-P- Pearl?” Blu’s voice was hoarse and cracking, and he violently coughed as he asked that question. Pearl felt her fragile heart shattering into a million pieces. “Yes, it’s me,” She answered, keeping a warm hand on the Boxcar’s cheek. “What happened to you?”

Blu shivered again and curled up into a tight little ball. “W-W- Went shopping. F- For you.” Blu started coughing again. When he was finished, he started wheezing, and that was enough for Pearl.

Without thinking twice, Pearl grabbed hold of Little Blu and hoisted him up into her arms, gently cradling him. Blu was surprised, but was too weak to say anything. Instead, he snuggled up into Pearl’s warm chassis and let her carry him to her and Rusty’s shed.

~

After getting Little Blu snuggled up on the sofa with multiple blankets thrown over him and an ice pack on his forehead, Pearl contacted everyone in the yard via Comlink about Blu’s condition. Within a minute, all the Rolling Stock and Control were standing outside.

Dinah took Blu’s temperature and confirmed that he had Flu. He would need to rest and stay warm and hydrated for a week. Control immediately removed him from work and ordered everyone else to treat him kindly, then she left to spend Christmas with her family, which she hated but had no choice but to do.

Blu eventually woke up, and was absolutely spoiled by everyone. Usually he didn’t mind the attention, but right then at that moment, he just wanted to be left alone.

Then Hopper 1 quietly asked him if he had any presents at his shed he wanted to give out. Blu weakly nodded and whispered that they were all in the bedroom of his shed, wrapped up.

Then Little Blu remembered that he was still clinging on to Pearl’s present. He’d tucked it away in a storage compartment in his waist for safety, but he figured that now was a good time to give it to Pearl.

When Pearl came back to sit with him, Blu reached into the compartment and pulled out the dress. “For you. Merry Christmas.” He rasped.

Pearl took the dress and started rubbing at her eyes. For a moment, Blu thought she hated it. But then she turned to him with the biggest smile on her face.

“Oh Blu, it’s perfect,” She whispered. “But you didn’t need to do this. Just having you with me is a good enough present.” Then Pearl pulled him into a warm, gentle hug. “You’re one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world. Merry Christmas to you too!”

Blu felt his eyes getting warm and prickly in response to her answer, but he was too tired to rub them. So instead, he let Pearl gently rub her thumb across his cheeks and let Rusty snuggle him from the other side.

Little Blu sighed, rolling closer to Rusty and warming himself up against the Steamer’s Firebox. Then Greaseball, Dinah, Dustin, Caboose, Poppa, and everyone else joined in on the cuddles, and soon Little Blu was surrounded by warmth and love.

“Merry Christmas, everyone.” Blu whispered, before going to sleep.