Sodor's New Worker (Semi-Hiatus Due to an AO3 rewrite)

Legends Do Not Die

   For weeks on end, Henry and Gordon had to physically keep Edward away from James, for he had nothing but hatred for the NWR Number 5. He had inadvertently sent his beloved down a dark, dark path, and she subsequentially planned out her own demise, and succeeded. Edward hated him for it.

   It seemed that the island itself was unhappy with what James had caused. Multiple days with torrential rain plagued the island, flooding ditches and making several lines of track completely unusable due to all the mud that accumulated on them. Plus, all of Sodor's lovely flowered had wilted. None of them would grow or bloom for long before shriveling up and dying.  

"Another rainy day, hm?" Jenny hummed. "What is this, the fifteenth day in a row?"

"Yes, Jenny, fifteen days straight of no sun." Gordon retorted. "Even the island's been angry for ages."

"Or we're being haunted." Thomas put in. "I wouldn't blame her if she were to do such a thing."

"Oh you are just so optimistic, aren't you, TomTom." Emily sighed. "We're not being haunted."

"We could be." Nate hummed, peeking out of a berth. "I haunted you. Peacefully, though. I'm not really one for causing harm.."

"So you're both going to assume we're being haunted?"

"Yup." they replied in unison. 

"I wouldn't put it above her to be a haunter."

"But to this extent?" Henry questioned. "She wouldn't..would she?"

"I also wouldn't put that above her. At her core she's been..so incredibly spiteful.." Nate shuddered. "You've got to remember she spent a lot of time making my life hell."

"That's...unfortunately true." Mavis hummed. "It was kinda funny most of the time, though. Always got a laugh out of me. But this is different. This is..damaging. There's floods everywhere and no one can get in or out of the harbors.."

"And all because James couldn't listen and keep his mouth shut." Edward quietly hissed. "We told you to be quiet, but your deceitful, awful self couldn't let it go. You DROVE HER T-"

"WILL YOU CAN IT, EDWARD?!" James shrieked. "WHAT ELSE CAN I DO!? HOW MANY TIMES CAN I SAY SORRY!? I'M SORRY FOR WHAT I SAID!"

"SORRY ISN'T GOING TO BRING HER BACK, IS IT, HUGHES?!" Edward seethed.

"Eddie-"

"NOT now, HenHen." he replied. "YOU, James, told her constantly you'd be there for her, forever and ever. No matter WHAT. You LIED to her and yourself. 'Together Forever' my tender. You're nothing but a egotistical, uppity LIAR."

"Edward!" Henry demanded. "Enough! You realize you're doing the same thing he did to her, right!?"

"I-" he pondered for a moment, then realized Henry was right. Instead of helping James, he was just further hurting him. "Ah..but I-"

"Yelling at James for what he did isn't going to make us feel any better, and it certainly wouldn't make her happy. What would she think..?"

"...I..don't...know what she'd think.."

"Pardon?"

"Like Nate said, she's spiteful, so, so spiteful...for all we know she could be up there, laughing at us..watching us suffer...for failing to.."

"Failing to what..?"

"We..didn't..help her either.." Edward choked. "We pushed her away instead of getting her help...! It's as much our fault as it is James'..!"