The Train Whistle: Chapter 9

<dd>TenCents felt so out of place. Why was he, of all people, who had known Maddie for the least amount of time, expected to speak to her? What was he even supposed to say?! It wasn't like she could actually HEAR him....
<dd>Or...could she?
<dd>Well it didn't matter now, all he knew was that he had ten minutes to say whatever he wanted to say to her. Only TEN. MINUTES. How could he POSSIBLY tell her all that he wanted to say in only ten minutes?! Was this some kind of cruel joke?
<dd>This whole thing was a cruel joke. It was his fault she was like this. And the worst part?
<dd>He knew it.
<dd>All he could do was stare at her, stare at her cold, lifeless form. She couldn't respond, she couldn't move. She couldn't do anything.
<dd>And it was All. His. Fault.
<dd> He could feel the tears buring in his eyes, threatening to pour down his blank face. But he held them back, for some unknown reason. Maybe it was to act tough. Maybe it was because somewhere in his heart, he knew Maddie was listening, and he didn't want her to think he was a total wuss. Or maybe it was a dignity thing.
<dd>But whatever it was, it didn't work for long.
<dd>"I am so...so sorrey......" He barely whispered, as tears silently slipped down his face. TenCents couldn't say anything else. He was so overwhelmed by the sight of Maddie, on the verge of death, that he could barely breathe.
<dd>His fault. It was all HIS fault...
<dd>He could see the burns that covered her lifeless body. And TenCents knew that those burns belonged to him. They were acquired by a futile effort to save another friend...
<dd>"No...please....don' leave......."
<dd>TenCents kneeled down on the next to her bed and stared at her. He tried to wipe the tears away from his eyes, as he looked back up at her beautiful face. His eyes seemed to sparkle with a sort of longing, almost as if they were pleading her, begging her not to leave this world.
<dd>"Please......I don' want anotha' friend to leave me...."
<dd>And then it hit him again. It always did. Just when he thought maybe things would get better, and there was some hope somewhere out there in the world...
<dd>He thought of Sunshine.
<dd>He feel back even more on his knees and leaned against the wall. Once he felt that sadness...he knew it wouldn't go away for a long time....
<dd>"Sunshine..." He whispered as began to choke up again.
<dd>"...why?"
<dd>Then TenCents began to sob as he brought his knees up to his chest and recoiled in the thoughts of pain, of sadness. He buried his face in his arms, only in an attempt to muffle his cries so that nobody else would hear them. Nothing in the world could've mattered to him at that moment.
<dd>Absolutely nothing.
<dd>His mind was plagued with the thoughts of the horrible evening. They replayed a thousand times over, and he still felt the pain every single time.
<dd>The flames. The oil spilled in the river, turing it pitch black. Smoke everywhere. His first look into the glossy black river at his human form. Sunshine pulling him around to reveal his human form, with that god damned bronze whistle hanging on a string around his neck. The cries of everyone else telling them to stop fooling around and for Sunshine to try to put out the flames. Sunshine's worried and panic-stricken face, not sure if he could recreate the magic that had turned them into humans in the first place. His shaky hands held up, turning towards the river. Eyes closed in prayer, hoping that he could finally do this right for once. And then....
<dd>'Bronze Aura Surround!'
<dd>The aura that swirled around his hands, mixed with the bronze dust that shot out over the river and somehow lifted a huge wave up. His eyes opening in wonder and happiness as he realizes that he had done it. He fanned his hands out and the water sprayed over the flames, putting them out. The excitment in his eyes when he knew that he had saved the docks from burning to the ground.
<dd>'TenCen's! I did i'! I really did i'!! Ha, ha, YES!'
<dd> His young friend's excitment as he hugged him, for the very last time, actually. Then the realization in Sunshine's eyes when he realized there was somewhere else he needed to be at the moment.
<dd>'TenCen's, I 'ave ta go back. The Zed-Stacks'll burn ta death if I don' 'elp 'em now!'
<dd>'But Sunshine-'
<dd>'Don' worry, TenCen's. I'll be fine.'
<dd>And the last thing he ever saw of his friend. That certain reassuring smile Sunshine always gave him when things looked bleak. Then he turned and ran off towards his destiny.
<dd>Well. Almost the last thing.
<dd>The very last thing he saw of his friend would be later that night. It was his small body, burned badly in the heat of the flames. There was no way to help him. All TenCents could do was stand there while Hercules held him back as he watched his friend burn to death in the flames. It was a gruesome and horrible sight, one that plauged his mind and would scar him for life.</i>

---

<dd>"Huh...TenCents?....Is that?..."
<dd>TenCents looked up abruptly at the voice that seemed to come from nowhere. There was nobody in the room besides him and Maddie. And Maddie wasn't awake...
<dd>Or...was she?
<dd>He stood up next Maddie's bed and stared down at her. He gasped when realized that her eyes were open, staring right back up at him.
<dd>"Maddie...you're...you're..."
<dd>"Awake?...Yeah, sort of."
<dd>TenCents let out a nervous laugh as he tried to gather himself.
<dd>"Ha! How can ya be sorta awake?"
<dd>She seemed very serious. Too serious. Maddie just stared up at the ceiling with a blank look on her face. She seemed to be in deep thought. TenCents waited anxiously for an answer.
<dd>"TenSentsu..."
<dd>"Yes?"
<dd>"I'm going to die."

---

<dd>"Everyone."
<dd>Everybody in the waiting room looked up at the young boy standing near the double-doors. He seemed very stressed, and had a worried and panic-stricken look on his face. Also, from Lady's persepective, he looked as if he had been crying. But, then again, who hadn't been crying these past couple hours?
<dd>"She's awake."
<dd>The room suddenly seemed to buzz with anticipation as everyone perked up to the sound of the wonderful news. There were sighs of relief and happy smiles as TenCents just stood there in silence.
<dd>"Oh my word..."
<dd>"Thank god she's awake!"
<dd>"Hey, where's Thomas and Percy? Wouldn't they want to be here for this?"
<dd>Everyone looked around as Lady looked back towards the hallway that lead farther into the hospital.
<dd>"Percy ran off crying, remember? Thomas slapped him." Mavis replied, "I think Thomas went off to find Percy and apologize."
<dd>"Well he should!" Gordon retorted, "There is absolutely NO excuse for him to behave in that manner to his best friend!"
<dd>Emily just sighed wearily and shook her head. She could understand Thomas' pain at that moment, but nobody seemed to want to sympathize with him. Explaining the whole reason why he slapped Percy would just take too long, and they wouldn't get the point anyway. He was in love. People do crazy, stupid things when they're in love. Emily knew that all too well. And she hoped that somehow, they would all understand that someday. But for now, she would just have to take Maddie's awakening as a bright turning point in this dreary day.
<dd>"Well?" Lady finally said. Everyone stared at her.
<dd>"Well, what?" James asked.
<dd>"Well?! Are we going to go see her, or are we going to just stand around here like lumps all day!"
<dd>They nodded, and as Lady walked over towards TenCents he held his hand out. Lady stopped and just stared at him.
<dd>"Yes? Is there a problem?"
<dd>"Wait....you 'ave ta hear what I 'ave ta say before you go in."
<dd>Lady folded her arms and nodded. "Okay. Go ahead."
<dd>TenCents sighed sighed ran his fingers through his hair, all the while repeating the same thought in his head over and over.
<dd>'Don' cry, don' cry, don' you DARE cry in front of this lot...'
<dd>"She...she....."
<dd>Everyone stared at him intesely. Clearly this was something very serious.
<dd>"Maddie...she......" But somehow, he couldn't say it. He just couldn't. TenCents couldn't repeat those dreaded words Maddie, and later the doctor, had told him. Not to them. He just couldn't say it.
<dd>"Come on, out with it boy!" Toby said sternly.
<dd>"She...she'sgoin'tadie...." He said very softly.
<dd>"What?" Lady asked as she took a step closer.
<dd>"She's only got an hour ta live, okay?!" He finally yelled. Then suddenly, he recoiled in the pain he had been feeling all day. All he was focused on at the moment was holding back the tears he so desperately wanted to cry. Meanwhile, Lady gasped and took a step back in horror.
<dd>The room was deathly silent.
<dd>"Gordon..." Emily finally whispered as she turned to him slowly, "You might want to go find Thomas and Percy now..."
<dd>All he could stand there and stare blankly ahead. Emily poked him to make sure he was still alive.
<dd>"Gordon?-"
<dd>Then he nodded and quickly ran off. Emily sighed and looked back over at TenCents, wondering if he was going to be okay. Then she could feel her own tears threatening to pour down her face.
<dd>'You promised...you promised you wouldn't leave him...'
<dd>Suddenly, Henry looked over and noticed Emily starting to cry.
<dd>"Emily?..." he asked as he put a hand on her shoulder, "Are you okay?..."
<dd>But all did was stand there and cry.
<dd>'You promised...now he'll be all alone...'
<dd>"Emily?"
<dd>'Damn you, Maddie...'

---

<dd>"Slow down, you two!"
<dd>"NO!"
<dd>"Percy-"
<dd>"Thomas, Maddie's awake and she's only got an hour to live, I want to at least spend some time with her before she leaves this world!! Don't you?" Percy retorted back as he ran farther ahead of Thomas.
<dd>But Thomas knew Percy was telling the truth. Thomas did want to spend time with Maddie, more than anything in this entire world. All he wanted to do was be with her, be beside her. He wanted to tell her he loved her. He wanted to tell her everything he had never gotten to say to her. But maybe it was too late...maybe, she would be better off not knowing at all. Then he thought of something else.
<dd>Maddie had never found her Train Prince.
<dd>That made him cringe. He should've helped her, looked harder for him. But in a way...he almost wished...
<dd>That he was her Train Prince.
<dd>Because the fact was, she seemed to be in love with him. In love with the mystery surrounding his very exsistence. And that was why she was trying so hard to find him. She believed that he was her first true love.
<dd>Thomas felt that pang of jealously he had felt many times before.
<dd>'I wish I was her Train Prince...'
<dd>Then he felt the wave of sadness wash over him like an ocean tide.
<dd>'I wish...I wish she could live...'
<dd>Thomas suddenly stopped abruptly, making Gordon stop in his tracks too.
<dd>"What is it?" Gordon asked.
<dd>But Thomas' knees suddenly gave out, as he fell to the floor. Then he could feel the hot tears dripping from his face onto the cold tile floor. His whole body felt numb and useless. All he could do was sit there and cry.
<dd>Gordon did nothing. He just stood there with a blank look on his face, staring at Thomas crying on the floor. It was a couple minutes before Gordon rolled his eyes and sighed wearily.
<dd>"You're pathetic..." He said quietly
<dd>But Thomas didn't care. He just sat there on the cold floor, drowning in his own sadness, crying tears of pain and hurt.
<dd>Gordon sighed again and kneeled down on the floor next to him.
<dd>"Come on...get up." He said as he took both Thomas' arms and pulled him up off the floor with much difficulty.
<dd>Then he put his hands on Thomas' shoulders and stared him straight in the face. Thomas just kept crying and wimpering ignoring Gordon's harsh glare.
<dd>"Stop crying. You look pathetic."
<dd>"I-I can't help it....she's going to die...DIE..."
<dd>"But you love her, right?"
<dd>Thomas looked up at him.
<dd>"Yeah..."
<dd>"Then you want to see her off with a smile, okay?"
<dd>Suddenly Thomas realized that Gordon was right. He was being harsh, but he was right. Thomas wiped some tears away from his face and nodded.
<dd>"Come on. You haven't got much time left." Gordon said as he patted him on the head and started walking away.
<dd>"Okay." Thomas said as he followed quickly after Gordon.

---

<dd>"Maddie!"
<dd>Thomas and Gordon stepped in the room and looked around. Ignoring the doctor's rules, was everyone. They were all gathered around the room, some looking as if they had just been crying. One of them was Lady.
<dd>"Thomas?..." She asked as she wiped her face with her sleeve.
<dd>Standing in front of her was Percy, who had already gotten there. He was clinging to her dress for dear life, it seemed.
<dd>Thomas looked around the room. Everyone was here as it seemed. Except...
<dd>"Where's TenCents?"
<dd>Lady shook her head sadly.
<dd>"He couldn't take it. So he left."
<dd>Thomas' eyes widened.
<dd>"Left?! Why would he just leave her like that? He's such a-"
<dd>"Thomas!"
<dd>"What? I was going to say 'jerk'!"
<dd>"No, not that! Look!" Mavis said, as she pointed to the moniter that measured Maddie's heart rate. Everyone instantly turned their heads towards the moniter.
<dd>Maddie's heart rate was going dangerously slow.
<dd>Thomas gasped as he stood frozen to the spot. This was it. She was really going to die. But then suddenly, her heart rate started pulsing normally again. There were many sighs of relief, but Thomas still couldn't move. Not, at least, until Gordon grabbed hold of his shoulders and shoved him forward a bit. Thomas jolted forward, then quickly turned around to face Gordon with a kind of expression that said 'what the hell was that?!'.
<dd>"Go tell her what you need to tell her."
<dd>But Thomas just stood there and stared at Gordon.
<dd>"Now."
<dd>Then Thomas nodded as he turned around and slowly walked towards Maddie's bedside. Gordon then motioned for everyone to back up a bit and give them some room.
<dd>When Thomas looked down at Maddie's face, her eyes were closed. But then he saw her eyelids flutter open and stare up at him. As soon as his black eyes met her sky blue ones, he could see tears forming in her eyes.
<dd>"You...." She barely whispered.
<dd>Thomas forced a laugh and picked up her hand.
<dd>"Well. That's one thing you could call me...." He said with a small smile.
<dd>"...no....it can't be..."
<dd>By now, Thomas was becoming a little confused. Didn't she recognize him?
<dd>"But it is."
<dd>Then suddenly a weak smile appeared across her face as she held the side of his face in the hand he held.
<dd>"...it's you....I finally found you..."
<dd>"What?"
<dd>".....after all these years....I finally found you......."
<dd>"Maddie, what are you talking abou-?"
<dd>"...my.....my train prince..."
<dd>Thomas' eyes widened as everyone in the room gasped. Maddie had found her Train Prince after all.
<dd>And it was Thomas.
<dd>But in the corner of the room stood James, leaning against the wall, his hands in his coat pockets. Next to him stood Edward, who looked at James nervously. But James just looked away with a blank stare on his face.
<dd>"Don't you day it, don't you DARE say it..." Edward whispered harshly.
<dd>Then James looked at Edward with the saddest eyes he had ever seen. It looked as if he was almost about to cry.
<dd>"But Edward, you know that she's-"
<dd>"I know, James. I know. Don't worry, she'll figure it out eventually..."
<dd>"No. She'll never know." He said quietly, ending the short conversation.
<dd>Meanwhile Thomas just stood there in utter shock, holding Maddie's hand, which was holding the side of his face.
<dd>"...tell me...I have to know......"
<dd>Thomas nodded and looked at her intently.
<dd>"......tell me your name....my prince..."
<dd>Thomas' face fell. So she still didn't realize that it was him?
<dd>"Maddie...it's me. Thomas." He told her.
<dd>Maddie's eyes widened as she looked over at the number '1' patch on his long blue coat. Then she looked back up into his eyes.
<dd>"...Thomas?...you're my....my Train Prince?..."
<dd>All Thomas could do was nod and smile at her.
<dd>But meanwhile, in that same corner of the room James' eyes widened as he took a step forward. But Edward stuck his arm out to stop him.
<dd>"Don't. Let her have his last moment with him."
<dd>"But-"
<dd>"James, can't you care about someone besides yourself for once in your life?!"
<dd>That shut James up immediately as he leaned back on the wall with tears in his eyes. Edward just stared at him to try to figure out what he was feeling.
<dd>"I did. I cared about her." He finally admitted.
<dd>"Well, then. If you really love her, then you'll shut your mouth and let her be with Thomas."
<dd>James just sighed wearily and nodded as he leaned back against the wall.
<dd>Meanwhile, Maddie smiled up at Thomas with tears in her eyes as he looked back down at her with a sort of rememberance and adoration.
<dd>"I remember you now. You were that girl I saved in that fire six years ago. I lost the whistle...Lady's whistle...and you found it."
<dd>Maddie closed her eyes and gave a small nod. Then Thomas realized what he had to tell her at that very moment.
<dd>"Maddie...I have...something else I want to tell you."
<dd>"...what is that?...."
<dd>"Maddie, I...I...."
<dd>"...yes?..."
<dd>"I...I love you, Maddie." Thomas finally said.
<dd>Maddie's eyes suddenly had a sort of hopeful, longing, shimmer to them.
<dd>"...really?.."
<dd>Thomas nodded as he smiled down at her.
<dd>"Ever since I heard you sing, when I first met you on the tracks. Before I even knew your name I loved you.  Even before that, when I first saved you in that fire, I knew I loved you. I just had to find you again...."
<dd>He paused then as she smiled up at him with tears in her eyes.
<dd>"...my Train Princess."
<dd>Then suddenly, Maddie's hand brought Thomas down as he kissed her for the first time in his entire life.
<dd>The entire room seemed to buzz with a new kind of energy. A kind of energy filled with love, and friendship; kindness and compassion. Percy smiled contently as he looked over to the side of the room. Suddenly, he gasped, realizing who it was.
<dd>Sunshine stood by the door, waving a little to Percy with a sad smile on his face. Percy shook his head no, eyes wide, and motioned for Sunshine to go away. But Sunshine just nodded his head over towards Maddie, and pointed at an imaginary watch on his wrist. 'I'm sorry...' he mouthed to Percy.
<dd>"No..." Percy whispered in horror.
<dd>Lady looked down at Percy in bewilderment.
<dd>"Percy?"
<dd>"No, please...don't take her...not now! Please..." He seemed to beg someone.
Lady tapped Percy on the shoulder as he turned around to face her.
<dd>"Percy, who are you talking to?"
<dd>But Percy didn't say anything. He just looked over at the door nervously, then back up at Lady.
<dd>"Miss Lady?"
<dd>"Yes?"
<dd>"What if...what if I told you that I could see an angel?"
<dd>"An...angel? Percy, what are you talking abou-"
<dd>"His name is Sunshine! I've met him before, we played cards in the hallway. He told me he came to take Maddie home! Don't you get it? Sunshine is an angel, and wants to take Maddie to heaven!"
<dd>"S-shhh, calm down Percy! Now tell me again, who is this, Sunshine person?"
<dd>"Like I said, he's an angel!"
<dd>Lady sighed, a little exasperated, and looked back down at Percy.
<dd>"Oh really? And what does he look like?"
<dd>"Well...he's my age, he has blonde hair in a red cap. And he has a red and white striped shirt, with a vest on top that kinda looks like TenCents' uniform, and he also has two scarves and-"
<dd>"Percy?"
<dd>"Yes, Lady?"
<dd>"I highly doubt that you've seen an angel."
<dd>"B-but Lady!-"
<dd>"I'm sorry Percy, but I just can't believe that you can see an imaginary person in this room, let alone an angel that's supposed to be taking Maddie to heaven-"
<dd>"Maddie!!"
<dd>Lady turned abruptly to see Thomas' panic-stricken face as Maddie looked like she was starting to lose consciousness.
<dd>"My god..." Lady whispered in absolute horror. Percy just looked from Maddie and Thomas, to Lady in confusion.
<dd>"Lady?...What's going on?..."
<dd>But Lady wasn't listening. She just grabbed Percy's arm and pulled him swiftly out of the room.
<dd>"Lady! LADY!! Let go, tell me what's going on right now!"
<dd>"I'm sorry Percy, but you're just gonna have to wait out hear for now." Lady said in a shallow voice. Percy was confused and scared. He had never seen Lady act like this at all in his entire life.
<dd>"Lady?"
<dd>But Lady just turned and walked quickly back into the room, leaving Percy out in the hallway alone. He huffed and sat down on the floor against the wall, his arms crossed.
<dd>"Pff, grownups..." He muttered to himself. But somehow he had a sinking feeling he knew exactly what was going on, and why Lady didn't want him to be there to witness it.
<dd>He curled himself up in a little ball and dropped his head as he thought of all the things he'd gone through the past couple days. If Maddie was really going to die now, why couldn't he just be there to see it? But no...she probably wouldn't even remember him in heaven...
<dd>She probably wouldn't even care...but Percy would. He would always remember her. And he would always love her...but so would Thomas. So for now, he was just going to have to keep his mouth shut and breath. It was the best thing he could do at the moment.

---

<dd>"Maddie!!" Thomas cried as he could feel Maddie's hand slipping from his. Her eyes seem to be closing, while everyone else watched in horror.
<dd>"...I'm...I'm sorry Thomas....I can't stay much longer......"
<dd>"Don't talk like that!" Thomas reassured her as he could feel tears stinging in his eyes.
<dd>"....Thomas......I'm sorry.....but, I have to leave you....."
<dd>"No...please..." He whispered as he could feel the tears fall from his face and drip onto her hand.
<dd>".......Thomas.......I....I....."
<dd>"Yes?..."
<dd>"...I love you too......."
<dd>"No, Maddie please! You can't leave us now....we need you. I need you..."
<dd>"......my...my Train Prince......" She said, drifting off at the end.
<dd>"Maddie?...."

<dd>Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

---

<dd>"Hello? Anybody here?"
<dd>"Hullo!"
<dd>A young boy stood before Maddie with a smile on his face and a hand extended. Maddie just stared at him curiously.
<dd>"Who are you?"
<dd>"Sunshine! You mus' be...Maddie, righ'?"
<dd>"I guess so...can you please tell me where I am?"
<dd>"No' ye'. Come with me." He said taking Maddie's hand and pulling her forward. They started walking through the halls of what seemed to be a hospital of some sort. Maddie allowed herself to be pulled along for a while, until they passed a waiting lounge full of people.
<dd>"Hey...who are they?"
<dd>"Um, no 'un...now come on!"
<dd>Maddie took a second look at the people and realized that they all looked extremely distressed. Some were even crying.
<dd>"Geez, who died here?!" She said, in shock. Sunshine just looked away with an innocent look on his face. But Maddie wasn't buying it.
<dd>"Sunshine?...Who died?..." She asked sternly. But the boy just shrugged and pointed to another little boy sleeping on a couch.
<dd>"Ask 'im."
<dd>So Maddie broke away from Sunshine's grip and walked slowly over to the side of the couch. The little boy was sleeping on the couch, his black hair messed up and his face stained from tears. But there was something else about him...his coat was green, and all torn up, like he had just been in some kind of battle.
<dd>Maddie reached out a hand to shake the boy awake, but he had already stirred and was opening his sleepy eyes.
<dd>"Hhn?...Who?..." He muttered.
<dd>Maddie's eyes widened when she realized who it was.
<dd>"Paashii?!"
<dd>"Huh?...Maddie?...What are you?-"
<dd>"Paashii-kun, what in God's name happened to you?!"
<dd>"Maddie?...Is that really you?..." He muttered, sleepy, and a little disoriented.
<dd>"Of course, it's me Paashii! But what happened to you?!"
<dd>"Huh? Oh...I went crazy and almost killed Lady and Mavis..." He said, almost as if it was no big deal.
<dd>"NANI?! Paashii-kun, why the hell would you-"
<dd>"Cause you died...and you left Thomas all alone...you left us all alone...you left...."
<dd>At this point, Maddie couldn't even process what Percy was saying.
<dd>SHE had died?!
<dd>Then...how could he see her? And why wasn't he freaking out? And...and why was she so upset when he said that she left Thomas alone?.....
<dd>But there was another problem too. Now Percy was crying too, almost sobbing, and all Maddie could do was stand there and watch.
<dd>"...you left me all alone!" He cried as she watched him with sad eyes.
<dd>"Oh, Paashii-kun, I could never leave you alone." She said as she knelt down and smiled at him sweetly, dispite all the shock and questions running through her mind.
<dd>"But...but...."
<dd>"Paashii. I will always be with you, no matter what. And I will never forget you. Ever. You will always stay in my memories, I promise. And can you promise me something too?"
<dd>"W-what?..." He said, wiping some tears away with his sleeve.
<dd>"Promise that I can always stay with you in your heart, alright?"
<dd>Percy just nodded as he continued to cry. Then suddenly he reached out to hug her, saying "Maddie-chan!!"
<dd>But it didn't work. His arms just fazed through her, as if she was just a ghost. This made Percy cry even more as Maddie gazed at him in sadness.
<dd>"Oh, Paashii-kun..."
<dd>Then she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Percy instantly stopped crying and was blushing hard from the shock.
<dd>"...Arigatou..."
<dd>"Bye, bye, Maddie-chan..." He whispered, as her kiss seemed to have had some effect on him, making him just as sleepy as he had been before.
<dd>"Sayonara, Paashii-kun..." She whispered as she stood up and silently slipped away from him.
<dd>"Wait!" He cried out with his remaining strength, id you...did you hear what I told you?"
<dd>"When?"
<dd>"...When, when you were still in a coma..."
<dd>"Oh." Maddie said, as she blushed a little, "Yes, Paashii-kun. I heard you."
<dd>"Good..." Percy whispered as he smiled a little to himself, yawned and curled back up into the couch. Then his eyes closed and he drifted back off to sleep.
<dd>Maddie watched him for a second as she stood there and sighed. Then she felt a tug on her shirt, as she turned around and realized it was Sunshine.
<dd>"We 'ave ta go now."
<dd>"Okay." She said sadly, as she looked back over her shoulders one last time at the friends she was just about to leave forever.
<dd>Then Sunshine took her hand again and lead her down another hallway farther away from the waiting room.
<dd>"So...I feel like I know you somehow. Have we met before?" Maddie asked Sunshie as they walked away.
<dd>"Oh, I'm TenCen's frien'."
<dd>"Really? I knew him...nice guy."
<dd>"Yeah. I know." He said as he smiled sadly to himself.
<dd>"So...I'm presuming you're also dead?"
<dd>"Yep."
<dd>"How?"
<dd>"Fire. You?"
<dd>"Hit by a train."
<dd>"Oh."
<dd>"Sunshine, right?"
<dd>"Yep."
<dd>"How'd you get that name?"
<dd>Sunshine looked up at Maddie with a sly smile on his face.
<dd>"Ya realley wanna know?"
<dd>"Oh yeah!"
<dd>"Alrigh'. I'll tell ya. Bu' then ya 'ave ta tell me 'ow you go' the name 'Maddie'. Cause I know tha' ain't ya real name."
<dd>Then Maddie smiled too as she walked with Sunshine along the long hallway that led to her final destiny.

---

<dd>"Percy....Percy, wake up."
<dd>"Huh?" Percy said as he rubbed his eyes and looked up at Mavis, who was shaking him awake.
<dd>"We need to go now."
<dd>"But...but what about?-"
<dd>"Maddie? Percy, you're just gonna have to let her go. We need to go back to the sheds."
<dd>"But, Mavis-"
<dd>"No buts. I don't wanna have to stab you with an Epi-pen again if you decide to go all crazy psycho on us with grief again. Cause that was just freakin' scary...you nearly blasted Lady's head off, for Christ's sake! I don't care what that women says, you seriously need to learn how to use your powers more..."
<dd>Percy sat up on the couch in shame as Mavis grabbed him by the arm and started to pull him down a hallway.
<dd>"Mavis? Where is Miss Lady and everyone else?"
<dd>"They already left. God, it was a nightmare trying to wake you up. Percy, I sware you could've slept through World War III if you had to! And you muttering things in your sleep, so that didn't help-"
<dd>"I was? What kind of things?"
<dd>"I dunno...um, something about Maddie I think."
<dd>Percy looked away for a second before looking back up at Mavis.
<dd>"Mavis?"
<dd>"Yeah?"
<dd>"What...what if I told you Maddie visited me in a dream?"
<dd>Mavis was silent for a moment as she looked away in deep thought. Then she turned back to Percy and ruffled his hair.
<dd>"Then you're one lucky engine, Percy."
<dd>Percy just smiled and looked away. Then he asked,
<dd>"Mavis?"
<dd>"Yeah?"
<dd>"Do you think that Maddie will remember us?"
<dd>"Well...if she doesn't, I will personally go up to heaven myself and smack her around a couple times until she does!"
<dd>Percy laughed at Mavis' dry humor as Mavis smiled down at him.
<dd>"But seriously, do you think she will?"
<dd>Mavis was quiet, then said,
<dd>"I think she will. No, I know she will. And right now, that's all we can be sure of. Everyone's gonna have a pretty rough time for a while. Especially Thomas. So I want you to be especially nice to him over the next couple months, okay?"
<dd>"Okay!"
<dd>Then Percy hugged Mavis closer as they walked further away from where the life of a good friend had been lost.
<dd>And somewhere in both of their hearts, they knew that Maddie would always be with them in their hearts forever. They just had to believe that, and everything would be okay.

<dd>Surely.