"Higher!" Sir Robert barked. "The flowers need to be higher! And why has no one cleaned the big wheel?"
"Huh. You'd think the Queen was coming the way he's losing his mind." Stephen muttered.
"I know." Glynn smirked. "Oh, by the way, have you placed the steel order?"
Stephen gasped. "I thought you did!"
Thomas puffed up to them. "Relax. I did."
"You? Does the earl know?" Glynn pondered.
"I told him everything. I've got some connections on the mainland."
"Connections? With whom?"
PEEP PEEP! Three whistles filled the castle. And in rolled Merlin, Theo and Lexi! "Hi! Hello there! Well, hoooowww-dy!" chirped Lexi.
"Thomas!" smiled Merlin. "It's been far too long!"
"Hi, guys!" called Thomas. "What, no Frankie and Hurricane?"
"Oh, they had some things to do back at the Steelworks." Theo mumbled. "Always working, those two."
"Wonderful!" declared Sir Robert. "Just put those anywhere, lads."
"Sure thing, sir!" called out Merlin.
"And try not to get in the way, we need the estate to look beautiful!"
"You won't even know I'm here. I'm the best hider ever! Wanna see?"
The engines leaned in closer, eagerly awaiting Merlin's fantastic trick. "Invisibility on!"
Whoosh! Steam filled the air, and when it cleared, Merlin was nowhere to be seen...until Thomas looked to his left. Merlin was just hiding behind Theo's flatbeds.
"How does he do that?" asked Stephen.
"You can do a lot with three funnels." Thomas smiled.
Just then, a bumblebee flew in front of Theo. "Ah! AH! A BEE!"
Then, there was trouble. Theo recoiled backward, busting his rusty coupling, sending the flatbeds back...and with them, Merlin!
"Merlin!" cried Thomas as Merlin started hurting down the hill.
“HELP!” cried Merlin as he flew down the hill and toppled off the rails. “Ow.”
Thomas raced down to the bottom of the hill. “Merlin! Are you okay?”
“I’m alright, Thomas.” Merlin smiled. “Nothing’s too badly damaged. Besides, I can just make myself invisible and get out of the way. Watch. Invisibility on!”
Steam rose from his three funnels, but when it cleared…Merlin was still there.
“Um…” Thomas muttered.
“Hm. Let me try that again. Invisibility on!” Steam rose from Merlin’s funnels again. Still nothing. Merlin’s face dropped. “Oh no.”
“What?”
“Thomas, I think…I think I lost my invisibility!”
Merlin had to be escorted to the Steamworks, where Victor was overlooking the damage.
“I’m afraid one of your funnels is damaged,
Merlin.” sighed Victor. “Thankfully, it’ll be an easy fix.”
“But I need that funnel to turn invisible!” pouted Merlin.
Thomas, Lexi and Theo watched from outside. It was hard to watch Merlin so upset.
“This is all my fault.” whimpered Theo.
“Surely not.” Lexi sighed. “You didn’t mean to bump Merlin like that.”
“But it was my train that caused that accident! Oh, I hate bees!”
“What are we gonna do? We need more steel now.” Lexi bemoaned.
“And worse, Merlin doesn’t have his invisibility.” Thomas added. “That’s his whole thing.”
Theo thought for a moment. “Maybe it’s time.”
“Time for what?”
“To tell him the truth. That he never had it.”
“Theo, what would devastate him. I just said, that’s his whole identity. Being the world’s best hider. It gives him purpose.”
“But it’s not the only identity he has anymore. It’s not fair to keep lying to him his whole life.”
Thomas thought on this. Maybe Theo was right. It’s better to know the truth than to live a lie. But at the same time, he didn’t want to break Merlin’s heart. “Let’s just sleep on it.”
“But he’ll be out of the Steamworks by tomorrow morning.” Theo protested. “And I think he’s gonna go back to the Mainland to pick up more steel.”
“I know. But I need to think about this.”
Thomas ran this conversation by the rest of the Steam Team later that night.
“I think we should just tell him.” thought James. “Rip the bandage off.”
`“But I don’t want to break his heart.” Thomas protested.
“Sometimes, it’s the only option.”
`“James is right.” Gordon added. “He’s far more than just his funnels now.”
“I know, but he loves being invisible. And even if I do tell him, what if he gets so upset that we never talk again?”
`“Thomas, you’re being paranoid.” Emily smiled. “I can always trust you’ll make the right decision, but just try to be careful. It’s going to be a lot for him to take in.”
“But there has to be an easier solution.”
`“I have an idea.” Percy chirped. “It’s a little crazy, but hear me out…”
The next day at Knapford, Merlin was discharged from the Steamworks. But he was still devastated.
“Hey, Merlin.” sighed Thomas. “How are you holding up?”
“I’ve been better.” moaned Merlin. “I don’t know if I’ll ever turn invisible again.”
“I’m sorry, Merlin.” Thomas sympathised with his old friend.
But just then… “HELP!” cried Percy, racing into the station at high speed, hauling a heavy train. Percy was a runaway!
“Cinders and ashes! Percy’s gonna crash!” Thomas gasped.
And to make matters worse, Percy was headed right towards Merlin!
“Merlin, do something!” cried Nia.
“Uh, invisibility on!” Merlin said, frantically. Nothing happened. “Invisibility on!”
It was no use. He couldn’t turn invisible. But Percy was out of control. He had only one solution…chuffing forward.
“I’m done hiding!” cried Merlin as he bumped into Percy really hard, applying his brakes. Merlin had saved Percy. The station cheered and chanted Merlin’s name. “Merlin! Merlin! Merlin!”
Merlin was gobsmacked. “How about that?”
Lexi and Theo pulled in, having missed the action. “What happened?”
“What happened was Merlin just saved Percy!” Thomas declared. “He’s a true hero!”
“Huh. This whole time, I thought the only thing that gave me worth was my invisibility. But maybe I don’t need it anymore.”
Theo thought for a second. “Maybe you never did.”
“Yeah…thanks, Theo.” Merlin smiled. “Now then, we must away! To the Steelworks!”
Merlin, Lexi and Theo left the station. When they were clear, Thomas started laughing with glee. “Percy, you’re brilliant!”
“Really? I am?”
“Yeah! Proving Merlin doesn’t need his invisibility anymore? How did you come up with it?”
“I just thought back to what I learned from the past. I took my time finding my bravery, so it made sense I help Merlin find his.”
Thomas and Percy watched Merlin leave, a new engine.
About the Author: JF the LOLZOR
