The Free Spirit and the Fusspot

**"The Free Spirit and the Fusspot"** is a fanfiction story written by EndlessWire94.

## Story

Fergus the Railway Traction Engine lives and works at the Sodor Cement Works. He means well, but his rigid zeal for rules and regulations often creates friction between him and the other engines. *"Some* of us would prefer that cement to reach the Mainland *undamaged,"* he admonished, as James backed a row of cement vans roughly onto his slow goods. "Do it right!"

"Cool your mixed-up pistons!" James snapped back. "I'm doing you a favor - at the expense of my *precious* paintwork, I might add!"

"'Usefulness before cleanliness'," recited Fergus. "You'd do well to remember that, James - before your vanity gets you in trouble for the umpteenth time!"

James went redder than ever, and hooshed crossly away. Fergus rolled his eyes in disgust. *"Some* engines..."

One morning, Nia was coaling up outside Knapford Station, when the Fat Controller came across the yard towards her. "Nia," he announced, "the Cement Works have an important order to fill for a shipyard being built on the Mainland. Fergus can't sort it out alone, so I've arranged with his Manager to send you to help him for a few days."

"Oh, yes, Sir!" bubbled Nia. "You can count on me!"

"That's a good engine! Please leave as soon as you're ready."

As the Fat Controller walked back to his office, James cast Nia a pitying look. "Good luck dealing with *that* old fusspot," he sniffed.

Nia raised a curious eyebrow. "What do you mean, James?"

"He *never* knows when to leave well enough alone!" James burst out dramatically. "It's always 'Do it right!' this and 'Do it right!' that - he's a pedantic migraine on wheels, I tell you!"

"Takes a migraine to *know* a migraine!" teased Thomas, who had just come in from the branch line. James' protests were drowned in the laughter of the other engines, and he flounced off in indignant defeat.

"Fergus *can* be stubborn about playing it by the book," said BoCo calmly, "but he appreciates a good, honest worker. I wouldn't worry *too* much about it, Nia - you'll win him over sooner or later."

"Well," Nia giggled modestly, "I've rarely failed before!"

Fergus was arranging some trucks beneath the silt hopper when Nia came bustling in. "Hello!" she whistled cheerfully. "Are you Fergus?"

"That would be me," came the brisk reply. "You must be Nia - wondered when I'd be meeting you."

"Now's as good a time as any, eh?" Nia quipped, chuckling.

Fergus stared blankly. "...Er - *ahem!* - quite so," he said at last. "Now then," he continued pointedly, "I hear you're an exceptional learner and worker - well, that's the kind of engine we need at these works. We've a tall order on our buffers, and mucking about like a pair of blockheads *won't* get the cement made, will it?"

Now it was Nia's turn to feel taken aback. "N-no, o-of course not," she faltered uncertainly.

"Indeed!" wheeshed Fergus with feeling. "Now, I'll show you the ropes; once that's out of the way, you can show *me* just how useful you are. Come along, dear..."

Nia followed slowly - honest worker or not, it seemed she *was* in for a difficult time!

Nia soon familiarized herself with the Cement Works' layout - from the silt hopper in the heart of the plant, to the kiln and cement loader on the far side of the yard, and all the various lines and sidings in between. Fergus was impressed by her aptitude, and smiled approvingly at her as the two engines shifted the trucks to and fro. Nia quickly began to feel more at ease.

Then, all at once, the mood turned sour: Nia had just brought some loaded silt wagons to the kiln, and noticed how cluttered the sidings were growing. Remembering how she had once cleared up a similar mess at Brendam Docks, she started to separate the loaded trucks from the empty ones, and marshal them into long lines. Just as she was shunting the last few empties into place, Fergus chuntered alongside, whistling sharply. "And *what* do you think *you're* doing?!" he demanded.

"The sidings were getting too crowded, Fergus," Nia tried to explain, "and I thought I'd tidy them up..."

"Without asking *my* permission, I daresay?" Fergus cut in severely. "That's *not* the way it's done here, Nia - that style means we'd have to waste time and energy taking them back and forth from the hopper."

"I tried it at the Docks once," protested Nia, "and Salty thought it was a good idea!"

"But I'm *not* Salty, and this *isn't* the Docks." Fergus gave an irritated sigh. "Now I suggest you put the trucks back the way you found them..."

*"What?!"* cried Nia. "But that will take ages!"

"Then it'll teach you *not* to be so presumptuous," replied Fergus shortly.

"But if you just gave my idea a chance..."

"No ifs or buts, young lady!" ordered Fergus. "I'll hear no more of your foolish backchat - do it right!" He chuffered back to work, leaving Nia feeling stunned, hurt, and angry.

That afternoon, Henry arrived to take the next portion of cement to the Mainland, which gave Fergus a chance to vent his annoyances. "I don't know *where* I went wrong with her," he grumbled. "She learned the routine beautifully, but it all went downhill when she turned the shunting into a game! Work and play do *not* mix!"

Henry gave a knowing chuckle. "Nia's an intelligent engine - she's always had that sort of creative spark to her," he observed. "Besides, thinking outside the box allows her to work more efficiently..."

"But *not* in the way I'm - I mean, *the* *Cement Works* - are used to!" Fergus persisted. "In *my* experience, thinking outside the box has *nothing* on what's tried and true."

"The Fat Controller wouldn't have sent Nia if he didn't think she'd be of any help," Henry asserted. "You don't have to get so agitated with her, Fergus - just cut her a bit of slack and she'll surprise you."

"Well," conceded Fergus, after a moment's pause, "she *was* only trying to help - a right sight better than *Diesel* ever did," he remembered with a smirk. "Perhaps I *was* a little hard on her. Thank you for the advice, Henry; I'll try and give her a kind word when I can."

"Well," grinned Henry, "if I know Nia, she never holds a grudge for long." With a friendly whistle, he set off with his vans.

As Fergus watched him leave, he heard a voice singing from the far side of the yard. After her arduous task of rearranging the silt trucks, Nia had thought the best way to boost her morale was to sing one of her favorite songs:

*"A bad mood is like a blindfold*

*It covers up your eyes*

*It makes the world around you dark as night*

*Just shake it off*

*And turn your mood around*

*You can do it if you try*

*And see it all in a new light..."*

"Nia!" It was Fergus. "Be sensible! This is a cement works, not a karaoke club!"

"But singing helps me work faster!" Nia protested.

"It would distract *me,"* retorted Fergus bluntly. "We can't afford distractions after your little game of 'Hunt the Trucks' - not with such a big order to ship. I *was* thinking of allowing you *some* liberty to do things your way; but now I can plainly see I should keep a tighter rein."

Nia's face burned with indignation. "Fergus, this is..."

"Not another word!" Fergus snapped. "We have no time for your unorthodox flights of fancy - you'll do it right, and that's final!"

Nia was livid!

Neither engine said a word to each other for the rest of the day. Nia tried her best, despite her stinging feelings, to do things Fergus' way, but quickly found it boring and monotonous. Being denied the chance to sing or find outlets for her creativity took its toll as well: she lost her usual spunk, and her work ethic suffered dreadfully. She desperately wanted to tell Fergus how stifled she felt; but when her eyes met the traction engine's shrewd glare, she decided it pointless to argue with him.

Unfortunately, because of Nia's sluggishness, work on the order began to fall behind: she barely arranged enough vans for Bear to take away on the Midnight Goods. The following morning, Fergus broke the silence, if only to scold her once again. "Manager just received a complaint from the Mainland construction company," he frowned. "Dithering about won't get that shipyard finished, Nia; you'd best pick up the pace today, or the Cement Works' reputation will be tarnished."

Nia sighed heavily, but said nothing in reply. "Oh, don't get huffy about it!" Fergus rebuked. "You've no one to blame but yourself. Now stop sulking and let's get cracking!"

But that was one harsh word too many for Nia. She was tired of being bossed around and micromanaged - it seemed as though Fergus was determined to see her as a troublemaker, no matter what! As he started to move off, she stood her ground, set her jaw, and looked him firmly in the eye. "I *said* let's get cracking!" repeated Fergus, coming to a halt.

Nia took a deep breath. "Fergus," she began steadily, "I *cannot* work like this!"

For once, Fergus was speechless!

"My way of doing things may be different," continued Nia, growing bolder still, "but that *doesn't* mean I'm not 'doing it right'. If you'd just let me work at my own pace, I might actually have been able to do a good job; but you wouldn't even give me a chance! Well, look where *that's* gotten us! You know, James was right: you really *are* a fusspot. And I don't care if I get in trouble with your Manager *or* the Fat Controller, because I *never* want to work here again!"

The silence that followed was amazing! For a moment, Nia thought she *would* be in trouble for talking back; then..."You're right, Nia," said Fergus quietly.

"What?" asked Nia, wondering if she had heard correctly.

Fergus cleared his throat awkwardly. "You're right. You're absolutely right - I *haven't* been fair to you."

Nia, astonished, made no reply, so Fergus continued. "I always try to follow the rulebook down to the last page; but you *could* say that, more often than not, I let my perfectionism run away with me. I suppose that's why I tend to rub other engines the wrong way," he admitted ruefully.

Nia smiled understandingly. "No one gets it perfectly *all* the time, Fergus," she said gently, "but we can always *learn* from our mistakes, and keep trying our best."

Slowly, Fergus began to smile himself. "You're right once again, Nia," he said warmly. "The Fat Controller must be proud to have a sensible young engine like you. How would you like to show me how you *really* do it?"

Nia's eyes lit up with delight. "Do you mean it?!" she cried.

"Of course! Besides," Fergus added jokingly, "all this sentimental babbling won't finish that order now, will it?!"

Nia burst out laughing. "Oh, Fergus - you're the limit!"

The order was completed by late afternoon, well ahead of schedule; and not long afterward, BoCo arrived to collect the final load. He was bemused and amused to find Nia and Fergus singing together as they finished arranging the vans - Fergus from the rear of the train, and Nia from the front:

*"Wake up!*

*(Don't be so grumpy, Fergus!)*

*Cheer up!*

*(There's so many things to try!)*

*Wake up!*

*(The world is all around you!)*

*As big as the beautiful sky*

*Don't let the world pass you by*

*Si lazima dunia kupita wewe na"*

BoCo couldn't help but laugh. "Well, Nia," he remarked, as the two engines came forward to greet him, "I *did* say you'd win Fergus over; but I never thought it'd come to this!"

"Don't look so surprised, BoCo," smirked Nia. "Fergus here appreciates a good, honest worker - you said so yourself!"

"Admittedly," put in Fergus, "the singing took some getting used to - but on the whole, she's done wonders. Just took a bit of compromise and cooperation; that's all."

"Goes to show what can happen if you loosen up a bit," BoCo observed. "And I'm *sure* Bill and Ben would like to know of this..." he added slyly.

"Don't encourage those scallywags, *please,"* Fergus deadpanned; but even he had to grin.

Nia giggled happily. Fergus may have been a fusspot, but she was delighted to call him her new friend.

## Characters

* Thomas
* Henry
* James
* Nia
* BoCo
* Fergus
* Sir Topham Hatt
* Neville *(laughter only)*
* Philip *(laughter only)*
* Annie and Clarabel *(laughter only)*
* Bear *(does not speak)*
* Rebecca *(cameo)*
* Murdoch *(cameo)*
* Stafford *(cameo)*
* Hector *(cameo)*
* Bill and Ben *(mentioned)*
* Diesel *(mentioned)*
* Salty *(mentioned)*
* The Cement Works Manager *(mentioned)*

## Locations

* Knapford
	+ Knapford Station Yard
* Sodor Cement Works
* Thomas' Branch Line *(mentioned)*
* Brendam Docks *(mentioned)*
* The Mainland *(mentioned)*

## Trivia

* References are made to "Bill, Ben and Fergus", "Fergus Breaks the Rules", and "Counting on Nia".
* The story's climax is largely based on that of the *Theodore Tugboat* episode "Emily and the Rocket".
* Several aesthetic changes have been made to the characters - for example:
	+ Henry now sports the BR headcode for fish trains, has lost his wheel arches, and gained additional handrails and rivets, as well as lining on the back of his tender.
	+ Rebecca now has BFB driving wheels, as seen in her concept art.
	+ BoCo is now painted in BR green, with a lime-green stripe along his base on either side.
	+ Bear retains his original number and livery.
	+ All non-human characters now have colored irises.
* Nia and Fergus sing part of "Wake Up" from *Big World! Big Adventures!,* with some alteration.