Stephanie woke groggily before suddenly perking up when she realized her room was ocean blue.
She looked around in confusion, seeing herself floating in midair.
Everything around her was an ocean blue color that sank to a darker blue toward the bottom, and Lucy or Notches was nowhere to be seen.
She opened her mouth to speak, but bubbles came out, and she gasped, covering her mouth in the realization that she was underwater.
Stephanie instantly started swimming toward the ocean's surface as frantically as possible, not wanting to waste any more of her breath.
The swim lasted a few minutes as she struggled to swim but eventually reached the surface and broke out, taking a deep breath as she coughed.
After breaking through the surface, Stephanie looked around at the surface of the water, looking at her new surroundings in confusion.
The sky was crystal blue with a few clouds and no sign of land anywhere, causing Stephanie to be more worried.
She moved her arm up to start swimming when she froze after seeing that the back of her hand was covered with dark blue scales and her fingers were claws.
Stephanie's worry grew when she looked at the rest of her body, seeing fins along the sides of her arms and legs covered in the same scales, webbing between the toes, and a long fish-like tail with the same darker blue webbing.
She reached up to her neck out of worry and perked up when she felt what looked like gills around her neck, even some of the scales covering it until it stopped at the bottom of her chin.
Stephanie's face and hair stayed the same, but she was naked.
Thankfully, she had no gender reveal as she covered herself with her arms, feeling sheepish for being entirely nude as her ears flicked… but the scales did 'cover' her body from being too naked.
"Hey, what's that in the water?" A voice called, surprising Stephanie as she glanced around with confusion.
"I don't know." Another voice responded with confusion.
"It looks like a gigantic fish!" another exclaimed.
Stephanie frantically glanced around after hearing voices and was startled when she saw ocean liners appearing from the left side, which she swore she had not seen before.
"That's no fish," a voice responded as Stephanie stared up at the gigantic ocean liner with a faint, terrified expression. "It's a human!"
The ocean liners were gigantic compared to her small size, but that was not the only thing that Stephanie was staring at out of fear.
They had faces on their bows!
Stephanie gave out a terrified shriek and moved backward, only for something to wrap around her ankle and drag her underwater.
Stephanie's mind became more panicky as she grabbed whatever gripped her ankle, trying to swim upright while making whatever release.
But Stephanie finally got a look at what had grabbed her ankle and dragged her further underwater.
It was a gigantic black-clawed hand covered with jet-black fur and a dark blue paw pad tugging her down as the size of the paw could fully engulf her entire leg!
Suddenly, a pair of gigantic, familiar, azure blue eyes opened as Stephanie stared back at them with a terrified expression.
In an instant, it turns from azure to a gradient of red to black, and instead of having normal pupils, it has eight arrows pointing in different directions from a circle.
Stephanie woke up with a jolt and gave off a startled yelp that startled Notches from his sleep, flinching awake with a gentle but sleepy "Meow!"
Lucy woke up too after hearing Stephanie's yelp and groggily stood up, her bracelet transforming into her key as she stood up to her feet.
"What?" Lucy asked. "Who is it?"
"What's wrong, Stephanie?" Notches asked, blinking groggily.
"Ah," Stephanie blushed a light blue as her ears flicked. "Sorry!" She paused as a shudder went down her spine. "I have a horrible wake-up nightmare."
Notches slowly calmed down after Stephanie shuddered as Lucy put her key away as it transformed into her bracelet, asking, "What was the nightmare?"
Stephanie sat up from the bed as Notches slid off her chest and onto her lap, and she started stroking him and scratching his chin, hearing and feeling Notches purring.
She had never had anyone ask her that question before, and she did not know how to reply.
"Well…" Stephanie began, unsure how to tell Lucy or Notches, but took a slow and deep breath. "I woke up underwater and swam to the surface, only to see I was in the middle of a vast ocean with no islands nearby."
Notches and Lucy listened to Stephanie as she continued, "Then voices started to echo around me as gigantic ocean liners appeared… but they all had faces on the front of their bows. I panicked and went backward, only for something underwater to grab my leg and yank me downward. I looked at what was dragging me back underwater and saw a monster with pitch-black fur and eyes that were blue until they turned red with arrow pupils."
Notches and Lucy looked confused after Stephanie explained to them about her dream, and Notches asked, "Did you have a closer look at what the monster's whole body looked like?"
"No, I didn't." Stephanie shook her head. "All I got was its arm."
Notches and Lucy looked at each other after Stephanie answered his question as she stroked him, saying, "But it was just a nightmare, right?"
"Right." Lucy nodded. "And it shouldn't be something you'll get worried about, either. So let's get ready for breakfast."
Stephanie nodded as the back of her mind wondered what would be for breakfast as she got out of bed after Notches hopped off, still wearing the nightgown given to her.
She was about to stand up but paused when she felt something stuck to her right leg, while Notches allowed Lucy to hop onto his back as he headed to the door.
Stephanie grabbed the bottom of the nightgown and lifted it slightly, seeing what looked like jet-black fur stuck to her leg as it was wet.
The hair on the back of Stephanie's neck stood up after seeing her leg covered with jet-black fur, not believing the nightmare had come true.
…But there was a lingering feeling that it was true.
Not wanting to freak out more, Stephanie released the bottom of the nightgown as it covered her legs and stood up, pushing all the thoughts about the nightmare to the back of her mind.
She went to the bathroom to use it while Notches and Lucy went to the living room, passing by the butlers and a dressed Sir Topham Hatt.
He watched Lucy and Notches pass by, but Lucy perked up after noticing Sir Topham Hatt and gently tugged Notches' fur, causing him to stop.
"Good morning, sir," Lucy greeted with a wave.
"Good morning, Lucy," Sir Topham Hatt greeted back. "How's Stephanie?"
"She's awake," Lucy responded, then noticed two people missing. "Where did Mrs. Dowager and Mrs. Lady go?"
"My mother went on errands with my wife," Sir Topham Hatt sighed. "They'll be back soon."
Meanwhile, Stephanie returned to her room after using the restroom, still wearing her nightgown, wondering where her clothes would be.
Then she noticed the journals from Avril she had collected and walked over to them, picking one of them up as she sat down on the chair, deciding to give them a look.
She read Avril's diary, so why not the journal with the Zodiacs and Dusts?
Stephanie put her glasses on and opened the journal, seeing some already written Dusts but only a little information.
"Huh," Stephanie curiously flipped the page to look at more of the Dusts. "There's not much information. Did his work stop halfway?"
The pages lasted through five or six until it went to the page with the Zodiacs, reading the first page with the Aries, the Rat, and the Falcon Zodiacs.
She flipped to the next page and saw that the back of the page was written with what looked like the Taurus, the Ox, and the Beaver Zodiacs.
The page reads:
Taurus/Beaver/Cat/Ox:
Gemstone: Emerald
Taurus Zodiac: The Taurus Zodiac transforms you into a minotaur, a half-bull, half-human hybrid from Greek mythology. (Whoever holds the pocket watch can tell what species it is.)
Can use the abilities of a minotaur or a bovine.
Geokenisis: earth manipulation.
Has limitless stamina.
Has strength beyond peak human strength.
Has strong raming abilities like the Aries Zodiac.
Beaver Zodiac: The Beaver Zodiac transforms you into either a half-human and half-beaver being or entirely into a beaver. (Whoever holds the pocket watch can tell what species it is.)
Can chew through wood.
Can hold their breath underwater for up to fifteen minutes.
Can use the abilities of a beaver.
Geokenisis: earth manipulation.
Swim underwater.
Cat Zodiac: The Cat Zodiac allows you to transform into a Neko (half-cat and half-human) or entirely into a cat. (Whoever holds the pocket watch can tell what species it is.)
Can heal
Can induce serenity
Can manipulate fertility
Can manipulate life
Can manipulate passion
Can manipulate spring
Can use the abilities of a cat
Can use the abilities of a mother goddess
Can use the abilities of a poetry god
Hydrokenisis (water manipulation)
Pyrokinesis (fire manipulation)
Ox Zodiac: The Ox Zodiac transforms you into a minotaur like the Taurus Zodiac or a complete ox. (Whoever holds the pocket watch can tell what species it is.)
Can use the abilities of a minotaur or a bovine.
Has strength beyond peak human strength.
Stephanie cocked her head to the side curiously after reading the pages of the Taurus, the Beaver, and the Ox Zodiac, wondering how it would feel to transform into a beaver.
But she noted she needed to find an emerald gemstone to power the Taurus, the Beaver, and the Ox Zodiac… though finding one would be complicated and expensive.
Stephanie looked at the other page to study more of the Zodiacs, seeing the next four sets as the page reads:
Gemini/Deer/Snake/Tiger:
Gemstone: Pearl
Gemini Zodiac: The Gemini Zodiac can separate you into two people, representing your 'positive' self and your 'negative' self. When whole, your half is split into two colors down the middle.
Aerokinesis: Air manipulation.
Can copy other powers.
Can have limitless shapeshifting abilities.
Can manipulate yin and yang.
Creates illusions.
Duplicates anything limitlessly.
Manipulate X-rays.
Spatiokinesis: Space manipulation.
Splits yourself into different personalities.
Deer Zodiac: The Deer Zodiac transforms you into a half-deer, half-human being, or a complete deer. (Whoever holds the pocket watch can tell what species it is.)
Aerokinesis: Air manipulation.
Can use the abilities of a deer.
Snake Zodiac: The Snake Zodiac transforms you into a Naga, a half-snake, and a half-human being. (Whoever holds the pocket watch can tell what species it is.)
Can alter shapes
Can enhance magic
Can have a mesmerizing presence
Can have an undying loyalty
Can use the abilities of a magic deity
Can use the abilities of a magician
Can use the abilities of a snake
Can use the ability of a trickster
Tiger Zodiac: The Tiger Zodiac transforms you into a half-tiger, half-human being, or a complete tiger. (Whoever holds the pocket watch can tell what species it is.)
Can use the abilities of a tiger.
Can manipulate yin and yang.
Stephanie gently hummed with interest as she pointed to the Gemini Zodiac, mentioning, "That one sounds interesting."
The door knocked, and Stephanie perked up as she glanced away from the book, responding, "Yes?"
"It's me, Dowager Hatt." A familiar voice responded from behind the door. "I went shopping and got you some new clothes."
Stephanie looked confused after hearing Dowager Hatt's voice and the line 'shopping for clothes.'
…Are they for her?
"Do you mind if I come in?" Dowager Hatt asked.
"Of course," Stephanie responded, closing the journal and placing it on the bedside table. "You can come in."
After she told Dowager Hatt, the door opened, and she stepped inside, seeing Stephanie sitting there politely, carrying many bags.
"Whoa!" Stephanie gently exclaimed. "That's a lot of bags."
"Yes," Dowager Hatt nodded as Lady Hatt stepped in and closed the door. "We both went shopping for some new clothes for you."
It checks off the thought list that the clothes were for her, but are they all in those bags?
"The other clothes you wore, except for your sweater and jeans, were ripped beyond repair," Lady Hatt explained. "They didn't last in the washing process."
"Ah," Stephanie sighed as her pointed ears drooped. "I thought my stitching would make them last a few more years."
The two women perked up after Stephanie responded as she said, noticing their expressions, "Yeah, my… foster parents gave me hand-me-down clothes." She gave an uncomfortable pause, mostly to not say 'so-called.'
She hates talking about them.
But to Dowager Hatt, there was more suspicion about why Stephanie was not talking much about her foster parents, whom she kept mentioning.
Lady Hatt and Dowager Hatt showed what clothes they had bought for Stephanie, with some that looked cute while others looked vintage towards Stephanie.
Their time differs from hers, so she may need time to get used to the era gaps.
Stephanie thanked the two ladies for their kindness and handed Stephanie her sweater and jeans, which looked better after being washed.
She had some privacy to wear her new clothes after they left her room, putting on a new long-sleeve dark blue shirt, and her shoes were in a lighter pastel pink color, which matched her old ones, except they were too tight for her feet.
Stephanie was about to leave the room without her shoes and socks but paused after reminding herself she was in someone else's home.
So, Stephanie put on white socks with her new shoes, which perfectly fit and greatly relieved her.
Once she had her clothes on, Stephanie went to the desk to pick up the journal Avril had written and the tools for getting crystals because she knew she needed to collect more in case she needed to fill the Dust Whistle.
But she reminded herself that she needed to go to a store to buy some new tools and maybe other things to carry all these crystals and do the production.
Stephanie exited the room in her new attire before pausing to let one of the butlers walk by and start heading to the dining room.
The same pictures on the walls reminded her of the last time she looked at them, from baby pictures to others that looked like proud moments.
Stephanie needs to catch up on information about these pictures and Sodor itself.
Stephanie peered around the dining room corner and saw Sir Topham Hatt with two more Sir Topham Hatts?
The one next to him looked identical but had a mustache, which looked familiar from the picture of them both when they were younger.
Perhaps his twin?
The third looked completely different from the two Sir Topham Hatts, thin with short curly brown hair and light brown eyes, wearing the same attire but with a pocket watch chain.
Not wanting to stay hidden, Stephanie stepped into the dining room and politely greeted, "Hello, Sir Topham Hatt."
Everyone glanced over to see Stephanie as Sir Topham Hatt perked up, saying, "Ah, yes, Lowham, Earnest. This is Stephanie, the child I was mentioning."
Stephanie waved her hand shyly while blushing as Lowham asked, "When did you adopt another kid?"
"What?" Stephanie looked confused as Sir Topham Hatt stuttered, "Lowham, she's not mine. She already has parents and is currently staying here to help Sodor."
"And I already told them I would be gone," Stephanie nodded. "They know I usually stay over at a friend's house whenever I am done wandering around."
"Oh!" Lowham perked. "Why didn't you say that in the first place?"
Stephanie giggled a little after Sir Lowham Hatt asked as Sir Topham Hatt rolled his eyes.
He knows his youngest twin brother did not listen to him or even their mother when they were young.
"Come have some breakfast with us," Sir Ernest Hatt smiled.
Stephanie perked up after Sir Earnest Hatt beckoned her and nodded, walking over to the chair and sitting down as they continued their conversation.
It was strange as Stephanie was served a plate of food while staying silent, confused about everything.
The food was excellent and delicious, and she had good table manners.
The conversation ranged from what they should catch up on to her having to defeat Black Zodiacs (which surprised the family) and the Nightmares roaming.
Stephanie planned everything in her mind, from studying Zodiacs to collecting Dusts to refilling the Dust Whistle.
Meanwhile, Notches was eating his food from a different bowl as Sir Topham Hatt's cat asked after eating, "So where did you come from?"
"I came with Stephanie from Shining Time Station," Notches explained as he lifted his head from the food bowl. "I've been traveling with her since."
"How interesting." Sir Topham Hatt's cat remarked and licked her lips. "I didn't get to know your name either."
"My name is Notches," Notches responded as the cat looked confused. "She named me because of my ears."
"Your battle scars?" the cat perked.
"Yes." Notches nodded.
"Hmm," the cat hummed after Notches explained.
"What's your name?" Notches asked.
"Gracie," the cat replied with a smile. "Named after my master's best friend."
"I like that name." Notches smiled back. "It suits you."
Gracie smiled after Notches smiled at her, and they returned to eating, sometimes talking to each other while the adults spoke.
Then, once breakfast was finished, Stephanie followed the Hatt family outside, wincing a little whenever her hair got caught.
She accidentally bumped into Dowager Hatt when she stumbled a little after her hair got caught on her heels.
"Right." Dowager Hatt nodded as she looked at Stephanie's long hair and stopped walking. "We need to get to a barber to cut your hair."
"Please do." Stephanie nodded as she turned to Dowager Hatt. "As much as I love having long hair, I don't like it getting in the way or getting caught by my feet."
"I understand, Stephanie." Dowager Hatt nodded. "But first, we must put your hair up to keep it from getting stuck."
Dowager Hatt reached into her purse and took a handful of pins as she gently turned Stephanie around.
With her fingers, Dowager Hatt carefully combed Stephanie's hair, noticing how well Stephanie washed her hair despite its length but not its thickness.
So she needed to find a different hairstyle that would put all this hair up, but an idea popped into her head.
She put her bobby pins away and rummaged through her purse as Sir Topham Hatt drove in his blue car with Earnest and Lowham Hatt, taking out a chopstick with blue rose gemstones at the top.
Dowager Hatt placed the chopstick in her mouth sideways and brushed Stephanie's hair out with her fingers, getting some hair between her fingers but continuing.
After Stephanie's hair was up, Dowager Hatt used the chopsticks to keep her hair styled and removed her fingers, giving a confident huff.
"There." Dowager Hatt smiled. "That looks much better for you."
Stephanie gingerly reached behind with her hands and felt the bun, seeing it was styled as a low bun with the chopstick keeping it all.
Now that Stephanie's hair was up, Dowager Hatt noticed she had something on the back of her neck but was more focused on her pointed ears.
"Thank you so much, Mrs. Hatt!" Stephanie beamed as her ears flicked a little.
"You're welcome, Stephanie." Dowager Hatt nodded before walking next to her, and she quickly picked Notches up, who followed her outside with Lucy on his back. "Let's take Bertie to the barber."
"Who's 'Bertie?'" Stephanie politely asked as Notches climbed on her and carefully went into her hood, missing her hair.
"He's a bus," Dowager Hatt explained. "He takes people like me, you, and perhaps your pet or friend to places."
"Interesting," Stephanie nodded with curiosity. "Are there more buses like him?"
"Yes," Dowager Hatt nodded as they stopped at a bus stop. "There are Bulgy and Algy, though I have never met Algy."
'Strange name,' Stephanie thought but kept it to herself.
After a few minutes, the bus arrived after hearing its horn, and just like the others, the bus had a face on the front, and the basis was an AEC Regal 'T Class' London Country Area bus painted in red.
The bus noticed Stephanie and looked confused, but Stephanie could tell he knew her because of the news.
…Yet again, could it be her ears?
Half of Stephanie wanted to yank her hair down to cover them the best she could, but since standing next to Dowager Hatt, she silently waved her hand to Bertie with a smile and said, "Hello!"
"Hello," the bus returned confusedly as Dowager Hatt took Stephanie's wrist and waited as people unboarded the bus. "Who are you?"
"I'm Stephanie," Stephanie responded calmly. "Stephanie Allen. Who are you?"
"I'm Bertie the Bus," the bus, Bertie, responded.
After the last person had stepped off, Dowager Hatt gently led Stephanie to the entrance and stepped in, passing by the bus driver and sitting on a seat.
Stephanie sat down next to Dowager Hatt and glanced around curiously, seeing everything looked vintage and different.
It was unlike the buses back home, so this might be a different approach from what she was used to.
Once the last person stepped onto Bertie, the bus driver pulled a lever that closed the door and started to drive away from the bus stop and down the road.
Deciding to take this time, Stephanie reached into her sweater's pocket and took out Avril's journal, flipping it to the saved page and looking at the pages.
The next page reads:
Cancer/Woodpecker/Fox/Rabbit:
Gemstone: Ruby
Cancer Zodiac: The Cancer Zodiac grants you the abilities of any crustacean. Whenever you are transformed into a human, you are covered with the shell of a crustacean that acts like armor from medieval times, like an exoskeleton. (Whoever holds the pocket watch can tell what species it is.)
Can breathe underwater.
Can use the abilities of a crustacean.
Can be powerful during a full moon.
Hydrokinesis: water manipulation.
Woodpecker Zodiac: The Woodpecker Zodiac grants you the ability of a woodpecker and can make you a harpy of said woodpecker. (Whoever holds the pocket watch can tell what species it is.)
Can use the abilities of a woodpecker.
Hydrokinesis: water manipulation.
Fox Zodiac: The Fox Zodiac allows you to use the abilities of a half-fox and half-human being known as a kitsune, either through folklore or entirely as a fox. (Whoever holds the pocket watch can tell what species it is.)
Can create prophecies
Can use the abilities of a fox
Can use the abilities of a transcendent giant
Can use the ability of blessings
Rabbit Zodiac: The Rabbit Zodiac grants you the ability of a lagomorph of any kind and even transforms you into a half-rabbit and half-human being. (Whoever holds the pocket watch can tell what species it is.)
Can use the abilities of a lagomorph.
Is incredibly fast when running.
A bump startled Stephanie from reading as she gave a small yelp, but she was not too startled as she sighed, putting the book back into her sweater's pocket and deciding to read it later.
In the background, people stared at Stephanie with confused expressions, seeing that she has real pointed ears that can move independently whenever she shows expressions.
Dowager Hatt noticed the same thing but stayed quiet while enjoying the bus ride and noticed Thomas coming down the line.
Then Bertie picked up speed, and everyone was a little startled, including Stephanie.
She gave another small yelp, leaning slightly toward Dowager Hatt after accidentally falling off the chair, but gently pulled Stephanie close to her.
Stephanie was half surprised when Dowager Hatt gently pulled her close to her body, but she stayed silent as Bertie drove down the road.
They soon reached a station with a large bridge over a railway, which perked Stephanie's curiosity as Bertie stopped.
After Bertie stopped driving, Dowager Hatt released Stephanie and stood up as Stephanie followed her, politely excusing herself with Dowager Hatt following behind her.
They soon stepped off Bertie as Stephanie glanced back at him, saying, "Thank you so much for the ride, Mr. Bertie."
Bertie blushed after Stephanie thanked him and stuttered as the new passengers stepped on, "You're welcome, ma'am."
With that, Bertie took off driving as Stephanie watched her before following Dowager Hatt as she gently took Stephanie's wrist when they were walking past crowds.
Stephanie flinched a little after feeling Dowager Hatt take her wrist but calmed down as they walked past people.
'It's a little crowded around here,' Stephanie thought as she looked at the people, seeing their different outfits before looking at hers. 'Am I the only black sheep around here?'
They soon arrived at a large wooden place with a plaque on the front that reads 'C&B Barber.'
"Whoa," Stephanie smiled with interest before noticing the railroad tracks had led to the front of the shop with buffers. "Erm, Mrs. Hatt?"
Dowager Hatt looked at Stephanie with confusion as she stopped walking, and Stephanie asked, "Why is the shop facing the railroad tracks?"
"I don't know," Dowager Hatt responded. "Perhaps for the drivers and firemen to have their haircuts? You could ask the barber why once we get inside."
Stephanie nodded after Dowager Hatt answered her question and stepped inside, seeing not many people inside except for some waiting for their turns and a few barbers.
One of the barbers noticed Stephanie with Dowager Hatt and greeted, "Good morning, Mrs. Dowager? What can I do for you today?"
"I came here to give Stephanie," Dowager Hatt explained as she mentioned a shy Stephanie. "A haircut."
"Will do," the barber nodded, noticing Lucy and Notches, but did not mention it. "Take a number and wait for your turn."
Dowager Hatt took a number from the ticket dispenser and sat next to Stephanie, waiting for their turn while Stephanie glanced around curiously.
Everything looked so different from the usual haircut places she usually sees occasionally, where everything was littered with advertisements for shampoo, conditioner, and other products.
But this barber shop was much more different from what Stephanie was expecting, as it just had one large mirror with three barber chairs in front of it, a few posters, and a large table with different bottles.
'How strange,' Stephanie thought as she stopped looking around.
Notches crawled from her sweater's hood to her lap, sitting down on it as Stephanie started to scratch Notches' face with her fingers gently, hearing him purr as Lucy adjusted a little to be comfortable.
Some of the waiting adults perked up after hearing Notches' purring and glanced over, seeing Stephanie scratching Notches' chin and neck while Notches was enjoying the scratching.
The adults waiting for their turns heard Notches' purring and glanced over with confusion, seeing Stephanie with Notches on her lap and scratching his face with her fingers.
"Bless me," one of the adults said as Stephanie glanced at the adult, stopping scratching as Notches rubbed his face against her palms. "Is that purring noise coming from your cat?"
"Yes," Stephanie nodded, scratching Notches' chin as he purred. "Is he a little too loud?"
"Certainly not," another adult said, shaking his head. "I never heard a cat purr that loud."
"Really?" Stephanie perked up as she stopped again, and Notches gently huffed, rubbing his face against her palms as the adults nodded.
"Steph, can you continue scratching me?" Notches asked, looking up at her. "It feels g~o~o~d."
Notches purred a little when he said, "Good."
Stephanie chuckled a little, scratching underneath Notches' chin with her fingers, noticing none of the adults heard him speaking but did not mind as she just scratched his chin.
One by one, the adults had their numbers called and went to have their hair or beards trimmed or cut as Stephanie and Dowager Hatt waited.
Taking this time, Stephanie took out the journal and flipped it to the page after the Zodiacs of Cancer, the Woodpecker, and the Rabbit.
The next page reads:
Leo/Salmon/Bull/Dragon:
Gemstone: Peridot
Leo Zodiac: The Leo Zodiac allows you to transform into a lion of any kind and a half-human, half-lion hybrid. (Whoever holds the pocket watch can tell what species it is.)
Can control animals.
Can transform into a Nemean Lion myth.
Can use sharp claws.
Can use the abilities of a lion.
Has a feral mind.
Has enhanced reflexes.
Has enhanced senses.
Has solar empowerment.
Has its own natural abilities.
Pyrokinesis: fire manipulation.
Salmon Zodiac: The Salmon Zodiac transforms you into a salmon or mermaid. (Whoever holds the pocket watch can tell what species it is.)
Can use the abilities of a salmon.
Pyrokinesis: fire manipulation.
Bull Zodiac: The Bull Zodiac allows you to transform into a minotaur or entirely into a bull and use the abilities of one. (Whoever holds the pocket watch can tell what species it is.)
Can alter the forms
Can be empowered by the moon
Can create potions
Can have incredible beauty
Can infuse death into objects
Can manipulate inspiration
Can perceive the future
Can project knowledge onto others
Can shapeshift
Can use the abilities of a bull
Can use the abilities of a creator deity
Can use the abilities of a witch
Can utilize white arts
Has supernatural wisdom
Dragon Zodiac: The Dragon Zodiac transforms you into a mythological dragon or a half-dragon, half-human hybrid. (Whoever holds the pocket watch can tell what species it is.)
Can use the abilities of a dragon.
Has a stronger combustion ability through the mouth and fire-breathing abilities.
Stephanie hummed softly after reading the page, making mental notes about trying out the Zodiacs whenever she found the gemstones.
She was about to turn the page when Stephanie and Dowager Hatt heard, "Does anyone have number eight?"
"That would be us," Dowager Hatt responded as she stood up, and Stephanie closed the journal and placed it into her sweater's pocket.
She wrapped her arms around Notches with Lucy on his back, picking him up as she followed Dowager Hatt.
"Perfect," the barber nodded. "Let me see how long the hair is."
Dowager Hatt took out the chopstick she placed in Stephanie's hair, and as soon as she took it out, all of Stephanie's hair flopped down, letting some weight off, but it was still heavy when it was down.
"Bless me!" the barber exclaimed as his eyes popped wide like saucers.
Stephanie reached up with her hand to move some hair with an unamused expression, as Notches sneezed when some hair got into his nose, and Lucy moved some hair from her face.
"Mommy, look!" one of the kids pointed. "That kid with blue hair looks like Cousin Itt!"
Stephanie's face blushed with embarrassment after the kid pointed it out, and Dowager Hatt glared silently while the mother gently shushed her child.
"Honey, don't stare," another mother hushed an amazed child.
The barber looked at the long hair with curiosity, noticing the split ends and the blue color of her hair, but it did not feel like hair dye.
"How many years did you grow your hair out?" the barber asked.
"Way too long," Stephanie groaned as she blushed and her pointed ears flicked with irritation. "I barely went to get a haircut because of the expenses."
"How much?" the barber asked.
"Forty dollars," Stephanie responded. "Even still expensive when you just want a trim too."
After she explained, the barber looked at Stephanie's long hair, feeling the thickness and the length as Dowager Hatt looked confused about how expensive haircuts had become.
"This can be done," the barber nodded. "What length do you want your haircut at?"
Stephanie adjusted her long hair to uncover Lucy and Notches, handed them over to Dowager Hatt as she held them in her arms, and said, "Can you cut my hair down to the middle of my back? Like here?"
Stephanie did her best to show but struggled a little to show the barber where she wanted it cut because it covered her back where she was trying to show.
Luckily, the barber noticed, pinched where Stephanie wanted it cut between two of his fingers, and asked, "Here?"
"Yes, there, please." Stephanie nodded.
"Will do," the barber nodded. "Though I'll have to cut your hair standing on a tall item since it is too long for me to use the chairs."
"Okay," Stephanie nodded.
So the barber took Stephanie to the mirror while Dowager Hatt held Notches and Lucy in her arms, watching as the barber brought a barrel over.
The barber struggled a little with the barrel, but Stephanie helped by putting it upright with no effort, impressing Dowager Hatt when she helped the barber.
Once the barrel was put up at the spot the barber wanted, Stephanie was picked up and placed at the right height to look better at the hair, not sitting on a strand.
"Perfect!" the barber nodded before picking up a black barber cape. "Now, let's start. Have a seat, please."
The barber placed the barber cape around Stephanie's neck and first brushed Stephanie's long, thick hair with a hairbrush, pausing whenever he went over a tangle and brushing it out as Stephanie waited.
Once everything was brushed out, the barber started to cut Stephanie's long hair, snipping at the place where she wanted it while Stephanie stayed still.
Dowager Hatt watched as the barber snipped Stephanie's long hair to the exact length, cutting her bangs to the size she wanted, while Dowager Hatt noticed some things.
Whenever the barber lifted her long hair while cutting a section or putting it up to even it out, there was something on the back of her neck underneath, but she could not distinguish what it was as the hair recovered it.
Even her pointed ears looked real whenever Stephanie reached up to them to gently move them down for the barber to brush in some areas.
She can look better at it if Stephanie feels comfortable or is willing to talk to her.
She had noticed how flinchy Stephanie was whenever Dowager Hatt placed her hands on either her shoulder or took her hand to keep her close.
Half of Dowager Hatt's mind thought she was just a little nervous about her new world, but it was too flinchy.
But Dowager Hatt decided to save it for later, as the barber brushed out her long hair after a few minutes of cutting.
"It's finished." The barber smiled, taking a couple steps backward.
Stephanie's long hair did not reach the bottom of her shoes anymore and instead was down to the exact size she wanted, and even her bangs were cut to where she could see.
"What do you think?" the barber asked.
"It's perfect!" Stephanie beamed happily. "Thank you so much for the haircut."
"You're welcome!" the barber smiled. "Wait one minute so I can sweep the hair."
Stephanie nodded and waited, watching as the barber used a broom to sweep the long, snipped blue hair into a small pile before moving it away.
"You may step off the barrel," the barber nodded.
Stephanie carefully hopped off the barrel and landed on her feet before asking, "Do you mind if I move it back to where you had it?"
"Erm, sure?" the barber nodded. "But it's heavy for-"
Stephanie carefully moved it onto its side without struggling and started carefully rolling it to its spot, stopping it before moving it back to its height.
"Bless me, that is one strong girl," one of the barbers muttered as the others stopped and stared.
Dowager Hatt was also surprised at the young girl's strength as she walked over, amazed that she was not feeling her hair getting caught in her heels.
'This is perfect!' Stephanie thought as Dowager Hatt snapped out of her daze. 'Goodbye tripping over hair.'
She handed Notches and Lucy back to Stephanie as she held them, hugging them as Notches gently rubbed his head against her cheek.
"This is great!" Notches smiled. "I don't have to be hidden underneath your hair anymore."
Stephanie giggled after Notches responded as he crawled into her sweater's hood, watching as Dowager Hatt paid the barber ten dollars, confusing Stephanie after seeing it.
After the haircut was paid for, Dowager Hatt and Stephanie left the C&B Barber, finally able to walk without tripping over her hair.
"Oh, Mrs. Hatt," Stephanie perked up. "Erm, I'm going to find Dust Crystals."
"What are 'Dust Crystals?'" Dowager Hatt asked. "They sound like something I have heard before."
"So you have heard of them?" Stephanie perked up with confusion.
"Sort of," Dowager Hatt nodded. "Do you know what they look like?"
"I do," Stephanie nodded before blushing a little. "We must go to Muffler Mountain to search for some I could show you."
Dowager Hatt looked confused after Stephanie explained but nodded, deciding to see what Stephanie was showing her.
She checked the rails by looking left and right before taking her whistle out, asking, "Do you mind if I borrow the rails?"
Dowager Hatt looked confused after Stephanie asked but silently nodded a 'yes' as Stephanie looked back at the rails.
She flipped the knob to silver and blew, watching as the Silver Dust came from the whistle and engulfed her.
Dowager Hatt looked surprised after witnessing silver-colored dust come out of the whistle and engulf Stephanie before it moved to the rails and disappeared.
Instead, it turned out to be a steam locomotive on the tracks, looking slightly dizzy for a minute before coughing a little.
Then, a pair of azure blue eyes opened, and a familiar voice responded, "Whoa, that was… weird?"
The pair of eyes looked confused as they glanced down, the camera switching to what looked like buffers.
"…Huh?" The camera pans out to reveal Stephanie, except she has transformed into a steam locomotive.
Stephanie was still wearing her glasses when she crossed her eyes, except she could not move her newfound body like she used to when she was human, except with gray skin.
Her newfound body resembles an LMS Fowler Class 3F with a dark blue background, blue lining, and silver buffers.
"Whoa!" Stephanie remarked with a smile as Dowager Hatt slowly walked up to her. "This is so cool! I didn't know the whistle could do this to the user too."
Notches dizzily stepped out of her cab with Lucy on his back, muttering, "Stephanie, next time, warn us before using your whistle!"
Stephanie blushed a light blue after Notches told her, and she chuckled a little before looking at Dowager Hatt.
"Oh, sorry, Mrs. Hatt." Stephanie apologized before beaming. "This is what the whistle can do! Erm, hop on. I think I could take you to Muffler Mountain."
Dowager Hatt nodded and gingerly climbed in, and before Stephanie could do anything, a peep suddenly went through the air, causing her to yelp a little.
"What was that?" Stephanie asked.
"That was your whistle," Dowager Hatt responded.
"My whistle?" Stephanie asked with confusion.
She glanced around in confusion as the camera switched to a whistle at the front of the cab, whistling again twice.
"Oh!" Stephanie perked up before starting to giggle as she whistled again. "I didn't know my whistle could become this form's whistle! That's pretty cool!"
She started moving down the line and wobbled a little at first after accidentally hitting the brakes as Dowager Hatt held onto the cab window with Notches and Lucy skidding slightly on the floor as Notches yowled a little.
"Sorry!" Stephanie exclaimed. "Alright, let's try again."
Stephanie whistled as she went forward, puffing down the line while being careful about accidentally hitting the brakes.
Gordon thundered down the Main Line while pulling the express behind him, feeling glad he was getting back into-
Gordon's eyes saw something blue from the left side of the rails, causing him to glance over in confusion.
From the style of the body, it looked like Thomas… but Thomas was taking Annie and Clarabel with him on his branch line.
Eh, it could be him going to Blue Quarry Mountain.
Gordon smirked a little at deciding to play a little trick on Thomas, whistling his whistle as he heard a faint yelp as he passed by Thomas, calling, "Express coming through?"
His confidence faded a little after seeing that Thomas looked a little different than how he saw him, looking a little longer and styled differently from Thomas.
But he did not slow down to look at 'Thomas' as he puffed down the line.
"That was strange," Gordon mumbled with a confused tone. "I swore that was Thomas puffing down the line."
Meanwhile, Stephanie was just puffing down the line with Dowager Hatt in her cab, holding Notches and Lucy in her arms.
Suddenly, a familiar whistle went through the air that startled Stephanie from what she was doing, and she glanced over to the left while a big blue engine passed her, calling, "Express coming through?"
But the last word changed to a slightly confused tone as the big blue engine went down the line, pulling coaches behind as Stephanie looked amazed.
"Holy crap in a pita!" Stephanie exclaimed. "Was that Gordon?"
"Yes," Dowager Hatt nodded, surprised to see Stephanie moving by herself while keeping a hand on her hat. "That was him."
"Was he pulling coaches of his own?" Stephanie excitedly asked.
"Yes," Dowager Hatt chuckled. "My, you are very curious about everything!"
"Well," Stephanie blushed before noticing the light turning red and stopping. "I have never seen anything like this before and-" Stephanie paused when she saw something red passing by and smiled. "Ooh!"
James, the Red Engine, was pulling trucks behind him, glistening in his shiny red paint as he noticed Stephanie, except for her face.
"Hi, Thomas!" James whistled as Stephanie looked confused. "Bye, Thomas!"
Stephanie whistled back in confusion to respond to his whistle and called, "It was nice meeting you?"
With James, James noticed Thomas and whistled, greeting him, "Hi, Thomas!" before puffing down the line with a "Bye, Thomas!"
A different whistle came from 'Thomas,' and a different voice responded, "It was nice meeting you?"
James looked confused after hearing the voice and muttered, "That wasn't Thomas."
With Stephanie, she continued puffing down the line before noticing she was feeling low on something and asking, "Erm, Mrs. Hatt? I'm starting to feel a little low on something."
Dowager Hatt looked at the controls in Stephanie's cab, noticing a gauge showing the water near empty.
"You're running out of water, Stephanie," Dowager Hatt explained. "I think it's best to find a water tower."
"A 'water tower?'" Stephanie asked with confusion. "What does a water tower look like?"
"Like that." Dowager Hatt pointed as Stephanie looked, seeing a large tower with half a barrel at the top and nothing covering the top.
"Oh, I see!" Stephanie perked. "Perfect!"
Stephanie soon stopped near the water tower as Dowager Hatt stepped out without her purse, confusing Stephanie as she watched.
"Erm, Mrs. Hatt?" Stephanie asked. "Are you sure you know what you are doing?"
"Why, of course!" Dowager Hatt nodded. "My son Bertram showed Glynn when I was a much younger woman, being the first engine he created."
"Wait, what?!" Stephanie exclaimed with surprise as Dowager Hatt carefully moved the nozzle over to Stephanie's tanks before looking confused. "Which Hatt, though?"
"The one without the mustache," Dowager Hatt chuckled as she opened Stephanie's tank from the right side. "He learned so much from both his grandfather and my husband."
"Wow," Stephanie remarked with a smile. "It must've run strong in the family."
"That's correct." Dowager Hatt nodded as water poured into Stephanie's tanks, and Stephanie shuddered a little from the cold water. "What about your family, Stephanie?"
"Oh," Stephanie glanced away. "I only have my grandpa."
"Your grandpa?" Dowager Hatt asked. "What about your mother or father?"
"I, ah," Stephanie paused, unsure how to politely put it for Dowager Hatt. "I don't have birth parents."
Dowager Hatt stumbled with the nozzle a little after Stephanie told her but kept it from spilling too much as she asked, "You are adopted?"
"You… can say that," Stephanie slowly nodded. "He also had his relatives with him, including my foster mom and dad."
She hated saying that out of her mouth as she silently grimaced at how it came out.
"That's good!" Dowager Hatt smiled. "Are there any hobbies for either of them?"
"Well, woodworking," Stephanie responded as Dowager Hatt stopped filling Stephanie's tank and checked. "There is also crocheting, my favorite, knitting, stitching, quilting, and other hobbies I learned from my grandpa."
"Really?" Dowager Hatt asked as Stephanie tried to make herself nod but stopped after reminding herself she did not have a neck.
"Yeah, I learned a lot from him!" Stephanie beamed as Dowager Hatt placed the lid back on the water tank and removed the nozzle. "And even from the other members of Shining Time. Grandpa Frank was one busy man."
Dowager Hatt climbed back into Stephanie's cab as she whistled twice and started moving forward, strangely feeling 'refreshed' from having her tank filled with water.
Behind her, a confused Percy followed her, hearing some part of the conversation while his driver hopped out.
"'Stephanie?'" Percy muttered in confusion.
Stephanie continued puffing down the line and passing by different locomotives, ranging from diesels that either did not greet her or greeted her with a smile to steam locomotives who raced by her like a blur of colors.
It all amazed Stephanie as she continued to watch different kinds of vehicles passing her, even road vehicles from the side of the railroad.
From the trip, Stephanie learned about stopping and going at the right time, slowing down at signs near the roads, and even allowing others to pass her out of kindness.
She finally reached the woods and whistled to switch tracks, heading into the woods as she puffed down the line.
"Ah, here we are!" Stephanie smiled. "We're almost near Muffler Mountain."
Dowager Hatt looked at the mountain with curiosity, seeing how massive the mountain was compared to her or Stephanie.
"So this is where the great Lady resides." Dowager Hatt mumbled.
Stephanie heard Dowager Hatt's mumble and said nothing about it, coming across a cleared area and stopping, seeing something sticking out from the mountain's wall.
"Perfect!" Stephanie beamed. "There's one sticking out."
Dowager Hatt stepped out with Notches and Lucy, turning to Stephanie and asking, "Do you know how to revert back?"
"Of course!" Stephanie nodded. "All you need to do is use Gold Dust," she said, then paused and said, "Though I might not plan this."
She chuckled a little as she looked around for an idea but remembered her whistle and mumbled, "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?"
Stephanie focused as her whistle moved a little, revealing a secret slot with the same alchemy symbol on the Dust Whistle.
"Ha!" Stephanie exclaimed. "Got that down. Now for the next part."
Stephanie paused as she focused again, accidentally whistling twice, and muttered, "Whoops, wrong one."
She focused again, and the symbols underneath switched from blank to the symbol of gold as she smiled.
"Alright, let's see if this works." Stephanie whistled with a long peeeeep, and Gold Dust emerged from her funnel.
The Gold Dust wrapped around Stephanie and disappeared, revealing Stephanie was back to normal as she sat on her bottom on the ground with a whistle around her neck.
"Yes!" Stephanie cheered with a bright smile. "That was awesome!"
Dowager Hatt placed Notches down with Lucy on his back as he walked over, asking, "Are you alright, Stephanie?"
"Yeah," Stephanie nodded as she stood up before wincing, her legs aching slightly. "Ah, wait, cramp."
Stephanie slowly stood up after feeling the cramp as Dowager Hatt helped her to her feet, slowly easing the cramp out as she stretched a little.
"Ah, that's better," Stephanie smiled. "Now, let's see if we are lucky enough to find any Dust Crystals around."
She gently took Dowager Hatt by the wrist and gently led her to the side of Muffler Mountain, where she could see more items sticking out, and Dowager Hatt's curiosity grew.