Chapter 16: Infinity Train:
Aku's POV:
I watched all the constant failures I had to put up with. There was Mandy's inn trap... FAILED! Then there was the Mad Scientist's fake time machine... FAILED!
. . .
Angry Scientist: ANGRY!
. . .
Then there was Suzan's own failed time machine plan... FAILED! The Samurai has to have some kind of weakness, but what? Wait, his friends... yes!
Jill's POV:
We were in a town called Nowhere when Jack was fighting a woman who came from a black puddle. She tried to eat him, but Jack fought back and was beating her and as usual... Peter and I were in what Johnny calls the 'sidelines'.
The woman left. "Once again, I have achieved victory," says Jack.
"Well done," I said.
"Good job, Jack," says Peter.
. . .
I am a shrine maiden and Peter is an Onmyōji. But we were also trained by the Ten Teachers. I believe that Peter feels the same way I do... that we should do more.
"I am not sure I feel comfortable just watching Jack fight anymore," says Peter, "it is one thing to let him be the one to fight Aku, but what about all the other battles."
"Then again," I said, "we don't have our own magic weapons. There is only one sword, and we are in a time of advanced technology."
Then a shadow surrounded us and Aku appeared.
"It is Aku," says Peter.
"Yes, and you two are going for a train ride," says Aku as he grabs us.
. . .
I opened my eyes and now Peter and I are in some kind of frozen wasteland.
"Where are we," I asked.
"Aku must've sent us somewhere cold," says Peter, "what was it he said...a train ride?"
"Excuse me," says a strange voice, "can you help me up?" It was a robot. I picked him up. "Are you my Mum?"
"Umm... no," I said.
"Then are you here to grant me the sweet mercy of Death?"
And I thought Mandy was odd. "I am Jill, and this is Peter. Can you tell us where we are?"
"And why are there glowing numbers on our hands," asks Peter.
"Oh, well, when those numbers go zero, you disappear," says the Robot.
"Then we have to be careful," I said, "what is your name?"
"I'm One... One."
"One-One," asks Peter.
"Can you help us," I asked, "we might be able to help you find your mother," I said.
"Let's go," says One-One.
Then a snow monster comes.
"Jack isn't here," says Peter.
I then found a stick. "Then we fight it ourselves," I said.
We then fought the monster. We managed to defeat it. "We did it," says Peter.
"But our numbers are going down," I said.
"Then we have to be careful," says Peter.
"There is a door," says Jill.
We opened the door and as it turns out, we are in some kind of train... a giant train that travels in the middle of nowhere... and I do not mean the town we were in.
. . .
We then traveled through the next car.
"Whoever runs this train might be able to help us," I said.
"Where are we now," Peter asked.
"Seems to be a land of dogs," I said.
Then a dog with a crown riding a pillow comes. "Salutations two-legged strangers and loud ball creature! Welcome to Corginia! I am Atticus, king and uniter of the Cardigans and the Pembrokes. I extend to you, my greetings."
"I am Jill a shrine maiden."
"And I am Peter, an Onmyōji."
"Greetings Jill the Shrine Maiden and Peter the Onmyōji. Please, allow me to show you, my kingdom."
"We are in a rush," says Peter.
"And so, commences the official tourginia of Corginia," says King Atticus.
The dogs then get excited around us.
"An excitable bunch," I said.
"Please excuse us," says King Atticus, "we just get really excited when someone new comes through the door."
We took a look around the kingdom, but then we heard something.
"What was that," asks Peter.
"The Monster," says King Atticus, "he guards the unsolvable puzzle door."
"We will fight the monster," I said, "you can guide us."
"Alright," says King Atticus, but I should warn you, we corgis hate to be picked up."
. . .
I then learned why.
. . .
We were then faced with the monster. It was a robot with tentacles. The door was behind it.
"How do we unlock it," asks Peter.
"First, you put your paw on the handle," says King Atticus, "then you turn it."
"That is how all doors work," I said.
"My people have been working on this technology for decades," says King Atticus.
Peter and I then fought the monster. We managed to defeat it and opened the door and went through.
. . .
"Now where are we," asks Peter.
"There is alot of junk here," I said.
"Junk you say," asks a talking cat.
"Friend of yours," asks Peter.
"No self-respecting corgi would ever be friends with a cat," says King Atticus.
"Just call me the Cat and I might be able to help you."
"Can you help us with our numbers," asks Peter, "they keep getting lower and we might die."
"Oh no, the robot was mistaken," says the Cat, "but I can take him off your hands."
Then something was attacking the car. Weird creatures came in. "I think we need to go," I said.
We then ran from these creatures.
. . .
We got out, but we were faced with someone.
"I am Aku's Chamberlain, the new conductor of this train!"
"Then you are responsible for these numbers," I said.
"Wait, let me see..." The Chamberlain sees the numbers. "General!"
"Yes, Chamberlain," the General says as he arrives.
"Destroy them before those numbers get to zero and grab that bot," says the Chamberlain.
"I think the Cat was telling the truth," says King Atticus.
We then ran.
. . .
Our numbers were getting higher.
"What is going on," asks Peter.
I then thought about it. "Our numbers go lower when we fight and higher when we don't fight. Peter, this train will keep us here until we fight."
"So, we're gladiators then," asks Peter.
"No, I think this train is helping us," I said, "but first, we have to free it from Aku's control!"
"I supp... what happened to One-One," asks Peter.
"Turns out, he's two bots," says King Atticus, "a happy one and a morbid one."
"Do you think the tentacle creature was my Mum," asks One.
"It tried to kill us," I said.
"The question stands," says the other One.
. . .
We reached the Cat again. Turns out, she had a way to get to the front of the train and she took us there where we can face the Chamberlain.
"Well, look who's here," says the Chamberlain.
"We will defeat you," I said.
"General, eliminate them," says the Chamberlain.
The General had four arms. We then fought him. One-One then goes to the controls. "Mum?"
"Get away from there," the Chamberlain says, but King Atticus attacks him.
Peter and I continued to fight the General, but then the monster returned and grabbed the General.
"I found my Mum," says One-One.
"One-One, you are the true conductor," I said.
"Oh, look at that," says One-One, "and this is the Steward."
"So, the monster works for the Conductor," says Peter.
"But..." One-One then banishes the Chamberlain and the General.
Our numbers then go to zero. We say goodbye to our new friends and leave.
. . .
"Where have you two been," asks Jack, "I have been looking all over for you!"
"Going for a train ride," I said.
XVI
In the next chapter, Jack and his friends are introduced to the Crystal Gems.