A/N: In the next chapter, I know it's a bit out of order, but in this particular case, it's necessary to explore Tulip and Lake's relationship.
Infinity Train: Reflected Relationship
Chapter 2: The Cat's Car
One day, outside, Tulip, Lake, Atticus, and One-One were nearing the end of their time in a sort of car in which the Jurassic era had met modern times, apparently playing a game with a family of Megalosauruses, a baby, and a T-Rex, all wearing clothes.
"Hey. Great game, Dad.", the male teen dino said.
"Thanks, son.", the male dino father responded.
"A bold move!", Atticus said.
"Goodness, this evening of board game fun has been special.", the female dino mother said in amazement.
"Ah, even more special because you thought to include me. It's almost like I'm a part of the family. Night, all.", the male T-Rex said, leaving.
"Good night, Roy.", Tulip, Lake, Atticus, One-One, and the Megalosauruses said as the T-Rex happily left.
"Good night, Uncle Roy.", the baby added. "Good night."
"It's time for you kids to be getting to bed.", the female dino mother announced.
"Ah, hold on.", the male dino father spoke up. "No one's going any place. Until we have a family hug."
"A hug? Dad, are you feeling okay?", the dino boy asked.
"I'm feelin' great. Every once in a while, a guy just stops and realizes how happy he is.", the dino father replied. "Come on."
"Oh, OK.", the dino boy said.
"Hug, hug. Hug, hug.", the dino baby grinned.
Seeing this, Tulip gave a sad smile while everyone else smiled just as warmly.
"Oh, this feels so good, I don't want to let go. But off to bed. Kiss, kiss.", the dino father said.
"Sure.", the dino boy said.
"Excuse me.", the female dino teen said, carrying the baby dino with her.
"Nighty night.", the dino father said.
"Night.", the dino girl responded.
"Bye.", the dino boy said, almost everyone going to their rooms to sleep while Tulip, Lake, Atticus, and One-One headed for the exit door.
"Your house is wonderful, Mr. Sinclair.", Glad One said.
"It's been an honor to meet you all.", Atticus added.
Of course, only Lake noticed the chrome on Tulip's body starting to spread up to her right shoulder, much to her worry as Tulip waved.
"Thank you!", Tulip waved.
Nevertheless, Lake wanted to join in, too.
"We'll never forget you!", Lake added.
"Until we meet again!", Mr. Sinclair responded with his own wave, his wife waving along with him as well before the door closed shut.
"Uh, Tulip? You might wanna check on your right shoulder.", Lake warned.
Tulip looked and yelped upon seeing this.
"It spread even further now?!", Tulip yelped in worry.
Suddenly, there was a slight crash, shaking the group. Before they knew it, the bridge between the Pangea Car and the next one retreated. Tulip gasped and ran away to the platform of the Pangea Car as a new car came on top of the train, moving in front of Tulip and Lake, descending into place. A bridge was made between the new car and the Pangea one.
"So, cars on the train can just move around?", Tulip asked.
"I like it! Feels wild and unpredictable.", Glad One said.
"I don't know. Something about this doesn't seem right.", Lake said.
As they entered, they saw a chandelier, ladders, shelves filled with objects, and a 4:3 CRT television set on the ground.
"Who-oh-ohah! What is this place?", Tulip asked.
"This looks like some kind of curiosities shop.", Lake added.
"Odd. It looks to be more like a study.", Atticus said.
"What do they study, hoarding?", Sad One asked as Tulip placed One-One on a table nearby.
As Tulip and Lake explored it, they saw various different objects stored in the car. That is, until they heard Atticus chomping.
"Hey, get out of there.", Tulip urged.
Atticus quickly stopped chomping from a trash can and looked up.
"What? Me? No, of course not, no."
Meanwhile, Glad-One was talking to an Earth globe.
"Hello, me-shaped thing! Are you my mum? And if so, where have you been?"
But the globe was "silent".
"Rude.", Sad One interjected.
Suddenly, someone spoke up from afar.
"If it isn't my favorite person named after a flower for no good reason."
It was the cat. Atticus growled testily at her.
"Calm down, dog.", the cat said, climbing down and jumping onto the floor, getting genuinely surprised.
"Oh, my! Since when have there been two of you?", the cat asked.
"Hey! She's her own person here.", Tulip retorted.
"I suppose it was obvious.", the cat said, looking between Tulip and Lake.
"Is this the cat you told me about?", Atticus asked.
"Unfortunately, yes."
"She's a real gem.", Glad One said.
"One-One, last time we saw her, she tried to kidnap you.", Tulip reminded.
"Kidnap? Je n'oserais jamais! I seem to recall we had a deal, you backed out, I left you alone, and you abandoned me to the relentless splashes of a thousand Randalls. Litter under the box.", the cat responded.
"Fine.", Tulip sighed.
"What are you doing here?", Lake asked.
"Me? Why, you're the ones who oafishly stumbled into my humble abode.", the cat responded.
"Nice place, but your mom's a little quiet.", Sad One said, spinning the globe.
The Cat's face was quick to express anger, her claws popping out.
"Don't touch that!", the cat snapped.
Then, she sighed and placed her left paw over her right one as her claws retracted.
"I apologize. Everything here is extremely important to me.", the cat apologized, placing her left paw on her heart.
Tulip then picked up One-One and placed him in her backpack.
"Yeah, well, it's really dusty and boring to me, so we're leaving.", Tulip said, starting to walk away.
"You don't have to ask me twice.", Lake agreed.
"Good-bye, former kidnapper!", Glad One waved.
"I miss you already, and it's emotionally confusing.", Sad One added.
"Wait! Don't you want to explore the kismet that brought us together?", the cat asked.
"Nope. I don't trust you.", Tulip refused.
"That prickles my whiskers, kitten, but I understand. Au revoir."
Suddenly, she knocked down a stack of tapes and gasped.
"Oop! Oh, my! Be a dear and help me with those fallen items, would you? I'd do it myself, but, well, you know.', the cat said, gesturing with her paw.
Tulip grumbled.
"Here. I'll help.", Lake offered.
"Thanks.", Tulip thanked.
So, Lake went and picked up a tape from the floor. But when she discovered that it had her Prime's name on it, she widened her eyes and gasped.
"What is it, Lake?"
Sure enough, Tulip saw for herself and gasped.
"Wait. Where did you get this?"
"I procure so many wonderful things. Why?", the cat asked.
"Because... i-it has my name on it.", Tulip replied, flipping the tape to show 'Tulip Olsen' written in green, with caps, on the label.
"Oh, is that one yours? I suppose we ought to give it a look?", the cat asked.
"Great idea!", Glad One asked.
"Careful, Tulip. I don't trust it.", Atticus warned.
"He's right. Who knows what could happen in there?", Lake added as Tulip crouched to be on eye level with Atticus.
"Ooh, what if it's important?", Tulip asked.
"Of course it is.", the cat said, jumping from the floor and taking the tape from Lake and rushing off.
"Hey!"
"This tape contains everything that makes you you.", the cat said as she placed the tape in the VCR under the TV. "Every passenger has one."
"Every passenger?", Tulip asked, standing up.
Lake also noticed similar tapes that have different names on them.
"Come to think of it, I'm seeing a whole bunch of names on there.", Lake said, seeing different names on it, one of which read, "Jesse Cosay".
"Guess you're not special.", Sad One said to Tulip.
"Yes, and every one of them has a little number from a little tape, just like you.", the cat said, climbing on the table.
Tulip and Lake then walked toward a fancy, red armchair with a lamp standing to its right, and a little table in front of said lamp. The armchair was in front of the 4:3 CRT television set.
"How's this connected to her number?", Lake asked as Tulip left her backpack on the floor and sat on the armchair.
"Who made it? How does it help me?", Tulip added.
"My dear, it will be much simpler if we just watch.", the cat said.
Tulip hesitantly floated her finger in front of the "play" button of the VCR.
"Uh..."
"In you go.", the cat offered.
Tulip then pressed the "play" button.
"I'm not sure about this.", Atticus warned worriedly.
Lake turned to see the Cat resting with a smirk on her face on the right side of the armchair.
"Huh?", Tulip puzzled.
Lake gasped as the TV turned on with a sound, and white noise covered it.
"No!", Lake shouted, about to reach for Tulip when suddenly, her eyes were caught up by the TV static hissing.
"Ugh."
Apparently, Tulip was now in a large white room.
"Huh?"
Frantically, she ran away from the giant rectangle of television static only to run into a similar one in front of her.
"Atticus?! One-One?! Lake?!",Tulip shouted before running away only to bump into Lake, stopping her just as she bumped into her as well.
"Tulip! Oh, thank goodness you're okay...!", Lake said in relief.
"Lake? You're actually here?", Tulip asked.
"Yeah. Of course I am."
"How'd you get here?", Tulip asked.
"I needed to make sure you were okay.", Lake replied.
"Yeah, but... how?"
"I... don't know. But the way out should be here somewhere.", Lake said.
With that, she went into a wall, catching Tulip by surprise and worry.
"Lake...?!"
Suddenly, she popped out from the wall.
"It's okay. But you gotta see what's in here!", Lake urged excitedly before getting back in.
Cautiously, Tulip went in through the wall. Before she knew it, she found herself and Lake in a scene of a Christmas tree falling on her as a baby when she picked up the Christmas tree decoration. But it was of no consequence, as the weight of the tree on the giggling Baby Tulip was fairly small in comparison to a real tree and quite soft.
"Huh? I remember that."
"Yeah. It was when you picked up that cute little decoration from the tree.", Lake grinned.
"Oh, no!", Andy, Tulip's father, shouted, rushing to get the tree back up.
"Oh, no!", Megan, Tulip's mother, shouted while rushing to pick Tulip up.
Of course, Megan and Tulip were smiling with Tulip in Megan's arms as Andy got the tree back up.
"Are you okay, honey?", Andy asked.
"Even then, they seemed like they were happy.", Lake grinned.
Suddenly, it went to another memory of Tulip and Mikayla on a school bus. Both girls were giggling at this point.
"Corn Nutters! Corn Nutters!", Mikayla shouted.
"Bucket! Bucket! Bucket!", Memory Tulip also shouted.
It then cut to a younger Tulip and her mom stargazing.
"Mom, look! I can see Orion's belt... and part of his pants.", 5-year-old Tulip said.
Lake snickered from that one.
"I wonder what's next.", Lake said.
Sure enough, it quickly went to another memory in which the car radio was playing "Word Up" by Cameo and both Tulip and Lake saw 6-year-old her in the car.
"Hey. You're me."
Of course, 6-year-old Tulip did not hear her and was dancing to the song.
"Wave your hands in the air.", 6-year-old Tulip sang.
"like you don't care.", Andy and Morgan added.
"Honestly, I don't know why I thought that was a good song...", Tulip groaned.
"Hey, at least you enjoyed yourself. And your parents seemed to like it.", Lake assured.
Suddenly, the two were now at DolphWorld with chairs seen behind Tulip.
"What's going on?", Tulip asked.
"I think it's showing us your memories at random.", Lake guessed as a dolphin chittered.
"Whoa! DolphWorld?", Tulip asked as a dolphin jumped through a hoop. "I used to love this place! I wonder why it closed."
At the chairs from farther away, showing the Olsen family of the past, they had beverages, all while young memory Tulip was wearing a dolphin cap. Tulip and Lake looked with surprise at them. The entire crowd was cheering. They even had dolphin shaped cups.
"Oh, Tulip, how about those dolphins?", Megan asked as 8-year-old Tulip was smiling and looking at both parents.
"They look so beautiful in their natural state.", young Tulip grinned.
With that, an apparent pile of dolphins was being set up by the dolphins themselves as one of them landed on the others to put itself on top.
"A pyramid!", the trio of Olsens cheered before they clinked their cups and giggled.
The crowd cheered and clapped at this.
"Oh, yeah! This day was so much fun!", Tulip grinned.
"No, you think?", Lake asked.
Then, Tulip and Lake suddenly found themselves in the former's familar surroundings as she put on her glasses.
"I'm home!", Tulip said in amazement.
But then, she and Lake saw another Tulip walk downstairs.
"I'm... still in a memory.", Tulip said.
"Huh. I never thought I'd see your house like this, Tulip.", Lake admitted.
The two then went into a room and noticed that the TV was not only left on, but it also switched to the "Selling N Shopping TV", which bore the logo of the Infinity Train. And what's more surprising is that Atticus had human proportions and was wearing both an apron and a suit.
"Are you tired of owning things that aren't doughnuts, but could be doughnuts?", Atticus asked.
Then, it cut to One-One, wearing a wig and a sweater.
"Every day of my miserable life.", Sad One replied.
Atticus then slammed the Donut Holer onto the table.
"Then buy a Donut Holer!"
Both Tulip and Lake smiled as they watched TV within a memory of the former's. It even showed several photographs pasted on a well behind Atticus of holed objects.
"I didn't think Atticus would pull off that look.", Lake commented.
"Easy to grip, and certainly not a scam. Ha-ha!", Atticus winked.
"Certainly not a scam?! Say no more! I'm spending my life savings on it!", Glad One said as he waved his hands before the wig fell off.
"One-One, on the other hand, yikes.", Lake added before both she and Tulip laughed.
It then showed a younger Tulip placing a blanket on the couch in front of the widescreen TV. Indistinct male muffles were heard and young memory Tulip was smiling. Puzzled, Tulip and Lake walked next to young Tulip, trying to understand the muffled sounds.
"What's all that about?", Lake puzzled.
The TV static hissed, showing a human-like shape tucked in that blanket and then instantly changed back.
"No clue.", Tulip responded.
Suddenly, a voice called out.
"Great news, bud!"
Tulip and Lake checked the source of the words out. "Tulip's Tape" then started to play. The two then looked at a room where Tulip's parents were wearing blue "Family 4ever" sweaters. A banner was even on top is saying "Congrats Tulip". The room had colorful balloons.
"You got a full scholarship to Vassar, the school for smart people too creative for their own good!", Megan said.
"Ah, that's better!", Tulip said.
"But who cares about school? Step aside, Shigeru. You just became Ultra-Galactic World President of game design!", Andy said before he and Tulip laughed as they hugged each other.
Megan even picked up a double-onion ice cream cake.
"Who wants to celebrate with double-onion ice cream cake?", Megan said.
"Me!", Memory Tulip said before Megan cut a slice of the cake with the smile becoming creepy and forced as the memory itself became filled with indistinct chatter.
"What...?", Lake asked in concern.
"This isn't right. Something's changing my memories!"
Panicked, Tulip ran with Lake following after her as Memory Megan became the Steward while memory Andy extended his neck with both walking towards Tulip and Lake. The girl backed out while Lake went for the knob only for both to get stuck to a door. Before they knew it, static took over Lake's shoes. Urgently, they tried to get unstuck only to fall to the ground, sending them back into the big, empty, bright, white room. While static started to take over Lake's body, Tulip panicked upon seeing the chrome spread yet again.
"Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!", Tulip panicked.
"Tulip!", Lake said in worry, even as static took over more of her body.
Tulip looked at her now chrome-colored hand, still bearing the number 3.
"Tulip...", Megan spoke as it suddenly went back to the DolphWorld memory. By that point, Lake was covered almost entirely, except for her head, in static.
"How about those dolphins?", Megan asked.
"They look so beautiful in their natural state.", 8-year-old Tulip said.
"A pyramid!", she and her parents cheered as a dolphin jumped onto several others, forming said pyramid.
"This isn't how it happened.", Tulip said.
With a static noise, the memory was now grimmer.
"Uh... Let's hear it for Dolphmu!", the handler said, lacking excitement.
A dolphin slowly passed through a hoop with barely any clapping from the crowd.
"What do you mean she won't wake up?", the handler whispered in her headset.
"Oh. So, that's why they closed DolphWorld.", Tulip said sadly.
By that point, 8-year-old Tulip rubbed on her eyes.
"Mom, Dad, can we move closer?"
"See? I told you she needed glasses, Andy."
"Well, maybe you should've taken her to the optometrist, Megan.", Andy argued.
"When?", Megan asked as 8-year-old Tulip sighed and laid down on the seat.
"When am I supposed to do that?", Megan asked before she and Andy talked a little more indistinctively.
"Oh, yeah. They were fighting.", Tulip said, not noticing that Lake was getting sad from seeing this.
Fortunately, the static went down to her chest.
"Anytime. You can do it literally anytime.", Andy said.
"Okay, I'll be sure to add it to my free time between my double shifts at the hospital."
"It's not like I'm sitting around..." Andy retorted as the static freed Lake's hand.
"The static... it just went down.", Lake said in slight wonder.
"Why'd the static go down?", Tulip puzzled as the chrome went over her right eye with streaks of chrome appearing on her hair.
"My guess? The same reason the chrome just spread further.", Lake replied with Tulip then noticing what happened with her hair.
"Huh."
Then, Tulip and Lake were taken back to the former's home. They saw her memory self go down the stairs and walk to the widescreen TV with Atticus and One-One both holding Donut Holers.
"A-ha! Donut Holer!"
"They shouldn't be here.", Tulip said.
This time, the ad changed to another one, which showed lots of bikes parked outside a shop named "Harry the Bike Guy".
"Harry the Bike Guy! He's woke for the spokes!", the announcer spoke as the "Bikes $100" sign popped up.
"It isn't a sham, I am.", Harry said.
"It isn't a sham, I am.", Tulip repeated at the same time.
Even Lake was getting a bit sad as she realized what really happened.
"And your Dad was there.", Lake said.
Andy suddenly appeared on the couch, crying and twisting on it.
Memory Tulip appeared, coming down with a blanket to tuck Andy in.
"Huh? So, you're tucking me in now?", Andy said with a sniffle before hugging memory Tulip.
"Well..., I guess now know what it was about.", Lake said, getting sad again, but this time, giving a sad smile at the scene with the static going down yet again, this time up to her shoes.
"It's almost gone...", Lake said.
Suddenly, Tulip and Lake were brought to another memory.
"Awful news, Tulip.", Andy said.
"We're getting divorced!", Megan added with an evil voice.
Very quickly, the static took over Lake completely, that is, except for her face while Tulip's chrome spread, covering most of her face while the room caught fire.
"What the...?! Where'd that come from?!", Lake exclaimed.
"Divorce! Divorce! Divorce!", Andy and Morgan spoke, their faces turning more and more devilish by the second.
Memory Tulip sobbed, her tears making a puddle that reached her ankles.
"Divorce!", Andy and Morgan spoke, delivering an evil laughter with Ugly Irwin floating around, also giving an evil laugh.
"Hahaha! Divorce!", Ugly Irwin spoke.
"No! This isn't what happened, either!", Tulip shouted, covering her ears.
This time, the memory showed Megan and Andy sitting with sad, pensive faces, at the table, the flames still there, but minor as memory Tulip walked toward the room.
"We having dinner here or going out?", Tulip asked.
"Neither. We just want to talk to you.", Andy said sadly.
"Talk with you.", Megan corrected.
"She gets it.", Andy said almost exasperatedly.
"Is that...?", Lake said sadly.
"This is how it happened.", Tulip said, backing out as memory Tulip took a seat.
"Tulip, we want you to know we both love you so much, but... things are going to be changing soon.", Megan said worriedly.
"Changing? Uh, is this like a puberty thing? 'Cause if so, I'm fine!", Memory Tulip assured, trying to getting up from her seat while Tulip sighed.
Let's just go get Chinese food and...", Memory Tulip began, walking away.
"Tulip, sit.", Andy spoke sternly.
"Andy.", Megan said before memory Tulip took a seat and sighed.
"What?"
"You might have noticed Dad and I have... problems, sometimes, like.. arguments, things like that.", Megan spoke as Lake's static retreated to her shoulders while Tulip's chrome condition stopped past her nose.
"We've tried to fix things, but your Mom and I decided to take some time off from each other.", Andy added while memory Tulip grabbed a napkin and held it tight.
"Are you... okay?", Andy asked worriedly.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?", Memory Tulip said, passive-aggressively.
"You're not.", Lake realized.
"Are you... getting divorced?", Memory Tulip asked, tearing the napkin apart in thin sheets.
"Well... right now, we're just separating.", Megan assured to the best of her ability.
"But then you're gonna get divorced after that.", Memory Tulip said.
"'It's not that simple.'", Tulip quoted from memory.
"It's not that simple, bud.", Andy said.
"Yeah, it is. You're either married or you're not. What else is there?", memory Tulip said, tearing the napkin a little more.
"Tulip, please. We just want you to know that none of this is your fault.", Megan pleaded.
"I know that! Why would it be?!"
"Ugh. I remember how scared I was.", Tulip realized.
"Tulip, I'm so sorry.", Andy apologized.
"How mad I was. How alone I felt.", Tulip added with Lake getting increasingly sad by the second, despite the static fading away.
"Things change, but our love for you won't. We just want you to understand...", Megan added.
But memory Tulip could not restrain herself any longer as she snapped, slamming the table with both arms.
"I understand perfectly! Things were fine, but then you decided to change everything!"
Angry and bitter, she left the room.
"That's definitely what happened. But knowing it sure doesn't feel any better. I guess... I was the one changing my memories.", Tulip realized.
"So, that's it? Now, you're gonna start pushing everyone away again...?!", Lake said sadly.
"Lake...", Tulip said sadly.
"Just like how you skipped texts from Mikayla, pushed away your own parents, and even tried running away to Osh Kosh?!", Lake said, starting to shed tears.
"What? No, it's not like that!", Tulip said, trying to explain.
"NO! You can't understand how I feel when you do that! You don't even know how THEY feel when you do that! All because there isn't a single happy memory you had ever since the divorce!", Lake shouted.
"Lake, it's not that simple.", Tulip said.
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW?! YOU'VE NEVER EVEN BOTHERED TO HEAR THEM OUT!", Lake shouted, forcing all the static off her and onto Tulip, also changing the area back into an empty, white room.
Lake panted angrily for a moment while still shedding tears before giving a gasp of worry and sadness. Even Tulip, as shocked as she was, started to get sad as well.
"Maybe you're right... Maybe I don't know how other people felt. Maybe I was trying to run away from all my problems because..., I don't know, it felt easier to do that than to confront them head-on... I'm really sorry, Lake. For everything...", Tulip apologized, hugging Lake, who sadly sniffled.
Then, something suddenly hit Tulip as she realized something.
"Wait..."
"What...?"
"You're wrong... There IS one happy memory I have...", Tulip asked.
"What's that...?", Lake asked.
Suddenly, it changed to the memory of when Tulip first spoke to Lake.
"Are your reflections broken, too?", Tulip asked.
Suddenly, her reflection spoke up.
"I'm not broken."
"WOOOOOW! You're alive?!", Tulip reacted before realizing what embarrassing things she must've done in front of her reflection.
"Oh, no. I'm sorry about all the times I've picked my nose in front of you."
"Not gonna lie, that was gross.", the reflection chided.
"Wait... This is when we met...", Lake said, drying her tears away.
"Yeah... It is. Something else happened, too.", Tulip said.
With that, the memory skipped over to when Mace was about to shred Lake. Tulip suddenly crossed over to the mirror world and struck Mace right in the head, knocking him to the ground in just one blow, especially moving him a few feet away from her reflection.
"Eat that, Flec!", Tulip shouted as her reflection looked in awe.
"I can't believe you just did that...!"
"I know. I can't believe it, either. Now, come on!"
Lake snickered with a bit of a giggle.
"I still can't believe you went and did it.", Lake chuckled.
"Well, I just couldn't let him get you. Especially not when the best thing that happened to me... was meeting you.", Tulip replied.
Hearing that was enough to get Lake to gasp in surprise, her face getting a sort of purplish blue blush. Before they knew it, as the static was now forced off Tulip, they were both sucked out of her memory tape, passing through recordings of her recent memories as the chrome on Tulip began to spread yet again.
"And I wouldn't change these memories in anyway." Tulip said while hugging Lake.
As that happened, both her and Lake's right chest area began to grow until both their right breasts were a D-cup size before both girls woke up on top of each other on the ground. They initially blushed at each other with grins before turning towards Cat with glares.
"Why, look at that! Both of you, awake already. By the way, have you always appeared... metallic?", Cat asked.
"You tried to trap us?!", Lake shouted.
"Can one really be trapped when reliving such happy memories? Perhaps you want to sit down again, give it a closer look?", Cat asked.
But Tulip only picked up her backpack.
"I saw everything I needed to see."
Cat hastily ran in front of Tulip.
"Let's not be hasty, my petulant perennial! What about your number?", Cat asked.
Tulip then looked at her number, as it changed from 3 to 1.
"Well, you gotta admit. She has a point. You're so close.", Lake grinned.
"Yeah, but... somehow, going home... it just wouldn't feel right without you.", Tulip admitted.
"Wait... you want... me to come with you?", Lake asked.
"Of course.", Tulip nodded.
"But... who knows what else is out there?", Lake asked.
"Well, whatever it is, we'll face it together.", Tulip assured with a firm grin, bringing a smile to Lake as well as she held Lake's hand.
Lake blushed before she and Tulip moved forward with the latter opening the door.
"You're a very bad kitty.", Sad one spoke before rolling away.
Eventually, the group of four left the car altogether before the door closed itself.
"How?!", the cat panicked.
She hurriedly jumped up, hiding a tape in her clothes, on her chest. Suddenly, her car was moved quickly in front of the train. It stopped with Cat flipping and landing on the floor, slowing herself down with her claws. Even worse, the lights went out and the Steward cornered Cat with its arms.
"Where is the passenger?", the Steward asked.
"Um, she isn't exactly here at present. And she may not only be going through some..., metallic changes, but she also apparently had a chrome twin named Lake and had already taken the ball with her.", the cat replied.
Less than pleased, the Steward lit up its blue flaming eyes.
"The tape! It should have trapped her!", the cat exclaimed.
Just then, a figure with red sinus waves appeared from the shadows and moved, making sinus wave sounds. As if on command, the Steward wrapped its arms around Cat's body.
"Mercy, please!", cat pleaded.
"You know I'm the only one who can help you... find... them!", the cat strained as the Steward tightened its grip on her.
The figure with red sinus waves only made sinus wave sounds again. But this time, the Steward released Cat.
"Thank you. I will not disappoint.", Cat said.
But the Steward only pressed its claws on opposite walls.
"Do not fail again!", the Steward said before it spun its arms around, destroying some shelves of Cat with its spinning arms.
"No. No! My... My things!", Cat shouted in a pleading stance.
And just like that, the red sinus waves entity disappeared into the shadows.
A/N: Well, it looks like the chrome on Tulip is spreading even further. But it doesn't seem like Tulip minds that anymore. Even so, it's beginning to alter Tulip's body a little as a result, as well as Lake's due to her previous status as Tulip's reflection. What could that mean...?