The Silkworm Car

The Silkworm Car is the second episode of Infinity Train Book Four.

Premise
Toby traverses a car where the animals own businesses involving silkworms, but when the silkworms are missing...

Transcript
(Toby is seen exiting a car which has white spherical flowers.)

Toby - Wow. Who would have known there would be something called Moonflowers? (The Blueish-gray cat quietly sneaks up to Toby, but dodges to avoid being seen as Toby writes on His notepad.) Car TR-13, Moonflower Car. Hazards, Zero. (Puts up His notepad and pulls out a yellow ink marker, and writes on the car's side) T... R... fourteen. (Opens the door leading to a world looking like a village with dogs, oxen, chickens, rabbits, cats, dragons, and horses.) Wow. (Runs inside as the blueish-gray cat follows.) Hmm. the stores are closed. I wonder why? (The blueish-gray cat runs off)

Chicken - Why?! Because some ruffians have been stealing Our village's silkworms!

Toby - Silkworms?

Chicken - The silkworms Provide Us with silk, needed to make clothes, covers, curtains, to name a few.

Toby - Huh. do they make parachutes, from silk as well?

Chicken - What are... Parachutes?

Dog - Over there! (A young rabbit wearing a black cloak is running away from an ox and pig. Toby goes after the rabbit)

Pig - Halt! I said, halt! (The rabbit tosses a smokescreen at the ox and pig, and manages to evade them.)

Ox - He's somewhere around here! (Toby looks around and spots a rabbit catching His breath at an alley. After a few moments, Toby restrains the rabbit.)

Rabbit - Hey! Let me go!

Toby - You wish. (Another rabbit sneaks up and was about to attack Toby, but the blueish cat attacks Him.)

Rabbit 2 - You mangy beast! Get off!

Toby - Another one? (Spots the blueish cat as it runs off.) Wait! Was that—? No, more importantly... (the scene changes to the two rabbits hanging upside down by two ropes, with their arms and legs restrained.) Ok, you two. why were You stealing Silkworms from everyone?

Rabbit 1 - I'm not obligated to say anything to a hairless monkey like you!

Rabbit 2 - Come on. He asked a question. He's entitled an answer. Right?

Toby - Well, okay. answer honestly. Right... (puts His index finger on the rabbit's wrist.) Now.

Rabbit 2 - We were freeing the silkworms from Shogun Ezumi, because He's keeping them all for himself.

Rabbit 1 - Shiro, Shh! You want to tell the entire Village?

Shiro - Ezumi's Ancestor cheated in that Emerald race centuries ago, just to get first place.

Rabbit 1 - Seriously, Shiro. shut up.

Shiro - Lighten up, Kuro. We're only undoing an injustice.

Toby - Hmm. I admire your honesty, Miss. Really. (unties Shiro and softly scratches Her head.)

Shiro - You can tell?

Kuro - Um, could You let Me go, too?

(At night, Toby is with the rabbits at a ramen stand.)

Toby - So, Who was Oam?

Kuro - Oam was one of the potential competitors of the Emerald Race Centuries ago. The point of the race was to have the first 12 animals win a race to be in the zodiac.

Toby - Oh! Like the Chinese Zodiac. (Shiro and Kuro look at each other awkwardly.)

Kuro - Anyway, in the race’s final leg, while Shuni the rat and Oam the Cat rode on Niu the Ox, Shuni coldheartedly pushed Oam into the lake, as the rat made it in first place. Oam got to the finish line in fourth, and reported that Shuni pushed Oam in the water to the race official, even Though He said Shuni was disqualified, the rat was still on the zodiac.

Pig Chef - Oh, Yeah. and something tells me that somewhere in this fortress, that rat emperor is about to do something evil.

Toby - Evil? As in monopolizing the silkworms?

Pig Chef - No. Something more malicious. (Quietly) Personally, the thieves, whoever they are, have been freeing the silkworms and putting them in the Forest, Now, if You'll excuse Me, it's closing.

(at the Rabbit’s shrine, the rabbits and Toby hang their heads)

Shiro - (Quietly) Toby, What do You say at midnight, Me, You, and Kuro, infiltrate the fortress?

Toby - Hmm. (Thinking) If I want to get off this train, I’ll have to do whatever I can. (Looks at His number, which is at 147.) I’ll do it. Of course, I’m... not all that good with imitating ninja techniques.

Kuro - What’s a Ninja? (the bell tower tolls the eleventh hour.) Well, We’d better tell You that inside the fortress, Rats, Oxen, and Tigers live there. There are also plenty of traps inside...

(At the bridge, Toby, Shiro, and Kuro, are wearing black ninja outfits. At the entrance, They see four tiger guards. the guards hear two snaps.)

Tiger guard - You hear something? (One of the guards approaches the tree, but He and the three guards are scared by multiple explosions) We’re under attack! (The three other guards approach the disoriented guard, as Shiro, Kuro, and Toby enter the fortress Undetected.)

Kuro - Well, I’ll admit. Your plan to use your firecrackers to scare the guards was genius.) Now, any silkworms We find, we carefully gather them, so We don’t hurt them. (They enter a few sanctums, and use whatever methods to lure away, attack, lull to sleep, or tie up the ox guards, while gathering the silkworms.)

Shiro - Ok. 38 silkworms collected so far. Now, for the top floor. (Toby quietly sneaks to the top floor and spots the Rat Emperor’s Family in a giant cage next to an enormous silkworm cocoon)

Toby - Whoa. That cocoon looks like it took months.

Kuro - No... when it hatches, the village is done for.

Toby - Done for?

Kuro - Many years ago, a giant cocoon like this was in a restaurant. When it hatched, a giant moth destroyed the village, like it was driven by rage.) But, why is the shogun caged up, and with that cocoon?

Ox - Well, for A rabbit, you’re too smart for your own good. (An ox comes out from the shadows)

Shiro - Advisor Gongniu?

Gongniu - Yes. I’ve been using that weak rodent as a front, so I can create an unstoppable army of moths, to rule the land. It’s just not enough that the Ox is in the second place of the zodiac. And the Beauty part is, once this moth awakens, it will eat that rat and His family alive, You’ll take the blame for their deaths. I'll be set for life! (The cocoon starts to crack) And it’s dinner time. (The cocoon cracks and coming out is a giant moth.) as for you Three— (notices Toby missing) Two? (Spots Toby freeing the rats and drops sprigs of fresh leaves on the ground.) A futile effort. Moth, eat Him! (Sees the moth eating the leaves) Moth, I said eat Him!

Toby - don't bother. Moths love the taste of fresh leaves.

Gongniu - Why You... Guards! Guards!

Shiro - Not happening. (a silkworm spits silk at Gongniu's mouth, who mumbles words.)

Toby - Nice work, You two-- (Falls on a broken floorboard.) Ouch! Huh? (Picks up a scroll.) A rolled up paper.

Shiro - That's a Scroll.

Kuro - Hmm. (Reads the scroll.) Written from over 1,400 years. It turns out that the ox from the race actually tried to shake the rat and cat of His back. And a fox witnessed the incident. He told the emperor about it, along with the rat’s testification. the emperor put it in a proclamation, but had to hide it, since the Ox would come to destroy every shred of evidence of His crime. The villagers must know of this. (Toby looks at His hand, and the number changes to 145.)

Toby - Huh?

Rat Emperor - You’re right. The ox will be removed from the zodiac, and We'll have another race to determine the zodiac, starting in a few days.

(Toby leaves to go find the door to the next car. at the end of the village, Toby approaches the door.)

Kuro - Are You really going, Toby? (Turns around to see Kuro and Shiro.)

Toby - Oh. You came to see Me off?

Shiro - We just want to thank you For your help. (The rabbits do a backflip and they turn into three-tailed foxes.)

Toby - Foxes? You’re foxes?

Kuro - Kitsunes, actually. And... (wipes a tear from Her eye.) We want to give a proper goodbye.

Toby - ...Well, if it’s alright, I’ll stay for a few hours to draw the both of you, the heroes of the village. (Put down His backpack and pulls out a sketch pad.)

Shiro - Well, We’d like to come along, if it’s okay.

Kuro - We don’t have much anywhere to go, anyway. The people here don't take kindly to Kitsunes, or Foxes as You called Us.

Toby - Oh. Well, Ok. (Opens the door and they head for the door to the next car, with Shiro and Kuro following, before going inside the next car, Toby writes down "TR-12" on the wall. Toby opens the door and sees a wide open field of lavender flowers.) Wow. What a sight. (He and the kitsunes watch in awe. then, Shiro spots something.)

Shiro - No... It’s Her. (A silhouette is seen among the lavenders, and when it gets closer, it is revealed to be The Cat.)

Toby - Who— Who are You? (Shiro and Kuro’s fur gets bristly with fury)

The Cat - Welcome to the Lavender Car, Tobias.