Lyre’s eyes widened as he took a step back. But as his hind paw touched the grass, the bdes surrounding the paw instantly lost their softness before climbing in-between his paw toes and wrapping around his paw. Very soon, the rest of his paws met the same fate. His confidence quickly dwindled out.

  Lyre narrowed his eyes. This was him, alright. The same cat who’d attacked him back at The Stone Forest. That voice. The Petrifier.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” The Petrifier started with a wave of his paw, “you’re upset that you let this happen to you, and you’re gonna die, and you’re never gonna see your precious wolf pup again. Puh-lease.” He scoffed.

  “Then what-” Lyre stopped. All this time, I was being…lured? Despair took over his senses. He wanted to colpse and wake up in The Stone Forest. Or in that dirt area. Anywhere.

  The Petrifier smiled at the object Lyre had set down sent to him before taking a drink. “I’ll be taking this, thank you.” He stopped in front of the object and snatched it up before pressing it against his neck. It formed an upside down triangle shape before wrapping around his neck. He looked back up at the bnk-faced tom. “...oh come on, cheer up. You’re not going to suffer the same fate Molly did.”

  Lyre blinked defeatedly.

  The tom circled him briefly before coming up on his left to rest a slim tail on his shoulder. “Hey- don’t freak out too much. Let’s celebrate the fact that the moment you leave this pce, you’ll find your new home. M’kay?”

  He blinked again.

  “Just so you know, you owe me for helping you get this far.” He said with a slight hint of sharpness in his tone. “So in return, you’ll help me.” He removed his tail and grinned like a cheshire.

  The grass turned normal, and Lyre was about to turn and run before he got plunged deep into his own thoughts for a moment. Quartz said The Petrifier was a jerk…yet so far the only thing he’s been was annoying and, admittedly, helpful at times. But can I really trust him?

  He gnced at the muscur tom, his eyes still gzed with mixed shock and fear. The tom was striking holes into the stone, leaving holes that showed water.

  Should I trust him? The question repeated like an echo. He helped Lyre keep his mind off of the tragedies that occurred- even if the things he ended up doing weren't necessarily good. He swallowed back his fear, suppressing the thought of what could’ve happened if he refused.

  I guess I don’t really have a choice anyway, he thought with a nervous twitch of his whiskers. He sighed.

  The Petrifier flicked an ear towards him. “So you finally made up your mind.”

  “...yes.” Lyre forced out the words. He knew this was the moment where everything would fall apart. Whatever The Petrifier wanted him to do, he’d have to do it.

  “Now take off my colr. Almost forgot you were still wearing it.” The tom gripped the object with his cws, and it quickly unwrapped itself before nding onto the ground with a light thunk.

  Remembering the mistake he made with Quartz, Lyre sat down and reached for the back of his neck with his hind cws, scratching until he felt the change in its smooth surface. He awkwardly dug a cw inside.

  With a snap, the colr neatly dropped down to his paws, touching them before he had the time to move them out of the way.

  Nothing happened.

  He gazed at The Petrifier, who leaned towards the colr, rotated it, then hovered his neck over it until it csped around his neck.

  Lyre felt his own, wanting to feel relieved that it was finally gone. Then he stared at the object. He might want me to wear that. But…I can’t. I never learned how to use the stupid abilities that came from The Stone Colr, so this thing isn’t any different.

  The Petrifier looked into one of the rger holes he’d made, and crouched down. With a slow breath, he closed his eyes. The once cold air slowly began warming again.

  With a smirk, he suddenly opened his eyes and shot upwards. “Well then, Lyre, let’s get a move on. But before we go, put that thing on.” He nodded his head towards the object, which he spped with his paw until it scraped towards the light brown tom.

  Lyre looked down at the object. It weirded him out to see it ying ftly on the ground as if it reverted to its normal state. Hesitantly, he wobbled over to it like a young kitten just learning how to walk.

  He lowered his head until his neck was over the object. He heard a sigh come from The Petrifier.

  “Use your paw to press it against the front of your neck.” He said in a criticizing tone.

  Lyre obeyed, scooping up the now purple-gray object in his left paw. It felt a bit heavier than when he’d first picked it up. His cws were digging into the firm fabric. The Petrifier stared at him as he lifted his paw to touch his throat with the object.

  His fur was forcefully moved out of the way as the object, which completely turned gray and solid again, began wrapping itself around his neck the way the colr attached itself to his neck. Instead of snapping together, the corners of the object attached to each other and merged into one.

  Lyre lowered his paw.

  The Petrifier rose his tail. “Good.” He trotted off of the stone pond. When his paws settled onto the grass, the water regained its normal texture; it cleared up at st, sparkling under the dim moonlight.

  He went over to Lyre, who was on the other side. “Get that wolf pup.” He flicked his dark tail over to the brown pup, who was curled up.

  Lyre walked over to it and sharply prodded its side until it shot its head upwards to stare at him. “We’re moving.” He meowed.

  The pup did a long whine of compint, but that was it. The wolf pup got up and shook out its fur before meeting Lyre’s gaze with a yawn.

  Lyre went towards The Petrifier, standing by his side. Is this what the wolf pup feels like? Does it use its fear to obey me?

  “Let me guess, he doesn’t have a name.” He snorted.

  He? Lyre echoed before shoving away the thought. No time for that.

  “Seriously, Lyre, I can’t do all the talking. Does that pup have a name or not?” The tom’s voice had an edge of irritation.

  He shook his head. “...I never pnned to.”

  “And you’re insistent about keeping it. What a load of nonsense. You’d better come up with one before we arrive, or I’m keeping it myself.” He snapped.

  The Petrifier walked around the pond again until he reached the side he was previously on. Lyre followed, the wolf pup close behind.

  “Uhm, speaking of names, I know your actual name isn’t…you know, The Petrifier.” Lyre tried reading the ginger tom’s face. Aside from the slight irritation earlier, he could catch a hint of surprise in his golden-yellow eyes.

  “My name, huh?” He responded thoughtfully.

  For the first time, silence fell between the two of them. Not expecting an immediate answer, Lyre looked away before things got awkward. I just don’t get why Calico and the other cats antagonise this cat. I mean, sure, he looks like he likes showing off his ability, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy. What did Molly do that made him turn her to stone?

  Lyre fttened his ears against an oncoming headache. He decided not to question another cat’s problems when he was still in the middle of trying to solve his own.

  I suppose I could try coming up with a name for that pup. He looked at the pup. The pup had a dreary expression on his face. Not to mention it’s apparently a male, so naming him will be even more difficult.

  Hmm. Well so far, everyone's names seem to be reted to their surroundings. The constant chirping of the crickets, though not that loud, somehow didn’t manage to disrupt his thoughts until now.

  That’s it.

  “Your name will be Cricket.” Lyre decred to the wolf pup.

  “Cricket?” The pup repeated. “But I don’t look like a cricket. My parents call me Beetle.”

  “Well it’s Cricket now. And if they called you that, Root would have called you by that name as well.” Lyre turned his head back around. He heard Cricket frowning as he spoke again.

  “But I like the name Beetle!” Cricket’s next pawstep stomped on the grass.

  “Too bad.”

  Cricket made a strange whimper-growl noise.

  “We’re here!” The Petrifier yowled.

  Lyre perked up his ears. “Really?” He squinted in the darkness, but saw nothing but grass and an increasing forest of bushes. The trio was entering a clearing.

  “Nah, just said that to shut you two up. And it worked!” He stifled a raspy ugh.

  Lyre frowned deeply. What are you, gullible? He growled at himself.