The laboratory was bigger than it looked. There were several floors. The floor Dr. Cresen took Tulip to a wider chamber. It was much emptier than the other floors. Dr. Cresen showed Tulip how all his machines worked. He was surprised that the girl before him learned and comprehended his work so quickly. Normally when he showed the common villager his work, the tour would take such a long time, and it would bother him. But this girl was interesting. She had extended her vocabulary and was able to speak on his level faster than he had. She was marvelous.
Once the two arrived on the top floor, the empty chamber, Dr. Cresen asked the girl if she had any questions. And to his surprise, she didn't. He liked that about her. He was expecting there would be stupid questions on things that he had already explained. But Tulip had understood every word, once she got passed the complex vocab.
Tulip was enthralled. She learned more about machines and science than she thought was necessary. Dr. Cresen was amazing. He knew so much. Tulip wished she knew as much as knew about science, but about Earth.
"Miss, if you would be so kind as to inform me about the extent of your knowledge." Dr. Cresen stated calmly.
"Yes of course." Tulip blushed some. He was so straightforward. "Well, I have the ability to communicate with plants. The grass always as something to talk about of course. They never settle down. Trees are kind and quiet. Flowers are different from day-to-day."
"That doesn't give me anything since I cannot talk to plants. But please continue."
"Well, I guess what I'm really saying what I can do isn't the same as showing you." Tulip was kind of shy about this. She kept to herself for such a long time. She wasn't sure if she had the guts to do it in front of Dr. Cresen.
Tulip took a deep breath. She didn't know why, but it did help calm her down. She closed her eyes in hope to feel alone. It helped some, but not entirely. She stepped back some, and she focused on the floor. She thought of something small. A single rose should do, Tulip thought. It was enough to show him one thing she was capable of doing.
She opened her eyes and there it was. A dainty, little rose.
"So how was that."
"Intriguing, but is that all you can do? Grow little plants?"
"No! Of course not!" Tulip turned red some with frustration. The Doctor had no patience.
She had to show him everything. Tulip made the rose bigger. She changed to Ice. Her clothes changed to match the form. Then she frosted the rose as if it was outside before fall had turned to winter. Tulip looked up at Dr. Cresen. He didn't seem amazed.
"What are you not impressed?" Tulip was getting more and more fed up. And a little redder.
"It's not that I'm not impressed, just being observant. So please keep going and don't stop on my account."
Tulip was just fine with not stopping. She shot some ice shards into the air. She turned Air, making winds to break the shards down into an icy wind. She changed to Lightning and spun a bowl with the settling ice. Then as the bowl melted she changed to Water and manipulated the melting ice, she had sit on the floor because she had a fish tail instead of legs.
She found she was feeling warmer than usual as she sat in the bowl. She thought it just because she was mad. She looked down to at her clothes. They changed again. They were orange and yellow in a pattern. Like a fire. She felt her temp rise with her excitement. The bowl started to melt faster. She decided that she would experiment with this new form. She was Fire. The melted bowl, but it put her out though. She wasn't happy with the feeling of being put out too much. It was like being hit with a hammer.
"Wonderful. Truly wonderful." Dr. Cresen had a smile on his face. He had to be truly happy for the first since Tulip has been there.
"Really! Thank you! You are the only person I have shown what I can do and didn't judge me! Thank you Dr. Cresen."
" No, thank you, young lady. You showed me a world I haven't known before. That is truly a wonderful thing. It makes me curious." Dr. Cresen started to examine Tulip more closely. "How did you get like this?
"Well all I remember is that I was running, pricked my finger on a thorn bush, and I woke up in a cell. So really I have no memory of who I used to be before this."
"Interesting. How are you able to control all your forms and powers?"
"That's all in the mind really. I focus on what I want and it happens. Like the rose. All I did was think of a rose growing and it happened."
"Huh. May I run some tests on your powers?"
"Why? Is me telling you your answers not enough for you?"
"Well, no. I want more than verbal answers, my dear. Some data is best physical or written down."
Dr. Cresen had built a machine to control the flow of Tulip's power. All she had to do was just direct her power as energy. It was difficult since Tulip had never done anything like that before.
The machine itself was strange. It was just a box with two long claw hands at the ends. The box looked like a generator, but why would Dr. Cresen need a generator to collect energy?
Tulip wasn't sure about the choice she made. The machine was odd enough, but it was weirder when Dr. Cresen started to talk to himself. He was saying strange things that Tulip didn't understand. Like as if it was another language. He turned to Tulip to with a creepy smile on his face. Like he was about to do something evil or something.
"If you would step up to the machine miss Tulip," his voice cracked a little. It sounded like the harsh young man's voice from earlier. Tulip started to think that Dr. Cresen's voice changed with his activity. Old when touring, young when experimenting. He was surely odd.
Tulip stepped up the machine and Dr.Cresen turned her around. He placed the claws tight around her wrists. It was if he didn't want her to get out of them.
"Will this hurt?" Tulip asked a little scared. She didn't care for pain even though she always felt it. She found out it was the pain in the world, and she had grown accustomed to it. But the thought of more pain didn't catch her fancy.
"It will only hurt if you struggle." Cresen's voice was creepier now than it was a second ago. He was really weird. And obviously crazy.
The machine sputtered on. Tulip focused her power like she was supposed to and then a sharp, stabbing pain ran through her. Her legs felt weak quickly and she dropped to her knees. The pain was strong. Too strong to bare. Tulip let out a high pitched cry. It was too much too fast.
"Calm down! It can't be that bad!"
Oh, but it was. The pain started to take control and fast. Darkness started to cloud Tulip's mind and eyes. She couldn't think straight. In fact, she couldn't think at all with the pain.
Tulip opened her eyes. She was lying down. It was pitch black. She had no clue what was going on. She still felt pain. She looked up and there was a light. It seemed so far yet so close. Like an illusion. It was odd. Tulip got to her feet. She winced in pain. She had no idea what was happening.
She started on the road. It was dark so she couldn't see it. Tulip really couldn't see anything. She made up to a staircase. That must have how it looked so far. It was up higher. Tulip wasted no time and started to climb. It hurt greatly going up the stairs. But she made it to the top. She was on her knees by that point. There was a girl waiting at the top staring at Tulip.