Please Note: This story cannot be confirmed as canon to the National Geographic game "Animal Jam", but is rather a spin on events that could, have and in some cases, haven't, occurred in the game at the time it was made. Opinions expressed in this story may not directly relate to actual thoughts of actual players, living or dead, and sometimes a negative attitude is pressed on a character for sake of the story. In other words, actual attitudes about certain subjects may be changed in order to relate to the story better. If you have an issue with the story, or if it offends you in any manner, please let us know.
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Chapter 1: Zios's Fall
A wolf flipped through the pages in a mad search. "It isn't here..." She sighed, and rushed back to the bookshelf. Jamming the book back, she grabbed another.
"This isn't even close!" She exclaimed, examining the cover.
"Where wombats live." She read the cover aloud. She sighed. She wouldn't find it at this rate. She rewrapped the bandages covering her paws, and sighed again. All she wanted to do was to find out what happened to Zios. Looking back at the large library, she gently tucked the book back into the hub of literature, tightly packed together. However, she bumbed, perhaps she tilted, the specific bookcase, and tilted it over. Yelping out loud, she scrambled out of the way. The shelf came crashing down, with books spilling out by the pawfuls.
"Oh great!" She complained, seething with sarcasm and anger. "Now I have to pick this up!" However, upon reaching for the first book, she had noticed something.
"The Fountain of Youth." She paused for a moment.
"The... Fountain of Youth..." She repeated. She sat down and held the book in her cream, bandaged paws. She opened the cover, the cover that would change her and her research, as well as all of Jamaa, forever. The following is what it had engraved;
"This isn't even close!" She exclaimed, examining the cover.
"Where wombats live." She read the cover aloud. She sighed. She wouldn't find it at this rate. She rewrapped the bandages covering her paws, and sighed again. All she wanted to do was to find out what happened to Zios. Looking back at the large library, she gently tucked the book back into the hub of literature, tightly packed together. However, she bumbed, perhaps she tilted, the specific bookcase, and tilted it over. Yelping out loud, she scrambled out of the way. The shelf came crashing down, with books spilling out by the pawfuls.
"Oh great!" She complained, seething with sarcasm and anger. "Now I have to pick this up!" However, upon reaching for the first book, she had noticed something.
"The Fountain of Youth." She paused for a moment.
"The... Fountain of Youth..." She repeated. She sat down and held the book in her cream, bandaged paws. She opened the cover, the cover that would change her and her research, as well as all of Jamaa, forever. The following is what it had engraved;
Suddenly, the young, blonde wolf felt a shadow looming above her.
"You aren't the first to have known that secret..."
A shiver went up her spine. She turned around, and screamed at what she saw. "AAAAAAAAAA-" The yelp rose from her throat, and was cut off when a hoof jabbed her jaw shut. Squirming, she saw that her attacker was tall, wearing a nice tie over their greasy, ebony fur. However, their face was completely pale, and it almost seemed as if they were wearing a skull, with two brown, beady eyes peeping out from their sockets. The wolf took a wild swing, punching her aggressor as hard as she could, slamming them into a mountain of books from the fallen bookcase. The slender figure got up, and yelled, running towards her. The wolf prepared herself for the worst, and braced herself.
"You aren't the first to have known that secret..."
A shiver went up her spine. She turned around, and screamed at what she saw. "AAAAAAAAAA-" The yelp rose from her throat, and was cut off when a hoof jabbed her jaw shut. Squirming, she saw that her attacker was tall, wearing a nice tie over their greasy, ebony fur. However, their face was completely pale, and it almost seemed as if they were wearing a skull, with two brown, beady eyes peeping out from their sockets. The wolf took a wild swing, punching her aggressor as hard as she could, slamming them into a mountain of books from the fallen bookcase. The slender figure got up, and yelled, running towards her. The wolf prepared herself for the worst, and braced herself.
Chapter 2: BCTAJ
The wolf opened her eyes. Looking up slowly, she saw that the animal had stopped right in front of her, with no intention of harming her.
"Are you alright?" The gentle voice asked, panting heavily after taking such a large blow. The wolf scanned the animal before her, and almost seemed like a completely different person than before. What now stood before her was, quite simply, a giraffe.
"Yeah, I'm fine." The wolf replied, still shaking and quite bewildered. "You just scared me."
"Yes, I tend to sneak up on people when they're least expecting it, hm?" The giraffe smiled, rubbing its bruised cheek.
"Yeah."
The giraffe looked around a bit. "I guess I haven't introduced myself yet, huh?" It straightened itself up. "I'm known by many names. I could be Haileywoo, Victory Wingedpride, or Slenderaffe. You can call me by whichever you prefer. And you are...?"
The wolf stared blankly at the giraffe then responded, "Scarlet Brokenpaw. Just call me Scarlet, though."
"Ah, Brokenpaw, hm? I can see that's somewhat literal." She pointed at Scarlet's bandages.
Scarlet laughed. "No, my paws aren't broken. Just a condition that I've had since I was born. Oh, sorry I, um, hurt you earlier Haileywoo, sir."
A loud moan of frustration rose from Haileywoo's throat. Scarlet jumped back. "W-what's wrong?!"
Haileywoo sighed, and lowered her head in remorse, sincerely apologizing. "Please excuse my actions. It just frustrates me when people refer to me by the wrong gender. Don't worry, I won't penalize you for it." She stood straight up again and smiled. "Now, back to what I was saying about your book earlier..."
"Are you alright?" The gentle voice asked, panting heavily after taking such a large blow. The wolf scanned the animal before her, and almost seemed like a completely different person than before. What now stood before her was, quite simply, a giraffe.
"Yeah, I'm fine." The wolf replied, still shaking and quite bewildered. "You just scared me."
"Yes, I tend to sneak up on people when they're least expecting it, hm?" The giraffe smiled, rubbing its bruised cheek.
"Yeah."
The giraffe looked around a bit. "I guess I haven't introduced myself yet, huh?" It straightened itself up. "I'm known by many names. I could be Haileywoo, Victory Wingedpride, or Slenderaffe. You can call me by whichever you prefer. And you are...?"
The wolf stared blankly at the giraffe then responded, "Scarlet Brokenpaw. Just call me Scarlet, though."
"Ah, Brokenpaw, hm? I can see that's somewhat literal." She pointed at Scarlet's bandages.
Scarlet laughed. "No, my paws aren't broken. Just a condition that I've had since I was born. Oh, sorry I, um, hurt you earlier Haileywoo, sir."
A loud moan of frustration rose from Haileywoo's throat. Scarlet jumped back. "W-what's wrong?!"
Haileywoo sighed, and lowered her head in remorse, sincerely apologizing. "Please excuse my actions. It just frustrates me when people refer to me by the wrong gender. Don't worry, I won't penalize you for it." She stood straight up again and smiled. "Now, back to what I was saying about your book earlier..."
The two walked out into the clearing of the Lost Temple of Zios. Haileywoo pointed straight towards the statue. "There's the Fountain of Youth."
"E-excuse me?" Scarlet was bewildered. "His grave has been here this whole time?"
Haileywoo's eyes softened, and she smiled. "Yes... Do you see those sparkles rising from his mask?"
Scarlet slowly felt a mask of shock creep upon her face. "The... Essence of life itself?!"
The sleek giraffe nodded. "That history book you've been reading is completely accurate. It was written by an unknown force, almost as if appearing out of thin air. Some say it was written by Mira, others think that it was written by a legendary animal with four red paws. Anyways, I wanted to meet you because we need your knowledge of Zios."
Scarlet frowned in confusion. "Why do you need me? My research so far has been mostly fruitless."
"Our resources have told us that Zios may still be living, yet we have no idea where he may be, or even if he knows that he created the earth he walks upon. His mask is said to contain his soul, and his mind still remains wandering. We know you have a certain talent for... Finding things."
"His brain is walking around, and you want me to find it?" Scarlet replied sarcastically.
Haileywoo sighed. "Allow me to explain." She pulled out a small chart bearing a small picture.
Haileywoo's eyes softened, and she smiled. "Yes... Do you see those sparkles rising from his mask?"
Scarlet slowly felt a mask of shock creep upon her face. "The... Essence of life itself?!"
The sleek giraffe nodded. "That history book you've been reading is completely accurate. It was written by an unknown force, almost as if appearing out of thin air. Some say it was written by Mira, others think that it was written by a legendary animal with four red paws. Anyways, I wanted to meet you because we need your knowledge of Zios."
Scarlet frowned in confusion. "Why do you need me? My research so far has been mostly fruitless."
"Our resources have told us that Zios may still be living, yet we have no idea where he may be, or even if he knows that he created the earth he walks upon. His mask is said to contain his soul, and his mind still remains wandering. We know you have a certain talent for... Finding things."
"His brain is walking around, and you want me to find it?" Scarlet replied sarcastically.
Haileywoo sighed. "Allow me to explain." She pulled out a small chart bearing a small picture.
"You see," she began, "the mind and soul are two different creations. The first main difference is that the soul is created in the Fountain of Youth, and the mind is created as one gains new memories and experiences. Another difference is that the soul craves wisdom, and grows as it gains more, while the mind grows with knowledge."
"Isn't wisdom and knowledge the same?" Scarlet's interest was piqued.
"Wisdom involves learning through experience. You usually gain more wisdom as you grow older, due to all of the experiences you would have gone through. Also, an old soul in a body makes it seem as though one has déjà vu on almost a daily basis, while a new soul will leave one extremely curious. Knowledge is what you learn from studying and school, such as math or history. Our theory is that when one dies, their soul goes to the "Beyond", but their mind remains with their body. After a certain amount of time, the mind will leave the body to go back to places it "remembers", and essentially is what you may call a ghost or spirit. Only a select few can see the mind in their true form, but all animals can see the effects of a mind passing by, such as doors closing when there's no breeze."
Scarlet looked a tad confused. "Why would the mind haunt others then? What does it gain from that?"
"The mind doesn't exactly... Haunt animals, so to speak. They can pass through an area and scare somebody silly, but they won't purposely scare anyone. The mind cannot sense a typical animal's presence, and only the Mishu can communicate with spirits."
"The Mishu...?"
"An old tribe of animals born without eyes. They are said to have long since been wiped out by a phantom attack on their village, though." Slenderaffe waved her hoof, not really wanting to stay on the subject. She put the chart away and shook herself. "Enough of that, though. It's about time we start heading towards HQ, it's starting to get dark."
"HQ?" Scarlet trailed after her.
"You'll see!" Was the simple reply from Haileywoo.
"Isn't wisdom and knowledge the same?" Scarlet's interest was piqued.
"Wisdom involves learning through experience. You usually gain more wisdom as you grow older, due to all of the experiences you would have gone through. Also, an old soul in a body makes it seem as though one has déjà vu on almost a daily basis, while a new soul will leave one extremely curious. Knowledge is what you learn from studying and school, such as math or history. Our theory is that when one dies, their soul goes to the "Beyond", but their mind remains with their body. After a certain amount of time, the mind will leave the body to go back to places it "remembers", and essentially is what you may call a ghost or spirit. Only a select few can see the mind in their true form, but all animals can see the effects of a mind passing by, such as doors closing when there's no breeze."
Scarlet looked a tad confused. "Why would the mind haunt others then? What does it gain from that?"
"The mind doesn't exactly... Haunt animals, so to speak. They can pass through an area and scare somebody silly, but they won't purposely scare anyone. The mind cannot sense a typical animal's presence, and only the Mishu can communicate with spirits."
"The Mishu...?"
"An old tribe of animals born without eyes. They are said to have long since been wiped out by a phantom attack on their village, though." Slenderaffe waved her hoof, not really wanting to stay on the subject. She put the chart away and shook herself. "Enough of that, though. It's about time we start heading towards HQ, it's starting to get dark."
"HQ?" Scarlet trailed after her.
"You'll see!" Was the simple reply from Haileywoo.
The pair finally stopped at the entrance to Sarepia Forest. "In here?" Scarlet questioned.
"Yes." Was the quiet reply from Haileywoo. Suddenly, the two heard yelling and screaming. Scarlet's head darted to the right. "Just a clan battle," Slenderaffe reassured. "Nothing to worry about." The pair walked on.
The forest was alive with the calls of animals and clan disputes. Soon, they came to a clearing where four statues stood, with a fountain bearing a resemblance to Zios in the middle. One statue clearly looked like Slenderaffe, but the other three were unfamiliar. A rhino-like dragon, a dark snow leopard, and a spotted wolf were the carvings bore into the bronze statues. A hollow was up ahead, and the two walked inside. Several animals were walking throughout the area, chatting away and eating in what looked like a large living space. "This is our Guild," Slenderaffe began once more. "This room is for just hanging out in." She smiled gently. "The dorm rooms are over there." She pointed towards an area where vines and plants crawled everywhere, and two tunnels bore a fork in the path. "It also happens to be our medicine station." She then swung her head over towards where a small waterfall happened to be falling. "Past that water is where the meeting room lies. It's also where we post new missions. That's all of the areas you need to know about for now though. Would you like to meet the rest of the Elite Four? Oh, we need to hurry though."
"Why?"
"My partner, Majora, and I are going off on the expedition that all of the animals of Appondale are attending. While they're on a search for the hippo tribe, myself, Majora, and any other Appondale animal interested in cubs will be searching for a link to the Nether and the Beyond."
"The Nether and the Beyond?" Scarlet questioned. She positioned the cerulean flower on her head.
"You see, the Nether is where souls are created. It is said that this is where Zios banished the Fountain of Youth. The Beyond is where a soul goes when an animal dies. The Beyond is connected to the Fountain of Youth, however, as it recycles souls back into the Fountain of Youth."
"It sounds confusing." Scarlet simply replied, her head still spinning.
"It is, isn't it?" A large rhino-like dragon walked in and sat down. Scarlet seemed to recall a statue of this creature. "My name's Majora, by the way. Or Baroness. Or Rhygon. Whichever you prefer. I'm a member of the Elite Four." Majora shook herself. "Haileywoo, are you ready to go?"
The slender giraffe nodded. "Almost. I was going to make Scarlet here a supporter before we left, though." She turned to Scarlet once more. "It seems I have to leave sooner than I thought. Come."
The trio walked out into the clearing. "Here is where we do the ceremony." And with that, she clapped her hooves, and the statues started glowing. "By the power invested in me, I declare Scarlet Brokenpaw an official supporter of BCTAJ!" The statues then shot beams of light toward the statue in the center, which in turn, shot a beam of light at Scarlet. Then, something strange happened.
Scarlet emerged in a field of light. Soft petals seeming to be made of light flew by her, and a great being opened its wings. "A Ginko..." A soft, feminine voice whispered. "Tell me red paws, young Ginko, you have sought my beloved partner for so long. But now, your journey must end. You have come far enough, and should know that there is nothing left for you here or in your future, if you consider to pursue this farce any longer." Scarlet couldn't believe her eyes, or her ears. Was it...
Suddenly, her eyes flew open. "She's awake!" A shadow exclaimed. When her eyes focused, Scarlet found that the relieved voice was Slenderaffe's. "You passed out after that beam of light hit you, you gave us all a scare!"
Bewildered and rubbing her head, Scarlet asked, "Does that usually happen?"
Majora shook her head. "The statues only glow. They've never actually shot beams of light before. Anyways, we have to get going now."
"Wait, I thought you were going to introduce me to the rest of the animals..." Scarlet complained.
"Ah, I'm sorry. That duty will have to lie in another's paws. We've wasted plenty of time already waiting for you to wake up. Terribly sorry, and hopefully we'll come back soon with the secret to the Nether and the Beyond!"
As Majora and Haileywoo walked off with their cargo on their backs, Scarlet almost considered telling them what she had seen. However, a strange doubt crept upon her. What if none of that was real, only a dream? The great being had told her to stop her search. Did it mean her search for Zios or the Fountain of Youth? And why didn't she see the Fountain of Youth in what seemed to be the Nether? However, before she could think any longer, a shadow loomed over, and a milky voice purred, "You must be Brokenpaw."
"Yes." Was the quiet reply from Haileywoo. Suddenly, the two heard yelling and screaming. Scarlet's head darted to the right. "Just a clan battle," Slenderaffe reassured. "Nothing to worry about." The pair walked on.
The forest was alive with the calls of animals and clan disputes. Soon, they came to a clearing where four statues stood, with a fountain bearing a resemblance to Zios in the middle. One statue clearly looked like Slenderaffe, but the other three were unfamiliar. A rhino-like dragon, a dark snow leopard, and a spotted wolf were the carvings bore into the bronze statues. A hollow was up ahead, and the two walked inside. Several animals were walking throughout the area, chatting away and eating in what looked like a large living space. "This is our Guild," Slenderaffe began once more. "This room is for just hanging out in." She smiled gently. "The dorm rooms are over there." She pointed towards an area where vines and plants crawled everywhere, and two tunnels bore a fork in the path. "It also happens to be our medicine station." She then swung her head over towards where a small waterfall happened to be falling. "Past that water is where the meeting room lies. It's also where we post new missions. That's all of the areas you need to know about for now though. Would you like to meet the rest of the Elite Four? Oh, we need to hurry though."
"Why?"
"My partner, Majora, and I are going off on the expedition that all of the animals of Appondale are attending. While they're on a search for the hippo tribe, myself, Majora, and any other Appondale animal interested in cubs will be searching for a link to the Nether and the Beyond."
"The Nether and the Beyond?" Scarlet questioned. She positioned the cerulean flower on her head.
"You see, the Nether is where souls are created. It is said that this is where Zios banished the Fountain of Youth. The Beyond is where a soul goes when an animal dies. The Beyond is connected to the Fountain of Youth, however, as it recycles souls back into the Fountain of Youth."
"It sounds confusing." Scarlet simply replied, her head still spinning.
"It is, isn't it?" A large rhino-like dragon walked in and sat down. Scarlet seemed to recall a statue of this creature. "My name's Majora, by the way. Or Baroness. Or Rhygon. Whichever you prefer. I'm a member of the Elite Four." Majora shook herself. "Haileywoo, are you ready to go?"
The slender giraffe nodded. "Almost. I was going to make Scarlet here a supporter before we left, though." She turned to Scarlet once more. "It seems I have to leave sooner than I thought. Come."
The trio walked out into the clearing. "Here is where we do the ceremony." And with that, she clapped her hooves, and the statues started glowing. "By the power invested in me, I declare Scarlet Brokenpaw an official supporter of BCTAJ!" The statues then shot beams of light toward the statue in the center, which in turn, shot a beam of light at Scarlet. Then, something strange happened.
Scarlet emerged in a field of light. Soft petals seeming to be made of light flew by her, and a great being opened its wings. "A Ginko..." A soft, feminine voice whispered. "Tell me red paws, young Ginko, you have sought my beloved partner for so long. But now, your journey must end. You have come far enough, and should know that there is nothing left for you here or in your future, if you consider to pursue this farce any longer." Scarlet couldn't believe her eyes, or her ears. Was it...
Suddenly, her eyes flew open. "She's awake!" A shadow exclaimed. When her eyes focused, Scarlet found that the relieved voice was Slenderaffe's. "You passed out after that beam of light hit you, you gave us all a scare!"
Bewildered and rubbing her head, Scarlet asked, "Does that usually happen?"
Majora shook her head. "The statues only glow. They've never actually shot beams of light before. Anyways, we have to get going now."
"Wait, I thought you were going to introduce me to the rest of the animals..." Scarlet complained.
"Ah, I'm sorry. That duty will have to lie in another's paws. We've wasted plenty of time already waiting for you to wake up. Terribly sorry, and hopefully we'll come back soon with the secret to the Nether and the Beyond!"
As Majora and Haileywoo walked off with their cargo on their backs, Scarlet almost considered telling them what she had seen. However, a strange doubt crept upon her. What if none of that was real, only a dream? The great being had told her to stop her search. Did it mean her search for Zios or the Fountain of Youth? And why didn't she see the Fountain of Youth in what seemed to be the Nether? However, before she could think any longer, a shadow loomed over, and a milky voice purred, "You must be Brokenpaw."
"I-is there something wrong with that?" Scarlet asked, startled by Snickering's reaction.
Aware of alerting Scarlet, Snickering shook his head and tried to clear his mind. She couldn't be a Ginko, she seemed too innocent to be cursed in such a way. "No," he began slowly. "It just sounds a little strange. As I said a while ago, it's late. We should be getting to bed now." Scarlet nodded, and the two padded off into their separate dorms. Scarlet circled around her bed and eventually plopped on top of it. What was so strange about seeing the Nether? Surely the idea of Mishu, animals without eyes who saw the mind in its most pure form, was much more strange than a vision of a land that doesn't exist. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Darkness.
"Sca..let.... I...n..ed... H.. lp..."
A crack of light flashed. "You... A...R...E..."
It was getting more clear...
"YoUr.... ExIsTenCE.... De.. sTroy.. iNG..."
A crack of static rolled across in a chilling manner.
"ALL OF JAMAA!"
Scarlet awoke with a gasp. Sunlight poured through the windows. Scarlet started to wonder how she could see outside several floors underground, then recalled that the establishment was built into the side of a mountain. She stretched, and walked upstairs. A hum of chatter was heard in the meeting room. Curious, Scarlet head over to find Onyx and Teensy, the last two members of the Elite Four, standing at a podium. "What's going on?" Scarlet asked a pink panda happening to be next to her.
"We've already received a letter from Majora and Haileywoo!" He replied excitedly. Scarlet looked back up at the podium. They couldn't have found cubs already, could they?
"Attention, supporters of BCTAJ," Onyx began, her smooth, dark tail swooping back and forth. "I am pleased to report that Elite Four members Haileywoo and Majora have sent us a letter of their progress." The crowd lowered to a dull roar. "The following is what they have said;
To our wonderful supporters,
We are happy to report that we have already discovered many things within the last few hours. Two hours after our departure, we came upon a clan of animals that could still speak animalese. Through charades, they led us to a dense jungle, where the koala expedition stood, talking amongst themselves. It appeared that Cosmo, leader of the koalas was trying to coax the plants to recede, but with no luck. It seemed that the phantoms had taken control of the plants. After a short conversation, we found that KANGAROOS were trapped inside this dense forest. Cosmo and his crew managed to free about three or four out of the thousands that were stuck, and had told them to go to Jamaa to spread word about their findings, and request help if possible."
"We need to go help them!" I cry from the crowd rung across the silence. Murmurs throughout the group spread.
"At least let us finish the letter!" Teensy cried out over the conversations. The noise died down again. After looking around, Onyx finished the letter.
"While the free kangaroos are doing that, we will try our best to pry all the others out from their jungle prison. In the meantime, we request that all BCTAJ supporters go about business as usual."
The crowd dispersed and mutters of disappointment were distinguished more than the murmurs of excitement. Scarlet looked outside and saw a shadow flickering playfully, catching her eye, then disappearing. She shrugged and went out to help put up flyers for BCTAJ.
Aware of alerting Scarlet, Snickering shook his head and tried to clear his mind. She couldn't be a Ginko, she seemed too innocent to be cursed in such a way. "No," he began slowly. "It just sounds a little strange. As I said a while ago, it's late. We should be getting to bed now." Scarlet nodded, and the two padded off into their separate dorms. Scarlet circled around her bed and eventually plopped on top of it. What was so strange about seeing the Nether? Surely the idea of Mishu, animals without eyes who saw the mind in its most pure form, was much more strange than a vision of a land that doesn't exist. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Darkness.
"Sca..let.... I...n..ed... H.. lp..."
A crack of light flashed. "You... A...R...E..."
It was getting more clear...
"YoUr.... ExIsTenCE.... De.. sTroy.. iNG..."
A crack of static rolled across in a chilling manner.
"ALL OF JAMAA!"
Scarlet awoke with a gasp. Sunlight poured through the windows. Scarlet started to wonder how she could see outside several floors underground, then recalled that the establishment was built into the side of a mountain. She stretched, and walked upstairs. A hum of chatter was heard in the meeting room. Curious, Scarlet head over to find Onyx and Teensy, the last two members of the Elite Four, standing at a podium. "What's going on?" Scarlet asked a pink panda happening to be next to her.
"We've already received a letter from Majora and Haileywoo!" He replied excitedly. Scarlet looked back up at the podium. They couldn't have found cubs already, could they?
"Attention, supporters of BCTAJ," Onyx began, her smooth, dark tail swooping back and forth. "I am pleased to report that Elite Four members Haileywoo and Majora have sent us a letter of their progress." The crowd lowered to a dull roar. "The following is what they have said;
To our wonderful supporters,
We are happy to report that we have already discovered many things within the last few hours. Two hours after our departure, we came upon a clan of animals that could still speak animalese. Through charades, they led us to a dense jungle, where the koala expedition stood, talking amongst themselves. It appeared that Cosmo, leader of the koalas was trying to coax the plants to recede, but with no luck. It seemed that the phantoms had taken control of the plants. After a short conversation, we found that KANGAROOS were trapped inside this dense forest. Cosmo and his crew managed to free about three or four out of the thousands that were stuck, and had told them to go to Jamaa to spread word about their findings, and request help if possible."
"We need to go help them!" I cry from the crowd rung across the silence. Murmurs throughout the group spread.
"At least let us finish the letter!" Teensy cried out over the conversations. The noise died down again. After looking around, Onyx finished the letter.
"While the free kangaroos are doing that, we will try our best to pry all the others out from their jungle prison. In the meantime, we request that all BCTAJ supporters go about business as usual."
The crowd dispersed and mutters of disappointment were distinguished more than the murmurs of excitement. Scarlet looked outside and saw a shadow flickering playfully, catching her eye, then disappearing. She shrugged and went out to help put up flyers for BCTAJ.
Chapter 3: The Phantom Invasion
Several days later...
"THE PHANTOMS ARE BACK!" The cry rung out through the silent morning roll call, and a chilling echo reverberated across the room. All heads turned to the voice, facing a pink furred panda. No one said a word as the frightened animal became silent.
Onyx stood up and looked at the panda. "A phantom, Shmobile? Where at?"
He looked at the floor. "By the lost temple of Zios... A portal opened and now they're everywhere." Quiet conversations carried out through the crowd, and soon the silent room was filled with cries of scared animals and worried screams. Onyx looked around and took a deep breath. Teensy, noticing how distressed Onyx was, continued her speech for her.
"Everyone," her sweet, young voice rang out. "Nothing bad is gonna happen, the phantoms can't hurt anyone!" Were her encouraging words. Shouts of agreement rose throughout the crowd.
"Not so!" Shmobile retorted. The crowd was quiet again. "I saw them casting spells on crops so they can manipulate them and trap animals! They've built cages and blocked off roads, and have been putting animals into a deep sleep that they can't be woken up from!" The disharmony in the room rose again. Meanwhile, Snickering looked around the room for Scarlet. She couldn't be seen anywhere. He started to worry. What if Scarlet had been caught by a phantom? He walked back to the dormitories. Stopping at the entrance to the girls' dormitory, he stood there, befuddled as to what to do. He couldn't just barge on in there, not without getting maimed by angry females. He knocked and waited, then saw a flash of blonde appear from behind the corner leading to the garden.
"Scarlet?" He followed the light flickering of fur. He could never see just enough of the tail as he followed it to tell if it was Scarlet or not. When he reached the garden, he spotted Scarlet, facing the other direction. "Darn it rookie, don't worry me like that," he growled, very upset that she worried him for nothing. "You could have gotten lost! Or worse- Maybe a phantom could have captured you!"
A swish of contempt was the only reaction Scarlet's tail proved. "Oh, w-ELL, so SORRY if I worried you so much. You really should keep better tabs on me. If you did, our master would have a much easier time finding me!" She turned, and when she did, Snickering saw that this was not Scarlet at all. A huge black eye in the middle of her forehead emitted a purple aura. It was a phantom- In disguise. Snickering took a few steps back.
"A phantom? What- What do you want with Scarlet!?" He shouted.
The phantom remained in its Scarlet disguise, even though Snickering was no longer fooled. It smiled in a devious manner. "We need the soul of a Ginko to revive our dear, dear master. And you get to help us find a Ginko soul. We've already used all the Mishu there were, none of them would talk though. And I suppose you know what happened to them, all... Gone." It stretched, and lay down. "So, hot shot. How would you like to go about this? I'm sure that if you can find a skullie that you could find us Scarlet, the matter is just what you want as payment for your help. Name your price, a family member, perhaps a romantic interest to come back from the Beyond?"
Snickering paused. Could they really bring back someone from the beyond? He shook his head. Of course not, Mira would never grant them permission to do such a thing. "I wouldn't sell out my apprentice like that. Besides, how would you know that she's a Ginko? Even I don't know if she's a Ginko!" He would have to get out of this urgent situation using his wits.
The phantom sighed. "I knew you wouldn't want to help us. After all, she probably is valuable to Haileywoo, a Ginko could probably bring the Fountain of Youth back to Jamaa. Which is why Haileywoo told you to make sure she didn't get lost, right?" Snickering stopped. Was their beloved leader really going to have different plans for Scarlet? He still refused to believe it.
"Stop trying to force me to change sides!" He raised his voice. Why wasn't anyone coming to aid him? "I know where my loyalties lie, and I'm not going to change my mind!"
The phantom looked down. "Oh, well, just things to chew on. After all, it looks like you thought about these things before." It stood up, and braced all four legs. In a flash, a dark aura exploded around it, and the phantom transformed back to its true form, a dark creature with a single eye and a transparent, deep purple body. It laughed, and in a distorted voice, it spoke. "No worries, we can still use you as bait. I just wanted to test your loyalty, and it's too deep for your own safety." With that, dark matter exploded from the ground and gripped Snickering, pulling him into a dark void that just opened up. With a small yelp as the only proof that Snickering was captured, he disappeared into the darkness. The phantom followed after, cackling all the way.
Scarlet stood at the Lost Temple of Zios. She knew she should have stayed at the Guild, but she couldn't help but wonder about her dream from the night before. A shattering guilt rode upon her shoulders. Just the thought that her presence may be tearing Jamaa apart made her stomach drop to the ground in sadness. Sure, it was only a dream, but what if it was a prophecy? A flickering shadow broke her thoughts. Could it be...
She dashed out of the temple, sprinting as fast as her legs would carry her. Why was she so afraid, and why did she feel such a deep need to flee from that strange shadow? Then, she had a strange feeling that she lost someone very close to her, the sort of feeling you get when you realize a loved one had been lost, a deep feeling in her gut was eating her. What happened, her instincts were running wild with worry. A child's intuition before a tragic accident? She kept running. Suddenly, Scarlet stumbled, tripped, and fell with a splash into the mud. She looked up at the sky, and noticed there was a thin layer of clouds predicting an oncoming rain. Scarlet got up, then realized she was in Sarepia forest, rather close to the dense brush that would lead to the BCTAJ headquarters embedded in the quiet mountain. She sighed heavily and went into the brush, and emerged at the other side. Then she noticed something; silence. She found this strange, the headquarters were almost never silent. Another shadow flickered, then a pink panda dashed out of the entrance. "GET THE HECK OUTTA HERE!" he yelled. "THE GUILD HAS BEEN INVADED BY PHANTOMS!" Before Scarlet could utter her surprise and fear, the panda grabbed her scruff and tossed her onto his back. The two started working their way up the mountain, up towards Mount Shiveer. When they stopped, Scarlet decided to try and get some answers and figure out what was going on.
"What happened? Is everything alright?" She couldn't think of any other question to begin with.
"No," The panda was taking heaving breaths, sucking in air and clearly exhausted. "Everything is NOT alright." Scarlet stared at him until he kept talking. "The phantoms are back, and now they're much more dangerous... They came through a portal from the Lost Temple of Zios, and now they're everywhere! Nobody's safe..."
"!" Scarlet felt her morale drop significantly.
"And what's worse, they got to the guild, took it under control and put everyone into a deep sleep! I got away in time though, after I saw strange shadows, I managed to escape in the chaos..." He stopped panting and looked down at the ground.
"We-we'll find a cure." She reassured him. "I'm sure we can somewhere around here." However, she wasn't so sure of herself.
"THE PHANTOMS ARE BACK!" The cry rung out through the silent morning roll call, and a chilling echo reverberated across the room. All heads turned to the voice, facing a pink furred panda. No one said a word as the frightened animal became silent.
Onyx stood up and looked at the panda. "A phantom, Shmobile? Where at?"
He looked at the floor. "By the lost temple of Zios... A portal opened and now they're everywhere." Quiet conversations carried out through the crowd, and soon the silent room was filled with cries of scared animals and worried screams. Onyx looked around and took a deep breath. Teensy, noticing how distressed Onyx was, continued her speech for her.
"Everyone," her sweet, young voice rang out. "Nothing bad is gonna happen, the phantoms can't hurt anyone!" Were her encouraging words. Shouts of agreement rose throughout the crowd.
"Not so!" Shmobile retorted. The crowd was quiet again. "I saw them casting spells on crops so they can manipulate them and trap animals! They've built cages and blocked off roads, and have been putting animals into a deep sleep that they can't be woken up from!" The disharmony in the room rose again. Meanwhile, Snickering looked around the room for Scarlet. She couldn't be seen anywhere. He started to worry. What if Scarlet had been caught by a phantom? He walked back to the dormitories. Stopping at the entrance to the girls' dormitory, he stood there, befuddled as to what to do. He couldn't just barge on in there, not without getting maimed by angry females. He knocked and waited, then saw a flash of blonde appear from behind the corner leading to the garden.
"Scarlet?" He followed the light flickering of fur. He could never see just enough of the tail as he followed it to tell if it was Scarlet or not. When he reached the garden, he spotted Scarlet, facing the other direction. "Darn it rookie, don't worry me like that," he growled, very upset that she worried him for nothing. "You could have gotten lost! Or worse- Maybe a phantom could have captured you!"
A swish of contempt was the only reaction Scarlet's tail proved. "Oh, w-ELL, so SORRY if I worried you so much. You really should keep better tabs on me. If you did, our master would have a much easier time finding me!" She turned, and when she did, Snickering saw that this was not Scarlet at all. A huge black eye in the middle of her forehead emitted a purple aura. It was a phantom- In disguise. Snickering took a few steps back.
"A phantom? What- What do you want with Scarlet!?" He shouted.
The phantom remained in its Scarlet disguise, even though Snickering was no longer fooled. It smiled in a devious manner. "We need the soul of a Ginko to revive our dear, dear master. And you get to help us find a Ginko soul. We've already used all the Mishu there were, none of them would talk though. And I suppose you know what happened to them, all... Gone." It stretched, and lay down. "So, hot shot. How would you like to go about this? I'm sure that if you can find a skullie that you could find us Scarlet, the matter is just what you want as payment for your help. Name your price, a family member, perhaps a romantic interest to come back from the Beyond?"
Snickering paused. Could they really bring back someone from the beyond? He shook his head. Of course not, Mira would never grant them permission to do such a thing. "I wouldn't sell out my apprentice like that. Besides, how would you know that she's a Ginko? Even I don't know if she's a Ginko!" He would have to get out of this urgent situation using his wits.
The phantom sighed. "I knew you wouldn't want to help us. After all, she probably is valuable to Haileywoo, a Ginko could probably bring the Fountain of Youth back to Jamaa. Which is why Haileywoo told you to make sure she didn't get lost, right?" Snickering stopped. Was their beloved leader really going to have different plans for Scarlet? He still refused to believe it.
"Stop trying to force me to change sides!" He raised his voice. Why wasn't anyone coming to aid him? "I know where my loyalties lie, and I'm not going to change my mind!"
The phantom looked down. "Oh, well, just things to chew on. After all, it looks like you thought about these things before." It stood up, and braced all four legs. In a flash, a dark aura exploded around it, and the phantom transformed back to its true form, a dark creature with a single eye and a transparent, deep purple body. It laughed, and in a distorted voice, it spoke. "No worries, we can still use you as bait. I just wanted to test your loyalty, and it's too deep for your own safety." With that, dark matter exploded from the ground and gripped Snickering, pulling him into a dark void that just opened up. With a small yelp as the only proof that Snickering was captured, he disappeared into the darkness. The phantom followed after, cackling all the way.
Scarlet stood at the Lost Temple of Zios. She knew she should have stayed at the Guild, but she couldn't help but wonder about her dream from the night before. A shattering guilt rode upon her shoulders. Just the thought that her presence may be tearing Jamaa apart made her stomach drop to the ground in sadness. Sure, it was only a dream, but what if it was a prophecy? A flickering shadow broke her thoughts. Could it be...
She dashed out of the temple, sprinting as fast as her legs would carry her. Why was she so afraid, and why did she feel such a deep need to flee from that strange shadow? Then, she had a strange feeling that she lost someone very close to her, the sort of feeling you get when you realize a loved one had been lost, a deep feeling in her gut was eating her. What happened, her instincts were running wild with worry. A child's intuition before a tragic accident? She kept running. Suddenly, Scarlet stumbled, tripped, and fell with a splash into the mud. She looked up at the sky, and noticed there was a thin layer of clouds predicting an oncoming rain. Scarlet got up, then realized she was in Sarepia forest, rather close to the dense brush that would lead to the BCTAJ headquarters embedded in the quiet mountain. She sighed heavily and went into the brush, and emerged at the other side. Then she noticed something; silence. She found this strange, the headquarters were almost never silent. Another shadow flickered, then a pink panda dashed out of the entrance. "GET THE HECK OUTTA HERE!" he yelled. "THE GUILD HAS BEEN INVADED BY PHANTOMS!" Before Scarlet could utter her surprise and fear, the panda grabbed her scruff and tossed her onto his back. The two started working their way up the mountain, up towards Mount Shiveer. When they stopped, Scarlet decided to try and get some answers and figure out what was going on.
"What happened? Is everything alright?" She couldn't think of any other question to begin with.
"No," The panda was taking heaving breaths, sucking in air and clearly exhausted. "Everything is NOT alright." Scarlet stared at him until he kept talking. "The phantoms are back, and now they're much more dangerous... They came through a portal from the Lost Temple of Zios, and now they're everywhere! Nobody's safe..."
"!" Scarlet felt her morale drop significantly.
"And what's worse, they got to the guild, took it under control and put everyone into a deep sleep! I got away in time though, after I saw strange shadows, I managed to escape in the chaos..." He stopped panting and looked down at the ground.
"We-we'll find a cure." She reassured him. "I'm sure we can somewhere around here." However, she wasn't so sure of herself.
Scarlet and Shmobile (as she was told in a hurried manner) wandered aimlessly through the thick brush looking for a place to begin their search. They weren't even sure about what to look for. After a few hours of nothing, Scarlet decided to try a new approach. "How about we... Go check out where the phantoms came from? It's a place to start..." Shmobile frowned at her, but nodded.
The couple walked off to the Lost Temple of Zios to find out where the plague of phantoms was coming from. Once they arrived, the two were surprised to see a large crowd of animals pouring into a door from a once-sealed temple. Curious, they squeezed their way through to find themselves in the resistance camp training grounds set up by the alphas. "Wha-what?" Scarlet commented, befuddled. The two walked through the camp and saw several portals, but several were blocked off. A notice was hung next to one of the portals.
Dear young animal, this portal leads to a land where the rabbit clan and rabbit Spirit Stone lie. It has recently been attacked by phantoms, destroying crops, ruining the water, and the likes. Once you step through this portal, it cannot be guaranteed that one may come back. Going through this portal means that you may accept your possible fate of getting put under a sleeping spell by a phantom, never to wake up from. Only the bravest warriors may wish to go on this journey. If you wish to continue, please provide your badge proving that you have cleared the training grounds and place it in one of the grooves on the podium to the right, and you may continue. Once all phantoms in the area have been banished, a portal will open up leading back to the resistance camp.
Shmobile looked nervously at the notice. "You aren't... Thinking of going, are you?" he whimpered. Scarlet looked at him with brave eyes.
"Let's get to that training camp!"
The couple walked off to the Lost Temple of Zios to find out where the plague of phantoms was coming from. Once they arrived, the two were surprised to see a large crowd of animals pouring into a door from a once-sealed temple. Curious, they squeezed their way through to find themselves in the resistance camp training grounds set up by the alphas. "Wha-what?" Scarlet commented, befuddled. The two walked through the camp and saw several portals, but several were blocked off. A notice was hung next to one of the portals.
Dear young animal, this portal leads to a land where the rabbit clan and rabbit Spirit Stone lie. It has recently been attacked by phantoms, destroying crops, ruining the water, and the likes. Once you step through this portal, it cannot be guaranteed that one may come back. Going through this portal means that you may accept your possible fate of getting put under a sleeping spell by a phantom, never to wake up from. Only the bravest warriors may wish to go on this journey. If you wish to continue, please provide your badge proving that you have cleared the training grounds and place it in one of the grooves on the podium to the right, and you may continue. Once all phantoms in the area have been banished, a portal will open up leading back to the resistance camp.
Shmobile looked nervously at the notice. "You aren't... Thinking of going, are you?" he whimpered. Scarlet looked at him with brave eyes.
"Let's get to that training camp!"
The two stood in front of a portal leading to the training grounds. "Ready?" Scarlet asked. Shmobile nodded slowly, still unsure. Scarlet looked into the swirling green light and jumped in, her pink friend close behind her. A warm glow enveloped her, and she felt her body being pulled through at a lightning speed. She felt sick. Suddenly, she found herself thrown towards the ground. After landing with a thud, Scarlet saw Shmobile's large shadow falling upon her fur, and she scrambled out of the way to avoid getting crushed. Helping him up, Scarlet found herself at the feet of Liza, the panda alpha. Liza only smiled as Scarlet stared at her, awestruck.
"Come, young one. You have much to learn and only a little time." Scarlet nodded and gestured Shmobile to follow. Liza soon showed them to a pen with a phantom inside. Scarlet and Shmobile gasped, but Liza just laughed. "Don't worry children, this phantom has been domesticated. These bars will be enough to hold him in." She walked toward a curtain of vines. "Go near it and see how it reacts." The pair nodded and walked up to the phantom. It exploded a purple aura around it and swooped towards the wolf and panda. It stopped at the fencing though, and seemed clearly irritated. "Come this way!" The alpha called. When the pair caught up with her, she explained further what they just experienced. "You see, even though we have domesticated this phantom, it's just in its nature to be a violent creature." She frowned and shook her head. "Let's move on, shall we?"
In the next area, there were several more phantoms in cages, this time with large plants that looked roughly similar to venus flytraps. Shmobile was somewhat confused. "What are those plants for?" He asked.
"Aren't those venus flytraps?" Scarlet chimed in. "I've read about them in my studies, but I never knew they grew so large!"
Liza gave a gentle smile. "Well, these aren't exactly the same plant. As you know, Cosmo the koala alpha is in charge of the flora in Jamaa. As such, he created these modified venus flytraps, which he likes to call Chomper plants, to capture phantoms before he left on his journey. Unlike a regular venus flytrap though, once they capture a phantom they take the black magic inside and use their positive energy to reduce the phantom to nothing, rather than sucking a creature's body fluids." She began to walk towards another curtain of vines, and called out, "Try luring them into the plants!"
Scarlet caught the attention of one phantom. As it attempted to chase her, she hid next to one of the phantom traps. When the black octopus-like creature got close, the plant stretched and snapped the phantom in its jaws in the blink of an eye. Shmobile, however, wasn't having so much luck. He ran around aimlessly in a vain hope to convince the phantom into the plant. Scarlet sighed and rolled her eyes. It was so simple, why did Shmobile make it harder than it was?
She helped him out and soon all of the phantoms were inside the plants. The pair met up with Liza once again, and the vine-like curtain lifted once more. This time it revealed free-ranging phantoms and a path of tall, blue grass that shimmered in the sunshine. Shmobile hid behind Scarlet with a small, quiet squeak. "W-Why are they all free?!" He stuttered.
Liza showed no signs of worry. "Don't worry. They don't dare cross that grass that has stretched between them. If you ever find yourself in need to sneak past a phantom, just go into that grass to take cover."
"That's the Nether grass, correct?" Scarlet interrupted. Liza nodded.
"True. It is a plant left by Mira with the power to repel phantoms. It serves as a guardian for every animal, and its positive energy is sure to keep dark creatures at bay."
Shmobile's ears perked up. "Couldn't we just carry the grass around so the phantoms can never come close?"
Liza shook her head. "Removing the grass from the earth will result in instantly killing it. However, I recommend you try going past them by sneaking around in the grass."
The two did as they were told, and snuck past the phantoms with ease. The deep purple creatures couldn’t even detect them when they were only a few inches away from each other. However, as Scarlet almost expected, Shmobile tripped and fell outside of the safe haven of grass. Immediately, the phantoms exploded a dark aura around themselves and charged towards Shmobile. He scrambled to get up, but kept tripping and stumbling. Scarlet grabbed him by the scruff and heaved him back into the grass, where the phantoms would not dare tread. The two followed the path until they reached another portal that awaited their arrival. The panda alpha followed behind them, and once they were all standing before the portal, she congratulated them.
“Great job,” she said with a smile. “You two have made it through the course with flying colors.” Scarlet puffed up with pride, but Shmobile only shrunk down at the words that he knew were lying. Liza then pulled out two shining badges bearing a small emblem in the shape of a heron, most likely Mira, Scarlet thought, and a small “1” in the corner.
“What’s that for?” Scarlet questioned, pointing at the small number engraved in the badge.
“That’s your explorer rank,” Liza nodded. “It shows how many phantoms you have defeated, and it goes up every time you gather large amounts of courage.”
“C-Courage?” Shmobile asked, looking down at the ground.
“Yes. Every time you go through an ordeal that requires courage and leadership, this badge calculates it and your explorer rank will go up accordingly. You will need this badge to go on the current mission, and good luck!” Before Shmobile could retort to this comment, the portal opened up again and Liza disappeared in a cloud of green smoke.
“Alright, let’s go.” Scarlet said in a strangely calm tone. Shmobile couldn’t believe how cool and collected she was. They were about to go into a distant land, from which they might not return.
Suddenly, to Shmobile’s surprise, Scarlet gasped and started crying, and she slowly fell into a crumpled heap. “W-What’s wrong?!” He asked worriedly.
“I-I just remembered!” She gasped in between sobs. “We left Snickering at the guild!” She kept sobbing. “A-And Teensy and Onyx… They’re all…” She broke down. Shmobile only stood there. He’d never given advice before on how to deal with the loss of a friend. He’d never lost a friend before, to be honest with himself. He patted her back with his large paw.
“Don’t worry Scarlet, we’ll find a cure to wake them up from the phantoms. Honest!” Shmobile tried to say confidently. He couldn’t afford to show weakness now, and neither could Scarlet. “How about we head to bed early, and go on tomorrow morning? C’mon- Whoops you dropped your scarf- I know a place we can rest for the night, I’ll make you some tea when we get there!” He helped her up and guided her to the portal. If they were going to tackle a hoard of phantoms, they would have to do it with complete and utter confidence.
Scarlet only replied with undistinguishable sobs.
"Come, young one. You have much to learn and only a little time." Scarlet nodded and gestured Shmobile to follow. Liza soon showed them to a pen with a phantom inside. Scarlet and Shmobile gasped, but Liza just laughed. "Don't worry children, this phantom has been domesticated. These bars will be enough to hold him in." She walked toward a curtain of vines. "Go near it and see how it reacts." The pair nodded and walked up to the phantom. It exploded a purple aura around it and swooped towards the wolf and panda. It stopped at the fencing though, and seemed clearly irritated. "Come this way!" The alpha called. When the pair caught up with her, she explained further what they just experienced. "You see, even though we have domesticated this phantom, it's just in its nature to be a violent creature." She frowned and shook her head. "Let's move on, shall we?"
In the next area, there were several more phantoms in cages, this time with large plants that looked roughly similar to venus flytraps. Shmobile was somewhat confused. "What are those plants for?" He asked.
"Aren't those venus flytraps?" Scarlet chimed in. "I've read about them in my studies, but I never knew they grew so large!"
Liza gave a gentle smile. "Well, these aren't exactly the same plant. As you know, Cosmo the koala alpha is in charge of the flora in Jamaa. As such, he created these modified venus flytraps, which he likes to call Chomper plants, to capture phantoms before he left on his journey. Unlike a regular venus flytrap though, once they capture a phantom they take the black magic inside and use their positive energy to reduce the phantom to nothing, rather than sucking a creature's body fluids." She began to walk towards another curtain of vines, and called out, "Try luring them into the plants!"
Scarlet caught the attention of one phantom. As it attempted to chase her, she hid next to one of the phantom traps. When the black octopus-like creature got close, the plant stretched and snapped the phantom in its jaws in the blink of an eye. Shmobile, however, wasn't having so much luck. He ran around aimlessly in a vain hope to convince the phantom into the plant. Scarlet sighed and rolled her eyes. It was so simple, why did Shmobile make it harder than it was?
She helped him out and soon all of the phantoms were inside the plants. The pair met up with Liza once again, and the vine-like curtain lifted once more. This time it revealed free-ranging phantoms and a path of tall, blue grass that shimmered in the sunshine. Shmobile hid behind Scarlet with a small, quiet squeak. "W-Why are they all free?!" He stuttered.
Liza showed no signs of worry. "Don't worry. They don't dare cross that grass that has stretched between them. If you ever find yourself in need to sneak past a phantom, just go into that grass to take cover."
"That's the Nether grass, correct?" Scarlet interrupted. Liza nodded.
"True. It is a plant left by Mira with the power to repel phantoms. It serves as a guardian for every animal, and its positive energy is sure to keep dark creatures at bay."
Shmobile's ears perked up. "Couldn't we just carry the grass around so the phantoms can never come close?"
Liza shook her head. "Removing the grass from the earth will result in instantly killing it. However, I recommend you try going past them by sneaking around in the grass."
The two did as they were told, and snuck past the phantoms with ease. The deep purple creatures couldn’t even detect them when they were only a few inches away from each other. However, as Scarlet almost expected, Shmobile tripped and fell outside of the safe haven of grass. Immediately, the phantoms exploded a dark aura around themselves and charged towards Shmobile. He scrambled to get up, but kept tripping and stumbling. Scarlet grabbed him by the scruff and heaved him back into the grass, where the phantoms would not dare tread. The two followed the path until they reached another portal that awaited their arrival. The panda alpha followed behind them, and once they were all standing before the portal, she congratulated them.
“Great job,” she said with a smile. “You two have made it through the course with flying colors.” Scarlet puffed up with pride, but Shmobile only shrunk down at the words that he knew were lying. Liza then pulled out two shining badges bearing a small emblem in the shape of a heron, most likely Mira, Scarlet thought, and a small “1” in the corner.
“What’s that for?” Scarlet questioned, pointing at the small number engraved in the badge.
“That’s your explorer rank,” Liza nodded. “It shows how many phantoms you have defeated, and it goes up every time you gather large amounts of courage.”
“C-Courage?” Shmobile asked, looking down at the ground.
“Yes. Every time you go through an ordeal that requires courage and leadership, this badge calculates it and your explorer rank will go up accordingly. You will need this badge to go on the current mission, and good luck!” Before Shmobile could retort to this comment, the portal opened up again and Liza disappeared in a cloud of green smoke.
“Alright, let’s go.” Scarlet said in a strangely calm tone. Shmobile couldn’t believe how cool and collected she was. They were about to go into a distant land, from which they might not return.
Suddenly, to Shmobile’s surprise, Scarlet gasped and started crying, and she slowly fell into a crumpled heap. “W-What’s wrong?!” He asked worriedly.
“I-I just remembered!” She gasped in between sobs. “We left Snickering at the guild!” She kept sobbing. “A-And Teensy and Onyx… They’re all…” She broke down. Shmobile only stood there. He’d never given advice before on how to deal with the loss of a friend. He’d never lost a friend before, to be honest with himself. He patted her back with his large paw.
“Don’t worry Scarlet, we’ll find a cure to wake them up from the phantoms. Honest!” Shmobile tried to say confidently. He couldn’t afford to show weakness now, and neither could Scarlet. “How about we head to bed early, and go on tomorrow morning? C’mon- Whoops you dropped your scarf- I know a place we can rest for the night, I’ll make you some tea when we get there!” He helped her up and guided her to the portal. If they were going to tackle a hoard of phantoms, they would have to do it with complete and utter confidence.
Scarlet only replied with undistinguishable sobs.
The pair stepped through the portal and eventually emerged on the other side. Scarlet was still depressed but no tears flowed out through her eyes. Her paws drug on the ground. Shmobile frowned and turned his attention to the only other open portal, the one that would lead to the Bunny Burrow. He guided Scarlet to a resting area at the camp. He noticed a medicine tent nearby, then saw several animals asleep under the phantoms' spell lay next to each other, with others being dragged next to them. His fur along his spine shook in fear, but he quickly tried to recover. He swallowed some air and rummaged in his backpack, eyeing Scarlet as he did. There was definitely something to this wolf that he didn't see before, a much deeper personality than he expected- And maybe even a secret she held. It wasn't his place to pry into her life though.
Scarlet's fur was damp with tears. She felt empty inside. It was all her fault, sneaking out of the guild to just fulfill curiosity that never got answered anyway. She could have at least told someone, or offered to them that they come along. Maybe she could have just saved one more animal... Even if it was just Snickering or even a stranger...
"Ah, here it is." Shmobile commented. He pulled out a teapot and some matches. He set them aside. He turned back to Scarlet. "Hey, if you need some personal time, why don't you go collect some firewood?" Scarlet looked nervously at him, but slowly nodded and padded away. He relaxed his tense shoulders. She would get through it.
Scarlet stole away into the bushes, taking note of the sinking sun. It would be best if she got back before it got dark out. Phantoms could be anywhere at this point. The hum of summer insects filled the night with their melody. Silently she collected small twigs and pine needles. There weren’t many logs that she could use for a fire, most were too large to carry back in her mouth. She looked up at the sky and gritted her teeth as a light shower of rain started to fall. Scarlet would do anything to save everyone.
“I’d give my soul to help them…” She muttered aloud. Another shadow flickered. Scarlet turned around and ran. Flickering shadows meant trouble, and she didn’t want anything to do with phantoms at the moment. Scarlet stopped running when the camp was in sight again. She heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she heard a voice ringing throughout her mind.
“You’d really give your soul to save them, hm?”
As quickly as the thought came, it was gone. Scarlet shook it off and went to see Shmobile.
“Here’s your wood.” She commented, dropping the sticks at Shmobile’s feet.
He looked surprised. “Ah-Thank you.” He blinked. As Shmobile worked on building a pyramid, Scarlet only just realized that she hadn’t even introduced herself properly to this stranger, yet she felt that she knew him from long ago, like an old friend that she only recently met up with again.
“I’m Scarlet, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” The wolf thrust her paw out as an offering to the panda. This was certainly the most informal way she had ever introduced herself.
The pink panda nodded. “I already knew that. Everyone was talking about you when you joined BCTAJ. They were surprised Haileywoo took you under her wing in such a heartwarming way, most of us are introduced to her formally. That and she went out to find you rather than you coming to us.” He shook her paw. “By the way, I’m Shmobile.”
Scarlet squinted. “Hey, you’re the panda that I talked to a few days ago when we got the letter from Haileywoo!” She exclaimed. The large mass of pink nodded. He could see that Scarlet seemed to be feeling better. They released their grip and Shmobile went back to lighting the fire. He dove back into his backpack to get a few cups, a bottle of water, tea leaves, and a stand for the teapot.
The wolf started to think about the guild again, but quickly shook it off again. “Why do you keep so much stuff in your backpack?” She asked, trying to distract herself. The panda paused, as if he was remembering something, then proceeded to put the stand over the fire and fill the teapot with water.
“In case of emergencies.” He replied blandly. Scarlet could tell he had no interest in the subject, and noticed that the small misty rain was easing up. Perhaps the clouds earlier were wrong.
Shmobile hung the teapot over the fire and waited. “So…” He began, “We’re going against phantoms tomorrow. Are you ready?”
Scarlet shrugged. “I suppose so. Not like I have anything else to do.” She was interrupted by the screeching from the teapot. Shmobile handed Scarlet a cup and placed tea leaves inside it, then poured the hot water into the cup.
“Let it seep.” He advised. He then went on to pour some into his own cup. The two sipped their tea silently, as the creatures of the night cried out a melody that filled the air with music and were blissfully unaware of any danger.
Scarlet's fur was damp with tears. She felt empty inside. It was all her fault, sneaking out of the guild to just fulfill curiosity that never got answered anyway. She could have at least told someone, or offered to them that they come along. Maybe she could have just saved one more animal... Even if it was just Snickering or even a stranger...
"Ah, here it is." Shmobile commented. He pulled out a teapot and some matches. He set them aside. He turned back to Scarlet. "Hey, if you need some personal time, why don't you go collect some firewood?" Scarlet looked nervously at him, but slowly nodded and padded away. He relaxed his tense shoulders. She would get through it.
Scarlet stole away into the bushes, taking note of the sinking sun. It would be best if she got back before it got dark out. Phantoms could be anywhere at this point. The hum of summer insects filled the night with their melody. Silently she collected small twigs and pine needles. There weren’t many logs that she could use for a fire, most were too large to carry back in her mouth. She looked up at the sky and gritted her teeth as a light shower of rain started to fall. Scarlet would do anything to save everyone.
“I’d give my soul to help them…” She muttered aloud. Another shadow flickered. Scarlet turned around and ran. Flickering shadows meant trouble, and she didn’t want anything to do with phantoms at the moment. Scarlet stopped running when the camp was in sight again. She heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she heard a voice ringing throughout her mind.
“You’d really give your soul to save them, hm?”
As quickly as the thought came, it was gone. Scarlet shook it off and went to see Shmobile.
“Here’s your wood.” She commented, dropping the sticks at Shmobile’s feet.
He looked surprised. “Ah-Thank you.” He blinked. As Shmobile worked on building a pyramid, Scarlet only just realized that she hadn’t even introduced herself properly to this stranger, yet she felt that she knew him from long ago, like an old friend that she only recently met up with again.
“I’m Scarlet, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” The wolf thrust her paw out as an offering to the panda. This was certainly the most informal way she had ever introduced herself.
The pink panda nodded. “I already knew that. Everyone was talking about you when you joined BCTAJ. They were surprised Haileywoo took you under her wing in such a heartwarming way, most of us are introduced to her formally. That and she went out to find you rather than you coming to us.” He shook her paw. “By the way, I’m Shmobile.”
Scarlet squinted. “Hey, you’re the panda that I talked to a few days ago when we got the letter from Haileywoo!” She exclaimed. The large mass of pink nodded. He could see that Scarlet seemed to be feeling better. They released their grip and Shmobile went back to lighting the fire. He dove back into his backpack to get a few cups, a bottle of water, tea leaves, and a stand for the teapot.
The wolf started to think about the guild again, but quickly shook it off again. “Why do you keep so much stuff in your backpack?” She asked, trying to distract herself. The panda paused, as if he was remembering something, then proceeded to put the stand over the fire and fill the teapot with water.
“In case of emergencies.” He replied blandly. Scarlet could tell he had no interest in the subject, and noticed that the small misty rain was easing up. Perhaps the clouds earlier were wrong.
Shmobile hung the teapot over the fire and waited. “So…” He began, “We’re going against phantoms tomorrow. Are you ready?”
Scarlet shrugged. “I suppose so. Not like I have anything else to do.” She was interrupted by the screeching from the teapot. Shmobile handed Scarlet a cup and placed tea leaves inside it, then poured the hot water into the cup.
“Let it seep.” He advised. He then went on to pour some into his own cup. The two sipped their tea silently, as the creatures of the night cried out a melody that filled the air with music and were blissfully unaware of any danger.
Chapter 4: Zios' Blessing
As quickly as the dream came, it was gone again. Scarlet awoke with a start, then sat looking down at her paws. Was this a vision or just her mind relaying information from before? She looked over her shoulder to find that Shmobile was still fast asleep. Scarlet relaxed a little bit, then started to boil some tea. Thoughts reeled through her head, and her heart fluttered at the thought that Snickering might still be alive. Of course, the fluttering happiness dropped dead at the similar thought that he may have been captured by the phantoms. The chains and cuffs attached to his body was not a good sign, and it certainly looked like he had been in some sort of scuffle with several cuts and bruises. Even then, she knew she had to keep in mind that there was the chance that it was just a random dream.
The pink mountain behind her stirred. “What’s cooking?” he sniffed. The wolf turned around and smiled.
“Oh, I just thought I’d make you some tea, you know, after all the support you gave me last night. Just a ‘Thank you’, I suppose.” The water began to boil, and the spout sang as beautifully as a banshee in pain. Shmobile got up and shook himself, and Scarlet took the pot off of the fire and poured the tea into the leaf-filled cups. As the leaves turned the torrid liquid into a deep black color, Shmobile seemed to notice that Scarlet had something on her mind.
“Um, did you not sleep very well last night?” He questioned. Scarlet shook her head slowly.
“It’s kind of hard to explain…” She replied, sighing.
“Eh, just try your best.” The panda smiled.
Scarlet sighed and told him about her dream from the night before. He slowly nodded, paying attention to every detail. When she was finished, Shmobile took a sip of his tea and leaned back onto a tree.
“Do you know what a Ginko is?” He asked, closing his eyes. “It sounds pretty important. I haven’t heard anything of the sorts throughout all of my travels.” The wolf shook her head.
“No, I have no idea. Obviously, I don’t have any super powers that’d make me stand out from any other animal.”
“Unless if you’re a seer.”
Scarlet frowned at him. “A what?”
“You know, someone who has supernatural visions and stuff.” Was Shmobile’s absentminded reply.
She sighed. “Then why would I be called a Ginko and not a seer?” Shmobile only gave a shrug as a reply. “Well, let’s not worry about it for now,” she continued. “We have to get ready for some phantom hunting.”
Once Shmobile had put everything he needed back in his bag, the pair walked over to the portal. On their way, they noticed a broken bridge had been fixed,and another portal was working. "Let's check that out real quick!" She urged. The pair looked at the sign, which read;
Dear young animal, this portal leads to a land where the phantom hideout supposedly lies. This portal will lead you to a rescue mission in which you will need to rescue some of our best explorers from the phantoms. Once you step through this portal, it cannot be guaranteed that one may come back. Going through this portal means that you may accept your possible fate of getting put under a sleeping spell by a phantom, never to wake up from. Only the bravest warriors may wish to go on this journey. If you wish to continue, please provide your badge proving that you have leveled up to level "2" from the last mission and place it in one of the grooves on the podium to the right, and you may continue. Once all phantoms in the area have been banished, a portal will open up leading back to the resistance camp.
"We haven't even began the last adventure," Shmobile pointed out, "No way we can do that one yet." Scarlet, although reluctant, had to agree with him. Crossing the bridge once again, the pair walked to the first portal. Scarlet looked at Shmobile, both seeming rather nervous.
"Ready?" Scarlet stared him in the eyes.
"Ready." Was the confident reply from the panda.
And with that, they both plugged their badges into the grooves and the portal gave a burst of light. The pair looked at each other and walked into the portal, unsure of what was ahead.
The pink mountain behind her stirred. “What’s cooking?” he sniffed. The wolf turned around and smiled.
“Oh, I just thought I’d make you some tea, you know, after all the support you gave me last night. Just a ‘Thank you’, I suppose.” The water began to boil, and the spout sang as beautifully as a banshee in pain. Shmobile got up and shook himself, and Scarlet took the pot off of the fire and poured the tea into the leaf-filled cups. As the leaves turned the torrid liquid into a deep black color, Shmobile seemed to notice that Scarlet had something on her mind.
“Um, did you not sleep very well last night?” He questioned. Scarlet shook her head slowly.
“It’s kind of hard to explain…” She replied, sighing.
“Eh, just try your best.” The panda smiled.
Scarlet sighed and told him about her dream from the night before. He slowly nodded, paying attention to every detail. When she was finished, Shmobile took a sip of his tea and leaned back onto a tree.
“Do you know what a Ginko is?” He asked, closing his eyes. “It sounds pretty important. I haven’t heard anything of the sorts throughout all of my travels.” The wolf shook her head.
“No, I have no idea. Obviously, I don’t have any super powers that’d make me stand out from any other animal.”
“Unless if you’re a seer.”
Scarlet frowned at him. “A what?”
“You know, someone who has supernatural visions and stuff.” Was Shmobile’s absentminded reply.
She sighed. “Then why would I be called a Ginko and not a seer?” Shmobile only gave a shrug as a reply. “Well, let’s not worry about it for now,” she continued. “We have to get ready for some phantom hunting.”
Once Shmobile had put everything he needed back in his bag, the pair walked over to the portal. On their way, they noticed a broken bridge had been fixed,and another portal was working. "Let's check that out real quick!" She urged. The pair looked at the sign, which read;
Dear young animal, this portal leads to a land where the phantom hideout supposedly lies. This portal will lead you to a rescue mission in which you will need to rescue some of our best explorers from the phantoms. Once you step through this portal, it cannot be guaranteed that one may come back. Going through this portal means that you may accept your possible fate of getting put under a sleeping spell by a phantom, never to wake up from. Only the bravest warriors may wish to go on this journey. If you wish to continue, please provide your badge proving that you have leveled up to level "2" from the last mission and place it in one of the grooves on the podium to the right, and you may continue. Once all phantoms in the area have been banished, a portal will open up leading back to the resistance camp.
"We haven't even began the last adventure," Shmobile pointed out, "No way we can do that one yet." Scarlet, although reluctant, had to agree with him. Crossing the bridge once again, the pair walked to the first portal. Scarlet looked at Shmobile, both seeming rather nervous.
"Ready?" Scarlet stared him in the eyes.
"Ready." Was the confident reply from the panda.
And with that, they both plugged their badges into the grooves and the portal gave a burst of light. The pair looked at each other and walked into the portal, unsure of what was ahead.
The two emerged on the other side of the portal, somewhat dazed from the floating and swirling the portals provided. Once they gathered themselves together, the duo realized that they were in front of a gate. "Wha- What now?" Scarlet stumbled with her words. They hadn't really planned ahead, had they?
Shmobile shrugged. "I guess we just ask around and do what we can." With that, they walked through the gate and saw rabbits upon rabbits upon rabbits. The duo looked at each other, then back at the hopping rodents. As they proceeded, the crowd became silent and stared at them. One wearing a ninja mask hopped up to them to greet the pair.
"Hey, there's more." He called back to his kin. Many murmurs spread through the small crowd of villagers, words such a "newbies" and "beginners" were tossed around the most. The rabbit turned his attention to Scarlet and Shmobile. "You guys are some new faces. Are you here to help fend off phantoms?" The pair nodded. The rabbit sighed. "Alright, we've already sent some animals out to capture the phantoms." He paused for a moment to think of something for them to do. "How about you guys go find a way to plug up all those phantom pipes that have been soiling the water while the other animals round up the black beast?" He suggested. Scarlet couldn't help feel a little let down that she couldn't get revenge on the phantoms right now, but she shrugged it off and followed the panda. It then hit Scarlet that she didn't know what a phantom pipe looked like.
"Hey!" she called back. "Where are they?" The dense forest was large, and the pair could get lost easily just looking for the pipes.
"Where there's water there's a pipe!" Was the simpleminded reply from the young buck. Scarlet and Shmobile frowned but carried on. They wandered for a while until they found a pipe, and were shocked at what they saw.
A huge pipe that was covered in grime and a strange purple, goopy liquid stood before them, depositing a foul smelling substance into the river close by, which in turn had been polluted with inky blacks and deep purple globs, leaving it completely useless for irrigation. Scarlet sighed. “How are we supposed to plug this pipe up?”
Almost out of thin air, another rabbit appeared behind them with the answer, panting heavily holding a large chunk of cork in her mouth. She put it down. “Finally I caught up with you guys.” She sucked in some air to continue. “Anyway, we’ve found that cork stumps are the best way to destroy the pipes, but it seems like that there’s been a lack of cork growing in the forest lately, my best guess is that the phantoms killed off most of the cork trees. However, I managed to find this old stump here. I’d guess that there may be a few more stumps in the forest that you two could use to plug up the pipes." Then hastily added, "Um, good luck, and thank you two for risking your lives for our humble village!” On that note, she kissed Shmobile and dashed off. The panda rubbed his cheek, rather confused but decided not to stay on the subject. The pair hoisted the cork plug into the air and pushed the cork into the flowing pipe with all of their strength, grunting with relief once the cork was inside. Suddenly, the pipe creaked and shook, and as the pair dove out of the way with a gasp as it exploded. Shmobile had a smug look on his face, but Scarlet wasn’t so impressed. She would really like a much more challenging task, like capturing the phantoms. She rolled her eyes and sighed, but she knew she had to deal with the job at paw.
“C’mon.” She mumbled to her partner, slinking away. The pink mass nodded and trotted after her as they went in deeper into the forest.
Shmobile shrugged. "I guess we just ask around and do what we can." With that, they walked through the gate and saw rabbits upon rabbits upon rabbits. The duo looked at each other, then back at the hopping rodents. As they proceeded, the crowd became silent and stared at them. One wearing a ninja mask hopped up to them to greet the pair.
"Hey, there's more." He called back to his kin. Many murmurs spread through the small crowd of villagers, words such a "newbies" and "beginners" were tossed around the most. The rabbit turned his attention to Scarlet and Shmobile. "You guys are some new faces. Are you here to help fend off phantoms?" The pair nodded. The rabbit sighed. "Alright, we've already sent some animals out to capture the phantoms." He paused for a moment to think of something for them to do. "How about you guys go find a way to plug up all those phantom pipes that have been soiling the water while the other animals round up the black beast?" He suggested. Scarlet couldn't help feel a little let down that she couldn't get revenge on the phantoms right now, but she shrugged it off and followed the panda. It then hit Scarlet that she didn't know what a phantom pipe looked like.
"Hey!" she called back. "Where are they?" The dense forest was large, and the pair could get lost easily just looking for the pipes.
"Where there's water there's a pipe!" Was the simpleminded reply from the young buck. Scarlet and Shmobile frowned but carried on. They wandered for a while until they found a pipe, and were shocked at what they saw.
A huge pipe that was covered in grime and a strange purple, goopy liquid stood before them, depositing a foul smelling substance into the river close by, which in turn had been polluted with inky blacks and deep purple globs, leaving it completely useless for irrigation. Scarlet sighed. “How are we supposed to plug this pipe up?”
Almost out of thin air, another rabbit appeared behind them with the answer, panting heavily holding a large chunk of cork in her mouth. She put it down. “Finally I caught up with you guys.” She sucked in some air to continue. “Anyway, we’ve found that cork stumps are the best way to destroy the pipes, but it seems like that there’s been a lack of cork growing in the forest lately, my best guess is that the phantoms killed off most of the cork trees. However, I managed to find this old stump here. I’d guess that there may be a few more stumps in the forest that you two could use to plug up the pipes." Then hastily added, "Um, good luck, and thank you two for risking your lives for our humble village!” On that note, she kissed Shmobile and dashed off. The panda rubbed his cheek, rather confused but decided not to stay on the subject. The pair hoisted the cork plug into the air and pushed the cork into the flowing pipe with all of their strength, grunting with relief once the cork was inside. Suddenly, the pipe creaked and shook, and as the pair dove out of the way with a gasp as it exploded. Shmobile had a smug look on his face, but Scarlet wasn’t so impressed. She would really like a much more challenging task, like capturing the phantoms. She rolled her eyes and sighed, but she knew she had to deal with the job at paw.
“C’mon.” She mumbled to her partner, slinking away. The pink mass nodded and trotted after her as they went in deeper into the forest.
Shadows continued to flicker in a devious way, and Scarlet jumped at the sight of each one. Both she and Shmobile were flinching at every movement, terrified at the thought of an ambush put on by the phantoms. Soon they came across another cork tree stump, and they began to slowly pull it out of the ground. After plenty of moaning and complaining they had dug it out and searched for another pipe to plug. While walking though, Scarlet’s shadow morphed silently into the shape of a phantom, and an eye peered up from below, ready to strike any moment. Before it was noticed though, it slowly slunk away.
Eventually Scarlet and her panda friend had found another pipe and plugged it. Shortly after the explosion, the pair saw a tiger walk up to them.
The tiger bowed its head in the polite manner most tigers greet others with. “You two must be our newest helpers.” Scarlet noticed that this tiger’s badge had the number “4” engraved in it. He must have been a phantom hunter to get so many courage points.
“Yeah, that’s us.” Shmobile replied tiredly. Scarlet could tell that her friend was worn out from his nervousness.
“Great, great.” The tiger waved his paw, trying to get on with the conversation. “I saw a phantom pipe a little bit south of here, just thought I’d let you know.”
“Thanks,” Shmobile replied gratefully. “You just saved us a couple hours’ time.”
The tiger smiled and nodded, then bounded off. Shmobile thought for a moment. He then perked up when an idea came to mind.
“Hey Scarlet,” he said with a smile, “How about we split up for a bit. I think there’s some unneeded tension building up between us two, and maybe a little bit of time away from each other could help relieve that anger. We could meet back here when the sun starts to set, okay?”
Scarlet nodded, and was extremely happy that she didn’t have to carry Shmobile as a burden for a while. The pair went their separate ways, Shmobile moving to the east and Scarlet migrating to the north. Shadows flashed about, seeming to be everywhere Scarlet walked. Suddenly, the wolf felt her hackles raise up on their own as a shadow loomed over her. She wasn't sure why, but-
Scarlet's body was then pierced by a sharp pain as an electric current jarred throughout her body. Becoming enveloped in darkness, she never heard the cackle that followed after.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A dark mass of purple and black looked out from his old, craggy palace. He watched his phantom pawns carefully as they popped in and out of portals scattered across the land, when a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Your highness, some scouts claimed they have caught a Ginko." Were the formal words that the gaseous mass behind him uttered somewhat nervously.
The phantom king looked down at his subject, scowling. The phantom cowered at the sight of his king. Only half of the phantom kings' face was intact, his crown shattered in half along with it, accompanied by his flowing mane of dark energy proved to be an intimidating image. These days the king seemed bitter. Although he always had a sore attitude, it only seemed to grow worse as the days dragged on by.
"Where are these scouts that claim to have the Ginko?" The king inquired in a deep, booming purr. If they had indeed captured the Ginko, the phantom king would no longer have to live in the shadow of the Goddess that blocked his view of the Nether.
The meek phantom servant perked up. The king seemed rather pleased. "They are at the forest where the rabbit spirit stone lies, awaiting your next order."
The phantom king purred at this piece of news. "Tell them to bring it directly to me." He commanded in a milky voice. "I'll be waiting."
Grateful that the king was pleased, the puny phantom started to dash for the exit, when the king stopped him.
"Oh, by the by..." The king began, "If I don't get the Ginko in my grasp by tonight, you along with those scouts shall be executed."
"Y-yeah we can do that!" The phantom gulped. That would be hardly enough time to drag a Ginko to the phantom vortex. He dashed off as quickly as he could to tell the others.
The king slunk back to his throne and quietly said to the wall "Only then, can she belong to me." And went back to his thoughts.
A hooded figure entered the throne room covered in darkness. He softly scurried up to the throne where the king was seen swimming in thoughts. "Your highness," he spoke up in a raspy, elderly voice.
The king glanced at the figure and smiled. "Ah, so my favorite double agent returns. Have you heard the news?"
The figure silently stared at the king, not flinching at the cruel double agent remark.
Not waiting for an answer, the king purred, "I get my dearest ginko back today, after all these years. Took long enough, hm? I finally no longer have to cower in the shadow of the goddess..."
"Your highness, forgive me for asking, but what do you intend to do with this ginko once you have it?" The figure shifted his paws.
The king stared unamusingly at the figure. "How can you possibly work for me and not know what I intend to do? I swear, sometimes you're dumber than a rock." The figure held his tongue at the comment. "Well if you really need me to spout exposition, I guess I'll have to start from the beginning..."
"Once long ago, when I had full power, the goddess of life lost her precious one to me. While I bled darkness from the wounds the Alphas inflicted upon me afterward, the goddess cried tears of life unto my spilt blood. This created Ginko, a power so great that it exceeded both mine and her's power put together. Ginko was a being made of both light and dark, and the goddess and I both wanted to claim it. It was of my blood of course, so it was only fair that it was of my ownership, my own child if you will. The damned goddess though claimed it was hers, as it was her tears that animated it. Of course she had to be selfish, trying to persuade it, and Ginko no longer could take the tug-of-war and went and destroyed itself."
"At least, that's what the Ginko wanted us to think. Instead, it really just went into a deep slumber and reincarnated into a new form. That new form is being brought back to me as we speak, my phantom guards have caught it at last." He purred again. "And once I have it-"
The king was interuppted by the sound of his palace doors opening, and fanfare was being played."Well, speak of the devil," he crooned. "Here comes my squad now."
A phantom stepped forward. "Sir," he spoke up, "We have brought you... THE GINKO!" He ended his sentence with a triumphant shout, as he uncovered a blonde wolf that was caged, chained, and unconcious. The king immedietly perked up, even so much as to step forward to get a closer work. His double agent stared at the wolf, his heart beating, hardly being able to breathe.
The king inspected the wolf closely, holding his breath in case his phantoms made a mistake. "This is it..." he whispered. "This... Is the Ginko. I finally have it in my grasp..." He laughed softly, and then in a great cresendo his joyous, sickening laughter filled the room, with his phantom minions cheering and jeering at the milestone achievement. "Bring me the squad that found it!" He cheered.
A singular phantom stepped forward. "You?" The king asked. "What's your name?"
"Umbrae." The phantom replied, shaking in nervousness and excitement.
"Umbrae..." The king licked his lips. "Very well then. Umbrae, I'll see to it that you're made captain of the guard, and that you'll be handsomely rewarded." He turned back towards the Ginko. "Now, everyone clear the room." He said coldly. "Umbrae, Kiescan, bring the 'other' prisoner. I have some plans to execute." His new captain and another phantom scurried off to do as they were told.
"Except you, agent," he spoke to the hooded figure as the rest of the room cleared out. "You asked what I planned to do, and now you shall see me execute it." The hooded figure bowed in thanks and followed the king. The two entered another room, and all of the doors and windows were sealed away by the wave of a paw from the king. "Don't want it escaping, you know." He explained.
He set the Ginko down gently, and he waved his paw again. This time, a cloud of black mist appeared. The king blew on it and the foggy material disappeared, and in its place a glowing, green-blue flower much like a lily appeared. The king showed it to the figure.
"This, agent, is called Zios' Blessing. It is a rather rare flower that can wake anyone from a phantom induced slumber. I could tell you how I got my paws on it, but that's a story for another day." He discarded the cerulean flower that was already on the Ginko's head and replaced it with the Zios' Blessing. He stood back.
"It may take a few minutes," he muttered.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, the ginko's eyes fluttered open.
Eventually Scarlet and her panda friend had found another pipe and plugged it. Shortly after the explosion, the pair saw a tiger walk up to them.
The tiger bowed its head in the polite manner most tigers greet others with. “You two must be our newest helpers.” Scarlet noticed that this tiger’s badge had the number “4” engraved in it. He must have been a phantom hunter to get so many courage points.
“Yeah, that’s us.” Shmobile replied tiredly. Scarlet could tell that her friend was worn out from his nervousness.
“Great, great.” The tiger waved his paw, trying to get on with the conversation. “I saw a phantom pipe a little bit south of here, just thought I’d let you know.”
“Thanks,” Shmobile replied gratefully. “You just saved us a couple hours’ time.”
The tiger smiled and nodded, then bounded off. Shmobile thought for a moment. He then perked up when an idea came to mind.
“Hey Scarlet,” he said with a smile, “How about we split up for a bit. I think there’s some unneeded tension building up between us two, and maybe a little bit of time away from each other could help relieve that anger. We could meet back here when the sun starts to set, okay?”
Scarlet nodded, and was extremely happy that she didn’t have to carry Shmobile as a burden for a while. The pair went their separate ways, Shmobile moving to the east and Scarlet migrating to the north. Shadows flashed about, seeming to be everywhere Scarlet walked. Suddenly, the wolf felt her hackles raise up on their own as a shadow loomed over her. She wasn't sure why, but-
Scarlet's body was then pierced by a sharp pain as an electric current jarred throughout her body. Becoming enveloped in darkness, she never heard the cackle that followed after.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A dark mass of purple and black looked out from his old, craggy palace. He watched his phantom pawns carefully as they popped in and out of portals scattered across the land, when a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Your highness, some scouts claimed they have caught a Ginko." Were the formal words that the gaseous mass behind him uttered somewhat nervously.
The phantom king looked down at his subject, scowling. The phantom cowered at the sight of his king. Only half of the phantom kings' face was intact, his crown shattered in half along with it, accompanied by his flowing mane of dark energy proved to be an intimidating image. These days the king seemed bitter. Although he always had a sore attitude, it only seemed to grow worse as the days dragged on by.
"Where are these scouts that claim to have the Ginko?" The king inquired in a deep, booming purr. If they had indeed captured the Ginko, the phantom king would no longer have to live in the shadow of the Goddess that blocked his view of the Nether.
The meek phantom servant perked up. The king seemed rather pleased. "They are at the forest where the rabbit spirit stone lies, awaiting your next order."
The phantom king purred at this piece of news. "Tell them to bring it directly to me." He commanded in a milky voice. "I'll be waiting."
Grateful that the king was pleased, the puny phantom started to dash for the exit, when the king stopped him.
"Oh, by the by..." The king began, "If I don't get the Ginko in my grasp by tonight, you along with those scouts shall be executed."
"Y-yeah we can do that!" The phantom gulped. That would be hardly enough time to drag a Ginko to the phantom vortex. He dashed off as quickly as he could to tell the others.
The king slunk back to his throne and quietly said to the wall "Only then, can she belong to me." And went back to his thoughts.
A hooded figure entered the throne room covered in darkness. He softly scurried up to the throne where the king was seen swimming in thoughts. "Your highness," he spoke up in a raspy, elderly voice.
The king glanced at the figure and smiled. "Ah, so my favorite double agent returns. Have you heard the news?"
The figure silently stared at the king, not flinching at the cruel double agent remark.
Not waiting for an answer, the king purred, "I get my dearest ginko back today, after all these years. Took long enough, hm? I finally no longer have to cower in the shadow of the goddess..."
"Your highness, forgive me for asking, but what do you intend to do with this ginko once you have it?" The figure shifted his paws.
The king stared unamusingly at the figure. "How can you possibly work for me and not know what I intend to do? I swear, sometimes you're dumber than a rock." The figure held his tongue at the comment. "Well if you really need me to spout exposition, I guess I'll have to start from the beginning..."
"Once long ago, when I had full power, the goddess of life lost her precious one to me. While I bled darkness from the wounds the Alphas inflicted upon me afterward, the goddess cried tears of life unto my spilt blood. This created Ginko, a power so great that it exceeded both mine and her's power put together. Ginko was a being made of both light and dark, and the goddess and I both wanted to claim it. It was of my blood of course, so it was only fair that it was of my ownership, my own child if you will. The damned goddess though claimed it was hers, as it was her tears that animated it. Of course she had to be selfish, trying to persuade it, and Ginko no longer could take the tug-of-war and went and destroyed itself."
"At least, that's what the Ginko wanted us to think. Instead, it really just went into a deep slumber and reincarnated into a new form. That new form is being brought back to me as we speak, my phantom guards have caught it at last." He purred again. "And once I have it-"
The king was interuppted by the sound of his palace doors opening, and fanfare was being played."Well, speak of the devil," he crooned. "Here comes my squad now."
A phantom stepped forward. "Sir," he spoke up, "We have brought you... THE GINKO!" He ended his sentence with a triumphant shout, as he uncovered a blonde wolf that was caged, chained, and unconcious. The king immedietly perked up, even so much as to step forward to get a closer work. His double agent stared at the wolf, his heart beating, hardly being able to breathe.
The king inspected the wolf closely, holding his breath in case his phantoms made a mistake. "This is it..." he whispered. "This... Is the Ginko. I finally have it in my grasp..." He laughed softly, and then in a great cresendo his joyous, sickening laughter filled the room, with his phantom minions cheering and jeering at the milestone achievement. "Bring me the squad that found it!" He cheered.
A singular phantom stepped forward. "You?" The king asked. "What's your name?"
"Umbrae." The phantom replied, shaking in nervousness and excitement.
"Umbrae..." The king licked his lips. "Very well then. Umbrae, I'll see to it that you're made captain of the guard, and that you'll be handsomely rewarded." He turned back towards the Ginko. "Now, everyone clear the room." He said coldly. "Umbrae, Kiescan, bring the 'other' prisoner. I have some plans to execute." His new captain and another phantom scurried off to do as they were told.
"Except you, agent," he spoke to the hooded figure as the rest of the room cleared out. "You asked what I planned to do, and now you shall see me execute it." The hooded figure bowed in thanks and followed the king. The two entered another room, and all of the doors and windows were sealed away by the wave of a paw from the king. "Don't want it escaping, you know." He explained.
He set the Ginko down gently, and he waved his paw again. This time, a cloud of black mist appeared. The king blew on it and the foggy material disappeared, and in its place a glowing, green-blue flower much like a lily appeared. The king showed it to the figure.
"This, agent, is called Zios' Blessing. It is a rather rare flower that can wake anyone from a phantom induced slumber. I could tell you how I got my paws on it, but that's a story for another day." He discarded the cerulean flower that was already on the Ginko's head and replaced it with the Zios' Blessing. He stood back.
"It may take a few minutes," he muttered.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, the ginko's eyes fluttered open.
Chapter 5: The Vortex
"WHAT?!" Shmobile shouted.
"P-please, I couldn't do anything to save her..." A rabbit timidly stuttered.
Shmobile paced around, his heart pounding. Of course, the only friend he's ever made and even she fell victim to the phantoms. The rabbit had come up to him only moments ago, describing what she had seen. After a phantom took down the wolf, a portal opened up and strange tentacle-like vines emerged and pulled them both down.
"Honestly, I didn't expect them to do that. Most of their victims are left, not taken with them-"
Shmobile growled, causing the rabbit to shrink back in fear. "I-I'm gonna get her back if it's the last thing I do." He growled angrily. His heart wildly thumped in his chest, as his courage points rose exponentially on his badge and he ran off into the distance.
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Scarlet woke up with a headache in a dark, massive room. She thought she heard voices, but it could have been her imagination. She sat up slowly so she wouldn't get too dizzy, and when her eyes came into focus, she was surprised at what she saw.
Before her a dark... Lion? With horns and bat wings and a scorpion tail sat in front of her. Its mane was ever-flowing, and beside him was a hooded figure that stood on four paws. She stared at them for several seconds before the lion spoke.
"Your name?" The lion-thing asked, his voice deep and distorted.
Scarlet sized him up before responding. "Scarlet. Scarlet Brokenpaw." The lion nodded, looking intrigued.
"As I thought," he murmered. "It-she- has no recollection of her heritage." He chuckled softly. "Well my dearie, you're in luck. I've heard you have had an issue with some phantoms, and that you may have lost something."
"P-please, I couldn't do anything to save her..." A rabbit timidly stuttered.
Shmobile paced around, his heart pounding. Of course, the only friend he's ever made and even she fell victim to the phantoms. The rabbit had come up to him only moments ago, describing what she had seen. After a phantom took down the wolf, a portal opened up and strange tentacle-like vines emerged and pulled them both down.
"Honestly, I didn't expect them to do that. Most of their victims are left, not taken with them-"
Shmobile growled, causing the rabbit to shrink back in fear. "I-I'm gonna get her back if it's the last thing I do." He growled angrily. His heart wildly thumped in his chest, as his courage points rose exponentially on his badge and he ran off into the distance.
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Scarlet woke up with a headache in a dark, massive room. She thought she heard voices, but it could have been her imagination. She sat up slowly so she wouldn't get too dizzy, and when her eyes came into focus, she was surprised at what she saw.
Before her a dark... Lion? With horns and bat wings and a scorpion tail sat in front of her. Its mane was ever-flowing, and beside him was a hooded figure that stood on four paws. She stared at them for several seconds before the lion spoke.
"Your name?" The lion-thing asked, his voice deep and distorted.
Scarlet sized him up before responding. "Scarlet. Scarlet Brokenpaw." The lion nodded, looking intrigued.
"As I thought," he murmered. "It-she- has no recollection of her heritage." He chuckled softly. "Well my dearie, you're in luck. I've heard you have had an issue with some phantoms, and that you may have lost something."
"Um, who are you, and where am I?" The wolf bilnked