The only characters I own are the ones in the flashback. The famous 9 all belong to the Lazytown affiliates. Thank you for reading.

It had been a quiet day in Lazytown. Sportacus is over at Stephanie's house with Pixel and Ziggy. The kids are scrapbooking for an art project at school. Sportacus is doing pushups but is having fun recounting past memories with them. Stingy and Trixie are outside, playing soccer. Trixie makes a flying kick, but it soars over the net and into the backwoods. No one really goes into the backwoods but no one else is around, and that ball isn't going to get itself back on the field, right?

Robbie had been fixing little machines around his home during the day. It had been very quiet. At first, it was a welcome surprise to the villain. After a while, he grew suspicious. Things are never this quiet in Lazytown, despite its name. Consequently, ever so often, he would peer through his periscope. He would stare at the various locations the kids and the jumping bean frequented. At this point, he had noticed most of town is at Stephanie's for an unknown reason. More importantly, Trixie and Stingy were entering the woods. Robbie drops the periscope and sinks back to his childhood.

Nine-year-old Robbie and his three-year-old sister Robin had just returned from town with some candies and an apple each. He notices the hatch leading to their burrow is broken. For the past two years, the children had been living there to get away from their father Roger and stepmother Justice. Those two had been nothing but abusive to the kids, especially Robbie.

"Look, Robbie."

Robin points to the woods with her free hand. The other has Robbie's in a tight grip. Robbie is the one holding the bag of treats.

"Bridgey!"

Bridget and Fritz are entering the forest on the dark side of the town. Nine is nowhere in sight, so he is probably visiting the other small town he looks after. After some quick consideration, Robbie decides the best place for them would be the gloomy woods with kids that didn't necessarily like him, rather than a soundproof warren with physically ready addicts. He carries the bag just outside of the woods before he and Robin enter.

Robin swings on Robbie's arm, happy and free. A smile dances on Robbie's lips but he can't help worry about the safety of his sister. Robbie and Robin had always loved the outdoors, just playing and running around. Robin had been punished for it just here recently. Robbie had quit when he was four, fearful of an incident which occurred when he was three. Robbie and Robin had ventured possibly to the near center after traveling only about forty-five minutes.

"Why di"

Robin starts then quiets down. Her brother had become still. In front of them is Fritz. He is lying on a fallen tree. His head has been fractured and fresh blood is circling in a small pool. Robbie tugs on his arm and gives Robin a certain look, prompting her to only match his eyes and not make a sound. Robbie gradually let go of his sister's hand. He grabs a sharp stick from the forest floor and holds it at a predatory arm's length. He glances skyward and notices Bridget straddling on a tree branch a little away. Her hand is trembling over her mouth and tears are silently streaming down.

Robbie slowly advances and a snake-like creature causes him to stop in his tracks. The beast has the body of a wolf but the head of a serpent. Its forked tongue runs across Robbie's ears, lifting the specially placed mold to reveal pointed ears. A shocking purple aura centers over him and the hiss from said creature dies out as it moves away. Robbie continues to advance on 'Fritz'. There is a glimmer in his eyes, proving to said being just who is the predator here.

The evil demon searches in the depths of Robbie's mind, resurfacing as a friendly fireman calling for help. Robbie recognizes him from six years ago. His abduction in the suburbs, when his mother was still alive. Before Robin. Fire rises in Robbie's eyes as the beast nears. It makes another transformation, this time into a lovely brunette woman, clad in pink with a matching gilded aura. Robbie's breath hitches and his weapon wavers in his hand. Robin cannot contain a small squeal from the back of her throat, her hiding place no longer a secret. She had only seen her mother in photographs. Despite realizing the creature is not actually her mom, Robin cannot help but find some relief in this replacement.

The brute slips past the immobile boy, growing bloodthirsty fangs. Its body sheds the aura and maternal dress. The amulet it had been wearing while emulating Maiah drops to the ground. The small thud allows Robbie to regain his senses. He tightens his grip on the stick and makes a wild leap, landing on the beast's back. He centers on the problem at hand: Robin's safety. Robbie quickly utilizes his weapon as a stake, protruding it through the beast's heart. It lets out a horrified squelch before dropping to mush before Robin's eyes. She had been silently crying throughout the ordeal.

As the dying creature writhes in pain, its tail sideswipes the tree Bridget had been clinging to; its claws manage to scratch just below the surface of Robbie's back, just underneath his shoulder blades. Robbie pays no mind to this and takes Robin's hand. He recollects the talisman and the two help Bridget down. They quickly race out of the woods. Finally seeing light, the trio land onto the crisp grass happily. This lasts only seconds. Fritz is also there, coughing up blood at a deadly pace.

"Your ears!" Bridget gasps at Robbie while moving toward Fritz. "You're one of them!"

"He is not!" Robin scowls. "He's an elf!"

"You're a shape shifting demon!" She sneers. "No wonder you hide in your hole!"

"We're Dark Elves, Bridget!" Robin grimaces at the girl she had once called a friend. "He helped you back there!"

Bridget pays them no mind and Robin begins to cry. Robbie has forgotten about their bag of treats. He grabs hold of his sister and carries her back to their home. Roger and Justice have vacated by now. As he lifts open the hatch, he notices Nine flipping onto the scene. Robbie rolls his eyes, muttering something about 'great timing.' He carries Robin to bed.

Robbie snaps back to the present with screams coming from the children. Carefully, he rises back to the periscope to peer out. Trixie and Stingy are panting, with a deflated soccer ball in the former's grasp. They are describing something to Sportacus but Robbie doesn't bear to listen. The other kids are out as well, with fearful expressions written across their faces.

Sportacus pays attention to the details given by Trixie, while attempting to understand Stingy's interruptions and corrections. Something in the woods had popped the kids' ball and given them quite a scare. No one had been harmed, but that doesn't mean it wasn't about to. Sportacus cannot help but drift into his own childhood.

Sportacus is ten-years-old. He is playing a game of elfin hide-and-seek with his fifteen-
year-old brother Sportavan. They have always been the closest of friends. They live in an icy island with their survivalist mom. Their dad is a hero in three much warmer towns, but they see each other plenty. The brothers are having fun, slowly moving the game deeper into some back woods by a cliff. Though Sportacus is nervous, he trusts his brother.

Strange sounds like deep breathing and snapped twigs invade Sportacus's hiding place. He backs into a large tree trunk with no low-hanging branches. Something furry runs along his fingertips but he wills a glance. A fluffy white dog not indigenous to the area had wandered up. Sportacus laughs slightly to himself for being so afraid. The dog is limping, holding a bruised paw.

Sportacus turns away from the animal and begins to shuffle around for something, in order to create a makeshift sling. When he turns back with a handful of roots and vines, the dog has lost its fluff. It is now the size of Sportacus, with crimson eyes and a ferocious grin. Fangs seep from its mouth as it stands on two legs, now the size of Sportavan. Its skin becomes tight and leathery, with small scales glistening. Sportacus's blue aura shimmers with still fear.

Before the creature can make Sportacus its dinner, a flash of candy apple red knocks it out of the way. Sportavan is rolling around with the beast, sending heat waves through its body. Sharp claws slice him at his ankles, stomach and the back of his neck. Through the wrestle, Sportavan keeps his focus on his younger brother. With a final blow, he throws the demon into a stone. Bones shatter and blood splatters. Sportacus is crying without taking a breath. Sportavan scoops him in his arms and races back home with the rest of his strength. Sportavan collapses on the back porch. By now, Sportacus has become mobile again.

He carries Sportavan as much as he can before calling for his mom. She arrives in no time, taking her sons to the basement. She washes Sportavan's gashes in the bathtub kept there for emergencies. She lectures her sons on the dangers of demons as she does so. Sportacus only half listens, waiting for some sign that his brother will be okay. After nearly two hours of waiting, Sportavan stirs. His red aura glows crimson, much deeper than before. He glances around the basement, settling on the two worried faces.

A low guttural voice grumbles from his chest. "You tried, Shortacus "

Sportacus smiles gently. 'Shortacus' had always been the playful nickname Sportavan would give him when something serious is occurring. Almost abruptly, Sportavan's calm features swarm into a menacing glare. His mother carries Sportacus to a corner closet as Sportavan mutates into some scaly creature. He eyes his mom with a knowing look before racing away. A tense fifteen minutes later, the door is open.

"It's my fault, Mama."

"No, Baby."

"It is." Sportacus insists. "I thought it was a puppy. Then I froze."

"It's a shapeshifter, darling. "You couldn't have known. This is not your fault."

Sportacus is brought back to present time with Stephanie pulling on his arm. The kids are terrified of what kinds of creatures may be lurking deep in the woods. Those shape shifters, Sportacus knows, like to feast on humans and completely change mystical beings. Especially elves.

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