AHOY ME HEARTIES! 'TIS I, MAGIC...AND GUESS WHAT? I'VE GOT A SEQUEL FOR YOU :D
Because you all gave such wonderful feedback for the latest chapter for 'Of Planets, Stars and Galaxies' and I have finished the first chapter of the sequel...I thought I'd post it, because I love you guys that much ;)
I officially got 34 'yes' votes on my poll for a sequel to 'You're Not Alone'...so I'm sorry I didn't post this earlier as I said I'd publish after 30 x3
Anyway, it's here now! In case you haven't guessed, this is a sequel story, and if you haven't already done so, may I suggest reading 'You're Not Alone' before 'Lost and Found'? This chapter doesn't contain spoilers per-say, but I want to warn you nevertheless.
If you're an old reader, welcome back! Ready for more Lombax action? Well, I've got it for you...in bucketloads xD
This chapter is pretty much a prologue...and I hope you're pleasantly surprised by who turns up :P
Without further ado, ladies and jellybeans, may I present to you, the sequel to 'You're Not Alone'...'Lost and Found'! Enjoy :D
It was a miserable day on planet Ardolis, as per usual. Rain dribbled from above in an irregular stream, carelessly drenching the planet and its inhabitants in yet another layer of water, churning the mud and beating the rocks that stood steadfast against it; tired and old from their years of erosion. The bright vegetation usually so full of life and colour was thrown into gloom by the dark clouds, warning of an impending storm. With any luck, it would not reach until nightfall, but no-one wanted to take that chance and business had begun early in the shanty town.
A mediocre market had been set up around the edges of the town, buyers and sellers alike eagerly looking to be done for the day and retreat under substantial cover. Stall-holders called half-heartedly back and forth, verbally sparring for customers, but it was more often that those with shelter obtained the most buyers. Scarlet Bikizu birds flittered about the ground, their own spirits undampened by the weather as they searched for tidbits in the dirt, the fallen rubbish of the market goers.
The acrid smell of Blarg cooking arose from a stall run by a fat Blarg in a greasy apron. Unknown bits of meat were slowly roasting over an open grill as the Blarg chopped up more and chucked it on, not bothering to separate the raw from cooked. He spat onto the grill for good measure, just missing the meat as it sizzled.
A figure slipped under the shelter of his stall and the Blarg eyed them warily. They wore a long cloak that stretched to the ground, and a hood covered their head, hiding their features from view.
"What can I do for you, stranger?" the Blarg asked with another spit.
"How much?" the figure asked, gesturing the meat.
"10 bolts a slab," the Blarg told them, turning over a piece to revealed a charred mess.
"I'll give you 5."
"8."
"5, and not a bolt more," came the reply, "that stuff's enough to give anyone rabies." The Blarg's eyes narrowed,
"6 bolts."
"5," the stranger repeated stubbornly, their voice unrelenting. Cursing, the Blarg chose the smallest, rawest piece of meat and slapped it into a stale bun. The figure handed over the bolts and took the meat. Without another word they moved off, leaving the Blarg scowling and jabbing at the meat bad-temperedly.
The stranger weaved between the stalls and creatures who milled about, heading for a small building not far away. Their cloak swept this way and that as they walked, but few people paid attention to them, wrapped up in their own trifling affairs. Besides, there were too many shady characters around these parts anyway, newcomers didn't merit much attention unless they started a fight or became a regular.
Outside the building the figure found a vicious looking dog-like creature with razor sharp fangs and a mean spirit. The beast rose to its feet as they approached, growling menacingly, saliva steadily dripping from its mouth. The stranger paused a few feet away and tossed them the meat before entering the building while the creature was distracted.
"I hope you get rabies," they muttered to the animal as they passed, flicking their cloak in disgust at the creature who ignored them, slurping the meat from the bun.
A rusty bell tinkled as they entered, and they shut the door firmly behind them. They were in a shop, an antique scrap shop by the looks of it. The whole place was dark and poorly lit, a dusty bulb and a grime laden window the only sources of light. Pieces of scrap metal could be found all over the place, as well as other bits and bobs of all shapes and sizes; some were neatly shelved, and some were even in cases, but the rest of it looked like a bomb had hit the place and nobody had bothered to clear up. A Rilgarian stood behind what was obviously meant to be the counter, fiddling with a strange looking device. He looked up as they entered, setting down his tools. The figure went straight up to them.
"Do you have what I asked for?" they asked, lowering their voice. The Rilgarian nodded, recognising them despite their shady appearance,
"Yes, do you have the bolts?" The stranger reached into their cloak and drew out a small pouch which chinked as they set it on the counter; but they didn't let go just yet. The Rilgarian turned and began rummaging through a draw behind him. He groped about for a bit before he found what he was looking for. Pulling it out, he set it on the counter beside the pouch. It was a thin piece of metal, the size and length of a pen. The figure picked up the metal and inspected it before nodding in consent. They gestured the pouch which the Rilgarian all but snatched from the surface, opening up the cloth bag to peek inside before smiling grimly, a greedy glint in his eyes. The stranger pocketed the metal in the folds of their cloak.
"Thank you," they said. The Rilgarian looked at something behind them, and then gave them a somewhat apologetic look,
"I'm sorry."
At that moment the shop door burst open and another figure stood in the doorway, brandishing what could only be a gun. Like greased lightning the hooded figure ducked as two shots fired over their head, slamming into the shopkeeper. Not bothering to check if the Rilgarian was alive, the stranger darted around the counter and out of the door behind it. They didn't look back; they didn't have to as they could already hear the figure shouting after them. They darted through the back of the shop and out of another door at the end. Emerging onto a back alley they quickly turned left, speeding off down the tiny street. The sounds of pursuit followed them and they increased their speed.
They came out of the alley and were immediately swallowed by the crowds in the market. The stranger slowed to avoid colliding anyone and bowed their head as they walked along in an effort to go unnoticed. They jostled a few people in their haste, but carried on, ignoring the muttered curses people sent in their direction. Their pursuers exited the alley and began scanning the crowd. For a moment, the stranger thought they might be able to get away. Then, one of them caught sight of the figure and gave a shout.
The stranger, realising they'd been rumbled, darted by a stall, knocking over some of the wares in their haste. The stallholder let out a cry but the figure ignored them, stumbling into another back alley. Still, they were followed, their pursuers closing in with each passing second. The figure took several random turns in an effort to throw them off, to no avail. They turned another corner and ran a few more paces before coming to an abrupt halt.
Before them was a straight wire fence, too high for them to jump or climb over, and barbed wire sticking out from it unevenly. The stranger let out a string of curse words and turned, only to find their pursuers had already caught up. The cloaked figure fumbled for something in their cloak and drew out a pistol, pointing it towards those who had given chase. One of them, the tallest and clearly the leader, stepped forward with a thin smile about his lips.
"Resistance is useless, and you know it," he told the stranger in a sly, cold sounding voice. He wore a long coat and high black boots, and there was a mean-looking sabre strapped to his side, just visible under the folds of his coat. His long black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, contrasting handsomely against his blue skin to give him the look of a dashing young pirate. The Novalian strode casually towards the figure who raised the pistol,
"Stay back," the stranger ordered, waving the gun. The Novalian gave them a knowing look,
"That pistol isn't loaded."
"Wanna bet?" the stranger retorted, cocking the gun. The Novalian smirked,
"I've missed your spirit."
"Yeah, well, you can carry on missing it..." the figure started to back away as they spoke. A stray brick caught their foot and they tripped over, falling backwards with a small yelp. The Novalian used the opportunity to spring forward, drawing his sabre and putting it to the fallen stranger.
"Good to see you again, Angela," the Novalian grinned down at them. The figure's hood had fallen back to reveal a female Lombax, middle aged by the looks of it, with blond hair that had only just started to go grey, and blue eyes that seemed both loud and defiant. She scowled up at the Novalian,
"The feeling isn't mutual, Morpheus", she spat. The blue skinned man laughed lightly,
"I'm hurt! Haven't you missed me?" The Lombax made to scramble back from him but he rested the sabre tip against her chest, applying just the right amount of pressure to show he meant business.
"Uh uh uh. No trying to escape now, Angela dear," he crooned softly. With his hand he lazily gestured for those behind him to advance. Angela eyed them all guardedly. They numbered 6 in total; 3 robots, 2 Blargs and Morpheus.
"What do you want with me?" Angela snarled, her eyes burning with cautious anger.
"Ooh, temper," Morpheus goaded, "I want nothing...it's the Captain who wants you."
"But I fixed his damn toys months ago!" Angela cried in disbelief. Morpheus shrugged indifferently,
"He needs you again." Angela cursed,
"Well you can tell Kratos..."
"That's Captain Lachesis to you," Morpheus interrupted her with short jab in the chest. The Lombax gave him a withering look,
"You can tell Kratos that I am not his personal mechanic!"
"Come now, we all know you are," Morpheus glanced at his cronies who leered and chuckled cruelly, then he turned back to her, "and anyway, you're the best in the galaxy, and we always know where to find you," he finished with a smile. Angela's eyes narrowed,
"I'm not going back there," she muttered.
"You don't have a choice. Besides, we've kept your workshop nice and warm, and Zak's so looking forward to seeing you. In fact, it was he who found you this time around," Morpheus smiled a devilish smile. Angela's ears twitched and she gave a grimacing wince.
"Go to hell...the lot of you," she glared at them all. Morpheus held up his blade and picked at it absently,
"Whatever you say, Angela dear..." he looked down at her again with a sly smile, "but you're coming with us."
"You know I won't go without a fight?" the Lombax told him. Morpheus' smile widened to a devilish grin, flashing white teeth and reminding her of a wolf,
"We were hoping you'd say that." Angela sighed, and they attacked.
So, chapter 1...and it's Angela...yay! And yes, she will be playing a key part in this story, you'll be glad to hear :P
Guess what I'd like you to do? That's right...review and follow! Only in you want to, of course...but it will make me very, very, very happy if you do :3
Next chapter's when we catch up with Ratchet and Skyla and how they're getting on...and the more reviews I get, the more quickly I'll post it...I know, I'm so evil :P
Love you all! Magic x