Fireworks light up the night sky of Shang Mu's Fortune district, thousands of the spectators' cheers as the sounds of music drummers who walk the main street, with a team of dancers who manipulate a long flexible figure of a dragon using poles positioned at regular intervals along the length of the dragon. The dance team mimics the supposed movements of this river spirit in a sinuous, undulating manner, a small car towed a large lantern statue of Mayor Zao across the street.
A lime hired teenage Kylin Girl, who stood behind the heavy line of the crowd, dress in a tan button up sleeveless orient style dress, a tan colored arm sleeves, a green sash on the waistline and a black skirt. One of the two things she loved most about the festival is the fireworks and the ribbon dancers. If only she can see before the ribbon dancers performed without the crowd blocking her view. At least she can see the fireworks from here.
The loud voice caught the girl's attention. "HEY YOU, OVER HERE!" She glance at the direction to the voice only to see a panda girl a block away from her carrying what it appeared to be a horn on the right hand and waving her left hand at her direction. The green eyed Kylin Girl blinked and pointed at herself for clarification from the girl.
"YEAH YOU, COME OVER HERE!" The Girl said using the horn again. The Kylin Girl shrugged and ran up to the panda girl.
"Howdy stranger! I got front row seats, if you want to see the parade up close with me?" the panda girl asks cheerfully, she wore an orient button up shirt and dress pants with gold trimmings. Her head ware is styles as well, with green sashes wrapped and tied around her rounded shape ears with two see-through cloths on both sides she also wore two bracelets on both her wrist, which they fit well sort of.
The Kylin teen smiled, "Um yeah." in reply the other girl smiled back, "Awesome~! Follow me!" the panda teen gestured to her. The Kylin followed.
The two girls move ahead through the crowd, "ALL RIGHT Y'ALL, MOVE IT OR LOSE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS, THANKS AGAIN!" the panda teen said using her bullhorn.
'That horn this person is using is unusually loud' the Kylin thought wail she's following this person in question.
They reached the front of the crowd fence. "The names Chufai by the way!" Chufai the panda smiled at the Kylin girl. "I'm Ting, Ting White, it's nice to meet you and thanks!" Ting the Kylin smiled back. "Oh it's nice to meet you to Ting, and you're welcome!" Chufai said cheerfully.
A marching band, with Orient traditional wears, they march through the street with bamboo flutes, drums, and Erhu interments, they bane performed a Shang Mu folk song. Another small car towed a gigantic lantern portrait of Mayor Zoe's grinning face. Fireworks continued to lite up the night sky, as the ribbon dancers', with their charming blend of red and yellow sashes, they twirled and skipped tiptoed across the street.
"So what's bring you here at Zao's autumn festival?" Chufai ask.
Ting blinked in surprise, "Oh um, I only came here to see the dancers, and the fireworks. This is my first time being here actually." She rubbed the back of her head.
"Really? Where are you from?"
"I'm from the Kingdom of Shuigang,"
Chufai made a slightly surprised expression at Ting's answer. "Shuigang? I hear a lot of people fled from there because of that New King, Dail." Her brows frowned.
"Huh?" Ting look at her startled at the news. The girl, Chufai continued. "He went all crazy and started blaming his people for - hey what is that up there?" Chufai pointed above the pread.
Ting looks up to see a green floating saucer with rockets horizontally moving around the big body. She couldn't help but feel amazed but something about it doesn't seem right at the same time. The crowd cheered louder at the new strange floating object as if it was part of the performance.
"It must be for the autumn festival, I'd never see an aircraft like that," The Panda girl commented and clapped.
"Grahh! Oh for the love of… that stupid Squid Bot did nothing about this stupid bug in the system! Oh sure, like I wanted to watch some loser party! " The mechanical armed Viper complained. After a few moments the computer systems is properly back online.
"Finally, now I can get out here and find that freak!" Spherpatine reach for his microphone. "THAT RIGHT! I'M COMING FOR YOU. YOU FREAK! " he said though the flying saucers loudspeakers.
The flying saucer like aircraft had flown away from the main street.
"Wow that was… ok then! So Ting -"
"Did that thing just talked?" Ting ask astonished.
"O-oh I'm pretty sure that someone that controlling the flying saucer is using it speakers." Chufai explained.
"Oh, right… speakers," Ting blush and twiddling her fingers. She just remembered asking her guide twenty questions about these newfangled things in Avalace.
"Whoever is speaking though sounded like there looking for someone."
"Yeah, without a doubt, but then again its proudly part of the show." Chufai said wail she was stretching. "So Ting after the prerad is over, do you want to get something to eat? I know a friend that owns a good noodle shop."
"Well…, I am kind of hungry. Sure why not." Ting smiled at her new acquaintance, Chufai.
...
Bamboo Casino
"Um, hello is anyone, hear?" Milla said out loud while she was walking through the main casino hall; she can hear the machines humming, the bells ringing throughout of the empty casino. The fact that the décor is so deserted because of that loud explosion from outside is starting to get somewhat scary.
"Maybe I shouldn't be here."
Milla then spotted a person in red at the huge green marbled column with two stairs cases at the center; she ran on all fours to the nearest slot machine to hide. The Hound girl zipped to the next slot machine, then zipped to another one, she then rolled poorly to the giant plant vase.
Milla was now in close proximity to the person in red. She peeked out behind the vase, it's the famous magician Pliny; so far the female magician didn't notice Milla Basset's presence.
Pliny's Red heir shadowed her eyes as she proceeded to walk up the stairs.
"I don't understand. What is she up to?" Milla said out loud. The giant plant vase she is hiding behind abruptly shook violently. Milla flinched and ran back to her previews hiding spot.
A green thorny vine and its head popped out from the vase; the head is rounded but with teeth and one eye.
"Plant Monster!" Milla exclaimed. The planet spotted the intruder. It crouch down and jumped up. The vase leap to her direction, Milla ran out-of-the-way.
Its smash some of the slot machines. The plant, thinking that it crushes her, looked both ways for anymore intruders. It looked to the right only to see a green block hurtling towards it.
She threw her green block right in the eye; the Plant Monster cried out in pain. It could not see anything it jumped over to another spot.
"Maybe I can chuck something else at it." She said and grab the nearest slot machines. Milla ran up the monster. The Plant moving up and down which case the floor to shake, Milla tried to maintain her potion and her throwing rang.
She threw the slot machine with more force, the object hit its neck vine, the plant monster gasped and choke; or what it looks like it's choking. The plant threw up something near her direction, then it slowly turned brown and shriveled up.
"Ow! Darn it, darn it, darn it! That hurt!" Milla heard a voice. She instantly caught the direction of where the female voices and ran up to that said person.
"My perfectly beach colored dress is ruin!" the panda women spat while trying to get that disgusting purple slime off her wonderful orient dress.
"Um, exisem me-," Milla ask and poke the stranger. The panda women jumped, she flinch and close her eyes, "EEEK! NO! DON'T HURT ME PLESE! PLEASE DON'T FEED ME TO ANOTHER MONSTER!"
"It's okay I'm not going to hurt you." Milla sat on the floor and wagging her tail.
Ming open her eyes to see some random hound girl with orange hair wagging her tail, she wore that decade old brown fashion wear, but with braces on her legs and wrists.
"Oh, I thought you wear someone else. Who are you?"
"I'm Milla, I just saved you form the Planet monster. Do you know what happen here and what's your name?"
"You don't need to know my name little girl. All you need to know about me is that I'm getting myself out of here. And take extended shower thanks to that horrible witch!"
"A witch?"
"Ahh, forget it! I don't want to waste my time talking to you about it. I'm going to the authorities!" Ming said stomping to the casino entrance, she then slipped in purple slime and fell flat on her face.
Ming sat up and whimpered, "W-why is this happening to me…? I did nothing wrong."
Milla couldn't help but sweatdropped in response. Clearly this Panda women isn't the nicest person she met so far.
"Are there anymore survivors?" Milla called.
Ming got up and limped to the door "How should I – don't worry about it kid they all flead for their lives," Ming trying to get the main sliding doors to open.
"It's stuck, the door is stuck! How do I get out of here?"
"Don't worry, I got it! Stand back please!" Ming turned what that girl was talking about. A piano was flying towards her, she jumped out of the way, and the piano demolish the sliding doors.
Ming eyes were wide open. "Did you just – How did you -"
"Sorry but I have to go and you're welcome~!" then Milla took off.
...
Milla made it to the casino's second floor which is actually an area for V.I.P's but there's nothing left but empty slots machine, tables and chairs. She saw a couple of red arrows signs that pointed to the direction of where to find a theater stage. Milla couldn't smell or sniff anyone here, so she decided followed the arrows.
Milla made it to the oriental casino's theater which is almost suited like a big dinner & tea restraint, to her. Lights turned off when the lights from the center stage turned on. Purple smoke emerges and a shadowy figure appeared in it.
"I have been bestowed by a great and wonders power. A power that goes un-challenge by others. A power that can spread joy to all," the figure raised her hand and her other hand as if she is reaching to the ceiling.
"A power with no bonders." A rod appeared on top of the stage and landed slowly on her hand. A powerful gust of wind pick up causing some dishes' to fly at Milla's deration, she summons her green psychopathic shield to block the dubree.
"A power can rival that of the Spirits!"
All the lights turned are now on. A red polerbear girl in a red dress raveled herself, one foot forward, one foot backward and she is covering her face with one hand while the other was holding the rod. Her empty hand then balled to a fist.
"It is I your 'lottery magician' will demonstrate my power… to the lucky viewers," Pliny said cheerfully. She flailed her empty hand upward and the crackled of fire crackers burst midair.
'I can't believe I'm seeing Pliny in person. But wouldn't she says something cleverer? And why is she calling herself the lottery witch.' Milla thought.
"And who might you be?" Pliny ask curiously the stranger.
"O-oh I'm Milla Basset."
"Such a wonderful name. Mind if you accompanying me on stage?" she smiled pulled out a deck of cards from her sleeve and started shuffling them.
"Really? That would be so cool…, but something terrible has happened and we need to get out of here."
"Aww, so you're not here to watch me do magic tricks then." Pliny sadly pouted.
"Hmm…, okay maybe just one magic trick!" Milla said cheerfully and ran up the stage.
Pliny handed out a deck of cards in her right hand to Milla "Pick a card."
Milla pick out one card, form the magicians hand. "Hey, it the jester."
"Okay now put it back," Milla nodded in replay and place it back to the magician's hand. The magician in question wave her left hand over the deck of cards and just like that it disappeared. The Red Polerbear girl reaches Milla's left ear, and got a card at one hand.
"Is that your card?" Pliny ask showing the card with a skull to the hound girl. Pliny threw the card into the stage floor.
The card then was ingoufft in swirling blue flames which it became larger by the secent. The flames traveled around Milla, surrounding her.
"W-what's going on?" Milla inquired frighten.
Pliny's hair shadowed her eyes but her cheerful smile remain the same, she slowly reach for her hat. "You don't think I'm stupid do you?" she took off her hat and toss it out stage.
"I'm sorry I-I don't understand."
"Of course you don't," Pliny said firmly and raised her hand. The blue flames started to close in on the hound girl. Milla quickly summoned green barrier around her, the flames have been deflected.
"I knew it! So you're the one that kill my Plant guardian and trying to steal my thunder! But not this time, I'll show everyone how good I really am!"
Milla couldn't believe her ears. "So you're case of all this… But why? You're the world famous-"
"Shut It! It can't be my fault for people acting like complete tools!" Pliny shuddered at the memory of her audience laughing at her on stage. The magician wince as she clutch her head; she felt sharp pain from the back of her head.
She fell down on her knees. "No… I can't... stop… where are you…? Why did you leve me? Please come back. I-I." she muttered, tears running down her face as she remembered those hurtful words echoing in her mind.
I'm through with you.
Milla ran up to the female magician and observed her. "Are you okay?"
Pliny got up and did a backflip and floated midair "Just go away and leave me alone!" she raise her right hand; a bolted of electric form in her hand, it got bigger and floated 3 inches above her palm. "I'll kill you!" She threw the giant golden ball of electricity with her right hand at the stupid hound girl.
Milla saw the ball of electricity zigzagging towers her, she panicked. It's coming right at her! Milla thought about deflecting the bolt or toss a green block at it; she toss her green block at the spell. The block adsorbed the electric bolt until the block exploded into green goo which splatted all over.
"Ahh, gross!" Pliny whined, flailing her arms. Some of that green slime were on her red dress. She took out her rod from her left arm sleeve and twiddled her rod around, using her magic to remove the stain off her dress. The green stains magically separated from her cloths. Pliny is now ready to launch another attack at that – what she gone!
...
Milla dash on all fours, outside the casino. She has to find Lilac and the others and tell them about Pliny.
"Why do people run away every time I do a magic trick?" Milla turned to Pliny's voice from behind. The magician flickered another ball of energy with her rod. Milla summoned her green block shield, the attack bounce back at the magician in question. Pliny avoided the projectile in a majestic breakdance style twirl.
The bolt headed towards a fire-highgred a couple of blocks away, but before it the impact, it stop dead in its tracks. Pliny pointed her rod at the energy bolt. The female magician levitated the spell upward, she swiftly pointed her rod at the hound girl. The spell did what she commanded. It charge at Milla but she deflated back at her again. Pliny countered by slapped it upward, and the ball flew up in the air. The ball exploded into thousands of fireworks in all different kinds of colors.
Milla Basset marveled at the fireworks, "Oh my gosh, this is so amazing! I didn't know you can do that! You gotta teach me-"
"Um, just in case your brain isn't working I'm trying to kill you?" Pliny sneered.
"Oh right – hey why you trying to kill me? You told me to leave you alone so I did!"
"I'm not going to let some little mutt girl get in my way." Pliny said bitterly.
"WH-what? I'm am not a mutt!" Milla said in indignation.
"Oh but you are just look at you, I bet you chase around your tail. Nice big ears by the way." Pliny pointed and smiled.
Milla huffed, "I can't believe you, since when did you decide to terrorize people?"
"What does it matter? Someone more trusting told me that you and some others are going to steal my fame."
Pliny reach out her right arm sideways, bent her four arm in front of her face. Her left arm with her rod pointed towards Milla, a bright white circle appeared on the ground, and sparkling stars emerge from within the white circle.
"Please, stop this. I don't want to fight you!" Milla pleaded and summoned her green block shield, to protect herself from any attack.
The twinkling stars turned into small red plasma balls of energy, they quickly move to the front of Pliny's rod to form one big one. The ground began to shake.
"I am the only dominant magic user in the world, not you!" Pliny began to smile wickedly, and started laughing.
Milla felt very nervous at the older girl's scary laughter.
The red plasma ball transformed into a powerful beam of pink energy from three inches from the tip of Pliny's rod. Milla mentally countered, by turning her shield into a beam of green energy. The two beam's collided electricity form in the middle.
'This is crazy!' Milla thought as she was struggling with the attack. This goes on for a few minutes until the emerald beam plowed through Pliny's attack.
"W-what!?" That's all Pliny had to say before Milla's attack sends hits her. She flew strait through the Casino window.
"Oh no! What have I done?" Milla dash on all fours quickly to the casino building, lep though the window. She sees Pliny laying on the carpet floor. Milla ran up to her and cheek to see if she is okay.
"Thank goodness, she is okay… she's only unconscious," Milla said to herself followed with a sigh, she can hear one of her idols faint heartbeat up to her position and a moan.
Milla Basset heard sirens coming from outside and cars. Milla felt relieved it has to be the copes and ambulance.
...
Pliny lay upon the stretcher. Two Royal guard paramedics carted her outside of the building. A couple of police cars and some firefighters were park outside. The other guards and firemen rush inside the casino to check for any survivors.
"Tell me if she's going to be okay?" Milla walk beside them.
"I'm afraid not… hah just kidding, she going to be fine, just some minor injuries."
"Minor injuries? Are you sensible? Just look at her, she unconscious!" the Royal guard scowled at his partner. "Let's just get her to the hospital where she can be safe from those machines."
Milla was about to say something- "…I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" Pliny weakly said to the basset hound girl. This caught Milla's attention. "Brevon said that he can… help me succeed in life. I didn't know…"
"Did you just say Brevon?" Milla inquired. Pliny lost consciousness again. The two guards loaded her in the ambulances. Milla moved to follow, but was stopped.
"Sorry Ma'am, only a family member can accompany her." The guard said.
"But – alright," Milla said sadly. The guards close the doors shut, and drove away.
Milla let out a sigh, just when she decided to have some fun at the casino plaza for tonight's autumn festival, bad things started to happen.
"Guess all this left is to find lilac and the others… I wonder what they are doing right now?" she said out loud to herself. Milla spotted a limousine heading to her deration and stopped. Another guard came out of the car seat, then rush over to the right side of the limousine. The guard open door in the right side revel a panda women dress in an oriental glittering red with gold trimmings.
"Hey it's you! Are you the one that sent them here?" Milla ask the panda women.
"Well duh, of course. An actress still has to keep up appearances," Ming Zu walk up the hound girl, with her right hand on her hip.
"You look okay and I assumed you took care of her?"
"Yes ma'am. She just -"
"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!" Ming cheered and shacked both Milla hands. "You may not know about me but I'm am Ming Zu, top gal actress in Shang Mu and Mayor Zoe future wife. And for saving my life and my entire casino, I invite you to accompany me and my Zoe in a royal feast!"
"Really, a feast? …but I'm not so sure yet, maybe you can help find my friends afterwards?"
"Sure thing!" Ming said, she then heard her cellphone from her green prist, she pick it up. "Hold on a minit. Hello? Yes I'm fine… what, more guess, already? …Hmm really, I have one more guess I'm bringing along and I'm going to talk to you about it when I get home, Zao," And just like that she hung up her phone.
Are those three guesses they happen to be Lilac, Carol and Torque would it?" Milla inquired picking up on the actress conversation.
"Oh so they are your friends, good," the guard who is next to the actress cough with one hand. "Right, we should leave here before the paparazzi."
"Alright," Milla said cheerfully, at least she can be reunited with her new friends at the feast.
Credits:
Original fanfic arthurs: Spine09(aka LionsFang51), Co-written by Crow from the Freedom Planet Forum.
Freedom Planet (c) GalaxyTrail Games
OC's belong to their creators.