Well, here is the last chapter. Thanks for reading, if anyone read it. Cheers!
Pips felt very cold as he and Batty followed the sounds of trapped animals. It was a haunting sound, and it really unnerved him. It unnerved Batty as well. Pips felt badly for him being there since Batty had past experience with being trapped.
"It's a fast in and out," Pips reassured him.
"I know," Batty grunted. They came up to a door where the noise was coming from. Pips spied the covered hole near the bottom, and he and Batty went through it.
"Red!" Pips exclaimed, seeing his friend. Mrs. K would be thrilled.
"Just the person I wanted to see," Red grinned. "Be a pal and grab those keys eh mate?" Pips turned to see Batty already had them. He helped push it into the mechanism around Red's neck and twisted it open.
"Ahhh much better," Red said, rubbing his neck. "All right, you guys. It's home free now." He helped unlock all the other animals, who vanished through the hole in the door as quickly as possible.
"Send word back that we're all right," Pips told Red, who nodded.
"Will do. Thanks, mate. You saved our hides. Literally."
"Anytime."
They were at the main entrance now, going to go their separate ways. Pips noticed that Batty was looking a little green.
"You all right?" he asked.
"Just fabulous," Batty replied. The danger was gone, but he still couldn't help but flashback to his own imprisonment. He shook it off and looked around.
"Where do you think they went?"
"I say we follow the tracks," Batty suggested.
"Good idea. After you," Pips gestured. Batty sped away, eager to rejoin the others.
...
Bernard was still recovering from almost dying. It had been very frightening, trapped under the treads of this machine. He was very grateful for Jake's quick thinking. Otherwise, both he and Miss Bianca would be dead. Crysta and Zak had made it just fine, but they were shaken too at the close call. They rattled along until the truck came to a complete stop. Jake noticed Cody running for the edge of the cliff and climbing down it.
"We have to warn him!" Crysta cried. Jake tied off a rope, and they all slid down except Crysta, who flew down. They hurried over to where Cody had disappeared. They find him covering up some eggs and putting a golden feather over them.
"Cody!" Bianca shouted. The boy whipped his head around. The sight before him was...different.
"What are you doing?!" Zak shouted. Cody blinked. Was that his cousin?!
"Zak?" he asked.
"That's right. I'm here to save your scrawny butt," Zak said. "What the heck are you doing?!"
"You're in great danger, Cody!" Bianca warned.
"But...why are you so small?" Cody asked. He spotted Crysta next. Was he actually looking at a real fairy? So Zak hadn't been making it up!
"That's my doing," she said sheepishly. "It was the fastest way." An eagle's cry sounded in the distance.
"Marahute!" Cody shouted, scanning the skies. "But...he said she was dead."
"He lied," Zak started.
"McLeach is up at that cliff!" Bernard shouted. Cody saw that McLeach was going to trap Marahute.
"Get away!" he screamed. "Marahute! No!" They all watched in horror as McLeach caught her midair in his trap. Then, Cody leaped onto the bundle and started cutting at the ropes.
"Oh come on," Zak groaned. Jake lassoed Cody's foot, hauling Bianca with him and leaving Bernard and Zak behind. Crysta hung there, torn about what to do.
"Help him!" Zak shouted, so she flew to their aid. Cody started to slip, so she worked her magic to create something for him to hold onto.
"We gotta hide these eggs," Bernard said, making Zak turn around.
"You're right," Zak nodded. He took one last look at his cousin, who was now being dropped back into the cage of McLeach's truck. He knew the eggs would be the next target. They set to work.
...
Pips and Batty reached the cliff where the tracks stopped. No one was there.
"What do you think happened?" Pips asked, nervous. Before Batty could answer, they heard grunting coming from the edge. Within moments, Bernard and Zak's head popped up.
"Thank God you're here!" Zak shouted, seeing Batty.
"Where are the others?" Pips demanded.
"McLeach got them..." Zak trailed off. Pips fumed.
"What are you talking about!" he shouted. He would never forgive himself if Crysta got hurt during all this.
"They were trying to save the bird. They were taken away in his truck again. Just follow the tracks..." Zak gestured. Pips was already on his way. Batty scooped up Zak and took off in pursuit.
"Hey! Wait!" Bernard shouted. Dang it anyway. What was he going to do now? He started on foot. The others soon vanished from the sky. He huffed. Why didn't they offer him a ride? Before long he came across a razorback. Getting an idea and taking a leaf out of Jake's book, Bernard booted the razorback's snout to wake him up. Then, he demanded a ride and told the animal to give him no guff. He couldn't believe his eyes when it actually worked. Racing across the land, Bernard wondered if he would make it in time.
...
"No!" Cody shouted as McLeach grabbed him and hoisted him out of the cage. Crysta tried to help, but Marahute's flailing wings knocked her down. They had to watch in horror as McLeach strung the boy up and put him on a hook.
"I don't like this, I don't like this," Crysta was chanting.
"Come on, Bernard!" Bianca cried.
"You really think he's coming?" Jake asked, incredulous.
"He will. I have no doubts," Bianca replied. Crysta hugged herself. She wished Pips were there. He would be able to help. She noticed objects in the sky with an animal following on the ground. She felt her heart rise.
"Crysta!" Pips shouted.
"Here!" she yelled back. He grabbed her hands through the mesh.
"Are you all right?" he asked, worried.
"I'm fine. He's going to kill Cody," Crysta pointed. Pips whirled to see. McLeach had just pulled Cody up from another dunking.
"Oh no," he said.
"Make me big!" Zak ordered. "Hurry!"
"I can't through all this..." Crysta started.
"There's a RAZORBACK in the back of the truck!" McLeach's voice shrieked, making them all jump. Before long, Bernard came tearing out of the truck with the keys and Joanna hot on his heels.
"Toss 'em here!" Jake shouted. Bernard did so, and Jake caught them. Pips was going to help when a gunshot went off. He turned to see McLeach aiming his gun at the rope Cody was strung from.
"Save him!" Crysta shrieked.
"I must be out of my mind!" Bernard shouted, racing up to McLeach with Joanna right behind him. He leaped out of the way as Joanna crashed into McLeach. They struggled, McLeach screaming profanities at Joanna. He was teetering right at the edge, so Bernard gave a small push on his shoe, and they both went over.
"CODY!" Zak screamed. The rope had broke, and Cody went tumbling down to the water below. Pips didn't even think, and neither did Bernard. They both went down after him.
"Pips!" Crysta cried.
"Bernard! Save him!" Bianca shouted.
Pips coughed and choked as he surfaced. The water was rough. Both he and Bernard managed to get a hold of the rope and tie it to a tree branch. Pips knew it wouldn't hold, though. Sure enough, it split, and they were racing down the river again. McLeach had already gone over the side. Joanna was watching with small interest. She soon disappeared into the bush. Pips knew they were coming up to a waterfall, and Cody would not survive if he went over.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Zak was chanting. Bianca opened the cage, and Marahute flung herself out and flew straight for Cody with Jake and Bianca on board. Crysta quickly said her spell, making Zak human sized again, but it was too late.
"No!" Crysta cried as Cody went over the falls.
"Oh my God," Zak said, falling to his knees. He buried his head in his hands. He had failed. His cousin was gone. Batty wrung his hands. He didn't know what to do or say. Then, they saw Marahute fly out of the mist, and Cody was riding tall.
"YES!" Zak shouted, pumping his fist. "YES, YES, YES!" The huge eagle landed, sliding Cody off her. Pips was soaked and trembling at his near death experience, but he was smiling. Bianca hugged Bernard.
"You were amazing!" she cried. "Oh, oh I'm so glad you're all right!"
"Look, before anything else crazy happens, I need to ask you something," Bernard said. He got on his knee and pulled out the ring. "Miss Bianca, will you marry me?" There was a shocked silence for a moment.
"Yes! Of course! I will!" Bianca cried, hugging him again. Jake gave him a thumbs up. Pips recognized that move from the first time he met Zak. Remembering him suddenly, Pips looked over to see Zak hugging Cody.
"You are a crazy kid, you know that?" Zak said. Cody bowed his head.
"I'm sorry I caused so much trouble," he replied. Zak ruffled his hair.
"The important thing is you're okay," Zak said, hugging him again.
"I love happy endings," Batty sighed. Pips moved closer to Crysta, who was standing and watching.
"You all right?" he asked. She looked at him.
"Are you?" she countered. She was doing a self-reflection, and after watching Pips almost die, she came to a realization of something.
"Never better," he grinned. "Danger is my middle name, you know."
"And chance is mine," she replied. She moved in and kissed him deeply. Pips was taken aback, but he soon returned it.
"About time!" Batty said loudly. They broke apart. Crysta was blushing. Zak felt a small twinge inside, but he realized that it wouldn't really work out anyway. He tried to be happy for Pips, but it was difficult.
"I think it's time to go home," Cody piped up. He knew his mother would be sick with worry and fear. It was time to put that to rest. Marahute offered a ride, which he and Zak took.
"We should find Wilbur," Bernard said. "He'll fly us back home." Bianca was holding his hand and beaming.
"It was lovely to meet you all," Jake said. "But if you'll excuse me, I have an airstrip to manage." He bowed and shook Bernard and Bianca's hands before starting off. He climbed on the grazing razorback and headed back to where he came from.
"Home time?" Pips asked Crysta once he disappeared.
"Yes," she smiled. "That sounds good to me." He took her hand, and they started flying to the direction of Ferngully with Batty floating above them. Things were finally back to normal.
The End
