A/N I came up with this a few weeks ago. It was also inspired by a Lion King story, Time Warped, which has a similar plot. In this one, Irene is taken back to the past to uncover secrets about Dirtclaw. I only own Eileen, Dirtclaw, and other OC things. I don't own the Princess and the Goblin or its characters.
Chapter 7
Dirtclaw's Banishment and the Stampede
Eileen shook her head sadly. "As punishment, Dirtclaw's beloved Calypso was murdered."
Irene's eyes widened, then she looked confused. "Why tell me rather than show me?"
"That is something you do not need to see." The old wolf explained. "I will only show you Dirtclaw's trial. It will also explain why Froglip still grieves over the friendship he and Dirtclaw once had." She led Irene into a large room in the cave. Dirtclaw sat on the ground at the foot of stairs, which led up to three thrones. In the middle sat Jethro. To his right was Randes. The left side was empty.
Eileen nudged Irene and nodded towards the back. By the entrance, Irene saw Froglip hiding. "Dirtclaw the Wolf-Bat," Jethro said, rubbing his running nose. "You have confessed to murdering of Weed-Root. Do you deny it?"
Looking to his left and right, Dirtclaw growled, "No." The Goblin crowd gasped.
"In that case, I find you guilty. I hereby banish you from the Goblin Mountain! If you are found anywhere near here, you will be chased away, or killed. Now go!"
Silently, Dirtclaw stood, turned around, and began to make his way towards the exit. As he went, Goblins to his left and right jeered and yelled out names, "Traitor!
"Murderer!"
"Dog of Death!"
"Beast from Hell!"
"Wolf Assassin!"
Irene gasped softly. "Wolf Assassin?" She whispered. "That's Dirtclaw's nickname."
"That is where he got the idea, yes." Eileen nodded, leading Irene after Dirtclaw. "Now watch."
As Dirtclaw walked out, but before he managed to get out of the mountain, a voice yelled, "Dirtclaw! Dirtclaw, wait!"
Turning, Dirtclaw saw Froglip running towards him. He stopped and asked, "Why? Why did you kill her? I thought we were best friends. We were brothers," As he spoke, he held out a hand to the Wolf-Bat.
"…You are right." He said deeply. "We were best friends. However, as far as I'm concerned, you're no brother of mine."
Irene and Froglip both gasped. The Goblin Prince backed away, shaking his head slightly. Irene could see tears growing in his eyes. Dirtclaw turned and continued out the Goblin Mountain. His long, fluffy tail was the last thing Irene saw before it disappeared.
"…Froglip," She laid a hand on his shoulder, only to find her hand went right through him. "I…I had no idea…I'm so sorry."
Eileen sat down and laid a paw on her shoulder. "There is another thing you need to see."
"Please…no more." Irene pleaded, tears growing in her own eyes.
"I'm sorry, but this is the last thing; I promise."
Sighing, Irene nodded. She closed her eyes as they time-traveled. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a gorge. Looking to the side, she gasped when she saw Froglip and Dirtclaw walking side-by-side.
"So, what's going on again?" Froglip asked, raising one eyebrow.
"Oh, just a surprise from your mother." Dirtclaw smiled. "You must stay here while I go get her. Just sit in this one spot," He patted the ground with his wing. "And don't move."
Irene and Froglip both looked suspicion until he sat down. As Dirtclaw left, Froglip said, "Say Dirtclaw, what exactly is this surprise like? Will I like it, or dislike it?"
"Froglip, I can only sum it up in these four words: it's to die for!" Dirtclaw purred before continuing on his way out of the gorge. Irene shivered at those words.
After several minutes, Froglip grumbled, "What's taking them so long?" Irene giggled, remembering Froglip tended to be impatient. She watched as he knocked down a tree to get an apple after his stomach growled. Then the ground began rumbling under their feet. They both looked up; hundreds of cattle were running over the edge of the gorge…right for them!
Both Irene and Froglip gasped. The Goblin Prince dropped the apple and ran off. "Climb on." Eileen said. Irene jumped onto her back just behind her wings. Eileen began running, then jumped and flapped her bat wings, lifting them up into the air. She followed after Froglip, who continued to run. Irene gasped when he slipped and nearly fell. Eileen flew up onto the ledge when Froglip climbed onto a tree.
"There!" A voice cried. "I see him! On that tree!"
Irene looked to her right; on another ledge were Randes, a gray Goblin she recognized as Gromp, and Dirtclaw. "Hold on, Froglip!" Randes cried.
Irene looked to see the tree Froglip was in get bumped by a cow. He grabbed the branch and screamed. Randes jumped down and began running through the stampede to get to her son.
"Oh, Dirtclaw, this is awful!" Gromp exclaimed. "What do we do? What do we do?" Irene couldn't hear him after that, but she did see Dirtclaw kick him away. She looked back into the stampede to see Randes get knocked to the ground. She screamed when Froglip's tree got knocked over by a bull, sending him flying through the air. He landed on the ground and gripped his arm. Then Randes grabbed him under his arms and pulled him to and pushed him onto a ledge before getting carried away by the stampede.
"Mother!" Froglip cried, searching frantically through the stampede for her. Irene looked too, very worried. Suddenly, the Goblin Queen leapt onto the edge of the cliff. Eileen flew up onto a higher ledge as Randes slowly climbed up.
"Dirtclaw!" She cried. Irene saw the Wolf-Bat sitting on the edge of the cliff, looking down her past his nose. "Please! Help me!"
Dirtclaw grabbed Randes's hands with his claws, making her cry out in pain. He sneered at her with blood-red eyes Irene heard him growl, "Long live the queen." Irene screamed when he pushed her off of the ledge.
"NOOOOO!" She heard Froglip cry at the top of his lungs. Eileen walked down the hill while he climbed frantically to the bottom of the gorge. Coughing, he yelled, "Mother!" He and Irene turned sharply towards a twig snapping. "Mother?"
A young cow ran past him and a fallen tree. Something was under that tree. Froglip and Eileen walked towards it. He and Irene gasped at what that object was; it was Randes!
"No." Froglip muttered, shaking his head. He hurried to his mother's body, wincing slightly. Irene saw tears growing in his eyes. "Mother? M-Mother? You have to get up." He pushed at her, only to have her fall limp. "W-we have to go home…No. Mother, no! NOOOO!" He buried his face in his hands and began sobbing. Irene wiped the tears from her eyes as well. "Why must I see this?"
"You may have comforted him, but you never understood how Froglip felt about his mother's death," Eileen explained. "Not until now."
Irene nodded, understanding. "Froglip." They both looked up. She gasped at the sight of Dirtclaw staring him down. "What have you done?"
Froglip stood and wiped his face. "Th-there was a cattle stampede. And…she-she tried to save me. I-I didn't mean for this to happen." He stuttered.
"Oh, of course you didn't'," Dirtclaw said in a fake soothing tone, hugging Froglip. "No one, means for these things to happen…But the queen is dead. And if hadn't been for you, she'd still be alive. Oh! What will your father think?"
"Wh-what should I do?" Froglip asked.
"The only thing you can do, young prince," Dirtclaw said, pushing Froglip away with a paw. "Run away."
Irene gasped softly. "Run. Run away, and never return."
Hesitating, Froglip turned and ran through the gorge. "Oh, Froglip." Irene sighed sadly. She turned to see Dirtclaw's neutral face melt into an evil smile. Two wolves appeared behind him through the dust. "Kill him." Dirtclaw said. Irene gasped as the wolves ran past him and after Froglip.
The scene began to burr. "You have seen all you must see." Eileen said. "Now you know about Dirtclaw and Froglip. It is time you return to your own time. Do you understand now?"
Irene nodded. "I understand. I am so ashamed of myself; of how I upset Froglip so much."
"He loves you; he'll understand. I'll take you back home, where no time will have passed. And then…I must go."
Irene felt her heart sink. In the last few hours, she had taken a liking to the old Wolf-Bat ghost. Without another thought, she fell to her knees and hugged Eileen. She laid a paw on her back, returning the hug. "Will I ever see you again?" Irene whispered.
"Perhaps one day." Eileen said. "Perhaps. But remember: I am always there, even when you cannot see me. I'm there."
Irene remembered those words being uttered by her great-great grandmother. But before she could speak, she felt herself fading away…
