I came up with a new character for this story and it just couldn't get out of my head. Also, what would happen if not only this new character but the rest of the gang somehow got in the middle of being ambushed by Dai Ling's wolf guards? The answer is in this chapter!


Chapter 9: Followed

On the other side of the forest, another young grey wolf, 14 years old, weighing 158 pounds, 5'8, dark hazel green eyes, wearing only grey and brown tattered torn shorts, has wild spiky hair on his head and with multiple scars on his body-most of them barely visible-ran as quickly as he can trying to lose the wolf guards from following him. Then, he hides in a small bush hoping that they wouldn't find him.

Some of the guards from Dai Ling's army went around looking for him and they managed to pass by the bush that the young wolf was hiding in and he pops out of there, takes a deep breath knowing that the coast is clear and he continues running in another direction.

Meanwhile, Musaki, Arizona, Kazuo, Shing, Max, Cody, Tsunami, Phoenix, Zeke and Samurai walked through the forest to find a boat to ride back to the Valley of Peace and while there, Musaki starts to have a conversation with his cousins, inlcuding his new cousin. He asked, "So Max...how do you like my cousins?"

"Um...they're really nice. Tsunami and Samurai are really awesome to hang with and they look out for me...unlike my real family." Max answered.

"What happened to your real family?" asked Shing.

Max kinda grew silent about it because it might lead to something that he wouldn't consider ready to talk about yet. Musaki recognized that sign and turned to Max and told him, "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to."

"It's kinda hard to discuss it because most times I feel really sad or scared." Max admitted.

"Yeah, I know how you feel."

"We've been telling Max a lot about you, Musaki. Our dad showed him a picture of your dad and ours when they were kids. And also a picture of you and we told them the story about what you've been through and about your parents and how special they are. Max often tells us that he's excited to meet you and wants to know what you're like." Tsunami said.

"That's cool."

"So you were scared of Arizona when you first saw him. If you don't mind my asking, how come you're scared of wolves?" asked Kazuo.

Max turned to Kazuo and replied, "Well...my mother abandoned me with some of the wolves one day and I was so scared that I ws afraid that they'll eat me, so I had to run home by myself. It's been my phobia since."

"What do you think of Arizona?" asked Musaki.

He takes a look at Arizona and remembering the hug he gave him, he said, "He seems nice. Not many wolves are this nice like him."

Arizona looks at him and all he could do is smile a little and said, "Some wolves are not always that bad or scary. Some of them are really nice...like me. I guess that's why some of the wolf army in the tower never took me seriously and I get chained and beaten for it."

"Why?" asked Zeke.

"I'm different from most wolves."

"Everyone's different in their own ways. You shouldn't feel ashamed or embarassed by it."

"I know, but sometimes Dai Ling's comments really get to me at times and I just look at myself and realize that he's right."

"The only reason why you say that is because you let him think like that. Shouldn't you think for yourself and not for what others think?"

"I try, but I don't know how."

"What if I were to tell you that it's possible that the world can accept you for you and all you have to do is accept it regardless of whatever gets you down?" asked Musaki.

"You think it could happen?"

"It can...unless if you're willing to trust me."

Arizona thought about what Musaki said and he knows that if he continues to live in a world of negaitivity, he'll stay there for the rest of his life. He turns to him and replied, "I guess I'll give it a shot."

"Exactly."

Suddenly, they heard some shouting coming from somewhere and when they turned around, they see another wolf on the edge of a cliff surrounded by Dai Ling's wolf guards. Musaki looks in horror and Arizona exclaimed, "I know that guy! I don't know his name, but I've seen him before! Those wolf guards got him cornered! We gotta do something!"

"Let's go out there and kick their butts!" Musaki exclaimed.

"Musaki, are you serious? We could get caught and they'll drag us all back to the tower!"

"Not if we beat them up! Besides, don't you wanna save that guy?"

Arizona looks over the cliff and figures that maybe it's time to rescue the young wolf and he replied, "Let's do it."

At the cliff's edge, some of the wolf guards surround the young wolf and they growled at him and one said, "You made a big mistake escaping!"

Two of them pushed him down on the ground and beat him in the stomach hard, causing him to groan in agonizing pain. He quickly gets up and angrily told them, "I don't wanna go back with you!"

One guard grabs him by the neck and said, "You got no other choice!"

Suddenly, one of the guards received a punch from behind and fell down on the ground and in comes Musaki saying, "Well, we meet again."

"Hey, it's the intruder!"

A few went in after him and immediately punched them in the face and kicked them in the groins. One went after Arizona and he got out of the way and fell into the water and another went in after him and Arizona punched him straight in the mouth. Then some Musaki's cousins managed to use their kung-fu skills to aim it at them as well as Shing and Kazuo.

"Retreat!" the wolf guard bellowed.

They all got out of the cliff's edge after being attacked by Musaki and his crew. After that, Arizona went up to the young wolf and he recognized him by the multiple scars on his face and asked, "You're that guy who's been beaten everyday at the tower, haven't you?"

The young wolf groaned in agony, slowly looks at Arizona and replied, "Yeah, that's me."

"You all right?"

"Yeah, I'm cool."

He tries to get up and Arizona sees that he's hurt really bad and asked, "What are you doing out here?"

"I saw you and your panda friend escaping the tower last night and I thought that maybe I should get out too. But I was being followed by the wolf army, making it difficult for me to be unseen and unheard."

"That was very risky."

"Yeah, I know, but I'm just tired of being beaten by those jerks and Dai Ling as well and being able to suffer through it! I just want to escape and find some peace."

"Well, you'll find it here with us." Musaki added.

The young wolf stared at Musaki and he asked, "You're the young panda who got Arizona out?"

"Yeah that's me."

"How'd you know my name?" asked Arizona.

"I guess I've seen you pass by the prison cells and when you bring food to the other prisoners and in a room in another part of the tower and I keep hearing your name being called a lot and seeing you get tormented. It's like another part of myself is shown."

"Didn't know that. I never really got your name though."

"I'm Ruiz. Tai Ruiz."

"Tai Ruiz?"

"Yeah, but everyone else just calls me Ruiz."

"Okay, Ruiz. These are my new friends-Cody, Tsunami, Max, Phoenix, Samurai, Zeke and Musaki. He's the one that brought me out of the tower."

Ruiz came up to Musaki and said, "I've been told that someone would bring Arizona out and the fact that you brought him out...takes a special friend."

"Well, thanks very much."

"So what's with the name Tai Ruiz?" asked Cody.

"Tai means that I'm originally from Thailand, so I'm kinda half Chinese and half Thailand. My birth mother named me Ruiz because it was inspired by her teacher's name and my father's from Thailand."

"That's amazing." Kazuo answered.

"Also, these are my old friends-Kazuo and Shing." Arizona said.

"Nice to meet you." Shing answered.

"Same here. So, where are you guys heading now?"

"The Valley of Peace." Musaki answered.

"Why there?"

"Well, I kinda had a mission to bring Arizona out of the tower and bring him there so he can live in peace."

"Can I come too?"

"Sure thing. Hopefully, my mission task will be complete."

"It's his first rescue mission." Tsunami said.

"That's amazing." Ruiz said.

"Amazing to know that it'll be the LAST mission you'll ever have!"

Suddenly, they hear another growl coming out of nowhere and they turn around and they see more of Dai Ling's wolf guards coming in and they went backwards until Ruiz almost stepped on the edge of the cliff where the river is and suddenly, he slipped and fell down on the river.

"RUIZ!" Arizona screamed.

"We gotta save him!" Musaki exclaimed.

Arizona jumped out of the cliff along with everyone else and just when the wolf guards thought they were finished, one looks down and sees a phoenix bird pop out of nowhere, saving the others. He lets out a huge squawk and fire comes out of them, causing the wolf guards to retreat yet again.

The crimson bird flies away and Arizona looks down and sees they they're flying and the crimson bird looks at them and asked, "You all okay?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Arizona replied.

"Um, who are you?" asked Musaki.

"I'm Suazku. What's yours?"

"I'm Musaki and these are my friends Arizona, Ruiz, Kazuo and Shing and my cousins Max, Cody, Tsunami, Samurai and my brother Zeke."

"Nice to meet all of you."

"Same here." Tsunami added.

Suazku flies back to their place along with some other creatures; a blue dragon, a white tiger and a black tortoise coming in and one said, "Hey, Suzaku. What's up?"

"Just rescued some weary travelers from wolf guards." Suazku answered.

They went out of his back and the white tiger looks at Musaki and said, "The name's Byakko."

"I'm Musaki."

"You guys are lucky that Suzaku save you. We could watch from the hill."

"You could?"

"Yep."

"That's amazing."


vampire1031 wanted me to add these guys in. So, what do you think? Was that action-y enough for ya? There's more on the way!