Sasha paced back and forth, waiting for the others, especially Slick. Becky tried to calm her down, but she wasn't having it.
Daphne and Arnold arrived, stepping on the wet ground of the swamp. Sasha getting impatient, grabbed Arnold by his cloak. "Where is he!"
"Right here." Slick arrived, staring at the witch.
Sasha dropped Arnold on the ground, cracking her knuckles. A wicked smile form on her face. "Ready to die?"
"I've been through worse. What makes you think you're better?"
"Sasha, just stop and calm down. We don't have to do this" Becky told her friend.
Sasha try to call upon her magic, but it didn't work. She did it again, but nothing. "What's going on?"
Daphne closed her eyes, letting the slight dizzle hit her fur. "Our magic must be surpressed. Look like you got unfinished business for now"
Slick sighed while Sasha scowled, giving the wizard a dirty look.
"So what now? I think bonding is out of the question" Arnold said, Slick helping him up.
A firefly was hovering calmly beside a big tealamp that was lit up. Slick walked to it.
"Excuse me, my classmates and I are new here. Kinda wanna know any attraction around here."
"The magic is still around
A powerful wizard sleeps
Light awakens, he'll be angry"
Slick sighed as the cryptic message was confusing but putting the pieces together, he founded out whats going on. He walked back to the others.
"So a wizard has the magic and once the light is on, he'll be angry. I mean I'll be angry to if someone shines their light on me."
"But keeping the energy for himself? That's stupid" Daphne said
"Maybe this is the light?" Becky said, pointing at a tealamp that was already lit.
"That's the only light other than the moon. So let's walk around and see the others" Slick suggested.
The others walked around the swamp. Along the path, were Cornocs, gators, and mosquitoes on the ground.
"Either Sasha is really pissed or someone else was laying the smackdown on them" Slick whispered to Arnold.
"She would get her hands dirty. But on wizards or witches. Not these creatures. This looks like Malacore's soldiers" Arnold told him.
"Who's Malacore?" Arnold shush the wizard, looking around them.
"He's a powerful wizard that rules Midnight Mountain and the forgotten world. Other than us Felinian wizards and witches, he has magic in all of worlds. He even defeated the sorceress and took her daughter. Thank goodness we don't mess with him."
Slick sighed as he crossed the wooden bridge. He just wanted to find his best friend and go home. But remembering what his past self told him, this wizard must be killing the world.
Further away, Sheila hopped beside with the locals. The swamp was a better place than her home. The endless drizzle of rain, the fireflies speaking in haiku, it's so peaceful.
"So after I light these lamps up, I'll give him the good ol' one-two and bring peace back."
"Sheila, no more haiku?
It must've been a while since
Busho and Basho will help"
Sheila blushed as she was a little rusty since her capture. "Yes they can."
She jumped up with a touch in her hand and lit up the third
Sasha kept walking, still fuming over the fact that her magic is gone and Ricky was sitting on the edge of the cliff.
Did her eyes deceive her. No they didn't. He was sitting there, minding his business. A creepy smile formed on her face as an idea waltz in her head.
Slick looked down at the water, the fishes grouped up together to see the cat wizard. He sighed as he laid down on the wet grass.
'How am I going to find Alex with a war that's going to happen soon. Even if I find him how are we going back home?' he said in his head.
When he opened his eyes, he saw Sasha right above him. "Um hey..."
"Don't you dare "hey" me" she said, growling at him.
Slick got up, moving quickly away from the edge as the angry witch walked slowly to him.
"You've embarrassed me in front of those loser back there."
"Isn't one of those "loser" your friend? Plus you shouldn't made fun of me. It's called karma."
"Daphne has no friends. Arnold is a nerd and Becky...her and I are not friends. I don't like her. I hate her stupid bright hair, her dumb accent, and just her on top of me in Mr. Marco's class."
As she kept talking about Becky, Slick heard a chomping noise in the background. Chomp, chomp, chomp. He moved his neck to the right of Sasha and saw it. A gator coming towards the witch.
"But she doesn't have half the brain I- are you even listening to me?!"
Slick grabbed Sasha's shoulders and push her to the side. He grab on the gaters mouth, snapping it tight. Then he pick the swamp creature up and toss it in the water.
"There, now it can live free and in the wild."
"That water is filled with piranhas" Sasha said, pointing at a sign with a piranha on it.
Slick covered his mouth in shock, looking back at the water. Blood from where the gator was thrown.
'Christine, Martina, I've failed you...' he thought in his head.
"You're such an idiot" said Sasha, shaking her head.
"That's my line."
The two looked to see Daphne, Arnold, and Becky, who looked at Sasha with anger.
"How could you say those things?"
"Better question is-" she was interrupted as the door beside them opened up and her and Slick were sucked in.
The door shut itself tight. The three students ran up to the door but there was no handle or knob to open. Whatever happened, they couldn't get their classmates.
Slick groaned as he got up, feeling the wet hard floor. Beside him was Sasha who slowly got as well.
"Wh-what happened?" she asked, holding her.
"I don't know but I have a feeling we're about to find out."
Across them was a Cornoc wearing pajama gown and a pajama cap.
"Hmm Felinians. This is a new one for me."
Sasha and Slick looked at the annoyed Cornoc. Slick took a couple of steps to the creature. "Hello. We didn't mean to...disturb your nap."
"Oh but you did. I swear your kind and Malacore don't have respect for any creatures. Especially to the last rhynoc know to this world."
"Listen, I was fine before I was here. So you do whatever with him and I'll see my way out" Sasha scoffed as she flipped her hair and looked for a way out.
"Oh no. You ain't going nowhere. You two awaken me from my slumber, lighting those damn lamps. Now you're going to pay.
"It wasn't us" said Slick.
"I'll make your death quick. I am the boogeyman and I'm coming to get ya!"
The boogeyman's hand glowed red, shooting red energy bombs at the wizard. Without his magic, Slick couldn't do much except hand to hand combat, but he was too small. The cat ran from the attack, dodging the bombs
After his attack failed, boogeyman tossed a bomb at Slick. The bomb hit the floor, but didn't explode.
Slick stayed clear from it as the a countdown showed up on top of it. After a fast 5 seconds, it blew up.
As the wizard was busy, Sasha couldn't push the red stained glass door. She was getting more frustrated, punching the door.
The boogeyman found his prey. With his hands now green, he toss five balls at the intruder, creating gators. The gators chased after Slick.
With Slick distracted, boogeyman turn his attention to Sasha.
Sasha quit beating the door, her hands hurting. "Why can't I get out?"
"Because you fail at everything."
Sasha's eyes widen, turning around to see a cat wearing a black cloak and a pointed hat.
"I told you mom she would be a failure. She will destroy generations of hard work and honor!"
Sasha rubbed her eyes, hoping this was a dream. "Stacy, what are you doing here?"
Another witch appear next to Stacy. This time, taller than her. "This family doesn't accept failures. I can't believe I gave birth to you!"
"M-mom, stop saying that." the witch said, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Slick threw another gator at its companions and they melted away. "Dammit I wont be able to defeat this clown without my magic. Wait, without magic..."
"If you come to the point that your magic is weakened or suppressed, your enemy may throw a weapon at you..."
Remembering what Daphne taught him, his eyes widen at the thought. "Use his weapon to my advantage."
In time, a bomb fell beside him. Before he can pick it up, Slick heard sobbing from behind him.
He turn to see Sasha on her knees, crying. The outline of her body was black. He turn to see the boogeyman, also glowing black.
"Please stop calling me that..." Sasha cried out.
Slick growled, grabbing the bomb. Not heavy as he thought, he quickly toss it, hitting the boogeyman.
The boogeyman roar in pain as he stopped his spell.
Sasha was surrounded by her female members of her family. Mother, sisters, relatives. All of them calling her a failure.
Suddenly, they all disappear and she found herself back in reality. Slick was beside. "Are you okay?"
She couldn't talk or look disgust at Slick's presence. All she did was shake and tremble.
"What did you do to her?!" he yelled, clenching his paws.
"It's a fear spell. From the real ruler of the forgotten world, my queen, The Sorceress. Capturing her archives, I learn her powerful spell. Taking your deepest fears, to succome you into the dark."
Anger built up inside the wizard. His body began to build up with magical energy. The boogeyman shook his head at the scene he was witnessing. His spell was broken by a mere Felinaian.
"How can this be? This is a powerful spell. Not even Bianca can break it. How can you?" Boogeyman panicking.
Slick could go over there and rip the wizard's head off, turn him little and step on him, he could do the unthinkable. Hmm unthinkable.
The wizard slammed his fist as hard as he can and punched through the platform, water seeping in.
"Is that all you got? Haha you're a joke of a wizard" Boogeyman said, laughing.
Slick smile as he was continued being mocked. It was what he was hoping this would happen.
"I know why you're keep magic for yourself."
Boogeyman squirt his eyes then scoffed. "Please do tell."
"You're the big fish in Spooky Swamp. Fireflies can't harm you, not even with their haikus. They're the little fish to you. They fear you till a bigger fish comes to their rescue."
"But there is a bigger fish here. Malacore. The wizard who has all the power. You hope either he dies for you to take over or he doesn't notice your presence. But you didn't expect us to be here. But without our magic, we're just fish food for you."
Boogeyman was intrigued at Slick's statements. Laughing and agreeing to every word.
"But right now, Malacore isn't the big fish here"
The boogeyman wanted to laugh, thinking the wizard was talking about himself. But the platform he standing on was breaking and a giant piranha leaped out of the water and ate the boogeyman in one gulp. The beast fell back in the water.
"You're the little fish" Slick said, turning his attention to Sasha who looked at him, still shaken from the spell.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly, sticking his paw out.
Sasha was still haunted by the fear spell, she quickly got up and ran out the opened door.
Before he left, an small gold orb rolled to his foot. He picked it up and put it in his cloak. Slick chased after her.
Outside the door, Arnold, Becky, and Daphne waited for the door to open. When it did, they saw Sasha bolt out and ran off without the others. Slick walked out after.
"Have y'all seen Sasha?" he asked in a worried tone.
"She just ran out without us talking to her. Did something happened?" Arnold asked.
"Yeah. Daphne, take Arnold and Becky back to school. I'll go find Sasha."
Daphne nod her head. Becky walked up to the wiz in training.
"Please find her. Hope she'll be okay."
"I will, don't worry" smiled Slick.
Becky came close to his face, kissing him on his cheek. "For luck."
Slick's cheeks was redder like Becky's hair. He almost stumbled as he went out the portal.