Another day passed over Big Green. Every new member was given a nice room. Kitari and Escara shared one while Chusi stayed with Lovely. Maiden was going to share one with Venom, but she said she would like a room to herself. She did get one in the end. Nothing was to be mentioned the entire day. The old commander believed everyone should get good rest for the efforts they had at the beginning.
The next morning Liliac was in the dining area early. Her face was filled with unease as she treated her other hand. It has been about two days, but where Brave One bit her still hurt. Why did she not want her to see YX? "Hey Liliac!" The human jumped out of her seat, only to find it was her dear sister Pink. "Whoa...jumpy today?" The cheetah joked but then noticed the look on her face, "Hey...is there something wrong?" Spec took a seat down beside her.
"N-No...I'm fine..." she responded.
The cheetah knew her better. She never could really lie to her that well. "You had the dream again, didn't you?"
Liliac nodded, half in a lie and half in truth. She did have a horrible dream, but it wasn't as bad as the others. Her unrelated sister hugged her dearly. The hug and sweet moment was ended when there was a small explosion from the kitchen. The two quickly rushed there, seeing a slightly charred Kawkee standing in front of a smoking machine. "Aw stardust!" he said, "I still can't get this thing fixed!"
"What is it?" asked Pink.
Kawkee did not expect them to be there, so he jumped a bit, causing the wrench to rise and fall onto his head. The two giggled as he rubbed to ease the pain. "Uh...well that could have gone better..." he said. He stood straight, "Well, I know the multitude of different foods you have here, so I invented this! I call it my Cuisine Creator! It...well... It's supposed to make any food just by inputting the right code. But four things come in mind. One, the controls are too complicated for you all so I'm trying to adjust them to your standards. Two, the controls seem to be when I was still small like the rest of my clan. Three, I need to find a new power source."
"What's wrong...? Not powerful enough?" asked Liliac.
"No no...the power source is perfectly fine. But the power source is the main cause of step four..." Kawkee grabbed an apple from the bowl of fruit and placed it under the machine. He pressed one of the buttons, a stream of sparks hitting it. The apple shot out of the machine, but remained intact. Suddenly, a few spider legs formed out of it. Then a small mouth and eyes formed. It growled before walking away. "That was supposed to be what you call "applesause"."
"Is that what your calling it, or what it's going to do to us?" asked Pink.
The machine exploded again, causing the entire room to fill with smoke. The duo left the alien to his work, but not before placing a sign on the door saying "Closed until Further Notice." Pink Spec shrugged, "I wanted fresh fruit anyway."
"Liliac...Pink Spec...!" The two turned to see the old commander being followed by Brave One. A small glare from her caused Liliac to shiver. "I have a mission for you; please bring Misty and Red Ray along with you."
The two nodded before setting off. Before they got the twins however, they grabbed some fruit from the kitchen; the fruit that was not being mutated by Kawkee. The four grouped in the Commander's room. "Everyone" started the commander, "I have some bad news..."
Liliac stepped forward, "Did Scale Gray return?" She asked this with a bit of concern.
The Commander waved his hands, "I have had no reports from him or his team, but I can assure you that he is safe. But I just learned that a few of the animal kings and queens have died out." This wasn't as big news to the others, but to Ape Truly it was devastating. Learning that the old kings and queens were gone meant that he no longer knew how the kingdoms could react to their actions. "Chusi has informed me on the new Snake...I mean Basilisk" he continued. "The snakes are dangerous enough. But I fear for another kingdom..."
"Which kingdom is it Commander?" asked Pink Spec.
"Sheep Castle. Sheep Queen was the most caring and generous animal in all of Hidden Kingdom. Now with her absence, and how the new Snake King behaves, I fear what the new ruler of Sheep Castle will be like. This is your mission, scout Sheep Castle."
The four agreed before leaving. However Liliac stayed behind a bit, "Uh...Commander... I have one last question." The old commander turned to where her voice was being emitted from. "How is YX?" YX is the nickname given to the spider demon.
Ape Truly sighed, "I am afraid that he has fallen very ill. No one shall see him for your own safety. Please understand..."
Liliac nodded before she was yelled at by her sister. She ran down the hall to meet up again. That explains why Brave One bit me she thought, She must have been protecting YX...
A few hours later, the group arrived at Sheep Castle. Sheep Castle resembled a large bell on top of a tree covered mountain with many pointed logs surrounding the barrier. There was a path straight to the top of the castle. The four climbed the walls of the castle before entering through an upper window. Liliac and the others hid in the shadows as a few sheep passed by. "Alright" their leader whispered as the two sheep were gone, "We should split up to see if we can find the new ruler. Also look out for any sheep that could be a new ally to Big Green."
The two twins went on their way, Liliac ignoring their group decision. It was almost impossible to separate them. Pink Spec flew off with blinding speed, leaving Liliac to be all alone.
Misty quietly ran down the hall as Red Ray followed with Yaksha holding her lover up. The hall they followed led to the throne room. The throne room's walls seemed to have been punctured by something several times, because there were small holes lining the walls. It was strange that they were in the throne room, but no sheep, not even the queen, was inside. Unknown to them both, they were wrong.
"Why hello little humans..." a voice said. The voice seemed to be controlled to sound friendly, but when it truth it was not. The twins turned, seeing a sheep. The sheep's wool was white while her skin was a nice cream color. The way her wool shaped her body almost made it look like a dress. The horns on her head curled up to the sides of her face. "What are you doing here...in MY castle..." The smile she wore did not seem like that of happiness. The smile was giving the twins the shivers.
"Uh...we were sent to check up on Sheep Castle..." Red Ray started. "Do you happen to be the Sheep Queen...?"
A small baa caused all three heads to turn. Standing near the other end of the room was another sheep. But this one was very small, possibly very young. Her wool was white like the larger one, but her skin was pink and her horns only curved a slight bit. She slowly walked over to the other sheep, speaking in their language. "Pin Cushion...dear..." started the larger sheep, "Silk has something to take care of, please go off to bed now."
Pin Cushion eyes went wide when she saw the twins. She then realized what Silk was going to do. The small cute sheep quickly ran out of the room. The twins, confused by her actions, took more focus onto Silk. "Now...where were we...?" she asked to no one in particular. "Ah yes... Well, I am the new Sheep Queen. But you can call me Silk. As for you..." Her smile reached ear-to-ear. Suddenly, several sharp needles appeared from her wool. Red Ray grabbed his two swords as his sister's eyes began to spark.
"Now I recognize you two..." Silk said. "You both remind me of those two humans High Roller sent me...One was a male with an electricity attack, while the other was a woman with a long tongue..." Misty's attack stopped, but Red Ray kept his swords up. The last thing he wanted was to let his guard down.
"Our...parents...?" Misty said astonished. "You met...our parents...?"
Silk chuckled, "Aw yes...the man was such a fun one. I never had the pleasure of taking out something so important in someone before." Misty gasped, Red Ray keeping it in. "Yes...I believe that he should never be able to use his electric...or rather not be able to see at all ever again..."
Misty's eyes sparked, no, shot lightning out of all sides. Her face had the unmistakable expression of rage. "YOU ARE THE ONE WHO DID THAT TO HIM?!" Blue lightning bolts, which were larger than before, were fired towards Silk. The sheep smiled, dodging the attack only by turning around. The electricity hit her wool, but diminished throughout the room. Very quickly, Red Ray stopped his sister. "Misty, your eyes are still too vulnerable..." he said, "Let me deal with her..."
As much as she hated to do it, the girl twin nodded and backed up; a bit of smoke coming from her eyes. The boy unsheathed two swords as his lover raised him in the air a bit. Silk smiled again as Yaksha carried him over to her. Out of nowhere, the several needles fired from her wool. Yaksha easily dodged them, Red Ray slicing the threads in return. The new Sheep Queen grumbled, but the wicked smile returned to her face. She fired again, and Yaksha dodged again. However the needles instead tore straight through her arm. Both she and Red Ray fell to the ground.
"Yak..." Silk fired more needles, slicing what remained of Yaksha to pieces. Red Ray held her one bit that still laid on him. He clenched it with anger, "YOU HURT YAKSHA!" He grabbed his two swords and started swinging like crazy. Silk smiled as his attacks were easily avoidable. The needles stabbed Red Ray's arm, but he continued. But his attacks began to slow down. He eventually fell to the ground in complete exhaustion.
"Red Ray!" Misty ran to her brother's side, but her concern made her completely forget about Silk. She was jabbed with the same poison-tipped needles, her body going limp within seconds. Silk laughed as the needles sunk back into her wool. "These humans...I wonder who they are with..."
Pin Cushion walked down the hall, heading straight back to her room. She did not know what the humans were doing here, but she wanted to get away. Silk has told her that humans were nothing but a menace. They would harm her the moment that touched her. However she noticed that her feet were not the only thing making sounds. There was someone else in the hallway, and it was not a sheep. Pin quickly ran behind a small potted plant, curling up in complete fear.
Liliac wandered down the hall. She had yet to see her teammates or a sheep. She had yet to see anyone at all. Then, in the complete silence she heard slight breathing. On reaction, she grabbed her staff. She slowly approached the sound, walking as quietly and calmly as she could. The gray-haired human looked over top the plant, seeing nothing but a ball of fluff. "Awe..." was her first word.
The small sheep looked up with explicit fear in her eyes. "BAA!"
Liliac looked down quickly, only to be suddenly grabbed by something. A quick yank tugged the human away, making Pin Cushion run to her room to stay. Liliac fell to the ground with a thud. She looked up, seeing a sinister smile on a sinister sheep. "Well well...a third human..."
Liliac quickly stood up and grabbed her staff. Silk chuckled, "Do you really want to do that? After all, your friends did not end up so well after attempting that..." Silk brought her hands from behind her back, showing Red Ray and Misty. She threw the boy twin to the ground, but the girl remained in her grasp. She held a needle in her other hoof. "Don't worry, their alive...for now..."
"What did you do to them?!" Liliac yelled. She was nearly on the verge of tears.
"What did I do? Oh, I call it...self defense..." Liliac stepped on a piece of torn fabric. However the color looked familiar, as several other pieces matched it. Then, the one piece broke her heart. It was Yaksha, who once normally sat on top of Red Ray's head, now littering the ground in several pieces. She picked up a few pieces, "You...call this...self defense?!"
"Details details..." she said with a smile. "But let's cut to the chase. I believe I heard of you, daughter of Lin Chung!" Liliac gasped, how did this unknown animal queen know her? "I can tell from both your appearance and by your reaction that this is true. And now, I know why you are here too. Let me save you the trouble, I will NEVER join you humans."
Liliac sighed, "You got us...you can tell High Roller and..."
"Oh no, I am not telling High Roller." That sentence caused the awake human to look up. "In fact, I was waiting for this to happen. Let me make myself clear, I have a...pleasing deal to offer you. You already met Pin Cushion, the old Sheep Queen's daughter..."
"If that was the daughter...she..."
"Yes, she should be the ruler. But never mind that now...for intruding my castle, I feel like I should punish this one..." She held Misty even higher, "I believe having her father's punishment is fair; having her eyes ripped out and her eyelids sewed shut!" Liliac gasped, Silk was the one to do that to Mighty Ray. Silk laughed hysterically at the memory of her deed. "But..." she said suddenly, "I may overlook this and not even say a word to High Roller...if..."
The human gulped, "...If...what...?"
Silk's smile officially went even creepier, "If you take Pin Cushion back with you...then I can completely overlook this...incident. So what do you say Liliac...do we have a deal?"
The leader looked at her situation. Red Ray and Misty were both poisoned, Yaksha was torn into pieces, Misty was bound to get the same punishment as her father, and Pink Spec was nowhere to be seen. She had her weapon, but she would probably end up in the same fate as her teammates. If she did escape from that, High Roller would have Misty and Red Ray and would have known about them. As much as she didn't want to take a child away from her home, she had no other choice. "...deal..." Silk smiled, but Liliac shot a glare, "But get that poison...out of my friends..."
Silk complied, making the twins wake up immediately. Red Ray was silent as he gathered the tethers of his beloved love. Pink Spec ran into the room, but only stayed silent. She would be told of the situation once it was over. Once Liliac was handed the sleeping Pin Cushion, she just seemed to give up. "Let's just go..." Her cheetah sister understood; today has been too much for her. The four set off back to their base. Silk simply smiled as she watched them go, "Now then...I can rule without worry..."
Pin Cushion stirred into consciousness. Her rest was for some reason very rough. Her vision was blurry, but her wool felt something different. This did not feel like her bed. The little lamb rubbed her eyes, clearing her vision. The sight she saw, however, was not a pleasant one. It was the same human she saw in the hallway. Her eyes widened in fear, "BAA!" She ran off from where she was, but saw a human carrying a large spear. "BAA!" She ran again, but this time she saw a Liger. "BAA!" Pin stopped and ran behind a small pink monkey.
Brave One was confused to why the sheep hid behind her. However the main attention of the room was already cast. Lovely and Chusi joined the group. "Hey everyone...what's..." Lovely stopped when she saw the situation. Red Ray was lurched over a pile of torn fabric. Tears fell from his eyes as he slowly pet a rather large piece. She now realized that it was his Yaksha. Chusi grew nervous as she watched her friend clench her fists. "What...happened...?" she asked with her teeth together.
Red Ray said nothing, as well as the others. However Misty was the one to speak up. "The new Sheep Queen...Silk...she sliced Yaksha to bits..." she said. Pin Cushion overheard this, slowly peering around Brave One. Lovely kneeled beside Red Ray, keeping her anger contained and held him close.
"Can you fix her?" Red Ray managed to ask. Lovely did not know what to say. She wanted to say yes, but she did not know how. If she told the truth, Red Ray would be forever heartbroken. Not even her Yaksha knew what to do.
"...baa..." Red Ray, Lovely, along with just about everyone there turned to see Pin Cushion. She was still very nervous, but she wanted to help. The lamb reached into her wool. She pulled out what looked like a spool of golden thread and a small needle. At first Misty was going to step in, but Lovely prevented her. Pin grabbed two pieces of fabric and began to sew them together. Once she finished, the two pieces shimmered into one piece. Everyone was surprised, but Red Ray started shuffling through the pieces. Pin saw his rush and stepped back, but he was only helping her out a bit. Piece by piece, the little lamb sewed together every bit. Soon, Yaksha was in full health and in one piece. The two lovers hugged lovingly. Venom glanced down at Chusi and sighed, slithering off once he saw the two embrace. Chusi turned to follow, but he was already gone.
Everyone performed a small cheer for Pin Cushion. For once, the sheep felt very safe here. The old commander approached her. And since he was not a human, she was not that scared. "I heard of what you did" he said. "If you would like, you can stay here. I am sure your talents will be welcome here." The small sheep looked around. Although there were many humans, there were more animals. Brave One nodded with a smile, Pin Cushion nodding in return.
PIN CUSHION 022
Everyone set off to their rooms; however Brave One grabbed the sheep's arm. She very quickly led her to the end of the hall and into the last room. The lights were still all out, but the large mass in the room was now larger. A small pool of red blood lay underneath of it. Pin was not shocked; Silk has done worse in front of her. Pin Cushion looked to her with pleading eyes welling with tears, "...help..."
Pin walked over, feeling a large scar in the being. "...Brave One...?" The sheep pulled her thread out and began to sew. Brave One walked to YX's head. He looked very different, but he faced Pin. "Who is this?" Once she finished the first, she continued to the next. Brave One smiled, "...a friend..."