Author's note: It's been a while since I last wrote. I've been very focused on Trouble in the East lately. I don't own any of the characters! They belong to their respective owners.
Chapter 29: Black Spots
At Corona Castle
The castle, in which the Royal Family used to live in, was now converted into the HQ of the Disnean occupation in the kingdom. The city surrounding it had also once it was occupied. Both the city and the castle were built upon an island in the middle of the sea. A long bridge connected it to the mainland. While it was under the authority of the Disney Union, it would soon be taken under control by another occupant.
In her room, the leader of the Disnean Occupation of Corona, a slender woman named Gothel sat by her table while reading. She had recently just participated in the siege if Elsa's castle. But due to the unexpected intervention of the Dreampixans and the Disnean rebels, the siege was called off and her forces were forced to retreat. Gothel was also a leading member of the Beloye Bratsvato and a trusted advisor to the White Snake of the South himself. After the siege, Gothel had returned to Corona to recuperate.
"Sometimes, it's good to just sit her all by myself with nothing but a book to read" she thought in her head while reading. "Could this evening get any better?" she mused to herself and turned a page.
But her reading was interrupted by a guard barging into her room. She became irritated by this and rose up to face him.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you for interrupting my reading!" she demanded while eyeing the guard, who panted.
"Lady Gothel…..the castle's under siege!" the guard uttered in shock. As then, they could hear a large blow happening in the castle.
Gothel raised an eyebrow at this. "What? Has that witch Elsa suddenly come here to repay me for our siege on her castle!?" she asked loudly, but the guard shook his head as a no.
"It's much worse, milady! There's an army of bandits and foul humanoid beasts laying siege to us by ships!" the guard replied.
"Then what are you standing here for!? Rally the armed forces and call for a counterattack! We must dismantle this siege!" she commanded him.
"It's already been done, Lady Gothel! Our defences are bolstered and the troops are doing in any way they can to supress these attackers!" the guard revealed.
Gothel let go of the book she held and headed straight towards the door and continued through the corridor. The guard became confused and followed her out of desperation. "Milady, where are you going!?" he asked while following her.
"I'm heading to the lookout! I want to see what we really stand against here! If it's neither Shrek nor Amos Slade, then who else could it…..." Gothel suddenly snapped, as he came to a realization. She then began running in fast speed, making the guard feel worried.
"Wait! At least allow me the accompany you, milady!" the guard called out to her as he followed her through the rocky corridor.
Outside, on the sea surrounding the castle
While the defences at the castle were struggling in responding to this immediate threat, five large battleships built by iron floated near the land. But on-board those, hordes of bandits and beasts were working on the cannons that were responsible for the damages inflicted upon the castle. Many of these beasts were hyenas, vultures, boars and other humanoid animals.
On one of these battleships called "Claw of Hate", a humanoid lioness with red eyes, a notched ear and a dark stripe down the centre of her head watched as all the bandits and beasts worked on the weapons. She was dressed in armour similarly worn by Scar and Shere Khan and carried a sword on her back. She gave instructions to her subordinates.
"GET TO WORK, YOU LAZY SEA DOGS! WE MUST PUSH THE ATTACK!" she angrily commanded her troops and they all obeyed in fear. No one dared to speak against her.
Suddenly, she expressed anger when she saw a humanoid lion slacking off by sleeping. She did not take kindly to this and walked over to him.
"WAKE UP, NUKA!" she shouted and the young lion immediately rose on his feet and opened his eyes. He smiled cheekily at the lioness.
"Oh hey, mother….I was just…" the lion named Nuka tried to come up with an excuse, much to his superior's dissatisfaction.
"You better get your furry bum in gear, before I do so by showing this blade inside you!" she threatened him, making Nuka scared. But she then snapped once she noticed something. "Where's Vitani and Kovu?" she asked while looking around.
Nuka only sighed in annoyance. "Why do you ask me? They're probably on another ship and….." he stopped speaking once he saw his younger sister approaching them. She bowed in respect to the lioness, much to her happiness.
"Vitani, my beloved child!" she exclaimed with pride. "Now where is your brother? Where is Kovu?" she asked him.
"Mother, he ran away again. He didn't even show up at Lord Shere Khan's gathering of commanders" she answered, much to her irritation.
"Damn it! How am I supposed to explain myself!?" she asked in anger. "Oh, my great Lord Scar, please have mercy on our family! We are your undisputed followers!" she suddenly pleaded in a dramatic manner.
Nuka raised an eyebrow at this. "Eh…..mother. Are you doing your overdramatic plea again?" he asked her. "You know very well that Scar doesn't like anything about… " Nuka stopped speaking as his superior angrily grabbed him by his throat, thus choking him. She was about to kill him, until a soldier called out her name.
"Lady Zira! The castles defences are finally responding to our attacks! They are firing cannons as we speak!" the soldier said.
The lioness grinned and let go of Nuka's throat. She then stepped out in the middle of the ship, raising her sword in the air. She was filled with pride over leading this assault. All the bandits and beasts listened to what she was about to say.
"Hear me out, brothers and sisters! The God of the Wilds himself has sent us to conquer this castle in his honour! And so shall it be! I am Zira: trusted commander of the Defiler of Heaven himself! And in the name of our three great leaders: WE SHALL NEVER FALL!" he finished her speech of war, much to the cheering and support of her subordinates.
Both Vitani and Nuka joined in and praised their mother, as she rallied her troops for battle. They always admired her speeches and were proud to be her cubs.
In the castle's lookout
Gothel was currently observing the siege on the castle from its lookout. It was also the castle's observatory and she used it to get a better look at the enemy. Guards were accompanying her while making sure none would enter the observatory.
As she continued watching, one of the guards took notice of her uneasiness and decided to see if she was alright. And of course, his suspicions appeared to be true, because he could see the black-haired woman tremble with fear.
"What do you see, milady? What does the enemy look like?" he lowly asked while approaching her.
"I can see battleships created by iron…and that logo…..SSS…I don't believe it!" she exclaimed while facing her guards. They all became shocked by what she said.
"Did you just say…SSS…then that means…." The guard was out of words.
"The leader of those invading forces is none other than the three humanoid felines. First there is Sabor the leopard, then there is Scar the lion and the last one…..Shere Khan the tiger" she revealed their names to the guards.
"What!? Are those three mutated felines here in Corona!?" one guard asked in desperation. "Why would they be here? The rumours said that they were hunted by Premier Pete's assassins!" he went on to say.
Gothel walked towards the exit, making one guard confused. "What are you orders, Lady Gothel!?" he desperately asked her. She turned around and faced him with anger.
"Idiot, we have no choice but to flee! It won't be long before Shere Khan and his commanders appear in this siege. Someone like me doesn't stand a chance against them!" she answered with venom in her voice.
"But milady, don't you think this "Shere Khan" is by any chance allied with Amos Slade or King Shrek?" one guard suddenly asked her.
All of a sudden a large explosion came from the castles courtyard. Gothel turned around to see what it was. Once she got a good look, he could see humanoid beasts entering the courtyard while setting things on fire. She got very frustrated by this.
"WE DON'T HAVE TIME STANDING HERE ANYMORE!? FLEE FROM THIS PLACE YOU FOOLS!" she called out to her guards.
The next day, somewhere near the border between Arendelle, Corona and the Disney Union
Having just left Elsa's ice palace, Jim, Kenai, Mulan and Milo were now wandering through the mountainous region of Corona in order for them to reach the Disney Union. This region with sunny mountains acted as a border between Arendelle and its sister kingdom, Corona. From there they would cross the mountains and enter the Disney Union undetected by border guards.
As they wandered through the grassy plains, Kenai couldn't help but to notice how beautiful the environment was, coupled with the fact that the sun was shining. Mulan noticed this and mused to herself.
"I take it this isn't your first time seeing something like this, right?" she asked him.
Kenai faced her and chuckled. "Oh you bet! From where I come from there is plenty of beauty Mother Nature offers. Mainly during spring, that is" the black-haired boy said.
"Oh yeah, what is it? Does Mother Nature's beauty involve you getting chased by animals?" Jim jokingly asked him, much to Kenai's annoyance. "Come on, Kenai. Learn to take a joke!" he tried to cheer him up.
"Grow up, Jim!" he responded to his joke. "Oh and by the way Jim, could you please get rid of that ponytail? I mean, it makes you look so…..girly" he then tried to come up with a joke of his own.
"Was that even supposed to be funny?" Jim asked in confusion and then smirked. "Get real, Kenai!" he added.
"Cut it out, you two! We don't have time screwing around!" Mulan called out to them and both boys stopped bickering. "Let's focus on how to cross over the border. Do any of you know something about it?" she asked them.
"When we reach the border, there's no doubt that there will be guards standing there" Jim said while eyeing his friends. "Remember, know that he have joined forces with Mr Slade and company, we're wanted criminals now" he added with caution.
"Yeah, but I don't necessarily thinks there are border guards standing there" Kenai countered Jim's earlier statement. "Have you forgotten that all of THIS, including Arendelle and Corona, are now considered Disnean regions?" he asked him. Jim only stared at him annoyed in return. Eventually, both boys glared at one another and a they bickered about which hypothesis was right.
But while they were doing that, Milo couldn't help but to feel something. Mulan could see it and wondered what her four-eyed friend was thinking. In fact, she had also begun to grow suspicious of the environment.
"Do you think we're not safe travelling here?" she asked him.
He eyed her and adjusted his glasses. "That I'm not sure of. But one thing's certain: we're not alone here" he said while eyeing the mountains dotting the landscape.
As the group continued walking, they could sense something running by the stones. It felt as if someone was hiding behind them. As Jim and his friends grabbed their weapons made their stances, three shadowy beings appeared from the stones. This made the group cautious.
"I knew it! Someone was watching us all along!" Milo said while readying his rifle.
Jim gritted his teeth and confronted the trio before them with Kenai and Mulan tagging along. "So you've been watching us, huh? Then tell us: who are you stalkers?" he asked seriously only to hear laughing coming from the trio.
As the trio removed their hoods, they showed their faces. It was utterly shocking. They were a trio of humanoid hyenas. They had never seen beasts like them before. The female who stood in the middle mused at this. She was dressed in armour and was carrying a sword.
"What a lucky day this is! We get to catch some delicious humans for snacks! Wouldn't you agree, Banzai?" she mused while asking her partner who gritted his sharp teeth. He was carrying a large hammer on his back.
"I don't know, Shenzi. But I sure as hell am starving! We haven't been eating a good meal for a couple of days" he said while calling out the female hyena's name. He then drew his hammer while eyeing Jim and his friends. "Let's just get this over with! I wanna dig in some delicious meat!" he exclaimed.
Jim drew his sword and eyed the hyenas annoyingly. "If you ever think of touching us with your disgusting hands, then I guess you wouldn't mind if I cut them off!" he said while eyeing them.
Shenzi mused at this. "Whoa, someone's acting all punkish! But that attitude won't help you in any way" she said.
The third hyena, whose face was completely silly and dumb, began laughing at Jim's threats. This made his teammates irritated, especially Banzai.
"Hey Ed, stop laughing already!" he told him, but Ed didn't stop laughing. This made him angrier. "You're so retarded, Ed! I don't understand why Scar would put you with us!" he muttered.
Kenai was getting really confused by their behaviour, although he did notice how cruel they were. There was also something to this Scar. He drew his spear and glared at the hyenas. "Hold it right there! You said something about "Scar". Who is that?" he asked them.
Shenzi stepped beside Banzai and slapped his face. "You idiot, you're not supposed to mention Lord Scar's name to our foes!" he angrily scolded him. But she eventually turned her gaze to Kenai and his friends. "Who we work for is none of your business! We serve a deity high above Premier Pete himself!" she exclaimed while preparing her sword.
"We ain't plannin' on letting you folks walk away from this alive" Banzai said while holding his hammer. "We're gonna make steak out of ya!" he added with a grin.
Milo loaded his rifle and eyed the hyenas with caution. "Guys…..I don't think those fellow over there are working for Pete….they seem kind of….creepy" the four-eyed man said while struggling in composing himself.
Mulan drew her sword and readied it. "You three better back off!" she said while preparing her stance.
The three hyenas didn't take her warnings seriously and they charged towards the group of four in fast speed. This made them all troubled. In fact, those hyenas were able to use Molchaniye to appear beside or in front of them.
"What the hell? Can those beasts do the Molchaniye!? How is that even possible?" Jim asked in his head while eyeing the hyenas.
Milo, who was having trouble shooting, was caught by Ed. The dull hyena used his whip to capture Milo and then force him to the ground. Milo groaned in pain while Ed laughed maniacally.
Jim saw this and became enraged. "MILO!" he said while running towards Ed. "LET MY FRIEND GO, YOU DUMB BEAST!" he angrily shouted and used Molchaniye to appear beside Ed.
But unfortunately for him, Shenzi and Banzai had used theirs to stand before him. This made the young boy filled with anger as the hyenas only chuckled in return.
"Goin' somewhere, punk!?" Banzai mockingly asked him. Jim didn't take that kindly and was about to swing his sword, only for Shenzi to clash with him by using her sword. Jim gritted his teeth while seeing this.
"You are so full of stupidity, boy. Didn't your elders ever teach you how to use a SWORD!?" she asked him while pushing him to the ground. This was bad for Jim.
Kenai and Mulan were trying to help Jim, but they had to get past Banzai, who had his hammer ready. He grinned at what he was seeing. "Yeah, come here! I've got something to show ya, human scumbags!" he taunted them.
Kenai became angered by this and charged at him with his spear. "Why don't you just shut your trap!?" he angrily asked.
Banzai smirked. "I'm the one who's gonna shut YOUR trap!" he said in return and was about to slam the ground with his hammer.
But before the hyenas could attack any further, they suddenly noticed themselves falling to the ground. This made Jim and his friends confused. They could see the hyenas falling into holes of shadow. What was actually going on here?
"WHAT THE…NOOOOOO!?" Shenzi shouted with anger by seeing this. She then fell down the hole.
"THIS AIN'T OVER, PUNKS! WE'LL GET YOU NEXT TIME!" Banzai shouted towards Jim and his gang as he also fell down the hole.
"What the hell? Did someone just save us?" Milo asked as he tried to catch his breath, given the fact that he was strangled by Ed's whip.
"I don't see anyone around here. And it looks like those holes are slowly disintegrating" Mulan noted while looking around. At the same time, the holes of shadow disappeared.
Kenai panted while putting his spear on his back. "I can't believe it! Even though we've gone through training, we didn't stand a chance against those hyenas! They easily overpowered us!" he said with distress in his voice. "I suggest we better train to our limits, if we're gonna stand up to deadly adversaries like them" he added.
"You are right, Kenai. At this rate, we might not be able to stand against Pete and his lackeys. We must exercise more often. But for now, we better scram before something really bad happens to us again! So, I suggest: less talking, more running!" Jim said and the group sprinted towards the pass, hoping they would not encounter any other threats like those three hyenas.
But there was someone who had indeed saved them. He had used his pits of shadow to teleport the hyenas away from Jim and his gang. He was sitting on a branch in the mountain's forest and chuckled in amusement. He was satisfied by his actions.
"Heh, heh, heh, those poor beasts!" he said while thinking about the hyenas. "Perhaps I would love to fight them some other time. But I'm afraid it will have to wait" he added.
As he jumped off the branch and landed on the grass, he walked towards the forest's opening and the rays of sunshine reflected upon him, thus revealing his true appearance. Believe it or not, the man who had "saved" Jim's group was none other than Facilier himself! Apparently, he had somehow followed Jim's group. But why was he doing this alone? He wasn't accompanied by other members of the Krasnyye Rystari.
"These children do indeed show some potential! However, at this rate, they won't be able as to lay a scratch upon stronger adversaries like the minions of SSS. They must train to their limits" he noted while walking. "You sure know how to take risky choices…Amos Slade" he added while thinking about the man he had met a couple of years ago.
Later, at the ruined Corona Castle's courtyard
The castle was covered in smoke and flames. Most of the castle's forces and defences had been dealt with. But even so, it didn't mean that the kingdom would be liberated of the occupation. Another occupant had settled in the kingdom, but it was not the Red Disnean Army. Rather, it was the army of the SSS, composed of criminals and humanoid beasts.
In the castle's courtyard, a big carriage created by steel entered. Two buffalos were being used as manpower. As the carriage stopped, the army outside stood in line, awaiting their leaders' presence.
The carriage's doors opened and out came Shere Khan and his trusted associates. Sabor and Scar followed their leader, watching as all the soldiers saluted them. But someone was hanging around Shere Khan's shoulders. It was an enormous python which paled in comparison to the large felines in terms of size. He acted as an advisor to Shere Khan. His name was Kaa.
"Assss you can sssee, massster, all the cassstle's defencesss have been dealt with" Kaa said while hissing every time he said the letter "s" in a sentence.
Shere Khan mused at this while eyeing his army's handiwork. "My, how phenomenal it looks here. I really must commend you for having a talented commander such as Zira, Scar" the tiger remarked while eying the scarred lion.
Scar chuckled in return. "Oh don't be so nice with me, Shere Khan. You know that I detest overrating" he said slyly.
Kaa did not like the tone Scar took with his master, so he intervened. "You better watch what you're ssssaying, Sssscar! Otherwissssse, I will make you learn your place!" the python warned the lion, who only eyed him as if he was a nuisance.
Eventually Scar smirked by looking at Kaa. "Why so serious? Could it be that you are jealous of my extraordinary talents?" he mockingly asked Kaa.
The python was fuming with anger. "Why you insssolent….." but Kaa was suddenly grabbed on his mouth by Shere Khan, thus shutting his mouth. The snake eyed his master with worry and confusion.
Shere Khan only eyed him disapprovingly. "Now, now, Kaa, there's no need for you to get upset. Now remember what we have told you, if you don't stop your nonsense, you will answer to me personally. Is that clear?" he warned the snake, as Kaa was filled with fear by feeling the tiger's dark aura.
As Shere Khan released him from his grasp, Kaa could only nod his head to him while shaking. "Yesssss sssssire" he replied.
As the large felines passed the saluting soldiers, they could soon notice Zira approaching them with gleefully eyes. They were not amused by this. Behind her, Nuka and Vitani were following their mother. Zira and her children approached the trio and knelled before them in respect. She looked up to them with her smiling grin.
"Hail, mighty ones! We've completed the task and Corona Castle is fully under our control. The former occupation forces have fled from the area" she explained to them. But she wasn't finished speaking. "I believe you all appreciate it, especially you, Lord Scar" she said while eyeing Scar as if she was attracted to him. He only narrowed his eyes in return.
"Why do you keep behaving this way?" he asked her while expressing his dissatisfaction of Zira's attitude.
"We did so many things during the siege in your honour! We painted your name on the corpses of our enemies and….." Zira was interrupted by the hissing sound coming from Kaa.
"Sssssstop sssspeaking to that fool, Commander Zira! When you report ssssomething, you do ssssso to Lord Ssssshere Khan!" he scolded her, much to Zira's anger. Her crimson eyes pierced through Kaa, thus intimidating the snake.
"I don't take orders from you, coward!" she retorted and growled towards him. Kaa then hid behind Shere Khan's neck. "Yeah, go ahead! Hide behind your precious master like you are his pet!" he continued verbally attacking Kaa.
Nuka snapped at this and went to his mother's side. He tried to make her realize how inappropriate her behaviour was in front of their leaders, especially Shere Khan. "Slow down, mother! You know how rude it is to speak negatively about….." the lion was shoved away by his mother.
"Shut up, Nuka! I am your commander!" she growled at him and continued eyeing the tiger and his advisor with disdain. However, she stopped once she noticed Shere Khan's dark aura crawling before her eyes.
"Remember who you are speaking to, cub!" he warned her. Zira didn't even bother trying to stand up to him.
Kaa watched this with amusement and laughed at Zira being schooled by his master. But his master was not done yet. Shere Khan grabbed Kaa's head and made face contact with him again. This time he seemed irritated. "This is your last warning, Kaa! No misbehaving!" he said while growling. The snake was filled with guilt.
"FORGIVE ME, SSSSSIRE! I MEANT NO OFFENSSSSE!" he pleaded to Shere Khan, who rolled his eyes in annoyance.
The tiger then focused his beastly gaze towards Zira and her children. He eyed them as if he was dissatisfied. "Commander Zira. I see there's one missing. And that would be Kovu, unless I am mistaking" he said thus snapping the lioness.
"Almighty One, forgive my negligence! I don't have control over my youngest son!" she said while lowering her head in shame. The tiger only eyed her with disdain. He then took a look at Scar and motioned for him to stand before Zira.
"I put you in charge of disciplining, Zira. Make sure she gets a lesson she deserves" Shere Khan told Scar.
"It shall be done, God of the Wilds" Scar replied with formality. He then looked down on Zira, who was smiling gleefully. This made him annoyed. "Don't just stand there staring! If you really want to impress me, bring me some good news. Speaking of which, has there been any word of my trusted scouts?" he suddenly asked her.
Zira was filled with disgust. "You mean those three stinking hyenas? They haven't done a thing! The last time I heard of them, they were went out searching for food" she answered him.
Scar rolled his eyes in irritation. He always hated when there was insubordination within his ranks. "Then get those three idiots back here at once! We will require their assistance with the remaking of this castle" he ordered her and Zira saluted to him without question.
"YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND, LORD SCAR!" she declared and then took off, with both Nuka and Vitani tagging along.
A group consisting of four vultures approached the three felines. Like Zira and her cubs, they bowed for them in respect. They were loyal servants of Shere Khan. Three of them wore unique hairstyles while one of them was bald. Their names were Buzzie, Flaps, Ziggy and Dizzy.
"Hail almighty Boss Khan! We've made all the preparations needed to remake this castle" Buzzie said in his typical lazy voice. "It won't take long" he added thus satisfying his master.
"Well done, Buzzie. Then I see no reason for us to be standing here" the tiger remarked while trying to get a better look at the castle. He then began eyeing all those around him. "Begin the remaking! This castle and its city will serve as our bastion and fortress!" he declared and raised his axe in the air.
All his followers saluted him, obeying his orders without question. Bandits and humanoid beasts began construction around the castle. They fortified its walls with steel and fire. They would definitely need it, considering their aims for this world.
"Ssssire, what do you sssuppossse we do about thissss Amosss Sssslade and hissss rebellion?" Kaa asked his master. "Don't you think they could become a ssseriousss threat to usssss?" he added another one.
Shere Khan smirked in amusement by hearing his advisor's concerns. "No. That won't be necessary, my dear Kaa. I have other plans for him. In fact, he and the rebellion in general, could become a valuable asset to our goals" he remarked with realization, much to Kaa's confusion.
While he and his followers were busy pondering their next move, Zira eyed Shere Khan with open disgust. She couldn't stand serving him. She would rather have Scar as her absolute master. She grew more angered by just looking at him, that she grabbed a spear and aimed it at the tiger.
"GO TO HELL, SHERE KHAN!" she shouted with anger.
But her misbehaving was short-lived, as Sabor broke her spear without warning. The leopard eyed the lioness with her green eyes. Those were the eyes of a demon living in the deep jungle. Zira was outraged by this, but faced her with a grin in return.
"Sabor…..it's been a while since I last saw you fight" she said and chuckled. She then drew her sword and licked it with her tongue. Her crimson eyes were filled with bloodlust. "HOW ABOUT YOU AND ME HAVE A FIGHT TO THE DEATH!" she exclaimed
Sabor didn't reach for her spear. She continued standing while staring at Zira. But there was something going on. She closed her eyes for a moment…before opening them up again. This made the lioness before her filled with shock.
Zira could see the monstrous aura around the leopard. With bitter reluctance, she backed down and walked away. Sabor only stared at the lioness disapprovingly as she left.
The leopard was eventually joined by Shere Khan, with Kaa hanging around him. They also considered Zira to be somewhat of a nuisance. "That lionessss isss ssstarting to pissssss me off!" Kaa stated his opinion on her.
"Do not concern yourself with an insubordinate commander like her, Kaa. We have more pressing matters to focus on" the tiger said to him. He then focused his gaze on Sabor. "Sabor, you may keep a better eye on her family…especially Kovu" he told her and the leopard only nodded her head in approval.
Bunnymund's Warren, somewhere in Southern Dreampix
This underground oasis was more than just a verdant place to look at. Located somewhere in the southern regions of Dreampix, this warren was home to one of the infamous Guardians of the Moon, as well as the Guardian of Hope: E. Aster Bunnymund, also known to most Dreampixans as the Easter Bunny.
As a great ally to the Man in the Moon, Bunnymund was referred to as the Moon's Southern Eye. He was often considered to be a rival to Nicholas St North, but even so, they always cooperated against a greater foe when necessary.
Having just entered the warren through a hidden hole in the ground, Jack Frost was amazed to see how flourishing the place was. Unlike his forest of Burgress, there was no sight of thorns lying among the greenery. Jack wandered around, hoping to stumble upon Bunnymund soon.
"Now this is strange…did Bunny free himself?" he asked in his head while staying cautions. The white-haired boy tightened his grip on his staff and watched around him. All was quiet so far.
But he could hear growling coming from the rivers with colour. He snapped and took a look at it. He was appalled by what he saw. He could see hordes of shadowy creatures jumping from the rivers and onto the grass. They all eyed Jack with killing intent. The guardian braced himself.
"So I gotta take care of these ugly things? Shouldn't take long!" he remarked and slammed his staff on the ground. This made it freeze and it eventually spread to the shadowy creatures. Some of them were frozen to death, but the majority of them managed to withstand the freezing. This irritated Jack.
"Heh, those bastards sure are a bunch!" he exclaimed and used his staff to hit anyone who dared coming towards him. He disposed of them easily, but there were more.
What was very shocking was that Jack didn't notice that one of the creatures had snuck up behind him and was about to attack. Before Jack could defend himself from this, the monster was hit by a boomerang. Jack smiled, because he knew which it belonged to.
Someone was standing on a grassy rock while eyeing Jack and his enemies. It was a creature resembling a fusion of a bunny and a kangaroo. He was dressed in wrists and had a belt tied to his belly. In addition, he also carried a bow and some arrows. There was no doubt about it. This was the Guradian of Hope himself: E. Aster Bunnymund. He caught his boomerang and eyed Jack smugly.
"G'day mate! Back from the slumber I see" he greeted Jack with his Australian accent. "You might wanna start watching your back for any threats now, eh?" he called out to the young boy, who only rolled his eyes in return.
"Still talking like you know anything, huh?" Jack asked him. He then smirked at the Easter Bunny. "Grow up, Easter Kangaroo!" he suddenly said while adding an insult to him.
Bunnymund twitched by hearing this, but he eventually calmed himself and laughed in return, much to Jack's confusion. "Mate, I think it's pretty stupid of you to insult the one who just saved your ass" he said. He then reached for his bow and arrows while aiming an arrow at one of the shadowy creatures. "But for now, how about you and I have a friendly competition? Let's see who can kill most of these nasty fiends!" he exclaimed while challenging Jack.
Jack only mused to himself after hearing this. He then fixed a confidential smirk on his face while eyeing his opponents. "That's fine by me! I'm always up for a challenge" he said in return.
To be continued…
Author's note: Well that was chapter 29. We were introduced to Shere Khan and his minions, among them Zira from "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride". We will get better acquainted with the SSS soon. The next chapter will focus on Jim and his group and maybe Pete and Facilier. Some of you may have been curious about why I gave Bunnymund a bow and arrows. Well, I think it would look pretty awesome. I also like his design and his boomerangs.
