I highly doubt at the point that anyone will be surprised by Drew's big reveal, haha. Though, like I said a long while ago, that was intentional I wanted the readers to be able to figure it out, meanwhile the characters don't very easily. If they'd known from the beginning, there would've been a much easier chance that Sly would've won the bet made.
Not only this, but it would show just how much the person in question was really noticed and missed. Sadly not so much; not in the way you would miss someone you care for; just missing what the person was known for.
Also I apologize if there was a key event missing; I tried to get as many as I could, especially from the Wii version of The Next Chapter. Let me know if I missed something. Also also, the way Drew finds out isn't to be taken seriously, or to provide a path.
I'm done typing now; enjoy the big reveal and the other events!
37. Now I Remember
Jowee and Samuel had finally made it back to their original starting point, after which resting for a good half hour before starting on their way through Jangala's thick, expansive jungles. Not many words were spoken while the two traversed through, this time with Jowee leading the way. The change of environment felt foreign to Samuel, as he was not at all used to much more vibrant wildlife and plantlife alike. Most of all, it was a lot noisier.
"I would dislike needing to meditate here," he couldn't help but say to ease the noise from his mind, "And I hope to not be included should there be another visit to His Majesty." Jowee smiled a little, but didn't stop as he led onwards.
"Yeah, I know," he replied, pausing near a gorge and pulling a vine over to himself, "It does get noisy here. It's been so long... In fact, I don't remember why seeing the Monkey King was so important back then..." He shrugged afterward, swinging on the vine to the other side, then throwing the vine out to Samuel to cross.
"As I recall, it had something to do with a tribal mask," Samuel said after a moment of thought, catching the vine and holding it firmly in his paws, "I agree that I'm unsure how it was important. Was it magical or sacred? Or vulnerable to falling into the wrong paws?"
"Maybe..." Jowee sighed with drooping ears, "But that's alright; all we need to remember is the peace offering. ...Uh, what was it...?" As Jowee thought about it, Samuel managed to cross the gap, gaining an unimpressed expression on his face.
"You mean to tell me you forgot the peace offering's ingredients?" He said in a slightly raised voice. Jowee jumped in surprise of Samuel's sudden appearance, then shook his head in an indignant manner.
"Of course I didn't forget!" he responded while Samuel continued to seem annoyed. "It was, um... No, hold on, it's on the tip of my tongue, I swear..." Jowee turned away and started leading again so Samuel wouldn't see how stressed he was becoming from suddenly not remembering such a crucial thing, feeling like an utter idiot. I knew what they were earlier and all this time until now! Why would I suddenly forget?
"I hope you remember soon, Jowee," Samuel spoke again as he followed, but now reluctantly. "I believe we're almost to the Treetop Village, as you've called it."
"They're all yellow!" Jowee blurted in his frustration, "That's all I remember! They're all YELLOW FRUITS!" Samuel became silent from the outburst, just letting Jowee think for a while. Then finally, Jowee snapped his paw with a wide grin. "I remember...! It was a lemon, pineapple and banana! And the pineapple is in the middle, and the lemon is to the right of it... Then the banana is on the left side!"
Samuel thought it over for a minute before he inquired, "But aren't pineapples orange?"
"... Close enough!" Jowee rebutted, running off into the distance while Samuel ran to keep up. "Finding them won't be so hard, either... At this rate, we'll be going back to the Village in no time! And maybe Mari will let us go to the Snow Gate, or to Rapo Islands!"
"I vote for the Snow Gate," Samuel immediately said in response, "I am simply not suited for such warm weather." Jowee pouted a bit, finding a stash of fruits in a small canopy, surprisingly unguarded.
"Well, Winter's practically here," he shrugged as he went to pick up the needed fruits, "The inside of the Snow Gate will probably be frozen over right now, while Rapo Islands will have cooled down enough to not be boiling hot. Personally, we could use some mild weather while we can still get some, you know?"
"I suppose..." Samuel murmured in defeat, knowing this as much as Jowee. He picked up the third fruit needed; the banana. "Oh, Jowee. Before I forget to ask, is there anything you want for your birthday? I hear it's really soon."
"Um..." Jowee thought to himself out loud while they headed out of the stash of fruits, "What would a soon-to-be eighteen year old boy want?"
From on top of the highest of Windy Hills, Dr. Cure and Zsasha neared the first of the floating islands of the Eastern Winds, though Zsasha was now trying to come up with any excuse to not go there, for whatever reason. It confused Dr. Cure that Zsasha apparently had something against going.
"I don't think anyone would live in the Land of the Eastern Winds," Zsasha was saying just as they got to the first bridge leading onward. "The winds would throw them off the islands, the air begins to thin... Too dangerous for Raposa, right?"
"Well, if Raposa couldn't live in the Eastern Winds, why are there bridges built for them?" Dr. Cure asked as she started crossing, Zsasha staying put however. "In fact, I think there's a village somewhere in the desert-"
"That's just a myth!" Zsasha cried out, cutting her off. "There's no desert village... Why would Raposa live somewhere that warm and barren?"
"If Raposa can survive on the Moon," Dr. Cure reasoned, continuing across the wooden bridge, "I'm sure they'll make do in a desert. Why would you think that it's a myth, Zsasha? In fact, why are you so against going? I would just let you go back on your own, but Mari wanted us to be in pairs for safety reasons." She went back on the bridge, taking a paw and holding onto one of Zsasha's, pulling him onto the bridge and making him follow.
"S-Sly wouldn't try invading an empty desert, would he?" Zsasha muttered in a last-ditch effort to make her turn back.
"Sly will try anything to regain power," Dr. Cure sighed to herself, "He'll look anywhere to do it, especially since he's realized we threaten his slowly dying empire. It wouldn't hurt to check every place we can and make sure anyone is warned. This way, they can prepare for any possible attack and hopefully not get taken over... It's very important, Zsasha. We won't be there long." Zsasha frowned deeply to himself, still not wanting anything to do with this venture, but there wasn't any other way to stop Dr. Cure from proceeding.
Why did she have to be so stubborn?
"... If I tell you the real reason, you won't think I'm a bad Raposa, will you?" he spoke once again, feeling a strange bit of deja vu. Dr. Cure stopped this time, turned to face him, and looked into his eyes.
"I won't, Zsasha," she replied softly, "I promise."
"Okay," Zsasha gulped before he started to explain. "There is a village in the desert; I was born there. But the village there wasn't very prosperous, and my family was one of the poorest. Even worse, my family is pretty large as opposed to the average in your village. Altogether, there were seven of us; Mom and Dad, with four boys and a girl... So, to help keep my family afloat, I started stealing food to make sure everyone was well-fed. Mom and Dad found out I was stealing and told me to stop, but I didn't and eventually, it got out of control..."
"I started stealing more than food," he continued as Dr. Cure listened, "I stole money, items and possessions, at first because my siblings and friends wanted them, but then it was only for myself. I became really greedy and thought that becoming the best thief in the world was my destiny, but when the authorities caught on to me, I left the village without a trace left behind. But not even then did I learn better; the moment I came into your village with Lily, I continued to steal, but now only for her..."
"That was when you started giving everything back, right?" Dr. Cure asked calmly, afterwhich Zsasha nodded.
"Yeah, it didn't take me long to start feeling unsure with myself..." he trailed off for a few moments, "And now, I'm sure I want to stop, but only with your help. Bottom line, I feel like the moment I enter that place, they'll throw me in jail or something worse..."
"For four years, you've been running from your troubles," Dr. Cure added, holding onto Zsasha's paw more firmly. "One day you'll need to face them head-on. After all, if you're sorry, you must own up to it. You know what?" she paused with a small smile, "Why not let it be today? I'll even vouch for you, so long as you tell the truth about why it started and how it progressed. If you must be punished, I'll stay as long as it takes." It was then Zsasha's eyes welled with tears, suddenly embracing her.
"You're just like M-Mom..." He stuttered as he struggled to not cry, "So nice and forgiving..." Dr. Cure merely giggled and held him in return, letting the two of them take this moment.
"Maybe one day I'll be one..." she murmured, unfortunately though loud enough for Zsasha to hear, "Err, I mean... Maybe one day you'll be cured..." After a few more moments, the two pulled away, Zsasha reaching to the back of his head to untie his mask from his face. Dr. Cure blinked from Zsasha revealing himself in such a manner, finding honesty in his steel teal eyes. Zsasha stared at the mask for a long time, wondering if he really wanted to go through with what he was wanting to do.
Dr. Cure opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off when Zsasha suddenly gripped the mask firmly, then throwing it out into the open, the wind carrying it away to who-knew-where. Zsasha used all his willpower to not run off and get it back. He shut his eyes, not wanting to watch the mask fly away, and took a deep breath, holding the air in his lungs. In his head, he replayed his inner monologue from long past.
Because I, Zsasha, strive to be a master thief; filled with a desire to steal and a need for collecting valuables!
While the words were heard in his mind, he envisioned the voice coming from the mask, finally letting out his breath. He was certain he heard the voice fade further and further away until it was heard no more. Once he was sure it was silent, he reopened his eyes while Dr. Cure continued to stand by in awe.
"I... I think..." He began softly, then raising his voice to be heard better, "I think I'm okay now."
"Saying goodbye, I suppose?" Dr. Cure replied in compassion.
"Well..." Zsasha thought about it for a bit, before turning to face her. "In a way, yeah. Samuel told me to pretend my problems and stress was just like air. I didn't understand what he meant at first... But now I get it. You bring it all together, understand what needs to be done, then let go of it. He even said it was 'as easy as breathing', and now I see how it makes sense..."
"Letting go... That's good, Zsasha," Dr. Cure agreed with a smile, holding onto Zasaha's paw once again, crossing the bridge with him now, "Samuel sure knows what he's doing, doesn't he?"
Zsasha laughed a bit. "Yes, he does!"
"And you're ready to face the desert villagers now?"
"..." Zsasha didn't answer right away, before he nodded. "I am."
The moment Wilfre and Drew touched ground at their new location, Drew lost his balance and fell over, not used to teleporting in this sort of manner. Wilfre's ears perked from watching this, almost pulled down with him but managed to stay upright. Immediately afterward he pulled on Drew's paw, lifting him back to his back paws. "You alright, Drew?" he asked as he folded up the paper and put it into one of his pockets for safe keeping.
"Y-Yeah, I'm okay..." Drew dazedly answered, before once again looking around the surroundings. "Whoa... Um, Wilfre, you have an... Interesting taste in landscaping..." Wilfre chose not to look, only focusing on the mansion directly nearby.
"We should get going..." he said hastily as he headed toward the front doors. "I don't feel like staying long." Drew noticed him walk away, catching up to Wilfre with a nod. However, he chose to not say anything more than he had.
As the two wandered inside and trekked down halls and through doors, Wilfre forced himself to only focus on finding his journal. He absolutely hated this place with all his might and wishing to just leave right then and there, but couldn't at the moment. Drew noticed that some of the walls were cracked, pure liquid color leaking out with a warm glow. After a while of going through the supposed maze, a door led them outside, into a large courtyard. It didn't faze Wilfre, but Drew became stunned all over again, the dark choice of sinister colors and scenery making him a bit jumpy and nervous.
Crossing through another door, Drew began to notice unusual patterns. The windows were stained glass; and each represented the Raposas' monotheistic society and mannerisms. One would depict the Creator Herself drawing water for fish, another where the Raposa were rejoicing over the Book of Life... Then finally, one would show Shadow Raposa for some odd reason. To make matters even more strange, some of the windows were shattered, but others unharmed.
All around the rooms were furniture, but most were broken, beaten, or looked like they'd been tossed around in a fit of rage. Stained glass shards cluttered near the windows they broke from, and one last thing really put Drew off entirely.
Throughout the rooms and halls, there were dozens of statues, but they were all of one person. Some of them were missing their heads but others not. Those that weren't revealed that the statued person wasn't a Raposa at all. Something about the creature seemed really familiar to Drew, so with a moment of hesitation, he opened his mouth to ask something.
"Wilfre, who is this?" Wilfre made himself stop, turning to face the statue Drew was pondering over.
"That's- That was..." he tried to answer, but cutting himself off many times, "That was the Hero... Thinking about him now, I'm glad he thwarted my plans in the past. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be who I am now." Drew took the information in, smiling with a nod. Wilfre studied the statue for a bit longer, recognizing a small pattern of his own. "In fact... You remind me of him in a way. Your hair looks very similar to his, and the same color. Maybe you took advantage of your fur color and styled it that way; perhaps you looked up to him, Drew." The two moved on afterwards when Wilfre motioned for Drew to follow, but Drew continued to think about it.
A fan, huh? he thought to himself as they walked past the statue, It would explain the way my hair looks, but it feels natural. Something else, then...?
From this point on, the walls had more cracks, with more pure liquid color leaking out of each one. However, the walls seemed more like natural ground than the original bricks from before. Wilfre seemed to keep hurrying along, his walk almost a jog at this point, but Drew couldn't say he blamed him. Eventually however, the two seemed to separate by several feet, though this was mostly due to Drew beginning to lag behind like he often did. As scary as the place was, he couldn't help but be innocently curious about everything.
So much of everything, in fact, he soon came across one of the many walls, but this one was different; it seemed to call out to him to come closer. Instead of trying to follow Wilfre, he went over to the wall, nearly in front of it. He lifted a paw to put it against the wall, only to find his paw going right through it. His eyes widened as he immediately pulled his paw back, a sensation so strange coming over him. The wall felt nonexistent, fake, as if it was hiding a secret.
A secret...?
With that, he took a deep breath, running through the wall, finding himself inside the wall, but still somehow able to move. Not knowing where to go, he just ran forward, wondering where he would end up next. After a few moments of this mindless running, he was suddenly out of the wall, and instead confronted with an eerie cliff, followed by a staircase of platforms that seemed to stretch upwards, but Drew had no idea how far they would go. Like the wall before, the platforms seemed to call out to him, nudging him forward. With a bit of a nervous sigh, he did as was told, hopping up each platform, oddly enough with ease.
Minutes passed before he was finally on the last platform, more ground greeting him. Now on the ground, he panted a little, not used to hopping up so many platforms at one time. Yet, he continued on, walking along the ground until he saw a glowing white light not too far ahead. Once he reached it, what he saw next made his eyes water from the sheer amazement.
In front of him was the most delicate, yet beautiful flower he'd ever seen in his life. Its main petals glowed a pure white, while more petals floated just below the bud, colored white but just slightly gold. The flower itself seemed to resemble a tulip that just barely begun to bloom, and stood at a staggering height, much more than Drew's own. Drew sat on his knees, looking upon the flower further. But why a glowing flower? he thought to himself, Why was I led here?
Do you have a wish, Drew? His ears perked in surprise when he heard this in his head, knowing it wasn't his voice. I am the Secret Flower. Perhaps it is fate that you alone have found me?
"Uhm, maybe..." Drew answered awkwardly, not sure what to really say to what appeared to be a telepathic flower. "I did have a wish, but I... I'm okay if it doesn't come true." There was silence for several moments, as if the flower was processing his words.
I think I understand, it spoke after a bit longer, You yearn to know who you really are; your memories prior to recently are blocked, nor can you remember anything you dream. Such a shame, because I've heard of you. Rather, your past.
"My past?" Drew replied in a louder tone, "So it's not just Sly who knows who I really was, and he even tried to kill me before... Were my past actions that bad?"
Not at all, was the response, Sly may be a dangerous Shadow Being, but you are his main weakness. However, I was told that there was a bet going on...
"The bet..." Drew sighed sadly this time, "If my memories are what Sly was angry about, then Wilfre will have to submit to him. If my memories are that important, maybe it's best not to have them, for his sake."
That is where you are wrong, Drew, the flower said once more in reply, Your memories are key in defeating Sly. You'll just need to find a very indirect way of letting Wilfre know who you are. Realize, I'm your only chance for you to learn your past. Would you really walk out on it?
"I..." Drew tried to answer, "I don't know...! What if I can't tell Wilfre? What if I don't like who I really am? What if Sly wins...?"
Don't worry about it. I know you'll find a way. Close your eyes, Drew.
Despite being unsure if he should or not, he closed his eyes like he was told, waiting for something to happen. He overheard the flower shift position slightly, followed by a sudden flood of memories breaking through the blocking dam of his mind.
A lot of commotion from outside the Village Creation Hall, while he was unable to speak or move; he overheard Wilfre telling everyone to board Turtlerock while Sly was yelling in fury. The voice of the Creator was explaining what must be done to Wilfre and Jowee, even witnessing the sword being brought into existence. Mari was caressing his arm, asking the Creator why this happened; to be told that a Hero wasn't enough for the task. Various times of overhearing commotion once more, the villagers even going into a panic at one point. Silence. Peace. No danger...
These first memories confused Drew at first, but he wasn't able to think about them while even more continued to flood inside.
All the villagers were gathered around a flamed pedestal as everything went white around them. A blonde Raposa girl was being twirlhugged by Jowee. A sword was gripped tight as Wilfre, as a Shadow Raposa, sat in his throne cloud of color and darkness. The Merge occurred while overhearing Mari's prayer to the Creator. The villagers were wishing him luck on defeating Wilfre. The last three villagers were found throughout the Wasteland, as well as Mari going back to the side of the villagers. A Rapo Boy with a sock on his head was revealed as Wilfre after a pendant was thrown into the ocean. Click was elected as Mayor. The King and Queen were stopped. The council was revealed as run entirely by Click. The lost villagers of what was Dot Rot Pot USF were found after arriving. The third place pointed by the pendant was Dot Rot Pot USF. Jowee was comforted by him after Mari was revealed to be working for Wilfre. King Miney became a Mayor after a giant Robosa was defeated. More lost villagers were found while trying to resolve the problems of Lavasteam, and most notably Key wasn't in a wheelchair. Mari disappeared just before arriving to Lavasteam. The next point on the map was Lavasteam. He was confronting a Baki pirate who, after death, became a giant ghost. A gray-furred Raposa with a mask and cape was revealed as Wilfre after causing some trouble. A Raposa woman with curls in her hair was telling him to defeat someone named Bakibeard. The musical city was rejoicing after their Mayor regained her voice, calling her Mayor Rose. The Raposa are amazed that color could easily be brought back, after being greeted to the city known as Watersong. The pendant points off to an unknown village, while the villagers began to follow it. Mari and Jowee are looking at him in awe after opening his eyes, Jowee asking if he remembered him. A different memory involving Creation Hall losing color, including himself, while Mari and Jowee flee in fear...
This was only the scratched surface of memories that invaded his mind.
A reception/celebration after a triumph. He was facing a giant scribble monster that prior had eaten up a red-haired Raposa woman. Wilfre was never the cause of the havoc going on, and the red-haired Raposa woman revealed herself as Wilfre's significant other. After travelling with wings, found some branches from something called the Tree of Ages. Two soon-to-be-wedded Raposa were found after they'd wondered off, fearing they could be in danger with Wilfre possibly around. A Shadow Raposa beats him to what was called the Eternal Furnace after looking for a long while for it around a very cold place; and beforehand had found a frozen rose for the soon-to-be-wedded Raposa couple. Wilfre's journal was read, revealing his back up plans to thwart the Creator, involving something called the Artifacts of Power. Turned out that finding Wilfre's journal was booby-trapped, and ambushed by a giant Shadow Monster; only to find that it was hungry, he fed him in the hope to not be harmed. Shadow City was a very dangerous place, but he had to go through it to find Wilfre's journal, as well as a Pen and Pencil. The giant Monkey with a crown had let him have a Mask after defeating the intruding Shadow Creatures. He was swinging through vine after vine with a Monkey tail in investigation. The red-haired Raposa was asking about the Book of Life, for Mari to explain the story of Wilfre, calling her Circi. Creations were disappearing, as he was told after being redrawn to life...
The final third was coming in at full force, with no mercy on his overwhelmed conscious.
He was walking away with an elder Raposa with a cane, who appeared to be a spirit, after watching Mari and Jowee reunite. First he had to face a giant scorpion that Wilfre had, then Wilfre himself, oddly lost in a mindless rage; only to find out his mistake by seeing his real, Raposa form before it disappeared before his eyes. He needed to fight Wilfre, after all the things he did, and it made him uncontrollably angry. The elder Raposa was deceased, with Mari having a break down and Jowee comforting him after Mari had said something awful to him. Through the City Gate door the first time ever, traversing through Rapo City, Windy Hills, and Rapo Towers; along the way, he found the most peculiar thing, and was what he thought was a 'Human', named Mike. Now the villagers were worried over the vampire in their Village. A giant angular fish named Angular King was threatening the Village and had to be stopped, while Wilfre was trying to make him change sides. Rapo Islands he went through, finding and discovering so many things, like a Baki temple and flying fish; all the while, villagers were getting concerned over pirates, but Jowee found his idol, named Indee. A festival about Mari's Mayor apprenticeship, with an honourable mention of his own, while Jowee managed to finally give Mari a special flower. Samuel was saved from a giant tree named Deadwood, whom was really just possessed by a Shadow Crawler. He found himself getting lost several times while in the Forest Gate. The blonde Raposa clung to Jowee, who was assigned to care for her; as well as voicing out that her name was Heather. A clash with a giant ice Dragon named Frostwind and rescuing little Heather. Journeying through the Snow Gate and finding the other lost villagers and all the while, removing darkness from the Village with something called the Eternal Flame. He was drawing various things with a special drawing utensil, that would help him later on. The elder Raposa was rescued soon before Isaac and what appeared to be his family, where the story of Wilfre was told. He was finding a small Rapo girl named Cindi from behind a bush, who seemed scared of him at first before Mari assured her otherwise. Mari and Jowee were looking up at him after being... Drawn.
However, this initial memory rush triggered even more; the blocked memories of his dreams he would have every night. This time, the flashes of memory were too fast for Drew to keep up with, but with each passing one, he began to understand everything.
Drew opened his eyes with a start after the last one had come and gone, his paws feverishly gripping his knees, trying to steady himself. Everything suddenly made sense to him; the occurrences when he would say something but not know how he knew, his apparent platform-climbing skill, the similar hair color and style...
Drew was the Creation Hero, reborn into the body of a Raposa. In a way, he was a pseudo-Raposa, but that seemed fine. He could recall himself begging the Creator to allow him to help the others, being told he would lose all memory if he was to be put into a nondestiny-bound Raposa body, him accepting the consequence, and finally appearing and talking to Wilfre in a dream from long ago.
He had awoken in a Lavasteam street, only with the gold fur on his skin; then he was found by Dr. Cure not too long after being lost and confused, as well as vulnerable to the Shadow Raposa and Creatures. He didn't know who he was, or where he came from, so Dr. Cure and Key decided to call him 'Drew'...
But I'm not just Drew anymore, he thought to himself as he got onto his back paws, I'm also the Creation Hero. But Sly knows it as well; that's why he made the bet with Wilfre, so...
"Thank you for helping me, Secret Flower," he spoke softly to the still glowing flower nearby, "I think I know what I should do. Goodbye!" He heard the flower shift its position once more, its glow as radiant as always, while he turned around to go back.
You're welcome... it paused for a moment while Drew began to descend the platform stairs, before adding one last word, ... Sparky.