Disclaimer: I do not own, neither do I claim to own, the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, or the Dragon Ball Z franchise. Neither do I own any branch, spin-off or anything pertaining to the two series. SEGA owns Sonic, while Akira Toriyama, Toei Animation and FUNimation all own DBZ.
I also do not own the following characters: Zoey Arsaldi the Wolf, Mira 'Ally' Prower, Axel the Bandicoot; Noah Raymond Thompson and Spencer Franklin Ricardo. The former trio belong to Pekiunai, while the latter duo are owned by werewolf99.
Claimer: On the flip side, I am the owner of Luster the Cat, Megan the Wolf, Jack the Cat, Entity, Quill, Unknown and all the original Eggman robots that appeared in Season 1. Contact me if you want to use any of these characters or ideas in your work.
Last time, on Luster the Cat...
Remembering what Knuckles had taught him back on Angel Island, Luster took off to Mobius in search of either his parents, the guy that has his parents, or something/someone that will help him to find them. In his search, Luster ended up coming across Prylea Village - a small settlement leaning against a mountain. Before he could enter, he was stopped by three guards that questioned his reasoning for wanting to go into the village. After having to destroy the gun he stole from Eggman aboard the Space Colony ARK, Luster was permitted to enter, getting his first glimpse at a Mobian village.
Wandering through the streets lined with wood buildings and soft, muddy grounds, Luster pulled up at a food bar, run by a friendly bear known as Gren. This bear noticed Luster's familiarity and informed him that his parents were both living in Prylea at one point, even before he was born. Gren also shared a theory as to why they left - which was likely because of a recent war that the village had gotten into, the same one that killed Prylea's previous leader. After sharing, Gren offered Luster free food, feeling that doing so was more of a service than an inconvenience.
Departing from Gren's presence, Luster came to the aid of a red-furred Mobian named Roserie, whom had a thief attacking her. Thankful, Roserie offered Luster a chance to stay at her home for the duration of his visit - an offer that Luster happily accepted.
We now come back to several minutes after we left off!
June 12th 1991 - 11:38 AM
Prylea Village, Roserie's House
"So, what was your name again?" Roserie the Chinchilla asked, closing the door after Luster entered it. The room they were in was small, with a living room of sorts to the right and a kitchen to the left. Other rooms could be seen towards the far end of the room, but they were only connected via doorways.
"Luster. Luster the Cat," he answered. This place doesn't look as good as the mansion, but eh.
"Yes...of course it was! Silly me, I have a pretty terrible memory," Roserie realised. She placed her bag onto a wooden chair and offered to take Luster's bag as well, though he declined. "Why are you here? Isn't travelling dangerous for a child like you?"
"It's not that bad. I'm pretty strong," Luster continued answering. "I can take care of myself."
"Hmm, I suppose I can't try to disprove you there, especially after what you did with that thief. You must know your martial arts," Roserie inferred. "Don't you have any parents? Why are they not with you?"
"They're dead. Well, they're not really dead. They're being kept by some weird guy with strange powers, so I'm looking for a way to find out where they are."
Roserie quickly garnered a look of shock on her face, though she was confused inside. Strangely, she seemed calm about it. "Huh. That's not something you hear every day, that's for sure."
"I heard from Gren that my parents lived here once, but left before a war or something," Luster was recounting what he was told previously, doing his best to remember. "He told me that they were nice people. Do you know anything about them?"
"No, sorry, Luster. I only moved here a year ago and I'm guessing that your parents were here way before I was," Roserie apologised. "Before that, I lived in another village ever since I was born. However, I moved here because I felt I would be a whole lot more safer. Are you planning to move here?"
"Nah," Luster shook his head. "I've got friends back on Earth that are waitin' for me to come back. I'm hopin' to not take too long out here."
"Well, I hope I can help you in anyway that I can."
"Thanks! See ya!" Luster ended, leaving the house.
However, upon immediately stepping foot back outside onto the soft, muddy ground, a child smaller than him ran past the cat, crying his eyes out. Curious, Luster started to investigate.
Luster the Cat: Season 2 Opening 3 (Target - Digimon Adventure 02, English ver.) -
Don't forget that I have dreams
I hope to contain myself
I'll fly along these streams
That I've created for yourself
You know that I aim high
So why do you continue to put me down?
I'll raise my hands to the sky
And show you my renown
The power inside me keeps growing
I fear I may not be able to control it
I won't be easygoing
But I know you'll help me split!
We have power we're willing to share
I think that seems fair
For this world, I do care
Can you tell me what I need to know?
Upon this adventure
We'll come together
Into new boundaries we venture
The wind still needs to blow
Throw it all away; now to play!
Luster dashed ahead, using his natural speed to catch up with the weeping child, whom had ran into an alleyway and was hiding in a tight space between Prylea's wall and a random building. Luckily, Luster was able to fit though unfortunately, the child was not particularly happy to see someone following him.
"Leave me alone! I did nothing wrong!" the child barked, obviously wanting to be left alone. Luster wasn't having any of this and continued to walk towards the weeping young Mobian. He stepped back, though Luster managed to keep him in place by holding him down. "Let me go! Let me go!"
After a minute, the child calmed down and sat down as per Luster's request, but was still crying. The cat was determined to get to the bottom of this.
"What happened? Why are you crying?" Luster interrogated, needing answers.
"My mummy told me that my daddy isn't gonna come back ever...he left to get things, but mummy said he died..." the child lamented. "Why did daddy have to die?"
Luster sighed. "Both my mum and dad died. I got over it, 'cause I knew that even after someone dies, things go as they were. Nothin' really changes, you're still you, so why not live your life? You still have a mum to go to, so don't let her down."
"Huh?" the child asked, confused. "Things are still the same? But daddy died! Things will never be the same..."
"Think 'bout it this way, what would your father say if he was here, instead of me?" Luster questioned, trying a different approach.
Sniffling, the child managed to answer. "He would tell me to stop thinking about it...'cause he'd be with me. But now, he isn't..."
"Your mum is, right? What about her?"
"..." the child was in complete silence after realising that his mother was indeed around to help him when he needed it.
"Since she's alive, you have somethin' to live for, right? If you ever think that ya don't have somethin' to live for, then make one yourself! Go back to her, already!"
"Okay!" the lime-green squirrel child nodded and wiped his tears, then ran out of the alleyway and back to his home. Luster followed him, watching his mother pick him up and hug him. This sight was heart-warming, melting his heart and had actually forced Luster to smile in appreciation.
Seeing the child and his mother embrace each other gave Luster flashbacks to when his mother would do the same, picking him up after a day's worth of playing outside in the sun and embracing him as much as she could. Finally, he was remembering how lovely his mother was...
Flashback:
March 13th 1985 - 1:45 PM
Outside Luster's family's home
Megan the Wolf stepped outside of the rickety wooden shack she and her family call a home, feeling the warm breeze of the cold weather combined with the sun's rays lighting up the immediate area. It made for a wonderful feeling, stimulating her eyes and fur - it was just right.
Looking sharply down, she noticed her three year old son, Luster the Cat, playing with mere blades of grass. She couldn't help but smile at his childish innocence; it surely made life a lot easier for him. Wake, eat, play, drink, sleep...Megan was jealous. However, Megan was strong willed enough to turn her jealousy into love, which piqued to the point that she got down from the shack's front steps and in front of her son.
"Come on, Luster," Megan spoke, picking up the small child. "Time for a hug."
"Okay!" Luster nodded, receiving a hug from his loving mother. Both sides thoroughly enjoyed it - they embraced for as long as they could. Nothing was going to separate them.
June 12th 1991 - 11:49 AM
Prylea Village
Back in reality, Luster shook his head to return his gaze to the real world. The child and his mother had disappeared from where they were, likely because they went back inside to their house. Smiling once more, Luster turned around and realised something.
What do I do now? I don't think anyone else here knows much about my parents any more than Gren does, so what do I do? Luster wondered, lost. I remember Gren sayin' that this village has a leader...maybe I can talk to him! The cat's face lit up, determined to meet the leader of the village. There was only one problem. I dunno where he is.
Luster flew up and looked around Prylea from a bird's eye view, trying to find a building that stood out from the others. He guessed that a building like that would be where the Leader is. After several seconds of searching, Luster spotted a building that fit the bill, positioned beyond all the interconnecting streets and opposite to the village's entrance. He flew over to it and landed in front of the door and knocked upon it, meeting a purple-furred Mobian guard on the other side.
"You! What business do you have with our Leader?" the guard questioned, suspicious of Luster. "You better not have malicious intents."
Luster shook his head. "No sir, I only want to speak to him. I'm looking for my parents and he might know where they are."
The guard seemed to grip his sword, readying himself for a possible fight. "Do you have any proof that he might be involved in your search?"
"I know that my parents once lived in this village a long time ago, but they left before a war happened. That war was also when the village's old Leader died. I'm thinking that they could be connected somehow."
"..." the guard became silent. All the information that Luster gave him was intriguing, but the guard couldn't act upon it himself. Eventually, a decision was made. "Fine. I shall allow you to meet with our Leader. Treat him with the utmost respect."
Luster barely understood what that meant, but he nodded anyway, allowing the guard to lead him to a room above the one they were currently in, where the Leader was sitting at his desk, about to nod off and would have if it weren't for the sudden interruption by the guard and Luster.
"Sir! This child wishes to speak to you!" the guard informed, shifting away from the room but not before closing the door behind him, leaving Luster to speak to the Leader.
The Leader was a grey-furred Mobian bird, whom had muscles and appeared to be rather smart. Nothing else was peculiar about him, he seemed like a normal person, but Luster could feel leadership qualities emanating from the guy. It was almost intimidating.
"So, what is your name, young one and why have you requested an audience with me?" the Leader asked, starting off the short meeting.
"My name is Luster the Cat and I believe you may know something about my parents, two Mobians that I am looking for. My search has lead me to this village, where I learnt that they were living here until a war came up - the same war that killed the old Leader," Luster explained to the best of his ability.
"I see...I may remember a Luster belonging to a husband and wife...Jack the Cat and Megan the Wolf, famous deserters. You'd best be thankful that you, young one, have changed physically in your time away from Prylea, because your parents are hated amongst the citizens," the Leader stated.
Luster frowned. "Huh? They're hated? Why?"
"Because your father, Jack, was instructed to lead our footsoldiers into battle. He shied away from his post, taking you and his wife with him. It is commonly theorised that because of his abandonment, Bellato - our previous Leader - fell in combat, though I do not believe so."
Luster gripped his fist in anger. "That makes no sense! My dad made his decision, why should other people get mad at him because of it?"
"Many citizens had their loved ones killed in battle, as well. They felt that if Jack and Megan did not flee from the village prior to the battle, they would have been able to protect those that died when they were not there. It is a matter of disgust."
Luster stood there, shrouded in nothing but anger. He gripped both of his fists and began charging an insane amount of ki, something that could not be controlled in his vexated state. The Leader immediately noticed this and feared for the worst, so he jumped over his desk and did his best to calm Luster down.
"Shh...it is fine. You can still find your mother and father and leave this village behind you. It will never bother you again," the Leader reassured, placing both of his hands on the cat's shoulders.
The Leader's words spoke to Luster, reaching into his mind and telling it all the things it needed to hear. In time, Luster eventually calmed down, his ki and anger levels returning to normal once again.
"Thanks, Leader. You really helped me," Luster thanked, giving the Mobian bird a thumbs-up.
"Please. You can call me Dewx," Dewx the Bird formally introduced, finally revealing his name to the cat. "I am glad to be of assistance."
As Luster was turning around to leave the room, another guard came rushing in, panting after having sprinted a great distance. Luster decided not to leave out of curiosity; he wanted to see what was going on.
"Sir! B-Bellum is approaching!" the dark red furred Mobian informed, panting in between words.
"What?!" Dewx reacted, knowing full well what this meant.
Luster was confused, to say the least. "Who's Bellum?" he asked.
"Bellum is a village we have been at war with for decades. They are the reason we've been in so many wars, why so many of our people have been killed. They are utter savages," explained Dewx, with an irritated expression on his face. "We'll have to rally up our men! Quick! Do that, and inform them of the situation at hand! We need them armed and ready!"
"Yes, sir!" the guard nodded, ready to leave. However, Luster prevented him from actually doing so. "Step aside!"
"Dewx sir, is it alright if I take on Bellum by myself?" Luster requested, grinning. This'll be good training!
Dewx returned Luster's gaze, looking at the cat as if he was completely mad. "Have your lost your mind? We need at least thirty of our men to even stand a single iota of a chance! Bellum shows no mercy!"
"I'm sure I can beat them. Trust me, I can do it," persuaded Luster. He really wanted to take on Bellum Village's army. "Come on, you saw my power surge just now. I can turn that sort of thing into a weapon! I'll wipe the floor with those other guys!"
"...That is indeed true, I did witness that surge of power," Dewx admitted. He thought for a moment, then faced the guard. "Rally the men! Send them to the battlefield! Make sure they do not make a move and watch closely! Luster here will fight them off! If he falls, send the warriors in!"
"But sir-!" the guard questioned.
"Do it, now!" Dewx demanded, pointing towards the door. Luster stepped out of the guard's way as he ran as fast as he could. "Luster, follow me to the village's entrance. I wish to see what you are truly capable of."
"Thanks, sir!" Luster thanked, waiting for Dewx to walk over to his current position. "Oh, I can get us to the entrance quickly. Just hold onto me." He raised two fingers to his forehead and began focusing on the ki of the three entrance guards. Dewx was interested and followed Luster's instructions, touching his arm. All of a sudden, the pair disappeared.
June 12th 1991 - 12:11 PM
Prylea Village
Luster and Dewx reappeared next to the three entrance guards' positions behind the village entrance, surprising the guards. Dewx was also interested in this revelation.
"That was...convenient," Dewx commented, taken back by Instant Transmission. "How did you do that?"
"Easy. I locked onto these guys' energies, then tried to put our energy next to them," Luster answered, grinning. "It's a little hard to master."
"It could be a useful in a battle situation," Dewx stated, unknowingly correct. "Let us wait here for our army to gather. It is not that I do not trust you, Luster, these men will only be here for backup."
Luster seemed to have no problems with it, likely because he knew that he won't need the backup in the first place. After five minutes (or eternity in Luster's eyes), an army of thirty assembled at the village entrance. Dewx stared at the crowd and cleared his throat.
"Ahem! Everyone!" he yelled, to gather the attention of the thirty Mobian soldiers. "Each one of you is about to risk your life in defending this village. I am not forcing you to go into battle. If you wish not to come with me, then leave now."
Not a single person departed from the area.
"Excellent! Now, our battle plan is the same as usual, however this time, we have aid from an extraordinary source," Dewx smiled, motioning to Luster. "This boy has amazing strength. He will take on the opposing army by himself, while all of you will watch. If he falls, then all of you will charge in."
Every one of the warriors began to boo. Luster didn't break his confident smile, however. He was only becoming more giddy.
"Trust me, this boy has the strength to do so! If you do as I say, this battle will be in our favour!" Dewx stated. "All of you need to watch, but don't drop your guard! An enemy may try to surprise us, so keep your weapons at the ready! Do this, and the battle will be ours!"
Everyone screamed in confidence. They were sure - they were going to succeed.
"Move out!" Dewx finished, he and Luster leading the charge. With those words, the entire army marched out of Prylea and took the path east until a massive field was reached. The Prylea Army stopped when they touched a hill, where the Bellum Army was atop another, opposite the one the former was on.
June 12th 1991 - 12:16 PM
A field outside Prylea Village
A battle was about to begin. Dewx and supposedly the leader of Bellum shared a glance of hatred. They despised the other as if the other was a demon of sorts, as did the rest of their armies as they were staring at their opposition.
Silence. Nothing but the blowing wind was heard, until ten seconds later.
"CHARGE!" the entire Bellum Army yelled, rushing forward.
Luster grinned. He counted about forty Mobians, ten more than Prylea's army, but a comfortable number. As the opposing army reached halfway of the long space between the two hills, Luster dashed forward and used a Kiai to blast away a huge number of them, surprising everyone that wasn't him.
So, Prylea has a new friend... the leader of Bellum thought, grinning at the sight of a new challenge. "Do not be intimidated, men! Keep charging! Focus on the boy!"
The warriors that were not blown away by the Kiai rushed onwards, pointing their swords at the cat. Smiling, Luster used Afterimage to get in the middle of the army and used an Explosive Wave to send all of his opponents flying. Some smashed on nearby trees and were knocked out while others even broke the trees. However, there was only a small handful that still had some fight left in them. About ten Mobians, Luster counted.
"What are you doing, men?! Charge in!" Bellum's leader barked, watching from nearby. He too, had weapons, but seemed to be waiting for the right time to head into battle.
The remaining ten soldiers gripped their metal swords and tried to rush Luster once again, but he punched one soldier and kicked him into three others, then used a Ki Wave to blast the other six, finishing the fight. Dewx and the Prylean Army were absolutely atonished at this sight.
"Whoa, that kid's good!" one member of the Prylean Army remarked.
"He took out the entire Bellumian Army by himself! I could probably only take on five of those guys! Not at once, of course," another soldier claimed.
"He's still gotta take on Tenebrae!" realised another.
"So? If he took out forty guys without breaking a sweat, then who's to say Tenebrae will pose a challenge?" a fourth soldier refuted.
Dewx looked on with anticipation. He really did it...good job, child. Though, I suppose I cannot call him that, can I? He's a worthy soldier. No, much more than that.
Luster stared down Tenebrae, the leader of Bellum, whom was equipped with a metal sword and a shield, just like the other soldiers. However, this guy had metal armour, something the other soldiers did not have.
"Y'know, you're gonna get hurt if you stick around here any longer!" Luster threatened, trying to force Tenebrae to leave without hurting him. "Take your guys and go back to your village! While you're at it, don't bother Prylea ever again!"
"You're idiotic if you think I'll leave without taking the life of the man or child that took the lives of my men! I'll annihilate you!" Tenebrae the Chicken returned, dashing forward and performing a slash at Luster. He easily dodged the attack and continued to evade every single one of Tenebrae's slashes, making it seem easy. No stabs, slashes or swipes would reach Luster and when the cat decided to catch a slash with only his finger, he used his spare hand to blast Tenebrae away and nearly knock him out cold. "H-h..."
"You're finished," Luster smirked, folding his arms. "I'm not gonna waste another moment with scum like you! Take your men and leave!"
Luster began to walk away as Tenebrae began to stand back up. He could barely move his arms or legs, but was able to stand. There was no way he was going to continue fighting. Luster had won. Upon returning to them, Luster received many cheers from the Prylean Army but was able to get away from the crowd by flying upwards with Ki Flight.
"Men, this is the strength we have at hand. This boy single-handedly defeated the mighty Bellumian Army and doesn't even seem to be tired," Dewx summarised, pointing towards Luster, whom was laying down in the air. "This is the level we should all strive to be. From now on, triple your training regimes! Make sure that if Bellum attack again, you can single-handedly defeat them!"
The army cheered once again and began to march back to Prylea, being led by Dewx. Luster followed in the air and by the time everyone re-entered the village, the soldiers went their separate ways. Keen to have one final conversation with his champion, Dewx signalled for Luster to return to his main office.
June 12th 1991 - 12:22 PM
Prylea Village, Dewx's Office
Once there, Dewx returned to his seat behind the desk and Luster was standing in front of said desk, grinning after succeeding in such a fight. He was truly confident in his abilities now, even if the forty soldiers plus Tenebrae seemed like mere dust compared to him. Confidence was what he needed - which is what he got.
"Impressive work out there, Luster. You certainly live up to what you say," Dewx thanked, doing a small applause out of humour. He then opened his desk and pulled out some kind of apple. "All good in the world must not go unrewarded. As such, here is a Healing Fruit."
Luster accepted the gift, but was entirely confused as to what it was. To him, it looked like a simple apple. "Thanks, Dewx. But uh, what is this?"
"A Healing Fruit. It instantly heals any illness, though it cannot heal battle wounds or mental scars. It's something ancient, but we have not been able to decipher when it was from or who made it. It's also rare," Dewx explained. "You deserve it. I hope you'll be able to find your parents, wherever they may be." He held out a hand.
"Thanks again, Dewx. I'm happy I was able to help!" Luster responded, placing the Healing Fruit inside his bag and accepting the Leader's handshake. "That was actually some pretty good training for me."
"I do hope you'll return someday, Luster. You're hailed as a hero around these parts, I'm sure people will be glad to see you back."
Luster giggled slightly. "Oh, you bet I'll return! See ya!" The cat departed from the building and flew over to the village entrance, saying his goodbyes to Gren, Roserie and even the entrance guards. With that, Luster strolled away from Prylea, off to continue his quest.
Luster the Cat: Season 2 Ending 3 (Kimi ga Iru Kara - Fairy Tail, English ver.) -
You don't understand this pain of mine
What do you really think of it?
I do have a wish - a reason to shine
Because of this, I will never quit
If you ever leave my presence
I don't know what I would do
Could you leave a bit of your essence?
I'll keep it, until my life's through
Knowing that you'll be there makes my heart burst
I don't think I could ever finish first
Can this really be the worst?
I know with you, my heart will be nursed
(Happiness, sadness and everything so)
(We reap what we need to sow)
(Can you please not go?)
(I don't want you to know)
My life starts right here, right now
We can't turn around our past
I'll never need to ask you how
Thanks to you, I can finish last
My dreams flutter in the summer
Summer turns into winter
To spring, to autumn and back to summer
Despite this I don't ever change
Author Notes: Luster's Quest continues! Do remember to share this fan-fiction with as many people as you can, I could really use the support! See you all next time.