Chapter 32: Boone's Apprentice

Read the note at 31 :3

Today was a very important day. Dodgeball was starting up once again. Our favorite team was getting ready, their faithful fairy at the sidelines cheering for them as usual. Penn and Sashi were both focused on their side of the game, desperately wanting to win. Unfortunately, it was only they that were focused. Verge leaped up in her seat and started to shout out.

"Boone! What are you doing?!"

"Behold! The presence of Boone!" Their last member was starting to break out into a weird, ballet-like dance on the court. The rest of his team stared at him dumbfounded, and actually getting pretty annoyed when he started getting in everyone's way.

"Boone! Focus!" Penn yelled.

"Hey, I've been practicing for the whole week! You should all be worthy that I have found the time to present this to y—"

He was interrupted when a ball hit him straight in the face.

"Gah!" Before Penn and Sashi knew it, they too received balls to the head, and were out of the game. What's worse was that they were the last players. The other team hooted in victory, while the dream team groaned in defeat on the floor. Verge sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Someone help me bring them to the nurse, please?"

Up until the end of the day, the three refused to talk to Boone. He didn't seem at all depressed about their loss. Instead, he hummed the tune to his dance number from behind them, which caused them more annoyance. By the time they reached the Odyssey, Penn and Verge entered first while Sashi slammed the door in Boone's face.

Now, he was irritated. "I'm sensing hostility."

Penn tried not to sound too sarcastic. "What? Nooo, it's not like anyone's annoyed with you for doing an interpretive dance and losing the dodgeball game for us. That's not…we…Sashi, Verge, are you mad? No, we're not mad!"

Boone did not detect anything in his tone. "Good. 'Cause I would ordinarily bother you three."

"Boone," Verge groaned, facepalming againas she flew over the platform.

"He's kidding," Sashi snapped.

"Well!" he said exasperatedly. "Make up your mind! Does it bother you or not bother you? I'm not a mind-reader." The three only glared back. The girls shook their heads.

Zap.

"SO. CUTE."

You could only guess that shriek was from Verge.

The team was in a forest. Penn was smiling rather cutely, for judging by Verge's scream, the whiskers, and cute bunny nose…well, he was a bunny. But his smile dropped a little when he saw his body. His expression was even more impressed. "Let me guess. We're doctors." He grinned as he flexed a muscle.

Sashi, who was a ferret, checked the Specs. "Nope. We're a band of heroic, ultra-ripped barbarians."

"That explains them." Verge pointed to their side to see what looked like giant mice working out. Their faces may have been adorable, but their bodies were just whoa. "Also explains you two!"

The fairy wrapped both her friends in a headlock and hugged their faces. They choked slightly, but Penn was more focused on Verge's form. She was still her fairy self, but more ripped and had women muscles. "So, what, are you an animal caretaker now?" Penn scoffed.

"Oh, please, Zero, I always am."

"Anyway," Sashi interrupted. "An evil sorcerer has enchanted an orb. When moonlight hits the orb, the entire world will be plunged into an eternal Forever Night."

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Penn questioned, still flexing.

The ferret pushed him down. "While we barbarians breech the wall of the evil fortress, our wizard will enchant the scepter to destroy the orb."

"Who's the wizard?"

They all looked up and saw Boone, who was an owl, in a tree, in a nest. He looked down at them with confusion.

"You are," Sashi responded.

"Who?" Boone said back.

"You, Boone. You're the wizard."

"You're a wizard, Boone," Verge said in a mysterious tone. Penn and Sashi looked at her. ((A/N: Hahahaha Harry Potter refs again xD))

"No, get it? Who! I'm an owl, and owls say hoo! So I said hoo a bunch!" He laughed at his own joke. The three exchanged aggravated looks. "But seriously, who? I wasn't listening." Penn just glared. "Could you just explain the first part again? Also, the last part? Plus, I'm still a little hazy on the midd—Oh, a butterfly."

"Boone," Penn called. "We didn't wanna have to do this, but you leave us no choice. Verge, bring me a box with a curtain on it, and some socks."

"Sheesh, simple 'please' would be in order…"

It took a while, but while Verge acquainted them with some extra cloth she found lying around (don't ask where she got it), Penn and Sashi made some weird little hand puppets. Meanwhile, Verge pulled together a play-box out of some bark she found as well. In about half an hour, Boone had some popcorn, Verge was sitting beside him on a rock, and they leaned back to watch the show.

Using a Ferret Sashi puppet, a cardboard fortress figure, and a stick with a marble on top, Penn began explaining in a horrible Sashi voice: "Uh-oh, Penn, Verge! If moonlight hits that orb, the whole world will go dark."

A Verge puppet appeared and Sashi tried speaking in the fairy's tone: "Ah, wings! What do we do?"

Switch back to Penn and his rabbit puppet appeared. "It's not up to us, guys. Only Boone, the wizard, can destroy the orb."

Owl Boone puppet appeared and switch to Sashi's voice. "I, Boonester, the wizard, will quit fooling around, and cast a spell, giving this scepter the power to destroy the orb, dude!" With a tap of another marble scepter stick on the orb stick, everything was gone, and "back to normal". Penn and Sashi looked up and grinned in hope.

Verge was clapping politely, but it died down when Boone was still hesitating. Thanks to logic, he saved himself from his own team's punches by exclaiming, "Oh! I get it! It's all up to me! Just one note. Sashi as Boone: total miscast."

Sashi responded by punching his puppet.

"Guys, look!" Verge said, pointing forward.

Rippen's warriors, who were just-as-ripped foxes, were yelling barbaric screams, as if taunting their own fighters. "You scrawny weaklings!" a fox leader shouted. "You'll never conquer our fortress!"

Verge leaped up from her seat and started flying ahead. "Oh, yeah?! We'll see about that! Feel the wrath of the fairy!"

Penn and Sashi lifted their box up and directed it towards the battle. "Boone! Enchant that scepter. Ultra-ripped animal barbarians, it's time to storm the fortress! Come on!"

All the barbarians were motivated enough to just plunge themselves into the war. But Boone still had questions. "Hey! I don't know how I'm supposed to do the enchantment spell thingy!"

Sashi checked the Specs again. "Ask your new apprentice for help!"

And that was it. Boone was alone. The rest of his team were now fighting to their deaths. And it would be all up to him.

Verge started it all by punching the first fox into the facehole. Once he was down, the next fox was ready to strike, but Penn was just behind her, kicking it in the face before he could hit. With two foxes down, the fairy and rabbit did a quick fist-bump before continuing to attack.

Verge joined Sashi, and she seemed like she was on a roll slapping the enemies left and right. It was her favorite thing to do, obviously, but she seemed even more unstoppable now. Grinning, Verge also joined in the punching and the kicking.

"Verge!" The fairy turned to Sashi to find her running up to her. Verge understood almost immediately and positioned her hands to give her a boost. Sashi was lifted into the air, and she performed a little spin. Once landed, she knocked over ten foxes off their feet. Literally. They all groaned, but the girls just laughed and high-fived.

"Talk about not using dust for a change."

They grinned and continued on.

In all honesty, the foxes weren't that strong. The barbaric mice were winning, and they probably weren't even that tired through half the hour.

"Even my ears are ripped!" Penn was shouting as he knocked another fox out.

Verge proved strength has she flew up in the air with one flutter of her wings. It was enough to crash a few more foxes down as well.

All the barbarians were hooting and flexing when they found that they won. Sashi cracked her neck and gave a look like "it was nothing". But now Rippen was firing arrows in their direction. There was barely any space to hide, so Verge tried conjuring protection shields. She couldn't hold on forever, though. "Guys!" she screamed. "Come on! Learn to fight back!"

"Boone?" Penn called. "Things are getting a little dicey over here! How's that magic spell coming?!"

"Ahhh, don't worry Penn! Oh, we are so on top of it over here!"

"We're doomed," Verge confirmed, stopping the shield and hiding with Penn. "All right, on the count of three, we just race towards the front door and we try to barge inside."

"Who made you in charge?" Penn scoffed.

"I don't tell you everything. Barbarians, we march!"

Before Penn could hesitate and contemplate what she said, the mice were motivated once again and they ran for the door. Penn quickly caught up, and they were now all in front of the fortress. They looked up to see Rippen laughing at them.

"How about a bath? Of scalding oil?"

An entire cauldron was suddenly dumped over all their heads. They all braced for the worst, but their expressions turned happy when the oil actually made them shiny. The mice danced around in victory, enjoying the smooth texture on their now flawless skin. One mouse actually dumped more oil on himself.

"Hot oil, Larry, I said hot oil!"

"Well, my wings are wet, but at least I'm glistening," Verge chuckled, checking her muscles.

Penn was also admiring himself. "Oh, man, this stuff really brings out the definition."

"Zero!" Verge pointed towards the open field, and they all gasped when they saw the sun just about to set. Penn put his brave face on.

"Come on, everybody! We gotta get through those doors and secure the castle for Boone! Follow my pecs!"

"Gross," Verge muttered to Sashi as all the barbarians charged in, still shouting.

Unfortunately, the entire team together couldn't bring the door down.

One jump-kick from Sashi did, though.

When Verge flew inside, Sashi winked. "Girl power, am I right?"

The mice didn't exactly just decide to charge in. Once they were on the floor, they took the opportunity to do push-ups. Penn, Verge, and Sashi exchanged looks, but Rippen interrupted their thoughts.

"In just a few small, delicious moments, I shall become a full-time villain!"

"If I could fly again, I would get up there and smack some sense into ya!" Verge called.

"I think you mean full-time loser!" Penn added, smirking.

"How dare you twist my words to the opposite of what I want to say!" Rippen shouted. "But you're too late! Without the scepter, you're powerless to stop Forever Night." There was lightning, and Verge could've sworn she saw the orb glowing an even brighter purple hue.

"We would be powerless if it weren't for the mighty wizard Boone!" Penn gestured at the door, as if expecting their owl Wiseman would come barging in with his apprentice at that very moment.

But he was nowhere to be found.

Everyone grew silent.

"…Haaaaah there he is!" Penn pointed upwards. Still nothing.

"The wizard, Boone, who's going to do his thing now!" Sashi facepalmed. Verge stood awkwardly. "How about now? And now! He's comin' right now! Here he is, Boone! Bam! Yeah!" Sashi sighed.

"This is painful," Verge said adamantly.

Penn glared at the skies. "BOONE!"

Rippen put a hairy finger to his lips. "Shhh, oh, dear muscular rabbit boy. He's not coming." Verge felt some foxes grab hold of them.

"Where is he?" Verge wondered in a worrisome tone.

"He might be right, Penn," Sashi said, also worried.

"Say what you will about Boone, but somehow he always comes through in the end, you know?"

"I know," Verge said. "I believe in him too."

A fox laughed as he raised his club over the team, ready to strike.

"OK, I might just be quick to lose that belief."

Suddenly, everyone paused when they heard a singing in the air. It was a harmonious acapella tune, that Larry suddenly started dancing to. "Uh-oh! That's my jam! Uh-oh! Legs are starting to move!"

Emerging from behind the fortress was a giant, three-headed purple dragon, who seemed to be singing that song they were hearing. And riding on its back was Boone himself, along with his apprentice. He grinned down at everyone as the dragon struck a pose.

"Oh, of course he would demand a grand entrance!" Verge yelled out.

"Behold!" Boone shouted out as he poured the potion. "The Scepter of Light!"

They watched in awe as it began to glow. Maybe it would work!

"Yeah!" Penn cheered, as Sashi and Verge dealt with the foxes restraining them. "I knew you'd come through, Boone!"

"Scepter thingy! Do your stuff!"

He aimed the scepter at the cursed orb, ready to see some magic happen. But instead, a green puff of smoke averted to his direction, and he coughed.

Rippen suddenly began laughing. "That was worth it!" He laughed again.

"No!" Verge cried, trying to fly, but failing once more. "Based from the smell, I think he picked the wrong scrollbook!"

"Wait, what?!" Penn exclaimed. "No, it can't be!"

"You gave me the wrong scrollbook!"

"Is that proof enough, Zero?"

As the dragon set himself down, so was the sun. Black wisps started to envelop around the fortress, proving the curse was about to take effect. "This can't be happening," Sashi said, rather quietly.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Boone is working things out," Verge said, trying to sound upbeat. "He always comes through, right?" She turned upwards to listen to Boone's conversation with his apprentice.

"I really tried this time, but I blew it!"

"Yeah, you kinda did."

"Because you're just like me! And I couldn't overcome the menace of you! It's exhausting!" He blew a raspberry. "Well, now I know why Penn looks so old." At those words, his best friend stared up at him, staggered. "He's a young person and he looks really old!"

"Boone!" Verge yelled out. "Please! Stop stressing over that! We still believe you can do this! I honestly have no inspirational words other than it's seriously all up to you and you gotta pull yourself together to get things through!"

"Gee, thanks a lot, Divergent!"

"You're welcome!"

"Didn't detect the sarcasm, did she…"

"Hey, don't worry," Boone's apprentice reassured. "Things'll work out. I mean, there's still time. Nacho?"

"No! No nacho!" Verge shrieked.

"Vergie! Calm down!" Penn yelled back. "But seriously! Boone! This is not the time for nachos!"

For some reason, that alone gave Boone an idea. "Shh, Penn! Yelling will only bring out more wrinkles!" That merely earned yet another glare from the hero. "Maybe it is about the nachos. You see, I've been trying to be someone I'm not. When things get really serious, I always just pull a plan out of my owl butt."

"Can you skip to the part where you get to the point?!" Verge screamed.

"Fools!" Rippen taunted, as the purple mist was closing in. "You're going to have to enjoy your nachos in eternal Forever Night."

"Seriously! Why do they call it eternal, and then still add Forever to the Night? It doesn't make sense!" Now, everyone was looking at her.

"BOONE!" Penn shrieked.

As Boone chewed, he then realized something else. "Hey guys, why don't we just knock that round thing off that tall thing?"

Rippen could only watch as the dragon started to fly again, pushed the orb off, and gasp at how the orb just broke. The wisps and darkness started to disappear.

"Noooo, it can't be that simple!" Rippen cried.

The dragon started to sing again, and the mice broke out into cheers. "Yeah!" the three heroes laughed as they high-fived each other. As the owls made their way down, Boone's team smiled at him.

"Way to go, buddy," Penn congratulated. "I never doubted you for a second."

"Me neither," Verge laughed, bringing Boone into a headlock and started to noogie him.

"Ow, ow! Easy, Verge, easy! The feathers, the feathers!"

The quartet laughed as Sashi pulled the fairy away. "Thanks, guys," Boone breathed. "But I couldn't have done it without Hogarth. I see a lot of promise in this young owl."

Now knowing his name, Hogarth walked up to the ferret and fairy. "Hey, wanna know the best part about braces?"

"No," Sashi said simply.

"We already know," Verge said, nodding at Sashi.

With one grasp of the cape, Sashi flung him out of the fortress, watching him scream. Boone only smiled proudly.

"A lot of promise."