CHAPTER 22: HIKE TIME
As the morning hours continued to pass on during the gang's drive around the countryside,the wide and open green fields that they were far too used to at this point had slowly but surely begin to turn into a barrage of rocky hills,tall trees,roaring rivers and towering mountains that had risen above the clouds and just barely cracked the sky,for they were perfectly following Pierre's edited map to a tee and had made sure not to stray away from the path whatsoever. The kids were completely awestruck at the vast variety of scenery they were now glancing at as Sally happily remarked while she and the others looked out their windows "Look at all those mountains big brother! They're huge!" to which her brother couldn't help but agree with a nod of his head "I know Sally,I've never seen mountains this tall before." before Linus more calmly retorted while he started taking pictures of them with his camera "Mother nature is nothing short of a beautiful mistress if you can get a look at her at the right time."
"It's hard to believe that some people have a career of themselves going up those things,one fall and you're dead!" Lucy rolled her eyes at her brother's statement and dumbfoundedly lamented the idea of mountain climbing only for Peppermint Patty to shrug her arms and respectfully disagree "Well I see that as an incredibly brave thing to do Lucille,can you imagine if we all went to camp and had to do a race up a mountain instead of down a river? That'd be the perfect climbing training for us." to which Marcie blinked a few times behind her glasses before she calmly disagreed "I don't know if I can keep my breakfast down at the mere thought of it sir."
"M-me too." Claudia meekly added in agreement as she and Skylar looked down at the river they were driving by before the latter nonchalantly continued "I'll take the river any day over a freezing cold mountain." to which Peppermint Patty rolled her eyes and firmly scolded with a small frown on her face "You three need to broaden your horizons a little bit,and stop calling me sir Marcie."
"What do you think about the scenery Ed? Make you feel a little nostalgic?" Rebecca looked over at her boyfriend and wondered out of curiosity only for the hermit to lightly nod his head and politely retort "Yeah a little,but it ain't too special,well for me at least since I'm used to it. Actually that reminds me of this time where me and my crew went up to the Alaskan mountains,we were trying to head over to Miami in Florida for the summer and so I could see if all the Florida Man stories are valid,but we ended up stowing away on the wrong cargo train. So we had to hide out in the mountains for three months." to which Herman timidly whined at the painful memory while everyone else softly gasped in response.
"That's kinda funny,that's exactly what happened to Andy and Olaf." Charlie Brown chucked and jokingly stated as he pointed at the two beagles in question before Freida nodded her head and promptly added "Yeah,he told me that they were trying to go to Needles to see Spike but they ended up getting lost and making their way to Alaska,and they even became sled dogs for a while." to which Ed looked at the two beagles and sympathetically lamented "Oh my lord,I'm so sorry you too. Oh by the way,did y'all know that Rosebud was actually a sled?" which resulted in everyone else in the car loudly retorting in unison along with Snoopy, Andy, Olaf, Gracie and Roger's barks "Everyone knows that!"
"Oops." Ed got slightly red in the face and quietly whimpered to himself before Eudora wondered out of curiosity "So if we're seeing all these trees and mountains here,does that mean we're in the forest where the chateau is?" to which Charlie Brown calmly replied while he looked over the map "It's looking like from what the map and the GPS are saying,we have to exit the highway and go down a dirt road that leads into the main woodland area." before Franco suddenly perked up and enthusiastically stated as he pointed up ahead out his window "I see the road! Over there on the left!"
"Well speak of the devil,turn there Snoopy." Charlie Brown lightly chuckled and jokingly requested to which the beagle did so and began to lead them off the highway and into the main area of forest,and it was pretty quickly that the smooth feeling of the concrete road turned into an extremely bumpy and jittery mess as everyone could feel themselves jumping around and painfully hitting the car ceiling,but eventually as they drove on,the road began to come down to a slightly more calm crawl. About thirty more minutes of driving and scenery had gone by and it was then and there that Ed seemed to spot something up ahead that looked like an old sign as he perked up and requested "Hey Snoopy,I see something up ahead,can you slow down a bit?" to which the beagle promptly did so while Skylar asked out of slight confusion "What is it Ed? You see something?"
"Yeah,it looks like it could be a sign,maybe it could tell me how far I have left to go." Ed nodded his head and politely confirmed that he did before he stepped out of the car and walked towards the sign,and now that he was closer to it,he could see that it was indeed very old looking,it was purely made out of now rotten wood and overrun with vines and leaves for the most part,but what was most hypnotizing about the sign,was that there was something written in what looked like gold letters along with an arrow pointing north that Ed read out "Chateau d'harmonie dans le nord." before he stepped back to the car and nonchalantly stated "Well gang,I think I made it,from what this sign says it looks like I just need to keep heading north."
"Alright,then let's-" Rebecca tried to suggest that they all go on ahead and make their way to the chateau only for Ed to cut her off and politely suggest instead "But…..I think I should just go on ahead by myself." to which the blonde raised an eyebrow and questioned in confusion "What? But babe I thought we were gonna do this together?" before the hermit sighed and explained himself "Yes but,I just don't want any of y'all to get hurt out here. With all due respect,y'all are not as well trained in surviving out here as I am,and I just want y'all to be safe. So just head up to the hotel,and I'll be back in no time."
Everyone was left completely silent after Ed had explained his reasoning for wanting to go at it alone for a few moments before Rebecca sighed and ultimately caved in "Alright babe,you win,but don't even think about not coming back." which was followed by her tossing the boy her cellphone while she continued "I'm giving you my phone so I can call you when we get to the hotel,since you don't have your own,I better get an answer or I'm burning your hat in your sleep." to which Ed chuckled and promised as he made a cross motion over his chest "Cross my heart,and hope to die."
"Good." Rebecca sighed and replied with a bit of a relieved smile on her face before Herman suddenly stepped out of the car with his trench coat and hat now taken off while he joined a dumbfounded Ed's side,and that was all the boy needed to know that he was gonna come along with him,and this one of the few cases where he couldn't bring himself to say no as he slowly crouched down and happily stated while he ruffled the wolf's fur "I guess I walked myself into a trap when I said I should go at it alone,of course you can come with me buddy."
"Hey Ed!" The voice of Lucy suddenly called out as she got out of the car and walked up to the hermit before she sighed and quietly stated in an attempt to not worry the others "Just be careful out there,because I still have a feeling that something bad is at play here. It's the same feeling I had when me and the serpents found out that Tarantula had broken out of her prison,and while you are possibly the weirdest and most out there kid I've ever met,that doesn't mean I don't want you to stay safe." and Ed was left positively astounded that someone like Lucy would say those kind of words to him,granted he was well aware that she had changed a lot over the years,he still wasn't expecting her to show that kind of compassion toward him regardless as he gulped and politely choked out "Y-Yeah I-I will. I'll be careful."
Afterwards Lucy could only smile as she pulled the boy's eyepatch back like a rubber band before she got back in the car without saying a word while Peppermint Patty cheerfully stated as Snoopy started the car back up "Hey Ed! Tell your mother we all said hi!" which was followed up by Freida adding equally as enthusiastic "Tell her about everything you've done! I know she'll be proud!" before Charlie Brown called out while they slowly started to drive off "Good luck Ed!"
"Good luck!" Snoopy laughed and happily exclaimed before Andy happily added afterwards "Make your mamma proud!" to which Olaf encouragingly responded "Don't be a stranger!" which was followed up by Gracie sternly demanding "Do not come back to us without that lady!" all before Roger finally stated just before the car was out of Ed and Herman's sight "Don't be a stranger!"
"DON'T WORRY I WON'T!" Ed shouted at the top of his lungs one final time just before the car was completely out of his sight,leaving only him and his wolf companion in the middle of the woods like old times,in a sense it was almost like the choice to build the chateau out in the wilderness was tailor made for Ed and Ed alone,but to him that didn't matter at the current moment,for all that mattered right now was getting to that chateau and seeing his mother again as he turned around and took a deep breath before he calmly stated "Okay,I just have to keep going north,and I'll find the chateau in no time. You ready Herman?" and Herman of course only give a salute with a friendly little smile since he was willing to follow Ed to the edge of the earth like the friend he was to which the hermit took one last deep breath before he slowly began to walk.
Ed:
Every inch of me is trembling,but not from the cold.
Something is familiar,like a dream I can reach but not quite hold.
I can sense you there,like a friend I've always known.
I'm arriving,and it feels like I am home.
I have always been a fortress.
Cold secrets deep inside.
You have secrets too.
But you don't have to hide.
Show yourself.
I'm dying to meet you.
Show yourself.
It's your turn.
Are you the one I've been looking for all of my life?
Show yourself.
I'm ready to learn.
Ah-ah-ah-ah.
(Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah.)
It was at this point that Ed's slow walking slowly began to transform into a slow jog that started to get ever so faster over time.
I've never felt so certain,all my life I've been torn.
But I'm here for a reason,could it be the reason I was born?
I have always been so different,normal rules did not apply.
Is this the day?
Are you the way,I finally find out why?
Show yourself!
I'm no longer trembling!
Here I am,I've come so far!
You are the answer I've waited for all of my life!
Oh show yourself!
Let me see who you are.
Come to me now.
Open your door.
Don't make me wait,one moment more.
Come to me now.
Open your door.
Don't make me wait,one moment more.
Ed then started to imagine himself meeting his mother at the tallest tower of the chateau.
(Where the north wind meets the sea.)
Ah-ah-ah-ah.
(There's a river.)
Ah-ah-ah-ah.
(Full of memory. Memory. Memory.)
Ed's Mother:
Come my darling homeward bound.
Ed:
I am found!
Ed then snapped out of his fantasy as he climbed atop of Herman's back and rode off into the rest of the woods to make it to the chateau.
Show yourself!
Step into your power!
Grow yourself!
Into something new!
(You are the one you've been waiting for!)
All of my life!
(All of your life!)
Oh show yourself!
You are,are,oh!
NEXT CHAPTER: DETECTIVE TYRONE
"Show Yourself." Written By Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.
©️Walt Disney Music Company.
Author's Note: As soon as I heard "Show Yourself" for the first time,I knew that I had to put it in this story and knew just where to put it. I love this song that much. Same for another one in a later chapter.