Road Trip of the Heart

by ultima-owner

A unforgettable journey of crazy times, at least for the person doing it. It's a SIOC fic so if you don't like those, please don't flame.

25. Burning Battlefield

Welcome to the next side chapter. I'm jumping to after Electra is don't getting her golem because of the Pokemon Sword and Shield DLC and me needing to play it to finish telling her pokemon journey. Spoilers for: ThunderCats (2011), Pokemon, Type Moon, Zootopia, Sing, The Incredibles, Black Clover, Ori and The Will of the Wisps

Side Story 2: Burning Battlefield

Thundercats universe

Third Earth

Ruined Thundera

Electra looked where her stand had deposited her and Wallace, her golem. She felt the Soul Stone become active. What shocked her was that she felt a soul, not even a meter from her. "Wallace, lift that rubble." She commands and he throws it up into the air, hard. Sighing, she tends the revealed Thunderian, a species of cat people that called this ruined city state home. "you are going to live. Don't move." She says as the patient looks at her with shock for some reason. "You came." She said before passing out.

"Odd thing to say." Electra says as she looks in the puma thunderian's belongs. Her name was Pumyra and, based on the state of the place, just survived an invention at least a few days ago. Wallace, who looked like a tall bald human and wearing 'armor', was looking at tracks. "Tanks treads, My Lady. Along with dragging chain marks and footsteps in the dust. A few days old at least" He said emotionlessly. "Ok, someone invaded and enslaved cat people. Any idea who?" Electra asked. "reptile tracks. Human sized and using guns." He reported returning with a laser rifle that was left behind.

"Lizard people, what's next? Dog People?" Electra asked. "they exist." Pumyra said as she woke up but didn't move yet. "There are bird people, fish people, and even Elephant people." Her tune was amused as Electra sighed. "So why do you have this scroll?" Electra said holding up a scroll with the mark of The Deal Maker on it. The seal was cracked but Electra knew it well. "My ancestor made the deal after she had a vision of my death and dark revival." Pumyra said. "Was she a seer or something?" Electra asked.

"No, the Eye of Thundera granted her the vision when she touched it." Pumyra said. "So, she made you 'swear loyalty to the being that prevents your dark future'." Electra reads the payment on the contract. "I have no idea how she agreed to that payment with how open ended it is." Pumyra just smiled gratefully. "Now, I'm going to be placing a magical power source into this sword and if I'm right it will be cleared of bad juju." Electra said as she put the stone Mew made into the hole in the Sword of Plun-Darr. The results were crazy.

Five hours later

She wasn't sure what she expected but waking up after being 'overcharged' was not one of them. "My Lady, taking advice of a being of Chaos is not sane." Pumyra said, giving her water. "Wallace filled me in on how an adorable Chaos being told you that you can 'purify' that cursed weapon." She looked exasperated. "Sure, it worked but the aftermath was not good for my just healed heart." Electra noticed the ruined city was, restoring itself? She looked again and the city was indeed fixing itself to the way it was before the invasion wrecked it. Mew planned this.

The weapon has changed. Gone was the dark and vile look and in its place was storm motif, the colors being grays, bright blues and a little yellow to it. In the guard of the sword was the stone. "I name thee the Sword and Gauntlet of Dawning Storms." Electra stated and the weapon glowed as it accepted the new Name. "Did you have to be so dramatic?" Pumyra asked. "I changed what its Name is to break it away from the bad fate it was used for. I gave it hope to be known as something better than a tool for evil." Electra explained. "Then why did you name him Wallace?" Pumyra points a thumb at the golem who had finished piling the laser weapons he found among the recovering ruins. "He's built to take hits without stopping." Electra said. "I am the wall to protect My Lady from harm!" Wallace said standing straighter. "Right, wall is in his name. he's not too bright, is he?" She asked Electra. "He's barely a week old. The Fae might have made him with knowledge and strength, but he needs to figure out how to use it right." Electra said getting up.

"We need to find King Lion-O's group." Pumyra said. "We also need to track down your people. Along with dealing with the dead here." Electra reminded her. "The best plan is I stay here and take care of the dead while you go hunting for those groups." Pumyra nodded and took off, out of the city and into the wider world.

A few days later

No longer ruined Thundera

Electra was taking a break from dealing with the dead when the Lizards returned. "You there! Are you responsible for this?" He demands pointing his weapon at her. "No idea how the city fixed itself, but I am put the dead to rest so the living may use this city." Electra said as Wallace moved bodies to the pyre. "Did you see any cats recently?" He asked, baffled at her not cowering. "One but that was days ago, and she ran out of the city. It has been just me, my golem, and the dead." Electra said, truthfully. The animals refused to come into the city because of the ghosts lingering. "We will be taking those rifles back." He said and the troops with him took the laser rifles Wallace have piled up.

"Feel free. The restless dead were aggravated by them any ways." Electra said as the Lizards felt a chilly wind. "Right, keep up the good work." He said as the lizards left in a hurry. A ghost snorted as he materialized. He was a red maned lion Thunderian wearing regal armor. His name was Claudus, former King and Lord of the Thundercats. "What a bunch of cowards, afraid of ghosts, who can't really hurt them even if we wish we could." He commented. "Mumm-Ra made them that way with the threat of 'dark spirits' keeping them in line. None of you even want to pass on until your enslaved people are saved." Electra said pointedly.

"We are stubborn and not even an equally stubborn Shaman can make us pass on." Claudus retorts. "Well, Pumyra was 'dying' for a week before I saved her. A week trapped under rubble with broken bones. I have no idea if it was the power of the deal or her refusal to die. I'm guessing a little of column A and a little of column B." Electra said dryly, getting laughs from over a thousand ghosts lingering in the city. "Soon as I'm done with your bodies, I need to join up your new King's group. I have something he needs." She reminds them. "Yes, as much as I trust Lion-O, he'll need all the help he can get." Claudus admitted. "Panthro is still alive and bound to run into his group. Having the daughter of The Deal Maker helping would be a great boon."

Electra rolled her eyes and put her mask back on, she had a funerals rite to perform. "Your father is lucky to have such a talented daughter." Claudus stated. Electra smiled but said nothing.

A few months later

Thundera

Electra was walking near the gate when a humanoid rabbit drifter, with dark brown hair a scraggy clothing, blows in on the wind. "I expected Lion-O home to be rubble, but it is surprisingly intact." The drifter comments with a willow vine in his mouth and a golden sword at his hip. "It's much better than it was when I found it last month. Total ruins with corpses everywhere." Electra says. "You cleaned the place up well. Other than the ghostly presence, it looks perfectly livable." The Drifter says amused.

"That is a fine sword you have there. It seems to be made for your use. Ether you made it or hired a blacksmith to make." Electra said then paused as wind blow the drifter's scent her way. "The scent of the forge is strong on you, just like Papa." She said sighing contently. "My name is Hattanzo, also called the Drifter by many. I was looking to return a sword, but the owner isn't here." He pulls a few swords from under his cloak. "Take it. You have better use than someone dead." A ghost told her. "the owner is among the dead and requests I take his sword." Electra said.

The Drifter shrugs and hands over, not a sword but Turkish saber, a Yatagan. "Odd choice of blade. Requires a more flowing action of fencing blade instead of the powerful striking of a double-edged sword. The curved single edge and lack of guard encourages deflecting." Electra said, looking at the blade, out of the sheath. It was well made, for a non-magical weapon, blade but lacked a Name. Most weapons shared this problem. Nameless weapons made and used but never standing out in history.

"So, your father is a blacksmith? Got any pieces he made?" The Drifter asked. She hands over on of the knives in the set Zane gave her for cooking. "a well-made boning knife that's made to do its job for a long time. Star Forge? You're Zane's daughter. Met him once when he was delivering an order to a client." The Drifter said with a glint of recognition to his eyes. Take care of that blade and maybe it will gain a Name." The Drifter said as the wind blew him away, like a life.

"He's weirder in person." Electra said, remembering the tales of the odd blacksmith that was like a willow tree Zane had met once. She sheathed the Yatagan and clipped it on her belt. She was enveloped in lightning and shoot into the skies as a Thunder Bird, a bird that created thunderstorms as it flew by. Her electric blue feathers with highlighted by yellow feathers. Down by the gate, Claudus looked up with a mix of shock, awe and a little satisfaction because Electra had a chance of making Mumm-Ra's days a pain.

A week later

Third Earth

Outside of Dog City

"How are we going to find the third power stone?" Cheetra, a blonde-haired cheetah Thunderian Cleric, asked, leaning on her magic staff. The Book of Omens, a magic book made by the Clerics of Thundera, was saying that the third stone was up, and the fourth stone was moving. "Soon as we fix this 'plane', as Pumyra says it's called, we can fly like a bird. Tygra, hand me a wrench." The Panther thunderian said, waist deep in the guts of the plane. The Tiger Thunderian handed the requested tool and reassured his mate by saying, "We got this. Mumm-Ra is still fuming over his 'sword of Plun-Darr' being lost."

"Is it just me or is that storm coming closer and fast?" WilyKat, a young Thunderian that came with the group with his twin sister WilyKit. "Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight." Lion-O chanted holding the golden sword, with the red eye jewel in the hilt, to his face. The Sword of Omens was an 'inferior copy' of Mumm-Ra's sword, made long ago. The sword showed the young king a bird flying their way and the storm coming off its feathered body. "It's a Thunder Bird, likely the one that Mumm-Ra was annoyed with. You know, the one that sent a storm after his heavy hitters." Lion-O said.

"So, friend or foe that hates the undead bandaged freak as much as we do?" Tygra asked as the bird came in to sight. "An ally for sure." Pumyra said smiling as the bird landed. Lightning struck the bird and in its place was Electra. Wallace appeared from her shadow, imposing as ever. "My Lady, I have been waiting for your arrival." Pumyra said kneeling. "So, you are the Lord of the Thundercats. I am Electra the Thunder Shaman." She presents the Soul Stone. "And this is for you." Lion-O took the stone and put it into the Gauntlet of Omens. He looked at his mate, Pumyra, then asked Electra, "Why is she calling you 'My Lady'?"

"Saved her life and bound by contract to serve me. Not happy but not much I can do without incurring fatal repercussions for all parties involved. Just deal with it because Contract Magic is very rule heavy." Electra said. Panthro shot up, banging his head and cursing. "Did you say Contract Magic?" He asked. Electra noted he had robotic arms. "Never mess with The Deal Maker's contracts. It can and will kill you." Panthro warned. "any ways, the plane is fixed, and we can go after the third stone. Then we can kill Mumm-Ra."

Electra lifted her mask and smiled. "If I happened to be doing more than just flying here and tormenting Mumm-Ra's force for a week. All the races agree to united under your banner. How long that lasts, depends on the rulers to come after the current ones 'step down'." Electra said. She looks at the sack the twins had. "The Forever Bag good to see Papa's creation is still around after so many centuries." Panthro cursed some more as he got the hint. "You are the daughter of The Deal Maker! What is with my luck?" He said to the sky.

"So, you used all the tools at your disposal to gather an army." Tygra said, impressed. "I spent months helping your dead pass on. Even after the slaves were freed, they refuse to pass on! It's so frustrating!" Electra ranted. Her hair started to spark and move about. "Calm yourself, My Lady, the dead can be very stubborn." Wallace said with a little emotion, showing he was learning to 'be alive'. The personality he was leaning toward was very butler-like.

An hour later

Avista

The air docks

Avista was the floating city of the Bird people race. It kept aloft by an antigravity generator powered by a Perpetual Motion Machine. Soon as they saw Electra's Thunder Bird form, they bowed to her. Even the leader of the city, Vultaire, the vulture bird man Prefect of the city. He had a nasty personality but was the descendant of the one that traded away the Soul Stone for what helped make this floating city in the first place.

"We need the Tech Stone." Lion-O asked. "Yes, the 'backup generator'. We've examined it enough to give it up, for a price." Vultaire said. "Name the price." Lion-O said. "we would like to examine the other stones and your weapon from time to time, with your supervision of course." The scheming bird said. "The Tech Stone has only told us so much. Seeing the full set would make it progress farther." Electra stepped into the conversation. "Need I remind you of the reason the stones are dangerous? They can unlock 'Ultimate power', whatever that is." Electra said. "You are quite right, Storm Singer. Upon reviewing the history records, we believe it's not worth the price to unlock that 'power', 'Dark Spirits' aren't known for fair deals." Vultaire said.

"That we all agree on." Lion-O said sealing the deal. "We knew you wanted the stone, so we brought it before you got here." Vultaire said tapping out code for 'Mumm-Ra is coming. Be ready' with his foot talons. Lion-O took the Tech Stone out of the box they presented and put it into the Gauntlet as Mumm-Ra appeared.

He was in his Ever-living Form, a muscular but still undead hulking body with some armor and bat wings. "even if you have three stones, I am still more powerful…" He started to say before he noticed Lion-O had all the stones. Then he noticed the weapons was putting on. "You stole my weapon! And on top of that you defiled it!" He raged, failing to dodge Lion-O's soul cutting energy beam that parted his head from his neck. Mumm-Ra was felled by his anger not a grand battle. His body turned to ash as it fell to the ground.

"Mumm-Ra is dead, but his army is still around. We need to work together to stop the remaining forces." Lion-O said, drained. Electra let a sigh of relief. She had to deal with a galaxy's worth of souls demanding Mumm-Ra's death for a year now. The sword and gauntlet purred in contentment. They caused the moment of blind rage. "That was perfect. I got the readings from that attack." Vultaire said victoriously. "I knew luring him here was the right choice." Lion-O was too drained to care about the vulture using them and Mumm-Ra for his research.

"This better clear up by next week. I don't want to spend my 14th birthday fighting a war." Electra grumbled to herself, but everyone still heard her. "You're only 14? How are you so mature?" Panthro asked, his fear of flying made him stay closer to the city itself, away from the edge. "Cid said that my affinity for Thunder Magic may have made my brain develop faster." Electra said. "On top of that Papa didn't baby me that much growing up and when I was ten I embarked on a two year research mission where I fact checked and found out new information about a planet's worth of creatures and the history of said planet."

"Yes, those factors would cause the body and mind to mature at a greater rate." Vultaire butted in. "We tested this on small rodents and found the rats, non-humanoid one, got very smart for non-sentient rodents." He didn't mention over two thirds of the rats tested were charcoal, truly he was a heartless scientist. "We'll try to do that for you." Tygra said.

two weeks later

Third Earth

Thundera

throne room of the palace

"They folded like sinking ships in two days!" Lion-O said sitting on the throne. "But we had to deal with a week of hammering out the details of the 'Third Earth Unification Treaty'. And by 'We' I mean us." Lion-O was complaining to Panthro, who was also forced to sit at meeting for more than ten hours at a time. "I know. I had to deal with stuff like this, on smaller scale when your father was the king." Panthro said rubbing his face. "if only Jaga could be helpful outside of the city." As Panthro said this the ghost of the Head Cleric appeared, looking very amused. "I have been upgraded to guardian spirit of Thundera, not a 'Deal with Politics' Spirit." Jaga comments.

"So how did young Electra's party work out?" Jaga asked. Jaga got the upgrade when Lion-O was figuring out what the stones could do. In exchange for being bound to Thundera, wherever it is, Jaga could aid the city and its people as a Spirit. "It was nothing fancy or too chaotic, no Birds invited for that reason. She prefers it that way. Apparently, being a Shaman means the dead bother you more than others because they know you can interact with them." Lion-O said. "The restless dead can be very frustrated depending on why they are sticking around. The best she can do is deal with them by helping them pass on or making them bother someone else." Jaga said.

"So worse than politics. I sympathize with her plight." Panthro said with a wince. Snarf, Lion-O's pet creature (I have no idea what he is), was napping near the throne when if bat like ears picked up a sound. He shoots out of the throne room door as it opens and into the arms of Electra who was just about to enter. "Hello to you too, Snarf." Electra said, petting him. "I've never seen him greet anyone faster than he does you, Lion-O. What did she do when she was watching him?" Panthro asked.

"played music and made sure he was happy until we got back from the meeting. You've heard how good she plays and sings." Lion-O said as Electra crossed the room and bowed a little. "I am formally requesting an alliance between our kingdoms." Electra said. "Ok, what kingdom do you belong to?" Lion-O asked as Panthro and Jaga watch on. "My royal title is Princess Electra Nyx Laskaris, youngest daughter of King Zane Laskaris, founder of the Prize Kingdom in my home dimension." Electra said.

"what kind of kingdom does he rule?" Jaga asked. Electra laughed. "A kingdom of misfits seeking refugee with the man cast into their dark realm by an enemy." She said. "Papa was thrown into the Realm of Darkness with hopes he would die. But he didn't, no he got angry and made the Darkness itself fear his wrath." Panthro shivered, saying, "And I thought his deals with scary. So how did that lead to him having a kingdom?" Electra smiled and said, "Between madness and peace, Papa met the oddballs that weren't as 'bloodthirsty' as the rest that lived in that Realm. They followed him to hear his music and the safety from their brethren he provided with his 'angry rampages'."

"After years, he got out and they got in their heads that they needed to repay him. They helped by giving him items, money, doing tasks for him, and other things." Lion-O got what happened. "And they made him their king without letting him object. Most likely made statues in his honor too." Lion-O guessed. "I, Lord of the Thundercats, accept this alliance." He adds in a formal voice. Dorping the formalities, he asked, "how did he scare Darkness?" Electra smiled and answered, "By being crazy enough to repeatedly bludgeon it with a weaponized musical instrument until it knew fear."

"I can get behind that." Panthro remarked. "The other reason I'm here is to inform you I'm leaving today. I told everyone else and left a way to contact me with Pumyra." Electra said summoning her Stand. They knew she would be leaving since the party they set up for her. "you will always have a home with us." Lion-O said. "Alright! Tell me where you want to go, missy." Jace said, sitting on her shoulder. Snarf returned to Lion-O's side as she said "somewhere close to home. I hope whatever spat me in different dimension is watching, because this gate has no such power on its own." Wallace entered the room and stood by her as the gate opened.

"That only happened because we hit super chaotic patch in transit." Jace said. Electra and Wallace crossed the threshold of the gate things went odd.

In Transit

Unknown space and time

"And it happens again." Electra comments as she drifts somewhere. Normally, you enter the gate and come out the other side at the same instance, but this was the same place she crossed when she landed on Third Earth. "It is as colorful as the last time we were here." Wallace added as he spins about helplessly in the kaleidoscopic space. "Just relax and let the currents carry you." She ordered. When he did so, he was drifting like he was sitting on some unseen platform. "This is a realm of Chaos or close to one. Mew helped me learn to 'navigate' them without looking like you did. There is nothing we can do but wait for the ride to let us off." She comments as if she was at the beach, sunning herself.

"And she taught you well." An old but amused voice said as a man that looked to be in his forties appeared. He had a rich looking outfit and a cane. A look to him made it clear he was scheming. "Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, at your service." He said. "You father restored be to my full power and I was looking for a way to get the proverbial rust off. You handled someone hijacking your Stand's ability well." He said. Electra tried remembering everything about him. He had been 'weakened' because his full power required him not to be chained down to one timeline. He has control over the True Magic called 'Kaleidoscope', which allows for the 'Operation of Parallel Worlds.' He also was a massive Troll that loved to mess with people using his magic among other ways.

"So, how did you enjoy the show?" Electra asked. Zelretch laughed. "Never in all my years have I seen someone do what you did and live. You had unlimited energy flowing through your body, pushing it past the limits and would have killed you if you didn't have Galvanism." He said praising her. "if anyone else tries to use that weapon, they will by ash in the wind before they could swing the sword. Make sure not to let that happen." He told her with dead seriousness. "That's fine. I wouldn't part with it anyways. It feels right to have it on me." Electra said, cradling the weapon in question.

"To make sure you don't kill someone, I will be teaching you to use properly." Zelretch said and threw her a sack of gems. "You need to charge them without damaging them in any way." She looks in the sack and noted that he had 'got' them from the Tohsaka Family, a Magus family that used Jewel Mgaecraft. "Do they know you took their magecraft gems?" Electra asked. "I got them fairly." He retorted. "I will be checking in on you as you train!" She felt the 'current' throw her into an opening.

Ten minutes later

Home dimension

Zootopia/Sing based world

Zootopia City

rainforest District

Electra and Wallace were dangling by vines around their limbs. "I have no idea what he's planning but I'm look like an slightly anthro version of my bird form and you look like an slightly anthro version of a Kodiak bear. (A type of brown bear that is almost as big as a polar bear.)" Electra comments. "We are also wearing clothes and blindfolds? Wait! You're a bear! Cut us down please." She requested but a voice at the ground said. "Ma'am, I don't know what you are saying but don't cut those vines. You are 30 meters off the ground, and I doubt your bones can take the impact." They look down and see rhino in blue with a megaphone. "Officer! We were kidnapped then found ourselves falling out of some opening, like a plane, and landed here." Electra yelled down to the officer of the ZPD (Zootopia Police Department).

"I barely heard that, but you are being quite helpful. We did see someone pushing you out of a plane not too long ago. Keep still and we will have on the ground safe." The officer said then put the megaphone aside to talk into his radio. "This is Officer McHorn, reporting two likely kidnapped victims pushed out of the unidentified plane that was spotted earlier." Electra heard this because her senses were honed since she was ten. "Ten-four back up is on its way." Another voice said from the radio.

A few hours later

Zootopia City

ZPD HQ

Interrogation room A

"Do you have no idea who did this to you?" Chief Bogo, a male Cape buffalo, asked Wallace. They had spit them up to make sure they wouldn't make up a story. "None, My Lady is the daughter of someone that is well known in some circles." Wallace said. "I understand that she may have been targeted because of her father, but I need a name." Chief Bogo demanded. "Does the word Zelretch mean anything?" Wallace asked. Chief Bogo very annoyed sighs, "That clears up a lot. You were kidnapped by The Jeweled Coyote as we've come to call him or them. He's a prankster with little regard for the targets he picks. No one knows what he looks like or if it's the same one after so many years." He says and gets up. "Someone will be here to let you go."

A few minutes later

Outside Interrogation room B

"was it confirmed to be him?" Chief Bogo asked Officer McHorn as in the room, Judy Hopps, a rabbit, was asking Electra questions. "It's his MO. Kidnapping then leaving the victim somewhere else with gems as 'reward' for being picked. No prints or scents other than the victims' own." Officer McHorn said. "But there's a twist. She is Electra Nyx Laskaris." Chief Bogo froze. "This is not the PR we (the governments) want after burying any mentions of his 'pranks' from the public since his debut over a hundred years ago." He sighs. "He just had to target the Laskaris clan."

"Chief Bogo, why is that bad? I'm new to the job so I'm in the dark." Nick Wilde, a fox and Judy's cop partner. "Zane and Aqua Laskaris are what we call 'mystic' animals, animals that are lucky enough to have magic powers. They are a Fire Bird and Ice Phoenix respectively. Before you ask, no they are not immortal, just very long lived and harder to kill. Electra seems to be a Thunder Bird, no idea how that happens." Chief Bogo said. "Wait, we've got a 'royal' victim?" Nick asked. The 'mystic' animals were rarely seen because they preferred to stay out of the limelight. They were the 'royalty' even in this era.

"And who is the suspect?" Nick asked. "A prankster, likely the same Coyote from legend if it's only been him the whole time. He'd be over two hundred if the unconfirmed cases were him as well." Chief Bogo stated. "right, another 'mystic' did it. Who's the walking wall of fur with her?" Chief Bogo looks at him and says with a straight face. "His name is Wallace and is the 'wall that protects her from harm'." Chief Bogo says pointing at Electra through the one-way mirror.

"That is dedication to the job. Did he say a last name?" Nick asked. "Nope. Refuses to mention his life before being hired as Electra's bodyguard. Must be to protect his family if he has any." Officer McHorn guessed as he flipped through the notes that he took at the scene. "Makes sense. No way to blackmail him. But it makes our job harder." Chief Bogo said. "The way he acts, I ad say he was trained from birth to do this kind of job. Why else would it take her three to four months to get the payment his boss required to by his services."

In Interrogation room B

"You said your father doesn't know where you are right now?" Judy asked for clarification, jotting down notes with a carrot pen in her paw. "he knows I'm safe but not 'where' I am. The clan has this curse that makes things interesting every so often. If we don't panic and make do with the twists, we find ourselves back home at some point." Electra said, "It's hard to describe to those who haven't experienced it."

"Like being at the heart of a plot to discredit Predators after just joining the force?" Judy asked. "Just like that but it can get so much crazier." Electra said warmly as she answered the questions asked, some of the answers came from her beck without her input. The 'kidnapped and pushed from a plane' was one example of this and she knew magic was at work. "Where do the 'mystics' live?" Judy asked. "On the 'Reverse Side of this World'" was the answer she gave without knowing it. "Right, the idea of the world being a metaphorical two-sided coin theory or maybe fact." Judy said nodding. "Someone will come to let go soon." Judy leaves the room.

A few minutes later

ZPD HQ

Meeting room

"Alright. We've got a problem and I am open to ideas." Chief Bogo said with a white board behind him and a podium mounted microphone in front of him. "We have two VIPs that at the middle of this mess and must be handled with care." He said and outlined the details. Officer Clawhauser, a chubby cheetah who was dispatch and the secretary of the building, said, "We could give them the tour as a show of good PR." Chief Bogo wrote it down. "Good idea, anyone else?" He said. Officer Pennington, an African elephant had thought, but she was hesitant to voice it. "What do we do if it a little too heated for them to stay in the city? The Press with be hounding them, no offence to you, Officer Grizzoli and Officer Wolfred." She adds. The wolf officers waved it off, they heard it a lot.

"That's a good point. We can't just have them disappear because the press gets too pushy. Anyone know someone that is willing to let them stay outside of the city if that happens?" Nick asked. No one could think of anyone that would be willing to have guests for an unknown amount of time. Then Officer Pennington's cell rang, she answered it because it had to be an emergence if they called now. "My uncle did what? I told him that he didn't need to add five more rooms to the house." She hangs up and says, "My Uncle injured himself putting an addiction to the house and they need someone to help keep the place running." She was about to ask for time off but Chief Bogo had a better idea. "You just gave me a great idea. Wallace is a big strong bear. I'm sure your relatives wouldn't mind them staying if he helps. That way you can stay on the job and the VIPs are out of the city."

"Sir, there is a slight issue." Officer Andersen, a polar bear, said, "Mr. Big is requesting a meeting with them, today." Chief Bogo looked at the pair of Polar Bears in nice black suits and ties standing in hall. "And we can't do anything about it, can we?" Chief Bogo asked. "The Rabbit and Fox are invited as a sign of trust." Kevin, one of the polar bears said in a deep voice. Nick and Judy stood up, knowing it wasn't a choice.

Fifteen minutes later

Inside of Mr. Big's Limo

"So, what's the occasion?" Nick asked Raymond, the other bodyguard. He got no answer. Nick looked from the polar bears to Wallace and noticed that he was bigger than them. "Wow, Wallace is almost as big as Koslov." He comments. The bodyguards were staring each other down, have some silent conversion. "He does belong to the second largest race of bear." Judy said. "This is like watching a stone face staring contest." Nick said jokingly. Electra snickered lightly. "He is sizing them up as fellow bodyguards. It's a matter of pride. All three bears give her a small smile before returning to their staring.

"so, why did you pick Wallace as your bodyguard?" Nick asked. "there's nothing wrong with choosing him, but isn't he a little hard not to notice in a crowd?" Electra laughed at his wording. "I needed someone trusted to watch my back. Wallace is the best bodyguard I could wish for." Electra said with smile "he's not much of talker most of the time but I don't mind." They felt the temperature fall a little as they entered the icy part of the city called 'Tundratown'.

"So, who is Mr. Big? Papa said not to judge without knowing." Electra asked. "He's nice but dangerous." Judy said carefully. "So, he's Mafia." Electra said carefreely and everyone but Electra stare at her. "How did you reach that conclusion and why aren't you afraid?" Nick asked. "Because I met a Mafia family before, and they are just like that. Nice but more than willing to kill you if you cross the wrong line." Electra said showing them the symbol. "I don't recognize the group, but it does fit the bill for a symbol of a mafia. Not to telling but easy to recognize if you know them at least a little." Nick said. "something like this isn't normally given to just anyone." He looks at Electra and says "You are valuable to them and that you are to be protected. You are very lucky."

The Bodyguards grunt in agreement with his assessment. They had the same idea about it. "How did you become valuable to a Mafia?" Judy asked. "Papa is dangerous, and they offered services so he wouldn't make them 'disappear' as he does to groups that he finds unforgivable. I think the last time he did it was to a group that was downright vile to the point they were one step away from being put on The Blacklist (List of the worst of the worst criminals recognized by the government)." Electra said trying to remember the details.

"Suddenly Chief Bogo's warning about the Laskaris clan is making more sense." Nick said with shiver. If Electra's father hunted groups like that, he stopped the thought in its tracks. He didn't want to meet her father at all. "And what is your father's name?" Judy asked. "Zane Laskaris." Electra said and the limo swerved and came to a screeching halt as soon as she said the name. "you are the daughter of Zane? The Shadow that haunts the criminal underworld?" The driver asked through the window. It was Koslov the most trusted henchman of Mr. Big. "He said we were picking up a couple VIPs." Koslov said sighing as he started to drive again. "This has to be his idea of fun. We're almost there." Koslov states.

"What is he talking about, Nick?" Judy asks, "Zane is the only reason some black-market services aren't around anymore. No one knows where he came from, but he showed up when I was young. In a few years he 'cleaned' up the black market of the worst elements then he vanished. He shows up every few years as a reminder that he's got eyes everywhere. And that is the story of Underworld Shadow." Nick said.

"You mean the bird that just sit in tree and sing near my hometown is that important?" Judy asked. "He has an amazing voice and range. I swear his music carried over the whole valley. He was sometimes joined by his wife and a little sparrow he took in." Electra smiled knowingly. "Carrot, that 'Sparrow' is his adopted Kitsune daughter. She is a fine example of her kind's ability to charm others, but she's got a mate and married by now." Nick said. "And how would you know that information?" Judy accused. "Meet her six years ago on the streets. One moment she was a fox and next she was a little birdy flying away in the back streets. I noticed she had an engagement ring but not a wedding band. Meaning one of them popped the question and unless they are waiting to years for the wedding, they tied the knot already." Nick laid out the information.

"She married a little over five year ago. Papa had The ANSWER ready if Shirou dared to be late to the wedding." Electra commented amused. "It's a shovel he got when he asks someone how to deal with suiters." Mr. Big's henchman laughed at this, it was off putting for Judy and Nick to hear them be so loud after the silent persona they used. "I can see why Mr. Big is 'friends' with him." Koslov said as the limo stopped. "We're here."

Five minutes later

Tundratown

Mr. Big's office

There was a normal sized desk with a tiny leather chair on it. "Zane's firstborn has come to visit as I hoped." A small voice, that sound like Godfather, said as Koslov turned the chair around. Mr. Big was an artic shrew with a lavish Italian suit and had rings on his claws that Judy, Nick and Electra kissed when he presents his claw to them. It's a sign of respect, saying they know he is above them in this place. "You look almost as beautiful as my daughter." Mr. Big complimented. "That is high praise from a father." Electra said. "Indeed, my daughter will always be more beautiful than anyone else. You have good taste in bodyguards." Mr. Big says gesturing to Wallace, who didn't kiss the ring.

"His loyalty is without question." Electra confirms. "Why did you call for us to visit, sir?" Koslov took a present out of the desk as Mr. Big said. "Happy belated birthday. I hop this is to your liking." Electra unwraps it to find a deed to land and the building on it. "This is the deed to a property I partially own. Mr. Moon fell behind in payments, so he paid with that to make ends meet." He explained. She read the deed and the contract for a loan one 'Buster Moon' made ten year ago. "Thank you for this wonderful gift. I will be sure to visit him soon." Electra said as a young polar bear came in. He looked about five and had a nice outfit on, like if he was going to a fancy event. "Mr. Big is she here?" He said respectfully.

"Electra, this Morris, Koslov's son. He wishing to hear your music. Paly for him." Mr. Big ordered. Morris looked at her expectantly as his father started music on sound system that was in the room, likely put there for this meeting. Electra heard the music that started to play, and she knew the song (One Small Step from the Doctor Stone Anime). Seamlessly she started at the right moment.

To the listeners, it was over too fast but for those minutes it was like they were somewhere else. "That was amazing. You nailed the feel of the song perfectly." Morris said hugging Electra. "And you were a great listener." She said warmly, putting a wing around him. "did you meet Wallace? He's like your father." Morris looks at Wallace and says, "He's almost as cool as my papa is." The adults were amused at the interaction. "Here is an autograph to commemorate this moment." She pulls out a signed photo of her singing, it depicted her current looks, because of magic, and he ran to Koslov to show him it.

A week later

Calatonia

The park

It had taken the press less than a day to become a problem and six days for them to set things up and get her to the city in question without getting mobbed. She decided to look around after she had gotten to where she was staying. The elephant family was a nice if rowdy bunch. She was sitting at a bench alone. Wallace was helping around house and would know if she need help. She took out her new guitar, acoustic from a store in town, and checked it over.

Out of nowhere a bunch of Piglets mob her. She held the instrument out of reach and said, "I can't answer all your questions at once, even if most of them are for me to play for you." She had an amused smile as their dead tired mother came over. "I'm sorry if hey are bothering you, I looked away for a moment and they ran off. I'm Rosita." She said. "I'm Electra. They aren't as bad as the press lately." Electra said. "Oh, you were one of the folks pushed out of that plane. I can imagine it was trying time for you." Rosita said with little pity. "I've had worse problems. You don't mind if I play something for your children, do you?" Electra asked.

"Go ahead, maybe they will calm down." Rosita said. Electra left the case open on the bench next to her. She decided to play Kaze ni Naru (from The Cat Returns movie). She sung the English version of the lyrics. When she finished, she realized that she got a crowd of listeners who were clapping and dropping money into the open case to tip her. "Thank you everyone for being good listeners." She said as they left with the promise she'd be there again. She agreed to come by the park next week and play, same place, same time.

"Wow, you are amazing." Rosita said, "Where did you learn to play and sing?" Electra noted how the piglets were talking amongst themselves. "My Papa taught me but I'm better at playing the harp. I just bought this from the music store today because it was calling my name." Electra said. The instrument was made of mahogany with 12 strings and had a nature design on the body. "How much did you pay for it? It looks fancy." Rosita asked. "That beauty has been at the music store for over a decade because no one wanted to fork over 50 Grand for an instrument." A white mouse in a red suit said as he sat next to the open case, full of cash. "My name's Mike, a street performer. And today is my day off. I would accuse you of stealing my profits but as I said I don't perform on this day of the week." He had an accent.

"Why is it so pricy?" Rosita asked, she sung a little, but instruments weren't her forte. "Because it's rare and only so many of it was made. There's a number on the neck, read what it says." Mike said. Electra didn't need to look as she said, "9 of 300" Rosita got it. "one of the first ten out of only 300? Where's the first one?" She asked. "It along with number zero, the prototype, are in the museum, never to be played again. A sad fate for an instrument, in my opinion." Mike said. "we would like to have a cut of your profits because we got you to pay." On of piglets asked nicely. Electra gave each of the 27 piglets two dollars. "here is your cut, spend it wisely." Electra said. Rosita was forced to run after her children.

"That was a smart bunch." Mike said. "they picked the one with the best puppy dog look to ask the question. And the way they worded it was just nice enough to make even me want to part with the profit." He looks at the open case, counting the cash. "You've got at least a couple hundred dollars in bills and coins. If you get this amount each week, in a few years, you'll get the 50 Grand back." Electra knew he had an angle. "And where are you going with this?" She asked. "I was wondering if you would loan me a twenty. I didn't get enough yesterday, and some food joints are selling at highway robbery." Electra gave him the requested bill. "Thanks doll! I'll pay you back." He said as he left. She counted the cash and he was right, 400 dollars and change. She sorted it and put her guitar away.

A few days later

Calatonia

The Moon Theater

The lobby

"Today is a big day, Miss Crawly!" Buster Moon, a gray koala said to his elderly iguana assistant. "Mr. Moon I lost the flyers." Miss Crawly said, popping her fake eye back in. "That's OK. We can work with that. Mr. Big contacted me with a solution for the extra zeros on the prize number." Buster Moon said as they waited in the lobby of the theater. Eddie, his sheep friend who was rich but living in a pool house at his mother's estate, was standing there confused. "OK, who is Mr. Big and why does it fill me with dread?" Eddie asked. "I got money from him and he settled the debt years ago with him technically owning the land and the theater." Buster Moon said vaguely.

"And He didn't kick you out after that? Must like plays." Eddie said as Wallace walked in, looked around then let Electra come in. "So, who is Buster Moon?" Electra asked. "That would be me the office is this way."

The office

"the flyers said the prize is $100,000 instead of $1,000 because chance? That's an easy fix." Electra opens the 'prize chest', empties it out and puts a suitcase of cash in, closing it and locking it. "There, the flyers are right, and we just need to roll with it." Electra said. "Wow, that does fix that problem, what about the rest of them? The Bank is breathing down your neck and threats to take the property." Eddie said to his friend. "When I got the deed as a birthday gift, I didn't think I would be dealing with back bills." Electra muttered with a sigh.

"Mr. Big gifted you the deed?" Buster Moon asked, sweating a little. "She seems nice." Miss Crawly said, losing her fake eye, again. Wallace caught it midair and returned it. "thank you, sir." She said patting Wallace's arm as she pops her eye back in. "as the new owner, I need to keep the bank from 'claiming' this place when they can't. You haven't been the the owner since Mr. Big got the deed and the bank is glossing over that fact." Electra said as she looks through the paperwork. Compared to the research she did, this was easy.

"Good news and bad news." Electra said, putting the paperwork into neat piles. "I can pay off the bills and late fees, but there is a small issue about the building." Buster Moon looked worried as he asked, "Is it termites?" Electra shook her head gravely. "No but it needs to be rebuilt because of the type of piping it uses among other issues." She explained how they could dismantle the building and put it back together with updated plumbing and wiring.

"Then where are we going to have the contest?" Eddie asked. "It is not like the city would let us hold it somewhere else." Electra smirked and said "Maybe not you guys but what about a celebrity? Do you know anyone that could be the 'face' of the contest? And even help judge it?" Eddie answered, "There is Nana Noodleman but she's retired and I don't know if she'd want to help." Wallace stopped Buster Moon from saying anything as Electra looked through the records Mr. Big made concerning the theater. "Was a star actress and retired but still checks in on the theater, stealthily. She currently has a strong dislike for her grandson (Eddie) and Buster Moon." Electra mutters. "I'll do the talking. In fact, you stay here with Wallace and have the singers get ready for the big event as much as they can before the work on the building is started." Electra tells them, annoyed. She crosses to the window, opens it and flies off.

"Is she angry at us or the bank?" Miss Crawly asked hurt a little. "the Bank." Wallace said, reassuring her. "How nice of her." Misss Crawly sighed with smile.

A few days later

Calatonia

Nana Noodleman's mansion

"It's nice of you to call ahead." Nana Noodleman, an elderly Suffolk Sheep with black wool and wearing a purple outfit with gold jewelry, said, sipping tea. Her butler, an emperor penguin, was standing by for orders. "You made the front page." Nana said, unfolding that day's newspaper. The headline said, 'Bank in hot water over cut corners.' "in an hour, you had all their 'claims' for past decade in question. All because they glossed over a name on the paperwork." She was impressed. "As you know Buster Moon has a contest running and as you might expect, we hit a snag, but it's not money." Electra said. Nana arched a brow and Electra continued.

"The Theater needs plumbing and wiring updated. What I need from you is mainly helping to find a place to hold the contest and I was hoping you would be a judge for it, if you want." Electra said, worried. "You surprise me again. You are doing everything to help that fool and you ask for so little from me." Nana said. "Would the park be big enough?" Electra was beaming as she said, "Yes, we can construct a stage in the park and seating won't be a problem." Electra listed some other details before Nana said. "I will judge if you can sing 'your' song. Not a cover of someone else's work. And use your harp, you were good on guitar that day in the park, but I want to hear you at your best."

"I didn't notice you in the crowd. I guess Mr. Big was right about you being stealthy." Electra said. Nana smirked, amused. "Do you know the story of that guitar?" Nana asked. "It much rarer than anyone cares nowadays." She paused as Electra opened the guitar case. "Of the 300 made, no. 9 wasn't made to be sold. It meant to be a gift. The one that made those 300 guitars made interments for a living. He hasa museum dedicated to him."

"Why did he make this one as a gift? Who was it for?" Electra asked. Nana smiled as those were the right questions. "When I was young, I met him and asked those questions. He said it was meant for someone who, like you, could take listeners, somewhere else with just their voice. She received it and used it for years before she died." Nana explained. "How did it get to the music shop? The owner seemed reluctant to sell it." Electra asked. "I would too if that had been my grandmother's instrument. Knowing him, he needed the cash and had an inkling that you had the same talent she did." Nana said. "His great grandfather must know by now."

"So, the maker is still alive?" Electra asked. "To stubborn to die at the age of 314 years. He doesn't make anything anymore but refuses to die. That old hermit lives in the mountains somewhere." Nana said. Electra sighed and took out her harp. "Interesting. A magic harp made to never need to be tuned or repaired. Made of bone, silk, and blood." Nana said. "It has been a long time since I've seen an instrument like that."

"Papa put a lot of work into making this gift for me before I left home to make a name for myself." Electra said caressing the harp. "Go ahead and show me the result of that journey." Nana prompted her. Electra closed her eyes and let her heart guide her. The song was beautiful but felt incomplete to her. When she opened her eyes, the room was replaced by a flower garden, inside the Tree of Beginning. "Wow. Normally it fades when the song is over." Electra said feeling the grass.

"Your song is incomplete." Nana said. "But don't worry, you have time to 'find the missing parts', as that fool of a trickster told me." The space around them started to fade and return to normal. "Lesson two complete." Zelretch said, stepping into from the in-between space he had been hidden. He looked like a coyote, hens his title. "Refine your control and you can make even more lifelike places appear with just your voice." He said. He somehow got the bag of gems from her and was inspecting them. "Flawlessly done. Not a single mistake on any of them."

"Lady Mew is to thank for that. Her Mew Games came in all sorts, including making 'firework gems'." Electra said. He gestures and the gems float out of the bag then fuse into a rainbow gem. "Enjoy your contest." He waves, leaving with the fused gem. "I have no idea what goes on in his head." Electra said. Nana snorts almost unladylike and states, "I suspect only chaos lucks in his head."

The next day

Calatonia

Moon Theater

Backstage

"Meena, you got into the contest?" Electra asked the shy, but talented singer, elephant, who was covering her face with her ears. "Mr. Moon heard me singing backstage a few days ago and convinced me to fill in after one of the group contestants had a falling out." She told Electra quietly as she was checking the ropes. "Good, you are amazing once you get past your shyness on stage." Electra said.

"Wait? What are you do here, Doll?" Mike asked as he walked up. A porcupine, with an electric guitar strapped to her, was following him. "I'm the current owner. My name is Electra Laskaris." Electra said. "Ms. Rocker, what's your name?" The porcupine was offered a paw to her and said "I'm Ash. I've got your CDs. Why havn't you made a public concert?" Ash asked. "One, I wasn't even ten when they were recorded, and Papa went behind my back and released them. He told me just before I left traveling, and I mean like an hour before I left. I gave him a got zap for not telling me over a year." Electra said.

"You are a chart topper and your father didn't tell you until you were ten? What was he doing with the money you were racking in?" Johnny, a gorilla in denim, asked, as he overheard the conversation. "Left it in my own bank account along with the rest of the income I've earned over the years. It's a rule of the Clan. 'Every Member must find a way to stand on their own currency wise'. The rule was made a few thousand years ago at least, that much I'm sure." Electra said "Some vagrants demanded entry. I show them they were not welcome." Wallace said as he was cleaning his claws.

"was it the bears Mike beat at poker again?" Electra asked with a sigh. "I swear if you weren't at the table, I would think he cheated or something." They look at Mike, "hey! Just because I cheated at poker in the past, don't mean I was going to do it that time. I was just lucky to win enough times to clean them out that bad." Mike defended himself. "Wallace was winning just as much as I was. He turned a couple hundred dollars into half a million in one day." Mike stage whispers the next part. "He's got one hell of a poker face."

"Right, I have news. It's all here." Electra said passing out the new flyers and left to give it to the other contestants. "We're doing it at the park. That gives me home field advantage." Mike boasted. "That nice but we've got a judge that expects the best." Ash said. "I don't know her that well, but she was famous for her acting and high standards." Gunther, a passionate pig with an accent, pipped in. "She was one of the greatest actresses of her time. This theater was her stage and we must be just as passionate as she was."

"Do your best and worry about wining the prize money later." Wallace grunted as he walked by with crates of stuff. "Guys, I have an idea, if you are willing to listen." Mike said. "What crazy idea did you cook up?" Ash asked. "We go simple with the props, to a degree. The old actress won't be impressed with the modern stuff." Mike said laying out his idea. "That is a perfect idea, my small friend!" Gunther said. "We will go with KISS method." Seeing the confused looks, he elaborated that KISS stood for 'keep it simple, stupid'. They found it insulting sounding but got to work planning.

Three weeks later

The Park

Concert area

Electra was blown away at the result of the contest. They had scaled things down yet made it so much more at the same time. She walked on stage, slightly damaged by Meena's stomping in her performance, with an envelope with the winner's name in it. "Hello everyone and thank you for coming this evening. The wind was a really blowing earlier and there was a small porcupine needle storm after that." She joked as she talked to them for the first time, Buster Moon did the intros. "You may not know my face, some park goings would disagree, but I am Electra Nyx Laskaris." She paused as cheers erupted from the seats.

Once they died down, she continued. "Who knows Nana Noodleman?" She asked. There were a few limbs in the air, mainly old folks. "Well she's an older star and the youngsters wouldn't know her rise to stardom. She was the secret judge among you." The spotlight illuminates Nana's spot in the crowd before returning to the stage. "She has never heard any of the contestants perform before and knows very little about them. After the winner is announced, I will present them with the money live." Electra said opening the envelope. The jumbotron behind her turns on and she was just as surprised as the crowd.

On screen was the contestants. "Doll, if you are seeing this then we came to an agreement." Mike started. "No matter who wins we will spit have of it with everyone else." Johnny continued. "That's right! You didn't need to put up your money as a prize for someone you hardly knew." Gunther said. "I was the one that noticed you were working yourself to the bone to help us get the time we needed. You didn't need to pay for some of my bills, but you did." Rosita said with a smile.

"This was recorded two weeks ago when you had to meet that snow monkey hermit, so we 'bribed' Wallace to keep quiet." Ash said as Meena was doing a breathing exercise. She stepped up and shuffled papers in her had prepared. "Electra. You came to stay with my family and some of us were unsure of how much you could help us." Meena's family were chuckling as her grandfather grumbled about how Wallace was to strong to be a bear. "I couldn't bring my self to thank you in person, so I hope you are seeing this." Meena said then bowed. "Thank you for coming into our lives and being the light to brighten the doldrum it was becoming." The recording ended as Electra looked at the card, shocked.

"Nana, Am I reading this right?" Electra asked. Nana stood up, her butler by her side. "It's no mistake. They came to me to talk about that plan of their and I hatched a surprise of my own after seeing their performance. All six of them will get $100,000, I will cover the extra costs, for being open about not caring about money and performing for the sake of the show." Nana said. You could hear a pin drop. The crowd cheered even louder than before.

Wallace walked out with six brief cases full of money. The contestants line up on stage to accept the price money. "Well, I guess the only way to close the evening properly is to have song performed by me." Electra said, a stool and her guitar case was brought up by an elderly snow monkey. It was 'Old Jim', the maker of the guitar and hermit of a nearby mountain. He had come down because 'he felt like it'. Electra played Teru No Uta (From the movie 'Tale from Earthsea'). Old Jim was crying because it was a song that reminded of his daughter.

A few days later

Up in the mountains

Old Jim's home

Electra and Wallace had told their farewells and that they were leaving. Their last stop was to visit Old Jim. The climb wasn't hard for Wallace and Electra flew up there. Old Jim lived in a stone building near the peak of the mountain and the cloud line was not far.

"I want you to have this." Old Jim said handing her a set of tools. "My limbs shake too much to use them properly." Electra took the tool set with care. "When we met, you said you had enough of the drama below to care if the tools wanted to be used. What changed?" Electra asked. The tools had soaked up so much of his passion they were 'alive' and wished to make more things. Old Jim laughed bitterly as Wallace looked confused. "The only reason I kept them was because it was one of the few connections I had with daughter." He said in the same bitter tone. "I knew she would have wanted me to pass it on, but stubbornness is heavy in my family, so you get the picture."

"I will make sure they can be used to the fullest." Electra said. Electra and Wallace were swallowed by a rainbow portal as Old Jim snorted in amusement "So he's still up to his antics. That trickster will never grow up." Before he could enter his home, snow buried him. He grumbled and unburied himself. "Very funny Z." He said as he got inside.

In transit

Kaleidoscope space

"Why did you snag us like that?" Electra asked. Zelretch had a grin. "As my 'niece' I volunteered you to help an overworked mother with three kids next door." He says as he throws them into the exit portal. He watched them disappear and said, "That show keep her busy for a few months. Making her item is taking much longer than Sakura's took. Then again, Sakura's was simpler." He grabbed a jar from a portal, inside was a devil heart with a taped-up mouth on it. "This will be perfect to handle the stress she'll put on it." The heart was shaking with rage.

"Oh, hush you! Just because Zane stopped you from crashing a wedding a decade ago and ruining your mass genocide plans before they even started, doesn't mean I can't use you to craft a transforming item. Electra will be a great magical girl." Zelretch said, as he left a note in Zane's 'heart in a jar' collection room. He took out a list and muttered "I've got the jewel, the compatible magic element, programing for item, and the design of the weapon forms. That leaves, a lot of things." He looks at the list and it rolls past his feet by a good margin. "Reality Marbles are also so difficult to work with. She hit the jackpot with an ability like hers." Zelretch said. Electra had no idea what she could do with her voice and music. And that was why he was so invested in her.

A month later

Incredible Earth

Metroville

The Parr Household

"So, what does your family do?" Helen Parr, a middle aged dark red-haired woman, said as she cut into her steak. "Thank you again for inviting me over for dinner, Mrs. Parr. My family does a lot of things, most I can't tell you because of red tape to the nth degree in some cases." Electra said. Bob (real name Robert), her blonde curly haired husband, snorted at this. "Like we haven't heard that before. Look at her 'bodyguard'." Bob says jabbing a fork in Wallace's direction at the table. Wallace grunted and ate silently at a polite pace.

"My Papa is the current owner of Star Forge blacksmithing." Electra said, noting the maker mark on the silverware. "Your uncle recommended it because Bob is always breaking things with his super strength." Helen said. the husband and wife were ex-superheroes, before that was ban on this world, and Zelretch had told them she didn't really care if they were masked superheroes. "So, you have super strength." Electra points to Bob. "You have an elastic body." She points to Helen. "What about your kids?" She did a sweeping gesture to her three kids.

"I can become invisible and sometimes make forcefields, I'm still working on it." Violet, the black-haired eldest child of the Parr family, said fiddling with her hair. She was the same age as Electra and on the shy side. "I've got super speed!" Dash, the ten-year-old slick back blonde-haired boy, said with pride. His full name was Dashiell Robert Parr. Jack-Jack, the barely blonde-haired baby, giggle and waved his arms around in his highchair. "Jack-Jack still hasn't shown any power, if he has any at all." Dash said then asked, "What about you?"

Wallace paused in his eating to states, "I am the Wall that Protects Lady Electra and by extension her family." Electra pats Wallace's arms with a smile. "As he said, he's tough and strong. He's not slow but he can be like a football player when he needs to be." Electra said. "My power is hard to explain but I'll try." She pauses. "I inherited my family's 'Blessing of the Hearth', fire doesn't hurt us as much as it does you." Dash asked, "by how much?"

"I've been inside of a volcano and wasn't even singed. Lava can still burn me, but my Papa is immune to all flames." Electra answers. "My second power is in multiple parts. I call it Storm Singer. Storm Mastery and being able to turn into a Thunderbird at will are two of the abilities it gives me." She paused because she knew they had questions. "Don't crowd her." Helen said over the clamor of questions. "From what I understand, being able to turn into a thunder bird would grant you your 'storm mastery'. What else can you do?" She said, answering her kid's questions for Electra. "Galvanism, the ability to convert energy directed at me into lightning. It has limitations, mainly I have limit to how much energy absorb before I pass out from overload." Electra said using a glass of water as a prop in the explanation.

"Too much water and the glass overflows." Violet says then gasps. "if it's electrical energy then wouldn't it be discharged from your body to keep it from killing you?" She asked. Electra grimaced. "yes, that has happened with weird results. I have developed means to stop that from happening." Bob gave her smile. "It's nice to that you know your limits. Any more abilities up your sleeve?" he asked. "I can take you to places with just my voice and a little music. It's like an illusion but it's super real. But it's still incomplete." Electra said, frustrated. "I've got non-power related talents, like being a Shaman but the last ability I listed frustrates me so much. I've been training for years but I'm missing some key component to making it work fully."

"Man! You are lucky. What kind of powers do your family have?" Dash asked. "Papa is legendary on battlefield. Mom is graceful and chilling with her mastery over ice. And Big Sis is a beautiful kitsune with deadly void flames." Electra described with a fond smile. "Oh! Hot and cold winds mix together to make storms." Violet said. "You getting that power makes sense in a way." Helen had an amused look on her face. "I can't help you much with your power problem but I'm sure it will answer your question in time." Helen said. "Powers can be odd. Sometimes you get the same or close to your parents. Other times you get something else completely."

"Helen's right. It's like the lottery at time. There was this 'unwritten rule' among the supers back in the day. 'Supers can't have kids with supers' It's not enforced but the power lottery was why it was thought up. Not all powers are safe, even to the user." Bob lectured. "know your limits and learn how you can get past them without killing yourself and those around you." He cracks his plate when he stabs down too hard with the fork. His wife gives a look. "Sorry honey. I was distracted. At least I didn't break the table this time." He said shrinking back from a glare by his wife, who was at least half his size, stature wise.

"My creator found humans to be amusing to watch." Wallace said. The Parr family look at the golem questioning his weird choice of words and Electra explained. "Wallace is a golem, not a human. I got him as a reward for returning something importent. That's why he's so dedicated to protecting me. He was made for that purpose. It took me months to collect the needed materials, but I don't mind. She delivered on what was agreed." Electra said.

"That explains his personality." Dash said. "can you tell any interesting stories. Your Uncle said you traveled to another planet." Electra nodded and said, "I was invited to that world by a powerful being." She starts to explain the broad strokes of her two-year journey into Pokémon universe.

A few weeks later

Incredible Earth

Metroville

The Parr Household

"thanks for helping me with Jack-jack." Helen said, folding laundry as Electra kept the baby entertained. "Is that man your uncle?" She asked. Electra made a so-so gesture. "Not by blood but he's family in his own odd ways. He's always scheming some prank." Electra comments as Jack-Jack giggled madly as he touched her wild feathery hair and got a tiny shock, not enough to hurt but still be felt. He had been doing this for past hour. Touch, zap, laugh and clap, then repeat. Babies found entertainment in the smallest things.

"I got that vibe from him. None the less, he's friendly. He's got some portal power, right?" Helen asked. "not just portals. Kaleidoscope, his 'power', has a number of uses." Electra replied. Jack-Jack stopped touching her hair and put out his arms with a smile. Electra stood up then picked him up. he fell asleep in her arms with a yawn moments later. "he tired himself out. I'll put him in his crib." Electra said with soft smile. Helen had the smile. She felt less stressed since hiring Electra as a babysitter. She had noticed Bob was acting weirdly, she'd investigate later.

A few minutes later she asked Electra what she thought about something she found. It was a long silver hair. "I don't think it's an affair." Electra said. "Yes, it's a female human hair but he's not likely to cheat on you. He must have sat next to the owner of the hair at a meeting or something." She looked at the ends of the hair. "Then again he's been acting odd. Where did you find this hair?"

"On his old super suit. It was stitched up recently from the looks of it." Helen said. "anything else you noticed?" Electra asked. "Other than him getting a new job. He's left to meet someone. I heard a female voice on a call he got." Helen trailed off. "I need to see someone. Can Wallace watch the kids?" Electra was already telling Wallace he needed to do that. "It's a bit of a drive but your input would be helpful. Wear you're your 'super suit'." Helen explained.

A few hours later

Incredible Earth

Edna's Mansion

"Yes, I made him a new suit." Edna Mode, a very short black-haired woman with a distinct voice, said. "Come I need to show you the other suits I made." She finally notices Electra's Shaman gear that she was wearing. She pushed up her glasses and started to examine her at all angles. "Darling, this look is so you!" She tugs at the feather cloak. "I don't do capes but this along with the theme you have going might just work. What can it do?" Edna asked. "It's comfortable and if you let go and step back, I can show you a trick of mine." Electra said.

When Edna did so, Electra did something that she was working on. The feathers turned metallic and ridged, acting like spines, as a faint glow around them and hum was heard. "You turned it into a razor-sharp electric barrier. Very cleaver use of a cloak. I can tell you know the dangers of capes." Edna said. "You try and look cool then it gets you sucked into a plane turbine." They grimace at this comment. "now, come this way." Edna said.

An hour later

Incredible Earth

Edna's Mansion

They were sitting and Helen had a distress beacon device in her hand. "There is chance you could get him captured." Electra said to her. "But it also is a chance to get answers." Edna said. "Knowing him, he can handle being captured." Helen made her choice and activated it. Later she would learn Bob was captured because of her but it worked out. "Can I trust you to watch the kids while I go save him?" Helen asked Electra. "That's what you pay me for. Make sure to put that nice red suit to good use if there is trouble." Electra said amused.

The next day

Incredible Earth

Metroville

The Parr Household

Electra was smirking at the lack of Violet or Dash in the house. "Your family is out to save your papa. That means it's just you, me and Wallace until you get back." Electra said to Jack-Jack, who was sitting in his highchair as She fed him lunch. "Do you need anything, My Lady?" Wallace asked. "could you go shopping tomorrow? I left a list on the door." She said moving the spoon about saying, "here comes the birdy." Jack-Jack was being so nice for her.

Out of nowhere Jack-Jack teleported to the cookie jar. Wallace picked him up before he could do anything. Jack-Jack was getting angry and turned in a baby red demon and hit him screaming. "On one hand your powers are in flux and with settle on one, or you are a little blonde of Chaos, getting a grab-bag power." Electra said as Jack-Jack self-ignited as he was punching Wallace with superhuman strength, still looking like a demon.

The next morning

Incredible Earth

Metroville

The Parr Household

Jack-Jack had shown multiple elemental forms, kinesis powers, laser eyes, giving the finger to gravity and dimensional walls, enhanced speed, size changing (himself and other things), and finally, duplicating himself. Electra was a little frazzled as he fell asleep and his clones vanished. She took out a music box and summoned Mew.

"Hello Zappy! How are you fairing while babysitting this little bundle of chaos?" Mew asked as Wallace left to do some shopping. "He's a handful, Lady Mew. Question, what is his power?" Electra asked. Mew did something and giggles madly. "It's called 'Chaos Factor', All the powers he's shown are here to stay along with an amusing sound effect power." Mew explained still giggling. "Chaos-Jack is so cute!" Mew leaves a plushie version of her and teleports away. Jack-Jack clutches the new toy in his sleep.

"I pity his parents." She says to herself. Jack-Jack would likely sleep through the afternoon at the latest, given he got no sleep with his power trip last night. Electra put Jack-Jack to bed and made herself a pot of tea. The House phone was ringing so she answered. "This is the Parr household, what can I do for you?" She had to hold the phone away from her ear as someone was yelling in the background.

When the yelling stopped, a male voice said, "Sorry about that. This is Bob's friend, Lucius Best. Is he home?" Lucius Best, a dark-skin super with ice powers, said. His wife, the one that had been yelling was Honey Best, strong willed woman with loud voice. "The family is out, and they hired me to Watch Jack-Jack since yesterday." Electra said. "You must be Electra. Helen has told me how well you are with Jack-Jack. Did he give you any trouble?" Lucius asked.

"a little but he tried himself out by morning. He is getting to that age." Electra said. "Right, the terrible twos." Lucius's wife takes the phone from him and says "He's probably teething soon. Did he seem in pain?" Electra laughed mentally. "No, more frustrated at not getting a cookie. He had a tantrum but nothing I can't handle." She said then chatted with Honey for a while.

A few hours later

Incredible Earth

Metroville

The Parr Household

Electra was waiting for Wallace to return from the shopping as she turned on the news. "No wonder why he's not back yet." She mutters as the News Anchor was talking about a giant sphere robot was attacking Metroville. It had clawed limbs snaking out of its body and a small retractable head that was able to spin 360 degrees. All in all, not a bad idea for a robot, but it had flaws. Bob and his family were fighting the robot in their new super suits.

She laughed as the News Anchor described how Wallace, they called him an intimidating man, was getting people to safety while punching debris, that came too close, away. "Good thing I'm recording this." Bob's friend joined the fray as she made herself a snack. Less than ten minutes later, they beat the robot with its own claw. There was a knock on the door, so she looked through the peephole.

Some orange haired super with a big s on his chest was standing there. She opened the door and asked, "Why are you here?" He smiled and said, "I am the new babysitter. It means Super sitter." He points to the s. "Right. Shoo before I call the cops." Electra drawled and slammed the door on his face. She counted to three and he ripped the door off the hinges with some wrist mounted device.

"No one slams the door in Syndrome's Face." He said and try to freeze her with Zero Point Energy (freezes the targets and removes the gravity's effect on the target). It was converted into 'food' for her, that she used to fry him where he stood. His Rocket Boots malfunctioned, and he flew off into the sky with drunken spirals. "Good riddance." Electra said as a distant explosion happened. "Who carries explosives that aren't shock proof?" Electra wondered.

"A moron, that's who." A gray-haired big nosed older looking agent with a black suit said as he came out of a van. "I am Agent Rick Dicker. May I come inside?" Electra nods and they go to the kitchen. "We have been watching you for some time and have some questions, if you are willing to answer them." He asks as they sit at the dinner table. "how sound di you become aware of the Parr's having powers?" He started with. "The first day I was hired. Helen was using her powers to deal with the kids." Electra answered.

"And how did you react?" He asked, taking notes. "I offered to take Jack-Jack, so she has a free hand. Supers aren't that big a shock." Electra said. "Yes, you were in the 'Pokemon Universe' for two years according to that dinner we eavesdropped on. You also have parents that are supers, who broke the unwritten law to have you." He said looking through his notes. "Normally we would erase your memory but you have super powers and according to the rules, that haven't been removed since decades ago, we are obligated to let you have a large portion of Syndrone's assets in exchange for you not advertising we let him kill a lot of supers because of red tape." He said with a hidden message.

"I am willing to let you take most of his money to cover the mess he made." Electra said reading between the lines. "I don't think they will be happy about the door or the 'mess' the baby made in his power trip." He said as a chunk of burnt ceiling fell with a chalking thump. It looked like a battle took place in the house and the participants were only somewhat trying not to bring the house down. "I couldn't stop all the damage Jack-Jack caused but it's hard to block lasers from five plus pairs of eyes." Electra said jokingly.

Agent Rick Dicker cracked a smile. "So, what is his powers?" He asked. She explained what she learned. He had a grave look on his face. "so, he's a chaos super. Haven't seen one of them in decades." He mutters before explaining, "decades ago there was a super born with more than one power that had nothing in common with each other. Grab bag supers are called that because they have more than one power that makes up a theme, like your Thunder Bird powers. Chaos Supers, to put it simply, are random in terms of skill set. In both good and bad ways, Chaos Supers have been known to be hard to handle. The good news is that they are as rare as it gets when it comes to the Power Lottery."

Electra got what he was implying. 'Chaos Supers' were bad PR (public relations) for the government and Jack-Jack was going to have a hard time for the rest of his life because of his powers. "I will help his family train him to control his powers and get the government off his back." Electra said with conviction. "That's good to hear. I will be going to meet with them before they get here." He says leaving the house.

Electra sighed. Zelretch likely knew about this turn of events, or at least suspected it, and how time consuming it would be. This reinforced and cemented the fact he had a plan for her. She shuddered a little as she got to work preparing what she needed to clean Jack-Jack's mess up.

An hour later

Incredible Earth

Metroville

The Parr Household

Electra looked up from her scrubbing. Jack-Jack hadn't done more than scorching the surface. The ceiling broke because of him hitting it with his demon form's super strength. "What happened? It's like a war happened." Dash said with a grin. "Dash, you know that the house could have been destroyed." Violet said annoyed but smiling as she took in everything. Electra her whole body covered and had been scrubbing the walls with a weird cleaning tool that looked like a wet cloth on a mop handle. "How was the family trip?" Electra asked, voice slightly muffled by her facemask.

"it cleared up the issues we had and some we weren't aware of." Helen said as she hugs Bob. "What kind of powers does Jack-Jack have?" Bob asked. She explained in detail as Wallace walked in with bags of food. Luckily, the kitchen cleaned up first. As Electra cleaned, they got out of they're super suits and cleaned up.

That evening

Incredible Earth

Metroville

In a hidden location

Illuminati HQ

"It's been confirmed. Subject: Jack-Jack Parr is a 'chaos Super' and Kaleidoscope has recovered his full strength." Agent Rick Dicker reported to a wall of screens that had burred people on them. "This is the worst-case scenario! He was bad enough in his weakened vampiric state. Now he's back to his prime and we have no idea what that entails." One of the people, a male French man, said with a doomed tone. "He's busy doing something that Thunder Shaman is at the center of. I've lived through five of his 'fun ideas' and know how he works better than anyone of you fools." A positively ancient sounding male voice said as a person was rolled into the room.

The man was wheelchair bound, but his superpower made him immune to 'death by old age'. He still aged but he wouldn't die from it. He had no hair and his skin was like paper. "Dr. Sparks! How can you be sure he wouldn't let the power go to his head?" a female Italian voice asked. Dr. Sparks, that's his Super name, laughed a brittle laugh. "I have known him for a hundred years of my hundred fifty-year life so far. We keep in contact because I am an 'interesting pen pal' in his words. He likes to invest into beings that catch his interest." He said with complete trust in his view.

As Dr. Sparks came into the light, his features were fully visible. His left hand had been replaced with a mechanical prosthetic. His gray beard, that was down to his lap, was groomed and braided. His eyes were hidden by tainted goggles and he had no wrinkles at all. He was wearing a laboratory approved attire. "That is why you are one of the oldest members of this group." A female voice said, silenced everyone else. This unnamed person was the head of this secret global group that kept an eye on the supers, hero or otherwise, known only as The Boss.

"Thank you for reminding me of my age, ma'am." Dr. Sparks snarked. "What are you going to talk about next? The aftermath of being a tester for the medicines Zane cooked up?" He was unlikely to get ill. And His power made his nerve system still in it's prime, so he wasn't getting mental issues any time soon. "No, Daemon is not on the schedule today. But his daughter is an issue we need to talk about." The Boss said. "I don't care what she says, she is too danger not to keep an eye on 24/7." The Boss's words were law in this shady group.

"Of course, she is! Her 'bodyguard' is a living embodiment of the impenetrable object. She's got a Weapon of Mass Destruction only she can handle safely. And she can call super-sized thunderstorms on the fly!" The Japanese member said. "She's a like Kanji but human sized." This got the others muttering about him always comparing supers to the monsters of Japanese cinema. "Yes, she is on the city wrecking tier, but she cares too much about life to go on a rampage." Dr. Sparks said. "And if she is believed, the restless dead bother her too much as it is." He had listened to the recording multiple times.

"Ghosts don't-" one of members started to say but was cut off by the UK Branch leader. "Don't say it! There is tangible proof that the afterlife and the Fae are real. We don't want to want them to show up." But it was too late. A small hooded being carrying a lantern on a stick appeared. Its face was hidden in blackness save for two glowing dots for eyes and a toothy grin. It was a Will o' The Wisp. "Too late for that. The Queen wants you." The Fae points to Dr. Sparks. "To arrange a meeting with Electra Laskaris. Make sure to give her this." Dr. Sparks catches a parcel as the Fae vanishes.

"That is why I am the best to handle Zelretch's antics. I don't try to trigger Murphy's Law like you did." Dr. Sparks said dryly. Agent Rick Dicker, who was silent the whole time, said. "I know the family well enough to arrange the meeting, sir." He respectful to Dr. Sparks, who was the only one he really like in this shady organization. It had been around for two to three hundred years and he was the unlike agent to be picked to replace an agent that screwed up one too many times beck when heroes were in the open and saving people. The only way out was to have your mind whipped clean and he liked his memories.

"It's time for the heroes to come back into the limelight." The Boss said. "Syndrome has proven that outlawing them was the worst idea to make. Make sure all the governments get the memo." She ordered as the meeting ended. Without the light of the screens the room was in darkness. "What kind of person is Thunder Shaman, in your opinion?" Dr. Sparks asked. "The kind I want as an ally. Very family oriented and independent." Agent Rick Dicker described what little he glimpsed of Electra's personality. "good at reading people and animals too. I haven't seen her combat abilities, but they must be high if she is related Daemon." Dr. Sparks nods. "I will meet her in a week." He says and wheels away.

A week later

Incredible Earth

Metroville

The Parr Household

The Parr family got back home to find Dr. Sparks waiting for them. He throws the morning paper on the table. The headlines read: 'The Incredibles stop the Underminer!' "You've been busy." Dr. Sparks said. "not even an hour after the supers being allowed to do hero work again and you are already carrying the torch." He said this in flat voice. Helen was worried. She knew this person and knew the clout he carried in the USA government. "Did you say the anti-super law was removed?" Helen asked. "Yes. It was deemed a failure and let a murderer get off scot-free. Karma got him in the end but who's to say he's the last."

"That's good to hear, sir. What can we do for you?" Bob asked. "He's here to see Electra. He set up the meeting in advance." Violet reminded them. "Oh, that's what I forgot. Sorry about that sir." Helen said set Jack-Jack down. Dr. Sparks was just amused as he comments, "With your children, forgetting a meeting is normal. I let myself in, by the way." He showed off a lockpick gadget in one of his mechanical hand's fingers. "Cool! How you get a hand like that?" Dash asked. "by being complacent in a dangerous place, young speedster. I learned that lesson the hard way." Dr. Sparks said, wagging a finger.

"Never go into a villain's lab without checking for traps, even if you happened to have EMPed the place and the city block it's on more than once to be safe. Never saw the trip wire triggered blade trap until it cut off a quarter of my arm." Dr. Sparks recounted. "Caught him but I never made that mistake again. By the way, it happened when your parents were Jack-Jack's age." Violet did the math and was shocked. "You really are over a hundred years old." She said as Dr. Sparks corrected her, "150 this year. Where is Electra? Can't get this meeting going without her."

Jack-Jack, who teleported to his room to get his new plush teleported back to show Dr. Sparks the cool trick the plush did. Dr. Sparks looked at the plush as it transformed into plush version of other pokemon then back to default look as Jack-Jack gave it commands. "What an odd yet entertaining stuffed toy. May I hold it?" He asked Jack-Jack, who handed it over. Dr. Sparks scan it and muttered about chaos energy. "Thank you for letting me look at it." Dr. Sparks says giving it back.

Electra came into the house alone because Wallace was running errands. "The lady of the hour has arrived." Dr. Sparks comments. "'The Queen' sent you this." He throws her the parcel. With great care, she looks it over, reading the glowing script that appeared when it touched her skin. "to the songbird who voice moved me, I, Queen Titania, ensure this gets to you without payment required. P.S. I can't wait to hear the completed version." Violet was impressed and worried. "if that's the queen I think it is, I'd be very careful." She said as Electra opened the gift.

Inside lay a box and a sigil. She touches the sigil and a voice reverberated around them. It was one she knew. Ori, the Spirit Guardian from the Forest of Nibel and currently the Spirit Tree of Niwen, a land across the sea from Ori's home. "Daughter of my dear friend, I offer you this duty. Guide her and she will help you in turn." The sigil fades along with the paper of the parcel and the box. sitting in Electra's hands was a glowing flower. There was a flash of light and in the flower's place, was a young Spirit Guardian. Electra cradled it in her arms as it yawned a bell like sound. She knew it gender, female, and just what to call her. Rei, with the characters that means small bell in Japanese.

Rei blinked up at her and had an expression of wonderment. "Welcome to your life, Rei. Your Mother, Ori, seems to have a great destiny for you. I will help to life a fulfilling life as we search for that." Electra says soothingly. Rei snuggled and went to sleep. "Let's call the meeting to a close." Dr. Sparks said. "thank you for your time." He left the house and got into an a non-descript vehicle.

Author's Note: And that's the end of the second side story chapter. Ori and Will of Wisps is an amazing game. Check it out and prepare for the feels.