Interesting tidbit. This story is the first one to surpass Reality Shift - New Vestroia in total views since I completed the first 4 Reality Shift stories. Kinda makes you wonder why New Vestroia has more readers than the original, but I digress. Enjoy this chapter, and get ready for something really interesting soon!
Jamack was riding a dragonfly, following the sounds of piano up high in the air. He looked forward and gripped his cut tie, then saw something interesting. "Huh?" Up ahead was every Mute group in the city, all surrounding a place called Las Vistas Zoo.
"Scarlemagne better hurry." Said the boss frog. Behind her, every other Mod Frog brandished their weapons. "Just 'cause we're here doesn't mean we have to play nice." Kwat started spinning her mace, and the boss frog glanced over to the wolves to see them all standing around Billions and Billions, growling. Over in another direction some hummingbird Mutes pulled some containers out of bandoliers around them. In yet another direction, some skunks on scooters brandished old metal pipes as weapons. The tension between all of them was suddenly interrupted by a flamingo squawking above.
"My Mute brothers and sisters!" Called Scarlemagne as he descended. "You all came, like I asked!" He landed on the top of the building. "That was smart of you!" Everyone below looked up at him, even those hidden in the foliage, like Jamack. Scarlemagne continued playing the piano, before finishing the song. He stood on the door of his car, making monkey noises. "There's a Burrow Girl on the loose!" He took a breath to calm himself. "Pardon me, lost my composure there for a moment." He took another breath. "It was only 200 years ago that humans, like that Burrow Girl," everyone below growled at the mention of Kipo, "kept us locked up in prisons, just like this one!" Scarlemagne gestured to the zoo. "Well now, the tables, have turned!" Several more flamingos flew up from the zoo. They all started landing on the building, in line with Scarlemagne. Everyone could see the riders, and Scarlemagne gestured to them. "This is how all humans should be, obedient. I can make them into an army, an army I can use to build an empire! Mutes on top, humans below!" All the human riders cheered for a bit. Then, Scarlemagne snapped his fingers, and they all fell silent. All of the Mutes down below gasped. "Back to that Burrow Girl, she can lead me to more humans. Enough to rule Las Vistas. Whoever brings her to me will be rewarded with a position of power and luxury, beyond your wildest dreams! So, I ask you, do you dream big?" Several Mutes cheered, but most of the rest just looked up at him in contemplation, then all looked excited. "I can't hear you." All of the Mutes down below cheered. "That's better." Scarlemagne paused for a moment. "But, I will say this. Despite all that humans have done, they will be given one single chance in my empire. Any human that is sympathetic to my cause and despises all other humans, shall be allowed to stay above the other humans." All the cheering suddenly stopped at this statement. "And I have one to show you." Another flamingo screeched and came down quickly. The Mutes below looked up at it, then scattered back as it landed in the middle of all of them. On it was someone not dressed like Scarlemagne's nobles, but more like a knight without his armor. The guy jumped off of the flamingo, getting down on one knee in a respectful gesture. "This human was experimented on for 10 years by other humans. He was nothing more than their little science experiment, something that could die and they wouldn't care. He was locked up, alone and afraid. He's sympathetic to my cause, and as such, he has been granted a higher power than my nobles." The Mutes looked at the human before them, and the wolves skirted back a bit after looking at his arm.
"Is that, wolf fur?" Asked light Billions. "Ugh, as if that one girl wasn't bad enough." The guy turned to them, glaring at them.
"I understand your notions against him." Continued Scarlemagne. "But if he is willing to go against all other humans for his hatred towards them, then why not give him a chance?" The guy stood up. "Now, if you want the power I have promised, to be my second in command, bring me the Burrow Girl!" All the Mutes looked up, and cheered, if less energetically than before. Jamack turned away from the crowds, and started walking into the foliage, snickering quietly.
"Nothing would give me more pleasure." He said.
Fear of humans, fear of what they'll do
Fear of others, no matter where you go
Taken from your home, forever lost
One light in the distance,
But oh so far away,
Run towards the light,
Away from your fear
Kipo led the group through a long abandoned subdivision, following the map. Wolf and Mandu were walking up near her, while Benson and Dave kept some distance. Atom covered the back, next to them, watching for anybody coming up behind them. "Hm, according to this map, my dad wants us to head towards a giant nose." Said Kipo. She looked it over closer. "Maybe I'm reading this wrong?" Benson and Dave started laughing about something as Kipo and Wolf glanced at each other.
"You're right!" Said Benson. "Oh, oh! And remember in our water vision when"
"That musical floor?" Asked Dave.
"Yeah! And people were cheering our names! They were like Benson, Benson"
"Dave! Dave!" The two keep cheering their own names for a bit.
"I think that was the happiest I've ever been in my whole life." Added Benson. He gasped, realizing something. "Uh, Dave?"
"Yeah?"
"What if I'm never that happy again?" Atom shook his head.
"Trust me when I say that you will be." He stated. Benson looked up. "It wasn't real, so it was a fake happiness."
"Yeah." Agreed Leo. "To really feel it, you need to earn it." Benson gasped at the birds he saw flying high above as Wolf called back.
"Guys! Take cover!" She, Kipo, and Mandu dove into a dilapidated car as Dave and Benson were grabbed by Atom and jumped into a bush. Skunks on scooters drove past them all, looking for something. Mandu oinked a bit. "Scooter Skunks and Hummingbombers. The packs are out in force today. That's unusual." Kipo just looked at her.
"So uh, Wolf? Things got pretty emotional last night. Can we talk abou"
"Nope!" Kipo turned to her.
"Ok, well, at the campfire, when you said 'we go our separate ways', why is that happening, exactly?" Wolf looked at her.
"Our deal was I get you back to your people, and then I move on." She looked away as Kipo turned towards the inside of the car.
"After all we've been through, you still feel that way?" Wolf turned to her.
"I don't do burrows." Mandu climbed into Kipo's lap.
"Why not? They, they're safe, warm, and, you have this great community of people."
"I hate most people." Wolf looked out the back window again.
"Oh come on!" Argued Kipo. "You haven't even met that many people! There's school, Taco Tuesdays, game nights," Wolf turned to her again.
"That's not fun, that's torture." She turned to the window again, and Kipo looked around a bit. She then decided something.
"No." She stated. Wolf turned to her.
"No?"
"No." Repeated Kipo, holding her hand up. "I, do not, accept this. I will change your mind, Wolfatha Christie the Fourth! You wait and see!"
"Wolfatha Christie the Fourth?" Asked Wolf, highly confused.
"Well, you don't have a full name, and I needed one for emphasis." Mandu oinked at them a bit. "See? Even Mandu thinks I can do it. I will convince you to come with me! We're inseparable, and I won't let anything change that!"
"Whoa! Big nose!" Yelled Dave.
"Good eye, Dave." Said Atom. Wolf and Kipo got out of the car, and Kipo ran over to see where Atom, Dave, and Benson were looking. She gasped.
"It is a nose!" She started running towards the giant nose on a pole, and everyone else reluctantly followed her.
"Oh, gross!" Complained Benson. "What is that smell?!" Atom took a few sniffs.
"Whatever you're smelling, it's mostly you. It's not all that bad from my perspective." Kipo stopped at the base of the pole and looked up, gasping.
"That lunch box! It's got the same symbol as the map!" Dave stepped in front of her.
"Oh, I got this."
"Do you?" Asked Atom. Dave didn't respond, and instead just focused. He grunted from the strain.
"It's happening!" Everyone just looked at him as one of his arms started vibrating as he continued grunting and groaning. His one arm suddenly exploded into his muscled arm, and he let out a breath. "That worked!" He looked at himself, and gasped at the one arm. "Kind of." He leaned over, hitting the ground with his arm, then spun around. He flipped forward, then used his arm to propel himself up to the lunchbox like a rocket. He got to the nose very easily and climbed up to the top, grabbing the lunch box with his buff arm. He held it up for the others to see.
"Oh! Oh! Down here! Down here!" Called Kipo. Dave reared his arm back.
"Uh, Benson, how well can Dave control his own strength?" Asked Atom. Dave threw the lunchbox, sending it way out into the dump, where it crashed at the bottom. Atom watched its trajectory while the others just glared at Dave.
"Oops." Said Dave. Atom walked over to the dump and looked down. The others walked up as Dave jumped down.
"Does anyone see it?" Asked Kipo, annoyed at Dave.
"It should've landed somewhere around there." Atom pointed at a specific spot in the dump. "Though, getting there will be difficult." Everyone looked at where he pointed, and Mandu jumped forward, trying to run down the dump, but ended up sliding down it.
"Mandu!" Called Kipo as she went down as well. Wolf jumped down as Dave and Benson covered their noses, then jumped. Atom brought out his shield and threw it down. He grabbed Leo and put him in his pocket, before jumping onto it and sliding down. He started catching up to the group, but the trash began to move with them a bit, making things even slicker.
"Watch yourselves!" He called. Kipo caught up to Mandu and pulled her in, cradling her closely. The group came closer together.
"This canyon's got a bottom, right?!" Asked Benson.
"Yeah!" Said Dave. "Let's just hope it's made of pillows and not pointy rocks!" Atom leaned down and grabbed Dave's arm, pulling him onto the shield.
"I hope I have enough time!" He said as he grabbed Benson. He steered over to Wolf as the trash suddenly dropped beneath them all, putting them all into freefall. Wolf and Kipo began pulling away a little, Atom's shield slowing the other half of the group down. The bottom approached quickly as everybody felt adrenaline coursing through them. They smashed into the bottom and fell through it, before ripping through some fabric and falling even deeper. Everyone landed in a huge trash pile, before some more crashed down onto them. Everything was still for a few moments, the Mandu was pushed to the surface, followed by Kipo pulling herself out. Wolf was next, followed by Dave and Benson. Atom slowly dug himself up, grimacing as he did. Everyone started looking around the area they were in, seeing a lot of workout equipment for some reason.
"Is everyone ok?" Asked Kipo, panting.
"Where are we?" Asked Benson.
"Looks like, ugh," Atom grimaced again as he pulled himself out further, "like some kind of gym. Ow!" He stopped pulling himself out, sighing. "I think I'm injured." A bell suddenly went off as Wolf glanced down what appeared to be a lit up tunnel. It looked like people were coming.
"Hide!" She said. Everyone but Atom dashed out of the garbage, running behind what looked like a stage. Atom covered himself with garbage again, trying to hide in it. Raccoon Mutes began coming out of the tunnel, walking practically in ranks. Mandu squealed a bit, muffled by Kipo's arm. The racoons spread out a bit, conversing with each other as a rather big one took to the stage and glanced around.
"Hmm?" She asked. She noticed the hole in the ceiling, and growled, much to the terror of the group. "Something's wrong here." She hit a button on something on the stage, and upbeat, energetic music began to play. "You're not moving! Let's go!" She began jazzercising to the music, along with the other raccoons. The group watched on in shock and confusion.
"Was not expecting that." Noted Dave. Kipo glanced around the side of the stage at all the Mutes, before noticing that her sleeve was down a bit. She pulled it back up, then crawled after the group as they went back to the trash piles.
"Does anyone see the lunchbox?" She asked. Atom slowly uncovered himself again and began trying to pull himself out, but was grimacing in pain with every movement.
"Wait, is this it?" Asked Dave as he pulled on something. The entire trash pile above him came down as he yelled. The big raccoon suddenly stopped the music as she turned to it.
"What was that?!" Dave dug himself out of the pile along with Benson as the raccoons looked at the exposed group. Kipo, Wolf, and Mandu looked back at them.
"Humans!" Said another raccoon. Kipo slowly stood up.
"Hi. Uh, sorry to interrupt." One of the raccoons gasped.
"They're going through our garbage!" All of the raccoons seemed excited at that.
"Whoa, humans?" Asked the big one. "Aw man, this is pretty exciting!" They started to walk closer, and Wolf lunged at them, brandishing Stalkie at them. They all stopped nearly instantly, looking down at it, then at the one wielding it.
"Wolf, stand down." Said Kipo. "I think they're friendly."
"Mutes aren't friendly!" Countered Wolf.
"I can name several that are!" Called Atom. The raccoon leading the group gasped.
"Some of us are! Though I don't blame you for being jumpy. We've heard what it's like on the surface. So much fighting, all the time." She took a breath and put her hands to her face. "Totally terrifying! That's why we've been down here in Trash Canyon for years, away from all that garbage! Pfft, where are my manners?" She stood back up, fixing her posture. "Hi, I'm Carton," she waved a bit, then gestured to the big raccoon, "this is Label," Label waved as Carton gestured to a lankier raccoon, "and that's Tongue Depressor." Dave and Benson looked at each other.
"Those are interesting names." Said Benson.
"Our names come to us organically." Said TD. "In our first year, our energy bonds with"
"We find our names in the trash!" Interrupted Label.
"Cool." Said Kipo. "Well, I'm Kipo. This is Wolf, Benson, Dave, and Mandu." She gestured to each one in turn, except for Mandu, who she picked up. She looked back at Atom, who was still struggling to get free. "And that's Atom." Atom waved a bit before getting back to getting out.
"Ow!" He suddenly yelled.
"Namaste." Said TD. Carton looked at the group closely.
"We've never met actual humans! I can't believe it!" She pulled something out from behind her back. "Just like the posters," she showed a poster, "except you don't have muscles, or leotards, or, cool big hair!" She tossed the poster away, waving her arms excitedly.
"Those posters were, ugh, were advertisements." Called Atom. He finally pulled himself free and started rolling down the trash pile.
"Uh, sorry to disappoint?" Asked Benson.
"No disappointment here." Said TD, holding a leg behind his head. "Expectations are just placeholders for reality." He pulled his other leg behind his head, seemingly just floating there, supported by nothing but his tail.
"So, what brings you here?" Asked Label, loudly. Atom started pulling himself up, but couldn't put much weight on his left leg. He leaned against another trash pile.
"We're looking for a lunchbox." Said Kipo. "We were looking for it when we fell into your home." Atom glared at Dave.
"We're only looking for it because someone accidentally threw it into the canyon."
"Yeah." Said Kipo. "It could be anywhere, really."
"Sounds like you're in a jam." Said Carton. "But we can help you out!" She laughed a bit, looking around the raccoons. "Why don't we show you where everything is, so we can get extra steps, and then we can all help look!" Label nodded in agreement as several other raccoons looked on excitedly.
"No." Stated Wolf. "We can do it oursel" Kipo suddenly threw Mandu onto her, interrupting her.
"That would be amazing!" She said, laughing nervously. "One tour please!" Atom attempted to lean onto his left leg a little, but recoiled in pain.
"And maybe, if you guys have one, a crutch?" He asked. One of the raccoons walked up and put Atom's arm over his shoulders, helping to support him.
"Come on then!" Said Carton, gesturing for everyone to follow. "This way!" She started walking and Kipo followed quickly. Atom hobbled along with the raccoon that was helping him, and Dave and Benson looked at each other before shrugging, then followed as well. Wolf finally got Mandu off of her, and reluctantly followed. Carton led the group to one side of the room, before laying down near the middle of the room. She pushed herself up, in position for some push ups. "Woo! Here's the cardio corner! My favorite." She began doing push ups as Label gestured for everyone to follow her. Dave and Benson followed her quickly, followed by Atom and the raccoon helping him. Wolf attempted to follow, but Kipo grabbed her shoulders and dragged her back. She gestured to the room.
"Huh?" She asked. "Huh?" Wolf turned away, growling a bit at how Kipo was trying to force her to see things her way. She walked away, and Kipo groaned before following as her. Carton noticed them leave and quickly took off after them. Meanwhile, Label led the other half of the group through a smaller hallway.
"And that stuff is for cheat day!" She said, gesturing to all the snacks along the wall. Dave looked around, then noticed something very interesting. He gasped.
"Benson, check it out! Expired candy, chocolate, explosion berry cola!" Dave grabbed a can off the six pack and held it out to Benson, who took it. He held one out to Atom, who shook his head.
"I don't usually drink things with caffeine." He said.
"Not the worst thing possible." Said the raccoon. Atom looked at him.
"Say, would there happen to be any sturdy, flat things somewhere around here, and some fabric?" The raccoon nodded.
"Sure thing." He started leading Atom out of the hallway and towards a garbage pile. Leo looked at him.
"I'll stay with these two." He said, floating over to Dave and Benson.
"Sounds good." Dave grabbed his own can and popped it open, drinking it quickly as it erupted into his mouth.
"Oh yeah." He whispered. Benson leaned against a wall, looking somewhat dejected. Dave turned to him as Leo landed on his head. "Hey, buddy, you seem a little down."
"I do?" Asked Benson, turning to him. "Oh man, I don't know what's happening to me."
"It's perfection syndrome." Said Leo. "Once you taste perfection, everything else seems bland. From what Mulholland said, he created perfect worlds for everyone. He gave you everything you could've ever wanted, all at once. It's hard to readjust to the real world after that." Benson got up from the wall and walked away, thinking.
Carton was leading Kipo and Wolf. "Every day we, wake up, eat breakfast, work out, help each other with chores, work out," she started moving to the slight music that was playing, "drink a post-workout shake, and then a pre-workout shake for the end of the day dance workout to get our steps in." Label walked up.
"Great." Said Wolf, clearly unenthused. "Good for you." She quickly turned to Kipo. "We should really find that lunchbox and get out of here!"
"Ok, well, what does it look like?" Asked Label.
"It's red and it's got the symbol for Aries." Explained Kipo. "He's a ram."
"Got it!" Said Label. "Everyone! We're taking a break to help these guys look for something!" Many of the raccoons around finished their last rep, then looked at her. "It's a red lunchbox with a symbol on it!" The raccoons nodded, then split up to begin searching. They got to work quickly.
"Thanks guys!" Said Kipo. She turned to Wolf. "What an amazingly helpful community." Wolf crossed her arms and glared at her.
"I know what you're trying to do."
"What?" Asked Kipo. "If these super nice raccoons want to help, it's not their fault that they're awesome, and show you how communities, like burrows, are also awesome." She gestured to the raccoons.
"No one's this nice." Countered Wolf. "I don't buy their whole innocent act. It's only a matter of time before they turn us in to Scarlemagne." Kipo scoffed at the thought.
"No way! They have it too good down here! Come on, let me show you!" She walked past Wolf, who turned to look at her.
Atom looped some of the fabric around his ankle and foot, adding some cushioning to it before he put the two short, yet sturdy, boards on either side. He then used some more fabric and pulled it tight, wincing in pain as he did. He tied it as quickly as he could, then took a few deep breaths. "Okay, that was a lot more painful than I thought it'd be." He slowly pushed himself back up and tried to put some weight on his leg. It held, but was very, very painful. He grimaced.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Asked the raccoon.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Said Atom, not really believing it himself. "It's just a sprain. I'll be good in no time."
"Okay." Said the raccoon, unconvinced. Atom started limping away, before he realized something.
"Um, I don't know where the others are. That might be a problem."
Benson and Dave looked at the turntables they were playing some slow, uninspiring music for several raccoons that looked ready to fall asleep where they stood. A few were cycling very, very slowly. Benson couldn't look any more. "Oh, that is just, sad!" He said, turning away. He looked around again quickly. "Hey, where's the DJ?"
"I'm looking at him." Said Dave, looking at Benson. "C'mon man, you know what to do!" Benson looked at him, unsure.
"Benson, you play music all the time." Said Leo. "If anybody here can do it, it'd be you." Benson glanced up at the turntables, then sighed. He stepped up and changed the record that was playing. He began working the tables, changing up the music to be a lot more energetic. Dave began going around to all of the cycling raccoons.
"All right, squeeze those buns! Work them glutes! Let's go! Let's go!" The raccoons began speeding up, invigorated by the music. "Squeeze those buns! Work them glutes! Let's go! Let's go!" The raccoons that looked like they were about to fall asleep looked up, their eyes widening. One of them started moving, then the rest followed suit. "Benson. Benson!" Started Dave, getting the raccoons to start up.
"Benson! Benson! Benson!" They chanted as he continued to keep the music upbeat and energetic, mixing it up a bit here and there. But, even with the cheering, he slowly looked down, not happy. Dave ran up to him.
"Ah! Boom!" The two fist bumped. "There you gooo!"
"Yeah, this is, pretty great." Said Benson, trying to convince himself.
"Great?" Asked Dave. "Try epic! This is just like it was at Mulholland's sick house, only real!"
"It is." Agreed Benson.
"I'm sensing a 'but' there." Said Leo, still atop Dave's head.
"I should be just as happy, like smiling and everything, but I don't know why this isn't working!" He looked back. Leo jumped off of Dave's head and onto Benson's shoulder.
"It can be hard to separate fantasy from reality, and even more difficult to accept that reality isn't going to be as good as fantasy." He said. "I know most of Atom's story went over your heads, which believe me is a good thing, but he's faced the same difficulty before." Benson looked at him. "His fantasy was that he could bring together everyone. But the harsh reality was that he couldn't ever hope to do it. Not even if he had a thousand lifetimes. But despite that, he was able to move on, to separate his fantasy from his reality. He can dream, but dreams cannot replace what is truly there." Benson sighed.
"If only I knew how to separate them."
Wolf rummaged through a trash pile, finding something hard and metallic. She grabbed it, only to see an empty can of spray cheese. She tossed it away before getting back to looking. Kipo danced up to her, trying to get her to slow down a bit and have some fun. "Woo!" She laughed. "Isn't this fun?" Wolf didn't respond for a moment.
"Not really." Kipo's dancing slowed down, until it eventually stopped.
"Come on!" She argued. "You're not even trying!" Wolf looked at her.
"We should be looking for that lunchbox." She said. Atom limped up slowly.
"Why?" Countered Kipo. "So we can find my burrow and you can leave that much faster?" Wolf turned away from her, thinking about it for a few moments. "Wolf, you're my best friend. Is it that easy to say goodbye to me?" Wolf turned to her, standing up.
"No, I" she said, unable to finish her thought.
"Then don't!" Suggested Kipo. Atom managed to get up to them.
"Discussing your paths?" He asked, grimacing. "Man my ankle hurts." Something suddenly broke through the ceiling, drawing everyone's attention. The giant bird squealed once through each beak, then reached down and grabbed two raccoons, pulling them off their bikes. Everyone in the group but Atom gasped, but his eyes did widen dramatically. However, none of the raccoons even so much as flinched.
"Bird!" Yelled Dave, jumping down from the turntables. Benson hopped down as well. "Stop! Stop!" Dave looked around the raccoons. "Stop! How are you still exercising?!" Kipo ran up to them.
"Because, we've barely broken a sweat!" Said Carton. She spun to face them. "Oh, you mean the pigeon. That was just Beak Beak! It comes here all the time! Every now and then it takes an energy snack. It's kind of, big, if you didn't notice. Not much we can do about it." She spun around again.
"There's a lot you can do about it!" Argued Kipo. Atom managed to limp to the group. "You can get rid of Beak Beak!"
"Some of us tried, a long time ago." Said Label, cycling behind the group.. "And they're gone now!" She started crying a bit. "Oh, oh this feels good, but also sad."
"Did they have a plan?" Asked Atom. "Or did they just charge in blindly and hope for the best?!"
"We're no match for Beak Beak, and that's ok." Said TD. The group turned to him. "Once you accept the world as it is, and stop hoping for what it could be, you find, peace." He turned to the group, semi-creepily.
"We'll miss you, Hot Dog Bun!" Shouted Carton. "And Rusted Can! And Fish Bone! And Dirty Diaper, and DJ Crowbar!"
"That's what happened to the DJ?!" Asked Benson. A few of the raccoons went to grab some things to patch up the hole, and the group looked among themselves.
"Is everybody else thinking what I'm thinking?" Asked Leo. Kipo looked at Wolf.
"Let's not discuss it here." Said Atom. "The way they talked about it was just, I don't know how to describe it. But it made me very uncomfortable."
"Agreed." Said Wolf. "We can't talk about it here. Come on!" She ran off towards one of the garbage piles, and Atom slowly started limping over. Kipo and Dave ran after Wolf while Benson slung Atom's arm over his shoulder.
"Thanks." The two made it to the group last and joined the sitting circle.
"Wolf, I know you're gonna object, but we have to help these raccoons!" Said Kipo.
"Yeah, I agree." Said Wolf. Kipo gasped.
"Really?" She asked.
"Kipo, I probably wouldn't get too excited yet." Said Atom. "I caught a bit of your conversation earlier. Wolf's a realist. She's probably agreeing to it for her own reasons."
"No way! This must mean that she's changed her mind about being part of a communi"
"No." Stated Wolf, standing up. She turned to Kipo. "It means we can't find that lunchbox if a giant bird could eat us at any moment."
"Oh." Said Kipo, dejected.
"I tried to warn you." Said Atom. Kipo shook her head.
"But it does mean that we're on the same page about Beak Beak!" She stood up, looking at Wolf. "And if this is one of the last things we do together, let's make it fun." Wolf looked at her with a mix of confusion, fear, and surprise.
"If we're doing this," said Atom, "we'll need a plan."
"Yeah." Said Leo. "We can't exactly stop a Mega Bird by ourselves, no matter how stupid it is."
"I've got an idea for that." Said Wolf. She walked off and climbed onto the stage. "Everybody, listen up!" She called to the raccoons. "A place doesn't make you safe. You make you safe! You're only helpless and weak if you let yourself be. Yes, Beak Beak is huge, scary, horrifying, but we're smarter." Wolf began pacing on the stage. "We can take him. Who's with me?" None of the raccoons responded, but Kipo ran up and made one of them put up his arm.
"She's right!" Kipo ran over to another one and did the same thing. "I'm with her!" She ran up to another one and made her put up both hands. "Let's do this!" The three put their hands down and looked away, unconvinced. Atom, Dave, and Benson walked forward a bit as the raccoons scattered. Kipo and Wolf walked up to them.
"Guess it's just us." Said Benson.
"This can only go well." Sighed Atom. "What's the plan from here?" Wolf looked at Label, who was lifting weights next to TD, who was contorting himself into a pretzel, then walked up to her.
"If you won't help us, at least tell us where to find Beak Beak."
"Legend has it, you must walk past Yoga Yurt Village," said TD, "and through the tunnel of sweat. There you will find him."
"In the Pit of Despair!" Finished Label, before pumping her weight quickly in freight. Wolf glared at her, then turned back to the group. She walked back over.
"We know the place now." Said Atom. "Now, how do we get out of here to look?"
Mark swung a sword around, training a bit with it. He struck a training dummy, and the impact made him drop it. He shook his hand, then reached down to pick it back up. "I will not fail him. The first person I've ever met that I can trust." He swung the sword again, and dropped it again. He picked it up once more. "10 years in that lab. Anybody who tries to take me back will meet a swift end." He swung again, and held on through the impact. He took a few deep breaths as he thought back to it. The experiments, the scientists, and especially that head scientist. He grit his teeth as they sharpened a bit, feeling the pain of that betrayal. He felt so alone that day. He sliced at the training dummy, cutting clean through it as more fur grew up his arm. He looked at the sword. "As a knight of Auram, I will help Scarlemagne bring in the humans, or send them to their death."
Wolf led the way, turning a corner quickly with Stalkie at the ready. Kipo and Mandu were right behind her, and following them was Benson and Dave, with Leo on Dave's head. Atom brought up the rear, trailing behind by quite a bit as he tried to keep up, grimacing every time he took a step with his left leg. "Why did this place have to be so far away?" He complained. He caught up to the group as they hid behind an outcropping on a building, looking down.
"There's Beak Beak." Said Benson.
"Uh, it's not so much a 'pit of despair', "said Dave, "as it is a fat bird on a wire." Beak Beak squaked a bit, flapping its wings, and something shiny crashed on the ground. It caught the sunlight, drawing Beak Beak's attention. It squaked again, before slamming its head down on it. Wolf's eyes widened as an idea came to her.
"It seems to like shiny things." Said Atom. "Perhaps we could use that?" Wolf grinned and turned to Kipo.
"Ooh! Do you have a plan?" She asked. "That's your" she deepened her voice, "'I have a plan' face."
"I have a plan!" Confirmed Wolf. "But we're going to need those raccoons." Benson looked at her.
"But we tried convincing them already, and that completely failed." Countered Leo.
"If we can't convince them, we can trick them!" Said Benson.
"A bit of deception?" Asked Atom. "Normally, I would go against that. But in this case, it might be beneficial to have them see it's possible." He looked at Wolf. "Okay, what's the plan?"
Jamack was flying around on a dragonfly, looking for someone very specific. "Where are you, Burrow Girl?" He continued flying, passing over a dump. Something caught his eye down below. He looked down to see the group heading into some kind of trash tunnel. "There you are! Now, all I have to do is wait for you to split up so I can capture you!"
Atom helped Dave tie a few knots between some very stretchy fabric, connecting them. Label and another large raccoon started to walk past, hefting weights, and Dave turned to them. "Hey!" He said. "Glad you're here. Can you help me with this workout I want to try?" He pulled the knot tighter.
"Workout huh?" Asked Label. "Yeah! Of course I'm in!" Atom smiled.
"We need to put together the rope for it first." He held up some more fabric. "You two know anything about tying knots?"
Benson stood across from TD, both of them holding a tree pose. "You're like a majestic redwood, TD, but how zen would it be to do tree pose, on top of a tree?" TD gasped quietly.
"Ah." He said, thinking about it. Leo popped open on Benson's shoulder.
"You're doing great." He whispered.
A dozen raccoons were jazzercising to some music as Kipo and Wolf ran up, carrying mirrors over their heads. They started to run in place in front of them, and Carton watched them, then the other raccoons started to stare. "Have you ever tried running with, mirrors?" Asked Wolf.
"It's like a sparkle weight!" Added Kipo. "You burn way more calories!" Carton thought about it for a moment, then looked at another raccoon.
"Oh!" She yelled, excited. Every raccoon in the room grabbed a mirror off the wall, and Kipo and Wolf started running.
"Let's go!" Said Kipo. "Let's move it!" The two led the raccoons outside. The mirrors started reflecting light, and the two girls led them through a few alleyways, before pausing to let them all pass. The two grinned at each other before taking up the back of the big group, running right under Beak Beak. The reflected light drew its attention, and it squaked at them all. It attempted to take off after them, but crashed into the ground as it jumped off its wire. Beak Beak picked itself up before running after the group. Wolf glanced back and smiled.
"That's it!" She said. "Run hard and stay together!" She looked at Kipo, then the two looked forward again as Carton got in between them.
"Is there something behind us?" She asked.
"Nope!" Dismissed Kipo.
"Yep." Confirmed Wolf. "It's Beak Beak." Beak Beak squaked.
"But we told you we can't do this!" Yelled Carton, suddenly terrified.
"Yes you can!" Argued Kipo. "We believe in you! Plus, it's too late to back out!"
"Now run like your lives depend on it!" Added Wolf. "Because they do!" Everyone turned a corner suddenly, and one of the raccoons tripped and skid to the side. She picked herself up and quickly ran after the group, catching up before Beak Beak could attack. Kipo and Wolf grinned at each other as the raccoons ran past them. They once again took up the back as they turned another corner, Beak Beak right on their tails. Over by Beak Beak's wire, Benson and TD were climbing up the poles, with the rope of stretchy cloth in their hands. They both stood at the top and assumed Tree Poses. TD looked around a bit.
"This isn't really a tree?" He said.
"No, but it has the energy of a tree." Said Benson. "Don't you feel it? I know I do."
"Keep it up." Whispered Leo. A ways behind TD, Beak Beak squaked as the raccoons, Kipo and Wolf continued to run from it. TD started to turn.
"Look!" Interrupted Benson. "We're two mighty evergreens connected by a heart string!" He pulled the rope, pulling TD off balance a bit before he recovered. He looked back to see nothing, then back at Benson.
"Your truth is beautiful Benson. Thank you for sharing it with me." TD closed his eyes and Benson started to tie his end of the rope around the pole.
"Loop it up and around, then pull it down!" Said Leo. Benson followed the instructions, and soon the knot was tied. TD opened his eyes and saw what Benson was doing.
"Benson?" He asked. "What are you"
"Just tie your end around the pole!" Called Benson. TD looked down and saw Dave, Label, and the other big raccoon down below.
"Okay!" He called. He swiftly tied a sturdy knot as Dave lined up a large stake on the ground. He used a hammer with his muscled up arm to whack it, embedding it deeply. He then threw the hammer away, looking up at the two large raccoons.
"Ready to get super ripped?" He laughed. "I don't know! Let's see if you can pull those bands around this stake!" The two large raccoons looked up at it.
"Oh, target my delts." Said Label. "Nice!" She took a running leap towards the other large raccoon, who gave her a boost up to the rope. "Woo!" She grabbed onto it and pulled it down with her. She landed in front of Dave, and began straining to pull it down further. She got it within inches of the stake, then Dave started grunting as he molted completely, casting a bit of a shadow over Label. "Whoa!" She said, looking up. "You are so much more balanced!"
"Allow me." Said Dave, taking a step forward. But, just as quickly as he bulked up, he fell back and Old Dave popped out.
"Oh?" Asked Label. "Oh, that was weird!" She began putting more effort into pulling the rope, and finally got it around the stake. Benson shot a thumbs up at one of the buildings, then slid down the pole, gesturing for TD to do the same, before he ran over to the stake.
"Great job, everyone." He said, pulling out a much thinner rope and tying it around the stake. "Now hide!" He suddenly took off towards another building as the two raccoons followed him. Dave brought up the rear. Atom waited by the building that Benson had just given the thumbs up to, waiting for them to get into position. He then put the ocarina to his mouth and blew a loud, shrill note. It resonated around the area, reaching Kipo and Wolf.
"That's our signal!" Said Wolf. "Bring it home!" They and the raccoons picked up the pace for the final trek, staying just ahead of Beak Beak as it screeched at them.
"Beak Beak!" Yelled one of the Raccoons.
"That's the spirit!" Called Kipo as the raccoon passed her and Wolf. The two looked at each other, then Kipo suddenly yelled, smiling at Wolf. Wolf smiled back, then mimicked it, yelling as well. Both laughed a bit before they started yelling again. Everyone passed Beak Beak's wire. "Drop them!" Yelled Kipo. She and Wolf threw their mirrors back as the raccoons tossed theirs away. All the mirrors shattered as everyone hid. Beak Beak squaked a bit as it looked for them, confused as to where they went. It then got bored and walked back to its wire, before taking a leap and turning in the air, landing on it. Kipo chanced a peek around the corner, and noticed something embedded in Beak Beak's feathers. She gasped. "The lunch box!" Her legs suddenly grew fur, and she took off running, way faster than she was before.
"Kipo no!" Yelled Benson. "Wait!" He put Dave down before running after her.
"Wha?" He asked. "What's gotten into her?" Atom took notice of the two of them running, and practically foresaw what was going to happen. He started hobbling towards them.
"No." He said to himself. "I won't let that happen!" He felt a familiar pressure in his legs as the pain suddenly stopped. He began running towards Beak Beak from the back as Kipo ran at it from the front. Beak Beak squaked at her, then slammed down at her. She jumped out of the way before running to the side. She jumped past another attack, and continued her run forwards. She lunged at Beak Beak, snagging the lunch box and diving under it. She slid to a stop far behind it, and it turned to her. She took no notice of it preparing to attack again as she glanced at her legs.
"Huh?" She asked. Benson tackled her as Atom ran up, brandishing his shield to block Beak Beak's strike. He strained against it, nearly buckling under the pressure. Both Benson and Kipo looked up, and Kipo began readjusting her clothes to hide the fur. "Benson! It's my arm and my legs this time!"
"I know." Said Benson. "I-I saw." Atom fell on his back against Beak Beak's attack before it began to rise up again. He deactivated his shield and rolled to the side, avoiding another blow. As Beak Beak went up, though, Dave walked up. Beak Beak looked at him and squaked, making Dave look up.
"Wait, you're not Benso No!" Beak Beak suddenly chomped down on Dave, eating him in one bite.
"No!" Yelled Kipo.
"It's ok! It's ok!" Said Benson. "Dave's been eaten before. My man does not go down easy. Watch!" Atom scampered over towards them, away from Beak Beak as it began retching.
"We're missing our chance!" Called Wolf.
"Any second now!" Replied Benson. Beak Beak suddenly spit up Baby Dave, sending him over to Wolf, who dove into a roll to catch him.
"Now!" Yelled Wolf. Label began pulling on the rope to try and pull the stake free. It moved a little, but the rope suddenly snapped, sending her back a bit.
"No!" She said, looking at the now useless rope. She glared up, then tossed the rope to the side. She started running up, getting to the stake in seconds before grasping it firmly. She pulled on it as Beak Beak turned to her. "This is for DJ Crowbar!" She gave it one mighty pull, and the stake came out. The rope snapped at Beak Beak, acting like a slingshot and launching it away as it squaked in pain. It crashed down a ways away, sending up a mushroom shaped dust cloud.
"Huh." Said Atom. "You don't see that every day." The other raccoons ran up to Label.
"Beak Beak's gone!" Said Carton. "Oh!"
"Beak Beak's gone!" Agreed TD as they all cheered.
"Oh yeah! We did it!" Said Label.
"We did it!" Yelled Carton. "Cheat day!" Wolf walked up to them.
"Now if Beak Beak ever shows back up, you know what to do." She said. TD turned to her.
"More than that, we know we can." He said. "Our minds had to believe before we could achieve." He bowed to her respectfully.
"We did it!" Yelled Label. "You're like our heroes!" One of the raccoons hugged Benson as a few others lifted Kipo and Wolf onto their shoulders. Atom looked around the festivities, smiling away.
"We've done good today." He said. Leo landed on his shoulder.
"And got the lunch box back to boot." Leo turned to Atom. "Though, how did you run so fast? Wasn't your ankle injured?" Atom looked at him.
"Yeah, it was. But I'm feeling that pressure again. I don't want to look, though." The raccoons that had Kipo and Wolf were bouncing up and down, excited.
"We did it!" Said Kipo. The two punched towards each other, just relishing in it, until Wolf considered what they were doing and looked at Kipo, puzzled. She looked at her fist, then back at Kipo.
"This is stupid." She said.
"I know." Said Kipo. "That's what makes it fun." Benson turned Dave to him.
"You know that feeling I've been chasing?" He asked. "Yes you do! I just got it!" He looked away. "Huh. I guess it means something when you earn the cheers." He thought for another few moments. "That's what separates the reality from the fantasy!" He looked back at Dave. "You have to earn the cheers! Yes you do! Oh you're so cute!" The raccoon's cheers slowly died away, and they eventually put Kipo and Wolf down before walking away back towards their home. Kipo and Wolf looked at each other as everyone gathered around. Wolf noticed that Kipo still hadn't opened the lunch box.
"What are you waiting for?" She asked. "Open it." Kipo glanced at her, before back at the lunch box. She opened it, revealing a very archaic set of paper glasses, with one blue lens. "Huh?" Asked Kipo. She pulled it out and stared at it for a few moments. She put them on. "What are these for?" Atom looked them over.
"Well, those are 3D glasses. An old version, but still effective. Though they usually come with a red lens as well." Benson glanced up to the sign.
"Maybe we're not looking in the right place." He suggested. Kipo followed his gaze up.
"You're right." She said. "It was up there, so it's meant to be used up there." She started walking.
"We're going to need to be careful on the way up." Said Atom. "I can shield surf down the pile, but I can't go up it. We need to find a path."
Jamack continued to survey the group from far above, but his stomach grumbled while he did. "Oh come on. Not now!" He looked at it, then back down, only for it to complain again. "Ugh, fine. They don't look like they're splitting up anyway, at least not in a way for me to grab the Burrow Girl." He started steering the dragonfly towards the ground, a little ways away.
The group finally got to the top of the canyon again, huffing and puffing. "Why does garbage, have to be so, slippery?" Asked Atom.
"We made it up." Said Wolf. "That's the important part." She looked at Atom. "Though how you kept up with us, I don't know." Atom flashed her a nervous smile.
"Still riding off the adrenaline from Beak Beak?" He suggested.
"Guys, not right now." Said Kipo. She went towards the sign post, then started trying to shimmy up it. She made slow progress, until she got the hang of it, then started climbing up quickly. She got on top of the nose, then sat on it. She pulled out the glasses and put them on, before looking out. "Aw, look! Those are dogs!" The rest of the group looked across, trying to see them. "Such little cuties." Kipo suddenly gasped. "I've always wanted to pet one!"
"Little?!" Asked Wolf. "They're 50 feet tall!" Atom shook his head.
"From this vantage point, I'd say they're much taller than that." Kipo continued looking out as one of the dogs began to move. She gasped, then removed the glasses. She put them back on, confirming what she saw.
"The second clover!" She laughed, excitedly. "Guys! That's it! We found it!" She started climbing back down quickly, sliding down the pole. She walked to the edge of the canyon, all smiles.
"If your dad expects us to get in there, he's as crazy as you are." Said Wolf. The wind blew past the group.
"Well, she had to get it from somewhere." Said Atom. Kipo's excitement started to shift as she slumped slightly, realizing what was going to happen. She looked at Wolf.
"Once we get there is that, really going to be it for us, Wolf?" Wolf looked back at her, surprised, and contemplating. She looked away, then turned away, fighting with herself on what to do. She took a few steps, and Kipo half heartedly reached out to her. Benson, Atom and Leo watched with dread and anticipation.
"No." Decided Wolf.
"What?" Asked Kipo. Wolf turned to her, but didn't meet her gaze.
"Burrows are stupid." She said. She then looked at Kipo. "But I guess if I'm with you, it could be fun." Kipo was stunned for a few moments, before tears started to bubble up.
"Wolfatha Christie the Fourth, that's the sweetest thing you've ever said!"
"Wolf's going to the burrow!" Cheered Benson as Kipo did an excited cartwheel.
"I knew you two were inseparable!" Said Atom.
"No promises!" Interjected Wolf. "If I hate it, I'm leaving." Kipo ran a half circle before running into Wolf, giving her a big hug. She didn't notice her sleeve slip down a bit. Wolf didn't react for a few moments, but leaned into the hug, looking happy for once. She opened her eyes and looked down, noticing something out of the corner of her eye. She reached up to Kipo's sleeve, then pulled back from the hug. The sleeve came with her, revealing Kipo's furry arm. Wolf gasped and looked up at Kipo, who pulled her arm back and half hid it behind her, looking away.
"Um, I-I've been trying to tell you about this." She said, nervously. "Well, a-at first, "Wolf backed away, "I didn't even know what was happening. It-it was like fur-poof! Wha?!" Kipo noticed Wolf backing away and refocused. "But, after my vision from, Mulholland, I'm pretty sure, I'm part Mute."
"You're a, Mute?" Asked Wolf, looking terrified.
"I'm still me." Said Kipo, reaching out to Wolf with her normal arm. Wolf backed away and gasped. "What is it?" Wolf just continued to back away. "Wolf, talk to me." Wolf bumped into Benson, then turned and continued to back away, away from the canyon. She tripped over a rock, but continued to back away. Atom sighed.
"And here we go." He muttered. "The stereotypical trope of change breaking a friendship."
"I, I," stuttered Wolf. She suddenly gripped Stalkie close, before turning and running. "No!" Kipo gripped her shirt, tears again forming in her eyes.
"Benson, Atom?" She asked.
"Hey, it's gonna be ok." Said Benson. Kipo looked at him. "She just needs a little time to process. I'll get her back." He turned towards the direction Wolf ran, then handed Dave to Kipo. "Here." Atom shook his head again.
"If there's one thing that really infuriates me, it's how easily one can forget all the good that has come from a friendship because of one little change."
"You're going after her?" Asked Leo. Atom nodded, then turned to Kipo.
"Kipo, take Leo with you. If need be, we can always find each other." Leo hopped onto her shoulder as Atom and Benson started following Wolf. Atom initially ran way faster than Benson, but slowed it down to keep pace with him. "There's no point in either of us facing her alone."
"Atom, are you sure that's the best idea?" Asked Benson. "I mean, how will she react to you when she finds out?"
"That's a problem for later." Kipo watched the three run off, tears still in her eyes, as her arm twitched. She looked at it as the fur started to retract.
"Great." She whispered. "Now it goes away." She looked back up at her running friends, before a very long tongue suddenly wrapped around her, Dave, and Leo. She was brought face to face with Jamack.
"Burrow Girl." He said.