Author's Note: I must thank my Lord and Savior for giving me the inspiration for this story, as well as the talent You have given me; with You, I know nothing is impossible. Whatever I do, I will thank You for, rather than take the praise for myself. You deserve it all. Amen.
Am I really working on a Zula Patrol fic after so long?! Why, yes. Yes, I am.
For those of who are old readers, welcome back! For those who are new, nice to meet you! My name's iheartgod175, and welcome to one of my first remasters!
My first long Zula Patrol fic, "The Zula Patrol: Dreamscape Crusade", was a fic I did spend a lot of time planning back in 2014. I had a separate notebook for everything that was to happen in the story and was nearly finished with it when I moved in 2016...and left my original notes behind. I tried to go through with the rest of the story with the bits I remembered, but in the end, I ended up making up things as I went along. I thought that I could finish the first arc, but as a recent review pointed out, some things were rushed and were dragged out for a while. And I've known for a long time that there was too much stuff going on, but I didn't do anything about it because I didn't want to abruptly end the story like I did with three other fics. But the idea of a rewrite stuck, and I figured, "Why the heck not?"
A lot of ideas for the story's rewrite were inspired by several of my favorite authors, namely The Blue Time Ranger (formerly S.P.D. Gold Ranger), who was my first inspiration for writing fanfic and has been doing some neat rewrites of his own series. The main inspiration for it, however, was a Symphogear fanfic titled "My Sunshine-Nuova Alba-" by solopy567. Senki Zesshou Symphogear actually influenced a lot of stuff when I was writing the original story, including a cool power that I was going to introduce in the original's chapter 11. If any of you guys are fans of Symphogear, please check out that fanfic, both in it's original form and the remake. It's an amazing read! And if you haven't watched Symphogear, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE WATCH IT. IT IS AMAZING.
...ahem. Sorry. ^^;
So, what can you expect from this new updated version of the story? Well, the following:
-Chapters 1-3 getting some major, MAJOR overhauls; you probably won't even recognize them as the same ones from the original. There are a few lines that are unchanged from the original chapters, but otherwise, these chapters are getting some major facelifts.
-Better grasp of characters and their development. Namely Paragor and much of his army, the Legion, who I feel were lacking in motivations, as well as Bonnie, my OC, who is supposed to have an important role. If I told you all that I was doing with Paragor, there'd be no point in reading the story, right? :) There will also be better establishment of their roles in the fic proper-Bonnie is definitely still the team support, but the story focuses heavily on the Zula Patrol.
-Changes in pairings (full list below in the story summary!)
-Proper introduction of certain characters (the OCs) and better establishments of relationships between them and the cast. I'm working on establishing character connections instead of trying to do it late in the story (as I have been doing for years ^^;)
That's about it for right now...if I think of anything else, I'll probably come back and update this chapter.
Anyway, enough of me rambling, let's get going!
"Multo, have you ever heard of the Dreamscapers?"
"No, Mother, I haven't. What are they?"
"It's a long story, one that goes back for thousands of years."
"Amazing. Tell me more!"
"OK, then, pay close attention."
"I am."
"Three thousand years ago, an ancient civilization known as the Dreamscapers came to be. Hailing from another planet, they possessed powers unknown to alienkind. Their leader was the most powerful of them all, possessing powers over darkness and light. He had an obsession with changing the world, and believed that he could take any world he found and change it if he didn't like it. His means of doing it was through a 'dreamscape'. Do you know what that is?"
"No."
"A dreamscape is a landscape or a setting with a dreamlike quality to it. Their leader's powers were such that he could create entire worlds based on his own, altering reality."
"Fascinating!"
"But...the way he did it was horrible. To create his first worlds, he launched 'crusades' against other worlds that involved mass slaughter of countless aliens."
"What? Why?!"
"Remember how I said that he controlled powers of light and dark? In order to create a new world...the old one had to die. Death fueled his powers, and the more aliens he killed, the more powerful he became. The first time he did this, called the First Dreamscape Crusade, he killed enough aliens to alter the realities of three worlds."
"How awful..."
"Indeed it was. His second crusade was launched here, on Zula; it is referred to as the Dark Days of Zula for this reason. Many Zuleans died in that crusade, but the future of the planet was saved by one group, known as the House of the Zulean Phoenix. This clan, possessing powers of the light, managed to seal the leader and his army away, putting an end to the chaos."
"What happened to the rest of the Dreamscapers?"
"Once the incident was over, many planets sought to destroy the Dreamscapers for their actions. This became known as the Great Purge. By the time a century had passed, the once thriving Dreamscapers were all but extinct. Those who survived fled to another galaxy, or met the same fate as their leader: sealed away, never to be found again. There is evidence they existed, mostly in writings and art. Their underground cities, buried in mountains , hills and volcanoes, are well-hidden. One could spend a lifetime searching, and never find a thing."
"...Wow. In all my years of study, I've never heard of anything like that..."
"Of course you wouldn't have. The people who run Zula's education system don't want anyone to learn about. Those who do dig into the story are often stopped before they can get too deep, or are branded as conspiracy theorists."
"Then, how do you know about it?"
"Your great-grandfather told me all about it. He said that he wanted to make sure our family was better prepared than most."
"Mother...you're starting to scare me. What's the real reason you're telling me all of this?"
"During his lifetime, the leader orchestrated three crusades. The first Dreamscape Crusade was called 'The Crusade of Experimentation', as he was first learning of his powers. The second, 'The Crusade of Change'. But the third one is known as 'The Crusade of Revenge'."
"The Crusade of Revenge?"
"Yes. Many predict this will happen during our lifetime. But many more don't believe. Such is their unbelief..."
"Well...I'm not sure how that will happen...but should it, I'm certain that they'd be able to stop it."
"They?"
"The Zula Patrol, of course!"
"...If that's what you want to believe, son. I suppose every story needs its heroes..."
Multo awoke with a start, his neck aching from falling asleep on his Multopedia. He blinked a few times to adjust to the lamp light hanging over his head, before sitting up with a groan. "Goodness, I have got to stop doing that..."
He looked down at his Multopedia, which was open to a section he'd marked for further study: dreamscapes, and their correlation to the Dark Days of Zula. An anonymous source had contacted him for information on the subject for their final term paper. Having been a former professor at the Zula Academy, he couldn't turn down the request, and so found himself studying until sleep had taken over.
Though not unfamiliar with the concept of dreamscapes, he was confused by his dream. He hadn't heard of "Dreamscapers" since he was a young boy. His parents would tell him and his older brother of them, and his older brother would make horror stories to scare him at night. As he'd gotten older, he'd written it off as mere legend. Surely, if it were true, the signs of the Dreamscapers' takeover would be more apparent.
Even so, he hadn't dreamed of that in ages...what caused him to think of it now?
He looked at the clock and sighed. It was already 11, meaning six more hours before he had to get up and make breakfast for the rest of the team. Closing his Multopedia, he turned off the lamp and went to the ramp, the thoughts of these "Dreamscapers" filling his mind.
(One's greatest dream could be everyone's greatest nightmare. And it's up to them to end it.)
Iheartgod175 presents:
The Zula Patrol: Dreamscape Crusade Remastered
Original version created: January 29, 2014
Published: January 30th, 2014
Rating: T (due to violence, occasional horror, trauma, very mild language and romance)
Genre/Tags: Sci-fi/Fantasy/Occasional Horror/Adventure/Romance/Drama/Tragedy/Earn Your Happy Ending
Full Summary: During a trip to newly discovered ruins, Multo and his friend Professor Autofocus make a startling discovery that ultimately results in tragedy for the Zula Patrol. A few weeks after the funeral, a new threat rises from the ashes of this tragedy: an ancient alien race known as the Dreamscapers, led by the mysterious and manipulative Paragor. The planet descends into chaos as Paragor conducts his 'Dreamscape Crusade', which involves destroying reality to fit his twisted desires...but not before laying waste to Zula in an act of revenge. With the help of allies both old and new, the fractured Zula Patrol are brought in to save the day, but soon discover that what they've learned isn't even half of the whole story. In order to get to the bottom of the situation, they unearth secrets that should have been hidden, and face a foe that will test the resolve and bonds they share. A sci-fi/fantasy mix, mainly concerning with alternate universes and technology. Bula/Zeeter, Multo/Professor Precipito, one-sided Multo/Zeeter, and an OC-pairing.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of the little known but endearing science cartoon that is The Zula Patrol; that includes characters and locations. And I think this fic proves exactly why ^^ They all belong to Deb Manchester. All I own are the original characters. There will also be some anime references, so of course I don't own those, either. I'm just making this for your enjoyment.
Part I: The Crusade Begins
Chapter 1: Awakening
June 20th, 2500-11:00 P.M.
Mount Zula
A warm summer breeze wafted through the bushes that covered much of Mount Zula, harmonizing with the sounds of creatures scuttling around for meals. The starry indigo sky made for a fantastic contrast against the rust orange of the peak, with the moon casting an ethereal glow over it. If one were out at this time of night, they would have found the landscape picture perfect.
And if one were out at this time of night, they might have heard voices coming from the base of the mountain.
The base of Mount Zula was a labyrinth of tunnels and caves, nearly impossible to escape from. One could fall to their death in it, which was what made the mountain a hotbed for horror stories. Very few had made it to the heart of the mountain, said to be home to legendary creatures unknown to Zuleans.
The heart of Mount Zula was home to something much more sinister, however, which was starting to stir on this very night.
In the deepest part of the mountain, a large, egg-shaped capsule was embedded in the wall, with a network of rust-colored veins stretching throughout the wall, pulsing with faint energy. The capsule itself was decorated with a phoenix; colored orange, gold and blue, its large wings were spread out gloriously, a gold sun set behind it. Parts of the seal were faded away due to time, but it remained mostly intact.
From this capsule, a feminine voice said in a hushed tone, "When, Master? When will we carry out the final crusade fulfilled as foretold in the prophecies?" Though robotic in nature, there was a hint of bloodlust in her voice.
A deep chuckle answered her. And then, a male voice with enough reverb to shake the cave, replied with, "Patience, my dear Ignis. When the seal is broken, our Crusade will begin."
"I doubt anyone from the House will break the seal."
"Those who know of us will not, surely. But there are fools in every group, and one is bound to stumble upon us eventually."
"Do you even believe anyone from that cult is still alive?"
"Have a little faith. We are still around after thousands of years. Surely they are as well. That is the only purpose I need them for. Once released, I shall have my revenge on them first."
"I suppose you are right, Master. But I long for the days of combat again."
"As do I, child. But be still, if only for a moment longer. Our patience shall pay off soon enough."
And with that, the cave fell silent.
June 25th, 2500-6:00 A.M.
Zula Patrol Headquarters
The loud beeping of the alarm clock blasted into Bula's ears, almost sending him leaping out of bed. Sighing, and trying to calm down his racing heart, he turned over and hit the stop button on his new, shiny red alarm clock, a belated birthday gift from his mentor a day prior. "I wish Multo didn't make these things so loud," he muttered. "At least he remembered to put a stop function on this one."
Sitting up, he yawned before being knocked down again, and a yelp escaped his lips. Upon feeling a wet tongue come into contact with his face, he laughed, scratching his dog companion Gorga behind the ears. "Good morning, Gorga," he said, sitting up and giving him a head rub. "I'll get ready and then we can get the others up."
Gorga nodded, and leaped off the bed, landing perfectly on all fours. Bula got down from his bunk, and headed for his closet. Taking his uniform, he then walked out the door to head for the bathroom. Normally, he'd shower first, but he needed to touch bases with everyone first. Of course, Zeeter would snap at him for dressing in his uniform on their day off, but as he'd learned over the years, there really was no such thing for them. He needed to be prepared.
No sooner had he stepped out the door than a purple blur flew past his face. He let out another yelp of surprise as a tennis ball flew past, barely brushing his nose.
He stared at the two youngest members-Wizzy and Wigg-as they were holding an impromptu tennis match in the middle of the hall. Wigg did his best to return the shots that Wizzy served, but eventually missed one, which hit Multo's door.
"HA! I win again!" Wizzy said, spinning in victory.
Wigg frowned. "That's the third time, Wizz! I'm getting sick of these games!" he muttered.
At that, Bula knew he had to step in. The twins bickered about virtually everything, especially competitive games. "Wizzy, Wigg, it's too early for this..."
The two youngsters finally noticed his presence. Wigg flew over to him, racket waving in Wizzy's direction. "Well, can you tell Wizzy to stop rubbing her wins in my face?" he asked, before sending his sister a glare.
"Not my fault that I'm good at this game!" Wizzy protested. "You're just a sore loser."
Bula sighed. "Well, now that that's settled," he started, "did you guys clean the Zula Scooter like I asked you to yesterday?"
Both their smiles dropped and looked to each other. "I didn't know we were supposed to do it this early," Wigg said.
"I told you we needed to do that first!"
"Yeah, and then you decided to play tennis!"
"You didn't have to agree!"
Bula frowned, feeling the beginnings of a headache. Behind him, Gorga facepalmed. "If you two have enough time to play, you certainly have enough time to do maintenance on the Zula Scooter," he said.
"Can we do it after breakfast?" Wigg said.
"Yes...but I want that scooter done before the end of the day today," he replied, slipping into his "captain" voice.
The effect was immediate. "Sure thing, Bula," both said, and hurried off to their room.
Once they were gone, he turned to Gorga. "Already this is starting to feel like a long day," he said, heading to the bathroom.
Ten minutes later, Bula exited the bathroom, combing the last few strands of hair into place. As soon as he stepped out, he caught a whiff of the air, which smelled like week-old garbage and rotten onions mixed together. Gorga was on the floor covering his snout with a small whine. Swallowing back bile, he followed his nose and headed to the kitchen.
Sure enough, Multo was there, a yellow and green spotted apron tied around his waist, humming to himself as he chopped up...something on a cutting board. The reddish tentacles proved it was some squid like creature he'd never seen before. The pungent aroma filled the whole kitchen, and only grew stronger as he continued his work.
Gorga made a face, and Bula shuddered. So much for a good start to the day. Multo's cooking could make the biggest eater go on a diet for the rest of their lives. How the rest of the team still managed to stomach it after all these years was a miracle in itself.
Multo put the chopped squid-at least, he hoped it was squid-into a casserole pan, and it was then that he noticed Bula and Gorga standing there. He smiled brightly, as always. "Good morning, Bula, Gorga! I'm not quite finished with breakfast yet; dissecting that Red Ruby Squid took longer than I thought," he said.
"A Red Ruby Squid?" Bula asked.
"Why, yes! It's a delicacy from my home town. Mother was able to get her hands on some and shipped it this morning," he said. "It's got a nice, strong flavor, with a hint of spiciness. I'm using it in my breakfast casserole."
"Why does it smell like that?"
"If I'm right, it's because of the blood in its veins. It smells awful when it's chopped, but the taste is well worth it. Think of it like an onion," Multo said, not at all bothered by Bula's face.
"Y-Yeah...I'll try to. Have you seen Zeeter by any chance?" he asked.
"She's outside doing some maintenance on the rocket," he replied, putting the casserole in the oven. "I remember she was muttering something about wanting to talk to Wizzy and Wigg about it."
"Yeah, I already talked to them, though. They'll help her out after breakfast," he said. He started to head out, but that was when he remembered something. "Hey, Multo..."
"Hmm?"
"Did you ever ask Zeeter about going to the comet summit?" he asked.
"Ah...about that...well, she turned me down," he said, and Bula noted the disappointment in his voice. "Alas, it was not meant to be."
"Wow," Bula replied. "I remember how you were looking forward to seeing that with her."
"Indeed," Multo said. He sat down on the chair. "I wonder what it is I'm doing wrong..."
Bula walked over to Multo, with Gorga following. "Well, have you ever thought about telling her how you felt?" he asked.
"Yes, numerous times. But every time I work up the nerve to say something, I chicken out, as Wigg would say," he said. "And then, I had some ways I was going to go about it, as well."
"Like how?"
"Well, I was going to bake some fudge and squid brownies and proclaim it in slug frosting," Multo said.
Bula blanched. "OK, I'm going to be brutally honest here; that is a terrible idea," he said.
"I suppose you're right," Multo sighed, his head in his hands. "I'm a failure at romance..."
"Don't say that, Multo. Just because you didn't do well the first time doesn't mean you're a failure," he explained. "You've got to keep working at it. You'll win her over, I know it."
Multo looked over at Bula, and after a while, a small smile appeared on his face. "Thank you, Bula. I suppose it was silly of me to think that not telling you would be better," he said.
"Multo, you trusted me enough to tell me you liked her," Bula said. "Like I said, I'll do everything I can to be your wingman."
"Again, thank you," Multo said. His eyes widened. "Oh! All that talk about brownies gave me an idea for what to do for dessert tonight! I'm thinking of either double cherry pillbug or turtle slug brownies...but then I'd have to stop by the market after my excavation trip..."
"Uh...how about you let me make the brownies this time, Multo?" Bula suggested, trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice.
"You wouldn't mind?"
"No. After all, you and Autofocus and the rest of the professors are supposed to be heading out to dinner afterwards," he said. "I wouldn't want all that pressure on you."
"Well, in that case, why not! Just be sure to save me a few," Multo said.
"And by a few, I know that means 'twelve'," Bula teased.
Multo laughed. "Well, what can I say? They are delicious," he said. He stood up from his seat. "But probably not as good as my Red Ruby Squid breakfast casserole."
"Ahaha...probably..."
"I'll be right back! I'm going to make sure I have all the supplies I need," he said, and walked out, hanging his apron on the hook.
Bula turned to Gorga. "Come on, let's go find Zeeter before Multo decides to give us a taste test."
Gorga nodded vigorously at this, and the two headed for the elevator.
9:30 A.M.
Zula Academy
"...Bonnie? What are you doing here this time of morning?"
"Gwah?!" Bonnie snapped up, and winced upon feeling the stiffness in her neck. Perhaps she shouldn't have fallen asleep leaning in the back of her chair. Brushing the strands of her white hair aside, she stood up to greet her teacher, smoothing out her magenta skirt and throwing her black jacket over her shoulders. "Good morning, Ms. Tulu," she said. "It's been a while."
The older, dark-skinned alien stopped in front of her, her four arms filled will books. Her orange and yellow rimmed eye was narrowed in curiosity at her. "Indeed it has," she said. "What brings you here? I thought you were on Earth for the rest of the year."
"I will be heading home soon, but I'm not heading out yet," she replied.
"Oh? That is surprising," Tulu replied. "What's keeping you here on Zula?"
"Honestly, I came to see if that paper I requested was available yet," she said.
"Which one?"
"The one on the Prince of Dreams," she said.
She figured that would get a reaction out of her, and sure enough, she was right; Tulu rolled her eye and gave her a small glare. "Bonnie, honestly. Haven't you learned by now to let go of those children's stories?" she asked. "You're what, 26? You should have a career on your mind."
"I can't ignore the signs when they're right in front of me," Bonnie replied, matching the teacher's glare with one of her own.
"What signs?" she said, starting to walk away.
Bonnie followed behind, her heeled boots clacking against the mica floor. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. That explosion in Zazu Falls that the Zula Patrol had to investigate. The appearance of Contra's Comet after over three thousand years. The surge of interest in creating other worlds! Not exploring, creating!" she explained. "You can't tell me that those are just coincidences."
"You're just looking for things to add to your blog," Tulu said, pausing to wave to one of her fellow professors. She sighed as she turned to Bonnie. "You're inquisitive, intelligent and driven. But you've got a one-track mind. Nobody can tell you anything contrary to what you believe. We tell you to do something one way, but you keep doing things your way."
"And what's the problem with that?"
"It's only good in certain situations, Bonnie. But most Zuleans are pursuing careers, families. Livelihood. You on the other hand are so fixated on legends past that you're not looking at the present, or your future," Tulu continued. "It's one thing to have an interest, and then it's another to have an obsession."
"Ms. Tulu...I appreciate your advice, but I have my own personal reasons for this," Bonnie explained coolly. She was amazed that she'd managed to keep cool during the teacher's rant. "The Dreamscapers are responsible for what happened to my family, and my closest friends."
"What happened to your family and friends were terrible tragedies. And the murderers were never brought to justice," Tulu said. "But Bonnie, for someone to say that they were responsible...that's a sign of a delusional person."
Bonnie felt heat flush to her face, and she averted her eyes, biting on her tongue. She had some words for this woman, especially after that last remark, but it wasn't worth the energy to argue. It never was with people like her.
They stopped in front of Tulu's classroom. The alien turned to face Bonnie. "I believe that paper should be in the library by now, if it makes you feel better. Term papers are available a week after grading," she said. "I don't know why you're so interested in it, but knock yourself out if you want."
"Thanks," Bonnie replied. "I'll be sure to stop by later. I do have some lovely Earth gardenias that I wanted to give you before I head home."
"Oh, how lovely," Tulu said, brightening considerably. "But you didn't have to."
"I can't leave the Academy without giving something to my favorite professor," she said. "You were the only one who didn't give me weird looks or bad treatment for my upbringing. You deserve them."
"Why that's very thoughtful of you to do that," Tulu replied. "I have to get to classes now, but I'll look forward to seeing you later during break."
"Sounds good," Bonnie replied. "See you later."
As soon as she stepped into her classroom, Bonnie let out a long sigh. In all honesty, she should have kept her mouth shut about it, knowing full well that anything she said about the Dreamscapers and their role would label her as a theorist. But it didn't matter. Her blog had a following, as would her radio show, if she could convince the right people to take her on. That meant that her research wasn't a waste of time.
Rather than letting her thoughts get her down, she turned and walked down the stairs, before turning to the right and heading into the library. After scanning her ID, she went over to the computer section, taking a spot at the very end of the fourth row. Throwing her jacket on, she quickly keyed in her information before signing into her email, hoping she'd gotten a response.
Her heart soared when she saw that her inbox had one new message from Zula Patrol HQ. She clicked on it, scanning its contents.
Good morning, I hope this message finds you well.
As a former professor at the Zula Academy, I am happy to oblige your request. Though I can't give you a clear outline for your paper as it's against the rules, I have found some resources that I believe will be helpful in the long run. Included here is a summary of the info I found on the Dreamscapers and the Dark Days of Zula, as you requested.
Good luck on your paper.
Yours truly,
Multo
Her professor's harsh words were an afterthought as she let out a small squeal of excitement. Now she was getting somewhere. Multo was one of the planet's most famous professor, his brain an encyclopedia of knowledge, facts and data on virtually everything. She figured that he knew something about the Dreamscapers, and her hunch had been right. With him as a source, there was no way her paper could fail.
Gods, don't let me down...
With that in mind, she clicked open the link, and began to read...
10:30 A.M.
Zula Observatory
"Well, here we are, gang!" Zeeter called out, circling over the dome building as she attempted to find a landing spot. "And it looks like everyone else is already there."
"Ah, wonderful!" Multo said. "It's been a long time since I've been on an excavating trip. I can't wait to meet the rest of my old friends."
"There's one thing I don't get, Multo," Wigg started as they started to land. "How come Autofocus was asked to come along on the trip?"
"Yeah! He's an astronomer, not an archaeologist," Wizzy added.
"A team of archaeologists found an old constellation map, with planets that nobody had ever seen before," Multo explained. "Autofocus volunteered to come along to see if there was anything else they could find."
"Wow...more galaxies that haven't been discovered yet?" Wigg said. "That's so cool!"
"Indeed! And if I'm right, this constellation map was proof that another civilization lived here on Zula," Multo said.
"Whoa..." both twins breathed.
"I appreciate the story as much as these two, but you've gotta get going, Multo," Bula pointed out.
"Oh, yes! I don't want to keep them waiting!" Multo unbuckled his seatbelt, and picked up his equipment before heading down the ramp.
"Multo! There you are!" A familiar, thick German accent filled the air, and he was greeted by the sight of his oldest friend: Professor Autofocus, the planet's most famous astronomer. The green alien had exchanged his lab coat for hiking gear and a heavy backpack. The two exchanged handshakes. "It's been too long, my friend!"
"Indeed it has! How about the rest of the team?" he asked.
"Oh, they're all well. Mackleroy's still looking to settle his bet with you," Autofocus said.
Multo sighed. "I thought he would've dropped it by now. Almost everyone has given up on trying to debate Pluto's existence as a planet," he said.
"He hasn't," Autofocus replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "Oh, and Professor Precipito was unable to come. She had some urgent business to take care of on Ice Station Zula, but she sends her regards...and her donuts."
"Oh, wonderful! Tell her her gift is much appreciated," Multo said, his smile brightening. He turned to his teammates, who were standing on the ramp. "You all go on and have a good time at the beach. I'll meet up with the rest of you later for dinner."
"Uh...Multo, you're not planning on cooking dinner after all that, are you?" Bula asked.
"Please tell me he's not," Zeeter muttered.
"Nonsense! My friends and I are going to have dinner at Luna's Lagoon later. I'll bring something back for each of you!" Multo said.
Zeeter stared at him, eyes wide. "Luna's Lagoon? That's the fanciest place on this side of the planet!" she said.
"Indeed, and I figured we could treat ourselves to something nice," Multo explained. "We worked hard last month, following Deliria's arrest and stopping the Villain of the Year contest again."
"That is true," Bula said. After pondering on it for a moment, he nodded. "Alright, sounds good to me."
"YAY! We get to have first-class food!" Wizzy and Wigg shouted, while Gorga danced happily.
"Wonderful!" Multo said. "I'll call you all to let you know when we'll be returning."
"Don't have too much fun while you're there!" Zeeter teased.
After saying their goodbyes, the Zula Patrol prepared to take off. "Alright, gang! Who's ready to hit the beach?" Zeeter called out.
"ME! ME! I AM!" Wizzy and Wigg exclaimed, while Gorga let out a yip of approval.
Bula chuckled. "Like you even had to ask," he said, buckling in.
Yup, today was going to be a good day.
10:45 A.M.
Base of Mount Zula
A low, reverberating chuckle filled the atmosphere.
Curiosity piqued, Ignis asked, "What is it, Master?"
"It seems that today is our lucky day, my dear Ignis. A member of that wretched House is coming here."
"Are they powerful?"
"Not from what I can tell. If anything, I believe this member has just been initiated into it. Their powers are incredibly low. But..."
"But there is hope that they can break the seal?"
"Precisely. Be prepared, Ignis. When that moment comes...I want you to be the first one to welcome our guest to the Dreamscape."
"As you wish, Master."
12:00 P.M.
Zazu Beach
Zeeter let out a content sigh as she took in the sights around her. The boardwalk at Zazu Beach hadn't changed much since her childhood-the brightly colored historic shops, the street musicians that regaled small crowds, and the fish fry stands were all there, as if they'd never left. A few buildings, such as the bait and tackle shop and the ice cream store, had a few facelifts, but nothing major to make them stick out like a sore thumb. The sight of numerous Zuleans playing in the sands below and the call of the birds that flew around, hopping from tourist to tourist brought on a happy smile to her face. Her town of Zazu Falls had a lot of things going for it, but this was one of its best points.
She, Multo and Bula had been here several times during their Zula Academy days, but this was Wizzy and Wigg's first time being here. She'd had to stop them from going into every shop as soon as they'd touched down, and had given them quite the lesson on impulse buying. She should know. Multo had a notoriously bad habit of buying anything that so much as sparkled, and Bula, while not nearly as bad, loved to collect random souvenirs.
It was best to nip bad habits in the bud, as her mother liked to say.
"Hey, Zeeter, ready to get going?" Bula called.
"I am if you are," Zeeter said. She rolled her eyes as she looked at the large blue and white striped changing booth they'd been standing at for the past thirty minutes. "Seriously, Bula, it doesn't take that long to try on swim trunks."
"I had to buy a new pair because somebody thought it'd be hilarious to through my old ones away," he said pointedly.
Wizzy looked at Zeeter. "Who did that?"
"Yours truly," Zeeter said with a smile.
"And you have the gall to be happy about it," Bula muttered. "You're my friend, Zeeter."
"And as your friend, it's my duty to tell you that you need a new beach wardrobe," she said. "I mean, come on, Bula. Even I threw out my high school swimsuit!"
"Hold on. That swimsuit that Bula used to wear all the time...he had it since high school?!" Wigg exclaimed.
"Yup. He's had it longer than his captain uniform. Can you believe it?" Zeeter replied.
"Oh, very funny," Bula grumbled.
"But really, Bula. We're ready to go surf and play volleyball and eat! It shouldn't take you this long!" Wizzy said.
"Yeah! Whatever you choose, it's bound to be good!" Wigg replied.
"Alright...I'll come out, but don't gawk," he said. "Zula Scout's honor on that!"
"OK, OK. Zula Scout's honor," Zeeter replied. "Now come on before we end up losing day...light..."
Zeeter trailed off as Bula walked out of the changing booth, hurriedly fixing his hair as always. He wore a pair of navy blue swim trunks with red stripes on the side and a matching pair of sandals, as well as a pair of light brown sunshades. He'd decided against buttoning his white shirt, allowing his toned body to be exposed. Multo's recent exercise regimen had inspired Bula to get in shape, and the fruits of his training were definitely hard to miss.
Zeeter gulped. He looked good.
He'd look even better shirtless, she thought. A blush started to erupt on her face and she screamed internally. Oh my gods, why did I just think that?!
"Wow, Bula, you look great!" Wigg said, and Wizzy nodded. Gorga, who stood beside Zeeter, mimicked a thumbs up.
"Thanks, guys," Bula replied. He then looked at Zeeter, who looked close to passing out. "Uh...what do you think, Zeeter-"
"Nothing weird, I swear!" she blurted out, catching the attention of several people. Noticing the odd looks they were giving her, she continued with, "I-I mean, uh...you look fine, Bula. Perfectly alright."
And it seemed she wasn't the only one who thought so, as several women turned to glance in his direction with approving glances. Bula, though, didn't notice them. "Uh...thanks," he replied. "I'm glad you liked it, though. I actually chose this with you in mind."
"I-I...well, um," she stammered out. He actually did that...knowing that she'd like it? No, she was not going to lose her head over this! Clearing her throat to get herself under control, she continued with, "We'd better get going. We have a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to do it because of you."
"Me? I wasn't the one who threw away my clothes!" Bula argued playfully, walking alongside her.
"Those things were falling apart at the seams! You can't hold on to those things forever!" she said.
Wizzy and Wigg followed behind, and Wigg gave Wizzy an odd glance. "OK, that was totally weird," he said.
"Yeah...I've never seen Zeeter act that flustered before," Wizzy replied, studying the two as they walked along the beach. She then gasped, and her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Unless...!"
"Unless what?" Wigg asked.
"I'll tell you later," she whispered, before flying off to join the others.
Wigg sighed. "I feel like I never understand what's going on around here..."
2:45 P.M.
Mount Zula
Multo wiped sweat off of his brow, and shielded his eyes as he looked up at the sky. One of his three eyestalks closed to avoid direct contact with the sun. The sun was high in the sky, signaling that it was getting late into the afternoon. Perhaps it was time for a break; he and the team had been at work for a while, taking short breaks before going back at it. They'd gotten pretty far into the mountain's base and the artifacts that the team was bringing up were sights to behold. Rustic old keys, stone tablets with a strange language written on them, jewelry...Multo chuckled to himself. It'd been ages since he'd been this excited.
"Makes you miss your Zula Academy days, huh, Multo?" Professor Autofocus was there, handing him a water bottle.
"Oh yes," Multo said, gladly taking it and taking a long sip. His thirst quenched, he continued with, "I can't wait to show the rest of the team what we've discovered."
"You'll have to wait to take pictures, though," Autofocus said, leaning against the rocks. "Academy policy. And with these findings, we'll be buried with work through the rest of the summer."
"Compared to my job, you have it easier," Multo replied.
"True. You six put a lot into protecting the galaxy from criminals," he said. "He paused. "Say, Multo...you never did tell me why you wanted to join the Zula Patrol. I knew that you had befriended Bula and wanted to help Wizzy and Wigg grow, but..."
"Truth is...I wanted to contribute more," he said. "I loved my job at the Zula Academy, but I felt that I was stuck at a standstill. Not growing as I hoped I would. So when Bula announced that they'd chosen him as the team's newest captain, I said that I would join. I'm not suited for anything like fighting or piloting, but I'd be happy to be the team's researcher, to help come up with things to solve problems." He sighed wistfully. "It's not an easy job, but I can't say I didn't enjoy it these last twelve years."
"I can tell you do," Autofocus said. "Your passion for science is as strong as ever, old friend. And you get to help more people, like you've always wanted."
"Indeed," he said. "Now the only thing left for you is to settle down, right?"
"S-Settle down? Me?" Multo said.
"Multo...I've known you since middle school. You can't fool me," he said. "Someone's on your mind..."
"Truth is...t-there is someone I've been thinking of for a while," Multo said, a small blush forming on his cheeks. "I-I'm trying to make a move, though."
"Trying?"
"She turned me down," Multo replied. "But I'm not giving up, not yet."
"So who is this-" Autofocus was interrupted when the ground started shaking violently, throwing them onto their knees. The startled yells of their team filled their ears moments later, followed by a loud crash and the sounds of trees snapping in half.
"A-An earthquake?!" Autofocus said.
A loud crash sounded from above, and both scientists looked up to see several large boulders cascade down the mountain and head directly in their direction. Their faces melted into horrified expressions.
"Oh my stars! W-Where should we go?!" Multo cried.
"Quick, into the cave!" Autofocus shouted. Without another word, the two scientists rushed into the caves, barely dodging the enormous rocks that fell from the mountaintop. Three other members rushed in, falling over themselves as they did so.
The moment they got in, a cascade of boulders crashed into the mouth of the cave, blocking the entrance. In a matter of seconds, the world went black.
"Galloping Galaxies!" he shouted.
"Now what are we going to do?" Autofocus exclaimed, frustrated. "We can't call anybody within the tunnel!"
Multo scratched his chin in thought. "I suppose the only way out is forward."
"Meaning, we have to go through the cave to get out?" a young woman asked.
"Indeed," Multo said. "And who knows, we might discover a few more things about Mount Zula. Now stay close, and remember to stick together."
Pulling out their pocket flashlights, they navigated their way through the cave, carefully treading through steep inclines and rocky paths. Water dripped from the stalactites and musty, cold air surrounded them. As they ventured further into the cave, a strange magenta fog, hot and electric surrounded them.
"I don't like the looks of this," the young woman replied.
"Fascinating. I've never encountered things like this in the mountain before," Multo said, looking around him in wonder.
"HEY!" A loud voice filled their ears, and a short, yellow alien with two eyestalks and dressed in orange and red camping gear ran over to them. "We were just about to check on you guys! Is everything alright?"
"We are, but we're going to have to find another way out. The earthquake caused some boulders to be knocked on our path," Autofocus said. "What about you?"
"We're fine. In fact...we were just about to tell you that we found something," he said.
"Well, don't keep us in suspense, boy! What is it?" Autofocus said.
"Follow me," he replied, and the team did, treading carefully to avoid any traps.
A few moments later, they reached the team's latest discovery: a large door that seemed to be the entrance to an underground cavern or city. There were ancient Zulean encryptions on the pillars, although time had rendered them illegible. The door of the building had a crest of a flying phoenix, surrounded by swirls of orange blue flames. Its wings were the same color, and it looked utterly majestic in flight. Parts of the seal were faded away due to time, but it remained mostly intact.
"Whoa..." was all anyone could say, too enraptured to think of anything else.
After staring at the door for a while, Autofocus said, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go and see what's inside!"
"Wait! How are we going to see what's inside?" the young man asked.
"I'm not sure, but most buildings like this had to have had a special key," Multo said, stepping forward. He studied the design intently, burning every detail into his memory. "This symbol...I feel like I recognize it somehow…"
"Really?" Autofocus asked, surprised.
"Mmhmm. I believe...I heard about something like this when I was younger," Multo replied, his eyes slightly narrowed. He hesitated at first, but then he slowly put a hand to the wall, rubbing a hand across it. Pricks of electricity raced through his fingers as he did so.
His hand ran over the center of the phoenix's chest, and it started glowing a bright orange. The team stepped back as the light intensified, forcing them to close their eyes. There was a shuffling of rocks and the door in front of them began to slide open very slowly. To their surprise, a bright white light poured through the cracks. Cold air quickly washed over them like water.
"Oh my…" Multo gasped as he and Professor Autofocus gazed inside. An egg-shaped capsule about the size of an average Earthling sat in front of them, decorated intricately with ancient Zulean hieroglyphs. Swallowing audibly, Multo cautiously walked into the room.
"M-Multo, be careful!" Autofocus said. "You don't know what that is...!"
"I will be, Autofocus!" Multo said. "I just want to get a better look-"
And then, the object in front of them hissed open, and the room went from blinding white to an almost blood red. The professor's face changed from dazed curiosity to unbridled horror as he got a full view of the being in the room.
The being that emerged from the capsule was not an alien. Rather, it appeared to be a large, humanoid-looking marionette, with a body made completely out of steel. Its plating was bright pink with some magenta colors, and it appeared to have a few decorations on its sides that resembled pink ribbons. Its face was very human like, with a pointed chin, small, firm lips and a small nose. Arms the length of its body were topped with a set of five metal fingers which looked sharper than steel. Short red hair framed her small face, and the rest was piled up into a large trapezoidal hat.
A massive swirling red cloud shot through with streaks of black hovered above the marionette. Two ominous, glowing orbs of yellow light burned into the professors' very beings. A deep rumble that resembled laughter hit the room.
"Wha…what on Zula?!" Autofocus screamed, scrambling away from the cave. Multo remained rooted to the spot, his mouth agape.
The cloud spoke, its voice reverberating throughout the cave as it issued its command.
"Ignis, you know what to do."
Multo stared as the marionette's eyes shot open. Brilliant, glowing blue eyes bore into his black ones with cold, ruthless, clinical hatred. It moved, blindingly fast. The next thing Multo knew, cold, sharp steel ripped into his side, sending pain flaring through him. His mind caught up with him and he let out a scream as he was slammed into the wall. He placed a hand to his left side, and grimaced as it came away green. Ignis stood before him, his blood staining her armor.
Autofocus screamed again, and Multo heard the rest of the team scream in fear and terror. His body screamed at him to move, but the pain immobilized him and his fear kept him in place. Pained sobs escaped his throat, and tears started to leak from his eyes. What had he done? What had he subjected his friends to?
C-Could this be...the end? he thought. I never wanted to go out like this! His friends' faces flashed through his mind, going through until they landed on the one person who was dearest to him...
"Z-Zeeter..." he breathed aloud, not caring who heard it.
The cloud in front of him said, "It is custom of people to think of their loved ones before they are sent to the Dreamscape. But do not worry. They shall soon join you."
With as much energy as he could muster, Multo asked the cloud, "W-Who o-or what are you?"
"Who am I? Surely...you, as a Member of the House, should have heard of me. But seeing as you have foolishly released me from this seal, I shall indulge you," it said. "I am Paragor, leader of the Dreamscapers. For the last four hundred years, I have been kept here, a prisoner against my will. Now that I am freed, I can complete my final Crusade. And then, I shall win."
"P...P-Paragor?" Multo stared at the cloud with wide eyes. The memories of his dream came to mind, and his face went pale. "Oh, no. Oh, gods, no..."
"In the meantime...I have another use for you." Paragor's yellow eyes settled on Ignis. "Ignis, if you will."
"Yes, Master." Ignis loomed over him, glaring down at him with fury. Multo felt as though he were a bug in her presence. "You are coming with me."
"Autofocus, RUN!" Multo yelled, his eyes wild as he turned to the astronomer. "Go and warn the others! HURRY!"
Autofocus took off running, as did the rest of the research team, but savage chains with drills on the end started shooting out of the walls. Autofocus dove to the ground, but his fellow scientists weren't so lucky. He stared in horror as many of them were skewered in front of him, their blood raining on his face and clothes as the drill ends pinned them to the ceiling, the walls, the floor. Some of them were fortunate to die instantly, but a few of them were twitching, horrible noises coming from their throats as they choked on their own blood. He stared at this sight, horror sealing his throat shut.
"RUN, AUTOFOCUS!" Multo screamed. Autofocus looked over at his oldest friend, who was attempting to crawl out of the door. His eyes were wide with fear. "RU-AAAAAAAAAHHH!"
The professor was violently cut off when Ignis seized him, her talons digging into his back. With little effort, she yanked him back into the room, heading for another door behind the capsule. It opened with a loud creak, revealing a large black and white portal. Multo continued to thrash and scream in her grip, while Paragor laughed, a harsh coughing sound that made every hair on his body stand on end.
"Behave yourself, Zulean, and you might live through this," Paragor said, sounding somewhat amused.
"You'll never get away with this!" he cried, struggling to move out of Ignis' grip. "I'll never let you destroy Zula!"
"Say goodbye to your world, Zulean, for it is the last time you will see it."
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
Professor Autofocus had just reached the blocked tunnel entrance when he heard Multo's terrified scream. It made his blood turn to ice. In all the years he'd known the professor, nothing had ever made him scream like that. No, I can't leave him like that! He spun on his heel and ran back down the tunnel, personal safety be damned. He stopped behind the wall of bloody chains, hurriedly pushing past his fallen scientists' remains. Ignis walked up the steps to reach the door, with Multo struggling all the while.
"MULTO! HANG ON!" Autofocus shouted, starting to climb over the chains. "I'M COMING TO SAVE YOU!"
Multo turned around to see Autofocus fall on his face, only to get back up and break into a run. By this point, Ignis was preparing to go through the portal. His eyes, wide to where one could see the whites, were filled with fear.
"AUTOFOCUS!" he screamed, before he vanished from sight completely.
"MULTO, NO!" Autofocus screamed, half-sobbing as he fell to his knees. He was too late. Darn it all, he was too late...
"And now..." Paragor turned to face him, his yellow eyes narrowing. "It is time I remove any remaining witnesses."
The cloud poured out to form a pillar. In a matter of seconds, it collapsed in on itself to reveal the most peculiar creature Autofocus had ever seen. His wrinkled head, colored like sand, resembled a vulture's, with bushy black eyebrows and piercing yellow eyes. A short, curved beak, colored black, gleamed in the limited light. Red robes lined with ancient gold and yellow Zulean glyphs, as well as blue and black runes, swayed as he stepped forward. His curved, sharp talons left imprints on the cave floor. He took one look at the destruction that surrounded him and chuckled darkly.
"Pray to whatever deity you worship, Zulean. For you will meet them soon."
The cave started shaking uncontrollably, and the force sent him clinging to the floor. The room went from blood red to an almost blinding white once more, but this time, it came with overbearing heat and the deafening crashes of thunder. He got down on the ground and covered his head with his hands as blue and red streaks of lightning flashed everywhere. Paragor stood before him, his raised right hand glowing with red and blue power. His yellow eyes were filled with maniacal glee as he called out the name for his spell.
"Thunder Rage!"
The power detonated, sending numerous volts of electricity through Autofocus' veins. The roar of the blast drowned out his scream, and Paragor's evil laughter. Pain took over in seconds, and he quickly slid into unconsciousness.
2:57 P.M.
Zulapolis
The violent explosion filled Mayor Tiburcio's ears first, followed by the erratic, uncontrollable shaking of the foundations of the office. He jumped to attention as his papers, furniture and other valuables started crashing to the floor. Through the walls of his office, he could hear the rest of his staff screaming in terror. "What on Zula is going on here?!" he exclaimed.
"MR. MAYOR!" His secretary, a light blue alien with magenta and purple spotted hair, burst into the room. Her eyes were wide with fear. "We've got a problem!"
"I can see that, Estrellita!" he snapped, though not out of irritation with her. He braced himself against his desk, while Estrella held onto the wall, praying frantically. Outside, several more pieces of furniture crashed onto the marble floors and cracks spread through the walls.
After a minute, the earthquake ceased, though the effects were apparent. His books were on the floor, his lamps were in pieces and there was a crack spreading through his ceiling.
Estrella looked around the room, and then at Tiburcio. "Mr. Mayor, are you alright?" she asked.
"A little rattled, but otherwise unharmed," Tiburcio said quietly. His eyes were narrowed into a frown. "This is the second time that we've had an earthquake. I wonder what's going on..."
Footsteps pounded the floor, and his right hand man, a large, salmon colored alien with muscles the size of boulders, rushed in, almost sending Estrella to the floor. The female looked up at him, indignant. "Brutus! What gives?!" she demanded.
"Sorry, Estrellita, but I this is urgent," Brutus panted. Straightening up, he walked up to Tiburcio's desk, sliding a blue and black disk across his ruined table. "Sir, you might want to look into this."
"I just know this is going to be bad," Tiburcio muttered. "What's the situation?"
The man pushed a small button on the disc, pulling up a holographic image of Mount Zula. Much of the base of the mountain had blown apart, rocks and debris shooting down the hills in a tidal wave. The surrounding trees went up like matchsticks, disintegrating on the spot. Tiburcio could have sworn that he saw electricity sparking through the cloud.
And scattered throughout the ground were several bodies, a few mangled and burned beyond recognition. His secretary let out a gasp of horror, her green eyes leaking with tears.
His right hand man turned off the holograph and looked at Tiburcio with a grave stare. "Sir..."
"...Estrellita, bring me my Zula Phone. I want the Zula Patrol and every Zulean task force on this now."
2:58 P.M.
Zazu Beach
"Now we're merrily on our way…climbing up an inclined plane…"
"Geez, Bula, you're still singing that song!"
Bula turned towards Zeeter with a small smile. "Hey, it's not my fault that we came up with a really catchy tune for remembering inclined planes."
Zeeter shrugged. "You've got me there," she said. "It really helped us learn about that so much easier."
"All thanks to Multo's really great teaching," Wizzy interjected, pausing to serve the volleyball at her younger brother, Wigg. Gorga was on the other side of the net, keeping score.
"Come to think of it, I wonder how he's doing on the excavation," Bula said.
"He and Autofocus are probably in 'research mode'. You know how Multo gets when he works like that," Zeeter said.
"Yeah," Bula replied, taking a sip of his Zulaberry Cola. "Explains why we haven't heard from them in a while."
"I can't wait to hear what kind of stuff he'll bring back from the ruins!" Wigg said. In his excitement, however, the ball sailed past him and crashed into the sand. Gorga raised a hand to Wizzy's side, signaling that she had scored a point. Wigg sighed, "Aww…"
Zeeter got up and patted Wigg on the back. "You'll win next time, Wigg," she said.
Bula stood up, gathering his surfboard. "So, Zeeter, you ready to catch some waves?"
"You're on!" she said, and in seconds, she'd gathered her board and was racing towards the water.
Bula started to follow, but that was when he felt an incessant buzzing in his pocket. He pulled out his red Zula Phone and gasped. The screen was flashing green, red and blue. To any other Zulean, it looked like a malfunction. But to the Zula Patrol and Zula's other military operations and task forces, these were the emergency colors.
He sighed. So much for their day off. Hitting the answer button, he held up the screen to his face, and was greeted by the sight of Mayor Tiburcio in a ruined office. His eyes widened. "Mr. Mayor! What's happened?!" he asked.
"Something terrible, Captain Bula. We've had an earthquake here in Zulapolis. Everyone's fine here...but anyone on Mount Zula might not be," the Mayor replied.
"What's happened on Mount Zula?"
"There's been a report of a mysterious explosion coming from the base of the mountain. And from what it looks like, it doesn't seem like the excavation team planned to detonate anything," Tiburcio explained. "We're looking at several casualties, including any civilians that happened to be climbing the mountain."
The more Tiburcio talked, the more unsettled Bula became. Dread the likes of which he'd never felt before settled in his stomach and he felt nauseous.
"I've called the Zulean Fire Department, the Investigative Bureau, RIOT Force as well as the Zulean Corps, but I also wanted you guys to be there. You'll need all the help you can get in this rescue mission," Tiburcio explained. "I feel bad about calling you all on your day off, but-"
"Sir, when it comes to the Zula Patrol, I've learned there's no such thing," Bula answered swiftly. "We'll get to the bottom of this immediately."
"Thank you, Captain. I'm expecting your report on this soon."
"Right." Bula hung up, but before he turned to the rest of his team, he hit the speed dial on Multo's number. I'd better get in touch with Multo and ask him what's going on.
Multo didn't answer after the first ring, and his answering machine didn't pick up, either. "Sorry. The number you are trying to reach is no longer available. Please hang up and try again."
Bula's breath hitched. The dread was starting to come back, and his palms were getting sweaty. He dialed the number manually this time.
"Sorry. The number you are trying to reach is no longer available. Please-"
Come on, Multo, pick up the phone!
"Sorry. The number you are trying to reach-"
He hung up and dialed again.
"Sorry. The number you are-"
And again.
"Sorry. The num-"
And again.
"Sorry-"
"Dammit!" Bula swore, glaring down at his phone. "Why isn't he picking up the phone?!"
"Whoa, there, Bula! Language!" Zeeter said, giving him a worried glance. "Wizzy and Wigg are right here, you know!"
"S-Sorry, everyone...I-I'm just," Bula trailed off, putting a hand to his forehead. "Oh man...I have a bad feeling about this."
Wizzy floated forwards in concern. "Bula, are you okay?" she asked.
"I don't think so, Wizz," Wigg said. "It looks like he's having a panic attack."
"This is not good," Bula muttered, pacing in the sand. His face was knotted into a panicked look. "This really isn't good. It's not like him to not-"
And then Zeeter was there, dragging him to a stop. He froze as he looked into her narrowed, but concerned gaze.
"Bula, slow down. Take a breath," she said. She looked angry, but Bula could see the concern in her eyes. "Now, can you please tell us what's going on?"
Bula took a deep breath, held it and let it go, just as Zeeter had shown him to do years before. He felt a little relaxed, but not much. Looking at the assembled team, he answered with, "There's been an explosion at Mount Zula. And Multo's...Multo's not picking up his phone."
Zeeter's eyes went wide with shock. Gorga dropped the scoreboard he'd been holding. Wigg quickly flew up to Bula, urgency in his eyes.
"We have to go, Bula! What if he's hurt and he needs our help?" he shouted.
"We've already got the orders from Mayor Tiburcio. He's got everyone on this. And I mean everyone," he said.
"Like...the Corps, the Investigative Bureau and the freakin' RIOT Force?" Zeeter replied.
"And the firefighters, and the EMT," he replied.
"Oh wow...if he's calling all of them, then this is worse than a simple explosion..." Zeeter said.
"Well, what are we waiting for? We've gotta get to Multo before it's too late!" Wizzy said.
"Come on, team! We can change on the way there!" Bula replied, easily slipping into 'captain' mode. "This is a job for the Zula Patrol!"
3:04 P.M.
Professor Autofocus awoke to fire.
It surrounded him, threatening to swallow him whole and consume him. It licked up the remains of his fellow researchers, reducing them to ashes in seconds. It crept towards him, aiming to do the same to him.
The pain in his body was such that even moving a finger made him scream in agony. He could hear muffled thuds and shouting in the distance, and thought he could make out the shapes of several aliens walking towards him. Bursts of fire roared in his ears, and he flinched, praying to the gods that they wouldn't reach him.
"H-HELP!" he cried out. Another explosive burst occurred, this one close to his back. He yelped as he spun over, attempting to avoid the flames; this only made his pain worse. "SOMEBODY, HELP ME!" That was all he managed before he fell into a coughing fit, the smoke weighing him down like an anchor.
Heavy breathing filled his ears, followed by a set of heavy footsteps. He looked up to see a tall firefighter looming over him. "Sir, hang on! I'm going to get you out of here!" she said. She took Autofocus' arm. "Hang on, and don't let go!"
A part of the professor was relieved that he'd been found, but then he remembered Multo, and how he'd been taken. That Paragor could have killed him, for all he knew. Frantic, he looked up at his savior. "M-My friend, Multo-don't-" He fell into another coughing fit as smoke entered his lungs.
"Hang on, sir! I'm going to get get you out!" the firefighter said, pulling him along. Though his body was still in pain, he forced himself to move, so as the firefighter wouldn't have to carry all his weight. "Just stay with me, alright?"
It must've been about two minutes, but to Autofocus it felt like an hour. They stepped out of the inferno into the arid, Zula air, and he coughed as he took his first breath of air in a while. He was soon handed off to paramedics, who were quickly discussing how to treat him due to his burns and the amount of smoke he'd inhaled. His savior quickly raced back to the fire, joining her fellow firefighters in taming the deadly blaze.
"M-Multo..don't leave Multo in there!" he called out weakly.
"Sir, I need you to calm down," one of the doctors said.
"I CAN'T CALM DOWN!" Autofocus screamed. He struggled to get off the table, eyes glued to the sight of the blaze dying down. All he could think of was the sight of Multo disappearing through the portal...and his scream..."My friend is in there! H-He could be dead!" Several medics struggled to hold him down as he thrashed about, sobbing. "My friend could be dead! Multo! Multo, I'm sorry! I'm sorry I left you to die! I'm sorry...!" His composure broke completely and he dissolved into hysterical crying.
It took five medics and a sedative to calm the astronomer down. When he'd finally, finally stopped thrashing about, they began the process of loading him into the ambulance.
Autofocus was starting to drift when he caught a glimpse of the Zula Patrol. Bula clutched his heart, a pained expression on his face. Zeeter stared at him, mouth covered with both hands, while Wizzy hid behind Bula. Gorga looked struck dumb with horror, and was laying flat on the ground.
Only Wigg dared to come close, though a medic quickly got in the way. He was speaking, but Autofocus couldn't hear what he was saying.
A single tear rolled down his cheek. Wigg, my boy...I'm so sorry. I abandoned your teacher...I'm so, so sorry...
That was the last thing he thought before sinking into darkness.
"Dear gods..."
Bula wasn't fond of Zeeter using that term so lightly, but he had to agree with her here. He and the rest of the Zula Patrol had arrived later than the emergency services, and were just getting the rundown of the situation when Autofocus had his breakdown. Seeing the calm, gentle astronomer snap like that was surreal enough, and his screaming was even worse. His heart went out to the astronomer, and he prayed that the gods would see him through this ordeal.
What he'd said had caught Wigg's attention. He dared to fly close to the sedated professor as he was hauled into the ambulance, but a short, pink colored alien stopped him. "What did you say, Autofocus?!" he shouted.
"Son, you've got to let him rest," she said. "He's been through a lot."
"He was screaming something about leaving Multo in there to die, lady!" Wigg snapped. "I need to know what he's talking about!"
"Hey!" Zeeter barked. "That's no way to talk to a professional, Wigg!"
"She's right," Bula said. He was just as worried, but unlike Wigg, he did have control-and a filter. He fixed the smaller member with a small glare. "Wigg..."
"Y-You're right...s-sorry," Wigg grumbled.
"That's alright. Not the worst thing I've heard on the job. We'll take good care of him, I promise," she said.
Once she'd walked away, Wigg turned to face the others, and wilted under their glares. "S-Sorry, everybody..."
"You're lucky that we're on a mission right now, or you'd really get an earful," Bula replied harshly.
"Don't be too hard on him, Bula," Wizzy said, floating over to her brother, causing Wigg to look at her in surprise. "I mean, we're all thinking the same thing. Why was he shouting about leaving Multo in there to die? And why was he apologizing so much?"
"I don't know," Bula said. He turned to face the firefighters battling the blaze. The feeling of dread was intensifying, almost to the point of making him vomit. Zeeter put a hand on his arm, and he squeezed her hand in return. "I just don't know..."
And so, the Zula Patrol prepared themselves for a long, agonizing wait, all the while praying for Multo's safe return.
...And that is the end of chapter 1 of the Remaster! What did you all think of it? I think I did pretty alright, considering I haven't really written anything longer than 2,000 for a long time. I feel like I've finally come out of my "everything I write is absolute garbage" funk and I have to thank God for that!
Now, on for the detailed changes!
My "out of high school" self wanted nothing but non-stop action first and then all the fluffiness later. Here, I'm working to put in scenes featuring slice-of-life moments for the Zula Patrol, though they slowly build up to the climax scene in this chapter. I also tried to insert more humor as well (it's kinda hard adding humor when you're mostly dry comedy). I think I found a good balance, but I'll let you be the judge of that.
And yes, that disclaimer is not fake, there are instances of mild language scattered throughout. You can thank my buddy Vulaan Kulaas for that ^^ It won't be an F-bomb fest, mind you, but just in certain situations scattered throughout the fic. There's also a few more horror elements here too, courtesy of reading BHS' Shattered Skies recently. It's a bit toned down from his stuff, but it's still there.
Writing all the character interactions were difficult, but fun. Though the show infers that all of them are pretty close, I wanted to explore more dynamics between different pairs in the team. Namely, the Bula-Multo dynamic, the Bula-Zeeter dynamic, and the Multo-Zeeter dynamic. There's also Wizzy and Wigg and how they interact with everyone, as well. There are some headcanons regarding Bula and Multo's relationship that I have (which will be explained in this fic and in an upcoming one-shot). This way, when the inevitable happened, you really get the feeling that the team really does care for each other and are just as desperate to get Multo back.
Originally, Multo was supposed to be the main character (as he's my top favorite character in the show), but in all honesty, he kinda took a backseat to Bula. Our stalwart captain of the Zula Patrol was the real star in both the original and in the remake, but I promise everyone will get a good role here. Yes, even Wizzy and Wigg, who I often cast aside due to them being my quote-unquote "least favorite" characters in the show (truth be told, I like Wigg a lot. Wizzy can be kinda annoying...). I also have some plans for Gorga as well, even though he's difficult to write due to being a character that doesn't speak. He has a fun personality in the show, so I'm trying to display more of that. But yeah, I believe I have a much, MUCH better grasp on the team now, which makes the writing even more fun.
Some one-off characters got some proper introductions and actual names! Professor Autofocus, Multo's friend from "Telescooped!", has a pretty important role in this story, hence why I didn't kill him off. The mayor of Zulapolis that appeared during the episode "The Blorp" is back, and he has a name: Tiburcio (heard it off of a Western).
Adding the ship tease was also pretty fun. I know that the original pairing for this story was Multo/Zeeter, but though that's my main OTP (and Bula/Zeeter being right next to it; who says you can't have two ships?!), I didn't develop it properly in the original fic. The original does imply that Zeeter has feelings for Bula, though, and since I've been in a huge mood to ship Bula/Zeeter recently, I changed the main pairing in this story to them, with the Multo/Zeeter definitely being one-sided on Multo's side. You noticed that I put Multo/Professor Precipito down as the next ship, and that came from rewatching "Ice Station Zula" on YouTube. I like the idea of Multo being flustered, and I had an idea for those two, so I put it in as well.
The Dreamscapers got a proper introduction in here, instead of their broken, "mysterious" intro in the original. This time, I plan on doing them justice as the rightful villains of this story, as well as making Paragor more of a three-dimensional character and a compelling villain. More of his character will be revealed as time goes on, but I promise you he won't be all "all show" like he was in the first draft. I also alluded to Multo's role in this story by having him know of the Dreamscapers, but passing it off as legend; in the original, he didn't even know what was going on.
Bonnie also got a proper introduction as well, and I decided to show her in action as an active Dreamscaper conspiracy theorist in the vein of several popular talk show hosts. Rather than throw her into the spotlight immediately, I decided it would be best to introduce her gradually. There's more to her story aside from that-she has an Earth name and it's mentioned that her family hails from Earth. Truth be told, I haven't finished this whole story yet, but more will be revealed down the line. My goal is to transform her from middle-school cringe to an actual believable character; I pray, pray, PRAY that I reach my goal!
Anyhoo, that is the end of my very long note! Please let me know what you think of this updated version of the story, and what needs improvement. Reviews are my bread and butter, compliments are wonderful, and I eat up constructive criticism like brownies ^^ But if you flame this story, it will be deleted, no questions asked. No need for that toxicity. :)
See you guys 'round for the second chapter!
God bless,
iheartgod175