A few weeks after Leon left, Carol began having a horrible string of nightmares that were nothing like her normal dreams. In them, she seemed to be travelling through vast spaces beyond the world, infinite abysses where the distant stars blazed proud and alone while the things in the void stalked her hungrily. They were so totally removed from her own experience that it was as if she was lost in another dimension. Worse yet, in the dreams she felt strangely not herself, as if she was watching something else use her body while she was inside it.
Carol wished she could tell Leon about the dreams, but whole months passed and the Beast Pack leader failed to return. Neither he nor any other Beast council members responded to her messages either. The only news from the Pack she did hear was a series of troubling rumors about Beasts disappearing from their homes. Without any warning, they would be here one day and vanish the next, at least according to packmates they left behind. That is, if any Beasts were left behind. The disappearances eventually became so bad that entire areas became depopulated, with no one to report the abandoned settlements but frequent travelers such as herself.
Eventually, all the worrying became too much for Carol — she had to take action. Commandeering a flight of crows from the Winter Horns, the last place she had seen Leon, she left for the continent to the North. Perhaps by following in his footsteps, she could solve the mystery of the disappearances, and soothe her own troubled mind.
Carol touched down in the arid wilds of the northern continent, a vast desert known the Originull Wasteland. It was said in the Pack's legends that this harsh environment was where life itself began, as well as where the Beasts first began to evolve. Far from being a supportive homeland though, the region was extremely dangerous. Blistering winds scoured the ground, sometimes blotting out the sun with sandstorms. Shipyard scrap and dried coral were strewn about from a time when the seas had covered the land. The debris created sharp protrusions that lay hidden beneath shifting sand dunes, making navigation perilous. Water was also scarce — you were more likely to find a puddle of noxious poison than anything drinkable.
Nevertheless, the Wasteland was still under the Beast Pack's dominion, and Carol immediately began searching for some natives. They were few and far between — Carol could tell they were hiding from something — but she eventually managed to track down a lone awoofy and dig it out of the huge, half–buried steel container it was using as a burrow. Once she did, the awoofy immediately recognized Carol, and graciously put itself at her command. From there, it was easy to round up several of the awoofy's fellows, and in no time at all she found herself at the head of a small hunting pack.
Surveying her entourage, Carol found that the awoofies on this continent looked tougher, hardier, and overall more primal than their mainland counterparts. Their fur was brown and coarse, ending in scruffier tufts that made the canines more closely resemble wolves than foxes. They were also stronger, more aggressive and meaner–looking, which was just find by Carol — she was here to complete a mission. And once the primal awoofies learned the leopardess was chasing after whatever had taken their packmates away, they could hardly be held back. The land was beginning to feel empty — they were practically the only ones left.
Carol let the awoofies lead the way as they sniffed out and tracked the last traces of their missing friends. Crossing the worst parts of the desert, they rested at a dried–up predecessor ruin in the middle of a palm tree oasis. The ruin was full of sealed stone pools, some of which were mercifully filled with drinkable water. Most however had been polluted by Poison Croakoms, enormous toad–like beasts that served as the area's guardians. By covering themselves in the Wasteland's purple poison, they made themselves nearly impervious to harm. However, this also made them disgusting to look at, not to mention their terrible reek. The Croakoms didn't know anything about the disappearances anyway, so Carol quickly moved on.
Her pack found a predecessor road leading out of the oasis, one of the huge highways constructed of black, tarry rock. It was mostly intact, and it led them to another ruin, a many-layered structure filled with glassy windows and colorful wall markings that reminded Carol of the mall back in the Natural Plains. Was this place called a mall too? Whatever it was, it wasn't a home for nearly as many creatures. It was half–filled with sand and pockmarked with gaping holes, so she probably would have gotten lost inside if it wasn't for the persistence of the her loyal awoofy guides.
Night fell as they reached the rocky foothills that marked the end of the desert. The trail led on even further north, and the awoofies knew of a hidden canyon route that would take them through. However, reaching it required passing through a labyrinthine cave system, a maze of tunnels hollowed out by the predecessors in their hunger for underground resources. It was pitch black inside, and Carol found herself temporarily leading the pack, as her feline eyes could see further in the dark than her canine charges.
The moonlight seemed like the rays of dawn when they finally emerged back into the open at the base of the canyon. They then made good time by staying on the higher cliffside ledges rather than the sandy bottom. Midway down the route though, they stopped. The scent had grown stronger, unmistakable. The trail ended here, right where a narrow cave branched off from the main gorge.
As Carol crept into the cave, little more than a crack in the canyon wall, the awoofies behind her huddled in a group and followed tremulously. What was down here that could possibly unnerve their fierce, primal hearts? She passed by heaps of junk, piles of predecessor artifacts amassed by an unknown collector. Some of the junk was assembled into crude sculptures, models of various Beast Pack species that captured many of their essential traits, however clumsily. Carol almost jumped back when she saw a likeness of herself, pieced together from a patterned rug and a wire mannequin with glowing amber light bulbs for eyes. After taking a deep breath to recompose herself, she pushed it over with a huff. There was no way her hips were that wide.
Carol then heard frantic barking from around the corner. It seemed that one of the primal awoofies had found the lair of the mastermind at work in this sleepless valley. Darting to the source, Carol peeked inside of a large, circular room where the cave ceiling hung down low. Numerous glowing lights were strung about, illuminating even more piles of predecessor junk. Was this some kind of workshop?
The barking awoofy finally spotted Carol and gave an excited yip. But before it could dash to her side, a hulking figure emerged from the shadows and in one swing, captured the canine in a heavy steel cage. Incensed, Carol leapt out to confront the kidnapper. Her eyes adjusted to the light quickly, but it still surprised her when the culprit behind the all the disappearances turned out to be…a giant armadillo?
That would certainly explain the pack–rat hoarding in this place…but why him? Carol knew this had to be Sillydillo, an odd, reclusive member of the Beast Pack known for hoarding things, among other, more peculiar obsessions. His odd tendencies left him ostracized him from other Beasts, but he remained an a powerful figure, and an important fellow council member. So why would he be abducting Pack members? Did he somehow consider them pieces of his motley "collection" now? If so, Carol was ready to knock some sense into his silly head.
Sillydillo waved at her, grinning his goofy grin while he readied another cage. The awoofies beside her growled, but did not back down. He probably though Carol was in on the game, rounding up more innocent beasts for him to imprison. The cage rose, but Carol put herself in front Sillydillo, and with claws unsheathed (just enough for him to feel it), she delivered a pointed jab right into his soft underbelly.
Sillydillo shrieked out in pain and swung the cage again in retaliation. Carol ducked the wild blow and repeated the jab, with similar effectiveness. Now realizing she was an enemy, the armadillo backed off and grimaced menacingly. He started stomping on the cave floor, and before Carol could react, the rock gave way and the two fell into the level below.
Carol wasted no time in continuing the attack, pouncing on Sillydillo as fast as she could. However, he had curled into a ball, and her knifelike claws uselessly glanced off his armored plates. Her adversary had turned into an impenetrable sphere — a sphere that was now rotating in place, like a wheel revving up…
Acting on pure instinct, Carol threw herself to one side as Sillydillo hurtled forward, as if he had been launched from a cannon. A fraction of a second too late, and she would have been flattened into a spotted smear on the ground. She mentally chastised herself for being so careless. Despite his ridiculous appearance and bizarre habits, she knew the armor–plated prancer was a surprisingly capable fighter.
Carol dodged two more rolls, the last of which brought Sillydillo to the edge of the arena. She dashed forward, readying her claws for another full–length swipe. The armadillo wasn't even guarding himself, instead performing some patch–up work on one of his absurd handmade dance partners. What a dunce, she thought — which maybe was why she wasn't ready for when Sillydillo threw that dance partner straight into in her. It hit like a lead weight (which might have actually been what its body was made of) and sent Carol reeling. Hissing through the pain, Carol was furious now. But before she could show the dancing doofus what she was really capable of, a voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Halt!"
Leon!? The lion king rushed into the cave, nearly out of breath. He had probably dashed in from somewhere as soon as he heard sounds of fighting.
"Carol, dearest…cease this violence," Leon said. His voice was strained, as if it pained him to see his closest companion. "You must be confused. Sillydillo is not just being…silly."
Panting, the armadillo looked up at his superior. His loose, slobbering tongue was flopping around underneath his bucktoothed overbite, but he gave his best attempt at a dignified salute regardless.
"He is only following my orders," Leon continued. "If anyone is responsible for recent events — developments I'm sure you have become aware of — it is me."
Carol frowned. Leon had seen the cages, but his calm tone meant he somehow approved of this rampant, systematic kidnapping of his own subjects. How was this possible? She could only emit an uncertain, half–strangled meow in response.
Leon sighed. "There was a reason I did not want you to discover any of this so soon. I would rather you remain ignorant and carefree until the rewards are realized. As of yet, you see, there is only labor and toil. Tribute must be paid before the power's blessings are given."
To make matters worse, he was using that strange language again. Part of Carol just wanted to give Leon a giant hug, after months of not seeing him, but she couldn't. Not while he was grumbling this grave–sounding nonsense.
"It seems now there is only one course of action. I must take you to the site of the great awakening. There, we are concentrating our efforts. There, all should become clear. We shall travel, only you and I. Just as in old times."
With a wave of his paw, Leon dismissed Sillydillo, who shot a final sulky glare at Carol before curling up and rolling back into the shadows. With his other paw, Leon beckoned Carol toward him, as he offered an encouraging smile. However, something about it seemed forced, unnatural even. Carol's trepidations were growing, her initial determination upon arriving on the continent dissolving into dread. But she had nothing left to do but to obey her leader. And so, the two went on.
Leon and Carol journeyed even further north, farther into the mountains bordering the desert than she had thought possible. Little was known of this region, but it had acquired the name Redgar after the ominous blood-colored glow that emanated from the highest peaks. That same glow was spoken of as a source of curses and maladies, so many simply called it the Forbidden Lands.
Their course became more and more hazardous, the terrain itself becoming hotter and hard to walk on comfortably. Eventually, they reached zones where the heat was so great that it had split open the very earth, revealing the melted rock beneath. This molten flow had made a scorched hell of the landscape, decimating nature and predecessor ruins alike. What little was standing was under constant risk of bombardment from showers of rocky debris that rained down from afar. This place was even worse than the Originull Wasteland — why was the Beast Pack here?
Carol received her answer when she and Leon at last arrived at a prominent predecessor structure. Different from any she had seen before, it was entirely made of metal and was covered with a mess of pipes, chains and wires. It hardly looked hospitable, and was the last place she would want to use as a shelter. And yet, there were Beasts swarming all over it, with more arriving every minute from cages carried by the Pack's crows. So this is where they had vanished to?
Once released, most Beasts would only shrink and cower in place, intimidated by the fearsome atmosphere of Redgar. A few though made directly for the structure's entrance, motivated by some unknown force. Perhaps it was Leon's orders, as when he stepped through the threshold, almost all the idle beasts from outside scurried in after him.
Inside was even more confusing. Here, Beasts ran about in a frenzy, seemingly at random but betraying a hidden organization Carol didn't think was possible from the pack. They carried bits and scraps of predecessor machinery, moving it from one chamber to another where others waited. Carol spotted mole–like Digguhs scraping away dirt and rust, while technical–minded Bernards fiddled with dials and panels built into the walls. A pair of heavy–headed Buffahorn were hard at work, bashing a huge metal panel back into alignment with their giant horns. This astounded Carol, as these buffalo Beasts were normally quite calm and docile. Everything here was making less and less sense!
Somewhere deep in the ruin (Carol had lost track of the rooms), she and Leon walked into a long, spacious chamber filled with a gathering throng of Beasts. At the end was a colossal turbine, and standing next to it was the last beast she would have expected — Gorimondo! How many crows it had taken to transport the super–sized simian from the Plains Carol could only guess. As if planned, the crowd parted before Leon as he stepped up to a raised area in front of the turbine. There, he brought the room to order with a brief roar and began speaking in the strange language yet again. Carol listened with anguish from the front of the audience.
"My fellow creatures…your struggle here has been long and tiring, so I shall be brief. Bur rejoice! For the time of reckoning fast approaches."
Every Beast had fallen silent, as if possessed by Leon's words. Another very un–Beastlike effect, Carol noted.
"In this place of power, in the burning, churning heart of the world, we take the first step to breaking free. For eons, we have wandered, lost and forgotten, and only now have we enough strength to seize our own destiny. Such strength was given to us by the great one, who shall grant even greater power if we continue to lend our aid. To this end, your sacrifices have not been in vain."
Carol didn't think any Beast in attendance could understand Leon's words any better than she could. Nevertheless, the speech seemed to be having an effect. Not a single one stirred — except for a few, who flinched or seemed momentarily dazed at the mention of the "great one."
"The predecessors, who once inhabited this land, abandoned us for realms beyond the stars. But they will be undone by what they left behind. Today is when we seize their relics for ourselves and match their miracles. We have prepared for months…years…our entire existence, for this moment. And here we are!"
Carol clutched her temples as a splitting headache suddenly overcame her. Something in Leon's last words had sent her into a fugue. For a second, she felt excruciating anger, a seething rage that felt like it could level the earth and crush the stars. The feeling was unbelievably strong, yet also infinitely distant, like she was only standing on the surface of its boundless source. Then she snapped back into reality, where the crowd of Beasts was clamorously rejoicing. Stamping feet, clicking claws, and hoots, howls and screeches of all types sounded approval to Leon's message.
At the same time, Gorimondo had gripped the upper part of the room's huge turbine and begun to pull. With immense exertion, exhibiting strength improbable for even for his size and stature, he forced the blades into motion. A terrible, shrieking grinding sound accompanied the first revolution, which faded as Gorimondo spun the turbine faster and faster. Eventually, the device somehow began moving on its own, which was right when Carol heard pounding, rumbling noises echo from other parts of the building. Lights flashed to life everywhere, and through a mesh grate on the far wall, Carol could see gears and pistons begin to grind.
No predecessor ruin had ever done this. Carol wasn't just unsettled now, she was frightened. As the Beasts dispersed, she immediately ran up to Leon and mewed frantically, begging for a sign, anything as to what this all meant.
"I see I was not convincing. No matter," Leon said slowly. "Now that you are here, perhaps you could see the Great One directly. Yes…that is the only way, I think. You will understand then. Come…and do not be afraid."
Leon took Carol's forelimb in his paw. They were the only ones left in the room, which was now becoming uncomfortably hot. She had no choice but to follow the Beast King to the final discovery on this nightmarish tour.
Rather than return to the entrance, Leon lead Carol further and further down into the bowels of the metal ruins. The temperature grew hotter, and at many points Carol could see liquid earth bubbling up through cracks and gaps in the floor. One room they passed through was in fact nothing but a series of crumbling catwalks suspending above red–hot magma. She could only imagine what prevented the radiant heat from burning them both to a crisp.
Right as the temperature was becoming truly unbearable, the pair came across a round, coolly–lit circular chamber where the heat strangely didn't seem to reach. Carol was relieved, but when a rotating door shut behind her and Leon, her sense of dread returned. The room began shifting around them — through the broken glass window, she could tell it was transporting them somewhere, and quickly. And if that wasn't enough to make her hair stand on end, an eerie, not–quite–natural voice played from somewhere above.
Automatic language detection...activated. Authentication system...activated. Authenticating... Authenticating...
"The elevator is functional. Our work was a success. This is a tremendous achievement, all in service of the Great One. If all is well, we shall meet him soon."
And of course Leon was rambling again. With nothing to do but wait and ensure all the strange speech around her, Carol sat down and watched Leon warily.
It is now kept in a state of permanent stasis within the custom-made Eternal Capsule here on the top level of Lab Discovera.
…
And here we are! Let's meet the ultimate life-form: specimen ID-F86!
After an indeterminable length of time, the door opened again. And nothing could have prepared Carol for what she saw. An organism — a life form? — was suspended in a transparent tube harshly lit from all directions by a blue fluorescent flow. It was some sort of grub, or larva, or so Carol inferred from its atrophied forelimbs and vestigial torso, which ended in a stumpy tail. But the bulk of it was its enormous head, huge temples and large ears that reminded her somewhat of a mouse. Parts of the left ear seemed diseased or damaged — ropey tendrils of flesh hung down, like its body was melting.
The creature was sickly, and sickening to look at. And yet, as long as Carol kept her eyes on it, she felt an increasing pressure on her temples, like one of those headaches was going to happen any minute. And mentally, there was an echo of that impossible, boundless rage again. With a growl of effort, she tore her focus away from the thing.
"Behold, the Great One — or part of it, rather. We do not even witness it in its true form. Far in the distant past, part of it was separated and lost somewhere on this world, apparently in the form of a small blue creature. Recovering this missing part will be our next greatest priority, and…Carol?"
Carol had completely ignored Leon's latest monologue, instead giving her attention to a sight even more horrifying than the "Great One." Away from the viewing platform where Leon stood was a towering wall, lined from floor to ceiling with what could only be called cells. In each cell was a wheel, and in each wheel was a single member of the Beast Pack. It was mainly ordinary orange awoofies, but Carol also spotted digguhs, rabiroos, and even the odd Bernard in the bunch.
So it was true! The members of the Beast Pack really were being kidnapped, forced into slavery here at the edge of the world, and by their own ruler no less! It was outrageous, unthinkable. Carol would've staggered to comprehend how Leon could have let this occur, if she hadn't immediately focused on freeing the Beasts. She had rushed to the nearest cell as soon as she could, and was now hacking away at its door. The awoofy inside only whimpered in acknowledgement, but with the strength and sharpness of her claws, she might be able to rip away the grate that kept the Beast confined.
She almost had it when a weighty paw fell on her shoulder.
"Carol…what are you doing? Bringing the power plant online was critical, but still only the beginning. To aid the Great One we need more energy, much more, and sadly…these sacrifices are the only way. But our efforts will be paid back a thousandfold, if we only are successful in freeing the power. You've followed me thus far, you've heard my reason, surely you must understand by now…"
Carol understood nothing. She only pushed Leon's paw aside and raised her claws for another strike against the cell…only she was roughly yanked aside and tossed back into the specimen viewing room.
"Or perhaps…you do not. This entire time…even in the presence of the Great One…you do not submit."
The aching, pressurized feeling in Carol's head was reaching another peak, but she shook it off by thinking of those poor imprisoned Beasts. She had to save them. And if Leon had turned against his own subjects, then…
"…then if you do not submit to my words…"
Leon's voice was turning dark.
"You will submit to my might!"
Leon stalked forward and took a swipe at her. He struck at her, his second in command and most beloved packmate! It was incomprehensible, but Carol managed to dodge on pure reflex. She stepped backwards, but the swipes kept coming. She dodged some and parried others. Her claws came out. Was she fighting Leon now? Was she actually going to fight Leon?
"Heh …even those little nails you're so proud of…do you think every animal wields such weapons? It was the Great One's work. We owe it everything!"
Leon rained down blows, and Carol raised her arms to block. The sheer length of her claws should have given her an advantage in range, but the much larger lion was simply too overpowering. He brought down both his forepaws in one crushing fist, and, barely rolling out of the way, Carol was sent flying by the resulting shockwave.
Fine, fine — if she couldn't beat Leon in strength, she could beat him in speed. She would show him…somehow. It was just like their old sparring matches, or those times when they had to discipline Gorimondo, Carol tried to tell herself.
Crouching down, she pounced, leaping over Leon and onto the wall behind him. From there, she tensed up and came down on his back as hard as possible, chopping a bit of mane off in the process. She still didn't want to scratch him too terribly hard.
Leon had no such qualms. Throwing Carol off, he ran toward her, dragging his paws like heavy weights across the floor. The scraping claws made an awful screech, but Carol had seen this move. She knew what was coming. Positioning herself carefully, she deftly dodged through Leon's brutal uppercuts, which sprung up on either side of her like inverted guillotines.
Then came a kick on to his nose, which she chained into another leap to the wall. Then from that wall to another, then to the wall of the glass enclosure where…that thing was kept. Leon couldn't follow her movements, and she came down on his back again for another claw–tipped strike.
Partly expecting the impact, Leon immediately bucked her off. Carol actually thought that she was doing fairly well, considering the circumstances, but then something unexpected happened. Leon, crying out in fury, pounced at her with gnashing teeth, then followed up with a trio of huge claw swipes. Carol simply backed away — he almost seemed to be attacking blindly. But when his paw raised for a fourth time, the knuckles seemed to be enveloped in a shining, otherworldly fire. And when that paw came down, it sent a crescent of white energy hurtling toward Carol at lightning speed. It was so fast, she hardly could have dodged it even if she knew it was coming.
When it hit, the pain was unimaginable. Briefly, every nerve in Carol's body burned in agony, like she had been struck by lightning. The wave pushed her backwards before piercing through her body itself — she thought she was being torn in half. Then, as suddenly as it had all come on, the pain stopped. And yet, she felt totally and utterly spent. Try as she might, she couldn't move a single muscle as Leon crept toward her — and she had a terrible feeling about that off–violet light that now enveloped his eyes.
"Plan begun. Important plan. Can't abandon at start. Spotted feline troublesome. Resists control. Causes emotional disturbances in host…"
There was something else in Leon's voice now, a kind of alien, metallic edge. More than ever, his words sounded not his own.
"Must be patient. Must be careful, logical. Plan must work. Simpler if spotted feline…disposed of now."
With horror, Carol watched Leon's rise up, paws clenched together for a body–breaking blow. She could do nothing but watch. Helpless, she couldn't even raise her claws…
…
…but the hit never came. Opening her eyes (Carol realized she had closed them at the last second, expecting the worse), she beheld Leon, standing frozen in place with a vacant expression. That awful light in his eyes was thankfully gone.
Leon looked down and saw Carol, and he immediately staggered back, as if noticing her presence for the first time. He held up his paws, scrutinizing them like they were foreign objects and couldn't be trusted. His face alternatively cycled through confusion and anguish, and as his dazed stumbling went on, Carol approached him carefully.
As she drew near, something happened she never would have expected. Bending over with one fist to the ground, Leon kneeled before her. The king, submitting to her, little more than his lowly apprentice. Carol would have swooned if the day hadn't already numbed her to unbelievable events. She stepped closer, just to make sure Leon was alright, and that's when the lion reached out and embraced her. Sure, with their difference in size it was more like him holding her, but Carol didn't care. Somehow, the Leon she knew had returned.
"I cannot…Dearest one…Carol…what has happened?" the king rumbled. "And what is this…great thing?"
He had turned around and come in full view of the monster in the sealed capsule, whereupon he immediately cringed and clutched his forehead. His eyes were closed, as if merely beholding it was painful, and Carol helped him shuffle away behind a wall, right where the hall of containment cells began.
Leon moaned when he saw the sealed Beasts. "This place, our subjects…there was a task needing labor. But was this truly necessary? I cannot…remember."
Hopeful he wouldn't somehow relapse, Carol returned to the damaged cell she had been working on and wedged in her claws again, trying to tear off the grate. But before she could get leverage, Leon stepped in and tore the covering clean off, throwing it aside. The frightened awoofy inside ran out, barked once, then sat down with a whimper. A few other plaintive barks answered. Carol picked the Beast up, and it curled up next to her chest fur.
"That task…must still be done. But what you have shown me, dearest one, is that this is not the means. In my impatience, I may have allowed myself to become harsh, tyrannical. That was unwise, when we have so much time, to perform it necessarily, properly…there is another way I can see already."
Leon was straightening up, regaining his former regal bearing. He was still using those strange words, despite his apparent recovery, which worried Carol. However, something had certainly changed for him in the better. If Leon wasn't fully cured — and if that thing was still around — then perhaps what she needed to do was to stay close to him. And if that meant following along with his new orders for the Beast Pack, she would follow. She would follow no matter what, if it meant she could keep him sane.
Leon easily ripped away two more grates, and two more beasts escaped. "This confinement is not what I intended. We are the Beast Pack, the free and wild rulers of this forgotten land. We do not toil — but others may. Others, strange ones, arriving very soon. You will watch for them, Carol. Gather them and use them for our purposes. This new plan…will be a great improvement."
Carol said nothing. She only kept her paw on his chest as they made their way back to the surface.
Months later, Carol was on patrol. Far away from Leon's base of operations and the monstrosity that lurked in the mountains of Redgar, she had been assigned to a familiar area of the southern continent. Crowded, colorful, and filled with whimsical predecessor contraptions, Carol knew it was an amusement park called Wondaria. Apparently, in the apex of their dominion over the forgotten land, the predecessors would flock here in droves, purely to entertain themselves. How petty of them, her mind seemed to say — but was that thought her own? All she was sure of is that she seemed to have distant memories of the place, like she had been raised here as a cub. Perhaps Leon had been here too?
Carol didn't quite know how she knew these things — such outside information just seemed to come to her these days. Worrying, but she couldn't focus on intangible concerns like that. Her aim was to fulfill her duty to the Beast Pack by collecting food and capturing newcomers. As long as the quotas were fulfilled, Leon seemed to stay in good spirits, rarely returning to the brutal treatment of his subjects she had witnessed before. Regular meetings for status reports and intel also allowed her to stay close to him, and that was also critical.
About those newcomers though — Leon was right about them, when he got around to telling her of his new plan in a way she could fully understand. Popping into the forgotten land randomly, seemingly from nowhere, they hardly seemed adapted to the environment. They were weak, pitiful things, little more than waddling red heads with stubby arms and feet. Carol couldn't imagine how they would make good laborers, but they were apparently natural servants, extremely hardworking no matter who they served under. More importantly, they were numerous — new cages had to be flown in every day to keep up with the influx.
There were some right now. A group of three, running for shelter across an open area of the park. From her perch atop a long, blue–painted metal thing that snaked all around the area (roller coaster, an echo seemed to whisper) she could observe their passage. Smirking, she decided now would be as good a time as any to take them in.
Swiftly, she pulled out a handful of knives and threw them in front of the waddling creatures. Terrified, they stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the falling blades. Carol gave a loud yowl as a signal, and some lower–ranking beasts, mainly awoofies and rabiroos, emerged from the shadows to complete the capture.
Carol was proud of her newly acquired talent with throwing knives. She had found the weapons in the cupboard of a wrecked wagon deep in Wondaria's remains. Perhaps they had been part of some show or act during the park's lifetime, but they were still sharp and deadly. After some experimentation, throwing the knives had become perfectly natural, almost second nature for her, so she now always kept some at hand. She had also kept the absent performer's long black cloak, and had taken to stalking around the park while wearing it. With it, nighttime ambushes were trivially easy, and it made her appearance that much more intimating — and stylish to boot.
Hm. It seemed the capture wasn't going completely smoothly. One of the waddling things was brandishing a stick of some kind, trying to defend the others. Unused to such resistance — or maybe just reluctant to fight back against things that looked so helpless — her pack subordinates were standing idle. Time to change that.
With one thrust of her rear legs, Carol jumped off the roller coast and slammed into a free spot of ground behind the waddlers. She then extended the full length of her claws, and when the new creatures beheld her razor–edged beauties, they dropped any pretense of a struggle. Even the Beasts worked double time to pack them into cages and fly them off via crows, once they knew the lethal leopard was standing watch.
Carol sighed. She didn't want to constantly have to frighten others into submission, but if it was service of Leon, she would. She had to for his sake. Besides that, there were also those dream times, for lack of a better word. Strange episodes that came when that splitting headache struck, and caused that…other mind to overtake her. It put her in some sort of trance, when she was herself and yet not herself. Only then it was easy to intimidate others, and perhaps commit even further violence.
Carol hoped it wouldn't come to that. She hoped that the dream times would be as few as possible. Still, whatever she wished for, her claws were quickly becoming her defining trait, the thing she was now known for across the forgotten land. She was changing quickly, as was everything else. The Beast Pack was becoming more brutal, and even Leon had taken on a special title for himself — Leongar. In that sense, Carol thought she deserved a new name too. And given her abilities, there was only one name she could choose. Carol, Caroline, Claws, Lines — yes, that was it.
Clawroline.
Author's Notes:
Hello, and thank you for reading my Kirby and the Forgotten Land fanfiction! The idea for this story came immediately to me when I read the description for the "Leon & Carol" figure in–game. The figure description's short text implied that the two characters had a full relationship and backstory shaped before the game's storyline even began. Wondering about this, ideas came to me in a fit of inspiration and before long I had the outline of a plot that encompassed nearly all of the game's locales and many of its minor characters. Needing a break from my main writing project, I took up the task of putting words to my ideas, and here we are! (and here we are…and here we are…and here we are…okay, it's an overused joke by now)
Anyway, since Kirby is a popular franchise, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a popular video game, and Clawroline is a (very) popular character, I'm hoping this story will go far. Kirby is one of my favorite game series, and part of the reason for that is the ominous implications of the lore hiding behind its kiddy presentation. It's the type of media that begs for expanded fan content, in my opinion.
All the same, working with the lore of a video game that isn't very story-centric (like most Nintendo titles) is always a somewhat messy business. Unknown elements, ambiguities, and sometimes flat–out contradictions are everywhere. You're bound to tread on someone's personal interpretation of things eventually, and I'm sure I certainly did with this story at some point. However, I'm perfectly willing to explore, debate, and discuss these matters via the comment section and PM, like all great fanfiction connoisseurs.
For any other questions or disagreements, feel free to voice them. Otherwise, thank you again for reading this far!
—Leucotis, 6/13/22