/Max, Monica, and Cain were deep in battle when Gaspard and his Airship, The Death Ark, arrived with an army of monsters to take the Talisman away from them. Cain challenged a graceful female assassin, but the Dark Priest proved to be more of a fight than she thought. Max was able released the Time Spirit from the Talisman in time, and it's bright light caused every monster to retreat. Gaspard made his escape as well and Balance Valley was saved. Now they are heading back to Palm Brinks with a new friend. Time Spirit Coronya!/
Chapter 8:
The Forest of Ghosts
"Hmmm?" Coronya flew around the area just outside of Future Palm Brinks. "I know it's here somewhere!" She flew from side to side, up and down, looking around for a 'time gate' as she called it.
"Are you sure it's around here?" Max asked her as she picked up his hat and looked underneath it.
"Not here…" Coronya answer while setting Max's hat back on his head. "But over here!" She flew next to a small hole in the ground and looked into it. "Nope…"
"Okay…" Cain asked with annoyance as he sat on a flat rock. "What the hell are we lookin' for?"
"Not here! Not here either!" Coronya kept flying around in circles.
"We're looking for a Time Gate, Cain." Max explained.
"It'll take us to Palm Brinks, a hundred years in the past." Monica said while helping Coronya look.
Cain yawned. "This time travel thing sounds fun… but if it's gonna take this long to find da gate, I'm just gonna…"
"Found it!" Coronya squealed happily as she pointed to the spot she was floating over. "I found it! I found it!"
Max, Monica, and Cain all looked over the space she was pointing at. It was just dirt and nothing else. "Nice Time Gate, Coronya…" The irritated Cain said. "So we start diggin'?"
Coronya giggled. "Silly Cain! We don't dig down to the gate! The gate comes up to us!" Her wand started to glow and suddenly, a large wood door shot out of the ground, causing Max, Monica, and Cain to fall back. "Yay! I found the gate!"
"It's more of a door than a gate…" Max pointed out.
"Gate…door… It's still a portal!" Coronya flew in front of the door and grabbed the metal doorknob that appeared on it. "This door will take us 100 years back in time."
"How do you know?" Monica asked, just to be careful.
"All I gotta do is say when we're going and this door will take us there!" She swung the door open, and a blue swirling portal appeared before everyone's eyes. "Okay Magic Portal! I command you! Take us 100 years in the past!"
"I feel much more sure bout this crap now…" Cain groaned sarcastically. The portal shone a bright blue light that caused the 3 teens to cover there eyes.
"We go now! YAY!!!" Coronya flew into the portal and vanished in a flash.
"Huh?!" Max said when he and Monica ran after her. "Wait up!" They entered the portal and, like Coronya, disappeared.
Cain just stood there in deep thought. "Hmm… This is impossible… I know it is…yet Max and Monica vanished with that blue fur ball…" Cain thought for a while until he finally came to a conclusion. "There might be scores of hot chicks on the other side of this door! YAHOO!!!" Cain jumped into the portal with great excitement. When he vanished, the door slammed shut and faded away as if it was never there.
"What the hell is this?!" Shouted one of the mysterious demons watching the 3 heroes. Every one of Griffon's highly trusted demons were in an uproar about what they had just saw.
"What's the deal, Rubicante?!" Another demon shouted. "You said that without the Atlamillias, they couldn't go anywhere in time! What sorta crap is it that some blue ball of fur can take em any when they want?!"
"What a fortunate coincidence for them…" Rubicante said calmly. He was the only one not upset of angry. "Who would have thought that they would find the one talisman that had the Time Goddess's servant sealed in it."
While the demons were busy with their discussion, Gaspard and Natsumi watched them from afar. They had just received their new orders from Rota.
"What a bunch of idiots…" Gaspard said with a scoff. "Griffon should be glad that he hired us to kill those 3 rather than these demons…"
"So when do we leave?" Natsumi said. "The sooner we eliminate them, the sooner I can get my money. I can't wait for 1,000,000,000 Gilda…"
"What's that!?" Gaspard said in shock. "You doubled the price!?"
"Rota is the richest man in the world… lucky for Griffon, he controls his body. Surely, a small amount like 1,000,000,000 is nothing to him…"
Gaspard looked at her with a hateful glare. "For that amount, however, you better not fail."
"For that amount… they'll be dead in a few days…" Natsumi smiled darkly.
100 years in the past, the citizens of Palm Brinks surrounded the Zelmite Mine, waiting for any news about their missing hero, Max. The whole town was concerned when the haven't heard from Max in the past 3 days. He would have called on the communicator Cedric rigged his Ridepod, Steve, with. But he hasn't call yet, or come out of the mine.
No one was more concerned than Max's father, Gerald. He was waiting, impatiently, for the search team that was already deep in the mine. When he saw Cedric walk out, he spoke up. "Did you find him?"
"No…" Cedric shook his head. "We've searched the entire mine and flushed out the monsters, but all we could find was a full sack of Zelmite."
"Keep looking!" Gerald demanded. "He must still be in there somewhere."
"We'll keep doin' as much as we can!" Cedric turned to walk back into the cave, when a bright flash shone from outside the city gates. "What was that?!"
"We'll keep searchin' for the kid!" Erik shouted as he ran back inside the mine. "Better check that out!"
"Let's go, Gerald!" Cedric, the Mayor, and Gerald all ran towards the city gates. When they opened them to investigate, they saw a lone wooden door standing in front of them.
"Huh?" Mayor Need got a closer look. "It's a door… but what is it doing here?"
Suddenly, a loud knocking on the door made the Mayor back away. It slowly creaked open and released a bright blue light. It slowly faded, and 4 figures walked towards the 3 men. When they walked out of the door, it slammed shut and disappeared. The sun light exposed who the 4 was. It was Max, Monica, Cain, and floating in the air was Coronya.
"M-Max!" Gerald shouted in shock.
"And Monica?!" Cedric looked at the fiery red head.
"Who's the geezers?" Cain asked Max. "Don't tell me this city was run by old people in past!."
I took a while for the whole town to get back to normal. The search team was called off and work on the Blackstone Ore had begun. Meanwhile, a small dinner was occurring at Max's mansion. Cain was amazed as he looked around the dining room.
"Geez…" Cain said in awe. "You must be loaded with Gilda!" Cain bit noisily at his dinner. "This stuff is the best stuff I've even ate!" He said with a mouth full of food. He then belched and continued biting at his meal.
Cedric had to raise the sound of his voice to speak over Cain's eating. "I guess manners were forgotten in Palm Brinks of the future!"
"Hey…" Cain dropped his food. "I ain't from that hell hole! I'm from a different hell hole! Don't insult me like that!"
Mayor Need took a sip of his wine. "So Griffon's energy has taken control of another person and is trying to control the world again?"
"That's right." Max said. "And unless we can find 12 Talismans before him, he'll succeed…"
"That's why I came back." Monica said. "I feared that Griffon would try to wipe Max out of history. He's already gotten a lot of his power back."
"So you guys need the Blackstone Ore to take you to other parts of the world where the Talismans are in the future." Mayor Need said. "Well it will take a while…"
"But we'll get it up and running for you guys." Cedric said.
"Well, the nearest place a Talisman is…" Coronya explained while eating a piece of bread. "Would be the Selceta Forest."
"Hmm…" Cedric scratched his chin. "Ya know… that's not too far from here. It's really close to Sindain Forest… And I am working on a new Ridepod…"
"What if you convert into a transportation vehicle?" Max suggested.
"Then you can get that Talisman while we work on the train!" Cedric said excitedly. "Alright! We'll do it!"
While everyone seemed to discuss the plans for the train, they didn't notice Cain whisper something into Claire's, Mayor Need's daughter, ear. She gasped and blushed slight red while Cain grinned suavely. Claire walked over to Monica and whispered to her what Cain said to her.
"He said that?" Monica asked. Claire nodded while still blushing. Monica grabbed an empty plate and threw it at Cain, smacking him right in the face.
"Ow!!!" Cain shouted. "What was that for!?"
"For being a pervert!" She shouted back. "How dare you ask Claire to show you 'the back room, personally?'"
"What?!" Need slammed his fists down on the table.
Cain waved his hands in defense. "I wanna know where I can put all my stuff! I bought a lotta crap with my money and don't wanna lose any of it! I didn't mean anything else but that!" Cain looked at Claire with a sly grin. She turned away shyly.
For the past few days, Monica and Cain had stayed with Max in his mansion. He had been going to work on the new Ridepod Cedric had created. Monica practiced her swordplay and magic and been learning as much as she can about the Talismans from Coronya. Cain usually stayed out all day and came home with a face full of slap marks, mostly from Milane, the weapon shop owner.
One night, Cain came home from a long day of unsuccessful flirting. "How's a guy to get any action 'round here?" He complained. "That hot chick at the weapon shop started threatening me with her swords. Damn…" He looked in the dining room, where Max was enjoying a small meal. "Yo Max! Which way to the shower?"
"Upstairs…" Max stopped eating for a minute. "But Monica in the shower now, so you'll have to wait." Right when he said, Max knew he made a mistake. He looked towards where Cain was, but he was already gone. Max shook his head. "Monica's gonna kill him…" Max still didn't like the idea of Cain peeping on his crush, so he decided to go and stop him.
Cain stood outside the shower room. The sound of running shower water was proof that Monica was in there. "Where's the ol' really big keyholes when ya need 'em?" Cain said while looking at the door. He then grinned stupidly. "Guess I'll just take a walk in!"
"Hey!" Max shouted as he walked up the stairs. "You better leave Monica alone! You know she'll beat you senseless if ya do that!"
"I get it, man!" Cain said. "Ya don't like me looking at your woman while she's nude… so I'll yet you peek first!" Cain slowly twisted the doorknob.
Max ran over and grabbed the doorknob, trying to keep Cain from opening the door. "Back off, Cain!"
Cain tried to shoved Max out of the way, but he pushed him back. Max and Cain both kept a tight grip on the doorknob, but somehow, the door opened. Both Cain and Max lost their balance and fell into the bathroom, and right in on Monica.
"MAX!? CAIN!?" Monica quickly wrapped a towel around her bare body and turned red in the face, both from embarrassment and anger.
Max sheepishly covered his eyes, while Cain's eyes were wide open and his jaw dropped. "I only wanted a peek, but I got a whole show!" He shouted and laughed. But his laughter quickly ended when Monica started to throw every nearby soap, shampoo, and bathroom object at him.
Cain quick retreated, but Monica was about to chase him. She stopped just before she stepped over Max. Max slowly removed his hands from his eyes.
"Monica! Listen!" He hastily explained. "It was an accident! Cain was gonna…so I was trying to stop him! Sorry! I…"
Monica sighed and blushed. "How much…did you see?" She asked nervously.
"Uh… nothing… My face hit the floor and… I'm still sorry… Next time… I'll just let you kill Cain."
When Monica heard Cain's name, she quickly remembered what she wanted to do. "I forgive you, Max… but Cain… I'll make sure he never does this again…" She quickly ran down the stairs looking for him.
Max sighed and rubbed his head. But he began to think to himself. "Monica has a nice figure…" He quickly shook his head. "If she knew I was thinking about her like that, she'd kill me!" Max got up off the floor and went back downstairs. "Better go help Cedric finish the Trans-Pod…" He stopped again. "Wonder what Monica thinks of me…?"
The next day, Monica, Max, and Cain loaded up the Trans-Pod and headed for the Selceta Forest. Max drove the machine while Monica sat in the passenger seat. Cain sat in the back, resting up for their journey. Coronya was too far behind as she fluttered her wings to follow them.
"So why do they call it the Forest of Ghosts?" Cain asked. "Ain't like it's swarming with the undead, is it?"
"That's precisely why they call it that." Monica turned and answered. "It's the place where all those who died go to before they are chosen to ascend to heaven."
"So they're gonna be hundreds of dead guys hanging 'round in da air!?" Cain shot up. "Why don't I like the sound of dat?!"
"It's okay, Cain!" Coronya flew around his head. "As long as they don't have any hostility towards the living, you'll be safe!"
"Alright guys." Max said as he made the next turn. "We should be at the forest in a few minutes."
After passing the Sindain Forest, they found a dark, isolated patch of woods that had a eerie aura surrounding it. This was the Selceta Forest. Max stopped the Trans-Pod and everyone disembarked. Cain was forced to carry all 6 of the hurry bags packed for the trip as punishment for peeking on Monica yesterday. Just as they set foot in the forest, a quick wind blew past them.
"Whoa!" Max said as he saw it. A dancing aura of white light surrounded the group. It was the spirit of one who has died, seeming to be welcoming them. When Max looked ahead, he could see more dancing lights all over. "There's so many."
Monica, Max, and Coronya were in awe, while Cain was just frustrated. "Can we get moving!? This stuff is heavy!"
After traveling the woods, and watching the spirits and light fly by, they reached a wooden bridge over a quick rapid. Cain dropped the bags. "Hold it!" He shouted.
"What is it?" Max turned around and looked at him. Monica and Coronya also looked at him.
"Why is it that gotta carry this $#! all by myself?!" Cain complained, with little droplets of saliva escaping his mouth.
"Because you looked at me while I was showering!" Monica shouted back.
"Max did, too! Why does he get off scotch-free?!"
"Because Max was trying to stop you." Monica said.
"I think it's cuz you wanted him to see ya like that!"
Monica and Max both flushed bright red. Cain laughed at this, but Coronya seemed more serious.
"Guys!" The fox fairy shook her paws around wildly. "Shush!"
"Huh?" The three teens look at her. She seemed nervous and in fear.
"I don't know what it is, but something bad is really close by… I can feel it in the air."
Cain was about to argue with her, but he too felt a strange vibe. He dropped the bags. "She's right… it something I can hear someone approaching…"
At that moment, someone was approaching them. His lighting fast feet was heading for the bridge. In a split second, he had made it to the group, and was aimed with two vicious looking knives.
"Hello travelers." The man spoke. He hair was jet black and around his head was a white head band. The grey shirt he wore matched the silver breastplate armor covering his chest. He also sported long grey pants, soft heel ninja shoes, and a black cape flowed freely off his back. "You're in my territory now, so give me all the belonging you have and all the gilda you carry."
"This is the guy…" Cain said, preparing to fight.
The mugger smirked at his targets. "Well boys and girls… what's it going to be? Will this be easy, or messy?"
"Sorry you feel that way…" Max armed himself with his wrench, while Monica drew out her sword. "Because we don't give in to threats!"
"This isn't a threat…" The man pulled out two small blades and pointed them towards Max and the others. "It's a warning."
Cain was about to charge up his energy for a quick blast, when, in a blink of an eye, a quick creature pounced on his back and knocked him down. "AHHHH!!! BACK ATTACK!!!"
Max and Monica turned to him and saw who was attacking. Cain was face down on the bridge with a snarling wolf tearing into the backpack he carried. The wolf looked at them with narrowed eyes and growled.
"Good boy, Blitz." The man praised his pet.
"Call him off!" Max shouted as he and Monica rushed for their mugger.
Before they could reach him, he pulled out a small grey ball and threw it on the ground, releasing a smoke screen. When it cleared, he was gone.
"Where'd he go?" Monica looked around. Max turned around and looked across the bridge.
"Behind us!" He shouted. The man had in his hands the bags that belonged to the group, while the wolf, Blitz, carried the backpack with his teeth.
"Thank you for all you've done for us." The man smiled and bowed. "We'll be taking our leave." Just as he started walking away, Cain got up with anger on his face.
"BLADES OF LIGHT!!!" Cain threw his blades at the man. The man and wolf started running from the scene, dodging the blades.
Not only did he take their supplies, he also took the only Talisman they had. "We gotta go after him!" Monica said as she grabbed Max by the arm and pulled him with her. "He's got our Talisman!"
"Wait for us!" Coronya shouted as she and Cain hurried after them. But before they could get any farther, a swarm of skeleton warriors blocked their path.
"Dammit!" Cain cursed at the army.
The monsters were all armed with razor sharp swords and were ready to attack. The three heroes all prepared to defend themselves. Not only did they have to worry about the Talisman in the thief's possession, but their survival would be tested as well.
The man who had robbed them was running through the forest at a high rate of speed. His wolf friend matched his speed and was by his side.
"It's been a while, Blade…" A voice spook to him. He suddenly stopped and looked into the brush, with blades in hand.
"Show yourself!" Blade commanded the voice. Slowly, another figure walked towards him, wearing an almost identical outfit, except his was solid black. Blade looked at him and dropped his weapons. "Cruz… is that you?!"
The man he called Cruz nodded. "Yes Blade…it's been almost 3 years…"
Blade smiled. "Then… she survived?! Tell me!" He approached Cruz, only to receive a slice in the face by Cruz's weapon of choice, a deadly long sword. If he hadn't moved out of the way in time, his whole head would have been taken off. "What?! Cruz?!"
"Like you care about her…" Cruz looked at the blood that dripped off the blade of his sword. "Wasn't it YOU who killed us anyway?"
"What?!?!" Blade shouted in shock as Blitz growled at the one who hurt his master.
/While Max, Monica, and Cain deal with monsters in the forest, the mysterious Blade is facing off against his former friend, Cruz. What is the story behind this thief, and why does his own friend want him dead? Find out next time…/
START TEASER:
Cain: The past never dies…
Coronya: Yo Cain! Why so somber?
Cain: Dammit Coronya! I'm trying to sound cool during the teaser! Chicks dig that! Anyway…the past never dies…. Those who remember keep it alive and burning in their minds. Horrible memories seem to be stronger than those of happiness. But when your past differs to that of another, conflict is soon to erupt. Friends turn to rivals and rivals into murderers… and the only way to settle the conflict…is for one to lost their life…
Coronya: Uh… what does that mean?
Cain: It means the guy who stole our crap is up against his past! His old friend feels that he was abandoned by him, and is seeking revenge! But there's more to this meets the eye, and we'll be that much closer to the next talisman! Got it?!
Coronya: You sound cooler when you go straight to the point!
Cain: If any ladies are impressed, you know who said it first! Next Chapter…
Battling the Past!
Preparing for the Future!
Cain: You haven't missed a chap yet. Why start now!?
END TEASER
Sorry this chap took so long to make, I've been having too many distractions, but one of them happens to be a pic I drew of Cain. But since won't let me make a link to it in my story, just find the link on my deviantART gallery in my profile. And don't worry... the next chap won't take nearly as long to make.