It was a bright windy day. Blaze and his friends were out on his sailboat, riding the waves as they cheered.
"Yee-haw!" Starla exclaimed. "This is some wind!"
"Yeah! It's awesome!" Stripes laughed.
"Awesome sailboat, B!" Darington giggled. "Oh, I mean, CAPTAIN Blaze! He he,"
Blaze laughed. "Thanks, Darry, I'm glad you guys like it!"
"It's amazing, Blaze!" Pickle cheered. "Wa-hoo!"
"Psh, I bet MY sailboat would've been faster," Crusher huffed.
"Well, if it was in tact, that is," Watts chuckled.
"Ha-ha, VERY FUNNY!" Crusher glared at the other with a huff.
"Now, now, guys, let's not fight on the boat," AJ told them.
"Yeah!" Blaze agreed. "Let's just enjoy the ride!"
He pulled on the sail, and a gust of wind caused them sail forward. They all cheered as they did so as they went across the sea. They kept on going, letting the wind take them further and further out until…
"Hey, fellas, where ARE we heading to?" Starla asked.
"Nowhere in particular," Blaze replied.
"Yeah! Let the wind do the navigation!" Stripes agreed.
"Speaking of, how far EXACTLY did we sail to…?" Watts asked, looking around. "I don't even see any land around here…"
"Huh, maybe we went a LITTLE too far from land…" Blaze frowned and looked around.
"We're LOST?!" Crusher's jaw dropped.
"Aww, don't worry, Crusher, I'm sure that we can find land… somewhere…" AJ looked around.
"Hey look!" Stripes pointed to an island nearby. "It's an island!"
"What island is that?" Starla asked.
"I don't know, but land is land," Darington shrugged.
"Right," Blaze nodded. "To the island!"
He turned the steering to the island, letting the wind guide them and blow them off. The wind picked up the pace, and the they zoomed at top speed getting to the island. They soon reached the beach, where AJ and Gabby lowered anchor to keep their ship afloat then they hopped off the boat and gasped at the place.
"Woah…"
"This place is amazing!" Pickle squealed.
"And very familiar…" Crusher murmured.
"Come on! Let's explore the place!" Blaze suggested.
The group cheered and zoomed into the island. Only Crusher stayed, looking around the place cautiously. Pickle stayed by his side, glancing at him in concern.
"Are... you okay?"
"I don't know, Pickle," Crusher admitted. "There's something about this place that just… seems… familiar…"
"Well... maybe we can figure out why later. Come on."
Crusher sighed and nodded as he followed after the green truck. They had soon caught up to the others as they went through the forest.
"This place is amazing!" AJ exclaimed. "I've never seen anything like it!"
"Yeah, it's amazing!" Blaze agreed.
"Look at all different animals!" Zeg pointed nearby as they passed a group of bunnies.
As they drove by, the bunnies immediately saw Crusher and bowed toward him, whispering excitedly.
"Huh... that's weird..." Stripes muttered. "Did the bunnies just bow?"
"Yeah... and they bowed towards Crusher," Starla nodded. "But why?"
"I can answer that."
As everyone looked to find the source of the voice, Gabby pointed toward something amazing-- a unicorn with a wonderful pink mane and tail with light pink blossoms and stones in it. She also wore golden ankle bracelets, and her fur was white and had a pink curlicue pattern.
"Woah…" the group gasped.
"Who are you?" Watts asked.
"I am Lyria-- leader of the unicorns of Enchanted Isle. I welcome you to our land."
She looked toward Crusher and gasped with a bow, some of the animals surrounding them following afterward.
"And welcome back... your highness."
"YOUR HIGHNESS?!?" Everyone stared at Crusher in disbelief.
"I, uh... I have no idea what she's talking about!" Crusher lied.
"Crusher, I've seen that look before," Pickle said. "You always make it when you know something you don't want us to know."
"Uh…" Crusher gulped before sighing. "Okay, okay, maybe I DO know what's going on…"
"And that is...?" Starla glared.
Crusher let out a sigh. "I… I know this island. I've been here before… well, more specifically I was born here…"
"You were?" AJ asked.
"Yes, I was," Crusher nodded. "My Grammy took me away from this island to live in Axle City years ago after…" he winced at the memory that came to him and shut his mouth.
"He is the grandson of our wicked king, Fortius," Lyria stepped in. "His grammy took him away after... the king killed his own daughter. Crusher's mother."
The group were horrified. They turned to Crusher, who avoided their eyes.
"He... killed your mom?" Blaze questioned.
"Killed her right in front of me... wanted me to see the kind of king he wanted me to be one day..." Crusher shuddered at the memory. "I… I haven't been here since…"
"Crusher... I'm so sorry..." Blaze said softly.
"How could someone kill his own child and traumatize his grandchild?" Stripes growled.
"Because his heart has always been dark," a rabbit said. "Since Crusher left, he has been abusing his power and mistreating several orphaned animals he keeps in his palace. No one has ever stood up to him."
"We have to stop him!" Darington cried out.
"How? We don't have any magic powers!" Stripes yelled.
"We can help with that," Lyria spoke. "Follow us,"
The group followed her and the animals through the forest. They passed the forest and made it to a well.
"The Well of Magic?" Crusher gasped. "Grammy took me here when I was little. How can this help?"
"The Well of Magic will be able to grant your friends the powers they need to defeat Fortius," Lyria explained.
"We'll get powers?! Awesome!" Darington beamed.
"What kind of powers are gettin'?" Starla asked.
"All kinds," Lyria replied. "Step forward, so we may begin,"
They all stepped forward towards the well. Only Crusher stayed behind and watched as the well gave a rainbow glow, making the group gasp in amazement.
"It's beautiful!" Blaze gasped.
The well then reflected each of their reflections before glowing once more and releasing a rainbow out of it's waters. The light of red fell on Blaze and AJ, the yellow on Watts, a blue on Darington, the green on Zeg and Pickle, the orange on Stripes, and the purple on Starla and Gabby.
"Whoa! I-I feel so different!" Darington exclaimed.
"It'll take a while to get used to," Crusher shrugged.
"Ooh! I wonder what kind of magic we each have!" Pickle squealed.
"You will find out in time, young one," Lyria giggled. "Now you must hurry. I assume you remember the way, your highness?"
"Yes," Crusher sighed and nodded, turning around. "Come on, the palace is this way,"
X
Meanwhile, from the palace, which was in the middle of the island, King Fortius scowled at the orphan pup in front of him, which was begging for shelter and food.
"Please your excellency..." Kijana the jackal begged. "My pack is dead, and I have no one else!"
"I don't CARE! LEAVE AT ONCE!" Fortius yelled, eyes glowing red as he gritted his teeth.
The young jackal's ears folded down sadly, and she left with tears in her eyes.
Now she felt as unwanted as ever...
"Argh, stupid orphans," Fortius growled and huffed.
Suddenly, the giant crystal ball in the middle of the throne room began to glow. He turned to it and raised an eyebrow as an image appeared of the group making their way to the palace.
"Is that... my grandson?!"
He stared at the crystal ball to get a closer glance. He gasped.
"It is! And he brought help-- probably to overthrow me! I have to stop them..."
He raised his tires to the sky, eyes glowing electric blue. Suddenly, lightning began to fall from the the sky and right in front of the group.
"GAH!"
"Retreat!" Blaze cried.
They tried to turn and drive back only to have lightning strike behind them.
"Oh no... we're trapped!" Gabby gasped.
"What can we do?!" Darington panicked.
Crusher growled at the lightning as the strikes kept coming. When another came close to him, he grabbed it with his tire, the blue lightning turning white at his touch, causing everyone's jaws to drop in shock.
"How did you do that?!" Stripes yelled.
"Lightning is my signature power. Come on! Follow me and use your powers to help get rid of this lightning storm!"
They drove forward as Crusher deflected the incoming lightning sparks. One came too close to AJ, causing him to yelp.
"WHOA!!"
As he jumped to avoid the lightning, flames appeared from his finger tips, deflecting the blue lightning from him.
"Whoa! I-I think I might have fire powers!"
"And if we were under the same red light," Blaze figured. "I must have fire magic too!"
He turned to test it, slamming his tire to the ground. Immediately, flames burst out from the floor and burned the lightning before it could touch them.
"AJ, follow my lead!"
They both ran forward and created a fire shield around them. The group gasped as the shield protected them from any incoming lightning sparks.
"Hurry! Go go go!!"
As they all zoomed forward to pass the storm, Crusher used his lightning abilities in attempt to stop the storm completely.
"By my command, never touch land! Lightning spark, from way up high, return to the sky!"
Suddenly, the lightning sparks came to a stop before slowly going up as the clouds began to clear.
"Phew... good job, Crushy," Pickle sighed.
"Now let's keep going," Blaze said. "Before--"
Just before anyone could move, there was a slight whimpering/crying sound... and it was close.
"Hey, did you guys hear that?" Stripes asked.
"It sounds like crying!" Darington gasped.
"It sounds like it's coming from that cave!" AJ pointed out. "Blaze, let's go investigate."
"Got it." Blaze nodded as he let the other hop onto his driver's seat.
The duo drove off to the nearby cave. They entered it and looked around.
"Look... over there!"
AJ looked where Blaze was pointing, and low and behold, there it was-- a young jackal pup with tan fur and with a beige underbelly, muzzle, and paws. Her back, bushy tail tip, and the top of her head are black in color. A large tuft of very dark navy fur flows over her forehead. Her eyes are teal and her round nose is dark brown.
But what made them concerned was her shivering, and sniffling tears.
"Oh…" AJ dismounted and slowly stepped closer towards the jackal pup. "Hello…?"
Kijana looked up, scared, and backed away when the boy tried to get close.
"Hey, hey, it's okay," AJ stopped and knelt down, slowly reach out to her. "We won't hurt you,"
"Y-You sure?" The pup lightly looked up.
"We promise we won't," AJ assured her as Blaze drove to his side.
Kijana looked a little hopeful, so she stepped a little closer, and allowed AJ to pet her.
AJ giggled and petted her back. "You're so soft! What's your name?"
"Kijana. It means young in Swahili. Who are you?"
"I'm AJ, and this is my best friend Blaze," AJ motioned to Blaze, who waved.
"Hello, Kijana," the red truck greeted. "What are you doing here all alone?"
"I... I lost my pack in a rockslide..." Kijana admitted. "I tried to go to the castle for some shelter and food, but... the king forced me to leave. It's been days since I had something to eat, and... I have no one to love me now. People just despise me cause I'm a jackal."
"D'aww, don't worry, Kijana," Blaze assured her. "We'll take care of you,"
"You will? Really?!" Kijana's lit up with hope.
"We really will," AJ nodded with a smile.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Kijana jumped in joy. The duo laughed at her enthusiasm as AJ scooped her up.
"Come on, we'll take you to meet our friends. They'll help take care of you too,"
"Okay... are they as friendly as you?"
"Yes, don't worry, Kijana," Blaze assured her as AJ hopped onto the driver's seat. "They won't hurt you either,"
"Okay..."
The best friends soon drove out of the cave. They found their friends waiting for them just nearby.
"Hey, guys-- look what we found!"
"What is it, B?!" Darington drove forward and cooed over the pup. "A jackal pup! Cute!"
"Guys, this is Kijana. She's an orphaned jackal pup, and she really wants someome to take care of her now that her pack is gone." Blaze explained.
"H-Hello," Kijana curled up in AJ's arms as the boy dismounted.
"D'aww, don't worry, Kijana!" Stripes beamed. "We'll take care you,"
"We all will!" Starla agreed.
"Wow... thank you."
Just then, the little jackal's belly rumbled.
"I... guess I could use something to eat. Anyone got any antelope?" Kajina licked her lips.
"Uh…" the group glanced over at Stripes, who laughed nervously.
"We don't have any of that. But I did save some of my world famous meatloaf you can have!" Starla offered.
"Meat… loaf?" Kijana tilted her head.
"It's a tasty food we have back where we come from," Pickle said. "You'll love it!"
"Here ya go, fella!" Starla held out some of her meatloaf.
"Okay... I guess I'll try it."
Kijana took a sniff before munching on it. Her eyes lit up at the delicious taste.
"Wow... this is delicious!"
"Told ya you'd like it." Starla chuckled.
"Come on, guys. We better get moving again." Blaze told them as Kijana hopped onto his driver's seat to lay down on.
"Yeah…" Crusher agreed. "No doubt grandfather sent the lightning storm,"
"Do you think he knows that we're here?" Watts questioned.
"Yep," Crusher hissed. "And he'd do anything to stop us. He always HATED the thought of getting overthrown,"
"Then let's hurry!"
X
Meanwhile, back at the palace, Fortius growled as he watched the group still make their way to the palace.
"DRAT!! I guess I'll have to try more desperate measures to stop my--"
Suddenly, there was a bang on the throne room doors, and a guard barged in with a little unicorn foal, with a blue coal, and a curly mane and tail on a rope.
"Your majesty, this foal was caught eating in the palace gardens."
"EATING IN MY GARDENS?!" Fortius grabbed his staff, eyes red and glowing in rage. "HOW DARE YOU?!"
"I-I'm so sorry, your highness!" Fano said, his legs trembling in fright. "I was just so hungry, and your garden felt safe!"
"NO!" Fortius grabbed the foal and threw him to a wall. "LEAVE AND NEVER RETURN!"
"Y-Yes, sire..."
With that, Fano left, limping slightly. After he left, the king came up with another idea.
"Hmm… now I know how to stop them!"
He waved his tires around, and from the floor appeared a group of polar bears, all possessed under his control.
"Now, polar bears, DESTROY MY ENEMIES!!"
The polar bears nodded and bowed their heads before going out to destroy their enemies.
At the same time, Blaze was telling Kijana about some of their favorite adventures as Crusher let them through a meadow, with a snowy mountain in the distance.
"And after me and AJ returned Roarian's sunstone, he rewarded us by using his magic to make us fly, just like him!" Blaze finished the story.
"Wow... you really got to fly?" Kijana gasped. "Like a bird?"
"Yep!" Blaze laughed. "It was an amazing adventure!"
"While others are lucky…" Crusher grumbled, rolling his eyes.
Suddenly, they heard a growl from nearby, prompting them all to stop.
"What that?" Zeg asked.
"Sounds like bears…" Stripes hissed.
"B-Bears?!" Kijana gulped and whimpered, curling up.
"Don't worry, Kijana," Gabby assured. "We'll take care of them. We have magic powers now, and those bears won't stand a chance!"
"But, you need to stay in my trunk so you don't get hurt," Blaze added. "Understand?"
Kijana nodded and jumped into his trunk. As he did, they heard a louder growl, and they all turned to see a group of polar bears moving towards them, eyes glowing red as they gritted their teeths.
"Polar bears!" Blaze exclaimed. "Zeg, you go first!"
"ZEG!"
Zeg zoomed forward to charge. As he did, the ground began to shake, and a large rock rose from the ground, knocking one of the polar bears out.
"Earth powers!" Crusher gasped. "Starla, now you!"
"YEE-HAW!" Starla twirled her lasso, which was glowing black. "Uh, what's happenin'?"
"Okay, green means earth and purple means dark magic, I guess I should've seen that coming," Crusher sighed.
"Give it a try anyway, Starla." Stripes urged.
"ALRIGHTY!" Starla zoomed forward and threw her lasso.
The rope wrapped around some of the polar bears before glowing purple. As soon as it did, the polar bears got knocked out in an instant.
"Nice!" Blaze grinned. "Stripes, Watts! Your turn!"
"ELECTRIC... CHARGE!!"
Watts drove first, but it wasn't electricity that came out from her tires. Instead, it was a beam of sunlight, causing one of the polar bears to roar out in pain and fall on the ground.
"Whoa! What just happened?!"
"Sun powers!" Crusher exclaimed. "I've never seen that before! Stripes, you next!"
"RAWRR!"
Stripes charged forward. He let out his roar, causing a sonic boom to shoot towards the polar bears, knocking some of the last of them out.
"Animal power! Nice! Darington, you're up!"
"DARING… TOOON!"
Darington jumped up, the star patterns on his body glowing icy blue before he touched the ground, causing ice to appear and knock out the last polar bear.
"Ice magic! Great!" Blaze beamed. "That's all of them, team!"
"It safe now, Kijana," Zeg said, getting ready to peek into Blaze's trunk. "You can come--"
But when he looked, the little jackal was gone!
"OH NO!" AJ gasped as he looked inside to see the empty trunk. "She's gone!"
"Where could that little cutie have gone to?" Pickle asked.
"I don't know, but she must have gotten scared by our power blasts," Watts figured. "We have to find her!"
Suddenly, jackal barking and horse whinnies were heard through the next patch of trees.
"That's Kijana! I know the jackal distress call anywhere!" Stripes exclaimed. "Follow those yips and barks!"
They all zoomed to the trees as fast as they could. There, they found the little jackal pup.
"Kijana, there you are!" Blaze said as they approached the cliffside.
"Sorry I ran off, but I had to help the little unicorn! Look! He's trapped at the bottom of the cliff!"
"A little unicorn?!" Gabby and Pickle gasped as they all leaned over to see the poor foal at the bottom.
"And that's not the worst part!" Kijana added. "A leap of leopards live in those cliffs!"
"I don't wanna be leopard food!" Fano yelled from the bottom. "HELP!!"
"How are we gonna get down there and help the poor fella out?" Starla asked.
"Gabby, can you build something that can get him out?" Blaze asked.
"I don't think I can without my tools—"
Just as she raised her hands, dark magic slipped out of her fingertips, creating dark tools from out of nowhere. She glanced at them in surprise.
"Whoa... I guess I can! Hang on, little unicorn! I'll have you out in just a second!"
She twirled her hands more, and her magic began to construct something from darkness. Finally, she managed to create a flight of stairs heading down the cliff.
"Hurry! Use the stairs!"
Fano nodded and jumped onto each step in attempt to head up the cliff. As he did, an angry growl came from below, and out came one of the leopards.
"AAAAHH!!"
Fano began to panic and climb as fast as he could. His hoof twisted at one of the steps, and he yelped as he tripped.
"I got him!" Kijana bared her teeth and leapt before Fano, kicking the leopard away.
"Thank you!" Fano sighed in relief.
"Come on. Let's get outta here."
Kijana lead the foal up the rest of the stairs, and the trucks cheered for the jackal's bravery.
"Kijana, you were so brave!" AJ exclaimed, scooping the pup into his arms, and she allowed him to cuddle her.
"Thanks!"
"Are you okay, little foal?" Blaze questioned.
"Mm-hmm," Fano nodded. "Thank you for saving me! Who are you?"
"I'm Blaze, and these are my friends. What's your name?"
"Fano. Thanks again for saving me, but... I need to go. I don't know where yet, but... I know I have to go somewhere to find something to eat."
"You have no where else to go either?" AJ frowned. "What happened, Fano?"
"I... was left behind by my herd." the foal whimpered.
"Left behind? Oh no!" Blaze frowned.
"Well, don't worry, Fano," Watts spoke up. "If you want, we'll take care of you,"
"Really?"
"Yeah!" Gabby nodded. "We're actually taking care of Kijana right now,"
"Yeah!" Kijana nodded. "They're great caretakers!"
"Well... okay. I've never had a jackal as a friend before. Can you show me how to kick like you did?" Fano smiled.
"Yeah! I sure can!"
The others giggled at how adorable the children are while getting along. As they did, they failed to notice the polar bears from earlier getting up, their eyes no longer red as they made they way towards them. Stripes heard their steps and turned around.
"Guys, look!"
They all turned to see the bears heading towards them again. Starla, Watts and Zeg were ready to fight them again when Crusher held out his tire to stop them.
"Wait. Let me try."
He cautiously stepped forward, eyes flashing white towards the polar bears. The bears seemed to recognize him as they stepped back and bowed.
"Easy... we're not gonna hurt you anymore. Do you remember what happened?"
The polar bears all looked confused and lost as they tried to recall what happened. The one in front headed front, head still low.
"Not… Not completely, your highness. We… All we remember is facing the king…"
"Grandfather... I had a feeling he had something to do with it. Don't worry, we'll handle it. You guys take shelter."
"Yes, your highness!"
The polar bears looked eager to obey the dark blue truck before running off.
Crusher sighed and turned back to the group. Blaze had Kijana and Fano in his driver's seat, with Gabby and AJ petting them while Starla and Stripes were giving them something to eat.
"You said you were hungry, right, Fano?" Stripes asked.
"Yeah... really hungry." Fano nodded.
"Well, what do unicorns like to eat?" Darington questioned.
"Grass, apples and sugar cubes. But my favorite is glitter carrots, and they only grow in the palace garden. I was trying to get some when a guard threw a rope around my neck, and brought me to the king, where I was... banished from the palace."
"Sounds like grandfather, alright…" Crusher growled.
"Huh, but where are we getting glitter carrots?" Pickle wondered.
"There's a small patch at the bottom of Mt. Hurricane, where the palace is. We can give him some there before heading up the mountain." Crusher spoke.
"Then I guess we better keep moving, if we wanna feed him before he started too much," Blaze declared.
X
Meanwhile, Fortius glanced at his crystal ball. He seethed his teeth with a growl as he watched the group make their way towards him still.
"Well, well, those pests are STILL in coming! I need to stop them ONCE AND FOR ALL! I—"
Before he could finish, however, there was a knock at the door. Fortius snarled.
"WHO DARES INTERRUPT ME?!"
"I… I do, your majesty," one of the guards entered, little shaken up by the king's rage.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Fortius hissed.
"I apologize, your majesty, but there seemed to be a child asking for your… attention…"
"Fine... bring her in." Fortius huffed.
A second later, a gray arctic fox came in, blue eyes afraid as she got down on her paws and bowed.
"G-Greetings, your majesty,"
"Just spit it out. What do you want?" Fortius grumbled.
"Well... my-- my father is very abusive to me and my mother, but we can't leave him due to our leash having to stay together. I was hoping, me and my mother could stay here... and be safe."
"NO AND NEVER!" Fortius growled, towering over the poor fox. "NO WILD ANIMALS ARE ALLOWED IN THIS PALACE, ESPECIALLY NOT PATHETIC CHILDREN LIKE YOU! NOW LEAVE AT ONCE!"
"Oh... ok..."
The little fox whimpered as she slowly backed up. Fortius glared at her impatiently but watched her leave before turning back to the crystal ball.
"Wait... the snow gives me another idea."
He raised his tires and swirled it around, icy blue magic appearing.
Back with the group, they had been driving forward with Crusher on the lead when snow began to fall from the sky.
"Wow... snow!" Kijana yipped, jumping around in it.
"Aww... how adorable!" Pickle cooed.
"Jackals are warm weather animals, and they don't see snow often," Stripes explained. "This is probably her first time seeing it."
But, as they watched the young animals play, they had no idea the snow was starting to come down hard.
"Brr…" Gabby shuddered. "Uh, guys, is it me or is the falling snowing getting harder by the minute?"
"Yeah... we better find a cave for shelter," Blaze said. "I think I see one up the hill. Come on!"
The group moved up toward the cave, but before they could get inside, the same arctic fox from the castle appeared, teeth bared and growling.
"You! State your business!"
Fano's ears pinned against his head, and Kijana yelped and hid behind Blaze's tire.
"We just need shelter from the snowstorm," AJ explained to the fox.
"Oh... oh no... I-I am so sorry!" the little fox whimpered. "My father always tell me to say that and attack, but I never wanna attack anyone. Please, come on in."
The group sighed in relief and headed inside the cave. Blaze smiled at the fox as they did.
"Thank you," he said. "What's your name, little fox?"
"Shani," the fox answered. "I've never seen you here before. What are you doing on Mt. Hurricane?"
"We're trying to get to the palace," Starla replied.
"Whoa! Bad idea! I just came from there, and--"
"SHANI!!!!" An angry male voice sounded from the other end of the cave.
"Woah!" Darington jumped and hid behind Blaze. "Who WAS that?!"
"My father..." Shani muttered. "In here, Papa!"
A darker gray fox with brown eyes came in, eyes filled with anger and slapped his daughter across the face.
"You runt! Why did you bring warm weather creatures in our home?!!"
"P-Papa, you don't understand! These creatures just needed shelter from the storm!"
"I don't care!" Zuzo, her father, snapped. "The only thing I care about..."
His vision shifted toward Fano, and he licked his chops with pleasure.
"Lunch has now arrived..."
Fano whimpered and hid behind Kijana, who growled at Zuzo, gritting her teeth.
"Whoa whoa whoa! You are NOT getting hold of my friend!" she hissed. "Go out and hunt your own food!"
"Fine..." Zuzo growled. "Hey, blue eyes, your mother is getting worse. Keep an eye on the old fur bag till I get back."
"Y-Yes, Papa…"
Shani nodded as her father took his leave, growling past the group and making his way out of the cave. As soon as he was gone, Stripes himself let out a growl.
"How can he treat you like that? You didn't do anything wrong!"
"It's because I can't turn white when I go into the snow, and after I was born, my mama started getting sick. So... he taunts us whenever he can."
"That guy sure gets on MY nerves." Starla hissed.
"Is your mother okay?" Watts asked, consoling the little fox.
"Not really..." Shani sniffled. "Mama gets worse and worse every day. Would you... like to see her?"
"If you don't mind," Blaze politely replied with a nod.
"Follow me."
Shani showed them through the caves, which had green vines glowing brightly, and showed them to an area where a light gray fox was laying, smiling weakly at them.
"Everyone, meet my mom, Chakira. Mama, meet my new friends."
"Nice to meet you, Ms. Chakira," Gabby spoke.
"Nice to meet..." the fox let out a cough, "you too, children."
"Mama, need another glitter carrot?" Shani asked, pushing some toward her. "You need to keep your strength up."
"No, no, dear. I'm fine, really. But the unicorn certainly looks hungry. Help yourself, sweet one."
Fano flushed in embarrassment of giving himself away. "M-May I, Ma'am…?"
"Of course. Help yourself."
Fano smiled and timidly stepped forward to eat. Blaze then turned to Shani.
"What's her illness, Shani?"
"We... don't exactly now. She just gets really weak." Shani replied.
"Aww, I wish we can help her," Pickle sighed.
"I know what's wrong w-w-with me..." Kijana whimpered coldly. "I-I'm f-f-f-freez-z-z-zing!!"
"OH! Come here, Kijana," AJ took her in his arms and cuddled her to warm her up.
"Poor dear..." Chakira sighed. "I just wish... I could help you all accomplish your mission..."
"Mama...?" Shani glanced at her mother worriedly.
"Help them, Shani... help yourself..." her mother croaked, softly breathing. "You are meant for so much more... I love you my baby girl..."
And looking at her daughter one more time, her eyes gently closed.
No breathing...
No movement... nothing.
"M-MAMA!" Shani shrieked, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"W-What happened?!" Fano cried.
"She's… gone," Crusher sighed.
"I... I've never seen anyone die before..." Kijana whined. "It... it's scary..."
"Shh, shh, it's okay, Kijana…" AJ petted her gently to comfort her.
Blaze went up to Shani and picked up the little fox gently. She cried, and he consoled her as gently as he could.
"I'm so sorry, Shani,"
"I'm... I'm gonna miss her so much... what will Papa say...?"
"Who's to say that he even cares…? Starla muttered.
"Starship!" Watts nudged her.
"Shani! I'm back with some gazelle!" A voice from outside echoed in.
"P-Papa!"
Zuzo was just about to say something after he brought the gazelle in, but when he saw his girl in front of his mate's body, he lost it.
"You... YOU MURDERED YOUR OWN MOTHER!!! YOU UNGRATEFUL PIECE OF HIDE!! I WISH YOU HAD NEVER BEEN BORN!!"
Shani began to cry more. The others gasped at the male fox in disbelief.
"Hey! You have no right to talk to her that way!" AJ snapped.
"Come on, guys-- let's take Shani with us," Pickle growled.
"Come on, Shani," Blaze gently took her in his tires before driving out.
"You know what?! Fine! Take her! It's not like I wanted her anyway!" Zuzo huffed.
Crusher growled at him as everyone else took their leave. His eyes flashed white before he turned to leave the fox.
Outside, the gentle snow returned, but it was still not enough to warm up Kijana or ease Shani's heavy heart.
"Well, at least snowstorm isn't hard as before," Zeg spoke.
"But still, Kijana is freezing!" Pickle cried. "I can use my magic to make her something." He took out his wand and waved it. "Abra-Ka-Pickle!"
In an instant, a warm blanket appeared around the little jackal.
"Wow... awesome!"
Then her attention turned to the sniffling fox.
"Hey... Shani? I know what you're going through. I... lost my mom too."
"Really?" Shani looked up.
"Yeah... I lost her in a rockslide not long ago, along with the rest of my pack."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Shani spoke. "It must have been devastating,"
"It was... but... maybe we can... cope from our losses together. What do you say?"
"I… okay," Shani smiled as they connected paws together. "I kinda wish there was a faster way up the mountain..."
"Maybe we can try using some Blazing Speed!" Blaze offered.
"Blazing what now?" Kijana asked.
"Blazing Speed, Blaze's boosters," AJ explained as he hopped onto Blaze's driver seat. "It makes him and everyone else go really fast!"
"That sounds fun! Let's do it!"
Blaze's back opened up, revealing his boosters. It spread towards the other monster machines.
"Yesss, Blazing Speed!" Darington cheered as Fano jumped onto Watts's driver seat with Gabby.
"Hang on, you three, we're about to go REALLY fast!" Blaze told them as Shani jumped into his seat to join AJ and Kijana.
"LEEEEET'S BLAAAAAZE!!"
They soon zoomed up the mountain, all of them cheering as they left colorful contrails. They soon made it to the top of the mountain, causing the monster machines to skid to a stop.
"That... was... AWESOME!!" Shani barked. "I don't think I've ever gone up the mountain that fast before!"
"YEAH!" Kijana cheered.
"Let's do that again!" Fano giggled.
"Maybe later, guys," Blaze promised. "We have to go in there and take down the king in order to free the island."
"Here it is," Crusher gulped as he moved forward, approaching a large palace nearby.
"Blaze...?" Kijana whispered. "Will you... be with me to hold my paw if I get scared...?"
"Of course, Kijana," Blaze smiled and nodded.
"Okay..."
They drove forward towards the palace. The guards in the front stood their ground as they approached them.
"Halt! Who-- oh... Prince Crusher!"
They were all taken back at the lost Prince's appearance, most of them bowing at the sight of him.
"That's right, and I demand you to take us to my grandfather, right now."
"Y-Yes, your highness!"
They opened the palace doors to let them in. Just as Blaze and Watts were about to head in, a guard stopped them.
"I'm sorry, your highness, but those three… pesky children are no longer allowed in the palace,"
"Blaze..." Kijana looked up at him sadly. "We don't wanna stay out here... the guards might hurt us..."
"Don't worry, we won't leave you three behind," Blaze assured her and glanced up at his rival.
Crusher nodded and turned to the guards. "They're with me. It's fine,"
"As… As you say, your highness…" the guard scowled as they all made their way inside the palace.
The palace was large and lightly dimmed as they passed through the halls. The halls were filled with paintings, mostly of Fortius himself.
"Sheesh... self absorbed..." Starla muttered.
They soon passed a painting with the old royal family, where Crusher was merely a child, and his mother was there, along with his grandmother. They stopped at it for a while, glancing up at the painting.
"Hey, Crusher... is that your mom?" AJ asked.
"Yeah, it is," Crusher sighed with a nod.
"Wow... she's amazing!" Kijana said. "My mom always told me that Princess Samira was the most kind, smart and brave princess in the whole kingdom."
"She was, wasn't she…?" Crusher felt his heart ache as he sighed. "She was the best…"
"Um... what DID happen to her...?" Watts asked gently. "You told us the king killed her, but... we don't know how."
"He... he shot her..." Crusher grimaced at the memory as he shut his eyes.
"Oh, Crusher... I'm so sorry..." Blaze frowned and drove over to console him.
"Still can't believe that the king would do that to his own daughter…" Starla grumbled.
"Grandfather was always mad with power, and didn't think of how it would affect the creatures who live here. When Mom tried to talk him out of it, he... he shot her...!!"
Crusher began to break down, his tears rolling down his cheeks uncontrollably as he remembered everything from years ago. Everyone surrounded him to comfort him.
"Don't worry, Crusher, we won't let him hurt you or anyone else," Blaze told him.
"Yeah!" Pickle agreed.
"I'll sink my teeth in to him if he ever hurts any of you!" Kijana nodded, playfully growling and pouncing on AJ's back.
Crusher chuckled and ruffled the little jackal's head. "Thanks… but we better get to the throne room,"
With that, they drove forward. After a while, they soon approached the throne room doors.
"Are you ready...?"
The group nodded, and with a deep breath, Crusher pushed open the doors. They entered the throne room, which they found surprisingly empty.
"Well... that's weird..." Stripes muttered.
"Yeah... why isn't the king here?" AJ asked.
As soon as they entered the room completely, however, the doors slammed shut behind them.
"YIKES!! We're trapped!" Darington screamed.
"That's right!"
A voice and a maniacal laughter from nearby echoed all through the room.
Kijana bolted under Blaze, Fano hid behind Watts and Gabby while Shani hid on Crusher's back. All three animals were shaking and whimpering, and this made Crusher tense at the voice.
"Grandfather…" he hissed, glancing around cautiously.
"I have to admit, I never thought you'd come back here, boy. Especially knowing what I did to your mother."
The voice got closer and closer to the group, causing them to get into their battle stands. Crusher growled, gritting his teeth as his eyes flashed white.
"Well, honestly, I never planned on going back, but after seeing what you've been doing, I suppose it was a good decision to come back."
"Of course it was."
The group turned to see the truck appear behind the crystal ball, a smirk on his face as his eyes gleamed red.
"Now I can finish you off once and for all."
"Leave him alone!" Shani growled.
"Ugh, you pesky kids are infuriating." Fortius used his magic to grab them and throw them to a wall. "This is an adult fight, PESTS!"
He swirled his tires around and created cages around the three children, who whimpered and cried for help.
"Hey! Leave those poor little guys alone!" Blaze snapped. "What's with you and kids anyway?"
"I HATE KIDS!" Fortius snarled. "They're always whimpering, crying, begging for help! IT'S INFURIATING AND IRRITATING!"
"Well, maybe they whimper and cry because they're hurt, or they feel alone," AJ reasoned. "They just want someone to love them. And these guys haven't had anyone to love them except us."
"Love is for the weak." Fortius held out his tire, dark magic appearing from it. "And that's why you would never defeat me. You are all WEAK!"
"Love isn't weak!" Stripes yelled out. "Love is the most powerful thing there is!"
"Disgusting!" Fortius gagged. "How could you befriend such disgustingly nice beings, grandson?!"
"They actually CARE about me, Grandfather! Unlike you!"
"Oh, they DO, do they?" Fortius smirked and raised his tires. "Let me take care of them first then!"
He blasted his spell towards the group, who jumped out of the way to not get hit.
"Guys! I have an idea of how we can stop him!" AJ gasped. "Stripes said love is the most powerful thing there is, so if we use our love and our magic..."
"…we'll be able to overpower the king and defeat him!" Blaze grinned. "Great idea, AJ!"
"But in order to do that, we'll have to work together. Hands and tires in!"
They all placed their tires and hands together. They had begun to focus their magic together when Fortius noticed what they were doing and growled.
"You'll NEVER defeat me! Your mother never loved you! She only cared about herself!" he yelled to Crusher.
Crusher winced, slightly losing focus as he hissed. Blaze and the others realized what the king was trying to do and immediately attempted to stop it and help their friend.
"Don't listen to him, Crusher-- he's only trying to throw you off!"
"Am I now?" Fortius smirked. "What made you think she had ever loved someone like you?! Your weak, that's how you allowed fear to sink into you! Thats how she DIED! YOU LET HER DIE!"
"Crusher, don't listen to him! Listen to your heart!"
"I…" Crusher hissed, his mind aching as he tried to focus.
"What would your mom want you to think? You KNOW she loves you, Crusher, but he's trying to make you turn against her!"
"I… I know, but…" Crusher shut his eyes, his magic getting out of his control as lightning sparked here and there. "But he's right! I… I should've tried to save her, but I… I couldn't! I… I'm weak!"
"Look at what you're doing now! You're doing your mom justice to the truck who caused her death! You're a hero, Crusher, to us and everyone else you're trying to save! Can't you trust us to see we're right?"
"I… I do," Crusher took a deep breath to calm his breathing before opening his tearful eyes, which was also glowing white. "I… I wanna save my kingdom… my island…"
"Then use those powers of yours like you've never used them before!
Crusher took a deep breath again and concentrated his powers to connect with theirs once more. Suddenly, their magic glowed brightly and surrounded them. Blaze and AJ glowed red, Stripes orange, Watts yellow, Zeg and Pickle green, Darington blue, Starla and Gabby purple, and Crusher white as they aimed their magic towards Fortius, who gritted his teeth in rage.
"No... NO!!"
He raised his tires to fire his spell towards them. His spell was deflected by the growing magical shield around the group. Their magic soon surrounded them completely, leaving them in a ball of magic before they released their spell towards Fortius.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"
There was an explosion of the light at the cruel king's scream. The light blinded them all and knocked them out. When they all came to, they groaned as the light ceased, and the cage around the kids was destroyed.
"Yay! We're free!" Fano whinnied.
"Are you all okay?" Kijana asked as she ran towards them.
"I... think so..." AJ answered with a groan, only for that groan to be replaced by happy giggled when Kijana licked his cheek.
"Wait... what about Crusher?" Shani asked.
"Yeah... I'm okay... I'm just... thinking about Mom." Crusher sighed. "I… I stopped grandfather and… and saved the kingdom and the island, but I… I miss her…"
"I know you do..." Blaze said softly.
"I just… I wish I could've saved her too," Crusher sniffled his tears.
"It's okay, Crusher," Pickle gave him a hug.
Crusher returned the hug before they all stood up. They turned to where Fortius last stood and found the place empty.
"He's really gone... which I means... you're king now," Stripes shrugged.
"I… I am…?" Crusher soon realized late as he looked down at himself. "Oh right, I… I'm his only descendant… which means—"
"King Fortius is gone?!"
The group turned to see the guards burst in shock.
"Yes..." Crusher said. "Please don't blame my friends... it was all me."
The guards exchanged shocked faces before they released a cheer. One of them went forward and gave a bow.
"Prince Crusher... thank you so much for saving us from your grandfather's evil reign!"
"We are all free!" Another screamed before running out. "WA-HOO!"
"I… you're welcome…?" Crusher gave a smile as every other servant in the palace cheered.
"So... you ready to take the throne?" Blaze asked with a grin.
"I can be your loyal fox and help you govern the kingdom!" Shani volunteered.
"Ha ha, thanks, Shani," Crusher patted her head. "And… yeah, I… I think I'm ready,"
"Then, step onto the throne... your highness."
They all gave a bow and pointed towards the throne. Crusher took a deep breath and made his way to it. As soon as he rested himself on it, his magic sparked out, creating the crown on his head along with a king's uniform around his body.
"Whoa..."
Crusher raised his tire, and his eyes widened as a crystal sceptre appeared on his tire. Suddenly, there were cheers from outside, and the guard that ran out came running back in.
"Your highness, there are people who wanted to greet you—"
Before he could finish, almost all of the beings in the kingdom ran into the throne room, all looking happy and relieved as they bowed at their new king.
"Oh... hello, everyone. Don't worry, I uh... I'm gonna be a much better king than my grandfather was. I promise."
"HOORAY!" the citizens cheered. "ALL HAIL KING CRUSHER!"
Crusher smiled and raised the sceptre up high proudly. His friends, who were in the front, also cheered and applauded at their friend's achievement.
Finally, the kingdom was free from the cruel king.
X
Later on, a ball was held in honour of the beginning of the reign of King Crusher and King Fortius's defeat. They were all dancing and laughing with the citizens of the kingdom.
"Wow... this place sure knows how to throw a party!" Stripes giggled.
"Yeah..." Fano sighed, while he, Shani and Kijana looked sad.
"Are you okay?" Starla asked.
"Yeah... I just wish someone would take me home and love me for me," Kijana said.
"And I wanna play an important role in the kingdom," Shani added
"And I wanna find my herd," Fano interjected.
"Oh," Blaze glanced at his friends then he turned to Crusher. "Hey, Crusher? Is there a way to make all their wishes happen?"
"The only one on the island who could do that was my mom. And my wish? Well... it's too see her again." Crusher sighed. "but without her, I don't know how our wishes can come true…"
"Maybe we can find another way to make your wishes come true?" Stripes suggested.
"There... there is no other way..." Crusher sighed.
"Oh…" Stripes's ears lowered.
"Maybe we should just… get back to the party," Blaze offered to help take their minds off of the issue.
"Y-Yeah..." Crusher sniffled as tears began to roll. "The party..."
Pickle patted his back comfortingly as they all turned back to the party. But, as his tears fell on the scepter, it suddenly began to glow bright. The glow managed to catch their eyes, and they gasped as Crusher raised it in surprise and confusion.
"H-Hey, what's going on?"
"It's… glowing!" Darington cried.
"But... why?"
Suddenly, a glowing blue mist came from the scepter, swirling around Crusher, before it formed into a truck he thought he would never see again...
His mother.
As she came into view, Samira shook away the dizziness and looked around.
"W-What happened…? W-Where am I…?"
"M-Mom...?" Crusher stammered.
Samira turned to him and gasped.
"Crushy...? Is that you?"
"YES!" Crusher began to cry tears of joy. "It's me! It's me, Mom!"
"Oh! Oh, my baby!!"
She headed towards him and embraced him in her tires. He hugged back as much as he could.
"I... I missed you so much, Mom..."
"I missed you too, Crushy. Now, we're back together again, my darling. And I understand you're the king now?"
"Y-Yes, Mom, I am," Crusher nodded. "I… I defeated grandfather,"
"And I am so proud of you. Getting back to you was all I ever wanted."
"Me too!" Crusher said happily. "And... Mom? My new animal friends have wishes that I think we could help with. What do you say? Just like old times?"
"Of course, Crushy, just like old times," Samira giggled.
"Well..." Crusher began. "my fox friend Shani wants an important role to play in the castle, so she can feel cared for and to make her mother proud. She... passed on earlier."
"Oh…" Samira turned to Shani and smiled. "I'm sorry about your mother, Shani, but I can help make your wish come true,"
"Really? How, your royal-ness?"
Samira spoke not a word, but pulled out a medal with a star on it, and placed it around Shani's neck.
"Shani, I hereby grant you the title of King Crusher's royal advisor."
"WOW!" Shani gasped as she glanced down at the medal. "THANK YOU, THANK YOU!"
"You're welcome." Samira let out a giggle.
"Now, Fano the unicorn wants to find his family, because he accidentally got left behind." Crusher told her.
"Left behind?" Samira's eyes widened before smiling down at the unicorn.
"Uh... yes, your majesty. Can you please help me find them?" Fano asked.
"Of course I'll help you," Samira told him.
"And I know a spell that can show you where they are. Just hold still."
Fano did as he was told, already eager to see his herd. Samira placed a tire on the foal's head, and his eyes glowed white as a vision of where his herd was came to him.
"They're... coming in the palace doors!"
At his words, the palace doors burst open, and in came a herd of unicorns.
"Fano!" Sinette, his mother cried. "There you are!"
"MOM!" Fano ran to her, teary in happiness.
"Oh, we've looked for you all over! I'm so glad you're safe!"
"I missed you so much, Mom!" Fano cried before turning back. "Thank you, thank you, your highnesses! Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome. Now, Crushy-- who has the last wish?"
"Kijana, the jackal," Crusher motioned to the little jackal pup. "She wants someone to take her home and love her and take care of her,"
"I just... want them to be as loving and caring as Blaze and AJ. They were the first people to ever be nice to me." Kijana spoke up.
"I see…" Samira nodded and smiled. "I can help with that,"
"You can? How?"
"A special, magical collar. It will give you many gifts, such as flight magic you can share with others, breathing underwater, and many others. The tag will also help you find your owners. Whoever's symbol appears on the tag, will be your new family."
"Wow!" Kijana gasped and beamed. "Thank you, your highness!"
"You're welcome. Now, I'll put it on, and you find the truck with the right symbol."
Samira carefully placed it on her, and a symbol appeared. And what it was made her gasp-- a flame symbol. Seeing this made Kijana's eyes well with tears.
"That's… That's Blaze's symbol!"
"Indeed it is." Samira nodded.
"Would... you two really take me home?" Kijana turned to them.
"Of course, Kijana!" Blaze nodded with a smile.
"We'd be happy to," AJ agreed.
"Thank you... thank you thank you!!" Kijana jumped into AJ's arms as the boy cuddled her.
"Now," Crusher sighed, embracing his mother, "things are perfect-- for all of us."
