Housepets! Always Save the Day
Chapter 4: Everything is Normal?
A "Housepets! Comics" Fan Fiction
Based on the characters by Rick Griffin
By: Fenrir Black
A Message from Lisa
What is normal? There was a time I thought I knew the answer. That was before I came to live in a world that I once believed was just a webcomic. Before a malevolent god tried to use my friends and me as part of his scheme to escape his eternal prison. A time before I became a celestial goddess and sacrificed myself to stop him. There was a time when I was not trapped in an infinite realm of nothingness and my friends had to come to save me. So many things have happened to me. Right now, I'm back to living in the Milton Manor, home of the billionaire ferrets. Staying with me is a bestselling author who is also a wolf who was once human. Things change, and this is the new normal. There is one thing that I cannot accept as normal. Rowan is gone. When I disappeared after the battle with Drasil, he changed and then vanished. No one has seen him for two months. I can't help but fear that whatever happened to him is going to affect us all.
The lights cast an eerie glow on the dance floor. Crowds of teenagers moved back and forth in perfect choreographed movements. Lisa looked around for something familiar. Where was she? She looked down and realized she was wearing a sparkling blue dress. Her prom dress? This wasn't her prom, but it did seem so familiar to her. The DJ stopped the music and as if on cue, everyone on the dance floor stopped. They looked at him as he tapped on his computer. The music began again, but this time it was slower, sadder.
I am not the only traveler
Who has not repaid his debt
I've been searching for a trail to follow again
Take me back to the night we met
And then I can tell myself
What the hell I'm supposed to do
And then I can tell myself
Not to ride along with you
"Can I have this dance?"
Lisa turned around to see who spoke. Standing behind her wearing a crisp tuxedo was Rowan. His ordinarily messy hair was brushed as it glinted I the fluorescent lights of the gym. He held out his hand waiting for her to take it.
Lisa felt like her heart was about to explode. Since she returned from the void, everyone had try to hide the fact that Rowan was gone. Kitsune told her about what he said before he left. She knew that there was a darkness within him. But the Rowan standing before her now had none of that darkness. All she could see was light. This was her Rowan. The best friend who stood by her side during even the worse days of her life.
"Rowan, I…" She didn't finish the thought. Her hand intertwined with his and they slowly moved to the center of the dance floor. The crowds parted to let them through. No one watched them as they moved in perfect rhythm to the music. That was fine with her. She did not want an audience for this.
I had all and then most of you
Some and now none of you
Take me back to the night we met
I don't know what I'm supposed to do
Haunted by the ghost of you
Oh, take me back to the night we met
"I've missed you," Rowan said softly. His voice barely audible over the sound of a hit song. Lisa wondered if she was even supposed to hear it.
"Rowan, I don't understand. Where did you go? The others…they told me." Lisa tried to speak, but the words would not come out. It was like they were trapped in her throat. Did she not want to know the answer?
Rowan pulled her closer to his chest. Despite all the years they've known each other, they never had a moment like this. Lisa thought back to when she met him. He was just a kid in her eyes. An eighteen-year-old kid being picked on by some bullies. She felt the immediate urge to protect him like he was some abandoned puppy. Looking at him now, that kid was now a man. She looked at his eyes as they glowed in the pale blue light reflected off her dress.
"Do you recognize this?" he asked her.
Lisa turned her head and looked around. It was so familiar. A high school dance but it was not her high school. That song…
When the night was full of terror
And your eyes were filled with tears
When you had not touched me yet
Oh, take me back to the night we met
"Is this the dance from "Thirteen Reasons Why?" Lisa asked. "Why are we here?"
Rowan's smiled faded. He pushed her away from his body. Lisa tumbled slightly before regaining her balance in her high heels. The other people were gone. The music still played but the tone changed becoming sharper like nails on a chalkboard. A shadow passed over Rowan's face. Lisa looked up to see that the lights were going out one by one.
"Why?" Rowan asked. "Why did you leave?"
That was a question that Lisa wanted to ask him. "I had to do it. I did it to save you. To save everyone." She clenched her fist. "Where did you go, Rowan? I should be asking you where you went." In her head, she asked, "Why weren't you there to save me?"
"I'm sorry," Rowan whispered. Lisa could not see his face anymore. Shadows were obscuring his entire head. "This is the only way."
"The only way to do what?" Lisa shouted. "Rowan, talk to me. Tell me what's going on." She gestured around the gym with a wave of her arm. "Why are we here?"
The music grew louder.
I had all then most of you
Some and now none of you
Take me back to the night we met
I don't know what I'm supposed to do
Haunted by the ghost of you
Take me back to the night we met
"Rowan, please. Talk to me!" Lisa screamed, but her voice was drowned out by the song. She covered her ears to block it out, but it was like it was being played directly into her brain. The lights came back on all at once. It was so bright that she had to squeeze her eyes shut to avoid being blinded.
"You want to know why," Rowan said.
The music suddenly stopped. Lisa wanted to open her eyes, but something held her back like she was too afraid of what she might see. Slowly, she removed her hands from her ears. Footsteps moved closer to her.
"You are the reason why. That is the one and only reason. I did this because it seemed the most fitting. I wanted to show what happens to those you leave behind."
"Rowan," she said and opened her eyes. He was standing directly in front of her. "I don't understand."
She looked at his face, and a scream got caught in her throat. His face was the same, but part of his face was completely black like it had been burned. Scorch marks surrounded his left eye and stretched to his ear. The eye was the worse. The pupil had grown gigantic, taking up most of the eyeball and surrounding it was a glowing ring of gold. It emitted an unnatural glow that reeked of malice and hatred.
He grabbed her shoulders, his iron-tight grip digging into her flesh. She wanted to move away and escape, but she was frozen. When he spoke, his voice was like ice. Harsh, deep, and so cold. "You left me."
Lisa woke up and glanced around the room. The lamp next to her bed was on the lowest setting casting a pale light around her room. Everything was the same as the day she left for Tartarus. The Milton's had not touched a thing despite not knowing if she was ever coming back. Not even a speck of dust settled while she was gone.
Her body felt so cold despite the warmth of the thick covers surrounding her body. It was one of the things she requested when she returned to the mansion. That and a light that she could keep on all night without being too bright. She could not sleep in total darkness. After spending two months in a realm of nothing, she had to be able to see everything.
Her arms automatically moved to her shoulders. Lisa could still feel where Rowan gripped her. It was like his hands were still there. Only they weren't his hands because that was not Rowan. She did not know who or what that was, but it was not the boy she spent the last four years with.
She checked her phone. 3:33 a.m. Her head was aching as she slid out of bed. There was something she needed to see. She opened her bedroom door and slowly moved down the hall. The bedroom beside her was closed. There was a light coming from beneath it which told her that the occupant was awake despite the late hour.
Knocking on the door, Lisa waited. She could hear someone moving towards her on the other side. Her heart began beating in anticipation. Was it all a dream?
The door opened and stood there with a confused look on his face was a large dark grey wolf.
"Lisa? What is it? You know it's the middle of the night, right?" Nick asked.
Lisa tried to hide her disappointment. Of course, it was Nick. The Milton's agreed to let him stay in the mansion while he worked on his novel. They gave him Rowan's room since he was no longer there to occupy it.
She looked at him, trying to think of an excuse for why she disturbed him. Even though he led the mission to save her from the void, she knew nothing about him other than what the others told her. He was wearing a t-shirt and pajama pants. It took her a second to remember that Nick was not a real wolf. The god Pan turned him into a wolf after Nick drank from his spring. He had lived in the woods with a cougar for the past four years while he wrote his first best-selling novel.
"I was hoping I could see Rowan's things," Lisa requested.
Nick gave her a skeptical look. "Now?" Without waiting for a real answer, Lisa barged past him. "Sure come on in," he said not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.
Lisa scanned the room. Nick's computer was open on the desk in the corner. A word document was still up. She walked over to it and read a few sentences. "You're working on your book in the middle of the night?"
Nick walked over and slammed the lid shut. "I have to finish it by the end of the year. No better time to start than right now. It still needs some work before I can call it finished."
Lisa glanced at the dresser. A few shirts were sticking out of the top drawer. On top of the dresser was a framed picture of a happy couple. At first glance, someone might think it was the picture that came with the frame. However, Lisa knew better. She picked it up and held it out for Nick to see. "Is this you and Becky?"
Lisa knew that Nick was engaged to his publishing agent, Rebecca Goulding. They were supposed to be married, but when Nick was turned into a wolf, the wedding was put on hold. Nick nodded and tried to stop himself from knocking the picture out of her hand. She placed it back down on the dresser. The rest of the room was pretty boring. A suitcase stood in the corner, but nothing else in the room seemed to belong to him.
"What did you do with Rowan's belongings?" Lisa thought back to when they first moved in. Rowan made no attempts to hide her personal touches to the room. He made it his own.
"If you mean the stuff that was already here when I got here, I put it all in the closet." He pointed to the closet door on the other side of the room.
Lisa walked past him and moved toward the closet. Her hand hesitated over the handle. Steeling herself, she opened it up. Like Nick said all of Rowan's things were neatly stacked on top of each other. The entire closet was filled with a menagerie of Rowan's personal belongings. From his suitcases, clothes, and even his computer and tablet. The last remnants of him, unceremoniously hidden away. Lisa's heart hurt to look at it.
A small picture stuck out of the suitcase. She reached down and pulled it out. Seeing it almost made her collapse right there on the floor. It was the same picture she took with him and their college friends, Ashley and Jackson. Their smiling faces stared back at her.
"If you don't mind me asking," Nick said padding closer to her. "What was your deal with Rowan?"
Lisa stuck the picture in her pocket and turned to him. "What are you talking about? We didn't have a deal."
Nick raised an eyebrow at her. "Really?"
"He was my best friend for four years. I miss him, that's all." Even as she said it she didn't believe herself and could tell Nick did not believe her.
Nick flashed a smile. "I don't have many friends who come barging into another person's room in the middle of the night to look at someone's stuff. Cody's my best friend, but I wouldn't go into his room even if you paid me."
Lisa quickly thought back. Cody was the cougar that was currently living with Nick in his cabin. It was a strange relationship, but everything about Nick's life was strange. Who was she to judge?
"Rowan and I are different. He's missing, and I need to find him," she said.
Nick crossed his arms and set on the bed. He did not take his eyes off her. "You're dating Kitsune right?"
Lisa opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself. To be honest, she did not know what her and Kitsune's relationship was. He came to rescue her from the void and even before that they were getting close. However, she never called him her boyfriend. Could you also date a celestial fox god?
"I'm going to take your silence as you aren't sure," Nick said.
Lisa nodded glumly and set on the bed beside him. She folded her hands in her lap, not sure what else to do with them.
"Becky and I started dating in college. I was so nervous about asking her out. Even after I did, I was not sure where we were on the relationship scale. It wasn't until she called me her boyfriend I knew. That was when I knew I was going to marry her." His voice changed to a growl as he continued, "Before this happened." He held up his claw and examined it in the light.
"I don't know if Kitsune considers us an item," Lisa told him.
"I remember him saying you were his girlfriend back before we went into the void. I could be wrong, but that was at least the impression I got."
Lisa was speechless. Did he call her his girlfriend? More importantly, did she feel the same way? "Why are you telling me this?"
Nick sighed. "Because you have feelings for Rowan." Lisa was about to argue, but Nick cut her off. "You come in here to look through his things. Every time someone mentions his name you get this look in your eyes like your about to crawl into a ball and sob. And…" he hesitated. "When you were in the void, I kept dreaming about you. I had these dreams for weeks before coming to Babylon Gardens."
She knew about the dreams. They were the reason that Nick, Kitsune, and the others were able to find her. "I don't remember much about being the void. It's just figments and flashes now." It was true. She was thankful for that. The last thing she wanted was to remember what it was like back there.
"Most of them were the same. You kept screaming for Kitsune and Rowan to come to save you." He turned to her. His dark eyes shone with a hidden secret. "But you always called Rowan the most. His name was the loudest and the strongest. I think deep down you wanted him to save you the most."
Lisa's jaw dropped. It was like Nick handed her this bomb and told her to take care of it. She did not remember any of that. Her strongest memory was when Kitsune appeared in front of her. She remembered being so happy to see him but thinking about it now, was there a slight disappointment that Rowan was not there.
"I'm just saying." Nick shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know what you are Rowan was like. I just met you a day ago, and I don't know who Rowan is. I'm the last person to give relationship advice." He yawned showing off his massive teeth.
"I'll leave you alone," Lisa said standing up. "I need to get back to sleep and so do you." She moved to the door but stopped. "Thanks. For letting me bother you."
Lisa went back to her room. Behind her, she could hear Nick's door shut. She laid down on the bed and pulled out the picture from her pocket. Holding it up to the light, she kept staring at Rowan. Nick's words swam around her head like an angry piranha. She knew that he loved her. He told her that back in July. She said to him that she did not feel the same way and broke his heart. Now looking at the photo, she wondered if she had lied to him and herself.
Nick's phone rang in the pocket of his jeans. At first, he thought it was Becky checking on the progress of the novel. He had been living in Babylon Gardens for a few days now and made little progress. He still found himself slamming his head on the keyboard instead of typing on it. Thankfully, the ringtone was not Becky's. Unfortunately, it was Cody's. Nick got him one after the night the cougar got lost in town.
"What is it," Nick said holding the phone to his ear.
"Well, good morning to you too, sunshine. Someone is a grumpy puppy today," Cody said mockingly.
"What do you want, Cody?" Nick hated when Cody referred to him as some dog or animal. Cody knew how to get under his skin or fur depending on how you looked at it.
Nick walked down the sidewalk, ignoring the strange looks he was getting from the humans and pets he passed. Even after a week, people still looked at him like he was some savage creature. He tugged at the collar around his neck. It was embarrassing for him to have to wear it but as long as people kept thinking he was just a large dog; he was safe from animal control.
"Can't a friend check in on another friend without some ulterior motive. I've missed you. This cabin is pretty lonely without you constantly moping around about your book or the curse."
Nick rolled his eyes and bit back the urge to crush his phone in his paw. There was a slight sound coming from the background. If Nick did not have wolf's hearing, then he may not have heard it at all. "Cody, what's that sound?"
"What sound?" Cody asked too fast.
"That sound in the background." Nick began to recognize it. He growled into the phone and said, "The one that sounds like a smoke alarm!"
"Oh, yeah. The smoke detector has been doing that for almost haft an hour now. I had to go outside because it was killing my ears. Quick question, how do you turn it off?"
"Did you set something on fire!?" Nick screamed. An elderly woman paused to stare at him from across the street. Nick kept walking, faster now. He was safely out of the neighborhood and on his way into the city.
"…No," Cody told him. "Okay, yes. I tried to reheat a pizza in the oven, and the box caught on fire."
"You tried to cook a pizza while it was still in the box?" Nick asked. He stopped dead in his tracks. His tail flicked back in forth in an angry manner. "You have lived there long enough to know that you don't do that. How could you be so stupid?"
"Hey, feelings," Cody said pretending to be hurt by the insult. "Besides you never let me use the oven. You were the one who did the cooking that involved heat. The most you let me do was the microwave."
"I seem to remember that you set a chocolate bar on fire the first time you used it because you did not bother to unwrap it. We had to get a new one."
"That was on you for not telling me that tin foil catches on fire in the microwave," Cody told him.
Nick sighed. "I don't have time for this." He started walking again. "I'm late for a meeting with Lisa and Kistune."
"Speaking of those two, how is it leaving in Ferret Manor?"
Nick knew Cody was trying to change the subject from the fact the kitchen was most likely destroyed. "It's fine, I guess. They have a butler that does anything I ask. Of course, the ferrets don't like it when I use him. The pets are nice, a bit strange though. I've been keeping to myself and working on my novel."
"Do I want to know how that has been going?"
"No," Nick snarled. "Lisa is all right. There was a weird moment the other night. I was up late working on the book when she comes into my room. She wanted to look at Rowan personal belongings. You know, that guy I told you about. The one that used to stay in my room. Anyway, she got all weird and emotional about him. I was not sure what I was doing. I think I may have made things awkward between us."
"A late night sleepover," Cody said in a playful tone. "Should I be worried about you? Does Becky know about the two of you? Maybe I should tell her."
"One, nothing happened. It was like a ten-minute conversation. Two, Becky is not the jealous type. Three, she has a boyfriend. Kitusne, remember. I told you about him."
"Yeah, what is he again?"
"A nine-tailed fox, and apparently some kind of god or something. The entire thing is strange. From what I've heard the entire neighborhood is full of weirdos and strange occurrences. It's like being in an episode of 'Stranger Things.' I keep excepting some kind of monster to pop up sooner or later and take control of someone."
"Sounds like fun. Maybe I should come to visit sometime.
"You might as well. There's even an entire family of wolves living in one of the houses. They've lived there for nine years now. Feral wolves. I would not believe it if I did not see it."
"You know I don't like wolves," Cody said. Nick rolled his eyes. "I mean you don't count. You're human as you like to remind everyone."
"And I pay for your food and pay the bills, so you don't have to go back living in the forest," Nick reminded him.
"Hey, I'm doing you a service living with you. You would go crazy living in the cabin by yourself. I can go back to living in the forest any time I want. I can take care of myself."
Nick smiled. It was devilish grin that he reserved for special moments like this. "Oh really. Okay then, I leave you to figure out how to turn the smoke detector off yourself then."
"Wait…!" Cody shouted, but it was too late. Nick hit the "End" button and disconnected the call. Just for good measure, he turned the phone off completely.
The mall he was supposed to meet Kitsune and Lisa at was much smaller than Nick was expecting. Growing up near Chicago, he was used to massive structures with gleaming arches and at least three stories. Glittering tiled floors or red carpets with the occasional charging station for people's phones. Stores and fancy food stalls that catered to the elite or the casual foolish tourist who wanted to experience the good life. They got all kinds of country bumkins every weekend.
The Three-Squares Mall Lisa told him to meet her at that morning had none of those things. It was two stories, and the most extravagant thing it had was a small movie theater that was owned by a company Nick had never heard of before. At least this place allowed pets to wander around without their owners as long as they had a leash. Nick pulled is out of his pocket as he neared the doors. He wrapped it around his neck so he would not look too ridiculous. The end dangled down his chest looking more like a strange necklace than a leash.
As he made his way through the mall, Nick could not help notice the looks that everyone was giving him. He had a pretty good idea what they were thinking, and it wasn't that he was good looking. Even half breeds had terrible reputations. Nick felt the slow burn of anger start in his stomach. At least no one was bothering him. In fact, they were all keeping their distances. In the corner of his eye, Nick could see two women whispering to each other as they purposely moved closer to the wall like he was a pesky makeup salesman trying to force them to try a free sample. Stuffing his paws in his pants pockets, he lowered his head and stared at the floor as he walked.
Where was the food court?
A large sign overhead gave him the answer. An arrow pointed down the left hall. As he followed it the smells of fried food hit his nose. His mouth began to water as he moved closer. There was something else in the air too. The acrid smell of coffee. The source of the scent was from a bookstore. Nick was curious. He had not been into an actual bookstore in years. If he needed a book, he would order off Amazon. Several patrons were coming in and out of a store called "Book Barn." Nick had heard of it before but did not realize it was so large. Two stories of bookcases greeted him as he entered. The smell of paper and ink burned his nose but at the same time relaxed his nerves. He felt home surrounded by literature.
The coffee shop drew his attention as he wandered around the store. "A coffee shop inside a bookstore? Whoodathunkit?" Nick read aloud. Rolling his eyes, he responded, "I don't know Barnes n Noble and Books a Million come to mind." So far he was not impressed with the Book Barn.
The exit beckoned him. As he made his way out of the store, Nick paused and glanced down at a table with a sign that read "YA Bestsellers." Sitting in a large stack was his book "White Fox." Walking over, he stared down at the cover. His character Todd was looking back at him with the smug smile that Nick himself argued for with the publisher. Nick smiled to himself. He had never seen his book in an actual store. It was still surreal seeing it next to books like "Children of the Moon" and "Gods and Beasts."
He picked up the book and flipped to the back cover. His author's portrait stared back at him. He felt a sharp pain in his heart. The picture was of his human self. He sighed and closed the book.
"Can I help you with anything?" A voice asked. Nick was so distracted that he did not realize that a young girl had walked up to him. Nick raised his eyes to the tag attached to her chest. "Sally" it read. She had on the green apron of the store employees. At first, Nick thought she was going to accuse him of stealing or ask him to leave, but her face was sincere.
"Umm," Nick struggled to speak. He had still not gotten used to talking to other humans. Most of his social interactions lately involved pets. "No, I'm just browsing."
"That's an excellent book," Sally said pointing at "White Fox" still in Nick's paw. "I've read it like twenty times."
A fan, Nick thought to himself. He smiled slightly and asked, "Really, what was your favorite part?"
"I think it was when Geneva found out that Todd was human. Her reaction is priceless."
Nick thought back to that scene. It was one he struggled to write for several days. It was the most crucial scene in his mind. He finally found inspiration by remembering how Becky reacted when she first saw him with fur. Since Geneva was based on Becky, it was a simple process. In the end, Nick practically used Becky's exact words in the scene.
"Yeah, that's a magnificent scene," Nick said.
"I can't wait for the sequel. I keep checking the publisher's website, but there's still no word. Rumor has it that the author is struggling under the pressure of coming off of his first bestseller," Sally said.
Nick's face darkened. "I'm sure he is," he said and placed the book back down. Without another word he brushed past Sally and left the store. He didn't stop until he hit the food court.
Fortunately, Kitsune and Lisa were easy to spot. Kitsune's fur was like a blond beacon that shone throughout the entire area. The fluorescent lights seemed to be shining right on him or what that just Nick's imagination. Lisa saw him walking towards him and waved. Nick pulled out a hard metal chair from the table and set down. Lisa was eating a large plate of Japanese food. Nick was not quite sure what it was. Kitsune was sipping a large Peach Milkshake. Nick could not help but notice that two straws were sticking out.
"What took you so long?" Lisa asked before taking another bite of food. "We were going to wait before we ordered."
"That's all right. I'll get something in a minute." Nick scanned his options and so far was not impressed. The restaurants were either the usual generic options found in every mall from cheap Asian food to overcooked pizza.
"Have you guys been here long?" Nick asked.
"Not too long. We spent some time walking around and doing some window shopping," Kitsune said. He stuck the straw in his mouth and took an extra-long sip of his milkshake. Was it just Nick's imagination or was the milkshake not getting any smaller? Nick looked at the fox. He was wearing a red plaid jacket and burnt orange shirt underneath. He only had one tail this time, so Nick figured that he was trying to pass for "normal." How normal was a six-foot-tall fox in a mall?
"How do you guys know each other anyway? I mean how did you meet?" Nick asked.
Lisa and Kitsune exchanged an uncomfortable glance. Lisa was the one to speak. "You know that I'm from another world, right?" She lowered her voice as if afraid someone would hear her and locked her away for sounding insane.
Nick nodded. He learned that from the other pets as part of his debriefing.
"Peanut told me about that. He also said something about a comic? What was that about?"
"Where I'm from, the pets are featured in a webcomic series. That is how I know so much about them and the events that have taken place over the last decade. Apparently, the author, Rick, uses a magic ring to watch the pets and then records what happens."
Suddenly the sensation that someone was watching him overwhelmed him. Nick looked around like he would suddenly see a massive eyeball peering down at him from the glass ceiling. And they were okay with that? Nick would be freaking out if he knew that someone was recording his every action then sharing it online.
"Are there other comics like that?" Nick asked.
Lisa opened her mouth to respond, but she was interrupted. "Excuse me."
Nick and the other two looked up to see a tall red merle Australian shepherd wearing glasses standing over them. Like Nick, she had a collar on, but hers had a carrot hanging on it. "Have any of you seen a black rabbit wearing a trench coat and fedora?" she asked.
Before any of them could answer, another dog rushed over. This one was a blue merle Australian shepherd with a Pokeball tag dangling from his collar. "Nicole, I found him," he said. "But I lost him again. I think he's somewhere on the second floor."
"Kade, how could you lose him?" The dog named Nicole pinched her forehead before noticing what the other dog, Kade, had in his paw. "What is that?" she asked pointing at Kade's paw.
"My phone," Kade said and tried to hide it but was not fast enough. With blinding speed, Nicole snatched what Nick realized was a phone from Kade's grip.
She held the phone up to Kade's face and said, "You were playing Pokémon Go again." Kade snatched his phone back before Nicole continued. "You were supposed to be looking for Harvey not legendary Pokemon."
"I had to. There was a raid battle going on," Kade told her, but Nicole did not have it.
She grabbed Kade's wrist and pulled him away. She turned back to Nick and the others and said, "Sorry for bothering you."
When they were out of sight, Nick turned back to Lisa and Kitsune and said, "That was…odd."
"That was," Lisa said. "What were we talking about? Oh yeah, are there other comics like "Housepets!"?" Lisa thought for a moment then said, "I don't really know. That was always Rowan's thing. He was way more into comics than me. There was one comic he tried to get me to read. "Savestate," I think it was called. I never did though."
There was a sense of sadness in her voice that Nick noticed was always there when she or anyone else mentioned Rowan's name. That is what they were there to talk about. How to find him. The problem was, Nick did not know where to begin. He had never even met the guy.
Lisa leaned back in the metal chair and stared blankly at her food. Kitsune opened his mouth like he was going to say something but stopped. Suddenly, a song rang through the air. It was so loud and sudden that Nick pressed his hands over his sensitive ears. Lisa pulled out her cell phone and checked the screen. Her brow furrowed as she answered.
"Fox?" she asked. "What's going on?"
Nick couldn't hear what was being said, but Lisa's eyes widen as she listened. After less than a minute Lisa hung up and turned to Kitsune with a look of utmost concern on her face.
"We have to go back to Babylon Gardens," Lisa shuddered. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. "It's Rowan. He's back."
It took an instant for Kitsune to transport Lisa and Nick back to the neighborhood. Lisa had experienced the sensation before, but it was still unnerving. Nick, unfortunately, was not prepared. As soon as they popped in the neighborhood, he bent over someone's bush and vomited. Lisa wanted to check on him, but something drew her attention. One of the houses was on fire. It was not just regular fire either. This one was a blackish purple color.
"What's going on?" Lisa said slowly.
"Lisa! Kitsune!" Fox ran up to them panting heavily. He bent over and tried to catch his breath. His fur was blackened with soot and smoke.
"Fox, what's going on? What happened here?"
"Rowan, he did this," Fox told her, almost choking on the words like they were refusing to come out. "He's here, but there is something wrong."
Fox pointed down the road where a group of pets was standing. The fire burned nearby but what had their attention was the cloaked figure standing in the middle of the road. Almost mindlessly, Lisa walked toward the figure. As she neared him, Rowan pulled back the hood that obscured his face. Lisa covered her mouth with her hand. His face was just like the others described and as she saw in her dream. His left eye was golden, and part of his face had turned black like he was burned.
"Rowan…"
He looked right at her but said nothing. There was nothing to be said. She recognized his expression. It was the same one he had on the Fourth of July.
"I would do anything for you. I will always protect you. You know deep down that your relationship won't last which is why you want to be with him. What you feel for Kitsune is not real. But I'm real. My love is real."
Lisa looked right at him and said, "I don't feel the same way."
She broke his heart, and that was something she always regretted. Now he was looking at her the same way. He lifted his arm like he was trying to reach out to her. His lips mouthed the word, "Lisa," like he was not sure what he was seeing.
"Rowan, I'm here. I'm back. Everything is going to be all right."
A tear ran down his cheek from his normal eye. His face suddenly changed becoming dark and hard. The effect was instant. Lisa felt a surge of fear spread throughout her body. An alien sensation overcame her as if some primal instinct was screaming for her to run. This wasn't Rowan. Lisa felt a presence appear next to her. Kitsune placed his paw on her shoulder but kept his eyes trained on Rowan.
"Rowan is dead," he said. His voice was wrong. It sounded like two people were talking at the same time. "I am only what remains of him. I am Revenant."
"Revevant," Lisa whispered. "Rowan, what are you talking about."
His golden eye glowed brightly as he raised his hand and pointed it at her. A purple flame appeared and launched itself at her.
Lisa stood there frozen as the fire headed directly towards her. "Get down!" She felt her body violently pulled to the side, and she fell on the asphalt. There was a loud bang followed by the sound of screaming. Lisa looked up to see the pets begin to disperse and take cover. A few peeked out of their hiding places to watch.
"That's demon fire," Kitsune said pulling Lisa to her feet. She glanced at his face. Kitsune's usual carefree demeanor was gone and replaced by an expression of complete focus and fury. "How did he get that power?"
He wrapped his arm around Lisa's stomach and kept his paw on her shoulder like he was trying to keep her from running to Rowan. Part of her wanted to, but her feet would not listen.
"What did you do to my house?" cried an angry voice.
Everyone's attention was suddenly on the person who shouted. Bino marched towards Rowan growling and showing his teeth. Lisa had never seen him like this. He usually was too much of a coward. Nick followed behind Bino only to take place beside Kitsune and Lisa. His eyes also were trained on Bino who was almost directly in front of Rowan.
"What is he doing?" Nick asked. "Is he nuts?"
"I don't know," Lisa told him. Then she shouted, "Bino, get back. You don't know what he's capable of. You're going to get yourself hurt."
"The only one getting hurt here is him," Bino shouted and pointed at Rowan. "I'm going to tear your throat out." With that last word, Bino jumped at Rowan mouth open and eyes full of madness.
In an instant, Rowan caught Bino by the throat with one hand. Bino struggled and tried to break Rowan's grip, but it was useless. He clawed Rowan's flesh, but there was not even a white mark on his skin. Rowan stared at Bino with little interest. He turned to the others watching in horror.
"Let this be a warning of what is to come." Red lightning engulfed Rowan's hand and spread over Bino who howled in pain. No one moved to try to save him. They were frozen in shock. After a few seconds, Rowan released Bino who fell on the road with a heavy thud. His fur stood up on end in large spikes.
Fox was the only one brave enough to step forward. He reached out to Bino, "Are you all right? Bino, say something."
Bino turned around and charged at Fox like a rabid animal. His eyes were glowing red. He tacked Fox to the ground and mercilessly mauled the husky. Fox who was usually stronger than Bino was rendered helpless. A few other pets rushed over to try to pull Bino off of him. When they got close, Bino growled and bark and attacked anything that got to close. Even the larger dogs were entirely taken by surprise by Bino's strength and savagery.
"Rowan!" Lisa screamed as she turned to face him. He was gone. There was nothing left where he was standing a minute ago. She broke free from Kitsune's grasp and ran to where Rowan was standing. Kitsune and Nick followed.
"Where did he go?"
"I don't know," Lisa said. She turned back to the brawl behind him. "Nick can you stop Bino. Kitsune can you track him or something?"
Nick did not waste a moment before racing down the street. Kitsune, however, hesitated before shaking his head. "I can't find him. Even without this power he has now, I couldn't find him. You both are still outside my realm of power." He turned to the fire still burning. "I can do something about that." With a snap of his finger, the fire was gone, and the house was back to normal. There was no trace of damage.
"What about Bino?" Lisa asked. Nick had successfully pulled Bino off of Rex and kept him in a tight grip, but that did not stop him from trying to bite and scratch anything close to him.
"I can't. Whatever power Rowan or Revenant used to corrupt him is beyond me. We will have to wait for it run out on its own."
Lisa took a sharp intake of breath. "Rowan, what have you done."
Nick, Lisa, and Kitsune made their way back to the Milton Manor to try to come up with a strategy to deal with Revenant. They successfully locked Bino in the basement of the Wolves' house with the Wolves keeping watch over him. They were told to call Lisa if there was any change.
"What is the plan?" Nick asked. "I'm assuming we have a plan and we are not simply winging it. I mean you both saw that right? He destroyed an entire house and could shoot fire from his hands."
"I don't know what's wrong with him," Lisa said coldly. "How could this happen?"
"He's been corrupted by dark magic," Kitsune said. They both looked at him. "When you destroyed Drasil, I think some of his power must have entered Rowan's body. Why that happened, I'm not sure. He would have had to be compatible to take the energy like a vessel."
There was so much about Rowan, Lisa did not know. He always seemed so happy and carefree. She would never have thought there was so much darkness within him. Was this her fault? "You left me." His words rang in her ears.
When they reached the door of the mansion, it flew open on its own. Standing there was Simon, panting with scorch marks on his fur. "There you are. Where have you been? We got attacked."
"What?" Lisa asked and rushed past the ferret. The others followed. The entryway seemed fine. There was no damage. "Tell us what happened," she said to Simon.
"We were watching TV when all of a sudden we heard this booming sound coming from the storage room. We went to check it out, and Rowan blasted us this black fire. Everything was set on fire. We were lucky to escape with only some tinged fur."
They were led down the halls to the storage room. Lisa had only been there once before. It was where Henry Milton and Keene kept all the important ancient papers and artifacts. Most of which regarded Pete's temple which was now a pile of stones. The smell of smoke hit them like a bulldozer. The walls were black as they moved closer. Lisa pulled her shirt over her nose to help with the smell. Nick did the same and kept both paws over his face. Everything was gone. Nothing remained but piles of ashes and burnt pieces of stone and woods. Twisted metal hung from the ceiling.
"Why would he do this?" Lisa asked. "Did he take anything?"
Simon shook his head looking defeated. "We won't know until Keene gets here and someone cleans this mess. He would know what is what. Until then I can only assume he was after something left our Dad."
"Why would you say that?" Nick asked.
"I was the first one here. I saw him sifting through a box of our Dad's. One Keene like to use a lot. He pulled out this leather book like a journal."
"Dad's notes on the temples and their legends."
They all turned to see Keene walking towards them. Scowling, he looked at the damaged room. After a few moments, he sighed. "There is nothing left."
"I can fix this." Kitsune snapped his fingers again, and in a flash, the room was completely restored.
"Handy trick, but can you return what Rowan stole?" Keene asked like he already knew the answer.
"No."
"I thought so. Whatever Rowan is up to has serious consequences for all of us. I've looked through that journal several times before," Keene said as he began walking away. With no other choice, the others followed. They made it to Keene's former office where he sat behind the desk once again. He folded his paws together and stared at the others. "I've read that journal several times. I can't pretend to understand half of what my father wrote. He took extensive notes on the temple he brought here as well as mentions of others."
"Other temples. The only other one we know about is Dragon's in Egypt," Lisa said.
"That may be true, but he wrote about more than one. How many I can't be sure."
At that moment, Kitsune's eyes lit up. "He couldn't."
"What is it, Kitsune?" Lisa asked.
"There are other temples beyond Pete's and Dragon's. It is the only thing that makes sense for how Rowan got so much power so quickly. He must have found Drasil's temple."
"Drasil's temple!" Lisa shouted much too loudly. "Drasil had a temple all this time. Why didn't you mention this before?"
"He and his brothers each created temples in this world. This was back before Drasil was Drasil. He and his brothers feared Dragon and Pete. They collected mana from Yggdrasil and stored it in case they would need it to defend themselves." Seeing the questioning looks on the others faces, he explained. "As you know, Drasil was my friend. He confided with me about his brother's plan and asked for my assistance. I was the one who told him about this world. I told him that this would be the safest place for their temples. This was before the Game started."
"If Rowan were corrupted by Drasil, it would only make sense that he would be led to his temple."
"I can only assume he will use whatever information Henry Milton had in that journal to find the locations of the remaining three temples. He must be after the mana that is being kept there."
"Four havens of stone, fire, ice, and wind. The magic lost will be the final end," Nick spoke up suddenly.
"What was that?" Lisa asked.
"The prophecy or whatever. That was a line. I think it might be referring to these other temples you are referring too."
"Right, now Rowan had a finite amount of magic."
"Like with Res. After he destroyed the Forgotten. All the mana was gone, and so was his power."
"Exactly." Kitsune nodded. "The problem is that if he can collect enough mana at once, then he will able to transcend to divinity."
"What!?" They all shouted in unison.
"He'll become a god but more powerful than the rest of us. We are bound by the laws of the universe and heaven. Since Rowan is human and not even from this realm so such laws will not bind him. He will be able to do whatever he wants without consequence."
"That's insane," Nick shouted. "How are we supposed to stop someone like that."
"Are there any other lines that might be useful from the prophecy?" Lisa asked.
Nick pulled out his phone and reread the prophecy. "Light the way to lover's arms. From the shadows of forgiveness, there will be no harm. Feelings born from across the reaches of time and space will guide the way through the empty place. Scorn comes from the words left unsaid. The dreams and truths emerge from the queen's head. The heir will speak to the father's pride. The Atlas of the stars will then be your guide. Four havens of stone, fire, ice, and wind. The magic lost will be the final end. Heart in hand she will illuminate a past hidden. Only to discover the secret of darkness kept forbidden. One becomes two, two becomes one. Only the knight can finish what has begun. The wolf will howl with his last breath. A hero's sacrifice will spare the heavens' death."
Lisa thought for a moment replaying the lines over and over in her head. Her eyes fell on Keene who was physically shaking in his chair. He was trying to stay calm but was not succeeding. He was obviously scared.
"The heir will speak…" Lisa whispered. "That's it! We don't have the journal, so we have to go to the source. We have to talk to Henry Milton himself."
Lisa opened her eyes. A cool breeze blew around her carrying the scent of flowers and fresh dew. The grass beneath her tickled her skin as she laid in the shadow on a large tree. Tilting her head, she could see a castle in the distance. Why did this seem so familiar to her?
"Do you like it?" someone asked next to her.
Lisa instantly sat up to see Rowan sitting beside her. He turned to her, but his face was normal. There was no trace of the darkness that she saw earlier that day.
"Rowan, what's going on?"
"You always told me that you loved this scene from the comics. Remember the dream King had before Pete took Bailey away. I thought it seemed fitting for this moment."
"Rowan, please. Let me help you. You are not evil. Dark magic is corrupting you. The more magic you get, the worse it will become." She grabbed his hand, but he pulled it away.
He smiled at her, but there was no joy there. His face was full of only deep sadness. "I love you, Lisa. Always remember that. I won't be able to talk to you again after this."
"Rowan, please," she pleaded
A tear rolled down his cheek again. "I always loved you."
Lisa woke up from the dream. She sat up and looked around the room. It was like it always was. Her chest ached as she felt her heart begin to break inside her.
"I love you too." She covered her face with her hands and cried.