CHAPTER 1

A tall figure clad in full ninja garb had his sights set on Pinata Central, looking to infiltrate beyond the walls that now protected it. Luckily, the hired muscled security were blind as they were dumb, making it easy work to slip through them. Their laser wire detection system was a bit more competent, but was easily maneuvered through just the same. Getting inside the Cannonata tower was a cakewalk for the mysterious ninja. Unfortunately, he was only at the ground floor. The controls to the cannon were positioned near the top. But something was odd… Out of place. the tower was eerily quiet and empty.

It was easy getting this far… But it couldn't have been THIS easy. Something foul was definitely hidden in the air, keeping the ninja on edge. He decided to test the waters climbing up the curving staircase in a casual manner, even placing his stubby gloved hand onto the railing. Dread worked its way under his mache as he knew in the back of his mind he was being watched, and whatever was watching him was waiting. It wasn't until he reached the top that he found the unmanned controls.

"No Langston?" The figure thought to himself, curious to where the lickatoad could be hopping about. He had second thoughts about calling out to him. The last thing he needed was the echo traveling out to wondering ears. Change of plans, if he couldn't find a head representative of Pinata Central to grab hostage for negotiations, he would just have to search the console for a self-destruct button. He had gotten this far, why let the opportunity slip away? But just as the edge of his worries began to fade in the midst of the examination. A deep voice called out from above.

"Hudson Horstachio!" The tone of their voice was obviously modulated to sound more evil than it actually was. Its surprise was chilling all the same to the ninja, who watched a plump, one-man saucer shaped UFO float down from the ceiling. "I was expecting you see your face around here sooner or later," It spoke as it descended. "I knew you couldn't stay away! The thought of parties must be eating at you!" It chuckled, now coming into full view of the ninja, who removed his cloth mask to get a better look at the operator of the floating contraption.

"I'm here on the account of my friends!" Hudson said with a heart of valiance, tossing away his mask. His adored fame was long behind him, what use was it in a world governed by total chaos? He tried to inspect his opposer, unable to get anywhere past his metallic, full-body armor. The UFO driver was a small being, probably half the size of Hudson, but whatever he wore, hid his true appearance.

"Friends? What about your fans? Surely they matter as well! You wouldn't want to let them down either!" He hung the fact over the horstachio's head, hoping to break him with the mere mention of it. The metal figure got a bit uncomfortably close, nearly face to face with Hudson before muttering something else to him. "...And remember, you're on camera!" And as if on cue every object capable of recording video and picture was brought down by the many new robotic arms of the Cannonata.

Security cameras, home video recorders, professional film recorders, cell phones, pocket cameras, professional cameras, disposable cameras… You name it, it was probably there. Red dots and bright flashes had scarred the horstachio back into the past, over intoxicating him with his old celebrity lifestyle. He tried blocking away the sight of them all with a shielding arm over his eyes, but the beeps, hums, and clicks of the cameras still carved into his eardrums, torturing his senses.

"Curse you!" Hudson fell to his knees and soon entered into a fetal position, hugging tightly at his legs in a desperate attempt to fight off his former self. All the training in the ways of stealth and discipline still hadn't helped him overcome his biggest obstacle, himself. His pain brought his oppressor much joy, throwing in a hearty laugh or two to add insult to injury.

"You're still the same vain hostachio you were when I knew you!" The figure ended up giving out a little TOO much information, enough to snap Hudson out of his anxiety attack for a moment. The horstachio pulled himself back up to his knees before replying to the comment.

"Y-you... Know me?!" He tried scanning over the rider of the UFO once again, unable to come up with any face to the clue. It could have been a bluff, seeing as Hudson was the biggest face in Pinata Island, his face was practically the mascot of anything Viva Pinata related. Anyone who was anyone knew of his broad mug… But did this hunk of metal actually KNOW him personally. The thoughts flooded through his head, he tried to grab and sort through the memories of his friends frantically. "...Paulie!? Franklin!? ...Les!? Fer-!" Before he could finish his list, another robotic arm scooped up the horstachio in one fell swoop.

Its grip was crippling as Hudson was unable to move against it. The hand had brought him back up face to face with the figure again, holding him in place. "Knowing isn't even half of it! We practically lived together!" Hudson had gone through his list again, this time reordering them according to what his captor said, "Hailey?! Beverly?! ...Francine?!" but they were far from the truth as the metallic figure plucked off his own helmet with an audible pop. The sight had Hudson speechless. Not like he could speak anyways, the constriction grappling around his body had the wind pressed out of him.

"You look like you've seen a ghost, Hudson!" All traces of his deep dark voice was now replaced with a nasally, high-pitched tone. "But I'll tell you a little secret…" The hand brought the horstachio closer, his ear nearly pressed over his captor's lips. "I shot Langston Lickatoad into space!" The news was chilling to the bone to hear. "Straight into the sun to be exact!" Further details had caused the horstachio to go green in the face. "And the Big Boss?" He added with a sadistic chuckle, "We tracked him down and shot him off into space as well!"

"H-how?!" Hudson managed to sputter out against the pressure applied on him. All this information was difficult for the horstachio to comprehend. He couldn't see his captor being so cruel and arrogant to the irreversible acts that he committed towards his own kind. He might have been sly and conniving at times, but he wasn't exactly a murderer either.

"Simple…" He replied, a devilish smile formed on his lips as a galagoogoo popped out from behind the back of Hudson's captor, soon standing upon the captor's shoulder. The pink critter wore the same safety helmet that Langston did when he was still working for Pinata Central. It wasn't clear on who the galagoogoo was until he spouted out his incomprehensible gibberish. "Les here understands! ...Granted we can't understand him, but he understands the overpopulation issue at hand!" The horstachio couldn't fathom why two of his friends were on the side that wished to see their race wiped out.

Pinata Island had dealt with its overpopulation problems years ago. What they were doing now were crimes against pinata-kind! Langston or the Big Boss would have halted the progress long before now, but it was clear to see why things hadn't changed like they were supposed to. Especially with these two in charge. Hudson was powerless to do anything to stop them.

"Anyways, I've flapped my lips for long enough!" The captor donned his helmet back on, the former tone of voice returning to him. "It's time for you to embrace who you are Hudson!" He waited for the horstachio to reply, only to suddenly remember Hudson was incapable of speaking. "A SUPER STAR!" the armored being answered as a mechanical hand opened one of the cannon latches. It held it wide open as the other hand that was already carrying the horstachio carelessly slammed him inside. The door shut tightly behind him as Hudson instantly bangged on the door for freedom.

"You don't have to do this!" Hudson tried to reason with the duo on the other side, But they would have none of it as the Cannonata took aim for the skies. In a last ditch effort to break free, the horstachio tried to scrape his way up the steep incline, only to find himself getting nowhere. It wasn't long before an ear shattering blast launched him into the open air. The ascent, speed, and the wind against his face, all of it felt like home to Hudson. Memories from before the depression had flooded into the horsatchio's head, distracting him for a brief moment before reality hit him again in the form of a stray seagull.

Hudson shook it off, spitting out a mouthful of feathers with a chain of gags and throaty hacks. It wasn't the first time that a mishap like this had happened. Hopefully it wouldn't be the last, for the sake of all pinatas.

Reacting fast before his body was sent out of the atmosphere, Hudson dug in between his ninja cloak. Grabbing hold of a string from inside, he pulled it to instantly transform his garb into a flying suit, able to navigate away from his original trajectory.

"Viva Pinataaa!" Hudson shouted to the heavens as he headed to the only pinata who he knew could still help, Paulie Pretztail.