Hey guys, One more week, ONE MORE WEEK and school will be out. I have Chapter 8 so enjoy and review. Oh and one more thing this:
XXXXXXXXXXX means a break. Sorry for any confusion.
Chapter 8: Through the Castle
His eye slowly open in grogginess due to the portal crossing. On his stomach he pulls his head off the floor and looks around. It was dark and damp. Small puddles of water filled the cracks in the floor and shows small patches of moss in the floors or walls. He looks to the left to see rows of cages like in a prison. He took one sniff of the air around him, he coughed. The air wasn't crystal clear like at home, but instead it was gross. He smells more scents; more people have been down here. The smell is very faint by a few days or maybe weeks.
He feels something under his arms. His siblings also are under the effects of the portal crossing.He groaned and shaking his head, "Come on Michael," he told himself as he gets his chest of the ground, "my senses are a little disoriented."
He gets to his knees getting a better view of where he is, "Where am I?"
Only torches were the only things lighting up the area. Even though it was a little dark, he eyes can still see. He turns his head to find his siblings passed out. He gently lifts them up and sets them on a wall. They too groaned from the after the effects of the portal.
Oran's head was in his hand, "My head hurts."
"Where are we? Where's mom and dad? Where are we big brother?" Astell asked randomly.
"I don't know. I really don't know where we are," he looks around, "I don't see the portal we came through."
"S-so where's mommy and daddy?" She asked scared.
He looks at her with a reassuring face, "Their alright. Their on the other side of the portal," he looks around, "which is gone."
"What does that mean?" She asked.
"It means that... We are stuck here."
There was silence for a moment. Until Oran broke it, "So does that mean we might not go back," he started to tear up.
Michael leaned down to him, "No. We are going back," he reassured, "it's just gonna takes some time to figure that out."
That gave Oran and Astell some confidence and they wiped their tears away.He leaned closer to them, "Let's just stick together for now, all right."
They nodded and hugged him one which he returned. Them Michael heard something very loud growling. It was very loud and after looking around to find the source, the boys look at Astell. They let loose for their hug and she put her hands on her stomach; she's hungry.
She giggled, "Sorry guys, but I'm hungry."
Oran's stomach growled too followed by Michael's.
"We're all hungry," he goes to his bag, he luckily had, and searched for any food. There wasn't any.
"Sorry guys, I don't have anything," then he sniffs the air and smells something good cooking.
There was a good not far away from where they were. He walks over to it to find it cracked open with a thin beam of light coming through it. He peeked his eye through it. The things he saw were weird: walking brown mushrooms with fangs, turtles that were green, blue, or red and even some had wings, hammers or whatever and others that were out of his view. He looks back at his siblings, he knows that they would freak out if he wasn't back soon and on top if that they were away from their parents.He walks back to them," Ok guys listen up. I don't know where we are, but that scent will lead me to food. I want you guys to stay here. Understand?" They nod, "I promise I'll be back soon."
He shifts to his wolf form and quickly runs out the door. Oran goes to one of the open cells and sees a barred window, she can't reach it.
"Hey Oran, can you give me a lift?" She asked.
Even though I Oran was struggling to hold her up, she grabbed the bars and looked outside. She saw that it was dark out and a few lava pools bubbles steadily and barely any trees or plants.
"Woah," she said quietly then she tilted backwards flailing her arms, "WOAH!"
Then they fell on their backs and got up again.
"What did you see?" Oran asked.
"A whole different place," she answered.
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Meanwhile, Michael was sneaking his way past the halls of the interior. He hid close to the shadows and with his fur shifting to black helps a lot.
"Ok just got to stay out of sight. Easy enough."
He looks again, relieved that there were less of those guards out, but bad news night guards are coming out. He breaths but before he takes a step out the shadows of the hall. He feels a weird presence next to him; his dark self. Not physically, but sometimes he can only see him outside his mind like illusions. He only sees the red eye and partially see his face.
He turns away from the head, "Not now. I'm trying to sneak around."
His dark form growled quietly, but Michael still didn't look at him. He sighs and turns around facing him, "Fine. What is it? Might tell me now and make it quick."
His red eye glows as Michael was struck with a memory. He saw mostly a huge fire and behind it nine figures were standing tall, but they were shadows so he couldn't tell what they are. Michael shook his head and looked at his dark self again.
"What did you show me?" He asked.
His dark form gave a low growl and disappeared into the dark. Michael shook his head in confusion.
"Weird. Whatever I'll worry about that later. Right now, food."As he sees some guards walk in the opposite direction he was going, he broke for it. He quietly and quickly sprinted to the other side past the doors. He came up on a four-cross section. He sniffed the air for the scent and he went right. Down the hallway he sees individual doors. Different colors of course, but one stood out brighter than the rest. He shook it off and continued to follow the scent. But he stopped as his ears picked up something. He turns his head as one of the doors open slightly. Michael stays calm and moves to hide. Two figures emerge form one of the room. One that was very tall: glasses, a greenish shell, four fangs, and his hair was like a pineapple's too. The other: smaller, no fangs, a colorful mohawk, two orange bars on the side of his head, an orange shell, and his eyes are crisscross. He seems to be riding on something, a ball. Michael stayed where he was trying to be unseen as they passed him. Once they were out of sight, he came out from his hiding place and kept going. Going further into the place he comes up on another room. He goes past if for a second until he heard music. Curiously he peaks his head in and sees someone playing the piano. He had a dark blue shell and hair. He couldn't see his face. He eyes close then open again trying to stay focused.
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Meanwhile, Oran and Astell were getting bored. They were playing their powers, just because. Oran was scratching his claws on the ground making them sharp. Astell was growing her flower making it longer, smiling when she was satisfied with its length.
Oran looked at his now sharp claws, "What's taking him so long?" He whined.
Astell twirled one of the petals, "He's probably taking his time. Don't forget that we don't know where we are."
He sighs, "I know I know, but it's taking so long."
She stopped her twirling, "Have patients Oran he'll be back."
He nodded now testing his sharp claws and air power.
"Please hurry up Michael."
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Michael keep going, but keeps seeing those things everywhere. He wasn't sure how many there were. He saw two big ones in a gym of some sorts. One has a pink shell, and pink shades. He thought it was a girl, but he also heard his voice; it was a male. The other one was dark skinned, with a dark shell and few hairs sticking out his head. As he was walking along quietly he stopped and freezes as there was another one in front of him a few feet away. This one was also pink like the last one, but it was a bow on its head and tail; it's a female. The female walked forward without noticing Michael behind him. He relaxed, but then follows it quietly. The female enters walks into the large dining room. He follows then hides under the large table. He hears more chatter, more people came in. He lifts the cloth slightly. There were the things he saw before and then three new ones. One had a light blue shell and mohawk. The one next to him was small. He wore a bandanna around his neck, a normal green shell, and red hair. The last one looks almost like him except he was bigger and didn't were a bandanna. As they took their seats, Michael also hears something rolling. Then lots of delicious scents washed into his nose. He can smell all the food they had as they were being put on the table. Good news was that their WAS food, bad news is how to get it without being spotted."Oh boy. What am I going to do?"
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The siblings were getting restless, mostly Oran was. He was pacing back and forth anxiously waiting for Michael to return. A few moments later he had it.
"That's it," he walks to the door, but Astell stops him.
"What are you doing?! You heard what big brother said, stay here until he comes back."
"He's taking forever," he complained, "and I'm getting very hungry."
"But Oran- "
"Astell," he looked at her in the eyes, "I know what Michael said, but it's taking too long. Something might have happened I don't know, but I don't want to stay here."
Astell looked at his face very hard for a few moments then gave in knowing that arguing won't work.
"Let me go with you," she said, "we are a pack even without are mommy and daddy. We still have each other."
Oran peeked out the door and saw nothing then turned back to her, "then let's go."
They quietly left the room and went to find Michael in the large place. They followed his scent that was fresh. They soon can across a hallway that looked like nothing.
"This place is creepy," she said holding on to Oran.
He sniffs the air again, "He went through here. Let's go."
As they took another step the doors to the other side opened and two guards come out of it.
"Hey, you two!" one of the guards shouted.
The siblings turned and ran and the guards chased after them. They turned hoping to trick them, but they were on their tail. Oran looks back once more to see them tuck into their shells and gaining speed. Astell looked back and saw them about to hit them. Then Oran's left eye flashed silver and he was gone instantly. As the two guards were about to land a hit on Astell they suddenly were slammed into the wall. Astell looked at the guards while Oran appeared in front of them"W-what did you do?! Where did you go?!" She asked.
Oran raised a bow, "What do you mean? I went and knocked them out."
"I know I know, but you disappeared."
Oran shook his head, "I went around and smacked him hard. Maybe I moved faster than the naked eye."
"Really? Cool! I don't know what I can do, "she sniffs the air, "he's been through here."
As they reach the doors one of the guards wasn't knocked out completely. He slowly rises and tucked into his shell and charges for them. As Oran tries to open the large doors Astell turns around in time to see a shell coming for them. Then Astell looked at Oran and her right eye glowed red as she was covered in her shadow power. She tackled him and the shadow travel to Oran's body and they went through, THROUGH, the doors. They tumble out from the other side.
Astell looked at her hands, "What just happened?"
"I think we went through the door," Oran looked at the door and giggled, "Astell look."
She turned around and burst out laughter when she sees the dent in the door in the form of a shell. A few moments of laughing ended as Oran found the scent again and they continued. They come across another door that was crack. They found the same thing Michael found: food and other people nearby.
"How are we supposed to get something to eat without being seen?" Astell asked Oran.
"Our new abilities," he answered, "I move faster than the naked eye and you can go through stuff."
"That'll work. Let's meet up," she pointed under the table, "there."
He nodded, "Ready?"
She nodded as well and they used their powers. Oran swiped a few items off the table at light speed and Astell was under the table using her intangible hand to reach things from the table and bring them down.
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Michael was trying to figure out his situation.
"Michael," Astell whispered.
"Not now Astell," he said back then perked his ears, "ASTELL! What are you doing here alone?!"
She pulled something else out from the table, "I'm not alone."
Then Oran appeared next to her.
"Hi Michael."
"I told you guys to stay in that one place."
"Oran decided to go anyway. I had no choose, but we went together," she held out a meat food, "at least we got these."
Oran held out some bread. Michael looked at them for a moment and relaxed, "At least you're with me. Let's eat."
They ate some fruits, meats, and bread, with a little cake. When they were finished with what they had, Michael started to him started to hear commotions.
"Who took my bread?" One voice said.
"Wasn't me," a tough males voice said.
"You guys are full of drama over a piece of bread," a female voice mocked.
"Like when you have a eyelash out of place Wendy," a deep male voice said.
"Michael heard "Wendy", "That's it!"
She stomped on something soft that cause Michael to freeze. He felt something on his tail and it HURT. He endured the hit but using all his willpower to not scream. Then to his relief she lifted her foot but still holding in the pain filled scream.
"What was that?" Wendy asked.
"Just stop being so paranoid and eat Wendy."
"Shut up Roy."
Then Oran accidentally bumped into someone foot.
"Quit it Larry," one voice said.
"I didn't do it Iggy," Larry said.
"I don't believe you. You're the sneakiest of us all."
Larry crossed his arms and stayed quiet.
"What's going on with everyone Lemmy?"
A voice whispered.
"I wish I knew Bowser Jr. I wish I knew."
He heard a loud sigh as everyone went back to arguing. Michael heard something thump like someone was stomping. He looked around at everyone's feet and he didn't see anything. Then...
"THAT'S IT I'VE HAD ENOUGH OFF THIS CRAP!"
The big pink turtle put his hands under the table and used his strength and flipped the table over and away from them. As ticked off as he is he was confused as everyone stared at the people under the table.
"What?" He questioned.
They pointed a claw at the two humans and the one wolf behind him. He turned around then walked close to them with a threatening face.
"Who are y'all?'
