Chapter 4
As Jape ran faster and faster, he could feel the powder wearing off and he quickly teleported he and Vivo back to the realm. They landed with a thud, but Jape was holding Vivo firmly to ensure he didn't fall off his back!
"Are you both alright?!" Jovi said, now running over and helping them up.
"We're fine. But we have another issue! Look!" Jocu said, now pointing to the portal. All the brothers turned and saw that Lilac, Rachel, and Sasha were talking and Lilac was trying to keep the secret.
"Lilac…please tell us. Who is Jay really and the other one? We feel like something is missing and we want to know more about them," Sasha said, now feeling like an even bigger piece of her was missing.
"We don't know how to explain it, but we feel like we are missing something important and it deals with them," Rachel said. "Please help us."
"I-I can't. I can't just tell you all. This is something I have been sworn to secrecy about," Lilac pleaded.
"But why?! We really need to get to the bottom of this," Rachel said.
As the brothers watched, King Lauhin looked at the portal sadly. He missed the girls very much, but the brothers knew the sea of tears would make things even worse.
"The sea of tears can put a person so deep in despair that they take years to recover from the depression. The girls would be in very grave danger," Lauhin said.
"But Father…I know that they will remember us somehow. Look at how persistent they are being. It won't do any good to hide for much longer," Jest replied.
"Jest is right father. We thought that disappearing would help them, but they won't let go. They know that something is missing and they will not stop," Jocu added.
"But if they do remember us, then they will be in danger! You know that Damus wants that! He wants them to remember so that the connection will be formed once more!" Vivo added.
"And if he has that connection, he can kidnap them. But he can't do it easily from their own world. Once they remember us, they will feel sadness because they will know that we've gone…and then through their despair he will use their sadness to pull them into the Nitian world!" Jovi said.
"Guys, we better come up with a plan….look…," Jape said gravely, now pointing. All the brothers gasped as the girls began crying and holding each other. Lilac couldn't hold back at the girls' gentle prodding. She told them all of what happened!
"They've remembered!" Jocu said, now feeling a wave of joy, yet pain, from the girls' emotions!
"NO!" Lauhin said, now seeing a dark cloud beginning to circle around all three girls! "DAMUS IS ON THE MOVE! MY SONS MOVE NOW!"
And with that, all of them teleported, but were just in time to see the girls look at them with gladness but fear!
"Guys! Guys help! What's happening?!" Sasha called out!
"Jocu! Jape! Blithe!" Rachel called.
"Vivo! Jest! Jovi! Amio!" Sasha wailed in horror. All of the brothers knew that the girls now remembered them and everything about them!
"Well done, ladiesssssssss…now join me in the sea of tears," Damus called out from the dark cloud as he whisked the girls to his realm!
"NO!" All seven of them screamed. Lauhin teleported just in time to see Damus take them!
"Come! To the dark mountains! NOW!" Lauhin said, now teleporting he and his sons. It was a race against time!
Once they teleported, they heard screams of terror and horror. The brothers and king ran through the thick brush to see the girls on an unstable raft being pushed in a raging and fast river that was heading toward a dark and black raging sea! They were heading straight for the waterfall that would lead them to the open sea!
"We've got to stop that raft!" Jocu said.
"Jocu, if you fall in, it will severely weaken your power. The sea of tears is no joke," Lauhin said sternly, now taking off his mantle. "Wait here and I will go."
"Father…please, be careful," Jovi said.
"I will go with you," Jest said.
"No, my sons. I am more experienced than you all with this sea. No matter what happens…protect the girls at all costs," Lauhin said, now running down the cliff and heading towards the raft. As he made a mad dash down the hill, Soren gasped!
"Father look! It's him! It's Lauhin!" Soren said.
"He never gives up! Shoot the heart arrows at him. If it pierces him with tear poison it will slow him down," Damus said, now grabbing some arrows. Soren nodded and began shooting at him. Lauhin was dodging at a very fast pace, but one did hit him in the arm. He growled in anger but kept running!
"He's not even slowing down!" Soren said.
"Keep shooting!" Damus snarled, but his eyes widened as Jocu began running up the cliff at them. He then pounced at Damus and the two went rolling.
"Not this time, Damus!" Jocu hissed, now gently getting his abs and making Damus almost burst out in laughter. Soren tried to run and help, but was caught by Jest and Jovi.
"Get his knees!" Jovi said, now tickling him. Soren didn't burst into black smoke, but was severely weakened!
"AHAHAHAHAHHAHA STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!" He laughed out.
"You weakling! STAHAHAHAP LAUGHING! AHAHAHAHAHHAA!" Damus laughed out as Blithe and Jocu were tickling him too.
"We've got to weaken him so that he will leave father alone!" Blithe said.
"Father is close to the raft! Look!" Amio said, now pointing. All glanced out and saw King Lauhin dive into the water because the raft had just tipped over, sending the girls into the water!
"H-HELP! LAUHIN, HELP!" Sasha cried out.
"Stay calm! I'm coming!" he said, now seeing her eyes turn red from despair. "No, Sasha! Don't let this sea get to you!
"I-I can't help it…I feel terrible!" Sasha said, now starting to cry as she felt herself going under.
"SASHA! FIGHT IT!" Rachel said, now crying but trying to be strong. "Remember the brothers and how much they love us!"
"THE KING WILL RESCUE US!" Lilac called out too, now trying to keep from going under. Their positivity was keeping them afloat enough for Lauhin to grab all three. He could see they were becoming more and more depressed by being exposed to the water, but they were fighting it.
"Stay strong, little ones. We're almost there!" Lauhin said, now seeing a nearby broken tree branch and grabbing it. Once he had them safely up, he climbed out himself.
"THEY MADE IT!" Jocu called as the brothers all jumped up and down in victory!
"FATHER DID IT! HE DID IT!" Vivo said.
"We all knew he would," Jape smiled.
The girls were just speechless. They turned and hugged King Lauhin and buried themselves in his black and silky fur. He only patted their heads and nuzzled them.
"Now now…it's all over, girls. All over…come…time to go to the castle." He soothed, now looking up at his sons. "My sons…come…we have won this battle."
"N-Never…you haven't won…," Damus said weakly, trying to stand.
"Oh we have…and we always will," Jocu said, now gently tickling his abs and making him gasp out.
"This isn't over!" Soren hissed weakly.
"Yes, it is," Jovi replied, now throwing a powder that made them burst into laughter again. "Just a little something I was saving for evil beings like you!"
And with that, the brothers all laughed and disappeared to the realm, leaving the two evil beings to writhe in ticklish agony.
Back at the castle…
After a long explanation and chat, the girls were the first to speak. Lilac was just sitting and watching what was happening.
"We know why you all did that…but we knew something was missing. We love you all too much. Please never do that again!" Rachel pleaded.
"Rachel, you don't understand. The sea of tears is a dreadful thing. Father got you out in time, but if he didn't you all would have been in a deep depression for years," Jocu said.
"But Jocu…we love you all and we never want to forget you," Sasha said gently.
"But your love could have cost you guys, Sasha. We love you all too and that's why we did it. We did it out of love. We didn't want Damus to harm you," Jovi said.
"We are not angry. We know why you did it…but remember that we're a family. Even when you tried to erase our memories, our love for you would not let us forget you." Rachel smiled, now standing and kissing Jovi's nose and making him blush.
"B-But still… according to the statistics of what could have happened…," Jovi tried again.
"Enough with statistics, Jovi. We love you all and nothing is ever going to change that, now come here," Sasha said, now trying to kiss each brother on the cheek. But they all looked sad because of what had happened; the girls almost were gone from their lives forever. "Hey…,"
"King Lauhin…please…grant us the help of the tickle knights just for a few hours. We need to teach these brothers that no matter what, we love you all," Rachel said, now determined and walking over to the large king.
"Well…I'm not too sure…," but the king paused as the girls climbed up on his lap and began nuzzling his neck and face. They missed him dearly and he knew it because he missed them too. They then heard a deep purring from inside him and knew that they were soothing his heart.
"We love you," Sasha whispered, now kissing his cheek.
"That's why we didn't forget. Our love for you all wouldn't let us forget you. We're family," Rachel added, now hugging his neck as did Sasha. The king hugged them tightly and gave them both kisses on their head.
And I love you both too. Yes, you may have the knights for a few hours," the king smiled. The girls squeaked in glee, but all seven brothers froze. The girls had the tickle knights' help?!
"RUN FOR IT!" Jocu said, now turning and bounding off. The others followed suit as the girls ran after them!
"You can run, but you can't hide! This isn't over!" Rachel said. She then noticed Lilac trying to ease back to the king to go home. "Not so fast!"
"Hey!" Lilac gasped, now feeling the older girl grab her.
"You're in on this too! Knights hold her!" Rachel said deviously. And as some of the knights did, Rachel then turned to Lilac. "You're coming with us too!"
Lilac could only gulp! This was going to be crazy!
guestsurprise's words: Hope you all have enjoyed it! The finale is coming up!
To guestsurprise: I think I can speak for everyone who loves this story and say we are all looking forward to the finale. :)
To everyone else: Please leave guestsurprise a review, but no flames!
GoldGuardian2418