Part 5 - Rescue Mission

The next day, Lola woke up quickly to tell Crusherwhite today was the day he would be free. However, she noticed that the window was open and he wasn't in bed. Lola had a horrible feeling that something had attacked him in the night, but then she noticed the letter. She grabbed it and placed it on the desk, and then she began to read out loud.

"To my friends and family. By now I have run away and begun a new life elsewhere. Don't bother to come looking for me. You probably hate me so much that you wouldn't bother trying to anyway. I don't know what I did to deserve your hatred and loathing, and I will never know, so just move on with your lives. Yours sincerely, Crusherwhite." Lola just stood in complete shock. "Why would he write something like this?" she asked herself, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. She immediately ran to the main room to tell the others. By the time she had reached her destination, Chris and the others were waiting.

"Where's Crusherwhite?" Chris asked. Lola silently handed him the letter. He read and tears began to fill his eyes too. "No, he can't be gone. He just can't be!" Chris screamed, bursting into tears. Everyone else took a look at the letter and just stared, blankly.

"Why does he think that we hate him?" Sarah asked sadly. Crusherwhite's brothers were in the corner, crying for him.

"It has to be the work of SoulGunBlack!" Lola exclaimed. "He must have sent Crusherwhite a nightmare showing him these lies, knowing that he would believe it would come true." Chris was crying harder than he had ever done in his entire life. "I'm going to find him," Lola told them. She began to walk away, but could feel someone grabbing her back legs. She turned to see Chris desperately staring at her.

"Please take me with you!" he begged her. Sarah pulled his arms away and shook her head.

"You're in no condition to go out anywhere," she said to him sternly. Lola made her way to the passage.

"Take care of him and the others while I'm gone," she told Sarah. She nodded slightly and noticed that Zorbak had leapt onto Lola's shoulder. "So, you want to come too?" Lola asked. Zorbak nodded, as if to say "yes." Lola made her way back to Crusherwhite's room and noticed the necklace. "Perfect. Now I can prove to Crusherwhite that I still like him," she thought as she picked it up. She brushed some fur aside to reveal another necklace, with a pendant that had been split in half. She took a quick glance at the other half of the pendant that hung from Crusherwhite's necklace. She hung it around her neck and went back to the main room. "Now if I know SoulGunBlack, he would probably tell Crusherwhite to go to the place we would least expect him to. Which means the Haunted Woods is our first stop," Lola thought, knowing that Crusherwhite hated that place more than anywhere else. She stepped out of the house and immediately raced towards the Haunted Woods.

Lola soon arrived. She took a moment to survey her surroundings. "He must be here. He hates this place," Lola thought. She began to explore, searching for her friend. After about an hour, she fell to her knees. "It's hopeless. He's gone," she thought. Suddenly, she heard crying from her side. She turned to that direction and noticed Crusherwhite, his face turned towards a tree. "Crusherwhite, please listen to me," she begged. Crusherwhite shook his head, not bothering to turn around.

"Why should I? You hate me enough as it is," he told her, anger and sadness in his voice. Lola could feel tears coming so she kept them back as best as she could.

"Crusherwhite, that dream you had was a lie, and I can prove it," she told him. She took the two necklaces off and held them in front of her. "Remember that day we met? I gave you this necklace and told you that should you ever doubt our friendship, simply place the two halves together." Crusherwhite turned to face her. She placed the two halves together and the pendant gave off a brilliant white light. "See? We're still friends," she told him. Crusherwhite leapt at her and hugged her as hard as he could.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't think that the dream was a lie! I thought it would come true!" he cried. Lola smiled, tears of happiness running down her face.

"It's okay. But we need to get you home. Everyone else is so worried about you," she told him. Crusherwhite gave a nod and let go of Lola. "Before we do though, I need to give you something. It's in Terror Mountain," she said. Crusherwhite smiled.

"Okay. Let's get going then," he said. Lola quickly hung his necklace around his neck and hung her one around hers. Then they set off.

At Terror Mountain, Lola led Crusherwhite to the spot where they first met. She then began to dig in the snow. Soon, she pulled out another pendant. "This pendant can prevent its holder from having nightmares," she said, giving it to him. Crusherwhite nodded, and gave it to Zorbak for safekeeping, who was now on his shoulder again. "Come on, we'd better get back," she told him. They returned to the house.

Sarah watched Chris helplessly as he continued to cry, huddled in the corner. "I don't think he's improving," she said. Tommo36neo was standing next to her.

"I just hope he actually eats or drinks something. He's been like this for five hours straight," said the red Blumaroo. A knock on the door diverted Sarah's attention. She quickly turned to her pets.

"Keep an eye on them while I get the door," she told them. They all gave a nod and went over to Chris and the remaining three Lupes. Sarah went to the door and opened it. Outside stood Lola and Crusherwhite, Zorbak perched on the white Lupes head. Sarah smiled as she saw Crusherwhite and led them inside. Zorbak leapt off of Crusherwhite and ran over to Chris, tapping him. Chris turned and saw his beloved pet. He smiled broadly and ran straight to Crusherwhite, hugging him as hard as he could. "Oh thank Fyora you're safe! I've been so worried about you," he told the white Lupe. Crusherwhite felt so happy being reunited with his owner.

"I'm so sorry Chris. I was deceived," he said. Chris smiled and stroked Crusherwhite.

"It's okay. You don't have to apologise," he said, still in tears. His brothers had all been awoken by the noise and ran to Crusherwhite. Everyone began to hug him because they were so happy he was back. "Come on; let's get you something to eat. You must be starving," Chris said as he released Crusherwhite from the hug.

"I'm more worried about you, in all honesty. I heard Tommo36neo saying you hadn't eaten or drunk anything for five hours," he said with a laugh. Chris smiled and began to prepare everyone's dinner.

"Omelette is all I really have; I'm sorry if it's a problem," he said to everyone.

"That's okay, we all like omelette," Sarah told him as they began to eat. Crusherwhite smiled all the way through dinner, happy to be back with his family and friends. After they had eaten, they prepared for bed.

"Get lots of rest. Tomorrow is the day we stop SoulGunBlack," Chris said happily. All of Sarah's pets and Crusherwhite's brothers nodded and curled up by the fire. Chris and Sarah lay next to their pets and fell asleep. Crusherwhite and Lola went to his room.

"Thanks for letting me stay for so long," Lola told him. Crusherwhite smiled at her.

"You can stay as long and as often as you like. You've done so much for me, it's the least I can do for you," he said, wondering if Lola would stay forever.

"After we win tomorrow, I'll have to leave. I don't want to intrude on your family too long," she said, as she fell asleep. Crusherwhite nodded, and fell asleep in his bed. He wasn't plagued by nightmares this time, thanks to the pendant resting on his paw. Zorbak had returned it to him just before they went to bed. "Tomorrow, it will all be over. Tomorrow, I will have my revenge," he thought, as he slept.