Inky had returned from the telescope and went back to the wolf, he had an idea...an awful...awful idea...
"Hey Boris old friend? I have an idea for you." He said.
"What is it sire?" He asked.
"How would you like to be promoted to personal spy?"
"What?!" Boris said.
"Personal Spy, i want you to be a spy for me." Inky answered.
"No way in-" He said.
"In return, i can assure your freedom from my workings and even perhaps a bigger promotion."
Boris had gone silent..was he really willing to do this..? He sighed and muttered.
"Yes Sir..."
Emily and her new friends entered through the other side of the tunnel and she discovered a complete cartoon like world. Everything was covered in Ink and had a monochrome color scheme.
"W-Woah...This is what happened when The Ink King took over..?" Emily asked.
"Pretty much. He turned everything into a cartoon and threw ink everywhere." Thomas said.
"Everything?"
"Everything."
Emily looked around as they walked the grey dirt pathing.
"The Ink King is quite controlling when it comes to what he wants." Susie said.
"Aye, He be very strict lass." Shawn said.
"That's why he took Alison from me and sent me away." Thomas said.
"Oh my..." Emily said in shock.
"First stop, The Cartoon Village."
They reached a small town with many houses, and shopping areas.
"Oh my, what a cute little town!" Emily said.
"We need to be careful, Searchers and Lost Ones tend to hang out around here. They'll most likely tell The Ink King that We're here." Susie said.
"She's right, Lost Ones work for The Ink King, he can make them tell him anything he wants, All it takes is one word and they're as slippery as Butter." Shawn said.
"Oh wow.." Emily said.
"Alright, just lets not do anything to draw attention to ourselves." Thomas said as they walked through the village.
Lost Ones and Searchers watched as the group walked through the town.
Emily looked up and spotted a cartoon wolf, he seemed to be watching.
"Can i help you..?" She asked.
"I hear you wanna get to The Ink Castle? I might just be able to help you."
"How?" Emily asked.
"I know how to get there fast." He answered.
Emily looked to Thomas.
"How do you know the quickest way to the ink castle?" He asked.
"Cause i work on his side, or..at least i did.." The wolf answered.
"I don't know about this Emily.." Thomas answered.
"He's one of our best bets." She replied.
Thomas didn't like the idea, but Emily had a point.
"Alright he can come with.." He grunted.
"My name is Boris by the way. Boris The Wolf." He said.
"My name is Emily, Emily Rose."
"Susie."
"Thomas Connor."
"My name be Shawn Flynn lad."
Boris nodded and followed them through the village.
"So, how did you work for The Ink King..?" Emily asked.
"I was a fighter for him, any time someone broke in, he would have me and another toon friend of mine defend him with his army of knights." He said.
"I'm sorry if it brought bad memories.." She said.
"Nah you're okay. It didn't." Boris said with a small smile.
"Just remember Boris. Try anything, and you'll feel this sword of mine cut you up piece by piece..." Thomas warned.
"Understood."
And so they ventured through the village. Hopefully finding something to help them.
Meanwhile. Inky was pacing back and forth. Where was that damned wolf...
One of The Lost Ones came up to him.
"What?" He asked sternly.
"S-Sir..T-The Wolf is now v-venturing with the-the r-rebels..."
The Ink King grinned. "Good, i sent him out for a task and he is fulfilling that task."
"What should we do sire?" It asked.
The Ink King thought for a moment but then grinned with another idea. "Send out Our Precious Angel..."
The Lost One nodded and ran away. The Ink King looked out of the nearest window.
"Try to run Little Toon...Lets see if the angel can track you down..."
Back with Emily and her friends. They had just exited the village and were now heading to was appeared to be an inky cloud paradise.
"What in the..." Thomas said when they began to hear someone singing a tune.
"That sounds like the other friend i mentioned, she must have quit too.." Boris said.
"You didn't mention she'd sound like an angel." Emily said.
"Well it's cause she is part Angel." He answered.
"What?"
The subject came down from one of the ink clouds.
She was a beautiful white toon with black locks and white horns and a halo sitting atop her head, she wore a strapless black dress and white gloves, she too had a weapon straped to her back as well as a white satchel, and her black heels shined in the sunlight.
"Well hello there sugars! I'm Alice Angel! What can i do for you all?" She greeted.
"We're looking for The Ink Castle." Emily answered.
"The Ink Castle? Oh! Boris! Great to see ya! But yeah, sorry honey. There's no way you'd be able to get to that castle without trouble." Alice said.
"We thought of such." Susie commented.
"We didn't expect to get there with no troubles lass, we just need to get there so we can beat that ol' cranky Ink King!" Shawn said.
"Well me and Boris here sure can help ya! I'm sure he mentioned that we once worked for the old man!"
Emily nodded.
"Well come on then! We're wasting time getting there!"
And so, Alice Angel joined the party of rebels. While the others were ahead, she began to whisper to Boris.
"You're on the same mission?" She asked.
"Yep, same thing."
"Let's just hope no one gets too mad..."
Thomas turned to them. "You got something you wanna share with the party Miss Angel?"
"Oh! I was just tellin Boris how lovely the white roses look durin this time of the season!" She said.
"Yeah."
Thomas seemed to believe them and kept walking.
Alice sighed, "We'll be dead if they ever find out..."
And so, The Rebels ventured through all of the Inky clouds and prayed they would find the Ink Castle soon...
It had gotten late, the other toons were tired out of walking.
"T-Thomas..." Emily had said out of breath.
"Yes Emily?" Thomas replied.
"Its getting late, we're all tired. We should try to sleep."
"I guess you're right, but someone should keep guard, The Ink King doesn't have just The Lost Ones. He also has these legless creatures called Searchers." Thomas said.
"Well we all have to sleep at somepoint.." Emily said.
"How about you guys sleep and next time it'll be someone elses turn?"
They all decided it seemed fair and began to make a campsite. Thomas volunteered to watch first.
"You guys try to sleep, i'll take first watch." He said.
They nodded and laid under the stars, Alice had created ink clouds for everyone to rest on. They bid eachother goodnight and closed their eyes.
During the night, Emily tossed and turned, something had taken over her and she couldn't seem to fall asleep..
"Emily..? Emily you okay?" She heard.
"H-Huh?" She looked up and saw Thomas looking over her with concern.
"I-I'm okay, just can't seem to sleep.." She said.
"I figured such, how about we talk for a bit?"
She nodded and he sat next to her on the cloud.
"Tell me about yourself."
"W-Well.. I live with my friend and another toon like me, Henry and Bendy. Henry acts like a dad to me and Bendy, and Bendy is like my little brother, he can be annoying at times but i know he cares."
Thomas smiled, "Sounds kinda nice."
"I like to sew and sometimes play a violin." She said.
"Perhaps Lullabies?"
She nods, "Bendy tends to be hard to get to sleep at night, So Henry asks me to play a lullaby for him to get him to fall asleep."
"That may come in handy later."
Emily looked at Thomas. "Huh?"
"I'll tell you later. but you should get to sleep." He said.
Emily nodded and laid back on the cloud and stared at the sky.
Why was The Ink King after her? What did he want with her? Why did he want her? She succumbed to the drowsiness raining over her and closed her eyes.
Emily awakened in a winter forest, the leaves blowing in the cold breeze.
"Hello..?" She called.
Her voice echoed through the forest.
But...a soft...soothing voice called to her..
"Emily..."
"Hello?" She answered.
"Follow my voice my sweet..." The voice called.
She slowly but surely followed it. A wolf howled and she crouched in fear.
"No no...Don't worry sweet little thing...Nothing can hurt you here..."
She stood and began walking again, she soon reached a small fire, the warmth soothing her shivering form. She sat on one of the tree logs that served as seats.
She shut her eyes and embraced the warmth.
"Emily..."
There it was again...
She felt a cape cover her body and someone hug her from behind. She flinched but the voice whispered in her ear.
"Ah ah ah...Don't run...Just relax little one...Nothing will hurt you here..."
She knew that voice. "I-Ink King.."
"That's right..."
His voice was so calming...it made her will to fight vanish.
"That's it...Give in my sweet...You know you can't fight this...you don't want to fight it..."
It was so hypnotic...
"M-Mmn..."
"There we go...So cozy aren't you? You know, you could always be this cozy if you stay with us...I could make it so you can..."
She was relaxed enough to where she felt she was entranced...
"R-Really...?" She said.
"Yes...Yes i can...But you must stay with us...Stay..."
"S-Stay...with...you.." She said tiredly
"That's right Emily...So tired aren't you?"
"Emily..."
"EMILY! WAKE UP!"
Emily felt a piece of cloud thrown at her face and she was thrown from her dream.
"Ah! W-What?" She looked up and saw everyone awake and the sun shining. "O-Oh..."
"Come on sugar! We got to get moving!" Alice said.
Emily stood from her cloud and began to slowly follow the others.
Sadly the memory of her dream stuck to her and the voice flashed over and over.
"Emily..."
"So tired aren't you?"
"Give in my sweet..."
"Just relax little one..."
She was brought back to reality when Alice and Boris stopped.
"Somethin wrong with you two?" Shawn asked.
"We just need to take a minute, won't be long!" Alice said as they walked into the forest.
"Somethin feels off about those two.." Thomas said to himself.
"Sir? Sire?" Alice whispered.
"Your Highness?"
The Ink King grinned from his hiding place, he slowly creeped up to his two spies and with glowing red eyes, he said..."Boo."
Both Alice and Boris promptly squealed in fright, thankfully not too loud.
"How are my little spies doing?" Inky asked.
"Workin h-hard sire, but its rougher when we've only just gained their trusts." Alice said.
"And what of the girl?" He asked.
"She's tense for sure, somethin seemed to spook her when we slept last night." Boris said.
Inky laughed to himself. "Oh what a poor little thing..." He said with more Sarcasam. But in truth, it was sort of entertaining.
"Have you found anything?" He asked.
"N-Nothing remotely useful yet sir.." Boris said.
"Keep digging, you'll find something sooner or later." Inky replied. "For now, you two get back to work, i'll check in again soon." And with that, he vanished into black smoke.
"Oh man.." Alice said. "If they ever realize, our ends are toasted..."
"Yep..." Boris said.