Chapter 21: Mother
"Bingo?" Bluey said worried while trying to find her sister. "Bingo? Who's Bingo?" Coraline asked while looking at Bluey. "Er, uh, Bindi I meant, bingo is her Nickname,"'Bluey said "and my Nickname is Bluey" Bluey added. "Oh, that makes sense because of your blue dress." Coraline replied as she nodded her head in understanding. "Do you need help finding her?" She asked Bluey. "Yes, I don't know where she went," Bluey said worriedly. "Okay, do you want me to go get your brother or your parents?" Coraline asked, offering to go get some adults. Bluey nodded as she looked down and was scared to think what her parents might say about losing Bingo.
"Go get me or my parents for what?" A voice asked, Bluey and Caroline turned around to see Thomas walking up the path from the house behind them. "T-Thomas I-I lost Bingo," Bluey said looking down. "What? Bluey, how could you lose Bingo?!" Thomas asked as he tried to remain calm. "S-she was right behind us I swear!" Bluey said. "Okay, so maybe she walked back to the house?" Thomas suggested as he walked up to Bluey and placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's going to be okay." He said, looking into his sisters eyes.
Bluey nodded with some tears. "Please don't cry, Bluey. it'll be okay. We'll find Bingo, and then we'll go home." Thomas said as he hugged Bluey close to him and rubbed her back. "I'll help too," Coraline offered. "Okay, Coraline. You go see if you can find that Wybie kid and see if he can help us. Bluey, come with me back to the house to see if Bingo is there!" Thomas said to both of the girls.
Both girls nodded and did what they were told. Thomas and Bluey ran back to the house as fast as they could to try and find their lost little sister. "Dad! Is Bingo here?" Thomas shouted as he ran into the house. "What no, we thought she was outside with you while playing with Bluey and Coraline?" Bandit replied as he walked into the living room, "What's wrong?" He asked, looking at his oldest son and daughter. "S-she just disappeared," Bluey said, scared. "What?!" Bandit cried out as he walked over to her, "What do you mean? What happened?!" He asked, kneeling down ato talk to her at her level. "I-I don't know!" Bluey cried out. "What's going on?" Stripe said coming into the room. "U-uncle stripe?" Bluey said, looking at her uncle.
"Bingo's missing." Bandit replied as he got up and ran a hand through his hair. "What?! No!" Chilli shouted now coming into the room. "Chilli, wait! I know this is bad. But panicking isn't gonna solve this. Right now, we need to keep calm and search every corner of this house." Bandit said as he held his wife's hands. Chilli nodded. Bluey ran to her mother and hugged her. "It'll be okay, Bluey... I'm really sorry for yelling. But I'm just really scared right now." Bandit said as he rubbed the top of Bluey's head. "I-I'm sorry I lost her," Bluey said with tears. "It's okay... I know you didn't mean to. But don't worry, we're gonna find her no matter what!" Bandit said as he wiped the tears from his oldest daughter's cheeks.
"Thanks dad," Bluey said, "I'll go look outside with HERC," Stripe offered. "Who's HERC?" Bluey asked. "He's a robot that crashed into my backyard... and destroyed my grill." Stripe replied as he recalled when HERC crashed into his backyard. "WAIT! HERC can probably track Bingo's scent!" He said as an idea popped into his head. "You're right! HERC! We need you!" Bandit shouted. Suddenly, the sound of something falling down the stairs could be heard as they all saw it was HERC, "Ouch, that wasn't pleasant." The robot dog replied as he stood himself up, "Note to self, do not attempt to walk downstairs." He said as he walked to the Heeler Family. "Greetings Master Bandit. How may I be of assistance?" He asked.
"My daughter is missing, and we need your help," Bandit said. "Can you track her scent?" Stripe asked. "Do you have anything with her DNA?" HERC asked. "Chilli, do we have anything that belongs to Bingo?" Bandit asked, turning to his wife. "I um..." Chilli said looking for something "oh! Her toy she got from Geppetto!" Chilli said. "Perfect!" Bandit replied, "Do you know where it is?" He asked as hope began to lift his spirits up. "Right over there," Chilli said, pointing at it. Bandit quickly ran over and motioned for HERC to smell the toy, "Over here, HERC!" He said, waving to the robot dog. HERC then ran over to it and scanned it. "I have a trace, follow me," HERC said as he started to make his way outside. Bandit and Chilli's hopes soon sparked up as they followed the small robot dog outside along with Thomas, uncle Stripe and Bluey also followed them in hopes of finding the youngest of their group.
Meanwhile,
Bingo crawled through to the otherside on the tunnel and to her surprise she was back into her dog form. "Huh?" Bingo asked herself as she felt her fur to make sure she was correct of what she was seeing and even wagged her tail to make sure. Suddenly Bingo heard someone humming from the kitchen. She cautiously followed followed the humming as she was captivated by the sweet note that continued to draw her in closer for some unknown reason. Bingo then saw a red Heeler that looked just like her mother. "Mum?" Bingo asked. "Oh, hello Bingo. I'm so glad you could make it just in time for dinner." The Red Heeler greeted her before turning around to reveal to have buttons where her eyes should be. "Gah!" Bingo screamed before jumping back. "W-Who are you?" She asked. "I'm your mother, or we'll your other mother," The other mother said with a smile.
"My other mother? But I only got one mother." Bingo said, looking at the Red Heeler confused. "Oh everyone has another mother sweetheart," The other mother said. "And look, you look hungry," the other mother added. Bingo felt her stomach growl before grabbing it, "I am a little bit hungry." She replied with a raised eyebrow. "I made all your Favorites," The mother said. Bingo watched as her other mother pulled something out of the oven, "Wow, you made sausages!" The Little Red Heeler exclaimed in excitement. "Yes I did and their is milk shakes at that table over there," the other mother said. "Oh wow!" Bingo said as she hurried over to the dinner table before climbing up into a chair and sitting down on it.
The other mother smiled and brought over the food to Bingo. "Hey, if I have an other mother. Does that mean I have an other father, too?" Bingo asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked up at her. "Oh yes! You do! He's in the study upstairs!" The other mother said with a smile. "Oh, okay!" Bingo said as she followed the directions of her 'other' mother before reaching a door where the study would be. Bingo then opened the door, She then saw a Blue Heeler that looked like her father with his back turned to her. "Dad?" Bingo asked looking at the blue Heeler. The Blue Heeler turned around to reveal that just like the Other Mother, he too jad buttons over his eyes. "Why, hello Bingo!" He greeted her with an excited smile.
Bingo chuckled and ran to her other father and jumped into his arms. "I'm your Other Father. Did you meet your Other Mother?" The Blue Heeler asked as he sat Bingo on his lap. "I did, she's really nice," Bingo said. "Well, I think you'll love it here." The Other Father replied as his tail wagged. "Did she send you up here?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. Bingo nodded as she placed her hands on the other fathers muzzle and looked at him with kind eyes. "I guess that means it's dinner time!" The Other Father replied as he got up and carried Bingo downstairs back to the kitchen. Bingo giggle as they went downstairs.
Soon, the two arrived back in the kitchen where the Other Mother was already sitting down at the dinner table. "Now we can have dinner as a family," The other mother said. "You're really gonna love her cooking!" The Other Father whispered with a wink before placing Bingo in a seat at the end of the table close to the Other Mother and him. "Is there another Bluey too? And another Thomas?" Bingo asked. The Other Mother and Other Father both looked at each other, "Not at the moment." She replied as she looked back at Bingo. "Oh? How come?" Bingo asked before eating. "Well, we wanted to welcome you into your home." The Other Mother explained with a smile. "But don't worry, everything will be okay." She added.
"My home?" Bingo asked, confused. "Exactly, I'm your other mother, and there's your other father, and this is your home." The Other Mother explained with a smile. "So… is this other home all real, or am I just dreaming?" Bingo asked. "If I am dreaming that's okay, but I just want to know so I can try to remember this when I wake up." The Other Mother smiled as she looked at the little Red Heeler with a raised eyebrow, "Even if this was a dream, would you really want to wake up from it?" She asked with a kind and warm tone. "Not right now, but I would like Thomas and Bluey if I was gone long. They're my brother and sister, I love them." Bingo explained. "Don't worry, they'll be here with you soon." The Other Mother replied with a light chuckle. "Real them or other them?" Bingo questioned, "because I'd know the difference." The Other Mother got up from her chair before walking over to Bingo and gently placing a hand upon her cheek, "Whatever you want, this is your world, after all." She replied as she caressed Bingo's cheek with her thumb. "Well, if this is my dream… how would they get here?" She paused. "Do I invite them?" "I promise they'll be here soon." The Other Mother replied as she patted Bingo's head.
Meanwhile, Thomas and his family were following H.E.R.C. to find his lost sister. "Where is she?" Bandit asked, growing more concerned at his youngest's absence. "The doors were all closed, she didn't leave the apartment!" "Dad, We were playing outside near the woods! Maybe we should look there!" Bluey said as she ran beside her father. "Maybe… but there's no new tracks." Thomas noted, pointing to the freshly fallen snow. As Thomas looked around the forest, something caught his attention along the tree line. He noticed a red dot glowing before he could even take a step closer to investigate the mysterious object further. "Master Thomas, look out!" H.E.R.C. said as he pounced in front of Thomas before a small gatling gun popped out from the robotic canine's back and began shooting in the objects' direction.
Suddenly, a bird like screech was heard before the mysterious object flew out of the tree line and began flying away from Thomas as H.E.R.C. continued shooting at it, Thomas got a good look at the mysterious object. It was a robotic bird of some kind. It had three red eyes on the front of its head, and its wings were like a small plane or a stealth bomber. "What the hell?!" Thomas exclaimed as the bird-like drone shot something from its back, a small portal opened up before it flew inside of it, and the portal closed. "What was that?!" Stripe shouted. The youngest Heeler brother was clearly out of his depth. "I don't know... but something tells me that whatever that thing was... it isn't any good news..." Thomas replied as H.E.R.C. placed his gatling gun back inside his back.
Meanwhile, back in Brisbane...
The drone that was spying on Thomas flew around the skies of the city of Queensland, just high enough so it wouldn't draw any attention to anyone on the streets below. The drone continued flying before making its way to the roof of an abandoned building.
Suddenly, Fenrir disabled his cloaking camouflage on his suit before the drone flew at him and began to change itself into a USB drive. Fenrir grabbed it before inserting the USB into his gauntlet and began reading the data the recon drone collected in its journey. Once the data was finished uploading into his helmet, Fenrir typed something into his gauntlet, and a portal opened up before he stepped through it. Meanwhile, back with Thomas and his family. Stripe and him began to discuss the drone that was spying on him.
"Okay, so that thing wasn't from you, but it looked sorta like your tech." Stripe stated, looking at Thomas. "Do you think it has to do with Bingo missing?" He asked as he suggested a possible theory. Thomas looked up at where the drone had opened a portal, "I don't know Uncle Stripe... You don't think?" he asked, looking at the Navy Blue furred Heeler. "It took Bingo away to another world?" Stripe asked, fear in his voice at the prospect of his youngest niece being in a remote world by herself. "What?! No!" Thomas replied, shaking his head, "I'm saying what if that drone belongs to Fenrir?" He explained as he calculated all the possibilities. "Oh… if it does that's bad, but at least Bingo is still around here." Stripe commented. "Yeah... I just hope she's safe and sound..." Thomas said as him and Stripe continued to follow H.E.R.C as Bandit, Chilli, and Bluey continued to search for Bingo.
As they spoke Wilbur continued to sweep the area. Bluey watched the little drone hover before it stopped at a couch and started beeping. "Everyone, I detect an anomaly behind this couch." He said, gathering their attention. "A what?" Bluey asked with a raised eyebrow, clearly confused by the little robots vocabulary, "I think Wilbur means he might've found something that will help us find Bingo!" Bandit explained before he walked over to the couch and began pushing on it. In the wall behind the couch there was a slightly raised panel, and when examined closely it was clear it was a small half door.
"A door? But that's an exterior wall." Chilli said. "It can't go anywhere." Bandit ran his hand over the door and before grabbing the handle to try and open it, "Dang... it's locked..." he grumbled as he turned his head to his wife and daughter. "Does anyone know how to pick a lock?" Bluey asked. "No, unfortunately not without my tools." Thomas remarked. "I am not able to do so at present." Wilbur replied. Bandit and Chilli both shook their heads no. Stripe sighed. "Yeah, gimme a minute." "You can pick locks?! Since when?" Bandit asked. "Since Trix accidentally left me…" he paused, realizing children were present, "in a compromising position and lost the key."
Bandit sighed before pinching his eyes, "Mate, DID NOT need to know that!" He said as Bluey looked at her father in confusion, "Dad, what does Uncle Stripe mean by that? Were him and Aunt Trixie playing Police?" She asked before Thomas pat her head, "Y-Yeah, Bluey... They got carried away playing Police..." he replied with a huge blush on his face. "She was in uniform…" he muttered with a slight smile, reminiscing on her attire. He cleared his throat before kneeling beside the door and pulling out a Bobby pin and a small screwdriver. Apparently he kept it on him at all times. "You always keep that on you, mate ?" Bandit asked. "Well, you know what it's like…" Stripe blushed. "OKAY, MOVING ON!" Chilli exclaimed, not wanting to know anymore about her brother in law's bedroom activities.
After a moment of awkward silence the door popped open. Stripe gasped in amazement. "That's not the yard." He marveled at the strange tunnel in front of him. "What do you see?" Bandit asked as he couldn't see past his younger brother. "Yeah Uncle Stripe, what do you see?" Bluey asked, being just as curious as her father. "It's a tunnel… and there's some strange light at the other end." He turned to show it to them. "Maybe that's where Bingo is." "Well, come on! Let's find my baby!" Chilli said as she pushed past her brother in law and began to crawl through the tunnel. "Chilli be careful!" Bandit said, worried for his wife. Chilli kept crawling forward, Bandit closely following, then Stripe, who turned to face his niece and nephew. "You two stay here. Thomas, you keep her safe. If something happens we'll come back and get you. Do not go in unless we say so, and keep Bluey safe, got it?" Thomas nodded as he patted his little sister's head, "I promise." He replied as he hugged Bluey close to him, Stripe nodded his head before following his older brother and sister in law. Stripe inhaled before muttering to himself. "The things I get myself into…"
Meanwhile back in the other house,
Bingo was being tucked into bed by the Other Mother and Other Father, "Did you get enough to eat, Bingo?" She asked with a smile as she gently patted the little Red Heeler's belly. Bingo giggled. "Yeah!" She smiled. "I wish I could stay longer…" The Other Mother smiled, "What if I told you... you could?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "I could?" Bingo asked, sitting up, "And would Bluey and Thomas be here too?" "Absolutely, anything your little heart desires..." The Other Mother replied before kissing Bingo on her forehead. "But right now, you need to rest." "Okay." She smiled. "I love you Bingo." Other mother said. Bingo hesitated, she felt something was off. Normally she never had a problem saying she loved her mum, but something wasn't quite the same here. "Night other mum."
As the Other Mother walked out of the room, the Other Father rubbed Bingo's back. "You okay, kiddo?" He asked with concern in his tone. "Yeah… but it just feels like something is wrong." She said with a slight frown. "Can you promise to be honest with me?" The Other Father was silent for a moment before he looked towards the bedroom door, "Of course, I promise." He said with a small smile. "Is Other Mum good?" She asked point blank. "What do you mean?" The Other Father asked, tilting his head in confusion. "She seems nice, but I don't think she's good. It's like she's pretending. Like when mum or dad isn't happy and they pretend to be okay but are really sad. Only she isn't just sad, she's… not nice."
The Other Father was quiet again for a moment, "I understand that you just met us, but I promise you'll adjust soon." He said, ruffling Bingo's head. "Adjust to what?" Bingo asked. "This is a dream, I'm gonna wake up home, with Bluey and Thomas and my family." She paused. "I like it here, but I don't want to stay here forever, just a little longer." The Other Father stared at the little Red Heeler for a moment before leaning in and pulling her into a gentle embrace, "I promise, you won't..." he said as he rubbed her back. "Okay." She nodded. "Goodnight, Other Dad." She smiled. "Sweet dreams." As Bingo layed her head down on her pillow, the Other Father kissed her on her cheek before getting up off the bed and walking out of the room. As he was about to shut the door, The Other Father looked at the girl sleeping peacefully in her bed, "Goodnight Bingo... I hope you have sweet dreams as well..." he said before closing the bedroom door.
Meanwhile, back at The Pink Palace apartments…
Thomas was sitting on the sofa and had Bluey sitting on the ground with a coloring book. The two were both waiting quietly for the adults to return. "Thomas… can we please check?" Bluey asked.
"Bluey, I promised I'd keep you safe. We don't know if it's dangerous or not." Thomas replied as he looked over at the door.
"But you promised a long time ago to keep Bingo safe. And if she's in there she could be hurt!" Bluey said.
"I know Bluey... but Mum, Dad, and Uncle Stripe are looking for her, and I know they would lose it if I put you in any danger." Thomas explained as he got up and placed a hand on little sister's cheek.
Bluey pouted. "Okay. Fine." She sighed. "Can we do something until they get back?"
Thomas nodded his head, "Of course, but we should also stay in the house. Just in case they all come back." He replied with a smile.
"Do they have any board games here? Maybe we could play something." Bluey suggested.
"Sure, come on." Thomas said as he and Bluey walked out of the room to go find a board game.
As the two sat in the kitchen to play checkers the adults arrived at the end of the tunnel.
"Okay boys, I think we reached the end of it!" Chilli called out to Bandit and Stripe.
"Good, because I was getting sick of having to stare at Bandit's fat bum!" Stripe grumbled in annoyance.
"This fat bum won the attention of every girl and boy in secondary and you damn well know it!" Bandit replied with a smirk. He looked at his wife. "Chilli… you're looking more like your old self." The red Heeler was now back to being a dog.
"Woah... this is weird..." Stripe said as he looked at his hands and saw they had fur on them again.
"Does this go back to our world? Maybe it's a shortcut…" Chilli said.
"Dunno, but we need to see." Bandit said, gently patting her bum. "So let's have a look!"
Chilli gently smacked her husband's hand before she climbed out of the tunnel.
They exited and arrived in their home in Brisbane. It was a perfectly nice night, a gentle bit of moonlight filtering through the window as the living room seemed still.
"This... This can't be right..." Bandit muttered as he looked around, "How can any of this be right?!" He said, running his hand over his hair.
"This is perfect! It's a portal back home! We're home!" Chilli beamed. "Bingo!" She shouted, "Bingo, sweetheart, are you here?"
An eerie silence filled the room as there was no response from Chilli's youngest child, "Maybe she's sleeping upstairs in her and Bluey's room?" Bandit suggested to his wife.
"She's fine… little ones all tired out." A shrill approximation of Chilli's voice replied, echoing from the landing at the top of the stairs. A dark silhouette was present, holding onto the railing out of the lights.
"Who are you... what are you doing in our house?!" Chilli asked as panic began to set in.
"Your house?" She laughed a cold and joyless rasp. "This is MY house." She snapped her fingers and suddenly the color drained from the bright walls and couch, and light itself seemed to condense and disappear.
"What the fuck?" Bandit and Stripe muttered as they looked around the house now lifeless and creepy.
"Where is my baby?" Chilli said as she stared down the figure.
"Somewhere safe. Her other father is taking good care of her." She smirked. The creature then glared at the adults. "And if you want her, all I want to do is play a little game."
"Wait, Other Father?!" Bandit asked in shock.
"You better not have hurt my baby, or so help me God, I will rain down HELL upon you!" Chilli growled at the figure.
"You better do what she says! I've seen her angry, and you do not want to stir that fire!" Stripe chimed in as he hid behind Bandit.
The creature grinned, revealing pointed teeth as it entered into the light. Its body was a gaunt approximation of Chilli and her fur was mottled and flaky. "I've done this many times before, and I certainly don't take kindly to being threatened." She held up an orb which contained an image of sleeping Bingo and Other Bandit watching her. "If you want your daughter alive you'll play. If you win you and her go free. If you lose, you all become my playthings. You refuse, her little life is snuffed out and you three get to spend the rest of eternity as my personal toys."
Chilli stared at the orb as she saw her youngest child sleeping peacefully.
After a moment, Chilli sighed before looking at the creature with a hate filled glare, "Fine... we'll play your game..." she said, gritting her teeth.
"Excellent. The game is simple." The creature raised her hand and three glowing orbs appeared. "I have the souls of the three of you, as I own the souls of all in my domain. Retrieve them before the moon is dark and you win. Fail, and I control your souls for all of time."
"Hold on, if we're ALL souls, then how are we supposed to find each other?" Stripe asked with a raised eyebrow, a confused expression seen clearly on his face.
"For that matter, how the hell are we even still alive?" Bandit asked as he rubbed his hands on his stomach.
The beast chuckled. "Your bodies are still here, puppets without a soul. You can still move about, but if you try to leave you will die. You must possess your soul to leave this place."
Chills went down Bandit and Stripe spines as they heard the beast chuckle, "Fair enough..." they muttered in fear.
"Good." She waved her hand and the souls were gone. "They are somewhere in the grounds. But I must say… beware the others." She cackled and disappeared.
"Well, what the fuck do we do now?!" Stripe asked, horrified.
"We play along... for now..." Chilli growled, clenching her fist before it took off with anger. Soon, the three adults were off to find their souls in this strange world.
Meanwhile, back with Thomas and Bluey…
"King me!" Bluey smiled. She was winning by a large margin. Apparently the little blue Heeler in a human body was a natural at checkers.
"Dang!" Thomas exclaimed in shock. "When did you get so good at chess?" He asked, looking at the Blue haired girl.
Bluey giggled, "This isn't chess, it's checkers!" She looked at the doorway to the living room, then the window. "It's getting dark. They've been in there a long time…"
"Yeah, they have..." Thomas said as he stared at the window, "I'm starting to get worried." He said as he looked back at his little sister.
"Can we send Wilbur to check?" Bluey pointed at the machine, currently in sleep mode on its dock.
"That's probably a good idea, Bluey..." Thomas replied with a smile before walking over to his creation and pressing the power button, "Greetings Master Thomas, how may be of assistance today?" The little drone asked.
"Hello Wilbur, would you mind checking in on my parents and Uncle Stripe?" Thomas asked.
"Of course, Master Thomas." Wilbur replied as he went towards where he sensed Chilli, Bandit, and Stripe's energy signatures. "Can I be of assistance too, Master Thomas?" Bluey, Thomas, and Wilbur all turned to see H.E.R.C. walking up to them.
"Sure, I suppose." Thomas nodded. "Could you and Wilbur both check in on the others, then report back?"
"Yes Master Thomas." H.E.R.C. replied as he and Wilbur walked through the door to find the missing adults. "I hope they find them soon..." Bluey said with her ears folded back, Thomas looked down and could see a worried look on his little sister's face.
The robots emerged into the room and saw the three adults scrounging around. Bandit had turned over all the cushions on the sofa. Stripe had taken all the books from the shelves. Chilli was working on all the drawers and cabinets.
"Greetings. What is the purpose of your actions?" HERC asked.
A moment later Wilbur asked the three. "We are here to check and report back."
"H.E.R.C. WILBUR!" Bandit exclaimed in surprise at seeing the two robots, "You mates gotta help us!" Stripe said with a look of panic on his face.
"You seem to be in distress. How can we assist?" Wilbur asked.
"Do you require relaxing music or a shiatsu massage?" HERC offered, beginning to play jazz music.
"What?! No!" Chilli said, shaking her head. We need your help to find our souls!" She said to the robots.
"Well, in Japanese culture, it was believed that the soul was located in the stomach. Hence why many stabbed themselves in the stomach to release their soul before they were decapitated." Wilbur replied as he went over some Japanese history.
"This ritual was known as Sepuku." H.E.R.C chimed in.
"Not helping!" Bandit shouted, still ruffling the cushions.
"Look, we are looking for physical representations of our souls. Like, actual physical spheres with our souls in them. Because apparently souls are real and now I need to start going to church again." Stripe shook his head. "Can you, I don't know, like, scan us and look for things that are a part of us?"
"Have you thought about what makes up your personality? Like a hobby or activity?" Wilbur suggested.
"I agree with Wilbur, maybe try that?" H.E.R.C. said, nodding his head in agreement.
"So… maybe mine is in my office?" Bandit said, wheels clicking into place.
"And mine might be in the girls' room!" Chilli said.
"And what about me? I don't live here!" Stripe added, frantic.
"Perhaps a memory or something in the house from you represents your soul?" Wilbur suggested to the Navy Blue furred Heeler.
"I'm… not sure." Stripe looked around. After a moment he blushed madly. "Um… okay, this is gonna be a bit bad." He looked at Bandit and Chilli. "Remember when you asked Trix and I to house sit while you two took that family vacation right after Bingo was born?"
"Yeah…" Bandit said.
"Well… we may have conceived Muffin in your bedroom." Stripe admitted with a massive blush.
"YOU WHAT?!" Bandit exclaimed in shock and disbelief. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" He asked with a look of pure horror and disgust on his face.
"YOU DON'T SLEEP IN ANOTHER MAN'S BED STRIPE!" Chilli exclaimed, sharing her feelings as her husband.
"It wasn't in the bed!" Stripe defended. "It was mostly on the floor, and a bit of the shower…"
"Oh God..." Chilli groaned in disgust.
"You both have better cleaned up your mess!" Bandit said, glaring at his younger brother.
"Well obviously! You didn't know about it until now." Stripe said.
"Well... to be honest, I always figured you and Trix had Muffin by accident. You told me that franger broke, remember?" Bandit asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It did… on your bathroom floor." Stripe coughed.
"Okay, you're not house sitting for us anymore..." Bandit said, shaking his head in shame. "OKAY, MOVING ON!" Chilli exclaimed, trying to change the subject. "Let's find our souls!" She said, running upstairs towards Bluey and Bingo's room.
"We'll get ours and then meet you!" Stripe shouted, heading for the bedroom. Bandit dashed to his office, the three opened the doors and were soon sucked in, the wood slamming behind them as the trials began.
Stripe's Trial
Stripes' head was pounding as he looked around. It was Bandit and Chilli's room, but it wasn't night anymore, it was midday. He heard the shower running in the attached bathroom. As he glanced around he noticed the alarm clock had the date in the lower corner, it was nearly five years prior…
"Oh man... how could I forget the day that changed my life forever." He thought to himself with a smile as he remembered how he and Trix had their first little ankle biter.
As he snuck up to the door he was suddenly struck with the feeling that something was wrong. He turned and saw a little grey Heeler, his daughter. Only, not. It looked like Muffin, only with blank, black eyes and a cheerful grin that seemed painful to hold.
"Hi daddy." It said as it ran and grabbed onto him. Her claws dug into his leg as Stripe screamed.
"Muffy! What are you doing?!" He asked, trying to pull her off his leg.
The girl dug in tighter. "Daddy… don't you love me?" She asked, now grabbing tighter. "You wanted me, didn't you? You never would've asked mommy to get rid of me…"
Stripe hissed in agony as he looked down at the monster that took the form of his beloved daughter, "N-No Muffin I-gah! I never wanted that! You were the best thing that ever happened to me and your mum!" He said as he grabbed the creature's arm.
"You said that I was going to change things… you didn't want that." The Muffin clung tighter and started climbing. "You never asked her, but you were going to. You even had the pamphlet ready. You thought you were going to be a bad father." She hissed. "And with how I turned out, it's no surprise you are…"
Tears began to well in Stripe's eyes as he remembered the cursed pamphlet that he had picked up. Back then, maybe he didn't know if he was going to be a good father or not. But now, he knew deep down in his heart what he felt for Muffin... what he felt for Socks... what he felt for Trixie... Love. "Maybe I haven't been the perfect father to you, Muffin or your baby sister..." Stripe said as he mustered the strength to grab a hold of the creature. "I even haven't been that great of a husband to your mum... but if I could do it all over again... I wouldn't change a thing..." he said as he looked into his daughter's eyes.
"I will always love you, Muffin..." Stripe said before hugging the creature close to his chest.
The thing melted out of his grasp and Stripe was holding an orb. It was green and gently glowing. In it was a series of moving images. They were Stripe's memories. The more recent ones gently ebbed, him holding Muffin at her birth, Socks and Muffin playing together, a family picnic… Stripe smiled as the green light diffused into him. He had his soul back.
Bandit's Trial
Bandit stood outside the door to his study, where he would work from home. He took a deep breath before pushing it open and taking a step inside. Upon entering the room, he saw everything was the same as he left it before him, and his family got sucked into the Pinocchio book.
"Maybe this won't be so bad." He muttered. He stepped forward and suddenly the floor pitched from under him and he slid and smacked into his desk. "Ow!" He yelped as he rubbed his arm. He started to get up when suddenly he was shoved down again. He grunted at the invisible force pushing him.
"Maybe this won't be so bad." He muttered. He stepped forward and suddenly the floor pitched from under him and he slid and smacked into his desk. "Ow!" He yelped as he rubbed his arm. He started to get up when suddenly he was shoved down again. He grunted at the invisible force pushing him.
"Hey! Who's there?!" Bandit called out as he looked around his study. The room suddenly became eerily quiet, with the only sound being Bandit's heart beating out of his chest.
Bandit struggled and felt like his body was made of lead. He collapsed to the floor. His chest felt like someone was sitting on it. He could barely breath as he felt himself lay on the hard floor. He struggled, trying to get up. He was getting frustrated and scared. He didn't realize it at first but he was crying.
"No! No! Not anymore! I'm okay now!" He shouted. He struggled and felt the pressure intensify, he screamed in agony as his arms suddenly flipped over. "Please… no…" he whimpered.
Old wounds slowly rose from his blue fur. His skin stung as fresh rivulets of blood dripped and fell. He screamed as the pain that had made him make those lines returned. The despair. The taunts and bullying. The isolation.
He was nearly hyperventilating as he lay on the ground. A voice was becoming louder in his mind. "You're just a fucking coward, Bandit. Do it. Come on, do it!"
Bandit sobbed. "No!" He shook and grit his teeth, he slowed his breaths and closed his eyes. He was on a park bench overlooking a calm stream. Beside him was Chilli. Their girls were playing in the water. It was peaceful.
"I am worthy of love. I am worthy of happiness. I am worthy of life." He said out loud. He opened his eyes.
"I AM WORTHY OF LOVE! I AM WORTHY OF HAPPINESS! I AM WORTHY OF LIFE!" He shouted. He pushed off the ground, repeating the mantra again and again. Eventually he was on his feet, panting as he leaned against the desk. A white orb descended from the ceiling and gently fell into his hand. As it touched him the wounds healed. Bandit looked at it. In the light of the orb images flashed of his life. His doctorate, marrying Chilli, their girls. As he held it the light trickled into him and he felt warm. He felt peace. He smiled and raised his head high as he walked out of the room.
Chilli's Trial
Chilli made her way before stopping outside Bluey and Bingo's room. She didn't know what challenge laid ahead, but she knew she had to get her soul back. She took a deep breath and opened the door to the room that both of her daughters shared. Upon entering, she saw everything was the way it was before her, Bandit, and their daughters got sucked into this crazy adventure. She looked over at Bingo's bed before walking over and placing a hand on her youngest daughter's pillow, "I promise, I'm going to get you back, sweetheart..." she whispered softly.
"What? Like you got back to help me?"
Chilli's blood ran cold as she turned around. In front of her was the burned body of her mother. "Mum?"
"You said you were going to get help. By the time they got to me it was too late. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be alive."
"That's not true! I tried everything I could to save you!" Chilli said as she began to back away from her mother before tripping and falling onto her back, "I was only Eight Years Old! I ran as fast as I could!" She said with tears running down her cheeks.
"You stopped to think where to go. You went down the wrong street." The corpse hissed. "You didn't knock hard enough at the first house."
Chilli was crying. "I tried! I didn't want you to die!"
"Well, you didn't do anything to help me! If Brandy was there she would've saved me. Brandy was always my favorite."
Chilli covered her ears and brought her knees close to her chest as she tried to tune out the monsters' taunting words. Suddenly, her eyes shot open as she remembered the words of someone who helped through the most painful time in her life. Not when she lost her mother, but when her and Bandit lost Baxter. "It wasn't your fault. These things happen to a lot of people. Try not to blame yourselves..." The words of the doctor echoed in her mind. Chilli remembered her checklist, the checklist that her mother taught her, and what she would later teach other daughters.
"No. It's not my fault." She looked at the burnt figure, her breath shuddering slightly. She shook her head. "I've had a little cry." She pushed herself to the balls of her feet and stood tall. "I pick myself up." She shook herself off and wiped her face. "I dust myself off." She looked at the thing in front of her. "And I keep going, because the show must go on!"
Once Chilli had composed herself, she stared into the eyes of her deceased mother, "I wish I could have saved you... but I know it wasn't my fault, and I know deep down in my heart, my soul, and every fiber of my being that I love you Mum... and I will never forget you... I will make sure to tell Bluey and Bingo everything about you and to teach all the great things you taught me and Brandy... I'll always love you, Mum..." she said before swallowing a lump in her throat and began to approach the figure with her arms out.
As she hugged it, the figures dissolved to ash and she was left holding a teal pearl. In the real surface she saw images of her life: her mother helping her ride a bike, her graduation, her meeting Bandit… she smiled as the teal melted into her and the door clicked open. She'd succeeded.
Back in the hall the three met up.
"Did anyone else have some seriously traumatizing stuff happen?" Stripe asked.
"Yup." Bandit and Chilli nodded.
"I don't wanna talk about it now." Bandit said.
"Let's just find that bitch and tell her we won. We got our souls and the moon is still out." Chilli added.
The three made their way back into the room, where they first entered. "Alright, we found our souls! That means we won!" Chilli called out to the creature.
The thing crawled down from the ceiling, now clearly thinner and having spindly and arachnid type legs. It growled. "No! No one ever wins my game!"
"Well, guess what you nasty cunt we just did." Chilli said in a cold tone, "Y-Yeah, that's right!" Bandit said, with a smile while feeling afraid of the creature that stood before them.
"Hmm… well, I don't care." She hissed. "I'm going to kill you now."
Chilli grabbed Bandit and jumped out of the way as the Other Mother swiped her claws at them. Stripe ran behind the couch and grabbed a lamp before throwing it at the creature. The lamp made contact, hitting the Arachnid Puppet creature right in the forehead.
She screamed as her face tore and began dripping thick black ooze. "You're never getting your daughter!" She hissed.
"M-Mum?" A voice called out, and everyone turned to see Bingo standing in the living room with a look of fear on her face. "BINGO!" Chilli, Bandit, and Stripe exclaimed happily.
"How did you get here?! You're supposed to be in your room!" The monster hissed.
Bingo froze, and her body began to tremble at the horrifying sight before her. She couldn't bring herself to move as the Other Mother made its way towards her. "No matter... I'll take you back to bed and make sure you stay there!" The Other Mother said as it reached down to grab a hold of Bingo. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out and the Other Mother grabbed her arm before turning around and seeing Chilli holding a gun in her hand, "Get away from my daughter YOU BITCH!" she growled baring her teeth, an primal rage in her eyes as she stared down the monster, ready to protect her baby.
"Where did you get a gun?! We don't own any guns!" Bandit replied.
"I have one for work, I... just never mentioned it." Chilli replied.
"W-Well, I'm glad you brought it!" Bandit replied with a sheepish grin. "Now..." Chilli said, glaring at the Other Mother, "I won't say it again..." she said, pointing her handgun at the creature.
It growled. "You do not threaten me!" It lunged toward her, "Mum!" A voice called out, everyone turned around to see Bluey standing in shock, "W-What's going on here?" She asked nervously. The Other Mother stared at the little Blue Heeler Pup before turning to Chilli with a twisted, sinister grin. "If I can't have your daughter then I'll settle for your OTHER DAUGHTER!" It said before running up to Bluey and snatching her. "BLUEY!" Thomas cried out as he crawled out from the tunnel.
"Thomas?! Why are you here?" Chilli asked.
"I had to use the bathroom, Bluey snuck off when I was busy. I saw her slide in and crawled after her." Thomas explained.
"Now..." The Other Mother grinned as she slowly raised her claw at Bluey, holding a needle with thread, "I think you'll love your new look..." she said as she slowly brought the needle towards Bluey's eye. "MUM, DAD, THOMAS! HELP!" Bluey screamed at the top of her lungs before a gunshot rang out.
The Other Mother's hand was hit, her fingers being blown off by the shot. Her painful screams echoed as she still held Bluey. "Nice shot, babe!" Bandit said, turning to his wife with an impressed expression. "B-But, that wasn't me..." Chilli replied, confused as she showed her gun was smoking. "Wait... then who fired the shot?" Stripe asked as they all looked around. Thomas looked behind them and looked up at the top of the roof before his blood ran cold.
Standing on the roof of what was their home, holding a large caliber sniper rifle was Fenrir.
"That's the guy who attacked me before! What's he doing here?" Thomas asked in disbelief.
Before anyone could utter a word, Fenrir fired another shot that blew off the Other Mother's arm that was holding Bluey.
Thomas' eyes widened as Bluey began to fall to what would be her doom. She closed her eyes, wishing that she could turn into a bird and fly to safety. Suddenly, she could no longer feel herself falling towards the ground.
Bluey opened her eyes and saw she was floating, "W-What?" She asked, surprised and confused as to how this was even possible. Thomas looked back up at Fenrir to see his arm raised, and it was pointing towards Bluey. It then clicked in his mind that Fenrir was using telekinesis to stop Bluey from falling to her death. Thomas then watched as Bluey floated over towards Fenrir before he grabbed her and held her close to his chest.
Suddenly, The Other Mother jumped from the cliff and landed on the roof of the house. The creature began to move towards the Armored Behemoth before he slid down the side of the house as he held Bluey close to his chest. As The Other Mother looked down over them angrily, a beeping sound could be heard. It looked down and saw a red light blinking before an explosion sent the Other Mother crashing into the house.
Fenrir looked down at Bluey to make sure she wasn't injured. He could see she was shaken but not bleeding according to what his visor displayed. Thomas and his family watched as he walked over to them and handed Bluey over to Chilli and Bandit. Thomas then stared as the seven foot mutant turned his head towards him. They both stared at each other, not knowing what either one would do.
"You… you saved her." Bingo said. "You're not a bad guy, are you?" She looked up at him with big eyes.
Fenrir turned to the little Red Heeler Pup before shaking his head in reply before Bingo could say anything. Something began to emerge from the burning house in front of them, Fenrir turned to see the Other Mother crawling out of the wreckage.
"We need to get out of here, come on!" Stripe shouted, grabbing his nieces and leading them to the tunnel out.
"Master Stripe, I can teleport us all back to where we can from as I am fully charged now." H.E.R.C. said as he ran beside the Navy Blue furred Heeler.
"We can get back to Australia?" Bandit asked, hope in his voice as they fled toward the tunnel.
"That is correct." HERC replied.
"Get us out of here!" Stripe ordered, now in front of the tunnel as Bluey and Bingo scrambled toward the house side.
"Very well, Master Stripe." H.E.R.C. replied as light began to illuminate from his body, "Preparing dimensional travel in five seconds." He said as he began to glow brighter.
"Hang on everyone!" Stripe called out to his family as they gathered around HERC, "HERC's gonna get us home!" He said as a portal shot from the robotic dog's mouth. As his family went through the portal, Thomas looked back behind at Fenrir fighting the Other Mother. "Thomas, come on!" Bandit called out to his son. Soon, the duo jumped through the portal before it closed, leaving Fenrir alone in a strange world.
A portal opened as the Heeler family stepped through, Bandit looked around as his wife, their children, and Stripe followed behind. "Well, I think we're home." Stripe said with a smile as he took a deep breath. "Uh… not exactly mate…" Bandit said as they all noticed everything was not as they thought. The Heeler Household was decayed and overgrown with foliage indicating a long time had passed. "Wait… were we gone for a long time?" Stripe asked as worry filled his stomach, wondering if Trixie and his children were still around. "I apologize, it appears I have miscalculated when computing the coordinates back to your dimension." HERC replied as he looked around.
"Mum, Dad, look!" Bingo said pointing behind them, as they all turned they noticed a dog standing in the middle of the Cul-de-Sac, "Oh good, maybe they can help us." Bandit said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Do not worry, I will calculate the correct coordinates." HERC chimed in and Thomas kneeled down, "Here let me help you, Wilbur, Stripe, can you give me a hand?" He asked, turning to his robot assistant and his uncle. "Sure mate!" Stripe replied as he and Wilbur got to work helping Thomas with HERC. "Girls, you stay close to me." Chilli said as she held her children close to her. "Okay, Mum." Bluey replied as her and Bingo hugged her tightly.
"Mum?" Bingo asked as she looked up at her mother, "Yes sweetie?" Chilli asked, looking down at her youngest daughter. "I'm sorry I called that monster lady my other mother…" Bingo said as she quietly cried into her mother's stomach. "Oh Bingo…" Chilli said as she kneeled down and picked up Bingo before holding her close to her chest, "I don't want another mother, I want you…" Bingo said as she sobbed into her mother's chest as Bluey tried to comfort her little sister. Meanwhile, Bandit walked over towards the figure that stood still in the middle of the street. "Hey, mate?!" Bandit called out to the dog, suddenly the figure began to slowly turn around as Bandit's blood ran cold.
The Dog's face was mangled and its flesh was rotten in appearance, "Felash!" The Dog spoke and it began to shambles towards Bandit. "SWEET MOTHER OF SHIT!" The Blue Heeler cried in before running back to his family. "GANG?! WE GOT TO GO NOW!" He said as Thomas looked up from HERC and saw what was alarming his father. "Oh God… HERC! How are we looking?" He asked the quadrupedal robotic canine. "One minute until the portal is ready, Master Thomas." HERC replied as the sudden sound of a motorcycle engine could be heard in the distance. Bandit looked as saw a Harley Davidson Chopper peel around the corner before the person driving it stopped just between the Zed and Bandit.
Everyone was quiet as the biker wore a gas mask covering his entire head before stepping off the bike and pulling a lever action shotgun from his back and firing a shot from his hip at the flesh craving mongrel. Blood and rotting flesh flew threw the air as the zed was blown apart as everyone watched the corpse fall to its knees before the mysterious biker walked over and kicked it over.
"Okay… I do not feel okay." Bluey said.
"I want to leave!" Bingo said, beginning to break into tears. "Kids, it's gonna be okay…" Bandit said as he turned to HERC, "Come on! Let's open that portal!" "Fifteen seconds until another portal is ready, Master Bandit." HERC replied as Thomas looked at the mysterious stranger before he turned around and holstered his shotgun on his back. "G-Guys... I don't think that fella wants to hurt us." Thomas said as the gas mask wearing biker stared at them.
"That's a chance I don't want to take. Who knows what's happening here?" Chilli said, sheltering the girls. Suddenly, a series of growls filled the air as the stranger turned around and pulled a machine gun from his back before it in the direction behind him. The air grew tense as everyone listened for what was approaching before a horde of more dogs, just like the Zed came running around the corner towards the stranger and the Heeler family. "HERC! Now!" Bandit shouted as he saw a large crowd of feral beasts approaching the house.
Soon, gun fire filled the air as the stranger fired into the horde of zeds before pulling something from his black leather jacket. He pulled the pins on two hand grenades before throwing them at the horde as he continued emptying his magazine into flesh craving monsters. An explosion of blood, guts, and various body parts filled the air before raining down on the stranger and the surrounding area. "Okay. That's badass." Stripe muttered, looking at the figure gunning down the beasts. When his gun ran empty, the stranger pulled a large bowie knife with a pair of spiked brass knuckles for a handle charged at the handful of Zeds. The Heeler family watched as the stranger's knife cut through its victims like butter.
It was as he decapitated a dog, blood spraying across the lawn, that HERC managed to open the portal. Thomas continued to watch as the stranger finished killing the last zed as Bandit guided the rest of the family through the portal, "THOMAS, COME ON!" He shouted towards his son as the sound of another horde could be heard approaching. "Dad, wait! We got to help him!" Thomas said before Bandit picked him up by his torso, "There's no time!" Bandit said as he and Thomas went through the portal before it closed.
A portal opened to the Heeler's backyard as they stepped out and were home, their actual home. It was their house. Bandit paused and looked around. "Stay here. I'm going to check." He motioned for the others to stay put. Bandit looked around and saw that everything looked normal before heading back into the living room, "HERC, are you sure you sent us to the correct dimension?" He asked the mechanical canine, "Yes Master Bandit, I made corrections to my coordinates, and I can assure you that we are back." HERC replied as he scanned the room.
Bandit nodded and exhaled. "Okay. Thank you." He nodded, "We're home! We're home!" He laughed in delight. As the Heeler family rejoiced at their return, Thomas, however, looked out the window and stared out into the street. "Yeah..." he replied in a sad tone. "Thomas, are you okay?" Stripe asked, noticing his nephew's demeanor. "Dad, how could you?" Thomas asked, looking at his father as Stripe and Chilli both realized what was about to happen, "Come on girls, let's get washed up." She said, taking Bluey and Bingo upstairs to the bathroom to clean them up. "Y-Yeah, I better get home to uh… yeah." Stripe said as him and HERC hurried out of the room, leaving Bandit and Thomas alone in the living room.
"Dad, how could you leave that guy when he was getting attacked by those things?" Thomas asked with hurt in his eyes, "Thomas, that could have gotten you hurt or worse." Bandit replied as he tried to explain to his oldest adopted son. "Look… I wanted to help that guy out too, but… that portal could've closed if we didn't hurry and that guy could've been trying to gain our trust and then kill us when we least expect." The old light Blue Heeler explained as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you want to help people, but sometimes… you can't help everyone." He said as Thomas' ears folded back, "I know… but then what's the point of all my parents' hard work if we don't try to help people we encounter?" Thomas asked, looking into his adoptive father's eyes.
Bandit sighed before patting his adopted son on the shoulder, "You can help people, but please… try to be careful, okay?" He asked, before Thomas nodded his head in understanding. "I promise." He said, hugging his father tightly before he too returned the act of affection. Later that night, Bluey and Bingo were in their beds after washing up and eating dinner. "Dad, can you tell us a story?" Bingo asked as her father walked into the room, "I think after the crazy adventure we had today, I think we'll be taking a break from stories for a while." Bandit replied with a small smile."Aww…well can you tell us stories about
The Eighties, please?" The little Red Heeler asked as she gave the biggest please face. Bandit sighed before a small smile grew on his face. "Okay." He said with a chuckle before Bluey walked over to father and little sister and climbed onto the bed to listen to their father tell a story from his childhood.
Meanwhile, Thomas stared out the window of his bedroom as he pondered the many questions that plagued his mind. "Why did Fenrir save Bluey and Bingo and why didn't he attack me?" He asked himself before looking up at the moon in the sky.
Kodiwolf321 A/N: Hey guys thinks for waiting we are really sorry for the wait and we will try to get new chapters out as soon as possible. But again thank you for reading!
Loyalguard600 A/N: Hey everybody! Sorry for the hiatus, but all three of us were caught up with work and etc. Here's the next chapter and I hope it was worth the wait! Stay tuned Blair more Project: New Era and more stories from Me, KodiWolf, and Suburban!
Suburban Guy A/N: Hello everyone! We're back! And heading back to Australia by the looks of it! Thank you for your patience, and we hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was a lot of work for us all and we appreciate all of you for waiting for us.
