DUST AND THE SWEEPER
Chapter 13 - The Calm and the Storm
It's been less than a week since the Time Sweepers were freed from the grasp of Benito and Fuse's short-lived invasion of Aurora. In the village, all is quiet as the people stay indoors from the rainfall. The only one out is Dust in his classic attire, who's happily slicing an old tree to take back to Haley in chunks. Fidget, visiting him with a tiny umbrella in her paws, takes note of his peppy demeanor.
"You sure look happy," she comments.
"I am," the Mithrarin replied. "And what about you?"
"Ori and I are engaged!"
"No wedding," Dust asks.
"Y'know how expensive weddings are around here? No way! It gives me anxiety. By the way, you see Blinx anywhere? I had a joke only he would get."
"Good question," he answered. "I haven't seen him in a while, but the other day, he explained where the howling was coming from. I thought he was talking about me, but it was my sister after she tore him a new one that night."
"Right. Howling," Fidget smirked.
Looking through the fog blocking the scenery close to the village walls, Dust notices Blinx standing idly by with his hands in his pockets from afar. Even from this distance, he can tell it's his friend based on his height alone.
"There he is" Dust points. "Job's done here so I'll just visit.
"Works for me," Fidget agrees.
In the pouring shower, Blinx puts on his goggles and looks up at the sky even while getting drenched. His ears twitch as if he's listening to something when he catches Fidget and Dust's attention. They walk up to him and Dust asks, "Blinx…?"
"Oh, hey sportsy. Ey Fridge."
"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that and ask what you're doing out here in the rain," Fidget replies.
"Just listenin' to the music. I keep hearin' weird noises every time I step outside. Like somethin's growin' somewhere."
"Can't imagine what," said Dust. "But if it's anything like last time, better grab some weed killer."
"I ever tell y'all how little it rained back home," asked Blinx. "When it did, me an' the boys would stand out there an' get poured on. Felt good an' still does!"
"I thought cats hated water," says Fidget.
"Eeeh, some of us do," the Cat-Sith shrugged. "But the rest of us love it. It's one of the few times I got to hang around my Da…erm…the Big Boss."
"Did you just call him Dad," asks Dust.
"Well he was the closest thing I had to an ol' man. Otha' boss said his ship never got a chance to take off when the explosions started like he knew he wasn't gettin' out." Blinx smirked. "That guy was the first face I've ever laid eyes on. The only thing I have to go by now is his example…and his mustache."
"Wow, I…never heard you talk about him like that," Fidget says.
"Me neither," Dust adds.
"I didn't know if he was even alive or not, so now that I got an answer, it gives me closure. Not what I would'a hoped, but better than nothin'. Still feel like he knew what was comin' cause he gave me a salute an' said I was the best of the best an' that he was proud o' me. Course I thought it was just some optimism for a pretty average day, until…"
For a moment, it sounds as if Blinx is about to shed a tear when he catches his breath and looks away for a brief second. "Well, y'all know the rest."
"Glad you trust us to hear that," Dust comments.
"Makes us three even, does it?"
"Make it four," Ahrah finally spoke.
"Oh dang, I didn't even know you were there!"
"Yeah, we were chopping down an old sturdy tree to patch the hole in our house," says Dust.
"I visited the cells earlier," Blinx replied. "Still shocked that anyone would wanna work with a bastard like Benito. You'd think you know a guy…"
Before he can keep going, Ginger trots her way to the group, beaming specifically at Blinx.
"Hey hun."
"Eeeey," the Cat-Sith nods slowly.
Quietly, Dust and Fidget turn their heads to Blinx and stare at him for a few seconds before he breaks the silence, "…What?"
"Mordecai wants to see you all," Ginger said. "Haley and her brother are already at the shop."
"Huh," Dust chuckles. "Y'know what, I think that might be the second time Mordecai's asked to see us."
"What happened the first time," asked Blinx.
"The first time was when he lost his hat, and fellow hat-wearers need to look out for each other."
"And I thought my identical plush was weird," Fidget scoffed.
At the marketplace, all the shops had closed down for maintenance following Fuse's attack. Avgustin, Fale, Haley, and Matti attend the entrance to Mordecai's abode where the sign is already removed by Moska; same as before when he accidentally knocked it over with a ball. Dust and the rest head over there to visit.
"Hey Moska," Dust says. "Haven't seen you in a while. How're the kids…er…your step kids?"
"Oh, they're alright. Colleen's still talking about that ride you gave her and Corbin."
"I thought he Corbin was gonna be the one geekin' out over it," Blinx replied.
"He is, but he got sick from the loopy loops. Can't blame him though. I always wondered how it felt to be a Nimbat but I kinda don't wanna experience it."
"Trust me. You get used to it," Fidget added. "Where's the hat geek?"
"Nya," Matti grunts, pointing to the shop.
Haley noted, "Dunno why he asked for us specifically."
"Ah, there you are," the shopkeeper announced as he walks out with Fale. To the side of the building, Avgustin steps away and gives them a thumbs up. "And just in time to celebrate."
"Celebrate what," asked Blinx.
With a snap of Mordecai's fingers, what remains of the empty shop suddenly bursts into a loud inferno behind him! Everyone else besides him and Avgustin flinches from the sight!
"My retirement."
"WHOOO," Avgustin cheered!
"You've just wasted a well-constructed building," says Ahrah.
The shopkeeper rolls his eyes with a smirk, "Oh babe, it really wasn't. Fuse already took out most of the supports. Wasn't gonna last much longer.."
"Whaddya gonna do now," asked the Nimbat.
Mordecai rolls his eyes to the Warmblood next to him, "Fale…"
Fale answers, "Mordo here is gonna to do what he said he would an' start on dat reconstruction effort!"
"Finally," Moska jumped!
"Hell yeah," Blinx smiled! "Just wait till I tell my ol' sports about it an' they'll save you millions!"
"Betta'. Billions," Fale winked. "Millions is so passe."
"With Ori and the Time Sweepers, everything's going to look greener than ever," says Ginger.
"That won't be necessary," Mordecai calmly replied.
"Oh…?"
Mordecai takes elegant steps in a pacing motion. "It's true. Fuse and Benito derailed my plans significantly. But, thanks to y'all, I can move on with mah next step."
"Did he just magically gain a Southern accent," asked Fidget.
Blinx also adds, "I don't even remember tellin' you about Benito, man."
"O-oh! Sorry Blinx," says Mordecai as he removes his hat, letting loose his short wavey hair. "I was eaves dropping when Fale informed me of your return. And I'm just excited and a bit nervous about this, Fidget. After all, I did bring that edgy Moonblood back the grave to screw with 'im, but I never told him to pull a Mr. Bloom on the joint. That's on me."
"What," Fale said surprised.
"What did you say," asked Ahrah in a horrified tone.
"Yer friend Mordo did his part. NOW IT'S MAH TURN!"
VWOOOSH!
The Warmblood's arms burst into several dark tentacles, extending outward to grab hold of Fale, Dust, and Ginger and Haley with enough force to knock Ahrah out of the Mithrarin's hands, missing Blinx, Matti, and Fidget entirely! He pins them against the nearest stone wall behind them!
"WOAH," Blinx shouts!
Fale struggles, "Mordecai! What're ya doin'?! A-and when did you get super powers?!"
"Y'didn't hear me," the corrupted shopkeeper scoffed. "He's fast asleep! He ain't gon' talk!"
Luckily, the Time Sweeper came prepared. He steps in front of Moska and Avgustin, pulls out his traditional TS-1000 for an attempted reset, but to no avail. Mordecai keeps hold of his friends as if no one is around to help.
"What on my three mother's teeth is goin' on 'ere?!"
"Gee, gotta put me in a retort like that," asked the Warmblood.
Me. Why would he say that, he wondered.
…
"So he went back an' used the BC," pondered Blinx. "I thought that thing was tucked back where it came!"
Picaro immediately tells him, "It was. But then we learned the Time Goddesses vanished when the regime became a thing. So he had his best boys steal it again."
…
"I anticipated the gates of Hell to welcome me into its flames," Fuse says. "But following my demise, I somehow awoke in this very room connected to the roots of the village underbelly."
…
You're still not sure how he could've returned," Fale asks Tethys.
The Goddess simply answers, "No. That I am trying to figure out myself. He was resurrected during my hibernation and has avoided all my searches before now. I must investigate to learn if this was of a God's doing or not."
…
"These caverns were carved in preparation for a battle with an ancient creature from the stars. She plunged many worlds into chaos and had arrived on Falana to do the same. Before she could achieve her goal, the one called Grey Eyes, with the strength of a thousand men, had used my power to seal her into a deep slumber, of which she remains to this day."
…
"Is it just remarkable," Mordecai asks him. "So many stars out there, yet no matter how far, they always feel within our reach."
…
It all clicks.
"IT'S YOU," shouted Blinx, Dust, Ahrah, and Fale!
"BINGO," the Goddesses winked. "Y'all get three thumbs up now!"
"Wait, who's who," asked Fidget holding her head. "My head is spinning!"
Ahrah answers as Matti lifts his hilt, "This is the creature the Elder sealed all those years ago…"
"Who just so happens to be the mother of time an' space," Blinx realized. "THAT'S why you guys weren't there when the timeline was screwed over!"
"You just keep on impressin' me, doll," said the trio. "Guess you can call us a…dynamic Trio."
"But why," asked Ginger still pinned to the wall. "The Time Sweepers needed you."
"I know. I tried to prevent all that way before y'all were conceived. I went an' made all sortsa stuff like them Spirit folk 'er those satellites to make sure everythin' fell into place!"
Mordecai's body regenerates his hand underneath one of the appendages to floof his hair.
"An' because I just looove seein' interestin' things happen. I was gonna show the mouse who's really in charge. But then came the lizard folk an' the ol' boss ruinin' my fun. Speakin' of…"
Trio rotates Mordecai's head a complete 180 to zap Sanjin sneaking up behind her to strike back! This does, fortunately, give Matti time to use Ahrah to sever the tentacles gripping his friends and allow Avgustin to try to hit the creature with a boulder!
"I'm sorry Mordo!"
But he doesn't get close when he's zapped by beams from his possessed friend's eyes! Moska even braves up and tries to hit Trio with a plank, but he's smacked into Matti by another tentacle regenerating! The two of them are knocked out and Avgustin's face is planted into the ground, unable to remove himself.
"Ugh," Sanjin moaned, struggling to move. "Anyone wanna tell me what's up with Mordecai?"
"I'll tell you myself," Trio says. "I'm makin' good use of the environment."
In a single bound, Mordecai's titanic leap sends him backward to the top of the tallest structure, sprouting cables from behind his robe that dig into the ground. A faint rumble grows into an earthquake, shaking the village as its people begin curiously wandering outside trying to work out what the ruckus is for. Over by the crops, Geehan and Oneida assume it maybe another tremor from Fuse's rampage and prepare their hedge clippers when a bulbous metal hand slowly breaks through the dirt in front of them. A decayed mech of sorts reactivates and thrusts upward with its old rockets.
Elsewhere, even the Time Sweepers can feel it as the Time Tower supports crack and rattle. Cino in one of the labs drops his tea, horrified at the analysis conducted by Aegis as the satellites within the facility rise from their decks and burst from the walls! On top of the tremors, however, around the metropolis, the gargantuan World Cruisers begin popping online, carefully rising from the tubes they're held in.
Very shortly, strange jagged formations sprout and bend as if the world is being terraformed along with the plants rapidly overgrowing into odd alien fauna. Dust and his allies watch helplessly as the village around them is terraformed into something otherworldly.
"Bet'cha didn't expect all that, huh," says Trio.
Dust grabs Ahrah and blares a whirlwind at the tower Trio stands on, but she gently descends to the surface and pauses the both of them. Fidget flies over to intervene, but she's engulfed by one of the tentacles and slammed against a metal bar! She falls, unconscious, but Blinx unfreezes quick enough to catch her.
"Serves ya right fer makin' hard mode the new easy wi'chur fireballs," the Goddess mocked!
Dust launches a piece of debris at the Warmblood but she rewinds it into him and nearly hits Blinx! His Sweeper is knocked off and misfires, shooting out the Fafnir blade in front of the Cat-Sith.
"Is that another Elysian Blade," Fale asks him.
"Oh snap! I forgot to give it to Mordo!"
"Well it's a good thing you didn't," says Dust.
The town guards arrive, starting with Calum and even the Mayor with an axe; all worried at the sight of Mordecai becoming an eldritch creature.
"Oh look at dat! More folks decided to show up," Trio announced! "Lemme go ahead an' introduce myself."
She pauses everyone in place, but while occupied, it gives Blinx time to slice at her limbs with Dust providing support! She tries to regenerate, but Fafnir's flames combined with the wind from Ahrah summons a flaming twister around her that partly scorches Mordecai's robes and darkens his fur before Fale can douse it with Aquaritus' waves!
"Forgive me, pal," Fale says preparing to make a tidal wave before he hesitates.
"Quick, do it!" Mordecai's voice chimes in and his face reverts to that of utter terror. "You have to finish it, boys. It's agonizing, but I've held her back for as long as I could. I wish I could have told you sooner when she escaped from Everdawn. Please, do it for me!"
"…Mordecai…?"
"I-It sounds so much like him," says Ginger.
"Don't worry Mordecai," said Dust. "We'll find a way to bring you back as soon as we-"
"SIIIIIIIIIKE!"
More appendages in the form of mechanical arms and wires sprout from beneath the ground, grabbing hold of the three, including the blades!
"HEHEHEHAHAHAHAHA," Trio laughed! "Looks like I went an' mastered his voice an' speech patterns, huh?"
STOP
Her attention is given immediately. Trio turns back half expecting another Time Sweeper when she's met by Lady Tethys hovering over the frozen crowd of fighters with a tidal wave flowing beside them.
"That's quite enough, Mother. Your reign of evil ends now!"
Nearly the entire ensemble, including Fidget waking up hearing what Tethys said ask the simple question. "MOTHER?!"
"Well hi, baby doll," Trio said wiggling her fingers. "We need to talk about your prank with them lizard folk puttin' me to sleep."
"That was not intended to be a joke," the Goddess growled. "It was to prevent you from causing anymore chaos. Whether or not Gaius or the Regime rose to power, your very nature is a threat to the entire cosmos."
"Couldja talk normally please? You sound like an ol' fashioned Disney princess."
Tethys hunched back. "First of all, I only speak this way from listening to you when you were separated. And second, I am not a princess. I am a queen!"
Summoning the tidal waves beside her, she blasts them into Trio while releasing the group and surrounding them in a bubble to protect from the carnage unfolding as the two Goddesses battle it out in the center of town! Trio pauses time on Tethys, but the water being suddenly unfreezes herself and fasts forward to deliver an uppercut! Her mother is sent hurdling through a statue, then into a fence, only to slingshot herself with it to bring a flurry of swipes with her many wires at Tethys! One of them cuts deep into her cheek, exposing another layer of flesh underneath lighter than her normal green color scheme. The skies instantly turn dark and a piece of it literally breaks off like glass, revealing a hint of an empty skybox behind it. The chink is split into several pieces and shower down on Trio to try and bludgeon her, yet she slows the motion to slide to the side as they stab the dirt. She grabs one of the projectiles, flinging it at Tethys, tearing holes in her skirt, then her arms. She's propelled back before Trio leaps at her and knocks her around a bit while being drowned in a pool of water engulfing the two of them!
Speechless, Dust, Blinx, Haley, Fale, Ginger, and especially a slack-jawed Fidget can't help but stare and follow the deities' movements.
"So uh…any explanation for this, Ahrah," Dust asks.
"None."
"That's what I was afraid of."
Trio guards herself, atomizing the water around her in a swift wave of her hands. "You always were the type to bolt the moment somethin' went wrong. Always getting' somebody else to do yer dirty work."
"This coming from the one who programmed me to simply watch as countless civilizations died by your hands," Tethys barked! "I've besieged mortals to prevent their annihilation. But now, I see this matter requires a direct course of action! I will see your imprisonment, personally!"
She comes close to attacking her mother from behind by summoning a thorn behind her, but it ends up striking herself in the face when Trio fast forwards herself to the side! The empty space where Tethys' mouth should be is torn open revealing her true face underneath. Even her eyes go from its green tone to a menacing red and yellow as she turns back to Trio and roars!
"RAAAAAAAGH!"
"OH NO," Fidget points! "SHE'S LOST ALL HER MAKEUP!"
"If she's the Time Lady's daughter, then she's gotta be Mina," Blinx realized. "Boy, small world."
"Who," asked Dust.
"Mina's the angel chick who kept sendin' us messages when the Big Crystal exploded. Guess we know where she's been hidin' out the whole time an' why. Wouldn't be the first time she's protected us against the motha' of all omelets."
Tethys Mina continues to claw at Trio as the Goddess stretches her hand to palm her face, holding her back. "I will NOT let you destroy this world just as you could have destroyed the Time Sweepers'!"
"Mina, honey, who says I wanna destroy anything?"
While holding her face, Trio's hand begins to form ice around it, nearly putting out her flame-like hair as she plummets to the muddy ground next to Sanjin's weakened form, unable to free herself as more tentacles sprout to grab her arms and bare legs.
"Now where was I?" The possessed one cracks as he turns his spine then his legs completely around to face the group. "Oh right!"
Unable to break free from the bubble, Dust and Fale try prying their blades through the material, only to bounce onto their backs and into Ginger and Haley's grip.
"Yer crazy," Blinx grunted at the Goddess. "An' to think me an' the boys practically worshipped'chu. You're basically our Momma!"
"You think I'm crazy," she tilted. "Wait till ya hear what's goin' on outside the Toonverse. Streamin' companies be axin' their catalogues of shows left an' right, an' no gals with wide hips in some cross game gonna save 'em."
"And she's breaking the fourth wall," Fidget noted. "She really is pure evil!"
"What do you want with us," Ginger demanded.
"I don't think y'noticed, but all them swords keep comin' to y'all fo' a reason. An' we can't have that get in the way, now can we? Nah. I've got a particularly special solution to this problem."
"You're gonna kill us," the Nimbat panicked!
"No. Y'all too cute fer that."
She sighs of relief, throwing her arms down. "Phew…! Good. So you're just gonna imprison us, right?"
"Better! I'm gon' take you on a trip!"
Suddenly, a Time Portal forms around them. Everyone in the bubble panics trying to brute force their way out in unison as they're slowly pulled in. This method works, surprisingly, dropping them into the dirt. But they're still being sucked into the wormhole. They grab onto each other; Dust prying Ahrah in the ground for support, but they're all still being dragged.
"I know it's takin' a while," says Trio. "I'm a bit rusty, y'know?"
"NO," shouted Fale as he fails to pull himself forward! "I'm not givin' up on Mordecai!"
"Don't do this, Ma," Blinx said. "You can still be the master of time an' space an' we can fix up the Time Factory togetha'!"
"You kiddin'," she retorted casually. "That ship already sailed since the original Xbox. Yer used to time hoppin', so you got nothin' to be afraid of. And this time, you get to bring yer lady friends along fer the ride! Have fun in the year 30 TRILLION!"
Quickly, with the last of his strength, Sanjin breaks Mina out of her bonds with his dagger, giving her enough focus to reverse the portal as the Warmbloods, Nimbat, and Time Sweeper are all sucked in!
WWWOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAGH!
They all scream, and before they can try, the gate shuts in front of them. Beaten, Tethys collapses into Sanjin's arms, but she's thankfully breathing. Avgustin managed to pull himself together to help the Time Daughter be carried to the side.
"Y'all do what'chu want, ol'bloods," Trio smiled. "I've got work to do."