The following Characters are owned by Ken Penders(King Gong, Dark Legion, and Lien-Da(referenced)), Ian Flynn(Relic Pika, Jacques D'coolette, Belle D'coolette(Also Tracey Yardley for the siblings), Shinobi Clan), Michael Gallagher(Barby Koala) and Frank Storm(Monkey "Ken" Khan, Lau Khan, Li Yuen). Also I think the four clans are owned by all of these people one way or another. If I'm wrong on any of them, please correct me.

Chapter 7:Hello again

Ken awoke to the sound of dripping water, echoing across the hollow room as it hit the floor. Unfortunately the next sense to hit him would be a horrid smell to his nostrils. 'Ugh!' Ken groaned. 'What was that?! Poop?!' Ken opened his eyes, discovering to his horror that he wasn't too far off. Ken found himself on a flat and rectangular platform in a large room leading into a larger sewer tunnel, a dark river just up ahead between two walkways of concrete. The walls surrounding said area were also coated in various gunks, the area either having rarely been maintenanced or not at all. Based on the consistent smell, Ken was definitely tempted to believe the latter.

Ken would try to sit up, only to shout in pain and tightly shut his eyes as he clutched his bandaged ribcage. Ken would take a deep set of breaths to ease through the pain before laying back down slowly. His eyes would widen back open as he felt around his ribcage, feeling the bandages curiously. He remembered his fight with Gong. Nearly dying against that maniac. Then being rescued. Or at least he thought it was a rescue. 'Unless the setting is anything to go by.' Ken thought. At the same time though, if whoever had brought him here really had ill intentions, why rescue him in the first place as opposed to letting him die? Better still, why save him at all?

Ken's eyes would dart to the side as he heard the sound of fast footsteps. Approaching with a sense of urgency. Ken tried once again to get up, only to shout once more and collapse flat against the platform, taking another set of quick and painful breaths, though less deep this time around. The footsteps would immediately grow quicker. 'Crap, who's coming after me in a time like this-!?'

"KEN!?"

Ken would immediately feel relieved upon hearing his name being called by his only friend. Even if this was a kidnapping, at least Relic was here. '... Wait, how did Relic get here'?, Ken wondered.

Almost immediately after pondering that question, Relic would turn the corner into the room, practically jumping onto him and hugging him tightly.

"What were you thinking, you dumb jock?!" Relic practically shouted.

Ken would immediately cringe from the increase in pressure to all of his pained areas. "Ah! Ah! Careful!"

Relic would back off almost immediately, an apologetic cringe on her face as Ken struggled to settle his nerves again. "Sorry, sorry!"

Ken heard another set of footsteps as he took a series of deep breaths, though now felt at ease about anyone else who might be in the immediate area. After all, if they had been kind enough to patch him up and rescue his friend from the Raiju, how bad could they be?

Ken would tilt his head slightly to gaze out the doorway as a female koala in red spiked gloves, boots, and a utility belt stepped into the room, her posture still despite her clear concern. Said concern would turn to relief as she sighed and leaned against the entrance to the room. Now Ken had more questions than he had prior. He was in a sewer, he figured that much earlier. He could also guess due to this koala's gear that she held some level of importance down here. Especially to be walking around down here with Relic as a close distance. Not to mention the patience she had with the likely six hour lecture Relic would have had over a mildew on the wall discovered in the 1800's. Probably not the subject matter used, but he wouldn't be surprised. Still, why save him? And why this reaction of relief like she knew him?

"Count yourself lucky we got there in time." The Koala finally spoke. "Had we gotten there any later, Bunnie and Antoine would be in mourning."

Ken frowned. "How do you know my mom and dad? Who are you?"

"My name is Barby Koala.", she answered. "I knew your mother during the war with Robotnik. Or I knew about her. I considered their backgrounds after rescuing you and decided to drop you off there for safe keeping, hoping Gong would never find you. But here we are."

Ken smiled nervously and painfully. "Sorry to undo that work, but Gong didn't really give us much of a choice."

"I know. Your friend told us as much."

Ken smirked at Relic, then. "On a separate note, sorry about her. I'm aware she talks quite a lot."

Relic retaliated by sticking her tongue out at her friend.

Ken would then frown as he thought over the prior fight, as well as his current physical state. After the attack on the bus and that fight, there was definitely no way of going back to his normal life. Gong likely had eyes everywhere considering how fast he was found after Relic identified the birthmark. On top of that, Gong and his army knew what he looked like what with his public incident with the Raiju and that fight in the arena. The very fact that he was able to stand toe to toe with his "uncle" for as long as he did would also likely increase his efforts to find and kill him. Bearing that in mind, Ken wasn't sure whether or not it would be a good idea to go home, explain everything, and try to live out the rest of his life in hiding. But he would wait on any ideas where that was concerned until he knew what exactly Barby wanted to do with him.

As if sensing his curiosity, Barby responded: "Unfortunately, I wouldn't advice going home or anywhere topside at the moment. Not that Gong knows who you are, beating him in royal combat will be the only way to get out of his grip and escape whatever life would await you should you chose to risk it."

Ken nodded. "Yeah, and I don't really like the idea of dragging my family into this." Ken looked at Barby curiously. "Would I be wrong to assume a rematch might fix things?"

"Partly." Barby responded. "Wait here while I fetch a wheelchair. This plan requires further elaboration."

Ken would be seated then at a long wooden table where three other figures, a lion named Li Yuen, a chameleon named Espio, and a vixen named Li Moon, would be seated with him, Barby, and Relic. The blue looked especially jittery as the lion rolled out an ancient scroll in front of the monkey. Ken would peer closely at an ancient painting of someone whom he guessed was one of his ancestors standing on top of a mountain overlooking china and holding what appeared to be a golden bo staff with diamond shaped red endings on it with green jewels on each side. In the same image, the staff would be raised above the monkeys head with a glow, clouds above striking lightning and raining on the land as a cyclone began to form in another cloud. Ken looked up at the other freedom fighters with a confused gaze.

"It's been referred to as many things in the past centuries." Barby explained. "But before the dragons took it back to their home, the locals called it the atom bat."

"And what exactly is it?" Ken asked.

Relic would respond excitedly before anyone else: "According to legend, it's a relic of incredible power over the weather! Think mjolnr but with way more applications!"

The chameleon would answer next: "A legend fairly real based on the accounts of my ancestors. Unfortunately, as our commander stated, the dragons took it from your great grandfather after an unceasing time of dragon hunting. To this day, we have no answer as to where it or the dragons reside."

Ken would raise an eyebrow with a somewhat concerned gaze. "So if it's lost, why the meet up?"

"Well we have a hunch on how we might be able to find it with you being the son of the last king and your friend's nack for knowing stuff. Not too far from here is the Village Gossamer, home to the Bride of Endless Reach and their Web of Fate."

Ken would turn to an excited Relic with a nervous smile. "Translate"?

Relic rolled her eyes and groaned slightly. "Ninja spiders. The Web of Fate is what they read when they are uncertain on decisions of great significance."

"How does that work?", Ken asked, bearing a confused frown.

"It tells them the future." Espio would be the one to answer that.

"Ah... wait, what?"

Barby would raise both hands as if to ease him. "I'm aware, it sounds bonkers."

Li Yuen would place a hand on Ken's shoulder bearing a grave expression while Li Moon would place a kettle cup of warm honey lemon tea in front of him on a small saucer. "Bonkers as it may sound, however, we have been fighting this war for well over a decade. Brave men and women continue to filter in and out, normally under fatal circumstances. Needless to say, we're desperate and this may very well be our best chance at victory."

Ken gazed down at the cup of tea, into his own reflection with an expression of uncertainty. When initially, the money came here, it was to broker a deal of peace to protect his family. As well as his only friend for the sake of her own protection as she was insistent on involving herself in this. To now be placed in the middle of a war with likely less odds in the favor of the good guys than years back when Julian Robotnik was a problem, was a bit of a tough pill to swallow. It seemed the harder he tried to reach an agreeable outcome, the deeper he was pushed into this country and its problems. He guessed it wasn't exactly a shock considering his true lineage, but it did give him a sense of unease knowing now that his only way to free himself and his family from Gong and his pursuit of him, was to engage in a civil war where the freedom fighters final method of victory was to find a powerful relic based on advice from another clan of whom he wasn't even sure would be willing after what he heard in regards to the dragon hunting courtesy of his family.

But the more Ken thought about this, the more he really did sympathize with the freedom fighters here. If their current residential status wasn't enough to inform him of the severity of their situation, the old lions statement definitely had. Ken took a moment to look at the other figures in the room. A moment long enough to guarantee Li Yuen's statement. These people had been through much loss. Maybe too much. If Ken were to back out now, and try to hide away with his family for the rest of his life, not only would Gong still be after them, but he would be leaving these people to endure only more of what they already had. And if he did that, even knowing they wouldn't put up a fight, he would never be able to live with that decision. 'Well, maybe Relic would.' Ken thought with a smile. Even without the guilt, he figured going about this route would be better than suffering her wrath.

Ken would look up at the koala and nod, only hoping he would be ready for this journey as he said: "Okay".

Sally Acorn, a chipmunk with red hair, sky blue eyes, and a blue jean vest with a set of blue boots would await the arrival of her friends, gazing with a curious frown through the window at the bandaged and restrained chameleon. It had been at least an hour since she had contacted her friends and informed them of the sole survivor of the bus crash, the last chance at location who was basically her nephew. Course, she knew it wouldn't be easy. Not for the likes of her at least. Tried as they may, the chameleon simply refused to give up any information on the whereabouts of Ken or why they were even trying to attack him in the first place. Considering the visible determination to put him down in the bus footage, Sally guessed she should have seen that coming. Still, she held out hope and prayed that at the very least Bunnie could get him to crack.

The next thing to grab the attention of the squirrelmunk's attention would be the sound of footsteps. Sally would find herself relieved at the sight of Bunnie and Antoine approaching in a haste, though still very much understanding of their urgency.

"Sorry to keep ya waitin, Sally-girl! The vermin still in that room?"

Sally would nod and back away from the door. "All yours, Bunnie."

Though Bunnie would rush in past her, Antoine would give Sally a thankful smile and a pat on the shoulder, which Sally would return with a smile and nod.

Bunnie would waste no time waiting for the chameleon to wake up, slamming a metal hand on a cast laid over his forearm and cracking it. The chameleon would shout awake and make a curse in Chinese before casting a glare to the two. "How dare you attack a Shinobi in such a crude manner!"

Bunnie would cast her own glare in return. "You attacked mah child in broad daylight. You don't gotta right to be talkin about "crude"."

"On ze topic, what were you wanting with him?", Antoine asked, not sounding too pleased over the circumstances himself.

The chameleon would simply gaze at the bunny and coyote for a moment in confusion, only to go stern. "The business of the Shinobi is of no concern to you-".

In response, Bunnie would grip the already cracked cast and squeeze harshly on the material, cracking it to the point where shards would dig and cut into his purple(more than usual no thanks to his bone fractures) skin. The chameleon would shout and grimace in pain, though bit his tongue and tried his best to keep quiet. To spill this information would be dishonor enough on the Bride of Constant Vigil. Worse still, to divulge any information could get the Freedom Fighters of Mobotropolis involved in their plot for the boy. In turn, his entire village could be put on Gong's wrong side and risk extermination to their entire way of life. Something he simply could not allow without putting up a fight.

"Not ready to talk, sugar?" Bunnie asked, her eyes narrowing more dangerously. "That's fine by me. My friend out there ain't gonna interfere though. She knows better than to get between me and mah kid."

Antoine would smirk next. "I am thinking he needs a bit more persuasion, my dearest."

Bunnie would smirk. "I like yer way of thinkin hun."

Once again, Bunnie would squeeze, turning up the pressure and causing immense pain for the Shinobi as the fractured bones would be heard cracking further, and the fragments of cast digging deeper. Some fragments would even begin to touch the broken ends of the bones. After about ten seconds, he had decided he had enough. If he was die, he would prefer to do so at the hands of the bride. Or Gong. At least they would make his suffering quick or nonexistent.

"Alright, alright, I'll talk! Let me go!"

"Not till you've told us everything!" Bunnie and Antoine would both bring their faces closer tyo the grimacing chameleons.

"So please, be of quick with it." Antoine would say.

Sorry for the wait. Work and other things have been keeping me busy as of late. But rest assured, I have not forgotten about this story. Just pray the next chapter gets here sooner than this one did. ^^; Regardless, I thank you all for your patience and taking the time to read. Please give the story a follow or review and may the Lord Jesus Christ bless, protect, and watch over you all with happiness, good tidings, good health, and that you would all come to repent of any sinful lifestyles and to know and love Him as your Lord and Savior if you haven't already. In Jesus name I pray, amen.