Wherever The Wind Takes Me
Chapter One: The Terror
Disclaimer: I don't own Wander Over Yonder. Sure would be nice though.
Here's another prequel story. I just have so many ideas for these! I know I have other stories on the go, and I'm still working on them, but I'm still just bursting with ideas, and this one really wanted to be written. This takes place in the galaxy where Wander was known as Tumbleweed. This is basically my take on how Wander got to know Jeff/Major Threat and eventually befriended him.
Tumbleweed and Major Threat need some more love. There are not nearly enough stories with them out there. I know because I've been looking!
Enjoy the first chapter and let me know what you think!
It was a peaceful day on Crexagon. The snow glittered between the icy peaks, and the spruce forests hugged the mountain slopes. The citizens were happily occupied making ice sculptures for their annual snow festival. Joyful music played and the warm smells of roasting meat and heated sugar filled the air. Children ran around the square, throwing snowballs and generally getting in the way. Their laugher carried on the brisk, winter breeze.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over the planet, a massive green ship interposing itself ominously between Crexagon and its sun; a nightmare of sharp spines, hard edges and ominous purple lights. The crexagonions cowered before the monstrosity, shivering even through their thick, blue fur. There was no need to ask who the ship belonged to, even if any citizen could summon words through the terror gripping them.
Slowly, inevitably, the ship settled to the ground with a crunch of snow and whatever buildings happened to be underneath. The return of the sunlight's warmth was short-lived however. Once the ship had landed, a dark, purple aura spread out from inside it, and the crexagonions gasped as it crept over them, locking their limbs. They dropped involuntarily to their knees, foreheads to the ground, bowing towards the invading ship.
Then the door slid open, stairs shot to the ground and he emerged.
Every citizen knew of him, of course. His name was spoken in hushed whispers all across the galaxy, as though to say it out loud would be to summon him. The citizens of Crexagon had dared to hope he would never come so far as their own small, isolated world, but here he was at last and they trembled before him, as well as they could in the oppressive telekinetic grip.
He was flanked by his army of squidlings, wreathed in power, eyes slitted, far colder than one of their own mountain peaks.
Major Threat had finally come to Crexagon.
He walked across the square towards the royal palace. It was dead silent except for the footsteps of his soldiers and the whistling of the wind. A baby started to cry and Major Threat turned slightly. He glared and the crying cut off abruptly.
The terrified silence was music to his ears. He passed the trembling citizens, drinking in their fear and hopelessness. This was his third planet today, and it brought him ever closer to ruling the entire galaxy.
He stopped before Crexagon's king, retracting his telekinesis from the trembling blue creature so that he fell forward on his face.
"Get up!" Commander Inky snarled, prodding the king with his white sneaker. The king tried to scramble upright, but his trembling limbs were too slow for Major Threat's liking. His gem glowed and the purple aura engulfed the ruler once more lifting him off the ground as he was borne before them into the palace.
The telekinetic hold on the citizens outside fell away, and they straightened fearfully to face the hordes of squidlings who had remained. There would be no resistance. As always, Major Threat's takeover was silent and instant.
As he settled into his new throne, preparing to listen as Commander Inky read off his list of demands for the shivering ruler at his feet, Major Threat kept his face set in a rigid scowl. He dragged the claws of one hand along the plush arm rest, leaving tears in the fabric, enjoying the way the crexagonion twitched at the sound.
Outside, he knew his soldiers would be putting the citizens to work, constructing a statue of him in the town square, building and toiling for his fearsome empire. Soon they would finish securing the planet and the ship would lift off, heading for the next one on their list and the whole process would begin again. None could stand against him. It was inevitable. Soon all the citizens of the galaxy would live and die by his whims alone, trembling in the darkness of his great shadow.
Major Threat was suddenly drawn out of his musings, noticing absently that Commander Inky had paused in his reading. A new sound was drifting along with the wind and in through the palace door.
A voice.
A cheerful voice.
No one dared to be cheerful in the presence of Major Threat and his army.
The villain froze, his claws digging into the arms of the throne, involuntarily this time. The voice was faint, but unmistakably happy, lilting with a light southern twang to it.
"…quite a hike over those mountains, an' it got a might chilly up there with the wind 'n snow 'n such. Don't s'pose you nice fellers know where ta get a hot drink around here."
Major Threat exchanged a glance with his commander. He could hear the voices of his army outside, but they didn't sound like they were immediately destroying the interloper for his intrusion. The cheerful voice continued, a sudden laugh freezing them where they stood. Rage flashed through Major Threat and his eyes narrowed on his commander, who snapped to attention, tentacles stiffening.
"I'll take care of it, sir!" Inky promised, his low, bubbling voice confident. He scuttled out of the door as fast as his tentacles would carry him.
Major Threat rose slowly, ignoring the crumbled ball of blue fur at his feet. He walked slowly towards the door, drawn by the audacity of that voice and that laughter. He would see the moment when the intruder was crushed with his own eyes, then his conquest could continue as scheduled.
This Major Threat was quite a player, at least from what Tumbleweed had heard. Almost as soon as he had arrived in this galaxy, he'd heard stories about the villain and the psychic chokehold he had on much of known space. He was spoken of in hushed whispers, even on planets where the citizens had never seen his face, and there were daily reports of him conquering more planets at a pretty incredible rate.
Even other villains gave him a wide berth, posturing only when he was far away, and abandoning their own conquered planets if he drew near.
By the time Tumbleweed arrived on Crexagon, he had been practically inundated by stories and warnings, and he was pretty eager to see the villain for himself and find out what he was really like.
Crexagon was beautiful. It was a crown of sharp, icy peaks with dense, snow-covered forests all along their slopes.
Tumbleweed spent a bit of time up in the high mountains, helping a family of snow skalts insulate their nest from the coming snowstorms. It was lots of fun, but he found himself getting chilly even through his fur, and it was a relief to be heading down towards the buildings of the town at the bottom of the mountain.
It really was a pretty town, constructed of ice and blue stone, and decorated with glittering icicles in beautiful patterns. Tumbleweed wondered how the different shapes were achieved. He added the question to his mental list as he continued down the slope.
Major Threat's ship had already landed by the time he got there, though he himself was nowhere to be seen. The squidlings were in the process of lining up the citizens for something or other. Tumbleweed was surprised they weren't cold. They didn't exactly seem to have dressed for the weather.
He headed over, introducing himself and asking some questions about the town. The squidlings seemed a little hesitant to answer him at first, bristling and seeming upset over the questions. Tumbleweed didn't mind. He figured they had probably been pretty busy when he'd shown up. They obviously had some things they'd been trying to do.
A few of them wrapped their tentacles around his arms, and Tumbleweed slipped out of their grip to return the hug. They didn't seem too happy with him at first, but once he started asking their names and how they were doing, they seemed to relax a bit. He started talking with some of the other soldiers then, and pretty soon they were all getting to know each other pretty well. It was always fun to meet a new group of friends on a new planet.
In the middle of this, another squidling emerged from what had to be the royal palace. He was slightly taller than the soldiers Tumbleweed was currently hugging, and he sported a long, brown moustache. He looked pretty upset, so Tumbleweed stopped chatting with his new friends and started heading over to introduce himself.
"How dare you all just stand there!?" the new squidling demanded. Not the nicest way to talk to your friends in Tumbleweed's opinion, but he did look pretty stressed. "Grab hi –gah!" He was cut off as Tumbleweed's arms looped around him. The squidlings seemed pretty touchy-feely after all, and hopefully a hug would help to destress his new friend a little. The other squidlings gasped, though Tumbleweed thought he could hear stifled chuckles coming from some of them. From Tumbleweed's perspective, that was at least a little better than the frightened silence he'd walked in on.
The next second there was a distorted roar from the direction of the palace, and purple light swept over them all. Tumbleweed felt himself lifted by some unknown force, losing his grip on the squidling, before he was slammed to the ground. He looked up, slightly dazed to find Major Threat looming over him, wings stretched wide, pupils narrowed to slits in his face and sharp teeth bared.
Tumbleweed gave a nervous little grin, eyes taking in the villain before him.
"Well, hi there!" He offered, slightly breathlessly. "Folks call me Tumbleweed an' you must be Major Threat. I've heard so much about you!"
Major Threat looked down at the little creature. The furry alien barely came up to his waste. He was toothpick thin, covered in orange fur and wearing a floppy green hat that made him look even smaller. He was picking himself up from where Threat's power had slammed him, smiling as though he wasn't face to face with the most powerful villain in the galaxy. Threat leaned forward slightly so he could loom more effectively. He let his voice reverberate so that it sounded like it came from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"You are a foolish creature indeed to have intruded on the conquest of Major Threat, The Terror Of The Galaxy!" He snarled. He bent closer, claws inches from the alien's face, letting his power flood the air between them so that everything was bathed in purple once more. "Now you shall know a fear unlike any other. Countless civilizations will have nightmares when they hear of your gruesome fate. I shall destroy your very soul!"
The creature looked uncertain for a moment, and Major Threat waited for the fear, for the hopelessness when the small alien realized the full extent of his doom, when he accepted the fact that Major Threat could snuff him out with merely a thought. Then the look faded, replaced by one the conqueror couldn't quite read, though he knew it wasn't the terror he'd been expecting.
"Why?" Tumbleweed asked, head tilting slightly to the side.
The villain stuttered for a moment, losing his mental footing just slightly. This wasn't how this conversation was supposed to go. He rallied the next second, straightening so that he towered over the alien once again.
"Why?" he bellowed. "You ask me why? Because I choose to, you unfortunate insect. Because it will bring me a fleeting sense of enjoyment to end your useless, pathetic existence!"
Tumbleweed's fur blew back slightly from the force of the bellow, but he still didn't look frightened, only vaguely disapproving.
"Well, that's just awful. There are so many other things to enjoy!" The little alien grinned suddenly, and Major Threat froze as furry arms wrapped around his waste. His power winked out in surprise. "What if instead, I got you an ice cream, or a puzzle, or three balloons, or banjo lessons? Or what if we watched a sunset together, or we tried one of those neat frozen syrup things, or we sang a song together, or…"
"Enough!" Power blasted out from Major Threat, crumbling nearby buildings and scattering his army. He'd meant for it to throw the clingy alien violently from him, but his fury must have affected his aim and Tumbleweed's arms were still locked around his waste. He swiped at the creature with his claws, but somehow Tumbleweed was on the other side of him now and the swipe hit only air.
"Oh, good!" Tumbleweed said. "I'm glad that's enough. No need ta be greedy, right? I'd watch those energy blasts though," he advised with a wag of one finger. "That's a good way ta frighten off new friends."
Major Threat was baffled to the point that even his rage at the disrespect seemed to take a backseat. He goggled at the confusing little creature in front of him. Before he could even think to clarify that he had no interest in 'new friends' or that frightening people was the point, he found himself seated at one of the low tables nearby. Tumbleweed pushed an ice cream cone into his claw, then sat beside him, kicking his feet off the bench and licking at his own cone.
When the realization sunk in, Threat rose with a screech that shattered dozens of the surrounding icicles. The ice cream cone imploded in on itself with a pop. He seized Tumbleweed's arm in one claw, raising the small creature up until their faces were close together. Threat's gem flickered madly and the veins pulsed in his forehead. He rolled his eyes, the pupils slitting until they were needle thin.
"You shall pay for that!" he snarled, giving the aggravating alien a shake for good measure.
"Don't you worry; I already did." Major Threat found himself staring at his empty claw in surprise. Tumbleweed was busy climbing up to perch on his shoulders. He leant forward to lay one furry hand on the villain's forehead. "You don't look s'good, Threaty, but ya don't seem ta have a fever at least." He paused for a second, leaning one elbow on the top of Threat's head and resting his chin on his hand. "Maybe you shoulda stayed home an' rested today. Ya don't wanna get sick. 'M sorry ya didn't get to enjoy yer ice cream, but don't worry." Tumbleweed leant forward so his upside-down smile was visible. "We'll find somethin' ya like, once you're feelin' better!" he assured.
Stifled laughter from behind him.
What was that!?
Major Threat whirled, smacking at Tumbleweed so the pest was knocked off his shoulders to the ground. He had almost forgotten his soldiers were still there, as well as the crexagonions he had taken prisoner. His eyes roved over the crowd, trying to pinpoint where the laughter had come from. Had it been one of the planet's inhabitants, or had one of his own soldiers dared to laugh in his presence. Power started to build in his gem once more, flickering outward ominously. The light from the sun seemed dulled before it and Major Threat's shadow crept forward over the snow. Whoever the culprit was, they would regret that laugh for the rest of their short life. He would atomize them, take them apart molecule by molecule until…
A green balloon floated up in front of his face, followed by a purple and then a pink one. Tumbleweed's face floated up behind them almost as though he was a balloon himself. His grin was wider than seemed possible on his face.
"Look what I've got," he sang.
And that was the last straw.
The villain screamed in rage, his power exploding out of him, popping the balloons and scattering the snow around them. Tumbleweed seemed to have ducked just in time. Now he took off across the icy ground, Major Threat hot on his heels, firing bolt after bolt of purple light that sizzled in the snow as they missed their target again and again.
Tumbleweed was running from him finally, but he still wasn't frightened. He kept smiling back at the furious villain and pulling different types of balloons out of his hat to offer, as though he thought the colour or shape of his balloons had been the problem. The more he chased the little furry creature, the more obvious it became to the villain that Tumbleweed wasn't frightened of him and wasn't going to be, and the more enraged Major Threat became. His bolts of power became wilder and stronger as he tried in vain to hit the frustrating pest.
Finally, they halted. Tumbleweed was backed up against the side of Major Threat's ship. The villain stalked toward him, breathing heavily, eyes wild and pulsing with purple light. His power was so concentrated around him it seemed to absorb the light and mute all colour from the landscape.
He narrowed in on the annoying creature in front of him and fired.
Major Threat's power was certainly something to behold. Tumbleweed ducked to the side just in time, and the bolt of psychic energy seared clear through the massive green ship, severing three of the fins and undoubtably doing some serious damage to the internals. Major Threat must have been pretty distracted, because the bolt hadn't been aimed very well. It cut through the metal at a slant, and one of the severed fins fell directly on top of him, knocking him out cold. He looked like he'd be okay, but it probably wasn't very pleasant for him, especially when he hadn't been feeling well. He really should have been resting instead of trying to conquer a planet today.
The squidlings had watched all this in shocked silence, and now they began milling around in confusion. Commander Inky marshalled them as well as he could, and they bundled Major Threat back into their damaged ship, taking off as soon as they were inside. It limped out of the atmosphere and Tumbleweed watched it disappear among the stars.
Not a bad first meeting all in all, though there had been an unfortunate amount of property damage.
The citizens were delighted anyway, and Tumbleweed found himself surrounded by hugs, cheers and pats on the back. He accepted them happily, but he found his thoughts drifting towards the damaged ship and its occupants a few times. He didn't let the thoughts occupy him too much. He knew they'd see each other again.
He had a few more presents to give Major Threat when he was feeling better, after all.
Hope you enjoyed the first chapter.
Major Threat's minions being the squidlings and Commander Inky is from the story "Long Time No See" on fanfic-inator795's tumbler. I hope they won't mind me using the names for this story, as I really like them. It is a very sweet story, and I highly recommend checking it out!
I did have a lot of similarities to the setup from "The Greatest" in this chapter. I thought they were fun, and hopefully I was still able to give them their own identity. Major Threat does have some different issues from Hater that make him a bit of a different villain. These will become clearer as the story progresses. I hope everyone enjoys my take on him.
I will probably be updating Learning To Swim or Never Hurts To Help next.
See you all soon!