Within the depths of Sooga forest were the three vagabonds who tirelessly trekked through its terrain. Chief had spotted a fruit tree around there the other day. She decided to return to it with Clown and Shaman because of its height. However, she found it difficult to navigate on account of the fact that she had completely forgotten the way there and the thick cloud of fog that surfaced didn't make her search any easier.
"I think we're almost there." Chief assumed.
"Didn't you say that an hour ago? Heh." Asked Clown.
"Well, I was mistaken, but this time I'm sure we're close. I think's right around this tree." She insisted.
Shaman noticed a large flock of birds in the sky, that flew from the direction they were going towards, then a strange noise ahead of them. It sounded like a cacophony of collective screams.
"Do any of you hear that?" Shaman asked anxiously.
"No, I can't hear anything over my growling stomach!" Clown jeered.
"Just be patient, Clown!" Chief demanded.
"Shh! Just listen!" Shaman urged. They froze and went silent. When they heard it a wave of chills ran through them.
"What even is that?" Clown asked.
"Shh!" Chief silenced, and listened carefully. It was increasing in volume. "It's... getting closer!" She realized.
What seemed to be a massive ball tore through a curtain of fog ahead of them.
"RUN!" She yelled. All three of them retreated behind sturdy trees out of the way of the ball's path. As the ball came closer its details became more distinguishable to the three.
"Are those... ninjas? Heh." Questioned Clown.
The ball of ninjas dashed past them and then it abruptly came to a halt once it slammed into a nearby tree. The screams were replaced with a collective groaning. Chief noticed that in the middle of this ninja ball was Tobe. She immediately came out of hiding and met him there. The other two vagabonds followed suit.
"Oh dear, Tobe..." She reached for his hand.
"NO! Don't touch me!" Her hand quickly recoiled. "You'll become stuck too!" Warned Tobe.
"What?"
"Well, to make a long story short. Some gooey substance got into my clothes at the Laundromat and caused them to become sticky, which resulted in what you see here." He gestured towards the ball they were in.
"Oh... I'm sorry that happened to you. I wish there was a way to get you unstuck." She said with sorrow.
"Did you say you were stuck? I have just the spell for that!" Shaman intervened and pulled out his scepter.
"No! Wait, don't-!"
"KOO SHAH YAH!" He yelled while he aimed his scepter at the clump of ninjas. A bright flash of light swallowed them. Once it faded they were apart.
"Hey! We're free!" Announced one of the ninjas. Then the rest of them burst out into a chorus of cheers.
"Hey, It actually worked." Shaman said proudly.
"Wow, I have to say I'm quite impressed. So much so, that I wouldn't mind doing you a favor. Yes! Anything you ask!" Tobe offered.
"Well... uh... if you don't mind, can you go on a d-" Chief shyly inquired whilst twiddling her thumbs.
"I meant that I'll do a favor for the Shaman." Tobe informed.
"Oh... right." Chief said, a bit embarrassed.
"Now, what favor do you wish for me to do, that is, if there's any on your mind right now?"
"Can you help us find a fruit tree in this forest? We've been looking for hours but we haven't had any luck."
"You mean this one?" Tobe pointed above them at the tree he and his minions crashed in. Which was decorated with plenty of ripe yellow fruit. The vagabonds faces lit up and their frustration and fatigue vanished. Shaman and Clown eagerly raced to the back of the tree.
"Yes! Thank you, Tobe." Said Chief.
"Don't mention it. Seriously, don't. The last thing I want is for anyone to take me for a goody two shoes!"
"I swear not to tell a soul!" She promised.
"Thank you, Chief. " He rested a hand on her shoulder. She felt her heart rush. "I know I can count on you to keep a secret."
"I'd keep anything for you."
"Huh?"
"I mean- You're welcome!"
"Come on, Chief!" Called Clown.
"I must go."
"So should I. Ninjas, let's be off!" The ninjas gathered behind Tobe in no time. Then they started following him into the forest.
"Bye, Tobe." She said as they headed away.
"Chief!" Clown yelled again.
"Coming~!" She replied gleefully. The warmth of Tobe's hand lingered on her shoulder, and the thought of his touch lingered in her mind. "Hetouchedmehetouchedmehetouchedme..." Her brain reminded her over and over again.
Then she met the other two vagabonds at the trunk of the tree. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Now, Shaman you will support Clown on your shoulders and Clown you'll-"
"No need Chief, I got this. I'm going to bring it down here with a levitation spell!" Shaman aimed his scepter at a group of fruit dangling on a branch. "DO WOON-" Chief feared that his spell would horribly backfire and intervened.
"Wait! Are you sure this will work?" She interrupted.
"Relax, Chief, this is the easiest spell in the book! So easy that even I can do it!"
"If... if you say so." She lifted her hands from the scepter and he returned it to its previous position.
"Now, as I was saying- DO WOON YOO GO!" A beam of light encased the fruits that dangled from the tree and lifted them until their stems snapped from their branches. Finally, they hovered down until they were within the vagabonds reach. "Now hurry, pick them, I can only hold them for so long." The rest of the vagabonds rapidly harvested the floating fruit before Shaman retrieved another bunch.
Tobe and his posse traveled in silence. The only noises that filled the forest were the voices of Sooga's fauna and the rhythm of the ninjas steps. The ambience of this setting was suddenly hindered by one of his minions.
"Master, can we gather some fruit?" Asked a ninja.
"Yeah! We're hungry!" Added another.
"We'll eat when we head back home." Answered Tobe.
"But that's soooooo far away!"
"We'll make it quick!" Promised another ninja. Tobe figured that if he'd just let them satisfy their hunger now he would save himself a while of their whining.
"... Sigh... Fine! I'll just wait here."
"Yay! Master Tobe's the best!" They eagerly ran back to where they came and were soon out of sight.
"Oh no! That's the second nice thing I did today! I'm suppose to be a villain am I not? I swear that goody-goody's... GOODNESS must've rubbed off on me! That sweet, adorable, goody-goody..." He noticed that the thought of Garu made the pace of his heart quicker. "Oh man, I think I might be in- NO! I must stop this!" He thought to himself. "I must rid myself of these unpleasant thoughts! Well, I'd be lying by calling them 'unpleasant' thoughts, but... it would definitely be unpleasant, for me, if a certain someone knew I had them..."
A memory reemerged from the recesses of his mind. A memory of a confrontation between him and his father. His father, in a vexed voice, spat vitriol at him through an intense scowl:
"It was a mistake for me to think that someone as inept as you, Tobe, could complete one job! One damn job!" Tobe buried his face in his palms.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Tobe apologized.
"Here, we go again with the apologizing! Every time, I confront you about your performance you always do that! I'm honestly sick of it! When will I hear the end of it, Tobe? You say that you'll 'do better next time', so when will you Tobe? When will you stop making these empty promises of improvement and actually do a decent job! When will you make me proud like you say you want to? When?" Tobe felt tears gather in his eyes, it took much effort to prevent them from falling.
"I... I... I want to make you proud as soon I can! No- I want to make you proud now, Father! I swear I will follow him to the ends of the earth if i have too, and I will make sure that I won't return until I have defeated Garu, and that is not a promise I won't keep!" His father smirked, satisfied by his response. He reached for the sheaths that hung at his hips and swiftly withdrew his swords. The sudden retrieval of these blades caused Tobe to flinch and almost reach for his. He took a knee to meet Tobe eye-to-eye and handed him the twin swords.
"Then don't waste another minute..."
The abrupt squawking of a flock of birds snapped Tobe out of his flashback.
"I cannot afford to waste another minute! We must return to our duty at once!" Then he turned around and headed to where the fruit tree was.
After several minutes of hiking over tree roots and shoving away vines, he was finally there.
"Hey! I thought you guys said you would make it qui-" His attention was redirected by a bunch of fruit floating by, which his eyes followed going into Chief's arms. "Amazing..." Tobe thought. "Wait a minute, if he possesses such power than could he perhaps help me?"
"Ok, I think we have enough." Said Chief "Let's go." They began to move out.
"Wait!" Tobe called out to the vagabonds.
"Tobe~!" Exclaimed Chief, happy to see him once again. They stopped to allow him to catch up to them.
"I wish to speak to the Shaman, again."
"Oh, um, okay. What is it?" Asked Shaman.
"I wish to speak to you in private. Please come this way." Tobe gesture for Shaman to follow him.
"Sure... ok." Shaman followed Tobe behind a tree that was beyond everyone else's earshot.
"I see that you're acquainted with the magical arts so I'm am willing to strike a deal with you."
"Really, for what?"
"You see," Tobe whispered the rest of his request in Shaman's ear. "If such a request is not within your abilities, then I do understand."
"No! It actually is! But I'm not sure if I'm-"
"I'll make it worth your while!" Tobe then reached within his pockets and retrieved a fat sack of gold coins. "If you can make it for me, then this can be all yours!"
"Wow... all that for me?"
"Mm-hmm, so do we have a deal?" Tobe lifted a hand that waited to be shaken.
"Deal!" Shaman took it and shook it fervently.