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Enough of the jibberish here's the update!
Chapter (Lucky?) 7:
“This is your plan?” Xer questioned.
Peyton nodded. He took a sip from his tea. It was too hot, but he wasn’t in the mood to really care.
“It’s… interesting.” Xer stated, a little confused as to how his master had devised this scheme.
“We get everyone in one place. Amongst the chaos and confusion she will undoubtedly show herself. That’s our chance.”
“Understood sir. But in order for this to work, you’ll have to go out and make some friends.” Xer smirked. It was what Peyton had been trying to avoid since they arrived. Peyton frowned.
“I’m aware.” Peyton picked up the leash that he had ready in his lap. “Let’s get going then.”
---
Their new front yard was lucky enough to have a tree. For that, Grizabella was most grateful. Although the autumn season was quickly approaching, the weather decided to stay a rather hot temperature in the afternoon. Add that with a thick coat of dark gray fur, shade is a definite blessing. In the heat, she had actually - for once - removed her orange and purple scarf revealing her green collar beneath it.
Grizabella was busy reading the
Pridelands series - for the third time - underneath of the tree. She occasionally glanced up to watch the neighborhood humans, cats, and dogs go by. Or to watch her owner - or ‘Mom’ as the locals referred to their owners - struggle with heavy boxes she unloaded from the moving van.
“You could help out you know!” Jacklyn had said at one point.
“No thank you. I’m comfortable right here.” Was Grizabella’s reply. She loved Jacklyn, but wasn’t above teasing her now and again.
A group of dogs went by. They glanced at her direction, but quickly looked away and kept going. It was obvious they were perturbed by the presence of one more cat. Grizabella smiled. She had a lot of work to do around here.
She had been watching people pass by her for quite some time. Jacklyn had long since finished unloading the boxes and had gone inside for a nap. No one had stopped to say ‘Hello’ yet, and Grizabella was disappointed with her neighbors’ manners.
Lots and lots of work… She thought. She read the last few lines of a chapter - all too familiar too her by this point - inserted her bookmark and closed her book. She was about to get up and go inside herself, but when she looked up she saw two animals - a cat and a dog, the first she had seen paired together all day - pointing in her direction and looking as though they were about to cross the street.
They checked to make sure there were no cars approaching - Grizabella winced, a terrible memory came to mind with that statement - and crossed. They entered Grizabella’s yard and walked up to her.
“Hello.” Greeted the cat, female and purple. Grizabella hadn’t seen a cat with that color fur but never for a moment thought it strange. She had seen far stranger.
“Hiya!” Exclaimed the dog. His brown tail was wagging ecstatically.
“Hello.” Grizabella returned.
What a dynamic duo…
“You’re new in town right?” The cat asked.
“Correct.”
“Well, I’m Grape and - ”
“I’m Peanut!”
How did I figure? “I am Grizabella.” Grape continued to smile. Peanut frowned for a moment as though he were in thought, then smiled as well as though he had reached a conclusion. Grizabella already knew the words coming out of his mouth.
“Like-“
“Yes.” Grizabella was all too aware of her namesake. She didn’t need someone to repeat it every time she introduced herself.
“Oh…” He trailed off, knowing he had said the wrong thing. “Nice scar by the way!” Grape looked as though she were about to facepalm.
“Peanut!” She whispered-yelled.
“What? It’s awesome!”
Grizabella smiled, but her ears flattened. While this was typically the sign that a cat was angrily provoked, Grizabella
liked this dog. She knew that he could be useful.
“Well, um… We saw that you’re reading
Pridelands and thought we’d come say hello. We’re big fans ourselves.” Grape said, trying to change the topic.
“Yes. This is my third time reading the series.”
“Oh really, well…”
The conversation that ensued lasted an hour.
---
The charred bark crumbled beneath Cassiel’s fingers. The damage from the fires had not been as severe as he thought they would. But they happened. And Cassiel was frustrated.
“Who did this Madam Gaea?” He asked aloud, the plant-people around him helping with Restoration paying him no mind.
“
Someone trying to steal the Ambrosia.” Was her reply. She was equally miffed.
“And did they?” Cassiel wondered. Gaea’s silence said it all.
Cassiel moved a black branch out of the way with his foot. It crumpled to pieces on contact.
“Whoever did this is gonna pay.” Cassiel said, withdrawing his weapon - which he rarely ever withdrew - from his red mail bag. It had been a long time since he had even held the sword. It felt foreign in his hands. Not that he had ever been good in combat anyway.
“
Well I do know who was responsible…” Gaea started.
“What?! Tell me!”
“
Is that how you speak to a Goddess?!” Gaea roared. The atmosphere of the forest stiffened. The plant-people stopped what they were doing and stood still. The light of the forest seemed to take on a red tint compared to its normally healthy yellow.
“Um… Sorry Madam Gaea, won’t you please tell me?”
Gaea sighed and the forest calmed. The plant-people resumed what they were doing.
“
You won’t like it.” Gaea warned.
“Please, just tell me.” Cassiel said.
“
Ugh, fine. It was Ramiel. Ramiel started the fire and distracted all of us long enough to steal some Ambrosia.”
“That guy
again!? But why?”
“
I don’t know Cassiel. But he succeeded once. We need to step up our game so that it doesn’t happen again.”
“Right,” Cassiel agreed. Thunder boomed in the distance.
“
Ugh! Now what?” Cassiel felt Gaea leave his thoughts to focus her attention elsewhere. He flew upward so that he was above the trees. In the distance were storm clouds. Rain was something that was always monitored by Madam Gaea so that the forest always had just the right amount. There were never storms unless sent forth by other Gods or Goddesses as a means of battle and war. Cassiel had no doubt that this was the case.
Zeus? He wondered, then decided that this couldn’t be the case. The clouds were too small and lightly colored that anything he would have summoned. But there
was lightning. And if lightning struck the forest, it only meant more fire. Someone had impeccable timing. That’s when he noticed something.
He devised a plan and hoped that he was right.
---
Snowfire couldn’t believe that there were so many all in one place. She was standing on the roof of her new home. Her ‘owners’ sprawled out next to her.
They were sister and brother - or at least they claimed to be - and they were also avatars from one of Teal’s previous games. They were not participating in this Game of U&U so they kept their human forms to take the role as Snowfire’s owners. Teal was currently away arguing his case to the other players that this wasn’t against the rules. The two were avatars from a game long retired.
That was the thing about being Teal’s avatar. Because of the nature of his power and element. Becoming his avatar meant getting a portion of this power. It often had interesting… side effects.
Snowfire was busy spying on the three neighborhood animals chatting beneath the shade of a tree. They were talking about some book series that had become popular on this world.
Completely oblivious. Snowfire thought sadly.
“We have to do something.” Snowfire turned to her ‘owners’ who weren’t focusing on the task at hand.
“All in good time. We have to wait until Teal gives the order. Plus we don’t know what exactly they’re up to. They could be here peacefully.” J.P. suggested. Lisa looked up from her laptop and gave him a look.
“I doubt that…” She mumbled. Lisa noticed J.P. staring through his binoculars. She followed his gaze and saw what he was looking at. She grabbed the binoculars away from him.
“Hey!”
“You won’t be getting these back anytime soon!”
Snowfire sighed at the two. She had known them forever - give or take some thousand years - and they had alway been like this. She smiled. Eternity didn’t seems so bad with these two around to keep her company.
---
Alice looked around and immediately saw that things had not gone the way he had hoped. He had expected it to go poorly. This was far worse. The limbs of his latest creations were scattered across the wooden floor. Fetcher was unconscious at the center of it. Rita was upside-down n her corner in deep thought.
Alice sighed and began picking up the pieces of his dolls. Deep down he knew that Fetcher would respond in such a matter. He had allowed himself to believe that it would be easier this time around. Things like this never got easier.
He laid the pieces down on the desk. On the right side of the desk was what caused the catastrophe. He picked up the gun and placed it back in its case. He closed it before he could pay much attention to the purple rabbit insignia on the handle. He quickly shoved the case into the armoire and turned his attention back to Fetcher.
Alice kneeled down next to the dog. He attempted to wake him, and hoped that Fetcher would not lash out. Alice had already learned the hard way that Fetcher was a strong Samoyed. Fetcher woke with a start but luckily did not lash out.
“Take him to the vet.” Rita suggested. Alice nodded. “And take Pochi too. Who knows where he’s been. Alice smiled. He had been meaning to take Pochi to make sure his vaccines were up to date. Seems now was finally the time to do it.
---
Alice waited impatiently at the vet’s office. Fetcher’s visit was over, he was waiting with Alice, staring at the lollipop in his hand that was his reward for not squirming. They were just waiting on Pochi. Alice had a feeling that if things were taking this long, Pochi would not be emerging with a reward.
Alice was beginning to think that this was all just going to turn out to be a waste of time. He would still have to confront the other animals for this to work. He was especially not looking forward to talking to Prowler. The damage would be far worse, Alice was sure.
The door opened and the vet emerged with Pochi, neither of which looked pleased. While the door was still open, Alice caught a glimpse of a large black dog in a cage. It looked as though he had several bandages wrapped around his head. Alice felt bad for the dog. His heart went out to him.
Wait…
what?
Alice did a double take, looking at the dog one last time before the door swung shut. He shook his head. Could it be?
Maybe things would get easier after all.
…Just maybe…
-----
Duhn, duhn, duhhhhhh...
What is going on here? That is a very good question.
Cliffhangers in just about every part, hope that's not tedious.
Normally I would never use the word 'facepalm' in a fanfic (or any sort of writing) but it seemed appropriate.
Still using that writing program for the Mac. Let me know if there are mistakes.