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Counter Earth Chronicles - Dual Realities

Chapter 34: How Do You Choose Who Will Be Saved?

September 18th, YOE 35

7:46 AM Castle Wundagore (World One)

*AAA CHOO!!!*

The female brown bear rubbed her nose as her fur was dampened by water from her personal shower.

*AAA CHOO!!!* *AAA CHOO!!!* *AAA CHOO!!!*

That last sneeze was so powerful, it had topspin! Was she coming down with something? How could that be? She had just used one of the vials her former pet had left for her with another note at yet another drop off location. He was still mad at her, but not enough to damn her to her degenerative condition.

"Alex." The fierce ursine warrior uttered as she started applying the soap foam over her body. Since her freckled human had left- her mornings, evenings and nights were that much quieter without him.

The knight bathed, dried and prepared for her day like she had for the past five months- alone. As she put on her uniform and reached for her sword that was when she noticed it. Her eye- paw coordination was off. Was her condition coming back? Was she succumbing to it?

She remembered how she felt after Sir Ram had diagnosed her condition and what her ultimate prognosis would be. That was before that blond haired, freckled human came into her life. Sex with him, in particular, his semen alleviated the symptoms of her condition allowing her to live as normal a life as possible.

Which brought her back to this morning, something was indeed wrong. It became increasingly clear after she dropped a plate on the kitchen floor she had tried to reach out for.

*shatter*

Should she call out? No, there was simply too much to do today.

8:30 AM Castle Cafeteria

"Here you are cinnamon oatmeal and a cup of milk." The goofy dragon smiled as he brought over her order.

"Thank you Sorren." Lady Ursa sniffled.

"Can I get you anything else my lady?"

"Alex...." The bear grumbled under her breath.

The knight looked around the cafeteria that morning. She and the red dragon were the only two present at the moment; the rest of the tables were vacant.

The bear paused for a moment collecting her words.

"Have you heard from him?" The bear and dragon said in unison.

The two immediately receiving their answers from each other.

"Nothing my lady." The dragon cook said, assuming a somber tone.

"I have even checked with his contacts at the consortium... he has gone inactive." The she beast said trying to steady her paw and the spoon within it.

"Or maybe they are covering for him?" The goofy dragon suggested.

"Negative. The knight core has been monitoring all his colleagues. Nothing."

"Perhaps he got abducted by the KLIS?"

Lady Ursa glared at Tauren's boyfriend.

"They have no interest in humans, only us beastials." She said poking at her oatmeal again.

"That disagreement between you two must have been quite fierce."

"It was Sorren."

"The mother of all fights then?"

"Yes."

"I don't think the separation between you two would have lasted this long. He must still be really, really, really mad."

"He is. I have searched and searched and searched. I thought someone would have seen him after all this time."

"What if he has left the city?"

The bear looked at the dragon.

"Hmm...." She said as she dug into her oatmeal as her communicator sounded off.

*Lady Ursa, this is Overwatch.*

"Go ahead Overwatch." The she beast said to the automated assistant.

*I have been observing one of the supposed drop sites Mr. Winter has used in the past.*

"And?"

*I have something. Sending it to you now.*

"It looks like a flea market near the entertainment district." Sorren said observing. "Humans have been meeting there at various times to trade and buy items."

"Is that him?" The she beast said watching a silhouetted individual come into frame. The shadow placed something into a locker within a row of lockers and walked out of frame.

"It certainly looks like it." The goofy dragon said, cocking his head.

**The individual is still on site, Lady Ursa.* *

"On my way." The bear said standing from the cafeteria table on unsteady legs. She then hobbled toward the doorway and outside of the cafeteria.

9:04 AM Flea Market (Entertainment District)

Dash Young wandered down the alley of lockers. The owner and sole operator of Action Man odd job service was curious if the mysterious drop he had made days earlier had been picked up.

While it was weird that the blond, freckled twenty year old was hired from an anonymous individual to deliver corked test tubes to a locker- income was income as long as it was legal.

He approached locker 69 and opened it. Yup the contents were gone. It had only been a few days since the delivery. Whoever the recipient was, had received it. Gently he closed the locker door and proceeded to his next job.

The female brown bear climbed out of the blue coupe. She attempted to scent the air as she hobbled down aisles upon aisles at the flea market until she found locker alley. Yup it was the one she had picked up her essence of Winter supply from earlier that week and the locker the automated assistant had seen on camera. As she opened the door she found it was empty. She had just missed him.

*Lady Ursa I have the target on camera.*

"You have my permission to engage Overwatch."

*There is something you should know...*

"Disengage the holo-projector, engage the static pulse and use the capture net. Non-lethal weaponry only."

*Acknowledged.*

From her open communicator, the bear knight heard the distinctive sounds of the sidepods of the prototype opening, charging the static pulse canon and firing.

Then came the sound of someone being electrocuted, screaming, falling to the ground and then being encased within the net.

*AUGH*

*whump*

*Target captured.*

"What is your location Overwatch?"

As she approached her prey, a small crowd had started to gather to watch. Inside the net was a blond, freckled twenty something wearing dirty pants, a black blazer and boots.

"You are not Alex Winter!" The bear kneeled. The individual did not respond as she scanned his tracking chip.

*This is "Dash Young, an employee of an odd job service for hire.*

"Well now I know he wasn't making the deliveries himself." The bear sniffled.

*What are your orders, Lady Ursa?*

"Cut the net."

"UNGH!! What hit me?!" Dash said as he felt a weight on his midsection and below.

Coming too he looked upward to see he was being straddled by a freaking bear!

"Ack!!!" The blond twenty year old gasped.

"Dash Young or should I say Action Man?" The brown bear sniffled.

"Yes madam knight. Am I in trouble?

"I have a task for you, tell me who hired you to make deliveries here."

"I don't know."

"Don't know or just don't want to tell? Because if it is the later I will have to rough you up a little." The bear threatened cracking her knuckles.

"But I don't wanna be roughed up!" Dash pleaded.

"Then talk. No, sing! Tell me everything you know!"

"I was tasked with delivering some vials to this location and several others around the city."

"By who?"

"Unknown, I never met the client, but their payment was always prompt. I assumed that it was on the up and up. It isn't on the up and up is it?" Dash asked.

The bear removed her service weapon, made some adjustments and pointed at him.

"Whoa!! Whoa!! Whoa!!" The twenty year old said, flailing his arms as the knight fired at him.

*AUGH*

"I have been shot, you didn't have to shoot! I was cooperating!" Dash looked down expecting to see a gaping hole in his abdomen.

"That was my truth ray from this point forward you will speak nothing but the truth even vomit it human. Let's start with something easy, do you find me intimidating?"

"All knights are intimidating, it has to be the uniform or maybe the claws, paws, fangs or tails." Dash said as the bear stared down at him.

"Fair enough. Are you a virgin?"

"What kind of question is that?! Uhhhhh.... YES."

"Despite how much you try to resist, you can only speak the truth."

Lady Ursa interrogated the human who did bear a slight resemblance to her Alex Winter for ten minutes before releasing him.

*Did you find anything?*

"Absolutely nothing. It is like he just emerged from the shower; he is squeaky clean." The brown bear said sitting down inside the blue coupe.

*I checked his dossier as well. He is a model citizen not one offense against the empire.*

"I sent him on his way."

*Not before warning him to remain on the right side of the law and smacking him on his bottom though.*

"Anytime he has a delivery from an anonymous sender he is to redirect it to me." The she beast said not acknowledging the last comment.

(It is amazing the resemblance.) The female bear thought to herself as her nose started running.

*I have an incoming communication from Sir Wolf, Lady Ursa.*

"Put it through Overwatch."

An image of the commander of the knights from Castle Sevren soon appeared in the upper left monitor of the center stack.

"Good day commander, how may I help you?"

"It is the other way around Lady Ursa the bodies of two of your citizens were found in my jurisdiction. How soon can you get here?"

11:40 AM World Three Hospital (The Dead Wing)

"Something wrong Lady Ursa?" The grey wolf asked as they made their way through the sterile white hallways.

"No, sir wolf, I just think my allergies have returned." The brown bear replied. The fierce ursine warrior knew the reason, but she would not disclose something that personal even to a colleague.

"Well you are in the right place. To think with all the medical advancements in this day and age- there is no cure for allergies." The grizzled wolf said as they rounded another hallway to the morgue.

The two found themselves in a white marble room. Marble floor, marble walls and marble ceiling. One side of the room had what appeared to be a titanium file cabinet built right into the wall.

"Let's see column B row three." Sir Wolf said, picking out a specific drawer. He tapped it with his paw.

*SLIDE*

"Lindsey Segment." The wolf said motioning to the bear to step back.

*SLIDE*

"And her husband Aleron Segment."

"They were found on a beach here in World Three?" Lady Ursa sniffled.

"Exactly. They are or were residents of your city."

"Interestingly enough there were no reports from anywhere about their disappearance. What was the cause of death?"

"Interblast- their inside organs were liquified."

"Really? That was a tactic the factions used during the ninety year war." The brown bear replied.

"But what is really interesting is that friends, acquaintances and even co-workers- none of them noticed that the pair had gone missing." Sir Wolf observed.

With that the female brown bear turned to her communicator. "Overwatch."

*Yes Lady Ursa?*

"I want everything you have on Lindsey and Aleron Segment, friends, acquaintances, relatives."

*For what purpose?*

"Automated assistant these humans have been murdered. We need to find out why and by whom and if they pose a threat beyond the human population." The she beast replied.

*Lady Ursa Lindsey and Aleron Segment are alive, their overseers confirmed they left their home this morning in the Sycamore Ridge neighborhood.*

The two knights traded glances at each other.

"These two were found a week ago." The leader of the Knights of Sevren volunteered. "Their tracking chips confirmed their identities."

"Overwatch open up a three-way communication with Watch Commander Sanda."

*At once my lady.*

12:20 PM Sycamore Ridge Neighborhood (World One)

"Are you sure you want to do this dear?" 'Aleron' asked his wife.

"But of course, no generated food from a replicator. Let's make it from scratch."

'Lindsey' replied to her mate. "Won't the children be surprised!"

*POUND* *POUND*

'HUMANS!! YOU WILL OPEN DOOR NOW!!!"

"Mr and Mrs. 'Segment' walked to the front door of their home. On the other side of it they found two Knights of Wundagore- a mule and buck in one piece uniforms with blue, black and yellow highlights, weapons at the ready.

"Good day knights, something we can do for you?" Lindsey asked.

"Humans there is a matter of some urgency that needs to be addressed." Springer said singling out the duo.

"Yes, tell us who you are really?" Coal asked while scanning the pair's tracking chips.

"They match to a tee, it appears to be them." The buck said to the mule.

"Um what is this about?" Aleron asked.

"You two look really good for a dead couple." Springer said addressing the pair.

"Your remains were found at a beach in World Three." Cole added.

"Not possible." Aleron said, reaching for a leather choker around his neck.

Lindsey reciprocated, reaching for a white choker around her neck. Both were immobilized by the knight's paralysis weapons before they could touch the devices.

"What is this?" Cole said removing the leather choker from around Aleron's neck.

"Cole!" Springer said, redirecting the mule's attention back to their prisoners.

"Well if this isn't a handy piece of tech."

6:22 PM Stuyvesant Neighborhood (World One)

A bald headed man with a nicely trimmed beard was in his study watching a news report flanked by two operatives.

"In the news today married couple Patto and Ginger Freeze became indefinite prisoners of the Knights of Wondagore for killing married couple Aleron and Lindsey Segment and assuming their identities going as far as living in the dead couple's house and even raising their children. Wow, humans killing humans." A satyr reporter scoffed.

"Good work operative Summers, operative Striker." Deer-feeder complimented them.

"It took a while, but we found where those two had buried their victims." The grizzled solider replied.

"I made sure that nothing can be traced back to the rebellion or us; our tech will self destruct if examined." The red head replied.

"More importantly the transgressions of our wayward sheep have been exposed." Riz said smiling. "What will their punishment be?"

6:32 PM Exeter Station's Bazaar (Madam Olga's Psychic Truths)

"The killer couple's plan was unraveled when the bodies of their victims were found on an abandoned beach in World Three. Rest assured the Freezes are going to be guests of the Knights of Wundagore for a long, long, long time." The reporter replied as the paralyzed couple were lifted and placed into a transport vehicle by a teary-eyed, sniffling, coughing and sneezing female brown bear.

"Looks like Riz did deal with that evil couple without resorting to violence." My beastial boyfriend said as the hub news broadcast we were watching concluded. "Was it good for you?"

I was transfixed on Lady Ursa.

"Alex- Riz didn't exile or kill the Freezes- he just turned them over to the knights, aren't you happy?"

"What? Oh yeah." I replied.

"Something wrong?" The tian mountain dog said pulling me next to him.

"Did you notice that Lady Ursa, looked like hell? Like she hadn't been medicating herself at all." I said out loud. "I wonder if she found the latest set of vials I had left for her?"

"Oh she did. She is just finding out that her essence of Winter isn't as potent as the previous shipment she received." Spirit said, grinning.

"How did that happen?" I asked the partial beastial with the white muzzle.

"Oh? Well I may have slipped in a few vials of my jizz along with yours." The beastial canine said, trying to assume an angelic tone.

I placed my hands on his arms looking my brown eyed companion in the face. "Spirit, why would you do something like that?"

"Well for months she looked the other way while you were unknowingly experimented on without your knowledge or consent. Well right now she is going through the same thing while you look the other way. Notice the sneezing, coughing and congestion. She is not her best self today." Spirit observed assuming Ritz Site's demeanor. "Kind of like a hover vehicle landed on her, backed up and rolled over her again and again and again..."

"Spirit that is devious."

"Why thank you." He said bowing toward me.

To Be Continued....

[MEANWHILE]

September 18th, YOE 35

7:46 AM Knight Command (World Seven)

"You are taking off?" I asked my fierce ursine warrior.

"Yes pet, Naka, Song and Kiwi are still out there... somewhere."

"And we are going to keep searching until we find them." Lilly Blossom said standing next to my she beast. "Although I fear that when we do bring those three home, there may not be much to come home too."

The three of us looked at the frozen suns just sitting above the horizon.

"Yeah that looks so damn eerie. Anyway, are you going to be back in time for King Dragon's address this evening?"

"We are going to try pet, but we do have a big territory to search." My perfect person announced.

"And Sorren has limited what assets to use in that search." The goat lady and acting medic for this away team of two announced.

"Gotcha- he wants Wheels, Roadie and Attack Beast here guarding the city just in case. Well happy hunting." I replied, hugging my bear. I also hugged Lilly Blossom as well. If we are indeed facing the end times one can never be so sure.

After saying my goodbyes, I headed to the infirmary joining Shakara and Penny to start our day.

8:30 AM S'mar Nation (Kokee Pride Territory)

"The enemy village should be just beyond that grove of soaked red trees." Torch advised.

"Kokee Pride was severely weakened by the storm." Blade shouted running forward.

"Their chieftain Flail isn't too smart either." Barb announced.

"How unlucky for them!" Saber smirked, his machete drawn. "Three Rivers Pride ATTACK!"

That was when Barb, Blade, Rings, Torch and the rest of his tribe's warriors came to a dead stop. Before them lay bodies of the Kokee tribe's warriors on the ground motionless.

"What is this?" The chieftain of the Three Rivers Pride asked lowering his weapon.

"A pride that was ill prepared to deal with... what did Naomi call it? A blizzard." Torch said standing above remains of some fallen felines, their faces frozen in shock.

"It looks like the storm was particularly fierce here sir." Barb concluded. "They didn't know what hit them or even how to handle it."

"Most likely when they realized what it was, it was too late." Blade added.

"Apparently so." Saber said, lowering his machete. "Fan out and look for survivors. If there are any."

"If we find anyone?" Rings asked.

The chieftain looked at the pregnant warrior. "Offer them a choice- they can remain here to grieve, bury their dead and possibly die if another of these storms comes along or they can come with us."

9:04 AM S'mar Pridelands (Mirrored Forest)

"I don't think this was a good idea Kiwi." Song said, placing her paw on her boy's shoulder. "The S'mar are violent savage warriors."

"Remember the three Alex, Chemar and Ripple encountered and fought with, they nearly killed Ripple." Naka said, piling on.

"But that was a misunderstanding. The remaining warriors are part of our tribe now. Besides these two are in need just like Tonka was when we met him. Don't we help those in need?" The wolf and chakat's boy asked.

"Kiwi we found them frozen inside the trunk of a tree." Naka countered.

"But still alive." Tonka said, looking for something to burn. "Fire rocks."

"Fire what now?" Kiwi asked the leach-boy.

"Will warm frozen S'mar without showing flame or smoke revealing our position to other S'mar." Tonka replied lining a row next to the frozen male and female.

"Wow that one is very beautiful."

Song looked at her boy- seeing where he was staring- the small petite breasts and that slit between the female warrior's legs too easily in view- she immediately covered his eyes.

"Their hearts are beating- slowly but still beating. I don't know how that is even possible!" Naka said, kneeling.

"Naka, Song I think if we help them, perhaps they might guide us through their territory." The pre-teen reasoned.

"That is a very good point. If we ran into any S'mar prides..." Naka thought.

"We would be captured, slaughtered and made into something useful benefiting them." Song gasped.

"Decided?" Tonka asked, looking at the trio.

"Song keep watch. I am going to make us shelter in case we have to hide. Tonka, Kiwi...." The knight said.

"Yeah we have thawing duty." The teen said looking at the two frozen warriors.

11:40 AM S'mar Nation (Atreus Pride Territory)

"Halt who goes there!" A husky elderly feline holding a staff shouted confronting warriors from Three Rivers Pride.

"Staff it is a horde of invaders! It is an attack!" Another feline warrior growled. He was slightly smaller then the elder and carried two chained short swords.

"Three Rivers Pride!" A young warrior who couldn't be more than twelve exclaimed joining the elder who Torch, Rings, Blade and Barb realized was blind in one eye.

"Can your chieftain come out and play?" Saber asked, presenting his machete.

"NO!" The larger warrior shouted preparing to charge.

"Melee! Hold!" Staff said, trying to tamp down his aggressions. "She is indisposed right now." Staff replied looking at the leader of the invaders.

"Indisposed how?" Blade asked.

"The white death got her as it did many of us." The young brave admitted as he watched a pregnant female carrying two circular bladed rings walk around him, sizing him up.

She looked at the white frontal loincloth he was wearing, the small knapsack on his back, his large ears and spotted markings on his body.

"What is your name young warrior?" She asked.

"I am called Sticks." He replied to the pregnant female.

Barb pointed out that what was left of Atreus Pride were hiding in shallow underground caves leaving those three to confront their invading army.

"Cave dwellers come out into the light, the worst is over." The leader of the Three Rivers Pride announced.

Murmuring was heard from several caves to the right and left of the Staff, Sticks and Melee.

"This is the reaction I receive?" Saber asked looking at Barb and Blade.

"One should beware when a tribal chieftain of your reputation arrives after a catastrophe making such overtures." Staff said, staring down the leader of the advancing army with his good eye. "Judging from the size of your army you aren't here to help."

"You most likely here to loot, plunder and kill and parade our heads around on a stick." Melee surmised.

"Looks like your reputation has preceded you sir." Barb replied.

"I do admit that thought had occurred to me." Saber sneered.

Rings placed her paw on Stick's stomach- it was rumbling. The boy appeared to be malnourished.

"They were spiraling before the white death sir, it has just hassened their decline." Torch added as he joined his mate.

"Such a small adorable, helpless boy. It would be a shame if anything were to happen to him." Rings said patting him on the head.

"Is that a threat?!" Melee started to ask.

*Shling*

Before he could charge he noticed the blades of his swords on the ground- sliced in half.

The pregnant warrior continued to feel up Sticks, one of her rings she threw at Melee's short swords returned back to her open paw.

"Sticks lost his family to the white death as did many of us." The elder announced.

"Your leader is dead, your numbers have greatly diminished; you are of no threat to us." Blade observed.

"So you would have us surrender to be slaughtered?" Melee asked.

"Your loyalty to what is left of Atreus Pride is admirable." Torch announced. "But misplaced.

"There is nothing left to defend." Barb added.

"And how can you when you are thirsty and starving?" Rings said, placing her paw on Stick's shoulder.

"You weren't affected by the white death?" Staff asked looking at the invading warrior's numbers. "I guess not."

"As of this day Atreus Pride is no more. But its remnants may continue to live... if you swear allegiance to me." Saber ordered.

More murmuring was heard across the village.

"The weather has become unstable and very unpredictable. What if another white death comes?" Barb asked.

"Or another army less charitable than mine?" Blade asked.

"Chieftain." Staff said kneeling in front of the leader of Three Rivers Pride.

He was joined by Sticks, Malee and the remaining warriors who emerged from the caves to welcome their conqueror.

On that day Atreus Pride was absorbed into Three Rivers Pride.

"Alright, collect them and let's move on." Blade ordered thinking about the next prides on his hit list.

Once again the army was on the move.

"Something funny Rings?" Blade asked the pregnant feline warrior next to him.

"Thinking about Naomi, your slave sir."

"Tch!"

"If it wasn't for her warning about the white death we would have wound up just like Kokee and Atreus Prides."

"Yes, yes insure that she receives something extra at mealtime."

"An extra portion of eyeball soup?" Rings asked.

"Exactly." Saber snickered.

6:22 PM Nezera's Loft (World Seven)

The grey vampire bat glanced out her window from the domed tower near the center of the city. She saw Chaundoon's suns appear to be rising (or were they setting?) She concluded that it was the prior and returned back to sleep trying to enjoy her last day of vacation. She hated being up and about during the day- it was too bright outside.

As she drifted back to sleep she dreamt of her life in World Two just after the fall.

"BLAARGH!!"

"AIEEE!!! SOMEONE ANYONE, HELP ME!!!" A male gazelle shouted as he was about to be imbibed by an eight foot tall monster.

*SWOOP*

The gazelle looked down and saw the ground getting smaller and the walking pile of sherbert that had tried to eat him looking upward as he was being carried off.

Wait what was he being carried off by? He too looked upward to see a grey female bat, large ears, with a hook nose. She gently placed him inside a bell tower of what may have been a church before the fall.

"Thank you for rescuing me!" The gazelle said running to hug his grey savior. "The city has become a cesspool of yuck since the collapse. I was stupid to hope it would get any better."

Weird that the female bat did not hug him back. There was an awkward silence between the two. That was when the gazelle felt a rumbling. He moved his paw from her back to right over her stomach. That was where the rumbling was coming from!!

"I don't suppose you are a kind and gentle fruit bat?" He replied, flailing backwards.

Nezera regarded the gazelle and the simple clothing he was wearing- gray shorts and a black poncho- what he could scrounge up in these post apocalyptic times.

The lady bat shook her head no. "Vampire." She said smiling.

"You didn't save me out of the kindness of your own heart did you? You were just snatching a meal from a competitor?"

"Yes, most definitely yes." Nezera said, her eyes turning red. "This is the point where you make peace with your forthcoming demise."

Extreme terror registered on the gazelle's face.

"PLEASE I DON'T WANT TO... TO..."

The gazelle began to say pleading for his life. He never finished his sentence as he was entranced by his abductor. A moment later two sharp fangs pierced his neck as his life's fluid was slowly drained from him.

"You should be more careful, there are a lot of monsters running around." Nezera said between slurps.

"Nezera are you there?!"

The she bat awoke with a start. The sound was coming from the door of her loft. Reluctantly she opened it.

"Alex Winter?" The lady bat said half asleep.

"You didn't show up to relieve Shakara and myself this afternoon. I got concerned and came to find you. By the way, nice place... what a great view."

"Alex Winter, it is still dawn!"

"Actually no it is sunset and has been like that for the last twenty hours. But I guess you could think it was also sunrise." I replied looking at Chaundoon's suns.

"Alex Winter, what happened?"

"The dark moon somehow stopped day and night from occurring and now the planet is now experiencing an eternal sunset or sunrise."

*GRUMBLE*

"I was having a wonderful dream." The lady bat bemoaned.

"What was it about?" I asked, following her inside.

"A successful hunt I had a few days after the fall."

"Really?"

"I stole a foolish gazelle from another monster who was about to prey on him. He was very appreciative until he realized he was my prey.... He then pleaded for his life."

I looked at the vampire bat.

"Which was when you whammied and fed on him." I said disgusted.

"I had to, I don't like when my food is stressed at the time of death- it doesn't taste as good."

"NEZERA!"

"Boy, all living things must eat to survive. You, me, everyone and everything. I remember that gazelle nourished me for the better part of a week. Hmm...that was such a good week..." She replied as I gave her the stink eye. "Give me ten minutes."

"Hurry it up." I said headed for the doorway.

"This world is ending- so what is the rush?" She asked.

"King Dragon is making an announcement this evening."

"Let me guess, you are going to attend after dinner?" The lady bat said showing me her fangs.

"That was not funny, Nezera."

6:32 PM Central Tower (World Seven)

The streets outside the central tower were flooded by the residents, guests and spectators all waiting to hear King Dragon's address.

Shakara and I found our bear at the entrance of the city in the blue coupe. She had made it back, her away mission unsuccessful. The red, silver and black prototypes were deployed around the city as well.

"With a crowd that large, how is everyone supposed to hear Sorren?" My lioness asked.

"That is easy." I jumped into the co-pilot seat and deployed the probe placing it above the crowd and in front of King Dragon's podium.

I spotted the meerkats, Corey and Rumble, Dawn, Corbin, Club, Theresa, Oliver, Axe, Midnight Black, Minka and Arthur in the crowd as well as the council and members of the various tribes we had met on this world- the sand folk, mud folk, stone folk, tree folk and marsh folk to name a few.

"Overwatch patch the audio from the probe to the PA system on the blue coupe. Wheels and Roadie wall also do the same." Lady Ursa ordered.

*Done. Just in time too. It is beginning.*

_"Beastias, monsters, humans as well as friends we have made along the way thank you for coming." King Dragon began his presentation. "This year, although better than the previous, has been perpetuated by new threats and challenges that seemed benign at first but have kept escalating and escalating to the point which we have now finally realized all life on the planet itself has been threatened." _

*CREAK*

King Dragon looked at a particular building in the city's skyline that had threatened to topple over a year ago but straightened up when it realized it was being watched by the red dragon.

"I was not referring to you." The goofy dragon muttered under his breath.

Meanwhile, the audience looked at the planet's two suns which were seemingly locked either in sunrise or sunset.

"It is in these dark times that I want to offer all present here not just in World Seven but on Chaundoon as well hope. This is the beginning of the end for you dark moon! The instigator of all the misery on this world. You have caused calamitous weather, tribe to turn on tribe and what we know to become topsy turvy. At this moment the Planetary Science Division along with the knight core have enacted a plan that if successful will cripple the rogue moon's effect on this world and become the first step towards your elimination!" King Dragon said, guesting toward the darkest of the planet's four moons.

I held Shakara and Lady Ursa's paws as we looked skyward away from the two suns that couldn't decide whether they were rising or setting and the planet's other three moons and toward the dark moon.

"I think I see them." My fierce ursine warrior announced.

"Where?" My lioness asked.

"That blip just to the right of center. The Manassas's sky ship." I pointed. "They better not get too close."

"I think they will remember from last time, pet." My she beast announced.

We watched as the ship streaked to the right after depositing its cargo- a half dozen missiles from the prototypes. A moment later they detonated creating bright flashes in front of the dark celestial object.

"Everyone fingers crossed." Shakara ordered.

The explosions lit up the sky eliciting cheers from the crowds around the city. I quickly panned the probe's camera toward the dark moon hoping to see at least a few fragments broken off from the celestial body lessening the dark pulses it was sending toward the planet.

"Overwatch please provide confirmation." My lioness ordered.

*No damage at all I am afraid.*

"DAMN." My warrior bear grumbled. "Those are some ordinances we won't be able to resupply."

"Did I say elimination?!" Sorren said poking his two index paw fingers together in extreme embarrassment while Duchess Jua placed hers on his shoulder.

7:28 PM Mirrored Forest (S'mar Pridelands)

"Naka?" Kiwi asked as the maned wolf's ears started twitching.

"We have company! Everyone hide!"

The quartet scrambled into the base of the hollowed out tree just in time to see a red flaming humanoid something scurring by.

AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

"Wha... what was that?!" Kiwi asked.

"I truly don't know." The maned wolf advised.

"Just as well we need to stay on guard." Song advised.

"I am getting hungry. I am going to see what I can scrounge up." The knight said.

"Is that wise Naka?" Song advised.

"Well we could stay here and starve." The wolf said looking at his kitty cat.

"I am going with you in case that thing has friends." The chakat said fetching her weapon. You two remain hidden."

Kiwi nodded as he watched his guardians leave to forage for food.

The two continued to try to thaw out the frozen S'mar warriors as best they could.

*tap* *tap*

"What is it Tonka?" Mr. Goodfellow asked, nodding off a little.

*tap* *tap*

"I saw movement!" The boy-leach said rather abruptly.

"Don't think so. It is going to be a while before those two fully thaw out." Kiwi countered.

"Wrong." Tonka countered taping the boy again.

*KRACK*

*BURST*

As Kiwi opened his eyes to the sound of ice breaking, he soon realized that he was facing the wrong end of a bow and arrow- behind it a fierce female feline warrior. The beautiful nude who was frozen only hours earlier. Next to her a thin but tall male warrior who was threatening Tonka with a pestle.

"WHOA!!" Kiwi gasped.

To Be Continued....