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jinmukangwrites · 4 years

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I was going to wait to hit you with more quotes until the next time you ask for quotes but this one's a bit too funny to resist sending it any link Wait. Don't leave me alone with these two! Just keep an eye on them for now. I'll be back

Warnings: Panic attacks, claustrophobia,

Note: long one, I'll add a "keep reading" later. Enjoy!

-o-o-o-o-

"Yup, we're separated," Twilight sighs and Sky can feel his stomach drop. Oh dear, he really doesn't like caves. He much prefers the sky, the openness and endlessness is so comforting and relaxing, in most times of trial all he must do is look up and instantly his brain will calm.

But he can't do that right now. If he looks up he will be met with the sight of rock, rock and more rock that goes for who knows how long onward, creating an impenatrable barrier between him and the outside world. Between him and the sky.

He can feel his chest ache with worry. He isn't afraid, far from it exactly, just a tad bit... uncomfortable. He's almost tempted to turn towards Wild, the third member of their cave trapped group, the fourth being Hyrule, and ask for his Sheikah Slate so he can look through those strange magic paintings he has and search for one that shows the endless expanse of blue that wraps around the ground like a warm, inviting embrace.

But he won't do that either. Twilight doesn't look worried, more annoyed than anything, and Wild and Hyrule actually look horribly excited to he trapped on the wrong side of a cave in. Excited to go deeper for it is the only way they can go, excited to see if they can find something hidden or undiscovered. Sky would much rather stay by the cave in and wait for the others to dig them out, but that idea seams to not be on even Twilight's mind, for he is already pulling out a lantern and lifting it with a this-may-as-well-happen expression on his face.

Sky knows each of these men have been through this before. Doors slamming behind their back, barriers appearing and trapping them so the only direction to go would be deeper into the unknown. Sky himself has had these thing happen, and he knows it's normally a sign that something must be done. But for now, he can't help but fear that this isn't a trap, it isn't a locked door, it isn't a blockade that will disappear after they fight some kind of giant chu chu or something of the sort. He can't help but fear it's just a normal cave in, and he's in a group of people who have no problems with going deeper into unimaginable danger.

Oh Hylia, why were they even going into the cave in the first place? His mind is so muddled and worried that Twilight is beginning to lead the way down further that he can't seem to remember. Some sort of monster terrorizing someone who lived in the cave? A chest that holds some sort of key that they need? Perhaps some sacred puddle of water Four needs to water a plant with?

Oh dear. This isn't good.

Not good at all.

"Let's go further, see if there's a way out on the other side of the cave," Twilight says; which happen to he the worst possible words Sky had wanted to hear. Still, he finds himself reluctantly following, his heart pounding in his throat, almost stumbling desperately to stay near the light Twilight holds.

He's not afraid. He's truly not afraid. Just fearful. There's a difference.

He looks up at the cave ceiling and quickly snaps his neck down, cursing his habit. There's no sky. No point in trying. There's no reason to look up if he knows what he's searching for isn't there.

"I wonder what's down here," Hyrule says, walking a little ahead of Twilight with an impossible spring to his step, as if he'd much rather explore the cave with no light like the crazy person he is.

"A way out, hopefully," Sky says, and it's nothing close to a squeak but he's sure if he gives it time it will eventually turn into one.

"Nah, I bet it's some sort of evil cave dwelling Moblin," Wild says, a grin in his voice.

"No way, a Moblin?" Hyrule scoffs.

"Yes, a golden one. Big, mean, and strong."

"Moblin's aren't that bad," Hyrule replies, "I bet it's actually a Lynel."

"Lynels' don't live in caves," Wild argues back.

"They totally do. And I bet it's a whole herd of them."

"Lynels' don't live in herds!"

"Have you met a Lynel?!"

Sky hasn't met a Lynel. And quite honestly he'd like not to. He's heard Legend talk about them before, giant beasts that are a mix of a great cat and a strong horse. Creatures with fangs and swords and power, unimaginably tough skin, making it almost impossible for a normal sword to do a single lick of damage.

His hand trails over his shoulder where the Master Sword lay, finding comfort in her presence. Unfortunately, Twilight notices the movement and lifts an eyebrow. Sky gives a nervous smile and drops his hands to his side.

Don't think about it.

"What if it's a dragon?" Hyrule continues. "A three headed one. I've had to fight one of those before."

"Dragon's aren't evil," Wild says back with an almost offended tone.

"Mine were. Nasty things that spewed fire everywhere."

Just ignore them Sky. Ignore them.

"What about you, ranch hand? Have you ever fought a dragon?" Hyrule asks, turning his head towards the lantern holder of the group.

Twilight shook his head. "Once. He wasn't that bad though. More bark than bite."

"Chosen?"

Sky swallows. "Ah, no. They were... friendly."

"We're tied," Wild says, smirking.

"No we just have to ask the others later. I'm sure they've all fought horrible monsters and you and the chosen hero are the only ones who have weird ones."

Oh Sky truly hopes the get to ask the others soon.

They continue down more into the cave and Wild and Hyrule continue to talk about what they could be heading towards and Sky loathes Twilight for having such a relaxed, uninterested expression on his face. He's somehow worked himself to a point where he can completely tune out their antics but Sky is left to hang on every word, his chest growing tighter and tighter.

Eventually, and Sky doesn't know if he should be thankful or not, they end up in a dead end. Or what's close to it. Twilight stops with a hum and Hyrule bends down to inspect the bottom of the wall they've found themselves facing. The cave just... Ends. There's no other ways to turn, nothing to do but go back and forth between one end and another. Or so he thinks so until Wild calls out.

"There's a hole at the bottom!"

Panic clutches Sky's heart as Twilight bends down to inspect the hole Wild has found. There is, indeed, a hole—hardly big enough for a dog to fit through—located at the bottom of the dead end. He will not try and squeeze himself through there. He's aware he's not the skinniest in the group, and he certainly isn't the most agile or flexible, and if he crawls into that hole he knows he'll get stuck. He'll get stuck and he'll never see the sky again and that- he takes a deep breath and looks up for just a moment.

At this rate, he's not going to see sky ever again whether he crawls into tiny holes or not.

"I wonder where it goes," Hyrule says, excitement making his voice go a half octave higher. Hyrule is normally one of the reserved members of the group, but when stuffed into an unknown cave without a map or plan, his true colors truly shine.

He kneels down and Sky almost goes light headed with relief when Twilight stops Hyrule from shooting into the hole with a hand on his shoulder.

"Let me," he says, making Sky insanely more worried and confused because Twilight is bigger than Sky. Well, broader. If Sky is certain he will get stuck, Twilight getting stuck is like, written in some holy book somewhere. Foreseen by the goddessess.

"Twi..." Wild suddenly says, his voice oddly... reserved.

Twilight shakes his head. "It's about time more people found out. I'm pretty sure vet knows. You know, the old man knows, smithy knows. What's two more?"

"What are you talking about?" Hyrule asks.

Twilight shakes his head, worrying Sky just a little, and then he takes a deep breath like what he's about to say is going to be the last thing he ever says. "Listen, and don't freak out. I'm only going to say this once. I can turn into... Into a wolf. I'm Wolfie. I can crawl into the hole and find out where it goes safer than any of you. I can also... see if I can dig and make it wider for you all if there is something more on the other side."

Sky is... oddly not shocked. Just infinitely more worried that Twilight is still dead set on going into some small hole with a half formed plan.

"Woah!" Hyrule says, "I never guessed!"

Wild is just smiling, and Sky isn't for this at all.

"Or," he says, clearing his throat and feeling heat rush to his cheeks and ears when the others all turn to look at him, "or... We can just turn around and wait for the others to dig us out?"

Wild actually has the audacity to look visibly bored with the idea.

"Nah, I wanna see our rancher turn into a wolf," Hyrule says.

Twilight at least gives Sky a small, sorry smile and a shrug.

Oh dear. Oh dear.

"We're going to try this, Sky. Here-" Twilight hand's Sky his lantern, "I won't need it. You can hold the light."

"I don't like this," Sky tries to say, but Hyrule is practically shaking with excitement.

"I'm so excited," he says and Wild nudges his side with his elbow.

"Hush! He'll get embarrassed and he won't do it!"

Twilight glares at the two of them but still backs a step away from them all. Sky's stomach jumps to his throat when Twilight takes a deep breath.

"Wait!"

Twilight stops, and then gives an... almost annoyed look at Sky.

"Don't leave me alone with these two," Sky whispers.

Wild makes a squawk and Hyrule grins like he's ready to torment Sky. Twilight, thankfully, has the decency to look at the other two and study them. For a small, hopeful second, Sky almost thinks Twilight is going to stay with them, but then he shakes his head and Sky can feel his soul sink to his toes.

"Just keep an eye on them," he says, "I'll be back."

"No, no Tw-"

But it's too late. Sky is rendered speechless as Twilight's humanoid form suddenly... shifts. Morphs. It's a blink of an eye. There's no flash, no sound, nothing. Just one second Sky is about to plead his sanity with Twilight and the next he's looking down at a familiar wolf.

Huh. It all seems more real, shocking even, to actually see that happen.

Wolfie... Twilight gives Wild and Hyrule stern looks before he gives an almost apologetic look at Sky. He nods his muzzle, and then turns and crouches down and starts to wiggle in the hole. He's gone in just a few minutes, nothing but the sound of scratching claws and small dog-like pants to let then know Twilight still exists, but even those start to fade.

"Wow!" Hyrule suddenly yells and Sky nearly jumps a mile.

"I know right!" Wild yells back. Wild suddenly launches into a rant about hard it was to keep Twilight's secret and how glad he is that more people know, and Sky tries to listen. He tries to watch. He tries to... exist... but he truly can't feel a thing. His ears are ringing.

The darkness closing in. He can't hear Twilight anymore. His chest feels heavy.

He blinks and clutches the lantern closer towards his chest. The only evidence now of Twilight's company. Is he alright? He can't hear him anymore. He really, really can't. What if there was a ledge? And he fell? And he's stuck, trapped, forever, waiting for a rescue that won't come.

What if the others don't come, and the oil in the lantern runs dry, and the blackness, the shadows crawling around the cave walls close in, and the air becomes stale and they slowly freeze to their bones.

What if they're trapped. Trapped here, in darkness, never to see the sky again.

This shouldn't bother him. It truly shouldn't, but he's never liked tight, closed off spaces. Oh how much he'd rather be on the surface. Oh how much he'd rather be on Skyloft. Oh how much he'd rather be on the back of his dear friend—his other half—the red Loftwing.

He can feel his back hit something hard and his knees decide to feel very wobbly. He forces himself to take in a deep breath but a fog is washing over his mind and he's truly not sure if he actually breathed in or not.

He's not afraid. He's not. He's not he's not he's not. Worried. Fearful. Cautious. But not afraid. He's not.

He looks up, wanting to see the sky, and he finds no comfort in the rocks that gaze back at him.

His legs give out and the lantern falls.

What is wrong with him. What is wrong with him.

This has never happened before. No, never before.

He can't help but feel that this has never happened before because he used to be younger, used to always be sure that there was always a way out and always a sky waiting for him.

Right now, it feels like the whole world is the wet, cold, stone pressing into his back.

He's not afraid, he just can't tell if he's breathing. He's not afraid, his ears are just ringing. He's not afraid, his mind is just not working with him. He's not afraid, his chest just feels broken.

Then, suddenly, something grabs onto his hand and he gasps, blinking towards the face of none other than Wild, the lantern in his hands now instead of wherever it went when Sky lost grasp of it. Sky searches Wild's face, searching for anything to... ground him? Ground isn't the right word. He'd much rather be in the clouds, but then his eyes land on the deepest blue he's ever seen, or maybe he's so much black shadows recently that he forgot what blue looked like.

He stares at Wild's eyes, and he can see so much blue, and it's not the same as the sky but he knows Wild has seen the sky before, seen it many times before, and Wild hasn't worried once about never seeing it again.

"You okay?" A voice asks, and Sky recognizes it as Hyrule voice, but right now looking away from Wild's eyes is the last thing he wants to do.

He wants to say that yeah, he's fine, but the words don't reach his throat. The most he can do is croak out a pathetic no and immediately Wild is setting the lantern down onto the cave floor, bending down so he's sitting across from Sky. Warmth spreads on Sky's side and he instantly recognizes the warmth belonging to Hyrule who has just sat down next to him. Sky closes his eyes, facing the dark in his mind and forcing it away, replacing it with Wild's deep blue.

Blue. Sky. Air. Freedom.

He sucks in a breath, feeling his chest shutter once, twice, then still with his calming breathing. Once he can no longer feel his heart jumping, he opens his eyes and meets Wild's gaze.

"Better?"

Sky nods and Wild smiles.

"Here," Wild suddenly says, handing Sky his precious magic slate like he knew exactly what Sky needed. He helps Sky get to the magic paintings ("They're pictures, Sky") and then he settles himself on the other side of Sky.

Sky looks at the first "picture", one of the entire landscape of Wild's Hyrule from the top of what seems to be a very big mountain. You can see the castle, but it's very small in comparison to the horizon. Sky can feel Hyrule rest his head on Sky's shoulder as he flicks to the next picture, and he chuckles when it's a "picture" of Sky himself, resting against a tree and a steadily growing pile of sticks being made atop his head by the recognizable hand of Legend.

Wild and Hyrule chuckle too, and all of a sudden Sky is so grateful that he's been left with the two of them.

Time passes, and he almost forgets what they're doing, when all of a sudden there's scratching of claws and panting dog breaths and a snout appears through a small hole at the bottom of a dead ended wall.

Sky breathes the largest sigh of relief, or what he thinks is the largest. Wild is a worthy competitor, and Sky realizes that Wild and Hyrule were just as worried about their fourth member. The thought is comforting. He wonders how they both dealt with it so much better than himself.

Wolfie quickly merges into Twilight and instantly Twilight is ranting about giant caverns and crystals and underground rivers and he's starting to suggest making the hole wider when Hyrule all of a sudden cuts him off.

"Actually, I think we should go to the entrance and wait for the others," he says, shocking Sky. What's even more shocking is when Wild nods along.

"Yeah, we shouldn't risk it," he says.

Twilight frowns, as if the mere thought of Hyrule and Wild turning down potential adventure is truly the most puzzling of things, but then he turns and his face softens when he looks at Sky.

"What do you think, Chosen?" He asks, though he says it like he already knows the answer.

"Can... can we go back?"

Twilight smiles, and gives a half-hearted shrug. "Three against four, then, I suppose."

He doesn't sound all that disappointed about it. Caverns and crystals and underground rivers for some reason must not sound as exciting to him any longer. He wonders what took priority, because Twilight is all about priority, but he doesn't wonder too much into it because they all stand up and make their way towards the entrance of the cave. Or, the caved in entrance.

Whatever way, Sky feels like it's easier and easier to breath the closer they get to it. They settle their things down by the cave in and sit and talk and look at more of Wild's magic paintings, and eventually there's movement and the wall comes crumbling down. They're met with sunlight, the smiling, grimy face of Four whose holding an unlit bomb in their arms, but more importantly, they're met with endless blue, and Sky feels like he can truly breathe again.

#jin writes #linked universe #hero of the sky #hero of the wild #hero of hyrule #hero of twilight #ask #ni cookie #drabble fic

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burndownthehousetonight · 7 years

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((Isn’t it great when you forget to do something as easy as posting text you already have compiled for several days? Anyways, this is the third chapter in this @blazerandfnds RP thread we’re doing. I just had to update the headers for my Fringe RP header, I keep forgetting to do that ‘3′))

The archer stopped in his tracks. They might have been the one with the bow, but Tetra was the one with the gun. There was a stare down between the two while Jersey stood off to the side. If it weren’t for the whimpering creature laying near them, the scene would have been deathly quiet. Even if he wasn’t the best negotiator, Tetra was clearly used to sudden danger, remaining collected and pointing his gun square towards the archer. His attention was only distracted slightly by the strange appearance. Everyone in these mountains had strange appearances, but he hadn’t seen anyone with what looked like a ruby embedded in their forehead. “State your name,” he commanded. The normally crotchety grit to his voice suddenly sounded bellowing and threatening as he demanded the name of their rescuer.

The hedgehog didn’t even seemed phased by the gun. He could tell that it would take him a few seconds to actually fire. He didn’t want to seem imposing and put his hands up. “Easy there officer, I was just hunting is all.” He sounded innocent enough and looks at the frog in front of him. The creature's whimpers had slowed down into more subtle groans as it started to lose it's grip on it's own life, the sound dying down in time with Tetra's initial reaction. Tetra didn't take both hands off of his gun, no longer poised to shoot in a moment but able to if necessary. To the side of the two, Jersey could only look on and worry if something else was going to happen to them. "Well, your hunting saved our hides," Tetra admitted, not sounding happy and skimming over the apology. "Good shot. How do we get back to the city?" That finger fiddling with the trigger made it clear he still wasn't keen on the stranger who saved them out of nowhere. The creature disappears in a puff of smoke as the shadows of the night move around it. Bullseye did not like the reaction of the frog but understood that he was trained that way. He puts his hands down and points forward. “The closest city is east of here.” His eyes pulse a bit as he talks. "Thanks," the frog said, nodding his head slightly as he spoke. He started to put his gun back in his holster, fingers still grazing across the handle. "You mind showing us the way back, in case anything else jumps us? Don't know these parts well." Jersey had only gotten more surprised and confused at everything that happened around them. Where had the corpse gone? He had no idea. Why did this guy have pulsing eyes? No idea. But lord knew either of these two could jump him if he stepped out of line, and the creatures of the woods would jump him without reason. All he could do was stay near the others and hope for safety. He shakes his head and puts his hands down. “No can do, I am on a much more important mission. You two should get a compass but just keep walking east. Not too far from here, you will see a river. Follow it up and you should end up where you started. It’s also pretty safe as most of the wild creatures think its sacred. I will catch you two later.” He walks away with his bow on his back. Tetra nodded as the hedgehog walked off. He reached around into his pocket, for a swiss army knife with a small compass card. If he didn't want his thanks, so be it. Tetra had more important issues himself. A quick nudge to Jersey's shoulders would break him out of his dazed state. "Come on, kid, we're leaving." They left through the woods, faster than they would have cared to admit. The frog's hand would never leave his holster band until they reached the town, believing themselves to be safe. The lodging itself wasn't hard to find on the main street, and even if they ended up sharing a room, they were happy to be out of the forest. Jersey, however, wasn't able to sleep as well as his superior, and through the night would find himself thinking back to their encounter with Fringe, screwing up with the princess, his first day as a temporary agent. And most of all, the strange hedgehog who showed up out of nowhere to save his life... Fringe slept fairly well, but was constantly on the verge of waking from fear as his worries from the day pooled into bad dreams. He was curled up and laying on his side, almost looking pained as he dreamed and drug his fingers through the edges of one of Dark's wings on the grassy floor. Dark was standing up and realized that he needed his wings trimmed as he felt Fringe’s fingers touch them. He awakens slowly as the morning came around. He turns his ears as he could hear the birds chirping in the trees nearby. “Hmm…” He thinks. The stress and anger flowing through Fringe's mind had him on edge, and feeling dark remove his feathers from Fringe's hand was enough to get him to wake up. Once he was finally awake enough, he stumbled to support himself on his own arms. It smelled like it had rained the previous night, but the simple cover they'd made had protected Dark from the rain. A lot had happened to them that previous day, and Fringe was visibly affected by it. His clear skin showed faint stress lines. "Good... good morning." Fringe said. The two took in their surroundings for a few moments. "Where do you think we should head towards?" He asked. "You said your home city wouldn't be safe, right?" He shakes his head. “Well no, but even so I would have to go back at some point. Hmm…my senses tell me that a danger has been brought here. They have never been wrong before but there is always a first for everything.”

He was thinking about Nightmare and the other hedgehog from before. He knew who they were but didn’t want to stress Fringe out further. "I see, then we should get moving," Fringe admitted. "Moving to... hm..." The two stood, and Fringe fastened the device back around his neck. He flicked the switch and shivered as the hologram reformed. "We should stay away from the northern city and the Sunshines, so we should leave the north, and your home likely isn't safe... you mentioned there are other clans, would either of them attack you on sight? Perhaps we could head towards one of their cities?" Dark nods. “Yes, it’s only a matter of time before the police catch me here. Where should we move? I think down South would be best. It’s the safest parts of the region for me…Although I fear that…nevermind. Let’s just head out.” He steps ahead.

Meanwhile while they were heading out, there was the hedgehog from before. He emerges from his shelter and heads towards the caves to get his his pet dragon. Bullseye meets up with him. “So have you found the prize yet?”

Bullseye looks at him and growls. “No, the best I got were some lost foreigners. They almost became food to a night wolf.”

The hedgehog looks at him. “Very well, but we do need some help. Maybe you could perhaps find them again and bring them to me. Something tells me that they could be of use.” But so far, these lost foreigners weren't with the hedgehogs or their hunting steed, in a cave on the outskirts of somewhere uninviting. And the foreigners weren't with Dark and Fringe as they traveled some lesser known mountain trails, through meadows and small forests dotted with all varieties of wildlife. No, the two were at the local police station. Sure, the footwork was more exciting to Jersey, but there was plenty of less engaging work to be done. Less engaging orders to get the force out and informing the citizens of the fugitives with the same wanted posters, still bearing the same picture of Fringe without his disguise. The boring work would be one thing, but he wasn't too keen on Tetra rubbing in the fact Jersey was his inferior by making him carry and show off papers for him while he did all the talking. His words seemed to have a better effect on the police than the average person. They were ushered out not long after they had arrived, but every second of Tetra's behavior stuck with him. He might have been a cop, but there was something grimy at the edge of his personality. Oh, well. He was his partner now, for better or for worse, and he had to follow his orders to get back to the portal rooms. In the distance, the dragon and his rider could be seen taking off. Some towns folks look in awe as they see him. Other don’t seem to care and go on with their day to day business.

As Jersey and Tetra were putting the last of the posters up, one of the the people run up to them. “Hey, I think I found who you are looking for.”

Tetra looks at him and his eyes light up a bit as he finally got the lead he was looking for…or at least it seemed that way. “Tell me what you know.”

He nods. “Well I last saw them far up North in the forest. I think that black furred hedgehog was kidnapping the mutant or something. I don’t know much but that’s what I got.” "They're still in the forests, huh? Where'd you see them exactly?" "It was this..." The mouse struggled to put his thoughts together. "Last night, I was picking up some carving wood. It was right there, by a small lumbermill. You could see the river from there, and... ..." One hurried map of the city later, Tetra was bolting for a way to get out of his city. He had his man, and Jersey was going to be just as happy to finally see these two get caught. Of course, the capture wasn't going to be so easy, as the two were still making their way down to the southern city. Fringe traveled in the river water for short periods, as was more natural for him. The hologram adjusted fluidly, but couldn't account for the water around him, and the water clipping through his holographic tail gave away that not everything was entirely right with this disguise. The tiny details of the disguise weren't important to the two just yet, and they spoke as they traveled over the plains. "I've never had too much interest in electronics. Water and blindness don't make things easy." He smiled and chuckled. "Magic though... I know I can't appreciate it right without seeing it, but it's incredible. How does it feel to use that kind power? That power you used when we flew this far, I mean?" Dark looks at him and smirks. “I can naturally fly and that is amazing within itself. Using magic is a whole other story. It feels hot for me but when it’s released, the feeling is like nothing else.” He explains as they travel.

Shortly after travelling for a bit, Dark saw it fit for them to set up camp again. They weren’t quite south just yet but they were by the river in the mountains. The place was more open than the caves where they came from but was still covered by the vast amount of oak trees and tall pine trees of the forest. “I think this would be a good place to rest and set up camp. The river is a good resource of water and there are plenty of trees and plants to keep the fire going as well as bring food.”

Meanwhile, Tetra and Jersey were hot on their trail as they found their previous camp in the mountains. Tetra was more confident about the mission but was disappointed when he didn’t see them there. “How could they have known we were coming?” He said out loud as their location was unknown yet again.

Jersey sighs and looks around he saw one of Dark’s feathers as it had been brushed off. “Hey, Tetra, you should check this out.” He says as he picks it up and brings it to him.

As this was happening, Bullseye wasn’t too far off as they were being followed. He was waiting for the right time to approach them. “Hmm…” Tetra couldn't have snatched up that feather quick enough. He ran his finger down the center. "Alright, what can we learn from this?" He said out loud, examining the feather. 'Nothing really' was the answer to that. "But that's good, we've got his friend's DNA. If they dropped this, maybe they got sloppy cleaning up!" There was a quick search of the campsite, but there was nothing the could have gone off of. All that remained of their stay was the rustled leaves and tiny fragments of feathers and cloth too tiny to be seen with the naked eye. Jersey gave in quickly, but Tetra was determined. He spoke commands into an outdated phone, in codes and terms his partner and the interloper didn't understand. "Let's call it in, we know they're here! We can do this!" He said, trying to pump them both up. Tetra put down the phone. "I know, that's why I'm calling this in," he said bluntly. For once, he spoke in terms they could all understand. "Have every inch of the surrounding area combed immediately. They aren't escaping again." Jersey taps him on the shoulder. “Um, I don’t mean to sound rude but don’t you think that the town won’t be too happy with a foreign police squad searching for a mutant and a weird hedgehog they know nothing about?” He asks hoping for a logical answer.

Tetra thinks for a moment. The experience at the temple was enough to get him guessing. “I guess the intern is right, but this is the closest we have ever got to these two felons. What else am I supposed to do?”

He thinks a moment. He wasn’t the brightest cat in the world but surely wasn’t the dumbest. “Let’s take the evidence we got to the station. Maybe their patrol officers would listen to us then.”

Tetra thought a moment and even he had to admit that plan was a good idea. “You know what kid, I think that’s a great plan. Alright, you know where to go. Off to the station." Jersey pumped one of his fists silently when Tetra was looking away. Even Tetra had to calm down once in a while, as crabby and awful as he could be. Tetra reached into his coat, and pulled out a plastic bag. He collected the very few things they could find into it, placing the large feather inside last. His fingers zipped along the edge and closed up the temporary evidence baggie, and they were ready to do something properly in this investigation. Tetra's speech was just slightly less intense, enough to get the other men to listen to him. "Let's get moving." Jersey said happily, as the two started the walk back to town. "And let's be quick about it," Tetra said. "If anyone's finding those Dark and Fringe kids, it's gonna be us." As they walk off, Bullseye takes a picture of them and sends some info to the dragon rider. ‘They found some info that would be of use. Change of plans.’ He keeps his stealth and hides in the trees.

After some time, the two agents finally got to the police station and explain everything to the records keeper. He looks at them and files some reports on their case. “Alright, we will bring it up to our elites to search the area if we find anything, we will let you know.”

Jersey sighs in relief. He was finally able to accomplish something for once. Tetra chuckles and looks at him. “I think you’re alright but we should keep ours eyes out. Anything could happen at this point.” He says as they head back into the town. Now that his suggestion had actually accomplished something, Jersey was feeling sure of himself. He could do this, he could find them. The investigation was progressing, and hell, maybe once Tetra stopped yelling, things would go smoothly! For just those few moments, Jersey felt totally serious. Fringe, on the other hand... "I didn't know the temple guards HAD those powers, let along that she was one!" Fringe had started to get lost in one of his stories. If he was going to have to travel with someone, the best course of action was to befriend them, and Dark was easy to get along with. "So the first time she used any powers around me, I thought I'd had a stroke!" He laughed and shifted how he sat, still smiling warmly. The hologram reflected all the movements of the muscles around his eye sockets into vivid, reminiscent expressions around his false eyes. "Of course, she always tells me that echolocation seems like a superpower, but that means nothing when there are people who can summon ice or fire from nothing." Dark didn’t quite remember what he had told him and didn’t remember talking about guardian powers. Maybe Fringe misheard him. “Uh…what are you talking about. I don’t remember talking about the guardians. Although I think it would be a good time to explain how powers work around here.” He says as he hears Fringe ramble on. Fringe smiled and tilted his head towards his confused companion. "Powers aren't unique to these mountains, you know. I've heard many stories about powers before. All powerful beings and their soldiers..." He could be seen almost shivering at the thought. "I don't know how many of the stories are tall tales, but I hope not many. They're too exciting." The words guardian powers seemed too specific to be an off-handed comment. "I suppose it's time I learn what's real, shouldn't I? I'm all ears, Dark." As Dark starts to explain, he turns his ears towards the sky as he could hear a dragon fly by. “Hmm…we must be closer than I thought. We are in dragon territory.” He steps close to the trees as a white scaled dragon glides over them with grace.

Meanwhile with Jersey and Tetra. The two approach their hotel to rest up for the night. They had a long day of searching the town themselves and still not coming up with any results. Jersey was getting frustrated and looks at Tetra. “So how long do you think it will take for them to get back to us?” "Three days, tops." He said. He looked like he was totally confident that they were going to get them. "The local police are swarming the forests and looking down every possible path, there's no way a couple of killers can escape us now." He laughed, feeling like he had already won. Jersey didn't look as excited. "You don't think so? You think something's wrong with that plan?" "No! No, not like that!" Jersey said, waving his hands in front of him. "I don't know- Not too much about these lands, but we know the wilderness is dangerous. Even forest trails can be dangerous. There are even dragons in the right places, they could be killed before we find them." "They'd deserve it," Tetra said, not missing a beat and shocking Jersey. Jersey shrugs, not knowing how to respond. He didn’t know much about the wilderness but knew that it was a dangerous place…at least to the residents. He wasn’t sure if they would even be found at this point.

The next day was coming pretty quickly as Dark wakes up at the peak of dawn. He stretches his wings and yawns. In front of him across the river, he could see a white scaled dragon drinking some water. “That’s amazing.” He thinks while keeping his distance from the dragon. Fringe was already up at that point, not paying too much attention to the noise of what seemed to be an animal drinking water. "Good morning," he said as he heard the hybrid mumble. The words "that's amazing" confused him. "Did something happen?" Fringe's first instinct was concern, but it didn't take long to realize that this was the happy kind of amazement. The sound of the animal drinking struck him, as he realized just how far the river was and how loud the lapped water was. Fringe couldn't see the massive dragon or his pearlescent white scales, but he knew to be humbled. This didn't seem to be a vengeful or horrifying dragon. In fact, it looked like a few mourning doves were flying with the dragon and bathing in the thin stream near it to stay safe from other local predators, like a court following their king. The dragon stops drinking and decides to rest on the riverside. The doves beside her were chirping and flying about. Dark smiles and pulls out a device to take a quick picture. He hears Fringe as he said good morning. “Morning, Fringe. Sleep well?” He says lightly as Fringe approaches him. "Yes, just fine." Fringe said. His attention was still focused on whatever was resting in front of them. Living underwater had stopped Fringe from hearing many bird chirps, and the peeping was a nice addition to the low sound of a massive being taking a chance to rest. "It sounds like a tremendous beast," he said, staying quiet and not wanting to attract attention. The large beasts in the ocean had caused him enough trouble, anyways. The dragon's eyes perked at the sight of some large fish swimming upstream. Her eyes pin pointed the source, and threw into the water, catching a snack for the predator. The sudden splash startled the bird and Fringe in equal measures, though neither was terrified enough to leave. "I'm glad I didn't go for a swim this morning," he quipped to stay in good spirits. Dark smiles and see the opportunity to befriend the dragon. She could be useful to them. He looks at Fringe and taps his shoulder. “Say, I think this dragon could help us on our journey. I am going to approach her and see. You can join if you like.”

The dragon hears them talking and looks over to them. With a friendly growl it starts to speak. “You two ought to know that I am able to speak.” Fringe stepped forward. The dragon's speech wasn't pitch perfect to normal Mobian speech, carrying an accent that was normal for normal among dragons but utterly alien to the loach stepping forward cautiously. What was he supposed to do, bow, kneel? "And you out to know I cannot see," Fringe told her, as though his lack of eyes wasn't enough of a giveaway. "So forgive me if I do something strange. My name is Fringe... I'm sorry, what is your name? How should we address you?" She smiles as she was amused. She could tell that her intimidating appearance was getting to him but she had no intention to harm him. After all, she was a friendly dragon. “You may call me Divine and how may I address you two?” She asks with a subtle southern accent.

Dark smiles and was amazed to meet a dragon that didn’t want to bite off his head. “You may call me Dark, miss Divine. Do you live around these mountains?” "I don't see where else," she said, smiling gently. "There aren't many other places that are friendly towards dragons. And the scenery here is beautiful." As she spoke, she didn't focus on the scenery, instead on one of the birds fluttering and bathing in the stream water, feathers fluffing out as it moved. "Tell me, why are you all the way out here?" "We got into a bit of a mess earlier," Fringe understated. "With two other mobians and a different dragon, actually. ...You are a different dragon, right?" She smiles and looks at him. “Yes, my home is way up north in the Artic region. I came here on a trip. Also I don’t know what you are meaning by the phrase “different dragon.”" She says a bit confused.

Dark thinking and looks at her. She seemed to know a bit about the area and seemed to be of use. Fringe nervously moved his feet. "The last time we went into the woods, we-" His tone went more serious over the course of those first few words. "I'm sure dark could give you the details better than I could, but we were fighting two other mobians, and one of them was riding a dragon as they fought, and I just wasn't sure..." He laughed nervously. "He said the dragon's name was midnight, or nightmare, or... something or another right? I'm sure I would have heard your rider if you had one, I-" Even small blushes were visible on his face, and this was not a small blush, this was being totally flushed with red. "I'm such a fool," he laughed. She looks at him. “Oh, the rogue dragon of the south. Nightmare, yeah I have heard of him…He was the first to get his mind stolen from him and hopefully the last. However you don’t have to worry about me, I assure you I am not controlled by some rider…”

Dark interrupts her as she rambles. “I hate to interrupt your flashback or whatever but what can you tell us about this area?” The sudden interruption caught Divine off guard, but she quickly recovered. "You're in the wilderness by the westmost cities, you must have traveled awful far to get here from the south." "We did," Fringe confessed. "We actually ended up in the north on accident, we've been trying to walk south ever since we arrived it's... I know I keep saying a lot has happened, but I can't emphasize enough how much happened during that fight." She nods. “I can understand how you feel. Do you need me to help you get back on track? I can fly you there if you need me to.”

Dark looks at her. “I wouldn’t want to ruin your vacation from your home. Are you sure that you would be willing to do that for us?”

She smiles and wags her long tail as she stretches her wings. “I don’t mind, like I said, I just came here for a quick rest.”

In the forest, an odd sound was heard. There was a much louder, mush stranger squeaking sound immediately after. Fringe stepped back after his yelp, furiously stepping away from a dove that seemed to peck him straight on the food. "Oh my stars, that-!" He smiled and laughed, hoping not to make any new enemies. Especially not one that had an affinity for seafood. "Your friends are fiesty, aren't they?" He joked, stepping cautiously and carefully sitting on Divine with Dark's guidance. He could just hear the doves preparing for takeoff yet again. "Uh... Your friends don't hurt people, do they?" She giggles and gives the doves a glare as they stop and settle down. “Nope, they can’t even if they wanted to.”

Dark chuckles and watches a dove fly onto his shoulder. “Well what would you like to do, Fringe. Do you want to stay a little longer or continue on south.” He says lightly. "We should head south," Fringe started, "If you think it's safest for us there, of course." The dragon moved beneath them, standing to her feet and getting wings into position. A few of the birds took into the air preemptively, as Dark sat firmly and Fringe clutched to the dragon like a frightened child. Dark chuckles and taps his shoulder to move up. “It’s more stable up here.” Divine stands and stretches her wings. Blue was showing on the underside of her white scales. “Is everyone ready.” She says. "Yes, I am." Fringe said, frightened of falling off, but at least this time he wasn't baarely clutching to the claws of a dragon. The birds fluttering around peeped and ruffled their feathers impatiently, as if to say, "let's get moving." Fringe gasped gently as Divine suddenly lunged into the air, wings spread and soaring through the air easily. If the scales of the dragon weren't so thick, Fringe's terrified death grip would have been at least a little painful. Dark smiles and looks out into the horizon as Divine flies them south. This was apparent as he saw more caves than mountains and they were getting closer to the plains. He looks at Fringe to check on him. “You okay there?” For once, he didn't turn back as he spoke. "Yes, I'm just slightly horrified of dying horribly." He said in all sincerity, gulping visibly. "It's nothing new." Fringe's discomfort hadn't gone unnoticed, and Divine's flight was slower and lower than she might have gone normally. The air was cold, sure, but not thin or frigid at this height, and the angle of her head streamline the air around her passengers. "Don't worry, I don't eat talking fish." She joked. This comment didn't make Fringe any more comfortable. Divine chuckles as she flies towards the plains. “I was only joking, relax I won’t hurt you.” Dark closes his eyes and meditates. His senses take in the surroundings around him. “Hmm…feels pretty safe.” That normally would have been tempting fate to do something horrible, but nothing of that sort was happening. The way divine flew kept her body stable, so Fringe and Dark weren't being flung around during the flight. Slowly, Fringe was starting to accept the situation. The air felt relaxing, Divine seemed trustworthy, and of course, they had a dragon to protect them from any danger. Dragon's weren't the most subtle form of transportation, or course, and residents of the towns and cities were starting to take notice of this unknown white dragon flying off in the distance. The towns around them were pretty much used to seeing dragons as they were a common creature of the area. The residents look and carry on with business as usual. Dark smiles as they fly over the village and towards the caves.

While they were traveling, Bullseye was getting more clues of their location. He was close but not close enough. The Sunshine police were also getting more clues at that moment, scouring the forest and getting more concerned as their trail started running cold. The chance that they would come across the fugitives's corpses was a horrible possibility they couldn't discount. The only person who wasn't concerned about a potential trail of cold clues was Tetra, who had left the police to their investigation as he followed up another lead. Not likely to b anything massive, but a lead that had been agging him for a while. "I heard rumors that he got into a fight," someone told the police. They were scattered accounts, but they were there. "I think there was a dragon?" "I heard a roar from the woods!" "There were a lot of people who could've fought him." But there was one name that popped up once or twice as a possible culprit. "Bullseye." And trails of questions had lead them to a slightly quieter side of the city, but still no firm location yet. Divine lands as they finally get south. “Here we are.” Dark smiles and looks at Fringe. “You ready to get off?" He asks calmly as the air changes temperature.

Bullseye was getting closer to their trail and manages to find their camp in the forest. "Hmm…they are pretty close.” One of the patrol officers staying near the scene caught sight of the strange figure, but didn't wave them off just yet. They had gotten their orders to report back and try to get them to stay close if they saw anyone matching the description. "Figure matching the description of Bullseye seen at campsite A2," she said quietly into her phone as she stepped out of earshot, "will try to stall him as long as possible." Tetra thanked the officer and turned back to the cat. "We're heading back to the camp, kid, we found our suspect." He ordered, motioning for Jersey to follow. Right back to the teleport up north. "Hey, did something happen?" Jersey said, noticing the way he almost stomped around and the grimace that hadn't left his face all day. "You're acting off." Tetra chuckles as he said that. “Don’t be silly, I am just fine. Just be sure to bring the reports back to my office kid. He says with a devious tone.

Bullseye could sense that he was being followed. He was not happy about this as anyone could get in his way. If it was a Sunshine, they would put him on trial for sure. If it was a G.U.N. agent he wouldn’t know what to do as foreign affairs were not on his list. He had one mission and that was to find Dark. He types on a device to call the hedgehog and let him know his status. “Looks like we would have to change plans.” He says as he closes it up. Oh no, it looked like they were planning to leave. She had to step in. "Hold it," she announce, walking down the short path up to the campsite. A G.U.N. officer, by the looks of it. "This is a protected crime scene, no civilians allowed. Do you want to explain why you're here?" How was she going to bluff him for long enough to have her superior arrive? She couldn't arrest him if he didn't fight back, there weren't many things she could say to some random person. Bullseye almost ignores her as she approaches him. Being aware she was there made his mission easier. He looks at her as he stealthily gets a dart that would put her asleep long enough for him to get away. He didn’t have a reason to kill anyone. “Oh I hadn’t known officer, but it wasn’t marked off.” He said hoping it would stall her.

She wanted to be stalled and walks close to him. “Uh, well I was coming to do so but I don’t want you to leave just yet. I would need to ask you for some questions…”

Bullseye didn’t have time for questions as he knew he was getting closer to Dark. She was in the perfect position for him to use his device on her. He moves quickly as he trips her and injects her with the substance. “Good night.” He says before darting away. She didn't even have time to pull out her phone and call Tetra. ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ "All signs indicate the two are moving towards the west," an officer informed Tetra and Jersey as they heard about the unconscious officer. "If he's searching for them, he'll be headed that way, but how certain are you that-" "Hundred percent," Tetra said, looking at the dart in the evidence bag. He'd seen this dart before. That archer from a few nights before had the same kind, and he matched descriptions of Bullseye perfectly. He grinned as he touched the feathered end through the bag. "He's got this same information, maybe we'll split the trophy with him..." "Aren't you scared? For the officer?" Jersey interjected. "He was evil enough to knock her out!" "Evil or crafty?" Tetra retorted. Jersey thought for a moment and shrugs. “Who knows but something tells me that this guy is not one to be messed with. Also rumor has it that he has a connection to someone who rides a dragon. Our forces don’t know how to deal with dragons."

Tetra glares at him. “Who is the boss? Me! You are in no position to tell me what’s what you dingy bloke! If anything we would get the information we need and no hedgehog is going to get in my way!

Meanwhile with Bullseye, he was hot on the trail of Dark and Fringe. Across the river, he managed to find evidence of Divine before she took off. He was excited but having the G.U.N. following him was going to be a problem. Dragon scales were almost like fingerprints. The point, the size, the color patterns, you could find the owner of a given scale without too much effort. This was going to require even less effort. This dragon's scale was pearlescent, they must stand out like a sore thumb. But what happened here specifically? Was this a friendly dragon, or a feral beast? Did this dragon take off with new passengers, or beat Bullseye to his task? The latter would give an anticlimax to the search, but the first would mean he was probably quite close. If he traveled all the way from the north and kept flying from there, they must have been heading...! Divine finally took to the ground a distance away from Dark's home city. The airflow around the dragon had slowed considerably, and the sudden drop in speed jolted the passengers slightly. "Thank you very much, Divine. Is it safe to get down?" Divine lays down and folds her wings back together. “Yes, but let Dark guide you down. You know I am quite large.” Dark nods and was holding his cane as he taps his shoulder.

Bullseye smiles and gets some evidence from the footprint. He did find it odd that a dragon would come this way as the trees weren’t a good place for a flying dragon. He shrugs the thoughts off and looks around quickly and moves off the location. That spot would only get one or two more visitors over the next few hours. Some of the few officers searing the alleged paths where Bullseye or the fugitives were supposed to be. Bullseye was definitely ahead of them in his investigation. "So why keep waiting here?" Jersey asked the agent as the waited around the station, filling out papers and awkwardly making small talk. "There's only one place they can reasonably be going, and even if they aren't going there, we can do all the same work in the south." He straightened his back and perked up, realizing this was actually a better idea midway through. "Even if they don't, what if Bullseye visits the south again? Isn't that where he probably lives?" "We're heading there right after we're done here, that's the plan." Tetra played off the good idea as a common sense solution. "You wait here and finish signing off, I need to grab some more supplies." Tetra didn't have too much clearance in the area, but he had enough to get what he needed. A new magazine for his pistol, twelve bullets in all. No matter what it took, those two weren't getting away from him again. With Dark and Fringe. Dark’s senses could sense that danger was coming to them. He knew something was going to happen despite their traveling but didn’t know when. As he and Fringe set up camp again, he thought about the need to prepare for a fight. “Hey, Fringe, I would need to talk to you about something.”

Bullseye was getting pretty close as he was heading southwest. He could see Divine as she was heading back home. “My guesses were right. Mavis would be proud.” He said as he prepares his camp for the day. Fringe was normally happy to help with setting up. Rather, he seemed totally adapt to setting up camp, gathering firewood excluded. When the serious conversation was brought up, though, he started to freeze, hands working slower after the words were dropped. "Is this about the men searching for us?" Fringe asked, feeling like he had a good idea what Dark wanted to ask about. He didn't want to say the words, but they would come out anyways. "Or do you mean the... charges.... against me?" He swallowed visibly at the words. Dark nods as he levitates the fire wood over to the yet to be started campfire. “Yes, I have a feeling that they are getting close. We can not run forever so I was going to ask if you were willing to fight. If yes, I think I can find a place for training. It would also benefit you to learn a bit more about dragons.” He could watch Fringe deflate in relief at the words. "I believe fighting is how we met, isn't it?" He said with a smile, hoping he was willing to forgive him for their first encounter. "I'm a much better fighter than you might think I am, I'd certainly be willing to fight." The last words caught him by surprise. "Dragons...? Oh, I suppose- Do you think we might have to fight Nightmare again?" Fringe fidgeted and held his legs to his chest. "Very well. Are they all capable of speech like Divine was?" He nods. “Yeah, theoretically dragons are like big birds around here. Some can talk but others don’t talk. Also, I believe we do have to fight Nightmare again which is why we need to train instead of run away." He notes. Fighting a dragon...? Would he even be able to pull this off? The last time they'd encountered, he was only able to avoid getting seriously hurt, what was he supposed to do here? He nervously shifted his position while he tried to think of a good response, trepidation obvious in every one of his actions. "I only came here to run away," Fringe admitted, not wanting to say he was terrified of fighting a real dragon. "We could always again, but I suppose... that's not an option. I presume that escaping these mountains isn't an option for us any longer." Dark looks at him and was pretty firm on his decision. “Look, I know you don’t want to fight a dragon but at this point, it is our best option to solve our problems. It may not be the most convenient thing to do but we an’t keep running to have them catch us with no defense. Am I making any sense?” "Yes." Fringe swallowed in nervousness. They were easy, logical points to come to, but that didn't meant he wanted to accept this emotionally. Fighting a dragon, how the hall was he supposed to pull THIS off? "How exactly do we train to fight a dragon?" He finally spoke his mind. "Divine already flew away, and I'm not sure any dragons would be willing to volunteer." He chuckles. “I am sure you are right, but I know a few secrets about dragons that could be used to our advantage. We just have to get to the south before I could show you.” He notes as a rustle could b heard in the bushes. "You said we're almost there, correct? I'd be-" He couldn't even lie to himself. "Well, I'm not going to be happy to have to fight a dragon, but I won't moan too much. It's inevitable." Somehow, it was inevitable. What had he gotten himself into with these new lands? He went over the shelter they'd set up for the night one last time, just to check stability. "I've been thinking that... these mountains may have been a mistake." He admitted gravely. "Coming to them was a terrible move, I should- I'm don't think I'm going to stay when everything has come to an end." He signed and turned his head towards Dark. "If I ever have to leave in a hurry.... you've been too understanding of me. Thank you, truly." Dark crosses his arms. He wasn’t upset with him but his attitude wasn’t going to help with the mission. He gives a harsh look to him and says, “Well would you rather go to the ocean again? I can’t work with someone who just wants to run away.” This comment got a strong shiver from Fringe, who crossed his own arms out of submission. "No, I..." A heavy sight. "I understand. This kind of life is so new to me... I'm terrified. I just want to go back to being happy, and having a quiet life, and getting a chance to relax...! How can you live like this? Is this what your life is always like? Diving down cliffs- I've never been the adventurous sort." The hologram version of himself picked up on all the subtle twitches of his face, reflecting them into a bemused but acceptant look of terror. Dark shakes his head. “No, my life is normally peaceful just like you want. Occasionally I will go on missions or in this case settle some business but I normally like to keep to myself. Maybe we can return to that but we need to do something.” "That we do," he admitted to himself. "I feel so-" Fringe only gave a quick cough and straightened his back. "No, I should stop making excuses. How far are we from the south exactly?" Dark looks up into the horizon. “I’d say only two miles away.” He says as he hears something in the bushes. "That's good," Fringe said. He would have smiled if it wasn't for that sound in the bushes. Every once in a while, a light rustle. On the shores hear his home, maybe it would have been a squirrel, or a deer, or a fox. But the creatures in these mountains were viscous according to Dark. Webbed fingers grazed over the pocket where he kept a small knife. "Should we... keep moving, do you think?" He shakes his head as he looks in the bushes. He knew that some of the creatures were viscous but not all of them. Shortly after, there was a small white wolf which appeared and gives them a curious look. His tail was wagging and his ears twitch a bit as he looks. “Looks like we got found.” "Found?" Fringe said. The tiny footsteps he could hear didn't sound like a large animal. Suddenly, that sniffing near his feet startled him and he fumbled back a few steps before he realized just what it was. It was... nothing. Most of the wildlife avoided them, and they did their best to avoid the wild predators. It wasn't a viscous predator or a terrified prey, but a calmer middle ground brave enough to approach them. His immediate thought might have been to turn to Dark for advice, but he seemed humored. The tail he felt touching his feet felt like... Well, it felt like a dogs tail! "Ah... hello there, friend." He said, still not sure what he was talking to. "Do you live here, or are you lost?" The little wolf barks and lays down in the grass. It seemed friendly but didn’t answer Fringe as he spoke. Dark looked at the wolf and slowly approaches him. “Can you speak at all?” There was another yip as the wolf laid down in the grass, but it didn't say anything. Fringe didn't know what quite to make of the small animal, but he did kneel down to get on the same level as it. There was a small growl, and a pounce. The wolf lunged forwards and right into the grass in front of Fringe, startling him back a bit as he went in for a prize - A cricket? Small white paws trapped the creature as he started to gnaw on his meal. "You don't think- The mother wouldn't be nearby, right?" Fringe asked Dark, hoping he knew this creature. It did seem friendly, but would it stay that way for them? He looks around as another wolf was present. This wolf was a lot bigger and was coming in fast. He looks at Fringe. “Oh! I see the mother.” He says tapping Fringe to let him know to move. The big wolf didn’t growl and went straight for the puppy. “Ah, there you are! You shouldn’t run off like that!” She says as the little wolf whimpers. The child could be seen moving its mouth to try and speak, but the best it could do was somewhere between babbling and barking. The wolf's voice sent shivers down Fringe's spine. Maybe it was a caring voice, but with an edge of power to it that told she could tear anyone limb from limb if she so wanted. "I'm- I'm sorry, I didn't know it was your child." Fringe said, stepping back. "I'm new to this area." He mentally fought the thought to ask her not to eat him. She sighs as he runs over close to her. Seemingly afraid of Fringe he hides behind her and whimpers. She smiles and wags her tail as he speaks to her. “Don’t worry, you’re not on the menu. You may call me Taegan. I am sorry for the interruption. Is there anything I can do to help you?” She asks in a calm and polite tone. Well, at least they weren't dead. Not yet, but still. "Your kid is very cute," Fringe said. He knew he wasn't the best person to go to for opinions on cuteness, but those little whimpers coming from him were utterly precious. "We're in a lot of trouble right now," Fringe said, understating the whole situation. He was shifting around on his feet nervously, about as uncomfortable as the pup but still trying to act polite. "I don't mean to be rude, but unless you're an expert on fighting dragons, I doubt there's much you could do to help." She looks at him and giggles a bit. “Well I actually can help you. I live in the south east with two other wolves. The little one was given to me by my cousin so he’s not my son I am just babysitting is all. Would you be interested in following me to my home?” She says as the young wolf hops on her back. Dark was amused by watching the two interact. Being able to see the young wold, he did agree with Fringe in that the kid was cute. He looks at Taegan a moment as he waits for Fringe’s response. Fringe kept turning back and forth, indecisive between asking Taegan or Dark. Was this a trap, or could they trust them? It wouldn't take long for him to realize that he was being put on the spot for an answer. "Yes, we've be happy to follow you." Though the answer belied his hesitation. The fish would only stick close to Dark as they followed, just in case this was a horrible decision. Dark hands Fringe his cane. “Alright Taegan, lead the way.” He says as they stroll off towards the river nearby.

Meanwhile Bullseye was getting closer to them. He looks in his binoculars and sees the new camp right after they left. "I'm telling you, I'm not here to play primadonna or nothing!" The voices were just barely somewhere below the sounds of the wild, caught somwhere in the ears of the prying hunter. "Look, you know there's a pattern." Jersey pointed at the air as if he was pointing to locations on a map. "They always follow rivers, the camps we've found move south. We'll have to find them this way!" "No way we'll find nothing like this, randomly crawling upstream," Tetra grumbled in response. Through his binoculars, Bullseye saw- Well, what a small world. Those two blokes he saved from a wolf attack before, stumbling across the same campsite he had just discovered. Judging by their expressions, they knew exactly how close they were getting to their prey. As Bullseye looks away to continue onwards, he sees the dragon and his rider flying towards him. He smirks as he gets ready for another attempt of capture.

Dark was staying close to Fringe as he follows Taegan and the kid. He looks around the place as the sounds of a waterfall could be heard nearby. It was only a small waterfall, maybe six or seven feet at most, coming from a river running over a short cliff. But it was big enough to make a small pond for the wolves to drink from and rest near. When Taegan arrived with their new friends, the few pups were nervous of the newcomers, and the mothers just suspicious. "Who have you found this time?" One of the wolves asked as the child Taegan was with rushed up to them. "Travelers," she said vaguely. "They're looking for help with fighting a dragon." Taegan’s friends Tundra and Kura were there and they smile as the child runs to them. “Oh, thanks for caring for him and bringing him back.” Tundra, the blue wolf says.

Kura, a red wolf looks at Dark and Fringe as Taegan spoke. “Dragons huh? Why would you need to fight a dragon?” She asks a bit suspect of them.

Dark looks at the ladies a moment before speaking. “We are having problems with a dragon rider and we need a way to get rid of him. Do you know how to deal with a dragon. Traditional methods don’t seem to work." Of course, traditional investigation methods had certainly worked for Tetra and Jersey. The path the two had left through the woods was faint but easy to follow, and they knew they were so close, they could almost feel them clicking the handcuffs around the two already. And traditional dragon riding was working out for Mavis and Nightmare. Where were they in the woods exactly, they couldn't say quite yet, but there weren't many places they could have been. The woods were thick, the paths were thin, and it was almost possible to see the movements of anyone in the forest from the sky. If the words 'traditional methods' hadn't made Fringe shiver, this strange looming dread might have. "Nontraditional methods?" Fringe said, not sure what to think. "You don't mean magic, do you? I've never dabbled in it." “Well I would recommend some magic but I don’t think you are nearly ready nor will get ready in time before your battle with this rogue dragon.” Kura says without hesitation.

Dark looks at her. “So what would you suggest we do? We can’t just run away from this thing.”

Taegan looks at him as he speaks. “Well I could tell that you can manipulate magic. Hmm…do you think we should take him to the training grounds, Tundra?”

She looks at her. “With Blizzard? I don’t know, it’s been a while since we did that." She says concerned. "If it's the only chance we have, it's what we have to do." Fringe almost sounded beaten up as he said those words. Magic... there was a whole world of powers he knew absolutely nothing about. He wasn't happy, he was ecstatic that they had a way to fight back, but... "Are you sure there's nothing I could do to help?" He added. His holographic lizard eyes were filled with nervous hope. "With using magic, I mean?" Taegan nods. “Yes, but you can help greatly. We would just need to equip you with something so you could harness something that can stop a dragon.” She says as she looks at Dark.

Dark thinks as she looks at him. “What exactly are you implying?” Fringe's distorted expression perfectly drew the line between abject terror and total acceptance of this just being his life now. "I suppose if we could be CERTAIN it wouldn't hurt me-" "I feel we must start moving." Kura darted her head towards where where the two came from. The sound was distant, but there was a chance a creature might have been following them. "Quickly now, boys." They almost didn't have a choice, as they started to shove the pair away from whatever kind of beast was roaming in the trees. Dark nods and looks at her. “Okay, Kura,take us to the training quarters.” He says as he touches Fringe’s hand for his attention.

Taegan, being a rather large wolf looks at them. “Need a ride? I can carry you if you need me too.” "Certainly," Fringe said, "thank you very much." Of course, he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep up with how fast the wolves were pushing them if he didn't agree. Soon, soft fur tickled Fringe's skin as he rode off toward whatever this training area was. The rush of wind was something he'd only felt twice, the two times he had flown with Dark. The newness, the excitement of it all was enchanting. The daytime forest sounds were much different from the harsh nocturnal wildlife, and only made that short but brisk ride more inviting. Indeed the ride was short as mere minutes passed by before the smell of the air changed. It smelled like campfires and the sounds of more wolves fill the air as they walk through. Taegan smiles as they head towards a temple nearby.

Meanwhile with Tetra and Jersey, Jersey’s belly growls. “We have been searching for hours and still nothing. I am starving and as far as we know they are dead.” He grumbles getting frustrated. "Quit whining!" The frog commanded. "We found the campsite, we're almost there. Do you want to get this case solved or not?!" "Well, yeah, but we've-" "Then follow me! Kid's blind, he's probably leaving some kind of trail." The 'trail' they could follow lead them to a small... waterfall? It looked like a spring, but as far as they could tell, only the forest wildlife used this recently. "Great. Great, the trail was a dud!" Jersey threw up his hands. "What now?!" "Maybe ours is cold, but..." Tetra thought out loud, staring at the sky. There was a dragon flying around, seemingly flying low and searching the area they were just in. In fact, it looked almost exactly like that dragon people said Dark fought, and whatever it and it's rider were looking for, they seemed adamant to find it. The dragon was flying towards them and was getting ominously close. Jersey starts to shake as the dragon comes towards them and lands with his rider, right in front of them. The rider gets off the beast and seemed unarmed to the untrained eye. He looks at the two before speaking. “You a part of the G.U.N.?” He asks already knowing the answer. "I mean, barely, but yeah." Jersey said honestly, taking the noncommittal answer. He couldn't stop staring at this dragon, it was hard to understand how large they were until he was next to one, and those feral eyes gazing at his fur weren't good for those feelings. Tetra wasn't intimidated. "It's my lifeblood," he said, silently proud. "You're Mavis, aren't you? Rogue who had a dragon fight with Dark and a fish before they escaped?" Just the same, he didn't need an answer. "So you want to help find him, or may the best man win?" He crosses his arms clearly not amused by the frog. He might have use for the kid as he didn’t seem like a threat. However he hadn’t come for a chat. He came for business and that was the two standing right in front of him. His dragon was awaiting his command as any loyal pet would do. “May the best man win? I would say the only man win.” He stares at Tetra and prepares to fight. Tetra's response to fight kicked in immediately, taking stance and placing his hand on his holster. Neither of the two made a move yet, but one wrong word and someone was about to. "What's going on, guys?!" Jersey shouted from a distance, not wanting to get into any kind of battle with a dragon. "You both want to catch him, right?" Tetra huffed. "But one one person's taking him as a trophy," Tetra said. His eyes seem disjointed, fingers tighter on the gun. All that Jersey could do was balk in surprise. Mavis kept his composure. He knew that as soon as he attacked he would fire. Despite his abilities of foresight, they weren’t enough to combat fast reflexes. Knowing this factor, he came prepared as he had a shielding bracelet around his wrists. He swiftly darts directly to him, shields ready.

Tetra, being well experienced with his weapon falls back and fires three rounds from his pistol to Mavis. Mavis’ shields work and absorb the bullets from the weapon leaving him unscathed. Following up, he gets on top of him with a tackle.

Nightmare growls and looks at Jersey. He didn’t attack him as he knew he would just surrender anyway. He was merely there to ensure he didn’t call for back-up. Tetra may have looked crotchedy and seemed incompotent, but his fighting was the big reason he stayed employed. There was no way to counterattack this tackle, instead trying to stop as he was pushed to the ground, gun kicked to the side by his attacker. One fist narrowly doged Tetra's face. And another. He just had to get one hand on his gun...! A quick knee to Mavis's stomach was his last hope, and the barest chance he got, he rolled out and dashed for the weapon. "Easy- easy there, big guy, I'm not- not gonna hurt you." Jersey said. The gunshots still rang in his ears. The battle was watched through the corner of his eyes, careful not to take his eyes off of Nightmare. Nightmare just looks at Jersey. He was behaving pretty tamely but was ready to attack if commanded. He also kind of liked Jersey and brought his big face and nose to give him a sniff.

Mavis was smart but not strong in the least. The kick to his stomach hurt a lot and he braced as he fell to the ground. He growls and sticks his hand out to eliminate the weapon with his powers.

Tetra was pretty strong but lost much of his speed and agility from his age. He stumbles along just barely grabbing his pistol putting him back into the fight. That burst of magic barely even brushed the weapon. The agent wasn't out to kill him, especially if he had information. Without a second to spare, the pistol was pointed straight for his leg. click He pulled back in surprise, pulling the trigger twice more. Nothing. That burst of magic had been enough to disable the gun, shocking the frog and giving the dragon rider an opportunity. Mavis saw his plan managed to work despite using the wrong ability in a panic as he was desperate. Taking advantage of the moment, he stood up and knocks the weapon out from Tetra’s hand. He had no intentions of killing these agents either but it was rather tempting.

Tetra groans like a distressed toad would and grabs his hand in pain as he hears the small but sturdy pistol hit the ground. Shortly after, Mavis turns him around and ties his hands up with special cables to prevent him from breaking free.

Jersey was shaking in his boots. At least he would have if he was wearing some. The dragon seemed friendly enough despite looking beastly but he was still intimidating as he sniffs away at him. Nightmare swings his tail as he hears his rider Mavis call him over. “Cap the cat and we can get out of here.” What was he asking of the dragon? Did he mean capture? That would make sense, given Tetra now laying in the dirt and screaming. It couldn't have been the sland meaning... right? All he knew was, this dragon was ordered to do something to him, and whatever it was wasn't good. "Now- H-hold on, buddy!" Jersey backed away slowly, doing his best to look relaxed and friendly. "I'm not- I'm not out to hurt you, I just wanted to bring them to the police, I didn't know- I'm not going to hurt you! Honest!" Nightmare was loyal, and didn't seem inclined to listen. In a second, he was right back into the forest, not worrying about trails or paths or anything, just running. It didn't take long for some long buried primal instinct to kick in, leading to him running on all four limbs like he was feral. The trees weren't too densely packed, but certainly not anything a dragon could cut through. Right? Jersey tried to run but fell over, and the ground shakes from Nightmare’s footsteps. He almost cried as the dragon looms over him baring his teeth. He looks up to him. “Well whatever you are going to do to me, make it fast. I already accepted my fate.” Nightmare yawns and blows a freezing wind encapsulating Jersey’s body, except the head, with ice to prevent him from running. Shortly afterwards he was lifted by the dragon and placed in a bubble.

Mavis smiles and hooks the blue bubble to a device which holds it to Nightmare’s side. He then carries Tetra up to Nightmare who lifts them both to his back. “Let’s take them in.” He says as they were taken away.

With Dark and Fringe, they were with the wolves and entering the temple. Fringe's large fingers felt along the walls carefully. He couldn't see the old murals eroded with time, but he didn't need to. The countless bumps in the rocky wall gave away the age of this place, and he could trace simple patterns carved into the walls. "This feels like where we woke up in the north," Fringe said. It took a moment to register, as they had barely spoken about it. "Didn't you say- do you still wish to visit the temple?"

Dark looks at him and nods. “Indeed I did, but we aren’t in the West anymore.” He notes as the temple had a more cabin-like aroma in it than the other temple.

Meanwhile with Nightmare and Jersey, it felt like a long flight as the two agents were flown away to who knows where. Nightmare starts to land as Bullseye was present. Jersey had been more complacent. He would have been terrified of the ice, but it didn't freeze him. In fact, he could barely feel it. It more just... vaguely existed. He could move his limbs and body just a little, so it wasn't totally torturous, but he still had virtually no control over his situation. Tetra was totally different, and seeing Bullseye didn't help one bit. "You...!" The old frog was totally done with everything that was happening to him, and tumbled and struggled his way onto falling to the ground. "You've been the one who's been after us, huh? What's your game, kid, what are you after?!" Bullseye looks at him and almost lets out an unamused growl. “My game? This is not a game! You two have been getting in my way and now it’s time to stop it.” He says as a spider-like bot comes onto the scene.

Mavis lowers Jersey down but didn’t break his ice shell. “I have something special for you kid.”

Jersey looks at him with fear and starts to shake. “What are you going to do to me. Let me go… I promise I won’t tell anyone about this."

#Blazerandfnds #Show's Over #There's A Melody Playing #Violence #Blood

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