#chapters: the king's general

[impel-clown]

Writing Mihawk in love is such a balancing act, because he's for sure dramatic- You can't just have a personalized coffin boat and not be called dramatic- but at the same time, he's stoic as shit. So no he's probably not going to go for some grand public display of affection, but that doesn't mean he's not gonna be Extra.

Like Crocodile mentions some variety of tomato he had as a kid, and although Mihawk doesn't say anything at the time, he immediately gets to work finding the right seeds, meticulously crossbreeding them to retain the right flavor but also to ensure they flourish in Karai Bari's particular climate, and then finally delivers a basket of them to Crocodile without so much as a word, and Croc just needs to understand on his own that this is how Mihawk expresses his love

Meanwhile Mihawk just tells Buggy one day that it's a shame that he can't see the clown's organs when Buggy chops himself, and if Buggy can't see the love behind those words, well that's on him

[anthyies]

the chapter 195 title art.

[bittasol]

clarazz are so strong if i was (vaguely in love with and) slightly possessive of my best friend and the whole world was obsessed with him (like i was) id crash out 😭

[stromuprisahat]

Siege and Storm- Chapter 22 (Leigh Bardugo)

Either the Darkling took time to wipe them all out- doubtful, since we'd be certainly informed several times during listing of his crimes and transgressions against the heroes-, or I can't see a reason for KoS succession crisis. It's not as if Nikolai couldn't take a ward to prepare for military career or high position on some ministry, and in case of need to possibly take over from him. Hell, the representative roles in monarchy don't fall merely on the main line!

Either he's stupid, or he doesn't really want to rule, no matter what he says. Succession should be among the first issues to tackle. It doesn't cost him much, and it gives his rule credibility, proving he has clear plans for the future.

Fear of the unknown and uncertainty are the death of new regimes. Especially if there's no raw force to back it up.

[ladybuggiee]

i was playing around with the headcanon generator and these just got better and better 😭 (my favorite is absolutely stan’s and it is true now thank you)

[badbugbotblood]

A quick doodle I did shortly after reading chapter 3 of @king-candybug-backup's Kill Switch AU, because I had the funniest mental image in my head when Cynistar realized that KCB was absolutely kicking it's ass suddenly

[kyriat-stories]

The agreement was made, and the wedding became expensive, just as Queen Alkmini had predicted. There were many prominent guests, and even the big throne room filled up.

The bride and groom didn't seem overjoyed, but perhaps they were affected by the seriousness of the moment.

The King of Koiláda Chalkoú was invited but did not come to the wedding. He was probably still a bit crossed, even though he had received a handsome compensation, in form of horses, cattle, gems and precious metals. However, he did send his sister to represent him at the wedding, the incredibly beautiful Princess Amphiera.

Other honorable guests were of course Prince Heraklis and his family. It was the first time little Myrrhini was attending publicly, but she seemed more interested in the birds outside than in the wedding ceremony.

The bride's family were also there, even if it was quite a long journey for them, and for that reason little prince Philokratis was left at home. Queen Laonome was not feeling well, it was possible that she was expecting again, so they took a more discreet position in the throne room, to be able to slip out to the private chambers if necessary.

The distinguished ladies of Manthos were all there, of course, and Kyria Figaleía wouldn't miss it for the world.

It truly was a grand celebration, and everybody agreed that it had been a fabulous ceremony.

Except maybe for the bride and groom.

.

Previous | Index | Character overview | Next

[aqqleshiqqing-archive]

preparing for afternoon classes.... check out my short king

[itscuntingseason]

honestly, after rereading the wotakoi manga for the 20th time, i don't think hirotaka's problems with remembering people has to do with his general disinterest in people. i think he just has face blindness.

[gerbiloftriumph]

Someone had placed a second throne next to mine as a hint. I bet it was Royal Guard #2. He was growing old and anxious for Graham kids.

[angelfoodscake]

turns out i can still draw toads !!! heres some clover

[umbra-by-jacqui-natla]

Chapter Twenty Three

Forty-five minutes had passed since the chaos erupted at the restaurant when they finally arrived at the hospital. Eddie was being rushed into the MRI room while Carrie found herself accompanying Dr. Lewis into his office.

Dr. Lewis looked at Carrie with concern etched on his face. "Are you okay? I can only imagine how distressing it must have been for you to witness Eddie's behavior."

Carrie hesitated before answering. "I'm fine, thank you.”

Dr. Lewis leaned against his desk and asked, "Do you feel any better now? Any lingering headaches or episodes of collapsing?"

Carrie shook her head, her anxiety palpable. "No, I haven't."

"Good," Dr. Lewis said, retrieving a folder from his desk drawer. "I have something to show you regarding your blood test."

Carrie's heart pounded in her chest, a mix of anticipation and confusion swirling within her. She observed intently as Dr. Lewis delicately placed the folder on his desk, his hands moving with purpose. With a gentle touch, he opened the folder, revealing a piece of paper that he carefully positioned in front of her.

Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of the paper. It was not her blood test results, but rather a sample. Dr. Lewis began to explain, his voice calm and reassuring, "What I'm about to show you is what a normal blood test result looks like. It serves as a reference point, giving us a general understanding of a person's health. These results aid us in determining the appropriate treatments they require."

Carrie's confusion deepened as she glanced back and forth between the sample results and Dr. Lewis. Why was he showing her a sample blood test? Where were her own results? Her mind raced with questions, her anxiety growing with each passing moment.

She couldn't help but wonder if there was something wrong with her own blood test results, something that Dr. Lewis was hesitant to reveal. The anticipation in the room was palpable, and Carrie's heart pounded even harder, threatening to burst out of her chest.

"Now, I'm going to show you your blood test result," he declared, his voice filled with anticipation as he gently placed Carrie's blood test result on his desk, directly in front of her.

This was the moment she had been anxiously awaiting, hoping for some clarity. However, as her eyes scanned the document, a wave of bewilderment washed over her. She glanced at the sample result, then back at her own, only to find a single word glaring back at her relentlessly: Error.

"And what's truly perplexing is that we conducted the test not once, but twice, and the outcome remained unchanged," he disclosed, his voice laced with concern.

Carrie's heart sank as she processed Dr. Lewis' words. Error. How could this be? She had come to the doctor's office seeking answers, hoping that the blood test would provide some clarity to the mysterious symptoms that had been plaguing her for months. But now, it seemed like she was back at square one.

Dr. Lewis, a seasoned and respected physician, furrowed his brow as he studied Carrie's test results. He had seen his fair share of medical anomalies throughout his career, but this was a new level of perplexity. The fact that the test had been conducted twice, with the same inconclusive outcome, only deepened the mystery.

Carrie's mind raced with questions. What did this mean for her health? Was there something seriously wrong with her? She had been experiencing unexplained voices, persistent headaches, and a general feeling of malaise. Perhaps explained why she has powers of her own. She had hoped that the blood test would provide some answers, but instead, it had only added to the confusion.

Dr. Lewis could sense the growing anxiety in Carrie as she stared at her blood test results. "I understand that this is frustrating and confusing, Carrie," he said, his voice filled with empathy. "But we won't give up. We'll explore every avenue until we find the..."

Dr. Lewis's voice trailed off as Carrie's eyes fixated on her blood test results. The word "Error" seemed to glare back at her, mocking her. Suddenly, the words on the page began to shift and transform into an unfamiliar language that Carrie had grown accustomed to. But then, something even stranger happened. The words morphed into a haunting poem, one that only she could understand.

The words painted a vivid yet enigmatic picture, leaving Carrie both intrigued and unsettled. Determined not to let the poem slip away, she committed it to memory, etching each line into the depths of her mind. It was as if the words held a secret, a key to unraveling the mysteries that surrounded her. 

Suddenly, Dr. Lewis's voice broke through Carrie's thoughts. "Carrie? Are you alright? Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Carrie's mind was jolted back to reality as Dr. Lewis's voice pierced through the haze. She blinked, trying to gather her scattered thoughts. "I... I'm not sure," she stammered, her voice barely audible. "But something strange just happened. I think I heard a poem inside my head."

The air seemed to grow heavy with an unseen presence, as if the very atmosphere held its breath. A dark, feminine voice echoed in Carrie's mind, filled with bitterness and urgency. "No!" it urged vehemently.

Dr. Lewis's concern deepened as he observed Carrie's bewildered expression. "A poem? What kind of poem?" he inquired, his voice laced with curiosity and worry.

Carrie hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should share the haunting words that had invaded her thoughts. But the need to unravel this mystery outweighed her apprehension. With a trembling voice, she began to recite the verses that had materialized in her mind. Dr. Lewis listened intently, his brow furrowed in confusion as he tried to comprehend the enigmatic words.

"I've never encountered anything like this before," he admitted, his voice tinged with a mix of fascination and concern. "It's possible that the stress of the situation has triggered some sort of hallucination, but..."

The dark voice interrupted once more, its tone now laced with anger. "Don't tell him," it warned, its words dripping with urgency and defiance.

Carrie's heart raced, but she mustered the courage to speak up. "T-There are more verses," she managed to reply, her voice trembling. The weight of the unknown pressed upon her, and she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something far greater at play.

Dr. Lewis leaned in closer, his eyes fixed on Carrie's face. "Please, go on," he urged, his voice filled with a mix of anticipation and trepidation.

Carrie took a deep breath, her mind still reeling from the inexplicable experience. She closed her eyes, trying to recall the remaining verses that had invaded her thoughts. As she spoke, the words flowed from her lips, each line more haunting than the last.

"Black dawn, black moon, the Klyntar are to commune, their new life will start soon, their strength grows yet not immune. Black dawn, black moon, sounds weakens, make them hewn, falling down and feeling prune, not so peaceful or melodic tune."

As the final words escaped her lips, a shiver coursed through Carrie's body. The atmosphere in the room grew colder, and an unsettling silence settled over them. Dr. Lewis's eyes widened, fixated on Carrie, a mix of awe and concern etched on his face.

"That... That was... quite unsettling," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "I mean, it possesses a hypnotic quality, yet it also carries a disturbing undertone. It sounded like you're saying that these verses seem to hold a profound significance for you."

Carrie pursed her lips together, her hands locked together and her heart racing within her chest. "I can't quite explain it, but I sense that there's more to this poem. It's as if it's trying to convey a message."

Dr. Lewis reached out, his hand gently resting on Carrie's trembling shoulder. "Carrie, I believe you," he said earnestly. "To help me understand what's happening, I need to ask you something. When did you come across or learn this poem?"

"Don't tell him everything, especially about me," a dark, feminine voice whispered to Carrie.

Carrie proceeded to answer his question cautiously. "It's been about six months now."

"And where did you find it?"

"On a scrap of paper. I wrote it down in my journal."

Dr. Lewis leaned forward, his eyes intense. "Do you remember where you found the scrap of paper?"

Carrie's heart raced as she tried to recall the details. "I...I don't remember exactly. It was on a book I was reading, I think. After I woke up from a nightmare."

Suddenly, a dark, feminine voice echoed in her mind, causing Carrie to flinch. "No!" the voice roared. "Don't tell him anything!"

Dr. Lewis noticed her reaction and pressed further. "What kind of nightmare did you have?"

Carrie hesitated, unsure if she should reveal the truth. But the voice in her head grew louder, demanding that she keep quiet. "It was just a stupid nightmare," she finally said, her voice shaking. "Nothing more."

Dr. Lewis studied her carefully, sensing that there was more to the story. But for now, he decided to let it go. He knew that Carrie was hiding something, and he was determined to find out what it was.

Dr. Lewis leaned even closer, his eyes narrowing. "Are you sure you don't remember? It's important, Carrie. We need to know where that scrap of paper came from."

Carrie's heart pounded in her chest, her palms growing clammy. She desperately tried to recall the details, but the memory seemed to slip through her fingers like smoke. "I...I can't remember," she stammered, her voice barely a whisper. "It's all a blur."

The dark, feminine voice in her mind grew more insistent, its tone dripping with malice. "Don't trust him, Carrie. He might hurt you, like you've been hurt before. Like I've been hurt."

Dr. Lewis observed the fear etched on Carrie's face, causing him to lean back slightly in his chair. His unwavering gaze locked onto her, as he spoke with a calm yet determined tone. "Carrie, I need you to trust me. Whatever you're hiding, it's important..."

The room seemed to grow eerily silent to Carrie, as if all sound had been muffled. It was a disorienting sensation, almost as if she were losing her hearing. However, amidst the silence, she could hear a dark, feminine voice resonating in her mind. It praised her for obeying its commands, but there was a distinct malice in its tone whenever it mentioned Dr. Lewis, branding him as useless and worthless.

A small coffee mug on the desk shifted ever so slightly, catching Carrie's attention. It was a subtle movement, one that only she seemed to notice.

"If you want to talk about it," Dr. Lewis's voice broke through the silence, attempting to offer support.

"No!" Carrie's voice erupted in a scream, her eyes tightly shut. Her own voice seemed to merge with the dark, feminine voice in her head, creating a chilling harmony.

Suddenly, the coffee mug slipped from the desk, causing Dr. Lewis to jump in surprise. It landed perfectly in Carrie's hands, as she slowly opened her eyes. Blinking rapidly, she placed the mug back on the desk, her expression filled with confusion.

"I'm sorry," she stammered, her voice trembling. "I didn't mean to knock it off."

"But... You didn't touch it," Dr. Lewis replied, his voice filled with astonishment.

Carrie's confusion deepened as she looked down at her hands, which were now empty. She couldn't understand how the mug had ended up in her grasp without her even reaching for it. The room seemed to grow colder, and a shiver ran down her spine.

Dr. Lewis's eyes widened in astonishment as he witnessed the inexplicable event unfolding before him. His mind raced, desperately searching for a rational explanation, but it failed to provide any answers.

"Carrie, did you...did you just move that mug with your mind?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

Carrie's eyes darted anxiously around the room, fearing that her secret had been exposed.

"Are you the same Carrie responsible for the events on Prom Night?" Dr. Lewis inquired calmly.

Suddenly, the room erupted into chaos. The ground trembled violently, bookshelves toppled over, the lamplight flickered erratically, and the desk shook uncontrollably. It felt as if pandemonium had been unleashed. Despite his fear, Dr. Lewis managed to maintain his composure as he continued to engage with her. "Are you causing all of this?"

"Yes, yes, and yes," Carrie confessed, her voice filled with shame. She acknowledged his three questions, admitting her involvement.

Dr. Lewis's mind reeled with a mix of disbelief and fascination. He had heard of telekinesis, the ability to move objects with the power of the mind, but he had never witnessed it firsthand. And now, here was Carrie, a seemingly ordinary young woman, revealing her extraordinary abilities.

As the chaos in the room intensified, Dr. Lewis remained steadfast, determined to understand the truth behind Carrie's powers. He had heard rumors about her involvement in the events on Prom Night, a night that had ended in tragedy and destruction. The whispers had suggested that Carrie had somehow unleashed her telekinetic abilities in a fit of anger and revenge.

But now, faced with the undeniable evidence of her powers, Dr. Lewis couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy towards Carrie. He could see the shame in her eyes, the weight of her actions weighing heavily on her conscience. It was clear that she had been grappling with her abilities, struggling to control them and the havoc they could wreak.

"Carrie," Dr. Lewis spoke softly, his voice breaking through the pandemonium, "Do you recall that fateful night?"

"I... I remember it all," she replied, her voice intertwining with the sinister feminine presence within her mind.

Her eyes flickered rapidly, transforming into an abyssal black as they locked onto Dr. Lewis. Both of them stood frozen, their silence echoing the weight of what had just transpired. It was impossible to determine which aspect was more chilling: the sheer magnitude of Carrie's powers, the imminent threat of her losing control once again, or the shocking admission of her involvement in a crime that would forever etch itself into the annals of national history.

A gentle knock resonated through the room, and with a mere thought, Carrie's green eyes returned and she restored order to Dr. Lewis' office, erasing any trace of the chaos that had consumed it moments ago.

"Enter," Dr. Lewis managed to utter, still awestruck by the spectacle he had witnessed.

A nurse entered, positioning himself by the doorway. "I wanted to inform you that Mr. Brock is now resting and is prepared for the MRI test."

"'I'll attend to him immediately," he responded, and the nurse departed, closing the door behind him.

Dr. Lewis turned back to Carrie, his expression grave. "We must discuss what happened that night, Carrie. It's crucial for your treatment and for the safety of those around you."

Carrie nodded, her eyes returning to their emerald hue. "I understand, Doctor."

Dr. Lewis took a deep breath before continuing. "Can you tell me what happened on the night of the prom?"

Carrie closed her eyes, trying to push away the memories that threatened to overwhelm her. "I was so excited to go to the prom. I had never been to a school dance before, and I had a beautiful dress that I made myself."

She paused, taking a deep breath. "But then, they started to laugh at me. They poured pig's blood on me, and everyone laughed. I was so angry, so hurt. And then... then I just lost control."

Dr. Lewis leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Carrie. "What do you mean, lost control?"

Carrie opened her eyes, and Dr. Lewis could see the darkness creeping back into them. "I mean, I used my powers. I made the fire, I made the chaos. I killed them all."

Dr. Lewis shivered as a cold sensation traveled down his spine, sending a wave of unease through his body. He had always suspected that Carrie was behind the tragic deaths at the prom, but hearing her confess to it so calmly was truly unsettling.

Curiosity and fear mingled in his voice as he asked, "What are you?"

Carrie's response was filled with a grimness that matched the gravity of the situation. "To be honest, I've been asking that very question myself," she replied. Without giving him a chance to respond, she abruptly rose from her seat and made a beeline for the door. However, before leaving, she issued a chilling warning. "If I were you, Dan... I would pray that our paths never cross again."

Dr. Lewis couldn't simply brush off her words. "I wouldn't dismiss that possibility right away," he retorted.

Carrie's expression remained unchanged as she exited his office, leaving behind an air of uncertainty and foreboding.

As Eddie slowly regained consciousness, a soft melody filled the air, caressing his ears. Blinking his eyes open, he found himself surrounded by the unfamiliar confines of a metallic enclosure. Clad in a sky-blue hospital gown, his legs exposed and clad in pristine white socks, Eddie couldn't help but feel a wave of confusion wash over him.

Suddenly, a voice resonated from the speakers embedded within the box, calling out his name. "Eddie? Eddie, can you hear me? This is Dan speaking to you," Dr Lewis's voice echoed, breaking through the silence.

Startled, Eddie responded, his voice laced with bewilderment. "Hey, Dan."

A warm chuckle escaped Dr Lewis's lips as he welcomed Eddie back to consciousness. "Welcome back," he remarked, his tone filled with reassurance.

Still grappling with his surroundings, Eddie couldn't help but voice his confusion. "Where am I?"

With a gentle sigh, Dr Lewis explained, "Well, Eddie, you're currently inside the MRI machine. We've administered a mild sedative to help you relax."

Eddie's mind whirled with questions, but for now, he would have to trust in Dr Lewis's expertise as he embarked on this mysterious journey within the confines of the scanner.

Concern etched across Eddie's face as he questioned the whereabouts of his loved ones. "Where is Anne? And Carrie? Where are they?"

Soothingly, Dr. Lewis responded, "Anne is not here right now. But Carrie is in the waiting room. We're going to run some tests, okay? It's going to be completely painless. So, you know, just try to stay still. Uh, relax, and, um... Yeah, here we go."

Eddie's heart raced as he tried to process the information. His mind was still foggy, but the urgency in Dr. Lewis' voice made him realize that something serious must have happened. He couldn't remember how he ended up in the MRI machine or why he needed tests, but he trusted Dr. Lewis to guide him through this confusing ordeal.

As the machine hummed to life, Eddie closed his eyes and tried to calm his racing thoughts. The soft melody continued to play, its soothing notes providing a small comfort amidst the uncertainty. He focused on the music, allowing it to transport him to a place of tranquility.

Dr. Lewis's voice broke through the melody, bringing Eddie back to the present. "Alright, Eddie, we're going to start the scan now. Just stay still and let the machine do its work."

Eddie nodded, his body tense as he felt the machine move around him. The confined space of the scanner made him feel claustrophobic, but he reminded himself that this was necessary to find answers. He trusted Dr. Lewis to uncover the truth behind his current state.

Suddenly, a piercing buzz pierced through Eddie's ears, causing him to writhe in discomfort. It felt as if something within him was desperately trying to break free, vehemently protesting against the sound. Eddie couldn't help but scream in agony, his voice echoing within the confines of the box.

Alarmed by Eddie's distress, Dr Lewis urgently inquired, "Eddie, what's happening in there? Are you okay?"

But Eddie was unable to respond, his body writhing in pain as the sound intensified. It felt as if his head was being crushed, his thoughts jumbled and chaotic.

Noticing the flickering screen, Dr. Lewis turned to the nurse and commanded, "Turn it off," before rushing to the adjacent room.

As the nurse swiftly powered down the scanner, Eddie let out a groan and slowly rose from the scanning bed.

"Hey, hey, hey," Dr. Lewis reassured, helping Eddie to his feet. "You're okay. You're alright, buddy."

"Yeah," Eddie meekly replied.

"Look at me," Dr. Lewis gently placed his hand on Eddie's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Eddie repeated, pushing Dr. Lewis's hand away.

"Alright. Just take a deep breath. You're safe now."

Eddie took a deep breath in, trying to steady himself. "Yeah."

"Just, get your stuff together and waiting outside with Carrie."

As Eddie strolled away, retrieving his partially dried clothes, the nurse's gaze fixated on the screen, witnessing the most peculiar and uncanny sight. Projected on the display was a diagram of Eddie's body, marred by an enigmatic black substance. The nurse's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the screen, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. The black substance seemed to be spreading rapidly throughout Eddie's body, almost like a virus. And he let him get out, and all he could do was hope that it was nothing serious.

Carrie sat in the waiting room, her eyes scanning the area. She saw a few people waiting to be seen, just like her. She couldn't help but think about her conversation with Dr. Lewis. The words he spoke to her were still ringing in her ears. She felt like she was going to explode with anger.

Suddenly, the dark feminine voice spoke to her. "And yet you still keep me in," the voice said.

Carrie knew that the voice wasn't wrong. She had been trying to suppress for so long. She tried to ignore the voice, but it was persistent. It kept whispering to her, urging her to let it out. She knew she couldn't do that. Not here, not now.

But the voice was getting louder and louder, and Carrie could feel her powers building up inside her. She knew she had to do something before it was too late.

Taking a deep breath, Carrie closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. She tried to push the voice away, to suppress it once again. And slowly, but surely, the voice faded away.

Carrie opened her eyes and looked around the waiting room. She saw the people waiting, just like her. But now, she felt different. She felt in control. And she knew that she could handle anything that came her way.

She looked out the window, the light shining on her face. Memories flooded her mind, memories of a time when she had unleashed her powers on those who had wronged her. She had learned to control them since then, but the anger still lingered.

But amidst the chaos of her thoughts, a new memory emerged, one that had long been suppressed and hidden away. It flickered before her eyes, like a distant star fighting to be seen amidst a sea of darkness.

"Carrie?"

Surprised, her attention was caught by the sound of her name.

It was Mr. Ulmann, her English teacher, who had spoken. He was a man in his forties, with a head of brown hair and dull, lifeless brown eyes. Dressed in a crisp white shirt and a black tie, he appeared rather disheveled with his stubbled round face. Carrie was well aware that Mr. Ulmann didn't hold her in high regard, much like most of the students at Ewen High. Therefore, when she heard her name being called by him, a wave of anxiety washed over her.

Continuing the conversation, Mr. Ulmann inquired, "Your poem? Do you have it?"

Almost imperceptibly, Carrie nodded in response.

"Well, can we hear it?"

With her nerves getting the best of her, Carrie retrieved a sheet of paper and began reading from it, her voice barely audible.

"Carrie, why don't you come up to the front of the class?" Mr. Ulmann interrupted. "So we can all hear it?"

Twins Nicki and Lizzy Watson exchanged a mischievous glance, stifling their laughter, while Sue Snell and Tommy Ross exchanged a look of concern, as if silently conveying, 'Oh no, this is going to be dreadful.'

"I'll read my poem, Mr. Ulmann," Sue volunteered.

"Thank you, Sue," Mr. Ulmann acknowledged, his gaze shifting to the blonde student. "But for now, I want to hear Carrie's." He then turned his attention towards Carrie. "Ms. White?"

As Carrie made her way up the aisle, she could feel the weight of every single gaze on her, accompanied by a few snickers from some of the students. Standing in front of the chalkboard, which looked like a disaster, she began to mumble her lines.

"Louder, Carrie," Mr. Ulmann urged.

Carrie turned to him, her face twisted in anguish, before resuming her recitation, this time louder, her eyes glued to the page in front of her.

"Jesus watches from the wall, but his face is cold as stone, and if he loves me, as she tells me, why do I feel so all alone?"

While a few of the kids couldn't help but giggle at the mention of Jesus, Sue, on the other hand, could sense the pain and isolation that resonated within Carrie's brief words.

"Is that... all, Carrie?" Mr. Ulmann inquired.

There was no response from the girl.

"Who is the 'he' that loves you in the poem? Jesus?" he continued.

After a momentary pause, Carrie nodded.

"You want Jesus to love you?" Mr. Ulmann probed further.

Once again, Carrie nodded, and this time, the kids couldn't contain their amusement, reveling in the opportunity to mock their classmate. Fueled by their giggles, Mr. Ulmann couldn't resist adding to the spectacle.

"You want Jesus to take you to the prom?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Carrie shook her head, her face flushed with embarrassment and mortification. Suddenly, something inside her stirred, a dark and primal force that growled with a female voice.

"Let me out!" the voice demanded. "Let me kill him! Let me kill them all!"

Tommy muttered under his breath, "Asshole."

Those who overheard Tommy's comment couldn't help but giggle even more.

"Tommy?" Mr. Ulmann inquired, catching wind of the insult. "Did you say something?"

"That you're acting like an asshole, sir," Tommy boldly replied.

Carrie looked up at her defender, the dark voice in her head faded away, while Sue glanced at Tommy in surprise.

"Carrie's poem is the finest we've heard," Tommy added, further aggravating the situation.

The students braced themselves, anticipating Mr. Ulmann's reaction. He straightened himself up and sternly declared, "Detention, Mr. Ross."

"I have baseball practice, sir. My coach wouldn't be pleased if I missed it, especially if I explained why," Tommy retorted confidently.

Rather than escalating the conflict, Mr. Ulmann decided to let it go, realizing the futility of pursuing it further.

"Take your seat, Carrie," he grudgingly instructed, acknowledging her presence.

As Carrie complied and walked past Tommy, he gave her a subtle wink, causing Sue to look at him in awe.

"All right, Ms. Snell," Mr Ulmann resumed. "Let's hear yours . . “

The thought of that memory from her school days left Carrie feeling unsettled. It was strange how the enigmatic female voice had seemingly existed within her mind for as long as she could remember, whispering eerie promises that sent shivers down her spine.

As she turned her head, Carrie noticed Dr. Lewis approaching with Eddie, who appeared exhausted, by his side. Rising from her chair, she made her way towards them.

"Hey, Eddie," she greeted, concern evident in her voice. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Eddie responded, his voice tinged with weariness. "It was really loud in there. I kinda freaked out."

The dark voice within Eddie's head suddenly erupted, shouting, causing Carrie to exchange a worried glance with him.

"Now, listen," Dr. Lewis interjected, taking the lead. "You're not the first person to have a panic attack in there. I get claustrophobic too."

As they walked out of the hospital, a woman's voice called out to Dr. Lewis. He turned to see a middle-aged woman holding a small dog in her arms.

"Hey, Mrs. Manfredi," he greeted her.

"I just saw Morris," Mrs. Manfredi replied, her dog yapping. "And he's whining and complaining like an old baby again."

Dr. Lewis chuckled. "Oh, good."

As the conversation continued, the dog's behavior became increasingly erratic. It began to bark and growl at Eddie, as if sensing something ominous lurking within him. Carrie's eyes narrowed, darkening slightly as she emitted a low, menacing growl. The dog cowered before her, whimpering in fear.

Dr. Lewis, trying to regain control of the situation, addressed Mrs. Manfredi, "Okay, Mrs. Manfredi, we discussed the matter of the dog. Unfortunately, you cannot keep it." Apologizing, she replied, "Sorry... Gemini..."

With a heavy heart, they walked away, the echoes of Gemini's growls slowly fading into the distance.

"We're gonna get to the bottom of this, alright," Dr. Lewis reassured Eddie, his gaze filled with determination. "But for now, go home and rest."

Eddie nodded in agreement, his weariness evident. "Uh-huh."

"I will contact you as soon as your test results are in.”

"Alright, thank you, Dan. Thank you," Eddie expressed his gratitude.

"Oh, and Carrie?"

Carrie turned her head to face him. Dr. Lewis couldn't help but be lost in the memories of their conversation not so long ago. His gaze lingered on her, his lips pursed with concern. Finally, he mustered the courage to speak, his voice filled with genuine care, "Remember, if anything ever happens to you, don't hesitate to call me."

Carrie nodded, her eyes reflecting gratitude and trust. With a soft "okay," she continued on her way, walking past Eddie and making her way back to their apartment.

Link to Chapter Twenty Four

[felineechoes]

Stone Rebirth Chapter 6: Confusion and Kidnapping

It was sometime after noon when Wukong retrieved MK from his room and took him to the clearing where the Stalwart Generals were waiting. Underneath a tree, Ma had waved the two of them over and explained that they would be helping MK gain a better feeling of how to use his tail as well as awareness of the appendage.

“We’ll be starting with a few stretches before we get started for real,” Ma stated as stretched out her tail and body after sitting up from the mossy stone floor below her, “Just follow what I do.”

The stretches were quite simple, it was mostly made up of simple movements where MK would stretch his tail in one direction before doing it in the opposite. Though MK did struggle to move his tail as fluently as his instructor was moving hers, Ma reassured MK that as time goes on MK would grow more used to his tail.

After one last stretch, Ma said it was time to start the exercise and she looked over at Wukong who had been lounging on a cloud the whole time MK was doing stretches. Wukong saw the short macaque give a slight glare which gave the sage the idea that he should get over there and help with the next part of the lesson.

The first lesson was for MK to try to pick up objects with his tail, starting with lighter ones so the kid wouldn’t strain the currently unfamiliar muscles in the appendage. The Monkie Kid struggles at first to keep a grasp on a peach that he was handed by Wukong, but after a few failed attempts MK did manage to hold it for long enough that he was able to graduate to picking up a slightly larger object. After a bit of fumbling MK managed to keep a grip on the rock, and out of curiosity he threw it in a random direction almost hitting Ma.

“Opps…uh…” MK realized what he had done and went to apologize, “Sorry about…”

The short macaque gave the young monkey a mischievous stare as she smiled, picking up a stone that was on the ground next to her all while keeping her gaze locked on MK, “Oh, it’s on little prince.”

Wukong joined in as well, which quickly turned the exercise into a game of sorts where you score points if whoever you threw an object at didn’t manage to catch it. It was quickly made obvious that MK was way out of his league as he struggled to catch the majority of the stones that came the kid’s way. At one point MK did manage to catch it, immediately returning it to its sender who caught it with a smile.

“Okay, I think that’s enough playing for today,” the small macaque clapped her hands together, “Let’s move on to our next activity, Wukong and I will be helping you a bit with this one.

The task was for MK to balance on his tail, which Ma believed would help the young monkey to recognize the muscles that were involved with the movement of the new appendage. Ma and Wukong were to be on the side to catch MK if he were to start to lose balance, though MK was sure both the monkeys were making it look easier than it was. It took a bit of fumbling for the kid to manage to hold himself up with his tail, though his balance was thrown off immediately when he got into position.

Suffice to say, MK had quite a bit of trouble staying balanced and would quickly find himself leaning to the side where MK would panic causing himself to fall. A few times he almost fell onto the Monkey King who would stop the kid from falling, though after the first couple times this occurred the Great Sage had a slightly irritated expression as he pushed MK upright. After a few hours MK did manage to balance on his tail for about a few minutes before he found himself falling towards his mentor again.

“Okay, time for a break kid,” Wukong stood up and said as the kid fell forwards trying to stand up, the Great Sage stretched as he jumped back to his feet. The stone monkey was about to jump on his cloud and lounge before a tall light furred monkey joined them.

“I apologize for interrupting,” General Ba announced firmly, “but I need to speak to Wukong immediately.”

It took one look at the Great Sage’s general to know that something was up, and the Monkey King had a feeling that he knew what it was about. After all, quite a few of the elder members of the troop have reported that their cubs have gone missing. Wukong had a patrol sent out to search for the missing cubs before picking MK up that morning, they must have returned with them by now, right?

If Pigsy or Tang found out that something like this was going on in Flower Fruit Mountain, they would certainly demand that the kid return home right away. The idea of telling them has come up a few times, but Wukong reasoned with himself that the kid could handle himself if the worst came to worse. Telling the kid was out of the question, since MK would probably tell his other dads without batting an eye.

Wukong thought for a moment before turning to the other two in the clearing with a smile, “So…kid…uh weren’t you supposed to check in with Pigsy and Tang?”

“I already checked in with them though,” MK looked at Wukong blankly, “Why is there something wrong,” the kid paused for a moment before he began to panic while running aimlessly, “IS DBK ATTACKING THE CITY AGAIN!”

“No, no, nothing like that,” Wukong grabbed MK and began patting him on the head, “There is just something else that needs my attention at the moment, I’m sure you understand how it is right kid?”

“What about…”

“You did well today bud,” Wukong stated quickly before looking at the sky, “Though it’s probably going to get dark soon, so best if we wrap things up for the day.”

The kid seemed slightly disappointed, after all time went by so fast if it was already getting dark like the Monkey King said it was. The Monkie Kid’s tail drooped as he tugged on his own jacket, he was kind of looking forward to spending more time with the Great Sage.

“It’s okay,” MK forced a smile as his tail betrayed his true feelings as it drooped sadly behind him and the kid’s golden eye were downcast, “No biggie, really.”

“Hey,” the monkey king gave his kid an encouraging smile, “Let’s continue training tomorrow morning, alright.”

With a parting rub on the kid’s head, the Great Sage entered the mouth of the cave that led back to the main area of the water curtain cave. General Ba followed the Monkey King silently as the pair disappeared into the cavern. Not noticing that there was someone eyeing the clearing in a hidden cavern inside the mountain.

“The cubs haven’t been found yet,” Ba began to say, “If we tell the troop, there will be a panic, but…”

The news didn’t seem to bother Wukong as much as his general thought it would have. After the sage’s pilgrimage west a situation like this would have sent the monkey into a frenzy where he would have torn up the island looking for the missing members of his troop. It wasn’t until a few hundred years later that the monkey accepted that no demon, celestial, or man (at least ones that weren’t imprisoned or dead) would dare threaten Flower Fruit Mountain so the Great Sage wasn’t as overbearingly protective if a member of the troop stayed out late.

 “We both know how curious the little suns can get when they go on their first scavenge,” the stone monkey responded with a shrug.

“Great Sage, I feel like we should be a bit more concerned about this.”

“They are probably playing somewhere that the patrol hasn’t checked yet,” Wukong brushed off the blond furred general’s concern, “I’ll lead a search party if they are not back by tonight.”

“That’s the thing, the patrol we send out is MIA,” Ba stated severely, “Other than Beng who led the patrol, the rest are missing.”

The news that General Beng returned alone caused the Great Sage to pause. Although the second youngest of Wukong’s Stalwart Generals was a bit of a fun-loving prankster who occasionally took said pranks too far, the light ginger monkey would never leave a member of the troop behind.

“That isn’t very much like him,” the Monkey King commented.

The current eldest of the Stalwart generals had to keep himself from breaking down as he told the Monkey King, “I went out looking for the patrol and found Beng…he…he’s alive…but…”

“How badly?”

“I believe something attacked the patrol, there were signs of a skirmish in the area,” Ba’s turquoise eyes looked at Wukong and were full of concern, “Beng still hasn’t regained consciousness, but in the meantime, we should fortify the defenses…”

That wasn’t what the sage wanted to know, a growl escaped Wukong’s throat as for a split moment the glamor hiding the monkey king’s burning red eyes fell and the sage spoke each word slowly, “How badly was Beng hurt?”

The taller gibbon avoided meeting the sage’s eyes which have returned to its original golden hue by this point, “He’s faced worse at the hands of the celestial army, though he took quite a beating to the head...”

Blood coating the Ruyi Jingu Bang, the broken mangled body of his dear Plum still and cold under his feet, the sound of bone cracking apart as he bashed open their head with the staff as…

No, Ba said that Beng was still alive, the damage wouldn’t be anything like what the monkey king did then. That meant the damage would heal, after all the generals’ immortality gave them the ability to heal wounds that would have otherwise been fatal to a mortal. Beng would be fine in a few days at the very least, or at most a week. This didn’t change the fact that someone or something was harming the Great Sage’s troop, and that whatever was responsible would be down in Yama’s domain once the king got their hands on them.

Caught up in his own thoughts, the Monkey King had stopped listening to General Ba’s words as the king’s anger began to rise. It took a blood-curling scream that echoed through the walls of the cave to snap Wukong out of it, replacing anger with a sudden feeling in his gut.

His cub was in trouble, somehow Wukong could just feel through the bond between them and the demonic instincts that Wukong had learned to ignore began to break through in full swing. A growl rumbled in the back of his throat before escaping with a snarl.

“That came from the clearing,” the tall gibbon’s eyes were wide.

Without another word, the great sage equal to heaven had already somersaulted onto his cloud, arriving back in the clearing in a blink of an eye only to be met with horror. The tree that grew in the middle of the clearing appeared to have been cleaved in half by some bladed weapon, only half of the tree managed to remain standing as it sheltered a small brunette macaque in yellow and wine pink garbs. The marshal wasn’t in good shape, a nasty wound was present on her side that the macaque was keeping pressure on in an attempt to stop the bleeding. There were also various cuts and bruises that seemed to be present on the short brunette monkey as well, though compared to the gash in her side were minor.

Looking around the clearing, hoping to catch a glimpse of a red bandana wearing monkey demon in the lush foliage of the clearing. Wukong used his golden eyes of truth to see if there was a clue to his kid’s whereabouts hidden from view only to find what was probably the kids phone hidden within a moderately sized bush close to the clearing’s walls. The sage picked up the device, the screen lighting up as the ginger monkey’s thumb passed over its receptors revealing a picture of MK alongside the kid’s dragon friend, Mei, at the Anti-Gravity Arcade with a Monkey Mech highscore in the background, the leading two players being Mei in first with MK in second for the top score.

Someone took the kid. Someone took his kid. SOMEONE KIDNAPPED HIS CUB!

The outraged roar that the Great Sage belted could be heard all the way in the Celestial Realm.

“Monkey…King….?” The small marshal struggled as she used the remains of the peach tree to stand up, “I…I couldn’t…”

Before the great sage could respond, General Ba had emerged from the mouth of the clearing, seeing the injured marshal he immediately rushed to help his fellow Stalwart General by supporting Ma over his shoulder, crouching down so that the small macaque could still stand and hold her wound.

“Is the kid, okay?” Wukong asked, though in his gut he knew the answer wasn’t going to be one that the sage would like. Somehow Wukong could just feel that something was terribly wrong, that the kid was in some sort of trouble that he wasn’t there to protect his cub from.

The normally spunky short-tempered macaque coughed blood, “They…took him…” she coughed again, “They took the little prince.”

“Who took my kid,” once again the Monkey King’s glamor dropped revealing the burning red irises that were hidden behind it.

“Confusion,” Marshal Ma managed to say before the last of the small macaque’s energy was used up and the brunette passed out. General Ba slung the marshal’s body over her shoulder, looking at Wukong with concern for the stone monkey as he silently carried Ma’s unconscious form back into the Water Curtain Cave leaving Wukong alone.

Confusion, the terror that was in the small macaque’s voice as she said that one word was all the sage needed to know who was responsible for hurting not just the king’s troop but also his kid, his cub. The Monstrous Fiend of Havok would regret ever reemerging from Yama’s kingdom. No one messes with the king’s troop and gets away with it.

‘No violence’

Screw that, someone hurt the sage’s siblings, the youngest of the troop, and took his kid! Master wasn’t there and that dammed circlet was removed, nothing could stop Wukong from tearing the whole world apart just to find the Demon King of Confusion and send him back to Yama.

The sage’s eyes then glowed gold as he searched for any residual magic traces in the clearing, there was his own magic along with the generals as and what was probably MK’s from its similarity to Wukong’s own. The demon who took the kid seemed to be hiding his tracks, but they made a big mistake taking the kid.

Maybe Wukong should have been more concerned about how the kid was basically announcing to the whole world that he was the Monkey King’s heir instead of assuming no one would try anything on the kid just because of his reputation. For now, the ginger stone monkey focused on MK’s signature, using it as a trail of crumbs that the sage could track to back to the perpetrator. Wukong followed the kid’s magic through the sky hole that lit the lush clearing of fruit trees and bushes, emerging on the side of the mountain where he immediately began to track the kid’s signature past the peak of Flower Fruit Mountain towards the Flaming Mountains that separated the waters around the island from the ones around the city.

In a moment the sage transformed from his stone monkey self into an orange eagle with red and teal tipped wings and soared in the direction the trail led the celestial monkey. The intense heat hardly bothered the immortal sage as he followed MK’s magic signature through the volcanic peaks, the trail was getting stronger which meant that Wukong had to be getting close to his target.

Then the trail stopped, the end being at the maw of a magma carved cave that was lit by pockets of molten rock that seeped through the sides. The cavern appeared to be mostly the product of eruptions over time creating vents, but there were signs that parts of the walls were carved so that excess lava would flow into the torch like magma pools.

A bright flash lit up the cavern as Wukong shifted back into his true form before the monkey began to creep down the vent. The further down the thicker the miasma that permeated through the air became, making it hard to breathe comfortably. Although immortality did mean that the smoke and ashes had very little, long-lasting effect on the sage it didn’t necessarily mean that it didn’t have an impact on the monkey.

What concerned the monkey king was that the Demon King of Confusion took the kid here of all places that the demon could have. MK appeared to be quite far into his transformation into a stone monkey demon, but the sage had no way of safely knowing just how far the kid was into it other than his appearance. Demons have a naturally higher resistance to toxins than humans, whether or not the Monkie Kid had those resistances was the question.

The best course of action for the kid was to prioritize getting MK out over fighting with the demon that kidnapped the little monkey. As much as Wukong wanted to bash the fiend all the way to the next cycle, it wouldn’t do MK any good to stay here. First the sage had to reach the chamber at the end of these volcanic vents, that was the most likely place the demon would be.

So, when Wukong saw the volcano’s main vent, he had no problems jumping into the chasm down into the lava chamber below. Wukong’s feet landed on hard ground, the lava chamber appeared to have been drained to the point that the area seemed habitable. There were a few lingering pools of lava that were scattered around the chamber, but other than that and the thick miasma it seems that the chamber was in use.

To not alert the demon to his presence, Wukong transformed into a fly and began searching for signs of the kid or the other missing monkeys. There were plenty of cages that were either hanging on the roof of the cavern or resting on the ground, all of them empty except one. A towering humanoid figure that was just below half the height of the chamber, igneous stone skin that appeared to be cracked and chipped in various areas was covered by rusted armor that had a thick layer of ash coating it stood in front of the cage with something in his hands. At closer inspection, the monkey king was horrified to find that in the demon’s hand was the kid who was struggling against his capture’s grip.

“Behave and you might live to see another day, simian,” the stone golem threatened as he threw the Monkie Kid into the cage harshly. The kid’s shirt was torn and where MK’s fur had yet to grow in there was a nasty purplish-blue coloration indicating that the demon broke a few of the Monkie Kid’s ribs. There was also blood dripping from the successor’s head, and from how the kid was struggling to keep his eyes open they must be a bit concussed.

‘THEY HURT MY CUB!’ the sage growled as he changed back and howled in rage, “What did you do to my kid!”

The Demon King of Confusion was in the middle of closing the cage when he heard that familiar voice and turned around only to be met with a fist to his face, sending the demon towards the wall of the chamber causing a few loose stones to fall onto the cavern floor.

“Monkey King!” MK exclaimed, trying to head out of the open cage only to aggravate the injury and the kid made a pained howl. Wukong rushed to the kid’s side, the boy’s injuries seemed to be healing themselves, which was a relief, but the process was slow. It would be safe to move the kid along with the little suns at this point, so Wukong left a few clones with them along with a stretcher to carry the kid and little monkeys out of the drained volcano.

Before the clones could take the kid and monkeys out of the lava chamber, the Demon King of Confusion had managed to pick himself back up after being knocked out by the impact with the wall. The stone golem looked at Wukong then at the clones that were carrying the missing troop members out of the volcano and lunged towards the main volcano vent that was being used for their escape. Wukong instinctively threw himself between the monkeys and the monstrous fiend of havoc, not letting the demon get anywhere close to his troop again.

“Wukong!” the stone golem screamed in fury.

“Havoc,” was all the stone monkey responded before heading out through the main lava vent into a vent that branched off to the side of the volcano as the golem followed in pursuit.

After emerging from one of the vents, the great sage then turned to attack the Demon King of Confusion, a blow that ended up breaking the rusty armor the stone golem wore on his head in two. The demon staggered back into the volcano causing a vent to open wider and lava to flow out of the volcanic pores. The lava began to seep into the cracks in the golem’s body, causing the demon’s body to fracture more as it struggled to keep itself together. The fractures kept growing until the demon broke apart completely and it was no longer able to put itself back together. When the pieces of the stone golem stopped moving completely, the sage rushed to where his clones were carrying the rescued monkeys and Monkie Kid back to the island.

Back in the Water Curtain cave the rescued monkeys chirped excitedly as they called out to their families, MK watched as parents went to greet their kids before they began to groom the debris out of their fur.

“Kid!” Wukong exclaimed as he examined the pulled the kid into a warm embrace from behind which made the MK wince as the monkey squeezed his torso. The sage noticed, setting down the monkey boy slowly as to not aggravate the injury, “Whoops, sorry about that cub.”

The sage then began to check the kid’s wounds, even with the limiting seal on the kid’s powers there was still some regeneration. Wukong breathed a sigh of relief as he checked the kid’s ribs to find that they had mended themselves already, though the purple-blue coloration around the kid’s chest suggested that there was some contusion as well that has yet to heal. The kid’s regenerative abilities must have prioritized mending the broken ribs over the deep bruises that were present.

After giving the kid a good checkup, the great sage then pulled MK close and began to comb through their thick mane with his hands. Pulling out bits of ash and stone that got tangled in the fur as well as removing the crispy volcano cooked insects that latched onto the kid’s skin before DBC got their grubby stone hands on them.

MK hadn’t even noticed how he was struggling to breathe or how his heart was racing until they started to calm as Wukong groomed through their fur. The brunette doesn’t quite fall asleep, but he closes his eyes and begins to relax despite the sound of footsteps approaching him.

“The prince is safe?” a feminine voice cracked; it sounded like they might have been crying for some time before this.

The Monkey King nodded in response, “The cub was pretty banged up, but the worst of it has already healed.”

There was a silent pause as the Great Sage focused on grooming his successor, a deep sigh left the stone monkey, “Cub, you’ve been pretty quiet since we got back, you okay?”

Nervously MK chuckled as he thought of how to respond to that, he was just kidnapped by a demon and taken to a literal volcano all while the demon almost squeezed the life out of him. MK didn’t even see it coming when the stone golem grabbed him back in the clearing, and when Marshal Ma tried to protect the kid she ended up getting hurt.

“I’ll be fine, ba,” MK wasn’t really sure of that himself.

“Ma, tell the others that at least a couple of them should be guarding my kid when he’s on the mountain,” Wukong ordered the brunette macaque, “If anything or anyone tries to hurt my cub I should be informed immediately.”

The marshal nodded as she left to inform the other Stalwarts of their task, leaving Wukong and MK alone. The idea that MK would be babysat didn’t sit well with the kid, he was an adult…well technically they were 17 but he knew how to handle himself.

“I don’t need a babysitter,” when MK spoke up with a slight whine, “I can handle myself…”

“And tell me, how well did that go for you today,” Wukong yelled before seeing how the kid flinched away with his hands on his sensitive ears. The sage felt guilt at causing the kid to react like this, Wukong still wasn’t very confident if he could even fulfill the role of a father along with mentoring the kid, heck the first day in his care MK got kidnapped and hurt.

“Kid…you got kidnapped under my watch,” Wukong sighed as he pulled the young monkey demon towards him with his tail, “Pigsy and Tang trusted me to keep you safe, but you still got hurt. I think they would agree with my decision.”

Not wanting to argue, MK stayed quiet, he still didn’t like the idea of being constantly under the Stalwart’s watch when he was on Flower Fruit Mountain, but the Monkey King made a point.

“I won’t let another demon kidnap and hurt you like this,” Wukong stated, still grooming through the kid’s fur now having moved towards the back, noting that the fur now completely covered the kid’s back and there was some fuzz starting to form on Monkie Kid’s arms. As Wukong picked through MK’s fur the kid began to doze off, the sight of the kid resting sent a smile to Wukong.

“Okay kiddo, how about we head to bed,” the Monkey King said as he scooped the young monkey demon into his arms and headed towards the small shrine that the sage had a nest in. Wukong wasn’t going to let his kid out of his sight, his cub would be safer with him tonight.

The stone monkey gently set the kid into the nest of pillows and blankets before curling up around the kid with a tail wrapped around MK’s waist, “Night kiddo.”

The first thing MK noticed when he woke up was that he was surrounded by something plush and cozy and that there was something loosely wrapped around his waist. The brunette opened his eyes and saw that he was lying in a strange pile lined with pillows and floored with blankets. Loosely wrapped around the kid’s waist was an orange monkey tail that was attached to the Monkey King, seeing that he was in what was likely the celestial monkey’s nest.

It took a few moments before it all came back to MK; going to Flower Fruit Mountain with the Monkey King, meeting the Stalwart Generals, training, and then being kidnapped and taken to a smoldering volcano. Shit, MK was supposed to contact Tang and Pigsy last night and tell them how the day was. The kid tried to pull out his phone before remembering that he dropped it in the clearing, though after hearing a familiar tune play MK perked her ears to find the source. A yellow phone case belonging to his phone caught his eye MK went to pick it up.

With Monkey King still sleeping, MK felt it best to step outside and contact his other dads. Pigsy was likely worried sick that the kid didn’t call the night before like he promised.

7:30 p.m.

DADSY: Kid! Are you alright? You haven’t called.

NOODLE LOVER: MK, please answer. Pigsy is stress-cooking noodles, and he refuses to give me any of them!

5:25 a.m

MONKIE KID: I’m okay dads.

DADSY: Thank the Celestial Realm you’re okay! Why didn’t you call last night?

MK didn’t immediately answer, after all how can someone tell their parents that they were kidnapped and almost caged in an active volcano. Actually, how was he supposed to tell them that a demon broke his ribs…his ribs that no longer hurt or feel out of place…how did it heal overnight? The kid didn't want to ponder that right now, he needed to answer Pigsy's question.

MONKIE KID: I guess I was just really tired last night after training, but hey I got a better handle on my tail now!

DADSY: I’m going to have a word with that Monkey about proper sleeping schedules…

MONKIE KID: It wasn’t Monkey King’s fault, I was the one who wanted to keep training.

Back inside, the Monkey King had woken up and noticed that the kid was not in the nest with him or in the room and began to panic. The celestial monkey shot out of the nest and began to chirp for the kid, and when he heard MK chirp back in response the Monkey King could tell that the kid was close by. Leaving the shrine, he spotted MK covering his mouth as he chirped again. Wukong smiled seeing that the kid was safe and approached the monkey demon and ruffled the fur on his head. The monkey also noticed the kid’s phone, though was unable to read any of the text displayed. Did the kid tell his guardians about last night…maybe Wukong should inform the couple of the events that occurred.

One thing was for certain, Sun Wukong was going to try to do a better job at keeping his kid safe.

[barbaracleboy]

Omega’s Assault: Chapter 1

Note: the following couple paragraphs are some backstory on this fic and whatnot. If you’re only interested in the fic itself (totally valid, I mean it, I won't judge) then you can just click “Keep Reading” and go from there. Otherwise...

So, about a year ago, Tumblr user @akuma74 posted about a dream he had, where Deadlanders attacked Bugaria and all the kingdoms had to work together to fight them off. Even the Wasp King had to join in against the threat. Here is the post referencing said dream (https://akuma74.tumblr.com/post/677235418689863680/i-just-have-a-dream-where-the-deadlander-attacked)

Now, I thought this was a very cool idea, so I replied to his post saying I might like to write a small fic based on it. A bit later, I finished Chapter 1 of said fic. My intent was for there to be only two Chapters and to post all of them to Tumblr once they were finished...however, I ended up having more and more and more ideas for this story and the way it currently is it’s looking more like it’ll be four Chapters long (I’m confident it’ll stay that way, though). With that in mind, plus the fact that I’ve been so dreadfully slow on this story, I thought that I might as well quit wasting time and just bring them to Tumblr for people to read. To Akuma, I apologize for taking so long and I hope you enjoy what I’ve written so far: I will continue it and I won’t take as long to get Chapters 3 and 4 out as I did Chapter 2. To anyone that doesn’t want to read the story on Tumblr, here’s the link to it on AO3 (https://archiveofourown.org/works/40301664/chapters/100948233). Chapter 2 is queued to be posted on Tumblr later today. For now, please enjoy...

Bugaria was off today, though nobody could really understand why. There was just something unusual about...everything. The "aura", as it were, was not as it tended to be. Though this feeling of (for lack of better words) unease was felt by most in Bugaria, the mystery as to why it was happening led many to not think much of it. Things felt strange, yet most didn't feel necessarily unsafe...not at the moment...

On the Balcony of The Hive, Elias looked around the land with the use of his patented Eliascope. He was stunned by the beauty of the surrounding areas, and quite proud of himself for creating something to so easily observe it all (some might say too proud). Vilma was on the balcony as well, taking in the warm desert air and relaxing.

Vilma: Mr. Elias, that device of yours is quite interesting. You say you can see all throughout Bugaria with it?

Elias: Haha, indeed! See for yourself, Miss.

Vilma giggled as she stepped up and leaned down into the looking glass of the Eliascope, and she was enamored as she used it to scan across the Lost Sands. This was not her first time using it, mind you, but the experience was still so novel and extraordinary for her. This excitement was halted, however, when Vilma froze up. It would seem she caught sight of something odd.

Elias: Miss? Are you well?

Vilma: I-I...I think...I saw something moving...something large...

Elias: Large, you say? Let me see that, if you will.

Vilma stepped aside, allowing Elias to look into his telescope once more, and he was shocked to find a colossal silhouette moving in the distance. After a bit of shuffling the silhouette turned towards his direction, making his blood run cold, before a large arm emerged from the silhouette and pushed away some of the nearby grass. Another arm reached out and patted the ground near the Wasp Kingdom, almost like it was testing it.

Vilma: D-do you see it too?

Elias: I...think I do? There's a giant...thing over there...what is it doing?

More arms came from the silhouette, pushing away the grass and reaching further into the Far Grasslands. The figure then pulled itself into better view, and it was a terrifying sight to behold: it almost resembled a twisted, charred tree branch, with pointy fingers upon twisted hands upon bony arms in large numbers. All over its body were huge, yellow eyes that seemed to cast a light onto whatever they looked upon...and right now multiple were looking straight at Elias.

Vilma: I-I-Is it looking at us???

Elias couldn't talk. He couldn't form any sort of coherent thoughts, but despite this his mind was racing with all sorts of emotions (amazement, shock, confusion), chief among them being sheer terror. This terror grew until the many-armed, many-eyed creature started crawling towards The Hive, at which point Elias fell over and screamed so loud he could even be heard from Defiant Root all the way down below.

Elias: IT IS COMING TOWARDS US!!!!!

Just about every Bug currently on the Balcony rushed over to see what the Mantis was screaming about, and when they saw the same colossus he and Vilma saw they all flew into an unprecedented panic. They were screaming and running, some Bees even started flying off the Balcony to try and escape. Some Bugs kneeled and prayed, hoping that Venus or any other god that was listening would protect them. Vilma, meanwhile, rushed to the Queen Bianca's Throne Room, and the guards were surprised to see the state she was in. Vilma was breathless and her voice was shaking as she tried to speak and open the doors at the same time.

Vilma: B-Belle, Nina, w-w-we we need to tell the Queen!

Belle: Vilma?! What are you doing, why-

Vilma: We need to tell her, she'll know what to do!!!

Vilma burst into the Throne Room, catching Queen Bianca and Tuvi (to whom the Queen was giving reassurance) off guard.

Bianca: Vilma? My goodness, dear, you look like you've seen a ghost.

Vilma: I-it's worse than that!!!

Tuvi: W-w-w-worse than a ghost!?

Vilma: Qu-Qu-Queen B-Bianca! The-the-the Eliascope saw something, it-it was terrible, I-I-

Vilma was panicked like something Bianca had never seen before. She had always been a cheerier soul, and the Queen was morbidly curious as to what she had seen. She often tried to avoid physical force, but Bianca grabbed Vilma by the shoulders and held her still in an effort to calm her down.

Bianca: Vilma, love. Listen to me: What happened? What was it that you saw?

Vilma could do nothing but hyperventilate.

Bianca: Please, Vilma, if it is dangerous you NEED to tell me.

Vilma:...A Giant is moving towards The Hive!!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vi was currently in Queen Elizant II's Throne Room, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. It was hardly appropriate behavior around both fellow explorers and a Monarch but (luckily for Vi and her team) it was hardly noticed.

Elizant: If all is understood, Explorers, then it is time for you to move out. You will-

Suddenly, the palace began to tremble, and the already-annoyed Vi let out a groan in frustration.

Vi: Uuugggghhhh, what now???

Kabbu: A tremor?! I-is everything alright?!

Leif: Gods, we never felt something like that before...

Multiple Ant Guards ran into the Throne Room, all calling out for the Queen in a jumbled panic. Elizant stamped her foot, demanding attention (and also in a bout of frustration).

Elizant: Silence!!! What is so urgent that you all need to stumble over yourselves???

Ant Guard: Th-there is a monster attacking Bugaria! You need to see it!

Elizant: A...monster?

Everyone in the Throne Room quickly ran outside of the Palace, and when they looked up to the East they were all in utter shock.

Kabbu: Th...that is...f-f-far too...b-big!

Leif: What is it?...

Vi was uneasy, to her own surprise: after her team bested the Spider that haunted Snakemouth for so long, and a Guardian created by Venus herself, she honestly wasn't worried by the sounds of this "monster" the guards went on about. She couldn't fathom such a horrifying sight being what they referred to, but it had to be. The last time she was this scared was when she and Kabbu first saw the Spider of Snakemouth. At that time she genuinely wanted to give up for a moment, and go back home...home...Vi took a closer look at the monster, and noticed that it was not looking towards the Ant Kingdom, but the Bee Kingdom.

Vi: Wha-it's moving towards The Bee Hive!!!

Gen: Wh-what?

Eri: Oh no, they're doomed!!!

Vi never imagined something like this happening. She was happy to leave The Hive, and happy not to think of it again...but she didn't want it in peril. Almost childishly, Vi tugged on the Ant Queen's dress to get her attention.

Vi: Queen Elizant! We gotta do something, right? W-we're not just gonna let that thing attack the Bees, r-right?

Elizant bowed her head and didn't answer for a moment: it would seem that she was in deep thought. After some time, she finally looked to Vi in response.

Elizant:...The Bees are our allies...Queen Bianca is a close friend...We shall mobilize and head to the Bee Kingdom posthaste.

Kina: We were going there anyway, right? For the artifact or whatever?

Elizant: We were and still are. Kina, you are to head there and give them the materials they need to replace their core.

Leif: [How could she still be thinking of the Sapling at a time like this?!]

Elizant: Team Snakemouth will join me on the way to the Golden Settlement. From there we shall take the path that leads us to Defiant Root and The Hive.

Kabbu: Oh no, I hope everyone there is safe...

Vi:...Yeah...

Elizant: The rest of you are to evacuate as many Bugs as possible towards the Golden Settlement and keep them as safe as you can.

Celia: Right, Your Highness!

Elizant: Team Snakemouth, we must hurry.

Leif lagged behind and sneered when he knew the Queen can't see him before leaning over to Kabbu and whispering.

Leif: She disgusts us. Who knows what that THING could do and yet she still wants to get the Artifact???

Vi: Who cares? We gotta focus on helping everybody, we can worry about who does and doesn't suck at ruling later!

Kabbu: Vi, you...you have a point, I believe. Leif, we must do what we can now, and other concerns will be dealt with later.

Leif:...You're right...we've got issues with her, but if mobilizing means we can help Bugs in peril, we should...

So the Explorers went about their duties: Team Snakemouth followed the Ant Queen as the other explorers did what they could to gather and calm down the Ant Kingdom citizens. It was difficult, however, as the monster loomed in the distance and continued stomping, sending shockwaves throughout the land...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Under the Wasp King's orders, the entirety of the Wasp Kingdom was evacuating. The titan that was so close to their hive that it could stomp and crush all of them in but an instant, and they were blessed that it (for whatever reason) had its focus elsewhere. Even still, the Wasp King refused to have his subjects in such a compromising position, so he ordered them all to leave and bring any prisoners and Wasps that couldn't move along with them. The Wasps were in no place to refuse, even if they wanted to: few Bugs would wish to remain near the monster that had just entered Bugaria. The Wasp King himself came to Queen Vanessa II's bedroom, and she looked to him in disgust as he tried grabbing her hand.

Wasp King: Come with me.

Vanessa pulled her arm away.

Vanessa: Don't you dare try to touch me, menace!

Wasp King: The only "Menace" is the one outside my kingdom, now-

Vanessa: Your Kingdom?!

Wasp King: Yes, mine! You are clearly a failure at keeping it orderly, now follow me. I will need soldiers in the future, and you are too useful to lose.

Vanessa: You...

A pair of Wasp Drillers showed up to either side of Vanessa, and she was forced along by them to follow her captor and usurper.

Wasp King: GENERAL ULTIMAX!

The General rushed up to his king, though he was clearly not in his best state of mind either. His legs quivered, and the fear in his voice was palpable.

Ultimax: Y-yes, your highness?

Wasp King: Get into your tank: you are to distract the beast outside so that we can escape.

Vanessa: Distract? Are you asking him to sacrifice himself?!

Wasp King: For the good of the kingdom, you idiotic wench.

Vanessa: How could-

Wasp King: Now, Ultimax! Do NOT fail me!

Ultimax: I...y-yes, your majesty!...

General Ultimax ran to prepare his tank as the Wasp King and his guards brought the Queen outside. When they left the hive they saw droves of Wasps moving through the Far Grasslands. Guards were on the ready to deal with any hostile forces, but there were few to speak of: the colossus had scared all but the Wasps themselves away. Vanessa held her head down, both ashamed and angry, and tried not to look at the state she was in now.

Wasp Guard: My king! We noticed a foreign Mantis running from our grounds, and he was carrying what looked like a small larva: we feel he may have been a spy!

Wasp King: We will deal with him later.

Wasp Guard: Later? But sire, we-

Wasp King: We need to worry solely about ourselves. When we are in a better position we shall search for and eliminate this "spy", but for now you shall do as you are told!

Vanessa: Hoaxe, you are vile and heartless.

Wasp King: I know how to get what I want. You are pathetic and ignorant. Really, I should have been made king long ago, I understand how to put my kingdom's needs first.

Vanessa was about to say more when she caught sight of the monster they were evacuating from. Just one of its limbs was taller than the entirety of her hive, and they were numerous enough that counting them felt fruitless.

Vanessa: Is...is that the Deadlander Omega?

Suddenly, the creature looked down to see Vanessa and those keeping her hostage. It was just about to stomp on them when the Wasp King blasted multiple of its eyeballs with fire.

Wasp King: FASTER, ALL OF YOU!!!

The Wasps did as they were told, evacuating as the Deadlander roared. Vanessa wasn't even sure if Hoaxe's attack had damaged it, but that worry was overtaken by a separate one when the Ultimax Tank drove in and shot at the beast further. Vanessa reached out in fear as the general drew the enormous monster's attention.

Vanessa: Fuff, no!

Wasp King: Silence, fool, and move!!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Team Snakemouth and Queen Elizant II trekked through the Lost Sands, they were able to catch more and more glimpses of the monster, the Deadlander Omega, to the East. It was seemingly in combat, fighting off blasts from something. Though the creature's sheer size made it clear as day, what exactly it was fighting was hard to make out at the distance they were watching from.

Vi: If...if that thing's in a fight...we can take it out too, can't we?

Leif: Well, that depends on if it's taking any damage in its "fight", and we aren't too sure of that.

Elizant: As long as the monster is distracted, that is all that matters for now. We must reach The Hive quickly, then we can make other plans.

Kabbu's arm was tugged by a small tendril, and he was lightly pulled to a spot behind a rock to find one of Venus's Buds. Vi and Leif slipped away from the Queen as they shared in Kabbu's shock.

Kabbu: V-Venus! Is that you? Why-

Venus: No time to explain, Kabbu! I have something important to tell you: a giant-

Leif: Monster's attacking Bugaria? We figured that out, we're afraid.

Venus: Ha...I should've guessed, with how big it is...you're not going to try and fight it, are you?

Vi: We fought a Goddess and won, right? I'm sure we can find a way to fight this thing!

Venus: You fought a guardian of a goddess that she made in less than a minute. This creature...it's on a whole other level.

Leif: Can't you do anything to stop it, then?

Venus: Unfortunately, I only have so much power...what's more...that power is waning.

Kabbu: Waning?

Venus: It's a long story, and I'm not sure even I fully get it, but the important thing is that a force that was felt within the very land here is gone, or at least weaker. I think that's why that monster's attacking in the first place.

Vi: What're we supposed to do with that info???

Venus: You're supposed to be careful, okay? Just...watch yourselves...protect yourselves...I'm not sure how much I can do.

Kabbu:...We shall do what we can, Venus. May your blessing guide us forward.

Vi and Leif nodded in affirmation with Kabbu before all three of them slipped back to Queen Elizant's side.

Elizant: Team Snakemouth! Where have you been?

Vi: Uhh, we tripped?

Elizant:...No matter. We cannot afford to stall any longer...

By the time the group made it to Defiant Root, just about everyone there was gone: the Bees had evacuated them to the Golden Settlment (leaving it rather crowded there now), though the feeling of unease was no less prevalant.

Kabbu: Gods, I was hoping my next time coming here would be...more pleasant...

Vi:...

Leif: It is what it is, all we can do is try and protect as many as we can...

Elizant: We must get the artifact, and then we will discuss further plans.

Elizant moved towards the elevator of the Bee Hive, encountering a large, shivering Bee.

Elizant: Are you the one that runs the el-

Big Bee: AH! S-S-STAY BACK!!!

Vi: Aebees, it's fine! We're not-

Aebees: Vi? VI, HOLY CRAP, I WAS SCARED THAT THING GOT YOU OR-

Vi: It didn't, okay? Now c'mon, we need to meet with the Queen, we gotta get the artifact!

Aebees: A-artifact? Like what that Mantis earlier was talking about?

Kabbu: Kina! Yes, Kina came earlier to deliver the materials with which you can build a replacement for your Honey Factory Core!

Aebees: I-I don't understand any of that, I just know that there's a giant monster in the distance fighting something and I don't wanna be here!

As Aebees said, the Deadlander was still in combat, and it roared in pain and fury as its opponent fired more blasts into its eyes. It slammed into the ground several times, just barely missing its target, before Elizant turned to Aebees.

Elizant:...Have us raised up. We will resolve our situation in The Hive, and you may evacuate to the Golden Settlement.

Aebees: You're gonna stop the monster!?

Elizant: We need you to let us up.

Aebees: O-okay, okay! Just...please try and hurry. I'm not sure how long whatever's over there is gonna be distracted...

Queen Elizant nodded before she and Team Snakemouth boarded the elevator and were brought up to The Hive. As they were lifted, they heard the roaring of the Deadlander Omega and saw it pick something up.

Kabbu: That beast...can it truly be stopped?

Vi: You can kill anything if you hit it hard enough!

Leif: For now we need to focus on helping each other...we need to focus on keeping everybody safe...

Leif glared at Elizant, and perhaps he was lucky that she was too busy with her own thoughts to notice...

Once the group made it into The Hive and past its scanners, they spotted various Bugs in varying states of panic. Each roar of the Deadlander sent more terror into these Bugs, but Elizant was steadfast as she looked for Queen Bianca. It didn't take long to find her, as she had been outside her Throne Room and trying to calm the others for a while now. When she spotted Elizant she was quick to run over and take the Ant Queen's hands into her own.

Bianca: Elizant! Oh, thank the gods that you are safe! Was it hard to get here? Were you attacked?

Elizant: I am fine, Bianca, thank you for your concern. However, I have-

Bianca: Oh! Violet!

Queen Bianca quickly picked up Vi and hugged her for dear life. In any other case Vi would be quick to push herself off of whoever would squeeze her like this, though for now she merely asked to be put down repeatedly.

Bianca: Oh, my darling! My dear, dear, daughter! I am so sorry we pushed you away, I never wanted you in so much danger, please tell me you're unharmed, please-

Vi: Queen Bianca, I'm good! Just, p-put me down! We got things to do!

Bianca stopped for a moment, as if she had realized how unusual she was acting, and put Vi down with a calmness much unlike what she was just displaying.

Bianca: Y-you are right, Vi. I...I apologize for that. I meant what I said, however, we shouldn't have-

Vi: Mo-Q-Queen Bianca...Queen Elizant needs something.

Elizant was silent, but one could sense a sort of unease coming from her. Almost a sort of regret.

Bianca: Oh yes...the...the trade that Team Maki mentioned. They are explorers of yours, correct, Elizant?

Elizant: We need that trade done as swiftly as possible, Bianca. As soon as it is complete we can focus on evacuation and protection, as well as what we should do about...the creature.

Bianca:...I am very sorry, Elizant. I know we had a deal...but I cannot agree to it at the moment.

Elizant pulled her hands out of Bianca's, but before she could say anything Kabbu gasped and got the Bee Queen's attention himself.

Kabbu: Wait, Queen Bianca, you mentioned Team Maki...Did Sir Maki come here?

Maki: Yes, Kabbu.

Elizant and Team Snakemouth were shocked to notice Maki walking up behind him, a grey Caterpillar by his side.

Vi: Wait, is that a baby? Where'd you find a baby???

Maki: That does not matter, Vi. Yin here was in an unsafe position, near that Giant, and I refuse to have left her alone there.

Yin: Muh...

Elizant:...Bianca...Ple-...Listen to me, we must-

Elizant stopped suddenly, and drew out her swords before jumping forward and getting into a battle stance.

Elizant: You!

On another side of the area was the Wasp King, soldiers surrounding him, Queen Vanessa in tow...

[kyriat-stories]

The King of Koilada Chalkou, Turunusemis, was relaxing in the enjoyable afternoon shadow, when one of the servants approached him.

- Sorry to disturb you, Your Highness...

- What!?

- There is a messenger from your sister at the door. He says it's important, Sire.

- All right, ask him to wait in the throne room. I will be there in a moment.

- Please, the King said, giving the men sign that they could stand up. Speak freely.

- Sire, the messenger said, your sister wanted to tell you that she has not yet been able to get the information that you requested about the Manthos military. She says that Prince Heraklis, who has this kind of information, is unavailable to her, and that she can't do anything about it, without exposing herself. She also reports that she has made progress in destabilizing the court, as you wished, but not to the full extent. She says she needs more time.

- How much time does she need!? I'm surrounded by ineptitude! She have had almost a year now! I'm starting to think that she will not manage. Or even worse: that she can't be trusted.

- I don't believe...

- It was not a question. Go back and tell her that she has to work faster. Our military are now ready to get going at the border, but we can't hide them from the Manthosians forever. Rumor travels faster than soldiers!

- Sire. Any message for your generals as we pass the boarder?

- Tell them to keep in hiding and ready to move on a short notice. It wont be long now.

- Right, Sire. Understood.

- Good evening Ofelia. Do you have everything you need? How is the baby?

- She is fine, Sire. She is sleeping most of the night now.

- Good, good.

- Who were the visitors? Will they stay for dinner?

- Never mind who they were. It's none of your business, don't be nosy.

- I was not trying ...

- Well maybe you did, or maybe you didn't. I don't like it. If you need to know something, you will be told. Anyway, I think it's time that we resume our marital relationship. I need a son. You can come to my quarters tonight.

- Yes Sire. As you wish.

.

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[prismatic-starstuff]

I have been thinking Hard about Elden Ring again lately and I'm ngl, I wanna write stuff about it again...