"Now if you see her anywhere, make sure to call me, alright?" Commander Alberto said.
He was at the door of Judith's cottage, speaking to her like a soft gentleman despite his tough exterior. (Since she was an elderly woman)
"I promise, commander." Judith reassured, smiling, although there were beads of sweat running down her temple.
Commander Alberto stepped closer, his expression stern yet he raised an eyebrow out of suspicion.
"Are you alright, Sister Judith? You look rather sweaty."
"Oh, it's nothing." Judith chuckled, her cheeks heating up. "Volunteering at the temple is as tiring as always."
"Well, make sure to get a rest alright? You're old, you ought to tone down the amount of endurance."
Sunny watched the conversation from inside the bedroom. Everybody was there, even Constance, who was accompanied by her butler, Jacques. She closed the door, she breathed shakily, facing her friends.
"Hey, guys." she first spoke.
"Hey." said Imani in the background. "Say, who's that little mutt over there?"
Cynoce barked, standing up on his two feet and holding up his fists,
"I ain't no mutt! I'm Cynoce! The greatest fighter the universe has ever produced!"
Hiro chuckled, patting the dog-boy's head, "Now, now! Let's not get too hasty, kid. You don't wanna lose your bones, do ya?"
Constance faced her butler, "Jacques, I want my own dog! And not just any dog, a dog that could walk and talk like that one! How come she gets to have one and I don't?!"
"Shut up, you spoiled brat." Elliot glared, menacingly. "Do you have anything better to do than interrupt Sunilda?"
Jacques whimpered fearfully upon meeting his gaze and hid behind his mistress while Hiro cooed delightfully at the annoyed, bitter Cynoce.
Sunny interrupted, "Look, I'm really sorry to bother you all, but I need to speak to you. It's something very important, and don't worry, it isn't anything stupid—It's something you really need to hear about."
Constance huffed, "Well, it better be quick because I need to get to the mall and buy me some of Charming's jewelry!"
Elliot glared at her, causing her to keep her mouth shut. He turned his gaze back to Sunny, his expression softening.
"Go ahead," he insisted.
She smiled, "Thanks…So you see, the Prophet has disappeared and we don't know where he is. However, people aren't counting on us to tag along because we're children. But what if we actually try to do something?"
Raldir burst out laughing, interrupting the meeting. He clutched his stomach, falling onto the floor to exaggerate his laughter. Anala stamped onto his foot, and he let out a howl of pain.
"If this were a theater, you would surely be kicked out." she remarked, looking at him with cold eyes.
Sunny watched the scene, and she gulped, her heart skipping a beat. She really wasn't prepared for this, even though she practiced. She recalled the summer days before this one, where the first leaf turned brown. In spite of that, she still questioned what would be the outcome, especially Elliot's reaction. Then she heard a squeak. Looking down, Cynoce was on the floor, goofily scrawling around as Squeakers scurried off. He suddenly paused upon sensing her gaze, and he smiled sheepishly. He handed the little mouse and placed it in her hand, his expression becoming more empathetic.
"Yeah, I had to get him out because I felt bad for you," he said. "You must be really scared, right?"
Sunny nodded, before turning back to see everyone watching the daily arguments of Raldir and Anala. Hiro however raised his hands the moment they raced towards each other ready to fight. A gust of wind burst out the open window and whisked the two backwards, smashing them onto the walls. Constance couldn't help but wince, but she made it as quiet as possible. Jacques however yelped and slammed his rear upon her lap, his arms wrapped around her neck.
"Gee, sis." Imani said, patting Anala's shoulder. "Relax."
"I won't relax until he learns humility!"
Sunny whimpered, her frown deepening. She hugged Squeakers close to her chest, feeling his warm tongue wipe against her cold skin. She sighed deeply…until Hiro whisked towards her, sitting next to her.
"You alright, girl?" he asked, calmly. "You don't look too good."
"Hiro, will you listen?" she asked in desperation. "Nobody will, not even Judith."
Hiro smiled thoughtfully, "Of course. Spill the beans."
Sunny cleared her throat, "The Prophet is missing, and yes, everybody's scared. They're also very upset too, so whoever he is, he must be someone very important. All the knights and crusaders are scattered around the city, trying to find him…But here we are, doing nothing at all. It just doesn't sit right with me.."
"I don't know about you, Sun. But at least we get a break whenever they investigate the Academy!"
"But Hiro, we're crusaders! Sure, we're still trainees, but a true crusader would never falter no matter what their situation is!" She breathed heavily. "I want to help out. Maybe you guys can too, I don't wanna force you all—But I do need someone to lend an ear right now, and you're the only one who would."
Elliot watched darkly, and he couldn't tear his eyes away. A dark presence surrounded him, but nobody noticed it. But at the same time, he felt alone, because there was nobody to talk to while he sat in the corner, hunched up against the wall.
Pluto's oath..Pluto's oath..
He lightly gasped, hearing a faint tune that was beautiful in voice yet horrible in purpose. He covered his ears, unable to hear it one more time. Suddenly, he felt someone tap his shoulders. Snapping out of his nightmarish trance, he removed his ears, and he turned to find himself face to face with Sunny and Hiro, both of them scouting worried looks.
"Daijōbudesuka?" Hiro asked. "Are you alright?"
"You look rather green around the gills." Sunny commented. "And literally too."
Elliot sighed, "Yes, I'm fine. Why don't we just shut the others up? They're getting on my nerves, actually."
Sunny nodded, "Yeah, you're right. They really are not listening." she let out a sigh, raising her head to face the ceiling, "I don't think I can manage being a teacher."
Hiro chuckled, "Well, I can."
He raised his hands, and a hundred winds suddenly burst out from the window. They tangled around the group, throwing them upwards but gently placing them in sitting positions on the chairs or the bed. Their eyes were wide, and some of them were clutching their hearts, recovering from the panic. But despite the shock, they all paid attention to Sunny, who breathed heavily. However, her eyes remained closed, her internal panic rising. Beads of sweat dripped down her forehead, and her lips quivered. Squeakers quickly licked her fingers, and she finally opened her eyes.
"The reason I call you all today is because I realize that we can't just stand by and do nothing." she first spoke. "This isn't right at all, we can't just stand by and do nothing while the real crusaders and knights do the job! Something tells me that we must intervene, despite whatever gets in the way. Sure, we're just kids and our powers aren't that developed yet, but we're going to investigate where the Prophet is anyhow."
"And how are we supposed to do that?" Raldir frowned. "Besides, I'm not going to listen to you! You're a girl, and girls are supposed to stay in their houses and play with dolls!"
Anala was about to speak up, her eyes already flammable, but Sunny suddenly spoke up.
"Enough, Raldir. If you don't want to do this, then it's…" Sunny hesitated, until she nodded, glaring at him with a serious gaze. "...your choice."
Raldir scoffed, and he stood up from his seat, "Well, good! Because I don't wanna be a part of this nonsense anyways, especially when it's led by a girl! I tell you, this stuff is going to fail!"
Everyone watched in dismay as he headed out the door, shutting it close with a huge SLAM! Constance scoffed, smiling with pleasure. She got up as well, dragging the wincing Jacques by the arm.
"I'm leaving too, since you suggested it to me." she stated. "Besides, there's more important things to do other than wasting time on you and your heroic story."
"But Constance, we need you!"
Suddenly, Elliot got up as well. He turned around, and he sighed heavily, almost out of guilt. Then there was Imani, who started to comically race out. She whimpered a little, fear evident in her eyes. The sparks her rapid foot movement marking charred footprints on the carpet floor.
"Sorry, guys. But I think I need to check my gram-gram!" she yelled in the distance.
"No! Please!" Sunny cried, raising out her hand. "We can't go without you! We need you all!"
But her words fell on deaf ears as she watched them leave, not even listening to her. Now there was only Anala, Hiro, Cynoce and Squeakers. Yes, there were 4 people, and they may be enough. But Sunny sighed deeply, she sat on the floor, clearly defeated.
"But…They have to come, they can't just go!" she muttered. "I always hang out with them and I see potential in them! They just got to help out! We need them!"
Anala placed a hand on her shoulder, gazing at her with a soft expression.
"It's their choice, we cannot force them."
Sunny's frown deepened, and she hunched up her legs. She hugged them like they were her stuffed animals.
"But now I feel a little lonely, even if I have you guys." she glanced at the floor, her eyes almost watering. "It makes me feel weak, and small…Just like what happened when I arrived here."
Sensing her tears, Cynoce and Squeakers quickly rushed over, but the former's jaw dropped. The latter had already gotten into her hands, and she smiled through her tears as she placed him against her cheek. Cynoce growled, his hands clenched into fists. All he could see was red as his face turned green with envy. To add salt to the walt, Squeakers took one look at him and giggled like a smart aleck.
"Guess what, pipSqueak?" Cynoce muttered under his breath. "I'm up for a challenge too."
Hiro suddenly whisked Sunny upwards and sent her soaring into his arms. He embraced her tightly, just like how an older brother would do. Anala joined in, patting Sunny's shoulder, giving off a somber, half-smile. Sunny wiped her eyes, glancing at the floor.
"Please…Don't ever make me feel lonely." she muttered.
"We will never let you go, no matter where or when we are. We'll always stay with you till the end of time."
***
The weeks had gone by, and so much progress too. The group investigated the entire city, even sniffing whatever they could find, regardless of what the passerbys thought. They remained dedicated, even if all hope seems lost. They weren't ready to give up, not yet. Now they were back at Sunny's bedroom, preparing for a new meeting. Anala placed the map onto the table, looking at it studiously.
"I've been looking for this the whole time, but now we have it in our hands. This is the map of the Academy." she said, pointing her finger at one base. "And this is where the Prophet resides. If we investigate the area and find some useful clues, we can maybe figure out where he is and who took him."
Squeakers crawled onto the paper, sniffing on the boxes representing each room. Sunny chuckled, crossing her arms and watching. Squeakers then gazed at her, and he squeaked in a rhytamic manner, almost communicating with her.
"What's that, buddy?" she asked, tucking a lock against her ear to hear him more clearly. "Oh, jiminy…This would've been easier with an Earthling user…and we just lost one."
"Are you kidding?" Hiro scoffed. "Constance hates animals with a passion! Once, I saw her growing some vines to show off her skills, but she ended up attracting a wild boar that attacked her father! She ended up getting all her designer bags and Iphones taken away, and she's probably running around, taking out her anger on whatever she sees!"
Sunny flinched, "Well, I better not get close to her during one of her tantrums."
Anala sighed, "Sunny, you're a user of the Non-Law, aren't you? Why don't you use that ToonBook?"
"Of course! Why didn't I think of that before! Thanks, Anala!"
Sunny whipped out her ToonBook, and she sat it on the table, flipping through the pages. Everyone looked behind her shoulder, all of them gazing with curiosity.
"Squeak, squeak.." Sunny muttered, turning her head to Squeakers. "Squeak, squeak." she repeated, "Squeak."
Squeakers replied back in his own mouse language, and Sunny's eyes widened.
"No way, you mean to tell me that you're the Prophet's pet?!"
Hiro gasped, "Say, we're in front of royalty here!"
Anala nodded, "This could be our only chance of knowing what happened. Tell us, Squeakers, do you know where he is right now?"
Squeakers frowned, looking at them with doe eyes that screamed his wish to know. Sunny frowned, her eyes understanding and filled with compassion. She picked him up, holding him in her hands and caressing his ears.
"It's alright, buddy." she reassured. "I know how much you miss your owner. I've been in your shoes before—" she then chuckled, "Well, you're not wearing any shoes, but that doesn't matter."
Cynoce watched, his arms crossed. He sneered at how pampered and cherished the little furball was, and that he had to watch the whole ordeal. It wasn't fair, and it didn't make any sense at all. He was the first one to have Sunny, and the one who brought her to Meimon City. She technically wouldn't be here if it weren't for him. But this was her repayment. His eyes darkened more, gritting his teeth. He was more angry at Sunny than Squeakers, she was the one who should be acknowledging him, not some stray, white rodent who turned out to be the pet of someone as special as the Prophet.
Heresy…
Cynoce flinched, turning around with a racing heart as he glanced at a disoriented shadow on the wall. A dark, ragged voice muttered the same word over and over, almost to no end. It drove him insane.
"Who's there?!" he called, holding up his fists. "I'll fight you!"
Heresy…Heresy…Heresy…
"Tch, is that all you can say? Am I going to be your English teacher now and teach you all you gotta know?"
However, the shadow began to shift, and two little girls appeared. Between them was a bendable line, and in the center was a third girl. She leapt as her friends pulled the line, they were playing jump-rope. They giggled without a care in the world, until the rope finally snapped. The girls gazed upon their ruined play-thing, and they all knelt down, blubbering. It was like the rope was the only source of their joy.
Will you snap?
For now, Cynoce felt nothing, his body was numb and free. It was almost as if he was being lifted up to soar like an eagle as he rose on his feet. He walked as if he were on air, feeling tranquil. He followed the feeling of little girls down the stairs, his vision starting to blur as he saw nothing but darkness. However, he didn't mind, he wasn't afraid at all, and yet there was nothing to fight over.
He will snap… He will snap…
The girls continued to mutter the same thing over and over, laughing as they got over their destroyed rope. Cynoce continued to walk, heading down the stairs. He didn't even know where he was right now, but it didn't matter, nothing did.
Cynoce..Cynoce!!
Cynoce's eyes widened, he heard someone cry out his name. He tried to make sense of what he may be, but he couldn't resist. The tranquility was too powerful, and it surged his mind like a flood. He wanted to turn back, at least in an urge, but there was nothing he could do but continue walking. In front of him was something warm however, it grew hotter every step he took. However, he didn't yield, he continued to walk. Even if his feet felt charred as if he had walked on lava, he continued to pace. Eventually, he made it to the door, outside gleaming with a dark, purple light. His fingertips ran through the door's metallic material, and with one push…
"NO! NO!!!" he cried, snapping out of his trance.
He tried to run as fast as he could, but a sea of charred tentacles grabbed him, tousling him like a ragdoll and pulling him. He clinged to the floor, which bore nail scratches because of his sharp, doggo claws.
"Help!! Sunny!!"
However, nobody came, he was alone in the dark. Their pull became even harder, and he shrieked. It wasn't a comical little girl's scream, it was the roar of a frightened little boy isolated from the world.
"Cynoce!"
Sunny arrived along with Anala and Hiro. She grabbed his paws, with Anala and Hiro pulling her from behind. It became a dangerous game of tug-o-war.
"Hang on!" she exclaimed. "Don't worry, we got you!"
Cynoce took one look at her. Her shoulder was perched by Squeakers, and his slightly yellow eyes suddenly turned darkly green with envy. He growled in a hostile manner, almost like a stray wolf.
"You don't have to do anything." he growled. "I don't need you guys anymore."
He smacked her hands away, and he screamed with all his might as he was thrown out the door. Sunny and Hiro both yelped, while Anala watched in shock. They quickly opened the door, but it was too late. The last thing they saw was Cynoce and the darkness around him sinking down below into the open manhole. He didn't scream or cry, instead he just raised his hand, almost silently pleading for help. However, Sunny raced there, and she tossed her arms down.
"Cynoce!! CYNOCE!" she screamed. "Please!! Get my hand! I need you to take my hand!!"
Suddenly, a dark figure resembling a cackling witch rose out, accompanied with a herd of little girls strangled by the tentacles.
Cynoce! Get my hand! I need you to get my hand!
It mocked her as Anala and Hiro pulled her away, yet she still reached her arms out. She let her anger show, and yet there were tears pouring out from her eyes.
"What have you done to him?!" she yelled. "I demand to know!"
You'll be next, kids! And that bratty little mouse too!
Squeakers quickly hopped into Sunny's pocket, his tail poked out as he trembled with fright.
"Stay back!"
Anala whipped out her ring of fire. Without hesitation, she spun it around to give out the illusion of a flame-filled sphere. She raised it upwards, her hand bearing no burns.
"Agnih te aatmanam aashirvadam dadatu.."
The heat was immeasurable, and she raised it even higher. She lowered it downwards, and with a swing, she smashed it onto the gloomy blob of darkness, which roared demonically. They started to retreat back into the manhole, the flames transforming into a wildfire. It didn't take long before the darkness was finally gone, leaving nothing but an empty manhole.
"Cynoce…" Sunny fell to her knees, her eyes dull with despair. "How could I let this happen to you?"
Squeakers frowned, perching on her shoulder and rubbing his head against her cheek. But she wasn't soothed at all, she placed her hands on her face, sobbing her heart out. They had just found a useful piece of information to find the Prophet, and now they had lost a teammate. Anala snarled, her eyes still fiery red.
"That was Heresy. He must've taken him away."
"We must get him back then!" exclaimed Hiro. "This is totally crazy. We really need that Prophet! He's probably after everybody in the city!"
Sunny's eyes widened, "Then we gotta do something!"
"Not now, Sunny." Anala spoke. "We need to first confirm everything to the adults. They have the power of protection and guidance."