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Counter Earth Chronicles - Dual Realities

Chapter 40: If You Are Going To Be A Bear Be A Grizzly (We Go Down Together Part VI)

October 5th YOE 35

07:22 AM Madam Olga's Psychic Truths (Exeter Station's Bazaar)

"You know you make a great bottom?" I said crawling toward my beastial boyfriend. He was reclining on his back on my bed.

"Oh and why is that?" Spirited Spirit asked.

"Because you have a great bottom." I replied echoing what he said about me as we kissed.

"Still it is a shame we couldn't spend more time at the Oasis." He pouted.

"You know we couldn't." I replied, receiving a confused look from the partial beastial. "I had that thing with the Consortium For Mutual Existence today, remember?"

"Oh yeah they convinced a warehouse owner to help lift up some of the poverty stricken and destitute." My comfort animal said remembering.

"Yes and the rent is past due. If I don't pay, my future here will be bleak. Madam Olga forecasted that herself. Also, don't you have some mission for the resistance?"

"Yeah, something top secret and urgent." The tian mountain dog replied.

"So we both had to come back." I replied rolling to his side.

"That and we really made a MESS of our room in the inn." He said smiling.

"Yeah, I guess we did. Do you think we will get black-listed?"

11:10 AM Entertainment District (World One)

"RELEASE YOUR ANGER! RELEASE YOUR MIND! RELEASE YOUR JOB! RELEASE THE TIME! RELEASE YOUR TRADE! RELEASE THE STRESS! RELEASE THE LOVE! FORGET THE REST!"

"Naka to Commander Ursa."

"Go ahead jr knight." The ursine warrior replied.

"I am here in the entertainment district. There is a human protest. Not as large as the one from last month though. I also confirmed that they are within their rights to be here."

"They are." The she beast replied.

"So there is nothing to be done here then?" The maned wolf asked as he continued to observe the crowd.

"Not exactly. One moment, Overwatch contact Sir Ram. Tell him we are ready."

*Acknowledged Commander Ursa*

"Commander, something weird just happened!" The junior knight reported to his superior.

"Explain." The female brown bear said exiting the blue coupe at an undisclosed location.

"The crowd stopped chanting, dropped their signs and dispersed! It was like they collectively decided they had something better to do!" The maned wolf replied.

_"Perhaps they did. Ursa out." _

As she ended the communication the bear knight stared into a boxing gym that was a flurry of activity moments before her conversation with the junior knight. It was now empty as those inside decided to stop working out, training and beating up on each other and simply left the premises.

*The rollout appears to be a success commander.* The automated assistant observed.

"Overwatch contact Sir Ram. I need a favor from him...."

*At once commander.*

_11:50 AM Castle Wundagore (World One) _

Deftly the tian mountain dog combed the hallways of the castle. To everyone else he encountered he looked like a stray that had made its way into the castle and was wandering around.

Carefully Spirit made his way to the science wing of the castle. The smell of the ram was rather strong there. As long as Sir Ram did not see him, he should be fine. He entered one of the dominant laboratories... a tiered amphitheater- round table in the center, punishment chair, observation decks on the higher floors. There was also a faint odor... The quadrupedal canine walked over to the punishment chair Alex's scent was all over it.

This was THE room that damn ram experimented on his comfort animal!! His Alex! Which meant the mind control device had to be around here somewhere. But where? Deer-feeder was growing desperate. How much ground had they lost thinking Sir Ram had been eliminated? The time that it took for the new resistance to discover that Sir Ram and Mara had survived the KLIS attack was time lost. Valuable time. Was deployment of the mind control device back on schedule? If so, how soon?

The canine flipped over a playing card he carried with him. A redhead appeared on it.

"Operative Spirit, have you found the weapon?"

The tian mountain dog shook his head no.

"It is imperative that you do. Sir Ram could be close to activating it...."

"WOOF."

12:30 PM Marlu's Warehouse (Warehouse District)

"Alright the Consortium For Mutual Coexistence thanks you for attending our first and hopefully not last Help A Human Day Event." A male bison said addressing a crowd of the impoverished, disheveled and disenfranchised.

"A special thanks to Mr. Marlu who is sponsoring this event." Tess said pointing to a tan kangaroo who was waving at the crowd.

"Thank you Bess and Tess. Okay here is how this works- eleven people will be selected randomly from the crowd. Those eleven will be given carts and allowed one minute to roam through my warehouse grabbing any supplies or products they desire. When the time expires they will return to the entrance with whatever items they placed in their carts, no questions asked."

"This is going to help out many who are struggling or just trying to make ends meet." Bess said to the event's sponsor who was wearing brown pants and a weird looking open chested shirt that doubled as some type of cape. That is what it looked like to me as I observed the event from the shadows of a nearby alley.

How did those two even pull this off? Regardless it was a big win for the consortium.

*bump*

"Hey!" I shouted as a group brushed by me in the alley.

"Sorry!" I was just trying to get a good spot." Someone in a green hoodie shouted.

"No worries." I replied to the man as another group brushed by me.

*bump*

*bump*

(Perhaps this alley wasn't as secluded as I had hoped.)

I thought to myself as more second class citizens joined the growing crowd at the event hoping to be one of the eleven chosen. In the excitement I joined the crowd to watch the kangaroo and the two buffalo calves on stage make their selections.

"You there in the pancho." Mr. Marlu said, pointing to a man in the crowd.

"Um how about you in the purple shirt and black pants?" Bess said, pointing to a woman in the back of the group.

"YES!!" She shouted.

"You in the brown loincloth?" Tess said, singling out another man who wanted to make sure he was noticed. Boy, was he.

"How about you in the pretty yellow shirt?" The kangaroo said to a woman who looked like she had had a difficult life.

12:50 PM Utility Closet (Castle Wundgore)

*POOF*

"Iya I am sorry. I have combed the hallways and all the labs. I have not been able to locate the target." Spirit said to the communication card he had been carrying.

"It has to be there somewhere!" The redhead responded. "They were testing it on your boyfriend before he came over to our side."

"Acknowledged. But wherever they placed it, it isn't in any of the labs." The tian mountain dog replied.

"Keep looking, we have to find it!"

"Acknowledged. I will keep looking. I nearly ran into Sir Ram though." The partial beastial acknowledged.

"By the way have you seen Alex Winter? For some reason I have a burning need to know where he is right now. I don't know why." Iya replied, ignoring Spirit's comment.

_"He is attending an event for the Consortium. I got to go, someone is coming!" _

The tian mountain dog had just enough time to shift back into his non-beastial form.

"Aw look at the doggie! Are you lost buddy?" A female goat asked him.

1:02 PM Consortium Event (Warehouse District)

"Alright we have our eleven." Mr. Marlu announced proudly.

"Each of you grab a cart and line up side by side as you enter the warehouse." Bess directed the chosen.

"Clear your minds, focus on what you need, want and desire." Tess added.

"Remember you have one minute to snatch and grab and that minute begins NOW!" The kangaroo shouted.

The crowd cheered as the eleven selected humans entered the warehouse for their one minute snatch and grab.

I couldn't help but cheer them on as well. But thought better of it when the group of people around me cast curious glances in my direction.

(What? Was it something I said?!)

Then those around them...

"Sorry. I just got caught up in the moment." I apologized.

And then those around them....

"WHOA!!"

And then the whole crowd. It was eerie.

"And there seems to be some disturbance in the audience." The male bison noticed that no one was paying attention to the eleven in the warehouse.

"It seems everyone is interested in another member of your group Alex Winter." Mr. Marlu observed.

"Hi Alex." The female bison said, waving. "Why don't you come up here on stage with us?"

That was a big no no. Since leaving Lady Ursa, I knew that she and the knights were looking for me. That was why I had kept a low profile sticking to the shadows. Even more so after joining the new rebellion. For some reason I thought today I could get lost in this crowd. That was before said crowd singled me out.

"Some other time guys." I said backing up.

I felt all eyes on me. Every single one as I darted for the alley.

!!!

I looked back over my shoulder to see if I was being followed. I was; a portion had started walking after me.

This was bad. Very, very bad. It was like someone had put out some type of reward for my sighting and capture. Was it Lady Ursa?

I sprinted through the alley then by trees, shrubs and other greenery trying to find cover.

(What I wouldn't give for a forest right now!)

VAROOOOMMM!!!

I nearly crashed into a black utility vehicle driven by a blushing spotted hyena.

"Need a lift?" Its operator called out to me.

"Dongo?!" I gasped. "So you did attend the event!"

The leader of the Consortium nodded. "It is Help A Human Day after all."

Eagerly I opened up the passenger door and jumped right in. The seats were more comfortable than I remembered.

"So did Doria attend?" I asked Dongo Dingo.

"No." The hyena replied.

"That is good- the crowd out there is behaving weirdly." I exhaled.

"Not weirdly, it is by design pet...." Dongo replied.

(PET?)

"Dongo?" I asked, looking at the driver who was smiling.

"Overwatch disengage halo projector." A familiar female voice announced.

*At once Commander Ursa.*

The black utility vehicle faded away revealing an all too familiar blue coupe and its driver a fierce brown female bear.

"CRAP!!!" I shouted as the prototype sped away with me in it.

2:30 PM Deerfeeder's Study (Stuyvesant Neighborhood)

"Operative Spirit was unsuccessful sir." A redheaded female informed the leader of the new rebellion.

"Unexceptable operative Summers. It is imperative that the mind control device be located and neutralized. Our operations will be exposed if anyone from our organization is captured and questioned." The bald headed man with the nicely trimmed beard said trying to compose himself. "Have Spirit search the uncommon areas of the castle next.... Iya?"

Deerfeeder stared at the redheaded woman in the black bodysuit.

"On the contrary boss, I think I should just head home and call it a day. You know, be a model citizen, obey the laws and try not to make any waves." Ms. Summers said, ending the communication.

"What the?" Riz said as he reached out to another of his operatives. "Augustice."

"Present."

"I need you go check on Iya she doesn't seem to be herself."

"I would like to help you out with that sir, but I decided to just stay home this afternoon, stare at the wall and not be a bother to anyone, especially those serving the empire."

The leader of the rebellion just stared at the grizzled solider.

"Well screw me sideways! Well played you damn ram. Well played." Riz Site mumbled, grinding his teeth.

To Be Continued....

[MEANWHILE]

October 5th, YOE 35

7:22 AM Stab and Impale's Hut (Perna Pride Village)

"GAH!!!" Kiwi shouted in his sleep. "ONE is going to get me! ONE is going to get me!"

"Kiwi!! Kiwi!!" Impale said rubbing the boy on his head.

"Snort?! What?"

"Are you alright?" The feline warrior asked concerned.

"It was that dream again." Kiwi replied, turning to face him in his hammock.

"The one where you witnessed the destruction of your village and tribe?" The nude savage asked.

"Yeah." Kiwi said, his eyes tearing up.

Impale tried to comfort his young prisoner in the S'mar way.

*BLEP*

Which caused the pre-teen boy to look at him weirdly after receiving his forehead lick.

"Staring at someone like that could be interpreted as a challenge."

The adult warrior replied.

"Not a challenge! Not a challenge!" The preteen said backpedaling.

Impale smirked. "You want to talk about your dream?"

"Nah. Let's talk about something else." Mr. Goodfellow said noticing the warrior's body art. " I am curious, the paint markings that you wear... what do they mean?" Kiwi asked.

"That I hunt, capture and kill captives that talk too much mu ha ha ha!!!" Impale said studying his prisoner's reaction.

Kiwi grew silent.

"Actually I wear separate paint for that."

That reaction started the teen hyperventilating again.

"Offworlder, if I held any malice towards you how is it that you are unharmed?"

"I guess that makes sense." The pre-teen said as his breathing turned to normal.

"You tend to do that an awful lot."

Impale rolled his eyes and laid on his back so Kiwi could get a better look. As the boy moved in closer, Impale took Kiwi's hand and placed it on the markings on his torso.

"You see these two red lines here?" The savage said, instructing his captive.

Kiwi nodded.

"They represent my life before I became a warrior and after."

"You mean before you became an adult?"

"Yes. These horizontal lines represent my journey from cub to adult." Impale replied continuing. "These lines on my left paw represent my position with my pride as a hunter and warrior."

"What about this here?" Mr. Goodfellow asked.

"That is my penis."

"No. The lines on your thigh and groin." The pre-teen countered.

"These marks show that I submit my strength and skills to my pride."

"The pride is everything?" Kiwi asked his captor.

"Yes. We live, fight for and die for our pride." The savage said, pulling the boy to him. "I tell you what let's do something different today."

"Really? Like what?"

"Let's go hunting."

"Really? An actual hunt?" Kiwi asked, gasping.

Of course the hunt wasn't what the boy had envisioned.

11:10 AM Central Tower (World Seven)_ _

The dignitaries present in the King Dragon's throne room erupted in cheers as King Dragon and Duchess Jua shook paws with Chaundoon's would be saviors, an alien race of what appeared to be robotic bears.

They were slightly taller than Mathias and Mattimeo with roundish metal faces and torsos. Their limbs, ears, waist and legs were the only furry part of their bodies.

After placing help wanted ads within every space station in this sector, these cuddly robot bears were the only ones who answered.

They arrived on Chaundoon a day before, their spaceship resembling a large metallic cereal bowl with numerous antennas. They were given a tour of our city by Hue and Cassia who explained our predicament to them as well as showing them vivid examples of what was happening to the inhabitants of the planet.

They were shocked at the state of Chaundoon's two suns locked into a state of sunrise/sunset because of the dark moon. It was at this point that they devised a plan using their technology to save our world. It was presented to King Dragon and Duchess Jua who then consulted with planetary sciences and the new knight core. It was approved.

It was at this point that the compensation phase commenced. What could we offer our saviors, this race of robotic bears?

I stood in the makeshift council chambers with my supervisor Penny Penguin on this historic day. Psi, Shakara and Lady Ursa also joined us.

I held my lover's paws and Penny held Psi as we bore witness to the conclusion of the deliberations.

"Sorren are you sure about this?" The leader of the sandfolk asked her beau.

"What is the alternative Jua?" The red dragon asked the white. "I am not prepared to lose this city, our home and our planet. No, not again."

"Very well. Raizi and his people have requested establishing a mine near our city to harvest materials which will be used to sustain their ships, themselves and their civilization." The duchess said addressing the council members and dignitaries present.

Raizi and his delegation stood at attention opposite the council members very silent, their faces neutral.

"Ur ur ur." Ambassador Umebo commented.

"Grunt... grunt.. grunt..." Bounce, the representative for the mud folk countered.

"What did they say?" I asked my lioness.

"Umebo is concerned about the effect on the environment and that they would have sole control to do what they want, whenever and however." Sharkara replied.

"Bounce countered saying I would rather have a planet with a small tarnish on it than not one at all." Lady Ursa replied.

"Oh, burn." I snickered.

"All Right any other comments?" Haem signed. "Then let's take a vote."

I watched as the monarchs, remaining members of the colony council and representatives of the nearby tribes and clans weighed in.

"Shira?"

"Yes."

"Basil?"

"Yes."

"Masha?"

"Yes."

"Haem?"

*nod*

"Umebo?"

*nod*

"Bounce of the Mud folk?"

*nod*

"Laurel of the Marsh Folk?"

*nod*

"Branch of the Tree Folk?"

*nod*

"Mist of the Merfolk?"

*nod*

"Sorren?"

"Yes."

"And I cautiously say yes as well." The dragoness replied. " Raizi you have an agreement."

Applause was heard across King Dragon and Duchess Jua's court.

" Raizi how soon can you be ready?" Sorren asked the gray and black robotic bear with the neutral looking face.

He looked at a pink robotic bear next to him. She(?) looked at a smaller blue robotic bear next to her and then back to him.

"How soon can you?" He countered.

"Given the intensity of this operation I would suggest that we establish protection shelters in three areas of the city and vacate the others." Penny suggested.

"A smaller version of your protective dome then?" The gray dragon asked.

"Domes." The head of medical said.

"Smaller in size and less of a drain on the prototypes." My perfect person said thinking out loud.

"Yes. Just as a precaution." Penny replied.

"Sounds like an idea. Which areas should we designate?" I asked.

"Central Tower is an obvious choice." Shira suggested.

"I would also recommend Friendship Park." Basil added.

"And the Manassas' skyship." Masha suggested."

"Very well. We will divide the populace into three groups and have everyone relocate to the shelters." The leader of the sandfolk ordered.

"Meeting adjourned." Basil said.

The room quickly emptied out leaving a lone robotic bear wondering where everyone had went.

11:50 AM Chamber of The Four Kings (Perna Pride Village)

"Tonka, what are you doing here?" Naka asked the leech boy.

"Just visiting!! Bye!!" He said running off.

(That youngling does not waste words.) The knight thought to himself as he watched the boy depart. Most likely on his way back to Salamanca's hut.

But more interestingly he was talking to the pride leaders. What about? Naka erased that thought from his mind as he walked into the chamber. This was the day! The day he made the ultimate compelling argument!

"Chieftain Red Sword we are long lost travelers who are just trying to make our way back to our village, our pride." The maned wolf said taking a knee to the only leader in the chamber at that moment.

"You tried that one before." The feline warrior dressed in a cape, floral belt and nothing else said erecting a target. "I thought you would have revised your pitch."

"Ok we are also trying to discover the source of the imbalance which led to the crazy which plagues the planet and the white death which hit the pridelands." Naka said restating his argument.

"Really? And if you find what is causing the imbalance, then how will you stop it?" The slender feline asked as he threw his entire sword at the target he had just set up on the other side of the chamber.

*THOK*

"Ermmm.... My tribe is still working on that." The knight said, stumbling. "But I beg for your understanding, tolerance and mercy chieftain."

"Yes, yes, yes offworlder my pride has allotted you that much." The warrior said, analyzing his throw. It had hit the target dead center.

"How so chieftain?" Naka said standing.

"We have allowed your caravan to roam around the village and the safe areas of the canyons. If you had been captured by any of the other prides..."

"We would have been tortured and killed. Here we have only been experimented on and studied." The maned wolf said trying to remain respectful but becoming irritated.

"That is how this pride has managed to rule this area of the pridelands." Red Sword replied, removing his weapon from the target.

"I see you and your people aren't physically strong but you compensate with your advanced weaponry."

"Our captives love it when we experiment on them, especially the lavender haze." The savage replied, preparing to throw his sword again.

"Well the orgy that followed was rather pleasurable the first couple of times." Naka said receiving a smirk from the chieftain.

"And the information we gathered was quite informative."

"Such as sir?" The wolf asked the feline.

"You and the four legged feline are in a relationship and the both of you treat the human boy like he is your offspring."

"Yes we came together during the destruction of our world and traveled together for quite some time before arriving on this one. I consider Song my soulmate and Kiwi my son." Naka admitted openly.

"Do you want to know the reason I and my siblings refuse to grant you passage through the Marble Canyons?" The warrior said, throwing his sword again.

"Because you seek a donation in exchange for that safe passage?"

"We do that with the local tribes and clans. Fear of war is a powerful motivator, but no." The warrior replied as he collected his sword from the target again.

"What is it then chief?" Naka pleaded.

"Do you know what is after the Marble Canyons canine?"

"Open wilderness?" The knight from World Seven answered.

"NOTHING. I believe my niece and nephew showed that to your son. It is the land's end."

"I don't understand."

"The environment has continued to reshape there forming an impenetrable void which nothing can pass through or escape." The male feline said, turning his attention to the male canine.

"Wait, A S'mar chieftain from this region visited my village a few seasons ago. How did he?"

"He most likely passed through before it became the impenetrable void it is now." Red Sword said becoming quite serious. If you and your caravan enter there, you will never exit- ALIVE."

"NO..." Naka said dropping to his knees. "We can't go back either if we ran into another pride...."

"You and your loved ones will be killed and your heads paraded around on a stick." The feline warrior replied letting that image sink in.

*GASP*

"Naka, your journey ends here." Red Sword replied gently.

"You never intended to let us go..." Naka replied.

"Willingly to your deaths? No." The chieftain said sympathetically.

"So what do you intend to do with us?" The maned wolf asked, dropping to his knees with his face planted into his paws.

"My siblings and I have been talking about your caravan while your guides have been recovering. Offerings or sacrifices? We have yet to be persuaded either way."

The chieftain's words were a reality shock for the maned wolf. It was like he was stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere with potentially hostile natives. He couldn't go backward and he couldn't move forward. All he could do is just wait for rescue but no one knew where he was. Talk about being stuck. Meanwhile the planet has been disintegrating all around them. Talk about really being stuck.

_12:30 AM Forest of Feelings (Marble Canyons) _

The northern boundary of the Marble Canyon looked like a set of stairs, a lower slope with forests, then a vertical cliff, then another slope with forests and another cliff which leveled off in a plateau. But the brown haired pre-teen didn't have a chance to take in the scenery...

"RUN KIWI!! RUN KIWI!!" Stab screamed.

Kiwi ran as fast as he could making a zig-zag pattern through the forest. He got about 1500 feet away before he was hit.

*BAP*

*AUGH*

He fell where he was stricken. The hunters were on him almost instantly.

"You see that right there? My kill." A slender warrior who had two long blades strapped to his arms shouted in triumph.

"Skewer you are absolutely wrong." Impale said disagreeing. "You see the red mark at the center of his chest? That was the killer blow making him my kill."

Kiwi looked down expecting to be bleeding out but saw only red and orange marks on his torso where he had been struck with painted balls. Well, it hurt like it was real.

"You both are right." Shred said standing over Kiwi holding his hooked swords. "They were both fatal blows. Impale hit him first though."

"Not bad for your first hunt." Stab said, offering her paw to the little human.

"I didn't know I was going to be hunted!" Kiwi said, trying not to look at the bare breasted female.

He received snickers from Impale, Shred and Skewer. The warrior with the two blades strapped to arms patted the boy on the head. "This is the point where you thank us for not using REAL weapons while pursuing you."

The pre-teen cut his eyes at Impale's friend.

"I don't think he likes you right now." Stab teased.

"Well I do like him; he is innocent and cute in a helpless kind of way. If things don't go well for him and his group he would make a splendid servant." Skewer observed.

"You mean like a squire who carries everyone's weapons?!" Kiwi grumbled.

Skewer snickered.

*THWIP*

"What the?" Shred shouted as Stab, Impale and Skewer legs were encased in webbing and they were dragged away.

"Something's got me!" Skewer shouted.

The action was repeated with Impale.

"What is that?" Kiwi said looking at a purple arachnid who was attacking the three.

"It is a Yowie!! They have entered the canyons!!" Stab shouted, reaching for her sais as she was dragged away.

"Yowies? What are yowies?"

"You don't want to know. Stay here captive." Shred said running toward his friends, his hooked swords splayed.

Kiwi watched as Shred rampaged, impaling and lifting the purple spider who was dragging off his friends. He watched the creature bleed out just as five more appeared. Huge purple spiders that took glee in attacking the feline warriors with reckless abandon.

The four warriors were facing a horde of these things. After Shred freed Skewer, Stab and Impale, they faced off against this invading horde. Skewer striking down one of the five pounding it senseless, Impale was poking and stabbing while Stab was goring every spider she could find with her sais. The four were holding their own for a bit before they started being overrun.

(OH NO!!)

Kiwi realized he needed to go get help and fast. During his time as a captive of the Perna Pride he had bonded with Stab and Impale despite their constant teasing of him. He realized in time it was their way of saying they liked him. He even considered the two the siblings he never had. But now they were fighting for their lives against these invaders and could possibly lose.

As he turned to run, he came face to face with a very large purple spider black face, eight eyes, eight legs and huge fangs.

"Booga Booga!" It hissed taunting the boy.

"AIEEE!!" Kiwi squealed as it sunk its fangs into him.

*CHOMP*

"Hmm... thissss one is not like the othersssss." The spider hissed studying her prey.

"Please don't kill me!!!!" Kiwi screamed.

"What wassss that?" The female Yowie asked acting like she was hard of hearing.

"Please don't kill me!!!" Kiwi repeated.

"But I love watching the life drain out of my prey... before... before THE END." The she spider said studying the boy carefully. "Okay no killing of you today."

"You won't?"

"No, not today now what do you have to say to that?" She said locking her eyes on the terrified boy.

"Thank you... thank you for not ending me." The boy said hyperventilating.

"Only this time." The creature hissed. Its fangs still sunk into the boy.

"Um, why?" Kiwi asked as he started feeling very sleepy.

"You could prove quite useful to usssss." The creature said giving the pre-teen a few drops of its venom.

_12:50 PM Manasas' Spaceship (Outside World Seven) _

It took a hour for Penny's plan to be enacted. The three shelters turned into two as the red and silver prototypes were needed to fully protect the central tower.

Half the populace took residence in the central tower, the other half at Hue and Cassia's spacecraft in that valley outside the city.

"I just finished the last sweep around the city." My beautiful brown bear said. "Penny, Lilly Blossom, Nezera and Psi are with the King and Duchess in central tower."

"That leaves us to see to this group." My lioness said looking over the crowd. Which included Ms. Una, Arthur, Minka, Midnight Black, Corey and Rumble. A little smaller than the group at the other designated shelter.

"Status Overwatch?"

*Wheels and Roadie have activated their deflectors and projected it over the central tower.*

"Let's do the same Overwatch." Lady Ursa said. "Extend the deflector over this location."

*Acknowledged Lady Ursa.*

1:02 PM Bridge (Manassas Spaceship)

"It is crowded in here." The dark akita observed.

"But also kind of cosey." Minka said glomming onto her akita's arm.

"Sorry about that." The red tentacled eyeball said to the crowd from his station.

"This room wasn't built for such a crowd." The yellow tentacled eyeball said replied. "Refreshments?"

"Sure." Arthur replied as Milo and Panda Lee took their stations. I joined my devious person and perfect person next to Milo's station.

Midnight Black, Arthur and Minka stood next to Panda Lee's station and Cassia stood behind Hue's station.

The signal was given for the operation to begin. Everyone on the bridge was glued to the viewscreen as we watched the robo bear's ship make its way toward the dark moon on a simulated model-diagram.

I held my lover's paws tight as Hue narrated:

"Approaching the dark moon at a forty five degree angle steering clear of the dark pulses... whoa, that was close! Mostly steering clear of the dark pulses. Deploying probe... and now Robo Bear's ship is backing away as the probe arrives at its target...."

"The probe is approaching the dark moon's gravity well." Panda Lee announced.

"They are activating an implosion device." Milo said.

This was it. The culmination of all our efforts this year to save our new home on planet Chaundoon which we wanted to live out the rest of our days on.

There was a flash as the celestial body appeared to be sucked up inside the probe like a vacuum cleaner sucking up debris.

*SCHLOOP*

Just like that the source of Chaundoon's misery was gone! Cheers erupted from the bridge and crowd outside the spaceship.

"It is finally over!" I shouted hugging my lovers.

"The planet is saved!" The she monkey said hugging her akita.

"Success!!" Milo said, shaking Arthur's paw.

(Man, there is going to be some celebrations tonight!)

*beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep*

That ominous sound re-directed everyone's attention to the female panda's workstation.

"There is a build up of...." Panda Lee started to say.

*CHI-BOOOM* *CHI-BOOOM* *CHI-BOOOM*

She was interrupted as there was an ejection of mass from where the robo bear's probe once was. All on the bridge watched as the force of the ejection reached the robo bear's ship and sent it screaming across the cosmos!! Shortly afterwards the dark moon reappeared.

"It's baaaack!" The she monkey said stating the obvious.

(SHIT!!)

"Dear, we need to check on them." Cassia said to her mate.

"Right initiating launch sequence." Hue replied tapping on his panel.

"I will tell Overwatch to disengage the deflectors." Shakara said, exiting the bridge.

"Dark Moon two, Chaundoon zero." The chubby wolverine boy said, recounting the score.

"So detonation and implosion didn't work." Midnight Black huffed.

"Should we evacuate?" Minka asked.

"All life on the planet? That is a lot of people." I said out loud.

"It's a shame we can't pick up the dark moon and just move it somewhere else." The hedgehog boy said pensively.

There was a pregnant pause as Hue, Cassia, Panda Lee, Milo, Midnight Black, Minka, Lady Ursa and I stared at the chosen one.

"What?" Arthur asked.

_2:30 PM Salamanca's Hut (Perna Pride Village) _

"Why am I here Salamanca? Song asked the Perna Pride's witch doctor.

The female leech traded glances with her.

"Tonka said that you had some medical knowledge which you used during a migration on your previous world. Am I right?"

"Yes. I was the caravan's healer after another candidate decided not to accompany us." The beautiful chakat replied.

"Good because I need a second assistant and it appears you could use something to do besides worrying about your family's fate or when the pride will experiment on you again. This way." The leech creature said escorting the bewildered chakat around her adobe home.

"My, you certainly have a lot of patients!"

"Those over there are recovering from fighting injuries." She said pointing to three S'mar who wore bandages on their limbs and torsos.

"And there is Bow and Pestle sleeping." Song said as they walked by. She noted the former Kenja Pride chieftain's breathing was not labored and the fungus that was spreading over Pestle's lower limbs seemed to be receding.

The females walked through another room to the rear of the hut.

"What is going here?" Song said as she observed several warriors tied, bound and gagged.

"These were exhibiting erratic behavior- attacking others, mumbling and not all there. I had to sedate them for our own safety and the prides." Salamanca replied.

"So you are seeing the effects of the crazy as well." Naka's second in command replied.

"I don't know what is causing it."

"I do. My tribe has been desperately trying to figure out how to counteract it if not stop it cold." Song said as a younger leech ran into the room.

"Song!! Salamanca!! Something is wrong with Kiwi!!" Tonka shouted.

The green leech and white chakat followed the young leech to the front of the hut. There they found Impale and at his foot paws was the brown haired pre-teen in the fetal position quivering.

Song kneeled to examine her boy who was having a panic attack.

"Looks like he broke him." Tonka observed.

"What did you do?!" She asked staring down the warrior who was master of the javelin spike.

"Kiwi, my friends and I were attacked by the Yowie!." The slender lion/tiger/panther/jaguar started to say as Kiwi's guardian stared him down. "Kiwi and I were the only ones to escape. They still have the others!" Impale said running off as Kiwi continued to quake.

A horn was sounded across the village shortly afterwards.

Song looked at the female leech.

"The Perna Pride is going to war." Salamanca said to Song and Tonka.

To Be Continued....