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Counter Earth Chronicles - Dual Realities

Chapter 52: Everything Wrong Is the Fault Of Someone Else

November 1st, YOE 35

9:06 AM Free Counter Earth (Greeting Room, Mum's spaceship)

"I want my mommy!!" A young armadillo cried.

"She is over there." Ember said patting the boy on the shoulder.

"I want my daddy!!" The young beastial demanded.

"He um, is being looked at right now." The aardvark said trying not to completely lie but place what was happening in a positive light.

"No please!! Don't!!" The young armadillo's mother called out as she was being levitated by two of the greys who were in the greeting room with Ember.

"I am sorry but I have no say in the matter." The aardvark said to the terrified female. "We are their captives until they are finished with us; just comply- eventually you will be returned from where you were taken."

The female armadillo looked at the two greys who were levitating her and her son toward a dark corridor on the far side of the ship. They both smiled and shook their heads. She then looked back at the aardvark greeter.

"Well most of the time." Ember said backpedaling.

"Just not in this case." A dinosaur beastial replied joining the aardvark.

"Triceraton?"

"They want to study her reproductive system. I think they were examining her mate's yesterday."

"Really?"

"They literally turned his balls blue." The former member of the animalitia commented.

"YCH!!" Ember said as he exited the circular greeting room and headed toward the center of the craft.

"Greetings welcome to the Dark Forest!" Deerfeeder said to an occupant who exited a small black boomerang shaped craft.

William Masters and a few of the residents of the Oasis stood nearby watching the male KLIS float toward the leader of the rebellion.

"I trust that you found our past collaborations quite beneficial?" The grey alien stood there neutral faced. "Perhaps you would be up for another?" The bald headed man with the nicely trimmed beard asked smiling.

"Mum, the new arrivals have been greeted and are in the process of being orientated." Ember said approaching the female scientist who was watching three purple transparent monitors with Cinder.

"That is your mentee isn't? The one who left to go off on his own?" Cinder asked observing the conversation.

"You see the empire has a secret device in their possession. It was created by that damned ram to pacify and control us humans. We can't get near any of the five cities without coming under its influence."

"All efforts to find and neutralize the device have failed." William Masters added.

"We would be appreciative any help you could give us." Ritz Site said concluding his sales pitch.

Cinder looked at the female KLIS as she observed the exchange. Mum had the biggest frown on her face the aardvark had ever seen her have! The monitors disappeared as the female alien turned around and floated toward the door.

"What was that about?" Ember asked his cousin.

"Mum doesn't approve of Umm's exchanges with the humans or how he is obtaining his test subjects; it is not discrete and/or very un-KLIS like." The little aardvark said to the taller aardvark.

"Is there such a thing?!" Ember asked.

*11:16 AM Free Counter Earth (Technology Museum, World *

Three)

"We are here to see Master Koala." The hedgehog boy said to the otter guard.

"Really?"

"Yes we had a back and forth thing going on and we haven't heard from him in a few weeks." The cheeky monkey girl said smiling as Primrose and Cody looked on.

"That is because he is missing." The otter responded.

"Was he taken by the aliens?" The she rabbit asked. "Their attacks have risen to an all time high lately."

"That is an understatement." The he cat added on. I remember when they were nothing but strange reports, whispers of things that go WUUUUUD in the night."

"The knight core is investigating, but in light of recent events, it is not one of their top priorities." The he otter said presenting the four with a visitor's form.

"Serious mysterious." Arthur replied as he started writing his name, Minka's, Cody's and finally Primrose's.

*WHOOP* *WHOOP* *WHOOP*

*A KLIS craft has entered the area please take shelter now!* An automated alarm blared.

"Speak of the devil." Cody said out loud.

The guard placed the visitor's form on his desk and ran to the front entrance of the museum. He looked up at the sky and turned pale

as a large triangular-shape craft stared menacingly back at him.

"You four, we need to get underground now!" He shouted.

"Which way to the cellar?" Minka asked.

"That way!" The guard shouted as he started running from the museum's foyer.

There was a yellow flash of light and he was gone.

"They got him!" Primrose gasped.

"Looks like the KLIS wanted a otter for their latest harvest." Cody said solemnly.

"I see the entrance to the basement!" Arthur shouted.

The two teen-age beastials and the two adult beastials masquerading as teens made a run for the museum's cellar.

They watched as a yellow beam scraped the hallways and corridors looking for more beastials to add to the alien's collection.

"That was too close." Minka replied.

"This is starting to look like another apocalypse!" Cody sighed.

"I hope not. One was more than enough for a lifetime." Primrose added.

"Apocalypse? What are you two getting at?" The leader of the Ghost Hunters started to ask.

"Wow, will you look at that? This is where they put Master Koala's lab." Minka said cheerfully.

"Which means his reality observation machine- the one Naomi Good disappeared in is down here somewhere." Arthur added.

"Found it!" Cody said, pointing to a console covered in a white sheet.

"Good job." The monkey girl replied.

"Now what did you two mean about a second apocalypse- what

was the first one?" Arthur asked.

The Time Hunters looked at each other and went quiet.

"So you two do have a secret." Minka said jumping up and down.

"Friends don't keep secrets from each other." Arthur said to the rabbit and cat. "Especially close friends."

"I suspected you two were hiding something. What is it?!" The monkey girl eyed the rabbit and cat suspiciously.

"We can't say anything Primrose. What if Sir Ram finds out?" Cody warned.

"Sir Ram is also missing." Arthur said, crossing his arms. "Please you two, out with it."

"I think we can tell them Cody." Primrose said quietly.

"Doesn't look like we are going anywhere for a while. So regale us with your super duper dark secret!!" Minka said making herself comfortable.

"Alright, what we have to tell you is going to sound fantastical, even bonkers but it is entirely true."

And so several secrets later....

"That is an incredible story you two." The hedgehog boy said shaking his head.

"The empire was ended by a nameless, faceless entity that took over the planet?! Mind blown, what's next you are going to tell Arthur and me that this is the Conquered Counter Earth master Koala observed from his reality machine?"

"I think it was Minka." Arthur added.

"Which means the other Arthur and Minka we have been seeing in the metallic sphere are from that divergent timeline!!" The monkey girl exclaimed as Cody and Primrose just stared. "There are, aren't they? Serious mysterious!! How is that even possible?!"

"That timeline should have been obliterated when this one was restored." Cody said thinking. "Or maybe it wasn't obliterated..."

"Thank you for telling us and restoring this reality." The hedgehog boy said hugging the rabbit and cat. "That must have been a heavy, heavy secret to bear. Who else knows?"

"Sir Ram, Mara, Dr. First, Alex Winter and two of his friends from the consortium." Primrose sighed.

"Wow, so you are in your twenties?! You two do look rather mature." The monkey gasped.

"We spent over a decade trying to reverse what happened to the empire and Counter Earth." Cody replied.

"One apocalypse adverted only to be on the precipice of another." Primrose said as she started crying.

"Don't lose hope- this can't be the end of the empire again." Cody said, wiping her tears.

"I think it is. Think about it, if the High Evolutionary and the Knights could repel the aliens, wouldn't they have done so already? Instead we now have a warning system." The leader of the Ghost Hunters said pensively.

"Maybe it is time to go through time to find a way to defeat the aliens." Cody said to the group.

"And lose another thirteen years of our lives through trial and error?" Primrose asked.

"Not time travel, what about through realities?" Arthur said, pointing to Master Koala's machine. "Perhaps there is a reality out there- another Counter Earth where the KLIS threat was repelled or neutralized?"

"Arthur, Minka that is extremely dangerous. There is no telling who or what is on the other side of that portal and if they are friendly. Remember what happened when you wound up in that realm of fire and magma?" The rabbit girl warned.

"Flo gave herself up so that we could escape." Minka said. "But what is the alternative? Being captured and dissected?!"

The monkey, hedgehog, rabbit and cat looked at the reality observing machine and pondered.

12:08 PM Free Counter Earth (Oasis Tavern, Dark Forest)

"Greetings sirs." Spirited Spirit said sitting down at the table with the leader of the rebellion and his second in command.

The tian mountain dog received some long stares instead of a reciprocated welcome.

"Why the solemn faces? How did the meeting with the KLIS go?"

"It didn't." William Masters replied. "Liv the usual please."

"Right away!" The bar maid said smiling.

"What did they say about helping us find the mind control device?"

"They didn't." Ritz Site replied. "We are no closer to finding that thing and shutting it down than before."

"The chaos that is going on the empire is the perfect cover to evacuate more second class citizens here but we can't capitalize on it." William added.

"Actually I have given considerable thought about the rebellion's and the humans' predicament because of it." The tian mountain dog said pensively.

Will and Ritz looked at the partial beastial.

"Correct me if I am wrong, but all of our efforts were focused on finding and defeating the device. It is my opinion we shouldn't." Spirit said, smiling.

"Sounds like someone has a theory that needs testing." The barmaid said placing at tea cup in front of the nicely dressed man.

12:32 PM Free Counter Earth (Loading Dock, Castle Wundagore)

"Naka the constant alerts are very unnerving!" The beautiful chakat said to the maned wolf. "No one wants to leave their homes for fear of being harvested!"

"And your sales have fallen off of a cliff and your are scared." The junior knight said to the flower shop owner. "Although I can't tell if it is because of the former or the latter."

"Really Naka?!"

"Unfortunately no one knows how to stop the aliens' indiscriminate abductions. The smartest scientist in all the empire was working on the problem but he is... is.." The maned wolf started to say.

"Is what junior knight Naka?" A female brown bear asked peering into the cockpit of the white coupe he was sitting in.

"Song!!! I have to go, duty calls. Stay off of the streets. Underground is better!" The knight said, ending the transmission. "Commander!!"

"You two seem quite chummy."

"I have come to realize she is an amazing individual commander." The junior knight responded.

"Do you have any progress updates Naka?" The ursine asked.

"The area around the World Three Technology Museum was just attacked and I suspect that the high master is ripping Sir Wolf a new one right about now as the counts of the missing increase."

The golden eyed bear crossed her arms and stared down the wolf.

"Oh you mean here... with me..."

The she beast nodded her head.

"Yes ma'am in the days since Sir Ram and Mara's disappearance I have gone over this hover vehicle in detail. As far as I can tell, the laser banks have been discharged numerous times. But no other weapons have been activated which is weird."

"Because if those two were in trouble why not use everything else?"

"Right, the automated assistant wasn't too revealing either, but I was able to pull this from the front mounted camera." The wolf announced.

"Let's see it."

"Automated assistant!"

*Pulling up recorded file. Junior Knight Naka*.

The bear and the wolf watched the ram and goat sift through the wreckage of the blue coupe in the Great Forest before being sucked up into a triangular shaped ship flying overhead.

"You should have notified me about this finding immediately!" The bear said chastising the junior knight.

"Sorry I was trying to determine its authenticity commander."

"Sir Ram and Mara's loss is a major blow; he was the leading mind trying to figure out how to stop the KLIS threat."

*Now he is with the KLIS.* The automated assistant volunteered.

"And more than likely everything he knows...." Naka started to say.

"They know." Commander Ursa said, completing his sentence.

1:18 PM Free Counter Earth (The Lair, Castle Wundagore)

"This is a hub news alert!! After attacking World One and World Two- it looks like it is World Three's turn this morning as the aliens have decided to start harvesting beastials there." A male sun bear announced. "As you can see from this footage recorded a few hours ago, a black triangular ship was seen strafing the city with its yellow beam collecting all who are touched by it."

"Unreal Nus!" The anchor in the studio shouted at the hub reporter on the scene.

"Unlike the previous reports before the empire acknowledged the abduction phenomenon, abductees aren't being returned. They are being captured and experimented on again and again. Also unlike before, it isn't taking place in remote areas either! But right here in the cities of the empire. The knight core has been stretched to the limit trying to combat the alien threat, locating the missing and preventing future harvesting of beastials...."

"Nus are you there? Nus? Apparently his safe space wasn't so safe...." The spitz in the studio commented.

I watched the news alert while on the sectional within the great room. Man, it was getting bad out there! The was when the hub monitor sent an alert. It was an incoming message- a request to join a game.

(Really at a time like this?!)

Whatever, I accepted. The great room disappeared and I was immersed into that small bar and grill restaurant, the one with the long wood bar with red stools, the wall of drinks and concoctions from the floor to the ceiling, and the four circular tables with black chairs with red padding.

In the corner by one of the booths was a tian mountain dog staring at me.

"Hello my little comfort animal." He said greeting me. There was a warmth in his voice and his eyes seemed to be smiling at me as well.

"Spirit!" I ran up to him. I wanted to reach out and touch him, but since this was a virtual location in between our real locations, I could not. "We shouldn't be meeting like this... the mind control device... I could expose the location of the Oasis!"

"You almost did operative Winter." He countered.

"Well I could do so again or worse!!!"

"Yes, yes my little comfort animal, I know you must comply with your beastial superior's orders and could expose what remains of the rebellion..."

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to bring you up to speed with what's been going on and oh, test a theory."

"Spirit I can't be allowed to know!!"

My beastial boyfriend ignored my warning and continued the debriefing.

"Sir Ram and Mara...."

"Have gone missing. The knights are trying to find them." I said, completing his sentence.

"Wrong! Deerfeeder enacted his revenge. They are dead and the rebellion made it look like they were abducted."

Spirit let that sink in before adding the next part. A rush of emotions flooded over me.

"Well Ritz let the aliens have their remains."

"So evil and wicked got what was coming to them. What about the constant KLIS attacks Spirit?"

"Not our doing, the individual we contracted out to went buck wild."

"Like a child discovering a candy store for the first time." I said thinking out loud.

"In a way it has been beneficial, the knight core has forgotten about the rebellion and our former agents."

"They are desperate to avert the KLIS harvesting of the populace." I said to the tian mountain dog.

"They will fail Alex. Anyway, I just wanted to say hi, and that I miss you dearly and think of you often."

"I do too Spirit. But you shouldn't have reached out to me, I am a compromised liability."

"Oh, I don't think so." He said walking over to me.

"I am sorry, I don't understand?" I said respectfully and politely to the beastial canine.

"There! Right there! You are being compelled by the mind control device!" The partial beastial canine said grinning ear to ear. "You acknowledge my superiority over you."

I stared at Spirited Spirit.

"As your beastial superior and with you being under control of Sir Ram's Mind Control Device- I order you human not to disclose this conversation we had or anything you have learned today to anyone. It did not happen. Will you comply?"

"Yes." I said without hesitation.

"Good human. Good, I will be in touch." Spirited Spirit said, ending the connection.

(Did the rebellion just find a way around the mind control device by using it?!)

To Be Continued....

[MEANWHILE]

November 1st, YOE 35

9:06 AM Conquered Counter Earth (Crystal City, World Five)

"Below is our master's crowning achievement in this area; The Crystal City." Demona narrated like she was some type of tour guide.

"You look different." The dawn horse said to the harpy. "I don't know why I haven't noticed it before. Did you have your wings done or your plumage fluffed?"

"Yes." ONE's vessel replied.

"Well you are looking rather attractive today." Dane replied.

"She is so out of his league. He is just saying that so she doesn't drop him." Jonan said to Ed who was rather silent. "Something wrong?"

"I was just expecting the crystal city to be the same size or larger than the diamond city back in World ONE and less flooded." The eagle said looking at the landscape below.

"It is a work in progress. We will set down in the forest south of the city." Demona directed.

Ed nodded. He and Jonan landed right next to harpy who was carrying Dane.

"Not as bad as World Three or World Four. I wish it were a little drier though." The ewe commented.

"Could have been bigger." The eagle added.

"Are you questioning our master's works?" The harpy asked staring down the trio.

"Um, no, we just thought crystal city would be about the size of diamond city." Dane said.

"Our work force here is rather small. Most drowned the day of the awakening."

"You mean when the city was flooded?" The dawn horse gasped.

"Your task is to seek out the remaining survivors and tell them the good news." Demona said, patting Dane on his shoulder. "We will be back to check on your progress."

"She touched me!!" The dawn horse smirked.

"Um, she carried you all the way from World Four like I did Jonan." Ed observed.

"Surprise, you still haven't become an Other." Jonan replied. "The synoptic believes we can best serve him if we aren't part of the collective, but on the periphery."

"Oh." Dane replied.

"So we get to comb the forest looking for survivors eh? That seems like fun." The eagle replied.

"How about we start at that eerie crater in the distance?" The ewe suggested.

"Wow, that looks rather large." Ed observed.

"Something big crashed there." Dane added.

11:16 AM Chaundoon (Plane of Tranquillity)

"This is mind-bending." Arthur replied looking at the blue ski with light puffy clouds and the fog that permeated the surface where they were walking on.

"Yes boy, very calming and peaceful. I could just sit down right here and start meditating." The dark akita quipped.

"Um, that is why it is called the plane of tranquility silly!" The monkey girl said to her akita. "But what is really mind bending is the thing inhabiting Angi's body."

"It really isn't that hard." Bine said stopping to address the Ghost Hunters. "The human I swapped bodies with didn't like hers. She desired to be more than what she was, something else, someone else. She also wanted to know what it was like to have a tail."

"I think the claws, paws and fur were also a big plus." Arthur added.

"No. I mean, what is mind bending is a male inhabiting a female's body and vice versa." The she monkey said.

"Ah yes, it was a bit of an adjustment for the both of us, but believe me she is having the time of her life." Bine said as he continued to lead the trio across the Eeth's realm.

"So you say." Midnight Black said. "So you say."

"Soooo what does it feel like to be a male in a female's body?" The hedgehog boy asked curiously.

"Limiting." Bine responded.

"Really?" The hedgehog boy said, looking at the monkey girl.

"AHEM, you contacted us about some mysterious lights you were seeing within your realm Eeth?" The akita assassin said redirecting the conversation.

"Yes, yes, up ahead."

As the quartet took two steps forward, the blue and white sky faded away into a dark red one. The puffy white clouds were gone.

Arthur took a step backward and the blue and white sky returned. He then took a step forward and the red sky returned.

"Nice effect!" Minka shouted.

"It is apparent that the physical laws we are accustomed to, do not apply here." The dark akita observed.

"Right here." Bine said pointing to a lone light in the sky.

"It looks like a small spiral galaxy." Midnight Black said looking at it.

"What are you seeing?" Minka asked correcting him.

"I see a hundred shimmering diamond-like lights." Arthur said.

"No, I am seeing five hexagonal shapes with kaleidoscope images within." Minka said correcting her friends.

"Each person interprets the lights differently." The being in the girl's body replied.

"When did it first appear?" The leader of the Ghost Hunters asked as he sat down to start drawing the phenomenon.

"A few of your days before your arrival here. We don't know what it is or even why it is here."

"A few of our days Eeth?" Midnight Black asked as Arthur handed Minka his notepad and she started drawing.

"Time in our realm passes differently than on Chaundoon. Although you just arrived here, a month has already passed in the outside world."

The akita, monkey and hedgehog looked at their host in disbelief.

12:08 PM Chaundoon (Ms. Una's classroom, World Five)

"Kiwi how did you feel about returning to the Marble Canyons?"

"I was anxious to return. Shred, Stab and Impale wanted to fight the Yowies.... To protect their home and territory." Naka and Song's son replied to the naga.

"When they were in the infirmary that was all the three of them talked about. Fighting their enemy and defending their pride." I snickered to our counselor.

"What is it Alex?" The she snake asked.

"The felines in Perna Pride are not as bulky and muscular as the felines in Kenja pride. I wonder why that is so? Could it be due to environmental factors?"

(Theresa and Oliver would have a field day there!)

"Kiwi tell me what did you see when you arrived?" Ms. Una asked continuing our session.

In the predawn darkness- a fierce battle was taking place... I saw S'mar being stabbed, clawed, bitten and impaled."

"That must have been difficult." The naga said.

"Then there were the ones the Yowies injected with venom... those warriors exploded."

"Oh my gosh!" I shouted.

"Shred, Stab and Impale wanted to run off to fight. Naka warned them that reckless engagement would only lead to their deaths and the extinction of the pride. He proposed that the six of us were going to be the instruments of the Yowie's annihilation."

"And Shred, Stab and Impale all agreed?" Ms. Una asked.

"It sounded like a good offer if you asked me." I added.

"Naka used the lasers on the blue prototype to save Perna Pride. Shred, Stab and Impale guarded the sides and rear from any enemy that got too close."

"That explains while he ditched me and Tonka enroute. He knew he was going to go rogue." I said to the pre-teen and the naga.

"Yes but for good reason Alex!" Kiwi shot back. "What would you have done?"

"I suppose prevented both sides from fighting..." I replied receiving an angry look from the brown haired pre-teen. "And forced them to negotiate. But I know that is not how things work in the pridelands."

"So we fought. I was watching our perimeter and suggesting targets. Naka targeted and fired at the spiders."

"Come here." Ms. Una said to the boy. "You and Alex saw a lot of horrible things. You even more than him."

"Yeah. No one should have seen that amount of death and destruction especially at your age." I commented as Ms. Una said hugging him.

"I know. It made me want to help Stab and Impale even more." Naka and Song's son replied.

"You have grown close to those two warriors?" The naga asked.

"They are like the brother and sister I wanted growing up, but never had. I wouldn't mind visiting with them every now and again to see how they are doing."

12:32 PM Chaundoon (Naka and Song's home, World Five)

"Hiss?" Sandu said looking at the maned wolf as he opened the door to his home to look outside.

"I am sorry sir but you have been confined to your quarters." The scorpion boy keeping watch next to the fire lizard announced.

"You don't have to call me sir Sandu, Linias we are the same rank!" Naka said closing the door.

It had been over a week since he had been busted back down to junior rank, the lowest of the knight core, and relieved of duty in a humiliating scene. He spent his days reading, performing chores around the house, helping Kiwi with his homework and spending time with Song who also found herself with more free time these days. That was a far contrast from leading a caravan from their devastated home on Counter Earth to this world elsewhere in the universe.

Naka turned around as he heard the front door open and close behind him.

"I am home and I brought takeout!" Song said giggling.

"Again?" The demoted knight joked.

"When we were looking for a place to resettle after world fall, every night was takeout." The beautiful chakat said smiling.

"So true." He said admiring his companion.

She was wearing that purple shirt and yellow bonnet he liked.

"So we will have takeout until you are allowed to move around again."

"Well one plus is that you get to visit with Diana, Hue, Mia, Corey, Lolly and gossip. How are they doing?"

"With the population growth in the city- their restaurant is busier than ever." The cat-taur responded placing some bowls in front of her wolf.

"I suppose it is the same with Mitsa and Lune's ice cream shop." Naka replied as there was a pregnant pause between the two.

"Diana asked me what I was doing with all of my free time?"

"She wants to know if you are going to return to the council Song."

"I am not Naka. I dislike how I- we were treated for doing what we thought was the right thing."

"Despite going against our leadership's orders?" The wolf asked the cat.

"Our leadership was wrong and still is." The chakat said passionately.

"Nope, definitely not returning the council. I have been thinking- King Dragon is a new monarch and he is going to make mistakes and misjudgments, what will the next one be?"

"What are you saying Naka?"

"I miss the days when we were our own leaders- guiding, directing, making the tough decisions. I wouldn't mind that again."

"But we were on our own Naka and that was a very difficult and tough life." The chakat said taking her beloved's paw.

"It beats being confined to quarters indefinitely." The wolf countered.

"Our friends aren't saying it out right, but I can tell from the looks I am receiving and you know there are the whispers behind closed doors from the rest Naka- we have become an embarrassment and brought shame on ourselves."

"You know I was thinking Song, perhaps we should get out of here, travel- Chaundoon is a great big planet just waiting to be explored."

"You mean like Dawn, Corbin, Theresa and Oliver?" The cat asked her wolf.

"At least until all this blows over."

"Travel where?"

"Marble Canyons. You know, check up on our friends there, help them rebuild and defend themselves against their foes, maybe even become an ally to World Seven like the Duchess Jua and her people."

"It is tempting, but we would truly be on our own; there would be no help from the knight core." Song warned her wolf. "You would like it that way wouldn't you? What about Kiwi?"

"He has been asking when we were going back for a visit." The maned wolf smiled at his kitty cat.

To Be Continued...