FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Jack flared his green jacket, flashing the two automatic handguns holstered to his chest. A smirk crawled across his face and he leaned foreward, staring at his prey over the clear glasses perched on his nose. He crossed his arms over his torso, his hands gripping his pistols, unbuttoning the holsters with a flick of his thumb.

He stood in that position for a moment, staring at the small squad of mushrooms in front of him. They lept foreward, daring to step closer to him. The moment their tiny stems met the soft earth underneath him, Jack's guns left their holsters. He pulled the triggers and long, thin needles burst from his guns, shredding through his targ0ets as if they weren't there. He lept into the air, flipped his body, his guns pointing to the floor. He spun like a top in mid air, his fingers never leaving the triggers, raining needles upon the remains of his enemies. He expertly landed back on his feet, smoke pouring from the tip of his guns. He laughed at the simplicity of it all.

Suddenly, movement, behind him. He turned quickly on his heel and lifted his gun. A hand shot out, catching his wrist. He pulled the trigger, gasped at the sound of his handgun clicking. Out of ammo?! No! His attacker had switched the safety setting on his weapon!

"Watch where you point that thing, Jack." He recognized the voice immediately.

"Ace! I almost shot you!" His friend laughed.

"No, you were too far from almost." Ace released Jack's hand, who holstered his weapons immediately.

"What are you doing here Ace? Come to pay respect?" Jack asked, only when Arthur died, did Ace ever visit the graveyard, but even after then, he avoided the graveyard, saying it only got him depressed.

"No, I need Arthur's key. Toroko's been kidnapped." Ace pushed past Jack, who knew what that Dr. was doing to Toroko? Thoughts flashed through Ace's mind, thoughts that made him shiver and only worry more.

"Why do you need the ke... what?!" Jack was shocked. This may be the chance to prove to all the others what a great fighter he was, but, the only thing he could think of doing was running to King, which was probably the worse choice of all. He stumbled forward, tripping over his feet, scrambling away from Ace.

The graveyard was quiet and it was driving Ace nuts. He always hated the place, coming here made him think and he hated to think. He thought about how he'd find Toroko, what he would do when he'd found her, what would happen if he never found her. He thought about himself, about his lost family, about the war. All this thinking! He broke into a run, trying to flee from his thoughts.

Ace had barely started running, when he came across the Gravekeeper. The Gravekeeper was a monster that had moved into the graveyard shortly after the Dr. started showing up. Normally, he would tend to the graves, cleaning and repairing them, but there were times when he would become unusually violent and would swing a large cleaver around wildly. This was one of those times. He turned towards the incoming mimiga and let out a shrill cry, raising his cleaver above his head menacingly.

Ace was in no mood. He drew his handgun and pressed the tip against the monster's face. The gravekeeper's eyes went wide, shocked, shivering at the feel of the cold metal. Ace pulled the trigger rapidly. Searing hot energy poured from the mouth of his gun, burning a hole through the Gravekeeper's skin and skull, frying his brain. Ace then lifted his foot up, bringing it to the monster's chin, kicking him to the floor and out of his way.

The graveyard was no longer quiet, the monster's screams of pain and agony echoed through the dark cavern, ringing in Ace's ears. The sounds were almost soothing to him. It chased away his lingering thoughts, kept his mind clear. He sighed loudly, the sounds faded, the graveyard once again becoming quiet. The first thing that returned to his mind was Toroko.

"I'm on my way, Toroko." He said to himself, "Just hold on."

Arthur's grave was easy to find. It was the largest there and the farthest from the entrance. The base was littered in gifts and now wilting flowers, not one red. Out of all the gifts, one stood out plainly, it was the one the given by Ace. It sat in a pitch black case, nearly resembling a coffin. It looked as though someone tried to hide the unsightly box with a bouquet, but even then, the box still was visible. Ace knelt down, picking up the case.

"Stupid Memories." He chuckled softly to himself, opening the case, greeted by the sight of his own handgun. He picked it up, dropping the case to the floor. The grip was soft, his fingers forming to it perfectly, every digit fitting into a separate groove, made from years of use. He shuts his eyes, basking in the memory of his weapon, gripping it tightly. It almost brought him to tears, he had missed this gun.

He tugged the barrel of the gun back, exposing the energy crystal hidden inside. It was cracked and worn, glowing dimly, a sign of years of intense usage. He could probally still use it, provided he replaced the crystal, but, he just couldn't find it in him to do so. He felt as if he would be taking the soul out of his gun. He released his hold on the barrel, listened to it clack back into place. It could still prove useful, if he fired it enough, the crystal inside would rapidly absorb energy and shatter, releasing a final, powerful blow. He tucked it away into his jacket, deciding that the dead had no use for a gun.

"Sorry, Arthur, I'm going to have to take this back."

Ace reached out, fingers tracing over the cold letters of Arthur's tombstone. He read the wordings out loud, once again, on the verge of crying.

"Here lies Arthur, true hero to all the Mimigas." His hand then slid to the middle of the stone, tugging at the key embedded within it. It was Arthur's house key.

"Sorry again, Arthur, but I need this too."