Ruined Peace: A World Torn By War - Prologue
_ *Ruined Peace: A World Torn By War * _
_ Prologue _
"Congratulations everyone! We did it! We created peace between each faction!"
Not often has a grand party been thrown when all of the world leaders were in attendance. Once sworn enemies, were now brothers in peace.
The year was 30XX, and Neo Pangaia, the planet in which these factions rested has never seen a fight to a major degree, but this battle had some magnitude behind it. The Great Skirmish was what almost put Neo Pangaia at risk for a world war with each faction at each others necks. Over what? Resources. Food, water and other essential supplies, were scarce since the previous farming season was at best, fickle.
All three factions, The Terrarians, a mostly agricultural based faction, consisting of mostly Rabbit and Dog folk, with its bountiful amount of crops and food, was a major reason they had a fighting chance in this war. They never ran low on the essentials, something the other factions lacked in, however The Terrarians were almost bested, since they're weapons technology and man power were low at best.
Enter The Minurites. Bold, Strong and bred to become soldiers in their military. These Bears and Wolves if not soldiers, were master blacksmiths and weapon specialists. With a massive push towards military, many of the hard fought battles in The Great Skirmish was won to them. Not only do The Minurites posses such a mighty military, but a devastating Air Force, complete with State of the Art, High-End, Fighter Jets, built to surpass the speed of light. How could one faction control so much power and not attempt to take over the planet?
The Cognants, the faction with the brightest minds and the most advanced defense systems known to Pangaian kind. Although they may not be the most physically strong, these mixture of many different species of animals (Which they're called on Earth) banned together to form the smartest minds in the world. For the most part, Cognants are docile, meaning they will only attack when necessary, and with a large scale defensive barrier, there is no need to attack when they're kept safe in their maximum security dome.
Aside from the factions, there is an island just south of the mainland, Unsought Island, is where a young panda, named Matty, is born.
Born into the home of Rai and Betha Panda, two veterans of The Great Skirmish. Rai, transferring to the Terrarian Army as a front-line soldier in support of their cause and Betha, who was a field medic for the Terrarian army. As fate has it, they met on the battlefield after Rai took flak from some fragmentation, and Betha rushed to patch him up. After The Great Skirmish, they returned home to Unsought and settled down, having two children before Matty.
Bork, the eldest son of the panda family, was the brawn of the island. The strongest amongst his peers and most other adults, his aspirations to become the island's new guardian are bound to come true.
Mona, the middle child, does not wish to involve herself in any violence. More of a mother figure, she wishes to have a simple life with a few kids and a charming husband.
Which brings us back to Matty. Although the youngest, he is the most adventurous, wanting more from the simple life he currently has, wanting to see the mainland and signing up to become a field medic, like his mother.
Day 01 Year 30YG
Unsought Island was gifted to the brim with tropical fruits and vegetables, the staple of Unsought. Since the amount of luscious fruits were so prominent, your "average joe" would most likely become a fruit farmer.
Forced to get a summer job, Matty would look no further than Elder Forro, the elder of the island, with his fruit farm.
"UGH! Why do I have to??" says Matty in an unpleasant tone.
"Because it's easy money! You would be an absolute moron to not take such an easy job like this!" exclaimed Rai.
"It's either this, or you can help me clean out the attic all summer, WHICH I KNOW YOU HATE!"
"Fine! I'll talk to Elder Forro! At least he doesn't torture his children!" Matty then marched unhappily off to Elder Forro's hut, located at the southern tip of the small island.
Matty opened the hut door slowly with a few knocks added to the creaking of the door.
"Hello? Elder Forro? It's me, Matty."
Elder Forro awakens in a frantic manner as he's jolted from Matty's greeting.
"Didn't I tell you rascals to stop waking me up from-! Oh! Matthew please come in!" With a quick change in tone, Elder Forro opens his hand to welcome Matty into his hut.
"Forro! Heh, are the young-lings causing trouble again?" Matty said with a laugh as he sits down on Forro's chair.
"They're children, they will be 'till they grow out of it." says Forro as he drinks some Strawberry Tea.
"So my father thought it would be a good idea to be a fruit picker for you, not that I want to, I'm kinda being forced to.." Matty lays back in his seat with his paws behind his head.
"Matthew, I have much bigger plans for you!" says Forro as he sets his tea down.
"Bigger plans? I need money, old man! Money is vital to a young panda like myself!" Matty says as he leans forward abruptly.
"Calm down, Matthew, you'll get paid, but it's for a different job."
"Woah woah woah! Look Elder, I'm not into older men, like, older older men."
"Oh hush with that gutter-minded chatter, Matthew!" screamed Forro
"Why must you talk with such perversion in mind?!"
Matty began to laugh hysterically "HAHA! Your face was priceless!"
Forro then collected himself and spoke in a controlled tone "Matthew, what I mean is that I am willing to let you become my newest understudy in the field of medical training."
"Medical training? Like Ma? Didn't you train my mother?" Matty said standing up in wonder of the opportunity.
"Yes, and now I am willing to pass the teaching onto you, the next generation. Isn't it your dream to become a field medic?" pondered Forro.
"You know it, old man! Ma tells the best stories of the battlefield!" said Matty, as he stood to his feet.
"Then let us not waste anymore time! We will begin tomorrow at dawn!" proclaimed Forro.
"WOOOHOOO!" shouted Matty in delight.
"Oh! and one thing Matthew..." said Forro
"You can pick my fruit on your free time, since you need the money so badly! Huehue!"
"When I'm older, I'm voting to put you in a home..." pouted Matty.
Day 15 Year 30YG
After countless days of training, doing the absolute basics, Matty thought he was ready for the next step in his training.
"Look Elder Forro, can't we move on already? I've done this stupid trick like, 3000 times!" said Matty in a panting state.
"No! You must learn to hone this power, the power that was given to you because you were born here on Unsought, the ability to heal wounds of great proportions!" said Forro firmly.
Matty sits down and drinks some water, flailing his paws around to get feeling back into them.
"So what you're saying is, everyone has this ability?" said Matty, questioning Forro.
"Yes, all of us Unsought Pandas do, but its not that simple. It takes training and awakening to achieve this ability, an ability which took your mother years to master."
"Now let's try this again, press your paws on the dummy, creating a triangle with your fingers. This will push the flow of your energy into the body of the victim, and with this new energy, the victim's tissue will regenerate at an accelerated growth. From gunshots, to stabbings etc, this technique is your godsend." lectured Forro.
"Press my paws on the dummy... creating a triangle with my fingers..." said Matty as he concentrated on his task at hand, slowly, but not completely healing the fake wound on the dummy's body.
"Whew,,, Dang... Old man, what am I doing wrong?" said Matty in a defeated tone as he relaxed his paws.
"Focus is key, Matthew. Focus. Focus your energy. Think only of the victim, think only of the situation at hand. Then, the process can be completed." says Forro from his chair as he watched Matty train.
Matty then takes a minute, drawing deep breathes from his chest, looks back at the dummy and attempts to heal the wound again.
"Focus... Focus..." said Matty as a blue energy surrounds his paws, fixing the gash on the dummy, creating a fake scar.
"I-I did it!" shouted Matty happily.
"Bravo, my student, Bravo!" said Forro, weakly getting out of his chair.
"Heh, does that mean I'm done with my training? Am I ready to be a field medic?" said Matty in a cocky tone, flexing for more effect.
"There is much more to learn, my student. But achieving this is the hardest part. It is now time to take this practice and reuse it in more productive ways, aside from this method." chuckled Forro as he guides Matty outside.
Matty's eyes opened wide as he sees the massive stamina-building complex that Forro built. it comes complete with army dummy's for combat, obstacle courses for endurance, and other tests that would push the trainee to their limits.
"What is this??" said Matty as he is confused at the next step of his training.
"We're getting your weak body into combat ready shape!" said Forro happily as he sat back down.
Matty stared onto the huge obstacle courses and combat dummies, pondering his decisions in life.
Day 79 Year 30YG
Matty had been training for months, seemingly years, since he's only been exercising for most of the time. However, with hard work comes results, and Matty had been shaped into a fine, able-body medic through Elder Forro's training.
"I'm proud of you, my student. You are ready for the dangerous task of becoming a field medic. Everything you've learned, everything you've trained for has prepared you for the worst." said Forro, pacing around Matty as he stands in salute.
"The only issue is that there isn't any conflict! HueHue!"
Matty falls over in an anime-like fashion, getting steamed.
"There must be somewhere I can go for medical help!" screamed Matty in a fit of rage.
"There will be issues in the future, my student. Stay prepared and you will find that war is like a hornet's nest: It only takes someone to push it enough, before the whole hive breaks loose." said Forro as he headed to his quarters.
"Good Luck, my student! Return home! Spend time with your family!"
"I will, old man! Thank you Elder!" said Matty happily, returning home from a long summer of training.
Day 80 Year 30YG
Matty returned home to his family. His mother waited happily by their door step.
"Welcome home, my baby boy!" Betha hugs Matty tightly, holding him close to her.
"How's my favorite fruit picker doing?" Betha then smiles and looks at Matty.
"He's doing great ma! yknow... picking fruit heh..." laughs and put his paw behind his head.
"Don't be a stranger, head inside! I made your favorite, watermelon shake!" exclaimed Betha, putting her paws together.
"Hell yeah!" screamed Matty, running by Betha.
Matty happily drank the watermelon shake and sat down as he enjoyed it thoroughly.
"I missed this... buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurp!" burping from the delicious watermelon shake.
Matty then turned on the television, what seemed to be a worried newscaster. As the television turned on, Rai came into the room and sat down.
"I see you're back from Forro's fruit job, was it better than attic duty?" said Rai as he sat down, reading an article.
"Y-Yes sir.." said Matty in a timid tone.
"Good, I don't like dreamers in this house, make a living and everything will work out."
Rai noticed the story in the news, it seems the newscaster's fright was for a good reason.
"Top Story tonight: A large, unidentified object has been launched into orbit. Authorities say this is a project that was conducted by no particular faction's doing. We go live to head Commander Zero, of the Terrarian Army for a quote."
The camera then changed to a press conference of journalists and worried citizens, concerned with their safety.
"Commander Zero! Commander Zero! What is the object in orbit? Is it dangerous? Do you have any ideas as to what it may be?" says a random journalist.
Commander Zero, a large Buck of a man, commander of the armed forces of Terraria, always had a shade covering his eyes and a polished uniform, tan in color, ready for any public appearance.
"We do not have any information regarding the nature of this device, but when the data become declassified, we will alert the media and broadcast it to citizens everywhere. Thank you." said Commander Zero as he walked off the stand as many journalists followed.
Rai scoffed and looked outside in the night sky, seeing the glimmer of the object.
"It's probably those fricken Minurites... World power this and world power that... Thats all they want... Domination." grunting, looks back down at his article, reading with an angered expression.
Matty then silently walked outside, looking up at the night sky, confused as to what the object may be.
"What... are you?" said Matty silently as he stares at the object's glimmer in the night's sky.
Suddenly, a loud squeaking came from a nearby rocky formation on the coast of the island, Matty stood up and investigated the noise. As he came up to the squeaking, he hid behind some leaves to observe the situation. A young aviar, dressed with colorful feathers, was trapped in the rocks, her wings were trapped in the crumbled rocks that any normal sized creature could move, but since she was small she was unable to move such weight.
"Curse my tiny body!" screamed the aviar "Who's idea was it to make us so small?! I'm complaining to the author!"
Matty then jumped into action and removed the rocks that were trapping the aviar's wing.
"Heh there you go! You should be freed now." smiled Matty as he laughed a bit.
"Hey! Don't you smirk at me, buddy!" she flew onto his muzzle and looked Matty in the eyes.
"Name's Cosmo. Long story short, it's cause of the feathers, dear." She said in a sassy tone.
Cosmo then hopped off Matty's muzzle and flew around him.
"So uh, where's the mainland huh? You better not tell me I'm off the coast somewhere!"
"Well its that way... about 500 miles..." Matty pointed north into a seemingly endless ocean.
"No no no no no!" screamed Cosmo "This can't be happening! I go to sleep on a branch for two seconds and this happens!"
Matty made an open paw motion to calm Cosmo down "Woah there... take it easy... We can figure this out. Why not live here on Unsought 'till we can get you home?"
"Live here?? I don't even know you, spotty eyes!" shouted Cosmo in a frantic rage.
"Look I know you're away from home, but let me open my house to you. You'll enjoy it here!... 'till we can get you home heh..." Matty rubs his neck again.
"Fine, but ya'll better have cable..." pouted Cosmo as she flew next to Matty as they returned home.
"My names Matty by the way" said Matty happily.
"Uh huh... Whatever.." said Cosmo as she flew ahead.
Matty facepalms as he wonders why he let this aviar live with him "She's got quite the attitude...".
Day 103 Year 30YG
Cosmo had become better friends with Matty, nothing perfect, but at a tolerable level at best. She had made herself at home as Betha and herself began to associate more.
"And I said 'You aint old enough to know that, honeybun! hahaha!" said Cosmo as she stoof on the coffee table talking to Betha.
"Oh you're such great company Cosmo! I wish Mona was at the house more for you to get to meet her." said Betha, chuckling a bit.
Mona then walked into the kitchen and sat down with the other girls.
"Hello mother! Hello Cosmo!" exclaimed Mona as she returned from the store.
Cosmo lifted an eyebrow "You better not be hanging out with that young panda boy again! Girl, if you do, I swear I'll hit you upside the head!"
Mona waved her paws and explained "Cosmo... I'm 22 years old... I think I can talk to boys heh.." she said nervously.
"Mhm, what then? He'll steal your heart girl!" said Cosmo in her usual sassy tone.
Matty then came downstairs into the kitchen.
"Maybe we could move this conversation into the next room?" says Betha as she sees Matty enter the kitchen.
Matty shrugged as the girls went outside, sitting on the couch, Matty began to look at the waves from his living room window.
Suddenly, Bork comes home from his recent workout, entering the house with force. Bork always knew how to make an entrance. With his strong jaw line, Bork knew he was the strongest panda on the island, and he intends on letting the rest of the room know it too.
"Move over, dipwad..." says Bork as he pushes Matty off the couch.
"H-Hey!" screamed Matty as he falls to the ground.
Bork chuckled as Matty got up and shouted at him.
"Yo! I was there first you lug!"
"If you want your seat, take it back, pussy."
Matty growled then refused to continue the useless attempt to regain his lost couch.
"That's right, you know whats up! Haha!" cheered Bork as he turned to the sports channel.
Matty then walked outside to the beach again, looking out onto the waves. Rai spots Matty as he sits by his son.
"What are you doing out here alone?" said Rai.
"Just enjoying the view, sir..." said Matty in a reserved tone.
Rai grumbled and looked out onto the ocean too.
"Something tells me you want to go onto the mainland huh?"
"Yes sir... I want to make a difference, I want to be a field med-"
Suddenly, Rai hits Matty on to the ground and fire lights in his eyes.
"What?! A Field Medic?!" Rai pushes Matty over more as Matty attempts to stand.
"Y-Yes I do..." said Matty weakly.
Rai then took Matty's collar and lifted him in the air, face to face.
"I said I don't like dreamers, Matthew... And that's a stupid dream!"
Rai then throws Matty a decent distance as Matty falls to the ground, writhing in pain.
"F-Father Stop!" said Matty as Rai approached.
The girls overheard the whole conflict and rushed to see what was going on.
"Baby brother! No!" screamed Mona as she sees Matty get thrown to the ground.
"Stop this right now, Rai Panda!" says Betha as she walks up to Rai.
Rai halts on his assault on Matty from Betha's actions.
"Tell your son there's no hope for panda's like him..." said Rai as he walked back into the house.
Matty gets up holding his arm, moving into the house with Mona by his side.
"Are you alright Matty?" said Mona concerned.
"Yeah I'll be fine just... dinged up..." says Matty.
Later that night, Matty stared out onto the sea from his window, thinking of what the mainland could hold.
"One day..." He said as he lays back on his bed and falls asleep.
Day 104 Year 30YG
Matty awakens to see that his bags are packed by his door, all of his belongings, his music, games clothes etc. He runs downstairs to see Rai talking to a crying Betha.
"If he wants to see the mainland so bad, WE'RE gunna send him there!" screamed Rai as he turns to Matty, walking down the stairs.
"No! Don't do this, Rai!" shouted Betha "He's still just a boy!"
Rai in a voiceless march, takes Matty by the sleeve of his sweatshirt and pushes him on the passenger boat Rai called in the previous day. Putting Matty's things on the boat, Rai waves quickly to Matty as the boat begins to leave.
"No! Please Father I'm sorry I'll stop dreaming!" screamed Matty as the boat left the dock.
Cosmo flew over to Matty as Matty panics and screams.
"Cmon now, Matty! I'll turn this boat around!" She then flies to the front of the boat where the captain resides.
"Excuse me good sailor, but kindly TURN THIS JALOPY AROUND, DEAR!" she screamed in a sassy tone.
The captain turned to the small aviar and explained.
"Ma'am, we can't the boat is on a tight schedule." the captain the turns back to the open sea.
Matty sits on the back of the boat and watches his home become smaller and smaller.
"N-No.." says Matty in an upset voice.
"Oh come now, darling, you're going to the mainland! Its your dream!" says Cosmo, trying to cheer him up.
Matty looks up and notices a huge glowing light from the sky.
"Wh-What the Hell?" says Matty in confusion.
20 MINS EARLIER - Terrarian Military Headquaters
"Sir! Sir! We have reports of what the nature of the launched object was sir!" says a secretary for Commander Zero.
Commander Zero turned around in his chair and took the case file from the secretary.
"What's this here?"
Zero then proceeded to put on glasses and read out the nature of the object.
"Due to an overwhelming amount of nuclear material emanating from the device launched at 00:10 on the 80th day of the year 30YG, we have concluded that the device can created a concentrated beam of power that can quite possibly destroy an.. entire... landmass..."
Zero dropped the case file on the desk and read further.
"...according to source codes, the device will fire every 144 hours, approximately six days, and the cycle will repeat unless the device is shut down."
Zero rushed to the phone and dials the media.
"Excuse me, we need to talk..."
*BACK ON MATTY'S BOAT... *
"Wh-What the hell?" said Matty as he covered his face from the blinding light.
"Oh my god! Matty look away!" Cosmo covered Matty's eyes.
"Wait whats-"
After the flash of light, a massive explosion struck Unsought Island. The explosion seemed to have reached the heavens and it seemed like even beyond. Matty removed Cosmo's wings from his eyes, only to see everything he loved, gone in a flash. Elder Forro, his family... his home... gone...
Matty screamed as Cosmo held him close, trying to stay strong for Matty.
Suddenly, massive waves tipped the boat and Matty and Cosmo were thrown off the side, swimming to survive, Matty tries to find Cosmo.
"COSMO! COSMO! WHERE ARE YOU?" Matty frantically searched, treading water and eventually couldn't tread anymore and began to sink in the dark ocean...
END PROLOGUE