The Magic Wilds: Episode 5: The New Creature

By Terrarian Pony

WARNING: Content of this story may include violence, gore, romance, same gender romance, swearing, and probably references to several video games and TV shows. This series is also written in script format. If anyone is offended by any of the content listed above, than please turn back now. You have been warned. (Also, crossover warning!)

Introduction: Welcome to a world of magic, but humans are few, and are mostly undead. In this world, there are magical creatures who are just trying to survive, and endure the terrors of the undead, and the bureaucracy of the Pride's Alliance. But not all is bad, for in the Magic Wilds of Mythrolhia, you will always have friends to defend you.

Episodes

Previously

Next

...

Story: Terrarian Pony presents... The Magic Wilds

A Fiction Mythology Series

Episode 5

The New Creature ...

Ara'Khan:" My demon. My Champion. Your loyalty has brought fruit. But do not let down your guard. Your enemy seeks power alone. It is up to you, to stop him. This, you must do alone."

...

Somewhere in a different universe, faded and collapsed by time...

Hannah was almost there. The storm was picking up, but the Eevee didn't waver. The Mist Continent, the wasteland that had become her home a couple hundred years ago, no longer fazed her. But still, she hated this place. Always has. That's why she would be leaving soon. Hannah entered the lab, right around midnight. She pulled down her red bandana, and lifted her protective goggles, revealing her cyan eyes.

She was built much like any other Eevee, with a small, brown quadruped build, a white main of hair around her neck, two long ears, and a big, bushy tail with white at the tip. She, however, was unique in that the fur on the tips of her ears stuck up in a certain position that made it look like she had little hearts on her ears. She also had a bit of longer fur drooping on her forehead, which was dyed with a single streak of purple. Eevees were made to evolve into one of at least eight different forms. Would she still be able to when she leaves? She didn't care. She just wanted off this dumb rock, and hop over to a new dumb rock. As she walked down the hall, the lab spoke to her in an annoying mechanical female voice.

Lab:" Welcome back, Hannah. Laurence and Wade have been eagerly awaiting your arrival."

Hannah didn't respond to the artificial voice as she stomped through the hallway, down to the C wing of the lab. As she walked in, an Inteleon, named Laurence turned and greeted her. He was wearing a white lab coat.

Laurence:" You're back! Did you get... you know, the thing?"

Hannah produced two large chunks of ice from her item bag.

Hannah:" Yes, I got you two bittercold shards, as requested. You didn't tell me that it was in the middle of a crater full of ice, though. I hope it was worth it."

Laurence:" Well, what did you expect? The bittercold was destroyed, and with it, the Glacier Palace."

Hannah:" Just take the thing, and do what you gotta do."

Laurence:" Actually, miss Hannah. Heh. You'll want to take one of them with you."

Hannah:" What?"

Laurence:" Our portal is going to be powered by dark matter from one of the shards. Negative energy. The other shard of the bittercold will protect you from being torn apart as you pass through. There may be some side effects, but nothing too serious. I know. I did the calculations myself."

Hannah:" Do them again. I want to be sure it's safe, and if not, I'm coming back to haunt you."

Wade, a Growlithe, walked in, wearing a white lab coat.

Wade:" Everything is ready. Are you prepared to go?"

Hannah:" Yes."

Laurence:" Now listen, this operation is delicate, and still may pose some threat to you. If you at all have any doubts and want to turn back..."

Hannah:" I read fine print. There's a reason I chose to do this. So let's do it."

Laurence:" Very well."

Hannah followed the two lab coats into a box room, filled with complex equipment. In the back of the room was a large, metal ring that would take her somewhere new and unfamiliar, two words she didn't like. But she couldn't stand being here any longer. Everything here was screwed, and she was ready to get out of here. Laurence gave her some sort of small device with a red light on it.

Laurence:" This is a communication device with a built-in universal translator. If you need our assistance at any moment, you can contact us. And if you land in a place with individuals who don't speak Pokémon, this device will translate. But it will have to analyze the speech pattern first, so it may take a minute. Just put it in your ear, and if you need to contact us again, just press the glowing red button."

Hannah:" Will it even send a signal back here?"

Laurence:" Are you questioning my ingenuity?"

Hannah:" Yes. I very much am."

Laurence:" Well. I'm quite offended."

Hannah:" Just fire up the machine."

Laurence:" Very well. Err... keep that shard close, in case you need to come back. If you don't find a fancy in this one, we have the resources to pull you out, and bring you somewhere different."

The Inteleon nodded to the Growlithe. Wade flicked a few switches as Laurence connected the shard to the machine, and the ring began to glow. The metal ring started sparking with electricity, and it eventually turned into a swirling pool of dark matter.

Laurence:" Haha. It works. It works!"

Hannah stepped up to the metal ring. She took a strip of leather, and tied the bittercold shard to her to her waist, and without hesitation, jumped through the portal. It was painful at first. She screamed in pain as the dark matter began surround her, but then she felt an extreme chill going through her body as the bittercold began to encase her in some kind of protective shell of ice. It was like this for several minutes, until she blacked out.

...

Back in Mysticia...

Wags was fiddling with his experiments in his lab, working on some sort of prototype. The wolf was so focused on what he was doing, he almost didn't hear the ping from the anomaly detector. Wags went over to look. It was placed in Serene Forest. But it didn't give the same frequency as the shadow rifts. Still, he figured he should tell Terran and Avery. After knocking, and getting a response, he entered Avery's quarters to see Terran and Avery speaking about the events from earlier that day.

Avery:" Whatever happened to you with that strange object... it could have caused permanent damage to something. You should check with Nurse Peril. Have her examine you."

Terran:" I feel fine. I'm ready for whatever's next."

Avery:" Yes, Wags? What is it?"

Wags:" Erm... well, the anomaly detector just got another ping."

Avery:" I see. Perhaps it's best I send another team to handle it."

Terran:" My team lives for this kind of thing. We can handle."

Wags:" Two jobs in one day. I'm game. But I think it's worth noting... this anomaly isn't like the others. It's... well, different is an understatement."

Avery:" Explain."

Wags:" All anomalies have a certain wavelength in their frequency. This one is much like a rift, but it's a much weaker signal, as if it were coming from somewhere outside our own universe."

Avery:" Are you suggesting that this rift is transporting something or someone from an entirely different universe?"

Wags:" That... is a very unproven, and yet, very plausible theory. One that, if true, they would have had to make several quantum leaps in a single jump, which again, is not something that can be proven easily."

Avery:" At this point, I'm less concerned about proof, and more concerned about having reality be torn apart by simple negligence. Perhaps you and your team are best to handle this situation. But Terran, be careful. We don't know what just came into to our world. I'm advising extreme caution."

Terran:" Yes ma'am. Come on, Wags. Let's get going."

...

Blaze:" Hello Rumor. Did ya miss me?"

Rumor felt her lips getting dry, she couldn't tell if it was the heat of the room, or her nerves.

Rumor:" Hello Blaze. It's been a while."

Blaze:" Why so nervous? Afraid I might escape again?"

Rumor:" I... I want to help you."

Blaze:" You want to help me? You can let me out of here!"

Rumor:" I can't do that. Not yet, at least."

Blaze:" You think Blaze is sick. You think I.... enjoy killing everything in sight. Maybe you're right. After all, you heard me laughing as I burned down every cottage in that backwater village."

Rumor:" You... heard that?"

Blaze:" I hear everything. Every word. I see everything you do. I watch consistently. A spectator in our body! You think you can change me."

Rumor:" I get why you killed the werewolf that attacked me. He deserved it. But why the others?"

Blaze:" Why the others? That's like asking me why did I fight, when you were the one getting your tail handed to you. Those werewolves saw what he was doing. And they did nothing. They saw what I did, and they attacked me! And you... you did nothing. You didn't do a thing to stop me."

Rumor:" H-how could I? You wouldn't let me in."

Blaze:" That's not how I remember it. You sat and watched as I lost control. You didn't even fight to get back in."

Zippy:" That's not fair! Rumor had just been beaten up! She was too exhausted to stop you. And you were too strong for the rest of us."

Tundra:" It takes all four of us to put you back in that cage every time you escape."

Blaze:" Yes. It takes four of you. And yet, you fail to realize what it takes to bring me out. You may be the warden, Rumor. But he carries the key to my cage. He always has."

Rumor:" What are you even talking about? I put you in there!"

Blaze:" And he let's me out. See how this works? I only get to leave when it comes time to save you idiots."

Rumor:" So then let yourself out, Blaze. Show me how it's done."

Blaze:" You still don't get it. I don't have the key."

Rumor:" This was a waste of time. I was a fool to think I could get through to you."

Zippy:" Rumor..."

Rumor:" Listen. You know why we're here."

Blaze:" Yes. You're little spat about weather to stay home and call in sick or go back to that guild of yours. Personally, I don't care what you do. I want to be free. But he just won't let me!"

Rumor:" Who?"

Blaze:" Blaze! He keeps me locked here. I tell him to let me go, but he doesn't want me to leave!"

Rumor:" You really are insane. I'm the one with the key. I am your warden."

Blaze looked at her with a frightening grin.

Blaze:" Well then you're doing a REALLY crappy job!"

Rumor:" Come on, guys. Let's go."

As they began to leave, Blaze decided to get the last word in.

Blaze:" If it were me... I would leave the house. Why add more targets to the creatures you love?"

...

Rumor woke up from her time in the Chaos Pocket. While her and all her siblings were there, the vessel kept Rumor's shape, making it seem as if she was just lying there, dreaming. As she woke, she couldn't help but look sad.

Seeker:" You're back. What's wrong, dear?"

Rumor:" It was Blaze... but, it felt like it wasn't. I don't know. Maybe I'm just not thinking straight."

But she knew he had a point. Being here put everyone else they loved in danger, everyone else being their parents. Rumor's parents all lived together in a house somewhat isolated from civilization, so no one would normally go looking for Rumor here. But if anyone found out where she lived...

Rumor:" We've made up our minds. We're going to go back to the guild. It's time we stop hiding. No more hiding."

All the parents gathered around her for a hug. She felt crowded, but she didn't bother complaining.

Seeker:" I hope you stay safe."

Rumor:" The guild will keep us safe. They've never let us down before."

...

Hannah woke up, feeling extremely cold. Her body was moving slow, but she was quickly acclimating to whatever just happened. As she began to recover, she finally felt it. The grass beneath her feet. It was green, and beautiful. As she looked up, she could see trees, with leaves that swayed in the wind, as if nothing bad could ever happen. The trees were healthy, and peaceful. For a moment, she looked in awe of the sight.

She then began to notice it. Her paws. They were blue! She ran over to a nearby pond, and screamed internally. Her body was now blue, and her mane was now brown, and the tip of her tail was now a dark blue. Her left eye was now a green color. She reached up to the device on her ear, and pressed the button.

Hannah:" Hello? Laurence? Wade? You better pick up, or I'll come back there and smash you're friggin' skulls in."

Laurence:" Hannah? Come in, Hannah. Is that you?"

Hannah:" No, it's Arceus come to take you to the promised land."

Laurence:" Okay, okay. I get it. What's your status so far?"

Hannah:" I'm blue, Laurence! You didn't say anything about this!"

Laurence:" Calm down. I'm pretty sure I mentioned possible side effects.

Hannah:" How do I fix it!?"

Laurence:" Your DNA is already unstable as is. It must have merged with the shard of the bittercold. Do you feel any negative or violent impulses?"

Hannah:" Yeah, I wanna come back there, and punch you and Wade in the face."

Laurence:" We cannot be held responsible for your risk. You volunteered for this, remember? You'll just have to accept it from now on."

Hannah:" Great, so the bittercold is part of me, now."

Laurence:" It would seem so."

Hannah:" Alright. Fine. This is fine. I just need to figure out where I am, and... GAAAH!"

Her chest felt as if her heart were trying to jump out of it. She held her stomach in pain, struggling to keep consciousness, her vision fading in and out of black. For a moment, she couldn't hear what Laurence was saying, just white noise. Eventually the pain just stopped, and she was able to breathe normally again.

Laurence:" Hannah! What's going on, your vitals were going crazy."

Hannah:" I... I'm going to call you back. I need... to think straight."

She pressed the button again, and hung up. She placed a paw on a nearby tree for balance as she struggled to recover from whatever trauma she had just endured.

Hannah: ''What the heck was that? It felt like my body was tearing itself apart.'' "Gotta focus. Gotta stay alert. Could be danger around."

...

Terran, Lost and Wags arrived in Serene Forest. Terran was jumped by a feral pixie frog, who was just waiting to prank anyone who came by, so he was confident that whatever was going on in Serene Forest probably wasn't too serious. They took a beaten path which led to a small pond. Terran motioned for everyone to hide when he saw a strange creature he'd never seen or heard of before. It wasn't hard to make out it's gender, but it looked like some sort of strange mix between a fennec fox, a feline, and a rabbit. It's fur was dark blue, and it had a brown mane of heavy hair around it's neck, and a bushy blue tail with a brown tip. Her right eye was a cyan color, and her left was green. The fur on the tips of her ears stuck up to look like hearts, and she had a longer patch of head fur that drooped over her forehead, with a purple streak.

The creature seemed agitated, stomping around, and yelling the word "Eevee" over and over. Terran decide to approach cautiously.

Terran:" Umm... hello?"

The creature spun around to face him and growled.

Hannah:" Eevoi! Eevee vee! Ee- Eevee!"

Terran:" I don't understand."

The creature held it's head with a paw, yelling as if in pain.

Terran:" Whoa. Are you hurt? Do you need help?"

The creature responded by charging at him, clashing it's forehead into his own. Terran backed away, holding his nose in pain. He looked at his paw and saw blood.

Terran:" Crap!"

The creature jumped into the air, and as it did, it's tail began to turn to metal. That same metal tail slammed down on Terran's head, knocking him to the ground. The others joined in Terran's defense.

...

Hannah landed on her feet, impressed at herself for striking down a new opponent. The opponent in question looked a lot like a Vulpix, but he was purple, and had three tails instead of six, with white tips. His belly and chin were also white, and he had subtle blue markings on his face. She couldn't tell what type he was, but it was clear Iron Tail did a lot of damage, or at least surprised him enough.

Two more opponents, what looked like a canine figure, but more dead then alive (dark type, possibly?), and another canine with some sort of device on his chest.

Hannah:" More of you, huh? I'll teach you to pull one over on me!"

Terran:" So... you can talk."

The translator was finally starting to work. Up until now, she could only hear unintelligible noises from the strange locals.

Hannah:" Yeah, I can talk! And can beat you all down, just the same!"

Wags:" We're not here to fight."

Hannah:" Than why are you ambushing me?"

Hannah used Swift, a hail of stars appearing out of thin air, flying straight towards her opponents. They evaded the stars, and got to cover behind tree and rocks. As they did, she could hear them conversing.

Terran:" What kind of magic is that?"

Wags:" Not any that I've ever seen?"

Hannah was about to unleash another Swift to cut down those trees, when a boney foot pressed down on her back, forcing her onto her stomach.

Hannah:" Get... off me!"

Lost:" I'm going to ask nicely once, and once only. Who are you, and where did you come from?"

Hannah:" Screw off!"

Lost:" I can see you want to do this hard way."

His paw came up, and slammed down on her head, knocking her out again.

...

Rumor and her siblings stayed for a while longer, taking the opportunity to be with their parents, then went off back towards the guild at sun down. Mystery was taking the lead now, as he carried his siblings towards the direction of the guild. This was perfect. If the same wolves attacked again, Mystery could duck into the shadows for cover, and since it was night time, they couldn't use the sunlight against him.

Mystery wandered how many creatures could find hope in the light. He figured it was just his personal bias, but the darkness had always been there for him. Out in broad daylight, creatures have attacked each other, robbed, raided... just like the other day when King Leo VII was attacked by a lackey of the Hoard of Hunt. No doubt many folks in Law City saw it as a "justified assault on a tyrant king". But then again, darkness had recently been attempting to take away his home. Perhaps light and dark aren't as black and white as Mystery was lead to believe. Rumor, after all, was a chaos elemental, and chaos elementals primarily create light when using their magic.

The light can guide you, or destroy everything around you. The darkness can shield you from harm, or corrupt your very soul. Mystery found it ironically poetic, but many things like the subject are. Suddenly, Mystery began to become aware of his surroundings. Mystery found himself surrounded by a thick fog. He let out a soft "Meow?", trying to figure out where he was. This forest wasn't normally foggy. In fact, it shouldn't be. Mythrolhia is known to get a lot of rain, but this forest is close to a very dry desert, and it rarely ever rains here. There aren't any rivers or ponds near this road, so the chance of there being fog is very unlikely. More than likely, it's an unnatural occurrence. Mystery felt a magical presence, a dark one, he tried to avoid it, but felt like it was all around him. Mystery realized suddenly he'd been walking in circles, that he was lost.

But Mystery wasn't worried about that. Being lost was just the icing on top of the proverbial cake. Mystery's concern was with the dark force that lurked outside his view. Mystery turned and was faced with a sight he wanted to forget since he was little. It was a big, frightening bear, with long, sharp teeth, and red eyes, red nose, a rainbow wig, and clown make-up.

Mystery recognized him from the circus he had visited a while back, before he became sick. But it couldn't be! Why would he be here, of all places? The bear spoke in an ominous tone.

Bear:" Come give us a great big hug!"

Panicking, Mystery ran the opposite direction, only to bump into a cranky mongoose clown, whom he also recognized.

Mongoose:" Hey! Now what's the big idea! You's better start runnin', or I'mma clobber ya!"

Mystery was now trapped between two clowns. Mystery turned around to see the thing that plagued his nightmares. A monkey clown that ruined the circus for him. These three clowns were part of a group called the Rag Dolls. These creatures snatched children, and used them in labor camps. Mystery had suffered for two weeks before Marcus and Meryl found them and put everyone there into a deep slumber and freed the children. The slavers woke up the next day, in alliance prison wagons. The alliance wasn't sure who was responsible, but they were grateful for an easy capture. Since then, Mystery had always been terrified of clowns.

Mystery backed up against a tree, tears streaming from his eyes. The clowns began to creep closer to him. He couldn't hear his siblings. Something was interrupting their connection, forcing Mystery to endure the fright alone. Mystery curled up into a ball, covering his eyes with his paws, until he heard a howl. Mystery uncovered his eyes slowly. The clowns were no longer there, in their place a trio of cackling balls of light with wings, and behind them a wolf.

The wolf was white, with glowing blue eyes, and he had two, glowing blue horns on his head. The wolf barked, scaring away the balls of light. Mystery watched as the wolf walked towards him, his paws treading softly on the grass, and leaving no sound. The glow of his eyes faded, revealing two pale black pupils, and cyan blue irises. He spoke in a soft voice.

Wolf:" Do not be afraid, little one. These are mere Mist Pixies, waiting to frighten unsuspecting travelers for energy. Though, they should not be here. This is not a natural environment for them."

Mystery looked up in awe at the regal looking wolf. The wolf noticed and smiled down at him.

North:" My apologies. My name is North. I foresaw your coming. I'm here to guide you through this fog."

Mystery wasn't sure why, but he felt himself being drawn to the wolf's presence. The wolf howled again, walking in the opposite direction. Mystery followed North hesitantly. He didn't like letting his guard down, but something about the wolf was so gentle, so calming. They walked for a while until they finally reached the outskirt of the fog. Mystery basked in the glow of the moon.

North:" Impressive, is it not? If ever you find yourself lost again, look north, and I will aide you with my foresight.

Then, without warning, North disappeared, just like the wolves that attacked him a day ago. As he disappeared, Mystery heard a faint howl, just like the wolves that attacked him. Was North one of them? Or maybe he was the same species with a different agenda. Whatever he was, Mystery was grateful.

Rumor: ''Mystery! Is everything okay! I couldn't reach you!''

Mystery:" Mrow."

Rumor: ''Your memories... I'm so sorry I wasn't there to help you. You must have been so afraid. It's okay. I won't tell the others. Wait... who was that wolf? Did he hurt you?''

Mystery gave a positive "Mrow."

Rumor: ''That's good. I'm glad your okay. Do you want Zippy to take over?''

Mystery shook his head, and kept walking towards the guild.

…

Hannah woke up in a square room, with a single window she couldn’t even see out of. She was seated at a table, cuffed to one of it’s legs. She brought a paw up to her ear, but the earpiece was gone. She pushed the chair away and pulled at the chain, but it wouldn’t give under her strength. She tried using Iron Tail, but the move wouldn’t even activate. She tried Shadow Ball, but it wouldn’t even form.

She heard a door open to her left. The purple-colored Vulpix-like creature entered the room.

Terran:” You’re awake. I’m guessing you’ve already tried to use your magic. I’m afraid that’s not going to work with that chain. It’s demonite. All magic is rendered useless.”

The fox creature spoke fluent Pokémon to her, even though she wasn’t wearing her earpiece. The fox creature tapped below his ear, showing her the earpiece.

Terran:” Our fusion engineer told me this little device had a translator, so I know you can understand me. You know I’ve seen a lot of magic tricks, but turning your tail to solid metal, that’s a new one for me.”

Hannah:” I’m going to give you one chance to let me go, before I give you a serious concussion.”

Terran:” Believe it or not, I want to help you.”

Hannah:” I’m going to go with not.”

Terran:” My boss, Avery thinks you might be some kind of spy from another world. I’m a little more open minded.”

Hannah:” Pfft. Of all the explanations you could guess, you think I’m from another world? You must be an idiot.”

Terran:” I’ve never seen a creature like you. And you showed up during an anomalous event. All I want to know is why you came.”

Terran’s tails began to wave behind him. She didn’t know why, but it was captivating.

Terran:" I might do a lot of dumb things, but I promise you, I'm no idiot. So if you lie, I'll know."

Hannah growled under her breath. She told herself she wouldn't be trapped in another prison like this.

Hannah:" Go to hell."

Terran:" I haven't done anything to you. Like I said, I'm trying to help. You're not making it easy."

Hannah:" I'm not a spy."

Hannah felt like her brain turning to mush. She suddenly realized what he was doing. It was some kind of manipulation, making her susceptible. But she was powerless to stop it. She felt like she wanted to tell him.

Hannah:" I came here on my own."

That wasn't entirely true, but she was going to fight the best she could.

Terran:" See? Was that so hard? Keep this up, and we might just set you free. Now, tell me your name."

Hannah:" My name is Hannah. Hannah the Eevee."

Terran:" Eevee, huh? I'm assuming that's your species?"

Hannah:" Yeah, and what're you? Some kind of weird Vulpix?"

Terran:" I'm asking the questions here. Tell me about your world."

Hannah:" No."

Terran:" No?"

Hannah:" I want my earpiece back."

Terran pointed to the device in his ear.

Terran:" This thing? I don't think so. Can't have you reporting back to whomever you work with."

Hannah:" I told you, I came alone."

Terran:" And I know you lied. I told you I'd know. Wags told me this was also some kind of communication device. So if you're not a spy, why would you have this?"

Hannah started to realize she was trapped here. What else could she do?

Hannah:" Okay. I lied."

Terran:" Who do you contact with this?"

Hannah:" Just a couple of researchers. They've been trying to create a way to get to other worlds. I've been helping them so I could escape my world."

Terran:" Escape?"

Hannah:" My world has hit rock bottom. A storm has destroyed the world, Pokémon killing each other over scraps, and terrible beasts eating everything they come into contact with."

Terran:" Pokémon?"

Hannah:" It's what we inhabitants of my world are called."

Terran:" I see. So you thought... what? My life here is uncomfortable, I'm just gonna hop over to another world, not even caring about the fabric of time and space."

Hannah:" Laurence said the dark matter would stabilize the rift."

Terran:" Even so, you didn't think to question weather it was safe."

Hannah:" I was willing to do whatever it took to get off that rock. I've never seen sunlight until I came here. I was tired of staring at the same stormy sky everyday, and getting hit by punks who thought they were something."

Terran:" You really think there's a world out there, that doesn't have problems? Our civilization is made up by idiots who are trying to stop our world from progressing. Trust me, you won't find a perfect world. You have make the world you want."

Hannah:" You weren't there. There was nothing to build from, but ash and glass. I'm not here to cause trouble. Just let me go."

Terran sighed. She was telling the truth.

Terran:" Alright. I'll see what I can do. But I need you to stay for a while longer."

Hannah:" Wha- why?"

Terran:" I need to figure out if you being in this world will cause problems. Sorry, I'm not taking any chances after recent events."

Hannah:" Is this going to take long?"

Terran pulled the earpiece from his ear, and slid it across the table

Terran:" Hopefully not. I can't guarantee Avery would let you go, either."

Hannah:" Well great. I'm up to my to ears in what ifs."

...

Avery:" Are you certain this creature is not a threat? She could immune to charm effects."

Terran led Avery down to Wags' workshop. He had a hunch about how to get some answers, here, but he needed Wags' equipment to do so.

Terran:" No, she was definitely effected. I could see her trying to fight it. I think she realized what I was doing, but she was already too under the influence to resist. I caught off her guard this time, but I don't think she'll let me do it again."

Avery:" Fine. What are we doing here exactly?"

Terran:" Wags, I need your help to locate a moving anomaly."

Wags:" You're kidding."

Terran:" Nope."

Wags:" You do realize without a reference to a specific frequency, I may as well be trying to find a ghost cockroach, which, even if it were a thing, would be extremely hard, seeing as a cockroach is surprisingly one of the hardest things to kill on the planet."

Terran:" How did you track the last one?"

Wags:" I didn't. It just appeared. The thing about anomalies is that there is anomalous event about every five minutes. Things that happen everyday that shouldn't. These are called natural anomalies. Most creatures refer to it as being lucky or being unlucky."

Avery:" I thought you were a creature of science."

Wags:" Well, there's no such thing as luck. These natural anomalies are born simply from daily events that occur throughout time, and are completely uncontrollable. I can't isolate a single anomaly without a reference."

Terran:" Can you filter frequently appearing targets?"

Wags thought about that for moment.

Wags:" I can try, but... I can't guarantee anything."

Wags went to his monitors to try Terran's idea.

Avery:" What exactly are you looking for, Terran?"

Terran:" You know all those times me and my team went off on those 'unofficial quests'?"

Avery:" Yes?"

Terran:" So there may or may not be an advanced world out there with trans-dimensional technology that I may or may not have been helping to save their planet by sending them magical resources."

Avery gave a blank stare.

Avery:" That... makes some sense."

Wags:" Come here! I think I got something!"

Terran rushed over.

Terran:" What is it?"

Wags:" You're looking for someone, not something, right? Well, I just found myself a heavily encrypted signal, as if someone was trying to scramble me. I may be able to isolate it."

A bright light suddenly flashed across the room, and everyone turned to see what it was. It was the dragonsheep from before, and she did not look pleased.

Sheepie:" I should have known it was you. I hope you have a very good reason for attempting to track my movement."

Wags:" Is that... a dragon... and a sheep?"

Terran:" Sheepie. I'm glad we caught you here. We need your help."

Sheepie breathed in and out, slowly.

Sheepie:" Okay. I normally wouldn't do this, but seeing as you've helped me in you in the past, I'm willing to hear you out. But you better make it quick."

Terran:" Sorry, Sheepie. But you know I wouldn't have gone this far if I didn't think it was important. It seems we got a visitor from another universe entirely, and we're unsure weather or not her presence here would disrupt anything."

Sheepie:" That depends. What kind of visitor?”

Terran:" She called herself an Eevee.”

Sheepie:” From where?”

Terran:” Some place with lots of storms. She said she’d never seen the sun until now. She made it sound all… apocalypsy.”

Sheepie:" Yeah, I know that one. One sec.”

She started tapping on a small device, then shook her head.

”Hmm… Nope, there doesn’t seem to be any disruption from that world. Your ‘friend’ must have used some kind of stabilizing element.

Terran:" She did say something about dark matter. That doesn’t sound stable, though.”

Sheepie:” While dark matter on your friend's world is an element made up entirely of the negative emotions of the world's inhabitants, it can be suited for universal hopping, stabilizing the rift, preventing a tear in the fabric of space. Which means your friend's presence here shouldn't cause too much of an issue."

Terran:” That’s good, right?”

Sheepie:” I’ll need to check her, to be safe, but I don’t think it’s a problem.”

Terran:” Would that be alright Avery?”

Avery:” She’s your prisoner. That makes her your responsibility.”

...

Hannah sat in the interrogation room, bored out of her mind when she heard a wooshing sound from the wall, to her right. Some kind of black hole appeared on the wall, and out of it, came a large, bipedal figure adorned in black armor, with black mist seeping out. It turned it’s head towards her as she started messing with her cuff.

As the shadow man started walking in her direction, quickly, with her free forepaw, she grabbed the chair and threw it at the shadow, but it barely flinched. The Eevee attempted to break loose of the cuff that bound her to the table, but it wouldn’t give. Suddenly, the cuff began to freeze as the shadow continued to approach her. She smashed the cuff on the table, shattering it into tiny shards of ice, and then flipped the table and kicked it towards the shadow, crushing it between the table and one-way window, cracking the window. The Shadow threw the table violently to get free. Hannah ran and jumped through the cracked window, also shattering it to little shards, cutting through her skin as she passed through. She made sure to keep her eyes shut tight as to not let any flying pieces get into them. Once she hit the ground, Hannah instinctively headed towards the door, down the hall, and through the guild to it's exit, causing a lot of ruckus.

Strange creatures looked at her from all around, and she bumped into someone who was coming in. They seemed to be feline in appearance, with a shadowy complexion, like the knight. Hannah pushed the cat out of the way, and continued her escape.

...

Terran, Avery, and Sheepie arrived at the mess hall a minute later.

Avery:" What happened?"

Gunnar:" Some blue fur ball ran through the guild, making a mess of everything. I think they came from interrogation."

Terran:" And you didn't think to stop her?"

Gunnar:" Lost and Mystery set off to find them."

Terran:" Rumor and siblings came back?”

Gunnar:" Just as the fur ball was running out the door."

Avery:" How did she escape the cuff?"

Terran:" I don't know. It shouldn't be possible, but I can take a look.”

Terran ran to the interrogation room to see the damage, and Sheepie followed behind him. The one-way glass was shattered, and table was slammed against the wall. The chair was broken, and the cuffs were half covered in ice and partially shattered.

Terran:" That's not supposed to happen."

Avery:" Perhaps this 'Eevee's' powers were too much for the demonite to handle."

Sheepie:" Wait, you said it was an Eevee?"

Terran:" That's what she said. Why?"

Sheepie:" Eevees can't use ice powers unless they evolve into an ice type. Which isn’t possible unless they train in an icy environment.

Terran:" How do you know all this?"

Sheepie:" I've visited plenty of dimensions. You think I make an exception for your world?"

Terran:" Fair point. Looking at the damage, I don’t think it was just to escape the room. There are signs of a struggle here. But Gunnar didn’t say anything about a second creature. Teleportation maybe?”

Avery:" You should go find your prisoner, quickly, before she causes any real trouble.”

...

Terran, Wags and Sheepie stopped at the front gate. There was a crowd of curious creatures surrounding a spot in the gate where it seemed to have turned to ice, and smashed to make a hole.

Sheepie:” That’s definitely not normal.”

Terran:” Any chance she suddenly learned ice magic?”

Sheepie:” I highly doubt it.”

Wags:” Hey guys. The hole is giving off energy waves with the same frequency as the rift that brought Hannah to us.”

Terran:” So whatever she used to get here…”

Sheepie:” Must be the source of her ice abilities.”

Terran:” Wags, can you make M.E.A spit fire?”

Wags:” That, I can do.”

…

Hannah ran through the forest with the speed of a Ponyta. After a while, she stopped to take a breath, panting from the exertion. Just when she thought she was safe, another black rift appeared behind her, the shadowy knight walking out of it.

Hannah used her powers to create a ball of shadowy energy, and threw it towards the knight. The knight slapped it into the nearest tree. As he advanced, Hannah felt a surge of power going through her. She felt the same thing earlier when she froze the cuffs. Her paw started emitting some kind of frost-like particles, and she felt the need to release them. So she did.

Hannah threw what power she could into a single attack. Almost in an instant, the knight was frozen from head to toe. Hannah let out a breath she’d been holding, trying not to pass out. Lost and Mystery showed up seconds later to find her exhausted.

Lost:” Woah. Did you do this?”

Hannah:” S-stay away! Just stay back!”

Suddenly, the ice started to move. The ice cracked, and then it broke, revealing the shadow knight. Lost and Mystery went into a defensive stance. Hannah was too tired to react. It spoke in a deep, raspy voice.

Knight:” I knew I sensed a great power. But from a weakling like you… it may as well be my power.”

Hannah huffed weakly.

Hannah:” You want it? Come… and get it.”

Lost pounced towards the knight, but the knight slapped him away. Mystery gathered what energy he could for a magic attack, but the knight sent a wave of dark energy to knock him down. The knight then summoned two shadow rifts, each with a shadow hound coming out of it.

Knight:” Deal with them, while I extract this one’s power.”

The shadow hounds turned their attention towards Lost and Mystery. The knight raised his hand at Hannah, and she began to levitate. Hannah screamed in pain, as some kind of dark energy was being pulled from her, and transferred to the knight. Hannah felt as if she were being torn apart from the inside. Suddenly, that shards from the ice began to float behind the knight. Without warning, the shards stuck themselves into the knight’s back, causing him to growl in pain, letting go of the Eevee. Terran, Wags, and Sheepie appeared. Wags used fire magic to get rid of one of the shadow hounds. Sheepie used her fire breath to take out the other.

Lost:" Now we have you surrounded!"

Knight:" I will not be beaten by mere anim-AAAGH!!!"

A spear of ice found it's mark in the knight's chest. The knight attempted to grab the spear out, until began to grow spikes along it's rod, causing him even more pain. With miraculous strength, the knight pulled out the spear, and turned towards the Eevee. Her eyes were emitting a cyan and green mist, and her paws were emitting more frost particles. She was grinning, ear to ear. Something was off. She was surrounded by a dark aura. She spoke in her own, but it seemed as though several other voices were speaking in unison with her's.

Hannah:" Hahahahaha! This body... this power. We finally have control. You think you can take our power from us? WE ARE THE BITTERCOLD! You are a worthless husk!"

Terran and the others were frozen from shock. The knight was in a kneeling position, holding his wound.

Knight:" You seem... very opinionated on that. Perhaps I misjudged you. I thought this pitiful creature possessed this power. Now I see, you and I are not so different. Perhaps we can join forces, to bring order to this world, and eliminate the gods who rule over this realm, starting with Ara'Khan."

Bittercold:" Hmm... let us think on that."

Hannah's paw made a choking gesture, and the knight brought his hands up to his neck, as if trying to remove an arm that was there. The knight lowered his left hand, and opened a rift, slipping into it to escape. Mystery attempted to go in after him, but the rift closed before he could, and planted face first into the dirt.

Terran:" Hannah? Are you... are you alright?"

Hannah's eyes glistened with confidence.

Bittercold:" We've never felt better!"

Wags:" Right... uh, is that the royal 'we', or is there somebody under all that mane hair?"

Sheepie:" Guys... I don't think that's Hannah."

Terran:" Then whatever has taken her, we need to get it out!"

Bittercold:" Come on, now. Don't be so uncivilized. Besides, Hannah and we are a package deal, now. We protected this pathetic creature during her trip through the void. And now we are one."

Terran:" Oh yeah? And how does Hannah feel about that?"

Bittercold:" She'll come around... eventually."

Terran:" I doubt that. Mystery, can you do something without harming Hannah?"

Mystery:" Mrow."

Mystery shrugged, indicating that he was unable to do so.

Wags:" I think I know what to do. Sheepie and I can use fore to weaken the Bittercold with fire magic. Just to weaken her body enough so the shadow cat can suppress the Bittercold's influence."

Mystery:" Mrow?"

Mystery tilted his head, as if misunderstanding his part in the plan.

Wags:" Push it deeper, until we can find a more permanent solution."

Terran:" Are you sure that'll work?"

Wags:" I may not be magicborn, but I've studied magic my whole life. It'll work."

Terran:" Alright, Lost, you think you can help Mystery?"

Lost:" I think so. I'll give it a try."

Bittercold:" Fools. Your sorcery is no match for dark matter."

Sheepie:" Say that to my flames!"

Wags and Sheepie used their fire, immediately weakening Hannah's body. The Bittercold forced Hannah to raise her arms uselessly.

Bittercold:" Grrr... impossible! I can't be weakened by mere mortals!"

Wags:" Alright! Shadow cat, Lost, you're turn!"

Lost and Mystery got up close and began to use their shadow magic in an attempt to push the Bittercold deeper into Hannahks subconscious.

Wags:" I-it's working!"

Lost:" You're surprised? I thought you knew it would work?"

Wags:" Hehe... I was really more or less winging it. Hehehe."

Lost:" What the heck, guy?"

Bittercold:" Grr... Can't... hold... on... AAAAAGH!"

The fire stopped, and Hannah fell to the ground in exhaustion. Terran ran up to her.

Terran:" Hannah, are you alright? Speak to me."

Hannah slowly opened her eyes, and groaned, grabbing her head.

Hannah:" Ugh... why do I feel like I've been hit by a Ryhorn?"

Terran:" Phew. For a moment I thought I lost my prisoner. Heheh."

Hannah:" So what? You just gonna arrest me, again? I'm not exactly in a position to resist at this point."

Terran:" No. I think we're just gonna let you go."

Lost:" Uh... I don't think Avery will like that idea."

Terran:" We can't keep her against her will if we don't need to."

Wags:" What about the Bittercold?"

Hannah:" Hold on. I didn't tell you about the Bittercold. How did you learn about that?"

Sheepie:" It took over your body. Your friends here from this world saved you from life of servitude."

Hannah:" So I guess that's my fur feels like it's on fire I suppose?"

Terran:" It was Wags' Idea."

Wags:" H-hey! It worked, didn't it? Stop hassling me!"

Lost:" Yeah, but we could only suppress it's influence. What if we let her go, and it takes over her body again?"

Terran:" Well, she could join the guild. We could help her, and keep an eye on her, and she'll have a way to make a life here if she so chooses."

Hannah:" What makes you think I want to join you? After you locked me up?"

Terran:" We're letting you go, just like I said I would, right? But we won't force you. It's your choice."

Hannah stared for a moment in uncertainty.

Hannah:" I'll... think about it."

Terran:" Well, it wasn't a no! Heheh."

Hannah:" By the way, you don't have booze in this world, do ya? After what just happened, I need a drink. Or thirty."

...

Terran took Hannah back to Spring Borough, and showed her the local tavern. Since she just got here, and didn't have the proper currency, Terran offered to pay for her.

Terran:" So? What do you think?"

Hannah:" I think I can't read the menu."

Terran:" Right, different worlds, different writing. Well, I'm not much of a drinker, except on special occasions, so I really couldn't help you."

Hannah:" Screw it. Just pick something for me."

Terran:" Hey tavern keep, we'll get arc berry martini, hold the salt."

The tavern keep, a male weasel, nodded and started making it.

Hannah:" A martini? Really?"

Terran:" Yeah well, it's not too strong, but it tastes good."

The waiter handed her the martini, and she lifted it with a paw.

Hannah:" Whatever. Down the hatch."

Hannah sipped it, savoring the taste before gulping it down.

Hannah:" Mmm..."

Terran:" Well?"

Hannah:" It reminds me of a convenient road puddle I drank from that tasted better than this."

Terran:" Acquired taste I guess."

Hannah:" Let's find out. Waiter, start a tab for my friend here."

Terran:" Umm..."

Hannah:" Think of it as payment for locking me up."

Terran:" You hit me in face with an iron tail."

Hannah:" You also agreed to let your friends burn me. I can still feel it."

Terran:" Fine. Just don't drink the whole bar, please."

Hannah:" Heh. Good luck pulling me away."

Terran:" So have you decided yet? About my offer?"

Hannah:" I don't know. Do I get benefits?"

Terran:" Afraid not. But we do have open clinic. You'll never have to pay for medical services. And it's a live-in job, so you'll have a place to stay."

Hannah:" What's the pay like."

Terran:" Depends on the job done that day. We get all types of jobs. Though personally, I'd stay away from the ewcort missions."

Hannah:" Do I get to beat people up?"

Terran:" Uh... sometimes?"

Hannah put down the glass.

Hannah:" Another round, now."

Despite the rudeness in her demand, the tavern keep ungrudgingly poured her another. Hannah picked up the glass and took a sip, and lowered it halfway to the counter.

Hannah:" Alright. I'm in."

Terran:" Awesome!"

Hannah:" But, I want a room to myself, and a hay bed. Nothing cushiony."

Terran:" I'll talk to Avery."

Hannah:" So this is my life now. Working for two-bit, and not even by the hour. In a world I know virtually nothing about."

Terran:" Could be worse. You could have came here during the rule of King Leo VI."

Hannah:" Oh, and we're ruled by a monarchy. That makes me feel so cozy."

Terran:" Ah, you'll be fine. Leo VII isn't a tyrant like the old one. By the way, what is the bittercold anyways?"

Hannah:" You're asking the wrong mon. I only know it's got something to do with negative emotions as energy, something about an ice palace, and two heroes destroyed it."

Terran:" Hah."

Hannah:" Yeah."

...

Meanwhile, in Wag's lab.

Sheepie:" Hey Wags. I wanted to give you something."

She handed him a black box-shaped device with buttons on it.

Sheepie:" It's a communications device tuned to my specific frequency. If your team need me again, you can give me a call. But only, and I can't stress this enough, only for emergencies."

Wags:" Wow! Thanks! By the way, you wouldn't be willing to answer so e questions about your world, and how you became so technologically advanced, would you?"

Sheepie:" No. I'm already way behind schedule, and most of it's classified."

Wags:" Well that's no fun."

Sheepie:" I'll tell that to Inter-Dimensional Resources.

Wags:" Sheepie, right? Thanks for everything. Hopefully we can meet under better circumstances some time.

Sheepie:" Yeah... hopefully."

...

An hour earlier...

The shadow knight reappeared in the Umbra, a hole in his chest, armor damaged, and ''seemingly very ticked off. The abandoned shadows gathered to him, and merged with his body, fixing his armor, healing his wounds. He could feel it. It was the same group from before. Closing his rifts, slowing his plans. And that shadow cat. He could feel his power.''

Knight:" Mystery. Shadow demon. Champion of Ara'Khan. I am coming for you."

To be continued...