Chapter Text
- UTTERLY RIDICULOUS, AIN'T IT? -
Kinger blinked. The black and white tiles were still there.
It wasn't a dream.
This…
The vibrant colors of the circus, the colorful various slides, the giant blocks and wind-up cars and barrels, they were all still there. They were all real.
This…!
Bizco approached Wormo with careful steps, Wormo kept observing their digital body. Spike and Rattie stood close. Rattie was patting Spike's leg to comfort him—he was so anxious. The poor boy.
Breathe. You have to breathe. Everything is going to be okay.
Scratch was still on his knees, his hands clamped around his head. He was no longer hyperventilating, but he held a faraway look in his eyes.
That look was enough for Kinger to lose what little silver of composure he had left.
His throat started to burn and tighten. No matter how many times he swallowed, the feeling only grew worse. It wouldn't stop. It wouldn't go away.
No. It's not.
It's far from okay.
You're not even…
He didn't want to think about it. Kinger didn't want to but…but…
If…
This is…
Kinger looked at his hands. They wouldn't stop trembling.
This is… Are we actually…?
Images flashed through his mind; the office, the console, the headset.
A terrible dread sunk deep in his chest—he couldn't breathe. His vision started to fizzle, there was a ringing in his ears. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't—
A hand gripped his, and everything stilled.
"Hey…" Queenie leaned it to meet his eyes, a look of concern in her eyes. "Are…you alright?"
She was afraid too. She tried to hide it, but the subtle tremble in her voice gave it away. Her hand was shaking in his grasp. Kinger squeezed back. He didn't want to let her go.
"No." He couldn't lie to her. Just confessing it made his eyes sting with forming tears, but he held them in. "No. No… I'm not…"
Queenie brushed her fingers under his eyes. "It's a lot to take in…I know. But, we aren't alone in this. Maybe we don't remember our names and…maybe we are in an entirely different body now, but…nothing else has changed. You are still you, and that is what matters, right?"
Kinger nodded. "Yeah. I…" Another wave of guilt washed over him as he thought about the headsets again. He pushed it to the back of his mind before he could begin to spiral again. "Yes. You…you are right."
"We can figure this out together." Queenie pulled him to his foot. She fixed the collar of his robe all with a smile. "Alright?"
…
Meanwhile, still sitting on the floor with his knees against his chest, Scratch watched the two from the corners of his eyes. He lifted his hand and held it in front of his face, studying the cartoon glove as he flipped it back and forth. He tugged at the edge of one and pulled it back. It refused to budge, completely stuck.
Just as he thought. It was part of his avatar, so it couldn't be removed. Although if he had to guess, judging from the small claws on his feet, he didn't have fingernails.
He still didn't understand why he was uploaded inside a dog avatar out of all things. Sure, he always wanted a digital world that was flexible about customization but…a dog? He wouldn't have chosen this body willingly. He couldn't even remember if it was a misclick or if he even selected an avatar at all.
Although it did make him wonder why in the world Kinger and Queenie were uploaded into chess piece characters out of all things. And…yet, those two seemed to have found their footing rather quickly.
Scratch was almost envious.
…
Queenie swiped her hand, and a computer window materialized in front of her—a settings window. Again, the spot where the log-out option was supposed to be was blank.
"I just…" She shook her head. "I still can't believe it. It was there yesterday."
"I know," Kinger said. He knew for sure, because he and Scratch playtested everything beforehand.
He still wanted to believe it was a glitch. He still wanted to believe…
"And it's not like I can open anything else if I wanted to." Queenie materialized another window. Then a third. They both displayed many locked folders. "Caine pretty much made the majority of these files inaccessible to us. And if you, the Administrator, can't access them then…"
Kinger opened his own window and tapped one of the locked folders. Again, the giant red lock logo took up most of the screen instead. "These are all the folders that make up this digital world for what it is. But if anything else…I should still be able to…"
He clapped his hands together. Nothing happened. He tried again, then a third time. He focused on the fourth attempt, and there was a buzz as a flash of yellow materialized a transparent monarch butterfly.
Queenie reached out, and the insect landed on her index finger. A soft smile reached her eyes as she stared at it adoringly.
"It's not as efficient as I want it to be though," Kinger admitted.
"You're starting to sound like Scratch. Come on. Stressing over every little detail won't help you feel any better." Queenie turned her attention towards the others. "For now, let's not worry about that. We should instead try to help each other, hm?"
Kinger nodded. "Yes. You're right."
"C'mon, buddy!" Bizco cheered Wormo on, who was still trying to figure out how to navigate their limbless avatar. "You got this! Up and at 'em!"
Wormo rose higher, and higher, and higher—
They fell flat on their face.
"Oooof! So close!" Spike winced. He managed a smile. "I think you're getting the hang of this though!"
"Thanks…" Wormo grumbled.
"It took me a while to figure out how to walk in this body," Queenie told Kinger. They both watched as Wormo tried to stretch again.
Kinger smiled. "More like avatar, but I understand what you mean."
"Oh, don't correct me."
Wormo fell flat on the ground again. Spike moved in to help them back up, but Wormo vigorously shook their head, rejecting the help.
"At least you don't have to worry about keeping up with your glasses anymore," Queenie noted.
Kinger chuckled as he reached for his eyes out of habit. "I suppose not."
"So… Aside all the…trapped situation we are in, what do you think of this place?"
Kinger knew what Queenie was trying to do, and he almost wanted to tell her she didn't have to pretend she was fine…but perhaps this was also her way of keeping herself composed. He decided to answer.
"Well…it's nothing that I imagined," Kinger said. "I knew we were diving into a virtual reality but…I didn't think it would be so…advanced. It feels like technology that is decades ahead of our time. Especially considering just how smooth our avatars look. It's almost like we are a clay sculpture in a sense. And…those who have tails have extra limbs that function." He waved a hand towards Spike and Rattie who were having a conversation. "Or…well, they have less limbs and uh…"
He and Queenie winced when Wormo fell flat on the ground again.
"It doesn't seem like we can change our avatars though," Queenie pointed out. "So Rattie is stuck being as small as she is."
"Rattie wasn't the tallest person in the world but…it feels like the game really took that and exaggerated it," Kinger said.
As if on cue, Rattie stumbled backwards when Spike nearly stepped on her tail. She yelled at him, and Spike immediately apologized.
"How far does character design go in this game?" Queenie wondered. "Take a look at Bizco. I…don't know what he's supposed to be. The swirls in his eyes makes me wonder if that affects his vision at all."
Bizco lifted Rattie from the ground. She squirmed in his floating grasp until she was placed on a giant number block, now towering over everyone.
"He's moreso modeled after…one of those weird toys kids like these days," Kinger pointed out.
"And Spike?" Queenie wondered.
"A dinosaur? I'm not so sure. Kid's still pretty fresh from college. He really doesn't slow down," Kinger said. "He almost reminds me of myself when I was younger."
"He certainly shows a lot of promise, ending up on your team and all."
Kinger smiled. "I know potential when I see it. Hard to believe he's only 21 years old, and he did amazing stuff. I hate to see him this stressed."
His smile vanished. Again, he didn't want to think too much about their current situation.
"How…do you think Scratch is holding up?" Queenie asked.
The question caught Kinger completely off-guard. The fear slammed back into him at full, and he couldn't bring himself to speak for several moments. He could only look at his friend, who remained on the ground, sitting and looking at the ceiling now. "I…uh…"
The night before. That night before. Yesterday.
They talked in the dark. What Scratch told him then—
"Hey! Uh…Kinger!"
Kinger snapped his head around. Bizco was waving a floating hand. It was evident he was trying to get used to the circus names.
"S'ppose we should take a look around this place?" Bizco suggested. "Have to kill time in some kinda way until the AI gets back over here."
"That's not such a bad idea." Kinger was thankful to have an excuse to not answer his wife's question. He was more than happy to join them. "Although this entire tent is rather big. I'm not so sure where to start."
"Anywhere is fine," Bizco said with a shrug. Wormo didn't look very amused about the conversation at all, but they made no comment on it. "We have to learn the layout of this place eventually anyway."
"Does…" Spike cocked his head as he pointed a claw at Bizco's stomach. "Does that clock even work?"
"Does it?" Bizco flicked one of the clock's hands. "I…have no idea…"
"I think it's safe to assume each of our avatars have unique quirks that go beyond the surface," Kinger said. "Whatever those things are…we will find out soon enough. But for now, let's see what kind of place this is." He looked to his wife, who wore a smile that reached her eyes as she nodded.
"Well, I guess this is one way to learn to get used to navigating in these bodies." Wormo started to slither ahead of everyone. The others followed, with Queenie at the back of the line. She had noticed Kinger didn't move from his spot.
"Aren't you coming, dear?" she asked him.
"I will." Kinger glanced behind him. "Just give me a moment "
Queenie understood. She nodded and followed the train.
…
Scratch continued to study the structure of the slides that hung several feet above his head. Several gigantic bubbles floated and drifted like clouds in the sky. They never popped. None of them did. From the bubble closest to him, he could make out the floor's reflection, including his own. The face that looked back at him from the soapy surface was a stranger's. It was uncanny.
It was awful.
Scratch dropped his head, looking down at his feet. He flexed the toes, watching the individual white claws wiggle. He always hated the sound of claws on hard floors, and now it would follow him with every step he took. Just in what other ways would this digital world continue to spite him?
A tall shadow loomed over him. Scratch turned around and looked up, meeting the face of a king chess piece with large, hyper-realistic lopsided eyes. It was almost creepy, but the purple robe looked so ridiculous on the character, it saved the design somehow.
He called himself "Kinger", Scratch remembered. He despised the fact he couldn't remember his real name, but there were other things far out of his control, things that Kinger was well aware of. Perhaps that was why he came.
"Everyone else has decided to explore this place," Kinger said in the gentle tone he always did when Scratch was having one of his agitated days. He was always so considerate. "Don't exactly want to leave you here by yourself when you might get lost."
"None of you even know where you are going," Scratch pointed out.
"Well, at least we'll get lost together." Kinger beckoned Scratch to follow with a wave of his floating hand, all while wearing that unseen smile. Despite not having a mouth, Scratch somehow knew Kinger was smiling.
Even now, the fool always found some kind of way to smile. The world could be on fire, and he would still smile.
Kinger was not going to leave him alone unless he said something.
With a resigned sigh, Scratch planted his hands on the ground and pushed himself to his feet. "You're insufferable."
That made Kinger chuckle. "I know."
They passed many blocks, checked inside different barrels, and pushed aside the many toys that littered the floor. It was just as colorful, bright, and overstimulating as a game appealing to children could get.
Rattie found out that they technically had a living room, from the couches that were gathered together. Several doors were spaced around The Circus, all of which were locked—except one. Bizco opened it with a victorious laugh, until he was greeted by a giant punching glove that knocked him flying off his feet.
Traveling down the halls, the group passed several doors, which looked different from the ones they've seen before. Each held a portrait of a wooden mannequin. A placeholder, perhaps, according to Scratch.
Spike came to a sudden stop, his eyes fixed on one of the doors. "We…have rooms?"
"Come again?" Wormo awkwardly slithered to him, and they balked. "Uh, what?"
They were looking back at a portrait of Spike. The weirdest part was that he was smiling, despite never having smiled since arrival to begin with.
"I don't know how to feel about this," Rattie admitted.
Spike hesitantly moved closer, the sounds of his clawed feet a quiet click as he reached for the handle. He twisted and turned, but the door did not budge. After a few more attempts, he dropped his arm. "It's locked."
Everyone exchanged looks and scattered around the hall.
Bizco found his door rather quickly. He tugged at the knob. It was locked as well. Wormo just further down tried opening it with their tail, but they lost balance and fell on their back.
Rattie had to jump just to reach her handle, and her hands slipped. Spike walked over and helped, but the door was just as locked.
Scratch stood in front of the portrait of himself portrayed on his door. His rosy cheeks were a lot more vibrant, and the portrait of him was grinning. It was a stark contrast to the deep frown worn on Scratch's face. "It's mocking me."
"Oh God," Wormo grumbled under their breath. "I'm across from him?"
Kinger approached his own. The portrait on the door was a spitting image. Just staring at the eyes and how they were placed, he felt a lot more self-conscious about the way he looked.
"You know I… I don't really understand why the eyes are the way they are. It's such an inconvenience," he said.
"They make you look like a total dunce," Bizco chuckled.
Kinger and Queenie turned and glared at him.
"Oh, S#!t." Bizco shrunk back. He clearly didn't expect either of them to hear him.
"Want to talk about that ridiculous clock for a stomach you have?" Queenie challenged him.
"Sorry, that was uncalled for," Bizco quickly apologized. "I forgot you have the same problem—" He nearly froze as Queenie's eyes narrowed. "Th-that also came out wrong."
"What are you trying to say about my wife, Bizco?" Kinger pressed.
Bizco looked as if he was going to melt from the spot. "H-hey, man! I said it was a mistake! I didn't mean what I said! That's the truth! You've gotta believe me!"
"Please, Mr. Kinger. I'm sure he was just making a harmless observation!" Spike called out to the unamused chess pieces.
While Queenie kept her angry gaze on Bizco, Kinger stood tall. "Well, I guess all of us do look rather silly. Can't very well make much of a fuss if we are all on the same boat."
"What's with the sudden about-face…?" Bizco whispered to himself
Kinger tentatively reached for his door. To his displeasure, it was also locked. He nearly jumped back when Rattie lunged at her own door with a scream. She pressed her feet against the surface and leaned her body back as she clung on to the knob. She grunted and pulled. She screamed as she rattled the door.
"That's not going to open," Wormo pointed out.
"Then what's the point in giving us rooms if we can't open them?!" Rattie shrieked at him.
Her hand slipped and she fell back, crashing against Wormo and bringing them down with her.
"Oh my gosh!" Spike shuffled forward, his tail dragging behind him. "Are you two OK?!"
Rattie seemed perfectly fine, but Wormo, not so much. They were dazed on the ground, their googly eyes drifting in circles. "Tell me again why sensors exist in this world…?"
Scratch was leaning against his own door, arms crossed. "It's not like these doors are just mere textures. They are interactive, which tells me they can be accessed."
"I suppose we are technically in the tutorial segment of the game," Kinger chuckled as he clasped his hands together. "Although this is such an awful tease. I really would like to know what our rooms look like."
"Why does it matter?" Scratch huffed at him. "We don't need to sleep. Or eat."
"But having privacy is nice," Queenie told him.
"Oh, is it?" Scratch pointed over his shoulder. "Is that why your room is over there?"
Queenie turned around. To her surprise, she did have a separate room. She placed her hands on where her hips would be. "Well, that's inconvenient."
"Guess we are stuck looking like a bunch of idiots until the AI is done setting up whatever he has planned for us." Wormo thumped a tail on the floor. "Whenever that would be—"
A spotlight shined down as a drumroll started. Caine blipped in right in the middle of the gathered group, and everyone jumped back out of fright.
"HELLOOOOO my little honey cakes and fondant hearts!" Caine gleefully shouted. "I hope you grabbed some pants, because your opening party of an adventure begins now!"
"It's going to be a doozy!" Bubble chimed in from behind. Wormo was startled and lost their balance again, but there was no apology from Bubble. He instead floated over to Caine, who hovered higher and forced everyone to tilt their heads further back.
Playful music rolled in from nowhere, making everyone jump and look up at the ceiling. To Scratch's displeasure, it held the wackiest instruments. He was gripping his ears.
"Thaaaa-aaaat's right, Bubble! Today's adventure is a simple one! Beginner friendly, even!" Caine swung his cane above his head. "I call it: HICKORY DICKORY STOCK!"
The title materialized above his head in bold, red capital letters.
"I've always hated this background track," Scratch grumbled.
Wormo frowned, sharing his displeasure. "Sorry, Boss."
Rattie glanced at the pair before she raised a hand. She almost flinched at how quickly Caine acknowledged her. "Um…this doesn't involve me in any way, does it?"
Caine tossed his cane and caught it in a playful swoop. "Why, of course it does! This adventure involves everyone! Allow me to explain; In this wonderful world, anything is possible! But when it comes to adventures, your creativity, teamwork, and wits are put into the test as you problem-solve and plow your way through obstacles that stand in your way! In this adventure, each and every single one of you will hike up 'The Hill of Dreams and Means'! But! It's not so easy!"
"Tell me!" Bubble zipped around Caine. "Why is it not so easy, Boss?"
Caine snapped his fingers, and a projection appeared next to him, displaying a drawing of an impressively steep hill.
"Chasing your dreams is never so easy, my friends!" he explained. "The hill itself will certainly wear your legs down! And it's a long, long, long way up!"
He snapped his fingers again, and doodles of a stack of wooden pails formed a pyramid in the projection
"Your goal is to carry the buckets provided to you to a well stationed at the peak of the hill! Fill those buckets with the well's water and make your way down and beyond where a barren garden is waiting for you! Water the garden with the tools provided, and you will be granted access to the next and final challenge! You are to return with a golden egg!"
"Wow! Amazing!" Bubble chimed in.
"Wait…" Bizco's eyes nearly became crossed. His swirling pupils went still. "You… Huh?"
"Exactly." Wormo scooted forward. "None of this makes any sense. You…want us to go up a hill, fetch a pail of water, make our way down and water this garden and…climb a beanstalk? Did…did you combine what I think you did?"
"It sounds a bit…like a lot?" Rattie added.
"Oh my God this stupid song is looping," Scratch grumbled.
"The point of this beginner-friendly adventure is to introduce players to the mechanics and physiology of this world!" Caine happily explained, ignoring Scratch's grievances. "You will learn not just about your environment, but about yourselves and what you are capable of! There is no competition, because everyone is a winner! You will be tested in all sorts of ways, but I assure you it will be worth it, as every adventure will have a reward waiting for you when you make a true return!"
Queenie was uncertain, but she still managed a smile. "That does sound pretty fun."
"Don't encourage it," Scratch grumbled. "All it did was combine three fairy tales that have nothing to do with each other."
"Wait, three?" Spike was confused. "I only see two."
Scratch frowned at Caine, who was listening to him curiously. "So here's my question: Why can't we just fetch water from anywhere else?"
"Because, my little labrador friend, the water from the well is filled with minerals and revitalizing things that will revive even the most barren of wastelands! It's a very special water that can only be found at the peak of that hill!"
"And…you expect us to do this without running into trouble? Are there any people we should be looking out for? Like maybe some careless boy who—"
Caine exaggerated a shoulder shrug. "I dunno! I don't know Jack!"
"Awful," Bubble quietly said.
Caine frowned at him before he moved on. "Anyway, return with the golden egg to save the village from famine! Be the heroes that Jack could never be!"
Rattie's face twisted. "Uh… Wait. Which Jack are we—"
Caine snapped his fingers, and a large oval-shaped portal materialized from thin air several feet ahead of them. It was a yellow-green color mixed with blue; a marble texture that swirled akin to the oil in water. "Your journey awaits you! Just step right through this portal and have fun!"
Spike raised a hand until Caine looked at him. "Are you sure that portal is safe?"
"Of course it is! See for yourself!" Caine's arm extended as he shoved Spike right through the portal. His yelp faded as if he were falling through a tunnel.
The music stopped.
Everyone else took a step back as Caine turned to face them.
"Would anyone else like to—"
"We are actually going right now!" Queenie blurted out. "Right now! Right, everyone?"
Everyone else muttered words of agreement with wide smiles, all except Scratch, who looked far from pleased.
One by one they entered. Rattie hesitated, Bizco walked right through. Wormo was repulsed, but they pushed themselves forward. Kinger stood before the portal, watching the colors dance instead. He looked up at Caine, who kept smiling as if nothing was wrong. Kinger wanted to believe there was nothing wrong.
Did Caine even recognize—
Queenie gently nudged his head, and she looked at him with her soft eyes. "Guess I'll see you." She entered and vanished inside.
Kinger prepared to follow, but he noticed Scratch hadn't budged an inch.
He offered Scratch his hand.
Scratch looked away, rubbing his arm. He moved forward on his own.
Kinger took a breath, and he followed after him, stepping into the light. As soon as the last of his robe vanished, the portal closed, leaving Caine and Bubble to themselves.
"You know…" Caine tucked a finger under his chin, deep in thought. "Why is Jack intrigued by such high places anyway?"
- Hickory Dickory Stock -
"I remember we wanted a Creative AI that can create its own ideas. I…assumed it meant Caine would be able to only make its own program and change it however he liked."
Stepping out the portal and into the sunlight, Kinger blinked and shielded his eyes until they adjusted. He froze in place as everyone else fanned out in front of him.
Scratch stopped at his right, his arms dropping as he blinked.
"I didn't imagine it meant he could make…so many interactive worlds like this…" Kinger breathed.
Before then was a vast and open space of rolling hills and isolated trees. With every gentle breeze, blades of digital grass swayed and rippled in waves. Log cabins were scattered here and there, and a few birds flew overhead, chirping and dancing in the clear blue sky.
Scratch slowly shook his head in disbelief. "That… The AI made this? All of this…?"
"I thought you said the thing was flawed," Wormo said as they slithered past.
Kinger was in complete awe as he took in all the sights around him. He couldn't contain the smile in his voice as he felt himself being swelled with pride. "Flawed or not, he did all of this on his own—and from nothing in fact. I didn't even teach him to consider making subworlds a possibility. To think something Scratch and I put together would advance this far… It's incredible."
Wormo frowned. "I hate it when you are like this."
"The AI did all of this without being given any prompts." Scratch was far less excited, looking a lot more dreadful than anything. "There's no telling what sort of hazards could be littering this place."
"I hate it when you are like this too," Wormo added.
"Oh, c'mon Scratch. Lighten up a bit," Bizco said. "It ain't so bad."
Scratch gave him a deadpanned look. "I am stuck in the body of a 1940's cartoon character."
"Well, we won't make any progress if we just stand around here pondering over an AI." Queenie nudged Kinger and Scratch. "Come on. I'm sure one of those cabins will lead us to where we need to go."
Everyone followed after her, all while observing the environment. Kinger and Queenie walked as a duo, while Wormo, Rattie, Spike and Bizco walked as a group. Scratch was at the very back, anxiously checking his surroundings as if to expect something to jump out from the bushes.
"You know, the fact that Kinger and Scratch are surprised by all this doesn't make me feel very confident," Bizco said after a while. "Working with those two was a challenge as is, only because I didn't fully understand what the heck they were trying to do half of the time."
"So it's not just me," Rattie whispered. "I know the company was trying to develop a Creative AI but…it wasn't really working on for a while. But the moment Kinger and Scratch teamed up it was…a bit scary how quickly they developed Caine."
"I remember," Spike said. "They were really excited that day. I think…that was the happiest I've ever seen Scratch now that I think about it."
"If we are being completely honest here, Scratch was the one who figured it out," Wormo said. "I still don't know what he did though."
"I've tried asking him before, but his explanation felt like he was speaking another language," Rattie said with a small laugh. "Kinger kinda watered it down for me…although I still don't quite get it. But…seeing it before my own eyes now…I guess it makes perfect sense why it's so difficult to break down. This is unreal…"
"I think the reason it did work out was because no one knew how to work with either of them," Bizco said. "The way they think is uh…different. So putting them together really worked out somehow. Although…that Scratch is in a whole different level. You wouldn't even think he's a genius because he's uh…"
"Paranoid?" Wormo asked.
"I was going to say 'to himself', but that works too."
"You know, the weird thing about this is that I remember that Kinger put the AI program away," Spike said, struggling to keep his tail off the ground. "But days later, Caine was greeting us from behind the screen, model and all. Where did the model even come from?"
"Kinger designed the model," Wormo said. They didn't look back, but they were listening. "Looks like Caine took the prototype and upgraded it into something more of his own version."
"I thought he was inside the sandbox."
"He was," Wormo said. They glanced back at Scratch, who kept up despite the large gap between them. "That was the compromise after Scratch pretty much coerced Kinger to suspend the project."
Spike twisted his lips. "I don't like thinking about that day." He gave Wormo a confused look. "How come you were never upset over the whole thing? I mean…didn't you help design Caine too?"
"Not really. I was really more involved in sound design and arranging video game music before I worked for C&A. They hired me to provide samples of those things to Scratch for him to teach the AI. There's some of my work here…the more…sensible stuff. But the whole censorship thing…I don't remember designing any of that."
"So you didn't do anything else…?"
"I only took over projects that Kinger was too busy to keep up with half of the time," Wormo said with a roll of their eyes. "Seems that was all I was good for."
"Don't say that. You make amazing things!" Spike picked up his pace, trying not to trip over his own feet. He caught up with Wormo in no time. "Why didn't you tell Scratch that you wanted to do more with the AI program? Or Kinger? Kinger would especially understand."
Wormo's face twisted as if they had a bitter taste in their mouth. "I just…didn't feel like dealing with their drama. You saw how messy things got between those two. From the way they argued about the AI, you would think they were having a divorce or something."
"But…" Spike was confused. "Kinger is already married."
Wormo looked at Spike as if he were stupid. "Do you have to take everything so literally?"
"Well, if anything, it seems they are on good terms now," Rattie said with a bit of hope. "Besides, that happened months ago. Why are we talking about it now?"
"Because we are inside the very thing they argued about." Wormo pointed their tail behind them. "And I don't know if any of you have noticed, but Scratch hasn't been doing too well since we came here."
"Hm. This place really has seen better days," Bizco noted.
At the village, all the grass had turned brown and brittle, and the trees were bare. The tiniest breezes would kick up dirt and dust into clouds that stained the cabins. Even the sky above had gone gloomy; dark clouds were overhead, not a speck of blue seen.
In the distance, a green anthropomorphic insect wearing ragged and dark clothes stepped from the shadows and towards the waiting group. It walked with a cane, and one of its wings had been bandaged.
Amongst the curious group, a tiny and excited squeal rose. All eyes shifted to Queenie who looked as if she was a moment from exploding where she stood. Kinger could only smile and shake his head.
"Welcome, travelers," the humble insect greeted them with a hoarse voice of an elder. "I cannot begin to thank you enough for coming all this way to help us with our plight."
For a moment, no one said a word. Spike was the first to step forward, forcing a smile on his face. "Of course, Mr. Grasshopper sir—"
"He's a locust!" Queenie shouted.
"U-um! Mr. Locust, sir! We have heard that uh…your crops have withered away?"
"I can't believe we are actually doing this," Scratch grumbled.
"Not just our crops, young friends. Our fields, our shrubs, our trees, they have all gone brittle because we haven't had rain in ages. The clouds won't provide to us and block out the sun, and water is scarce. There is only one way to put an end to this once and for all, but the journey is so harrowing and dangerous. Those who have tried never returned, and eventually people have grown too afraid to try anymore."
"Can't you just…move out?" Bizco asked, trying to ignore Queenie, who couldn't stop bouncing where she stood. "Seems logical to me."
"They aren't programmed to consider that as an option," Scratch told him.
"Oh, we have considered moving out, but we are confined within this village because of the awful tyrant who has cursed our land!" the locust elder explained. "The only way to put an end to the curse is to bring the golden egg!"
Scratch placed his hands near his hips as he tilted his head one way. "The more I hear about this, the less it makes sense."
"Of course we'll help you, Mr. Locust, sir!" Spike wore a genuine smile that time. "We've heard that the well is supposed to be on this very tall hill—could you point us in the right direction?"
The elder gave them a long look before he turned his back. "This way."
As he left, Queenie snatched both of Kinger's hands and held them close. She was absolutely beaming. "Kinger! Can you believe it? The village elder is a locust!"
"Uh…yeah." Kinger smiled back at her, taking notice of the few eye rolls they were receiving. "I suppose that is nice. He seems like a humble guy."
"No! It's ironic!" Queenie let out a jittery laugh. "The elder is a locust! A locust!"
"Um…you already said that—"
"Locust are known to destroy crops in the masses, Kinger! And the elder is asking us to save them! Don't you think that's HILARIOUS?!"
Kinger's face twisted into an amused smile. "I see the irony now that you've pointed it out."
"Here we are, travelers. Your destination awaits you." The locust elder came to a stop and stepped aside. Mixed reactions of shock and horror flooded everyone's faces as they looked up and up.
The hill was nearly touching the clouds.
"DEAR LORD!" Spike's screech could be heard echoing through the air. A distant flock of birds scattered to the sky in a blind panic.
"That's a uh…very steep hill," Wormo pointed out, their voice heavy with dismay. "God, I miss having legs…"
"I thought Caine said this adventure is supposed to be easy," Rattie said.
"An easy concept, perhaps," Kinger pointed out. "But the effort it takes to complete it? I don't think Caine realized there was a difference between the two."
Bizco let out a nervous laugh. "This is utterly ridiculous, ain't it?"
"Completely asinine," Scratch grumbled.
"Might as well get this over with." Wormo was already on the move. "Come on, everyone."
As they climbed, Queenie was the last one to move. She didn't want to move in fact, as she kept staring at the elder with her beaming invisible smile.
The elder took notice of her staring, and he awkwardly leaned back. "Um…Madame, is there anything else you need from me? There's not much I can do from beyond this point."
Queenie crept closer with an eager nod. "Well, you see, I was wondering—"
"Later." Kinger grabbed her hand and dragged her away.
"But Kinger—"
"No harassing the elder, dear. We have something far more important to do!"
"But I was just talking to him!"
"Well, it's a good thing I'm here, or we will never leave."
"Well uh…" Spike looked back at everyone, as he was ahead of everyone else. "I know it looks like a lot but…it can't be that bad, right? It's just a video game so…realistic time isn't really a thing here?"
2 Hours Later…
Everyone was practically dragging their weight on the ground as they struggled to climb as much as an inch higher.
"Didn't…didn't Caine say this was supposed to be a tutorial…?" Bizco asked. He was so exhausted, his jester hat had wilted.
"It feels like we haven't made any progress at all," Wormo groaned. They were struggling to maneuver their body. "How much further do we have left?"
"I…don't know." Rattie looked back. They were incredibly high up, because the way back down was a terribly steep drop.
"I shouldn't be so surprised that hills would be an absolute hindrance to me," Kinger groaned. Every part of his body ached, especially his lower half. He never missed having legs as much as he did now. But if he was suffering, so was his wife. She was the type to not say anything if she was, and she had been unusually quiet for a while. He tugged at her hand, and she looked up at him with tired eyes. "Do you want to take a break?"
She shook her head. "I'm sure that we are nearly there now."
"You said that like half an hour ago," Bizco almost whined.
There was a thud behind them.
Scratch had collapsed. Immediately, Rattie and Spike were by his side. Kinger hopped his way down, careful to not topple over.
"Scratch!" Kinger reached for his shoulder. "Hey, bud. Are you alright?"
"Does it look like I'm alright…?" Scratch was too tired to shout, but the bite in his voice was enough.
"Regretting those sensors now, are we?" Wormo asked.
"Shut up…"
"Come on." Kinger grabbed one of Scratch's arms, and Spike the other. They worked together to help him to his feet. "You can't just lay here. You'll wither away, too."
"Oh thank God. I thought this was never going to end."
"It's right there! This way!"
"Oh, that's a well without a doubt!"
The sight of the well gave everyone a sudden burst of energy as they ran the rest of the way up. They had the structure surrounded in no time. It was nothing special, built from bricks and a roof overhead.
One by one they peered inside. All that looked back at them was a black void. A chilling, constant roar from deep inside made it clear that the drop down was a long way down.
"So…now what?" Spike asked.
"There's seven buckets here," Bizco pointed out. "That's very specific."
"Seven buckets, seven of us, clearly this is on purpose." Wormo slithered around the well and tucked a bucket against their chest with their tail. "Also, does anyone know how to…collect water from a well?"
Queenie gave them a strange look. "All you have to do is tie the bucket and guide it down. It's not rocket science, you know."
"Well, excuse me for asking. I have tap at home."
Queenie narrowed her eyes at them, and Wormo shrunk away.
"Sorry."
"Let's just go." Scratch yanked a bucket from the ground and snatched the hanging rope. "Let's get this over with so we can get this heinous adventure over with so we can go back!" A quick but firm tie later, Scratch let the bucket drop down into the darkness. He waited, his arms crossed tightly against his chest.
And he waited.
And…he waited.
And…
…?
"Uh…" Scratch watched as the rope continued to unravel. "Just…how deep is this well exactly?"
The rope stiffened to a stop, and there was the quiet echo of a splash.
Scratch's tail dropped.
"Yeah…um…" Wormo shrunk back. "So who's going to pull the bucket back up first?"
Kinger and Queenie worked together to pull the rope up and up. The seventh and final bucket was pulled over the wall, filled nearly to the brim with crystal clear water. They grabbed the handle and settled it on the grass. Queenie was making quick work of loosening the knot.
"Now all we have to do is…make our way down without wasting anything!" Kinger chuckled, because just saying it aloud filled him with exhaustion. "Oh boy does that sound fun!"
"Hey guys?" Wormo pointed their tail to their right. "There's a train waiting for us."
Conveniently, there was a waiting training that sat at the top of the tracks.
"Wait…" Scratch squinted his eyes. "If the train was there the entire time, then—" He stopped talking, and his lips curled back, revealing his clenching fangs. He snatched his bucket from the ground and took off in an angry march ahead of everyone else.
"Maybe we should have checked around the hill before we climbed it, now that I think about it," Bizco said.
"Does it matter? What's done is done." Wormo wrapped their tail around the handle and started to drag the bucket. "Let's just get out of here."
Rattie was straining her voice as she grunted and wheezed. "I can't…!" she pulled and pulled, but the bucket wouldn't move. It didn't help much that it was half her size. "It's too…heavy…!"
Spike smiled and reached over. He lifted the bucket from the ground carried it along with his own.
"O-oh. You didn't have to do that, you know," Rattie said.
"Well, you've always helped me whenever I felt stuck back in the office," Spike said. "It's fair I return the favor."
"In that case kid—" Bizco slipped the handle of his bucket through Spike's tail. Spike staggered backwards, but he kept his balance. "Think you can carry mine? Arm's feeling pretty tired."
"U-uh…" Spike staggered and fought to stay upright. He strained his legs and forced a smile. "Sure…? I don't mind."
"Thanks, pal." Bizco patted his shoulder and walked onward. "I owe you one."
But he didn't go far, as his walk was stopped by a firm hand gripping his arm. He looked up and back, and he froze at the pair of eyes glaring down at him.
Queenie didn't say a single thing. She narrowed her eyes.
"Okay…" Bizco stepped back quickly. "Okay, okay! I'm taking it back! You don't have to look at me like that! I'm going! I'm going!"
Spike let out a relieved breath when the bucket was lifted from his tail. Bizco kept his eyes on Queenie as he scooted around her and hurried ahead of everyone.
"Arms are tired my a$$." she hissed.
Kinger pressed a fist against his mouth as he fought down a laugh.
"Ah. Now this is so much better." Kinger relaxed in his seat next to his wife, listening to the sound of the chugging train.
"There goes all my exercises for the week," Bizco said. He sat in a cart ahead of them with Wormo. "I sure hope this water is magical or something, because that was too much for me."
Wormo was not amused. "Bizco, you wouldn't do as much as a morning walk. What on Earth are you talking about?"
Now Bizco was annoyed. "Wow. You are really on one today, aren't you? Can't you just relax for a moment?"
"You sure are too relaxed for someone who looks like a rejected M&M mascot."
Ahead, Spike nearly choked on air as he laughed. It was enough for Bizco to snap. "Hey! You want to talk about appearances, you little worm on a string?!"
"Oh will you two just lay it off?!" Queenie scolded them both. "We are all having a bad day! If you want to act like that, at least wait until we get back first, because if I have to hear this the entire ride, I will make the both of you regret it! And Bizco, I dare you to make me say something to you a fourth time!"
That immediately shut them both up.
"Gee, Honey." Kinger gave her a concerned look as soon as she leaned back against her seat. "You didn't have to threaten them."
The train came to a stop, and everyone stepped off with their buckets, save for Rattie who needed hers carried again. They returned to the village where the elder was waiting. He stepped towards Rattie and extended a hairy arm.
"This is for all of you," he said. "Plant these, and it will take you to the realm beyond the clouds where the golden egg awaits. Be wary—it is where our tyrant resides."
Rattie recoiled back in disgust. "Uh…"
"I've got it." Queenie took the beans into her hand and held them out for everyone to see. "Three beans, just like in the fairy tale."
"That means we'll be seeing the giant," Kinger realized. He wasn't looking forward to that, but if they were careful, it was possible to avoid him all together. "Is there anything else we need to be careful about, Mr. Locust?"
"Yes! The castle in the sky is guarded by gigantic dragonflies!" the elder added. "They are awful, awful creatures whose wings can slice you into bits if you are too close! You mustn't let them catch you!"
"Giant…dragonflies?!" Rattie and Queenie spoke in sync, only Rattie had gone pale while Queenie was overjoyed.
"First, you must water this very field," the elder tells them as he sets down watering cans for all of them. "The water will revive it for some time, but it will not flourish for longer than a day for as long as the curse remains."
"Sounds simple enough. Kinda like giving a man a fish vs teaching him how to fish, right?" Kinger smiled at everyone. "Well, how about it? Let's start watering this field!"
Once the well water was transferred to the watering cans, everyone worked together to water the field, all except Scratch, who watched with indifference. He simply nudged his can away with his foot towards a worried Kinger.
"Aren't you going to at least try?" Kinger asked, taking the can anyway.
"I didn't come to this world to do pointless labor, Kinger," Scratch simply said.
Kinger frowned. "It's… It's not labor—"
"Not now, Kinger."
Kinger would have pressed his lips if he had any. Still, he turned around and got to work with watering what was left.
As soon as Kinger watered the last of the dry patches, sparkles surfaced from underground. Underneath the brittle and decay, fresh strands of grass sprouted and spread in a wave, and it was almost as if everyone was transported to a different world.
But it was only the grass that was rejuvenated. The shrubs and trees remained dead, and the clouds did not part.
"Now we…just need to plant these, right?" Rattie took a garden trowel and dug a decent hole into the ground. She planted the beans and buried them, compacting the dirt before stepping back. Spike picked up the watering can.
"Boy…" Kinger turned his attention towards the sky. It was a terribly long way up. "We sure are doing a lot of climbing today."
Spike positioned the can. "We know the beanstalk is going to sprout, so why not ride it the way up?"
Kinger blinked. "Spike! That's a wonderful idea!"
Once everyone gathered in a circle around Spike, save the elder who stood a fair distance away. He tilted the can and watered the beans. He held the can close against his chest as he waited for the ground to stir.
But…nothing happened.
"Are…you sure we are doing this right?" Rattie asked.
"For certain," Kinger said. "Maybe it takes a little longer for—"
The ground exploded, and the beanstalk shot hundreds of feet in the air all in a blur.
The elder waved at the twisting beanstalk. "Safe travels, kind strangers!"
…
Everyone was screaming.
The air roared as the beanstalk continued to shoot higher and faster towards the clouds. Kinger clung on to his branch, his robe whipping in the wind. He fought to keep his eyes open, but the wind stung them too much.
There was a scream. Kinger caught the sight of Rattie tumbling from his left. Spike swung out his tail in the nick of time. Rattie clung on tight. Wormo had their body constricted right around a branch, their googly eyes swirling in circles. Bizco was the only one laughing, clinging on to the trunk as if he was having the time of his life.
Scratch was above, the claws of his feet digging for an anchor, but they sliced through instead.
He slipped. Kinger immediately shot his hand out and caught him by the collar of his shirt. He swung Scratch against the beanstalk, and he clung on to a branch that time.
Queenie slipped.
Kinger gasped and reached out for her, but her entire body stopped falling. Both of her hands clung on to the branch high above her. Even as they floated far from her body, she was somehow suspended. She and Kinger shared a look of disbelief. It didn't make any sense—
The beanstalk tilted right, and everyone screamed. It swung left, and all they could do was hang on. Kinger knew his voice couldn't be carried over the wind. He maintained eye contact with his wife as long as he could, trying to assure her that everything was fine.
Then, he couldn't see her anymore, as he was blinded by a chilling white.
Just before he could question it, he could see again. A vast and deep blue was presented before him as the beanstalk slowed to a stop. It took him a moment to process it but…he was above the clouds.
"Oh."
His hands slipped.
He cried out and braced himself to fall right through, but his body bounced instead. Flipping in the air, he flailed his hands until he bounced off the clouds again, then a third time. The fourth was a soft landing. He lifted his head from the cool surface and blinked.
Everyone else was steadily rising. They all turned to look behind him. It was his turn to stand and look.
A gigantic castle towered before then, made completely out of clouds.
"Wow. So…was the castle over the village the entire time then?" Rattie wondered aloud.
"I'm not sure." Kinger dusted off his robe. "But we are only here for one thing: Let's go find that golden egg."
As Kinger made his way towards the castle, he noticed Scratch hadn't moved. His back was turned, and he stood in a slouch.
"Scratch? Are you coming?"
Scratch wearily glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah. Just… I'll catch up."
Kinger noticed how Scratch squeezed his arm so tightly, his hand trembled. He knew Scratch wanted to be left alone. He knew that maybe it wasn't a good time but…but today…so much has happened today and Kinger knew leaving Scratch alone like this would only…
He had to try something.
"Hey, Scratch." Kinger saw the way his friend flinched, but moved closer. He kept a respectable space between them, not wanting to make Scratch anymore uncomfortable. "You know, you're not the only one who—"
"Kinger, please," Scratch squeezed shut his eyes and hugged his stomach. "Not now. I'm not feeling so great…"
"I understand, but I just want you to see—"
Scratch's body violently jerked, and he vomited black ink. Kinger jumped backwards with a startled yelp—
Inside the castle was what was expected from a structure made completely out of clouds. Aside from the furniture standing as tall as buildings, they were made of compacted vapor, or at least that was what Kinger assumed at first. Upon touching the knob of a gigantic dresser, it was as soft and fluffy as cotton.
"I-I guess the best place to look is the kitchen," Rattie pointed out. She held her arms right against her body, acutely aware of just how tiny she was. "But this is a castle, and it's so big, and we have absolutely no way of traversing this place before we—"
"Shh!" Wormo held their tail against their mouth.
Rattie was offended. "You don't shh me!"
"Shh!" Wormo hissed harder. "Are you trying to get us killed? Listen!"
It fell quiet. There was nothing aside the howling of wind, and the distant buzzing that gradually grew louder…
Buzzing?
Everyone crept back. A distant shadow zipped across the long hallway, followed by two more. They zigzagged up the hall towards them, the buzzing vibrating through the floor, piercing ears.
Flying past one of the windows, the sunlight shone down on their shimmering bodies. Red, blue, and purple, their four wings sliced the air with every sharp turn.
"Giant dragonflies!" Bizco screamed.
By the time everyone had started to run, the dragonflies had already caught up. A red one dove for Rattie, but she lunged and scrambled under a dresser. A purple one zipped around Wormo and Spike who hid behind a gigantic vase. Scratch and Kinger hid at opposite ends of the hall, behind a standing picture frame and flower pot respectively. A blue dragonfly shot between them, its buzzing painful to the ears.
"How are we supposed to get past them?!" Rattie panicked, covering her head despite being in shelter already. "There is no way we can't outrun them!"
"Maybe if we can find an opening and run and hide between furniture?" Spike suggested.
"There's not enough furniture in the world to hide us forever!" Rattie argued. "They know we are here! They are just waiting for us to poke our heads out!"
"We can at least try!"
"That's not possible," Kinger said with a shake of his head. "Dragonflies have the highest hunting success rate among the insect kingdom. We are talking about catching their prey 95% of the time! Confusing them is out of the question—their eyes can see at a striking 360-degree angle and not to mention they can accurately predict the trajectory of their targets. Their wings also move independently so they can change their course in the blink of an eye which means even if we somehow get lucky enough to evade them they could just turn around and swoop us up and have us for dinner!"
He stopped to catch his breath, and he realized everyone's eyes were on him, all baffled and frightened at the same time.
"Um…did I do something wrong?" he asked.
"Kinger…how the heck do you even know all of that?" Bizco asked.
"Wait. Is that true?" Rattie asked.
Kinger's face twisted. "Well, how else do you think I would know?! Dragonflies are one of Queenie's most favorite insects, so I never hear the end of—wait." He looked to his left, then right. "Where's my wife?!"
A wave of panicked fear rushed through them as they searched around the hall. They spotted Queenie standing dead center, and the three dragonflies circling her in the air.
Kinger reached out a hand. "Queenie!"
The dragonflies swooped down into a vicious pile. Kinger felt his entire body go cold.
"QUEENIE!"
Kinger abandoned his post and snatched a giant wooden ruler from the ground. He hauled it over his shoulder as his eyes burned at the dragonfly cluster. The vibration of the wings tingled deep in his chest, but he pushed forward anyway. One of the dragonflies had noticed him, but he didn't care. Not while his wife was…
Underneath all the buzzing, there was…laughter?
The dragonflies moved back and landed on the ground. The purple one was nibbling Queenie's hand. She was on the ground laughing.
Kinger slowed to a complete stop. "Huh…?"
"Ooookay." Wormo looked to Kinger. "Your wife's a lunatic."
Queenie continued to laugh, even as she rose to her foot. She stroked the dragonfly's head with both hands before she looked back at everyone. "It's okay! They're friendly! Come out, everyone!"
There was hesitation, but Kinger set the ruler down and approached. He kept his eyes on the dragonflies that stood as tall as buses. He knew for sure they could easily carry him away, but not a single one made a move towards him. As soon as he stood next to his wife, she grabbed his hand and guided it towards the purple dragonfly in front of him.
Kinger tried not to bolt. He held his breath as his hand was placed on the insect's head.
It…was a little hairy, and a lot softer than he expected.
"Huh. This isn't so bad." Kinger smiled.
Queenie chuckled. "Told you they are friendly."
Everyone else gathered, but they remained in a tight cluster, not daring to get too close to any one of them.
"If you three lovely creatures don't mind…" Queenie smiled at them all. "I have a favor to ask of you."
Rattie must've caught on, because she stepped back in disgust. "As if!"
"WHOOOO-HOOOO! This is AWESOOOOOOOME!"
Spike had both hands in the air as he rode on the back of the red dragonfly. Sitting with him was Rattie, who was far from entertained. She clung on to his tail with her eyes squeezed shut.
Riding the blue dragonfly were Wormo and Bizco. Bizco sat in front, talking in the sights of the giant furniture around him.
Finally, on the purple dragonfly sat Kinger and Queenie. Despite being the one to befriend the insects, Queenie insisted for Kinger to sit in front. If it was her excuse to lay her head on his back, he didn't really mind.
"This is a lot more efficient than walking," Kinger admitted, admiring the sights below. "Queenie, you just about scared me to death. What in the world made you think your plan would work?"
"Because we are the main protagonists in this adventure," Queenie said with a wink. "And everyone knows the protagonist is very, very lucky."
"I guess so." Kinger leaned his body over and looked below the dragonfly's legs. "How are you doing down there?"
Scratch was being dangled by the shoulders, at the complete mercy of the dragonfly's grasp. He had the look of a vicious dog at the brink of mauling someone. "D4#n you, Kinger! This isn't funny!"
"I wasn't laughing," Kinger said, almost offended.
"You were thinking about laughing!"
"Oh, it will be alright…I think." Kinger's hesitation made Scratch's jaw drop. "Just…think of it as a roller coaster ride!"
"That's not the same thing at all! You were just waiting to do something like this to me, weren't you?!"
"No." Now, Kinger was offended. "Why would I do that?"
Queenie shrugged at Scratch. "Hey. You were the one who refused to ride the tail, so it was either that or you get carried."
"You didn't even warn me about this!" Scratch snapped at her.
"Because I knew you wouldn't agree." Queenie sat up. "Now stay still, because if you fall, we won't be able to catch you."
Scratch's face flooded with horror, and he went completely still.
Soon enough, Kinger could make out pristine title floors and marbled kitchen counters. It was perhaps the only real furniture in the entire castle. For what reason, he decided not to question it. The dragonflies have perched; it was time to move on.
"I wonder if this is how ants feel," Bizco said once his feet touched the countertop. "Because man, do I sure feel like one."
Queenie raised a finger. "Well, actually ants—"
"Not now!" Bizco and Wormo shouted at her.
Rattie stopped at the edge of the counter, and she peered down. "That's a long way down. Where are we supposed to find the egg?"
Scratch joined her side as he dusted off his arms. He sent Kinger another heated glare before he pointed straight ahead. "It's right over there."
Across the kitchen sat a basket filled with straw. Embedded in the straw were half a dozen giant eggs. A golden one sat at the very middle.
"Why couldn't they fly us over there?" Bizco asked.
"Pretty sure there's a reason, but I don't want to find out." Wormo waved a tail. "Come on."
Almost in a perfect line, the group jogged along the countertop that took them around the kitchen. It was at that moment Kinger realized he wasn't stumbling anymore. It was still an awkward gait as he had to shuffle his body just to move, but he was running.
In fact, it seemed everyone had somewhat mastered their avatars. No one was running normally by any means, but it was progress. Rattie perhaps stood out the most, as she was leaping instead.
It didn't take long until they stood in front of the towering basket. Bizco felt the woven surface. "Okay, how are we going to bring this down?"
"Easy. We…do it together." Spike pressed his claws against one side of the basket. "Come on, Bizco. You hold the other side."
"Why me?" Bizco asked.
"You're not capable of carrying a giant egg with the body you got," Wormo pointed out
Bizco frowned. "OK. Whatever, man."
Rattie climbed up the basket, and she rolled the egg to the very edge. It dropped, and Kinger and Queenie caught it in their hands.
"Hoo! This was a lot easier than I thought!" Kinger noted with a smile. "I guess the giant isn't home after all!"
A gigantic figure landed behind them, heavy and stomping. They all looked back, meeting the blazing eyes of a giant—
…Canada goose.
It towered over them as tall as a three-story building, craning its neck for a better look at them. The moment its eyes landed on the golden egg, a low, chilling hiss spilled from its beak as it slowly parted, revealing the teeth that layered the edges of its tongue.
"Oh, snap." Wormo recoiled back.
While everyone else tensed in fear, Kinger cocked his head. "Now, wait a second. I thought that Jack stole the goose that could lay golden eggs. Nothing in the story ever mentioned the goose being a giant."
The goose parted its wings and stomped closer. Its beak snapped open as its roaring honk nearly blew the group off their feet.
"Let's get outta here!" Bizco screamed.
The goose parted its wings as everyone scrambled. It stomped after them, snapping its beak at anyone who was close to it. It missed Rattie. Scratch covered his head as he ducked. Kinger and Queenie maneuvered around, balancing the egg between them as they rushed straight for the dragonflies.
"Almost there!" Wormo shouted. "Come on!"
"We won't make it in time!" Spike shouted. "It's too fast!"
"Then do something!" Wormo shouted at him.
"I don't want to hurt it!"
"It's trying to kill us! You—" Wormo seemed ready to blow up there, but their words came out as nonsense before they groaned and threw their head back.
"The both of you are killing me!" Scratch kicked up a giant fork that was laid across the counter, and held it with both hands. "It's not that hard!"
He drew back his arm and threw the fork with all his might.
It only flew a foot before clattering on the ground in front of him. The display was so pathetic, the giant goose had stopped just to stare at the fallen utensil.
"What was that?!" Wormo shouted at Scratch.
Scratch threw out his hands. "It's heavier than it looks!"
The goose lifted its wing and swatted Scratch off his feet, sending him splatting on the wall. Like a cartoon character, his flattened body peeled off and fluttered the way down.
"Scratch!" Kinger panicked.
Everyone scrambled. The goose lunged and snapped its beak around Rattie, tossing her high in the air and catching her mid-scream.
"RATTIE!" Spike screamed.
She was being shaken like a chew toy.
"Goo-ooo on without meeee!" Rattie screamed, her voice rattled and pained. "Goooo! Gooooo!"
Bunches of cotton rained down. Spike stepped away from them in horror.
"C'mon, kid! You heard her!" Bizco snatched his arm. "Let's go!"
"But we can't just leave her!" Spike argued. His body didn't budge no matter how hard Bizco pulled at him.
"She wants us to leave her!" Bizco reminded him.
Spike stepped away. He looked up at Rattie, then at Bizco. He gripped his head and squeezed his eyes shut before he ran towards the dragonflies. Bizco and Wormo followed his tail.
"Are you sure she'll be okay?!" Queenie asked Kinger.
"We have to trust she will be!" Kinger said. "She had plenty of past experience as a gameplay developer, so I'm certain she knows how much she can take!"
"In this game?" Spike asked. "But you just said none of you had a hand in creating this place!"
"That is true, which is why we can't afford to waste any time." Kinger quickly surveyed his surroundings, and his mind clicked. "Bizco. Spike. Grab some forks. I have an idea."
Meanwhile, Rattie was being repeatedly slammed on the ground while screaming. One of Scratch's pancaked arms wobbled off the ground, and it puffed up back to normal. His other arm peeled free and recovered, then the rest of his body. With a mild headache, he rose to his feet and was greeted with the chaos unfolding before him.
"S#!t….!" Scratch searched for something—a knife. He ran over and lifted it from the ground. It was a lot heavier than the fork, but after putting the weight in his legs, he managed to hold it upright.
And just in time. The goose had lost interest in Rattie, as it had discarded her plush body on the ground. Bunches of cotton stuck out from where she was torn. It craned its head towards Scratch and stomped forward, honking.
Scratch planted his feet and lifted the knife closer against his legs. "Come on, your feathered b4$#4rd! I'm wide open!"
The giant goose charged.
Something shone from the distance, and it struck the goose's flank. It stumbled sideways and fluttered its wings, and a fork clattered on the ground.
Before Scratch could question it, the goose was struck on its other side, then its back.
"Bullseye!" Kinger cheered from the back of his dragonfly.
A fourth fork jabbed the goose on the chest. It honked and nearly fell back, and the fork clattered on the surface.
"Sorry, Ms. Goose!" Spike shouted. "But you left me with no choice!" He held on as his dragonfly made a dive. It swooped and picked up Rattie's slumped form from the ground with two of its legs. Spike immediately tilted his body over for a better look at her, tears in his eyes. "Oh my goodness— Are you OK?! You…you have cotton falling out of you and—"
"I told you…" Rattie was too weak to care that she was being carried away by a giant insect. "I could take it. Have some faith in me, alright…?"
Scratch followed Rattie with his eyes, a pained frown forming on his face. He felt his stomach twist in guilt, a feeling he had to suppress countless times today.
A feeling he had to suppress for weeks.
"Have some faith in me, alright…?"
That was what Kinger asked of him weeks ago.
"Scratch!"
And yet…
Kinger directed his dragonfly to dive, and Scratch willingly offered an arm. He was snagged from the ground and held on to the insect's hairy leg as the goose shrunk further and further away.
Finally, the goose found its bearings. It glared at them before lunging from the ground, flying and closing the gap in a few wing beats.
"She's catching up!" Spike screamed.
"We know that!" Bizco adjusted his grip on his dragonfly's antennas, and the dragonfly tilted to the side. The goose narrowly missed it and flew right past.
The three dragonflies swirled and circled and spun around, dodging the rampaging goose. They were in the hall, diving underneath furniture and making sharp turns to throw the giant bird off. Several times it stumbled and tripped and it even flew smack into a dresser, but it recovered and kept up its pace.
They soon flew out the castle. In the open sky, there was nowhere to hide. The goose beat its wings harder, locked in on Kinger and Queenie who both held on to the golden egg.
"Not this time." Scratch narrowed his eyes and drew his arm back, and he threw the knife like a spear.
It stabbed the goose right through the chest.
"Hah!" Scratch pumped a fist. "What do you think of my aim now?!"
The goose stopped beating its wings, and it spiraled back towards the clouds like a corkscrew. It left behind a tail of fluttering feathers.
"Aw, the poor thing," Queenie sighed. "She was only trying to protect her eggs. She didn't deserve this at all."
"It's just an NPC," Scratch huffed. "It was either us or the goose."
"B-but…" Spike didn't tear his eyes away even when the goose was a dot. "She still…"
Insect villagers have gathered in the field to watch as Kinger and Queenie placed the golden egg on a pedestal. As soon as it was adjusted, a curtain of white light shimmered down and swallowed the entire field. Trees were revived and full of green, sprouting silver bells. Shrubs were coated with leaves and cocker shells. The clouds above parted, and rays of sunlight shone down on the heroes.
"Ooooh. There are three." Bizco had an epiphany. "I completely forgot about the Mary, Mary one."
"The what?" Spike was still confused. "But there's no lamb."
"Thank you." The locust elder dipped his head with deep reverence. "You have my eternal thanks, kind strangers. I cannot begin to express how much this means for us."
"It's no problem, Mr. Locust," Queenie said with a smile. Scratch nearby shook his head with a snort. "I'm just glad to see the curse has finally been lifted."
"How is this a fairytale again?" Wormo asked from a distance.
A portal opened up behind the elder, and he stepped aside with a smile. "This is where we shall part ways, but your sacrifice and heroics will never be forgotten. Perhaps we will meet again."
"Of course, Mr. Locust," Spike said with a happy nod. "It was nice to meet you."
Scratch rolled his eyes and nudged the youth aside before he stepped through the portal. Wormo and Bizco followed after.
"I'm just glad this is finally over…" Rattie tried to limp her way towards the portal, but she was lifted from the ground by Spike.
"You can't walk like this, ma'am," Spike told her just as she opened her mouth. "Come on. Let me carry you."
Rattie went into a slump. "You don't have to, but alright…" She caught a ball of cotton that fell from her body. "This is so weird. But I guess it makes sense you can't bleed in this game…"
They vanished beyond the portal, leaving Kinger and Queenie alone. Queenie wasn't so keen on leaving yet.
"You know you can't exactly stay here," Kinger told her.
"I…" Queenie looked at each insect villager, a forlorn look in her eyes. "It's just… Is it weird that…I want to cry? They are just NPCs."
Kinger chuckled, and he gently took her hand. "No. That just means you are a very empathetic person… And that's something I've always admired about you." He gently tugged her. "Come on. Let's go back."
With their hands linked, they took one last look at the celebrating villagers and the waving elder, and they stepped through the portal together.
As everyone walked into The Circus in a single-file line, Caine hovered above their heads with an eager look in his eyes.
"Welcome back my fizzy little licorice sticks!" he greeted them. "I hope your tutorial adventure was an exciting experience! Each and every single one of you did an outstanding job!"
Spike played with his chest, fretting over Rattie and keeping her supported. Rattie glanced up at Caine before she sighed. "Yeah. Super." She pushed a bundle of cotton back in the tear of her chest as it kept trying to spill out.
Bizco dragged his feet behind her, his jester hat missing a bell as it hung wilted. Behind him, Wormo slithered miserably. Scratch's appearance was worn-down and beaten. Finally, Kinger entered, with Queenie. They glanced back as the portal closed behind them.
Caine studied everyone for a quiet moment before he snapped his fingers. In a blip, their bodies were repaired, minor bruises and all.
Immediately, everyone checked every angle of their bodies, mildly surprised. It was as if they never had the adventure to begin with.
Scratch checked his gloves one last time, and a snarl formed on his muzzle. He glared up at Caine, who noticed him immediately, because his smile vanished for a split second.
"That was supposed to be a tutorial?" Scratch angrily asked him.
"Why, of course!" Caine confirmed. "It was to introduce everyone into what to expect from this wondrous and wacky world! Although you have only scratched the surface—no pun intended—so there will be even more excitement to come in the near future!"
"You call that disaster excitement?" Scratch tossed an arm towards where the portal was. "Half of the story didn't even make sense! There were stakes for the sake of stakes!"
"I dunno," Bizco shrugged. "The story seemed easy to follow for me."
Scratch glared at him. "All you did was play Tetris on the company computer. You have no say on anything."
"Well, I do apologize if the tutorial didn't meet your fancy." Caine kicked himself to a slow flip. "But that's why there are dozens of even more adventurous adventures to come! This is merely a sample of the kind of creative work I do!'
"Combining two fairy tales because they happened to share the name Jack isn't remotely creative."
Caine's arms dropped. "Huh?"
"You heard me, C.A.I.N.E." Scratch crossed his arms. "What you call a tutorial adventure was nothing more than a cluster mess of nonsense."
Caine flew right into Scratch's space, his head just an inch from his. "AHAHAHAHAHA! Hilarious!" He snatched his floating cane from the air and pointed it right at Scratch's muzzle. "You, my friend, have always been hard to please! But that is OK! It's only the first day, and I know some of you people are trying to adjust from your transportation to this digital world! So I'm willing to accept that your minds still need some um…time to adjust!"
He flew back before Scratch could say another word.
"What matters is that everyone has fun!"
"Fun?!" Scratch glared at him. "What the h3#l is your definition of fun? I got Flat Stanley'd on a wall! Rattie got torn to bits— We could have all died!"
"Ha. Ha. Ha." Caine tilted his head with every strange laugh. "Oh, silly Scratch. You can't die here! Nobody can!" He snapped his fingers, and an animated doodle of Scratch appeared on a materialized chalkboard. "You see, your avatar can take damage that would otherwise be impossible in the Macro-verse! It can range from minor things such as scrapes to bruises, to flying knives and cannon balls! Your mortality won't be a concern at all! In the rare instance your avatar body takes too much damage…!"
The Scratch doodle exploded into confetti. Everyone winched, but Scratch was pale on the face.
"…you'll just respawn here back in the circus as good as new!" The Scratch doodle returned in one piece. "You won't be able to participate in the rest of the adventure, but you will be very much alive!"
A doodle of Caine appeared and patted the Scratch doodle's head. The Scratch doodle was smiling and jumping with joy.
Then, the chalkboard warped away, and Caine clapped his hands together.
"So then, what do you think?"
Rattie managed an awkward smile. "That's uh—"
"Wonderful! I'm glad!" Caine twirled in the air and threw out both arms. "But to everyone, I say, CONGRAAAAATULATIONS on beating your very first adventure! Your reward is still pending, but I can assure you it will be available to you at the end of the day! Until then, have the rest of today to yourselves!"
Caine warped out of sight.
Kinger approached Scratch, who remained frozen stiff where he stood. "Are you…feeling alright?"
Scratch blinked and shook his head. For the first time since they arrived, Scratch properly looked at Kinger in the eye. He opened his mouth to speak, but he hesitated. Again, he turned his gaze towards the ground. He squeezed his arm again, harder, as if it was the only thing that kept him anchored. "I…think I need a moment to sit down."
As Scratch dragged his feet away, Kinger almost called him, but he stopped himself. He decided it would be best to let him go for now.
"I'm worried about him too," Queenie admitted from behind. "I guess it makes sense that he would be taking this the hardest."
"I just…wish he would say something." Kinger hadn't realized how much it hurt that Scratch refused to talk until now. "We…we used to talk about everything together. But…it's like…"
"Just…give him a bit of time," Queenie gently said. "I doubt he's pushing you away. He probably has a lot on his mind."
Kinger felt that familiar pang of panic again, but he stifled it. There was certainly a lot on Scratch's mind. Every time Kinger let the very thought reach him, he would feel dazed—he had to let it go. He had to stop thinking about it.
But looking at his wife…
His beloved wife…
"I'm more surprised that Scratch managed to get a killshot at that goose," Bizco said as he approached. "He fumbled pretty bad the first time."
"To be fair, he was always p#$$-poor at fighting," Wormo pointed out.
Spike frowned at him. "That's not a very nice thing to say."
"I'm not being mean." Wormo pressed the tip of their tail against their chest. "I am being honest."
Spike's frown deepened. "You never really have anything nice to say about Scratch."
"And when has he ever praised me for what I've done?" Wormo scoffed. "See how it comes full circle?"
Rattie wasn't impressed. "You…know holding grudges is bad for you, right?"
"I am not holding a grudge. If you want to talk about who holds grudges," they tilted their head towards Queenie. "…that would be Mrs. Secretary over there."
"That's not even what her job is called…" Spike said.
"You're taking this literally again."
"Well how am I supposed to know when you are joking or not?!" Spike shouted, earning a laugh from Bizco. "You always sound so serious, so it's not my fault!"
"I'm just saying that you need to work on your people skills more."
"Oh, stop being such a stuck-up, why don't you?" Rattie stomped forward and nudged Wormo with her tiny hands. "He's stressed out enough! Can't you see?"
Wormo lowered their head to her level. "He's 21 years old, Rattie— That's your chosen name, right? He needs to grow up."
"That doesn't mean you should just—"
Bizco stepped between them just as they started to argue. While he began as mediator, he joined in the argument seconds after.
Queenie dropped her head. "Even here, they just can't help themselves sometimes."
The bickering didn't worry Kinger in the slightest. Even when Wormo jabbed Bizco's chest with their tail, even when Rattie squeaked in that voice she always had whenever she got too worked up, Kinger didn't intervene. It felt oddly like they were back in the office.
No one was panicking anymore.
Kinger allowed himself to smile.
Caine appeared from thin air above Kinger's head. "Oops! Didn't forget about you two!" He threw an arm around Kinger's shoulder before he snapped his fingers. A bewildered Scratch was dragged towards him against his will, and Caine threw his other arm around his shoulder. With a wide smile, he looked at them both. "Come on, my lovely creators! There is so much to talk about!"
He warped with them out of sight, and the circus went quiet.
Queenie took a worried step towards where they had vanished.
"…Darling?"