Chapter Text
The sun shone brightly, golden rays of glorious sunshine piercing the clouds early one spring morning. There was a warm, pleasant breeze that slowly shook the branches on the trees outside of the sheriff’s headquarters. Inside headquarters, however, was not so serene.
“Mao Mao said it’s my turn on the Nimblembo Twitch!” Adorabat yelled as she hovered next to Badgerclops.
“ Dude ! Come on!” Badgerclops yelled back without looking away from the television. He was sitting on the couch, invested in some sort of online multiplayer game and was visibly frustrated at the events unfolding on the screen. “We still haven’t cleared this dungeon.”
“You’ve been playing all morning! I want a turn!”
“You’ll get a turn when the DPS stops drawing aggro!”
“I don’t know what that means!”
“It means I’m busy!”
“MAO MAO!” they shouted in unison.
From the kitchen, Mao Mao groaned loud enough for his deputies to hear him. He knew Badgerclops had been playing video games since midnight, He moved to the doorway and leaned against the frame, Lucky Ducky mug in hand. “Badgerclops, you’ve been at this for eight hours and you’re clearly not having fun. Take a break, would you?”
Badgerclops threw up his hands in defeat and groaned. “Fine!” Badgerclops moved the microphone on his headset closer to his mouth. “Guys, please learn how to play the game before I get back.” He put the controller on the sofa and got up, allowing Adorabat to eagerly take his place. He passed Mao Mao and headed for the fridge, muttering to himself as he opened the door.
Mao Mao looked over his shoulder at Badgerclops. “Besides, if you were really good at the game, you’d be able to carry your team.”
Badgerclops removed his head from the fridge. “That is so not how MMOs work, dude.”
Mao Mao smirked. Before the moment had a chance to last, an all too familiar alarm rang out throughout the house.
“ Save my bacon! I’m really in a jam! ”
“The King’s alarm!” Mao Mao hopped to attention. “Deputies, to the aerocycle!” he ordered as he ran out of the kitchen.
Badgerclops sighed and returned the hoagie he grabbed back to the fridge. “This better be good…”
“Aw, phooey!” Adorabat threw the controller down on the cushion next to her. “I didn’t even get to play anything…”
By the time Badgerclops and Adorabat slid down the poles leading to the garage, Mao Mao already had his hands on the aerocycle’s handlebars. The three heroes donned their helmets before taking off, flying at top speed towards the castle’s throne room. The King has been known to abuse having the ability to call the sheriff’s department at a moment’s notice, but contrary to Badgerclops’ annoyance Mao Mao would never hesitate to answer a summons. When Mao Mao noticed the Ruby Pure Heart’s magenta glow, he remembered what happened the last time it did that and let his train of thought ride free on the tracks of fear.
On the approach to the courtyard anterior to the throne room, Mao Mao felt a dread he hadn’t felt since he cracked the Ruby Pure Heart. Bodies of unconscious guards lay scattered around the ground and bent over the hedges. While landing the aerocycle, Mao Mao had to be careful as nearly the entire guard force taking up so much space left little room for error. What little guards were still standing were being taken out as the aerocycle made its descent. The last of the guards were thrown back all at once, and the only person left standing was a moderately-sized hooded figure holding out a muscled, cream-colored arm. The rest of the figure was covered in a cloak colored in a deep shade of black that stood out from the bright whites and pinks of the castle. The cloak was designed such that the line indicating where it splits was aligned to the right.. The trio was only given a brief view of the cloak’s purple underside and the figure’s black pants before the cloak covered them, leaving only the feet exposed.
Mao Mao pulled out Geraldine as soon as he hopped off of the aerocycle and pointed it at the mysterious assailant. "All right, pal. You got some guts attacking the castle like this. Who are you?"
Badgerclops stepped off the aerocycle and made his way to Mao Mao’s left, tripping on a guard on the way. He readied his blaster as if nothing happened. Adorabat winged down to Mao Mao’s right and took up a fighting pose, holding one wing forward and the other backward.
The hooded assailant turned their head towards the large, golden doorway to the throne room for a moment then returned their attention to Mao Mao.
“Where’s the King?” Mao Mao asked, inching forward as he did so.
The assailant looked down at their feet and put one on the head of an unconscious guard that lay perpendicular to them. They moved their foot slowly down the guard’s body until it reached the stomach. The assailant moved their head up to look at the trio before kicking the body at the sheriff.
Mao Mao was expecting a fight with the assailant, but not this. He gripped Geraldine hard and dodged the guard by ducking underneath the projectile, but the assailant seemed to anticipate this. A large fist entered Mao Mao’s field of vision and threatened to make contact with his face, but a robotic arm grabbed the assailant's wrist and pushed it out of the way. Mao Mao felt the wind of the punch brush past his cheek.
“Not so fast, buddy!” Badgerclops gripped the assailant's wrist hard with his extended robo-arm, turned his body around and threw the assailant like a baseball.
The assailant sailed into the heart statue on the left side of the courtyard, knocking it over, and hit the wall behind it with a loud crash. At the same time the statue hit the ground, the assailant fell into the hedges that lined the walls.
Mao Mao stood upright and sighed with relief. "Thanks for the save."
"I gotcha, bro," Badgerclops said with a smile.
The assailant wasn't done, however. They quickly recovered and zipped around the fallen statue, zeroing on Mao Mao once again. His deputies moved out of the way and gave him space to act. The assailant unleashed a flurry of kicks directed at the sheriff's head and upper body. The assailant alternated feet in their attacks in a flashy display of flips and spins. The kicks came out at a speed that left little room for Mao Mao to counter. Every time Mao Mao tried to stab or swipe at the assailant they would simply incorporate a dodge into their combo and keep going. The obstacles littering the ground weren't helping him gain ground, either. He needed a way out, some method of creating space between them.
Thinking the same thing, a blue, bat-shaped projectile came barreling into the assailant's side, forcing an end to the onslaught and sending them flying. The assailant hit the ground once, twice, then landed on their feet the third time, sliding backwards with it's right paw on the ground. "Don't forget about me!" Adorabat taunted as she flew over to the assailant's position. She landed about a meter away from them and hopped from side to side, throwing punches with her wings. "You picked the wrong sweetypie to mess with! I didn't get to play 'Ending Fantasy XV' because of you! Even though Badgerclops said it was a bad game, I wanted to try it! So you're gonna… PAY!" Adorabat ceased her taunts and flew straight up with one powerful flap of her wings.
The assailant's hidden gaze followed Adorabat before realizing what she was doing. Almost too late did the assailant roll out of the way of a large blue laser ball fired from Badgerclops' robo-arm. The projectile hit the doors to the throne room and exploded on impact, forcing the doors off their hinges and breaking the walls flanking the impact zone.
"Oooh, I am notpaying for that," Badgerclops winced. He noticed the assailant stand up, and they seemed to be analyzing him. This stillness lasted only a moment before the assailant broke into a sprint. Badgerclops fired away at the approaching assailant, shooting laser pellets as if his robo-arm were a semi-automatic rifle. The assailant serpentined, rolled and flipped across the courtyard as they made their way towards the badger. They deftly avoided the unconscious guards as if to show off how untouchable they were. On the approach, the assailant revealed their right arm once again, letting it hang towards the ground. Badgerclops hoped the assailant would do that, and when they wound up the punch he transformed his cannon back into a hand. Badgerclops caught the fist that was intended for his gut, his robo-arm absorbing the shock of the impact. He smirked, knowing his plan was about to go off without a hitch. "Gotcha!"
From behind the assailant, Mao Mao jumped up high and raised Geraldine above his head. Before the assailant could react, Mao Mao landed, bringing his sword down with him. A line appeared on the back of the cloak, and the two halves slowly slid down to reveal the assailant's true identity.
Badgerclops opened his eyes in shock, and his grip on the assailant's clenched fist weakened. "Uh, Mao Mao–woah!" Before Mao Mao could lift his head to see what Badgerclops was going on about, the assailant grabbed Badgerclops' robo-arm with both hands and swung him around. The big badger was thrown into the small feline and the two went rolling over one another across the ground. They eventually stopped thanks to the friction caused by the bodies in their path. Mao Mao lay to the left of Badgerclops and groaned as he tried to move.
Adorabat flew over to her companions, worry practically spelled out across her forehead. She landed on Badgerclops’ right and shook him with her wings.
The assailant slowly and menacingly walked over to the trio, stepping on the guards as they did so. With great effort, Badgerclops rolled onto his side to make eye contact with the approaching threat, leaning on his robo-arm for support. Adorabat held her wings up to her mouth as she looked down at her hero.
The sheriff rubbed his back as he stood up. He put his free hand on Badgerclops' body for support. "What is it Badge—" Mao Mao tried to finish his sentence but the identity of the assailant brought his train of thought to a screeching halt. His eyes went wide with surprise. The breeze did nothing to warm the chills that went down the sheriff's spine.
King Snugglemagne XXV stopped his approach and stared deep into the sheriff's eyes with a look of stern disappointment. The meters between them were filled with a mixture of contempt and confusion. The king faced away from the sun and the glowing Ruby, causing his countenance to be partially shaded by his large, red mane. Despite that, his turquoise eyes were as bright as ever, giving the illusion that they were glowing.
Mao Mao's mouth moved as he tried several times to start a sentence but nothing would come out. His legs shook, and if his hands weren't trembling he would make a fist. The muscles in his face tightened; he could feel his brow furrow and his lips part to bare his teeth. His confusion was quickly turning to anger the longer he stared into the eyes of his king.
"Mao Mao, we just beat up the king," Badgerclops whispered loudly. "And, like, in a super serious way this time."
Mao Mao didn't hear a word Badgerclops said. Finding his courage, he walked around the badger and stood in front of his deputies. He gripped Geraldine tightly in his hand before he spoke. "Your grace, what is the meaning of this?"
Snugglemagne remained silent for the moment. His gaze bounced between the trio before him. When his attention returned to Mao Mao, his sheriff and his deputies all noticed his expression soften slightly. He closed his eyes and turned his head to the side.
"I'm giving you one chance to explain yourself," Mao Mao warned. "If you don't take it, as an officer of the law I'll be forced to apprehend you."
The light that was emitting from the Ruby Pure Heart pulsed once, accompanied by a dull hum. Mao Mao, Badgerclops and Adorabat turned their attention to it.
“Why is it doing that?” Mao Mao asked. He returned his attention to Snugglemagne and noticed the king hadn’t acknowledged him. “Your grace!" he yelled as he pointed Geraldine towards Snugglemagne.
“I suppose trying to run was foolish,” Snugglemagne finally said. The Ruby’s light pulsed once again.
Mao Mao lowered his blade slightly, and silently waited for further explanation.
Snugglemagne looked to Mao Mao with eyes that lost the glow they previously had. “I was afraid. Whatever happens, do not make my mista—”
The Ruby Pure Heart exploded with light, a magenta sphere expanding outwards in all directions to encompass the entire valley. The hum sharply increased in volume to sound more like a foghorn, with such an intensity that the ground shook. Mao Mao managed to close his eyes just in time, and his ears were exposed to the deafening roar of the Ruby for only a second before he dropped Geraldine and squished his ears against his head with his hands. Mao Mao was completely immobilized as the combination of light, sound and vibration stripped him of the majority of his senses. The assault on the feline’s senses lasted about a minute, and when the vibrations under his feet ceased Mao Mao opened one eye to check his surroundings.
The world around Mao Mao was shrouded in a very dull sepia tone. The hero's crimson attire and green eyes stood out against the gray-brown scenery. The air around him was uncomfortably still, the warm breeze he once felt no longer present. The clouds did not move, titmice hung in the air mid-flight, and a lack of ambient noise accentuated a soft ringing in Mao Mao's ears. It was as if time itself had stopped.
Mao Mao looked over at Snugglemagne, who stood hunched over, as if he was frozen in the middle of a flinch. Mao Mao walked up to his king and examined him, noting that something about him seemed particularly grainy, like he was looking at a replica made of sand. "What the…" Mao Mao could not let his curiosity go unsated and he reached out for Snugglemagne with a hand.
Before Mao Mao could make contact with Snugglemagne, the lion's mane began to dissolve. Specks of dust floated away from the king's form, carried away by a wind Mao Mao couldn't feel. His hand recoiled and he gasped as the image of his king faded away before him. His eyes darted around Snugglemagne's figure, still trying to understand what he was seeing, when a new thought entered his mind and made him turn around. Badgerclops was covering his eye with his flesh arm while guarding Adorabat with his robo-arm. Both of his deputies were in the same state as Snugglemagne, frozen and made of dust waiting to be carried away. And they would not have to wait long, as mere seconds after Mao Mao saw them did they too begin to fade away.
"Badgerclops! Adorabat!" Mao Mao rushed to his companions. He lifted his forearms and bounced his gaze between his two deputies as he watched their images slowly and silently disappear. He wanted to grab hold of them, he wanted to keep them from leaving, but he wasn’t sure if he would just make things worse. He tried to grab Badgerclops’ flesh hand but it burst into a cloud of dust under the pressure of Mao Mao’s hand. Mao Mao panicked, taking a step back and bringing his hands to his mouth. The dust that once represented Badgerclops’ hand brushed against Mao Mao's face as it drifted away. He looked down at Adorabat, whose ears were already gone. “No no no no no!” Mao Mao reached his hands out to hold her but stopped himself just before making contact. He so desperately wanted to do something but he was at a loss. He backed up and stood equidistant between his deputies and his king. He turned around to see that Snugglemagne was halfway gone.
The nonexistent wind picked up speed, hastening the departure of Mao Mao’s world. The walls of the castle, the roofs of the buildings, even the ground itself began to leave him. Holes formed in the scenery where reality itself disintegrated, exposing an endless black void. Mao Mao's breath hastened as his eyes darted around the area looking for anything to hold on to. What remained of his friends was quickly swept away all at once without further ceremony. Mao Mao was all alone, staring mouth agape at the space where Badgerclops and Adorabat once stood. His hands twitched and his mind went blank.
The speed of the wind picked up once more, and the walls around Mao Mao were deteriorating much faster than before. What Mao Mao failed to notice was that the ground around him was also quickly disappearing. All at once, the piece of ground Mao Mao was standing on gave way. Mao Mao fell into the infinite blackness below, screaming as he helplessly reached for anything to grab hold of. His view of the world was getting smaller and smaller as he fell. Through the hole he fell from, the last thing he saw before darkness overtook his vision was a large, magenta ruby.
Mao Mao’s eyes shot open. His vision was blurry, and blinking wasn't helping. He couldn't ignore how much his eyes stung and assumed he woke up before getting a full night's rest. Oh, thank goodness. It was all a bad dream , Mao Mao thought to himself. What time is it? Mao Mao wondered as he rubbed his eyes. The room was dyed orange by the early morning sun entering from the window to his left. He couldn't make out the finer details yet, but he noticed a large, obsidian rectangle across the room and wondered when they put a television in the bedroom. He sat up and stretched his arms up high. When he realized how much clearance his arms had despite sleeping on the bottom bunk, Mao Mao took a good look around his immediate area. He looked up at the ceiling he wasn't supposed to see. He looked to his left at the window that wasn't supposed to be there. He looked below the window at the badger who wasn't supposed to be in his bed.
Mao Mao quickly pushed himself out of the bed, landing head-first on the carpeted floor. He rubbed his head until he noticed a sensation in his lower back that shouldn't have been there. He moved a paw to the problem spot and his eyes widened at what he felt. In front of him was a tall mirror that he could use to confirm his suspicions. Mao Mao stood up and turned his behind towards the mirror.
"My tail… I have my tail back?" Mao Mao voiced his confusion as he stared at his naked body. He moved his tail up and down, left to right, and even wrapped it tightly around an arm to test its strength. “It’s like I never lost it.”
Mao Mao looked to his left at the sleeping Badgerclops. He was glad he didn't wake his friend, but he needed answers. He scanned the room, looking for any semblance of familiarity. The bed was fitted into an alcove where the wall next to the bed was a window of eight glass panes arranged in two rows of four. The walls were painted a light shade of cream and mostly featureless aside from a couple of shelves housing some knick knacks. Next to the mirror was an in-wall closet that Mao Mao decided to investigate. Inside were an assortment of outfits made for both himself and Badgerclops. There were even a few pairs of shoes on the floor. He closed the closet and headed towards the door on the opposite side of the room.
Through the open door Mao Mao saw the living room. There was a flat screen television bigger than the one in the bedroom. In front of that was an oval, mahogany table and matching fiber couch. To his left against a wall was a glass display cabinet full of various trophies and awards, none of which he recognized. Next to the case was a number of photographs featuring him and Badgerclops, only he doesn’t remember being there for them. "This is not HQ," Mao Mao deduced.
Mao Mao heard the shuffling of sheets behind him. He looked back to see Badgerclops sitting at the edge of the bed. He yawned with his flesh… right hand. Mao Mao was able to hold back a gasp as he realized his friend had also been reunited with his lost appendage.
Badgerclops smiled at Mao Mao. "Morning, babe."
"B-babe?" Mao Mao sputtered.
"Yeah? You said I could call you that when we're alone." Badgerclops stood up and sauntered over to Mao Mao. He noticed a look of panic in Mao Mao's eyes. "You okay, man?" Badgerclops asked, concerned.
"I… uh…" Mao Mao breaks eye contact and clears his throat. He turned his head back towards the living room. "Where are we?"
"Uh, our house?" Badgerclops replied with a raised eyebrow.
"I mea—" Mao Mao sighed and shook his head. He looked Badgerclops in the eyes. "Are we… not in Pure Heart Valley?” Mao Mao asked slowly.
“‘Pure Heart Valley?’” Badgerclops repeated with a smirk. “Dude, what kind of dream did you have last night?”