Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Alright, It’s time.” 

A mysterious girl stands atop of the branch of a tall oak tree, before unhooding herself. She pulls out a rectangle-shaped radio device.

“I’ve made it to the Queen’s palace. Proceeding to the stealth mission. Do you copy?”

“Copy, Commander Jaiden.” A muffled voice replies through the device. “Be careful. I can’t assist you beyond this point.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll finish this off, and we can all live peacefully again, alright?”

“….Alright.”

A brief beeping noise sounds through the radio, signaling the end of the transmission.

“What a worrywart.” Jaiden chuckles, as she lifts her hood to the top of her head, and gracefully leaps off of the tree. 

She does a backflip as she descends, the solid dirt under the dead grass crunching as she lands.  

She tightens the scarf around her neck, and looks toward the gigantic castle towering before her. At the sight, she is amazed, pondering that she is to triumph over a threat  so much larger than her. Although the thought alone sends a chill down her spine, she knows that the fate of the world is counting on the strength and courage that she had proven herself to have as the hero of the lands. She couldn’t let everyone down. It was now, or never.

The heroine takes a deep breath, before preparing for the showdown before her. 

“Here goes…”

She grabbed a pair of Kunais, and used them as picks to climb the walls of the castle. She looked down as she made it to the top, to see an army of consumed soldiers walking in formation. The Queen’s soldiers were extensively guarding the castle, which led Jaiden to realize that she would have to be careful while traversing the castle if she were to come back in one piece. 

“Its purpose is to make you invisible to the naked eye. With this, you’ll be able to sneak past her forces with ease. Remember to keep it close at all times.”

Jaiden squeezed the spherical relic, and it displayed a faint glow, before causing her body to become completely transparent.

“Awesome,” she thought to herself, as she descended from the wall, and proceeded to sneak past the legion of soldiers.

After escaping the army of soldiers, Jaiden hopped on to a wooden box, and climbed up to an open window.

“Shadow Queen, here I come…”

Jaiden climbs through the window, and closes the opening behind her. Meanwhile, a group of the Queen’s henchmen stand atop the roof of an outpost, monitoring the army of soldiers.

“My, it’s impressive how the queen has managed to get these soldiers into shape,” Sectonia observed. “They keep to their stations like little pawns.”

”Yeah, Yeah. Whatever.” Driller Jacky grumbled, before letting out a yawn. “Look, I’m already getting bored here. Can we go ahead and kill somebody now?”.

“I agree with Jacky,” said Doopliss. “I haven’t pranked someone in a while…”

“Now, Now. That time will come soon, I’m sure of it,” Sectonia reassured. “But now, we must follow the Queen’s orders. Don’t you remember what she had warned?”

“Oh yeah, that thing about us staying in our lanes, or else…” Doopliss shuddered. “We’d end up like Bea.”

“Exactly.”

The three continued to watch the scene from above, oblivious to the mission taking place.

As Jaiden runs through the interior of the castle, she looks at the relic in her hand, and notices that it had slowly started to fade into plain sight.  

“Crap! I’m running out of time!”

 Jaiden observed her surroundings, and found that the room around her was filled with guards, standing at every door. The relic blinked faster, until it finally turned a dull grey as it appeared in clear sight..

“Uh-oh..”

 Jaiden was completely visible to the guards standing at each door. 

“INTRUDER!”

A blaring alert sounded, as all the guards in the room began to rush towards her.

Jaiden let out a deep sigh, and unsheathed her sword as she laid a sharp glare onto the guards.

“Bring it on.”

The guards in the room all charged towards her. A guard got a hold of her, and began to twist her arm with his hand.

 “Let…”

Jaiden tightly gripped the sword in her hand.

“Me..”

“GO!”

Jaiden swung her sword with immense power, slicing the guard’s hand clean off. She leapt in the air, and kicked the guard’s bulky hand, aiming it towards his nutsack, causing the knuckles to smack the groin like a cowbell.

Jaiden sporadically rotated in the air, before landing her on the face of another guard, and barraging it with the heel of her foot, then slicing their neck clean off with the edge of her blade. 

She lands on her back, and shoots a soldier clean in the face with two rounds from a revolver. She then reaches backwards, and fires at the guard behind her. 

Jaiden gets back on her feet, and runs towards the Queen’s throne room. She slides under a guard’s legs, who tries to crouch down and grab her. She then runs up the stairs. The guards chase her, but her nimble ability allows her to easily outrun the crowd.

After a few minutes of chase, Jaiden sees the entrance to the throne room. She smirks.

“You boys love your queen, right?” She taunts, as she swings the door open. “Why don’t you go and meet her?

A gigantic ball of fire blasts through the door as she opens it, causing the guards to melt on its’ impact.

Jaiden walks into the throne room, unsheathing her sword.

“Was that meant for me, your highness? You know that’s the oldest trick in the book, don’t you?”

The Shadow Queen lets out a scoff. She struts toward the center of the room, holding a purple ball of flame in her hand. 

“Don’t get too cocky. That was a mere test of your intelligence. I’d be disappointed if you were to fall to something as pathetic as that.” The Queen shakes her head, looking at the melted remains of her guards outside of the room.

“And the death of my impractical guards is no sort of a loss to me. They are not worth anything to me if they lack the intelligence to make such a maneuver.”

 “Is there anything that has worth to you?” Jaiden questions, keeping her sword raised.

“Please don’t attempt to soften my guard with such questions. I don’t believe in whatever ‘pure’ philosophy you’re trying to push onto me.”

“…”

“Are you really unsalvageable? Are you sure there’s nothing in this world you could see living for without your power?”

“You, taking the princess’s body…conquering the world…why are you doing that? And, when you’re done with whatever your goal is…will you really be satisfied?

The shadow queen shakes her head. “I don’t owe you an answer to any of your stupid fake-philosophical questions. My goals are much larger than you could ever fathom. The size of this world is but an atom on the scale of my ambitions. And, as for you, you’re nothing but an anecdote in the history you wish to make.

“…”

“I guess it really isn’t worth reasoning with you. It feels bad to rid of you completely, but I guess that’s the only option I have.”

Jaiden tightly grips her sword.

“I’m sorry.”

The queen lets out a smirk. “I’ll make you sorry.”

The queen hurls the ball of fire at Jaiden, who nimbly evades it. Jaiden rushes towards the queen, and strikes her with a swing of her blade, which the queen blocks with her scepter.

“You didn’t think it’d be that easy, did you?” The queen taunts.

The queen slams the sharp end of the scepter into Jaiden’s knuckle, causing her to drop her sword, and fall to the ground. 

“Goodbye.” The queen growls, as she thrusts the scepter towards Jaiden’s heart.

“Damnit!”

Jaiden keeps a death grip on the scepter, looking frantically for an opportunity to strike the queen. 

She begins to rotate the scepter as the queen keeps her grip on it, leaving her with enough room to mightily strike the queen in her gut with the heel of her foot, causing the queen to wince.

Jaiden snatches the scepter from the Queen’s grasp, and points it toward her vulnerable body. 

“Your highness, I shall strike you down with the utmost respect. With that being said, however, I’m afraid this is where your reign ends.”

Jaiden points the scepter towards the queen with murderous intent, causing it to glow a bright pink, before shooting a blast of bright energy.

The shadow queen lets out a shriek as she is sent soaring through the air, before being launched straight into the Throne Of Shadow.

Jaiden triumphantly walks up to the throne, raising her sword toward the queen.

“Any last words, ‘Shadow Queen’”?

“Y-yes, actually…”

The queen smirks, before slamming her hand into a red button placed on the armrest of the throne. 

“You were close, kid. Real close.”

Jaiden immediately feels a stabbing sensation. She looks down, to see her side penetrated by a needle. She looks behind her, and sees a vine-like organism that had successfully injected her with some sort of syringe.

“N-No...”

“Once that poison settles in, you’ll be nothing but another one of my soldiers.” The queen sneers, rubbing dirt off of her fingers. “That’s what normally happens. But, since I was expecting your arrival, I put an extra kick into this one.”

Jaiden begins to feel woozy, slowly becoming unable to stand on her own two legs. “W-What…?”

“Oh, that’s right. The side effects must be kicking in already. Let me spell it out for your sickly soul.”

“Once that syrum kicks in, you’ll melt into nothing but a lifeless substance. And then…you’ll become the resource of your highness. Why, you should be honored.” The queen holds Jaiden by her chin, and whispers in her ear.

“You’ll leave the world, only more useful in death.” 

The queen lets out a giggle, before pressing another button.

“I’ll have to contain you, however. I can’t have such an unruly creature running amok.”

The vine-like creature lowers a glass capsule before Jaiden.

Thq queen grins, feeling immense satisfaction at the defeat of her adversary. “Gaze into the coffin of your conscience, ‘hero’.”

As the vine lifts Jaiden into the glass capsule, Jaiden’s screams fill the room as her body is melted.

“St-stop…I can’t go like this! Everyone…!”

“You lost your right to this world the day that you wronged me. This day was inevitable. You should be thankful it came to you the earliest. You’re all about staying on the ‘bright side’, aren’t you?” The queen mocks. “You’ll meet your friends on the dark side of hell.”

Jaiden is closed inside of the capsule, and she slowly screams as she is melted into a bright green substance. The queen chuckles at the sight, as shakes her head,

“…Good riddance.”

The queen looks toward the vine creature. 

“You know the drill. Carry her away. Don’t dare keep me waiting.”

The vine exits through the window, leaving the queen in absence, who then sat on her throne and began to ponder her victory. Her only adversary was gone. Nothing else was to lay in her path. Her reign was inevitable. She smiled, and looked towards the ceiling of the cursed Mushroom castle.

“Hasta la Vista, resistance, for the Queen’s wrath begins.”

TO BE CONTINUED.

Chapter Text

After the heroine of Onivale Kingdom had been mercilessly slaughtered by the Queen, the world was devastated. They lost what seemed to be their only hope against the Shadow Queen. Although the resistance refused to stand down, they were eventually overpowered by the Queen’s forces and were forced to surrender to her rule. 

The Queen’s rampage soon became unstoppable. The consumed soldiers had effectively corrupted the world and left the survivors to fend for themselves, or face consumption.

With the loss against the forces of evil, the world seemed to be doomed for consumption. The Shadow Queen’s forces had dominated the population, with only more people falling victim to the curse of consumption every minute.

Eventually, action had to be taken to prevent the world from eternal consumption. 

A surviving resistance warrior by the name of Sergeant Wigglytuff had risen to begin a new command, located near the ruins of an abandoned kingdom, which would be known as Onivale Refuge, as a rebuttal to the Queen’s eventual rebranding of the Onivale Kingdom to the “Shadow Empire”.

The Onivale Refuge would come to be known as the haven for all of the survivors of the Shadow Apocalypse, eventually serving as the resurgence of the kingdom’s life. And now, the resistance is formed within the kingdom as the Onivale Command, serving as the ultimate line of defense for the empire. 

And, as it is, the Onivale Refuge is the final force standing between complete and utter domination of the world by the hand of the Shadow Queen. And a giant responsibility as such lies in the hands of the grand legion of heroes of the Onivale Refuge. 

The story of humanity’s last struggle for survival begins here.

ONIVALE CHRONICLES. 

Toadstool Café…

“Maaaan….” Sonic64 yawns, lying back in his chair. “Can you believe we’ve got another huge mission tomorrow? The last one was already pretty crazy. I mean, who would’ve known we’d find that weird mushroom kid in the middle of the grasslands?”

“Kid? I’m pretty sure he had a wife,” Xeno corrects. 

Xeno was a star warrior, originating from the same species as Kirby. His skin tone was yellow, while the nubs which formed his arms and feet were orange. Although he was quite a small creature, he harnessed a unique power.

“Oh, really? Well, good for those two. I’ll bet they’re happy to be together.” Sonic64 says, leaning his head into his palm on the table. 

“She died from the blunt force of a truck collision,” Xeno nonchalantly adds, stirring his cup of tea. “I hear it was quite a horrific accident.”

“Well, at least she’s not consumed, so she isn’t our problem.”

“Right, you are.”

Suddenly, a blue-skinned woman wearing a business uniform with pink glasses approaches the two.

“Hello, I’m Nastasia. I’ll be serving the two of you today.”

The lady adjusts her glasses, before looking at her notepad. “So, your order will be…?”

“I’ll take a chili dog,” Sonic64 answers.

“And I’ll take a Star Sandwich, please.” Says Xeno.

“Alright. I’ll be back with your meals in a short bit.”

Nastasia walks away to the kitchen, leaving Sonic64 and Xeno alone at the table.

“Hey, she was cute, wasn’t she?” Sonic64 remarks, with a slight grin on his face.

“Seriously? Give me a break, man…” Xeno sighs.

“I jest, I jest. I desire my chili dog over any woman on the face of the planet.”

“Like there’s many of them left.”

“Yeowch. You don’t miss a beat, do ya?”

Xeno checks his watch. “Yeah, yeah. Hey, you know where ‘Ken is? He said he’d show up.

“Damn bastard. He’s always late to something. What could he possibly be up to now?”

Suddenly, the sound of a bell chiming comes from the entrance of the café.

“Sorry I’m late, you guys…” Keny gasps, trying to recollect the air he lost from his sprint to the location. “I had some..business to attend to. Hope I didn’t miss too much.”

“Why is your ass out?” Xeno questions.

“…I encountered some homeless dude, and he asked me for 20 dollars. I didn’t have the money, though, so he gave me the option to listen to his mixtape instead.”

“…So why is your ass out?”

“…I took the third option.” 

Keny takes a seat on the bench next to Xeno and rests his elbows on the table. “So, did I miss that cute waitress walking by the table?”

“Damn, so we’re on the same page. Nice to know. But yeah, you also missed your opportunity to get food.”

“Eh, whatever. I’ll just hit up that dude’s farm again. He hasn’t noticed the missing tomatoes yet.”

“…Right.”

Keny was a midget who had worn an orange parka that covered the majority of his body, as well as his face, causing each of his words to be slightly muffled. Some say he bears resemblance to a fellow by the name of Kenny McCormick, but, alas.

“Hey, it’s not my fault the dumbass didn’t want to waste his money on surveillance cameras. That’s my manner of taxing ‘em.”

Nastastia approaches the table, holding the group’s food. “I apologize for the wait. There had been a problem with some of the kitchen appliances. Regardless, your food should be in good condition.”

“Hey, no problems, Natasha. I could never get mad at a pretty face like yours.” Keny says, making a finger gun gesture at the waitress.

“Erm…It’s Nastasia, actually…”

The lady lifts her notepad and walks away to the adjacent table.

“…Dumbass,” Xeno mumbles.

“Dumbass.” Sonic64 chuckles, before digging into his chili dog.

“Worth a shot, damnit..” Keny sighs. “Anyways, I’m gonna hit a blunt outside. Seeya.”

“Safe departures, Mr. “Hopeless Romantic”.

Keny makes his way out of the restaurant, the door closing behind him.

“I think I’m about ready to head out, as well,” says Sonic64.

“You finished your chili dog that fa—? I mean, of course, you did.”

“Hehe.”

Sonic64 smirks, before dashing his way out of the door. 

Xeno is left sitting alone, with his star meal in front of him.

“Am I really the only one who knows how to sit and enjoy food?” Xeno sighs, before taking a bite of the chicken tenders in front of him.

“…”

“Who the fuck am I kidding…?”

He opens his mouth, and inhales the entire plate of chicken tenders into his bottomless stomach, before leaving the table. 

“I’m a star warrior for a reason, damnit.”

Xeno walks out of the door and gazes at the view of the town. Everyone seems to be awake and lively as usual.

“Ah, good ol’ spirit of Onivale. Even staying alive in the midst of the apocalypse.”

Xeno pulls out an MP3 player, and turns on 15 Step by Radiohead, before starting to walk around the town.

He crosses the street, before walking past the “Good Times n’ Weapons” shop. 

“God, you know the world’s gone to shit where you can just have a giant weapon shop in the middle of town with no concern.”

“And of course, they manage to sneak an Auntie Anne’s in the damn place, too,” Xeno says, looking at the Auntie Anne’s pretzel stand placed in front of the weapon store. 

Soon, Xeno spots the drug store across the road. As he crosses the road, he sees an angry man yelling at the cashier outside of the store.

“What do you mean you don’t sell crack??? The hell is it called a drug store for?”

“Look, we only offer medicine. If you don’t require it, then I recommend you leave.”

Xeno silently walks past the two, trying his best not to be roped into the conflict.

“Well, where do I find shit that I can guarantee ain’t laced?”

“I can’t legally tell you that, sir. Now, I suggest you leave, before I call the police. I have a job to attend to.”

“Ridiculous!” The crackhead yells, storming off the premises. 

The cashier sighs, before heading back into the store. “I’m sorry about that. Do you plan on getting any…normal products from here, by any chance?”

“Yeah. I’ll take some painkillers, 2 packs of Benadryl, Amoxil, and a pack of tobacco.”

“Well, damn,” the cashier chuckles. “A rough one, ain’tcha?”

“No, it’s for a mission. Safety measures, y’know.”

“I jest,” the cashier says, reaching for the products on the back shelf, before turning back to Xeno. “That’ll be 11.59$. What’s the tobacco for, though?”

“…A friend,” Xeno sighs, sliding the cash to the register.

The cashier shakes his head. “I see. Have a nice day.”

“You too,” Xeno says, storing the drugs in his bag, before making his way out of the door. 

As Xeno steps out of the pharmacy, he pulls out a small notepad.

“Okay, first-aid material, check…And Charlie said he’d handle the weapons, so we’re set on materials, for now…”

Xeno closes the notepad, feeling a sense of anticipation for the day that was to come. He looks up, his vision fixed on the giant castle of the Onivale refuge.

“Tomorrow’s mission…Man, I can’t wait.”

In Onivale Castle…

Two koopaling soldiers approach the center of the throne room.

“Your Highness, the recent commander of the Onivale Command wishes to have a word with you.”

“Bring him in,” King Wigglytuff orders.

The soldiers open the door to the throne room, which a gingerbread cookie-shaped creature dressed in nun attire walks through.

“Pastry Cookie, at your service.”

Pastry Cookie bows, before walking further through the interior of the throne room. 

“I have shaped my warriors to the utmost condition to prepare for the following mission, as you have requested.”

The King slowly descends the flight of stairs, standing face-to-face with his soldier.

“That is excellent to hear. I expect nothing less from you, however.” The king chuckles. “I assigned you to my former role for a reason.”

“And I take that position with the greatest honor, Your Majesty.”

“Good. Your command will be leaving at the crack of dawn the following day. I advise that you ensure they are fully prepared for their expedition.” 

“I have already tasked them with making the proper preparations beforehand, sir. You don’t have to doubt my intuition.”

The king lets out a slight chuckle. “I trust it. Make sure you get ample rest, yourself. I’ll need my best asset to be in peak condition.”

“Of course.” Pastry Cookie nods. “I’ll make sure to initiate a final meeting before the operation, just to make sure everything is in place.”

“Excellent.” 

King Wigglytuff makes his way back up towards the throne, dismissing Pastry Cookie from the meeting.

As she exits the room, she lifts her arm to her chin and begins speaking through a wristwatch.

“Commander speaking. All units report to the hideout, immediately.”

The command meets at the basement of the local City Wok.

“I’d like to thank you all for coming today”, Pastry cookie announces. “However, it isn’t like you had a choice in the matter, anyway. We have an extremely important mission on our hands. I trust that you all understand that, correct?”

Big the Cat raises his hand.

“Yes, Big?” Pastry Cookie sighs.

“Isn’t there usually pie at these meetings?”

“I couldn’t make time for it this time around. Plus, I recommend you to watch your calories, anyway. By the looks of it, you could pop at any minute.”

A snicker is heard amongst the crowd. 

“Something funny, Keny? It’s not like you’re much better off with your weed intake.”

“Okay, okay. Jesus Christ, man.” 

“You might need to work on your etiquette, as well. Your attitude is not what I’d expect of a seasoned warrior.”

“Hey, fighting capabilities should be enough to fit the bill. We’re not the rehab-stance.”

Pastry Cookie scoffs. “Anyways. Let’s start with the subject of this meeting: our objective.”

“The Shadow Queen currently has multiple vessels of power located around the world. Our current target is the vessel located in the local grasslands. If we are to take down this vessel, the Queen will lose a source of power. At least, that is what we have inferred. We have no definitive knowledge on the Shadow Queen’s source of power, or anything regarding her for that matter.”

“…”

“Ain’t that so…” Sonic64 mumbles.

“Pardon…?” Pastry Cookie fixes her attention towards him. 

Sonic64 stands up from his chair. “Well, y’know, it seems we’re at a pretty awful disadvantage against the queen…we have no intel on her, as well as what’s pretty much the majority of her forces, nor do we have any idea how we’ll even manage to defeat her in the first place.”

“Excuse me.” Pastry Cookie leans further on the table, her tone growing aggressive.” Are you seriously suggesting that we should give up, and let this world be overtaken by some satan-spawned highness?”

“No. That’s not what I mean, at all. But, after a while, don’t you start to wonder the purpose of all this? I mean, hell. We don’t even know what’s exactly stopping her from just killing us all on a dime. It wouldn’t take much, y’know.”

..

“I believe what you’re saying is that just because the odds seem to be at our disadvantage, we should be putting any less effort into fighting against them.”

Pastry cookie stands up from the table. “And if you are to say something as foolish, I am to question your eligibility to even partake in such a matter.”

“I was born a seasoned warrior. I was born knowing that, no matter how impossible it seemed, and no matter how easy it felt to surrender to the endless pain inflicted by my adversary, that it was only ever worth it to fight to the very end.”

“No matter how low the odds seem, and no matter how hopeless the matter, you are to never stand down your guard. You are to defend your honor to the very end. That is the way of the true warrior.”

“Now, do you lot have any other foolish questions to ask?”

The room is filled with unceasing silence.

“…I understand.” Sonic64 lowers himself back to his seat.

“And here I am, telling Our Highness that you had all been trained to the utmost condition. For the record, you are all pathetic. I would have preferred to lead an army of the King’s guards, instead. But alas, that is his duty.”

“Anyways, our mission tomorrow begins at the rising point of dawn. I had better see you all fully prepared for your mission. None of you are to be even a minute late.”

“Understand, Charlie Dompler?” 

Charlie, startled, quickly stammers out a reassurance to the commander. “Y-Yeah. Yeah. Crystal clear, man.”

“As a matter of fact, you’ve been awfully quiet this meeting. That isn’t usual of you. Were you even listening?”

“Yeah. Of course. I was locked in the whole time. Right, Pim?”

“Y-yeah. R-right,” Pim stammers.

Pastry Cookie scoffs. “Pathetic….”

“Anyways, you are all dismissed. Get plenty of rest. I want to see you all in your best performance tomorrow.”

“Understood,” Xeno replies, leaving from his chair. 

“Thank you, for at least having your act together as of late.” Pastry Cookie sighs. “I’ll have you know that it’s appreciated.”

“As for the rest of you, I want to see true fighting spirit in the coming morning.”

And, after a rather sour meeting, the members of the Onivale Command sufficiently rested in preparation for the coming battle that awaited them. Were they to prevail against the threat of their grand opposition? The tale of the great bout of Man and Shadow is…

TO BE CONTINUED 

Chapter Text

The next morning…

The endless roars of the clamoring crowd fill the entrance of the Onivale Refuge, cheering and waving the heroes off on their departure. 

“Heh, look at us. We’re like the heroes of some old fantasy tale, getting cheered on by the whole kingdom like this.”

Xeno sighs at Keny’s carelessness. “Sure thing, meathead.” 

“Charlie!!!” A mobbing citizen yells. “You still owe me five bucks, bastard!”

“Like hell I do!” Charlie shouts back. 

The crowd’s cheers persist, as the warriors take in the overwhelming praise from the people of the town.

Sonic64 gazes at the crowd, starstuck by the amount of people who had put their faith into this battle against the empire of shadow. He felt a sliver of hope in his heart, when witnessing the kingdom’s undying spirit before him. 

“...”

“Something up, dude?” Charlie asks, looking toward Sonic64. 

“Hm?” Sonic64 snaps out of his trance. “Oh…nothing, man. It’s just…”

Sonic64 looks at the ecstatic crowd before him, admiring the unity amongst the massive group of citizens. 

“Man, that’s a lot of people counting on us…We’d better go all out on this mission if we don’t want to let them down.”

Charlie sighs. “You’re sounding like the commander, dude.”

“Alright! That’s enough gazing around, you all.” Pastry Cookie orders. “It’s about time we start our duties, isn’t it?”

“Your Majesty, would you do the honors?”

“Of course,” King Wigglytuff says, with a chuckle. “You’ve become quite the diligent leader. I admire that.”

“Guards!”

The guards all push the doors to the entrance of the kingdom, slowly opening them to the access of the command.

Pastry Cookie looks to her warriors and nods her head towards the gate. “Alright, you lot. Let’s head our way out.”

The ruthless cheers of the crowd only grow louder as the Onivale Command makes their way through the gates of the kingdom before the noise is silenced by the sound of the massive kingdom doors closing, leaving the heroes outside, ready to begin the operation.

Pastry Cookie stretches her arms, gazing at the giant field of grass before her. “Ah, the grace of Mother Nature. Just as beautiful as I had left it.”

“It’s nice to see that such a pure remnant of the human world still exists,” Pim says, with a sigh. “It’s sure been different since that horrid queen took over…”

Big the Cat lowers his head. “…Froggy…if only you’d been here to fight alongside me.” 

“Hey, man. We’re fighting for a reason, aren’t we?” Sonic64 reassures, giving Big a pat on the back. “No need for the moping. We’ll kick ass, and we’ll be a step closer to freedom.”

“…Yeah! You’re right! I’ll give it all I’ve got!” Big hops up, in excitement. “Shadow Queen, you’ve got another thing coming!”

“That’s the spirit, man.”

Pastry Cookie looks back, with a smile on her face.

“That’s very leaderly of you, Sonic64.” 

“Ehehe, really?” Sonic64 chuckles, rubbing the back of his head.

“…Anyways, the Greenhorn Grove lies just ahead of here. Let’s get going.”

“Hell yeah!” Keny exclaims. “Last one there has to clean the weapons.”

Sonic64 flicks his snout, before adjusting to a running position. “Sure as hell won’t be me!” 

“A race, huh?” Pastry Cookie smirks, looking toward the grove. “Sounds like fun.”

“Sure thing. There’s a reason I didn’t miss leg day, y’know.” Charlie says, winding his arm in preparation.

“Ready…” 

“Set…

“Go!”

The warriors all take off, running toward the Greenhorn Grove.

“Hey! Wait!” Big the Cat pants, trying to keep up with the group. “Don’t leave the fat guy behind!”

Leaving behind the Kingdom from which they had departed, the Onivale Command advances. The mission had officially begun.

At Greenhorn Grove…

Sonic64 stands by the forest’s entrance, munching on an apple. He spots his comrades arriving in the area.

“Took you chumps long enough.”

“Real comedian you are,” Keny groans, dripping in sweat. 

“It was your idea, man. Remember that.”

Xeno walks around the forest, taking in the environment. “This place is a lot more lively than I’d expected. Considering the current state of the world, that’s pretty remarkable..”

“Ah, that’s right. This is your first time here, as a more recent recruit.”  Pastry Cookie says as she begins to load her crossbow. “However, you are quite a diligent fighter. I believe you’ll be perfectly fine in a new environment.” 

Pastry Cookie lifts her wristwatch to her chin and begins to speak through it. “Your Highness, the command has successfully relocated. Do you copy?”

The King’s voice is heard through the device. “Copy. Prepare to proceed toward the target.”

“Affirmative.”

Pastry Cookie lowers her arm and turns back towards the squadron.

“Alright, everyone. Get your weapons ready, and we’ll be set to hit the road towards the source of the vessel. Speaking of which…”

“Big, may you do the honors?

Big nods. “Sure thing, commander!”

Big runs ahead to the crossway of the forest, and deeply inhales.

Suddenly, his snout slightly twitches. “I’m getting…an odd scent…westward!”

Pim itches his chin. “That’d be near the swamp area, wouldn’t it?” 

“Yep!”

“A swamp mission, eh? Sounds interesting.” Charlie says, carefully sliding the bullets into the chambers of his double-barreled shotgun.

After all the weapons are readily prepared, the command all gather toward the crossway of the forest.

“Alright. I trust that everyone is prepared, correct?”

“Hell yeah,” Keny says, holding a wide rocket launcher as if he were to engage in combat. “That damn vessel won’t know what’s coming.”

“Glad to hear. Pim will be there to set camp after we’re done, as usual. And with that said, we shall get on our way.”

Pastry Cookie begins to lead the group when Sonic64 sees something zip past in the corner of his eye.

“….?”

He stares at the tree above him, looking for any signs of movement. However, he detects nothing.

“Hey, you gonna get going or what?” Pastry Cookie yells out, grabbing Sonic64’s attention. “Quit standing around, already!”

“Crap,” Sonic64 mumbles, trudging his way toward the group. 

“I must’ve been seeing things…”

“You must all stay alert as we make our way to our destination,” Pastry Cookie declares. “You never know what or when something might interfere with the mission.”

“However, I think we should be able to make it to our destination with little difficulty if we simply continue forward.”

“Oh!” Big The Cat turns towards the rest of the command. “I also made sure to pack lunch, in case we were here for too long. After all, we wouldn't want to depend on the forest’s nutrients, correct?

Big puts his bag down, and then pulls out a comically large T-bone steak, standing it on the ground to the point that it reaches higher than the surrounding trees.

Xeno steps back, amazed by the sheer size of the meaty display before him. “Jesus…” 

“How the actual fuck did you fit that in a backpack?”Charlie exclaims.

“I-Isn’t that a bit of an excessive protein intake…? We would need more of a variety in nutrients for such a mission.”

“Huh?” Big shakes his head. “Oh, no. This is just for me. Your meals are all in the bag.”

The command gathers around and looks in the bag to see 7 neatly packed bento boxes stored in the front pouch.

“How the hell is it still completely full?” Charlie questions. “Does this dude have the fucking void in his backpack?”

“It's called proper positioning,” Big corrects.

“Proper positioning allows you to fit an 8-meter steak into a small backpack?”

Big shrugs. “It works out.”

“Well, you're going to have to put that back,” Pastry Cookie orders. “We can’t be carrying around a large slab of meat attracting predators to our location.”

“Okay.”

Big grabs the 8-meter steak slab, and folds it vertically in half, before giving it a couple more folds, eventually shrinking it to the size of his hands as if it were a piece of paper, before sliding it back into the front pouch of the backpack.

“Done! Now let’s get on, shall we?” 

Big gently slides the straps of his backpack onto his shoulders, before proceeding to happily trot through the woods. 

After a moment of shocked silence, the group continues their route, following after Big.

Keny lets out a sigh. “Why can’t the apocalypse have happened before I wasted 2 years studying the laws of physics?” 

Charlie nods his head. “Same. I took that AP shit for nothing.”

“…Wait, 2 years? You smoke pot and you're in high school?”

…

“…Lemme tell you something, man.”

“Nah, I get it.”

The group continues to traverse the forest, making their way toward the vessel’s location.

Suddenly, a mysterious figure begins to rustle through the trees.

“I’ve found them, Captain. As confirmed, they're heading towards the Queen’s source of power. Shall I begin the execution?”

“…”

“Understood.”

The figure pulls out a large cutlass, pointing it in Pastry Cookie’s direction.

“I shall proceed.”

Sonic64 notices a sharp object peeking through one of the tree’s bushes. 

“What the…”

A sudden impulse triggers in his mind, causing him to look toward Pastry Cookie, just as the object is hurled through the tree.

“GET DOWN!” Sonic64 yells, before tackling Pastry Cookie and holding her down on the ground, before the cutlass lands in the nearby tree.

“What the hell..?” Pastry Cookie groans, still in shock from the sudden impact on the ground. She notices the sword lodged into the tree before her. 

“…!” Pastry Cookie’s eyes widen in shock, at the realization of the imminent danger she was in.

“Well, I’ll be damned!” The mysterious figure says, before doing a double backflip out of the tree and landing on top of the lodged sword to reveal itself. 

The mysterious figure was a small feline, which seemed to be wearing a bandana on its head, with holes left in for its very cartoonishly large eyes, the pupils of which had been colored a dark purple under the influence of the Shadow Queen’s consumption.

“I’ll give praise to you lot for staying on your toes. Had you been moseying about as I thought you were, you just may have lost your very leader at a moment’s notice.”

Suddenly, everyone wields and aims their weapons toward the feline.

“And just who the hell do you think you are?” Sonic64 questions, as he helps Pastry Cookie back to her feet. 

“Me? Why, around these parts, I’m known as Morgana, a Phantom Thief, as well as the bringer of death.”

“By the looks of it, you seem to have outnumbered me. However, don't mistake that for an advantage. I’d see it as more of a crutch. After all, I may be of the Queen’s tinier units, but I've never met anyone I haven’t bested.”

“Sounds like a challenge to me,” Pastry Cookie says, drawing her bow toward Morgana.

“You bet it is,” Morgana replies, removing his sword from the tree, and landing on the ground. 

“…En garde!”

Morgana runs up the tree, as everyone fires their weapons at him. He swiftly slices off a damaged part of the tree, and lets it fall on top of the group.

“…!”

“Not on my watch…!” Xeno claps his hands together and closes his eyes, causing a faint glow to appear in his palms. “Everyone, get down!”

He slams his hands into the tree, transferring the energy in his hands to the tree, causing the tree to brightly glow, and be blasted into pieces.

Morgana is shocked by the event. “What the—? How the hell did…?”

Before he can recover from his shock, Morgana is hit with a nasty right hook almost instantaneously as Sonic64 dashes to his location. As he flies through the air, Sonic64 dashes in the air and hits him with a massive kick to the back.

“Now! Keny!”

“On it!” Keny slides to the ground and pulls out a rocket launcher, aiming it towards Morgana as he falls through the air.

Morgana identifies the missile flying towards him and lightly smirks. 

“Nice try, resistance.”

“…But you're not fooling me!”

Morgana effortlessly slices the missile in half, successfully avoiding the explosive assault. That is until he feels a spherical metal object falling towards him.

“Mini…bomb…?” 

The metal object slams into Morgana’s face, and explodes, causing Morgana to be sent falling to the ground.

Morgana crashes into the ground, leaving a massive amount of dust flying about the place upon his impact.

“Nngh…”

“Now, Big!” Pastry Cookie orders, pointing towards a nearby tree.

“Alright!”

Big The Cat uses his strength to pick up a gigantic tree from the ground, snatching it from its roots. He then steps back, preparing to hurl it at the opponent.

“HIYAAAAA!” 

Big The Cat growls, as he throws the tree toward Morgana, the tree plummeting through the air as if it were fired from a cannon…

Morgana watches as the tree plummets toward him, and he chuckles.

“Don’t dare underestimate me, you fools.”

Morgana holds onto his bandana. “I never said I had run out of tricks!”

“Zorro! Show your might!”

Morgana’s eyes glow, as a large phantom appears before him. 

The phantom stands still, before mercilessly swinging its sword, completely demolishing the tree by chopping every piece of it as it flies through the air.

Eventually, the tree is reduced to nothing but sawed wood.

“You didn’t think it’d be that easy, did you?”

“How the hell..? Sonic64 gasps, taking a step back in shock.

“Please…You didn’t think they called me the Phantom Thief for no reason, did you…?”

Zorro valiantly stands, holding its sword as the wind flows through its cape. 

“I call this bad boy my ‘Persona’. It’s a phantom thief’s greatest asset of power.”

“Now, which of you fine warriors will volunteer to be the exhibit of my Persona’s grand power?”

Morgana holds his sword out, scanning the group with his eyes. Eventually, he points his blade towards Charlie.

“How about the yellow man, here? Come on up!”

Charlie grumbles, picking up his shotgun. “For the love of god…”

“That’s the spirit,” Morgana says, with a smirk.

Morgana whips past Charlie, who blasts his shotgun at Morgana’s afterimage. 

Morgana hits Charlie with a roundhouse kick from the back, sending him crashing to the ground.

Charlie grunts as he lands on the ground, causing dust to rise.

“Ngh..!”

Morgana does a double flip, before landing on his feet and bowing.

“Thank, you, thank you!” 

Morgana unsheathes his sword and points it toward Charlie as he begins to recover from the ground.

“Oh, you’re not going anywhere, buddy.”

Morgana grins, as he raises his sword to Charlie’s temple. “Don’t be a stubborn little hostage, now.”

Sonic64 clenches his fist and begins to dash toward Morgana.

“Hey, lay off, you little shit!” Sonic64 threatens, as he closes in on his target.

Sonic64 throws a swift right hook toward Morgana. However, Morgana performs a Russian split leap, floating over Sonic64’s violent strike, and causing the hit to connect with Charlie, sending him falling back to the ground.

“Fuck!”

Morgana slashes his sword as he descends, aiming toward the middle of Sonic64’s arm. However, Sonic64 pulls his fist back, before going in for another strike, socking Morgana in the mouth, and sending him back to the ground.

Morgana wipes saliva from his mouth. “Quite impressive…”

“However, that’s enough for the warm-up, I’m afraid…”

“Come forth, Zorro!”

Xeno pushes past Sonic64 and Charlie.

“Move!”

Xeno slams his fists onto the ground and closes his eyes.

“Go! Quarritz Quake!”

Xeno’s hands begin to glow, as some source of energy begins to course through him.  

Morgana steps back, deciding not to act until he can predict the outcome of the event.

He reaches for his blade, just to find it missing. He looks back, to see Pastry Cookie waving it in her hand.

“Looking for something?”

Morgana turns toward her, ready to take the weapon back from her. However, a giant burst of energy sends him flying to the air, causing him to scream as he ascends to the clouds.

“Waaaaaaaaugh!” 

Pastry Cookie smirks, before looking at Xeno.

“That power of his…to think he’d become one of our strongest assets so soon…”

She looks at the Quarritz crystals encircling him, as they are divided into tiny, sharp arrows.

“A power fueled by crystal energy…it’s definitely something incredible.”

Xeno looks fiercely toward Morgana.

“Begone, soldier of shadow…”

Xeno fires the barrage of crystals toward Morgana, with the intent to pierce him with each one.

Morgana sees the large clump of crystals bolting toward him, deciding that he needs to act quickly.

“That’s a clever trick, resistance…”

Morgana pulls a Joker card from his sheath.

“However, I've got one trump card left…”

Morgana holds the card to his mask, causing it to disintegrate. Suddenly, he begins to glow red, and the shape of his pupils converts to a star pattern. 

“Too late for apologies…”

Zorro rises behind Morgana, lends him its phantom sword, and makes it manifest into reality. Morgana then looks toward the approaching barrage of crystals and chuckles.

“All out…ATTACK!”

Morgana blitzes through the air, slicing every crystal approaching him in half, and successfully evading each one, before descending back to the ground. 

“Ha! Now, you realize, don't you?” 

Morgana bows toward the resistance, with a devilish grin on his face.

“…It’s impossible to defeat me.”

“My sheer swordsmanship easily goes beyond any ‘special ability’ or any other fighting capability that any of you withhold. So, with that, I suggest that you…”

Suddenly, Morgana feels a warm sensation on his back, causing him to look back.

“Oh…shit…”

Sonic64 had successfully used his ‘Cycloop’ ability to round up all of the halved crystal arrows into one giant clump of crystal energy.

Suddenly, Morgana feels himself being grabbed and held in place by Keny.

“Now, Xeno!” Keny orders. “He won't be able to dodge this one!”

Xeno nods, raising his fist toward the sky. 

“Of course.”

“Let’s do this…Quarritz Crusher!”

Xeno pulls in the giant ball of crystal energy toward Morgana and Keny, causing it to rapidly descend toward the two.

“Stop it! Stop this, now!” Morgana yelps, while trying to squirm from Keny’s grasp. “You idiot…you realize this is going to kill you too, don’t you?”

Keny chuckles, as he shakes his head.

“That’s the thing…I don’t die.”

The giant ball of Quarritz energy contacts the ground, causing a massive burst of power to fill the area, easily decimating Morgana.

“GAAAAAAAH!” Morgana screams, as his very skin is ripped apart by the heat of the blast, and every cell in his body is vaporized by the overwhelming surge of energy.

Eventually, the explosion dies out, and when the dust settles, Morgana’s body is left without a single remnant, with Keny’s body disappearing, as well.

The area is filled with silence, before, eventually, everyone begins to cheer. 

“Hell yeah!” Charlie exclaims. “That little bastard’s gone!”

“Glad to be finally rid of that runt.” Pastry Cookie sighs, wiping sweat from her forehead. “Now, our mission has only one objective left.”

Big points forward, to where the swamp area of the forest is located, where the vessel is visible from a small distance.

 “Our target is just ahead of the line of lily pads! All we need is to destroy it from there, and we’ll be set!”

“Well, we’ve got no time to waste, do we?” Sonic64 flicks his nose, before preparing to dash forward. “Let’s go ahead.”

Pastry Cookie holds her arm out in front of Sonic64. “Pause, now. We will not race across a swamp, I’m afraid.”

“Damn. Eh, It’d be a shame if I got my hands on the vessel before everyone, anyway.”

The group proceeds forward to the swamp, before eventually crossing past the lily-pad platforms. 

“Make sure you don’t put too much pressure on there, Big,” Charlie says. “We wouldn't want you toppling over.”

“Hey, I’m not that bulky!” Big growls, crossing his arms.

“…Sure, buddy.”

After crossing past the lily pads, the group eventually makes it to the source of the vessel. It is a bright, red marble, lodged into a tall oak tree.

“…Behold.” 

Pastry Cookie reaches to grab the vessel from the tree and holds it in her hands.

“Y’know, for an evil relic, this is quite a beauty…it could probably go for a lot.”

She sets the vessel on the ground and raises her crossbow.

“Alright. On the count of three, we’ll all destroy the vessel.”

“3…”

Big the Cat immediately stomps on the vessel, crushing it into pieces.

“For the love of god…” Xeno sighs.

“Big, what the hell, man?” Charlie exclaims

“What? You said on the count of three!

Pastry Cookie holds her palm to her head. “No, no. That’s my fault. I shouldn't have counted in descending order. That's my mistake…damnit.”

Sonic64 picks up the remains of the vessel and shakes his head.

“Well, what’s done is done. We should get back now, shouldn't we?”

“Indeed. It is getting quite late. We’ll rest at camp, and then report back to the kingdom at dawn. I believe Keny should be back by then.”

“I won’t lie, I’m quite poofed, myself,” Says Charlie. “I can’t wait to finally lie down somewhere after today.”

Pastry Cookie lets out a chuckle. “That’s the usual aftermath of a day of hard work. You all did great today, I’ll admit. It goes to show how crucial a good rest is to your work ethic.”

“…If only Keny were here, so I could lecture him about his caffeine intake.”

Xeno shakes his head. “The hell doesn’t that guy intake?” 

Pastry Cookie lets out a sigh. “Good advice, apparently.”

The group lets out a hearty laugh, before heading their way back to the campsite, to celebrate their victory with a good night’s sleep.

With the vessel destroyed, and one of the Queen’s loyal minions mercilessly slaughtered, it’s safe to say that a giant step had been made in the course of retaking the world from the Queen’s influence. 

FIN.

Meanwhile, in the Queen’s lair…

A knock is heard behind the door of the throne room.

“Come in,” The Queen demands.

Two guards enter the room and bow before the Queen’s presence 

“Your Majesty, we are upset to deliver this news, but…”

“The defense has failed. The crimson vessel has been taken, and likely destroyed.”

“What!?” The Queen exclaims. “Impossible…”

“It’s true, Your Highness. If you would step outside, you would clearly see that-”

“I do not doubt my loyal soldiers. I’m sure you're aware of the consequences of fibbing to me. I’m simply appalled that such an event was allowed to occur.”

“P-Perhaps the resistance had been more capable than we thought…?” One of the soldiers stammers, in fear of unintentionally angering the Queen.

“Nonsense. That scrawny excuse of an assassin that I made the mistake of utilizing had better hope that those stupid resistance warriors hadn’t spared a fragment of his futile being…”

“…”

“Yeah, about that…”

“Oh, save it. That was but a single line of my defense. I’m only to lose a few of my assets to such a minute loss of my power.”

“That being said, my power is my greatest value. To threaten that by any means is an act to which I will not offer forgiveness.”

The Queen turns toward her throne, and lightly smirks.

“It’ll take them a bit to realize their chances of victory…but they’ll fold the moment it becomes apparent.”

“I won’t let anything get past me. I won’t even allow the smallest ant to step in the way of my reign. The world will be greater, with me as its eternal ruler. I’ll renew the flimsy and dated race that they claim to be ‘humanity’, and the life of the earth will be the kind of my own.”

“When the day comes, this world will be one ruled by shadow.”

“Humanity, savor your last breath… For, you will be bested in the reign of darkness.”

With the Queen of Shadow’s power being taken down a peg, and with many of the victims of consumption becoming freed as a result, the fantasy of the resistance retaking humanity seems to approach reality. However, only time will which side will emerge victorious in the battle of Human vs Shadow. As for now, the grand tale of the resistance’s upbringing is…

TO BE CONTINUED 

Chapter Text

“Your Majesty, I am proud to announce that we have succeeded in the mission of destroying the vessel.”

Pastry Cookie bows as she presents herself in the center of the king’s throne room, the rest of the Onivale Command standing in place behind her.

The King makes his way down the stairs of the throne, and approaches his disciple.

“I am delighted to hear that,” King Wigglytuff says, with a prideful expression. “I expect nothing less from the resistance’s sharpest unit, however. My judgment in stating you as the savior of the Onivale Refuge was not misplaced.”

Pastry Cookie returns to a standing posture, a smile on her face which, despite her trying to keep a firm expression, was impossible to resist due to the king’s flattering words.

“And I have no shortage of praise for the rest of you, either.” The King continues, looking toward the warriors of the Onivale Command, which all stand against the wall. 

“You all have shown great ethics and cooperation throughout your missions. It’s shown through how you have prevailed through every mission. If I were a fool, I would assume that it wasn't a sweat for the lot of you.”

“…But of course, you all have achieved such on account of excellent persistence in your duties…as well as having such a stern commander.”

“Damn right,” Keny mumbles under his breath.

“I beg for you all to accept, and cherish the honor of Your Majesty. You have all earned it.”

“Soldiers, prepare the glasses!”

The two Koopatrol soldiers standing before the king scurry off to the adjacent doorway, before returning with 8 golden goblets filled with wine. The goblets are placed in the hands of every present member of the Onivale Command, as well as the king.

 “This goes out to the endless efforts of the Onivale command, as well as the incredible advancement of the thriving civilization formed under the name of our resistance.”

The King, along with the Onivale command all clink their glasses together after the King’s toast.

“Cheers!”

The group all down the cups of wine, which the Koopatrol soldiers take after the drinks are finished.

“Uh, Your Majesty?” Keny begins. “Just so you know, I’m a bit underage.”

Charlie scoffs. “You smoke pot. Get over it.”

“Fair. I just thought a notice would be necessary,” Keny says, wiping some of the wine from beside his lip with a handkerchief.

“Necessary before you drank it,” Pastry Cookie sighs, before turning her head back toward the King. “I apologize for the ill manners, Your Majesty.”

King Wigglytuff lets out a chuckle. “No need to worry, dear. I am proud in the Onivale Command’s  continued efforts, regardless of a lack of refinement in some of its members.”

“Heh. Catching shade from the king, ain’tcha?” Sonic64 sneers.

“You shut your bitchass up,” Keny retorts. 

The room erupts into a fit of hearty laughter, eventually settling down as the King begins his address.

“In any case, that'll be enough for your duties for now. You all should make sure you enjoy the time you have until your next mission comes up. Now, me and your commander are to speak in private. Off you go, now.”

“Finally,” Sonic64 sighs. “Hey, ya’ guys trying to head to Good Burger? I heard they’ve got a new Chili Dog recipe…whaddya say?”

…

Charlie blankly stares at Sonic64.

“Last time I ate there, the chicken sandwich gave me an aneurysm.” 

Keny points to his stomach. “I almost wasted my 13th life this week there. I’m good.”

“I'm very mindful of my health decisions,” says Pim. “I refuse to have my lunch at a place with such horrible rumors attached to it.”

Xeno shakes his head. “Damn, you guys are lame. I’m coming with you, Sonic.”

Charlie scoffs. “Well, of course you’d go, dude. You don’t even have an endoskeleton, as far as I’m concerned. Let alone a digestive system.”

“Well, I’m tapping in!” Big announces. “A stomach like mine can’t be crossed by a mere morsel.”

“Okay, so we have the chili dog fanatic, the bottomless pit, and the Division 1 fatass. Great lineup.”

“That’s gonna be a busy ass kitchen.”

“We’ll see you suckers after we’re done getting filled up,” Sonic64 says, waving the group off. “You guys can go eat at Burger King, or whatever.”

…

“Burger King? What am I, a damn fool?” Keny shakes his head. “I’m not having those grey, spongey, Jane Fonda-ass burgers again. We’re going for Raising Cane’s today.

“Let’s go, boys.”

The doors to the Good Burger location are opened, as the three walk in, and approach the register.

“Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger, now serving breakfast,” The cashier greets. “What are you fine gentlemen having today?

Sonic64 leans his arm on the counter. “G’day, Ed. I’ll have a…Xtreme Chili Dawg, and-

“Just say number 15, ya dumb cunt.”

“Okay, number 15, and my round friend over there will have the number 7.”

“Which one?”

“The short one with the stubby legs. And Tubby over there’ll have…uh…everything.”

“Everythi—? I mean, alright, got it. We’ll have your order ready soon.”

Suddenly, an explosion is heard from the kitchen.

“Uh…don’t mind that. The ice cream machine might just be a bit awry again…I’ll be right back, ya’ll.”

Ed walks through the door leading to the kitchen, leaving the register unattended.

“…Alright, what the hell is going on here?”

“That bastard burnt the biscuits!” A chef exclaims.

The chef points toward another employee standing by the microwave oven.

“Bomberman!” Ed walks over to the employee, fuming. “Motherfucker, I told you to quit fucking with the pipe bombs!”

“I’m sorry! You know about my war trauma…I just couldn’t handle it! I just flipped out!”

“Why the hell did you even bring the bombs here?”

“Self defense! You never know in these times…you’ve always got to stay armed, y’know.”

Ed sighs, putting his palm to his forehead. “You didn’t burn the patty, did you?”

“No, it’s still in the microwave,” Bomberman reassures.

“The microwave!? Motherfucker, what?”

“…I’m sorry!”

The exchange is heard from the inside of the restaurant.

Sonic64 winces. “…You think the guys had a point?” 

“Yeah,” Xeno answers. “Let’s get the hell out of here and eat somewhere else.”

The three walk out of the door, before being halted by the voice of a young woman.

“…Wait!”

Suddenly, a young brown-skinned girl nearly crashes into Big as she dashes toward the group. 

Without missing a beat, the girl seems to rush her words out. “This is important! Did any of you order the ‘Xtreme Chili Dog’ from the Good Burger restaurant?”

Sonic64 gulps. “Y-Yeah. Why?”

Her eyes widening, the girl puts her hand to her mouth “O-Oh my god…”

Quickly, she slides a blue bag into Sonic64’s hand. 

“Quick! Follow the instructions in the paper inside! You want to remove those contents from your system as quickly as possible.”

Sonic64’s eyes widen, before passing the bag back. “W-Wait, I didn’t eat it. We left after we heard the commotion in the kitchen.

A deep sigh of relief comes out of the girl’s mouth. “Thank goodness. I’ve been assigned to the duty of making sure that no one is injured from the possible dangers of the new Good Burger meal. This place is an infamous hellhole of creations only the wicked claim to be edible.”

“…Gotcha. And you are?”

“Oh, yes. I was too urgent to remember introductions. That’s my bad.”

The girl holds her arm out, offering a handshake. “I’m Miknpuft. Or Mikn, for short.”

Sonic64 returns the favor before departing.

 “Nice to meet you, man. I’ll see ya on the flip side.” 

He looks back to Xeno and Big. “Come on, guys. Let’s get a quality meal.”

“I’m still getting everything,” Big demands.

Xeno scoffs. “Of course you are.”

The three walk away, departing from the Good Burger location.

Mikn waves, with a smile on her face. “Byeeeee!” 

Suddenly, a man bursts through the doors of the Good Burger before falling on the stairs and violently hurling on the ground.

Mikn gasps. “Oh my god! Calm down, sir, I’ll call medical services!”

Meanwhile, at Raising Cane’s…

“Pim, what the fuck do you mean, you’re keeping the coleslaw?”

“I like it!”

“You’re supposed to trade it for the bread, dumbass!” Keny exclaims. “Nobody eats coleslaw!

“I need to have a well balanced diet! It’s important for me to be in prime condition for our missions.

Charlie sighs. “Pim, you stay at the fucking tent. Trade the coleslaw.”

“Why do you even care? It’s not your meal!”

“I don’t want that sloppy, confetti-mixed abomination anywhere near my eating space. It’s for your own benefit, dude. Everyone’s gonna look at you weird.”

“…Alright.”

“…Can I trade my coleslaw for the bread?”

The cashier smiles as she pulls out her notepad. “Sure thing, hon.”

“…Shit, those weirdos over at Good Burger are probably eating worse,” Charlie scoffs. “If Sonic eats too many of those sloppy hot dogs, he might have to put off missions for a week.”

Suddenly, the sound of the doorbell chiming is heard as Sonic64, Xeno, and Big walk through the door.

“Well, well, well.” Keny chuckles, crossing his arms. “I told you idiots Good Burger wasn’t a viable food option.”

“Can it, ya mumblin’ mutt.” Sonic64 groans, pushing Keny out of the way. “Me and my yellow friend here will take a 5pc chicken strips combo, and the fat one over there’ll take everything.”

The cashier pulls out her notepad, her eyebrows furrowing. “Everything….got it. I’ll be back with your meal.”

Xeno scratches his head. “Man, this is a really nice place. Too bad Big had to come along and torment the workers.

Big smirks, rubbing his hands together like a mad scientist. “Muahaha….”

Keny chuckles. “Once again, The ‘Notorious B.I.G’ is on strike.”

Keny looks at Sonic64.

“…So, how’d you survive the chili dog ordeal? I mean, it clearly didn’t go well.”

“Something went awry in the kitchen. It only took one hint of stored artillery for us to leave the place immediately.”

“Jesus Christ. I guess that’s the cost of the ice cream machine actually working. At least I’d hope that’s the case, considering how long that’s been their selling point.”

Suddenly, the exchange is interrupted by the pained grunts of the cashier.

“H-Here you go…We’ve prepared all of your 5pc chicken strip combos…”

Before the lady continues, she slams a small box on the table.

“…And your friend’s order of…’everything’.”

Charlie looks at the box in suspicion. “That’s pretty small for everything, ma’am.”

Charlie tries lifting the box, only for it to cling to the counter, not budging.

“Goddamn…!

The worker continues. “It’s not much in volume, I’ll say. As for the contents…”

Charlie furrows his eyebrows as his arms begin to grow sore.

“Jesus! It’s like the fatass Excalibur!”

Sonic64 looks back at Big. “Excalibur, huh?”

Keny nods. “Yeah, why don’tcha take a swing at it, big man?”

Big cracks his knuckles. “Watch and learn, my lean peasants.”

Big walks over to the box, and picks it up effortlessly, snuggling it in his arms. 

“Come to papa, heavenly morsel.”

Big walks towards the exit of the restaurant, his fingers wiggling in anticipation as he holds the meal in his hands.

Xeno stands in shock, before reaching back to grab his meal.

“Jesus…If you can lift weight as heavy as that, I guess you deserve to have it in ya’.”

Charlie crosses his arms. “…And now I know who to bring up if another douche at the gym calls me ‘chubby’ again.”

The group grabs their food, before walking toward the exit of the Raising Cane’s.

They head out to the outdoor tables under the “ONE LOVE” sign, before settling down at a table of 6.

Sonic64 rubs his hands. “Finally. It’s time to dig into some real food.” 

Big the cat opens his box of ‘everything’, revealing a black wormhole of emptiness.

“Amen to that, brother!”

Big the Cat nosedives into the box, allowing himself to be devoured by the endless expanse of the vortex contained in the Raising Cane’s box.

The box immediately closes after Big leaps in, sealing the wormhole from the outside atmosphere.

…

After a prolonged silence, Keny opens his box.

“I should quit pot. At this point, the THC is never matching the shit I see in real life.”

Suddenly, a man in ragged clothes approaches the table.

“Ya ever tried molly, kiddo?”

Keny digs into his meal, not paying the man any attention.  “I’m not giving you the bread, hobo.”

The crackhead walks off, defeated.

Sonic64 clears his throat. “Anyways, you guys hear anything interesting lately? Maybe any rumors…or leads?”

…

“Shut up and eat your fucking chicken before I take it.”

“Okay…”

The group enjoys their meal, appreciating the richness of a processed meal after a long and tiring mission.

Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Shadow…

The Queen’s disciples have gathered in the armory of the castle.

“Ooooh, It’s brilliant!” Doopliss swoons. “My, how did you doooo it, Sectonia?”

“It was a rather simple ordeal,” Sectonia explains. “Although I could not restore the vessel, I was able to take its essence, and convert it into a simple formula.”

“…Although I doubt this will fulfill the same function as the original vessel, I’m certain use can be made of it, regardless.”

Driller Jacky claps in celebration. “Oughta girl, Sectonia. The Queen’s gonna be ecstatic! You just made our rights to free will last a hell of a lot longer.”

“Hell yeah!” Doopliss flies upwards, before swooping down and grabbing the formula. “I’ll transport it to the Queen! I can’t wait to see her reaction!”

Doopliss flies out toward the exit of the armory.

“Oh no you don’t, ya little punk. You’re not taking all the credit!”

Driller Jacky revs up her motorcycle, and speeds off to the Queen’s lair.

Sectonia sighs. “It seems there’s good reason for me being the head of this unit.”

She gently flies toward the stairs leading to the throne room of the Shadow Queen. 

…

A knock is heard on the door to the Queen’s lair.

“…Enter.”

Doopliss, Sectonia, and Jacky enter the Queen’s throne room, before walking up to the throne of the Queen.

Sectonia begins. “Your Majesty, we’ve managed to recover the remains of the vessel.”

Sectonia holds out the formula, displaying the essence to the Queen.

“Although the vessel had been destroyed, I had managed to capture its essence into a liquid substance.”

The Queen grabs the container, before examining the formula.

Sectonia continues her address. “A-Although it will not be able to fulfill the original function of the vessel, it—“

“It’s brilliant,” The Queen interrupts.

The Queen’s minions perk up at the statement.

“Y-You truly believe so…?”

The Queen smirks. “Why, yes. This concentration of raw energy, while small, may well function as the final ingredient to…”

She stops in the middle of her sentence, suddenly breaking into a sinister chuckle.

“Consider yourselves completely pardoned from consumption. It’s clear that something this brilliant can only come from a unit with possession of free will.”

The henchmen stand, their jaws completely agape.

Sectonia barely works up her ability to speak after hearing the news.

 “Your majesty…”

“No need for words of gratitude. This pardon is only a service to my own benefit. If you lot are to step in line by any means, the pardon is as good as forgotten. I hope you lot are aware of that.”

“ Guards! ”

Two bulky soldiers arrive instantaneously to the Queen’s throne, and salute before her presence.

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Report to the engineering division immediately…tell them to prepare the unit…the time has come.”

The soldiers nod. “Understood, Your Highness.”

The guards make their way out of the throne room, as the door slams behind them.

The Queen looks toward the three disciples before her. “You lot make your way out, as well. I’m certain there are duties for you to fulfill. Besides, I prefer to be left alone during my plotting.”

“I wouldn’t want this to go awry…under any circumstances.

“Maaan, that hit the spot!”

After a hearty meal, the group walks back from the Raising Cane’s function.

Sonic64 lets out a yawn. “It’s getting late…I’m going home after this.”

“…Charlie, you made sure that was the box with Big in it, right?”

“Yeah. He must be almost done. It’s gotten a lot lighter.

Keny shakes his head. “Of course his fatass would empty it out that quickly. With his added weight, you’d think it’d be just as heavy if the food was gone.”

Sonic64 chuckles. “Gets me thinking Xeno’s not the only one with a pit in his stomach.”

“Hey, what’s the point of eating food, anyway?” Keny asks. “If you don’t even process the food, why even eat it? Do you even get hungry?”

Xeno thinks for a moment, before shaking his head.

“Too many questions. Answering none of them.”

Keny lets out a sigh. “Fair…”

The crew continue walking back, ready to rest in preparation for another day of their usual duties. 

And with that, our heroes rest easy, oblivious to the cunning plans of their adversary. Should danger rise again, are they to triumph? Or will they crumble under the hands of shadow? Stay tuned, and find out…

TO BE CONTINUED.