Chapter Text
Pomni barely had a chance to start a conversation before Caine suddenly popped up in front of her.
"GOOD MORNING, MY AMAZING LITTLE ROCKSTARS!" he announced, somehow louder than seemed physically possible. "TODAY'S ADVENTURE WILL BE... FINDING THE TREASURE WHILE FIGHTING PIRATES IN THE GREAT OCEAN!"
Pomni let out a groan and glanced over at Zooble, who looked just as exhausted.
"Caine, can we go one day without almost dying in another stupid adventure?"
Jax leaned down toward Zooble with his usual face. "Really, Zoobie?" he teased. "I thought you'd be into almost dying... y'know, since you're so edgy."
Zooble shot him a glare that could've burnt a hole right through him.
Caine looked like he was about to snap Zooble out of existence for interrupting his announcement. Instead, he clapped his hands together, and a glowing portal burst open behind the group.
"NO TIME TO WASTE!"
Before anyone could protest, he shoved everyone straight through.
Pomni rubbed her eyes. As she looked around, she realized she was sitting on a wooden raft drifting in the middle of the ocean. Fish leapt from the water around her, the sky was an unnaturally bright shade of blue, and, off in the distance, a ridiculously cartoonish pirate ship bobbed on the waves.
"of course.." she muttered before positioning herself safely on the raft.
"Ooooh..." Jax hummed, scanning the horizon through imaginary binoculars.
"Neat."
He looked down at the group, tapped his chin thoughtfully, then snapped his fingers.
"I've got an idea."
Before anyone could ask what he meant, he grabbed Gangle and flung her straight into the ocean.
Splash.
"JAX!" Ragatha shrieked as she watched gangle float away
"What?" Jax shrugged. "I wanted to see if there were sharks."
Before Zooble had the chance to kill Jax, a dolphin burst out of the water with Gangle balanced on its back. It gracefully slid up beside the raft, allowing the soaked ribbon to scramble aboard.
"Th-Thank you..." Gangle muttered., her comedy mask long gone by now.
The dolphin cleared its throat.
"HELLO, MY LITTLE ADVENTURERS!" it chirped far louder than any dolphin should have been able to. "TODAY, YOU MUST SAIL BEYOND THE PIRATE SHIP AND CLAIM THE LEGENDARY TREASURE HIDDEN ON THE LOST ISLAND!"
It paused dramatically before continuing.
"UNFORTUNATELY, THE ISLAND IS GUARDED BY A CREW OF EXTREMELY RUDE PIRATES WHO WILL DO THEIR VERY BEST TO STOP YOU!"
The dolphin smiled so widely it looked unnatural.
"HAVE FUN!" it cheerfully dove beneath the waves and disappeared.
Ragatha walked over and sat beside Pomni.
"This should be fun... right, Pomni?"
"Yeah," Pomni sighed. "I can't wait to get blown up by pirates."
Her voice was sarcastic, but there was just enough sincerity behind it to make Ragatha frown. Pomni pulled her knees closer to her chest and stared out at the ocean.
"Geez..." a familiar voice chimed in. Jax suddenly leaned between them with his trademark grin.
"I should've thrown you overboard instead of Ribbons…. you're way more annoying" Jax flashed them one last grin before casually strolling back to the other end of the raft, hands shoved into his pockets as if he'd done nothing wrong.
Pomni glanced over at Ragatha, who was staring quietly at the floor of the raft.
She let out a small sigh.
"Hey, Ragatha... just ignore him. He never really means what he says..." She hesitated for a second. "...I think." Pomni managed a small, awkward smile, hoping it was at least a little reassuring.
Ragatha looked up and returned the smile. "I know," she said with a soft laugh. "He's Jax."
She gave Pomni a little wave before hurrying over to Gangle, who was still dripping wet—and clearly still upset about her comedy mask being broken so early.. and jax.
Jax stood at the front of the raft as if he'd somehow been appointed captain. He pointed toward the pirate ship, which was drifting closer with every passing second.
"Alright, guys..." he said, his usual grin stretching across his face. "Who's gonna be bait?"
Ragatha quickly stepped forward, waving her arms. "Nobody! We can get past them without throwing anyone else overboard." She pointed at gangle who whimpered at the attention.
"Boring." His grin dropped for a fraction of a second, before his smile returned, "Hey pom-pom, remember when I threw you off that truck?" He shot her a finger gun, "How about we do that again for this? It was pretty fun right?"
Pomni immediately shot to her feet and backed away from him. "We are not doing that again! I still don't forgive you!" She jabbed a finger in his direction.
"Glad to kno—" THUNK!
A cannonball slammed into the side of Jax's head, launching him clean off the raft.
"AAAAAA—" His scream grew quieter as he disappeared into the distance.
A second later, a chorus of angry pirate voices echoed across the ocean. "THERE THEY ARE!" "FIRE AGAIN!" More pirate ships emerged from the horizon, "GET EM!"
"I hate this," Zooble muttered flatly as everyone else erupted into panic.
"ZOOBLE, THEY'RE COMING!" Gangle cried, grabbing Zooble's arm so tightly it popped clean off.
Zooble looked down at the detached arm, then back at Gangle. "...Really?"
Pomni's eyes suddenly lit up. "...Wait." She glanced at the arm in Gangle's hands, then at the rapidly approaching pirate boats.
"Zooble!"
"No."
"You don't even know what I'm going to ask!"
"I know exactly what you're going to ask."
Another cannonball crashed into the water beside the raft, sending a wave over everyone and rocking the boat violently. "FIRE!" one of the pirates shouted from the distance.
Pomni stepped toward Zooble, desperation written all over her face. "Trust me!"
Zooble groaned. "...Ugh. Fine."
Without wasting another second, Pomni popped off Zooble's remaining arm. She gripped both detached arms and jammed them into the water like makeshift paddles.
The raft lurched forward.
It wasn't nearly fast enough.
"Go, Pomni!" Ragatha called from behind her.
"I'm trying!" Pomni yelled, frantically paddling harder. "It's still not enough!"
More cannonballs splashed down around them, each impact rocking the raft harder than the last.
Zooble watched the pirate boats continue gaining on them.
She let out a long, defeated sigh. "...Take the legs too."
Pomni didn't argue. She quickly detached Zooble's legs as well, leaving just their head in Gangle's arms.
"Ragatha!" Pomni tossed the legs across the raft.
Ragatha caught them instinctively, staring at them for only a split second before plunging them into the water and paddling alongside Pomni.
The raft surged ahead just as another cannonball exploded into the ocean where they'd been only moments before.
Gangle squinted through the tears still clinging to her eyes. She wiped them away with the back of her ribbon before suddenly pointing into the distance. "The island!" she cried. "Over there!"
Pomni and Ragatha looked where Gangle was pointing. Sure enough, a small island sat just ahead of them.
Without a word, the two quickly shifted the raft toward it, paddling with everything they had.
Behind them, the pirates only grew louder. "AFTER THEM!" "FIRE!"
Another cannonball crashed into the ocean beside the raft, sending a wave over everyone.
"Almost there!" Ragatha shouted.
The raft hit against the sand, everyone scrambled onto the island as fast as they could.
"GRR! YOU GOT LUCKY!" one of the pirates bellowed from the water.
Pomni glanced back toward the ocean at the pirates.
The pirates had stopped.
Every single one of them stood perfectly still aboard their ships.
They weren't shouting anymore. They weren't moving.
They were just...
...staring at her.
Pomni frowned. "...Guys?"
She looked over at the others. "Look."
Everyone turned toward the pirate ships.
When Pomni looked back, the pirates were moving again.
They grumbled to themselves, turned their ships around, and slowly sailed away as if nothing had happened.
"...Did anyone else see that?" Pomni asked quietly.
"See what?" Zooble raised an eyebrow. "And can I have my limbs back?"
Pomni blinked, realizing she was still clutching Zooble's detached arms. "Oh... right.".
Zooble snapped them back into place "Much better."
The group continued farther onto the island. Unlike the chaos out on the ocean, the island was surprisingly peaceful. Tall palm swayed gently, flowers, and coconuts occasionally dropped from the trees with loud thunks that made Gangle jump every time.
After a short walk, they stumbled across a campsite that looked unmistakably like something Caine had put together.
A bright campfire crackled in the center, despite there being no wood underneath it. Six logs had been arranged in a perfect circle, each one just a little too symmetrical to be natural. A picnic table sat nearby, piled high with cartoonish sandwiches, fruit, and bottles labeled "Adventure Juice!"
A wooden sign planted in the sand read:
WELCOME, ADVENTURERS!FEEL FREE TO TAKE A BREAK BEFORE CONTINUING YOUR QUEST!(THE FOOD IS 98% SAFE.)— CAINE
Pomni stared at the sign. "...Ninety-eight percent?"
Zooble let out an annoyed sigh as they sat down with gangle, "So are we just supposed to find a treasure chest? Then the adventures over?"
Ragatha sat across from them, happily picking up a sandwich of her own, "Yea, I think so.. I don't think any more pirates will be trying to kill us either," She said in the most optimistic tone ever while eating her sandwich
Pomni sat down on one of the logs, digging the heels of her shoes into the warm sand. "...This is actually kind of nice," She looked around the peaceful campsite. "...Well, now it is."
A few quiet moments passed.
The crackling fire.
The waves rolling onto the shore.
Gangle happily nibbling at her sandwich.
Then something clicked.
Pomni sat upright.
"...Uh, guys?"
"Yeah?" Ragatha looked over, setting her sandwich down.
"...Where's Jax?"
Silence.
Everyone froze.
"...Maybe he drowned," Zooble muttered with a shrug. "And got sent to pirate hell."
A tiny snort escaped Gangle before she quickly covered her mouth.
SPLASH!
Everyone jumped to their feet.
Pomni whipped around toward the shoreline just as a tiny pirate boat drifted into view.
Standing proudly at the front was Jax, he was absolutely soaked, tangled in seaweed from head to toe, and wearing a pirate hat. A giant grin covered his face, he raised one hand and waved enthusiastically.
Behind him, a pirate NPC casually steered the boat toward shore.
Pomni stared.
"...Did..."
She blinked.
"...Did Jax make friends with the pirates?"
The pirate tipped his hat toward Jax before taking off.
Jax tipped his own in return before hopping onto the sand.
"Miss me?" he asked with a grin.
"Jax!" Ragatha threw her hands into the air. "Did you seriously make friends with the people who were trying to kill us?"
"You bet I did." Jax took off his hat and threw it at Gangle, not even looking. "They're way cooler than you guys."
"I- okay whatever," Zooble muttered, "Can we get this stupid adventure over with?"
The group silently agreed and continued past the campsite Caine had set up for them.
It was peaceful.. well at least more peaceful than any adventure Pomni had experienced here.
That probably counted as normal here.
The walk through the island was surprisingly uneventful. Except for Jax, who had somehow decided pelting Zooble with coconuts was an acceptable use of his time. "Okay guys, maybe we should spread out? try to find the treasure." Pomni announced to the rest of the group.
"Yeah okay.." Zooble agreed, "I'll keep walking with Gangle this way"
Gangle nodded in content
"Sure you dont wanna go with me zoobie?" Jax said mockingly, leaning down infront of them
"I'm sure." Zooble said flatly
"Pomni, wanna come with me?" Ragatha looked down at her giving her a hopeful smile.
"Well.. What about Jax?" Pomni pointed over to him, where he was now drawing faces in the sand.
"Uhh…" Ragatha began twiddling her thumbs uncomfortably
"I'll go with Jax, I guess. You go ahead with Zooble and Gangle"
"O-oh! Yeah.. are you sure?"
"I can keep him in line. Dont worry." Pomni offered a small smile "He will probably hide the treasure if he found it.." Pomni shot a thumbs up to the three of them and walked towards Jax.
Jax looked up from his masterpiece in the sand. "Aw. They stuck me with you?"
"Can you be normal for, like, ten minutes?"
"Let me think.. No."
Pomni sighed.
Why did I go with him?
The two walked in silence for a few moments, their footsteps crunching against the sandy path.
He caught Pomni looking at him from the corner of his eye. "What?"
"Nothing."
"You've been staring at me for like thirty seconds."
Pomni looked away. "I was wondering how you managed to make friends with pirates."
Jax shrugged. "Charm."
"...Seriously?"
"No."
"...Then how?"
"I stole one guy's hat."
Pomni blinked. "That's it?"
"Turns out they respected the confidence."
Pomni couldn't help but laugh a little bit. "Are you serious?"
"Yeah, can you blame them though? Look at me, i'm awesome."
"Sure you are.. purple bunny"
For a brief moment, Jax's grin faded into something quieter. Then, almost as quickly as it had appeared, the familiar mischievous smile returned."Okay little jester.."
A small smile tugged at Pomni's face before she turned her attention back to searching. "Where would Caine put it.." she muttered
"Maybe in your hat"
Pomni gave him an annoyed look, "You were tolerable for about thirty seconds. Good job."
While Pomni looked around, something caught her eye.
A tree.
It flickered out of existence in and out before popping back into place. "Jax! Look!"
The tree was completely normal again.
Jax looked at her confused. "What are you talking about."
She sighed. "Before, when you were out in the ocean... the pirates did something weird. They just—" She paused, trying to find the right words. "They stopped moving. They were just standing there, staring at me."
Pomni shuddered slightly at the memory. "And now that tree just disappeared and came back!"
Jax stared at her for a moment before shrugging. "I think your little jester mind is confused. Caine probably just rushed this adventure or something." A mischievous grin spread across his face. "Although... I'm glad to know you're scared."
Pomni sighed and took a deep breath.
"Maybe..." She glanced back at the tree. It looked completely normal. "Maybe it's nothing."
They continued down the path, Pomni still glancing at the trees every now and then. She already knew Jax wasn't going to let her forget what she'd seen.
"How far did Caine hide this stupid thing?" Pomni complained
"I don't know. Keep it moving or else the glitchy trees will get you." He smirked
"Stop! It's not funny. Im serious."
He let out a small laugh before something caught his eye, he started walking toward it quickly.
"Where are you going?" Pomni followed him.
They both stopped in their tracks. In front of them was a cave with a giant sign hanging over the entrance,
"TREASURE IS DEFINITELY NOT HERE!!!" Underneath it was a terrible drawing of Caine pointing dramatically in the opposite direction.
Pomni and Jax stared at it, then at eachother, shocked at how dumb it was. They couldn't help but burst out in laughter.
"He can't be serious." Pomni said mid laugh
"Well.. let's go in" Jax said catching his breath, "Hopefully no glitchy cave monsters attack you and send you into the void" He flashed his grin
Pomni sighed at his remark, "sometimes I cant tell if you're trying to be an @sshole, or it just comes naturally."
"I'm a funny guy. I know."
They both began to enter the cave, "It's so dark in here.." she muttered
"What? Scared?" Jax poked the side of her, which made her jump.
"Stop!" Pomni swatted at the air, trying to hit him away.
Jax laughed as he continued farther into the cave. A faint light began to shine from ahead. Pomni rushed toward it, and the two stepped into a surprisingly beautiful clearing.
The walls were covered in tiny lights, and colorful flowers poked out from between the rocks. With the chest right in the middle. The whole place almost looked like something out of a fairy tale.
Pomni's eyes widened as she looked around. "...Wow."
Jax glanced at her. "What?"
"It's actually really pretty." She said, finally at east atleast a little bit
Jax took about a five second look at the scene before he rushed to open the chest. It was filled with gold, and random jewlery. "So.. what do we do?"
"Maybe we just have to get it out of here?" Pomni reccomended
Jax shrugged and picked up the chest, "See? Strong man."
Pomni raised an eyebrow before grabbing one of the strings of lights hanging along the cave wall. "Light."
They began making their way out the cave, occaisonally Jax would poke her or randomly scream, just to scare her.
"I can't believe we actually found it," she said.
"I can," Jax replied, carrying the chest effortlessly. "I'm awesome."
"Of course."
A few minutes later, they finally stepped back out into the sunlight, where they saw Zooble and the rest making their way over.
"Hi, guys! Did you find it?" Ragatha cheered.
Jax stared at her for a moment before looking down at the giant chest in his arms.
"Take a wild guess."
A little frown appeared on Ragatha's face.
"Does this mean we can finally leave?" Zooble asked, clearly done with the adventure
"I guess so." Pomni said, finally relieved.
Jax set the chest down, and Gangle and Ragatha immediately rushed over to search through it
Pomni smiled as she watched them dig through the treasure. For the first time all day, everything seemed normal.
Then something flickered in the corner of her eye.
Pomni turned.
"...Huh?"
Pomni slowly made her way toward a faint light coming from behind a bush.
She pushed the leaves aside and froze.
"...What?"
Sitting beneath the bush was a strange rock.It flickered between different colors, almost like it couldn't decide what it was supposed to look like.
Pomni glanced back at the others, Ragatha and Gangle were still distracted by the treasure, while Zooble watched them impatiently.
Then she noticed Jax.
He wasn't looking at the chest.
He was watching her. He got up and made his way over.
"What are you doing?" he asked, looking confused.
He crouched down beside her, finally getting a clear look at the glitching mess.
Pomni looked at him. "I told you I wasn't crazy."
"You're still weird, though." He smirked. "I wouldn't touch it though."
He said it without his usual teasing tone.
Pomni stared at him.
There was something different in his voice.
Almost... concern.
She wasn't used to hearing that from him.
"Seriously? You would throw me into a volcano if you could, you couldn't care less if I got hurt"
For a second, Jax's expression changed. His normal annoying smile disappeared, leaving his wide black eyes staring blankly at her.
"You're right," His uncaring smile returned instantly , along with his normal sarcastic tone "If you transform into a glitchy monster or you explode into confetti, I'll make sure Gangle and Ragatha touch it too." He stood up and looked down at her. "That'll be hilarious. Best moment in this circus by far."
Pomni watched as he walked back toward the others, already teasing Gangle as soon as he got there.
Her attention returned to the flashing light beneath her.
Slowly, she reached down.
Her fingers brushed against the flickering object.
The world froze.
A million different colors flashed across her vision for a millisecond.
Then—
Nothing.
The world was completely still.
It lasted less than a second.
Everything snapped back to normal.
"Pomni?" Ragatha called.
Pomni looked up. Ragatha was standing beside the portal Caine had spawned.
"You coming?"
Pomni blinked. "...Yeah."
She glanced back at the rock.
It wasn't glitching anymore.
Pomni took a breath of relief before making her way toward the portal.