Struggle for Survival

“We should be coming up to a gate soon…don’t worry we’ll make it to the house in time…” Lord Chris tells Princess Rinola as he takes a canister of water from her. After another half hour of walking through the forest until they come across a large stonewall. “Gatekeeper!” Lord Chris yells, “We wish to cross into the Misty Trees!” “And whom wants to cross? Huh? Chris is that you?” says the gatekeeper as he looks down at Lord Chris. “Jake? IT IS YOU!” “Lord Chris…Didn’t expect to see you here since you began your Jedi training 13 years ago.” “Who is he?’ asks Princess Milerna. “He’s my crony, Jake Calley.” “Come on in!” Jake yells down as he pulls a wooden lever to lower the gate into the ground. Jake escorts them into a room inside the wall. “So how is yer mum doing Chris?” “Sorry. She’s deceased. So is father.” ‘Oh. Sorry mate. So how has everything else been?” “We’re on a mission and right now we have to save the life of one of my comrades here. If you wish to join us feel free.” “Ah…I think I will…me ship is destroyed and you’ve been the first person to come by these parts in 5 years.” “Great! Well lets get going.” They soon head out and continue northwest into the forest. After another half hour of travel they run into a large snake. “Oh great just what we need…a xiouracksuu…” says Lord Chris as he pulls out a dagger. The snake soon trips Lord Chris and slithers quickly through everyone else and bites and injects venom into Princess Milerna. “AHHH!” screams Princess Milerna as she pounds on the snake. “Damn snake!” yells Jake as he cuts its head off and pulls the head off of Milerna’s arm. “Mi lady are you all right?” asks Lady Yoko Komo. “I have a cure for it but because she is an arachniate the cure can’t be used.” Says Lord Chris. “Why can’t we give it to her?” asks Arleea. “One of the ingredients is an instant kill poison to arachniates.” “I feel dizzy…” says Milerna as she faints and falls onto the ground. “Milerna!” yells Lord Chris as he runs over to her. He picks her up and Lady Yoko Komo tells Lord Chris to put her on her. Lord Chris does so and he stays with her as they continue walking. “She’s got a fever…My estimation for her remaining life is 5 hours…someplace has to have a retransformation for her to be back to human…” “I’ve heard a rumor that in that house there’s a cure for everything in that house.” Says Jake. “However it was said that you could only take one item and that’s including that bath. And only Rinola can go in.” says Lord Chris. “We’ll have to find another way.” Says Lady Yoko Komo. Rinola tries to talk but she finds that her lips have turned into Porcelain. Soon about ten minutes later they come up to a large mansion that looks old and in bad condition. “Well we’re here…” says Lord Chris as he puts Rinola down. Lord Chris soon notices that she is 2 feet shorter than she was earlier. “Lord Chris I can not allow you to go any further.” Says a man standing in a tree as he jumps down. “I can not allow any of you to continue.” “YOU! I thought you would never return since you ran away from the Jedi Courts like a coward…” says Lord Chris. “ Sorry to disappoint you…but its not you whom I’m after…arise demon warriors….” Soon dead bodies and demons come out of the ground. “Not these guys again…” says Lady Yoko Komo as she places Milerna on Quick Flash. “Rinola, run!” yells Lord Chris as he slices a demon in half and blocks one of the zombie’s attacks. Rinola soon runs inside of the house and the door closes and locks behind her. Soon a cloud of dust forms in front of her and an old man appears. “Princess Rinola. I am Piccolo and I know what you seek. You have 25 minutes to find it and get out. A second longer and you will become one of the twenty-six billion dolls that were people here.” Rinola tries talking and she can move her lips again. “How will I know that I have found he bath?” I cannot help you…I cannot help one with a cold heart…however I will keep the intruder away. It is you to choose the right destiny for you and your friends…” He soon disappears as an hourglass appears right next to her and starts going. “Hurry…” Rinola soon goes up the stairs just as the door opens again. “Where are you, you little brat?” says the unknown man. “Black Knight Sculvious…I cannot let you harm the girl. It is her destiny to…” “ And what are you going to do about it old man? Hit me with your stick? Oh I’m so scared….” “Chalfolious eroctius neutonium…” chants Piccolo as he holds his hand in front of him. Soon a weird dust is coming off of Sculvious and he chants a quick counter spell then her runs up and sluices Piccolo in half. “If you’ll excuse me I have a girl to find…” Sculvious puts his sword back into its case. He soon heads down stairs stepping in Piccolo’s blood. Outside of the house Lord Chris just sliced another 2 demons and zombies in half. Ten zombies surround Lady Yoko Komo and they start coming in closer to her. “So you want to see my spear fiend?” says Lady Yoko Komo as she locks her spear with her arm. She soon kicks her hind legs into the heads of two zombies and the heads roll off onto the ground and then she stabs a zombie in front of her and throws it into a tree and it falls apart. Soon she spins her spear and brings it down and slices the other seven zombies in half. Arleea is surrounded and soon she whips her tail at them and soon she takes her sword out and stabs it through a demon’s heart. The demon shows no reaction and soon it scratches her and rips her clothing. “Arleea get back!” yells the male form of Akia as he jams his staff into the demon’s skull. He soon spins it low and takes the heads off of five zombies. Arleea hides behind Quick Flash and watches the battle. Ten zombies soon surround Jake and he holds his dagger in his left hand and his sword in his right hand. “Flaming tiger!” yells Jake as a tower of fire engulfs him after he says it. Soon he starts spinning and creates a fire tornado. This fire tornado he has created starts to move and soon zombies are left on fire and demons headless. Melfina soon takes her tail and stings a demon. Soon she takes her scythes out and stabs two demons then she rips them out through the sides and slices two zombies in half. “There’s too many of them!” says Shana as she knocks the legs off from 10 zombies and bites a demon. “Take out as many as you can!” says Lord Chris as he slices another five demons in half. Inside the house Rinola walks down in the hallway and sees a mirror. She looks into and sees a beautiful princess wearing a green and blue dress. “That’s me…I know it…” says Rinola as she adores the image. Soon it changes to what she is now and she sees her face is white and her long fake-like hair. Soon her right hand falls off again as she gasps at the image. As she picks up her hand she sees her feet are turning white. She soon taps her stomach and here’s a hollow clinging sound. “I got to find that bath…” Soon she starts hearing voices. “Don’t make the mistake we made…” “Save your friend…” “No! Save yourself…” Rinola soon yells out, “LEAVE ME ALONE!” Her voice echoes through the house and Sculvious soon starts heading up the stairs leading to where she is. “I have to move on…” She looks at he hourglass and sees that she has ten minutes left. She walks up another set of stairs and sees a long hallway with three doors. Soon Piccolo’s voice is heard in her mind. “These three doors are doors to what you desire…choose wisely for you may enter only one…” The voice fades away and she opens the first door and sees herself as a beautiful Queen being adored by everyone. “OH! No…that’s not what I need…” she closes the door and opens the door across from the first door she opened. She sees her family bowing down before her giving her every doll and graceful creature on the planet. “Judging by what these two doors have shown me I’m guessing that the third is for me to be in the play that I always wanted.” Says Rinola as she turns around. When she turns around she sees Sculvious looking at her. “Rinola…What a pleasant surprise…If you come with me I guarantee that you will live…I can reverse the spell…” “What did you do to…” “The old man? He’s dead…” “NO!” she screams as she runs away and runs into and closes and locks the third door. She rests herself against the door and sees the spa and a bookshelf containing jars of anything she thought of. “I MADE IT!” She runs over to the spa and looks in it. She at first sees a reflection. Soon the water ripples as the reflection changes to Princess Milerna. A heartbeat is heard faintly as it slows down. “That’s what he meant…don’t trust the reflections in the spa…I’m sure Milerna will be ok.” Inside of Rinola’s mind two sides clash. “You must get the cure for Milerna…she is dying…” says one side. “Ah who cares about her? It was her fault for getting bit by that snake…go into the spa and be cured.” Says the other side. “A true friend would be willing to risk their life for a friend.” “GO INTO THE SPA!!!” Rinola debates as she looks at the jar covered in cobwebs that will change Milerna back into human. “I must save Milerna…” she picks up the jar and holds it close to her. Soon she just falls to the ground as Sculvious breaks the door down. “Stay back!” “Or you’ll do what?” she soon grabs another bottle and throws it onto him. It shatters and he is drenched in some odd liquid. “Thanks for the drink…” Piccolo talks to Rinola and tells her, “Say ‘Turnamaleous’” “Rinola soon stands and says, “TURNAMALEOUS!” “Your no wizard or Jedi…what can you possibly…” soon he stiffens up as his legs turn into roots and a trunk. “DO?! What have you done to me?!” His arms soon stand straight and his fingers bursts out into branches. He screams and soon all is silent after thirty seconds. Rinola goes around the tree that is now absorbing water from the spa and soon she heads down the first set of stairs. When she is in the middle of the room she falls down and can’t mover her legs any more for all that is left are stiff Porcelain. She looks at her legs then she looks at the hourglass realizing that she only has another 2 minutes left. “One more set of stairs…” she soon places the jug containing the cure for Milerna in her dress’ sleeve with her right hand. Soon she crawls down the stairs taking over a minute to get down. Soon she is slowly crawling towards the door and now her left hand is porcelain and she is crawling slower than ever. She has thirty seconds left and she is about three feet from the door. She finally makes it to the door with ten seconds left and she opens the door. She crawls out of the house just as the last grain of sand falls to the bottom. Soon the jar falls out of her dress’ sleeve and her hand goes back in as her face is now porcelain and her eyes filled with tears and made of glass. Lord Chris soon destroys the last zombie standing and rubs the sweat off of his forehead. “Is everyone all right?” asks Lord Chris as they regroup. “We’re ok but I think Rinola was too late…” says Akia as he transforms back into a she. Lord Chris turns and looks and sees her lying on the ground. They run over and they see the jar. “She sacrificed her life so Milerna may be cured…I’m sorry Rinola…I’ll make sure to give this to Milerna in your honor…” says Lord Chris as he picks the three foot porcelain doll and the jar up. He gives the doll to Akia then he opens the jar’s lid and puts some of the leaves in Milerna’s mouth. “Milerna…You’ll need to eat this…” She groans in pain and chews and swallows the leaves. She soon cries out in pain as her abdomen starts coming into her. A loud creaking sound is heard as the abdomen shrinks and becomes a part of her again. Soon her four legs turn into two human legs and her lower waist becomes a normal human waist again. She soon faints again and rests on Quick Flash. “Good she’s human now…now we can save her…” He takes out a large canister and puts some in her mouth. He tilts her head and she gulps the liquid down. “Uggg….” Groans Piccolo as he comes out of the house bleeding. “Come on!” says Lord Chris as they start running to his aide. “Thanks…as long as I have something of me whole I can regenerate.” “I don’t believe we have been properly introduced…I am…” “Lord Chris Skywalker well I mean Cholnerra. I know…I know all of you…I am Piccolo…guardian of the mystic house.” “Were you the one who prevented Rinola from becoming human again?” “I was the one who helped save her…she decided everything on her own…” She chose with her heart…she was the first to make it out of there without dipping in the doll de-transformation spa.. I have come to reward her…” He looks at the Rinola doll that Akia is holding. He soon zaps out electric sparks from his fingertips and Rinola begins to grow and soon she is back to normal. “What happened? The last thing I remember was seeing him zap me…” “She’s back!” exclaims Jake as he hugs her. “Thank you Master Piccolo…by the way what happened to Black Knight Sculvious?” “He got a little barky. He just grew out.” “Ah….well I hope we meet again sometime…in the meantime….May the Force be with you…” “Travel well Lord Chris…” Lord Chris places his cloak around Milerna and they start walking towards Seridonia.

“So how did you end up hooking up with Lord Chris and his team mate?” asks Jake to Rinola. “Well he had come over for a meeting with father and someone used black magic on me and I started to turn into a doll. So I went with him so I could be cured.” “Ah…you can always count on me bud to accomplish anything. Why one time he and I were out in the black forest woods and a huge griffin came up and he….” He continues to tell stories of him and Lord Chris. Milerna wakes up and soon she wonders why she’s human again. “Your awake…” “Why am I human again?” “You would’ve died if we hadn’t. We are on our way to Seridonia now. It’s a five hour trip so you best get dressed and some sleep.” They stop and she puts some of the clothes that Lord Chris had gotten at Gingwhich.

Over at the Seridonia chapel Suzan’s sister Jeanette is being married to Duke Flamellia. “Do you Lady Jeanette take Duke Flamellia to be your lawfully wedded husband?” asks the neko pastor. “I suppose I do…” “And do you Duke Flamellia of Lumeria take Jeanette to be your lawfully…” “Yes I do! Now get it over with…” “You may kiss the bride.” They kiss but Jeanette tries resisting a little. The bells go off as Suzan holds the door to the carriage open. Jeanette walks into the carriage slowly and Duke Flamellia steps on Suzan’s tail. “Sorry. I suppose you should watch where you place your tail, if you have one.” “Sheesh…” she quietly whispers to herself, “I hope you rot in hell too…” She goes in the carriage and closes the door. The carriage soon takes off and that night at Duke Flamellia’s castle. “You are to remain in this room or I’ll have your head on that wall over there…got it?” Duke Flamellia says to Suzan as he locks her in a room. His footsteps are heard going up the stairs into Jeanette’s room. “Why did sis tell me not to save her if he does anything to her….” Sounds of clothes being ripped and screams from Jeanette is heard. “Poor sis…” Suzan says sadly. She leans against the wall and a stone goes in. “Huh?” she looks as the wall rotates into a small room with computers and weaponry. “Well, well…” she looks at some maps and a battle chart on Alamangolia. “I found what I need…” she folds the map up and puts it in her shoe. She soon presses the stone again and goes back by the door and sleeps in front of it.

Lord Chris and his group arrive in Seridonia and they first stop by the Neko residence. “Mrs. Neko?” asks Lord Chris as she answers the door. “Yes?” “Has Jeanette and Duke Flamellia been married yet?” “Just last night.” “Do you have the location of his castle?” “It’s on Ballmaker Road. Why?” “I am Suzan’s advisor…thank you for everything…” Lord Chris soon leaves and they head towards the castle. They enter through the castle gates and enter King Canaka’s court. “My daughter Rinola has returned!” “No thanks to you father….” Says Rinola as she goes into her room. “Your honor, I have brought your daughter back…We leave in peace and thank you for your services…” Lord Chris and his squad leaves the court and soon heads for Ballmaker road. After fifteen minutes they come up to a large estate. Lord Chris knocks on the door four times and Suzan answers it. “Lord Chris!” Suzan says as she runs up and hugs him. “Yes Suzan its me. Anyway…” Lord Chris starts speaking a foreign language to her. “Yes…” responds Suzan as she hands her the paper from her shoe. “Ah! I see Lord Chris is here.” Says Duke Flamellia as he comes down the stairs. “Duke Flamellia, we have come here to ask for water and food before we set off for the Gateway of Pallivon.” “My Lord…anything you need is of service…if you wish I’ll take your slaves in so they won’t interfere with you.” Says Duke Flamellia as he snaps his fingers at one of his slaves. “You do realize that these people are not slaves. And also that the law for this region has been altered so that slavery is abolished.” “Not according to Lumeria’s laws. Since I am a Duke from Lumeria that law does not apply to me.” “We shall take the water and go. Thank you for your services.” Lord Chris and his team drinks the water but Lord Chris spits the water back out after they leave. “Father…why did you spit the water out?” asks Arleea. “I personally don’t trust him. Hmmm?” The communications stone starts glowing as they walk along the road. “Lord Chris…what is your mission status?” Asks Master Nutanaku. “The Princess is human again, we have a battle plan from Lumeria and we are on route to the Gateway of Pallivon.” Horse hooves are heard coming by rapidly and soon Milerna is snatched up by the horsemen. “MILERNA!” Yells Lord Chris, “I’ll have to get back to you sir…”. Soon two more horses going by at the same speed soon come by and two of them pick up Arleea and Akia. “Hey stop!” Lord Chris yells as he gets onto Quick Flash. “Come on boy…do it like you did seven years ago…” Quick flash soon starts galloping at 300 miles per hour like the other horses that had passed him. “Hey stop!” “You’ll have to talk with the boss! He’s up there!” says the elf rider to the rear. “Thank you!” says Lord Chris as he whips the reign once on Quick Flash. Quick Flash soon starts heading towards the lead horseman at almost four hundred miles per hour now. “Think you can beat me boy?” The lead rider says as he swings his arm at Lord Chris but he ducks. “Stop your steed now!” Lord Chris says. “You want me to stop?! You’ll have to meet me at the Pallivon Gate! If you can catch me that is…” his horse soon speeds up again and Lord Chris yells, “Speed up Quick Flash!” Quick Flash speeds up again and is now caught up to the lead elf rider. They quickly reach the Palivon Gate after going through a number of trees, bushes and side roads. They soon stop nearby a stable. “Your good kid…at least for a human…” “Hand over the women that you have stolen from me…” says Lord Chris as he looks at him. “You want them? You’ll have to race and beat me for them.” “You will hand them over to me!” Lord Chris says as he waves his hand. “Mind tricks do not work on me! Only bargains will work….Do we have a deal?” “Deal…name the place and time…” “There is a race here tomorrow…” “You mean the Grande Frocaint race?” “Yes kid…sign up over there and be prepared to hand over all your belongings including your horse!” He and his team walk over to the pre-registered booth and some men take their horses and Princess Milerna, Arleea, and Akia to the back. “Lord Chris!” Lord Chris turns around and sees the rest of his squad and Jake running after him. “What happened?” asks Melfina. “I have to race them tomorrow in order to regain them.” Lord Chris says as he signs up. “Are you certain you can win?” asks Lady Yoko Komo. “If he was able to keep up with them at over four hundred miles per hour then he can.” Says Jake. “Thank you mi Lord…please rest yourself and we will take care of your horse…” one of the squires comes over and whispers something to him. “My Lord…there is a question of your belongings on Quick Flash…shall we hold onto them for you?” “No I’ll take them.” Lady Yoko Komo comes by and Lord Chris puts Nulnata’s strap and case onto her, he soon puts the second saddle with the supplies onto her. “Take him away squire.” “My Lord…” says the squire as he take Quick Flash in the back. “Let us rest.” They soon head over to the hotel they are allowed to stay at and spend the night.

That night over at a large castle in Lumeria Noba Fett, Lune, and two sith Lords are talking to each other. “Noba Fett, Lune, I have called you two here because you have been the only two to encounter Lord Chris and survive. As you know my son, Siddious Palpatine, and my apprentice, Darth Yei, and I, Lord Falkor, are the last of the Sith race.” Says Lord Falkor Palpatine. “Master Yoshu, we have reports that Lord Chris and his squad are at the gate for the Great Frocaint Race tomorrow.” Says Darth Yei “He’s going to be there? I signed up for that race tomorrow…what is thy commandment?” says Noba Fett as he bows down. “Find out where he’s heading next. Don’t let him win that race.” “Master Yoshu? I thought your name was Lord Falkor Palpatine…” says Lune as he leans on the wall. “I must keep myself disguised so that way my sons rule over the soon to be born Republic will not have default in it. If they see that his father was a Sith Lord the Jedi Council will kill him immediately thus ending his chance to have one of his children’s children chance of victory over Alamangolia and the galaxy! So you are to notify me as Master Yoshu, as of now.” Says Lord Falkor. “My Lord…” soon a soldier dressed like a samurai walks in. “The troops training is now complete. Shall we prepare for invasion of Alamangolia’s territory?” “No…continue to train them and await my command.” “Yes my Lord…” he walks out of the room. “Noba Fett…go to your mission now…” “Yes my master….however you’ll have to pay me double for the lessons I gave and for my services in this race.” “Double it is…” “You are too kind sir…” Noba Fett soon jumps off of he balcony and his Magic propulsion unit is gone but now he has a jet pack. He soon lands on his horse and heads over to the Pavilion Gate.

The sun soon rises over the hill. “Its time…” says Lord Chris as he puts his boots on.

The End

Coming up next… The Great Race for freedom