Hello! I'm Gummysaur. Please call me Gummy. I'm new to the MC Forums. I've always wanted to write an MC story, and here's one right here. (If you go to the SCB Forums on Minecade, you may recognize this...) There are several Youtuber references so watch for those.
Summary: Terry, a young Cactus, lives in his tribe along with several others such as the Bats, Ocelots, and Sheep, and many many more. Half the tribes are ruled by a powerful militia called the Army. The Army is increasingly trying to take over every tribe. Terry refuses to let this happen and he sets off on a long, terrifying journey to defend what he feels right.
Wasn't there enough pain already?
Was there any reason to keep fighting?
Terry awoke with a sharp pain in his back. Heaving, he looked around the battlefield at his fallen brethren. He dragged himself over to his motionless friend, Alex.
"Alex." Terry croaked, exhausted.
"Alex...Alex, please wake up..! There's safety on the other side of the river."
His friend did not stir. Terry groaned, his spiky, green body starting to fall over again. He tried to keep his grip on reality tight, but it was slipping, into a dizzying blackness.
"Alex..?" Terry shook his head and knew he had to bandage his wounds. Struggling, he found some towels the foe had left behind to sop up the blood-stained sand. Funny, Terry thought bitterly. They took our family and friends. Why not just take our home? You could smelt it and turn it into glass. Stained Glass...Stained, red glass. Wouldn't that be nice? Terry shook his head, as if to clear it, but the movement made it spin more. After some difficulty, he covered his wounds. He stood up for a second. The ground swooped below him. He let out a squawk and fell over. The ground pushed the thorns on his face deep into his cheeks. He cried out in pain.
"Is anyone alive?!" he screamed to nobody in particular.
"Alex? Mother? Father?" Terry looked around the battlefield, wielding his broken, cracked wooden sword. The sword had been glowing with enchantments and power before the battle; a mere couple of hours later, the sword had cracked and fell apart in his thorny, spiky hands. There were a few IronGolems scattered on the ground. The Cactus Army had gone straight for the Witches, Creepers, EnderDragons, WitherSkeletons...Terry shook his head in despair. The foe had brought too many soldiers to count. After fighting the the strongest fighters, his clan could not put up with any more. Even the SnowGolems were giving the Cacti a hard time. Eventually, no Cactus was left standing. Except for him.
Several Years Earlier
"Eyyy! Terry, my boy!"
Terry walked into his father's home, smiling.
"Dad! I fought a whole triple-team of Blazes today, and I won!"
"Really? That's great for you, son." Reggi, Terry's father, slapped him on the back, then shook his hand as if he touched something hot.
"Ohh, your spikes are growing in fine. Bet the Blazes didn't like that. How ya' feelin'?"
"I hurt super bad! Those Blazes gave me a couple burns I'll never forget."
"Isabel will give ya' some fire resistance for that." Reggi smiled at his small son. "You're gonna grow up and be a true wonder, ya' know that?"
Terry shyly accepted his praise with a nod of his head.
"Where is mom, anyway? And Derek?"
"Your mother and big brother will be here soon," Reggi replied, hugging him, careful to not hug too hard or they'd get hurt by eachother's thorns.
"They're out collecting Pokeballs, Hammers, God Apples, y'know." Reggi shrugged, and smiled at Terry. "But they'll come back, and they'll stay here forever..." Reggi went back to polishing his sword, humming softly. They'll come back, Terry thought warmly. Mom, Dad, and Big Brother will be with me forever.
Knock, knock...
Terry awoke in his bed, snuggling under the covers. He sat up sleepily, hearing the knock on the door. Tonight is the full moon, Terry thought, suddenly terrified.
"Please be quiet, my son is sleeping," he heard Reggi beg quietly.
"Mr. Thron, tonight is the night of the full moon." A gruff voice replied, ignoring Reggi's request and keeping his voice at regular volume. "Are your taxes paid?"
"I'm sorry, sir," Reggi replied. "But this time we cannot afford the taxes. Please, we will be ready soon. My wife and son are collecting items to sell at the blacksmith's. I promise we'll be ready next time."
"'Next time' is not soon enough, Mr. Thron," The other voice responded. His voice made Terry shiver in fear. It was an Iron Golem, the tax collector.
"Last time and the time before that you could not pay your taxes. This is the third time. You know what that means, don't you?"
"No!" Reggi's voice was raised in fear. "I swear! I will be ready next time! I swear on my life! Please, please give me a second chance."
The Iron Golem ignored him, his voice suddenly very, very low.
"From the official rule book, third times the charm," he snarled. "Failing to pay on the deadline for the third time in a row results in automatic expulsion. I'm sorry, Mr. Thron, but say a last goodbye to the world." These last words were a sneer. Terry, without thinking, grabbed the sword Reggi had been polishing earlier. I can't go at him directly, Terry thought. Silently as possible, he broke the window in his room and crawled out. He leapt onto the ground below and sneaked over to the door, where his father was about to be killed.
"Any last words, ruuuuule-breaker?" The tax-collecter jeered, the word "rule" stretched out as if he was teaching Reggi a new word. Quaking in terror, Terry raised his sword, and raced up right behind the Golem, and shouted.
"You will NOT hurt my father!!"
Terry sliced the sword across the Golem's back. The grand creature roared in fury and Reggi screamed.
"No! Terry! You cannot do this!" Terry ignored him and attempted to stab the furious hunk of metal. The wooden sword met with steel and made a horrible crrrack! noise. The sword crumbled. The Golem whirled around and grasped Terry in his long, thick arms.
"Automatic Expulsion," the Golem hissed, and he flung with all his might. Terry shouted and hit the ground, knocking the breath out of him. By now, the village was awakening, and some Cacti looked out their doors and covered their mouths in shock when they saw the Iron Golem standing over the small child, wielding his cracked sword, quivering in pain and fear. Terry raised his hands, bracing himself for the horror about to come, when a small knife whirled by and hit the Golem in the head. He roared in fury and shambled around, glaring in the direction of the knife-thrower.
"Don't touch him! If you do, you'll probably be pricked to death by his thorns." Alex?! Terry looked at the spoiled rich-kid in shock. Alex and Terry never interacted, being the exact opposite: Terry was poorer than a rock, and Alex could buy a golden toilet if he convinced his parents to. Alex stood up straighter and walked directly towards the guard, his face calm. He must be watched by spirits! Nobody treats the golems like that. Except me, Terry thought, with a touch of pride. Alex looked at the golem and growled, "Do. Not. Touch. Him." The Golem muttered something, and stumbled off somewhere into the distance.
"You're really stupid, you know that?" Alex sighed after a moment, looking at Terry. "You managed to ward off that piece of junk... with my help, might I add, but there's a whole army of creatures out there. That Golem is like a baby villager that doesn't have a head compared to the vast world."
"I couldn't let him hurt my father!" Terry objected. "I hardly ever see mom or big brother! I couldn't let him touch my dad."
"But he's gonna complain to the army! Your father not only is gonna have to pay taxes, but he's gonna have
a LOT more to worry about. If you're lucky, they'll just make your life totally miserable."
"What about you?" Terry shot back. "You did fifty percent of it! They're gonna make YOUR life suck, too!"
Alex simply laughed softly, shaking his head.
"Oh boy, you're right," he answered, surprising Terry. "We're both absolutely screwed."
You're not safe, you were never safe...
Terry looked at Alex in surprised shock. He had expected a quick comeback, not an agreement.
"Terry!" Reggi's voice broke the silence. Terry's father thundered over to him, his face a mask of horror.
"My boy, what have you done, oh God, Terry..." he repeated that a few times, shaking his head, as the milky dawn light peeked over the horizon.
"Give him a break. He was saving your life." Alex growled. Reggi looked at him in surprise.
"N-No, I'm glad I'm alive, you're very brave, but...we cannot stay here. There's no way we'll live in this village."
"What about mom? And big brother?" Terry demanded. Fear shadowed his father's eyes.
"They must come back today, or we'll have to leave them behind." Reggi shook his head, whispering to himself.
"I-I'm sorry," Terry murmured. I only wanted to help! Terry awkwardly pushed what was left of the sword Reggi had made. Reggi ran his hand over it and shut his eyes.
"This can be replaced," he croaked. "It's yours, buddy."
"R-really?" Terry said. His voice came out as a squeak, and he forced himself to lower it. "We're not leaving."
"What?!" Reggi looked at him as if Terry was nuts. "We must."
"We can't!" he shouted. "I'm not scared of those IronGolems, even if you are!!"
"But this isn't about the golems," Reggi whispered, his voice fast and rushed. "This is about our lives, my son."
"We can fight! Cacti can beat an EnderDragon!"
"You're gonna be fighting Witches and WitherSkeletons. Oh, and not to mention Iron Golems, and Magma Cubes, Slimes, Zombies, Withers, TNT, Chickens, pretty much everything you could ever imagine." Alex interrupted. Terry shot him a furious glare. Alex laughed softly and kneeled down next to Terry, who was still crouched on the ground from being flung into the air earlier.
"Listen, kid-"
"You're a kid too." Terry grumbled.
Alex ignored him. "If you're gonna fight, you know this whole village will fight too. But just because Cacti are way up high on the top of the food chain, that doesn't mean you wont need help. You're gonna need an alliance."
"With who?"
"Well," Alex murmured, thinking. "The Ocelots are pretty forgotten by the army. They're very underrated, if you ask me. The ButterBros are kind of iffy. You'll be able to make an ally outta them, but trust me, they wont be making friends." Alex thought some more. "Oh, and the Sheep. The army kind of left out Sheep, which was a huge mistake. They're very good fighters." He made a face. "Sometimes. I wouldn't recruit green sheep if I were you, but if you see a purple sheep, I swear to GOD, you better befriend that thing quicker than--"
"Now hold on just a moment! Who said we're fighting anything?!" Reggi interrupted. Terry smiled.
"We are, Dad. You can stay here if you want."
"Are you nuts? You're too young..."
"Please?" Terry looked at him.
"What do you mean, 'we'?" Alex asked. "Are you inviting--"
"Yeah, you saved my dad's life, plus mine. I want you to come." Terry hugged his father.
"Tell mom and big brother I love them very, very much," he whispered. "But dad, I HAVE to do this. Don't think it's because I don't love you. It's because..." Terry looked at Alex, and whispered so quietly only Reggi could hear; "It's because when I come back home, nobody is gonna threaten anybody. You're gonna be safe." Terry stood up and looked at Alex.
"I'm ready."
Are you sure you're prepared?
Terry sliced the last head of the zombie.
"Great job," Alex panted. "How long has it been since we've left home again? Keep forgetting."
"Only two weeks or so."
"Ugggghhhh. When do we get out of this stupid desert?" Alex groaned.
"The jungle isn't too far off. We'll find an Ocelot in no time."
"Shouldn't we find shelter? I mean, we just fought a truckload of zombies." Alex looked doubtfully at a pack of spiders somewhere in the distance.
"That's a good idea." Terry attempted to make some structure out of sand, but it kept falling all over.
"Let me try." Alex did a somewhat better job, but when they crawled in, sand fell in their eyes.
"We're gonna wake up suffocating to death," Terry grumbled.
"Better than staying out here without anywhere to sleep. The desert gets super cold at midnight."
"Mmmhmm.." Terry mumbled. He was already dozing off. He was just about to switch into sleeping mode, when he heard a sound that sounded like skittering.
"Alex," Terry yawned. "Alex. Get up."
Alex raised his head sleepily. "Wha'?"
"You hear that?"
Alex stood silent, listening.
"Yeah," he said uncertainly. "Do you think it's--"
He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence. With a hissing noise, they were ambushed. Terry's attackers whomped them on the head, and his whole body went limp.
Terry awoke in a small room with a cyan carpet. The walls were made of pinkish-wood, unlike the light-brown planks at home. He was lying down in a small cot. Looking to his side, he saw Alex, still wiped out on another cot next to him. Looking up, ignoring the sharp throbbing in his head, he saw five or so creatures talking quietly at a big table in the center of the room. Terry pretended to be sleeping as he strained his ears to hear them.
"What were they doing so far from home?"
"Their territory is a good two weeks travel away from here. What could they want? They're hardly children!"
"You saw how they fought that hoard of zombies! They are a threat to us."
"Sir, there's no way those two kids could harm our entire army..."
"The Ocelots are not powerful enough to fight Cacti...It's best we lay low, don't mess with anyone. The Army gave us a chance at life by not including us in their...group." Ocelots. Terry thought. Extremely territorial, fast, yet desperately weak at direct attacks. Rumors said their purrs were so loud they could make your vision blur. Terry groaned as a fresh wave of pain devoured him. He saw the Ocelots jump in surprise.
"Cactus!" The one that they had called 'Sir' growled. "Get up."
"What about my friend?" Terry objected weakly.
"He is still asleep. Get up!"
Terry hastily pushed the bedcovers off of him and stood up.
"Why were you in our jungle?" Terry stared at the Ocelot, almost shorter than him. He suppressed a giggle.
"We...uh, we want to form an alliance."
"A wha'?" Terry turned and saw Alex groggily getting out of bed. "Huh? Ocelots? Wait.."
"CACTUS!" The 'Sir' commanded. Alex jumped a little. "No need to shout," he grumbled, rubbing his head.
"You wish to form an alliance?" He sounded faintly surprised.
"Well, not our whole tribe," Terry interrupted. "Just, er, us."
'Sir' raised his tiny eyebrows. "What, are you trying to make your own tribe?"
"N-No," he stuttered. "We, uh--"
"For goodnesses sake, Terry," Alex snapped. "Tell them your name first." Terry shot a mutinous glare at Alex. "I'm Terry, this--" -Terry elbowed Alex-"Is my friend, Alex."
'Sir' nodded. "My name is Phyre. I am the leader of the Ocelot tribe. This is Amethyst, Minu, Score, and Tron." he waved his tail towards the four Ocelots behind him.
"So, you are forming an alliance? Towards what?"
"The Army," Terry replied.
Phyre stared at him as if he was insane, and Score laughed.
"You mean to tell me that you children, are going to try and fight the army?"
"With your help," Alex interrupted. "With the Sheep, Pigs, and ButterBros. Y'know, the guys the army didn't recruit." Phyre made a face.
"It sounds like a good idea." Minu said softly. This was the Ocelot who hadn't spoken yet. Tron shook his head. "Sounds crazy to me."
Amethyst titled her head. "It could work." Terry felt his heart beat faster as he looked at Phyre. Phyre narrowed his eyes.
"My whole tribe knows about your presence..I suppose an alliance wouldn't be awful." He flicked his tail and padded over to some kind of loudspeaker, low enough for him to reach. He explained the story to his tribe while Terry sat down on the cot and closed his eyes. I hope this works...
You're so confident, but are you so sure?
"Yes."
Terry let out a small sigh of relief when Phyre finally turned to him and agreed to ally with him.
"What is your small tribe called?" Phyre asked.
"The...Cacti," Terry blustered. His head hurt from the ambush earlier. Alex snickered, but didn't object. To his surprise, the five ocelots simply nodded.
"Then I suppose we should perform the alliance ceremony," Phyre growled.
Terry felt honored to watch an alliance ceremony happen; and even more honored to be a part of it. Phyre took a deep breath. "Since you are new to this, just repeat what I say when I finish. Alright?" Terry nodded.
"I, Phyre, Leader of the Ocelot Tribe, pronounces the Cacti Tribe--" Phyre shook his head and cleared his throat. "...pronounces the Cacti Clan, his ally and his entire tribe's ally. We shall rely on Terry and Alex for strength and backup in case of any situation." Phyre looked at Terry expectantly.
"I..erm-" Terry's voice cracked. He forced himself to take a deep breath and continued. Tron snickered and Minu shoved him.
"I, Terry, Leader of the Cactus Clan-" Terry looked at Alex, hoping he wouldn't mind that Terry was calling himself a leader. To his relief, Alex gave him a thumbs-up. "...pronounces the Ocelot Tribe his ally and his entire Clan's ally..um, we shall rely on Phyre and his tribe for strength and backup in case of any situation." They dipped their heads, and Phyre grabbed the loudspeaker. "The Ocelot Tribe is now allies with the Cactus Clan!" Terry heard cheers from somewhere below. We're real, Terry thought in shock. We're ready to start.
Alex looked at the Ocelots. "We need two ocelots to travel with us to the Pig and Sheep territory." Instantly Minu looked up. "I will come," she whispered softly. "So will I," Amethyst butted in. Score and Tron stood still, but exchanged looks.
"Our tribe prays for your saftey," Phyre meowed solemnly. "The nearest Plains are to the West. You should find the Pigs and Sheep there. They are allies, so you'll have to speak to both of them." Terry nodded and led the three Clanmates outside.
"You guys ready?" Alex looked at Minu and Amethyst.
"Definitely," they both replied at once.
Minu was tiny, even for an Ocelot, while Amethyst had flowing, long fur. They looked at Terry expectantly. You're the leader, Terry though with a jolt of shock. "Follow me," he commanded, surprised at his steady voice. "We're heading West."
(sorry for the short chapter!)
Be glad you have friends...
for now...
"Alex! Attack from the left side! Minu, Amethyst! Employ the purr attack from the back!" Zombies crawled into their makeshift dirt-fort.
"Yes, Sir!" The Ocelots cried, not even noticing Terry, scarcely more than a child, was ordering them around.
"How'd this happen?" Alex shouted as he sliced off the head of a zombie. "You said Zombies don't roam the jungle often. Just Creepers...which are worse, to be honest."
"Which means that these are Army Zombies. More coordinated than your average brain-eater." Amethyst yelled back, pouncing on a zombie and purring in his ear. The zombie wriggled, moving his head around, his eyes unfocused. Amethyst dealt several blows to his face. A zombie loosed a battle cry, and more creatures poured in the nest. Alex stared at them in dismay.
"I think we should retreat!" hissed Alex to Terry.
"We can't retreat at night! It's not safe!" Terry jabbed his sword high and low, knocking out several zombies.
"Cover your ears! We're about to deploy our special attack!" Minu shouted, interrupting their exchange. Terry and Alex jabbed their fingers in their ears and they saw the two sisters take a deep breath and open their mouths. Like magic, zombies all around them dropped to the ground, covering their eyes, screaming.
"That'll blur their vision for a few seconds! Attack while you can!" Amethyst snarled.
Terry and Alex leapt into the fray and attacked with everything they had. Back to back, they spun in a circle, swiping with all their might. Zombies fell to the ground, screeching. After eight seconds or so, however, the roar had worn off and they fought harder. However, they had lost too many--the zombies raced for the entrance, bleeding, screeching in agony. Terry dropped to the ground, heaving.
"That...was crazy!" he panted.
"Looks like the Army knows of our quest," Amethyst groaned.
"They don't know which direction we're headed, I'll bet," Terry gasped.
"Their plan was probably to overwhelm us, then torture information out of us," Minu murmured. Terry looked at the bodies at their feet.
"You...uh, guys hungry?" He mumbled.
"Ewww! You're kidding, right?!" Alex snapped. "I'll sharpen my thorns and eat them before I chew on zombie!"
"We have to keep our strength up," Terry insisted.
Alex made a face. "Fine..."
Later
"Keep on heading West!" Terry called to his companions.
"I don't waaaaant to," Alex groaned.
"We're used to eating raw fish," Minu purred. "That rotten flesh is nothing!"
"Well, I'm used to eating real food," Alex grumbled, crouching on the ground.
"I was poor, so our meals were pretty gross," Terry laughed, staring at his pained friend.
"Owwww," Alex groaned. "We need to stop here."
Amethyst rolled her eyes. "C'mon, deal with it!" she nosed him up to his feet. Alex screwed up his face and...to put it simply, he lost his lunch. Literally.
Minu shielded her eyes. Terry rolled his. "Lets get to making a treehouse. If we make a house in one of these tall trees, The Army wont get us."
Terry, Minu, and Amethyst worked for a long time to cut up some wood, crawl up the vines, and make a house that four people could fit in. Alex, however, sat on the sidelines, watching weakly.
"That 'food' did not boost my strength," he grumbled.
"Sorry," Terry called from his spot on a vine. "Thought you were accustomed to cruddy food."
By the time night had fallen, they had themselves a respectable treehouse. Minu sighed dreamily.
"Being up in the trees again will be great," she murmured.
"Shame about all those trees we cut up." Amethyst replied, crawling into the cozy home. Terry had done that job, seeing as the Ocelot sisters had been unable to watch their home be sliced up.
"Sorry," Terry responded.
Alex walked in last and climbed into one of the bunk beds. Terry went into the bed under him, while the Ocelots took the other bunk.
"'Night," Amethyst whispered as her eyes closed. Sweet Dreams... Terry thought as his eyes shut.
Run! Run as fast as you can!
Terry awoke to a moan.
"Alex, shut up." he grumbled, pushing a pillow over his head. The groan continued.
"Alex!"
"W-wha?" Alex grunted groggily.
"Shut up."
"What? I didn't say anything."
Terry froze. "Then what's that noise?"
Alex listened and sighed. "Flippin' zombies."
"Psst!" Terry whisper-shouted.
"Huh?!" Minu and Amethyst blustered at the same time, raising their heads.
"Zombies." Terry murmured, looking out a window and seeing the clumsy creatures trying to climb the vines.
"They can't reach us," Amethyst pointed out. Terry nodded. Then he stopped dead. "Th-they're speaking. Sssh." Terry strained his ears.
"Have you blocked up the West?" one said gruffly.
"Yes...they have no way to reach the Pig and Sheep now." They shared an evil laugh.
Terry's mouth went dry. "They know," he choked.
"What now?" Amethyst snapped. "We can't fight without the west's help."
"Torture the stupid things." Alex growled. "And then they'll unlock the west."
"Minu, Amethyst, do the loudest purr attack you can." Terry ordered, plugging his ears. Minu and Amethyst shared a nod, raised their mouths to the sky, and roared with a power that shook the trees. Even though Terry had jabbed his fingers in his ears, he could still faintly hear it, and it made him dizzy. The zombies screamed and fell to the ground, covering their eyes.
"Attack!" Terry shouted, leaping onto the first zombie and slicing with all his strength. Alex leaped down beside him and fought. The zombies slipped out of their grip.
"Tell us why you blocked the West!" Terry screamed. But their eyes had glazed over.
"Double-dead undead," Alex snickered, swooping himself back into the treehouse.
Terry kicked the remains of the beasts, then looked at the ocelots.
"What does that attack do, anyway?" he asked curiously. Minu's eyes sparkled and she let out a small roar. It clearly wasn't as strong as the one she used on the zombies, but suddenly he understood why all the enemies she used it on fainted on the spot. The snarl sliced into his brain and his vision blurred, he covered his eyes instinctively and let out a yelp. Alex had heard the noise too and was experiencing similar symptoms. Terry looked up weakly and saw the dawn light spilling out over the horizon.
"Great," he mumbled. "Where do we go now?"
"The West is gonna be unavailable." Alex sighed, then grinned.
"We have head to the True Universe."
"What?" Terry asked, confused.
"That's where the Stars live," Alex explained. "We could ally with them."
"Alright, then." Terry hoisted his sword over his shoulder. "How do we get to the 'true universe'?"
"We build." Alex looked up. "Their territory consists of the entire sky. They're a very populated race. The Army had no use to them, seeing as they are so common that the Army interpreted that as weakness."
"Mmmkayyyy..." Terry mumbled. Then he got an idea.
"Alex, collect wood. We need shovels." Alex nodded and raced off. Terry and the ocelot sisters waited awkwardly until he raced back, four wooden shovels spilling out of his hands.
"Now, everyone dig!" Terry commanded. They all shoveled and shoveled until they could shovel no more.
"We need to pillar up before nightfall, or else the bats will come out and knock us out of the sky. They live there too."
"Lets ally with them," Terry mumbled, busy digging. Alex looked him in the eye and smiled softly.
"Terry, I think we have a real shot at this...we're gonna win."
Terry looked at him and didn't reply, just nodded. We better...
Although you can touch the skies, you aren't ready just yet...
Terry hoisted himself into the air, breathing heavily, placing dirt under him. He and his friends had formed four dirt pillars and were slowly but surely hopping into the air. The high altitude was making him and his comrades light-headed, even for the Ocelots, who had spent their lifetimes in the trees.
"Are...we...almost there?" Terry panted. Alex looked nervously at the dying sunlight.
"We better be. If we aren't, and night falls, and the bats come out..." Alex's voice trailed off.
"I see something!" Minu shouted. They all looked up, and sure enough spotted a huge hunk of dirt in the air.
"Pillar faster!" Terry ordered. "We need to finish quickly."
By the time they had reached the top, Terry was gasping for air. Night had come as soon as the last clanmate had pushed themselves onto the floating island, and Bats instantly came from nowhere, eyeing the dirt pillars suspiciously, but unable to break them due to their size.
"I can barely breath up here!" Alex puffed.
"See anything?" Minu asked.
"Wait! I see something. Or, er, four things," Terry panted.
"Intruders!" a voice shouted.
"We come in peace," Amethyst wheezed.
Four strange-looking creatures crawled out of the misty darkness. They were completely black, except for a pair of glowing, golden eyes and a small spot on their head that shared the same radiance which had given them away.
"Who are you?" The head Star growled. He sounded hostile, yet tired and...worried?
"We come in peace," Terry repeated. "We only wish for an alliance."
The head Star glared at them, but his gaze was weak.
"Come follow us," he growled.
After a very confusing walk through what felt like a maze, they arrived in a small, iron hut.
"You want an alliance? What a strange group you are...Ocelots and Cacti...your tribes aren't allied. What is the meaning of this?" The head Star asked.
"We aren't a tribe. We are a Clan...The Cactus Clan. Not Tribe, sir."
"My name is Ax," he said suddenly. "These three are Mist, Sylver, and Aaron."
"I am Terry. These are my friends...Alex, Minu, and Amethyst."
Sylver walked forward. Unlike his leader, his eyes were lucid and calm.
"Greetings," he whispered. His voice was like the wind that was putting pressure on the Cacti's lungs.
"Greetings," Mist and Aaron echoed.
This place made Terry uncomfortable. It made him feel as if he was in a dream, and when he awoke he would be bone-tired and terrified.
"I see Phyre sacrificed those two for your...Clan," Ax mumbled, eyeing them suspiciously.
"We are building a Clan to fight the Army. We ask that you ally with us, please." Terry offered.
"No!" Ax snarled, his eyes wild. "The Army tried to recruit us, they did, but we aren't going to be used by you! Leave! At once! Get out!"
"Leader." Sylver murmured. "Please. Calm down." Ax glared at him, muttering something.
"We apologize for our leader," Sylver sighed. "He is old, and has seen many terrible things. Please, Cacti, walk with me." The Ocelots exchanged glances, but didn't say anything, wondering whether to follow.
"You too, Ocelots. Apologies. I thought you were used to being called Cacti." Sylver said.
"No worries," Amethyst responded, walking after Sylver.
"Tell us about your people," Minu asked. Sylver looked away and muttered something under his breath.
"Please," Alex persisted.
Sylver looked at them.
"It's a long story...but I presume you have time." Sylver sat down, and embarked on his story.
"Long ago, the Stars were a very populated race. Although not strong alone, we could dominate in numbers. Then the Army came." Sylver closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"They showed no mercy. They hacked through our families and homeland. They ripped apart everything we had."
"That's awful! Why?!" Minu gasped.
"Because they wanted to recruit us, make us theirs. They tried to persuade us, but Ax, a strong, intelligent leader back then, refused. He said that we were a completely separate species from their murderous kind. The Army was furious and attacked us over and over and over. We fought hard, and the Bats protected us, too. They came to our island to rest. That's why you're very lucky you made it in the nick of time. The Bats would've killed you all."
"After the massacre stopped, the Army left us alone. It was so sudden. One day they were trying to make us extinct, and the next, they were gone. The Star Tribe is jumpy and terrified for their lives now, however. Ax was too shaken up to do anything. That's why he was so shocked when you four came in. He was so tired of fighting. So when you asked to make an alliance...it was all he could do to remember the time the Army had done the same thing...and the consequences afterwards. I'm sorry, but my tribe will not be allying with the Cacti."
"But we fight a common enemy!" Terry attempted to make Sylver change his mind.
"Yes, but you aren't going to be protecting us. We cannot lose a single Star. But..." Sylver handed him a pink egg with dark red spots.
"I want to give you a reward for your efforts." his voice had a cobweb-like quality.
"This is Jeffery. He is an almighty pig...it may sound silly and ridiculous, but this pig can and will save the life and fully heal whoever you desire." his voice suddenly became grave. "But use it wisely, Terry. Jeffery will change the course of your life." the Star got up stiffly.
"I am deeply sorry, but Ax will not be convinced to ally with you. Leave at dawn, when the Bats are asleep. And hide. Ax will be searching for you."
"W-why are you telling us this?" Terry whispered. Sylver looked into Terry's eyes. The look Sylver gave him made Terry tense up. It was as if Sylver was staring into his soul.
"Because for a long time, we've had nobody to trust. I trust you all...to defeat the army. Farewell, young Terry." Terry's heart shook with emotion. Did this wise, experienced adult expect him to lead his Clan into battle?
Summary: Terry, a young Cactus, lives in his tribe along with several others such as the Bats, Ocelots, and Sheep, and many many more. Half the tribes are ruled by a powerful militia called the Army. The Army is increasingly trying to take over every tribe. Terry refuses to let this happen and he sets off on a long, terrifying journey to defend what he feels right.
Was there any reason to keep fighting?
"Alex." Terry croaked, exhausted.
"Alex...Alex, please wake up..! There's safety on the other side of the river."
His friend did not stir. Terry groaned, his spiky, green body starting to fall over again. He tried to keep his grip on reality tight, but it was slipping, into a dizzying blackness.
"Alex..?" Terry shook his head and knew he had to bandage his wounds. Struggling, he found some towels the foe had left behind to sop up the blood-stained sand.
Funny, Terry thought bitterly. They took our family and friends. Why not just take our home? You could smelt it and turn it into glass. Stained Glass...Stained, red glass. Wouldn't that be nice? Terry shook his head, as if to clear it, but the movement made it spin more. After some difficulty, he covered his wounds. He stood up for a second. The ground swooped below him. He let out a squawk and fell over. The ground pushed the thorns on his face deep into his cheeks. He cried out in pain.
"Is anyone alive?!" he screamed to nobody in particular.
"Alex? Mother? Father?" Terry looked around the battlefield, wielding his broken, cracked wooden sword. The sword had been glowing with enchantments and power before the battle; a mere couple of hours later, the sword had cracked and fell apart in his thorny, spiky hands. There were a few IronGolems scattered on the ground. The Cactus Army had gone straight for the Witches, Creepers, EnderDragons, WitherSkeletons...Terry shook his head in despair. The foe had brought too many soldiers to count. After fighting the the strongest fighters, his clan could not put up with any more. Even the SnowGolems were giving the Cacti a hard time. Eventually, no Cactus was left standing. Except for him.
Several Years Earlier
"Eyyy! Terry, my boy!"
Terry walked into his father's home, smiling.
"Dad! I fought a whole triple-team of Blazes today, and I won!"
"Really? That's great for you, son." Reggi, Terry's father, slapped him on the back, then shook his hand as if he touched something hot.
"Ohh, your spikes are growing in fine. Bet the Blazes didn't like that. How ya' feelin'?"
"I hurt super bad! Those Blazes gave me a couple burns I'll never forget."
"Isabel will give ya' some fire resistance for that." Reggi smiled at his small son. "You're gonna grow up and be a true wonder, ya' know that?"
Terry shyly accepted his praise with a nod of his head.
"Where is mom, anyway? And Derek?"
"Your mother and big brother will be here soon," Reggi replied, hugging him, careful to not hug too hard or they'd get hurt by eachother's thorns.
"They're out collecting Pokeballs, Hammers, God Apples, y'know." Reggi shrugged, and smiled at Terry. "But they'll come back, and they'll stay here forever..." Reggi went back to polishing his sword, humming softly.
They'll come back, Terry thought warmly. Mom, Dad, and Big Brother will be with me forever.
Tonight is the full moon, Terry thought, suddenly terrified.
"Please be quiet, my son is sleeping," he heard Reggi beg quietly.
"Mr. Thron, tonight is the night of the full moon." A gruff voice replied, ignoring Reggi's request and keeping his voice at regular volume. "Are your taxes paid?"
"I'm sorry, sir," Reggi replied. "But this time we cannot afford the taxes. Please, we will be ready soon. My wife and son are collecting items to sell at the blacksmith's. I promise we'll be ready next time."
"'Next time' is not soon enough, Mr. Thron," The other voice responded. His voice made Terry shiver in fear. It was an Iron Golem, the tax collector.
"Last time and the time before that you could not pay your taxes. This is the third time. You know what that means, don't you?"
"No!" Reggi's voice was raised in fear. "I swear! I will be ready next time! I swear on my life! Please, please give me a second chance."
The Iron Golem ignored him, his voice suddenly very, very low.
"From the official rule book, third times the charm," he snarled. "Failing to pay on the deadline for the third time in a row results in automatic expulsion. I'm sorry, Mr. Thron, but say a last goodbye to the world." These last words were a sneer. Terry, without thinking, grabbed the sword Reggi had been polishing earlier.
I can't go at him directly, Terry thought. Silently as possible, he broke the window in his room and crawled out. He leapt onto the ground below and sneaked over to the door, where his father was about to be killed.
"Any last words, ruuuuule-breaker?" The tax-collecter jeered, the word "rule" stretched out as if he was teaching Reggi a new word. Quaking in terror, Terry raised his sword, and raced up right behind the Golem, and shouted.
"You will NOT hurt my father!!"
Terry sliced the sword across the Golem's back. The grand creature roared in fury and Reggi screamed.
"No! Terry! You cannot do this!" Terry ignored him and attempted to stab the furious hunk of metal. The wooden sword met with steel and made a horrible crrrack! noise. The sword crumbled. The Golem whirled around and grasped Terry in his long, thick arms.
"Automatic Expulsion," the Golem hissed, and he flung with all his might. Terry shouted and hit the ground, knocking the breath out of him. By now, the village was awakening, and some Cacti looked out their doors and covered their mouths in shock when they saw the Iron Golem standing over the small child, wielding his cracked sword, quivering in pain and fear. Terry raised his hands, bracing himself for the horror about to come, when a small knife whirled by and hit the Golem in the head. He roared in fury and shambled around, glaring in the direction of the knife-thrower.
"Don't touch him! If you do, you'll probably be pricked to death by his thorns."
Alex?! Terry looked at the spoiled rich-kid in shock. Alex and Terry never interacted, being the exact opposite: Terry was poorer than a rock, and Alex could buy a golden toilet if he convinced his parents to. Alex stood up straighter and walked directly towards the guard, his face calm. He must be watched by spirits! Nobody treats the golems like that.
Except me, Terry thought, with a touch of pride. Alex looked at the golem and growled, "Do. Not. Touch. Him." The Golem muttered something, and stumbled off somewhere into the distance.
"You're really stupid, you know that?" Alex sighed after a moment, looking at Terry. "You managed to ward off that piece of junk... with my help, might I add, but there's a whole army of creatures out there. That Golem is like a baby villager that doesn't have a head compared to the vast world."
"I couldn't let him hurt my father!" Terry objected. "I hardly ever see mom or big brother! I couldn't let him touch my dad."
"But he's gonna complain to the army! Your father not only is gonna have to pay taxes, but he's gonna have
a LOT more to worry about. If you're lucky, they'll just make your life totally miserable."
"What about you?" Terry shot back. "You did fifty percent of it! They're gonna make YOUR life suck, too!"
Alex simply laughed softly, shaking his head.
"Oh boy, you're right," he answered, surprising Terry. "We're both absolutely screwed."
"Terry!" Reggi's voice broke the silence. Terry's father thundered over to him, his face a mask of horror.
"My boy, what have you done, oh God, Terry..." he repeated that a few times, shaking his head, as the milky dawn light peeked over the horizon.
"Give him a break. He was saving your life." Alex growled. Reggi looked at him in surprise.
"N-No, I'm glad I'm alive, you're very brave, but...we cannot stay here. There's no way we'll live in this village."
"What about mom? And big brother?" Terry demanded. Fear shadowed his father's eyes.
"They must come back today, or we'll have to leave them behind." Reggi shook his head, whispering to himself.
"I-I'm sorry," Terry murmured. I only wanted to help! Terry awkwardly pushed what was left of the sword Reggi had made. Reggi ran his hand over it and shut his eyes.
"This can be replaced," he croaked. "It's yours, buddy."
"R-really?" Terry said. His voice came out as a squeak, and he forced himself to lower it. "We're not leaving."
"What?!" Reggi looked at him as if Terry was nuts. "We must."
"We can't!" he shouted. "I'm not scared of those IronGolems, even if you are!!"
"But this isn't about the golems," Reggi whispered, his voice fast and rushed. "This is about our lives, my son."
"We can fight! Cacti can beat an EnderDragon!"
"You're gonna be fighting Witches and WitherSkeletons. Oh, and not to mention Iron Golems, and Magma Cubes, Slimes, Zombies, Withers, TNT, Chickens, pretty much everything you could ever imagine." Alex interrupted. Terry shot him a furious glare. Alex laughed softly and kneeled down next to Terry, who was still crouched on the ground from being flung into the air earlier.
"Listen, kid-"
"You're a kid too." Terry grumbled.
Alex ignored him. "If you're gonna fight, you know this whole village will fight too. But just because Cacti are way up high on the top of the food chain, that doesn't mean you wont need help. You're gonna need an alliance."
"With who?"
"Well," Alex murmured, thinking. "The Ocelots are pretty forgotten by the army. They're very underrated, if you ask me. The ButterBros are kind of iffy. You'll be able to make an ally outta them, but trust me, they wont be making friends." Alex thought some more. "Oh, and the Sheep. The army kind of left out Sheep, which was a huge mistake. They're very good fighters." He made a face. "Sometimes. I wouldn't recruit green sheep if I were you, but if you see a purple sheep, I swear to GOD, you better befriend that thing quicker than--"
"Now hold on just a moment! Who said we're fighting anything?!" Reggi interrupted. Terry smiled.
"We are, Dad. You can stay here if you want."
"Are you nuts? You're too young..."
"Please?" Terry looked at him.
"What do you mean, 'we'?" Alex asked. "Are you inviting--"
"Yeah, you saved my dad's life, plus mine. I want you to come." Terry hugged his father.
"Tell mom and big brother I love them very, very much," he whispered. "But dad, I HAVE to do this. Don't think it's because I don't love you. It's because..." Terry looked at Alex, and whispered so quietly only Reggi could hear; "It's because when I come back home, nobody is gonna threaten anybody. You're gonna be safe." Terry stood up and looked at Alex.
"I'm ready."
"Great job," Alex panted. "How long has it been since we've left home again? Keep forgetting."
"Only two weeks or so."
"Ugggghhhh. When do we get out of this stupid desert?" Alex groaned.
"The jungle isn't too far off. We'll find an Ocelot in no time."
"Shouldn't we find shelter? I mean, we just fought a truckload of zombies." Alex looked doubtfully at a pack of spiders somewhere in the distance.
"That's a good idea." Terry attempted to make some structure out of sand, but it kept falling all over.
"Let me try." Alex did a somewhat better job, but when they crawled in, sand fell in their eyes.
"We're gonna wake up suffocating to death," Terry grumbled.
"Better than staying out here without anywhere to sleep. The desert gets super cold at midnight."
"Mmmhmm.." Terry mumbled. He was already dozing off. He was just about to switch into sleeping mode, when he heard a sound that sounded like skittering.
"Alex," Terry yawned. "Alex. Get up."
Alex raised his head sleepily. "Wha'?"
"You hear that?"
Alex stood silent, listening.
"Yeah," he said uncertainly. "Do you think it's--"
He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence. With a hissing noise, they were ambushed. Terry's attackers whomped them on the head, and his whole body went limp.
Terry awoke in a small room with a cyan carpet. The walls were made of pinkish-wood, unlike the light-brown planks at home. He was lying down in a small cot. Looking to his side, he saw Alex, still wiped out on another cot next to him. Looking up, ignoring the sharp throbbing in his head, he saw five or so creatures talking quietly at a big table in the center of the room. Terry pretended to be sleeping as he strained his ears to hear them.
"What were they doing so far from home?"
"Their territory is a good two weeks travel away from here. What could they want? They're hardly children!"
"You saw how they fought that hoard of zombies! They are a threat to us."
"Sir, there's no way those two kids could harm our entire army..."
"The Ocelots are not powerful enough to fight Cacti...It's best we lay low, don't mess with anyone. The Army gave us a chance at life by not including us in their...group."
Ocelots. Terry thought. Extremely territorial, fast, yet desperately weak at direct attacks. Rumors said their purrs were so loud they could make your vision blur. Terry groaned as a fresh wave of pain devoured him. He saw the Ocelots jump in surprise.
"Cactus!" The one that they had called 'Sir' growled. "Get up."
"What about my friend?" Terry objected weakly.
"He is still asleep. Get up!"
Terry hastily pushed the bedcovers off of him and stood up.
"Why were you in our jungle?" Terry stared at the Ocelot, almost shorter than him. He suppressed a giggle.
"We...uh, we want to form an alliance."
"A wha'?" Terry turned and saw Alex groggily getting out of bed. "Huh? Ocelots? Wait.."
"CACTUS!" The 'Sir' commanded. Alex jumped a little. "No need to shout," he grumbled, rubbing his head.
"You wish to form an alliance?" He sounded faintly surprised.
"Well, not our whole tribe," Terry interrupted. "Just, er, us."
'Sir' raised his tiny eyebrows. "What, are you trying to make your own tribe?"
"N-No," he stuttered. "We, uh--"
"For goodnesses sake, Terry," Alex snapped. "Tell them your name first." Terry shot a mutinous glare at Alex. "I'm Terry, this--" -Terry elbowed Alex-"Is my friend, Alex."
'Sir' nodded. "My name is Phyre. I am the leader of the Ocelot tribe. This is Amethyst, Minu, Score, and Tron." he waved his tail towards the four Ocelots behind him.
"So, you are forming an alliance? Towards what?"
"The Army," Terry replied.
Phyre stared at him as if he was insane, and Score laughed.
"You mean to tell me that you children, are going to try and fight the army?"
"With your help," Alex interrupted. "With the Sheep, Pigs, and ButterBros. Y'know, the guys the army didn't recruit." Phyre made a face.
"It sounds like a good idea." Minu said softly. This was the Ocelot who hadn't spoken yet. Tron shook his head. "Sounds crazy to me."
Amethyst titled her head. "It could work." Terry felt his heart beat faster as he looked at Phyre. Phyre narrowed his eyes.
"My whole tribe knows about your presence..I suppose an alliance wouldn't be awful." He flicked his tail and padded over to some kind of loudspeaker, low enough for him to reach. He explained the story to his tribe while Terry sat down on the cot and closed his eyes.
I hope this works...
Terry let out a small sigh of relief when Phyre finally turned to him and agreed to ally with him.
"What is your small tribe called?" Phyre asked.
"The...Cacti," Terry blustered. His head hurt from the ambush earlier. Alex snickered, but didn't object. To his surprise, the five ocelots simply nodded.
"Then I suppose we should perform the alliance ceremony," Phyre growled.
Terry felt honored to watch an alliance ceremony happen; and even more honored to be a part of it. Phyre took a deep breath. "Since you are new to this, just repeat what I say when I finish. Alright?" Terry nodded.
"I, Phyre, Leader of the Ocelot Tribe, pronounces the Cacti Tribe--" Phyre shook his head and cleared his throat. "...pronounces the Cacti Clan, his ally and his entire tribe's ally. We shall rely on Terry and Alex for strength and backup in case of any situation." Phyre looked at Terry expectantly.
"I..erm-" Terry's voice cracked. He forced himself to take a deep breath and continued. Tron snickered and Minu shoved him.
"I, Terry, Leader of the Cactus Clan-" Terry looked at Alex, hoping he wouldn't mind that Terry was calling himself a leader. To his relief, Alex gave him a thumbs-up. "...pronounces the Ocelot Tribe his ally and his entire Clan's ally..um, we shall rely on Phyre and his tribe for strength and backup in case of any situation." They dipped their heads, and Phyre grabbed the loudspeaker. "The Ocelot Tribe is now allies with the Cactus Clan!" Terry heard cheers from somewhere below.
We're real, Terry thought in shock. We're ready to start.
Alex looked at the Ocelots. "We need two ocelots to travel with us to the Pig and Sheep territory." Instantly Minu looked up. "I will come," she whispered softly. "So will I," Amethyst butted in. Score and Tron stood still, but exchanged looks.
"Our tribe prays for your saftey," Phyre meowed solemnly. "The nearest Plains are to the West. You should find the Pigs and Sheep there. They are allies, so you'll have to speak to both of them." Terry nodded and led the three Clanmates outside.
"You guys ready?" Alex looked at Minu and Amethyst.
"Definitely," they both replied at once.
Minu was tiny, even for an Ocelot, while Amethyst had flowing, long fur. They looked at Terry expectantly. You're the leader, Terry though with a jolt of shock. "Follow me," he commanded, surprised at his steady voice. "We're heading West."
(sorry for the short chapter!)
for now...
"Yes, Sir!" The Ocelots cried, not even noticing Terry, scarcely more than a child, was ordering them around.
"How'd this happen?" Alex shouted as he sliced off the head of a zombie. "You said Zombies don't roam the jungle often. Just Creepers...which are worse, to be honest."
"Which means that these are Army Zombies. More coordinated than your average brain-eater." Amethyst yelled back, pouncing on a zombie and purring in his ear. The zombie wriggled, moving his head around, his eyes unfocused. Amethyst dealt several blows to his face. A zombie loosed a battle cry, and more creatures poured in the nest. Alex stared at them in dismay.
"I think we should retreat!" hissed Alex to Terry.
"We can't retreat at night! It's not safe!" Terry jabbed his sword high and low, knocking out several zombies.
"Cover your ears! We're about to deploy our special attack!" Minu shouted, interrupting their exchange. Terry and Alex jabbed their fingers in their ears and they saw the two sisters take a deep breath and open their mouths. Like magic, zombies all around them dropped to the ground, covering their eyes, screaming.
"That'll blur their vision for a few seconds! Attack while you can!" Amethyst snarled.
Terry and Alex leapt into the fray and attacked with everything they had. Back to back, they spun in a circle, swiping with all their might. Zombies fell to the ground, screeching. After eight seconds or so, however, the roar had worn off and they fought harder. However, they had lost too many--the zombies raced for the entrance, bleeding, screeching in agony. Terry dropped to the ground, heaving.
"That...was crazy!" he panted.
"Looks like the Army knows of our quest," Amethyst groaned.
"They don't know which direction we're headed, I'll bet," Terry gasped.
"Their plan was probably to overwhelm us, then torture information out of us," Minu murmured. Terry looked at the bodies at their feet.
"You...uh, guys hungry?" He mumbled.
"Ewww! You're kidding, right?!" Alex snapped. "I'll sharpen my thorns and eat them before I chew on zombie!"
"We have to keep our strength up," Terry insisted.
Alex made a face. "Fine..."
Later
"Keep on heading West!" Terry called to his companions.
"I don't waaaaant to," Alex groaned.
"We're used to eating raw fish," Minu purred. "That rotten flesh is nothing!"
"Well, I'm used to eating real food," Alex grumbled, crouching on the ground.
"I was poor, so our meals were pretty gross," Terry laughed, staring at his pained friend.
"Owwww," Alex groaned. "We need to stop here."
Amethyst rolled her eyes. "C'mon, deal with it!" she nosed him up to his feet. Alex screwed up his face and...to put it simply, he lost his lunch. Literally.
Minu shielded her eyes. Terry rolled his. "Lets get to making a treehouse. If we make a house in one of these tall trees, The Army wont get us."
Terry, Minu, and Amethyst worked for a long time to cut up some wood, crawl up the vines, and make a house that four people could fit in. Alex, however, sat on the sidelines, watching weakly.
"That 'food' did not boost my strength," he grumbled.
"Sorry," Terry called from his spot on a vine. "Thought you were accustomed to cruddy food."
By the time night had fallen, they had themselves a respectable treehouse. Minu sighed dreamily.
"Being up in the trees again will be great," she murmured.
"Shame about all those trees we cut up." Amethyst replied, crawling into the cozy home. Terry had done that job, seeing as the Ocelot sisters had been unable to watch their home be sliced up.
"Sorry," Terry responded.
Alex walked in last and climbed into one of the bunk beds. Terry went into the bed under him, while the Ocelots took the other bunk.
"'Night," Amethyst whispered as her eyes closed.
Sweet Dreams... Terry thought as his eyes shut.
"Alex, shut up." he grumbled, pushing a pillow over his head. The groan continued.
"Alex!"
"W-wha?" Alex grunted groggily.
"Shut up."
"What? I didn't say anything."
Terry froze. "Then what's that noise?"
Alex listened and sighed. "Flippin' zombies."
"Psst!" Terry whisper-shouted.
"Huh?!" Minu and Amethyst blustered at the same time, raising their heads.
"Zombies." Terry murmured, looking out a window and seeing the clumsy creatures trying to climb the vines.
"They can't reach us," Amethyst pointed out. Terry nodded. Then he stopped dead. "Th-they're speaking. Sssh." Terry strained his ears.
"Have you blocked up the West?" one said gruffly.
"Yes...they have no way to reach the Pig and Sheep now." They shared an evil laugh.
Terry's mouth went dry. "They know," he choked.
"What now?" Amethyst snapped. "We can't fight without the west's help."
"Torture the stupid things." Alex growled. "And then they'll unlock the west."
"Minu, Amethyst, do the loudest purr attack you can." Terry ordered, plugging his ears. Minu and Amethyst shared a nod, raised their mouths to the sky, and roared with a power that shook the trees. Even though Terry had jabbed his fingers in his ears, he could still faintly hear it, and it made him dizzy. The zombies screamed and fell to the ground, covering their eyes.
"Attack!" Terry shouted, leaping onto the first zombie and slicing with all his strength. Alex leaped down beside him and fought. The zombies slipped out of their grip.
"Tell us why you blocked the West!" Terry screamed. But their eyes had glazed over.
"Double-dead undead," Alex snickered, swooping himself back into the treehouse.
Terry kicked the remains of the beasts, then looked at the ocelots.
"What does that attack do, anyway?" he asked curiously. Minu's eyes sparkled and she let out a small roar. It clearly wasn't as strong as the one she used on the zombies, but suddenly he understood why all the enemies she used it on fainted on the spot. The snarl sliced into his brain and his vision blurred, he covered his eyes instinctively and let out a yelp. Alex had heard the noise too and was experiencing similar symptoms. Terry looked up weakly and saw the dawn light spilling out over the horizon.
"Great," he mumbled. "Where do we go now?"
"The West is gonna be unavailable." Alex sighed, then grinned.
"We have head to the True Universe."
"What?" Terry asked, confused.
"That's where the Stars live," Alex explained. "We could ally with them."
"Alright, then." Terry hoisted his sword over his shoulder. "How do we get to the 'true universe'?"
"We build." Alex looked up. "Their territory consists of the entire sky. They're a very populated race. The Army had no use to them, seeing as they are so common that the Army interpreted that as weakness."
"Mmmkayyyy..." Terry mumbled. Then he got an idea.
"Alex, collect wood. We need shovels." Alex nodded and raced off. Terry and the ocelot sisters waited awkwardly until he raced back, four wooden shovels spilling out of his hands.
"Now, everyone dig!" Terry commanded. They all shoveled and shoveled until they could shovel no more.
"We need to pillar up before nightfall, or else the bats will come out and knock us out of the sky. They live there too."
"Lets ally with them," Terry mumbled, busy digging. Alex looked him in the eye and smiled softly.
"Terry, I think we have a real shot at this...we're gonna win."
Terry looked at him and didn't reply, just nodded. We better...
Terry hoisted himself into the air, breathing heavily, placing dirt under him. He and his friends had formed four dirt pillars and were slowly but surely hopping into the air. The high altitude was making him and his comrades light-headed, even for the Ocelots, who had spent their lifetimes in the trees.
"Are...we...almost there?" Terry panted. Alex looked nervously at the dying sunlight.
"We better be. If we aren't, and night falls, and the bats come out..." Alex's voice trailed off.
"I see something!" Minu shouted. They all looked up, and sure enough spotted a huge hunk of dirt in the air.
"Pillar faster!" Terry ordered. "We need to finish quickly."
By the time they had reached the top, Terry was gasping for air. Night had come as soon as the last clanmate had pushed themselves onto the floating island, and Bats instantly came from nowhere, eyeing the dirt pillars suspiciously, but unable to break them due to their size.
"I can barely breath up here!" Alex puffed.
"See anything?" Minu asked.
"Wait! I see something. Or, er, four things," Terry panted.
"Intruders!" a voice shouted.
"We come in peace," Amethyst wheezed.
Four strange-looking creatures crawled out of the misty darkness. They were completely black, except for a pair of glowing, golden eyes and a small spot on their head that shared the same radiance which had given them away.
"Who are you?" The head Star growled. He sounded hostile, yet tired and...worried?
"We come in peace," Terry repeated. "We only wish for an alliance."
The head Star glared at them, but his gaze was weak.
"Come follow us," he growled.
After a very confusing walk through what felt like a maze, they arrived in a small, iron hut.
"You want an alliance? What a strange group you are...Ocelots and Cacti...your tribes aren't allied. What is the meaning of this?" The head Star asked.
"We aren't a tribe. We are a Clan...The Cactus Clan. Not Tribe, sir."
"My name is Ax," he said suddenly. "These three are Mist, Sylver, and Aaron."
"I am Terry. These are my friends...Alex, Minu, and Amethyst."
Sylver walked forward. Unlike his leader, his eyes were lucid and calm.
"Greetings," he whispered. His voice was like the wind that was putting pressure on the Cacti's lungs.
"Greetings," Mist and Aaron echoed.
This place made Terry uncomfortable. It made him feel as if he was in a dream, and when he awoke he would be bone-tired and terrified.
"I see Phyre sacrificed those two for your...Clan," Ax mumbled, eyeing them suspiciously.
"We are building a Clan to fight the Army. We ask that you ally with us, please." Terry offered.
"No!" Ax snarled, his eyes wild. "The Army tried to recruit us, they did, but we aren't going to be used by you! Leave! At once! Get out!"
"Leader." Sylver murmured. "Please. Calm down." Ax glared at him, muttering something.
"We apologize for our leader," Sylver sighed. "He is old, and has seen many terrible things. Please, Cacti, walk with me." The Ocelots exchanged glances, but didn't say anything, wondering whether to follow.
"You too, Ocelots. Apologies. I thought you were used to being called Cacti." Sylver said.
"No worries," Amethyst responded, walking after Sylver.
"Tell us about your people," Minu asked. Sylver looked away and muttered something under his breath.
"Please," Alex persisted.
Sylver looked at them.
"It's a long story...but I presume you have time." Sylver sat down, and embarked on his story.
"Long ago, the Stars were a very populated race. Although not strong alone, we could dominate in numbers. Then the Army came." Sylver closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"They showed no mercy. They hacked through our families and homeland. They ripped apart everything we had."
"That's awful! Why?!" Minu gasped.
"Because they wanted to recruit us, make us theirs. They tried to persuade us, but Ax, a strong, intelligent leader back then, refused. He said that we were a completely separate species from their murderous kind. The Army was furious and attacked us over and over and over. We fought hard, and the Bats protected us, too. They came to our island to rest. That's why you're very lucky you made it in the nick of time. The Bats would've killed you all."
"After the massacre stopped, the Army left us alone. It was so sudden. One day they were trying to make us extinct, and the next, they were gone. The Star Tribe is jumpy and terrified for their lives now, however. Ax was too shaken up to do anything. That's why he was so shocked when you four came in. He was so tired of fighting. So when you asked to make an alliance...it was all he could do to remember the time the Army had done the same thing...and the consequences afterwards. I'm sorry, but my tribe will not be allying with the Cacti."
"But we fight a common enemy!" Terry attempted to make Sylver change his mind.
"Yes, but you aren't going to be protecting us. We cannot lose a single Star. But..." Sylver handed him a pink egg with dark red spots.
"I want to give you a reward for your efforts." his voice had a cobweb-like quality.
"This is Jeffery. He is an almighty pig...it may sound silly and ridiculous, but this pig can and will save the life and fully heal whoever you desire." his voice suddenly became grave. "But use it wisely, Terry. Jeffery will change the course of your life." the Star got up stiffly.
"I am deeply sorry, but Ax will not be convinced to ally with you. Leave at dawn, when the Bats are asleep. And hide. Ax will be searching for you."
"W-why are you telling us this?" Terry whispered. Sylver looked into Terry's eyes. The look Sylver gave him made Terry tense up. It was as if Sylver was staring into his soul.
"Because for a long time, we've had nobody to trust. I trust you all...to defeat the army. Farewell, young Terry." Terry's heart shook with emotion. Did this wise, experienced adult expect him to lead his Clan into battle?
"That's a pig."
- An experienced MC player with a newbie
"That's a pig."
- An experienced MC player with a newbie