Faithful Omens

PROLOGUE-\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Peaches woke up from her hammock. She went to wake up her sister, Spooky, who was sleeping on her phantom-themed bed. She loved phantoms, but she doesn't think they're real. *But they are!* Peaches always argues, but the purple and lime-green lizard declines. *No, they aren't, we'd have an invasion every day.*
Peaches is an X eyed, coral on pastel pink lizard. And, a few years back, she had this dream. Phantoms everywhere. It was all covered in goop. Alphas, and not just alphas, but owners, fighting the phantoms. Her and Spooky got caught. They d- okay maybe that would be a bit sad. But it was just a dream!

FLASH FORWARD

But, something incredible happened. It was May twelfth. Her owners went missing. The whole world, all the nine lands, shook and fell apart. Well, just eight. Why? Serapia Forest was safe. Sadly, it was invested with millions of phantoms. Does that many even exist?
They entered a rabbit's burrow, underground. It's usually reserved for rabbits only, and you needed an ID to prove you're a rabbit (safety purposes: wolves, although that age passed many centuries ago), but it was a safe retreat for pets.

*Let's introduce ourselves, I guess?* Spooky, the purple and lime lizard said. She had coral eyes and eyelashes. *I'm Spooky.* she said. *And this is*- *I'm Peaches, Spooky's sister who clearly doesn't know I am not in an egg anymore!* she hissed. Spooky blushed in embarrassment. A purple, vibrant purple, like the color of that one Rare Feather Boa, with a nice underbelly the color of lilac, had blue default eyes. *Hey, I'm Audrey.* A bee-colored yellow lizard with a swampy green underbelly and turquoise blank eyes (Peaches hoped Spooky wouldn't be rude; she wasn't fond of blank eyes), shyly (or was he entertained, Peaches didn't know) said, *I'm Bumble. Before you say I don't look like a bee..* He shortly stopped. *Ask Loafie. If I ever see her again.* The lizard added. Spooky scoffed.A lighter version of swamp green with a yellow bottom and happy eyed lizard said, *I'm Dragon!* He opened his eyes to reveal blue. A nice navy. A purple lizard, also with happy eyesand a cantaloupe yellow bottom, said, *I'm Skip, at your service, captain!*

A lizard with blank eyes and a blue bottom and cream-ish top, who looked like Aang from ATLA, had a remarkable introduction. *I'm Aang. Just kidding, but that is my name!* A cream and white dove with eyelashes sat on Aang's head. *And I'm Zelda. But my favorite Nitendo game is Among Us!* Aang nudged Zelda. *Dudette,* he said. *Among Us isn't from Nitendo.* *Oh.* she said. *It's Splatoon, then!* Spooky grinned. It was also her favorite game.

Then, the blue lizard who was sleeping, said, *And I'm Sharkie.* Sharkie was a Summer blue top with an ocean bottom and Blue X eyes. Peaches sighed in relief. *Great that I'm not the only one!* She chirped. Everyone stared at her. A weird velvet lizard with an orange bottom said, *I'm Marlenka, and you're stupid. Context please?*

*Whatever. I'm Cantaloupe, and this is my buddy Evil Snoflake.* Cantaloupe was grassy green with an orange bottom and default eyes. Let's call Evil Snowflake Evil. Evil was blue with a purple bottom and blank eyes (anothr target for Spooky). *Okay Greenhead, shut the hell up.* Everyone stopped. *Don't swear!* Aang said. A parrot named max had a spider in his bowtie. He didn't introduce, his bowtie said it all. *He likes to escape, so we put his information on his bowtie.* Sharkie explained.

Three more lizards were there. *I am Bella!* she softly said. She was red and swampy green, but she was pretty. She had happy eyes, like many of the lizards, but her eyes were ivory. *I'm Twig, but my momma calls me Sprout. So hear me out.* The orange and green lizad said. Hppy eyed, but when he opened them, the revealed a soft grey eyes. (lilac: simp mode activated) *And I'm Lilac.* The blushing, happy eyed lizard said. She opened her eyes to reveal pink eyes. Her head was dark purple, and her underbelly was plum-purple.

The spider in Max's bowtie jumped out. *Oh shoot!* Max squawked. *He only does that when he's in danger.* Marlenka screamed. Audrey kept on screaming. *Hit him with that shoe! Stomp on him!* Max chiped an ear-bleeding squawk. *NOOOOOO!* The black and gray spider, nameless, with two eyes, hid under a table, leaped on Evil's head, and went back to Max's bowtie.
*Phantoms discovered us.. and lots of them..* the spider said.

It was raining hard, with winds blowing. *Luckily for you guys,* Zelda said, enjoying the rain, fluttering her wings above everyone as they trudged through Lost Temple of Zios, *Phantoms could easily die being exposed through crystal rain.* Spooky frowned. It didn't seem like crystal rain, since there were no shards. Second, it's called hail. But he stayed silent. But she was wrong. Crystals of all sorts, purple ones and green ones, appeared just as they touched the green surface of the grass. *Owww!* Spooky said. Her paw was bleeding! She stepped on a red, very pointy, crystal.

*Poor you.* said Audrey, shaking her head. *You know better.* Then they saw a very sacred area, with an elephant on top. Though it had wooden boards, the phantoms had thrown them off (probably). Spooky went inside. *Let's go. C'mon!* But they were quickly halted by two lizards: A gray one with blue underbelly and default eyes, and a lime green with a darker green bottom and also default eyes.
*I am Lime, this is Tsunami. Can I help you?* the green lizard said. The blue lizard shifted his view over to the so-called trespassers. The blue lizard noticed the bleeding foot.
*If you guys need hospitalization, we're totally here!* he smiled.

Marlenka as growling. *I'm starvingggg.* Lime rolled his eyes. *Well, either eat the dried roses, or starve.* Spooky looked around and saw Twig stifle a giggle. *I'm sorry, WHAT?* he was dying of laughter. Spooky watched her sister napping on a book near a lever. *Um, guess I'd rather eat some flowers than starve. But I'm getting you for this!* Marlenka threatened, expecting for the roses to be given right in front of her. Marlenka's screaming woke up Peaches. Startled, she jumped up.
*Wait a minute,* Aang said. *What does that lever do?*
*Possibly kill you. Is it too late to find out?* Audrey said.
*Peaches, I'd pull it.* Bumble insisted.
*Sure!* the joyful lizard said. She put her jaws in between the lever and pushed it. The ground shook. Pieces of the roof fell. Peaches jumped off the book. Spooky was nervous. What would she do?*DRAAAAAGON! BUMBLEEEEE! SKIIIIIIIIIP!* Audrey was yelling. *COOOME! WE COULD DIE! RUN! RUN!* Audrey was calling the names of her beloved inventory-mates. Spooky’s bandages fell off. She ran outside quickly, her foot still bleeding.
Then, as all of the pets, including Tsunami and Lime, were right outside of the temple. ‘’I guess we are coming with you,’’ both the guards said in unison. Was kinda creepy. Then, an icy blue with a darker icy blue lizard ran out of the temple. ‘’Sorry! I lived there too.’’ he said. Stared at the guards a second, and nodded. ‘’If you’re confused, I lived in room two. Yunho.’’
‘’What’s a.. Yunho?’’ Sharkie asked.
‘’Sorry, shoulda specified.’’ he said. ‘’My name? Yunho.’’
‘’Ohhh!’’ the group said. Then, Cantaloupe spoke up. ‘’Care to join us?’’
Yunho smiled. ‘’Sure.’’
‘’Dinner!’’ Evil called. ‘’Great, I’m starving,’’ said Twig. ‘’So am I,’’ exclaimed Aang.’’
‘’Help yourself, Yunho,’’ Spooky smiled.
‘’Thanks!’’ he smirked, helping himself to the iceberg lettuce. Marlenka complained. ‘’Why are we taking, not one, not two, but THREE complete strangers? They could be murderers, for all we know!’’
‘’I doubt it,’’ protested Audrey. ‘’I can’t believe our most ‘polite’ group member would say that, Audrey!’’ Peaches said sarcastically.
Audrey rolled her eyes. ‘’Of course.’’
Marlenka sashayed away. ‘’Uh huh.’’
‘’By the way, where is the green lizard’’-
‘’Lime? He went hunting with Lilac.’’ Bella replied.
Yunho was laying on a rug. ‘’I’m heading out.’’
Marlenka was staring at Yunho. She shifted her look onto Audrey, who claimed she brought the group together.
‘’Meeting, anyone?’’ she yelped. ‘’Let’s wait for Lilac,’’ said Twig.
‘’Okay,’’ Marlenka replied. ‘’No Yunho, Lime, or Tsunami, though.’’

BONUS!!

Yunho needed a way to leave. *I have to poop,* he said.
*Then go, idiot!* said Max. His spider nodded. Spiders never freaked out Yunho; they were the perfect percentage of poison. At least black widows. Unfortunately, this was a tarantula.
He went to a place near the wrecked temple. 'Pssst.. Toxic..
*Hm?* a black and neon green lizard said. *Oh, perfect. Are you taking care of the..* Yunho grinned. *I'll take care of that. Got the gliders?*
A black and white glider with a purple Meagyn's bowtie and a Teal and purple glider came out. *Just 'cause we're cute,* the duo said, *doesn't mean we're trouble.*
They were big trouble.

‘’So,’’ Anyone could tell Marlenka would throw accusations as she slammed her paws on the table while Yunho, Lime, and Tsunami went on a walk. ‘’What are we gonna do with that bunch?’’

Cantaloupe sighed. ‘’They’re legit innocent.’’ he said.

Marlenka glared. ‘’One of them aren't safe.’’ she challenged.

‘’Proof?’’ Sharkie questioned. His best friend would always be on his side.

‘’Well, look at this leaf.’’ The group looked.

‘’I don’t see the point of this leaf!’’ Peaches whined and Marlenka groaned.

‘’Look at the dewdrops carefully.’’

Cantaloupe stared hard. ‘’One looks like a Y.. one looks like an L.. one like a T.’’ he exclaimed as he lifted up his head and slammed his paw on the table. ‘’Wait.. I UNDERSTAND! The newcomers' names: Yunho, Y.. Lime, L.. Tsunami.. T.. but how are they bad?’’

Marlenka calmed down. ‘’See the brown holes in this leaf?’’ Cantaloupe and three others nodded. ‘’That means a leaf is bad. I know, because Lotus is a gardener.’’

‘’What if it’s just a coincidence?’’ Aang asked.

‘’It’s not,’’ Marlenka said. She wiped the dew off the leaf and in an instant new dew formed up, exactly the same. ‘’It makes you more thirsty. I was too lazy to go to the river, found this leaf. I thought, ‘Ooh! Dew is water, so sure’. Then the minute I drank it I became thirsty!’’

‘’Fascinating,’’ Cantaloupe thought out loud.

‘’Is this all the matters we will discuss today?’’

Shark raised his paw. ‘’Are you getting urges of eating something?’’

Marlenka rolled her eyes but replied with, ‘’Yeah. Fern. Why..?’’

‘’This might be important!’’ Sharkie exclaimed. ‘When I woke up I had an urge to eat shrimp. I ate everything.. ANYTHING but nothing satisfied me until i ate the shrimp. So delicious..’’

Cantaloupe said, ‘’I had an urge for mangoes,’’ he confessed. ‘’I’m a great tree-climber.’’

Peaches looked nervously.

‘’Wait.. Did everyone here have an urge? I had one too,’’ Spooky asked. ‘’Raise your paw if you did!’’

Everyone raised their paw, but Bella, Peaches, Evil Snowflake, and Skip looked tentative.

‘’Mine was bananas,’’ Peaches quickly said.

‘’Mine was nobody asked,’’ Marlenka quickly said.

‘’I assume there are no other queries,’’ Skip quickly said. ‘’Meeting? Over!’’ His buddies, Audrey, Dragon, and Bumble looked at him weird. ‘’Let’s have a convo about this later.’’ They decided.

Later, Yunho came running as he was accompanied by Lime and Tsunami. Marlenka quickly hid the leaf.

‘’You smell like lavender..’’ Zelda said. ‘’And oddly.. Sugar Glider too.. WHAT?’’

Everyone knew that the sweet and cute creatures were brainwashed by phantoms. They were on the evil team.

‘’I was attacked,’’ Yunho stammered. ‘’I was in safety.’’

‘’M-hm.’’ Marlenka said.

‘’Mhm, right.. You sound like a teacher!’’ Twig remarked.

‘’Mhm.. Right.. GET OUT OF MY FREAKING SIGHT! This has nothing to do with you,’’ she yelled.

‘’O-oh.. Okay..’’ Twig ran.

‘’Anyways,’’ she smiled. ‘’Have something to eat. Fish perhaps?’’

‘’Have any apples? I’ve been craving it,’’ remarked Yunho.

‘’We have been craving foods, too, so he can’t be mean,’’ Cantaloupe pointed out.

‘’Fine,’’ Marlenka sighed. He didn’t seem to be faking it, either. ‘’And you guys?’’

‘’No, not Tsunami and I,’’ the duo shook their heads.

Suddenly, a small wave of water randomly splashed to their paws. Then another, and another. But no, it wasn’t raining.

‘’CANTALOUPE!’’ Spooky yelled. ‘’CHECK IF THE LOG IS IN PLACE. IT HAS BEEN WINDY.’’

Cantaloupe ran to the river. They had set a log in front earlier because of water spilling out due to the rainstorm the night before. The log was gone. He looked, and saw a black and whie glider floating off the log. He ran to the log to save the glider, but she jumped off and ran. She looked back and he saw a glimpse of her teal eyes.

Suddenly, half the river gushed out. He slipped and hit his head on a rock.

‘’O-ow..’’ he stammered. ‘’Wha--? I’M BLEEDING!’’

Water swept on his paws. He just ran.

Then, he came across a teal glider. Her underbelly was purple. ‘’Hello!’’ She said.’’ Gliders that are brainwashed hiss, they don’t talk. This was one of the lucky few.

‘’Hi,’’ he said. ‘’Can you glide me to a red cave?’’

‘’Sure!’’ he said. ‘’Ghost! Help me glide!’’

‘’Okay! He said. ‘’Fizz!’’ Ghost called. He was male. Fizz flinged her tail from tree to tree, and then on Ghost’s head. ‘’Let’s go!’’ her high pitch voice squealed.

When they came back to the cave, it was water. Everywhere. About more than half of the large cave. Max was on one of the large boulders. Mostly everyone was safe.. Except for a few.

Ghost swam like a pro. ‘’Get on this rock, guys.’’ He told the glider and Fizz. ‘’Pixie, don’t go gliding.’’

‘’Okay!’’ the teal glider said happily.

Peaches slipped from a rock. Spooky looked scared. ‘’Someone,’’ she weeped. ‘’Save my sister!’’

Ghost intensely climbed, but his slippery paws couldn't get it right. Antelope looked from his high rock, and jumped.

He landed under water. He held his breath and swam like there was no tomorrow. He blew on his paws so they’d dry, like Fluffy told him to, and dug his claws in the water. He hasn’t climbed rocks in months. He usually climbs trees. He grabbed Peaches and put her on the rock. ‘’Thank you!’’ she said. Cantaloupe screamed as he slipped and fell.

Ghost ran to get him, but Cantaloupe did not land on his back.

‘’Help!’’ he gasped for air. He tried swimming like he used too.. But couldn't. Holding his breath, he swam underwater with effort but the waves were pushing him back. He caught a glimpse of the dead lizards: Marlenka.. He’d miss that girl. She loved to use rude remarks but was a great leader overall.

He saw Evil Snowflake.. His buddy.. He saw one more lizard but his breath ran out. The lizard was small and blue. He tried diving up but the waves, remember?

‘’This is my end,’’ he said, closing his eyes. ‘’I’m sorry, Sharkie.. Evil Snowflake.. Fluffy, even you, when I told you I’d never give up on anything.’’

He woke up on grass. ‘’It was a d-dream?’’ He said, looking up. There was a glow, but no stars. He ran to a river and looked down. In his reflection.. He saw wings and a star. That star was the color of the group you belong to. Moons mean you were evil, stars mean you weren’t. His was red. He was in the fire group, right> No.. wasn’t that orange? Wait.. his blood was still gushing.. He was in the blood group.