Adrift In The Woods

## Summery

Zim is huddling in a corner in the refuge in the woods. A few days have passed since his and Anya's arrival at the camp. Anya comes over with Bond in tow to see how he's holding up. She knows he's upset, but Zim denies it. One of the refugees overhears their conversation and intervenes, telling Zim that she knows he has feelings under his tough exterior. This causes Zim to have a behavioral glitch. His Pak legs activate and he grabs the panda refugee by the tuft of their neck. This scares Anya and catches the eye of Hornet, who swoops down and breaks up the attack. Zim reverts back to normal and says he is unsure of what just happened. Hornet doesn't like this answer, but returns to the trees and decides to keep a close eye on Zim from now on. Another refugee comes over, this time to warn Zim. He tells Zim that the woods most likely caused him to behave that way. He says that the woods get inside people's heads and makes them do crazy and irrational things and tells him that he should leave sooner than later. Zim decides to heed the frog refugee's warning. Anya falls for the potentially false warning as well, and the two of them exit the camp on Bond.

After treading through the woods for a while, the small pair encounter a young woman on a horse. Zim recognizes something about her, and asks if she knows the princess of Corona, Rapunzel. She says she does and asks if they've seen her and if she's alright. Zim tells her that she'd gotten her life force stolen and then returned and that she should be heading back to Portalgate City by now. The young woman, Cassandra, tells them that she just came from the city. The two eagerly ask her if she can take them to it, but, much to their dismay, she is just as lost as they are. They hear a rustling from the trees. Cassandra tells them to stay close. Hornet descends from the trees. Zim asks what she's doing there, and she tells him that she didn't entirely trust that he wouldn't try to attack Anya much like he did to the panda back at the camp. She also explains that she was waiting for an acquaintance to meet her at the camp, but they seem to be delayed. She decides to help the others find a way out of the woods.

As they trek through the woods, following Hornet who is swiftly scouting up in the trees. Zim gets a sharp pang of pain from the injury on his side. Anya tells him that she saw some bandages back at the refuge and that he should have taken some for his wounds. Cassandra says she has some bandages with her and Zim begrudgingly takes them and replaces his makeshift bandages made of leaves. After continuing for a while, Anya notices that Zim is bleeding through his bandages. He says he's fine, then promptly passes out.

After an undisclosed amount of time, he regains consciousness. Hornet is now walking alongside them. Anya tells Zim that Hornet thought he was dead. Hornet returns to the trees. Then continue for a while, stop so Bond can take a break, then continue. At one point, Anya complains about missing her family then starts to cry. They take another break to try and comfort her. After Cassandra gives Anya her trail mix, they continue.

As it gets dark, the group stops to rest in a cave for the night. The cave is covered in crystals of many colors. After some bickering, they rest their tired bodies for another day of traveling.