Re: ~Crossover Chronicles (Thread 5)~

[Swallowfeather]

Cookie wandered about the gift shop, weaving in and out from between the shelves. Occasionally, she would dart to and fro, as different items caught her eye. Even if the place was rather run-down, she seemed perfectly impressed anyway.
All of a sudden, a particular something caught Cookie's eye. She froze, gasping slightly. Her eyes widened to huge proportions, and her mouth slowly dropped open. After this pause, she started approaching the item that had captured her attention; slowly at first, but soon breaking into a sprint. Carefully, she took the item in her hands. "Guuuuuuyyyyyssss...??" she called out to the others around her, excitement dripping from her tone. "Look at thiiiiiiissssssss!!"
Triumphantly, Cookie turned around, then held her find high above her head for all to see: a pair of simple, wooden bongos, with skins made from actual hide.

-----

At first, Leaf was silent; too shocked to say a word. Then, she managed to answer in a heartbroken, quivering murmur. "M-my Pokémon... Everyone but Clefairy... Th-they're..." Suddenly, she became too overcome by tears to continue, and started sobbing softly. She hadn't the slightest idea what could have happened to her Poké Balls, as she always watched and guarded them as closely as possible. Her Pokémon companions meant everything to her, and the thought that she might have let them down crushed her soul.

Just a moment later, Clefairy, too, began to cry. She could tell that her trainer was taking this extremely hard, and cuddled up to her leg comfortingly. However, she felt helpless, as there was nothing she could actually do at the moment.

[Stealthy]

"Awww!" Torsolus took the berry and sniffed it. "Thank you so much! If I or one of my friends ever feel sick, I'll give it a try." He gave Mintpaw a friendly pet on the head. He held the bathroom door open for Mintpaw.


Link gave an approving nod at the drums, feeling the genuine leather on them.

[Guest]

Ember approached Cookie and gazed at the bongos she lifted in a proud manner. "OOH! Those are really nice!! It looks like it was made a couple years ago!! Pretty wood!!" The hippogriff did a little rear and gently nudged Cookie and Link. "And look what I found!" She eagerly gestured to her radiating amulet with her claw and gazed at the two with glowing amber eyes. "It...it seems oddly familiar, yet I don't know where I came across this...IF I did..." She decided to keep the odd flashbacks to herself until she trusted everyone a bit more. "A strange beauty, isn't it?" The more she stared at it, the feeling of familiarity flared stronger.

[Tornadostorm]

Mintpaw let Torsolus guide her out of the room, relieved at his appreciation for the berry she had offered him. She then heard Cookie exclaim 'look at this!' so she trotted over the in the direction of Cookie's scent, curious to see what the item was. 

"Woah!" She murrowed. "What.. What does it look like...?" She asked sheepishly. Only picking up some sort of mammal, and wood from the item. 

Flint heard Cookie's call, and after a moment of hesitation, followed the other members of the group over to see what it was, he saw the bongos, and nodded. "Those look like quality. You're into music?" He had a gruff tone laced in disinterest.

[Swallowfeather]

"Ooooohhh..." Cookie leaned closer as she examined Ember's glittering amulet, holding her bongos close. "That is really something, Ember!" she remarked, impressed by the mysterious little object. "I wouldn't be surprised if it had, like, powers or something... It kinda... shines."
While she was examining the amulet, Cookie suddenly heard Flint approach and ask her about her bongos. "OH! Hey, Flint!" she greeted, instantly turning to face him with a huge grin. "You bet I am!" she answered his question enthusiastically. She took out a sort of strap, which was apparently included, and attached it to the instrument, allowing her to play it standing up. "It's been so long since I last had something to play... Gosh, I sort of started to forget how much I missed it," she explained, actually tearing up slightly with happiness as she proceeded to tap out a complicated rhythm.

[Stealthy]

Torsolus met Cookie in the gift shop. "Whoaaaa! Nice drumming!" He stood and hopped to the music for a bit. "Look at your hands! Who taught you to play so WELL? I sure as muffins don't have the patience even to learn the kazoo! Hehe! You should drum for the girl at the bar!"

Link marched by, excitedly clutching his cigarette lighter. He glanced at Cookie as he went by, resolving to have her teach him that tune at some point--maybe have a duet with her.

[Tornadostorm]

Flint's ears perk, mentally taking note of how quickly she responded to him, yet not showing it on his face. He narrowed his eyes in a tired manor as he listened to her tune. It was quite good.

Mintpaw let out a low purr after a few seconds of listening to Cookie "You're quite good!" She exclaimed "I don't think I've heard a sound quite like that!" Mintpaw had never heard music

[Swallowfeather]

"Thanks! ... OH! Almost forgot!" Cookie crouched down a bit, holding the bongos towards Mintpaw. "These are called 'bongos'," she explained gently, lightly tapping one. "They look like... Well, they're kinda round, like little tree stumps, except they're hollow. They're attached in the middle with another little piece of wood, so you can't lose one. Also, they have a 'skin' stretched across one end, and you hit it to make a sound. One of them is bigger than the other, so it makes a lower sound." She smiled warmly, reaching out and scratching the top of Mintpaw's head. Then, in a friendly tone, asked: "Can you picture it?"
Suddenly, Cookie noticed Torsolus, and rose to her feet. "Thanks! ... Hey, yeah! That's a good idea, actually!" she remarked. "I should show her what I'm getting, shouldn't I? It's only polite!" With a bouncy step, she made her way towards the counter, placing the bongos on top of it when she arrived.
"Hey! Just letting you know; I reeeeaaally love these guys--" she gave the drums a little tap, "--so I've decided to get 'em! Thanks so much!" She then started playing another complex rhythm.

[Stealthy]

The girl behind the bar smiled a tiny bit. She still looked so tired, but the smile lit up her face a little. "Great. Been trying to sell those things forever. Nobody cares much about music around here. I got 'em from......."

She looked into the distance, like she was trying to remember something. "from.......f.........I'll remember later. But Papa will be so happy to hear I sold 'em. So enjoy."

[Guest]

"Yeaaaaahhh!! It probably does!" Ember exclaimed at Cookie's suggestion, shifting her hooves in apprehension. "I wouldn't be surprised though..." Her voice trailed off as the others came into the shop. "OHEY FLINT, MINTPAW, TORSOLUS!! Look at this!" She again lifted the flame pendant off her feathery neck and showed it to them. "I think I might be getting it." Then remembering, she bowed her head down and let it dangle towards Mintpaw for her to paw it. "It's an elegant flame amulet that seems to...shine! You can feel it," She added, kindly.

When Cookie began to play the bongos, Ember widened her eyes and the glowing aura from her intensified at its tune. "OOHH SO WONDERFUL!!! Where did you learn to play like that??" She asked in awe, following Cookie out the entrance to buy her amulet.

[Stealthy]

"Whoa...." Torsolus looked at the amulet, touching it gently. "It LOOKS like more than just a knick-knack...." he exclaimed in awe. "If I could only recognize it, I'd probably be a lot more amazed right now......and YOU were drawn to it, eh? It doesn't look terribly malevolent.....mayhaps you SHOULD hang onto it. I wanna see if it does anything cool later! (If it does turn out to be evil I can destroy it and stuff.) Yeah!"

[Tornadostorm]

Mintpaw closed her milky scarred eyes as Cookie described the Bongos to her. "I think I can picture it..." She murmured hesitantly when asked.

Mintpaw pawed at the amulet and smelled it "it smells really metallic." She murmured. "I don't get it.... I guess you have to see it?

Flint watched Cookie go, then sighed. "Cool, Ember." He said distantly, glancing at the amulet. It did seem to have magical properties, after all. Putting his hands in his pockets, he trailed after the group. His wings comfortably folded against his back. He took the opportunity to swiftly make his way back to their table, and grab his Coke. Finishing off the last few drops and leaving the bottle on the table before rejoining the group.

[Swallowfeather]

"Eh?" Cookie turned to face Ember. "Oh! Well, I-..." She paused for a moment. "... Actually, I didn't really... 'learn' how to play them anywhere," she admitted with a bit of a chuckle. "It just feels... natural, I guess? ... Actually, it feels the same way with other instruments, too."

[Guest]

"Yup!! It kinda....called to me I guess?? It's hard to explain, heheh, but yeah, I'm totally keeping this...And if it does have dark magic, you can destroy it? Eh, I'm not sure...dark objects take a lot of power to demolish them," She cautiously told Torsolus. "Even warlocks have a rare time at them."

"Yeah, it looks so beautiful!! Ah, I wish you could see it!!" Ember sympathetically sighed to Mintpaw, gently nudging her side with her forehead.

At Cookie's reply, Ember widened her eyes and stared at her. "Natural??? Whhooaaaa!!! You probably have some kind of magical powers I guess!! Ancient powers, heh!!" The hippogriff eagerly whipped her tail up and down.

[Swallowfeather]

"Ancient magical powers?!" Cookie appeared extremely surprised at the sound of this idea, and even squealed in glee a little at the thought. However, she then laughed, feeling a bit silly for almost being swept away in this daydream. "Naaaahhhh, I doubt it!" she remarked, giggling. "As awesome as that would be... Still, magic or not, I guess it is pretty strange."

[Tornadostorm]

Flint then approached the group. Feeling more ready to set out now. He scanned them expectantly to see who seemed ready to go and who didn't.

Mintpaw decided it was time she found a shoulder to ride. She picked out Lucina from the group, and leaped for her shoulder, barely keeping from overshooting again, and settled pressed up against her neck, her weight carefully distributed so she didn't fall. As a thanks to her ride, Mintpaw let out a soft purr.

[Mistystar]

Somehow, Pit had managed to get a little more than halfway through his bottle of ketchup before feeling like couldn't take one more sip of the condiment. "Whoaaa. OK, I think that's it for me...!" he announced, setting the bottle down and somewhat sluggishly rising to his feet. When he saw some of the group gathered nearby with their finds from the gift shop, he curiously wandered over to get a closer look. "Cool...! Looks like you guys found some nice stuff!" he remarked, looking over each item with fascination.

As Lucina observed the group from her place at the table, she realized that they must be preparing to head back out at any time now. Before she had a chance to stand up, she saw Mintpaw approach and watched as she proceeded to leap onto her shoulder, reaching a hand out to prevent her from loosing her balance. Then, with a soft glance at the small cat as she heard her purr, she got to her feet to join the others.

-------

"Your Pokémon..." Callie trailed off with a tone of thoughtfulness, glancing at Clefairy as her golden eyes briefly filled with a look of amazement. It was as though the word held familiarity to her, and she had just reached a realization of some kind. She likely would have cried out in amazement right then if their situation were a little happier, but her heart quickly sunk at the sight of Leaf's devastation, further reminding her to keep serious. "Gosh... I wish I had some idea of where they went," she spoke, sadly glancing at her feet. "But, hey, they've gotta be out here somewhere, right?" the Inkling added hopefully, her head darting back up to look at her new friend. "We should get out there and start looking for them!" she suggested, giving a smallish, supportive grin.

[Guest]

"Huh, yeah but you never know!" Ember told Cookie, laughter twinkling in her eye.
She was standing in front of the bar girl, the flame pendant gently radiating from around her neck. "Oh! I'd like to get this as well." The hippogriff gingerly removed the necklace with her claw and placed it on the counter, gently nudging it towards the bar girl with her forehead.

[Stealthy]

The girl behind the bar took the pendant and examined it closely, leaning down further and further over the table to get a better look. Then she just gently rubbed her fingers over it, feeling its faint warmth wash over them, trying to keep a little of its power just one more time. Then she slid it back. "Cool. Thanks for your purchase. If you ever find out what it is, come back and let me know."

[Guest]

Eagerly, Ember swiped the flame amulet back and placed it around her neck, the warm sensation surging through her once more. The reddish-gold aura illuminating around Ember pulsed for a few moments and then relaxed. She turned to the others with a smile, waiting for what next.

[Stealthy]

What next, indeed. Torsolus could hardly wait. He skipped out the door.....

The girl behind the bar shifted uncomfortably, leaning over the table. She heaved a sigh. Her voice cracked a little. "E-EXCUSE...meee?" She raised her hand, and her broken voice. She smiled a little. "Could you all, um....clear your dishes before you go? I'd come get them myself, but.....m-my back....is.....not great today...."

Torsolus gladly turned around and went to get his dishes. Or rather, his single water glass and the used ketchup, and the dishes of anybody else. "Of course! Sorry you're not feeling well. We can wash them too, if you like." Link obliged in fetching his dishes as well.

[Swallowfeather]

Cookie, who had been eagerly following Torsolus out the door, stopped in her tracks when the girl called out. "Eh? Oh, yeah! Of course!" Just as quickly as she had been in heading out, she scurried back to the table to gather her dishes. Seeing as she had eaten some of everything on the menu, there was definitely a lot.
Quickly, Cookie arranged the plates, bowls, and the like into tall stacks, then took one on each hand and slowly started teetering to the counter. "D-don't worry!" she told the girl, stuttering slightly as she struggled to keep the stacks balanced, "I TOTALLY licked these clean! All of 'em! Each and every last one o-...OHHHP!!!!!" Horrifyingly, she tripped over her own feet, stumbling helplessly forward. This definitely looked like it was going to end badly. However, at the very last second, she somehow managed to regain her balance, just as a glass on top of one stack tipped over. If she had stumbled for one moment longer, the glass would have definitely rolled and tragically fallen over the edge of the plate it sat upon.
Her face now somewhat pale, Cookie slowly straightened back up, nervously glancing at her dishes, then at the floor, scanning for broken fragments. When she noticed none, she gave a long, thankful sigh. "Uhhhhhhh... Haha! Welp, that was close!" she remarked with a sort of yelp, wearing an extremely awkward, nervous grin. Then, even more carefully than before, she resumed heading behind the counter. "Sorry," she apologized quietly upon arriving, beginning to put everything down.

[Stealthy]

"Wow.....thanks. Well done." The girl behind the bar said to the balancing wizard now behind the counter with her.


There

was

something

wrong


with

her

back.



An odd lack of.....anything crept up her back. An empty space where a shirt, skin, bone and kidneys should be. It crept slowly higher and higher.....and it caused the girl behind the bar


immense pain.

[Swallowfeather]

"Heh, thanks...! No problem." As Cookie turned around to start heading back to the door, she just happened to catch a glance of something strange on the girl's back. In unsettled curiosity, she paused and slowly looked over. Upon closer inspection, it was what WASN'T there that was so disturbing.
"GRRK...!!"
Cookie took a quick, stiff step back. She didn't want to say anything, as not to be rude, but looked towards the others. Her face wore a horrified expression, even paler than just a moment ago, with wide-open eyes. Her jaw hung open a little, trembling slightly in fear. She didn't need to say a word to alert the others that something was wrong.

[Tornadostorm]

Flint's eyes grew wide when he saw Cookie's face. "What, Cookie?" He asked harshly, his ears pinning slightly

Mintpaw suddenly scented a huge thick wave of fear surge from Cookie's direction "eeeehhhH!!! Wha-what's wrong..?!" She cowered back in a fluffed frightened ball on Lucina's shoulder. Cookie's fear scent sparking some fear of her own

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