KiAera cleared her throat, drawing herself up dramatically. "Alright, I've got it. From this day forward, you shall be known as... Gilbud."

The Plelepun—or rather, Gilbud—froze mid-step, his trunk drooping slightly. His wide eyes blinked up at her, and for a long, pregnant moment, he said nothing.

KiAera tilted her head, her grin faltering. "What? You don't like it?"

Gilbud sniffled, his voice catching. "Yo, it's… Gilbud, huh?" His trunk reached up to rub at his face, his ears flopping awkwardly. "That's, uh… that's something, alright, yo."

KiAera squinted at him, trying to read his expression. Was he… upset? Or moved? The glimmer in his watery eyes was impossible to decipher.

"Gilbud," he repeated softly, the word rolling uncertainly off his tongue. Another sniffle escaped him, and he shuffled his hooves, glancing away.

KiAera scratched the back of her neck, suddenly unsure. "I mean, if you hate it, we can try something else…"

"No, yo!" Gilbud interrupted, his trunk whipping upward like a flagpole. "It's fine! I mean, uh, more than fine! It's perfect! Yo, who wouldn't want to be Gilbud? It's, uh… yeah. Super unique."

"Unique is good, right?" KiAera asked cautiously.

Gilbud nodded rapidly, his sniffling growing louder. "Yo, totally. I mean, no one else is gonna have a name like this. That's for sure, yo."

He sniffled again, louder this time, and KiAera hesitated. "Are you… crying?"

Gilbud spun away, his back to her as he let out a dramatic huff. "Yo, no way! Just got some dirt in my trunk, yo. Happens when you're digging all the time. Totally normal!" His voice cracked ever so slightly on the last word.

KiAera stared at him, her lips twitching as she fought to suppress a laugh. "Right. Dirt in your trunk. Makes sense."

"Yo, don't patronize me!" he shot back, his trunk waving defensively. But when he turned back to her, his eyes were still suspiciously damp.

KiAera crouched down, her tail flicking playfully. "Well, Gilbud, dirt in your trunk or not, you've got a name now. I think it suits you."

Gilbud sniffled one last time, straightening up and puffing out his chest. "Yo, it's… growing on me, I guess. Yeah. Gilbud's a solid name. Thanks, KiAera."

"Of course," she said warmly. "It's about time you had something more than just 'Plelep—'"

"Yo! Don't say it!" he interrupted, flailing his trunk dramatically. "That's in the past! I'm Gilbud now, yo, and that's final!"

KiAera chuckled, shaking her head. "Alright, alright. Gilbud it is. Let's go find those crystals, then. My stomach's not going to wait much longer."

Gilbud nodded enthusiastically, his earlier emotions shoved firmly aside. "Yo, let's do it! This time, though, I'll pick the best crystals. A name like Gilbud deserves only the finest snacks!"

As he bounded ahead, KiAera followed at a steady pace, her thoughts lingering on his reaction. Gilbud it is, for better or worse.

She smiled, her paws brushing the tall grass as she walked.

Somehow, giving him a name felt like more than just a formality—it felt like an unspoken bond, grounding them both in this world that often felt too chaotic to grasp.

"Yo, KiAera!" the plelepun grinned sheepishly. "Ah, I also want to thank you for accepting me into your crew. It's nice to finally have some company after being alone for so long. I can tell that you're all good monsters, so, I'm happy to be part of this little family of ours, yo."

KiAera beamed as her tail swayed. "Aw. You're welcome, Plelep—Gilbud. Likewise, I share the same sentiments. I'm glad that you chose to join us. The crew has been way more fun with you around. I look forward to us spending more time together. Really, I do."

She paused, placing a paw on her chin. "Not to intrude on your personal life, but do you mind if I ask why you were alone for so long?"

Gilbud's gaze turned distant, and his ears drooped slightly as he considered her question. "Yo. It's a bit of a long story, but to make it short..."

Tears began rolling down the plelepun's cheeks as he sobbed quietly into his trunk. "Burrow Scourges... those monsters are straight out of nightmares," he wept. "They're the worst. You'll never be able to escape them once they've got you in their sights. They're relentless. They won't stop until they've devoured you whole..."

Gilbud's entire body shook violently as he cried hysterically in front of KiAera. "They snatched up my fellow Plelepuns and then disappeared underground, never to be seen again. I couldn't do anything to stop them. I was so scared..." he sobbed uncontrollably. "I thought I would die too! But then, by some miracle, they left me alone and vanished… As far as I know, I'm the only one who survived. It was horrible!"

Gilbud wailed, "I was so lonely after that! I didn't know where to go or what to do! I just wandered around aimlessly for days until I stumbled across your group. I thought that maybe if I stayed close to you guys, you'd keep me safe from those nasty Burrow Scourges. So, uh, thanks again for accepting me into your crew! I promise I'll do my best to earn my keep, yo!"

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

KiAera placed a comforting paw on the Gilbud's head. "There, there, you poor thing. Don't worry; we'll keep you safe," she murmured soothingly. "Those Burrow Scourges sound terrifying. I'm sorry you had to go through such a terrible experience. I'm glad you found us, and we're happy to have you as part of our crew, Gilbud."

The plelepun smiled weakly, sniffling and wiping his tears away with his trunk. "Thanks, KiAera. It feels good to finally get that off my chest. Yo."

KiAera smiled back warmly before turning and motioning for the plelepun to follow her. "Come on, let's go meet the rest of our crewmates. Let's see how Saptal, Sapshorla, and the Dimetfern are progressing with the Crystal Shelter's garden. But before that..." She surveyed the wreckage scattered across the glades. "We should probably clean up this mess first."

Gilbud sniffled one last time, his chest heaving as he tried to calm himself. He nodded resolutely, a small but genuine smile creeping back onto his face. "Yo, you're right, KiAera. Let's tidy up. Can't leave the glades looking like a monster stampede rolled through, yo."

KiAera grinned, ruffling his head with her paw. "That's the spirit, Gilbud. Besides, if we're going to live here, we've got to treat it like home, right? Crystal Shelter is our place now."

Gilbud perked up at her words, his trunk lifting with a soft, curious sound. "Yo, 'our' place, huh? Feels kinda nice to say that, yo."

With a hop to his steps, Gilbud joined KiAera in gathering the broken branches, scattered crystal shards, and uprooted clumps of moss.

KiAera worked methodically, using her extendable ears to scoop up larger debris and stack it neatly near a pile of compost she’d started earlier.

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The two worked tirelessly, hauling away the broken rubble and debris scattered throughout the glades. Gilbud used its powerful trunk to lift the larger pieces and employed its earth manipulation abilities to close up holes, smooth out bumps, and fill cracks in the ground.

He hummed softly as he worked, occasionally sneaking glances at KiAera.

"You know," he said, balancing a bundle of dirt atop his head, "I think I get why your crew sticks with you. You're pretty alright for a leader, KiAera. Yo, you're not like some of those bossy monsters out there."

KiAera chuckled, her tail swishing behind her. "Thanks, Gilbud. I try to be fair. Besides, I wouldn't be much of a leader without all of you. We're a team—each of us has a role to play."

"Yo, a team," Gilbud echoed. His trunk curled slightly, almost appearing bashful. "Feels good to hear that. Makes me feel like I finally belong somewhere again."

KiAera paused, glancing over at him. She gave him a warm smile. "You do belong, Gilbud. You've always been a part of this crew. And trust me, we're not letting you go."

Gilbud sniffled again, but this time it was accompanied by a soft laugh. "Yo, you're gonna make me cry again, KiAera. C'mon, let's finish this before I turn into a soggy mess, yo."

The two worked side by side, their chatter blending with the sounds of the forest. By the time the clearing was restored to order, the sun had shifted lower in the sky, casting long golden rays through the trees.

KiAera dusted off her paws, surveying their work. "Not bad, if I say so myself."

Gilbud plopped down onto the soft grass, his ears flopping lazily. "Yo, we did good. The place looks almost as good as before."

KiAera plopped down beside him, her tail curling around her legs. "Yeah, and now that it's clean, I can show you the garden. Dime, Tailza, Saptal, and Sapshorla have been working really hard on it."

Gilbud perked up. "Yo, a garden? What kinda stuff do they grow?"

"Plants, mostly, but some of them are really useful—medicinal herbs, edible roots, things like that," KiAera explained. "You'll see. They've turned it into something amazing."

She leaned forward and whispered, "I've heard that Saptal and Sapshorla learned how to develop and grow light-blue crystal berries from GamaGen."

Gilbud's ears widened with excitement, flicking back and forth as if he could hardly believe what he was hearing. "Yo, light-blue crystal berries? That sounds incredible! What do they taste like?" He kept his voice hushed.

KiAera chuckled as she scrutinized the area. "Well, I haven't tried them yet, but I hear they're sweet with a hint of tartness. Plus, they can boost energy levels like the regular stuff!"

Gilbud licked his lips, and KiAera could hear the elephant calf's tummy rumble. "Yo, I could definitely use some energy! I bet those would be perfect for long digging sessions."

Gilbud stood, shaking grass and debris from his fur. "Yo, let's go, then! I'm ready to see what those plant-folk can do. Bet it's something wild, yo."

KiAera smiled and led the way, the two set off to meet their companions at the shelter.

Suddenly, the fur on KiAera's neck bristled. Her ears perked up, and she froze mid-step. There was something lurking nearby; she could feel it. KiAera held up a paw, signaling Gilbud to halt and remain quiet.

Eventually, a series of audible buzzing emanated from the forest, accompanied by a wretched stench. She slowly turned around, sniffing the air in search of something akin to rotten flesh.

Gilbud grimaced at the putrid scent. "What is that smell, yo?"

KiAera's eyes narrowed as she sniffed the air once again. "It smells like death and decay. Something is very wrong here. We need to be careful. Let's investigate and see what we can find."

KiAera and Gilbud cautiously moved forward, their senses alert as they searched the surrounding area for clues.

Gilbud pointed with his trunk. "Look over there! Something moved in that bush!"

KiAera nodded, her ears twitching to the loud buzzing. "Let's check it out," she whispered.

They crept closer to the bush, keeping low to the ground and ready to pounce if needed. Suddenly, a giant insectoid creature burst forth from the bush, fluttering and zizzing.

It had a round body with numerous legs and antennae, and it was covered in greenish-black chitinous plates. It also had a pair of large, red compound eyes that glowed ominously in the dim light of the forest.

→ Aggressive Zeozon Detected!

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Creature: Fluzzerbrat

Species: Fluzzerbrat

Brief description: buzzing fly brat.

APeX: [2522 Units]

Attributes: [Xensect] [Sound] [Hazard]

Evolution Stage: [Fledgling] (F)

Current Variant Grade: [Common]

Alignment: [Preda-Praieon] [Aggressor]

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"What in the subterranean?! A-A Burrow Scourge?!" Gilbud exclaimed in horror, before promptly running away. "Yo, I'm outta here!"

"Wait! Gilbud! Get back here! That's not a—" KiAera yelled out to the fleeing plelepun. However, to her dismay, it was too late, for he had already disappeared into the forest, leaving her behind to fend off the monstrous insect alone.

"Dagnabbit, Plelepun…" She whipped her gaze to the buzzing Fluzzerbrat.

"Bzzz… KiAera… zzzz…"