Contributing Author: Haylock
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Trey had only experienced a mere glimpse of his potential. Yet, as he floated through the darkness of his dream, as he ran through the warren of his own triumphs and failures, he chased after it, seeking something more.
He was always one step behind enlightenment. The defining moments in his life played themselves over and over on repeat, countless times, and with each recurrence, he understood himself a little better. He thought he was getting closer, and upon what must've been the twentieth loop, a weight settled itself atop his head.
Ahh, Trey thought. Is this it…? Is this the potential that Mother Plant spoke of?
Then the 'potential' pecked him right between the eyes.
"Ow!" he yelled, sitting up.
This isn't the greenhouse, let alone the garden. Did someone move me while I slept? Don't tell me I was kidnapped this time.
The rooster bawked and dashed away, flapping its wings to lend a modicum of speed to its ineffective flight. It raised its head high and puffed out its chest, then unleashed a mighty crow. The bird's prideful display was cut short when a slipper slammed right into it.
"Bawk-Bawk-Bawk-Bawk-Bawk!" the rooster complained in a rush, scrambling back to its feet and running in a serpentine pattern to escape its attacker.
A balding man in a gaudy robe—wearing only one sandal—came stomping out from the surrounding trees. "Would you shut the FUCK up, you goddamned bird-brained piece of—" he cut off abruptly upon locking eyes with Trey. He stood up straight, rolled his shoulders, then cleared his throat. "Ahem. Peace and quiet govern the world, is what I meant to say."
The strange man gave Trey a slight bow as he stroked his Fu Manchu.
"Greetings, disciples," he said, voice calm and enunciation flawless. "I am Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah of the Dao Rules Everything Around Me Sect."
Trey blinked at the fever dream of a man. He wasn't kidnapped. That was good. Was this even real? Was this another extension of his dream? He wanted to ask for more information, but all his addled mind managed was, "What...?"
Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah's eyebrow twitched. "I assure you, disciples, ignoring your Elder Brother will not make a good impression if you wish to join the sect."
"Er," Trey said, deciding to engage what he estimated had to be a sleep paralysis demon, "I'm the only one here—why do you keep saying disciples?"
"If you are alone, disciple, then who litters the ground behind you?"
Trey turned, furrowing his brows. Behind him, covering the grass like autumn leaves, were his friends. Tater Tot sat up, squinting at the surrounding trees. Cratherine was next, and she let out an 8-bit groan as she sat bolt upright.
Okay. This feels too detailed to be a dream.
"Gah, my glutes," Vice Roid grunted, rubbing his backside.
Cheetah Brains pinched himself with his claws. Stew stared around, opened mouthed, running his hands through the lush grass.
Beyond his friends, another group stirred.
First was the Bishop, who jumped to his feet, yelling, "SEASONS CHANGE. THE BEAR MUST DO AS IT DOES!"
"Hmm," Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah considered, twirling his mustache. "Quite profound, disciple."
Besides the Bishop, three other forms shifted. A man with styled sky-blue hair, a tiny golem with a MEGO rose on its head, and a robot wearing a trench coat rolled over, looking around as if they’d each been struck by a flash grenade.
That robot looks familiar. It was at the casino, Trey thought, sizing up the strangers. But who's the other guy? Why're they here?
"What year is it?" the man asked, appearing just as confused as Trey was.
"Ah, that is easy, disciple," Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah answered. "It is the 417th year of the Rooster."
"Year of the Rooster...?"
The bird in question, which had retreated to the other side of the clearing, preened its feathers.
"Do not worry, Hugo Squared," the pompadour-haired man’s little golem chirped, hopping atop his shoulder, "I will calculate the ideal method to crush our enemies, and afterward, we shall properly analyze our surroundings."
Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah arched a sculped eyebrow and stared at the MEGO-and-wire golem curiously, “Oh? Do tell, disciple. Is there a weakness in my stance?”
The bloodthirsty look in the golem’s LED eyes widened as it met Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah’s gaze. “Error. What are you? You are not compatible with my algorithms. What is this place?”
Chuckling, the balding man answered, “I told you already, disciple. I am Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah. As for where we are, this is, of course, the highest peak of the Emerald Mountains. I am pleased to inform you that you have found your way.”
His chest inflated at the pronouncement, and he stood there for a long while. Wind rustled through the trees and the tall grass as the newcomers remained silent. However, a tension began to rise in the air, as each side recovered enough to examine the other.
“Ahem,” Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah coughed, “Are you not pleased to have reached your destination, disciples?”
Right, Trey thought. So, everyone's just as clueless as I am. Still, I feel like I'm missing something...
“Boss,” Cheetah Brains whispered, elbowing Vice Roid, “that’s one of the robots that took our pizza, isn’t it?”
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Vice Roid grunted and rolled up his sleeves, “It is. You know who’s there with it, don’t you?”
Stew slapped his ladle into an open hand. “I’d recognize that chin anywhere. That’s Dr. Hugo Hugo.”
“Bingo,” Vice’s bicep said.
Oh. It's a goon thing. I should probably stay out of this, Trey considered, subtly scooting backward in the grass, closer toward Tater and Cratherine.
“AHEM,” Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah coughed, this time with enough force to echo through the mountain clearing. “The Dao Rules Everything Around Me Sect has no time for petty squabbles, disciples. Solve them now. Either with words… or with blood.”
The Bishop, caught between the two parties, quickly shuffled out of the way as Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah strolled toward them with his hands clasped behind his back.
“You. Large one. On what grounds do you claim your honor has been stained?”
Cheetah and Stew stood on either side of Vice. The big man cracked his neck first one way, then the other, before pointing a muscled finger across the clearing, “That robot stole my pizza.”
“I DID. NO SUCH. THING,” the trenchcoated robot responded, moving into a defensive position in front of Dr. Hugo Hugo.
The mad scientist, blue pompadour bobbing up and down, shifted around his defender to get a better look at the oversized hunk of root and muscle. “I reserved the pizza from King Albert’s, Vice. I know we haven’t always seen eye-to-eye on things, but–”
“Eye-to-eye?” Vice grunted, stepping forward, “You turned my heart into a monster and gave it control of my body. You turned Cheetah into a Cheetah. Don’t even get me started on what you did to Tater.”
“Oho,” Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah hummed to himself, “a feud indeed. This is no squabble, is it? I know not of this peet’zah, but I imagine it is a significant cultivation resource. For two factions to fight over it… yes, I see it now. Thankfully, the Dao Rules Everything Around Me Sect has a foolproof method for resolving such a problem.”
“What would that be?” Trey asked, curiosity getting the better of him. He got up, heading over from the sidelines, and glanced back at Tater. The potato man just shook his potato head, wanting to stay out of it.
“Simple,” Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah said, motioning for Dr. Hugo Hugo and Vice to move toward him. “These two will fight to the death. You–fashionable one–are the creator of this Qi construct, correct?”
Dr. Hugo Hugo, who had started to walk forward–despite his robot’s attempt to guard him–promptly stopped and raised his hands into the air. “I am… and I see where you’re going with this, but really, there’s… no other way to solve things? Rock, paper, scissors, maybe? A game of wits? A multiplication contest? A spelling bee?”
Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah shook his head, his tone turning grave and serious, “Alas, disciple, there is not. The pride and honor of a cultivator is no fragile thing. It demands justice, and I can sense that in this one, the demand for justice is truly a fearsome thing.”
Vice Roid cracked his knuckles. Each of his hands was the size of Dr. Hugo Hugo’s torso.
The mad scientist swallowed a lump in his throat. “I see.”
“Break his knees,” the little golem joyfully whispered, “break his knees and make him–”
“Rose.”
“Yes, Hugo Squared?”
“We will not be fighting Vice today.”
The little golem deflated in on itself. “We won't be?”
“Nope.”
“I apologize, disciple, but there is no other way,” Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah said, stroking his Fu Manchu.
“There is,” Dr. Hugo Hugo said, hanging his head and placing a hand on his trenchcoated robot’s shoulder. “We will not be joining the Dao Rules Everything Around Me Sect, and I forfeit my claim of honor in this deathmatch. Elder Brother, could you point us in the direction of the nearest city?”
Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah examined Dr. Hugo Hugo for a long moment, before letting out a long sigh. “It is unfortunate, but you are correct, disciple. You may leave–but if you do, you may never return to the Dao Rules Everything Around Me Sect. Understood?”
The scientist nodded.
“Very well. Grand Orange Jubilee City is the closest to us. It is not too far, and it is far easier to reach going down the mountain than up it. It should take you no less than five or six days to hike.”
"That's... actually fairly far," Dr. Hugo Hugo said, frowning down at his skinny legs. “You're sure there’s nothing closer?”
“There is not,” Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah said. “Good luck on your journey, disciple. Perhaps we will see you again when the tournament begins.”
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After Dr. Hugo Hugo and his two robotic companions left the clearing, the tension in the party eased. Vice Roid and the goons began to calm down, and Trey finally was able to take the time to examine his surroundings.
Alright, so, we're on some massive mountain, he thought. I can literally see the clouds moving beneath us. The air up here is thin, and there are pieces of rubble buried in the ground, half-covered by overgrowth.
Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah guided them toward a great wall of stone in the distance. It reached toward the sky, tall and proud. The top of its parapet showed signs of weathering, and there were no defenders atop it. A wooden gate as proud as the wall barred the way inside, or at least it would have if it hadn't fallen from its hinges at some point. The giant slab of wood lay leaning against the wall, vines growing up its side. Through the opening, Trey could see what had to be the sect. It didn't fill him with a sense of hope or elation--dilapidated buildings lined what appeared to be an abandoned street, and fallen leaves covered the ground.
Seeing the emptiness and general lack of people made Trey realize that he was alone; no aphids were present inside his head. He reached out to feel for them, and where he usually found their influence, he found that the recent sensation of the [Budding Blossom] lingered.
Perhaps it's keeping the aphids at bay while it works its way through my body?
“What is the Dao Rules Everything Around Me Sect, anyway?” Tater asked, pulling Trey out from his navel gazing.
The strange man turned back toward the group, frowning. “You do not know of the DREAM Sect? Did you not climb the mountain to earn the right to be one of our disciples?”
Trey shook his head, “Definitely not–I think most of us had just fallen asleep in a peaceful garden. Me, I was in a trance of sorts. I opened my eyes and, well, here I am.”
“That’s right,” Vice said. “I was meditating. Or, well, trying to. It was a long day.”
Cheetah and Stew nodded along, but Trey noticed the Bishop–who had stayed with them–was avoiding everyone else’s eyes.
“Anything to share with us, Bishop?”
"Er, uh, I… I may have an idea as to where we are. I've been somewhere similar, once."
Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah sighed, then said in a defeated tone, "You are at the highest peak of the Emerald Mountains. As I stated before, I am pleased to inform you that you have found your—"
"Hold on, that’s not it," Trey said hastily, cutting the balding man off before turning back to the Bishop. ”Where are we then, exactly?“
"M-my Patri…" the dark-robed man trailed off, shaking his head. "No, that’s not important. I believe we are no longer in New City. Rather, I believe we are in the Du'Ra-eem Realm."
"The what…?"
Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah paused mid-stroke of his Fu Manchu. His eyes were wide, almost fervent. “You… you are all from a different realm?”
“So long as this isn’t New City…” Trey said, looking around at the vibrant green grass, the towering ruins, the bright blue sky. “Then yeah, I guess we are.”
"Right. Just chance travelers then," Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah tried to appear nonchalant, but there was an urgency in his eyes. "Please—follow me, if you will. The DREAM Sect can provide food and shelter until you are ready to depart."
Trey looked to his friends, and, after receiving a barrage of shrugs, still wasn’t sure what to do. Then, his stomach rumbled.
"Ah, see?" Ghostface Pill-Ah said. "Your dantian calls for you to follow me. I promise, the sect may appear rough on the outside, but we are proud hosts, and we offer nothing but the finest to our guests."
"I do need some calories if I don't want to lose mass…" Vice Roid said.
"Do you have any herbs?" Stew asked.
"Herbs? But of course, dear discipl—er, traveler! If you but follow me, I can show you around our secret gardens."
Trey glanced around and saw no complaints. He nodded.
"Okay. Lead the way, Brother Ghostface Pill-Ah."