Maybe egging them on wasn’t such a good idea.

A wave of tendrils slammed into Sasha’s staff, the panther digging her feet into gravel as the weight shoved her backward. Bodies were falling one after the other, appendages being swatted away as hard as she could manage. It felt likes smacking water balloons, though they all poofed into powder when she attacked. Just what were these things attacking their island? Sasha deflected the arm of one, causing it to smack into two others.

“Welcome, new graduate.”

She was falling back to the streets when she heard the new voice.

“Huh?” She stared around just to see more of the white creatures crawling about.

“Would you like some assistance?” it asked

She did a full turn, but there was no one there. Just her and the monsters.

“Down here,” the voice said.

Her gaze fell.

“There we are. Pleased to meet you, new graduate.”

Sasha's blinked.

The voice. It was coming from her God Tool. Sasha stared blankly at the inanimate object. And maybe she would have kept staring if not for the tendril shooting out, barely missing the ducking cat. She rolled away, swatting a second as even more white creatures ran at her. They just kept coming! She raised her staff, but wasn't fast enough to avoid a hit completely, appendages being blocked and parried as she tried in vain to gain some distance. Why did always feel like she was surrounded? Just how many of these things were there? And why were some larger than the others. She spotted quite a few coming at her with wings.

“Sasha is your name, correct?” the staff asked. “Do not be alarmed. Those creatures cannot hear me. In fact, only you can- Oh, are you alright, Ms. Graduate?”

Sasha winced, the small cut across her arm burning with pain. A winged creature opened its jaws, tongue flinging out like a sticky dagger. A quick roll behind a broken bench saved saved her another nasty cut. And it gave her the opening she needed to catch her breath. When the tongues came in unison, she was ready, staff swinging hard as she leapt out. And just like everytime she played ball with the boys, she saw her target sent flying away. Or more accurately, targets. They tongues went soaring and crashing into several flying monsters. A few even poofed into smoke right then. She smiled, taking the time to try to assess her damage. The wound wasn't deep. She could walk it off. But her pajamas made for poor battle attire. She half considered going native but ultimately pushed the thought away as more of the horde closed in around her. Cripes. Can't a girl catch a break? She sighed in defeat.

“Would you like some assistance?” the God Tool repeated.

Sasha tried her best to ignore the metal stick. Seeing monsters invading her home, the furless visitors, and her hideout getting hit by a comet was one thing. She didn't know if she was quite ready to hold a conversation with a talking weapon. I swear if this is all just some messed up dream...The pain from her shoulder cut was a constant reminder that wasn't the case. As was the blood. She sighed.

“M-Mr…God Tool?” Sasha asked.

“Yes, Ms. Sasha?” the staff responded.

She stared around her. She'd long since lost count of how many she'd attracted, but they were enough the buildings became light bulbs of milky white buried under the many writhing bodies.

"What...are these things?” Sasha asked.

“I believe they are what you would refer to as 'extraterrestrial life'. Designation: White Legion."

"Legion?" She remembered the furless man's words. He'd called them legionairres, hadn't he? Were they some space faction? She pushed aside the question. "Can you do something about 'em?"

"I can scan their capabilities. It may lend you an advantage, though it takes time. Could you vacate to a safer area?”

Sasha looked back only to see the wall of the comic shop. Cornered yet, again. Everywhere else was covered in the purple holes. The sky included. More of the flying monsters were dropping down and taking notice of the lone panther.

“Somehow, I don't see that happening,” Sasha said.

“Oh. That's too bad. Running calculations.”

She glared at the staff. "Really? That's all you got for-"

One of the white creatures exploded into mist. Sasha's attention left the useless God Tool, a flash of silver cutting through the air in front of her. Multiple white creatures faded on contact. Her heart swelled as she caught sight of the wielder.

"Iris!"

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

The wolf landed in front of her, regarding Saaha with a wave before darting out at another white creature.

"Sasha!"

The panther flinched. She looked up to see a figure fall out of the sky. The minute they hit the ground, a wave of tremors shot through Sasha's body. She had to use her staff to steady herself, balancing against it while everything shook. But she quickly realized she wasn't the target. A section of the road flew across the street, everything it hit turning into white mist before it crashed into a building.

“Calculations rendered," the God Tool said. "Oh. Apologies. Five graduates detected...”

The rest blurred in her ears as she stared at the red-gray fox she'd known for years. Cici only flashed a smile before she was gone, leaping into the air and diving fist-first into a crowd of monsters, the ground shooting out again on impact. Sasha couldn't believe her eyes. Was this really a dream after all?

On one corner she saw Iris in a nightgown skewering monsters by the dozens. On the other, there was Cici in a tank top using the island itself like a living weapon. Realization hit her like a sledgehammer to the face.

God Tools! They got their God Tools, too! Sasha had to contain the urge to squeal.

“Wake up, Sasha!” Iris shouted. “This isn’t the time to be daydreaming!”

Her grin waned. She’d almost forgotten they were in the middle of an otherworlder invasion.

"Oh. Sorry!"

She leapt into the fray, staff swinging wildly and taking out anything in a three feet radius. This was it. This was what it felt like to be a real graduate. Even if the circumstance weren't ideal, Sasha couldn't help feeling a little warm every time she saw her friends cut down a monster.

Cici was having the time of her life, smashing anything and everything she could get her hands on. She didn't have a hammer. Sasha noticed her hands shimmering after each impact. God...rings? The fox's tail never stopped wagging. Iris was more restrained, but Sasha could see her almost petting the rapier she used several times. And there were other students too. Two she recognized, but one she had only the vaguest recollection of. Still, with the way they fought, they were making quick work of all the intruders.

Sasha brought her staff down on a creature and turned for the next only to find nothing waiting. She only saw the others, all of which seemed equally confused. What once must have been hundreds had vanished to none. The purple holes were still around, but nothing was coming out of them. For whatever reason, the streets had become silent.

“D-did we get ‘em all?” one of the students asked.

“I’m still reading a lot of them,” another said. “They’ve all stopped.”

“Is that a good thing or what?” Cici asked. “Ah, heck, who cares? I’ll smash whatever comes to bits!”

“Don’t be so hasty,” Iris said. Her gaze landed on Sasha. “You okay?”

The panther slung the staff over her shoulders. “Never better. Glad to see I'm not the only one with a God Tool.”

"Spirit T-!"

A throng rose through the sky. Sasha tensed, all the students raising weapons at the ready. It boomed a second time, almost like a drum. Sasha scanned around the purple holes, but whatever was inside still refused to come out. A voice echoed through the streets.

“Oh! Survivors!"

Her fur bristled.

"Huh," the voice said. "Less of you made it than I hoped. Ah well.”

She recognized the deep tone. The same voice at the hideout. The same voice they'd all heard before the invasion began.

“Next time, then.”

Her ears twitched. There was no mistake about it. The voice was coming from right next to her. She swung her staff on instinct, but it stopped in midair, frozen as if hitting an invisible wall.

"Farewell."

A force slammed against her, the staff flying back along with Sasha's entire frame. She saw a furless face in front of her. Felt something warm and slimy envelop her body. She tried to fight back, but whatever pushed her back was too strong. And she wasn't the only one overcome by it. In the few seconds she remained conscious, she saw her friends being pushed back as well.

They all landed in the purple holes. The rifts in the air. She looked down to see her body being enveloped. She let out a scream, but everything was already turning to darkness.

***

Sharp pain pressed into her cheek. Sasha flicked it away only to be met with a small gasp. It pierced her again, her eyes snapping open to grab the assaulting weapon.

“Woah! It’s alive!”

Her fur relaxed. A small stick was in her hand. And several faces were backing away, none of which she recognized. In fact, none looked like anyone she'd seen before. Not on the island, at least. They were all furless creatures.

"Ugh." Sasha rubbed her temples, intense pain shooting through her skull. "What happened?"

With a bit of effort, she managed to stand, though her legs wobbled so much she had to use the stick for support. What the? Her gaze lingered on the ground. Rather than the gravel roads she was used to, her feet were cushioned under several multicolored flowers. In fact, the whole area was covered with flowers. Or at least the section where people stood. As her gaze rose, her eyes widened into saucers.

"Y-you're kidding me!"

She almost dropped the stick.

A wide translucent dome stretched out into the sky. On the other side were buildings thousands of feet tall, each being bordered by machines that flew through the air like birds. Across a nearby wall a giant picture of a chair stretched out for all to see. It changed in a snap to a furless creature. And then again into a green drink of some kind. Was it magic? Space magic? Sasha felt the shaking in her legs grow tenfold. She looked down at the crowd of furless creatures before her.

One of them had skin as red as Cici's tail. Another had six sets of eyes. Another could have been a copy of the comet man, though much smaller and paler. She took a step backward.

“W-where am I? What is this? What's going on?”

One of the members of the crowd, the one with red skin, finally spoke to her directly. It sounded like a child’s voice.

“W-welcome to Tuptree,” they said.

The panther instantly fell back into the flowers.