B.C.E.

He turned and was about to run away, but suddenly he made a charge at Echo, bracing himself to leap out of the way in case he reacted fast enough to throw his Spears.

[you mean echo.]

Echo threw his spears at the ceiling, causing the roof of the tunnel to colapse in on them. Before he was crushed by the boulders he used Chaos control to beam himself to the master emerald shrine.

Kale halted instantly. "Shit! Anton, we gotta get outta here!"
He dashed toward the exit, pulling Anton along with him.

The tunnel colapsed and they barely made it out.

%

Echo hi-fived shadow for their being so clever.

Kale panted. "God... Dammit... Are we EVER gonna catch them?!"

Star hugged Sunny, smiling at the boys. "How'd you do that?"

"Chaos control." Echo panted.

"The Master emerald and those little things should keep us safe for now." shadow said, trying to get up, but he was a little wobbly.

Star went over and just sat beside him. "You don't have to get up."

Sunny stretched. "So where are we?"

"Master Emerald shrine." Echo said.

"Where they found us." Shadow coninued. Echo's eyes widened.

"You told her?" He asked, panicking slightly.

"Yeah." Shadow replied. "We can trust them."

*

"What are you doing here?" Tikal asked from behind the group.

Sunny lifted a brow. "Whadya mean? Who found you?"

Echo sighed and turned to her.

"A wealthy man and friend of our father named Vir Cotto after our parents were murrdered."

Sunny frowned. "Wow... I don't know where my parents went. They were taken, just like Star's."

The hedgecat nodded, drew her knees to her chest.

Shadow put an arm around Star.

^

Echo stood up.

"Then we should all play together! It's not safe to play alone."

Kale sighed. "So what the hell are we gonna do now? We can't have any idea where the others are."

[Anyone have a spare evildoer to lend?]

[Yup.]

A crow came by with a message in its beak.

[Meet Kale and his friend's employer: The King of Sparta! ]

Kale whirled around. "Who are you? What's that?"


[SPAAAAAAAARTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA]

The bird opened its beak slightly and the message rolled out. It carried the seal of Sparta.

Dear Clueless Mindless Idiots.

If you have failed to retrieve the heads of a single one of 'The diseased' then I shall instruct the men holding your wives they may do what they wish.

You have as long as it takes this crow to return to Sparta before I give the signal. In my kindess I've given you a little extra time: about 3 days.

P.S. In case you haven't realised, You're going to have to beat the bird.

The bird dropped the message and began flying away.

Kale gulped. "What do we-" He paused for half a second and pounced on the crow before he could get away. "Anton, quick. Help me restrain him. The King DID say to BEAT the bird..." He grinned, feeling clever.

The bird began flailing wildly, eventually managing to achive low flight even with Kale on its back.

"A-Hey! He-where are you going?! Anton, help!"
The hulking cat grabbed the bird's leg with astonishing speed for one his size. "Try and go somewhere now, little bird!" He chuckled, keeping a vice-grip on the leg effortlessly.

The hedgecat blushed slightly. "I've been looking for them," she murmured. "That's how I met Sunny."

The dog nodded, leaning against a nearby tree. "Yup."

The bird heaved one last time then fell onto the ground.

^

Echo nodded.

%

Tikal came closer to the group of misfits.

"I'll ask you one last time....who are you?"

[Who the HELL is Tikal talking to?]

[Sorry. Star, Sunny, echo and shadow.]

['kay]

The dog looked over at her. "None o' your business. Who are you?"