One Little Spark Pt. 1 - Chapter 8

         The next morning, as the sun is shining through the windows, all of the Woosoes are awake fully reenergized after last night’s grand event. Every bit of the leftover scraps of food and decor from the banquet hall has been cleaned up. All seems as normal as it should be. As for Dreamfinder and his friends, everything should be right as rain. Or is it?

         Figment is the first to wake up from bed. He stretched and yawned big leaving no hesitation come between him and letting himself loose with his muscles. Jumping out of the bed while Flora and Rachel are still sleeping, he flew to the mirror hanging on the farthest wall away from him. A small table stood underneath the mirror with a pitcher of water, a bowl and a small towel. Pouring the water into the bowl and then wetting the cloth into it, Figment uses the towel to wipe his face to help him wake up quicker and freshen up his dragon skin. He loves to see his dragon scales gleam when it’s clean under the sunlight. But today, that is not what he sees. He noticed that when he put the towel on his face, it did not actually touch him thoroughly like there is some kind of barrier blocking the water from cooling him off. As Figment lowered the towel, he spots something awfully wrong about him.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!!!!” Figment screams.

         The royal purple scales no longer covered his face, but very thick hair! Little stubbles are just about covering up his crocodile nose while the rest of his face is growing hair three times the size of those stubbles. Never in Figment’s life has he ever heard of a dragon with hair; of course that’s his own experience. He tried washing his face off again believing what he is seeing is still just a dream, but it is no use. The hair is real! What is he becoming?

         The screams have wakened up Rachel and Flora from their bed and chair. They see Figment tense up with fright at the mirror. When the dragon turned around to face his friends, the girls screamed as well.

“Figment!” Flora screamed.

“What’s wrong with your face?!” Rachel also shouted.

“I don’t know!” Figment cried, “I was waking up from bed, I went to the mirror to wash my face, and then the next thing I saw was my face covered in hair! How did this happen?”

“I was right all along.” Flora said in shame.

“What?” Rachel and Figment said at the same time.

“This is my father’s doing. Earlier yesterday when we left the dungeon, I saw my father mixing up a potion and pour them into three chalices. Those chalices were the ones you three drank out of last night at the feast. And now my worst fear has come true: you are all turning into Woosoes!”

“Why didn’t you tell us this?” Figment yelled, “Why didn’t you tell us the drinks were drugged?”

“I-I have been meaning to tell you, but I was so afraid of what my father would do to me. I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Flora.” Rachel encouraged, “I’m sure we’ll settle this out.”

“You don’t understand, Rachel!” Flora yelled, “Because you are turning into Woosoes, you are all stuck here! And soon, my father will send his guards in here to take you and turn you into slaves to the day you die! My father has won. And there is nothing we can do to stop him now.”

         Unable to keep her feelings in any longer, Flora cried to tears. She feels that all of this is her fault alongside with the king’s for not telling the truth. She may have had the courage to speak her mind against KaZing last night at the feast, but not when Rachel, Dreamfinder and Figment drink the drugged pink lemonade from the chalices. Flora couldn’t even find herself needing to lift up her head. She didn’t want to show her face to her friends while she is crying. It signified to her as a weakness that could not be overcome with hope.

         A look like that is something Rachel is familiar of. That is the same look she had back home on Earth when facing against her parents. There have been times when Rachel wanted to speak up against her parents, but her courage would always douse to embers leaving her confidence to ashen into dust. But this is not the time to sulk into her own family problems. If anyone has a problem with family stuff, it’s the king.

“I haven’t known every one of you for long,” Rachel said, “but if there is one thing I have come to learn so far: it’s that there is a possibility for anything. There should be an antidote to change us back to normal. If we can find that, then we can convince everyone how big of a fraud KaZing is and beat him at his own game. Dreamfinder, what do you thi-…Dreamfinder?”

         But Dreamfinder did not answer. In fact, he’s not even in the room at all! Where did he go? Where is he?

“Hey! What happened to Dreamfinder?” Figment asked.

“He could either be freaking out over his new look, be taken prisoner first, or both.” Flora assumed.

“Hmm…this isn’t right.” Rachel mumbled to herself. Then Rachel said aloud, “We’ve got to go find him! Hopefully, though I doubt it, he hasn’t found out about this curse yet. Flora, would you happen to know where your father keeps his secrets away from the other Woosoes?”

“There is a secret trapped door hidden underneath the throne in the throne room. That’s where he plans his schemes and the witchcraft to pursue them…. and also where he disciplines me.”

“He won’t be disciplining you any longer once we deal with him. That is if it’s alright with you, Flora.”

“If it is needed, then yes. There is also another entrance at the back door of the secret room. The doors are big enough for an entire crowd to walk through, but it is heavily guarded and well hidden.”

“Interesting.”

“Come on! Let’s go find my pal!” Figment exclaimed with confidence, “I can’t go on in life without him.”

“No, I’ve got a better idea. I’m going to go find Dreamfinder.” said Rachel, “You two need to do something for me that will greatly effect this mission.”

“But Rachel, Dreamfinder’s my friend and my creator. If I go with you, we’ll be able to find him quicker.”

“There will be other times where I’ll need you to help me find him, Figment. But right now, I need you to do this one thing for me.”

“Okay. What is it?”

“Come here.”

         The three friends huddled together to hear Rachel’s plan. Everything Rachel is saying is all hush-hush. No one else is listening except for Flora and Figment. One would think that the way Rachel is pronouncing her words are like ‘swee-swee-swee-swee,’ but the plan sounds all clear for her friends to understand. They each know what they have to do and there is no time to waste if they want it to work.

“Alrighty then!” said Figment now taking flight out of the bedroom, “Let’s go, Flora, before we become permanent residents!”

“I’m coming, Master Figment!” said Flora, following him.

         The two of them are out of the bedroom while Rachel went off on her own to the throne room. In a sense, Dreamfinder had saved Rachel from her definition of madness that is her life on Earth. It’s her turn to find and save him.

“I’m coming for you, Dreamfinder.” Rachel murmured to herself, “Hang in there.”

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         Darkness has voided away the light from entering into this particular room. Everything in there is as pitch black as a midnight sky that had never been cleared away. There is nothing in that room except for Dreamfinder, who still sleeps on a different surface other than the floor.

         When Dreamfinder has woken up, he figured he would wake up on the floor still and see Rachel, Figment, and Flora still sleeping soundly on their cushioned beds. But that is not what he is seeing now. Instead of a sunlit bedroom with him and his friends alone in there, he finds himself in a dark room with a lamp in a candlelight towering over him. He is the one who is all alone, strapped and bounded to the seat beneath him with ropes. Surprised at the outcome of his awakening, Dreamfinder did not know what to make of it. This had never happened to him before.

“Wh-What the-? What is the meaning of this?” Dreamfinder shouted, “Who did this?”

         Suddenly, a chuckling is heard from behind Dreamfinder. It sounded a little familiar, though he hopes it is not who he thinks it is. The chuckling came closer and closer behind him to the point where Dreamfinder felt the need to shout out again.

“Show yourself!” Dreamfinder yelled.

“Welcome, Master Dreamfinder!” said the chuckling voice, “Did you have any pleasant trick-pics? Or ‘dreams’ as you call them?”

“You!”

“Yes, it’s me.”

         The person responsible for the chuckling came towards the Dreamfinder with a green torchlight in his hand. It is the only light source in the room and it is enough to reveal the bearer’s face: King KaZing, in person.

“Surprise!” KaZing exclaimed.

“KaZing!” Dreamfinder shouted angrily, “What is this all about? Why am I strapped here? This is inducingly uncomfortable!”

“Pity. I figured with you being a god, you’d find any kind of material worth your comfort. I suppose I underestimated you seeing as that you are not a god at all!”

“How did you figure that out?”

“While you and your purple beast were playing with your do-dads, I have watched your ’goddess’ ’ hand get slap by Coaxoch’s hand-”

“Her name is Flora now!”

“Whatever. Coaxoch slapped your girl’s hand and your girl felt pain come upon it. No god should feel pain when they are struck.”

“I don’t know what this ‘hand-slapping’ thing is, but I guarantee that this tops the worst thing imaginable. Now where am I and what have you done with my friends?”

“Oh not much. I just gave them a little taste of something I have given you.”

“What do you mean?” Dreamfinder asked.

“Have a look in the mirror and you’ll see for yourself.” KaZing replied.

         The king held out a handheld mirror from his back and aimed the glass at Dreamfinder. Looking at his reflection, Dreamfinder screamed with shock! He is turning into a Wooso just as Figment and Rachel are! Aside from his beard, there is more hair coming out of his face and on his arms. The fur on his arms is making his outfit feel tighter for him to fit in, nearly ripping it apart. The growth is happening rapidly to the point of scaring Dreamfinder even more.

“Wha-WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!” Dreamfinder shouted.

“I’m simply making you and your friends a part of the family.” KaZing replied, “You are right about one thing at the beginning when you arrived: there may be no chance my kingdom could take on your Earth people by waging war against it, but that should not mean I can’t take what is theirs. Now I can stop the process if you tell me this: Where are you planning on going and what power does this place hold that I can use to govern my kingdom? I want a clear and straightly thorough answer out of you.”

“No! I-I won’t talk!”

“If you don’t talk, then you will remain here in Fillidore and I will make you, your winged reptile, and that girl my slaves for the rest of your lives! Though Rachel is quite lovely for what you call yourselves as ‘humans.’ Who knows? If she cooperates so willingly, then perhaps I’ll make her my queen.”

“YOU WILL NOT LAY A FINGER ON HER!”

“What’s the matter, Dreamfinder? Do you suddenly have feelings for that wench? It would be a shame to hurt those feelings and to have you watch her fall into her doom along with the dragon. Answer my questions or you and your friends will all be suppressed under my hand. Primarily, your girl.”

“Rachel is strong. I know she is. And I also know that at least she has some sense in her head rather than to fall for you and your fiendish tactics. They will come for me. Especially Figment. He always does.”

“We shall see. In the meantime, suppose none of your friends shows up for you, how about you tell your king your plans on seeing this monument, as Rachel called it last night.”

“My king?!” Dreamfinder shouted, “The Wooso who took advantage of our trust and our kindness to later imprison us so you can stand up at the top with power? The Wooso who abuses his own daughter just because he has no son to take the throne when you’re gone? You MUST be joking!”

         Shocked, the king backed away. He had never mentioned anything about him being Flora’s father to anyone!

“That’s right!” Dreamfinder said, “I know what your deal is with your familiar status. Flora told us everything about you and how you treat her and your people. You hide away all of your kingdom’s precious knowledge; the things that inspire everyone here while they cower in fear at your presence. And in Flora’s case, you turn every one of her fears, hopes and dreams into a nightmare and a weapon. If anyone should be ruling this world, it should be Flora, not you!”

“SILENCE!” KaZing screamed, “I rule this civilization! I rule ALL of Fillidore! Tell me your secrets or I WILL EITHER DESTROY OR TAKE YOUR BRIDE FOR MYSELF!”

         Dreamfinder looked down and thought what he should do now. Should he tell the Wooso king about the geodesic sphere? Or should her not say anything and watch him hurt Rachel, Figment, and Flora? Knowing the Dreamfinder, the answer is pretty obvious.

“First off, about Rachel, she’s not my bride, nor will she be yours. No one is and I’m sure no one will so long as you treat the Woosoes this way.” Dreamfinder admitted, “And second…I’ll…I’ll tell you what I know. Just don’t hurt them, please.”

“Good.” The king panted, “Finally…begin.”

********************************************************************************************************

         The throne room is not far from the bedroom. After walking around the area so much yesterday, Rachel has gotten the idea of which room is where. She trots through the main hall, making sure the Wooso warriors are not around to catch her. There are two warriors guarding the entrance to the throne room, one of them being the warrior chief. With just two guards being so large, it would mean that the doors are heavily guarded to the human eye. If anything is going to get Rachel inside, it’s smarts.

         The guards watched keenly with their eyes fully aware of anything that would come their way. The way Rachel had thought about getting past those two is pretty simple. She reached into her pocket and took out what she had been saving since yesterday: The Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups candy bar she first wished for with her necklace. Rachel opened the wrapping to let the aroma set out into the air. The scent of the candy flew into the air to where the warrior’s noses could smell it. They took a whiff of the peanut butter and chocolate scent and relish over it. Their mouths began to drool with delight. The warrior guards wanted the taste of the peanut butter chocolate so badly! Rachel then threw the candy bar across the room away from the door. Seeing that the bar was the source of the delicious smell, the warriors chased after the chocolate, leaving their post unoccupied. This is Rachel’s chance to get inside the throne room unnoticed.

         While the guards are gone, Rachel takes a peek inside the throne in case there are other guards guarding the throne. Flora said that the trapped door is hidden underneath the throne itself. That is Rachel’s target. No one is in the room. So Rachel quietly closes the door behind her so the Wooso warriors wouldn’t notice and runs up to the throne. The throne is made of dried mud and stone. It would be harder to just push it out of the way instead breaking and kicking it apart. Yet, it has the king’s smell for however long he had been sitting there all these years. BLEH! As much as Rachel wanted to puke from the smell, that is going to have to wait.

         She pushed away the throne far enough, assuming that the trapped door would have to open toward her. She finds the trapped door and pulls it open. Inside the hole is very pitch dark all the way down. The only way to get in the trapped door and out is the ladder that stands in there. Rachel lowers herself down the ladder where is seems like she is entering a world of darkness. The walls closed in around her as she went down. There is nothing but moldy mud-bricked walls surrounding her fowling the air so putrid, Rachel had to free one of her hands to cover her nose with her shirt and continue downward. Even the ladder itself felt a little sticky to the touch. Probably been covered by the king’s fingerprints for so long, some other icky things caught onto it. It’s possible that KaZing does not take total pride in personal hygiene. But Rachel continued on, not willing to give up on her host, the Dreamfinder.

         Finally, Rachel got to the very bottom of the ladder where behind her stood a one-way tunneled path. Up ahead there is a wooden door with a window barred with metal poles like a typical prison door. She heard voices murmuring in a blur from a distance. The voices became clearer to hear the closer Rachel went on through that oath. Soon she able to recognize the king’s and Dreamfinder voices and later realized what they are talking about. She can hear Dreamfinder explaining to the king about Spaceship Earth. Hearing and seeing Dreamfinder talk about their plan in a gloomy tone has made Rachel feel terrible inside both personally and generally. She hated how Dreamfinder is forced to tell the Wooso king their plan to find the geodesic sphere, but even more Rachel hates seeing the look on his face full of sadness and regret. She has to get him out of there somehow, one way or another!

         The door is locked and the key is gone. Rachel is no lock picker, so she has to break the door down by force. The only thing is that if she tried to break it down more than once, it would alert Dreamfinder and the king and let them know she has come to the rescue. Rachel has only one chance to get inside, so she has to think this over. She is not a very strong kicker, she would break her knuckles and fingers if she punched through the door, and she would result in a lot of pain on her arms if she tries to ram herself through. This is a good time for Rachel to use her magic wishing necklace.

         A clear quiet concentration is the key to getting what she wants. She did her best to mute out the king and Dreamfinder’s conversation until her mind becomes totally blank with black. In her mind, she imagined herself wearing protective armor and holding a powerful shield to bash through the door. And just like that, just as it did with the candy bar, Rachel’s wish came true. When she opened her eyes she saw herself wearing the armor and holding the shield that is so indestructible not even a thousand soldiers could pierce their swords and spears through it! The armor may be a bit much for the occasion, but the shield should be just strong enough to break through the door and save Dreamfinder.

********************************************************************************************************

         Rachel allows herself to get enough distance for a running start. She steadies herself to her position ready to barge through the door with everything she’s got. Now she charges! Faster and faster and faster Rachel ran with her shield in front of her and her arms tensed, bracing herself for whatever pain may come her way as soon as she gets inside. Her screams became her battle cry. At the first touch of her shield the door breaks down, shocking Dreamfinder and the King KaZing with her surprise attack. Rachel’s face has turned red with pressure and steam compounded with her anger. Her eyes have darted toward KaZing ready to tear him limb from limb. She growled with rage as she held onto her shield as tightly as she could. This girl means business!

“Hey Wooso King!” Rachel shouted, “Let Dreamfinder go and change us back to normal!”

“Ah, Rachel! I see you have come to join the party.” said the king who tried to keep himself calm about the situation, “We were just talking about this ‘geodesic sphere’ you three have been trying to get to. It fascinates me quite a lot. Any chance I might take part in sharing the glory that thing could contain?”

“Whatever chance you’re thinking it is, I can tell you that it’s a very fat one. You not going anywhere near that thing. We don’t even know if the geodesic sphere is considered safe in any kind of hand.”

“That’s a shame. Here you two are telling me something about a monument so powerful it could change the face of reality and yet you know nothing to prove its potential. That’s going a little over the edge of yourselves, is it not?”

“I’ll admit, it does sound hard to believe.” said Dreamfinder.

“Dreamfinder, are you okay?” Rachel asked.

“Other than turning into a Wooso while being strapped to a chair against my will and forced to tell my secrets, I’m doing great!”

“Seriously, what is your problem?” Rachel yelled at the king, “Why is this and changing us into Woosoes so important to you?”

“For centuries, my people have depended on legends to repeat its history in ruling and saving our kind from certain destruction and mass hysteria. Since when has there ever been a Wooso, Mochika, or Khalizi who ever wanted to take a stand and try to rule over our kind without their support? No one until I have come along. When I became the king, I made sure every piece of information of our past heroes, gods, and idols were locked away so everyone in our clans would have no one to turn to but me. With all this power, I control all three of our tribes and I get respect out of the fear I threaten them with. The people of Fillidore no longer have any use of believing in such fantasies while they are facing the reality of our civil politics. All was fine until you two and your purple creature had arrived. I’m not exactly sure how you three were recognized to be our gods, but because of that you took all of the respect that was mine. That is why I had created the formula to turn you into Woosoes…”

“So you could tell everyone that we, as gods, had abandoned them while you still stay on top and have everyone continue to do as you say!” Dreamfinder figured out.

“That’s your game then!” Rachel shouted.

“Precisely!” said the king, “I will admit this, though. Your culture of this music did give me some ideas on how I could better grip my control over the kingdom without leaving them to their suspicions about me. I must thank you for that.”

“And what about Flora?”

“What about her?”

“While you secretly hide away your truly loath-living self, you fake your kindness towards the Woosoes except for Flora. She is your daughter, your only child, the princess, and the rightful heir to the throne! Why is it you hide your schemes from the public, but not her?”

“Coaxoch is a worthless brat! She deserves nothing! Nothing from me at all!”

“Just because she’s a girl?” Rachel shouted.

“YES!” the king yelled as he grabbed onto Rachel’s shirt collar, scaring her, tossed away her shield and looked at her straight into her eyes with rage.

“Rachel!” Dreamfinder gasped.

“There has not been one female Wooso, Mochika, or Khalizi who has ruled our lands because of their dainty personalities. Men are the more dominant in our kind and I prefer to keep it that way. They get these ideas of better perfecting our civilization; ideas that could better top what I have made for them. Out of all the women’s ideas, I believe Coaxoch’s are the most insanely impossible, pointless, and ludicrous! I will not be topped by a stupid child of that gender. And I will take down every female Wooso, Mochika, and Khalizi who defies me and my orders and every Wooso man who supports their ideas and abandons their loyalty of me!”

         Rachel, hearing the king’s harsh words, then notices a bright spot of light dancing on the ceiling. Something about that little light made her feel confident for some reason.

“You can’t possibly feel this way about women!” Dreamfinder said in great distress of the heart.

“I MEAN IT! I MEAN IT ALL!” the king cried.

“Dude, for real? Are you sure?” Rachel said, making sure his words were precise.

“YES! YES, FOR REAL! EVERYTHING I AM SAYING IS FOR REAL! And if you say another word of this to any Wooso or the other tribes, your head is mine!”

Then Rachel smirked and said, “That’s just what I wanted to hear. FIGMENT! FLORA! NOW!”

         Without warning, all of the torches in the secret room have lit. And with them, the entire Wooso population stood there with Flora and Figment upfront watching everything and listening to everything the two friends and the king have been saying. The faces of the Woosoes have become shocked with disbelief. They had no idea those intentions of the king have been for real for all of the time he had reigned over them. KaZing, on the other hand, stood there in shock himself. How did everyone find one of the secret entrances and get in here, he wondered. He let go of Rachel’s shirt, not paying attention to her releasing Dreamfinder from his chair. Every word that he said about killing the female kind of Wooso, Mochika, and Khalazi for expressing their ideas on how to make Fillidore a better place to live and killing the males who would support those ideas… BUSTED!

“Wh-wh-what is this?” the king stuttered.

“They are your loyal people who look up to you while you turn them away for your own selfish greed for power. As if they don’t exist.” said Rachel, who still smirked and then said to the Wooso people, Figment and Flora, “WOO! I think we got him guys! We got it all! You heard the whole thing, right? Good, good, good!”

“Rachel, what are you doing?” Dreamfinder whispered to her.

“Trust me on this, Dreamer. I know what I’m doing.” she turned back to the king and continued, “I figured that you could really use an audience for this little dramatic thriller show you’re holding up here. Something called… ‘The King and I: the story where the heroes find how the king’s mind really ticks to stay in power!’ We got the whole thing now, yakatty- yack! You really laid it all out quite beautifully!”

“B-b-but how?” the king stuttered more, “How did you all find the secret doors?”

“Leave it to the only family you have to tell me about it.” Rachel signaled Flora to come up to her side, giving the king a clue of who revealed his secret.

“Coaxoch! You traitor!”

“No father, it is you who is the traitor to me when you defied me, my existence and killed my mother for giving birth to me…a girl.”

         The Woosoes gasped with horror! They were told in the past that the queen died from a terrible sickness, but just like KaZing, Flora knew the whole truth. But the bigger shock to the Woosoes is that the king had a child in hiding the whole time! They had no idea they had a princess in the current royal family!

“Bah! You’re just a child, Coaxoch!” the king barked, “How could you possibly convince these people to do what you say?”

“I believe the question is ‘who helped her get the attention?’ ” Figment chimed in.

“You?”

“At first, the Woosoes didn’t believe a word I said about the secret entrance.” said Flora, “They all thought I was being a crazy little girl who wanted to start an uprising. But that was until Master Figment came in and vouched for me since everyone would listen to their gods and follow their orders. We led them to the secret door at the middle section of town where the vines grew and no one had guarded that spot. I have always known the secret code from you every time you used it to bring me into this terrible place, so I used that same code to get everyone inside. And now everyone knows what you truly are: a greedy, self-centered, dictating Wooso who wants everything done his way just because he’s the king who gets what he wants with a snap of his fingers. And now look what you have done to our gods, turning them into one of us for your own selfish deeds!”

“Those are not gods, Coaxoch!” the king yelled, “They have no power over you and me and the Woosoes! Being turned into one of us is their punishment for lying about their immortal power to protect us when they can’t. They are frauds! Therefore, they will be Woosoes for as long as eternity!” the king then pulled out a vile with a potion inside. It’s the antidote to reverse the process of Wooso evolution! “So long as I’m standing, I won’t be needing this antidote anymore.”

“No! Don’t drop it!” Dreamfinder yelled.

“You’re right.” said Rachel, “We’re not gods. We do deserve a punishment. So go ahead, break it.” Rachel ordered.

“Rachel! Are you insane?!”

“We’ll be Woosoes forever if we don’t get the antidote!” Figment cried.

         The king smirked. The one foolish thing Rachel had in mind is letting him destroy their only hope of turning back to normal. He raised his arm with the vile in hand and smashed it into the ground! The potion splashed with the breaking glass and it dissolved into the dirt where it would no longer be used to save the three travelers.

“NO!” Dreamfinder and Figment screamed.

The king maniacally laughed, “Stupid girl! For someone so persistent, you really have no brain. This is why no woman should rule this world. AND NOW YOU GET TO LIVE THE REST OF YOUR YEARS AND DIE A WOOSO!”

“Ooooh…yeah, about that.” Rachel slowly spoke, “We’re not actually turning into Woosoes at all.”

"What? What do you mean?"

"Watch."

         Rachel, to everyone’s confusion, started pulling out her Wooso hair from her face revealing her skin. For the Woosoes, that would seem painful, but it doesn’t seem to effect Rachel for some reason. Here’s the thing: underneath that hair is a layer of some kind of sticky substance. That sticky substance had masked all of Rachel’s face with the hair. Rachel carefully peeled off the entire thing, leaving some people a little disgusted, until her whole face was made human again! It sure left a huge reaction on the king’s face. He did not see this coming!

“WHAT?! THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE!” the king screamed with shocked.

“No it isn’t.” Rachel laughed, feeling victory running in her flesh, "It's all just funny, clever, and completely unpredictable! Mostly funny!"

“Rachel!” Dreamfinder shouted with shock as well, “You’re-you’re still human?!”

"As human as ever."

“How can this be?” Flora asked.

“What did you do, Rachel?” Figment asked, eager to know Rachel’s new secret.

“I knew all along from the beginning that the king was not to be trusted. The way he wanted to imprison us at our first impression and wage war against the Earth was way too obvious to tell. I also knew from when we released Flora from her prison, she spotted the king mixing something up for Dreamfinder, Figment, and me as we were passing by a room. She told us later that, and I quote, “He could use some kind of spell to turn you into one of us, to make you three Woosoes just like me and torture you all forever.’ That’s how I was able to put the two-and-two together. And then later last night at the feast I purposely drank from the chalice that had the same potion the king was making earlier that day. I knew the cost I would pay if I had drunk the potion. And yet, here I am as human as can be. And thank goodness for that.”

“But Rachel, you may still be human,” Dreamfinder interrupted, “but me and Figment are still Woosoes!”

“Ah, but here’s the thing: You did drink from the chalices, too, but the reason you two haven’t changed into anything as different as I haven’t been is because while you two and Flora were sleeping last night, I did a little work on preventing our evolution from happening. When the feast ended, I accidentally bumped into some Mochika women whom, as the king described to us when we arrived, are very well known for their choice of fashion and their use of herbs and spices. In other words about the herbs and spices, they would know an awful lot about the use of medicine. In secret, I told those Mochikas about the king’s plans and asked if there was anything I could do to prevent us three, you, Figment and me, from becoming one of their kind. They told me that they used to serve as the Mochika leader’s nurses, so they knew so many different vaccinations to cure those diseases from becoming fatal. The stuff that had been sticking the Wooso fur to my arms and face actually turns out to be used to grow fake fur on top while the minerals in the sticky paste would seep into the Woosoes’ skin until the real fur would grow out again, making the fake fur fall off later on. I asked those Mochikas if they could cure us and then use that paste to trick the king into thinking his plan was working. But I needed everyone to believe that we were actually turning into those Woosoes so the king wouldn’t suspect anything else happening or ask either one of you two, Dreamfinder and Figment, what my plans were to foil his schemes. AND THAT PUNK TOTALLY FELL FOR IT! WOO-HOO!”

“Remind me to never to take her lightly again.” said Figment.

“Agreed.” said Dreamfinder.

“But that’s not all I did last night. While the Mochikas were working on curing you and applying the paste on your faces and arms, I had a couple of the Wooso warriors bring in a couple documents and diaries of Fillidore’s history, family bloodlines, and legends. In there, I discovered the king’s family tree where both he and Flora are part of the same chain. When Flora first told me that she is the king’s daughter, I was a little skeptical. I thought this was her way of trying to trick me and escape the Wooso City for good, which either way I wouldn’t have blamed her for the condition she had been put in. Looking into that family history and how to tell who is part of the royal family really opened my eyes. The way to decipher who is part of the royal family is their birthmark.” Kneeling down to Flora’s height, Rachel continued to the crowd, “As all of you Woosoes know, every new generation in the royal family has a birthmark in the shape of a flower surrounded by a triangle to signify the connection of all the Wooso, Mochika and Khalizi tribes. Well Flora here has that same birthmark! Sorry about this, Flora.”

         Rachel reached to Flora’s right shoulder and ripped off a piece of her fur from it! Normally, it would hurt, but Flora did not feel any pain. That sort of confused her a bit. But when Flora looked down on her shoulder, it all started to make sense and everything Rachel has been saying is true. Not only did Rachel have the Mochikas use the paste on Dreamfinder and Figment, but on her as well. The royal family birthmark is there on her shoulder!

“People of Wooso City!” Rachel shouted, “This little Woosette is your real ruler! Your true future Queen of Fillidore!”

         The crowds watched in awe. All this time, the king had the Woosoes treat that poor little Wooso girl with so much disrespect without even realizing for themselves that this girl could be their princess. Chants were raised in question of how this all is possible. The king watched this happen and became infuriated! His teeth clenched with rage and his hands tightened to fists. KaZing is not one to tolerate with this outrage.

“LIES! LIES! ALL OF THIS IS LIES!” the king shrieked, “THAT PEST DOES NOT DESERVE MY CROWN!”

“No, KaZing. It is you who does not deserve the crown or the right to govern these good people. Face it, Flora is the rightful heir to the throne and there is nothing you can do about it. Though you are right about one thing: Dreamfinder, Figment, and I, we’re not gods filled with great power and strength or anything of that sort, but that does not mean we don’t know what is best for the people we care about. The people we care about today, that’s Flora and the rest of the Woosoes, Mochikas, and Khalizis you have come to threaten and/or eventually abuse to weakness or death to keep your position intact! That’s the whole truth, isn’t it? WELL COME ON NOW! SAY IT!”

“……” he said nothing. The king is terrified beyond belief after hearing every truth that came out of Rachel’s mouth.

         Even Dreamfinder and Figment were shocked to hear Rachel sound so strict and so thorough. At the same time, however, it kind of fascinated Dreamfinder a lot.

         Deep in those scared eyes of the king, Rachel stared into them to the point where the Wooso king broke down to his knees. She won.

“What do you plan on doing to me then now that you all know the truth?” the king asked in a grunting rasped tone.

“…I think Flora should be the one to decide.” Dreamfinder suggested.

“Yeah! After all, she is the princess.” said Figment.

“Me? I don’t know.” said Flora, feeling uneasy about the situation.

“It’s okay, Flora.” Rachel said, “We got the king down and you’re practically second in command. This is your chance to get what you deserve, to be loved once more. Whatever you want to do to the king is up to you.”

         Flora said nothing back. She walks up to the fallen Wooso king looking down at his pitiful face of defeat. There are no words she could think of to describe anymore of that. In a way, Flora wants to give the king the same treatment as he had given her for most of her life. At the same time, however, she hopes there is a better way; a better way that seems less dark. What could she do?

“Father…” Flora sighed, “All of my life, you had misunderstood me and many other Woosoes because you could not tell yourself to listen to us even once. And quite frankly, I don't know what to do with you after all of the terrible things you have done to me and our people. All the pain you had given me still haunts me to this day and I fear that is going to stay that way forever. More than anything, my mind tells me I should take out your life just as you did to my mother, the queen, and to all the innocent Woosoes you had imprisoned and executed. My heart, however, says otherwise. As much as I want to, I cannot bring myself to the position of cause immediate death. For now, Father, as Princess of the Woosoes and future Queen of Fillidore, I hereby send you into the dungeon until I give further command of your punishment. Guards, take him away.”

         Hearing those words, the Wooso warriors came up to the king and grabbed him by the arms, fulfilling their true ruler’s command. The king’s crown had fallen off his head during the process. They begin dragging KaZing away from Flora, her friends, and the Wooso population as they cheered for his arrest.

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME, COAXOCH!” the king shouted along the way, “I OWN YOU! YOU DO AS I SAY! I’M YOUR FATHER!!!”

“…Not anymore.” Flora said, shedding a tear in her eye as she took one last look at her father leaving through the entrance door.

“You okay, Flora?” Figment asked.

“All of you…” Flora began, then turned to her friends and said, “Thank you. Thank you all for helping me!”

         Flora made a group hug of herself, Rachel, Dreamfinder and Figment knowing that her victory and dreams of claiming her rightful the throne has been complete. She then saw the crown and took it upon her hands. The crown glistened in gold as she gazed upon its magnificence. What had belonged to her father, her father’s father, and all of her ancestors now rests within her hands.

“It’s yours, if you want it.” said Rachel, “Take it.”

“Will…will all of you put it on for me?” Flora asked.

“We’d be honored!” Dreamfinder smiled with delight.

“All together now!” said Figment excitedly.

         The Dreamfinder, Rachel and Figment each took the crown in their own hands and placed it upon Flora’s head. Not much of a traditional coronation, but it definitely tops all the other ones from the past.

“All rise for her highness, Princess Flora of Wooso City, Queen of Fillidore!” the chief captain of the Wooso warriors ordered.

“Long live the Queen!” Rachel shouted as she raised her imagined shield in the air.

“LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!” the Wooso population and Wooso warriors cheered raising their weapons with dignity.

         Everyone began bowing to Flora, their new queen of Fillidore. So did Rachel, Dreamfinder, and Figment, but as Flora turned to them, she felt something was wrong of them.

“Masters Dreamfinder and Figment and Mistress Rachel, my friends.” Flora said majestically as they looked up to her, “You bow to no one in this land of Fillidore so long as I stand as queen and your friend.”

         The queen and the Wooso population then began bowing to them as the three travelers stood to their feet. Blushes of appreciation filled Rachel, Dreamfinder, and Figment’s cheeks. They are not gods, everyone realizes that now, but great heroes sent from above to save them from the dictating treachery that had plagued their world. And that’s what they did. The prophecy of the Woosoes had once again been fulfilled.