Heroes of the Habitarium: Part Nine

      "What do you want us to say?" asked Kendra.

      "Where do you want us to start?" questioned Kei.

      "Start with the beginning," sniffed one of the other Chamber members.

      "Start with that morning," urged Talia. "The morning you came to us, Kei."

      "Came to you?" shouted Kendra. "Came to you?! Kei was abducted. Don't soften it with 'you came to us.' Say it plainly."

      "Kendra," Kei said quietly, "It's fine. I'll take care of this." He took a deep breath in. "That morning started like any other. I was in trouble with our version of the Chamber—the Council—again. I was messing up with my captain. Again. So I was punished. Again. But, unlike other mornings, things changed pretty quickly. And for the worse, though at that time I couldn't imagine anything being worse than getting yelled at in front of Kendra." He nodded towards her. "By my superior with all my comrades watching.

      "I obviously didn't know how wrong I was. Before I knew it, I was fighting for the first time, doing what I thought was right for my village. I was transported—abducted, I guess—by, well, Harrow.

      "But that's not what's important. I don't blame him anymore than I blame any of the rest of you for this mess." He looked each Chamber member directly in the eye, one by one. "We—my village and I, I mean—we were in the dark for so long. We didn't know why we were fighting you, or who you were, or even that you knew how to communicate, to feel, to do everything, know everything like we do. Like we can. We were so blind to the fact that you were down here fighting for your own survival—against us.

      "We didn't know," Kei concluded.

      "But... now you do," added Harrow.

      "Now all four of us do," clarified Brett.

      "And we assume that you understand that we aren't monsters, either, right?" Colston asked.

      "Well," started Chamber member Charrel. "That really depends."

      "On what?" Talia asked. "Haven't they proved themselves to be capable of nonviolence and cooperation? Isn't that worth something?"

      "Of course it is," another Chamber member replied defensively. "But being capable of nonviolence and cooperation and actually following through are two completely separate matters."

      "I don't know if we're allowed to negotiate on behalf of our whole village," started Kei hesitantly and respectfully, "As we are just young petpetpets doing what we thought was our honorable duty, but, I'm sure if the Council knew about all of this—if they knew what the circumstances were—that we can come to some sort of truce. But, if you don't let us go, if you keep us here, nothing will change. We'll keep fighting this pointless battle between two sides that obviously knew close to nothing about each other. If you don't let us go, this cycle of fighting and bloodshed and death will continue on for Milton C. knows how long. We can stop this. With your help."

      The Chamber members exchanged looks and started talking in hushed voices amongst themselves. Harrow and Talia traded nervous glances from either side of them then looked down at Kei and his comrades.

      Seconds passed, then minutes. Kendra sat down, then stood, sat, and then stood again. Brett and Colston were both fidgety as well, flexing their fingers, tapping their feet, nervously rubbing their noses.

      Kei was absolutely still. His gaze stayed fixed on the row of Underworlders before him.

      The murmurs and whispers stopped, and everything went quiet.

      "We, the Chamber," rumbled the leader, "have decided to allow the four of you to return on the condition that Harrow, Talia, Charrel, and I accompany you back to your village. As we are not sure why or how Harrow transported Kei, we will all be traveling on foot to the surface and across the Habitarium."

      "When do we leave?" asked Harrow.

      "Immediately," replied the leader. "Our scouts have informed us that the village is preparing a team to retrieve these fledglings here. If we had been holding this same meeting yesterday, I would have said it would be impossible to find us, but these three young ones clearly did, so now I am not to sure that our ancient way of life will work anymore. Their people could just as easily wander in here as they did. I'd rather meet them on my terms than theirs."

      "Thank you," breathed Kei. The acoustics of the room carried his voice up to the row of the Blue Beasts.

      "This," said the leader, "is not something you need to thank us for."

      Chamber member Charrel cued in, "Don't thank us until you, Harrow, Talia, and your merry band get back safely and smooth all this out."

      "You're going too, Charrel," chuckled the elder.

      "But—" she started.

      "I need you to go with them. And I will be accompanying you as well."

      A silence descended over the space. "Are you sure?" Talia finally managed. "You haven't been to the surface for—"

      The leader dismissed her with a wave. "This is the most important thing that has happened to the Colony since we were forced down here all those years ago. Of course I'm going with you. And we are leaving now."

      He rose to his feet and the whole room followed, standing in one fast, fluid motion.

      "Charrel, Talia, Harrow. You three are coming as well," he continued. He looked pointedly at the Charrel, whose mouth had opened in protest. "And there will be no arguments."

      "Yes, sir," she said after only a slight pause.

      "Good," the Elder said as his eyes swept the room. "Now, to the surface."

      Hands still tied, Kei, Kendra, Brett, and Colston were led quickly out of the Chamber and out back into the narrow tunnels. They had to walk double file with Kendra and Harrow at the lead, followed by Talia and Brett, Charrel and Colston, and the Elder and Kei.

      They walked through passage after passage, winding higher and higher, switching right then left then left again, u-turning and twisting this way and that, until they were close to the surface. Kei could smell the difference in the air; he could feel the heat of the sunlight soaking through the earth and into his skin. The Habitarium was just feet away, calling out to him like an old friend. No, a parent. One he didn't realize how much he had missed until he was on his way back.

      In front of him, he could see Kendra picking up her pace, faster and faster until she was speeding at an almost-sprint towards the exit. Everyone but Kei and the Elder followed at her pace; the two of them continued walking unhurriedly.

      And then they were at the trap door. The midnight's full moon was almost blinding as it crept through the cracks around it. "Cut their bonds," instructed the Elder, and they obeyed, releasing the four pinchit soldiers.

      With a heave, Kendra and Harrow flung the trapdoor open, and then their hands came down to shield their eyes. Compared to the almost-dark of the tunnels the moon's light was as bright as the sun.

      Kei let out a smile as fresh air filled his lungs. He could smell the grass and the flowers just above him.

      Harrow gave Kendra and Talia a boost up through the hole of the trapdoor, and they pulled everyone else up and out of the Colony. Kei was last, after the Elder.

      The seven petpetpets stood in silence as they took in the quiet scene around them. Moonglow was cast across the Habitarium like a shell of shining armor. A slight breeze shivered the blades of grass and cast a distant lake shimmering like magic. And it was. It was magic, for Kei at least. He was going home, finally. Though hardly any time had actually passed, it seemed like a lifetime since Marin had sent him up to the Mushroom Tower as punishment.

      He was going home. A home that up until a few days ago he wanted nothing more than to leave.

      "Should we get moving then?" asked Kendra, snapping him out of his reverie.

      "Lead the way," answered Harrow.

      "And you're sure we'll be able to get to your village before dawn?" Talia asked.

      "Positive," answered Kendra. "As long as we get moving now."

      And with that, the troupe of petpetpets was traveling across the surface of the Habitarium back towards the village where everything had begun.

      As they trekked along the gently sloped terrain, few words passed between them, but all felt the tension that was present in the air, following them like a cloud. They walked until they could see the village walls in the distance casting a shadow across the grass in front of them.

      "Are you sure they won't hurt us?" asked Talia. There was a slight tremble in her voice. "Before, this moment seemed so far away, but now..."

      She didn't have to say the words for everyone to understand. Their roles had been reversed. The four Blue Beasts were about to face the same thing that Kei and his gang had faced in the underground of the Colony. They were the village's enemies; they had been for generations.

      "I'll go in first," said Brett. "To explain."

      "No," said Kei, "I should go. I was the one that was abducted in the first place. I think I should be the one to explain."

      "Kei and I will go together," said Kendra decisively. "Colston, Brett, you two stay beyond the perimeter. Wait for our signal to approach."

      "Yes ma'am," they echoed simultaneously.

      Kendra then turned to Harrow, Talia, Charrel, and the Chamber Elder. "I need you four to come here. If anything seems wrong, run back to your home as fast as you can. If the sun starts to rise, run back home as fast as you can. I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of this stupid misunderstanding. It's not worth it."

      "But—" started Talia, "if we leave all of what we've done will mean nothing."

      "No," said the Elder slowly. "Sacrifice is sometimes necessary to reveal Truth, but not you, not today. Everything will work out for the best. It is time for there to be peace between petpetpets once more."

      Talia nodded once, and then Kendra and Kei started off into the distance, picking up pace until they were moving at a sprint towards the village wall.

      Doors swung open as they approached, and Kei was pulled into Marin's waiting arms. "Kei," she cried, "I thought we had lost you forever."

      Kei hugged her back for a moment, feeling all the emotions he had felt over the last few days bubble back up to the surface for a moment before he pulled away.

      She looked at him in surprise for a moment, then over at Kendra. "But, where are Brett and Colston?" she whispered. Her eyes changed from bright to dark as the shadow of fear shrouded them.

      "They're safe," said Kei quickly, "They're just beyond the walls and—oh, I don't have time to explain. Marin. Wake the Council. We need to meet with them immediately."

      "We'll meet you in the Council room," said Kendra. "We need to stop off somewhere first."

      Kei gave Kendra a quizzical look, but she didn't explain any further. Instead she just continued running, past the nests still under repair from attack and beyond the pond to the Archives. After flinging the door open, she hurried inside. Kei followed her down the steps, completely dark and into the space below.

      He stood blind as Kendra moved through the pitch darkness. He could hear her rummaging around, and then she was moving past him and grabbing his hand to pull him back up the staircase. When they emerged from the darkness, Kei could see that Kendra was clutching an old book in her hand.

      It only took them a few minutes to get to the Council room, and when they arrived the entire Council had assembled. A murmur ran through the room as Kendra and Kei stumbled in, out of breath and disheveled.

      Marin stood in front of them, her face creased with worry. She was their leader, their keeper, their caretaker, and she was still missing two of her troops. No, her children. "Where are Brett and Colston?" she repeated.

      "They're safe," said Kendra. "They're all right. But right now they are doing something more important than coming home. Listen, Marin, Council, we were in the Blue Beasts' Colony. Kei was taken there by accident, like Rahm was all those years ago."

      "Rahm?" said one of the Councilwomen. "So he wasn't just a legend after all?"

      "No," said Kei in a rush, "He's real. Or he was real at least. And not only is he a legend here but he's a legend in the Colony as well. Except there he's not the hero that we see him as, he was their destroyer."

      "The Colony?" said a mootix.

      "The Blue Beasts' home," explained Kei, "Only their not beasts at all. They're like us, only bluer. They think like us, speak like us, eat and fight like us."

      "We've been so wrong about them all this time," said Kendra. "They aren't monsters."

      "They were driven into the underground by us," said Kei, "by Rahm and his soldiers all those years ago. And then they were down there so long that they changed. They could always teleport, but before they lived on the surface in the sun, like us. Now they can only live in the darkness and in the night. So we need to hurry if you are going to talk to them in time. The sun is coming up soon."

      "Wait," said yet another one of Council members. "I don't understand. Start from the beginning and slow down. I think I've misunderstood you."

      "But there's no time," insisted Kendra.

      "We just need your word," Kei said, "That the petpetpets we bring will not be harmed. They are no danger to us. I can promise you that."

      The Council leader cleared his throat. "You have our word. Now go and bring them to us."

      "Of course, sir," answered Kei with a grin. "Right away. Kendra, you stay here, and I'll be right back with everyone."

      Kei quickly ducked out of the room and ran off, out into the green darkness of his home, out past his barracks and the mushroom tower, through the hidden entrance in the village walls, and out into the night. When he finally reached his companions—for that was what they were to him now—he was nearly out of breath with both exhaustion and excitement.

      But he managed to get out four words. Only four, but it was enough to change everything. "We're ready for you."

      And they were ready. After generations of misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict, the two groups of petpetpets were reunited at last, joining as one entity instead of sworn enemies.

      They had their differences, of course, but a truce was formed and the neighbors of both the Under and the Overworld became compatriots—grudgingly at first, of course, but eventually in the truest sense of the word, as friends and family of one world instead of two separate ones: The Habitarium.

The End