*If any questions arise about any mistakes, or issues with the characters involved, please read the Preface on Chapter 1* Chapter 3 - An Unwanted Role Frostcat continues to venture in the Great Forest so he can catch up to the strange rounded creature. He then suddenly feels that the further he pursues the thing, the more likely he will become lost in the forest never knowing when he will find Knothole or worse yet, getting out of the forest itself. Finally after nearly twenty minutes when he was about to change his mind, he found the strange being that he was looking for. The cautious warrior kept his distance and hid behind a thick tree to figure out what that thing is going to do next. It stood there, shaking around, and simply just looking here and there. Frost was still monitoring the red moving ball that was not moving at all for the next fifteen minutes. //Ugh! Come on. Move already or something.// Suddenly, the creature turned away and talked into a thick patched of grass. //About time.// He slowly moved away from the tree and followed the thing into the big grassy patches. Something doesn't seem to fell right as he cautiously walks further into the grass. The momenet that was he thought about that, the instant he quickly knew that he had lost his footing and started to fall off a cliff. Fortunately the cliff was more outawrd to the he can stop at one of the protruding rocks by freezing the cliff side to lessen his fall. He slowly scaled back up to the top and looked back down to see if the creature is still wondering about. "Great. All of that time chasing that thing just to nearly plummet to my doom? What a complete waste of time." But the instant he turned around to walk back, all that he can see is the oncoming creepy face heading towards his. In a collapse motion he ducked underneath the creature and rolled away from the cliff. The alert feline then sprurng back up and held his sword on his back as he look to see where that creepy face red thing went. The moment that he looked up, something was definitely different then what he was expecting. The face was still tan with the beady blue eyes and smile, but it's body is green and has small orange wings that were flapping about. "Now it's green?" Frost wondered as the flying thing swooped down again towards him. The warrior slightly moved to the side to dodge it and waited for what it was about to do next. The green flying ball turned around and swooped down towards the cat again and by that time, Frost drew his sword the swiped it down in one motion at the creature. Once his sword hit the attacker, it popped like a bubble and odd shapes burst out in it's place. //.......'Kay?// he thought giving a surprised look and staring at his sword. "Just one hit and it's gone? Yeah...this is really getting creepy..." Frost then felt something behind him and instinctively ducked again to find the same flying creature swooping down at him. "Another one?!" Once the creature swooped down, the feline thrusts his sword at it and the creature popped again. "Alright, now what's going on?" Frost said. He gave the present situation some thought for a bit and then looked around the sky. Sure enough he sees the same purplish light blue vortex in the sky like the one underneath the Swat-bot's head. The thought sparked in him and he quickly ran underneath the portal. He looked up to the vortex and sure enough the same flying creature flew out of it. Only this time it kept still. The clever cat slowly moved backwards to get out of it's distance until something poked his rear end. "OW!" he hopped forward and spun around to see another creature of the same structure. The body however is black and it is holding a shield in one hand and a lance in the other. The creepy face thing thrusts it's lance at Frost as he yelled "Whoa!" and did a front roll to the side to avoid being speared. Without hesitation, he turned around and struck the black ball from behind before it got the chance to attack again. The creature popped and once again he found another vortex. He quickly ran past the area where that vortex was present as he sees another black round creature holding a shield and lance come out. // I get it now. It's like a pathway. I just need to find those creatures or the vortex they come out of and where ever it lead me to, might be the one behind these....things?// Frost turned around and only sees another odd smiling creepy face and suddenly it turned around and walked away. The warrior looks puzzled as the red one walks further away. //Wait a sec...Right. Different colors do different things.// The somewhat detective feline continued on looking for more of those creatures and the vortexes sneaking around them to avoid fighting them as best possible. As he keeps going he can see a higher cliff at a far distance to see something moving about. But the moment he wanted to go further and huge vortex appeared in front of him. Another red creature was about to appear due to the ears slowly coming through first. But the moment the rest of it's body jumped out, it instantly grew to about ten if not twenty times it's normal size towering the awe struck warrior. //That thing is massive! But luckily it's red. That means it won't attack// Frostcat assumed. He walked calmly towards the oversize smiling red ball and tried to go around it when the creature slammed it's foot down causing the ground to shake a bit. After recovering from the minor quake, Frost then try to outrun the puffball. To no avail, the puffball jumped in front of his path and started another little quake on the ground. "Not letting me pass huh?" Frostcat boldly asked. He jumped a good seven feet in the air while drawing his sword and with one downward swing he bounced off of the creature's smiling face falling back before he could regain himself and landed on his feet. "Fine, you asked for it." He pivoted to his left and held his sword back across his chest. He swung his sword the other way forming five ice spikes to shoot toward the giant red balloon creature in different spots at once. The spikes hit their mark as the giant creature pop. The big vortex started to form for another giant to emerge. Frost would have to time his next move right or have the risk of falling into that portal. The daring cat made a break for it and ran towards the vortex. As another red giant jumped from the vortex, he did a baseball slide underneath the giant and the vortex before it slammed onto the ground. He looked to the giant to see what it will do next to see it simply wander off further into the forest. Making his final approach to the cliff, he notices that there were no more of those creatures appearing out of nowhere. Still, he remained on the alert for he can see something on the edge of the cliff as he gets closer. When he got a good look at it he realized that it is almost the same as the creatures. But this one has multiple striped colors of red and yellow with purple shoes and actual hands which their limbs are apart yet somehow together. The wondering cat wasn't able to get the new creature's face as it was looking downward at the Great Forest. It held up it's arm that has a communicator on saying. ~Is everything in order?.....Excellent, that will buy some time........Everything is ready here. By the time they attack, they will be helpless to stop until it's too late.....Yes, very interesting indeed~ The striped cresture chuckles and gloated ~Once we take care of them, he'll be powerless to stop me. The stage it set, and the characters are all in play...~ Frostcat slowly closed in holding his elemental sword on his side as the creature then lifted his hands to the sky and finish by saying ~Now the greatest show in history will soon begin~ Frostcat didn't want to take a chance to completely miss then fall to his demise so instead he alerted the striped round ball "~Sorry to interrupt your play...but you're not starting anything~" The creature slowly lowered his hands down and simply replied ~hmmm?~ The feline warrior explained "~They will be helpless to stop until it's too late? He'll be powerless to stop you? Obviously you're planning something that's not good at all. So whatever show you're trying to run, I'm going to cancel it before it even begins~" The stripe ball gave a little chuckle and replied ~Very interesting...~ as the creature slowly turned around to see the stage crasher ~You're not a part of the play at all. And yet, so eager to stop me~ Frost looked a little bit more serious when he saw it's face. It wasn't the usual beady eyes and odd grin but instead a big white round face to what look like a mask with thick yet thin t-shaped eyes and a oversize toothy grin of red teeth that couls be seen in a horror movie. The overall attire made frost presume that he was some kind of clown as it states ~You know, I though that you were the one I'm looking for. But there's something to you that reminds me of him.~ Puzzled and confused, Frostcat said "~Enough of the riddles. What do you want anyway?~" ~Oh nothing~ the clown said. ~It's just that you are the lucky candidate to be in my audition.~ He then gave out a whistle to summon a monster that appeared from a dark vortex above. Frostcat looked to the side and skated a few yards away from where it landed. The monster appears to be a green and yellow haunch back doll like lizard with very long arms and spiked hands. Even though it's the same height as the gigantic red ball creature, it's body is oddly shaped knowing that it shrinks down to a curly tail. ~Now, it's SHOW TIME!~ as the clown looks on to see the cat's performance. Frostcat grins and says "~You wanted a show? Then I won't disappoint you!~" The monster used it's arms to advance toward Frost and attack but with it's sluggish movements it was very predictable to dodge them. The feline ducked under it's swings and used his sword to strike it's huge nose. It was startled for a little bit but it wasn't enough to strike him down completely. The strange lizard leaped in the air and quickly dropped to land on the ice warrior. Frost skated underneath the monster and avoided the slam. The ground shaking drop tripped the feline over but he rolled back on his feet and swung his sword across to use his Ice Sickle attack striking the lizard's back. It gave out a loud yell and turned around to see the cat charge towards it. The monster starts to spin around faster and faster until it made some energy ring that expanded outward stopping the warrior in his tracks. The energy knocked back the feline on the ground as the monster tries jumping again to smash him for good. Frostcat opened his eyes and sees the big monster about the land. Before he could do anything, the monster was successful in crushing the ice warrior as the dust covered the ground in it's slam. ~oooohhh....~ The clown said. ~And I was hoping he would satisfy me too. Oh well.~ The clown shrugged and started to laugh as the monster was yelling out in pain. ~What?!~ As the dust settled the monster had multiple ice sickles stuck to it's back and feline was still standing a good distance with his goggles on and sword in hand. ~Well, well!~ The toothy creature said as he watches on. The lizard growled and started to spin again to create the energy ring. Frostcat quickly gripped it's sword, pulled out his cat emblem to form his sweeper vac and pressed the button. The area turned yellow as everything around him starts to slow down including his sweeper that he dropped. Frost then skated as fast as he could toward the lizard and gave out a blue glow around him as he focuses his power onto his sword. Just before the energy ring takes form, the cat leaped the same seven feet in the air and slashed through the twirling monster across it's mid section. And to give the clown what he wanted when he landed, he used the ice skating ability to glided around, dash back to where he was, and pick up the fallen sweeper just before it hits the ground. Once the surroundings turn back to their original colors the monster have out a final yell and plummets to the ground. The feline slowly got up and his sweeper turned back to the emblem and placed it in his pants pocket. He turned around to the clown and said "~And now for you.~" The striped creature suddenly laughed at the feline's words. "~What's so funny?~" Frost asked. ~mmmm....Not bad. you might be the little 'Spark' that his show needs. Until then, Avedazane.~ the clown said as he starts to float high in the air. "~Oh no you don't!~" the warrior shouted as he takes his sword and slashes it across only to form an icy crescent towards the jester. The floating clown disappeared into the dark vortex just before the ice crescent reached him. Frostcat gripped his sword for a brief moment and puts it back in it's sheath. Suddenly he hears a faint stomping as he looks to the area he came from and sees all of the different color ball creatures hopped back into their own vortexes. "Well, at least they're gone in this area." Frost then looks at the monster he defeated when a bright light shined from the monster nearly blinding him. Once the feline regained his sight, he can see something small in it's place. It looked like some type of green patched toy or a teddy bear. But what happened next gave the cool and sly feline an emotional blow. The pointed eared teddy slowly turned it's head facing the warrior and spoke ~hh.....help.~ His eyes widened to hear the sound of a desperate cry for the first time and rushed to the teddy bear's aid. "~Hey. Are you al... Oh no....~" As he looks closely at the doll, he can see the very same slash he gave the monster to the helpless doll. ~I...it's...ok...~ the doll spoke barely. The feline dropped to his knees in front of it. "~You....you were inside that thing?~" ~He....took four of us...from the park....and turned us into....monsters....~ The doll explained. Frost couldn't believe what he was hearing and began to shed tears from his eyes. "~I...I'm so sorry....I didn't know I...~" As the icy tears of sorrow hits the scared doll it smiled and said ~They can help.~ Frost looked at the doll. "~huh?~" ~the other three....t...they...can bring me back...please...save them~ it requested. The feline nodded and answered "~I will.~" The doll can only smile knowing that the one that slain it has no ill intentions and will do anything to fulfill it's request. But it's smile slowly faded away closing it's eyes to go to it's eternal slumber. Frostcat haunched over and tears began to fall upon the small and lifeless body. The cool and noble warrior has done the one thing that he thought he could never do. Taking the life of an innocent, accident or not. He replayed the fight in his mind over and over again trying to figure out what could have done to correct the horrible mistake he's done. But when his mind kept showing the one responsible for this, he became more focused. He then opened his eyes, stood up and walked back to the edge of the cliff. As he looks onward, he can see a big batch of darkness forming at the far right of the Great Forest. Judging by the events that just took place, he knows now that not only is this different than usual, but this is no laughing matter. Especially when it involves helpless lives. The feline said "Knothole..." as he clinched his right hand and skated off the way he came. Further away two voices were bickering to each other ~Will you slow down. You're about to pull my arm off!~ the first one said. ~That's what 'cha get for bein' too slow~ the second one replied. The two were wandering around for something until one of them sees something through the bushes. ~Oh no! Hey, look.~ the first one whispered. ~What cha find?...Hold on. Isn't that...~ The two looked onward to see and green patched doll lifeless and nearly sliced in half and further out in the distance stood the back of a black and white cat wearing a blue flame jacket and matching pants with a sword on it's back. It raised it's right hand and clinched it's fist. It turned to it's side to view that it was a guy as he skates off leaving a trail of ice behind him. The two jumped out of the bushes and ran to the doll. ~This is Mommet's isn't it?~ the first one asked the second. ~No doubt about it. And he'll pay.~ the second one answered. They both looked over the edge of the cliff to see the batch of darkness to the far right and noticed the killer went to the left. ~Com' on I've got an idea~ and second one said as they both jumped off the cliff and into the forest.