11 Chapters on Chapter 11

Chapter I

I don't exactly know how to approach the telling of this tale. Seriously, if you've heard it elsewhere you'd know that it makes just as much sense as a chipmunk on a surfboard; not that chipmunks on surfboards aren't decent critters, it's just they aren't as trustworthy as snakes on planes. In fact, research shows that snakes that choose their careers as pilots tend to be better with holding money than… I digress. However, I will attempt to recall this story to the best of my ability.
The story begins with two anthropomorphic foxes. Both of these foxes are related to each other as brother and sister. The eldest, Chicolini, was quite the troubled young man. He was constantly having nervous fits, each time closer to a heart attack than the last. Despite his disposition he was a very capable boy, able to take on many tasks before he became too nervous to do anything. His sister, Pinky, was no better than her brother; she was incapable of handling any kind of trauma, be it physical or emotional. Every time she was hurt she would cry until her eyes were unable to produce more tears. Despite this disadvantage each loved the other with a bond that was inseparable. Their love was strong enough to melt the coldest of hearts and the most stubborn of hatreds; at least, I think so.
Chicolini and Pinky were not only bound as brother and sister, but also as holders of a sacred mission. Long ago a terrible evil conquered their village, taking away their friends and family by force. Winston Village was now under the control of an evil cooperation known simply as The Ministry. Its leader, Rufus Firefly, was a ruthless and cruel barbarian of a man who made cigars out of the bone marrow of those who had dared oppose him. Rufus was not just interested in any simple company venture; he planned to harness the power of Winston Village's deity, Reslard, to take over not only the village, but the world. If he were to succeed, he would crush his enemies in a single day, taking with them the only chance to restore peace.

Chapter II

The siblings were handed the mission as they escaped Winston Village, just barely evading capture from The Ministry's security guards. They fled to the lands of Oceania, where they had sought out the guidance of a strong and wise moustache named Groucho Marks. It was said that within each strand of hair that made up his godly body was filled to the brim with knowledge passed down by ancient seers and prophets. Chicolini and Pinky had traveled many miles just to hear his word. Upon finding the lair of the holy one, Chicolini and Pinky both bowed down before him, each taking a strand of hair in the palms of their hands. "Oh wise and mighty Groucho," Chicolini begged, "Please offer us a piece of your infinite wisdom. Help us defeat The Ministry and save our village before Rufus destroys us all with the stolen power of Reslard. I beg of you."
Groucho shifted, taking a small puff of a pipe that had been lying near his side. "The only way to save your village," Groucho began, "Would be to seek out an ancient artifact that has not been seen in over twenty thousand years. I of course speak of the sacred crystal. Deep within the holy Caves of Charrington, there exists a precious relic that had once been in the possession of the powerful Winston, the founder of your village. Before he was defeated by The Ministry he had hidden this relic in the hopes that one would use it against The Ministry once more." Groucho took another puff of his pipe. "The journey to the Caves of Charrington will be perilous; only the bravest of warriors can hope to retrieve the relic. But once you have found the crystal, defeating Rufus will be accomplishable." Groucho slowly walked away, his hairs vanishing into the void. "I can only offer so much help. Remember what I have told you. Remember… the butterflies!"

Chapter III

There was a silence in the wise one's chamber. A minute had past; then another. Another minute had past. Then, after a minute had past, another minute had past. When that minute had past the minute that had past, another minute tired to pass, but another minute passed before it. Suddenly Pinky started to cry. "What are we going to do?" She bawled, "We've already been traveling for days! To get to the Caves of Charrington would be a suicide mission!"
"Calm down, Pinky!" Chicolini yelled. "We just have to find a way… I know! I can consult my friend Sanders for a vessel. Only he will have one capable of traversing over the sea of Victory Ginn. And so, they contacted Sanders and were able to convince him to lend them a boat to travel to the lands of O'Brien, where the Caves of Charrington were located.
"I can't be too sure that this boat will make it out in one piece," Sanders sighed truthfully, "But if there's one thing I'm sure about is that you will make it there. I believe in you both, Chicolini and Pinky; I know that the both of you will save Reslard and save the world from the tyrant Rufus." Chicolini nodded nervously, and got into the boat. Pinky was reluctant to go, so Chicolini had to stuff her into the passenger's quarters. She cried the whole time as they sailed out of the harbor.
The journey across the sea of Victory Ginn was indeed a perilous journey as Groucho Marks had foreseen. Chicolini had to navigate across treacherous storms, past devious creatures, and evade pursuit from Rufus' henchmen. Meanwhile, inside the halls of The Ministry, Rufus was smoking one of his infamous cigars when someone burst into his chamber. "And to whom do I have to thank for this unplanned interruption?" Rufus frowned viciously.
"I'm terribly sorry, sir," Trembled his scrawny accountant, "but I thought it would be of interest to you that our police patrols just outside of Oceania have reported seeing a ship sail in the direction of the lands of O'Brien. Perhaps they are staging a rebellion there?"
"I do find this interesting indeed," chortled Rufus, taking a quick puff of his cigar, "My regiment of special police officers have been trained to seek out any deceiving though. You might even refer to them as a sort of 'Thought Police'." Rufus laughed at his own ingenuity. "I wouldn't worry about them. Knowing my officers they will deal with this parasite accordingly."
When Chicolini and Pinky reached the lands of O'Brien it was pitch black; the sky that was usually sprinkled with more stars than one could count was now darker than charcoal. At their landing there was a small patrol of guards, looking around the coast. They bore the symbol of The Ministry on their armor. Using the darkness as cover Chicolini steered the ship past the patrol into a concealed stone archway not far from the Caves of Charrington. Chicolini dragged Pinky out from the passenger's quarters and onto the land. She tried to cry some more, but she had already run out of tears. They crept toward the entrance of the caves, only to find that the entrance was guarded. They watched as another guard approached the lone officer stationed in front of the caves. "Minos," the guard called, "how you doing over there, big guy?"
"As good as ever," Minos grumbled, "Nothing will get past my sight." The two guards reminisced about their days as lowly cadets when Chicolini had an idea. He grabbed a fairly sizeable stone and threw it into the water several feet away from his position. The stone made the desirable plop, and both guards turned to look at where the sound had come from. "Come on," Minos ordered, "I heard something over here." As Minos and his friend walked over to investigate the sound, Chicolini and Pinky made their way into the Caves of Charrington; barely evading the guards as they disappeared into the darkness.

Chapter IV

Within the cave there was barely any light; the only luminance coming from phosphorescent moss. Water trickled down to the floor, masking the heavy breathing of both Chicolini and Pinky. They treaded lightly, making sure not to disturb whatever creatures that made their home within the walls of stone. As they traversed the odd landscape they noted some ancient runes, some of which depicted the many battles their village founder Winston had fought. It was written that Winston was forced from his love for a woman by The Ministry, and in his grief he had placed the relic within the bowels of the Caves of Charrington, praying that someone stronger than he would put it to use in stopping Rufus. The deeper they descended the more Winston's story became clearer; The more they knew Winston's story the more Pinky started to cry again.
After descending past eight different chambers they finally came upon the ninth, which had been sealed by a stone doorway. Chicolini tried his hardest to pry open the door, but it would not budge. There had to be some kind of mechanism that opened the door, he thought to himself, trying to overcome the feeling of nervous dread that built up inside of him. While Pinky continued to cry he ran his hands across the stone walls, trying to locate a hidden switch. He finally felt a circular hole in the wall, within it was a handle. He turned the handle, and as he did the door slowly opened up before him. Inch by inch the door slid open, revealing what had been concealed behind it for over twenty thousand years.
Standing upon a stone pedestal in front of a statue of the warrior hero Winston was the holy relic. A crystal, glistening in the moonlight and within its center was a polished piece of coral. This coral was marked with runes in a dialect that neither Chicolini nor Pinky had ever seen before. The light that reflected off the polished crystal was strong enough to blind marmots. Chicolini beheld the awesome gem within his vision, and with trembling hands he pulled the holy item from its resting place. He held it within his hands for a moment, viewing every angle of the magnificent crystal. Then, without much warning, the caves shook around him. The caves were crumbling! Chicolini grabbed Pinky, who was crying again, and rushed toward the exit of the caves.
As the Caves of Charrington finally collapsed in on itself Chicolini and Pinky were able to escape with only a few minor bruises and scrapes. As they escaped they were not only noticed by every single guard within a thirty mile radius, but were completely unaware of what to do.
"Stop right there, criminal scum!" yelled Minos, already raising his firearm at them. Chicolini didn't have time to think. He gave the crystal to Pinky and carried them both away as fast as his legs could take him, and that was pretty fast, let me tell you. Minos and his friends opened fire, every single bullet a near hit. Chicolini's heart felt like it was going to explode, but surprisingly Pinky wasn't crying. Instead she had just passed out. They reached the location where they had parked the boat, but it wasn't in the water. Instead it was on the shore, blazing in a horrendous flame. Chicolini could only watch as his only escape slowly burned away into a smoldering heap. Minos finally caught up to him, laughing vilely as he approached Chicolini with his gun pointed right at his head. "It's all over, boy," Minos chortled, "Time for you to be judged for your crimes!" Chicolini wasn't ready to give up just yet; he put Pinky down and grabbed the crystal as he did, just so that Minos didn't see. "What should I shoot you for? It's rather hard to choose just one verdict," Minos sneered, "Perhaps theft; or maybe destruction of private property? I might even be able to put you down for just breaking and entering alone!" Minos readied his weapon, and just as he did Chicolini held up the crystal. Instantly a bright light shone from the center, and Minos instantly burst into a pile of ash without so much as a cry of pain. The other guards finally reached Chicolini, looking only in horror as their comrade was instantaneously disintegrated.
Chicolini held up the relic, ready to do the same for the other guards, but they weren't ready to die. They fled, leaving Chicolini and Pinky alone on the beach, their ship now a pile of ash just like Minos. Chicolini picked Pinky back up off the sand and walked in the direction of the sun rising. He would enlist the aid of some old friends of his to help him travel from the ruins of the caves to the doorstep of The Ministry itself. It had been a long time since he had last called upon the Bawbwomps for assistance, and with good reason; They were putrid creatures, never bathing and never grooming. They bore large tusks, both of which were settled on the bottom jaw of a cavernous mouth. Their heads had no torsos, where a normal neck would be were two odd shaped webbed feet. They had six eyes, green skin, and a tendency to prefer meat over anything else. However Chicolini felt about them didn't matter now, he had to call on them, and quickly before the start of the following dawn.

Chapter V

Back at The Ministry Rufus was now proceeding with his next step in the plan; Reslard was strapped into a power draining device, his energies slowly being filtered into several metal containers. Rufus watched in ecstatic glee as the containers slowly began to fill up. Just then his accountant burst in, slamming his forehead against the door before managing to get to Rufus. "I take that our little problem has been solved?" Rufus asked.
"It would seem that our problem has gotten out of hand," The accountant muttered, "They've discovered the crystal. It's only a matter of time before they find our location and terminate our operation here!" Rufus smacked his accountant, causing him to collapse into an emotional heap.
"Calm yourself. Remember what I told you before, Ungooki. Once I have the power of Reslard, it wouldn't matter if they had a million of those crystals! I would be the most powerful entity in this world; so powerful that not even the other deities could even dream of stopping me. Is that clear?"
"C-c-crystal." Rufus kicked Ungooki.
"Don't use that word. It's demeaning at this point. Now, I want you to stop whoever is trying to destroy me and this company. Do whatever it takes, but do not let them get to my office! Is that understood?"
"Y-yes sir; I understand." Ungooki collected himself off the floor, still crying a little from being slapped. Rufus watched as Reslard was slowly being drained of his power.
"How unsettling," Rufus muttered as Reslards disturbing eyes darted back and forth, "I can see why the villagers fear you. Your freakishly strong powers are only matched by your equally freakish appearance, especially that… bulbous… tail of yours." Rufus diverted his attention from the draining device to the window that gave him a view over the entire complex. "Once I have taken all of your power and made it my own, I shall have all the villagers under my direct control. And with the entire village enslaved, it will only be a matter of time before I control the energies of the other deities, and with their power I will control this world!" Rufus laughed like a madman, placing a hand upon the window to stabilize him. "And the funny part of it all is that nothing can stop me; not now, not ever."

Chapter VI

Chicolini and Pinky thanked the Bawbwomps for transporting them across the lands of O'Brien, and proceeded on the rest of their journey alone. They crystal grew brighter as they closed in on The Ministry, its command center only a few miles away. However, after having traveled so long they needed to stop and eat. The only place to get food for miles was a rest stop controlled by The Ministry. "Wait here," Chicolini told his sister, "You guard the crystal while I go inside and buy us some food. You know how to use the crystal; it will protect you no matter what." She nodded and waited for him to return. Inside the rest stop was a mixture of villagers from all around, each of them talking about the important events to come; The harvest, their families, and the fate of Reslard. As they talked Ministry guards looked on, searching for anything suspicious.
Chicolini approached the front counter, looking at the menu for something good to eat. "Excuse me," Chicolini smiled, "I'll have two Durnek Burgers, hold the Heerts, and a large Soulstorm Brew." The woman at the register smiled, entering the orders into the machine.
"That will be 15 daffodils, please." Chicolini reached into his pockets and pulled out the money; placing it in the hands of the waiting cashier. As he waited for his food he overheard a conversation behind him. Some of the villagers of Julia Village, Winston Village's sister village, were discussing the current Ministry Occupation.
"Y'know, I don't like how they're managing us one bit," one of them mumbled, "I hear that they'll be taking Skug soon, the same way that they took Reslard!"
"I've heard about that, too!" another whispered, "Who knows what they do to our deities in that huge fortress of a building. I tell you, it's a plot unlike any other!" Chicolini noticed one of the guards picking up on the conversation. As soon as he got the food he walked out of the building, grabbing Pinkys hand and rushing in the direction of the Ministry building. They managed to walk at least twenty feet away from the rest stop when they heard gunshots coming from within.

Chapter VII

In the Ministry building Rufus had been transfused with the power of Reslard. Although the process was incomplete he was already quite powerful. He waited for the next batch of power containers, grinning as Ungooki was sitting at a desk near his, and tapping away at the typewriter. Suddenly a strange song could be heard, emanating from Ungooki's pocket. He reached in and pulled out a portable device of telephony, flipping it out and placing it next to his ear. "Yes, this is The Ministry; we accept bribes only from the hours of… Oh, I see. Okay, bring him in for the demonstration." Ungooki hung up his device and looked over at Rufus, who was toying with a rubber band between a gap in his teeth, strumming it to some unheard tune, which he was humming to himself. Inhaling sharply, Ungooki yelled at the top of his lungs to reach Rufus at his amazingly large desk. "Mr. Firefly!" Ungooki squeaked, "The Ministry leader of village affairs is here for the demonstration!" Rufus immediately dropped the rubber band, returning to his normal posture. "Sthend him in." Rufus mumbled. He spat the rubber band from between his teeth and looked onward as the door in front of them opened, revealing a man of small but wide stature, accompanied by two guards.
"Ah, good day Mr. Cullen, I hope you are ready for today's demonstration?"
"Quite," Mr. Cullen responded, twitching his three large chins. His belly rippling as he twitched. He was quite a strange man, indeed.
"Very good; I have absorbed enough energy from Reslard to go through with this. I have discovered that I can teleport anyone anywhere within the world. I shall now demonstrate. Bring in the villager!" Ungooki breathed in sharply, yelling "Bring in the prisoner!" Suddenly another guard appeared from a side entrance, tossing a raggedy man onto the floor, aiming a rifle at him. The man got up, trembling as he looked at Rufus. Rufus raised a hand toward the villager, his eyes suddenly glowing. The villager uttered a sudden "WHAAA-" before he simply vanished into some unknown void. Rufus took a sip of his coffee and chocked on it. He pulled out a rubber band from his mouth and put it away. "And there you have it." Rufus smiled, "I think that this program is very promising, don't you think?" Mr. Cullen grinned, chortling like some kind of pig creature.
"I think that this program has much promised indeed," He chuckled. Some of the buttons on his shirt popped off from his elation alone.

ChapterVIII

At dusk they reached the building where Rufus governed over The Ministry. They snuck around from the front to the rear of the building, using the crystal to burn a hole into the fence that surrounded the complex. When they got inside they stuck to the shadows, moving as quietly as they could. A few of the guards noticed their presence, but not for long; the crystal made sure of that. When they got to the area around the main building they found it to be surrounded by a moat filled with murky greed liquid. It smelt of filth and was unpleasant even to look at. The moat stretched for at least fifty feet from where they were standing to the Ministry building. The only way across was a tram system that lead from one point of the moat to the door of the building. A sign was posted on the side of the tram. It read, "People have drowned in this stuff, so we called it Styx. Do not touch; causes itching." They fetched a security card off one of the guards they terminated, and proceeded to the entrance of The Ministry. When they reached the front door they used the crystal to melt a hole in it, and were met with heavy resistance. There were at least seventy guards posted throughout the entire complex, all of which were disintegrated by the crystals power. When Chicolini and Pinky reached the top floor there were no more guards left; it was only them and the devil himself; Rufus.

Chapter IX

They bust down the door, only to find that Rufus was sitting in his chair. His eyes glowed an unholy red; his grin like that of a snarling dog. "So, you managed to get past all of my guards; not that it matters now. I have more power than you can possibly hope to possess." Rufus stood up, raising a hand in front of him. "Now, kneel down before me." He unleashed a blast of energy, knocking Pinky down. She started to cry the moment she hit the floor. Chicolini was unharmed, still clutching the crystal in one hand. "Ah, the crystal; I was wondering where it was." Chicolini unleashed a blast of his own energy, causing Rufus to flinch, but he still maintained his ground. Now he was enraged. "Very well; two can play at this game, my friend, and the games have only just begun! "Rufus lunged at Chicolini, slamming a fist straight into his chest. Chicolini gasped as he was knocked back into a wall.
"I will not be stopped by the likes of you!" Chicolini yelled as he got back up to his feet. He slammed the crystal into the floor, causing him to leap forward. He hit Rufus right in the face, seemingly breaking his neck with the force of the impact. Rufus collapsed to the floor, not making any movements. Chicolini walked over and placed his crystal on Rufus' chest. Slowly Chicolini felt the energy being drained from Rufus into the crystal. Suddenly Rufus reached up and grabbed Chicolini by the neck, throwing him into a wall. He braced himself, but the force was too strong; He collided with the wall, breaking his left arm. He cried in pain as he saw the angle at which it was bent. Rufus walked over, grabbing Chicolini by the neck once more. Chicolini placed the crystal right between Rufus' eyes, draining a bit more of his energy. Rufus was furious, slamming Chicolini into the wall several times until he dropped the crystal.

Chapter X

"I will control everything!" Rufus screamed in fury, "You will not… you cannot stop me! Never will you see another day on this world!" Rufus aimed a hand at him, already charging his power. "Say goodbye to your sister. I hope that her death will be as quick, and as painless as your-"Suddenly there was a large bang. A bullet passed through Rufus' skull, sending blood and brain matter flying in the direction of the shot. Rufus had absorbed a lot of energy, but he had been weakened enough to be killed. He collapsed to the ground, gurgling as his energy slowly drained into the crystal. "N-no… Impossible… how could I…" Rufus turned around and saw his killer right before he died; his accountant, Ungooki.
"I never did like that guy!" Ungooki cried, "He was a heartless bastard!" Ungooki dropped his pistol and started crying like a baby. At that same moment Pinky joined in. Chicolini picked himself off the floor, grabbing the crystal. He approached the holding cell where Reslard was hanging. He barely had any energy left, and was hanging on by a thread when Chicolini approached him. With the crystal out in front of him, Chicolini focused all of his ability in returning the energy into Reslard. A flowing bright blue light could be seen traveling from the crystal into Reslard's holding cell. When the light had ceased, Reslard was at full strength, and he finally broke out of the draining device. Reslard made gleeful noises as he danced around, finally free from his prison. Chicolini finally collapsed; the bleeding from his arm too great. Reslard, filled with sudden determination, began to heal Chicolini, directing some of his power into his shattered arm. Broken bone mended, torn flesh meshed, and finally Chicolini was back in good condition. He woke up, looking around as he was surrounded by Pinky, Ungooki and Reslard. He smiled, reaching up to pet Reslard.
"Thank you; thank you so much." Reslard nodded, and once again channeled his power. He teleported them all back to Julia Village, where a party awaited them. The two deities Skug and Reslard were reunited, and all of the villagers from Winston Village and Julia Village rejoiced in a celebration unlike any other. Now the villages were finally at peace, the world was safe, and it was all thanks to Chicolini, Pinky and Ungooki. Their names would go down in history, and they would be looked upon as heroes. But for now, the three of them celebrated and danced to the sacred Village Rave, and nothing else mattered except the joy that resonated from both villages around the world. Truly it was an event that shook the very foundations of the world itself.

Chapter XII

And so that brings an end to this magnificent tale of bravery and courage. In the end it is good that will triumph over evil, despite the fact that both forces in the world are equal and that to eliminate one would set the entire universe off balance. I'm pretty sure some old guy proved this, so don't even try and question me on it. I know my sources.
How did I come across this odd tale of redemption and heroism? Why, I was part of it. I was Ungooki, the miserable accountant made hero. I tell this story to all to help them remember that there was once a time of terrible tyranny, and how it was overcome by two siblings and a disgruntled office worker. Maybe someday the children of my children will become disgruntled office workers as well, and help fight off an unseen evil lurking on the horizon. Well, only time will tell, and I am willing to wait.