Summer's Sweet Lullaby: Part Three

by nefertimonchild

Strife had watched their midnight meeting, sitting in the shadow of a weeping willow. He knew their sudden friendship was blossoming into much more. Love. How Strife despised that word. Many years ago he was to be married to a beautiful young Gelert until she ran off with a Silver Lupe, and he realised that what she felt for him was not love, but nothing at all. He reminded himself of the task at hand and quickly sneaked back to his tent.

When dawn approached, Dolphin had already readied himself for the day ahead. He rushed outside to feel the sun's rays on his fur. It felt good, especially since the nights were harshly cold. He paced to the opening of his tent and before his eyes were many of the other men, prepared for battle. Strife would usually be right by his side, ready to leap in line. But where was Strife? He frantically searched the area but no spotted Gelert was to be found. He ran to MorningDaylight, a yellow Chia he had met upon joining the army.

"Where's Strife?!" He practically screamed.

"Chill out man, he's… y'know, I really dunno where he is," Morning said.

With that Dolphin rushed off to the nursing tent. Flipping up the flap, he walked in to find Talia56 and Silentsong12 chatting quietly.

"S'cuse me ladies, but would you happen to know where Strife went?" he asked quite earnestly.

"Not lately Dolphin, why? Oh yeah, that's right. He went to the Greyhound base on the other side of the plateau," the small blue Aisha said. He left without a word, headed to the Greyhound base.

"We can't have her interfering! You got that! I want her eliminated, out of the picture, wiped off this PLANET!" the blue Wocky yelled with anger in his voice, he was steaming because of a small mistake, one that COULD be corrected.

"I can fix it Rowen, really!" the nervous NeoPet managed to gasp.

"Is that so, huh? THEN DO IT, NOW! I want her gone within 48 hours you got that?!!"

After his last words, the spotted Gelert was taken away to do his mission.

Bathing in the Faerie Healing Springs, she pranced with overflowing joy, her tail whisking one way, then the other. "La la, da DA DA dun," she sang sweetly, her voice like honey, flowing and golden. Little did she know she had a watcher, waiting to strike. She climbed to the bank and shook herself vigorously to get dry. That was her last recall.

"Whoa," he whispered to himself. This couldn't be the Greyhound base, the place was deserted! Nothing was there but tents blowing in the wind, a few small buildings, and that was it. No soldiers, no nurses, no… nothing! He stepped slowly down the ravine that divided the forest and the base and made his way to the biggest tent there. He peaked inside, but nothing, nada, was there but out-of-date medicine and some torn blankets. Obviously an old hospital tent. Where had the Greyhound division gone in such a hurry?

His hands wobbled on the trigger of his tranquilizer gun. He couldn't go through with this, what was he thinking, taking part in a huge plan like this? Neopoints. That was what was on his mind when he heard that the to-be general was stricken with amnesia from a blow to his head and the Greyhound colonel needed a cover-up, fast. But this? The things he did, oh boy oh boy. "Let's get this done with," he muttered. He immediately pulled the trigger.

She lay strapped to a table, a bright light overpowering her beautiful green eyes. "So sis, what do you know?" A voice spoke, but all she could see was white.

"What?" she said a little shaken up.

"Don't play stupid with me. I'm much too smart for that. Now, let's get to business. What does he know?"

By this time her eyes were adjusted and a fierce Stone Wocky stood before her. "Where am I? Who are you talking about? Wait, no, who are YOU?!" She was terrified.

"You are in the headquarters of the General Dolphin10, Madam. You were shot with a tranquilizer gun by one of my employees, Cole. Good man, really," he exclaimed sarcastically.

"I know Dolphin personally and you are NOT him, he would never do a thing like this!" she cried out.

"You are exactly right, Carmen! I am not Dolphin10 but I will be soon. Or at least that is what the public will think. I am Rowen34, Rowen if you please. I am successor to Dolphin, in a strange way." He took a sip of the Red Wine he had in a glass in his furry paw.

"What are you talking about?" Carmen began to get worried. Dolphin wasn't destroyed, was he?

"I am going to lead the army into a war that will end all wars, and global domination will be mine! But there is one thing that stands in my way. My status. And a minor switch will have to occur. Nothing really. Just a disappearance, that's all."

A light bulb flashed in the albino Wocky's mind. This NeoPet wanted Dolphin gone. Permanently.

To be continued...