A happy and sunny day in the lands of Ice Cream Standopia, in a forest nearby children played.
A simple game of hide and go seek, Jackraw was the one who was 'it'!
The young cheese turned his back and closed his eyes and counted out loudly, the rest of the ice creamizen children scattering to hide.
Once Jackraw had finished counting to 10 he started to venture outward into the forest, searching everywhere the young cheese could reach.
As Jackraw ventured deeper into the forest, it started to get darker and eerie.
Rustles could be heard in the faintest directions.
He came upon a bush, it started to rustle vigorously.
Jackraw went up to the bush quickly and started poking it yelling out,
"I FOUND YOU!"
The bush ceased.
The forest grew quiet, Jackraw confused still poking at the bush, but something dark emerged forth.
A black creature that seemed to grow in height growling as Jackraw stumbled back inching backwards as he quivered in fear.
The dark creature ripped through the bush and got on all fours, moving forward in a position to attack.
Jackraw covered his eyes as the monster lunged forward.
Jackraw heard a faint thud, the growling gone.
A cloaked figure stood in front of him holding a stick out.
Electricity emitting from the very tip.
The cloaked figure stood fast, the rest of the forest began to stir, he quickly turned and blasted anything dark that began to charge at their direction.
The hood fell from the head of the stranger and Jackraw looked on with amazed eyes, Sunbucks!
The left hand of Sam!
Sunbucks' head glowed bright fending off the two from the encroaching darkness.
A crystalline figure came out from the brush, Sunbucks glared at it curiously, he had never seen such a creature before.
The crystalline creature, took another step forward as Sunbucks readied himself.
The creature then took a sudden step back returning into the shadows, the dark little creatures retreating back.
Thumping could be heard behind the two, Sunbucks turning back to see a great old tree coming to his aid.
"Ah!”
“Treekeeper missing all the action!"
The Treekeeper walked up and huffed.
"If you were my age boy, you'd be missing all the action too!"
Sunbucks laughed at the response.
He turned to Jackraw and got on a knee,
"This is the Treekeeper, he will take you home safely."
The young cheese nodded and turned to the tree and looked up at his great height.
"Come along little cheese.”
“Oh- and also Sunbucks, Sam summons you to his tower."
Sunbucks tilted his head and shrugged,
"I wonder what he wants?"
The Treekeeper shook his head and started to walk the cheese home, Jackraw looking over his shoulder as they trekked on.
Sunbucks whistled and from the sky a cow emerged,
"Douglas!"
He shouted, the cow responded with a nod landed beside Sunbucks.
Sunbucks mounted his cow steed and traveled on to meet with Sam, curious thoughts on his mind as he traveled back to the kingdom.
Sunbucks landed near the tower, the ice creamizens all raising their arms in cheer as word spread across the large town of his victory.
Sunbucks humbly shrugged off the graces exclaiming that it was nothing.
Sunbucks headed up the tower into Sam's chamber opening the door slowly.
In the corner of the room he saw Sam tinkering with what appeared to be a small ice cream shaped... robot?
But as he entered the room Sam turned and welcomed Sunbucks.
Sam quickly put a sheet over the 'project' he was working on and walked over to Sunbucks.
"I heard about what happened!”
“You have done a great deed Sunbucks."
Sam patted Sunbucks and went over to his chair taking a seat.
"I also hope you know, that the forests have been stirring as of late... more bugs than usual."
Sunbucks quickly added,
"There was something else..."
Sunbucks recounted about the dark crystal like figure.
Sam nodded and sighed,
"It seems like there's a change in the game..."
Sam stood up and looked out the window, the ice creamizens playing around as he closed his eyes and turned back to Sunbucks,
"There is.... a creature I'd like you to meet."
"But she resides in the darkest reaches of the forests, a perpetual night so to speak."
Sunbucks tilted his head.
Sam said once more,
"She is a powerful Seer.”
“She could see the outcomes of the future and with that, it could aid us."
Sunbucks bowed to Sam,
"I must leave then at once."
A sound started to stir up from under the sheet, but ceased almost as soon as it started.
Sam told Sunbucks not to worry and sent him off.
Sunbucks went down the tower and mounted his cow steed Douglas.
He rode on from the town and into the forests.
Sunbucks raised his stick and a small visible light map of the forest appeared as he road on upon Douglas.
He reached the edge, an eerie glow emitted from the borders almost as a division.
Sunbucks dismounted Douglas, hitting the cow steeds rear to send him off into the sky.
Sunbucks raised a hand, an almost resistance as he tried to step into the darkened forest.
He stepped into the forest and suddenly everything became night, his very perception started to darken, but luckily for him his lineage was of the sun!
Sunbucks' great head lit the way as he trekked further into the dark wilds.
Sunbucks came upon a tower after trekking along the forest for almost hours.
Tired and weary, he knocked on the great doors.
Sunbucks stood back, the noises of the forest stirring even louder now.
The moonlight just above the tower shining bright.
The door did not move nor a response.
Sunbucks was almost at a loss for his journey, but then the great doors began to shove open.
Behind it was a rather strong looking machine.
Shoving the doors open, the mechanical parts moving and in unison.
The robot had a large heart on the chest cavity, and approached Sunbucks.
Staring him down as its eyes began to glow red.
"WHO- ARE- YOU-"
It whirred out.
"I am Sunbucks of Ice Cream Standopia!"
He said out to the great mechanical being.
"And... may I ask... is this the home of the Seer?"
He questioned.
The mechanical being whirred up and started to move into the tower without a word.
Sunbucks looked at the back of the machine and shrugged following close by.
Sunbucks noticed…
A plate!
He started to read it as they went into the tower,
“N - O - T - A - P - S - Y - C - H - O”
It spelled out.
Upon entering the tower, he immediately saw a moonlit fountain, that sprayed of a strange colored liquid, almost as if it were blessed by the moon itself.
The machine lead Sunbucks up the circling stairs, coming upon a great door.
The machine raised a finger and popped open a key, inserting it into the keyhole of the door.
The door itself began to retract into the walls.
Sunbucks looked on in awe as the doorway opened up before them.
He looked in as the door retracted away, the machine walking in slowly and standing off to the side.
It was a strange and messy library of sorts, but at the main center stood a cloaked figure.
The figure turned, Sunbucks saw a blindfold, patterning with an eye and intricate designs.
The figure asked,
"What brings an Ice Creamizen to my lair?"
"But oh wait…”
“I already know…”
“Sunbucks is it?"
She mewled.
A book in hand she turned away once again.
Sunbucks approached the Seer,
"Then you must know that Sam had sent me to obtain information..."
He asked.
She stood still for a moment and looked over her shoulder,
"I do."
The seer continued on,
"But I do not wish to partake in your futures..."
Sunbucks interrupted,
"But if you have the knowledge to change it!-"
The Seer faced Sunbucks stepping down from her pedestal, removing her hood and revealing her kitten like head with hair that flowed back.
She removed her blindfold and showed Sunbucks.
"This is my price."
"Forgive me if I do not wish to abuse my powers for the gains of others!"
She screamed out as the machine started to whir up and approach.
But the seer held a hand up to stop the machine.
"Now leave.”
“I grow weary of your presence."
She said as she turned her back and went back to her books.
Sunbucks turned gripping his hand in anger as he walked away.
He went down the steps and looked upon the fountain, curious.
He went to the fountain as he reached the ends of the steps.
Sunbucks was parched and the liquid appeared quenching.
Sunbucks cupped the liquid and started to drink, when suddenly the world started to tear apart around him.
He started to see the world... everything became accelerated and Sunbucks started to become dazed.
"Is this me...?"
He saw himself, running through a crowd Sam close behind.
"WHAT WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
He heard as an echo.
He looked on and could see his parents, past his father Happy Sun... his mother laid in his arms... festering darkness running along her body.
“WAKE UP YOU FOOL!"
“A Glitch..."
Sam spoke out before the words slurred to an echo…
Sunbucks woke up and looked around, immediately being slapped by the Seer.
The Seer looked at Sunbucks as he sat by the fountain.
The world was back to normal,
"The price I spoke of.”
“Multiple consumption of this liquid.”
”It will cost you, your sight!"
"I was once like you, normal.”
”They called me Nyathearai.”
”Loved once…”
”But now feared as a witch myself."
She raised her hood back and hid herself.
Sunbucks tilted his head,
"I don't even know what you're talking about, Sam calls you a Seer, he thinks highly of you!"
Nyathearai did not speak a word, but the machination that guarded her started to urge Sunbucks away.
The machine shoved Sunbucks out from the tower and closed the doors behind him.
Sunbucks rubbing his side,
"I'm not giving up that easily..."
He sat at the base of the tower and rested his head against it.
Sunbucks looked into the eerie night sky and closed his eyes,
"What should I do Sam..."
As he began to doze off.
Nyathearai saw from out of her balcony.
Sunbucks still at the base below, sighing as she motioned her head to the moonlit sky.
She returned to her chambers and undressed putting herself in a night robe.
Removing the blindfold last before turning it to rest herself.
She started to toss and turn, the visions of the future haunting her ever still.
She saw herself running down the forest…
Then coming upon a white figure…
She woke up panting heavily.
Sweat dripping from her fur as she regained her composure.
She exited her chamber and walked down her tower steps.
Nearing the fountain she so cursed.
She cupped her hands in the liquid and drew her drinks, to stabilize herself.
She took out a container and started to fill the liquid into it.
There was a sudden quake.
The tower began to shake violently.
The machine quickly woke from its slumber and ran itself to Nyathearai shielding her from the tower debris from above.
Sunbucks outside was immediately awakened by the quakes.
He looked at the sky and saw a purple circle appear, a black smoke spewing out.
Sunbucks got up and prepared himself, a female figure emerged forth, bugs started to spill from the 'portal'.
Sunbucks took out the stick from the sheath and started to use ice cream blasts as the bugs spilled out.
The dark female figure raised an arm and a mass of bugs started to knock into the tower breaking the rooftop away.
The machine held a large heart shield above shielding the Seer.
Urging the Seer to go,
"GO- NOW-"
It beeped out as the dark female figure floated down, black ooze coming from what seemed to be wounds.
Nyathearai ran, the doors knocked over, looking at the side and seeing Sunbucks fighting off a tide of darkness.
Sunbucks looked over and saw the Seer running, calling out,
"WAIT!"
She did not care and pressed on.
Sunbucks quickly shielded himself in ice cream and created a shockwave of an ice cream nova.
He then ran after the Seer.
Meanwhile…
In the tower the dark female figure landed on the ground delicately, spitting out blackened ice cream ooze as she started to make her way to the fountain.
The machine stirred up and narrowed its eyes at the dark figure, the gaze turning red as the hearts on the machine began to stir up.
"YOU- WILL- NOT-"
The machine charged at the figure, knocking her away.
Blasting away at the dark figure with hearts, but the dark figure raised her arms and started to blast dark ice cream all around.
The machine saw the ooze started to break the walls away, even more debris falling on top, too heavy the machine tried and tried.
The female figure regained her composure and walked over the debris and to the machine.
The machine looked up whirring still attempting to get up, the dark figure replied,
"How sad…”
“The little creature thinks it could defeat me...?"
"Oh my oh my…”
“Such disobedience to the Princess."
She smirked and put a foot down onto the machines head.
"Now what to do-"
The machine started to stir up even harder now than before,
"YOU- WILL- DIE-"
The heart container deep down in the machine started to emit intense light.
In the distance.
A flash of light emitted from the direction of the tower exploding and crumbling it down.
Nyathearai was still running.
She breathed heavily and could go no further...
This all seemed familiar.
She collapsed and looked up, the blindfold falling from her silvery eyes.
An outline of a silvery figure in the moonlight from atop a tree.
The white figure lunged down landing in front of Nyathearai.
She stumbled backwards and said…
"I-it's you!..."
"WHERE AM I?"
The white figure growled out.
The Seer spoke out,
"The Nightlight forest."
In the distance Sunbucks came running up,
"Nyathearai!"
He ran up to the pass, the open canopy of the forest shined moonlight down as he saw the white figure.
Sunbucks immediately halted, as the white wolf like creature readied his stance.
"Wha- what are you?!"
Sunbucks exclaimed.
The two exchanged glares as Nyathearai looked to both sides.
The wolf growled and Sunbucks held his stick tight.
The wind rolled through the trees of the eerie night, a silence as the two faced each other.
A great white wolf, and Sunbucks, with a mighty stick.
Static ran through the air between the two as Nyathearai sat between the two crawling away from the wolf.
The wolf prepared himself, a light construct appear along his claws, they appeared as cones and an ice cream scoop hand guard.
Sunbucks was awestruck by the seen and prepared himself.
"Get behind me Seer!"
He shouted.
In a blink of an eye the white wolf was in Sunbucks' face almost as if he had teleported instantly with a flicker.
Sunbucks leaned back as the wolf clawed at him, quick to react he raised a fist and uppercut the wolf.
Sunbucks flipped back as the wolf stood still with his chin still held up,
"There's only few who can read me this quick!"
Sunbucks regained his footing and raised the stick pointed towards the wolf.
Sunbucks gives off a smile,
"I'm no ordinary drink of coffee y'know!"
The wolf lowered his gaze and saw the stick, he growled out,
"Where did you get that?!"
Immediately phasing out and appearing behind Sunbucks.
Sunbucks turned and shoved the end of the stick against the wolf’s belly, letting out a blast of light.
The wolf's hand also caught Sunbucks' head in the quick action knocking the two back.
The wolf was blasted away knocking into a nearby tree effectively knocking it down, while Sunbucks was quickly shoved into the ground bouncing away from the epicenter.
Nya watched although blurry and smoky she knew what was going on.
She got off the ground slowly and tried to walk in between the two.
The wolf grew furious and picked himself up, slicing the rest of the tree in anger,
"This IS OVER."
He growled out before lunging at Sunbucks.
Sunbucks got himself up to run across with his stick gripped tight readying another shockwave.
Nya then raised her hands up and closed her eyes chanting under her breath.
As the two were about to clash, a white glass-like dome appeared around the two.
The white wolf and Sunbucks struck each other, but the spherical shield negated the two away.
Sunbucks and the wolf hit a tree at the far ends of the clearing as Nya made herself directly between the two,
"ENOUGH!"
Nyathearai breathed heavily, looking back and forth between the two,
"You both are fighting for the same cause,”
“Sam is it..?”
“Sunbucks take me to him."
The wolf rubbed his head and growled,
"What..?”
“Sam..??"
Sunbucks rose from the ground,
"The same cause?”
“Who's this guy?"
Nyatherarai replied,
"He's Xenko the great white wolf of the wilds.”
“The lost one."
Sunbucks scratched his sunny head with a vacant face,
"Who?"
The white wolf interjected,
"THE RIGHT HAND OF SAM OF COURSE!"
Nyathearai,
"Enough-.. of your.. fighti---"
The seer had passed out.
Some moments had passed but the seer awoke, the light bright and the sky clear blue.
The noise of the clatter of hooves as a voice faded in of Sunbucks and Xenko bickering.
Fully awake the seer looked to her left and right, she was atop a rolling wagon a cow pulling it as what seemed to be a large village in the distance came closer.
She checked under her robe to make sure the container was still there, and she sighed with relief.
Sunbucks was yelling at Xenko and vice versa, as the two rode upon cowsteeds.
Xenko looking visibly silly on such a small cow.
Xenko spouted on,
"I AM THE RIGHT HAND OF SAM HOW DARE YOU SIT ME ATOP THIS MEAGER COW!"
Sunbucks poked out a tongue,
"Well that's the best they've got up there and I can only do so much with cowsteed calling"
He faced away and noticed that the seer was awake.
Sunbucks ignored the rest of the comments and asked Nyathearai,
"Are you okay?”
“What you did back there probably saved both of us from destroying each other."
She nodded.
Nyathearai sputtered,
"I didn't want to be dragged into this, but I guess I have no choice."
Sunbucks smiled and rubbed the back of his sunny head,
"Welp!”
“Sorry about that!.."
She began to smile, a short laugh coming from her as her silvery eyes gleamed in the sun,
"Even knowing the future, I cannot change fate."
The group traveled into a large town, large ice cream gates opening up as it revealed a very lively populace.
Ice Cream citizens dancing and trading around, little ice cream children playing.
Nyathearai motioned her head around.
She took in what little she could see and sighed.
Xenko looking around confused as he rode in on his small cowsteed.
"What kind of witchery is this?"
He muttered, Sunbucks stopped Xenko before he could utter another word,
"Well you did say you protected this place once…”
“It seems to me that you're out in a different time now."
The little ice cream citizens looked upon the great white wolf, awestruck pointing and making strange gestures.
They finally reached a tower in the middle of the large town, Xenko looked upon the great tower puzzled,
"The tower has grown in my absence."
Sunbucks hopped off his cowsteed and went back to the drawn carriage to help Nyathearai down.
The wolf just standing himself up, the cow running away from underneath.
The three came upon the great door and knocked, a moment passed before mechanical rumblings could be heard coming forth from the door.
The doors opened just enough for the three to enter, but a metal dome head popped out from the crack.
All three looked down at what appeared to be a small robot, a head and body in the same of an ice cream scoop, but smooth and slick like metal.
The robot looked up at the three and turned around the antennae beeping with a yellow light urging the three to follow.
They walked up spiral stairs reaching a moderately sized room with a large table in the center.
Sam was watching out the window, as he heard the footsteps of the mechanical pitter patter come up behind him, he turned and patted the little robot,
"Thank you BeepBoop."
The robot nodded with it's full body and walked over to the corner and sat next to a large green calculator thing.
Nyathearai, Sunbucks, and Xenko looked upon Sam, and he replied,
"Welcome."
With a warming smile.
Xenko called out,
"Sam..?"
He appeared a little different, more mature since the last he saw him,
"Yes my friend?"
Sam replied.
Xenko walked up to Sam and bowed, Sam replying,
“No need for that my old friend, welcome back..."
As he patted Xenko, Sunbucks helped Nyathearai to a seat at the table.
Sam then calmly sat at the head of the table and twiddled with his fingers.
Sunbucks on his left and Xenko on his right, he smiled and raised his hands to Nyathearai,
"I'm sure Sunbucks may have already asked…”
“But will you help us?"
Nyathearai could only see a blur of light ahead of her from where she was seated, she smiled and nodded.
It's late in the night of Ice Cream Standopia, a small candlelit figure rises up the stairs slowly.
As the figure reaches the top of the steps, Sam is seen looking out the window to his magnificent town of Ice Cream Stand.
Sam turns and smiles, the seer lowers her hood, her blindfold covering her eyes once again.
"Trouble sleeping?"
Sam calmly stated out, the seer shook her head and from her robe she took out the small container filled with the last remaining moonlit liquid.
"This drink…”
“It's the last of all that I once had.”
“Please use this to see what eventually awaits almighty lord of Ice cream."
She lowered her head and presented the vial.
Sam walked over and reached for the vial and inspected it closely.
"Be warned, these visions will be unclear and may cause-"
Nyathearai was about to continue on before Sam interrupted,
"No need to worry for my sake young Seer."
Sam smiled and removed the cap and drank the vial in it's entirety.
The world tore apart into white, Sam could make out a figure entering a large purple beam of light…
In the center of the cold frozen wasteland.
When suddenly a moment later, the light began to change colors into a light yellow, striking into the skies and rumbling outwards from the epicenter.
Whispers rang out in air
--re-boot--
And then a white light enveloped the lands.
Sam opened his eyes and nodded,
"I see..."
He kneeled down and held the seer by her shoulders,
"Thank you seer.”
“I know now."
He smiled turning and looking out the window once more.