Book 2: The Search For Warnerstock

Friend or Foe?

(Near the evening...)

As I was still swimming through the ocean with the others in the Turtle Sub behind me, I came up to the surface. I spot some land and gasped. "It's land!" I got excited and turned on my earpiece to tell Rachel the news. "Land ho! Land ho!"

"Land ho? Terrific!" Rachel spoke through the earpiece.

A little while later, I've managed to find a beach area where we can park the Turtle Sub. As I pulled myself tiredly out of the water, I laid on the sand and started panting a bit. As I was panting, I heard the hatch open and Wakko jumped out of the sub to run to me.

"Baby!" Wakko came to me and hugged me. "Are you okay?" he asked me as he got a towel to dry up my wet body.

"Y-Yeah." I panted and slowly hugged him back. "J-Just a little tired..." I rubbed my eyes and heard my stomach rumble. "And hungry too."

"You did so good baby." Wakko planted soft kisses all over my face.

"Hey, that tickles." I giggled softly. "So, we're here."

"Where is here?"

"Romania. We still have a long way to go."

"I see." he nodded.

Rachel was out of the sub and was setting up the tents and a campfire. "Hey sis, are you okay?" she got on her knees and stroked my belly.

"Just hungry and tired." I responded to her.

"Don't move a muscle, I'll fix you up something to eat and bring you some warm clothes." she said as she got back up.

(Later on...)

We were all gathered around the campfire, feeling toasty and warm. "This reminds me of a day in the farmhouse when the turtles and I went camping together." I snuggled up to Wakko.

"I bet it was fun." he said as he played with my hair.

"I bet it was fun." Yakko said as he was playing with Rakko. "So how many more weeks until the baby is born?"

"I'd say about another month or 2. Maybe earlier since he or she might be an Animaniacs or a wolf."

"Or a mermaid. Narf!" Pinky smiled.

"Yes indeed Pinky." I said as I patted the top of his head.

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" Carrie asked as she looked at me.

"No. I don't. But whatever the gender of our baby is, I will love them all the same." I rubbed my belly.

"Hey sis." Rachel tapped my shoulder.

"What is it sis?"

"Is something wrong?" Yakko asked her.

"Something doesn't feel right with the shadows tonight." Rachel growled "And I could feel it getting close."

"Maybe it's just your imagination Rachel." Dot said.

"Hey babe, nature calls." Wakko whispered in my ear.

"Okay honey. Be careful." I said as I watched him get up and leave through the bushes. "Hey guys?"

"Yeah Aqua?" Carrie asked me.

"Do you think that... Warnerstock would be a nice place to live?"

"Well, it depends sis. Why are you asking?" Rachel said.

"I was thinking that after everything is over... we could li-"

"Ahh!!!" Wakko ran to my direction and hugged me tight.

"Whoa Wakko, what happened?" I pet his ears.

"Something's there..." he shakily pointed towards the bushes.

"Get ready to run fam." Yakko said as he took out his mallet. Just then a big shadow was towering over him. "Oh good grief..." he grew pale and stepped back.

"Run babe!" Rachel got in front of him and growled. "Get away from him!"

Just then the eyes opened and they were red. Then it looked at me and started making its way towards me. On the inside, I wanted to tremble and run away. But I had to be brave for everyone.

"Sis, look out!" Dot shrieked.

"Get away you demon!" I took out the sword from my chest fur and pointed it to the towering shadow.

"Oh god baby!" Wakko trembled behind me.

I growled to see what it was going to do. 'This shadow is going to regret ever messing with me and my family.' I thought to myself as I stood my ground.

"Hello miss." the voice spoke to me.

"Huh? You can talk?" I tilted my head a bit.

"Don't you remember me?" the shadow asked me as it was changing into the shape of a very familiar person. "It's me."

"Oh! Ringmaster Grimm?!" my tail got puffy.

"Grr..." Wakko growled. "So you're the circus master that danced with my girl!"

"What are you talking about brother?" Yakko said as he was comforting Rakko who was crying.

"I told you this the day after my birthday that he chose Aqua to dance with him in the circus." he growled louder.

"Wakko, sit boy." I told him.

"Okay." Wakko sat down.

"Good boy." I said as I pulled out a Wakko Snakko and came up to Grimm.

"B-Babe..." Wakko whined a bit as he was eating his snack.

"Ringmaster Grimm, what is your purpose of doing here?" I crossed my arms.

"I actually came to find you because you left something behind in my circus tent those weeks ago."

"I did?"

"You did." Grimm said as he raised his hand and took out a blue teddy bear from behind him.

"Oh!" I grew surprised. "That's the stuffed bear that I won for my nephew! And I didn't know I did leave it behind."

"Huh. Ain't that something?" Yakko said.

"You forgot about your bear my dear." Grimm said as he held it out to me.

I smiled. "Thank you Ringmaster Grimm. I really appreciate it."

He gave me the bear. "It's my pleasure." he said as he took a bow.

I smiled and came to Rakko who was being held by Yakko. "Here you go my little nephew. A toy just for you."

"Yay!" Rakko wagged his tail and hugged it.

Yakko chuckled. "Thanks sis."

"I must be on my way now, your sister doesn't seem very happy with me around." Grimm pointed out to my sister who was still growling and was being held back by Dot and Carrie.

"Alright. You should leave now." I nodded.

"See you soon." he said as he walked away from our campfire and faded into the night.

"Sis! Are you okay?! Did he hurt you?!" Rachel hugged my head.

"Sis I'm fine. He only dropped by to bring me a teddy bear I left behind. And everyone here is fine, well a bit shaken up. But I know what to do to calm everyone down." I eased her.

"Okay... but I don't trust him."

"Me neither." Wakko said as he hugged me.

"It's gonna be alright guys. I can promise you that he is a good person."

"Alright... if you say so." Rachel shook her head and went back to Yakko and Rakko.

To be honest, I was relieved that everyone was okay after that scary experience. But I wasn't okay after I've realized that I wasn't as strong as I thought I would be. And it makes me fear that I'll be more vulnerable while holding Wakko's child and causing disaster elsewhere. But I was willing to take the risk, the risk that will make me sure that my family is safe from harm.