Black Strings: Threads of Revenge

Black Stained Grass

An impenetrable shadow barrier blocks the portal from the Overworld side. Tommy holds his battle axe toward the ground. He takes his angered gaze to the ground. "You think you can contain me? Keep me trapped in one place forever"? Tommy mutters. He drags his axe as he walks to a group of Star Guard members. "I may be someone powerful, but that doesn't mean I can't kick your guys' asses quicker than backup can save y'all." Tommy threatens with a grin. He fakes a lunge at the spirits. Some freeze while others jump.

"Tommy"! Ginger shouts. "What the fuck are you doing now"? Tommy grabs a black spirit by the neck and shouts, "Uhhh... a black spirit massacre". "You should do that after you let us through"! Ginger shouts.

Tommy violently swings his axe at a black spirit but misses. He makes another swing, and it barely touches an opponent, reincarnating it.

I'll make this quick. This is boring me out a whole lot.

He swings back around with more force. This time the axe chops a different spirit's head off smoothly. Spirit matter flies everywhere. He makes a quick dash at another spirit. It slides out of the way.

"Tommy knows his way around a fight," Benjamin mutters. Ginger nods.

Tommy makes a sharp right turn, sprints for a short distance, and grabs a general. He smashes their head into a tree. He lets it fall before going after another one. His eyes and smile made a face of joyous and crazed psychotic murder.

I lied. This is quite fun.

"Is that look a good one"? Benjamin whispers. "He's enjoying this," Ginger responds.

"That good"?

"It's better than him going full cocky and psycho."

"So... a power complex"?

"No. I don't think so."

Tommy throws a black spirit to the ground. The impact creates a small crater. Benjamin's jaw drops while Ginger is unimpressed. A spirit grabs Tommy by the shirt and throws him. The barrier in front of the portal stops him from going through.

"That was a brutal throw," Benjamin says. "Hell yeah, you're right about that." Ginger mumbles.

Tommy gets up and runs to the spirit who threw him. He plunges into their chest and rips out their soul. Tommy opens a second portal and throws them into it. He closes the portal and wipes the spirit matter off his cheek.

This is an excellent snack.

A member of the Star Guard gags at the sight of Tommy consuming the spirit matter of several colleagues.

"What"? Tommy asks. The spirit teleports away in disgust. "I forgot eating spirit matter is considered cannibalism by most spirits." He mutters. He looks around.

The grass was stained black, and the black spirit he knocked out and the spirit about to permanently die were the only ones remaining.

Tommy calmly walked over to the spirit resting against a tree and pulled out his knife. The spirit soon about to die fired a shadow blast.

Benjamin gasped, "He survived a shadow blast from a black spirit"! "What's shocking about that"? Ginger crosses her arms. Benjamin grabs her and shouts, "He could have died"! "I doubt that he's going to die anytime soon, so don't worry," Ginger smirks.

The shadow barrier dissipates. Tommy grabs them and closes the portal. "Ok, let's get back to the hotel. I'm sure Rain and Toby are scared shitless right now". Tommy smiles. He yawns and stretches his arms.

"I'm sure he's alright. Is this the first time he has disappeared like this"? Rain asks. Toby shakes his head. "No, but-" "But what"? Rain questions. "But he comes back with some sort of bruise or scratch every time." Toby paces around the hotel room, cleaning debris from under his nails. "He always brushes it off". "I'm sure he's going to be fine. He can defend himself. Remember when he body-slammed a black spirit"? Rain consoles. Toby smiles. "That was cool". He can defend himself, don't worry". Rain smiles with warmth. Toby looks up and reciprocates the warm smile.

"So tell me, what other impressive things has Tommy done"?

"He's never broken a bone no matter how many times he jumps or falls out of trees."

"What? Really"?!

"I am not joking. It's like he's indestructible or something. Like once we went to a town, some guy was picking on a half-cat, so Tommy went up to the guy and punched his face."

"Where did he hit"?

"Actually, Tommy broke the guy's nose".

"He actually did that? He doesn't seem to be the person who'd do that".

"It surprises me".

"Did it really take one punch"?

Toby nods.

"What weapons does Tommy use"?

"Sword and axe".

An axe? A regular axe"?

"Yep".

Toby walks to the window and opens it, poking his head out. "Sill worried about Tommy"? Rain asks. "Yeah". Toby mutters. "Can you tell me some things about Starlights"? "You want to learn about me"? Rain asks with profound curiosity.

"I don't have a reason for not wanting to learn about them."

"Us Starlights have a variety of skin colors like humans. Some of us are some variation of white, others are some sort of black, and there are few in the grey range".

"It's normal to be practically pitch black? What about the colorful veins"?

"Very normal. Some of us have wings".

"Wings"?!

"I wish I had wings."

Bumbledor lands on Rain's lap.

Tommy, Benjamin, and Ginger walk through the streets of Snowbank City. "As I said, it would make sense for someone like Faith to have The Holy Trinity of Magic. It is the only reasonable explanation for how she knows so much and can do many things without screwing things up," Tommy rambles on and on. "If you want to prove yourself wrong, go ahead. I'm not stopping you". "Hey, Tommy." Ginger says. "Yeah"? Tommy responds. "Can you teach me magic"? She asks. "Gladly"! Tommy says with a smile.

"You know how to use your magic? Others with spirit magic are just finding out they aren't magicless". Benjamin questions.

"I mastered my magic last year". Tommy says. "What's with the questioning stare"? Benjamin clears his throat. "It's not important right now. I'll tell you later." Why do the streets have to be so busy? Tommy straightens his posture and begins to walk like he has places to go. He places his eyes above the shoulders of the people in front of him. Now this is better. "Are you using your magic, Tommy"? Benjamin asks as his eyes wander around. "If you call tricks of the mind magic, then yes," Tommy responds in a monotone voice.

"Psychology"?

"That's the word I forgot"!

"You forgot the word psychology? How's that possible"?

"I don't know, but I did".

"So you are using psychology"?

"I don't know why I opted to use it. I can teleport us".

"But teleporting others requires you to touch them."

"I don't need my hands to use magic, that's how powerful I am."

Benjamin glares at Tommy. "I don't believe that's possible." He mutters. Without warning, the three of them were in front of The Campfire Hotel.

Benjamin whips his head around left and right, taken aback at the sudden change of location inside the city. "Wha? Uh?" "You should have done that sooner". Ginger says. She shifts to her fox form and walks to the door. "So I was wrong..." Benjamin murmurs. Tommy gives Benjamin a peck on the cheek and says to him. "You should get some sleep". Tommy and Ginger walk inside, heading straight for room 208.

Tommy opens the door to 208, and Ginger bolts inside. "Tommy"! Toby shouts as he runs to hug his best friend. Bumbledor and Ginger snuggle together on one of the beds. Still standing in the doorway, Tommy yawns and says, "I'm going to take a nap in 210," before leaving.