Eight: Season 4

Episode 85: False Hope!

  Enji-
  I was going over some normal stuff when..."hey dad, you'll never guess who's here." Natsuo said.
  I stood up and walked outside. "Barbra." I said, shocked.
  "Enji." She said.
  "What are you doing here?" I asked.
  "You have been successful thus far. We...have come to join you." Barbra said.
  "What do you want?" I asked.
  "Same thing you do, Arcadia gone." Barbra said.
  "Oh, I'm already working on a plan for that. But first things first...I want Shoto out of the way. To do that...I have to kidnap some people and bargain with him." I said.
  "Might I suggest his loyalest friends? The original eight?" Barbra said.
  "That's the plan, but I need to lure them out somehow." I said.
  "The Harbingers will do that for us." Barbra said.
  "Hmm?" I asked.
  "They've been causing Arcadia grief." Barbra said.
  "Not anymore...Jade made a device that repels the Harbingers completely. I was impressed." My mole said, standing in the doorway with his arms folded over his chest.
  "Grr!! That little bitch!" Barbra yelled.
  Tabitha gripped her shoulder to calm her down. Barbra held her hand and smiled. "Hmm...maybe we should just raid Arcadia and take the ones we seek." Barbra said.
  "That's a terrible idea, their security has pretty much quadrupled since Xia." My mole said, taking a sip of booze.
  "Perhaps we draw them out with something and surprise attack them." Barbra said.
  "I can pull something out of my ass." My mole said.
  "Good, hop to it." I said, and he left.

  Jade-
  They told me that the batons did wonders last night, so I made more. Gray walked in and I looked up. "Oh, hey Gray." I said.
  "What are you up to?" Gray asked.
  "Just tinkering. I made more sound batons." I said, and Gray chuckled.
  "How do you feel?" Gray asked.
  "Tired...in pain." I said.
  "How's the new brace?" Gray asked.
  "Still breaking it in." I said, and he walked over to me and helped me up.
  "You wanna try walking on your own?" Gray asked.
  I gripped his hand. "I'm not quite there yet." I said, and he nodded.
  He helped me up and we walked around. I took a deep breath and smiled as the sun touched my face. I closed my eyes and just...tuned everything out. Gray let me, he just smiled and then I opened my eyes and took another deep breath, smiling. "Being in the dark for a whole year, really makes you appreciate the sun a whole lot more." I said.
  "As Tianzo would say. Nature is filled with wondrous things." Gray said, and I laughed.
  He was helping me back to the doctor's tent. Drake came in, panting. "What's wrong Drake?" Luke asked, walking to me.
  "We found somewhere with more food." Drake said.
  "You should let Shoto know, he'll send a hunting party." I said.
  "Yeah!" Drake exclaimed, running off and I looked at Gray.
  "That was weird...right?" I asked.
  "Definitely." Luke said.
  "It wouldn't make sense either." Gray said.
  "Yeah, Tianzo said the forests near here were producing less...uh...basically less food because of the disease that's spread to the trees he and the Druids are tending to." Luke said.
  "He got philosophical with nature again...didn't he?" Gray asked.
  "Yeah he lost me about five minutes into the conversation." Luke said, and Gray and I laughed.
  Luke smiled at us, chuckling.

  Shoto-
  "Oh I see, well what if we try that grotto there?" I asked.
  "Could yield better results for crops." Hanta said.
  Drake came running into the tent where me and the other six guys were. "Hmm?" We all asked, turning to face him.
  "We found a place for more food." Drake said.
  I looked at Hanta. "The six of you should go check it out. Food stores are getting dangerously low." I said.
  "On it." Hanta said, and he and the other five guys left as I continued to talk with Pherrah and Aspen.

  Jade-
  Luke and Gray were helping me continue to walk when Drake ran past us with Hanta. "Whoa! Whoa! Where are all of you going?" I asked.
  "Shoto sent us to go check out this food source Drake found." Kirishima said.
  I looked at Hanta for confirmation. "It's true. The food stores are getting dangerously low, Shoto's desperate for anything right now." Hanta said.
  "I know...I just..." I began.
  "Come on." Drake said, and I grabbed Kirishima's arm.
  "Please be safe." I whispered.
  Kirishima smiled at me, pulling me into his chest and I gripped him tightly. "We will, I promise and if it all plays out good. We'll be eating again." Kirishima said, and I nodded. "We'll be fine Jade." Kirishima said, clutching me tighter.
  "Kiri, let's go!" Hanta shouted.
  "Yeah!" Kirishima shouted, and he kissed the top of my head, smiling at me, and then running to catch up with Hanta and them.
  "Luke, do me a favor...follow them. If that's ok?" I asked looking at Gray.
  "It wouldn't hurt." Tamaki said.
  "I don't mind Gray." Luke said.
  "Ok, but loose follow. If something happens to them, I want you to be able to come back and tell us so we can save them." Gray said.
  "Yes Commander." Luke said, saluting to Gray and then heading out after Gray saluted back.
  "Thank you Gray, I just...have a bad feeling." I said.
  "I understand. I do too." Gray said, and he walked me back to the doctor's tent where I sat down and mom massaged my knee.

  Kirishima-
  "Is Jade ok?" Hanta asked.
  "I just think she knows this is a bad idea. Or some kinda lie. I know we're desperate for food but...it's too convenient. Tianzo said the forest was sick and that the Druids would heal it so we could start thriving in Arcadia again. If this is some 'food store' wouldn't it all be diseased too?" I asked.
  "You're right." Hanta said, and as if on cue we all 6 collapsed to the ground.
  I reached for my gun, but I lost my consciousness before I could do anything about it.