The Great Magical Mixup

Chapter 12: The Ancient Kingdom II

Alex decides that he will tell the plants of the battles that await them all. He asks for them to get comfortable, as he prepares to tell them. 

"So, how are you all?" Alex awkwardly begins his conversation. Solar and Peredur respond happily, feeling fully energized. Alex notices this and continues. "Good! Now, Rux and I were looking on our maps to see where we are, and well..." Alex trails off. 

"...? Well, what is it?" Peredur presses Alex on. "Do you guys know where we are?" Alex asks in response, to which Solar answers, "Uh, no. Why?"

"Have you plants ever heard of a once magical land, now turned barren and desolate?" Alex asks, preparing to tell them the tale of the land. The plants shake their heads in unison. "The land that we are approaching is called, The Ancient Kingdom. It was once a land of lush nature and a kingdom where my father had ruled... the Wizard Zombie who is awaiting us there..." 

Solar and Peredur look at each other in shock. Solar looks back at Rux, who nods in agreement with what Alex had said. Peredur thinks the situation over until he realizes something. He nudges Solar and asks her if she minds if they speak in private. She complies and announces it to Alex and Rux. They head over to a little tree stump to discuss. 

"Hey, Solar? You know that book that belongs to the Wizard Zombie, right?" Peredur begins. "Yeah, I think Rux is holding on to it. Why?" "Well, I think I have an idea on how to take care of that Wizard Zombie!" "Lay it on me!" "So, if that spell was able to turn our friends into sheep, do you think it can do the same for the Wizard Zombie and his henchman?" 

Peredur's idea startles Solar. She goes wide-eyed before quietly exclaiming, "No! I don't want anyone else turning into sheep!" Solar grabs Peredur's petals and brings him closer to her face, with a now troubled look on her face. Peredur blushes and looks away abashedly. "S-Sorry, Solar. I didn't know you were strung up about this." Solar looks down at herself and realizes what she just did. She blushes profusely and releases Peredur from her grip. 

"Sorry, it's just that, when I saw all our friends turned into sheep, I felt some sort of tsunami of guilt and terror crash down on me. And, knowing that they couldn't cry out for help-" Solar immediately remembered her friends back in Suburbia. Peredur, who was listening intently to Solar's little story quickly catches on to Solar's realization. He looks behind her only to see Alex and Rux have gone ahead far into the Kingdom.  

"How are we going to find them now?" Peredur asks before Solar pulls out two magic vials. "What are those two vials?" Solar chuckles a bit. "Oh, these two vials are a little something I snatched from Rux when we were in that devilish forest. With a simple sip, these vials will allow us to telepathically find whomever we wish! You can call these 'telepathy vials' if you want, I don't exactly know the name of the potion in the vials." "You sure that's what they are?" Peredur asks, a little skeptical of the idea. "Of course! I've looked in the book, and it said that these vials are meant for telepathy!" "Okay... Solar, you don't think the Wizard Zombie could already have one of his own, do you?" Peredur asks nervously. Solar stares at him intensely for a little bit, much to Peredur's worry, before Solar fortunately simply laughs and pats Peredur on his head, assuring him that he doesn't need to worry. 

"Now then, time to use these bad boys!" Solar says with a determined look. However, before she can open the vials, Peredur looks to the side and sees two familiar faces heading towards them. "Uh Solar, we don't need to take them. I can already see Alex and Rux returning!" Solar immediately stops what she's doing and looks in Peredur's direction. "Oh." Solar puts up the vials. "Though, I can definitely see those vials coming in handy later!" Peredur whispers to Solar and winks at her. Solar giggles and winks back at him. 

When the duo returns to the plants, Alex tells them that they had planned to weaken the frontlines to allow the plants to save their energy and magic. However, he and Rux noticed that for some strange reason, the zombies who are in the villages started to run off in the direction of the tower. He suspects that they might be trying to make some zombie shield to block them off. With that Rux calls forth that they start chasing them down into the Kingdom. The plants surprisingly got excited and both gave themselves a headstart. 

"Solar! Peredur! Wait up!" Alex called out to them. 

"Keep up slowpokes!" Solar and Peredur simultaneously and cheekily respond.