Fresh's POV

It felt like days passed. No luck with any unrad language sensed. The ONE TIME I want someone to say something bad, NOBODY does it. I don't know if I should be happy with their good language or not. Suave sure is keeping Fell in line. Kudos to him. 

But as time went on, the experiments seemed to get worse or stronger. The effects and results at least.

Rufous became a full wolf, though can speak and walk like a person with the shield. Azure is now a complete bunny, but can talk and carries the necklaces on his long ears. He seems very protective about them. Charlos is JUST FINE. His experiments were to turn him into a full bat, but since he is a vampire and can turn into a bat already, that was as useless or redundant as making Beast Boy turn into an animal. 

I have lost my voice and have gotten used to walking on all fours, though my wounds are still healing so I limp a bit. Now I can only make cat noises and have become the smallest one of the bunch. And boy, does that NOT help ease Deccy's worry when he calls. Since I can't talk, Charlos will talk about whatever he wants or use the calls as a chance to ask Deccy questions, never introducing himself. Azure or Rufous would take the phone by then, introduce themselves and assure him that I'm ok, then hang up. Yeah, it's either that or Charlos gets Deccy on a rant to let out his stress or something, leaving the phone under me while I nap, only for me to wake up purring to the sound of his voice. He was too confused and has no clue that's me.

My effects are happening the quickest, but the more time that passes, the closer they are getting to my point.

One day though, I sensed something strong and familiar. FELL IS CURSING UP A STORM! And telling by which ones he is using, he probably burned his hand again on the stove. I do not waste any time, knowing Suave may shut him up soon. I get up and glance at the other three. Azure is napping beside Rufous, the necklaces dangling by his ears. Rufous and Azure are curled up in the shield like it is a sled or trash can lid. Charlos has my phone and is taking pics of us. I get up, my legs shaking weakly. I pounce at him, knocking him into the shield with Rufous and Azure, then quickly teleport.

Once complete, I get up and look around. My body did not agree with my sudden teleportation and I suddenly threw up a hairball. Eww. I look at them.

"Where are we?"Azure asks

"Yeah and what the BARK was that shove over?"Rufous asks

I guess even my censors are animal sounds now.

"OH! He sensed someone cursing! He was teleporting us! The shove was to keep us together! This place looks cool!"Charlos says

"We're on an island...."Azure says

HUH?

I look around. Sure enough, we are on an island under a shady tree. Nobody is in sight.

Guess Shino's security code threw me off.

"It's nearly sundown. I'll fly when it turns dark and see if there is anyone to help us."Charlos says

An hour later he flew off as a bat, leaving me with my phone. A few minutes passed. Then an hour. Rufous got impatient and pushes the shield into the water like a raft or canoe. We sat there, not moving. As we drifted from the island, the two of them began to question if Rufous made a good decision.

"THE CALVARY HAS ARRIVED!"Charlos cheers

I look ahead to see him on an Explorer raft. With him are Palette, Goth and Shino.Shino pulls the shield onto the small raft we each smile. Azure and Rufous look at the kids inconfusion. Rufous pulls Azure closer protectively.

"Why so on edge, Mister Rufous?"Shino asks

"He is the other version of Fell."Goth says

"Good point."She says

"I have to at least protect Azure. He is handling three souls right now."Rufous says

Charlos and Shino look at each other in confusion.

"Okay! I am gonna have a talk with Poussière when I see him!"Charlos says

I realize what he thinks and shake my head.

"W-Who are you guys?"Azure asks

"Oh, don't worry! They won't hurt you! They're friends!"Charlos says

"I'm Shino. This is my brother Goth and his boyfriend Palette."Shino says

Rufous and Azure look to me. I nod. I go to Shino, Goth and Palette, purring near each of them to show that they are good and I know them. 

"O-Okay."They say

"This is a cool shield! Did you make it Mr. Rufous? Encre says you are good at making things."Shino says

Rufous nods.

"It's a gift for Suave since he is a big fan of Captain America."He says

"What are these necklaces for, Azure?"Goth asks curiously

"Well, not all experiments were successful to say the least. I escaped with these to protect their souls. We get to Encre and everything will make sense."Azure says

"Are you both hungry?"Palette asks

The two nod.

Palette gives Azure some carrots while Rufous was given apple slices. They eat happily.

"Raft, take us home."Goth says

"Voice matched! Heading home."The GPS says, guiding the raft 

"This is a cute kitty!"Shino says, hugging me

I smile at her, not minding the hug. 

"Charlos, why do you have Fresh's phone?"Goth asks

"Reasons."Charlos says

I curl up in her lap and rest, watching the horizon.

I hear barking and humming. I look at Rufous and Azure, realizing they lost their voices. They realize this as well, going quiet and lowering their heads.

"What was that about?"Goth asks

"Their experiments are eating away at them. Now they lost their voices."Charlos says

"Miss Disney, any suggestions?"Palette asks

"Miss Disney?"Charlos says

"My sis is a big Disney fan."Goth says

"Hmm, this is a lot like Brave, except with a greater quanity. Hmmm, I dunno how to fix this yet. Love fixed the problem in the movie, but I don't think reality works like that. And unlike in that story, there was a time limit to be fixed....I don't know the time limit for the tests....Hmmm..."Shino says

I see the raft enter the horizon.

"Guys? Why is Mr. Deccy wearing that?"Palette asks

My head pops up, curious on what he means.

"Oh, Ms. Felicia tried to cheer him up this morning with some chatting and distractions. Jasper interrupted them by jumping in front of Mr. Deccy and made a bet with him. If he can scare Mr. Cross, then Mr. Deccy loses and has to wear a costume for a week. If he doesn't scare Mr. Cross, he will leave Ms. Felicia and Mr. Deccy continue. Jasper won the bet and now Mr. Deccy is wearing that as the rules went."Shino explains

"How the heck did he scare Mr. Cross?"Palette asks

"He put a whoopie cushion with a tiny speaker in it under Cross' seat for lunch. The Build a Bear Workshop kind of speaker. Cross sat down and it played the sound of a herd of cows mooing. Took an hour to get him down from the ceiling."Shino says

(Cross has a fear of cows according to the internet.)

I shake my head.

Poor Cross. At least they didn't tell him where milk or chocolate milk comes from or how it's made.

I try to see what they are talking about. Then I see Deccy on the raft. He wears a blue and yellow onesie that looked like a pikachu. I gazed in awe at the sight, moving to the other side of the raft to get a closer look.

HE LOOKS ADORABLE!

I ignore my surroundings, just gazing at him in awe. That is, until CHARLOS THREW ME INTO THE WATER! I snap out of it and quickly swim to the water surface, getting scooped back up by Goth this time. It felt so weird to be soaking wet with fur, almost like it is sticking to me as well as the clothes over my fur. Goth brushes the fur out of my eyes. I see Error just staring at us arriving, seeming so shocked and confused.

"PaPs! WhaT hAVe yOu bEeN tEaCHInG tHeSe KidS?"He asks

"WhAt dO yOu-? WoAH! MoRe cRiTtErS!"E!Pap says, seeing us arrive

"We're back with Charlos and friends!"Shino says

We come off the raft onto the main one. I watch as Rufous struts over to Suave who had a blank face as he was handed a shield. He looks at Encre and shrugs.

"I've seen weirder things."He says

"Suave, this is Rufous. He made this for you since you love Captain America so much. Heck you share a catch phrase with him."Charlos explains

Suave looks at Rufous, then at the shield and chuckles. He hugs it, then hugs Rufous with Encre.

"Thank you, Rufous. But right now the better gift is having you back with us safely."Suave says

Azure hops over to Encre. Charlos explains the situation. Azure gives a necklace.

"These are....This is....Thank you, Azure."Encre says, understanding

"Is everything okay?"Suave asks

"Yep, I just need to go inside with Azure."Encre says, scooping Azure up and heading inside.

"Hey! Jasper!"Charlos shouts

"Charlos!"Jasper cheers with joy

The two hug, reuniting.

"Oh dear, the troublesome duo are back together."Suave sighs

"But wouldn't it be a trio now with Ghastly?"Killer mentions

"Good point."Suave says

"Nice bet and trick! Shino told me about it!"Charlos says

"Yep! But it didn't seem to cheer him up..."Jasper says

"Maybe this will! Hey! Mr. Deccy!"Charlos shouts

"SO YOU ARE THE ONE THAT WAS USING FRESH'S PHONE TO POP QUIZZ ME!"Deccy snaps, recognizing Charlos by his voice

"Uh-huh! Catch!"Charlos says, throwing my phone to him

Deccy catches it and looks at it in disbeleif. Then he breaks down crying.

"BOYS!"Fallacy shouts, coming over

"Uh oh..."The two say

"WHO THE HECK MADE DECCY CRY?"Fallacy snaps

"I didn't know he was gonna react to Fresh's phone like that!"Charlos says

"I didn't know he was gonna show the phone!"Jasper says

Fallacy facepalms.

I see some purple-turtle-shell guy come over to Deccy and hug him. Hugging him longer than normal hugs. Then I see him nuzzle Deccy's head. I don't know what got into me, but I start running over, shaking myself dry as I try to get over to them. I trip on the long sleeves and tumble into the back of this guy's feet. He looks down at me and I look right back up at him and hiss, my wounds hurting but I ignore it. He shakes his head and tries to kick me away. I slip between his legs and make it to Deccy. I hop weakly, trying to get his attention. I succeed, he sees me and breaks from the hug. He sits down and I hug him, purring. This guy crouches down to try to pet me. I swat him away,hissing and not liking the idea of him near Deccy. MY DECCY DEC!

"Dec, I don't think this cat likes me near you. It only wants you."This guy says

"Huh? But the kitty is just hugging and purring."Deccy says, petting me as I purr

I glare at the other guy, giving a quiet hiss.

"Ya, to you!"This guy says

"Well I guess it likes me. Maybe it just doesn't like sea critters getting near those they like. You do look like a turtle and they eat fish."Deccy says

"No fair!"He says

Deccy chuckles, petting me. I purr louder, nuzzling my head against him. My tail sways swiftly side to side.

"Hey, Suave! What do you know about kitty behavior?"This guy asks

"How is the cat acting?"Suave asks

"Hissing at me, swatting at me and giving me dirty looks while purring and clinging to Deccy."He says

"OH! The cat is jealous! Best to keep away so you don't anger it."Suave says

This guy hides in his shell. 

I hug Deccy tightly, purring and smiling. I shut my eyes for ONE MOMENT and I get tugged by the tail into the air. I recall what Cipher did and start panicking, Deccy leaving my grip. I start getting tossed in the air and caught again. I start shaking and then, I get put down. I drop to the floor, my body and wounds too weak to hold me up.

"EWWW! IT PEED ON ME!"PJ shouts

"What do you expect? You scared the poor thing so much it used its fight or flight instincts."Suave says

"JuSt Be gLaD iT dId NoT PoOp oN yOu PJ."Gradient says as he walks past PJ

"GROSS!"PJ shouts

"Maybe this will teach you a lesson. You do something stupid or wrong and things get messy. Oh and I am NOT washing those clothes."Suave says

I tremble, my body aching and screaming in pain. My ears press against my head and I look at Deccy. He scoops me up into his lap.

"Suave, I think he is hurt."He says as I cling to him

"Come on then."Suave says

Suave runs some tests and scans on me, then looks like he realizes something. He keeps quiet though about it. I ended up having all four of my paws in casts. I curl up in Deccy's lap, but was put on a soft pillow instead. I doze off. I wake up to some of the kids moving me into a cat bed they made. It's a cave or hooded kind. It even has a little ball on a string for me to play with. 

(Like this)

They pulled me around in a wagon as they talked, allowing me to see everyone and get some air without having to even move. It was kinda fun censoring others too now since it felt like I was in disguise. Deccy would always look around, full of hope when he heard someone get censored. He couldn't find me anywhere though, at least not how he expects to find me. I don't get why Charlos won't tell him that I AM A FREAKING CAT AND THAT I AM RIGHT HERE! He would always be disappointed when he didn't find me, soon becoming irritated and thinking the others were messing with him and saying FUNK on purpose. Shino slips me my phone. On it was a picture of Deccy in his onesie that he still has to wear for another 6 days. I look at her.

"Charlos explained your situation. You can't talk like us anymore. Maybe give Deccy a message."She says

I nod and access the phone, opening his contact to send a text. The picture is already there, waiting to be sent. I try to think of what to say. I type and send.

ME:(With pic of him when I first saw him in that on the raft)Wassup Deccy Dec! Heard you lost a bet! You look sweet!

I hear him SQUEAL. It sounds adorable. I see him take his phone out of a onesie pocket. His face lit up.

Deccy:FRESH! Are you okay? How'd you hear that? And um....thanks!

ME:Yeah, I'm okay. Just a bit sore...I have my ways, bud. But you wanna know what looks better?

His face burns up a bit.

Deccy:....What?

ME:A smile! c:

The typing or ... sign kept my attention as I waited patiently.

He sent me a picture of him smiling. He seems so much happier.

ME:That's awesome!

Deccy:Hehe, thanks...

ME:So um...Deccy Dec...How do you feel about animals?

Deccy:I like them. Like there is this adorable kitten that came. Poor thing is hurt and got scared by PJ.

I purr with joy. He is so sincere and called me cute without knowing.

Deccy:Can I call you?

ME:I can't speak due to the experiments....They are like the ones done to Rufous and Azure....How would you feel if I turned into an animal?

Deccy:Depends....How cute are you?

I was not expecting that.

ME:😳 Why does that matter?

Deccy:Because the cuter you are, the more upset I will be that they hurt you. 😉

ME:You really are that worried?

Deccy:Of course I am. 👉👈 I really like you, Fresh.

My soul skips a beat.

Deccy:As FRIENDS of Course! 😅

I stop purring. So this is what being friendzoned is like. It stinks.

Deccy:So, what animal are you?

ME: I am a 😺.

Deccy:K, I will keep an eye out for a cute kitty with YOLO glasses.

*💙💛Deccy Dec💛💙 has left the chat*

I sigh. So close. But hey, surprising him will beawesome.

I tuck the phone under a pillow in the bed. I play with the ball a bit, censoring others. The wagon stops. I peek my head out to see Shino sitting down, crafting with other kids. I feel a hand on my head. Not knowing who is touching me, I retreat, pulling my head back.

"Aww, don't worry. It's just me."Deccy says, peeking in

I lean towards him, smiling. He pets me gently, but I already purr loudly. I smile at him. My tail wags. I feel a sting in my eyes but ignore it, focusing on Deccy.

"You are so adorable, little kitty. I don't get why you just like me around you, though."He says

I purr louder.

"Wait, your eye changed. That's definitely not normal or good."He says

He stops petting me. I stop purring. Shino comes over.

"Hey bud! We made you a new set since your last ones broke! We made sure it could tell messages too!"She says, putting tiny shades on me

Just like my last pair. I smile. I see the letters TYVM. Deccy looks at me in surprise.

"Fresh?"He says

I smile and try to press my head to his hand. He scoops me up. I squeak in surprise.

"You are adorable!"He says

My tail sways from side to side.

Suave comes over.

"We gotta do something. And fast!"He says

"Huh?"Deccy says

"I got the results and examined the tests. He has multiple broken bones. And I checked his blood and bone samples. Under a microscope, I saw these tiny viruses taking over his  cells. Same with his code."He says

Shino takes me from Deccy and sets me down. I sit down and twitch, a strange feeling overcoming me. I blink and look around confusedly. A stronger feeling overtakes me. I lay down and cry a bit.

"Fresh? Fresh!"Deccy shouts

He picks me up. I press against him for comfort or a sense of security.

"What's happening?"He asks

Suave examines me.

"His code is changing the position of his soul. Okay, I am keeping the samples safe and try making a cure. EVERYONE TESTED ON PLEASE COME TO MY ROOM! I NEED TO TAKE SAMPLES TO MAKE INDIVIDUAL CURES FOR YOUR EFFECTS BEFORE THEY GO TOO FAR! THAT INCLUDES YOU CHARLOS! WE ARE RISKING NOTHING! NOT A THING!"Suave says, then declares

(Society or the world with COVID-19)

A line of animals and Charlos followed Suave away to be tested. Deccy sets me down and runs after Suave to help, as do some kids with Shino.

I rest my head. When I woke up, I looked around, feeling lost or confused. I get a feeling of knowing nothing. Like when entering a new world, surrounded by the unknown.

"Hey FrEsH."A weird glitchy guy says, towering over me

I frown and scurry under the wagon. He peeks under.

"HeY, No NeEd tO bE sCaReD. It Is Me, ErRoR."He says

That sounded familiar.....My shades slip a bit.

"Oh.....SHIT!"He says

Ileap at him, hissing. I do NOT like those words. I whack him with my paws in casts, knocking him down. I glare at him when I stop.

He starts laughing a glitched laugh.

"HAh! StIlL ThE sAmE OlD LaNgUaGe cEnsOR!"He chuckles

I look up at the wagon. I see a nice cozy bed on it. I climb up and into it. I curl up and rest there, finding no reason not to.

I wake up feeling everything shift. I peek out to see another cave-like bed facing mine. In it is a cool cat with dragon wings. It smiles at me. A collar on their neck read Classique.

"There. Now the lost kitties are together. Now we can keep track of them until we recover their memories and code. Cure them."Shino says

I realize we are no longer on a wagon, but in a strange room. Classique notices this too and leaps out as soon as the door shuts. I watch him wrestle with yarn balls, strings and climb up scratching posts, fly and bounce off the walls, full of energy. He looks at me. He hops up, tapping my paws. He smiles, a playful look in his eyes. I show my casts, making me unable to play. He steps back and thinks. Then he hops onto me, grabbing me with all four claws and flying out. He puts me on the top of some multistory scratching post thing.

(Kinda like this)

I look around and smile. He smiles back at me. He starts to play again but the door opens. In walks someone with a big sword.Classique sees this skeleton, with wolf ears and tail and claws, tower over him. He flies over quickly. I hiss and he curls up beside me, frightened by how close he got to me.

"You two seem good protective friends already."He says

Classique looks at me, nuzzling my head with his and purring.

"Classique, I'm not gonna hurt you. Can you come here and look at this sword?"He says, setting the sword down

Classique gets curious, going over. He looks at the sword.

"Do you recognize it?"He asks

Classique nods, hopping onto this guy, purring loudly. I smile, happy that he has a friend. I just watch as they play or cuddle together, this guy even morphing to a wolf to make things easier. Then he scoops Classique up and runs off with Classique on his back.

 I stay in my spot, not really able to go anywhere for a while. As in days. But soon, a new face enters the room. He looks up at me, taking a picture. He takes two of the casts off my front paws. My ears go down, nervous. Something in me just felt uneasy, but not like I was in danger.  He holds my paws gently, stretching and bending them. They've gone numb in the cast so this woke them up. I get up, stretching but slipping off my feet weakly, not strong enough to hold myself up. I was like someone on ice for once. He laughs, finding this adorable.

From that point on, he took me everywhere. He carried me, fed me, bathed me, talked with me, even slept with me. I smile, finding myself feeling safe and happy with him. He is named Deccy. He brought me everywhere and even when he didn't, I would follow him. I felt safest and happiest with him. I would do that or when I can't follow him, get into trouble. I'd tackle or scratch at anyone who used bad language, then flee, hopping with my hind paws still in casts, back to the cozy room with my bed to hide. And that is where Deccy would come in to get whoever was after me away. Many nicknamed me the Censor Cat, but Deccy says my name is Fresh. I like that name. So, I'd answer or come running whenever he shouted Fresh, my name. He gets happier whenever I come as well. Then he hugged me tightly when I came to him once wearing my shades AND a red cap backwards, which he says reminded him of someone special.

One day, he had me in his lap and strokes me gently, making me purred. He talked to me, but made it seem like I could answer him. He'd tell me to do certain things or make certain sounds to choose a response. Like if he asked me how I am, he'd tell me to flick an ear for good or stick out my tongue for bad. If he asked if I liked something, he'd tell me to mew for yes and meow for no. He switches from topic to topic. Then we hear a commotion. We look over.

"Azure!"A voice cheers

Azure turns around, his little bunny ears perking up. He turns to see the turtle guy come over and kiss him.

He happily kissed back, embracing each other. Azure pulls back.

"I love you so much, Azure. I missed you so much."The turtle guy says

"I love you too. And trust me, I know. Dust told me what you did."Azure says

"Pfft, I expect nothing less. I understand his reasons. You....do have my mark on you still right?"He asks

"Uh-huh. Don't worry."Azure answers

They continuing being lovey dovey like mates or something.

"HEY! THE TURTLE AND THE HARE FINALLY GET ALONG! NO MARE RACES!"Jasper shouts

"JASPER!"Suave shouts

"Oh come on that one was good!"Jasper says

The two of them blushed at Suave and Jasper shouting, but kept talking and hugging. I hear Deccy sigh. I look at him and see him watching them with a sad or longing look in his eyes. I nudge him and look at him curiously. I didn't get his attention. I take off my cap and bop him with it on his head. He looks at me. My shades say RU GOOD? He sighs and nods. I nudge him with a paw, knowing he is lying.

"Okay....Maybe I am not."He says

I look at him over my shades, wishing to know why.

"I might have gotten a crush.....But he doesn't seem to notice or know. He keeps scaring the hell outta me, getting himself into trouble to this day."He says

I look over at the two, wondering if it's one of them.

"No, it isn't them. I just wonder if he may be like that with me at some point....Or I could be like that with him one day....but I dunno really."He says

I look at him. I frown. I don't like seeing him upset. I wanna find a way to cheer him up.

"Maybe he wouldn't be into me like that......."He says

I nudge him, purring. I look up at him. He looks at me. My shades change to a new message. ILY-VM. His eyes widen, no longer petting me. I purr still. My shades change again. HIL-2HY!

"Huh?"He says

I hop around and find a notepad. I write words down. I show him it.

"'He is lucky to have you!'?"He reads

I nod.

His face burns up. He looks away. I sniff around and find a strangely familiar scent coming from his hoodie's front pocket. I take my shades off and hand it to him, letting him read the message as much as he wants. I peek into the front hoodie pocket and find another pair of shades. ROFL is the message on them. I take them out, looking at them in my paws. I put them on and look around. I shake my head, taking them off. I gaze at them again, looking up at Deccy. Then, all my memories of Deccy hit me. Memories flew into my head and I shut my eyes, seeing them flash. 

Deccy picks me up, a strong pain overcoming me, then relief. I look at him once the pain passes and he gasps.

"Fresh?"He says

I tilt my head, confused.

"SUAVE! His soul changed!"Deccy shouts

"OH SPONGES!"Suave shouts, running over

And yes, this is how Suave curses on a regular basis. Dirty dusters, sponges, soap, sweep, broom, mops, feather duster, cloth, those words. It's either that or we hear him yelling that some machine is attacking him. Toasters, dish washers, dryers and washing machines. Even vaccums, he is more freaked out by them than me AND I AM A CAT!

Suave looks at me, taking off my hind paw casts.

"What happened? What did you do?"He asks

"I didn't do anything! He found my shades!"Deccy says, handing Suave them

"Ah, that makes sense!"Suave says

"Huh?"Deccy says

"Before you came, Fresh had them and would spend days just holding those shades of yours and stare at them for hours. He really cares about ya."He says

"Fresh? Is this true?"Deccy asks

I put my shades back on. They say DECCY DEC! now. I nod. His face burns. I stretch and try to walk on all fours.

"He is healing. He is recovering slowly. I am getting his cure ready, but it's taking the longest."He says

I look up at Deccy and smile widely.

"Shall we help him learn walking again?"He asks

"Yes, that would be best. Don't want him as a grown skeleton crawling on all fours."Suave says

The next few days, Deccy held my front paws to lift me onto my hind paws. I look up at him confused. At first he'd have me stretch and get my hind paws stronger. Then he started trying to get me to walk on them. I take a few steps and look up at him curiously, to see if I am doing it right. He smiles at me, seeming so happy. He nods and I smile, continuing to take steps. I get the hang of it.

"There you go, keep it up, Fresh."He says

I purr and nod.

At least two weeks of practice later, Suave injected something into me. I blink and find that I am a skeleton now. Well, again. 

"Fresh? Are you alright?"Suave says

"Sup, Suave. I'm just fine."I say

"Thank goodness. What do you recall?"He says

"I recall everything when I was a cat....Who all of you and them are, certain memories. It's coming back still. Thanks, broseph, for curing me."I say

"Anytime. Now, are you gonna tell Deccy?"He asks

"Tell Deccy Dec what?"I ask

"How you feel about him. I examined your code and those viruses on you were weak to emotions. Strong ones-"He says

"Yeah, cause I don't have any. It's been like that as long as I can remember. Pretty good for a weakness of a virus...."I say

Plus others always remind me of that flaw since I make mistakes...

"Oh? Then how come you beat some of the viruses when you saw Deccy's glasses and got some memories back? And if you had no care or emotions, why would you care enough to hold onto his shades while you two were seperated? Or to question your past actions or choices? Guilt or regret are emotions that can do that and that's what you spent HOURS doing without Deccy. And if you had no emotions or feelings in this case, why would FEEL the need to protect Deccy from Cipher, risking your life with the tasks he gave you, which literally meant going through hell for someone you can't or don't feel emotions for?"He questions

"How'd you know about that?"I ask

Not even Deccy knows why I went through with Cipher's demands. He just knows that I had to do them, did some and then got him and the kids out with Classic.

"E!Pap isn't the only one good with phones. The kitchen and I may not always get along but that doesn't mean I am bad with all tech. I just make it less obvious.~"He says with a smug grin

I recall everything on my phone.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?"I ask

"Oh, I just quietly listened to you and Cipher talking before he experimented on you. Plus your calendar app told me everything that went down, yo wrote down deadlines for each tasks. And in your reminders, you had a list that said TASKS TO DO TO SAVE DECCY DEC. Plus he is the only one who you keep an album in your photos app to keep pictures of you and him together. Doesn't take much to get a sense that you care or have feelings for him. Very strong ones too."He says

"Senses can be wrong..."I say

"Says the jealous cat that knocked Poussière away from Deccy when they were hugging. Jealousy is a FEELING OR EMOTION. And you weren't a full cat yet so you can't excuse it as it wasn't you. Hmmm.....How else can I prove it?"He says, seeming to ask himself more than me

He snaps his fingers, an idea coming to him.

"Okay, what if I were to tell you that Deccy had a crush on you? How would you react?"He says

My soul beats faster, I could feel my face burn. What is going on?

"See that there? Feel it? That's caused by emotions. Case and point right there."He says proudly

Emotions? Feelings? For Deccy Dec? Oh stars....

"I am prescribing you a talk with E!Pap. He is good to talk to about new experiences like these. He had a feeling you were in this situation too. He's an expert and can see it with almost anyone he meets and is almost always right."Suave says, slipping a note to me

I take it without question. I tuck it away.  The door opens and Deccy comes in.

"Fresh!"He cheers, hugging me

"S-Sup, Deccy Dec."I say

"Are you okay?"He asks

I nod.

Suave whispers to him. His eye-lights shrink. He pulls me away from Suave. We head down a hall.

"Whatever Suave told you about me isn't true, okay?"He says, putting his shades on to hide his eyes

"O-Okay...."I say

"FUCK! WHERE THE HELL IS CLASSIQUE?! HOLY-!"Rufous shouts

Deccy lets go of my hand.

"I'll go calm the panicking Rufous down. He always gets like this when Classique sneaks off. Surely he is nearby."Deccy says

I nod. He runs off. I head to E!Pap's room. I knock. He opens the door. I show him the note.

"HaH, CaLlEd It. ComE oN iN."He says, shutting the door behind me

He has me sit in a bean bag chair. He takes out a pen and notepad.

"So, tElL mE wHat yOu fEeL."He says, clicking the pen

I explain it and what Suave told me. He nods.

"WelP, yOu ArE In LovE. YoU aRe feElinG LovE fOr DeCcy, The CrUsH kInd."He says

"Oh....But what do I do when I learn he likes someone else?"I ask

He tilts his head.

"Deccy told me that Suave was wrong....That he doesn't have a crush on me."I say

"OH!"He says, then bursts out laughing

"What's so funny?"I ask

"He LiEd tO yOU! JusT tHe ThoUgHT oF hIm SaYiNg tHat iS fUnNy sInCe I KnOw How He fEeLs aBoUt yOu!"He tells me

I feel my face burn.

"How am I getting these feelings?"I ask

"WeLl, It'S nAtuRal tO cHaNgE oVer tImE. AlSo, fRieNds cAn sEt eXamplEs oR cHanGe yOu fOr tHe bEttER."He says

Then he gives me a hug.

"HOLY MOTHERFUCKING SHIT! DECCY!"Rufous shouts

WHOOSH! PING! BANG!

"OW!"Rufous shouts

"RUFOUS! WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP THE KIDS FROM LEARNING BAD WORDS, NOT TEACH THEM!"Suave yells

"CAPTAIN SUAVE!"Jasper shouts, then laughs

"BUT DECCY!"Rufous snaps

"OH STINKY LAUNDRY!"Suave says 

I run out to see Felicia there with Rufous and Suave. Shino and Ghastly run over quickly. Rufous is staring at the water, standing at the edge of the raft, muttering to himself.

"What a bunch of a-"Felicia begins

"AHEM!"Suave and I say

Felicia looks at us, then at the kids.

"A-Ariels! Yeah! What a bunch of Ariels! Too chaotic and curious for their own good."She says

"What are you talking about?"Ghastly asks

"Ya know that tribe that Suave, Encre, Fallacy and Jasper encountered? Well I met the underwater version of them. And they are like a bunch of Ursulas and Ariels combined. Curious, chaotic, manipulative, and knows how to do magic. But still believe in gods and stuff like the other tribe."Felicia explains

"And they just took Classique and Deccy underwater for their ritual or prophecy!"Rufous snaps

"Eyes of night and gold, two who walk on land but are apart from the rest shall bring power to the tribe."Suave recites

"They weren't even apart from us! They were just sitting next to me, calming me down!"Rufous says

"JASPER! WE FOUND ANOTHER TRIBE FOR YOU TO GO LOKI ON! I CAN GIVE YOU CODE FOR WATER BREATHING!"Shino says

"SCORE!"Jasper shouts

"What have we created and unleashed...?"Suave says worriedly

"I'm so proud!"Felicia says

Suave facepalms.

I ignore them and just leap into the water, holding my breath. But then I realize I dunno where the funk I am going! I feel someone grab my arm. I look and it's Felicia pulling me back to the raft.

"What were you thinking, Fresh?!"She says

"Of Deccy."Suave says

"His Deccy."Shino says teasingly

"Keeping Mr. Deccy and Mr. Classique safe so Mr. Rufous doesn't say the bad words?"Ghastly suggests innocently

The rest of them just look at him and smile at how true that statement could be. He is a sweet, innocent lil boy after all.

"I hAvE eYes On tHeM!"E!Pap says, juggling peek bubbles in his hands

He hands one to Rufous and the other to me.

"THEY ARE TRYING TO FUNKING HURT HIM!"Rufous growls as he watches Classique in the bubble

"Are they a couple like my parents or like your dad and Mr. Encre?"Ghastly asks

"Hard to tell, Rufous yells about a lot of things."Jasper says

I watch the one in my hands. They lock Deccy up. I could hear them while seeing the scared look on Deccy's face. If he opened his mouth for even a moment, he'd run out of air.

"What the hell? You got the wrong one! This isn't correct for the prophecy!"One voice says

"S-Sorry....I just took the chance."Another says

"Guess I have to improvise from your mistake again."The first says

Deccy sees something because his eyes shrink and he starts trying to tug against the chains. 

"Don't worry, strange one, I will make this quick and as painless as possible."A voice says, unlocking some of his chains and dragging him away by the wrists

He leaves the ball's sight.

"ThEy HAvE bArRieRs iN sPoTs sO I cAnNoT sEe."E!Pap says

It didn't matter. I could hear the splashes of him reaching air or some water surface, probably a underwater cave that had some area without water. I hear him gasp for air. Then scream in pain. A few moments of silence. Then a little purr and hiss.

"Leave me alone! Leave my friend alone! Leave us alone!"Deccy shouts

"Nope, cannot do that. Or the prophecy won't happen. Unless you two show us something and do something for us...."A voice says

"Huh?"Deccy says

There is whispering.

"HELL NO!"Deccy snaps

Then he yelps in pain.

"Mr. Fresh? Are you okay? Your tail and ears are low."Ghastly asks

I glance away from the bubble at him. He looks concerned.

"Yea...I'm alright lil broseph."I say

"Go get Jasper."Shino says

Ghastly nods and runs off.

"What is the feeling where you want to funking kill someone?"I ask

They look at me shocked that I nearly used some bad language. Then they all look to Rufous.

"What are you all looking at me for?"He asks

"Well you're the only one who has felt that emotion out of us, or so often for that matter. Now please word it carefully, there is a child here."Suave says

"YEAH!"Shino says

"Okay. Fresh, that is anger. A kind of anger well known to be the killer of a mood, where you want to kill someone. Many things can cause it, like your cause is Deccy in danger. There is a simple way to do it and it's a good one too. Take it out on anything that causes you that emotion in any way you feel like doing."He says

"That works I guess?"Suave and Felicia say

I look at the bubble and see a creature looking like Ursula exit come into view. Looking like a person at the top, and then a tentacle monster at the bottom half of the body. And boy, did they curse up a storm about Deccy not giving them what they want! I will take this chance. I hand the bubble back to E!Pap.

"What are you planning Fresh?"Felicia asks

"Just going on a censoring trip as Rufous may put it. Rufous, if I am not back in an hour, I give you permission to go to a spot where no kids are around and use as many bad words as you want."I say

"Woah! That's new! Got it!"He says

"Peace!"I say, then hold my breath as I teleport

I appear right beside the guy cursing. He looks at me.

"FUNK! I summoned a plague!"He says

A few minutes later, I had him knocked out. I swim through the place, searching for my friends. I hear a door banging. I open a door and a bunch of merfolk come swimming out, terrified. They look like guards. What scared them off? I swim in, seeing multiple ledges. I go onto one ledge, checking the others.

"Fresh!"A voice shouts

I look down, seeing Classique on a smaller ledge, smiling and waving to me. I smile, glad he is okay. I notice a chain on his ankle. I start making my way down and see him tear the chain off his ankle like it was nothing.

"Sup Classique! Are you alright? How'd you scare off those guards?"I say, hopping down

He looks around. Then leans close.

"They aren't that smart. This isn't my first time getting caught by idiots. I was a traveling messenger in my world after all. I have my ways. Just don't tell Rufous. If he knew how many times I got into trouble delivering messages, he'd go nuts. And an angry blacksmith is never a good thing."He whispers

I nod.

"But are you alright?"I ask

"Yep! Pretty easy to get rid of them when they believe in Oxygen Cooties!"He says

I chuckle. That sounds ridiculous.

"Where's Deccy?"He asks

"Still trying to locate Deccy Dec. What were they even gonna do with you both?"I reply

"Oh, I thought for sure you'd go find him first. They were gonna use us to summon some creature. That prophecy is just a fancy way of talking about their summoning. I think this may be a cult more than a tribe."He explains

"Oh great, let's go find him."I say

"Here."He says, slipping something into my hand

I look at it. It's a mask like a doctor's.

"It will give you the ability to breathe down there, among other things. A friend enchanted it."He says, putting one on

"Oh, thanks!"I say, putting it on

We hop underwater and swim around in search of Deccy. We find a tunnel and go through it, I notice a barrier that blocked any spy code, which includes peekholes. Man, they're good. Now I know Rufous or E!Pap can't watch us beyond this point. And we came out to another village. It had roads, coral houses, and tons of people. But it looked more like a roman city than a modern one. We weave through the crowds of people, then realize they're all heading in one direction, to some stadium looking building.

"Excuse me, where are you all going?"I ask, tapping one on the shoulder

"OH! We are going to see the prophecy come true! The cage just left!"One says

"Cage?"I ask

"Why the cage that holds the special one! The cage is that way if you want to see!"They say

I nod and follow their direction, Classique following me

"Hey wait a second! That's the one that escaped! Get him!"They say, noticing him

Classique simply turns around, calm as can be.

"Two words:Oxygen Cooties."He says

They scatter from him. He gets shoved and I grab him, only to see him covered in wounds on the back of his arms and body. Something hidden when I was in front of him. I hug him close and he lets out a purr. 

"Rufous is so gonna go nuts seeing these on you."I say

He shrugs.

"As long as he doesn't do anything stupid we will be ok."He says

We keep going and I see Deccy in a cage. He has ears, a tail and a cut on his eye.

I run and leap onto the cage, knocking the rock-like wheels off of the cage's cart. Classique hops up. I climb to the top, watching for any incoming attackers.

"Hey Deccy!"Classique says

I check my watch and see 45 minutes have passed. 

Classique gives Deccy a mask.

"How'd you get out?"Deccy asks

"We have our ways."Classique says

"We?"He asks

"Deccy Dec!"I cheer, hopping down

"Fresh?!"He exclaims, shocked that I am here

"Wassup!"I say

His tail hangs low and his ears press down. I hug him close. Oh the relief that came over me is somehing I never experienced in my life. It was amazing!

"I got you Deccy Dec. They won't hurt you anymore. I got you, broseph."I assure him

He looks at me, startled.

"W-Why do you sound panicked and worried?"He asks

"Because I am! I was worried about you! Nobody is allowed to take you or hurt you! Or they have to deal with me!"I tell him

His face burns.

"O-Okay, broseph?"I say, getting a nervous feeling now

He buries his head in my chest.

"Okay, Fresh."He says, his tail swaying

I start hearing him purr. I feel how tense he is. I reach up and getly scratch behind his ear. His body relaxes, his tail swaying more and his purrs growing louder. I smile beneath the mask. But my shades reveal my thoughts saying AW-W! He luckily does not see. But when he looks at me, my shades say CU-TE. Oh dear... 

"L-Let's go!"I say, pulling them both away 

"Why are you stuttering?"Deccy asks

"What stuttering?"I ask

He shrugs it off.

"Oh! I see what is happening here!"Classique says

"Where are we going?"Deccy asks

"I'm gonna teleport in a few minutes."I say

I hear yelling and screaming. Everyone starts running in all kinds of directions.

"THE GOD OF CHAOS IS COMING! HE IS COMING! A PLAGUE IS TAKING OVER!"Some yell

"HE IS HERE!"Others yell

I sigh, shaking my head. I could hear childish laughter.

"JASPER! GET OVER HERE!"I shout

"Aww man."A voice says

Deccy looks at me, uneased. He starts trying to hide his tail. I see the problem. I take off my hat and put it on him, tucking his ears from sight.

"There ya go."I say

He smiles up at me gratefully. He blushes a bit as well. I have him step in front of me to hide his tail. I wrap my arms around him to make it look normal. Classique is looking for Jasper. I could feel Deccy shaking.

"You okay, Deccy Dec?"I ask

"Y-Yeah..."He says

I notice his face is burning a lot.

"Hey, Fresh!"Jasper says before I could question anything

"Sup."I say

Deccy grips my arms tightly.

Then I get knocked forward, falling onto him. I hear Jasperlaugh behind us. I try to get up but fail, something is holding me down. I can't move.

"What the funk?"Jasper says, I of course censor him

"What's the dillio?"I ask

"Uhhh, I dunno."Jasper says

Then I hear a teleport noise.

"Jasper? Classique?"I say

"Those two are gone."A cold voice says

"Uh oh..."I mutter

I look at Deccy still in my grip below me. He was facefirst in the ground. I feel something wrap around my legs. I try to shift. Still nothing. 

"D-Deccy Dec? You okay?"I ask

I get a muffled purr in response. My tail could still move so I use it to feel what is around my legs. It's soft and fluffy, I know that. 

"I can't move...Sorry...."I say

He grabs me tighter, turning his head to the side. He looks around the best he could.

Fwing!

I feel something cover us.

"There's a net."He says

I sense Rufous cursing. I try to teleport but fail.

"It's made to stop teleportation. Don't try."He whispers

The net gets dragged along, pulling us in it.

"You okay, Deccy Dec?"I ask

He nods.

I feel something pick us up.

"Hand him over."A voice says

I look up and see a creature I've never seen before. It looked weird as heck. I look behind me to see some kind of tentacle was holding us up in the net, as well as Deccy's tail wrapped tightly around my legs. I hold him tighter.

"No. Funk off."I say

As soon as those words left my mouth, we were dropped. Spears and tridents strike the creature down. We were able to sit up in the net.

"LEAVE THE LAND DWELLERS ALONE YOU FIEND!"A bunch of voices shout

The creature flees. A bunch of merfolk circle us, still stuck in the net.

"Are you okay? Come with us, you'll be safe."They say

I don't trust them and hold Deccy close, shaking my head no. Deccy looks at them. One reaches in, taking my hat off of his head and tugging at his ear. He yelps in pain. Quickly I snatch the hat back, putting it on him again and rest my head on his so nobody can take it off.

"Aww, the soul eyed one is getting protective! How cute! Welp! Time to kidnap, I mean, take to a safer place!"One says

Frick!

They drag us away in the net, but I never let go of Deccy.

Meanwhile, on the raft:

Jasper:-appears- What the heck?

Suave and Felicia:-hug him-

Rufous:Where are the other three?

Jasper:I dunno. I got teleported here.

E!Pap:*sigh* I'll start tracking them. But any arguing and you do it yourselves.

Them:Yes E!Pap.

ALSO:

Classique:....

WHERE THE HELL AM I?

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TBC