Rainy The Croc's Journal: pg. 3 – I'M DOOMED

Oh no. I should have seen it coming and just ran! Oh, I was so foolish to ignore the "gecko guard's" hologram glitches! Was it even a hologram? You know I don't even care right now what it was. Illusions, phantom magic... what's done is done! What matters now is that I'm TRAPPED! I'm now prisoner to these–

I'll just start from the beginning.

So, while I was not able to write in my journal, the gecko guards were beginning to act weirder than ever. And I don't mean regular gecko-weird, I mean REALLY weird. At first they were only all shifty-eyed and suspicious, but then the things they started talking about when they thought I was asleep were just... I don't know. I couldn't understand them because they were speaking in lion. Of course, half asleep myself I just dismissed it as being a strange hobby of their's... oh, doubt was my downfall. 

I also saw through my half lidded eyes on many nights two lions instead of geckos. Was I afraid? Of course, but I mistook it for a nightmare. First day suspicions, second day doubts... and then here I am; Rainy the gullible crocodile who was probably the first in Jamaa history to fall for an illusion!

If anyone is still confused: Long story short, the gecko guards were actually lions and now they've taken me prisoner.

It was NEVER a serious quest, they were just taking me as prisoner!

Or was it? The gecko guards seemed pretty genuine up until a few days pass. Maybe they were... Oh, do I dare say REPLACED?

Maybe that's how phantom magic works, if they indeed used it. I wish I could just write to Berry! I should have let them come along. I can't fight these lions on my own... I thought I would have an army waiting for me but at this point I don't even know! Are we even going in the write direction? These lions don't even have a map– Oh wait. They do, but they're reading it upside down.

I'M DOOMED. I'M DOOMED I'M DOOMED I'M DOOMED I'M DOOMED!

Wait... I have an idea. At some point Berry will probably come looking for me! Yeah, that's it. Or Happy! Maybe they'll both come looking for something else, and stumble upon this journal! Yeah! Hope is never lost!

Okay, if Berry, Happy, ANYONE is reading this, my name is Rainbow the crocodile prince and I've been captured by the lion kingdom! I... have NO idea where they're taking me, but if they were masquerading as the gecko guards from the start, they are taking me to the crocodile kingdom! If they interrupted the REAL gecko guards' mission... they're probably trying to get me away from the kingdom somehow. 

If that's the case, then you can just throw this journal away because I'm surely doomed! But please find a way to the crocodile kingdom ASAP... Please I'm counting on yo–

----

"Hey, what the heck are you writing it, you slime lizard thing?"

"Hey, give that back!"

"Ha, lemme read that! Uhhh... that says, mmm.... uhhhh...."

"..."

"YOU KNOW WHAT, LITERACY IS FOR NERDS! I'm throwing this away."

My plan is somewhat worki– oh no.

"I can't believe you ate that whole journal."

"I can't believe it either, haha. *burp*"

no no no no no no no no no no no.

----

*TO BE CONTINUED IN SEPTEMBER!*

Rainy The Croc's Journal pg. 2: Okay, what?

Okay, so even though this is only the first leg of the trip, I've begun to get even more suspicious of these geckos. When they thought I was asleep, I heard them laughing really carefree-like, which was totally different than when we were about to leave Berry's den. Maybe they're just more relaxed away from "commoners," as they called my friends?

Maybe so, but it doesn't take anything away from what I keep hearing from them. When I ask them when when we're getting to the kingdom, they just tell me, "Be patient! You're not in that much of a hurry, c'mon, we're only taking you to be–" and then they cut themselves off and do that shifty eye thing that all geckos seem to do.

Weird.

But what was even more weird is that I think their craziness is starting to rub off on me. Did I say a crazy palace guard? The so called "best of the best?" Who's trained mercilessly but still crazy? Yes. In fact I don't even remember geckos at ALL in the crocodile kingdom. Everyone was a crocodile... just me, and...

Ugh! I forgot to describe how their craziness is starting to rub off on me. Wow, I really am not getting the hang of writing. Berry said it was easy! I'm just rambling on and on... like I'm crazy.

Well here's the crazy part: We were just walking, like it was a normal day of the trip, when I turned around AND RIGHT NEXT TO ME WERE TWO GIANT LIONS and I ran almost up the tree with my stubby crocodile legs. When I looked down, from my slightly elevated spot, only the geckos were there.

Laughing at me.

I normally don't care if people are making fun of me, I just move on. But laughing at a member of the royal crocodile family is a great offense, especially for someone trained and drilled specifically not to.

Sometimes I think these geckos are much too confident to be guards...

Wait, is that a lion?

*NEXT MONTHLY UPDATE IN AUGUST*

Rainy the Croc's Journal pg.1: Through the Banana Trees

Just before I left with Pineapple and Coconut (evidently the names of the two gecko guards from my kingdom), Berry gave me this journal to write in everyday of my trip. It's pretty thin (but just enough for me to go to Crocodile Kingdom and kick the lions out) and has a drawing of Liza on the cover. Happy the pink elephant can be quite the artist.

Happy says he saw her once in the woods wearing a dark shawl like the one in his drawing. I'm pretty sure it was just a dream... Liza and the other shamans are all pretty reclusive. 

Anyway, dear journal, it's been a few days since I took off with the gecko guards at my side. We don't talk much, except maybe a few "are you all right, majesty?"s when I trip on a root. 

Currently, we're passing through the village and on an unnecessarily twisty route to Crocodile Kingdom. No one so far has given us a second glance, even though I'm a prince! Maybe my kingdom isn't that well known in this part of Jamaa. As the prince, I know we don't really focus on expanding our territory as much as more important matters. Like eating popcorn. Speaking of which, I haven't eaten any popcorn since Patches the lion or whatever launched me across Jamaa and into Berry's backyard. 

I miss Berry... 

But never mind that! My kingdom is at stake, and it's my job as the prince to stop those lions and kick them out!

But I do feel something odd around the two geckos... Like they're not really there.

*TO BE CONTINUED NEXT MONTH! STAY TUNED!* 

Parting

A month passed after that meeting, and as each day flew by, the truth began to dawn on me and Happy: Rainy would probably have to stay at the kingdom.

Perhaps we could live at the castle with Rainy... but no, I'm far too attached to this den to leave. Happy could probably stay at the kingdom... But in all honesty, I hope he doesn't. If he left with Rainy, I would be all alone again without any friends! It's nice being alone with peace and quiet, but not like that! 

Finally, just today the time came when Rainy had to go. 

It was midmorning, a nice one too. Everything was quiet until the guards came up to the door and called for "Rainbow."

Rainy snuck to the door from behind a potted plant as to not wake us. Happy was asleep, but I certainly was not. Without hesitation I got up to look Rainy in the eye.

"I'll miss you." I said.

Rainy nodded, but responded "There's no need, really, you know I'll be back."

Apparently, Happy wasn't asleep at all and jumped up at those words.

"Really? Yayy! In that case, bring me back something from your kingdom!"

A muffled "Hey! Don't order around his majesty like that!" Was heard from the door, which of course everyone ignored.

"Like what?" Asked Rainy.

"Ummm..." Happy began, to which the guards sighed. "Uhhh... Ummm... Wait, lemme think... Ummm... uhhhhhhh... uhhhh... ermmm... Uhhh–"

"We don't have all day, elephant!" Yelled the guards.

"Just lemme think! Ummm...–"

"Okay, I think I should get going. I'll bring you back something, like a feather or a jewel, I promise." Rainy said, and then took off.

We called "goodbye!" and "farewell" until they were gone.

"Well..." Happy began.

"I hope the lions don't cause him much trouble."

*TO BE CONTINUED*

The Crocodile Prince

There was a long, awkward silence as what Alex was saying sank in:

Rainy would have to leave.

By now, the other plushies had turned away from us and the normal chatter of the market returned, but it still felt too quiet.

Happy, I've observed, dislikes quiet. Especially when there are questions to be answered.

"How come you never told us you were a prince?" Happy asked skeptically.

Rainy looked from the ground to the pink elephant. "Well–"

"Yes, go on."

Rainy rolled his eyes at Happy's obliviousness. "You interrupted me. I was ABOUT to go on. Now, as I was sayi–"

"Hey! How dare you interrupt The Royal Prince Rainbow of the Crocodile Kingdom! You would be thrown in the dungeon, had you been back at our castle before the lion invasion!" The orange crocodile decided to chime in irritably, taking a defensive stance towards Happy with his sword.

Rainy shot a look straight forward that said loud and clear 'you've got to be joking.'

"So," I said quietly, not wanting to annoy Rainy any further, "you were a prince before you came to live with us?"

"Yes," Rainy sighed, "Remember when I fell out of the sky?"

Happy brightened up. "Oh yeah! I remember! We thought you were sent by Mira, haha. Berry was so clueless–"

After those words was a... loud and abrupt reaction in unison from Alex and I. Alex to accuse Happy again of "injustice against the prince" to think Rainy was "anything less than Mira herself," and me... to protect my pride, I guess... but I'm not clueless! Happy thought Rainy was sent by Mira, too!! I'm not clueless!!

It was just a bunch of annoying blabber in Rainy's ears, who obviously couldn't stand it. He looked at the ground and covered his ears (or whatever crocodile ears are called). It seemed odd that even though he was a prince, he held back from telling other plushies to be quiet.

The market's gaze wandered over to our loud squabble. I was embarrassed, and so was Alex, so we quieted down.

Rainy glanced around, and seeing our commotion silenced took his webbed reptilian paws (or whatever crocodile paws are called) from his ears. "I thought you'd go on all month. So yeah, I didn't literally fall from the sky. This lion– Patch I believe –launched me out of a cannon for some reason and that's how I ended up in this region of Jamaa. Patch was a friend of mine, but we hadn't spoken recently. Now I think I know why just out of the blue he suggested 'Hey Rainy, wanna get launched out of a cannon.'"

"Why?" we all said in unison. 

"If the..." Rainy struggled to say, "prince was gone, the lions could invade and take over."

TO BE CONTINUED

Rainbow???

"I've been looking everywhere for you, Rainbow!"

I darted my head around cluelessly and turned to Happy and Rainy. "Who's Rainbow? Happy, any idea? What about you, Rainy? Who's Rainbow?" 

Happy and rainy annoyingly didn't say anything, only looked at me disappointedly. The orange crocodile swished his eyes back and forth between us and glared at us expectantly.

"Well?!" He asked.

Rainy stepped forward and I put my face in my paws. Duh!

"What is it this time, Alex?" Rainy (Rainbow) said to the crocodile, looking at the ground. I guess Alex was the orange crocodile's name?

"You're needed back at the kingdom! Didn't you know?! The lions have taken over and everything is in chaos! I thought you knew! You're the crocodile prince, for Mira's sake!"

Other animals in the market began to look and whisper at us worriedly. There was silence in the group as his words sank in.

I couldn't stand the silence and blurted out. "You're a PRINCE, Rainy?!"

Alex flicked his head towards me and glared. "Shh... keep it down. There may be lions around." He whispered.

"But Rainy, I had no idea that–" I was cut off again by my friends' agitated faces. "Oh, right.." I whispered sheepishly. "Sorry."

Alex turned back to Rainy. "You need to be back at the castle by next month. I'll send some of the guards with you, if you like. You and you only need to be there to restore peace."

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Notice

Hi! Sorry for the inconvenience, but Berry The Koala will be on hiatus through the month of October. (I will not be posting here for all of October.)

Things have come up that make it hard to do so, sorry.

Bye!

–Quintanna/DoomyPanda