Break...

Hey jammers!  I'd just like to let you know that I will be taking a break from this blog for a bit.  I'm currently writing a novel and I'd like to move my focus to that versus writing stories for this blog.  Thank you so much for reading!
- Tallstar107

Zios's Necklace

Even before the phantoms were created, there was one form of them. Zios's necklace. He always wore a beaded necklace around his neck, with a phantom in the center. This necklace contained a tiny spirit of it's own. Zios was never seen without it.
When Mira lost her beloved companion, one detail was not told. When she cried her tears, she was holding Zios's necklace, the only thing she had left of him. Her tears did mix with the elements of Jamaa, but they also ran down the side of Zios's phantom neckaace. The tiny spirit inside broke out, and that mixed with the elements of Jamaa and her tears. Only a little bit of the spirit was left inside. Mira took the necklace and laid around the Zios's broken statue's neck. This necklace protected Zios's leftover spirit. And even though the necklace has worn away from the statue's neck, the spirit of the necklace still clings onto Zios. And so look around Jamaa for hints of Zios's spirit. It is thanks to this necklace that we can even see these little signs.

Liza's Luck

The stars twinkled, and the moonlight shone down on a cavern surrounded by crystals, glittering in the starlight. Chiseled out of rock was a rough,uneven staircase. 
Suddenly, a harsh, unnatural light shone at the bottom of the stairs, and a younger Liza clambered up the staircase. Arriving at the top, she gazed in awe at the crystals sprouting around the cavern. "So this is what they are after," she murmured softly. "And this is where a battle will be fought."
A couple of days ago, Greely had called a meeting of all the alphas. When they had all arrived, he had wasted no time in getting down to business. "I have called you all here today to deliver to you what I have seen in our future. The phantoms have discovered a new source of power so great that they would easily defeat us in battle. I believe that I know where they are, and I am asking Liza to go scout the area. Liza, do you accept?"
Liza nodded. "Yes," she replied.
"Liza, I have seen that this source of power is found near this hut, immediately north. They are found in an ancient cavern, with stone steps chiseled in the rock." Turning back to the waiting alphas, Greely announced," I believe though, that we will have to fight to keep this power source." Then, he shouted," Meeting dismissed!", and headed for the exit.
"Wait, Greely!" called Liza, frantically trying to follow Greely through the crowd.
Halting, Greely turned to face Liza. "What is it?"
"What is this power source? How will I know when I find it?"
Greely just looked at her. "Oh, you'll know," he muttered grimly, before turning around and plunging back into the crowd.
"But-" Liza shook herself. She had a mission!
Now, Liza turned her back on the beautiful crystals, and silently stepped down the staircase.

***

The next day, all of Jamaa was preparing for battle. The phantoms had somehow found out that the alphas were planning to take the crystals, and they had sent a messenger declaring war on them that day. Sir Gilbert prepared a special bow and arrow for every jammer that would vaporize a phantom once they were hit.
Greely had permitted Liza to take a break and not participate, because she had been the one who had found the crystals. After seeing the battle group off, she returned to her hut. Lighting some candles, she sat down... and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. Grabbing a bow and arrow, she started to sprint out of the door before thinking twice. Snatching a small vial full of black liquid, she dashed out of the door.
When Liza arrived at the cavern, she stared in horror at what she saw there. The Phantom King stood, towering over all the jammers and alphas, shocking animals all over and causing them to faint. Though arrows soared through the air, they merely bounced off of him, and Liza breathed a sigh of relief that she had thought to bring the vial. Dipping an arrow in the vial, she aimed and fired. Time seemed to slow down as the arrow flew through the air, and the everyone, wherever they were in the battle, seemed to stop and stare at the arrow as it progressed through the air. He himself gazed in horror as he seemed to recognize the black liquid dripping from the arrow. He tried to dodge, but it was too late. He vaporized into nothingness, but she knew that he wasn't gone; he would have reappeared somewhere else. 
Looking around, Liza spotted Greely padding up to her with a rare look of approval in his eyes. "You did well," he admitted. "But how did you know that the liquid in that vial could destroy the Phantom King? I knew, of course, but I didn't think to bring any."
"Well, I didn't know," admitted Liza. "I just had a feeling."

***

After the battle, the crystals were taken from their original spot and preserved in a secret room.

Mira's Return

“Greely…”

Greely moaned in his sleep.

“Greely, wake up!”

Greely opened his eyes, blinking them with sleep.  He began to recognize the figure hunched over him with concern as the panda alpha, Liza.

“What happened?”  murmured Greely groggily.

“The Phantom King shocked you.  It looked really bad.  You passed out.  Then he vanished.” Liza looked uncertainly into the shadows, and Greely could make out the faint sound of electricity which could only belong to one thing.  Phantoms.  “I’m holding the rest of the phantoms back with the powers of my staff, but I can’t hold them much longer.  No, Greely, you’re not strong enough!”  she added as he attempted to stumble to his paws.  She tried to push him back, but he threw her off.  

“We need… to get back.. to Jamaa… now!” Greely muttered hoarsely.

“But how?  We’re too far away!”  Liza shrieked.  “And I don’t have any means of communication because you told me that we were just “checking out the place”!  Of course, you forget to mention that the place was infested with phantoms!”  She was practically working herself into hysterics.

“Liza… calm.. down…”Greely whispered.  “I.. cannot.. live… unless we.. get back…”

“I will NOT calm down!”

“Liza-”
 “No!”

“Look behind you…”

Liza turned and her jaw dropped.  A huge circle of stone, imbedded with what seemed to be giant emeralds and had certainly not been there moments ago, was standing right behind her.

            “What- what is it?” whispered Liza, and Greely could detect just a hint of fear in her voice.

            “I think it’s a portal.”  The words flowed from Greely's mouth before he could stop himself.

            Liza turned to face Greely, with an awe-filled and frightened look on her face.  “Do you really think so?”

            Greely pursed his lips.  “I know it is.”  Why was Liza dilly-dallying?  Didn’t she see that they had to go through the portal NOW?  He could see white eyes through the gloom, approaching.

 “Come on!”  Before she could protest, he mustered all his remaining strength and shoved her into the portal, before plunging himself in.  As he sank through the gem, he saw the shapes of phantoms waving their tentacles angrily, before he sensed, more than saw, the portal seal over and vanish.  

            Greely felt himself plunging through what felt like liquidized air, except it was bright green.  Once or twice, he thought he glimpsed an eye, maybe a flash of a wing, but it was always gone as soon as he saw it.  In what seemed to be seconds, he felt himself hit the ground, and with a moan, he passed out.

***

 Liza sipped her tea, deep in thought.  Without warning, she slammed her cup down onto her saucer, making Peck jump with fright, and shattering both teacup and saucer.

 “That Greely!”  Liza growled.  “Ever since we’ve come out of the portal he’s been bothering me, interrupting me when I have important business to be getting on with!  And no, it’s not anything useful!  It’s always “Did you smell fish or anything like that in the portal” or “What did you see in the portal” or something ridiculous like that!  What in the world is Greely up to n-”

 The door flew open, and standing in the doorway was, in fact, Greely himself.  “When you’ve quite finished raging,” Greely said coolly,” I have some important news.  Unless, of course, you think my little research is too trivial to be acknowledged.

“I never- I didn’t- “ Liza spluttered.  

“Liza-” Peck started.

“All right, all right, then let’s hear what you have to say!”

“Alright then.”  Greely sat down on a ancient, wooden rocking chair, rocking back and forth ever so slightly.  “You all know how Mira died, or at least, her spirit left her body.  By sacrificing herself to save the phantoms.  We all accepted the fact without question.  Until I went through the portal, that is.”

“Greely, how can you possibly -”

“Liza, please!”  warned Peck.

Liza sniffed.

“Thank you.” Greely said sarcastically.  “That night, I saw what I thought to be an eye, and a wing in the portal, and I wondered… Well, my research has brought me to the conclusion that… Mira is alive, whole, and well.”

“What?!”  Liza and Peck both shrieked simultaneously, jumping up from their chairs.

“She created that portal, carried us back to Jamaa.  Whether Mira just came to recently, or she has been alive for a while now, is hard to tell.”  Greely stood up too and walked to the window, gazing out.

“But if Mira was really, well, alive, then why wouldn’t she tell us?”  Liza whispered, coming to Greely’s side, all past arguments forgotten.

“I don’t know. I just don’t know.  But I am certain of one thing.  The way ahead of us is dark, we have always known that.  But now, with Mira back on our side, the way seems just a bit brighter.  There is still hope.”

***

 From then on, whenever jammers needed assistance, one of Mira’s portal would appear.  Without them, we would be nowhere.  And the next time you go through a portal, pay attention.  You might just hear a soft murmur, or feel the brush of a wing, carrying you to safety.

A Stranger's Gift

A short story that is not the best.  I will soon have more recent stories up :D

A Stranger's Gift

One day long ago, the alpha Peck was restless. There was nothing in Jamaa left for her to paint! She had drawn every leaf and twig, every root and stone. Others were having problems too. The water had dried up in Jamaa. A terrible drought was happening. They were also unhappy that Peck had stopped drawing. Her drawings lightened up the day of anyone. They tried to get her to draw, but she refused. "Not until I see beauty in the world." 
Unfortunately, with her unwillingness to draw, her magic powers were disappearing. Her pictures crumpled and tore from around Jamaa, falling off the walls and dissolving forever. Her paintbrushes no longer glowed with color, and her eyes were as dull as an unsharpened knife, no longer sparkling with the happiness of a creative mind.
One day Mira came to visit her. As they settled down for tea, Mira asked what was bothering her. Peck confessed, and Mira sighed. "For that my dear, there is nothing I can do."
The next day, a stranger came to town. She did not look like any animal they had seen before. "I am a jaguar," she told them slyly, slinking in between them all. "I have been sent here to grant one wish. What shall it be?"
"Sent here?" exclaimed Peck. "By who?"
"By a force so deep and mysterious, yet generous, that you would not know," replied the jaguar. "Now give your wish."
Immediately, half the group called out for water to come back. Instinctively, the other half wanted Peck to have something to draw again. 
The leopard sat down thoughtfully. "I cannot give more than one wish." Her tail curled around her paws. "But I think I know a way to combine both."

***

Peck sat down, thrill in her eyes, as she saw the beautiful waterfall roaring through The Temple of Zios. "It's magnificent!" She sighed. In her mind, she was already thinking of her
paintbrushes working across paper.
So everything was back to normal. And years after, the waterfall still remains, never to be stopped. 
Though, however we wish we knew more, the mysterious stranger was never heard from again.

A Faded World

Adalet grinned, hardly trying to hide her excitement. Tonight was the grand opening of the brand new Club Geoz. She had been waiting for this all week. She wore her best clothes: her favorite star cape, her cream tiara, and her beaded necklace, all from Jam Mart Clothing. She was ready.

Adalet opened her map. She found Club Geoz, and trying to shortcut her way there, frowned. Was something wrong with her map? She shrugged, figuring it couldn’t hurt to walk, and headed over to Jamaa Township.

Approaching the door to Club Geoz, Adalet found herself walking alongside Dory, her best friend.

“I’m so excited!” Adalet squealed, her ears twitching with excitement.

“Me too!” Lily laughed. “Come on, don’t just hang there. Let’s go!”

The fox at the door was obviously famous, rich, or something of the sort. Adalet almost felt ashamed of her own clothes. The fox was wearing a designer skirt, diamond earrings, and a sapphire ring, obviously from Epic Wonders and worth much more than Adalet’s clothes. As Adalet and Lily went to walk in, she stepped, not very subtly, to block the doorway.

“Excuse me,” murmured Adalet politely.

“Yes, excuse you. I don’t suppose you were trying to enter Club Geoz, were you?” The fox looked us up and down.

“Yes, we were,” Adalet replied firmly.

“Oh, well you can’t go in there.”

“And why not?” Adalet was beginning to feel infuriated by the fox, and Lily was no help, standing limply by her side in shock.

“Well, you can only go in there if you’re rare or rich. It’s exclusive.”

Adalet narrowed her eyes. How can a jammer be rare? Wasn’t that just a label for items? And what did it matter if you were rich or not?

“Look inside if you don’t believe me. See for yourself.”

Almost afraid to look, Adalet peeked past the fox and found that she had been telling the truth. Spikes and Epic Wonders were all that could be seen.

“Come on, Lily,” Adalet snapped. “We’re leaving.”

“Well, actually, Adalet…” Lily muttered, flustered. She pulled out a spike collar from her bag and put it on.

“What… but Lily… You never told me…” Adalet felt betrayed. Her friend would abandon her just for this stupid party? “Goodbye, then.”

Adalet took a deep breath. It wouldn’t do to be angry when she had an audience with Mira. All last night, she had been thinking, and she finally decided on how she could change things. She had gone to visit Mira first thing. “Adalet. Come in.”

How did Mira know her name? Adalet closed her eyes, breathed, and entered the hall where the doors automatically swung open for her. She gasped: floors of diamond and glimmering walls surrounded her. A tall throne of silver stood in the center of it all.

“Mira.” Adalet dipped her head, too frightened to look up.

“Adalet, look up.” The voice that greeted her was warm, and welcoming, so she did. “What have you come to talk to me about?”

Adalet sucked in air, then launched herself into the story of what had happened. She had practiced what she would say over and over, and she thankfully did not make a fool of herself. “And so,” she concluded,”I think Club Geoz should be open to everyone.”

There was a silence. Suddenly, Mira clapped. “Adalet, I admire your courage. You truly believe in standing up for what is right. We will have arrangements made.”

So Club Geoz became available to all jammers. Of course, Mira, wanted to add it to the shortcuts, but, unfortunately, the alphas would not have it. The “original” club members were certain that if it remained off the shortcuts of the map, the other jammers would be too lazy to walk and it would remain exclusive. They bribed the advisers of the alphas, who dutifully convinced the alphas that Club Geoz would promptly explode if such traffic were directed there. And so Club Geoz remained without a shortcut and, eventually, faded from memory.

Peace At Last

Jamaa…

Cosmo breathed in the scents of his home. The tall bamboo, the rich plants. The bustling streets, and busy shops. Jamaa was, to him, the perfect balance of civilization and the wild.

Cosmo smiled as he strolled down the street, humming a happy tune.

“Hello, Cosmo!” Peck shouted to Cosmo as he passed her.

“Hello, Peck!” Cosmo replied. He passed the bamboo hut and reached the center of Jamaa Township. He paused for a moment, relishing the hustle and bustle.

“Cosmo!” A shrill voice startled him out of his reverie and he turned, startled. There, making her way toward him, was a fox, whose name he could not quite recall.

“Cosmo!” she shrieked again. “I gave you a beautiful, prized lily, uh, herb.” Cosmo had to stop himself from snickering. Lily herb? “It was dying. I asked you to fix it. I said it had to be ready by this morning. Where is it?”

Cosmo abruptly stopped snickering. Flustered, he replied,”Tending to plants takes time. I’ll have it, uh, tomorrow.” He slipped away into the crowd, berating himself fiercely. How could he have forgotten? He was angry, too, at the fox. Why did she have to make such a scene?

Cosmo passed the Sol Arcade, but, before he could slip in to see how things were getting on in there, he found himself surrounded by jammers. They all seemed to be begging him.

“My bamboo. How could you have forgotten?”

“I gave you my rose. Can I have it back now?”

“My oak tree. Weren’t you taking care of it?”

“Enough!”

Everyone flinched, including Cosmo. Had that really been him?

Trying to keep his voice level, he said, “I just need some time. Please. Leave me alone.” Cosmo fought his way out of the crowd, feeling desperately lonely. He headed for his den, but, seeing it was filled with visitors bringing their plants for him to care for, he decided otherwise. He went to Sarepia Forest and miserably lay under the bushes, camouflaged. It seemed this was the most peace he would get.

“Cosmo, come in.”

Cosmo entered, gazing in awe at the grand room. The floor was beautiful, shimmering with glass, and the walls were covered with iridescent tiles. In the center of the room sat Mira, on a radiant silver throne.

“Hello, Cosmo. What brings you here today?”

“Mira,” Cosmo greeted Mira politely. “I was thinking. A few days ago, I was feeling... frustrated.”

“I heard,” said Mira, not unkindly.

“I needed somewhere to go, somewhere peaceful. But my den was filled with visitors, as usual, and everywhere else was crowded. I was thinking we could build, maybe, a pillow room… You know, calm, peaceful, pillows…”

Mira was nodding her head. “I think it could replace the Medical Center- it is rarely used anymore.”

“Oh, and one more thing. I know that our new technology has been used to add shortcuts to the maps, but… I was wondering if perhaps we could keep this room without a shortcut. It would attract too many visitors, and it wouldn’t be peaceful.”

“Of course, Cosmo.”

And so the Pillow Room was built, as a peaceful place to think, and it has remained free of shortcut ever since.