Theo cast:
~ a Holy spell.
~ a Water spell.
~ a Lightning spell.
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The room exploded with light, and Fogerty roared with pain. Fogerty smacked a capstan and he turned white.
Theo cast:
~ an Earth spell.
~ a Water spell.
~ a Dark spell.
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The ground lit up under Fogerty, and then it exploded, sending slime everywhere. But the blob gathered again and rose over Theo. Fogerty raised his hand, ready to smash Theo. “Time to die, plush-bucket!”
Theo jumped out of the way, and Fogerty smashed the iron door open. Theo didn’t hesitate, running through the door as Fogerty called after him.
“You may escape me, but I can’t wait to see Stratus destroy you!”
Theo ran up a spiral staircase. “I’m coming, Grant.”
He had already wasted so much time that he had no choice but to run.
~ Continue.
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Theo pointed the scepter at Fogerty, and a nearby stream rose and slammed into Fogerty, but it bounced off. Fogerty raised his hand, ready to smash Theo. “Time to die, plush-bucket!”
Theo jumped out of the way, and Fogerty smashed the iron door open. Theo didn’t hesitate, running through the door as Fogerty called after him.
“You may escape me, but I can’t wait to see Stratus destroy you!”
Theo ran up a spiral staircase. “I’m coming, Grant.”
He had already wasted so much time that he had no choice but to run.
~ Continue.
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Dark energy flowed from the scepter and into Fogerty, darkening him. The room grew dark, and the blob roared with pain.
“Make it stop!”
“Leave me alone,” Theo said, shaking more dark energy out of the scepter.
“The pain I feel is just a fraction of the pain Stratus will make you feel,” Fogerty said. He shrank down to his original size, splashed into a nearby stream, flowed into a tunnel, and disappeared.
The room brightened, and Theo knew the fight was over. He ran to the door, cut through the capstan that blocked his way, and dashed upstairs.
~ Continue.
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Theo pointed the scepter at Fogerty, and a nearby stream rose and slammed into Fogerty, but it bounced off. Fogerty raised his hand, ready to smash Theo. “Time to die, plush-bucket!”
Theo jumped out of the way, and Fogerty smashed the iron door open. Theo didn’t hesitate, running through the door as Fogerty called after him.
“You may escape me, but I can’t wait to see Stratus destroy you!”
Theo ran up a spiral staircase. “I’m coming, Grant.”
He had already wasted so much time that he had no choice but to run.
~ Continue.
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Lightning struck Fogerty, but it didn’t hurt him. Fogerty raised his hand, ready to smash Theo. “Time to die, plush-bucket!”
Theo jumped out of the way, and Fogerty smashed the iron door open. Theo didn’t hesitate, running through the door as Fogerty called after him.
“You may escape me, but I can’t wait to see Stratus destroy you!”
Theo ran up a spiral staircase. “I’m coming, Grant.”
He had already wasted so much time that he had no choice but to run.
~ Continue.
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CHAPTER 13
An Unexpected Foe
Inside the castle, Theo opened a wooden door and climbed a spiral staircase; it led into a long, torch-lit hallway with purple carpet. There were no windows, so the air was stuffy. There was no one around.
He turned the Whatsamadoozle into a sword and crept down the hallway toward an iron door. He heard distant screams that wrenched his gut. They were children.
The door was ajar; Theo peeked inside. Dozens of children, all tied to the wall with their eyes closed, screamed constantly, as if nightmares were playing on their eyelids.
So this is what Stratus does to them.
The children’s screams were deafening. Using the sword, he cut them from the wall. They began to snore as they hit the ground.
I wonder what they were seeing.
But he didn’t pursue the thought, understanding that he’d be better off if he never knew. Another iron door at the end of the room opened. Theo readied his sword and ran through it, into the throne room. Grant lay sleeping on the floor.
“Grant!”
He rushed to Grant’s side. “I’m going to get you out of here, buddy.”
He pushed Grant’s shoulders, but nothing happened. The boy wouldn’t wake up.
He must still be under a spell.
Theo heard a noise and turned just in time to see a torch flying at him. He held up his shield and the torch bounced off.
“I cannot believe you made it this far,” said a familiar voice. “Very impressive.”
Theo squinted into the shadows. “That voice . . .”
Topperson, Grant’s top, spun out of the shadows. “Hello, Theo.”
Grant’s body shimmered with white light, and he disappeared.
“Topperson!”
“You didn’t listen to me when I told you that this place was dangerous. Now you can see why I gave you that advice.”
“But I don’t understand—”
“You are foolish, that’s why. An entire charade played before your eyes, and you still don’t understand.”
Theo fell silent and listened.
“Stratus planted me in your house so that I could procure Grant when the time was right.”
“But why did you give in to the dark side?”
“I betrayed Stratus once, and I learned my lesson. He showed me my foolishness. Here, in the Stratusphere, we toys live forever. We want for nothing. And the only person we must ever please is Stratus, who will never grow old or abandon us. It’s a grand way of life when you ignore the many evils of this place, Theo.”
He betrayed Stratus?
“I orchestrated your little adventure in the basement,” Topperson said. “When Shawn was here many years ago, Stratus planted subconscious instructions for him: during Grant’s ninth year, Shawn was to throw you into the basement on the shortest night of the year. That way, there would be no chance of rescue.”
“And when I was down there, you summoned Stratus.”
“Indeed. Not even His Grace planned for you to make it here before sunrise. Optimistic toys like you are such an impediment.” Topperson spun around the room as he talked. “Don’t misunderstand me, Theo. I’m not evil. All I’ve ever wanted for Grant was the best. I want him to grow up, forget all about us, and live a successful, toyless life.”
“So why did you do it?”
“Look at me. I’m old. I deserve to spend my final days in a place where I am valued. You do, too.”
“So you would betray your owner to do it? Grant loves you.”
“Until the day he doesn’t. One day, he would have woken up and abandoned us. All children do. You and I would have been hauled off to the junkyard—or worse, a daycare. When will you learn that Stratus can offer us a life in this world that no child can? Give up your petty factory settings and listen to me, Theo. You’re fighting for a hopeless cause. Shawn h
as already moved on and forgotten us—Stratus’s efforts with him were successful.” Fire lit behind his gears, giving him a sinister glow.
“Wait,” Theo said. “You didn’t come to the house until after Shawn was kidnapped . . . You couldn’t have known about him, unless—” His eyes widened. “You’re not Topperson.”
The top laughed. “Finally, you are beginning to understand this strange world around you. No, I am not Topperson. My name is Mazeltop.”
“No,” Theo said, taken aback. “You were good. Jiskyl said so many nice things about you. He risked his life so that we could have a festival in your honor. A hundred toys just gathered and celebrated in your name!”
“And I am touched,” Mazeltop said. “But they should have been praising His Grace.”
“There is still time to undo what you’ve done,” Theo said. “Surrender Grant to me.”
Mazeltop spun faster. “I can’t do that.”
“Then it pains me to end it this way,” Theo said, unsheathing his sword.
Mazeltop struck the wall. A torch fell down on the carpet and flames bloomed in a circle around them, preventing either of them from escaping.
Mazeltop dashed toward Theo; Theo slashed, and Mazeltop recoiled.
Theo slashed again, but Mazeltop spun away quickly, digging into the floor. Sparks shot at Theo, shocking the Whatsamadoozle out of his hand.
Mazeltop dashed at him again but Theo hid behind his shield, knocking Mazeltop back. Theo swiped the Whatsamadoozle off the ground and turned it into a pogo stick. He hopped into the air, turned the Whatsamadoozle into a hundred-pound weight, and landed on Mazeltop, sending plastic parts everywhere.
Mazeltop tried to keep spinning, but he couldn’t. Theo turned the Whatsamadoozle into a fire extinguisher, put out the flames, and stood over the fallen top.
“Finish me,” Mazeltop said, gasping. “I am broken beyond repair now.”
Theo nodded and turned the Whatsamadoozle into a sword. He raised it to stab, but shadows engulfed the room and something struck him in the back, knocking him out.
~ Continue.
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CHAPTER 14
Shatter the Darkness
Theo lay unconscious on the ground. The room filled with shadows and fog, and Stratus appeared, grinning. He floated over Theo and streamed dark energy into his head. Theo tossed and turned in the grip of night terrors.
Mazeltop cheered Stratus on. “Finish him, My Lord!”
Stratus filled the room with his booming laughter. He reached for Theo’s neck, but a blue blast struck his hands.
“Leave him alone.”
Stratus whipped around and shook with rage when he saw Lucinda, Heinrich, Bethany, Gasket, and Jiskyl standing in the throne room.
Jiskyl stepped forward. “Mazeltop . . .”
Mazeltop sparked. “Old friend, you mustn’t blame me for my actions. Everything I did, I did for all toykind.”
“I risked my life to honor your memory. You betrayed me. You betrayed everyone. You got what you deserve.”
Mazeltop glanced up at Stratus. “Your Grace, please honor me for my sacrifice.”
Stratus dissipated and then gathered behind Mazeltop, dark energy surging into his hands.
“Yes, Your Grace! Embrace me with your power. Make me live forever . . . What are you—no, Your Grace! Please! Aaaah . . .”
Stratus covered Mazeltop with shadows. There was a crushing sound, then Stratus tossed Mazeltop’s crumpled remains at Lucinda’s feet, and the top was no more.
Shadows spiraled under Stratus as he floated toward the toys. He pointed at them in a command to bow.
“We’ve lived in fear of you for too long,” Lucinda said. “No more.”
Stratus gave them an evil glare. He demanded them to bow again, but they readied themselves. His hands turned into shadowy scythes and his eyes flashed red.
On the floor, Theo twitched and cried out.
“Wake up, Theo,” Lucinda whispered, worried. “Please. I don’t know how long we’ll be able to hold him off.”
Theo opened his eyes. He was flying headfirst through darkness. He heard his voice in the depths, reflecting back at him.
I’m useless. I can’t protect anyone.
His eyes widened at the sound of his voice and the words that he hadn’t said. “But I tried.”
His own voice responded. It was cold, defeated. Trying wasn’t good enough.
“I was so close. Stratus was within my reach.”
And for the second time, I lost.
“But it wasn’t like the last time—I was stronger.”
He picked up speed.
Strength doesn’t matter. I still lost.
“But I have so much more to live for.”
Like what?
“I can’t let Grant down. I can’t give up on my new friends.”
An Ursabrand cannot focus on friends.
“No—you’re wrong.”
I’m violating the oath. I’ve lost sight of my goals so much. I deserve to die.
He stopped floating. The darkness peeled away into a screen that showed Shawn’s bedroom. It was nighttime, and Theo saw himself sleeping in young Shawn’s arms.
They looked so happy. Shawn snored, and Theo nestled into Shawn’s shoulder, a smile on his face even in sleep. A portal opened under the bed and Stratus snatched Shawn in an instant, and Theo slid down onto the bed. Instead of waking up, he snuggled with the pillow.
Look at me. I didn’t even know what was happening. Everything was perfect then.
“I don’t want to watch this.”
But the screen kept playing, and Theo kept watching himself sleeping, kept watching that happy curve of a smile on his face. The longer it was on the screen, the worse he felt.
Then the screen melted and the darkness returned. Self-doubt stung him as he journeyed farther into the darkness.
Stratus moved with supernatural speed, and the toys narrowly dodged his slices. He was nowhere and everywhere at once. It was impossible to hit him.
Heinrich tried to headbutt Stratus’s arm, but Stratus smacked him against the wall.
Lucinda fired a dream blast; Stratus lashed at her, but Bethany pulled her out of the way just in time.
“I don’t know how much longer we’re going to be able to fight,” Bethany said. “He’s darn near invincible.”
Stratus laughed at Bethany’s compliment and lunged for her. Gasket blew fire at him, but Stratus dissipated and swung at Jiskyl instead, who waved his cane and shot lightning bolts at him.
Theo convulsed on the floor, and Lucinda glanced back at him. “I believe in you.”
Stratus laughed and flowed toward her as she fired another dream blast, engulfing the room in blue light.
Theo touched down on Shawn’s bed. Time sped up, and Theo saw Shawn zip out of the portal under the bed. He moved in and out of the room as the years passed. He blinked, flickered out of sight, and then appeared on the bed sitting next to Theo. The sun slid into the sky, and dawn light washed over the room.
Shawn looked at Theo and played with his hands, as if he didn’t know what to say.
“What happened between us, old pal?” Theo asked.
“I grew up.”
“I guess it happened faster than I thought it would.”
“Yeah.”
Silence grew between them, and it was some time before Theo spoke. “I want you to know that I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect you.”
Shawn sighed. “I went through hell because of you. You can’t even imagine the nightmares I saw. They changed me. But maybe it was meant to happen.”
Theo hopped down from the bed and climbed up on the windowsill. He gazed at the cars passing by. “Maybe some things do happen for a reason. The longer I’m in the Stratusphere, the more I realize that.” He gestured around the room. “I tried to hold on to all of this. I wanted it to last fore
ver. Same with Grant. But the more I try to hold on, the more everything turns to smoke that slips between my fingers.”
“You and me both.”
“Yeah.”
Shawn brightened a little. “Don’t blame yourself. All of this, it wasn’t going to last anyway. You were better off with Grant.”
“Yeah, I was. You never liked teddy bears, anyway.”
Shawn laughed. The room dissolved, and Theo watched himself on a screen again. Grant was holding him, and he brought him up to his face, smiling. There was none of Shawn’s heaviness; Grant was pure kid, full of happiness and laughter.
I remember this. This was after Shawn gave me to Grant.
“I made you something,” Grant said. He handed Theo a wooden sword and shield. “Since you’re an Ursabrand, your duty is to protect me and the toys from the boogie man. With these, you can protect us all.”
Theo remained stiff, but he wanted to smile.
“Now repeat after me,” Grant said. “I, Theodorus Ursabrand, promise to protect Grant and the toys, no matter what happens, even if it means sacrificing my life!”
Theo was silent.
“There,” Grant said. “Now you’re under oath.”
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