[DT-02] DB-02 Who's That Coming

[Lord Pouchlaw]

Dark Times presents...
Crystal Cove, South Brooklyn, The Animated Zone for Entertainers (TAZERS)

[DT-02] DB-02 Who's That Coming.
By Darrel Vanwinkle (Lord Pouchlaw)
04/08/2021

Chapter One.

Nelvana arrived on planet along with several of the toon productions under their current control. Nelvana had been burned on places like QC Planet and Camp World which didn't seem to support their own advertised missions. Nelvana chose to set up their home base in Toronto, Canada on TAZERS. The Care Bears, My Little Ponies, and Rainbow Brite crew set up their cloud lands in the sky which would take them a bit of time to do. The Rudolph Company were already on planet having arrived back when Warner Brothers got settled in. The Crystal Cove Champions were enjoying a private California temperature controlled sunny day in their gated community when a few Care Bear Cousins and Legacy Animals that were not recognizable on sight came into the gated community to look around. They were loving the warm weather the environmental controls kept the suburbs set to. Bright Heart Raccoon and a medium sized tiger were walking with a male pony and a young stallion of familiar markings. Soon it was apparent that they had stopped and were looking at a spot along the coast of the Gated Community.

Dandelion, along with his Sponsor, Bugs Bunny, as well as American Mouse approached the group of newcomers as the stunt bunny asked, "How can we help you people today? Applications to live in Crystal Cove must go through my sponsor Bugs Bunny. Otherwise, this environmentally controlled community is the home to the planet's security force known as the Crystal Cove Champions, a division of Teen Force International on Earth."

The tiger said, "I noticed that you people didn't have one connected to your marina. I want to propose the building of a lighthouse for your marina for me to live in with my pony boy friend. I am Brave Heart Lion's royal son, Times Heart Tiger, through Steel Princess Jasmine Heart Jaguar, the adult professional performer whom performs at nightclubs around the world on Earth. I am sure you know my friend Bright Heart Raccoon. And the Dar-Shanian Horse colt is another friend whom wishes he were not a prince. Lightstrike Cavanaugh. He prefers Lighty."

The male pony whom had pictures of gold cups with scoops of ice cream in them on his flanks said, "I am Champion Pony. I am looking to run a malt shop for tourists although I would be living with my boy friend, Timesy. I make some awesome ice cream. Bonbon of Pony Land taught me how to make the best ice cream. As you likely guessed, I am also a royal Prince of three brothers with different skills. Oracle is a seer and assists his boy friend in making chocolate. Rodeo owns and runs a boys correctional farm as well as starring in Westerns."

The Dar-Shanian Colt said, "I am the son of Guardian Wildfire. My presence here would be to occasionally visit my friend Times Heart. He not only can run a lighthouse but on the suburb side of the lighthouse, he would have a digital clock so you could see at a glance what time it was. I sadly am cursed with Wander Hoof so forgive me if I walk into areas where I don't have permission to go. I looked for apple trees earlier; but we settled for buying a basket of apples from the South Brooklyn market. Then Timesy saw your tropical palms over here..."

Dandelion was using his Ear-Lang toward American Mouse to say, They didn't ask to join the security team, so this is a land application issue for Bugs Bunny. Then aloud he said, "Bugs Bunny owns the entire suburb, Times Heart. You and he will have to come up with a reasonable deal in regards to your lighthouse. But let me add one more detail before you make this decision. The environmental controls end at the water's edge. If your lighthouse is built out on a peninsula away from the main land, then you get to deal with New York Winters."

The tiger replied, "Thank you for that kind warning, but I noticed there was a small space on the mainland currently not being used for anything. I was wanting to set up my lighthouse there. It is just inside your gated community and could help several ships coming into the harbor. Day and Night. I could even have two temperature gauges set up to let you guys know the temps in New York as well as within your Crystal Cove community are at the same time. I know that would be useful if you had to help a disabled ship during the Winter months."

Bugs Bunny then said, "You weigh your words cautiously, tiger. But I am an old pro. Lets go look over the spot where you want to build your lighthouse." He led the group off in that direction while the stunt bunny and the mouse returned to their part of the suburbs.

Once they were out of ear-shot of the cloud group, American Mouse said to Dandelion. "I get the feeling that the tiger wants to join us but with the motley crew escorting him around, he is afraid to ask for fear of tire kickers offering to join just because he is making the offer. He seemed annoyed that the colt was being that close to him at all."

Dandelion replied, "A sycophant prince whom likely doesn't know he is doing the very thing he does not like. I wonder if he truly has permission to be away from home right now."

Dandelion stepped out into the center of the yard and exclaimed, "Level Up!" He was covered in a Spandex outfit which had black form-fitting pants, a gold belt with the letters 'S' and 'R' in the center of it, the torso was covered in a form-fitting Spandex white tee shirt with a cool looking blue leather jacket having the Crystal Cove Champions symbol upon the right hand side of the chest. His leather gloves and boots were blue and he had cool looking light sensitive goggles with a communicator ear piece built into them. The whole ensemble had a style all its own. His stunt bunny form then glowed brightly as his body became the build of Ace Bunny of Loonatics Unleashed (not yet produced in this time line.) Then he did a leap and performed some martial arts moves before landing with a shout, "Star Rabbit! Online!"

Star Rabbit then said, "Time to go borrow a coon and interview him about the honesty of this visit. If you are right about the tiger, then the coon will know."

American Mouse then said, "I'll go over and get the interview chamber set up for your return with the coon."

Star Rabbit then lifted off and he flew over the suburb and quickly located where Bright Heart was standing with Champion Pony. The one called Lighty was no where to be seen. Wander Hoof, likely? Star Rabbit didn't think the colt's mind span was that limited. He was still around somewhere. "Bright Heart? I am Star Rabbit with Planetary Security. I need you to come with me for a few questions in private. Just answer them honestly and we can return you to your group post haste."

Bright Heart nodded his head. "Anything you say, sir. I hope beastly didn't screw up our being here already."

Star Rabbit picked up the coon and flew him back to the Champion's base and into the interview room where American Mouse was waiting. He then set the coon down in a chair and said, "American Mouse is a good judge of character. He told me that your tiger friend's body movements seem to broadcast that he wants to join the security team but in fear of the others joining for the wrong reasons, is afraid to make the request, himself. It was obvious that the Dar-Shanian Colt is not high on the tiger's like list. True or false?"

Bright Heart replied honestly. "You nailed it. Times Heart wants to join your security team. Despite his appearance, he is a teenager. Lighty only had permission to visit Care-a-lot."

End of Chapter One.

[Lord Pouchlaw]

Chapter Two.

Bright Heart then continued. "When in Care-a-lot, he likes visit with Timesy whom in turn is sick and tired of the horse being that close to him since he is already dating Champion Pony. And Lighty is avoiding mare princesses currently since his mother wants him to choose one as a mate to someday marry so she can have grandchildren. Wildfire permits Lighty to go to Care-a-lot and Pony Land, the two places the tiger frequents. But ever since a bad experience in Canterlot, Lighty avoids Pony Land entirely unless he is visiting Rodeo's correctional ranch for human boys. When Rodeo is filming his Westerns, the correctional Ranch is overseen by a sexy hot male whom was a former human transformed by evil magic into the form he currently has. He is called Saint Pony. Aside from the Holy Crosses, he looks like the male version of Princess Celestia. Discord has been teaching him magic at the ranch. Is there anything else you need to know?"

Star Rabbit nodded his head. "Where did Lighty get himself off to before I came to find you?"

Bright Heart grinned at that one. "He got hungry and sat down within view of Timesy and Bugs Bunny to eat some apples. Champion and I were looking for a suitable spot for the malt shop, but then we noticed that there were no shops of any kind within your suburb."

Star Rabbit replied, "Crystal Cove in New York is homes only. The Crystal Cove in California had shops out the south gates along the ocean front. But in this area, since Champion stated that his malt shop would be for tourists, there is really only one lot where we could set up his malt shop at. It is a small lot on the other side of the gated wall of American Mouse's home directly between the Suburb entrance and the entrance to the Stunt Bunny Union Headquarters. Tourists could easily find it and Champion would only have a short walk back to the lighthouse after work. If Timesy joins the security team with us, then his being in Care-a-lot would be very limited. The Crystal Cove Champions are busy nearly every single day. The colt is sure to learn that the tiger won't be in care-a-lot eventually. What will he do at that point?"

Bright Heart stroked the fur on his chin. "He would still visit Care-a-lot thinking that Timesy would eventually come back and failing that, he would try to get his father's permission to come down and hang out at the malt shop. Or maybe even to offer to help Timesy in whatever he was currently doing."

American Mouse growled, "So I was right! The colt would break the law to harass a security team member just to fulfill his sycophant desires! So help me, if Timesy joins us and the horse does this, we will contact his mother ourselves; screw the father! Times Heart wants to work with the security team! This is serious business! If the colt won't let the tiger do his job, then we would have no choice but to kick the tiger out of our team and tell him that it is the colt's fault for his release!"

Star Rabbit then calmly said, "Calm down, leader. Not a good image to show in front of a Caring Cousin."

Bright Heart then said, "Please don't fire him because of the horse! Timesy is still recovering from a suicide attempt where he tried to take his own life after the one show Nelvana permitted him to be in with the other Care Bears was given bad reviews stating that some of the legacies presented were not believable for a Care-a-lot setting! They cited the hourglass tiger as being the most unbelievable one since his claim to be Brave Heart's son through a Jaguar should have resulted in a Laguar or a Jion; not a full blown tiger! It is nearly all Champion and I can do to show Timesy that he can be important doing something else! So when he learned that TAZERS had a teenage security team, he became interested in joining; then he remembered that he still had to deal with the false friend, the sycophant colt. High Royal Prince Lighty. He isn't just a normal prince; technically, he is a king."

American Mouse was still grumbling. "A king whom likes to get his way apparently. Like the tyrants of old. He has no clue he is doing this, does he, Bright Heart?"

The Caring Coon shook his head. "If he could only see his own actions for himself, he might stop doing it. He claims he has no real friends back in Dar-Shan but then he reminisces about his failure at playing marbles with the peasant children. If they are not his friends, then this is another lie we have caught him in. Times Heart hates dealing with Lighty. Timesy chased Lighty out of Care-a-lot one time holding a spray can full of rainbow glitter and toting around a bag of colored pompoms and glue. Timesy shouted, Rainbow Ribbon Pony!"

Star Rabbit then said, "If his permission was to visit Care-a-lot is the only permission he had, then shouldn't his father be summoning him home now that he is no longer in the old Care-a-lot? You guys just set up TAZERS Care-a-lot, TAZERS Pony Land and TAZERS Rainbow Land in the skies over TAZERS."

Bright heart said, "Make no mistake, There are those in the old Cloud Lands whom do not want to move to the new setting. So it is still occupied and it will not be called Care-a-lot with the land reverted to the former owners. Doom Heart Duck and his orphans as well as Zephyr Heart Rabbit and all of Passion Park, as well as The Northern Clans make it a dangerous place to be if the Care bears had not settled there. But now that we have pulled out, the cloud lands will become dark once again. The Scare Core offered to stay behind as well."

American Mouse grinned. "Lighty is probably about to learn the rules from his father regarding permissions given on where he could legally visit. And I am glad we won't get to hear the whining that might be involved when Lighty realizes that with the Care-a-lot move, it won't be the old Care-a-lot anymore. He only had permission to go there."

Bright Heart sighed. "Lighty loves to read. He will eventually learn the rewording of what he was told but ignored when we moved."

Star Rabbit said, "If he does get permission to visit TAZERS Care-a-lot, that permission does not extend to TAZERS itself. Make sure he learns this after he gets the new permissions."

At that moment, Star's communicator rang. "Star Rabbit here. What is it?"

"Princess Arcana here with Lion Lord, we just saw a huge fire ring opened directly under a colt that was eating apples near our own marina and the colt and the apples fell through it. A wet splash was heard and then the portal closed. Was that a bad thing, Star?"

Star Rabbit and American Mouse looked at each other and started laughing. When Star Rabbit caught his breath, he replied, "Not a bad thing at all, Arcana. Just a father summoning his son home for being on TAZERS without permission. Since you called, we are going to need you just outside of the gated community to help set up the new malt shop for the tourists."

End of Chapter Two.

[Lord Pouchlaw]

Chapter Three.

A few days later had the tiger suited up in his Planetary Security Patrol uniform with a brand new communicator and a new cell phone with an unlisted number. The only ones given his new number were Bright Heart Raccoon, Brave Heart Lion and Noble Heart Horse. No one else was to be ever given Timesy's new number or be accused of espionage.

On this particular day, Times Heart Tiger, now being called Beacon, and Whitepaw were directing traffic around an accident scene in Queens.

Changing the Tiger's Security name would make it harder to find him.

In TAZERS Care-a-lot, Wildfire and Lighty arrived together having acquired a lifetime TAZERS Cloud Lands Visitation Pass. They were currently meeting up with True Heart and Noble Heart whom were both finalizing the new arrangement of TAZERS Caring Town. Gone was the old artificial filming set. Instead, the entire town was the filming set.

Wildfire said to the two overseers of Care-a-lot, "As you know, my son and I will go anywhere where there are apples to be found. The Feeling Forest has some of the best apple trees in existence. Recently the permissions I had acquired for my son to be in Care-a-lot were disrupted. After I called my lawyer, we learned why this occurred. Care-a-lot's name changed to TAZERS Care-a-lot making the old permissions obsolete."

True Heart remarked, "First of all, our resident tiger does not like your son, Wildfire. He is on the verge of marrying Champion Pony of Storm Hills, TAZERS Pony Land. Only direct family members and real friends are being invited to the wedding. Since he does not like Lighty, your son will not be invited. Aside from that, Times Heart Tiger joined the TAZERS Security Team as his official job on TAZERS. The security team are busy daily going on partnered outings together to keep the peace on the new animated world. The gated community where Times Heart has chose to migrate into to live is for Security team members only and it is owned by Bugs Bunny. This means that the suburb is protected by the Warner Brothers lawyers. And that brings us back to your issue for visiting TAZERS Care-a-lot. We still have the best apples. But if your son was using this as an excuse for harassing the depressed tiger..."

Noble Heart stamped a hoof into the ground. "It ends today. You have permission to come and enjoy the apples only. Anything else implies that you are breaking the TAZERS Law. There are two ways around this firewall of ice and legality. One is to authorize the filming of a new show starring your son, which your wife would veto immediately. The anti-filming clause that is on Lighty was authorized by her to prevent your son from gaining any fame of his own. On the surface, it sounds as if she is looking after Lighty's best interests, but she set this up without his direct input. Therefore, according to the TAZERS laws, it is illegal. If your son has the rights to disrupt filming on other actors sets, then they have the rights to film him. Nelvana's filming crews are not here today, but if they were, you are deliberately on the new set which is the entire town."

True Heart then said, "The second way around the legal firewall is to have your lawyers speak to the lawyers of the Crystal Cove Champions to see about getting your son visitation rights to go see the tiger. But please be warned, Times Heart has stated that if Lighty does not leave him alone, he will commit suicide. He thinks Lighty is a Sycophant king whom likes to get his way at all times. And he wouldn't be far from the mark, would he? High Royal Prince Lightstrike Cavanaugh of Planet Dar-Shan, whose mother is an Empress?"

Brave Heart then approached the two and said, "If this is about my son, then the answer is no. Capital N. Capital O. My son has not been in TAZERS Care-a-lot since moving to TAZERS Prime with Champion Pony. As for Nelvana, his crews may not be up here; but he personally is. He asked me to come find you two to look over the next season's scripts." But before he could say anything more, Nelvana came walking around the corner with several of his lawyers; it appeared as if he was checking out the new set.

Nelvana didn't look happy to see Wildfire. "I see the interlopers have invaded the new set already. I had my lawyers look into your visitation permissions. You only have permission to look for apples. The only apples in TAZERS Caring Town can be found in the market store or within Treat Heart's bakery. Since you are harassing the founders, I have to assume that this has to do with wanting to extend your permissions toward making the tiger even more miserable. When he told me of his desire to join the security team, which will not be filming a show, mind you, I commended him for choosing something worthwhile on his own. Then I reminded him that the critics do not know children's shows; the children do. If he were to come up with another TV show idea to be in himself, I would agree to film it. When children visit the set and they see the tiger, they all hug him. Sadly that will be more difficult now."

Nelvana then said directly toward Wildfire. "If I find you harassing the overseers of the TAZERS Caring Town again, we will forcibly revoke your permissions to be here."

He then departed with his lawyers.

Wildfire said, "He wised up since the last time we saw him. Walking around with his lawyers is a classy move. I guess that's the bottom line, Lighty. I warned you not to try to force friendships on people too soon and without justification. Now your friend the tiger wants nothing to do with you. And True Heart was not wrong earlier, technically, you are a king."

Lighty pouted before saying, "But I hate my titles; they are all the time getting in the way of true caring and real friendships. If people know me as royalty from the start, then they will treat me differently. And what child wants that? Surely even Noble Heart and True Heart can see that I am suffering here. When I met Timesy, I felt like he was someone whom was like me and would not mind having an outside friend." Wildfire said, "Did you let him make the decision to ask to be your friend or did you just assume he would go for it? Think carefully and tell the truth." Lighty about blurted out what he was feeling but then he stopped himself just in time. In effect, he did the very thing that Timesy was saying the horse did. Force a friendship and then suck up to him so often that he would not want to be near him ever again. Ergo, he almost made the tiger want to commit suicide on several occasions. "I'm sorry... I have no experience with making real friends in the world. I just assumed that he would go for it. But please! I still want a chance with him. Running away is never a solution despite it sounding noble to join the security team. Please help me to make it up to him. I want another chance. He was the first to make me feel more alive away from Dar-Shan. If it weren't for those ugly mares that my mother wants me to choose a mate from, I wouldn't be here now."

True Heart tapped her foot as she folded her arms over her chest. "You just contradicted your former statement, Lighty. Now listen to this replay in your own voice..." "...Running away is never a solution despite it sounding noble to join the security team... and "...If it weren't for those ugly mares that my mother wants me to choose a mate from, I wouldn't be here now..." True Heart then continued, "You just admitted that running away is not a noble solution, yet that is what you are doing to avoid choosing a mare. Coming here may seem noble in your mind; it isn't. And now you want to resume being a nuisance to Times Heart. He will never agree to come back to TAZERS Caring Town if he thinks you are here."

End of Chapter Three.

[Lord Pouchlaw]

Chapter Four.

Lighty had tears dripping down his muzzle. "How can I apologize to him if he won't even agree to meet with me in a neutral location?"

Brave Heart Lion pulled out his cell phone and he tapped the new one-call unlisted phone number. "Beacon speaking. I'm on assignment. What do you want, dad?" "We have a sad colt here whom wants to apologize to you, but we informed him of your desire to never want to see him again. What do we tell him now?" There was a pause before Star Rabbit's voice linked into the phone call. "Brave Heart, your son is on assignment. If this is about the sycophant king whom has no real feelings, he whom wants to coerce his friendships, then you are on the edge of breaking the TAZERS Law by making this call. You tell that selfish colt to go home and man up to fix his problems; at home. Until those are repaired, he will never be able to convince Timesy to listen to any apology. If I find that you have made a call like this again, your calling rights will be revoked." And the call ended.

Brave Heart put his cell phone away. "Now I am Strike One for bothering my son while he was on assignment. This is the legal reply from the Bugs Bunny law department." "Brave Heart, your son is on assignment. If this is about the sycophant king whom has no real feelings, he whom wants to coerce his friendships, then you are on the edge of breaking the TAZERS Law by making this call. You tell that selfish colt to go home and man up to fix his problems; at home. Until those are repaired, he will never be able to convince Timesy to listen to any apology. If I find that you have made a call like this again, your calling rights will be revoked." "My son is not using his birth name while on assignment. they gave him a new code name and a new uniform. He doesn't even look like the same tiger at a distance. Resolve the problems back in Dar-Shan and you will have a chance with Timesy."

Brave Heart looked upset now as he padded off toward the Feeling Forest to apparently sleep it off in his cave. Losing contact with his son permanently would be the death of him.

Noble Heart stamped a hoof again. "You have overstayed your welcome at this time, Wildfire. Take your son home, please. We will try to smooth things over with Brave Heart."

Wildfire turned to Lighty and said, "Lets go, son. your plea did not make the situation any better. That's why lawyers are important. Time to go home." And he formed a fire portal and transported the two of them back to Dar-Shan.

Back at Champions Base, Whitepaw was holding a depressed tiger teammate in a chair as he waited for the leaders to join them. When they did arrive, Star Rabbit said, "When your father called you like that, you did the right thing to press the legal call override button. Our lawyers have the entire call on their desk right now. You and Bright Heart weren't kidding when you both said he would keep trying to get back into your good graces. His visitation permissions are for the TAZERS Cloud Lands territories only. They failed to get a pass for being on TAZERS Prime. So legally, he can not get to you, Beacon. Until you got that phone call, you were on top of the world... but afterward, Whitepaw had to trade off the assignment to others so he could escort you back to base because you were looking for suicide routes. The only thing Lighty succeeded in doing today was to make you want to throw it all away."

American Mouse said, "The lawyers are going to place a no-call ban when security members are on assignment from now on. Harassers will be told via recording that the individual is on assignment and they can leave a message which the legal department will sift through with a fine-toothed comb. If the caller cannot leave a decent message which would be lawyer safe, then they should not place the call at all. And you were right about the tiger's other skills, too. When he doesn't have to think about the sycophant, he does his job well."

Star Rabbit said, "Beacon, I want you to spend the rest of the day with Champion. You are still assigned to Whitepaw, so he will escort you to the malt shop and play security there, although the customers are generally good when they are in there. These interruptions with the stupid colt are starting to wreck havoc on my working with the stunt union. Your emergency call came just before I was about to get a new stunt assignment. Remember, I have a floating membership in this team. Stay alive, tiger. Dismissed."

The rest of the day was uneventful.

The next morning, the team was seated at the debriefing table to get their assignments for the day when Bugs Bunny brought in the morning mail. "This stack is for Star." And he handed some mail to his adopted son. "This larger stack is for American Mouse." And he dropped the heavier load of envelopes in front of the mouse man. This stack is for Princess Arcana." And he set handed her her mail politely. "This small stack is for Lion Lord. It would have been bigger exact the lawyers are still sorting through what looks like questionable content from rival corporations." He set Jamie's mail down. "This stack is for Whitepaw. You get all the weird stuff." Envelopes and small parcels were set in front of the Asgardian wolf.

Beacon asked, "Didn't I get anything?"

Bugs Bunny asked, "How stable are you this morning, tiger?"

"Champion cheered me up during the night and..." Then Beacon paused as he suddenly got what Bugs was implying. "Oh no... he didn't... How much crap did he try to send me?"

Bugs Bunny said, "Security team members have a Toon-mail redirect set to their real identities that auto-forwards incoming mail to our lawyers. The colt apparently tried to Toon-mail your original name well over four hundred envelopes and two hundred gift boxes. The cards attached to the candy boxes contain some rather whiny begging requests for you to forgive him. I am sure he was told that further harassing a security team member could get his visitation pass revoked. We are not playing a game here, Beacon. In effect, you got one letter from Brave Heart and Jasmine Heart asking that you don't revoke your father's calling privileges since you are his joy in life and you got a letter from Bright Heart asking if you want to catch some fish this weekend." Bugs handed over the two letters. "Your mom sprayed some perfume on Brave Heart's letter."

Beacon picked up his father's letter and sniffed it. "Yep, that is mom's signature scent all right. She makes it herself and never sells the recipe." He allowed Lena to get a sniff of the letter. "Star? Dad knew I was on assignment but being cornered by the stupid colt, he wanted to know what to do. Mom wasn't present so its unfair to hold a strike over his head. He's my father for Caring sake." Star Rabbit said, "Everyone, under the meeting table you will find your voting box. White button for lifting the strike, Black to let it stand. Vote now." Everyone reached under the table and soon, a tally appeared on the digital board behind the meeting room. There were six lifts and one stand. Star remarked, "Majority rules. The strike against Brave Heart is lifted. Now on to other business." Beacon was super curious whom was was so callous that they thought a strike should stand. He knew he would never know. Star said, "American Mouse and Jag will be paired together today in Queens. Lion Lord and Whitepaw will be working the Bronx. Beacon and Arcana will be assigned to Manhattan."

End of Chapter Four.

[Lord Pouchlaw]

Chapter Five.

Beacon and Arcana found themselves at a coffee store in Greenwich village within Manhattan as Beacon asked, "Why are we here, Arcana?"

Arcana replied, "Remember how we made our rounds before coming here? Your boyfriend has a coffee bean grinder and a supply of coffee beans on order for his business. This is the only place where we can pick up the order from, Beacon. Star Rabbit said that as long as we finished up our patrol early, we could pick up the order and head back to Crystal Cove and spend time with Champion. I am sure he will be glad to get this coffee for his malt shop."

Beacon smiled. "Star sure is trying to make my experience in the Champions a good one."

After picking up the order and loading the tiger up with most of the goods, Arcana escorted him back toward Brooklyn. "Didn't you tell me once that the colt you don't like loves to read? And Beacon, don't get depressed... I figured out a way to get him off your case. Otherwise he is going to keep trying to get a reply out of you. Pretty please, just focus on what I am saying. This is for you and Champion, after all."

Beacon nearly stopped but then he said, "Make it good; That crumby colt makes me want to jump in a meat grinder."

Arcana was thinking, So far so good; now to proceed cautiously. "I found this book entitled How to Find the Perfect Mate. In the response letter you write to Lighty, you explain that the methods of the book permitted you to verify whether Champion was the right one for you or not; and now you want to help him get around his mother's ugly mare infatuation. You ask him to follow the instructions of the book and when he finds the right mate using the book, then you will see about accepting his apology. Not a moment before. Then you sign it as Timesy. Nothing else. You toon-mail the parcel to him and the moment he gets the gift, no more weird mail from the colt bothering you with begging you to forgive him. The first page of the book explains that physical appearance is no guarantee of the perfect mate. It will be the actions and the aura that will win him over. I've read the book."

Beacon looked directly at Arcana. "Is the book really that effective?"

Arcana replied, "It is the latest edition and I even got copies of this book for the whole team. So in addition to the one you send Lighty, you will get to keep one yourself. I would advise you to read the book after you send the colt his copy. I think you will find that Champion matches every suggestion in the book. He was nice to you when you first met; he was honest; he gave you a discount off the ice cream order you requested. He saw something in you that made him feel alive. And you began to see that in him for yourself."

Beacon thought about what Arcana was saying. "Oh my, gosh. You are right, Arcana. It is almost as if you were there that day. Or you spoke to Champion about when I first met him. Am I right, you asked him about our first encounter?"

Arcana smiled. "If you don't ask, how can you learn? Now lets get these coffee beans and grinder back to Champion. I think he wants to serve coffee to the morning crowd at his shop."

Soon at Champion's malt shop, the coffee supplies and grinder were dropped off and then later, Arcana escorted Beacon back to the lighthouse where the reply letter and book would be sent off to Lighty explaining what Arcana asked him to explain to the colt. Following that, Timesy sat down to read his copy of the book. Right away, he could see how the book nailed every aspect of Champions internal spirit and well being. "Wow... you were so right, Lena. Thank you so much for finding this book for me."

Within Dar-Shan, Lighty had gotten Timesy's reply and the book. And he was aptly reading it over. "Wow! The book agrees with me about the ugly mares! I need to find dad and ask him some questions about mates." And he took the book with him as he went off to find Wildfire. He soon found his father at the royal docks getting a merchant ship ready for some sort of trip. "Father! Is there anywhere in Dar-Shan that has mares that I have not met as yet?"

Wildfire smiled at Lighty as he calmly said, "Apple Island has a low-born princess whom your mother would have trouble accepting. Princess Angeline Ringdancer has several qualities that are quite unusual for the right stallion if he could score taming her. I could introduce you to her if you wanted to see what a good looking princess looked like for a change. I won't force you to make this trip. I was about to go out there to get a load of apples for the royal kitchens anyway."

Lighty said, "Yes, I want to meet her to see if she matches the qualities that the book suggests. Timesy sent me this book for finding the perfect mate. He said he would forgive me if I could use this book to find my one true mate. Maybe she is the one. Please, father... I want to meet her."

Wildfire glanced at the copy of the book for a brief moment before getting the ship ready for sailing. He was glad that his suggestion to the Champions Lawyers was being tried. If Lighty found out that his father was in on this perfect mate book test, he would be one angry colt. But the reward would be well worth it. Low-born my ass! It was actually the opposite.

A High-born Gypsy Princess with pirate skills to back up her resolve to defend herself. Most males wanted her but none seemed suitable.

By that afternoon, while the ship was being loaded with apple barrels, Wildfire took Lighty out to a place behind the orchards where a sparring lesson was occurring between Angeline and her gay vulpine pirate fencing instructor. Since he was gay, her parents trusted him to teach her the ways of the blade without any funny business. But when the famous fire horse and his son arrived, The foxy pirate remarked, "Perhaps a break, fair one... one has arrived to be tested. Let us see if he succeeds were others fail."

Upon first sight, chapter one of the book seemed to be true. Actions and Aura will impress you first. Then he felt the butterflies in his stomach as he slowly approached the mare and said, "Hello Lighty! My name is Princess!" Then he stopped and blushed when he realized what he had stupidly said. The gay fox looked under the colt's barrel for a moment before falling back on the sandy beach to laugh his ass off. Wildfire stepped forward and said, "Angeline Ringdancer, this is my son, Lightstrike Cavanaugh. I believe he got tongue-tied."

Angeline was quietly giggling as she said, "Want to take a walk with me, handsome?" And the two walked up the beach toward the back side of the castle keep.

End of Chapter Five.