"I find myself unsure about where I wish to go at this point," Emi admits. "But I am sure that I no longer feel the need to rush to my next destination."
She looks at the hourglass reverently. "This is your source of youth. I wouldn't wish to take this from you, if you aren't certain. But if you are, I would treasure it greatly. Naja as well."
“I have been thinking of it for some time, dear.” The old woman peers over her glasses. “I do not crave youth. I crave time with my husband. And your Naja, unless I am mistaken, still has the lifespan of a viper. The hourglass changes this too.”
She hands it over, feeling that Emi and Naja can reap the benefit without the burden.
Other Jeff is, surprisingly, moved to tears by Bonnie’s sacrifice. “Strong men also cry. Strong men… also… cry.”
Badia thumps her chest in salute to the team of green women. "I am Badia the Leaper! You all seem like a very good group of gals! Do you have another spot on your team? It would be honor to join you, that we might kick the butts of evil-doers together!"
The four look at each other. All but Shelly immediately give each other a group high-five except for Shelly, the non-ninja mechanic. She’s too slow and is left hanging.
Isotta says, “Yes! You would fit perfectly!—as THE MUSCLE! Let’s initiate you onto the team over pizza!”
Shelly points out, “Didn’t we just have pizza?”
Coily Q. Bertha bemoans, “I wasn’t even halfway into my first slice when the ceiling caved in. Our pizza was ruined.”
Carmella adds, “So was our hideout. What are we gonna do now?”
Isotta is quick to answer, “Eat pizza at the restaurant!”
The others all talk at one saying things like ‘great idea’ and ‘that’s why Izzy’s the leader’ and ‘it was just a sewer anyway.’ Shelly misses another group high-five and pretends to have raised her hand to point the way to the pizza place. (You can’t see it from here, but since you’re near shore she just has to point away from the water.)
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Yes! Pizza!" Badia shouts. As she walks away with the team, she drapes a beefy arm over Isotta's shoulder. "I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship..."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Emi gasps at the implications that the hourglass would give her many more years with her friend than a normal viper's lifespan. Her eyes glisten as she gives Bonnie a tender hug.
She bids the elderly couple farewell. "What shall we do next, Naja?" she asks, wiping off a bit of moisture from her cheeks. The snake whispers in her ear.
"Sounds like a plan," she agrees.
Yes, our heroines get a few bucks for their troubles, a parade in their honor, and one free grog-lite with the purchase of any meal or side at the Leaky Bunghole… but their triumph against the forces of evil earned what money could never buy.
♨️ ♥️ ♨️ ♥️ ♪ ♥️ ♨️ ♥️ ♨️ ♥️ ♨️ ♥️ ♨️ ♥️ ♨️ ♥️ ♨️
Badia and her new BFF get into all kinds of adventures. Sometimes, it’s just the two of them, but Carmella and Coily Q. Bertha are always ready to provide back-up, and maybe one day Shelly will finish her design for Froggy Force Five—five frogbots that each team member can pilot singlehandedly, or all five can combine to form Leaptron! But while the giant robot thing’s probably never gonna happen, Badia’s newfound friendship with Izzy is certainly beautiful…
☀️ ✴️ ☀️ ✴️ ☀️ ✴️ ☀️ ✴️ ♪ ✴️ ☀️ ✴️ ☀️ ✴️ ☀️ ✴️ ☀️
And speaking of friendships, who is that gorgeous young lady at Emi’s side who moves with such grace, she appears to glide? Yes! That is Naja in her human form, clothed not in bandages but a lovely fuchsia gown. She and Emi are on their way to dine with O.J. and Bonnie. When the two are on their own tomorrow, Emi will flip the hourglass teal-side-up so Naja may enjoy her more serpentine humanoid form as the pair reconvenes traveling the globe. Perhaps Utopia is not the ultimate destination, but simply one more stop on a life-long journey…
♨️ ♥️ ♨️ ♥️ ♨️ ♥️ ♨️ ♥️ ♨️ ♥️ ♨️ ♥️ ♪ ♥️ ♨️ ♥️ ♨️
And what is the deal with Randy and the marshal? The world may never know, and the few who do know may envy the rest of us who decided not to pry. One thing is certain: criminals best beware. Entire gangs are finding their gang world crumbling beneath their feet—quite literally—sending them straight to hell via the earth’s molten core! Ohhhh, frontier justice is hot, alright…
☀️ ✴️ ☀️ ✴️ ☀️ ✴️ ♪ ✴️ ☀️ ✴️ ☀️ ✴️ ☀️ ✴️ ☀️ ✴️ ☀️