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| Art by Mort Leav |
We come back more than half a day later.
The night had fully fallen and new clouds came, and with that serenity, Lightning with the still sleeping and loudly snoring Bill arrived home to find Coyote and Badger waiting patiently.
Coyote: that was quite the light show you two put on with the clouds and all that, almost brought a tear to this old Yote's eye knowing his boys were having themselves a ball.
Lightning: if you call repeatedly injuring ourselves and nearly getting killed by the freaking sky itself seemingly out of sheer spite a ball, then We had one of the biggest balls in history Papag, ya porcupine humper.
And from this response Coyote is sent to the floor laughing his back side off, with a mixed feeling of pride for not only the burn he was just hit with by his most reserved son, but also from what It seems the two were able to get through, especially with what looks to be minor injuries.
This laughter ultimately stopping thanks to Coyote getting thunked on the old noggin by Badger, after which she quickly runs over to inspect the injuries her two boys have received.
After a thorough inspection of her boys Badger was surprised, despite them being haggard, hungry and tired, they were in surprisingly good health, especially considering the light show and strom Badger and Coyote had seen in the distance a while ago.
And then there was her memories of what happened when her and Coyote caught their own cloud.
Badger's mind began to trail off thinking about that event before she saw it, the cloud, passively flowing through the wind like a fine and somehow fluffy piece of silk, no struggling, no hollering, completely docile.
Something that the cloud her and coyote had caught back in the day definitely wasn't like.
She was completely stunned by this site, her only logical explanation for this that she could come to with her hundreds upon hundreds of years being around is that somehow, someway, Bill tamed the untameable.
And judging by the state of Pecos's free hand, she'd wager that taming the thing involved a little bit more than just his average bout of wrastlin, Pecos other hand being the only bit of mild damage, smoldering and blackened, its ultimately all cosmetic but notable.
Anyways, as things go, she got the two boys into the family home, which at this time is still a partially furnished cave.
This furniture including beds, which Badger quickly tucks her boys into and begins to properly patch the two up.
This all while Coyote managed to unclamp Pecos's cloud holding hand, getting the thing away from the boy was a task and a half, Bill's unconscious grip being impressive.
It was unpleasant to say the very least, very much a task that was easier said than done, Coyote after lots of effort and using a great deal of strength managed to unclamp Pecos' grip and got the cloud out, after which, Coyote started to celebrate and act up like the ass he can be on occasions.
With him prancing about with jubilance and ego, mostly ego, him spouting off such bombastic praises, they ended up filling the room like unwanted presence of a particular fast and loud fly that seems to be targeting your ears.
Coyote: I am the greatest there is, ain't no one gonna stop this dynamo of strength, no way no how, not my boy, not my other boy, and not you Badger, I'm unparalleled greatness over all, from strength to cleverness, the truest of Divine foo-
However Coyote couldn't finish his monologuing due to accidentally placing his tail on Pecos' freshly ungripped hand, which quickly, instinctually and unconsciously gripped again.
With it clamping down on Coyote's tail like a bear trap from hell, leading to three major things happening almost all at the same time, those of course being.
1. Coyote releasing a yip that could be heard across all things every which way
2. Coyote jumping up he creates an impromptu skylight in the cave home
3. Coyote lost his tail, as it stayed behind in the grip of young Bill, and would end up staying there till Bill woke up.
This all happening to the amusement of Badger as her irritation at the ego stroking of Coyote quickly turned to amusement as her boy unknowingly was already in the business of humbling folks quite regularly, his latest customer, his Papog of course.
Not more than a week past before Pecos regained consciousness, he was fully healed, somewhat groggy, and quite a bit hungry, luckily Coyote caught Bill and reattached his tail before he had a chance to eat poor Papag's tail, I partially joke, but sometimes with Bill you never know.
Bill was soon swarmed and was quickly being filled in at a rapid pace by a surprisingly enthusiastic Lightning on what had happened, from the trip home with the lightning to accidentally ripping Papag's tail off while he was gloating about how strong and tough he is, which got a chuckle out of Pecos, and was finally informed what's going on with the cloud, with Mamog, after laughing at Papog for a while, she went to her room working day and night on something special.
Just then Badger triumphantly bursts out of her room, announcing to everyone that she had finished the gift, made from the cloud the two had caught, it was a strange contraption that neither of the brothers recognized.
Although Bill did recognize one thing about the gift.
Bill: So, we done did all that and it wasn't so you could cook that cloud up into some eaten, Darn I had gone n gotten myself all kinds of excited to know what cloud meat tasted like.
Lightning: Of course the goal was never to eat the thing Pecos, clouds are mostly water, I don't even know how one would eat a cloud.
Bill: Well I reckoned ifn I could grab it, it could be cooked and served all savory like ya know.
Lightning: well, by That same logic, you can grab rocks, does that mean you can eat them?
Bill: hell yeah, ifn of course you know how ta cook em, with the right sauces and such.
A moment of silence between the brothers, Lightning starring first confused, then suspicious, Bill smiling dopily as he quite often does, the expression equally having the possibility of being a smile of sincere ignorance or one of sinister/silly intent.
Lightning: I can't tell if you're joking or being serious.
Badger: All right boys, do you want to know What this thing is, how it's used and most importantly, why you were sent out to get that cloud to make this thing.
Coyote: Or do you want to continue talking about eating rocks, If so I have a recipe book I can bring out and share, been perfecting it for decades ya see-
In a single moment, both brothers reply.
Lightning: what's the contraption?
Bill: rock reci- erm I mean Yeah what's the, thing'a mawhosits.
And without missing a beat to pay attention to Bill slip up badger explains.
Badger: This is a saddle made from that cloud you caught, it's a accoutrement for you Lightning, that makes it more comfortable for you Pecos, to ride on Lightning's back for trips and the like.
Coyote: and we sent ya out there as a test.
Badger: yes, a test, and a way for you two to deepen your brotherly bond, learn to work together and think things out together instead of getting into a fight after every disagreement.
Coyote: kinda like how me and yer Mamog learned to work as a team, also Badger they weren't always sometimes they were Wrestlin.
Badger side eyes Coyote as he smugly stares back at Badger through a side eye, but before Badger can grab her cast iron pan and do some attitude adjustments, pecos asks.
Pecos: so, yer tellin me we went through all that, to make a fancy bit of seatery for Lightning's back.
Lightning: don't forget team/brotherhood building.
Pecos: I get that, but liken, so that big old cloud wus just nabbed ta make this small strange liddle thing, simple as that, and not food er somethin like that.
Badger: although it may look strange, it does have a few noticeable benefits, here Pecos, catch and see.
Badger tosses the saddle at Pecos, but instead of it having a normal arc and having some gravity to it, which is what Bill prepared for, arms raised and ready, but it quickly floats in a straight line, hitting Pecos in the face quite hard and causing him to grab at the saddle and stumble back onto his ass, his face firmly shoved into the saddle.
Lightning: Pecos, you ok?
Pecos, holding the saddle up to his face, seemingly stunned, lets out a muffled response.
Lightning: what's that?
Pecos removing the saddle from his face.
Pecos: this thing is super freakin soft.
Lightning: wha-
Pecos: Here, feel.
Pecos shoves the saddle into Lightning's face, which at first shocks the horse but soon delights him.
Lightning: oh man, this thing is so comfortable.
Badger: Yes, because it's made from a cloud, it has certain qualities such as weightlessness and being extremely soft and comfy, so when Pecos and you are riding together, your weight won't slow Lightning down and you'll both be comfortable.
Coyote: also in a pinch the saddle can be used on its own as a quick way to get around and can produce water, since it was a rain cloud you two caught.
Badger: true, but that first thing is, ill advised for numerous reasons.
Lightning: this thing is nifty.
Coyote: that ain't the only nifty thing to come out of this little quest of yours, boys, why don't ya come with me.
Coyote then heads out of their home followed closely by his boys, and once outside.
Coyote: alright boys, you both did some incredible things, And sometimes when folks do incredible things, they get perks out of it that are not just of the physical nature, so to speak.
Pecos: ... What?
Lightning: I'm going to have to agree with Pecos, what does that mean? I thought the point of going on that little quest was to get a cloud and do that team building, like what ya said earlier with Mamog.
Coyote: It was but because of certain stupendous actions you both did, you got a little extra out of it as well.
Coyote first looks over at lightning.
Coyote: All right Lightning let's start with you, from what I've heard from you and some wild critters that saw you, you did some incredible things to help Bill get back home, now what I want you to do first is to think about the thunder you heard, that roaring sound that can shake a stone to its core.
Lightning thinks for a moment.
Lightning: alright and what is this supposed to d-
Before Lightning can finish Coyote gives the boy a jolting poke with his claw, surprising the skittish horse something fierce, causing him to panic and kick his whoves in the air then slamming them to the ground.
Upon which an immense sound is unleashed, shaking the earth for miles, even temporarily defining those caught in the blast radius, this all followed by a moment of stunned silence at ground zero, untill.
Pecos: Whoa.
Coyote: Woah is right, but that shouldn't be the only gift you done got from this Lightning. Alright then, now next I want you to look up at that cloud overhead and really focus on it, think about the harshness of the rain from that sudden hurricane you were in with Bill.
And with that Lightning does as instructed, and all of a sudden from the clouds comes a torrent of water, almost like a waterfall from heaven, a fierce stream of cool water came colliding with the dirt before the three, luckily, this water wasn't dropped directly on any of their heads.
Lightning: goodness gracious.
Coyote: heh, also, you still got a rangle on the water you just had fall, try running on the mud and think about it being as stable and normal as dry soil, like try not thinking about it being wet.
Lightning after hearing this looks at the large patch of mud before him, and after testing it with a hoof, soon began to trot and galavant across the mud as if it was stable ground, giddy and giggling that he'd no longer have to deal with muddy hooves or getting trapped by mud ever again, for the most part.
Lightning: ha ha, this is amazing.
Pecos: ok, naw what id get, what id get, what id get.
Pecos stands before Coyote blocking his view of Lightning, clearly giddy at the possibility, his eyes were starry, teeth were clenched and his hands gripped tightly in anticipation and all around bouncing with excitement, Bill looked like he was about to explode.
Coyote: Alright alright Bill, calm down, naw, I want you to try making rain by focusing on them clouds, the same Lightning was honing in on.
Pecos quickly turns and does so, squinting his face and eyes, trying hard to focus, and low and behold, sleet begins to fall all over, including the area Lightning was running about in.
The horse only barely dodging and weaving through the icy projectiles from heaven that are feverishly raining upon him, successfully making it out of the danger zone with only the cold of the sleet being able to touch him.
Pecos: oh man, SORRY LIGHTNIN'!
But Lightning, breathless, not from the running mind you, but from the fear of having angry ice fall upon him, all he can do is wave a hoof at his brother, still dealing with the jolt of panic caused by the unexpected frosty and sharp downpour.
After seeing this Pecos quickly turns to Coyote, ever enthusiastic, now bearing a crookedly curled toothy grin.
Pecos: So what else can I do?
Coyote: Well, given what I just saw happen to Lightning, let's move on to a potentially less devastating power you now have. Now, what I want you to do son, is point your finger at the center of that patch of clouds overhead, and spin that finger of yours in a circle.
Pecos hearing this does so, pointing his littlest finger dead in the center of the patch clouds overhead, and began spinning.
In an instant, miraculously the clouds begin to move and spin, seemingly following the actions of Bill's finger, around and around they go till soon enough a hole in the heavens forms overhead.
Bill, excited by this development, quickly zigs and zags his finger across the sky, forming the clouds into all sorts of shapes starting out with simple abstract forms like the aforementioned hole and zig zags, before molding more complex figures.
From Critters he knew all too well from past experiences, to full on events he recalls occuring, and soon after these he began making up shapes and forming strange, unearthly things and critters out of the clouds.
This is actually why we can see such fantastical Critters and even divine images in the clouds when we look overhead, It's old Bill using the sky as his endless canvas of creative expression, or as Bill would call it with a smirk and a wink, the sky's are his "high art"
But now I'm getting sidetracked, just like Bill was with this new nifty talent of his, soon utilizing all 20 of his digits, he hurled around everything from them massive clouds, to the tiniest of puffs in all sorts of which ways.
He made em into whatnots, who's-its and even thingamajigs, his body moving about in every kinda way one could with all the clouds following around and bending to Bill's enchanting movements, perhaps calling the sky's Bill's canvas was a bit incorrect, for Bill wasn't painting them, but at this point, dancing with them.
Coyote: I can see you're having fun there, but you still have one more new little talent that you done earned, and I want to make sure you know how to use it before I let ya go here.
Pecos, with great enthusiasm quickly stops his dance while standing on his hands, turns and gets uncomfortably close to his Papag looking him straight in the eye, his feet still high in the air while his hands are planted firmly on the ground, his fingers digging into the dirt.
Pecos: t e l l m e .
Coyote, momentarily startled by the quickness and closeness and upside down-ness of his boy, regains his composure and steps back a footstep or two from his too close for comfort and topsy-turvy son.
Coyote: alright alright, now this one will be a tad bit more involved so I'll need ya to be all ears and pay attention.
Pecos flips so he's standing, but is facing away from Coyote
Pecos: can do on the second thing, but I can't be all ears, never learned how to shape shift remember, only learned how to get hernias?
Coyote giggles at this misunderstanding.
Coyote: but ya can listen can't ya.
Bill turns around and stands at attention giving an overly enthusiastic salute.
Pecos: yes'ir.
Coyote: alright, see that patch of mud over there.
Pecos quickly cocks his head bag around and dead on in the direction Coyote points to with his paw.
Pecos: yes'ir.
Coyote: Now, what I want you to do is focus on that spot, really focus on it, and think about a flash of emotion, of intensity, unmatched in your mind, down to your very bones, your very soul boy, can ya do that.
Pecos: Yes sir.
Pecos, determination on his face, stares at the spot His Papog pointed to, the boy's eyes glued to the area as his mind raced.
It raced at near impossible speeds, through his thoughts and memories, the boy almost entering a standing coma or maybe more apt to say extreme meditation, he searched his brain to find an "emotion of intensity unmatched in your mind, down to your very soul boy"...
What the hell does that mean exactly?
Bill's face scrunches as he focuses and thinks more and more, going faster and faster.
Meanwhile, behind him Coyote is joined by Lighting, he was curious as to what exactly Bill was up to.
That, and Lightning wanted to get out of the way of the potential splash zone of whatever it was Pecos was trying to do this time.
So Bill kept reaching deep, combing through his mind and now his very soul, his memories, his instincts, right down to his essence, or rather his gut feelings, trying to find the right thing to trigger whatever it was he was trying to trigger.
Then, his mind got distracted by a memory, he was in the wagon, before he had grown any and he was looking over the gorgeous landscape, before he fell out, and the river, the river with the rushing waters that almost took him, but they didn't, those dark waters didn't take him, instead it was old Papog.
That memory led to thinking of Papog and Mamog, who took him in and saved him that day, then the wider wild family who helped raise him, teaching him the ways of things, and his brother Lightning, someone He saved from mean old rattlesnake, and the fun the two have had so far as brothers.
Then for a moment he thinks of how rude he's been to his brother, he makes a note that he should apologize, but then he thinks about the big old adventure the two had catching the cloud.
The two going through failure after failure trying to catch the dang thing, failures that while painful and frustrating in the moment, ultimately were only moments, and moments that now Bill looking back on em, brings a jolly little smirk to his face.
Cause by the end of that day Bill caught the cloud, no, not just Bill, but him and Lightning did, they stuck together, and caught the cloud, even after the heavens themselves seemed to turn on them, they persevered together.
When Bill could not walk, Lightning walked for him, and when Lightning couldn't fight, Bill fought for him, and not alone, but together they got through it all, and made it home.
By this point Pecos was full on smiling, a big ol toothy goofy grin thinking about this, he even started to giggle, when all of the sudden, down from the sky, came a golden lightning strike.
Thin as a pin, but as intense as well, an excited Bill, the bolt of electricity slammed the ground. Bill was focused on hard with a mighty, brilliant, blinding light, in fact, it was exactly the kinda light that would have blinded normal folks.
But our boys aren't normal folks, the fierce flash ended up causing Coyote to start smiling, Lightning's mouth to hang open in pure shock, and Bill, well he was mesmerized, or maybe more so awestrucked, maybe, anyways he quickly realized what just happened, and what exactly he just did.
Pecos: I did that.
Coyote: That ya did my boy.
Lightning: he did?!?!
Bill looks behind him and sees Coyote casually sitting, cool as cactus water, while Lightning's hiding behind the old mischief maker, a shocked but amazed expression plastered on the young horse's long face as his eyes dart between Bill and the bit of ground where the lightning striked.
At this site, Bill gives one of his trademarked big ol doofy toothy smiles.
Coyote: yep, through a bit of focus and positive emotion, he, I mean, you Pecos can call forth bolts of lightning, not your brother but the stuff from the sky, looking at that black spot over there, I'd say pretty powerful ones too.
Coyote lazily points to the ground Pecos was focusing on, following his Papog's pointing, Bill looks back at that patch of once muddy wet ground he was looking at, only to find the affirmationed black spot, but it wasn't just mud covered in soot.
Bill could tell that by a noticeable glare coming from the spot, and upon walking over and looking Bill finds something interesting.
He had glassed that entire bit of ground with the bolt strike, turning the ground into an almost perfect mirror. He looks down at the mirror, seeing his reflection looking back at him, and behind his reflection, the blue and cloudy sky.
Bill ends up looking up at the sky and down at the glassed ground a few times in almost a bit of seeming disbelief at something he did, but in actuality he was just putting everything together, eventually he rests his gaze on the mirror and the reflection of himself.
Bill: Holy Heavens.
Bill looking at himself in the mirror is astonished, eyes filled with wonder with a mind behind them racing with new thoughts and ideas, his open mouth and furrowed brow quickly switching to an all too familiar exuberant expression.
Bill: Holy Heavens, I gots power over the Heavens.
Lightning: we have power over the heavens.
Coyote: that is true, you both do, to a degree, and some might disagree with ya, but you basically do.
Lightning: might I ask why.
Quickly bounding over, Pecos grabs his brother with great jubilants and swings him around.
Pecos: because we're great like gravy brother.
Coyote: Basically, we sent you on the mission as a way to build your brotherly bond up ya know, and by doing all that you did you proved yourselfs, not only as true brothers, but also worthy of the power yada yada yada.
While saying this Coyote had pulled out some playing cards with some writing on the back and seemed to be skimming through them while talking to his boys.
Coyote: Point is, you two showed you could successfully work together, in the face of great adversity, and that's a big deal, so me and your Magog thought it would be fitting to give you somthin extra on top of the saddle and such, like a cherry on top of both yours Sunday.
As soon as Coyote finishes, Pecos let's go of Lightning while he was still spinning, sending the horse spinning off and eventually landing on his back while Pecos spins away himself, elegantly, he comes to a halt facing his Papog with the goofiest grin, this all while Lightning is discombobulated, slowly and wobbly getting up on his four hooves.
Lightning: so, so that whole adventure.. was all a kind of test, and way for me and Bill to become closer.
Coyote: yeah.
Lightning: we almost died.
Pecos: no we didn't, cause we're awesome.
Lightning: you were knocked out for what was like, what had to be multiple days.
Pecos: but I didn't die, and you didn't die.
Lightning: just cause you didn't die doesn't mean you weren't close to death or that I wasn't close to death.
Pecos: I was never close to death, I was just sleepin off the hurt.
Lightning: you were in a coma.
Pecos: no, I was sleepin off the pain lightning, having present healing dreams of fluffy candy clouds and golden things and fire eyeballs.
Lightning: I'm pretty sure that was heaven and you were having a near death experience.
Pecos: you're a near death experience.
Lightning: wha, that doesn't even make sense.
Pecos: well.
At this point, Pecos sticks out his tongue at Lightning, which Lightning doesn't take kindly to this, and noticing Bill is standing in mud, gets a wonderfully devilish idea.
At that moment, a geyser of mud comes bursting from the ground coating Bill in a thick layer of mud while hurling him in the air, at which Lightning laughs.
Lightning: take tha-
Before Lightning can finish, a lightning strike barely misses the horse, and looking up he sees Pecos, smirk visible, hovering in the air sitting in a cloud.
Pecos: ya we're sayin.
And so the brothers end up playfully fighting each other, now with a whole new set of powers to use creatively in their play, and cause all kinds of chaos in the process.
Meanwhile, from the sidelines, Coyote watches on, a big glowing smile present on his face.
Coyote: my, I mean, our boys are going to do good, I think.
As he says this Badger walks around from behind Coyote and looks at her adopted sons as they wrastle.
Badger: I know you're right, I just hope things remain playful between them, and things don't escalate, like in a vicious kinda way.
Coyote: I getcha, but despite their fighting and bickering, I don't believe things will ever get that venomous. Say, have you made dinner yet, I'm starvin.
Badger, playfully, knocks Coyote in the head.
Badger: I'm those twos Mamog, I ain't yours, you can go hunting yourself and make your own food.
Badger begins to walk off before turning her head back at Coyote, smile on her face
Badger: But yes, yes I have made dinner and there's enough for everyone.
Badger turns to her boys and gives a dinner time holler, and with that the two stop wrastlin and the strange little family heads home, this whole adventure coming to its end.
(Writer/scribe's notes: And that brings the cloud saddle adventure to a close and Bill and Lightning some new powers and gizmos
Honestly I need to keep a list of all the powers and devices Lightning and Pecos have, might make that its own page on this blog that gets updated with every chapter release or something of that nature.
Also I noticed when writing these stories down as compared to speaking them out there's a difference in what tense is used alot of the time
When I write a story down it feels right to write it in the present tense but when I'm speaking it it's very much in the past tense, granted this isn't probably super consistent especially since I usually start writing these things by speaking them into a microphone and then editing that, but it's something that I've kind of started to notice, I'll probably end up re editing down the line if it proves to distracting when I start rereading this first arc of the story.
Anyways it's probably going to be a while till I finish the next full chapter but I do wanna do a little mini chapter between this one and the next that's actually a part of a later story, but chronologically Should take place around here on Bill's wild timeline, also just kinda flows nice with going from this story to this next mini story
So stay tuned for that and thank you so much for reading.)
