After a long and exciting road, we're finally getting close to the Mission Finale. And after that, a brighter future for the AIL game itself!

The next piece is the last stop before the Mission Finale begins. For now, we've got more Becky Joy. After the sadder piece with Zanther just last chapter, Becky needs some cheering up..
And Lapine is just the bunny to do it!

Becky Joy turned back and glumly walked into Seaside Town, feeling utterly alone.

We don't need him. He's only a wolf, anyway.

"We need Wolf, anyway!" Becky half-repeated.

No, I said.. oh, nevermind.

"I said no, nevermind!" Becky said. But there was no one around her to hear her, other than the box. And it wasn't listening. It started to say something about fun suicidal activities, but Becky sang over it, going "lalala" and "lidia-dah!"

If I had ears right now, they'd be bleeding, the voice insisted, but no one who cared could hear him, and the only one who could hear him wasn't listening.

Becky marched out of town, determined to get her Wolf back here and now.. but wait, he was so different. It was a little scary. And this Shelly person seemed like an honest girl. So Becky threw the Bulky Buddy Box up in the air and caught it.

Hey, no more throwing the Bulky Buddy Box up in the air!

Once again, Becky only caught part of it. "Hey, more throwing the Bulky Buddy Box into the air, for some reason!"

Oh come on, you're doing it on purpose now!

"I'm throwing it in the air on purpose now!" Becky sang out. She caught it, then starred at it.

What? What is it? Do I have something on my face or face equivalent?

"Just 'um thinkin'um!" she said.

Thinkin'um about'um what? Oh great.. now you have me doing it!

"I got me doing it now. What, what?!"

Wait, what?!

"Becky Joy is awesome!" Becky sang out, hypnotically.

Becky Joy is- ahhhh, stop doing that to me!

"What a silly voice that box has!" Becky said aloud, not drawin' even a lick of attention from those around her. Cause she was way off to herself. "It should be nice to someone's that got it out of a sewer!"

It's true! She hadn't known it was abandoned by Shamus XTreme, but she heard it whining in the sewer and saved it.

Right now, none of that mattered. With Wolf having gone with Shelly, Becky needed to find some way to fill her time to avoid going crazy with worry.

Bug the bugbears, maybe they'll hurt you again,

"huh" Becky wondered without capitalization.

Nevermind. Wrong adventurer.

"Heeehee, you're silly, voice!”

...

Becky slummed around Seaside Town. She'd come here to shop and, without buying anything, had lost her shopping spirit. She couldn't help but wonder what happened to Wolf. She was so lost in thought, the Buddy Box didn't try to interrupt. Maybe it was taking a nap, I don't know! Gosh. Before she knew it, she was in The Zone, a previously unmentioned fashion second hand store in the shopping center of Seaside Town.

Lapine held up a pair of striped underwear. "Oooh these are cute, wish I could try these on..."

She backed up into someone. "Hey watch it! -- Oh hi Becky!"

"Bunnnnie!" Becky squealed and hugged her. "Yay, I remember you and you remember me!"

"Hehe." Lapine grinned.

Becky frowned, looking down at the ground and pouted a bit. "Soo, how're you doing?"

"I'm doin fine, lookin for new undies. How's you?" Lapine smiled at Becky.

"That sounds fun, and I'm worried about Zanther Wolf, cause he was different, and he had to go with her, but.." Becky started rambling emotionally.

Lapine hugged Becky. "Its okey, calllm."

"Then she, and I.. I.." Becky took a deep breath and hugged Lapine. "Sorry, it's just really upsetting. Ummmmmmm.." she broke the hug, looking around. "Do you remember Zanther Wolf? Yeah, box is right, it's way too loud here to sleep."

Lapine looked at her a bit confused. "I think so... maybe.. too loud to sleep?"

Becky pointed to the box and whispered, "It talks." She paused as if listening to something and repeated louder, "I just told her you can talk, geez!"

Lapine twitched her ears. "I can hear it, slightly... it won't stab me will it?"

"It says it's not talking to you, and it's not a bat," Becky said, confused. "I's gonna ignore it nows!"

Lapine looked funnily at the box. "Weiiird!"

"Cool!" Becky coo'ed. She then laughed briefly. "Shut up, box, that isn't funny, be nice to Lapine!"

"Yeah box, I’ll kick your four sided ass!" Lapine said quietly.

"Okay, it went to sleep, or some'fin, oh it's so sad! Zanther just wanted to bring me berries!" Becky pouted again.

"Berries are good." Lapine smiled.

"Yeah, so good dummy demon dummies stole'd them!" Becky called out, exaggerating her arm movement. "Oh hey, a pink sweater!"

"Cute.. brightly pink." Lapine picked up a leather bra right next to the sweater. "Whadda you think? To slutty?"

Becky looked down, blushing and grinning shyly. "Bunnies can't be slutty, you're too cuuute! Anywayz, Zanthie was mad, the demons stole our berries and Wolf took after them like a shot!"

"I hope he catches those demons, damn pains in the arse." Lapine frowned.

Becky frowned deeply. "I think he did, he came back to give my my berries but he looked ..." Becky almost broke down in tears, poor girl. "He, he.. he had these weird glowing blue markings and his wings had these lil cursps of fire, and he just looked so scary and wild!"

Lapine hugged Becky again. "That is weird..."

"I realized it was the same Zanthie that I loved and played with and put ribbons on his tail, but he got upset when he saw he scared me, he took'ed off! And some lady found him, I think her name was Shelly. She said she'd help him but, but .. but but.."

"Well she better, or Ill bunny kick her." Lapine smiled at Becky.

Becky sniffled, then smiled.. "Yeah, me too!" She paused, thinking, and added, "But I'm pretty sure she's okay. Zanthie sniffed her and e'ry'thing, And she seemed okay.. but I don't know what to do with myself right now, I'm besides myself with worry!" She thought about it, then added, in a serious voice, "No, wait. I'm besides you with worry, I mean."

Lapine chuckled. "Hmm have you heard the news about the upcoming carnival? I want to impress the council with it.."

Becky tilted her head. "Why zat?"

Lapine smiled. "There’s a contest that needs to be won, for approval from the council!"

"I bet they'd really like us if we won!" Becky's face lit up.

Lapine answered quickly, "To get there support.." Lapine trailed off for a second "..for the war against the Knob Goblins."

"Oh, okay!" Becky said cheerfully.

Lapine smiled. "I wanna run a contest or some kind of booth, I have a lot ideas, some good, some not..."

"Oh, I could, I could!" Becky paused. "What could I do?!"

"Dunno, help with whatever happens.." Lapine grinned at her.

"Yea, I guess," Becky said. She paused and they looked at each other, then both blurted out, "Kissing booth!"

"Yeah!" Becky said, cheering.

"Yeah. People will be lined up for miles!" Lapine giggled.

"And they'll wanna kiss me!" Becky felt starstruck.

"Hehe, weee’lll seee." Lapine said, then stuck her tongue out.

"Oh, and you too, I guess," Becky added. "I'd be so popular.. I mean we!"

"Mmhmm, I wonder how much they'd like watching us kissing," Lapine grinned slightly evil.

Becky giggled long and hard and sang, "Kiss-a-bunny, kiss-a-bunny! Soo much fuun!"

Lapine facepawed. "Ah crap, I have to help Todd and Vixen with the meatcar... wanna run the booth? I’ll owe you a lot of free kisses!"

"Kay, I'd do it for free, even, but I want more kisses and hugs!" Becky said. "Ohh, you can drive me in the meat car, too??"

"Sure, when I get my license," Lapine answered.

Becky giggled and hugged the bunny. "Bunny Lapine, you're the best!"

Lapine and Becky chatted and shopped, chatting back and fourth about the booth, meatcars and clothes.

Lapine asked, "Wonder if anything interesting is goin to happen at the carnival?"

That question, the fate of Zanther Wolf, and much more will have to wait for the Mission Finale to be answered!