Everyone gathered around the pineapple girl, whose expression conveyed seriousness as she observed each of them one by one. After a few seconds of silence, she took a deep breath and said: "Alright, I'll tell you," reaching into her pocket to pull out an old, worn book that she had been carrying. The object looked ancient and battered, bearing marks of heavy use that hinted at its importance.
"I'm here to rescue someone who is very important and who can turn the tide in our favor."
The group stared at her, astonished. Who could be so important that she and her team would risk their lives for them?
She began to explain: "After you left for Avocadolia, Lukeandria, my team and I received intel from a reliable source. The purple shadows had captured a powerful being with extraordinary abilities. So, we decided to take on this mission."
Paris continued, describing her team in a tone both proud and nostalgic: "Chip, the tomato, is our expert in traps and explosives. He always carries some gadget to launch bombs or create distractions when all seems lost. Then there's Ludra, the lettuce, our martial arts master. She's as fast as lightning and doesn't hesitate to use her skills to protect us."
She paused briefly before continuing: "Gikel, the ginger, is the brute strength of the team. Though he's not much of a talker, his presence speaks volumes. When something needs to be destroyed or moved, he's our go-to guy. Karpi, the carrot, is our technical and mechanical genius. Without her, we wouldn't have half the devices we use; she's always innovating and fixing what others would consider unsalvageable."
Finally, Paris smiled as she spoke of their leader: "And then there's X, our mysterious leader. He's a banana who never reveals his true name or face, hiding behind dark glasses and a mask. But he exudes an unshakable confidence that makes us follow him without question. Though we never know what to think of him, his leadership has been crucial to all our missions."
"Wait... Do those races actually exist?" Alita asked, incredulous.
"Of course, girl. I'm from the pineapple race," Paris replied matter-of-factly.
"And that X guy doesn't have a name?" Ron asked, curious.
"No, he never gives his real name. Plus, he hides his face behind glasses and a mask, but he radiates an aura of trust that makes us follow him without hesitation," Paris explained.
"You don't even know who your leader is, and you still follow him? And I thought Lukeandria was crazy," Alita commented with a teasing smile.
Lukeandria was about to respond to Alita when Mok quickly intervened. "Miss Paris, please continue with your story," he said calmly, preventing the conversation from veering off track.
"Okay," Paris replied, taking another deep breath. "Well, as I was saying, there were six of us who founded the resistance. Then Lukeandria joined the group, making us seven. But that's another story."
Lukeandria glared at her with an unamused expression, signaling with her eyes to stop rambling and get to the point.
"I was in charge of encrypting, understanding, and creating plans for the mission, as well as intercepting coded messages," Paris continued.
"That makes you the brains of the team," Ron interjected with a mischievous smile.
"Can you all stop interrupting and let her continue?" Lukeandria exclaimed, visibly irritated.
Paris swallowed and resumed her story: "Upon receiving the writings from the source, I began decoding the messages contained in this book. We discovered that the supposed source of power was in this kingdom, Pinkertalia. So, we organized everything to get here."
"We entered the kingdom, but at first, the behavior of the people seemed strange to us. We decided to use disguises to blend in with the locals," Paris explained, gesturing with her hands as she spoke.
"We captured one of the purple shadow guards. They're incredibly strong; I think it's because they rely more on their physical strength than on magic or technology. They feel like solid rocks!" she said admiringly before pausing for a moment. "Oops... I think I got sidetracked."
She refocused on her story: "Once we infiltrated the castle, we saw something strange: there was a child with fox ears and a tail protruding from his back, tied to a kind of machine that kept him in a trance. We thought that was the source of power, so we decided to free him."
Paris paused, lowering her gaze. "It was a grave mistake. The place was swarming with guards. It seems the purple army has more troops than all the other shadows combined. They cornered us. Chip tried to save me using one of his weapons since I'm not very good at fighting… but he was taken down. I could only watch him fall… I cried over it," she confessed in a shaky voice, recalling the moment.
"I was captured shortly after. Before that happened, Chip told the rest of the team to flee, because if we were all captured, everything would be lost. One of the guards knocked me out, and when I woke up, I was in the cell where Mok and Lukeandria found me."
Paris lifted her gaze, regaining her composure. "The only thing I heard before losing consciousness was that they had moved the creature somewhere else. Perhaps if I finish deciphering these codes from the book, I can find one of the possible locations."
Before Paris could finish her story, Golden emerged from Paltio's seed, causing her to let out a startled scream. Mok quickly covered her mouth with his hand to prevent her from drawing attention, as the soldiers were still patrolling the area.
"What is that thing?" Paris asked, pointing at Golden with wide eyes.
"That's Golden," Rykaru answered matter-of-factly.
The girl jumped again when she saw a white ball with eyes, but her expression soon shifted to amazement. She gazed at Rykaru with fascination, adopting the same awestruck look that Alita and Ron often wore.
Then, Nakia and Chiki also emerged from the magical bag. Though they had been with her in the bag, Paris wanted to know exactly what they were, since, according to her logic, animals shouldn't talk.
"Golden, can you show Paris everything mentally, as you always do, so she understands?" Paltio asked the golden being.
However, Golden remained silent for a few minutes, his expression thoughtful. Then, with a serious demeanor and looking directly at Paris, he asked: "Did you say a child with fox ears and a tail?"
"Yes, sir," Paris replied hesitantly, taken aback by the deep, resonant voice of the golden figure.
"Do you know him, Golden?" Paltio asked, intrigued by the being's reaction.
"Do I know him?" Golden repeated, his tone even more serious, hinting at something significant.
At that moment, Toco-Toco emerged from the hologram. Apparently, Golden couldn't speak freely while processing who the person with the characteristics Paris had described might be. The cat leaped forward and said with his characteristic "meow":
"Of course he knows him! He's one of the guardian protectors of Avocios."
Everyone was astonished by the cat's revelation.
"There's no doubt," Golden continued, regaining his voice. "That's why I couldn't read anyone's mind in this specific kingdom. That child is my friend Kilibur."