The corridor echoed with the clinking sound of her heels as she attempted to move quietly. Despite her efforts to take smaller steps, the quiet hallway amplified the noise. Her heart to race. A sense of urgency consumed her – was someone following her? Did they already know her location? Swiftly, she realized the need to find a hiding spot, and she needed to find it soon.
A nearby loud crash jolted her, and apprehension filled the air. A gulp betrayed her nervousness as she instinctively focused on a door a few feet away. 'It must've come from there,' she thought. Slowly, she cautiously moved toward the door, her senses on high alert.
Her hand trembled as she reached for the doorknob, finally grasping it. With a gentle push, the door slowly swung open, accompanied by a faint creak. Cautiously, she took one step, then another, her eyes scanning the room for any signs of disturbance.
There, amidst the aftermath of the earlier crash, her gaze fixed on the source—a toppled bookcase, its contents strewn across the floor. Broken glass and shattered clay adorned the surroundings, remnants of once-intact decorations that now lay scattered in disarray.
A sense of foreboding swept over her as she detected another presence in the room. They had found her, and she was certain of it. Her eyes darted around, desperately searching for a potential hiding spot. Maybe there was still time—maybe—
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted as arms wrapped around her waist.
"Got you!" Julius exclaimed with glee.
Julia giggled, "You need to do better than that, Auntie Mayor."
Mayor Goodway sighed, contentment evident in her smile. Her niece and nephew were visiting, and they had opted for a game of hide and seek. Admittedly, the mayor wasn't the best at that particular game.
Recalling the disorder in the room, Mayor Goodway turned her attention to the two kids.
"Did you two do this?" she inquired, pointing towards the toppled bookcase.
"No, Auntie Mayor," Julia replied, and Julius shook his head.
The mayor sighed again, this time tinged with disappointment. 'Then what could have made that mess?' she pondered.
Mayor Goodway approached the mess, hoping for a clue about its origin. To her surprise, a small, white head popped out from the chaos.
"Chickaletta? Is that you?" she inquired.
The chicken responded with a characteristic bock. The Mayor quickly picked up the bird, holding it up high to inspect for any injuries.
"Oh, my chickipoo. Are you okay, my darling? You didn't get hurt, did you?" The chicken responded with another bock, and the mayor interpreted it as a "no." "Phew, that is a relief. Now, don't you go climbing on places where you're not supposed to climb; you can get seriously hurt."
"Ooh, what's this?" Julia inquired, kneeling down and reaching for a purple object on the floor.
"Now now, don't touch that, Julia. There's broken glass there," the mayor warned.
Julia stepped back, and the mayor walked over to see what her niece was referring to.
"Oh no! The Airanee stone!" Mayor Goodway exclaimed, swiftly picking it up and examining it for any damages. She eased up when there was nothing to be seen.
"What is the Airanee stone?" Julius asked, tugging on his aunt's skirt.
The mayor surveyed the room and spotted a chair on the far side. "Here, let me tell you away from this broken glass. It's a real hazard, you know," she said, guiding them toward the chair.
Sitting down, she gestured for the two kids to join her on the floor. Chickaletta hopped out from her owner's arms and made her way out the nearby door. The mayor watched her chicken's departure and then turned her attention to her niece and nephew. With the precious jewel in her hand, she offered them a view.
"This is the Airanee Stone. Oddly enough, it's actually a gem and not a stone. This gem has been in the family for generations, passed down from mayor to mayor. I, as of recently, have been the last holder of this gem. One day, one of you may have it for yourselves. That is, until a new mayor comes in to take your place."
"Cool," Julia said in awe.
"But, what does it do?" Julius questioned.
"Well, nothing but look nice, I guess. But rumor has it, when this gem is reunited with its eight other comrades, it will give the user the ultimate power of control," the mayor recited.
"Cool! I can so be mayor with that!" Julius cheered.
Mayor Goodway smiled. "You don't become mayor by forcing others to bow to you; you become mayor by showing your citizens that you are there to help them, and that they always come first. Tyranny is never the right solution to ruling."
"What is Tyranny?"
"It is when you take complete control over your citizens. They live by you and you alone. They are given no rights at all. Forcibly seizing power is a form of Tyranny, especially if you take advantage of it."
"That doesn't sound very fun," Julia said.
"It isn't," Mayor Goodway shook her head.
A knock on the door grabbed their attention. Mayor Goodway gently set the gem down on a nearby table and walked over to open the door. The town hall butler stood there with a letter in his hand, maintaining a posture of formality—blond, slicked-back hair, and a black business suit.
"It is from S.O.," he announced.
"The S.O. again? That's the fifth time this week," the mayor sighed.
"I'm afraid so. This S.O. organization has been threatening our city with every letter. Don't you think we should let someone know?"
"We shouldn't. Letting the public know would cause an outbreak of fear and paranoia."
"True words you do speak. How about telling the Paw Patrol? They can investigate into this case while not making a peep," the butler suggested.
The mayor hummed to herself while tapping her finger on her chin. "You may be right on that. I'll call the Paw Patrol. Hopefully, they'll be able to stop this before it becomes a problem."
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A/N: Welcome to another story of mine. Yes, I made the cover art and I am SO proud of it. Now this story is a completely new one so don't go expecting new chapters every other day. It's not like the other one which was already done, just rewriting the chapters.
I know a lot of you may not know how to pronounce the Airanee Stone so here you go. Air-ah-knee. Okay, that wasn't important, but at least you know how to pronounce the gem.
Until next time, bye!
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Just Another Lullaby
Fanfiction(Undergoing a massive rewrite) Latest Chapter Update: 4/20/2024 - "S-Skye!" Skye flinched hard when she felt someone grab her by her shoulder. Through her hazy vision, Skye could see Chase stare down at her, his face showing nothing but worry. It...
