Sahara: The Second Journey {LEGACY}

Home Sweet Rivals (2/2)

*Gary*

Gary watched, dumbfounded, the heated argument between his sister and father.  After Eva ran away, he slinks into the undergrowth on the other side of the clearing and goes around to where Eva usually likes to go when she's upset.  Sure enough, she was curled up next to a mud pool on the roof of their home, doodling with her tail as usual.  "Hey there sis," he says, sidling up next to her.  She mumbled a reply as Gary looked at what she was painting.  It looked like Ajar, except mud colored.  "About that secret tunnel, I can show you if you still want to see him," Gary says, nodding towards the doodle.  Eva looks at the drawing and says with a sigh, "He won't be there, not yet.  We'll have to give him time to get to the Suburbs."  Gary looks at her and shrugs.  "Alright, I'll see you later then."

He slithers back into the undergrowth and heads for the cliff.  "Hey, Gary!"  Gary's old "friend," Jon-Jon darts out in front of him.  "Hey, there's a group of flowers in full blossom, want to go "sniff" some of them?"  Gary perks up and says, "Really?"  Then he thought for a moment.  "Nah, think I'll pass," he declines.  Jon-Jon stares at him with shock on his face.  "But, I- you- why?"  he stammers.  "I'm trying to ease off the pollen," Gary replies.  Jon-Jon looks at him, then shrugs.  "Alright, if you don't want to come, guess that's more for me."  And with that, he turns to dart back into the undergrowth then pauses and looks back.  "By the way, have you seen Eva, after all, I've got to see my bride," he says with a smirk.  "Yeah, she's over there," Gary says with a sigh, pointing with his tail.  "Ok, cya," Jon-Jon says before darting in the direction Gary pointed.

A minute later, Gary hear's a slap and turns around to find Jon-Jon, with a red mark on his cheek, bounding through the undergrowth.  Ouch that's gotta hurt he thought with a wince.

*Ajar* [A few days later]

The Suburbs was finally in sight as Ajar and the rest of the group plod forward under the desert sun.  "Great to be back after being gone for so long," Pitt says as they approach the entrance to the canyon.  "Yeah, but I don't look forward to meeting-" "Ajar!  You're finally back."  Ajar stops with a hiss and turns around to find Saladin behind them.  "Well, it looks like Babyskin finally shed and found himself a friend," he says with a smirk as he slides up to the group.  "And it looks as though Babysting found himself a friend too," he continues and hits Pitt's barb, trying to get him to sting himself.  "Leave them alone Saladin," Ajar says, darting in front of his friends.  "Or what?" Saladin asks with a growl.  Ajar growls and picks up a stone with his tail..  "I'm assuming you're Saladin," Pietra asks in a calm voice from behind Ajar's back.  "Yes I am, and you-" "Let me tell you something," she says, cutting Saladin off while sidling up to him, "Leave me, and my friends here or your going to feel hurt."  Saladin just backs up, stunned that someone actually stood up to him.  "Lets go guys," Pietra says, sliding gracefully towards the canyon, and the rest of the group follow after recovering from their shock.

"So, what is there to do here?" Emily asks once they got out of the sun at Ajar's and Pitt's den.  "Well, not much really.  We're kinda outcasts here in the suburbs," Pitt says with a nervous chuckle.  While everyone began discussing plans of what to do next, Ajar looks down into the rest of the canyon and notices a brown snake that he's never seen before yet looked familiar.  "Hey Pitt," he calls, and his old friend walks over.  "Have you seen that snake before?" he asks, nodding towards the brown snake below.  "No, I don't think so...wait, is that, Gary?" he exclaims.  Ajar looks closer and realizes that Pitt might be right.  Excited, Ajar rushes down the slope to the canyon floor.  The snake heard the pebbles falling and turned around and when they made eye contact, Ajar knew for certain it was Gary.  "Ajar!" he says in a barely suppressed voice as he darts over.  "What are you doing here?" Ajar asks.  "Looking for you, what else?" Gary replies.  "Listen, my sister is kind of bummed out at the moment, and I think seeing you will perk her right up." he says nervously.  "Oh, alright...wait, how did you get here?" Ajar asks.  "The secret tunnel, remember?  Come on, I'll show you where it is," Gary responds.

Gary led them deeper into the canyon, where few snakes lived.  They stopped at a large boulder.  "The tunnel is just behind here," Gary says and pushed his head against the boulder.  It rolled away like it weighed nothing, revealing crack in the wall.  Through it, Ajar could hear the waterfall in the Oasis.  "This leads all the way to the Oasis?" Ajar asks.  "Yep, though, there's a stream in there, but it's shallow enough for you to cross.  Unfortunately, it's too deep for them," Gary says, nodding towards Pitt and Emily.  Ajar looks into the darkness, then at Pitt and Emily.  "Sorry guys, guess you'll have to wait here," Ajar says to the two.  "Just go see Eva, we'll be all right," Pitt says.  Ajar looks back at the cave and takes a deep breath before going in.

As Gary said, there was a shallow stream that Ajar had to cross.  He, Gary, and Pietra slithered through the darkness for a few minutes, the sound of the waterfall getting louder.  After some time, Ajar noticed light coming from an opening up ahead.  Suddenly, the trio came out of the tunnel behind a waterfall.  "Ta da, welcome to the Oasis," Gary said triumphantly.  "Wow, this is great Gary!" Ajar exclaims, excited to see Eva again.  "Woah, hold on a minute," Gary says when Ajar starts heading down the path to the beach.  "You're still a Dustie, the moment someone spots you they'll raise the alarm and they might seal the tunnel.  I'll go get Eva for you," he finishes, going down the path instead.

Ajar couldn't believe, he was going to see Eva again!  But, he still felt something off, something about the cave.  And something about the eyes he could feel watching him.