If Po Survived (ST3 AU)

Chapter 21: Freedom

After what seemed like an intense match of paintball, everyone was hissing and breathing in and out, trying not to scream.

Wes seemed amused as he gave all four of them ice packs. "Why didn't you give them armor?" He asked, looking at Fiona.

Fiona shrugged. "You may not be wearing armor if you're in a lonely forest with a deadly hunter after you."

Po giggled. "That didn't seem deadly. That seemed fun!"

"And painful." Ron added as he held an ice pack against his arm.

Walten shrugged. "I thought it was kinda fun as well. Although I think I need a shower or something, cause I'm covered in paint."

"Guess you're more of a Rainbow Tubby now!" Po joked with the most adorable smile.

Walten smiled back at her.

Fiona looked from Walten to Po and then to Walten again and then back to Po. She then whispered something to Ron.

"Right?!" Ron whispered/shouted.

Then, as everyone was about to head out, Fiona stopped Po. "Hey, wanna have another match like that later? I can just tell my brother it's training."

"Oh! Sure! I had fun!" Po said with a giggle.

Fiona gave a thumbs up, even though she only had a thumb and no fingers. She then looked at Wes. "Wanna join, buddy?"

"No. I have work to do, research to do, and avoid your paintball gun as much as possible." Wes said as he sat down.

Fiona rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "Alright, cya later."

Po then looked at Wes once Fiona left. "You're sure?"

Wes nodded. "Yup. I learned the hard way. I once thought paintball guns were just fun and games when I was younger!" He then looked at the wall dramatically. "I KNOW BETTER NOW..."

Po snorted. "Ha! Good joke!"

Wes turned around and gave her a look, one that just screamed that he wasn't joking.

Po then froze and slowly walked out. "Okay, note to self, bring a lot...A LOT of armor." She said before walking over to her room but then seeing she was covered in paint. "Oh, yeah! How did we get clean back at home...?"

She thought back and then thought of how they rarely got messy and Noo Noo was usually their way of getting clean. But she then thought of how she had demolished him with Walten's chainsaw and sighed. "Okay, how do normal tubbies get clean...?"

She kept thinking and thinking, but groaned. "I'm just gonna ask Walten or Ron." She said before walking over to their room and seeing Ron wearing Walten's hat. "Hey, that's Walten's!"

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Sorry, I just wanted to see why you liked wearing it so much!" Ron said as he set it back down. "Walten's in the shower getting the paint off, and I don't think he'd trust me with it as much as he does with you."

"Actually, it's my friend Dipsy's hat. I think he took it."

Ron tilted his head. "Why did he take it?"

Po shrugged. "I dunno. I never asked. But maybe...He wanted to have some kind of memory about being outside his home. Plus, it just fits him!" She said.

Ron nodded. "I see...Hey, how about you actually tell me how you guys met, cause I've just been assuming you knew each other."

"He saved me from Tinky Winky after the whole...you know." She then smiled. "We became friends and he's protected me ever since! He's like my guardian angel, but with a chainsaw!"

"Aww, that's actually really sweet of you to say!" Ron said. "So, you didn't live in the same place?"

"No. He lived in some secret lair. He said he wanted to come meet us, but his curators never allowed him too." Po said simply.

"So...He was basically stalking you?"

"Uhh...Kinda? I think it's still sweet that he cares for us even though we didn't know his name or that he existed. Like a secret hero!"

Ron smiled at that. "Again, that's really sweet." He then smirked. "So, we're friends too, huh?"

"Yeah! I like to think so!"

"And you and Walten are closer friends?"

"Super duper ultra best friends!" Po said with the type of innocence that could make anyone smile.

"You sure you're not more than that?" Ron asked.

Po shook her head. "Because there's no higher friendship!"

"You do know there are more higher things than friendship, right?" Ron asked.

Po thought for a moment before shrugging. "I don't think so!"

"Well, remember when I tried to explain what dating was back at The Satellite Station?" Ron asked.

Po thought long and hard this time before speaking. "You stumbled a lot. I couldn't really understand."

"Oh. Right."

Meanwhile...

The New Born twins managed to finally make it back to the now burnt and torn down military base and bowed before their master.

Richard grinned as he stood from his throne. "Good. You've evolved. Now prepare the ritual. It will feel OH, SO NICE to be back in my own body again." He said as he twirled around.

The first twin nodded and then grabbed a bowl of custard. The second dipped their fingers into it and started to draw something similar, but not quite a pentagram on the floor of the burnt base, made of the infected custard.

Great amounts of time passed before the twins stepped back. "It's ready, Master." The first said.

Richard smirked and then stepped in the middle, grinning a bloody and wicked grin. "For hundreds of years, I've been waiting until my physical form would be unleashed, and my infection would be released once more. But that wouldn't happen until Noo Noo discovered the infected custard...He discovered me. And now the fool just gave me my one chance...TO COME BACK."

The ritual circle suddenly turned from a glowing pink to a glowing black. Richard began to cackle before laughing as hard as he could. His arms, legs, and screen reverted back to normal, his antenna disappeared and his eyes no longer became black. Richard then collapsed onto the floor.

But then, the ritual circle glowed pink again...Before a black fist with claws punched the stone of the base.

The twins gasped and stepped back.

The black fist growled and then soon enough, the body of the fist was revealed. It was a tall black tubby with a glowing mouth and screen. The screen and mouth turned red and the black tubby grinned.

"I...AM...FREE!!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!"