The TSD Kids:

The Adventurer’s Agency

Lv. 29

Scarecrow!

Hi everyone! It’s me, Ellis! This time for some reason, T won’t be telling the story; he insisted on me doing it right now. Where were we…? Oh yeah! Harold paid us a visit, saying that Reina of Cornet Village said that someone’s been dying to meet us, mostly T. We went to her house only to be blasted off from her fireworks cannon again! After running through a maze of a forest, we find the entrance to a secret ninja village, only to be confronted by a female ninja who seems to know T! Is this the person who wanted to see him?

Sofia, Tracy and I had just gang-tackled her, but T told us to stop attacking.

Tracy: “Just who are you?”

Usagi: “Gimme your name and I’ll give you mine!”

T: “Just chill out, okay? Everyone, this is…”

Usagi: “I am Usagi, and I am a top-ranked ninja! I’m the best you’ll ever meet!”

Tracy: “Wow, top-ranked, huh? This reminds me of when I first met T and I told him I was a policewoman. Now I suspect delusions of grandeur!”

Usagi: “You don’t believe me!? Come this way then!”

Usagi and her ninja buddies led us into the village. As T walked ahead of us, she walked alongside him.

Usagi: “It’s been a while, y’know?”

T: “Yeah, long time no see.”

Usagi: “I see my message got to you! How is Reina?”

T: “She’s fine… wait, how do you know her?”

Usagi: “Hee, hee, she used to live here! That, and she’s my sister!”

T: “Wow, who knew?”

Usagi took a quick look behind, then said,

Usagi: “Please stick close to me, ‘k? I don’t trust those girls you came in with; they’re obviously not right in the head…”

Sofia: “We’re what?”

T: “They’re fine. They’re as sane as you or me!”

Tracy: “T maybe, but I don’t know about her…”

Sho: “Well, they sure have gotten off on the wrong foot…”

Harold: “Personally, I think it’s just Usagi’s attitude. As far as I can remember, she was always… iffy around other girls when it comes to T, yet she had no problem around Nadia, or the other female member he encountered back then.”

Sean: “Who’s that?”

Harold: “I think it’s…”

Usagi: “Come on! This way!”

We followed her into a house.

Usagi: “Grandfather, he’s here!”

“Oh? Usagi, you’ve returned…”

The man she addressed then looked our way.

“This is him?”

Usagi: “Yes!”

“Ah, T… I see you and your vassals have arrived.”

Sean: “V-vassals?!”

Tracy: “Do I look like some sort of maid?”

Usagi: “Don’t be rude, you…!”

T: “They’re not my servants, they’re my good friends.”

“I see. So you are all The TSD Kids, then.”

Sofia: “That’s right!”

“I’ve heard news of your exploits.”

T: “We have been through a lot, sir. A lot…”

“Is that so? Do tell…”

T: “Sure!”

As T spoke with Usagi’s grandfather, she then turned to us.

Usagi: “So… you three hang out with T every day, huh?”

Sofia: “I guess you could say that.”

Usagi: “Do you… enjoy spending time with him??”

Tracy: “Well, why not? He is a good person.”

Ellis: “He’s nice. I like him.”

Usagi: “AH-HA! I knew it! I knew you were crazy for him!!”

Sofia/Ellis/Tracy: “WHAT?!”

Tracy: “Where’s this coming from?”

Usagi: “You all like him. Just admit it.”

Sean: “I gotta admit, this is a little funny to watch…”

Harold: “I won’t say I told you so.”

We three started to turn a little red.

Sofia: “I-I really don’t know what you’re getting at!”

Ellis: “Sure, we like him, b-but we don’t like him!”

Tracy: “The question is, do you?”

Usagi: “Me? Well… a little. I’m not going to hide it from you!”

Sofia: “How bold of you to say.”

Usagi: “Y’know, I helped T get the Seiryuu Medallion!”

This time, the boys were able to get in on our little conversation. Sean said,

Sean: “Oh, just like how Harold helped him find the Byakko Medallion, and Nadia, with the Genbu Medallion.”

Usagi: “But before that… he saved my life!”

Sofia: “Really?”

Tracy: “Don’t think of it as something rare. He’s saved us all on several occasions.”

Usagi: “I can imagine…”

Tracy: “And what was that supposed to mean??”

Usagi: “Anyway… when we went looking for the Medallion after that… it was like the longest, best, and only date I ever had!”

Ellis: “Did T feel the same way??”

Sho: “I doubt it.”

Despite what Sho and I said, Usagi continued, saying…

Usagi: “The way he battled with that sword… he was like my knight in shining armor…”

Making use of the vivid imagination we all had, we then visualized T wearing iron armor. Her face couldn’t possibly get any redder!

Tracy: “I can see it now. He’d be riding a horse, wouldn’t he?”

Sean: “Nah, how about Cotton! For lack of a horse…”

Usagi: “Cotton?”

Ellis: “That’s our talking bunny friend!”

Usagi: “Eh?”

Usagi stared at us as if we came from another planet.

Usagi: “Talking bunny… y’know, I saw T come in bearing an odd hammer. Has he… bonked you all recently?”

Tracy: “Not recently…”

“Ho, ho! Those are some adventures you’ve been through, Sir T!”

T: “Heh, heh… sir??”

“It is a custom here to refer to strong warriors as ‘Sir’ or ‘Lady’.”

T: “Cool!”

Sofia: “So, Sir T, what’s next now?”

T: “I dunno, Lady Sofia! Heh, heh… that’s cool.”

Usagi: “We have a lot of catching up to do! Come on! I’ll show you all the tricks I can do! Maybe I’ll test them out on the girls here!”

She walked out, laughing.

Harold: “So, what do you three think of Usagi?”

Ellis: “I think she’s paranoid.”

Tracy: “I think she’s got a screw loose.”

Sofia: “(Quietly) I think I might have some competition…”

Ellis: “What was that?”

Sofia: “Uh, I-I think she’s… odd?”

Ellis: “Oh.”

We were about to head out, but…

T: “Hey, what’s this?”

T pulled out A.N.A.L.Y.Z.E.R.

T: “I have a call…”

Eiji: “Hey, T!”

T: “Eiji?”

Sho: “Is that you?”

Eiji: “Yeah, it’s me, bro! I myself just got back to the house. We have a call!”

Sean: “Is that so?”

Eiji: “Yes! We’ll be needing some extra hands here; come as soon as possible!”

Tracy: “(Sarcastically) Aw, what rotten luck. I guess we won’t be hanging out with the Nutty Ninja Girl.”

Sofia: “T should stay. It’s clear that Usagi wanted to see him.”

T: “Well, if you’re sure.”

Tracy: “We’ll be fine!”

Ellis: “I’ll stay too, if that’s okay.”

“Ah, here you all are!”

The doormen from Reina’s house caught up with us.

Doorman A: “I knew you’d be at the village chief’s house.”

T: “Oh well, the others have a job to take care of. Ellis and I are staying.”

A: “You’re leaving?”

B: “Then we can take you back.”

Sho: “Fine. Let’s go.”

We all headed outside.

Usagi: “I thought you weren’t coming.”

Usagi was holding a short sword in her hand. The blade’s length was just about exactly in between the length of my dagger and T’s sword.

Usagi: “Where are they headed?”

She saw the others head for the village entrance.

Ellis: “They have a job to do.”

“Oh. So! What kind of adventures have you been through with Sir T?”

Ellis: “Um… oh! This one time, while everyone else was goofing off, just the two of us went searching for the Water Stone!”

I showed it to her.

Usagi: “Ooh…”

Ellis: “We actually went underwater just to get it!”

Usagi: “Hmm… we took down a flying dragon!”

Ellis: “Really, a dragon? You’re lying…”

T: “Actually, it’s true.”

While we were talking, T went off to get a rice ball. As he was eating it, he said,

T: “Guarding the Seiryuu Medallion was a big, scary dragon! I used this sweet item we found that let us grab onto it and everything!”

Ellis: “You must’ve had some fierce battles back then, huh?”

T: “Kinda.”

Usagi: “Oh, as I was saying before, lemme show you what I can…!”

“Usagi!”

Usagi: “Oh… grandfather’s calling… I’ll be back! Oh, and wait!”

She came real close to me and said,

Usagi: “I’ve got my eye on you!”

Ellis: “Uh…”

Usagi: “Later!”

She ran off.

Ellis: “What was that all about??”

T: “Beats me. C’mon, let’s check out the rest of the village.”

Ellis: “Sure!”

We walked around Cherry Blossom Village. The people here were awfully friendly. They seemed to trust us. At this time one of the men stopped to talk with us.

“Sir T… Lady Ellis… how are you two today?”

Ellis: “You know who I am?”

“Well, sure! We may be ninja, but we still have access to a TV!”

T: “Oh, I thought you guys have, like, some intelligence squad that collects info from all over.”

“We have that too. You know ever since your arrival today, all Lady Usagi would talk about was wanting to see you again.”

T: “Wow, really? She must’ve missed me.”

“Most certainly. She’s had us collect information on what you’ve been doing.”

Ellis: “Wow, when you put it like that… it feels like our privacy has been violated…”

“We apologize if we’ve offended you…”

T: “Ah, that’s alright! I guess that means she’s heard of all the cool things me and my friends have done!”

“Yes, basically… she’s also wanted to tell you that she’ll become successor soon.”

Ellis: “Of what?”

“I mean she’ll eventually become the next village chief. Her grandfather, the current one, is getting older, and she is about to inherit the title. She just needs to pass the test.”

Ellis: “How nice for her!”

T: “Yeah! Let’s go congratulate her.”

We were about to go, but then…

“Aah!”

A woman ran up to us in a panic!

Man: “What’s the matter?”

Woman: “There are birds attacking our crops!”

Man: “That’s it? Just toss a kunai at them or something!”

Woman: “No! No! They’re different! They’re not normal birds! I think they might be monsters…”

T: “Monsters, huh? Shouldn’t be a hassle! Let’s go, Ellis!”

Woman: “Sir T! You’ll take care of them?”

T: “Of course!”

We headed to where the crops for the village were. The people tending to the plants had fled.

T: “Where are they?”

Ellis: “Up there!”

I pointed to them. They looked black, so they were probably crows.

T: “Those birds…”

Their wings looked awfully scaly, and they seemed to have a lizard-like tail!

Ellis: “…They don’t look normal…”

One of them was hopping along the ground, looking for worms. It saw us, and opened its beak wide letting out a shrill squawk.

T: “Its beak is serrated… Not a good sight to look at…”

But now the bird seemed to be more focused on us! It started to make noise, which attracted all the others!

Ellis: “Aah! They’re attacking!”

T: “Just what are they?”

T scanned them.

Name: Cursed Crow

Species: Fowl

Habitat: Fields, Graveyards

Info:

Cursed Crows are said to be the result from rituals gone wrong. If all else, try to avoid getting pecked by one. The beak looks frightful, and you may not like the results…

The horrid birds dove for us and started flapping in our faces!

Ellis: “Ugh! There’s so many of them!”

T: “Stupid birds! AAH!”

Ellis: “T!”

For whatever reason he yelled out, he held his arm.

T: “Wind!”

He transformed and blew the birds back a distance before…

T: “Judgement!”

With his other arm, he tossed his hammer, striking down the birds with a well-timed throw! They disappeared in puffs of smoke, as would any defeated monster.

T: “That’s that.”

Ellis: “Oh, your arm!”

His arm was bleeding a little.

T: “Oh, one of those things pegged me. Those beaks were as sharp as they looked!”

Ellis: “You sure you’re okay?”

T: “Uh, yeah. Let’s go and see Usagi now… (Gasp!)”

Ellis: “W-what’s wrong?”

T: “I… I don’t feel so good…”

Ellis: “T?”

Suddenly his skin started to change color, like the color of straw! He then collapsed!

Ellis: “T!!”

“Alright young one, you’re all done. You probably shouldn’t keep your friends waiting.”

Usagi: “Right. I’m off, grandfather.”

But before Usagi could head for the door…

Ellis: “Help! Someone help!”

I came in through the door, holding T!

Usagi: “(Gasp!)”

“What happened to him?”

Ellis: “I-I don’t know! He just collapsed, and now his skin looks different!”

Usagi: “What’d you do?! What happened to him!?”

Ellis: “I didn’t do anything! It was these weird birds we were chasing off!”

Usagi: “Ohh… get a doctor! Quickly!”

In a matter of moments, a doctor came. We put T on a bed for him to examine.

Doctor: “Hmm… discoloration of the skin… a rough straw-like feel to it… white gloves…”

T’s TNT Gloves were now white instead of their usual color, but how’d that happen??

Ellis: “W-what’s happening to him?”

Usagi: “What’s the problem, doctor?”

Doctor: “I’d say this is a status affliction. Yep…”

Ellis: “What stat problem is it?”

Doctor: “SCARECROW!!”

The outburst shocked us all.

Doctor: “Scarecrow… no doubt about it…”

Ellis: “What’s it all mean?”

Doctor: “It means… due to whatever did this to him… he’ll become a scarecrow!”

Ellis/Usagi: “Oh no!”

Chief: “You said something called a Cursed Crow did this?”

“Yes.”

Usagi: “H-how much time does he have, doctor?”

“Hard to say… it could be within a few days, or it could even be…”

POOF!

Suddenly, T’s body changed! Although his head looked the same, his body looked like a common broomstick! The ragged cloths that served as clothing was colored green and blue, based off his original outfit. And a straw hat sat atop his head!

Doctor: “Right… now…”

Usagi: “T!!”

It was pretty easy to tell that Usagi was very upset.

Usagi: “My knight in green armor… reduced to a gardening tool!”

Ellis: “I can’t let the others see him like this; they’d go ape! Tell me, is there any way to reverse this?”

Doctor: “Beg pardon?”

Ellis: “It is a status affliction, like you said, right? Things like that can be cured! Poison, Paralysis, Oily, and Undead; they’re all curable! But can this be…?”

“Ah yes, it is possible. In the woods outside this village, there’s an area where you can find the remedy. It is called a Tapioca Toadstool.”

Ellis: “?”

“It’s a rare type of mushroom. Many have sought it out for its healing properties.”

Ellis: “Then I guess I’ll go and get it.”

Usagi: “You’d better!”

Ellis :“You’re saying this as if it’s my fault!”

Usagi: “I know it isn’t! I’m just so worried about T.”

Ellis: “I am too. So let’s go, Usagi; that Toadstool thingy won’t find itself.”

Usagi: “Oh no, I’m staying here… with T.”

She seemed really intent on what she said…

Ellis: “Fine, I can look for it myself!”

Doctor: “I see. Good. On a side note…”

Ellis: “What is it?”

“I’ve been hearing rumors about something in the woods… unsavory rumors…”

Ellis: “H-how unsavory?”

The doctor then pulled out a large scroll, hung it up next to the Chief, and unraveled it, revealing a picture of possibly the most scariest-looking beast ever drawn! It seemed to have its mouth opened wide as someone tried to escape from its claws!

Ellis: “Aah! What is that thing?!”

Doctor: “Some say this is the monster that dwells within the secluded part of the forest… Rumor has it that those who dare to venture in…”

Usagi: “Yeah?”

“…Have had their bones broken, their innards turned into Tuesday Surprise, their flesh stripped and used for kites, and their eyeballs replaced with googly eyes… not a fashionable way to go…”

Ellis: “…”

“And the only way to escape from the pain of it all is to resign oneself to the release of having their game ended… so to speak…”

Usagi: “Man, that’s gnarly… well, good thing you’re so brave to do this, Lady Ellis! Huh?”

Usagi turned to see me huddled in a corner, completely white with fear.

Ellis: “…”

Usagi: “Well, get up! You have to go in there and get the cure, right?”

Ellis: “…”

Usagi: “T will most likely remain this way if you don’t go, right?”

Ellis: “…”

Usagi: “You’re doing this for T, right?”

Ellis: “…”

Usagi: “YOU’RE HIS FRIEND… RIGHT??”

Ellis: “…Ohh…”

She was right, no matter how scared outta my wits as I was, I had to do this for him.

Chief: “Hm, she’s afraid for her life, yet the plight of her friend is forcing her to move. How commendable.”

Doctor: “Mmm, yeah, but she’s so terrified, it doesn’t even look like she can even attack should an event arise! Sadly, I am no psychiatrist.”

“Oh dear… well good luck to her…”

Regardless of what they said, I walked outside; still afraid and still shaking like an N64 Rumble Pak.

“Why, hello Lady Ellis, how are you today?”

Ellis: “…”

Nothing could get me to talk.

“Wow, what’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare or something?”

It felt more like I saw something that came out of one…

Ellis: “…”

“Poor thing. You know if you’re feeling uneasy, go to that house over there. There’s a little kid who lives there; he reads a lot of books, and I mean a lot! Maybe talking to him will put your mind at ease.”

Ellis: “…”

Saying nothing, I walked over to the aforementioned house. A little girl was standing outside.

Little Girl: “Didja hear? Didja hear?”

Ellis: “…”

“Eddie, the boy who lives here, is trying his hand at hypnosis!”

Ellis: “…”

“It’s true, I tell you! He made a dog act like a chicken, a chicken act like a pig, and my daddy act like a monkey whenever I clap three times! It’s so funny!”

Ellis: “…”

“You don’t talk much, do you, miss? Go ahead! Go see him!”

I went in.

Inside I saw a boy sitting atop a pile of books.

“Oh, hello!”

His glasses were much thicker than T’s.

“I get it, you came cause my friend said I’m good at hypnotizing people, huh?”

Ellis: “…”

“You’re positively white with fear… You should calm down… I know!”

He pulled out a book and started reading it aloud. It felt like he started to drone on and on and on… rather than feeling scared, I felt bored… so much in fact, I dozed off.

“There! You’re all calm! Now then… hmm… your hair sure is a pretty shade of green.”

He thought for a moment…

“Green… green… I know! You’re probably obsessed with Sir T, aren’t you? You were so scared… aha! I’ll make you brave, like T! Just don’t tell Usagi I did this, cause I know she likes him lots!”

Eddie pulled out a swirly-looking disc. Without knowing, I opened my eyes and looked at it. It reminded me of the ‘dizzy dial’ back at White Tiger Grove.

“Okay, look into the swirl… pay heed to the swirly… um, swirliness!”

I couldn’t take my eyes off it…

You are becoming like T…

You are becoming like T…

You like green…

You swing a hammer…

You wear glasses…

You are almost T…

But not nearly T…

Okay, now nearly T…

“And… hah!”

Eddie then threw a colorful smokescreen at me!

POOF!

Ellis: “(Cough, cough!)”

“There! All done!”

Ellis: “Huh?”

“You don’t think it worked? Look in the mirror!”

The second I stepped to the mirror…

Ellis: “Huh? Whoa!”

My hair may have been green, but it looked like my reflection was wearing a green shirt, blue jeans, and glasses!

“You are T.”

Ellis: “Wow, what’d I do with my hair?? Wasn’t it brown? I must’ve dyed it…”

“Well, that’s it!”

I left the house.

Ellis: “What was I doing now? Oh yeah! I’ll go see what Usagi’s up to!”

I headed back to the Chief’s house.

Usagi: “Hey, what’re you doing?”

Ellis: “Huh?”

Usagi: “Don’t tell you were so scared, you wet your pants and forgot! You have to head to the deepest part of the forest and find the Tapioca Toadstool!”

Ellis: “Um, what for?”

Usagi: “Ugh, to cure him!”

Ellis: “But that’s a scarecrow.”

Usagi: “That’s the problem! Now go!”

Ellis: “Okay, okay!”

As I left, she thought to herself…

Usagi: “She has a strange look in her eyes… it reminds me of… T…”

I headed back out and went to the village entrance.

“Oh, Lady Ellis, you’re leaving already? Where is Sir T?”

Ellis: “T’s right here. I’m T.”

“Huh? Oh, you must be role-playing; pretending, even!”

Ellis: “I’m not pretending! I’m T.”

“Um… did Sir T whack you with his hammer by accident??”

Ellis: “I don’t hit myself with my own hammer. I’m just heading out to look for a mushroom. A Tapioca Toadstool.”

“But that’s where…! How brave.”

Ellis: “Don’t worry, I’ll whack any monster with my hammer!”

“You mean your daggers…”

Ellis: “No, I mean my hammer.”

After I went off, the guards said to one another,

“Are all of Sir T’s friends that weird?”

“I have no idea, dude.”

So now I’m off to find a rare mushroom. But why exactly are we going to use it on a scarecrow? And why am I reminded so much of me when I see it?