The Raccoons: The Next Generation--Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Ringtail City, the capital of Procyon, was a safe haven for all denizens of the planet. Also, it was the last city left standing--after the Imperial Commander took over the planet and demolished all the other existing cities, the authorities made neccesary precautions to ensure that the same thing doesn't happen to their home base. With that, a large barricade was built around Ringtail City and its surrounding areas; as extra protection, members of the Ballistic Commando Unit were sent to patrol and defend its borders, serving as security guards to keep out enemies.

In the office of Ringtail City Hall, a portly middle-aged male raccoon with straight ears and bent nose was sitting at his desk, looking over the news of the day. He was about to take a sip of his coffee when a young female voice flowed in through the intercom, saying, "Mayor Blackpaw..."

Startled, the raccoon accidentally spilled a bit of the coffee on his suit; he was about to fuss at his secretary for interrupting his daily morning ritual, but he just sighed and decided to answer. He muttered, "I'm here, Miss Hubble. What is it?"

"Captain Blackhole has returned from his mission at the fortress," the voice went on. "He wants to see you right away."

"Let him in."

The automatic doors opened and Captain Blackhole stepped into the office. The injuries he received due to his scuffle with the bear guards at the fortress were present, but fortunately he was still alive. Mayor Blackpaw smiled and said, "Ah, there you are. How did the mission go? Did they rescue the professor yet?"

"Yes," replied Captain Blackhole wearily. "And they've gone to Earth even as we speak. They will come back once they've picked up the volunteer."

"And, that volunteer is...?"

He took out a folder and tossed it onto the mayor's desk; when it was opened, a holographic image of Justice appeared. He continued, "This is the person who offered to assist us in overthrowing Imperial Commander Sneer and liberating our planet. His name is Justice Raccoon, a young resident of the Evergreen Forest."

"Justice Raccoon...Justice...a very promising name indeed..."

"Well, it was said he was given that name because of what his parents had gone through, which happened long before he was born. Need I mention the infamous Ringtail incident?"

Mayor Blackpaw turned the page and another hologram, this time of the front page of the Evergreen Standard, appeared. "This shows the news of a trial held in Edmonton eighteen years ago, which ended with two individuals--David and Delilah Blackmask by name--put in jail for not only being accomplices for Astor Ringtail of Ringtail Works, but also for their involvement in the kidnapping of Lisa Raccoon. Their motive was to break up the relationship between Bert and Lisa; David would have Lisa back and Delilah would get rid of Bert, and be financially supported."

"It was quite lucky one of those two managed to stop them in time. Besides, if that ever happened, the prophecy would never have been fulfilled and we would've become the Imperial Commander's slaves for life."

Closing the folder, Mayor Blackpaw reached into his desk drawer and took out an ancient scroll...a long and ancient one, to be exact. He continued, "Dea gave me this scroll when she first joined the Raccoon Special Forces a couple of years ago; she said the prophecy was written by the elders of the starcoon race, way back when their empire existed alongside ours. Here it dictates what is to be expected of this Justice Raccoon..."

From the light of the Lost Star a child comes forth
He shall be brave, strong, and true
Kith and kin stand by his side
To assist in giving the foul one his due

All must come together as one
To vanquish the Hook-Face
While his tyrannical empire falls
A new one, our own, shall take its place

The weary universe shall be renewed once more
The chains over Procyon be burst
Mankind and animals peacefully unite
To rid their world of the aardvark's curse

Young ones who hear this message
This prophecy you must heed
The next generation must be born
In order for it to succeed

"This is quite a very interesting prediction there," said Captain Blackhole. "To defeat the Imperial Commander, they have to work together. Isn't that what it means?"

Mayor Blackpaw shook his head, as he rolled the scroll back up. "I'm not so sure. The elders could be wrong. Not all prophecies come true with a happy ending, you know."

"Whatever it is, we may have to see for ourselves whether or not the starcoon prophecy is accurate, even if it's for the sake of securing the lives and fates of both Procyonians and Earthlings. Speaking of which, Mayor Blackpaw, there's something else I think you should see..."

Soon, they were in a laboratory, hidden within the headquarters of the Raccoon Special Forces. A female raccoon in a lab coat led Mayor Blackpaw and Captain Blackhole to one of the rooms that had cryogenic hibernation chambers; there she gestured to three of them that held a human adult and two human children. She said, "We rescued these three specimens from a severe snowstorm in southwestern Canada back in the winter of early 1987. According to the information received from their DNA samples, the identities of the humans are revealed to be Ranger Daniel Rupert Holmes and his two children Julie and Tommy. They have been in a state of deep hibernation for nearly 26 years now; we'll wake them up when their energy levels, which were at an all-time low when we first discovered them, have returned to normal."

"Do you think they'll be aware of the prophecy that's about to come to pass?" asked Mayor Blackpaw.

The raccoon shook her head, gazing at a young blonde-haired human girl, peacefully sleeping in the hibernation chamber and oblivious to what was going on outside. "Not that they'll know about it. The old sheepdog who used to live with them...it will only be a matter of time until they learn of his true nature. That he can walk and talk like they do...and that he now dwells among the Chosen One's relatives and close friends. If they do, we must give them time to adjust to what they see and hear in this time and place. Until that day comes...they must rest..."

The three raccoons gazed at all three hibernation chambers, in a sort of silent vigil. Then Mayor Blackpaw and Captain Blackhole left the lab; the female raccoon was now the last one standing alone in the lab. She was proud of having rescued the three humans from the biting cold of the snowstorm on earth--once they awaken to realize what had happened while they were asleep, there will come a day when the residents of the Evergreen Forest will be introduced to humans for the very first time. The raccoon sighed, before closing her eyes and mentally uttering a prayer.

"O Wise and Great One of the Galaxies, heed my plea. Watch over these three humans, so that they'll soon know what we know about the prophecy of the Chosen One..."

After that, she turned out the lights and exited the lab. Oh, what a day that will be...when humans and animals of Evergreen coexist side by side to triumph over the evil that is Imperial Commander Cyril Sneer.