LNH: Hungry, Hungry Sabertooths! #16: "Fragments of Hope"

[Drew Nilium]

HUNGRY, HUNGRY SABERTOOTHS!
#16: "Fragments of Hope"
A tale of energy beings from space and their feelings, by Drew Nilium

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March 12th, 2020! Strange reports of a sabertooth tiger, loose in the LNHQ! No
one's ever heard of such a thing!

But Team Science Kiwi is too busy to worry about such things! The kiwis in
adorable labcoats are conducting an important experiment, piloting a tiny, kiwi-
sized flight.thingee which will give them significantly increased agency in the
conflicts their home gets pulled into!

Abigail the Science Kiwi pilots the thingee, performing loop-de-loops and
barrel rolls in the LNHQ's spacious auditorium, cleared out for testing day!
Looks like some kiwis *can* fly!

But her pride is shattered when she hears screams over the radio! Looking out
the cockpit window, she sees - the rumored sabertooth, racing towards her
compatriots!

Only seconds to act! She pulls a sharp turn, G-forces pulling at her tiny body,
and aims the nose of the flight-thingee at the tiger! "Ki-WIIII!"

THOOM! The impact knocks the tiger away - but leaves poor Abigail's body broken
in a pile of wreckage!

But before the light goes out of her eyes, a figure of pure light approaches
from above...

"O brave kiwi, you have done well. If you allow me to occupy your body, I shall
heal you, and we shall become one...."

Abigail accepts, and becomes like new - becoming the earth-bound savior of all
birdkind, ULTRAKIWI!

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April 22nd! UltraKiwi, in a pitched battle against the giant robotic sabertooth,
Vendoridon Megafatalis!

"KI-WATCH!" UltraKiwi makes the sign of the cross (SOMEHOW??) and shoots a
burst of energy right at the soda-kaiju!

It falls back, roaring, along Scavenger Avenue, but rolls to its feet and leaps
at UltraKiwi!

UltraKiwi does a forward flip, clearing Vendoridon Megafatalis and landing with
a THOOM! in RACCArthur Park, as the sabertooth crashes into an abandoned
warehouse!

This is her chance! UltraKiwi leaps on the sabertooth's back, and opens her
beak, letting motes of light float out, into Vendoridon Megafatalis's body,
pushing out the negative energy within!

Vendoridon Megafatalis roars, and glows, a cloud of noxious magical energy
floating out, its body shrinking down and folding up until Ven-Dorr lies on his
back in the half-collapsed warehouse.

"Uh... a little help?"

And watching from within LNHQ, within Multi-Tasking Man's body, UltraKiwi
Wondersock cackled. Two battles in two days *should* be nothing to a seasoned
veteran of the Aviary of Light. But the noosphere of the Loonivearth was still
recovering from the Neme.sys conjunction, and UltraKiwi's ability to draw on
the world's optimism was limited. Hu hu hu... if he kept sending monsters at
her, she would absolutely burn herself out, and the universes would be his!

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April 23rd. UltraKiwi rests.

The forcefield dome shimmers above her head. Like a cage...

The presence of Abigail is a comfort to the being of light. But she still feels
far too alone... in the Aviary of Light, she had sisters, brothers, cousins,
uncles, so much family... here, she is but one, and unknown. She wishes she had
a family here now.

She stretches her senses out into the noosphere of Earth, and she can feel the
same wish resounding... so many, cut off from so many others... alone, or in
small units... it is a slow, low suffering, but a suffering nonetheless.

She wishes for help, in her battles, and in her loneliness...

There is a sudden shadow on the roof, and she turns, light blazing in her
breast, ready for battle...

Ah. It's the human they call Ultimate Ninja. A strange one, layers of peace
upon chaos and chaos upon peace. But why is the human here?

UltraKiwi watches the Ultimate Ninja sit next to the small kiwi garden, and
assume the lotus position, hands on knees, palms up, perfectly still... until
she turns her head, to look at Abigail.

This is... an invitation. Then... can the Ultimate Ninja sense UltraKiwi within
Abigail, sense her needs? Or is it simply an offer of peaceful presence to one
who seems stressed?

Perhaps it does not matter. UltraKiwi senses no insincerity or faithlessness.
She hops off her perch, and forward, and up into the Ultimate Ninja's hand. She
settles into place, closing her eyes.

And for a while, neither of them is alone.

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Drew "all over the timeline at this point" Nilium