Friends- Chapter seven

Chapter 7

They shop at the store of doom

"Okay, that was scary,"  admitted Chyta.
Thinacy was shivering harder than a naked mole rat outside in a  December blizzard, and Kimcy was still huffing shakily.
"A-a-alright, everybody," said Kimcy, rather quietly, "I know a clearing not far from here we can go to.  It's kind of like a forest oasis."
 "O-okay," Chyta and Thinacy agreed.
They started walking in the direction Kimcy pointed.
Ugh, thought Thinacy.  Oh how in the SunArmonian world did I get myself into this? 
Kimcy's thoughts were:   By the Lady Lamina, why oh why didn't I go home when I had the chance?
Chyta thought, Princess Gninthghil!   (Nin-thil)   WHAT is wrong with me?  Oh, those loony, raving idiots, falling in my birthday cake!
"I don't know about you, but personally I've had enough adventures for once!"  claimed Thinacy.
"Then go home!" suggested Chyta.
"I don't have one to go to anymore," said Thinacy softly.
"Oh."  Chyta was silent for the rest of the walk.
They reached a large bunch of trees.  "In here," said Kimcy.
In they went and...
"By the Princess Ria."  Chyta had never cursed before, but now seemed the perfect time to do it.
 Thinacy was speechless.
"This is your clearing?"  Chyta asked Kimcy, angrily.
"What happened?" Kimcy whispered, horrified. 
 It was not a clearing at all, but a LARGE HUMAN BUILDING!
They all dropped to the ground, stealthily.
The ground was dry and barren.  Smoke filled the air, as did the horrible stench of human.
Chyta shuddered.
Thinacy took one sniff and wrinkled her nose.  "Why'd you take us here, for Paradise's sake?"
Kimcy spoke in a hushed voice.  "This was where I lived, when I ran away from home... it was a beautiful oasis, blessed by Lady Rewolf and Lamina.  Who could have done such a thing, without getting cursed?"
Suddenly, an eerie song filled the air.
Thinacy stood up, her pupils growing wider and wider.  Her body turned more rigid, an unnatural smile coming on to her face and staying there.
"No!  Don't listen to it!" exclaimed Chyta through gritted teeth.  Chyta put her paws over her ears, Kimcy following pursuit. 
"Why not? What's wrong with a little... music?"said Thinacy.
Her voice had an un-Thinacy-ish twang to it.  It was almost like 3 Thinacies were talking at once.  She sounded more... ROBOT than human.
Kimcy took her paws off of her ears for a few seconds, stood up, and followed the how-Thinacy-turned-robotic procession: the pupils, the rigid body, the smile, the denial, the voice tripling.
It was all Chyta could do not to fall prey.
Then Chyta had an inspiration.  She army-crawled over to Thinacy's 'magic bag', searched for a while, and, finally, found a bit of spare paper.
She whispered a spell to it-  "Don't let any evil music take its heed on me."
"Evil supermarket," Chyta muttered.  "What next?"
She made earplugs out of it, stuck them in her ears, and pretended to succumb to the power.
The music stopped.  A voice as freaky as the music came on the loudspeaker on the outside of the store.
It was a HUMAN girl's voice.
"Come in," it said slowly, eagerly.
Chyta's friends walked jerkily towards the store.  Chyta followed suit.
Inside, at the front desk, sat 3 HUMAN women.
One was a Caucasian blonde with a hot pink dress, and two of the women were African-American, with long black hair, dark skin, and electric blue dresses, and were younger, about 16 years younger.
Chyta would notice later that the elder had pointed, if not yellow, teeth.
"My name is Chyarata, but call me Chy," said the blonde in the same eerie voice as came from the speaker. 
"Hello Chy," Thinacy and Kimcy said, one after the other.
 Chyta copied.  "Hello Chy."
"And this is Kimmie, and Thinnalla," said Chyarata, nodding to the African-Americans in turn.
Kimmie and Thinnalla each said, "Hi," in turn, when they were nodded to
Chyta noticed that while Kimmie and Thinnalla talked in the same voice as Kimcy and Thinacy,  Chy's voice sounded creepy and free talking as you please.
Maybe Chy had them under her spell, too?
Chyta shivered at the thought.
"Now, may I help you three young ladies?"  Chy leaned across the desk.  "Thinacy, Kimcy, and Chyta, wasn't it?"  She spoke with a French accent, pronouncing Chyta's name Shyta.
"We'd like to see some of the lovely objects..."  Thinacy began.
"...that you have for sale here," Kimcy finished.
"Please,"  added Chyta.
"Well well," sneered Chy, getting up from her swivel chair.
Chyta could see that, evidently, things were going Chy's way.
"Stay here, girls," she said confidently to Kimmie and Thinnalla.
"Yes Madame Chyarata,"  they said, and Chyta sensed a bit of fear and uncertainty in them.
She gave them a passing wink as she walked by, throwing them some paper earplugs.
They looked at the earplugs, and then at Chyta.
"Put them on," she whispered.
They put them on, and Chyta could see the spell go off them.
They waved their thanks to Chyta's back.
Chyta smiled, and walked quicker to catch up to Chy and the others.
"We'll start from the top and work our way down, I think," said Chy gleefully.
They got to the elevator.   They went in and Chy pushed the 5th Floor button.
Thinacy was reading a paper brochure that Chy had given her.
She was currently looking at the
ON THE FLOORS... page.
It said...

5th Floor

Potions and Poisons

4th Floor

Swords and  Spears

3rd Floor

Shields and Armor

2nd Floor

Bombs and Battle axes

1st Floor

Cannons and Magic

Ground Floor

Front desk, Scariest Additions* and Arena

*Note:  Scariest additions have three weeks until moved to their normal categories.  Any special requests ask Chyarata, front desk.

That was all that Chyta  read before Thinacy shooed her away.
"O-okay,"  muttered Chyta.  "Definitely the evil supermarket."  
Chyta tried to look as if she didn't know anything, but it was VERY hard.  
Theoretical explanations ran through her mind, each as silly as the last.
Fake brochure?  Magical trick?  Just a dream?  If it is, it's probably a nightmare.  Too sleepy to understand?  Eyes playing trick on me? Could I be reading it wrong?  How did I read it in the first place?  I can't read!  Can I?
Little did Chyta know, she could very well read, surpassing her own self-expectations.
And this is important later.
The music was playing on the speakers.  
By some even stranger power, Thinacy and Kimcy were showing even more severe signs of dislike such as  moving farther and farther away from each other on the elevator until they got to the top floor.  
"Chy is building on their old grudges," guessed Chyta.
She would never have imagined this, but Thinacy and Kimcy were actually buying things!
To destroy each other, Chyta guessed.
On the 5th floor, Thinacy bought a logic potion that would make anyone believe what the one who drank it said, and Kimcy bought an orange-grey potion that would make a person afraid of any particular thing they were thinking of at the moment.
On the 4th floor, Thinacy bought a bronze sword, and Kimcy a spear that you could light on fire.
On the 3rd floor, Thinacy bought a silver shield, and Kimcy a set of armor.
On the 2nd floor, Thinacy bought a hand grenade, and  Kimcy a huge battle axe called 'The Striker'.
On the 1st floor,  Thinacy bought an Antimatter Cannon, and Kimcy a disappearing spell.
On the Ground floor, Thinacy bought a flamethrower, and Kimcy a poisoned dagger. 
And worse, they asked Chy for advice!
Chyta tried to to follow pursuit, but she just couldn't bring herself to buy anything from this store of doom.
Thinacy and Kimcy started heading for the arena.  
Chyta had no choice but to follow.
"I'm going to have to watch my best friends kill each other," she gulped.
On the arena, Thinacy brought out her shield and sword.  Kimcy brought out her armor and spear.
Chyta stepped into the middle of the arena, laying aside the temporary hazards of what she was doing.
"Wait!" she called frantically, eyes flitting from Chy to her friends, to Chy again.  "You're my friends!  You're friends with each other!"
She turned to Kimcy.
"Why do you think the unicorn turned you into a lioness?  To kill your friend?  One who saved you countless times?"
Chyta didn't know where the words came from, or how she knew them, but they poured out nonetheless.
"What does it matter if she's ruined your plans or been obnoxious, or argued?  Don't all friends?  She's still your friend as much as I, and I know that the real Kimcy would never do such a thing!"
 Then she whirled on Thinacy.
"Thinacy!  What are you doing!  It's not like you have to fight!  Why do you think you found Kimcy?  To kill her?  The same who protected you from certain death?  What does it matter if she acts like a know-it-all or misunderstands you, or bosses you around sometimes?  Don't all friends?  She's still you're friend as much as I, and I know the real Thinacy in there would never do this!"
Thinacy and Kimcy looked befuddled for a moment, but perhaps that was only side affects of Chy's being dumbfounded.
Chyta was about to yell in triumph when two soft, unfamiliar voices behind her whispered:
"Shh, not yet."
It was Kimmie and Thinnalla, the two African-Americans.
"We're going to sneak up on her, can you cause a distraction?"  whispered Kimmie.
Chyta nodded joyfully.
They snuck out of the room, probably to help themselves to Chy's weapons.
Chy recovered at the same time.
She regained her usual plaque-caked smile.
"Nice try, Chyta, but I think you're just going to have to sit back and enjoy the show!"  Her accent was stronger than usual.
She said:  "Roperio!" and shot magical pink ropes out of a wand from the 1st floor, and they attempted to tie up Chyta, but Thinacy jumped in front of her and ate them.
"Tastes like chicken,"  she remarked, her mouth full.
Kimcy laughed, Chyta echoed.
Chy screamed in rage, advancing on them and trapping them in a corner.  She raised her wand, but before she could do anything, Kimmie and Thinnalla burst in with wands, guns, bombs and poisons.
"DISIARMIA!" they shouted, and Chy's wand flew out of her hands.
Chy attempted to grab it back, but Kimmie shot it out of the air with an AK-47, and it crumpled into a heap of useless melted metal.
If Chy's scream was horrible when Thinacy ate the ropes, this was 100% worse. 
"Traitors!" she yelped.
"Not so."  Thinnalla shook her head.  "You are the WORST AUNT EVER!"
 She threw a paralyzing potion at Chy, and Chy was... well, paralyzed.  
"Quick, out!" hissed Kimmie, ushering them out the front door.  "C'mon, Thinnalla!"
"Coming!" Thinnalla yelped.  She jumped out the door, throwing a grenade behind her.
3...2...1... and EXPLOSION!

FIND THE NEXT PART, CHAPTER EIGHT, SOON