"We can walk~. We can fight~. But can we win?"

"I get it, Jessie..."

"I don't think you do. Cause if you did, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE!" Jessie threw her hands into the air, exasperatedly signaling to the empty expanse of sand and darkness. The only objects lighting their way being the stars in the sky.

"You can't hold that over me forever."

"I can and I will. I told you that they were too tough. But nooo, you're the big bad Sheriff Colton Domire. Undefeated and untouchable. If the cameras could see you now."

"I wasn't the one that said to get close. But you just had to use that weird turret of yours."

"You leave S.C.R.A.P.P.Y out of this."

The two siblings were at each other's throats. Jessie clawing at Colt while he held her back. Tyler silently observed the sibling spout. He had seen this a thousand times before, they would wear themselves out within the hour.

Tyler took a look at their surroundings. He couldn't find anything or anyone for miles. Nothing except the cacti, owls, and buzzards overhead. Tyler tried to concentrate on the horizon. His vision getting foggy as he strained his eyes. He could feel his head throbbing before he finally gave up.

He vacantly watched as Jessie chased Colt in a circle, "If you would just listen to me for once we could be back at home taking a nice hot bubble bath!"

"Yeah, I bet a girl as stinky as you would love a bath."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

Tyler facepalmed at the scene. He figured that they would be at this for another twenty minutes at least. He smacked his lips eyeing the cactus patch, 'Wonder how cactus juice tastes?'

He decided it'd be best to leave the siblings to their skwable. A large gust of wind whipped some sand in his direction but his goal remained unchanged. When he reached the cactus patch his first thought was to look for holes. He heard that desert wildlife would like to poke holes in the plants for them to drink from.

He individually inspected each cactus. Several had tiny holes within them but none of the holes produced any liquid. As he moved over to the last of the cacti he noticed one in the middle with a large red flower and a giant hole at the top. He figured that this one would at least be big enough to reach inside and cup some water.

When he got to the front he saw that the cactus had two matching holes on its front. The cactus was just slightly taller than him. Strangely wider than the rest but almost cute with its childish pudge. There was a third hole beneath the other two shaped like an oblong sphere.

"Haha... it has a face." Tyler slowly reached forward touching the cactus' front. He hissed in pain, "Sharp to the touch." He sucked on the tiny cut it left on his finger. He figured that this cactus was too sharp to try and drink from choosing to not risk digesting one of those deadly thorns.

As he walked away another gust of wind blew his way. Tyler shielded his eyes by turning away from the billows of dust. In the distance, he saw the same cactus with the three large holes shifting in the wind. It had one of its branches moving back and forth. From a distance, it looked like it was waving.

Tyler decided to have some fun waving back at the inanimate object before returning to his friends. He returned to find Jessie sitting on Colt's back pulling his arm backward. "Say you're sorry!"

"I'll burn in hell first."

Jessie wrenched on his arm. Tyler felt proud watching her take an idea out of his arsenal and putting it to such great use. Colt currently felt the sharp pain of his shoulder threatening to slip out the socket. "SAY IT!"

"NEVER!"

Tyler had seen enough, "Come on guys... my head is splitting and I don't wanna be out here all night."

Jessie and Colt turned to Tyler with anger in their eyes, "SHUT UP TY-"

Tyler was confused. Never had they stopped their team attack on him, "You okay?" The Domire duo had their eyes bugging out in his direction. They were completely silent, "You're creeping me out." There was no sound besides his strained breaths and the shifting sands around him.

Then he thought about it, why was the sand shifting? Jessie and Colt had stopped their fight and he was standing still. The wind had gone stale, so why was he hearing sand shift.

Colt slowly got up, "Tyler... whatever you do... don't... move."

Now Tyler was really scared. Why did he still hear sand shifting behind him? His curiosity was too strong. He slowly turned around, trying to find the source of the sound. He froze in fear at the revelation.

Behind him, walking on two stubby legs, was the five-foot, extra-thick cactus he waved goodbye to. The cactus had a bright, empty smile on its face as he stood directly in front of Tyler. The living cactus monster stretched out his two limbs, five fat stubby fingers attached to each branch giving them the look of large hands. Tyler was too mortified at the imagery to run from the danger.

Colt wrapped around Tyler's small waist rolling him backward away from the creature. Just as they rolled away the cactus slammed its arms shut. The sound of sharp needles sticking together and pulling apart sending shivers down their spines.

"The bloody hell is that?!"

Colt drew his gun racking it in the creature's direction.

"WAIT!" Jessie pushed the gun out of his hand.

"What are you doing?!"

"Stop trying to shoot all your problems away!"

"That is a problem that must be exclusively shot away!"

"Guys... GUYS!" they turned to Tyler. "It's coming!"

The cactus was slowly walking towards them, both its arms stretched out with a big goofy grin on what looked like a face. Colt quickly drew his other gun now standing up to meet the cactus.

Jessie jumped between the two holding her hands up at both of them, "STOP!"

They watched in confusion as the cactus monster stopped in its tracks. Colt slowly lowered his gun at his actions. The cactus monster looked confused, turning its head to the side. "It understands us?"

Jessie blew a giant breath of relief, "See... don't have to shoot all your problems away." Jessie decided to take the lead in this situation. Her first thought was understanding the creature. "Can you understand us?"

The cactus nodded.

"Okay... do you... want a hug?"

The cactus started to run in their direction with a giddy smile.

"NO!" the three cried halting its advance. "Okay, so that answers that question." Jessie could tell that this monster was not hostile, but he was the opposite of harmless. "Okay... weird... cactus... kid? You want a hug, right?"

The cactus nodded his head.

"Well, I don't think we can do that."

The cactus turned its head with confusion. Jessie started to understand.

"I can't give you a hug... but do you want a head pat?" This term seemed to interest the cactus. Jessie took out a cloth from her back pocket using it to cushion some of the pain from the sharp thorns on its head.

"Jessie! Stay the hell away from that thing."

They watched as the creature's eye grew wider. Like it had never been touched before in its life. The holes representing its eyes started to squint shut, the living plant seeming to relax under Jessie's touch. "See, it's harmless."

Colt and Tyler were stunned, "Good job... You befriended a monster."

"Wait so all that was real? I thought I was hallucinating." Tyler's pale palms felt awful clammy after that jumpscare.

Jessie continued petting the gentle beast. The cactus rocked back and forth under her grip. She couldn't help but smile at its giddy expression, "I think he's cute."

Colt begrudgingly shook his head picking up his revolvers. Jessie and Tyler seemed enamored by the strange creature. The two trying to find a part of its body that wasn't likely to puncture their skin. The strange large cactus seeming to laugh and play along with their antics. Colt was getting frustrated at the scene, "Hey!" The two children and one childlike creature gave him their attention. "In case you haven't noticed, we're still stranded. No way to get home. No sign of civilization for miles."

The strange cactus pointed its fingers into the distance. The group followed his hand but saw nothing but the night sky and sand. The cactus started to walk in the direction it was pointing. "The hell's he going?" The cactus turned around and stared at Colt, waving his hands at them.

"I think he wants us to come with him."

"No."

Jessie was flabbergasted, "Why not?!"

"There is no way in hell I am following a sentient cactus through the desert. We have to get home, there is no telling where he's gonna lead us."

Tyler stepped up to the plate, "That's true Mr. Domire sir... but do you have any better ideas?"

The two children stared at Colt for an answer. He turned around walking in a random direction. Jessie groaned, "If it looks like he might be up to something I'll let you shoot him."

Colt stopped in his tracks. He swiftly turned around with a grimace trudging up to Jessie, "Only so I can prove you all wrong and get rid of that thing."

The cactus put on a bright smile as it led the group. Tyler and Jessie skipping along beside him. Colt just trudging behind.

Their walk was long and androgynous. The night sky moving along the cosmos as they followed the cute cactus. Tyler leaned into Jessie, "So how do you think he's alive?"

"I have no idea... maybe he was made in a lab?"

"Then why's he out here?"

Jessie shrugged, "Field experiments?"

"Who gives a damn why he's here. I just want to find some normal people." Colt looked like a grumpy old man, his hands in his pockets as he followed along. He couldn't understand why they were so welcoming to the idea of a living cactus leading them to an unknown location. Childlike wonder? Whatever it was, it pissed him off.

Jessie ignored his grumpy mood redirecting the conversation, "Well I just want to know what we'll call him."

"Or her," Tyler chimed in.

Jessie looked ahead, "Hey Cactus kid!" The cactus stopped to look at the girl, "Are you a boy or a girl?" The cactus cocked its head like it was not sure how to respond or what the question even meant.

"I don't think it even knows... let's make it a boy."

Jessie countered the statement, "Well what if I want to make him a girl?"

"Why would you make it a girl?"

"Umm... the giant red flower on top its head."

Colt's dry voice chimed in, "A cactus' flower has both male and female parts. Its gender is ambiguous... but I want to make him a guy so I'm siding with Tyler."

"Dangit..."

"Sweet, now what do we call him." The team all pondered the statement for a second. The idea of naming a lifeform was a tricky subject. The name needed to resonate with their personality. Fit their character. "What about T2," the team looked perplexed by the idea. "For Tyler Two, since he's about my height."

"No." they both responded. Even the cactus shook his head.

Names started to fly off the top of their heads. Rolland, Victor, Santana, Zoran, Dominque, Chad; all these names landed flat on the ground, the cactus kid shaking his head as none seemed to catch his fancy.

Then Tyler had an idea. A short name, one that didn't take much time to say and didn't sound like a human's name. One that was both cute when you looked at his face but badass if you heard it in battle. "What if we called him Sp-"

"PAC!" Everyone turned to Jessie, "Pretty Adorable Cactus, Pac." The group let the idea simmer. Tyler decided to accept the name as it did seem appropriate. Colt not caring but thinking it had a nice ring to it. "What do you think, Pac?" The cactus scratched the underside of his mouth where his chin would be, pondering the idea. He smiled giving a thumbs up to the choice. "Alright then Pac. Where are we going?"

Pac looked off into the horizon. Getting excited at something deep to the left of them. They looked off into the distance trying to spot the difference in the scene. Tyler couldn't see anything different other than the sky meeting the ground sooner than from other angles. A peppering of what looked like foliage in the distance.

"Trees..." he said out loud. "Trees?" He started to understand what Pac was pointing to, "Trees!" Tyler ran into the distance screeching at the top of his lungs about the trees. Colt chased after him celebrating their potential salvation.

Jessie was a bit slower to join them. For several reasons; she understood the lack of information. Yes, they saw trees, but that did not guarantee civilization. Even if they rush to a forest, they would have to start a survival strategy. She looked around the empty dunes, it was better than their current situation.

She started to follow them until the distinct lack of footsteps confused her. She turned around to see Pac walking away slowly. "Pac!?" he turned around with a smile waving goodbye. "No, you can't just leave us." The cactus seemed confused by the statement, "You've been alone here haven't you?"

The cactus looked around the dunes.

"Aren't you lonely?"

He just shrugged his shoulders.

Jessie understood his thought process. He had grown complacent with solidarity, but she couldn't except leaving him alone. "Well not anymore." She pulled out her rag wrapping it around Pac's hand. "You're my friend now, and I never abandon my friends," she pulled him along chasing after the two boys.

She couldn't see his face as she tried to drag him along. The feeling of his sharp spines sticking through the fabric was dulled enough that she could sustain her grip. Had she turned around she would have cried, for behind her Pac's face was contorted into a pained grimace. His eyes closing shut while his mouth wobbled as if to cry out in pain. He immediately took his free hand to wipe the invisible tears away brandishing a bright smile just as Jessie turned back, smiling at him as they chased their companions.

As they came down a giant peak Jessie could see a flame on the horizon. A huge pyre with a smoke cloud that could reach the heavens. She grew excited, picking up her pace until she saw Colt and Tyler crouched behind a small mound. She slid down the hill with Pac behind her.

"The hell did you bring him for?"

"He's our friend, I wasn't leaving him behind."

"Friend? He's a cactus. He's just a guide to get us here."

Jessie pretended to put her hands around the area his ears would be, "He didn't mean that Pac." Colt blew off her ridiculous claims. He needed to decide their plan of action. He looked down by the pyre noticing movement along the edge. A beautiful green expanse of foliage slowly dying as it met the desert sand.

"People are socializing down there. Only problem, will they socialize with outsiders?" They all pondered the idea. If they were a hostile village, they would be destroyed by their raw numbers.

"Welp... Only one way to find out." Tyler vaulted over the dune walking towards the flames, his hands resting atop his head.

"Tyler! Get back here!" Colt demanded.

Tyler blew a gust of frustrated air, "Mr. Domire, we aren't gonna get anywhere just standing around. Either we go to the village and risk a fight or we just wander around the dunes. Potentially for days."

Colt and Jessie were astounded with the sound logic of the usually brash Brit. Colt grumbled following behind him, "These damn kids are gonna be the death of me."

"But Mr. Domire, didn't you almost get us killed in that chase?"

Colt bonked the boy on his head, "Shut up Tyler." Jessie tugged on Pac's hand trying to follow the boys. When she turned around Pac was lightly shaking. "Jess, you coming?"

"Yeah just go ahead of me." She turned back to Pac, "What's wrong?" Pac's face showed hesitation. She looked back at the giant pyre, "Have you been here before?"

Pac shook his head.

Jessie sighed in relief, 'So it's not dangerous.' She tried to pull him ahead but he refused to budge, "Are you scared?"

Pac nodded.

Jessie wasn't sure why or how he developed a fear of this village but this was their only sign of salvation. "Well there's no need to be afraid," she wrapped her clothed hand around his spiney fingers, "You got me."

Jessie watched as a bright smile stretched across his face. His eye holes closing shut as he nodded his head. They followed behind the two boys ready for the challenge ahead.