The next morning came by looking much more sunny and beautiful than the night before. Petra and Cloud arrived at Eden's place about an hour after she woke up and got herself together, and they quickly explained to Cloud what was going on before they prepared to leave. The pup was still slightly confused, but at the same time...he enjoyed traveling with Petra, especially if that meant he could get away from Ivor. Eden shoved her swords in her holsters before grabbing the dimension hopper and charging it up. "Are you sure you don't need anything else? Food, water, extra underpants, maybe?" Nightshade asked. Eden chuckled, and patted the master thief on the back. "Nightshade, you worry too much." She said. "We've been there before, the worst we could come back with is a couple of wounds." "Plus, the Horned Birds should have any additional items that they may need." Ham added. Nightshade gave a sigh, and shrugged. "Alright, but who's going to be in charge while you're gone?" He asked, as Eden gave a devious smile. "You, of course."
"What?! You promised me that I'd be in charge!" Clay suddenly blurted out. "Yeah, I lied to get you back for stealing my diamond sword in Minecraft yesterday morning." Eden said. "That was a pretty low move there, Clay. Especially because Eden was so depressed." Devan added. "Besides, Nightshade is team deputy." Clay did what he calls a "tear rolling down the face" gesture, as Eden hugged Nightshade goodbye. "Be careful, okay? We don't need any of our loved ones dying." He said. "Not the best thing to say with Cloud around, but we won't lose anyone this time." Eden said. Nightshade gave her a nod, and she fired a portal to the Imagination Dimension. "You ready?" Petra asked. "As ready as I'll ever be." Eden replied. "What about you, Cloud?" The little pup gave a tiny shrug as he stood up from where he was sitting. "I guess..."
"Then let's do it." Eden said. With that, the three were off...to potentially save the day again.

Ten minutes later...

After some time, the other side of the portal opened...and out came Eden, Petra, and Cloud. They immediately recognized that they were close to the Horned Bird village, making their job slightly easier...as they no longer needed to look for a place to stay for the night. Eden quickly scented their surroundings before giving a nod that confirmed that there was no danger nearby, and they began to tread through the dense forest. "For some reason, I'm beginning to get the feeling that we did pack lightly for this trip." Eden said, breaking the silence. "What's the point of carrying our weight, when the village provides half the things we need?" Petra retorted. "Now if it's weapons you're worried about, don't sweat it...because I brought this." She pulled a large syringe filled with purplish-blue liquid out of her inventory, and Eden noticed that it was the serum that she used to turn herself into a werewolf if needed. "Mmm, you sure you want to be transforming every night we're here?" She asked. "Might not be the most comfortable experience."
"Don't worry about that, I let Tails change how often I transform...which is only going to be when I'm angry." Petra explained. "Well, let's hope that no one pushes your buttons, then." Eden said. A few moments after Eden finished her sentence, she picked up a familiar scent...that signaled that they were already pretty close to the village. "We're close." She said. "Let's pick up the pace." They started to speed up, with their spirits high and ready to go. Until...swoosh! They were swept up into what looked like a net trap set up for intruders. Cloud was the first to panic, as he had clung to Petra for protection...as if he thought they were under attack. "Aah! What's happening?!" He cried with a shaky voice. "Calm down, it's just a net." Eden replied, now checking her surroundings again. "Okay...can you tell us why we're in the–"
"Arrrgh! That's what you get you stupid Helldo– oh, hey guys!" The voice was Bucky's, whom had sprung out of the bushes with his tiny knife in paw...looking ready to fight, before he saw that the intruders were not really intruders. "Bucky?! What the heck is this all about?!" Eden said, raising her voice a bit. "Oh, roight, sorry about that." Bucky said, rubbing the back of his neck. "This was supposed to be a trap, for any Helldogs that make the wrong choice of setting paw in our village. But don't worry, I'll cut you down." He climbed up the tree and onto the branch where the net had been hung, and sawed through it until he heard the thud of it's victims fall to the ground below. "So what brings you here? Is there something wrong?" Bucky asked. "You're aware of the return of the Helldogs, right?" Eden asked, dusting herself off. "That's why this trap is here, yes." Bucky replied. "Don't you think that they looked a little too intimidating...y'know, even after Eden took over the pack?" Petra asked, as Bucky nodded. "Yeah, it's almost as if Alpha Scorchclaw never died."
"Alpha Scorchclaw?" Eden asked. "Yes, that's his name. You never really called him by it." Bucky replied. "But anyway, after the incident that happened day before yesterday, Cyril has put the village on high alert...just in case Scorchclaw decides to send his pack on a raid. Follow me, I'll show you." Bucky scurried off through the bushes with Eden, Petra, and Cloud following behind. Once they reached the well-known village, they realized how accurate Bucky was with one glance. What once looked like normal village patrons were now soldiers ready to got to battle. A few of them were pushing and shoving past each other to get to whatever station they were assigned to, and it got increasingly annoying the more the gang thought they were gonna get trampled. "Wow." Eden said. "There's a big difference in activity compared to the last time we were here."
"Yeah, but don't pay it much attention. It should start to calm down once everyone knows you've arrived. Until then, go ahead and settle down for a bit...I'll tell Cyril that you're here." Bucky said. They gave him a nod of approval before he scurried off again, and went to the one room hotel type thingy that they stayed in during their last visit. "Finally...we haven't even been doing any real quests and this harness is already starting to kill me." Eden said, taking off the harness that held her swords. "So why'd we come here first? I was thinking that we'd head to Helldog territory for answers out of them."
"Well, for starters, I don't feel comfortable with bringing Cloud everywhere this time around. Is that okay with you, Cloud?" Petra asked, as Cloud nodded. "After everything that's been happening, I'll just leave it to the adventurers." He said. "Okay, and the other reason?" Eden asked. "I suspect that the Helldogs aren't the only ones with answers, not to mention that they probably won't crack so easily. So lucky for you, I've dealt with a not-so-similar mystery before...and Detective Petra and her feline security guard Eden Walker are ready to interrogate the suspects." Petra said. Eden raised an eyebrow as she sat down on one of the beds. "What suspects? The Horned Birds are innocent, if I didn't know any better!" She said. "Yes, but there's no denying that they know something. Bucky told me that word gets around fast in this dimension, and I wouldn't be surprised if this whole village is hiding a secret of their own. So are you in on this, or what?" Petra asked. After taking a brief moment to think about it, Eden nodded and stood up. "Security guard Eden Walker is now on duty."

Some time later...

At some point, Eden and Petra had asked Cyril if he could lend them a vacant hut to use as an interrogation room...and they rounded up a few villagers and had them line up in a cue outside. Once they got the table and chair set up, Eden looked to Petra for directions. "Bring in our first victim." She said. Eden dipped her head, signaling that she understood. "Yes, ma'am." She went outside and brought in their first suspect, who happened to be the village messenger, Apollo. He sat down in the chair, looking more nervous than a mouse who discovered that a predator was nearby. "I'm telling you guys, I don't know anything!" He blurted out. "Why would I even want to tangle with any of the Helldogs?!" Petra gave Apollo a comforting pat on the back, as Eden leaned up against the wall. "Calm down, Apollo, I didn't even ask you any questions yet." Petra said. "And you're not in any trouble, just tell us if you've heard anything about the Helldogs' return. If you legit don't know anything, that's fine...we'll move on to the next suspect." Eden added. After a little bit of uncertainty, Apollo took a deep breath and started to spill the beans. "Okay, I do know that Verona has recruited them to do his dirty work...but I don't know how he managed to convince them that they could be strong and powerful again." He explained. "Do you know how Verona came back to life in the first place?" Petra asked. "No, I don't. That predicament has gotten everyone in these parts confused." Apollo replied, as Petra nodded. "Thank you for your time, Apollo. You may go." The shaky bird immediately sprung up from out of his seat. "Yes! Thank you, thank you." He said. Eden got Petra's attention with a flick of her tail. "Shall I bring in the next one?" She asked. Petra nodded, and the tigress briefly went outside and brought in the next Horned Bird. Usually when the gang visited the village, they often saw this bird hanging out on the sidelines. Cyril said his name was Denver, and he always looked that sketchy...giving Petra even more of a reason to call him a suspect. She gestured for him to sit down, and his response was a gruff snort. "Your name is Denver, correct?" Petra asked. "Yes." Denver replied. "What's it to ya?" Petra narrowed her eyes as a result of the bird's attitude. "Do you know anything about the Helldogs' return?" She asked. "No, I don't. Why exactly should I care?" Denver replied, rather hastily. "Why should you–? Why wouldn't you care? Those dogs could be a threat to your village!" Petra said. Denver actually cracked a smirk, and crossed his wings as well as putting his feet on the table. "You make a very good point, little girl." He said. "And all I want to do, is get away from the danger. But the old fool who calls himself chief thinks we should stay and defend ourselves, when we can't do squat. So while this village gets torn to pieces, I'll be flying across the land...looking for a new home. Free from these stupid birds for good."
"Wait, so you really don't give a crap about what happens to your people? Your family, friends, the ones you grew up with?" Eden asked. "Maybe I would, if we migrated to a safer place years ago. But if they want to keep making bad decisions, fine. I can't do anything to change it...except make my own choices." With that, Denver stood up...and left the room without another word. Eden and Petra watched him go, asking no further questions due to not wanting to deal with the bird's horrible attitude for any longer. "This is why I don't like interrogating people." Eden said. "I knew that there was going to be at least one nasty person in this group that we rounded up."
"Well, hopefully the others will be willing to give us what we ask for. Bring in the next one." Petra said. Before Eden could actually go back outside, the sound of the door creaking could be heard...and in came  Lavender, Cyril's mate and co-chief of the village. "Sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to tell you that all this isn't really necessary." She said. "I can give you any information that you may need." Eden and Petra both crossed their arms, and shortly gave Lavender a nod of approval. "We're all ears." Petra said, as the co-chief nodded. "So at some point after the incident, Cyril told me that he overheard a few Golden Rhino Clan members talking about Verona's return." She began, giving a quick glance back to make sure no one was listening. "They said that they saw someone sneak into Verona's lair holding something shaped like a star, and there was a huge flash of light before they discovered that Verona was alive and well. As if you never killed him. As for the Helldogs, we suspect that Alpha Scorchclaw is alive. It's the only thing that would explain their power." "No...no way. I killed Scorchclaw with my own brute strength, fair and square." Eden said. Lavender gave a small shrug. "I'm just saying, if Verona's alive...I wouldn't be surprised if Scorchclaw is too. Your powers might be a bit faulty, Eden."
"FAULTY? Now, who are you calling faul—"
"Eden...your hostility is unnecessary." Petra said, grabbing Eden's arm to stop her from starting an argument. The tigress backed down, grumbling something to herself as she flattened her ears. "Do you know who was sneaking down in Verona's lair with the black star?" Petra asked, referring back to the conversation. "I'm sorry, I do not. But I'm sure you two will solve the mystery in a heartbeat." Lavender said, as Petra gave her a nod. "Thanks, Lavender. Can you let us know if you have anymore information?"
"I sure can, but until then...good luck on your quest." Lavender replied. She left the building, leaving the girls with just about enough information. "My powers are not faulty..." Eden grumbled through gritted teeth. "Speaking of which, what was that all about?" Petra asked. "You looked like you were about to pounce if I hadn't stopped you!" Eden gave a small sigh in response. "It's just that...I don't understand why Scorchclaw would be alive, after I nearly decapitated him with my own jaws. Not to mention Verona, who was brought back to life after being stabbed by my Wither Swords. I just hope my powers aren't fading." She said. "Eden, your powers are not fading." Petra stated, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You think that with the Witherstorm's spirit locked up inside your body, your powers would just dissipate without a logical explanation? And even if it does, you still have your powers from being Ultimate Portal Master."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll have to remember that." Eden said. "So now what?" Petra asked. "We have all the information we need, should we head to the mountain and confront Verona?" Eden shook her head, suddenly remembering one extra person who was involved in the incident regarding the Wolfdragon pack. One person...that really got on her nerves. "Not yet, there's someone else who I want answers from." Eden said. "Really? Who is that, exactly?" Petra asked. The tigress' response was a evil smirk. "I want you to hop to the Warriors dimension real quick..." she said.
"And bring me Darkstripe."

A few minutes later...

Sooner or later, Eden heard a portal reopen in the room, and in came Petra holding Darkstripe by the scruff of his neck. "Unhand me, you filthy Twoleg!" He yowled, as he squirmed about. Petra tossed him on the table. "Here's the pussycat." She said. "Any further orders, Stripestar?" As soon as he heard who his kidnapper was talking to, Darkstripe scrambled to his paws. Eden stepped out of the dark side of the room, her devious smile still glued to her face. "That will be all, Stonetail. Thank you." She said. "S-Stripestar! You...you want to speak to me?" Darkstripe asked. Stepping closer, Eden nodded. "Do you know why...I did that to your face?" She gestured to the scars stretched across his face. "No, Stripestar...I don't. But I still love you, no matter what mistakes you made!" Darkstripe replied. "It was no mistake, Dirtstripe." Eden said, hastily. "I didn't want to do it, you know. But you once again took the life of someone innocent...someone who you shouldn't have had any concern with." Darkstripe said nothing, and looked into the distance to try and get his thoughts together. "Heck...I would've killed you." Eden continued. "But I had bigger problems to worry about, so that's the worst that I could possibly do at the time."
"But Stripestar...you don't understand! That dragon and his dogs, they made me do it!" Darkstripe finally piped up. "LIES! You came up to me with the stupidest grin on your face and said 'hey, Stripestar, did you see that kill? Pretty magnificent, huh?'" Eden snapped. "I didn't say those exact words..." Darkstripe retorted, looking down at the ground. "Well, you said something similar to it." Eden growled. "But actions speak louder than words. What you did was unacceptable...and I want to know why it happened." There was a short moment of silence, until the dark warrior sighed. "Okay, I did do it to impress you...but clearly, it didn't. But I know you will forgive me! You have the heart of a lion, Stripestar...and if you love your Clan, you can love me. Right?" At that point, Darkstripe was so in over his head that Eden's menacing stare wasn't even enough to phase him. "A tiger does not have the heart of a lion." She said. "Please dispose of this trash, Petra." Petra grabbed Darkstripe's scruff again, as Eden opened a portal to his world. "Ugh, finally. I don't know how much longer I can listen to this fur ball." Petra said. She tossed him through, and the last thing they heard was a yowl as he flew through the trippy form of transportation. Smacking her hands together, Petra turned to Eden for further orders. "Let's get our things." Eden said. "It's time to confront Verona."