Hope

I stood underneath a giant thorny phantom plant that was covered in purple goop. I slept under this plant, ate under this plant, and cried under this ugly plant. I would have chosen any other place to live, but this was my only shelter from the remaining phantoms and the raining sludge. My mane and tail was a tangled mess, and my hooves were chipped and cracked. I sighed.

''I can't believe the war is over.. ''I thought. Yes, the ultimate war between animals and phantoms. The ugliest war ever seen in Jamaa, and possibly the last. The Alphas were tired of inoccent Jammers losing their lives to the phantoms. Three years ago, the Alphas gathered all the Jammers of Jamaa and declared war against the phantoms. Greely wanted to finish his research on the phantoms, but it was impossible to get all of Jamaa, plus the other Alphas, to abandon the plan just so he could finish his 'homework'. Thats how I thought of it back then. Now, I wish I had convinced the Alphas to give up the plan, instead of giving that speech that made everyone want to battle.

Anyway, the Alphas declared war on the phantoms. Almost all the Jammers of Jamaa wanted to fight. I was one of them. At first, we were winning. We all thought it would be easier than we thought, so we lowered our guard. And then, those horrible phantom kings made a genius plan.

The phantom kings sent thousands of phantoms and tons of huge phantom machines to attack us far away from the main eight lands of Jamaa. It was the biggest attack yet, so the Alphas sent almost the entire Jamaasian army along with me. While we were away, the phantom fortress stomped right into Jamaa! When the Jamaasian army heard of it, we were still battling the phantom kings army. The dreaded fortress went through Coral Canyons, Crystal sands, then straight into Jamaa township!

The remaining part of the Jamaasian army was no match for the fortress. By the time the fortress destroyed Jamaa township, the rest of the army had lost horribly to the phantoms and retreated back to Jamaa to drive the fortress away. When the phantom kings heard we were coming back, they had the fortress retreat from Jamaa, destroying Mount Shiveer in the process.

Thousands of lives were lost, and the only parts of Jamaa remaining were Sarepia, Kimbara and Appondale. The war lasted two and a half years, but now, all of Jamaa is destroyed. We may have won, but all that's left is a dry desert covered with phantom plants and goop. I've been sitting under this thorny plant for six months, only leaving to get food and water. Honestly, I think more Jammers have died after the war than during the war.

I sighed again, looking down at my cracked hooves. Cold phantom goop dripped onto my tangled mane. Phantom goop isn't normally cold... I thought. I looked at my mane, and gasped. No, it wasn't goop, it was water. In the distance I heard the crack of thunder, and instantly rain poured from the sky. For the first time in forever, I stood up and crawled out from the shelter of the phantom plant.

Water washed over my dirty pelt. For the first time in three years, it was raining.

In the distance, I could see other Jammers dancing in the rain and whooping in joy. I reared up on my hind legs and neighed with happiness. I felt new strength in my weak legs. And in the corner of my eye, I saw something.

It was a small seedling, growing in the rocks.

And for the first time since the war ended, there was Hope.

There is always Hope.

The End