[Hello people. Kalgante again. This story is about Tree Town and it's residents. This shall depict the history of every character, their reasons for coming here, what they contributed to it. Each Tree Friend has a history and a reason that this story will explore. our first chapter is of the pirate Russell. I will be using my OC's but only where they are relevant as the ones in this chapter are. That aside this is about Russell. For future chapters I would like you to tell me who you want to see in the next chapter. For now, here you are!]

The sea air was as crisp and salty as ever. The wind picked up and carried the small vessel wherever it wished. Standing lazily behind the wheel of his ship, worn and tired, was a turquoise otter wearing a red and white striped shirt and brown pants. One hand was a hook, one eye was patched, and a leg was a peg. He gazed off into the distance, his destination unknown. Surrounding him were a number of rum bottles, all empty. His eyes were drawn to the sky as he fell into memory.

**Flashback**

The otter is piloting his ship. There is a storm approaching and rain is beginning to fall hard. He looks down to the decks below, his crew going about their business. He keeps reaching for his leg, a recent loss that had been replaced by a peg. His right hand also now in the form of a hook, was a much older injury. He begins questioning weather or not to end his journeying, how would his crew feel to hear the news? For now he needed to focus on steering out of the path of the storm. He follows his best judgment and turns the wheel to the right.

After a brief period of time he seems to have made the right move. The rain begins to clear and he notices land up ahead. He aims the ship towards it and observes the rocks in hopes of recognizing the place. The island is spit into two sides with a waterway in between where his boat is sailing. The passes the ship by an outlet surrounded by rock. his goal is to gat through here and to the nearest port. He sees a narrow opening up ahead. Just wide enough for his ship to fit through. As he passes through it a horde of brigands jumps atop his ship from small caves on either side of them. The crew rallies quickly to counter them when cannon fire is heard from behind. The captain's eyes turn to the sound to see another ship with broadsides facing them. The cannonballs that hit ignited the masts and he watches as his grew becomes overwhelmed.

**Flashback end**

The otter's recollection is ended by someone calling his name. the otter turns to see a black chupacabra dressed in grey attire approach him from behind,

"Any ideas yet Russell?" the chupacabra asked.

The otter looked around over the horizon then to the bat up in the crows nest.

"Any land yet Pastel?" Russell asked.

"Nothing cap'n"

The otter looked forward, silent, something that always unsettled his crew.

"So you're sure about this then?" the chupacabra asked.

"Yes, I'm not the captain I used ter be, I just gotta accept that before you an pastel die too" said Russell.

"I see… I'm gonna miss it out here" said the chupacabra.

"Ye know Borraska, ye don't have ter stop, jes take over an start a crew o' yer own. Ye got what it takes, o' that I'm sure" said Russell.

"Aye, but taint be the same without ye, sides, if I like where we end up I may jes stay there too" said the chupacabra.

"Ha, loyalty, that's why yer me first mate" said Russell.

"Hey, I'm loyal too!" Pastel shouted.

"Damn bat ears" said Borraska.

"Wait a minute, cap'n, I think I see land" Pastel shouted.

The otter looked out ahead. And could see a vague outline of what could have been a coastline. Russell set sail straight for it as his final two crew mates awaited their arrival. With a powerful breeze at their backs it was only a matter of tome before they neared shore.

Just beyond the bow the crew could see a dock, and beyond it, a small town in ruins.

"Well whaddya think o' that" said Borraska.

"Wonder what happened here" said Pastel.

From behind a barrel a blue moose poked out it's head. Russell noticed this and approached the side of the ship.

"Hello there matey. Dow are ye?" Russell asked.

The moose glanced around then made his way out of his hiding place and over to the boat.

"Hullo there, my name's Lumpy. I'm do'n good" said the moose.

"Aye that's great, me name be Russell, an these two here be me mates Borraska an Pastel. We was look'n for a place ta settle down when we came across here, what happened?" Russell asked.

Lumpy looked around at the ruins of the town.

"I dunno, it was like this when I came here" said the moose.

"Then what are ye do'n here lad?" Russell asked.

"No where's else to go, I've been here for about a year now" said Lumpy.

"Really? How you been get'n by?" Russell asked.

"Fishing mostly. Soils pretty good here for crops, and there's plenty to hunt" said the moose.

Russell looked around to his crew mates.

"Well mateys, whaddya think? Sounds like we've stumbled upon a fine piece o' land. With a little work I think we could settle here" said Russell.

"What, build it ourselves?" Pastel asked.

"Exactly, think about it. After all those years what would be more fitting than ta settle a town all our own" said Russell.

"Yea, ye got a point… hell, worth a shot, this moose hasn't been kicked off so we might be free o' the tax collectors. Yea, looks like it might be worth it" said Borraska.

"Hell, I don't care, I'll do whatever you decide Russell" said Pastel.

"Hey moose, yer alone here right?" Russell asked.

"Yep" Lumpy replied.

"How do ye like the thought o restor'n some o' this place?" Russell asked.

"I dunno, are you going to live here with me?" Lumpy asked.

"If we can get some o' this place fixed up then yes" said Russell.

"You know I thought about doing that once… a bit too much work for myself though. It will be great to have company here for once" said Lumpy.

With that Russell and his crew disembarked and began to restore parts of the town. They explored what Lumpy had done. His work revealed a single shelter with a sizable field beside it as well as a shed full of meat. it was near here that they decided to construct their own shelters out of the debris scattered around. They had gotten a bit through constructing their first shelter when things began to get a bit strange.

"Hey Russell. You notice how many skeletons are around here?" Borraska asked.

"Yea… an how old was this town anyway. Some of these houses were made o' stone, looks really weathered too. Yet some o' these planks look fairly new, at least a few years" said Russell.

"Well the town musta been re settled. Does it matter how old some o' this stuff is?" Pastel asked.

Just as she finished saying that the small frame of their shelter collapsed onto her and crushed her.

"Pastel!" Russell shouted running over to her and lifting debris off of her.

"Oh, looks like she got crushed. Just give it a day or so, she should be ok" said Lumpy.

Russell checked for a pulse but found no signs of life.

"Damnit, No! No! what the hell did I do! Why the hell does this keep happening!" Russell shouted.

"No… she's dead now too?" Borraska asked distraught.

"Ye stupid lump! Are ye toy'n with me! She's dead! She's bloody dead! A day aint gonna fix er!" Russell shouted drawing his sword on the moose.

"No, no, I'm serious! This happens to me all the time" said the moose.

"What!… what are ye talk'n about lad?" Russell asked.

"This happens all the time. One minute I'll be fish'n the next I'll be ripped in half by a shark. I'll be walk'n through the town and get my foot impaled and infected on a nail. One time a blowfish jumped into my mouth, I bit it in half and it ended up killing me. I don't say dead" Lumpy explained.

"What! Don't stay dead?… well, your lucky I've seen crazier things or you'd be carved up an we'd be wear'n boots made out o' yer hide" said Russell.

Later that day a similar fate befell Russell and Borraska when they returned to the ship and an entire box of cannon balls rolled out onto them. Some time later they found themselves awake in their rooms on the ship they all recalled their deaths and realized that the moose was right. When people in this town died they seemed to return to life. As pirates such a fate was nothing to put fear into them, rather it made each day exciting. They even did things that would kill them out of curiosity. Their first shelter had finally been made after a while of goofing around when they realized how much of the town there was to build. Unfortunately they had no interest in that until an orange beaver rode into town on a horse and buggy.

"An what ye be do'n here lad. Ye a tax collector?" Russell asked.

"What? Well aint that a fine greeting. No my name's Handy, I came here in hopes of building a town here. Heard a rumor that this place would make a fine town bun no one's come here since some folks tried a few years back, heard it was pretty nasty and by the looks of things… it was. I thought this place was empty though, what are you all doing here?" Handy asked.

"Same thing as ye, settling in. looks like ye gotta go some where's else then" said Russell.

"Or we could do this together. If this town is like I had heard then it would make wonderful town" said Handy.

"An jes why do ye wanna build a town here anyway. If we have ta start pay'n ya then get yerself out now" said Russell.

"Believe it or not I have no intention of charging. I've heard a lot of rumors about this place. We shouldn't have to worry about anything if they're true… still though, it's a gamble"

"An I suppose yer do'n this out o' the kindness o' yer heart then" said Russell.

"Well… not just that… it's a long story, let me just say that we should accept anyone who wants to live here. Just give it some time, I'm sure you'll get what I mean" said Handy.

Russell inspected the beaver and noticed his hands, or lack thereof.

"What happened there lad?" Russell asked.

"Oh my hands… I'd prefer not to get into it… so what do you say. Are we gonna work together on this?" Handy asked.

"I'll give it a chance" said Russell.

With that the town's five inhabitants worked diligently to construct the town. Despite frequent accidents and an ever expanding graveyard they were making real progress. It had been a while before others would show up to town but it happened and Russell began to understand what Handy had planned. This would be a town made for outcasts, people who had something that kept them from being a part of regular society. Weather it was a condition or just the risk taking attitude this town drew a fair few to it's call.

Russell and his crew lived long, longer than they would have expected, in fact they all did. Even aging seemed to be fazed out. As time had gone on Russell and his crew died many deaths yet none of the turned any of them away. The years also changed Russell. His years of piracy were behind him and he adopted a new love of fishing. He also changed as a person. His rugged pirate demeanor had become something kind and friendly. He was no longer wary of people and welcomed them happily. This combined with his love of fishing drove the otter to open his own business in the form of a seafood restaurant.

Over the years they al watched times and technology change and thanks to this town they got to see it all happen. Everyone who would show up would find themselves shocked and perhaps a bit afraid of the town but most would stay. Rumors of the town had also spread keeping may away with fear. Despite all that the town had become happy and carefree and flourished under it's own rules. This was truly a town of wonder.

[That my friends… was Russell's story. Like I said before I need you all to let me know who you want to see in the next chapter. Top votes will be shown. If your vote does not make it you can vote again next chapter. I will also count old votes with new ones until they are used. Also I may do an OC version of this with your OC's but this is what's here now. So then, let me know who's side you want to see next, R&R. Ou revoir!]