AN: This is indeed a One-Shot for Dragonlance. It is amazing what can be brought up in a conversation, and later turned into writing, but yes, this is an entirely random One-Shot focusing around the companions, and Raist. I do not own Dragonlance, though I would love to be able to say that I did own a strand of the stories. I also want to say that I didn't write this to thrash Raist's personality or his reputation, because I do like him as he is, but, don't we all have some images like this occassionally? Yes, I think so, so please enjoy, and review if you'd like =) thanks
Battle, Blood, and Bunnies
Tanis Half-Elven slowed himself to a stop, dodging behind a boulder for a moments rest. The sounds of the battlefield echoed in his ears, the shouting, the clash of metal-upon-metal, the shriek of terrorized horses. He inhaled slowly while catching his breath.
He glanced over as Caramon came running towards him, blood coursed down from a wound on his side, and another cut on his leg, but his stride was as steady and lumbering as it always was. Tanis nodded slightly before turning his keen gaze to quickly scour the battle, searching for the rest of his companions.
He spotted the burly dwarf, Flint, across the field, and engaged in a hefty battle with another armored Draconian. He seemed to be holding his own, though Tanis wasn't worried on that account; Flint always did.
Across from Flint, he spied Sturm, occupied in a battle with two Draconians, fighting easily and executing his trained skill with ease as he sparred with the two creatures, until he felled one, then the other. The knight was soon joined by the plainsman, Riverwind, who threw himself into the battle as more Draconians gathered around like rats.
Tanis watched for the few moments that he could spare, then shifted his gaze back to Caramon once he had been reassured of his friends' conditions. He nodded slightly with some relief when he noticed that Tasslehoff had skittered up to Caramon's side when he had been occupied. Tanis ran his gaze quickly over the wily kender, noting a few cuts and scratches, but nothing critical. He exhaled and looked at Caramon.
The larger young man's face had a look of concern underneath the dirt and blood. His eyes held a note of worry reserved only for a certain person. "Where's Raist?" He asked suddenly.
Tanis narrowed his eyes as the man echoed his very thoughts. Where was Raistlin? They had left him only a few moments ago as he worked on a spell at the edge of the clearing. "I haven't seen him, I thought we left him at the treeline", Tanis commented.
"I saw him!" Tas quickly exclaimed, but paused when the two turned to look at him. "Or no...was that Laurana? Oh, no, we left her back at the town, didn't we? I liked that town, especially the pies", the kender babbled, obviously too side-tracked to take note of the situation, or his surroundings.
Tanis sighed while Caramon groaned. The half-elf brushed his fingers over the auburn stubble over his chin. He glanced around the field quickly, scanning it for the sight of the red-robed mage. All he could see, however, were his companions, their fellow soldiers, and packs of the scurrying Draconians. However, no sign of the cunning magic-user.
He turned back to Caramon, "Caramon, why don't you-" He paused as a horrified look passed over the man's face, a shocked pale hue then washed over it. "Caramon."
Caramon mumbled something inaudible while staring with widened eyes behind the half-elf. Tasslehoff began to chortle nervously, and then a wide grin split across his face. Tanis narrowed his eyes and turned around to face whatever it was that was causing such a reaction.
What met his eyes was truly a shock, an image that would forever be burned into his mind and possibly the source of nightmares for years to come. The sight was more horrific than the blood, the battle, and the shrieking Draconians, all together. It seemed so surreal, that Tanis had to blink and rub his eyes with his fingers, and stare, again. This time, his mouth fell open in joining shock.
A giant, white, fluffy, rabbit bounded towards them from the woods. The ground shook with each leap that it took as it crossed the battlefield, landing on Draconians and crushing them with hardly a flinch. It seemed to be a rouge bunny of unusual size, lunging across the field, a shocking image in itself.
However, the horror intensified as a familiar maniacal laughter reached Tanis' and the others ears. The source of the guffaw led to a red-robed mage perched on the bunny's back; Raistlin.
The mage's silver, long hair flowed about his shoulders, bouncing in sync with the rabbit's movements. His scarlet robes flowed around his frame, flaring out around him. What was the most terrifying of all, however, was the huge, psychotic grin that split his generally stoic features; a grin from ear-to-ear. His hour-glass eyes were closed from the giddy grin, and the sun sparkled on his golden-tinged skin.
Tanis stared with wide, bugging eyes. He couldn't believe it, he was almost panicking from the sight. He looked around quickly, searching for perhaps another wizard, or a poison, anything that could be causing this unusual behavior.
Caramon also stared while standing beside Tanis. He stared in disbelief at his twin, at the bunny, at the whole image before him. "What in the nine hells?" He mumbled with shock. "Raist-!"
"Oh ho ho! Come now, brother!" Raistlin bellowed as the rabbit came to a stop in front of them, nearly jolting the mage out of his seat. He stood up undaunted. "Turn that frown upside down!" He crowed in a voice higher than Tas's, and his grin turned all the more cheeky.
"Don't be a grumpy-guss!" He admonished while popping his hips out to the sides in beat to his words. "My goodness gracious me, I think I've spotted a gnoooome!"
Tanis broke his stare to glance to his side, where he noticed that Flint had approached since the appearance of Raistlin. "...." He looked to Raistlin, who had turned to petting the bunny's large head while cooing.
Tasslehoff took the mage's mood into stride and happily bounded over and clambered up onto the bunny. "Hey-o Raist!"
Raistlin paused in his petting to look at the kender skeptically, then the grin came over his face again. "TASSY!" He threw his arms around the kender and dragged him close in a crushing hug. The kender squeaked and squirmed.
Flint glanced at Tanis. "What in the abyss is going on with Raistlin? We have a war to fight! Not pet bunnies!" He growled in irritation.
Tanis shook his head slowly before glancing around the battlefield, which had turned oddly quiet. He paused at the sight of the Draconians and soldiers alike standing and staring in awe and confusion at the mage and the rabbit.
The rabbit suddenly reared and bounded forward, jostling the giggling mage and sending Tasslehoff plummeting towards the ground, where he was caught by Caramon before the uncomfortable landing. Raistlin guffawed louder and shouted what sounded similar to a spell...with some moderations.
"Little bunny-foo-foo! I don't like your attitude; picking up the field mice and bopping them on the head!" Raistlin shouted at the top of his lungs before he nearly did a face-plant into the rabbit's fur. He caught himself and chortled.
"Raist!" Caramon yelled while running after his brother and the bunny, the others followed him quickly.
Raistlin stared at the Draconians as they broke from their trance and rushed at him. "Don't touch my bunny!" He shouted and flailed his arms. "Hocus-pocus, pickles and pie! I shall turn you into a carrot, and there you shall die!"
At his command, the approaching creatures all fell to the ground, orange, and vegetable-like, carrots to be exact. The companions stared in shock, along with the soldiers, who had in the process, been transformed into rabbits, and were contently munching on the carrots.
"Ooh, a carrot!" Tas exclaimed and knelt down to snatch up a carrot, and before the others could stop him, took a large, crunching bite. What they didn't know, however, and perhaps Raistlin had no knowledge of at the time, was that the carrot transformed those who ate it.
The fool of a kender twitched and stared up at the others. "I feel...tickly...what an interesting feeling!" He chortled, until suddenly, his body turned into a furry, plump little bunny that sat in the grass, twitching his button nose.
Tanis groaned and rubbed his forehead as the chaos continued to erupt around him. The Draconians were being pathetically plundered, each one of them turned into a vegetable by the crazed mage. His fellow soldiers were being turned into plush little bunnies, including his friend, and the rest of them were staring in astonishment as the mage cackled.
"We have to do something", Caramon concluded as he snatched up Tas, holding the squirming, chortling bunny in his arms.
"Tell us when you have an idea, oh wise one", Flint muttered gruffly, he glared down at a rabbit that was cautiously sniffing along his boot, and then sat on his foot. He sighed in exasperation.
Caramon sent the dwarf a glare, he was obviously displeased, and confused by his brother's state, and the twist that the battle had taken. "I don't see you coming up with any ideas, Flint" He muttered.
"My friends, while we're fighting among ourselves, our companion is..hopping across the battlefield." Sturm spoke up as he arrived at the group, his steely eyes turned to look at the bunny as it continued to hop with Raistlin cackling and shouting various spells and incantations upon it's back.
The field itself had been turned into a lush meadow, filled with carrots, bunnies, and flowers...something so very far from any idea the mage would be considered having. The battle had ended it appeared, since their opponents were literally being eaten.
Tanis looked at his friends. "It looks as though the battle is over.." He stated before glancing around, for once, he has unsure of what to do next, he didn't know whether he should laugh at the absurd hilarity of the events, or simply go after the mage.
The rest of the group glanced around at each other in uncertainty, they didn't know how to react, or what the next course of their actions should be. How does one handle a crazed mage...on a giant rabbit, of all things?
Their answer was soon found, however, by Raistlin himself. The mage had led his rabbit all around the field, bounding in on the enemies and unknowingly defeating the 'goons' with his carrot spell. Now, however, the rabbit bounded back towards the group. Raistlin looked at the group as he approached. He chortled. "My friends!"
Caramon stepped out boldly in the rabbit's path. "Raist, you have to-" His logic was cut off by a loud gasp from the mage.
"Carrie! You aren't trying to take my bunny, are you? Or, my chocolate bunnies?!" Raistlin exclaimed while staring down at his brother in a skeptical, accusing glare.
Caramon's face paled, "Uh, no, I wouldn't do-"
"Yes, yes, you are!" Raistlin shrieked, "You-you big meanie! You bunny killer!"
"Raist, come on, calm down!" Caramon pleaded.
Tanis narrowed his eyes at the expression on the mage's face. "Caramon, get-" His warning was cut short as Raist shouted the spell, and Caramon was transformed to a brown, fluffy bunny.
Sturm grabbed Tanis by the shoulder and jerked him backwards quickly, but their movements were too slow. Raistlin turned to them.
"You're all bad, bad little goons! You're all bunny killers!" He shouted in conclusion and lifted up his arms, he began to flail them around in circles. "Hocus-pocus, mickles and mies! You are to become bunnies, cute little bunnies for my eyes!" At his words, the companions all dropped to the ground as bunnies.
Raistlin laughed maniacally, clutching his stomach and doubling over from the laughter. He was in bliss! Bunnies, carrots, grass, flowers, bumble-bees, oh my!
He was wrapped so deeply in his mirth, that he didn't realize the rabbit beneath him shifting, and then suddenly bounding towards a carrot. The mage's eyes widened quickly as he flailed his arms and tumbled off the rabbit, he rolled while giggling and crashed into the grass heavily with a thump. Then, everything faded into blackness.
Slowly, the hourglass eyes opened, then winced closed when the sunlight hit them. "What in the abyss..." Raistlin growled lowly at the aching in his head and the soreness of his throat and stomach. The mage shifted slightly before pushing himself up to a sitting position.
He opened his eyes, again, and risked a glance around. The sight before him made him freeze, his skin prickled from the intense rush of magical remains he could feel in the air and all around him. He glanced around, all the more in confusion before rising to his feet.
While shaking out his crimson robes, Raistlin studied the area in suspicion. The magic was his...but...why the over-abundance of vegetables? Why the grass, and the butterflies? Why on Krynn were there rabbits...everywhere?
"What have those fools done now?" He muttered in irritation. He started to walk, and walked right past a group of rabbits that stared up at him in death glares. He glanced down at them....something seemed oddly familiar about them....wait a minute