This is a mega quick story I'm writing at work (which isn't my best idea ever) and it's just a one-shot that popped into my feeble brain.
Note: This is after the episode "The Town That Disappeared".
Disclaimer: I don't claim to own Monster Rancher or the characters. I'm just a huge fan. Tecmo owns everything. I just own the plot.
Interactions
'…I just don't understand…'
In the hot weather of a desert, a group of rebels rested quietly on the outskirts of a town that had been crushed by a giant rock. Only hours before, two of the rebels had faced off against Bajarl and had been forced to destroy the abandoned town. Now the group sat idly next to the giant boulder that shielded them from the harsh rays of the sun. Right after Bajarl had been defeated, two newcomers had approached the group with news about their enemy, Moo, and how he had finally found his ancient body. Even with the bad news, though, the group tried to stay positive as they talked among themselves about what plan of action to take next. One of the newcomers wasn't focusing on the discussion, though, as she kept her eyes focused on the only two humans of the group. In a world filled with powerful monsters that could easily defeat anything in their paths, one couldn't help but wonder just how the human race had survived so long. After years of war, disease, and famine human beings still did their usual routines in life.
'How is it that humans have lasted so long in this world? They're so weak and they have no powers.' Pixie thought to herself with a small frown on her face as she watched Genki and Holly with interest. The duo seemed to be talking about which direction to go, but the young girl's mood looked to be low after her run in with Bajarl.
"Master Pixie. Are you alright?" Big Blue asked with concern as he noticed his companion's sudden silence. "Do you need anything? Are you feeling well?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, Big Blue." The Pixie purebred replied without even glancing at the giant rock monster. 'Humans… I don't understand them. Sure, they've gotten lucky so far, but how can they possibly beat Moo now that he has his ancient body? They're so incompetent and head strong. How their species has lasted this long is beyond me.'
Pixie watched as the group began to map out their course in the warm sand, but her eyes still subconsciously fell onto the two young humans of the group. No matter what the situation was, the duo always seemed to stay at each others' side and console with each other before speaking out to the rest of the group. Every now and then one of them would glance at the other with a warm look in their eyes, but the minute the other would look back they'd avert their attention bashfully. Pixie blinked in puzzlement as she watched the pair of humans interacting quietly, and suddenly she felt herself glance down at her hands.
'Their actions make no sense. Do they like each other more than friends? Then why don't they just say it? Humans are such timid creatures sometimes. It's not that hard to tell someone how you feel. They make it out to be harder than it really has to be. It's another reason why I'm surprised they've lasted this long.' Pixie thought to herself with a role of her eyes, though she found her interest peak once again as she watched Holly let out a low sigh before Genki turned to her with a concerned look in his eyes.
"Holly? What's wrong?" The young boy asked with worry.
"I know I didn't have a choice, but… I still can't get that town out of my head. I destroyed it with my own hands and I still feel awful about it…" Holly replied with a frown as her shoulders slumped at the thought of the destruction she had been forced to cause. Her mood lifted slightly, though, when Genki placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before giving her a sympathetic, yet loving smile.
"Like I said before; you did the right thing and the villagers would be happy knowing their town is freed from Bajarl's rule. You have nothing to feel bad about." Genki stated with a determined glance at the wielder of the Magic Stone. The young girl blinked in surprise at the boy's words, but a small smile graced her lips and she slowly nodded her head.
"I guess you're right. Thank you, Genki." Holly spoke softly with a red tint to her cheeks.
"Oh, uh, anytime!" Genki replied bashfully as he sheepishly took his hand off of the girl's shoulder, though not before glancing over at her once more. Pixie watched the two humans with interest while she pretended to listen to Hare's latest plan to take down Moo's new body, though she really didn't hear a word he said. Her attention was still focused on to two humans of the anti-Moo rebel group, and now she couldn't seem to avert her attention away from them even if she wanted to.
'Why do they comfort each other so quickly? It builds inner strength when you have to deal with your problems on your own. They have to learn that they can't always depend on each other, or else it'll cost them. They can't let lowly emotion get in the way of our goal to defeat Moo. Still… Why is it I find them so interesting? Humans are humans; that is they're weak and powerless. So why can't I stop watching them…?' The attractive monster thought with a curious frown as she watched Genki drop one of his rollerblades before Holly quickly picked the item up before handing it back to the boy with a smile. 'They're so close to one another… Is that why they're so strong? Is that why they survive? If so, am I close enough to someone to share that bond as well…?'
Before Pixie could think further, a large shadow loomed over her body and she quickly looked up to see a giant blue hand shielding her from the harsh sun. The ex Big Bad Four member could only blink in confusion as she glanced over to see Big Blue, who was looking down at her with a look of concern and worry. In his other hand was a small canteen that he extended out for the Pixie purebred to take while he cleared his throat quietly.
"You were spacing off, so I thought you may be getting too much sun. Master Pixie, please drink some water so you don't dehydrate." Big Blue spoke up in his usual stern voice, though he wasn't quite as stiff as he once was. "The desert sun can be dangerous, so stay in the shade I've provided, okay?"
Pixie looked up at the Golem hybrid with mixed feelings, though a new feeling passed through her as she felt her stomach tighten and her heart to pound faster. With a small nod of her head, the Pixie purebred carefully took the canteen before taking a sip of water. Although warm, the water was refreshing to her dry throat and she savored the moment. Something about the gesture caused her heart to stir, though, and she couldn't help but look away bashfully while her face flushed red a little.
"Thank you." Pixie spoke up quietly, and she suddenly couldn't remember the last time she had thanked her loyal companion. Thinking back to it now, though, she would make a mental note to say it more often.
"Um, you're welcome, Master Pixie." Big Blue replied with surprise at being thanked, though he quickly cleared his throat nervously before looking away from the Pixie purebred, though he kept his hand over her to still shield her from the sun. Pixie blinked in confusion at her companion's reaction, but suddenly her eyes grew wide as she remembered Genki and Holly's interactions from just a few minutes earlier.
'We can't be similar to the humans, can we? No, that's just not possible. Still…' Pixie thought to herself with focus, though a small smile made its way to her lips as she glanced up at Big Blue's large form, who was still towering over her protectively. Just like Holly and Genki, Pixie suddenly found herself met with a new emotion that was hard to express, but that wanted so badly to be revealed. 'Maybe I really do have someone to share a bond with… I guess we'll find out. Maybe we're not so different from the humans after all…'
Okay, I have to go back to repairing some books. Sorry this was so quickly done. This is my shortest one-shot yet. I had exactly 22 minutes to write this and I surprisingly succeeded. Thanks for reading and have a nice day!
RockyRoadSmith: Signing off! :3