Well, here we go again, I guess! I finally started official work on the sequel series to Phoenix's Tear! (I've been in the planning stages for quite some time, but…) Anyway, as you know, I don't own Monster Rancher officially; I'm just a fanfic author. I do have some original characters in here, though: if you want to use them, please contact me and ask for permission first. I've included both the prologue and the first chapter here, because of the way the chaptering system works… I hope that everyone will enjoy this series.
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Several months have passed since the Courageous Seven defeated Moo and the Phoenix rose.
After the battle, the searchers found themselves divided, as their common paths diverged once more.
Genki Sakura was returned to his world by the power of the Phoenix. Although he was loathe to leave his friends behind, the mystical firebird assured him that he would be able to return someday, for after her work was finished, she would establish a permanent bond between worlds. With the time frames of both now synchronized, he would be able to return at any time, with the aid of a special talisman that the Phoenix gave to him: one of her beautiful feathers.
Tiger of the Wind, desiring only to be reunited with his brother, left the others in search of him. Not entirely certain of where Grey Wolf was, his only absolute knowledge of his brother's fate being that the reptilian Naga murdered him, he simply followed his instinct, leaving no clue with the others as to when or if he would return.
Soon after the blue wolf's departure, the gentle stone giant Golem departed as well, eager to return to his home in the forest. The Phoenix's rising resurrected all of the lost monsters, including those in the Grave of the Disc, and he longed to see all of his friends again after all of this time. Promising to one day introduce his new friends to them, he left, heading home at last.
Hare, who had revealed a great deal of power during the journey, thanks to his mastery of the Phoenix's Tear, for once had no clue as to what his next move would be. Likewise, the young Mocchi, who had just been forcibly separated from his closest and dearest friend, was at a loss for ideas.
Eventually, the two youngest rebels chose to stay with Holly and Suezo, who had decided to settle down and try living on their own. The young maiden located a small ranch house, not far from where their quest had begun, and were able to establish a reasonably peaceful lifestyle there.
Time passed: the Phoenix completed her work and kept her promise, creating the link between Genki's world and his own. Genki eagerly returned, and happily reunited with Holly, Mocchi, Hare and Suezo. Although a little sad to discover that his other friends, Tiger and Golem, were unavailable to greet him upon his return, he still was ecstatic to see the others again.
Since then, he has attempted to visit as regularly as possible, and the five have settled into an almost normal routine.
However, things are not as idyllic as they may seem…and the former heroes will soon find themselves drawn into a situation where they will be forced to take up a new journey, a new quest…without even knowing for certain whether or not they will be able to make a difference this time…
* * * Episode 1: Vision of a New Journey * * *
A lilting, haunting melody drifted through the air, carried by the soft, cool breeze that was sweeping through the valley. The song came from a small, handcrafted flute, and its player closed his eyes in concentration as he let the melody rise, becoming clearer, stronger.
Hare felt himself relax as he continued to play, letting the music carry him to a place where he felt at peace. The tune was his own, based on his memories of the original songs his mother had used to write and sing for him, what felt like a lifetime ago. Playing these melodies helped him feel more connected to her, even if the songs had changed a little. That part of it couldn't be helped, since his mother played the harp instead of a flute (and while he did happen to know how to play that instrument as well, Suezo liked to tease him a lot about it, so he preferred not to).
Some distance away, a young woman stood listening to the sweet melody and smiled to herself. The wind played with her long, dark brown hair, setting it to dancing about her smiling face, and Holly smoothed it back with one hand, even though it did little good, for the wind continued to play with it the moment she moved her hand away.
Although only about five months had passed since her long quest for the Phoenix had come to an end at last, she looked radically different than she had back then. She now was letting her hair grow longer, and no longer caught it up in a ponytail. Her tunic's skirt hem was longer now as well, making it look more like a dress, although in other ways it looked the same as her traveling outfit had.
There was one thing that hadn't changed, though: the Magic Stone still hung around her neck, an ever-familiar presence. Holly reached up and clasped it gently for a moment, thinking about her travels with the others, and everything that they had gone through.
Her bronze eyes misted with gentle tears as her thoughts strayed to her father, and the monster he had become. She had never told the others that her beloved father had been the one who was possessed by Moo; she simply could never have revealed that to them. After all, she had known that in order to defeat Moo, they would have to destroy him, and she knew that if the others had known that the evil monster warlord was merged with her father, they might have hesitated to do what simply had to be done.
Moo had caused so much pain and suffering…but he was gone now, that was what mattered. Now, finally, the world was free of the dark monster, and would no longer have to deal with his evil intentions.
And surely that freedom was worth any personal sacrifices that she or any of the others had been forced to make securing it…wasn't it?
She shook her head suddenly to clear out this melancholy thought, and was startled to feel a sharp tug on her hand. Looking down, she smiled at once as she recognized the small pink monster that looked expectantly up at her.
"Oh, hello, Mocchi," she said, gripping his tiny hand firmly with her own. Mocchi grinned back up at her, then looked over at where Hare was sitting, still playing on his flute.
"Pretty song, chi!" he said, exuberant. Unfortunately, his sudden shout of this caused Hare to start with surprise, and he looked over at the two in confusion for a moment, still half caught up in the spell the music had woven.
"Oh…how long have you two been standing there?" he asked, blushing slightly with embarrassment as he got up and walked over to them. Holly just smiled, not offering an answer, and the three walked back toward her house, where she knew Suezo would be waiting for them.
Mocchi soon ran ahead of them, eager to get back, and he glanced back over his shoulder at them with a laugh. Taking this as a challenge, Hare smirked and darted after him, and Holly watched the two race in front of her as she walked, giggling at their antics.
Since the Phoenix's rising she had spent more time watching the younger monsters as they played together, something that they had precious little time to do during the quest, and had come to realize just how strikingly different they were personality wise, even though they were close to each other's age. Each had their own outlook on things, their own strengths and abilities, and both cherished their individuality.
Hare would probably always have a better grasp on life, people, and how the world worked than Mocchi would. Curious, inquisitive, always interested in learning new things, he would enjoy life from an intellectual standpoint. However, although Mocchi might face life with less understanding than Hare, he was not going to miss out in the least. Instead, he would meet each new day with youthful excitement, his overwhelming optimum infecting those close to him. While the full grasp of complex matters might be lost on him, in compensation he would always be in tune with the simple joys of life in which Hare, while understanding them, would never be able to enjoy without some self-consciousness. Holly knew that, in days yet to come, both of them would give her a special kind of happiness and joy…
…Unless something happened to take them away from her.
Holly gasped softly, truly startled by her own thoughts. Where in the world had that come from? She slowed down, trailing behind the two monsters, as she found her thoughts drifting back to the final battle.
She remembered very little of it, truth be told: the last clear memory she had was being snatched up by Genki, and being carried by him as he skated away from Moo's attacks, attempting to get to a shrine in order to unlock the Phoenix's mystery disc. She vaguely remembered hearing somebody scream a warning – was it Hare who had shouted at them to look out? – and then a flash of black light and pain…searing, terrible pain…
…Then, the memory broke off, becoming fragmented, distorted, confused. The next thing she clearly remembered was standing beside Genki, slipping her hand into his, with Mocchi, Suezo, Tiger, and Golem standing in a circle around them, strange expressions on their faces.
"We're…alive?" Suezo had asked, clearly stunned by this fact, and then Hare had gasped with joy, and she learned that they had won…
Holly knew why she had no memories of the rest of the fight: she had been dead. Moo had apparently murdered both her and Genki with one shot, skewering both of them with his dark beams of light. It was a distinctly odd feeling, to know that you had died and yet, through some miracle, had come back to life again.
She learned later that the others had died as well; Tiger of the Wind, Golem, Mocchi and Suezo had been killed by the shock when their bodies released the Phoenix's spirit, reviving the firebird at the cost of their own lives. That had been another shock: to discover that her dear friends were all directly linked to the very thing they had been searching for. They had nearly been forced to give up their lives in exchange for the Phoenix's restoration.
However, Hare, who was also linked to the Phoenix, had survived the force of the firebird's awakening because of his lesser wounds and his link with the Phoenix's Tear. The mystical pendant had protected him, and later he had been able to use its power, boosted by the firebird's aid, to revive his lost friends and restore their broken bodies to full health.
It still scared her to know that all of them had died during the battle; it was an all too vivid reminder of their mortality. Something could have too easily gone wrong, and what then? All of them would have been dead, gone forever, having made the ultimate sacrifice in order to stop Moo forever…
…But then, wouldn't it have been worth it, if at least we had managed to stop him for good?
Holly did not have an answer to that question, and so she forced it out of her mind, concentrating instead on catching up with the others. She was able to easily enough: they had noticed that she was trailing behind and paused long enough for her to come up beside them. All three then headed back towards home, Mocchi unable to resist running ahead of them again in his eagerness.
Suezo was waiting for them, leaning against the side of the doorframe outside, and he smiled when he saw them coming up.
"Hey, Holly," he greeted, green-gold eye lighting up at the sight of her. "You just missed her; she was over here looking for you."
"Oh?" There was no need for anyone to ask just who "she" was; Holly understood immediately that he was referring to Coltia, one of their new neighbors. She was about Holly's age, and ever since their arrival had been trying to become good friends with them. However, she sometimes acted…a little TOO eager for friendship…
"Did she say what she wanted?" Holly asked, but before Suezo could answer, a sudden shout behind him caused everyone to turn around.
"Miss Holly!"
"Oh boy…" Hare sighed, sweatdropping along with Mocchi. Holly laughed nervously, understanding why neither one was exactly thrilled by this…
True to form, the moment Coltia saw the two younger monsters standing next to Holly, she let out a squeal of delight and scooped them up in a tight hug.
"Oh, you two always look so cute, cute, CUTE!" she sighed when she finally released them, while both Hare and Mocchi gasped for precious air. Holly and Suezo watched with big sweatdrops on the backs of their heads.
"How come she never does that to me?" Suezo whispered to Holly, although he couldn't exactly say that he was jealous of the attention she was giving the two younger monsters. Holly just hushed him and smiled nervously. Both of them knew that Coltia acted that way because she didn't have any monsters of her own. Still, Holly wondered if maybe Coltia was just that way all the time, monster or no monster…
"You wanted to see me for something, Colt?" she asked, using the younger girl's preferred nickname. Coltia blinked in surprise, staring at Holly for a moment as if she'd forgotten why she had come. Of course, it was possible that she had.
"Oh…that's right," she said, blinking her wide tan eyes again. "I wanted to tell you, somebody arrived at my Aunt Verde's shop yesterday, and said that they were looking for a friend of theirs…from the description, it sounded like he was looking for Hare."
"For Hare?" Holly asked, and she glanced back at the little rabbit in surprise. Hare looked just as startled as she was.
"Who would be looking for you, Hare?" Suezo wondered aloud.
"I don't know…what did they look like, Colt?" Hare asked, turning his gaze to the younger girl's face.
"Oh! …Well, he was about as tall as me, or that boy you have visit you from time to time…"
"Genki," Mocchi supplied the name for Coltia, who smiled at him gratefully.
"Yeah, that's right, he's about as tall as Genki! Anyway, I know he's some sort of mixed breed, 'cause he looks sorta like you, but instead of fur, he had all these green scales all over his body…"
"…A Scaled Hare," Hare mused, narrowing his eyes slightly in thought. "A Scaled Hare, looking for me…"
"…Yeah, I think that's what he was. Anyway, I'd better get going; Aunt Verde expects me back at the shop before dark. Later!"
With that, Coltia ran off, waving back at the others as she left. Holly sweatdropped slightly as she joined the others in waving goodbye, and she glanced up at the rapidly darkening sky.
"I don't think she's going to make it, do you?" Suezo whispered in Holly's ear. Holly nodded slightly, smiling.
"Bye-bye-chi!" Mocchi called, waving happily with Hare. After Coltia's running form had disappeared from view, both younger monsters looked back up at Holly. Hare tilted his head to one side inquisitively, and Mocchi gave her an entreating look.
Holly smiled back at them.
"Want to help me get dinner ready?" she asked, winking.
"Chi!" Mocchi cheered with delight, and he darted inside, while Hare and Suezo just shook their heads and laughed.
* * *
Later, Holly hummed softly to herself as she put away the rest of the dishes. The three monsters had helped her clean up after the meal, and she had sent them up to get ready for bed as she did a few last things. Suezo had made her promise to come up quickly; he didn't like it when she was out of his sight for long.
As she finished putting up and turned to leave, she found her gaze drifting over to the window, out into the starlit sky. Without realizing it, the tune she was humming changed in tone, switching from a bright, happy melody to one more wistful, more longing. She stepped forward and put both hands on the windowsill, leaning against it. A cool breeze from outside swept her hair back, away from her face, her suddenly tear-misted eyes.
This life she and the others were living right now…it seemed so peaceful, so perfect. Certainly, they had their share of troubles, but none of those problems really compared with the ones they had faced during their long journey to find the Phoenix. Lately, the most catastrophe thing that had happened to them was that Genki had once promised to come, only to find himself unable to because of trouble back in his world, and even that had been remedied fairly easily.
If only things could stay like this forever,
she wished, clasping her hands in front of her as her wavering eyes remained locked on the sky. But…somehow…I get the feeling that…this life may soon come to an end…"Holly!" Suezo called from upstairs; she had hesitated too long, and he was beginning to get worried. Pushing her dark thoughts out of her mind, Holly tore her gaze away from the window and turned away, heading upstairs to calm him down. Honestly, sometimes she thought that he worried too much about her…and maybe she was just worrying for no good reason as well…
* * *
"Is everything going according to the plan?"
"Yes, master. None of those responsible for the Phoenix's rising are currently aware of what is happening. Those fools have no idea…"
"Good, good. They should be kept in the dark for as long as possible."
"I do not understand what makes it so important for them not to know. It is not as if any of them could stop you."
"I am aware of that; however…"
"It is better to be cautious. They will know soon enough, after all…although it will be too late for them at that point."
"Yes…"
"I am concerned about those two, however. The girl who bears the Magic Stone and the wielder of the Phoenix's Tear. Is it not possible that they might be able to sense what is happening?"
"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Does it really matter?"
"It may, and it may not. We have no way of knowing for certain yet…"
"Stop your worrying. Even if they do somehow figure out what is going on, they are too scattered to do anything about it. Remember, the Phoenix is linked to five monsters, and if they are not gathered together…"
"Yes, but still…"
"Listen, you're all worrying for no reason at all. After tonight, once he has finished his mission, those rebels will be too shattered to gather themselves again."
"Perhaps you are right. We shall see…"
"Everything starts now, doesn't it?"
"Yes…"
* * *
Drip, drip, drip…
A steady sound, keeping a certain rhythm. Quiet, hushed, it seemed to pound in the listener's ears all the same, each drop sounding like a crash of thunder.
Drip, drip, drip…
An image glimpsed briefly in black shadows, of clear brown eyes, widening with fear. A crimson swipe swept over them, and their owner fell back, clutching at his neck. Another flash of red swept across the watcher's view, and then the scene changed again, to a young boy laying half-wrapped in sheets, sprawled out on his bed.
Genki Sakura's blank eyes stared without seeing into endless darkness, his tortured body covered with splotches of his own blood. One of his arms, hanging lifelessly over the side of his bed, had a particularly deep gash in it, one that still dripped onto the stained floor…
Drip, drip, drip…
* * *
Wavering brown eyes shot open violently, and Hare gasped in horror, sitting upright with a start. Breathing raggedly, he slowly became aware of the fact that tears were rolling down his pale cheeks unbidden. The memory of his nightmare crashed down upon him, and he buried his face in his paws and wept, struggling to quiet his sobs so that they would not awaken his friends.
Th-that dream!
He thought, shuddering violently. D-Don't tell me…was that a vision? No, not again…* Genki…is Genki in danger? I-I have to warn him somehow! *
* Genki! *
* * *
"…Huh?"
Clear brown eyes slowly opened, and Genki blinked tiredly. There was an annoying light flickering in his face, and the boy groaned as he shielded his eyes with one arm. When this didn't work, he sleepily rolled away, attempting to turn his back to the source of the light so he could…
WHAM!
Unfortunately, he suddenly realized that his bed was a little too small for that. Head throbbing, Genki soon became aware of the fact that he was upside down, his messy brown hair pressed against the floor while his legs jutted into midair, still tangled in his covers. It took a few minutes of fumbling and thrashing before he could right himself, and by that time he was pretty much awake.
"Aww, man," he muttered, irritably pushing his bangs away from his face. Standing up, he stretched out his arms and yawned loudly, and suddenly a faint glimmer caught his attention again. Glancing over, he saw the feather that the Phoenix had given him sitting out on his desk, glowing faintly.
"…Eh?" Genki blinked his tired eyes in confusion: he was certain that he had stored that so that his mother would not come across it accidentally. He didn't want to have to explain it to her. Careful not to step on any of the junk cluttering his floor – Monster Rancher toys, various games and sports equipment – he made his way over to his desk. The feather continued to glow and shimmer slightly, looking almost as if it was aflame, and Genki stared down at it, trying to make sense of what was happening. Finally, he shrugged and reached down to pick it up.
* Genki! *
"Hare?" Genki asked aloud, startled by the suddenness of the voice's appearance in his mind. He looked around, almost expecting to see Hare standing in his bedroom with him; he had heard his voice so clearly.
He could sense something else, too; an almost overwhelming fear, confusion, worry about him…Hare's mind was in chaos. At least, he thought it was Hare's thoughts he sensed washing over him, for an image came clearly to him of the young rabbit sobbing, crying softly to himself.
"Hare?" he asked again, and suddenly the Phoenix's feather in his hand began to glow again. Looking down at it, Genki suddenly decided on something.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go check on them," he said to himself, smiling slightly. "After all, Mom's asleep right now…this shouldn't take too long…"
Holding the gleaming feather in both hands, Genki focused on what the Phoenix had taught him to do. A clear image came to his mind again, of Holly's house, and the other world.
A fire-like aura flashed around him for a second, so bright that he could see it even behind his closed eyelids, and when he opened them, he was in the Monster Rancher world again. Specifically, he was standing a few feet away from Hare's bed, and he watched the young rabbit cry for a few moments more, unaware of his presence.
"Why are you crying, Hare?" he asked, and Hare jerked with surprise.
"Genki…what are you doing here?" he asked, staring up at the boy in shock. Genki just grinned and winked mischievously.
"I thought I heard you crying, so I came to see what was up," he explained. Hare blinked in surprise, looking even more startled.
"You…heard me crying?" he asked. "But how could that be possible…"
Genki interrupted him, shrugging it off. His clear eyes were solemn as he repeated, "So what's up? Why were you crying, anyway?"
"…I'm…not sure…but I think…I think I may have had a vision," Hare explained. It was Genki's turn to start in surprise with that.
"What?" he said, staring at the rabbit. "B-but you haven't had anything like that happen since…since…"
"Since the Phoenix defeated Moo," Hare supplied for him, brown eyes darkening with thought. He glanced back down at his chest, fingering the Phoenix's Tear, which still hung around his neck. Genki watched him for a few moments, lost in his own thoughts.
"…So what do you think you saw?" he asked.
"…I'm not sure…nothing…everything," Hare murmured, still looking down at his pendant. It shimmered a little bit, and he said, "I remember hearing all these voices…I didn't recognize any of them. I couldn't make out most of the words…just a few snatches here and there. Something about plans…and not wanting those who caused the Phoenix to rise to find out."
He paused, then raised his wavering brown eyes to lock with Genki.
"I saw you die," he said bluntly, suddenly. "You were laying on a bunch of tangled white sheets, and they were stained with your blood. There was blood everywhere…"
Genki stared at him as the rabbit's voice trailed off, and Hare began to tremble again, the memory of the boy's dead body suddenly coming back all too clearly.
"Hey, don't let it get to you," he said, reaching over and holding the rabbit's shaking shoulders reassuringly. "I'm not dead, see? I'm perfectly okay, everything's fine…"
"But what if it was a warning?" Hare asked, looking up at Genki with wavering brown eyes.
"It wasn't, Hare," Genki told him, smiling. "It was just a nightmare, nothing more. We've defeated the enemy, remember? Nothing bad's going to happen…"
He could tell Hare was unconvinced, however, and sighed silently to himself, wondering just how he could convince his friend that everything was just fine. After a few moments, an idea occurred to him.
"Look, how about I show you my room?" he asked suddenly, startling the rabbit. "If I take you back to my world, you can see that everything's fine there, that nothing's out of the ordinary. Then you'll know that it was just a nightmare you had, not a warning…"
"…Can you really do that?" Hare wondered. The boy shrugged.
"Only one way to find out," Genki said, and he grabbed hold of Hare's paw with one hand. Before Hare could protest, the boy had used the feather to transfer back to his world, and he heard the rabbit gasp in shock as they appeared back in his room. Opening his eyes, Genki was about to laugh at his friend's surprise, when something he saw made the words freeze on his tongue.
A hulking, muscular figure stood over the boy's bed. Its back turned to where Genki and Hare stood in stunned silence, the creature's attention was completely focused on what it was currently doing. Long, curved talons tore again and again into soft white sheets, ripping through fabric with deadly efficiency. Pieces of stuffing and downy feathers sprayed everywhere, and still the shadowy creature continued its work, shredding apart the bed in which Genki had been peacefully sleeping until a short while before.
There was no mistaking the fact that the creature obviously still assumed this to be true. Genki watched in dull shock, unable to fully grasp what was happening right away, then he quickly glanced at his companion. Hare was staring at the boy's would-be assassin, brown eyes wide, breath coming in short gasps. The beast's reptilian tail lashed from side to side as it worked, and its clearish-blue scales glittered in the moonlight that streaked through the window.
The monster – for it was a monster – finished its work, and stood regarding the shredded sheets and pillows for a few seconds.
"Funny…I had thought that there would be more blood than this," it mused aloud, then it turned and froze as its piercing gaze suddenly fell upon where the two were standing paralyzed. Startled, it gaped back at them, and its hesitation gave Genki and Hare enough time to see clearly the medallion that gleamed on its thick chest.
"…Ah, so that is it," it hissed, a smirk twisting its thin blue lips for a second. "Naughty child, don't you know that all good little boys should be in bed when it's this late?"
"Who are you?" Genki demanded, as he and Hare hastily dropped into more battle-ready stances.
"Me? I am Aqua Cutter, and that is all you need to know, rebels," the monster snarled, and it abruptly leapt forward, talons flashing out toward them.
Genki and Hare leapt in separate directions, and the naga hybrid's claws sliced through empty air. Hissing, it turned to face the boy, and Hare quickly wound up his Guru Guru punch, slamming it full-force into the serpent's cheek. Aqua Cutter grunted and whirled to face him, swinging back his arm in retaliation. By chance, one of his talons nicked the side of Hare's foot, and the rabbit winced as he landed, springing away before the monster could get his claws on him.
"Evil…" Aqua Cutter intoned, pointing directly at Hare. A sullen, ice blue tinted light pulsed around his hand, and he brought it back behind him as a ball of crackling energy formed in it. "Sho-WHUMPH!"
Genki grinned as he watched the pillow he had thrown hit the reptile monster full in the face, sending downy white feathers flying everywhere. Sputtering, Aqua Cutter tossed the pillow away, and swiped again at the boy, this time hitting his mark. Genki could not even scream as he was knocked back against one of his bedposts, and the wood cracked under the force of his impact. Dazed, he groggily looked up at Aqua Cutter as the leering snake went in for the kill, claws flashing in the moonlight…
Then the reptilian's face twisted in sudden agony as a flash of crimson fire surged into his outstretched hand, the intense heat instantly beginning to melt his claws. Genki looked over to see Hare kneeling on the top of his desk, one paw still pointed in front of him, breathing hard.
"Master!" Aqua Cutter screamed, holding his scorched hand in agony. "Master, please save me!"
The last word had barely passed the reptilian's lips when he vanished, a sudden flash of ice blue light marking his hasty departure. For several moments, the only sound in the bedroom was the ragged breathing of the two searchers, and then Genki took a deep breath.
"Hare…I think you may have just saved my life," he said quietly.
Hare was silent at this, his wavering brown eyes distant, and Genki trailed off, lost in his own thoughts. The two stood quietly, regarding the ruins of the boy's bed: the tattered sheets, the mess of stuffing and feathers. Finally, Genki turned away and started picking his way through the mess on his floor, heading towards his closet.
"I'm getting my things, then we'll head back to Holly and the others," he explained. Hare nodded mutely, still staring at what remained of Genki's bedsheets, and the boy turned his attention back to finding his skates.
Hare shivered, all too easily able to picture bloodstains on the tattered sheets, then he bent to heal the small cut on the bottom of his foot. He was lucky, he knew, to be able to get away with so minor an injury: things could have turned out a lot worse. And at least, with the Phoenix's Tear's healing abilities, he wouldn't even have to worry about getting a limp.
After a while, Genki emerged from his closet again, and Hare looked up at him. The boy was now dressed in much the same way he had during their quest: cap holding back his unruly bangs of dark brown hair, blue shirt and brown shorts, skates hanging off of his backpack. The boy sweatdropped slightly as he looked back at the ruins of his bed again.
"My mom is going to kill me," he joked weakly, and they both laughed quietly for a moment, knowing that would probably be the last of their worries soon enough…
* * *
"You have failed us, Aqua Cutter."
The reptilian bowed low, his face inches away from the ebony stones beneath him, his wounded hand pressed against his chest.
"I am sorry, master," he said, wincing with each word, "but I did not expect the boy to have a guardian with him. That damned rabbit cost me my prey!"
"The rabbit who wields the Phoenix's Tear?" Disbelief and outrage filled this voice as it bellowed, "How could you let him find out, you idiot? Do you have any idea what you've done?!?"
"Calm down," another voice said, its owner also hidden from the reptile's sight. "You knew before we sent him that it was possible that he might sense what was happening. It was a risk you were willing to run."
"Yes, but still…!"
"There is still little that they can do. Remember that all five of the chosen ones must be together for them to pose a real threat. They are still scattered, separated. There is no cause for alarm…"
"Yes…yes, you are correct, of course. There is nothing those fools can possibly do…"
"All the same, we must now be more cautious in our work…it would not do to throw everything away by being too overconfident."
"Of course…"
Aqua Cutter continued to keep his submissive stance, and silently ground his teeth together, dark eyes glittering with hatred. He would not soon forget this humiliation, having to wait while his superiors discussed their next actions. He wasn't even bothering to listen, his thoughts completely focused on how he would get his revenge.
I may not have been able to complete my mission tonight, rebels,
he thought bitterly, but I will kill your bratty child of a leader! I will make you pay for this!* * *
"Wha-aaat?" Suezo cried out, staring at Genki and Hare in shock. It was morning, and the sun streamed through the open window. The last thing that Suezo had expected to see when he got up was Genki, and certainly he had not been expecting the news that the boy had…
"What do you mean a baddie attacked you?" he demanded. "How in the heck would a baddie even GET to your world? And what in the heck is a baddie even DOING being AROUND?!? Moo's kinda DEAD, you know…"
"I don't understand it either," Genki said, frowning as he crossed his arms, "but I know what we saw. That was definitely a baddie crest he was wearing, and he was definitely trying to kill me."
"Chiii…" Mocchi clung to the boy's hand, huge eyes wavering with fear as he peered up at his friend and partner's face. It was incredibly difficult for him to grasp the fact that someone might have killed him just a little while ago; the concept was completely out of the question. Noticing this, Holly reached over and patted the young monster's back, while at the same time wondering just how she would be acting if the baddie had managed to complete his mission…
…But he didn't, and he won't,
she told herself sternly."So, if a baddie attacked you, then that must mean…" she started to say.
"…No way," Suezo interrupted, eye wide with fear. "There is no way that he could come back. NO WAY! …Right?"
"…I don't know…but…that seems to be the only explanation," Hare mused. The other rebels stared at him; each lost in their own thoughts.
…Father…have you come back?
Holly wondered, her fingers straying to the dagger she still carried with her and giving its hilt a slight squeeze. Or has somebody else become linked to Moo's mind?Moo might be back? …This is not real, this isn't happening…
Suezo told himself, breathing hard and sweatdropping.…If Moo's come back…would that mean that…?
Hare broke off that line of thought suddenly, shivering."…No matter what's happening, I think that we should find the others first," Genki said, standing up and shouldering his backpack. The others looked up at him and nodded.
"I agree," Hare said, standing. "If Moo has returned, then we'll need to summon the Phoenix again to fight him. And to do that, we need to have everyone with us…"
* …Plus, they're probably in a lot of danger off by themselves, even if Moo isn't the threat we're facing… *
That thought went unspoken, and the rebels all nodded in agreement. Hare and Suezo went to gather their things, and Holly retreated back into her room to change, closing the door behind her. It didn't take long to find her old traveling bag, and as she drew out her old hair ribbon, she took a long look at her reflection in the mirror. The Magic Stone glimmered, catching the light reflected from the mirror's surface, and she looked at its image before her, bronze eyes wavering a little.
Well, father, I guess I was wrong in thinking that I would never have to use this again,
she mused. Reaching out, she brushed the tips of her fingers slightly against the smooth glass; it felt cool under her touch.Father…have you returned as well? Or are you gone forever? Are you, father?
The silent mirror gave her no reply; she expected none, of course. She stood regarded the young woman before her a few moments more, then reached up and caught up her hair. Holding it behind her, she tied her ribbon around it, tying the ends into a bow. As she let it slip back behind her, caught up in a ponytail once more, she now faced a girl she never thought she would see again. The thought of that made her smile slightly, although it was a sad, fleeting smile.
* * *
"Hey, Holly," Genki said, grinning at the girl as she stepped outside of the house. He was already waiting outside with the three monsters, and she stared at all of them. Hare was carrying his old bundle, bobbing on the end of a stick. Suezo had found his old travel pack, too, and had secured it firmly in place. Mocchi wasn't carrying anything, but that didn't seem to bother him in the slightest, and the youngest monster was running circles around the others, eager to get going.
It was almost exactly like the old times, those several months past, with the sole exception that two of their members were notably absent. Holly caught herself staring and flushed bright red for a moment, quickly looking away.
"What's wrong, Holly?" Genki asked, watching her in confusion.
"No-nothing," she said, turning a wistful smile back on him. The wind seemed to tug slightly at her caught-up hair, as if trying to urge it out of its confines, and she smoothed it back again.
"Well then, let's get going!" he cheered, whirling around and starting down the path.
"Genki, wait!" Holly called.
"Don't you think that maybe we should get some supplies in town first?" Suezo added. Genki looked back at them, startled.
"Um…yeah! Exactly!" he said, then he whirled back around and started off again, saying, "Come on, let's go!"
"But Genki…" Hare said, and the boy looked back at the others again. Seeing that none of them had moved, Genki let out a groan of annoyance.
"What's with the holdup, people?" he demanded, fuming. In response, Hare simply turned and pointed in the opposite direction.
"Oh, nothing…just that the town is that way…"
"Oh…I knew that," Genki lied, quickly reversing direction and running back past them. Holly and the monsters just sighed and shook their heads.
"Same old Genki," Suezo commented, closing his eye and shaking his head scoldingly. "Tsk, tsk, tsk…" Then he happened to open it again and saw that the others had already left, and he looked up in time to see them racing after Genki.
"Hey, wait up, wait for me, hold it!" he shouted, hopping after them. "Wait, wait, waaiiittt!"
"Same old Suezo, too," Hare commented mildly, then he joined the others in laughing as they raced each other toward town. At least this journey was off to a good start…and with any luck, things would stay this way, he told himself as he ran after his friends.
* * *
Far away, somewhere thousands of miles from the five searchers, a cloaked figure slowly raised his head, eyes glowing crimson behind an ebony mask. An icy wind tore at his long, flowing black cape, and equally long hair flew behind him as he stared off toward the blood-red horizon.
"And so it begins…" he murmured, wind howling around him.