Today, July 17th, is my birthday! Not any old birthday, though; my 21st birthday! Yay! I don't feel any different, though. XD Just like last year, even though it's my birthday, I have a gift for you guys! I don't know how the works, but that's okay! I've been in a real fluff craze lately. Plus I've been into comfort stories as well, for some odd reason. Thanks so much for everything!

Note: This takes place after "Goodbye, Baku" from Season 2.

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.

Far Reach

The woods that once ruled the surroundings had broken out into a large field covered in yellow field grass and several hilly structures. On a normal day Genki would be leading the group with a plastered on grin while Suezo would complain about anything and the others would follow closely while only throwing in banters when the moment rose. An aura of joy and spirit tended to emit from the group of anti-Moo rebels, but not today. An awkward silence lingered throughout the group as everyone kept their eyes downward and their mouths shut. The valiant leader of the group was not ahead of the group and, instead, he stayed at the back of the group with his head down and his fists clenched weakly. Passion and joy seemed to have been sucked out of the boy and all that remained was a miserable shell. Everything lead back to earlier that day when a brave monster took the term loyalty to a whole new level.

Baku.

The large dopy looking dog monster had seemed so carefree and innocent as his eyes shone with cheerfulness. All he wanted was to love and to be loved in returned, though he bore a tortured past that would eventually catch up to him. Protecting the land around him from Baddies was something he did without question, but Baku had a goal deep down that truly kept his strength alive. The murderer of his master and family still roamed free and the image of a scarred face was burnt in the dog monster's memory like a permanent brand. The ruthless monster went by the name of Chariot and he wore the scar on his face like a badge. The warrior had been injured by Baku, but the dog monster had been too late to save his master. Years past as Baku was haunted by his past, but one day he met a boy that sparked inside him a new flame. Unknown to the rebels, Genki resembled Baku's old master and so the dog monster felt an attachment to the boy. In a battle against the Baddies, Baku protected Genki and brought the boy to where his old village once stood. Waiting there was Chariot, though, and to protect Genki the dog monster went face-to-face against the evil warrior. In the end, Chariot was defeated, but not without consequence. Baku was mortally injured and died in Genki's arms only a little while later. The memory of Baku's death lingered in Genki's mind and seemed to eat away at his heart. The day had started out to be so good, but it ended in tragedy.

Holly frowned as she gazed back to look at the down hearted boy who looked as though his entire world had been shattered. Seeing Genki in such a sad state was heart breaking and the wielder of the Magic Stone felt completely helpless. His smile and courage is what made her continue on and without it, she could feel her esteem decreasing rapidly. Normally silence was a welcomed thing in the group since it was a rare moment, but now she wished the silence would break and the group would allow the hard burden to drop. Her wish wasn't answered, though, and only the sound of their footsteps and crickets could be heard. Her eyes wondered to that of a tree in the distance on a hill that seemed to be bearing fruit, but she was snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed Hare making a note of the time of day. The sky was beginning to become dark and without a word, the rebels stopped to make camp. A small fire was built by Suezo while Hare helped Golem unpack their routinely supplies. Tiger's duty was to scout the area close by for Baddies, although when he returned he found nothing of notice before he sat near the warm fire. At seeing his best friend's low mood, Mocchi tried to cheer Genki up, but to no avail. Holly watched the scene with a sorrowful look as she could feel her throat restrict and for her eyes to glaze over in unshed tears. Life could be so unfair sometimes and she knew exactly what Genki was feeling.

'Poor Genki… He doesn't deserve to see so much blood shed and death. I wish I could help him…' Holly thought to herself with a frown on her face, but suddenly her eyes lit up and a small smile crossed her lips. With a look back at Genki, Holly quickly grabbed her purse and dagger before walking to Suezo's side. "Suezo?"

"Hm? What's up, Holly? The fire's not ready for you to start cooking yet so it'll be awhile before we're ready." Suezo stated with a shrug, although by Holly's expression his response wasn't what she meant.

"Suezo, I'm going to go for a walk by myself. I won't be gone long."

"A walk? Alone?"

"Yes. I'll be back in time to cook dinner."

"That's not what I'm worried about! I'm worried about you going off alone at this time of day!" Suezo exclaimed with a scowl and his outburst caused the rest of the rebels to listen to the conversation with interest.

"I won't go far, I promise. I just… really need to do this." Holly replied with a determined front and from the looks of it, she wasn't going to back down. Once again, her stubborn side was emerging and sometimes it could become a delicate situation if Suezo tried to over rule her request.

"…alright. If you go far, though, I'll know!" Suezo stated with a sigh. He knew the mood of the group was low and he felt maybe the girl just needed some time away from the group. Baku's death had impacted the group more than he had first though and even he was feeling its effects. The group was so silent it was almost creepy.

"I'll be back soon." Holly said with a quick wave as she glanced back one last time at Genki before heading off through the darkened field. The grass felt smooth up against her legs as she found herself backtracking from the direction they had originally come from. She could still feel the gazes on her back from those of her companions, but she never looked back as she kept her goal in mind. After several minutes of walking in silence, Holly felt her eyes light up as her destination was finally in sight. The large tree she had seen earlier stood mightily on a small hill as its branches seemed to grasp for the sky and the leaves looked as if they were shivering with every tiny gust of air that brushed up against them. The tree itself wasn't what Holly was looking at, however. Her eyes stayed glued on the small round shaped objects that hung from the higher branches of the tree.

Apples.

There were only a couple of them, but the shiny skin of the fruit reflected softly from the slight rays of the moon and Holly could feel a smile form on her face from the sight. Snapping out of her trance, the young girl quickly began to scale the slightly steep hill and with every step she took, the tree only seemed to look more majestic. When the wielder of the Magic Stone reached the base of the tree, she had to lean up against its cool bark in order to catch her breath. The hill wasn't too tall, but its elevation made more a strenuous trek. After a moment's pause, the brunette looked up with hope as the fruit caught her eye again before she took a step back to evaluate the situation.

'I know he wanted to come to make sure I'm safe, but if Suezo had come with me I know he'd eat the apples himself and it would defeat the whole purpose of me coming here. I bet if I got Genki one of these apples, he'd open up to me and he'd feel a lot better.' Holly thought to herself with a smile at the thought of Genki's mood being revived. 'Still… climbing trees isn't one of my specialties…'

With a look of determination, the young girl slowly grasped onto the lowest branch before pulling her slender body up and letting out the breath she had been holding. A sigh of relieve escaped the young girl's lips before she looked up at the apples that were hanging higher up, so once again Holly pulled herself up to the next branch. Slowly, but surely, the young girl shakily climbed up to each rough branch before she was high enough to see one of the shiny red apples that she had been searching for. The fruit seemed to glimmer like a giant ruby and Holly could almost picture Genki's smiling face as she stared at the apple. The fruit was on a branch further out, though, so Holly slowly began to inch her way out toward the apple while making sure not to look down, for if she did her fear of heights would get the better of her.

'Relax, Holly. Just a little closer and you'll have the apple so Genki will be happy again.' The brunette thought to herself as she slowly extended her arm out to the fruit. Her fingertips gently brushed up against the smooth surface of the apple, but she was still too far away to actually grab a hold of it. With a sigh of irritation, Holly reached out even further to try and snag the fresh fruit and a smile graced her lips when the apple fit perfectly in the palm of her hand. With one small motion, the young girl tugged at the fruit and the stem broke away from the tree; leaving the apple to sit idly in Holly's hand. A smile crossed Holly's lips as she looked down at the fruit with awe, but she could feel her heart stop when a low cracking noise echoed from the darkness of the night. Before she could even let out a scream, the branch beneath Holly's feet gave out and the young girl felt her stomach lurch before her back slammed into the ground below. For a moment, Holly could only lie on the ground while gaping in shock, but after a minute she could feel the numbness in her body wear away and for her lungs to start taking in air again. Although a bit achy and dirty, she felt no serious harm had come to her.

'Holy Phoenix… I didn't even have the chance to let out a scream!' Holly thought frantically as the shock wore off and her mind buzzed with unorganized thoughts. Her clothes were patched with dust and her skin was smudged with dirt, but she didn't seem to notice as her thoughts were redirected at her hands where a fruit was once placed. 'The apple! I must have dropped it during the fall! I need to find it!'

Frantically, Holly quickly began to pat around the ground to find the precious apple she had lost, though she felt a sigh of relief escape her lips when her hand grazed up against the smooth surface of the fruit before picking it up a wryly smile, Holly slowly stood up from her place on the ground before clutching the apple firmly in her hands and heading off in the direction that the other rebels had made camp in. Now having what she had come for, there was no reason to stay out any longer especially at knowing Suezo was most likely having a near heart attack without her company. Every so often Holly couldn't help but look down at the apple that was kept snugly in her hands and every time she did, another smile would spread across her lips. With only the sounds of crickets chirping and the crunching of grass under her feet, Holly allowed the peaceful atmosphere to relax her and to calm her nerves slightly as she continued to walk toward the camp.

'What if giving him this apple doesn't make him happy again? What if he won't open up to me? What if… if makes things worse? Maybe I shouldn't give it to him… No, I can't do that. I need to give him this.' Holly thought to herself as her grip on the apple tightened subconsciously. With the campsite now in sight, Holly picked her pace up a little, but the closer she got to the camp the more nervous she became. She knew better than anyone what it was like to lose a close friend to death, but she also knew people deal with death much differently. For Holly, it had been overwhelming, but she put on a strong front and had pretended everything was just fine. For Genki he normally wasn't afraid to show his emotions, though this time he seemed more distant than usual.

'I envy him for that. He's so… brave.' The brunette thought with a sad smile, but she stopped in her tracks when she noticed Genki was no longer sitting in the spot he had been when she first left the camp. Before she could panic, her eyes scanned the area and a sigh of relief exited her mouth when saw his silhouette perched up on a hill by himself. 'He must want some time alone. Maybe I should wait to give him this… If I give him this now, though, it could lift his spirit. I'll just hand it to him quickly and go right back to the campsite.'

Without alerting the other rebels of her return, Holly quietly detoured around the outskirts of the campsite before heading off to the hill Genki was sitting on. When the young girl reached the base of the hill, she couldn't help but crane her neck slightly to look up to the top and she could feel a sigh escape her lips. 'Could he have picked a higher hill?'

Once again, Holly found herself climbing up yet another hill for Genki's sake, though at her expense. When the girl reached the top, she had the urge to lay down and rest right there and then, though the fruit still in her hands made her remember her purpose for going up there in the first place. After quickly hiding the apple behind her back, Holly quietly strode to Genki's side before looking down at the boy. With light from the moon, Holly could see the bags under his eyes and forlorn look of guilt plastered on his face. Genki seemed to stare off into space as his breathing stayed steady and his eyes stayed glued forward. With a low gulp, Holly felt an uncomfortable feeling crawl over her, but she shook it off before regaining the confidence she had before.

"…Genki?" Holly spoke softly while placing her other hand gently on his shoulder, though this only caused Genki to yelp in surprise before whipping his head around so fast that it startled Holly and she almost dropped her present.

"H-Holly?" Genki was able to sputter out after feeling as if his heart was going to explode from fright.

"I'm s-so sorry!" Holly stuttered with embarrassment for scaring the young boy, though she felt her nerves relax when she could sense Genki had calmed down and that he didn't seem upset with her.

"I didn't even here you come up here. Since when did you become a ninja?" Genki joked with a sad smile, and Holly could tell the smile he gave her was only to amuse her. Now with the scare over, Genki found concern sweep over him as he noticed the shape Holly was in. Her clothes were wrinkled and covered in dust while her skin was blotched with dirt and debris. Her hair was messy with a few small twigs strewn in it and she looked so tired that she could fall asleep on the spot. "Holly? Are you alright? What happened?"

The only response Genki received was something smooth being shoved into his hands hastily. With a blink of confusion, Genki looked up to Holly before looking down at the object in his hands. After a moment of awkward silence, the young boy finished examining the gift before a confused look crossed his face. "A bruised apple? What's this for?"

"It's for you because- wait. Bruised?" Holly cut herself off before she rapidly took the apple from Genki's hand before examining it herself. Indeed, one side was perfectly shaped, but on the other a soft bruise had formed on it's once vibrant surface. Holly could feel her heart sink at seeing the imperfection of her gift and suddenly she felt her mind cursing at her for thinking of giving the boy an apple in the first place. With a sigh of aggravation, Holly dropped the apple to the ground before burying her face into her hands and letting out a groan of frustration.

"H-Holly? Are you alright? Are you sick?" Genki asked frantically, for he was still unsure about what was going on.

"Oh, Genki… I'm so sorry, really! I thought if I got you a perfect apple that it would make you feel better, but it must have gotten bruised when I fell out of the tree! I'm so sorry, Genki…" The wielder of the Magic Stone trailed off miserably as her plan backfired. Before she could turn away from the scene, though, Genki gently grabbed her hand to prevent her from doing so.

"You got me the apple to… make me feel better?" Genki asked with surprise as he kept a hold on Holly's hand while slowly bending down to grab the fallen fruit.

"Yes… It's just I… I hate seeing you so down. I'm sorry it's not a perfect apple, though." The young girl said with a frown as she looked at the apple in Genki's hand with shame. Genki, on the other hand, found a smile breaking through his mask of sadness as he glanced from the apple Holly had given him to the girl who's hand he was still holding.

"You know what, Holly?"

"What?"

"This is, by far, the most perfect apple I've ever seen."

Holly could only blink in confusion at Genki's words, but the smile the boy flashed at her was genuine and she felt her heart flutter at the action. All day his smiles and laughs had been forced, but for once he showed her a true one and she could feel relief flooding into her body. Still, she couldn't help but be confused at what Genki had said since, no matter how she looked at it, the apple was still imperfect. From the look on her face, Genki could tell she was unsure of what he meant, though this only caused a bigger smile to form on his face even though the sadness still lingered.

"Holly… I've seen hundreds of apples that don't have bruises or anything wrong with them, but they haven't been nearly as perfect as this apple here." The boy said with a nod of his head as he tried to keep a strong front while Holly could only stare at the boy with fixation.

"But, it's bruised so it can't be perfect, so why do you say it is?"

"Why? Because you gave it to me."

Holly could feel heat rush into her face as her cheeks flushed red, though luckily for her it was unnoticeable in the night. The apple sat firmly in Genki's hand and for the first time that day, Genki felt the pain of losing Baku lessen and for the emotions that had built up to release their poisonous hold on the young boy's heart. At that moment, the dam of emotions broke as Holly's gift reached out far into Genki's soul and suddenly his body began to shake and his legs felt weak. His legs didn't have a chance to give out, though, as Holly brought Genki close to her and enveloped him into a tight hug; one in which he gratefully returned. As tears spilt out the corners of his sore eyes, Holly stroked his head lovingly while whispering comforting words and soothing encouragement. Even as the duo continued to delve deep to the root of Baku's demise, Genki's embrace on Holly and his hold on the apple never loosened. All it took was a little reaching out and a little understanding to fight the inner demon that tormented the boy so much. The battle was won in the end, for later at the campsite a young girl and boy slept side by side with a single bruised apple still clutched in the boy's hand.

Goodbye Baku is such a depressing episode! If you haven;t seen it yet, have some tissues on hand just in case!Sorry for the randomness and the fast paced ending. It's my birthday so I don't have time to write well thought out stories today. XD I'm making this a tradition of mine; every birthday of mine I'm going to write a random one-shot. I've been Monster Rancher deprived lately because ripitupgenki hasn't updated or posted anything since May, though to no fault of her own. Still, she's the one who give's me my Genki/Holly fix and I've been having withdrawals. XD She's so cool… If you haven't already you should check her writing out. Her stories tend to be more for older audiences while mine tend to be younger. Oh, I also got a Suezo plush! Anyways! Thanks so much for reading! Love ya!

RockyRoadSmith: Signing off! :3