CFB: Well, here's chapter uno! Now that you know the Guardian's on the loose and an evil hamster is miffed at being snubbed, it's time to check on our favorite Clubhouse ham-hams and see what part they play in this tale. It might be bigger than they ever imagined!
I would like to thank my first three reviewers for this story. Getting reviews from three great authors was certainly a confidence boost, especially since their writing is amazing and they took time to read mine!
DolphinInsomniac15: My first reviewer! YAY! Thank you very much for it. I plan on seeing this through to the end, and hopefully you will continue to read it! Again, much appreciated! I'm sure you're sick of hearing me say that!
Crystalgurl101: Aw, sorry that Fantasy isn't your genre, but I'm super glad you liked it so far! That really means a lot, and your review certainly made me want to keep updating this! I hope you continue reading; I know I'll be reading your stuff.
CN: Thanks very much. I'm glad it shows promise, and hopefully I can finish it up to par, which will be extremely difficult to do. Thanks again!
This chapter is dedicated to DolphinInsomniac15 for being my first reviewer in the Hamtaro section!
Disclaimer: I own not Hamtaro nor any of it's characters. Or something like that.
Chapter 1: Siren
The sun shone brightly down upon the lush green grass in Oak Tree Park, the dew clinging to each individual blade gleaming in it's golden rays. It was a warm, luxurious summer morning, and a lovely one to spend outdoors. Children in the neighborhoods by the park were all playing, for school had closed for the summer recently. All in all, it was a peaceful day for creatures big, as well as for creatures small.
Hamtaro grinned and hummed his favorite tune as he walked slowly in the lush grass. His sleek orange and cream colored fur was freshly groomed, and his chocolate brown eyes were wide open as he took in the beauty of the scenery. His owner Laura had gone out with her best friend Kana for the day, leaving him free to roam about on his own. More importantly, to go to the Ham-ham Clubhouse, where he and his hamster pals went to hang out while their owners were away. Boss, the kind, yet gruff field hamster, had designed and built the Clubhouse all on his own, and was glad to have the company.
"I wonder what we're going to do today..." Hamtaro said to himself as he stopped humming, a thoughtful look on his furry face. The Ham-hams often went on adventures, and hardly a day went by that they didn't have a fun time with each other. But things had been fairly quiet lately, and they were due for some fresh excitement.
He continued to walk until he heard a French-accented voice sound frantically from somewhere behind him.
"Hamha, Hamtaro! Wait for me!"
Hamtaro swiftly turned to look and saw his snow white friend Bijou running along in the grass to catch up with him. Her fur was held up into two cerulean blue ribbons on the side of her face, giving her an elegant appearance, and her blue eyes shone with cheer, but they also contained a hint of fatigue. She was panting mightily as well, showing she had run a long way just to reach him.
"Hamha, Bijou!" Hamtaro greeted as the foreign hamster came to a halt at his side, giving her a warm smile. At first, she was unable to reply, being far too exhausted. But finally, she looked up and offered him a beaming grin that she reserved for him and him alone.
Panting ever so slightly, she remarked gratefully, "Merci, Hamtaro, for waiting for me. I zought you might leave me back zhere and I would never catch you!" Her blue eyes twinkled with good cheer.
Hamtaro's whiskers twitched and he chortled cheerily. With another bright smile that sent Bijou's heart aflutter, he said, "You never have to worry about that Bijou! I'll always wait for you. I'll wait for all of my friends!"
Bijou soon recovered from her mad dash, and was strong enough to begin the trek across the park to the clubhouse. "Eet iz a wonderful day to zee our friends, non?" She asked as the pair began to head toward the Clubhouse. She took a moment to breathe in the fresh scent of flowers and feel the gentle breeze caress her face, savoring the early summer moment.
"Sure is! I wonder what we're going to do today?"
"Well, Boss mentioned somezing about cleaning ze Clubhouse earlier zis week, non?"
"Aw cats!"
Bijou giggled as Hamtaro groaned and slapped a paw to his forehead. "Cleaning is not your favorite zing to do, is it Hamtaro?" She asked brightly.
"No way! But I guess if all of us work together we can get it done super fast, and then we'll be free to play!"
"Zat's ze spirit!" Bijou cheered him, before she took a look around. Normally, when she encountered Hamtaro on her way to the Clubhouse, he was accompanied by Oxnard, his neighbor and closest friend. But today, the plump ham-ham was missing, and Bijou asked innocently, "Where is Oxnard? He is your best hammo, no? You two normally walk togezzer."
Hamtaro replied, "Well, yeah, but he forgot his second-favorite seed at the Clubhouse and wanted to get there early this morning to make sure nobody had stolen it. And Laura took a bit longer to get ready than usual, so I'm running a bit late today..."
Bijou inwardly pumped a fist, only half-hearing him. All she knew was that they were alone together, for the first time in a long time, and she could finally get to talk to him in private. For the past few months she had been trying harder and harder to find out if Hamtaro liked her as more than just a hammo, usually with the help and support of her best girl-hams, but it was very difficult to get Hamtaro alone. He was normally tagging along with the other boy-hams, or having too much fun playing to have a decent conversation. And even when he had settled down long enough to have a chat, he was too dense to figure out she was flirting with him.
She glanced at Hamtaro out of the corner of her eye. He was very much her type, with his impeccable smile, adorable fur pattern, and she simply loved the way he always had an innocent, cheerful look on his face, normally accented with a faint look of cluelessness. In her opinion, Hamtaro was the cutest hamster she had ever laid eyes on, and his bravery and friendliness only added to that.
And now, she finally had him alone! He was cornered...there was no way this moment could be ruined now! "Zis is your chance, Bijou!" She told herself, blushing madly, before she spoke up to the hamster toddling along beside her, lost in his own, probably strange thoughts.
"Isn't zis nice Hamtaro?" She sidled up closer to him, but he either didn't notice or didn't mind.
"Isn't what nice?" He asked, looking at her with a touch of confusion in his warm brown eyes.
Bijou sighed, exasperated. That look of cluelessness and aloofness that she found so endearing was a blessing to behold, but also a curse at times. Especially times like these, which were so few in number. Why did he have to be such a moron when she was trying to assess his feelings for her?
"Walking to the Clubhouse togezzer...it is very calming, is it not?" She clarified, stressing the word 'together' so he would hopefully get what she truly meant.
Hamtaro looked a bit befuddled, as if puzzled she would ask a question like that. "Well, of course it's nice Bijou!" He said, like the answer was obvious. "It's always nice when I get to spend time with you!"
Her hopes soared up into the skies, and she felt her cheeks grow warm. "Really?" She asked eagerly, wanting him to go on. Was this the moment she had been waiting so long for? Was she about to find out if the attraction she felt was mutual?
"Yep-P! I like spending time with all of my friends!"
Her hopes were sent spiraling back down to earth, and her ears and shoulders drooped slightly. So much for her moment. Sometimes part of her just wanted to smack Hamtaro upside the head, so hopefully some sense would be knocked into him, but the other part wanted to throw her arms around the big goof and give him a hug. If only his naivete wasn't such a big part of his personality...and such a big issue at the same time. He was so clueless...sometimes she wondered about him. Would he ever get the picture?
"Thank-Q, Hamtaro..." He failed to detect the disappointment in his friend's voice, and continued to walk along, striking up a jolly tune once more, Bijou joining in half-heartedly.
They continued to walk in the fresh summer sunshine, until Bijou stopped cold in her tracks. Something had caught her attention. A worried look came into her azure eyes as she began to look rapidly around, as if searching for something. "What's wrong Bijou?" Hamtaro asked, looking concerned as he paused beside her, looking around as well. He saw nothing but some brush, a few trees, and the grass surrounding them.
"...I zought I heard somezing. But I guess it waz just my imagination..." Bijou said slowly, after a long pause. "It sounded like a rustling in zee bushez..." She finished, looking around them at the clumps of bushes that decorated their path.
Hamtaro joined her in staring at the bushes, and they stayed stone still, as if waiting for some monster to leap out and attack them. Each of their senses were on point. All was silent, save the chirping of a few crickets and a bid call or two.
Suddenly, the rustling began again, and this time, both rodents heard it, and saw the leaves jostling one another. Bijou clamped onto Hamtaro's arm, terribly frightened for fear whatever it was could be a cat, or a hawk, or even something worse. Hamtaro's eyes had a courageous look in them as he listened raptly for what might have caused the sound. After the third rustling, he decided it was time to force whatever it was out.
"Alright, whoever you are, show yourself!" He called bravely into the shrubbery, heart pounding in his small ribcage. He was a brave ham...but even mysteriously rustling shrubs sent a shiver up his spine. However, he wouldn't let whatever was lurking in the bushes see his fear. He had to be strong!
"I am scared Hamtaro!" Bijou whimpered piteously, quivering, as the bushes rustled louder than before.
"Don't worry Bijou. I've got you covered." In truth, Hamtaro was doubly frightened of whatever was watching them, or whatever was about to come out from the bushes. An image of a cat leaping out, claws extended and teeth bared, filled his mind, but he shook his head to get rid of the disturbing thought. He had to be braver!
As both hamsters stared nervously at the leaves of the bushes, a pair of hazy blue eyes poked through the darkness. They blinked innocently, looking confused, as if they had no idea what was going on. And then, out from the bushes emerged a female hamster, the one who owned the clouded azure eyes. The mystery of the rustling bushes was solved.
"You could ask nicely..." The hamster said, blinking off and on as she looked from Hamtaro to Bijou and back again.
A wave of relief swept over Hamtaro and Bijou, and they straightened up from where they had been cowering on the grass. "Oh...I'm sorry! You just frightened us is all!" Hamtaro said sheepishly, looking at the ground as Bijou let his arm out of her vice-like grip. She, too, looked a bit ashamed, and apologized, "We did not mean to dizturb you."
The pair took this opportunity to study the strange hamster carefully. She had snow white fur with light gray ears, along with dark, midnight black markings that ran from her eyes and made a jutted turn down to the sides of her face. A small, unsure smile lit up on her face as she shook some debris from her coat. "It's okay. I guess I was being sort of loud, wasn't I?" She replied, a bit sheepish herself. Then, she stared at the ground, as if she feared meeting their gaze.
"...I'm not used to seeing hamsters around. You guys kinda startled me, too." From the way she stood nervously, and the way kept looking at the ground shyly, Hamtaro and Bijou could tell she lacked skills in the social department.
"My name's Hamtaro! Pleased to meet ya!" Hamtaro greeted politely, as he and Bijou walked up closer to the mysterious hamster, curiosity about the rustling bushes rewarding them with the chance to meet a new friend.
"And I am Bijou. Bonjour!" Bijou drawled in her French accent, beaming.
At first, she looked reluctant to answer, and for a moment Hamtaro was sure she was going to make a run for it, but, eventually, she introduced herself as, "...Siren." She glanced up at them quickly, cheeks tinted pink, before becoming strangely interested in a rock near her foot. Bijou sensed it was because she was nervous about seeing new faces, and was immediately sympathetic.
"Are you from around here, Siren?" Hamtaro asked, head tilted to one side. He knew nearly all of the hamsters in the area, and seeing a new one was always a great experience.
She shrugged, and finally looked up, replying, "Well, no...I come from a place far away. I'm just passing through...I'm a traveler."
Siren hardly ever spoke to other hamsters. Whenever she saw them, she ran for cover, like she had this morning, and normally, they avoided her in a similar fashion. She didn't quite know why she had shown herself to them in the first place, though she did recall hearing the orange one yell, compelling her to come out in the open for them to see. And now, these two had approached her with kind words and gestures, and she had no clue what to do with herself. She wanted to run, get away from them and far away, but something kept her hindpaws plastered in place, and she found herself falling deeper and deeper into conversation. Her mind screamed at her to stop, to go off on her own, like always, but something else, deep inside, made her stay.
"A traveler?" Bijou questioned, smiling widely, and leaning toward Siren with a twinkle in her bright blue eyes. "Doz zat mean you go all acrozz ze world?" She seemed very interested, whereas the topic bored Siren.
"Erm...I guess, yeah."
"Ah! Zat sounds pozitively wondachu! I have always wanted to go all around ze world!"
Hamtaro, with his river of endless ideas still flowing, suddenly had a glorious one. To make up for disturbing her peace, they could take her to meet some new hamsters! She herself said she wasn't used to them. He knew Boss wouldn't mind; the fatherly ham always welcomed new visitors. She seemed worth getting to know, and if she was new to the area they could help her get used to it. It was a flawless plot!
Raising one paw defiantly in the air, Hamtaro informed them of his brilliant plan. "I know! Why don't you come to the Clubhouse with Bijou and me? There are a bunch of us who go there and play games if you want to come! We welcome all hamsters! You won't be disturbed there, and you can meet some new friends!" Hamtaro beamed, and Bijou, sensing his drift, nodded in agreement.
"Uh...I dunno. I'm not really used to seeing so many hamsters in one place all at one time, and games aren't really my thing..." She trailed off, looking hesitant and unsure of herself as that uncertainty flashed in her eyes. Her mind was now telling her, more than ever, to bolt, but she stayed frozen to the spot, trapped in interaction with these two kindhearted hams.
"Aw, come on! Everyone would love to meet you!" Hamtaro chided.
"If you come wiz us, you can meet zome new friendz. It will be tre magnifique!" Bijou finished, never passing up the chance to invite another girl hamster into the circle of friends. The boys overran the place, they needed another girl to liven things up a little.
Siren's brow furrowed. "A...friends? What's a 'friends'?" Confusion replaced hesitance as Siren made her remark.
Bijou and Hamtaro stared at her dumbfounded, mouths agape. This hamster did not know what a friend was, or what friends were? That seemed impossible! Everyone knew about friends! They exchanged shocked glances and then turned back to Siren. "A friend is someone you spend time with, and play games with, and just have a great time with. You can talk to them about anything you want! It's a great thing to have friends! Friendship is great!" Hamtaro explained.
"...'Friendship'?"
"Friendship is the study of friends!" Hamtaro piped up, looking very proud of himself.
Siren looked even more confused. "...Actually, friendship iz ze relationship you have with your friendz. It'z a great zing." Bijou finished, correcting Hamtaro's previous statement with a smile dancing across her elegant features.
Though her face cleared a bit, Siren still seemed a bit puzzled, and even more uncertain than she had been before. "Oh. I've never had those. They sound nice, I guess..." Siren concluded. There was much more on her mind than she let on. She could run now, it would be so easy to escape these two. But if she turned away now, she knew that their generous smiles and offers of 'friendship' would haunt her mind forever if she didn't seek it out. Perhaps she should investigate this a bit...she could learn some pertinent information.
"Well, it looks like you need help, fast!" Hamtaro exclaimed, brown eyes wide, as if the situation was an emergency. "It'll be great, we'll introduce you to some more hamsters! Then, you'll have so many friends you won't know what to do with yourself! C'mon Siren..." He sensed that since this hamster didn't have a clue to what a friend was, she had none. Just a mild observation on his part. But his plea was sincere, and Siren could hear it.
"Well-" Siren started, looking more nervous by the second. She contemplated for a full minute, Hamtaro and Bijou anticipating her response with their whiskers twitching eagerly. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Siren relented, "I guess it would be nice to have just one visit with some others of my kind...Oh, why not?" She smiled, hazy eyes closed. "I'll come. Once." She added the last line sternly, as if there would be no changing her mind.
"Hooray!" Bijou and Hamtaro cheered, both pleased they had recruited a new hamster to join the club. They darted off, yelling for Siren to follow them. Siren chuckled at their playfulness as she bolted after them. "It couldn't hurt, could it?" She asked herself as she ran after the two hyper hamsters, a little bit of doubt still playing across her face, "I'm willing to take a risk...just this once..." She had run away many times before, but this time she would pursue others, and maybe learn new things from the experience.
In no time, the still slightly-bewildered Siren found herself plunging down a tunnel lined with small beads of light, which seemed to be beckoning her to follow their luminous path. Dashing downwards she eventually came to a halt behind Bijou and Hamtaro, who had stopped in front of what looked like a regular dirt wall. "Are we at a dead end?" Siren asked worriedly, hoping they had not gotten lost.
Bijou smiled as she had Hamtaro stepped aside. There, fastened into the dirt wall, was a quaint little green door, made from the bark of an oak tree. Siren had never seen such a nice little door before. "Here we are!" Hamtaro announced cheerily as he grasped the handle to the door in his paw and pulled, revealing a welcoming sight and the scent of sunflower seeds.
A brightly lighted room was what her astonished eyes took in, with several hamsters stopping what they had been doing in order to look in her direction. Awe glinting in her eyes, she stared around at her new surroundings with newfound excitement. She had been so apprehensive at first, she almost wanted to laugh at herself. Coming here wasn't such a bad idea after all! As she looked around, more heads swivelled in hers and her two new 'friends' direction.
Suddenly very aware of their presence, Siren blushed and muttered, "Erm...hamha..." She spoke so softly no one heard her.
Hamtaro leapt in valiantly to save her from making an absolute fool of herself. "Hamha guys! Bijou and I were walking to the Clubhouse a few minutes ago and we ran into Siren! She didn't know what a friend was, so we brought her here for some help." Hamtaro explained to all of the new faces.
"Oui, we zought she could learn about eet by coming here." Bijou drawled, looking pleased.
"Didn't know what a friend was? Why, that's impossible. I'm Howdy, and gosh darnit, we're the friendliest bunch of ham-hams you ever saw!" A brown and cream colored hamster exclaimed from his spot at a yellow, round table, his voice thick with a country accent. A red apron was tied around his waist, and his eyes were narrowed in a permanent squint.
Siren blushed harder, her face as red as a cherry. The feeling of welcomness was still there, but slowly giving way to her feelings of inferiority. She felt stupid amongst these hamsters, and all because of not knowing what a friend was. Did everyone know but she? "Well, I've never really seen other hamsters before..." She said softly.
"Well, that's what we're here for! I'm Boss, I built this place and these are my FRIENDS. We're glad to have you." A gruff looking hamster with black and tan markings, Boss, said warmly, stepping up to the trio who had just entered. He wore a small helmet, bright yellow in color. He put emphasis on the word friends, thinking Siren didn't understand. She noticed he was eying Bijou out of the corner of his eye, as if hoping the white hamster was impressed by his display of friendliness.
"Thank-Q..."
"So, your name's Siren? Radical name! I'm Sandy, pleased to like, meet you," A friendly looking hamster with orange-brown and white fur, as well as dark brown tiger stripes, piped up from beside the slide. She held a pink gymnast ribbon in her fist, and Siren noted that there was a hamster who looked exactly like her, though without a red tail ribbon, who appeared to be male.
"And I'm Pashmina, and this is Penelope," A caring hamster with golden and white fur, a pink scarf tied around her neck, said kindly as she smiled and indicated to a smaller hamster with brown ears and a buttercup yellow cape over her head. The little one chirped, "Ookwee!" loudly, in greetings to the new arrival. Siren perked up at their cheeriness.
"I can't imagine life without friends. What have you done all of your life without them? Gee...I'm Dexter by the way." A sophisticated looking hamster with grey and cream colored fur, as well as brown markings that made him appear to have glasses, piped up. A classy ruby red bow tie was under his chin, and he constantly fidgeted with it to make sure it was on straight.
"I'm Maxwell. Pleased to meet your acquaintance." A very tall hamster with brown and cream colored fur said from his spot on a stool around the large round table, eyes peering over a large book. His whiskers twitched as he went back to reading the volume, totally absorbed in the text.
Out of the corner of her eye, Siren noticed a big, bright red pan begin to twitch slightly by another door. Immediately she turned around to look at it curiously. A hamster poked his head out from under it, surprising the young female. She jumped back slightly, eyes wide, taken off guard. "Hi..." He said shyly. "I'm Cappy." He wore a green swimming cap over his brown ears, the rest of his fur an off-white color.
Then another surprise came for her, when the twin of Sandy made his way up to her and grabbed her paws in his, a big grin playing across his face. Siren just stood there with a confused expression on her face as he said, "Hey Siren-baby. I'm Stan, but you can call me hon-"
"That's enough Stan! No flirting with girls in the Clubhouse, you know the rules... Well, you know. like, my rules!" His twin, Sandy, looking aggravated, lashed her pink ribbon out at him and caught him by the tail. He immediately let go of Siren's paws as he was dragged away by his identical sibling, wincing and looking ashamed. Siren laughed a little at their actions.
"I'm Oxnard!" A grey and white spotted male piped up between bites of his sunflower seed. He was a tad chubbier than the others, and from the way he ate his seed ravenously, Siren could tell he had a great appetite for food.
"And last but not least, I'm Panda." A hamster with dark gray and cream fur said with a bright smile, a hammer in his hand. He had very realistic panda markings across his fur, and a never-satisfied yearn for knowledge in his bright eyes.
"So, that's everybody. Welcome to the Clubhouse!" Bijou and Hamtaro chorused in unison, smiling at their newest friend.
"Hey, where are you from Siren?" Boss asked curiously.
"Uh..." Siren tried hard to wrack her brain for an answer. She couldn't tell them the truth, no matter how considerate they appeared to be on the outside, for she could not share her life with anyone. It was too dangerous. She would have to lie, or make up a place. She chose 'make up a place' instantly.
Thinking and talking simultaneously, Siren informed them, "I'm from a quiet place called, er, Hampett..." She knew it sounded positively moronic, but still, hoped they would believe her.
"Oh, I've been there! Great place, great place..." Howdy said with a wide grin.
Siren stared at him with disbelief, shyness all forgotten, and a shocked look on her furry face. "You have?" She asked, dumbfounded. She had made this place up! He couldn't possibly visit an imaginary place, could he?! Did she accidentally make up a place that actually existed?
"Yeah, why?"
"Well...er, as you know it's a pretty small hamster colony. No one ever goes there, and I got kicked out, so...yeah." Siren finished lamely, biting her tongue to keep from spouting anything else that sounded totally idiotic. She had been kicked out of her family and colony, so half of what she had said was true. She prayed they wouldn't ask why...but someone always would, she knew that much.
"Kicked out?" Oxnard asked confusedly, tilting his head to one side. "Why?"
"Um, yeah. You see the black markings on my face?" She pointed to her face, making sure they got the message, and continued, "Well, all of my siblings looks exactly like me, without the lines. My mother took it as a bad omen so I was labeled the 'cursed child.' The colony leaders took the liberty to throw me out after the rumors started, and I've been alone ever since." Siren then clamped her mouth shut, not wanting to reveal any more information about her life.
"That's terrible!" Pashmina said sadly, sympathy reaching out to the newest arrival.
"I've never heard something so cruel!" Sandy added.
"Yeah. I'm glad you found your way here with Hamtaro and Bijou, because this is the friendliest bunch of hamsters you'll ever see, like Howdy said!" Panda said, looking around happily at all of his comrades.
Siren sensed the close bond they had, a friendship, as they called it, like none other. Whatever it was, she could tell it was strong, perhaps even impregnable. Deep down, she longed to be a member, so she could be a part of that relationship and feel the warmth and joys of friendship. But she knew that was an option she did not have.
"Yeah, we all love each other!" Hamtaro cheered in agreement.
"Hey, Siren, I have a question for you. Your name is very interesting, how did you get it?" Maxwell, ever the bookworm, queried, finally putting his book down.
"Uh-well, when I was younger I used to screech really loud whenever something scared me or when I was in trouble. I still do it today, it's a good alarm system," Siren found herself warming up to these hamsters, it was as if they were impossible to dislike. She continued, "And the fact my brothers and sisters were named things like Screech, Scream, Alarm, and Shout may have had something to do with it."
There was appreciative laughter, and Siren felt her mouth curve into a smile. They liked her!
Bijou smiled as she watched Siren breathe deeply in relief, and then smile around at everyone, awe glinting in her hazy eyes. Bijou had felt the same when she had first met the remarkable hamsters she now called her friends. She certainly hoped Siren would fit in, and would help the girl ham in any way she could, but she also seemed to be doing a pretty good job of that herself. That was good, it was always nice to have another girl hanging around. And helping another hamster adapt to life with others was always a gratifying experience.
Soon, everyone began chatting around with everyone else, a few were playing games, and Siren looked around the homey room, wondering what she could do. She had a whole day with these hamsters, and had to make it memorable. She just wandered about for a few minutes, looking at everything with wonder as the others assumed their natural behavior. They realized that what was normal to them might not be natural for Siren, so they let her watch them without questioning.
"Over here Siren!" Sandy called from the corner she had retreated to with Pashmina, Bijou, and little Penelope. "Come talk with us!"
Siren trotted over, pleased someone wanted to hang out with her. "What is it?" She asked.
"Want to talk with us for a little? We'd like to get to know you better, without all those boys hanging around!" Pashmina explained, and Penelope added, "Ookwee!"
"Uh...sure."
They all plopped down on the floor in a small circle, looking eager to learn. "So, you had no friends until you came here?" Pashmina asked, still unsure if she truly believed the words of Siren. It was apparent to Siren by this time that many did not believe it. But she had not known about friends until this day, and that was the honest truth.
"Nope. None." Siren answered earnestly, nodding and blinking as Cappy ran by chasing a small beach ball the boys had been playing with.
"Do you miss your family?" Sandy asked, risking the chance to ask about Siren's apparently superstitious family, hoping the female was not sensitive to that topic.
"Well, my brother Screech and I were close until I was shunned. I really miss him the most. I miss everything about my home, but I thought it'd be better if I moved on instead of dwelling on it. And here I am. Twenty minutes ago I was scrounging for acorns when Bijou and Hamtaro found me. Now I'm here." Siren beamed. "Even if it is only for a little while..." she inwardly sighed.
"Hampett zounds like a nice place." Bijou remarked. "Is it beautiful zere?"
"Uh...sure. I mean, yes, it is very nice." Siren stuttered, hoping to keep her shyness under control as she spoke.
"Where are you staying now?" Pashmina asked.
"Um, near where Bijou and Hamtaro found me. Up in a huge oak tree, it's really nice there, since I love the outdoors. I've lived in the wilderness my entire life, pretty much."
As the girls continued their conversation, the boys played their game of Catch-the-ball-and-don't-let-it-hit-the-ground. It was their favorite past-time, and the girls hardly ever joined in, as they thought it was a pointless game that only boys would find exciting anyway. Boss leapt skillfully for the ball, managing to whap it over to Stan, who tossed it to Panda. That was basically the entire point of the game, if one could argue that it actually had a point. However some of the boys couldn't throw well, and many had to scramble to save the ball from touching the floor. That was mainly why they enjoyed playing it; there was always a panic whenever the ball came close to touching the ground, and an immense feeling of relief when it was saved.
Maxwell however, was sitting in Boss's armchair and reading a book, close to the girls's circle. He had never realized how fascinating legends of old Hamwall were until he had picked up the dusty book off of the shelf of his home library. It had rested there for a long time, and now he had given it a deserved second glance and was unable to tear his eyes from it. It was amazing! A true adventure, captured within the pages of a dusty, ancient book. Eyes darting across the page with such speed they were blurred, he hardly noticed the ball coming straight for his head...
WHACK!
Maxwell was knocked out of his seat as he hit the ground with a thud, book skittering across the floor. "My book!" He exclaimed, watching it skid over to rest at Penelope's feet. It was a very fragile book, from the time of the very first hamster civilization, and any sort of bump could damage it permanently!
"I'm sorry Max, I hit it too hard!" Hamtaro apologized, running over and lending the bookish hamster a paw, Sandy in his wake. Maxwell staggered to his feet with their help as Penelope pranced over, clutching his book. She handed it to him with a cheery, "Ookwee!"
"Thank-Q, Penelope." He accepted it, and inspected it carefully to make sure no harm had come to it's precious binding or fraying pages.
Now everyone in the room was listening, and watching the scene unfold. "You guys have to be more careful when playing, this book is very old. And it's quite valuable." Maxwell cautioned, dusting it off like a prized diamond.
"What's it about?" Dexter queried.
"The old Legends of the Ancient Hamwallian Empire, the first hamster civilization ever, besides the Cave-hams, but they weren't quite civilized. It has amazing art and poems, as well as legends and myths about awesome creatures and heroes!" Maxwell, pleased someone was interested, answered matter-of-factly.
"Legends? Myths? Gee, that sounds exciting!" Hamtaro, thrilled at the prospect of some excitement, peered at the book over Maxwell's shoulder, standing on tip-toe to do so.
Siren's ears immediately perked up at the mention of ancient Hamwall. Listening carefully to Maxwell, she turned her attention onto his words as he said, the hams all congregated around him, "There's a wonderful legend in here about the Guardian of Hamsterkind. It's called the Legend of Fate, and it captivated me so much I read it twenty times. People have debated for years on whether or not it's true, and well, I think you guys would like to hear it." This was followed by cheers from everyone, minus Siren, who was seriously silent, as they crowded closer around Maxwell.
Maxwell took a deep, relaxing breath, opened his mouth and began to read, empowered by the ancient, leather-bound book in his paws:
"One hundredth anniversary of the Fall of Hamwall, far beyond the war,
Awakens beast in crystal water, mission to be accomplished,
Hundredth year after death and fall of beloved kingdom,
It rises again within the chosen hamster, the Chosen One!
Year passes by slow as time,
The time has come again,
To stop the evil conqueror, an emperor reborn,
Who wishes to control all of our kind under his terrible fist,
The Evil shall stop at nothing to gain complete control,
Stealing something priceless,
To lure them into his clutches..."
Just then, Siren stepped forward, surprising everybody, and cut Maxwell off. All attention was turned to the mysterious guest.
Siren knew that resistance to recite it was futile. She had fought it as Maxwell spoke, but hadn't been able to stop herself from mouthing the words, and now, she had to voice them aloud. Something, something deep inside her, had awakened, and was forcing her to speak the old words of times past. She began to recite perfectly, the ancient text of the Legend of Fate:
"Beneath it's mighty claw and fang,
With newfound motivation it shall battle with the terrible force of a thousand armies,
The Evil One slaying it shan't be enough, shall it?
However he does try, and the Guardian gives in, unable to prevent it's defeat,
Sword meets flesh and pierces heart, the Evil One prevailing,
Spiraling, spiraling,
Ultimate sacrifice,
For all of our kind,
Shall awaken the flame within the ice to burn a hole inside the darkness,
And the Sword of Conquest, in the paws of an unlikely hero,
Divine friendship intertwined with ensnaring embers,
Conquest meets Havoc,
To assist,
Evil shall desist,
And the Guardian shall finally achieve Destiny."
Siren's eyes had closed as she spoke, hypnotized by her own words, a serene look on her face. The room fell silent when the last syllable had left her mouth. As the words faded from her mind, Siren immediately snapped back to reality and her eyes popped wide open. A horrible realization struck her and every limb, every whisker, every fur on her body froze up under the surprised gazes of the others. Maxwell's jaw had practically hit the ground, and Stan had dropped his maracas on the floor.
She looked around the room at the awestruck ham-hams, blushing madly, and said apologetically, "Erm...sorry, I don't know what came over me..." She rubbed the back of her head, looking ashamed and sheepish.
"Wow, you know the Legend of what's a hoosits?" Howdy asked, mouth agape.
"Uh...yeah. I know all of them, the ones of old Hamwall, since most of them concern the Guardian-" She froze, clamping a paw over her mouth. "Now you've done it Siren...great job! They're bound to be onto you now..." Siren inwardly thought, mentally cursing herself. She was leaking information...too much of it.
"That's a lot of memorizing to do, how'd you do it?" Oxnard asked, impressed. "Gosh, I could never do something like that!"
Siren took her paw off her mouth and answered shakily, "They had tons of libraries in Hampett. They had that same legend in all of them, so I was able to read all of the time. It's all I did. Ever since I went on the road, there haven't been any libraries for hamsters anywhere, since I've not seen another hamster town in a while..." She hoped none were suspicious of her.
"Do you zink zee legend iz true, Siren? You seem to be an auzority." Bijou blinked as she asked Siren the question. Siren glanced around the room again, her anxiety growing and building up within her. They were so unaware of the truth hiding behind her hazy eyes, it was almost unbelievable to Siren. Her unfamiliarity with her own kind was actually doing her in, despite all of her precautions. It was all unraveling, before her very eyes...
"I do." She breathed, looking sincere about it. That was one fact that, even if she tried, she would and could never deny. And all at once, as soon as the words left her mouth, the questions erupted from the other ham-hams, and they began chattering excitedly and expectantly to an extremely bewildered looking Siren, who had never been bombarded with questions quite like this before.
"What was Hamwall? Who lived there?"
"How many years has it been since the fall? What's the Guardian look like?"
"Who is this evil one? Will he really conquer?"
"Why is your face getting so red?"
"Um...are you okay?
Siren was surrounded by so many questions her head was reeling. She shut her eyes tight, trying to make all of the questions go away, make all of it vanish. They screamed, whirling round and round in her head, racing through her mind like a malfunctioning crousel. She couldn't take it anymore...coming here was a bad idea after all, and she had to fix it. She was not meant to socialize with others. It was simply too dangerous, and a risk she could not afford to take again.
"I can't take this!!" She wailed miserably, and then she made a mad dash for the door, pulling it open, and running out faster than they could stop her. No one followed, and soon, the frantic patter of her paw-steps faded into the distance.
Silence settled again over the shocked ham-hams. "What's her problem?" Cappy asked, peering at the door which Siren had left ajar. "She didn't even say bye-Q..."
"I think she was a bit overwhelmed with all of our questions. She wasn't used to hamsters at all was she? She seemed uncomfortable half the time, and our surrounding her didn't help any, I'll bet..." Pashmina remarked, looking a bit upset and regretful as Penelope nodded sadly in agreement.
"Poor chick," Stan remarked, his maracas falling to his side. "Now I feel all bad and stuff."
"Yeah...guess we made a pretty pooie first impression, eh?" Howdy observed, paws crossed over his chest. And as he said this, a great feeling of shame settled on every member of the Clubhouse, save Snoozer, who was snoring contentedly in his sock.
Hamtaro, ever the leader, suddenly piped up, "I know what we could do! Tomorrow we should go looking for her and apologize to her. And then maybe we could invite her back and try to make a better impression. We could have a picnic and invite her to it!" He suggested, hoping to hear agreement from every one of his friends. His ideas were usually followed by a chorus of agreements, and this one was no different.
"Good idea Hamtaro!" Boss chided, slapping a paw on the younger hamster's shoulder.
"But how are we going to find her?" Dexter pointed out, noting they had no clue where the hamster had been staying.
"She told us she was staying up in a huge oak tree near where like, Hamtaro and Bijou found her today!" Sandy informed them, trying to be helpful, but her voice trailed off as she said, "So, we know she's somewhere in a tree in the park..."
"Well, that's real specific..." Panda snorted sarcastically.
Hamtaro stepped forward, taking authority to speak, "We'll just have to go looking for her tomorrow near where Bijou and I found her. If we work hard together, I know we can do it! Is it a plan Ham-Hams?" He asked brightly, face cheerful as he once again awaited for the chorus of agreement.
"YEAH!" The room filled with them, everyone looking forward to making things all right between them and Siren.
The only quiet one was the ham with the book held firmly in his two paws, and it was his girl-ham who noticed this.
Stepping up next to him, Sandy asked, "Like, what's wrong, Maxy?"
Maxwell closed his book solemnly, and as everyone peered at his somber expression, it seemed as if all the happiness had been sucked out of the room. They knew something was wrong with their intelligent friend, and, seeing as he was normally right about most things, they wanted to find out what it was that was bothering him, even if it only added to their uneasiness.
"Maxy, what's wrong?" Sandy asked again, a genuinely concerned look on her face. Every hamster in the room waited anxiously for him to answer.
He looked contemplative, as if mulling over exactly how he wanted to word what he needed to say. "There's something about her...something that bothers me," Maxwell finally admitted, the grim look still on his face.
"What is it? She seemed all right to me. Bit shy, but heke, she had every right to be, not knowing what a friend is and all!" Howdy replied.
A shadow fell across Maxwell's face as he spoke, darkening his features. He pointed out, "Siren said she had gone to all of the libraries in Hampett to memorize the Legend of Fate, and all of the other legends as well. Yet, earlier, she said she was kicked out when she was two months old. Hamsters usually require care from their parents until after they are two months old, which is probably why she was kicked out then, if what she says was true. How would she get to the library so often, with her parents no doubt on constant watch? Also, and this is only if she truly was only two months when she was kicked out, no hamster can read that young, much less speak in coherent sentences."
A very haunting, chilling silence fell across the room, a dark cloud hovering over each ham-ham's head. Maxwell's speculations struck their hearts painfully, as they too realized the very same things he had. Immediately, all of that evidence added up to one thing, but nobody wanted to say it. "What are you saying Maxwell?" Stan asked uneasily.
Maxwell took a deep breath, and continued grimly, "...I think Siren lied to us."
"How could you say zat? She could not have lied to us...she zeemed so...so..." Bijou struggled to finish her phrase. She and Hamtaro had been the very first hamsters to meet Siren, and even though they had only just met her, she did not want to believe Maxwell's words. None of them wanted to believe it, as they normally just sought the good in hamsters, not the bad.
Quickly, the bookish ham tried to lighten the mood. "I don't mean to get anyone down about it, though. I just think she lied to us about her past, and I'm just stating the facts here. Maybe her past was too painful to talk about and that's why she lied. It's not necessarily bad..." Maxwell suggested, shrugging his shoulders. "I still think we should go looking for her tomorrow, like Hamtaro suggested. Maybe once she settles in she'll open up to us more." He finished, face lightening.
The dark cloud that had settled in the room began to fade slowly, and smiles began to grace their furry faces again. "I bet that's it! I'd bet a pile of acorns. Get it? Bet! Har har!" Howdy said, pleased he had made a joke.
"You are so immature..." Dexter rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"AM NOT!"
"ARE TOO!"
"Break it up!" Sandy interjected, slapping them upside the head. "This is not like, the time for this!" The stopped right away, and focused on the task at hand again.
"So we're still gonna go look tomorrow?" Bass asked warily, changing the subject.
"YEAH!" The room filled with cheers again, and they began to return to their normal day activities, anxiously awaiting tomorrow, when they would surely find and make friends once again with Siren. Penelope and Pashmina even set about getting a head start on packing the picnic for the next day.
But the fact that Siren, their newest prospective hammo, might have been lying to them was still hanging in the back of their heads, like a nagging itch that simply could not be scratched. Each of them was hoping it wasn't true, and Siren was simply lying to cover up a painful past or a delicate subject she didn't want breached. Maxwell's words made it all clear, that in some way, Siren was misleading them. Hopefully it was minor, but they would set it straight, no matter what.
They had to.
He ran along the tree tops of the new town he had stopped in, his search yet unfinished. For about a year now, he had been looking all across the world, hoping to find any sign of the one he was looking for. How many towns had he looked in? Countless, all over the world. But giving up didn't even cross his mind. He had a mission to do, and by the Sword, he would certainly do it!
He was a brave, strong, vigilant hamster, who would face a vicious gale, a churning sea, or a flaming plain to accomplish his dreams! But, despite his numerous efforts and the thousands of miles he'd traveled, every hamster he had ever inspected had turned up negative, everywhere he had been. None had a connection with the Chosen One he sought, and, at this point, he was growing very frustrated. He was not about to surrender, but this fruitless quest was beginning to wear down his anger.
He wondered if this town was just like the others. Negative, after negative, after negative...
Rose red eyes glaring, he sighed and continued moving along a sturdy tree branch. "Will I ever find that stupid chosen hamster?" He asked himself wearily. Thoughts of giving up were out of the question, he had to constantly remind himself of that. He would succeed! There was no doubt! He was Spyke of the Dark Lands, he was not allowed to fail.
If he did...it would be the end of him.
Cape billowing, Spyke scampered along the limbs of the many trees, tree after tree, branch after branch, of what was it called now...Oak Tree Park. It was identical to many other parks he had visited in the world, and the sight of it's plain, predictable playground and little, gurgling stream almost made him want to vomit. It was just like all the others, and he was growing sick of them.
He searched with his bloody, scanning eyes, awaiting the sight of any hamster that might hold some sign of having a connection to the legend. His fiery mahogany arms gripped the end of a thick maple branch, his brown ears twitching forward. He had heard a rustle. It had been a small one, indicating that a small creature had made it. Peering down into a seemingly empty clearing, he spotted movement.
A hamster burst through the bushes, surprising him so badly he nearly toppled over the branch. Spyke regained his balance and stared at the hamster, who had come to a stop smack-dab in the middle of the clearing. She was panting, a sure sign of fatigue, and it looked like she had just run a marathon, or else she had just run for her life away from something.
His haunting red eyes peered down at the female hamster with zealous interest. Up from his spot in the tree, Spyke could see everything she was doing. Now, she was sitting forlornly in the grass and looking miserable, her face a mix of emotion. Sadness, anger, regret, jealousy, you name it, it was on her face. But something else on her face took Spyke by surprise, shocking him immensely, and sending his heart aflutter.
Black markings.
Very very familiar black markings, to be exact.
"They...they're the same markings!" Spyke marveled, happiness washing over him. The very powerful aura he sensed coming from her, the markings, the icy, hazy eyes he had now noticed. It all fit together like a puzzle. She was the hamster replica of the beast, that he was sure. She was the hamster-version of that dratted and beloved beast that had shunned him almost a year ago now.
"I have found the Chosen One at last!" Curving onto his face came the cruel smile he was known for, his eyes glinting with mischief. He would have to watch this hamster for a while. He couldn't capture her. Not yet, anyway. There were still some loose ends to tie up before he went about luring the Chosen One into his clutches. He could feel the power surging in him already.
But the female hamster with the tell-tale face would prove to be very, very useful to him, all in good time. And with one swish of his cape, Spyke vanished into the dark leaves of the treetops and scuttled out of sight, a newfound determination in his crimson orbs.
There's chapter one. Hopefully, it's up to expectations. And yes, I'm aware that you PROBABLY know who the Chosen One is already. If you don't...you mighta missed something. But I promise you, there are going to be a few more surprises in this tale, still to come!
Next chapter: The ham-hams set about trying to find Siren again, to apologize for scaring her off the day before. Can she be convinced to return? And when a rainstorm crashes down on Oak Tree Park with terrible force, the ham-hams get caught out in it, and one of their own is thrust into mortal peril. Someone has to play the savior, but who, or what, will it be?
Review please.
