Rain of Nightmares

by nothinglefttosee

When sleep is no longer a pleasant sanctuary, and nightmares rampage nightly across the minds of hamsters everywhere, a new adventure unfolds for the ham-hams and friends, more epic than the last. Sequel to Guardian Towers. HB, SM, others. T to be safe!

4. Clouded Visions

CFB: Chapter three time! Sorry for my absence...no excuses can cover for it. But, I digress! Dreamland ahoy. And, fittingly, it's raining right now...though it won't be when I post this, most likely. This is the longest yet...24 pages in one and a half days. But I had the end worked out ages ago...it was getting there that was the issue, and then I had a mass edit session, and...yeah. But here it is.

Thanks: To Awsomewriter123 and sandyandmaxwellfanatic. You two are seriously awesome. Right after I post this I'm going to check out some of your stories that I missed while I haven't been on. I hope you continue to enjoy this.

Note: Okay, the next update will be really quick because I've taken so long updating. So...either later tonight or tomorrow, I hope, unless the internet decides to crap out on me. Anyway....

This time: Hamtaro and the ham-hams fly with Joy to the magical Dreamland! Half the journey is getting there, and let's hope Stan doesn't get airsick. Princess Hamorette welcomes them with open paws, and they get blessed with the ham-ham hero treatment! New hamsters are introduced, and...what's this? A big surprise is in this chapter? Read and find out!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hamtaro or any of its' characters. I own all characters and concepts not related to the original Hamtaro franchise. (I suppose I can't really OWN Dreamland, though...just my version of it...)

Enjoy! And feel free to criticize or whatever.

---

Chapter 3: Clouded Visions

"Are we ready for a new adventure, ham-hams?"

"Hip-hip, Hamha!"

The sun was just a sliver of shimmering gold over the orange horizon, gleaming beautifully off the snowy feathers of Joy's dove and the multicolored balloons of the ham-hams' basket. After a blissful, dream-filled sleep, with Joy watching over them and keeping the awful nightmare away, the ham-hams were refreshed and ready for the voyage to the legendary Dreamland that Joy spoke to glowingly of.

"Are you sure you have brought all of your necessities?" Joy asked the ham-hams worriedly, glancing hesitantly at their small backpacks, only packed with enough seeds for the trip, a flashlight each, and some extra blankets. "Your packs are rather small."

"We've got everything we need!" Pashmina responded brightly. "We don't need much, anyway."

"Ookwee! Ookwee!" Penelope, her tiny yellow pack strapped on securely, jumped up and down beside her best friend.

They had also dragged Snoozer up from the Clubhouse, not wanting to leave him alone to endure the nightmare alone while they were off trying to vanquish Steel. He snoozed contentedly in the balloon basket, unaware of what was going on, while the ham-hams quickly, but efficiently prepared for their trip to the clouds.

"Yep-P! I even brought a few extra hats, just for the occasion!" Cappy added, already quivering with excitement.

"Very well then..." Joy peered at the rising sun, gauging the time. "Then I suppose it's time to depart. Again, I cannot express how grateful I am that you've agreed to help. Princess Hamorette will likely want to thank you even more than I do."

"Again, all I needed to know..." Stan drawled, eyes glazing over as he thought of meeting a beautiful Princess. Sandy, aggravated with his flirtatious ways, swatted him in the back of the head, and he shot her a glare, though he kept his mouth shut before she decided to hit him even harder.

Siren handed her backpack to Panda, as she wouldn't need hers if she was acting as part of the transport. "Are you sure you're well enough to do this, Siren?" The carpenter ham queried, his eyes faintly troubled as he looked at the ham-ham he considered a little sister. "I mean, you've only just healed from fighting Spyke at Hamwall, and you had to go and get those balloons yesterday after not getting much sleep. And the trip to Dreamland isn't long, but it isn't short either..."

Siren shrugged his concern off with a dismissive wave of her paw, hoping to relieve the big-brother figure of some of his worries. She responded, somewhat indifferently, "Thanks, but I think I'll be fine. I appreciate the concern, though."

"Are you sure?" Panda was not appeased. "You've seemed kind of...down, lately."

Siren put on her best smile for him, feeling guilty that she was worrying him so. "I'm fine, Panda. Don't worry!" She even gave him a high-four, but his troubled expression was not eased totally.

With that, Siren backed up and, with a bright flash of light, was replaced with the lean, silvery form of the Guardian. She looked imploringly between all of her friends, wondering who would be the lucky pair to ride on her back. Panda had already declined, fearing that he would be airsick, and Cappy had also refused, fearful that he would fall off.

"I'll go with Siren!" Hamtaro volunteered bravely, catching on to her expectant gaze. "After all, we're used to that, right?" He asked jokingly, with a smile, and the creature snorted laughingly in return, now able to think of their flawless teamwork at Hamwall fondly rather than fearfully.

"And moi as well!" Bijou, not wanting to pass up on an opportunity to be more-or-less alone with Hamtaro, raised her paw and stepped forward almost immediately after Hamtaro did. "I was ze first to ride on ze back of ze Guardian after all, non? I am used to eet!" A few of the others looked like they wanted to have their turn to fly with the mystical creature, but a surprisingly stern glare from Boss kept them from challenging the decision.

"Alright then! Me and Bijou it is!" Hamtaro closed the matter, surprised by how warm his heart felt and how happy he was as he spoke his and Bijou's names together. As he glanced at a triumphant Bijou, already stepping up to a crouching Guardian, he could see that her cheeks were faintly tinted with pink, and he felt his own cheeks heat up.

Joy swung herself up onto her dove with ease, sling gone now that her battered arm was feeling better. Holding the Staff of Dreams in one paw and the reins in the other, she asked, "And who will be the ham-ham to ride with me? I have only room for one, I'm afraid."

While Bijou would not give up a chance with Hamtaro, Stan would never relent an opportunity to be alone with any girl. "I'll ride with you, Joy-sweetie!" He offered, hoping to appear suave and debonair. "But I'm afraid you won't be able to focus on the sky much, what with me there and all..." He smugly stood next to the dove, flexing, and causing Sandy, and several of the other ham-hams, to roll their eyes.

"Oh, I'll be fine!" Joy replied cheerfully, oblivious to his flirting, and reached down with one paw, yanking Stan upwards with more force than he had dreamed her capable of, and jerked him into place behind her. Before he had time to situate himself properly, she had shoved the map into his paws, and a bewildered look crossed his face. "I hope you're skilled at reading maps, Stan!" Joy giggled as she carefully strapped her staff in a holster attached to the saddle and grabbed the reigns with both paws.

"Erm..." Stan fretted with wide green eyes, flipping the map every-which way, trying to find how he had to hold it. "S-sure...no problemo, Joy-sweetie! I'll get us to Dreamland in no time!" While she faced away from him, Stan looked frantically over to a silently laughing Maxwell and mouthed a desperate, 'Help me!'

Sandy sighed and slapped a paw to her forehead. "Idiot."

A few minutes later, the ham-hams were ready to begin their journey. The sun was now half-risen over the blue mountains in the distance, and the dew on the grass had begun to glow faintly silver. The ham-hams had piled into the basket already, Howdy and Oxnard poised to chew through the ropes tying the basket down as soon as Boss gave the word. The Guardian was fastened to the basket by something resembling a sled-dog harness, which had been fashioned by Panda the day before, with design ideas from one of Maxwell's books. The creature looked less than pleased by resembling a common dog, but stretched it's raven wings wide, ready to take off once the basket rose into the rapidly pinkening sky. Hamtaro and Bijou were positioned carefully on it's back, Hamtaro clutching the reigns of the harness, and Bijou holding onto him.

Stan, now fairly sure he knew how to read the map correctly, traced the line from Oak Tree Park to the blob labeled Dreamland and declared, "We're headed westward first, hamdudes and dudettes!"

"Are you sure you are all prepared?" Joy asked them again, though she was raring to hit the skies. The sooner they reached Dreamland, the sooner Steel would reach his end. "I don't think we'll be able to come back for anything..."

Begrudgingly, the ham-hams sifted through their packs to make sure they had everything they needed. Once they were sure, and nodded to her, Joy defiantly turned her narrowed amber eyes to the sky and proudly proclaimed, "Then it's time to head for Dreamland!"

She gave the reigns of her dove a slight tug, and, with an immense flap of it's gossamer wings, it took off into the air, the sheer speed of the motion making Stan utter a small, girlish squeal. Joy made her ride linger by the treetops, while Boss waved his paw in the basket, signaling Oxnard and Howdy, who began to chew through the ropes keeping it bound to the ground. The Guardian crouched low, wings quivering with anticipation. The ropes broke, setting the balloon basket free, and it began to rise steadily. Keeping it's wings in time with the basket, the Guardian also ascended, until they were on level with Joy.

From the back of the Guardian, Hamtaro look a long, backwards glance at the top of Oak Tree Park and the nearby town. Somewhere out there, Laura slept soundly, unaware that her loyal pet had vanished. "Goodbye, Laura..." Hamtaro murmured, sadly, several of the other ham-hams in the basket sending silent goodbyes to their owners as well. Bijou, feeling his pain, placed a comforting paw on his shoulder, alleviating some of the heart-consuming sorrow.

Forgetting what he had to leave behind in favor of what he had promised to do, Hamtaro faced the broad sky ahead and shouted, eyes burning with excitement and a determined sense of purpose, "Alright, ham-hams! Let's go to Dreamland!"

And with the rising sun to their backs, Joy led the way, Stan holding onto her waist for dear life, with the Guardian, flapping it's regal wings slowly to keep from overtaking the dove, close behind, the brightly-colored balloons gleaming like a beacon against the morning sky. A familiar sense of deja vu swallowed the ham-hams, but in a way that made them all the more excited and anxious to be on a whole new adventure, this one already looking to be more thrilling, and even more dangerous, than the last.

---

Princess Hamorette sighed deeply, staring up at the orange-gold sky with a touch of worry in her jade eyes. It was a chilly morning, so she wore one of her magenta dresses with a warm, matching sweater, as she sat delicately on a white stone bench in her illustrious gardens, located just beyond the courtyard of the castle. Even in the soft morning haze, the various plants and flowers, gathered from all corners of the hamster-world, seemed to glow faintly, as did the Princess herself.

Beside her, on either side, stood her loyal knights, donned in black armor that looked misty in the fog that settled so early in the morning. They stood out, like two, stonily silent coal deposits in a field of gold. The one with crimson eyes looked about ready to doze off, his eyes half-closed and head leaning to one side somewhat, while the icy-eyed knight was wide-awake, cerulean eyes narrowed as he stared, a bit forlornly, at a bright lunar rose a few feet from of him.

Princess Hamorette sighed again. "Joy was supposed to have been back yesterday, knights..." She broke through the silence, her voice quivering, though retaining the bell-like quality.

The knights exchanged a glance, deciding which one should reply. The crimson-eyed one yawned, but figured it was his turn, as his companion was often the one left to ease the Princess's troubles. "Fear not, my lady. Joy knows what she's doing. Perhaps finding the brave hamsters was more difficult than we anticipated, or the heroes needed preparation time. I'm certain Joy will return with the reinforcements today."

"I certainly hope that is the case..." Princess Hamorette replied with a weak smile, gently brushing her paw against a blooming patch of tulips. "The protective barrier around Dreamland will not keep Steel's ghoulish nightmares out forever. Soon, he will be strong enough to penetrate it, and we must act before that can happen."

The other knight shifted himself with a clanking of armor, head now tilted to the sky. "Steel will not prevail, my lady. The Guardian is with these brave hamsters, and if they defeated a Dark Lander like Spyke," here, he cast an apologetic glance at the red-eyed night, who nodded understandingly, "Then they can defeat Steel, and save Fury. And we will personally help with that."

The Princess seemed even more disconcerted by that statement. Looking quickly at the red-eyed night, before shooting a long, much more meaningful stare at the blue-eyed one, she murmured mournfully, "Oh, I could not imagine either of you going off into battle like that. If I were to lose you, I would never be able to get over it. I keep you by my side because I know you will be safe, and I trust you two above all else. Without you...well, no other knights call fill your armor."

Embarrassed, the red-eyed night muttered thanks, glad Princess Hamorette couldn't see how he had flushed. The blue-eyed night, however, stiffened at her words. "With all due respect, my lady..." He returned, hoping he didn't sound like he was opposing her. "I don't intend to stand idly by while these heroic hamsters go off to fight alone. I want to be there, fighting just as hard to save Fury and restore sleep to it's proper balance." He also hoped she couldn't catch how he had sounded more determined about the first objective.

The Princess frowned at him, perplexed. "But what if you were to be hurt? I could never live with myself!" She proclaimed, wringing her paws fearfully. "The only way I can be sure of your safety is if you remain here with me."

The red-eyed knight was considering his partner's idea. "Actually, my lady..." He said, slowly and thoughtfully, also not trying to oppose her. "I believe he has a point, somewhat. We are the two most skilled knights in Dreamland. If we were to accompany those brave heroes and the Guardian, then victory will almost be certain, provided we have a good plan. Steel will be absolutely no match for all of us."

Princess Hamorette was unconvinced. "Well, I believe that these hamsters are skilled enough to defeat Steel without your support. Like you said...they took down a Dark Lander, and they can take down Steel!" There was a stubborn edge to her voice that irked the blue-eyed knight. She also appeared to be trying to convince herself of her own words, and not just her loyal protectors.

He was about to rebuke, likely less formally than he should, but the red-eyed knight interjected, not wanting his best friend's mouth to get him into trouble, "We can't know for sure what these hamsters are capable of if we didn't actually see them at Hamwall. But you do know how strong we are, and what we're able to do. It is almost a sure thing if we go along, my lady..." His paw lingered on his sword hilt. "Besides, I've been itching to get my sword near Steel for a while now..."

"Enough!" Growing fed up with these fighting desires, Princess Hamorette stood up and raised her paws to silence the knights, jade eyes clouded with worry and anger. "I will hear no more of this! You two will not be going to fight Steel with the brave heroes, and that is my final word!"

She flounced off toward the entrance to the castle, wanting to leave the discussion far behind, where it could never be brought up again. If she were to send her powerful, paw-picked knights, knights she had designated to remain by her side forever, out to fight such an evil hamster, even with reinforcements, there was always a chance that they would be injured. And she couldn't imagine going on and ruling Dreamland without either one, always over her shoulder, loyal and true, though she was more deeply concerned for one than the other. Without him...she might as well surrender the throne.

Her words echoing in their helmets, the knights trailed along after their Princess, as was their eternal duty. Patting his friend lightly on his armor clad shoulder, the red-eyed knight muttered lowly, "Sorry, pal. I tried. Looks like we'll have to be on the sidelines for this one."

The blue-eyed knight shook his head, glacial eyes burning. Through tightly gritted teeth, he growled, "No way. I'll be there fighting Steel, even if I have to go against Princess Hamorette to do so. This is one fight she is not going to keep me out of." His paws clenched into tight fists.

The red-eyed knight was about to protest, but realized that if his friend did, indeed, join the rally against Steel and fight alongside their reinforcements, Hamorette would likely forgive him. In her eyes, he could do no wrong, and every time he slipped up she always forgave him instantly. However, if he, the non-favorite, were to try it himself, she would likely have his lovely red eyes gouged out and have him thrown into a dungeon somewhere in the bowels of the castle. Oh, how unfair favoritism was...

"I know you want to be there a lot, man, but maybe this isn't our fight...those brave hamsters can probably take down Steel. He's tough, but like, a dozen versus one are good odds for our side, provided he doesn't have any tricks up his sleeve....er...cape." The red-eyed knight pointed out, although he knew that his retort was futile.

The blue-eyed knight's eyes simply glowed with an even brighter, more fiery kind of resolve, paws drawn into fists so tight they were turning bone-white. His voice was smooth and cool, but as jagged as an icy ledge.

"As long as Fury is in danger and needs saving, it will always be my fight."

He stormed into the castle ahead of his crimson-eyed friend, and slammed the door behind him, leaving his poor companion locked out in the gardens. Sighing grievously, the red-eyed knight plopped down onto the stone ground, making a very distinct sound of metal clanging against a hard surface. Princess Hamorette would not willingly send her knights out lest she lose one of them in particular, but that one would not sit out because he felt it was his duty to save a certain russet-furred Protector of Slumber and return her to Dreamland. And that left him the lone hamster trying to preserve everyone's feelings, though he was sure many feelings were going to be hurt during this tumultuous time.

Tilting his bright red eyes to the beautiful empyrean, the knight sighed and leaned back so he was laying on the cobblestone path, surrounding by hundreds of sweetly scented flowers. He let out a long, frustrated groan, and waited wearily for either his partner or the Princess herself to realize that he had been left behind...again. Had this emotional situation really left him the solitary, rational voice of reason in the castle? It certainly looked that way.

"Tch...and that is why only fools fall in love."

---

The Guardian and Joy's dove flew gracefully and carefully beside one another as the sky turned from a lovely blend of reds, pinks, and golds, to a familiar, sparkling blue. The wind wasn't much of a factor, which left Hamtaro, Bijou, Joy, and a scared-out-of-his-wits Stan to chat freely between their modes of transportation without having to heyhoo.

Joy peered frequently at the majestic Guardian, flying so effortlessly beside her own elegant dove. It looked both menacing and gentle, a mix of strength and kindness that many failed to achieve. She knew that with this beast on their side, their chances were improved greatly, but wondered about the abilities of the other ham-hams. The Guardian was obviously capable of a great many feats, but these brave heroes that had assisted it at Hamwall had to have some sly tricks of their own.

"So..." Joy remarked idly, about halfway through the journey, glancing over at Hamtaro and Bijou with curious amber eyes. "How exactly did you brave ham-hams manage to beat Spyke at Hamwall? Watcher Nimbus, the hamster who saw you there, didn't give us very many details. I'm curious to know how you managed to bring down such a powerful threat!"

Hamtaro blushed sheepishly. Modestly rubbing the back of his head with one paw and gripping the reigns with the other, he replied earnestly, "Well, it was mainly Siren, here. She's the one who did most of the work, being the Guardian and all..."

The Guardian grunted a retort that they couldn't understand, but it was clearly disagreeing.

"What ze Guardian ees trying to say was zat ze whole fight at Hamwall was a group effort, non?" Bijou, smile on her snow-white face, glanced down at the Guardian, who bobbed it's head in response. "You zee, Hamtaro was ze 'unlikely hero' from ze Legend! 'E too, 'ad a beeg paw in defeating Zpyke!"

"Aw, shucks, Bijou..." Hamtaro's cheeks burned with the effect of her praise.

Joy was startled, but a huge smile spread across her face. "Oh, wow, I hadn't a clue that you were so directly involved with the Legend of Fate. What a pleasant surprise! I certainly was lucky to get your help, then, even more than I realized at first!"

"'E was very brave!" Bijou continued glowingly, directing her warm smile in Hamtaro's direction, and making him blush an even deeper shade of scarlet and murmur, "Bijou, you're embarrassing me...I didn't do that much! It was a hamteam, like you said!"

Stan, put off by all of the attention Hamtaro was getting, huffily intervened, retorting hotly, "I also helped defeat that bad dude, Joy-sweetie! Hamtaro and Siren did a bunch, sure, but they weren't the only ones. I was real brave too...storming into battle without any protection, all to save the hamster world from that bad hamdude...I wish you could have seen it, sweetheart...it was inspiring."

In the basket, Sandy had a strange feeling that Stan was making a fool out of himself, but was too involved in her conversation with Maxwell to lean over the side of the basket and chastise him.

Joy peered over her shoulder at Stan in surprise. "Really? What part did you play, Stan?" She asked eagerly, dying to hear all of the heroics from the fateful battle on Wizenhart's hill.

Stan faltered. "Erm...it was all a blur, you see..."

"Don't you remember, Stan?" Hamtaro asked, tilting his head confusedly to the side. "While the Guardian and I went after Spyke, the rest of you ham-hams directed the power of your friendship to help us out! It was your guys's friendship that really helped...why are you waving your arms at me like that, Stan?"

Stan had been motioning wildly with his paws, trying to get Hamtaro to shut up about the 'power of friendship' stuff, but stopped once Joy looked curiously over her shoulder at him again. "The power of friendship, huh?" She asked, voice losing some of its enthusiasm, as she had been expecting a riveting tale about flashing swords, billowing capes, and a torrent of flames, or something else much more dramatic than 'friendship'. "Every little bit helps, I guess..."

As she faced the vast expanse of sky ahead, unimpressed by Stan's futile efforts to make himself look like a valiant hero, the tiger-striped flirt bellowed in frustration, "Thanks, Hamtaro! Way to make it sound stupid and ruin my image!"

"Heke? What's an image?"

"Oh, forget it..."

Back in the basket, the other ham-hams carried on their own conversations to pass the time until they reached their destination. "I'm so excited to look around Dreamland!" Pashmina chattered excitedly, clapping her paws together as she peered out over the miniaturized landscape below them. "Just think of what they must have there! The fashion must be great; I'll bet I can get a really nice new scarf in the shops Joy was telling me about!"

Dexter saw an opportunity open up as she said this, and he took it before anyone else could. Sidling up to the scarf-wearing ham-ham, he tried his normally uneffective powers of wooing. "I look forward to seeing Dreamland as well, Pashmina! Perhaps we can go sightseeing together...I'm sure that it would be very fun, don't you think?" He asked slyly.

She was about to respond when Howdy crudely shoved his way between them, countering, "No way the lovely Pashmina's gonna be walkin' around a romantic place like Dreamland with you, four eyes! If anythin', she'll go lookin' at all the sights with me! Whaddya say, darlin'?" He turned, softening his tone as he looked imploringly at the apple of his eye.

"Uh..." Pashmina muttered, looking between the two of them confusedly.

"I asked her first Howdy!" Dexter snapped.

"Well, I asked her last, glasses-boy!"

"That doesn't make sense, you ignoramus!"

"I'd rather me an ignor-whatchamacallit than a smarty-paws know-it-all!"

As they duked it out, Penelope cheerfully bounded over to Pashmina and whispered something in her ear, making the two feuding hamspar freeze mid-fight. "What's that Penelope?" Pashmina asked, listening closer. "You want to look around Dreamland with me when we get there? That sounds like fun! Of course we can go together!"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!"

"Yeah, let's pick out a scarf and blanket together! Then we can match!"

The two female ham-hams then obliviously abandoned the astonished Howdy and Dexter in favor of a much friendlier conversation with Panda and Cappy, who were sitting together in one corner. The arguing pair exchanged surprised glances, before getting right back into it again.

"This is your fault, Howdy! She would have gone with me if you hadn't butted your big fat nose into our conversation!"

"Me? Now who's bein' stupid? She would rather go sightseeing' with a blind ham than you, Dex! And a blind ham can't see nothin'! Get it? Har har!"

Sandy, irked that their constant sparring was interrupting her talking/leisure time with Maxwell, turned around and hollered furiously at them, eyes burning, "Like, give it a rest, guys!" And, not daring to oppose, her, the two simmered down and retreated to opposite sides of the basket, though kept up a heated staring contest for the remainder of the trip.

Panda was enjoying breakfast when the girls joined he and Cappy. "Hamha, boys!" Pashmina greeted, as she plopped down and rifled through her own pack for a bite to eat. "Are you guys just as excited as we are about all of this?"

"You bet!" Cappy replied, eyes bright.

"What about you, Panda?" Pashmina questioned, turning to the panda-marked ham-ham with curious eyes, only to find that he was staring off into space, the look in his eyes drifting from concern to confusion and back again. Pashmina, befuddled by his behavior, waved a paw in front of his face and said loudly, "Hamha? Earth to Panda!"

The carpenter snapped out of it, cheeks hinted with red. "Oopsie..." He apologized, somewhat sheepish. "Guess I was just...lost in my thoughts, a little bit."

Cappy frowned. "You looked kind of upset, Panda. What's wrong?"

Panda was about to brush off the question and deny anything wrong, but at once thought better of it. Perhaps talking to the others would be a good way to help clear his clouded mind, a method that had almost always worked in the past. "Well..." Panda explained, voice semi-reluctant. "I'm excited to get to Dreamland and all, but I'm just really worried. This Steel guy sounds like really bad news, even worse than Spyke! I know we took a bad ham down before, but this ham can control how we sleep! That's a scary thing!"

Pashmina and Cappy took a moment to consider that, while Penelope obliviously shifted through her own backpack in search of a shiny acorn she had brought, not paying any attention to the chatter. After the pause, Pashmina's enthusiasm was toned down a notch. "I guess I never really focused on the dangerous part of this trip so much..." She admitted. "Now that you mention it, I'm getting chills just thinking about the nightmare that evil hamster gave us!"

Panda frowned. "I didn't mean to bring you down," He remarked earnestly, staring sadly at an uneaten sunflower seed in his paws. "It's just...I don't know. I wasn't really all that worried about it until I walked home with Siren yesterday, and she seemed really...off. She's been out of it for the past couple of days, but it got even worse when this whole nightmare stuff started happening. I asked her about it, but she said she was just tired. I could tell it was something more, though...I mean, if the Guardian is worried about this Steel hamster, than we definitely should be."

Cappy's brow furrowed, and he scratched an ear, puzzled. He said, "Weird...I didn't think Siren was acting strangely at all until yesterday, but we were all kind of bizaroo after the nightmare, and especially after Joy showed up with all the talk of dreams and staffs and stuff."

"Yeah..." Panda trailed slowly, eyes glazing over with thought again. "Maybe you are right. She just...hasn't seemed like herself lately. To me, anyway. But I might have been imagining it, or it could just be some weird Guardian thing that we don't understand. I still think she's more concerned about fighting Steel than we are, though. He looked pretty tough in the nightmare...I know I was terrified."

Pashmina frowned deeply at the mention of fighting, but perked up in an instant, smiling brightly as she said, trying to lift the depressing mood that had settled, "Well, hopefully if we hamteam with the Dreamland knights and Joy, we can resolve this whole problem without having to do too much fighting. Steel is just one hamster, after all, and we'll have a whole bunch of us there to help! And then, sleep will be safe for hamsters again! With so many against just one, how can we lose?"

"Yeah!" Cappy agreed cheerfully, pumping a fist. "If we work together, nothing can stop us!"

Panda smiled, his brooding mood already lightening in favor of his usual chipper self. "Sounds like a plan to me, ham-hams. I just can't wait for this whole mess to be over!" He too, was confident that they could, if organized, take down this Steel character, but it didn't stop him from worrying about the pending battle he could feel looming.

Pashmina knew of the sibling-like bond that had developed between Siren and Panda ever since Siren had joined their group, and could relate it to her sisterly relationship with Penelope. Sensing that Panda's mind wasn't totally at ease about the younger ham he saw as a sister, Pashmina assured him, hoping to bring some peace to his troubles, "I'm sure Siren will cheer up once this whole nightmare issue is dealt with. Being the Guardian must be a lot of pressure for her, but she'll be back to normal in no time."

That triggered a wider smile from her grey and white friend, though a touch of worry still gleamed in his eye.

"I'll bet you're right, Pashmina. Thank-Q."

Over in the corner, Sandy and Maxwell were poring over one of Maxwell's books about legendary places, while Oxnard chowed down on hazelnuts beside them, not participating with the research. The booksmart ham and his athletic girlham were reading about the legendary Dreamland, and speculating about what it would be like when they arrived, other than what they already knew from Joy and what she had debunked for them so far.

"So, it floats in the clouds with like, propellers, Maxy?" Sandy asked, recalling what Joy had told them the night before at their little 'slumber party' in the Clubhouse. "Like, how?"

Maxwell responded, "Well, it's like a chunk of land in the sky, with propellers underneath it to keep it airborne, and on each side so they can decide which direction they want to go. It's fascinating, really. When I get there, that's one of the first things I want to learn more about! The engineering must be highly advanced for a civilization that's been around for as long as Dreamland has!" At the mention of the technology, Maxwell's eyes burned with a desire for knowledge.

Sandy frowned. "Yeah, that's like, cool..." She admitted, though her voice was hinting at something else as she leaned closer to Maxwell and smiled brightly at him. "But, you also want to have some fun when we like, get there, don't you Maxy? Joy said there's a lot of totally radical things to do!"

"Hm?" Maxwell, who had returned to reading attentively, queried, like he hadn't even heard her speak. "Oopsie, Sandy...I'm just so excited about seeing how Dreamland works! It baffles so many rules of Science, and no ordinary ham-ham has ever stepped paw there! I don't think I'll be able to tear myself away from learning about it! But, what is it you said?"

Even without hearing her question, Maxwell still somehow managed to crush her hopes. With a setting as romantic as Dreamland, Sandy had hoped for some alone time with Maxwell, walking paw-in-paw down the bustling streets of the land in the clouds, but she had a feeling he would be nose-deep in his books or asking the residents of Dreamland questions the entire time, and she would, again, be taking second place to his ever-expanding hunger for knowledge.

"Nevermind, Maxy...it wasn't important."

---

Steel stood out on his balcony, looking with frosty azure eyes over his empty domain. In the woods just beyond the castle, not a single bird could be heard chirping, nor a flutter of a single bug. The wind was calm, not rustling the leaves of the trees enough to make any real noise. Truly, Steel was engulfed in silence. He breathed in the chilly morning air deeply and closed his vivid eyes, trying to imagine how this castle and the woods beyond it used to be, when he was younger, and how he would restore it to that livelihood. It was mornings like these, misty and chilly, that made him remember the days he could only dream of forgetting.

Nikolai stood, nervously, behind him, waiting for an order or something to do. Fury, who was still brainwashed, had taken a break after delivering more nightmares, and Steel had commanded her to go and walk aimlessly about the castle so she wouldn't disturb him. The ruler of the silent kingdom needed alone time to contemplate, even though Nikolai was rarely more than a stone's throw away, like a loyal lackey always is.

"Nikolai..." Steel murmured into the still air, voice an odd combination of nostalgia and repressed anger. "Do you know what this castle is? Or rather, what it was?"

The little tan hamster jumped slightly as he was addressed, thinking desperately of an appropriate response that wouldn't earn him a slap upside the head. "N-no, Master Steel...as long as I've been alive, this castle has always been abandoned, I think..."

Steel smirked, eyes still closed as he stood proudly over the faded green moor. In a distant voice, far different from his usual, coldly stern one, he explained, "This castle was once part of the great hamster kingdom of Hamaustere, and the remnants of the village can be found in the forest just yonder. The royal family ruled here for countless years....just as long as Dreamland's monarchs were in power, only a few miles away and a few hundred feet up. Hamaustere and Dreamland were allies, and their royal families were good friends. They were a great duo."

Nikolai stopped shuddering, and pricked his ears forward attentively. He had never heard Steel explain anything about this place in depth, and he had been quite curious as to why his master had chosen this desolate location for their base of operations. If anything, Nikolai would have chosen to hide underground; not in a place out in the open, even if no one had lived there in years...unless there was some sort of personal connection involved.

Steel went on, never once opening his eyes, as if he were picturing memories of long ago, "The last King of Hamaustere, Strom, came into power seven years ago, before you were born, Nikolai. He, and the great King Hamvil of Dreamland, were close friends and allies for a good few years. Then, to make their alliance stronger, it was decided that King Hamvil's infant daughter, Hamorette, would marry King Strom's infant son, and unite the two kingdoms by marriage. Their children were, however, very young at the time...it would have to wait until they were of age. The betrothed pair played together each summer and holiday season, to make sure they got along, until four years ago, when Hamelot declared war on both Dreamland and Hamaustere, wishing to take control of them and their power."

Nikolai had never gone to the local school in Dreamland, so he knew very little of the affairs between the great hamster kingdoms of the world. All he knew was that the first three were Hamelot, Hamwall, and Dreamland, followed shortly by the rest, and only one had been destroyed that he knew of, and that was Hamwall. He hadn't known a thing about Hamaustere. And from how Steel was talking, it sounded like his master had been very close to this tidbit of history...

"King Hamvil was adamant that they make a march on Hamelot before Hamelot attacked them. Hamvil was generally a ham of peace, choosing to stay out of conflict, or end them before they got out of paw. But King Strom wanted to train their knights together, and make a strong, efficient fleet before launching any attack, since Hamelot's forces were the strongest of all the kingdoms. King Hamvil thought King Strom a fool for wanting to wait and play it safe, and, shortly after they had a big argument over what to do, something tragic occurred..."

Steel paused, and Nikolai's spine quivered with anticipation, making some of his fur stand on end. In a voice devoid of emotion, Steel continued, opening listless blue eyes to stare blankly out across the deadened land, "Hamelot sprung a surprise attack on Hamaustere in the middle of the night. Nearly all of the knights were captured, though they managed to severely deplete Hamelot's forces in the process. But King Strom and his wife, Queen Fauna, were killed tragically in the fray, as well as nearly all of the royals and civilians, and the Hamelot King emptied out Hamaustere for his own use."

Nikolai was frozen to the spot, intent on hearing the rest of the story.

Steel chuckled hollowly. "Funny thing is...dear King Hamvil, King Strom's best friend, saw the Hamelot knights preparing to storm Hamaustere, but did nothing to warn his closest companion, and did nothing to lend his aid. He could have prevented several deaths, and saved an entire kingdom, but he just stood idly by and watched it all take place without a shred of remorse. And, a single day later, he marched his well-rested knights on Hamelot, and, the severely exhausted and tired Hamelot forces were defeated; the King fleed and was never heard from again, and King Hamvil took the throne. He has ruled there ever since, though he isn't a young ham any longer. He placed his youngest daughter, Hamorette, on the throne in Dreamland, and Hamaustere was left to stand hollow and alone. No attempts at restoration were ever made."

His steely azure eyes narrowed, angry sparks almost visibly crackling in his gaze. "King Hamvil betrayed his best friend, King Strom, which resulted in the decimation of Hamaustere. Of the residents of Hamaustere, hundreds were killed or forced to evacuate. One remained, and survived...all this time, he has been waiting for an opportunity."

Steel clutched his scepter tightly in his paws, teeth clenched and face contorted with rage. Fury rolled off of his fur in heat-charged waves, and made Nikolai take a few cowering steps back, and even more once he heard the venemous bite in Steel's malevolent voice.

"And he will have his revenge on Dreamland, and the offspring of the traitor King Hamvil...the equally as traitorous Princess Hamorette."

---

Laura awoke that morning to the drone of her alarm clock, the sun spilling in through her window and across her face, making her blink several times. She groaned when she saw the time glaring at her in neon green, but begrudgingly hauled herself out of bed and plodded off to the bathroom to get ready for her second day of junior high. Only half-awake, she didn't notice that her beloved hamster's cage was silently vacant.

She went about her usual morning routine, and only when she was dressed and ready did she bend down to peer in between the bars of Hamtaro's cage. Peeking into his little house and looking for a slightly moving lump under a pile of woodchips, Laura whispered, "Hamtaro, I'm sorry if I woke you, but I'm off to school now, little guy."

A moment passed. Laura was puzzled, as her pet normally woke up or emerged from one of his various hiding spots to see her off each morning. "Hamtaro?" Laura spoke up a bit more loudly, unlatching the door and having a more thorough look around the cage.

There was no movement. The color drained from Laura's face, and she frantically, but gently, ran her fingers through the woodchips, thinking that perhaps Hamtaro had burrowed himself down deep and couldn't hear her, but her search was futile. He wasn't anywhere near his whiz-wheel, he wasn't in his little house, and he wasn't hiding under his woodchips. Hamtaro was nowhere to be found, and before she could control herself Laura fell to the ground and screamed, eyes filling up with tears, "Mom! Dad! Come quick!"

Forrest Haruna, hearing his daughter's cry, barreled up the steps like a frenzied bull. "What is it, Laura?" He asked upon bursting into her room, Marion Haruna standing worriedly by his side, having been interrupted in her breakfast-making by Laura's unexpected shout.

Tearfully, Laura motioned to Hamtaro's empty cage and said, voice breaking, "Hamtaro's gone. He isn't in his cage..."

Forrest crossed the room in three long strides and knelt down beside his weeping daughter, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Oh, Laura..." He soothed, sympathetic. "It's okay. He can't have gotten very far. Maybe he just got curious and wandered off for a little while...he came back before, didn't he? He'll come back again."

"How do you know that?" Laura asked, sniffing, trying to make her tears stop. "I thought after last time he'd never run away again!"

"Oh, don't say that, Laura, honey..." Marion added, draping her arm over Laura's other shoulder as she also sat down on the floor while her daughter swatted hastily at the tears in her eyes. "Hamtaro is a good hamster. He'll come back; he probably just wanted to look around a little and got lost. In fact, he might be wandering around the room right now, or somewhere else in the house."

This made Laura hop to her feet with a sudden burst of energy. "You're right! Maybe I can find him!"

Laura instantly began to comb through her room, looking under her bed, behind her desk, and under anything a hamster would be able to fit through or in. Marion and Forrest, painstakingly aware of the time, assisted their daughter, but after a few minutes they exchanged a knowing glance and had to call off the search. "Laura, honey, we know you're worried about Hamtaro, but you're going to be late for school if you don't leave soon," Marion advised the stressing teen, who overturned her trash-can in search of her loyal pet.

Laura stared up at her mother in shock. "But mom! I can't go to school while Hamtaro is missing! If I don't find him soon, he'll just get farther and farther away!"

Forrest and Marion were empathetic toward the distraught Laura, but only to a certain point. Forrest stepped forward and said, somewhat sternly, "Now Laura, a missing hamster is no reason to miss your second day of school. He has to be somewhere in this house, and he'll still be by the time you get home. You can search for him some more once you get back from school."

"But - !" Laura protested feebly, eyes brimming with cold tears as Forrest raised a hand to silence her.

"We understand that you're concerned, but your education comes first, Laura. Now, head off to school. If you don't find Hamtaro by the time I get home from work, I'll help you search some more, but for now you need to get a move on. Kana must be getting impatient waiting for you."

Laura reluctantly slung her backpack over her shoulder, wiping the tears rimming her eyes away with her free hand. She cast one long, despairing glance at the vacant cage. Over the past couple of years, Hamtaro had been her one constant confidant, an attentive listener who always managed to make her feel better. And now, he had disappeared without a trace, and that comfort was gone, replaced with a gaping, empty hole. Now, she would face anguish at both school and at home, with nowhere to run to where she could feel relaxed and welcome. Just a tumult of drama, despair, and chaos...

Laura only half-heard her parents offer her an optimistic goodbye, and only half-felt their attempted hugs. She barely heard the door slam shut behind her as she trudged out into the fresh morning air, and kept her eyes cast to the dull stone walkway until she saw Kana's shoes in her line of vision.

"Hey, Kana..." She greeted feebly, feeling the tears beginning to come on again.

She heard Kana utter a watery chuckle. "Have you been crying too, Laura?"

Laura, surprised, looked up quickly to see that Kana's eyes were also rimmed with red, her glasses a bit misty from crying. She couldn't bring herself to make even a small smile, and she also looked completely devastated, almost a mirror-image of Laura's expression only a moment before. "Kana!" Laura exclaimed. "What's wrong?"

"Oh..." Kana grumbled as they began their trek to school, pulling her glasses off and wiping the oncoming tears away. "I woke up this morning, and when I went to say good morning to Oxnard his cage was empty, and half of his seeds were gone from the bag hidden under my desk. My parents think he escaped during the night...but I looked all around my room, and couldn't find him anywhere!"

Laura's face paled, and her eyes widened as she slowly turned to face Kana. Her teary best friend returned the look, but with more confusion. "What is it, Laura? You look like you've seen a ghost or something..."

"Hamtaro went missing, too!" Laura blurted out, though voicing the news aloud only made her depression increase sharply. Kana's eyes widened until they were the same size as Laura's. "I woke up this morning and he was gone! That's why I was crying."

Kana looked incredulous, and her tears stopped momentarily. "How strange! Two hamsters going missing at the same time?" Luckily, her sadness was overcome with disbelief in lieu of the startling revelation. Eyes narrowing fearfully behind her glasses and color draining from her cheeks, Kana asked, voice shaky and tentative, "You don't think...we have some kind of hamster-napper on the loose, do you?"

Laura contemplated that, but soon shook her head. "No way! Who would go around stealing hamsters? They're only a couple dollars down at the pet store...though Hamtaro was a pretty special hamster. I just wish I knew where to find him...I doubt anyone stole him, so he has to be in my house somewhere. There's no way he could have gotten outside..." She bit her lip. "I'll tear up the floorboards to find him, if I have to."

Kana chuckled weakly. "Yeah...I'll help you look for him after school, and then we can go over and look for Oxnard. Maybe both of them vanishing at one time was just a really odd coincedence...but hopefully, that means they'll return at the same time too!"

Laura certainly hoped so. But as the looming, brick-red school came into view just beyond the walk, her already laden heart began to feel ten pounds heavier. It was time for day two of junior high, and she hoped that this time around, things would be settled, and her torn friends would be on their way to a peaceful resolution. She didn't know how much of the fighting she could take today, when her poor heart and emotions had already taken a drastic hit...the last thing she needed was to be forced into choosing sides, but she had a terrible feeling that things would only grow worse as the school days passed, and her friends would only grow further and further apart.

Elementary school was looking pretty cozy right about now.

---

"How much longer until we get there?"

Hamtaro's tail was beginning to hurt from sitting in the same position for so long. Bijou, also, was growing sore and tired after a few hours in the skies, and Stan griped constantly about how his rear ached from lack of movement. The ham-hams in the basket were also growing weary and impatient, now and then delegating one ham-ham to peer over the side and see if they could spot Dreamland in the distance, but each time were disappointed. Now, they were just raring to reach the fabled land in the clouds...

Joy glanced at the position of the burning sun, now more overhead than at their backs. The ham-hams in the basket had positioned several of the blankets so that they were shielded from the glaring sun, closer now that they were so high up. She estimated that they had been flying for just the right amount of time, and, if she were correct, and Stan was reading the map properly, then Dreamland was just beyond this coming cluster of clouds...

"I believe we are just about there!" Joy replied with a bright smile, pleased that they had made good time. "The last obstacle standing in our way is that cloud, there!" She pointed with one pleased paw.

Hamtaro and Bijou looked ahead at where she was pointing with narrowed eyes, only to have them widen in shock once they caught a glimpse of it. Hamtaro, mouth agape, pointed at said cloud with one shaky paw and asked, voice tremoring, "Th...that cloud? Right in front of us?"

Joy nodded cheerfully. "Yep!"

Hamtaro was horrified, and Bijou immediately clung tighter to his midriff. They had never seen a cloud that big before, even from the ground. It towered over them, coming on like a frothy, snow-colored wall, ready to swallow up anyone who ventured too close. Maxwell had given the ham-hams a stern lecture about how it was easy to get disoriented flying through a cloud, and Hamtaro had a feeling getting lost in that monster of a floating fluff-ball would be all too easy, and the ham-hams in the balloon basket could easily be sent askew if the Guardian happened to become confused and the basket capsized. To make matters worse, there was a large collection of clouds directly below them and underneath them, like they were in a tunnel, and only small tidbits of sky peeked through at them, and there was only one large opening they could see...directly at the top of the giant cloud.

The Guardian, however, appeared unfazed by the challenge nearing them. It just flattened it's arms and legs, so they were flat against it's lean body, and narrowed it's ice-colored eyes, ready to handle the worst that immense cloud could deal. It's wing-strokes increased as Joy's dove lurched forward at a quicker pace, as if it were hastening to reach the giant white blob faster.

Stan, by this time, had also caught sight of the puffy juggernaut drawing ever closer to them. Ears drooping, he asked Joy meekly, tapping her on the shoulder with a trembling paw, "Please tell me we're not going to go through that thing...?"

Joy giggled. "Of course not!" She exclaimed, as if the idea were preposterous.

Stan heaved a great sigh of relief. "Oh, good..."

"We're going over it!"

Hamtaro, hearing this, shot a panicky look over at the blissfully joyful Protector of Slumber, Bijou gaping openmouthed behind him, totally in shock as well. Stan's fur instantly lost some of it's sheen, and he proceeded to try and shrink away into the saddle, whimpering, though no matter how he tried, the monstrous cloud only drew ever nearer to him.

Joy tightened her hold on the reigns, and informed the Guardian, "It's a steep ascent, but it's the only way. This cloud has stopped many an adventurer from finding Dreamland over the years. Can you handle it?" She asked, smiling slyly, a gleam in her amber eyes.

The Guardian's lips curved slightly upward and it narrowed it's glacial eyes even further, offering Joy a cross between an affirmative grunt and a snort that clearly said, 'bring it.'

Joy gave the reigns a toss, and the dove rocketed forward, as she shouted, "Just follow my lead!" over her shoulder. Stan grabbed onto her waist and held on for dear life as the dove plowed forward toward the gigantic monstrosity, not even hesitating. The wall of wispy white was drawing closer and closer, and, just when it looked like they were about to be digested, Joy gave the reigns a jerk, and the dove turned sharply, so it was soon pounding it's wings even harder as it propelled itself in a vertical climb, Stan and Joy hanging on carefully. Joy seemed to be enjoying herself, even letting out a cry of delight as they shot upwards, but Stan looked about one second away from vomiting.

Watching this, the Guardian easily realized that the angle was extremely steep, and it was going to be risky, and quite possibly fatal, trying to make this maneuver. It cast a quick look over it's shoulder at Hamtaro and Bijou, who easily understood the warning in it's eyes. As the Guardian began to pick up speed and stream toward the massive cloud, concentrating hard with it's stern blue eyes, Hamtaro clutched the reigns tighter, Bijou's arms securely around his waist, and he shouted as loud as he could over his shoulder,

"Hold onto your tails, ham-hams!"

As his shout drifted to their ears, the ham-hams peered over the side of the basket, quickly grasping the situation once they felt the fierce wind generated from the Guardian's churning wings whip against their face, blowing their ears and whiskers back sharply, and they caught sight of the gargantuan cloud looming over them like a dangerous barrier determined to keep them from whatever wonder lay beyond. Horrified and terrified all at once, the ham-hams had little time to react before they were all thrown against the very back of the basket, all jammed together with the wind lashing at their faces as the Guardian streamed upward in a straight, vertical ascent, faster than the roller-coaster at the Funpark could ever dream of running, and so fast the varied balloons flew straight out behind the basket, not provided a single sliver of resistance.

But, as they shot upwards at an unimaginable speed, the ham-hams crammed against the single wall of the basket had only one collective thought, and they unleashed that single thought simultaneously.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

But, in a split second, it was over, and they were jolted forward, landing in a heap on the bottom of the basket as it straightened out and began a slow, leisurely descent. The Guardian abruptly slowed it's pace, though it was still moving quite briskly, right on the tail of Joy's dove now, where Stan was leaning to one side, almost completely dazed. Hamtaro and Bijou were a strange mix of exhilarated and dumbstruck, and they found that they couldn't loosen their hold one bit from whatever had anchored them to the Guardian's body. The Guardian itself looked highly satisfied with the accomplishment, and kept it's regal head held high, like a proud winner of some vertical race.

Woozily, the heap of ham-hams untangled their backpacks, tails, and limbs from one another, legs like wobbly jello as they struggled to regain their footing now that the 'thrill' ride was over and they could breathe again. "That....that...." Oxnard blabbered, almost incoherent, clutching his favorite seed like it was his only lifeline as he tottered back onto his rear with a thunk.

"That was...something..." Maxwell decided, laying spread-eagle on the bottom of the basket, book in paw, his ears touching Sandy's as she lay, breathing heavily, adjacent to him.

"Certainly was! Why, I reckon that was a rougher ride than a mechanical bull! Har har! " Howdy crowed triumphantly, having been both shaken and excited by the ride.

"Yeah..." A trembling Dexter gasped as he sat hunched in a corner, paw over his chest as he felt his thudding heartbeat, raging against his ribcage, his lungs screaming in protest as he tried to suck in as much air as possible to fill his constricted lungs. "It was certainly something I never want to do ever again!"

"Ham-hams! Come on, you gotta see!"

Panda had recovered from the aftereffects of the shockingly fast ascent enough to be peering with wide, amazed eyes over the side of the basket. His green-blue eyes glowed, and the other ham-hams, still shaken, rushed as fast as they could to the rim of the basket, looking out over it until they saw exactly what had brought that gleam to Panda's eye, and they were not disappointed this time around. Bijou, Hamtaro and Stan had also caught sight of it, and had forgotten their previous terror in favor of awe.

There, centered on a flat, but wispy cloud only a few hundred meters in the distance, was what had to be Dreamland.

A flat piece of land, circular in shape, with propellers whirring, one on each side, and several smaller ones underneath, keeping the majestic land afloat. Widespread collections of tiny little cottages, of all shades of blue, green, pink, gold, red, orange, and any other color imaginable, lined along perfectly carved streets made of a sparkling, pale blue stone, but all of them paling in comparison to the enormous, immaculate castle, positioned right in the center of the legendary land, shining regally silver in the sun's golden rays. Everything about the village shone brightly, like starlight, even during the day, and the colors of the bustling town surrounding the castle were appealing and beautiful, blending seamlessly with one another. They were still a good distance away, but the ham-hams could tell that this place was going to be even greater than they had imagined over the past twenty-four hours, if they were already stunned at a distance.

Heart pounding with a thrilled excitement, Hamtaro valiantly pointed his paw toward the legendary land and cried out, a huge smile crossing his face and making his chocolate eyes sparkle,

"Dreamland, ahoy!"

---

Watcher Cumulus, a tall, lean hamster with shaggy tan fur and a snow-white stomach, lounged lazily on his cloudy perch, yawning as he stared out with half-closed blue eyes over the vast expanse of sky spread out like a blanket before him. He had been on his platform outpost in the clouds since the previous morning, trading off with his brother, Watcher Stratus, only once, so he could catch a small wink of sleep, but the skies had been empty since Joy had departed in the early glow of the morning before, and this gig was getting rather dull.

"C'mon, Joy..." He grumbled into his paw, which was currently keeping his drooping head propped up. "You've gotta come back soon. The Princess told me that you were supposed to be back last night...but no, you're still not back, and I gotta stay up here watching until you get here..."

With a long yawn, the Watcher rolled over onto his back, so his head hung over the side of his platform, and his shaggy fur appeared to be flying off of his head. As far as the eye could see, there were clouds, clouds, and more clouds. Cumulus clouds, like his namesake, here and there, a few cirrus, some stratus, and some nimbus, just like the names of three of his four brothers. The excess of the floating white stuff was fitting for a place known as Dreamland, but, if you were assigned to an outpost to watch out for danger day in and day out, seeing them grew rather monotonous.

Bored almost to the point of falling asleep or crying, Cumulus set about trying to find shapes in the numerous, surrounding clouds, just to pass the time. "Hm..." He muttered, voice sounding slightly strained as his head lolled upside down, hanging casually off the outpost, paws crossed over his stomach restfully. "That one looks like one of papa's specialty hats...and that one looks like a mouse...ooh, there's a cat...blech."

Cumulus wrinkled his carnation-pink nose at the mention of rodent's natural enemy, and continued to scan the cerulean sky for more cloudy visions. Though he was alone, up on his lonely perch, Cumulous used one paw to trace the shapes in the white fluff, and he voiced his discoveries aloud to try and lift his receding spirits.

"There's a loyal ham knight, charging into battle...and over there...a hamster riding on the back of a pig? How strange! Let's see....there's an apple...or is it an orange? I can't tell....hm. A beautiful ham-girl...alright. Oh, and over there! Wow, those two little clouds are moving pretty quick...really quick, actually...right over Ol' Monstro..."

When he squinted his baby-blue eyes and looked closer, the two specks rocketing toward Dreamland came into better focus, though they were still undistinguishable. He flipped back over onto his stomach, ignoring the rush of blood to his head as he did so, and hopped to his feet, peering curiously into the distance to try and decipher what those 'clouds' were, exactly.

"Funny...those two clouds don't look so much like clouds anymore..." He stood up on his tippy-toes, brushing some stray stands of long tan fur from his eyes to clear his vision. "That one looks kind of like a bird with two brownish, goldish, orangish blobs on the back of it...and the other one...wow, weird! Is that a dog? Maybe a wolf...with wings?! And are those....balloons?! Okay, definitely not clouds..."

Now definitely perturbed and unable to take the suspense, Cumulus reached inside the pouch strapped across his back and drew out a small, golden telescope. He pointed and focused it in the direction of the shapes, and nearly toppled off the Watcher's platform once he realized what the objects were. "Joy's back!" He crowed, fatigue now forgotten as his sky-colored eyes began to sparkle with excitement. "Ah, lovely Joy. And she brought the brave heroes and the Guardian! Oh wow, wait til Nimbus hears about this! I've got to tell Princess Hamorette!"

Cramming the telescope back into his pack and pulling out the official Watcher's cap that his father had made for him, Cumulus scampered over to the far end of the platform toward the ladder that would take him back down into Dreamland, where he would share the delightful news with the Princess. Pushing his paws as fast as they would go down the rungs, Cumulus couldn't wait to see the look on Hamorette's face when she realized their efforts at gathering reinforcements had been rewarded...Dreamland would be safe again soon enough!

As his hind feet touched the shimmering blue streets, Cumulus took off like a shot, sprinting toward the castle as fast as his paws would carry them, shoving other hamsters out of the way if they happened to be in his path. Nothing was going to stop him.

"Urgent news, ladies and gentlehams! I've got to get to Princess Hamorette immediately!" He hollered as loud as he could, a common cry of the Watcher's when they spotted something that the Princess needed to be informed of. Hearing his shout, many pedestrians moved out of the way for him, used to Cumulus and his three identical brothers, all of them Watchers, dashing off to deliver news somewhere in Dreamland.

Cumulus reached Dreamland Castle (A/N: I'm creative, aren't I?) in record time, and skidded to a stop in front of the immense double doors, creating a small wave of dust. Without knocking, he pulled the heavy doors open and flung himself inside, landing with a thunk on the end of the brilliant red carpet and doing a few somersaults until he at last rolled to a stop a foot from a startled Princess Hamorette, seated on her throne, and her two loyal knights, peering at the clumsy Watcher with wide eyes.

"Watcher Cumulus!" Hamorette exclaimed, one paw over her thudding heart. "My, you almost gave me a heart attack! Whatever is the matter?"

"Princess Hamorette!" The disheveled Watcher announced, somewhat dizzily, waving one paw in the air as his head swayed from side to side and his hat fell off. "It's Joy! She's returned! And the brave heroes she went in search of are with her! They're flying this way, heading for the northern landing strip!"

At these words, an immense smile lit up Princess Hamorette's already luminous face, though it was a moment before she actually spoke. Almost trembling with excitement, she clapped her paws eagerly together and remarked, shining jade eyes brimming with happy tears, "Oh, wonderful! I've been so worried, but it appears as if my concerns were all for naught!" Smoothing her dress and pawing at her curls to make sure they were intact, the thrilled Princess tried to compose herself as she firmly instructed Cumulus, back on his paws already, "Now, head to the northern landing strip and tell Joy to bring the brave heroes to me at once! I wish to meet them here, without too much fuss from the townfolk."

"Yes, my lady!" An equally as excited Cumulus bowed and beamed, before jamming his hat back on his head, turning sharply on his heel and sprinting out the door, slamming it shut behind him before he dashed off toward the dock, hoping he would beat Joy and her visitors there.

Hamorette heaved an immense, sweet sigh of relief as she relaxed against her regal chair. The knights, on either side of her, exchanged knowing glances with the other. They were excited to meet these heroes, the triumphant hamsters from Hamwall, plus the Guardian. Perhaps they could pick up a few extra skills...

"Oh, my knights!" Hamorette exclaimed joyfully, smiling brightly at each one of them, the glaring sunlight pooling in from the highly arched windows illuminating her angelic features even further. "Joy has succeeded! Now we stand a fighting chance against Steel, with these powerful, new allies on our side!" She sat straighter in her chair and could not wipe the smile from her face. "The dark cloud will be lifted from Dreamland shortly."

"And sleep will be a safe haven once again!" The red-eyed knight pumped one arm in the air, and, although his face wasn't visible, it was easy to tell by the impish gleam in his crimson eyes that he was grinning.

The blue-eyed knight turned his head to peer out one of the windows, sunlight making his black armor shine with an ethereal golden hue. For the first time in over a day, his heart was not in turmoil, and was, instead, more at ease. "Fear not, Fury..." He mumured lowly, under his breath, as a small smile dressed the handsome face beneath his helmet.

"...You'll be safe soon. I promise."

---

As Dreamland drew closer and closer, the heartbeat of the ham-hams began to increase sharply and the wonder in their eyes glowed brighter. Soon, Joy had expertly pulled her dove to a stop on the landing strip, leaving plenty of room beside her for the Guardian to slide in as well.

The great beast did so, and pulled the basket to a somewhat bumpy stop on the edge of the legendary land in the clouds, barred from the actual hustle and bustle by a wall circling the entire area of Dreamland and two tall, silver doors, carved through with intricate patterns. Too keep from floating off again, Howdy and Oxnard had chewed through the ropes of a few balloons, sending them off into the sky, so the basket rested soundly on the landing strip.

As soon as he was sure they weren't airborne, Stan threw himself off the dove and hugged the pale blue ground. "Land! I've never been so happy to see you!" He planted a big kiss on the stone, eternally glad that the journey was over.

Joy slid down after him, and gave her dove a pat on the head that sent it flying dutifully off toward the coop on the other side of Dreamland, it's mission now done. After plucking the Staff of Dreams from it's holster, Joy ambled over to the basket, where the ham-hams needed help getting out. Hamtaro and Bijou hopped off the back of the Guardian, who, with a satisfied grunt, morphed quickly back into Siren before anyone on the other side of the doors could see her in legendary form.

Soon, the ham-hams, with Boss carrying a still dozing Snoozer over his shoulder, were all standing, openmouthed, before the beautiful silver gates, the only thing left keeping them from Dreamland. Joy placed her paws on the shining bars and peered curiously inside, muttering, "One of the Watchers must have seen us arrive...so they should be here soon to let us in..."

"Joy! Joy! Hey!"

Joy's attention was directed onto Watcher Cumulus, barreling right on cue toward the ham-hams on swift paws. He skidded to a breathless stop in front of the gates, creating another tiny dust cloud that made little Penelope cough. His sky-blue eyes, partially obscured by his heavy fur, were gleaming excitedly and a brilliant smile was spread across his tan face. Joy's face lit up when she saw him, a good friend of hers. "Watcher Cumulus!" She cheered.

"You've returned!" Cumulus tittered chipperly, turning his bright eyes onto the ham-hams, who were waiting anxiously to be let inside just a few inches behind an ecstatic Joy. "And you've brought the brave heroes! Hamtast!"

"That's us!" Hamtaro replied with a grin. "Your friendly neighborhood hero-hams!"

Cumulus rifled through his pack and soon drew out a large keyring, full of shining multicolored keys, and quickly filtered through each key before selecting a silver one that corresponded with the padlock latched onto the gates. "Hold on...I'll let you all in!" He jammed the key into the lock, and turned it with a distinct click. He pulled on the doors while Joy pushed, and soon, they were open and the glorious Dreamland was at last free to enter.

"Welcome to Dreamland! Where dreams are lived and made!" Cumulus greeted them boldly, stepping off to the side and bowing deeply, removing his hat and holding it over his chest, wanting to look respectful in the presence of greatness.

The ham-hams entered the amazing land with wide eyes and mouths agape. Inside, it was even more breathtaking than it was at a distance. Glittering blue streets, the homey cottages and shops, looking like they came straight from a fairytale, arranged in neat, perfect rows, all of them eventually leading to the glistening silver castle in the center of town, still largely visible now that the ham-hams had landed. Hamsters of all colors and sizes, ages and species, meandered up and down each colorful street, pausing to glance into a book shop, or heading into a tailor to fix the hem on a dress. In the distance, and at the top of at least one hundred steps, a beautiful, dome-like building stood, with lustorus paintings of the sun and clouds on it, another, identical building standing directly next to it, up another tall flight of stairs, though this building was decorated with the moon and stars. Scads of 'oohs' and 'ahhs' escaped the ham-hams mouths, and they stood for a long moment in the gateway, just admiring the sheer wonder of it all.

"Eet ees zo beautiful!" Bijou marveled, the first ham-ham to speak up, paws on both sides of her face and blue eyes shimmering. "I feel like we 'ave just stepped eento a fairytale! Zis is wondachu!"

"I'll say!" Maxwell exclaimed. "It's even better than the books described!"

"Zuzuzu..." Snoozer mumbled in his sleep. "This...feels....like home...zuzuzu..."

They ogled it for another good minute or so, occasionally making an adoring comment or two, as a few of the Dreamland residents, dressed in medieval/victorian style clothes, began to notice the strange visitors standing in front of the open gates, exchanging a few curious murmurs here and there. The ham-hams looked content staying where they were, just staring, but Cumulus had informed Joy that the Princess wanted to meet with the heroes immediately, and she didn't want to disappoint her ruler. Cumulus excused himself to return to his post, and he closed the gates behind the ham-hams before he departed, leaving the balloon basket sitting forlornly outside.

"I hate to interrupt your marveling, ham-hams!" Joy stepped out in front of them, and all of their attention immediately snapped back to her as she informed them, holding the Staff of Dreams carefully against her chest as her amber eyes glitterd with excitement. "But Watcher Cumulus has informed me that Princess Hamorette wishes to see you all immediately. If you will follow me, I will take you to see her in the castle."

"Oh boy!" Pashmina squealed, jumping up and down with Penelope imitating her enthusiastically to the side. "A real life Princess! Oh, I can't wait! I bet she's beautiful, just like all the storybooks say!"

"Ookwee! Ookwee!"

Stan looked the happiest of all the ham-hams by this news, however. After that terrifying dove-back ride, he needed to see a friendly, gorgeous hamgirl to ease his still-churning stomach, and just thinking about the sure-to-be angelesque Hamorette made him eager to try some of his new pick-up lines on her. Although, he realized, wooing the Princess was going to be a difficult task, what with Sandy watching him like a hawk every stinkin' moment...

"Alright, let's go, ham-hams!" Boss declared proudly, pumping the first that wasn't holding Snoozer in place on his broad shoulder. "We've got an evil hamster's tail to kick, and the sooner we get rid of that nightmare the better!"

"Yep-P!" The ham-hams chorused in agreement, though they still found themselves somewhat struck-dumb by the glorious Dreamland. There would be time for sight-seeing and window shopping, as the case was for the hamgirls, later...once their business regarding the evil, mysterious Steel and his nightmarish attacks was completed.

Joy led them through the pale blue streets, used to the glowing, busy nature of her native home. The ham-hams tried to look professional and heroic as they marched behind the Protector of Slumber, but found themselves lapsing into excited giggles, spouting comments of amazement, or just staring with gaping mouths as they saw even more of the dream-like Dreamland. It truly was like a place just out of a dream. As they walked in a single-file line, several pedestrians stopped what they were doing to stare, and the ham-hams caught a few of their whispers, some who had no clue what was going on, and others who had some idea.

"Who are those strangers?"

"I thought no outsiders were allowed inside Dreamland! They must be villains!"

"But Protector Joy is with them...she would not bring evil inside the walls of Dreamland."

"These must be those brave heroes that Princess Hamorette sent for! I heard the Watchers talking about it yesterday!"

"Hm...they look fairly average for heroes."

"These hamsters will restore sleep to it's natural balance!"

"But...but they're so...normal."

"That dastardly ham Steel won't stand a ghost of a chance against them!"

While the praise made them beam and some of the doubts made them inwardly flinch, the ham-hams enthusiasm could not be doused. Here they were, on another whirlwind of an adventure, out to stop yet another evil hamster from gaining too much power. And they could already tell that although this journey would be perilous and more dangerous than their last epic adventure, they were ready for whatever Steel had to throw at them.

Joy stopped them in front of stairs to the castle. By now, a small mob was following them, curious and eager to find out what the ham-hams were doing in Dreamland. She told them, in a voice that the crowd trailing them couldn't hear. "You ham-hams may head inside now...Princess Hamorette is likely waiting for you. You needn't knock. Just remember to bow and kneel with respect, and you'll be just fine..."

Upon seeing their distressed expressions at continuing on without her, Joy giggled, and continued, "Don't worry, I'll be just behind you. I'm going to ease the minds of these hamsters following us first...I must tell them that help has arrived!"

Following her orders, the ham-hams trooped, now in a huddled group, up the even, marble steps, until they stood right before the massive oak doors. Their heartbeats began to quicken as they realized what was waiting for them on the other side. A princess...and a new, thrilling opportunity.

"Here we go, ham-hams..." Hamtaro told them quietly, while Joy, behind them, addressed the crowd that had gathered, although her voice was just a hum in their ears.

Boss handed Snoozer off to Oxnard and Howdy, and he, along with Hamtaro moved forward and placed their paws firmly on the door handles, heaving them open with twin grunts, arms screaming with the effort. The spacious, simple, but still stunning throne room met their wide eyes, and they took a moment to take in the beautiful, silver and gold checkered floor, the velvety red carpet, and the high, beautiful windows, letting the glimmering sunlight filter in. But it was the angelic hamster seated in the throne at the end of the carpet, golden curls agleam and jade eyes both fierce and warm, that soon had their full attention.

She was every bit as lovely as Joy had claimed, so much so she almost glowed. Her perfectly etched features were kind and welcoming, set into a snow-white face, though her curls and ears were a rich golden color. The dress she wore made the girls gasp both enviously and admiringly; it was a deep magenta color, and made out of the finest fabric, soft and splendidly made. Stan almost fainted at the sight of her, but was too speechless to try one of his lines.

"Come closer, great heroes!" Hamorette called invitingly in her whimsical voice, throwing her arms out wide. "We have been waiting anxiously for your arrival!"

Not wanting to disappoint, the awed ham-hams shuffled forward in a large cluster, Hamtaro, Boss, Bijou, and Maxwell at the front, and Siren, Cappy, and Penelope, the three youngest, huddled, struggling to see, in the back. Soon, the ham-hams stood about two feet from the intimidating princess and her regal throne, and, remembering what Joy had told them, bowed collectively. "Hamha, Princess!" They greeted in unison, hearts racing.

"Hamha to you all, as well," She replied, eyes sparkling. She bowed slightly at them as well, as she introduced herself, "My name is Princess Hamorette, daughter of Hamelot's King Hamvil, and I am the ruler of Dreamland. I am pleased to welcome you to my noble kingdom, and hope that you will find Dreamland to your liking while you are here."

The ham-hams mumbled thank-Q's, too nervous and intimidated by the ruler to be talkative. Just one look around the immense room struck them speechless. Luckily, Maxwell remembered his manners and declared smoothly, the most eloquent of the bunch except for a too-nervous Dexter, as well as the one that knew the most about being respectfully formal in the presence of royalty, "It is a honor to meet you, Princess Hamorette."

"The honor is mine," Hamorette returned sweetly, smiling, impressed by his speech. "I cannot begin to express to you how much your help will mean to Dreamland. Steel is a terror, and my knights and I are pleased to have your aid in bringing about his defeat!"

For the first time, the ham-hams noticed the silently imposing, coal-black knights stationed on either side of Hamorette's throne. Dexter jumped slightly as both of the knights placed a paw over their hearts in a stony greeting, as he had thought they were just empty suits of armor. The knights eyes, red and blue respectively, were clearly visible, but every other inch of them was shrouded in black, metallic mystery. Just seeing them made the ham-hams a bit apprehensive, and Hamtaro nervously eyed the gleaming swords holstered at their sides. Silent and scary...a very good combination for knights, but terrifying for those they came across.

Maxwell, serving as spokesham, spoke up again, "We are glad to help, Princess Hamorette. If defeating Steel is how we can make sleep safe for hamsters again, then we will do our very best to stop him and his tyranny!" Sandy silently marveled at her boyham's assertiveness.

Hamorette chuckled, but her voice was grateful. "I am very glad to hear you say that. Now, you have had a long journey, and we must take care of getting you settled in before we start talking about the more serious matters at paw. I would like to get to know each and every one of you during your stay, but first, I would like you to meet two of the most important hamsters in the world to me, whom I consider loyal subjects, as well as great friends. They will help get you accustomed to the castle and Dreamland while you are here."

At this, the knights straightened themselves, making Dexter jump again. They had been expecting this, and were prepared to fulfill their Princess's wishes. Princess Hamorette got to her feet, though she remained at her throne, and cleared her throat. She began, musical voice filling the room and ringing off every crevice,

"Noble ham-hams, please allow me to introduce you to the two bravest, strongest, and most loyal of all the Dreamland Knights!" Princess Hamorette motioned proudly to the knights, stationed rigidly on either side of her gleaming throne. "These two are the noblest and fiercest two knights in all of Dreamland, and have proven themselves on many occasions. Please, my knights, remove your helmets and familiarize yourself with these brave hams!"

The two knights obediently reached up to unfasten their helmets and reveal their identities to the eager onlookers. But none of the ham-hams, not even genius Maxwell and sharp Dexter, expected what came next.

"Ham-hams, may I introduce you to the bravest hamsters in all of Dreamland...Knights of the Royal Family...Sirs Sprint and Screech!"

Upon hearing the second name, Siren, who had been mostly hidden behind Panda and Oxnard, pushed roughly by them to stand alone at the front of the pack. The knight on Hamorette's left removed his helmet first, revealing a tall, good-looking hamster with heavy bangs and mahogany ears, a similar-colored spot covering one brilliant red eye. He tossed Siren a surprised look, but it was the other knight, removing his helmet slowly, who had her undivided attention.

His helmet fell to the floor with a clatter as he saw her standing not two feet away, absolutely stunned. His piercing blue eyes, ice-cold but somehow gentle, were wide, light grey ears alert, and his mouth was agape. He brushed tufts of his snow-white fur out of his eyes, as if clearing cloudy vision, or to make sure he really was seeing what he thought he was. The resemblance between them was striking, other than the black lines on Siren's face and his lean, athletic build.

Confusion consumed the room for a moment, until realization dawned swiftly on the ham-hams, though the other knight, Sprint, looked perplexed and Hamorette looked extremely puzzled. After a beat, Sprint understood what was going on, but Hamorette was still lost, looking confusedly at Screech for an explanation. The ham-hams exchanged wide-eyed, stunned looks, totally shocked by this startling discovery.

All astonished eyes fell on the two similar-looking hamsters, standing only about a foot and a half apart, waiting for something to happen between them. An agonizing minute passed, silent and tense, the two grey-white hamsters just staring at one another with astounded blue eyes of different shades, unable to move or speak in the thick silence.

"That's..." Cappy murmured, though he was unable to finish his sentence. None of the other ham-hams could even form a word, much less a coherent sentence, especially not Siren. "...that's..."

"Screech?!" Siren finally demanded, voice shooting through two octaves and echoing shrilly in the massive chamber, her paws shaking.

Screech's jolting eyes widened even further, as if he had been convinced he was looking at a mirage until now. "Siren...?" He wondered aloud, voice a mixture of both bewilderment and awe, as well as an overlaying happiness.

"Siren's brother!" The ham-hams finished, breathless.

---

CFB: HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! ~lightning flashes~

I may just be flattering myself and you weren't really surprised, but I hope I at least caught you kinda off guard.

Next time: Screech and Sprint?! How did they wind up in Dreamland, especially when Sprint was in the Dark Lands just a few weeks ago and Screech is supposed to be back in Halem? Hear some of their story next time! (They're both characters from GT, if you recall, or uh...don't...if you didn't read it my surprise means nothing...) And more with Laura...Roberto offers to help her search for Hamtaro. But not nicely. But what do we normally expect from Roberto anyway?

Review...please! Thanks for the hits and favorites...keep them coming.