* * * Episode Four: Stranger in the Forest – Wait, That's… * * *

* * * Episode Four: Bladesman in the Forest * * *

"Everyone keep running!" Genki shouted.

"Like…we…need…a…reminder?!?" Suezo panted, hopping after the other rebels as they raced deeper into the forest. Genki glared back at him, but before he could shout out an angry retort, a bolt of energy streaked past them, mere inches away from striking both eyeball monster and boy. Both of them stared at it with widened eyes and sweatdropped, and quickly turned their full attention back to the issue at hand, that of escaping with their lives.

"Yeeek! Get away get away get away!" Coltia screeched, waving her arms and legs wildly as she ran alongside the other rebels. Serinity and Holly sweatdropped as they glanced over at her, but both knew better than to comment on how strange she looked running away like that…after all, they were panicking just as much as she was, even if she was a bit more vocal about it.

"What kind of monsters are those, anyway? Baddies?" Serinity asked, glancing back over her shoulder at the creatures that pursued them.

"Shell Saurians!" Scaler called back at her, giving Hare a rough push from behind to hasten the younger rabbit along. "They're some of the more common of Moo's warriors, since Dino and Zuum types aren't as rare as some other monsters. Their hard shells act like a sort of built-in armor, and they're typically very fast on their feet!"

"Really?" Serinity asked, turning bright green eyes toward him.

"This isn't exactly the time for a lesson about monster types!" Suezo shouted, panting hard as he came up behind the other rebels. "It doesn't matter what they are, we need to get them off our tails, now!"

"That's a great idea, only how do you suggest we go about doing that?" Scaler asked, looking back at him. Steel flickered briefly in his paws as he added, "I can probably take out the ones in front right away, but I'll need someone to cover me when I close quarters with the others!"

"Serinity, do you know any ray attacks?" Genki asked, and the pixie hybrid flashed him a surprised look.

"…Y-Yes, I do know one," she stammered, blinking her wide green eyes in surprise, "but I'm afraid that I'm not that great of a shot…"

"Try it," Scaler suggested, several of his smaller knives glinting in his hands again as he added, "I'll cover you while you test it out, just in case."

"O-okay!" she replied, nodding back at him. With a sudden flap of her wings, the pixie hybrid sprang into the air, and she pivoted in midair, pointing both palms of her hands back toward the pursuing dinosaurs.

"Here we go! Scattershot!" she shouted, and her hands glowed as small bolts of bright green light shot from her fingertips, streaking down toward the saurians like glowing droplets of rain. The majority of the tiny beams struck the ground harmlessly, but one or two managed to hit one of the baddies on the side of their legs or their tails. One bolt burned through a particularly unlucky dinosaur's toe, and he yelped in pain, skidding to a halt to blow on his smoking foot.

Serinity sweatdropped, and she swooped down to fly beside the other searchers, her face burning. Scaler gave her a mildly surprised look, arching an eyebrow at her.

"…You weren't kidding when you said you were a lousy shot," Suezo commented, and Serinity's normally pale face reddened even more.

"Well, what did you expect? I'm not really a big fighter…I've only been in one real battle…and I, um, kinda lost…"

"Great," Suezo groaned, rolling his eye. Scaler shot him an annoyed look out of the corner of his eye.

"Do you know any long-range attacks like that?" he asked, dark violet-brown eyes flashing. "If you do, please use them now and show her how it is done."

Suezo did not answer, and quickly looked away, avoiding the scaled rabbit's eyes. After a moment, Scaler nodded curtly.

"I thought so," he muttered, glancing back at the baddies still following them. "Don't tease her about her aim when she at least has attacks to aim!"

"Shouldn't we be concentrating on fighting these guys instead of fighting each other?!?" Coltia wailed, and a fireball whizzed past the girl's ear as if to emphasize her lament.

"Chi!"

"Colt's right, we have to fight them!" Genki shouted, gritting his teeth as he cast another quick glance over his shoulder. The Shell Saurians were drawing closer with each passing moment, and some of their attacks, while none had actually hit their marks yet, were getting more and more accurate. It would only be a matter of time before one of the fireballs hit its target, and then…

A fireball passed over the boy's head, singing the very tip of his cap, and Genki gritted his teeth again. Suddenly he skidded to a stop, and as Holly and the others cast a shocked look at him, whirled around and raced toward the Shell Saurians.

"Genki!" Holly screamed, horrified.

Fortunately, the Shell Saurians were as startled by the boy's sudden attack as the other rebels were, and the boy's foot smashed into the snout of the leader without any resistance at all from the baddies. Blood spurted out and covered the heel of his boot, and Genki quickly jumped backwards as the dinosaur stumbled back into its comrades.

"Ah…ah…ah," Serinity gasped, eyes wide with horror as she watched the saurian's crimson blood drip down the side of its face and stain the grass beneath it. The dinosaur snarled, beady black eyes filling with outrage as he glared at Genki.

"You'll…pay for that…human!" he growled, and lunged forward with his claws, barely missing the boy's chest. Genki jumped backward, then balled his hands into fists and brought them down on the already bloody snout. The saurian let out a choked cry and lunged for the boy, only to catch a dagger in his neck for his efforts.

The Shell Saurian screamed, and Genki found himself crying out in shock as well, for the knife had nicked his arm as it flew past him. As he grasped his wounded arm, which fortunately had not been cut too deeply, the other baddies saw their chance and rushed toward him.

Suddenly, however, Scaler was darting past the boy, a blur of green and tan as he leapt forward to meet the attackers with his own assault. Steel flashed from his paws to bury itself in the necks and bodies of several of the dinosaurs, and as the rest fell backward to regroup, the scaled rabbit glanced back over his shoulder at Genki.

"Get up," he hissed, violet-brown eyes flashing like the sword he held before him. "Don't show your enemy any weakness. Get up and fight!"

Genki gave the green rabbit an annoyed look, but quickly clambered to his feet. His arm throbbed a little where he had been cut, but he flexed it slightly and decided that it would be okay. After all, he was the Monster Champion, and a little thing like a wound on his arm wasn't going to keep him from protecting his friends!

"Here we go, gang!" he shouted, and joined Scaler in attacking the Shell Saurians. As Mocchi, Hare and Suezo ran forward with their own attacks, Coltia snatched a rock up from the ground and slung it at the face of the nearest baddie. Holly and Serinity backed away, watching the battle unfold before them, and the pixie hybrid gasped quietly, green eyes wavering with fear and horror.

"…How…how horrible," she whispered, shaking her head slowly, unable to tear her gaze away. "How…how can you possibly fight like that…?"

She shuddered, and Holly shot her a concerned look before a shout pulled her attention back towards the battle. Her eyes widened with terror as she saw what was happening: the Shell Saurians were using their vast numbers to simply overwhelm the fighting rebels. As she and the paralyzed Serinity watched, several of the baddies yanked Genki and Mocchi to the ground and kicked them repeatedly, keeping them pinned to the ground though they fought to rise. Suezo and Coltia saw this happen, and both tried to make their way over to their fallen friends, only to get pushed back by the baddies.

"Genki!" Coltia shouted, and she fumbled for her slingshot. One of the Shell Saurians lashed out with his tail and the young girl yelped as the tip flailed into her hand. Her slingshot flew out of her grasp and got knocked away by another tail strike, and Coltia cradled her uninjured hand around her wounded one as she took a hesitant step backward.

"Tongue Slap!" Suezo called out, whacking several of the zuums away from her. However, one of the baddies launched a fireball at him, and he gagged and coughed as the glowing sphere struck his tongue.

"Suezo! Colt! Mocchi! Genki!" Hare called, and the tawny-furred rabbit whirled around to go help them. Scaler grabbed at his shoulder as he tried to run past, and pulled the younger rabbit closer to his body, half-shielding him under his cloak.

"Are you insane? You'll only get yourself killed!" he yelled, pulling him backwards as he spoke. His free paw blurred again, and five more Shell Saurians cried out as they suddenly found blades lodged in their throats.

"Let me go!" Hare shouted, struggling vainly against the elder rabbit's grasp. Scaler only tightened his grip in reply, and tears sprung to Hare's wavering eyes as he pleaded, "I have to help them! They're in danger!"

"You're in danger!" Scaler retorted, yanking him backward. Sensing victory, the baddies started to move in on the two hares, but a few swipes from the green rabbit's ready sword quickly discouraged them. Deciding to focus their attention on the easier targets first, the baddies turned to the still pinned Genki and Mocchi. Several of them opened their mouths, and a deep yellowish-orange glow surrounded their gaping maws as they prepared to fire their attacks.

"No! Mocchi! Genki!" Holly cried out in helpless terror. Behind her, Serinity gasped, and suddenly reached out instinctively with one hand, slender fingers weaving a spell.

"Scattershot!" she shouted again, desperately. Again small bolts of bright green light streaked from her gesturing fingers, and again few of them actually hit any of the Shell Saurians. However, it did manage to distract them for a second, as they paused to look at the small verdant beams that shot past them.

"This…isn't working," she murmured, sweatdropping again. The Shell Saurians eyed her for a second, then shrugged in unison and started to power up their attacks again.

"Let me go! I have to help them!" Hare pleaded, fighting against Scaler's stubborn grasp. Scaler's eyes remained impassive, and he kept his firm grip on the younger rabbit's shoulder despite his continued protests, the dull flickering of the Shell Saurians' growing fireballs reflecting off of his dark, narrowed eyes.

"Genki…Mocchi…" Coltia moaned, still cradling her injured hand. Beside her, Suezo continued to gag and choke as his tongue smoked.

Genki moaned, and the boy raised his head groggily just in time to see the Shell Saurians charge their attacks even higher. The orange-yellow flames glowed dangerously, and Genki felt his eyes widen in dull terror as he watched the fireballs build, and he pulled a barely conscious Mocchi closer to his side as the baddies prepared to launch their attacks…

"Genki, no!" Holly screamed, and the girl involuntarily squeezed her eyes shut as the fireballs threatened to reach out and engulf her friends. She heard Genki and Mocchi scream, and then the sound was abruptly cut off with a short cry.

"Genki! Mocchi!" Hare shouted, and Holly forced herself to open her eyes to confront what had happened. Looking over, she sucked in a gasp despite herself, and stared disbelieving at what stood before her.

"…What?" Genki murmured, opening his eyes and staring up to see that several of the Shell Saurians had suddenly backed up, their beady black eyes watching a stranger that was standing in front of them, between them and their would-be victims. As Genki and Mocchi stared up at the strange person, startled, he threw a quick glance back at them and smirked, ever so slightly.

"You dare to defy Master Moo as well?" the leader demanded, glaring at him. The stranger nodded, and drew out a very sharp-looking sword from its sheath, holding it before him in direct challenge. The Shell Saurians regarded him, then just as they were about to advance, a small dagger shot out from behind them and buried itself in the ground, causing them to glance backwards.

Scaler stood in front of Hare, swords in both of his paws, and his cloak was deliberately swept back over his shoulders enough to reveal more blades glinting at his sides. Behind him, Hare had his paws balled into fists, and his kerchief had slipped enough to partially reveal the glowing crystal at his neck.

The Shell Saurians paused, and sweatdropped in unison. Obviously this was one situation that they didn't like being in.

"Err…later!" the leader said, and suddenly they were off, running away at full speed, leaving a cloud of dust in their wake. The searchers watched them go, and Serinity sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness we didn't have to fight them to the death," she murmured, eyes wavering with a mixture of fear and relief.

Their savior turned to face them, and Genki felt his mouth drop open in shock. This swordsman was a boy, one who didn't appear to be much older than he was, although obviously more skilled in the ways of battle. The simple leather tunic he wore hinted at a chain mail vest underneath, and a thick belt at his slender waist bore the weight of his sword as he slid it securely back into place. Loose-fitting black pants were tucked into the cuffs of the stranger's leather boots, and a pair of golden earrings twinkled in the sunlight as he smiled over at the group.

"Ah, Genki, Holly, long time no see! Looks like I happened across you just in time, eh?"

"Huh?" Genki stared at the stranger in growing astonishment. Something about the confident smirk on the boy's face was familiar, and the way that his narrow sapphire eyes sparkled the same way the twin loops of gold in his ears did…the way that his ruffled, blue-gray hair drifted over his face in jagged bangs…

Recognition hit Genki with full force, and Holly gasped in surprise as she remembered as well. Suezo and Mocchi blinked in unison, stunned, and as the strange boy's grin widened, the little pink monster abruptly understood.

"Alan-chi?" he asked, pointing at the bladesman in confusion. The boy laughed in reply, and made a quick signal with one hand. As Genki, Holly, Mocchi and Suezo gaped at him, a pair of screeching Worms surfaced behind him, one much larger than the other.

"Alan!" Genki called, now absolutely certain.

"I wondered if that was the problem," the boy with blue-gray hair snickered, deep blue eyes twinkling with laughter. "It's good to see all of you again."

Hare was staring blankly at his friends, not certain what was going on. Genki glanced over at him and immediately understood the problem.

"Oh yeah, that's right, you've never met Alan before, have you?" he commented. Hare just gave him a blank, confused look, and Genki smiled. Gesturing back at the other boy, he explained, "This is Alan, a friend of ours. We met him when we were passing through here before, back when it was just me, Holly, Mocchi, Suezo and Golem…"

"Hey, where is the big guy, anyway?" Alan interrupted, looking around. "It's not exactly hard to miss someone as tall as he is…so where…?"

He trailed off as he suddenly noticed the strange, wistful expressions that Holly, Mocchi, Suezo and Hare suddenly wore. Even Genki looked slightly saddened for a moment, but that passed quickly as he shook his head and locked eyes with Alan.

"I think we need to talk about that," he said, clear eyes shining. Alan paused, then nodded back at him.

"You may be right," he said, then glanced around and added, "But it isn't safe for us to have a meeting out in the open like this. I'll lead you back to my hideout. Worms!"

He turned and made a swift signal with his hand; the two worms screeched in unison and dove back into the ground, burrowing swiftly and soon vanishing from sight. Alan then sprang into the branches of a nearby tree, and he glanced over his shoulder at the searchers, a cocky grin on his face.

"Try and keep up, if you can," and then he was gone with a rustle of leaves and branches.

"Wait up!" Genki shouted, barreling into the woods after him. The other searchers followed after him, and Suezo sweatdropped as he struggled to keep up with them.

"This is definitely Alan we're dealing with," he muttered, in between gasps for breath.

* * *

"…So let me get this straight: you had them outnumbered, and you fled?"

The Shell Saurians winced in unison, and all of them kept their heads bowed, their faces nearly in the dirt underneath them. All of them trembled, none daring to glance upward in fear that doing so would further incite the wrath of the one who stood before them. The speaker's figure was wreathed in shadows, making it impossible to make out any of its features, save for its glowing crimson eyes.

"And why, may I ask," the voice hissed, "did you choose to flee?"

The dinosaurs froze, paralyzed with fear. None of them dared to answer yet at the same time knew that failure to reply would result in destruction for all of them. After a few moments, several pairs of beady eyes flicked toward the front and the leader gulped silently, knowing that his comrades expected him to be the one to respond.

"W-well…" he started, slowly, stammering without meaning to, "t-they had a lot of really sharp swords, a-and…"

The figure in the shadows sighed and whispered, "Enough." Just one word, but it was more than enough to make the Shell Saurian's already wildly pounding heart to leap into his throat. A glowing black light erupted from the darkness, and the leader screeched in agony as his form was rapidly engulfed by the dark radiance. The other Shell Saurians panicked and scattered, bolting away from their dying commander's writhing body.

"What pathetic fools," the hidden monster commented, watching with glowing crimson eyes as the zuum hybrids fled in terror. A sudden flash of ebony light behind them caused it to turn, and another, larger figure appeared, also wreathed in shadow.

"They are getting away," the newcomer commented in a deep, booming voice.

"Let them run. They were useless fools anyway," the first one replied, sounding unconcerned. "Where do they expect to run to? Their crests will mark them as baddies to any possibly friendly hosts they may find, and they are too frightened and stupid to dare approach any other baddies for aid. The only way they can help themselves now would be to prove their worth by destroying Moo's enemies, and the chances of that…"

Both of them laughed, then suddenly went rigid, their eyes flashing an even brighter red for an instant.

"Moo calls," the second one whispered, and the first one nodded.

"Let us go," it replied, and with two flashes of ebony light, they had vanished.

* * *

"…So that's it," Alan said, nodding grimly as the searchers finished their tale. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his dark blue eyes shone with thought as he gazed back into the blazing fire before him. Genki and Holly nodded in solemn reply, falling silent as well, and Coltia let out the breath she had been holding with a soft whoosh.

"Wow…" she murmured, turning shining tan eyes on Genki, Holly, Suezo, Mocchi and Hare as if seeing them in a new light. "I didn't realize that you guys were actually the ones who defeated Moo in the first place! It sounds like you really went through a lot…"

You have no idea, Holly thought glumly, reaching down and grasping the hilt of the dagger she wore on her belt. She noticed that Hare was holding the Phoenix's Tear gently in both paws, keeping it clasped against his chest, and wondered briefly if he was thinking along the same lines that she was.

"Having second thoughts about coming along?" Suezo teased, eyeing Coltia. Coltia's face flushed bright red, and she glared over at Suezo angrily.

"No, I'm not!" she cried, sticking her tongue out at the eyeball monster. "I still want to help you fight this thing, no matter what happens!"

"As do I," Scaler added, reaching over and gripping Hare's shoulder slightly.

"I wish to help as well," Serinity added, nervously clasping her hands in her lap to keep from trembling. "I want to help you find your friends again, and if we have to fight Moo to find them…well…so be it."

Alan looked at all of them and nodded slightly, his sapphire eyes gleaming as he noted, "Well, it looks like you have quite a few new recruits with you already. And all of you are determined to help them?"

Coltia, Scaler and Serinity all nodded back at him, solemnly. Alan smiled, nodding back, then suddenly turned away. Genki and the others stared at his back, confused.

"Alan-chi?" Mocchi ventured after a moment. Alan seemed to jump in surprise, and he quickly turned back around, smiling at the little pink monster.

"…Hey, you all should stay here for the night," he said, gesturing around the cave he used as his base. "The enemy rarely ventures this deep into the woods, and the entrance is hidden anyway, so you shouldn't have any problems tonight. You'll need your rest if you're planning on continuing this quest of yours."

"…Alan?" Holly whispered, giving the silver-haired boy a strange look. Alan glanced over at her and smiled, briefly, then turned away again.

"Don't worry about it," he said, waving a hand over his shoulder at her in dismissal of any comments she or the others might have made. "I'm going to run some patrols before heading to bed myself; the rest of you should go ahead and get settled in. Trust me."

With that, he walked further away from the light of the campfire and soon vanished into the shadows. The searchers stared after him for a moment, then Genki let out a yawn and stretched out.

"He's got a point," he said, leaning backward as he stretched out his arms over his head. "Maybe we should try and get some sleep now."

"Yeah, who knows when we'll be able to get a good night's rest again," Suezo commented darkly, already curling up as he spoke.

"You should get some sleep," Scaler turned and informed Hare, his tone leaving no room for argument. The younger rabbit glared at him for a moment, but found himself being stared down, and grudgingly settled down.

"Mocchi tired," Mocchi commented, curling up into a ball beside Genki. Within a matter of seconds, he was already fast asleep, and Genki smiled protectively at him, draping an arm over the young monster's back.

Serinity wrapped both of her wings around her and lay down, letting her short orange bangs shade her eyes from the flickering firelight. Holly retrieved some blankets from Suezo's pack, passing them around. As she settled down, Coltia walked over and sat down beside her.

"So you know that cute guy from before?" she leaned over and whispered in Holly's ear, tan eyes glimmering with interest. Holly felt her face flush bright red without even knowing why.

"Yes," she confirmed, nodding, "we met Alan back when we were first passing through this forest."

"Lucky you," Coltia sighed, dreamily. "It must be nice to have known two guys that are so cute for that long…"

"W-What?" Holly stammered, turning widened bronze eyes on the other girl in shock. But Coltia had already turned her face away and was wrapped up in her blanket, fast asleep. Aware that her face was still burning, Holly gazed back into the slowly fading fire, trying to figure out why she felt so embarrassed.

Colt's just being silly, she decided silently after a moment. She was just teasing me about having met Genki and Alan before her…but why did she make that comment about me being lucky? …She must be joking around. I'm hardly…lucky…

* * *

Alan smiled as a pair of screeches greeted him the moment he emerged from the cave. He glanced up towards the rapidly darkening sky: a few stars had already made their appearance, and sparkled brilliantly above the treetops. A cool breeze ruffled his short, blue-gray hair, and he absently flipped his bangs away from his face.

"When it's nice out like this, it's so difficult to believe that Moo may be back," he commented, his sapphire eyes glinting solemnly as they reflected the light of the stars. The larger of his Worms crooned slightly, distressed by his bothered tone, and he flashed his original monster a quick smile.

"But we'll stop him, won't we, Worm?" he asked, grinning over at the huge monster. "We won't let him get away with whatever he's got planned. Between us working here and the others going after the Phoenix, we'll be alright."

His two monsters squealed in eager agreement, and Alan sprang on the back of the elder one. Tossing back his head, letting his short black cape billow in the wind, he made a quick signal with his hand, raising it high into the air.

"Let's go, you two! We have a lot of ground to cover tonight!"

Again the two Worms screeched in unison, then they began to lurch forward, moving surprisingly fast considering their size. As they plunged deeper into the forest, Alan reached down and patted his sword's hilt, checking to make certain it was secure in its sheath. With any luck, he would not need it tonight, but…

* * *

Holly sighed silently as she stared into the dying fire, stirring the fading embers with a small stick she had found so the flames would not fade completely. She had pulled her knees up to her chest, and her bronze eyes shimmered both from reflections of the campfire and with thought.

As hard as she tried, she simply could not stop thinking about what Coltia had said to her. For some reason, the younger girl's airy comment about her being lucky for knowing two cute guys had really bothered her. She wasn't quite certain what it was exactly that was nagging her…it was just that, when Coltia had made that comment, it had struck something within her, something she couldn't quite put a name to.

Was she saying that she was jealous of me, she wondered. Just because I met Genki and Alan before she did…? …No, no, that couldn't be right. Colt isn't really the jealous type…and why would she be jealous of me, anyway? It's not like they…

Suddenly a soft groan from nearby interrupted her thoughts, and Holly looked up in surprise. It took only a second for the shock to fade from her eyes and turn to sympathy when she saw what was happening.

"Oh, Hare," she whispered softly, watching the young monster toss back and forth, groaning faintly. He was obviously either having another nightmare or vision, and as she watched, eyes misting with sympathetic tears, she heard another faint gasp behind her. Turning around, she saw that Serinity was also awake, and was staring at the small rabbit with wide, horrified eyes.

"H-Holly? W-What's wrong with him?" she asked, trembling a little bit as she turned her frightened gaze to the human girl. When Holly did not answer right away, the hybrid looked back at the still moaning bunny, then started to stand up, causing Holly to quickly reach up and grab her hand.

"Wait!" she whispered loudly, pulling Serinity back down. Startled, Serinity lost her balance and fell backward with a soft thud, nearly crushing her tail. Biting back a yelp of surprise, she stared at the human girl in surprise as Holly hastily explained, "I'm sorry, but it's normally best if you don't try to wake him up when he's like this. He might be having a vision, and if he is, then it might have a warning or something else in it that he has to see."

"…But he…he looks like he's in pain," Serinity murmured, bright green eyes wavering as she glanced back toward him. Holly bit her lip and looked down at the ground, letting her bangs fall over her face and shade her eyes.

"I know," she whispered, shaking her head slightly, "but…sometimes, his visions have information that we really need to hear. I know it's hard to just sit back and do nothing, but…"

"…Miss Holly," Serinity whispered softly, reaching over to the human girl and placing a slender hand on her shoulder. Holly looked up at her, bronze eyes wavering, and the pixie asked, "Do you need to step outside for a little while…? …According to what Alan said, it should be fairly safe, and I think you may need the time…I'll look after things here for you."

"…T-thank you," Holly said, standing up slowly and turning away. As she started to walk toward the entrance, she glanced back and saw that Serinity had also moved, and was now kneeling next to Hare, silently watching him as he continued to moan and toss in his sleep. After a moment, the pixie hybrid reached down and gently took one of his hands in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Holly smiled sadly, then turned around and slowly made her way out of the cave. Pushing away the leaves that covered the entrance, she stepped out into the cool night air. As she sighed and gazed up toward the twinkling stars so far above her, the wind eagerly began to play with her hair, tossing it around behind her and ruffling her bangs.

She sighed; the cool caress of the breeze felt so nice against her reddened cheeks, and she stood there for some time, gazing up at the darkened sky, losing herself in the stars. After a while, she realized with a start that her cheeks were wet; she had started crying without even noticing. Startled, she reached up and brushed the side of her hand against her tear-stained cheek, then pulled it away and gave it a confused look.

Why…am I crying? She asked herself, looking back up at the stars with wavering bronze eyes. However, even as she wondered that, she realized in the same instant that she had many things to cry about. The problems and responsibilities she faced during the day in stoic silence crashed down upon her all at once, and her resolve crumpled to dust as they fell upon her.

She was crying because she didn't think she could handle this. She knew this, and also knew that the realization of this was causing her to start crying again. As hot tears began to brim in her eyes again, she quickly fled from the cave entrance, not wanting to disturb her friends that still slumbered within. At the very least, she feared, Serinity might overhear her sobs and come looking for her, to see what was the matter, and she didn't want to burden the pixie hybrid with any more problems.

She didn't go far: she knew better than to stray away and risk getting lost. Then the others would most certainly come looking for her, and figure out that something was bothering her. Instead, she walked only a short ways from the cave, to a lake that Alan had pointed out close by. It was close enough to the hideout that she knew she would have no trouble finding her way back to it later.

She kneeled down on the bank, gazing at her reflection in the water for some time, noting how the moonlight seemed to make the water glow like translucent liquid silver. It looked beautiful, serene, and a stark contrast to how she felt at the moment.

A single tear dropped from her wavering bronze eyes and caused ripples in the smooth surface of the lake, and the moonlight shifted to crest each tiny wave with silver. Watching this, Holly felt more tears spring to her eyes: she felt as if she had ruined the perfect scenery with her selfish tears, shattered the serenity of the moment because of her own petty wants and fears. It was a completely irrational, self-berating thought, but she still allowed it to take root, and more tears dropped into the lake as she began to sob quietly.

* * *

"…Well, that was easy enough," Alan commented lightly, glancing back over his shoulder at his two partners as they burrowed after him. "Those Shell Saurians were so scattered around, I don't know how they expected to accomplish. They didn't put up much of a fight, either: one or two strikes with the old blade and they all scrambled away. How weak is that?"

He laughed, and the two Worms screeched as if agreeing with him. Grinning, Alan looked back at them and nodded again.

"You two go ahead and turn in for the night; you've earned it," he instructed.

The smaller monster screeched again, and eagerly burrowed underground, ready to return home and get some rest. However, the larger one hesitated, and its multiple eyes gleamed inquisitively as it cocked its body to one side.

"Don't worry, I'm going to bed soon," Alan laughed, waving his older monster off. This seemed to satisfy it, and as it also retreated into the earth, Alan laughed and shook his head slightly. Turning away, he glanced up into the dark sky, his sapphire eyes catching and reflecting the starlight. Shouldering his blade, he traced his way through the woods, using his knowledge of the forest's layout to weave a path that would not leave a trail that any would-be pursuers could follow.

A soft noise caught his attention, and Alan looked around in confusion. Fingering the hilt of his sword, he carefully moved toward the sound, his eyes narrowed into slits as he concentrated on making as little noise as possible. Creeping forward, he slowly began to draw his blade, then suddenly froze as he saw who was making the noise.

"Holly?" he whispered, causing the girl to gasp and leap to her feet, whirling around to face him. Her bronze eyes looked huge and luminous in the moonlight, and her pale skin seemed to glow as well.

"Alan?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice from trembling. He stepped forward so she could see him, and she relaxed, her tense shoulders slumping with relief. "Oh…you startled me…"

"Holly, why were you crying?" Alan inquired, walking over to her side. Holly averted her gaze, and tried to turn away from him, while she stammered for some hasty excuse. However, he refused to let her escape this way, and stepped quickly up beside her, gently taking her chin and pointing back towards him.

"Tell me," he said, his narrow sapphire eyes locked with her own, wavering bronze ones. Holly paused, then sighed, recognizing that she could not get herself out of this one.

"…I'm just…a little upset about everything that's been happening lately," she confessed, slowly. Alan said nothing, just continued to gaze into her eyes, and she found herself blurting, "It's just so hard to believe that Moo might be coming back again. After all the hard work we went through before…was that all for nothing? And…and I'm worried about Golem and Tiger. We were hoping that Golem would be back in the forest with his friends, that was where he said he was going, but he wasn't there. Genki says that isn't a problem, but I just don't know…Golem's not one to go back on his word, and he was so eager to see everyone again…"

"Hmm…" Alan murmured, simply nodding.

"…And then there's Tiger. Genki seems so confident that Tiger is going to be with his pack when we find them, but…I'm not so sure…I really have a bad feeling about it, but I haven't said anything. I can't, because I know that the others really hope to see him there, safe…I want him to be safe to, but…what if they're…what if…what if Moo and the baddies found them already?"

She shuddered, and a reluctant tear squeezed out of the corner of one wavering bronze eye as she broke free of Alan and turned away.

"…Serinity, Coltia, and even Scaler…they're putting themselves in serious danger just to help us…I'm worried…I want everyone to be okay. I don't want Moo's evil to hurt anyone anymore! But I feel so helpless…"

"You're not helpless."

"What?" Holly turned around to stare at Alan; he had stepped up behind her and taken one of her hands in his own. As she stared into his solemn, determined face, she noticed that his blue-gray hair looked silver in the moonlight.

"You are not helpless," he repeated, his sapphire eyes catching and holding her own, "because you have great power resting inside of you. You have love, and others love you, giving you the strength you need to keep fighting. I can tell this, and I know that nothing can change that. Holly, you are such a kind and caring person, there is no way you can fail at anything you set your mind to!"

"…Alan…I can't," Holly faltered, unable to find anything she could say.

"Here," and Alan pressed something small and round into her palm, gently closing her fingers over it. Reopening her hand, Holly stared down at the tiny gold loop uncomprehendingly for a moment, then raised her gaze to the silver-haired boy's face. He grinned back at her, and flipped back a lock of hair so she could glimpse the bare lobe of his right ear.

"I actually prefer this style better," he said, indicating the twin earring still glittering in his other ear. It seemed to wink knowingly at the girl, and Holly felt her face flush red with uncertainty.

"But why give this to me?" she asked.

"Think of it as a sort of reminder," Alan replied, blue eyes twinkling roguishly. "As long as you hang onto that, it'll remind you that I'm out there, fighting against Moo the same way that you and the others are. That way, you'll be able to keep hope with you. Also, it's my way of making a promise that we will meet again…"

Holly blushed again, and weakly protested, "But I have nothing to give you in return…"

Her voice trailed off as Alan crouched before her, lifted her empty hand with his own, and swiftly planted a kiss upon it. The slight contact of his warm lips against the smooth back of her hand was enough to completely silence the girl, and she stared down at him in dull shock.

After a while, he released her hand, and grinned roguishly up at her, sapphire eyes gleaming.

"That'll do," he said simply, then turned on his heel and strode off into the forest. Glancing back at her over his shoulder, he called, "Now try and get some sleep. You'll need it if you plan on heading out tomorrow morning."

He disappeared into the trees, and Holly stared off after him for several moments, unable to move or react. Slowly, she brought her trembling hand up in front of her chest, grasping at the Magic Stone. She stood there alone in the moonlight for several minutes, her bronze eyes wavering with thought, and then slowly began to make her way back to the hideout where the others were.

* * *

"Is everyone awake?" Alan asked, striding purposefully into the cave, the light of the morning streaming from the exposed opening behind him. Holly nodded in reply, helping a yawning Coltia to her feet. Genki stretched out his arms and yawned loudly, and accidentally whacked Suezo in the face with the back of his fist.

"What was that for?" Suezo demanded, leaping back up with a vein standing out on the back of his head. Genki glanced back at him, eyes widening with surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were back there, Suezo," he apologized.

Suezo grumbled an unintelligible reply, and Scaler mumbled something under his breath. Although the others could not hear exactly what he said, Suezo appeared to overhear and understand it, and judging from the death glare he aimed back at the green rabbit, it was not exactly very complementary.

"Are you okay, Hare?" Serinity asked in a whisper, helping the tawny-furred rabbit to his feet. Hare looked up at her in surprise, and she quickly explained, "You looked like you had a nightmare last night. Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine now," he replied, nodding up at her.

"If you don't mind my asking…what was it about?"

"I…don't remember everything," Hare answered, his soft brown eyes becoming distant. "I remember…I remember feeling very cold…it was dark, and I couldn't see anyone. I…I felt so alone…like everyone had abandoned me…"

He trailed off, and shivered with the memory. Not knowing what she should do, Serinity draped an arm across his shoulders comfortingly, and was rewarded by a slight smile from the young bunny. Scaler noticed this out of the corner of his eye, and arched an eyebrow slightly at the sight, but said nothing.

"You should get going," Alan said as he led them out of the forest. "The sooner you head out, the less risk you run of meeting any of Moo's patrols. I scouted the area last night; there's no sign of any baddies around, so you should be fine until you reach the canyon, but…"

Shrugging his shoulders, the blue-gray haired boy then pushed a few last branches out of the way, and Genki raced out eagerly into the open field before them. Coltia and Mocchi were directly behind him, laughing.

"Yahoo! We're out of the forest!" they cheered in unison, while Mocchi cried "Chi! Chi!" excitedly. The other searchers sweatdropped as they watched the trio do some impromptu gymnastics and cavort around the field, and Alan smirked to himself.

"Well, I suppose you can take care of yourselves from here," he commented, turning away and stepping back into the woods. Genki stopped short and turned to stare at the other boy, and Coltia ran right into his back.

"Aren't you coming with us, Alan?" Genki asked, oblivious to Coltia's startled grunt. She stumbled backwards, eyes spiraling and moaning, and tripped right over Mocchi, causing both of them to fall to the ground. Holly shook her head, sweatdropping, and bent to help both of them to their feet.

"Nah, I've got some work to do here first, just to make certain that the baddies won't claim this area," Alan explained, grinning, and a twinkle appeared in his narrowed sapphire eyes as he added, "But you will be seeing me again. Count on it."

Holly gasped faintly, a red hue covering her cheeks for an instant, but it faded away before any of the other searchers could notice it. Alan winked in her direction, then spun back toward the forest and was suddenly lost in its branches.

"Alan…" Holly whispered, her voice faint. None of the other searchers overheard her, for all attention was focused on where the young bladesman had been.

"I wonder what he meant by that?" Serinity asked, blinking her bright green eyes in confusion.

"Oh wow! Maybe he liked me so much that he wants to see me again!" Coltia shouted, making a wistful, lovey-dovey face. Huge sparkles glimmered in her widened tan eyes as she clasped her hands in front of her and blurted, "He's in love with me, I can tell! He can't wait to see me again…oh wow, oh wow, this is so perfect! How romantic…ooohhh…"

None of the other rebels made any comment; they just stared at her and slowly edged away, huge sweatdrops on the backs of their heads.

"Uh…yeah…anyway, let's get moving, team!" Genki shouted, whirling on his heel and racing off toward the canyons. The others dashed after him, Serinity launching into the air and gliding on the wind currents. Coltia was left standing alone, and it took a few seconds before she snapped out of her love-struck mood and noticed that they were leaving.

"…Hey! Don't leave me!" she shouted, dashing after them. It only took her a few seconds to catch up, and soon the entire group was heading off together, all eyes trained on the road that spread out before them.

Only Holly was not running at full speed, and as the others led the way, she brought one clenched hand up to her chest, bronze eyes wavering as she glanced down at her palm. A glint of gold flickered briefly in the sunlight, and she sighed, lost in her own thoughts.

Maybe Alan is in love… she thought, a small sigh escaping from her as she silently added, But, I'm sorry Colt, I don't think it's with you… What do I do now?

The small loop of gold she held in her hand glimmered again, offering her no answers, only more questions that she found she could not answer.