CFB: I understand if all my readers wish to abandon me now. It's been months since I last updated. And I truly am sorry...I had many problems to deal with these past few months (family crap, school overload, and blowing yet another knee out...I should just get them replaced and save the trouble of another recon), and, unfortunately, writing had to take a backseat. I apologize profusely, and hope I can be forgiven for this horrible lateness. I'M SO SORRY! On the bright side, summer is here! Which means updates! I only have a few left anyway...
Luckily, I had my wisdom teeth pulled this week. Actually, it sucked hardcore since I was awake for it all (three hours of fun...) and my face is swollen to twice it's normal size...Sorry, TMI. But the bright side is I get to write, since I have become a hermit!
To apologize for being so late, I will update this story twice in a row. Like, in the same day. So...the next chapter should be up by the time anyone reads this one. And after that, it shouldn't be too long for the next next chapter...it's like, almost totally over anyway. Sniff...it could have been over by now had I been on time. Sorry again. But it was kinda short, wasn't it...?
Thank you:
Awsomewriter123: Thank you for the review. Sorry...Oxnard probably would win in any other case, but I love Panda too much! Lol. Sorry this is so late...and you'll find out about the parties in this chapter.
DolphinSweetheart16: It's been a while, but thank you for reviewing my story once again. I really appreciate it! Your reviews are always helpful. I wish I could shorten my chapters...I always wind up with really long ones. I don't try it...but when my chapters are short I sort of get really obsessive compulsive about it and have to make them longer...weird, I know.
Macarov: Your review is one of the driving reasons behind me working on this chapter some more after I set it to the side for so long. Thank you very much, your praise was enlightening. I appreciate your review a very good deal, and all your kind words! After being so neglectful of my readers and this story I'm not sure I deserve them. Hopefully these next updates will make it up to you! This chapter is for you. and I apologize for my butchering of a French accent...I can't even fake one in real life, much less in writing. Lol.
Summary: Laura returns, but will there be more drama with Travis and Mika on the horizon? Maxwell makes an amazing and disturbing discovery, and will Siren accept a special offer from the ham-hams, especially when she knows how dangerous it can be? And what Spyke has been waiting for so long for is just about in his grasp...this could be trouble.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hamtaro or any of its' characters. I own Siren, the Guardian, Spyke, etc...
Chapter 5: Anniversaries and Invitations
Sunday passed by faster than the ham-hams expected. After hanging out at the Clubhouse some more, they disbanded late in the afternoon, Boss remaining in his home, Siren heading for her tree, and the rest of the Ham-hams heading for home. It was their fifth day since meeting Siren, but the sixth day, Monday, they had to spend inside and away from each other. Thunderous rains forced the domestic ham-hams to remain homebound, and Siren sought refuge with Boss at the Clubhouse for the day.
Hamtaro, running in his whiz-wheel as the rain pattered relentlessly against the windowpane, waited for Laura to return as the rain pattered violently against the window. She was set to return from the shore any time now...he had been waiting anxiously for several hours, unable to keep still.
The sound of screeching brakes and the opening of car doors in the driveway relieved Hamtaro. "Laura's home!" He cheered brightly, eyes agleam, hopping off the wheel and grooming himself, hoping his young owner was happier than when she had left.
After hearing familiar, pounding footsteps on the stairwell, Laura burst into the room, face aglow with happiness. "Hamtaro, we're back!" She exclaimed, dropping her bags at the door and kneeling down by the hamster cage with a huge smile. "Did you miss me?"
"You know I did! Did you have a good time?"
Laura, not understanding a single squeak, said cheerfully, "We had a fantastic time, Hamtaro, you would have enjoyed it! I ran into my friend Joshua from school, he was there with his girlfriend Gina. We went swimming and shopping together; it was great! I bought you this!" She placed a round ball that appeared to be made out of sunflower seeds in his cage.
"Thanks Laura! I'm glad you're feeling better! I had a ham-ham slumber party with the hams and I saw an amazing creature! I wish you could have seen it, it's supposed to protect all hamster kind! Pretty neat, huh?" Hamtaro smiled up at his young owner, gesturing wildly with his paws.
After Laura had unpacked, chatting to her attentive hamster all the while, she heard the phone ring. After it blared twice, Laura's mother picked it up down in the kitchen, and after a moment, shouted up to Laura, "Laura! Someone's on the phone for you! It's a boy named Travis!"
Laura blushed, not out of her old habit just yet. She left the door ajar as she bounded down the stairs, fantasizing about what the boy had called for. Hamtaro, curious and concerned for Laura, slipped discreetly out of his cage and tiptoed down the stairs, hiding under the kitchen table to listen in on her conversation. Laura waited for her mother to leave the room before she held the phone to her ear. Now alone, or so she thought, she cleared her throat, saying happily into the telephone, "Hello?"
"Hi Laura!" She was greeted by Travis's equally as cheerful voice. "How was your vacation? Josh just got back too, and said he ran into you at the shore."
"Yeah, we had a great time. Coming home to this weather wasn't so great though." She replied, twisting the phone cord around her finger absently as she cast her brown eyes to the rain-streaked window.
"Let's hope it clears up by Wednesday! Mika is having a pool party to get to know some of the kids at school, and we want you to come. Can you? It'll be a lot of fun, her pool is huge!" Travis wondered, and Laura had the distinct feeling he wasn't the only one listening to their conversation, that a certain girl was sitting beside him.
Laura, while on vacation and enjoying the surf and the sun, had completely forgotten about Mika. It all came back to her in a flash that left her heart twinging painfully, and her smile fell, alarming the small hamster under the table. Mika...her long brown hair and blue eyes that apparently had entranced Travis upon sight. How could she have forgotten about that? How could she forget her longtime crush was off the market...
Laura then said, a catch in her voice, "Is...anyone else going to be there?"
"Yes, a lot! Roberto, Josh, Gina, Reese, Kory, and Lance already said they could, and you, Kylie, June, and Kana if you can go. We'd really like it if you'd come too, Laura."
"We'd." Laura thought bitterly, which was followed by a wave of guilt. She was already thinking negatively of Mika, and she hardly knew the girl...
"Let me ask my parents, but I'm sure it would be okay..." Laura replied, trying to keep her voice from wavering.
If she declined his offer, she knew it would look suspicious to everyone else attending the party, as she always went if Travis and Kana were attending. She dutifully left the phone and asked her mother, who was sitting in the living room, if she could attend Mika's party. Her mother, unable to see the lingering sorrow in her daughter's eyes, agreed.
"I can come!" She said, in as cheerful a voice as she could muster, the result a strange, strangled tone that Travis did not detect.
"Great! Do you know if Kana and the rest of the girls will be home today? Mika has been trying to get a hold of her and the other girls on her cell and couldn't get an answer anywhere. We just need to call June, Kylie, and Kana now."
"They'll be home late tonight, you could try and call them tomorrow morning. I know Kana will be around then at least. Where's Mika's house?" She inquired innocently, readying a pad and pencil.
"Uh-I dunno. I never bothered with the address, since I've only ever come with Mika. Here, why don't you talk to her? She'll give you the directions."
Laura reluctantly complied. Soon, she heard Mika's shy, feathery voice over the phone. And a surge of mixed anger and frustration, as well as guilt, pulsed through her veins as she imagined those intertwined hands again...
"Hi Laura..." She greeted. "Do you know where Eighty Sixth street is?" Laura told her yes, as she knew of the extravagant neighborhood with houses that rivaled Maria's mansion. "Mine's the third house on the left. There'll be balloons and stuff around, you won't be able to miss it. Thanks so much for agreeing to come. It's at 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM." She sounded sincere.
"You're welcome. I'll be there Wednesday."
"Bye, see you then."
"Bye."
She silently hung up the phone, directions written in neat script on the pad. Hamtaro, having heard the whole thing, could not see his owner's face anymore, but knew she was unhappy. He scurried up the stairs, undiscovered, planning on how he was going to help make Laura feel better. He had never seen her so depressed before; it made him feel just as sad, knowing how his owner was suffering.
Laura, brown eyes threatening to fill with tears, tried in vain to smile. "At least Kana will be there," She said, a pitiful attempt to cheer herself, as she began to trudge up the stairs.
All happiness from her vacation had been washed away with one simple phone call. She reached her room and flopped down in a heap on the bed, staring at the ceiling as the rain fell harder and faster against the windowpane, a frantic drumming. "Oh, Hamtaro. I'm never going to survive this party!" She wailed, covering her eyes with her hands wearily, wishing her problem would just disappear.
"Oh, Laura...I wish things would get better for you this week!" Hamtaro's ears drooped in sympathy.
Laura remained deep in thought. She had made a connection in her mind with all of the people at the party. Gina was dating Josh. June had a huge crush on Reese at the moment, and Kylie was dating Korey. Kana always blushed around Lance, though she avidly denied any interest she had in the boy, and Lance appeared to like her in return. And apparently, Mika and Travis were dating as well. The only ones who either held unrequited love or were simply alone were Laura...and Roberto.
"Ew..." She wrinkled her nose with distaste. She felt she was falling behind her peers, not having a boyfriend or someone to potentially be with in the near future. People were dating or crushing on someone...and right now, she saw no sunshine shining through on that aspect of her life. Only the rain that poured from the grey heavens could understand her feelings.
She was tired from the long trip, and fell asleep on her bed with these thoughts filling her dreams. Hamtaro snuggled into his woodchips and napped as well, hoping Laura would be okay by the time she awoke again. The clock on the wall continued to tick slowly...
Maxwell had always been a industrial hamster, usually found with his nose in a book. During the rainy, stormy Monday, it was no different that usual. Maxwell, in his small hamster library hidden away from his owner at the library, was scanning and shuffling through the old Legends of Hamwall once again. Ever since he had stumbled across them he had been roving over each and every page he could find, trying to make them all add up into relative sense. Something about the Guardian just didn't seem to fit with the tales woven by those ancient hamsters...
Something...almost sinister, in a way. Daunting.
He had been mulling over the stacks of books all day, and showed no signs of slowing his fast pace of trying to decipher the Legends of Hamwall he had so many muddled suspicions about. Though rain was pouring steadily outside, Maxwell remained deep in thought and determination. A small lantern was propped against his stack of books, as the lights had flickered off hours ago thanks to the brutal weather. Nothing could stop him on his quest for deeper knowledge.
"Obviously, it has been at least one hundred years since Hamwall fell. Ah, yes-" He checked the dates, and was startled when he realized they corresponded almost exactly. It had actually been one hundred and one years, nearly to the day. If his translation of the Hamwallian calendar had been correct, the coming Wednesday would be the hundred and first year since Hamwall fell.
"Odd. It's not one hundred..." He murmured, brow furrowed in confusion. "...Wait!"
He leaned over the book, and read a passage of the Legend of Fate, face of the Guardian peering up at him with those intense eyes, which made him severely uneasy.
"One hundredth anniversary of the Fall of Hamwall, far beyond the war,
Awakens beast in crystal water, mission to be accomplished,
Hundredth year after death and fall of beloved kingdom,
It rises again within the chosen hamster, the Chosen One!
Year passes by slow as time..."
Maxwell frowned. "I see...'year passes by slow as time.' It has been a year since the 100th anniversary of the fall, so statistically, Emperor Spikuro's reincarnation should surface any time now and attempt to conquer the hamster world. Well, that's not good. Since the legend appears to be true, we should be facing mortal peril at this very moment. This reincarnation could wreak havoc on our world! And the Guardian..."
That was the biggest piece to the puzzle, but the hardest to solve."The fact that the Guardian has appeared when we Ham-hams were in danger rather quickly makes me believe that the Chosen One mentioned in the texts has to be nearby. Otherwise, how would it get to us so fast?" Maxwell pondered.
Everything, words, thoughts, speculations, were swimming in his head, all muddled and fused together in a ball of undecipherable nonsense. It was like the answer was right there in front of his nose, but he couldn't manage to sniff it out.
His eyes swept over the intricate drawing of the Guardian, which his book had fallen open to. It's crystalline eyes were so mysterious, as if saying to him, 'I'm not telling you anything.' It was a glorious sight, those jagged fangs and claws, pointed ears, wings the color of the blackest midnight, and flowing, ribbon tail of pure azure. A wondrous thing to behold. Then, for some reason, the mysterious Siren drifted into his thoughts. His brow furrowed. Was there a connection between the two that had connected them in his thoughts?
"She knows an awful lot about this stuff...it's almost suspicious. Siren came into our lives about the same time the legends surfaced, and when we saw the Guardian for the first time..." He murmured, focusing hard on the Guardian's face. It was a gentle, but powerful face all in the same. Something about it was oddly familiar.
Lightning flashed outside, and in that split second, realization struck Maxwell like a speeding car. His grey eyes wide, paws shivering slightly, he peered into the Guardian's face on the page. Those pointed, perfectly angled black markings, the hazy azure eyes that held the faint aura of intrigue. It now filled him with horror, as the grim realization washed over his trembling body. Every bit of fur stood erect. He had seen those markings and eyes before...on a hamster.
They matched up perfectly. Siren and the Guardian were strikingly alike, which meant only one thing.
"Siren's the Chosen One!"
Numb with sock, an image of Siren entered his mind again. Behind her loomed the figure of the guardian, similarities uncanny now that he had visualized them together. Their alikeness in the eyes...and in the black, jagged facial markings. And all the things she said, which he now knew were all carefully orchestrated lies.
"She was kicked out of her colony a year ago, the same time the Guardian rose again. She wasn't there when Bijou was in danger, but came back after the Guardian disappeared, with some story about a cat. When she recited the Legends, she ran away after we began questioning her. She refused to tell us about what she found in the book. She's always quick to discuss anything but Hamwall..." Now, all of those odd actions seemed to make perfect sense as he recited them out loud.
He was stunned. Stunned that he hadn't found out sooner, when it was so plainly obvious. And now, he would have to withhold that information for a while...His owner would be taking him out of town to a book signing for a new book called 'A Day in the Life' tomorrow, and he would have no chance to tell his friends the prophecy was coming true and to worry about the lies Siren had fabricated to protect her true self. Then he was slapped in the face with some more cold realization, and his eyes widened in horror.
"That hamster that warned Panda...and Hamtaro saw running from the Guardian! He must be the reincarnation of Emperor Spikuro! Oh, I wish there was some way to tell them...I'll have to wait until Wednesday! But...tomorrow Sandy said they're having a One Week Anniversary Party to officially inaugurate Siren into the group! Oh no...this is gasp-p!"
He sat down in his chair, reading the legend again and avoiding all eye-contact with the picture of the Guardian, which now gave him a hollow, pained feeling in his stomach. The words were ominous...foreboding, now that he knew for sure how close they were to coming true.
Siren was a liar.
And with her connection to the Legends being so strong, what would happen to the Ham-hams if the evil rose again and came after Siren? They would be caught up in it as well. It was ineffable, and bound to be terrible for anyone involved.
He got to his feet, focusing hard on what any other explanation could be. He was having trouble coming up with any other possible reason for any of Siren's odd actions over the course of the past week. He liked to think better of the female, believe it was all just a freakish coincidence, though the odds were severely stacked against her at this point. He would hold his tongue until he was absolutely sure she was the Chosen One, as blurting the news out prematurely could be costly. He would wait, just to be certain, lest he totally destroy something unnecessarily.
He just hoped he was doing the right thing.
"Pashmina! Lift your end up higher!"
"Sandy, I can't reach any-AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Pashmina, balancing with one foot on the stepladder, hurtled towards the hard ground after losing her posture while trying to hang up the banner. Luckily, Howdy and Dexter, watching her carefully from below, broke her fall, providing her with a soft landing instead of one against the rough Clubhouse floor.
"Thanks guys!" Pashmina patted them on the head cheerfully and climbed back up the ladder to finish hanging up the poster that read, 'Happy Anniversary, Siren!' above the door with Sandy. Dexter and Howdy beamed at her praise, though their backs ached mightily from the impact. "You're welcome, darlin'!" Howdy crowed cheerily, waving at her brightly.
"She was talking to ME Howdy!" Dexter rebuked, sneering at his western counterpart.
"Naw, ME!"
"ME!"
"ME!"
Their bickering soon ended as Boss sent them the 'You'd better shut it' glare, and they left to attend other business. It had been a week ago to the day they had all met the ham-ham, Siren, and wanted her to be an official member of their closely knit group of friends, even after a rocky start and a few close calls with danger and accusations of lying. Thus, to make up for that and make the girl ham feel welcome, they had decided to throw an anniversary party in her honor.
"The sunflower seed feast ees set up!" Bijou called proudly, after setting the final seed plate out on the table, pleased with her work.
"Siren's due back any minute with Panda and Cappy, hurry it up, ham-hams!" Dexter ordered, inspecting everything with narrowed, inspecting eyes.
Streamers, balloons, and posters were hanging all about the room, thanks to Pashmina, Sandy, and Bijou's careful decorating. Stan was painting a stool Panda had built for Siren to add her own place at the table, and Hamtaro and Oxnard were rehearsing their friendship dance, a must when inviting someone to join their little clan. Sandy was depressed that her boyham, Maxwell, was busy that day and could not partake in the festivities, but she knew Siren was bound to be delighted anyway, whether they were one ham short or not.
Currently, Panda and Cappy were taking Siren around Oak Tree Park, distracting her from the Clubhouse while they set up everything. "Siren is going to love it, non?" Bijou asked a panting Hamtaro, who was sipping some tea after rigorously practicing his dance.
"Yeah, she'll be so surprised!" Hamtaro agreed, as Oxnard joined the pair at the table, staring hungrily and drooling at the many plates filled with scrumptious sunflower seeds resting on the wooden table. Bijou had to slap his paw away when he reached for one, since no one was allowed to eat until Siren arrived, and a rejected Oxnard returned to staring at the feast longingly, mouth watering.
"Your dance ees coming alone well, Hamtaro?" Bijou asked, innocently hoping their conversation would last. Hamtaro was oblivious to the red tint to her cheeks as she spoke.
"Yup!"
Bijou sighed contentedly. She had always liked the gullible orange and white hamster, ever since he had danced for her in front of her window to convince her to join the Clubhouse. "Someday I'll tell him how I feel..." She inwardly assured herself, a mantra she repeated often, praying Hamtaro felt the same way about her. He had never been very obvious if he did, and was always dense whenever she dropped hints. She had to think he would realize it someday...and hopefully return the feeling.
Oxnard interrupted Bijou's thoughts of romance by saying, "I am glad we met Siren. She's a little bit weird, but a good ham all the same."
"Oui, and now she ees going to be an official ham-ham!" Bijou beamed. She recalled the day she and a cheery Hamtaro discovered the bewildered, clueless female hamster in the bushes, and now, a week later, she was set to become an official representative of the ham-ham Clubhouse for as long as she lived, no matter where she went. "I hope she likes zee party."
"She will, Bijou-baby! No need to worry your pretty little head-" Stan, sidling up to the snow-white female, ever flirtacious, did not have a chance to finish his line as Boss glared at him from across the room, subbing in for Sandy, who was still hanging the banner. Fire was in his eyes, seeing the tiger-striped ham hitting on the girl he secretly liked. Hamtaro's paws balled into fists for reasons he did not understand, and, for some reason, he wanted to be the one to drag stan away.
"Watch it, Stan!" Boss raced over and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, dragging him back to the half-painted stool.
"C'mon Boss..."
"Wow. It's huge!" Siren marveled at the sight of the huge, metallic slide. Panda and Cappy had taken her to the human children's playground, which was even more fun for ham-hams than actual children. "It's like a bigger version of the one at the Funpark!"
"Wanna slide down it?" Panda questioned her, grinning.
"Oooh! I do! I do!" Cappy replied, bouncing up and down.
Siren appeared hesitant, as she was not a very adventerous or ambitious type of hamster. But Panda was already dashing up the steps to the slide, Cappy already perched at the top, and Siren joined them, not wanting to look like a chicken. The trio stood at the top of the slide together, breeze ruffling their fur and adrenaline racing.
"Three...two...one...go!" Panda shouted, and the three rodents went tumbling down the slide.
Upon landing in the grass at the foot of the slide, Siren was laughing so hard it was difficult to breathe. Cappy was declaring loudly how much he wanted to do it again. Panda, dizzy from the trip, joined in their fits of mirth and joy. "I wonder if everything is going okay..." He wondered aloud, unaware that he almost blurted out the surprise.
"Heke?" Siren queried.
Cappy stared at Panda with a horrified expression. "Uh..." Panda froze, trying to think up an excuse to replace what he had originally said. "I said...that was smooth sliding, yay!" He knew it sounded extremely lame, but he smiled cheerfully all the same, hoping she had bought it. Cappy relaxed slightly, but turned to Siren, awaiting her response.
"It was fun..."
Panda breathed a sigh of relief. "Dodged that bullet..." He murmured.
"Pardon?"
Cappy slapped a paw to his forehead and shook his head. "Oh, cats!" Panda inwardly cursed eyes clouded with embarrassment at nearly revealing the secret yet again. "I have GOT to stop thinking out loud!"
"Aren't Siren, Cappy and Panda supposed to be back soon?" Dexter asked aloud.
Everyone was sitting on their respective stools, staring at the green door, expecting it to burst open at any moment to reveal Siren, Cappy, and Panda. However, they had sat staring at the door for a little while now, and it hadn't budged an inch. Time was passing quickly...
"Should we send someone out to go and find them? We never did give Panda or Cappy a certain time to be back...they might be wondering if we're coming to get them or not." Pashmina suggested.
"Ookwee!"
"Great idea, Pashy-baby..."
"Watch it, Stan!" Howdy and Dexter glared and growled at the tiger-striped hamster, who backed down reluctantly.
Sandy looked unconvinced by her friend's suggestion. "Like, why don't we wait a little while and then someone can go and look for them. I mean, they could come in any time now, like, a few more minutes couldn't hurt us."
Everyone merely cast their eyes to the door once more, sighing, and eagerly awaiting their arrival.
Siren looked about. She had seen most of the park by now, and knew her surroundings well enough to call it her new home. Originally, she had only planned to stay a few days and then disappear, only to become a memory in this area and in the minds of the ham-hams. But she had truly grown attached to them, and didn't want to leave them for as long as she was welcome in their Clubhouse. For the first time in her cursed life, she had friends. And she liked it that way.
"So, can we go to the Clubhouse now?" Siren asked her companions, getting to her feet and brushing herself off. She had the urge to see the rest of her friends, even if she was having such a good time with Cappy and Panda.
"NO!" Cappy and Panda bellowed in unison.
Siren stared at them as if they had each grown another tail, and matching heads. "Uh..." Cappy stuttered, embarrased and wracking his brain for another colorful excuse, Panda praying the younger ham could think up a believable one.
"Uh...I mean, you haven't seen Acorn Mountain yet! You simply can't go on without having seen Acorn Mountain yet!" Cappy finally said, a huge smile on his face.
"Okay!" Siren agreed easily.
Panda sighed with relief, and Cappy looked cheered. They needed another diversion to distract the already completely oblivious Siren, who followed them dutifully to Acorn Mountain, which was only a little ways off, to gather a couple of acorns for herself. Cappy started singing a song and tried to teach Siren, which occupied the young friends as they walked. Panda hoped that someone would find them soon and tell them it was alright to go back. His brain hurt from trying to keep the secret...
Cappy, Panda and Siren munched on acorns for a few minutes, but Panda could tell the hazy-eyed female was getting anxious to go to the Clubhouse. He wondered if the party was set up yet, and whether or not it was safe to go back...he and Cappy had assumed that someone would come to fetch them when it was time. He would hate to ruin the surprise by returning to early.
Just at that moment, an acorn slipped from Siren's paws, and rolled down the hill into a thick clump of bushes. "I'll go get it!" She said to them, before hurtling down the hill in pursuit of the fallen acorn. Panda watched her go with a smile. Cappy kept right on chowing down, not noticing her absence.
Soon, she disappeared from view in the shrubbery. Panda returned to eating his acorn, figuring she would be right back.
Siren spotted the missing treat laying in a small clearing. She sprinted into the open to retrieve it, picking it up, her face reflected in it's shiny surface. It hadn't been damaged or dirtied by the fall; a good sign. She turned with a smile to go back to her friends, but found herself facing a pair of intense, narrowed, yellow eyes instead of only shrubbery.
One word raced in her mind. Cat.
It's long tail was flicking in the air, tongue hanging out in a hungry fashion, salivating. It's striped fur was sleek and well-groomed, but its claws were jutting out from small, calculating paws. It's fangs glinted in the sunlight, and it looked famished, ribs poking out on both of its lean sides. Siren had a good idea what it wanted to eat from the gleam in its snake-like golden eyes. A ham-ham burger! (AN: Forgive me...I can't resist horrible puns. Tis a curse.)
Instincts kicking in, Siren did the only safe thing she had ever done when in danger. She plopped down, threw her head back, and belted out the sheer sound of the built-in alarm system she was named for and blessed with.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!"
The sound of Siren's screeching voice jolted Panda from his acorn feast, and even an absorbed Cappy looked up. Their paws flew to their ears, covering them from the shrill noise, which penetrated their defense and made them cringe anyway. Eyes wide, Panda sensed Siren must be in danger, and he dashed down the hill, forgetting the throbbing pain in his ears. Cappy bolted after him, and they burst into the small clearing. There, the concerned two saw Siren, wailing, and the large striped cat running away into the fields, yowling in pain and scratching at its ears. Siren's loud, but effective, alarm system had frightened the cat away without a violent confrontation. One she realized the cat had fled, Siren stopped wailing and caught sight of Panda and Cappy, who ran over to where she sat, trembling.
"Wow! That was awesome!!" Cappy exclaimed, pumping a paw in the air.
"Are you okay?" Panda asked, while helping the terrified Siren to her feet. She, shivering, just nodded. "Is that the alarm-system you told us about when we first met you?"
"Uh-huh..." She blushed, embarrassed.
She hadn't used her famed alarm in a long time, since she rarely got into danger that required assistance from another hamster or rodent. She had something else inside her that was an effective danger exterminator, though she couldn't very well use that with ham hams so near. Now, Siren had enough danger for one day.
"Can we go to the Clubhouse now? I don't want to have another run in with that cat, and I want to go and see everyone...using my alarm really wipes me out..." She asked, hazy eyes quizzical, hoping to forget the hungry look on the cat's face that had frightened her. She had faced worse before...but was usually a wee bit bigger when she did.
Cappy and Panda exchanged a look. It had been a while now...hadn't it?
Panda made the decision. "I suppose we should..."
To be perfectly safe, Siren toddled along in back with Cappy, chatting about games they liked to play, while Panda set the pace slower than usual. Still, within a few short moments, they had reached the entrance tunnel. Silently, Panda and Cappy prayed the ham-hams had finished decorating. The trio, two nervous, one oblivious, ventured down the tunnel together.
"Where ARE they?" Howdy hollered, clearly agitated.
It had been quite a while, and Panda, Cappy and Siren still had not shown up for the party. The atmosphere in the Clubhouse had gone from agitated to worried to anxious and back again, an unending cycle. "Maybe now we should send someone to go and look for zem.." Bijou suggested softly, looking around for approval.
However, before anyone could agree, Sandy shushed them, ears pricked forward. Panda's voice could be heard in the tunnel, at an alarmingly high volume, warning them that they were approaching and to get into surprise mode pronto. "I WONDER WHO'S AT THE CLUBHOUSE TODAY, SIREN!" Panda's shout was heard by the ham-hams, and an excited hush fell over the Clubhouse.
"I SURE HOPE ALL OF OUR FRIENDS ARE THERE!" Cappy joined in the bellowing.
The anticipation was great as they heard Siren say, very near, "Uh, why are you yelling, Panda? Cappy? I'm right next to you guys..."
"ANYWAY, LET'S OPEN THE DOOR AND SEE WHAT IS GOING ON AT THE CLUBHOUSE TODAY!"
"GEE, I HOPE IT'S FUN!!"
"YOU'RE TALKING TOO LOU-...oh, why not?"
With that, a smiling Panda opened the door and Siren entered, totally clueless.
"SURPRISE!"
Confetti rained down on a bewildered looking Siren, who had never seen little particles of paper float down from the sky. But the befuddled look soon turned to excitement and awe as every ham in the room chanted, "Happy one week anniversary Siren!" Perfectly simultaneous. That was an accomplishment for such hyper hamsters.
Siren looked behind her and saw the banner that bore the legend, "Happy Anniversary, Siren!" and the many balloons and streamers that were littered around the room. "This is...amazing!" She struggled to find the right words to say to fully express her happiness. Every face was beaming, pleased that she was thrilled with their well thought-out extravoganza.
"We wanted to take this oppourtunity to officially inaugurate you into the ham-ham Clubhouse!" Dexter informed a still stunned Siren.
"Really? Thank you so much!" She had no idea what 'inaugurate' meant.
As if on cue, Cappy tottered up to Siren with the light blue stool that Panda had carefully crafted and Stan had painted. "Panda and Stan made you this official Clubhouse member stool!"
Siren was truly touched. No matter how much of a risk it was, she wanted to feel like she belonged, and the ham-hams provided her with that. For once in her life, she was really, and truly happy with her life. "I appreciate this so much! How can I possibly thank you guys?" She asked, hazy azure eyes threatening to fill with tears of happiness.
"Simple. Say yes to becoming a member of the Clubhouse!" Pashmina said cheerily.
Siren looked from one ham to another. They were respectfully quiet, but their eyes were encouraging, silently pleading her to accept their humble offer. Nothing sounded more appealing right now to Siren than being welcomed into the group as a ham-ham. She would kill to be welcomed anywhere, even if a low growl she could hear ringing in her head warned her otherwise.
"I would love to!"
"Good. But there's one more thing!" Panda chipped in.
Siren looked around questioningly, as if expecting the answer to come bursting out of the woodworks. "You have to say an oath." Dexter clarified, answering the question that had been on the tip of her tongue.
"An oath?" The word was daunting, even if she didn't know what it meant.
Dexter approached her, holding a brown, dusty looking book from Maxwell's Clubhouse library in his paws. He cleared his throat and said seriously, "Place your right paw on the cover of the book, please, and raise your left paw in the air."
"Um, you mean on the 'Tales of Hamlestilkskin?'"
"The title doesn't matter."
"I see." She placed her paw on the dusty cover, and raised her left one.
"Do you, Siren, solemly swear to remain faithful to the ham-hams and our club for as long as our friendship survives?" Hopeful glances were cast in her direction, irresistable to the soft-hearted Siren.
Siren gulped nervously. Was she prepared to take a leap and become part of a close-knit group, where secrets were not kept for long? It was enticing, and it was what she wanted to most right now, more than anything else. She took a deep, shaking breath, cleared her throat, and smiled heartily at every single ham-ham before announcing cheerfully, hazy eyes dancing...
"Of course!"
Cheers ensued after her exclamation. Hamtaro crowed, Hit it!" and suddenly, upbeat, peppy music filled the room. Hamtaro and Oxnard stood before Siren, and suddenly they began to dance a little jig, filling in all sorts of ham-chats in the middle. Siren, sitting proudly on her new stool with a red party cap, courtesy of Cappy, perched on her head, watched as they danced in honor of her. Her heart swelled in pride.
"Welcome to the Clubhouse, Siren!" they ended all in unison, and Siren beamed.
"You guys are the best hammos I could have ever hoped for!" Siren said, her voice thick with emotion.
They sat down to the table and nibbled on sunflower seeds, chatting amiably, and congratulating Siren on her official joining to the club. After eating, Sandy clapped paws together loudly to call attention to the group. She had been put in charge of the games they were going to be playing. "Okay guys! Like, we're going to play some games now! We're all wearing party hats, you have to find the ham-hams with your matching hat and team up with them for this game."
Siren's hat was a vivid red, which matched Sandy, Panda, and Cappy, three of the ham hams she felt closest too already. The green team consisted of Stan, Dexter, Howdy, and Oxnard. Blue was Boss, Bijou, Hamtaro, and Pashmina. Penelope had elected to sit out and be a cheerleader for the games, as she was younger than the rest.
"Okay! We need to go outside for this game!" Sandy announced.
They trooped up to the surface, summer breeze gently blowing the tassles on their party hats. Sandy bellowed out the rules, "We're going to have a relay race, ham-hams! The starting line is here," She pointed to a white ribbon tied around a rock. "And each leg's start is marked by the white ribbons. We'll race with sunflower seeds as batons! Like, got it? Get to it!"
Sandy elected to run first, followed by Cappy, Panda, and the anchor, Siren. An extremely confident green team started with Howdy, followed by Dexter and Oxnard, and ended with Stan, who was bragging about his awesome skills. And in lane three, Pashmina started off, followed by Bijou and Hamtaro, and ended with super-speedy Boss. He knew his team had the best chance to win, for with him they couldn't lose.
Penelope was chosen to announce when they were to go. Or rather, "Ookwee." She held up her paw. The beginning legs waited anxiously, ready for Penelope's cry. "OOKWEE!" She shouted, voice echoing in the trees, and the race was on.
Sandy started strong, but she eyed Howdy in the middle lane. He was gaining on her, and her leg was over before she knew it. Cappy was off like a dart, youth and agility shining through. Dexter appeared tired already, after just a few feet. Bijou looked determined, focused only on the grass ahead of her. As the seed was handed to the ham-hams acting as the third leg, the last runners waited anxiously, legs quivering in their stances.
Panda handed off to Siren, who put the seed between her teeth and was off like a bolt of lightning. Months of running all around the world had made Siren a speedy young ham, but Boss had more experience on his side. "C'mon, Siren!" her team encouraged her loudly. Hamtaro and Panda had been dead even, and now Boss and Siren were tied for the lead, much to Boss's chagrin. Only Auntie Viv had ever challenged his immense speed, and now Siren was doing a job of it too.
"Come on Boss!" Hamtaro and Bijou shouted in unison, as Pashmina panted beside them.
However, the green team was having some difficulty. Stan was growing annoyed as Oxnard, lagging, finally reached him. "Dude, where's the seed?" He questioned Oxnard agitatedly, ready to bolt after Siren and Boss. It was nowhere in sight.
"Uh...Y'see Stan, I got kind of...hungry, during my turn..." Oxnard blushed.
"OXY!"
But all eyes were focused on the two hams battling for victory. Red chanting for the swift pawed Siren. Blue chanting for the strong, determined Boss. They were approaching the bright yellow ribbon, tied between two rocks, serving as the finish line. It was mere inches away...
Siren lurched ahead, just as Boss dove. They broke the ribbon simultaneously. It was a tie.
"GO SIREN!" Red erupted cheerfully, running up to Siren to congratulate her on her victorious final dash. Siren, out of breath, just smiled weakly and shook paws with Boss, whose team chanted, "YAY, BOSS!" The winning teams congratulated each other and praised their victory, and Penelope offered congratulations as well. The green team was too busy mourning over their loss.
"Oxnard, how could yeh eat our baton?" Howdy asked incredulously.
"It wasn't MY idea to use a seed as the baton!" Oxnard defended himself and his precious, favorite seed, which he was clutching close to himself.
"Siren, I didn't know you were so fast!" Panda said to Siren, hoping to strike up conversation with the hazy eyed female. Siren just smiled shyly and said, "It comes with the territory." But her thoughts read, "There's a lot you don't know about me. But I just can't tell you..."
Soon, the gang divulged into games like Musical Stools and Charades, laughing cheerfully and having a great time. Time flew by extremely quickly, and all too quickly, the clock strimed three and the domestic ham-hams were forced to depart back to their homes. "We are really glad you joined our group Siren!" Hamtaro smiled at her before he left to return to Laura.
"Thanks, Hamtaro. Everyone's friendship here means a lot to me. I can't think of a happier time in my life!" Siren finally told the truth to her new hammos.
The Clubhouse cleared out, all decorations stuffed into boxes and into the storage room adjacent to Boss's quarters. Siren, bright red hat still perched over one ear, and bright smile plastered on her face, went back to the tree she had proclaimed her current home, chatting with the snowy white Bijou until the very last moment.
She did not notice the pair of ruby red eyes watching her again. But this time, the owner of those eyes had a plan in his mind. A plan that would change her and her newfound club's lives forever.
He scurried along the tree branches, hopping from limb to limb until he spotted the graceful, snow white hamster with navy colored ribbons walking elegantly towards an extravogant neighborhood. The Chosen One had been speaking with this hamster for quite a while, and they gave the appearance of fast friends. "She's perfect..." He purred, rubbing his paws, looking for all the world like a cat stalking his prey.
He could not wait until the sun rose the next morning. Then he could put his plan into action, and the ham-hams wouldn't know what had hit them. Tomorrow, the world would be his.
"It begins tomorrow, Chosen One."
That night, the phone sounded again in the Haruna house. However, when Laura picked it up this time she was a lot happier than when she had recieved the phone call the previous day. Kana was on the other line, finally back from her trip to sleepaway camp. "Laura! Are you going to Mika's party? Travis just called to invite me." Kana asked as soon as she heard Laura's voice.
"Yeah."
"Are you going to be okay? I mean, there's going to be a lot of people there, and Travis and Mika to account for."
"I'll be fine. I mean, like you said, a lot of people are going to be there. I can certainly hang out with other people, and you of course. What bathing suit are you going to wear?" She asked quizically, trying desperately to change the subject.
"The green one. The one we bought two weeks ago, remember? Are you going to wear the flowered one tomorrow?" Kana asked innocently.
Laura thought about this. Her flowered bikini was her favorite bathing suit, and she felt she looked best in it. Inwardly, she wondered what Mika would be wearing, but it didn't matter, as she had already snagged Travis right out from under her nose. After thinking this, Laura mentally cursed herself for thinking such cruel thoughts. "I think so," She replied.
"I think it'll be fun, don't you? I mean, except for Roberto being there," Laura wrinkled her nose with distaste as Kana said this.
"You said it. I just hope he can act like a considerate human being for one afternoon!" Laura sighed. Kana laughed and agreed with her best friend. "Yeah, who knows? His soccer buddies will be there, maybe he'll behave."
Laura glanced up at the clock hanging on the kitchen wall. It was getting quite late, and she felt tired. Not wanting to look weary for the party tomorrow, she decided to wrap up her phone call with Kana. "I'd better go, Kana. It's getting late. See you at the party tomorrow!"
"Bye Laura. I'll come over to your house at 4:30 so we can get ready together."
"Sounds good."
They hung up at the same time. Laura sighed tiredly. Her mother entered the room and asked, a glint of concern in her brown eyes, "Are you going to bed, honey?"
"Yeah."
Her father too entered, faithfully following his wife. "Isn't that new girl, Mika's, party tomorrow, Laura?" He asked innocently, not knowing how emotional Laura felt about the whole situation. Laura just nodded, a fake smile on her face. "Goodnight!" She hugged her parents affectionately, "I'm going to bed. Don't want to look tired for the party tomorrow, now do I?"
Laura trooped upstairs to bed and, after washing up, retrieved her flowered bikini from her drawer. Knowing it still fit her well, she hung it on her closet doorknob until she would wear it tomorrow. Then she sat down with a huff at her desk and began to write in her journal, chatting with a weary Hamtaro.
"Mika's pool party is tomorrow, Hamtaro. I hope I don't get upset around Travis, and in front of everyone! That would be so horrible!"
"You'll be okay, Laura!" Hamtaro predicted. "Today we invited Siren to be an official ham-ham. And she agreed! Now we have another member to add to our group! She gave the oath and everything, and we're all glad she decided to become an official ham-ham, so now wherever she goes, she'll always be our friend!"
"I hope tomorrow is a good day, little guy."
"Me too."
"Goodnight Hamtaro."
"Goodnight Laura."
Midnight was darker than usual that night, the moon obscured behind a thick black cloud. One hamster, ruby-red eyes agleam, stood alone in the middle of a clearing, cape ruffling gently in the soft summer breeze. It was officially the anniversary...the day the entire hamster world would change. Midnight had struck; he could hear the large clock in the town tolling, even at this distance.
He could feel it...ever since he had figured out the legends, down to the very last detail, and realized the part he had in it, he had been anxiously awaiting this moment.
The clock had rung seven times now, and Spyke's excitement only grew. In just a few hours, he would be putting his plan into action. There was just one little snag in his plan, a small flaw that he hoped would be amended once the clock chimed for a twelfth time...it had to be, since everything else in the Hamwallian legends was lining up exactly as it was predicted to.
"Ten...Eleven...Twelve!" Spyke bellowed. He gazed with wide red eyes around the clearing, but nothing was happening. After another few seconds, he grew horrified. What if he was going to be let down, disappointed...just like before, on the tower?
Then, as if answering his doubt, the wind began to howl abruptly, nearly whipping Spyke away into the trees. He held his ground, clutching at the blades of thick grass as the wind lashed at him from all directions, tossing him like a rag doll.
The wind swirled endlessly around the clearing, followed by a sinister chuckling, high-pitched and ominous. It was very similar to Spyke's own laugh, but his throat was dry and parched. He could see nothing in the pitch blackness that had swallowed the clearing; he could only hear the cruel laughter and feel the tearing wind. His paw was slipping from the grass, and soon, he had to let go, and was thrown into the air.
But instead of being blown away, Spyke froze in midair, suspended by some unknown force. He couldn't move, it was like some invisible hand was holding him in the air. His body began to shake with anticipation. The laughter grew louder, as if it were growing closer to him, and the wind continued to attack, even though he remained hovering. And then, he could see in the darkness a faint purple light coming toward him. The purple light grew stronger and stronger, until it was glowing brightly right in front of Spyke's face, and he could see the source.
It was a hamster-sized sword, carved with delicate precision, gleaming black in color, unlike most swords. The hilt was silver, and encrusted with a brilliant purple gem, what had caused the light. Spyke stared at it in awe. He knew exactly what the sword was...and his hopes soared. The fabled Sword of Havoc, which vanished when it's original wielder did, so many years before...only to return when things were set to repeat themselves.
The chuckling stopped abruptly, and was replaced by a deep, booming voice ringing in his ears, hantingly familiar and enough to send shivers up his spine,
"...Take it..."
Spyke did not need telling twice. He reached a defiant paw forward, through the gale, to touch the glowing sword. One he had grasped it, the wind stopped, as did the glowing, and he was sent hurtling to the ground. He landed with a soft thud, brilliant sword clutched tightly in his paws. Hs eyes glowed, and he could feel the Sword of Havoc's awesome power pulsing through him.
The deep voice, softer now, as if farther away, but still intimidating, whispered, letting Spyke know who exactly it belonged to.
"Finish what I began."
And Spyke, smiling his pointed smile, threw his head back and stared up at the moon, now peeking out from behind the clouds. He raised the sword to the skies, knowing that h was the one meant to wield it, and the one destined to finish what his great, noble ancestor didn't have the chance to. He would bring about the end, and a great, revolutionary beginning!
"I will...Emperor Spikuro."
CFB: Oh snap. Things are beginning to roll now...Only a few chapters left until the dramatic finish, believe it or not (This fic turned out to be kinda...shortish...)! Stay tuned. I can't help but feel this chapter is kinda...a filler. Sorry if it is.
Next time: Spyke's true identity is revealed, and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants...but how is he going to get it? It's gonna hit home with the ham hams, that's for sure! The ham-hams have to make a valiant decision and seek advice from a very wise source, who only confuses Siren even more. And Laura goes to face her demons...how will that play out?