A/N: Another tale from my previous bout of sickness, I watched a little bit of Once Upon A Time. Honestly, it was nothing special. Got really repetitive and annoying after the third season, but it has its moments, such as the scene parodied in the beginning of this chapter. Have some Saguru backstory!
Dawn broke over the Quillspike settlement, as Humonculon the Blaster returned from his late-night romp around the forest. While Headstrong Wanderer would have considered it a form of safeguarding, he truthfully knew that it was his Nature side peeking out from behind his stoic Light exterior. He crawled in through a small hole in the wall of one of the huts, and gently tapped his master, Saguru, awake with one tiny metallic feeler.
Saguru moaned as he stirred and sat upright, rubbing the sleep from his one good eye as Humonculon went back to rest in the other empty eye socket. As quietly as he could muster to not wake up the others, he got dressed and prepared for the day. Stepping outside into the chilly early morning, he gripped his emerald staff tight and went to observe the fields in the case of any disturbances.
Perched upon a stalk of corn was a Fire Bird, Belua, chirping and fluffing itself up sweetly. Saguru smiled warmly and walked closer as he watched it preen itself and sing a chipper tune. Using the large part of his staff, he picked it up off the stalk, and placed it gently on a nearby wooden post. He then proceeded to swing at it with all his might, attempting to bludgeon it down. It darted around the staff with only a second to spare, and dashed deeper into the corn field. He growled loudly, and attempted to follow it, until a voice called out from behind him.
"Stop! She means no harm, Saguru." It was Headstrong Wanderer herself, and she gently pulled down his arm to avoid any more attempts on the Fire Bird's life. "Belua comes by to bless our crops, not to scavenge them. You've nothing to fear."
"I wasn't afraid," he retorted, yanking his arm away from her furry paw. "I was trying to protect your harvest from any vermin. She was in the wrong place." He walked back towards the settlement, as she sighed deeply. She hated seeing Takahashi like this, her old partner and ally completely amnesiac, completely changed and indifferent to the Nature creatures he'd once so loved. But, she followed him back, unknowing that the two of them were being watched from afar.
The day proceeded to go by in a rush, with the Quillspike going about their usual routines, whether it be sowing seeds, gaining raw materials, cooking food for supper, or in the case of the Rumblers, battle training. Saguru mainly trained with the Rumblers, but was always willing to help out Headstrong Wanderer with anything, if she so needed the help. It wasn't until the sun had begun to set that trouble became present. One of the scouts from beyond the ridge came rushing forward, his fur badly singed, telling of two fire Creatures that were planning on attacking the campground, looking for their 'associate'.
Prickleback and Razorhide, along with the added support of Saguru and Humonculon, set out to intercept them with their quills sharpened and teeth bared. Even with Saguru advising them to keep their voices low, the brothers couldn't help but discuss their plan of attack, and to show these no-good fire freaks to what-for (their words, not mine). A blast from a rather large gun disrupted their folly, and when the smoke cleared, Saguru's gaze shifted into a glare at the sight of their attackers.
"Burnclaw. Branca. Why are you here? This is a bit out of your way, isn't it?" he asked, stancing himself for a fight. Humonculon flashed his eye, and gave a warning red glow. "And without your Attack Raptor, what could you be trying to accomplish?"
Burnclaw chuckled throatily and blew the dust off the top of his gun. "Saguru, I was only worried for you. When you didn't return from offing a Quillspike Rumbler, I could have sworn he got to you first. But, now I see⦠now I know the truth. Coward." Branca chortled at that last remark, brandishing his own pistol.
"Hey! Who you callin' 'coward', ya scaly freak?!" Prickleback asked, jutting his back spikes. "What makes him so much better 'n you?" Saguru held out a hand in front of the angered Quillspike, harshly whispering "Don't defend me. We might be able to talk him down before things go south." As he retained eye contact with the two Fire Creatures.
"You couldn't kill off one measly grass eater, and you call yourself a bounty hunter?" Burnclaw continued, gesturing towards Razorhide and Prickleback with one pointy claw. "You're living with what you were supposed to murder, like they're your little friends. You're nothing more than a pathetic, helpless, pusillanimous, coward freak!" The last insult was punctuated by Branca cocking his gun and aiming straight at Saguru, who proceeded to use Humonculon to blast directly into the gun's barrel, exploding it from his hands as the sidekick yelped in pain.
"I am NOT a coward!" Saguru yelled, and charged straight for Burnclaw. Branca, still wincing and reeling from the pain, bumped backwards into Burnclaw, knocking him off balance just long enough for Saguru to kick him square in the chest. "Wow, so much for talking him down." Razorhide said sardonically, as the two brothers rushed in to aid him.
Branca had then recovered from the sudden attack, and was now holding Saguru's hands behind his back, digging in his claws deep as the human struggled. Catching his breath from the kick, Burnclaw attempted to reach for his gun, only to have it whisked off and snapped in half by Prickleback. Razorhide blasted quills at Branca, scarping a few scales from his arm. Saguru elbowed Branca in the face, and then ducked out of his grasp to smack him down with his staff.
Burnclaw growled, and threw a few grenades from his bandolier at the three, blasting them off their feet. From his 'vantage point' on the ground, Saguru noticed a few boulders lying on top of the cliff's edge, which could easily be shifted were there a lever. "Distract them, I won't be long!" he called to Razorhide, and then began to scale the wall. Razorhide, who was barely in any state to argue or question him, advised his brother to do the same. Burnclaw and Branca were much too embarrassed and angry to even notice Saguru had left, and focused all their efforts on the brothers.
Saguru finally had made his way to the pile, and looked down to make sure everything was in the right place, as not to accidentally crush his allies. Using one of the smaller rocks as a fulcrum, he jammed the staff directly underneath the largest ones and pushed hard. At the bottom of the cliff, Prickleback had gotten the two of them directly beneath the pile, and grinned toothily as he heard the sifting of gravel and ducked hurriedly away. The two Fire Creatures didn't have a moment to realize what was happening until they were crushed by the rockslide and banished back into their civilization.
"Ha! How's it feel to be beaten by a bunch of grass-eaters?!" yelled Razorhide triumphantly. "They'll think twice before coming back here!" Prickleback agreed. Saguru rappelled down from the cliff, and directly onto the rubble. "I can guarantee they won't be coming back, because I will not be coming back." He said, dusting himself off.
"Wait, what? You can't go just yet!" Razorhide said. But, Saguru explained that he was the 'associate' that they were looking for, that he'd slighted them in some way, and it would be for the best that he were to leave, to not put them in any more danger. Though they protested at first, the two of them agreed with him, as they went back to the village for him to get his belongs and depart. Saguru thanked Headstrong Wanderer, as well as the others for all their hospitality and care, and she gave him a dark brown scarf to keep him warm on his travels before he left for good.
Meanwhile, news of Saguru traveled through the Fire and Nature civilization in hushed whispers and claims of noble triumphs. These claims soon found their way to the ears of a certain Cyber Lord, working for the Choten, who repeated the news to his master. The Choten was pleased with this new information; Perhaps this ex-bounty hunter of legend could become his champion, time would only tell.
