Okay! Onto chapter 8! Thanks again for everyone's wonderful reviews! You guys keep me motivated! I'm trying to toss out these chapters fast now since I lost so much time over the summer and I need to make it up to my loyal reviewers. I need to catch up! I still need to do schoolwork and what not first, though. You may have noticed that this went from a genre of Adventure/Romance to Adventure/Drama. Don't worry, there'll be romance moments of course, but it'll be more of a dramatic story than romantic. It'll all come together later. Anyways, enjoy! ^_^
Disclaimer: I don't claim to own Monster Rancher or the characters. I'm just a huge fan. Tecmo owns everything. I just own the plot.
Delusions of the Heart
Chapter 8. Forlorn Awakening
Peace.
It was one simple word that had seemed to be merely a far fetched wish for most of the inhabitants of the monster world, but an epic battle with victory over evil turned it into reality. The calm town of Toriyama immediately set off to host a celebration festival for the defeat of Moo and to thank the heroes who vanquished the beast for a second time. The wind blew the tall cattails that surrounded the small lake located at the edge of town while dragonflies flew across the water surface, making it look like tiny ice skaters skimming the lake with grace. With the coming of Moo's end, the victorious group of rebels finally had a chance to relax and enjoy life.
The only female of the rebels sat alone by the water's edge as she stared down at her reflection with uncertainty before she let out a low sigh. It was true that peace felt wonderful and that she was relieved everything was finally over, but not everything was well. Her father had been released from Moo's soul, but the villagers were not so forgiving. The moment he entered the town with the rebels it took all of Golem's strength to hold back the furious villagers who wanted Yosho dead. Although they were able to talk sense into the townsfolk, it didn't stop the bitter feelings and hatred toward the older man. Their cruel and vulgar words still lingered in Holly's head and she felt herself huff in frustration. What would she do? Suddenly, a hand gently was placed on the brunette's shoulder and she quickly looked up to see Genki standing over her with a sad smile on his face.
"…hey, Holly."
"Hi, Genki."
The two stayed in awkward silence before Holly smiled and patted the ground next to her and Genki quickly grinned and took a seat close to the wielder of the Magic Stone. He knew about her predicament with her father, but he also felt that for the time being it should be a time of happiness and celebration. If she dwelled on Yosho's acceptance issues like she was then she would miss out on all of their hard earned festivals and treatments that were coming up the next night. Yosho's problem could wait two more days until the festival was over.
"So, you ready for the festival tomorrow night? I heard Hare made fireworks for it." Genki grinned at the mere thought of the wondrous explosives, but his expression softened when he saw Holly shake her head lightly.
"Actually, I think I'm going to hold off."
"Huh? Why?"
"Well… my father can't go because of the whole Moo situation and it doesn't feel right to go without him. Maybe I can work on getting him more socially accepted." Holly replied with a serious look as she picked up a small rock and tossed it into the lake, causing the surface to break and to scatter large ripples in all directions. "Besides, I don't really know anyone here besides you guys."
"Really? But they live here in your hometown." Genki said with surprise.
"True, but Toriyama's only been rebuilt for a year or so. The original villagers that I knew are… they're no longer with us." The young girl frowned as she thought back to the raid on her village.
"Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bring it up!" Genki frowned and mentally cursed at his forgetfulness, but Holly's soothing smile made him realize that he had done no harm. The girl scooted a little closer to Genki before she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently.
"Don't be sorry, Genki. I like to see you smile." Holly spoke while Genki's eyes lit up and a grin formed into his face along with a small blush. The boy quickly looked away nervously, though, before he picked up a small flat stone. Holly watched the boy with interest as he brought his arm back before throwing the stone at the lake with great force. The rock skimmed and skipped across the water's surface with grace while the young boy watched it skip several times before it fell beneath the surface.
"…can you show me how to do that…?"
Holly's timid voice broke Genki out of his concentration as before he looked at the girl with confusion. Skipping rocks was a technique that most people knew, especially in the world of the monsters where there were no video games or television so children had to find other forms of entertainment. She had to be joking, right? Genki quickly looked around for another flat rock before he placed the smooth object in Holly's hand and motioned for her to throw it in the water. With a shrug, the wielder of the Magic Stone tossed the rock into the water and it landed sloppily with a low 'kerplunk'. Nope; she wasn't kidding.
"You really don't know how to skip rocks?" Genki asked with a confused glance at the girl beside him.
"I… I never had the chance to learn." Holly replied as she looked away with embarrassment.
"Huh? Why not?"
"Well… after my mother died I had to take on all of her responsibilities and once my father left, I had to do even more since my grandparents couldn't do much in their old age. I didn't have a whole lot of time to play games and things like that." The young girl replied with a sad smile as she took another stone and tossed it into the lake.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you or anything! Really! I wasn't thinking again!" Genki exclaimed with guilt at causing Holly's mood to dip slightly again. Holly, however, only smiled softly as she giggled before taking his hand gently in her own and placing a flat stone in the palm of his hand.
"That's twice since you sat down with me that you've apologized without needing to." Holly smiled as she pushed Genki's fingers to close around the stone. "Who knows? If things were different while I was growing up, I may never have met you."
Genki's heart soared at the girl's gentle words as he grasped the stone tightly and gave her one of his trademark grins. Her words always caused the boy's spirit to lift unlike any one else's could. "So… you still wanna learn how to skip rocks?"
Holly smiled brightly and nodded her head with excitement as she leaned a little closer to the boy to listen and learn from his teachings, but before Genki could start a voice shouted his name from behind the two humans. With a confused look, the duo turned to see Hare waving the two over as he held up a few banners in his hands.
"Hey guys! We need help setting up the decorations!"
"We're coming, we're coming!" Genki scowled as he tossed the rock Holly had placed in his hand aside before standing up. The young boy extended his hand to Holly to help her up, and she quickly accepted the offer as he pulled her to her feet before she brushed the dirt off the back of her pants. Genki could see her disheartened look, though, and immediately he felt his mood drop a little as well.
"Don't worry, Holly. I'll teach you how to skip rocks tomorrow."
"Really?"
"Yeah! " Genki replied with a grin as he extended his pinky finger and hooked it with Holly's, who was looking a little confused. "It's a promise!"
Holly's eyes lit up and a gentle smile formed on her face as she responded to the gesture by linking their pinkies together a little more firmly. "I look forward to it."
"Hey, Holly?"
"Yes, Genki?"
"Would you go to the festival tomorrow night if we went, ya know, together?"
Holly's face turned bright red as she looked at the boy with shock, but the shock quickly wore off as she smiled and nodded her head. Although it was a friendly offer, it didn't change the wondrous meaning behind the gesture. Her heart raced at the thought of going to the festival with the boy from another world as she did her best not to stutter from embarrassment and excitement.
"I'd love to, Genki."
"Really? Great! I'm really glad you'll come! Plus we can skip rocks on the lake when the fireworks are going off! It'll be awesome!"
With that said, the two humans finally noticed their hands were still connected in a pinky promise as they allowed their hands to slip away from one another sheepishly before they both made their way to the festival grounds to help prepare for the celebration while they spoke of anything that crossed their minds. Throughout the whole time, though, Holly's mind continued to wander back to the next day's plan of learning to skip rocks and going to the festival with Genki and how excited she was to have some bonding time with the boy. Without the threat of Moo and being in a constant war, the wielder of the Magic Stone decided she would finally tell Genki her feelings for him after the festival when they would skip rocks together.
That moment would never happen, though, since the irony of it is that he left for his world the next morning.
Drip. Drip. Drip
The low sound of dripping water filled a large dark room as lone water droplets fell from a slightly rusted pipe onto the cold floor below as if the water had a mind of its own. The sound pierced the dreary atmosphere and cut through the darkness' silence.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The small puddle of dirty water shone slightly as it gave off a glare caused by one of several lights that were flickering ominously. The lights flashed on and off, for age and the weather had worn their wires down to bare metal.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Besides the sound of the dripping water, the only other sound was that of light breathing. With the flickering of the lights, several metal hospital beds on wheels were shone lined around the room along with shelves full of medical supplies and equipment. Several scalpels and needles lay on a metal pan near one of the beds with caked blood on their shiny surfaces.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Of all the hospital beds in the room, only one was occupied. IVs and other medical equipment were hooked up to the lone being as they stayed still like a corpse. Only the gentle rise and fall of the hospital blankets over their body were an indication they were alive until their hand flinched slightly and a small moan admitted from the back of their throat.
Drip. Drip. Splash.
The sound of the dripping was suddenly cut short as a bundle of blankets were thrown on the ground over the puddle, causing the water droplets to fall silently onto the soft fabric instead of the floor. Silence followed until the human tried weakly to sit up, but to no avail. The flickering lights made the room seem even larger and more sinister as darkness seemed to creep up from every corner.
"…huh?"
The small and confused voice of a young woman broke the silence as she tried to make out what was happening and where she was. The IVs that were in her arms made the brunette cringe and she did her best not to look at them. Although she tried, she couldn't seem to get the voice to work in her throat as she looked around the room with strained and tired eyes. Her entire body was filled with pain as she felt herself bring her hand up to her head, only to find it wrapped firmly with bandages. The woman quickly noted her hair was down and slightly messy as she pulled her hand away from her hurting head. As she tried to sit up again, her head spun with dizziness and she quickly found nausea make its way into her stomach. The only thing the wounded woman could do was roll on her side and hang her head over the bedside before vomiting onto the floor below. She could feel tears well up in the corner of her eyes as her body shook from fear and confusion while the agonizing pain in her head prevented her from sitting up. The flickering lights hurt the poor woman's eyes while she tried to look around the room, but she could find nothing of comfort. Suddenly, questions flew into her mind as her eyes widened and she looked up at the decaying ceiling with fear in her mind.
'Who am I? Where am I? How did I get here? What's going on?'
Question after question flooded into the wounded woman's head as she held her head with confusion and frustration while the IVs pitched the tender flesh of her inner arms. Panic rose into the woman's heart and suddenly she could feel warm tears running down her face like salty rain drops. With a small sob, the brunette quickly wiped away her tears shakily with the back of her hand before closing her eyes and trying to think reasonably. Although the throbbing pain in her head blocked most of her thoughts, a snippet from a memory torn into her mind in an attempt to save the woman from the darkness that was consuming her.
Five monsters stood in a circle in the cold tundra while two humans watched from the sidelines with mixed feelings. Although it was the only way to defeat their enemy, it didn't change the fact that their friends were bonding themselves to the legendary monster; the Phoenix. Moo finally could be defeated with the power of the Phoenix, but it wasn't easy watching their friends disappear into the wondrous bird. A young boy and a young girl stood side-by-side as they watched their friends vanish and suddenly the once frozen body of the Phoenix shone with life as it tore out of its icy prison. With a loud screech, the fiery bird flew off to fight with the dreaded Moo while the two young humans quickly gave chase with the aid of a group of dragons. The two humans each rode on one of the flying beasts as they watched the Phoenix and Moo claw and swipe at one another.
"Come on, Phoenix!"
"You can do it!"
The two young humans shouted encouragement to the legendary monster and, at hearing their words, the bird monster latched onto Moo before holding onto him tightly as if they were hugging. Suddenly, the two monsters slowly began to disappear and before they knew it, the evil soul of Moo flew off in one direction while the five souls who bonded to the Phoenix flew off in other directions. Before the two humans could react, though, the young boy suddenly felt a gust of wind fly into him as he lost his grip and fell from the dragon he was riding. The young girl's eyes widened in horror as she turned just in time to see the boy lose his grip and begin to plummet to the ground below.
"GENKI'S FALLING! SOMEBODY CATCH HIM!"
Everyone watched in shock and fright as the boy from another world fell from the sky at amazing speed, but suddenly a huge light burst from behind him and he slowly began to disappear just as the Phoenix and Moo had. Only one name came to his mind, though, as he felt himself vanishing in thin air.
"HOLLY!"
"GENKI!"
With one final shout from both young humans, the young boy disappeared, leaving the young girl to cry his name over and over again even if he couldn't hear her.
"...Suezo…Golem…Tiger…Hare…Mocchi…Genki…" Holly whispered as she felt herself subconsciously grip the edge of the bed tightly. She remembered. She remembered everything. From the group of rebels to the Magic Stone, the brunette smiled softly as her memories emerged back into her mind. Suddenly, though, her eyes widened in horror as other memories filled her head as well. The Baddies. The massacre of her village. Her mother's death. Her father's banishment… Moo…
All of Holly's memories resurfaced at once, causing the brunette to hold her head painfully as she felt light headed. More and more memories flooded into her head until her most recent ones played in her head like a slow motion movie. Images of coming back to her home to find her father missing and her falling ill crossed her mind before she remembered her odd dream about the Phoenix. At remembering that, images of the Caballos flying through her window and her attempt to escape caused the girl to subconsciously feel her thigh where she had been clawed that night. As expected, the area was bandaged up and extremely sore as she winced and quickly pulled her hand away. It was then that she noticed she was still in her night gown from the night of the attack, though from the lack of blood on the article of clothing she could tell it had been washed. Holly could feel her breath begin to get ragged as she thought about that night and what she had realized; Yosho was Moo again. The young woman closed her eyes to fight back the tears that threatened to spill at the mere thought of her father's decision, and she wouldn't allow herself to cave in. She had to be strong.
The squeaking of worn hinges caused Holly to snap out of her thoughts as the set of doors leading to the room slowly opened up while a Jell adorned with a Baddie's Crest pushing a cart of IV bags emerged into the room before walking past her and placing the bags onto one of the shelves. Holly watched the monster while she shook slightly before the purebred Jell pushed back through the doors. The young woman sighed with relief that he hadn't noticed she was awake before she tried again to lift her head. Although every moment was agonizing, Holly managed to slowly get into a sitting up position before she painfully scanned the room for any ideas on what to do. She only had one thought on her mind; escape. Before Holly could even start her escape, however, the doors flew open and a peeved Jell slithered in while carrying more IV bags and muttering to himself.
"…and I said that we'd need extra supplies, but nooooo. No one listens to me and now we're low on just about everything and- AHHH! CODE YELLOW! SHE'S AWAKE! THE GIRL'S AWAKE!"
The Jell's shout caused Holly to panic as the IVs painfully tore out of her arm while she tried to bolt for the doors, but her wounded leg gave out causing her to land painfully on her side with a loud 'thump'. With a frightened shriek the brunette scrambled to get to her feet while the Jell ran out of the room before an alarm began to sound through the entire facility. Holly's leg wouldn't comply with her wishes, so the only thing the wounded woman could do was to drag herself into one of the corners of the room before pulling one of the metal beds in front of her to use like a barrier. The brunette looked around with fear and anxiety before she used the wall to lift herself up slightly and begin to feel around the dark walls for anything she could use to defend herself with. The only thing on the wall was a rack holding a mop and a broom, but Holly grabbed the broom before slumping back down on the ground with fatigue while holding the object like a sword. Voices could be heard from outside the room and hearing them made Holly even more fearful as she felt herself shut her eyes tight and whisper a prayer to the Phoenix. When the doors reopened, two different monsters ran into the room before looking around for the woman.
"She's around here." One of the voices hissed as it looked at the hospital bed Holly once occupied. "We need to restrain her fast. Look at these IVs that were in her; she's gotta be bleeding."
"She made it easy for us. I'll smell her out." Another voice growled, and suddenly the same voice let out a low laugh. "We don't need to look at all. Look. She left us a cute little blood trail to follow."
Holly shivered as she felt the monsters getting closer and as soon as one of them peered over her bed barrier, she clenched her teeth and swung the broom with all of her might. The attack hit its mark as she felt the wood handle connect with the beast's skull before it reeled back and let out a pain filled yell. Before Holly could strike another foe, though, a large clawed hand grabbed her by the collar of her night gown and lifted her clean off the ground. Suddenly, she found herself face-to-face with an unamused Beaklon whose eyes narrowed at the sight of the young woman before he roughly dropped her into an old wheelchair. With a grunt, the huge beetle monster held Holly's arms down as she weakly struggled to get free before he strapped them down to the handles of the wheelchair with a successful nod of his head.
"Behave or we'll have to knock you out." The Beaklon growled and immediately Holly stopped her struggling. The last thing she wanted was to be unconscious once again. After her adrenaline was at its end, the young woman had no fight left in her anyways in her already weak state.
"Damn, she's got one hell of an arm." A Gaboo growled as he held onto his aching head. Holly couldn't help but feel a small amount of guilt for whacking the monster, but she would never admit that. With a scowl, the purebred Gaboo turned Holly's arms up until he could see the wounds from the IVs. In the heat of the moment, the brunette hadn't even noticed the IVs leave her arm, but now that she was a little calmer she could feel the stinging in her arms. Before she could say a word, the Gaboo slowly began to bandage up the young woman's bleeding arms and within moments both arms were patched up nicely.
"…thank you." Holly said softly as she looked surprisingly at the monster's handy work. After her whole struggle, she was surprised the Gaboo hadn't smacked her for hitting him like she had.
"Ah, be quiet." The Gaboo blushed slightly before he motioned for the Beaklon to follow him. With a nod, the giant beetle monster began to push the wheelchair while he walked behind the Gaboo as he did his best not to go too fast. The corridor was dark and bleak as Holly did her best not to shudder from the eerie feeling it gave her.
"Where are you taking me?" Holly asked as her voice quivered slightly while her head throbbed. "What am I here for?"
"Silence, girl. You'll find out soon enough." The Beaklon murmured as he steered the unstable wheelchair down the hallway with a stern posture. An unsettling silence fell among the trio before they reached the end of the darkened corridor which led to a huge set of doors. With a sigh, the Gaboo punched in a complex series of codes before the doors slid open to reveal two purebred Plant guards who were currently on duty.
"State your business." One of the Plants grunted, but a quick glare sent their way from the Beaklon caused the two guards to shift uncomfortably.
"We have the girl who woke up. Let us pass before we get angry." The Beaklon growled while the Gaboo nodded in agreement. "We won't go easy on you."
"Pfft, settle down! We'll let ya pass." The Plant scowled as he and his partner moved out of the way to allow the visitors' passage. "We get no respect around here…" He muttered with a frown as he watched the two monsters with the human girl pass by. Suddenly, the young woman in the wheelchair weakly turned around as much as she could before giving them a tired smile.
"Thank you." She smiled before the three disappeared into the room, leaving two surprised guards to exchange glances at one another before smiling to themselves.
"Don't keep thanking people around here!" The Gaboo scowled at the wounded woman. "What do you think this is? A day camp?"
"Well, they were just doing their jobs. You don't have to be so harsh." Holly frowned as she stared down at the bandages on both of her arms. Between the arm bandages, the bandage on her thigh, and her head wound, she had never been so bandaged up in her entire life. "…how long has it been…?"
"Huh? What the hell are ya talking about, girl?" The Gaboo asked with curiosity as they made their way to a lone set of doors that Holly knew too well. She recognized it as the doors leading to the room she was held captive in the time she was first help captive by Moo in the Floating Castle about six years ago. That answered her question as to where she was.
"Um… how long has it been since I… since I was abducted?" Holly asked with a quiver in her voice as she subconsciously tightened her grip on the arm rests of the wheelchair.
"Eh? Ya mean when you were knocked on your noggin'? You've been out of it for a good week or so, girl. We thought you weren't gonna make it. Count ya lucky stars you're alive." The Gaboo replied with a shrug before he entered another code into the door before turning around to face Holly. "I need to warn ya, girl. Don't say anything stupid."
"What do you mean?" Holly asked with a frown as she watched the Gaboo and Beaklon exchange glances.
"You'll find out soon enough. Just try to hold your tongue if ya wanna live." He warned before the doors slid open and the trio slowly entered the room with caution. The room was large and looked the same as Holly remembered. One of the walls was completely a window that overlooked the outside world and the rest of the room was rather empty. The walls looked more worn and battered than she remembered, but before Holly could question it a loud stomping noise echoed through the room until a huge cloaked figure stepped forward out of the shadows.
"…Moo…" Holly whispered to herself as she felt another wave of nausea sweep through her body. Her worst nightmare stood before her with gleaming red eyes as he seemed to look the girl over with a stern glance. The horns on his helmet gave him an extremely intimidating look as his golden armor shone slightly when the light would reflect off its metal hue. Moo's clawed hands twitched every now and then as if he was nervous while he continued to stare down at the wounded woman before him.
"Leave us." Moo ordered swiftly while the Beaklon and Gaboo bowed respectfully before immediately leaving the room without a word. With the two Baddies gone, Moo seemed to relax slightly while Holly felt herself tense up. The wheelchair creaked softly as Holly quivered slightly, though she did her best to keep calm.
"…Holly, are you alright?" Moo's deep voice echoed throughout the room. He was amazed that she seemed to be alert after the head trauma she had suffered.
"Why would you care?" Holly snapped with a scowl as she felt her side of anger flare up. It was a rare moment when the young woman would get angry, but now was one of those times. She lost her father to Moo once before, but last time he came upon the evil soul accidently. This time, he had willingly given himself up and Holly couldn't find anyway around not being furious at him.
"Holly… please be reasonable. I know you are angry, but you will get use to this new change." The King of the Baddies replied with a slight huff. He knew Holly would be upset with him, but that didn't make things any easier. She had a stubborn side she got from her mother that could cause even the most dedicated warriors to stop in their tracks.
"You don't know anything about me, Moo."
"Why do you say that? Of course I know you! I'm your father, after all."
"Because if you did know me, you never would have let Moo manipulate you again. And don't say you're my father! My father is Yosho; not Moo." Holly spat while she clenched her hands tightly onto the arm rests of the wheelchair.
"Then call me Yosho. I can allow that." Moo nodded as he circled around the young woman with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Allow? So because you allowed Moo to take you over, suddenly I should be honored to call you by your name? How could you let this happen? You've already started to change…" Holly frowned as she fought with herself to keep a stern posture. She wanted to badly to just cave in and cry, but she couldn't allow herself to do that.
"I didn't mean it like that, Holly. I haven't change at all. I'm still your father who loves you very much."
"That's a lie. If you loved me then you wouldn't have sided with Moo again. My friends and I fought so hard to save you from Moo, but you turned around and betray me! How can you even think for a minute that I'd be happy about this?" The wounded brunette shuddered slightly as fatigue began to take its toll on her.
"Things are different this time, Holly. Think of the benefits! You'll never have to pick up a sickle or clean another plate in your life! You should be thanking me." Moo growled at feeling Holly not appreciate his decision.
"Who says I didn't enjoy gardening and cleaning our home?" Holly shot back at the Baddie towering over her. "I would work until I died just to have our family together. You, me, and…" Suddenly, Holly's eyes widened in horror and she looked up at Moo as her body began to shake.
"What? What is it?"
"Where is he?"
"Where's who?" Moo asked with a confused frown while he watched his daughter shake and her eyes begin to get glassy. Was it something he had said?
"Suezo! Where's Suezo?" Holly asked with desperation.
Moo's eyes widened as he turned his head away so he wouldn't have to look at the wounded woman while she shivered from distress. His orders from that night rang though his head as he clenched his eyes shut as shook his head slightly. 'Go to Toriyama and bring back the woman known as Holly Mercris unharmed. If there's a purebred Suezo in the home, make sure to kill him slowly.' He hated Suezo and knew the eyeball monster hated him just as much, so sentencing him to death had been one of his first orders as his reign as Moo. He hadn't thought about Holly's reaction to it, though.
"I… I don't know."
"You're lying! You know! Where is he?" Holly exclaimed as she felt tears in the corner of her eyes begin to form. Her strong front was crumbling fast as hundreds of thoughts about Suezo crossed her mind and caused her to panic.
"Enough of this!" Moo shouted to the woman, but this only caused the brunette to become even more fearful for her friend.
"Please tell me he's okay! Please!" Holly pleaded as she hung her head and held back a sob.
"I SAID ENOUGH!"
Suddenly, Moo's eyes flashed for a moment before they turned from a blood red color into a bright yellow color. He seemed to hunch over slightly for a moment before his arm extended out and grabbed Holly around the waist and lifted her off the ground along with the wheelchair that her arms were still strapped to. Before she could register what was happening, the King of the Baddies began to squeeze the woman in his hand tightly as he watched her face twist in agony. A low chuckle came from Moo as he watched Holly gasp in pain and this only caused him to squeeze harder.
"MASTER MOO! STOP!"
The shout broke out through the room while Moo turned to look at the person responsible for barging in on his moment. A small cat-like monster ran into the room with a look of horror before bolting to Moo's side and quickly bowing respectfully to him. Holly's eyes widened in shock as she recognized the monster, but she felt even more shocked at seeing the Baddie's Crest on the cat monster's chest. The female monster had short red hair and her body was pink and tan colored. She had a slightly raspy voice that made her sound a little older than she actually was, though she was still a very cute Mew breed.
"Mum Mew? What is the meaning of this interruption? I should kill you right now." Moo hissed as he gave Holly a small squeeze, causing her to wince and shudder.
"Master Moo, please forgive my rudeness. Remember, though, that we need the girl alive! The other part of you isn't bonded enough to you yet and if you kill his daughter, than he could retaliate! Besides, she could come in handy." Mum Mew replied with a frown while she glanced at the captive human before moving her attention back to her master. "We didn't keep her alive for this long without a reason, right?"
"Hmm… you have a valid point. Take this peasant filth away. The sight of her sickens me." Moo snarled as he dropped the wheelchair, causing Holly to land painfully on her side with a small 'oomph'. "Take her to her room and keep a close eye on her. I'm putting you in charge of this thing, so don't disappoint me."
"Of course, Master Moo. It'll be my honor to do as you will." The Mew subreed said with a small bow before she struggled to pull the wheelchair so it was sitting up before beginning to push it out of the room.
"Oh, and Mum Mew?"
"Yes, Master Moo?"
"Play your cards right, and you'll get the revenge you seek."
"I look forward to that moment, Master Moo."
With one last bow of respect, Mum Mew slowly began to push Holly's wheelchair away until they were slowly going down another long hallway. Holly huffed slightly as her ribs hurt from being squeezed, but she was more interested in the cat monster pushing the wheelchair. After the last defeat of Moo and after Mum Mew had been one of the monsters trapped in Moo's soul, she had been positive Mum Mew had turned to the side of good.
"Mum Mew…? Why? Why are you working with Moo?" Holly asked with a pleading voice as they took a sharp turn down another corridor.
"Hold your tongue, human." Mum Mew hissed. "There's no profit in being good."
"That's not true! There are plenty of great jobs you could do! Joining the Baddies is a mistake! Didn't you learn that last time?" Holly frowned.
"Shut your mouth or I'll rip it off your face!"
Holly sighed and stayed quiet the rest of the journey as Mum Mew quickly pushed her until they stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway. With the use of a key, the door opened to reveal a very different room then what was expected. A quaint white bed was pushed in the corner of the room with a canopy top while there was a small drawer with a new candle resting on the opposite wall of the bed. One window was present near the window, though it had several metal bars attached to it to keep her in. Mum Mew pushed the girl in the room before closing the door and unlatching the straps keeping her on the wheelchair. Holly sighed with relief as she rubbed her sore wrists, but she was more surprised when she was brought into a tight hug by Mum Mew.
"…Mum Mew…?" Holly whispered quizzically as she slowly returned the hug.
"Thank the Phoenix you're alright! When I saw you lying still on that hospital bed, I thought you were a goner!" Mum Mew choked out before she quickly pulled away from Holly with embarrassment. "But… um… I'm glad you're alright…"
"Mum Mew… you care about me?" The young woman asked with a confused frown. "Then why were you being so harsh before?"
"Of course I do! You saved my life." The cat monster nodded before she hoisted herself onto the white bed and let out a sigh. "I have to be harsh to you, Holly, or my cover will be blown."
"Cover…?"
"Yes. This room here is the only room in the Floating Castle without security cameras. It sounds idiotic since you'd think they'd want to monitor you at all times but I convinced Moo, being a female myself, not to do so since you're a woman and… well… you need your privacy and what not."
"I appreciate that." Holly laughed softly as her cheeks reddened. "But… that doesn't explain you being here. Why did you choose to become a Baddie again? And what did Moo mean about getting revenge?"
"I chose to join Moo so we can beat him. The whole wanting revenge thing was something I made up. I told Moo I wanted revenge on Durahan for all the times he treated me badly and since Moo despises Durahan, he ate it right up." Mum Mew said with a sly grin. "Just because you become a Baddie doesn't mean you have to be evil. Just look at your old friend, Pixie. She still had the Baddie's Crest, but she fought on your side. That's what I'm doing. I chose to become a Baddie, but on a good note. Master Durahan is the one who sent me."
"Really? Durahan?" Holly asked with surprise as she listened to Mum Mew with interest.
"Yeah. He sent me since Golbi is a bad choice right off the bat and he didn't want Poison to break a nail, so I'm the one who got stuck risking my neck." Mum Mew huffed while she crossed her tiny arms. "Durahan's been recruiting his old comrades to fight Moo ever since he heard the news of Moo's return. The last thing we expected was for you to show up here, though. I'll have to report to him that you're now awake. Don't worry, Holly. You've got one friend here and Durahan's working on getting you out of here."
Holly's spirit soared as she weakly brought Mum Mew in for a tight hug as she whispered 'thank you' to the cat monster repeatedly. Just when she thought things were over, a small ray of hope shone through at just the right moment. Mum Mew awkwardly coughed and hugged the human girl back before she slowly pushed away.
"There's something I need to talk with you about, girl." Mum Mew stated with a stern look, and immediately Holly's smile weakened slightly.
"What is it?"
"It's about Moo. You saw his change back there, right?"
Holly subconsciously felt the side of her ribs where she could feel where bruises had formed from where she had been squeezed. "Yes… why would my father hurt me like that?" She asked with a shaky voice.
"That wasn't your father, dear. Do you remember when Yosho was in control years ago and one small change that happened when Moo took over his soul?"
"Not really… I was too busy trying to come to terms about my father being gone."
"Well, Durahan did a lot of research on Moo before he wanted to merge with him. When the user of Moo's powers is in control, their eyes are a blood red color. When Moo's soul takes over, though, they become a menacing yellow color. It's the only way physically to tell the difference, which means you need to be careful what you say when Moo's soul is in control." Mum Mew stated seriously.
"Moo really seemed to hate me back there." Holly frowned as she rubbed her wrists from where the straps had cut in slightly when Moo picked her up. "Is it because I'm human?"
"Partially. He also can't stand you because you were one of the rebels that defeated him twice. He'll take any opportunity to tear you apart, so watch yourself and try to keep on his good side. For your own safety, girl, cooperate with the guy. The last thing I want to have to do is clean your guts off the floor."
Holly nodded in understand before she shakily stood up from the wheelchair before sitting down on the bed. The bed was soft and inviting as her body screamed for rest. Too much had happened that day and it was hard for her mind to come to terms with everything. "So… I need to beware of Moo's actual soul… do you think my father will become like that, too?" She asked groggily as sleep began to take over her senses.
"I can't say for sure, but I wouldn't dwell on it. Just relax and I'll be in later to bring you dinner."
"And… what about… Suezo…?" Holly asked as her eyelids became too heavy to keep open any longer and her breathing began to become more in rhythm.
"I'm sorry, dear. I don't know myself." Mum Mew replied with a sad smile as she looked down with sympathy at the wounded woman before her who had fallen asleep with a worried frown on her face. She knew the journey ahead was going to be a difficult one, but she would be there to support Moo's daughter in anyway possible. With one last glance at Holly's sleeping form, Mum Mew slowly exited the room before locking the door and heading off into the darkness of the Floating Castle.
"Holly! Get up!"
Holly was shaken awake as she slowly tried to sit up, but the pain in her head hit her like a ton of bricks and she gritted her teeth together before trying to open her heavy eyes. Sleep still tried to consume her, but the resilient voice continued to shout while she was being poked and prodded like an animal. Finally, the poor woman was able to weakly sit up and open her eyes to see Mum Mew looking rather frantic.
"Ug… Mum Mew…?" Holly slurred as she tried to keep herself from falling back to sleep.
"Holly, you need to get dressed!" Mum Mew exclaimed as she tore through the dresser and pulled out a set of Holly's traditional clothing before tossing them on the tired girl's lap. "Quick!"
"What's going on?" The wounded woman asked with a yawn before her vision came into focus. Her eyes widened as she looked down at the set of clothing in front of her before she turned to the cat monster with confusion. "Mum Mew? Where did these clothes come from?"
"Moo had some Baddies take all of your clothes from your house. That's beside the point, though! Moo wants to have a meeting with you! And when I say Moo, I don't mean your father!"
"Huh? Really? Why?"
"I have no idea, but you must attend!" Mum Mew insisted as she turned around to allow Holly a little privacy to change. Getting the hint, the brunette bashfully pulled the slightly tattered night gown over her head before quickly changing into her ordinary clothing, though getting the shirt over her head was a little painful since her injury.
"All set?" Mum Mew called over impatiently.
"Yes, I'm ready."
With that said, Mum Mew motioned for Holly to sit in the same wheelchair she had been in earlier before the cat monster apologetically strapped the woman's arms down again. With a nod to one another, the duo set off once again to the large room Holly had been in earlier with Moo. When the two entered the room, Holly immediately noticed a makeshift table in the middle of the room along with several chairs with monsters seated in each one. Without a word, Mum Mew pushed Holly to the end of the table before exiting the room, leaving the human to be seated right across from Moo. His yellow eyes bore at her with anger and hatred while Holly did her best not to make eye contact.
"I'm glad you could make it here today, Ms. Mercris." Moo said with a hint of venom on his voice.
"Please, just call me Holly." The brunette replied calmly; even though deep down all she wanted to do was make a break for the door.
"Very well, Miss Holly. If you couldn't tell, I asked you to come here for a reason."
"And that would be…?"
"You're father wanted you to become a Baddie, so I'm giving you a mission. You'll be one of us." Moo chucked while the other monsters in the room also laughed to themselves, though Holly couldn't really tell what was so funny. "Let's see how useful you really are."
"What kind of mission?" Holly asked with confusion while the other monsters exchanged glances.
"It's quite simple, really. We'll be reaching Heaven's Canyon anytime soon and when we do, you get to become our little explorer." The Kind of the Baddies hissed with amusement.
"An explorer…?"
"That's right. You see, there's an ancient chamber down in the canyon itself that holds an artifact that I want. All you need to do is bring it back to me."
"Why would you send me on a mission like this? Wouldn't you be better off with another Baddie?"
"Very observant, Miss Holly. You see, this chamber was made by the original people of the Pendant civilization. They made it so only descendants of Pendant can enter the chamber. That's why I need you to go."
"Why can't you go? My father is also a descendant of Pendant and since he's part of you, you should be able to get through." Holly scowled.
"No one knows what lies in that chamber because no one is suppose to enter it until a disaster and when the artifact is needed. Since we don't know what to expect, I'd rather not risk getting killed by whatever traps are in there." Moo smirked as he crossed his arms.
"What? You're sending me in there with a chance I'll die? My father would never allow it!" Holly exclaimed as she felt fear rise into her throat.
"Quite the contrary, my dear. What he doesn't know won't hurt him. If you happen to die, then I will be sure to tell him what a great woman you were and what not and before you know it, we'll be all ready to take on the world again. With powers like mine at his control, Yosho's attachment to weak humans like yourself is quite minimum. Your death won't be mourned for long." The King of the Baddies shrugged before he let out a soft chuckle. "So sleep well, Miss Holly. You get to have a little adventure tomorrow."
Holly felt her body go ridged as a small bell was rung and Mum Mew came rushing back in the room with a relieved look on her face that the young woman was still alive. With a nod to Moo, the cat monster wheeled Holly out of the room; leaving Moo and the other monsters to laugh about the situation. Mum Mew frowned as she rolled Holly back into her room before unstrapping her arms and helping her to her bed. Holly's shoulders were slumped and her breathing was slightly ragged as she let out a soft sigh.
"…Holly…?"
"Mum Mew… I… I think I'm going to die tomorrow."
Holly's blunt and morbid response caused the cat monster to look at her with surprise, but her eyes widened even further as the woman before her let out a soft whimper before she broke down and began to sob in her hands. Mum Mew frowned with worry before holding the crying girl in her arms, and the brunette held the cat monster close as she buried her face into the side of her neck while Mum Mew whispered as much comforting words as she could possibly muster. Just as a little ray of hope had shone in Holly's world, it had been covered in shadows as fast as it had come.
Longest chapter yet! Woot! I had fun writing this chapter and I hope to get another chapter out soon. This one is actually done early. ^_^ 15 pages of wrist killing typing. XD I know the name of the beetle monster is normally spelt "Beaclon", but it's spelt in Japanese "Beaklon". I use my Japanese Monster Rancher Encyclopedia to get ideas for the monsters in this story, so I'll be using the spellings from that book. Just a heads up, is all! ^_^ I also love Mum Mew, so I just had to add her. How can you not love her after the episode "Mum Mew Risks It All"? Anyways, thanks again for reading! I love my reviewers since you guys are great. I really appreciate you guys taking time out of your lives to read and review my stories. I love you guys! Hugs! *Gives all her reviewers hugs* XD Thanks again and I hope to keep dishing out chapters! ^_^
Chapter Preview (Chapter 9): Genki and the rebels arrive at Heaven's Canyon in time to see Moo's troops are already there. While they send Mocchi to spy, Holly finds herself in an ancient cavern searching for an artifact. When she obtains it, though, she has a choice to make that could cost her everything. Stay tuned!
RockyRoadSmith: Signing off! :3
