Wow! On to double digits for chapters! I never would have guessed that would happen, but I'm glad it did! Thanks everyone for all of your great feedback! I forgot to note that last chapter was the first chapter that, even though they weren't together, the rebels and Holly were in the same chapter. Kinda a fun fact, I guess. ^_^; 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 10. Another Step Forward
The air around a lone Iron Bird near the outskirts of the legendary Heaven's Canyon was filled with anxiety and anticipation as the band of anti-Moo rebels climbed eagerly into the flying machine with extreme speed. Although each member had hundreds of questions they hoped to ask a now tired Mocchi, they knew they had to evacuate the area before Moo's troops caught up with them. The plan to drop into the canyon and rescue Holly hadn't gone as planned by any means, but by the look on Mocchi's face it hadn't been a complete failure. With an epic roar from the started engine, the Iron Bird slowly began its ascent once again as Golem sat himself down in the harness that was still sturdily attached to the flying machine's hull. Before the Iron Bird could completely turn around to make its leave, however, a loud bang could be heard before a powerful bomb exploded on the ground below as it caused Golem to almost lose his balance. Two well equipped Iron Birds adorned with large Baddie's Crests on their side soared toward Colt's prized airship with their weapons ready for battle.
"We're under attack!" Genki shouted as he covered his ears when another explosion was set off only a few feet away from their current location. "We're sitting ducks!"
"No, really? What was your first clue?" Suezo spat as he did his best to keep his balance while the entire Iron Bird shook from the explosion.
"Now now, boys. No need to get on each other's cases." Colt smiled calmly and gave the duo a playful wink, causing the rebels to glance at one another with uncertainty. "Everything's under control."
"Hey, Colt? Now would be a good time to show us those piloting skills you've mentioned so much." Genki said with a nervous frown directed toward the brunette woman.
"Hahahaha! As you wish, handsome!" Colt grinned as she spun around in the pilot's seat before grasping the steering wheel tightly in her left hand and switching on several levers on the dashboard with her free hand. "We're not running away, though. I'll show ya how we pilots do battle!"
"Colt! You can't be serious!" Hare exclaimed while the other rebels all started at the young woman with looks of horror and shock. By the determined look on Colt's face, though, the rabbit monster could tell there wasn't an once of joke in her decision.
"If we run, they'll just chase us down and kill us. Their Iron Birds are designed for war so they're made to track down their targets no matter what. My Iron Bird may not be made for war, but I've made it so I can defend myself while on expeditions and I know how to win with it. Besides, I'm no coward and I'm sure you guys aren't either!" Colt stated with as she gave the rebels a thumbs up. "So do you trust me?"
Each of the rebels found themselves glancing at one another with uncertainty and doubt while the sounds of cannons being fired off could be heard from the outside. The thought of having their lives in Colt's hands was not a very appealing or well thought on idea, and none of the rebels knew exactly what to do at this point. The bitter silence around the group was washed out by the sound of gun fire outside the foggy windows while Colt felt her shoulders slump, knowing their trust in her was thin.
"Ah, let's just go ahead with Colt's plan."
Everyone turned around in surprise to see Suezo staring out the window with a distant look in his eye. His body was slouched over slightly as his eye reflected the smoke from the battle occurring outside. He looked deep in thought as he let out a sigh before turning his attention back to the other rebels with a serious look on his face. "She's right; they'll hunt us down until we're dead and we'll be no help to Holly if that happens. Besides; she's the best pilot I know."
"Whaaa! Suezo! You're the last person I expected to believe in me! You're the best!" Colt squealed as she leapt onto Suezo and brought the eyeball monster into a tight hug while he tried his best to squirm away from the young woman. "Tee hee! I knew you liked me deep down!"
"Yeah, we'll back you up on this, Colt. Just do your best." Genki said with a smile as he watched the brunette give Suezo a noogie before climbing back into the pilot's seat.
"And do something fast because, in case you've forgotten already, we're under attack!" Suezo scowled as he regained his footing. "And I don't like you!"
"I'm on it! And I know you're lying, Suezo!" Colt grinned as she steered her Iron Bird to face the enemy with a determined look while she switched on several more levers; causing the flying machine's wings to stretch out to their full length. "Joy, get me my favorite weapon!"
The bird monster cawed with excitement before flying off to the back of the ship while Colt pressed on the power pedal and the Iron Bird flew forward toward the enemy battleship. The rebels watched with anxiety and curiosity as both ships flew nearer to one another, but suddenly Colt turned the wheel of her ship sharply. The Iron Bird narrowly missed having a head-on collision with the Baddie's ship, but the wing of her flying machine tore through the side of the enemy ship and shattered most of the windows while the rebels did their best to grasp onto anything to keep their balance. The enemy ship quickly did a u-turn in an attempt to get the edge over Colt, but the woman pilot did the same thing so the two ships where facing one another once again.
"Colt! Are ya trying to get us killed? Don't pull a stunt like that again!" Suezo scowled as he kept a close eye on the other enemy ship that was preparing to fire its cannons. "And we've got trouble over here! The other ship's getting ready to blow us to bits!"
"Hahaha! Don't worry, Suezo! Like I said; I have everything under control." Colt smiled and winked at the eyeball monster before turning the wheel of her ship to now face the ship that she hadn't scraped up moments earlier. Before anyone could even say anything, the young woman flew her Iron Bird swiftly over to the enemy ship and, before the Baddies could fire their cannons as planned, she spun her ship around with such speed that the wing of her Iron Bird impaled through the enemy ship. "Tee hee! Watch and learn, boys!"
The other enemy ship had also been preparing their cannons while other passengers were attempting to repair the damage done earlier by the rebels' Iron Bird. With one last glance at the rebel's ship, the Baddies let out the signal to fire their weapons. With a loud bang several cannons were fired off in the anti-Moo rebels' direction, but they had other plans. At the last moment, Colt spun the steering wheel around so that the side with the impaled ship with facing the attack. With an explosion, the entire Iron Bird shook while the enemy ship that had been attached to the wing crumbled and torn apart from the impact of the cannon balls.
"You used the Baddies' ship as a shield? Clever, but a little warning would have been nice." Hare said with a relieved sigh as he could feel his heart pounding like a tribal drum. "There's still the other ship that's after us, though…"
"This will be a piece of cake! Don't be such a worry wart or you'll sound like Suezo!" Colt winked before Joy flew to her arm while carrying a sack in her beak. The toucan monster gently dropped the sack onto her master's lap before the young woman patted Joy's head lovingly. "Thanks a lot, Joy! Now we can finish this battle so we can get the hell outta here! Anyone here ever pilot an Iron Bird before?"
"Actually, I piloted Most's ship when we went to find the shrine to release Holly's father from the Mystery Disk. Why?" Hare asked with a confused look as he tilted his head slightly.
"Yeah, and you almost crashed the ship." Tiger muttered under his breath, though Hare could still hear his comment.
"Hey! I'll have you know that I'm a pretty good pilot! And like you'd do any better? You probably don't even know where the steering wheel is!"
"Shut up, rabbit!"
"Make me, mutt!"
"Okay you two! We have a little situation here that needs to be taken care of and after that, you guys can fight for as long as you want." Genki stated with a frown as he watched the two monsters turn away from one another.
"So, you've piloted a ship before?" Colt asked again with a serious tone.
"Yeah, I did. Why are you asking, anyways?" The rabbit monster asked, but he quickly let out a surprised yell as Colt grabbed his arm and spun him around before forcing him to sit down in the pilot's seat.
"Then grab the wheel and steer to my orders!" The young woman said with a wink before opening up the window on the passenger's side of the Iron Bird.
"…what? Hey! Wait! What do you expect me to do?" Hare asked with confusion as he grabbed a hold of the steering wheel with a nervous frown. "Colt! Wait!"
"Just do what I say and you'll do fine!" Colt responded with a thumbs up before she began to dig through the sack Joy had brought to her earlier.
"Well, this is just great. We have Hare flying the Iron Bird and he's going to be taking orders from Colt. I don't think this could get any worse." Tiger huffed as he kept a close eye out on the enemy ship that was restocking its cannons with new projectiles.
"I heard that, Tiger." Hare scowled as his grip on the steering wheel began to get tighter.
"Okay, Hare! Steer us close to the side that we already damaged!" Colt shouted while the other rebels watched in shock as the young woman tossed the sack around her shoulder before climbing out the window.
"Ah! Colt! What are you doing?" Genki shouted as he ran toward the window to look at Colt, who was holding on tightly to the side of her Iron Bird with one hand while digging through the sack with the other.
"Hahaha! Don't worry about me, hun! Just make sure Hare gets close enough to the damaged side of the enemy ship! We've only got once shot at this!" The brunette shouted in response while giving Genki a playful wink.
"Uh, alright!" Genki replied with a skeptical look before leaving the window and walking to Hare's side. The rabbit monster was in deep concentration as he made sure to line up the Iron Bird just right before pressing gently on the power pedal. The engine roared with life as Colt's ship flew forward while the enemy ship fired several rounds of ammunition, though only several actually hit their mark.
"Any damage?" Suezo asked with a frown as he watched the enemy ship drawing nearer as every second passed.
"Nothing major." Hare replied simply as he kept focused on the Baddies' ship.
The Iron Bird of the enemy seemed to speed up as it approached at a more intimidating speed, but Hare merely flipped on several switches before the Iron Bird matched the enemy's speed. Both ships jerked slightly before colliding as the wings of both ships smashed into one another while sparks flew from the metal being torn and wrecked. With one glance at her own Iron Bird being partially damaged, Colt clenched her fists in anger before leaping off the side of the Iron Bird and landing on its wing. The rebels in the ship watched in horror as she ran to the very tip of the wing before pulling out a long cylinder-like object from the sack on her shoulder. With one twist of its top, Colt tossed the object into one of the holes of the Baddies' ship that had been created in their earlier collision before the girl scrambled to climb up to the main part of her Iron Bird.
"Come on, Colt!" Genki shouted from the window as he watched the girl struggle to get her footing on the smooth metal surface. Suddenly, a huge explosion from inside the enemy ship blew it into smothering pieces while the wind from the explosion shot forward like a tsunami. Colt barely had time to let out a small scream before she was lifted off her feet and thrown brutally up against the side of her own ship. Her head connected painfully with the metal side with a loud 'thump' before her battered body fell off the Iron Bird like a falling leaf in autumn.
"COLT!"
The last thing the young woman could hear was everyone screaming her name before her back collided with something extremely hard and her entire world went black.
"Whaa… I hate being cooped up like this!"
A bed ridden Colt lay beneath a mass of blankets and quilts as she looked at the ceiling with tired eyes. The day before, while working on her Iron Bird, Colt suddenly felt a wave a dizziness sweep over her before she collapsed in a heap on the ground. When Joy flew into the house in a panic, Colt's parents immediately followed the bird monster to where their daughter's still body lied on the cold ground. After being carried to her bed and being examined by a doctor, the young woman was diagnosed to have a high fever that would last a good two days or so. Although nothing life threatening, Colt was forced to stay put until her illness was well and over. This didn't sit well with the high strung girl, though. It was a little after noon and she had only been awake for two hours, but sitting around was already getting to her.
"I'm bored…!" Colt huffed in aggravation as she turned over to look out the window. The outside environment looked extremely inviting as the sun shone brightly and the clouds floated in the sky like large pillows. Colt grinned mischievously as she began to open the window in an attempt to sneak out, but a small sound of someone clearing their throat caused the young pilot to whip around in surprise. There in the door way stood a very concerned Holly with a skeptical look on her face and a large covered bowl in her hands.
"Ah! Miss Holly! When did you get here?" Colt asked with curiosity.
"Just a few moments ago. Were you just about to sneak out of the house? Honestly, Colt, you can't be left alone for five minutes! It's no wonder your parents watch you like a hawk." Holly stated with a frown as she took a seat on the bed next to her sick friend.
"You worry too much! I can't stand being stuck in here by myself on such a nice day!" The ill girl wined as she let out a low sigh of frustration. "I'm so bored in here and the sun's calling my name!"
"Colt, you just started feeling better today. You have no idea how worried everyone was yesterday when you collapsed and we don't want that to happen again." Holly frowned as her eyes shone with worry.
"Huh? What do you mean?" The younger girl asked with a confused look.
"It's just… yesterday you were so sick and you had everyone worried. Your parents were so scared before the doctor arrived and they sent Joy with a message to me to tell me what had happened."
"Really? I didn't even know they contacted you! What happened after that?"
"Well, I set off to town to find Golem and the two of us went off to search for some herbs to help with your illness. Golem knows just about everything about plant life, so he immediately found some herbs that would be helpful. I thanked him before going to your home and making you some soup with the herbs added in it. I spoon fed you the soup and you started to show signs of life, but at that moment the doctor arrived and I was kicked out." Holly said with a sad smile as she let out a sigh.
"You spoon fed me, Miss Holly? I'm not sure if I should feel embarrassed about it, honored or disgusted that I was so weak!" Colt laughed lightly as she playfully nudged Holly's arm. "So the doctor didn't help me at all! It was you!"
"I suppose." The other girl replied with a soft laugh.
"So… he kicked you out? That asshole."
"Coltia! Watch your language!"
"Oh! Sorry!"
Holly placed her hand over her mouth as she giggled softly while Colt grinned from ear-to-ear at making her hero smile. There was something about Holly's laugh that could raise anyone's spirit and could wash away any sadness that was being felt. The pilot smiled to herself as she sat up carefully with a little assistance from Holly before letting out a sigh.
"I can't believe you got kicked out, though. What a meanie…"
"It's alright. I sat outside until he left and then I went back to your side."
"You did? How long did you stay?"
"Oh, I stayed up the whole night watching over you and I only left about three hours ago just to check up on things at my house and to make you this." Holly replied with a smile as she held out a container filled with freshly made stew. "I put some herbs in this to help with your recovery."
"YOU STAYED THE WHOLE NIGHT AND HALF THE DAY TODAY AT MY SIDE? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT, MISS HOLLY? YOU MUST BE EXHAUSTED!" Colt exclaimed as she felt her eyes widen while she stared at her hero in shock.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. If something were to happen to you, I don't know what I'd do." Holly replied softly as stared down at the bowl of stew with a distant look. "To me, you're part of my small family…"
"…WHAAAA! MISS HOLLY!" Colt cried as she flung her arms around Holly's neck while the older brunette perked up in surprise as she did her best to make sure she didn't spill the stew on her lap. "YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND!"
Holly blinked her eyes several times as her face flushed red at Colt's words. While growing up, most people didn't ever consider Holly a friend; let alone a best friend. Part of it was due to the other children being scared of the orphan, for rumors of her being cursed because she lost both her parents in such a short time frame had spread throughout the village like wild fire. Holly smiled softly as she placed the stew down on the ground before lovingly returning Colt's hug.
"Yeah… you're mine, too." Holly whispered as she stroked Colt's back gently with the tips of her fingers before Joy flew into the room and landed on Colt's head. The younger brunette looked up at the toucan monster with confusion before Joy began to repeatedly peck at her head.
"Ow! Hey! Stop! Ow! Holly's my best human friend and you're my best monster friend! Owch! You're not being replaced! It's like her and Suezo! Owch! Cut it out!" Colt scowled as her monster stopped the assault and Holly giggled at the scene before her.
"Squawk! Best friend! Best friend!" Joy cooed as she perched herself on Colt's shoulder.
"So now that we have that in the open, let's talk about the future!" Colt exclaimed as she raised her fist epically in the air while Holly sweated slightly.
"The… future…?"
"Yeah! Since now I know we're best friends, I'll have to get a dress ready for when you get married! Ohh! Can I help decorate and pick out the food for the reception, too?"
"Coltia! I'm seventeen years old and I'm not even dating anyone! Marriage is far from my mind." Holly huffed as she crossed her arms while blushing and sweating slightly. "We have a lot more things to worry about than things like that."
"Aw, that's no fun…"
"Now, get some rest. You need your strength if you want to recover faster. I'll bring you in some soup later, so until then just relax." Holly coaxed as she helped Colt get back into a laying position, much to the younger girl's dismay while Joy flew from her shoulder and disappeared out the door.
"But I wanna talk to you about guys and stuff!" Colt wined as she felt herself pout a little and let out a yawn.
"…Colt?"
"Hm? Yeah, Miss Holly?"
"We have the rest of our lives to talk about everything and anything. Rest up now, and we'll get to have all the conversations we want in the world."
"Really? You promise?"
"As long as I'm alive, yes. It's a promise. Now rest your eyes, Colt." Holly said with a mothering voice and a small giggle as she brushed away a few stray strands of hair from Colt's pale face. "I'll be here by your side when you wake up…"
"… you promise…?" Colt asked again weakly as sleep began to consume her vision and the last thing she saw was Holly nod her head before responding to her in a gentle tone.
"Yes, I promise."
The first thing Colt could see when she first awoke was all of the rebels standing over her while a tree hung from above the group like a canopy. Her eyes were sore, but not nearly as achy as her head. She felt as if she had been slammed over the head with a steel hammer and her head pounded with every breath she took. Each of the rebels perked up at her awakening as they stayed standing around her with looks of relief.
"Ugg... owch… Miss Holly…?" Colt asked softly as her eyes began to readjust to the light.
"Huh? Holly's not here." Genki said with a frown as he stared down at the pilot with a look of concern. When she had first hit the side of the ship, by the angle she had hit at, he had been almost positive her neck had snapped. Colt, however, seemed to be fine except a bump on the head and a nasty headache.
"She's not…? But… but she promised! She promised she'd be here at my side when I woke up!" Colt exclaimed with hurt eyes as she clenched her fists tightly together. "She promised…"
"Colt, I think you're confused. Do you remember the battle on the Iron Bird? You hit your head and have been unconscious for a couple of hours. Holly hasn't been here." Hare explained with a frown as he watched the young woman's eyes widened in realization as her memory was jogged.
"Oh… that's right…" Colt whispered as she shook her head before giving the rebels a half hearted smile. "Hahaha! That's just me being silly again, huh guys? Anyways, where are we?" She laughed it off and changed the subject, even though deep down she was still a little disorientated.
"We parked the Iron Bird a little ways away from Heaven's Canyon so we wouldn't run into the Baddies again. Your Iron Bird took some damage, but it's still functional." Hare explained with a nod of his head.
"That's great news because I still have to fly you guys to the other side!" Colt grinned as she carefully sat up and leaned against the rabbit monster for support.
"You still intend to take us to the other side even after all that's happened?" Suezo asked with a confused glance.
"Hell yeah! I told you guys I'd do anything to help save Miss Holly and that's what I intend to do." The pilot stated with a thumbs up to the rebels. "So, what happened back in that fight? I remember throwing my homemade explosive into the enemy ship, but I couldn't get my footing on the wing and I remember feeling a huge gust of wind before a loud bang. Then, everything went black."
"Actually, you have no idea how lucky you are. You hit the side of the Iron Bird due to the force from the explosion before you fell off and began to plummet to the ground. Luckily for you, though, Golem was still hanging below the ship on the harness and he caught you in his hand. You owe him." Tiger stated with a stern look.
"Really? Wow! Thanks Golem!" Colt grinned and turned to thank the rock monster, but she suddenly stopped in her tracks while sweat marks formed on the back of her head. Golem looked worse for wear as his body was covered in soot and ash while he looked extremely tired. "What happened to you?"
"During that whole little stunt of fighting the Baddies' ships, I think you forgot to take into account that Golem was dangling from the Iron Bird the entire time, so he got a little beaten up from the cross fire." Suezo scowled while Golem sweated slightly.
"Ack! I'm so sorry! I completely forgot about that!" Colt frowned as guilt bubbled up inside of her and she smacked her head with her hand, only to flinch from hitting the spot where she had collided with the Iron Bird.
"It is okay… Everyone is safe… Colt did a… good job…" Golem said with a soft smile.
Colt smiled with triumph at the compliment before subconsciously feeling her head once again. The pain was throbbing and aggravating as she quickly pulled her hand away and let out a sigh. She knew her stunt had been a reckless idea, but she was relieved it had worked out for the best. Her miniature explosives had come in handy many times in the past, but never before had they blown up quite as quickly as the last one had. Colt quickly made a mental note to redesign her explosives so she wouldn't get caught in the blast in the future.
"You look like Holly, chi."
Everyone turned around in surprise at the one member of the group that had stayed completely silent through the whole ordeal. Mocchi sat away from the rest of the rebels with his back turned away as he seemed to stare out in the distance with an emotionless look. Genki frowned before making his way over to his friend as he placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Mocchi…? Are you alright…?"
"Colt looks like Holly does, chi." Mocchi responded softly as he hugged onto a book that was still clutched in his small arms.
"Yeah, I guess I can see the resemblance." Hare said with a shrug while Colt blushed slightly at the sudden attention. Being compared to Holly was definitely not an insult by any means.
"They both have head wounds, chi. They're both hurt." The young monster said with a shaky voice as his body began to shake slightly as he clutched the journal even closer to his body.
"Mocchi, what did you see back there?" Genki asked with a concerned frown as he crouched down next to the penguin looking monster.
"There were Baddies at the cavern and Moo was there, too! They didn't talk at all until someone came out of the cavern. It was Holly, chi, and she was hurt! She had bandages on both of her arms and around her head! She was using a crutch to walk, chi, and she looked really tired!" Mocchi exclaimed as let out a few deep breaths as a way to control his emotions. " Moo was getting mad at her and she wasn't responding to him, chi."
"Although it's a bad sign that she's hurt, it's also a good sign that she's awake and mobile. Last we heard she was still unconscious." Tiger stated as a way for the group to look at the positive side of things. "What happened next, Mocchi?"
"Well, Holly spotted me, chi! She just stared at me for a minute before shouting for me to run for it. She then threw me this book before I ran away like she told me, chi. It must be important, though, because Moo really wanted it back."
"Really? That's great news, though! Whatever you have there, Mocchi, is something that Moo wanted so it must be powerful." Hare said with a grin, but suddenly his ears drooped as he watched Mocchi shiver and whimper softly. "…Mocchi…?"
"I… I left Holly b-behind! I l-left her with Moo, chi! I didn't w-want to leave her, but s-she told me to run! It's all m-my fault that she's s-still Moo's prisoner, chi!" Mocchi stuttered and sobbed as he leaned into Genki's arms while burying his face into his best friend's shirt. Genki frowned in shock as he brought the young monster into a tight hug before picking him up and setting him down in his lap.
"Mocchi, you've got it all wrong! You did the right thing! Had you tried to rescue Holly, you would have been killed. Holly knew what she was doing and she gave you that book for a reason. If Moo wanted it so badly it must be powerful and Holly knew that it couldn't be in his possession. Trust me when I say that you have nothing to feel shameful about." Genki said with a sad smile as he hugged Mocchi a little tighter. He knew that with Holly's decision there would be consequences for the young woman from Moo, but he also knew that Holly had known this beforehand.
"R-really, chi? Do you t-think she'll still w-want to be friends w-with me?" Mocchi stuttered with a sniffle as he wiped away a few stray tears from his wet cheeks.
"Of course she will! Holly loves you, Mocchi, and she always will." Genki smiled softly as he rubbed the young monster's back in a form of comfort. Mocchi blinked several times before a wide smile spread on his face before he nodded his head with a giggle. As usual, Genki knew just how to cheer up the sweet cake-like monster with only a few sentences.
"Not to ruin the moment or anything, but what exactly did Holly give you?" Tiger asked with a serious look as his eyes stayed focused on the small and old book still being held snuggly in Mocchi's arms.
"It's an old book, chi, with a necklace thing around it." Mocchi said with a confused look as he held the journal out for the rest of the rebels to see. For the first time, the group could see the unusual vial that had been securely wrapped around the ancient volume before they each glanced at one another. Hare carefully took the book before untying the chain in order to get a better look of the vial.
"What the hell is that?" Colt asked with a curious frown.
"I… I have no idea. It has a little engravement on it of a bird, but it looks pretty plain and simple." Hare replied as he passed the vial to Colt who looked at it skeptically. "It doesn't look like any kind of artifact."
"It must be special, though, if Moo wanted it." Tiger stated while he glimpsed at the vial, but nothing jumped out at him as being significant or important. "Try to open it."
"Great idea!" Colt grinned as she tried to pry the top off the vial, but luck was not on her side. After another failed attempt, the pilot scowled before handing it over to Genki to try. Just like Colt, though, the young man had so luck in getting the top off.
"It's like it's sealed on with cement!" Genki frowned before handing the vial back to Colt.
"Look at this, guys!" Hare stated as he looked through a few pages of the book. The writing was elegantly done and in good condition, but none of that mattered if no one could read it. "This looks like someone's journal, but it's in a language I can't seem to translate, though."
"What good is it to us if we can't read it? Why would Holly risk her life for a book we can't read and a vial we can't open?" Tiger asked with a frown while the other rebels nodded their heads in agreement and Colt snatched the book out of Hare's hands.
"Miss Holly knew what she was doing." Colt said with a grin as she flipped through some of the pages with ease. "Miss Holly was three steps ahead of us."
"Huh? Why do… you say that?" Golem asked with a confused look as he peered over the woman's shoulder to get a look at the ancient writing.
"Miss Holly knew you guys had to have made it to Heaven's Canyon somehow after seeing Mocchi here and I bet she had a feeling it was me who brought you here. I don't know about the vial yet, but I do know I've been on enough expeditions that I can translate this journal. This book probably will tell us about this vial thing and Miss Holly knows I have the ability to read this." Colt smiled with a wink before she leaned back slightly and let out a relaxed sigh.
"Are you serious? That's great, Colt!" Genki exclaimed as he tossed Mocchi into the air before catching the young monster in celebration. Mocchi squealed and giggled in delight while the other rebels watched with amused looks.
"How long will it take you to translate this whole journal, Colt?" Suezo piped up as he ignored the two playing members of the group. "We don't have much time."
"I know that, Suezo! All I need to do is get a sense of the alphabet and I'll be all set. Give me until tomorrow and I think I'll have a general idea of what's written here ready." The young brunette smiled as she watched Genki pull Mocchi into a bear hug. "Trust me; I have no intentions of making this journey last any longer then it needs to. The quicker we get Miss Holly back, the quicker life will be brought back into balance."
"You can say that again." Suezo stated quietly and, for one of the first times in years, the eyeball monster and the woman pilot agreed on something and no argument had followed up.
The sound of a masculine voice screaming echoed through the hallways while passing Baddies scurried along quickly to get out of the area. Suddenly, the sound of bones snapping torn through the air before a loud agonizing gurgle followed along with a sickening thump. A passing Weed physically flinched at the sound as he hurried away from the door that led to the temporary torture chamber like a bat out of Hell. After the complete failure at Heaven's Canyon, Moo had demanded answers as to how the rebels knew they had gone to the canyon in the first place.
Holly sat in her room with a frown on her face as she stared out the window like an emotionless doll. She wasn't sure why, but luck had been on her side when at the last minute Moo's soul switched with that of her father's and her sudden sentence of death in the canyon had been momentarily halted. Since that moment in the canyon when she threw the artifact away, though, she had been locked away in her room until further punishment could be inflicted. The sound of the door unlocking cause Holly to break her gaze with the sky before she smiled softly as a frazzled Mum Mew walked in before closing the door behind her.
"Ah! Mum Mew! How are you?" Holly asked with a calm smile before she limped to her bed and sat down slowly. "It looks like a nice day out today."
"Holly! How can you be so calm? You did exactly what I told you not to and you went against Moo! Are you crazy?" Mum Mew exclaimed as she dramatically threw her paws in the air with frustration. "Are you just asking for death?"
"Oh, Mum Mew. I'm not that worried about anything Moo could do to me anymore." The young woman smiled as she laid back on her bed as let out a relaxed sigh.
"What? Why not?" The cat monster asked with a frown as she crossed her tiny arms together.
"I was so scared this whole time because I felt like I was alone and that no one cared, but when I saw Mocchi up there on that ledge it made me realize that my friends had never forgotten about me and that they came all this way to find me. Even if Moo kills me, I now have no regrets except that I never got to tell my friends how much I cared for each of them. I think they know deep down, though." Holly replied as she rolled over on the bed to face the small cat monster. "It's true that Moo still frightens me, but the mere thought of my friends gives me the strength I need to carry on."
"I… I suppose you can look at it like that. Please try, though, to listen to Moo's orders from this point on. You got extremely lucky that your father came into control, but had it been a second more you'd be but a bloody smear on the side of a canyon wall." Mum Mew huffed as she looked at Moo's daughter with mixed feeling.
"I'll try." Holly said with a small smile before her smile faded and turned into a nervous frown. "Hey, Mum Mew?"
"Hm? Yes, dear?"
"Have you heard any word from Durahan?" The young woman asked with a look of anticipation and anxiety.
"Yes, but he didn't have much to report. Why?"
"Have you… have you heard any word about Suezo…?" Holly asked with a shaky voice as her eyes became a little glassy. Her mind couldn't let go of the eyeball monster and it was haunting her every minute.
"I'm sorry, but I haven't hard anything about him." Mum Mew sighed as she watched Holly let out a small 'oh' before her eyes became downcast and distant. Before she could speak further, a knock on the door caused both females to jump before Mum Mew put on a stern face as she ran and opened up the door to reveal a purebred Plant.
"Master Moo wants to have a chat with the girl." The Plant stated nervously as he handed Mum Mew a pair of shackles. The cat monster scowled before snatching the item out of the Plant's vines before motioning to Holly to stand up. With a sigh, Holly shakily stood up before turning around and allowing Mum Mew to shackle both her hands together.
"Remember, do as he says." The cat monster whispered hoarsely before allowing Holly to limp toward the plant monster as she gritted her teeth from the pain in her leg. After her stunt in the canyon, Moo decided she was too wild to be allowed anything that would be considered a weapon, and so her crutch had been taken away. With a nod to Mum Mew, the Plant carefully took hold of Holly's arm before guiding her out of the room; leaving Mum Mew to shake her head and let out a frustrated sigh.
"…Is Moo in charge or is it my father?" Holly spoke up as they slowly walked through the still hallway.
"It's Moo, girlie, so just listen to him and nod your head in agreement. Trust me when I say he's in a nasty mood." The Plant purebred stated with a nervous look as he guided the young woman carefully. Suddenly, the duo passed by a door that was opened wide and an eerie feeling came over Holly. With a small gulp, she slowly peered in only to real back in horror. In the middle of the room was a lone Lost Disk that was surrounded by a puddle of blood. On the walls were scratch marks laced with remains of caked blood and drag marks covered several spots on the ground.
"Oh, Phoenix…" Holly whispered as she turned away while she felt herself get nauseous.
"Yeah, I feel sorry for the guy. He was a Joker, and actually he's the one that was sent to get your clothing. I guess they made him talk, though, and apparently he was defeated by your rebel friends and he spilt the beans that Master Moo was heading to Heaven's Canyon. Nothing gets past Master Moo, though." The Plant said with a small shiver before he gently pulled the girl away from the gruesome sight.
"I can't believe Moo would do something like that to his own soldier." Holly frowned as she felt goosebumps rise on her arms. "How awful…"
"I hear you there. That's not even the real torture chamber, either." The Plant stated as he tried to change the gory subject and he typed several codes into one of the side doors before opening it swiftly. "If you haven't noticed, the Floating Castle is undergoing a lot of repairs. It was abandoned for five years, so most of the electricity and other appliances don't work all the way. We're still doing the touch ups. One of the things is the torture chamber, though, because part of the roof had caved in. Master Moo's really stressing about the whole situation."
"Yeah, I noticed the lights weren't working right when I first woke up in the medical wing." The brunette replied as she did her best to stay in pace with the Baddie next to her. "So, what was that object that was in the cavern, anyways?"
"Master Moo hasn't told any of us. We're all curious, too." The Plant pouted slightly for being left out of the loop. "Okay, we're here! Good luck, miss!"
"Thank you very much." Holly replied with a small bow before she slowly limped into the large room where she had originally met Moo. It was the third time that she'd ever been in that room now, but something about it made her skin crawl. The young woman tugged slightly on her shackled arms to see if maybe she would break loose, but she had no such luck. The sound of someone clearing their throat caused Holly to jump in surprise as she turned around to see Moo sitting patiently in his large throne. His clawed finger tips tapped lightly against the arm of the throne as his yellow eyes bore at the young woman in front of him.
"Miss Holly. Oh, Miss Holly. Just seeing you're tiny frail body makes my blood boil." Moo stated with venom as he slowly stood up to full height, causing Holly to shiver slightly and take a step back. "I can't help but wonder if you honestly want to ruin my plans or if you just want me to kill you to end all of your pain."
"My friends will stop you, Moo. Whether I'm alive or not, they'll make sure you never succeed in your plans." Holly spoke up as she felt a quick rush of courage pulse through her veins. "They've beaten you twice before and they'll do it again."
"They won't be able to defeat me or save you if they're dead, Miss Holly. Or have you forgotten I have an entire army at my disposal? It's only a matter of time before your friends are slaughtered."The King of the Baddies said with a chuckle of amusement. "Your friends are as good as dead."
"That's not true! They've beaten the odds hundreds of times! My friends are more powerful than you think, Moo, and you'll have the chance to realize that for a third time."
"There's a huge difference between power and luck, Miss Holly. That's beside the point, though. I didn't call you in here to have a discussion about your pathetic friends; I called you in here to talk about your punishment for throwing my artifact away." Moo stated with a deep tone as Holly flinched slightly from being under his forceful gaze. "You have no idea how lucky you are that your father still has feelings for you. Once he stops caring, you're all mine." The King of the Baddies hissed with amusement.
"He'll never stop caring for me." Holly frowned as she clenched her fists together.
"Is that what you really think? Once he gets use to tasting such raw power, his connection with you will melt away slowly before the bridge between you two completely shatters. It's already beginning, my dear Miss Holly."
"How do you know?"
"Because if he was still completely attached to you, then he wouldn't have agreed to let me punish you."
Holly felt a lump rise in her throat as she stared at the beast before her with shocked and mortified eyes. Her entire body shivered as she felt her knees grow weak and her breathing become more labored. Her own father would allow the most horrifying creature in the world punish her? The young woman closed her eyes in an attempt to stay strong as she tried to think of anything that would calm her nerves. Suddenly, a small image of Mocchi hiding on the ledge of the canyon filled her mind as she let out a soft sigh. At least someone cared.
"Miss Holly? Now, now. No need to get emotional." Moo laughed with enjoyment at the young woman's expense, but when Holly raised her head to stare him in the face, the King of the Baddies fell silent.
"Do your worst, Moo." Holly stated with a strong front as she stood up tall and proudly. "I won't be the one who dies pitiful and alone."
Moo's eyes flashed with anger as he stretched his arm out and backhanded the young woman, causing her to fly across the room and skid on the ground with a painful thump. The brunette had just enough time to roll out of the way as Moo's foot came crashing down where her body had just been. With her arms shackled together and her wounded leg now throbbing, Holly could do nothing to defend herself except to limp away as fast as she could. Just before Moo could slice her head clean off her shoulders, his eyes suddenly shut before he grabbed onto his head as if in pain. Holly watched with confusion as the Kind of the Baddies let out a low moan before turning to face the woman once again, only this time his eyes were a deep red color.
"…Holly…?" Moo asked with a confused voice as he took a step forward toward the brunette, but Holly merely took one step backwards. "Holly? What's wrong?"
"…just let me go back to my room and you can think of a punishment for me later." Holly stated in almost a whisper as she looked up at her father with a sad frown. Her body ached from being hit before and her leg begged for rest as she physically flinched from it.
"…Are you alright?"
"…please… just let me go back to my room…"
The room with filled with an awkward silence before Moo let out a flustered sigh as he signaled for the purebred Plant to come back to the room. With once glance at Moo, the Plant took Holly gently by the hand before helping her limp toward the door. Holly took one last glance back at her father before shaking her head in frustration and disappearing down the corridor; leaving Moo to punch the wall in aggravation at seeing his daughter drift further away from him.
Genki wasn't sure how long they had slept for, but when he awoke late in the morning he was surprised to see Colt still awake and still reading through the ancient journal. She looked deep in thought as she careful turned each page with care while scribbling down notes in a separate notebook. Genki could see the bags under her eyes from fatigue and judging from the looks of it the young pilot had been up all night. The young man frowned as he snatched the blanket Colt had lent him earlier before draping it gently over the young woman's shoulders.
"Oh! Thank you, cutie!" Colt grinned happily as she pulled the blanket a little closer to herself.
"Have you slept at all?" Genki asked with concern as his eyes fell on the small bandage on the woman's head from the earlier air battle. "How do you feel?"
"No need to worry about me, hun. I have this booklet here figured out and it's pretty interesting. And my head's fine. Sure, the headache is a little annoying, but I'll be perfectly fine by tomorrow." Colt smiled as she let out a small yawn before smiling sheepishly. "Ah, I'll catch some shut eye once I drop you guys off on the other side of Heaven's Canyon. Speaking of, we gotta get these other guys up so we can get a move on!"
Genki didn't even have a chance to question the young woman as she whipped out a small bag before sprinkling the contents onto the sleep rebels. With a small whistle, Joy flew to the scene before cawing in delight. Colt grinned widely as she gave the bird a thumbs up before Joy flew at the rebels as she pecked and poked at each of the slumbering group members. Within seconds the group shot awake as each of them tried to keep Joy away from them, but to no avail.
"Ouch! Damn it, Joy! Stop!" Suezo shouted as he sprung up and began to hop away from the scene with an eager Joy fast on his tail.
Hare frowned as he rubbed a sore spot from where Joy had pecked at him before looking closely at very tiny pieces of a something covering his body. With a confused glance, the rabbit monster took a closer look before scowling at the young pilot. "Colt! You threw bird seed at us?"
"Hahaha! It got you awake, huh?" Colt laughed as she watched the other rebels grumpily shake the seeds off their bodies to ensure Joy wouldn't be back for round two.
"Colt find anything in the journal, chi?" Mocchi asked with curiosity as he sat next to the female pilot.
"I've translated enough of it to get the main points and what not." Colt grinned as she watched the rebels perk up in interest before each of them crowded around her. "Hahaha! Calm down, guys!"
"What does it say?" All six rebels asked at once as they leaned in a little closer.
"This journal tells mostly about this vial here." Colt said with a serious look as she held up the clear object for everyone to see. "According to this journal, during the first battle between Moo and the Phoenix, the Phoenix shed a single tear before being hit by the Final Gate and having it's soul torn into five separate pieces."
"A tear…?" Genki asked quizzically whole the other rebels exchanged similar looks of confusion.
"That's right. This journal was written by someone from the original Pendant civilization. Although no one was sure, they felt that the tear had actually been a gift from the legendary bird as a way to help the human race in its time of need."
"A tear doesn't sound like a good gift." Suezo muttered to himself.
"Actually, it was the best thing the Phoenix could have given them. The tear was considered to be sacred and was kept in a sealed vial that could only be opened by those from the Pendant colony. The tear wasn't just a symbolic thing, though. Apparently it had healing abilities like curing illnesses, fixing wounds, and even saving people from death itself. The tear was also used to banish evil and to protect the Pendant civilization. According to this journal, as long as the vial stayed intact that the supply of the tear was limitless and the next day after use the vial would be full once again." Colt said with an excited smile.
"If the tear… is so good… why was… it sealed away… in the canyon…?" Golem asked with a stern look while the other rebels nodded in agreement.
"Well, like all civilizations, there's corruption and tainted hearts. Some people began to try and steal the tear for their own use while others wanted it for its value. There were several very descriptive stories in here about people who were slaughtered trying to protect the tear from being stolen. One of the incidents was because a cult of fanatics wanted the tear to bring people back from the dead. Although there's no account of anyone actually dying and coming back with its powers, the people of Pendant became extremely worried that something like that could happen. They felt that the tear shouldn't be used for everyday life like they had been using it for, so they hid it away in a place no one would look."
"Bringing back people from the dead? I can see why that would be a dangerous power in some people's hands. I guess Heaven's Canyon would be a good place to hide an object like this since who would ever think to go down there?" Hare stated with a nod of his head as he took in the information. "Why would people think it could bring people back from the grave?"
"Actually, it was a misconception. The tear apparently has the ability to revive Lost Disks, so the cult probably thought it could do the same for people. It's why the tear was hidden away where no one but a handful of people from Pendant could find it and it was made clear that from that point on, only the village elder and the chief of the town would be allowed to know of its existence and location. The knowledge would be passed down from generation to generation. It says here that the tear would only be allowed to be used if the world is in mortal danger and as a last resort." The young woman said softly as she turned to another page of her notes.
"I wonder why, if this knowledge was passed on to the village elders and chiefs, that no one tried to reclaim the tear when Moo first rose up again on our first quest? Someone had to have known about it. Holly's village consisted of Pendant descendants, so why did no one from that town tell Holly about it?" Tiger asked with a stern look.
"The village elder and everyone else didn't know that Moo had returned until the night of the attack on our village! When he was dying and gave Holly the Magic Stone, the village elder didn't have a chance to say much except a little about the Phoenix before he died. Maybe he knew and wanted to tell us, but he didn't have enough time." Suezo sighed softly as his memory shone with heart breaking times.
"That makes sense, chi. I wonder why Moo wanted it, though." Mocchi chirped up as he looked over Colt's shoulder with interest at her notes.
"I was getting to that, darling!" Colt cooed as she as she playfully tickled Mocchi on his soft belly as the young monster giggled and squirmed around in her grasp. With a laugh, Colt kissed the monster gently on the cheek before picking up her notebook once again and flipping to one of the last pages. "This is just another myth, but it also could be true since Moo was so intent on getting this thing. The tear not only can vanquish evil, but there's a legend saying that the tear can actually be tainted by evil if the tear of a dark hearted beast mixes with that of the Phoenix's. If Moo were to combine one of his tears with this, then he could increase his powers by tenfold. Plus, since it's Yosho, he'd be able to open the vial so if he gets a hold of the tear, then we're done for."
"Damn, this is ridiculous." Suezo scowled as he kicked a small pebble with the tip of his tail.
"Yeah, if Moo gets this vial than there's nothing we can do. What is this called, anyways?" Genki asked with a curious look as he looked at the tear with curious eyes.
"I read through quite a few names throughout this whole journal. The most common were Phoenix's Tear, Tear of the Phoenix, Evil's Bane, and so on. I guess there was no official name for it." Colt smiled as she closed her notebook and let out a relieved sigh. "So there we have it. While all this sinks in, I say we make our way across Heaven's Canyon so we don't waste any time."
"That sounds great. Thanks for all of your help, Colt." Genki smiled as he looked at the brunette woman with a look of thankfulness. "We never could have gotten this far without you."
"Hahaha! No need to thank me, cutie! It's been my pleasure! So let's get a move on!"
The rebels all cheered happily before packing up their traveling gear and shoving it into the Iron Bird with no organization what so ever. Heaven's Canyon glittered gracefully as the fly machine soared over head with a small roar of the engines and a small clunking noise from one of the damaged spots on the ship. Genki sat by the window with a determined look on his face while he subconsciously tightened his grip on the clear vial in his hand. He wasn't sure where their journey would take them, but it didn't matter as long as the road ultimately led to Holly.
I wanted this chapter done by Halloween, and I did it! I decided to yell "Victory!" repeatedly like the Weed does in the episode "Tears" or "Blue Skies" (I forgot which one). He's the Weed in the Floating Castle who starts yelling "Victory!" like an idiot before Moo blows the Floating Castle out of the sky, which also shut the Weed up. I think that's why Moo attacked his own ship; the Weed was annoying the crap out of him. XD Anyways! Thanks so much for reading this! I know; this is still dragging on and there isn't much for action, but now things are really set up so it should be more adventurous now. Another long chapter at about 11,000 words. Sorry guys! I don't want to drag out the chapters too long like these past two. Thanks again for reading and reviewing!
Chapter Preview (Chapter 11): On the other side of Heaven's Canyon the rebels find themselves in a familiar area that's being used for evil purposes once more. Stay tuned!
RockyRoadSmith: Signing off! :3