Sorry this is so late, guys! School has been very stressful lately and I've been so brain dead. Plus fanfiction private messaging hasn't been working for me lately. I'm going to work on fixing it tonight because I hate not being able to talk to some of you guys. I feel so bad for not replying, but I'm honestly not ignoring anyone! Just having some messaging problems again. Anyways, on to the next chapter. This story is still boring as hell, but I guess that's why it's under Adventure instead of Action. XD I need to finish my organic chemistry lab report, so I have to go now. 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 11. One Parts, Another Joins
The wind that hit against a slightly battered Iron Bird seemed to become heavier as the flying machine torn through the clouds in order to get to its destination; the other side of Heaven's Canyon. The rebels inside the massive machine looked out the window with mixed feelings as the canyon seemed to shimmer with an ancient glow. Although the group was relieved to have an ancient artifact that could maybe take down Moo, it didn't help that none of them could open the small vial. So, instead, the rebels hung their heads slightly with fatigue while Mocchi held onto the artifact tightly in his tiny hands. Although their goal was still to defeat Moo and to rescue Holly, the rebels didn't have much of an idea as to how to do that anymore.
"Hmm… I wonder where Moo and the other Baddies went off to yesterday." Hare asked to no one in particular as he kept a tight grip on the tattered journal in his hands.
"Where the hell do you think? Probably back to the Floating Castle or whatever." Suezo rolled his eye as he spoke sarcastically. Since the plan to get Holly back hadn't gone as planned, the rebels all found themselves a little on edge with one another.
"I know that, Suezo! I mean, where do you think the Floating Castle is? They came to the canyon in a small Iron Bird fleet, so the Floating Castle couldn't have been too far from the canyon." The rabbit monster spoke as he crossed his arms across his chest and let out a small 'hmph'.
"And your point is…?"
"My point is that had they flown away in the Floating Castle, we would have seen it. My guess is that they're probably still parked somewhere north of Heaven's Canyon. And before you question my logic, I say north because had they been in any other direction we would have spotted the castle on our flight over here in the first place. Why Moo hasn't taken off is a mystery to me, but it's good for us since we may now be able to track down the Floating Castle." Hare stated with a sly grin as he grinned at his quick thinking.
"Good thinking, Hare. Let's just hope you're right." Genki said with a nod of his head while Mocchi leaned up against the young man and let out a small yawn. His sprint from the Baddies the day before had wiped the young monster out and the tired Mocchi purebred was doing his best to stay awake.
"We almost to the other side, chi?" Mocchi asked softly while Genki softly patted the penguin-like monster on the head.
"You're in luck. Give me five minutes and we'll be parked on the other side." Colt called back from her seat as she skillfully kept the Iron Bird in the cover of the clouds, just in case of any stray Baddies in the area. Just as Colt had promised, the other side of the canyon was but a few minutes away. The rebels felt themselves let out a relieved sigh as the Iron Bird slowly made its decent and land on the rocky ground below. All at once the group leapt from the Iron Bird to allow the reliving feeling of making it to the other side consume them except Golem, who was huffing slightly from just avoiding being crushed by the flying machine again.
"This is the second time we've made it to the other side of Heaven's Canyon in an Iron Bird, but only this time we didn't crash!" Genki laughed as he remembered Ed's old Iron Bird they had bought off the man and how the emergency brake had snapped in their attempt to land the ship. A gloved hand gently squeezed the young man's shoulder, and Genki quickly turned around to see Colt standing in front of him with a sad smile on her face.
"Colt? What's wrong?" Genki asked with a frown while the other rebels turned their attention to the two humans. It wasn't often when they had seen the girl brunette in a serious mood, so all of them couldn't help but be curious.
"I'm afraid to say that this is where we part ways." Colt stated simply as Joy cooed softly from her shoulder in a low tone.
"What? Already? But we just got here!" Genki exclaimed with confusion. "I thought you'd travel with us and help to get Holly back!"
"You have no idea how much I wish I could do that, but I know deep down I'd just be in the way since, besides with my Iron Bird, I'm no fighter. I plan to head back to my home as I had promised when you first agreed to let me be your pilot. I need to fix up my Iron Bird since it's in pretty rough shape. Oh, and here; take my canteen. I filled it up before we left my home since I had a feeling you'd need it. The water's warm, but when you're thirsty you won't be complaining." Colt said with a smile as she handed the filled canteen to Genki, who in turn numbly placed it inside his book bag.
"So… you're really leaving?" The young man asked with a hint of sadness in his voice while he zipped up his back pack. One of the worst parts of being on a journey to him was parting ways with friends. There was something about it that caused a pit of guilt to form in his stomach and a lump to rise in his throat.
"Awww! Hahaha! Don't sound so down, handsome! You're making me feel guilty! Don't worry; this isn't farewell by any means! I told you I'd do anything to get Miss Holly back and that was no lie. I'll patch my Iron Bird up and then I'll travel around in hopes of finding other fighters who want to rise up against Moo. We'll cause such a huge rebellion that they'll be no way Moo will be able to win!" Colt grinned as she pumped her fist in the air heroically. "We'll meet up again soon!"
"Really? That sounds great, Colt! I hope that your travels go well and that you meet up with a lot of fighters that can help us. Phoenix knows we'll need all the help we can get." Genki smiled as he extended his hand and Colt blushed slightly before a huge smile formed on her lips. The young woman took his hand in her own before shaking it firmly; both knowing that an unspoken contract had just been made between the two. For better or for worse; they'd get Holly back somehow.
"Should you take the Phoenix's Tear and journal with you for safe keeping? Although I don't think the journal has much more to offer us for information, it's still an ancient relic and should be kept safe. Both could fall into the wrong hands if we keep them on us since the Baddies know they're in our possession." Hare stated with a frown as he held out the journal in his hands while Mocchi did the same with the vial.
With a soft smile, Colt gently took the journal from Hare's hands and placed it in her bag gently, but she merely gazed at the Phoenix's Tear before shaking her head. "I'll take the journal with me and I'll try to do a complete translation of it, but you guys keep the Phoenix's Tear. Miss Holly specifically gave it to you guys to keep and it'll act as a token to motivate you guys to keep on going forward no matter how rough things get. Don't worry; if anyone can protect the vial, it's you guys."
"…you should head out before the sun starts to set so you won't be blinded while driving." Suezo stated with a straight look on his face before he blushed slightly when Colt leapt over to him and pulled him into a tight hug.
"AWWW! Suezo! You're been so receptive to me lately! I love this change! I knew Miss Holly would rub off on you at some point!" Colt cooed with a playful smile as she gently stroked the back of the eyeball monster's head with the tips of her fingers as a way to taunt him.
"Ah, shuddap and get going!" Suezo scowled while his face turned beat red as he did his best to squirm away from the young brunette. "And I haven't changed! I just want you gone!"
"Tee hee! I love it when you get defensive! But, sadly, I must be off! Until we meet again, guys! Stay out of trouble!" Colt grinned as she hopped inside the Iron Bird before slamming the already warped door while Joy flew inside to follow her master.
"Have a safe trip, Colt!"
With one last thumbs up from Colt, the Iron Bird slowly began to ascend into the air before the powerful flying machine began to fly up into the sky before it was only a tiny speck in the distance. The air fell into an awkward silence as the rebels watched the Iron Bird disappear before each of the rebels found themselves looking off in the direction that they'd be heading off in. From this side of the canyon, the journey ahead of them seemed even longer than before.
"…so… you guys ready to go?" Genki asked as he held onto the straps of his book bag tightly while looking at the other rebels with a smile on his face. It felt good to be on the road again and the fresh air was calming. No matter how bad the situation really was, the atmosphere of the monster world was always relaxing and enjoyable.
"Yeah. Let's head north and see where that takes us. Hopefully we'll find the Floating Castle before it goes airborne." Hare stated as he rested his knapsack on his shoulder before returning Genki's smile. "It feels like old times, huh?"
"Yeah, it does. All that's missing is Holly…" The young man frowned as his thoughts led to the wielder of the Magic Stone once again. The last time he had seen her, she was only sixteen years old. He could only imagine how much she had grown and how different she was. A lot could happen in four years time and he wasn't sure how much the young girl had changed. Would they be as close as they once had been? Or had time withered away what bond they once shared?
"True, but we're on this journey to change that. Once we get Holly back things will be great and we can finally relax." Hare said optimistically and with a smile as he patted Genki lightly on the back as a gesture of sympathy. "I'm sure she's doing just fine."
"Let's head out. Standing in the open like this is just asking for trouble and we can't waste anymore time reaching the Floating Castle." Tiger stated with a serious tone while the other rebels nodded their heads in agreement. Although it was a time to celebrate crossing Heaven's Canyon, they also had to remembered that they were also the number one target on Moo's personal hit list. With that said, the group wordlessly turned around to face north before beginning a long and tiring walk into the desert-like ecosystem with the sun beating mercilessly on their backs.
"…so…thirsty…"
Twenty minutes of walking in the brutal heat felt like a four mile run as the group of tired rebels walked slowly in an attempt to find anything that would catch their eyes. With Heaven's Canyon far out of sight, the rebels had nothing to look at as a way to know their location. The word 'lost' seemed to linger in each of the group members' heads as they wiped away salty sweat from their foreheads while trying to think of a cool environment. The walk had seemed so much shorter back on their first journey to defeat Moo, but it felt like the opposite now.
"We're almost out of water already. We need to fine a water source soon or we're gonna dehydrate." Hare scowled as he looked at their partially filled canteen Colt had given them. Between the six of them, the water was draining fast and there was nothing they could do to prevent it.
"Be quiet, bunny! We're all hot and thirsty, but we don't need you reminding us about the situation!" Tiger barked as he bared his teeth and growled softly while his eyes glared intensely at the rabbit monster.
"I'm not complaining, mutt! I'm merely informing the group about out current status! Besides, we all know it's you're fat belly that's guzzling down all our water. You really let yourself go over the past four years…" Hare trailed off as he shrugged his shoulders and laughed humorously.
"You take that back, you money grubbing fur ball! And you think you're in the best shape? Last I checked playing poker and counting gold wasn't considered a workout. You're not as tough as you used to be, rabbit." Tiger spat as his flaws flexed slightly while his temper began to flare like a grease fire.
"Hold on, guys! Look up there!" Suezo stated as he long tongue extended to point off into the distance. All the rebels quickly turned to see what the eyeball monster was looking at, but each of them frowned in confusion when they were met with nothing.
"What the hell are you pointing at?" Tiger asked gruffly as he looked at the yellow purebred Suezo with a look of puzzlement.
"Yeah! What's going on, chi?" Mocchi asked with a confused glance at the eyeball monster.
"Is it a water source? Or even better, a village?" Genki asked with an excited smile.
"Actually, I didn't see anything. I just said that to stop the argument." Suezo said with a laugh while the other rebels face faulted before surrounding the eyeball monster with looks that could kill. "H-hey! W-wait! It was a joke! Hey! EEEEHHHHHH!"
Golem sweated as he watched the other rebels inflict their revenge and storm away heading north before he turned to see a rather beaten Suezo left behind on the ground with a spiral in his eye and several bumps on his head. With a sigh, the purebred Golem grabbed the knocked out Suezo before running to catch up to their comrades. Each of the rebels were reaching their stamina limit and the over bearing sun wasn't giving them any mercy. Suezo, after regaining his senses, hopped along side Golem as he muttered profanities and curses while doing his best not to complain. His complaining always lead to a beating from the others whenever Holly wasn't there to defend him. Suddenly, his eye widened as he looked into the distance and stopped dead in his tracks.
"Suezo…? What is… the matter…?" Golem asked in his usual calm voice as he looked down at the eyeball monster with concern.
"I see something in the distance!"
"Pfft. We're not falling for that again." Hare stated with a roll of his eyes while Tiger nodded his head in agreement. "You can't trick us twice in a row like that."
"No! Really! I see something!" Suezo exclaimed as he looked at the other rebels with a pleading look. Judging by how serious he sounded, Genki nodded his head and motioned for the eyeball monster to continue. "It looks like some monsters! I… I can't see much more than that."
"Why not try an aerial view?" Hare suggested with a playful grin while the other rebels nodded in agreement. All, that is, except for Suezo, who was looking a little nervous and frantic.
"Heck no! Golem never catches me and I always end up in a ditch!" Suezo scowled as he began to hop away from the group, but one nod from Genki caused Golem to pick up the eyeball monster against his will as he squirmed to get away. "HEY! LET ME GO!"
"You heard him, Golem. Let him go." Genki said with a sly grin while Suezo began to look a little pale.
"Oh, Phoenix! Don't listen to him, Golem!"
"Sorry, Suezo… I will catch… you this… time…" Golem stated before bringing his arm back and catapulting the eyeball monster in the air like a rocket. Suezo held back the scream that wanted to erupt from this throat while the dizziness of being launched into the air slowly subsided. Suezo slowly began to focus in on the area where he saw signs of life earlier, and suddenly his eyes widened in realization before his body began to plummet back to the ground.
"Hey, Golem! Look at that flower!" Hare exclaimed while he pointed at the ground with a smile on his face. Immediately, the rock giant averted his attention to find the simple plant before a loud 'thud' was heard followed by a low moan. When Golem realized there was no flower, he immediately sweated slightly as turned to where the sound had come from and he pulled a dazed Suezo out from the crater that had been formed by the impact.
"Suezo…! I am… so sorry! Hare said… there was… a flower…" Golem stated apologetically as a frown formed on his face as he looked at his battered comrade in his hands. "Are you… okay, Suezo…?"
"You did that in purpose, didn't you?" Tiger asked with a skeptical look while Hare laughed to himself and nodded his head. "That was low."
"I couldn't help myself."
"…you're such a prick."
"I prefer the term 'opportunist'."
"In this case; same difference."
Genki sighed as he watched the two monster go back and forth while he used a little of their water supply to help revive the dazed eyeball monster. Sometimes he could understand why Suezo was so grumpy at times. With a small growl, the purebred Suezo slowly regained his senses before a large scowl formed on his face. Just like normal, he was always at the end of a joke. With once glance at Genki, though, he knew now wasn't the time to get into a fight with Hare. After what he had seen, they had no time to lose.
"Suezo? You okay?" Genki asked with a frown as he helped the eyeball monster stand up.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Suezo gritted his teeth as he watched the other rebels snicker slightly except for Golem, who was still feeling awful about the whole thing. "Oh yeah! Genki! I saw something when I was up in the air!"
"Really? What?"
"I know where we are now! I had a gut feeling about this place, but now I know for sure! That place in the distance is where Pixie had those humans in slavery! And from the looks of it the place is being used again!" Suezo exclaimed as the other rebels tensed up at hearing his words. All of them had bad memories of that place and none of them had ever hoped to return there.
"Seriously? Damn, so what should we do? We can't just attack them head on like we did years ago. Doing that is what landed us in trouble since Captain Clay had time to inform Pixie of our arrival. We need a strategy." Tiger mentioned as he subconsciously glanced over at Hare. Although he hated to admit it, Hare was truly their team planner.
"Let's scope out the area and check things out. I want to know what they're doing there before we decide on what to do." Hare replied with a nod of his head as he leaned up against Golem's leg. "We also need to take into account that, if we spend too much time here, we may lose our chance of catching up with the Floating Castle. Even if there are slaves there, we may not be able to help them right now."
"I'll go scout the area. Be ready to back me up if anything happens." Tiger stated before running off in the direction of the once abandoned slave quarters before any of the other rebels could give their input. The wolf monster sped off while ducking and slinking behind rocks to keep his cover until he reached the very edge of the perimeter. From what the canine monster could see, there were dozens of monsters doing mechanical work while others dug around the area. What made it unusual, though, was that there wasn't a single human in sight.
'I thought this was being used for slaves again. Are there only monster slaves here?' Tiger thought to himself with confusion, but suddenly his eyes widened when his eye caught the sight of the Baddies Crests on several of the monsters. When looking closer, though, he could see where every monster in the valley was adorned with a Baddies Crest. 'Everyone here is a Baddie? If this isn't a slave stockade, then what's going on?'
"MOVE IT! FASTER! WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO FART AROUND HERE!" A Rock Ape (Ape/Golem) shouted at the top of his lungs while he lifted up a huge piece of machinery before loading it onto a small Iron Bird. The Ape hybrid scowled at seeing the other monsters looking rather worn and tired, but he knew if they didn't move it along that Moo would have something to say about it.
"We have just about all the materials that we can possibly use from this place. The rest of it is too rusted and is just plain junk. Hopefully this will be enough to get somewhere with." A purebred Garu stated as the small lion-like monster tossed several strange objects into the back of the Iron Bird. "We should head out soon, though, before Master Moo gets any angrier. Knowing our luck he'll be in a worse mood when we return."
"Ah, don't say that or you'll jinx us! Besides, he'll probably be very pleased with us since we're saving his neck right now. Maybe we'll be rewarded or something. Anyways, we gotta get moving. This place doesn't have anymore to offer us and it's pretty ominous. Just look at those jail cells. Creepy, huh?" The Rock Ape stated with a small shiver as the two monster stared at the prison cells for a brief moment. At one point, each cell held innocent people that were being worked to their deaths by the former member of the Big Bad Four, Pixie. Now, although they had been abandoned for years, they still gave a chilling feeling that could give anyone goosebumps.
"Yeah. It's too freaky. Let's get the hell out of here. Go get the map, would ya? I'm finally getting the hang of reading it. If ya don't hurry you're gonna be left behind." The Garu grinned as he closed the hatch to the Iron Bird and climbed into the flying machine without hesitation while the Rock Ape walked off to grab the map. "OKAY, EVERYONE! I THINK WE'VE CLEANED THIS PLACE OUT, SO LET'S MOVE OUT!"
With a relieved cheer from the other Baddies, the Iron Bird flew off into the distance before the other Baddies also climbed into separate flying machines before taking off. The Rock Ape scowled at being the last one remaining as he picked up the map, but he only had time to let out a small yelp as a sharp claw grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him sway from the slave stockade and behind a set of boulders. The primate monster gulped as he was met with the cold stare of Tiger of the Wind while the wolf monster glared down at him with pure hatred.
"P-please! Don't h-hurt me!" The Rock Ape stuttered as he closed his eyes and shivered violently.
"What are the Baddies doing here?" Tiger stated in a low tone as he bore his fangs slightly to look more intimidating. The Rock Ape shivered under his gaze and whispered a few words under his breath, but it wasn't enough for the wolf monster to feel satisfied about. "SPEAK UP!"
"T-the Floating Castle i-is still in r-rough shape so i-it was having engine p-problems. We c-came here to g-go through these o-old ruins to see if w-we could use anything to r-repair it." The Ape hybrid stuttered pathetically as he look up at Tiger with pleading eyes.
"Why is the Floating Castle is bad shape?"
"It w-wasn't used for s-so many years that the w-weather and other causes t-took its toll. P-plus Master Moo shot it w-when he was in h-his ancient body d-during his first resurrection."
"Where is the Floating Castle right now?"
"I… I don't know."
"DON'T LIE TO ME!"
"Okay! Okay! It's a couple miles north of here! Please, don't hurt me!"
Tiger frowned as he took in the information he had just gained before shaking his head. With one glance at the Rock Ape cowering in front of him, the wolf monster snatched the map out of the primate's hands before electricity began to collect on his horns.
"W-wait! I told you everything I knew! Don't attack me, p-please!" The Ape hybrid cried out as his eyes grew wide on horror and realization. "I'M BEGGING YOU!"
"You were so quick to tell me everything about your master and I know if I release you, you'll go warn Moo about us. On our last journey I would have let you go because things were different, but this time around Holly's life is on the line and I can't allow you to put her in further risk. I'm sorry." With a low sigh, Tiger closed his eyes before releasing his Lighting Attack directed toward the Rock Ape, causing the beast to scream out in agony. With a small explosion, within the midst of a blanket of smoke lied a crumpled up Lost Disk that stood solely on the rock outcrop. 'I'm sorry… When all of this is over, I'll return and revive you. Until then, you'll have to remain here.' The wolf monster didn't look back as he bolted from the area with the map clenched in his jaws; leaving behind in his wake just another grave.
The rest of the rebels sat near Golem as they used his large body to hide in the shade he gave off. The large rock monster sweated slightly whenever the sun changed position and the rebels would quickly scurry to stay under his shadow like moths to a candle. If Moo didn't beat them first, then the sun would. Mocchi let out a soft yawn as he rubbed his sleepy eyes, but he quickly blinked before a smile spread on his face and he leapt to his feet.
"It's Tiger, chi!" The young monster announced as he waved his hands in the air.
"Hey! Tiger! What did ya find out?" Genki asked with a smile, but he suddenly felt worry rise into his mind as he looked at Tiger's distant expression. "…Tiger?"
"Oh, I got this map here. It looks like the same kind of map Horn gave us so many years ago. It seems basic, but useful. The area was filled with Baddies, but they all left. They were looking for supplies to use to fix the Floating Castle. Apparently after so many years of not being used, the Floating Castle took some damage along with the damage Moo did when he lost control of himself. It'll be easier to catch them now." Tiger stated as he handed the map over to Hare to examine. "The Floating Castle is a few miles north of here."
"Jeez, Tiger. You sure got us a lot of information." Hare said with a skeptical look.
"I have good hearing, rabbit." Tiger replied with a frown as he shifted from discomfort.
"Great job, Tiger! Let's head north then!" Genki said with a grin as the group began to continue their walking, but suddenly a small whistling noise stopped the group in their tracks. "Do you guys hear that?"
Before anyone could respond to the young man's question, the old slave stockade area exploded and a cloud of dirt blew up from the impact. Golem immediately held each of the rebels close to him as he turned his back toward the explosion while the shock wave flew toward the group. The wave of debris crashed into Golem's back like a tsunami as he did his best to hold his ground while the other rebels closed their eyes tightly. With one last whip lash of sand, the wind died down before everything was calm once again. Golem slowly stood up as dirt fell from his body while the other rebels stood gawking at what had just happened. Where Pixie's old slave stockade had been was now only a huge crater in the ground. Tiger's eyes widened in horror as he bolted to the edge of the crater before he began digging as fast as he could. Suddenly, his body relaxed as he caught the glimpse of the Rock Ape's Lost Disk. At least it had survived the attack so he could someday revive the poor beast after his brutal slaying. Before the other rebels could question Tiger, the group looked up to see a small Iron Bird flying away until it disappeared.
"I can't believe they blew this place up, chi…" Mocchi whispered as he looked in surprise at the large crater.
"Why the heck would they want this place destroyed? It's not like anyone ever comes here." Genki stated as he kicked a small pebble into the newly created hole.
"Maybe they assumed we were all in the area and instead of going through the trouble of hunting us down, they just blew the place up. If it has nothing left for them, then they don't care what happens to the place." Hare frowned as he wiped away some dirt from his brow. "It may be better off this way. With all the slavery and bad things that happened here, maybe it's better that it's gone and now something new can be built here."
"Not to rain on out discussion here, but we should get the hell outta here before that Iron Bird comes back for round two! We know where they're heading, so let's go!" Suezo said with anxiety while the other rebels nodded their heads in agreement. Once again, north was their chosen route to take and the rebels didn't question it.
"I have an idea." Tiger stated with a serious tone as the rebels continued their long walk north.
"Really? That's new." Hare said with a sly grin as he let out a soft laugh.
"Grr! Shut up, rabbit! I'm serious! The Floating Castle is huge and, even if it's parked on the ground, we'd never be able to get aboard." The wolf monster said with a frustrated huff.
"Good point. What's your idea?" Genki asked as he held onto the straps of his book bag tightly.
"Let's find Falcon. I have a feeling that he'd be willing to give us a hand. Finding him would also give us an alternate option just in case the Floating Castle takes to the air. With Falcon and his Dragon army, we'd be able to give chase in the sky."
"That actually sounds like a good plan." Hare said with a smile while Tiger growled under his breath. "Let's go with it and find the Dragons' hideout."
"What if… they won't help? Last time… they didn't want… to help at first." Golem asked with a frown while Suezo nodded his head in agreement.
"Yeah! We begged for their help in getting Holly back the first time she was taken by Moo and they didn't want anything to do with us at first. What if Falcon has bigger fish to fry?" Suezo questioned with a scowl.
"Bigger than Moo?" Tiger asked with a skeptical glance at the eyeball monster. "What could possibly be more important than taking down Moo?"
"What about a family? In case you've forgotten, we haven't been in touch with Falcon in years. For all we know he found himself a pretty Dragon girl and they went off to have kids!" The eyeball monster retorted seriously while the other rebels had to stop and think for a moment about the situation. What Suezo said was true, and for all they knew he may not have even lived in the same place anymore.
"I never thought of that… Let's go anyways, though. At this point we don't have much choice." Genki replied with a firm voice. 'Let's just hope Falcon is still ready for a rematch with Moo…'
The Pirate Dragons were known for their amazing teamwork and skill. From beating stray monsters to helping defeat Moo, the Pirate Dragons under the command of the Dragon leader, Falcon, were highly looked upon by many and were considered saviors. When times were tough, the band of Dragons was always willing to help both monsters and humans alike with their troubles. The Dragon's lair was a large rock formation that was on top of a large hill which allowed for a good view of the surrounding area. A lone purebred Dragon yawned slightly as he stretched out his cramped wings. Things had been relatively quiet in the past few years with Moo's defeat, but with Moo's return the Dragons were constantly being called on for help. It was starting to wear them down.
"Excuse me! We'd like to have a word with Falcon!"
The Dragon blinked in surprise as he looked down to see a tired looking band of travelers. Although it was late, the Dragon's eyes drifted to the young man wearing an orange hat before the Dragon let out a surprised gasp. "Human, what is your name?"
"My name is Genki, and we've come here to see Falcon to ask him for another favor." Genki called to the purebred monster with a serious tone.
"I'll go speak to him immediately." The Dragon replied as he gave the rebels a small bow of respect before disappearing inside the large rock structure. Genki let out a small sigh of relief at knowing Falcon at least still resided there and that they hadn't traveled all that way for no reason. When the Dragon reappeared, the beast motioned for the rebels to follow him, in which they did. The group found themselves being stared at by dozens of Dragons just like last time, and there in the middle platform was the Pirate Dragon leader himself.
"Falcon, it's good to see you again." Genki said with a smile.
"It is good to see you once again as well, Genki. From what I hear, though, this wasn't a social call. I'd love to hear all about how you somehow managed to come back here to this world for a third time, but we can always catch up later. What is it that you need from me?" Falcon replied in a gentle tone of voice.
"This is going to sound like déjà vu, but we need your help rescuing Holly from Moo again." The young man replied with a frown as he clenched his fists tightly together. "W hen Moo returned this time, the first thing he did was go back to Toriyama and abduct Holly. We found out the Floating Castle isn't far from here and it's in rough shape. We were hoping that you could fly us there and help us save Holly. I hate asking this of you since we just met up again after so long, but we don't have much time."
"We'll give you anything, Falcon, if you would help us." Suezo added with a look of desperation. "I don't have much, but I do have a little gold I could give you if you would help us. I'm begging you to help us. Holly means everything to me and knowing she's in that creature's hands is slowly killing me."
"Who knows what kind of beast Moo is this time around, and knowing that Holly is alone in the Floating Castle and surrounded by Baddies is one of the worst feelings I've ever felt. She's the last person in the world who deserves to be in this situation and you're the only one who can help us." Hare spoke up as he looked up at the Dragon leader with a sad frown.
"Holly's the person who got the least amount of credit after Moo's defeat, even though without her the Phoenix would never have been revived. She's what kept the group together and she's the kindest human I've ever met. Please, Falcon. As a comrade and as a friend; please help us out. I know this is sudden, but we have no choice." Tiger stated with a hint of desperation in his voice.
"Holly cares for everyone, chi, and puts herself before us! At Heaven's Canyon, she risked her life, chi, to give us a way to beat Moo. She wanted me to run so I would be safe, chi, even though she knew she would get in big trouble. She didn't care, chi. She cares about everyone else. I won't let Moo keep her prisoner, chi!" Mocchi exclaimed with a glimmer of courage in his eyes.
"The others… are right. Holly is… very important to… all of us. We will… do anything to… get her back. I have some… gold from working… at my restaurant. I will… gladly give you… every gold coin I made… just to see Holly… safe again." Golem stated in his usual low voice as he looked at Falcon with hope and nervousness.
"Whoa! Everyone, calm down! I didn't say I wouldn't help and I didn't say I wanted payment." Falcon spoke up as he looked at his crestfallen friends with a look of sympathy. After all they had been through together, how could he turn them away?
"So, you'll help us?" Hare asked with a hopeful look while Tiger shared his same expression.
"Yes, of course. Not only do I hate to hear Holly being back in Moo's clutches, but I really want to put an end to the Baddies once and for all. My Dragons and I will be glad to give you a lift." The leader of the Pirate Dragons said with a smile as he watched the group of rebels cheer in relief at the news.
"And to think we were worried you wouldn't want to do this again." Hare said with a laugh as he crossed his arms across his chest. "When do you think you and your Dragons will be ready to go? I don't want to rush you guys, but we don't know how long the Floating Castle will be stalled for."
"We'll leave immediately. Let's see what we can get accomplished today. Who knows? Maybe Moo is weaker this time around." Falcon said with a grin as he motioned for his Dragon comrades to head outside while he went into the back of the lair and dragged out a large harness. "We can't forget Golem, of course."
The group of rebels followed Falcon as he led the group outside and handed the harness to one of the other Dragons. Without a word spoken, two Dragons each strapped a part of the harness onto themselves before nodding to their leader that everything was all set. With a surprised yell, Genki was lifted into the air by Falcon before he was gently placed onto the monster's back, just like in the old days.
"This brings back memories." Genki said with a smile as he watched the other rebels also climb onto their Dragons while Golem was situated with the harness. "Thanks for your help, Falcon. I know it was sudden and we've only been reunited for about ten minutes now. I really appreciate it."
"We'll have plenty of time to talk later. Right now is the best chance we have to go near the Floating Castle. Moo must be really beating himself up right about now for being the one blow a hole through the Floating Castle in the first place during the final battle. That really came back to bite him in the ass." Falcon laughed with amusement before he spread out his huge wings. "Alright, men! Let's go!"
All at one the army of Dragons took to the sky as the rebels did their best to hang on tightly to the backs of the Dragons. The air whistled passed Genki's ears as he tried to keep his eyes opened, but the wind was hitting him like tiny daggers. Finally, the speed of the Dragons slowed down slightly as they leveled off and began to fly north, as they had been directed. The young man found himself letting out an amazed breath of air as he looked down at the ground with excitement. Unlike Holly, Genki found that he enjoyed heights quite a bit and would find any excuse to reach for a higher altitude. There was just something about the feeling that made him feel energized. For poor Holly, though, heights just made her sick.
"Look ahead, guys!" Tiger shouted while the other rebels turned their heads in shock to see a colossal shadow in the distance. Only a half a mile away was the Floating Castle that looked to be in rough shape. Even so, the castle seemed to be getting ready to take off as several ropes tying it down to the ground were being cut loose. The Floating Castle looked just as sinister as ever, but with the slight decay it looked even more ominous.
"They're taking flight. What do you think we should do?" Suezo asked as he turned his head to Hare's direction for counseling.
"Maybe we should do like last time and stick with the cloud cover? It may be easier to get in the castle once it's airborne since right now it's swarming with alert Baddies. They may have a tougher time fighting us in the air. Who knows? Maybe the weaponry on the castle was also damaged." Hare stated with a shrug of his shoulders. "I'm no master at fighting in the air, though, so I'm up for anything at this point."
"Let's scout near the ship and see if we can find any openings. Maybe there are a few weak points we can bust open." Genki said with a determined look as he held onto Falcon tightly. "What do you guys think?"
"Sounds good to me. Let's go!" Suezo exclaimed with a serious look as his eye stayed focused on the Floating Castle. 'Holly… I can feel you close by… Just hang in there… I'm coming for you.'
With that said, the army of Dragons, along with their riders, flew into the cloud cover to wait until the Floating Castle would go air borne. The castle stood in the distance like a decaying mountain that was ready to crumble as the Baddies began to prepare their ascent. With only their mission on their minds, the rebels flew closer and closer to the Floating Castle without knowing what lay in wait for them or how they were even going to put their plan into motion.
I need a vacation. This chapter is shorter then the past few, which I think is good because I'm sure people don't want to have to spend an hour reading a single chapter. Also, it's very boring, which isn't good. XP Man, am I beat. Anyway, I really want to thank my awesome reviewers again! You guys are so awesome. I wish I could give all of you a high five. XD After the next chapter, though, this story will be less structured and more like the anime. What I mean is that every chapter will be more like an episode with a different adventure taking place instead of each chapter being completely dependent on each other like this whole story has been so far. It'll still be structured, of course, but it'll also be a little broader. I think it'll be more fun. Thanks again for reading!
Chapter Preview (Chapter 12): The rebels take their chances and set into motion a plan to get Holly out of the Floating Castle. Moo is a step ahead of them, though, and he's ready for their attack. Holly, however, isn't going to sit by and let her friends be killed. Stay tuned!
RockyRoadSmith: Sighing off! :3