First off I have to say that this story officially has over 30 reviews! I always get so excited when it reaches the next 10 interval mark. But thank you guys so much for your reviews! I'm sorry it took me so long to get back to you guys since my PMing was messed up. My drive to write came back to me when I received an email from Ambre (Flying Star) because I was feeling like crap that I couldn't respond to anyone and her email brightened my day. So thank you, Ambre! ^_^ The next super cool thing is my awesome roommate read a small part of this story (she's never heard of Monster Rancher, but she still loves this!) and she decided to compose a theme song called "Delusions of the Heart" on her keyboard! I'm so honored. :3 Thanks again for reading and 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 12. Siege in the Sky
The sky seemed to grow darker every second as the Floating Castle slowly began to hover above the ground with a loud clank. Although in rough shape, the flying device still ascended into the air while the group of anti-Moo rebels stayed in wait among the cloud cover. Their plan was simple: find a weak point, break through, search the castle, find Holly, and escape before dinner. Although it sounded rather straight forward and simple, the rebels weren't foolish enough to underestimate the power of the Baddies. Even with the Floating Castle in visually poor condition, the structure was still as firm and resilient as ever. Breaking through the walls or windows would be a task in its own.
"Alright, guys. Let's go over the plan. We have an edge since Moo thinks we're dead because of the explosion at Pixie's old stave stockade. I'll carefully scope around the Floating Castle to find out its weakest point before reporting back. When I do return, all of us will attack the Floating Castle in one spot to see if we can break through. If we do get through, the first thing we'll do is capture one of the Baddies and demand them to take us to Holly before we escape. If we can't get through, however, we'll do a massive random attack on the Floating Castle. By all of us going on different sides of the castle and firing attacks at it, we may confuse the enemy enough that they'll send out their Iron Bird fleet. While this is happening, one of us can sneak into the Floating Castle while the loading dock is open to see if they can reach Holly. Of course, our best bet is our first plan." Hare stated as he held tightly onto the back of his Dragon.
"Sounds good to me. Let's just hope this works." Genki responded as he kept a close eye on the Floating Castle. Something about the flying structure gave the young man the creeps and made the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Whether it was because Moo was inside it or because Holly was being held captive there, Genki could feel his blood boil and his heart race.
"Fwew, here I go. Make sure to keep out of sight for now, guys, or we'll be shot out of the sky for sure." The rabbit monster called back before him and his Dragon disappeared in the cloud cover and began to make their way to the Floating Castle. The other rebels watched with intensity as they watched their comrade get only a few feet away from the castle before flying to the other side and out of sight.
"So far so good…" Suezo whispered to himself as he felt some sweat form on his forehead from the anticipation. "And still no movement from the Floating Castle. Things are going really well for us!"
"Don't jinx us now, Suezo. We don't want to get overconfident." Tiger stated as he kept his eyes focused on the huge flying structure. "Something just feels… 'off'. I can't pinpoint it, but so far things seem to be going a littletoo smoothly. I haven't seen a single Baddie even peek out the window or anything. You'd think after having to land for repairs that they'd be keeping a close eye out."
"I see your point. Let's just hope luck is on our side." The eyeball monster replied with a frown as he tried to zoom in closer on the castle. "Hey, guys! Hare's coming back! And from the looks of it he seems to be in good spirits!"
Within seconds after Suezo's announcement, the Dragon with Hare on it's back flew toward the group before coming to a stop in front of Falcon. The Dragon leader looked anxious to hear the results of the search while the other rebels shared his feelings.
"I think I found a spot that looks pretty worn out. It's on the other side of the ship and near the bottom. We'll work carefully so maybe the Baddies won't hear us trying to get through." Hare said with a playful smirk as he gave the rebels a thumbs up. "So, who's ready to whoop Moo's butt for a third time?"
"Remember, Hare, that fighting Moo isn't our first priority here. Rescuing Holly comes before anything else." Tiger replied in a serious tone while the other rebels nodded in agreement. "For now, we'd be better off just getting Holly out of there and fleeing instead of fighting Moo if we can help it."
"Yeah, I have to agree with Tiger. Let's just focus on Holly and we'll return to pay Moo back another day." Suezo agreed with the wolf monster while Tiger smiled smugly for having the group agree with him over Hare for once.
"Alright, guys. Let's head out!" Genki announced while Falcon signaled to the other Dragons before the troop of monsters flew swiftly toward the Floating Castle without any second thoughts. The wind whizzed passed Genki's ears like a penny whistle as the group flew to the other side of the flying structure with caution. On the side of the Floating Castle was a deep gash that was several feel long and looked like it had been hit with a giant harpoon.
"See? This was the biggest weak point I could find." Hare said with triumph as he winked playfully at the rebels. "Looks like the Baddies didn't do that good of a repair job, huh?"
"Damn, how could they possibly think it was a good idea to fly with such a huge gash like that?" One of the Dragons spoke up softly to himself as he stared at the wreckage that was even larger than himself. "It won't be too difficult to break through this. Just give us a little time and we'll melt through this without making a sound."
"You guys work on getting through the castle. I'm going to scout around to see if maybe there's another way in and to check on their cannons. I want to see if they fixed their weapons or not." Genki stated as he rubbed Falcon's neck softly. "You ready for a little flying exercise?"
"You kidding? I'm always up for an adventure with you vagabonds." Falcon grinned playfully before breaking off the rest of the group and flying up toward the top of the Floating Castle. It would be far easier to keep watch if they had an aerial view. "Where should we look first? We don't want to get too close to any windows since we're already pressing our luck."
"I hear you, Falcon. I hear you."
A small room with a white canvassed bed was filled with an awkward silence as a young brunette woman lied on the bed with a frown on her face. It had been only a day or so since her last confrontation with Moo, but it still held a sense of uneasiness in her mind. Holly subconsciously rubbed her side from where Moo had smacked her with the back of his hand and had sent her flying across the room like a ragdoll. Since then, she hadn't seen the King of the Baddies and she couldn't tell if it was a good or bad thing. He had yet to give her a proper punishment for the incident at Heaven's Canyon and she was surprised Moo's soul wasn't jumping at the chance to torture her.
'If my father hadn't come into control when he had, I'd be dead right now. That was the third time that Moo's soul had almost killed me and I know it won't be the last. Oh, father. Why did things have to turn out this way?' Holly thought to herself as she brought her chin up to her knees before letting out a soft sigh. Her attention was averted quickly, though, when the metal door opened to reveal Mum Mew with a plate of food in her paws. The cat monster placed the meal on the drawer next to the bed before giving Holly a shake of her head.
"What am I going to do with you, girl?" Mum Mew scowled as she sat on the side of the bed with an amused look. "You do everything I tell you not to do. Maybe I should tell you to kick Moo in the groin since you'll do the opposite and cooperate with him."
"Oh, Mum Mew. I'm sorry I keep dragging you into this mess." Holly apologized with a frown.
"I don't get you. When I use to know you, you were the most timid human I ever met. You wouldn't say anything even if people were being rude to you. So why did you choose now to suddenly become brazen and courageous? What are you trying to prove?"
"I'm not trying to prove anything. It's just… I can't let my father ruin peoples' lives like he did in the past and being timid isn't going to stop him." Holly stated with a determined look. "I just want all of this war to end for good, but keeping to myself won't help. I hope that I can maybe get through to him."
"Sounds logical, but don't get yourself killed. You'll be no use to anyone if you're dead." The cat monster replied as she pushed the plate of food a little closer to the human woman. "Eat up so you can keep your strength up. At the rate you're going you'll be so wrapped up in bandages that you'll look like a mummy."
Holly giggled softly and thanked Mum Mew before taking a small bite of the food. Although a little plain, it was still satisfying to her empty stomach. Suddenly, the young woman felt a familiar feeling pass through her body and she dropped her fork on the ground as her eyes wavered for a moment. The brunette let out a shocked gasp as her body went rigid and she shakily brought her hands up to her face before letting out a soft moan. The cat monster looked up at Holly with concern as she placed her paw on the human's shoulder and squeezed in gently.
"Holly? Are you alright? Holly?" Mum Mew repeated as she shook the brunette's arm softly with concern. Holly shook slightly before she snapped out of her trance and turned to face Mum Mew with mixed feelings and an alarmed look.
"I… I'm sorry, Mum Mew. I didn't mean to worry you." Holly apologized as her shoulder slumped and a frown crossed her face. "It's just… never mind."
"Come on, Holly! You gotta tell me what's on your mind! We're on the same side, remember?"
"It's just… I've had an ability my entire life that allows me to use the Magic Stone. When it was taken from me by Lilum years ago, though, I learned that I could do more than use the Magic Stone. When we first found the body of the Phoenix, my friends had me concentrate like I would have if I had the stone and it allowed me to sense Moo's presence."
"Sounds like a neat little trick, dear. Why bring this up now, though?" Mum Mew asked with puzzlement.
"When I was in Heaven's Canyon, I could sense Mocchi's presence from within the canyon which allowed me to locate him before throwing him that artifact." Holly said as she slowly picked up the dirtied fork before placing it on the drawer.
"I was wondering how you knew he was there." The cat monster mumbled to herself before averting her attention back to the brunette. "Why did this suddenly come up? It's a little random, if you ask me."
"Just a moment ago, I could feel his presence nearby."
"Who's presence?"
"…Genki's."
The room fell silent as Mum Mew found herself staring at Holly with huge eyes. The cat monster hadn't heard that name spoken in quite some time, but hearing it again made her heart beat faster and her eyes to widen. Genki had been one of the people who had recued her from being trapped within Moo's soul in the last battle and she felt she had never had a chance to repay him. When she had returned to Toriyama a month after Moo's last defeat she found herself leaving in disappointment at finding out Genki had already left for his world.
"You can't be serious, Holly. He's been gone for years." Mum Mew spoke softly.
"…I know… I must be just tired. That's it. I must be tired." Holly replied with a frown as she avoided making eye contact with her companion. "I'm starting to lose it…"
"Why don't you lie down and get some rest?" The cat monster suggested as she motioned to the bed with a sympathetic frown. She knew how much Genki meant to the woman and how much resurfaced feelings the mere mention of his name brought up.
"I can't sleep now. I can still feel his presence nearby! Mum Mew, I can't just sit in here like this. Please, I need to find out why this is happening so suddenly. Let me leave this room by myself."
"What? Are you crazy? Moo would kill both of us if he saw you walking around the Floating Castle!" Mum Mew scowled as she placed her paws on her hips and let out a small snort. "I don't know what's going on in that head of your's, but maybe you fell down that staircase a little too hard so your brain is still scrambled."
"Please, Mum Mew! I'm begging you to let me do this! I have this gut feeling that I just need to follow. Please…" Holly pleaded as she looked at the cat monster with hope and desperation. "Something's going on and I need to find it out for myself."
"And what do you plan to tell Moo and the rest of the Baddies as you prance around the Floating Castle going on your little adventure? Both of us would have our asses handed to us!" Mum Mew huffed in aggravation a she shook her head. "No way am I letting you out of this room. For your sake and mine, you're staying put."
"You wouldn't get in trouble! I have an idea!"
"And that would be…?"
"Tell one of the other Baddies that you need a break and have them guard me instead. When they're not looking, you can knock them out and flee without being seen while I also escape and do what I need to do. Think of it, Mum Mew. If I do survive this, then Moo would trust you more because it would show you're the only one capable of guarding me and I'd hopefully have the answers I seek. I'd tell Moo I was the one who knocked the guard out so you wouldn't get in trouble. How about it?" Holly explained as she mentally prayed the cat monster would cooperate.
"That's an awfully risky plan you're suggesting. What are you so determined to find that you'd risk your life again?" Mum Mew asked with a look of confusion and interest.
"That's just it. I'm not really sure what I'm trying to find. I just know I have to do this."
"I can't do this, Holly. I really just can't." The cat monster shook her head with aggravation as her mind flooded with thoughts of how Holly's plan could go wrong. "That's suicide. I know I could easily knock a guard out without them knowing it was me, but you'd be caught by a Baddie within minutes. This place is crawling with them and you'll stick out like a sore thumb! There's no way you can explore the Floating Castle without being caught. Besides, you're slower with your leg still banged up and you shouldn't move around much with your other wounds still present."
"I know I'll be caught eventually, but I have a strange feeling about this. I need to find out why I sensed… Genki's… presence and you're my only hope. Just let me try this, Mum Mew. I have a feeling something isn't right and I need to find out what's going on. Please, Mum Mew. As a friend and as a comrade, please let me do this." Holly pleaded again as her eyes wavered and she body shook slightly.
The cat monster watched the human in front of her with mixed feelings as she shut her eyes and took in a deep breath of air. Holly's words echoed in her head like a soft chime and she couldn't help but feel her heart melt. With a low sigh, Mum Mew crossed her arms over her chest before letting out a gruff growl and a snort. "Oh, fine. Have it your way. I'm warning you now, though, that I won't be able to interfere with whatever Moo may do to you when he finds out."
Holly let out a relieved sigh as she pulled Mum Mew into a tight hug and whispered to her a soft 'thank you'. The wielder of the Magic Stone smiled as the cat monster sheepishly rubbed the back of her head before mumbling a few curse words under her breath. She knew Mum Mew wouldn't truly admit to being worried about her, but just knowing that caused Holly's mood to lighten.
"The things I do for humans…" Mum Mew scowled as she marched out of the room before closing the door behind her and storming down the hallway like a radical typhoon. With another set of curse words spewing from her mouth, the cat monster's eyes widened as she spotted a lone purebred Hopper strolling down the hallway without a care in the world.
"Hey, Hopper! Come here for a second!" Mum Mew called over while the lemur looking monster hopped over to his fellow Baddie with a look of confusion. It wasn't often when a higher ranked Baddie would speak to the lower ranks, so this was quite an oddity.
"Um, may I help you, Mum Mew?" Hopper asked with an interested look as he shifted in discomfort at being addressed.
"Yeah. You know the human I'm watching, right?"
"Of course!"
"I need a serious break and I need someone to monitor her. So how about it?"
"M-me? Are you s-serious?"
"No, I'm just wasting both our time by playing a joke on you. Of course I'm being serious! Her door is unlocked right now so you can enter. Now go to her room and make sure she eats her meal." Mum Mew scowled while the Hopper saluted to her and bolted down the hallway in the direction of Holly's room. 'Well, here we go…'
Holly sighed as she looked out the window in boredom as she subconsciously twirled her long brown hair around the tip of her index finger. Part of her was unsure if Mum Mew had been serious about actually going along with the plan after how hesitant she had been to agree to it. The brunette's thoughts were averted, though, when the door opened again to reveal a purebred Hopper who looked a little nervous.
"…I'm here to make sure you eat." The Hopper stated with a voice of uncertainty.
Holly blinked several times as she looked at the monster in front of her with an amused glance. From the sounds of it, he was definitely a lower ranked monster in the Baddies' army. Before Holly could respond to the Hopper's simple comment, a clawed fist crashed down on top of the monster's head as he let out a small squeak before falling to the ground in a motionless heap. Holly let out a surprised gasp as she leapt backwards from the shock of the attack, but her nerves relaxed when Mum Mew emerged from the shadows that had been concealing her body.
"See? I told you knocking a guard out would be a piece of cake." Mum Mew shrugged before she looked up at the woman in front of her with concerned eyes. "Good luck, Holly."
"Thank you for everything, Mum Mew." Holly replied with a gentle smile as the cat monster disappeared down the hallway; leaving the brunette woman to walk out of her room freely by herself for the first time ever.
"Come on… You guys are doing great…"
On the outside of the Floating Castle, the rebels watched closely as the Dragon army carefully used their Fire Breath attacks to slowly melt away at the worn section of the castle's surface. Although it was taking far longer to break through the wall than it would to use their claws, the rebels felt it would make far less noise to use the fire. Hare wiped away some sweat from his brow caused by the nervousness of the situation and from the heat if the Fire Breath attacks while he carefully surveyed the area. So far, there were no signs of anything going wrong.
"I wonder if Genki and Falcon have found anything yet." Suezo mentioned to no one in particular.
"We just have… to be patient… Only time… will tell…" Golem replied as he kept a tight hold on the sides of the harness he was sitting on. "Hopefully they will… have good news… Maybe the cannons… will still be… broken on the… Floating Castle."
"That would make for an easy get away for us. Let's just hope you're right, Golem." Tiger stated as he kept on high alert. Being so close to the enemy base was extremely nerve wracking and was beginning to make the wolf monster a little jumpy.
In the sky above, Genki and Falcon flew in the cloud cover before flying a little closer to the top of the Floating Castle. There were still no signs of movement or activity, which Genki felt was a good sign for them. Falcon watched the castle with anxiety before glancing up at his human rider with a look of puzzlement and determination.
"So, when should we get a closer look at the Floating Castle?" The leader of the Dragon army asked quietly.
"Once the others get closer to breaking through the walls, then we'll scope things out a little closer. We don't want to risk the Baddies seeing us because then they'll be on alert and they'll find the others faster. Once we're sure we can bust in, then we'll fly down for a closer look." Genki replied with a wryly grin as he held onto the sides of Falcon's neck tightly to keep from falling off. "So… What have you been up to these past few years?"
"Me? Ah, just helping out villages and what not. We use to work only for ourselves, but you and your group really shed some light on our views and we wanted to make a difference in the world. It's definitely a well worth it job, though, when we see how thankful people are for our help. Now we're welcomed into villages and are even invited to festivals. I quite enjoy what I do now." Falcon smiled as he thought back to life without Moo and how fulfilling it had been. He would give anything to have life return to the way it was without Moo's soul back in existence. "How about you, kid? We don't hear from you for years and suddenly you show up at my doorsteps looking as desperate as you did when you were a small boy."
"Well, when I was brought back to my world, I couldn't seem to get back here. After trying so many times to return, I kind of gave up and tried to move on with my life. I went through school, played sports, and did normal things, but I never felt like I belonged there anymore. No matter how much a love my parents and my home, I always feel out of place after being here for so long. I just wish I could have come sooner and at a better time." Genki frowned as he subconsciously let out a low sigh. "A lot of things have stayed the same here, but I know some things are different after so many years, ya know?"
"I get your meaning. You're worried you and Holly won't be as close as you once were, huh?" The purebred Dragon asked with a mixture of sympathy and slight amusement. "Don't worry about it, kid. I know back in the day you two were as close as people could be and if you just keep thinking things will be fine between you two, then they will be. Don't stress yourself out about it. You two can always pick up where you left off, if ya get my drift." Falcon said with a playful wink and a large grin.
"Huh? That's not what I meant at all!" Genki scowled as his face flushed scarlet.
"Oh, please! Even blind monsters could see how close you two were! When Granity told me you two weren't an item, I literally laughed at her. I told her she had to be kidding and that I'd bet a hundred gold coins against her. Well, you can just imagine my disappointment when I found out the truth and I had to fork over that bag of gold coins to that sarcastic Pixie hybrid."
"Well, what about you? My friends and I were having a nice conversation about you and what was going on in your life since we'd last seen you. So, any female Dragon in your life? Or what about kids?"
"Bah, I've had plenty of pretty Dragons at my side, but none lasted too long. It's not a big deal, though. I don't have time to deal with the nagging and the complaining." Falcon stated with a roll of his eyes and a loud snort. "With my career, that's outta the question."
"You can't tell me you've never considered settling down, Falcon. I know you well enough to know you have a huge soft spot deep down for certain people, but especially for girls. Even though I know you caved in to help us all those years ago when I pleaded for your help, you also were more cooperative when you found out our captured friend was a girl." The young man stated with a smug smirk while the purebred Dragon blushed and shifted uncomfortably.
"Ah, shuddap!"
Genki went to begin to tease Falcon for a little longer, but suddenly a glint of red caught the young man's attention before he patted the Dragon on the back softly. "That's Hare's bandana they're waving around down there. They must be close to breaking in, so that's our signal to scout!"
"I'm on it." Falcon replied simply before his wings flapped against the wind and he shot forward toward the Floating Castle to get a closer look at things. Genki held on tightly as they made their way to the battered side of the castle before he carefully peered into one of the windows. The room looked like a cafeteria and was completely empty.
"Holly's not in this place." Genki whispered to Falcon while the Dragon nodded his head and flew to the next window. Even if they had to fly to every window on the Floating Castle, they were determined to find Holly.
The hallways of the Floating Castle were filled with an eerie silence as Holly walked along with caution and nervousness. So far, she was extremely surprised she hadn't even seen a single Baddie or even heard anything. The only sounds she could hear was that of her own footsteps and of her racing heart pounding heavily in her chest like a ringing gong. Between the poor lighting and the naturally dark walls, the young woman was finding it difficult to maneuver and to know where she was going. Her heart almost leapt into her throat as she hid against the closest wall while a Weed along with a purebred Jell talked quietly amongst themselves while typing in a code to one of the doors.
"…I wonder what this is all about." The Weed pouted as he punched the code in with a scowl. "I was in the middle of my dinner when I got the message. Now my meal's probably cold as ice!"
"I know what ya mean, man. I was getting ready to take a nap when I heard Moo wanted to see everyone. I wonder why?" The Jell replied as the duo slithered through the door before disappearing out of sight.
Holly gulped slightly before making a risky move by leaping out from her hiding place and sliding through the opened door just before it shut tightly. The young woman immediately threw herself up against the wall, but to her relief no one had even noticed her. Holly let out a sigh of relief before quietly following the two voices of the Baddies she had seen earlier, for they were her only hope of navigating around the castle. Before she could follow them further, though, a familiar door flew opened and nearly smashed into the brunette's face. Holly held back a shocked yell as she pressed up against the wall before a Plant guard strolled out of the room before going the same direction as the other two Baddies had earlier. Holly's attention was no longer on him, though, and was instead on the door in front of her. The door was that of Moo's main chamber where she had been held captive. Before the door could completely close, a Weed with a helmet on unnoticeably zipped passed the human girl as he ran into the room. When Holly could hear Moo's voice rumble through the room, though, her curiosity rose and she carefully took the end of her shirt before jamming it into the hinges; forcing the door to stay slightly open so she could not only hide behind the door, but also so she could hear what Moo was up to.
"Master Moo! We have a problem! A major problem!" Captain Weed shouted as he adjusted his helmet from falling off his head.
"And what could it possibly be?" Moo asked with a roll of his eyes.
"We're under attack! There's a pack of Dragons trying to burn through the Floating Castle's walls and they have other monsters with them! I think it's those rebels again!" The Plant hybrid exclaimed with anxiety.
"Feh. What was your first clue?" The King of the Baddies replied with sarcasm as his red eyes bore down at his minion with amusement and mystery.
'The rebels? He can't mean my friends, can he?' Holly thought to herself as she felt herself quiver.
"Master Moo? I don't understand. Why aren't you concerned?" The Weed asked with a curious look as he looked up at his master with confusion. "We're under attack!"
"Because I want them to burn through the castle walls." Moo stated as he watched his fellow Baddie gawk at him with confusion, which caused the King of the Baddies to become even more amused. "You must be quite confused, am I right?"
"Well, yes, my lord."
"Did you really think those pests would have died in the explosion at Pixie's old slave stockade? Of course not. They always find some way around it. I had the place destroyed to throw the rebels off track, which it worked nicely since now they think I think they're dead. They're so predictable. The minute my scouts reported back to me that the Dragon leader, Falcon, and his little troop were no longer at their lair, I knew the rebels had sought their aid once more." Moo said with amusement as he twirled around a goblet in his huge hand filled with red wine.
"If so, shouldn't we dispatch the Iron Bird fleet? I'm sure we'd be able to shoot them down." Captain Weed questioned quietly under Moo's forceful gaze.
"If we were to kill the rebels, it would cause me more grief. My daughter has a knack for sensing when people are lying, so she would know that I killed her friends. She can't get upset at me if they kill themselves, though." The King of the Baddies laughed softly before taking a long sip of the wine.
"Master Moo. I mean no offense, but how will you have the rebels kill themselves?"
"Hahaha! Have you noticed, besides my pilots, that all the Baddies have been rounded up and brought to the top of the Floating Castle?"
"I have been noticing that, Master."
"You see, I made sure to keep the one spot on the bottom of the castle in awful condition for this one purpose. The Floating Castle will need some repairs after this, but it'll all be worth it to know that the rebels will finally meet their demise. When the rebels burn through the wall, it'll detonate the explosives I have lying in wait on the other side." Moo chuckled to himself as he tapped his clawed fingers on the arm of his throne with anticipation. "They won't even know what hit them and we won't have to lift a finger. They'll literally kill themselves!"
"You're a genius, Master Moo!" The Plant hybrid praised as he clapped his vines together with glee.
"I am, aren't I?" The King of the Baddies flaunted as he leaned back against his throne and let out a joyous sigh. "This will work out for everyone. All my Baddies are safe in the top section of the Floating Castle and, after the rebels are dead, I'll still have Holly by my side. This couldn't work out any better."
Before Moo could say anything more, Holly pulled the end of her shirt out from the hinges before carefully allowing the door to close without a sound. Moo's words echoed in her head, and horror filled her mind as she took off in a sprint down the shadow ruled hallways. Her breathing became labored as she tore through the castle with nothing on her mind except her friends. She didn't know who the group of rebels consisted of, but just knowing Falcon was out there and was going right into a deadly trap was enough to send her into a panic. With all the Baddies in the top section of the Floating Castle, she could explore the castle with far less fear.
'I hope I can warn them in time! I need to find the control room so maybe I can distract Moo long enough for my friends to flee. Oh, Phoenix, please guide my way and help me to save my friends. Take my life if you need to, but please spare my friends.' Holly prayed to herself before continuing to bolt down the hallway with her ponytail flying behind her. As if in a trance, the young woman suddenly felt her legs stop moving as she found herself standing in front of a large metal door with a security box close to it to punch a code into for access. A small glint of metal caught her eye, and the brunette noticed a fork jammed in the door hinge causing the door to stay slightly open. At closer examination, though, Holly found herself recognizing the fork as the one she had dropped on the ground earlier that was now propping the door open.
'Mum Mew… You seem to always come through for me lately.' Holly thought to herself with a soft smile as she clutched onto the fork tightly before opening up the door with caution. The room was filled with chairs, file cabinets, flashing buttons and strange levers which gave it a crowded feel. By the design and from Colt's teachings, Holly could tell it was the control room of a flying machine. Besides the side of the room she was currently on, the rest of the room was lined with small windows and one huge window was present in the front of the room. The large window was covered in a huge shield that protected it, but made it impossible to see out of. Seated in front of the controls were a Black Dino (Dino/Monol) and an Usaba (Plant/Suezo) who were carefully piloting the Floating Castle.
"I wish Moo would just kill those rebels so we didn't have to fly so still like this. We've barely flown three feet in the past few minutes! Plus with this damn shield up, we can't even see! If our radar goes out, then we're screwed. This is crazy." The Black Dino huffed as he let out a loud yawn. "And I hope they saved us some dinner."
"I hear ya. The shield is necessary, though, just in case the explosion gets a little out of hand and so the controls won't be busted in the burst. Master Moo's plan sounds pretty great, though. I would love to see the look on those monsters' faces when they realize it's a trap and it's too late!" The Usaba chuckled as he kept a tight hold on the steering wheel.
Holly watched the two monsters with a scowl before she began to think about what to do. If she waited around too long, then her friends would surely parish. She couldn't just ask the two Baddies to walk away, though. With a determined look, the young woman quietly picked up one of the many chairs before taking in a deep breath and slamming the object over the Black Dino's head. The monster didn't even have a chance to blink as the chair connected with his skull and he hit the ground in an unconscious heap. The Usaba let out an alarmed yell as he scrambled to stand up, but a crack on top of the head caused the Plant hybrid to flop to the group motionlessly.
Holly let out a relieved sigh that both monsters were still alive before she sat down in the pilot's seat and took in a deep breath. 'Maybe some of Colt's flying lessons will finally come in handy.' She thought to herself as she found herself trying to find any button that could alert her friends about the upcoming danger.
Genki and Falcon looked carefully into the window of yet another empty room as they let out a frustrated sigh. Something felt extremely strange since there hadn't been a Baddie in sight yet. With a nod to one another, the duo flew to the next window, but the room was nothing like they expected. Unlike the other rooms in the Floating Castle, this room had a cute white bed near the wall and a classy wooden drawer near the window. On the drawer was a plate of food that didn't look very old, but what caught their attention was the unconscious Hopper that was lying on the floor.
"What the hell is this?" Falcon asked with a confused look.
"I dunno, but this room definitely isn't a regular Baddies' room. Do you think it's Holly's?" Genki asked quietly, even though he had learned last time he was at the Floating Castle that the windows were soundproofed.
"It has to be. She's not here, though so let's keep looking." The Dragon replied with frustration.
"Try to find the control room. Maybe we can find a way in there." The young man suggested while Falcon nodded in understanding before flying off to the higher section of the Floating Castle. The duo flew swiftly up the side of the flying structure until they spotted a window that was larger than the rest and was close to some of the castle's cannons. The large window was covered with a large shield for protection and looked to be indestructible. "That could be it. Should we check it out?"
"Ah, why the hell not? We've checked a billion empty rooms already, so let's look through the smaller windows." Falcon replied with a grin before his wings spread out to full length and the purebred Dragon glided over toward one of the smaller windows. After steadying himself, Falcon carefully and cautiously flew over to the side of the castle so Genki could pear through the window. When Genki first looked through the window, he wasn't sure what to expect. Part of him felt maybe it was the Baddies' barracks or that maybe it was another cafeteria. Instead, he was relieved to see dozens or flashing buttons and unknown levers just like he had seen in Colt's Iron Bird. With a grin, the young man leaned down in order to talk clearly to his companion.
"This place has to be the control room. There's crazy flashing buttons and stuff!"
"Great! What else do ya see?"
Genki carefully peered back inside the room, but his eyes widened when he caught sight of the motionless Black Dino and Usaba. Before he could relay the information to Falcon, though, the young man felt his heat leap into his throat as his eyes fell on a lone young woman sitting in the pilot's seat. Her brown hair was tied back loosely with a piece of worn string while her head was adorned with several bandages. From the clothes she wore, to the ponytail, and to her worn yet attractive face, Genki could feel only one word slip out of his stunned mouth.
"…Holly…"
Falcon's eyes widened when he heard Genki's whisper, and the Dragon immediately flew up a little higher so he could see as well. The last time he had seen the young woman was when he went to her home a few months before after being invited to have lunch with the wielder of the Magic Stone. She had looked so happy and carefree, but he could see the sadness that dwelled behind her mask. Now, though, she looked worse for wear as the bandages caught the Dragon's eyes and her very impression looked as if she was going to pass out at any moment. Before Falcon could speak, though, Genki was already banging on the window while screaming her name at the top of his lungs. He knew they were soundproof, but at that moment he didn't really care anymore. His only thought was on seeing the woman who he had reluctantly parted ways with four years ago.
Holly looked quizzically down at all the flashing buttons in front of her while she let out a frustrated sigh. If Colt's ship was confusing enough, the Floating Castle was ten times worse. Before she could think further on what to do, though, the same feeling of earlier passed through her body as she physically winced and began to shake slightly. 'Why do I keep sensing Genki? He can't be here, can he…?'
Suddenly, a hint of orange caught from outside the window her eye and Holly slowly turned her head as she expected to see a Baddie ready to beat her down for escaping her room and knocking out their comrades. Instead, though, her eyes widened as her vision fell onto a familiar orange baseball cap sitting on top of a young man's head. The young man had messy brown hair and a simple white t-shirt on, but what made Holly's heart start to race was the young man's eyes. Those wonderfully brownish gray eyes that were the clearest eyes she had ever seen in her life stared back into her's with so much emotion that it made her a little light headed. With a sudden blink back into reality, Holly clumsily scrambled to her feet before pushing one of the chairs up against the wall so she could reach the window. Although her leg throbbed from the movement, Holly ignored it and climbed onto the chair before she found herself face-to-face to the one person she had started to believe would never come for her. Both humans looked at one another in the eyes it sheer shock and nervousness before Holly slowly brought her hand up and placed it onto the glass surface while Genki did the same thing and placed his hand over her's. Although neither of the two could touch the other, it didn't take away from the breathtaking moment that the two were experiencing. Even in her weak and wounded state, Genki still thought Holly looked just as beautiful as ever, if not more so.
"Genki…" Holly whispered the young man's name softly, and even though the sound couldn't penetrate through the windows, Genki could still read her lips. In turn, the young man whispered her name as well, and seeing his response caused Holly's heart to leap at him still remembering who she was. All the fears about him not looking back to her or the monster world disintegrated as a gentle smile fell upon her lips. She had so many questions she wanted to ask Genki and he felt the exact same way as he tried to organize his thoughts. Before either of the two could try to communicate further to one another, though, the moment was shattered when a yellow vine shot forward and smashed against the side of Holly's face. The young woman let out a shocked and pain laced scream as she flew off the chair and landed painfully on her side with a loud 'thud' before she had just enough time to roll out of the way as the vine came crashing down into the floor next to her.
"HOLLY!" Genki shouted as he watched the Usaba trudge up to Holly's fallen body, but his shouts could only be heard by Falcon, who looked just as concerned as his human rider. Before either could react, though, the human girl got to her feet and instinctively grabbing the fork she had found earlier and stabbing it into the monster's vine-like arms. The Plant hybrid let out a painful cry before it fled from the room in order to get reinforcements and disappeared out of sight. With a relieved sigh, Holly rubbed her stinging cheek before returning to the window with a look of urgency as she remembered why she had gone to the control room in the first place. She knew it was selfish to want more time to just see Genki, but she knew it would have to wait. Before Genki could mouth to her if she was alright, he was surprised when she gently breathed onto the window before writing a short, but important warning in the fog.
'Run. It's a trap.'
"…it's a trap? What is…?" Falcon asked to Genki as the duo starred at Holly with confused glances, but suddenly Falcon's eyes widened in horror as he realized just what the young woman meant. "The others! Damn, I knew this was too easy! We gotta retreat!"
"But, what about Holly? We can't just leave her!" Genki exclaimed as he glanced over at the brunette inside the Floating Castle with a fearful look. Although she looked disheartened, he could tell that she wanted them to leave as well. With a look of desperation, Genki quickly breathed onto the window before writing a message for Holly just as she had done before.
'I won't leave you again.'
Holly shook her head in desperation as she could hear the Baddies already on alert about her escape. She knew the Dragons must have been extremely close to melting all the way through the wall and, at that point, there would be no saving them. With a frown, Holly wrote quickly on the window while Genki watched her with anticipation.
'There's no time! Please, go!'
Genki didn't even have time to reply as Falcon took off into the sky, forcing Genki to scream out Holly's name as he watched a single tear fall from her eye before her form began to get smaller and smaller the farther away they flew. Without waiting for the young man's orders, Falcon flew down to where the rest of the rebels were working away at burning through the walls before shouted at the group to stop their course of actions.
"What's going on?" Hare asked with a frown as he watched the Dragon leader with curiosity. "We're almost through!"
"It's a trap! We gotta retreat! Move out, men!" Falcon ordered while the Dragons exchanged glances before listening to their leader without question.
"Why not go with our second plan, then, and attack the castle randomly?"
"Because this whole thing's a setup! We gotta move it!"
"How do you know?" Tiger asked quizzically.
"…Holly warned us."
Genki's blunt answer caused the rebels to stare at him in shock before the rebels could only look back at the Floating Castle with a look of uncertainty. Even as the massive structure began to disappear in the distance, it still stood strong and haunted the minds of the rebels. Again, the plan to rescue Holly hadn't been accomplished which left the rebels with a horrid feeling of guilt and shame. No one felt as defeated as Genki, though, who hung his head and shook slightly as Holly stayed the main focus of his thoughts. He would get her back somehow.
Holly felt the tears roll down her cheeks like morning dew drops on leaves, but she quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand before grabbing one of the chairs. She knew once the Baddies came into the control room and captured her that they'd begin to attack her friends. With a determined look, Holly swung the chair down at the control board before electricity and sparks shot forward from her attack. Before she could swing any further, though, the door to the room smashed opened to reveal an extremely angered Moo along with a small group of other Baddies.
"HOLLY? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Moo shouted as his red eyes flared in anger and he roughly ripped the chair out of the young woman's hands before his attention went back to his daughter. "After all I've done for you, this is how you repay me? How could you?"
"I told you from the beginning I won't let you hurt my friends." Holly stated as she kept in eye contact with the King of the Baddies. "How could you try and do something like that? You know how much they mean to me and you were just going to kill them! "
"I've tried to let you have a nice life here, but you obviously don't appreciate it. Until you come to your senses, you'll no longer be living in your room. Instead, you'll live like a traitor in the prisoner cells." Moo spat in anger as his entire body shook and he found that he could no longer look his daughter straight in the eyes. "Take her away and lock her up! I'll come to get you when I'm ready to face you again."
Without another word spoken, the Beaklon that Holly had met earlier quickly shackled the young woman before grabbing her tightly around the arm. With a nod to his master, the beetle monster roughly began to guide Holly to her new location while the young woman looked back at her father with disappointment and disgust. While the other Baddies tried to repair the damage Holly had caused, Moo kept his gaze on the door the young woman had been taken out of before he let out a frustrated growl. Just as before, she always could hit a soft spot in him.
"Shoot those rebels down from the sky! Don't let them escape! Send the Iron Bird squadron if you must!"
"Master Moo, the buttons the girl destroyed were to the cannons and the hatches! We can't fire our weapons or send the Iron Birds out! The main controls still work for steering, but we need to land for repairs."
Moo didn't even respond as his body shook in anger and his clawed hands clenched into tight fists. His plan had been a failure, but only because of his daughter's intervention. How she escaped her room and had gotten into the control room in the first place was beyond him, but at the moment he didn't even care. His eyes stayed focused on the rebels that were now tiny specks in the sky as he let out a low growl of frustration.
"Master Moo…? We'll need to land to make repairs to the controls." Captain Weed stated with a nervous glance.
"Do what you have to." Moo spat before he stormed out of the room with a loud slam; leaving the rest of the Baddies to glance at one another with uncertainty and puzzlement. Mum Mew frowned as she let out a sigh and began to sweep up the broken glass from Holly's attack while the other Baddies carried off the Black Dino to the medical ward. The cat monster found her heart feeling heavier than ever as she slunk off down the hallways to contact her leader about the day's events.
When the Dragons landed, the group was filled with an awkward silence as they dismounted the Dragons and quietly thanked each of them. The plan had been a failure, and it caused the group to stand with heavy hearts. Falcon frowned as he looked down at a down casted Genki.
"Kid… I know you'll get her back. I just know it." He whispered as he nudged his friend with the tip of his tail. With a small laugh, Genki took in a deep breath of air before giving the group a sad, but determined smile.
"Falcon's right. Moping around won't get Holly back, so let's head out. Thanks for your help Falcon. We owe ya one." Genki said with a weak thumbs up. Although his mood hadn't completely lifted, he knew he had to put on a strong front for the rest of the group.
"Hey, it wasn't a problem. If you need us again, just say the word." The leader of the Pirate Dragons smiled and the other Dragons agreed happily. "In the meantime, our group here is going to fight off Baddies that have taken over small villages. Maybe we can weaken Moo's hold on the world. Where will you guys go now?"
"Where will we go…?" Hare asked softly to himself as he crossed his arms over his chest and let out a low sigh. "I suppose our best bet is to go in the direction the Floating Castle was headed in."
"Do you want us to carry you anywhere?"
"Nah, we'll be fine. You go help those villages out and we'll handle Moo for now. Thanks again, Falcon." Genki smiled as he extended his hand while the purebred Dragon carefully shook the young man's hand with his huge claw. With the done, the Dragons nodded to one another before taking off into the sky and disappearing into the mass of clouds.
"…let's make camp and continue our journey tomorrow." Tiger suggested as he looked at how physically and mentally drained Genki currently was. "We all need a break."
No one complained as they wordlessly unpacked their camping gear and made a small, yet effective fire to keep them warm throughout the bleak night. The other rebels, though especially Suezo, wanted so badly to ask Genki about Holly, but at seeing him so down they silently agreed to ask him the next day. There was nothing to be gained by making the young man's heart any heavier than it already was. Suezo sighed as he glanced at the man from another world before shaking his head. He couldn't help but sympathize with Genki for once and he made a mental note to thank him later for being on the journey in the first place. With that last note, the eyeball monster slowly allowed sleep to consume him, along with the other monsters in the rebel group.
Genki stayed awake as he found himself staring up at the sky with a stern look. His brief encounter with Holly caused him to feel emotions that he hasn't felt since he had left the world of the monsters, and it only made him more determined to rescue the young woman. Leaving her had been absolute torture, and even though deep down he knew they hadn't had a choice, it still didn't wash away the mental pain he was feeling. Genki sighed softly as he grabbed the strap of his book bag before gently feeling the fabric of Holly's hair ribbon, causing a sad smile to form on his lips.
'Don't worry, Holly. I'll never stop searching for you, no matter what. I'll beat Moo five times over to save you and more if I have to. Just wait for me, Holly. Just wait…'
Wow, another long chapter (about 10,500 words). Anyways, first off I have to note that, after 12 chapters, Genki and Holly finally meet face-to-face! It was a short reunion, but it was still there, nevertheless. I had to rush this a little because I needed this done before my Thanksgiving break or else you guys wouldn't get this for another good week or so. So, Happy Thanksgiving, guys! Also, I'm such a sap for corny romance stuff, so I guess the small Genki/Holly part fit in that category. XD Thanks for reading and reviews are loved!
Chapter Preview (Chapter 13): The rebels make it out of the hot dessert only to find themselves stumped at the ocean's shore. A town there is held under the Baddies' command, though, and the rebels along with an old friend decide to put an end to it. Stay tuned!
RockyRoadSmith: Signing off! :3