* * * Chapter Three: Explosion of Rage * * *
Genki forced his eyes open, trying to ignore as best he could the throbbing in his head. His entire body ached: he could feel something warm trickling out of the back of his head, matting his hair, although thankfully it didn't feel like it was a particularly serious wound, just a small one. Reaching up to the back of his head, he massaged the area, and was pleased to note that he didn't see any bloodstains on his hand when he brought it back in front of his blurring eyes.
Sucking in painful gasps of air, he glanced around, scanning the throne room for his friends. He knew before he raised his head that he probably would not like what he saw, and unfortunately was correct. Holly was crumpled against the wall opposite him, and Suezo lay moaning at the foot of a pillar a few feet away from her. Golem was struggling to get up, a rather difficult task considering that Big Blue had landed directly on top of him. The ice giant was in a near frenzy as he attempted to rise, his eyes wild as he stared over at where Pixie's legs jutted from a pile of rubble. As for Tiger and Mocchi, they had not been thrown as far as the others, and were crumpled at the foot of the pedestal that Naga's throne stood upon.
And Hare was lying against the side of the jet-black throne of marble, and Naga was standing in front of him. Even from this distance, Genki could see clearly the cruel gleam in the serpent monster's yellow eyes, and he gritted his teeth in a weak attempt to stifle his outrage. Naga's back was facing the boy at the moment, apparently speaking to the terrified rabbit cowering beneath him, and the youth strained to make out what the reptilian was saying.
"…to kill them. But I am going to do more than that. I am going to annihilate them. I am going to destroy them so completely that nothing of them will remain to show that they ever existed. And I am going to take my time about it."
Genki suppressed a shudder at how nonchalantly the reptile monster said this, even as he attempted to rise. The wheels of his skates squeaked in protest, and his feet slid out wildly from underneath him for a few seconds, nearly dumping him back on his face again. Steeling himself as best he could, Genki waved his arms around until he got his balance back. The back of his head continued to throb in a dull rhythm, but he ignored it, focusing his attention on the drama unfolding before him.
Naga was still sneering down at Hare, his back pointed toward the youth. Genki saw his chance and took it, skating forward as fast as he could. His legs protested the movement, but he still managed to work up a decent head start before he abruptly sprang into the air. Thrusting his feet out in an imitation of a karate kick, he leaped toward the reptilian's back, for once not announcing his attack with a battle cry.
But Naga abruptly sidestepped, and Genki streaked past him and slammed into the hard marble floor next to the throne. His cheek grated painfully against the cold, semi-smooth surface, and the pounding in his head increased sharply. He was dimly aware of Hare's voice screaming his name, and scattered cries of protest from his friends. Then talons dug into his shirt, and he was lifted off of the floor by a strong grip. Clear eyes fluttered open to see a pair of cruel yellow eyes glinting back at him from a reptilian face. Naga's deep, slightly mocking voice rasped in the boy's ears.
"Foolish human child, did you really think I could be taken off guard?" he sneered, a demonic smile twisting his purple lips. Before Genki had a chance to answer, he found himself flying backward through the air, the figure of Naga getting further and further away. He had the barest glimpse of Hare beside the snake monster, wide eyes filled with fear, then the back of the boy's head met the wall, and blackness flashed across his vision.
"Genki!" Holly screamed as the boy slumped to the ground a few feet away from her. She could see where the force of his hitting the wall had formed a slight indentation, and her breath quickened with fear. Then he groaned, and clear eyes opened again, much to her relief, even though she winced inwardly as the boy moaned in discomfort, trying to stand.
"Holly…" Suezo's voice moaned from nearby, and she whirled to face her friend as he shakily attempted to stand. He crawled over to her, attempting to place him between her and Naga, while the reptile monster watched in mild amusement, an arrogant grin on his face.
"You rebel fools are so amusing," he hissed. "Your powers are all so weak, and yet you still seem to believe that you can win against me! I wonder how my associates could have ever allowed themselves to be defeated by you. Luck, I'm sure; fool's luck, or else those idiots were much weaker than Master Moo believed them to be…"
"I heard that," Pixie growled, finally emerging from the rubble that covered her. Flashing gray eyes burned into Naga as she hissed, "They didn't defeat me; they freed me from Moo's influence. They might have converted Gali too, if he hadn't tried to wipe them all out with one of his Tornado attacks and forced them to kill him. And as for Kaze," and she snarled the name deliberately, "you hand-picked him yourself, so you should know better than anyone else why he failed."
Naga arched an eye ridge at her, the only outward signal that he was truly surprised by her knowledge of his secret plot. However, his arrogant smirk remained, and his eyes glittered as he leered at his former colleague.
"So, you finally figured that out, then? Not bad for a weak monster like you, Pixie dear…and just think, you might have enjoyed the same fate as that fool Grey Wolf, if you had only waited a little while longer before running off with the rebels! Certainly that would be much more preferable to what is going to happen to you now…"
At the mention of his little brother's name, Tiger snarled, his golden eyes locked on the reptilian monster as he struggled to get up. His shoulder shrieked with agony, throbbing with each slight movement, and he bit his tongue to keep from howling with the pain. Beside him, Mocchi was attempting to rise as well, pushing himself up from the floor with a soft moan.
"Chiiiii…Tiger…you okay, chi?" he murmured, spotting the lupine monster beside him. Tiger ignored the question, instead glaring at Naga. Something gleamed faintly in the dim light, and Tiger felt his eyes widen slightly with surprise as he noticed the small, teardrop-shaped crystal that hung around the reptile's wrist.
"So that's where he's been keeping it," he growled, golden eyes narrowing with thought. Mocchi, noticing his expression, followed his gaze up to the snake monster, and gasped. Turning his attention back to Tiger, the little pink monster waited to see what the more experienced fighter thought their next course of action should be.
He didn't have to wait very long. With a battle snarl, Tiger lunged for the reptilian's back, claws flashing as he brought them down in a deadly swipe. Naga whirled to face him, smirked, and sidestepped the attack, lashing out with his tail as the blue wolf surged past him. Tiger yelped and Hare screamed as the reptile's whip-like tail crashed into the lupine monster's back, sending him crashing to the ground.
"You again," Naga said, grinning down at the blue wolf. "I thought I took care of you before…well, I'll take care of that little oversight right now…"
He seized his opponent's long blue fur and hoisted him into the air. Mocchi sprang toward him, rolling into a ball, but Naga raised one arm and batted him away, sending him skidding back down the steps of the platform. As Hare watched in silent horror, the reptilian began to tighten his grip around the blue wolf's neck, slowly choking the life out of him. Tiger gasped and struggled wildly, lashing out with his legs in an attempt to kick his tormentor, but Naga just laughed it off, cruel yellow eyes glittering.
"STOP IT!" Hare shrieked, finding his voice at last. "Let him go! I said STOP IT!"
Naga laughed even harder, glancing back at the little rabbit with an arrogant smirk.
"Don't worry, little one, this'll be over soon enough," he promised, leering as he added, "And once I'm finished with this one, your other friends will follow quickly enough."
He squeezed harder, and Tiger yelped involuntarily, the choked-off sound echoing through the throne room. Genki hollered the blue wolf's name even as he struggled to rise, a struggle he was currently losing. All around the room, the rebels were screaming in outrage, and Pixie cursed vividly as she attempted to stand, slumping against the half-fallen pillar behind her. Mocchi screamed at Naga to stop, then sunk back down to the floor, gasping for air, his tiny hands clenched into helpless fists.
Naga saw all of this, and he threw back his head and laughed, reveling in the pain and agony he was causing. His talons dug into Tiger's fur all the harder and he continued to laugh wildly as the blue wolf's struggles lessened.
"DRAGON KICK!"
Naga gasped in surprise as something blazed into his back at full force, knocking him forward. His tight grip on his victim went slack, and Tiger sunk to the floor, sucking in precious gasps of air as the reptilian turned to face his attacker. Naga's yellow eyes were unnaturally wide, and he gaped at the little rabbit standing behind him in shock: obviously he had never actually considered the fact that his little prize might attack him. Hare glared back up at him, his eyes wide and frightened, yet his paws were balled into fists, and he dropped into a defensive position, ready to attack again.
"You…you…you…" Naga sputtered, unable to believe it. His back ached horribly: when had his little rabbit achieved such power? His back…by all the gods, his back was actually beginning to bleed! How…how could this little weakling be able to hurt him like this?!?
Naga's eyes gleamed with outrage, and in that moment, all of his scheming and plotting was forgotten, driven out of his mind by the throbbing pain in his back. Bringing back his arm, he sent the little rabbit skidding backward with one blow, and summoned energy for his next attack even as Hare gasped with pain and slumped to the floor. Violet light flashed into existence around his curled talons, and he hissed one last time in anger as he sent his Evil Shot surging forward.
"Hare, LOOK OUT!" Genki screamed, the warning coming a little too late. Hare looked up just in time to see the violet-tinted energy blast bearing down upon him. He froze, temporarily too stunned to react, not even able to dodge or counterattack.
"Hare, chi!"
Something bounced directly between the rabbit and the blast, and Hare shielded his eyes with one arm as an explosion sounded. A shrill shriek ripped through the room, rising above the roar of the blast, and Hare felt a shock of recognition rip through his body.
"CCCCCHHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
A smoking pink ball was thrown out of the explosion and skidded to a stop next to Hare, who stared at it in dull horror as it slowly unrolled. Mocchi smiled weakly up at the bunny, his wide eyes shining with happiness at having saved his friend. He reached up with one trembling hand, and Hare quickly took it in his own paws, near tears as he saw the burns on the younger monster's face. Mocchi pressed something into the rabbit's palm, and it began to pulse with faint light. Startled, Hare pulled back one of his paws and slowly opened it, still clutching Mocchi's hand with his other paw. He gasped faintly, and stared down at the pink monster in growing comprehension.
"Chiii…I got it back for you, chi," Mocchi explained, a faint smile on his face. "See, it belongs to you-chi, not Naga…"
Overhearing this, Naga stole a quick glimpse down at his wrist, and let out a hiss of outrage as he noticed that it was bare. His yellow eyes flashed as he glared over at the two monsters, spotting a faint crimson glow in Hare's palm. Genki and Holly gasped, realizing what Mocchi had done, and their eyes wavered as they stared at their friends.
"You can beat him, chi…" and with this last comment, Mocchi's eyes slowly closed, and his tight grip on Hare's paw relaxed slightly. The rabbit gasped, and his brown eyes wavered as he clutched at his friend's hand.
"Mocchi? Mocchi!" he called, his voice trembling as much as his body was. The little pink monster did not reply, and as Hare stared down at the younger monster's faintly smiling face, he felt something within him change. His senses seemed to sharpen acutely, and every detail of the moment burned itself into his mind. He was fully aware of Genki's screaming Mocchi's name, of Suezo's terrified gasp, Tiger's snarl of outrage. He heard the dull thud of feet against marble as the other rebels surrounded them, felt their presence as Holly knelt by their side, choking back tears as she gathered Mocchi into her arms. Most of all, he could feel a sort of charge pulsing through the air, filling the entire room with a sort of charge.
* How…how many times do I have to watch those I care for suffer? Why do innocent people and monsters have to die because of me? I lost my family…my friends…my entire life once before! Does it have to happen again? Is this…is everything all my fault? *
* Mo…Mocchi! *
"NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Hare screamed at the top of his lungs, and suddenly a fire ignited deep inside of his body, raging and coiling as it shot through his system. A fiery crimson light seemed to explode around him, the sheer force of its sudden and violent appearance throwing the rebels in separate directions. Holly twisted sharply to avoid landing on Mocchi, and Golem caught her and Suezo as well in his arms. Pixie cried out in shock as she was flung backwards, Big Blue and Genki next to her. Tiger skidded to a stop first and whirled around, golden eyes wild with shock as he gaped at the twisting pillar of flame that rose from where Hare was standing.
"HARE!" he heard his own voice scream, barely able to recognize it with all the fear and shock that was carried in it.
Hare sobbed. Crimson fire was licking up his rigid body. Genki rushed toward the rabbit, some part of his mind noting as he yelled at his friend to stop that the flames were not affecting his short brown fur.
"Hare!" he cried, reaching out desperate arms for his friend. As the young boy rushed past, Pixie extended a long, slender arm and clutched his shoulder.
"No!" she hissed. "Keep back, or you'll get burned to death!"
Genki scarcely heard the words, but the hand gripped him like a vise, and he could not break free of its grasp. Hare's sobs rose into a raw, high shriek. The rebels gaped, terror-stricken, at the little rabbit. Even Suezo's incredible eyesight could barely make out Hare's figure beneath the blinding blaze. Crimson flames leaped in all directions, burning everything in their path indiscriminately. The dull pink shine of Pixie's shields flickered, nearly consumed by the scarlet blazes that surged against their smooth surfaces.
Naga watched the blazing pillar with a hint of fear shining in his yellow eyes. However, the fear was almost completely overshadowed by his excitement, and a grin pursed his lips as he murmured, "So this is the true power of the Phoenix's Tear? Heh…with THIS under my control, Moo won't even be a problem anymore…GUARDS!"
He bellowed this last word, and even before he had finished speaking the doors were thrown roughly open, nearly crashing off of their hinges as a wave of Zuums burst into the room. All of the dinosaur-like monsters bore crests on their chests, and all of them raced in with fangs and talons flashing, ready to rend their master's enemies to shreds.
And all of them died as a blast of fire arced out of the coiling pillar and met them head on. Their figures writhed and shrank under the blaze, their shrieks of agony echoed through the chamber, shrieks that were answered by an angry shriek that rose from the pillar itself. This voice was barely recognizable; it was so tinged with fear and outrage, yet all of the searchers jerked with shock as they heard it.
"Hare!" Genki called again, struggling to free himself from Pixie's stubborn grip, heedless of her cursing as she attempted to keep hold of him and keep the barriers that were the only thing standing between them and death up. Seeing her problem, Big Blue stepped forward and took hold of the boy himself, wrapping his thick fingers around the youth with a grip that was both gentle and firm, holding him back without harming him. Genki beat against his fingers anyway, clear eyes locked on the blazing figure before them.
Holly watched from the cover of Golem's hands with a sort of dull shock, one that threatened to sharpen into hysteria at any moment. Suezo pressed his side into her back, quivering with fear, and in her own arms, Mocchi stirred slightly and opened wavering eyes, peering around in confusion, then up at Holly.
"Where's Hare, chi?"
Holly had no idea how to answer him, so she clung to the little monster instead, keeping him pressed close against her. Golem shielded them as best he could with his own body, and the stone giant winced as a tongue of flame licked closer toward them.
Hare knew he was screaming. Crimson flames coiled and swirled around his fur, lanced from his body. Wherever he looked monsters –baddies– burned and died where they stood. He heard screams, and drowned them out with a long, enraged shriek of his own, rising high as monsters writhed and crumpled, swept away by scarlet flames.
The fire inside of his body curled and raged, and he felt a panic rise with it. This power– he couldn't control this! He would bring death to all of his friends –to everybody around him! They would burn away to ashes, just like his home village had before, completely consumed by flames –NO! The flames parted from before his eyes just enough to allow him to see the others scattered around the room. Somehow, he managed to find Tiger through that blaze; the blue wolf was collapsed a few feet away from him, staring up at where he stood. Golden eyes locked with his own and darkened instantly, then widened with alarm, and Hare turned in time to see Naga moving toward him, reaching out to grab him.
Naga's eyes bore into his own, glaring at him with all the cold arrogance and pride of one of Moo's generals, the terrible strength that had kept him captive before. The reptilian did not fear him, secure in the knowledge that he was just a child, still the weak and helpless youth that he had been when his village was destroyed.
Hare's eyes flashed bloodfire, and his rage exploded like the aura that flared around him. Oh yes, he was still the same little rabbit that Naga had tormented all this time, but now he had the means to fight back! Burn, then, oh invincible Lord Naga, burn and know how it feels, you who burned countless villages, countless lives to ashes…BURN!
Hare pointed his burning paws at the reptilian, willing the crimson flames to arc from his fingers. Naga burned. Violet scales melted, bubbled and popped under relentlessly coiling crimson flames that surged around his writhing body. He toppled to the ground and was lost in the blaze that surged through the room.
Hare screamed again, and that might have been the signal for more of Naga's forces to come barreling into the room. The baddies must have taken his scream for one of fear, and were probably coming in to finish off whatever remained, easy prey undoubtedly already half-dead after facing their invincible Lord Naga.
Easy prey was exactly the right term. The baddies quickly realized their mistake once the first wave of fire leapt to greet them, and many turned to flee, only to discover that it was too late. There was no more time for them to attack or run; in the face of the power of the Phoenix's Tear, they only had time to die. This, at least, they did well enough, collapsing under the relentless fires that surged to greet them.
The flames parted from his eyes again, and Hare stared at what he had done in mute terror.
* What…what have I done? Ten, twenty…fifty, sixty…how many are there? Is there no end to this? *
Another shriek ripped through him, and Hare pointed his paws toward the only safe target left, the only thing that would not scream so horribly as it died. Crimson flames lanced up and outward readily enough, searing through the thick stone ceiling and walls as if they were dry wood. The roof fell in, burning away to ashes, and showered those few still alive in the throne room: a handful of rebels cowering in what little shelter and protection they could find or create, all staring in growing terror at the shrieking, blazing thing that had been one of them.
The fires had finally lessened, and Hare could feel himself shaking as raw energy continued to pour from his body. He sank to his knees amid the scattered rubble, all that remained of Naga's once-glorious fortress. The fiery aura wavered and flickered, crackling faintly as it slowly faded from his fur.
Suddenly he was very tired, and he swayed on his knees. His gaze fell to his chest. His bandanna, already tattered and worn from before, had long since burned away to nothingness, and the Phoenix's Tear still gleamed and sparkled on his bare chest. Somehow he managed to bring his arms up before him as he fell, shivering, to the scorched stone floor.
The fires were gone, and he was cold, so numbingly cold.
"Hare!" Genki screamed, seeing the little rabbit collapse. Finally twisting free of Big Blue's protective grip, the boy lunged forward, crashing face-first into Pixie's barrier. Half-blinded by tears, he clawed at the nearly invisible shield and yelled, "Let me go! He needs help!"
Pixie was only too glad to drop her shields, and she slumped to the ground as Genki rushed past her, darting toward where Hare lay. Big Blue automatically reached out to steady his master, and she would have waved him off in irritation if it weren't for the fact that she barely had any energy left. Shaking fingertips brushed her sore cheek, tracing over the burns she had received, and she winced despite herself. They hurt like hell, but at least they could easily be healed, both with her magic and natural means, if need be. That was hardly the case for most of Naga's forces, she knew…
The other rebels were beginning to emerge from the rubble as well. Golem gasped for air as he stood up, accidentally showering those who he had shielded during the battle with small pieces of the once-grand marble walls and ebony dust. Suezo hacked and coughed, and Holly hastily covered her own mouth to keep from doing the same, while Mocchi mimicked the movement. Some distance away, Tiger was also rising out of the ruins, gasping and choking. What remained of his bandages hung half-off of his body and were completely coated with black marble dust, dust that clashed considerably with the bloodstains both old and fresh that spotted the once-white cloth.
"Goddess…" Suezo breathed, looking around at what little remained of Naga's fortress. The entire building had caved in, leaving only a few scorched stones still upright. All around them, lost discs lay half-buried in the rubble, some of them completely uprooted, and others hopelessly smashed to pieces. Other than themselves, there didn't appear to be any survivors left in the ruins, although Suezo wasn't entirely certain that this was a bad thing. As selfish as it sounded, he privately hoped that all of the baddies had ended up dying, just so they wouldn't have to worry about an ambush while they were recovering.
"Hare! Hare!" Genki called wretchedly, dropping to his knees beside the little rabbit and reaching out to seize his shoulders. He quickly yanked his hands back as soon as they brushed up against the rabbit's fur, however: it was blisteringly hot, even though the fiery aura had faded away. Genki remained crouching beside Hare, tears of frustration coming to his eyes. He couldn't even help his friend, who for all he knew might even be dying, and–
A strange noise behind him cut the boy's thoughts off in mid-sentence. His aching body tensed, and he whirled toward the source of the noise, his mouth dry.
A burnt, blackened figure was emerging from the debris. Genki's breath caught in his throat as he recognized it despite its injuries, and the gasps and growls he heard from scattered places indicated that the other searchers knew it as well.
The slithering figure righted itself, hissing in both pain and outrage. Its entire right side of its body had been charred to blackness; once-violet scales were fused together in a black mass. One webbed hand hung limply, uselessly, at its burnt side, the claws twisted and half-melted away. One of the gleaming yellow eyes had completely disappeared, hidden under the charred disfiguration of its snake face, and the remaining eye glowed with a wild dementia.
"Naga is here," the figure rasped. "Flame and fire and burning and power and NOTHING can kill Lord Naga…"
"Goddess," Pixie cursed, glaring at the reptilian's wretched form as he lurched forward, "Will this never end?" Pursing her ruby lips in exasperation, she attempted to stand, only to slump back down into Big Blue's ready hands. She cursed again: she had used far too much of her energy trying to hold up her shields earlier. She had nothing left to use to defend either herself or anyone else against Naga…
The reptilian was lurching roughly forward, his one remaining eye glaring at what was his obvious target. Genki cast a quick glance back at the unconscious Hare, then around at the others, who were all either too far away or too hurt to help. Gritting his teeth, the boy stumbled back to his feet, steeling his legs in an attempt to keep the wheels of his skates from sliding. Clear eyes shining with determination, he glared up at Naga as the reptile monster drew closer, deliberately blocking his path.
"Genki…Hare…" Tiger snarled weakly, seeing their danger. The blue wolf struggled to right himself, but his side gave a sudden, painful throb that sent a shockwave through his entire aching body, and his stubborn legs folded beneath him. Tiger cursed openly as he slumped back among the debris, his golden eyes glittering with frustration.
A sneer tugged at what remained of Naga's half-fused lips, and his single eye glittered with cold yellow light as he raised his good arm. Blackened, twisted claws stretched out, eager to taste blood, and the reptilian let out a terrible roar as he brought his fist back down, ready to rend Genki to shreds.
A streak of silver light lanced through the air, and Naga's hand froze in midair, the deadly claws hovering inches away from the boy's face. A choking noise came from the reptilian, and blood dripped from his gaping mouth. The crimson fluid spattered Genki's face unnoticed as the boy stared at the jeweled hilt protruding from the reptile monster's neck.
Naga's glassy, pain-filled eyes flicked to the side, and Genki somehow managed to turn his head enough to see what the reptilian was trying to look at. A few feet away, Holly stood with one arm still hanging in front of her body, panting hard. Her soft chestnut-brown eyes were locked on Naga, and her talisman no longer rested in its sheath.
The strange choking sound came from Naga's throat again, and then the reptilian began to topple slowly to the ground. As he collapsed, his skin began to glow with a dull inner radiance, and his already mangled figure twisted sharply, becoming smaller. By the time his form hit the ground, it had finished its transformation. A bloodstained dagger clattered to the floor at the foot of the new lost disc.
For a few moments, the only sound that could be heard in the mountains was the dull rasp of Holly's gasping. The girl sank to her knees, bronze eyes wavering as they misted with tears, and she stared dully down at her trembling hands, as if expecting to see evidence of what she had just done smeared in telltale crimson streaks over her palms. She let out a ragged screech of terror, then buried her face in her palms and wept with the shock of knowing what she had done. Suezo quickly moved to her side, and the eyeball monster leaned up against her comfortingly, letting her face in his side as he stroked her back, crooning a low comforting tune under his breath.
The other searchers recovered slowly, and Golem carried Mocchi over to where Genki still knelt by the unconscious Hare's side. Setting the little pink monster down on his feet, the stone giant gently took the little rabbit into his arms, ignoring the heat that radiated from the rabbit's body. Genki stared blankly up at him, then looked down at Mocchi as the younger monster latched onto his arm, and bent to comfort him.
"Genki," Pixie called, and the youth looked up as the female monster swept over to him, Tiger and Big Blue following behind her. Her gray eyes were solemn as she said, "I think it's best that you leave here as soon as possible. Whatever's left of Naga's army may come running over here once they hear about what's happened. You'll want to be long gone by then."
"Uh-hm," Genki murmured, dully nodding his head, a look of pure disbelief that this was happening on his face.
"Big Blue and I will stay in this area," Pixie continued, holding up a hand to silence the boy when he jerked his head up, eyes wide with protest. "Look kid, there's no reason to argue over this. Naga really tore this entire area up while he was ruling it. Big Blue and I will clean up the mess he's left behind, first by getting rid of any of his followers that might still be around, and second by rounding up any survivors left and helping them start over. Once we've got all of that taken care of, we'll set out to meet up with you again. You concentrate on finding the Phoenix in that time, okay?"
Genki could not reply; he simply nodded again, and turned to the others. Golem nodded back at him and lifted a still sobbing Holly and Suezo from the ground, shifting them in his arms so that they were close to the unconscious Hare, then the stone giant turned questioning eyes to Tiger. The blue wolf snorted and turned away, stalking forward to lead the other searchers from the ruins, walking with an affected step in an attempt to keep himself from limping and giving away the weakness of his body. Genki scooped up Mocchi and let the little pink monster latch onto his back, then looked back at Pixie and Big Blue one last time before taking off after his friends, his skates squealing slightly as he worked his way through the rubble, all that remained of Naga's once grand fortress.