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Chapter 4: Tough Tournaments
That night I woke up... And this time it wasn't from a baddy. In fact, I wasn't sure why I woke up at all. I walked over to the pond and sat down with my hands around my knees and looking out at the sparkling water. That was really kind of that guy we didn't even know to let us stop and rest here for the night. "You can't sleep either?" Hank sighed, and sat next to me. "I was just thinking I guess." I answered, and looked over at the old but wise man. "I've always had a dream..." He admitted, and looked over at me. I nodded and he continued. "You see along time ago my wife and I use to live here with our spot dino that this young boy had given us... But Moo raided our home and killed my wife and monster. You and your bond with that spot dino reminded me of my own... In my old age it is futile that I will ever be able to change the past." He sighed, as if looking for my guidance. "You don't have to worry anymore... We're here to find the Phoenix and revive the lost monsters!" I insisted, but he shook his head. "Ganki tried that but even his courage did not preserve." He said, and looked up at the stars. "No, this necklace has the faith of the lost monsters and with it the Phoenix's power will be revived along with the monsters." I said, hoping it would show him how much I cared for the past.
"No, we all must move on and forget what is gone..." He cried, and refused to believe in my childish none sense. "No, because if we forget what is gone our love for what we lost will die and so will the Phoenix." I cried back. "The Phoenix was already dead to start with all it caused was pain and disappointment to the world. It had no power to start with." Hank crowed, thinking his point had been clear. "No, the only reason why the Phoenix lost its gift was because of people like you! People like you that after a loved one died shriveled up and became stubborn! You must believe before it can happen... That's what miracles are all about. Ganki understood that, I just don't see why you are that blind." I cried, and got up and went back to where everyone was fast asleep. I recited a line I taught myself, " There is no battle that can truly be won... There is always some kind of pain that can never be washed away." And I curled up next to Mac again and fell back to asleep.
In the morning came the silence that even softened Orion's usual hyper attitude. "Hey, where's Hank?" Abe wondered, after we had knocked on his door. "Go in quick!" I insisted, and opened the door and ran to his room. The poor old man lay there barely breathing. "Hank?" I asked, standing next to his bed. "Look I'm sorry about saying all that last night... Maybe I was wrong to-"
I started, but his soft voice quieted me. "No, it was I that was wrong. The wisdom you hold is far greater then I ever realized. If you are the leader of this team you will preserve. The faith of the monsters is sure to aid you in your quest... But it looks as if I shall not be around anymore... I am weak and it is up to you to save our Turner." Hank coughed, and I almost began to cry. I took out my crystal and looked at it. Again the mysterious colors glowed in it. "Katerina, I give you my faith for all the lost monsters to one be revitalized." He sighed, and then he was gone.
His faith became part of my crystal and I put in my pocket still not quite sure why I could have the power to keep such a thing. "I guess that's why I got cold under that coat you were talking to him." Mac realized, and I nodded. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep last night so I sat by the pond and Hank came down and we talked... That's all I want to say. Let's move on, I think he has a map that... Oh, there it is! Don't worry, he would have wanted us to get to the Phoenix as fast as possible." I half smiled, and took the map outside with the group following silently. "Alright, I think the closest town would be Riana... They have there own stadium so let's go win some money!" I called, as they smiled and moved on. As they slowly, as the day progressed, forgot about Hank he was never forgotten for me. I took out my crystal and smiled. Because he'd always be right here with me like family.
"Only about an hour now until we- Orion what are you doing?" I asked, looking at Orion who was picking flowers in a small meadow we were passing through in the mountains. "Here we all know Joey and you are going to get married to the bride...Sniff, I'm so happy." Orion laughed, and threw all the flowers over my head and everyone laughed along with him. "If I didn't know you as well as I do I would chase you around until your face was imprinted on the grass as a memorial." I insisted, and Joey came over to chat with me again. "Once again I will say it is only about an hour until we reach this town." I announced, as Orion slipped a flower in Joey's hair and began cackling at him. I began giggling and he threw his arms up. "What's so funny?" He blurted, and I pointed to his hair as Clarice and Abe caught on.
He searched around his hair until he found it and threw it down and glared at Orion. But I just couldn't stop laughing. "It's not that funny Katerina... I mean you have like five flowers in your hair." He insisted. "Yeah, but it's not as funny as you with a pretty pink flower sticking out of your head." I choked, and he to smiled. I took out my hairbrush and combed out all of the knots and ratty stuff in my hair. After I removed the flowers that Orion had thrown in his frenzy of making people laugh there heads off that is. "Practically day four you guys we might make it!" Abe sighed, as Smasher looked around curiously. "Nah, with Katerina the tofu girl we'll fail for sure." Lance growled, and the group gave him an evil look. "Well, we need food you guys so we better hurry up to Riana." I said, ignoring Lance.
It wasn't that awful long before we climbed up a huge hill after all the mountain climbing and looked out at not a town... But a city! "It's huge!" Pixie insisted, as we stared in awe. "Hey I knew we were going to make it." Joey smiled over at me. "But remember our parents probably have the police looking for four missing children, some not quite children and their monsters." Lance sighed. "Well, were not four children... We're five!" I smiled over at Lance and he nodded. "Now lets run down that hill and LIVE!" Orion laughed, and we raced each other down the hill into the city of the punks.
"Wow, this place really isn't what I had expected..." Pixie crowed, holding her nose. "Oh, come on it's not that bad." Smasher half smiled, trying to lie while one of the people from the city glared at the comment. "E-excuse me miss whe-" I tried to ask where the Stadium was but these people were rude. "Get out of my way!" She roared, and shoved me over. "That was extremely rude." I commented, and Mac nodded. "I guess we'll just have to find out where it is on our own." Joey noticed, seeing it right then and there. "THAT was the stadium? That h-huge center piece in the city is the stadium?" Mac called, and we our mouths dropped open. "Yep kids, that's the Riana Stadium, home of Hercules... The undefeated champion of the arena. No one has ever defeated him." A police man smiled, and tipped his hat to us.
"Hey there are four of you..." He insisted, about to get on his walky-talky. "No, five there's Lance here." I smiled politely. "I heard about those four missing children... It's a sad time sir. Have a nice day." I covered up, and we waved and began to leave. "Um, you too." He said, and we practically began to run away from the danger. "Whew, good cover-up Katerina, he was totally fooled." Joey panted, when we reached the side of the colossus stadium. "Thanks but I think I could have done better." I admitted, and we stood at the gate as a lady chewed gum and read a book titled, "How to Get a Guy". Talk about weird. "Um, we'd like to enter a competition please." Abe asked for us. "Oh, okay... Here are your numbers, the judge will call you accordingly. But it seems your, um, friend has no monster... It will be a five dollar fee to enter to watch the battles." She sighed, and stuck her hand out that stupid hole for the money. Lance half smiled at us for money.
"Here's five bucks now go." Abe laughed, and we went into a secret right entrance where it seemed like a basketball game room. I looked at my number and sighed. "My lucky number... Six." I sighed, and sat down on these bleacher like thing. Outside you could just here the crowd cheer as another battle slowly wheeled to an end. "And with that we will introduce the new challengers... From Team Blue we have..." He called, and a door slide open and we obviously stepped out into the morning light and the brightly lit stadium. "Katerina with Mac, Joey with Orion, Abe with Smasher, and Clarice with Pixie." He said, and moved onto the Yellow Team. "How did he know our names?" I asked. "Magic." Joey laughed, and shrugged. "Now number ones please come forth... One from separate teams. Ah, yes! It will be a battle between Abe with Smasher and Mike with Brighty." He announced, and we wished him good luck. "Ready. Set. Battle!" A girl said on the side lines of the competition. "Brow Hit!" Smasher called, missing the quick Moochi. "Slap!" It cried, and knocked Smasher up against the head. "Ha, Chop!" He called, and knocked Brighty over on its face. "Brighty is unab-" The girl started but the monster did a flip back up. Though its confidence was eternal it looked a little pale.
"Come on Smasher, bring home some money!" Abe cheered, and Smasher nodded. "W-chop finish you off!" He insisted, and Brighty flew so far back it hit the back of the stadium. "Oh, no Brighty!" Mike called, and ran to the back where he cuddled his monster sadly. "The winner is Abe with Smasher!" The announcer said, exited and Abe came back to our edge of the stadium.
This lasted for quite some time. Joey won, Clarice won, Abe lost the next one against a Naga, and now it was my turn. We had defeated all the opponents on the Yellow team and now it was Blue vs. Blue up until we reach the undefeated one... Hercules. "Alright this is quite different ladies and gentlemen. Now it is up to the Blue to slowly dwindle down to the one who will face Riana's champion... Hercules." The announcer crowed and continued. "Now it is 6 vs. hmm.... Oh, my gosh! Number 5!" He shouted, and Joey came over to the opponents side of the stadium. "I'm not holding back." I said, as Mac and I got ready for the battle of our life. " Neither am I Katerina." He sighed. "Ready. Set. Battle!" The girl called, and Mac got ready. "Eye Beam!" Orion hissed, and Mac knew exactly what to do. He leapt up into the air and called an attack. "Kick!" He shouted, and came down on Orion hard. Orion stumbled back hard and flipped back up again like the Moochi Abe went against. "Tail Slap!" Orion called, and Mac went flying up against the ground of the stadium. "Spit!" He continued to attack and Mac still hadn't got up. "Come on Mac, believe." I sighed, and that pulled him through.
"Bite!" Mac cried, flying back up and surprising Orion. "Orion appears unable to battle! Katerina wins!" The girl cheered, and Joey picked up his Suezo caringly. "Sorry Joey." I apologized, and he smiled. "Hey, it's just a battle don't worry.. No real harm done." He sighed, and my next opponent was Clarice. This continued until at last I was defeated by Smasher. I figured for he was far more experienced then me and he was able to challenge the best of the best... Hercules. Which turned out to be a Jaggernaut that was blue and white. And guess who went on undefeated? Hercules of course being the stronger of the two and we left with five hundred dollars! I got second place and even though I didn't reach the top I was proud of Mac. "You did great Mac!" I cheered, when we had found Lance out of the billions of exiting people. "Thanks, I tried my best." Mac smiled. "That's all I ask friend." I laughed, and we left from there to do some grocery shopping...