Harlequin Rising chapter 2

Genki and Holly walked down the road towards Granity's mansion. Along the way they talked about old times, and what they had been up too lately. Holly was happy too see Genki again, everything seemed right when Genki was around. He was so cheerful, so energetic, and so… wonderful.

'NO!' Holly thought, shaking her head 'You have to focus, Naga could attack any day. We need to get Granity to help defend the village. Your reunion with Genki could wait until then.'

"So how far is it?" Genki said.

"What?" Holly said, snapping back to reality.

"To Granity's," Genki said, "how far is it."

"Oh, that, its over that hill and past the bridge. Not far at all, we'll see it when we pass over the hill."

They climbed to the top of the hill, and Genki stood there at shock. In the distance he could see an enormous mansion on the other side of a small creek with a wooden bridge across.

"That's Granity's place?" Genki said, finally catching her breath, "it's huge! I didn't know Granity was rich."

"Yeah," Holly said as they walked down the path, "It turns out that when Pixie merged with Big Blue and became Granity, she gained Big Blues knowledge of the underground, she located a big vein of gold and built this place. But I haven't seen her lately, I hope she's all right."

"Granity's fine," Genki said as they crossed the bridge and walked up the path to the mansion. "I'm sure of it. Remember she was a member of the big bad four, she knows how to take care of herself."

"I hope your right Genki."

Holly and Genki stepped up too the door and knocked on it. They waited a few minutes when the door finally opened, on the other side was a Pixie monster dressed in a white tank top with a red bow tie, a top hat, and black pants with suspenders.

"Hi Granity!" Genki said, patting the monster on the shoulder, she just looked at him and pulled his hand away from her shoulder.

"I'm not Granity you stooge, I'm Jilt." The pixie said scornfully, "Who are you? And what business do you have with Ms. Granity?"

"Oh, I get it, you must be the maid." Genki said, "Sorry, but you look kinda like Granity."

"So Ive heard." She said, her eyes narrowing.

"That's strange, I don't remember Granity having any servants before." Holly said.

"Well, I'm a recent addition to the staff. Now, who are you people."

Genki stepped up and grabbed Jilt's hand, shaking it vigorously, "My names Genki, the monster champ, My name means energy and I have plenty of it."

Jilt smiled insincerely and pulled Genki's hand off "I'm sure you do little boy."

"And I'm Holly, the mayor of a small village nearby. Me and Genki are old friends of Granity and we need to talk to her, is she available?"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Granity is unavailable at this time. Come back later."

"But it's urgent!" Holly protested, "The baddies are planning an attack and we could really use Granity's help."

"I'm sorry, but Ms. Granity is very ill, she can't be disturbed at this time."

"Ill?" Genki said, eyes widening, "That's horrible, we have too see her."

"I told you kid, Your not going in there." Jilt said, folding her arms.

"But why not?" Holly said, "Look, just go tell Granity that were here, and I'm sure she will want too see us."

"That's not gonna happen kid." Jilt said.

"WELL WHY NOT?" Genki snapped.

"Because I have explicit instructions that Ms. Granity is not to be disturbed." She smiled and leaned over to Genki, "Oh, and don't shout little boy, it's a sign of poor upbringing." She patted Genki on the head and smiled smugly.

"All right, Ive had enough." Genki said, rolling up his sleeves, "You can let us in too see Granity or..."

"MARIOMAX!" Jilt yelled. Suddenly a large Golem dressed in a black tuxedo with white trim, and a red bow tie lumbered down the stairs and too the door. Jilt looked at Genki and smiled.

"Or what?"

Genki folded his arms and looked up. "Listen too me, I don't care how many of you there are, or how big you are, WE ARENT LEAVING UNTIL WE SEE GRANITY!"

Genki and Holly landed in the creek with a big splash, fortunately for them it was deep enough for them not to hit the bottom, but not deep enough for them too drown in. As Genki bobbed to the surface, he looked up to see Mariomax standing there, sweeping his hands together, Jilt perched on his shoulder. The pair walked back to the mansion, and Genki could hear Mariomax yell as they slammed the door.

"AND STAY OUT!"

Genki and Holly climbed out of the water and sat on a nearby stone.

"Now what?" Genki said, wringing out his cap.

"I guess we head back. It's obvious were not wanted here." Holly said, dejected.

"No way! I'm not giving up that easily."

Holly smiled, 'Same old Genki all right.'

"There's something fishy about those two. " Genki said, pounding his fist in his hand, "And I think Granity may need our help after all."

"All right," Holly said, standing up, "But we need a plan."

"Your right holly, that Mariomax guy is a rough customer, and we don't even know what kind of attack Jilt has." Genki closed his eyes and thought about it. "At times like this Hare would usually come up with a plan, I wonder what he would do."

Genki looked up and down the mansion, he noticed some Ivy growing on the wall. He smiled, "Holly, I think I have a plan."

***

Genki sneaked up to the wall, he grabbed hold of the ivy and began to climb up. He smiled, Genki had kept himself in peak physical condition on earth in case he ever came back, and he was glad he thought ahead.

"Just a little further Genki." Holly yelled, "Be careful."

Genki looked down, "Don't worry, The windows just above me, once I get in, Ill come down and open the door too let you in." Genki turned back up toward the window.

He was face to Mariomax's Glaring face.

"Heh Heh," Genki laughed nervously, "Nice weather were having."

Genki landed on the ground head first, much to Holly's shock.

"Genki! Are you ok?" Holly said.

"Never better" Genki said weakly, getting to his feet, then falling back down.

***

"Hold still!" Holly said as she wrapped Genki's head in bandages.

"I can't hold still I'm thinking!" Genki said as he sat on the rock, "Hmm, let me think," suddenly get stood up, nearly knocking Holly off her feet.

"Ive got another idea!"

***

Jilt was dusting the furniture in the foyer when there was a knock at the door.

"If its those stupid kids again…" Jilt grumbled, walking too the door. When she opened the door, she found a large crate on the steps.

Inside the crate Genki and Holly were stuffed inside.

"This is never going to work Genki." Holly whispered.

"Yes it will, relax." Suddenly, the crate began to move.

"See? There bringing us inside, I told you this would work."

Suddenly, they stopped moving, and they heard heavy footsteps walking away.

"All right, lets go." Genki and Holly jumped from the crate, but they weren't inside the mansion.

They were in the back yard.

Surrounded by black Tigers.

Genki gulped "Terror Dogs, oh great."

Holly just stood there, one of the Terror dogs smiled.

"Hello dinner."

Holly screamed "RUN AWAY!"

So they did, with the terror dogs in hot pursuit.

***

"Well that was a fiasco." Holly snapped, circling around.

"Hey, I'm doing the best I can!" Genki said, rubbing his behind, (and the large hole in the seat of his pants, courtesy of the Terror dogs.)

Holly sighed, "I'm sorry Genki, I know your trying, what do you think we should do?"

"I know!" Genki said, smiling, "does the mansion have indoor plumbing?"

"Uh. Yeah I think so."

"Then, Ill go in through the sewer!"

***

Holly waited three hours, Genki came back, his shirt stained brown, flies buzzing around him.

"How'd it go?"

Genki looked down at the ground; "I don't want to talk about it."

***

"We need a new strategy." Holly said, sitting on the rock, Genki was washing his shirt in the creek.

"Yeah, but what, we've tried everything." Genki said, "These stubborn sewage stains… I KNOW! We'll go down the chimney and…"

Genki looked over his shoulder to see Holly scowling at him.

"Well, I don't see you coming up with any bright ideas!" Genki snapped, wringing his shirt and pulling it back on.

"You two crack me up."

Genki and Holly looked up to the bridge too see Niton standing there.

"Hi Niton." Genki said jumping on the bridge.

"Hey, how's my two favorite customers?"

"Fine Niton, look we don't have time to listen to your sales pitch today." Holly said. Niton rushed over too her, his eye's landing on Holly's dagger.

"Nice too see you still have that dagger Holly, looking to sell it?"

Holly clutched the dagger away and glared at Niton.

"All right," Niton said, looking down and kicking a nearby pebble, "I have bigger fish to fry."

Niton walked up to the door and knocked on it. Genki and Holly ran over to the other side of the house and leaned their heads over to watch. Jilt opened the door.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm a traveling salesman, I was wondering if the lady of the house…"

"No solicitors." Jilt said flatly, "Besides, the lady of the house is sick. No visitors."

"Shame," Niton said, turning to leave, "guess she doesn't want any of these Furs or jewelry then."

Jilt's eye's lit up. "Did you say fur's and jewelry?"

"Yeah, but you already said no." Niton said walking down the path towards the bridge. He smiled to himself, 'five, four, three, two…'

"Uh, wait!" jilt said, "Maybe I could try on the furs and jewelry, and pass them on to Ms. Granity."

"All right, lets do it!" Niton turned around and walked in.

'Heh,' Niton thought, 'Works every time.'

Holly just watched in amazement, "Now why didn't we think of that? Genki?" Holly looked up too see Genki climbing up the Ivy.

"Genki, we tried that already."

"Exactly," Genki said as he continued climbing, not looking down this time, "They wont expect us to do the same trick twice, and with Niton distracting Jilt, and with any luck Mariomax too, we can get up there, now come on! We gotta hurry before they figure out Niton is a con artist."

Holly smiled and nodded. She then got her footing and climbed upward.

***

Inside, Genki and Holly snooped around, the searched in several rooms, and they didn't like what they saw: In one room, there was what looked like a lab. Various bottles, labeled as poison, lined the shelves. Many of them uncorked and nearly empty.

"It's a poison lab." Holly gulped.

In another room, they found a large kitchen.

"Why is there a kitchen on the second floor?" Genki asked. He checked the pantry, it was filled too the brim with candies and apple cakes.

Finally they came to the master bedroom. They opened the door, it was dark, the windows boarded up. In the middle of the room was a bed with curtains around it. Heavy labored breathing coming from within.

"Granity?" Holly whispered, "Is that you?"

Genki pulled back the sheet and they gasped at what they saw.

"Granity?" is that you?" Genki said. Holly was too stunned to talk.

Granity had grown fat, her washboard stomach was now a huge round belly. Her arms, legs, and face were fat as well. Her skin was a fish belly white, and she looked much older.

"Oh Granity," Holly finally said, "What happened too you."

"Jilt… and… Mariomax." Granity wheezed, struggling to sit up, but not having the strength. "They poisoned me, in my food, feeding me drugs, fattening me up too shorten my life span. "

Holly just stood there in shock, Genki's fists shook with rage.

"Get out of here… it's too late for me." Granity said, a sleepy look in her eyes. "I, can't hold out much longer…"

"NO!" Genki punched the nearby wall, "don't you worry Granity. I'm gonna go down there and RIP IT UP!"

Genki ran out of the room and down the stairs. Granity smiled weakly.

"Genki, he hasn't changed."

"Granity, don't worry we'll get you out of here."

Granity grabbed a hold of Holly's hand.

"Holly, I want you to remember me like I was, not like this."

"Don't talk like that, your gonna make it."

Not without your help she wont.

Holly looked around, but saw no one.

"Who's there?"

Daughter of Moo, listen to me.

"Where are you? And how do you know my father was Moo?"

That isn't important right now. What is important is helping your friend.

"But… what can I do?"

You have great power, not just too find mystery disc's, but too do many other things.

"Like what?"

Like purging the toxins from your friend and restoring her strength.

Holly had her doubts, but at this point, she was willing to try anything.

"What do I do?"

Just put your hand on her stomach and concentrate. Concentrate on the warmth inside you, take all of the love and warmth in your body and push it into a ball.

Holly did as she was told, and began to glow with a bright pink light.

Now, RELEASE IT!

***

Meanwhile downstairs, Niton was cleaning house, thus far he had managed to sell several pounds of jewelry (all lead spray painted gold.), and several fur coats (flea infested.). Mariomax was checking out a new jacket he had bought off Niton in a large mirror.

"How's it look on me?"

"Oh its slimming" Niton lied.

"All right, what else you got?" Jilt said.

"HOW ABOUT A FOOT SANDWICH!"

Jilt looked up just in time too see Genki slide down the stair rail, leapt into the air, and kick her into the downstairs kitchen. Mariomax rushed to jilts side. While Niton just stood there, shocked.

"Why did you do that! They didn't even pay yet!" Niton sobbed, "Couldn't this have waited?"

"Not now Niton." Genki said, dropping into a fighting stance. In the kitchen, Mariomax was helping Jilt up.

"It looks like our secrets out Mariomax." Jilt snarled, rising to her feet.

"There goes the neighborhood."

Genki walked toward the two, Niton just ran away and hid.

"Shame on you," Genki said calmly, "How could you do that to poor Granity."

"It was easy." Mariomax said, dropping into the fighting stance. "We've had years of practice."

"Yeah," Jilt said, brushing her hair back, "This is what we do, we get some rich stooge to hire us, then we poison them and fatten them to immobility so we can spend the money! It's really quite a beautiful plan really."

"You'll never get away with this." Genki said as he approached the two monsters.

"Oh, buts that's exactly what we'll do." Jilt pulled put a whistle and blew it, suddenly the Terror dogs bounded in and surrounded Genki.

"Course, you'll be dead by then." Mariomax chuckled.

"But don't worry about your girlfriend," Jill chuckled smugly, "Well take real good care of her, and pretty sure she'll be in bed forever too, just like Granity."

"IN YOUR DREAMS!" Genki leapt into the fray of terror dogs, kicking one in the snout, and sending it spinning back. The other terror dogs leapt at him, but Genki leapt up and they rammed into each other.

"That the best you got?" Genki yelled mockingly.

He dove down into the crowd and began punching and kicking, the terror dogs launched their lightning attacks at Genki but to no avail. Genki bounded around like a ball, knocking out terror dogs, and soon they were all out like lights.

"Heh, so much for those saps." Genki said, standing atop a prone Terror dog. Suddenly Mariomax ran up and knocked him off into a wall.

"Why bother having a dog if you have to bit the burglars leg off yourself?" Mariomax snarled as he walked toward Genki. Genki looked up, that last attack had hurt him, and there was no way he could dodge this next attack, he closed his eyes as Mariomax lifted his face as…

"BIG BANG!"

Suddenly a massive energy ball flew from the top of the stairs and struck Mariomax, sending him crashing through a wall, out of the house, and turning him into a lost disc. Jilt looked up in horror to see holly, and Granity.

Jilt and Genki couldn't believe it, Granity was back to normal, Thin, young, beautiful, and very angry looking."

"But…how?" Jilt said, stumbling back and falling. "You should barley be able to breath, much less fight."

"Well, life's full of surprises, isn't it Jilt?" Granity lifted her finger towards Jilt.

"LIGHTNING!"

An arc of energy bolted from Granity's finger, hitting Jilt and turning her into a lost disc. Granity then landed next to Genki and smiled, Holly ran down the stairs, and Niton came out of the dining room, (Where he had been hiding.)

"Granity, what happened?" Genki asked, looking his old friend over.

"Holly, healed me somehow." Granity smiled and stretched, "And I feel fantastic!"

"Holly?" Genki looked over too Holly, who just shrugged and smiled.

"Don't look at me, Ive never done it before."

Niton jumped up and shook Genki's hand.

"Way too go kid, I was rooting you on the whole time."

Genki just smiled and nodded. Granity turned to Holly.

"Say holly, who were you talking too?"

Holly's smile left her.

"You mean that voice? You didn't hear it?"

"No, all I heard was you."

"I'm not sure, It just told me how too hear you, and it knew I was Moo's daughter."

Holly, Genki, Granity, and Niton just stood there in silence, then Niton perked up.

"Wait a second! You were Moo's daughter?"

***

Meanwhile on the roof, a young man dressed as a masked jester and a large red horned humanoid sat there.

"Well master, we lost Jilt and Mariomax." Demon said. Folding his arms, and scowling.

"It's no problem, they were but two pawns, some times you have too sacrifice a few minor pieces to win the game." Harlequin chuckled.

"Sacrifice too many and the other minion's will become unruly."

"That is why I have you, besides, how can I not help the daughter of Moo?"

"Your fascination with this Holly creature will get you into trouble sir."

"Maybe, but If I can get her to realize her power, it will be worth it."

"Yes, assuming she joins us. And if she doesn't?"

"You worry too much Demon, for all her power she is still nothing compared to me. If she doesn't join us, she will pay the ultimate price."

Demon smiled a toothy grin. "You will kill her."

"Oh, nothing so crude," Harlequin smiled from behind his mask, "Ill just ruin her life, reducing her to a blubbering, broken heap."

"Your such a beat Master Harlequin."

"I had a good teacher Demon."

Harlequin's laughter echoed through the valley as the pair disappeared from the roof.

Next chapter: Defend the town! Naga stands alone.