Harlequin Rising, Chapter three

"I still can't believe it!" Niton said, sipping his drink, "Your Moo's daughter."

Holly just looked down at her drink, Genki smiled and patted her on the back. They had just gotten back to Pink Eye's tavern, and Genki, Holly, Granity, and Niton were sharing a drink at the bar, trying to figure out how to deal with Naga.

"Yeah," Holly said, almost whispering.

"And that dagger," Niton said, sipping his drink again, "That belonged to Moo too?"

"Yeah," Holly said, letting out a deep sigh, Genki patted her on the back.

Niton's eyes narrowed, "You know what this mean's?"

Holly, Genki and Granity looked up to Niton.

"That dagger…. IS A COLLECTER'S ITEM!" Niton jumped up and danced on the table, then he grabbed on the table, the other's just stared at him. Niton then jumped down and hugged Holly's leg.

"Holly! Please please pretty please sell me that dagger!" Niton said hugging harder. "I thought it was valuable before, but now that I know that it belonged to Moo, It's collector's value alone will set me for life."

Holly just looked down at Niton, "You are unbelievable Niton! Naga's about too attack the village, and if your worried about my fathers dagger?"

Niton looked up, "Uh, did you say Naga?" Niton let go, grabbed his stuff and laughed nervously.

"Well, I have to get going, places to go, things to sell, but it's been a blast!" Naga began to back toward the door, but then backed into Granity.

"Your not going anywhere little Niton." Granity said, lifting up Niton.

"Granity let him go." Genki said, putting his feet up.

"What?"

"We have no right to make him fight if he doesn't want too, If we make him stay, we won't be any better than the baddies."

Granity just looked at Genki, then at Niton, then she sighed.

"Your right, he's probably to much of a wimp to fight anyway." Granity said, dropping Niton.

"WIMP?" Niton yelled, jumping up and down, "I'm no wimp! I'm plenty strong, ive got a bunch of attacks!"

"Yeah, whatever." Granity said, walking back to the table.

"I can fight all right and ill prove it!"

"So you'll stay and help?" Genki said, looking up and smiling.

"You bet I'll stay and fight!" Niton said, jumping up and down and punching air. "I cant wait till Naga shows up, Ill murdalize him, ill knock his block off, ill… ill…" Niton looked up and noticed everyone was glaring in his direction.

"Uh, something I said?"

"Look behind you Niton." Holly said, unsheathing her Dagger.

Niton slowly looked behind him, and saw Naga standing there. Niton took one look and passed out on the spot.

"I knew you were coming Naga." Holly got up and walked up to Naga, who just sneered.

"Holly, we need to discuss matter's concerning your father, In private." Naga said, folding his arms.

"Whatever business you have to discuss, you can do it here in front of my friends." Holly smiled as a cheer rose from the monsters in the tavern, Naga's eye's narrowed and the scaly ridges on his face lowered.

"Fine then, I'll tell you what I want. I want you to help me find your Father's mystery disc."

"That's impossible," Holly said, "Even if I wanted too, which I don't, I don't have a magic stone."

Naga smiled and lifted up a pendant, the pendant was a small faceted gem with a purple tinge to it.

"I found this, a magic stone, it should suffice for my, or rather, our purposes."

Holly looked at the magic stone and smiled, then she started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Naga said, gritting his teeth.

"That's not a magic stone Naga." Holly said.

"It's… not?"

"Nope, it's a fake."

Naga gritted his teeth, "I don't believe you, this is a trick."

Holly just smiled and laughed again. Genki stared at her.

'That's strange.' Genki thought, 'Holly seems meaner now. I wonder what happened to her.'

"I'm sorry Naga" Holly said, smiling, "But that magic stone's a phony, a fake, just like you! Ya wannabe has been of a baddie!"

Naga snarled and lifted up holly "IVE HEARD ENOUGH!" Naga bellowed and threw holly across the room.

"That's enough!" Genki jumped up and leapt at Naga.

"Let's do this!" Granity leapt at Naga, and they both kicked Naga, knocking him into the street.

Meanwhile, in the bar, Blue hare was helping Holly up.

"Holly, what on earth were you thinking, provoking him like that?" Pink eye said, looking at the battle in the street.

"I… don't know, I've felt strange ever since I healed Granity at the mansion. But, I think I'm better now, what's going on?"

"Well, Naga is kicking Granity's and Genki's but for one."

"Are there any more baddies?"

"No, I don't think so." Blue hare said.

Holly got up and walked over to Niton.

"Niton, wake up, we need your help."

Niton just lay there, Holly grew angry.

"I said get up now!" Holly yelled, shaking Niton, who came too with a bolt.

"Ok! Ok! I'm up! Jeez, you don't have to be so mean!"

"Mean?" Holly said, her anger subsiding.

'Niton's right,' Holly thought too herself, 'I was being mean, what's happening to me?'

***

"Lightning!"

Granity yelled, firing an arc of energy at Naga, who barley dodged it. Then Genki leapt up and kicked Naga in the face, sending him reeling back.

"I remember you were a lot faster before. " Genki said, standing upright with his hands on his waist, "I get the distinct feeling your not putting your all in this."

"Just wait, I'm barley warmed up!" Naga hissed, he then swung his tail, knocking Genki off his feet. He then brought his sledgehammer of a tail down on Genki again and again.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Granity yelled, lunging at Naga. Naga and Granity traded blows for several minutes, but Granity could not withstand the blows like Naga, and was felled.

"Heh, so much for them." Naga looked up, "Now, where's Holly?"

"VIOLENT SHELL!" Naga turned around just in time too see Niton, curled up in his shell, ram into his body and knock him back into a nearby building.

"Great shot Niton!" Genki said getting, up. Holly ran past them and too Naga.

"I hope he's not hurt." Holly said aloud. He looked over Naga, who suddenly sprung too life and grabbed her.

"I'll kill you!"

"I doubt it." Holly said calmly.

"What? I'm Naga! I'm the strongest member of the big bad four!"

"You were, but there is no big bad four anymore, There are no more baddies anymore, there isn't a Moo anymore Naga. And you know what else, I think the reason you haven't given it your all is because your heart just isn't in this sort of thing anymore."

"I am Naga! The most fearsome warrior ever to live! My army will crush you!"

"What army? You're the only one here."

Naga gulped.

"I don't think you can hold an army together without Moo, I think they all ran off when they heard Genki was here."

'She knows!' Naga swallowed hard, then his eye's narrowed again.

"You will die!"

"Then go ahead and do it."

Naga just held her for a longest time, he held his stinger tail up to her face, he pulled it back, and…

"I CAN'T!"

Naga threw Holly down and broke into tears, Holly looked there stunned.

"Naga, you're crying." Holly said, realizing just then how cold she had been to Naga.

"Naga, I'm sorry," Holly said, reaching out too the baddie. He swatted her hand away.

"Just… LEAVE ME ALONE!" Naga bellowed. Then, sobbing, Naga slithered out of Town. Granity, Niton, and Genki just stood there too stunned to talk.

"In all my year's on the big bad four, Ive never seen Naga act like THAT." Granity finally said.

"It's… my fault." Holly said under her breath. Holly then ran in the direction Naga went.

"Holly! Where are you going?" Genki yelled.

"Too talk to Naga, I want too apologize too him."

"Apologize? Too Naga?" Genki tried to run after her, but Granity stopped her.

"Let her go Genki. She knows what she's doing."

Granity looked up and saw Holly running after Naga.

"At least I think I do."

***

Meanwhile, In a nearby cave far out of town, Harlequin and Demon stood over Dragon bones in a dark cave.

"Master, are you sure this is wise?" Demon said, leaning against a rock as Harlequin chanted.

"Of course, This is the perfect creature to help awaken Holly's untapped powers."

Suddenly, weed bounded in.

"Ah, weed, nice to see you," Harlequin said, turning back, "Report."

"Sir, Naga failed to defeat them, it's as you suspected, he's gone soft without Moo."

"And Holly?"

"She was acting really mean and nasty sir."

Harlequin smiled, "Excellent, It would seem use of the power she inherited from her father has begun to have an effect on her."

"So our priority is too make her use her power more often?" Demon said.

"Absolutely," Harlequin chuckled, suddenly the dragon bones in the cave began to rise and stand upright in the cave.

"And this is the perfect creature to help unlock her powers."

Next chapter: Naga reforms! Attack of the undead dragon.