When Destiny Calls: First of the Four: Pixie Triumphant
By Cale Kuecker (Ashertye@aol.com)
Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Rancher, nor do I own any of the characters from the series. Tecmo owns them. As to the new characters and monsters, yes I do own them, so if you want them to be guest characters in your fanfiction, you've got to ask me first. Also, I have never played any of the monster rancher games; so all the information I have to go on is the anime. That said, you'll understand if I take certain liberties with the rules of the monster rancher universe.
Author's Note: I guess by now everyone has guessed "Vegicite's Victim" 's special guest star. I know it was easy for those of you who are fans of Scooby Doo. It's that lovable beatnik/grunge/hippy/whatever, Norville "Shaggy" Rogers. Now let's see if you can find guest in this one.
Summary: The searchers have learned of a place called "The Pits" where humans toil in the service of one of Moo's generals, Pixie. With Hare still on the disabled list, the searchers attempt to rescue the humans, but Pixie has other plans.
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"I serve no one, I only do what I desire. I am PIXIE!"
-Pixie, "My Name Is Pixie"
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"Exploration, experimentation, exploration, exclamation!" sang a voice that was highly off-key so loudly that it startled the formerly sleeping searchers.
"What in the world is that!" an irritated voice said as its owner, a human boy in a white shirt and orange baseball cap, got up. As Genki's sleepy eyes gained focus, he noticed his comrades were also awakening in much the same mood.
"Genki, I swear if you don't cut off that wailing I'll..."
"It's not me, Gray," the human boy told his wolf-like companion, instead pointing up the trail towards two figures who were fast approaching. One was obviously human, and looked to be about the same age as Genki. Flame red hair and a wider than wide smile we the first things the boy noticed, the second being the human's bizarre (for this world at least) attire. A white tank top and black shorts with no shoes or socks adorned the human as she (after some debate Genki decided it was a girl by the voice) took giant steps down the road, occasionally flipping over to walk on her hands. Beside her, hovering off ground as he moved was a bronze and black colored henger. The robotic monster's single eye was carefully sweeping the area, as if searching for something before it noticed the small group of seven camped out in its path.
"Oh, hello there," said the stranger.
"Edward, we shouldn't stop, who knows how close the baddies are and I shudder to think what they'll do to us if they find us" the henger said as it came closer to group, closely mimicked by the girl. The machine monster was clearly scanning them, and Gray Wolf even noticed his weapons arming, as if expecting ambush. The silver wolf's concentration was broken however as he suddenly found himself staring into a pair of the biggest red eyes he'd ever seen. The girl had managed to move so close to him that, had he wished, he could have licked her nose with no effort. For a few seconds he looked at her, staring at the bizarre expression on her face.
"PUPPY DOG!!" the girl suddenly screamed, a huge grin on her face. Few things ever startled the veteran warrior anymore, so it was a surprise to find himself tumbling head over heels backwards away from the red headed human.
"Edward please," the henger reprimanded as the searchers suddenly broke into a fit of laughter. "What have I told you about violating other people's and monster's personal space."
"Ed is sorry Captain, but Ed has never seen a silvery wolf before," the girl who's name was Edward replied, hopping back over to the henger like a frog.
"My apologies sirs, my trainer here meant no harm," Captain said.
"Oh well then you can tell her I meant no harm when I fry her skinny..." Gray Wolf angrily began before Joshua's giant hand clamped his mouth shut.
"Gray Wolf!" the big human snapped, sensing the wolf's overreaction. "It's all right, children will be children I suppose."
"Hey!" came Genki's indignant reply.
"I must say I am a bit surprised to find you, though. With Moo in control of the continent, most of the large groups traveling these roads are his baddies," Captain continued. "We were actually afraid you were bounty hunters in disguise."
"Bounty hunters?"
"Yes, I'm afraid Miss Edward and myself are wanted quite badly by Moo's forces," the henger explained.
"Gee I wonder why," a sarcastic Genki replied as Edward pulled his cheeks. The young boy rounded on his assailant, grabbing her wrists. "Will you stop that!" Ed didn't seem at all surprised by the searcher's actions however, and instead smiled.
"You're funny," she said before she planted a kiss right on Genki's lips. Too shocked to react, Genki was unable to hold onto the girl, who cart wheeled out of his grasp and straight into Mocchi rolling him up in the process as she ended up on her back spinning him in the air with her feet. The baby monster squealed in delight as he was held in the air.
"So why is Moo after you?" Hare asked from where he lay by the embers of the campfire. The lapine monster was still recovering from the effects of the vegicite in his system, and thus was conserving his energy.
"Miss Edward and I have been responsible for freeing several of Moo's slaves and being general pains in his side. Last I heard the reward had jumped to two thousand gold and advancement through three ranks."
"It doesn't look like she's that dangerous?" Joshua said as he watched Mocchi and Ed begin rolling around on the ground.
"Oh, don't let her appearance fool you. Miss Edward is a genius at strategy and planning."
"Genius genius, Edward is a genius!" the girl cried, echoed by Mocchi.
"Now if I may be so bold as to ask, where are you going?" the henger asked.
"We're on a quest to find the phoenix so it can stop Moo," Genki said, familiarity taking over the boy's behavior.
"Well then, I am indeed very happy to meet you," Captain said. "But I should warn you not to expect much help from others. Most of the residents left on this continent no longer have the will to fight Moo and his forces. Even the ones we free only barely acknowledge what we've done."
"So can you tell us where we're heading?" Joshua asked.
"If you continue down this road for seven point five miles, you will come to a horrid place called the Pits. It's said to be the home base for one of Moo's Big Bad Four."
"Who are Moo's Big Bad Four?"
"I don't know each one's identity, but they're four monsters who act as Moo's generals, commanding his armies as he commands them. All are advanced monsters, said to be able to reduce whole groups of monsters to cinders with one attack. Now, if you'll excuse us, we do have to go." With those words, Captain grabbed Edward, lifting her to her feet and started down the road again, leaving the searchers to digest this new information.
"Bye."
"Good riddance," Gray Wolf called. The searchers began to gather their things as they prepared to continue their journey.
"All right, are we ready?!" Genki called to his friends.
"Yes!" came the reply as they started down the path.
"Umm, I have a question," Pink Eye interrupted as he realized the direction they were moving in. "If that henger just told us all we'd find in this direction was trouble, why are we headed this way?"
"Because this is also the direction the Magic Stone is pointing us," Joshua answered.
"I'd hate to have to fight some super-baddy just to pass through his territory," Pink Eye said.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it Pink." Once more the searchers continued down the path. For hours they traveled, making good time through the forest. Suddenly, the sound of digging came to each ones' ears as they came to a break in the woods.
"Stay here," Gray Wolf commanded. "I'll go check it out." The silver wolf crouched down and silently made his way to the break. It proved to lead to a ledge that overlooked a huge hole in the ground. Inside the hole, Gray Wolf could see what looked like about a hundred humans toiling away, digging up mystery disks under the watchful eyes of many clay monsters. The jell/worm hybrids were merciless, using their whip- like arms to punish their charges for even the slightest deviation from the work before them. Though the silver wolf had no love for humans, even he felt an anger rise in him at the actions being displayed for him. Gray Wolf quietly backed up, returning to his friends. "I think we've found the Pit that henger was talking about. I counted about forty-two clays. Our best bet would be to avoid them, go around."
"No," Genki said. "We can't leave those people as slaves. We've got to at least attempt to rescue them."
"I'm as into stopping Moo as anyone kid," Joshua said. "But we can't help them if we get captured ourselves."
"No one deserves to be a slave," Golem said. "We are free, we must make sure others we find are as well."
"I have to side with Joshua," Pink Eye said. "I main mission is to stop Moo and we can't do that as slaves. Even if it seems cold-hearted, we have to leave them alone."
"Help them chi!" said Mocchi, standing next to his trainer. Everyone looked at Hare, the last one with a vote to cast.
"If we're gonna do this," Hare started, "we're gonna need a plan."
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"GET BACK TO WORK!" yelled an angry clay as his whip arm struck a human slave's back.
"Please, I'm so thirsty," the human said. "I just need a drink of water." The human dropped the seven mystery disks he'd been carrying, shattering one of them as he did so.
"CLUMSY OAF!" Another lash mark appeared on the slave's back as the clay struck again. Two more humans ran up to the fallen one, one carrying a wheelbarrow as they quickly gathered six remaining mystery disks.
"Please sir, he didn't mean any disrespect," one of the new arrivals said.
"Yes it won't happen again sir."
"Pathetic weaklings. You were put here to dig, not drink," the clay spat out before moving on. Suddenly, a very large rock slammed into the clay, crushing it. Of course, considering the pliant and adaptable nature of his jell like body, the clay was not killed but splattered. Quickly the brown puddle of monster reformed into it's human form. "Who dares attack a warrior of Moo!?!
"Yoohoo," called Golem from atop the walls of the hole. On top of him stood Genki waving his hands and jumping to attract the baddies' attention.
"Clays, we're under attack!!" The clay yelled. All over the pit brown puddles rose and formed into clay monsters, each one looking angry as they began to move forward. Golem retreated with Genki as three fourths of the jell hybrids surged at them. As soon as the jells were gone, Hare and Pink Eye quietly teleported into the largest cluster of humans.
"What are you doing?" one of the humans asked as hare began to pick the lock on his chains.
"Will you be quiet," Hare said. "We're trying to set you free, and you're trying to get us caught."
"Are you nuts? Do you have any idea what the clays will do to us if we try to escape?"
"Huh?" Hare asked. "I don't expect you to say thank you, but a little appreciation would be nice." Suddenly, the beam of Gray Wolf's arctic blast attack howled over the pit, sending five frozen clays crashing into the ground. Close behind came Gray Wolf himself, charging into the remaining clays like a furry comet. Behind him came several of the clays that had been previously lead away. At the end of line were the rest of the searchers, attempting to cut off the baddies.
"What happened?" Pink Eye asked Joshua as he passed.
"What are the odds we'd come across a group of jell-types that could figure out a diversion."
"Okay, new plan guys," Genki said as he slammed into a clay. As another clay moved to attack him, Hare jumped into a roundhouse kick and knocked the muddy monster's head off his shoulders. The decapitated monster felt for his head on his shoulders as he stumbled away unable to see where he was going. Another clay attacked, his whip-arm raised high over his head as he dove for the lapine, only to find himself blocked by Pink Eye's mouth. The suezo/pixie was quick, spitting the amorphous monster out and into a rock. Meanwhile, Genki had his hands full as five clays ganged up on him. It was all the boy could do to dodge the attacks of the mud monsters. Suddenly, a gelatinous rope caught the boy's leg, tripping him and sending him crashing to the ground. The clays quickly moved to surround the boy, only to be knocked away by Mocchi in roller ball mode. The pink monster bounced into the air as he unrolled his body and began to spin in the air.
"CHERRY BLOSSOM BLIZZARD CHI!!" the child monster yelled as high speed winds began to get whipped up, carrying soft pink petals as it slammed into each of the jell hybrids in turn sending them flying away.
"Mocchi, how did you do that?" Genki asked, a bit stunned by the attack Mocchi had displayed.
"I didn't know I could do that chi," answered Mocchi, more than a bit surprised, and excited, over his new attack. A few more clays charged the duo, only to be knocked away by another blizzard of petals. More and more gusts of wind and flower parts slammed into the clays driving them backward as though they were mere paper.
"Retreat!" the captain clay yelled as he and the rest of his troops beat a very hasty retreat from the pit, leaving behind the human workers.
"We WON!!" Mocchi cheered, bouncing high into the air, Genki right behind him.
"You shouldn't have done that," said a beefy man dressed in rags as he approached the duo.
"What do you mean?" asked Genki. "We set you free."
"Don't you know what'll happen now. Pixie's gonna obliterate us for daring to oppose her."
"We have to figure out a way to make her understand this isn't our fault," another human said. "Then we can probably get off with only a few deaths."
"You can't be serious, you're free now. You gotta fight to stay free." The clear eyed boy jumped up onto a large boulder so he could be heard. "You can't just bow down and roll over for some bully." Genki hoped to get the former slaves into some sort of need to fight, as he'd done with a group of friends back on earth under similar circumstances.
"What would you know about the situation, you're just a kid?" asked one of the adults.
"Yeah, if we just do what we're told, we're left alone. Don't make waves, don't get hurt."
"A typical human idea," Gray Wolf said, disgust in his voice. "Makes me sick to think YOU'RE supposed to be the dominated species on this planet."
"Watch it wolfie," the human said as he stamped forward, ready to attack the wolf.
"What are you gonna do, sit up and beg," Gray Wolf growled back.
"HOLD IT!" came another voice. Another man dressed in rags, this one sporting dirty blonde hair as he put a huge arm in between the two. "We don't need any bloodshed, especially now."
"Mickey, you can't possibly be agreeing with these people," the hot head said. "You know what Mistress Pixie is like when she gets upset."
"What's done is done," Mickey countered. "If we're to get punished no matter what, I say we take our chances on the open road."
"But we could..."
"We could get killed either way," Mickey said. "I say we go for it." Mickey then turned toward the searchers. "I thank you for helping us gain our freedom."
"I have a question," Hare said. "I don't remember the Pits extending this far from the old ruins."
"This isn't the Pits, thank goodness," answered the human. "It's just hole in the ground they found some mystery disks." The former slaves began to leave. "With any luck we'll be able to free the humans there later. For now, we'd best leave before Pixie sends more of Moo's baddies to recapture us."
"Don't worry, we'll save your friends," proclaimed Genki.
"There he goes again," Pink Eye muttered. "Volunteering us without regard for danger. On the other hand, with a name like Pixie, how tough can this baddy be?"
"If you ask me, you're the one who's going to get us killed eyeball," Joshua said.
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"Master, the human slaves of quarry three have escaped," Captain Clay said, his voice and body quivering as he gazed at the red-haired beauty that sat on the elevated obsidian throne above him. The pixie monster's face was almost the picture of neutrality, but her eyes betrayed her, with their angry glinting that sent shivers up the clay's nonexistent spine. Beside her stood a golem type monster. His slate gray eyes and ice blue rock skin marked him as a Big Blue, Pixie's right hand monster and bodyguard. He might as well have been part of the wall for all that he stood out. The golem/tiger simply stood, arms at his side, listening to all that transpired in the throne room. Captain Clay knew, however, that the ice-rock monster could move like lightning when his mistress was in danger.
"I see, and I assume you have successfully rounded up the slaves if you're here," Pixie said, already knowing the answer.
"Well... uh... no... I felt it more prudent to report to you of the matter. But we did manage to recapture one."
"And tell me, why would I prefer you HERE when you could be out rounding up those humans again?"
"The slaves... they were helped... by some rebels." At those words, Pixie actually seemed interested in what the quivering liquid monster was saying.
"Rebels? How many rebels?"
"Oh, thousands," Captain Clay began. "My troops were far outnumbered by them, that's why we had to retreat." Pixie's eyes closed as she considered what her subordinate had said.
"You're lying," she concluded, her voice ice cold.
"No... No I...," the clay began to stammer.
"It doesn't matter," Pixie said as he emerald eyes opened, and she lifted her hand into the air. A slender finger pointed to the ceiling as a small ball of white light formed at it's tip.
"Please... I'm sorry... I beg forgiveness," the fearful clay whimpered.
"Be gone," she hissed as the ball of light flew toward the hapless clay. The monster screamed as the energy ball burned him, destroyed him, reduced him to a lost disk that joined the many adorning Pixie's dark throne room. The winged maiden stood then. "It would seem the searchers have made an appearance in my territory." Pixie turned to her assistant. "Big Blue, ready my forces, I will go and destroy these upstarts for Moo."
"Master Pixie, there is no need for you to sully your hands on such trash," Big Blue said as he walked to his master. "I am more than capable of handling this for you myself."
"I don't doubt that in the least my sapphire friend, but I have spent entirely too much time in this stuffy castle. It will do me good to get out and stretch my wings for a bit, even if it is to battle some trash."
"Very well Master Pixie."
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The rebels had been walking for hours, and still had not come across anything or anyone else.
"I don't like this," Gray Wolf said as they walked through the ravine that lead out of the quarry.
"You don't like anything," pointed out Pink Eye.
"I really don't like this," answered the silver wolf. "This place is too narrow, it's too easy to get yourself killed here."
"Why do you say things like that?" Hare asked. "Don't you know it's bad luck?"
"In my experience we make our own luck," Gray Wolf retorted. Suddenly, the wolf stopped in his tracks. "Do you hear that?"
"What?" Genki asked, straining to listen for whatever his wolfish companion was hearing.
"Sounds like a rumbling... like... thunder," Hare commented as he listened.
"No... It's a chariot," said Gray Wolf.
"You can tell that just by listening to the sound it makes?" Pink Eye asked, doubt in his voice and a skeptical look on his face.
"That... and I can see it coming," the wolf said, pointing ahead. Sure enough, off in the distance, a cloud of dust was rising as a chariot, pulled by a team of four dinos with an ice-blue golem type at the reigns. On the big blue's shoulder sat a pixie monster, her red hair flying in the wind. All around, clays and dinos were keeping up with the chariot, each one looking ready for battle.
"Hide!" Genki yelled and all seven quickly complied. Pink Eye halted only for a moment to use his teleportation power to get the slower moving Golem to safety. The procession stopped right were the searcher had been.
"You might as well come out! We know you are here! Master Pixie demands your immediate surrender and I would suggest you comply, or you'll regret your impudence!" the sapphire giant bellowed. Meanwhile, behind a large boulder, the seven searchers hunched together, hidden from view.
"He's nuts if he thinks we're just gonna surrender," said Genki, poking his head up from their hiding spot. What he saw made his heart skip a beat. Also sitting in the chariot, tied to a stake, was Mickey. "Guys we've got a problem. They have Mickey."
"What?"
"Come out, or your friend will suffer a fate worse than death," Pixie proclaimed, her clawed hand caressing the human's throat. Genki turned back to his friends.
"What should we do? We can't just leave Mickey in their claws, we're responsible for getting him into this in the first place.
"We'll get him out of there," Joshua said. "We just have to figure out how."
"I'm growing bored waiting for you," Pixie called. "If this human's life is so unimportant to you, perhaps I should just put him out of his misery and unleash my army to find you itself. I'll give you two minutes to decide his fate."
"That's it, just let me at her," Gray Wolf growled as he prepared to launch himself at the baddies.
"Gray Wolf wait!" Hare said as he grabbed the wolf's tail.
"Grrr!"
"Here me out. They outnumber us about twenty to one. Even at our best we couldn't handle that many. And there's a good chance we and Mickey would end up dead."
"I'll take a chance to his definite death any day," Gray Wolf countered.
"There is another option," the brown lapine said. "We surrender."
"WHAT!?!" The searchers said in unison.
"Have you flipped rabbit?" Pink Eye asked.
"Hear me out. We don't have time to come up with a good plan now, so we surrender and save his life, than we come up with a plan for escape later."
"Sounds like a coward's way out of trouble," Gray Wolf said.
"And you're idea sounds like the insane raving of a nihilist. Genki would you?" The boy poked his head up over the rock, careful to stay hidden from the baddies view.
"What guarantee do we have that you'll let our friend go if we surrender?" He yelled, the echo of the ravine hiding his voice's point of origin.
"I promise to release him," Pixie said in a very sweet voice. "But you need to decide quickly, you only have one minute left." One more time, Genki looked back at his friends, hoping for some alternative, but seeing none.
"All right, we're coming out!" the boy yelled. Carefully, he and his friends made their way out into the open, their arms raised in surrender. Swiftly the clays fell upon them, shackling each of the searchers in turn until only Genki and Mocchi remained free.
"Grrr, I hate this. I'd give anything to just start blasting puddles left and right," Gray Wolf said as he felt the heavy irons on his legs. Suddenly, Hare elbowed the lupine in the ribs.
"Be quiet," he said. "The plan is surrender now, fight later."
"Wait, you promised to let Mickey go?"
"Huh?" Pixie said, a false confusion in her voice. "Oh... this." On cue, Mickey, stake and all morphed into a clay.
"What? Where's Mickey?"
"I'm afraid the human is on his way to Master Moo's castle to receive punishment for attempting to escape."
"But you promised!" At those words, Pixie just smiled, a wicked, evil smile.
"I lied." Genki could not take it, and he lunged for Pixie only to be knocked away by one of Big Blue's massive hands.
"Impudent whelp. How dare you think to harm Master Pixie." The golem/tiger hybrid lifted moved to finish off the boy, only to be stopped by Pixie's hand.
"No Big Blue, I'll teach this brat a lesson." The bat-winged woman leapt from her loyal servant's shoulder as she streaked towards Genki, her foot connecting with his chin and sending him sprawling backwards. The purebred general circled around for another strike, but before she could land another attack, Mocchi knocked his trainer out of the way. Now that he had time to recover, Genki quickly got back to his skate-clad feet. The dark haired boy met the pixie's next charge with one of his own, going into a jump kick to strike her on the chin, sending her to the ground.
"MASTER PIXIE!!" Big Blue bellowed as he moved to help his master. His worry proved needless, however, as Pixie quickly recovered, an angry look on her face.
"Stay back Big Blue, that's an order!" the baddy commanded. "You will pay for that boy, no one strikes Pixie and lives." The female monster charged, activating her hyper-speed attack to move at blinding speed toward the boy and his monster.
"Genki look out!" Gray Wolf yelled, too late to help though. Pixie snatched the boy by the neck and grabbed Mocchi's leg, ascending into the air like a missile with her two captives.
"Kiss you're short lives good-bye," Pixie hissed as she spun around in the air before letting go of both and sending them flying into the canyon far away.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" the children screamed as they fell through the hole in the ground.
"GENKI!! MOCCHI!!" The searchers cried in unison as Pixie landed.
"Load them into the chariot's wagon. The human will be a slave, and Master Moo will turn the monsters into baddies. Saddened by their loss, the searchers were easy to force onto the wagon, even Gray Wolf. Pixie watched the procession, a smile on her face as she looked over her new captives. Suddenly, her eyes fell on Hare, who was busy looking over the horizon, as if hoping to see Genki racing back. He normally calm face was violated, just for an instant, by another look. It would have been indecipherable to any monster that might have seen it, save for the one that did notice. Big Blue had seen the expression only one time before on his master, a long time ago, when the kingdom had fallen before her powerful onslaught. Recognition. Pixie's face returned to it's normal neutral expression as she alighted on her bodyguard's shoulder.
"Master Pixie?" Big Blue asked, a touch of concern in his gravely voice.
"Take the rebels to their cells in my castle's dungeon... But bring the purebred hare to my chambers."
"Master?"
"Just do it!" She commanded as the procession retreated, leaving the ravine in total darkness, save for a pair of demon blue eyes.
To be continued...
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New Monster File.
Imp-mew/monol- This small and illusive creature has a mischievous personality and is known to use night to pull all manner of pranks on others. While it starts out as one of the weakest of the monster breeds, with proper training it can become a truly fearsome opponent. They are known to be particularly fond of playing tricks on evil hares.
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Well there you go. Pixie has been introduced and the searchers may have lost Genki and Mocchi.... Oh come on, you know they're still alive. They're the stars of the show, what can kill them. But just what is it that Pixie wants Hare for (get your minds out of the gutter)? And just what are those eyes? Be here next time when the searchers must defeat the first of the four in When Destiny Calls: First of the Four: Fight for Freedom. See ya.
By Cale Kuecker (Ashertye@aol.com)
Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Rancher, nor do I own any of the characters from the series. Tecmo owns them. As to the new characters and monsters, yes I do own them, so if you want them to be guest characters in your fanfiction, you've got to ask me first. Also, I have never played any of the monster rancher games; so all the information I have to go on is the anime. That said, you'll understand if I take certain liberties with the rules of the monster rancher universe.
Author's Note: I guess by now everyone has guessed "Vegicite's Victim" 's special guest star. I know it was easy for those of you who are fans of Scooby Doo. It's that lovable beatnik/grunge/hippy/whatever, Norville "Shaggy" Rogers. Now let's see if you can find guest in this one.
Summary: The searchers have learned of a place called "The Pits" where humans toil in the service of one of Moo's generals, Pixie. With Hare still on the disabled list, the searchers attempt to rescue the humans, but Pixie has other plans.
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"I serve no one, I only do what I desire. I am PIXIE!"
-Pixie, "My Name Is Pixie"
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"Exploration, experimentation, exploration, exclamation!" sang a voice that was highly off-key so loudly that it startled the formerly sleeping searchers.
"What in the world is that!" an irritated voice said as its owner, a human boy in a white shirt and orange baseball cap, got up. As Genki's sleepy eyes gained focus, he noticed his comrades were also awakening in much the same mood.
"Genki, I swear if you don't cut off that wailing I'll..."
"It's not me, Gray," the human boy told his wolf-like companion, instead pointing up the trail towards two figures who were fast approaching. One was obviously human, and looked to be about the same age as Genki. Flame red hair and a wider than wide smile we the first things the boy noticed, the second being the human's bizarre (for this world at least) attire. A white tank top and black shorts with no shoes or socks adorned the human as she (after some debate Genki decided it was a girl by the voice) took giant steps down the road, occasionally flipping over to walk on her hands. Beside her, hovering off ground as he moved was a bronze and black colored henger. The robotic monster's single eye was carefully sweeping the area, as if searching for something before it noticed the small group of seven camped out in its path.
"Oh, hello there," said the stranger.
"Edward, we shouldn't stop, who knows how close the baddies are and I shudder to think what they'll do to us if they find us" the henger said as it came closer to group, closely mimicked by the girl. The machine monster was clearly scanning them, and Gray Wolf even noticed his weapons arming, as if expecting ambush. The silver wolf's concentration was broken however as he suddenly found himself staring into a pair of the biggest red eyes he'd ever seen. The girl had managed to move so close to him that, had he wished, he could have licked her nose with no effort. For a few seconds he looked at her, staring at the bizarre expression on her face.
"PUPPY DOG!!" the girl suddenly screamed, a huge grin on her face. Few things ever startled the veteran warrior anymore, so it was a surprise to find himself tumbling head over heels backwards away from the red headed human.
"Edward please," the henger reprimanded as the searchers suddenly broke into a fit of laughter. "What have I told you about violating other people's and monster's personal space."
"Ed is sorry Captain, but Ed has never seen a silvery wolf before," the girl who's name was Edward replied, hopping back over to the henger like a frog.
"My apologies sirs, my trainer here meant no harm," Captain said.
"Oh well then you can tell her I meant no harm when I fry her skinny..." Gray Wolf angrily began before Joshua's giant hand clamped his mouth shut.
"Gray Wolf!" the big human snapped, sensing the wolf's overreaction. "It's all right, children will be children I suppose."
"Hey!" came Genki's indignant reply.
"I must say I am a bit surprised to find you, though. With Moo in control of the continent, most of the large groups traveling these roads are his baddies," Captain continued. "We were actually afraid you were bounty hunters in disguise."
"Bounty hunters?"
"Yes, I'm afraid Miss Edward and myself are wanted quite badly by Moo's forces," the henger explained.
"Gee I wonder why," a sarcastic Genki replied as Edward pulled his cheeks. The young boy rounded on his assailant, grabbing her wrists. "Will you stop that!" Ed didn't seem at all surprised by the searcher's actions however, and instead smiled.
"You're funny," she said before she planted a kiss right on Genki's lips. Too shocked to react, Genki was unable to hold onto the girl, who cart wheeled out of his grasp and straight into Mocchi rolling him up in the process as she ended up on her back spinning him in the air with her feet. The baby monster squealed in delight as he was held in the air.
"So why is Moo after you?" Hare asked from where he lay by the embers of the campfire. The lapine monster was still recovering from the effects of the vegicite in his system, and thus was conserving his energy.
"Miss Edward and I have been responsible for freeing several of Moo's slaves and being general pains in his side. Last I heard the reward had jumped to two thousand gold and advancement through three ranks."
"It doesn't look like she's that dangerous?" Joshua said as he watched Mocchi and Ed begin rolling around on the ground.
"Oh, don't let her appearance fool you. Miss Edward is a genius at strategy and planning."
"Genius genius, Edward is a genius!" the girl cried, echoed by Mocchi.
"Now if I may be so bold as to ask, where are you going?" the henger asked.
"We're on a quest to find the phoenix so it can stop Moo," Genki said, familiarity taking over the boy's behavior.
"Well then, I am indeed very happy to meet you," Captain said. "But I should warn you not to expect much help from others. Most of the residents left on this continent no longer have the will to fight Moo and his forces. Even the ones we free only barely acknowledge what we've done."
"So can you tell us where we're heading?" Joshua asked.
"If you continue down this road for seven point five miles, you will come to a horrid place called the Pits. It's said to be the home base for one of Moo's Big Bad Four."
"Who are Moo's Big Bad Four?"
"I don't know each one's identity, but they're four monsters who act as Moo's generals, commanding his armies as he commands them. All are advanced monsters, said to be able to reduce whole groups of monsters to cinders with one attack. Now, if you'll excuse us, we do have to go." With those words, Captain grabbed Edward, lifting her to her feet and started down the road again, leaving the searchers to digest this new information.
"Bye."
"Good riddance," Gray Wolf called. The searchers began to gather their things as they prepared to continue their journey.
"All right, are we ready?!" Genki called to his friends.
"Yes!" came the reply as they started down the path.
"Umm, I have a question," Pink Eye interrupted as he realized the direction they were moving in. "If that henger just told us all we'd find in this direction was trouble, why are we headed this way?"
"Because this is also the direction the Magic Stone is pointing us," Joshua answered.
"I'd hate to have to fight some super-baddy just to pass through his territory," Pink Eye said.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it Pink." Once more the searchers continued down the path. For hours they traveled, making good time through the forest. Suddenly, the sound of digging came to each ones' ears as they came to a break in the woods.
"Stay here," Gray Wolf commanded. "I'll go check it out." The silver wolf crouched down and silently made his way to the break. It proved to lead to a ledge that overlooked a huge hole in the ground. Inside the hole, Gray Wolf could see what looked like about a hundred humans toiling away, digging up mystery disks under the watchful eyes of many clay monsters. The jell/worm hybrids were merciless, using their whip- like arms to punish their charges for even the slightest deviation from the work before them. Though the silver wolf had no love for humans, even he felt an anger rise in him at the actions being displayed for him. Gray Wolf quietly backed up, returning to his friends. "I think we've found the Pit that henger was talking about. I counted about forty-two clays. Our best bet would be to avoid them, go around."
"No," Genki said. "We can't leave those people as slaves. We've got to at least attempt to rescue them."
"I'm as into stopping Moo as anyone kid," Joshua said. "But we can't help them if we get captured ourselves."
"No one deserves to be a slave," Golem said. "We are free, we must make sure others we find are as well."
"I have to side with Joshua," Pink Eye said. "I main mission is to stop Moo and we can't do that as slaves. Even if it seems cold-hearted, we have to leave them alone."
"Help them chi!" said Mocchi, standing next to his trainer. Everyone looked at Hare, the last one with a vote to cast.
"If we're gonna do this," Hare started, "we're gonna need a plan."
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"GET BACK TO WORK!" yelled an angry clay as his whip arm struck a human slave's back.
"Please, I'm so thirsty," the human said. "I just need a drink of water." The human dropped the seven mystery disks he'd been carrying, shattering one of them as he did so.
"CLUMSY OAF!" Another lash mark appeared on the slave's back as the clay struck again. Two more humans ran up to the fallen one, one carrying a wheelbarrow as they quickly gathered six remaining mystery disks.
"Please sir, he didn't mean any disrespect," one of the new arrivals said.
"Yes it won't happen again sir."
"Pathetic weaklings. You were put here to dig, not drink," the clay spat out before moving on. Suddenly, a very large rock slammed into the clay, crushing it. Of course, considering the pliant and adaptable nature of his jell like body, the clay was not killed but splattered. Quickly the brown puddle of monster reformed into it's human form. "Who dares attack a warrior of Moo!?!
"Yoohoo," called Golem from atop the walls of the hole. On top of him stood Genki waving his hands and jumping to attract the baddies' attention.
"Clays, we're under attack!!" The clay yelled. All over the pit brown puddles rose and formed into clay monsters, each one looking angry as they began to move forward. Golem retreated with Genki as three fourths of the jell hybrids surged at them. As soon as the jells were gone, Hare and Pink Eye quietly teleported into the largest cluster of humans.
"What are you doing?" one of the humans asked as hare began to pick the lock on his chains.
"Will you be quiet," Hare said. "We're trying to set you free, and you're trying to get us caught."
"Are you nuts? Do you have any idea what the clays will do to us if we try to escape?"
"Huh?" Hare asked. "I don't expect you to say thank you, but a little appreciation would be nice." Suddenly, the beam of Gray Wolf's arctic blast attack howled over the pit, sending five frozen clays crashing into the ground. Close behind came Gray Wolf himself, charging into the remaining clays like a furry comet. Behind him came several of the clays that had been previously lead away. At the end of line were the rest of the searchers, attempting to cut off the baddies.
"What happened?" Pink Eye asked Joshua as he passed.
"What are the odds we'd come across a group of jell-types that could figure out a diversion."
"Okay, new plan guys," Genki said as he slammed into a clay. As another clay moved to attack him, Hare jumped into a roundhouse kick and knocked the muddy monster's head off his shoulders. The decapitated monster felt for his head on his shoulders as he stumbled away unable to see where he was going. Another clay attacked, his whip-arm raised high over his head as he dove for the lapine, only to find himself blocked by Pink Eye's mouth. The suezo/pixie was quick, spitting the amorphous monster out and into a rock. Meanwhile, Genki had his hands full as five clays ganged up on him. It was all the boy could do to dodge the attacks of the mud monsters. Suddenly, a gelatinous rope caught the boy's leg, tripping him and sending him crashing to the ground. The clays quickly moved to surround the boy, only to be knocked away by Mocchi in roller ball mode. The pink monster bounced into the air as he unrolled his body and began to spin in the air.
"CHERRY BLOSSOM BLIZZARD CHI!!" the child monster yelled as high speed winds began to get whipped up, carrying soft pink petals as it slammed into each of the jell hybrids in turn sending them flying away.
"Mocchi, how did you do that?" Genki asked, a bit stunned by the attack Mocchi had displayed.
"I didn't know I could do that chi," answered Mocchi, more than a bit surprised, and excited, over his new attack. A few more clays charged the duo, only to be knocked away by another blizzard of petals. More and more gusts of wind and flower parts slammed into the clays driving them backward as though they were mere paper.
"Retreat!" the captain clay yelled as he and the rest of his troops beat a very hasty retreat from the pit, leaving behind the human workers.
"We WON!!" Mocchi cheered, bouncing high into the air, Genki right behind him.
"You shouldn't have done that," said a beefy man dressed in rags as he approached the duo.
"What do you mean?" asked Genki. "We set you free."
"Don't you know what'll happen now. Pixie's gonna obliterate us for daring to oppose her."
"We have to figure out a way to make her understand this isn't our fault," another human said. "Then we can probably get off with only a few deaths."
"You can't be serious, you're free now. You gotta fight to stay free." The clear eyed boy jumped up onto a large boulder so he could be heard. "You can't just bow down and roll over for some bully." Genki hoped to get the former slaves into some sort of need to fight, as he'd done with a group of friends back on earth under similar circumstances.
"What would you know about the situation, you're just a kid?" asked one of the adults.
"Yeah, if we just do what we're told, we're left alone. Don't make waves, don't get hurt."
"A typical human idea," Gray Wolf said, disgust in his voice. "Makes me sick to think YOU'RE supposed to be the dominated species on this planet."
"Watch it wolfie," the human said as he stamped forward, ready to attack the wolf.
"What are you gonna do, sit up and beg," Gray Wolf growled back.
"HOLD IT!" came another voice. Another man dressed in rags, this one sporting dirty blonde hair as he put a huge arm in between the two. "We don't need any bloodshed, especially now."
"Mickey, you can't possibly be agreeing with these people," the hot head said. "You know what Mistress Pixie is like when she gets upset."
"What's done is done," Mickey countered. "If we're to get punished no matter what, I say we take our chances on the open road."
"But we could..."
"We could get killed either way," Mickey said. "I say we go for it." Mickey then turned toward the searchers. "I thank you for helping us gain our freedom."
"I have a question," Hare said. "I don't remember the Pits extending this far from the old ruins."
"This isn't the Pits, thank goodness," answered the human. "It's just hole in the ground they found some mystery disks." The former slaves began to leave. "With any luck we'll be able to free the humans there later. For now, we'd best leave before Pixie sends more of Moo's baddies to recapture us."
"Don't worry, we'll save your friends," proclaimed Genki.
"There he goes again," Pink Eye muttered. "Volunteering us without regard for danger. On the other hand, with a name like Pixie, how tough can this baddy be?"
"If you ask me, you're the one who's going to get us killed eyeball," Joshua said.
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"Master, the human slaves of quarry three have escaped," Captain Clay said, his voice and body quivering as he gazed at the red-haired beauty that sat on the elevated obsidian throne above him. The pixie monster's face was almost the picture of neutrality, but her eyes betrayed her, with their angry glinting that sent shivers up the clay's nonexistent spine. Beside her stood a golem type monster. His slate gray eyes and ice blue rock skin marked him as a Big Blue, Pixie's right hand monster and bodyguard. He might as well have been part of the wall for all that he stood out. The golem/tiger simply stood, arms at his side, listening to all that transpired in the throne room. Captain Clay knew, however, that the ice-rock monster could move like lightning when his mistress was in danger.
"I see, and I assume you have successfully rounded up the slaves if you're here," Pixie said, already knowing the answer.
"Well... uh... no... I felt it more prudent to report to you of the matter. But we did manage to recapture one."
"And tell me, why would I prefer you HERE when you could be out rounding up those humans again?"
"The slaves... they were helped... by some rebels." At those words, Pixie actually seemed interested in what the quivering liquid monster was saying.
"Rebels? How many rebels?"
"Oh, thousands," Captain Clay began. "My troops were far outnumbered by them, that's why we had to retreat." Pixie's eyes closed as she considered what her subordinate had said.
"You're lying," she concluded, her voice ice cold.
"No... No I...," the clay began to stammer.
"It doesn't matter," Pixie said as he emerald eyes opened, and she lifted her hand into the air. A slender finger pointed to the ceiling as a small ball of white light formed at it's tip.
"Please... I'm sorry... I beg forgiveness," the fearful clay whimpered.
"Be gone," she hissed as the ball of light flew toward the hapless clay. The monster screamed as the energy ball burned him, destroyed him, reduced him to a lost disk that joined the many adorning Pixie's dark throne room. The winged maiden stood then. "It would seem the searchers have made an appearance in my territory." Pixie turned to her assistant. "Big Blue, ready my forces, I will go and destroy these upstarts for Moo."
"Master Pixie, there is no need for you to sully your hands on such trash," Big Blue said as he walked to his master. "I am more than capable of handling this for you myself."
"I don't doubt that in the least my sapphire friend, but I have spent entirely too much time in this stuffy castle. It will do me good to get out and stretch my wings for a bit, even if it is to battle some trash."
"Very well Master Pixie."
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The rebels had been walking for hours, and still had not come across anything or anyone else.
"I don't like this," Gray Wolf said as they walked through the ravine that lead out of the quarry.
"You don't like anything," pointed out Pink Eye.
"I really don't like this," answered the silver wolf. "This place is too narrow, it's too easy to get yourself killed here."
"Why do you say things like that?" Hare asked. "Don't you know it's bad luck?"
"In my experience we make our own luck," Gray Wolf retorted. Suddenly, the wolf stopped in his tracks. "Do you hear that?"
"What?" Genki asked, straining to listen for whatever his wolfish companion was hearing.
"Sounds like a rumbling... like... thunder," Hare commented as he listened.
"No... It's a chariot," said Gray Wolf.
"You can tell that just by listening to the sound it makes?" Pink Eye asked, doubt in his voice and a skeptical look on his face.
"That... and I can see it coming," the wolf said, pointing ahead. Sure enough, off in the distance, a cloud of dust was rising as a chariot, pulled by a team of four dinos with an ice-blue golem type at the reigns. On the big blue's shoulder sat a pixie monster, her red hair flying in the wind. All around, clays and dinos were keeping up with the chariot, each one looking ready for battle.
"Hide!" Genki yelled and all seven quickly complied. Pink Eye halted only for a moment to use his teleportation power to get the slower moving Golem to safety. The procession stopped right were the searcher had been.
"You might as well come out! We know you are here! Master Pixie demands your immediate surrender and I would suggest you comply, or you'll regret your impudence!" the sapphire giant bellowed. Meanwhile, behind a large boulder, the seven searchers hunched together, hidden from view.
"He's nuts if he thinks we're just gonna surrender," said Genki, poking his head up from their hiding spot. What he saw made his heart skip a beat. Also sitting in the chariot, tied to a stake, was Mickey. "Guys we've got a problem. They have Mickey."
"What?"
"Come out, or your friend will suffer a fate worse than death," Pixie proclaimed, her clawed hand caressing the human's throat. Genki turned back to his friends.
"What should we do? We can't just leave Mickey in their claws, we're responsible for getting him into this in the first place.
"We'll get him out of there," Joshua said. "We just have to figure out how."
"I'm growing bored waiting for you," Pixie called. "If this human's life is so unimportant to you, perhaps I should just put him out of his misery and unleash my army to find you itself. I'll give you two minutes to decide his fate."
"That's it, just let me at her," Gray Wolf growled as he prepared to launch himself at the baddies.
"Gray Wolf wait!" Hare said as he grabbed the wolf's tail.
"Grrr!"
"Here me out. They outnumber us about twenty to one. Even at our best we couldn't handle that many. And there's a good chance we and Mickey would end up dead."
"I'll take a chance to his definite death any day," Gray Wolf countered.
"There is another option," the brown lapine said. "We surrender."
"WHAT!?!" The searchers said in unison.
"Have you flipped rabbit?" Pink Eye asked.
"Hear me out. We don't have time to come up with a good plan now, so we surrender and save his life, than we come up with a plan for escape later."
"Sounds like a coward's way out of trouble," Gray Wolf said.
"And you're idea sounds like the insane raving of a nihilist. Genki would you?" The boy poked his head up over the rock, careful to stay hidden from the baddies view.
"What guarantee do we have that you'll let our friend go if we surrender?" He yelled, the echo of the ravine hiding his voice's point of origin.
"I promise to release him," Pixie said in a very sweet voice. "But you need to decide quickly, you only have one minute left." One more time, Genki looked back at his friends, hoping for some alternative, but seeing none.
"All right, we're coming out!" the boy yelled. Carefully, he and his friends made their way out into the open, their arms raised in surrender. Swiftly the clays fell upon them, shackling each of the searchers in turn until only Genki and Mocchi remained free.
"Grrr, I hate this. I'd give anything to just start blasting puddles left and right," Gray Wolf said as he felt the heavy irons on his legs. Suddenly, Hare elbowed the lupine in the ribs.
"Be quiet," he said. "The plan is surrender now, fight later."
"Wait, you promised to let Mickey go?"
"Huh?" Pixie said, a false confusion in her voice. "Oh... this." On cue, Mickey, stake and all morphed into a clay.
"What? Where's Mickey?"
"I'm afraid the human is on his way to Master Moo's castle to receive punishment for attempting to escape."
"But you promised!" At those words, Pixie just smiled, a wicked, evil smile.
"I lied." Genki could not take it, and he lunged for Pixie only to be knocked away by one of Big Blue's massive hands.
"Impudent whelp. How dare you think to harm Master Pixie." The golem/tiger hybrid lifted moved to finish off the boy, only to be stopped by Pixie's hand.
"No Big Blue, I'll teach this brat a lesson." The bat-winged woman leapt from her loyal servant's shoulder as she streaked towards Genki, her foot connecting with his chin and sending him sprawling backwards. The purebred general circled around for another strike, but before she could land another attack, Mocchi knocked his trainer out of the way. Now that he had time to recover, Genki quickly got back to his skate-clad feet. The dark haired boy met the pixie's next charge with one of his own, going into a jump kick to strike her on the chin, sending her to the ground.
"MASTER PIXIE!!" Big Blue bellowed as he moved to help his master. His worry proved needless, however, as Pixie quickly recovered, an angry look on her face.
"Stay back Big Blue, that's an order!" the baddy commanded. "You will pay for that boy, no one strikes Pixie and lives." The female monster charged, activating her hyper-speed attack to move at blinding speed toward the boy and his monster.
"Genki look out!" Gray Wolf yelled, too late to help though. Pixie snatched the boy by the neck and grabbed Mocchi's leg, ascending into the air like a missile with her two captives.
"Kiss you're short lives good-bye," Pixie hissed as she spun around in the air before letting go of both and sending them flying into the canyon far away.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!" the children screamed as they fell through the hole in the ground.
"GENKI!! MOCCHI!!" The searchers cried in unison as Pixie landed.
"Load them into the chariot's wagon. The human will be a slave, and Master Moo will turn the monsters into baddies. Saddened by their loss, the searchers were easy to force onto the wagon, even Gray Wolf. Pixie watched the procession, a smile on her face as she looked over her new captives. Suddenly, her eyes fell on Hare, who was busy looking over the horizon, as if hoping to see Genki racing back. He normally calm face was violated, just for an instant, by another look. It would have been indecipherable to any monster that might have seen it, save for the one that did notice. Big Blue had seen the expression only one time before on his master, a long time ago, when the kingdom had fallen before her powerful onslaught. Recognition. Pixie's face returned to it's normal neutral expression as she alighted on her bodyguard's shoulder.
"Master Pixie?" Big Blue asked, a touch of concern in his gravely voice.
"Take the rebels to their cells in my castle's dungeon... But bring the purebred hare to my chambers."
"Master?"
"Just do it!" She commanded as the procession retreated, leaving the ravine in total darkness, save for a pair of demon blue eyes.
To be continued...
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New Monster File.
Imp-mew/monol- This small and illusive creature has a mischievous personality and is known to use night to pull all manner of pranks on others. While it starts out as one of the weakest of the monster breeds, with proper training it can become a truly fearsome opponent. They are known to be particularly fond of playing tricks on evil hares.
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Well there you go. Pixie has been introduced and the searchers may have lost Genki and Mocchi.... Oh come on, you know they're still alive. They're the stars of the show, what can kill them. But just what is it that Pixie wants Hare for (get your minds out of the gutter)? And just what are those eyes? Be here next time when the searchers must defeat the first of the four in When Destiny Calls: First of the Four: Fight for Freedom. See ya.