Ok, I know it wasn't up as quickly as I promised, but some things happened
that I'm sure you don't want me to rant and rave about, so just take the
chapter and be happy, ok? Genki action as promised, it'll be coming more
often so don't bother asking for it anymore, ok? Just as a quick question,
if I were to write a story off of this one, would you rather it be a
prequel or a sequel? Let me know. Don't forget to review and enjoy the
show!
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It was a few days not since the group had left the ocean, and many of those from the original group grew restless as they went on. They were getting too close to the guy's fort not to be under observation of some sort. But even Lili and Zephyr didn't sense anyone near by, and that was what disturbed them the most.
Slip and the pups were always kept in the center of the group as they traveled, and a watch was set very night to guard against any surprised. Still, the rebels didn't feel safe and almost wished something would happen so they would know what to expect.
It was getting late in the day and they had decided to stop in a valley for the night right at the edge of the tree line. Lili was standing at the edge of the camp, surveying the land when an arrow zipped out of no where and buried itself between her feet. Her sword came out instantly from instinct and everyone gathered together in the middle, having seen the arrow come from the woods. She picked it up and scanned it cautiously, keeping her eyes towards the woods.
"Crap," she growled, quickly re-growing out her wings, which had been shrunk from the days traveling and called Zephyr to her side. 'Z, we got a problem'
'What?'
'Run a scan real quickly.'
'I'm not seeing anything unusual.'
'Now run a scan with the filtration.'
'......oh my gosh.'
'That's what I thought. How much longer do we have?'
'About five seconds.....'
"Down with the rebels!!!"
"Golem and Big Blue, watch the pups and Slip," yelled Genki, drawing his sword. "Everyone else, try to stay together!"
Lili ignored him completely, teaming up with Zephyr as always and tearing through the tri-breeds that were charging towards them.
There must've been 50 or 60 joker/wracky/golem breeds and a smattering of other quad-breeds among them. Genki sighed and bladed right in the middle of them, Allen right behind as both humans wielded their blades and left a trail of lost disks behind them.
Holly stood with Slip and them pups, protecting them from any baddies that may slip through the stone giants' defense. She had her dagger out, but was reluctant to use it, loathing to hurt anyone~ even her enemies.
Pixie spotted a multi-breed that looked like the leader and went after him, waving her way swiftly through the enemy. "Here kitty, kitty," she growled, seeing the monster had mew blood in him. He stared back at her; eyes wicked and gleaming as she dove at him, fire ball forming in her hands. But something was bothering her. She had seen those eyes before...maybe a Joker's eyes...?"
"Fire~"
"Black bomb," said the leader calmly, blasting Pixie into the sky before turning back to the fight. Yep, definitely a Joker. A flash of sliver was all he saw before feeling something at his throat and turning into a lost disk...
"AAhhhh!!!!" Pixie flew through the air, wondering when she would start plummeting towards the ground. Her wings were completely fried and wouldn't support her weight. She reached the apex of the arc and started back down, facing upwards as the ground came closer and closer...
"Grab my hand!" yelled Lili, swooping over her. Pixie's instincts kicked in and she did, hanging on for dear life as Lili swooped back up and landed in a tree, hauling Pixie up beside her. "Turn around," she instructed, Pixie obeying because she was still in a bit of a haze. She healed her wings and made sure they were going to be ok before turning back to the fight, re- drawing her blade.
"Don't go after the leaders again, or at least not by yourself," said Lili, preparing to renter the battle. "They're not monsters to be taken lightly."
"Yeah, no problem," murmured Pixie, testing her wings. "Thanks for the help, halfsie."
"Don't mention it." After thinking for a moment, Lili added, "Ever." She dove off the branch and soared to the fight, slicing her way into the heart of the fray. Soon those who were left fled, running east into the woods they way they'd come.
"Is everyone all right?" called Genki, quickly cleaning off his blade and putting it away.
"We're fine," said Stormy, lying next to Tiger in the grass. She had forgotten what it felt like to battle for your life against the odds, and Tiger wasn't as young as he used to be.
"We are...fine..." said Golem, wiping his brow as he and Big Blue exchanged looks. "So are...the young ones..."
"What about you, Zephyr?"
The huge dog monster looked up from his spot near Stormy and Tiger. "I'm good."
"I'm fine," said Pixie as she walked out of the woods, everyone having wondered where she'd gotten off to.
"Lili?"
"A few scratches, but nothing I can't handle." She went back to healing herself before going and checking the others for wounds.
"Holly?" Total silence reigned as everyone glanced around expectantly for her, trying to remember where he or she'd last seen her.
"I'm fine," came a soft voice as she reappeared, tracts of tears apparent of her face and her eyes all bloodshot. Lili got to her first and quickly checked her for any cuts before giving her a burst of energy, the poor girl looked like she was about to collapse!
"Are you sure?" asked Genki, putting an arm around her shoulders. He noticed her dagger, dripping with the green blood some tri-breeds possessed, being held loosely in her hand. "Oh, Holly..."
"They....they were trying to...to attack the pups the Slip," she whispered, burying her head in his shoulder. "I tried....I didn't want to hurt them....but they wouldn't stop! I couldn't keep knocking them aside forever...so I...they wouldn't give up, even it if meant their life..."
"Shh, it's ok," he said gently, taking the weapon from her and handing it to Lili before putting both arms around her. "Just take it easy..."
"Hate to break up the love fest, but we need to get going," said Zephyr grimly, keeping his radar on. "They may be sending reinforcements, and this area is no longer safe."
"Holly, ride on Zephyr's back," said Lili, keeping her wings grown out. "You need the rest. Everyone else, star going into the woods, we have a few hours left before its completely dark. I'll come in just a minute." She flew straight up and scouted the area, making sure no one else was coming. 'Genki, you can ride with her if you want,' she told her cousin telepathically, giving him a smile as she relayed the change to Zephyr.
Tiger let Temi climb on her back and took off running, Ice doing the same with his mother before she sped off after them. Zephyr, with the two humans on his back, was soon soaring above them, his shadow almost engulfing them completely. Allen jumped through the trees beside them, his silver-blue hair flying behind him in the wind. Golem and Blue were thudding along in the back, Slip holding on for dear life with a huge grin on his face.
Pixie was about to go join Blue when she noticed Lili was still hovering there in the air, an irritated look on her face. "Are you coming or not Lili?" called Pixie with a sarcastic edge to her voice, hovering up beside her. "Wouldn't want our only human halfsie to be left behind."
"Oh, no, of course not," replied Lili, still not smiling. "I don't know, something's just not right...maybe it's just me..." She sent out another one of her limited scans (Zephyr was the one with more scanning powers) and sighed, frowning even more. "Oh well, let's go." She glanced over at Pixie, who was flying along steadily beside her. "Uh, thanks for waiting for me./ "
"Don't mention it," shrugged Pixie, a mischievous look on her face and fangs showing over her lip, "Ever."
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A lizard like monster appeared in front of the tree the moment Lili and Pixie were out of sight, his yellow eyes flicking back and forth. "Lilianne...." it hissed, showing jagged fangs. "Zephyr...traitors...."
'Did you locate the rebels?' asked a commanding voice in his head, causing him to cower beside the tree.
"Yesss Massster..."
'Good, how did the troops do against them, Camo?'
Camo hesitated, wondering if it was a good idea to tell his Master or not.
'Well? I'm waiting, Camo.'
"My apologizes, Massster....they failed." Camo cringed, hoping pain was what was not coming next.
'I expected them to.' Camo breathed a sigh of relief at this, his Master's anger would not be invoked upon him. 'Follow the rebels, especially the two traitors, and kill them when the time is right.'
"Asss you wish, Massster."
'And Camo?'
"Yesss, Massster?"
'You'd better not fail. You know what happens to those who do.' Camo felt the voice leaving his head, giving his mind back to himself once more.
"Trussst me, Massster," replied the scaled reptile, eyes flickering greedily. "I never fail..."
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The rebels stopped awhile later when they were through the woods and in a canyon, scouting out a few caves nearby for them to sleep in that night. The area was as nearly out in the open as the last place, and hopefully they could hold of an attack here if the time called for it.
Zephyr lay on the ground, appearing to be asleep as Temi crept up beside him and sat there expectantly, looking at him with her ears tilted to the side. "Mr. Zephyr," she said, nudging him with her paws. "Mr. Zephyr, are you asleep?"
"Nope." Zephyr caught her gently in his jaws and held her there for a minute, letting it sink in.
"Oh my..."
He set her back down beside him and laid back down, saying, "What did you want, Temi?"
"Mr. Zephyr~"
"Drop that 'Mr.' part," he cut it, "It makes me sound and fell old and stiff, Two things I hope to be very far from."
"Then what am I supposed to call you?"
"How about Uncle Z?"
"Ok, Uncle Z."
"Now, what did you want?"
"Well, I wan just wondering..."
"Yeah?"
"Who's your mommy?"
Zephyr's smile fell from his face, his shoulders drooping slightly and his long fur hiding his eyes for a minute. "I...I never had a mommy..."
"Who took care of you when you were a little puppy?" asked Temi. "Someone had to tuck you in at night and give you lots of hugs and kisses. Who did that job since you mommy couldn't?"
"Well, I guess that was Lili...so you could say she's my mommy...in a weird sort of way..."
"What happened to your real mommy?" asked Temi, curling up by his paws with an angelic look on her face.
"She died, before I was even born."
"I'm sorry, Uncle Z. That's very sad," said Temi softly, putting her head on his paws in a gesture of comfort. She wished she had never asked in the first place. "How did you get to be with Lili?"
"Well, Allen found me and brought me to her for her to raise since she was the only halfsie he know of."
"So, Allen would be you daddy then," said Temi, cocking her head to one side. "Since he's *yawn* the one who found you."
"Hhmm....not exactly. More like a big brother than a daddy..." Zephyr sat there and thought about it for a minute. "He's too irresponsible to be a daddy to someone, don't you think so?"
"...zzz..."
Zephyr grinned and gently pulled Temi closer to him to keep her warm from the nights sharp winds. "'Night Temi."
"...zzz...'night Uncle Z...zzz..."
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The next morning everyone was up bright an early, smelling the eggs and bacon Allen was expertly frying over a small fire. "Come and get it," he said bright, scooping the first set onto a plate. Slip and the pups ran forward from their various sleeping spots and dug in without waiting to be served, demolishing the whole plate.
"I guess we know who was hungry..." said Genki, sweating. Holly sweated too, sitting next to him. He had slept next to her to help her cope with the killing of her first monster, and it had helped a lot. She felt safe and protected around him, and he made everything that was making her sad just disappear.
"Pups! Slip! Now there may not be enough for the rest of us!" scolded Stormy, glaring down on the guilty young ones.
"It's ok, Stormy," said Allen. "I have plenty for everyone and more. The next set will be ready in a sec, just be patient with me. I was expecting that last round to last more than five seconds!" Temi, Ice and Slip all sweated, bowing their heads with embarrassment.
"Sleep well?" Zephyr asked Lili, seeing her stir from beside him.
"Yeah, I guess so. Had the weirdest dream of this little bird who was screaming something about a danger, an assassin. Strangest thing I had ever dreamed in my life...oh well. What's for breakfast?"
"Allen's eggs and bacon."
"Works for me." The pair got up and walked a ways to a stream, washing up and getting a drink before coming back and getting some breakfast.
Golem sat next to Big Blue, munching on some rocks glumly. "Are you ok, friend?" asked Blue in a worried voice. "Normally you love you rocks in the morning."
"I do not...like all this fighting...." said Golem softly. "If it weren't....for saving my friends....I would not do this....it makes me sad..."
"It'll be alright, Golem," Blue assured him, "We'll get them back and return to our homes just like last time."
"If you are so sure...."
"Of course."
"But how...do you know..."
"I don't know." Big Blue shrugged, turning to face the sky. "Do you see the sun? How do you know it will continued to shine for us?"
"I don't....I just trust it to..."
"It's the same way with this. I don't know for a fact that we'll get anything accomplished at all, I just trust that we will."
Golem thought about it for a minute, his eyes misting over as he thought of his lost friends. "Thank you...Blue...your words...make sense..."
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Camo watched from some rocks above the rebels, his tongue flicking in and out warily as he waited. Lizards were patient creatures, they could wait for the perfect opportunity forever.
His skin was perfectly melded in with the granite rock behind him, making nothing save his eyes when he moved them visible at all. All he had to do was wait....his time would come to please his Master and put himself back at his side once more. All he had to do was wait...
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Pixie stared at the rock above their camp sight, her eyes narrowed considerably as she studied it for all it was worth. "What's up?" asked Lili, coming to stand by her with two plates in her hands.
"I could've sworn I saw something move up there. That and I keep getting this creepy feeling that we're being followed..."
"We probably are," shrugged Lili, "And there's not a whole lot we can do about it at this point, so take this, eat it, and forget about it for awhile. If something is watching us, we'll deal with it when it comes, ok?"
"Since when did you get to be so nice?" asked Pixie, looking at the eggs and bacon suspiciously.
"I've always been nice," said Lili with a shrug, just not when people are throwing fireballs at me, thank you."
"Oh, yeah..."
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Camo chuckled quietly to himself, fingering the slender darts that he had with him in a pouch around his waist. "You can't deal with anything when you're dead, traitor," he hissed softly, eyes flashing with anger. "Just wait, Lili. Your time will come eventually... all of yours will..."
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The group left as soon as they could, staring off at a fast pace to cover as much ground as possible. 'Zephyr, keep sending out scans every few minute, ok?' said Lili telepathically to her partner. 'Any extra warning we have this time would be a big help as compared to last time.'
'Yes, ma'am.'
Holly was riding on Zephyr's back once more, Lili and Genki rollerblading on either side as the miles flew past. Temi and Ice were riding in a pack on Big Blue's shoulder this time, and Golem still held the ecstatic Slip on his shoulder as Stormy and Tiger ran in the front. Allen was forced to run on the ground beside them this time since the trees weren't big enough to support his weight this far north.
They stopped by a small stream for lunch and sat down in the shade of some rocks, keeping a wary eye about them in case of an attack. "Now things are getting like old times," said Hare, munching on a sandwich thoughtfully. "Going through enemy territory and battling just to live every other day."
"You make it sound like it was fun," muttered Holly, keeping her eyes downcast as she nibbled at some fruit.
"It wasn't," he admitted with a shrug. "But it was life, and it was something you just got used to after awhile. Do you remember how odd it felt that first day after waking up and realizing that we no longer had to be on the guard all the time? Knowing that today you didn't have to run anymore and could just relax for the first time in forever."
Holly nodded, looking at her food intently. "I got used to the running, and caring for hurt people, but I'll never get used to the fighting. It's just too alien for me to ever imagine continuingly taking others lives."
Lili stiffened at her seat a few feet away, wishing Holly hadn't said that. She knew not everyone would've been able to make the changes she had in her personality to stay alive, that she was more resilient that most. But still...
They finished lunch and went on, stopping several hours later by a pond as the sun went down. They went ahead and built a fire since their enemy probably knew where they were anyways, trying to hide would be pretty useless.
Allen caught some fish and skinned them with Claw's help, since she could get the scales off better and faster than he could, and chopped it up to make fish stew. The water he drew from the pond and put in a caldron with some vegetables and spices, making it just thick enough to stick to your ribs.
"Allen, where's the pan you used to fry things in this morning?" called Lili, wanting to make some fried rolls.
"It's in the bag."
"I don't see it."
"Hang on."
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Camo grinned as Allen left the cooking pot by the pond, it was his big chance at last! Taking out a small vile he always carried around, he poured its clear contents into the pot before slipping back into the shadows. Things would soon be over, his mission complete.
"Good night, rebelsss," he said softly, eyes shining in the light. "To bad you will never see the morning again...
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Holly still wasn't hungry and passed by the soup, eating a half a fried roll Lili had made for her. She and Genki sat at the edge of the camp
*yawn* "I'm tired," said Genki the moment he'd finished his soup, laying down and falling asleep instantly. Lili looked up from her stew and gave him an odd look, her eyes becoming very heavy.
"That's very odd....zzz..."
Holly watched in amazement as everyone fell asleep within second of eating their soup. Golem and Big Blue were the only ones besides her who was soon snoring and they looked at each other with puzzled looks.
"What do you think that was all about?" asked Holly as a red haze drifted into the camp, covering them from sight. "Big Blue? Golem?"
"Hehehehehe...." The eerie laughter echoed around her, and she couldn't tell what direction it was coming from. She instinctively pulled out her dagger and sat very still, waiting to see what would happen next...
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Camo slipped in among the rebels. This was going to be too easy. He decided to save Lili and Zephyr for last and went after the traitor's cousin. His girlfriend was still awake, but he could easily take care of her. Monsters were the superior race, and always would be.
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Holly sat there, frozen in fear as she gripped the dagger as though her life depended on it. She hear something walking through the haze, though where it was coming from or where it was headed she could not tell.
"Don't be afraid, precioussss," hissed a huge lizard as it appeared out of know where, darts in hand. "Camo will make sure you sleep very well indeed..." He reached out and took aim with a dart at Genki, being too close to miss.
"NO!!" Holly leapt forward, plunging her dagger into the heart of the monster as everything went black...
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Yeah, I'll finish it later. Things are crammed in right now with finals, so be patient. This summer things will be going much smoother, trust me on that one. Anyways, hope you enjoyed it, and if you thing about it this way it's not really a cliffy compared to the last one. I'm not asking for so many reviews this time, just for you patience. Thanks.
~crosseyedbutterfly~
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It was a few days not since the group had left the ocean, and many of those from the original group grew restless as they went on. They were getting too close to the guy's fort not to be under observation of some sort. But even Lili and Zephyr didn't sense anyone near by, and that was what disturbed them the most.
Slip and the pups were always kept in the center of the group as they traveled, and a watch was set very night to guard against any surprised. Still, the rebels didn't feel safe and almost wished something would happen so they would know what to expect.
It was getting late in the day and they had decided to stop in a valley for the night right at the edge of the tree line. Lili was standing at the edge of the camp, surveying the land when an arrow zipped out of no where and buried itself between her feet. Her sword came out instantly from instinct and everyone gathered together in the middle, having seen the arrow come from the woods. She picked it up and scanned it cautiously, keeping her eyes towards the woods.
"Crap," she growled, quickly re-growing out her wings, which had been shrunk from the days traveling and called Zephyr to her side. 'Z, we got a problem'
'What?'
'Run a scan real quickly.'
'I'm not seeing anything unusual.'
'Now run a scan with the filtration.'
'......oh my gosh.'
'That's what I thought. How much longer do we have?'
'About five seconds.....'
"Down with the rebels!!!"
"Golem and Big Blue, watch the pups and Slip," yelled Genki, drawing his sword. "Everyone else, try to stay together!"
Lili ignored him completely, teaming up with Zephyr as always and tearing through the tri-breeds that were charging towards them.
There must've been 50 or 60 joker/wracky/golem breeds and a smattering of other quad-breeds among them. Genki sighed and bladed right in the middle of them, Allen right behind as both humans wielded their blades and left a trail of lost disks behind them.
Holly stood with Slip and them pups, protecting them from any baddies that may slip through the stone giants' defense. She had her dagger out, but was reluctant to use it, loathing to hurt anyone~ even her enemies.
Pixie spotted a multi-breed that looked like the leader and went after him, waving her way swiftly through the enemy. "Here kitty, kitty," she growled, seeing the monster had mew blood in him. He stared back at her; eyes wicked and gleaming as she dove at him, fire ball forming in her hands. But something was bothering her. She had seen those eyes before...maybe a Joker's eyes...?"
"Fire~"
"Black bomb," said the leader calmly, blasting Pixie into the sky before turning back to the fight. Yep, definitely a Joker. A flash of sliver was all he saw before feeling something at his throat and turning into a lost disk...
"AAhhhh!!!!" Pixie flew through the air, wondering when she would start plummeting towards the ground. Her wings were completely fried and wouldn't support her weight. She reached the apex of the arc and started back down, facing upwards as the ground came closer and closer...
"Grab my hand!" yelled Lili, swooping over her. Pixie's instincts kicked in and she did, hanging on for dear life as Lili swooped back up and landed in a tree, hauling Pixie up beside her. "Turn around," she instructed, Pixie obeying because she was still in a bit of a haze. She healed her wings and made sure they were going to be ok before turning back to the fight, re- drawing her blade.
"Don't go after the leaders again, or at least not by yourself," said Lili, preparing to renter the battle. "They're not monsters to be taken lightly."
"Yeah, no problem," murmured Pixie, testing her wings. "Thanks for the help, halfsie."
"Don't mention it." After thinking for a moment, Lili added, "Ever." She dove off the branch and soared to the fight, slicing her way into the heart of the fray. Soon those who were left fled, running east into the woods they way they'd come.
"Is everyone all right?" called Genki, quickly cleaning off his blade and putting it away.
"We're fine," said Stormy, lying next to Tiger in the grass. She had forgotten what it felt like to battle for your life against the odds, and Tiger wasn't as young as he used to be.
"We are...fine..." said Golem, wiping his brow as he and Big Blue exchanged looks. "So are...the young ones..."
"What about you, Zephyr?"
The huge dog monster looked up from his spot near Stormy and Tiger. "I'm good."
"I'm fine," said Pixie as she walked out of the woods, everyone having wondered where she'd gotten off to.
"Lili?"
"A few scratches, but nothing I can't handle." She went back to healing herself before going and checking the others for wounds.
"Holly?" Total silence reigned as everyone glanced around expectantly for her, trying to remember where he or she'd last seen her.
"I'm fine," came a soft voice as she reappeared, tracts of tears apparent of her face and her eyes all bloodshot. Lili got to her first and quickly checked her for any cuts before giving her a burst of energy, the poor girl looked like she was about to collapse!
"Are you sure?" asked Genki, putting an arm around her shoulders. He noticed her dagger, dripping with the green blood some tri-breeds possessed, being held loosely in her hand. "Oh, Holly..."
"They....they were trying to...to attack the pups the Slip," she whispered, burying her head in his shoulder. "I tried....I didn't want to hurt them....but they wouldn't stop! I couldn't keep knocking them aside forever...so I...they wouldn't give up, even it if meant their life..."
"Shh, it's ok," he said gently, taking the weapon from her and handing it to Lili before putting both arms around her. "Just take it easy..."
"Hate to break up the love fest, but we need to get going," said Zephyr grimly, keeping his radar on. "They may be sending reinforcements, and this area is no longer safe."
"Holly, ride on Zephyr's back," said Lili, keeping her wings grown out. "You need the rest. Everyone else, star going into the woods, we have a few hours left before its completely dark. I'll come in just a minute." She flew straight up and scouted the area, making sure no one else was coming. 'Genki, you can ride with her if you want,' she told her cousin telepathically, giving him a smile as she relayed the change to Zephyr.
Tiger let Temi climb on her back and took off running, Ice doing the same with his mother before she sped off after them. Zephyr, with the two humans on his back, was soon soaring above them, his shadow almost engulfing them completely. Allen jumped through the trees beside them, his silver-blue hair flying behind him in the wind. Golem and Blue were thudding along in the back, Slip holding on for dear life with a huge grin on his face.
Pixie was about to go join Blue when she noticed Lili was still hovering there in the air, an irritated look on her face. "Are you coming or not Lili?" called Pixie with a sarcastic edge to her voice, hovering up beside her. "Wouldn't want our only human halfsie to be left behind."
"Oh, no, of course not," replied Lili, still not smiling. "I don't know, something's just not right...maybe it's just me..." She sent out another one of her limited scans (Zephyr was the one with more scanning powers) and sighed, frowning even more. "Oh well, let's go." She glanced over at Pixie, who was flying along steadily beside her. "Uh, thanks for waiting for me./ "
"Don't mention it," shrugged Pixie, a mischievous look on her face and fangs showing over her lip, "Ever."
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A lizard like monster appeared in front of the tree the moment Lili and Pixie were out of sight, his yellow eyes flicking back and forth. "Lilianne...." it hissed, showing jagged fangs. "Zephyr...traitors...."
'Did you locate the rebels?' asked a commanding voice in his head, causing him to cower beside the tree.
"Yesss Massster..."
'Good, how did the troops do against them, Camo?'
Camo hesitated, wondering if it was a good idea to tell his Master or not.
'Well? I'm waiting, Camo.'
"My apologizes, Massster....they failed." Camo cringed, hoping pain was what was not coming next.
'I expected them to.' Camo breathed a sigh of relief at this, his Master's anger would not be invoked upon him. 'Follow the rebels, especially the two traitors, and kill them when the time is right.'
"Asss you wish, Massster."
'And Camo?'
"Yesss, Massster?"
'You'd better not fail. You know what happens to those who do.' Camo felt the voice leaving his head, giving his mind back to himself once more.
"Trussst me, Massster," replied the scaled reptile, eyes flickering greedily. "I never fail..."
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
The rebels stopped awhile later when they were through the woods and in a canyon, scouting out a few caves nearby for them to sleep in that night. The area was as nearly out in the open as the last place, and hopefully they could hold of an attack here if the time called for it.
Zephyr lay on the ground, appearing to be asleep as Temi crept up beside him and sat there expectantly, looking at him with her ears tilted to the side. "Mr. Zephyr," she said, nudging him with her paws. "Mr. Zephyr, are you asleep?"
"Nope." Zephyr caught her gently in his jaws and held her there for a minute, letting it sink in.
"Oh my..."
He set her back down beside him and laid back down, saying, "What did you want, Temi?"
"Mr. Zephyr~"
"Drop that 'Mr.' part," he cut it, "It makes me sound and fell old and stiff, Two things I hope to be very far from."
"Then what am I supposed to call you?"
"How about Uncle Z?"
"Ok, Uncle Z."
"Now, what did you want?"
"Well, I wan just wondering..."
"Yeah?"
"Who's your mommy?"
Zephyr's smile fell from his face, his shoulders drooping slightly and his long fur hiding his eyes for a minute. "I...I never had a mommy..."
"Who took care of you when you were a little puppy?" asked Temi. "Someone had to tuck you in at night and give you lots of hugs and kisses. Who did that job since you mommy couldn't?"
"Well, I guess that was Lili...so you could say she's my mommy...in a weird sort of way..."
"What happened to your real mommy?" asked Temi, curling up by his paws with an angelic look on her face.
"She died, before I was even born."
"I'm sorry, Uncle Z. That's very sad," said Temi softly, putting her head on his paws in a gesture of comfort. She wished she had never asked in the first place. "How did you get to be with Lili?"
"Well, Allen found me and brought me to her for her to raise since she was the only halfsie he know of."
"So, Allen would be you daddy then," said Temi, cocking her head to one side. "Since he's *yawn* the one who found you."
"Hhmm....not exactly. More like a big brother than a daddy..." Zephyr sat there and thought about it for a minute. "He's too irresponsible to be a daddy to someone, don't you think so?"
"...zzz..."
Zephyr grinned and gently pulled Temi closer to him to keep her warm from the nights sharp winds. "'Night Temi."
"...zzz...'night Uncle Z...zzz..."
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
The next morning everyone was up bright an early, smelling the eggs and bacon Allen was expertly frying over a small fire. "Come and get it," he said bright, scooping the first set onto a plate. Slip and the pups ran forward from their various sleeping spots and dug in without waiting to be served, demolishing the whole plate.
"I guess we know who was hungry..." said Genki, sweating. Holly sweated too, sitting next to him. He had slept next to her to help her cope with the killing of her first monster, and it had helped a lot. She felt safe and protected around him, and he made everything that was making her sad just disappear.
"Pups! Slip! Now there may not be enough for the rest of us!" scolded Stormy, glaring down on the guilty young ones.
"It's ok, Stormy," said Allen. "I have plenty for everyone and more. The next set will be ready in a sec, just be patient with me. I was expecting that last round to last more than five seconds!" Temi, Ice and Slip all sweated, bowing their heads with embarrassment.
"Sleep well?" Zephyr asked Lili, seeing her stir from beside him.
"Yeah, I guess so. Had the weirdest dream of this little bird who was screaming something about a danger, an assassin. Strangest thing I had ever dreamed in my life...oh well. What's for breakfast?"
"Allen's eggs and bacon."
"Works for me." The pair got up and walked a ways to a stream, washing up and getting a drink before coming back and getting some breakfast.
Golem sat next to Big Blue, munching on some rocks glumly. "Are you ok, friend?" asked Blue in a worried voice. "Normally you love you rocks in the morning."
"I do not...like all this fighting...." said Golem softly. "If it weren't....for saving my friends....I would not do this....it makes me sad..."
"It'll be alright, Golem," Blue assured him, "We'll get them back and return to our homes just like last time."
"If you are so sure...."
"Of course."
"But how...do you know..."
"I don't know." Big Blue shrugged, turning to face the sky. "Do you see the sun? How do you know it will continued to shine for us?"
"I don't....I just trust it to..."
"It's the same way with this. I don't know for a fact that we'll get anything accomplished at all, I just trust that we will."
Golem thought about it for a minute, his eyes misting over as he thought of his lost friends. "Thank you...Blue...your words...make sense..."
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
Camo watched from some rocks above the rebels, his tongue flicking in and out warily as he waited. Lizards were patient creatures, they could wait for the perfect opportunity forever.
His skin was perfectly melded in with the granite rock behind him, making nothing save his eyes when he moved them visible at all. All he had to do was wait....his time would come to please his Master and put himself back at his side once more. All he had to do was wait...
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
Pixie stared at the rock above their camp sight, her eyes narrowed considerably as she studied it for all it was worth. "What's up?" asked Lili, coming to stand by her with two plates in her hands.
"I could've sworn I saw something move up there. That and I keep getting this creepy feeling that we're being followed..."
"We probably are," shrugged Lili, "And there's not a whole lot we can do about it at this point, so take this, eat it, and forget about it for awhile. If something is watching us, we'll deal with it when it comes, ok?"
"Since when did you get to be so nice?" asked Pixie, looking at the eggs and bacon suspiciously.
"I've always been nice," said Lili with a shrug, just not when people are throwing fireballs at me, thank you."
"Oh, yeah..."
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
Camo chuckled quietly to himself, fingering the slender darts that he had with him in a pouch around his waist. "You can't deal with anything when you're dead, traitor," he hissed softly, eyes flashing with anger. "Just wait, Lili. Your time will come eventually... all of yours will..."
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
The group left as soon as they could, staring off at a fast pace to cover as much ground as possible. 'Zephyr, keep sending out scans every few minute, ok?' said Lili telepathically to her partner. 'Any extra warning we have this time would be a big help as compared to last time.'
'Yes, ma'am.'
Holly was riding on Zephyr's back once more, Lili and Genki rollerblading on either side as the miles flew past. Temi and Ice were riding in a pack on Big Blue's shoulder this time, and Golem still held the ecstatic Slip on his shoulder as Stormy and Tiger ran in the front. Allen was forced to run on the ground beside them this time since the trees weren't big enough to support his weight this far north.
They stopped by a small stream for lunch and sat down in the shade of some rocks, keeping a wary eye about them in case of an attack. "Now things are getting like old times," said Hare, munching on a sandwich thoughtfully. "Going through enemy territory and battling just to live every other day."
"You make it sound like it was fun," muttered Holly, keeping her eyes downcast as she nibbled at some fruit.
"It wasn't," he admitted with a shrug. "But it was life, and it was something you just got used to after awhile. Do you remember how odd it felt that first day after waking up and realizing that we no longer had to be on the guard all the time? Knowing that today you didn't have to run anymore and could just relax for the first time in forever."
Holly nodded, looking at her food intently. "I got used to the running, and caring for hurt people, but I'll never get used to the fighting. It's just too alien for me to ever imagine continuingly taking others lives."
Lili stiffened at her seat a few feet away, wishing Holly hadn't said that. She knew not everyone would've been able to make the changes she had in her personality to stay alive, that she was more resilient that most. But still...
They finished lunch and went on, stopping several hours later by a pond as the sun went down. They went ahead and built a fire since their enemy probably knew where they were anyways, trying to hide would be pretty useless.
Allen caught some fish and skinned them with Claw's help, since she could get the scales off better and faster than he could, and chopped it up to make fish stew. The water he drew from the pond and put in a caldron with some vegetables and spices, making it just thick enough to stick to your ribs.
"Allen, where's the pan you used to fry things in this morning?" called Lili, wanting to make some fried rolls.
"It's in the bag."
"I don't see it."
"Hang on."
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
Camo grinned as Allen left the cooking pot by the pond, it was his big chance at last! Taking out a small vile he always carried around, he poured its clear contents into the pot before slipping back into the shadows. Things would soon be over, his mission complete.
"Good night, rebelsss," he said softly, eyes shining in the light. "To bad you will never see the morning again...
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
Holly still wasn't hungry and passed by the soup, eating a half a fried roll Lili had made for her. She and Genki sat at the edge of the camp
*yawn* "I'm tired," said Genki the moment he'd finished his soup, laying down and falling asleep instantly. Lili looked up from her stew and gave him an odd look, her eyes becoming very heavy.
"That's very odd....zzz..."
Holly watched in amazement as everyone fell asleep within second of eating their soup. Golem and Big Blue were the only ones besides her who was soon snoring and they looked at each other with puzzled looks.
"What do you think that was all about?" asked Holly as a red haze drifted into the camp, covering them from sight. "Big Blue? Golem?"
"Hehehehehe...." The eerie laughter echoed around her, and she couldn't tell what direction it was coming from. She instinctively pulled out her dagger and sat very still, waiting to see what would happen next...
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
Camo slipped in among the rebels. This was going to be too easy. He decided to save Lili and Zephyr for last and went after the traitor's cousin. His girlfriend was still awake, but he could easily take care of her. Monsters were the superior race, and always would be.
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
Holly sat there, frozen in fear as she gripped the dagger as though her life depended on it. She hear something walking through the haze, though where it was coming from or where it was headed she could not tell.
"Don't be afraid, precioussss," hissed a huge lizard as it appeared out of know where, darts in hand. "Camo will make sure you sleep very well indeed..." He reached out and took aim with a dart at Genki, being too close to miss.
"NO!!" Holly leapt forward, plunging her dagger into the heart of the monster as everything went black...
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
Yeah, I'll finish it later. Things are crammed in right now with finals, so be patient. This summer things will be going much smoother, trust me on that one. Anyways, hope you enjoyed it, and if you thing about it this way it's not really a cliffy compared to the last one. I'm not asking for so many reviews this time, just for you patience. Thanks.
~crosseyedbutterfly~