All right, I know I took off for awhile, I'm sorry. I had this chapter halfway written and then our power went out and I lost all of it so I was too depressed to continue for awhile. Please forgive me, and don't quit reading it just because of that. Thanks!
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Lili found Allen walking around in a half-circle around the fort about three miles out from it, never getting any closer but never straying any farther either. She walked up behind him silently, knowing he could sense her presence without making a sound.
"I know why you're here," he said at last, toying with the whip that was at his side as always.
"Yeah," she replied quietly. "You know too much, Allen. I don't have a choice on this one." She backed up some, noticing more differences in his appearance since she had last seen him, the seed having had more time to work on his mind.
"That doesn't mean I'll just lie down like a lamb to be slaughtered!" he cried suddenly, whirling around and shooting a beam of energy at her.
Lili deflected it with ease, masking her face from any emotions at all. "You're not the only one with attacks," she said placidly. "Giga Storm!"
"That only means I'll have to be that much more careful," said Allen, a wicked gleam in his eye as he pulled a scythe out from behind a tree. He swung it in his hands and attacked her with an upward strike at an angle. Lili evaded it and struck out with her sword, a clash of sparks lighting the area around them.
"You'll have to do better than that to beat me," said Lili, easily knocking him back and giving her time to collect herself.
"Who said I wanted to?"
Allen turned and came at her from the side; his movements just as fast and smooth as hers. But his weapon was an unwieldy one and he started leaving wholes in his defenses that could kill him.
Lili bided her time, her killer's instincts waiting, watching, sensing that right moment was upon her.... Allen slashed the blade of his scythe downwards; getting it caught in a log as Lili dodged to the side. She immediately came back at him, sword first with such power that she drove it through him and into the ground below as he fell backwards.
The seed of darkness let go of Allen's mind as it's host began to die, his skin turning white as the blood began to pool around him. "Lilianne...."
"Oh my gosh..." she whispered, having stepped back and realized what she had done. "....Allen..." She knelt beside him, ignoring the blood that stained her pants scarlet as she took his hands, squeezing them gently. "Allen...I'm sorry...Allen, I never meant to-"
"Shh...." he rasped, his head lolling to one side. "Lili.... it's ok.... I understand.. ...you had to....."
"I could've found another way," she argued as she began to cry, the tears running freely from her eyes. "You didn't have to die like this, you of all people; you should never have to die at the hands of a friend..."
"You had to...." he said, looking her in the eyes. "It is better to kill one.... than to let what that one knows....kill many...." He stopped, wheezing for air for a moment. "You had to...protect the others..."
"No...no, Allen, I can't lose you too...."
"Goodbye, Lili....I love you..."
"I love you too..." she whispered, kissing him on the forehead as he breathed his last, gasping breath. His hands went limp in hers, and she let it slide to his chest, crossing them as they usually do to dead people.
Lili left her sword there, unable to will herself to pull it from his body. "Goodbye...friend..."
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Genki and the others sat around a small fire, hoping no one was about as they made themselves a hot meal and drank fresh water from a stream nearby. "Who's there?!" cried Tiger suddenly, being on guard duty for the group. The smell was strangely familiar, but with a tinge of something he didn't recognize...
Lili walked into the camp weaponless and with her clothes stiff from the dried blood that covered them.
"Lili!" cried Genki, rushing over and coming to give her the usual hug....but she pushed him away and continued on, coming to stop on the other side of the fire by a rock face.
"Where's Allen?" asked Pixie at last, being the only one with enough nerve to ask.
"Dead, with my sword through his middle," she replied quietly, so softly that the others had to strain to here it.
"Oh Lili..."
"Don't pity me!" she snapped, turning to face them. "I've had enough of this pity! This grief! Tomorrow, Genki, you will lead the others in the direction the Magic stone guides you. Good luck and Phoenix protect you, but I will not be going with you."
"Why?" asked Holly, tears forming in her eyes. "Why, Lili? We need you in the group. You are our leader..."
"I am a murderer!!" cried Lili, spreading her arms out wipe to show the blood that covered her. "See?! I am more stained and tainted with blood than one would think is possible! And none of it is mine either....none of it is mine..."
"Lili, there are ways to work through this," reasoned Genki, a frantic look in his eyes. "We can help you cope with it, we'll take care of it together..."
"I don't want to have another die because of me," said Lili stubbornly, backing away into the woods. "I'm sorry, cousin, friends, but I must leave..."
"Then go," said Holly, crying freely. "And peace be with you, for you need it more than we do."
"Will you return?" asked Genki suddenly, stopping her before she turned to go.
"I don't know."
"Where are you headed, then? We'll come find you when we're through."
"I don't know that, either."
"Then what are you going to do?"
"I'll find out when I get there."
"Get where?"
"The place my heart tells me to go."
"Then we cannot change your mind?"
"No."
"Then be careful, and I hope to see you again someday soon."
"As do I cousin..."
And with that, she was gone...
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Genki and Holly trudged up the steep slope through the constant winds and snow, everyone else scattered out behind them in a rough formation with Big Blue and Golem in the rear. The Magic Stone had continued to point them straight up this mountain, and they wondered what could be so important here that the Magic stone would lead them through the cold to find it.
"You're sure there isn't another Phoenix we could find or something?" asked Genki for the third time.
"I'm sure," replied Holly. "I studied all the legends about him after we got back, and the closest thing to him is the Phoenix Stone."
"What's that?"
"I'm not really sure, the man was vague when he described the legend to me... ...something about a stone with stones in it that had awesome powers..."
"Oh."
Pixie road on Big Blue shoulder as they talked quietly, not wanting their conversation to drawn the other's attention.
"I wonder why Claw and Frost haven't caught up yet," said Pixie softly, her mouth drawn and brow furrowed as she tried to reason it out in her head.
"They probably got held up along the way," said Big Blue, trying to ease her fears.
"Held up? You mean like captured or-"
"No, no," he said quickly, stopping her from letting her imagination run loose. "I mean, if at the valley they were needed to help with some project or if they stopped by a village that needed some help you know they would stay until their presence was no longer required."
"Oh, yeah, I guess that would definitely be a reason...."
"Don't worry, they will find us like they always do."
"I hope so."
"We all do."
"Hey there!" said a voice out of no where. "What are you doing on this side o'the mountain?! Messengers are to only use the east road!!"
"Who said that?" asked Genki quickly, everyone else falling silent around him. "And what's that about messengers?"
"I said it," said pierry (jill/tiger) hoping out from behind a pile of snow. She came up to Genki's knees and stooped on all fours, a pickaxe and bag with ice lumps in it on her back. "And I said messengers-"
"I heard you," said Genki, cutting her short. "Mind telling us where we are? We're not messengers, just lost wanderers trying to find our way."
"You're not working for Isis?"
"Who's that?"
"The Queen. If you ain't heard of her then you ain't working for the Master fellow?"
"We're fighting him, actually," admitted Genki, shivering along with rest of them under their capes and fur.
"You're what....you'd better come with me, Chan will want to see you."
"Who's Chan?"
"My brother."
The pierry led the way, quickly hoping around the lumps of snow everywhere and leading them to one that didn't seem to stand out in particular, but she was able to find it anyways. Kicking it with her hind paws, the snow fell away to reveal a door that she pounded on loudly, no worrying about anyone hearing her at this point.
"Chan!! Chan, come out here!! I need you for something!"
"What?" asked a bigger pierry, opening the door slowly as the sleepy face looked outside at them. "What's all the racquet about? And who are these folks? You know we're not supposed to have guests at these quarters..."
"Chan, I think they're them."
"They're who?"
"The ones Crystal always talks about."
"You mean that old relic of a lepus?"
"Yeah, those ones."
"They say she's half-crazy with age...."
"She is not!"
"Then give me your things and go take them to her," said Chan, taking the ice pick and lumps from her. "I'll finish your shift then take mine, just don't be gone too long, aye?"
"Aye."
"And stay out of the sight of the guards, they'll think you're skipping and beat you for it, aye?"
"Aye."
"And-"
"Let's go," said the pierry, closing the door on his brother. "Before he decides to talk us all to death."
"By the way," asked Genki as they crept along the snow banks, taking extreme care not to be seen. "What should we call you?"
The pierry smiled. "My names Tiro."
"Then Tiro it shall be."
They made it to a cave carved into the base of a steep pillar that formed the top of the mountain, a castle adorning it's top. Grabbing a lantern from the front, Tiro led them deep into the heart of the mountain, passing by rows upon rows of doors that lined the hallways of stone.
"Here we are," said Tiro after walking for what seemed like hours, tapping on the door softly.
"Who's there?" asked a rusty voice from inside.
"It's me, Tiro," said the young monster excitedly. "And *they* are with me."
"Who's they?"
"The ones from the legend!!"
The door opened with a creak, an old lepus bent over from age and dressed in rags standing there peering at them with two eyes that still shone as bright as coals.
"Come in, come in," she said quickly, realizing what Tiro meant. "Go, have a seat by the fire and warm yourself, you must be cold after being outside for so long."
"Is there something I can help you with?" asked Holly, seeing the old monster begin to root around piles of books that were lying everywhere, trying to find one in particular.
"No, my dear, no," replied the lepus. "Old Crystal is just looking for something..... the light's so bad I can hardly see a thing...here it is!" Crystal pulled a book from the bottom of a stack and blew the dust from it, sneezing on it as she did.
"Out of it, young one," said the lepus, shooing Slip out of her rocker to the floor at her feet. "No one sits here but me."
"That is fine," replied Slip. "What are we to call you?"
"My name is Crystal, as this one insists upon calling me," said the relic, flipping through the crumbling pages slowly. "But you may call me as the others do, Grandmother."
"Alright then, Grandmother."
"Here we are!" Grandmother held up the book in the flickering light, showing a picture of several creatures together in a ground standing at the top of a mountain. "What does this look like to you?"
Genki studied the picture for a moment. "You know..."
Pixie blinked in surprise. "....that could be..."
Slip's eyes snapped. "......us!"
"It has two humans and nine monsters, just like we do," admitted Tiger, sitting with his mate and pups.
"One boy and one girl," observed Genki.
"With two rock monsters, a hare, a family of tigers, a pixie and a jell," added Holly. "That matches our numbers exactly."
"It is us!" said Slip. "See? The family of tigers are all colored just as they are. And the jell is a young one like me! The pixie is riding on the blue rock monster's shoulder, just like Pixie and Blue do, and the girl human has blonde hair and a magic stone just like yours Holly!"
"Does this figure look familiar?" asked Grandmother, turning the page.
"It's Lili!" said Pixie in surprise.
"Do you know her?" she asked hopefully. "For I do not see her here among you."
"She is my cousin," replied Genki sadly. "She had to leave to...sort some things out..."
"Then it is true to the legend that the most powerful creature to ever walk the earth had her son killed and killed her best friend for the safety of others?"
"Yes," replied Genki gravely. "It is."
"Then you are the deliverers!!"
"The what?!" Everyone looked at Storm, who had been watching this whole thing from the back. "Ok, look. We climbed up here following some Magic Stone Holly has to find something that it was leading us to. I don't know what, and neither do they, but how do we know you're not just setting this trap up for us to fall into because you're working for the fellow down there that wants our heads?"
Tiger looked fairly embarrassed at this point. "Uh, Stormy, honey-"
"Don't 'honey' me," she barked, causing them all to jump. "I've trusted others before and they failed me or turned against me in the end. We've lost three valuable fighters from our team and I won't lose another. Tell me the truth: what is going on here? Why are you so excited to see us? You don't look like you're enslaved to me. A bit under fed, perhaps..."
"We're not," replied the lepus, turning to face the fire. "But neither are we free, and what freedoms we do have are quickly diminishing."
"Explain yourself," said Genki, sitting across from her in a chair. "And we will help you."
"Promise?" she asked, her eyes twinkling hopefully.
"I promise."
"Several years ago we were enslaved by an evil warlord who was going to fight his way south and conquer more land," said Grandmother, leaning back in her chair as she remembered those days. "There was no food, little shelter, and few lived past their tenth year, some even less. I was a young thing in my 5th or 6th year when Isis came and set us free, her guards protecting us from all.
"Then, a few years ago, she went away and returned with a different guard, one of savage beasts and born fighters. We were frightened by their numbers, so we backed off and let them take control. At first, it was only a tax here and a tax there and time we had to give up to help build her castle at the top. With time, the taxes became greater as did the time demands until she took over our underground fields and mines and sent us out to work in the cold, collecting chunks of ice that we pick from lakes or glaciers.
"She feeds us enough to keep us healthy, but the cold is enough to kill any monster or human not prepared for the weather. I have not seen a full-blooded human upon this mount for many a year, let me tell you. All we want is our lives back before it gets any worse than it already is. Please, will you help us?"
Genki looked around the room with everyone, Holly last of all who nodded slightly and smiled. "Yes," he said, rising to his feet. "We will help you. What do we do now?"
"Well..."
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The Phoenix landed in the trees above Allen's body, looking down on it sadly before he lit down and stood beside him, flames slowly beginning to envelope the body.
"Spirit of Souls," he chanted softly. "Grant me this mortal's life back. His time came too soon, his life spent where it should not have been. Allow me to bring him back that he may finish his allotted years and play his part in the plans of the immortals that all might be free and well again."
A figure appeared before him, a woman dressed in white robes sitting on a low stool. "I cannot," she said in a thin, wispy voice. "Ashan has ordered me not to."
"He is meddling again," said the Phoenix, shaking his head. "Bring me the boy anyways. I need him for this task, Ophelia."
"The group you have now will do fine for this deed," Ophelia replied, shaking her head. "I cannot."
"He is needed later on, for a much greater deed than this," replied Phoenix grimly. "That time not only will the mortal realm be threatened, but yours will as well. Who's to say that the next evil walk this earth will not also threaten your realm? The realm of the dead?"
"Those who are gone cannot be reawakened," replied the lady confidently. "Still, what is it you see that worries you so?"
"I cannot say," replied the Phoenix grimly. "I see all, past, present, and future. But I am bound by oath not to speak of it."
"Will the next one have this of your powers as well?"
"No, it is too much of a burden, even for me. I do not wish to bestow such weight on the one after me."
"Then it is decided?"
"It is."
"Very well, he may return."
"Much thanks, Ophelia," said the Phoenix with a bow. "I will repay it to you someday."
"No doubt you will after you have completed the great circle for the final time and will join us again in the reaches of the sky." The lady phased away, leaving Phoenix with Allen's body and a bottle next to it filled with a white light.
"Hang on," he said, waddling over to the body. "I'll have you back to normal in a second." Using what power he had left, the Phoenix healed Allen's wounds and dispelled all signs that he had been altered from his body. He replace his life blood and sealed up the wound that had taken his life, easily drawing the sword out and setting it to the side for later use.
"Now awaken," he said, removing the cork from the bottle. "Dead you once were, now you must live. Allen awaken, I command you!"
Allen's eyes snapped open, quickly taking in the world around him as he sat up and touched his stomach, amazed to see that the sword was no longer there. "What the, I could've sworn...my hands! They're....they're..."
"Just the way they should be," said the Phoenix with a grin. "Welcome back, Allen. Did you enjoy your nap?"
"Very much," admitted Allen with a shrug. "It was nice to see my grandparents and some other old relatives again...still, it is good to be alive. But why have I been brought back?"
"You are needed here, and it was not your time to go," said the Phoenix with a nod. "Every Human has so many year allotted for his or her life, you still have many left ahead of you, Allen."
"What am I to do now?" asked Allen, figuring the Phoenix had something in mind.
"Take your friend's sword," said the Phoenix, motioning to it on the ground. "Go to the others, they are on the mountain getting something they need to fight the Master. I want you to give them a message for me."
"Of course," said Allen, standing there with the sword already at his side.
"Good," said the Phoenix. "You must tell them..."
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Holly crept down the servant halls with Chan as her guide, half of the group behind her and the other half with Genki coming from the opposite direction with Tiro as their leader.
"You're sure this will lead us to the main dinning hall, and that the Queen and her guard will be there?" she asked for the third time, feeling very nervous without Genki by her side.
"I'm sure."
"Alright then...."
They came to a small alcove just big enough to hide all of them, seeing Genki and the rest file into the one opposite of them and start the signal together for the charge. Genki held up one finger, Holly held up two, then together at the top of their lungs they shouted, "AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Everyone leapt out of their hiding places and rushed at the eating halfsies and hybrids the Queen used as her guard. Using what they had learned from watching Lili and from fighting higher ranked soldiers than these they easily brought them all down in a matter of minutes and had only Queen Isis left, a Snowy who was a head taller than the rest with fine boned features and hard muscles showing under her skin.
"Who are you?" she hissed, drawing back from them into the corner they had trapped her in and baring her fangs at them.
"We are the Rebels, the ones who kill those who trap others and make them into those hybrid machines," said Pixie, baring her fangs right back.
"I never did that," replied the Snowy. "I just followed my orders and did what I had to for the ice."
"Ice?" asked Temi. "What's so important about ice?"
"I don't know," hissed the Snowy, shirking back even farther.
"Wrong answer. Fireball!" Pixie let the lost disk fall to the ground as she looked over at Hare, who was muttered under his breath. "What are you doing now, furball?"
"If you think about it," he said, ignoring the jest. "It makes perfect sense. In order to preserve any living or item that was once living you have to keep it cold or it will go bad faster."
"So they use the ice to keep the DNA samples fresh until they have to use them," added Genki, realizing what he was getting at. "And now that we've taken away this resource from them..."
"They're going to have to find ice elsewhere," finished Holly. "Or let their stores go bad. One of the two."
"There's no easy choice there," replied Grandmother, coming around the corner with a host of Pierrys, Snowys, Tigers, Lepuses and Jills behind her waiting for what they were going to do next. "However, our choice here is simple. You have killed the Ice Queen, the one who ruled us unfairly for all these years. In gratitude, we present you with this as a token of our appreciation."
The crowd split like waves before Chan; who carried something in the shape of a large egg in his hands to them. "For you," he said, bowing before them and holding the cushion it sat on over his head. Holly walked forward and removed it's cloth cover, revealing a large, red crystal carved to form an egg with many faucets. On four of the sides a nook had been carved into it, making room for another stone that sat in it's place.
"Look," said Slip, quickly climbing up to her shoulder and removing the magic stone from her neck. "It's just like them."
"There's only one missing," said Grandmother, giving them a small smile. "Perhaps it is the one..."
"You could try," said Genki, taking the cushion from Chan and letting him stand upright before them. "Here, I will hold it steady for you. Go on."
Holly nodded and took the pendent back from Slip, placing it in the space that was open on one side. It fit like it was made for it. Genki grinned as the Stone started to glow, lighting up the whole room and flashed brightly once before dieing away, leaving another stone in it's place. This one was clear with green, blue, red, and pink streaks, all intertwined through the middle as it rested on top of the stone in a perch that had not been there originally.
"Wow," said Holly, taking her stone back. "I wasn't expecting that...oh my..." She had placed the stone around her neck only to have it start glowing, a scarlet flamed enveloping her for a second before dieing away and leaving a new Holly behind.
Her hair was streaked with red and had braids with feathers interspersed through it all. Her clothes had become one red kimono with a gold obi and a print of golden birds across the fabric.
"Whoa...." said Genki, his jaw dropping like a stone. Holly was absolutely beautiful. She looked like she had spent the last few months at a palace being pampered instead of running for her life from baddies through the wilderness.
"That's so cool!" said Temi, walking around Holly in a slow circle. "Hey! Look at the magic stone, it moved!" Everyone looked, seeing it was no longer hanging about her neck but now rested in an intricate head band that held her hair out of her face.
"Are you alright?" Ice asked Slip, seeing the young jell wasn't even responding to all this, just staring at the stones that were still there with a great intensity he had never seen before. Pixie was doing it as well, and Genki's attention was split between it and Holly and something called to him from the stone as well as her beauty.
"Huh?" Slip turned to look at him, confusion on his face. "Oh, I'm fine. It's just.... I fell like I should be doing something right now..."
"Like what?"
"Like this." Slip went forward to the Stone, sliding around it in a circle until his eyes came to rest on a dark blue stone exactly like Holly's except in color and shape (it as more of a crystal than a pendent). He picked it up, studying it for a moment before he put it over his head and began to glow as well, a flame of blue and silver engulfing him before flashing brightly and dieing away, leaving a new Slip behind just as it had done to Holly moments before.
He was dressed in a jell's armor, covering his chest and back with a flexible metal that moved with him and a helmet on his head. A dirk was attached to his back and a shield on his arm, the symbol of protector on it in silver on the dark blue background.
"Nice," said Ice, coming over to stand by him. "Feel better now?"
Slip smiled. " Very much, thank you." His magic stone hadn't stayed on the chain either, moving to a niche in the middle of his chest where it fit perfectly and didn't hinder him at all.
"Why does he have a magic stone?" asked Temi, cocking her head to the side. "I mean, we know why Miss Holly does and all..."
"Maybe it has to do with his silver center," said Genki with a shrug. "We never could figure that out."
"Who do the last two belong to?" asked Tiro, having been watching from a distance. "The legend read that four would come and two would be from one race and two from the other."
"Two humans and two monsters," said Tiger, nodding slowly. "But who? If we try it on everyone it might hurt those who it's not meant for."
"Was there anything else to the legend?" asked Holly, bowing to Tiro slightly as she shuffled forward to Slip's side. "Any saying to whom it might be?"
"Here's what is says," said Grandmother, reading straight for the book itself.
Four will come, five in all
One to unlock the Warrior's power
Four in all, two of each kind
The fifth a kind all her own
The first two;
The Peaceful Flame:
Powerful but meek
The Strong Forest:
True to his friends
The second two;
The Young River:
Small but courageous
The Raging Dusty Rose:
Delicate but deadly
These are the four who will
represent their kinds.
"The Peaceful Flame," repeated Genki, nodding his head. "Yeah, that makes sense, it's Holly."
"And the Young River, well that has to be Slip," added Stormy. "It's blue, like he is, and full of energy too."
"The Strong Forest is a human," said Ice. "Because it said 'The first two' and it's grouped with Holly's."
"The only other human we have left is you, Genki," said Pixie, taking the cushions from him so his hands would be free. "That means it has to be you."
"But I-"
"Try it," insisted Holly, looking his straight in the eyes. "I don't know how, but it's telling me it's you."
Genki glanced around the room nervously. "If you're sure."
"We are."
"Alright then..." Genki looked at the remaining two, choosing the one that was green and shaped liked Holly's, gold trimming it's edges as well. He slipped it over his head and began to glow, a green flamed enveloping him and flashing right before it died away just as it had done for the other two. And once again, a new Genki was left in it's place.
He wore a green shirt with a high collar and no sleeves that buttoned up the front with gold buttons. His pants matched them exactly, a gold braid going down the side of each one to meet with his leather boots that went up to his knees and were bordered in gold. His wrists were covered in green and gold gauntlets and a Tai-chi sword appeared on his back, the magic stone set in the hilt of the weapon with a green tassel coming from the end.
"Cool!" he said, getting a goofy look on his face as if he were a little kid.
"Figures," said Tiger, nodding his head. "That is would be him and Holly, I mean. But who's the fourth one? The Dusty Rose? I mean, since it was a guy and a girl on one side it could be so on the other, but we really don't know..."
"It's Pixie," said Slip and Genki at the same time, having seen her stare at the stone for awhile.
"Huh?" she said, snapping her head up and looking at them in surprise.
"You're the one who's to take the last of the four," said Genki, taking it from her and holding it to she could reach it. It was Pink and edged with silver like Slip's, shaped as his was as well. "The Raging Dusty Rose: Delicate but deadly. That is you, Pixie, take it."
"But I don't-"
"Just do it," said Tiro, sighing impatiently. "Goodness, it's not that big of a deal!"
Pixie looked at him and bared her fangs before turning back to the stone, taking it from it's place and putting it around her neck as the others had done. Just as before, she began to glow and was enveloped in a pink flame that flashed before dieing away and leaving a transformed Pixie in its place.
She was wearing a dark pink top with one long, wide sleeve slit from the elbow down. The other side went her arm, leaving it exposed as well as her shoulder and the new armband that encircled it. It cut off at her midriff, leaving just as much exposed as before. Below she wore a long skirt (dark pink as well) slit from above the knees down, revealing her legs as always. Everything was edged in silver.
Her magic stone was in the armband, glinting in the light as she checked herself out and decided she liked what she saw with a grin.
"Not bad," said Hare with a grin as he closed Big Blue's mouth for him. Golem nodded a smiled, trying to help his friend by holding the jaw closed as it dropped open again.
"What do to about Lili's, though, that is the question," said a voice behind them, startling everyone as they turned around quickly. "Me thinks I'll take it for her, as that is what the Phoenix has commanded me to do."
"Allen?!" cried Holly, backing away slightly. "No, you can't be him, he's dead.... Lili told us she killed him..."
"And the Phoenix brought me back to help once more," replied Allen with a grave nod, drawing Lili's sword from his sheath. "Here's my proof, if it is not your cousin's may he kill me once more that I can rest in peace from this world."
"It is hers," said Genki, taking it from him. "Down to the last detail. It's good to have you back, friend." The two shook hands as everyone else swirled around them, exchanging hugs with him and slapping him on the back as they welcomed their not so dead companion back into the group.
"What message did the Phoenix send you with?" asked Holly as she hugged him, glad that things were finally looking their way.
"To head back down the mountain," said Allen with a grin. "He said friends will meet you there. I'm to take Lili's stone for her and give it to her when I see her again."
"Then she will return to us?" asked Genki excitedly.
"I think so," replied Allen with a nod. "He said he wasn't allowed to say, but he hinted as much."
"Then let's go!" said Genki, handing it to him and letting Allen take the stone from the top. "We thank you for your gift, Grandmother! It will help us in our fight for the freedom of our land!"
"May luck be with you," said the old lepus, nodding her head slowly. "Come, friends, there is much to celebrate and set right if we are to live on our again. Let's get to work!" A cheer rose from the group as they left, the stone that had originally held the five disappearing into thin air.
"Are we going?" asked Tiger as headed for the door with his family, everyone else still waving to the retreating snow monsters. "I have thick fur and I'm freezing cold. Let's get down to warmer ground!"
"I agree!" said Genki, strapping on his blades real quick and Holly doing the same thing. "Let's rip it up!" A cheer rose from everyone in response as they charged out the door and down the mountain, for the first time in a long time things finally going their way.
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Another long chapter. A bit unorganized for me, but with the time restraint school is putting me under I'm glad just to get this done as quickly as I did. Hope you enjoyed it, more to come soon, and please don't forget to review as it does make me feel warm and special!! I'll put the count for the sequel or prequel later, I'm too lazy too look right now. Thanks for reading!
~Crosseyedbutterfly~