AN- Blah blah blah. I'm not going to prosecute you for taking any characters here cept Janus and Orchid.. I don't own anyone else. you know by now!

Chapter 5: Old and New Friends

Rayman felt a surge of pain rack his body when he awoke. Opening his eyes, he saw that the scenic Fairy Council building was gone, replaced by a sandy beach. A few crabs skittered around looking in surprise at the strange creature that washed up on their beach. A hungry seagull landed near the half dead Rayman, but was driven away by the fist he shot at its beak. It squawked in anger, flying off to find less active prey.

Rayman tried to sit up but was stopped by the pain that shot through his body. "I. failed." He moaned. Rayman had never felt so depressed in his whole life. He failed to stop Janus, putting his friends in danger. And he had never been defeated in a fight before. was he too weak? He was soon relieved of those melancholy thoughts by the sleep that came to his weary bones.

A few minutes later, a girl was walking along the beach. She hummed a strange, exotic tune as she picked up shells. Suddenly, while she stopped to pick up a conch shell, she saw a figure half buried in the sand. She gave a little cry at seeing that it was a living creature. "Dad, come quick!" She yelled, running off into the sunset.

"Are you alright?"

The first thing that Rayman heard when he woke up was a girl's voice. He opened his eyes. A pretty girl was standing in front of him, looking at him with her gentle brown eyes. She looked a lot like him, having no limbs. She was wearing a brown tunic with a hat on her head.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake!" She laughed. "I was worried that you wouldn't make it for a moment."

"Well, err thank you. I mean, well." "What is it?" She asked him. "Err. did you take care of me?" He asked, not quite sure what to say to her. "Yes, I did!" She told him, handing him a bowl of soup. "I've been watching you for four days!"

"Oh, thank you, miss!" He said. "Miss?" She said, laughing a little. "I'm not that old! Anyway, my name is Orchid. Nice to meet you!"

"My name is Rayman!" He told her. "Do you know where I am?"

"You're in our camp. We're a band of wandering gypsies, traveling from one end of the earth to the other. Come on, I'll show you around."

Although Rayman was a bit weak, he wanted to go with her for some reason. She explained that they all lived in portable canvas tents, and that the one he had been in was a hospital tent. In the middle of the camp there was a fire where several gypsies sat around eating soup, singing songs and drinking a drink that Orchid explained was water mixed with oats. At one of the tents, an old gypsy sat around. When he saw orchid, he sprang up and hugged her.

"Oh! My little Orchid! How are you!" He asked her. "I'm fine, papa!" She told him. "I've brought him over to talk to you!"

"That's good!" The man told her. "I'd like to speak with Rayman alone."

As Orchid left, the old man gestured for Rayman to sit down. "You must be wondering how I knew your name." He asked. Rayman nodded. "I was just about to ask you that!"

"I remember you from way back, Rayman. Back when I still lived on the mountains and you helped me to find my guitar."

"You're the musician?" Rayman asked.

"Yes, I am." The gypsy replied. "You can call me Simon." "But. I don't think I ever told you my name, did I?" Rayman asked. "No, but I did!" A familiar voice yelled. Rayman laughed in delight as a little Greenbottle came flying out of the tent.

"Murfy!" Rayman yelled, hugging his friend. Murfy struggled to escape his friend's tight hug.

"Watch it, there, Rayman!" He said. "I've been flying everywhere trying to find you! I haven't taken a breather for ten days!" "Ten?" Rayman gasped in astonishment.

"Yes." The old gypsy replied. "Murfy here told us everything. He told us about your fight with Janus and that he has enslaved the whole forest."

"He's enslaved my friends?" Rayman gasped. "I have to go and help them!"

"Then I'm going with you." Simon said. "And me." Orchid said, coming out from nowhere.

"Me three!" Murfy said. "Thanks, guys!" Rayman said. "But where should we go?"

"There's a river up north that leads back to the forest!" Murfy said. "If we follow it, we could reach the glade in a few days!"

"Alright!" Rayman said. "Lets go!"

In the Fairy Council, Janus was nervous about Rayman's vitality. After their fight he had sent his body into the river, but it seemed that he survived. Janus closed his eyes and called out to the earth for support in crushing Rayman. A few seconds later he heard a rumbling sound. He smiled. The earth had answered.