This is a Monster Rancher fanfic. It does not feature any of the anime characters, but rather one of my own that I made long ago. It has been a long time since I've written anything of this nature, so please bear with me. I'd really appreciate reviews. Gannic

Before you all go through with this execution thing… I want to tell you, why I am the way I am. Or at least, how I figure it. My memory has been pretty hazy lately, especially about things from the dreams. I'm not sure I even remember why I did all those things I did, but I know it had something to do with the dreams. Before I was Ricochet, back when I was someone else entirely.

Humans call it déjà vu; I call them dreams. I don't know what other monsters call it, but it felt like a dream to me. A good one too. Déjà vu is when you do something you feel like you've done before, right? Okay, good. I wasn't sure if I had the right term. It's the dreams, you know, they make you forget things. I'm surprised I can remember my own name. Oh yeah, back on track here.

Well, suppose that the things you do now, right this very moment, will forever set a pattern for the things you do in the future. You don't know that though, not right now anyway. This is the past here. But in the future, you kind of remember what you did in the past, and because of that you feel… compelled to mimic that action you did way back when. That's kind of like how the dreams were, only much stronger and… Sorry, what was I saying?

In the dreams, my name wasn't Ricochet. I can't remember what it was, though, but I know for sure it wasn't that name. I was a lot older and happier too. Why? Well, because, in the dreams, I burned. I burned everything and everyone, and fire was everywhere… All around me… I trailed embers and destruction behind me. God, the warmth. I remember it now. The night I had that, I believe I went into heat, literally! Haha- Oh come on, it was a joke. That's what's wrong with you humans, can't even appreciate good humor when you find it.

I don't know when that dream actually happened, but I know that it was me, in a way I guess. I looked the same, anyway. Yep, same old Spot Saurian self. Only, I was different. I knew what I was, what my path in life would be, and how I would accomplish it. I don't think I knew it back then, but I was setting my own pattern, setting myself up for the dreams. I wasn't Ricochet yet, and as far as I knew I would never be.

As for the dreams themselves, they didn't stop after I burned up Eve and the rest of them in that house. They kept going on and on, but by then I didn't need them. I knew what I had to do, but the dreams helped. I can't remember much about them, other than the way they felt. I was seeing myself in the past, feeling it and reliving it. I never felt so good. I do remember how and when they ended though, or at least I think I do. The dreams were never really clear, it was like looking at pictures in a story book, only you keep skipping a lot of pages and you don't know what's going on. Yeah, a story book. … No, I can't read, now shut the hell up and let me get on with it.

I was killed, man. No joke, honest to god, killed. There was no pain as far as I know, I was burning again, and listening to the screaming. To be honest with you, I think I felt pretty horny right then, or at least I was feeling that way when I had that dream-

Hey! No need to hit me. You guys never asked for a confession, but here I am giving it to you. So hey, like, listen up okay?

The only other thing I remember from that dream was a Golem, it just came running out of the fire and grabbed me, I think by the neck. That's what most people seem to do with me anyway. It's because I'm a Zuum, and long necks make for easy targets. So what do you think happened? I think the guy might have strangled me to death, but hey, we'll never know, right?

But, you guys probably want to know about Eve and the rest of them. Why them, right? Well okay, well, when I lived in that mansion I was Ricochet. You probably think I didn't love Eve, but I did. Sure, she owned me, but we were best friends. I think we still are, too, nothing has changed between us. I just… answered my calling that's all. I matured. I had that first dream, and I realized what I was. Did you know they were going to chop me up and make me into stew for some bastard monster? Eve came along, she saw me, and she made that rich daddy of hers buy me. Really, I couldn't have become what I am today without her. So why'd I kill her then?

Hell if I know. It just seemed like a damn good idea at the time. I told you I couldn't remember much from back then. All the others I burned because I wanted to feel it again, over and over, what it was like to have those dreams. I don't remember how many there were, but I remember the fire, and the screams. Oh god, you should try it sometime, maybe it would lighten you up a bit. But you humans can't breathe fire can you? No big deal, get some matches. No matter how you start it, they all burn the same, scream the same, and stink the same when it's over.

But the heat? The heat always feels heavenly.

Hey! Calm down! Watch the hands, human! Let go of my neck, ugh…

Woah…

Déjà vu.