Chapter 5: Arden's Story, Hunter's Story

A couple days went by and the relationship between Arden and Hunter began to grow and grow. Even though Hunter felt satisfied, he kept on hearing about Arden's past. Knowing all these things, he decided to talk to Arden about it. Hunter came into Arden's room. There he found her drawing in her drawing book pictures of Basil.

"Arden?" he asked. Arden looked at him.

"Yes?" she asked with a smile. Hunter sat with her.

"Umm…I've been hearing stories about your past. Something about Professor Ratigan and your parents. So I'm wondering is that true?" asked Hunter. Arden frowned. She bowed her head.

"I might as well tell you. It all started 12 years ago. I was born in a place outside of London. But 6 years later, something tragically bad happened. Here's what happened:

FLASHBACK:

6 years ago in 1891, a six year old named Arden Diane Morgan Takamashi Pattison was watching her father look out the window of the little home Arden and her family lived in. Arden wanted to know what he was looking at. She walked up and tugged on his pants.

"Daddy?" asked Arden. Julian looked at her.

"Yes?" he asked.

"What are you looking at?" asked Arden. Julian put Arden in his arms and showed her.

"I'm looking at a landscape. Do you know what a landscape is?" he replied. Arden nodded "no".

"A landscape is an expanse of scenery that can be seen in a single view." explained Julian. Arden agreed to his term. Julian looked at her peacefully. Emily watched from behind. She smiled. "Thank God he isn't with HIM anymore." thought Emily. She was referring to the professor. As everyone was enjoying there selves, Julian heard something. He put Arden on the ground and had a suspicious look on her face. He looked out the window. He looked left, then right. When he looked right, he saw a big cat with a few mice and a rat riding on her back.

"Oh I was afraid of that!" he said. Arden looked up at him.

"What's wrong?" asked Arden. Julian looked at her. He grabbed her hand the two went into the room where Emily was. Emily immediately turned around and asked what was going on.

"He's back." said Julian. Emily gasped and almost fainted. Arden didn't know who Professor Ratigan was back then. Julian immediately took out the locket Arden would soon have. Before Julian could do anything, there was a crash. The front door fell open. Ratigan's thugs (including Fidget) came in. Julian pushed Emily into the other room. He knew Ratigan was invading his home. Ratigan turned Julian around. Ratigan glanced at him then looked down and saw Arden behind Julian cowering in fear. She was whimpering and shaking. Julian had the locket in his hand as the two scurried into the other room. Julian slammed the door shut and locked it tight. Arden still didn't know what was going on.

"What's going on?" asked Arden. Julian looked down at her and kneeled to her height with the locket in his hands. He put it around Arden's neck.

"Arden, I need you and your mother to get away from here. I can't tell you much else. But here. As long as you where this locket, I'll always be with you." explained Julian. Arden frowned even more.

"But…but I want to stay here and help you fight that bad guy!" retorted Arden. Julian sighed.

"I know you do but listen. This bad guy is someone you don't want to know about. Trust me." replied Julian. "Now go before Ratigan finds us all here!"

Emily put Arden in here arms. Emily and Julian kissed each other.

"Be careful." whispered Emily.

"I will. Now go while you still have the chance!" replied Julian. Emily and Arden fled from the house. When Ratigan busted in to the room, he knew something was not right. He looked and saw Emily and Arden running away. But what really grabbed his attention was that the locket was now with Arden. Everything went down hill after that.

END FLASHBACK

Hunter was practically in tears now.

"That's the saddest thing I ever heard!" he exclaimed.

"Not all fun and games like you thought huh?" asked Arden. Arden noticed something on the ground. It was a newspaper about the diamond jubilee. She picked it up and looked through it.

"Hey I've heard about this event! I really wanted to go! But my mother said that we couldn't." explained Arden.

"That's probably because the queen was a robot that said Ratigan's name!" replied Hunter. Arden was shocked.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes! I was there! When Ratigan came out of the curtain, I remember everyone in the crowd gasped. As for me, my mother and I sat in the front. I became very angry. I blew a raspberry at him. But before I could do anything else, my mother clasped her had around my mouth. I glanced at her then I looked back at Ratigan with a mean look. By the time Ratigan got to rule #96, I started getting real mad! I jumped out of my seat and shot an even meaner look. I remember him saying that rule 96 levies a heavy tax against parasites and sponges, including the elderly, the infirm and especially little children. When he said the, he looked directly at me. My mother pulled me away before I could do anything. But it wasn't long before we all learned that the queen was just a robot and I after hearing stories about Ratigan, he's not smart enough to create a robot replica of the queen.

"That's because he didn't make it. Hiram Flaversham made it. Ratigan's main assistant took him and forced him to even though Flaversham didn't want to in the first place." replied Arden. Arden told him everything else. After hearing her story, Hunter asked her if they could talk more tonight. Arden agreed.

That night, Arden went to where Hunter asked him to meet him outside the boarding school. But when Arden got there, the only thing she found was a note. She took it and read it. It said:

Arden

Can not make it! So take this as an apology gift.

Sincerely, Hunter.

Arden closed it and saw the gift under her. It wasn't long until she saw it was on a mouse trap. She immediately swiped it without getting caught in it. She looked up and saw a shadow. She then looked at the letter again. She noticed something.

"Wait a minute! This isn't n Hunter's hand writing! This is hand writing belongs to…"