Hey. I received some reviews and that's great. Anyway, I don't Radiata Stories or its characters, I wish. Here it is.

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Picking a Fight

Jack ran across the bridge with a yelling Elena behind him. "Come back here!" she yelled at him as he continued to run. "You got to do more than that to beat me." He replied as he got to the end of the bridge and jumped on a red rock. Elena got to the end with Sonata and Felix and jumped on the red rock standing in front of Jack. She grinned until she fell to her knees. They all looked in confusion as Jack questioned, "What's wrong with you?" he asked as she stood fully with some struggle. "It's HOT here!" she yelled at him. "So, what did you expect from Fire Mountain? Fields of flowers, little cute animals roaming, or big pink bows in your hair." He questioned as Elena steamed again.

"No, I didn't expect this to be like the sun! Besides, someday, you'll need my help." she yelled at him angrily. "Anyway, we better go and catch a phoenix for my Lady Anastasia." She said proudly as she walked ahead of them. Jack groaned as they walked behind her. They walked until they reached a four way intersection. "So, which way is it to the nest?" he asked as Elena was thinking. She walked in the middle of the intersection and looked around. "Well, these two are off course since they lead towards a lava pit, but if they are to lead to nest, then those two will likely to lead to the mountain, but since the other two will lead to the pit and the other lead to the mountain. I say there's no road to the nest." She said as she turned around to find no one. She blinked twice as she shouted out, "Where did they go!"

"Sarge, did you think it was a good idea to leave Miss Elena back there?" Felix asked as they were walking on a road. "Are you kidding? She'll be okay with her priestess powers." Jack said as he continued on. "But still, Lady Anastasia sent her to watch over us." Sonata said as they walked behind him. "I know Lady Anastasia and Elena. They are to not trust us, so they can posses what they want, end of story." He said as lava squirted out from a pit. He stopped and turned around to them. "Felix, where did you say was the best place for a phoenix's nest?" he asked as Felix thought. "It said in the book that the best place to look for the phoenix's nest is on top of a volcano." He said. "On top of a volcano, huh." He said as he looked at the volcanoes.

He turned to Sonata and commanded, "Sonata, go up on one of the volcanoes and spot for a female phoenix. If you spot one, we'll follow you as you'll lead us." Sonata nodded as he pulled out his metal claws as he jumped high and landed on the cone. He searched around until he saw a male and female phoenix with a big, pink-dotted egg. He jumped over to another volcano as Jack and Felix ran to catch up. They continued to run until Sonata stopped on a volcano in front of the nest. The Male squawked as he flew away with the Female alone cuddling her egg.

He jumped down unseen as Jack asked, "So, progress?" "The male went away and the female is asleep with an egg under her wings." Sonata said as he pointed to the top. "So, the female is right up there asleep?" Jack questioned again. He nodded at him. "Okay, I got a plan. We go up, sneak right behind her, pull out a couple of feathers, slide back down, and go to Radiata." Jack explained as Felix spoke up, "What if the female woke up to her feathers being pulled out?" "Then, we fight. Anymore questions?" he said as no one spoke. "Alright, let's go get those feathers." Jack said as they climbed the mountain by hands.

Elena was walking alone in the middle of nowhere. "When I find Jack, I'm going to kill him!" she exclaimed angrily as she sweated from the heat. She walked more and more until she stopped and saw him climbing a mountain. "There he is! I'm going to kill him." She said as she ran to the mountain. "Oh, man it's hot!" Jack said as they kept climbing higher and higher. "It's like gravity pulling us down, but the heat is pulling the heat up." He said as he climbed more.

He reached his hand up until he felt something flat. He eyes widened as he looked over the edge. There sat a flame phoenix with its egg under its wings. "Hey, guys." He whispered quietly as they looked over the edge also. "Sonata, sneak over and pull out a couple of feathers, we'll back you up." Jack whispered to Sonata. "Why me?" he asked in a surprised way. "You're in the bandit guild, aren't you? Bandits are slick and quiet; Felix and I can't do it, because we might cause a loud commotion once we step on its territory." Jack explained as Felix frowned at that.

"Okay." Sonata sighed as he said it and climbed over the edge quietly. He sneaked on his toes as he went behind it when it yawned loudly. He went over to the backside and reached down and pulled three feathers. The phoenix screamed out, "YAAAAA!" "Holy cow, I think he woke the beast." Felix said as they watched it. Sonata quickly dodged the phoenix's eyes from being seen as its head turned at its backside. "What a minute. How many feathers does Anastasia want?" Jack asked as he turned his head to Felix. Felix pulled out a small notepad and flipped the pages till he said, "She wants forty-two feathers." "42! Great, we're down to 39 feathers left." Jack said as he sighed big.

"We can't just get thirty-nine by sitting here doing nothing, we need to make it faint and just grab more feathers." Jack said as he climbed over and took out his Rune Sword. "Finally, some action." Felix said as he climbed over and took out his staff. Jack stood next to the phoenix and called out, "Hey, birdie!" The phoenix turned his head to the phoenix as Sonata went over to them with the three feathers. It screamed out in a battle cry as it ran over to them. Felix backed up as he summoned icicles from his staff and threw them at the phoenix that cried with pain. Jack slashed the sword on its side showing some long scratches.

Sonata mauled the bird which his long, steel claws as Felix summoned more icicles. The phoenix cried out as it blew flowing flames onto them. They were forcefully flew back as the bird walked up to them and looked at them straight into their eyes. It grinned evilly until it drew its head up screaming and turned its head to see Elena standing near with a purple ball in her hand. She put the ball away and started to chant with her eyes closed and her arms moving around. "Take this!" she said as a big cloud of smoke appeared around the phoenix. The phoenix couldn't see and breath as the smoke increased more and more.

It coughed really loud as Elena ran over and healed them. The smoke dispersed as the phoenix dropped to the ground unconscious. They got up as Elena put her hands to her hips. "Did I say that you need me someday?" she said as Jack groaned, "Yeah, yeah, you did." "Good." She said as she smiled. She ran over to the phoenix and started pulling some feathers. They sighed as they went over to help her. After 31 minutes, they were walking back to Shangri La with a basket full of red and pink feathers. "I bet Lady Anastasia will love the feathers for her beautiful gown." Elena said as she looked at the feathers. "Yeah, I'm sure she'll like them." Jack said as he rubbed his head.

Felix and Sonata were walking behind them until Felix stopped. Jack noticed no footsteps behind him and turned to see Felix looking back. "What's wrong, Felix?" he asked as Felix looked at the horizon. "Something's wrong with the phoenix." He said as he didn't turn around. "What are you talking about? The phoenix is still alive, but featherless." Jack said as Elena sighed at his remark. "Not that, I could hear its cries." He said. Sonata pulled out a pair of high-tech binoculars and looked through them. "Yep, the male and female are squawking their heads off." He said as he continued to look.

"Squawking? What for?" Jack asked confused. Elena slapped him on the back of his head. "You idiot, what do married birds fight about?" she questioned him. "Um? Dinner?" he asked. Elena slapped her forehead with a big sigh as Jack rubbed his head. "Besides, we need to deliver the feathers to Lady Anastasia. Let's go." She turned around and started walking with the squad following her.

On top of the volcano, the male was shouting at the female as the female crumbled in humiliation bald. The male shouted, "How could you let a couple of humans get to you!" The female steamed up as she yelled back, "It wasn't my fault that you weren't there to help, but to go to a beer-drinking contest." "It wasn't a beer-drinking contest, it was a stag party." He replied back. "Same thing! Who is this, Ruby, that's calling here every day?" she questioned suspiciously.

"She's my best friend's friend." He told her as she thought. "Is that so? Then, why is she calling to see what time you want to take her out for dinner?" she asked a trick question. He started to sweat as he yelled out, "I don't need to listen to you! I don't need to live here no more!" "Fine, by me, I'll be having a family with Nick." She told him. "What! You're old boyfriend!" he exclaimed loudly. "Yep." She said. "Fine, fine! If you want to have another family, why don't we throw away our family? Our jobs, our friends, and our lives, even our fledgling's life." he said as he picked it up and threw it far away. "What in hell did you just do!" she yelled at him. "You said you want a new family, then you will have no baby in this family now." He said as she started to cry.

The egg flew over the volcanoes, past the lava pits, and past the bridge. Jack was laughing with his friends until something hard hit on his back causing him to fall down. A big, pink-spotted egg was on his back with no cracks or scratches. They all looked at it until Elena spoke up, "Is that an egg?" "It is. What is it doing on his back?" Felix questioned as they looked at it more. "I think that's the same egg the phoenix was holding in her sleep." Sonata said as he remembered. "The female's egg, huh?" Felix said as he thought. "What is the egg doing here?" Elena asked. "I'm not quite sure. I'll check the egg once we go home to Radiata." Felix said as he picked it up.

Jack moaned painfully as Elena looked at him. "Are you going to get up or just whine the whole time?" she asked as he moaned more. "If you get attacked by a big egg, I'm going to say the same thing." He retorted back as she said, "You wish." She stepped over him as he got up and walked away with his friends. They past Shangri La and transported to Radiata with the journey pig. They went to Olacion Order and went to Anastasia's room.

Anastasia was sitting in her fancy chair as they entered her small room. "Hello, everyone." She greeted as they stopped. "So, did you get the feathers I requested?" she asked as Jack held up the basket. She smiled as she clapped gently. "Good, good. Elena, come over here." She commanded as Elena walked up to her. She whispered in her ear as Elena walked away and came back with dagols. "This is the reward for your great effort of achieving the phoenix's feathers." Elena proudly presented the dagols. He took the dagols as Adina rushed in with a worried face.

"Lady Anastasia! Miss Lulu is missing!" she exclaimed with worry. She was in a holy robe with her hair done like Elena's. Her face went worried as Elena gasped. "Lulu is missing!" Anastasia exclaimed. "Yes, she wasn't in her room or anywhere else. I looked all over, but I can't find her." She explained. "Someone must have kidnapped my little adopted sister." She exclaimed as she got off the chair and ran to the door. "Elena, Adina, I want you to search everywhere! The accessory store, the inns, the cafes, the guilds, even the sewers!" she replied as she ran out. They nodded to each other as they ran out with the squad left behind.

"Lulu is missing." Jack said. "Sir Jack, are we going to help them?" Sonata asked. "We could, but can't. We need to rest. I'll see you tomorrow." He said as he walked out of the room with Sonata and Felix with the egg the other way.

Jack went home and rested with his armor on. 12:41 a.m., a knock sounded at the door. Jack sat up alerted as he looked at the door. He walked up and heard no knock. "Hmm?" he murmured as he opened the door to find nothing. "Who was it?" he questioned. He turned around to go back inside, but stopped as he heard a small sound on the ground. He looked down to see an envelope. He picked it up and went inside. He opened it and read, "Hello, Jack, you don't know me, but I know who you are. You think you're a hero, well, you're not! You know, Lulu, that big-lipped girl running around the Olacion Order? Do you know where she is? Guess what. She's with me. That's right. You'll be there in the light, but I'll be there in the dark."

He put the letter down and said to himself, "It's the kidnapper, huh? What does he want to do with Lulu? I'll see that about tomorrow." He told himself as he lay on the bed and closed his eyes shut.

In a dark room, a man in a cloak was laughing menacingly as Lulu was tied to a chair with rope underneath a hanging lamp. She sobbed as the man continued to laugh. "All according to plan, that 'Jack Russell' won't know what hit him." He said with a sinister grin. "What are you doing to me?" Lulu cried out. He turned around and walked towards him. "You'll soon find out." He told her as she shivered from his voice.

TBC

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