A/N: I love life thanks to the wonderful reviews I've received. Thanks so much everyone! I'd like to take this time to tell you that I have the entire story mapped out in detail right now and will be working on it as best I can despite all the shiny distractions that occasionally attack my ADD with a vengeance. (Drat that Feeling Electric cast recording... And those LJ fanfiction challenges!) There will be a grand total of eleven chapters with a epilogue. (So with the prologue and the epilogue, the actual total is thirteen chapters. Oooh what a number.)

Before anyone asks, I'd also like to note that I'm probably not going to write a sequel to this story though that doesn't mean I'm finished with the OTH section. I may drop by with some songfics or something... Plus, I have another lovely plot bunny for this section which is bound to please those of you who enjoy a good comedy. It's prequel-ish, set before the movie, and I'm rather fond of the idea. If I'm not suffering from burn-out by the time I finish this, I'll be sure to get it up. Hehehe...

Anyway, this chapter is more of an expositional/transition chapter so that I can get all the mysteries that I've been hinting at out of the way and keep the plot moving without those elusive answers bogging it down. So sorry if it's a little bit slow... And quite a bit latecoming... Oh I thought I said I'd stop this already!

Onward!

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.


"For who would lose, though full of pain, this intellectual being, those thoughts that wander through eternity, to perish rather, swallowed up and lost in the wide womb of uncreated night, devoid of sense and motion?"- John Milton


Chapter Seven- Paradise Lost

Tristan had his own personal cave in the valley, which had long ago been discarded by Xylia's wolves in favor of the one at the top of the mountain. It wasn't an entirely proud establishment, but then again, Tristan's station was so exceedingly low, he was lucky to have even that to make his home in. Metaphorical weasels in the clockwork of grander schemes took what they could get and dealt with it as best they could. Tristan took his shame with a grain of salt, because he knew he was smarter than Xylia really gave him credit for, and he was about to prove it. He had the pawns in place, the die was cast, and the game was about to begin.

He could hardly hide his pleasure when Amity and Cyril arrived inside of his little abode, reeking of death. Amity was in the process of licking fresh blood off of her lips while Cyril's long body was disfigured somewhere in the middle by a small oddly shaped lump that had to have been his latest meal.

"Amity," the snake said with a slight whine. "You shouldn't have let me hunt... You know how lethargic I get after I've eaten."

"Pish," Amity smirked, waving him off with the shake of a paw. She turned her sights to the red fox and grinned. "Oh, Tristan, I owe you so much. There's nothing like a good hunt after two years of imprisonment."

"Glad I could be of service," Tristan smirked. "Now, as I promised, we must get to business."

Amity shuddered with delight. "I only hope you're as clever as you think you are, Tristan."

Tristan didn't dignify that with a comment and simply retreated into the darker portion of his cave, returning several seconds later with a map clutched in his teeth. He deposited it at Amity's feet and unrolled it, revealing a map of the Silver Springs Wildlife Preserve, a large portion of which had been circled in black sharpie. "This;" the fox placed a paw in the middle of the circle, "is what's known as Ranger's Folly. It's a deep gully surrounded on all sides by dense trees. The rangers around here can't get down there at all. However, poachers have found some creative ways to beat the system, and have used it as a haunt for years, simply because the rangers aren't smart enough to figure out how to stop them- thus the name 'Ranger's Folly.' Anyway, the rangers have just moved the animals away from the area in hopes they can discourage the poachers, but it doesn't help much. They keep fresh traps down there all the time and every now and then some poor sap gets caught."

"So what are you suggesting, Tristan?" Cyril asked.

"Don't get ahead of me, boy," Tristan held up a paw. "I know my way around this place well enough to ensure we have a home field advantage. All we have to do is get Xylia and her troops prepared for war and set the playing field there. She'll be so cocky, thinking she's just taking on the three of us, she won't even realize it's a trap. She and her wolf brigade get into that gully and SNAP! They're game for the poachers, and there's not a single wolf left in the valley."

"There's just one flaw," Cyril spoke up again. "What about the poachers, themselves?"

"They only come down once a week when the college kids are running things and the real rangers are too busy to keep tabs on the area. I'll personally made sure that our plan doesn't go down when they're present."

"It sounds almost too good to be true," Amity scowled. "How do I know to believe what you're saying?"

"Because you know how desperately I want my dignity back," Tristan said sincerely. "You know how badly I need something like this to happen and fast. Now, Amity, you know I can't do this alone."

Amity smiled and crossed over to Tristan. "Very well," she purred, her golden eyes glinting with a serene sort of menace. "Cyril and I shall play your game, but know this, my dear Tristan. If I feel your plan will endanger my life or Cyril's life in any way, then I will kill you. You can't betray me and live, Tristan. Remember that."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Tristan replied, unflinching even under the glassy-eyed stare of the female bobcat. He was too desperate to turn against her. He'd made his bed by releasing her and now he had to lie in it, and if he got what he wanted out of this ordeal, it would be a very peaceful sleep, indeed.

It wasn't dignity he sought in truth, however. That much was a lie. He was desperate for the love of a female who had spurned him many a time when all he ever dreamed of was her love. He blamed Xylia deeply for that. She pushed him into such a low station, refusing to recognize his talents, and thus allowing no room for respect from anyone, least of all Ruby. If he had power, he could win her heart, and even if that weren't so, he could make her love him. The thought excited him and he reveled in it silently, for he knew if Amity knew the truth, she would spurn his weakness and feel less inclined to trust him and his judgement. A villain driven by love and not a lust for power isn't truly a villain at all, just a misguided, desperate, lovelorn fool. He preferred to be thought of as a villain when a label became a neccesary evil. It was better for everyone that way.

"So have you given thought to happens afterwards, Tristan?" Cyril asked, disrupting the fox's thought. "If we do manage to take the valley, what comes next?"

Tristan simply smiled. "When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept for there were no more worlds to conquer."

"What's that supposed to mean?" The snake hissed.

Tristan shook his head, but his smile widened a bit. "Nothing. Just reaping the benefits of a classical education."


Ruby and RJ had once again found themselves out of the thralls of the community, which despite its warmth and hospitality could be construed as smothering, especially to two raccoons wrapped in the bonds of love. Romantic settings and dancing could only sate a budding romance for long, after all.

"Well, there doesn't seem to be another party around here. So tell me, Ruby, where did you have in mind for us to go?" RJ asked as the two of them walked through the dark forest, the fingers of their black paws tangled together. Ruby sighed dreamily and shook her head, only a stroke of luck keeping her crown of roses firmly situated.

"Where would you like to go?" She asked him. At random, RJ twirled her in one perfect circle and caught her other paw as she faced him again. The two raccoons looked into each other's eyes and Ruby stifled a small giggle for fear it would spoil the moment.

"That place you found me," he replied, the smile never leaving his face. Her smile, however, vanished the instant the words were released into the air. She freed her paws from his and wrapped her arms around her small body as if fending off some sort of cold that only she could feel.

"I-I don't think that's a good idea," she said, softly.

"Why not?" RJ asked, his voice and expression suddenly very serious.

"Because you know what happened last time. I don't want to see you like that again."

He pulled her into his arms, cuddling her gently. "You won't. I promise. I just need to face my fears."

"Now?" Ruby snorted a little.

"Yes, now," RJ replied seriously.

"Can't we just go to the campgrounds... Do something romantic? RJ, I can't take you to a place that nearly destroyed you emotionally the last time you were in it."

"I want to go to that place, Ruby," RJ said, pulling away from her a little so that he could look her in the eyes. "What is it anyway?"

Ruby turned away from him. "It's called the Sanctuary. It's a place where humans take injured or orphaned animals and take care of them. I used to go there with Aiden..." She trailed off, realizing she had yet to explain him to RJ. She was hoping she could avoid doing just that a little longer, but she knew she couldn't. If she didn't do it now, she would probably never do it.

"Who was Aiden?" The male raccoon asked just as she expected he would.

"Aiden was..." She choked, trying to resist the urge to cry as she had the last time this question had cropped up in a conversation with RJ. "Aiden was... Was my mate. I guess... I-I guess you could call him that. He died."

The finality of her last two words told RJ that he didn't need to press further. He turned away from her and sighed, knowing he owed her an explanation, himself. "Two years ago- when I was Heather's age, I guess-, my entire family was killed. I tried to escape, but I got caught in a briar bush and was trapped there, unconscious and bleeding, for I don't know how long. When I woke up, I was inside of a cage in a place just like your Sanctuary. I was there for a year until someone let me out... I have no idea to this day who, and I really don't care much. I'm just happy to be free today."

"Seeing it brought back bad memories for you, didn't it?" Ruby asked. RJ just nodded dumbly, unable to speak. It had been the first time he had ever shared that story with anyone and it left him feeling slightly numb inside. The she-raccoon realized his discomfort and this time she pulled him into her arms, comforting him.

"If you want to face your past, then I won't stop you," she said. "I'll take you there."

"Thank you," he said, nuzzling her. "Maybe the pain'll go away if you're there with me."

They broke apart and began walking together, no longer hand in hand for this was no longer a romantic moment. It was a moment of absolving all their demons. Ruby was tempted to share her own sordid past, but she knew that she couldn't tell all for fear of losing what she had just so recently gained. She wasn't ready to let the joy she felt with RJ slip away so easily. Still, she felt the need to shed a little more light into her shadowed world. "My parents died when I was little too," she said softly, causing RJ to look at her. "Killed by humans, or so I've been told. I didn't see what happened. Queen Xylia took me in after that and made me her ambassador. I owe my entire life to her, and so I have to serve her without question." Isn't that the truth, an obnoxious voice spoke up from the back of her head. She banished it with a small grimace.

"Is that what you were dreaming about this morning?" RJ asked her. "Your family?"

Ruby tried to hide the look of pain that crossed her face. "No," she said truthfully. "It wasn't."

"Aiden?"

Ruby nodded. "I don't want to talk about that," she added sadly. RJ didn't press and they continued the rest of their journey in respectful silence, allowing each other to process the darkness within themselves that had ebbed to to the surface in their conversation.


"I thought you said this place was safe?" Verne asked, unable to hide the frustration in his voice. Velma was shaking all over, but he didn't seem to notice. He was too completely wrapped up in his own fears in the wake of the discovery of the mutilated corpse of a mole named Harry. His best friend, a field mouse named Jack, was missing and presumed dead as well. Verne couldn't help being completely enraged by this fact, seeing as he had been led to believe that his family would be safe in this place and the thought that this wasn't true in the least bit didn't sit well on the reptile, making him thoroughly irritable.

"It was," Velma replied, her voice shaking. Only then did Verne realize that this was having an effect on her as well. For the smallest of moments, he felt bad about ignoring her feelings, but he couldn't deny his own fears. It had nothing to do with himself, so he felt his selfishness was justifiable. He just had to be sure and certain his family wasn't in any kind of danger. The fact that it had been Hammy (or at least the group he was with) who discovered the body made him quiver, because he knew if they had been in that very spot earlier, they all might have been killed as well. He shook his head. He didn't want to think about Hammy ripped to shreds on the forest floor. The thought made him sick to his stomach and he had to choke back the bile that rose in his throat at the image.

He wasn't certain why, but at that moment he recalled the fox- Tristan, he believed his name was- who had told them about the Vanishings that often occured in this place two days ago. No one had seemed very inclined to talk about them, and when Reginald first brought up the subject even before Tristan showed up, the effect it had on the valley residents was apparently negative. Drawing on his courage, he dared to ask again, desperate to know if the Vanishings were in any way connected to the recent murders.

"What are the Vanishings, Velma?" He asked. Velma visibly tensed.

"We don't talk about that. Please, Verne, don't bring it up..."

"What are they?" Verne pressed. "When did they start?"

Velma sighed, realizing she wasn't going to get away from answering his infuriating questions. "About two months after Ruby came."

Verne's eyes widened. "What? And you never once thought the two of them were connected?"

Velma whirled on him, green eyes flashing with anger. "How dare you even suggest such a thing?"

"You're blinded by your loyalty to her," Verne accused, his voice rising a little, a gesture that Velma wasn't particularly fond of and it showed on her face.

"If I am, then let it be," the female turtle scowled. "But I know better than to believe Ruby could ever have a hand in the Vanishings."

"Why?"

Velma scowled, her voice turning cold as it rose an octive, itself. "Because Aiden was the first to go, and any fool could see Ruby loved him more than life!"

Verne didn't miss a beat. "Who was Aiden?"

Velma didn't reply. She turned away from him and for the first time Verne realized that his desperation for answers had driven her away. His face softened but she didn't turn around to see it. She shook with either rage or tears- it was hard to tell which-, and then finally whispered coldly, "Get out."

"Velma, I-"

"I said, GO!" Velma shouted. Verne didn't need to be told again. With a heavy heart, he retreated from the hollow, knowing there was a price to pay for an undying devotion to one's family. It didn't matter to him, however. He couldn't forsake his loved ones for the sake of passion, and if knowing the truth about this so-called paradise would save his family, then it was worth the loss of Velma's love.

Or so he tried hard to make himself believe.

He had to get his mind off that, however. He still needed answers and he needed them soon. Luckily for him, his family had already banded together in the face of this tragedy, which saved him the trouble of having to round them up himself. All of them looked rather shaken up due to the aftereffects of realizing that their perfect paradise did have its secrets which they weren't aware of. It probably wouldn't have scared them if they knew there were risks before they settled into this place they called their new home, but since their paradise had been fabricated, it made the situation all the more painful and frightening.

"Is everyone okay?" Verne asked as he approached them. They all nodded numbly, but he knew they were just telling him what he wanted to hear so that he wouldn't worry about them. His mind raced as he tried to figure out the proper words to say next, but he was still reeling from his confusion. Finally, he tossed caution to the wind and asked the question that had been plauging him ever since he first heard it. A single name had been thrown about many times in this place, but no one would ever explain the creature to whom the name was attached.

"Aiden," he said simply. Ears perked at the mention of the simple name, and he went on. "I've heard that name more times than I can count while we've been here. It's one of the many mysteries of this place, and like every other mystery no one seems inclined to talk about it. You've heard the name too, I assume?"

"Doyle told me he was a raccoon," Heather spoke up.

"That makes sense," Verne nodded. "All Velma would tell me about him was that Ruby was once in love with him.. Before he vanished."

"Like Bert and Harold," Ozzie murmered.

"And no one knows why they just vanished like that?" Stella asked. The other animals shook their heads and there was a moment of silence as they all reflected on this in quiet desperation. Too many secrets, not enough answers...

And one animal who seemed to know everything...

The thought hit Verne like a bolt of lightning. Of course! Reginald had proven on numerous occasions that he knew more than his own good should allow, as demonstrated by everyone in the valley's desperate attempts to silence the rabbit whenever he opened his mouth. If anyone would be willing to talk, it'd be him!

"Come on," Verne jerked his head in the direction of Reginald's rosebush. "I think we have a rabbit to see."


The rosebush that had been noted as the home of the eccentric rabbit was located just a little bit out of the protective circle of trees that enveloped the community. Right in front of it was a large round rabbit hole that signified the entrance to the warren, which Verne and his family (sans Heather, much to her chagrin, and the triplets) now circled around, all of them peering into the darkness.

"Uh, Reggie?" Verne leaned over, calling into the black. "Reginald? Are you home?"

There was no answer, and when several seconds of silence passed, Stella began to grow impatient. She planted her paws on her hips and tapped her foot, waiting a few more seconds before finally giving up completely on the waiting game. "I know how to get him out of there." There was a collective nervous gasp from her friends which was met with a green-eyed glare. "Not like that..." Without another word, she dove into the warren and seconds later the sound of a scuffle could be heard.

"What! Woman, what are you doing in my home?"

"We need to have a chat with you, Reggie."

"What? Wait! Unhand me this instant!"

Stella emerged from the hole dragging Reginald by his long ears. The rabbit glowered at her and struggled to get free, but the skunk would have none of it. Finally, he gave up the fight and narrowed his brown eyes. "What do you want with me?"

"We need to talk to you about Aiden," Verne said simply. The look on Reginald's face turned from anger to complete and utter shock.

"No... We don't talk about that;" he tugged himself free of Stella's grip and fell back into his warren with a loud thud. Seconds later he poked his head out again. "I'm terribly sorry, but I can't help you." He vanished again and Stella made a move to grab his ears once more, but he was too quick for them.

"Please," Verne pleaded, futilely calling down into the hole again. "We have to know."

"You're better off not knowing," Reginald's voice called back. "Now, please go and leave me in peace."

"Please, Verne," Tiger spoke up, shoving the turtle gently away from the hole, "allow me to talk with him. I happen to be very persuasive."

"Be my guest," Verne said, figuring something was better than nothing and yelling at the rabbit wasn't doing much good. Tiger vanished into the hole as Stella had done previously with no complications, proving how spacious the warren was, which was to be expected since Reginald was a rather large rabbit.

It didn't take long before a similar conversation that had occured when Stella had ventured into the warren began to transpire.

"I thought I told you to go away!" The rabbit snapped. "Hey... What are you doing? Don't come any closer, you ruffian! I said get away! Argh!" What followed after the frightened yelp were several wince-worthy noises that signified a rather one-sided fight. Several moments later, Tiger poked his head out of the hole looking rather smug, much to Verne's utter horror since he was rather hopeful that this ordeal wouldn't end in any sort of violence, though it apparently had.

"He'll talk to us now," the Persian cat grinned before vanishing down the hole again. The rest of the family followed him, while Stella made a grunt of approval.

"That's my man!" She joyfully bragged.

Tiger led them down the tunnel to the main part of Reginald's warren where the rabbit was currently sitting and nursing one of his ears which had been lightly clawed- not enough to really hurt him, but enough to make him sulky.

"You really have to forgive Tiger," Verne said, wincing a little at the slight wound.

Reginald make a noise of discontent. "You shouldn't be so desperate to stick your nose in this. You'll regret it."

"Even so, I have to know," Verne said softly.

The rabbit couldn't deny that he saw a hint of desperation pass over the reptile's features, and he sighed. "You're not going to like this, but I'll tell you. Make yourselves comfortable." He stood up, tossing his injured ear over his shoulder with its partner while the animals settled down, prepared to hear the truth about the place they had believed to be a paradise.

"It all started four years ago," he started. "This area was crawling with predators of all sorts and no one was safe. No matter how many times we migrated, they always found us. Our little community just couldn't hold itself together. Then Tristan came to us and said that the humans were introducing a pack of wolves into the area for some reason. We were horrified at first, but the wolves chased the predators away, and we were inclined to trust them, especially when Queen Xylia approached us for the first time."

"Wait, Queen Xylia is a wolf?" Ozzie balked.

"Yes, but she's not evil at all. She promised to protect us and keep all the predators away, and she's kept her word."

"Except for the two deaths," Verne muttered.

Reginald sighed and paced a little. "I'm getting to that. Two years after Queen Xylia and her pack settled here, she brought us a young raccoon kit named Ruby and left her in Velma's care. A couple months later we were greeted by another raccoon, this one a little older and male who called himself Aiden. Everyone loved him instantly, especially Ruby. She was old enough to mate by then and she latched onto him rather quickly. The two of them were inseperable. But more to the point, it was also around that time that deaths were starting to occur. Ruby, as ambassador to the queen, immediately told Queen Xylia who found out that the deaths were being caused by a bobcat and a snake called Amity and Cyril. The queen couldn't stand this blatent disregard for her boundaries and called for a war against the infuriating creature. Aiden rose to the occasion and managed to get the duo captured by humans. After that, his image as a hero amongst us was sealed completely and his relationship with Ruby grew. Just when we thought things were looking up for us, however, Aiden simply vanished into the blue. Not long afterwards, others began to disappear as well."

"Like Sadie's husband," Ozzie said.

"And Sara's husband," Penny whispered before adding a very solemn, "Jeepers..."

"And my wife," Reginald said, his voice becoming rather grave. This caused the animals to gasp.

"Your wife too?" Stella blinked, her paw covering her mouth.

"No doubt you've heard the sob stories of all the missing, except for my dear Sheila, haven't you? Yes, well... Sheila and I were far from respected members of the community even though we were two of the oldest residents, aside from Velma. Crazy Reggie with his theatrics and Sheila with her chronic depression. I suppose it was a mercy she was taken... She was just never suited for this life."

"Reginald, I-" Ozzie started to say. He knew what it was like to lose a loved one and understood the pain of having a personality flaw, so to speak, that few really respected and even less saw as an artform. However, his condolences were never verbalized for Reginald simply shook his head, brushing him off.

"Don't," the rabbit said softly. "Let the dead bury the dead and let an old rabbit live with his memories in peace."

There was a moment of silence and then Verne dared to break the mood. "So you're saying that Amity and Cyril have probably escaped and they're responsible for the killings?"

Reginald, obviously thankful for the change of subject, nodded soberly. "It would seem so. No one else has enough gall to openly defy the queen like that."

"But the Vanishings," Lou spoke up. "They couldn't have been done by Cyril and Amity there, could they?"

"My money is still on Ruby," Verne said, voicing his suspicion. This caused a general gasp of shock from his family.

"Verne," Stella gaped. "You're saying Ruby kidnapped all those animals?"

"I don't know what I'm saying," Verne stood up and began to pace, rubbing his head despondantly. "All I know is that these so-called Vanishings took place two months after Ruby arrived, correct?" Reginald nodded. "Not only that, but she's the ambassador to the queen, isn't she?" Again, Reginald nodded, but nervous anxiety was starting to show on his face. "She's the only one of you in contact with the queen, right?"

"Aside from Tristan," the rabbit agreed. "If you wanted my vote, I'd say he was responsible. No one really trusts him around here and it was a well-known fact that he hated Aiden."

"He has a point there, Verne," Penny said. "Why would Ruby kill her true love?"

"I don't know," Verne shook his head. "But I think we're missing something and until we know the full truth, I don't know if it's a good idea to leave RJ and Ruby alone together. We have to go out and find RJ."

"What?" Reginald balked. "You can't go out at night, not if Cyril and Amity are really out there, and besides you'll never find your way through the forest."

"That's why you're gonna go with us," Stella said darkly.

"Absolutely not!" The rabbit snapped, but one look from Tiger's glass-blue eyes caused him to smack his head and sigh in agitation. "Fine."

"Good," Verne nodded. He scanned the faces of his family, all of them prepared to set out into the unknown to look for their friend and family member. However, it seemed someone was missing. It didn't take him long to realize who and he mentally smacked himself for not realizing it sooner.

"Where's Hammy?"


Bianca was still reeling from her discovery of the mutilated corpse in the woods. She sat in her hollow, rocking back and forth, crying softly to herself and was only vaugely aware that someone had entered her home uninvited. Something soft and furry wrapped itself around her tiny body and only then did she look up into the friendly green eyes of a red squirrel.

"Hi, Hammy," she said, her tiny voice cracked and hoarse. It was hard to believe that he could still be smiling at a time like this. She supposed it was because he was so innocent... Like Sammy, who didn't let anything phase him. With him, however, it was infuriating. With Hammy, however... Well, she couldn't quite place it. It was a more sincere sort of oblivion, like he was stuck perpetually in the mindset of a child- he knew she was upset and what to do to make her better, but he didn't know that this was a reason for him to be sad as well, whereas Sammy was simply oblivious because he didn't like to deal with things that upset him.

"You okay?" He asked, his smile never wavering.

She nodded solemnly. "I'm fine... I'm just... Well, a little freaked out." She used the tip of Hammy's tail to dab at her watery eyes and Hammy allowed her. "It's funny... I've never seen you stand still for this long since you've been here;" she changed the subject, ending with a small giggle.

Hammy shrugged. "I was tired and I was about to go to sleep when I heard someone crying, and I peeked inside here and saw you and thought you might like some company." Even if he was calm in body, his mouth still ran 90 to nothing and Bianca had to laugh again at the way his words seemed to run together as he spoke.

"I'm okay now," she smiled. It wasn't a lie. She found Hammy to be an amusing creature, which she found odd since he did resemble Sammy rather acutely, and while she was friends with Sammy, she certainly didn't get all... Well, giddy when she was with him.

"Okay!" Hammy chirped and started to climb out of the hollow, scaling the trunk of the tree to the ground. She watched him go and made a move to follow him, only to become aware that Hammy had suddenly been joined by the animals he had arrived here with- his family, as he called it- and Reginald. Curious, she discreetly climbed down the tree and landed with a thump just behind the assembled group, listening in on their conversation.

"There you are, Hammy," Verne said with a sigh of relief. "I was worried whatever's out there had gotten you too."

Hearing this, Hammy made a random check of himself, making sure everything was in place. For a few seconds he struggled to grab onto his tail, and his face registered shock when the furry appendage eluded him. Several seconds later, he was chasing himself in a mad dash to find his tail and finally collapsed into a heap on the ground, holding it triumphantly. "Still in one piece, Verne!" He crowed in joy. Verne simply smacked his head and stifled a small groan.

"Never mind that," the turtle sighed. "We're going out to find RJ and Ruby."

"Why would you want to do that?" Hammy asked, as if the very idea were preposterous.

Verne shook his head. "We just need to find him."

Hammy sat up and shrugged. "'Kay."

"I'm coming too," Bianca spoke up, much to everyone's surprise as all eyes fell upon the tiny chipmunk.

"Bianca, no," Reginald said. "I can't allow you to go. Frankly, I could care less if these cretins died under my watch, but... No, I wouldn't be able to live if I caused your innocent life to end."

"Thanks for caring," Verne muttered sarcastically.

"I don't care. I want to help," Bianca replied, putting her foot down metaphorically. Reginald saw the sincerity and determination in her eyes and he knew he wouldn't be able to convince her otherwise.

"Fine, but if you die, I'm going to be slightly irritated," the rabbit scowled.


The walls of the Sanctuary were behind them now and Ruby could feel every muscle in RJ's body tense as he stared out at the pens that circled into the forest all lined up neatly along a perfect gravel pathway. She was worried he was going to lose it again, but he breathed deeply and was instantly calm again.

"So this is it?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's kinda different when you look at it from this angle," she smiled. "And by angle, I mean mindset."

RJ nodded. "It's almost like a place like this didn't steal a whole year of my life."

Ruby smiled and gestured for him to follow her along the pathway, leading him to the first pen which held several raccoons in residence. "Hey, guys!" She chirped. "I want you to meet RJ!"

The raccoons didn't respond and she realized that there was something wrong with them. They were huddled together with shocked, wide-eyed expressions frozen upon their faces. They seemed to be shaking violently.

RJ started to grow nervous again and Ruby, sensing this, clutched his paw as an emotional crutch. "What's wrong?"

The raccoons began to speak together, each one whispering different things, and Ruby could only catch the faintest traces of sentences in their garbled speech. "She's angry... Her cries... Vengeance... Blood... She will avenge herself... So much blood..."

"Who? Who's angry? Who will avenge herself?" Ruby demanded. RJ tightened his grip on Ruby's paw.

"Let's get out of here."

"What's going on?" Ruby screamed, just as every animal in the place let out a chorus of howls, all of them whispering the frightening chorus of jumbled words and sentences that the raccoons had. RJ released Ruby's paw to cover his ears only to realize a second too late that Ruby had taken off running.

"Ruby!" He yelled. He looked around him at all the frightend animals, their whispering and crying enveloping him in a painful bubble of noise, and took off running after the she-raccoon. He found her a moment later, staring wide-eyed and dumbstruck at a pen near the end of the pathway, the door of which was haphazardly swinging uselessly on one hinge. The mesh was bent in places, suggesting something heavy had clambered it's way over it. The wooden sign that had once declared the species of the creature that had been inside the destroyed pen had been clawed beyond recognition, and the animals in this area of the Sanctuary were even more freaked out than the others. Apparently, they had witnessed something horrifying first hand. Only one cage in the general seemed to be free of squalling animals- one just to the left of the destroyed pen, although its occupant was actually not in sight at the moment nor was the sign telling what lay inside so either the pen was empty or its occupant had hidden himself from view.

Ruby finally moved a little, shaking herself out of her catatonic trance. She took a step back and gasped a little in a way that almost made it sound like a sob of fear. "She's escaped."

"Who's escaped?" RJ yelled, still clutching his ears over the din of the animals' cries of fear.

Ruby didn't answer. She simply pushed past him and took off running towards the building that rested in front of the Sanctuary. RJ grumbled something under his breath and followed her. What's going on here? He asked himself. He was starting to think this place was just a bad omen waiting to happen, considering he'd been here twice and both times had ended rather badly.

What the hell was he thinking asking Ruby to come here with him!

"Good plan, genius," he muttered under his breath. "Couldn't have taken her someplace romantic- oh no! You had to take her to the freakin' scary bad place, didn't you? Oh, you are so suave, you idiot."

He found Ruby entering through a broken window on the building that had been hastily covered up with a piece of flimsy tarp. He followed her inside and was greeted, much to his immediate shock, to walls and walls of glass cages filled with snakes. He swallowed hard and nervously walked forward, making his way towards Ruby.

"Ruby, we shouldn't be here," he said warily. He suddenly winced as a sharp pain shot through his foot and he realized that he'd just gotten a piece of glass lodged into it. With a slight whimper, he tugged it out and tossed it aside, eventually coming to the conclusion that there was quite a bit of shattered glass littered across the floor, and not all of it could have come from the broken window. Limping a little, he avoided it as best he could and found Ruby standing as still and dumbfounded as she had stood when she found the broken pen, only this time her eyes were upon the source of most of the broken glass- someone had shattered the front of it and its occupant was missing. Once again, RJ gulped.

Ruby suddenly sank to the floor, covering her eyes with her paws. "No, it can't be," she whispered.

"Ruby, tell me what's wrong?" RJ asked, he gently touched her shoulder.

Her response, however, was no better than the animals outside, who had quieted somewhat. "They're going to die... She'll kill them all."

All of a sudden the she-raccoon snapped into reality and grabbed RJ's paw, leading him back towards the window, avoiding the broken glass expertly as she did so. "We have to go!"

"Oh good plan!" RJ said, rather sarcastically. Ruby had to release his paw in order to hoist herself out of the broken window, and RJ followed close behind her. Together they scaled the wall of the Sanctuary and were free, but Ruby didn't cease her mad dash. She kept running, praying that RJ could maintain his speed and keep up with her. Her mind was racing with her feet, and she was starting to believe it was winning.

Amity and Cyril have escaped! She'll kill everyone just to spite Queen Xylia! I have to get back and warn everyone! I-

A strangled cry of pain broke through the night and shattered her thoughts like glass against the proverbial wall. She skidded to a stop and fearfully whirled around, hoping and praying that it hadn't been RJ's cry she had just heard and he was still behind her as he had been when they had left the Sanctuary.

He wasn't.