Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story, they are the sole property of their creators (Sunrise/Naogya TV/Bandai).
Key:
"text" dialogue in speaker's native or commonly preferred language (in this case Japanese)
'text ' thoughts/thought-speak; when a paragraph or more is italicized it means the scene is a flashback.
Summary: It started out as a simple day, but it was one that would change the Ronins lives forever. You will never be able to look at a rabbit the same way again.
Evil's True Form
a.k.a
"When Bugs Bunny Goes Bad"? Or, "Be vewwy Quiet, I'm a Ronin Huntin!"
By: LG
"Sage, help!" Ryo yelped loudly, from the vicinity of Mia's living room.
It couldn't have been more than a week after Talpa's last defeat; the boys were only still residing at 'the mansion' until their wounds healed up. That way questions wouldn't be asked, questions they would be unable to answer truthfully. Well, they could answer the questions truthfully, but the chances of anyone believing them without referring them to a psyche ward, were slim to none.
Rowen had said something about the chances being directly proportional to some awfully scientific word. The other four Ronin had looked at him, and said in one voice, "That's nice."
Not to be deterred, the blue-haired archer had gone on a long-winded rant (it failed lecture status) about the subject, relative proportions, dynamic theory, and something else that would make any normal person's head spin.
Sage put these thoughts out of his head, as he walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, to see the cause of Wildfire's distress.
Arching one delicate eyebrow (seeing as how it was the only one visible in the first place), he inquired, "What's the matter?"
"It's attacking me!" Ryo pointed at the creature, and then let out a shriek as sharp teeth pierced into his leg.
Sage could only blink, "An attack rabbit?"
"Get it off of me!" The Ronin of Wildfire shouted in pain and annoyance, jumping up and down trying to rid himself of the bunny. The gray dwarf only tightened its grip on his leg.
Sage's face was completely blank…Ryo was bouncing around like a ballerina trying to tap dance with a rabbit firmly attached to his leg…Where was the camera when you needed it?
"Sage!" Ryo's panicked shouting brought the swordsman out of his thoughts…But the blonde could only continue to stare blankly at the scene.
'I am a warrior trained in the art of bushido, not animal care!' Halo's bearer complained to himself.
"RYO!" A loud yell came, as an auburn-haired blur dashed into the living room. In a matter of minutes, Cye had managed to coax the rabbit into letting go and was holding her securely in his arms.
The bunny twitched her nose, snuggling into Torrent's bearer contentedly as he proceeded to give Ryo a 'talking to.'
"What were you thinking? Mia bought her for a friend's birthday. You could have killed her! Poor, harmless…"
"Harmless? She attacked me, I was just sitting on the floor, and she bit me!" Ryo rolled up his pant leg (a nice tear in the jean-fabric), to reveal a fine rabbit-tooth sized hole in his leg. The puncture wound was bleeding profusely, and onto Mia's gorgeous, and just refinished, hardwood floors.
Cye scoffed, he didn't seem to care all that much, "You had to do something. She wouldn't have gone after you…If she did, it might be because you smell like White Blaze."
"How is a domesticated rabbit going to know what a Siberian tiger smells like?" Rowen asked incredulously, having been watching everything from the stair-well.
"Rabbits are smart," Torrent's bearer defensively stated, quickly handing the gray dwarf to Sage, "Here, hold her for a few minutes. I have to check on dinner."
Sage looked at the bundle of fur, and held the creature somewhat awkwardly…Well, maybe she wasn't so bad, and she was even kind of cute…She had white on her nose, and around her neck, while the rest of her was this blue-gray color.
She looked up at him, nose twitching a mile a minute, and then Sage visibly stiffened; the rabbit's eyes gleamed with malice, and were…Glowing red?
The rabbit bit into his hand, and then hopped out of his arms…So, Sage's hand was throbbing and bleeding, and he also felt wet and sticky.
"What's wrong?" Kento asked in slight alarm; noting the look of horror, shock and anger on the swordsman's face. He had only walked in just now, in time to see the rabbit biting Sage.
"It…" Sage gritted out from behind clenched teeth, "Peed on me!"
The bearer's of Strata and Hardrock looked at each other, then at Sage, back at each other and proceeded to burst out laughing.
Ryo was glaring at the bunny as it came back towards him it was actually growling at him, "You know? I am quite used to eating rabbit."
The gray dwarf seemed to glare right back up at him, and then let out another deep growl.
"One dangerous bunny," Rowen snorted out, "Wonder if it's her time of month?"
Kento wiped at his eyes with his thumb, "Bet she's like this all the time, I pity Mia's friend."
The rabbit seemed to be studying Hardrock's bearer, nose once more twitching rapidly.
"A cute little thing like you," Kento tsked her lightly, "Shouldn't be picking on us, seeing as how we can step on you, and it'd be all over."
As if trying to prove a point, the rabbit puffed out her fur and then charged the Warrior of Strength. Kento blinked and merely stepped to the side, eyes widening in surprise when she made an abrupt u-turn…Then proceeded to use her claws to knife him in the leg.
Cye dropped the tray he'd been holding, gaping as Kento proceeded to jump on a chair to avoid the seemingly rabid creature…Sage and Ryo were already standing on the sofa, and Rowen had retreated to the stair-well again.
Strata's bearer proceeded to state the painfully obvious, "There's something awfully screwy about that rabbit."
It's eyes were now on Rowen, glowing an eerie red color, Rowen let out what sounded like an 'eep.' Dreading what would happen to him, after all the damage that had been done to his three friends…Oddly wondering why the stupid thing liked Cye so much.
A malicious laugh echoed throughout the room, causing each Ronin to put on their subarmor almost instantly. They knew that laugh.
"Talpa!" Ryo hissed out angrily.
"Correct Wildfire," Talpa sounded smug, really smug…The type of smug you would want to beat him up for…Yup, he was being that smug.
"You thought you could get rid of me! But I found new a way to get into your realm, and become stronger than ever before!"
Thunder crashed in the background, and lightning struck right outside the mansion killing the power. Talpa's vile laughter echoed around the room, increasing with each moment that passed. His wretched silhouette was eerily visible even with only the lightning for illumination, and he looked enormous in the growing darkness.
Then, all was silent, though the thunder, lightning and rain continued on outside. Each Ronin was prepared, ready to fight the demon back once more… The lights flickered back on…
"Uh-oh," the rabbit squeaked in Talpa's voice. The five Ronin Warriors, looked at each other and then at the 'Talpa' possessed bunny…This was a really bad joke, right? Right?
That fact didn't matter…All White Blaze saw was dinner, and it was good.
"Well," Kento commented in amusement, "That was easy enough."
Sage gave a brief nod, saying with a frown, "Almost too easy."
"Blaze got him though," Ryo cheerfully stated…Then he paused seeing how the tiger's face had contorted…Maybe rabbit didn't agree with him?
"Uh guys," Cye sounded nervous, as Blaze's eyes suddenly turned red, "I think we were better off with the rabbit."
Talpa's laughter resounded throughout the room again, as White Blaze gave a feral grin…And then morphed into Bugs Bunny!
He looked at the five young men, chewed on his famed carrot, and inquired, "Eh, what's up Docs?"
Rowen did what any self-respecting warrior would have done in his place, he proceeded to topple over.
The Ronin of Strata let out a low moan, having ungracefully fallen out of his bed, tangled up in his bed sheets. He blinked groggily, immediately noticing that Kento was awake, sitting up in his bed looking a little shaken.
"Dude," Hardrock's bearer said, in as calm a voice as he could muster, "Your mom isn't allowed to send you anymore Looney Tunes videos. If she does, don't show them to me."
"Ah, you had the same dream!" Rowen inquired somewhat unbelieving.
Kento merely nodded in response.
"Well, it didn't help," Rowen grumbled untangling himself from his bedding, "That we watched a horror flick afterwards."
"Hey, Cye picked it out, not me," Hardrock's bearer said in his own defense.
"You know," Rowen murmured thoughtfully, placing the sheets back on his bed, "I realize we're going to have nightmares after all we've been through. But, if I have anymore as weird as that one, I'm going to need therapy."
"You and me both," Kento avidly agreed; freezing when a loud "OW!" pierced the air. Both boys tore from the room, as though it were on fire…Sage and Cye were right behind them. All four took one look at the scene that lay before them, and armored up…As did Ryo, who had managed to get away just long enough…
Mia looked at the five fully armored warriors, her face a mixture of shock and outright disbelief…The female gray dwarf rabbit in her arms had a different opinion…
The loud noise, shouting, armoring up sequence, and having five weapons shoved in front of it's little face did more than to just upset it…The rabbit let out what sounded like a shriek…And then went oddly silent…And did I mention, extremely still?
…
Needless to say, the five Ronin Warriors ended up buying another rabbit for Mia's friend. And somewhere an omnipotent being was laughing hysterically.
In loving memory of Peaches, the nastiest rabbit I have ever, and will ever know.
A/N: Yes, the occurrences in this story, while somewhat over-exaggerated, are inspired by my (and my families) dealings with my gray dwarf bunny, Peaches. The rabbit had enough attitude stored in her for six or seven other rabbits. She did bite people, she did growl, and she would chase you and claw you. But even though she was a nasty brat, I loved her. She was put down at the age of nine-years-old due to kidney or liver failure. I had the need to write something funny, TGOL is amusing in parts but is such a serious story…Plus we are putting down our family dog, which has been in our lives since he was a puppy…We have had him for ten years, and he's just to the point where he can barely walk now. So, that's where this came from (plus encouragement from 'The Siffinator'). This is for all those out there who need a pick me up; I hope it brought a smile to your face.
LG