Chapter Thirteen: Stranger in a Strange Land
"… Set me free, set me free …"
Rhyolite woke up feeling strange, she stretched as a reflex, eventually coming to remember all that happened last night.
The Diamondback turned into a Friend, which still just getting used to her new body, this thing called "sleeping" wasn't so bad. Rhyo felt very embarrassed, even though she promised to stay awake and watch over the Friends, she still fell asleep too.
-Fr… Friends!- She called to Père David's Deer and Collared Peccary, the Friends who had sleeping cuddling up with her, each of them holding onto the New APC Friend with their arms.
-What?- Collared Peccary groaned, still not letting Rhyolite go.
-I was having a pleasant dream- Père David's Deer sighed stretching herself, she dreamed of that Friend who saved her from Nightmare, the Deer knew now that her savior was green.
-Good Morning- Passenger Pigeon swooped in and greeted the awake Friends, this surprised them and it woke up the others.
-Can you relay a message to Jinmengyo for me?- Père David's Deer asked standing up, still feeling the wear from that battle at the ocean, she almost fell on her butt from the exhaustion.
-Of course! Tell me- Passenger Pigeon said, Père David's Deer walked away to talked with the Bird in private, then Passenger Pigeon waved goodbye to all and flew to her next destination.
-Mysterious- Collared Peccary teased the Deer, who blushed really hard, as if the Pig brought something up from their past.
-That's not fair! I just planned something up and wanted to explain to her, without anyone interrupting, we are gonna take it slower on this Island and organize our next crossing with Jinmengyo's help… To avoid another battle at the Sea! - Père David's Deer explained herself as the Cadre Agreed with her, the Deer then sat in Rhyolite's lap, the Diamondback happily hugged her awkwardly pressing her against her noble bossom.
-Joy!- Rhyolite said as she enjoyed hugging a Friend, with her own arms, something about it just made her feel very happy!
-So, what's the plan now- Smilodon asked, being the Friend not overly smitten with Rhyolite's cuteness, she wanted to ask Bald Eagle to give her back the Relic but wasn't sure how to do that.
-Suzaku tells me you want this back- Bald Eagle approached Smilodon very suddenly, offering her back the Time Amulet, the Cat sighed knowing Byakko had to do with this but took it.
-We should find a defensible position nearby to fortify during the night, also try to find food because we lost it all of it at sea, unless Rhyolite can "poop" Japari Buns out of her for us to eat- Père David's Deer addressed the Cadre while getting comfy in Rhyolite's embrace, the Deer then noticed Rhyolite took off her hard-hat and offered her something, it was a fresh Japari Bun.
-What the hell!?- Collared Peccary yelled, the Cadre went wild, their uproar was soon followed by the roars of hungry bellies.
-Give us Japari buns and Juice!- Bald Eagle rushed flying, her hunger manifesting when she saw Père David's Deer eating, the Diamondback gave to her what she requested with a smile.
Rhyolite happily handed over, starting to get the hang of hand motions, Japari Buns and Juice to the Cadre, everyone thanked her for keeping their valuable supplies safely inside of herself, somehow… This very quick meal lifted the spirit of the Friends.
-Alright, let's get out of this beach, maybe we'll find someplace we can stay tonight- Père David's Deer said standing up, all the Friends followed her, besides Rhyo who had issues standing up.
-Help!- Rhyolite yelped unable to walk through the sand with her rollerskaters, Collared Peccary rushed to her side to help, the Pig was like a Mother leading her baby on her first steps.
The adorable sight brought warm smiles to the Cadre, they felt refreshed to see green pastures again, Gokoku Island had open fertile plains with plenty of trees and mountains in the distance.
The Cadre marched on until they spotted a water source, eager for a bath, the Friends rushed in. Collared Peccary giggled as she pushed Rhyolite for the first time, trying to teach her how to slide with her rollerskaters, she zipped past all the Friends but Bald Eagle, she would have fallen into the water, if it wasn't for the Bird, who managed to catch and stop her just in time.
-Way… Too… Fast- Rhyolite said getting used on how to talk in her new form, her rollerskaters seemed useful but she wasn't quite sure how to use them, since as an APC she never moved, Collared Peccary was the one controlling her behind the wheel.
-You'll get used to it, just like how I learned to fly, okay?- Bald Eagle reassured Rhyolite as she guided her, slowly getting her inside the water, as all the Friends planned to take a bath in order to wash both their bodies and clothes at the same time.
Rhyolite took a deep breath nervous, after all she nearly sank as an APC just a day ago, as she slowly submerged herself into the pond. The water felt good on her skin, she relaxed and saw how the other Friends all joined happily, with the exception of Smilodon who took a bit longer on getting in there with them.
Rhyolite started to get a good feel over her new body, starting to move smoothly, this body was much better than her old one.
-Nothing like a bath to lift the spirits, right?- Narwhal asked the Cadre, most of them agreed with her nodding, the Cetacean inspected the Diamondback Friend wondering about something.
The Friends rest continued after they left the pond, just resting under the sun, as their clothes dried thanks to the sunlight and the gentle ocean breeze. By noon all of the Friends had enough strength to push onward, they were looking for a position they could defend from the Harpy Horde, just in case they return to attack them again during the night. Bald Eagle was scouting ahead as always, while flying she spotted something curious, it looked like an underground den, something built not formed naturally, the Bird decided to land and inform the Cadre of this.
-I saw something up ahead, it looked like a den, not sure if we should investigate or not- Bald Eagle said while adjusting her sunglasses nervously, she disliked and feared the darkness, they risked running into Fiends or even Cerulean down there.
-It's worth checking it out- Boomslang said thinking it would be safe inside that underground den, like the safety facilities back at Riukiu Island, inadvertently opposing Bald Eagle's desires.
-It could be dangerous, but it's the best bet we have, we want to have it cleared up by nightfall!- Père David's Deer gave her orders to the Cadre, the Deer held Rhyolite's hand and helped Collared Peccary in guiding her, as the APC slowly learned how to use her roller skaters, they looked like a very happy family.
The heartwarming sight eased up the Cadre on their march to the den. When they had it right in front of them, they were all on their guard for it was scarier up close than they imagined.
Rhyolite turned on the light on her hard-hat and scanned the den, she found no clear sign of Ceruleans or Fiends inside, the Friends proceed inside together while still being on their guard.
-You are proving to be more valuable than the Lucky Beast we used to have escorting us, Rhyolite- Père David's Deer said as the Diamondback, with her height and luminous hard-hat was a beacon of light for them, the Deer kept her staff at the ready.
-I still wonder what happened to it, one day it was just, gone- Boomslang pondered about Big Boss, the Lucky Beast that recruited her and started this quest, it disappeared after the Volcano battle when the Gods manifested as Astral Guardians.
-Focus, I can smell something, there is a Friend down here… Just one- Smilodon spoke as she caught the scent of a Friend, someone who was hiding deep within the den, for some reason.
The Cadre slowly descended, with Collared Peccary and Père David's Deer helping Rhyolite descend without slipping with her rollerskaters, for now the Diamondback these things were more trouble than anything else. Rhyolite saw that the den suddenly turned pitch black, the sunlight unable to reach any deeper, so she amplified the lightsource in her Hard-Hat to provide more light for her beloved Friends. Narwhal was very impressed with how useful Rhyolite's Friend form is, it honestly felt like this new form with her old functions was the perfect support element for the Cadre, was this a result of her inner desires to become an actual part of the group instead of just their ride?
Narwhal couldn't say, but it was clear that she was trying her best, this motivated Narwhal to try to excel! After all, nothing wrong with some friendly competition, the Cetacean thought.
-Wait… She is close- Smilodon told the Cadre unsheathing her sword, she used Byakko's powers to track the Friend, she felt the Friend heavy breathing humming in her blade to find her.
-Please don't kill me!- Aye-Aye begged in a very pitiful way.
-I won't kill you!- Smilodon replied instantly, almost by reflex.
The hidden Friend emerged from the darkness, she crawled out of the dirt, from a well hidden spot amidst the floor and wall. The Friend clothes were all covered in dirt, but they could make it out her cheongsam was black with red cloud decorations in it, her foulard, gloves and stockings were in rough shape and she had lost her shoes. The Friend red eyes explored the Cadre as her breath became steady, when she was sure it was safe, The Friend presented herself while smacking dust off her clothes.
-I'm Aye-Aye, is it safe out there? I've been hiding here for a few days!- Aye-Aye looked forward to being free again, she was very hungry and really tired of such cramped hiding place.
-For now it is, but it's advisable to be very careful during the dark, got that?- Smilodon warned Aye-Aye, as she noticed just how eager the Friend was, to get out of this dark and dirty pit.
-I got that, I wasn't sure if they had gone or not, there was just so many of them!- Aye-Aye recalled the Harpy swarm, how they preyed on anything they could find, Friends or Ceruleans.
-Do you know of any safe place we could camp for tonight, any place better than this would be so nice- Narwhal said, she also disliked the idea of being underground, it was just like a tomb.
-Well, there is a spot in between two mountains not too far out from here, good spot to make a last stand- Aye-Aye explained herself as she ran her red eyes through the group, counting them and inspecting, something about made them feel strong.
-Can you point us to that direction on your way out?- Père David's Deer asked Aye-Aye, looking forward to camping there.
-Sure thing, let's move, I can't wait to see the Sun and feel the breeze again!- Aye-Aye said about to push the Cadre herself, thought she was usually a shy and scared Friend, her desire to get out of that pit overpowered through her usual demeanour.
The Cadre was happy enough to get out of the Den and follow Aye-Aye, the march was fast as the Friend in the lead was all but running far ahead of them, when the Friends all saw in the distance the pair of mountains that Aye-Aye talked them about.
-You should just follow the road and you'll make it way before dusk, I'm gonna go try to find where my Senpais are, see ya!- Aye-Aye waved goodbye and vanished in a cloud of smoke.
-Wait!- Boomslang said, but it was too late, Aye-Aye was gone.
-That was cool!- Bald Eagle exclaimed thinking about that trick.
-I don't think she'd have talked to us in other circumstances- Narwhal said thinking that Aye-Aye wasn't keen on socializing.
-Let's keep moving- Père David's Deer urged the Cadre to keep moving, she wanted to scout the surroundings of their camp, she didn't expect Fiends to ever give them another quiet night.
Rhyolite started to get the hang of her roller-skaters, she could finally walk by herself without needing Collared Peccary's help, the Diamondback didn't notice the Pig's visible disappointment.
The music that Rhyo was playing helped the APC turn her stiff movements slowly more fluid, she was just getting the hang on how to balance herself and move gracefully to the song's beat.
Most of the rest of the Cadre joined her, cheerfully dancing as they moved, it made the final part of their trip fairly enjoyable.
-Bald Eagle, scout the surroundings- Père David's Deer ordered.
-I'll be right back!- Bald Eagle saluted taking flight, she would never turn down any chance to fly, as tired as she was feeling.
-I really hope tonight is quiet, I'm really exhausted, walking again after riding Rhyolite for so long is exhausting- Collared Peccary said sitting in the comfiest rock she could find, the Pig looked around as the Diamondback awkwardly sat nearby her.
The area in between the mountains had clearly served as a camp for several Friends in the past, you could smell leftover crumbs from Japari Buns, the place the fire was usually lit had ashes marked very recent use. Rhyolite thought about it, what would the Friends do now that she couldn't fit them all inside of her? They couldn't walk just walk everywhere, they would be swarmed, so vulnerable and exhausted while traveling on foot.
-I'm sorry- Rhyolite muttered, not explaining herself, leaving the Cadre rather confused, she took off her hard-hat and cried.
-Don't cry cutie, you'll make us all sad- Père David's Deer said moving in to comfort Rhyolite, who just sat her on her lap and started to cuddle her, causing Collared Peccary to pout angrily.
-Deerie!- Rhyolite exclaimed, to the embarrassment of Père David's Deer, the Diamondback squished the red faced Deer.
-You got room for one more, right?- Collared Peccary asked Rhyolite with pleading eyes, the Diamondback accomodated her besides Père David's Deer, sitting both of them in her lap.
As Bald Eagle came down and reported what she saw, a whole bunch of nothing, only clean skies and green pastures. If the Harpies returned this very night, they would be ready for them.
Bald Eagle brought some logs she found around while scouting, to light up the campfire, which she used Suzaku to light it up.
-I suppose a little light and warmth are welcome- Bald Eagle said as she sat down, seeing all the Cadre was waiting for her, so they could have another meal while sitting around the fire.
-It is, it's getting a bit chilly, without our vehicle- Narwhal said thinking about how cozy it was inside of Rhyolite when she was an APC, even if sometimes it got a little cramped inside of her.
-Sorry about that!- Rhyolite apologized again, for now being as useful to the group as she used to be, when she was an APC.
-We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your miracle!- Collared Peccary said to Rhyo, upset that she was apologizing over that.
-Yeah, don't apologize, we are very glad to have you- Père David's Deer said holding Rhyolite's big hand with both of hers.
-I'm so hungry- Boomslang whined, she felt like a child but two meals a day just weren't enough, the rations were running low.
-Rhyo can you give us Japari Buns? You should also eat one- Smilodon told the Diamondback Friend, who pulled a single Japari Bun for each Friend, Boomslang almost started crying.
-Rationing will make our supplies last longer, until we reach Mainland, even if we dally for safety- Père David's Deer said explaining herself, as she saw the disappointed gazes of Bald Eagle and Boomslang on her, both wanted another Japari Bun.
-A bit of hunger today will prevent us from starving next week, hang in there, ok?- Byakko manifested to comfort Bald Eagle and Boomslang, the pair whimpered and devoured their Buns.
-You know, I had a question, for our Leader- Smilodon said, as the rest of the Cadre looked at her, then she actually asked it.
-What did Nightmare show you?- Smilodon asked, feeling a mix of morbid curiosity and genuine worry, for their dearest Leader.
-I guess I have no reason to not tell you, Nightmare showed me the past, the golden days of Japari Park- Père David's Deer sighed sadly, she was struggling back in Blue Whale's Beach Resort, Nightmare capitalized on her weakness to torment her.
-But aren't those good memories?- Boomslang asked confused.
-Well yeah but they are only memories now- Collared Peccary said, trying to explain what she and Deer felt, about this topic.
-Out of all the things in Japari Park, what I miss the most is the Humans, that's what Nightmare showed me… She let me see them again, as dead monsters, they said awful things too- Père David's Deer sighed sadly, feeling tears running down her face, she took off her mask and brushed them all away very angrily.
The rest of the group waited for Père David's Deer to talk up again, the Deer remained silent while the Cadre looked around nervously, until Bald Eagle broke the silence at last.
-Tell us about the Humans, good memories that you cherish, Nightmare can't take that away from you- Bald Eagle said, she tried to encourage the Deer to remember the good things, to share them with the Cadre and forget about Nightmare forever.
-There were two humans I was very close to...- Père David's Deer recalled her early years, when she was a silly Spear that was very mysterious, who stole Japari Buns from other Friends.
-I remember them- Collared Peccary recalled giggling out loud.
-Continue- Byakko encouraged the Deer to resume her story.
-The first was Park Guide Mirai, a wonderful woman that was also a prominent figure in Japari Park's story, she was the one that tried to teach me French at my request- Père David's Deer recalled smiling widely, she closed her eyes and could recall her scent, Mirai smelled sweeter than any Japari Buns in the world.
-French?- Boomslang asked quite curious about that new word.
-Another language that humans speak, related to the origin of my animal form's name, Human History was fascinating but also really hard to keep up with! I eventually just got tired of using the Computer to study- Père David's Deer explained to the Cadre, the origin of the words she often used to spice up her speech, French was something truly important to the Deer.
-Who was the other one?- Narwhal asked, feeling encouraged to sate her curiosity about the Past, she wanted to know more.
-The other was my Caretaker…- Père David's Deer was saying but she blushed hard, she covered her red face with her beret, remember about him made the Deer return to her young years.
-Are you okay?- Narwhal asked visibly concerned for the Deer.
-She is fine, just very embarrassed- Collared Peccary giggled.
-He was... awesome- Père David's Deer said hiding while still behind her beret, she squirmed nervously unsure what to say.
-He!? A MAN!?- Smilodon yelled utterly shocked standing up.
-Yes! He was so nice, sweet, caring… He kept my room and clothes clean, kept me company day and night, I loved him!- Père David's Deer said before screaming like a schoolgirl, who was finally talking to her Friends, about their first time kissing.
-OH MY GODS!- Bald Eagle screamed surprised, she was very flustered, thinking about a Human and a Friend being together.
-Hey! I'm the one flustered here, we dated for a bit, eventually
we had to take separate ways but I never forgot him… I wish I could jump into his arms right now!- Père David's Deer wished loudly for all of them to hear, having finished recalling the past, as she felt refreshed recalling the old days where she had it all.
-A human male- Boomslang muttered thinking how he looked, her curiosity turned lewd, she wondered how he looked naked.
-Humans are nice!- Rhyolite managed to say, after taking a bit to spell it in her mind, she still loved her old dead Human crew.
-Did you two do things together?- Narwhal asked blushing, she remembered the hot night they had together, Deer and herself.
- ...Like any dating couple does!- Père David's Deer answered trying to keep her cool, she had no reason to be embarrassed, she dated her caretaker for years and it was a happy memory.
The Cadre went wild, Bald Eagle, Boomslang and Narwhal all surrounded the Deer, showering her with different questions, all at the same time. Collared Peccary eventually managed to calm them all down, as Père David's Deer was absorbed by her happy memories, all while Rhyolite's cuddled her like a plushie.
-The team is sure in high spirits- Byakko commented as she manifested so Smilodon could sleep with her, Smilodon nodded and just cuddled with her, easily falling asleep from exhaustion.
-I'm telling you, it looked like an eggplant! Like a cucumber!- Père David's Deer awkwardly explained one question, she saw a pair of eyes looking at her, amidst the gloom of the night.
As the Père David's Deer looked into that direction, the rest of the Cadre still awake noticed and got on guard, Rhyolite used her hard-hat's light to illuminate the area revealing the Friend.
It was Jinmengyo, the UMA Fish Friend bowed respectfully to the Cadre, before inviting herself to the Campfire they all had.
-What were you talking about?- Jinmengyo addressed the Cadre, she ran her eyes through the new members, pleased that they had additional Friends helping, the more the merrier.
-Nothing important!- Père David's Deer answered very quickly.
-It's so good to see you again!- Boomslang greeted the Fish.
-Okay! I heard from a few good sources you've been having quite a few adventures, seeing your new companions I can tell you've been doing the right thing, I'm very proud of all of you- Jinmengyo said as she invited Narwhal to lay down her head in her lap, she was very proud of how far she'd have come, from trying to look cool in front of the Dolphins to becoming a Hero.
-Thank you- Bald Eagle said when her stomach started to roar in protest, to the Bird's embarrassment, Jinmengyo giggled refreshed to see these Friends remained as colourful as always.
-You can give them another round of rations, I got some Friend coming tomorrow to fetch you more supplies, we will plan on how you'll cross into the Mainland afterwards- Jinmengyo said before being drowned out by the happy squeaks of Bald Eagle and Boomslang, who were really hungry and also very thankful.
As Jinmengyo saw that the large new Friend, starting to pull out Japari Buns out of her Hard-Hat, she confirmed she was the Miracle Friend. As Rhyolite gave loving headpats to Bald Eagle and Boomslang, who muttered very grateful messages to the Diamondback as they devoured a few extra Japari Buns, in a rather unsightly manner. Jinmengyo really enjoyed seeing how the Cadre was coming along, she'd help the new Miracle Friend learn how to use her unique Wild Release tomorrow, but before that she had something else to do. Something very important, that Jinmengyo had been looking forward to do, as she wanted to share the great Honour this Cadre had earned in Point Hope.
-The tales of your deeds are spreading, my fellow Friends, the Leaders of point hope saw fitting to assign your Cadre a name-
-WHAT!? Like we were actual defenders of Japari Park?- Père David's Deer exclaimed shocked, it was like she and Bald Eagle dreamed, one day they would be actually considered Heroines.
-But we are defenders of Japari Park!- Bald Eagle said proudly.
-Should I wake her up for this?- Jinmengyo asked Père David's Deer as she pointed towards Smilodon, the Feline Friend who was sleeping deeply, purring as she nuzzled with Beast Byakko.
-Don't worry about her, she already was one, this is just her new group- Narwhal said while still resting on Jinmengyo's lap.
-She also fought really hard last battle, she deserves the rest- Boomslang said remembering, the peerless defense Smilodon mounted, to protect everyone else in the Cadre in the ocean.
-Okay! Then hereby I declare this Cadre, in behalf of the united leaders of Japari Park, The "Crusader" Cadre!- Jinmengyo said, quite proudly of the choice they made back at Point Hope, for this group of gallant Friends stood on the side of the Sun-Light.
-Why Crusader?- Bald Eagle asked curious, it sounded cool but she didn't know what it was, she wanted to know it's meaning.
Père David's Deer explained to the Cadre about them, how they were like in those tales, like the Crusaders. Holy warriors set on an epic journey, rallying their righteous cause with the Gods themselves on their side. They were truly the Crusader Cadre.
-Now I want all of you to rest, you've done very well so far and tomorrow is going to be a very long day, we got plenty of things to discuss- Jinmengyo said standing up to Narwhal's disappointment, as she danced and created a big bubble of protection around the camp, this one would keep Fiends away.
With their morale further boosted by having an actual title now, the Crusader Cadre cuddled up around Rhyolite and went to sleep, as Jinmengyo requested. Rhyolite was the last Friend to fall asleep, she saw Jinmengyo looking and smiling at her, Rhyo smiled back at her hoping she could help her. Rhyo was just getting used to her new body, but she desired to turn back into an APC, to provide the Crusaders with their armored transport again. Maybe there was a way she could do it? She hoped so.