CFB: So sorry, readers! I meant to have this up earlier! Luckily, today my school is closed thanks to snow (we got a little dusting, but our school board is paranoid), so I had a chance to update!

Ugh, turns out this story needs a lot more editing than I originally thought. My writing back when I was 13 was really horrendous...as was my grammar. Actually, I'm still bad at grammar. But I digress! I have updated. I will try to be more punctual, but track is starting soon, and that's going to completely destroy free time. Unless my knees prove to be in too bad of shape to run. Anyway...that's a separate issue.

Time for Chapter 2! Will the ham-hams be able to convince Siren to return to the Clubhouse? And what happens when one of the ham-hams wind up in dire trouble, and is on the verge of death? Will someone, or something, come to their rescue? Read to find out!

Thanks: To my three amazing reviewers (who are also great writers), who have reviewed both chapters of this story so far.

Crystalgurl101: Thank you very much! I'm glad you think I made them in chcracter...it is a hard thing to do, especially since the show ended a long time ago. I appreciate that you like it so far!

CN: Thanks! Yeah, I had a feeling people would think Hamtaro would be the Chosen One...but fear not! He will have a very, very important role coming up in the later chapters. Your review was very constructive, and helped me a good deal. Thank you very much! And I'm trying to make it seem like a Hamtaro movie, so I'm glad you think that!

DolphinInsomniac15: First reviewer again! Thanks so much. Your advice on how to make Bijou speak more...um...French-like...was very helpful, and a great idea! I was really lost with how to make her accent seem authentic, so I was just slapping 'z's in front of random words, but now I think I can write it out better, thanks to you. I'm glad you like this fic so far, and thanks so much for your help! I'm not offended at all. I appreciate any help anyone has to give me!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hamtaro or any of it's characters. I own Siren, the Guardian, and Hamwall. And Spyke. Who could forget him?


Chapter 2: Vision of Beauty

"Is everyone ready?"

"YEAH!"

The chorus of small voices rang through the trees of Oak Tree Park, one day after their encounter with the mysterious hamster, Siren. The ham-hams, determined looks playing on their faces, were prepared to search for the hamster they had scared off, in hopes of making amends with her, and maybe welcoming her back.

Though Maxwell's evidence clearly stated she had not been truthful with them from the get go, they were hoping the lies, whether they be small or large would stop, or she would eventually tell them the truth and clear the whole thing up. They would not mention it until they saw who Siren truly was. After all, they had only known her a day, and could not be quick to judge her, lest they lose their chance at making her a friend.

"Alright, we'll split up to make this go easier. Pashmina, Penelope, you two set up the picnic by the river!" Boss barked, giving orders like an army lieutenant shouting commands at his loyal troops.

The hams were standing all together in a large clearing a stone's throw from the Clubhouse entrance, the dreary grey sky suspended over their heads eliminating every sliver of the sun. The forecast called for rain, Dexter had informed them earlier, though it was a wonderfully warm morning. The ham-hams could faintly detect the scent of moistness in the air, almost threatening them. They hoped they would find Siren and get the picnic in before the showers started.

"Ay ay, Boss!" Pashmina smiled warmly, her little helper piping up beside her, "Ookwee!" They darted off with the big, neatly woven basket in Pashmina's paws, checkered tablecloth resting in Penelope's blanketed arms as she toddled along after her best friend.

"I will go with 'Aamtaro and search near where we found her yesterday!" Bijou drawled, stepping closer to the orange and white hamster, who did not appear as if he would object. Boss scowled noticeably, but nodded in grudging agreement. He had wanted to go with Bijou himself, so he could maybe get some alone time to talk with her, but he didn't want to displease her either. The pair took off chatting amiably before Boss had a chance to change his mind.

"...Fine then. Cappy and I will search off to the east," Boss continued, looking around at the remaining faces. "Maxwell and Sandy, you guys search north. Howdy and Dexter, you and Oxnard go south. Stan and Panda will search downriver, south of where the picnic is to be. Alright, now break!" Boss ran off quickly with Cappy in his wake, and the rest scattered in their designated directions.

In his area, Panda searched silently with his partner, Stan. They conversed little, if not at all, and searched around every rock and under every protruding root. It was a fruitless search for a while, filled with many grievous sighs and frustrated grunts from both of them. Panda found himself wandering away from the flirtatious tiger striped hamster, his mind elsewhere.

He knew little of the female ham they had recently met, but knew enough to know that he thought Siren was worth getting to know. She was very shy, he had noticed, and he wanted very much to apologize for frightening her away the day before. He had once been that shy, afraid to meet others of his kind, but the ham-hams had pulled him out of his shell, and he was sure they could do that for Siren as well, if she was willing to return to the Clubhouse. Key word being if.

"Hey, Panda dude, you gonna go search over there?" Stan asked him as he noticed Panda slipping away through some thick bushes, soon to be out of his view.

"Yeah, that okay?" Panda asked.

"Whatever, dude," Stan said dismissively, and with a wave of his paw he continued to call in a flirty, sing-song voice that he hoped would lure Siren out, "Hey, Siren! It's me, your potential boyham!"

Panda couldn't help but to grin and roll his eyes as he slipped through some brush and headed off on his own. Stan would never change.

He found himself right by the river that meandered softly through the middle of the park, stopped a moment at the damp bank, staring listlessly into the water's crystalline depths. He looked to the left, and then to the right and back and forth. All was silent, and he could see nothing, not a trace of anyone, with his keen eyes. No sign of anyone, much less a hamster, anywhere. Would they ever find her? Had she gone off on her way already, not even leaving them with the chance to apologize to her for their actions?

He sighed, just about ready to throw in the towel and head back to where Stan was, when a smooth grey pebble landed with a soft plop into the water, seemingly fallen from the sky. It had nearly struck him on the head, and instantly, he was alert.

"Huh? That's strange..." Panda muttered softly, watching the water as it rippled out from where the stone had landed on the once steady surface of the clear water. He stared into the water, but only saw the canopies of trees, the steel-colored sky, and his own befuddled face glaring back at him, wavering slightly.

Rocks did not just fall out of the sky...did they?

Plop. Another rock plummeted from the heavens. Plop. Another.

Panda backed up slightly, turned tail, and looked up into the branches of a tall oak tree towering over him, looking for the source of the pebbles. His eyes widened upon seeing a hamster seated comfortably in a forked branch of the tree, throwing rocks into the water one by one. She was obscured by leaves and their comforting shade, but the black facial markings gave her identity away. Panda had found Siren at last.

"Hey, Siren!" He yelled up at her joyfully, waving his arms.

Siren, startled, accidentally dropped the rock she had been preparing to throw...right onto Panda's head. She peered down and spotted him rubbing his wound and looking a bit dazed as he teetered and swayed, stars dancing in his vision. She hollered back down at him, positively bewildered, "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't see you there!"

She looked sincere enough, and Panda, as soon as he recovered from his small injury, yelled back in forgiveness, "It's okay! No harm done!"

Siren climbed skillfully down the tree to stand before Panda, her eyes narrowed and swirling with mixed emotions. "What are you doing here?" She asked curiously and cautiously, surprised to see him here. She had thought, after her traumatic scene in the Clubhouse the day before, that none of the ham-hams would want to see her again. But here, one had sought her out. She was being proved wrong a lot these days...

He smiled warmly, but she remained poised, prepared to run as always. "Well, we all came to look for you and I guess I was the lucky one who found you. So I'm supposed to invite you to a picnic now...so...do you want to come to a picnic with the entire gang?" Panda asked brightly, hoping for a positive response.

Siren's shoulders and ears drooped low, sending Panda's hopes in a vicious downward spiral. That was never a good sign. "I don't think I can go back...not after yesterday..."She replied quietly.

Even if they wanted her to come back, and it was apparent they did, Siren wasn't so sure she could return. The homey, welcome atmosphere from the Clubhouse and the deep connection between the ham-hams was certainly appealing, and still fresh in her mind. But she could also remember how they had crowded around her, smothering her, and bombarding her with questions about Hamwall. She didn't know if she could handle anything like that happening again, and with her checkered past, she had a feeling it would. It was a risk too great to make.

Siren turned away from his hopeful face and walked to stand on the edge of the riverbank, her reflection gazing uncertainly back at her with hazy, clouded blue eyes. Panda walked over beside her to look at his own mirrored image. Then he looked at Siren's reflection, to avoid looking into her face, and saw the uncertainty and sadness behind the fog in her ever-mysterious eyes.

He had noticed how, even when she smiled, Siren looked perpetually sad. Her eyes always held a glint of sorrow, no matter where she was, who she was with, or how cheerful she seemed. It was perplexing. Was it because of her shyness, or her fear of meeting other hamsters? He wasn't sure, but he knew that if anyone could erase that sadness and replace it with something more positive and bright, it was the ham-hams. All he had to do was convince her to return.

"Sure you can..." He urged, pleading with her, hoping his words would have some effect. He hated when any of his friends, new or not, were sad, and always wanted to just wipe that sorrow away any way he could, if it was in his power. A friend's sadness is almost like your own, and had a similar effect on Panda's heart as he sensed Siren's emotional turmoil.

"I don't think it would be a very good idea..." She protested, torn.

Panda wracked his brain for another idea, some way he could convince Siren to come to the picnic with them. Some way to convince her that friendship was better than what they had showed her the day before, when they had frightened her away. Nothing, not even the faintest of ideas, came to mind, and he became so frustrated he wanted to rip his fur out by the roots. Why was amending mistakes so difficult?

"We're all really sorry...we must have overwhelmed you with all of those questions. But we really do want you to come back!" Panda apologized, his last shot, hoping he found the right words to say.

"It's my fault for not being around hamsters often."

"That's not true!"

Siren snapped her head up to look at Panda, who was still gazing intently at the water. She had known this hamster for a mere day, what could he possibly know about her? Why was he doubting her words? Why was he saying such...things? Mind spinning like a carousel, Siren made up her mind to speak up.

"...Heke?"

Panda looked a bit sheepish. Great...now he was sure he looked like a fool. "What I mean to say is, it's not your fault you haven't been around hamsters. Your family kicked you out before you had a chance to make any friends, and you've been traveling, so that makes it even harder to meet other hamsters. Before I met the ham-hams, I didn't have any friends either. And now look at me!"

He grinned in Siren's direction, and she smiled faintly, replying with a slight chuckle, "...I guess you're right."

Having never had a friend, Siren really had no idea what he was saying. But the cheerful, accepting tone of his voice and the enticing words he used was enough to make her want to change her mind, even though something deep within her screamed the opposite. This concept of friendship that she had learned about the day before had not lost it's appeal overnight, even after her disastrous first day in the company of others. Her heart still longed to feel the bond she could sense between the ham-hams, a bond she had run from so eagerly many times. She wanted that bond, and maybe, from that, she could fashion her own connections, with her own two paws.

"We want to make sure your first experience with friendship is a good one," Panda concluded proudly. "...And we kinda already have the picnic set up. All you have to do is came with me!" He stuck out his paw for a pawshake, as if their joining paws would heal the wounds he and his friends had inflicted on her, and everything would be fixed.

Siren hesitated for a moment, two separate sides of her feuding. Then she smiled brightly, and shook his paw firmly. The pawshake they shared that day symbolized her budding friendship with the ham-hams, which then, was just beginning to bloom.

Panda was glad. He would have hated it if she had rejected the offer. Siren was a fairly young ham, only a month or two older than Cappy, he assumed. The idea of such a young hamster traveling on her own, all over the world, encountering who-knows-what, it made his heart twinge. Siren seemed to him like the kind of hamster who needed to feel protected, to feel totally safe, in order to let their guard down. A young hamster who must have had to be on her guard and constantly alert her entire life...it was not something he liked to imagine. With the ham-hams, he knew she could find that safeness she would need to have a normal hamhood.

Panda sighed with relief as they let go of each other's grasp, and declared, "Follow me!" He began to race off in the direction of the picnic site.

"Wait!"

Panda turned back around to face the female hamster, hoping she hadn't changed her mind yet again. She stared at the ground, blushed slightly, and said meekly, "...I just want to thank you, Panda. Without you convincing me to come, I probably wouldn't have. Your words really got to me, so...thanks."

Siren had never had anyone to talk sense into her before, nobody to help her figure out the right decisions. She had always relied on herself for such things. It was...nice, to be able to depend on someone to help her come up with the answers. If that was included in friendship, perhaps it wasn't such a bad deal after all, and maybe, just maybe, she could risk it...a least, a small friendship. Minuscule, really. For a little while. It would always be 'only for a little while'...but sometimes, that would have to be enough to satisfy her.

Panda smiled gratefully and said with a happy sigh, "...No problem."

She followed him through the underbrush, and they traced the gently trickling path of the river on nimble paws. Chatter was small, but amiable between them. "I was searching with Stan...he should be around here..." Panda trailed off as he and Siren stopped short where he and Stan had previously been searching. Nothing but the wind was heard, rustling through the trees. Not a maraca in sight.

"Probably stopped to flirt with a girl or something. He'll turn up. C'mon!" Panda raced off again, a silent Siren in his wake. He wondered if she had meant the things she had said earlier...about his words.

Siren, behind him, was smiling broadly. She was bursting with happiness now that she knew the ham-hams wanted to see her again. It was the first time since her banishment that anyone had wanted to talk to her. However, deep inside, she knew she could not grow attached to these hamsters. A few visits and then a slow fade-out would do...yeah.

"It can't hurt..." She said to herself, grinning the whole time she followed Panda.


They continued to run upriver, until they burst through a patch of bushes and found themselves facing the cheerful pair of Pashmina and Penelope. They caught sight of Siren and Panda, and quickly grasped the situation. "Panda! You found Siren!" Pashmina cheered, as Penelope began jumping up and down chanting, "Ookwee! Ookwee!"

Siren blushed and murmured another hello. Pashmina allowed herself to apologize profusely for the other day, Penelope chirping in agreement. The checkered picnic blanket was perfectly laid out, many individual namecards in a pile by a huge heap of sunflower seeds and other assorted goodies. "It looks great!" Siren marveled, never having seen a picnic before. She had heard of them, but, like a friend, she had never had one. Another new experience for her to add to her expanding list!

"I bet it'll taste even better!" Panda agreed, smiling, but then he turned to Pashmina, "Have any of the others come back yet?"

"Nope. Just you two. Say, how about you go and gather them up while Siren and Penelope help me out here?" Pashmina suggested to Panda. He immediately nodded, bade them farewell, and disappeared through the underbrush.

Pashmina took charge, sounding even more like an army official than Boss had earlier. "Okay, we need to sort sunflower seeds. Everyone here gets five, so Siren, please place them by five...Wha-yes, that's one paw-at each in place, enough to seat fourteen. Okay? Penelope and I will place five acorns at each spot," Siren nodded at this, ready to fulfill her part.

The girls worked diligently and soon, with much giggling, managed to organize the piles of treats correctly. Pashmina then said, "Now we're all going to decide who sits next to whom! Penelope and I love doing this, so we can pair up ham-hams we think make cute couples." She grinned as she picked up the little cardboard cards. Penelope jumped up and down with excitement. Siren looked confused.

"Okay..."

"Now, we of course need Hamtaro and Bijou, that's obvious..."

"Really?" Siren asked, warming up to her new pals. "Because from the moment I saw him looking at her it seemed to me that Boss liked her. I saw him staring at her with this goofy look on his face yesterday. Does Hamtaro like her too?" Siren wondered aloud.

"Yeah...sort of. We hope, at least. Boss does have an enormous crush on our French friend. But she has a huge crush on Hamtaro. The problem is, she won't make a move because we have no clue if he likes her back. It's so romantic! Don't tell her I told you though. It's a sensitive subject." Pashmina said with a dreamy look on her face. Siren and Penelope took the liberty to set out the names for her. Hamtaro: check. Bijou: check.

Pashmina, scarf blowing slightly in the breeze, surveyed what she had left. "Maxwell next to Hamtaro and Sandy on his other side. They've already declared they like each other! They're so in smoochie..." She informed Siren with a smile, and Penelope agreed with an, "Ookwee!" as she and Siren set out the namecards. It appeared as if Pashmina knew what she was doing. Sandy: check. Maxwell: check.

"Okay...now we're up to me. Bad." She said with a grimace, "Who to pick...Howdy, Dexter, or Stan...This is so hard! I don't want to make any feel bad, and Penelope will have to sit on my other side. That's the way it always is!"

Penelope chattered to Pashmina something Siren couldn't understand, and Pashmina's eyes brightened. "Okay, I'll do that!"

Siren watched with curiosity as Pashmina laid out three namecards. Stan, Dexter, and Howdy. She then closed her eyes, as Penelope began to rearrange them with her swift young paws. Siren observed that Pashmina was going to pick one randomly by pointing to the namecard. They were now all mixed up and it would be luck of the point to decide it.

"Ookwee!"

"Okay..." Pashmina inhaled sharply, as she pointed to the far left side. She opened one eye to see the lucky ham and grinned, obviously pleased with her choosing. Siren peered over her shoulder to have herself a look see. It was Dexter's name.

"That settles it, I'll sit next to Dexter and Penelope. Penelope, you be next to Sandy, then me, and then Dexter." She grinned. Pashmina: check. Dexter: check. Penelope: check.

After those namecards were appropriately in their places, Pashmina turned to Siren. Siren grew a tad nervous, as she had a feeling about what was coming. "Who do you want to sit next to?" Pashmina asked brightly, "You must think at least someone is cute." She finished, looking anxious to hear Siren's answer. Siren stared at the ground and fiddled with her paws, a nervous reaction.

"Gee...I don't think I've known any of the boys long enough..." She said weakly.

"How about Panda? He seemed to like you well enough."

Siren contemplated it, and then agreed. She wasn't a totally moronic hamster, and was quite aware of what smoochie and pookie were, though she could safely say she felt neither of those emotions for any of the boys she had just met. However, Panda seemed like he would make a fine friend, especially after the way his inspiring words had reached her and he had tried to valiantly to get her back into their social circle. Even though she still wasn't exactly sure what it was friends did, she had a feeling that if she did grow to be friends with this small troupe of hamsters, Panda would be one of the ones she would be closest to. He reminded her a lot of Screech, the older brother she so admired and hadn't seen in far too long.

"Um...sure..."

Soon, everything was set up, and the rest of the gang had arrived, trooping through the bushes, their eyes lighting up as soon as they each noticed their mission was truly accomplished, and Panda had informed them correctly.

"It is true!" Cappy exclaimed upon seeing the form of Siren, "You are back!"

The rest of the ham hams cheered as Siren turned another bright shade of pink, glad they were happy to see her again. Maybe having a few friends wasn't so bad...

"Welcome back Siren!" Boss said, clapping the female on the back with his massive paw, nearly causing her to topple over.

"Yeah, it's great to have you as a friend!"

"You're going to be a great addition to our Club!"

"Three cheers for Siren!"

"Hip-Hip-HAMHA!!!"

Siren smiled gratefully as chatter rang out. But soon enough, Pashmina's commanding voice was heard over the din as she announced, "And now we've prepared a special picnic lunch! We've placed out place settings, so find your seat guys!" Pashmina said, after every last ham had apologized and greeted Siren with warm, comforting smiles plastered on their faces.

There was a scramble to search for their names, and soon everyone was seated. Boss, next to Oxnard and Howdy, was steaming mad over the fact Hamtaro got to sit next to the lovely Bijou, while Howdy and Stan were disgruntled because Dexter got to sit next to Pashmina. Each of them was positive that someone was trying to sabotage their chances with the girl hams, and they began to talk amongst themselves, plotting for revenge. Dexter appeared to be on cloud nine, and Pashmina felt she didn't need to tell him she had picked randomly.

"Dig in!" Hamtaro crowed.

"I can't dig in, I ain't a mole! Get it, moles dig? Har har!"

The table groaned, but Siren appeared confused. "That was so immature Howdy. Can't you think up a good joke for once?" Dexter rolled his eyes, displeased with the behavior of the apron clad Howdy.

"Wait-I don't get it..." Siren tilted her head to one side, looking so genuinely confused that the entire group couldn't help but burst out into fits of laughter. "What?" Siren asked, looking around at all of her new friends, "Was it something I said?"

Everyone was laughing too hard to answer, even the joker himself, Howdy. Overcome with the situation, Siren laughed too, and decided that today was going to be a great day after all. That thought came and went through Siren's mind as the day progressed. The group was so busy chatting animatedly with each other they didn't notice the darkening gray clouds looming above them, threatening to rain.

It wasn't until Hamtaro smelled something familiar in the air, the uncanny smell of incoming moisture, did they sense the oncoming danger. The scent had grown stronger without them noticing. While everyone else talked, he looked up at the sky with wide brown eyes, seeing the monstrous storm clouds looming above them like a hovering disaster. They had grown and expanded across the sky while the hams sat and gotten lost in the fun, and now, they looked full to bursting with raindrops and possibly lightning and thunder.

"Uh...guys?"

Everyone stopped their conversations to peer at their orange furred leader. The worried look on his face was enough to give them chills. "What is wrong, Hamtaro?" Bijou drawled, forehead creased with worry.

"I smell rain."

Immediately all heads turned to the sky, sniffing the air with their sensitive, pink noses. Instantaneously, they all realized that Hamtaro was right, and time was now of the essence. The rain that had seemed so far away hours before had snuck up on them like an unwanted guest, only far more dangerous, especially for small rodents. They had to hurry, lest they get caught up in a potentially disastrous storm.

"Okay! Emergency pack up plan A!" Pashmina shouted as thunder boomed overhead, and the hamsters began to pile up sunflower seeds and throwing everything into as neat a pile they could manage under the circumstances, Siren looking utterly bewildered as she had no clue what pack up plan A was.

Soon the picnic was all packed up into the basket, which was now being carried by the strongest ham, Boss, so they could travel quicker. Large drops of rain were already plopping down into the river, wetting the grass, and one particularly strong droplet even sent Stan to his knees as it struck him on the back. The river that had seemed so calm only moments before was now rushing and gushing like rapids, furious and treacherous for even larger creatures. Fear seized the small group and they huddled close together, worried and shivering. This was not going to be a gentle summer shower. It felt much more severe, far more ominous and made each of them, especially the smaller ones, shiver in their fur.

"Run for cover!" Cappy shouted at the top of his lungs. Siren, a speedy hamster, quickly decided to bolt ahead, near the front of the group. They were a large furry mass, running alongside the river, desperate for escape.

And then the unthinkable happened.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKK!"

Siren saw Bijou's foot slip from under her and before she, or anyone else could react, Bijou tumbled headfirst into the churning, deathly depths. She went completely under for a few seconds, and then came up, spluttering and choking, a gleam of terror in her horrifically wide blue eyes. She was the perfect example of helplessness as she struggled against the current with all her might, like a cornered warrior striving to beat an insurmountable foe. Each of them knew that no hamster, not even the strongest, could emerge victorious from such a fight; and right now, time and furious waves were their nemesis.

"'Elp me! Please! 'Elp ,me!!!" Bijou screamed loudly, coughing up more water, flailing her paws wildly in the air as she was swept viciously downstream even further. The ham-hams had to sprint, leg muscles screaming, in order to keep up with her.

"Bijou!" Boss yelled in horror, all the ham-ham's fuzzy faces scared and shocked at the sight of one of their own in the clutches of watery terror. They all pounded downstream on determined paws, Hamtaro screaming above howling winds and the pouring rain, "We're coming Bijou!"

"Oh, Hamtaro! 'Urry! Please!!!"

He could barely see her now; she was just a speck of dazzling white, bobbing up and down in dark, foaming, hungry waves. As they ran farther and farther, keeping as close to Bijou as they could, with Hamtaro in the lead, the river mouth grew wider and wider, making Bijou harder and harder to keep in view. That only made the viliant leader push himself harder, his legs pumping and forearms pushing him forward swiftly, faster than he had ever run before. A brilliant, mixed gleam of defiance, panic, and steely determination was in his eyes.

"Bijou! Hold on! We're coming!"

Boss was not far behind him, having dropped the picnic basket some time ago, but even as the gruff ham's thoughts stayed mainly on Bijou, he couldn't help but notice Hamtaro was running the fastest of all of them, and by a good bit. Normally, Boss was the fastest of the ham-hams, but, somehow, Hamtaro was outdoing him, even as he ran his fastest. His eyes lingered on Hamtaro's back for a moment, confused, before he returned his gaze to the endangered Bijou, his concern for her overtaking his mind again.

Siren had been lurching around the front of the pack, confident they could rescue Bijou on their own, but now the situation was growing steadily more perilous and possibly even fatal. Things were getting severely out of paw, and Bijou looked like she was weakening as she flailed against her churning captor. A sense of knowing glinted in Siren's hazy azure eyes as she inconspicuously slowed her pace, so soon, she was lagging behind the rest of the ham-hams. She did not notice Maxwell peering back to see where she had gone as she slipped swiftly into a large clump of bushes and out of sight.

She had a job to do.


Meanwhile, with the rest of the dashing hamsters, Maxwell was staring at the clump of bushes that he had seen Siren disappear into. "What is she doing? Abandoning us?!?" Maxwell questioned angrily, as he turned to face the front again, keeping up with the group as they chased Bijou. He could hardly believe Siren had left them without helping a ham in need.

"Hurry Max!" Sandy called over her shoulder, concern flashing across her face. Maxwell sprinted harder to keep pace, his mind on Siren's sudden disappearance and apparent inability to help them in their time of need.

Bijou, still flailing miserably, managed to grab hold of a tree root jutting into the water. "Bijou!" Hamtaro called, concernedly. "Are you okay?"

"'Elp me 'Amtaro!" She squealed loudly, shivering from cold and fright as water splashed into her face, blue ribbons dripping and drenched pelt weighing her down. Hamtaro wracked his brain for what they could possibly do to save Bijou.

They had to save her. Hamtaro knew that no matter what, he had to rescue his friend, somehow, someway. He hated to think what would happen if her paw slipped off the root and she was swept farther and farther away from them. It was too traumatic to imagine...it made his adrenaline-pumped heart beat faster, and his determination soared.

"I've got it!" He hollered. "We'll make a ham-ham chain! Boss, grab my feet!" He scrambled onto the tree root as Boss grabbed his ankles. The chain continued, as Hamtaro gradually made his way closer to the whimpering Bijou. "Reach out your paw Bijou!" He shouted to her, in what he hoped was a comforting voice. "I'll get you, and we'll pull you in!"

"I cannot! I will fall!" She panicked, shutting her eyes as water lapped into her face yet again. Hamtaro and the chain of ham-hams could not continue much longer without tumbling over into the river depths, as the howling winds were pounding down upon them mercilessly and the waves were washing up on the bank.

"Bijou! Take my paw!"

She barely managed to grasp his paws, and he held on fiercely. Her paws were soaking wet, making it very difficult to maintain his grip. He could feel her shivering and sensed her panic, and looked at her with his focused brown gaze, saying in a quiet voice that he hoped would calm her and bring her strength, "Just hold on, Bijou. I won't let anything happen to you."

"Oh, 'Amtaro!" She whimpered, looking up at him with her wide blue eyes, which were now mixed with both admiration and fear. All of a sudden, her paws slipped from Hamtaro's grasp slightly, and the tug of the vicious waters intensified. Panic overtaking her slightly, she screamed, "I cannot 'old on much longer!"

Before Hamtaro could say more, Bijou's paw slipped totally from his, and she was sent tumbling downstream once again, plunging under the surface and resurfacing several inches away. He tried to leap in after her, horrified, but Boss's steady hold in his ankles prevented him from doing so.

"BIJOU!" Boss screamed overtop the rest's shouts, minus Hamtaro's equally as voluminous, "NOOOOOOOOO!"

And then it came, like a burst of hope cutting through the dreariness.

It came in a whirl of feathers and fur, slicked wet from the rain, but still as beautiful as if it had been dry. It's steely azure eyes were focused on the limp white form traveling quickly downstream, and absolutely nothing else. It lowered it's great, wolfish body down, and angled it's perfectly accurate wings so it's back paw was skimming the surface of the water, almost as if it was testing it's brutality. A ribbon-like tail streamed behind it like some kind of shimmering blue party favor. Great white fangs parted to show it's large, scarlet tongue, which contrasted sharply from it's snowy white fur and ragged, black markings on the regal face that looked very familiar.

"What is that?" Stan question, looking bewildered as the ham-ham chain disintegrated and they clustered at the riverbank to watch the scene unfold.

No one bothered to answer him, as they were watching, soon in pursuit of Bijou again, following the mysterious beast as it flew. It sped unwaveringly towards Bijou, who was on the verge of fainting. Just when it had about reached her helpless form, it plummeted into the water and they could barely see it's body under the surface until it was under their friend, just a dark shadow, that, to Bijou, looked extremely menacing. She had not seen the creature arrive, and was instantly terrified that she had landed into even more danger.

"Somezing's under me!" Bijou yelled, now wide awake, as her foot grazed the creature's head under the waves. Just then, it surged upwards, powerful wings breaking free from the water with one immense stroke. Tiny droplets of water radiated from it's great figure like bits of crystalline light, and it took to the skies. Bijou, now safe, stared at the beast that had rescued her, a mix of horror and unsurpassed awe in her eyes. She was now riding gently on the creature's back, above the trees, clutching to it's neck with both trembling arms.

"What is it?" All of the ham-hams queried simultaneously, some aloud, some under their breath. All eyes were on the majestic creature, and the soaking white hamster it had saved from certain demise.

The gang stared up at their rescued friend in amazement as she rode gently on the back of the animal, or creature, or whatever it was. The beast landed gracefully on the ground, a few feet from where the rest of the hamsters stood transfixed. Bijou slid off it's back and the creature faced her. It appeared to smile at her, though no one could really be sure, severe eyes softening as it peered into Bijou's awed face. She reached out a quivering paw to stroke it's fur, to feel the great beauty and fur coursing through it, but it rose into the air before she could touch it's soft pelt, wind generated from it's wings rustling their whiskers and tickling their noses.

"Woah!" Howdy cried.

The beast opened it's large mouth, flashing it's bright, ruby colored tongue, as it prepared to roar. The ham-hams braced themselves for a mighty cry, something that would most likely deafen them for a few seconds, but were shocked when no noise emanated from the beast's wide-open mouth, but only silence. A very haunting, powerful silence that seemed to make the air thick with it's awe-inspiring aura. The only indication it was even roaring was the fact the ground was shaking beneath their already shivering paws. Without warning, the rain lessened, thunder stopping dead in its tracks, and the winds desisted, which, in turn, made the churning river calm down and return to its normal state.

Whether it was just a coincidence or not, the ham-hams had no idea, but as the beast closed it's great mouth and the silent scream ended, the sun began to peek out from behind the bleak grey clouds that had held it captive, casting a bright, shimmering light across the wet grass and warming the ham-hams calmed faces.

The beast turned its face to the now glorious sky, framed in it's golden light for a moment, like a beacon. Without warning, it was gone in a flash of white, black, and blue, not even looking back at them as it disappeared from their sight even faster than it had come.

Silence settled again, though this pause was a silence fueled with amazement and packed with a haunting sense that they had just seen something that no hamster had ever seen before. "Wow..." Cappy said in awe, eyes still wide from the shock of what had taken place.

"Bijou, are you okay?" Sandy asked concernedly to her foreign friend. Bijou nodded, still staring at the sky with sparkling eyes, though the creature was long gone from their sight. She was still captivated from the experience. Boss, catching sight of her amazed face, flushed. She could have been looking at him that way if he had been faster...

"That was so cool! Bestest!" Oxnard shouted, throwing his seed into the air and then catching it.

"Oh, so Bijou almost drowning is cool, eh? Well funny boy, I'll teach you a lesson in cool!" Boss grabbed Oxnard by the scruff of the neck and bared his teeth, before Bijou intervened.

She said in a fierce reprimand, "Boss, stop it! Zis iz 'ardly ze time. Zat creature saved my life...and I 'aven't a clue what eet ees..." Boss reluctantly dropped a bewildered looking Oxnard, who scampered over whimeringly to his best hammo, Hamtaro, who still looked very concerned, though he had not approached Bijou yet to make sure she was alright.

Maxwell, always the smart, interested one of the bunch, said thoughtfully, "It wasn't any sort of animal I have ever seen before. More like a creature out of a fairy tale, a story, some sort of legend. Some to think of it, I do remember reading about a mystical creature in the Hamwall legends...I'll do some research tonight and find out. This could be a great discovery!" His eyes gleamed as he realized the potential of their mysterious encounter.

"Zat was zo scary! But...I wish I could 'ave 'ad ze chance to zank it..." Bijou sighed, staring forlornly up at the vast sky. That thing had saved her life, and she had not even muttered a single Thank-Q in return.

"Don't worry, Bijou baby. I'm sure it'll turn up again if any of us are in trouble. That is, only if I can't manage to be the hero..." Stan sidled up to Bijou under the keen eyes of his wrathful sister, who was still too awed to chastise him. But Bijou did not notice his advance. She only stared at the sky, hopefully, as if wishing for the creature to return.

However, the mood changed as soon as Howdy asked the fateful question.

"Where'd Siren get to?"

Everyone looked around for any signs of Siren, but she seemed to have vanished into thin air. Maxwell, knowing what he had seen only minutes before, tentatively said, "Uh, I think I saw her walk into some bushes back there as we were chasing after Bijou. She looked very upset about something or another. I would have thought she'd help us out..." He trailed off. He felt like such a tattle-tale, but knew the subject had to be brought up.

"Come to think of it, she did look depressed earlier when I found her..." Panda added.

But before any more speculation could arise, Siren came tumbling through the bushes, twigs and dirt ingrained in her once clean fur, looking throughroughly distraught. "Siren!" Pashmina exclaimed, while Penelope chipped in with a surprised, "Ookwee!"

Siren smiled weakly and got shakily to her feet, as though drained of energy. "What happened to you?" Sandy asked her. "Max said you slipped away into the bushes while we were chasing Bijou!"

Siren looked at them all extremely apologetically, and their suspicions lessened. "Sorry, guys, I was chasing Bijou with you guys when I heard this cry for help. Well, it sounded like one anyways. Without thinking I walked into some bushes and turns out it was a cat meowing. Talk about Gasp-P! I only just got away!" She professed. "I'm so sorry, everyone! I should have helped save Bijou!"

"Well, that explains everything!" Boss said, satisfied with her explanation.

Bijou immediately launched into rehashing the story of her rescue, describing the creature in vivid detail to Siren, who listened with a small, prim smile. Only Panda seemed wary. He spotted a dark look flit across Siren's features as Bijou explained her savior. A look filled with mystery and secrecy, and that always present hint of sadness. He decided to keep an eye on her, make sure there wasn't something about her that they should know. However, Maxwell then spoke up, stepping forward to regard Siren.

"Siren, you mentioned reading about the legends of Hamwall yesterday. Do you feel that beast could have anything to do with them? I seem to recall reading a legend about a fascinating creature similar to the thing we saw today, but I could be mistaken..."

"No!" Siren answered quickly. Too quickly.

Seeing everyone's rather surprised faces, she added hastily, "I mean, how could it? That would be way too much of a coincidence. And besides, Hamwall is miles from here! What are the chances? It could, but that would sure be a bizaroo coincidence!" She chuckled uneasily, hoping she sounded calmer than she felt.

Again, everybody seemed to accept their new friend's answer. Maxwell looked a bit wary, but he too smiled at Siren and pretended he was happy. Siren didn't notice his animosity, or Panda's eyes burning holes in the side of her head. Panda sensed the same thing Maxwell had. Siren's eagerness to divert attention towards anything but Hamwall; it was unsettling.

"Alright, let's get back to the Clubhouse before the rain starts up again!" Hamtaro cheered, still shaken inside.

As they ran, Bijou fell into step with Hamtaro. "Hamtaro, it waz very brave of you to try and safe me. I appreciate it."

Her face glowed red, but Hamtaro, who had the romantic capacity of a leaf, merely smiled and said, "We all helped out, Bijou! As long as you're safe!"

In truth, he was immensely relieved she was unharmed, albeit a little soggy. Seeing her, so helpless, had sent his heart racing like it never had before, and he was only just beginning to recover. The entire situation had made him so uneasy, so panicky, and he couldn't recall a time where he had felt that...extremely before. It made him feel strange...and he wasn't even sure why.

Bijou accepted this, and couldn't help but feel she had made a little bit of progress.


They continued their trek back home in relative silence. Unbeknownst to them, a pair of ruby colored eyes was watching their every move with a zealous eagerness.

"So...the Chosen One has made friends...Well, she won't have them for long..."


They reached the Clubhouse without any more troubles. Considering there was still plenty of time left in the day, Cappy suggested a friendly game of hide and seek. After thoroughly explaining the rules to Siren, whom had never played, Sandy volunteered to be 'it'. She covered her eyes with her paws and began the slow, daunting countdown.

"Ten..."

Maxwell dove under the table, Panda and Cappy joining him.

"Nine..."

Hamtaro hid behind a beaureau, stealing the exact spot Howdy was going to hide. He instead ducked behind Boss's armchair with Penelope at his side. Dexter hid under a blanket, hoping to be mistaken for something else.

"Eight..."

Pashmina found her hiding spot behind a large potted plant. Bijou dove into a pile of hay stored in case Boss got cold in the winter's harsh cold, and Stan hid in the basket attached to a pulley that wheeled above the entire clubhouse.

"Seven...Six..."

Boss and Siren exchanged a look. Neither knew where to hide, as all of the half decent spots had already been taken.

"Five...four...three..."

Boss dove into his room, closing the door carefully. Siren, hoping it wasn't too obvious, pulled the shade off a large lamp and ducked under it. Her face burned with embarrassment. She knew she would be easily found out. Lamps normally didn't resemble hamsters.

"Two...One! Ready or not, like, here I come!"

Siren tensed up, freezing in place, hoping she was blending in with the scene around her. Sandy was now searching for them; Siren could hear her padded footsteps.

Soon she heard Sandy's triumphant outcry of, "Aha! Like, I found you guys! It was so obvious!" Then she heard Maxwell, Panda's and Cappy's cries of defeat as they sat on a trio of stools, awaiting the next round.

She heard the pitter patter of Sandy's feet, softly treading over to the armchair. Penelope's squeals and Howdy's raucous laughter assured Siren they had been found.

"Why hasn't she seen me yet?" Siren asked, incredulous. She was hiding under the lampshade! Lamps did not normally resemble ham-hams!

"Now I like, have!"

Sandy pulled the lamp shade off Siren's head, giggling. Siren realized instantly she had given herself away, and inwardly cursed. Sandy patted her on the back and said, "Like, nice place. It took me a little while to like, catch on. And next time, try not to talk to yourself during the game. It'll be like, so easy to find you."

Siren smiled appreciatively, taking a stool next to a disgruntled Cappy, still angered by the fact he had been found. They watched as Sandy found all of the ham-hams, save for Hamtaro. As soon as the final ham besides him, Stan, had been found, Hamtaro leapt out, cheering jovially, "I won!! YEA!!! Who's the ham!? Hamtaro! That's right!"

"Good job Hamtaro!" Boss congratulated, slapping the younger hamster on the back, almost toppling him over. "Now you're 'it.'"

"Aw, cats...I forgot about that part."

This brought laughter, which felt like a welcome spirit raiser after the frightening incident at the river. It appeared as if the ham-hams were forgetting already the face of the beast that had come miraculously to the rescue of a stranded ham-ham in dire trouble. And Siren thought that was for the best, if they forgot. They were better off not looking into the matter. Otherwise, only bad things would come of it...that she was sure of.


"Alright hams, time for you all to be headed home! Laura, Kana, Maria, and all your owners will begin to worry if they find your cages empty!" Boss announced, after several more rounds of extremeyl competitive hide-and-seek.

Hamtaro, smiling, for he had been the victor more than anyone, said dejectedly, "Aw. I was just getting into it too. Oh well, see you tomorrow hams!" He dashed out the door, Bijou and Oxnard in tow, as they all lived in the general vicinity of one another and could walk together.

Soon, only Siren and Boss, as well as Snoozer, remained. "Do you have an owner, Siren?" Boss asked, wondering if some lonely human had taken her in.

"No...free as a bird."

"Do you need a place to stay?"

"Naw, I'll be fine in the great outdoors. I'm used to it," She smiled cheerily, but there was a nervous twitch to her lopsided grin that the older ham failed to notice.

Boss smiled, and asked warily, one eye narrowed, "You're coming back tomorrow, right? Not going to pull a Ham-Houdini on us and disappear again, are you?"

Siren smiled, one paw holding the door ajar. A day ago, she would have never come back in the first place, and would have probably hit the road again by now. Especially now that the ham-hams had seen the majestic beast, and knew more about Hamwall than most hams ever did. Things had taken a dangerous turn, but she was not ready to relinquish her new position with these hamsters. For now, she had changed her mind about the whole 'meeting others' idea...for now.

"...I'll come back tomorrow. You can count on that!" And she left, scampering up the tunnel and into the dark blanket of night.

"She's a good ham..." Boss muttered, after she was gone from sight. "A bit peculiar, but hey, aren't we all?"

"Zu...zu...you can never be too careful...zu...zu..." Snoozer warned from his corner of the room, eyes closed and snoring slightly. Boss ignored him as he walked off to his room to do some cleaning.

Siren found solace in the same oak tree she had been that afternoon, the damp bark almost comforting in the warm summer night. The leaves, too, were wet from the rain, but she did not mind as a few droplets of dew tickled her nose. The only thing that mattered now was that she had these...friends... people to rely on. What had she been afraid of all this time?

As long as they don't figure you out Siren...Her inner voice told her softly.

Siren yawned as sleep overtook her.

Even if it's only for just a little while...


There you have it! Chapter dos! Hope you all liked it!

What's up next?: Siren returns to the Clubhouse, willing to try and make friends, but she gets a nasty surprise when she arrives. Can she stop the ham-hams from pursuing information about the Guardian and Hamwall? Plus, you find out why you should never let Stan plan things. And finally, the humans make an appearance, but when Laura runs into Travis in town, will it be a pleasant encounter or a heartbreaker?

Find out...in chapter 3! Hopefully I'll have it up soon. It needs editing bad, but it shouldn't take too long. Until then!

Read and Review please! Constructive criticism is welcome.