The night was quiet. The night was never quiet, or was never supposed to be. There was supposed to be a constant background hum of crickets, and scuffles in the undergrowth as the nocturnal dwellers of the forest came out to play in the dark. The hoot of owls, the squeak of a rat, the chorused croaking of frogs on the creek banks.

No, there was only silence. A blanket of deafness that covered the land. A blanket that had been thrown over Moonhaven ever since the Boggans moved in.

Savidicus shook his head. He was getting soft in his old age. The cold, harsh brute was becoming sentimental and doubtful all because he couldn't hear the crickets! The masses would never stop laughing at the thought, should they become aware of it. Not that he'd ever admit these pitiful musings.

Yet he couldn't deny the uneasiness that crawled at the back his mind, dormant but stirring. It had started ever since the day they took the territory that had been denied to them ever since the beginning of this eternal war, if it even had a beginning. Why, though? He was a Boggan, this is what he does! It's only natural for him to use the Rot to kill the life and to spread like a disease. His kind had been living in the dirt for too long while these fat-cat Leafmen and their Queen prospered! Why did these questions plagued him?

It was his turn to patrol the palace perimeter and make sure the sentries weren't sleeping on the watch tonight. The walk did him good to direct his energy away from his warring mind. It also gave him some time to think about his struggling; he barely had time to sleep. Savidicus hid that fact of course, for he must never show weakness unless a would-be usurper may feel emboldened to try and steal his rank. Still, a full night's rest would be welcomed, but to obtain that, he had to find a peace of mind and banish these troubling thoughts.

As he strolled quietly through the shadows (he didn't want the sentries to hear him, lest they wake up and pretend to be doing there jobs), avoiding the patches of moonlight, he thought back over the course of the day. It wasn't often he got an audience with Lord Batlash. He was not that high on the food chain, but his rank did allow him to attend private briefings and war councils. Yet he hardly was able to show up due to a never-ending stream of missions. Reconnaissances, solo spying, patrolling, secret courier errands. When one job was done, another would appear on his plate, and he'd be off again. He hardly had time for home, for rest, and absolutely no time for his mate. She probably had forgotten about him by now.

No, don't think about her. Damn, his train of thought was confounding tonight! But why all the constant missions? It hasn't gotten him any deserving promotions. Even the high and mighty Batlash should have noticed all his hard work by now.

Batlash. That was another mystery. Little is known about him, his family, what he was before he came to power. Nobody had asked because the Boggans had been in such a pathetic state. There great King had been defeated and killed, his son right before him, and no one to carry on the bloodline and inherit the throne. They couldn't even recover Mandrake's body. Then along came this strong, young Boggan, energetic in his speech and fighting prowess, much like Mandrake had been. The lost, leaderless generals ate up his words like sweet cake, desiring a new ruler instead of a civil war. And how swiftly that new leader gained the trust of the hordes. Suspiciously swiftly. They didn't even question the mask.

Savidicus shook his head in disgust at the thought. He pitied his fellow Boggans, that most are too narrow-minded on the battlefield to question their commanders and leaders. It was why Boggans like himself were highly desired and promoted. Well, he should be getting promotions. Batlash was the one handing him all this work! It was like the Boggan Lord didn't want him around at home.

Savidicus's feet were guiding him now, his mind a million miles away. He knew the route well enough. He nearly walked right into the lone Boggan guard leaning on his spear, snoozing quietly on his feet. Oh, yes, he had a job to do. He could take his inner fury out on this hapless sentry, who should have been awake anyway.

Savidicus merrily lifted his foot and kicked the spear away. The Boggan using it as support promptly fell flat on his face, yelping in surprised pain as he was violently awaken. Savidicus just stood there, back straight and yellow eyes narrowed in menacing anger, as the sentry rubbed his pointy nose and looked up to meet his officer's glare with his own quivering eyes.

The sentry froze but Savidicus remained silent, making the Boggan's fear rise. The guard got to his feet quickly and straightened himself, out grabbing his spear and saluting, keeping his eyes downcast. "I'm sorry, sir! It won't happen again!"

"Of course it won't," the older Boggan replied softly. "Because I'll kill you first."

The Boggan audibly gulped. Savidicus turned his glare away to stare off into the darkness, knowing when enough was enough. The sentry was young, barely out of his juveniles. It's not like the senior Boggan could pretend he had never fallen asleep during the long hours of the watch.

The Boggan was about to walk away to return to his inner turmoil and check on the other sentries when, unexpectedly, the young Boggan guard broke the silence.

"It's unnaturally quiet tonight, isn't it sir?"

Savidicus had to keep himself from raising a silent brow, not just because the sentry was addressing him after a severe reprimand, but also because he was echoing the Captain's own thoughts. "Yes, it is," he replied evenly.

For some reason, the Boggan kept talking. "It don't feel right, sir. Like somethin's wrong. I miss the crickets."

"Soft talk, soldier," Savidicus growled. "You best not share these thoughts with your comrades."

A bitter smirk crossed the young sentry's lips. "Can't share my thoughts with nobody, sir."

Savidicus froze.

"I hate it, Pa. The oppression of the mouth and mind. Why can't I speak freely? Are not my words mine to use? I can't share my thoughts with anybody. Except you. But you don't even want to hear me out, do you? You're a stubborn old man, set in your ways."

"Keep alert," he all but snapped at the younger Boggan. "And don't let me catch you dozing again!"

With dignified haste, Savidicus stalked away, continuing his route and leaving behind the memory of that day. The day Batlash had sauntered into the war room and persuaded his way to power; a day that was joyful for the Boggan race. A day that left him and his mate in sorrow; the day their son had disappeared.

Why couldn't he troop past that grief? He kept it locked as deeply as he could, but it always snaked out of its vault and gripped him, paining him in the chest, making his feet stumble, and throat close up. It was only practiced dominance that kept him in his stance, kept him from psychically crumbling.

Savidicus picked up his pace, wanting to reach the next sentry, who was hopefully asleep and giving him a good excuse to beat the shit out of him. He had been too light with the last one, who he now blamed for opening the old wounds.

Like he had wanted, the next sentry was dozing. Honestly, this was getting ridiculous! Did the other captains turn a blind eye and let the soldiers develop theses bad habits? He made a note to interrogate each and every one of the Boggans of his rank, and teach them a lesson about lax authority.

This guard was posted on a forked path, the left continuing on to Moonhaven's main entrance and the right winding away to circle the perimeter. He must have thought he was lucky to be posted at such an obscure spot, where his superiors rarely walked and could not see him. Too bad for him, Savidicus liked the less frequented paths.

Much like he'd awaken the previous idiot, the Boggan kicked at the sentry, knocking him down with a pained groan. Savidicus opened his mouth for a sarcastic comment that severely affect the Boggan's self-worth, but then closed it, slightly confused. The sentry hadn't woken up; he barely responded to the rude wake-up call.

Frowning, Savidicus kicked him again, not hard enough to cause bruises, but not too gently either. Nothing. The Boggan knelt down, checking the guard's pulse. Strong and steady; so why wasn't he rousing?

The sharp yellow eyes scanned the prone body, until they alighted upon something that shouldn't be there. A small, thin dart stuck delicately out of the Boggan's skin on his neck, tiny white feathers decorating its shaft. Savidicus plucked it out, sniffing the pointed end, but there was no scent. Well, he could rule out poison or otherwise the sentry would be dead. A simple sleep dart then.

It was probably those kids again, the ones running around trying to play heroes and save a land that had already succumbed the Rot. They were once again trying to infiltrate Moonhaven, most likely to rescue the boy they captured that morning or maybe even the ex-General.

Savidicus stood and glanced back up to the main entrance. Nothing stirred and the four sentries flanking each side of the entrance were alert and watchful. No matter how many guards succumbed to sleep at their posts, those four positions were always wide awake and ready. It be humiliating to be sleeping and leaving the front door wide open for anyone to walk through.

That meant that the fugitives had to have taken the right turn at the fork. But that path only lead to the Moon chamber.

Savidicus loosened his javelin in its sheath and set off down the trail, keeping to the shadows. It crossed his mind to alert the nearest Boggan of intruders but he dismissed it. That would only spook them, and the chamber was outside of the stone stronghold with plenty of shadows to hide in and easy access to the surrounding trees. To tell Batlash would only result in their prey slipping through their fingers (again), and Savidicus was done playing hide-and-seek with children.

He would take care of this himself.

There was a faint swish in the still air. A tiny, needle-like projectile hit its target perfectly. The Boggan guard grunted in irritation and brought a hand up to tear out the offending object from his neck. His fingers barely brushed the feathered shaft before they weren't responding to his commands and his knees gave out beneath him. With a dull thud in the dirt, the Boggan had collapsed into unconsciousness.

Lex silently congratulated herself as she stepped out from behind the rock she was using as a hiding spot, her dark green cloak hiding the brightness of her armor. She still had her aim. Hefting the hastily-crafted blowpipe from the cattails of the creek they had taken refuge by, she flitted up the trail on nimble soundless feet, freezing like a deer when a sentry's line of vision swung her way. Two more darts and sleeping guards later, and she had cleared a path to the Moon chamber.

At the top, she turned and mimicked the soft hoot of a barn owl. A return hoot echoed hers. Lex casually nocked an arrow to her bow and scanned the vast room of the Moon chamber. The circular space used to be sheltered by tall, beautiful white calla lilies, that glowed like earthly stars when the full moon's light rimmed their white petals. The flowers still stood but as shells of what they once were, now just gray, broken stalks that could fall over if you breathed too hard on them. It opened the room more to the sky and vanquished most of the shadows. Not good if her friends were going to hide here for the time being.

Lex's sharp ears caught the sound of soft leather boots scuffing the rock. She turned and greeted her friends with a smile as they approached her, wearing dark green, hooded cloaks over their Leafmen armor, minus M.K. and Jason. It was only appropriate that they complete the mission in their proud uniforms.

"Good job," Ross said approvingly.

Her heart rate bucked up a little at his praise, and she was grateful for the hood that hid her blush. "My pleasure."

"So it is still here," M.K. breathed out in small wonder. The others followed her gaze.

The pod floated serenely in its stone basin in the center of the chamber, the water a clear, liquid silver. The pink and white petals bloomed fully and the leaves were a healthy green. M.K. brushed her fingers over the water's surface, sending out dancing ripples. A small, green vine came from the water and wrapped gently around her finger.

The red-haired girl laughed softly. "So you still remember me?"

"M.K." Thryn spoke out evenly.

"You don't need to remind me," she replied, easing her finger from the vine which retreated back into the water. M.K.'s sharp green eyes scanned her friends' faces, almost gleaming in the moonlight. "So who's coming with me to find Nod?"

The conviction in her tone warranted no room for argument. Nobody challenged her for it. Ross rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Stealth isn't really my strong suit."

"I could have said that for you, buddy," Mason grinned slyly. "If it was too painful for you to admit."

"I'll stay with Ross," Lex added quickly.

Mason's smirk grew wider. "Well, in that case, I better stay behind too. Somebody needs to supervise these two love birds."

Thryn snorted. "Mason, can you be serious for once? I'm going with you M.K. I'm good at stealth and my katanas work well in tight spaces. Besides, you need someone who knows the layout."

"I'll come to," Jason joined in.

"Then, let's go," M.K. finished, impatient to get started. The longer they lingered, the higher the chance of being discovered too early.

Thryn led the way. There was a small, partially hidden door at the back of the chamber. Used for emergencies as a quick getaway if there was ever an attack on the Queen during a Moon ceremony (there have been so many in history, last year's was one of the more major ones). It was locked but Thryn had been expecting this. Small, metal tools flashed out of her sleeves, inserted into the locks, jangled with the tumblers, and were quickly hidden away again as the door clicked open. M.K. raised an eyebrow: detailed maps of secure strongholds, lock picks, and ninja stealth? She came to realize the exact profession in which Thryn was trained for.

M.K. wanted to ask but now was not the time. The lithe Leafwoman had already gone ahead and led them into the darkness that had consumed the inside of Moonhaven.

"No...we can't."

He had to fight to stay conscious. Speaking was almost beyond him, but he forced himself to get the message across.

Wanikiy was already lumbering down the hall, probably making enough noise with his stone feet to wake the dead. Instead of ignoring Nod though, he inquired, "What do you mean?"

"Ronin...have to...free..."

"There's no time," the stone dragon replied gently but firmly. "You are on the verge of slipping into a coma. There are too many Boggans between here and the strong rooms. We can't let them realize you're free or we'll be overwhelmed."

Nod wanted to scream in frustration. In his mind, he knew the gnome was right and wise is his decision. His heart said otherwise. To top it off, he couldn't act upon his heart in this state. Afterwards, then. Ronin will once again have to wait. Afterwards.

"I'm sorry, Nod." Wanikiy mistook his silence for despair, when Nod really was trying to conserve what was left of his willpower by not talking. "If things were different, I would attempt a rescue. This Ronin sounds like an honorable man."

The boy could only hum in agreement. His eyes were so heavy with fatigue, it was all he could do to resist the strong urge to close them and sleep. Feeling was still returning to him, the rose doing an efficient job off fighting the toxin coursing through his system. However, it seem to come with the price of even more energy being paid to the flower. How much more could he give before the very blood in his veins ceased moving?

They were such a terrible disadvantage. If it came to a fight, Wanikiy was the only one capable, and as powerful as he was, he was limited to protecting Nod.

"Do not worry," came the stone dragon's voice, but it sounded far away. "They did not imprison you far. They wanted you close to the Moon chamber for when they planted the rose. If we are lucky, we'll be there in less than five minutes. Just hang on a little longer."

Nod wasn't sure he'd last that long.

For some reason, Wanikiy froze and tensed. Nod's vision was darkening, his eyelids halfway closed, but he could still hear the grunts of Boggans. Were they discovered? Then there was a thud, something heavy landing on the ground. It was fight, a quick one by the quiet that followed. Light footsteps made their way toward them.

"How glad I am that you found us."

"Wanikiy! Where did you come from? What happened to you?"

"A long story, Jason. One that will have to wait until Nod's rose fulfills its purpose."

"Nod! Thank God..."

A soft hand brushed against his cheeks and he managed a small smile at the sound and touch of M.K. He opened his mouth to tell her the words that have been sitting on his heart for a long time now, but what came out was less than a whisper.

The failed attempt to speak alarmed M.K. "What's wrong with him?"

"He was paralyzed by Madam Belladonna. The rose is fighting the poison, but he's weakening rapidly. We need to get him to the Moon chamber, now."

"We already have that room secure. M.K. figured it all out. I'll scout ahead, you guys just keep him awake." Nod inwardly rejoiced; Thryn was here, as steady as Ronin. They had all come for him.

Yet another wave of exhaustion washed over him, threatening to pull him under. The blackness enticed him into oblivion, into a rest that would be deepest he would ever have again. Though he could barely feel it against his numb forehead, M.K.'s gentle touch was all he concentrated on, the strong, soft fingers brushing away his bangs and cooling his skin. The only thing that was his anchor to lucidness.

He had no concept of passing time, but when he felt Wanikiy's stone body shifting, he instinctively knew that they had reached their destination. Hands grabbed his arms, another pair wrapped around his shoulders and they gently eased him off the dragon's back. He could tell from the callouses and size that the hands belonged to Ross and Mason. Nod tried to get his feet under him so that he could at least attempt to walk, but he could barely twitch a toe at this point.

They dragged him until his fingers brushed against a smooth, polished surface. The basin that held the pod. With relief and salvation literally at his fingertips, Nod forced his eyes open and tried to steady himself. A slim arm wrapped around his middle to keep him upright and he didn't have to look to know it was M.K. Ross and Mason backed away, sensing their friend's need to finish this himself.

Just keeping himself hunched over the basin had him panting but he clung to consciousness with tenacity. With a reassuring smile, M.K. pushed back her sleeve and slipped her hand into the serene, moon-lit pool. A green, slender root wrapped around her hand in response. She guided his rose to the pod's root. All was silent as their attention was riveted to the plants' interaction, waiting of tether hooks for something to happen.

Several things happened at once.

The rose stirred from its docile position on Nod's arm, its stem bristling with unsheathed thorns, large green leaves flaring.

The pod did not shrink away in fear of the hostile behavior. Several green vines shot from the pool and wrapped around the rose.

Even though Nod was near death, the unexpected agony of the roots extracting themselves from his muscles after being embedded within them for weeks tore a pained cry from him, but M.K. kept his arm still as the process was underway, a wary eye on the behavior of the flowers.

Most suddenly, Wanikiy twisted as quick as a snake, letting loose an earthly, guttural growl and flaring out a stone wing, deflecting the javelin that would have impaled Jason's back.

The other young warriors unsheathed their weapons when they became aware of the enemy behind them, only detected because of the gnome's spiritual power of feeling vibrations through the earth, much like Patamon could feel them in the air. Lex, Jason, and Thryn recognized the Boggan from the that very morning, the one that stood by Batlash.

Savidicus had wisely backed away from Wanikiy's reach. Thryn pressed the advantage and leaped at him with her katanas. The Boggan blocked her with the shaft of his weapon but didn't take the offense.

M.K. and Nod could care less of what was happening outside of the rose's extraction. The thorny flower was not thrashing in the pod's grip like they expected but seem to be submitting to it. Nod clenched down on a pained moan that wanted to escape his throat, watching with morbid fascination as the roots slithered from his skin.

Finally, the white tips of the roots' ends surfaced, brushing lightly against the young man's hot skin like a final goodbye. Both plants stilled, the rose now only held up in the grasp of the pod.

At the same time, Lex finished the fight between Savidicus and Thryn. Realizing that the Boggan was only stalling until reinforcements arrived, the grasshopper girl lifted her blowpipe to her lips and sent a quick sleep dart into the enemy's neck. Savidicus was quick to pull it out but the distraction was enough for Thryn to slam the pommel of her right sword into his temple. The Boggan fell to the ground, out cold.

Nod and M.K. simultaneously let out a lengthy breath they had no idea they were holding. As if the rose's absence finally returned Nod's body to some sort of semblance, he was able to keep himself up and stare at the two plants with weary relief. At last. It was over.

But as the seconds of silence stretched on, he began to think he was celebrating to soon. The pod and rose stood frozen. Was that it? Nod was no longer in danger of dying (from the rose at least), but what about this power that was supposed to save them all (or even doom them all)?

A thin wisp of cloud was whisked away from the face of the moon, the light spilling down as it had reached its apex.

The pod's petals flared its entire width as the moonlight directly hit it. The rose's roots began to thicken and lengthen. In alarm, the two teenagers backed away, enraptured by what unfolded before them.

The roots continued to grow until the were thicker than legs and draping across the floor. Then, with snake-like movement, they thrusted themselves into the rock of the pod's basin. Loud cracks echoed through the chamber as the roots burrowed through the rocks like it was soft, rich soil. At the same time, the stem also lengthen and thickened, twice as much as the roots. It bulged upward, reaching for the moon as the leaves expanded, spreading into an expansive, green surface. The thorns bit out of the stem like teeth, growing sharp and lethal. The green-encased bud just grew bigger, its girth widening from its center, upturned to the sky.

By now the roots were deep in the stone, permanently rooted next to the pod. The entire rose towered over them, almost the exact size of the garden roses that had attacked them. Instead of going straight up, the stem encircled the basin in a spiral, most of its thorns pointed out, a prickly cage protecting the pod. Nod's wide eyes traveled to the bud, crowning it, waiting for it to open.

Come on, he silently encouraged. Something told him that once the flower bloomed to its full potential, everything they had fought for will be worth it.

Nothing happened.

Jason was the first to break the bated silence. "Did it work?"

"To an extent," Lord Batlash declared from the main entrance of the Moon chamber. "But even after all these years, Marise will not forgive Jori. I believe the rose is on the verge of rejecting the pure magic inside it."

hmm, well that happened.

gotta say i suck at keeping my promises of updating as soon as i can, don't i? as much as want to finish this story, the next chapter will have to take the back burner for a bit. im getting swamped with college papers that need my attention. we're past the midpoint and i cant let my grades drop too drastically before finals. ugh, the one field of writing i loath...

but hey, you can definitely expect this story to be complete before the new year, heck maybe i'll be able to wrap it up before november is even over. we'll see, just hang on with me a little longer!

R&R and happy november!

~ FishInAFadora