Fwew, where to even begin!
I know it's been ages since I've posted anything here, I apologize with all my soul! A lot has changed in my life over the last couple years and it's been a bit of a roller coaster! For all the Monster Rancher fans out there who still support the Monster Rancher community, thank you so much for your dedication and for keeping the fandom alive! I'll do my best to get back into writing regularly, although I'm very rusty so I apologize in advance! This should only be about 6 or so chapters.
I owe a very special thanks to ripitupgenki, who has been an anchor in my chaotic life and has continuously supported me through all the crazy times I've been having over the past several years!
This takes place after the episode "The Sand Assassin, Renocraft" and right after the start of "Magic Stone Mayhem".
Festival of Fire
Chapter 1: Origin – Sparks
Birds flew off in various directions as a group of weary travelers tore through dense brush and pointed thorns to navigate their way out of the endless-feeling forest they were trudging through. The air was thick with humidity and the ground was saturated from the relentless jungle environment, making the trek through the mud further slow the group's progress. The change from the hot desert where the sand-dwelling Renocraft had resided was at first inviting, but the attitude of the group changed quickly. What started as a refreshing forest brimming with vibrant apple trees and cool shade had quickly turned into a miserable muggy jungle, one in which none of the seven travelers were enjoying.
A yellow eyeball monster flailed his large tongue around in a useless attempt to stop the swarm of mosquitos that was also plaguing the travelers. Without the use of two hands to crush the insects, however, his tongue only proved to blow them away temporarily before they would swiftly fly back over for more torment.
"So many mosquitos… How can there be this many of them?! It's like every time I open my eye, another one just flies right in it!"
"Mocchi hungry, chi…"
"And then they start to bite it. Have you ever gotten a mosquito bite in the eye?! It's the worst!"
"…hungry, chi."
"My eye is literally swelling up and –"
"Enough complaining!"
The travelers stopped in their tracks to turn to the only quadrupedal member of their group. A blue and white wolf-looking monster growled with irritation while baring his fangs slightly. Mud matted his once clean coat of fur and burrs were buried in his mane. Several stringy green vines hung from the horns adorning his head from where he had used them to cut through the jungle vegetation, but they had gotten tangled in the process.
"Everyone here is annoyed with the bugs and everyone is hungry! We don't need you two constantly complaining about it!" the wolf monster snarled aggressively.
"Hey! I have a right to say whatever I want! You're not my boss, Tiger!" the yellow eyeball monster snapped back defensively, a little part of him knowing his complaining would most likely eventually lead to an argument with someone from the group.
"I may not be your boss, Suezo, but I'll be your persecutor!" Tiger stated with a snarl.
"Y-you don't s-scare me! Not at all!" Suezo stuttered weakly in response as a bead of sweat formed on his forehead and rolled down to the base of his chin.
"So you want to tempt fate, eyeball?"
"Well, I mean, there's no need to get hasty…" Another bead of sweat rolled down the eyeball monster's face followed by a nervous chuckle as Tiger took a firm step closer to him.
"Come on, guys. Now's not the time to fight each other!"
Before the argument could escalate, the human boy of the group stepped between the two monsters and gave them both a disapproving look. His messy brown hair fell in front of his eyes more so than usual from the humidity, even with the orange baseball cap on his head keeping the rest in place. His white shirt and brown shorts were patched with grime while his leather boots were caked in mud. Gray eyes looked down intensely at the two feuding monsters; a look of fatigue reflecting back at his two friends.
"The more we fight, the more time we'll be stuck in this jungle with all the bugs and stuff!" Genki stated with a frown while folding his arms over his chest in disapproval.
"I agree with Genki. It's going to get dark soon and if we don't hurry, we may be stuck camping out here. Imagine how much worse it'll get at night?"
The voice of reason came from the human girl of the group, who had taken a step forward to stand next to Genki. Her brown hair was matted with leaves and twigs, leaving parts of her hair that was usually held back in a ponytail now free to flow. Her usual maroon vest had been stored away due to it continuously catching on briars and her red shirt was completely covered in debris. Mud covered her brown pants and scuffed boots, although she had long since stopped noticing her disarrayed look. Even with all the dirt, the jeweled dagger strapped to her side still sparkled with what little light was left in the sky.
"But Holly! He started it!" Suezo pouted, feeling especially defensive since Holly had also stepped in.
"It doesn't matter who started it, it's time to end it. Stop acting like children," a rabbit monster piped up from the back of the group while wiping off some stray dirt from the red bandana fastened around his neck.
"You're one to talk, Hare! You're one of the biggest instigators I've ever met!" Tiger retorted with a scowl.
"Only when it's warranted," Hare replied with a playful smile.
"Fighting is… never warranted… We should… get along…" Golem, the large rock titan of their group, towered over the travelers with a look of concern.
"Yeah, listen to Golem. We shouldn't be fighting with each other. Let's just try to get to a town as soon as possible," Genki said with a tired sigh, the mostly energetic boy weary for once.
"Yeah, chi! A town would have food, chi!" A pink penguin-like monster with a green shell on his back hugged onto Genki's leg and looked over at Holly with hope-filled eyes.
"We'll do our best, Mocchi. Just hang in there, okay?" Holly replied with a soft smile. It had been a long day of marching through the jungle and the mere thought of having a warm meal sounded heavenly. With a smile directed at Mocchi, Holly pulled out a shimmering green pendant from beneath her shirt and closed her eyes in concentration. The group didn't know where the Magic Stone, the group's main guide on their journey, was leading them anymore. They still would follow its guidance no matter what, though.
Before Holly could consult the Magic Stone, however, a loud explosion followed by a large burst of light filled the sky, startling the Searchers and causing them to quickly jump into battle stances. As the light died down, the sound of screaming suddenly filled the dusk air before silence overtook the area once more.
"What in the world was that?!" Suezo exclaimed while trying to search the immediate area with his extraordinary eyesight, but to no avail.
"I don't know, but it sounds like someone's in trouble! Come on, let's go!" Genki shouted while strapping on his roller blades and taking off towards the sound. The mud, however, quickly mucked up the wheels on the rollerblades, causing Genki to fall face first in to the ground.
"Genki!" Holly was quick to rush to the boy's side, leaving the rest of the group to look at their leader with embarrassment.
"The ground is muddy, you idiot!" Suezo barked.
"That boy has no common sense…" Hare said with a 'tsk tsk'.
"Shut up, you guys!" Genki scowled with an embarrassed blush while leaping to his feet and scrambling to put his boots back on.
Without looking back, the young boy took off once more in the direction of the light with the rest of the group in tow. As the Searchers ran toward the direction of the light, the air slowly became less humid and the trees less dense. Suddenly, another bright light erupted in the sky, followed by more voices and screams. Genki took in a deep breath of air, his worry for whoever was in danger rising with each passing moment, and he leapt through the last row of brush blocking the path with vigor. As Genki emerged from the woods, however, the clear-eyed boy wasn't met with a slaughter. Instead, he was met with the sight of several wide-eyed people staring at the filthy boy who had just emerged from the wilderness. Genki could only stare back at them with surprise.
"Look, daddy! A hobo!" A little girl pulled on her father's sleeve while pointing at Genki with surprise.
"H-hey! I am not!" Genki scowled defensively while the rest of the group caught up to him.
"Genki, you need to stop running off like that! You never give me time to make a plan!" Hare scolded the boy as he emerged from the foliage, only to be met with the same strange looks his companion was given.
"Excuse me, but are you okay?" An older bald gentleman cautiously approached the group with a look of concern. His white bushy eyebrows raised in question at the appearance of the scraggly group of strangers.
"We're sorry for intruding, but we heard screaming and thought someone was in danger," Holly explained to the old man and, at that moment, the rest of the group took a moment to take in their surroundings.
Dozens of red tents filled the clearing along with tables full of fancy clothing and merchandise. Torches and candles lined the entire perimeter, with the brightness making it feel as though it wasn't as close to night as it really was. Food of all types was being served at various stands along with a variety of desserts; the smell was absolutely intoxicating. A large bonfire was lit in the center of the area while a large tree stood tall near a crude arena setup close by. Beyond the setup in front of them, the group could see a small village just behind it that was filled with both humans and monsters of all species. Several purebred Dinos pulled carts of ingredients to the food stalls while several children surrounded one of the game stalls, trying to win a cheap prize. A young man talked casually with a Weed near the center arena while a Worm added more wood to the bonfire. It was a rare picture of harmony compared to other towns the Searchers had visited.
"Ah, the sound you heard was probably our festival firework display and some of the villagers cheering. I'm so sorry to have worried you, although I do appreciate you taking action to help us so readily," the old man said with a smile. "My name is Tesca. What can I call all of you?"
"My name's Genki!"
"I'm Mocchi, chi!"
"Tiger of the Wind."
"Hare's my name."
"I am… Golem…"
"Suezo, here!"
"My name is Holly, it's a pleasure to meet you."
The group introduced themselves all at the same time, so Tesca could only look at them with confusion. After a second round of introductions, however, it was much more successful. Tesca smiled at the group before pointing over to a large multistory building at the corner of the village. It looked like a well-kept establishment made of solid marble that was buzzing with activity. Humans and monsters alike poured in and out of the building, although it appeared to have plenty of room.
"That's the village inn. You really should spend the night and clean up, you look like you need a little rest," Tesca said with a gentle voice.
"I think that's a great plan, we really do need to clean up and get some sleep," Genki said with a tired look.
"Before that, though, I need to ask. What's up with all the tents and stuff? Is this some kind of party?" Hare asked curiously.
"Actually, yes! Depending on the time of year, our village celebrates festivals honoring the four core elements. This time of year, we host the Festival of Fire. We celebrate the life fire can bring, the warmth it can provide, and even the dangers it can bring. We eat, dance, and enjoy ourselves," Tesca explained happily.
"That's really neat! You guys did an awesome job with the setup! Everything looks great!" Genki exclaimed with a grin.
"Well, how about all of you go to the inn, get cleaned up, and come back to enjoy the rest of the night at the festival? Even though some of the activities are already finished for today, there's still plenty more! Dancing will be starting soon, too, and more food is being prepared as we speak," Tesca suggested with a smile.
The entire group instantly turned their heads to Holly, who immediately blushed a little at the sudden attention from her approval-seeking companions.
"I suppose a little time at the festival wouldn't hurt…" Holly trailed off, and the rest of the group cheered in response.
"Alright! Last one to the inn is a rotten Suezo!" Genki yelled out while bolting down the dirt road towards the inn with Mocchi in tow.
"HEY! You little punk!" Suezo growled irritably while taking off after the young boy, and the rest of the group was quick to follow suit; leaving Holly standing with Tesca.
"They sure have a lot of energy, don't they?" Tesca spoke with a chuckle.
"You have no idea," Holly replied with a tired smile before giving the old man a friendly wave and heading off to catch up to the rest of the Searchers.
In front of the local inn, Genki had to crane his neck to look up at the enormous hotel standing before him. Built to house guests of all sizes, the inn towered above the rest of the village. Compared to the small quaint buildings that made up the rest of the town, the inn looked very out of place with its colossal size. With the entire group all accounted for, the group of filthy Searchers pushed though the hinged doors and were greeted by a beautifully decorated lobby. Silk curtains adorned each window and the marble floor was so clean it reflected back at the group. The group's disheveled appearance caused other guests at the inn to give them questioning looks, although none of them noticed. Before the group could fully examine the beautiful room, a voice from further in the lobby caught their attention and their focus was averted to a purebred Mew at the receptionist desk.
"Does your group need a room?" the Mew asked with a tilt of her head.
"Yes, we were hoping to clean up and spend the night," Holly replied with tired smile.
"Clean up, indeed! All of you are a mess! It'll cost you 100 golds a night with the festival discount," the Mew responded with a slightly disgusted tone at the group's appearance.
"100 golds for one night? This is robbery…" Hare muttered as he took out some of the remainder of their funds and begrudgingly placed it on the counter. In exchange, the Mew procured the money and slid a room key over to the group.
"Thank you so much! Come on, guys! Let's go check it out!" Genki grinned while grabbing the key and taking off down the hallway.
"Genki! Do you even know what room we're staying in?!" Suezo irritatingly shouted after his companion.
Genki stopped mid step before turning around sheepishly and rubbing the back of his head. "Oh, heh heh, I guess not."
"We need to get you a leash…" the eyeball monster mumbled with a roll of his eye.
"You'll be staying in room 7A. We gave you a first floor room due to your large companion, since the ground floor rooms are larger and have one large bed per room for oversized monsters," the Mew explained while motioning over to Golem, who responded with a look of appreciation. "The room also has four normal sized beds to accommodate traveling groups. I see your group has seven, though, so you can always rent a second room."
"We're not spending extra money on another room! We camp out in the wilderness every day, we can manage with one room," Hare immediately jumped in.
"Yeah, we'll be fine. Mocchi can sleep with me!" Genki said while Mocchi nodded in agreement.
"And I'll sleep with Holly!" Suezo immediately volunteered.
"No, I'll sleep at the end of Holly's bed. With our current situation, Holly needs someone who will actually be able to defend her from Baddies now that we know Moo can sense her location," Tiger snorted. "Besides, you drool like a waterfall in your sleep, it's disgusting."
"I do not!" Suezo scowled.
"Anyways! Thank you very much, we really appreciate your help!" Holly replied to the Mew with a hesitant laugh.
With key in hand, Genki took off down the hallway towards their room with the rest of the group not far behind. After fumbling to unlock the door, the young boy grinned from ear-to-ear as he stepped into the spacious room. Just as the Mew receptionist had said, a massive bed was positioned at the far side of the room with four normal sized beds lined up in front. Soft pillows lay on each bed and beautiful silk blankets were present on each one, as well. The suite had two large bathrooms equipped with a variety of fine soaps and conditioners, and immediately the group delegated a showering schedule for the two bathrooms.
An hour later, a now clean Hare lay sprawled on one of the beds with a content look on his face. Two beds over, Tiger was in a similar state with his tail wagging slightly. Suezo, body now glossy from the soap, let out a content sigh as he turned his attention to Golem, who was enjoying laying in the first bed ever to fit a monster his size. Mocchi, his shell so clean it reflected the light, hopped on one of the beds as if it were a trampoline until a knock came from the door. The young monster rolled off the bed and hurried to the door, only to be met with the Mew receptionist. In her hands were two bundles of clean clothes and footwear, which she quickly handed over to the young monster.
"Have your two friends use these until their clothes are cleaned," Mew stated bluntly before turning away and marching off in a hurry.
"Thank you, chi!" Mocchi called out to the cat monster before closing the door and running to the first bathroom. The baby monster immediately started pounding on the door unceremoniously, not noticing he was ruining the relaxing atmosphere.
"What is it?!" Genki's muffled voice was only just audible through the closed door.
"They brought clothes for you, chi!" Mocchi replied loudly.
"I'm almost done, just a minute!"
"Hurry, chi! We have to go to the festival!"
"We will! Just a minute!"
"Mocchi hungry, chi!"
"I know! I'm going as fast as I can!"
"Hungry, chi!"
"So am I!"
The rest of the group watched the exchange with looks of amusement, knowing full well Mocchi wasn't going to let up until they filled his empty stomach.
Suezo yawned lazily as he slipped off the bed and grabbed the remaining pink set of clothes. The eyeball monster, being less bold than Mocchi, knocked on the other bathroom door with a little less vigor.
"Hey, Holly! Just letting you know they brought some clothes for you to wear until yours get cleaned," Suezo said while giving the bathroom another gentle knock with his tongue.
"Thank you, Suezo! Just a moment…" Holly's voice trailed off until the handle clicked and the door opened just enough for Holly's hand to fumbled around, blindly searching for the clothes. Her companion quickly handed the attire over and the door closed in a hurry, although the eyeball monster scowled when he looked over to see Hare grinning mischievously.
"Just what are you looking at?" Suezo growled protectively.
"Oh, nothing really. Just thinking how it's nice for Holly to get the chance to get dressed up for once," Hare stated with a shrug of his shoulders.
"You're full of Baku crap. You're thinking about how the only thing standing between you and your perverted fantasies is a bathroom door," Tiger sneered from his spot on his bed.
"Am not! You're the one who's been practically salivating ever since Holly went in to take a shower! You have no class, you mongrel!" The rabbit monster crossed his arms over his chest, clearly on the defensive.
"You don't know what you're talking about, you dumb bunny!"
"Oh yeah?! Then why are you getting so defensive, you mangy mutt?!"
"I am not!"
"Are too!"
Suezo rolled his eye as the two monsters argued, though the fighting only made him that much more on guard. A little part of him was tempted to sneak a peek himself while the others were distracted, but Golem's stern expression told him not to even attempt. The eyeball monster yawned loudly and mumbled under his breath, the long journey having taken its toll. If he wasn't so fueled by hunger, he would have just gone to bed instead of attending the festival. Just as he was about to release another yawn, he was startled by the opening of the other bathroom door and the sole human boy of their group emerged.
Instead of his usual white shirt and brown shorts, Genki sported a navy blue yukata with white stitching and elegant embroidery. The long-sleeved top was lined with white stitching that went up to his shoulders and continued down his back to make the design of a star. A matching white obi was fastened around his waist and he wore a pair of matching wooden geta on his feet. One part of his wardrobe that didn't change was the trademark orange hat on his head which didn't go with his current outfit at all, but he didn't seem to care.
"I'm impressed, Genki! I didn't think it was possible for you of all people to actually clean up, but you look pretty stylish!" Hare announced with a grin.
"Thanks!" Genki beamed at the rabbit monster's words, completely missing the first half of his statement.
"Shouldn't you ditch the hat?" Suezo asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No way! It's my trademark!" Genki defended.
"The hat looks completely out of place! Just take it off for one night!"
"No!"
Tiger glanced over to Golem, who was shaking his head in disapproval at the argument, and the wolf monster couldn't help but sigh. He was too hungry to jump into the argument and, instead, chose to watch from the sidelines with the rock giant of their group.
"Wow, Genki! That really suits you!"
The group had been so focused on Genki, they hadn't heard the other bathroom door open and for the last member of the group to join them.
Just like Genki, Holly's usual clothes were replaced with new festival clothes, but hers' consisted of a pink and white kimono embroidered with sakura petal designs. The obi resting at her hips was as white as snow with a single large sakura petal printed in the middle, which matched the smaller sakura petal designs embroidered throughout the rest of the kimono. Matching pink zori were worn over the white tabi on her feet, and it was easy to tell how awkward the new footwear was to the teenage girl. Her once matted hair was finally free of the debris from the jungle, and she had left it down instead of putting it into her usual loose ponytail. At realizing everyone in the room was now looking in her direction, a blush matching the color of her kimono washed over her cheeks and she looked away timidly.
"Holly looks really pretty, chi!" Mocchi cooed happily while running up to the wielder of the Magic Stone and hopping up into her arms.
"Oh! Thank you, Mocchi!" Holly exclaimed with a shy smile.
"Holly's clothes look like my Cherry Blossom Blizzard!" the baby monster grinned in approval.
"You're right, it does look like your Cherry Blossom Blizzard, doesn't it?" Holly warmly replied.
"Yes… Holly looks… beautiful…" Golem stated with a smile at his companion, which gained him a bashful smile from the human girl.
"Definitely much better looking than Tiger," Hare slyly mused.
"Only you would start an argument over this!" Tiger scowled at his companion and as another argument broke out within the group, one member of the group was still fixated on their female traveling companion.
Genki couldn't stop staring at Holly even though he willed himself not to do so, for he knew it wouldn't be long before the others noticed. He wasn't sure if it was the outfit, the sparkle of bashfulness in her eyes from the attention, or if he was just tired, but the boy could feel the heat from back of his neck and for his hands grow clammy when he gazed upon Holly in her festival clothes. His mouth felt drier than the sand in Gali's fortress and his knees felt as if they were made of Jells.
"Don't you be ogling at Holly!"
Suezo's brash allegation broke Genki out of his thoughts, and he immediately took a step back and whipped around to face his accuser. He could feel the heat rise even further from his neck and creep all the way up onto his face, and he instantly prepared to go into the defensive.
"I'm not ogling at Holly!"
"I saw you checking her out, don't you deny it!" Suezo growled while protectively getting in between the two humans of the group.
"Suezo, please, that's enough. We're here to take the night to enjoy this festival and get something to eat since everyone's feeling on edge from being hungry and tired. No more fighting, okay?" Holly spoke up in Genki's defense while placing a soothing hand on Suezo's head, which immediately calmed the eyeball monster down.
Genki sighed in relief, but his heart immediately plummeted into his stomach as Holly made her way to his side with Mocchi still in her arms, and he did his best not to make any eye contact with her.
"Are you ready to go to the festival?" Holly asked casually while stroking Mocchi's head gently.
"Y-yeah! I've never been more ready for anything in my whole life! I was born ready!" Due to nerves, Genki spoke so fast, he wasn't even sure what he was talking about.
"Oh, um… Yeah, let's get going then," Holly said with a smile, though clearly a confused one.
The walk from the inn to the festival grounds was a slow one not due to the distance, but due to the crowded streets of other festival-goers. It had been a while since the group had been in an area so crowded and just for peace of mind, the Searchers stayed close to one another to prevent being separated.
The first duty on the agenda was securing food, and the various food stalls made this an easy task. Using Golem's giant hands as a food transport system, the group piled as much food as the rock giant could carry into his hands, which netted them odd looks from the villagers. Further down the festival grounds, the Searchers found a small area amongst the crowd that they could sit down and enjoy their meals, all the while watching the villagers dance. The music was calming yet invigorating, and the fireflies that lit up the night sky only added to the ambiance.
"We haven't eaten this well in weeks! How lucky are we to have found this festival?" Suezo spoke up before shoving a whole fish in his mouth.
"Definitely lucky. Our food supply is pretty low, so we should savor this meal," Tiger said in agreement with Suezo for once from his seat next to Genki.
"Before we leave here… we should restock… our supplies... We do not know… how far the next… village is from… here and it is… better we are… prepared…" Golem spoke softly while giving Mocchi another piece of bread, which the baby monster happily accepted.
"We have a problem, though; we're really low on gold. And when I say we're low on gold, I mean really low. I'm not sure how much we could buy with what little money we have," Hare sighed unhappily as he shook the nearly empty bag of gold coins to emphasize his point.
"We could always sell Hare's foot as a lucky rabbit's foot to make a little money," the wolf monster of the group suggested while taking a bite of his steak. "Although, since it's Hare, it would only bring bad luck."
"Or better yet, we could sell Tiger to a local zoo. People love to pay money to watch savage, dirty animals in captivity," Hare shot back with a sneer.
"Come on, guys, no more fighting today. Let's enjoy the festival and we'll come up with a plan to get money tomorrow, okay?" Genki was quick to intervene before the argument escalated and, fortunately, the food was more interesting to the feuding monsters so the argument ended as quickly as it had started.
Genki's attention shifted from his two companions to the only female in their group, however, and he gulped nervously. Holly had been daintily picking at the different types of food they had acquired, but her focus had shifted to watching the people in the center arena dance. Genki watched how her eyes followed the dancers' movements carefully and how her fingers gently tapped against her knee with the steady rhythm of the music. The lit torches from all around the area reflected off her eyes as she stayed fixated on the festival dancing, and it seemed as though she was completely lost in her own thoughts.
'I wonder if she's thinking about her hometown and how they used to do this kind of thing,' Genki thought to himself as he reflected back to their time together at the abandoned amusement park. He still remembered her look of excitement when trying to get the broken down teacup ride to work and how she confided in him about life in her hometown before Naga's slaughter. He also remembered the look in her eyes when the carnival lights came to life and lit up the entire cave, even if only briefly. She had looked so mesmerized, as if she had seen something magical, and he wished he could see that expression from her more often.
The young boy swallowed hard and frowned as nerves overtook his thoughts. Holly was his first friend in the world of the monsters, even when he had annoyed her at first. He didn't know when it started; when he suddenly started noticing little details about her like how she liked to make tea every morning before they ate breakfast or her technique of tying her hair back into a ponytail. He noticed how Holly cleaned her father's dagger every day after everyone else went to sleep and how she would fold their clothes into perfect squares after washing them.
He wasn't sure when his interest in Holly started. The earliest memory he had of thinking about her more frequently was when she had been kidnapped by Moo. Seeing her limp body in Moo's massive claw was absolutely terrifying and the image never stopped haunting him. Then there was Gooji. Holly's cries of pain as the giant whale monster squeezed the poor girl in sheer amusement echoed in his mind even after the battle was over. Sometimes the memory of Holly's pale face haunted him after she had been poisoned by the Black Worm in a valiant sacrifice to save Tiger's life. Her ragged coughing and pain-laced breathing replayed in the form of nightmares and when he would wake up, he always checked to make sure Holly was safe. She always was.
Thinking about it, End Bringer was the main eye-opener for him. He always knew he was fond of Holly, and who wasn't? Her kind personality and strong loyalty made her a difficult person to not like. He was certain everyone else also felt the same way he did. There was nothing different between his friendship with Holly and everyone else. That was, until he woke up to find the Magic Stone abandoned and the realization that Holly could be dead followed. He had never felt that much fear in his entire life. The very real thought of a life without Holly in it had been absolutely terrifying and finding Holly alive had been the most relieving feeling imaginable.
Since then, though, he wasn't sure what to do with the new feelings plaguing him. He wasn't even sure exactly what he was feeling, only that he found himself gravitating toward the wielder of the Magic Stone more frequently than he used to.
"Hey, Genki, are you alright?"
A voice snapped Genki out from his thoughts, and he was greeted by the concerned eyes of Hare. Besides the rabbit monster, who was looking worriedly at him, and Holly, who was still absorbed watching the festival dancing, the rest of the group were no longer seated where they had been. Genki couldn't help but wonder how long he had been absorbed in his turmoil of thoughts.
"Oh! Hahaha, I'm fine!" Genki waved the question off casually.
"You're looking kind of spacey. Are you sure you're okay?" the rabbit monster asked again, this time a little more sternly.
"Yeah, really! I just ate a lot," Genki half told the truth while trying to avert the conversation. "Where'd everyone else go anyways?"
"You really are a space cadet. Golem and Suezo went to get us more to eat while Tiger went with Mocchi to get us some drinks," Hare responded with a shrug. "They'll be back soon."
Genki didn't respond but, instead, glanced back to Holly. He didn't know why, but he couldn't stop looking her way. Was it because her hair was down? Or that she looked amazing in that outfit? No, it had to be because he was just tired.
"Genki, can I talk to you for a second? You know, man-to-man?" Hare's voice was lowered this time, not quite a whisper but low enough for it to be for Genki's ears only.
"Yeah, sure. What's up?"
"Genki, my boy, don't think I haven't noticed your constant attention towards Holly as of late." Hare's reply was so blunt, it caused Genki's thoughts to reel.
"W-what?! What are you talking about?!" Genki whispered hoarsely while monitoring Holly to make sure she couldn't hear them. From her lack of reaction, he was pretty sure she wasn't listening to them.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's the fact you chose her of all people to hang out at the amusement park ruins, you literally tapped into the power of the Magic Stone to save her from End Bringer, and lately every time we've been traveling you keep your eyes fixated on her like I do with money," the rabbit monster replied with narrowed eyes.
Hearing everything laid out like it had been was definitely on the embarrassing side, and Genki couldn't stop the uncomfortable blush from creeping across his face.
"I only keep an eye out for her because she's my friend and, because she's Moo's daughter, he'll be searching for her! Now that we know Moo can sense Holly's presence, she's in danger every moment! We need to keep an extra close eye on her!" Genki pulled out one of his rehearsed replies he had prepared just for this kind of moment and, had it been anyone else, they would have been convinced.
But this was Hare, who was not like anyone else in the group and therefore, was not convinced.
"Genki, I'm not gonna tease you, I swear. I'm just trying to help you, as your friend," the rabbit monster spoke softly while placing his hand on Genki's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.
"…what's in it for you?" Genki's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"Nothing! I just want to help! Phoenix, Genki! What kind of friend do you think I am?!"
"The opportunist type."
"Come on! I wouldn't want to break your trust, really! I'm here as your friend who sees you have some conflicted feelings going on and I'm here to listen to you and to support you. I have some decency!" Hare scowled, obviously insulted by the insinuation.
Genki didn't reply and, instead, sat in silence while looking down at his balled up fists. He hated the feeling of being so vulnerable, but even more so that he didn't quite understand why he felt so vulnerable to begin with. A moment of unmoving stillness settled upon the two Searchers, though this only served for Genki's heart to further plummet into his stomach. After glancing once more at the concerned rabbit monster seated near him, the young boy let out a low sign, knowing his friend wouldn't back down from the discussion.
"I don't know why I keep thinking about Holly. It just… happens," Genki spoke with a nervous frown while he fiddled with the sleeve of his yukata.
"Well, how do you feel when she looks at you or when you two talk?" Hare probed.
"I dunno. I guess… it's a nice feeling. I really like talking with Holly and stuff, even when it's about small things like when we tell each other stories or talk about our journey," the young boy replied sincerely.
"I see… Do you feel like you have butterflies in your stomach or anything similar when you and Holly are close to one another?" Hare prodded further, a small smile forming on his mouth.
"I mean, sometimes I get kind of nervous for some reason. It's like, I get this tight feeling in my chest and sometimes I get kinda fidgety," Genki spoke quietly while keep his gaze down at his fists.
"Hmmm… interesting. Genki, have you ever thought about Holly as maybe, well…"
"Well, what?"
"As someone more than just a friend?"
"Huh? What do you mean? Like a best friend?" Genki stared at Hare with a blank expression; completely confused by his friend's question.
"No, not a best friend. More than that. I mean, like… romantically."
It suddenly felt as though the entire world came to a screeching halt. Genki knew he had felt more drawn to Holly as of late and he knew he vied for her affection more than ever before. On what level of affection, however, he was unsure. To think it was something as serious as romantic was something he had never considered, but the thought made his heart pound. He had never felt romantically drawn to anyone before and was unsure of how to even know if it was real or not.
"I… I dunno. I've never thought about anyone like that." Genki's attention turned back to Holly, who was smiling and clapping her hands to the rhythm of the current song. He couldn't remember how many times he had stared at her like this in secrecy, when she was distracted by something else, and how a part of him wanted her attention to be on him instead.
"You show all the signs of having romantic feelings for someone, especially lately. I think you have a crush on Holly and it's something that's eating you up inside," Hare nodded his head while giving Genki a sideways glance.
"What do I do?! I don't want to make things weird!" Genki's voice almost rose an octave in panic while his face stung from the hot blush that streaked his cheeks.
"You're worrying too much, just be natural!" Hare smiled as he gave Genki a pat on the back.
"But, what if she doesn't feel the same way?!" the young boy hoarsely asked while balling his hands into fists from unease.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that."
"What… What do you mean?"
"Oh, nothing! Just a hunch, is all." Hare smirked playfully before giving Genki a rough pat on the back. "Now, go ask Holly to dance!"
"W-what?! I can't do that!" Genki almost choked with anxiety at the thought of dancing in front of such a large crowd, let alone with Holly of all people.
"Why not? She's obviously interested in dancing and this is a golden opportunity!"
"I… I don't know how to dance."
"Who cares? You know Holly, she'll have fun no matter what! You're worrying way too much about this! I don't even know how to dance, I just make it up as I go," Hare admitted with a wryly grin.
"I… I can't…" Genki's head hung and his shoulders slouched. He was afraid.
As if reading the young boy's mind, Hare smiled before scooting a little closer to his companion and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"How about this? I'll ask Holly to dance and halfway through the dance, you ask to cut in. This way it feels more casual since she'll have already been dancing with a friend." Hare's words were gentle, almost fatherly, and they calmed the nervous boy's apprehension a little.
"…really? Are you sure?"
"Yeah! Absolutely! We got this!"
"Hare, I… Thank you." Genki was lost for words, and a simple 'thank you' didn't feel like enough.
"Heh, you can always rely on good 'ol Hare! Unlike that stinky mutt we travel with!"
Before the young boy could reply, Hare bound from his seat and made his way over to Holly, all the while Genki watched intently from behind. He couldn't hear the exchange, but he could see Holly nod her head happily before Hare pulled her to her feet and the two made their way to the dance floor. After a moment of chatting, Hare placed his right hand on Holly's waist and took her other hand in his left hand. Holly's free hand glided to rest on Hare's back and the two shared a laugh before beginning to move to the rhythm of the music.
Genki stared with such interest at the pair that by the time the other Searchers returned, the group couldn't tell if he was watching his two friends dance or creeping on another couple dancing. But Genki, still absorbed in his own thoughts, was trying desperately to learn the steps to the dance they were swaying to. He watched as Hare spun Holly to the extent of his arm and then reeled her back in, all the while the young woman smiled brightly and followed his lead.
He didn't know why he wanted to dance with her. Genki was never a fan of dancing, especially if front of a crowd. Yet, the idea of being the one to hold Holly's hand while leading them through the steps of a dance sounded exciting, even whimsical.
After what felt like eternity, Hare dipped Holly forward, her hair just barely missing touching the ground. Holly let out a joyful laugh as she shut her eyes and allowed the moment to overtake her. Genki, however, was focused on Hare himself, who had locked eyes with the young boy with an expression that screamed "it's now or never". Genki sucked in a deep breath, one that was so deep it hurt a little, but he slowly released it and began making his way to the dance floor. He watched as Hare pulled Holly up from the dip and could see he was preparing for Genki's arrival by keeping Holly preoccupied with small talk. As the young boy just about reached his two friends, he summoned up all the courage he had in his body and finally opened his mouth to speak.
"Excuse me, would you mind if I cut in?"
The words Genki had been prepared to speak were suddenly spouted from someone else's mouth causing Genki, Hare, and Holly to all turn to face the newcomer with surprise. The young man now standing in front of the trio had messy, spiky brown hair and chocolate brown eyes that reflected a warm glow. He was a couple inches taller than Holly and exhibited an aura of confidence. He wore a casual blue jacket, slightly darker blue pants, and brown working boots that altogether looked completely out of place for the festival setting. The young man either didn't seem to notice or didn't care that he wasn't dressed for the occasion and, instead, stood confidently in front of the trio with one hand extended.
Holly blinked in surprise at the new face, completely taken off guard by his sudden request. Her mind replayed his invitation to dance with her to ensure she hadn't heard wrong, but it still didn't fully register. Before Holly could give the young man an answer, the stranger gently took the young girl by the hand and pulled the dumbfounded girl away from her friends; leaving a shocked Genki and Hare behind.
"Who… who the heck is that?" Hare breathed out, still not comprehending what had just happened.
"I… I have no idea…" Genki spoke up, equally as stunned as Hare, but with a dash of disappointment added to the mixture. With a defeated scowl, the boy returned to his seat in silence to watch Holly from afar, his confidence completely crushed.
The young man held Holly's hand firmly while his other hand rested gently on her waist. He was just close enough that Holly could see small scars on his face and could smell the scent of pine trees on his clothes, as if he had been camping in the woods recently. His eyes were intense and held a spark in them, one that she couldn't help but feel intrigued with.
"Have you ever done the Dance of the Dragon?"
Holly was pulled from her thoughts with the sudden question from the stranger in front of her, and she quickly did her best to recover so he wouldn't realize she had been absorbed in her own thoughts.
"No, I don't think I have," Holly replied honestly.
"That's okay, just follow my lead." The young man flashed his dance partner a wide grin before tightening his grip on her right hand and positioning his left hand to be a little firmer on her waist.
With the sound of taiko drums and kotos in the background, the young man began to move about in a circular pattern, which Holly did her best to mirror in turn. It was the beginning to a dance she was unfamiliar with, yet the steps were simple enough that she could follow along with the young man in front of her. Still, she couldn't help but feel nervous, for she had never danced with a stranger before. In her hometown, it was small enough that everyone had known each other so when festivals were held, it was a comfortable feeling when dancing and socializing. At this festival, however, she was not only surrounded by strangers, but was now dancing only a couple inches away from one.
"How are you feeling?" The young man suddenly spoke up, his voice gentle and brimming with concern.
"Oh! I apologize for being a little spacey. My friends and I were travelling all day and haven't had the chance to rest yet," Holly admitted with a sheepish smile.
"No need to be sorry, miss. I just wanted to make sure you were feeling alright." The brunette boy gave Holly a wryly grin, and it somehow reminded her of the other brown-haired boy she travelled with.
"Are you a resident of this village?" Holly asked, although from his odd attire and the appearance that he had been camping, she had a gut feeling he wasn't.
"Nah, I'm actually from far away from here. I just happen to be travelling this way when I saw all the festival stuff and decided to take advantage of getting a warm meal for once," the stranger replied with a chuckle.
"It sounds like we were on the same page."
"You know what they say; good minds think alike."
Holly didn't know why, but the more the stranger talked, the more he reminded her of Genki. Maybe it was his almost childish mannerisms or maybe it was the way he smiled, but either way the resemblance was almost uncanny. In that moment, however, she suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment creep up into her and she quickly adverted her gaze from the young man in front of her.
'Why am I thinking about this right now?! Just focus on the dance!' Holly mentally scolded herself for thinking about her traveling companion and not on the dance at hand, but she quickly cleared her thoughts and redirected her attention on her dance partner.
The stranger seemed to notice her shift in attention, and he smiled mischievously.
"Want to make this more exciting?"
Holly didn't have a chance to reply as the stranger quickly pulled her up against his chest before readjusting his hand to the curve of her back to more efficiently guide the girl. Holly's body stiffened at the slightly more intimate dance position, but she didn't have time to process it as the stranger holding her quickened his pace, which she did her best to follow. Holly could feel herself and her dance partner moving quicker than the music playing in the background and, although not fitting, she felt a rush of adrenaline at the challenge.
The stranger suddenly put some distance between himself and Holly, while keeping her hand held in his own. The questions in her eyes were answered when the young man pulled the wielder of the Magic Stone back towards himself, twirling her in the process so she returned to him with her back pressed up against his chest. Holly could feel the warmth of his breath on the nape of her neck, and a shiver went down her spine at the sensation.
With one arm wrapped around Holly's waist and the other still grasping her hand, the young man spun his dance partner once more and reeled her back in, so the duo was once again facing one another. Their breathing was completely in-sync; their eyes locked with focus and the crowd surrounding them completely lost in the moment.
"This isn't actually a dance you know, is it?" Holly asked with amusement.
"You've got me, I actually don't know this song at all so I'm just making things up as I go. I wish I had asked you to dance earlier and not at the tail end of this song, though, since our time is almost over already," the stranger spoke with a sheepish smile while leading his dance partner into a gentle sway.
With one last spin, the stranger pulled his partner back towards him before he dipped her down just as the music ended; causing an eruption of cheers to explode from the crowd. The pair had been so absorbed in the dance, they hadn't noticed the rest of the dancers clear the dance floor or for a crowd to form around them to watch in awe. With great care, the stranger gently pulled Holly to her feet and released his hold on her. Holly's chest rose rapidly from the adrenaline, as did her dancing partner's, and the two made eye contact before laughing sheepishly and looking away.
"Weren't they wonderful?"
"They're amazing!"
"What an adorable couple!"
"I want to learn to dance like that!"
The crowd murmured and whispered with excitement at the show, and the loud applause snapped Holly back to reality. Suddenly realizing she was now the center of attention, the wielder of the Magic Stone felt her nerves get the better of her and quickly backed away from her dance partner. Without a word, she did a quick bow of respect to the young man before she hurried away from the dance floor and made a beeline back to her friends without looking back. She gently pushed her way through the crowd before finally finding some familiar faces, and she sighed with relief as she sat down near Golem.
"Well, look at you. I didn't expect you to be the one to cause a scene," Tiger mused with a playful smile.
"Oh, you know that wasn't my intention," Holly said with an embarrassed smile.
"I haven't seen you dance like that since our hometown! Where did that come from?" Suezo spoke with surprise.
"I'm not sure, that guy lead and I just followed his lead. It was pretty chaotic," Holly admitted with a shy smile.
"Well, in any case, he was way too close to you for my liking! He was practically groping you!"
"What?! He was not!"
As Holly and Suezo contended the dance, Genki watched the young girl from afar with slumped shoulders. His fists were still clenched and his jaw locked tight into a scowl, though it was partially out of frustration at himself for feeling as disheartened as he did. All the young boy really wanted to do was go back to the inn, get some sleep, and hope everything felt normal by the time he woke up.
"Hey! I was wondering where you ran off to!"
The Searchers all turned to face the stranger who had become the center of attention for the anti-Moo rebels, as well as a timid looking Weed wearing a red festival uniform standing behind him. The Weed, who seemed as though he had helped the stranger find the group, gave them a quick wave of his vined hand before slinking off into the crowd. The young man shouted a thanks to the Weed before letting out a deep breath of air; he looked as though he had been searching for them in the crowd since the dance had ended.
"Oh! Um, hi! I'm so sorry for running off like that!" Holly quickly piped up with embarrassment while fiddling with the sleeve of her kimono nervously.
"Nah, it's alright! I understand, I didn't expect to get so much attention, either," the young man replied with an amused chuckle.
"Okay, just who are you?" Suezo bluntly asked while defensively sliding in between the stranger and Holly.
"Oh, geez, how rude of me. My name's Hunter, it's nice to meet all of you," the young man said with a smile and a courteous bow.
"Well, my name's Suezo and I'm her most loyal partner. Now that introductions are done, you can leave now," Suezo replied with a roll of his eye.
"Suezo!" Holly scowled at her companion's ill-mannered reply.
"What?! The dance is over so he doesn't need to hang around here!" the eyeball monster brashly replied.
"There's no need to be so rude!"
"I'm not being rude, I'm being honest!"
"Golem is… glad to meet you… Hunter…" Golem's booming voice cut through the ensuing quarrel; leaving the argument to cease and for Suezo to pout at being ignored.
"I haven't seen a Golem since I left my home, and I've never met one as pleasant as you," Hunter replied with a friendly grin; Suezo's comments not even affecting his mood. "It's really nice to meet you, too."
"Meeting people is… important, as is… showing hospitality…" Golem replied softly while looking over to his companions.
"He's right, Suezo. No need to be so brutal," Hare said before turning to the newcomer. "My name's Hare, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Oh, wow! A Hare! Where I'm from, Hares weren't native so they only just started moving to the area. I've never seen one in person before!" Hunter grinned from ear to ear as he bound over to the rabbit monster with excitement. "Is it true you specialize in punching style moves?"
"Absolutely! I know Machine Gun Punch and Dragon Punch as of now, although I'm sure I'll learn more specialty punch moves down the road," Hare replied with a prideful grin as he puffed out his chest.
"Wow, so humble," Tiger mumbled sarcastically as he rolled his eyes, but his temper flared when Hunter crouched down and placed a hand on his head. "H-hey! What are you doing?!"
"I'm sorry, it's just… I used to live with a purebred Tiger who looked so much like you. I have a soft spot for Tigers because of him," Hunter replied with smile.
"Used to?" Tiger inquired.
"He passed away a few months ago," Hunter responded with a sad smile.
"I… I see," the wolf monster wasn't sure how to respond, so instead he coughed uncomfortably and looked down at the ground. "Well, anyways, I'm Tiger."
As Hunter spoke with Tiger, Genki watched from a distance with Mocchi clung to his back. He wasn't sure why it was, but his stomach clenched as he observed the newcomer interacting with his friends. He hadn't felt this way when the group had made new friends along their journey, but something about Hunter rubbed him the wrong way.
'Why, though? I don't even know this guy,' Genki thought to himself with a frown ever present on his face as he shoved his hands into his pockets from frustration. The young boy didn't have much time to dwell on it, however, because Hunter made his way over to the Searcher's fearless leader with a smile and a hand extended out. To avoid appearing rude, Genki reluctantly shook Hunter's hand, although he squeezed a little harder than necessary.
"Sorry if I cut you off earlier during that dance. I didn't realize you were approaching her, too, until I already asked her to dance," Hunter admitted sheepishly.
"W-wha?! I wasn't going to ask her to dance! I was just, uh, gonna ask her if she wanted anything else to eat!" Genki replied defensively while avoiding eye contact and breaking off the handshake.
"Oh, I'm glad then! I was worried I interrupted your date or something," Hunter mused with a chuckle.
"D-date?!"
"This is the Festival of Fire, right? What better place is there for passion and romance?"
Genki felt his face flush red and he mentally prayed it was dark enough that no one could see him. Wanting nothing more than to dig a hole and bury himself, he felt Mocchi shift on his back, prompting the young boy to realize the best way out of the current conversation.
"Oh! Uh, my name's Genki and this is my partner, Mocchi!" Genki blurted out awkwardly, using the young monster as an escape.
"Oh, nice! Mocchis are great monsters. Not only are they cute, but they're powerful and low maintenance," Hunter said as he inspected the young monster. "He looks like he's being well taken care of, too."
"Yeah, even though he's young, Mocchi has gotten really strong! He can defeat monsters three times his size!" Genki spoke like a proud father.
"I bet he'll get along with my monster companion. He's young, too, but is training hard. I'm not sure where he ran off to, though," Hunter said with a smile.
"Is it the Weed that was with you before?" Genki asked with a tilt of his head.
"Oh, no. He's just an attendant for this festival to keep order. I met him earlier in the day to ask about this festival so he recognized me when I was looking for you guys, so he helped me again," Hunter chuckled while scanning the crowd, until his eyes stopped at one of the food stalls. "There's my partner over there! Hey! Surmal! Come over here! There's some people I'd like you to meet!"
The monster stuffing its face with food looked like a small bipedal lion with spiky orange fur covering its head, lower arms, and lower legs. Navy blue fur covered its chest and thighs, as well as its large bushy eyebrows. Its face, long pointed ears, midsection, upper arms and claws were covered in cream colored fur that wasn't as long as the rest of the fur on its body. A tuft of orange fur adorned the end of its long tail and it wagged with excitement like a puppy. Its mouth was cat-like with pointed fangs lining it, although it was difficult to tell with all the food it had shoved into it. The little lion monster swallowed the large amount of food before bounding to Hunter's side and climbing up onto his back.
Genki was surprised to see the lion-like monster, for he had never seen one before even though he was an expert at the Monster 200X game. He had never come across a monster he didn't already know, which piqued his interest.
"What kind of monster is he?" Genki asked immediately and, for the first time since they had met, the young boy actually wanted to talk to Hunter.
"This is Surmal. He's a young purebred Garu I unlocked earlier this year," Hunter introduced the lion-like monster while giving him a pet on the head. "He still has a lot of growing up to do."
"Yes, yes! Need food to grow! I go now!" Surmal cheered happily while leaping off his companion's back to get more food.
"Hey, no more food! You're gonna end up getting sick! Remember last time?" Hunter scolded.
"Ah, yes! Seafood! So tasty!" The lion-like monster hopped up and down giddily.
"You sound happy now, but you certainly weren't when you spent all night vomiting it up! And I was the one who had to clean up after you!"
Surmal completely ignored Hunter as he finally noticed the group of Searchers his friend had been talking to. The young monster first approached Genki, and the young monster stared at the orange hat atop his head with curiosity. Before the purebred Garu could try grabbing the hat, his attention was shifted to the largest member of the Searchers. With his large eyes glued with curiosity to the rock titan, Surmal hopped over to Golem and craned his neck to look up at the giant standing before him. Surmal poked at Golem's leg with amusement before making his way over to Hare. Since he had never seen a Hare before, he cautiously kept his distance from rabbit monster with a distrustful glance. Suezo was his next observation, although the unamused expression on the eyeball's face made the little lion-like monster keep his distance.
At the sight of Tiger, however, Surmal's face lit up like he had been given a million golds. He let out an excited squeal before leaping at Tiger and clinging to the wolf monster's side.
"Huego! You're here! Here, here, here! I knew it! You were just hiding!" Surmal cried out while he buried his face into Tiger's mane.
"What's going on?! Get off of me!" Tiger looked down at the young monster with a mix of surprise and complete confusion. The blue wolf monster tried to shake the purebred Garu off his body, but to no avail.
"Tiger, I'm so sorry!" Hunter quickly wrapped his arms around Surmal's body and pulled the frantic Garu off of Tiger, even as the young monster resisted.
"No! No! Huego! No!" Surmal howled while he still tried to desperately reach out for Tiger.
"Surmal, this isn't Huego. This is our new friend, Tiger. Huego's gone, remember?" Hunter spoke softly to the trembling monster in his arms.
"But… but… Huego…" the Garu whimpered, his eyes still glued to the wolf monster.
Genki watched the scene with sympathy with the rest of the Searchers, and he wished he could help the little lion monster. No matter how he felt about his human companion, Genki's heart broke in sympathy for the young monster crying before him. Before the young boy could speak up, he felt Mocchi slide off his back and rush to Surmal's side to console the fellow young monster.
"Don't be sad, chi! The Phoenix will bring your friend back, chi!" Mocchi gave Surmal's back a comforting pat.
"R-really? Huego come back?" Surmal sniffed.
"Yeah, chi! We're gonna find the Phoenix and bring all the lost monsters back!"
"Even… even Huego?"
"Even Huego, chi!"
Surmal perked up at Mocchi's consoling words, and immediately the lion monster wiped his glassy eyes with one of his clawed paws and revealed a hopeful smile. The young monster clapped his paws together and wagged his tail merrily, his soured mood turned around completely.
"Good, good! Then we can go home! Together! Finally!" Surmal grinned.
As the two young monsters continued to talk, Hunter gave Tiger an apologetic look, although the wolf monster looked more sympathetic than he did angry.
"I'm so sorry about that. Surmal is still coming to terms with what happened," Hunter spoke with a solemn frown.
"It's alright, really. Don't worry about it," Tiger replied calmly.
"Hey! Hey!" Surmal ran up to Hunter and tugged on his pants like a child, completely cutting off Hunter's conversation with Tiger.
"Yes? What is it, Surmal?"
"That girl. Who's she?" the lion-like monster asked while pointing at the only female in the Searchers group.
Holly instantly felt a little uncomfortable becoming the sudden center of attention again, but even more so as Hunter approached her. Their eyes locked for a moment, but Holly was quick to advert her gaze.
"Miss, you know my name, but I still haven't been told yours," Hunter said with a smile.
"O-oh! I'm Holly, it's nice to meet you. I mean, we already met, but it's nice to formally meet you," the young girl stumbled over her words and mentally kicked herself in embarrassment.
"Holly, huh? That's a beautiful name," the young man replied with an exultant grin, earning him a flustered smile from the young woman.
"Woah! Look at the time! I think it's time for us to get back to the inn and get some sleep. We have to start back on our journey bright and early tomorrow!" Genki quickly interjected to break the moment, all the while glaring at Hunter with a scowl.
Genki's interjection appeared to work, because immediately Hunter's attention adverted away from Holly. Genki cheered internally at his success, until Hunter turned back to Holly once more.
"That's a shame, the night is still young. You know, they're holding a small tournament tonight. Each monster has to be paired up with a human, so you and Genki should join with two of your monster companions. Your group would have twice the odds of winning, right?" Hunter suggested, completely ignoring Genki's look of disapproval at being overlooked.
"That does sound like fun, but I don't know if our group is ready. We haven't had the chance to rest after our long journey, so we're not in top shape," Holly tiredly replied.
"Yeah, I don't know about the rest of our group, but I'm achy, exhausted, and ready to curl up in bed," Hare spoke before letting out a loud yawn to emphasize his point.
"Ah, that's true. We're in the same boat since we haven't stopped to rest from our journey either. It's still worth a shot though, right? I mean, who doesn't want the chance to win some money?" Hunter noted with a shrug.
Instantly, Hare pushed past Holly and flung his arm around Hunter's shoulder; his eyes sparkling with greed. "So, Hunter, my buddy. Did you say there's a cash prize?"
"Yeah, it's ten thousand golds for first place, five thousand golds for second place, and three thousand golds for third place. There's no fourth place so-"
Without letting him finish his sentence, Hare pushed Hunter to the side and grabbed onto the front of Genki's shirt, pulling the young boy towards him and forcing direct eye contact only inches away from his face.
"Genki, we have to join this tournament! We're broke right now and this gives us the chance to win ten thousand golds! Even more if both you and Holly win a place!" Hare bellowed.
"But, what about all that stuff you just said about being exhausted?" Genki questioned with confusion.
"That was just me being a pathetic wimp. Are you pathetic, Genki?"
"No!"
"Are you a wimp?"
"No way!"
"Are you gonna walk away from a challenge?!"
"Heck no!"
"Exactly! It's time to man up and enter this tournament! Do it for the greater good! Do it for the team!" Hare shouted energetically.
"Yeah! Let's win this tournament!" Genki cheered while pumping a fist into the air. The rest of the group watched the exchange with embarrassment for their friend.
"…what a simpleton, getting so easily manipulated like that," Suezo mumbled under his breath.
"So, Genki, who will enter the tournament with you?" Hunter asked with a smile. "Surmal will obviously be my partner. He hasn't fought in a tournament before, so this will be interesting."
"Mocchi, of course!" Genki grinned while sharing a high-five with the young monster.
"Yeah, chi! We're a team!" Mocchi chirped merrily.
The group's attention then fell on Holly, who looked around bashfully from the sudden attention. Truthfully, she wasn't sure if she wanted to join the tournament, especially because she knew how her closest monster companion felt about battling. It was embarrassing enough that Suezo was willing to allow her to fight in hand-to-hand combat in the colosseum against Centaur and his companions, so she had a feeling he wouldn't be a willing contestant in a voluntary tournament.
"What about you? Are you gonna join?" Hunter asked the young girl with a smile.
"Oh, I'm not sure. What do you think, Suezo? Want to give it a shot?" Holly bit her lip and looked over at her oldest friend to hear his opinion. They had come such a long way since the colosseum, she was hopeful he had matured since then and was ready to test his abilities instead of always taking the easy path if he put his mind to it.
"Yeah, that's gonna be a hard pass. We'll be cheering for you on the sidelines, though! Good luck!" Suezo audaciously piped up without hesitation, causing Holly to face fault in surprise.
"Oh, Suezo…" The young girl hung her head in embarrassment at her companion's shamelessness.
"Well! If ten thousand golds is on the line, I'll enter as your partner, Holly!" Hare swiftly volunteered.
"See, there we go! Hare will be your partner!" the eyeball monster happily exclaimed.
"Wow, Suezo. You're so afraid you'll get wrecked that you'd let someone else enter the tournament with Holly? I thought you were her most loyal companion…" Tiger mused.
"H-hey! I'm not afraid! And I am her most loyal companion!" Suezo scowled in response.
"Listen, Suezo, it's okay with me. I'll happily take over as Holly's partner! It'll give us some one-on-one time to get to know each other better!" Hare grinned mischievously.
"What?! Like heck you will! I was just joking around! Of course I'm gonna enter the tournament with Holly! I was only messing with you guys! I'm gonna win the tournament with Holly at my side!" Suezo announced with faux confidence.
"Really? You will? Oh, thank you, Suezo!" Holly beamed as she brought Suezo into a tight hug.
"Heh heh, of course, Holly! You know me; you can always depend on me!" Suezo laughed nervously as the realization of what he had just volunteered for started to sink in. "Yeah, joining a tournament instead of enjoying the festival... I can't wait…"
Golem, Tiger, and Hare watched the duo's interaction from a distance, with Golem shaking his head in disapproval while Tiger and Hare smirked mischievously.
"I know the chances of us winning are much less likely with Suezo joining instead of one of us, but this is absolutely worth it," Hare sniggered.
"…what an idiot, getting so easily manipulated into joining the tournament after just seeing Genki get manipulated into joining it," Tiger muttered with a roll of his eyes.
"You two… are truly… devious…" Golem sighed in discontentment.
With Mocchi tagging along on his back, Genki marched towards the tournament registration booth with the rest of the group in tow. At the sound of laughter behind him, Genki couldn't help but take a split moment to take a glance back, where he could see Hunter and Holly making casual conversation. The young boy immediately turned his attention back to the tournament registration booth and clenched his hands into tight fists.
He didn't care about the prize money, he just wanted to win.
So… yeah. I'm not dead! I'm sorry I haven't been around in years! My life got turned upside down and my health took a turn for the worse, but I'm going to do my best to get my life back together and to get back into writing. I'm super rusty, though, so I'm going to try doing some shorter stories and maybe a longer casual one to get back into the groove. I know this was a pretty boring start to a story, I'm so sorry! I hope to make it more interesting! I also know this is littered with grammar and spelling mistakes, but my eyes are gonna bleed if I don't move on to the next chapter! I also can't write dancing scenes to save my life, I don't know how people manage that. XD
Thank you everyone for your support and for not giving up on me even though I disappeared from this universe for ages!
Just in case anyone is curious, Hunter, Surmal, and Tesca aren't original characters of mine. I'm not good at making OC's and don't enjoy making OC's, but in the last chapter I'll explain these characters for anyone who doesn't already know who they are. :3
Chapter Preview (Chapter 2) – Genki and Holly enter the festival tournament to win some money. Hunter proves to be a difficult opponent, both in the arena and as a rival of affection. Stay tuned!
RockyRoadSmith: Signing off! :3