Moo laughed evilly as Weed (Plant/Naga) reported that Naga had been defeated.

"WHY ARE YOU SO WORRIED, CAPTAIN WEED?" Moo boomed. "IT DOESN'T MATTER; I SHALL GO AND KILL THOSE EIGHT WHO OPPOSE ME. SOON I WILL TAKE COMPLETE CONTROL OVER THIS WORLD!" He laughed again and exited the room, not knowing Pixie had been spying on him. Her eyes wide, expression serious, Pixie quickly flew off.

"C'mon, Blue!" She exclaimed to her ice rock Golem companion. "We've got to get to Genki and his friends. Quick."

"What is wrong Master Pixie?" Big Blue asked as he ran to catch up with her.

"It happened." Pixie replied. Big Blue was aghast.

"Y-you don't mean---" he stuttered.

"Yeah."

"We've gotta move it then!"

"Yes. Especially since Moo is going after them right now. And he's fast. We have to reach them before Moo does. Or it's all over." Pixie replied, flying faster. Big Blue ran after her as fast as his stone legs could carry him, hoping along with his master that they would reach their rebel friends in time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ha! He looks like a mummy!" Suezo laughed, pointing his tongue at Genki. Genki grumbled some scrambled disgruntled comments.

"Leave me alone Suezo," he finally said clearly. Suezo bit his lip.

"I-I'm sorry…it's j-just t-that…." Suezo bust out with laughter, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Meanie," Genki grumbled. Holly sighed.

"Suezo, please knock it off," she said exasperated. Suezo tried his best to calm down. "And Genki does not look like a mummy," she added as Suezo fell over, giggling.

"I'm sorry Genki, I don't know what to do with him," Holly told the boy.

"It's okay Holly, Suezo's sorta right. I mean, I am almost completely covered from head to toe in bandages." Genki replied, glanced at his wrapped-up limbs and chest and tapping the gauze around his head. He sighed. "Man, I must be slowing everyone down,"

"Not at all," Tiger spoke up as Holly reprimanded a still laughing Suezo. "Genki, you get all the rest you need, we'll never leave you behind."

"Hai," Gray Wolf agreed. Genki smiled.

"Thanks guys,"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pixie looked right, then left.

"Hmm… this is the fourth town we've searched," She muttered to Big Blue, "where could they be?"

"Master Pixie! Over here!" Big Blue called. Pixie flapped over to him.

"What is it Blue?" she asked. Big Blue pointed forward.

"It's Genki and his friends," he replied as Pixie looked to see. The rebels were walking out of an Inn, Genki's head and arms covered in bandages.

"Genki!" Pixie called, flying over to him. Genki turned his head towards her direction.

"Hey, Pixie!" He exclaimed, smiling. "Long time no see!"

"Hey Genki." Pixie greeted flatly as Blue lumbered over. "But I'm not much in the mood for warm greetings. Listen you guys, I have come here to tell you guys something important, and to warn you,"

"What's wrong?" Holly asked worriedly.

"It's Moo," Pixie replied, "He's merged with his body."

"WHAT?!" The rebels exclaimed.

"It's true," Pixie replied. "And word has reached him that Naga has been defeated. So now he's coming after you guys….you're lucky Blue and I got here before he did."

"Moo's after us now?" Hare exclaimed. "B-but we're not ready! Genki especially! He still needs bit more time healing from his battle with Naga!"

"Guys, it's all right," Genki spoke up. He turned to Pixie. "Is there possibly any place we can hide until we're all ready to battle Moo?" Pixie shrugged.

"I'm not sure. There should be some woods north of here, but Moo could find us fairly easily. Not the best place to hide." She replied, looking around. "But then again, we'll have better chances here then in this town." Genki nodded.

"Right. Well, then, I guess we go into the forest then. C'mon guys, let's go." He rollerbladed forward, Mocchi and Holly running after him. Pixie looked up at Big Blue as the other rebels ran off.

"I guess we go along with them Big Blue," Pixie said, "after all, I think it's obvious whose side we're on now," Big Blue smiled.

"Right," He nodded. "Let's go." The two of them went to catch up with their friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Y-y -ou d-d-did-n-n-n-t-t-t m-m-men-t-t-tion-n-n I-t-it b-b-be-ing t-this f-far n-n-north, P-p-pixie," Genki stuttered, wrapping his cloak tight around himself.

"Well, it is a bit close to where Moo found his body, so it's the last place he's likely to look right now," she replied. Mocchi shivered.

"Mocchi cold," he said.

"You're not the only one," Hare grumbled.

"Aw, quite whining, it's getting on my nerves," Tiger growled.

"Who's whining?" Hare growled back.

"YOU ARE!" Tiger snarled.

"ARE NOT!"

"LISTEN HERE YOU DUMB BUNNY---"

"Knock it off you two!" Holly exclaimed. "We've got enough to worry about, and your fighting isn't helping!" Tiger and Hare closed their mouths but gave each other death looks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"ARGGH!!! WHERE ARE THOSE REBELS?!" Moo fumed. He landed on the ground, frustrated. "THAT'S IT!!! INFERNO!!!!" Moo burnt down every single tree and plant nearby, clearing the way. Moo scanned the area.

"hmm…NOT HERE….BUT I'LL FIND THEM SOON!" Moo spread his wings and flew off, burning everything below him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Huh? What's that?" Suezo mumbled, hopping over to get a better look.

"What izzit Suezo?" Genki asked as he and the others came over.

"I don't know, but it sure is weird," Suezo replied, pointing down. The group looked down to see a pair of Magma Hearts guarding the entrance to a cave. Hare scratched his head.

"Now what are those two doing down there by a cave?" He asked. "The don't look like badies…"

"I'm gonna check it out!" Genki exclaimed, rollerblading down the incline towards the cave.

"Genki, wait a minute!" Holly exclaimed. Genki ignored her and came closer to the Magma Hearts. Holly sighed. "He never listens!"

"Let's go!" Tiger exclaimed, running after Genki with the other monsters. Holly sighed again and ran to catch up with her friends.

Genki skidded to a stop in front of the Dragon hybrids. The larger one with a long scar across his snout, eyed Genki suspiciously.

"What are you doing here, human?" he snapped.

"Well, it is a bit curious to see a couple of Magma Hearts in the middle of a frozen nowhere," Genki replied as his friends came up behind him.

"What are you guys doing here anyway?" Pixie asked. The smaller Magma Heart rolled his eyes.

"Great," he mumbled, "more of 'em…" Suddenly, his eyes came to a stop at Holly's Magic Stone. His eyes widened as he elbowed his partner, who grunted.

"What is it, Igneous ?" the scared Magma Heart grumbled.

"Look at that Volcani," Igneous whispered, pointing to Holly's stone. Volcani blinked a couple of times. Then he whispered back to his friend.

"And the boy has clear eyes…"

"Yes…." Igneous looked at Genki.

"You have clear eyes," he stated as Genki blinked.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" He grumbled, sweating

"Uhh…." Volcani leaned down his head to Holly, who sweated a bit in fear. "Excuse me, miss, but does that stone belong to you?"

"Y-yes," Holly stuttered.

"And are you able to use it?"

"H-hai."

Volcani smiled..

"Finally!" He exclaimed happily to Igneous. "The one with the Magic Stone has come!"

"Hai, and so has the one with the clear eyes!" Igneous replied, nodding. The rebels sweated and blinked.

"Um, could you mind explaining?" Suezo asked.

"Of course!" Volcani retorted, smiling. "Igneous and I guard the entrance to this cave." He looked up at the mountain right behind them, then back at the rebels. "The cave leads to a long since inactive volcano,"

"So what's the point in guarding it?" Hare asked. Igneous smiled.

"Well, Volcani and I," he said, puffing out his chest proudly, "happen to guard the entrance because inside the volcano is the Phoenix's Mystery Disk!"

"WHA?" The rebels exclaimed.

"Wait minute," Hare said skeptically, "are you trying to pull a fast one on us?"

"Not at all!" Volcani exclaimed. "Why, Igneous and I have been guarding this very spot for the last one thousand years!"

"Monsters don't live that long!" Suezo grumbled.

"Well, we do," Igneous stated. "We were given the job of guarding this place until the humans with the Magic Stone and clear eyes came along. Trust me, a millennium of standing out in the snow, doing nothing, can be really boring."

"What's inside the volcano, chi?" Mocchi asked.

"A lot of danger and challenges," Igneous replied. "It is hard to get to the Disk, your skill, strength, and courage will all be put to the test."

"I want to see the Phoenix's Disk for myself!" Hare said, still not quite believing. Volcani shook his head.

"Sorry, but only humans may enter. They are not allowed to have a monster's aide." He said.

"WHAT? THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Tiger boomed. "WHAT'S WITH THAT?" Volcani shrugged.

"Sorry, I don't make the rules, I just enforce them."

"WHY I--" Holly stopped Tiger.

"Calm down Tiger," she said, "I'll be fine."

"But Holly…" Tiger began. "What if it isn't the Phoenix?"

"It's worth a shot," Holly replied. Tiger smiled.

"All right." Holly stepped up to the Magma Hearts.

"May I pass?" she asked. Volcani smiled.

"Go on ahead," he said, moving aside to allow her in. Holly started into the cave."

"Holly, wait!"

"Holly turned around. Genki stood behind her, smiling.

"You're not going in there alone," he said. "I'm coming with ya." Holly smiled.

"Genki…." She said, eyes wavering.

"HEY! No fair! How come he gets to go in and we don't?" Suezo snapped.

"I said MONSTERS couldn't go in," Volcani retorted. "and, the boy's a human, am I not correct?" Suezo grumbled as Igneous stuck his head in the entrance for one last word.

"Oh1 and when you find the Disk, run! And I mean, fast!" He called out the Holly and Genki just before they fell out of earshot. Holly looked at Genki uneasily.

"What did he mean by that?" She asked her male companion.

"I dunno," Genki replied. "I guess we'll find out when the time comes. But until then, let's go!" He laughed and rollerbladed ahead of Holly.

"Genki! Wait! It may be dangerous up ahead!" She exclaimed.

"Don't worry Holly, I--WHOA!!!!!!!" Genki sweated and skidded to a halt, Holly right behind him. The two of them looked down to see a fifty-foot drop into a bubbling lava pit.

"Man, that's a long drop," Genki stated.

"Something tells me we're going to have quite a time finding that Mystery Disk," Holly said. Genki nodded in agreement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gomen, minna-san, but that's all for now. I know Genki didn't really get hurt in this, even though I said he would. I changed my mind about it. Save your Kleenex though, Lys, because in the next part, maybe a little Genki torture...but the part after that, the last one, OH BOY!!! (Evil face) Tell me what you think, and I'll get the part up ASAP! Holly-chan, over and out.