Search By Macrossgrn

Chapter 1:
Back to the Monster World

"Ah man!  Why can't I get 'er to learn Fire Breath?" a somewhat whining voice went, as the young man stared at the TV screen.  On the screen itself was a Janne, who was going through a Jungle of some sort.  She'd just gotten past a part where a Gorilla was trying to find her.  She passed that easily.  After all, the little journey had been through a territory that made a monster rely on intellect rather than brute strength.  "C'mon, Janne... I gotta get that Tech!" the voice went again.  The boy playing the game looked to be about 15 years old.  Short, dirty brown hair was hidden underneath a baseball cap that was on backwards.  Nearby and on his bed, a pair of black, sleek rollerblades rested.  His backpack, full of who knows what (actually, there was a flashlight, some papers, and a pair of clean gym clothes inside), lay within easy reach, right against the chair he sat on.  His shirt had a red and black logo which had four lines curving upwards, and another four curving downwards.  The lines never touched one another, but did move in toward the middle of the shirt, where they stopped short of actually connecting.

 With both hands busy playing on the controller, the kid laid back into the chair a little, sighing rather harshly.  In this game, the Phoenix was a legendary monster.  However, in this game, a Phoenix was very easy to get.  Combine one monster and another, along with a certain item and poof!  Ready-made Phoenix!  "Too bad it wasn't really like that..." he said to himself, closing his eyes. 

The moment was vivid in his mind.  The power that coursed from him was not that of the Phoenix... but that of the energy of 6 beings- Mocchi, the little pink monster with a huge heart.  Golem, the gentle rock-giant.  Hare, the calculating, but ultimately friendly giant rabbit.  Suezo, the manipulative eyeball... not to mention constantly sore.  And Tiger, the stubborn pack-leader.  Then there was Genki.  Energy in its purest form.  Genki's energy was friendship.  It came to him from his friends, and his love for monsters.  But the energy not only came from him and his friends.  It didn't come from just their courage alone.  Monsters and humans from all over the Monster World lent him their energy.  It had to be done, to save the Monster World.  The five monsters he had grown to love as family simply vanished, coalesced into the purest energy that was needed to create the fiery bird known as the Phoenix.

  He knew, when he had come back to Earth, there was no way to return.  The Phoenix had done its job- It and Moo had canceled each other out.  Genki had been blown from the Monster World back to a rainy day upon Earth.  There were only two others left from his journey, only two who might have survived the aftermath of the end of Moo's war.  These two had been among his closest friends in any world.  There was the gentle, yet knife-carrying girl, who had turned 15 during their journey.  Holly was her name.  He had met her when he first arrived in the Monster World.  She with her monster friend Suezo had been running from a group of Black Dinos when they had met.  A smile lit upon the face of the boy who remembered this.

The other was a monster who was not quite the same person he had met so long ago.  He had met Pixie during his group's attempts to save a bunch of humans from slavery.  He had slapped her in an effort to make a point.  Wasn't a promise worth anything anymore?  The slap wasn't hard... at least, not the one that Genki had given her.  The fall down the cliff nearby, however, had hurt much, much more.  Pixie, however, felt more from the slap than anyone else probably would have.  Before too long, Pixie was on his side.  She brought her best, and possibly her only friend for a very long time, Big Blue, with her.  Then, an unfortunate event happened.  Pixie was dying.  To save her, Big Blue sacrificed himself, having himself fused with Pixie to save Pixie's life at his expense.  Pixie was fused with Big Blue, turning Pixie into Granity in the end.

Opening his eyes, Genki looked to the TV screen and saved the game.  It took a moment to do so as the game file overwrote the existing one, but it was soon done.  Turning the game off, he again went over the facts (as he knew it) that there were for getting into the Monster World.  The game CD he had received in the mail after winning the Monster Battle tournament seemed to be the key, he thought.  The TV was soon turned off as well, and he closed his eyes once more to review what he knew.  According to the Phoenix, when it had split into five mystery disks, there were four in the Monster World... and one was sent to Earth.  That disk, when he opened the package it was in one fateful day, was put directly into the Playstation.  He had watched the opening scenes, and then followed through the menu until it got to the shrine.  When another CD was prompted, to give him the first monster that he would create on this game, he quickly switched CDs.  As he put the original disc back in, the screen began to swirl, and he had been sucked, head first, along with all sorts of other things (including his original Playstation) into the Monster World.

Mocchi had been the resulting monster from that CD, when he had managed to unlock him.  Was Mocchi the key to unlocking the gate from Earth to the Monster World?  Could it possibly be something like that?  Genki's eyes opened quickly, and he grinned.  The Phoenix had been split into five parts before.  Though he hadn't been around at the end of the battle to see what became of the Phoenix entirely, could it be possible that there was some way to get back?  Surely the barrier between the worlds, which had been burned through before, had been weakened enough to allow him access through once again!

And as the one who managed to fuse, with the help of others, five monsters into one, was there no way to return to that ideal world?  "There has to be a way..." he told himself, and then he began packing once again.  It was summer now, and he was too young to get a job now.  No one in America would hire a 15-year old kid.  He'd moved here with his family just two years ago, a year after he showed up back on Earth.  He had very few friends here, in this gloomy state.  It rained a lot, and he was left with very few outlets to vent his energy.  It had grown along with him over the years.  And now, with so much extra energy... he was sure he could at least make some progress into getting back to his home away from home.  He had been readying himself for an opportunity to get back for the past three years now...  "I will go back.  Soon!" he told himself, and he grinned.  There was very little for him here.  Only his family... and that seemed to be breaking apart.  He hadn't seen his father for a long time- he was always away on a business trip.  His mother was often cooking or cleaning or something... but neither had really been able to bond with him the way that the Monster World had.

Genki blinked as he finally thought of something, though.  There might be a small problem with his plan.  There were only two beings in that world, he realized, that he could consider close enough to be family.  Holly and Pixie.  Though both were in the Monster world, they were really his only friends now.  He was nice enough, and well liked in school... but hey, those people only liked him for what he could do in sports.  His extra energy was put to good use in basketball, and baseball... and wrestling!  His fighting techniques that he'd learned in the Monster World had been put to good use in amateur wrestling at his 'Junior High School.'  But was it worth it to leave his world and family behind, to live in his dreamland?  Even as he asked himself that question, he knew the answer to it- Yes!

"Now... how do I get back?" He asked aloud, sighing a little afterwards as he considered the possibilities.  Could he manage to fuse a bridge, as it were, from where he was to the Monster World?  Even a one way bridge?  Maybe he should start searching on the Internet for a new 200X CD game.  No... that one was impossible.  The game manufacturers had altered them all, after the first one that he had received.  Monster Rancher 2 had been the next game to come out, and developers claimed that the 200X CD had been a mistake, or at least a demo version of MR 2.  There were no extra copies of the 200X CD anymore.  He had looked everywhere he could.  Called anyone he could.  The same answer had been told to him- They don't have it, it was never released... something along those lines.

Finally, he nodded to himself.  Mind over matter, right?  The only real chance he had was to get everything he needed, pack it all together, and give the best shot he could give in order to take the leap from Earth to the Monster World.  Taking that in mind, Genki grinned, and emptied out his backpack.  On second thought, he noticed, as he saw the broken down thing, he shook his head.  "Time for a new one!" he said to himself, and he walked over to the nearby closet.  Inside was one of the big camping packs that his family would use when they went tent camping.  It already had an ultra-light sleeping bag hooked onto it, and he started putting things into the pack.  A change of clothes, some CDs... the flashlight with some extra batteries.  Genki raced around the room in a hurry, putting everything he could think that he'd need into the pack.  Old clothes that could get him some money if he sold them, a few valuables... including the old wind-up watch that had been left o him by his late grandfather.

10 minutes later, he was almost finished.  All he had left was to tie his rollerblades onto the pack, and then he'd take his chance.  There!  With a final twist of the shoelaces, he was done.  Sliding first one strap, and then the other, over his shoulders, he hefted the weight.  It wasn't too much... though, it would take some getting used to. With a push of two buttons, the TV, and the Playstation, flickered back to life.  More than likely, if he duplicated what he had done three years ago as best he can... it might make it easier to cross over.  Standing ever closer to the TV, he touched the screen carefully.  Nothing.  The screen was still there, and as solid as it should be.  He sighed.  And then grinned.  Then, finally, he began to concentrate.  On his friends, both living and gone.  On the monsters with whom he had created the Phoenix.  On the Phoenix itself.  The Phoenix may have been gone... but the residual energy currents remained, even after 3 years.  It was connected to him... As far as he could tell, no others had ever been to the Monster World.

Suddenly, something snapped.  Instead of looking around, Genki closed his eyes immediately.  Concentrating hard on what he wanted... no, needed to do, he could feel some energy begin to build within him.  The barriers, he could tell, were still rather strong.  The walls between worlds was still rather thick.  But, the energy he could sense from what had brought him back remained intact.  Using his still building energy, he carefully extended his reach along the tendril of energy, trying to source it back to the Monster World.  Other worlds surrounded Earth, this he could tell easily. He had to follow this strand... there!  Genki unconscious smiled victoriously.  He had found the Monster World!  Unknown to him, his form had developed an aura that had surrounded his entire body, along with what he wore.  His form itself had begun to flicker, as if he was about to disappear.  Feeling more energy within him, Genki released some into a focused line, like a rope of sorts, that he tied around himself.  Carefully, building up more and more power, he began to send himself through the newly formed vortex tunnel.  He felt as if he was actually traveling to the world now!  There was no weight on him, only the wind that rushed past him.  'This is it,' he thought, as he watched the monster world grow large before him.  Suddenly, he hit a barrier.  Nothing would stop him now.

With a lunging punch, the invisible barrier buckled under his energy-enhanced strength.  Mental energy though it was, his physical form was lending him extra power now.  Little did he know that he was no longer in possession of a physical form back on Earth.  The energy he had expended had taken his Earthly physical body's energy, and now, until he got to where he was going, he was stuck in the mental planes of existence.  Several more barriers were smashed as he rushed toward the rapidly approaching world.  With a thud, however, he found himself smack against the strongest barrier.  This one was very strong... and Genki knew just how to deal with it.  Gathering a burst of extra energy, Genki flashed the power toward the barrier before him, and it punched a hole straight through.  Verbal communication was unnecessary, as there wasn't really any noise in this plane.  With a kick off, however, Genki flashed through the opening, grinning wildly, as he was rushed down through another vortex.  He blacked out, just as he was thinking 'I'm here!'

Chapter Two

A Chance Meeting

Groaning a little, the brown haired boy slowly stirred. Lying on his back, he rested for a moment- he felt a little weak, the world was dark… and then he opened his eyes. The sky was bright and the sun shone through the light cloud cover that existed to try and block its rays. As soon as he had opened his eyes, a smile came to his face. It was slow in coming, but after only a few seconds, he was laughing to himself. He’d done it! He had managed to get himself back without any help! It had been so long since he last breathed in such fresh air. Genki took a few deep breaths before sitting up, and then standing up. It seemed that everything survived the transfer to this world, he thought, as he looked to the supplies that had somehow left his back and were on the ground now. His backpack, rollerblades, sleeping bag… yep, looks like everything was there. Sighing a little, he leaned down to pick up his belongings, and then to take a look around, to see if there were any familiar surroundings.

It had been several years… but still, Genki gasped in surprise. He was standing in the middle of a rather large clearing. The clearing was near a huge mountain, and in between him and the mountain, was a large shrine or something. It looked a lot like a monument. There were several statues… but Genki was still too far away to be able to see just what they were. This place seemed somehow familiar, he thought, as he began walking toward the large statues. He couldn’t place it, but this place was very familiar. "Why can’t I remember this place?" he asked himself, and he shrugged, deciding that it was all in his mind. A few moments passed, and Genki found himself much closer to the statues. A wind had picked up- a very, very cold wind, even though it seemed to be the middle of summer. Genki shivered, and then walked around one of the statues as he reached it. Chiseled and worn, it looked like the statues had been here for years. As the wind died down to a slight breeze, Genki took his hat off before walking in front of the statues. As he reached a good spot, he turned around slowly. And then he gasped.

In that spot were 6 statues of monsters. On either side of four of them, were two statues of Golems. One was a flat gray color- that one was on the left. The other was a combination of blue and white colors. In the middle were four other monsters that Genki could recognize. From the left to the right were a statue of a Tiger, looking ready to unleash his torpedo attack. Next was a Suezo, who seemed to be looking up to the sky. The Suezo had a knapsack behind its eyeball, which made it even more likely… The next statue was of a Hare. Its right paw was resting against its chin, even as the left supported the right’s elbow. It looked about ready to devise a plan, Genki could tell. Already, his eyes had begun to water, and he looked to the last one. It was smaller than the others. It was done out of a pale rock. It was of Mocchi. Genki sank to his knees, and then his hands hit the dirt as he looked down, his eyes filling with tears. This was a memorial to his friends, he thought.

"That is correct, young one… It has been several years since last you have been in this world." A voice from nearby said, and Genki looked up, and over toward the voice. That voice was familiar as well, he thought, even as his eyes lit up at the sight of a familiar face. Well, maybe face was too much to say, as Genki saw his own reflection. The black, obsidian-like wall of brick stood not too far away. It levitated about half a foot above the ground, and it wavered up and down every other moment. "M… Monol?" Genki asked tearfully, hoping that this was his friend from before the end of Moo. Before the Phoenix had been resurrected by five of the six heroic monsters that had a statue in their memory.

"Yes, Genki. I am Monol." The voice emanated from the mirror-like monster, and Genki smiled. Finally, a friend! Someone he could talk to, and find out about what had happened since he had last been here. Suddenly, the monster dipped to the right a bit. A snoring sound was emitted from the now sleeping monster, which caused Genki to shake his head. There was no loud mouth Suezo to wake him this time. No, this time, it was up to Genki to wake up the dozing Monol. "Monol, wake up!" he yelled annoyingly, his voice cracking once or twice from his volume. With a start, the monster woke up again, yawning. "Sorry about that… Anyway, Genki… Welcome back. Let me tell you a story…" he began, at which someone else stepped up near him.

This figure was human in appearance, wearing a cloak over his shoulders. In his right hand was a staff, and in his other, a scroll. The person himself drew the hood back down off his head, revealing reddish brown hair. His eyes were a hazel color, and he looked to Genki warmly. "Now, now, Monol, let’s get straight to the point. Sir Genki, I bid you welcome back to this world." The young man’s voice rang out, and Genki grinned slightly. "Thanks, but just call me Genki," he replied, to which the young man nodded. The young man couldn’t have been much more than 19… maybe 20.

"Genki, then. It has been about 3 years since last you were here. These statues were created to keep the memory of those events fresh in the minds of everyone, human and monster alike. These six monsters played an integral role in the battles against Moo, as well you know. The battle ended in a stalemate." The young man began, but saw the confusion on Genki’s face as he said the word stalemate. "Stalemate means a tie, Genki." Monol supplied, to which Genki sighed a little and smiled. "Yes… as I was saying, the Phoenix and Moo were evenly matched. They destroyed each other, rather than to keep struggling until the planet was destroyed." Genki’s face paled, and his eyes closed, as the memory of the struggle came to his mind, via the telepathic link with Monol.

A large, white explosion ensued as the two gigantic monsters collided. Both are suddenly gone, leaving the sky awash in energy as Genki is thrown off of Falcon, the powerful Pirate Dragon, and was soon gone from sight as both Holly and Granity yelled his name. The flashback was then gone, and Genki opened his eyes slowly once again. "Afterwards, Holly and Granity searched for you, but never were able to find you. They released many monsters, though, most of whom were monsters that you Searchers had defeated along your quest. Released from their evil ways, many of those monsters had you to thank, and many joined in the search. Alan, Horn, Jagged Hound, and many others searched the world for you, to no avail. After a year or so, Holly decided that you had gone back to your own world. Many of those you had met earlier in your journey traveled here, to Mount Kyrus. Here, it took only a few months to make the shrine to your friends. Because of how much Holly believed you were alive and somewhere else, no statue was made for you. And it looks like she was right." The young man said, chuckling a little at the end of his explanation.

"Where’s Holly? And Pixie?" Genki asks excitedly. He had only listened to some of what the man was saying, but now he was paying full attention. How could he find his friends again? That’s what he came here for, after all. He stepped toward Monol and the young man slowly, hoping that one of them would have the answer he is looking for. "Genki… No one knows where Holly is. And Granity has not been seen for the past year. She never believed you were completely gone, so she searches for you still." Monol explained, and Genki looked down slowly. His hands clenched into fists as he took several deep breaths. "Then… tell me where you last saw them! I need to find them!" he said slowly and quietly, then looked up to Monol and the other person, a strong look of determination in his eyes. The man smiled a little, and then nodded. "The last time anyone I know of has seen Holly was when she was on the Southern continent…You would do best to go there." He replied, and pointed the way Genki would need to go. Genki simply nodded, and then began taking off his shoes. Once they were off, on went his roller blades. With a snap and click from both ‘blades, he stood up carefully once again.

"Thanks! I’ll be sure to find them now! Monol, I’ll see you later! Thanks for the tip!" he shouted, and with that, he began heading off toward the south. His legs moving fast as he possibly can, Genki zoomed along on the ground, until he came up to a large rock that jutted from the soil. Using his built up speed, Genki locked his legs into position as he went up the rock-face quickly, and almost as quickly, was catapulted into the air, his right arm raised into the air as a "Yeah!" floated back to the two beings who stood near the statues still. As Genki fell back to earth, Monol turned to the young man beside him.

"You could have made it easier for him, you know…" the black mirror said, to which the young man chuckled softly before replying. "Very true, Monol. However, he needs time to orient on this world again." He ran a hand through his red hair slowly as the wind picked up once again, and then with both hands, he drew the hood over his head once more. Monol turned away to gaze out in the direction that Genki had skated off in, even as the wind grew a little more fierce, the human spoke again. "Besides, Genki has broken the bonds of balance by returning. Sometime, perhaps not now, or for a long time… But sometime, somehow, nature will regain its balance, as it always does. This world must be ready for when that happens."

By the time Monol turned to face the human again, he was gone.

Chapter 3

The Game Begins Again

By the time Monol turned to face the human again, he was gone. "Still… you should have told him that Holly thinks he is dead… and not gone." Monol said quietly. His words were lost to the winds of change that had begun to engulf the world. Monol himself went toward the Jill village, to tell his stories once more to those who were calm enough and interested enough to listen to him.

****

The next day, Genki was speeding on his way toward the south. His hyper-charged mindset on finding the last of his best friends, the miles had flown by. Groups of monsters stopped in the middle of what they were doing in order to watch this fast moving human. Those monsters were easily outdistanced and again, and Genki was quickly out of sight. His legs moved as if they were possessed, in long, fast strides that would take him as far as he can as fast as he can. Soon though, even his own energy began to wane, and he began to sweat. After an hour or so, he slowed down, and after another hour, he rested. It had been easier to run and travel when friends were with you, he thought, as he sat down on a large, flat rock. Without anyone to talk to or compete with, the time passed much, much slower than he remembered. Taking out a water bottle from his backpack, he took a drink from it and wiped his mouth. Screwing the cap back into place, he slipped it back into the pack and looked around. This area didn’t seem to bring back any memories…

A flash overtook his eyes and he closed them, letting an old memory resurface. It wasn’t one memory, but a collection of them. Giant, gentle Baku, who had been a friend of a boy who had looked much like Genki, who had defended them against the monster known as Chariot. The wise old Kato, under whose tutelage he and Mocchi managed to defeat the Tainted Cat Brothers, was next. Then there were several different adventures he’d had, flashing before him so fast that he couldn’t completely recognize them. Opening his eyes, Genki sighed a little and smiled. He and his friends had many adventures in this world… That was one of the things he liked most about this place. The adventures, the excitement, new friends... "That’s why I came back…" he told himself. Hopping off of the rock, Genki looked to the sky and smiled widely. Not a cloud in sight, and the sun was shining brightly. Forests to the sides, and open fields ahead. Not a single Baddie to worry about, and with the hope of finding his friends burning into his mind, he set off again. The tall grass whipped around and in front of him as he ‘bladed his way through the tall stalks like a scythe through wheat. Genki couldn’t help but to chuckle softly as he went along at a good speed, his body coursing along, almost as if he was skiing.

His mind wandered over the curves of the plains before him, and he smiled a little bit. No wonder he had begun to remember past events! These were the plains in which the Tainted Cat Brothers had attacked the group, and nearly defeated them all. If it hadn’t been for old Kato and his wisdom, none of them would likely have gotten much further. Smiling now, Genki remembered how he and Mocchi had managed to turn the tables on them, by wearing protective, wooden armor plates on their bodies. The Tainted Cat Brothers, lunging in for the final blow, found their claws stuck within the wooden panels as they counter attacked. Soon after, the Brothers turned on one another, and it was Kato who finally put an end to the fighting. "Peace at last…" he said to himself, and he smiled again. It had a nice sound to it.

Looking ahead to the forest that he was rapidly approaching, Genki smiled a bit. He didn’t have to take any detours, this time. That was pretty much the only good thing about traveling alone, it seemed. Though it was definitely lonely, he had plenty of time to concentrate on where he was going. Moving along at full speed, his arms and legs moved a bit quicker now, as he was eager to reach the forest and the relative safety of the trees, as compared to open ground.

****

Nearby, in the forest ahead of the young human, were several pairs of eyes. Their eyes glowed with a bit of red in the foliage as all the beings watched this lone boy. He would be an easy picking, the leader thought to itself. Though he doubted that the boy would have any valuables, his band could use anything they could get their hands on. Clothes, weapons, information… mystery disks. Mystery Disks were the best source of money. If they could get their hands on even one, the group would be fed well for at least a month. Silently, he flashed his hand forward, giving the others the signal to spread out. As soon as the boy entered the forest, the trap would be set. By the time the boy had gotten into the forest a little, the trap would be sprung. He only hoped that he had accurately gauged the boy’s speed… somehow, the human boy was moving very, very fast.

****

Genki had spotted the forest, and slowed down a bit. He smiled a little, remembering an old friend he had met there. Maybe they would meet again? Would the Baku even remember him? There was only one sure way to find out, he reasoned… and he grinned, spotting the path to the destroyed village. It had been overgrown in the past years, but he still recognized it. Moving now at full speed, coming down the hill carefully, he jumped over the bush that had begun to grow over the path. Landing in a crouch, Genki continued to skate on his way towards the village. The Phoenix had resurrected all monsters from their Lost Disks… and there had been many in that battlefield. Among them were two of importance to him- Baku, and Chariot. They defeated each other, but Baku survived long enough to drag itself back to the home of his one-time family. There, the Baku was lost to the world, until the coming of the Phoenix.

The Chariot had been one of Durahan’s henchmen. A Centaur with the sub-breed of a Durahan, he had been responsible for the destruction of that same very village, long ago. Strong, agile, but not all that bright it seemed, the Chariot did its master’s bidding as well as any could. Chariot had been given command of a troop of Evil Hares, and he did well as a commander. However, nothing could have surprised him more than the fact that it was not the Searchers who had defeated many of his troop, but the Baku whom he had shoved aside when he destroyed the village. The battle had been short and brutal, and the outcome was in Baku’s favor… for but a few moments.

Genki skated along, fully expecting something to find himself in the midst of a bustling village once more. Partially, if not completely restored. There was also the hope of finding Baku again, too. Perhaps there would be humans there, too- or at least, information on the whereabouts of Holly or even Pixie. At the very least, he was hoping for a little bit of shelter and food… Genki blinked a bit as he felt his stomach rumble. "Yeah, time for lunch," he told himself, and he smiled a bit as he continued on his way.

****

The beings that were to participate in the trap were now waiting impatiently. For some reason, however, the boy had not showed up where they expected. None of them knew this area well at all, but they did know that it was considered hallowed ground. There had been stories about how there had been, at one time, a village in the area. However, when these bandits had arrived, there was no village to be seen. They hadn’t searched the entire forest, true, but they had looked through much of it. The bridge that linked this forest with the southern plains provided the only touch of civilization that this area had.

The leader shook his head slowly. He had lost track of the boy as he had escaped along another route into the forest. How had he known of the ambush? Or was it blind luck? The bandit cursed his own luck, and then began walking toward the others of his team, to the positions that they had chosen for this ambush a only a day ago. Only, when he found the nearest position, there was no one there. The leader’s eyes widened a little bit in fear, and then crouched down quickly, carefully looking around the area. A sudden voice rang out, and then he fell to the ground with a loud thud, as sparks of electric power played along his form, effectively paralyzing him. His eyes closed before he could see who it had been who struck him, as he heard the movements of that same being who now stood over him. Then, he also heard nothing.

****

Genki soon arrived at the clearing, where the village had been. Shaking his head a little bit as he gazed upon the scene before him, he falls to his knees slowly. And then he smiled. All around, there was the busy scene of monsters and humans working together. Many were building new homes. Some could be seen chopping down wood for use as lumber and firewood. There were even small gardens that were tended to by children and younger monsters. In the air were a few Beaclons, who were giving some of the children a ride on their backs. There was no sign of a Baku around, however, and though that saddened him, he had no time to think about it, as several Datons and Purple Hares barred his way from out of nowhere. The Datons growled at Genki, even as the Purple Hares put up their paws, held in fists, as if to goad the young man into a fight. Genki simply stepped back a little bit and smiled gently, trying to disarm the monsters so that he wouldn’t be considered an enemy. "H…hey, hold on… I’m looking for Baku… is he here?" he asks carefully, and at that, the monsters before him actually relaxed a bit.

"You know Baku?" one of the Datons ask him, sizing the human boy up carefully. The others simply remained around him in a loose circle now. Genki nodded and smiled softly at that. "Yes… he saved us Searchers from Chariot, about… 3 years ago." He replied, to which the Purple Hares shook their heads. The Datons did the same thing. "3 years ago, he was turned into a lost disk…" one of the Purple Hares said now, holding his head in the palm of his hand. Its pose reminded him of his old friend’s thinking pose, way back when. "That’s right… he was turned into a Lost Disk, protecting me from that Chariot. I wanted to save him, but he was too far gone." Genki replied, his eyes beginning to tear up now as the memory resurfaced. The Baku had licked his hand… and then, was gone, until the Phoenix had been reborn.

The Daton who had spoken earlier then regarded Genki’s eyes, and then he gasped. "The child… with clear eyes!" he said slowly, at which the other Datons and Purple Hares simply stared at the boy. A hush went over the crowds that had gathered, mostly of humans and hares, but with some Tigers and Golems, as well as a Pixie or two. Genki quickly wiped the tears from his eyes before smiling softly. "My name is Genki, and I am looking for information on one of my old friends. Would anyone here know a girl named Holly?" he asks carefully, which causes the villagers to look at him, wide-eyed. Who hadn’t heard of the boy who brought the Phoenix to life? It had been but 3 years, but the stories had already become legends. A boy with clear eyes, by the name of Genki, had resurrected the Phoenix with the help of some of his friends. The boy was soon lost, after the Phoenix and the giant monster known as Moo had dissipated into thin air, creating the resurrection mist that had enveloped the planet, causing Lost Disks to turn back into monsters. The bad monsters had once again become good monsters, or at least, normal monsters, without the intense hatred of humans.

The stories had become fragmented, it was true… but the moral rang through them all. One human being, of only 12 years of age, had been the focal point of the War against Moo. With his courage and power, and with the help of those who had fought against Moo at one time or another, he had brought the Phoenix to life. He had disappeared from the world soon after, however, and left but two people who had become legends in their own rights. There was Pixie, who had been fused into a Granity when she was mortally wounded in the first real attack against Moo’s original body. She had once been a bad monster, and was brought back to the light by the boy with clear eyes. She survived the final battle, trying to catch the young boy as he fell from a Dragon’s back, but he had disappeared before she could even try to catch him. Then, there was Holly. A 15 year old girl who had journeyed with Genki, and against all odds, managed to survive the final battle as well, on the back of another Dragon. Rumor had it that the two were related, or, as even nastier rumors had it, they were lovers.

The villagers continued to stare in surprise at the young man, at which point a young child spoke up. "He looks like that boy in the picture in Baku’s house." At that, Genki nodded slowly, and smiled again. "That’s right… Baku protected me to the end, because I reminded him of his childhood friend."

The child, a young girl, smiled and grinned. Genki blinked in surprise as he looked to the girl, however, as he noticed that she had two small wings escaping from her back. She wore a simple tunic and breeches, which had to have had a hole within them in order to let her small tail out. She even had long, reddish-colored ears that extended from the sides of her head. The little girl was known as a Lepus… or a Mopsy. "I’ll take you to Baku’s house, Genki." She offered, and she flew forward to him with a smile, landing in front of him, between the Datons and Purple Hares, and extended a hand to him politely. Genki smiled and took her hand, following her as the young Lepus walked toward the old house that he would soon find to be Baku’s house.

****

A dark skinned hand moved away from the now rather cold body of a human. There were two lost disks and 2 more humans in the small clearing. Each human was lying on the ground, face down against the dirt. They would recover in a day or two, the being thought, even as its wings stretched out languidly. It had been rather satisfying, ambushing the would-be ambushers, and then dealing with them in a way only the being knew how. Stretching out slowly, the being then flapped its dark wings, and it flew quickly past the treetops. It had felt a strong source of power nearby, it thought, even as it had finished with that last human. Becoming curious, it flew out toward the village it had seen not too long ago, hidden within the forest and near a cliff. What would it find there, it wondered to itself. A somewhat evil smirk slid onto its lips, and then it laughed. Oh, what fun this would be!

Chapter 4

Hostage Rescue

Two beings sat on the floor of the old house. Nearby and against the wall, there was a picture of a family that neither had ever known. One was the little Lepus, and the other was Genki. Both, however, were eating some bread and fruit, which had been brought over by one of the Purple Hares. The hare was apparently the leader of the group, as he apologized for their actions against Genki as soon as they had noticed him. "Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s understandable." Genki had replied, and the two shook hands. A moment later, the Purple Hare had left, leaving Lepus and Genki alone with a basket full of food. Less than ten seconds later, Genki and the Lepus nodded to each other, grinned, and then started eating.

Now, however, both were still eating, but much more slowly now. Genki had begun packing some of the food away into his pack carefully. The Lepus had curled into a ball and was asleep now. As Genki glanced over to the young pixie sub-breed, he had to smile. She reminded him of Mocchi back when he had unlocked him. It seemed that she wasn’t much more than maybe 6 months old or so… not much more, given her size. Genki then looked up to the family portrait on the wall nearby, and he sighed gently. That kid sure did look like him, he thought once more, and he lay back onto the floor of Baku’s house. Which was a definite good thing, for a moment later, he was laughing as a large red tongue slid out from the muzzle of the Baku that was now pinning him to the ground. "Hey, Baku, cut it out!" he cried, still laughing wildly as the Baku’s tongue tickled him.

A giggle was heard nearby and both Genki and Baku turned to see Lepus awake, sitting up, and laughing. Genki just grinned, and got out from underneath Baku. "Good to see you too, boy." He says to Baku, looking up to the large canine before giving it a hug. "Did ya miss me?" he asked, patting the Baku’s snout carefully. In response, the Baku just gave Genki one solid slurp, and Genki laughed again. "I’d say that’s a yes, Genki." Lepus said, coming to her feet before jumping up, and with a flap of her wings, settling down onto the Baku’s back. Genki chuckled a little bit as he nodded in agreement up to her. "Well, let’s go for a walk." The young boy suggested, and Lepus nodded as all three began walking out of the house and into the forest.

****

That strong energy… it was much closer now, she thought, as the wind rushed by her. Thanks to the her power of draining life force, she could sense the stronger sources rather easily, even if she was a few miles away. And this one seemed strong enough to provide her enough energy for a month! Strangely, there were three others, almost as powerful life forces near the first. The weakest, though, made her smile, as her wings flapped in the air to keep her aloft. It was a child. In fact, it was a Pixie child, given the energy she could feel emanating from the monster. With a lick of her lips to moisten them, she grinned slowly as she came up with an idea. Oh, this would be fun!

****

Genki stepped out from behind a tree after a moment, and he walked on up to the two monsters that had been waiting for him. With a smile, they began walking along the path again, heading toward the bridge that led to the southern lands. Lepus jumped up from Baku’s back now, and flew down toward Genki. Looking back, Genki got the hint and broke off into a run as he laughed, almost daring Lepus to catch up with him. With a giggle, and several flaps of her wings, Lepus flew even faster toward him, her arms outstretched to try and catch him. Baku stepped up his pace as well, bounding after them both with large thuds along the ground. Suddenly, Genki stopped, and in so doing, caused Lepus to crash into him from behind. Baku stepped up to the two that had fallen to the ground, and looked to them, before looking ahead to the bridge and growling.

"Ow… You okay, Lepus?" Genki asks, looking back to the young pixie/hare hybrid. She responded with a weak nod and then she smiled softly in return, and then she looked fearfully ahead of them to the bridge. Genki turned to look toward the bridge, and he sighed a bit as he recognized the type of monsters waiting ahead of them. Suddenly, another monster landed ahead of them, and put its hands on its purple-skinned hips.

****

She could see its targets now, and the purple-skinned Pixie smiled. The strong energy was coming from the teenage boy, she could see. The child-pixie was actually the Lepus who had crashed into the boy’s back. Then there was that Baku there. She smirked to herself as she came in for a landing in front of the monsters that stood behind her. Spreading her wings a bit, she stretched carefully, enjoying the tense moment that she had created for the three beings before her. Her skin, wings, and clothes were a dark purple. The wings then folded behind her back as she glanced sharply to the two monsters and the human boy ahead of her. Smiling slowly, she saw the boy gasp and heard the Baku growl as they saw the other adornment upon her. It was a dark tan and brown insignia… and it had held a very special significance, only 3 years ago. It was the crest of Moo.

With a turn of her head, Allure looked to the monsters behind her. One was so large, he nearly blocked out the sky with his bulk. Armored and stronger than any boulder, this Golem sub-breed had been with her for about 5 years now. He was her best friend and confidant, and she knew that she could trust him with any task. The Battle Rocks had never failed a task that needed to be done. In the center of his chest was also a crest of Moo. On the Battle Rock’s shoulder perched a young pixie. Her name was Mia, and Allure resented her because of the young girl’s charm. Anyone that their band had met were almost instantly on Mia’s side, for some reason. The Battle Rocks had developed a bond with her as well, and it seemed almost as if the two were family.

The other two monsters made her grin before looking back to the human and his friends. These two also had the crests of Moo upon them. One was a Cabalos. That monster had, at one time, been one of Gray Wolf’s pack members, and was one of the few to have survived the razing given by Naga’s troops, so long ago. The other was a Clay, who wore the old ‘Captain’ helmet of the Jell troops. He had survived by fleeing the battle scene after the humans and Genki’s team had defeated Pixie and Big Blue. All of these monsters had eventually found their way to Allure, except for Mia, whom she had unlocked less than a year ago.

Finally, the Allure spoke to the stunned audience before her. "I want the one with the strong life force. Boy, give yourself up to me, and I will let your friends go free." She said simply, smiling as she awaited the boy’s answer. She was unaware of the gasp of recognition that was inhaled as the Clay and the Cabalos both recognized the boy, and they backed up a little bit. The Battle Rocks and Mia looked resigned as they watched the three beings that their leader had chosen for their targets.

****

"Hmm…" Genki thought to himself now, as he looked to the group of five beings. Smiling a little as he picked himself up slowly after Lepus stood up, he ran over the options. The Pixies and Cabalos were too fast for them to get away… Lepus was not strong or fast enough to escape when flying or on foot. Baku was fast, but he was too big. And without his source of power for his powerful energy blasts, Genki couldn’t be sure to knock out any of these Baddies. Then, with a grin, he noticed the two monsters who had backed away a little bit. He, however, was not afraid of either of them. Without more troops to back them up, the Cabalos and the Clay were not well trained or especially powerful. "Well, well… what is this? Some Baddies who managed to survived the end of the war? And two of ya seem to know me…" his eyes flashed dangerously for a moment as he chuckled softly.

Baku and Lepus looked to Genki, wondering if he had just gone mad. If there was to be a fight, it would likely by two against 5, as Lepus would not be able to stand up against even the Clay in a fight. Then they saw Genki’s aura surge. A golden glow surrounded him softly, and then grew brighter as Genki looked to the monsters before him. Allure seemed unfazed, but the two ex-members of the Moo armies had begun to shrink away. Mia and the Battle Rocks stood their ground, though, going so far as to even move to stand next to the purple-skinned Allure.

Genki was surprised at the energy he had begun to bring to himself. Three years ago, he could only gain this much power by drawing it from his friends as well. This time, he was doing it all by himself. Then, he remembered the classes he had taken to try and calm himself down three years ago. Meditation classes, as well as karate classes, had been instrumental in toning down his extreme amounts of energy. It had been the only way to help him keep in class- otherwise it would be so boring that he couldn’t stay sitting at the desk all day. Grinning now, he looked to the Allure dead-on. "Leave us be… or else, you will not survive this attack!" he explained to her seriously.

****

The Allure’s face flickered with indecision for a moment before she smiled once again. "Boy, you do not possess enough power to defeat me… You can definitely sustain me, though," was her reply, and at that, she swept up and into the air. As she reached 50ft in altitude, she changed her direction and dove down at the human boy. Mia did the same, going after the young Lepus, even as the Battle Rocks, Clay, and Cabalos lunged forward toward the Baku. Grinning to herself, Allure thought that the boy’s power surge was simply a show- surely, no human could use that much power effectively! All she had to do was tackle the boy and lay her hands on his bare skin. Then… she grinned even more now, as she darted in to the boy. Then, his life force would be hers!

Mia dove in at Lepus, and she had several thoughts going through her head. Did she really have to hurt this one? Lepus reminded her of herself when she was her age, not so long ago. Still, she gathered energy into her arms, and prepared to loose the power as she dove in at her. Why did Allure always make her do the bad things? She didn’t want to be bad… but, under threat of pain and punishment, she had no choice but to go along. She glanced to Battle Rocks and smiled as she saw him nearing the Baku. Hoping that he wouldn’t be hurt, Mia finally spoke. "Torpedo!" and with that, she sent a ray of energy surging straight towards the young Pixie.

Battle Rocks, though slow, soon met the Baku. Cabalos and Clay were flanking him, Clay on the right, Cabalos on the left, and then they spread out to attack the large canine monster. Quickly, the Clay lashed out with a whip attack against the Baku, causing the monster to flinch a little bit in pain at the strike. Cabalos charged forward, only to meet with empty air as the Battle Rocks stepped back in surprise, before being knocked down by the Baku’s own charge. With a near earthquake-inducing thud, the Golem sub-breed soon found itself on its back, with the Baku on top of him. It bounded off quickly though, knowing that its attack hadn’t dealt any major damage to the Battle Rocks. Baku glanced over to Genki, where he saw his old friend holding the energy he had gathered as the purple-pixie was about to reach him.

****

"I warned you…" Genki muttered, and then dropped some of the energy. The rest of it, however, was sent in an arc from his body toward the diving Allure. With a simple twist and tilt of her weight, she fell away from the attack, and then set herself back up as Genki’s energy attack dissipated in midair. Genki then turned to see how Lepus was doing, and he paled as he saw the light flash from the diving Mia toward his new friend. "Lepus! Watch out!" he cried, and then he ran and jumped toward her, tackling her out of the way of the blast. A sonic screech could be heard, and both Genki and Lepus turned to look to Baku, whose mouth was open and emitting a kind of sonic beam attack against the Cabalos.

"You okay, Lepus?" he asked quickly, looking toward the Mia and the Allure now, who were both hovering in the air above and ahead of them. He knew that they couldn’t win against these odds… "I’m okay, Genki. Thank you." She said softly, smiling to her savior before looking up to the young Mia overhead. Her facial expressions changed, and she flew up slightly before grinning a bit. Suddenly, she gained an aura around her as she raised her hands up to the sky. Energy poured into her hands from not only around her but seemingly from the sky itself as well. "Mega Ray!" she yelled, and arcs of powerful light expanded from her hands as she pointed her hands toward the Mia. The rays raced across the sky, and would have hit Mia if it weren’t for the Battle Rocks who jumped into the blast. Its eyes went wide as it crashed into the ground again, this time causing a small earthquake as it landed. The Mia, her eyes wide, immediately dropped down to check on the Battle Rocks.

Genki grinned a bit, and then his eyes went wide as he felt a pair of hands on his cheeks. Suddenly, he began to feel the energy leaving him, bit by bit. The card was right, he thought, as he felt his power leaving him. Allures do suck the life force from men. His eyes began to get heavy, and he felt himself getting weaker. Summoning what energy he could, he began to glow a soft golden color again, and he turned slowly to face the stunned Allure. He could see the surprise in her eyes, even as she kept her hands on his face. Genki gave a weak grin in response, and then managed to shake his head. Summoning more energy, his aura grew brighter and more powerful, causing the Allure to exert her own energy to keep her hands on his face.

"Bounder attack!" he yelled, the aura flaring up around him now. This time, Allure’s hands were thrown from his face and Genki rammed his head into her chest, a move reminiscent of the Double Bounder attack that he and Mocchi had, three years ago, performed against many monsters to serious effectiveness. Stepping back, he was gratified to see the Allure stagger back from the attack, and then she glared at him, before taking to the air. Genki’s aura vanished, and he staggered to his knees as he gasped for some air.

Suddenly, the sound of many footsteps could be heard. They came from the northwest, Genki thought, as he looked in the direction of the village. Sure enough, the village’s defenders, the Datons and the Purple Hares, had arrived. Spreading out carefully, they quickly managed to put themselves in key positions around the combatants. But, it was about to become too late.

****

Allure spread her wings as she took the air and smiled. She had never had to work this hard for a meal before, and she was enjoying this. That is, until, she was given a headbutt by that brat. Her eyes flashed a deep red as she developed a dark purple-red aura about her, energy sparking around her as she gazed to the boy before speaking. "You win for now, boy… but, we will be back!" She said harshly, and then exclaimed, "Big Bang!"

The large ball of energy was gathered in her palms quickly, and then was shot out toward Genki. He watched the ball of energy as it sailed towards him. He knew there was no escaping this attack- he had been up close to it when Pixie had first performed the attack. He threw an arm across his face just as he expected it to connect with him. He was completely disappointed, as a howl alerted him to the nearby presence of Baku. That sonic beam attack was employed once more against the Big Bang energy, but Baku’s attack was losing the battle. Baku stood before Genki, even as it battled against the power of the massive attack. Then, smoke and dust filled the area, and all was darkened for the next few moments.

When the dust settled and the air cleared, Genki stopped coughing and opened his eyes. The Baddies were nowhere to be seen, and the area around Genki was turned from a forest to a near-wasteland. Trees and plants had been uprooted and tossed about. But, there was one plant left, Genki saw, as he looked from the bottom of the stalk and worked his gaze upwards. And there, at the top, he gasped at the sight. "Baku!" he exclaimed softly, tears working into his eyes. His friend was a lost disk once more. Crying softly, he fell to his knees, and looked to the ground as his eyes closed, trying to stop the tears. He just was not able to stop, and so he sobbed for a while. Lepus had joined him, putting an arm around Genki’s shoulders, and she cried as well. The Datons and Purple Hares stared in disbelief at the sight of their most powerful warrior gone, and being grieved for by a newcomer and the young monster near the lost disk.

****

"What? Why didn’t you tell me this before, Cabalos?" the shrieking voice came, harsh and annoyed. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard from this Tiger sub-breed. Mia was taking care of the wounds that Battle Rocks had taken from that little Lepus’ very powerful attack, and she looked over to where Allure was ‘conversing’ with Cabalos. "There was no time, Mistress Allure. Captain Clay and I have seen that boy before… he is the boy with clear eyes! Genki!" the Cabalos exclaimed, at which point Captain Clay nodded in agreement, remembering the boy from several years ago. Allure simply shook her head. She had tasted the life force from the child with clear eyes! The one who had been instrumental in the battle against Moo, no less. This boy… he must be mine, she thought, and she flew away, laughing wildly as she savored the wind above their temporary camp. He must be mine!

Chapter 5
Memories

The sound of chisels, hammers, and metal striking against rock was most prevalent in the air.  When I looked up, I could see all manners of monsters and a few humans working on several large boulders.  There was a young brown-haired human standing off to the side, clutching a rather ornate dagger.  Next to her, and directing the monsters in charge of shaping one of the boulders, was a Pixie type monster.  However, she had stone gray wings, and armor all around her, marking her as a Granity- a Pixie/Golem type monster.

Stretching slowly, I realized, as I could almost feel my wings spread and my arms stretch back over and behind my head, I watched them, even before looking to the two whom I had known my whole life.  A smile lit up my face as I looked at them both.  Wait, I couldn't see them very well... one seemed to look like a human, while the other looked like some sort of Hare, I thought.  Suddenly, my eyes closed, and I couldn't see anymore.

****

Lepus awoke in the morning with a start, sitting up and gasping softly.  The sudden intake of breath startled Genki, who had begun to doze off himself.  He'd been standing guard almost all night, and was starting to get quite tired.  The last few days had been kinda hectic... not to mention nerve-racking.  Baku was gone.  Fried by that Allure's Big Bang attack, her power proved too much for Baku's ability to absorb it.  If it had been a physical attack, Baku could probably have absorbed it and then completely annihilated her in return.  Instead, Big Bang was a mental attack.  Baku, though it wasn't completely dumb or stupid, wasn't really the brightest monster ever created by the Pendant scientists in ancient times.  And without the ability to use its mind to absorb or at least deflect the attack somewhat, Baku had been, for the most part, helpless against the might of the energy sphere that had engulfed it, and then turned it into a Mystery Disk.

"Baku..." Genki said softly, and he sighed softly.  He had cried during his night watch, often, but quietly so as not to wake up Lepus.  She was young, even compared to him, and she needed her rest.  He had no more tears left to shed, he thought, as he stood up slowly and stretched.  There had been no fire to keep them warm that night- it had been warm enough without one.

  As he had stretched, he heard Lepus gasp a bit, and he looked back to her with the brightest smile he could manage.  "Good morning, Lepus.  Hungry?" he asked politely, yet somewhat rapidly, which helped to mask the pain he was feeling right now.  Losing a friend always hurt, and if that ever changed... It would never change, Genki told himself.  "No thank you, Genki... I'm not hungry right now." Lepus spoke softly, even as she began rolling up the blanket that she had brought with her.  They had been gone from the village for over 3 days now, and the pain of losing Baku still hurt her badly.  She'd never seen a monster turn into a Mystery Disk before.  She had heard of that happening many times, though, but had never seen it.

"Alright... I guess we're both kind of bummed out about Baku." Genki said quietly, and he sighed, walking over to where he had set his hiking pack against a tree.  Strangely, he hadn't been very hungry in the past few days either.  But to keep up appearances, he ate once in a while, if only to entice Lepus to eat as well.  She seemed to be rather distant of late, though... Ever since she had hit that strange looking Golem with her Mega Ray attack.  He had wondered if she was feeling well or not, but never brought it up.  With age came tact, it seemed, as he knew that in the past, he would come right on out and ask what was bothering her.

"Well, we should get going then I think.  We have a long ways to go..." Genki exclaimed, and smiled to Lepus, who had packed her blankets into a small pack that she carried and was walking toward him slowly, smiling softly.  She may seem fine... but, her eyes are distant, Genki thought to himself as he watched her, and he shrugged a bit.  The shrug was masked as a shift of the weight that was placed on his shoulders as a direct result of the hiking pack he wore.  Lepus nodded, and then took to the air as Genki strapped his rollerblades on tight to his feet, and scooted off after her.

****

Sunlight spilled over a large hill finally as a lone figure with a cane could be seen coming out from a tent.  The human figure stretched slowly as he woke up, and his head tilted toward the sky.  However, this human saw not the sky, but a void of black.  A sound of cloth in the air met his ears, and the human turned to face the newcomer behind him with a smile.  "Gara, so you are awake now.  Did you sleep well?" the human asked politely, listening for the monster's approach.  He was not disappointed, as the Gara draped over him like the cloak that it was.  "I slept well, Gary... But, we have much to do today.  Let us get breakfast before we begin, okay?" the somewhat deep voice spoke up, even as the face of the monster looked around the clearing.  Several other tents, of varying sizes, were also occupying the same clearing behind the hill.  All of them held sleeping monsters within them.  The Gali-like monster would have smiled... if its face would allow it to, that is.

"Yes... breakfast before business," the human agreed, and he smiled a little, following his nose toward the tent he had walked from, picking up the scent of fruit and bread.  The sound of wings and a steady thud along the ground signaled the approach of some newcomers, and when an alarm was not raised, Gary continued on his way.  "I will be with you in a moment, Gary." Gara said, even as it floated away from the human and toward the beings that had arrived in the camp.  Gara floated effortlessly over to the several beings that were now resting in the middle of the clearing.  The apparent leader of the group smirked at the Gali-like monster, and then nodded to him in respect.  "Gara, we have some information I think you will find most interesting..." the voice said, full of cunning and energy.  Gara simply floated closer to the Allure, anxious to hear what this Pixie/Naga had to say.  "Then report, Allure" Gara commanded, and listened intently to what she had to say.

The rag-tag troops in her command rested as the report was being given.  Battle Rocks, still a little hurt by the massive psychic attack that the little Lepus had leveled against it a few days ago, lay on its back, with little Mia perched on his chest while relaxing.  Cabalos and 'Captain' Clay lay on the grass, getting some sleep finally.  Allure had pushed them all for the past 2 days so that they could make this report to their superiors.  Finally though, they would be allowed to rest.

"Alright, Allure... You and your team may relax.  I have just the team to deal with those two." Gara replies, dismissing the Pixie/Naga as it turns around and heads back to the tent.  On the way, a single purebred tiger steps up to Gara, and receives its orders from the Gali.  With a simple nod, the Tiger about-faced and ran off in the direction of one of their army's outposts which was not too far from here.  From the information given to Gara by Allure, he knew that the two pests would likely make their way to a certain lake, so that they could replenish their water supply.  At that same lake were three monsters that would be sure to stop them in their tracks.  Still... the Gara considered the possibility of their survival.  The fact that the boy with clear eyes was one of the two spoke well for the pair, and that little Pixie's powerful attack might prove overwhelming for the three monsters at the lake.  Keeping its thoughts to itself as always, it floated back to the tent to eat and strategize.

****

"Thanks a lot!  It was good doing business with you!  Good luck on your journey!" Genki exclaimed, waving to the travelers whom they had met a while ago.  In Genki's hand was a small bag of gold coins, and in his hiking pack, less items.  Genki and Lepus met some traveling merchants, and Genki managed to convince them to buy his old clothing and a few other items.  In return, they receive a map of the area, which extended from just south of Mt. Kyrus all the way to the ocean to the south.  Genki unraveled the map now, holding it up in both hands before looking at it.  He could tell that it was similar to the map that Horn had given the Searchers three years ago, if a little less complete.  Not everyone had access to an ocean-going vessel in these days, and without one of those or an Iron Bird, maps tended to be somewhat incomplete.

Still, Genki grinned as he noticed a small lake that was not too far from their position right now.  He remembered the time that he'd had there three years ago but that memory wasn't really the best of them. He had nearly drowned then, and was only saved by one of his friends as they battled with a powerful monster, one of Moo's minions.  Still, it didn't help when... Genki shook his head a little, and then rolled the map up into a scroll again before slipping it back into his hiking pack easily.  Looking up to where Lepus was hovering above him and to his right, he grinned a bit, and wiped his nose a little before saying anything.  "Come on, Lepus.  I know a great place to rest for a while.  Follow me!"

Lepus watched Genki as he leapt out ahead on his rolling shoes (rollerblades, he insisted, but rolling shoes were what they looked like to her) and she smiled slowly.  Grinning to herself, she sped after him, knowing that this was going to turn into a race between them.  Who would be faster?  A flying Pixie or a ground-bound human with rolling shoes?  With a laugh, Lepus flapped her feathery wings several times, determined to pass up Genki, who was still moving quickly over a field, toward a forested area.  Genki heard her laugh, and he laughed as well, breathing steadily as he pumped his legs along the ground quicker now as they raced.  Laughter filled the air as both beings continued on their way to a certain lake.

****

A Tiger sped away quickly from the three figures who stood at the edge of a body of water.  Two of them were Hares- the first was pink and white, while the other was black and dark gray in color.  Both, however, had blue eyes, instead of the beady black that most Hares had.  The one on the left was a Fairy Hare.  The one on the right was an Evil Hare, and thanks to its coloring, it certainly looked the part.  The one in the middle was no Hare, however.  Far from it.  The being in the middle rose as if a part of the lake itself.  Lightly blue skinned, dark blue, almost purple hair reached down to the middle of its back.  She was known as an Undine.  As such, she was the 'commander' for this small region near the lake.  Turning to the two hares, she smiled a bit.  "Well now... it seems that we are to have company.  Is everything ready for an ambush, Fae?" the Undine asked in her sweet voice.

"Yes, everything and everyone are in place for the ambush, Master Undine," the Fairy Hare replied.  She hopped once, to get the tenseness in her legs out.  The Evil Hare who stood nearby simply grinned a bit.  "This should be fun!" he exclaimed, which made the Fairy Hare look over at him sternly.  "Are you kidding?  We just have to capture these guys, so don't get carried away.  It's easier to destroy instead of capture, and even you should know that, Evan." Fae sighed softly after saying that and shook her head, even as Evan relaxed a bit, looking a bit crestfallen by the small speech.  "Sorry sis... but, you know how I am when it comes to fighting."

Undine simply shook her head a bit before smiling slowly.  "It doesn't matter.  We have perhaps an hour or so before those two make it here, and I want to be ready." She said in her clear voice.  Fae and Evan turned and saluted the Undine before going off in different directions to check on the traps and such.  Undine, however, slid back into the water of the lake, and sighed.  The boy that the Tiger had described seemed somewhat familiar to her...  but why?  She simply couldn't remember why the boy seemed familiar, from the description given to her, but that was fine.  She wasn't about to remember it anytime soon... Perhaps she should simply wait until she saw the boy herself.  Yes, that would likely jog her memory.

****

With a jump, Genki sailed into the air ahead of Lepus.  It had been a very tight race, with both of them going neck and neck for the past half-hour or so.  It had taken Lepus a very long time to actually catch up with him, strangely.  Ah well, she was young, and would likely get much, much faster before long.  After this, Genki thought, he doubted that he could keep up with her instead.  This had reminded him somewhat of the training one would give a monster in the games he had back at home.  Still, as Genki slid to a stop before falling off the edge and into the lake, he looked back to see Lepus standing on the ground behind him, breathing hard.  Genki was doing the same- the whole trek to get here had taken a lot out of him.  Smiling, he dropped the hiking pack to the side and sat down tiredly.  Lepus simply sat down, and then lay back on the grass there, still struggling to regain her breath.  "Well... I win!" Genki exclaimed, and they both shared a quick laugh as they rested.

****

Little did the two know that they were being watched from behind the trees that surrounded the lake.  On one side of the two was Fae with her small troop- two Jells, and on the other was Evan with his small troop- two Worms.  In the lake was Undine.  Fae raised her hand slowly, as did Evan, at the exact same time.  Then, seeing how tired the two beings near the lake were, both Hares grinned slowly before lowering their hands toward their targets.  Swiftly, without too much noise, all six land-bound monsters stalked toward the human and pixie sub-type monster, intent on capturing them with the rope that they all had in order to do the job.  Undine, however, did nothing, as she was the back up in case the two targets somehow managed to avoid capture.

Suddenly, the human stood up, and walked over to the edge of the lake to gaze out and over it carefully.  With a grin, Fae pointed toward the Pixie.  Evan saw this, and he nodded in agreement.  She would go for the little pixie, and he would go after the human.  "Charge!" Evan yelled out, and all six monsters ran forward, toward their designated targets.  The Jells easily captured Lepus, who was still too tired to be able to move quickly.  Genki, however, managed to avoid the rolling worms as they attempted to wrap their ropes around him.  Fae and Evan stood back, watching this with some amusement.  "2 gold says that the human won't last another minute before getting captured, Fae," Evan said to his sister, who turned and grinned at him.  "You're on, Evan." She replied, and both watched on as the human boy managed to keep skillfully dodging and weaving past the worm's attacks.

With all eyes on the human and the worms trying to capture him, Undine watched as well.  The boy's movements seemed very similar to someone she had known for a short time, a long time ago.  Suddenly, she remembered.  Golem!  This boy was one of the original Searchers!  He was Golem's friend, Genki, she thought.  This gave her hope.  She hadn't seen Golem for a long time, and perhaps he knew where her soul mate was.  She had been trying to obtain information on what had happened at Mt. Kyrus for a long time now, but information on the whereabouts of a single Golem, a certain one, was very hard to come by.  With a whirlwind of water, she breached the surface of the water and looked at the worms.  "Not very fast, are they?" she commented, and then drew an arm back.  It turned from an arm into a whip of water, and she lashed it forward quickly, her arm extending like a Jell's arm, thanks to her power.

Fae and Evan gasped in surprise as the whip-like arm slashed into the Worms instead of the boy.  The worms were knocked away from him, and both ended up slamming into a tree, which knocked them unconscious.  The Jells un-wrapped their whip-like arms from the Pixie, who stumbled to the ground, breathing hard.  She had been nearly suffocating thanks to how tight the Jells arms were constricting her.  They then attacked the Undine, who easily swept them aside with a blast of water. One of the Jells, a little tougher than the average Jell, got up after the attack, and changed its form.  It turned into a Parabolic disk, with a stand behind it.  In the center of the disk was a glowing light, where it charged up its next attack.

****

After making sure that the two Hares were too stunned to pull off a fast attack on him, Genki looked at the Jell that was still standing.  The other had fallen into a puddle of Jell next to one of the worms.  Smiling up at the Undine in thanks, Genki glowed a bright white light, and then turned to face the one remaining Jell, who had by now begun charging its Parabola Beam attack.  "Energy cannon!" Genki exclaimed, as his arms outstretched in front of him.  Unlike the Energy strike attack where he used the energy of other monsters, he could feel his own energy building up slowly, before bursting like a dam from his outstretched hands.  A brilliant bluish-white light erupted from his hands in a ray-like attack, which he aimed at the Jell.  The Jell, who was about to loose its own attack on Undine, was hit dead center.  It crumpled into a puddle of its own spineless jell, the charge of its attack completely gone.  Losing his energy charge, he turns toward the two Hares to look at them.  However, they weren't there.  Instead, he could see the two monsters in the distance, making their way out of the forest.

Sighing a bit, Genki fell down and onto his butt as he rested.  Smiling a little, he looked back up to Undine, who he gave a thumbs-up to.  Lepus sighed as well, curling up into a ball to rest.  Undine simply smiled back before diving back into the lake. 

****

"Master Gara!  Those two defeated us!  Undine helped them for some reason!" Evan said, his breathing a little ragged as he attempted to give a report.  Fae was a few feet behind him, breathing even harder.  The monster known as Gara looked down at the Evil Hare and sighed a bit.  "It is alright... I have another plan for an ambush.  And this time, they will not escape it." He said, and looked back toward the only human in the camp.  This one had unlocked it, and for that, Gara was grateful.  The blind boy known as Gary rested in his bedroll, and Gara floated toward that same tent now.  Evan watched as Gara floated away, a bit surprised by the designs that decorated edges of its cloak.  A black mystery disk wove its way along the edges of the cloak, with many such disks in a rolling pattern upon it.  It was so strange, and at the same time, very disturbing.  "I want out..." Fae whispered to her brother.  Evan, startled by his sister whispering in his ear, looked to her, and nodded in agreement.  "Same here... I don't want to be in this army any more…”

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