Monster Rancher Fan Fiction ❯ When Destiny Calls ❯ Choices ( Chapter 6 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

When Destiny Calls

The Journey Begins: Choices

By Cale Kuecker (Ashertye@aol.com)

Summary: The searchers have come across the town of Rimulder, a lovely
little village with a dam, a river, and a beautiful meadow of flowers.
The baddies are there too, and Captain Evil Hare thinks he may have a
plan to clean up in Moo's army.

Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Rancher in any way shape or form. If
you try to sue me for using it, you'll get nothing but bus change. Do
not use this story without my permission and do not change it for the
same. Oh, and since I don't know all the names and attacks of the
monsters, I may have to make some up. Please read and review, but be
forewarned, any and all rude comments will be misread and warped to
whatever my imagination can come up with. Enjoy

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**

"You have choice, it may not be a good choice, but it is a choice."

-"Dangerous Minds."

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**

*Choices. That's all life really boils down to. Everything's a choice
we have to live with. Good, evil, it's all relative really. That's
about the most intelligent lesson I ever picked up from humans, and
then they turn around and give their power of choice over to another.
Well, I never said I could figure human's out any.*

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**

The day was bright and shining as the seven searchers walked out of
the forest. Genki and Moochi ran races with each other trying up and
down the path while Pink Eye and Gray Wolf bickered about
inconsequential matters. Joshua was too busy keeping an eye on the
children to pay them much mind. Golem trudged along, his eyes darting
back and forth between the road and the flowering plants.

*Maybe I'll take another journey after this one and see what other
types of flowers there are. Summer seems to be the perfect time for
this kind of thing,* Golem thought to himself.

"Hey Golem, you mind not jerking around so much, you're making the
trip bumpier than it really has to be," came a voice from the rock
giant's shoulder. Hare sat there, his nose in the book their latest
friend, Melonzo, had given them. Since the rabbit did have more
traveling experience that the others, Joshua had asked him to read the
book and try to decipher any clues it gave them as to where the
Phoenix could be.

"Sorry Hare. Are you having any luck with that book?"

"Not as much as I'd hoped. This thing covers places I didn't even know
existed. But if there's a clue here, I'll find it."

"Hey guys!" Genki called from on top of a hill, Moochi at his side.
"You gotta see this."

"Genki, what have I told you about moving so far ahead of the group.
It's too easy for you to get bushwhacked by some baddie out to make a
name for itself."

"Oh come on Josh, there's not a baddie around that could catch me on
these," Genki said, indicating his skates as he noticeably puffed up
with pride. Suddenly, the skates moved sending the boy flying backward
out of control. "AH!" Genki cried, startled at his sudden movement.
The other searchers immediately began to run forward to make sure
Genki had not injured himself. What they saw instead was that he had
tumbled into a very big field of wildflowers, which acted to cushion
the boy's fall. Giggling, Genki got to his feet and motioned for the
others to join him. Of course the first to react was Golem, who slowly
walked down, almost on tiptoe, so as not to crush the fragile plants.

"Hey do you hear that?" Gray Wolf said, pausing in his descent to
listen closely.

"What I don't hear anything," Pink Eye said, a little agitated at
being stopped in mid-hop.

"Quiet I hear it too," Hare said, a cupped paw to his ear. It wasn't
long before the sound reached everyone else's ears too, the clanging
of a bell from the nearby town. Several townspeople carrying farming
implements as crude weapons entered the field, angry looks on their
faces. Tiger, Hare, Pink Eye, Mocchi, and Genki got into their
fighting stances, while the others, unsure as to what was going on,
simply got ready for anything.

"If you hoodlums think you can steal our food, you've got another
think coming," the lead villager said, brandishing a pickax. The
others echoed this sentiment, threatening bodily harm if the searchers
came any closer to the village. It was all Gray Wolf could do to keep
from tearing would-be warriors apart for blocking him.

"We're not trying to steal your food, we're just passing through!"
Genki shouted back, more than a little insulted at being called a
thief.

"Oh yeah right, that's just what the followers of Moo would say."

"Wait a minute, we're not with Moo," Joshua said, showing off his
neck. "See no medallion. And there aren't any medallions on the rest
of my group."

"Hold on there, let me up front. Come on, move it ya big galoot," came
a voice from inside the mob as an old man made his way to the front.
The searchers all had to struggle to keep from bursting into laughter
at the sight of the old man, and even then a few giggles escaped Genki
and Mocchi's lips. The old man was incredibly thin and withered, his
arms and legs strongly resembling dried sticks. He was completely bald
and the top of his head was shiny enough to bounce sunlight off of. In
his hand rested a walking stick with a thick club at it's top,
probably very suitable for knocking sense into others. A thick beard
and mustache of white hair obscured the bottom half of his face while
dark sunglasses and bushy white eyebrows hid the top. The color scheme
of his clothes didn't simply clash but instead made all out war with
itself. His silk shirt alone seemed comprised of more colors than the
meadow, and Genki would have almost sworn the whole thing had come
from his world. The old man looked at the group, eyeing them carefully
before turning back to the villagers. "You ninnies! Do these look like
followers of Moo to you!?!"

"Sorry elder, but you said to be wary of a group of monsters..."

"Exactly! Monsters, no humans, and they'd be wearing those accursed
medals on their chests!" So saying, the old man turned to the rebels.
"I apologize on behalf of my friends. Since Moo has been active, we've
been seeing a lot of nasty monsters running around. Why just last week
a merchant's wagon was attacked by a group of arrow heads and a purple
suezo. When Michael here saw you, he probably assumed you to be
attacking the village."

"Well, no harm, no foul I say," Joshua said, extending his hand to the
elder, which was accepted. "One cannot be too careful in these times."

"Yes, but it should not come at the expense of meeting new people. And
I insist we make it up to you for the scare," the old man said,
motioning for them to follow him.

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**

"Well well well," Captain Evil Hare said, watching the meadow through
his binoculars. Behind him, laying on their furry bellies to keep from
being spotted, were eleven other evil hares, all wearing medallions
with Moo's insignia on them. "It would seem the rebels have found some
friends."

"So what's the plan Captain?" A particularly large evil hare asked,
not even bothering to keep his voice down.

"Quiet. We may be hidden, but I'd wager that gray wolf would hear us
if you kept bellowing like that."

"Sorry sir," the evil hare said.

"Don't let it happen again. Now, as for a plan, that dam should do
nicely."

"Sir?"

"Destroy the dam and release the water. We'll drown the rebels in the
raging river."

"And the village?"

"Regrettable, but necessary. We'll grab the stone from the wreckage,
as well as any lost disks. Master Moo might be able to use some of
them." So saying, Captain Evil Hare raised his hand, motioning for his
warriors to move out.

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**

*Let's get one thing straight, I have no real love for humans, but I
also don't really hate them. I probably wouldn't help a human, but
then again I don't go out of my way to harm them either. That's
probably one of the big reasons I haven't made it very far in Moo's
army. Oh well, I refuse to be something I'm not simply to get ahead in
life.

I guess the only real problem I have with humans is that they always
seem to hate my kind. Now that doesn't make sense. They say humans
created monsters. How can you hate something you created? Well it
doesn't matter, I'm a fighter, not a philosopher. That's the life I've
chosen and I refuse to feel sorry for it.*

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**

The tiny village of Rimulder was as nice up close as it appeared from
afar, aside from the fact that many of it's citizens giving the
newcomers suspicious glances.

"Can't you just feel the love in the air," Gray Wolf commented,
keeping a watchful eye out in case anyone tried anything funny.

"Will you give it a rest. It was just a misunderstanding when they
attacked us. They thought we were baddies," Genki said.

"You have to expect the worst, kid, otherwise the world will flatten
you."

"That's a very cynical view, my friend," the elder said, overhearing
Gray Wolf's comment.

"I'm a very cynical wolf."

"That must be lonely then," the old man said. The he turned to a wood
and brick building. "Ah, this is the grocer's. You should be able to
stock up on supplies here. If you're low on funds, don't worry, Tom's
been known to make trades for any interesting knickknacks you might
have." The searchers looked inside to find a blue hare in an apron
sitting behind the counter. The azure rabbit looked up an smiled
politely at them.

"So you're the newbies causing so much ruckus outside today," the
hare/tiger hybrid said.

"Yes, I suppose we are," Joshua said. The big man was softly nudged
aside as Hare squeezed past him and into the store. The brown bunny
began to inspect the shop, taking notice of all the wares in the
place.

"I gotta say this is a nice place, Tom is it? You're boss certainly
must run a tight ship," Hare said.

"Why yes I do. And if you think you can get a lower price for my goods
by buttering me up, you'll have better luck with some toast," Tom
said. Hare seemed almost at a loss for words as he took in this
information.

"You mean you own this whole shop?" he asked.

"Well, not yet. I had to take out a few loans to get this place
running, but once I pay off that, I will own the whole place."

"Very nice. Well, I guess I'll help you get just a little bit closer
to your goal then." So saying, Hare grabbed a handful of candy and
paid with a gold coin. The hare handed some of the candy to Mocchi and
Genki, but before they could eat it, they heard a commotion outside.

"Master Torten! Master Torten!" yelled a boy as he came running up a
street. The old man walked out of the shop to meet the boy.

"Billy what is it?"

"The look out... sent me to find you...," the boy panted, out of
breath. "Strange monsters... at the dam... attacking."

"Oh no, if they destroy the dam Rimulder will be washed away," Torten
said. "Billy, get the militia together, we need to stop them."

"That'll take too long, those monsters'll have your dam destroyed
before you can get up there," Joshua said.

"Leave it to us, we'll stop them," Genki stated, skating off, Gray
Wolf and Mocchi hot on his heels with the rest only a little ways
behind.

************************************************* *********************
**

*I hate fighting.

That sounds strange coming from someone like me doesn't it, but it's
true. The problem is all my life fighting is the only thing I've ever
known. My mother used to tell me that before the creation of monsters,
human's used to keep normal animals as pets. Sometimes they even used
them in fights. And then the animal seemed to be totally unable to
live a peaceful life.

I think that's what happened to me. I'd love to prove myself wrong,
but try telling that to a commander who always wants to go to war. In
a world as harsh as this, only the fighters have any success. At least
that's what I've been led to believe. And I am pretty good at it.*

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**

Meanwhile, at the dam, the evil hare unit was busy adding more stress
to an already stressed construct. The plan was simple; cause enough
damage to the dam to cause it to begin to give then get out of the way
and let nature take it's course. Already the wood was beginning to
crack and give way, and little streams of water were bursting through.

Six evil hares currently were punching the dam when Genki, Mocchi and
Gray Wolf arrived on the scene, calling for them to stop. Gray Wolf
didn't even give them a chance to stop, zapping the two closest with a
lightening bolt. Both ebony rabbits jumped aside, their fur standing
on end from the electric attack. They leapt forward ready to trash the
wolf as two fresh evil hares took their place at the dam. From on top
three more evil hares dropped down, attacking Genki and Mocchi. Two
used a charging bunch only to be feel their lower jaws connect with
Genki's wheeled foot and Mocchi's hard head. The third evil hare was
more successful, going between the two youngsters in order to hit them
both from behind with his elbows, sending both flying.

Gray Wolf jumped into the air, followed closely by the two evil hares.

"LIGHT..."

"NIGHT LIGHT!" the two rabbits called in unison, as they're red eyes
began to glow bright enough to blind Gray Wolf. Unable to aim his
attack, or even see his opponents, Gray Wolf became easy prey as the
evil hares grabbed his front legs, throwing him back to the ground.
The lupine was only barely able to right himself before hitting the
ground, and the temporary blindness subsided in time for him to see
his two assailants diving at him, their fists extended to hit him.
Gray Wolf was ready, roaring his mightiest roar as they came close,
sending both flying again into the dam.

"Not so tough when you can't do a sneak attack are you," Gray Wolf
snorted.

Genki and Mocchi had righted themselves and were busy fighting off
their own evil hares, which now numbered four. Suddenly, a great stone
hand came down between the two groups as a brown form ran along it's
length, punching the evil hares and knocking each to the ground.

"Banzai!" Pink Eye yelled as he appeared above another black bunny,
flattening the unfortunate warrior as he fell. Joshua yanked two more
evil hares away from the dam as Gray Wolf tackled the last one.

"We can't let them destroy the dam," Joshua said. Blocking the evil
hares from returning to their deadly work.

"Don't worry, they're not gettin' by me," Gray Wolf called, firing a
lightning bolt at one that attempted to sneak by.

"Me neither," Genki said, echoed by Mocchi. Hare stood to the left of
the boy, glaring at the assembled baddies as if daring them to try
something. And behind them all stood their last line of defense;
Golem, who was spreading himself out to catch any baddies that came
by.

"As if you losers could stop us," yelled Captain Evil Hare as the
helmeted hare dropped down in front of Gray Wolf. A weak spin kick to
the face was all it took to get Gray Wolf angry. The silver lupine
lunged for his assailant, which the captain easily dodged. The wolf
took another angry swipe, only to hit thin air.

"That's it... SONIC MOVE!" Gray wolf called as he disappeared, only to
find himself on the receiving end of a very quick spin kick that sent
him flying back to Golem. Captain Evil Hare used the wolf as a
stepping stone, jumping up onto the rock monster. Gray Wolf was quick
to recover however, and gave chase, disrupting any chance of Golem
swatting the ebony hare without hitting Gray Wolf. The evil hare
jumped off of Golem's head, landing in front of the dam with Gray Wolf
hot on his heels.

"Gray Wolf stop him!" Yelled Joshua.

"Just watch me... LIGHTNING!!"

"NO NOT THAT!" Joshua screamed, as the silver energy left the wolf's
horns.

"Too late," Captain Evil Hare said as he dodged, letting the lightning
strike the dam. The wood blackened under the energy assault, becoming
very weak as it did so. "Evil Hare's disappear!" Captain Evil Hare
commanded as he used a charging punch to slam into the weakened wood.
Huge cracks now freely spread over the structure as the dam began to
give way and all the evil hares disappeared. Golem was the first to
react, rushing forward to use his great strength to prop up the
collapsing structure, followed closely by Joshua, Genki, and Mocchi.

"Gray Wolf, use your arctic blast to freeze the water," Hare
commanded.

"I'd never be able to freeze the whole river."

"Then do just the dam, that should buy us some time for a more
permanent solution."

"Everyone back away," Gray Wolf commanded. As soon as they were gone,
Gray Wolf summoned his most powerful freezing technique, and the
familiar blue and white beam shot forth from his mouth, completely
freezing the crumbling dam. The sound of the disturbed water slamming
into the wall of ice was thunderous.

"That should hold it, but we're not out of the woods yet," Genki said,
backing away from the frozen dam. Golem held fast, unwilling to rely
solely on the ice to keep the water back.

"What happened?" Torten called as he and a group of villagers came
running up the path.

"The evil hares were able to bust open the dam," Genki said.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault for falling for that black rabbit's
trick..."

"Blame can come later, right now we have to fix that dam, the ice is
melting rapidly." The old man turned towards his assembled group.
"Well, what are you waiting for, an engraved invitation? Get moving."
On command the villagers went to work, trying their best to fix the
broken dam. It didn't matter what they did though, because it was
still patchwork and water continued to leak out, weakening the entire
project. Gray Wolf had resorted to using his weaker blizzard attacks
to create temporary stops while the rest of the searchers pitched in
as best they could to patch up the dam. Golem stood fast, quite
possibly the only reason the dam had not collapsed already.

"This isn't working," Hare said, stopping as he surveyed the situation
further.

"That is becoming painfully obvious my friend. But unless you have
some other way to stop this river, keep working." Torten answered.

"I just might. There's a fork in the river bed, all we have to do is
block off the side leading to Rimulder. What we need is another dam."

"It took us a week to build this one, there's no way we can hold back
the river that long."

"Ah, but you're forgetting Gray Wolf's speed and Golem's strength, not
to mention Pink Eye's teleport attack. If we pool those talents we can
have a good enough dam built pretty quickly."

"Okay rabbit, but remember, we can only hold the water back so long."

"Guys, come on, we gotta plan," Hare called, racing off to the forest,
the other searchers close behind.

It did not take long for the searchers, sans Golem and Genki, to make
it to the forest. The boy and rock giant had been left at the fork in
the river, waiting for their parts in Hare's plan. Gray Wolf leapt at
the trees, firing torpedoes which crashed through the trunks easily.
The giant plants fell down as Hare and Mocchi quickly stripped the
branches from them. Joshua drug the felled trees into a stack as
quickly as he could. Once a sufficient pile had been accumulated, Pink
Eye touched the wood, teleporting himself and the trees to where Golem
stood. Golem went straight to work, standing up the logs to form a
crude dam while Genki filled in any gaps with clay and sand. In less
than an hour and a half, three walls of wood and clay stood ready to
try to repel the watery onslaught that was to come. As a precaution,
the townspeople had begun to move to higher ground, moving whatever
they could out of the river's potential path. The workers at the old
dam could hold the construct together no longer, running to safety as
the water came rushing forward. Everybody made it to the hill the
village's population made it to, fingers and toes crossed as the water
slammed into the ramshackle dam, creating a very audible creaking
sound as it did so.

"Is it holding?"

"It looks like it."

"Mommy I'm scared!"

"Don't worry baby, Torten won't let us down."

"Pink Eye, what do you see?" Joshua asked. The pink suezo took a
moment to focus his eye as he stared at the dam.

"It's holding... but not by much. Oh kuso, one of the logs is loose.
The water is coming through."

"No, our town will be washed away."

"Now don't panic everyone, there must be something we can do," Torten
said.

"There's no time. We have to get out of here before the river
overtakes this hill," Gray Wolf yelled, ready to grab as many of the
villagers as he could to get them to safety. Suddenly, Joshua noticed
someone was missing.

"Genki... Where are you kid?!" the big man yelled. A quick search
revealed Genki to be at the foot of the new dam, desperately trying to
keep the dam in one piece. "Genki, get back up here! We have to get
out of here right now!"

"I'm not leaving! We can't just abandon these people," Genki said as
he struggled to push the log back in place. It seemed an exercise in
futility though, as the thirteen year old was not strong enough to
fight the raging current. That was when the log began to slowly move
back into place as Golem added his own strength to Genki's efforts.
The small hands of a little girl began shoving clay and dirt back into
the little holes to seal up the dam again. One by one more people
joined the trio, all working to bolster the dam as the river gradually
became weaker. Finally, it's new course finally set, the dam was
finally able hold the river back without help.

"I... I think we did it," a dirty Gray Wolf said.

"We did, didn't we," an equally filthy Hare replied.

"We saved the town, we save the town," Mocchi sang out, swinging
around with the little girl. That was all it took for the rest of the
crowd to break out in applause, cheering their success. After a few
minutes of this, Torten raised his hands, signaling for quiet.

"All right, all right people. We have a right to be pleased with
ourselves, but our job isn't finished yet. That dam may be holding
back the river for now, but it's only a temporary patch. We need to
reinforce it if we expect it to last. Now hop to." Then the elder
turned to the seven searchers. "As for you seven, I can't thank you
enough. If not for your help, Rimulder would have been destroyed. The
least I can do is offer you a place to stay at my house for the
night."

"Thank you Mr. Torten, but we really can't accept..."

"Nonsense, I insist. And I'll take it as a very personal insult if you
don't accept," Torten countered. That was all it took.

"Well then, I can't refuse such a heartfelt offer," Joshua said,
extending his hand to Torten, who shook it.

"Excellent. The construction crew can take it from here, so why don't
you follow me and I'll show you where you'll be staying."

******************************************************** **************
**

"Damn!" Captain Evil Hare said as he watched the events unfold through
his binoculars.

"What's wrong Cap?"

"Those searchers were able to stop the river with a new dam. How can a
single group be this difficult to eradicate?"

"We could... try to destroy the dam again," another evil hare said.

"Campion you know better than to suggest doing the same trick twice.
I'm not about to try a failed plan on enemies who are prepared for an
attack."

"It's not like we have to destroy the rebels."

"What did you say Elador?"

"Well, pardon my impertinence, but Moo's orders didn't say to kill the
rebels, we just have to get that stone of theirs. Maybe we should
focus on that."

"Hmm, you just gave me an idea kid," Captain Evil Hare said, motioning
for everyone's attention. "Gather round, we have work to do."

************************************************************* *********
**

In only a little more than an hour, Torten had shown the searchers his
home, thanking them again for the help they'd given. Gray Wolf winced
a little at the show of gratitude, unsure if he was deserving of such
praise.

*If not for my temper, Captain Evil Hare wouldn't have made it to the
dam. Why'd I have to let him get my goat?* Gray Wolf thought later, as
he rested in the searchers' empty room. The other six had opted to see
more of the village after dinner, an activity the tiger hybrid didn't
feel up to at the moment.

"My but you look lost in thought," came a voice that woke Gray Wolf
from his thoughts. Torten stood in the doorway, a tray of leftovers
from dinner in his hands. "I thought you might be hungry. I noticed
you didn't eat much at dinner, kinda like ya had something on your
mind."

"None of your business old man," Gray Wolf said, turning his head so
he didn't have to look at his host.

"Ah, so I was right. You're thinking about what you did at the dam."
At these words Gray Wolf looked back at Torten, surprised and a little
confused at the old man's revelation.

"How did you..."

"Minds are like books, they're easy to read if you know how. And,
despite how much you try to make it appear otherwise, it's easy to see
when your troubled. I imagine you feel the dam breaking was in some
way your fault."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Gray Wolf said, becoming
defensive.

"Then why did you try to apologize back at the bridge?" Torten said,
placing the tray down in front of the silver-furred wolf. "You may try
to hide it behind the facade of a bandit, but you have the soul of
nobility. I somehow doubt you travel with your companions simply
seeking revenge. And I also doubt you were simply going with the group
when you helped us."

"If you ask me, you're not as good at this reading thing as you
claim."

"Then explain the two cabalos pups that were with your pack."
"How do you know about them?"

"I didn't... not for sure anyway. But I have heard of the Wild Pack,
which supposedly included twin hare hounds, a female rock hound, a
daton, a datonare, a mangled jagd hound, and TWO baby cabalos pups.
Tell me, what need would a fearsome band of rogues need of not one,
not two, but three members who were unable to fight?"

"They... they... they..."

"They needed you, didn't they? The same reason you joined with the
rebels and helped save our village. Someone needed your help, and you
felt obligated to give it. And when that evil hare used you to destroy
the dam, it was like you failed wasn't it." Gray Wolf did not have an
answer to give the village elder. "I think you should know we thank
you for your efforts. If not for that ice blast of yours, we never
would have had the chance to save Rimulder." So saying, Torten left
Gray Wolf to his thoughts once more.

****************************

Genki, Pink Eye, and Mocchi walked through the town, watching as the
town swiftly got back to normal after it's near destruction. Fewer
people were out during the evening hours, but the streets still
remained a hot bed of activity. Many of the people notice the short
procession and waved, thanking the three for their part in saving
their town.

"Well, I gotta say, towns are a lot nicer when they're not in immanent
peril," Pink Eye said as they passed a couple of human's walking down
the street.

"I'd like to know how those baddies keep finding us. I mean, if we
keep leaving them dead, how are they reporting to Moo?"

"There's a rumor that one of the monsters in Moo's army has the
ability speak with dead monsters," Pink Eye said. "I'm not really sure
about that though. I mean, I've never even heard of a power like
that."

"Yeah well..." Genki began before feeling a small tug on his shirt.
The boy turned around to find his shirt in the grasp of the little
girl who'd tried to help him keep the new dam up. She was dressed in
the same pink dress as before, and her blonde hair was now dry and
full of bouncy curls.

"Thank you for saving our town," she said in a sweet and innocent
voice.

"Well, thank you for your help. We probably wouldn't have been able to
hold up the dam if not for you Miss...?"

"My name's Rebecca," the girl smiled. That was when her mother called
for her, prompting for her to return.

****************************

Back at the grocer, Hare was busy haggling for supplies with Tom the
blue hare.

"I don't care what you say, this food cannot be worth more than twenty
silvers," Hare said, trying his hardest to drive a miser's bargain.

"What you don't seem to understand is that the food you've selected
doesn't come from Rimulder. It costs me money to import such things
and eighty silvers is a good price," Tom countered, trying equally
hard at price gouging.

"Don't lie to me, I saw a carrot patch on my way into this town, how
can they be imported. Twenty-five silvers is more than enough to cover
any other expenses."

"I'll give ya the carrots, but the rice is not from here. Neither is
the beef. Most of the meat-eaters around here hunt deer and wild boar.
In light of that fact, I can hardly charge less than seventy-five."

"Look, I like you, and I respect what you've done with this place.
That's why I've come this far with you. Let's be serious, though,
imported only means the food is aged and we all know age decreases
travel time. But like I said, I like you, so I'm willing go as high as
thirty-seven silver."

"Flattery will get you nowhere long ears. The beef has been smoked and
salted to preserve it, so there's no need to worry about it spoiling.
And we all know rice doesn't spoil, still I'd be willing to let you
have it for, say, sixty-three silvers."

"You know, I heard you're also interested in foreign knickknacks,"
Hare said, showing off a small object in his hand. It was a statue of
a hare cut from quartz crystal and almost seemed to come alive when
the lights hit it. "This little knickknack should be good enough to
stimulate your curios curiosity. It's the third to last one the artist
ever made, a beautiful work if I do say so myself. He gave it and
another one to me in exchange for a favor I did him. It comes all the
way from the western continent and is easily help bring the price down
to, say, forty-five silvers?" Tom gently lifted the figurine from
Hare's outstretched paw, looking at it closely as he turned it around.

"When you're right you're right. This is an exquisite piece of work. I
don't get many things from the western continent now that Moo has it.
But I'm afraid even with that tab I can only knock the price down
to... fifty-five silvers."

"Make it fifty. After all, we are heroes to this town."

"Well... Since you did save the town... All right, but you try to pull
this trick again, I'll kick you out on your furry butt."

"Hey, I'm working on a limited budget, you gotta expect me to pull
every trick in the book. I'll be by tomorrow with the money to pick up
the supplies." Hare said, leaving the monster grocer to examine his
new treasure more closely.

********************************************************* *************
**

*How often do you find yourself doing things that are distasteful? I
keep finding myself in all sorts of situations that call for such
things. I've lost count of the number of missions that have required
me to destroy sometimes whole villages, and that simple fact disgusts
me no end. I don't have a problem with killing, those are the fortunes
of war. But when killing becomes so commonplace that you don't even
see it as something to remember, that's when you should retire.

People say killing never gets any easier, that it's always a hard
thing to do. People are idiots. Killing can become almost a second
nature if you're not careful. Sometimes at night, I find myself
dwelling on that, trying my hardest to remember a time when I didn't
have blood on my hands, but with no luck.

I guess that's why human's are a bit wary around monsters, the ease
with which we can take a life scares them. I've heard all sorts of
stories of all sorts of monsters going on killing sprees in human
villages. But then I've heard the same thing about humans killing
monsters, sometimes even hunting them for sport. It's a cruel world,
and, heaven help me, it's creatures like me that make it so...*

*********************************************

The searchers left from Rimulder only a few scant hours after dawn,
with only the village elder Torten for a send off. Joshua hefted his
heavy backpack into the air as he and his friends prepared to take
off.

"Well, I guess this is so long," Torten said, shaking Joshua's hand.
"Thank you for your help in saving our town. I hope you are able to
find what you're looking for."

"According to the stone, we'll be following the river a part of the
ways. Is there anything you can tell us about the area?"

"Not much to tell really, nothing overly interesting to or do."

"Well, hopefully we'll have a peaceful journey for a while. Good-bye."
So saying, the searchers left.

**************************************

"The searchers have left sir and our reinforcements have arrived,"
Elador said to his commander, indicating the twenty additional evil
hares that now stood at attention.

"Excellent. Put our plan in motion. Send up a signal fire when you
succeed. I'll run intercept with the rebels."

********************************************************* *************
**

The group of seven had traveled only an hour, and had managed to put a
great deal of distance between themselves and Rimulder.

"Well, well, well, look what the Kato dragged in," came a voice only a
few feet ahead. Sitting on a rock by the river was none other than
Captain Evil Hare, looking as smug as he could possibly be. Gray
Wolf's hackles rose as he growled at the helmeted hare as the other
searchers dropped into defensive stances, ready to fend off any ambush
that might have been set up.

"You have a lot of guts, being out here alone, baddie," Gray Wolf
growled.

"I suppose the nose knows. But I actually didn't come all this way to
fight you. I want the magic stone I know you possess."

"And what makes you think we'll give it to you?" Genki said. At this,
Captain Evil Hare simple pointed behind them in Rimulder's direction,
where a column of smoke rose in the air.

"That signal there tells me that my evil hares have taken over that
village you losers were just in. So you have a choice; surrender the
stone to me before noon... or continue your quest knowing that you've
let an entire village die."

"And what if we decide to grab you and force your troops to get out of
the village," Gray Wolf threatened.

"Nice try, but my troops have orders to start killing if I don't
return. I'll be waiting for your reply back at the village. Sayonara."
With that, Captain Evil Hare dove into the swiftly moving river and
was swept away towards the village.

"Damn!!" Gray Wolf yelled, as the rebels began to race back.

************************************************************ **********
**

An hour and a half later found a waterlogged Captain Evil Hare pulling
himself up out of the river and into the arms of two of his
subordinates. The entire population of Rimulder had been herded into
the village square. The monsters were chained and bound together to
prevent them from using their attacks. Twenty-seven evil hares stood
guarding the prisoners, with looks on their faces ranging from cold
indifference to burning hatred.

"These are all of them?"

"Yes captain. It was a little difficult to get some of them but it was
nothing we couldn't handle."

"Excellent."

"I demand you release us this instant," yelled Torten from the crowd,
getting up only to immediately be accosted by Campion.

"Who are you to demand anything, wretch."

"Campion, bring that man to me," Captain Evil Hare ordered. Roughly
the large evil hare yanked the old man to his leader, almost throwing
the human to the evil hare's feet. "I didn't tell you to rough him up
fool. We're not barbarians." The black rabbit helped the village elder
to his feet.

"I don't need your help," Torten said in a flat tone. "I demand you
release us. We have done no wrong to you, your attack is totally
unwarranted."

"Not so fast. You recently gave shelter to a group of rebels who stand
against Master Moo. I'd say that justifies any action we take. But set
your mind at ease, old one, as long as those rebels comply with our
demands, no harm will befall you."

"Yeah," Campion continued, "So you pathetic humans better just shut up
and be grateful we don't... AHHH!" The evil hare was interrupted as a
small foot smashed into his own. He grabbed his foot and hopped around
howling in pain as his assailant, Rebecca, scowled at him.

"You leave us alone you big bully!" She shouted.

"Why you little worm, I'll make you pay for what you did to my foot!!"
Campion shouted as he pulled back a fist, ready to send the girl into
orbit. Suddenly, another fist connected with Campion's jaw, knocking
him to the ground.

"CAMPION! HOW DARE YOU DISOBEY MY ORDERS!" Came Captain Evil Hare's
angry yell. "Keep that temper of yours in check, rabbit, the last
thing I need is for you to screw this up."

"My thoughts exactly," came a hard voice from behind. The baddie
captain turned around to find Gray Wolf, Hare, Golem, and Joshua
standing at the entrance to the village.

"Ah, so you're here. As you can see we've kept our end of the bargain.
I hope, for their sakes, you kept yours."

"We did," Joshua said, holding up the magic stone for all to see.

"Excellent. But tell me, where have your friends gone?"

"They disagreed with my decision and refused to come along. They're
waiting for us back at the river," Joshua explained. "You do realize
that even without the magic stone, we'll still find the Phoenix and
destroy Moo."

"Sure you will, and with any luck you'll also find El Dorado." As this
talk went on, Pink Eye, Mocchi, and Genki quietly teleported into the
crowd of captives. Once there, they began to quickly undo the
restraints on the villagers. Joshua and the others made sure to keep
the evil hare's attention on them, buying the trio as much time as
they could. Suddenly, there was a scream as everyone's attention
turned to Elador. The evil hare was desperately clutching his bloody
chest. An arrow ran through his body, piercing his heart like a razor.
The rabbit's body took on a familiar glow as it warped and lost it's
shape, becoming a disk held up by a small root.

"Elador!" Captain Evil Hare turned around to find the other three
searchers in the act of freeing the hostages. "Treachery... Evil
Hares... DESTROY THEM ALL." Captain Evil Hare leapt for the magic
stone as Joshua yanked it away.

"The jigs up guys, get those ropes undone now," Gray Wolf yelled,
tackling Captain Evil Hare as Golem immediately moved to block four
other evil hares from attacking his friends. Joshua's fist slammed
into another evil hare as did Pink Eye's tongue. The battle continued
with six of the searchers trying their hardest to protect the
villagers. Gray Wolf's fired his torpedoes in rapid succession,
striking as many of the dark rabbits as he could, only to find more
taking their place. Mocchi continually bounced off opponents, finally
landing on Golem's shoulder as the rock giant swung his great arm,
sending the hapless hares flying. As for the captain, he had his hands
full simply blocking the flurry of fists coming from Hare.

"I must say, you are an excellent fighter. I haven't had this much fun
in ages. If you hadn't proven to be so treacherous, I'd offer you a
spot in my unit," Captain Evil Hare said as he blocked a punch to his
face before countering with a kick to Hare's gut.

"Like I woulda taken it. You oughta give up now, baddie, with the
villagers and their monsters freed, you don't have enough warriors to
fight us," Hare retorted, sweeping the evil hare's legs.

"Ha, if you think these are all the evil hares I have, you're a fool.
I'm outta here, but I'll be back soon." With that, Captain Evil Hare
grabbed a hand full of dirt, throwing it into his opponent's eyes
before taking off. Hare quickly wiped off his face just in time to
catch see the captain leave.

"Gray Wolf we need to stop him!" Hare yelled.

"I'm kinda busy here," Gray Wolf yelled back, as he threw off the four
baddies who had been trying to pin him.

"Pink Eye?"

"Not a chance," the suezo type said as his tongue slammed into an evil
hare nearby Genki was having problems of his own in freeing the
villagers. "Looks like you're gonna have to do it yourself, Hare."

"Be careful, for all we know this is just another trap," Joshua
warned.

"Don't worry, I can handle it," Hare said as he took off in pursuit,
unaware of Campion's watchful eye.

************************************************************* *********
**

*The first rule of making a plan is to always have a back up. That's
the first rule any good leader learns. The second is adaptability. No
plan is ever so good that it remains effective after a battle begins.
A good commander is able to change a plan as needed. Of course,
there's always the problem of the unexpected, which can kill even the
best warrior.*

******************************************************** **************
**

Captain Evil Hare smiled as he ran, looking over his shoulder to see
Hare giving chase.

*I was hoping for the kid, but that hare should so just as well,* the
captain thought. *There's the cliff where the others should be, now
we'll see how good plan B is.* The captain arrived to find no one
present.

"Where is everyone?" Captain Evil Hare asked no one in particular. "I
ordered those furballs to stay here as an ambush."

"What's a matter, the big bad baddie not prepared to fight alone?"
Hare called as he caught up. The captain ignored his opponent, instead
searching all the available hiding places for his warriors. All he
found though were nine lost disks.

"What happened here?!? WHO KILLED MY EVIL HARES!?!?!?!" Captain Evil
Hare screamed in a rage.

"I think I may be able to answer that question." Both hares turned
around to find Campion right behind them, or rather, now in front of
Hare. The purebreed grunted as Campion's knee dug into his gut,
doubling him over and setting him up perfectly for a wicked uppercut
that turned out the rabbit's lights.

"Campion, what are you doing here?"

"Completing my mission," the black rabbit stated. A black aura began
to emerge on the evil hare as his form began to contort slightly. He
grew larger and the gray in his ears was replaced by red. Copper
markings began to appear all over his body, and his buck teeth
separated into fangs. Finally, his red eyes changed color, the
brilliant red fading into an eerily cold blue. "I am not Campion, my
name is Strife. That fool has been dead for days, thanks to my
brethren. We needed him to give information on your unit so I could
infiltrate it all the easier. You should be proud, it took a fool week
of some of our best... `persuasion' techniques to get him to
relinquish the knowledge. But in the end, he went the way your kind
often do, screaming for mercy." Strife smiled wickedly at his former
leader.

"Why?"

"Did you really think you would be allowed to beat the searchers? My
boss knew you'd cross paths with them eventually, and the thought of
you fakes actually getting the chance to beat them disgusted us no
end. Too bad Elador got in the way."

"What?"

"He figured out something wasn't right. That's why we shot him with
the arrow. Knew you'd blame the rebels. By now your forces at the
village have suffered the same fate your troops here did, thanks to my
brethren. But you... killing you is my reward for weeks of service to
the cause." Strife charged the stunned Captain Evil Hare, connecting
with the ebony hare's face and knocking off the battered helmet. A
follow up punch knocked some teeth loose and sent blood splattering
onto the rocks. But the captain wasn't done yet.

"I'll make you pay for what you did to my friends," Captain Evil Hare
growled, throwing a lightning quick punch at the demonic hare. With
unnatural speed, Strife sidestepped the punch, hooking the
outstretched arm with his own and viciously breaking it. Captain Evil
Hare barely had time to scream before Strife's other hand grabbed him
by the back of his head, slamming his face into the cliff. The blow
was followed up by a hard knee to the spine that brought the evil hare
to his knees. The devil hare's arm lifted the evil hare up by his
neck, allowing himself to look directly into the captain's blood
covered face.

"You little fool, did you really think a cheap copy like you could
defeat me. I'm stronger, faster, and deadlier than a pathetic creature
like you will ever be. Since you were so attached to Campion, I let
you share his fate." Strife's free hand came in front of Captain Evil
Hare's face, two fingers pointed directly at his eyes. Both fingers
grew long, sharp claws that gleamed like obsidian in the sunlight. "I
don't like those stupid eyes your kind sport. They annoy me no end,
just like Campion's did. But I can remedy that easy. If you're a lucky
little fake, my claws might break into that flea brain of yours and
kill you quick. But if you're not, we can have some more fun." The
claws began to move close to the defenseless evil hare's face as he
struggled weakly to get away. The claws were mere centimeters away,
promising only agony for the black rabbit.

"DRAGON KICK!" The wide awake Hare screamed as his flaming foot
connected with Strife, knocking the vile creature away from his victim
and skipping his body three times over the meadow. Hare moved to catch
the Captain Evil Hare as he fell back to the ground, his body barely
able to hold itself together from the punishment he'd sustained. "You
all right?"

"It feels like all my bones are broken. My legs aren't moving."

"Damn, that scumbag may have damaged your spin. Stay still, I'll try
to get you out of here."

"Why would you help me?"

"I have my reasons. Plus there is something going on here, and I have
a feeling you can shed some light on just what that was that attacked
you."

"A pity he won't get the chance," Strife yelled as he performed a rush
punch, barely missing the two monsters as Hare moved them out of the
way.

"Let me go you fool! There's no way you can get him if you keep
hanging onto me!"

"If I let you go what's to stop him from getting you."

"I know you mean well Tim but I can still fight, now let go."

"What did you call me?"

"I... Look out." The evil hare pushed the younger monster out of the
way to avoid another rush punch from Strife before blocking the follow
up attack that was directed at him. Hare returned to tackle Strife,
jerking him away from the wounded baddie.

"I suggest you leave, rebel. I have no orders to kill you, just the
captain here. And I would hate for Moo to think this unit was able to
take out a rebel before getting itself wiped out."

"Not a chance you freak. MACHINE GUN PUNCH!" Hare's arms were a blur
of motion as he threw punch after speedy punch at Strife. For a few
minutes, Strife proved able to block the assault, but it didn't last.
Punches landed right and left, on his black and copper body and they
landed hard. The devil hare fell backward as a final left knocked him
back, only to take a sweep at Hare's legs. The lapine easily avoided
the attack, slamming a fist down to try to connect with Strife's body.
The fist connected, or at least it seemed to. In truth, the fist
actually connected with ground as it passed through Strife's body,
which had morphed into a shadow form. With the speed of thought the
shadow moved behind Hare, resolidifying as the devil hare slammed his
fists down on the back of Hare's neck, sending him sprawling to the
ground. A swift kick rolled Hare over onto his back so Strife's foot
could slam down on the brown rabbit's chest, knocking the wind out of
him.

"You should have taken my advice, idiot, maybe then you wouldn't be in
this predicament."

"NIGHT LIGHT!" Captain Evil Hare yelled. His eyes began glowing their
blinding light, catching Strife full in the face. The devil hare cried
out as he tried to protect his sensitive eyes from the ray,
momentarily forgetting about Hare.

"Gotcha." Hare was quick to capitalize, hitting the lethal lapine with
a vertical cross-wire punch and sending him flying into the cliff
wall.

"Yes," cried Captain Evil Hare. "I think we may just survive this."

"Don't bet on it," came a strange voice from nowhere. From the top of
the cliff a black bolt of energy raced down, striking Captain Evil
Hare full on.

"AAHHHHHHH!!" the baddie screamed as energy raced through him, further
aggravating his already broken body.

"No!" Hare yelled. He looked up to see another black furred, blue-eyed
rabbit staring down at them, the same copper makings on his body as
Strife. This one though, was missing half of one of his ears, and his
paw was smoking from firing the energy bolt.

"Strife you fool, I give you one simple assignment and you can't even
so that," the new hare said, anger in his voice.

"I'm... I'm sorry boss, there were complications. But I will kill this
upstart at once," Strife said, fear evident in his voice.

"No. The targets have been dealt with. Return to the warren... NOW!"
The stranger commanded. Without another word, Strife transformed into
a shadow and disappeared as the stranger turned to leave.

"Hold it right there," Hare demanded, approaching the strange rabbit.
"I'm not gonna let you get away with this. Who are you, WHAT are you?"

"Stay back," the stranger said, firing another energy bolt which
struck the ground in front of hare. "My name is Thoren. And as to what
I am, you'll find out some day. Yes, you are definitely worth meeting
again. Just don't get yourself maimed before then." With that, Thoren
also disappeared. Hare raced over to where Captain Evil Hare laid,
hoping to find some one to help him. Even a cursory evaluation showed
it was no use though. The bolt had done it's job, Captain Evil Hare
was dying and dying rapidly.

"Captain, Captain. You've gotta wake up. I gotta ask you something, I
gotta know something." The evil hare stirred weakly, trying his best
to stay awake and alive. "During the battle, you called me Tim... I
have to know, how did you know my name? There's no way you could have
known it. Who told it to you?"

"She described you so well... couldn't help but recognize... scarf...
fur... fighting style... She still remembers... ... ..." With those
words, Captain Evil Hare took on the familiar golden glow as his body
transformed itself into a lost disk, leaving hare all alone in his
thoughts.

************************************

It took only ten minutes for Hare to make it back to Rimulder. The
other searchers and the villagers rushed to meet him.

"Hare you're alive!" Genki called.

"Hare all right chi," Mocchi said, tears in his eyes.

"We were worried man. When those freaky rabbits showed up and said
they'd set a trap for that Captain Evil Hare guy, we assumed the
worst," Pink Eye explained.

"You should have seen it. These bizarre blue-eyed rabbits came out of
the shadows and just started wailing on the evil hares. Killed them
all before we could stop them," Gray Wolf said. "What were they?"

"I don't know, but I did see them," Hare said, pulling out Captain
Evil Hare's lost disk. "They got him."

"Is it possible someone else is out to oppose Moo?" Genki wondered
aloud.

"No," Hare said, "This had nothing to do with Moo. Those blue-eyes
killed the evil hares cause they hated them, nothing more. Those...
creatures just didn't want the evil hares to get the win over us."

"They wore Moo's crest," Golem observed, "And there was an evil about
them, I felt almost afraid in their presence."

"One thing is for sure," Torten said as he approached the group,
"something bad is going on, and before your quest is over, I'll bet
you'll find yourself up to your necks in it."

"In any event, we've gotta press on. But what do we do with the evil
hares."

"Leave them with us. When the Phoenix revives them, we'll look after
them, don't worry." With that settled, the searchers once more set
off, though less cheerfully than before.

********************************************************** ************
**

*Choices. That's all life really amounts to. Good, evil, it's all
relative really. And we always have to live with our choices. But
every once in a while, an opportunity comes along that lets us have a
second chance to make the choices we didn't before. Long ago I chose
to live the life of a warrior, using fighting from day to day as a
justification for living. Now, thanks to the Phoenix, I find myself
with the opportunity to start over again. Last time, my choice of
fighting brought my life to a lonely end. Now I have a new trainer,
and, for once, I think I'll try my hand at living at peace. I'm sure
Rebecca can teach me all I need to know about that.*

*********************************************************** ***********
**

Epilogue: Weed's Journey part 3

**************************************************************** ******
**

Weed was cold. Not surprising considering the snow that was quickly
piling up at his present location. The forest's green leaves were
almost covered in the white powder, making one tree look far too
similar to the others. Despite that, the plant/naga was still able to
find his destination, a huge tree shaped by magic into a castle. At
the entrance, two cabalos sat, ready to repel any hostile intruders.

"Halt, where are you going?"

"I'm here to see master Tiger with a message from master Moo," Weed
said, hoping he sounded braver than he felt.

"Follow me," one of the cabalos said, and Weed quickly obeyed. Soon he
was led into a huge chamber, the throne room of Tiger of the Wind. The
wolf was busily eating his dinner, a fat deer, along with his
lieutenants.

"Well, what is this that disturbs my meal? A dinner salad pe rhaps. Or
maybe some nice fruit for dessert," Tiger said, his teeth showing in a
menacing fashion. Weed found himself paralyzed, unable to respond to
the wolf's question. "Well, what's the matter? Can't you talk, or are
you some sort of mute?!"

"N... No! I bring a message from Master Moo. He commands that you come
to the floating castle within three days time."

"Why?"

"He wishes to discuss the problem of the rebels who search for the
Phoenix. I trust you will not disappoint him."

"Speak carefully little weed. Take too many liberties with your
message and I'll be forced to bite your snotty head off." At these
words Weed was taken back.

"You... You wouldn't dare, Master Moo's command protects me."

"Then why are you shivering, little flower? Is it because you realize
that Master Moo is not here to enforce his edict? This is treacherous
territory, as Master Moo himself can attest to. I'm sure it would not
be too difficult to convince him that some unfortunate accident has
befallen you..."

"You wouldn't," Weed said, backing away in case Tiger tried to close
off his escape. Suddenly, the blue and white wolf broke into an
uproarious laughter, which was closely followed by the wolves that sat
near him. "What are you laughing about?!" Weed yelled, suddenly
becoming indignant.

"Ah, your entertainment value alone is worth any liberty you might
take little one. That you actually believed I would eat you is
priceless," Tiger said.

"You mean you weren't serious?"

"Of course not. We tigers are strictly carnivorous. Plant's are the
last thing to get us salivating. Return to our master little one, and
tell him I will be there before the deadline."

"I'd love to, but I still have one member of the Four to see, Master
Daemon." At these worlds the wolves all stopped laughing and a very
serious expression came over Tiger of the Wind's face.

"Listen to me carefully little weed, for I only say this because I
like you. Be very careful when you see the dark one. His sense of
humor is much less friendly than mine. Don't turn your back on him if
you value your life, even with the protection Moo's commands afford
you. Now, be on your way." A simple swish of his tail motioned for
Weed to leave, off to finally complete his long journey.

To Be Continued...

***************************************************** *****************
*

Well that's the story. Just read and review it. Next episode features
Golem and the end of the Journey Begins in the Gift of a Child. With
any luck it will take a lot less longer to complete than choices. See
ya next time...