Monster Rancher Fan Fiction ❯ When Destiny Calls ❯ Tricks of the Trade ( Chapter 4 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

When Destiny Calls
Gathering of Allies: Tricks of the Trade
By Cale Kuecker (Ashertye@aol.com)

Summary: In order to fund their quest, the Searchers enter a Monster Tournament with Gray Wolf. But they aren't the only ones in need of money, and their rival has more than a few tricks up his sleeve to take home the prize.

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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"Muscles are marvelous, but brains are better."
-Hot Wing, "Silver Hawks"

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Prologue
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The sun rose high in the morning sky, shining down on a loan campsite, awakening it's sole inhabitant. A figure covered in brown fur pulled a blanket from himself, shivering slightly at the chill morning air as his dark brown eyes let the sun hit them. Two long ears rose high into the air as the camper stretched with a yawn.
"Well Hare old boy, another day another opportunity." The giant rabbit quickly folded his blanket, packing it into a small cloth bag hanging from a stick. He was covered from head to tow in brown fur, with darker patches at the tips of his ears and the top of his head. White fur was present at his mouth and cheeks, on the lover half of his arms, and on his chest and belly. He looked to be in his early twenties and in pretty good shape considering he had no trainer or home. A bright red bandanna hung from his neck, covering most of the white fur on his chest. Hare reached into his bag and pulled out a map that looked well worn. "Now lets see, this is where I am now, so Reeve village should be that way," he said, pointing north. Another hand went into his bag, pulling out a small bag. He emptied the contents into his hand, four golds, five silvers, and eight coppers, not very much. "Now with any luck I should be in time for Reeve's annual Monster Tournament. Minus the entry fee that gives me just enough money to buy breakfast."
Suddenly, Hare felt his stomach growl, reminding him it had had nothing since lunch yesterday. "Guess I better get going before my stomach eats itself." The rabbit grabbed his poll and began his journey, whistling as he made his way.

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End Prologue
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Just west of the village of Reeve, the camp belonging to the Searchers of the Phoenix began to stir, though none in the best of moods. That was more or less due to the fact that they had been awakened by a living ball of energy and his pink and green sidekick.
"All right everyone, up and at 'em. You heard me, it's time to get a move on. Let's go find the Phoenix. Wakey, wakey everybody," Genki yelled at the top of his lungs bouncing all over the camp.
"Kid, I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but I need at least ten hours of undisturbed sleep if you want me to be at my best for the day ahead," Pink Eye said, pulling a sleeping mask from his eye.
"Then you probably shouldn't have stayed up all night pestering us with stories," Joshua answered.
"Don't be such a grump Pink, I mean look at Gray Wolf. He's not acting like a jerk," Genki said as he stood by the silver lupine. He failed to notice the extremely irritated look Gray Wolf was giving him through his bloodshot eyes. The boy jumped back, a very surprised look on his face, as Gray Wolf fired a string of words that would have made a bar keeper in the sleaziest of dives blush. This of course got a roaring laugh from Pink Eye and Joshua. Golem was the only one who didn't seem to react to Genki's wake up call, save to smile at the others' antics.
"Okay everyone, that's enough fun for the morning. Lets eat breakfast so we can hit the road," Joshua said, as he put leftovers from last night's stew into five bowls, a stew which itself was composed of leftovers from meals past. None of the Searchers were amused.
"Not that stew again Josh," Pink Eye whined, examining a soggy piece of chicken.
"Don't we have anything else," Genki complained, what looked like a tomato on his spoon.
"Icky icky, chi," Mocchi chimed in.
"They do have a point Joshua, this stuff IS past the edible point," Gray Wolf concluded, his nose wrinkling at the smell coming from the bowl. The only one who wasn't complaining was Golem, but then, when one fed exclusively on rocks and boulders, one seldom had cause to complain about a stew.
"Look I hate to point this out to you four, but we don't exactly have a limitless food supply. And I don't exactly have the money to let us waste food."
"What are you talking about Josh. When we left on this journey, you said we had enough money for months."
"Yes, for ONE monster and ONE human. If you'll look around, you'll notice our numbers have grown a bit. And unless we do something about our dwindling money supply, we'll have to start foraging."
"So how do we get the money we need? I'd hate to think we'll all have to get day jobs." Genki said.
"We could just take what we need," came Gray Wolf's reply.
"Are you suggesting we become bandits and steal for our supper?" Pink Eye said, glaring at the silver wolf.
"Why not, we need the money and it is in everyone's distinct best interests that our quest succeed. I'd say Moo's destruction is a pretty fair trade off for loosing a few gold."
"You can't be serious. How can we be considered the good guys if we steal from the people we're trying to protect?"
"I really don't care what anybody considers me, kid, but I do know that I also don't care for sleeping on an empty stomach."
"Calm down, everyone, we don't have to worry about money just yet," Joshua said, then looked to the east. "There should be a town close by. We'll see if we can find a solution to our problem there." This seemed to quiet the others, who resumed attempting to stomach their breakfast.

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Reeve was a beautiful village, complete with several shops and stands filled with several wares, many of the edible variety. The smells of fresh loaves of warm bread mingled with roasted chickens, backed hams, and barbecued beef. And around each shop and stand stood a multitude of monsters and humans, chattering and bragging amongst themselves. In fact there seemed to be more creatures than the town seemed to be able to hold.
"What do you think all these people are here for?" Genki asked, trying to keep from bumping into anyone.
"Could be anything, Genki. Pink Eye, think you can find out?"
"If you mean try to read someone's mind, forget it. Everyone here's going nuts, there's no way I could snag a clear signal."
"Well, there's always the direct approach. We could ask someone," Genki said.
"I don't think anyone would listen to us." That's when the group noticed Mocchi was no longer with them. He was instead on the shoulder of a very big guro.
"Excuse me, but why are you here?" The child said, smiling his friendliest smile. The guro turned his head, to look at his questioner.
"Tnemanrout Elttab Retsnom launna S'eveer rof ereh m'i." Was the reply Mocchi got.
"Really?"
"Yllaer." So saying the guro turned back to his friends as Mocchi bounced off to his own group, all of whom looked dumbstruck at the young monster's forwardness.
"He says he's here for the big fight that's going on and if we want to fight we need to get over to the big round building that way." Mocchi said.
"A big fight. Sounds like a tournament," Pink Eye said. That's when he spotted a flyer for said event. "Well whatdya know. They're even giving away prizes for the top three places."
"If this is an example of the competition they have, I'm surprised they don't just give us the money for all three places," Gray Wolf said. "Mocchi, Golem, and I can..."
"No," came Golem's stony voice.
"Golem?" Genki asked, staring up at the giant.
"Fighting is wrong, no matter the circumstances. I will fight to defend myself and others, but I will not hurt others for money," Golem said, crossing his arms. "I understand if you are angry at this, but I will not fight in a tournament."
"Not a problem, big guy, we still have Pink Eye."
"Woah Genki, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Joshua said, reading the flyer. "This tournament has an entry fee. We can't afford to enter more than one monster. And even then, if we loose were completely out of luck."
"If only one us can enter, it should be me," Gray Wolf said. "I'm the strongest, so I have the best chance to snag first place without any foul ups."
"Very well, Gray Wolf. You guys go look around while I get our star here registered. We'll meet up at the coliseum in two hours, got it," said Joshua. He and Gray Wolf walked away, leaving their friends to have some fun.
"Yeah, what fun can we have, we don't have any money," Pink Eye said. That's when the winged eyeball took a look around to discover his friends were nowhere to be found. "Hey, wait for me!!" He called, frantically searching for the others.

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Golem walked carefully, trying his best not to crush any of the other shoppers that crowded the road. Not that they gave him the chance to. The living river of shoppers seemed to magically part both in front and behind the rock monster as he walked. Suddenly, he saw a stand that interested him. Flowers of all kinds, both cut and potted, covered a wooden table, giving off fragrances that delighted Golem's nose. Red, yellow, blue, indigo, all the colors as the rainbow were present in the stand. A few thunderous footsteps brought Golem to the stand, where he began to smell each plant individually.
"So then he asks me for half a pound of clover, like this was some sort of produce stand. I thought it was a strange request, but his money was good so I did as he asked. And do you know what he did with them?"
"What Abigail?"
"He ATE them. Just stood there and ate each one, flowers, stems and all."
"I tell you, hares can be down right insensi... Oh hello, I didn't see you there. And that probably lets you know how closely I've been watching the shop. Is there anything I can do for you?" a blonde woman with long pigtails asked Golem. Her friend Abigail, who turned out to be a healthy green plant monster, also seemed to notice Golem, as she began to stare at the giant.
"I was just looking. I like flowers, they remind me of home," Golem answered.
"Well as long as you don't intend to eat any of them, please help yourself," the girl said sweetly. Suddenly, Golem felt a tap on his shoulder and looked to see Pink Eye perched on it.
"So this is where you went off to." Pink Eye looked down at the pretty plants before continuing. "I'da never thought of you as into the flora, big guy."
"Allure, my village elder, used to keep a beautiful garden. She always let the children play in it and help her garden it. The smell of flowers brings back good memories to me."
"That's something we're all probably gonna need at some point on this quest."

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Elsewhere, Mocchi and Genki were stuffing themselves on free samples from every stand that offered them. Since they were both children, the shopkeepers didn't seem to mind them coming back for more and more, probably assuming Genki's parents would be along to actually buy something. Genki quickly stuffed his third cookie into his mouth as Mocchi took an onion bagel, his fifth. For some reason, the little monster had actually developed a taste for them. His breath had was thick with the aroma of onions, a fact that made the Genki's nose wrinkle as he bit into a chocolate cookie.
"So Mocchi, what do you think?"
"More bagels, more bagels," the little monster cheerfully said, a huge smile on his face as he danced around.
"Sorry kids, but I can't give you anymore samples," the shopkeeper said as he pulled away a now empty tray. Of course, with no free food, there was nothing to keep the devouring duo there and they began to move onward. That's when Mocchi saw something that made him leap into the air and take off at full speed.
"Hey Mocchi, wait for me," Genki called, chasing after his partner. The boy weaved through the crowd, calling for Mocchi to stop as loud as he could. Finally, the pink and green monster did stop, right in front of what had caused him to run away in the first place, a toy store. Immediately Mocchi hopped up on a wooded rocking horse, laughing as he rode it.
"Yeeha."
"Mocchi, you're such a kid," Genki said, until he spotted a wooden sword and shield. The boy picked them up testing the sword as if he actually knew what he was doing before another wood sword hit his. He looked up to find a little girl holding the offending weapon, challenging him to a duel. A smile on his face, Genki accepted.

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"Aaargh!!! How much longer is this going to take? I swear we haven't moved from this spot since we got here," Gray Wolf yelled. Behind him a line of five other monsters echoed his sentiments, as did three of the four monsters ahead of him.
"Gray Wolf, just settle down. We're not gonna get anywhere by whining," Joshua said. This of course only seemed to agitate Gray Wolf further. He looked ahead of the line at the monster that stood at the head of the line registering himself in the tournament.
"Hey buddy, you want to speed it up so the rest of us can have a turn sometime this millennium?" At the front of the line, the hare that had been filling out his registration form glared back at the wolf.
"Yeah yeah, don't worry puppy dog, I'll be done in a minute and then you can continue wasting your life." As if to punctuate this remark, the hare slammed the pen on the desk and shoved the form to the official. He walked away, whistling the tune "Born Free" as he did so.
"Finally, now maybe the line will move quicker." Gray Wolf looked ahead hopefully, only to see that the next monster in line was a monol. And he was asleep. Everyone covered their ears as best they could to shut out the string of curses that left the irritated tiger hybrid's mouth.

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As soon as he left the registration office, the tune died on Hare's lips as he looked at what was left of his money. A single silver and two copper coins, an amount that probably would not cover the price of a room in the seediest of inns, was all the poor lapine had.
*There has to be a way I can make this work for me,* Hare thought. That's when he saw a set of booths taking bets on the outcome of the tournament. *Well, if I'm gonna do this I might as well go for broke.* The brown bunny walked up to an open booth, slapping down his last coins.
"You lookin' to do somethin' more than make noise, fur body?" said the man in the booth, a gruff look on his face.
"I'm placing a bet my good man."
"Well I hate ta tell ya this fuzzy, but ain't no way yer gonna get anything worth pickin' up on a bet that small. 'Cept course if you place a longshot bet, and that's somethin' I wouldn't advise. Too many o' the local monsters 've been training too hard fer this, ain't gonna be no upsets today."
"Well I happen to like long odds, so I think I'll just stick to my original plan."
"All right, ain't my job ta keep ya from loosin' money. Who ya bettin' on?"
"Why me of course. You should find my name among the contestants; Hare."
"One moment," the man said as he turned around, rummaging through the papers behind him. "Ah here you are. Yipes, you sure you want ta make dis bet? It'd almost be easier ta just toss your money inta the canyon." He showed Hare the odds being given for him. Hare's eyes went wide as he saw how low others believed his chances to be, almost insulted. Of course, it didn't last long.
*The more people bet against me, the more money I'll make when I win.*
"Place it all on me, my good man."
"All right, a silver and two coppers on the gentleman Hare to place," he said, taking the money from the counter.
"No no no no, my good man, you misunderstand. I'm not placing this bet to place, I'm placing it to win. And I mean the whole thing."
"Man ya sure are confident, I'll give ya that, fuzz face. Mosta the competitors place these bets so they don't walk outta here with nothing." The man handed Hare a slip of paper, concluding their transaction. It was time for Hare to have some fun.

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Two hours seemed to pass like no time at all, and soon the six searchers were once again together.
"It's all set up, Gray Wolf is number forty-seven," Joshua said. "We're allowed to sit ring side with him, but if we interfere, he's disqualified."
"Looks like everyone's going in. Let's see just what this place is like," Genki said. Inside, the coliseum was huge. It could easily seat thousands of spectators, possibly even a complete million. And the arena itself looked perfect, with several signs that it was not something the townspeople let go to seed when not in use. It had been divided into four sections; one that was perfectly flat, lacking anything but very hard dirt, another with several rocks jutting out of the ground, a third with several pockets of water, and the final one was covered in a layer of lush grass. The ringside seats provided for the fighters and their trainers turned out to be a dugout that encircled the arena, literally giving the searchers, save for Golem, a worm's eye view of the events. Everyone looked up as a very official looking man walked to the center of the arena, a megaphone in his hands.
"Ladies, gentleman, monsters, and children of all ages. The village of Reeve is most proud to welcome you to our forty-third annual Championship Monster Battle Tournament. As I look at the roster of competitors, I see a lot of old combatants, as well as some fresh warriors. They all look like champions to me, but the three best will go home with a bronze medal and five hundred gold for third place, a silver medal and one thousand gold for second, and a golden medal plus TWO thousand gold as the grand prize. Now for those of you who are new, I shall explain the rules. The tournament is single elimination style; you loose, you're out. A fighter looses the match if he forfeits, gets knocked out of his ring, gets knocked unconscious, or, however accidentally, kills his opponent. Each match is only to last fifteen minutes, save for the final one which has no time limit. If no clear winner emerges before the allotted time limit, BOTH fighters will be disqualified. Now lets get this tournament started." The official left and a new guy walked out wearing a black and white striped shirt.
"In the dirt ring, the combatants are: Lepus and Gangster." On cue, both monsters walked to the flat ring. "In the water ring, we have: Digger and Hard-Hat." Two more monsters, a worm and an arrow head walked over to the ring dotted with ponds. "On the plain ring: Royal and Clanker." This time a purple hare and a hengar took their positions on the grass covered ring. "And finally, in the rock ring we have a hometown hero, Red Eye." At this, the monster in question, a suezo/monol, went to the rocky ring, smiling at everyone who gave him a huge welcome. "And his opponent, Gray Wol..." Before he finished the name, the referee, choked it back in, his eyes widening as he read and re-read the list. Soon, the official returned, asking what the problem was. He too was startled by the name. Once more the referee started. "Well, it seems we have a bit of a celebrity in this match. Red Eye's opponent is none other than (I can't believe I'm saying this.) the infamous Gray Wolf!" The silver lupine stood and made his way to the rocks, ignoring the angry yells and booing of the crowd.
"Get out of here ya bum!"
"Gray Wolf's nothing but a thief!"
"A monster like that shouldn't be allowed around decent people!"
These calls meant nothing to Gray Wolf, who'd heard them and similar remarks before whenever he ventured into human villages. He instead concentrated on the black eyeball that now stood before him, trying his best not to look as though he was about to wet himself. A bell sounded and the match began. Gray Wolf simply stood his ground, unimpressed by the so-called "hometown hero." The eyeball jumped and danced around a little hoping to find some sort of opening where he could attack the lupine.
"Come on Red Eye," yelled the monster's trainer. "Stop playin' around and deck that ruddy wolf."
"You deck him, buddy, and then I'll follow," Red Eye yelled back. The suezo type turned back to face his opponent, only to find that Gray Wolf was now right in front of him, his blue eyes looking straight into Red Eye's red one. The lupine opened his mouth wide, and at first Red Eye was afraid he was about to be eaten. That's when he heard a howl that could wake the dead and felt a gust of wind that was like a tornado. The blast sent the eyeball flying right into his trainer and out of the ring.
"I win, what a surprise," said Gray Wolf, the look on his face anything but surprised. The audience booed his victory, calling him a cheat as he walked back to where his friends were, the only voices actually cheering for him.
"That was awesome Gray," Genki said.
"Not really... Tiger wouldn't have had to get that close to hit him with roar, but I didn't want to hurt him."
"Gray Wolf is strong, chi," Mocchi said, patting the lupine in congratulations.
"A good fight," Golem said, smiling. Suddenly, Gray Wolf began to leave.
"Hey, aren't you gonna watch the other fighters?" Genki asked.
"Of course. But roaring always makes me thirsty. Fill me in if you see anything interesting from this group." With that Gray Wolf disappeared.

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I t was a long time before the first round of competition was finished. Many of the matches actually ended in double disqualification as they exceeded the time limit, and very few for the winners were actually impressive. It wasn't until the last set of matches that someone actually did something. To the dirt field had been called a purebred hare wearing a red bandanna and a huge zuum named Victor.
"Look at the size of that reptile. I don't envy that rabbit at all," Pink Eye said. Indeed, the zuum looked built like a rock, complete with a thick tail that continually thumped the ground hard. Next to him, the hare looked almost puny.
"He puts up a good show, Pink Eye, but he's not really that tough," Joshua said, eyeing the zuum. "I'm a pretty good judge of monster flesh and I can tell a well trained one. That one's got too much emphasis on muscle, no speed. Which is a pity considering that's supposed to be a zuum's strength."
"He'll be a tough nut to crack, but that hare shouldn't have too much difficulty with it, especially if it plays the battle smart," Gray Wolf added. Then he saw the telltale bandanna on the hare's neck. "Not that I'd mind seeing that particular monster take a few lumps before the match ends."
The bell rang, signaling the match to begin. The zuum put his hands and his hips and laughed, telling the hare how disappointing he was as an opponent. The only response he got from Hare was a raspberry, which seemed to take some of the wind out of Victor's sails. The lizard swung around one hundred eighty degrees, using his tail to sweep Hare off his feet. Victor laughed, imagining the crumpled form of his unconscious opponent. At least he did until he noticed the crowd wasn't cheering, they were just staring. Curious, Victor turned around to find two very big, brown feet at eye level. Hare had also done a one eighty, only he had wound up standing on his hands, a smile on his face. Before Victor could register any danger, Hare's left foot struck him across the face, followed by his right. Victor tried to back up but Hare kept pace with him, and the two walked across the field, Victor grunting and groaning with each hit the still smiling rabbit landed. Finally the saurian grabbed Hare's feet forcing him to stop. It didn't last long however, as the lizard's nose was assaulted by the foul smell of Hare's gassy fart. Victor reeled back, coughing and gasping for air, providing just the opening Hare had been looking for. Pushing off with his hands, Hare sailed feet first right into Victor's head, sending the zuum flying out of the ring as Hare landed on the edge, his hands already raised in victory. The crowd cheered, the officials cheered, and even some of the contestants cheered.
"Wow, what a cool fight," Genki said, clapping for the lapine monster. The other searchers also seemed to feel so, echoing the boy's enthusiasm. All except Gray Wolf.
"It may have looked cool, but it wasn't a good fight."
"What do you mean, Gray? That hare totally dominated the match."
"Maybe so, but only because the zuum was such a wimp. Against any real opponent, that hare's strategy would have gotten him clobbered. Which means either he's really weak, or just playing around. And a tournament is no place to play."
"Has anyone ever told you that you're way too serious for your own good," Pink Eye quipped. The matches continued the rest of the day, with different monsters advancing and leaving in turn. Of course Gray Wolf continued to win his matches with relative ease, pounding a pink worm, grounding a gangster, and annihilating an usaba. Each opponent fell in turn before his fierce attacks, many unable to move in fear that the great bandit Gray Wolf would kill them if they attempted to resist him. Finally, it was time for the final match, which would determine the first and second place winners.
"Well folks it's been a great tournament so far, hasn't it. But, as all good things must, it's coming to the end. But not before one grand finale. Both these fighters have managed through luck, skill, and strategy to remain undefeated for the whole day. Only one, however, will be able to leave with the grand prize. For this match, the time limit has been removed and the four rings have been combined into one big arena. First fighter; the infamous highway-wolf and self-proclaimed Winter Warrior, GRAY WOLF!!" Once more the only cheers came from the lupine's friends, which were quickly drowned out by the jeers of the rest. "And second, a newcomer to our rings. His unorthodox fighting has won him match after match; the outrageous HARE!!!" Again the crowds exploded, but this time they cheered for the fighter, calling for him to teach a lesson to Gray Wolf.
"Idiots," the silver wolf muttered. Hare though reveled in the cheers and shouts, smiling and laughing back at the spectators as he entered the arena.
"I have to hand it to you people, you do have good taste," he called.
"Yeah I wonder how you'll taste when I'm done with you," Gray Wolf called, baring his teeth. The act did not intimidate Hare as Gray Wolf had expected, but instead seemed to egg him on.
"Ooooh the big bad wolf's gonna try ta eat me. I'm soooooo scared."
*Finally an opponent with some guts. Let's see what you have, Mr. Cottontail.*
The bell rang and Gray Wolf wasted no time in charging Hare, expecting him to sidestep. He was not expecting the monster to run. Gray Wolf chased him, only to be surprised as the rabbit did a back-flip over him, kicking the wolf as he landed. Gray Wolf was barely able stop before he left the ring, cursing himself for falling for such an obvious ploy. He turned around to once more face his opponent.
"Tag, you're it," Hare said, smiling his most obnoxious smile. *An angry opponent doesn't act he just reacts.*
"Don't think you can play games with me bunny boy, or I swear you won't leave this arena in one piece!!" Gray Wolf again charged and this time Hare attempted flatten the wolf with a punch only to watch as Gray Wolf jumped at the last second. Higher and higher the silver monster rose, leaving the arena behind until he was ready to attack. The same powerful wind that had blown Red Eye away earlier now slammed down on the rabbit, forcing him down on the ground. Hare felt as though he was being crushed by a boulder as he struggled to right himself. Smelling victory, Gray Wolf poured more energy into his roar attack, hoping to force the hare to pass out. Suddenly, the brown lapine stopped trying to push up against the wind, but instead rolled out of the way. Gray Wolf tried to redirect the attack, but it wasn't long before he needed to breath, something roaring prevented him from doing. A little disappointed, Gray Wolf landed, glaring at the hare. With out warning, Hare fell to his knees, his hands clasping each other as a scared look came over his face.
"Oh please mister wolf don't hurt me. I didn't mean to make you angry, honest. It was just a harmless joke," the rabbit bawled, his expression moving from scared to terrified. Needless to say this surprised Gray Wolf. Hare continued to move forward on his hands and knees, begging Gray Wolf not to hurt him while the silver wolf kept a watchful eye for any attacks. Finally, though, he could stand it no more.
"Stop that. You embarrass yourself as a fighter and me as your opponent."
"I know, I know. I don't deserve to be in the same ring as warrior of your greatness. Please don't hurt me, oh great Winter Warrior," Hare continued, almost lying at Gray Wolf's feet.
"Fine, if that's the way you want it, then go tell the ref. you're forfeiting. I'm not surprised, but I am disappointed." So saying, Gray Wolf turned and walked away, expecting to hear his name announced as the winner.
"GRAY WOLF LOOK OUT!!!" Genki yelled. Gray Wolf turned his head just in time to see Hare coming at him, his fist spinning into an almost solid disk before he landed a powerful punch on Gray Wolf's jaw, sending the wolf spiraling backwards and landing in a heap. Angry blue eyes looked at their opponent, who was once more smiling as he soaked in the applause of his fans.
"That was a cheap shot rabbit," Gray Wolf yelled. Silver energy began to dance around his horns, and he fired a bolt of lightening right at the object of his anger. Hare easily sidestepped the attack, an act he repeated again and again, his movements becoming a dance as he dodged. Gray Wolf soon gave up on his lightening, opting instead for the much quicker torpedo attack. This too Hare dodged in a dance, though this time with much more difficulty. His movements quickly brought him closer to Gray Wolf, who jumped back before Hare could kick him.
"Enough of this; SONIC MOVE," Gray Wolf called. Immediately, Gray Wolf vanished, moving too fast for the others to watch. Hare looked around, desperately searching for telltale signs of the wolf. They came almost too late as Gray Wolf appeared just as he was struck Hare with his claws, leaving two sets of bloody marks as he did so. Hare ignored the pain and grabbed both of Gray Wolf's paws, falling down on his back and shoving a foot into the tiger-type's stomach before throwing him. Gray Wolf twisted himself in the air and landed on his feet ready for another attack. He lunged again, hoping to catch Hare before he recovered. Hare too was ready, and he actually leapfrogged over the attacking wolf. Gray Wolf, turned as soon as he landed, unwilling to be kicked again from behind. It wasn't a kick that was waiting for him. Once more Hare's gassy fart hit it's target and Gray Wolf began to choke and gag as the noxious fumes entered his sensitive nose. He did not run, however, instead he dove, striking Hare's still exposed back and knocking him down. The blow took the wind out of Hare's lungs, and it was all he could do to turn over. Gray Wolf began to growl, baring his very sharp teeth at the now frightened rabbit. Hare's mind worked like mad to come up with a plan to get him out of his predicament, but Gray Wolf provided a better idea.
"Give up now or I swear you won't wake up, fuzz-face!" He commanded, a paw resting on Hare's throat.
"All right, all right, I'll give, I swear."
"Say it!!!!"
"I give, I give..." Hare softly cried. Gray Wolf got off his victim, ready to leave once again. The crowd was cheering very loudly, a fact that almost didn't register with the former bandit. It did though.
*These people hate me. Why the hell would they be... OH NO!* Gray Wolf saw his friends motioning behind him. Once again he turned to find Hare charging at him, his right arm spinning faster than it had before as the purebred rapidly closing the gap between them.
"NNNNOOOOTTTT!!!" Was the only thing Hare said as his fist slammed into Gray Wolf one more time. Instead of coming up at his jaw though, the fist slammed right into the top of the wolf's head. The pain was tremendous. A quiet growl escaped his lips as he looked up at the now laughing Hare before everything went black.

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The match of course, ended in a KO with Hare as the victor, much to the pleasure of the crowd. It took only an hour to set up the platform on which the winners would receive their prizes. Genki had opted to accept the prize on Gray Wolf's behalf since the silver wolf was still unconscious from his final match. That and the boy was not sure Gray Wolf could be trusted around Hare. Beside Genki stood the grand champion, still waving to and egging on his fans who cheered even louder for him than before. Whatever else he may have been, Hare certainly was a crowdpleaser. Two men walked up the platform, one carrying a tray containing three sacks and three medals, while he other looked to be someone important, possibly the village leader or the owner of the coliseum. He lifted his megaphone to his lips.
"Ladies, gentleman, monsters and children of all ages. We proudly present to you the winners of the forty-third annual Championship Monster Battle Tournament. In third place, Leloni." The mint on Genki's left walked forward to accept her reward. She seemed to consider the medal at first before reluctantly putting it around her neck. She didn't have any qualms, however, about the bag of gold. "Our second place winner is Gray Wolf. Unfortunately, as Gray Wolf is unable to be here in person, the award will be accepted by his trainer, Genki Sakura." Genki took the prize money and medal, a little uneasy about being called Gray Wolf's trainer. "And last, but most definitely not least, this year's grand champion and winner of the golden medal and two thousand gold is the first time entrant; HARE." Once again the stands went wild as people cheered for Hare, who bypassed the money all together in favor of the medal which he made a huge show of putting on.
"Thank you, thank you. I love you all. Ha Ha. I'd like to thank all the people who helped get me here, especially my opponents. Afterall, I do need someone to lift me to the top." Hare grabbed the largest sack of gold, holding it up like a trophy as the people cheered even louder. Of course, it wasn't loud enough to drown out the roar of the newly revitalized Gray Wolf. He had been listening and apparently had had enough. The silver wolf came tearing out of the back, his head still bandaged from Hare's final attack. He leaped into the air, ready to tear Hare to pieces, only to be slammed down by a huge hand of solid rock. Gray Wolf struggled and squirmed, intent on breaking free. He let loose a roar, but all that accomplished was knocking Genki off the platform and spilling the money in the bag.
"Stop fighting me and I'll let you go," Golem stated, increasing the pressure to keep Gray Wolf pinned. Behind him came running the rest of the searchers.
"Gray Wolf what are you thinking? You're in no condition to fight," Joshua said.
"There's no reason to fight anymore Gray, we got the money we need and that's what we were after," Genki yelled, moving to help his friends calm down the enraged wolf.
"No, it's not about money any more, kid. That %*&# coward made me look like a fool with a cheap trick. I'll make him pay for that! You hear me you furry &^%*^#$%, I'll make you pay." Hare didn't seem to react to Gray Wolf's yells. His attention was instead focused on the gold Genki had dropped, a mischievous smile coming over his face.

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It took two hours to come up with a plan, enough time for Hare to collect his winnings and for Gray Wolf to calm down, at least marginally. He knew many others would probably consider Hare greedy for wanting the second place prize money as well. After all, combined with all the money he'd presently won, their money would bring his funds only a few coins of five thousands. More money than most people ever needed, a condition that opened up a lot of options for an enterprising creature. Monster Ranches cost big bucks to start up, but a properly run one would easily make back it's cost ten-fold. Images flashed through Hare's mind of young monsters coming to the ranch, all wanting to learn how to fight from the ranch's champion owner. It would be an excellent way to prove his worth to the world as a whole. Still, there were tasks to be performed before that dream could come true.
Hare looked around the village, hoping his new "friends" hadn't left for the village. Maybe it had been a mistake to give them so much time. Just as he was about to give up, the rabbit spotted the six, standing in front of a stand, a plate in front of each of them. On the plates sat small portions of steamed vegetables. And from the looks on each of the monsters' faces, this had not been the victory dinner they'd envisioned. The pink eye began to complain and was quickly joined by the others, save for the golem and the very big human. It was time for Hare to make his move.
"Hey guys," he said, his friendliest smile on his face. The reception he got was less than warm.
"What do YOU want cheater," Gray Wolf barked, baring his teeth as he did so. Pink Eye, Genki, and Mocchi both gave him an angry look, as though he was the cause of all their problems. In fact the only ones who didn't seem to be actively hating him were Golem and Joshua.
"Ah, I take it you're still a little angry about our match."
"So what if he is, you two bit chiseler. According to what he told us, you shoulda been disqualified," Pink Eye said.
"Well, I guess I did kinda win that match unethically, that's probably why I've been feeling so guilty since. So I was wondering if I could apologize to you all."
"Like we'd accept any gifts from a creep like you."
"I was kinda thinking that a good way to apologize to you all would be to offer you a free room and dinner for tonight at the best inn in town."
"Like I said we're all about apologies, good buddy," Suezo said, his tongue grabbing Hare around the shoulder as if they were old friends.
"So I take it you'll all be joining me. I figure it's the least I can do to make up for a mistake."
"If you're sure it's not going to put you out," Joshua said.
"Who the hell cares if it puts this ^%&^$ out. You seem to be forgetting that he cheated us out of a thousand gold," Gray Wolf yelled.
"He's trying to apologize, Gray," Joshua countered. As if on cue, Hare lowered his head and looked very contrite.
"And he doesn't seem like such a bad guy, ya know," Pink Eye added.
"Everyone makes mistakes," interjected Golem.
"Come on Gray Wolf, it's not like the guy tried to kill you."
"No it's worse. He robbed me."
"Look, I really do want to make this better. How about this, accept my invitation tonight and tomorrow, I promise to give you the difference in our prizes." Upon saying this, Hare's eyes went straight to a pleading look. Gray Wolf's stomach grumbled, reminding him of the food it did need.
"I know I'm gonna be sorry for this, but all right. I warn you, though, if you try any funny business with us, I'll use your pelt as a blanket."
"Trust me, Gray Wolf, this will be a night you'll never forget."

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The Golden Bo Inn stood as a testament to the ancient beauty that was Reeve, perfectly matching the ornate construction of the mighty coliseum. The building itself had been built countless centuries ago, and had changed owners so many times it was impossible to know who had built it. There were theories as to why. It was a huge three story building, complete with a huge ballroom and several beautiful rooms. Antiques abounded throughout the halls and a beautiful garden dominated the courtyard, which itself was dominated by a well kept hedge maze. Tours were often given to tourists, who loved to see all the ornately decorated rooms that were open to the public. The current owner had also found another use for the multitude of rooms; they were the perfect place for an inn and restaurant. At this use, even more than as a tourist attraction, the Golden Bo was a major success, even though it was also the most expensive of inns in all the area. Not that it wasn't worth every gold spent.
And spend it's patrons often did. The Golden Bo often played host to scores of rich or noble clients, all of whom desired only the very best of service. This was always particularly evident during Reeve's annual tournament, when visitors from all over the region flocked to the Golden Bo. And then, of course, there was the champion. Every year for the past thirty years, the first place winner of the tournament and his trainer, if there was one, took up residence in one of the inn's many rooms, sometimes leaving with few coins than even the third place winner. Thus, it was no surprise when this year's champion made his appearance at the front desk of the main building. What was surprising was the size of his entourage.
"Hey there. I'd like to get some rooms for me and my friends to stay the night," Hare said, smiling at the man who sat behind the desk.
"Of course sir, but I'm afraid it will take some time to prepare a suitable room for your friend there. You do understand that golem-types require much larger rooms."
"Very well, in the mean time I assume we can have dinner."
"Why of course. If you will leave your luggage with Jax here, I will take you to the dinning hall." Hare tentatively handed his travel bag to the man Jax with an admonishment not to loose it. The others followed the same handing their individual packs to him. The desk manager led the seven through the hallways and into a very large room with a long table and several smaller ones set up. On each table sat a candelabra of pure gold, each one holding five candles. They each sat down at the long table, taking their positions in front of fully set plates. Gray Wolf, who was unable to sit in a chair, was instead given several pillows put on a large oak box to boost him to the table, a common way to accommodate tiger-types. From out of two large doors came a man in an apron and red vest carrying a tray holding six crystal glasses and one small silver bowl filled with water. Each diner got a glass, save for Gray Wolf who received the bowl. The manager asked them if they were comfortable and, upon receiving an affirmative, left, telling them their waiter would be with them shortly. It wasn't long before the other tables were filled with people and monsters, many of whom stopped to congratulate Hare on his victory. A group of humans, all dressed in black, entered the dining room carrying instruments. As soon as they were set up, they began to play, a lively tune that seemed to amplify the conversation in the room.
"Geez, this place looks expensive," Pink Eye said, eyeballing the clientele.
"It is, Pink. The Golden Bo is famous as a place where it's actually a competition to see who can spend the most money," Joshua said.
"All these people have too much money. There are creatures out their who could live for years on what these gluttonous fools spend in a day," Gray Wolf said, obvious contempt in his voice.
"You just don't understand how to have fun. It takes a lot of work to legitimately say you've made like this. And I say, when you do you deserve the best," Hare countered. The rabbit then turned to his other two guests. Mocchi was busy looking with fascination at all the shining and sparkling things in the room. Genki, though, had other things on his mind.
"I have a question, why aren't there any monsters working here?"
"Ha, like any self respecting monster would let himself be caught dead in this snobbish place," Gray Wolf answered.
"Shows what you know. The reason that there aren't any here is the same reason they don't own any of the businesses you've seen. Monsters may be an accepted part of society, but their are a lot of humans who would prefer us not to become competition. Fighters, soldiers, and guards, those are the professions were supposed to accept."
"Oh goddess, you're a civil rights activist," said Gray Wolf.
"You mean it's against the law?" Genki continued.
"Not in so many words. I mean, a monster that finds himself with the gold to start a business isn't going to be thrown in jail for it, but he isn't a very popular businessman either."
"I'm afraid that is a true sentiment for a lot of the world Genki," Joshua interceded, "But in humanity's defense not all of us feel that way."
"No one should feel that way," Genki said. That was when the waiter arrived and asked them for their orders. Each gave searcher gave their order in turn, which was jotted down on a notepad. In a little less than an hour, five waiter returned, carrying their orders. A large granite boulder and mug of white sand was set before Golem, and a prime cut of a deer was handed to Gray Wolf, along with another cup filled with water. Sushi and sake came to Pink Eye and Mocchi got a lemon glazed trout with a glass of cherry juice. Joshua's plate contained a baked chicken dinner with a cup of coffee on the side, while Genki got the Golden Bo's first attempt to make a hamburger and chocolate milk. All things considered, they didn't so half bad. Finally, a plate of steamed vegetables was given to the guest of honor, along with a glass filled with dark red grape juice. The party didn't need to be told twice to dig in. In less time than it took to make, the food was gone, not withstanding the explosion of laughter when Genki pulled a bone out of his patty.
"That was excellent," Genki said, patting his full belly, an action mimicked by Mocchi.
"Like I said kid, only the best. But now it's time for some fun." Genki looked up at the Hare, only to find the lapine looking at a place that had been cleared away to allow for a dance. People were gathering as the musicians prepare to play their music, only to be interrupted by Hare, who began to quietly talk to the band leader. A piece of parchment seemed to magically appear in Hare's hand, which he handed to the musician, who smiled. Instead of the stuffy music Genki had been expecting to hear, the band began to play another lively tune, one that almost had a hypnotic effect on everyone. Hare began to dance, taking partners as he found them among the other patrons, none of whom made any move to stop him. Apparently being the champion fighter had it's advantages.
The dancing monster quickly began to motion for his guests to join in, even going so far as to maneuver a young girl over by Genki and introducing him. The girl, who seemed a little older than Genki, was having too much fun to care who she danced with and soon joined Hare in convincing the boy to dance. One was all it took as the others began to join in. Even Joshua, who politely bowed to a couple, and was allowed to cut in. The only ones who did dance were Golem, who always claimed to have two left feet when it came to dancing, and Gray Wolf, who wanted no part in what quickly turned into Hare's victory celebration. All in all, though, it was a success that lasted well into the night.

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

The sun wasn't even up when Hare awoke in one of the two suites they had gotten. He lay still for a few minutes, listening to the even breathing of the other three that shared his room. Mocchi, Genki, and Joshua were still asleep, much to the hare's delight. Quietly he got up and carefully made his way over to where their bags lay. The hardest part had been sneaking by Genki. Mr. Energy was so full of it that he couldn't lay in one place for more than a few seconds before moving. Hare reached down, not for his bag, but for Joshua's carefully undoing the straps so he could get inside. Slowly, he felt around until his fingers wrapped around the bag full of gold. The mischievous smile returned to his face.

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

"HARE'S GONE!!!!" shouted Genki as he burst in on his other three friends, waking them. Gray Wolf was on his feet instantly, ready for an attack.
"Don't make so much noise kid. Maybe Hare just went for a walk or something," came Pink Eye's sleepy voice. His eye began to close as he tried to go back to sleep. This was interrupted by Joshua joining in.
"Not likely Pink. His bag is missing, and so is our money." That got Pink Eye's eye open fully as he raced into the others' room and screamed at what he didn't find.
"That lousy no good Hare, when I get my hands on him I'll..."
"Calm down, we have more important things to worry about right now."
"Yeah, like whether to roast or barbecue that rabbit," Gray Wolf snarled.
"No, like how we're gonna get out of here. These people are not gonna let us out of here without paying and by the time we can work it off, he'll be long gone," said Joshua. At this, Gray Wolf stopped as an image of himself forced to do dishes flashed through his horrified mind. The six searchers quickly gathered their things and, stopping only to make sure no one was watching, began to sneak out. No mean feat with someone of Golem's size. Even outside they had to be careful, as several gardeners were working on maintaining the hedge maze.
"I can't believe Hare would do this," Genki whispered as they snuck past the tool shed.
"I can. I had that bunny pegged as a troublemaker from the moment I saw him," Gray Wolf answered.
"Well you might have told the rest of us," Genki quipped.
"I DID," came Gray Wolf's irritated response.
"No fighting, chi," Mocchi warned, angry at the two's reckless behavior.
"We can decide who told who once we've gotten over this wall, until then try to keep...," Suddenly, they were surrounded by staff members of the Golden Bo, "quiet."
"Well, it looks as though the big spenders are attempting to leave before settling the bill," the manager said, holding up a parchment with all the expenses they'd accrued, along with the sizable total. "It wouldn't be that you are unable to pay, WOULD IT."
"Well... ah... You see... ah We were just..."
"I thought so. Come with me."

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

Five minutes later found Joshua and Golem in frilled pink aprons washing dishes under the manager's watchful eye, both with dour expressions on their face, wondering when their friends would return. Genki and the others were leaving town, trying to find Hare before he got to far away.
"Okay Genki just leave it to me," Gray Wolf said.
"You sure you can find him?"
"There is nothing that runs, swims, or flies that I can't track. Besides, I owe that flea-brain."
"Just make sure you get our money. Something tells me Joshua and Golem are not appreciating they're new jobs," Pink Eye said.
"I'll be back before you know it." So saying Gray Wolf sniffed the air before taking off at top speed. It wasn't long before he'd left Reeve behind following a dirt road. Only a few minutes later, he gazed down from a hill to a bridge spanning a deep canyon. A bridge with only one creature crossing it. Hare. Gray Wolf's blood was boiling as he let loose a mighty roar.
For his part, Hare had not noticed Gray Wolf's approach until the roar. The wind summoned by the attack struck the bridge full force, snapping the flimsy construct in two. Hare grabbed for the bridge's boards, only to find several break. It was all he could do to swing to the side of the canyon before the ropes snapped. The canyon provided some foot holds that prevented the rabbit from falling to his doom. Unfortunately, that was all that the canyon provided. The rest of the canyon side was smooth, with no outcroppings of indentions strong enough to help it's victim.
"Well, well, well. Look who I found," came Gray Wolf's voice from high above. Hare looked down to find the lupine staring down at him, a none to friendly gleam in his eye.
"Gray Wolf, how are you doing? Sorry about leaving like that but I remembered an appointment I had in..."
"Drop the act Hare!" Gray Wolf yelled.
"'Drop the act' ha ha, how funny, cause I'm dropping the act..." Hare's quiet voice suddenly became a lot louder. "What are you, some sort f idiot? Can't you see I need help here?"
"Not really. I mean the canyon's not that deep. I know I can make the trip up and down quite easily, and you're the champion of the tournament, so you should be quite okay. See ya."
"No! Wait! You can't just leave me like this," Hare pleaded.
"You made me look like an idiot three times yesterday, so perhaps you can explain to me why I should help scum like you."
"I'll give you back the money, I swear, just don't let me die."
"Ha, even if you did, how long would it be before you tried to take it back. It'd be better to let you fall and take all the gold from you corpse."
"You wouldn't."
"Try me." Gray Wolf turned away, fully intending to let the rabbit fall, all the while listening to Hare's continued pleading. It is said that no creature can defy it's own character, no matter how much they want to. Gray Wolf knew he'd be fully in the right to let the trickster die. But, even with that knowledge, his conscience refused to let him go. Gray Wolf walked back to the edge of the canyon and looked down to where Hare was still screaming for help. "Here's the deal, long ears. You owe a great deal of money to that hotel you took us to. So not only are you gonna give us back the money you stole, you're gonna apologize to them and pay them whatever it takes to smooth this fiasco over."
"Oh come on, that could be thousands. Couldn't I just give you the money I owe."
"That's funny, I didn't think purebred hares could fly."
"Shutting up."
"Good. On our way back to the village, you will walk in front of me the whole way, if you do anything else, I swear I'll toss you all the way back to the canyon. Agreed?"
"All right, all right, just help me."
"ARCTIC BLAST." The blue and white beam exploded from Gray Wolf's open mouth, creating crude icy stairs as it traveled down the canyon wall beside Hare. Carefully Hare moved until he was on the stairway, shivering as he touched the ice. "Oh and I should warn you. One roar from me will probably shatter those steps." Hare needed no more warning before he began to move up the stairway.

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

It took Gray Wolf and Hare two hours to make it back to Reeve. True to his agreement, Hare paid the Golden Bo's bill, adding an extra two hundred fifty gold as an apology. The manager thanked him and released both Joshua and Golem from their tasks.
To Hare's surprise, none of the other searchers seemed to hold a major grudge against him for his actions. Not that he would have blamed them. They even let him leave with them, at least until they needed to part ways.
"So you're all on this quest to find the Phoenix and defeat the evil Moo?" Hare asked after listening to their story.
"Yeah, and we're looking for all the help we can get doing it. You're welcome to join, but you have to promise not to try and rob us again," Genki said.
"Why not. Sounds like you could use someone like me to help you out." Hare pointed to his head. "As you can probably tell, this is my strong point..."
"Really, I thought it was that big mouth of yours," Gray Wolf interrupted.
"Haha Gray Wolf, at least I'll be able to come along, unlike some tiger I know," said Hare, his sly smile returning.
"What are you talking about?" Gray Wolf asked.
"Well, it looks to me as though you've become way too attached to Reeve to leave it behind."
"You nuts rabbit, nothings gonna keep me... OW," Gray Wolf yelled as he felt something pull his tail. He looked around to see a very long rope tied to his tail, connecting him to the gates of Reeve. Already Hare was cracking up. A quick snap of his jaws and the rope was cut. Hare was already running, laughing uproariously as Gray Wolf angrily chased him. "I'm gonna turn you into a stew you slimy little thief."
"Look who's calling who a thief, thief," was Hare's reply as he stuck out his tongue and pulled on an eyelid.
"Oh brother." Pink Eye said sweat dropping as the other searchers chased after their friends.

********************************************************* ***************
Epilogue
****************************************** ******************************

Weed moved swiftly through the dark castle belonging to the first member of the Big Bad Four. The place had once been a lively home, full of lights and sounds. Those days were over. Suddenly, Weed ran into a very cold leg that felt hard as rock. A huge giant made of ice-rock looked down at the hapless monster, an unreadable expression on his face.
"Why are you here?" rumbled the golem-type.
"I have a message to give to Master Pixie," came Weeds timid reply.
"Then follow me." With little other choice, the plant/naga obeyed, and was led to two oaken doors. Big Blue opened them both and motioned for Weed to enter. In the twilight, Weed could make out the shape of a beautiful, almost human looking woman. Two wings extended from her back and red hair decorated her head. She wore a revealing two piece suit made of some red material, with a Moo insignia pinned to her chest. Weed almost would have fallen in love, had he not known how dangerous Pixie could be.
"Master Moo demands you presence at the Floating Castle, Master Pixie. When should I tell him to expect you." Weed's voice regained some of it's composure as he fell into the familiarity of routine.
"I need a week to finish my current projects, and then I will be there," Pixie said in her sultry voice. Her dark eyes seemed to come alive with energy.
"Very well Master Pixie. You really actually have a week and a half. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to tell the other members of the Big Bad Four." So saying, Weed quickly left, not wanting to spend a moment more than necessary in the presence of the powerful Pixie.

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And thus did Hare become the seventh member of the searchers. And so did end the miniseries; Gathering of Allies. But don't fear, there's still allot of story left, as the searchers must now begin their journey to the Western Continent, and ever closer to facing the maniacal Moo and his powerful Big Bad Four. The question remains, though, what other changes have come to the Monster Rancher world. Be here next time when, The Journey Begins.