Dying Days, chapter fivegreenspun.com : LUSENET : MR2 : One Thread |
Wintertime is metally prepared for her upcoming battles, but is she physically capable of winning, or will it be Meta-Rikana all over again?
Dying Days By Justice
Disclaimer: Monster Rancher is ) to whoever owns it. I didn't make it up. Don't sue me, all I hope to gain from this is a few compliments or criticizm.
2nd Disclaimer: If you recognise some of the names from such books as Tailchaser's Song and from the 6 part animated series Bastard, that is because I couldn't come up with any good names myself so I ripped these. Thus, most of the names herein are not mine, they are ) to someone else.
Characters: The monster design is ) Monster Rancher. However, character design is ) Justice, 2000.
Chapter 5: Battle
Wintertime was at the point of hating her Dead Eyed partner.
"Again, Winter, do it again!" Mau'Cha'Kai shoved her foreward, trying to get her to complete her day's training. The broken Tiger was already tired and cranky, and was about to make Mau'Cha'Kai understand this with her teeth when she remembered something.
Martingale Ranch was at stake.
With grim determination, she set herself foreward into the sled's harness, straining with her three good legs to pull. The weight-laden sled refused to budge.
"No, Wintertime," an exasperated Mau'Cha'Kai told her, "put the bad leg down and use it, too! Ten to one it's stronger than you think it is. Now PULL!!!"
Growling at her partner-turned-trainer, she strained with all fours on the ground. Inch by inch, the sled began to move. By the time she reached the peak of the hill, she was nearly in a flat out run.
"That's it, Wintertime all this time I'll wager you never used your leg since you thought it was too weak. And here it was fully functional." Mau'Cha'Kai gave her a stern I Told You So look as she slipped out of the harness.
"A few more weeks of training, and you'll be the champion you should have been a lifetime ago."
[Three Weeks Later]
Mau'Cha'Kai recognised the voice of this battle's announcer it was the same man who had announced the fight where Meta had been he stopped himself before he dreged up too much sorrow. Today was Wintertime's day; she needed his full support to accomplish the task set ahead of her. With two fights won and one loss, she needed this to win this match to win the tournament.
"And now, FAISHA the Fairyhare will meet her next opponent, WINTERTIME the Tiger!" Mau'Cha'Kai sent a venomous look towards the announcer before returning to his previous occupation: brushing out the last tangle in Wintertime's mane. The announcer ignored or didn't see Mau'Cha'kai's displeasure, and continued with his crowd-rousing speech. "Faisha, the greatest monster Laonas Silver Coat has ever trained! Well you may remember Faisha's last fight! How she galantly blasted Thundebar the Arrowhead with such a brave barrage of battle manouevers" Faisha skipped into the arena, waving at her cheering fans.
Mau'Cha'Kai shook his head, trying to ignore the announcer. From across the arena, Laonas jeered at the old Tiger Mau'Cha'Kai was gently grooming.
Wintertime didn't even hear Laonas's stinging insults. Instead, she listened to the announcer, waiting and hoping. Finally, the announcer shut up about the damn Fairyhare and talked about her.
"and you may have heard of her opponent, a real blast from the past! How many years ago was it that we last saw Wintertime's performance in the ring? Seems she's kept some of her cards pretty close to her chest because she's nearly walked away with this tournament! One more win, and the victory will go to Wintertime! One more loss, and Thundebar the Stinger will win!!!"
Wintertime smiled. She loved hearing the announcer speak of her, even though he didn't wax eloquent about her like he did for Faisha. She loved hearing the crowd cheer for her, even though they hadn't cheered as loudly as they did for Faisha. It pleased her even more that Bransed, a young girl in her early teens who had always been kind to Wintertime, had placed a fifty gold bet that Wintertime would win. She couldn't let down Bransed, who had more than once given her free fish at market to feed her monsters.
She couldn't let down Mau'Cha'Kai, whom she had dragged into her debts and who was now as much in danger as she.
She couldn't let down Meta-Rikana, who had gladly gone into battle for her, and who had just as gladly been willing to die for her.
She couldn't let down Martingale Ranch, the only thing she truly valued.
Most of all, she couldn't let down herself. If she failed now, it was over. Everything would be lost.
With grim determination, she faced her opponent. Faisha was known for being very fast and very skilled, but Wintertime had seen her fight before. Amakai had faced her at least twice before, and Wintertime had been quick to pick up on her weaknesses. Faisha, for all her speed and skill, she was not very strong at all, and it didn't take much to wear her out.
Wintertime exaggerated her limp, pretending to be slow and tired. At the first possible opportunity, she turned, exposing herself to attack. Faisha took the bait nicely and struck the Tiger's haunches with a hefty one-two punch. It spun Wintertime around, and before Faisha realised what she'd done, Wintertime closed her jaws on the unfortunate Hare. The resounding snap of breaking bones was heard throughout the stadium.
With a leg severely broken, Faisha's trademark speed was reduced to zero. Although she refused to give up, she was barely able to put up a token defence. Wintertime closed her eyes, enjoying the cheers and boos from the riled crowd. She felt the air around her grow thick and tangibly charged, and with a splendid whiplike crackling she electrocuted the Fairyhare with her broken horns.
The crowd was silent as the Fairyhare hit the ground, limp and unconsious. Only three people were speaking; Mau'Cha'Kai was heartily congradulating her, Bransed was cheering and clapping madly, and Laonas was screaming for the authorities to arrest Mau'Cha'Kai and his "murderous beast" for trying to kill his precious Faisha.
Wintertime met Mau'Cha'Kai in the arena a few minutes later as she was accepting her trophy, prize money, and the disk chips that had been offered as inccentive to the traainers to enter their monsters. There was no happiness, so sorrow, nothing in his emty, dead eyes. He was smiling though, and Witnertime decided to leave it at that.
"Good work, Winter," Mau'Cha'Kai said as he clapped her on her sweating shoulder. "That little pink bunny didn't have a chance." Giggling, he continued in hushed, confiding tones. "That little brat Laonas is screaming for your blood, you know. I don't think the crowd will let him, but it'd be funny if he tried."
Wintertime nodded. Although she had won, she felt that there was no time to celebrate. "Come, human," she said, turning towards the door. "Now must get ready for next fight."
Mau'Cha'Kai nodded and obediently followed her back to the ranch. He fervently hoped they were one the road to success again.
Next chapter SPOILER: Wintertime is winning again, but the summer is nearly over and the money is due by the start of Fall. Do they have time to raise enough money to keep Martingale Ranch open? Can Wintertime keep winning? What will Mau'Cha'Kai do regardless???
-- Justice (DemonCougar@hotmail.com), May 16, 2000
Aw sheeeeit... there's a typo here I didn't catch. Thundebar is a Stinger, it was supposed to be Alumcorf the Arrowhead. Damn... how'd I manage to screw up so badly???
-- Justice (DemonCougar@hotmail.com), May 16, 2000.
You may have made an error but its till good. Have you read my first chapter yet?
-- Aaron Guest a.k.a. Magma Bird (frogmike@excite.com), May 16, 2000.
I meant still not till
-- Aaron Guest a.k.a. Magma Bird (frogmike@excite.com), May 16, 2000.
Thanks! Yes, I did read your first chapter... very cool! When will post another?
-- Justice (DemonCougar@hotmail.com), May 16, 2000.
Getting even better.
-- RaPtOr2157 (raptor2157@aol.com), May 16, 2000.
You already know what I think Justice. This is the best story to come along for a very long time. What else can I say except, keep up the good work!
-- Black Razor (Allanmontalvo@mindspring.com), May 16, 2000.