These days, everything is just too....peaceful!

So thought the bored royal guardsman standing just outside of King Bayfield's throne room, a fox in his early twenties. His fur was orange, with streaks of black in it, his eyes an intense emerald green. He wore the traditional armor of his order, but his cape was hardly traditional, a bright crimson color, flashy and indicative of his arrogant nature. His chosen weapon was hardly traditional either; rather than the typical sword of a guardsman, a small metal cylinder hung from his belt, a rare and high-tech beam sword.

Arrogant, cocky, and more violent than preferable, he was one of the guard's best warriors, but hardly its most trusted. Because of his rebelious nature, it was generally believed that he would never reach master rank. And then there was the matter of certain abilities that were passed to him through his lineage...

He scowled and continued to do his duty, standing guard at the large doors...with one ear against the doors, listening in on the conversation. Gradually, his boredom and restless frustration disapeared in the wake of curiousity. They were talking about an undead warden threat or something...gods, he hoped so. He would never prove his worth to the guard standing by the big oak doors, and he certainly wouldn't live up to his familly name. He needed to see some action, and it sounded like he could have his chance soon enough...

The fox backed away from the door as the old human stepped through. The guardsman uncerimoniously leaned against the stone wall and grinned in a not-so-pleasant way.

"Hey, what's up, Wrinkles? What kind of buisness do you have with the king?"

The human eyed the fox for a few moments warily, then pointed to the horizon, "There's a storm coming."

It had been a very long time if one asked anyone who survived the Dark Ages, in which Lord Robotnik had ruled with a iron fist. After the tyrant had been defeated however, the fight for freedom was not over entirely. The Order of Telvanious, a group of so-called Guardians of peace and balance that had been with the world since the Medieval Ages had turned sour during the middle of the Great War. But not until the days after Robotnik had anyone noticed it. The Order it self was a evil enity in which true intentions were revealed when Robotnik was defeated. The cult itself wanted complete and total power and took Robotropilis before any mobian could dream of setting foot in there. But even the Order could not last, as most things are long they have to come to an end. The Order itself held Robotropilis for ten more years. They had been defeated by the Freedom Fighters somehow despite their amass of Two Thousand, Fourty Two members. Good triumphed above evil once more, and the Order was disbanded and destroyed. The Order's defeat was the point of the death of great evil on Mobius. But even then in the time of so-called peace many thought evil was still amok and they needed a guardian until the empires of the old were restored. Their wishes were granted when a old sage named Vayron Zyrane decided to reform the Order as a good force. Though he made sure the Order would never again return to the evil that was the orginal Order. This new Order was deemed, The Order of Zyrane; named after Vayron's surname. Then time went on, and the old empires and kingdoms or at least some were restored. Then again, the Order did not disband then. They were on Mobius to stay and protect. The Order of Zyrane stands to this day, and this new venture will affect it greatly.

Guardsmen Elite, High Watchmen, and Warrior of the Order of Zyrane -- Tyran Fos sits in the Capital of Acorn feeling a spirital form of distress, hatred, chaos, and worst of all... evil. With this feeling noted he goes to the King to discuss any disturbtions. But when he arrives he finds himself in the middle of a conversation. He listened.

"A psionic leader? Is that what you're saying?" The fox coughed and looked irritated but didn't answer. The king spoke again, more seriously, "A warden. But they all died. Are you saying we're fighting some kind of spirit..." He trailed off lost in thought.

"You must tell the royal guardsmen to find and destroy it. Hemayan atak silwan. The living ghost. It is coming, it will kill, stop it before it gains power. You know of who I speak, King Bayfield."

"Dad, whats he talking about? Dad?" Jhared jogged over worriedly watching his father fall into a chair. The old fox pointed to the door, "On'we are weak compared to the demon mobius faces. The ghost of the Nax'ce has returned. You know better than most what danger there is now." The old man hobbled out leaving the two alone. The older squirrel looked down at a green crystal around his neck. "Jhared, please tell the captain of the guard I need to speak with him immediately." The youth gritted his teeth, then turned around around obediantly and ran out of the room.

Tyran bit his lp before taking a light bow. "So my feelings are not just a false one." he spoke.

"Can I help you, Watchmen?" the king asked.

Tyran nodded. "Yes, I was comming her to tell you of a evil spirit - only that I felt it in feeling. But with this man telling you of this ghost it proves my conceptions." he the nspoke again. "Evil is returning."
"So this could not be just false tales of a Ghost...." he added before awaiting the speech of the King.

The King only nodded.

"I will leave you then, may the Avatar be with you." he spoke with a nod before leaving.

As the Orderling left he bit his lip and leaned on a wall. "Evil is returning, and I must help." he muttered.

"Avatar be with you as well." The squirrel drummed his fingers on the throne's ornate arm thoughtfully talking to himself. "All this inside of a week. First the increased hostilities in the town and now both the old human and a Watchman are getting visions and sensing things. Something is happening, I just wish I knew what."

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

"Sometimes clouds can form more quickly than one would plan my boy. The worst storms can emerge of the clearest sky or the most innocent looking cloud." The old man said almost hissing at the fox.

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

"Who the hell would do this to a innocent little kid?" A feminie voice echoed in his waking ears. He was being carried, but he was too weak to open his eyes to see who his savior was. The voices he heard were muffled but audible, the second was different than the first. "He's alive at least... probably malnurished, runaway by the looks of it."

"Whatever you say, Mr. Weatherman. Still sounds like a load of crap to me."

The fox sighed and continued leaning back against the wall, still bored, still guarding the door. He didn't join the guard to be a watchman. He did it to become like his legendary ancestors, an epic hero, that sort of thing. So far, not so good. But his time would come, he was sure of it. Or his name wasn't Max Prower!

A red furred fox in his early twenties looked onward to the girl who had picked up the rabbit up. "Many people in this day and age do many things." he spat.

But when the maroon fox sa w the figure of the rabbit he shook a bit, the boy... he remembered him - but he hadn't aged a day since he'd last seen him. He bit his lip before stepping up a bit. "I know this boy." he said.

Only too well, only too well.

As the Watchmen leaned he noticed that the human from the room had walked into the hall outside of the chambers of the King and he also noticed a Royal Guard of... he forget what faction he was from and by listening to him it seemed the guard was full of himself and very blantally rude.

"My aren't you kind to elders." he spat at the guard's comments to the human.

"My, aren't you a condescending jackass.", Max retorted.

He was in no mood to put up with the disciplinary lectures of old superiors drunk on their own power.

"What a limited vocabulary." he retorted back as he closed his eyes. That feeling was still there, and it was there to stay. He gritted his teeth, evil was comming and it was intent on not stopping.

"How nerve-racking..." he muttered silently.

OOC: Suprised I was only informed about this a few hours ago. Rick, e-mail me or IM to explain what's what with Bushy and such and I'll hop in

OOC: Sorry this came at a bad time. Gimmie a few days to heal from my visit to drill-ville and I'll start this up again.

Deeper, in the darker regions of the forest, where few but the foolish of hart dare tread, a youngling was running for dear life, leaping fallen logs and scrambling to keep purchase on the moss coated ground beneath his feat. If only he could reach the hill ahead, the rocky out crops that broke the darkness cast by the trees. If only he could reach the light hed be safe. But there is a reason why the darker things in this world are best avoiding, and as the boy caught sight of the streaming sunlight ahead, the burning sensation of the beasts claws cut into his back, sending him tumbling forward, yelping in pain. Feat kicking in random to regain his tread the boy pushed himself back up, so close to sanctuary that his mind played dilutions of hope upon him, thus increasing his desperation when the dark, ethereal hand set upon him, lifting him clear of Terra Firma and into the air, where he came face to face with the one thing he had been taught to fear above all the unnatural of the forest.

Wraiths,
The remnant of an army so loyal, never truly leaves the battle ground upon which they fell. Even in death, they still seek to reap destruction on the living, taking their vampirstic traits with them to the other side, where they became scavengers of the dead, devouring souls to survive against the natural flow of oblivion, sustaining only a half existence even when their corporality is renewed. This was the one of the many scars left by the Refual war, one that went unseen for many years, until the forest began to give protection enough for the Unnaturals to move within daylight hours, hunting the living and draining them of essence to maintain their being and sate their bloodlust.

The waning scream of pure terror lasted all but a few seconds before the unfortunate Skunk grew too limp to fight his attacker. The youths flesh turned a distinctly gray color beneath his fur as the dark shadowy form that held him, drank deeply from the shimmering stream of energy that it was gradual drawing away from the boys chest, an almost skeletal hand scooping at the blue-green ebb of life force, greedily devouring every drop of energy it could drain from its unfortunate victim. Abruptly, the stream stopped and the creature tossed the frail corpse away, its everlasting hunger sated for the moment. For a few moments it hung in lavation, savoring the taste of young life, suspended with its long ragged black cloak floating in a none existent wind, almost as though it were submerged in water, its face hidden in its entirety beyond the hood from under which three bright blue eyes stared, never blinking and ever focused on the hunt for its next meal.

Most can be banished before they reach this stage, the time where they regain their corporeal body, forged of the hundreds of souls it has devoured, undead and living alike.
Even more are destroyed by powerful wards before they can ever make the transition between the Spectral Realm and Mortalice.
But for those, slim few that slip past the nets of oblivion, there is but one solution.

The wraith shifted suddenly, becoming aware of another being nearby, another young life form for the culling. And yet, as it turned to face its pray, it let out a shrill raven like shriek, rising high in the air as though intimidated by what ever new entity had entered its presence. Before it, stalking forward from beyond the rocky spire that would have spelled the Skunk childs freedom, was a tiny, gray furred fox kit. Smaller then even the Skunk boy, runt-like with dusty fur and dressed in muddy brown rags, it had to be said that he looked about as treating at first appearance as the toffee spear. But it was the boys eyes that told of something other then the simple child that now stood unafraid before the specter. They were dark, lifeless, the light seeming to be incapable of gleaming off their surface, the dull gray reflection against the Aqua irises a tantalizing glimpse of the innocence which they must have once shone. The childs long dusty forelock dangled before his face, obscuring the right eye partial, though you got the feeling that it was defiantly looking at you from under the matted vale.

The shrieking wraith charged forward at the kit, clearly the youngling had little or no chance against such a fiend and yet he stood there, looking almost board. As the creature approached ever closer on its careering charge, the Childs dull eyes clouded with bright shades of blue, his body becoming almost limp and clearly only just standing on its own two feat via will power alone. It was then that the wraith saw something else, a figure not so far away standing in the light where the canopy was broken, a ghostly and incorporeal shadow of the kit that stood before him. With a sudden almighty heave, the figure grabbed for the fallen log next to him, the aura of gasses surrounding its transparent from changing from bright blue to a vivid blood red. The wraith turned, but all too late had it decided on making its retreat. There was an enormous crash as the log connected with the tree line, the spot where the wraith had hung now empty except a few ebbing black orbs of energy which quickly dispersed into nothing. The body of the Wraith was burning beneath the log that had relieved it of physical form, the remaining ash floating away on that same none existent breeze.

The kit stumbled as though some one had just hit him on the back, gasping for breath as his soul reasserted itself in its rightful place within his flesh. After a few moments of slow breathing, the child stood up straight and looked to the sun, dazeling brightly in the distance, a sign of middays approach.

For a couple of minuets, the child continued to stair at the sun, possibly finding relief in the pain his head was now giving him. It was done, the last of them were purged for now at least. The boys mind settled on a decision and, turning unsteadily to a seemingly random bearing, he stagered into the darkened woods, reaching behind his neck to retie the thin worn lace from which a rune stone dangled, bumping heavily against his chest as he walked onward though the foliage toward the outskirts of the village a mere three hours trek away. Hed been out here nearly a month, though it felt far shorter spread of time since the day his self inflicted task had begun. Surely now, with that task complete, he should feel some glint of happiness, some sense of fulfillment, the pain feel better? Already he could feel something dragging him back to the town, though it was not valor or the awaiting victory it was desolation. He had fulfilled his purpose and yet there was no release, no sensual reward for his deed, the pain still there, rending at his hart like a savage starving wolf that had been thrown a scrap of meat. If not fulfillment? If not revenge?
... what would make it go away?

--

Onward he trudged, time passing by with little or no meaning to him as his thoughts dwelled in the past, replaying tortures memories over and over again to his minds eye. He barely noticed when he walked into the edge of the town, crossing the streets with little mind for those around him, not really knowing where he was going. Then, quite suddenly, he stopped, turning to look at the small crowd that had gathered around a fallen rabbit youngling. His brow scrunched together, knowing something was amiss with the scene before him, something that didnt belong and yet stimulatingly did. Snapping out of his near hypnotic state, the boy stood across the street and watched as a woman lifted the boy up, several others helping. They walked passed and, his curiosity now raised, the child followed close behind the group, his eye narrow and the look of someone doing hard calculus etched upon his face.

OOC: going to wait a bit to see if anyone wants to take on the two that found Toby as their characters. I'll move the other side though.

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

The old man had vanished but another seemed to take his place, this one was taller, more muscular, cocky with a grin on his face. A grey hare in his early twenties with obviously bleached headfur let out a laugh, "Looks like someone peed in your breakfast. Whats with all the gloom?"

Nicola adjusted the boy in her arms, trying to make him more comfortable while not doing anymore harm to any concealed injuries, knocking a few long black hairs lose from the thick ponytail that draped over one of her shoulders as she did so. She looked down at the child in sympathy as Luke joined them, a small twinge of anger constantly churning around in her stomach. These wounds certainty werent caused by a normal forest dweller and it was too late in the day for Unnaturals. Then again, how long had the poor thing been out there? How anyone could do something so awful to someone so young and defenseless she could never know, but if she ever met them shed gladly give them a black eye for their trouble. Being a raccoon, it was in her nature to want to stay close to home and so had automatically stated to head for her own hut with the child in arms, the thought of how she could treat the boys injuries with little more then a few bandages in stock if they were worce then they seemed not really dawning on her. However, at Lukes comment, she stopped abruptly and looked up at the maroon fox with her curious purple eyes.
You do? Where from? She said, clearly a little skeptical as to how the man could know such a child. It was also at this point that she realized where she was going, though was now closer her own hut then the infirmary, one of the few actual buildings in the village and was usualy visible between the huts from most points though out the tree-nestled village.
Oh.. Never mind that now. She said, tutting slightly, clearly agitated about trivial matters getting in the way of her train of thought Look, my place is just over there, Ive got some bandages and I can clean him up. But do you think itd be better to take him to the Infirmary?

"Oh.. Never mind that now." She said, tutting slightly, clearly agitated about trivial matters getting in the way of her train of thought "Look, my place is just over there, Ive got some bandages and I can clean him up. But do you think itd be better to take him to the Infirmary?"

"I'm not sure but, I think your place would be better and he was always fast at recovering." Lucas said.

"Though it's up to you to deter your abillity or the infirmary's abillity to tell where he should go." Luke faintly smiled. "One choice, yours." he added.

He watched with patience. Things were looking rocky and he was an outcast.

Nicky narrowed her eyes sarcastically on the fox "In as evasive a mood as ever I see." She muttered lightly, almost as though she was playfuly rubbing it in. A small smile grew on the her short muzzle as she got her bearings and started walking the rest of the way toward her hut, feeling far calmer and to some extent more in control of the situation.
The crowd that had built around the boy quickly began to disperse, though one or two hung on for the short walk to Nicky's hut. And it was to one of these few that the Coon turned her head toward now to address "Dias, can you go tell 'our fearless leader' about the boy? He'll no doubt want to know" 'and probably have a paddy if he isn't in on the loop' she added secretly, using a few free fingers to push the cloth over the doorway aside and stepping over the threshold.
Immediately she carried the boy into the side room, using her foot to snare a corner of the clean sheets and pulling them off the bed there so not to get them dirty before gently lay the boy on the mattress, lowering his head last to give herself time to place a pillow underneath. He was still limp, either unconscious or too exhausted to move. Nicky knelt down beside the bed, her smile fading as she looked upon the boys innocent face. She reached down and gently stroked the childs forelock, as much for her own serenity as his, quietly whispering You poor thing you must have been out there for days.. but its alright now, your safe.
Luke had followed her in and was standing at the foot of the bed, looking on as she started checking the boys limbs for any brakes or life threatening wounds that she might have missed upon first inspection.
Luke She said clearly, though not shouting, her voice dampened for fear it might disturb the boy There should be a large bole in the kitchen. Could you fill it about half way with water, dip in some Alora from the spice shelf and bring it hear. Oh, and a cloth Oh! And the Aid box is in the left cupboard under the pan rack, could you bring that too please.

"Gladly." Luke said with a nod as he went off to find the supplies she had requested and in a few momments returned with a cloth packet that he had inside his belt earlier.

"Whats in the packet?" she asked.

"Herbs. Red and Purple. Purple is like a painkiller, and Red is a healing enity."

She raised her eyebrow. "Where--"

"A far place." he responded.

She blinked. "How cryptic of you."

The Raccoon womans eyes narrowed with that sarcastic smile once again, and she returned to the task of removing the boys raged shirt, hoping to gain better access to the numerous cuts and wounds that were concealed beneath its thinly worn cloth. Once done, she pulled a stool from beside the bed stead, sitting down with the bole rested on her knee and began to clean the boys open wounds with the cloth, taking time and care to be as genteel as possible while not leaving any grime or soiled blood in the cuts that could cause infection. She also took the time to whipe away some of the dust from the fur surounding the wounds, a sort of 'good place to start' so far as cleaning the youngster up went.

There was a clatter from next door as a pan was dropped, Nicky imediatly looking toward the door with some confution. There was a moment or two of silence before she gave a tut and looked to the fox standing "It's probably just Girth from nextdoor. Could you just send her off? This isn't the best time for her 'Borrowing' habbits."

--

In the next room, the gray kit was standing on the work top, looking though the cupboard for something, though his whimsical movements so thought less that he might have been on auto-pilot. Finaly he found what he was looking for, the bottle of Alora sitting on the top where Luke had left it, and promptly jumped off and walked toward the door into the other room, only to be met by a tall marrone fox coming the opsite way.

He winced with each touch, after a minute he half opened his eyes. They looked odd, weary, not like a child his voice was undoubtly adolscent though, "Where?"

"shhh, its ok" Nicky hushed quietly with a genteel smile, placing the cloth back in the bole as she stroked the child's forelock comfortingly. She could tell he was exhausted and confused, so best to calm him down before carrying on and risking doing injury to himself if he panicked "It's ok..You're safe now... you just lie still and rest, 'kay?"

The boy grunted had jerked his head to one side letting out a loud pop. Nicky blinked, he wasn't acting... right. Macho? What in the hell? The rabbit stretched an arm an popped it as well, "Did I get hit by a bus or what? I feel really weird and my hands..." He stopped and started staring at them as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He suddenly lay back down and looked pale then passed out again.

Nicky staired at the unconsious boy for a few moments, trying to get her head around why he might be acting so odd. Silently, she shook her head, wrung out the damp cloth and carried on tending the injuries.
Must have taken a bump to the head, poor thing.

The Watchman sighed as he took himself closer to a window and looked outside through it into the bustling city. "Despite it. It is there. Comming." he muttered as the Guardsmen eyebrowed him.
The watchmen sighed as he held his grip around the cloak which draped around his neck. "I can still sense it, immensely. This is not a doubtful feeling at all." he bit his lip.

He turned to the Guardsmen and all the Guardsmen would do is narrow his eyes and walk away. What a attitude problem.....

"Problem, Guardsmen?"

_______________________
_______________________

Lucas blinked as he spoke again. "Nic' we got another visitor over here..." he called out.

"I feel uncomfortable around people who talk to themselves a lot. And besides, my shift is over. If you'll excuse me..."

Max continued on his way. He needed to figure out more about this new threat, and possibly persuade the higher-ups to unleash him upon it...

Nicky stood up from her now finished work, carrying the bole with its soiled water and stroking the childs forelock again, before heading back toward the kichen door where the dumbfounded Luke was stood.
If thats you Herb I dont have any-
Her sentence was cut short by her own shrill cry of shock, the bole of bloody water hitting the floor and spilling its contense before rolling to a stop at the side of the open portal. Nicola stood, shaking in alarm, hand over her racing hart as she stared down at the bedraggled kit they had all assumed dead nearly a month passed, alive before her, worse for wear but alive none the less. For a good few moments no one spoke, the only movement being on Nickys behalf as she transferred both hands to her mouth in distress, tears building in her eyes, she finally found her voice a..Asty?
The cub looked remarkably unmoved by the emotional display that had greeted his return, holding the small bottle up to her in both hands and speaking in a tone that suggested semi innocence about him I got the Alora for you?
His sentence was barely finished when Nicky swooped forward and scooped the kit off the floor, hugging him tightly, a barrage of emotional words spilling forth Oh my god Oh my god! Youre ok, youre alive! Where have you been? Why would you run off like that? Do you know how worried you had us all? We thought you were dead! Oh gods dont you ever, EVER do that again
Eventually, after several minuets of bouncing between scolding, praising and thankfulness that he was back safely, Nicky finally regained her composure, adjusting her hold on the small boy so that he was astride her hip and she could see just what a mess he was truly in.
Ohhh look at you Youre a in a right state Your furs caked in mud, your wasted away and She tilted the boys head back slightly with a free hand, looking at the dullness in his eyes with the light from the window when was the last time you slept? Oh Yeu'su youve had insomnia again.. where have you been all this time?
There was a slight pause before the child realized this wasnt a retorical question I was thinking,

A swordman, unknown yet highly skilled stepped up to the gates of the kingdom. He studied the walls.

"No good," he said grimly to himself.

Luke nodded, understanding the responce that the boy had given. He too had a dramatic event occur to him at such a young age and needed to run away from the problem to relax. Then again, his orign....Luke's home of the Dry Hill's were long since gone in this world. The red fox took a sigh of relief to know the kid was fine, as long as he lived at this village he had saw the boy grow. Nine years now was it? He smirked faintly, then frowned. His ten year rotation of villages were about to commence again. But he knew if he stayed the never-aging fox would trouble most. He looked to Nicky, he would miss a lot of people but he couldn't stay long as he so wished sometimes. The fox sighed.

"I understand." he breathed out.

"You and me both. Whats up with these spooky doomsayers around here lately anyway? They even got kingy looking all weird and distant." The gray rabbit didn't seem to know or care that neither Max nor the Watchmen he was arguing with had even acknowledged his presence, he kept talking to them anyway.

Tyran turned to the new figure, the gray rabbit and nodded. "I am no doomsayer, all I have said that I have felt a undisturbing feeling of distant evil that is quickily approaching." he said, trying to explain it to him but the guard spoke before he went on his way once more.

"That's what he meant." he spat distastefully.

Tyran sighed, "What you see through your eyes and ears is what you only believe. But if you were in my posistion you'd do no different." he said. "Hear no evil, feel no evil as you believe." the Watchmen sighed as he leaned aganist the wall. "Who might you be anyway?" he asked the rabbit.

As he looked back to ask the question he noticed the rabbit was mocking him by moving his hand in a puppet 'talking' motion. It quickly went behind his hand seeing Tyran turn around. He grined, "Johnny Kinnear, royal guardsman and someone who don't believe in moping around about the end of world." He smiled coyly making a fist and popping his fingers in rapid succession, "I'd rather fight whatever evil you think you sense than mope around talking about it. So jeeeust point it out."

"So brash, Guardsmen. As you may not know I am not a evil tracker." he spoke as he scratched the back of his neck. He remember so much was spoken highly of the Guard, yet he had forgotten when he had trained with them and their attitudes. Thats how he earned the title of Guardsmen Elite anyway. By completing their training. The high guardsmen rolled his eyes, how could he forget? Bah.

"I see the Royal Guard doesn't teach you sanity and manners anymore." he spat.

The rabbit grinned, "As a crazy alien told me once, fighters don't have sanity. As for manners, what can I say. If manners are to walk around like you acting creepy and talking about cryptic evil." He added to the dramatic effect with a chilish 'booga booga' face, "Then I ain't gotta mannerism in my body."

"Creepy?" he chuckled. "I am just trying to figure out when this evil will exactly strike so a defense can be held." he spoke. "You are as I've said...don't understand. You'd have to be in my shoes to understand." he said as he turned around running a hand through his scalp. He never seemed to himself as creepy but indeed he could get rid of the gloomy red cloak and hood and dress like a normal being. Perhaps.

"What would you propse I do about it then, Guardsmen?"

"Kick its ass of course. Got got an evil dude roaming around, you kick his ass and lock him up. Am I right Maxy?" He fired off winking and elbowing Max in the arm.

"Okay, riddle me this guardsmen. How would you kick its ass if you don't know where it is comming from. That is my posistion." he smirked lightly.

OOC: Wait for froggy, I'll move the other plot.

The small rabbit stirred again, this time his eyes looked more normal for a boy his age, "mrrr..." He slowly blinked awake, innocent blue eyes looking around almost scared, "Am.. am I dead?" He said weakly. "Rick? Rick are you here?" He was calling out for someone, even though he thought he was dead.

Luke turned as he nodded and went over to where the young rabbit was calling out for something. "Toby? Toby, it's Luke." he spoke hoping the name would cause a trigger.

"Who goes there?" cried a guard from the ramparts.

The caped swordsman looked up, his black fedora blocking out the sun.

"Name's Messenger, I've come to see some old... pals," growled the caped figure.

"Messenger, eh? I'm keepin' my eye on you, Messenger," sneered the guard as the gates opened just wide enough for the caped figure to slip through.

"Idiot," growled the figure under his breath as he pressed on into the city.

The rabbitboy blinked, "Lucas? You died too? Where's Rico?"

He gritted his teeth as he put a hand on his shoulder. "I never died....." he muttered not wanting Nicky to hear a thing. "Your back on Mobius, it's been 200 years since I last seen you. Your in the Great Forest, in my friend Nicky's hut." he explained in a whisper.

Toby layed back down, "Oh." He looked away and shut his eyes, tears falling. It was almost as if he'd wanted to die.

"Toby, it'll be alright.... I know life has been horrible on you - but we have to live on. Isn't that would Rico would want right?" he asked in a whisper.

Max rubbed the spot where Johnny had elbowed him, a look of slight annoyance on his face. Still, he was glad to have another guardsman around with at least some sense...

"Close. You kick his ass, and then you chop his head off. Its the only way to be certain. As for finding it..."

He gave Tyran an unpleasant grin.

"You really don't have to look for the evil and powerful types. They usually make themselves known."

"But then it will be too late." he spat back.

"Nah, its never too late. You just gotta have the right equipment. He said spining an unorthodox gun around his finger cowboy style. It was clearly not a guardsman weapon and the hare seemed smug about carrying it.

"But first, Maxy and I gotta investigate a disturbance in one of the villages nearby. Seems some kid in weird clothing wandered outta the woods. Milk run but it'll earn brownie points." He smarted off to Tyran, "But I doubt saving kids is your thing. You'd probably rather stay here and talk about how we're all doomed."

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

Toby sighed and rubbed his eyes, "I dunno..."

"I am a guardian of the way of peace, it is my duty to accompany you." he spoke with a faint grin.

------

Lucas patted the boy on the back to console him. "Just get some sleep, you'll be better in the morning."

"Come on, Johnny. You too, Mr. Doom and Gloom. Let's get this over with.", he said, turning away and walking off.

He wondered what the higher-ups were doing sending guardsmen out to handle some lost kid. It sounded more like a job for local police. But he couldn't complain; it got him away from the palace. Maybe he could take the time to brush up on his skills.

Toby sighed and started at the ceiling talking to noone in particular, "What happened to me?"

Toby sighed and started at the ceiling talking to noone in particular, "What happened to me?"

Lucas blinked wishing he knew the answer to that question. "I don't know Toby, but I'm here for you." he said as he glanced at Nicky.