Despite some troubling dreams, Hare is determined to avoid bothering his friends with any more of his problems. Besides, he reasons, even if Muu is close to tracking down his original body, there's nothing they can actually do about that — they have no way of reaching his location, much less stopping him. All they can do is continue searching for the phoenix, following the Magic Stone's directions into a particularly deep and foreboding forest.
They soon run across resistance in the form of a series of Booby Traps, all set up and maintained by C.P., a color pandora — one of several who live deep in the forest, though he's the only one who isn't elderly or a young child. The rest of his kind were caught and taken away by Naga's forces, headed by Stone Dragon; the sole child among their number, Dorian, was unlocked well after that incident by C.P. himself.
After their initial misunderstanding is cleared up, the Searchers offer to help the villagers. But C.P. only accepts their aid to a point, insisting on staying in charge — and barring their youngest members from helping, much to Hare and Mocchi's ire. This proves to be a sticking point with his son as well: Dorian desperately wants to help defend his home, but his father keeps refusing, driving a wedge between them.
C.P. plans to deal with Stone Dragon once and for all by luring him into a swamp and weighing him down, ensuring he sinks to the bottom. But the scheme goes horribly sideways; Stone Dragon has his own backup, thanks to a pack of former followers of Gray Wolf throwing their lot in with him. A pair of cabalos help shove Golem into the swamp, before another announces that they've located the color pandoras' secret shrine — the place where Holly, Mocchi and Hare are currently hiding with Dorian and the rest of the elderly villagers. While Tiger pursues, the other Searchers rush to free Golem from the swamp, with Suezo encouraging C.P. to help using what's left of his traps in the area.
Arriving at the shrine, Stone Dragon makes clear that he intends to simply flood it with flames, burning everyone inside alive... including his own allies. Hare enacts a desperate plan, borrowing Holly's dagger and having Mocchi cover him while he rushes in and targets the only place not protected by his rocky hide: his eyes. Avila and her pack take advantage of this to flee, before Tiger arrives and takes full advantage of this newly created weak spot.
With Stone Dragon gone, the color pandora regain their hope for the future, planning to rebuild their community once more using the shrine. C.P. pledges to ensure his son and the rest get the sort of education they deserve. Privately, Hare acknowledges that this isn't likely to magically fix his relationship with Dorian on its own, but resolves to hope for the best.
This fanfic contains examples of:
- Armor-Piercing Question:
- When C.P. is hiding in the village along with the rest of his kin, Dorian asks why he's not defending their home like he previously promised.
- Hare asks C.P. who's going to teach Dorian how to handle himself if anything happens to him. C.P. isn't able to muster any kind of answer.
- Armor-Piercing Response: Tiger is left at a loss when Holly points out how she was hit by his Insult Friendly Fire, reminding him that she and Suezo didn't have a choice about whether or not to hide from Naga's forces.
- Attack! Attack! Attack!: Played With; while Tiger repeatedly attacks Stone Dragon even after seeing his moves aren't having any effect, his real goal is distracting him long enough for his friends to recover.
- Avenging the Villain: Part of what motivates Avila's pack to assist Stone Dragon, alongside proving themselves worthy of transferring into Naga's army.
- Bad Boss: Stone Dragon proves to be one, much to the shock of the cabalos and terror dogs who offered their aid.
- Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: Inverted by Avila; it's implied that she deliberately lets Hare and Mocchi attempt their plan, and while she considers trying to finish off Stone Dragon herself, sardonically thinks that she'll let the 'heroes' handle it for her.
- Berserk Button:
- Getting treated like Just a Kid irks Hare to the point that he turns on Suezo, then explodes when the oculothorax cuts him off, snapping at him not to interrupt.
- Genki's furious when C.P. accuses him of hiding behind his friends; C.P. follows this up by irking Mocchi and Hare by comparing them to plushies.
- Big Ol' Eyebrows: Pivorus and many of the other elderly color pandora have thick, bushy off-white brows. Some, like Pivorus himself, have mustaches to match.
- Bittersweet Ending:
- In the end, C.P. doesn't personally get his revenge upon Stone Dragon, and those who were stolen away aren't returned. But Dorian and the other color pandora are safe, and feel much more comfortable rebuilding their community after the warumon's death, with C.P. resolving to ensure his son and the rest of the new generation are well-taught.
- Hare also privately muses that it's going to take more than a single promise to do better to repair C.P. and Dorian's relationship, wondering whether Dorian will resent not having a head start on his education. He carefully keeps such sentiments to himself, however, resolving to hope for the best.
- Both Sides Have a Point: C.P.'s desire to protect Dorian is perfectly understandable, and he makes a fair point about how he's working in dangerous terrain. But his blanket ban against Dorian doing anything to help isn't just protecting him, but denying him any outlets, himself valuable assistance, and preventing him from passing on his knowledge in any way. If anything happens to him, Dorian will be left without a viable teacher... and if anything happens to Dorian, he hasn't been taught how to defend himself.
- The Cavalry Arrives Late: While Tiger gets to pull a Big Damn Heroes against Stone Dragon, C.P. and the rest of the Searchers don't arrive until well after the warumon's defeat, due to having to help Golem out of the swamp.
- Chekhov's Gun: Played With; early on, Hare notes the importance of having a potential weapon on hand. Rather than using his Bindle Stick to fight later on, however, he borrows Holly's dagger.
- Child Soldiers: Naga's army forced all of the able-bodied color pandora they rounded up to join Muu's forces, regardless of age. C.P. also initially mistakes Genki, Mocchi and Hare as such, infuriated by the notion that they were press-ganged into service.
- Condescending Compassion: Suezo teases Hare by patting him on the head (with his tongue) and promising to protect the 'widdle wabbit' from whatever monsters the forest holds. Hare... doesn't respond well.
- Curse Cut Short: Holly interrupts C.P. calling Hare a "sarcastic little shi—"
- Cutting the Knot: Rather than breaking into the secret shrine, Stone Dragon would rather stick his head in and set the whole place ablaze.
- Dark and Troubled Past: C.P. was the only member of his generation to avoid getting captured by Stone Dragon, and was effectively forced to step up and handle the village's defenses all by himself.
- Die or Fly: Discussed; while trying to figure out how to train Dorian, Mocchi notes that he learned how to fight by fighting. Hare responds that they likely don't want to go that route if they can help it.
- Dreaming of Things to Come: Hare has been having Anxiety Dreams about Muu finding his original body; recently, these have grown much clearer, to where he keeps seeing him frozen in the ice.
- Establishing Character Moment:
- Once he's seemingly cornered by the heroes, C.P. scoffs and complains about Naga sending children to do his dirty work, then further mocks Genki, Mocchi and Hare, trying to goad them into losing their tempers and acting impulsively.
- Stone Dragon wonders whether the ones he's found are actually who he's looking for, then shrugs it off and attempts to crush Suezo under his foot, implying he doesn't actually care whether he's got the right targets or not. He's also pleased upon noticing that Suezo's regained consciousness, wanting him to be aware of what's happening.
- Dorian defies his father's instructions to stay inside, interrupting his attempt to order him back by asking whether the roaring he hears is one of Naga's followers.
- Et Tu, Brute?: While he doesn't argue against her, Hare is clearly stung when Holly suggests benching him and Mocchi to placate C.P.
- Eye Scream: Inflicted upon Stone Dragon when Hare gouges his right eye with Holly's dagger. Tiger makes it worse, being the one who removes the dagger before firing his lightning directly into the socket.
- Fastball Special: Finally used here after being referenced twice before; Golem tosses Suezo above the trees to see whether he can spot Stone Dragon, catching the warumon's attention and luring him in, just as planned.
- Fatal Flaw: Stone Dragon is arrogant, sadistic, dismissive and impatient. When he decides to inflict a Cruel and Unusual Death upon everyone sheltering in the shrine, he announces his intentions first... and refuses to give the warumon inside time to evacuate. Had he simply let them out instead of arguing, Hare and Mocchi likely wouldn't have been able to pull off their plan and set his downfall into motion.
- Flat "What": Avila's reaction to seeing Stone Dragon stick his head into the shrine's entryway starts out this way, though she attempts to downplay it by turning it into a full sentence.Avila: ...What. Are you doing. Sir.
- For Want Of A Nail: Rather than approaching Naga directly, some of the calabos and terror dogs that formerly served Gray Wolf track down Stone Dragon instead. Stone Dragon proves more susceptible to their flattery, and they discover and alert him to the color pandoras' hidden shrine.
- Foreshadowing:
- When he first attacks, Stone Dragon shrugs off several attacks with ease, save for Mocchi's Cherry Blossom Blizzard... only flinching at that because the petals irritate his eyes. This later proves key to his downfall.
- Pivorus notes that there are areas in the forest that would likely be easier to defend due to the terrain, obliquely hinting at the existence of places like the swamp C.P. builds his ultimate trap around.
- Heroic BSoD: C.P. enters one when the cabalos show up and ruin his trap, shoving Golem into the swamp and helping Stone Dragon escape. Suezo helps snap him out of it.
- Hidden Elf Village: Downplayed; While not xenophobic, the color pandora community largely kept to themselves, protecting their home with tricks and traps, until Naga's forces came through. C.P. initially assumes that the Searchers must be warumon, and his primary complaint about enlisting their aid is not wanting children involved.
- I Warned You: Once all the traps start going off, Suezo breathlessly complains about how he hadn't wanted to enter the 'creepy forest' in the first place. He then stumbles straight into one, and Hare comments that he'd told him to find cover and stay still rather than running around wildly.
- Improvised Weapon: One of the reasons Hare switches back to using a Bindle Stick is so he can use said stick as a weapon.
- Inferiority Superiority Complex: C.P. claims that he evaded capture by outwitting the warumon. In reality, he recognizes that he was just lucky enough to be overlooked, and admits as much while explaining to Dorian why he's so against his involvement.
- Insult Friendly Fire: Tiger considers C.P. to be a Dirty Coward for hiding while Naga's forces invaded the village. Problem is, this also applies to Holly and Suezo, who were forced to hide while Naga's forces destroyed their village. Golem also takes offense, though none of the others know he has reasons to take the insult just as personally.
- It's Personal:
- C.P. naturally despises Stone Dragon for taking so many of his peers away, and sets his ultimate trap in the same swamp where he evaded him before.
- Avila, the cabalos that leads the pack of Gray Wolf's former followers, wishes to avenge her fallen leader.
- One of the other cabalos also holds a grudge against Golem due to being hit by his Cyclone when the Searchers caught up with them during Tiger and Gray Wolf's duel. He makes a particular point to taunt Golem after shoving him into the swamp.
- It's Quiet… Too Quiet: Holly notes the absence of birdsong as they're making their way through the forest, shortly before the first trap gets triggered.
- Just a Kid: C.P. sees Dorian this way, along with the younger members of the Searchers — Mocchi, Hare and Genki. While he permits Genki to help with preparing his trap, he bars the younger monsters from doing so, much to their frustration.
- Mirror Character: C.P. reflects three of the Searchers:
- C.P. vs. Hare: Both are Guile Heroes who prefer outwitting their opponents, and take considerable pride in their smarts, though they also have plans blow up in their faces. Both also attempt to keep others in the dark about their personal problems, even when those come back to haunt them.
- C.P. vs. Tiger of the Wind: Both lost loved ones to the warumon, and were Forced to Watch as they were taken away. These experiences hardened them, making them more cynical and leerier of trusting others. But while Tiger focused on fighting, C.P. prefers avoiding combat in favor of using traps and trickery, with the former seeing the latter as a Dirty Coward as a result.
- C.P. vs. Suezo: Both are odd-looking monsters who survived an attack by Naga's forces by hiding until the warumon left. Both brag about their respective skills to hide fears about not being capable enough to defend what they love most, and try not to get into direct confrontations, even if that gets them called cowardly. However, when push comes to shove, Suezo is willing to stand his ground and fight, and encourages C.P. to embrace his own strengths and overcome his Heroic BSoD.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: After Stone Dragon threatened to roast her and three of her packmates alive, Avila has no issue with letting Hare and Mocchi attempt their plan, or abandoning him afterwards.
- Monster in the Ice: Hare has recurring dreams showing that Muu's original body has been preserved in this fashion, along with hints of his impending revival.
- My Greatest Failure: Deep down, C.P. regards the fact that he hid while his friends were captured to be this, despite claiming otherwise.
- Mythology Gag: Pivorus, an elderly color pandora, shares their name with an opponent of the same species from MR2.
- Named by the Adaptation: Four of the color pandora are given Nominal Importance: C.P., his son Dorian, and the elders Pivorus and Myrtle. Trish is also mentioned as one of the kidnapping victims.
- No-Sell: Stone Dragon's hide is practically immune to lightning, enabling him to block electrical attacks with ease. He also shrugs off Tiger's ice bomb.
- Plot Parallel:
- C.P. wants to deal with his Dark and Troubled Past on his own terms, with minimal involvement from others, using guile and deception rather than directly confronting Stone Dragon. He's particularly insistent on trying to shield Dorian, but despite his best efforts, everyone gets involved anyway, and victory only comes when they fight together. This mirrors Hare's own reluctance to let the others know about his personal problems and get their help dealing with them.
- His strained relationship with Dorian reflects Tiger's tragic miscommunication with Gray Wolf; while he only wants to protect him, Dorian is left simmering in resentment over the perceived neglect.
- Holly reminds Tiger and the others that she and Suezo had to hide while Naga's forces destroyed Tochika, much like how C.P. hid while the other young color pandora were rounded up and stolen away.
- Poor Communication Kills:
- C.P. initially mistakes the Searchers for being part of Muu's forces, and vice-versa.
- Rather than guiding the Searchers around the forest and showing them where all his traps are, C.P. leaves them to their own devices while gathering supplies for him, leading to several being found the hard way.
- Hare assumes that the rest of his friends understand his need for secrecy when it comes to the Tear's existence. But Mocchi doesn't see anything wrong with letting their new friend Dorian know about his magic, since he's clearly not one of the bad guys, leading to him casually spilling that secret — and being confused by Hare's angry reaction.
- Hare notes that C.P. has unintentionally been teaching his son that he doesn't respect or trust him. When C.P. naturally protests, Hare points out how he's left Dorian to draw his own conclusions based off his treatment of him.Hare: Oh, maybe that's not what you meant, but I mean, come on. Just 'cause you ain't laying out any lesson plans doesn't mean we don't learn by example. Actions speak louder, an' all that.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Muu doesn't have any human followers; even if there was anyone willing to work with him, they'd likely clash with the warumon who joined him due to their own grudges against humanity, making the potential for infighting simply not worth the trouble.
- Quicksand Sucks: C.P.'s plan for dealing with Stone Dragon once and for all involves luring him into a swamp where he'll get stuck and sink into the mire.
- Rule of Three: When lecturing C.P. about how they aren't working with Muu, Hare lists off three counterpoints, but gets cut off before going into the third.
- Secret-Keeper: Now that the other Searchers know about the Tear, Hare sees them as such, and gets very upset upon realizing Mocchi doesn't recognize the need for secrecy. Dorian ends up as one as a result.
- Sidetracked by the Analogy: Hare notes that they don't necessarily want to try drawing out Dorian's potential combat skills with a 'trial by fire'; Mocchi takes it literally and reveals that his friend can make lots of fire.
- Smug Snake: Stone Dragon thinks very highly of himself and enjoys gloating about his strength and how much his rocky hide protects him.
- Survivor Guilt: Though he covers it with false bravado, C.P. is haunted by how he was the only one of his peers that wasn't captured.
- Tempting Fate:
- While considering their situation after their first encounter with Stone Dragon, Tiger notes that the warumon doesn't seem to have any allies with him... or at least, none that they know about. As it turns out, he gets some unexpected reinforcements later.
- Stone Dragon repeatedly taunts Tiger with how useless his attacks are, goading him to pose more of a challenge. He ultimately gets his wish when Tiger exploits his injury in painfully fatal fashion.
- This Is Gonna Suck: Suezo reacts this way when C.P. makes clear that he's not going to guide them around all the traps hidden in the forest, yet still expects them to gather supplies for him.
- Trap Master: The color pandoras have long defended their home with Booby Traps; currently, C.P. is the only one able to handle their setup and upkeep.
- Treetop Town: The color pandoras live in one, while their secret shrine is hidden inside a cave sheltered beneath the roots of a giant tree.
- We ARE Struggling Together: C.P. fails to work well with the Searchers, initially rejecting their help entirely before Holly offers to compromise, then opting not to show them where his various traps are and how to avoid them while gathering supplies.
- We Have Reserves: Stone Dragon doesn't care about any of the lesser warumon working with him, and is more than happy to roast them alive alongside his intended victims.
- What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Downplayed and Inverted; while he isn't happy about it, C.P. is still willing to let Genki assist in setting up traps and put himself at risk dealing with Stone Dragon, while he absolutely refuses to compromise when it comes to the younger monsters who want to get involved.
- Where It All Began: The swamp where C.P. sets his ultimate trap was the same place where he hid back when Stone Dragon stole away all his friends.
- Who Would Be Stupid Enough?: Hare expresses annoyance at the thought of anyone thinking that Muu would recruit humans into his army, given his clear hatred of them. Genki nervously laughs and agrees while remembering Allan, someone they first encountered before meeting Tiger or Hare.
- Wrong Assumption: Due to primarily dealing with Stone Dragon, C.P. has very little experience with how the rest of Muu's forces work, making a lot of assumptions. Such as mistakenly believing that they recruit humans as well, accusing Genki of being a 'handler' for his friends and forcing them to fight for him.
