Thanks.



"How come this always happens to me?" Kovu wondered as he surveyed the battered Moonrise. The Varzalians hadn't been too happy about the damage to the fence, but at least it could be repaired. He wasn't that sure about the Moonrise.

"Looks like you could use some help," that familiar accented voice that he knew oh so well said.

"Yeah. Care to help me, Copper?" he asked without turning around.

"Love to. My contract here's done as of tomorrow, anyway."

"Great. I WAS headed for Medivo and then Carrotus, but I got bushed instead."

"I can accompany you as far as Medivo. Then I'm off to Tubelectric and then it's to Vanargala."

"Cool. Vanargala?" Kovu glanced at her, curious.

"It's kinda like Lohar, except that it's civilized."

"Unlike Lohar," he said dryly, remembering his time on the wild, untamed planet.

"You got it."



The tall dark rabbit moved like a wraith through the shadowed alleys of Carrotus. His gleaming sword at his side, he was never to be caught by surprise.

He scaled a large brick wall and dropped soundlessly to the ground on the other side, warily watching the shadows.

A second form exited the darkness, moving agilely through the shrubs of the well-kept landscaping. The huge brick mansion that loomed over the pair kept silent watch.

The new rabbit was smallish, with grey fur and braided black hair. Her large aqua eyes darted about nervously, and she jumped at the slightest sound.

The black rabbit strode towards her, carefully keeping under cover. He slid his sword into its sheath and halted a few feet away from the newcomer. A shaft of moonlight briefly played over her face, enhancing her features before disappearing behind the never-ending clouds. She held an ebony staff, set with a shard of some green stone. A hooded black robe covered the leaping blue electricity that covered her body.

The black one motioned her to move further into the shadows.

"Well?" He spoke in low tones that could easily have been mistaken for the wind.

"She made it. She's lucky, though." The female spoke in the same tone.

"What happened?"

"It seems she was on the battlements. Some wacko pushed her off the wall."

"How'd she survive?"

"Phoebe saw her and managed to catch her. Broke her wrist and one of Blacksheep's ribs. It could have been a lot worse."

"How is she now?"

"She's recuperating. They're questioning her about her attacker. Seems she caught a glimpse of his face as she fell."

"And of. . .?" The dark rabbit let the sentence trail off.

"You mean. . .?"

"Yes."

"Bad. Very bad. Don't know if he'll survive. They barely got him out before the ship became one big fireball."

"He lives?"

"Yes. Not by much, though. They figure it's sabotage."

"Ah." The dark rabbit glanced up at the moon. The stars were beginning to fade, and the horizon was getting lighter.

"I must go."

"See you around."

The black rabbit vanished into the waning night. The grey female hesitated before scaling the wall and heading for the Carrotus Palace.

And so ended the meeting between Shinyso and Ducky Greyrabbit.



Why is Shinyso and Ducky meeting in the dead of night? Who nearly died in the sabotage attempt? Who pushed Blacksheep off the wall? I have to think about this. . .