Chapter Text
Another commission was accepted by the Cunning Hares as they willingly hunted a precious safe, said to hold a treasure to hold over a generation. In their hands that would be about a year or two worth of fortune but dennies are dennies. The only problem was them having no clue where the treasure was located within the hollow. Phaethon was also too occupied to give any assistance in their endeavors, so it was nothing but them and their wits. These very same wits left them wandering for hours, leaving them running on fumes and low ammo.
「 Boooossss, how much longer do we have to be in the hollow? The ladies are running low and my systems feel like they're frying. . . 」 The robots' complaints were met with a frustrated pink headed boss scratching her head.
˗ˋˏ°•Ugh, I don't know! This thing feels impossible to find without Phaethon! •°ˎˊ˗
Anby was leading her team as valiantly as possible, yet even she was starting to hit her limit. ⦅ It may be best to leave and return once we have them with us. ⦆ Nicole gasped as if someone just said a forbidden word. ˗ˋˏ°• We can't leave now! We can't get this far and let someone else take the goods! It might not even be here when we come back! •°ˎˊ˗ She pulled out a small tablet and checked the dim blue screen, sure enough it was still beeping. It was the only thing they had to a guide, yet all it was marking was the hollow itself.
˗ˋˏ°• I'm sure we're almost out of here and we'll be taking Denny showers! •°ˎˊ˗ The thought of riches made her eyes sparkle like stars and gave a bit of a boost to the dimming fire withi─ ⦅ . . .that sounds painful and mostly wasteful. ⦆ Anby commented with her standard sternness.「 On top of that, how would they drain? That would be one nasty clog. 」She emitted a very strained groan with their responses, going right back to keeping her head focused on their objective. . . and not the growing head pains.
Thankfully, the hollow wanted to help with their distraction! Unfortunately, it did so with another ethereal horde! The hares cut through several of the corrupted creatures, only being able to cut down half of the crowd before stretching themselves thin. They huddled behind a pile of debris as they attempted to rejuvenate, Billy burning his depleted stash while firing away an chasing ethereal. That's when he heard a very haunting sound from his ladies.
Click. Click click.
He checked his reserve magazines. . . he checked where his reserved magazines would be.「 Ah! Boss, I'm completely out! 」Nicole checked her own stash of ammunition and she had less than a full mag remaining. She wasn't saying it out loud but Nicole could tell Anby was at her limit too. ⦅ I can use what I have left to distract them. You two can break for it when you see a chance. ⦆ ˗ˋˏ°• What?! No! We don't need anything like that! I just need to think for a second! •°ˎˊ˗ A distorted cry emitted just beyond their cover, getting disturbingly close to them. With her aptitude hitting its peak, it made thinking so quickly feel impossible. 「 In case we don't make it out, watching the Starlight Knights marathon with you guys was the best moment of my life! 」That was a haunting sentence. This wasn't where they ended. It couldn't be.
She can't lose the Cunning Hares.
Just before the pressure got to her head, several different cries were both made and cut off. Glittering fragments flew into the air as the area grew quieter, leaving the group in a chokehold. The silence lingered to an uncomfortable extent as they dared not to breathe. That was until an ethereal poked its head just beyond them and omitted a familiar screech once it saw them. Before they could even muster a shout, its hunt was cut short from a rose gold scythe plunging into its head as it dissipated soon after.
The group backed away from their cover as Anby unsheathed her blade in a defensive position, the array of particles making a makeshift smoke in front of them. The scythe was reeled back to the approaching figure, causing the Hares to shiver behind their electric wall. Ethereals were one thing, an entire person hunting them was another. The closer she got, the more pink was visible, pink and black to be specific. With gold accents, spiked bracelets, dark skin, rosey hair, and a gleaming smile accompanying a punk rock look.
❝ Hello! Sorry if I gave you a fright, I didn't know he was screaming at you guys! ❞ Her tone was light and cheerful, similar to a certain pyromaniac.
The trio glanced at her appearance in silence, breaking down their situation individually. Anby didn't let her guard down for a moment. 「 What do you want from us? 」The girl tilted her head as the question came out, only raising her hands in an innocent manner after thinking on it for a moment. ❝ Oh! I'm not looking for you guys! I was actually looking around for a safe. It's supposed to have a generation of fortune tucked in it. ❞ Nicole was the first to step in as soon as Dennies were involved. ˗ˋˏ°• You're looking for it too?! We really have been in here for a while if there's others here now. •°ˎˊ˗ Nicole checked her scanner once more and was met with a dead screen. Now she couldn't tell if it was still even there.
˗ˋˏ°• Ugh, and my tracker is out! I'm starting to think this was a death wish. •°ˎˊ˗ Her head hung in defeat as Billy rubbed her back in a comforting manner. The girl glanced at the screen and recognized the model, something like that is known for being long lasting. That small fact alone was enough to imagine how fatigued they really were. ❝ I'm assuming you've been in this hollow for a few hours? If you're planning on calling it, I could help you find your way out. ❞
As tempting as the offer was, the group was still suspicious of her. She may have saved them but they still don't know why. ⦅ We appreciate the offer but we shouldn't be following people we don't know. ⦆ Nicole gave a nod in agreement. ˗ˋˏ°• She's right. We appreciate the save but it's dang─•°ˎˊ˗ Their expose was interrupted by a sharp, robotic gasp from their red drapped ally. He threw himself directly towards the pink clad girl and pointed at her hair pin. 「 YOU HAVE THE SAME HAIRPIN AS THE YELLOW STARLIGHT KNIGHT IN SEASON 4!! 」She raised her hand to touch the accused pin, a small chuckle being made once she caught up to him. ❝ Oh yeah! I'm gonna be a full fledged Starlight Knight, just like her! ❞ She even hit one of the yellow rangers less than iconic poses. He had to fight the urge to pose with her.
「 We can trust you. We are also Starlight Knights and we never doubt one of our own. 」Nicoles jaw dropped to the ground while Anby simply withdrew her blade. ⦅ Agreed. ⦆ Now Anby was with him?! ˗ˋˏ°• No we don't agree! Since when did you get into Billy's nonsense, Anby?! •°ˎˊ˗ ⦅ He made me a Starlight Knight during the marathon. According to the fifteenth episode, a Starlight Knight never betrays one of their own. ⦆ The more the situation went on, the more stressed Nicole got. ˗ˋˏ°• You even memorized the episodes?! •°ˎˊ˗ ⦅ He told me there would be a test at the end and I didn't want to fail. ⦆ Billy pulled the very same test out of his jacket pocket with Anbys name and a well past passing score. 「 She's a true knight. 」Nicole pinched her nose bridge as their newly appointed friend found a great deal of giggling from their discussions. ˗ˋˏ°• As long as you're not against us, I suppose we can go with you. My name's Nicole, this is Anby, and this is Billy. •°ˎˊ˗ The two of them gave a greeting gesture when they were respectively introduced. ❝ Good to know! My name is Averine, it's a delight to meet you! ❞
Once the air was a bit more clear between the trio and Averine, they allowed her to escort them back to the entrance of the hollow. They were internally grateful but a bit too worried to comment on it for the moment. ˗ˋˏ°•. . .Sooo. . . You're a hollow raider? Do you have a group or is it just you? •°ˎˊ˗ ❝ It's just me. I tried getting a group together but how I fight and move compared to everyone I met didn't click. Some day I'll have a group though. ❞ Someone getting as far as they did on her own? If she wasn't taking shortcuts that little confession could be a warning. ⦅ How long have you been in the hollow, Averine? ⦆ She raised a finger to her chin for that one. ❝ Uhh. . . maybe two or three hours? That's what it feels like anyway. ❞ While Anby and Nicole were curious about their new ally(?), Billy was much more interested in her knowledge of his favorite thing in the world. While he stole her to ramble about episodes and characters, the other two hung just a bit back.
˗ˋˏ°• Psst. Do you think we should stick with her? •°ˎˊ˗ She whispered with a cupped hand to cover their front. ˗ˋˏ°• It just seems out of the blue. •°ˎˊ˗ Anby glanced at the girl for a lingering moment before turning her eyes back to her boss. ⦅ I do. I'm sure she wouldn't betray us because she gains nothing from it. ⦆ ˗ˋˏ°• I just don't need us walking into any sorts of traps right now. We're stretched pretty thin until we can stock back up. •°ˎˊ˗ ⦅ I'll be ready if she tries anything. ⦆ Glancing back at the two in front of them, Anby noticed a wiggling in Averine hair as they spoke. It was strangely coincidental that it lined up with their words too. ⦅ Averine, did you by chance hear what we said? Your hair is wiggling pretty often. ⦆
Ah, she noticed before Averine herself did. She was so busy with the knight next to her that she didn't even notice her ears moving. ❝ I did hear it but I didn't exactly catch anything. ❞ She pulled her hair apart where the shifting occured and sure enough she had two pairs of wool lined ears. They had a pair of cuff earrings attached to the bottom as well for extra flair. ❝ The whole hearing thing can feel a bit invasive sometimes, sorry. ❞ A light chuckle followed her confession. Billy seemed to light up at the sight however. 「 You're a thiren too?! Oh man, what other kinds of cool secrets do you have? 」❝ It's not exactly a secret but I know how to play a few instruments! Bass, guitar, a little drums, piano. Vocals aren't an instrument but I can do that too! ❞
Her and Billy went back to flattering each other while Anby and Nicole followed behind. The longer they watched Billy practically fan girl the more they were about to let their minds rest. Maybe this was a bit of that good karma they've been stocking up.
After a not so lengthy walk through the hollow, Averine kept her word and brought them right to the exit of the hollow. ❝ Heeeerre you are! You guys 'otta head to a doctor or something to make sure your aptitude wasn't breached. ❞ ⦅ Are you staying within the hollow to find the safe? ⦆ The girl gave her an affirming nod. ˗ˋˏ°• Well, stay safe in here; thank you as well. The Cunning Hares will be glad to repay the favor at any time. •°ˎˊ˗ Right as they were walking out, Billy's screen lit up with an exclamation mark. 「 Ah, wait! Averine, could we have your contact info so we can keep in touch? 」Awww! New friends! ❝ Of course! ❞ Billy was the first to get her information before passing it to the other two. With a parting wave, they exited the hollow while she turned back into it.
The trio felt the evening air bathe their skin, the unseen pressure melting as it did. If was exactly what all three of them needed. . . before collapsing cartoonishly on the ground. Anby wouldn't have fallen but it seemed fitting to toss herself on top of the pile. ˗ˋˏ°• All that effort just to come out empty handed. . .•°ˎˊ˗ 「 At least we met a fellow Starlight Knight! Maybe we can see if she would go in with us again in a day or two. 」⦅ I agree. She seemed nice. It would be nice to see her in better conditions. ⦆ Nicole gave an agreeing nod as she dusted herself off, the first to pick herself back up. A pink clad sheep thiren. . . truthfully someone like that would be hard to forget. Even though she only got in peeks, Nicole managed to memorize all the accessories she had on. Was that something she always did. . . ? Regardless, they returned to their headquarters to get some much needed recovery time.
Averine wandered through the hollow for another hour or so before staring down a monstrous horde of ethereals. It was more than she even found with The Cunning Hares, which made tearing through them feel much more worth it. Her scythe found several partners to dance with, yet none could keep up with its pace. Another array of fragments were all that was left behind of her appearance, with the grand prize awaiting underneath a crack of light. A bit of scooched debris revealed a small safe that couldn't even be bothered to be locked. A light pull on the handle revealed a small orange chip and nothing else. She considered this to be the fortune but it didn't seem grand enough. Regardless of what it was, Averine tucked it away into her pocket and made her way out of the hollow. She could continue her exploration in a day or two if it's still worth doing so.
Maybe it would be faster if she went with a group. Good thing she just met a new one. . . at the very least temporarily.