FanFic: Hero's Nightmare

[Digi-Dolphin]

Okay, first off, the first chapter is a major spoiler for the Billy Hatcher game. So if you don't wanna know what happens, don't read this.

Next up, this is a very crazy story that I wrote after playing the game and finding the end boss to be the biggest pissy bytch since Dark Falz decided to KO me by swiping my 'soul' as I used Estlla on his ass. It's part revenge on the boss, part 'What If' story. Well, enjoy!

[Digi-Dolphin]

Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg:
Hero's Nightmare



Chapter One


The trials of the past few days were nothing compared to the insanity that ran rampant at the Giant Palace. All four children from the human world had fought their way to this single moment; the final confrontation with Dark Raven. Watching them from high above, Menie-Funie, the God of the Chickens, silently took pride in the little flock. There was Bantam Scrambled, the gentle giant of a boy who kept one hand on his partner, Cipher, a flying rhino with fire power, and the other on Chick to keep him still.

Chick Poacher, small but spirited, was eager to continue the fight. The goggles that usually sat on his head were now on his face. He growled fiercely, sounding more like an angry puppy than anything near intimidating. Chick's weapon of choice sat nearby, a yellow striped egg that had the potential to hatch into Recky, a flying monkey with electric attacks.

Then there was Rolly Roll, the only girl in the group. She loved everything and everyone, was there for a person when they needed her and never failed to forget at least one thing. She put a gloved hand to her face as her bright eyes went wide, her mouth forming a cute 'o' of surprise. She had forgotten something again. Her weapon of choice was a cute pink striped egg that was grown quite large and ready to hatch into Runny, a half bear, half turtle that had a devastating slam attack.

Finally, there was the appointed leader of the band of heroes, a boy by the name of Billy Hatcher. Inquisitive, always asking questions, seeking answers, it was by a silent vote from the other children that Billy be leader again. He had always led them before in games and adventures; this was no different. After all, it was Billy that had attacked the crows chasing the baby chick into their world. It was Billy that was chosen to wear the master Rooster Suit from which the others drew power from; their suits, though different to suit each one's style, needed to draw energy from the master suit to protect Billy's friends.

And it was Billy who had to face Dark Raven.

"Why?" he had asked, soft in voice but still demanding. Billy was usually energetic, and his voice reflected it, tumbling words from his mouth in a breathtaking rush until he calmed and realized that no one had understood him. He was that way through the whole adventure, but suddenly changed in tone after returning from his battle with Dark Corvo, covered in black feathers and crimson, most of the liquid had been his own, and near exhaustion. Rolly had screamed and fled from the sight while Chick watched in sick fascination. Bantam kept his cool and rushed in to help out.

Now, no one could answer Billy's question, but he sighed and shrugged, the bright red comb on the white cowl of his suit bobbing as he did so. He had already accepted the job, same as how he had accepted the others; already the mischievous grin was spreading across his face.

"This'll be about as fun as Corvo was." he had snickered and ran forward to the gate, wings spread from his back, an item he had hatched from an egg. It allowed him an extra mid air jump and was often seen with it during many of his missions.

"Be careful out there, Billy!" Rolly had called out to him.

"We'll finish things up out here, Billy, so hurry back!" Chick yelled and rushed off with his egg.
"Come back in one piece this time, Billy! I'm out of Band-Aids!" Bantam had hollered out, then followed Chick to keep him covered. Billy had waved back at Rolly as he vanished into the gate.

"I'll be back in no time! I haven't let you guys down before, right?!" he called back, then disappeared. Rolly had stayed behind a bit longer, looking up at the floating platform near the Giant Egg where the Gate had taken Billy. She continued to worry for her friend, even as she took her egg and used it on a bridge to return to another part of the palace.

It had been the last time any of the children had seen young Billy Hatcher.

That had been four years ago. The Giant Egg disappeared shortly after Billy went up to face Dark Raven. Daylight never came to the Palace. Billy Hatcher never returned from the battlefield, whether he was victorious or not. And because of this, the children had refused to leave Morning Land until they could find him and save the land. Even if they wanted to leave, they couldn't. The disappearance of Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg meant dawn would not return to their world. So their own world was consumed by evil and deemed unsafe for Rolly, Chick and Bantam.

Thus, they remained, fighting crows and searching for a way to return to Giant Palace. The Rooster Suits they wore had weakened slightly the day Billy left for his final battle, but they still drew power and with it was the hope that he was still alive. The questions were where was he and why couldn't he come back to them?



Four years later......

The sound of crowing and the bright splash of sunlight on the wall woke the three remaining heroes one fine day. Bantam groaned and yanked his blanket up.

"Not to be mean or anything, but I'm starting to wonder if I can find a deep fat fryer big enough to hold Oma-Oma." he grumbled as Chick sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"What's today? Friday?" he grumbled as well, "Should I bother keeping track of days anymore?"

"If you don't, I will." Bantam offered, kicking the blanket off and reaching for the brown cowl and red bandanna that was part of his Rooster Suit. "Today's Corn Day, tomorrow's Bean Day, then it's Pea Day, then Carrot Day...."

"Raaaaaargh!" Chick finally screamed in irritation, his hands over his ears, "With you, it's all about food! Quiet!" The door to their room opened and a chicken walked in with a tray of food.

"Good morning, boys! Here's breakfast!" she exclaimed brightly and set it on a tree stump that served as a table, "Corn mush and apple cider! Eat up!" She clucked happily, then left. Bantam barely opened his mouth when Chick jumped on his bed and stared him in the eyes.

"It is Friday and don't you forget it!" he growled threateningly.

~*~*~*~*

After dressing and eating, they headed into the main room and waited somewhat impatiently. Since Billy wasn't around, Rolly took command. Still forgetful of at least one thing, she either took charge of a situation by sheer force or by sweet-talking the boys into doing what she wanted. She entered the room finally, decked in her pink Rooster outfit. Smiling brightly at her friends, Rolly rubbed her hands together.

"Ready to search Sand Ruin for another entrance to the palace, guys?" she asked cheerfully. The boys groaned.

"Rolly, we've been scouring every part of Morning Land for a back door for years!" Chick protested, "There's nothing! The only path is the Rainbow Gate that Billy opened and that's been sealed palace-side by Dark Raven!"

"Chick's right, Rolly." Bantam sighed, "As much as I'd hate to admit it, Billy's not coming back. We're better off just maintaining the lands he freed."

Rolly pouted and put her hands on her hips, tapping her foot on the floor.

"Billy's not dead!" she snapped and looked sorrowful, "He's just stuck somewhere and we have to find him and rescue him."

"So then, what do we do?" Chick asked quietly. Rolly was about to answer when Oma-Oma came rushing into the little house, feathers ruffled from panic.

"Rolly, Chick, Bantam!" he clucked and crowed frantically, "Sand Ruin has been conquered by the crows and Meri-Meri captured again!" The children stared at him in shock. "You've got to go and rescue him!"

"Let's go, guys! Maybe we can figure out why Dark Raven's acting up again and find Billy!" Rolly declared and raced out, "Let's hatch a Cipher and ask for a ride from King Cipher!" The boys jumped and raced after her as the Elder tried to calm himself down.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Meri-Meri sighed from within his cage as the crows patrolled Sand Ruins. The cage, though not a golden egg, reminded him of it. It was round mesh, incredibly strong, and it first appeared as an egg-shaped ball no larger than the length of his leg. He had seen it fly at him from the shadows and encase him once it made contact with his chest.

"Oh bother." he sighed again, "How in the world did this happen again?" A shadow fell across him and he looked up to see a figure stand before him. Meri-Meri gulped as Dark Raven smiled coldly at him.

"Well, well. Fancy seeing you in such a confined space." he murmured, "Comfortable? No? Good."

"What do you want? If you're looking for the Giant Egg, it's not here!" Meri-Meri snapped, "And I'd like to get out of this confounded contraption, thank you!"

"I'll find it soon enough." the dark King replied coolly, not bothering to register the other statement, "I'm just reclaiming all that the Hatcher boy stole from me." He smiled. "And you'll have to forgive me, but I'll have to keep you out of the way whilst I send my finest soldier to pave the way for my armies. I can't have you warning the other lands, you see."

"Well, you're too late! Word is already being sent!" Meri-Meri declared as a sphere sailed through the air and landed before him. Dark Raven looked down at it and chuckled. Meri-Meri stared in disbelief at the Rabbish sealed in the cage-like egg similar to his own. The white half-rabbit, half-hawk creature looked slightly dazed and confused.

"Was that your messenger? It seems as if it was within my soldier's range." Dark Raven remarked and began to walk away, hands behind his back in a relaxed pose. "And to think I once wanted him dead." he added almost as an afterthought.

~*~*~*~*~*

King Cipher touched down gently behind a few pillars and let the children down. Each one grabbed an egg and made their way out to see what they were up against.

"Okay. There's Meri-Meri over there." Rolly whispered, spotting the Elder in front of the door to the Rainbow Gate. "There aren't very many crows around. Think you guys can handle them while I go for the Elder?"

"No problem! Me and Bantam can mow 'em down!" Chick replied with a grin, bringing down his goggles. Rolly smiled at him, then looked out at the crowd again, holding three fingers up. She counted down, then brought her arm down, unleashing the boys on the crows.

"Yeah!" Bantam yelled as he and Chick ran down crow after transformed crow with their eggs. Rolly followed close behind as they made their way to the Elder. Crows scattered everywhere as they ran on. T-rex-like Gaters; round, violet Grays; and green, snake-like Gellys were taken by surprise, exploding in bursts of black light and feathers as the boys ran on, whooping and yelling to call attention to themselves and confuse the army.

"Hang on, Meri-Meri! We're coming!" Rolly called out. They seemed to be making good time, and the crow army was thoroughly confused, leaving the way to the Chicken Elder practically open to them.

The situation changed suddenly with the appearance of a strange metal egg. It was far smaller than the ones the three heroes were maneuvering, smaller than the eggs that were often found on the nests scattered about the lands. This unusual egg shot in from nowhere and smacked into Rolly's egg from an angle, forcing it to shoot from her hands. She cried in surprise and shock as it then hit Bantam's egg and ricocheted them both into walls that shattered them. The mystery egg proceeded to rebound into Chick, knocking him aside as it vanished into the darkness of a nearby alley.

"What was that?!" Chick yelled in a fury as he jumped to his feet, "Look what it did!"

"Chick! Are you okay?!" Rolly called, helping Bantam check himself for injuries, then giving herself a quick once-over. Chick rubbed his head and looked around him at the mess of egg white and yolk splattered all over.

"Yeah! But we need new eggs! That one broke all of ours!" he yelled, then jumped and ran from a group of Batters that bounced and hopped after him, their wings and large ears almost comical as they gave chase. Rolly and Bantam followed after, making a beeline for a nearby nest. "There's one!"

Again, the metal egg shot out and smashed into it as they reached it, destroying the last available weapon before returning to the shadows. Rolly put her hands to her cheeks and wailed, things were falling apart so quickly, she couldn't even begin to figure out a new strategy! She wished Billy was there; he would make something up on the fly and, a wink and 'Trust me' later, everything would be all right.

"Who's doing that?!" Bantam growled, seeking out the origin of the metal egg. Something moved in the shadows, far too quickly for him to catch a clear glimpse of it. He lumbered forward, clenching hands into fists in preparation for the beating he was going to give the little pest.

"Run, children! You can't stop this new monstrosity of Dark Raven's!" Meri-Meri cried from within his prison, "Warn the other lands! Get out of here! Hurry!"

"Wait!" Rolly cried back as King Cipher was whistled in and swooped to the rescue, "Meri-Meri! Have you seen any signs of Billy Hatcher?!"

"If I did, I wouldn't be in this bothersome cage!" the Elder griped, "Now get out of here!" Chick kicked aside a Batter, spinning from the force of his own attack, before running up to climb onto the flying rhino/phoenix hybrid. Bantam lifted Rolly onto the creature's back, turned and slugged one of the bats for good measure, then climbed on himself. With several powerful flaps, King Cipher fled the land, leaving the children to listen to the caws of triumph from the crows still on the ground.

"What are we going to do now?!" Rolly sobbed, "Dark Raven's got an egg that shatter the ones we use! If we can't use our eggs to fight them, how can we find and rescue Billy?!"

*********************************

There's the first chap. Working on the next. I have to type this in because the whole story was handwritten originally. Oi.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Digi-Dolphin on 2004-06-16 18:38 ]</font>

[Digi-Dolphin]

Chapter Two


Falling back to Circus Park, the heroes took time to recover from the loss and discuss what they had seen and learned. Roosters and hens, as well as many baby chicks, gathered around to listen to them and offer comforts.

"What kind of egg was that? I've never seen anything like it before. Not even with our Iron Combs protecting our eggs when we have it." Bantam wondered aloud.

"It was black metal and had the Crescent Crow on it, the symbol of Dark Rave and his army." Chick muttered, "I saw it when it hit me."

"I can't believe we got beat by a half-sized egg!" Rolly wailed, "I bet we would have won if Billy was here, but he's not! We gotta find him and the Giant Egg, quick!" The chickens murmured worriedly among themselves, then squawked collectively as a battered Chillen dropped into the crowd from above. Rolly looked up as Chick and Bantam rushed to it's side.

A single crow circled overhead, laughing, then flew away, the echoes of its laughter still ringing in the ears of the crowd below. The penguin chirped weakly and Allani bent to listen carefully and translate the chirping.

"Pirates Island is falling." he reported, brows furrowed as he worked with the broken speech. "The crows.... Dark Raven.... Destruction... and...." He looked up suddenly, face turning almost pink and purple. "Billy!" The teens looked at each other in shock.

"Billy?! Billy Hatcher?! Is he there?! What's happening?!" Rolly cried desperately, looking down at the Chillen. It coughed and closed its eyes, peeping softly.

"Uri-Uri was captured.... Can't hold... the islands... much longer...." the Elder continued translating, "Billy... is...." The penguin fell limp suddenly and Rolly raced for King Cipher as Allani yelped and picked up the penguin.

"I told you he was in trouble! C'mon!" she shouted over her shoulder, "We gotta get to Pirates Island and help him!" Chick and Bantam jumped and chased after her, scattering chickens everywhere as they barreled onwards.

"Wait up!" they cried, "We want to find Billy, too! Don't start without us! Rollyyyy!"

~*~*~*~*

Dark Raven stood beside the trapped Uri-Uri, Elder of Pirates Island, and watched the panicked chickens race around in hysterics. Crows swooped in from above, crowded around from the ground, and generally caused all the mayhem they wanted, now that the biggest threat to their numbers was neutralized.
"I can't believe it." the Elder whispered, "How? Why?"

"He realized whose power was greater." Dark Raven remarked as he watched the metal egg zip back and forth, ricocheting here and there, leaving destruction in its wake. Uri-Uri glared at the King of Crows from within his mesh cage.

"I don't believe you! You did something to him!" he squawked in a rage, "You undo that evilness right now!"

"And spoil his fun? I wouldn't dream of it!" Dark Raven laughed as a small figure ran up to him and bowed respectfully.

"My Lord, Pirates Island will soon be yours, but there have been sightings of the heroes of Morning Land on the far shore." it reported. "What are your orders?"

"Do as you feel. Have fun, my boy!" the Evil King laughed, looking proudly at the figure.

"Why are you doing this?! Don't listen to him!" Uri-Uri yelled at the soldier, who only smiled cruelly at him.

"Why should I stop? I like doing this to you pathetic chickens!" the cold answer shocked the Elder.

"Dark Raven, what have you done?" he murmured, eyes wide. The Crow King looked at him and smiled. Sweeping his arm aside, he laid a hand on the figure's head and recited some dark incantation under his breath. The figure responded by looking at the Elder sleepily.

"Help me.... Please...." a wavering voice tumbled the words from its mouth, sounding hopeless and desperate for freedom. Dark Raven removed his hand and snapped another incantation. The figure jumped to attention again, any trace of emotion wiped from its face.

"My magic holds his mind. He is mine now." the King of Crows replied in amusement, "I'd love to tell you how it happened, but that is enough banter for today. I'm off to oversee the conquest of Dino Mountain." He turned to his finest soldier, "Do something dreadfully painful to the heroes of Morning Land. Let them see you, if you like. It will strike greater fear in them than an anonymous attack."

"As you command!" it answered and raced off, the metal egg following of its own free will. With that, Dark Raven took to the sky, booming laughter trailing behind him as he vanished in a burst of black feathers and violet magical energy.

~*~*~*~*

Rolly, Chick, and Bantam raced across the beach towards the decks and bridges of Pirates Island, running down Gellys, Grays and the frog-like Ribbims as they traveled. They kept their eyes open for the trapped Elder and, more importantly, for any signs of their missing friend.

"Yaaaah!" Chick yelled out, dashing into a crowd of Anters and scattering them about with rebounding shots. "They can't touch us now! Get lost, crows! You just got owned, courtesy of Chick Poacher!"

"Watch your back, Chick! That metal egg could be here, too!" Bantam warned as Rolly headed up a ramp on her way to where she spotted the mesh egg. No sooner had he finished than the egg he spoke of shot in and slammed into Chick, destroying the egg and sending the boy flying. "Chick! Rolly, keep going and rescue Uri-Uri! I'll deal with this egg!"

"Right! Be careful and don't forget to look for Billy!" the girl replied and disappeared into a cannon, shooting herself into the distance towards the cage.

"That thing hates me or something!!" Chick fumed as he picked himself out of the water and shook himself off, "What did I ever do to you, you runaway robot omelette?!" The egg returned to the shadows, then sped out again, heading straight for Bantam.

"Not this time!" Bantam shouted and dashed out of its line of fire. The metal egg disappeared into the darkness once more, but didn't make another attempt at them. "Hey! I think it gave up on us!"

"Good! Now let's get outta here and help Rolly!" Chick replied and started searching for a fresh egg. Bantam nodded and began to run off when a hauntingly familiar figure burst onto the scene, leaping out from behind a beached ship and circling the two boys. "No way!" Chick cried once he blinked and made sure he wasn't seeing things. He cheered and pumped his fists into the air, "Awwwwriiiiight, Billy! You're back!"

Racing around to catch up to Bantam was Billy Hatcher, lost for four years and now back in the fray, focused intently on the heavier boy. Moving much faster than he usually did, Billy pulled alongside Bantam, kicking a soccer ball of some kind as he did. The other hero noticed him at last and smiled in joy.

"Billy! You're alive! Great to see you! Where have you been all this time?!" he cried as he rolled his egg along at a good pace. Chick grabbed a fresh egg and dashed to catch up, bright and happy with the discovery. Billy grinned, blue eyes shining with a strangely feral light.

"Around. You know me, always running somewhere!" he replied laughingly, "Bantam! Do me a favor and stop for a bit, okay, pal?!" Bantam dug in his heels and pulled back on the egg, coming to a halt as it screeched.

"Sure thing, Billy! What did you need me to stop for?" he asked as the leader of their group turned abruptly and set one foot on his 'ball'. His smile grew wider, creating the well known look of mischief on his face.

"Not much. Just this!" he answered and suddenly kicked the metal egg at Bantam, shattering the violet-striped Richie Egg and hurling the boy backwards. "Goooaaaal!" Billy laughed as the egg returned. Flashing them a victory sign, he turned and ran off, kicking the egg along in front of him. Chick watched in a stunned silence as the former hero of the chickens sped away, expertly moving the Crescent Crow Egg with his feet.

"I don't believe it." he whispered while Bantam got to his feet painfully, "Billy Hatcher's turned traitor! He's fighting for the Crescent Crow Army!"

~*~*~*~*

Rolly came up to Uri-Uri and set her egg aside, then set to work on figuring out how to free him.
"Okay. How to get you out of this thing. Hmmm." she murmured and cried out as she was knocked away from the cage. Uri-Uri yelped and huddled in the cage, covering his head with his wings. "Ooowww!" Rolly moaned as she sat up and held her injured arm, "What hit me?"

"The Crescent Crow Egg. Custom made just for my personal use against the Heroes of Morning Land." Billy Hatcher remarked, putting a foot forward to halt the egg as it shot back to him. Rolly stared at him, speechless. "Long time, no see, Rolly Roll. What's wrong? No squeal of joy or scolding that I'm late again?" Billy went on, acting surprised. He placed a hand over his heart. "Rolly, I'm hurt. I expected some kind of reaction from you." he added, a feigned look of injury forming on his face.

"You're back." she said simply, still not sure if she could believe her eyes. Pain forgotten, Rolly stood and walked up to him, hand out as if afraid to touch him, lest he vanish as he always had in her dreams. "After so long, so much time searching and hoping, you've come back." she murmured. Billy smiled and reached out, twining his fingers into her own and holding her hand.

"Yes." he murmured softly and the smile suddenly turned twisted, the feral light in his eyes that had begun to fade now resurfacing brighter than before. "And no. Actually I'm here to destroy the dawn in the name of Dark Raven!" He jerked her arm aside, grabbed it firmly as she screamed in horror, then spun, throwing her into a wall as he laughed. "And to kill all of you! As the General of the Crescent Crow Army, it will be my pleasure to ensure your lives end by my hands!" he declared.
Rolly struggled to get up and fled from the awful sight and sounds of Billy laughing insanely as he kicked the Crescent Crow Egg into her egg, splattering its innards across the beach. "Run, run, you pathetic chicken girl! I'll kill you last and make you watch your friends die before your eyes!" the former hero shrieked and spun crazily in the mess left behind.

~*~*~*~*~*

The residents of Forest Village sat around the bonfire in the center of town, sullen and disheartened. Oma-Oma watched the downcast faces of Chick and Bantam as they gazed into the flames. He sighed, clucked softly, and shook his head. After hearing the whole story from the three heroes and watching Rolly run off to the house in tears, he could understand the dreary mood that covered the village.

"Dark Raven is very powerful, and grows even stronger with each land Billy conquers in his name." he stated.

"Yeah. Rolly's still bawling her eyes out in her room, but she's recovering from the hits." Bantam muttered. "I've got a couple of bruises, but I'll live too."

"That back-stabbing, two-timing, no good...!" Chick leaped up in a fit and sputtered. His mouth opened and closed wordlessly and finally he sat down hard, fury spent trying to find more spiteful words. "He hurt Rolly. I'll never forgive him for that." he finally managed to say. Oma-Oma merely thought carefully.

"Bantam, you said you noticed something odd about Billy, correct?" he asked slowly. The boy nodded.

"His eyes. They seemed to glow. They never did that before." he replied, resting his cheek on one fist.

"Magic. Billy has been put under Dark Raven's magic. It's the only way he could ever get control of him." the Elder concluded, sitting back, "The question is when and how it happened."

"It must have been during that fight near the Giant Egg four years ago." Bantam sighed, "He hadn't been strong enough to face the magic Dark Raven was using. I knew he should have done some more training before going up there!"

"Perhaps. So here is our situation." Oma-Oma began, "Four years ago, Billy went to face Dark Raven and somehow fell victim to his power and was enslaved to his will. The Giant Egg vanished and we were cast out from Giant Palace. Now, Dark Raven is reclaiming Morning Land using Billy's power to stop us from defending. What do we do?"

"We get him back. We'll try every trick, use every egg, every power." Bantam growled, glaring into the fire, "Even if we have to try for years, we'll get Billy back."

"What if you beat Dark Raven? Won't that break the spell on Billy?" one baby chick volunteered as Rolly made her way out of the house, arms bandaged, and walked to join the group. Oma-Oma shook his head.

"It will be a loop. To free Billy, defeat Dark Raven; only Billy can defeat him. There's no way of doing it." the Elder told the chick.

"Forget him then!" Chick snapped and stood up, kicking a stick into the fire, "Meh! We don't need Billy! What makes him so special?! Any one of us can take on Dark Raven! All we need is the master Rooster Suit!"

"If you take the suit from him now, Billy will never be free of Dark Raven and he will eventually die!" Oma-Oma told him sternly, "The world we live in is far different from yours and the suits are all that keep you safe from its dangers!" Chick glared at him, then stomped away. Rolly watched him leave, then sighed and sat down on a log. She thought carefully as a hen brought a few ears of corn and set them beside her. Finally she spoke.

"We'll find a way to catch Billy, get him back on our side, find out what happened and fry Dark Raven for good." she said simply. Bantam picked up an ear of corn, shoved it in the crook of a pronged stick and stuck in in the flames.

"Rolly, it's not going to be that easy." he remarked as the corn was roasted, "Thanks to Dark Raven, Billy has grown stronger and more nuts. We used to know how he thinks. Now...." Bantam shrugged and pulled out the corn, blowing on it. "He's going to be tough to beat, if we can do it at all." he pointed out and then wagged the roasted ear at her, "And I've seen you doodling hearts in your diary! Don't get mushy over Billy! He's not the dude we know and love anymore."

"Stay out of my diary!" Rolly yelled, turning pinker than her Rooster Suit, "And who said anything about me having a crush on Billy?! He's my friend as well as yours! I know all about the changes! I've felt them first hand!"

"Are you gonna eat that?" Bantam asked suddenly, pointing at the corn next to her. Rolly stood up and scowled.

"Bantam Scrambled!" she declared in a loud voice and the boy winced. He knew what that voice meant; Rolly was about to get her leadership role on, "How can you think of food when Billy's out there being controlled by that evil King?!"

"You have a plan on how to get him back? 'Cause I don't." Bantam replied and bit into his roasted corn, hoping his hunch was wrong.

"Tomorrow, we will go to Pirates Island and find him." Rolly said harshly, ignoring the surprised look on Bantam's face, "We'll have to capture him somehow and turn him back into the Billy we know!"

"Good luck." the boy muttered between mouthfuls of corn. So much for his wishful hoping.

[Digi-Dolphin]

Chapter Three


Night fell over Pirates Island as the crows took to relaxing and enjoying themselves with moon-bathing and drinking contests. Victory had come to them easily, with the opposition offering very little resistance once they saw Billy leading the Crescent Crow Army into battle. One of these feasts and contests was being held in the mess hall of the pirate ship docked in the bay. A huge table was fully stock with food and crows all around it were helping themselves to the bounty. Various kegs found in the cargo hold were hauled up and the occasional Larpee would spin about drunkenly before collapsing to the floor. With bad singing and coarse laughter filling the air, the mess hall became exactly that: a mess.

Scowling at the scene before him with his feet propped up on the table, Billy leaned back in his chair and held his cup out to be fill with whatever drink was so intoxicating to the crows. Larpees, Grays and Gellys sang praises to the glorious King Raven as the bubbling liquid filled the glass to the brim. A glare at the servant ensured not a drop spilled onto his glove and he lifted the cup to his lips, watching the party ramble on.

"I don't know which are more useless, the chickens or the crows." Billy muttered and sat up. Leaving the crow army to their feast, he headed to the deck and looked out at the ocean, taking another drink from the cup. Moonlight shone on the surface of the sea as he gazed out at the stars. "It's only a matter of time before...." he started to stay, then paused as a faint image flickered in his mind. Before what? There was something that he was supposed to be doing, but what?

Growling in frustration, Billy hurled the cup aside and held his head in his hands. Memories bubbled, more faint images coming to mind. There had been a plan somewhere, a message....

Thinking about it was making his head hurt, yet he felt that he had to remember. A familiar voice called to him, pleaded for him to fight and follow a different path. But fight what? Who was that voice?

Suddenly, the pain, the voice and the visions were gone. Billy jerked up and looked around quickly, determined to make sure no one saw his momentary loss of control. The fits weren't uncommon; they had started sometime before Dark Raven had him prepare the first wave of crows to attack Sand Ruins. He tightened one hand into a fist and stomped away. A few hours' practice with the Crescent Crow Egg would release any pent up energies.

~*~*~*~*

Oma-Oma crowed to bring the dawn again. Rolly, Chick and Bantam sat around the dining table, plotting and planning. Finally, they had an idea they agreed on and rushed to make their way back to Pirates Island.

"Are you sure about this plan?" Chick asked Bantam as they rode King Cipher back to the fallen land, "It still sounds stupid to me."

"Trust me. I saw it in a movie." Bantam replied with a grin, "Now think of lots of good memories to tell him! We'll get him to remember us if we tell him about his life with us!"

King Cipher dropped the three heroes off at the beach and watched them make their way to the pirate ship. The decks were crowded with Larpees and Gellys, and they spotted a brief flash of white and red on board.

"It's gotta be Billy! Hurry!" Rolly shouted as they collected eggs and began dashing towards it. "Before the crows start pulling themselves together, let's get to the ship!" The teens cheered and ran down Anters and Grays as they boarded the pirate ship. Doras and Batters hopped around in a panic, still suffering from the rambunctious parties of the night before and in no shape for serious battle. Each one burst back to normal form and fluttered away cawing with every blow from the large eggs fired on them.

"Billy Hatcher! We know you're here! Show yourself!" Rolly demanded once the deck was cleared of enemies.
From the crow's nest at the top of the mast, the familiar figure of their old friend appeared. Billy watched the three heroes regroup and stare up at him, and blinked slowly. He yawned, stretched, and folded his arms on the wooden nest, resting his chin on them.

"Billy! Remember me? I'm Bantam Scrambled! Remember how I played your goalie during practice?!" the oldest boy shouted up at him. "How I used to pick on you and Chick a lot before we became friends?" Billy blinked again, still lazily gazing down at them as they pleaded their cases.

"How about the birthday party I helped set up?" Chick yelled next, hoping to get some reaction from him, "C'mon, Billy! I know you loved it! You tripped and fell in the cake!"

"Please fight the evil magic, Billy! You're stronger than those crows! Come back to us!" Rolly pleaded, her hands clasped together and green eyes looking up at him with desperate hope. Billy propped his cheek on one fist and lifted an eyebrow.

"Are you done?" he asked. The teens stared up at him in confusion. "Look, I don't know what the heck got into your heads to tell me stuff that, frankly, I don't care about, but it did keep me from being bored out of my head today." Billy continued, "So, I'm not going to kill you right away." He smiled and lifted his other hand to snap his fingers, summoning a horde of Big Doras to the deck. "But they will!" he added and laughed as the crows chased after Rolly, Chick and Bantam. "You'll have to excuse me. Dark Raven's here to pick me up so I can conquer Dino Mountain for him." Billy remarked off-handedly, "I could do with some fried chicken for dinner, if you get my drift! Ha, ha, ha!"

A bubble of violet energy surrounded the boy and lifted him into the air to float beside Dark Raven, who had watched the whole exchange in amusement. The two of them grinned down at the heroes fighting fiercely on the ship before vanishing in a burst of black feathers.

"'Trust me!', he says! 'It'll work!', he says!" Chick griped as he slapped the egg into a horde of Big Doras, "We should've gone with my idea and hit him with an oversized egg!"

"And what good would that have done us, besides make him mad?!" Bantam snapped as he opted to trade punches with one of the big cats in a fury. Chick leaped into an Egg Drill to finish off a batch of Grays.

"Make me feel better." he grumbled.

~*~*~*~*

After finally getting free of the crows, Rolly, Chick and Bantam made their way to Dino Mountain, trying to think of another strategy to use.

"Reasoning didn't work on him. So what now?" Rolly asked as King Cipher winged his way to the fiery land.

"We can't give up. Let's try taking Billy away from the crows!" Bantam declared, "If we can get him away from the crows, especially Dark Raven, we can figure out how to break the spell! As long as he's around, Billy can't fight that magic!"

"So we grab Billy?" Chick asked doubtfully as King Cipher touched down on the rocky ground, "How? We can't exactly walk up to him and carry him off at Egg-Point or something! He's not just the leader of the crow army, he's the captain of the soccer team! He's too fast!"

"We'll have to take him down then. Let's get him away from the crows, then keep him from using that speed of his." Bantam replied as he grabbed a Peliwan egg, "He's going to get hurt, but it's the only way to keep him from achieving full speed to use the Crescent Crow Egg against us." The other two selected eggs and raced towards the masses of crows, planning their attack along the way.

~*~*~*~*

Within his steel cage egg, Ura-Ura could only watch helplessly as the Crescent Crow Army overtook the land. Billy dashed all over the area, flushing out baby chicks for capture and destroying what few eggs were scattered about for the heroes of Morning Land. Dark Raven watched as the boy ran up to him, stopping to set one foot down on the mysterious ball.

"No signs of the Giant Egg anywhere, Master." Billy reported, slightly breathless. He flipped the egg onto the toe of his shoe and bounced it there expertly. "Even though I know this crow egg is made of metal, but it feels like a...." Billy paused and looked at the egg strangely, "soccer ball." Dark Raven blinked and a whispering wind began to blow around them. Billy looked up and cocked his head, listening. "Soccer. I played that sport, didn't I? Who...?"

"No!" Dark Raven bellowed, "You will not have him!" He grabbed Billy's arm and the boy jumped in surprise. "You have no power here, old foe!" the king declared as Billy's eyes began to clear.

"The balcony!" he cried in realization and screamed in pain, struggling to escape Dark Raven as the Lord of Crows covered his face with his hand, muttering a strange spell under his breath.

"Let him go, Dark Raven! The boy wasn't meant for your darkness!" Ura-Ura suddenly yelled, a booming voice that wasn't his own, "You are the one who has no power here!"

"Fall, Hatcher! FALL!" Dark Raven ordered as Billy struggled fiercely and clawed at his hand. Finally, he stiffened, then fell limp, hand dropping to his side. The Crow King turned and cast a second spell on the Chicken Elder. "Intruder in the world I reign, vanish from this land again!" he declared and the Elder bounced in the steel cage, feathers ruffling.

"Oh my! Dino Mountain is being attacked by Billy?!" he stammered in a panic, "Whatever shall we do?!" Dark Raven let the boy go and scowled as he dropped onto the ground in a deep sleep. The Crescent Crow Egg slowly rolled to his side.

"I have you under my will again, Hatcher. You will not escape until I have what I seek, the location of the Giant Egg's power." Dark Raven hissed and glanced aside. "When you awaken, you will continue to search the lands in my name, for I am your Master and King. Never forget that. Kill the heroes of Morning Land if they stand in your way. That is a standing order!" With that, the King of Crows vanished again, his work there done. The wind had died with the spell the king had cast and Billy lay there, lost to the dark magic that wrapped his mind in veils.

~*~*~*~*

It wasn't long before the Elder's yells for help drew Rolly and her friends to the large caged egg. Billy was standing up in front of it, shaking his head and rubbing his face. He looked as if he had just woken up from some nap. Confused by this, the teens looked at each other, then decided it wouldn't affect the plan.

"Okay, ready?" Rolly called back. The boys nodded. "Let's go!" They raced through a flock of Doras and Gaters, then called up to him. "Billy! Come and get us!" she cried.

"Yeah! You're not so hot! I dare you to kill us all right here!" Chick taunted, "Bet you can't do it! Nyah, nyah!"

"Chicken!" Bantam threw in, "Chicken posing as a Rooster! You don't deserve that suit, you already have your feathers! Buckaw!" Billy blinked and raced down to face them, kicking the crow egg before him.

"You're dead meat, you pathetic brats!" he yelled in a fury, "I was going to kill you all quickly, but I've changed my mind!"

"Run!" Bantam cried, dashing away with his egg as he and the others led Billy away from the crows towards an open area of Dino Mountain, the General of the Crescent Crow Army shrieking in rage the whole way.

~*~*~*~*

Rolly and her friends had cleared an open area by vanquishing the Armas and Gaters that roamed it, then stored what few eggs they could find in all parts of the semi-circular field. There was plenty of room to maneuver and she declared it the perfect place to catch Billy. It was here they led the boy and split up once he was near the center of the open field.

"Get him!" Chick yelled, dashing at Billy suddenly, large Recky Egg ready to strike. Taken by surprise, Billy barely swerved aside to avoid it and kept running. He spun in place and kicked the Crescent Crow Egg at him, then leaped aside in shock as Bantam dashed at him. The crow egg smashed Chick's egg, then glowed a soft violet as it began to speed back to Billy.

"What the-?" Billy murmured as Chick ran off. This was something he wasn't expecting, an all out offense against him? He grinned, maybe these guys would give him some fun after all.

"Hurry! Get him!" Chick yelled as he grabbed another egg and began dashing back in. Rolly shot her egg at Billy, who smiled and back-flipped away from it, landing on his feet as the crow egg returned. He raced on, circling the field and laughing.

"He keeps dodging!" Rolly cried as Billy positioned himself across the field and kicked the crow egg again. "Bantam! Look out!"

"Why couldn't Billy play baseball for a sport?! Or football?!" Bantam yelled as his egg was shattered and he was forced to seek another, "Noooo! He had to be a soccer player! He wanted to run around and kick stuff and get dirty without getting yelled at by his mom!"

"Whatever it is you're trying to do isn't gonna work!" Billy called out to them, already getting bored again, "So knock it off and die already!" He spotted Chick circling around to get behind him and raced away, gathering speed for another powerful kick.

"Then why are you just hitting our eggs?!" Rolly demanded, "Why not just shoot your stupid crow egg right at us?! You know it would crush us if you did! So why don't you get it over with, huh?!"

Billy blinked and looked in her direction in confusion as Chick dashed with the egg to pull alongside him. The smaller boy was familiar with the soccer team setup Billy had placed them all in; his speed influenced his power and made him captain, Chick was small and agile, so his high maneuverability landed him positions where he could steal the ball and make trick shots, Rolly's speed was second to Billy's and often made the flying shots that no goalie could see coming until it was in the net, and Bantam was the obvious choice for goalie, using power to stop balls dead and hurl them deep into the field towards his friends.

It all came into play as Chick used the moment of distraction to slide under Billy and kick out at his legs, tripping the former hero up. Tumbling and rolling with a cry of pain and anger, Billy thought briefly of the question, then swept it from his mind. The metal egg, forced from its master, spun and shone brightly, summoning a horde of crows that emerged onto the field from multiple dark portals and chased after the teenagers.

"Run! The crows are back! What called them in?!" Bantam yelled, "Hurry! Everyone, get out of here!"

"Get Billy! We'll distract the crow army!" Rolly ordered as she grabbed a fresh egg and fired it at the Batters. Chick followed her lead, letting his own egg loose every few seconds to knock the crows around as Bantam huffed and puffed around them to where the boy lay sprawled on the ground.

~*~*~*~*

Billy got to his feet and limped away quickly, cringing. He was furious at several people; Rolly, for the question he couldn't answer; himself, for being foolish enough to fall for her distraction; and Chick, for injuring his left leg with the surprise attack. He continued along, muttering to himself and unaware of Bantam following him, until a sharp pain coursed through him, stealing his breath away. Billy dropped to his knees and bent over, clutching the knot of his scarf and gasping for air. The sounds of dying crows and screaming teens sounded distant as the roaring of something like rushing water pounded through his mind.

Something felt like it was slipping away. A voice called to him faintly, begging him to remember... what? A faint image appeared in his mind, a blur of black and violet and silver.

"Balcony...." Billy whispered, struggling to stay above the ocean of darkness suffocating him, "The balcony.... Dark Raven...!"

"Where'd he go? The kid couldn't have gone far." Bantam muttered as he clambered up a trail and rounded the bend, "Chick had to have forced a pulled muscle or something, the way he was limping around like that." He spotted Billy on the ground ahead of him, doubled over and breathing hard as he stared, wide-eyed, at the ground. "Billy!" the older boy called out. Billy turned to look at him with clear aquamarine eyes, the normal color they had always been when he was younger.

"B-Bantam!" he managed to cry, "Help m-me! P-please!"

"You remember!" Bantam cheered and ran up to him, "I'll be with you in a flash!" The Crescent Crow Egg zipped in from behind Bantam, shoving one of his legs aside as it sped towards Billy, who screamed in anguish for a moment before falling silent. Bantam fell back, then scrambled to his feet in time to watch Billy vanish in a burst of black feathers, a cold expression on his face.

"Not again." Bantam sighed sadly and shook his head, "Not again."

~*~*~*~*

Dino Mountain fell to Dark Raven's forces and the heroes retreated to Forest Village to recover and plan anew. Bantam continued to berate himself as Chick kicked around a piece of eggshell and Rolly gazed into the bonfire. Night had fallen, bringing the chickens out to watch the flames and comfort their protectors.

"I was right there!" Bantam muttered, "I could see his face! He looked so hurt and terrified. If I had moved just a bit faster...." He reached out and clenched his hands tightly into fists, "I would have had him in my hands. We would have had Billy here right now, if I had moved just a little faster."

"Don't beat yourself up, Bantam." Rolly murmured and put on a cheerful face, trying to sound upbeat even as her voice cracked and her eyes began to tear up. "You did your best and brought hope. We know now that our Billy is still out there and that we can get to him." She shrugged and turned back to the fire. "We just have to keep trying."

"Well, at least we know he can't do as much damage as before. I hit his left leg and that's the one he power kicks with, so he should be easier to handle next time." Chick pointed out, "In fact, let's forget about Billy for a while! An idea will come to us soon enough on how to rescue him! Let's rescue the Elders and maybe they can help us!"

"Yeah! They may have seen or heard something that can help us break the spell on Billy!" Bantam added, cheering up at the idea.

"So it's settled!" Rolly said brightly, "Tomorrow, we'll go save Meri-Meri!" The boys cheered and set to work on a plan to save the Elder, unaware that the threat Billy posed was still as great as ever.