by Tom Germann
air, it was stuck on a fixed path. I dropped the butt of the spear to the floor and rested my foot on it.
The Terror hit the spear and slid down until it reached the cross bar. It was well and truly skewered. I lifted it up and started waving it around, doing more damage as the blade cut through its body.
I had finally done enough; it was starting to unravel. It giggled and "Booo'd" until the end, when it was just a whisper as it faded away.
I moved around and picked up my helmet, putting it back on my head and grabbing my shield and sword just in case. I moved to Duckie and helped him and Bunny up.
"Come on guys we need to get you up to Stevey. He needs to be cuddled up to so he does not get cold."
Duckie looked at me. "Are they going to come back?" Bunny looked around, cutely furtive.
"Yes they are likely going to come back every night for another night or two. I know how they will act now so I can better defend Stevey and deal with them."
Duckie looked sadly at his feet "I didn't do a very good job protecting Stevey, and if you had been hurt and Bunny was out, Stevey would be hurt and that would be just awful." He looked at me. "Can you show me how to use the spear so I do better next time?"
"There will be no next time. It is my job to defeat the Night Terrors and yours to keep Stevey warm and snuggled while I watch. None shall pass me."
Bunny looked at me with her big eyes. "You almost didn't defeat them tonight and they would have gotten past you to hurt Stevey. If we had not helped, would you have won?"
I considered it carefully and I had to be honest. "No, I would have fallen after perhaps wounding the Terror."
"Then you have to teach us or Stevey could be hurt, and we will not allow our kit to be hurt. You WILL show us what we can do to help and Stevey will be safe. Bear honor is nice, Snugs, but Stevey is more important than that."
I nodded, "You are right, Bunny. We'll start training now, so if anything goes wrong tomorrow Stevey is safe." We moved away from the under bed and I showed them how to set themselves.
"First, you must be able to defend yourself as there are many enemies. Duckie you would do well against water-born Terrors. Bunny, you are not as strong but you are fast and have teeth and claws that can do great damage..."
FIVE DAYS LATER
I stood in front of Fugwhump with Duckie and Bunny behind me looking shy. "Master, this is Duckie and Bunny. They would like to be trained to help protect our cub."
"No, this is not done."
"Master, I would be dead by a Night Terror's hand if they had not intervened. They have the spirit and the need to protect, like we do"
Fugwhump was looking grumpy, which is always a bad sign. "NO. The other animals can cuddle the cubs and make them feel warm and safe that way while the bears stand up to the Terrors we know the cubs are looked after. That is what they are good at; it has always been that way and always will!"
We were drawing a crowd and I could see the Great Master watching.
I stepped back and looked at Duckie. "Show the Master what you can do, Duckie. Do not hold back."
Duckies training staff snapped up and he moved in. After several tentative strikes, Fugwhump disarmed him and then looked at me. "Do you see? What you ask of them is too much!"
I looked at Bunny, who was looking all cute and near tears. "Maybe he's right, Snugs. Maybe we just can't do it."
I looked back at Bunny and said to her "Bunny you can do it. Master Fugwhump wants you to leave Stevey defenseless so that when I fall he can be hurt and scarred. Do you want Fugwhump to hurt him like that?"
Bunny's eyes blazed red and the claws came from nowhere. Bunny was a streak of yellow and white. Master Fugwhumps training sword went flying one way, his sword another and the Master himself went down like a pile of dirty laundry. Bunny was standing on his chest glaring furiously at him with her claws at his throat. Master Fugwhump did not move.
The silence was deafening. The look on Fugwhump's face was bewildered and all around Guardians looked shocked at the intensity of the scene before them. No one moved. Bunny's sides heaved as she struggled to control herself in her rage.
"Hmmmm. It appears, Fugwhump, that the untrained bunny that is so cute and cuddly has disarmed you and would do great harm to you." The Great Master was standing just feet from us. "Calm yourself young one. No one is going to let your young one be hurt."
Bunny stepped off of Fugwhump and went back to looking all cute and defenseless. The Great Master put his paw out to Fugwhump and helped him stand.
The Great Master raised his voice and everyone turned toward him. "We have to always look at new ways to protect those that we adore. The way has always been The Way. Perhaps it is now time to change that way, so that the young will be protected into the future. We shall see how we can train you so that you will also become protectors of the young."
He put out his hand and took Bunny's paw in his great paw, looking at her and Duckie said "come little ones let us find the best way to make use of your special skills."
YEARS LATER
I look out across the park and think about all that has come before. Stevey is bigger now and still safe and is my joy. I turn and look out at the new Guardians that are before me in the park.
Was I ever as young as the young ones in front of me? Yes, I was. They look so innocent and so full of pride - and I see fear as well. Fear of failing and letting our cubs that are in our care be hurt. This will not happen.
"Greetings to all of you. I am Snuggles and I will be teaching you how to deal with the Phase 2 threats that you will be seeing, unfortunately, sooner than we would hope. The times have changed and we must adapt to new threats to our young ones. I will be assisted in this by my helpers Bunny and Duckie. Many of you think that there is only one way to protect our young ones. You are correct. That way is to keep the huggers and cuddlers safe at any cost."
I start walking through the park with the newbie's following along listening in big eyed wonder. "We are always trying out new techniques and methods to improve our chances and decrease the time in combat. Each of you have skills; bunnies have speed, birds can fly and are natural shots, penguins have a devastating slide attack, rodentia, you are the ninjas of the under-bed."
"For those of you who have large beds with many animal guardians, then we recommend an offensive and defensive force to protect against leakers. For those who do not have as many Guardians, you may wish to leave the weakest to cuddle and protect."
"You will learn many things here and you will keep your eyes and ears open asking questions and doing everything you can to KEEP OUR HUGGERS SAFE!"
The sun glinted off of my raised sword and the cheer from the Guardians was deafening. The Phase 3 Trainees stopped and looked over at us. I could see the Great Master and Master Fugwhump raise their heads from talking, and they could hear the cheer that said, "Night Terrors, we are ready for you, always ready."
