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The Mouse Knight
23:43:04 Mar 22nd 09 - Mr. Kobaltic:

Once upon a time there was a small white mouse, born with a litter of small mice, in a small home where the people did not expect it. The people took pity in a pet store upon a single sick, struggling mouse because she could not get to the food through the other mice, who were bullying her. So they bought her, thinking she would die anyway, but at least in peace. They also bought her a friend (who they had no idea was a boy) so she might not die alone, for they had no clue how to treat sick mice.

But upon coming home the mouse got well - and before long had her first litter there in the little cage on the kitchen table.

At first the owners were thrilled! But they soon realized this was too many mice - and didn't know what to do. The poor family, like so many unfortunate mice, were given back to the pet store by the unthinking owners.

Of course, the mice didn't know what was going on - they lived in their tiny world, knowing only their momma and dad. When they were taken back to the pet store, they were put back in with the large, dirty population again, and certainly were unhappy.

The overcrowded cage always smelled. The mice didn't get good food, and were never held (the babies had only been held lovingly three times; each considered these moments their fondest memories, besides being licked by mom). Many of the mice were mean. They beat up Dad until he was almost dead. They chased, bit and bullied many of the little ones. Mom got sick again and soon went away, never to return. Each day, there were fewer mice in the cage.

Now, before you give up on this story as just another one of those sad traumatic mouse stories, read on, and have faith. Every great hero has it hard at some point. (Otherwise, what would make them great?)

So the little mice, new to the world, were scared and hungry. Before long dad vanished when they heard the big people say "one large mouse, please,". He too never returned. They were small and on their own.

Most of the mice played with the other mice and ran on the wheel when there was one. But one little mouse loved to perch on the hiding log and read over the shoulder of the pet store manager when he took his breaks. He read about medieval times and the Knights of the Round Table. The mouse loved it. Each day he would look forward to the big person sitting down reading his book. And the mouse would sit and read with him. How he loved the stories! So full of valor and rightness, such bravery and noble meaning to life did they give. When he woke he looked forward only to his reading time, and when he slept he dreamt of knights and heroes. He read only a few books with the manager before he and many of his cage mates were sold and taken away, but what he read inspired his tiny heart to grow well past what any man or mouse would have expected.

In a dark box the little mouse and thirteen others were bumped along. Several of the thirteen were his immediate family - his brothers and sisters. They were frightened.

"Don't be scared," he told them. "We're probably going to wherever mom and dad went. They will be there to play with us again, and lick us and keep us warm."

But the others were silent and afraid. The little mouse had to admit he was a bit scared, too. But he couldn't do anything. He was just a mouse. That's what they all said. All the time. Big people even said it. They were just mice. Not worth anything. Ninety-nine cents, however much that was. Just helpless mice.

So they went. Scared and quiet.

Little did they know they were going to a terrible fate.


23:49:33 Mar 23rd 09 - Mr. Kobaltic:

The little one and the others were dropped roughly into a ten gallon tank already occupied with more mice. Many of them looked haggard and thin. They hadn't eaten. Immediately, the other mice began introducing themselves. One mouse, bigger and older, just stood in the corner. That intrigued our hero, so he crawled over to the old mouse.

"Hi," said the little mouse.

"Goodbye," growled the older mouse, and for a while he said nothing more. So the little mouse groomed him, kept him company, and since nights were cold, he slept next to him. One day (in the middle of their night) the cage opened and one of them was taken out. It was one of the little one's brothers. Everyone watched him get lifted up by his tail and vanish. The little mouse was happy for his brother - he would get to see mom and dad first.  "What are you smiling at?" said the old mouse.

"He gets to see mommy and daddy first," said the little mouse. "I wi*beep* was me."

The old mouse shifted uncomfortably and snaffed in the little one's direction. "Is that what you think? You're quite naive."

The little mouse was taken aback. He put his nose close to the old one to listen more.

"Everyone is here to feed the monster." the old one said. "We are all doomed."

Scared at last, the little one shook and trembled. "How would you know?" he asked.

"I've survived it a few times," the old one said. "I can't walk any more, and my sight is going. My back hurts and I'm not quick as I used to be. I'm nearly a year old."

A year old! That was ancient! The little one stood in awe. Then he realized the meaning of what the old one had said. As it sunk in, he realized he didn't have a mom or dad any more. And just then everyone heard his brother scream, from far away. The shriek lasted just a few seconds, but was full of terror and pain. The entire cage stood still and everyone wore a face of horror. The little one began crying.

The old mouse felt for the little one, so much like himself in his earlier days. So he groomed the little one's fur, and tried to make him feel better.

"You thought life was wonderful and happy, and that everything would work out in the end, eh?" he asked as he groomed.

"Y-yeah... that was how the book stories ended..." the little one sobbed.

"In real life the big people are cruel and uncaring," the old mouse told him. "Life is unfair and a struggle. Everything is hard. Even if you get out, there is no food and bad weather. No one treats mice well."

"Someone has to!" the little mouse said in despair. "Life can't be that terrible all the time!"

"Ha ha ha!" the big mouse laughed. "Wanna bet?"

"Have you ever gotten out?"

"Many times," said the old mouse. "Every time, I wanted back in!"

"How terrible! I won't believe it - there has to be hope!"

"Well, believe it or not, one day they'll come for you - probably for me first... and I won't be able to fight back any more. I'm done for next time. That stupid monster - I should have killed him the first time, when he was smaller."

"He... he can be killed?" the little mouse said, barely understanding what killed meant.

"Yup. He has a weak spot right under his head - side of his neck. But his mouth tends to get in the way - and he has a big mouth."

"We can escape together..." the little one hoped out loud.

"I can't walk, little one. Where would I go?"

"I'll take care of you," the little one said. "We can go to the wild..."

"Oh, so you've heard that myth. No good. Forget it. The mice out there are twenty times faster than we are. We're normal mice... Just mice. We don't stand a chance."

"But you fought back - doesn't everyone? Sooner or later someone will kill the thing... won't they?"

The old one looked sideways at the youngster. "Probably not," he said quietly. "I'm the only one that ever fought back. And for that the evil owner tried to put me in a bowl of moving water to drown, but I bit him. He doesn't know what to do with me, but soon I will die. Everyone else is terrified. I was in the monster's lair one time with another mouse... I told him we could take the beast if we ganged up, but the other one was just paralyzed with fear. Couldn't move. I watched him get eaten. Horrible." The old mouse's face cringed. "Just awful."

The mind of the little one raced with fear trying to figure a way out of the hell he had landed in, when the cage top opened. A giant hand reached down for the older mouse.

"Don't give up, little one," he croaked as he was lifted by his tail. "No matter how bad it seems, don't give up - that's all we can do!"

Then he was gone.

A long time the mouse sat there, very sad. He kept listening for the scream but there wasn't one. Then he hoped that the old warrior mouse might have killed the monster - but there was little chance of that. So he sat in fear, which he decided was worse than anything. Anything at all. Even death.

After a few days the hand came back. The little mouse rushed up and jumped into it. Trembling and afraid, but determined that he could save one of his family, even for a little while - and his fear would at least be over; he hated it so! His life had gone from a happy wonder to a dread hopeless mess. He had made up his mind. This was the best thing he could do.

So into the lair of the monster he went. By his tail, cast roughly into the cold gravel. He tried hard not to hate humans. Not all of them could be bad. The old mouse had seen a lot, but couldn't have seen everything.

He was terribly afraid, though he didn't know of what - having no real concept of death. His sight was poor, as with most white mice. But he smelled death. He smelled and heard it sliding toward him.

His first sight of it came as it turned around a large rock. There was no mistaking it. Even missing the wings and the legs, it was a dragon. Plain as day... a real dragon. Its slitted eyes glittered as it saw him. And there in its side was a wound - a long gash ripped by sharp teeth. The old mouse had gotten one last blow in after all. He had fought with his life to save the little mouse, but lost in the end. Fear gripped the little mouse and he froze. Froze solid. He couldn't move.

"Don't give up," said the spirit of the old mouse.

The little mouse was shaken from his terror and something else took its place. Anger! Why should they suffer and die? Just mice?? That old mouse had more integrity and courage than any human or dragon the little mouse had met yet. He decided then that the dragon would not eat his family. The dragon would never eat another mouse ever again.

Then he remembered that dragons breathe fire. He moved aside with all his youthful speed, just in time. The dragon's head blurred past him - brushed his whiskers, spinning him in circles. It hurt, but he jumped straight up and chirped in alarm. Below him, the dragon turned its great head and coiled for another blow as the little one landed on his back.

Not pausing even for a half second, he jumped in panic for the only safe place in the lair: the dragon's head! 

Teeth bared, claws reaching, he felt his searching jaws tighten on scales - then sink in, and he wrung and flailed his entire mouse body for all he was worth. Biting and tearing, digging into the side of the dragon's neck where the old warrior had marked his target for him. Time slowed to a standstill.

The dragon writhed and flung the mouse about the cage trying to dislodge him - he felt the cage walls smash into him - he felt the floor - his little bones ached and fire spread through his body - but he would not let go. He dug deeper every chance he got to widen his grip!

Then, after a lifetime of battle, it was over. He woke on his side, sure he was dead - but pain proved him wrong. And the dragon was next to him, sprawled out on his back, still breathing with a rasping sound like a rusty wheel.

The little mouse slowly crawled to his feet and stood there, stunned. His senses came back and he limped over to the head of the dragon. It was dying. He almost felt sorry for it.

"You are a most unusual mouse," said the dragon. "So very fast."

"Fear. So very afraid and angry," said the mouse.

"Brave," said the dragon. "So very brave. Never had a meal attack me first."

"Life was such a depressing surprise," said the mouse. "I expected it to be better."

The dragon heaved and blood ran past the mouse's feet, staining them red. "With a spirit like yours, it could be better," he said.

"I just did what the knights would have done," said the mouse. "I didn't know what else to do besides being afraid, and that never worked."

"What is a knight?" The dragon asked. The little mouse was surprised that the dragon didn't know. So he sat down by the monster and told him the story of Saint George. By the time he was done the dragon was almost gone.

"You are like Saint George," said the dragon. "You are a knight."

The little mouse looked down. "I can't be. It takes a knight or a king to make a knight."

"The first part of my name is King," said the dragon. "What is your name?"

"I don't have one," said the mouse. "I've heard legends that the only mice that have names are the ones loved by good people." The mouse paused, then looked at the giant's eye. "Are there good people, mister dragon?"

The dragon smiled weakly. "Yes, little mouse. They are very rare, but there are. Somewhere. You will have to find them. Only a knight could do that. Would you like to be a knight? Do you have it in you to do good deeds and never be afraid? I think you do."

The mouse nodded. He would so dearly love to be a knight! Was the dragon really a King?

Extending his tongue the dragon touched the little mouse on the head. "To the only mouse who ever beat a snake," it said. "I dub thee Mouseknight, until you have a proper name. And if anyone asks you who made you a knight, tell them it was KingSnake."

The mouse nodded, then remembered his family.

"What will happen to my family?" he asked.

"They will be flushed down the toilet," KingSnake said. "Unless you all escape. The cage roof is loose - the human doesn't think mice can lift it."

"We can't!" said the mouse.

"Not one by one. But in great numbers you are very strong. Once there were two mice in here... and one was a good fighter. I was afraid. Two might have taken me."

"You were afraid?" the mouse gasped.

"Oh yes, especially of that angry mouse... he didn't taste very good anyway... had he not made a hole in my armor, you might not have beaten me."

"He was my friend," the little one whispered.

"He is avenged, Mouseknight."

Then with a last rush of strength, the dragon whipped his tail into the air, and dislodged the roof, creating a way out. "Go now, Honorable Knight. Go and free your family. Good luck. All caged animals wish for freedom."

"Or a loving owner," the mouse said.

"That would be the only thing better," said the dragon, and then he died.

Then, after a drink of water, the mouse found that it could leap straight up - very high - and get out.


19:12:52 Mar 24th 09 - Mr. Kobaltic:

After discovering that he could jump higher than he ever thought possible, the little mouse realized he had to do more than that. He wanted to get over to the cage with his family - set them free - then find his way back to the pet store, and set them free too! His family meant everything to him. He wanted to find his dad and mom. But he was all alone, and stuck on this stupid table.

He was, as you must have guessed by now, an exceptionally smart mouse. His aspirations, as lofty as they were, were not out of his reach. But one thing at a time. He knew there was nothing for it but to fall off the table!

Any other mouse would have spent the precious minutes until the human came back (and found his dead Dragon) dreading the fall, and would have failed. The Mouse Knight simply aimed in the direction of the other cage, got a running start, and jumped without hesitation. Not that he wasn't scared. The thought did pass through his quick mind several times that it was the most foolish thing he'd ever done, and possibly the last thing as well. But he flew anyway, daring and brave... and afraid.

He didn't make the table with his family on it, but he saw them up close as he missed it - they were all staring at him like he was some kind of loon. A ghost loon. Every mouse in the cage was stock-still, watching him fly through the air and flail his paws all about. Then he hit the carpet. Besides a minor shock and some aching discomfort, he was okay. That wasn't so bad!

Scurrying up the table leg was easy - mice had that down. Then he was through the junk that littered the table and to the edge of the cage. And there they were, his family and friends - staring at him wide-eyed. 

They could barely hear him through the glass, but he chirped loudly in the secret mouse-language that no human could hear.

"You have to get out - they're going to kill us all once they find out I slew the dragon!" he squeaked.

They all looked at each other. What was a dragon? After a moment, though, the words 'kill us all' sunk in and they began to panic. They rushed about; some ran into corners to hide. The little mouse put his head in his paws and washed up. No good. He had to go in there.

So he performed another leap to the lip of the cage. The few mice that weren't freaking out gazed with their mouths open at something they had never seen before. Of course they were all quite young. At the top, he waited a moment and then plopped down amongst them. There was no roof at all. The human must think we are really stupid, thought the mouse, but then... his companions hadn't figured it out yet. Only they weren't stupid. They just didn't know it was possible. They stared a moment at his bloodstained paws.

"Did you die!?" they asked. "Were you eaten?" "How did you do that!"

He calmed them down and once they were still, he said, "Any of you can do it. You've never tried. And you have to try now, or we will all be killed when the human returns and finds his pet slain."

Silence. Then, "You killed the monster!?" "There was a monster!?" "That's where all the others went!? Oh no!"

Mouseknight calmed them down again. "Yes, there was a monster. Yes, I killed it. But now we are in terrible danger, and I cannot beat a human. We must run for it."

He showed them how to jump, and soon every one of them was out of the cage. (I bet that's happened to more than one mouse owner.) Getting off the table was more difficult, but they managed it too. And just in time. As the last of the group was landing on the carpet, they heard the door and smelled the human. He was coming into the room!

The mice huddled at the base of the table in terror around their little hero. The human put some things down, listened to a strange, disembodied voice of another human, and the door was left ajar. The Knight knew it was now or never.

"Run - run for the door - all of you!"

Some started right off - others were too afraid. "You're crazy!" "That's right past the human - he'll squash us!" "Eeek!" The little mouse gave them incentive by dashing out into the open himself. Heart racing, he wasn't sure he knew what he was doing, but it was the only thing to do, so he went as fast as his little legs carried him. When he looked back, the others were following.

As soon as the human noticed small furry things dashing all around him, he let out a shriek that would have made any girl proud. The mice commented as they fled. "Why do they always do that!" "I don't know - but it's funny!"

Then his attention went to the two cages. One empty, the other... sort of.

The Mouse Knight turned to watch as the others passed him up making for the open door. The first of them were already squeezing through, or under, and flying off the stairs to freedom.

The human's face twisted and he yelled - a horribly loud, ugly noise to such sensitive ears - and then turned his face right to our hero, who was the only mouse sitting still in the middle of the room while the others blurred by. 

"Oops," said the Mouse Knight, and turned tail for the door.

He would have been the last out the door, but a giant foot crashed down before him, blocking his way. He tried to go over it, and he was pinned down by two big, clumsy hands. They knocked the wind from him and bent him all around in unnatural positions (good thing young mice are flexible, he thought). Finally, the human had him by the tail.

"Hey, what's up with the tail all the time!" he shrieked, but the human heard nothing. He tried biting the hand. The human yelped, and cursed.

"Damn rodent!" he boomed. "Kill my snake will you??!"

Gripping the little mouse too tightly, the human rushed down the hall. The last the mouse saw of the others, they were all clear of the door except one. A very small mouse, much younger than he, was yelling that he was their hero. That they loved him.

Hero? He had seen only the first part of his goal done, he thought. There was so much more to do. He had to -

SPLASH! He was in water! He scrambled for the shore, but it was made of slick white hard stuff, slanting upward all around. And it smelled bad. He began to panic, but didn't have time. The water was sucked down, down, into a tunnel below him - and he went with it. The human laughed as he flushed the mouse down the toilet.

At least the others made it, he thought. Then it was very dark and cold as the current took him.


19:56:17 Mar 24th 09 - Sir Penguin:

[omg kob!!!!]


19:59:03 Mar 24th 09 - Demonslayer Scientist:

[omg -uskan!!!!]


20:02:03 Mar 25th 09 - Mr. Kobaltic:

The Mouse Knight gasped and struggled to keep breathing for what seemed like hours as he was washed through tunnels of wet, cold darkness. Occasionally he would plop down into a vast room of water and noise, only to be sucked down another tunnel. Once there was a bit of light and he saw a rat staring at him as he thrashed about, trying to swim to anything that might spare him drowning. The rat was white with a gold color about his head, almost like a light, and looked with compassion on the little mouse being taken by the current out to the great sea. And while the Mouse Knight would rather have stayed to chat, he was swept away again.

Finally, waterlogged and miserable, the mouse was spewed out onto a beach, where he clumsily struggled to shore and lay there on his side, gasping for air. Sand coated his fur, and as he coughed foul sewage emptied out of his lungs. He spat the rest out his mouth. He feared becoming sick, and knew he had to find shelter and warmth. The sun was going down in a deep red sky, casting bloody light across the water in a pathway toward him, beckoning him to surrender. While he stopped to look at the magnificent sight he had never beheld in his young life, he was not of a mind to give up, and so the ocean took harsher measures.

The wave, all of four inches high, was gigantic to a mouse. It took him by surprise and he was smashed over, covered by rapid water and pushed into the ground. It almost dragged him out to a wet death but he fought with every inch of his body for life. His tail anchored him and he swam against the current until he felt sand under his feet again as the wave retreated behind him. Then he lurched up the sand, getting hit by two more waves and struggling not to be sucked to his end. Finally, he made it clear of the fast water. Tired, stinky and shaking with panic, he made his way along the beach until he could find a way up the cliffs. During his trek, he saw the empty carcass of a small lobster. He sat, tired, staring at the strange thing for a time. It was hard, and pointy all over. That it had once been alive was not lost on his delicate nose, but now it was just a shell. He couldn't imagine though what had been strong enough to get past that amazing armor. He doubted even a dragon could penetrate that spiked hide. Shrugging, he went onward. Maybe there were worse things than dragons. Soon he found an agreeable spot on the cliff, and went up it like the amazing climbers that all mice are.

As the cold night wore on, he grew weaker and weaker - and finally used the last of his strength to crawl pathetically over the edge at the top of the giant cliffs to a garage where he found a water heater under which he lay for a time, and passed out.

When he awoke, he was alone and warm. Cleaning himself off thoroughly, he realized he was also starving and thirsty. Scrounging about, he found some seeds and a bit of water outside the house on the early morning grass. Once he regained his composure, he knew it was a miracle he was still alive. And, in the simple thought of mice, he knew there had to be a reason for this. It had something to do with being a Mouse Knight. Maybe the only Mouse Knight. But beyond that, destiny seemed to escape him. Little did he know that he was on the right track, and like the special mouse he was, he stayed on that track when his mind decided that fate was too big a word for a little mouse. Turning his mind to other things, he knew he had to find his family and friends.

It was at that moment, in a dark garage, that the Mouse Knight knew what he was supposed to do.

Mice were treated poorly everywhere. He had never seen any treated well. But somewhere, somehow, it had to happen. And he would make it happen. He would find his fellow escapees - for surely they wouldn't live long without human care. They just weren't wild mice. Thousands of years of domestication had taken their toll. Mice needed to be cared for, plain and simple. So he would find them - all his family, even back at the pet store! He would set them free. All of them. And then he would find the few - or the one - human who by the law of averages simply had to exist in this world of cruelty to helpless mice. He would find that person, and make them understand that he and his family needed help.

And in that solemn moment of revelation, he felt more right, and more strong, than ever in his short little life. A soft light of dawn came under the garage door and made his tarnished white coat seem like gold. He knew what he had been born to do.

And armed with this, he went right back to sleep.

When he woke, he ate more, drank more, and ventured forth into the scary outside world in search of his companions. It was just before night.

He travelled far, speaking in alleys and solitary places to wild mice and house mice. They had not seen his friends. And they were amazed that a white mouse was loose, much less alive. They warned him of demons called cats - and monsters called dogs - but by far the worst of the threats was being captured again by humans, who laid traps that snapped a poor mouse in half, and laid out sweet smelling poisons that took days of agony to end a tiny life. And while all these horror stories scared our hero, he had already been scared out of his rational mouse mind - and chose not to return to that old mouse he had been. He ignored the warnings and simply told them that he must find his friends.

It was days later that out of the darkness of evening, amongst the great towers of several trashcans, came a soft, deep voice.

"And why would you risk so much?" said the voice.

All the other mice he had been speaking to were suddenly gone with a speed that made his best look very slow indeed.

Fearing another dragon, or worse, he puffed his chest up nevertheless and answered, "Because it is the right thing to do!"

"Well," said the voice, "that's good enough for me." And a shape waddled out of the dark toward him. Smaller than he expected, but still several times his size. The Mouse Knight crouched low, rattled his tail and arched his back. If he could kill a dragon, this wayward rodent would pose no challenge.

"Easy, man," said the rat. "Normally mice are lunch for us rats, but myself, I've always liked them for conversation instead of dinner. Besides, you're way too tough if you can survive the sewer." 

The mouse perked his head and ears forward, sniffing and looking. It was the same rat he had seen in the dark wet place - white with a hood of gold fur about his head.

They just looked at each other for a short moment.

"Rats eat mice?" the mouse asked.

"Yep. All the time," replied the rat.

"But you're not going to eat me."

"Nope."

"Not hungry?"

"Not stupid," replied the rat, and laughed. "I've heard all about you, Mouse Knight."

Now, if we were to draw the little mouse as a cartoon, this is where we'd put the exclamation point right over his head. His tail went straight up and his ears popped out to full sail. He didn't say anything, but his face said it all.

"Yeah, I've got the right mouse," laughed the rat, smiling broadly. "Your friends are up a few blocks hiding out in an old tool shed. They've told everyone about the mouse that killed the snake and rescued them from certain death - even facing off a human in the process!"

Automatically, the little mouse liked this rat. The rat exuded friendliness and calm. There was nothing at all to dislike. The mouse felt he could trust him instantly. He was strong and handsome. And he had a sweet smile.

"My name is Michael," said the rat, strolling closer to sniff at the amazed mouse as though he hadn't said anything shocking. "Named after the archangel. Do you have one?"

"An archangel?" asked the mouse.

"No... a name."

The mouse lowered his head in deep emotion.

"No," said the mouse. "I've always wanted one. Secretly, it's all I've ever really wanted. But... But you have to be owned... by someone that loves you... to have one."

"HA HA HA HA," laughed Mike. "Well, you have to be owned, that's true, but loved is another story. My owner tossed me out like yesterday's garbage after I wasn't a cute little baby any more."

The Mouse Knight's eyes became sad. "Oh... I'm so sorry, Mike."

"Ah, I'm over it," the rat said, but he turned his face away and began walking. The mouse followed him, heading in the direction of his friends in the tool shed. "It's overrated, you know? Humans just don't care about us."

"Surely... surely there must be one... somewhere... that might?" the mouse asked tentatively.

The rat stopped for a moment to gaze back. He was still smiling.

"Yeah, I've heard that myth. The Caring Human. The Kind One. Don't get your hopes up, kid. It's a fairy tale. Like the Millet Mouse, or the Sugar Rat."

The Mouse Knight's heart sank. Was there no hope? He just refused to give up - he remembered his quest - and strength came back to him.

"Some day, Mike, maybe I will prove you wrong," he said.

Mike chuckled. "I'd love that, my little friend. I really would."

They walked for the whole night. They talked and talked. Each instinctively liked the other. They became close in a very short time. Michael showed the mouse where to get good treats and clean water - at the back of a restaurant. They paused to talk to other rats, who glared at the mouse and made him feel uncomfortable, and a little scared. But Michael appeared to be well respected in his small corner of town, and no other rats would dare to challenge him for his walking meal. Even bigger ones.

Before they knew it, they were at the tool shed. Everyone had made it, living on scraps and early morning dew from the grass. And they were stunned into awe at seeing the Mouse Knight again, much less that he had a rat with him.

Being young and quite uninformed, the little mice came right to the rat, oddity that he was to them. They crawled on him and sniffed him. Michael loved it, touching noses with each one of them.

A few of them questioned The Mouse Knight while Mike played with the others.

"How did you get away?" and "You are our hero!" and "We are hungry and thirsty!"

"I'm no hero," the little one said. "I got away by luck. And we know of a place for food and water - Mike showed me."

Soon, after much scurrying, they were all eating their fill behind a very fine dining establishment, and enjoying every minute of it. While they were eating, Mouseknight told Mike of his plans.

"Well, then, we'd better set out to find this pet store of yours," he said. "It could be far away. There are many in the city. We're going to need help."

"And these mice need to be kept somewhere safe," Mouseknight told Mike.

"Well, safe is an illusion, my friend, but I know a place that's close."

The wee hours before dawn saw the mice and the rat skulking in the park, at the edge of civilization. There were a number of semi-abandoned buildings, and the grass was unkempt and tall. They could hide easily. Mike told them to be careful and stay close - there were loose dogs and cats in the park.

"What are cats!" "And dogs?" "Can I eat this grass?"

"Worse than dragons," Mouseknight told them, looking around nervously. "And no, you better not."

Mike said he'd be right back, they'd better wait for him there and wander not at all. If anything bad came, hide and stay hidden until he made two quick chirps. Everyone agreed.

Half an hour went by and the mice were restless. The little one had trouble containing them. Finally, he began telling them stories from the few books he'd read. He knew it wouldn't help to tone down his already ridiculous reputation, but it might keep them all still for a while.

In the middle of the third story (what was taking Mike so long?) came a noise. A scraping on the pavement near the bush they were in. They all froze, looking up past Mouseknight with horror. Slowly, wincing at what might be there, The Knight looked over his shoulder.

A human! Squatting down looking right at them, not three feet away - well within grabbing distance. He had long black hair hanging around his face, and had soft brown eyes. He smiled in gentle delight.

The mice all chirped and ran for it randomly. "No, wait!" Mouseknight yelled, but they were afraid and did what mice do. God knows how far they'd go or who might get lost. He felt hopeless. Stupid human! His quest was too important for this.

He remembered when he was tiny, just a baby, his mother hissing and snarling at the giant hand that would come into the tank to grab mice. He had felt so protected! He knew now that his mom never stood a chance against the dreaded hand, but the fact that she put her life on the line for her children so quickly, without thought of her own doom, had taught at least one of her little son's courage. So, hissing and hopping, he came at the human. Let the other mice see it, and stay, he prayed. He was sure he would be squashed for this. His heart raced. He had to make a good show of it. 

He rattled his tail, and chirped loudly. He dodged quickly back and forth. He jumped high and showed the human his teeth. The other mice stopped and gaped. Mike appeared out of nowhere with several other new (much larger) mice just in time to see the brash display.

Amazingly, the human just laughed! He *beep*ed his head to one side and raised his thick eyebrows. "What a strange mouse you are," he said.

The Mouse Knight stopped and stared, his eyes full of surprise. No squish?

Mike moved without hesitation where all the others were frozen with fear and disbelief. He ran out, and as quick as he could, tried to grab Mouseknight from harm.

And almost as quick the human yelled, "Look out, mouse!" and moved to swat Mike away with his gigantic open hand. But Mike had been around the block more than twice, and was in his prime. He dodged the hand easily - big slow thing - and thought about biting it for good measure, but decided against it. If the man had hurt his little friend though, Mike would have taken at least the ounce worth of mouse his friend weighed out of the human's hide. Mike clamped his jaws around the little mouse's neck scruff and made off with him. The human gave chase for a few feet, but couldn't fit into the bush. The other mice all ran after Mike as fast as they could.

After a minute they were under a building.

"Attacking humans now, mister mouse?" Mike asked incredulously. "Are you completely nuts?"

"The others had to get away," Mouseknight said. "You shouldn't have grabbed me - he wasn't going to hurt me."

"How could you know?" Mike stared.

Mouseknight began back toward the sidewalk. "I just know, Mike. He had his chance."

"Yeah, and he took it with me!" Mike exclaimed.

"That swat was so slow," the mouse replied. "If he'd been trying to hurt you, you'd be hurt. He was not a fat, slow human. He thought you were trying to eat me."

The sidewalk was empty. The little mouse sighed and turned around.

Mike just eyed his friend. "You don't think he was a human who actually liked mice, do you?"

"We'll never know now. Maybe not that one, but they have to exist, Mike. They do."

Mike gave him a look that said, you're dreaming but I love you anyway.

They returned to the group, which sat huddled in their hidey-hole. No one knew what to say. But Mike went to some of the new mice he had brought back and said, "See?"

The new mice, every one of them large and strong, eyed Mouseknight. "Yes, you may all come," said one, a big brawny brown mouse, and led the way out of the hole.

All the way down the gutter they continued to eye the Mouse Knight. He looked around. They were all eyeing him. He snaffed and looked over at Mike. At least Mike was nonchalant, as always. He heard whispers of "Stood up to a human twice" and "Not a normal mouse..."

"Hey." He stopped, and turned on the mice. They all backed up into each other and showed signs of submission, though most of them were twice his size. Their eyes got real big. "I'm just a mouse," he said. "Just like you. We're all just mice, and we all suffer the same, hurt the same, and feel the same. Any of you could have done what I did. Maybe it's time we stopped thinking that we are just mice and started thinking that being a mouse is a great thing to be. This 'just helpless mice' thing is getting on my mouse nerves. So what about that!"

They remained motionless for a few seconds (long time for a mouse to stay still, much less twenty mice) then broke into cheers, squeaks of joy, and little hops of pleasure. They picked up their hero mouse and carried him the rest of the way, led by the street mice, who were cheering also.

Mouseknight looked down at Mike. "Get me down!"

Mike just laughed.


20:50:57 Mar 26th 09 - Mr. Kobaltic:

It was a giant underground labyrinth. So huge, the Mouse Knight could not begin to guess how many miles. Surely a mouse could wander it and never see it all in one lifetime.

His party and he were escorted deep into the cold, dark mystery for hours before they came to the magnificent central chamber. It was heated, and smelled of food and many mice. Indeed, there were more than a hundred mice present, all engaged in various forms of being mice. There was water in the corner, and guardian mice all around an old figure at the end of the room, sitting on a pillow amongst bundled-up blankets.

His escort led his party through the horde of mice, which stared in silence as he went by. A few tails rattled, but mostly they just stared in awe. When they reached the end of the room, Mouseknight saw that the figure on the pillow, he knew that the mouse was ancient indeed - far more so than the old fighter who had dueled the dragon before. The little mouse just stared back at the old, blind mouse on the pillow. He didn't know what to do.

The silence in the vast room was broken by a mouse to the right side of the old mouse.

"You stand before his eminence, King Arnold the First, King of Mouse City and ruler of the Nest."

All of Mouseknight's family and new friends OOOooed and AAHHhhhed.

The guard went on, "Your Majesty, we have brought you the Mouse Knight as requested by the rat."

Not that they didn't see him before, but now all mouse eyes went to Mike, who was a bit nervous. Teeth were gnashed and eyes squinted down at him. Tails rattled and mice crept toward him low and hostile. "Get the rat!"

"Eat the rat!"

"Vengeance!"

"Came to the wrong place, rat!" 

They were almost on him and he was prepared to sell his life at a dear price to these little midgets. But the Mouse Knight intervened.

"Stop!" he yelled, running out in front of Mike. The mice recoiled. What was this? A mouse standing up for a rat? But they did stop. Mouseknight's tail rattled his warning. To get Mike, they'd have to come through him.

"Is this your friend, Mouse Knight?" asked the King.

"Yes, my liege," the little mouse said. "And I won't let anyone harm him, even if it means we have to leave this great Kingdom, or... my life, if it comes to that."

Silence. Then, finally, the King said, "I understand you aren't killable anyway, Sir Mouse Knight. And it appears that you have studied your courtly manners - very rare in mice. So it seems we must bestow your companion with the title of MouseFriend."

Mike smiled nervously. All the little family of Mouseknight came and crowded around Mike, nudging him and licking him.

Some mouse in the crowd, a really big, fat mouse, said, "Who says this guy is a Knight? You didn't make him a knight, my lord! Who did?"

Everyone looked at Mouseknight as he stood up tall (which wasn't very) and said, "KingSnake made me a Mouse Knight."

The crowd broke out in whispers and gasps of breath, as the King's old eyes got wide for a moment as if he were shocked and could still see.

The fat huge mouse snaffed and wiped his nose at Mouseknight anyway. But he no longer looked interested in a fight.

"Well, that's better than me doing it," the King said. "We had reservations about this mysterious mouse who fought snakes and humans and rescued our kind, but here you are. Most astonishing. The very first Mouse Knight."

At that, the King slowly hobbled, inch by inch, down from his pillow and sniffed Mouseknight out of the crowd, and finally reaching him, laid his paw on the small mouse. "You have done well," he said. And smiled. 

"Are you really a named mouse?" asked the Mouse Knight. It was probably improper to ask, but he had to know.

The King smiled. "Yes, little one. I was loved and named by my human, who passed away before I did. You may call me Arnie, as he did."

"Then you know what it is to be loved," the Mouse Knight whispered. And although the old mouse was blind, his hearing was quite good.

"There is nothing better," he said. "Nothing better than being held and petted. Fed anything your heart desires and sleeping in warmth. Being kissed and told you are special. It is heaven to us."

Mouseknight looked back at Mike, who was frowning and looking at the floor. But he looked up when he saw Mouseknight and his face was expressionless again. Mouseknight briefly wondered how King Arnie had ended up abandoned when his human had died. Surely a loving owner would have wanted better for his dear pet.

"It is this very thing I seek," said the little mouse excitedly. "I seek to find the kind human."

Gasps filled the room. The King offered the Mouse Knight a piece of corn. Mouseknight took it gratefully and began to gobble it up, which started a chain reaction, and soon everyone was feasting while the meeting had not yet ended.

"The Mouse Knight has a holy quest!" yelled the King.

"Huzzah!" all the mice answered.

"Is he a worthy mouse?" the King bellowed.

"Huzzah!" they answered.

"Then we will help him."

"Huzzah, huzzah!!"

"Tell your holy quest, Knight, and I shall name you a Saint of the Mouse People, and your quest shall be heard by the Mousegod," stated the King.

Everyone stopped eating except for a tiny little mouse with huge ears and bugged-out eyes, which were locked upon Mouseknight without blinking. In the almost silence, Mouseknight stood up (like he remembered they did at the Round Table!), raised his piece of corn, and said... 

"My quest... is to see mice everywhere freed from oppression and cruelty, to show them that being a mouse is a beautiful gift, and to find the kind human of myth, so that he will care for us all to the end of our days! I swear upon my title, since I have no name, that I will do this thing, or perish trying!"

The room burst into cheers and hops. The King nodded his head in a deeply satisfied manner, and whispered "Huzzah." The tiny big-eared mouse had dropped the pea he was chewing on and stood stock-still on his back legs, gaping at the Mouse Knight as if he had just seen a true legend - the only one he might ever see.

Many mice came to lick the Mouse Knight clean and to groom him. They even groomed Mike. Everyone agreed that his quest was a righteous one, and that Saint Mouse could achieve it if anyone could.

After the meal, everyone settled down again. The King crawled ever so slowly back onto his pillow.

"There is only one rumor of a kind human," he said. "But he lives very, very far - out beyond the human city, in the Fields of Fate. Past the great barrier of moving mountains, and farther than any mouse has traveled. It is a risky and dangerous venture at best. There are monsters day and night, which will seek your hide, and all the other humans care nothing for us. And there is the hawk."

Everyone shivered visibly at the mention of the name.

"I don't know what that is," said the knight, "but I have to try. I will accept this burden, though I do not know the way."

"You are brave, as the stories claim," said the King. "Will you be going right away?"

The Mouse Knight looked down, thinking - then lifted his head. "No. I need to free my family from the pet store."

More gasps filled the room. (Mice are deeply into gossip and anything exciting, and this beat anything to ever happen in Mouseville.)

The King's old eyes widened for the second time. "Indeed?"

"Yes," said Mouseknight resolutely. "I cannot leave them. My team and I are going back to attempt a rescue!"

The Mouse Knight's "team" of his rescued family and friends looked at each other like, "Who... US?!"

"You'll need more help than that," said the King. "My bravest are at your disposal. Volunteers only." At that, seven large and strong mice stepped forward, willing to follow the Mouse Knight into terrible danger. The tiny mouse that had been gaping jumped forward, too, but was pushed back into the crowd by the larger mice. The big, fat mouse held him down under his foot while the little one squirmed in frustration.

One of the young mice, a brother of the Mouse Knight, inched close to his idol and whispered, "Excuse me, Sir, but... but we're all cowards, remember?"

The little mouse looked at his bigger brother and laughed. "Not any more," he squeaked. "Now you're going to be heroes."

The brother's head perked up and his ears became stiff. Heroes! They all looked at one another. Yeah... Heroes! They began hopping about and rattling their tails. They were sold.


06:38:06 Mar 28th 09 - Mr. Stickman:

I refuse to read something that starts with
"Once upon a time".

Sorry dude,
i got standers.


XP .


11:26:35 Mar 28th 09 - Mr. Kobaltic:

Preparations were being made for the grand rescue, for such an amazing and daring thing had never been attempted by mousekind. Firstly, they had to find out exactly which pet store had his family. He gave the scouts descriptions in detail, including the manager and the library of fantasy books in the back room. Then, they had to plan how to get there - what if it was all the way across town? They would take the bus. It could be done. After that, they would return, hopefully with many more of their kind, and then the Mouse Knight would prepare for the real danger - the quest into the unknown Fields of Fate.

Mike went and made a deal with the rats. They too were interested in freeing their kin, so they agreed to do scouting as well, and come along with a temporary truce. Of course, they had heard about this strange mouse myth, and asked Mike if it were true. He said yes, indeed, and then proceeded to blow it all out of proportion and make the little mouse out to be a god. The rats, deeply respecting Mike, bought it all.

The huge fat mouse came and made up with the Mouse Knight, the whole time saying that he could take the little guy, and even rattling his tail just a twinge to make his point. The huge mouse had an ego equal to his bulk, but Mouseknight liked him. He even volunteered to go on the rescue mission and seemed offended when the Knight was concerned that he would slow everyone down. Proving his worth, he propelled his mass, thundering comically, from one end of the room to the other and bounced a helpless (much smaller) mouse off the stairs, who vanished with an "EEE!"

"Don't worry... blankets down there. Brawling pit for the guys," the fat mouse said. Mouseknight nodded, looking worried at the big mouse. "So... I'm a fast mouse, ya?" Mouseknight nodded. He wasn't that fast, but he would surely be useful for his strength alone. "And I get to be a hero, ya?" He was close, and breathing hard from the run. Mouseknight leaned away from the smelly mouse and nodded. "Cool. Thanks, man," breathed the smelly big mouse, and he licked Mouseknight, who immediately began grooming himself.

As for the actual rescue, there wasn't a plan yet. But Mouseknight had one in mind. A tricky one. Mice were small and weak (compared to people and cats), but they were fast and smart. They had to make up for it somehow. He was working on his plan when a very young mouse darted right up to him. The tiny mouse was barely five weeks old, and even smaller than the Mouse Knight. His frame was much too thin, and longer than most mice. He stood up on his hind legs and slid his head side to side in excitement. He was rather a light cream color, with huge ears and big eyes. The mouse who had the pea. Mouseknight remembered him now. 

"Hi," he said real fast. "I'm Squibble!" He kept moving, like a hyperactive kid, shifting his feet and looking all around. He was smiling in a shy kind of way. Mouseknight thought he was very cute.

"Oh, a named mouse - another one! Imagine that." he said, humoring Squibble.

"Yeah... named. Yeah." said Squibble.

"And pray tell, brave young mouse, how did you come by this name?" Mouseknight inquired, amused.

The tiny kid mouse looked down at the floor, guilty, but then thought twice of it and his head snapped up. "I gave it to myself!" he chirped loudly.

Mouseknight raised his eyebrows and grinned. "Oh?"

"Yeah!" Squibble said fast. "Yousaidwecoulddoanything (breathe!) causewe'remicesoIwentaheadand (breathe!) namedmyselfcauseIcan!"

"HA HA HA HA!" Mouseknight laughed. "Well, I don't think anyone ever thought of that before! I like it!"

"Then I'm not busted?" Squibble asked.

"No. Not busted. Commended for your initiative."

"Then I can be your squire, right?"

"Say what!" Mouseknight exclaimed.

"The ... The KingsaidImightbeabletobe (breathe!) yoursquirewhateverthatisandlearntheways (breathe!) of themightymiceofold... (breathe!)... like you!"

"Squibble," said Mouseknight, grabbing the moving munchkin, "SLOW DOWN."

Squibble stopped and stood still. It clearly required Herculean effort. "Okay."

"What did the King say?"

"He said to come over here and ask to be your squire."

"Oh did he now," said Mouseknight, and looked over at the old King, who raised a raisin at him in a smiling toast.

"Did he tell you it's dangerous and hard and painful?" asked Mouseknight.

"COOL!" said Squibble, and began moving to and fro again in anticipation of his training.

Mouseknight slapped a paw on his forehead. He really did like this little guy, but he couldn't let him toss his life away on such a dangerous quest.

"Squibble, I can't let you..."

His thought was interrupted by a bump on his hindquarters by another mouse. He turned around.

He was facing the most radiant beauty he'd ever seen. She was bigger than he by much, with a long, sleek tail, full ears and a smooth, silky coat of cinnamon. Her eyes were dreamy and he loved looking at them instantly.

"I see you've met my son," she said. "Is he troubling you, Sir?" 

Mouseknight was speechless. Then she waved a whisker in front of him and he came back to his senses. "Oh, um... no. Not at all... he's really cute."

Squibble grinned broadly and nuzzled his mom. She smiled and the room lightened. "Yes, he is."

"Mom and I are homeless," Squibble blurted out, as if it weren't important, just trivia. The girl looked ashamed, and turned with her boy to go.

"Wait," Mouseknight said. She stopped and turned around, interested. "If you are homeless that means you once had a home?"

"Oh yes," she said. "I was a pet, but I got pregnant and then my owners tossed me out into their yard just before I had my babies."

"Oh, that's so terrible," Mouseknight said, coming close to the girl. "I'm sorry. They don't know what they're doing - they're quite ignorant and uncaring sometimes."

"Most of my babies died, because I couldn't feed them, or myself," she went on, clearly needing someone to confide in. She had been through a lot. "I struggled to save them, but they died hungry and cold, one by one..." She began to weep gently. "I watched them all go... and couldn't help them. It was unbearably sad. I couldn't help them."

Squibble, sensing his momma was upset, laid down over her and put his nose on her head. Mouseknight looked at Squibble. So that's why he was so small. Undernourished. He groomed the crying mother mouse. "But you saved this one," he said, as cheerfully as he could.

She looked down at Squibble and licked him behind the ears. "Yes," she said with pride. "Yes, this one made it. The only one."

Squibble looked at him pleadingly. It was all clear now, why he wanted to be a squire. He wanted to protect other mice from what happened to his poor mother.

"Then you found this place?" Mouseknight asked. She nodded.

Mouseknight tilted his head sideways and peered at her. "If you were a pet then you have a name."

She looked away, being shy (and pretty). "Yes, I have one."

"May I inquire it, my lady?" The Mouse Knight stuck his head out toward her nose.

"Tree," she said. "Because I like to climb."

"Did you know your son asked me if he could follow me and fight by my side?" Mouseknight said.

"Yes, the King asked me if I would let him."

"I don't want to take your only son from you - and I'd feel terrible if he got hurt, which he very well might! What I do is insanely dangerous, Miss."

She giggled a bit. "He's tougher than you think, Sire." She nuzzled up to him and he felt a pang of loneliness vanishing like smoke. "And someday I hope to have more children, with all my heart."

So they both looked at him, and she said, "You will keep him safe, won't you?"

Long moments passed as the Mouse Knight struggled with his morals. The King was looking at him. The beautiful girl actually wanted her son to be a squire! And on Squibble's face was the most wanting, pathetic look he had ever seen. To top it off, Mike had just come back from negotiating with the rats, and had heard the whole thing.

"Every knight in the stories had a squire..." he mumbled under his breath, pretended to cough, then waddled away.

Mouseknight winced. "... Okay," he said.

Squibble hopped so high he might have gone through the roof - but instead caught himself on a pipe and scrambled back down in an instant. "YAAAYYY!"

The girl kissed him and groomed him under the chin. "Thank you," she said. "I know he's safe with you."

Squibble snapped to attention and saluted his Knight. "Sire!"

The King nodded contentedly and went back to his raisin. Word rippled out through the mouse city that the runt child of Tree had just become Squire to Saint Mouse.

Mike laughed, that warm 'I know everything' laugh that the Mouse Knight was coming to love so much.

Mouseknight shrugged and ruffled Squibble's fur. Some things were meant to be.


23:34:13 Mar 29th 09 - Mr. Kobaltic:

The little mouse had never beheld anything near the amount of mice and rats in one place as he saw now. There must be hundreds, he thought. As far as his little albino eyes could see: ears, tails, eyes. And far beyond that (about three feet) his nose smelled many more. All here to hear him. He was nervous. In the front row, however, the King, Lady Tree, Squibble, and Mousefriend Mike seemed to have utter confidence in him.

"Umm... hi." he chirped. They all applauded. Hey - this is kinda cool, he thought. "Tonight, we will make a raid on the pet store where my family - and yours - are held against their will by the humans." More applause. Yeah. A mouse could get used to this... "There will be no room for error, and although I have a plan, some mice and rats might get hurt... or worse."

Silence.

"Well, it's true. Did you think I could shoot lightning out my eyes or something and save everyone by myself?" The crowd looked back with a clear yes answer. The little Mouse Knight sighed and put his hands on his chest. "Anyone that wants out now, it's okay. No loss of honor."

But no one moved.

So, in the night, many mice and rats moved with speed and silence to the bus station. The Mouse Knight read the maps and bus schedules, explaining them to Mike. They decided on a good route to take to the pet store. Then, when the drivers were chatting away on their breaks, the buses were flooded with rodents. The scouts told them which bus was empty, and it was the last shift. It wouldn't do to have humans screaming bloody murder as hundreds of furry bodies attempted to share a ride with them. Those humans - always freaking out over nothing.

Once aboard, it was a short ride; every ear and tail was still. Even Squibble's. Once, they were almost discovered as an old lady boarded the late night bus and one of the mice had to go sniff her foot. Everyone held their breath as he sniffed, and then marked her shoe. Big Fat mouse slapped the daring renegade when he returned. The lady was none the wiser, and eventually got off the bus.

When the bus driver heard the "ding" for a bus stop, he looked back into the empty bus with a puzzled expression. When the stop came close, the haunted vessel "dinged" several times so furiously that he skidded it to a halt and said out loud, "Okay! Go! Get out, spirits!"

So they did. All the little spirits ran out the door as fast as they could, as the driver watched over his glasses. When the last mouse paused as if to chirp thanks at him and then continued out the door, he decided the mouse spirit wasn't all that bad, and maybe he would visit a pet store the next day. The bus drove on, and the rescue team made their way through the dark of night to the pet store.

It was ominous. All dark, huge, and intimidating. Knowing there were trapped family and friends inside that great prison was even more intimidating. One wrong move and they would all remain there, forever. Or be sold as food again. It was stepping back into Hell. One look around at their faces told the Mouse Knight that they all knew it. No one backed out.

Getting in was simple for the mice. The rats had to chew some to open the air vent shaft, and their teeth went through the thin metal like cardboard. When the mice all gazed at their strength, the rats puffed up and pranced around until the Mouse Knight got everyone focused again. He ordered them around to the front.

There, he told them to chew a hole through the weakest portion of the wall, right by the front door. A big hole - bigger than three rats. The rats looked at him briefly as if he was nuts - a hole? In the wall?? They could already get in through the back.

"Can't do it?" Mouseknight asked, tilting his head. "I heard rats could chew through anything."

Without another word, the rats began chewing with fury. With all of them at it, there was a hole any rat could drive a wheel through in minutes. They were actually shocked that the wall was not solid. They joked that humans built poor nests.

"Why two ways?" Mike asked as his cohorts put the finishing touches on the hole.

"Old mouse rule," Mouseknight answered. "Always one way in - and one way out."

Once inside, they were met with a shock. Some of the lights were on! Someone, somewhere, was in here with them! Everyone looked at the leader. Mouseknight softly whispered, in the supersonic voice of rodents that no human could hear, "The plan goes on."

Speedy Squibble zoomed ahead as a tiny blur to scout the way. He came back in minutes and reported that the entire way was clear, but there was a human in the rodent room!

Mouseknight squinted his eyes. "What did he look like?"

Squibble forced his words to a slow flash. "He was big and had things on his face, an' spots on his face, an' he was eatin' somethin, and lookin at somethin."

"Was it flat and in his lap?" Mouseknight asked.

"Yeah! Yeah it was! Wow - you're psychic mouse!" Squibble chattered.

Mouseknight just looked amused at Squibble. "Good job, Squire." Squibble puffed up larger than the rats and paraded amongst them. Mouseknight turned to the others. "This improvements the plan. I know this human. He's not bad. I think I can cause a distraction. Be ready when I chirp!" Mike nodded; no one questioned him as he departed.

Stealthy and sleek in the night, the almost glowing white mouse skulked, although he stood out like a lit light bulb against the dim floor and the dark display shelves. He crept to the room, and sure enough, there was the manager he had known before, reading at 3 a.m. Did this guy have no life? Mouseknight shrugged, creeping up ever so slowly behind him. Inch by inch so as to make no noise at all, quiet as a mouse. Halfway up the table Mouseknight froze.

There, next to the manager, was a dog. A big one. It slept now, but its presence could ruin everything. Mouseknight had seen dogs before, at a distance, but this on e was covered in the scars of abuse, and he didn't know how dogs in general felt toward mice. Probably thought they were sport or food, like everything else did, thought the mouse bitterly. Best not to trust the dog. Quietly now... .

At the top of the table, the other mice saw Mouseknight. Some of them recognized him. But, as mice, the human could not hear their secret language.

"You came back!??" one of them asked. "Are you crazy??" and, "No one has ever come back." and "Wow - he was just a baby when I saw him last..." and also, "He's gonna see you."

Mouseknight motioned for them to calm down. At last, they did.

"In a moment, you must all stand on one another - and push the lid off the cage," he said. They argued and gasped. The concept of freedom was lost on them. He hung his head in frustration. "You are food!" he chirped.

They shut up. Some of them shook their heads, unbelieving. 

"Yes. You are," he continued. "Everyone who goes from this place is food for dragons and sometimes worse things. You must escape. Do as I say."

"But you said they were going to good happy places..." one little mouse sadly sobbed. The little thing reminded the Mouse Knight of himself when he was ignorant.

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry," said Mouseknight, "I was wrong. I was stupid to think that humans would love us because we were cute and harmless. Now band together when the others come and free yourselves, understand?"

They all agreed. So the Mouse Knight turned around to face the manager.

... And promptly got lost in the book he was reading.


"What's taking him so long?" Mike exclaimed. "We're all aging here..."

Squibble put his tiny nose in Mike's face. "The master does as he knows best, rat," he said with attitude, daring Mike to start something.

Mike smirked widely and chuckled. "Okay, boy... down, now... I wouldn't dare question the master. Or fight his brave servant."

Vindicated, Squibble returned to moving back and forth on his feet nervously.


Four chapters later, the Mouse Knight never saw the manager turn around. The man reached for his Coke (which sat right next to the little mouse) and saw the Mouse Knight. Mouseknight was still reading when the man's voice broke the silence.

"Well, I'll be!" The Mouse Knight's head snapped up to look the manager right in the eye. "I remember you - you're the little runt that used to watch me read! How on earth did you get out?"

The caged mice watched in awe as the Mouse Knight flung himself right at the manager! Hurling through the air, he caught the side of the manager's big nose and with mouse-speed zoomed right down his body and across the floor to the door.

"My god!" the manager yelled.

"That's our cue," said Mike. "Let's go!"

The rescue team saw the Mouse Knight actually wait for the big man to rise and start chasing their white speck of a leader before he resumed his flight across the store tiles. Halfway between the aisles, he chirped, "Now, Mike - now!" 

Squibble paused as if to chase the human down, but Mike dragged him along by the scruff of the neck. "Youngster, that fatty won't ever catch your master," he said through his teeth.

Big Fat Mouse said, "Hey watch it, buddy!"

So Mouseknight led the manager a merry chase through the halls of the dark pet store, pausing when the human stopped for breath and loving every minute of it. It's great to be a mouse, he thought happily... This is just the best! When the manager would resume the chase, Mouseknight gleefully continued running as fast as his little legs would spin under him. And all the while, the rescue team was climbing up the table. Oh no! - he forgot to warn Mike about... !

"It's a dog," Mike whispered. "And a bad kind - a pit bull. Aggressive and nasty. Worse, see those lines on its face? It was whipped. Beaten and hurt. That's going to make it particularly mean. It won't hesitate to kill us... and they hear almost as good as we do. Just let it lie, and we might be okay. Be quiet, all of you."

Thus in silent, frightened unison they scaled the display shelves and got up onto the platform of the rodents. The mice and rats alike were flabbergasted to see so many loose kin. But they remembered the Mouse Knight's instructions, and carefully balanced on each other en mass, and pushed to remove the cover a crack. The rats just laughed and bounced upward to dislodge the cover while others caught it so it made no noise - it looked like a practiced trick.

Once all together, Mike informed both sides of the truce, and told them to make their way for the outer door - quietly. 

Many mice and rats scaled downward to the floor. Some fell, but were cushioned by the soft bodies of their companions below. No one that got landed on made a squeak. Mike kept his eyes right on the dog. The first of the party were out the door and moving fast when the frustrated manager let out a great bellow from the depths of the store.

"Demon! Come, boy! Come!"

Mike froze in horror when the dog's eyes snapped open and saw them all. It was named Demon?!

The dog was instantly on its feet and by its stance and gaping jaws, absolutely intended to destroy every rodent that was free. Death was in its beaten, sad eyes.

"Run for your lives!!" yelled Mike. "We cannot fight this! RUN!"

Everyone did, though it was clear from the start that some would not make it.

Now, there is a legend among mice. It is said that though small, they are some of the most courageous creatures on the earth. Many gods of myth employed mice because of their unfailing loyalty. Now add to this a mother's instinct to protect their young. Many times mouse mothers have stood against great odds to protect their babies, knowing it was at the cost of their lives, never once thinking of doing otherwise. Many other animals and even people would have fled and let their kin perish before the monster in that moment.

But the mother mice and the mother rats stood their ground. Joined by several of the bravest warrior mice from the Kingdom, they to ok the awful brunt of that first charge by Demon while their sons and daughters escaped. The dog sent several animals across the bridge to Heaven in a heartbeat with the power of its teeth. And while the stoic rats and mice clung to its face and tried to buy precious moments for all with their lives, the others fled in terror behind Michael.

The great beast covered their flight distance in one great leap. Many furry bodies fled in random directions. Chaos ensued. Mike yelled out, "Mouseknight! The dog is loose!"

A far distant voice came over supersonic waves. "Mike, tell them to run this way! To me - my voice!"

Mike yelled as loud as he could, "Everyone to the Mouse Knight! To the Mouse Knight!"

And, coming straight toward them from the entrance, the Mouse Knight chirped as loud as he could for everyone to hear.

Hear they did, and the random chaos that almost ended the rescue effort became one organized dash for safety as the dog snorted and stomped amongst them, taking the remaining warriors to their end, giving chase at full speed when there were no more victims.

Mike was last, and willingly bringing up the rear. The dog was right on his heels, massive jaws a-slavering to have him. He felt the great thundering of its feet through the tile beneath him. For the first time in many months since he had been abandoned, Mike felt fear. There was no choice of actions. He could dodge to the side, but most dogs were too stupid to follow, and then he would have abandoned the group. In seconds, he was going to die.

In the very moment he knew this, a white blur came around a corner and passed him going the other direction.

The Mouse Knight, looking back, yelled the same thing at the same time as Mike did.

"Look out!"

The manager barreled heedlessly around the same corner Mouseknight had just come from, and ran smack into the dog. Feet and paws and both bodies missed the two rodents as the manager and his dog hit the ground with a quaking pair of thuds.

Immediately the dog was righting itself, and the manager was cursing at Demon.

"I can't outrun the dog," yelled Mouseknight to Mike. "Go!"

"Foolish Mouseknight," said Mike, rushing to his side, "That's why knights have steeds."

Mouseknight took a tenth of a second to smile at his dear friend before jumping on his wide, strong back and gripping his fur with all the strength in his mouse paws. 

Mike flew, holding back nothing. His feet slid and his rear moved sideways before he caught his traction and they lurched forward - half a second before huge, drooling teeth clamped shut right where they'd been.

Demon gave chase.

"To the right!" Yelled Mouseknight.

Mike understood at once. Not toward the front - they were to be the bait for the monster. Obeying his smart friend, he banked sharply and zoomed down a side corridor. The giant was right behind them. He dodged right - left - right - sudden stop! Backward a pace, then to the right again! Mouseknight held on for his life, amazed at Mike's speed and dexterity. Finally, trapped without any direction to dodge, Mike spun, leapt straight over the dog's head, landed on its back, and raced for the opening in the air vent at the back of the store.

"Whee - HA!" The Mouse Knight yelled as he ducked and they vanished through the narrow opening. They had done it!! They heard Demon hit the wall behind them. Hard.

Not too bright, as Mike had guessed.

Around the front, the rescuers and rescuees met and dashed across the parking lot while the manager fumbled for his keys mere yards away on the other side of the door. When the door finally opened, the animals were well outside of his reach. He just shook his head and stared into the empty parking lot in wonder.

"Demon..." he said, "that was the weirdest thing I think I have ever seen."

The dog just growled.

The next morning an African American gentleman in a bus driver's uniform came in, asking if he might buy a pair of mice to keep as pets. The first patron who had asked to buy rodents for anything but snake food in months.

The manager, weary and without sleep, just stared at the man for a long time and finally shook his head. "I'm sorry. They all ran away. All gone. Heh heh. No little mice! Heh heh heh... No rats!"

The driver nodded his head and smiled as if he understood.

"That's what happens when you try to cage the spirits," he said, and walked out of the store. The manager went home.

 


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