Larc took one more look around the academy before closing the doors for the night. It had been a long and crazy day and she desperately needed some quiet time. Amazingly enough, for the first time in recent memory, none of the younger students were following her home. Today, that was a pleasant surprise, too much had happened and she didn’t think she could keep her temper around the little ones for too much longer. Ever since she began the school, the kids naturally stayed with her, even when classes were over. Usually she enjoyed the company, but today, well today was just too much.

As she headed for home she decided to give herself a treat and go to the Java Hut. It was Saran’s shift, and she was a good one to be around on days like this. Since Saran had arrived, Larc had noticed she could adapt to whomever was around. Quite a talent on this Island, she could spar with the Enforcer one minute, then talk to Eponie about Eponie’s latest research the next. All without sounding fake or having to act interested. She genuinely was interested.

Larc learned this the first time she showed up at the Hut and Saran was working. As per usual, three of the youngsters followed along and came in with Larc. The kids were rambunctious and loud that day and instead of kicking them out, Saran just joined in. The three were in such shock, here was a full grown Amazon acting like them! Saran seemed to be more chameleon then human at times, but in a refreshing way. Like today, Larc needed down time, just time to relax and be quiet. Saran for some reason would know this and stay out of her way.

CRASH!!!! The sounds of glass and pottery hitting the floor filled the usually quiet Java Hut as Larc made her way in the door. Then from the back room she could hear Saran yelling something quite loudly, she just couldn’t make out the words. Between that and Zazu, Saran’s blue crowned conure, screeching and hollering "peek-a-boo" at the top of his rather large lungs, (for a small bird that is) had changed this planned quiet time at the hut, into a virtual madhouse. She was just about to leave when she started thinking that perhaps Saran may need some help. Larc just figured that even if she was having a bad day, it didn’t mean she shouldn’t help out a fellow Amazon.

So taking a deep breath Larc called out. "Saran? Are you ok?"

All of a sudden Saran’s head appeared from the door to the back room, looking rather disheveled and sheepish. She tried to give Larc a smile. "Howdy, Larc. Sorry, didn’t hear anyone come in. Been waiting long?"

"No, Saran, just got here. Is everything ok?"

Saran, sliding the rest of her body out of the back room, while keeping the door as closed as possible answered. "It’s, well... there have been better days. How’s it going with you?" Saran switching to autopilot heads behind the counter and grabs a cup for Larc. "Anything I can get you today?"

"No, just on my way home, heard the crash and....."

"Oh, that...well just me being clumsy. Happens." Saran then realizes that Larc is alone, probably the first time she had ever seen her without some troop of youngsters trailing her. Also seeing the opportunity to change the subject asks "Larc? Where’s your troops? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you alone? Everything ok with you?"

"Grrrrr...." Seemed to be the only sound that could come from Larc’s throat. Instantly regretting the response she answers "it’s been a long day, and they decided to give me some room."

Saran then realizing the general loud commotion is still happening gets a pained expression on her face. "Oh, oh. I’m sorry Larc, take it your in need of some quiet time?"

"Don’t worry Saran, I’m going home. It’ll be quiet there, I’m sure."

"No, don’t go. Look, sit down, give me a second and it’ll be back to normal, I promise." Turning to Zazu "ZAZU, SHUTUP WILL YA!!! LARC NEEDS PEACE AND QUIET, NOT YOU SCREECHIN’ AND HOLLERIN’, YA’ CRAZY BIRD OR I’M COOKING YOU FOR DINNER!" Even though it was an empty threat, somehow Zazu knew that Saran meant business and actually quieted right down. Turning back to Larc, "now that’s better, ok, where was I.....oh, yeah, sit down, you look exhausted, I’ll make you something, anything you want as long as....well, never mind, anything you want Larc."

"Saran, don’t bother, I think I’ll just go home. It’s been a long day and I know your trying to help, but it looks like your hands are full."

Saran, seeing that Larc is in obvious need of someone to listen, jumps over the counter and blocks the door before Larc can get to it. Instantly replying in her fake super hero voice "Larc, it’s me, Saran, remember. I’m the Toothpick Warrior Barista, I will not let anyone go home without their daily dose of caffeine and/or sugar high. So name your poison, sit down, relax and have some quiet time, will ya?"

"Are you sure?"

With the first real smile Saran had all day she replied, "sure, I’m sure. I’m an Amazon aren’t I?" then continued too softly to hear, "At least for the moment." Saran led Larc to the counter and had her sit closest to the espresso machine, the whole time looking around as if she’s trying to find something.

"Saran, what’s going on?"

"Ummm...nothing....how about with you? You look more tired than usual, and there has to be a reason the little un’s aren’t following you."

"Saran! You are changing the subject."

"And so are you. So, let’s call a truce and you tell me what happen to you today, and then I’ll tell you what happen to me. Deal?"

"Deal. But first I need something cold and strong and sweet like a frappuccino. No, I can’t, I really don’t want to be sick all night. Just give me my usual."

"Nope, sorry Larc, no can do. You can’t sit here and just have that dull boring club soda drink, you need something special. You need something sweet, and filled with creamy succulent caffeine! You need a world famous...."

"Saran, you know I’m lactose intolerant. I can’t drink frappuccino’s anymore, so..."

"Ah, but Larc, you see your dreams have been answered. While you sit down and tell me your tale, I will be making a drink I’ve invented just for you. Ok? So go on..."

"A special drink, just for me? Aww, Saran your so sweet."

"Yeah, real sweet, so stop stalling and get on with the story will ya?" Saran mockingly grumbled back.

"Alright, already, where do I begin. Well, today was show and tell, all the little Amazons got to bring in their favorite pets today. So the general menagerie of cats, dogs and panthers show up..."

Saran’s head comes up from whatever she was doing, "Panthers?"

"Oh, Queen Cyan came too, she wanted to see all the children and meet their pets. Well, Marissa, decided to bring her newest additions to the palace for show and tell."

Marissa was well known for the animals that she brought home. However, Princess Vicky couldn’t stop her, in fact, she brought a good deal of the strays home as well. Due to the large population of animals at the palace, some of the Amazons have started to call Vicky’s and Marissa’s place, the zoo.

"Princess Marissa has a new pet I take it?"

"Yes, well no, well...I’m not sure. She found some baby squirrels without a mother and brought them home. She says they can talk, but I think that’s just her imagination talking and not the squirrels."

Saran stops mid drink and looks up at Larc, "They talk?"

Larc continued while laughing at Saran’s question. "No Saran, squirrels don’t talk. I realize your bird does, but not all animals do." Larc realizing what she just said continued, "sorry Saran, it’s been a long day. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. It’s just, they’re squirrels, you know how I feel about them. It took forever to get that one out of my hut last year and now... here’s little Marissa bringing them to the academy...and they got loose."

"Ahh, I see, so where are they now?"

"Don’t know, we couldn’t find them. I finally had to give up and send the children home. I looked all over that academy and all I could find were dust mites. The older students stopped doing their lessons to help search and the younger ones, well they just kept following me. I don’t know what to do Saran, they can’t stay at the academy and I can’t catch them."

"Tell me Larc, what did these squirrels look like?"

"Saran, they look like rats with bushy tails, just like all squirrels. You’ve must have seen a squirrel before... haven’t you?"

"No, that’s not what I meant. What color markings did they have. Where they all black or white and did they have some sort of strange mark on their side."

Larc, thinking out loud, "well one was all black, except for this white streak down it’s chest. And the other, well I’m not sure but I think it was calico, but with black stripes....That’s weird, squirrels don’t usually look like that, now you mention it.... Saran, how’d you know."

"Hehe, well, umm...can you hold on a minute." Stops and hands Larc her drink. "It’s called an Iced Frosty, hope you like it. I’ll be right back."

Saran disappeared back into the stock room leaving Larc to her thoughts. She began to wonder what Saran was up to. After using all the coffee stirrers, she had been keeping a low profile. In fact now that Larc thought about it, Saran hadn’t been building anything. That in and of itself was strange, the Amazon usually had at least three projects going at all times. Maybe Corde had banned her from the supplies for awhile. Just then another loud crash came from the stock room and a very angry voice was heard.

"LET ME GO, YOU WORTHLESS EXCUSE FOR A BI-POD! I’M YOUR SUPERIOR IN ALL THINGS AND NOT A DOLL!!!" That was when Saran came out of the back room carrying a cage with a squirrel in it. It was the squirrel who was continuing with the insults aimed at Saran, while the Amazon carried it over to Larc.

"Larc, meet Rocky."

"MY NAME IS NOT ROCKY!!! WHY DO YOU KEEP CALLING ME ROCKY? IT’S G’SHANDO, THE SUPREME LEADER OF SQUIR’LAN!"

"Yeah, that’s nice Rocky."

G’Shando focused on Larc to continue. "BEAUTIFUL BI-POD, DO ALL YOUR KIND TREAT US LIKE THIS? FOR WE ARE A PROUD AND DIGNIFIED RACE OF SQUIR’LS."

Saran began to laugh, "hey, Rocky, she’s the wrong one to plead your case with."

"Saran...what is going on? That squirrel is talking."

"I AM NOT A SQUIRREL, I’M A SQUIR’L. CAN’T YOU BI-PODS TELL THE DIFFERENCE? HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO LIVE YOUR MISERABLE EXISTENCE WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF US!"

Saran picked up and then slammed down the cage, shaking up G’Shando. She then focused not only on him but also Larc. "Look Rocky, this is our island, and you’re the intruder. Larc, I’m not sure what happened but I’m working on it. It started two nights ago on patrol...."

At this point Eponie came running into the hut. "Saran, the Enforcer wants to know where your report on last night’s patrol is! She’s storming around and I can’t defend you on this. It’s the second time in two nights without a report. What’s going on?"

Saran looking quite worn out sits down on the floor shaking her head. Larc looks over to Eponie to see what she can do. "Ep, Saran is well..."

"Larc, it’s ok, I haven’t had time to write a report. I haven’t sat down in over 36 hours."

"WELL, AND I SUPPOSE YOUR GOING TO BLAME ME FOR THAT!"

"A matter of fact, Rocky. I am" Saran jumps up and faces the Squir’l with her dagger in hand, looking as if she may kill it. The fact that Saran’s temper had started to flair surprised Eponie and Larc. They had never seen even a hint of a temper in Saran before this.

"If it wasn’t for you and this mess, I could have not only gotten the reports done, but also have gotten some sleep! If it wasn’t for you and that wormhole, I wouldn’t be combing the island for you or your two comrades in arms. If that’s what they really are!!! Contrary to what you believe, Rocky. I know that the other two are spies and that you are here to get information on us!! And do you want to know how I know this, ask your Moose!"

"H’RANDO AND K’RONDA ARE NOT SPIES! AND OUR TRANSPORT WOULD NOT GIVE ANY INFORMATION TO THE LIKES OF YOU!"

"Ya wanna bet? Hey, give that moose of yours some oats and he’ll tell you anything. How you came here to gather information about this Island. How you need a more reliable form of transporting through dimensions. How you plan on stealing our technology so you can effectively take over the galaxy. How you don’t think anything of hurting anyone that gets in your way. How you treat him like dung. What a loyal transport vehicle he is. In fact he’s the only one from your planet that I like! AND BY THE WAY YOUR TRANSPORT HAS A NAME!." Saran again picks up the cage getting ready to hurl it across the Java Hut.

Eponie wanting to calm down Saran before anything else goes wrong starts to talk. "Saran you need to calm down. Look, we’ll figure this out ok...ok?" Eponie goes and takes the cage out of Saran’s hands and puts it on the table behind her. Seeing a look in Saran’s face they’ve never seen before she keeps her voice friendly and calming. "So Saran, what’s the moose’s name? Bullwinkle?"

Saran starts giggling uncontrollably while nodding her head. The exhaustion of being up for so long has started to take it’s toll and she’s unable to control her emotions, Saran nods to confirm Eponie’s guess.

"Saran, I was joking. The moose’s name can’t be Bullwinkle. Can it?"

"OF COURSE IT’S BULLWINKLE, WHY WOULD SHE MAKE UP SUCH A RIDICULOUS NAME LIKE THAT! FOR SOME REASON SHE RESPECTS SUCH AN UNWORTHY CREATURE TO CALL HIM BY HIS PROPER NAME, YET SHE CONTINUES TO MOCK ME BY CALLING ME ROCKY!"

Ignoring the Squir’l Saran calms down enough to answer. "Yep, Eponie, the moose is named Bullwinkle. However, Rocky here, I named him. And I think we better go to the academy and collect Boris and Natasha. I’d tell you where they’re from but you wouldn’t believe me."

Larc still trying to decipher what was happening piped in. "At this point, I’d believe anything. So before we go any farther, maybe you should tell us what you do know."

"Larc is right Saran. You’ve been holding out, and that’s not good. I know you must have a reason but I think you better sit down and tell us everything."

"But Boris and Natasha are in the academy! We can’t just...."

"And there they will stay, so tell us." Eponie’s voice had changed into that of the princess and not of her usual counselor’s voice. Saran looks to Larc for some support and realizes that Larc is also looking for answers from her. Knowing she won’t be able to avoid this Saran starts to pace back and forth.

End of Part one