The Rival

The Rowdyruffs dodged Fear's eye-beam, swarming around the large man. Fear swatted at the heroes but they proved to be much too quick, darting away from his attack then zooming back in to continue the assault. Fed up, Fear fired his eye-beam in a widespread, knocking all three boys out of the sky like flies.

"Damn....that stings!" Boomer whined, jumping to his feet.

Brick growled, eyes glowing red. "Let's see how he likes it!" He fired his own eye-beam that connected with Fear's. He grunted as Fear's blast overpowered his own, pushing him back and driving him to his knees.

That was until he was joined by his brothers. Now Fear was the one being pushed back, driven to his knees even! ~How can children have so much power?~ Giving up on the power struggle, Fear crossed his arms over his chest as the combined energy blasts from the boys sent him crashing through another building.

"We got him!" Butch proclaimed, raising his fist into the air.

The leader Ruff knew better. "I don't think so! Did you see all the damage he did? No way we could take him out that easily!" On command the formed a circle, facing different directions. Fear would have to come at them sooner or later and they'd be ready for him.

But the attack didn't come where they expected. Instead from below as the street exploded upwards, tossing the three into the air like ragdolls. The Ruffs landed hard, reeling from the attack as Fear emerged from the hole in the road, leaping into the sky.

"Now...children!" Fear's left eye took on an ominous emerald glow. Show me your deepest fear!" Instead of the trademark energy, out from eye emitted a stream of green rings roughly the size of a car. Like cigarette smoke rings blown out ones mouth did the energy rings waver, catching the Rowdyruffs in their midst.

Brick managed to mutter a curse before everything went white.

******
It had taken Him longer than he originally thought to break the seal on the door. Those damn meddling humans with their stupid magic charms. Stuck within Lenny's human body meant not being able to function at full strength.

"Finally!" Lenny snapped as he felt the barrier give way. He withdrew his smoldering hand, wincing. He hadn't had to use so much energy for that long a period of time before. "That door was a bitch to open."

*Nevertheless, we've succeeded!* Him exclaimed as the granite wall began to quake. *Take cover!*

Lenny darted to the side, pressing himself as close to the cave wall as possible. He watched with wide eyes as cracks appeared on the giant door as a massive blue fist smashed through. Lenny balked. That fist had to be the size of an army tank, but that wasn't was surprised him. It was the sheer amount of power that he could feel behind the door. Dare he say stronger than I'man...maybe even Fear!

Finally, the granite wall collapsed altogether, being no match for the creatures that it once imprisoned. From out the rubble lumbered behemoth with ocean-blue scales. So tall was the monster that it had to stay crouched completely lest it cause a cave in. Its two white horns resembled a rams, scraping against the ceiling and bringing down some of the earth. The only thing it wore was a blood-red armor that covered its chest. Its lower half was a cross between a lion and a lizard with its hind quarters resembling that of the ferocious feline and reptilian tail so long that most of it was hidden within the prison it had emerged from.

"TAI'MAATH FREEEEEE!!!!" the giant boomed, its voice causing the cave walls to shake.

"Quiet you lummox!" snapped a much smaller creature that squeezed out from behind Tai'maath. The creature resembled Tai'maath in appearances with the exception that it only stood at seven feet (not counting the tail) with red scales and green armor. "You wanna bring the entire cave down on us!?"

Tai'maath looked (or at least attempted to turn its head) at its smaller companion with a sheepish expression. "SORRRRRY X'CALI'AN!!!!"

::CRACK::

"I said shut up!!!" X'cali'an shouted.

"SORRR-"

::CRACK::

"Stop it!!"

"OKAAAAY!!!!"

::CRAAAAAAACK::

"Grah!!!" X'cali'an rubbed the bridge of his dog-like snout. He could feel the beginnings of a migraine.

*X'cali'an. Still getting into trouble I see!*

"Him?" X'cali'an's ears twitched as he tried to pinpoint where the voice had come from. "It's been centuries!! Where are you old coot!!" When Lenny emerged from the darkness X'cali'an blanched. "No...really...where are you?"

*Here...trapped in this mortal body...for the time being.*

Then X'cali'an fell on his back in laughter. "H-H-Him!!! Gahahahaha...your a..heehee...a...human!?!" He tilted his head and laughed even harder.

"HEEHEEHEEHEEEEE!!!!"

::CRAAAACK::

"Tai'maath!!!" both Lenny and X'cali'an shouted at the same time.

"Honestly....do you even know why he's laughing?" Lenny asked the giggling giant.

"HEEHEEHEEE....EHHHH....NO...." At this the other two fell over.

"Why am I not surprised?" X'cali'an muttered, scratching his long white mane of unruly hair. "A human! How did this happen to you?"

*It is a very long and bothersome story.*

X'cali'an grinned. "Eh...in that case...how about we get out of here first?"

"Um...." Lenny replied, glancing at the way he'd come in that was now completely buried in rocks. "Just how ARE we gonna get out?"

"TAI'MAATH HAAAVE PLAAAAN!!!!"

::CRAAAAAAAACK::

"SHUT UP!!!" hissed all three at the lumbering giant.

******
"What are yer doing on mah propertah!!!" Fuzzy snarled, pressing the barrel of his boomstick against Eric's chest.

"Ah, yes...to the matters at hand!" Eric exclaimed with a bright and cheerful smile. It was as if having a gun aimed at him didn't unnerve him in the least. "Perhaps you'd prefer to lower your weapon so I may explain."

"Perhaps Ah'd like to blow ya ta kingdom come!!"

"Eheheh...in that case your welcome to keep your gun raised. You see we're here to require the aid of the Guardian."

"G-Guardi..what?"

John smacked his forehead. This just couldn't be the legendary Guardian, fabled to help in the defeat of He Who's Name Dare Not Be Spoken.

"If you'd be so kind as to reach into my coat. You'll find a golden box-shaped object that-"

"GOLD!!" In a blur Fuzzy had reached into Eric's coat, finding said object and studying it. "Hot diggity dawg! It sure is pertty!"

"That's strange," Eric muttered, scratching his beard. "It's not reacting to him." The moment the words escaped his lips the tiny gold box resting in Fuzzy's palm open, revealing a sphere of light that took the shape of an arrow. An arrow that was pointing behind Fuzzy and at the girl standing in the doorway of a cabin.

"Oh...we got visitors! Why didn't ya tell me Pa?"

A/N: No Powerpuffs in this one. Sorry...but they should make an appearance in the next chapter.