A Bug's Tale

Chapter 12: The Past Life

~Flashback, 600 hundred years ago (BTW, Hercules has eternal life, which I'll explain another time.)

"I'm telling you, I can destroy all of them without your help!" A Drapion protested at Hercules. Next to him, a female Heracross giggled. "Oh Fang, you sure do believe YOU'RE the best, don't you?"

Fang crossed his gigantic stingers. "I AM the best. Both of you should know that!" Hercules rolled his eyes. "You say that, yet you never could stand on your feet 'till you were three." This made Fang blush embarrassingly.

"S-shut up! That doesn't have to do with anything!" He replied, frustrated as the two Heracross kept laughing. Then, Hera spoke up. "I think I'M the one who could kill the Ravagers on my own." She said, proudly.

Hercules looked at Hera with a look of surprise. "Don't tell me he's getting to you! You don't want to be like him, do you?" Hera giggled. "I'm kidding. I only said that to see your reaction." Hercules raised one eye.

Fang looked at the scene, a smirk on his face. He knew what Hera thought. Hera glared at him. "Don't you dare..." She angrily said, which made Fang nervously back off. "Don't what?" Hercules asked. Hera laughed nervously. "O-oh, nothing!" She stammered.

Hercules kept staring, then shrugged it off. Just as the hunt was about to begin. The Great Ravager hunt.

It happened once every month, and it was time for them to cleanse the land of as many Ravagers as possible. The Ravagers have roamed the world for 103 years now. It was the Blood's job to kill some of them off.

The king of the Bloods, before Hercules, was mighty King Scales. The Kommo-O was a brutal foe to his enemies, yet like a father to his allies. He had chosen Hercules as his successor, due to his high leadership.

"All troops! There are sightings of huge amounts of those fiends around the outer part of the forest!" King Scales shouted. "Be extremely cautious, for most of them are mindless Steel types!"

The door to the gate opened. Hercules, Hera, Fang, and many other troops were ready on their Mudsdale. "Let the hunt begin!" The troops rushed out of the city, entering the danger zone of the outer world.

"Keep your eyes everywhere!" One of them yelled. "They could be lurking underground, too!" This struck a bit of fear in everyone, but Hercules didn't mind. He just wanted to do the mission.

"Hercules, what should we do?" Fang yelled from his horse. Hercules thought for a moment. "We should split apart!" He gestured to the trees. "One group goes that way, the other that way, and we'll go over there!"

"Alright!" Fang responded, then turned to the others. "Split apart! Each group goes separate ways!" The troops nodded and followed the plan. Hercules, Hera, and Fang went into the forest.

"Sure is awfully quiet in here..." Hera said, slowing down her Mudsdale. Hercules narrowed his eyes. He didn't like it. "Don't let your guard down. They're around here somewhere."

They were unaware of the presences above them, hissing and growling quietly. Then. one of them leaped across the trees. This made Hera nervous. "What's that?" She asked nervously. Hercules narrowed his eyes.

Suddenly, several Ravager Pawniard leaped out of the treetops. One launched itself at Hercules, only to be sliced right in two by his Megahorn. The others were torn apart by Fang with ease.

Hera, meanwhile, just stood there, heavily breathing with fear. Hercules looked at her worriedly. "Are you alright?" She nodded, still staring at the Pawniard. "It's just...what if one of them gets to one of you?"

Fang laughed. "Come on, Hera! That'll NEVER happen! We're the lead slayers, after all!" Hercules nodded, smiling, which reassured her. "Fine...If you say so." Hera got back on her horse and followed her comrades.