Loona's blue eyes shot open as a loud noise entered her ears. In a frenzied panic, she grabbed her blade and quickly rose to her knees, holding it in front of her as she faced the source of the noise.

"Who's there?!" She huffed, her body shaking from being jolted from her slumber so suddenly. With alert eyes, she scanned the area, searching for her attacker, the source of the noise. There right in front of her, she saw....

... Nothing. 
Or at least, no living creature anyway. 

'Oh, just the The Maze reshaping itself. Nothing to worry about' She thought as she watched the rocks move. This was a normal occurrence in the maze, something she'd grown used to. Although, it had fucked her over more than once. 
...Including the night a few days ago.

'Get it together, Lulu.' She scolded herself mentally. 'You're jumping at shadows. How do you expect to take down those bastards if you're leaping at every little noise?!'

It's not that she didn't have any good reason to be paranoid though. That raichu had been crafty the last time. They had only caught on and ran because his friends hadn't been. The last thing she needed is to get jumped by him, have her weapon stolen, and turned into his pet. Or whatever he did with his victims...

... Like Shia.

Her eyes narrowed with determination. 

'Don't worry, Shia, I'll save you... right after I spill that bastard's guts all over the sand.' 

She rose to her feet, giving herself a light dusting before taking one last look around. 

"Well, no point in standing around here waiting for any of them to show up. Gotta keep moving."

So she picked a direction and started walking. She didn't know exactly where she was going, but she didn't particularly need to . The Maze always took its dwellers where they needed to be...

... Well, usually. She doubted that 'a dead end where a bastard Guildie and his buddies could rape you' counted as 'a place they needed to be.'

Some time later, she saw a small cabin come into view. It was a simple thing, wooden walls, a slanted wooden roof, and a simple wooden door with a simple lock on the outside. No windows, so she couldn't see inside.

'Probably just some random dweller's hideaway.' She thought to herself. She was about to move on past it when she heard the door open.

"Oh, it's you."

A sickening chill ran up her spine upon hearing that all too familiar voice. She turned towards the building, and for the first time since this all started, she was face to face with him.

That raichu bastard with the sword. The one who had started all of this. 

"I'm surprised to see you out and about." He said with displeasure and disinterest. "How did you find me, anyway?"

"The Maze takes us where we need to be. Although I was hoping to find you last." She replied, her voice dripping with hateful venom.

"You're here for Shia, I presume?" He asked irritably, his hand idly going to his blade. Luna's own hand tightly gripped her own.

"Yes and no. I'll save Shia alright,  but first..." She held her blade out in front of her. "We have unfinished business."

Rai looked at the weapon she was holding. His own paw fingers drummed the hilt of his still-holstered blade boredly. His face bore no hint of concern.

"I see. So you've somehow managed to get yourself some IRON. Or... at least, something like it." He remarked with a hint of curiosity. "I have to admit, I've never seen one like that before. From where did you steal it, I wonder?"

"I don't suppose you'll believe that some creatures from the sky gave it to me, would you?" Loona responded coyly.

The raichu just gave a slow chuckle.

"Of course not. That'd be stupid." He responded dismissively.

"Hmph. Well, it doesn't matter." Loona replied angrily. "I'm still going to cut you to pieces. And when I'm done with you, I'll find your two rapist friends, and chop them up as well!"

A small smirk formed on the raichu's lips. 

"'Friends?' I have no use for friends." He asked with mild amusement. Then his eyes went wider for just a split second with realization, before returning to their previous bored state. "Ah, you mean them." 
He gave an annoyed sigh before continuing.
"You do realize my clients don't live in the maze, right?" He deadpanned. "Why do you think they pay me poke to help them find savages like you to fuck?" 

He finally drew his sword, causing Loona to shift her stance slightly.

"I get it, you got your paws on a piece of IRON, and now you think you're hot shit. Gonna come in, chop up the big bad Rai, rescue your friend, and live happily ever after." He said boredly. "Well, guess what? You're not. This isn't some cheesy children's novel. It doesn't matter where you've got that blade from, what matters is whether or not you know how to use it. And, well, let's face it, a savage like you certainly doesn't."

"I know enough to use it to kill you." Loona growled angrily.

"I doubt that." The large rat responded without a hint of fear or concern in his voice. "After all, the last guy who came against me with IRON didn't know how to use it either. And, well, you can see the result of that."

Rai began to take a few steps towards and off to the side of her, letting go of his blade in his left paw while keeping it held in his right. He circled around her slowly as he spoke.

"But I'm feeling generous today, so I'll give you this one chance, girly." He boasted, adding a special taunting venom to that last word, "come back in a month, and drop this silly notion of beating me, and I'll hand over Shia to you once I'm done with him. Oh, and drop the blade. We can't have savages like you running around with IRON now, can we? Otherwise, well..."

He stopped, and turned to face her once again, Loona doing the same. He held his blade in front of him once more with both paws.

"... I can't guarantee I won't chop an arm or leg off. And I do so hate it when my prey bleeds all over me."

"We'll see about that!" Loona shouted.

She leapt at him, swinging her blade over her head, bringing it down as she approached the raichu, only for him to raise his own and block it with ease.

"Starting out with an overhead swing? Yup, I definitely didn't see that coming." The raichu groaned sarcastically. "Amateur."

"I'll show YOU an Amateur!" The enraged Linoone yelled as she pulled back her blade, this time opting for a side slash, which the raichu likewise blocked. She pulled her blade back, this time going for a thrust.
This time, the raichu didn't block. He merely stepped off to the side, avoiding the dangerous blade entirely. A small, bemused smirk was on his lips as Loona tried again and again to get a hit in, only for Rai to block or dodge out of the way.

She tried to do something different. She tried to go after his feet with a low swing. Only to hit nothing but air as he leapt out of the way.

"This is just getting sad." He taunted. "Surely you can do better than this?"

And then, for the first time since they fought, he brought his own blade to bear against her, forcing her to block it in defense.

"Oh what am I saying?" He added with a sneer. "Of course you can't."

The two of them continue to fight, trading blows with neither of them getting a hit in, neither of them aware of a small figure watching from the doorway.

"Oh no, this is bad..." It uttered to itself in a small, scared male voice.

Suddenly, a slish, followed by a pained scream echoed off the rock walls, reverberating throughout at least part of the maze. A small trail of blood splattered on the sands, followed by a steady drip of blood droplets.

Loona held her left arm with her right hand, still keeping the blade gripped tightly in the latter as excruciating pain. She looked at it, examining the wound. It wasn't too deep, but it hurt like hell.
Her gaze shifted as the raichu held his blade in front of her face.

"Like I said, you have no idea how to use that thing. Submit. Now." He snarled. 

Loona gave a grunt of pain as she let go of her injured arm.

"Still trying to fight? How brave... And stupid." The raichu mocked. "And just so you know, I was lying earlier. I had no intention of letting you walk out of here, nor any intention of giving up Shia to you. In fact, I have something very special planned for you. So do yourself a favor, and just give up already. Who knows? You might even enjoy it."

"Like hell I will!" Loona screamed, swinging her blade at the raichu's own, knocking it away as she resumed her stance, ready to fight once more. "I'd rather die than let anyone abuse me again!"

"Well, unfortunately I'm not going to give you a choice in the matter." He responded darkly and arrogantly.

"Everyone! Please! Stop!"

A loud, scared yell pierced the air.

Loona's eyes turned towards the source of it: Shia, standing in the doorway, watching.

"Shia, please just shut up!" She yelled angrily back. Partially out of pain, and partially out of annoyance. "I can't believe you're trying to defend this asshole!"

"I'm not! I just don't want anyone getting hurt over me! I'm not worth it!" Shia cried.

"Shia..." Loona rescinded, this time with a slightly lighter tone. She realized that shouldn't have done that, shouldn't have snapped at him. Still, she'd apologize later. Right now-

A bright yellow glow appearing out of the corner of her eye distracted her train of thought, her gaze returned to her opponent.

A moment too late. 

For a brief second, her vision was filled with the sight of an electrically charged raichu, charging right at her with an electrically charged headbutt attack. She didn't have any time to dodge, block, nor counter attack. 

"AHHH!" Loona yelled as she felt him slamming into her soft, unprotected stomach at full force. She was forced off the ground, and flung straight into the rocks behind her.

It was the last thing she saw as everything went dark.