Aster POV

It all happened in a matter of seconds. I was there and gone before I had time to contemplate my fate. The white light traveled quickly, engulfing me into it, illuminating the darkness, and bringing with it a seething head pain that rattled my skull. I felt as though my head had its own pulse, bringing on a new wave of pain with each beat. However, as fast as the blinding brightness had come, it had receded just as quickly, taking most of my pain with it.

I heard a suppressed gasp, and instinctively my eyes flew open, and I felt myself take in a large breath. In the sky, a large comet burned blue with mad intensity. It remained in the exact same location, never moving. It offered the only light source to penetrate the utter blackness of the night on this…where was I? Certainly, I was no longer on Earth.

"When Jaden was trying to stabilize the doorway to this dimension, he accidentally enlarged it. We've been taken through the doorway as well," Zane sighed, "We're trapped."

"But we can't be," my voice sounded higher pitched and it broke at the end, betraying my fear. Great, cause that's just what I needed: Zane to think I'm afraid.

"But we are," he snapped. A frown crept across his face. Sure, he was never an easygoing, friendly person, and he never displayed much emotion, at least not in front of me, but I sensed something. Frustration? Anger? Fear?

I spoke to myself, "I don't understand. We were at least thirty yards away."

"You don't understand?" his voice dripping with sarcasm. What could be called his smile never touched his eyes, which remained cold and compassionless. At one time they might have been teal pools of warm, Caribbean water, but those eyes had long since frozen and solidified into Arctic ice. Ice that could stare down even the most brave, arrogant, and confident of people. This effect held true for even me, "What don't you understand? We were there and now were here. The hows and whys are irrelevant."

I frowned in concentration. My God, he was difficult. I wonder if he was always like that: difficult. I looked up at the sky and noticed that the light of the comet, could not penetrate the overwhelming blackness of the...what was that? Mountains? "We're in some kind of mountain range," I breathed out. Then, I continued studding my surroundings; we were on a cliff. I gulped, and the sheer weight of my situation hit me like a speeding race car. I looked off the edge and saw what could only be described as a fissure. How far down it went, I couldn't tell. However, at the very bottom, A fiery red source offered a faint amount of light. In my mind the substance could be only one thing: lava. "Zane, we should really start trying to get down from here. There's lava down there and in our dimension, if there is lava, then there is some type of volcano," I spun to face him, only to find that he was walking down the pass. "Zane? Where are you going?"

"What's wrong, Aster?" He called out over his shoulder as he continued walking, "You, yourself said we should try to find a way down from these damn mountains."

Unbelievable. It was bad enough I was stuck in some alternate dimension , but I had to deal with 'Mr. Personality' as well.

"Are you coming or do you plan to stand up there all night waiting for your prince charming to come and save you?" With that said, he laughed and continued moving.

"Whatever." I breathed and began my decent down. This was going to be a long night. And then, I heard the first crack of lightening. Rain started to fall. I quickly sped up to Zane, walking in stride with his large paces. Despite my dislike for him, a feeling that he mutually reciprocated, I found even his company was better that being alone and wallowing in my thoughts. And so, we walked on in irrevocable silence. Only a few minutes, that how long it took my clothing to become completely drenched; nevertheless, I continued down the pass, barely able to see a thing in front of me and hopeful that my next step wouldn't be my last.

Zane POV

For a good twenty minutes, we had walked in silence. I was surprised, considering how much the boy liked to talk. The darkness around, had a way of darkening his spirit. Aster Phoenix, the world's most upbeat, optimistic guy, couldn't even suppress the feeling of hopelessness that lingered inside both of us. I hate to admit it, but I wanted to see him happy. I wanted to look over to Aster and see his deep blue eyes exploding with emotion. I wanted to see his smile that I've come to adore so much. Again, I hate to admit it, but I wanted to see his steel gray hair fall gently at his shoulders, lovingly caressing them. Each strand had a way of entertaining the light, reflecting it, and thus highlighting his face. I missed that Aster; I wanted that Aster right now. But, all I saw was a hollow shell of his former self, now soaking wet and miserable.

I may be a prisoner of this dimension, but I refused to be a prisoner of the despair it brought with it. And so, I spoke, "Aster," I waited until I had his attention before I continued, "I know we haven't been the best of friends, but that doesn't mean we cannot try to tolerate each other." The boy just stared up at me... blinking. Wow, I must not be good at this social thing. Mustering up the courage, I continued to further my point, "I mean...that is to say...this place is horribly depressing as it is. Let's not make it worse with angry words or actions."

After a pause he sighed, "You're right." I could see a smile touch his lips as he started walking. I nodded, and continued on after him. He really did have a beautiful smile. "So Zane," Aster began, but he fell silent before he finished his thought. I looked to him, trying to determine what had him on edge. His face was intrigued.

"What is-," I muttered, but stopped mid-sentence as my gaze fell ahead of us. The fiery lava illuminated a hectic scene below. From this distance I could see the shadows of duel monsters and even humans. I heard the sharp bangs of metal on metal.

"Let's get closer." Aster whispered and started moving to descend down the slope. "Maybe they could help us get back to our own world, where we belong. Or, they may offer us some food or a place to stay for the night."

"Yeah, that, most likely, will not be the case. We don't know if these things are friends or foes. Aster, there was an alternative pass a little while back. Let's take it and see where it leads. It is best to avoid confrontation." I tried to be persuasive, but I was not good at this 'social thing.' My attempt had fallen flat.

"I'll be quiet." Aster responded and kept walking. Hah! Aster be quiet? That would be a sight to see. I then followed after him, deciding that it was my duty to make sure he didn't hurt himself.

It took us a grand total of five minutes to reach the edge of the cliff that looked down on the action. It was steep and I struggled to keep my bearings down the side. Aster was much smaller than me, and therefor, he could easily slide down. As we reached the side, I saw monster and human alike in shackles. They were being forced into cold, hard labor. A select few of duel monsters seemed to be in charge. Winged beasts held whips and struck on the imprisoned at random. Young or old, they didn't seem to care. It was sick. The glow of the lava illuminated the faces of the prisoners. They looked tired, miserable, and hungry. I stared down in astonishment. What kind of a cruel person would do such a thing?

I turned to Aster to see his once beautiful face contorted with abhorrence and anger. I knew him fairly well, and could have guessed it would upset him. Though, his pride would never allow him to admit that to me.

These poor creatures were being forced to work in an open pit mine. I could see carts of coal being transported up the the cliff directly opposite of the side we were on. Axes and picks swung and connected with the ground creating a strong symphony of sounds. This must be the sound of misery and despair. This must be the sound of Hell itself.

The pit had different layers to it. It was like a crude stair case, with every step about six feet above the next. Each layer was segregated. Children were with other children, Water Omoticses were with one and other, and so on.

Directly below us was the section for young girls. They looked to be about twelve years old. I stared at one of the winged monster approaching the section barely attempting to hide his smile. The beast had black feathers except for his wings which were flaming orange. He had black hair that was spiked and pushed to the side. He seem different from the rest. That one must have been the leader. He laughed and snatched a girl by the hair, throwing her to the ground. She was a small child with emerald eyes and what once was bright red hair; she was very dirty and even her hair barely resembled its original color. She started to beg for mercy, knowing what was going to come next. "Please, Please, Please! Not, the whip! Anything but the whip." the child implored. And just then, the winged creature began to smile, and even laugh. It was as though the thought of a little girl's pain and suffering pleased him. People like that were in mental hospitals back in our own dimension. In the background, I could hear a few squawks of approval and even one appraising the bird apparently named Thorn for his cruel and unusual punishment.

He then reached for his belt and pulled out a slightly faded, silver rope. "How dare you defy the Supreme King! The punishment for betrayal is five lashes." He squawked, as he hit it against the floor creating a sharp crack.

At the sound of it, the red haired girl began to sob louder. "Please. Please. Please! I didn't do nothing. . . Please. Please. Please!" This bird creature, monster or not, redefined sadism.

I knew Aster Phoenix fairly well. He showed great animosity for people with no care for the value of a human life. People like the these creatures and people like the D needed to be put to justice in his mind. He always loved to be the hero, and I should have seen it coming.

Aster lunged out of the bushes and went at the creatures neck. I should have seen what he was about to do. I should have stopped him, but even if I would have known minutes in advance, I seriously doubted my ability to prevent Aster from seeking justice.

He knocked himself and the bird man off the layer of the mine and onto the one below. Instinctively he began to punch. "YOU SICK BASTARD! How dare you hit an innocent, little girl." He screamed, and with each word he delivered a powerful blow. His anger was out of control. It took four other winged beasts to finally pull a raved Aster off of their friend.

I stood in shock at the serious lack of judgment the young boy had. For someone with a Ph.D. in two subjects he was pretty stupid at times. The realization of the situation became apparent only after the gang of bird bruisers had Aster under their control.

"What should we do with em' boss?" A blue feathered bird brain squalled.

"Must I always come up with everything?" Thorn questioned nonchalantly. When his henchman didn't respond he rounded on Aster. "Why not give the girl's punishment to Mr. …?" Aster didn't respond. He was incredibly stubborn at times. His hair covered his eyes and cast a shadow over his face. "Well?" Thorn asked, grinning with malice. "Who is this great hero?" His voice was heavy with sarcasm. The minions began to laugh. Thorn raised his hand to stop them. By now, miners began to look in aw of the situation Aster had so carelessly thrown himself into. After Aster still refused to talk, Thorn lost his patience. He glared at the boy, and through gridded teeth spoke, "You were brave enough to foolishly help that girl. but when I, Harpie's Brother ask you a simple question you quiver in fear and remain silent?"

Aster looked up through his silver hair. His eyes shining with passion. He spoke strongly, holding his ground. "You don't scare me." Thorn and his goons didn't expect such an answer and so stood gaping. Aster gained more courage and spoke louder than before, and again his voice seemed to carry throughout the mine, ringing through the silent night. "YOU DON'T SCARE ME!"

After a few seconds of shock, Thorn regained his composure. The birds looked to him for strength. and he had to express menacing power in order to keep his control over the group. He spoke with a normal speaking tone, but everyone around seemed to hear him. "Then you clearly don't know who your up against." He nodded to one of the blue feathered bird brains under his control. "Five strikes for the girls punishment and ten for defying me." With that said, the bird took him away.

I couldn't see Aster in the darkness but I certainly could hear him. The crack of the bird man's whip rang throughout the night. One strike... Two strikes... Three Strikes... Four strikes... Five strikes... I wanted to run to him and help him, to save the hero. Six strikes... Seven strikes... Eight strikes... Nine strikes... Ten strikes... At first, he didn't make a sound; his pride was holding back the cries of pain and agony. But, even the ego of Aster Phoenix couldn't withstand the blow of a ten foot whip. He began to scream and cry in distress. Eleven strikes... Twelve strikes... Thirteen strikes... Fourteen strikes... Fifteen Strikes... After one last expressed cry of pain the night fell silent.

Thorn smiled, looking around at the dumbfounded workers. The prisoners were now more afraid of their cruel captor after viewing what had just happened, "Well?" He commanded, "Why are you all not working?" Instantly the crowd awkwardly scrambled to get there axes and picks. They began to work within seconds.

I slowly receded back into the bushes, where I couldn't be spotted. It seemed as though a heavy brick slammed down on my heart and refused to leave. I couldn't allow this feeling to control me. I would have a heart attack. The deep feeling of hatred pushed its way through my body awakening every nerve. My anger would eat me alive. I sighed and looked down. The emotions I felt were like two hundred pound weights. I couldn't save Aster with them weighing me down.

So, this was our first fan fiction. Please Review and/or subscribe. Hoping to get chapter two up soon. Thanks so much for reading.

Team Dino

ps. Always Stay Purple