AMBher: No reviews this time.

ALena: During the making of this chapter AMBher murdered a bottle. Literally. She slit its throat!

AMBher: It was a bottle. It deserved it.

ALena: You just couldn't open it.

AMBher: … Shut up …

Chapter 003: Caverns

Briar looks Mysterion over before she turns in a circle while looking up. Letting out an excited breathe, Briar whispers, "This place is so beautiful. People's terrified screams will just bounce around here in a lovely array of horror."

Pretending to have not heard Briar's whispered comment, Mysterion looks over the console and sees a blue button that she decides to start turning on and off.

Noticing that Mysterion ignored her comment, Briar looks at her to see that she is pressing a button on the complicated console thing. Glaring at Mysterion, Briar states, "If this thing blows up I will kill you."

Still ignoring Briar Mysterion moves away from her and continues around the console, while Briar walks over to the railing and looks down at the floor. Mysterion notices a red button and decides to start pushing it as Bob Blob starts to quietly walk up behind Mysterion in curiosity of what she was doing.

Just as Briar was leaning over the railing Mysterion spots a lever from the corner of her eye, so she looks at it before she decides to pull it, which causes the box thing they were in to start to shake and move.

Briar lets out a yelp of surprise as she grips onto the rail tightly until there is a thud and the box thing goes still and silent. Turning towards Mysterion, Briar growls, "Be glad it didn't blow up, dummy."

Mysterion looks at Briar and states, "That, it did not."

Mysterion then turns around to see Bob Blob, which she instantly starts a staring contest with, as Briar walks to the door and opens it before she suddenly slams it closed again. Turning to Mysterion she yells, "You had to pull the lever!"

Ending her staring contest with Bob Blob, Mysterion turns to Briar and asks, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Point at the door Briar says, "You have a look."

Mysterion walks up to the door and looks out it, before asking, "That's not where we were before, is it?"

Glaring at Mysterion, Briar snaps, "NO!"

Mysterion holds up one finger and says, "One sec I can fix this."

Before Mysterion could pass her, Briar grabs a hold of her arm and firmly says, "No. We shall explore first."

Glaring at Briar as she holds her hands up in threat, Mysterion says, "Why? Why do we have to explore?"

Smiling brightly at her, Briar says cheerfully, "Is it not your job as a treasure hunter to explore?"

Mysterion looks at Briar with her mouth open slightly before saying, "Yes, I suppose it is."

Grabbing Mysterion's arm Briar proceeds to drag her out of the box thing and into the new place they had arrived at. Looking around Briar notices that they appear to be outside of a village that is on the outskirts of a jungle.

Suddenly Briar pauses and looks at Mysterion before she says, "You never told me why you don't like jungles."

Giving Briar a look, Mysterion says, "And I am not planning to."

Releasing a bright smile, Briar hugs Mysterion while she says, "You are going to stay with me forever!"

Pushing Briar off of her Mysterion starts to walk away from her towards the village.

Briar watches her walk away before she remembers how she found out that Mysterion was not fond of jungles.

~ Flashback ~

Mysterion and Daniel are standing together as they try and have a private conversation away from Briar. Mysterion says, "It has been nearly a week."

Daniel nods while saying, "And we haven't had a chance to explore the temple yet."

Looking him in the eye Mysterion asks, "So why are we still here?"

Without them noticing, Briar quietly moves so that she is standing behind them before she says, "Because I won't let you leave."

They both jump in fright as they quickly turn towards Briar as she stands still smiling at them.

Daniel's face goes blank as he says, "Oh. Hello."

Mysterion glares at Briar before she asks, "When did you get there?"

Smiling creepily Briar says, "I am always just a step away. Always."

Daniel just stares wide eyed at her while Mysterion whispers, "Of course you are."

Smiling brightly at them Briar cheerfully asks, "Want to go on an adventure?"

Looking at her suspiciously, Daniel asks, "To where?"

Shrugging Briar answers with, "Either the jungle or a desert cavern."

Mysterion's head shoots up to look at her as she instantly says, "Desert cavern."

Giving Mysterion a strange look, Briar asks, "Don't you like the jungle?"

Mysterion shakes her head once sharply as she says, "No. Jungle bad."

Briar continues to look at Mysterion strangely before she suddenly shakes her head and says, "Okay. Let me just tell Sophie I will be gone for a while. Then we can go."

As Briar turns away Mysterion whispers to Daniel, "Leave while she's gone?"

Daniel leans slightly towards her and whispers back, "Yep."

Before they can go through with their quietly laid plans, Briar reaches back and grabs a hold of their arms as she laughs while saying, "Nope."

Mysterion just gives Briar a bland, irritated look as she is dragged along with her brother.

Briar calmly leads them through the village to Rory's house, where she finally releases Mysterion and Daniel's arms as she calls out, "Sophie!"

Unsure of what they should be expecting both Mysterion and Daniel watch to door to Rory's house in apprehension. The both watch in shock as a little girl runs out of the house and throws her arms around Briar as she yells, "Auntie!"

Briar wraps her arms tightly around Sophie as she smiles a small and gentle smile, before she turns Sophie around so that she can see Mysterion and Daniel as she says to her, "This is my best friend Mysterion and the other thing is Daniel."

Daniel was staring at Sophie, specifically the birthmark of the devil above the corner of her right eye that had a cross scar over it, when he realized what Briar had just called him. Daniel turns to Briar and says, "Wait. What thing? I'm not a thing!"

Briar glares at Daniel as she looks him in the eye, before she says, "Shut up Thing Two."

Mysterion looks at Briar in confusion before asking, "Thing Two?"

Suddenly Rory walks out of his house as he asks, "Yes?"

Both Mysterion and Daniel give him a strange look as Briar instantly pouts at him, before saying, "Dude! You are Thing One. One. Not Two. One."

Rory gives Briar a soft look before asking, "Then who is Thing Two?"

Briar lifts one hand and points at Daniel as she gives Sophie a small high five.

Looking at her, Rory then asks Briar, "What happened to being nice?"

Instantly Briar tilts her head to one side in confusion and asks, "What is this thing called nice? Nice … it sounds wrong."

Shaking his head at her, Rory turns to Mysterion and Daniel as he gives up on the conversation with Briar, he then asks them, "What are you two up to?"

Mysterion gives Rory a look as she says, "Being dragged around. You?"

Shrugging Rory says, "Not much. Just some doctor stuff."

Briar looks at them and then down at Sophie to say, "I came by to say that we are going to explore the desert caverns."

Sophie looks up at her hopefully and asks sweetly, "Can I come?"

Patting Sophie's head gently, Briar smiles a small genuine smile as she says, "Sorry sweetie. When you are six I will take you on your first adventure."

Pouting, Sophie says, "But I will miss you."

Smiling at her gently, Briar whispers, "I will miss you too, but I will be back shortly. Before dark even."

Nodding sadly, Sophie says a quiet, "Okay."

Briar looks at Rory in a slight panic as Sophie looks at the ground with tears coming to her eyes. Rory blinks at the sight before he starts to laugh. He instantly stops laughing when he sees Briar giving him a death glare and quickly explains, "You use to do that exact same thing when you didn't get your way when you were her age."

Gasping in shock Briar turns to Sophie and says, "You used your fake tears on me? That is naughty. You never use your fake tears on me, only on others."

Blinking once Sophie looks up at Briar as the tears disappear, Sophie then says cheekily, "It nearly worked."

Poking her tongue out at Sophie, Briar says, "You are so annoying. Which is a very good thing, never let anyone tell you otherwise."

Shaking his head, Rory looks down at Briar and says calmly, "Shop teaching her how to be like you." Before he shouts, "We only need one you?"

Looking straight at Rory, Briar pokes her tongue out at him before turning to Mysterion and asks, "You like me, don't you?"

Mysterion looks up and around at Briar before saying, "Wait. What? I wasn't paying attention."

Briar's face drops before she smiles brightly and says, "Let's go on an adventure!"

As Daniel slaps his hand to his head, Mysterion blinks before saying, "Okay."

As soon as Mysterion said 'okay', Briar grabbed Mysterion and Daniel's arm before she started to drag them out of the village. As soon as they have left the village limits, Briar lets go of their arms and starts to skip towards where the caverns are.

Carefully Daniel leans towards Mysterion as he watches Briar skip away, before he whispers "Now?"

Mysterion instantly turns on her heel and starts walking back towards the village as she says, "Yep."

Before Mysterion can go far they both have to cover their ears as Briar lets out a loud whistle before she says calmly, "No leaving." Mysterion just sighs as Daniel just walks away. Briar watches as Daniel walks away before she raises a hand to wave while she calls out, "Bye Thing Two! You are unneeded." Briar then tilts her to the side before she mutters to herself, "Though Midnight is bringing your horse here. And you will miss out on finding treasure."

Looking between her brother and Briar Mysterion points towards Daniel as she says, "I think I will go with him."

Briar instantly looks at her with a slight frown while saying calmly, "You are coming with me."

Taking a page out of Briar's book, Mysterion answers with, "Nope." Then she turns on her heel and starts to walk away again.

Briar looks thoughtfully at her back before she suddenly jumps and runs in front of Mysterion to say, "How about this. You can leave, if you tell me why you don't like the jungle. Not only will can you leave, but I will never bother you again. But if you don't tell me, I will never leave you alone. Ever."

Mysterion lets out a sigh before she mutters, "That's not going to happen. Okay."

Briars face lights up with hope as she says, "Does that mean I can stay with you forever?"

Mysterion looks up at the sky thoughtfully, before looking back at Briar and asking, "Do I have a choice?"

Giving Mysterion a wounded look, Briar answers, "Of course you do! If you want me to leave just tell me why you don't like jungles."

Turning around again Mysterion heads in the direction that Briar was originally going while she states, "No."

Jumping and throwing her hands up Briar yells out excitably, "Yay!" Before she starts to happily skip after Mysterion just as Midnight gallops up with Ghost and Gallifrey's leads in his mouth and a slightly battered Daniel slung across his back.

Without missing a beat as she continues to walk forward, Mysterion asks Daniel calmly, "What happened to you?"

Daniel growls out angrily, "Her crazy horse attacked me on the edge of the village."

Mysterion turns and starts at Briar before asking, "Briar?"

Briar instantly glares at Daniel while saying, "Midnight is not crazy!" Before she turns to Mysterion and answers her calmly, "Midnight only wants everyone to go on an adventure together."

Shaking her head slightly Mysterion asks, "Well, next time could Midnight please not beat up Daniel?"

Instantly Briar wraps her arms around Midnights neck as she says, "But Daniel most likely resisted."

Daniel gives an instant denial by saying, "No. No I did not."

Giving Daniel an irritated look, Briar asks, "Really? Did you walk or run away from him? Did you try to attack him? Did you say anything along the lines of 'no'?"

Daniel just looks down as Mysterion shakes her head.

Briar instantly points a finger at Daniel as she exclaims, "See! He did resist! Even if it was in a minimal way."

Mysterion just looks around the desert ignoring the conversation as Daniel pouts slightly while he is still in the uncomfortable position that Midnight had put him in.

Before the siblings could say or do anything else, Briar suddenly points ahead of them and exclaims, "There are the caverns."

~ End Flashback ~

Briar looks down as she mutters to herself, "That was one interesting and horrible day."

TBC

AMBher: Well that is done. Please review.