Disclaimer: I do not own Storm Hawks or Slayers.

Chapter 4: Finding Help in Darkness

Of course, Aerrow should've known that something like this would happen. Just when he figured how the whole thing works, he starts falling down a hole. The sudden lack of ground had shocked him at first, but he remained calm yet irritable. It was only when he felt something grabbed him that he gave a sudden yelp.

"What the-?!" With little light, he noticed that the walls were decorated with actual live hands. He was aghast by the sight if only for a little bit. "Someone! Anyone! Help!"

"What do you think we're doing?" a new voice spoke up as the hands on the walls soon formed a face. "We're Helping Hands."

Aerrow was mildly surprise, but his response was at best cynical. "Well, you're hurting me."

The hands formed another face in a slightly different voice. "Do you want us to let go?" He shook his head without a second thought. That was the last thing he wanted.

It was a while before another face of hands formed. "Well, where would you like to go?"

"… Huh?"

"Up or down?" spoke up a new face of hands.

Aerrow blinked before thinking about it. "Well, I'm kinda pointing down… And it's probably easier than going back up." As he tried to think while the impatient faces irking on, he finally came up with an answer. "Yea, down."

A new hand face appeared that looked devilishly happy. "He chose down."

"He chose down?" And with that, the hands started to push the boy down farther into the hole with sinister glee.

"Was that wrong?!" He called amongst the hands.

Only one formed and replied, "Too late now." And within short time, he finally made in to the bottom with a thud. Groaning, he glanced up at where he came from only to see a cage door closed on top of it. He was now trapped, left with only the insidious laughter and the encompassing darkness.

"… He's in the Oubliette."

Cyclonis' court roared with amusement before she silenced them. "He should have given up by now, especially since he doesn't know where he's heading."

"He'll never give up," a goblin whispered before covering his mouth when the Queen glared at him. As much as she would hate to admit, the creature was right. The boy was too spirited to let a few tricks get to him. Although that gave all the more reason to be entertained.

"That may be true…" she replied before looking back at the magic projection. "But once that troll leads him back to the beginning, he'll have to give up. Especially when he realizes he has to start all over again." She chuckled to herself until realizing that her minions were remaining silent. "Well, laugh."

The court exploded in laughter, making the queen smirked with delight. She then waved her hand, making the projection disappeared.

Aerrow, at the moment, was trying to figure out a way out until he heard something shuffled in the shadows. He looked over and called out, "Alright! Who's there?!"

"Me," a seemingly familiar voice spoke up as some light appeared in the distance. It soon revealed to be the troll from the beginning. Snipe, was it? "Nice to see you too."

Aerrow was mildly disappointed before turning his attention to the lit area around him. He hoped to find a passage way until he heard, "If you're looking for a way out, forget it. You can't get out of an Oubi-…Oubluy-…"

"Oublette?" The boy answered, thinking he had heard the word somewhere before.

He received a glare from the troll who went back to whatever he was doing. "Yea, that. It's basically where you put people to forget them."

Seeing the creature nonchalantly move about, Aerrow looked down, thinking about it. "So… The Queen wishes to forget about me."

"Probably," Snipe replied, overhearing his muttering, "Of course, you don't have to stay here. I can get you out of this hole."

Aerrow lifted his head with full optimism. "Really?"

"Yea, I know a short cut out of this maze."

"Out?!" His slight outburst caught the troll's attention. "No! I've come too far. I'm not giving up now." He then crossed his arms in reassurance. "Besides, I'm doing okay."

"Yet you're stuck in a hole," Snipe muttered while rolling his eyes, "And it gets a lot worse from here. Believe me."

Aerrow pouted before sulking at where he sat. He may have been stuck. But he wasn't going to give up even if it was going harder. He then realized something and looked back. "Why are you concerned about me?"

Snipe, who had gone back to doing whatever he was doing before, just grunted. "I'm not concern. The only reason I'd be concern is if you gave me something."

Aerrow scoffed. Of course he would say something like that. Thinking that he, like most of the creatures in this place, had a heart would be foolish. He then had another thought, one that might help. "What if I did give you something? Will you help me?"

"… Depends," Snipe began while turning towards the boy, "What ya got?" Aerrow was actually shock by his interest before he rummaged through his pockets. Again, he should have brought his cellphone or something else valuable to barter with. That would probably get him to the Crystal City. Still, he needed to make do with what he had.

After scouring, the boy had come up with a couple of items: change, a paperclip, and a small worn-out ring. He held his hand up as the troll approached. The creature then examined the trinkets with careful consideration. Aerrow almost freaked when he saw him looking at the ring. But then, he watched as the troll picked up one of the coins.

"… Foreign?"

"Canadian," the boy answered promptly. Snipe mouthed in amazing while examining the coin carefully, even biting into it. After he was done, he put the coin back with satisfaction.

"Tell ya what," he spoke, "You give me the coins, and I'll take out of the maze."

Aerrow furrowed his brow as he moved his hand away before the troll could snatch them. "You were going to do that anyway!" Snipe scoffed before turning away, arms crossed and tail twitching. The boy just watched, wishing he had someone else bartering alongside him. If it were one of his sisters, they would've know how deal with the troll.

After some thinking, he soon came up with another proposal. "Okay, if not all the way, then part of it. I'll figure the rest on my own. Deal?"

The troll glanced back with one ear lowered. After a while, he fully turned and nodded. "Deal."

As Aerrow held out his hand with the coins in it, Snipe quickly took them and placed them in his small pouch. He then stood up and walked with the boy following right behind him. It wasn't too long before they came across a wall with a worn-out plank right in front of it. Strangely enough, Snipe picked up the door and placed it on the wall. He then opened it like it was a door, only to have sanitary supplies fall out of it.

"Uhhh… I meant to do that," the troll said as he closed the door. Unfortunately, Aerrow was unconvinced. Snipe thought for a moment before snapping his fingers. Grabbing the top of the board, he lowered it down like a drawbridge to reveal an entrance to the other side. "Alright, it's this way. Stay close and follow me."

Aerrow was still skeptic. But even so, he followed the troll through. The other side was nothing more than a narrow passage with walls lined with statues of what seemed to be humans. Considering how twisted he deemed the Queen, he guessed that they were once living. If that didn't make him feel nervous, he couldn't help but hear their voices in the quietness of the hall.

"Beware… Beware."

"This is not the way."

"Go back…While you still can."

"Uhhh… Did you catch that?" Aerrow called, being a bit anxious upon hearing them. Snipe looked back, seemingly unfazed. Of course, this may not have been all that unusual to him.

"Oh, that?" He just chuckled before walking again. "They're just false alarms. It means we're going the right way."

"No, you're not."

Snipe's face twisted into a shocked frown before scowling at the statue who said that. The two continued onward while listening to the soft warnings of the statue. Aerrow actually felt slightly calmer now. He still didn't trust the troll. But if they were going on the right track, then they were. Besides it had its enjoyment, especially when Snipe started to argue with one of the statues.

"Please!"

"No."

"I haven't even said it in such a long time."

"No. We're in a hurry."

"It won't take long."

"No."

"I don't have that many lines in this story anyway!"

"… Fine," Snipe conceded while rolling his eyes. That seemed to have made the statue happy.

"Oh, thank you!" The statue cleared its throat before yelling, "Beware! For the path you take may lead to certain destruction!"

Aerrow and Snipe stood there, stunned by the statue's performance. With several seconds of silence, the boy finally said, "That was… something, Mr. Statue."

The statue was most pleased. "Oh thank you! And it's-" Aerrow didn't exactly catch the last part. His attention was captured by a raven carrying a crystal in its talons.

Author's Note:

Hey! Guess which story's getting updated! This one!

Still writing out the chapters, but pretty much have a headway to upload some more. With that said, I may have to update every three weeks instead of two. Just so I can have two weeks of writing and one for editing. This may change as well.

But getting back to the matter at hand, I want to thank KunnegAndris and darkkrt! I'm so glad to receive such positivity for a new fic, especially a crossover one with an obscure fandom. I do hope to continue on updating and hopefully get back to working on my other fic project too.

And with all that said, Please Read and Review!