Wow… Chapter Ten, I never thought I'd actually make so many chapters! Hm, we must be nearly finished by now? Oh, wait… I still have the Covenant to fully introduce and then there's finding the Shadow Dragon's main base… Anyway, in this chapter we get to find out if Lunick's survived his first night trapped with Solana, and we finally get to see the Foundry that Ector and Lancelot mentioned back in the Summerland cave, you know, the place where the Shadow Dragons make their Sword Stylers? Oh, and the other Rangers get to meet Seer, but if you really want to see some excitement, stick around for The Foundry: Part Two, also known as Chapter Eleven!
By the way, I'll be adding Chapters Eleven and Twelve tommorrow, but after that updating will stop until after my exams, and will resume once I get my internet back, either in a few weeks when I buy a dongle or in three months when I get my proper internet back... Sorry about that
Read, enjoy, and review! Hey, I've got a motto for my stories!
Disclaimer: I still don't own Pokemon!
Chapter Ten
The Foundry: Part One
The next morning, Solana had awoken to find herself sleeping next to Lunick… Actually she was sleeping with Lunick's arms wrapped around her, her head resting on his chest. For several seconds she was motionless, red-faced, as she tried to figure out what the heck was going on, when she remembered what had happened the day before. She was stuck as Lunick's roommate because he'd blasted his way into her room during an argument and then they'd… Oh Legends we kissed! Solana frowned, gently untangling herself from Lunick so that he didn't wake him, she got out of the bed and crept into the bathroom so that she could shower and change.
Meanwhile, Lunick had awoken to find Solana gone and two very angry Pokemon glaring at him, "What? What did I do?"
"Mai! Maii!" Minun snapped, both he and Plusle charged thunderbolts, Lunick cried out in alarm and tried to get away but got himself tangled in his bed's blanket, he fell to the floor with a loud thud and received a double-shock anyway.
"Owww…" He untangled himself, slightly dazed, hair poofed up from excess electricity, "What the heck was that for!" He demanded, glaring at the two Pokemon
"Plah plah, plah" Plusle said, jumping down next to him
"What? Crush you? But-"
"Mai maii" Minun interrupted, clambering off the bed, "Maii maii mai"
"Hey! Wait! She's not my- hold it! Hugging? We crushed you by- stop! It's too early in the morning, where's Solana?"
Plusle pointed at the bathroom door, "Plah. Plah plah!"
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry for hurting you two, but it really wasn't intentional, really! There was no need to shock me!" he then shook his head, "I hope she doesn't take too long, we've got an early briefing today, something about the Shadow Dragons in Fall City?"
Half an hour later, Solana came out of the bathroom dressed in her uniform, "Good morning Lunick, sleep well?" She asked cheerfully
"Humph, I slept well… at least until these two decided to electrocute me" Lunick said irritably "We've got a briefing with Spenser and Joel early this morning, at 8: 30, so I'm going to take a quick shower, then we can grab some breakfast before the meeting"
Solana nodded, "Sounds like a plan, the bathroom's all yours"
Lunick nodded, walking towards it, "I should hope so, it is my bathroom after all"
"More like ours, since we're roommates now, hm?" Solana replied
"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Lunick muttered, walking in.
Another half hour later the two were both fully dressed in their uniforms and heading into the canteen for breakfast. However, as soon as they walked in the entire room fell silent, people turned to stare at them. They both started to blush brightly, "Lunick? Why are they staring at us?" Solana muttered
"I have no idea" He replied, "Just don't make eye-contact, or else all hell will break loose"
The two hurried to the counter where they bought coffee and toast, they sat with each other at a free table and started eating in an uncomfortable silence… "They're still staring at us," Solana said uncomfortably
"I think I know what's going on; we've moved in together…" Lunick said, staring intensely into his coffee cup
"Oh Mew" Solana groaned, "After he briefing, can we please just kill Spenser? Just a little?"
"How do you kill a person 'just a little'?" Lunick asked in amusement
"I don't know!" Solana snapped
Murph walked into the canteen, seemingly oblivious of the loaded silence in the room he ordered breakfast and walked over to Solana and Lunick's table, calling to them cheerfully, "Hey you guys!" he sat down next to them, "I hear that you two have become roommates? Congrats, I guess. Oh, yeah, hey, if one of you plans on killing the other, can you tell me first?"
Solana looked mystified, "Why?"
Murph grinned, "Because there's a bet going around the Base, loads of people have put money on who'll kill the other and when! The popular money is on Solana killing Lunick within the next few days" Murph said, "And if you guys tell me when it's all going to happen I might get rich!"
Solana and Lunick stared at Murph, then at each other, before bursting out laughing.
The tension within the canteen vanished and people went back to their conversations, Solana and Lunick hid sighs of relief, "No one is going to kill anyone, besides, this is just a temporary thing until I get my door replaced" Solana said, she then raised her voice so that everyone could hear, "And if I hear any suggestion otherwise, or that Lunick and I are more than just friends I'll see to it personally that those gossips never gossip again, if you catch my meaning, Murph?"
Murph nodded, "Uuh, yeah, I get you"
Solana nodded, smiling, "Okay then, shall we go to that briefing, Lunick?"
Lunick smiled as well, nodding, "Yes, after you Solana"
They both stood up and hurried from the room, behind them people started to whisper and Solana smirked, "Looks like Plusle and Minun will be busy when we get back"
Lunick chuckled, "Yes, but then we do need these guys to fight the Shadow Dragons, so we'd better not shock them too much"
They both laughed, walking towards the lift, once they were inside and away from prying eyes Lunick took hold of her had, "So, after yesterday… What do you say Solana? Should we get together, or would the irony be too much?"
Solana blushed, raising an eyebrow, "Lunick, are you asking me out?"
Lunick chucked, "I thought we skipped that stage"
Solana smirked and kissed his cheek, "I suppose we have… But no one besides Spenser will know; I couldn't bear the others if they found out, especially Aria!"
Lunick smirked, "Yeah, I know what you mean… Agreed, we date in secret"
The door of the lift opened and Lunick instantly let go of Solana's hand, together they walked towards the conference room, once inside Joel and Spenser greeted them, when the pair had sat down Spenser began, "We have received reports of large shipments of electronics arriving in Fall City, and that from there they travel into the Krokka Tunnel, however after they reach the Tunnel these electronics vanish, we have reason to believe that they are vital components in the Shadow Dragon's Sword-Stylers"
Solana nodded, "Do you want us to disrupt these shipments then?"
Joel shook his head, "No, that would bring us no closer to shutting down their Styler production, instead I want you and Lunick, backed up by Aria, to investigate these shipments, locate the Shadow Dragon factory and destroy it. Our sources inform us that a Knight of the Shadow Dragon we have yet to encounter, known as Gawain, is in charge of the facility that the Shadow Dragons call the Foundry. Therefore you are to exercise extreme caution"
Spenser nodded, "Be careful, both of you, we all know what they are capable of… I do not want to have to report either of you as casualties in this… this… this war!"
Indeed, you Rangers fight a war now; a war for survival. The four Rangers in the room turned to stare at the Espeon that padded silently through the door
"What in the world?" Spenser said, "Who… What... Who are you?"
You may call me Seer. I am an ally, for we both have a common foe. I speak, of course, of the Shadow Dragons. The Espeon stared at Lunick, its eyes were enigmatic, unreadable and yet they held a kindness, a sense that this Pokemon, this being, could be trusted. We meet again. Hail and well-met Lunick of Ringtown.
"H-Hello" Lunick stammered, "You-You're the Espeon from the cavern?"
I am. As I said, my name is Seer, I saved you in the caverns because you are a Ranger and you helped me… I confess that I allowed myself to be captured by Ector; I knew that Rangers had entered the caves beneath the jungle and I wanted to see you for myself, to test you in my own way… You are a most worthy Ranger, It turned to pierce Solana with it's eyes, I sense that you are as well. But enough introductions! It turned to stare at Spenser and Joel; You are finally on the right track! I had begun to worry that you would no discover the Foundry in time! You are correct; an entrance to the Foundry lies in the Krokka Tunnel. The Foundry is a massive complex of caverns and tunnels; it houses the great forges from which the Shadow Dragons cast their arms… But you are already too late, their stockpiles are already sufficient to outfit the Shadow Dragon's army, destroying the Foundry now will only slow his plans not prevent them… But destroy it you must, and soon, for the knight there, Gawain, has begun to create a new Styler, derived from the wreckage of Gordor's Power Styler it shall be unstoppable, but know that the Shadow Dragon do not wish to enslave the Legendaries as the Go Rock Squad id, their aims are far subtler and far darker… They will not replace the Rangers… They will destroy you utterly! You must go with haste Rangers! You must strike now! Victory this day shall give you a fighting chance against the Shadow Dragons, but if you fail then you are doomed to destruction!
The Espeon turned to leave, the Rangers were simply staring at it in shock, it turned it's head to stare at Lunick, I almost forgot! Beware the Black Sun young Ranger, it shall cast Shadow across Fiore, you must bring a Light into the Darkness lest it rule Fiore and this world for all time… You shall know when the time comes…
With that, the Espeon vanished, leaving Lunick to ponder its strange words, Black Sun? A Light into the Darkness? What is that supposed to mean?
Spenser broke out of his reverie, "Well… That was strange"
Joel nodded, "Yeah, That… That Espeon talked"
"Seer… it's name is Seer" Lunick said, "And I think we should pay attention to what it said; the Shadow Dragons are building a new Styler using the remains of Gordor's Power Styler!"
Spenser frowned, "We can't let them succeed… I guess all this does is make your mission more urgent… Lunick, Solana, go get Aria. You leave for the Krokka Tunnel immediately, once there you are to find and destroy the Foundry, however your main aim is now to destroy this new Styler they are producing!"
Lunick and Solana both nodded, saluting, "We won't fail! We'll blow up this Foundry!" Solana said, "Right Lunick?"
"Lunick nodded, "Yeah, of course… I guess we're leaving, come on"
They both left the room to find Aria, Joel turned to Spenser "What do you make of all this? Can we trust that Espeon, Seer?"
Spenser shrugged, "We have no choice Joel, we can't ignore its warning… But I feel like we can trust it, for some reason, I don't think it would harm us"
Meanwhile, Lunick and Solana had found Aria, surrounded by many of her myriad male fans amongst the Rangers of both Ringtown and Fall City, once they had torn her away from their adoration they had informed her of their urgent mission, together all three had left Ringtown and headed to the Krokka Tunnel…
The trio had made it to the Tunnel's entrance without incident, with the exception of some half-hearted teasing by Aria about Solana and Lunick moving in together, now all three were serious and business-like as they made their way into the Tunnel as quietly and stealthily as possible. Near the Dugtrio Statue at the Ringtown Entrance the three crouched low behind some rocks, spying upon a Shadow Dragon Grunt who was leaning on the statue, "I hate guard duty" The Grunt complained to himself, "It's so boring, I wish some Ranger'd show up, just to relieve the boredom! Yeah… It'd be like the good old days in the Go Rock Squad… We were strangers to danger, and we messed with the Rangers! Oh man have I missed saying that…"
Aria rolled her eyes making a twirling motion next to her temple, Solana hid a smile, they suddenly crouched down further as a second Grunt walked up to the first, "Hey! Everything quiet out here?"
"Yeah, nothing ever goes on! Man I can't wait to get out of here, is the delivery done yet?" The guard-Grunt asked
"Yeah, we just loaded the last of the ores and the circuits, I've come to collect you, we're needed back at the Foundry" The second Grunt replied, "Sir Gawain has some announcement or other to make"
"Verily he is a great pounce and he doth talk most stupidly," The guard-Grunt said, putting on a terrible English accent.
The other Grunt laughed, "Yeah! But you better not get caught saying that, or we'll be in big trouble… I heard that they… Execute anyone who makes fun of the Knights!"
"Hah! That's just rumours, and the bosses encourage it to scare us! Anyway, let's go back, it's cold out here" the guard replied, together the two Shadow Grunts walked up the tunnel and out of sight
"Quick! Don't lose them!" Lunick whispered loudly, the trio ran after the Grunts as quietly as possible, shadowing them until the Grunts reached a bare section of wall the second Grunt tapped on it, "Uh, how does it go? Verily we art Shadow Dragon, thy brothers-in-arms against the Rangers, allow us entry so that we may do the work of the Dark Dragon, he who shall be Master of All" There was a loud click and the wall slid open, revealing a metal passage, the two Grunts entered and the wall slid shut behind them.
The three Rangers approached the wall, "That's a really stupid, long winded pass-code" Solana said, "Their leaders are really full of themselves, aren't they?"
"Oh I don't know" Lunick replied, "Sir Lancelot doesn't seem to be such a bad guy… Anyway, let's get on with it… Aria, care to do he honours?"
Aria smiled, "Fine… Uh…Uh… Verily we art Shadow Dragon, thy bothers-"
"And sisters" Solana said, smirking, "I guess the Shadow Dragons are sexist as well as evil"
Aria glared at her, "Do you mind? Now I have to start over! Um… Verily we art Shadow Dragon, thy brothers-in-arms against the Rangers, allow us entry so that we may do the work of the Dark Dragon, he who shall be Master of All"
Once again there was a sharp click and the door slid open, the three Rangers trooped inside and followed the passage until they reached a room filled with crates, curious Solana prised one open, "Hey, it's filled with rocks"
Aria walked over, "They must be unprocessed ores… They must smelt them here to make those swords"
Lunick nodded, "And here are some of the circuits they use to make those swords into Stylers" another crate was open in front of him, this time filled with complex-looking computer circuitry.
Solana nodded, "Well at least we know we're in the right place, let's keep going"
The three nodded and left the room, carrying on down the corridor, they heard the sounds of hammers upon metal; the sound grew louder as they advanced down the corridor until it had become a near-deafening roar and they reached a massive room. Its roof was lost in darkness high overhead, long stalagmites emerged like upside-down towers of stone from the darkness, but what really dominated the chamber were dozens of gigantic metal cylinders, rounded at the bottom, heat radiated from them in great waves making the three Rangers sweat, row upon row of anvils lined the spaces between the cylinders, people swarmed around these, the scene was chaotic; people hammering at metal upon the forges, shaping, sharpening, moulding, people ran about with buckets of water or with carts filled with ore, here and there people grabbed bundles of words and headed down a second tunnel, bound for parts unknown.
Lunick whistled, "I think we've found the Foundry. Those cylinders must be smelters for purifying the ore, they'll be filled with tonnes of molten metal…"
Aria nodded, "Yes! They're perfect! If we could knock over some of those smelters molten metal will flood this entire chamber and the tunnels, it'll incinerate anything in its path!"
Solana frowned, "Yes, but where are they taking those swords?"
Lunick shrugged, "They must have a lab nearby where they put the circuitry into the swords so that they become Stylers… Aria, can you scout down that tunnel and find it? Locate any weak points, places we can do damage… Solana and I shall take a closer look at the smelters; see how we can attack them. We'll meet back here in an hour"
Aria nodded, "Good plan… Good luck Lovebirds!" with a giggle she was gone before either of them could reply
With a sigh Lunick motioned to Solana to follow him and together they made their way onto the Foundry floor.
A/N
So, plans are underway to seriously ruin the Shadow Dragons' day! But will their plans go off without a hitch, or will there be trouble? Next chapter we find out Seer's gender, plus we meet an old acquaintance that might just make things a whole lot harder…