Welcome to chapter 10! In this chapter we have our second boss battle. The first was the koopa in the first chapters, though it was shorter. This will be a bigger battle, and children are at risk! Yay! :D lol R&R, thanks to all who have read and reviewed. Your comments are most appreciated, and ideas will be taken into consideration. Oh and I found a mistake in the last chapter lol, stalagmites are the spires on the floor of a cave, stalactites are the top points. Found that on my own ^^ thank goodness, I just can't stand mistakes like that. Well…enjoy!
The whole tunnel seemed to vibrate with the tremor that ripped through the ground. It had happened without warning, sending the two girls and a Yoshi crashing to the floor.
When it passed April got up with a groan, wiping dust from her shirt, "What is with all these earthquakes? They're getting pretty old."
Cora stood, wincing. Her arm had hit hard against the cave wall when she fell. She couldn't see the skin but she knew a bruise was forming. What was the cause of these quakes? Were the children connected to them in some way?
"I heard it again," Lyon said quietly.
"The metal noise?" April asked.
"Yes and no. I heard something else too."
Cora looked at him curiously, "You must have very good hearing, I didn't hear a thing."
Lyon nodded, "Yes, but our children can hear far better. You couldn't hear that? It sounded sort of like a snarling noise."
April stopped, "Wait a second, you mean like a monster?"
"We will just have to see," Lyon took the lead down the tunnel, Cora close behind, April taking up the end.
They traveled down the tunnel for almost an hour when Cora was assaulted again. Emotions rolled thick and heavy through her, so powerful that she was brought to her knees, tears rolling down her face.
"Cora!" Lyon kneeled down next to her, "Cora?"
April dropped down next to her friend, "Cora!"
The girl stayed still for a long while, her wings shuddering, then she looked up at her friends, "I-I can't push them away. They're crushing me."
"Hold on Core, it'll be ok," April whispered.
Lyon stood up suddenly, "Stay here Cora, we will take care of this. You are in no condition to go further."
Cora stood up, tears slipping down her face; eyes pained but obstinate, "I won't let you two go at this alone. We are a team remember?"
"We are, but the closer we get to whatever is causing this, the worst it will be for you. I don't want you to be hurt, April doesn't want you this way either," Lyon spoke gently but firmly. April nodded in agreement.
The girl looked at her two friends. Lyon was staring at her, his eyes full of concern. April looked back at her fearfully, never having to see her friend like this until now. Cora felt uncertain of what she should do. Would it be best to stay behind while her friends walked into some unknown danger? If she did go though, would she only be a liability, not of any help at all? These emotions were powerful, if she were face to face with the owner of them, would they consume her?
"It's not fair." Cora wiped the tears from her eyes, "That you two have to go up against this, and I stay behind."
April grabbed both of Cora's hands in hers, "Core, do it for me? Please? I don't want you to get wiped out by this thing. If you can't handle these feelings then you should stay here, for your own good. If anything happened to you, I would be alone." April gave Lyon a grin, "Well, I'd still have Lyon I guess."
Lyon grinned back and even Cora smiled a little. April finally kicked in and brought some humor into a bad situation, just in the knick of time, and Cora had decided at that time what to do. She would stay behind while her friends continued forward, for the best of the group.
"I…I'll stay." Cora sat on the ground and hugged her knees to her chest, "But I hate feeling useless."
April rolled her eyes, "Oh come on! Your not useless." She ruffled Cora's hair lightly with a hand, "You're bird girl, remember?"
Cora couldn't keep back a shaky laugh, "That has yet to help us in any way."
"Hellooo, remember the cliff? Me falling off of it?"
"Oh," Cora sighed, "I guess I helped there a little."
"A little?" April laughed, "Well….I guess it would have been better if you had a magical reset button, but you still helped."
"April!" Cora laughed.
"Yay! The happy is back!" April smiled wittily, Lyon smiling as well.
Cora nodded, "I'll be fine…you guys go on ahead. Just be careful, whatever this thing is, I have a feeling that it's pretty big."
April stood, "Well…I guess we better get this thing over with. The sooner this is finished the better. Err, you don't perhaps have a clear idea of what size it is do you?"
Cora shook her head, "No, but the emotions feel…big. It's hard to explain."
"Let's expect a big surprise at the end of this tunnel then, are you ready April?" Lyon looked at the red head who nodded.
"Yeah, lets go."
They kept walking, tensions high. April dreaded whatever was up ahead and Lyon was bristling for a fight. Lyon remembered little Eve and his eyes narrowed. Whatever this thing was, it was going down.
There was light up ahead and they paused, April biting her lip anxiously. The time had come. This was the place, they were both sure of it, where they would meet the creature that was responsible for the children's disappearances. They could only pray that the little ones were unharmed.
Lyon was the first one to cross the threshold, into the cave beyond. What they found waiting for them there was shocking sight.
The room was cavernous, long jagged stalactites gleaming blue green, with a wan yellow-ish aura at the tips hung from the ceiling. The room was so huge, that the ceiling up above was lost in darkness. Lyon gazed up at the strange glowing spires, but April had her eyes on something else.
"L-Lyon." April whispered, staring at the other very large occupant of the room.
Lyon looked to where April was staring in terror and his eyes widened, because at the far end of the room, cloaked only slightly in shadows, was a dragon.
The creature that had been watching them this whole time stepped forward, the stalactites above shuddering dangerously.
"You have come," The voice was feminine, but also smooth and alien. Large eyes glittered at them from the darkness.
"Where are the children?" Lyon demanded.
The creature tilted her great head to the side, "The little workers? They have been of little use to me."
April's eyes flashed with anger, "Workers? They are children! Who do you think you are!"
She stared down at the human for a long while then smiled, her teeth reflecting the blue light in the cave, "I am Marisol, the pale one. And this is my domain. Now you will give me what I need. These gems are not of the blue I want."
They both finally noticed the piles of gems that littered the floor, April amazed at the sight of so many in one place, "Why blue?" April asked the monster, "Why not purple or red?"
"NO!" The creature opened her jaws and hissed, "I NEED BLUE. THE BLUE THAT WAS LOST TO ME! TAKEN IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT BY THAT WRETCHED GIRL!"
April cried out as the dragon's voice pierced the air around her. Lyon had fallen to the floor at the start of Marisol's screaming, his great sense of hearing was now but a weakness in this situation.
The dragon turned her neck side to side, her tail hitting the cave wall sending rocks clattering to the ground, "That which was mine is now gone. The blue from the silver rope, she plucked it from around my neck, and it was hers in an instant."
April uncovered her ears and faced the dragon, "The orbetrum?"
Marisol snarled and gripped the cave floor with her claws, "She used that name as well, so you have come to steal again? What more can you take?"
"N-no! We don't want to steal from you!" April stepped back as Marisol took a step forward. She could see immediately why the dragon was referred to as the pale one. The creature's body was snow white, so bright that even the blue and green lights in the cave could not displace her true color. Her long arms ended in four fingered claws, the sharp tips a deep dark grey. On her forehead between her unusual sparkling eyes, was a sort of crest. It was round and a midnight blue, and looked like some sort of gem that was inserted in her forehead. The only thing separating her from the normal picture of a dragon was the absence of wings; only thin spikes like curved cat claws decorated the spine of her back.
"You will suffer greatly thieves," The dragon hissed her eyes slitting, "I will make certain of it."
Without another warning the monster charged, her claws scraping against rock sharply creating an unpleasant grinding noise. April quickly moved aside with Lyon as Marisol slammed into the wall, sending tons of rock slamming down, sealing off the tunnel they had entered through.
"Oh great!" April groaned as they took cover, "Now we're trapped!" A nightmare in a nightmare…not only was she caved in…there was also a monster in the mix.
"She's coming back!" Lyon yelled as the dragon turned and began rushing towards them. The two ran, but there was not really any place to go. April glanced from side to side, desperately searching for something, and then she found a particularly large pile of gems, almost mountainous in size.
"Lyon! Let's climb!" April was already crawling up it at a break neck speed sending small stones flying behind her as she went, Lyon not far behind.
Marisol lashed out at them, a claw nearly grazing Lyon's back, sending a river of blue gems through the air and crashing onto the ground.
They reached the top, both leaning against the cavern wall, and looked down at the fuming dragon. April looked at Lyon, gasping, "O-ok…now what?"
"Work your magic."
April nodded and stepped in front of the Yoshi. She took a deep shaky breath and glared down at the monster that was climbing up to meet them. April felt the power within herself and with a cry; she lifted up her arms and unleashed it. A strong wind burst from her, sending shining gems flying towards Marisol. The stones hit the dragon hard, several scraping loudly against her scales. The creature screeched and stepped back, claw stomping angrily against rock. The tremor caused by the sudden movement, sent a stalactite tumbling down from the ceiling. The spire was aglow before it broke away, now it was dull and brown like the cave walls around them. Marisol did not notice the stalactite until it hit her hard in the back.
The dragon screamed in rage and reared up, which was a mistake, causing her body to scrape hard against more of the glowing stalactites, also causing a few smaller ones to break off and crash down onto her head.
While Marisol was thrashing her head back and forth in confusion, frustration, and pain, April turned to Lyon, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking? I believe we have found a way to win this battle."
Lyon nodded in agreement and picked up one of the gems at his feet. He didn't have some sort of power but he could still put up a fight. The Yoshi pulled back an arm and with a burst of energy, sent the rock flying towards Marisol's face. It connected with the monster's nose. The reaction was swift, the dragon's eyes found them again and she began climbing, those sparkling orbs full of a harsh resolve. He had been aiming for the crest between her eyes but had missed, Lyon quickly moved to grab up another stone.
April summoned up a wind again and sent more of the gems scattering about in a gust, then sent a small twister downward. Marisol was prepared this time and clawed out, sending gems flying in different directions.
"Ugh!" April tried again, bringing up a large funnel; a multitude of sparkling stones contained within it, and then sent it flying towards the monster's face. Luckily this twister was speedier than the last and the dragon was hit with several sharp gems, only able to knock back a few this time.
With a roar the beast pushed itself forward her eyes filled with fury. As she began climbing closer and closer though, her weight was causing many gems to slip free, slowing the great creature down. Marisol slid back down several feet, and then began climbing again. The monster was close enough to be able to get a better look at her quarry, and her eyes landed on Lyon, "It is a pity your blue color is not of a darker shade, maybe then you wouldn't have to die." She cackled in a creepy high snarl that sent chills down their backs.
April stared down at the dragon with wide eyes, and she looked at Lyon whose eyes flashed in anger at the monster approaching, "We have to do something, we can't hide up here forever."
"I'll try tossing down some more stones," Lyon began chucking gems down onto Marisol's head, one striking her in the eye. The monster halted and threw her head back, in a snarl. She glared evilly up at the girl and Yoshi, and continued climbing upward, getting closer to her prey every moment. April brushed back a loose strand of her red hair and began creating another gale. Lyon armed himself with more gems. No matter what it took, this monster was going down, even if they were taken with it.
Cora had been sitting by herself in the darkness for a long time. There had been only one flashlight, and of course, Lyon and April needed it. She wasn't afraid though. At first she had felt a prickle of fear and after awhile of sitting there it had disappeared.
I hope you guys are okay, she thought to herself. If only she could have went with them. Maybe she could…the emotions had disappeared…
Cora stood up and began walking when something burned up inside her, she felt so angry she wanted to scream. The emotion had been sudden but furious. The emotions that were her own were full of fear and she soon found herself overwhelmed by both her own terror at the situation and someone's climbing rage.
Without realizing she had done it, Cora reached into her skirt pocket to grab the gem she used when she spoke with Fila. She felt the smooth round surface and suddenly the emotions were gone, except for her own fear and sudden wonder.
Cora pulled out the stone and was surprised to see it aglow. The white gem now sparkled with a golden light, so bright that it lit up the darkness around her. The light was calming and Cora felt her body relax in the brightness.
"Fila, the light. It made me feel clear again. I don't feel angry any more." She whispered.
"Accept more of my power, you will no longer be plagued by the emotions of your enemies. You will only feel their presence."
Cora was relieved to hear this. Now she could assist April and Lyon. They could be in trouble right this very second!
"Thank you Fila, now I must go help my friends."
"Be careful, and may goodness and light find you wherever you may be."
"Umm wait! One more thing, I kind of am in a dark place…"
Fila's voice was full of amusement, "Oh of course, I will keep the gem lit for a few hours with my energy, will that be long enough?"
"Yes, thank you."
"Farewell Cora."
"Bye." Now it was time to join her friends and get back those kids, she could only hope they were holding on okay without her.
"This sucks!" April screamed as a stalactite fell nearby, almost hitting her. Things were getting dangerous. The spires above them were doing some hard damage to Marisol, but each one that fell also placed her and Lyon at risk.
The Yoshi wiped some perspiration off his forehead and launched two more gems at the dragon that was now only a few feet from them, her eyes shining in fury. The beast now had long cuts on her originally clean white body, and a deep gash was on her back near her shoulders, which caused her to flinch every few minutes in pain. The creature was damaged, suffering, but she still reached up for the girl and Yoshi, her eyes almost sparkling with an insane desire to destroy them.
"We have to end this, now!" April summoned with all her power another giant gust of wind, this one nearly taking the whole mountain from beneath them, knocking the two friends down, but sending hundreds of gems, like small missiles, towards Marisol.
The dragon screamed in anguish as the rocks pelted her in the face, and with a resounding crack, the emblem on her face shattered, small shards of blue shining in the darkness as she fell backwards off the knoll of gems. The whole place reacted with a huge tremor that sent gems flying in different directions.
Soon the quake ended and April quickly crawled over to the edge and peered down, Lyon not far behind. Marisol lie on the cave floor, her head tilted to one side, her eyes closed and mouth agape. They both listened to her ragged breaths for a few minutes then bravely and cautiously, started down the mound.
In her struggles, the dragon had whipped her long tail against the cave wall, creating a well sized hole that leaked in fresh light that seemed to cause what was left of the stalactites, to weaken in glow, like true sunshine outside was too much for them. April looked at the opening, almost tearful in relief.
"April! Come here." Lyon's voice snapped her out of her daze and she quickly went to him.
Lyon stood crouched over a small hole in the wall. April was going to ask him what he was doing, but he held up a hand to silence her, "Listen," He whispered.
April kept quiet and did as he told her. She heard what sounded like crying, "Lyon…is it the children?"
He nodded, "I think so." Lyon ducked down into the tunnel, only his shoulders fitting, "Children? It's okay, it's only me."
Lyon backed up, out of the tunnel, and stood beside April, staring down at the small tunnel's opening, "Come on out, it's alright, we're going to take you home now."
"L-lyon?" April gazed at the opening, her heart beating. Was it…the little Yoshis?
A small head appeared at the opening, almost lost in the shadows because of it's dark coloring, "Lyon…w-what happened? Why is it so dark?"
"Eve!" Lyon carefully helped the tiny Yoshi out of the hole and picked her up, he looked down at her relief, joy clear on his face.
"Are the others in there too?" April asked Eve.
Little Eve looked confused by April's presence then gave her a tiny nod, "There are lots of my friends in there, we just woke up."
Lyon gave Eve to April who held the Yoshi close, feeling afraid that she might drop her, and watched the Yoshi kneel down by the small tunnel, "It's okay little ones, come out. It's Lyon."
After some coaxing, they finally had all eleven of the missing children in front of them, every one of them looking confused and frightened.
"Where is my mama?" One cried.
"I wanna go home!" Another.
"Yeepers! It's dark!" A tiny red.
April gazed down at the little Yoshi's feeling pity for all of them. The poor guys had woken up in a strange dark scary place without their parents to tell them everything was all right. This might even scar them for life, and what if the monster had hurt them in some way? April looked from Yoshi to Yoshi but none of them appeared to be hurt, thank goodness.
Neither of the two heroes noticed the ominous shadow that was rising over them, only the black Yoshi who looked over April's shoulder and screamed. Only then did the two turn to see Marisol back on her feet, glowering at them from across the room, her eyes full of fire. The place where her gem had been was now only a pit in her head, giving her an appearance of having three eyes.
"ALL OF YOU WILL PERISH!" The dragon placed a claw forward, then charged, her tail knocking against a cave wall with a crash as stone fell free.
It was slow motion almost, the monster was so close, but so faraway. April's heart pounded in her ears…pounded through every core of her. There were children behind them, far too many to get to safety before the dragon was on them. Had all of this been in vain?
April felt tears slip down her face and angrily brushed them away. These Yoshis were going to be reunited with their families. This would not, could not…end here. There was too much at stake, to just give up. The girl stepped forward and held out her arms, she felt herself get dizzy for a moment, but caught herself. She had used so much of her power, but there was a little left. Maybe just enough to make a difference…
The girl quickly put Eve down. April narrowed her eyes and ran forward, towards the monster, Lyon's voice behind her yelling at her to stop, but sounding too far away to matter. With a scream of rage, April stopped and threw up her arms, her hair flaring up around her neck in the sudden up burst of wind.
Marisol pushed her neck out towards the girl; her jaws open revealing the shining razors within. The two combatants rushed to meet one another, knowing full well, even fueled only by emotions, that only the winner of this battle, would walk out of this place alive.
o.O Ok. That I believe was a small cliffy. Told ya the children would be at risk ^^ -shot-
Lol, reviews are loved like cake and goodies :D The next chapter will be the last part of the battle and then the journey will be resumed. I hope you all liked this chapter, I re-read it a few times, but I may have made a mistake still. Feel free to point any out. ^^ Thanks for reading! Cya Laters! ^^