Anyone hear of the new mystery dungeon game coming? I saw the animated shorts. Awesome! Totally convincing me! I mean the main character falls from the sky after a bright light. Then there's umbreon and espeon as main characters. And Magnagate sounds intriguing (whatever it is). PMD is my #2 favorite side-series pokemon game! Ranger being first of course. *wink*
Read, review, enjoy!

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Kate used one hand to grip Haku and the other to cling onto Keith. Boh and the bird were gripping Kate's shirt to fall with them. Down and down the dark tunnel. Seemed to go on forever. Where did it lead? What was up ahead? Or was this really the end for them all? Kate tried to squirm forward on the dragons body and clutched his horns, as if riding him.

Water…rapids…grabbing the horns of a magnificent creature as she rode through the strong currents…

A flashback entered Kate's head but only briefly. She felt as though she had seen this before, as if this wasn't the first time she rode a dragon. Haku's eyes went open, avoiding the fatal crash at the very end of the narrow tunnel. He flew around a bit before ducking into a very tight passageway. It was close, scraping off a few of the dragons scales. Kate hung on watching as light came ahead. The exit sped closer and closer. There was…a fan? Haku charged through and crashed into the room.

"WAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Kate fell on top of someone. Kamaji! Wow did he look dazed!

"Pika! What are you doing! Where'd you come from?" Kamaji, still in a state of shock, spun out dozens of questions.

Haku was squirming around the drawers, coughing up blood and rampaging. Keith's body laid next to him, not moving. Boh flew down gently, thanks to pidgey's help. Kate got off of Kamaji and went over to them, ignoring Kamaji's warning to stay back.

"Haku!" Kate cried out. "Are you ok? Stay calm!"

That was answer with a hiss. Haku tried to swipe at her but Kate dodged it. Blood dripped from his mouth at a rapid pace.

"This looks serious." Kamaji got down from his place. "It seems to be that Haku is bleeding from the inside."

"The inside?" Kate echoed.

Kamaji briefly looked over Keith. "Same with the buizel. And his injury isn't helping him any."

Haku fainted once more, collapsing on the wooden floor. Kate had to do something! If only she had some medicine…

Wait a sec. She did! Kate pulled out the green sphere from her pocket, the one given by dragonair. If she gave it to Haku, then maybe he'd get better. And because the curse connected him to Keith, then the buizel would heal up too!

"Haku! I got this gift from the dragon spirit!" Kate told him. "Eat it! I think it'll help!"

"Medicine from the dragon spirit…" Kamaji was amazed.

Kate lifted the dragon's lips, revealing a wide set of sharp teeth that were shut tightly. The girl tried to force the medicine into Haku but he wouldn't budge. He wouldn't eat it. Kate groaned and bit off half.

"See?" Kate spit it out and showed him. "It's safe!"

She put half of the medicine in her pocket while saving the half she had for Haku. Kate had to give all her strength up to pry Haku's jaws open. Not an easy task! This was a strong dragon, even when weakened and close to death.

"Come on…" Kate groaned. "Open your mouth! Atta boy!"

There was enough room left. Kate had to hold the jaw open with one hand and stick her hand in the other, dropping the medicine down the dragons throat. Gross but the deed was gone.

"Got it!" Kate said.

"HISSSSSSSSSS!"

Kate yanked her hand out and held Haku's snout closed. Haku thrashed around, hating the awful taste that medicine brought. But it was for his own good. Kate had to do it. She held on as Haku's tail terrified the soot sprites (who were hiding) and splattered more blood among the walls. Even Kamaji stood back.

Haku's throat got larger, caused by a strange lump. The lump moved forward, up to his mouth. Kate felt something spit out with a powerful force. A black gunk bounced, landing several feet away.

"Kate! Look!" Kamaji pointed.

The ooze melted into a stain on the floor. Within the puddle was a solid gold block of some sort. On top of it was a black slug with big eyes, only two or three inches long. It was dazed for a moment. But it was horrified to find itself where it was. The slug then leapt off the seal and ran around like crazy.

"The gold seal!" Kate exclaimed.

"Kate! Get that black slug!" Kamaji shouted. "Get it, get it, GET IT!"

Kate ran and picked up the gold seal. She then tried to chase after the slug. The slug tried going towards the soot sprites home, only to be rejected by said soot sprites. Kate hopped around, trying to get it with her foot. Took a minute until…

SQUISH!

"Eep!" Kate froze.

Ick! That felt weird! So incredibly weird! Like ice cold molasses on her foot! Kate got goosebumps just looking at the black slime on her foot.

"You killed it!" Kamaji gulped. "Those things are bad luck! Hurry! We only have a moment before it rubs off on you! Put your fingers and fore fingers together!"

Kate came over, creating a circle with her fingers. Kamaji's hand was straight, as if karate chopping a board.

"Evil be gone!" Kamaji chopped through Kate's finger circle.

"Kamaji, Haku stole this seal from Yubaba's sister." Kate showed the man the gold seal.

"Zeniba's solid gold seal!" Kamaji gasped. "That's some pretty powerful stuff right there."

Something caught Kate's attention. Haku! He was changing! Kate ran over to see his body faded, getting shorter and shorter. Slowly but surely, he changed back to his regular form. Meanwhile, Keith seemed to be looking a little better. No more blood coughing up. His breathing wasn't as bad as before. Kate picked the buizel up, hearing a very soft moan coming from him.

"Zeniba put a curse on the seal. Haku then transferred the curse through Keith by mistake." Kate said.

"That's some strong magic. It's made them gravely ill." Kamaji said. "We should try to make them more comfortable."

Together, Kamaji and Kate took care of the guys. Kamaji fed Haku some sort of liquid herbal tea that acted as medicine, then put him down on a blanket to rest. Kate wrapped Keith's scrape across the chest and used a band-aid for the minor scratch on his face. She found another blanket and set him gently on top, feeding him more of the tea Kamaji made. Boh and the bird were with the soot sprites, looking over Kate's black footprint where she squashed the slug.

"Those boys…" Kamaji sighed, breaking the silence. "They're more alike than you think."

"How so?" Kate asked.

"They both showed up out of the blue. Got mixed up with magic the wrong way. Yubaba was involved with them both." Kamaji sat down, starting to relax. "Haku was like you two, suddenly appearing from nowhere. He was here on errands. But Yubaba tricked him. She put a spell on him to forget his name and where his home was. Yubaba kept him here to work as her apprentice, getting the boy to do whatever she wanted. Once she got control, Haku's face turned pale and his eyes grew steely. Never was the same again."

Poor Haku. He had it rough yet he still helped Kate. That was another thing he and Keith shared. The two friends helped her when things got tough. Both provided support in her dark moments. Kate put her full trust in them. And now they were both unconscious, barely saved from the terrifying condition that Zeniba put them in.

"Kamaji? What if I take the solid gold seal back to Zeniba?" Kate offered. "I could apologize for Haku. And maybe get the curse to be lifted from him and Keith. Could you tell me where Zeniba lives?"

Kamaji stared at her with disbelief. "You'd go to Zeniba's? It might help but she's a dangerous witch…"

"Please!" Kate begged. "Haku's helped me out before. And Keith's been with me every step of the way. Now its my turn to help them.

Kamaji mulled it over. His face looked thoughtful yet hesitant.

"…I know how you can get there…" Kamaji mumbled. "But you'd have to get back on your own."

"I'll do anything." Kate insisted.

"Wait here." Kamaji went over to the back.

He was at an antique dresser, tossing out random items in a search.

"Everyone, I need my shoes and clothes please." Kate said to the soot sprites. "…I guess Wendy and Sven will have to wait."

The soot delivered Kate's clothes and shoes as she had asked. Boh and the bird flew up next to Kate, who leaned over Keith's bedside. She stroked his face, staring down at the sleeping buizel. He was so cute, even in pokemon form. If only those eyes would open. Those sweet green eyes that lit up differently to each and every emotion, only darkening for sadness. And even then, Keith was almost never down. He was the energetic, optimistic, helpful ranger whose energy made Kate laugh and ram heads with him on an everyday basis. Keith would charge into any mission or quest thrown his way. While he had this upbeat side, the red haired ranger also had a sensitive side. A side to him that hadn't come out much, if at all, until entering this world. Keith helped Kate through some intense stuff. He honestly cared about her. Actually…

"I…I love y-…"

Was Keith about to say 'I love you' to Kate? Did Keith confess his love to her? It suddenly made sense. Why he took Haku's slash attack, helping her around the bath house, the close support, even the cautious attitude when that strange spirit came near her….it all made sense. Keith loved her.

And Kate had fallen for him as well. A part of her always liked Keith, admiring him. She accepted all his perks and flaws. But some time along the way, Kate's heart was captured by this ranger. She loved him. Each and every aspect from his cute quirks, the fiery personality and his charming looks, with every in between. Kate loved it all.

"Pika! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Through the doors came Lin. The chikerita girl stared at the blood all over the place.

"Blood…what the hell has happened in here?" Lin questioned. "And who are those guys?"

She was referring to Boh and the bird, who perched on her shoulder.

"Oh they're new friends. I picked them up not that long ago." Kate casually replied.

Lin's face turned serious. "Everyone's looking for you. Yubaba is furious. The guy with all the gold turned out to be a monster called No-Face. Even worse, he's making up these claims that you let him into the bath house!"

Did Kate? She thought it over. Kate saw the big monster spirit in the halls…but also in the bath house. He offered bath tokens to her. And before that….back in the rain….

"I did let him in…" Kate remembered.

"WHAT!" Lin exclaimed. "Are you serious!"

"Yeah I thought he was a guest who got locked out." Kate told her.

"That thing is a monster! He destroyed parts of the bath house, is gobbling the food and ate three people!" Lin snapped.

"Found it!" Kamaji called.

He came over to the group, placing something in Kate's hands. It was a stack of folded ticket-like slips, all written in the strange language Kate had seen multiple times.

"You can use these." Kamaji said.

"You've got train tickets? Where'd you get a hold of them? It's near impossible!" Lin questioned, face pale.

"I've saved them for forty years. In case of a special occasion." Kamaji replied. "Now listen Pika, the train used to run in both directions. But these days, it's a one way ride. So you have to get this right. The place you want is swamp bottom."

"Swamp bottom?" Kate said.

"That's where Zeniba lives. It's the sixth stop." Kamaji went on. "Now are you sure you want to go.

Kate nodded. "Yep. I'll be fine. I can walk back along the tracks."

"And what about No-Face?" Lin asked anxiously.

"I'll take care of that in a moment." Kate went back to Keith's bedside.

Keith started to look a little better. Normal breathing, skin & fur getting warm, looking less stressed.

"I'll be right back Keith." Kate murmured, low only for her and the buizel to hear. "I'll make things right. You'll see. I….I love you."

Kate kissed his nose. She smiled and rose to her feet.

"…what's going on?" Lin blinked, totally lost.

"Love. Something you clearly don't understand or reconize." Kamaji responded in a sarcastic tone.

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Kate loves Keith! CONFESSION!

Next chapter, coming soon! VERY soon!