Yes, another chapter finished! And this one's really long, too!

So, I have a confession to make. I made a mistake. In Crystal Bearers the game, I thought that Amidatelion had a green crystal, which is why I gave Varion a green crystal as well. However, I just played the game again, and I realized that her spine looked green in the beginning because of the Crystal Idol, which is green. When that was gone, I saw that she actually had a blue spine, not a green one.

Well, it's too late for me to go back, so I'm just going to stick with Varion's crystal being green. However, whenever you see that, you should imagine it to actually be blue, because I now know that that is the way it should be.

Oh, and congratulations to my fiftieth reviewer, arrowriver! Thank you so much for reviewing, and as a prize, I will answer any question that you have! Be careful, though; I am only going to answer one question, and it must be about my story.

Finally, I wish to thank you all who are reading this chapter and have stuck with me from the beginning to now. You are all so great! Have fun with the chapter!

Chapter Twenty-Five: Into the Dark

After a few hours of running, Belle and Layle came across a beautiful stream and decided to take a short break. Belle moved to pick some blackberries from a bush near the stream, but she was so exhausted that she was shaking and could not pick a berry without touching the thorns surrounding it. Layle gently pulled her away from the bush and insisted that she rest. It didn't take much to persuade her; a few seconds later, she was wearily sitting on the ground, her back resting against a log.

Layle went to the stream, filled a small water bottle he had been carrying this entire trip, and brought it to her. Because she was still shaking, he lifted the bottle to her lips and tipped it up for her. Although she hated to be dependent upon others, she allowed Layle to assist her in this. After some more persuasion, he convinced her to remain where she was while he picked berries and other edible plants and brought them to her. She glared at him for a moment because he was forcing her to rest, but she eventually complied and let him help her.

The Clavat left the Selkie to pick berries further upstream. He was in the middle of picking when he saw a wild, blue chocobo drinking from the stream. Hearing him, the huge bird tensed and warily watched him, ready to flee or attack. Layle laughed and grabbed it with Gravity. A blue aura appeared around the chocobo, and it helplessly flapped its wings in an attempt to escape. Ignoring it, he held it with one hand, picked a few more berries with the other, then headed back toward Belle.

When she saw him with a chocobo floating above him, her face lit up with glee. "Wow, you found a chocobo! What are the chances of that? This is great!"

Layle frowned and looked at her with confusion. "Great? I don't know if you've ever eaten chocobo before, but they really don't taste that great."

The Selkie's mouth dropped in surprise and horror. "I'm not going to eat a chocobo! Are you insane? We're going to ride it!"

"That isn't so good, either."

Belle crossed her arms and glared at him, but there was a hint of a smile in her face. "And why's that?"

Layle pointed to its bare back. "We forgot to bring a saddle."

The Selkie rolled her eyes. "You are such a pessimist!" Walking toward him, she ordered, "Now, put that chocobo down! If you aren't going to ride it, then I am!"

Chuckling, Layle set the bird down and hopped onto its back. Still smiling, Belle jumped on behind him. Then she realized how close together they were, and her smile vanished. Suddenly feeling very awkward, she tried to hang onto the chocobo without actually touching Layle.

"You had better hang on."

Belle knowingly nodded. "If you're as good with a chocobo as you are with falling airships, then yes, I will be sure to hang on."

Rolling his eyes, Layle kicked the chocobo hard with his heels. Fortunately, the chocobo did as he wished and immediately began running. Belle yelped when she nearly tumbled off the chocobo, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around Layle. She instantly felt extremely awkward and wished to let go, but she was certain she would fall off if she did so. Her body was extremely tense as she continued to hang onto Layle.

However, after several minutes had passed, Layle felt a change behind him. Belle's arms relaxed around him, and she eventually leaned forward and lay her head across his back. Although he could not see it, he sensed that she was smiling. For a single moment, Layle forgot about the journey west, and he felt truly happy.

Then he remembered that his friends could be in danger, and he focused on getting the chocobo to hurry forward.

After exiting the underground caves, Zinka led Varion around the cliffs. On the other side, Zinka forced the Yuke to move a boulder leaning against the cliffs. Once Varion had rolled it aside, he saw that it had been hiding another entrance into the caves.

"How did you know this was here?" he warily questioned Zinka.

The Clavat smiled. "We've known about this place for quite some time. That's why we led you and your friends here." He pressed the tip of his sword against the Yuke's back. "Forward!" Moving against his will, the Yuke slowly continued into the tunnel.

Despite the fact that Zinka was holding him hostage, Varion was desperate to get information out of the Clavat. "Several days ago, something spoke to me and told me to come west and find you, Zinka." The Yuke slightly turned his head so he could see his enemy's face. "Why?"

For a few moments, Zinka was silent and expressionless. Then he decided that it would be alright to answer the question. "That was my master. He has taken a liking to you, Varion. Both he and I wish for you to join us."

"But why?"

Zinka looked surprised, as if the answer was obvious. "Because you are a Crystal Bearer. You possess an amazing gift, Varion."

"And what is that gift, Zinka? What is this power which I have unwillingly been given?"

The Clavat evilly smiled. "It is Darkness." Although he could see nothing behind Varion's helmet, Zinka suspected that the Yuke was confused. "Darkness is a spell which has vanished from the world. It was used long ago by monsters and magicians of great power. Whenever it was used against someone, that person would be weakened, both physically and mentally. Those hit by the spell would often forget everything about themselves, and would even murder their own allies."

Zinka's eyes were suddenly filled with awe and appraisal. "But those effects were short and weak. You have a far greater ability, Varion. Your powers are so strong that they can completely destroy the minds of your enemies. No matter how strong they may be, none can withstand the power of your spell. They will even fight for you. Once Darkness has been cast upon them, they will forever be willing to serve and defend you." Zinka grinned as he imagined the possibilities. "You could simply cast a single spell of Darkness, and that one man would be willing to die for you. With such power, you could easily turn your worst enemies into your closest allies. Not a single man could stand up to you! You would be undefeatable!"

Varion nodded. "Darkness. That name most definitely suits such an evil spell."

Zinka was shocked. He did not understand how Varion could possibly dislike his power. "Evil? Darkness is not evil." He smiled and gestured to the dark tunnel around them. "Where there is day, there is night; where there is light, there is Darkness. It is completely natural."

Stopping and looking toward Zinka, Varion replied. "No, it is not." He pointed to the distant light coming from the entrance, then to the soft green light that came from the crystal embedded within his armored arm. "There is always light. Even in the dead of night, fires burn, stars simmer, the moon glows, and crystals shine. There is no place for Darkness in this world."

He continued by pointing to Zinka's ears of black crystal. "Your crystal was once as bright as mine, was it not? It has lost its light. You must return it to its natural color."

During Varion's speech, Zinka had looked surprised and confused. Now, he was obviously angry, his eyes filled with rage as he glared at Varion. "You know nothing, Yuke! You are as ignorant as a child!" He pointed to his black crystal. "You believe this to be evil and unnatural, but you are wrong! This is the color all crystals ought to be!" Suddenly, he began speaking to Varion using his Bearer powers, his voice deep and dark within Varion's mind. "I have been given a magnificent power, the likes of which this world has never seen before!" Dropping his sword, Zinka grabbed Varion's crystal with one hand. At his touch, the crystal turned a strange, purple color. He shoved the other hand into the Yuke's face, and a gas of the same color drifted out of his hand and into Varion's helmet.

When he inhaled the gas, Varion's throat burned as if it was being scorched by a tremendous fire. His entire body began to feel the same way as the poison spread through him, and he immediately began coughing. "How does it feel to be breathing in miasma?" Zinka laughed as the Yuke continued to cough and suffer. "Soon, the entire world will be covered in an endless cloud of miasma!"

Then he released Varion's crystal. Its green color instantly returned, and Varion suddenly felt better. When he gulped in air, the miasma would not enter his body.

Zinka smiled and nodded. "As you can see, Crystal Bearers are immune to miasma. Their crystals, as well as the four tribal crystals, are unlike normal crystals. The crystals of Crystal Bearers protect their wearers, and the tribal crystals create large, spherical barriers which miasma cannot pass through."

Releasing the Yuke, Zinka stepped back and quit creating miasma. "For thousands of years, miasma has been absent from this world." This time, he actually spoke to Varion with his mouth rather than with his mind. "But that is changing now." The Clavat held out his hand to Varion. "The spread of miasma is inevitable, Varion. That is why I joined them. That is why you must join us. Together, we can help change the world."

Rising to his feet, Varion hit away Zinka's hand and stepped away. "Change the world? You would destroy the world!"

Zinka shook his head. "One day, the world will be covered in miasma. The others with me may not care whether or not people are killed in the process. But I care. When the time comes, I shall make sure the people of this world are warned of the miasma and are safe within the shelter of the tribal crystals."

"Don't make me laugh! You were just suggesting that I use my powers to destroy the minds of my foes and turn them into mindless slaves. You care nothing for the people of this world!"

Rather than replying, Zinka motioned forward with his sword. Disgusted and enraged, but still possessing enough reason to do as Zinka asked, Varion stomped onward down the tunnel.

After a while, they entered a glowing, green cavern similar to the one which Varion and Zinka had left. This, too, had several tunnels branching out from it, and Zinka led them through one. They passed through a few more of these caverns, and Zinka never hesitated when picking which tunnel to go through next.

Finally, after many long minutes of walking, they came into a gigantic cavern ten times as big as the previous ones. In the center of this one were four cone-shaped pillars, which were made of smooth, shiny rock that was as black as night.

Once they were standing in between two of these pillars, Zinka ordered Varion to halt. "I know you do not completely trust me," Zinka told the Yuke, "and that you doubt my intentions. But I insist that you join our cause." Varion shook his head. "Are you certain you want to do that?"

Zinka was slightly surprised when the Yuke put the chin of his helmet in his hand, as if he was actually considering it. After a few long seconds of silence, he asked, "Why are you here, Zinka?" The Clavat was caught off guard by the question. Because he did not answer, Varion spoke for him. "You're here to convince me to join you, to assist you in spreading miasma, and to use my powers for your benefit."

When Zinka opened his mouth to speak, Varion raised his hand to silence him. "Now, let me tell you why I am here. Among my people, the Yukes, there were only two Crystal Bearers: myself, and a woman named Amidatelion. She possessed the power of Summoning, and she managed to use that power to summon a portal between the Yuke world and this world. Her powers were seen as a blessing given by the Crystal Principle, and she was praised by my people.

"But it was different for me. When I was a child, I discovered my powers by accidentally shooting a ball of Darkness into my father. It drove him insane. At first, all he did was grab his head and scream. Then, when my mother tried to help him, he hit her aside. He picked her up with a single hand, as if my spell had given him inhuman strength, and he threw her so hard that she broke through the walls of my house. He would have continued to attack her had another Yuke not come and knocked him unconscious. For a few weeks, we kept him within a cell. The entire time, he screamed and laughed like a madman. One day, he stopped, and we discovered that he had managed to tear his helmet in half, thus breaking his armor and killing himself.

"After that, my powers were always viewed as evil. Although I vowed never to use them again, I was still seen as a terrible man with a terrible power."

Varion had been staring off into space, but now he looked straight at Zinka. "That is why I left the Yukes and came here. To escape those who had witnessed my powers, so that I could begin a life where I would never be reminded of my powers again." The Yuke shook his head in sadness. "Don't you see? They saw my Bearer powers for what they truly were: evil. You said Darkness had vanished from the world. That's the way it ought to stay. I will never use my powers again, and I will never join you!"

To his surprise, Varion saw pity within Zinka's eyes. The Clavat placed a hand upon the Yuke's shoulder.

Then the hand gripped his shoulder so hard that it hurt. "So be it." And he thrust Varion forward, between the four pillars within the middle of the room. A stream of dark light came out of the tip of each pillar and entered Varion. The room was instantly filled with his screams.

Ignoring Varion's pain-filled cries, Zinka closed his eyes and spoke to Ragna, Comar, and Grule. "I have the Yuke," he told them. "The transformation has begun."

Within the other cavern, the three men with black crystals heard Zinka's message and instantly began to move back. Ragna managed to jump over one of Luna's attacks, create a ball of Quake within his hands, and shove it into the ground. As his enemies collapsed to the ground, he ran to Grule and dragged him away from Nakta. Nakta began to give chase, but Comar managed to hit him with a Meteor and send him flying toward the other end of the room. Once Grule had gotten to his feet, the three fled into a tunnel at the end of the room.

As soon as Falkar had Cured his allies, they gave chase. Whenever the two groups would spot each other, Nakta would shoot lightning bolts one way and Grule would shoot Bio spells the other way. At one point, Nakta was hit by a Bio ball, but he was instantly healed by Falkar.

It was Luna who noticed Varion's absence. "Where's Varion?" she cried. When the other's faces filled with horror, she cursed and ordered them to hurry. "They must have captured him," she concluded. "We've got to find him, before it's too late!"

Finally, after a long chase through many different tunnels, they came upon a humongous cavern larger than the others they had passed through. The first thing they saw was Grule, Ragna, and Comar running away from them. Then they saw what their enemies were running toward.

It was Varion. He was kneeling between four black, cone-shaped pillars. A dark stream of light flowed from each pillar into the body of the Yuke. Although black is the absence of light, these streams of darkness somehow seemed to be brightly glowing.

There was something different about Varion. He appeared to have grown larger, as if his armor had expanded and grown three times bigger. Luna had especially keen eyes, and she could see that his fingers were far larger and longer than they should've been. In fact, they were extremely curved and sharp, like long, armored claws.

Zinka was standing to the side of the pillars. "Stay right there!" he commanded. "If you move, I will destroy him." To prove it, he placed a hand upon one of the pillars. The amount of light coming out of it increased, and Varion screamed in response.

The Crystal Bearers shuddered at the inhuman noise of complete pain and suffering. "Let him go!" Luna commanded.

Smiling, he replied, "Remain where you are, and I shall free him."

So the Bearers waited. When Zinka's three allies had reached the pillars, Grule turned around and laughed. Nakta gave him a furious glare, but he managed to restrain himself from running forward. Smiling, the Bio Bearer withdrew an item from his cloak. Yania gasped when she recognized it.

It was Trookle's crystal.

Roaring with complete hatred, Nakta sprinted forward with an amazing speed. Instantly frightened at his inhuman agility, Comar threw Meteors at him, Ragna created a Quake, and Grule shot Bio spells at him. He avoided every attack. Jumping over the Quake, soaring between the two Meteors, and rolling under the Bio spheres, he was untouched by his enemies' spells.

Then, when Nakta was nearly upon them, Zinka whispered something to Varion and released him.

As soon as the dark light around him disappeared, Varion looked upward. Seeing Nakta, he stood, raised a hand, and shot a ball of Darkness into him. The ball was as quick as a bullet, and it entered Nakta's body with a thick, liquidly sound.

The Clavat immediately collapsed, his body tumbling to the ground and colliding with the sharp, rocky floor beneath him. Yania screamed and rushed forward. Seeing the sudden movement, Varion shot another Dark spell toward her. Rulna created a Barrier, but the Darkness passed through the magical wall as if it was nothing more than a shadow. When it entered her, Yania fell to her knees and released a scream of intense pain.

This had all happened so quickly that the others had had little time to do anything. Now, since Yania was closer, Falkar Cured her first. She gasped in relief as the extreme pain vanished, and Falkar prepared to Cure Nakta. He was surprised to see the male Clavat standing, looking perfectly alright.

Then Nakta turned around, saw Yania lying helpless on the ground, and ran at her with his sword in his hand. His eyes were filled with a terrible madness.

Yania was far too shocked at this to try and avoid his attack. He would have decapitated her had Luna not intervened. Jumping in front of Yania, Luna blocked Nakta's sword with one knife and stabbed the other into his stomach. Yania screamed when she saw this, but Nakta simply laughed and swung his sword at Luna. Although she was surprised that he hadn't shown a single sign of pain, Luna reacted quickly and managed to dodge the attack.

Fortunately, Falkar had realized that it was Varion's spell which had caused Nakta to act like this. Hoping he was doing the right thing, he cast a Cure spell upon Nakta. Thankfully, Falkar's plan worked, and Nakta was instantly Cured of the Darkness spell. Suddenly feeling the pain in his side, Nakta gasped as he pulled Luna's knife out of his body. Falkar immediately Cured him once more.

Varion saw that it was Falkar who had ended his Darkness spells. Unleashing an animal roar, he shot a Dark ball into the Selkie.

Shouting in terrible pain, Falkar collapsed with his hands gripping his head. Rulna was instantly next to him, trying to get Falkar to look at him. "Falkar!" he yelled. "Falkar, you must Cure yourself!" But the healer was not listening. Still screaming, he was now clawing at his own face with such force that he broke his skin and began bleeding. Despite this, he continued to claw at his face and screech in excruciating pain.

Fortunately, Varion did not continue to attack him. Instead, he fell to his knees, grabbed his helmet, and cried out in agony. As he did, his body continued to grow and change.

Behind the screaming Yuke, Ragna, Comar, Zinka, and Grule were all releasing miasma from their open hands. Within a few seconds, they had created a miasma stream. Four ghosts and four Nightmares emerged from it. These Nightmares looked exactly like transparent, undead horses. With the four men yelling commands at them, the undead creatures charged at the Crystal Bearers gathered around Falkar.

Seeing the monsters, Luna stood and cast Holy upon every single monster. The monsters panicked for only a second as they were turned into physical, living beings, then they forgot all fear and continued onward. While Rulna remained with Falkar, Yania, Luna, and Nakta all ran to battle the oncoming monsters.

Since Luna was the quickest, she was soon far in front of the two Clavats. Seeing this, the monsters attacked her first. One ghost swung its blue lantern forward, which sent a huge Blizzard ball at the Selkie. Another banged its lanterns together, creating a Slow spell. Finally, one of the Nightmares shot a fireball out of its mouth.

Because of the Slow spell, Luna was unable to dodge the other two attacks. The Blizzard spell froze her for an instant, then the Nightmare's fireball shattered the ice and smashed into her. Her unconscious body collapsed to the rocky ground.

Then the Clavats caught up to her. As Yania froze the Nightmares, Nakta paralyzed the ghosts with Thunder. Next, he pounced upon the ghosts and began tearing them to shreds as Yania continued to keep the Nightmares right where they were. Before long, the two humans had destroyed every single monster.

They had no time to celebrate, though. Just as they destroyed the last Nightmare, Varion quit screaming. Now that his transformation had finished, he looked up at the two Clavats. He was now the size of a malboro. Not only that, but he now looked very similar to an armored lion. With four huge legs, a spiked back, huge claws, and a round helmet with a curved beak, Varion was no longer a Yuke; he was a gigantic, armored monster. Standing on his two hind legs and roaring, he fell back onto all four legs and charged straight at Nakta and Yania.

Because of their newly acquired chocobo, it did not take long for Belle and Layle to reach the cliffs. The wild creature was strong and accustomed to being chased, so it was able to run hard for the couple of hours that they rode it.

Fortunately, Layle's friends had left behind a trail that was very easy to follow. Coming to the entrance to the caves, they dismounted and let the chocobo go. Layle requested Belle to stay outside, but she immediately refused and ran into the tunnel before he could stop her.

Once they were in the caves, they could easily hear the screams of their friends. Filled with dread, Layle quickened his pace and followed the sound of their cries.

He was stunned when they found his friends. Rulna was crouched next to Falkar, who was screaming and suffering; Luna was unconscious; Nakta and Yania were fighting ghosts and Nightmares; and Varion was in the center of the room, yelling in pain and looking far different than the last time Layle had seen him.

Then he saw Zinka, Grule, Comar, and Ragna feeding miasma into the miasma stream. Layle was instantly reminded of Conall Curach. There, Ragna and Comar had created a miasma stream which first shot out some normal monsters, then they managed to summon the Dragon Zombie.

He pointed to the four men. "I have to stop them!" Then he pointed to Luna's unconscious body. "You need to get Luna out of there!" he told Belle.

Belle stubbornly shook her head. "I'm coming with you!" Layle turned, ready to snap at her. Then he saw the rage within her eyes, and he realized that she wanted to kill those men.

He shook his head. "You don't even have a weapon, Belle." Determined to stop her from following him, he added, "I'll just knock them unconscious. You can kill them all. Alright?"

She continued to glare at him for many long seconds, then angrily nodded. "Fine. But you owe me one!" Then she was gone, sprinting toward Luna.

Knowing he had no chance of sneaking toward his enemies, Layle ran straight at them. He hadn't gone very far when Varion stood and roared. Layle was shocked at what he saw. What have they done to him? he wondered.

But he had little time to ponder how Varion had been transformed. Varion had targeted Nakta and Yania and was running straight at them. Using the quick reflexes that had saved him so many times in his life, Layle grabbed two boulders and threw them at the Yuke. One hit Varion's body, and the other smashed into his head. Tumbling to the ground, Varion unleashed an animal-like cry of surprised pain. Coming back to his four feet, he roared and charged at Layle.

Layle waited until Varion was fairly close, then threw two more rocks at him. Unfortunately, Varion was prepared for this. With amazing power, Varion jumped far above the oncoming rocks and came speeding down toward Layle. The Clavat just barely managed to roll out of the way, Varion's huge claws digging into the rocks where Layle had just been standing

Roaring in anger, Varion withdrew his claws from the rocks and swung that hand at Layle. Grabbing the Yuke's helmet, Layle pulled himself away from the attack and onto Varion's head. Before Layle could damage him, Varion rose onto his hind legs, then slammed his forelegs into the ground. Layle flew forward, but he still managed to roll to his feet, grab two rocks, and chuck them into the Yuke's helmet. Because Varion hadn't expected him to recover so quickly, the Yuke was unable to dodge the projectiles. They both crashed into the left side of his head, causing him to fall onto his right side.

During the battle between Varion and Layle, Nakta and Yania had been running across the room toward them. Now they finally joined the fight. Determined to keep Varion where he was, Yania froze him with Blizzard, Nakta paralyzed him with Thunder, and Layle held him down with Gravity. Although the Yuke was extremely strong in this new form, he was unable to fight back against all three of their powerful spells.

Then Layle remembered his true enemies. Looking up, he saw that the four men with black crystals were still pouring miasma into the miasma stream. Telling Nakta and Yania to deal with Varion, Layle ran at them. Grabbing two small rocks, he threw them with such power that they were able to hit Comar and Grule. Because Zinka and Ragna had been so focused on the miasma stream, they were unable to react quickly and dodge the next two rocks Layle threw. With nobody powering it, the miasma stream now began to disintegrate.

Without any sense of caution, Layle continued to go forward. When Grule began to stand, Layle grabbed him and threw him into Ragna. The two cried out in pain and surprise and fell together to the ground.

Layle then grabbed Zinka and threw him at Comar, but the Meteor Bearer was ready. Dodging Zinka, Comar picked up two boulders and tossed them at Layle. Despite their amazing speed, Layle was able to roll away from the Meteors. Furious that his Meteors had missed, Comar grabbed two more rocks. Layle grabbed a stalactite hanging above Comar and pulled himself toward it. Comar's two Meteors just barely missed Layle's feet as he sped through the air.

Reaching the stalactite, Layle grabbed onto it, swung himself forward, and fell toward Comar. His enemy would have rolled out of the way, but Layle pushed him down with Gravity before he could. This caused Comar to fall onto his back, and Layle shoved his feet down and into Comar's stomach. Layle hit him so hard that the wind was knocked out of him, and he could do nothing but lay there and hold his pained stomach. Before Comar could recover, Layle clenched his throat with both hands, pushed him into the ground, and started choking him as hard as he could. Struggling to breathe in, Comar clawed and kicked at Layle, but Layle held on and continued to kill the blonde Clavat.

Then a Bio ball came out of nowhere and slipped into Layle's chest.

Falling away from Comar, Layle gasped as the poison entered him. His body filled with pain, and he began having trouble to breathe as the spell entered his lungs. When he made a failed attempt to breathe, Comar stood and kicked him in the side.

"Comar!" Zinka shouted. The blonde Clavat angrily turned around, ready to yell something back. But when he turned, he saw something that made his face turn ghostly pale.

Layle followed his gaze and saw a strange creature. It looked very much like a large panda that had no neck and could stand on two legs. All its body was covered in green fur, except for its stomach, which was white. It had a long black tail, as well as a black face with huge yellow eyes which looked very much like a frog's face. On its head were two black horns that curved above the creature. A few feet above its head, where the horns came back together, was a blue crystal hanging between the horns.

The creature looked at the four men with black crystals. "Leave this place," it commanded them. "You do not belong here."

Grule chuckled. "Who do you think you are?" He raised his hand, his open palm facing the creature.

"Grule, no!" Zinka shouted. But it was too late. Grule shot a Bio spell at the creature. With hardly any effort, the creature lifted its hand up, caught the green sphere, and closed its hand. When the hand reopened, the Bio ball was gone.

When the creature looked back up at them, Grule's face was full of awe. "Come on," Zinka told the others. "Let's get out of here." Knowing better than to mess with this being, the four followed Zinka and exited the cavern.

Seeing Layle writhing in pain upon the ground, the creature walked over and laid a hand upon his chest. Blue light seeped out of its hand, and Layle sighed in relief as he was Cured.

Before Layle could speak to it, the creature moved onward. In the center of the room, Varion was still being held down by Yania and Nakta. He roared and yelped like a trapped animal. The creature approached him and brushed its fingers against his arm. At its touch, the dark light which Zinka had put into Varion exited him. It rose up above the four pillars in the middle of the room. When it had all left the Yuke's body, it formed the shape of a gigantic, winged skeleton. The skeleton of darkness unleashed an ear-piercing scream, then it split apart and sunk back into the four dark pillars.

Once the light had left him, Varion returned to his Yuke form, and his unconscious body fell to the ground. As Nakta and Yania ran to him, the creature continued across the room. On this side of the cavern, Rulna, Luna, and Belle were holding a screaming Falkar to the ground. The creature put both hands upon the Selkie's shoulders, and he was instantly Cured.

Just as this being was Curing Falkar, Layle heard a familiar voice behind him. "Layle," it eerily whispered. Layle spun around and gasped at what he saw.

There, no more than ten feet away from him, was Amidatelion.

"Layle," she murmured, "you owe me one."

Layle was shocked. "Amidatelion…" he began, but he did not know what more to say.

The female Yuke ignored his confusion. "Layle," she continued, "you must complete the Resurrection."

Finally snapping out of his trance, Layle replied, "I did. It is done, Amidatelion. Your people are safe."

Amidatelion released a long sigh of happiness. "Thank you." She bowed her head forward. Then her body became transparent, and it slowly became less and less visible. Finally, after a few long seconds, it completely vanished.

Layle turned at the sound of another voice. "That was a spirit," the green creature told him. "These are the Shadowlands," it explained to him. "This is the realm of the dead." It pointed to where Amidatelion had just been standing. "That spirit was not at peace. That is why you saw her. But your words gave her the peace she needed. She can now move on to the next world."

Nakta and Yania had followed the monster. Eager to know more, Nakta asked, "You said this is the realm of the dead?" The creature nodded. "Does that mean I can speak with the dead?" His eyes filled with hope. "Does that mean I can talk to Trookle?"

The creature shook its head. "Only those who could not accept death remain here," it told him. "Restless spirits, who cannot move on because their souls are not at peace, reside here." It pointed to the four pillars in the center of the cave. "One such spirit is the Lich. Despite being dead for thousands of years, it continues to live here in the Shadowlands. But it is no ordinary spirit. It possesses such power that it has the ability to enter the bodies of the living and corrupt their souls. That is why I created the pillars, where it could be contained.

"But those men were able to summon it. Somehow, they knew it was there, and they managed to put it into the body of that Yuke and command it to attack you."

Layle was listening to the creature, but Nakta and Yania had stepped away. Nakta looked very confused. "That Yuke spoke to Layle," he murmured, "so where is Trookle? Why won't he speak to me?"

Yania laid a hand on his shoulder. "He must be at peace," she concluded. "Don't you see, Nakta? We were with him when he died. He said his final goodbyes to us. There is no need for him to return. He moved on, and so must we."

After a few long moments, Nakta nodded. "I'm glad his soul is at rest," he admitted. Yania smiled, gripped his hand tightly in her own, and led him back to the others.

Everyone was now gathered around Varion. Although he was unconscious, the Yuke was uncontrollably trembling. "What's wrong?" Yania asked them.

"The Lich has left a deadly spell upon him," the green creature explained. "Even I cannot heal this. I must return him to my people."

"Your people?" Although it had just saved them, Luna still did not completely trust this creature. "What exactly are you and your people? And where are you going to be taking him?"

"I am a Carbuncle," the creature answered. "We are going to Mag Mell."

Before the Selkie could question him further, the Carbuncle took Varion in his arms and began running. Without much of a choice, the Crystal Bearers and Belle followed the Carbuncle out of the Shadowlands and continued further west.