Hey everyone, sorry it took so long to get this chapter done. Out of all my stories, this one kind of had the least amount of priority. So sorry for the wait. Let's be on out way.
"Any sign of it?" Arion called past the sand and wind buffeting his face. He was closer to Lyre than normal in an attempt to not be blinded by the raging sandstorm around them. Lyre glanced back at him before shifting to sit facing him fully. Arion couldn't help but wonder where the younger male had gotten the goggles currently protecting his eyes. He'd always thought they were a weird fashion statement but now, after flying at the boy's high speeds and now through a sandstorm, he kind of understood their importance.
"Nothing yet," the boy replied, "but then again I can barely see. More likely Jet will spot it."
"What about Rebecca?" Lyre shrugged and raised a hand to his gazer, slipping a finger under his goggles to press a button. "You find anything?"
"Don't you think I would have called you if I'd found anything?" Came the icy reply. They'd discovered that Rebecca had a cellphone before venturing into the desert and that became the method of communication this time around as they split up to cover more ground. "Besides, you're more likely to find it in this mess music boy."
"Damn it," Lyre hissed, "Screw off you damned shadow!"
"Might I remind you that you called me Lyre?" She asked.
"Well now I'm hanging up," he stated, pressing the button on his gazer again. "God that girl infuriates me."
"Interesting how I'm still what you talk about despite claiming you hate me." With a growl Lyre jammed at the button again, effectively ending the call
"Damn sand," he grumbled, "it's screwing up all my electronics. Gonna take forever to clean this thing out." Arion chuckled lightly, amused until something flickered in his gaze. He looked down, squinting through the sand until he recognized it as a glowing ball of light, floating along the sand. "What the...?"
'Come on. Follow me. I can show you where the temple is.' The ball zipped off, gradually beginning to fade.
"Follow it!" He shouted, pointing past Lyre. He looked over, blinking.
"What is it?" he asked.
"It's the voice in my head. Or at least, whatever has been speaking to me." Lyre nodded, twisting around to reach Jet's head.
"You heard the man," Lyre said, "Follow the ghost light!"
'Excuse me I am not a ghost light.' Arion snickered at that and Lyre shot him a strange look.
"She didn't appreciate being called a 'ghost light'," he explained. He rolled his eyes.
"Like I care what she thinks," he said, "I don't know her, therefore I don't exactly like her."
'The feeling's mutual buddy.' He sighed, ignoring the voice's grumbling in the back of his head. Instead he watched the light surge over the sand, occasionally stopping to let Jet catch up. 'I hope you realize that I'm in one giant load of trouble for doing this,' the voice said.
"Yes, I'm aware," he said, ignoring the odd look Lyre gave him. "Thanks for your help."
'Yes, yes. You're forever grateful for my wonderful presence.' He snorted softly, amused at her narcissistic nature. Jet surged through the air after her, flapping his wings as fast as he could to keep her in sight. As they continued, a structure of smooth looking stone came into sight. 'This is it kids. The temple that will lead to Giratina's realm.'
"Let's land," Lyre ordered Jet. The Flygon flapped its wings once, raising a bit higher. Lyre leaned down, pressed tight to Jet's back. "Hold on tight Arion."
"Huh? What do-" he was cut off as Jet snapped its wings back, plummeting towards the temple. Arion gave a sharp cry before half clinging to Jet and half clinging to Lyre. The younger boy gave a whoop of joy and laughed, body shaking under Arion's grip.
"It's not funny!" Arion snapped. Lyre didn't reply. Jet barreled down until there was only twenty or so feet of space left. Then his wings snapped open again, flapping to right the Flygon before it landed on the sand. Arion groaned a bit, shaking his head. "I hate you," he hissed, slipping off Jet's back and onto the sand below.
"You should have flown with Rebecca then," Lyre said, leaning over Jet's neck with a smirk on his lips. Arion huffed, crossing his arms.
"You know Jet's better equipped for sandstorms than Screech," he said, "so we decided not to overburden Screech for the flight. Besides, just cause I fly with you doesn't mean you have to be a pain all the time." Lyre shrugged, not at all looking sorry.
"Again, I'll fly how I please," the boy replied. Arion rolled his eyes.
"Just send up the signal," Arion said. Lyre turned, patting Jet's head.
"You know the drill buddy," Lyre said. Jet shook its body for a moment before leaning its head back. A burst of blue-violet flame shot skyward, rising quickly. Jet paused and then blasted another jet of flame. When this one ended he shook himself again and settled into the sand. "There. She'll be here soon." He slid off Jet's back and wandered over to the temple. Arion decided to look it over. It wasn't very large, built out of sandy colored stone. It had a single entrance, surrounded by stone columns.
'It barely looks big enough for one room,' Arion thought as he surveyed it, 'How can this be the entrance to the Reverse World?'
"Hey Arion!" He snapped out of his thoughts, looking to where Lyre was. He was surveying a spot by the door, Storm beside him. The pink haired boy wasn't sure when the other boy had released his partner, but it seemed like a good idea. He let Dawn free before going to where Lyre was running his fingers over the wall. Sharp lines and symbols were etched into the wall, crudely done as if rushed.
"This is the Ancient Language," Arion said, recognizing the writing. Lyre nodded, letting his arm drop.
"Too bad neither of us can read it," Lyre muttered, "If we could it'd be one more reason we don't need her around." Arion was about to reply when a loud screech echoed above. He looked up, spotting Rebecca's Noivern circling overhead. Lyre pulled out a Pokeball, returning Jet into the device. Screech landed easily, shaking herself as if to rid the sand from her body. She chittered angrily while Rebecca slid from her back, returning her to her Pokeball within moments.
"Let's get moving," She said, sweeping past them while releasing Luna. The Umbreon shook itself and bolted after her. The two boys shared a look before following.
The inside of the temple was exactly like they expected. It was a simple room, bare of anything but a pedestal in the room's center. On the pedestal was a stone tablet, words of the ancient language scrawled on its surface. Lyre and Arion checked the remainder of the room while Rebecca looked over the tablet. Their searches gave them nothing.
"Are we actually positive that this is an entrance to Giratina's realm?" Lyre asked, leaning against the wall with an annoyed look.
"It is," Rebecca said simply, "this tablet is speaking of Giratina and its time on Earth." There was silence for awhile. Uncomfortable silence. Eventually Arion decided to break it.
"I'm gonna look outside a bit more," he said, walking towards the door, "maybe we missed something." Neither of his companions replied, so he continued on his way. That is, until a cracking sound met his ears. He looked down, seeing the cracks in the floor beneath him. They were spreading, trailing outwards in a spiderweb pattern. Arion yelped, taking a step back. The ground cracked more, tiny pieces of stone falling into the unknown below him.
"You okay man?" Lyre asked, moving away from the wall and towards him.
"Don't move!" Arion called back. His warning came too late as the ground beneath Lyre began to give way. The boy gave a shocked shout and fell, one leg through the floor entirely. "Dawn, use Psychic! Pull him free!" The Espeon gave a cry and dove forward, eyes glowing. Lyre was engulfed in a pink light before he was gently lifted, deposited on a spot where the ground was still stable. "We have to get out of here!"
"And how do you suggest we do that?" Lyre retorted, "one wrong step and we fall to our deaths."
'He has a point,' Arion thought, watching the floor crumble slightly under him, 'but we can't just stand here. It'll give way eventually.' As he thought, he saw the ground break under him. He lashed out, catching the floor with his fingers as it fell away and left him dangling over darkness.
"Arion!" Just as the floor he was holding onto crumbled Lyre was there, gripping his arms and straining with the weight. The sound of stone breaking met his ears as the floor began giving way. "We're fucked aren't we," Lyre said with a snicker. The ground cracked beneath the boy and Arion gave a sad smile.
"Looks like it," He said, "What about the Pokemon?"
"Storm's in his ball," Lyre said, sliding an inch forward into the hole, "and I think Luna is too. We can't do much about Dawn since you have her Pokeball but-" He grunted as the floor cracked further, the strain shoring in Lyre's slim form. "Fuck," he muttered softly. Then the floor gave, sending Lyre tumbling towards him. Arion shut his eyes, feeling their fall sudden jerk to a halt. He looked us, blazing blue eyes meeting his.
"You two are idiots," Rebecca hissed, her arm around Lyre's waist while she tried to keep them from falling.
'Thank god,' Arion thought, sighing, 'She didn't just let us fall.' His relief was short lived, as the floor was slowly breaking under their weight. The stone gave a final sickening crack, sending the three humans and Dawn into the dark abyss below.
So there you go everyone. Yet another chapter for you all. Hopefully you enjoyed! Bye-bye for now!