Ezra and Carys had been walking through the mountains for some time when they finally arrived at the entrance to Mt. Zephyr.
The entrance was carved into the face of the mountain, which held a slight-but-steady breeze that felt wonderful after being in the sun for most of the day.
"Ahh…That breeze feels good." Said Ezra, enjoying the wind chill on this summer day.
"It does." Agreed Carys. They took a moment to bask in the wind, then they got back to business.
"This dungeon doesn't look too bad. I think once we make it out it'll be sundown." Projected Ezra, looking at the late afternoon sky. The sky was just starting to lighten with the end of the day, and the temperature was just beginning to drop.
"I think you're right. Shall we?" Offered Carys.
"Let's." Nodded Ezra as they entered Mt. Zephyr.
Mt. Zephyr ( watch?v=aHrqu9kQNw8)
1F
The floor was made of light gray stone, and the walls were a deeper shade of the same color.
"Okay…Last dungeon until we get home. I say we take a week off and go to that hot spring near Lily Town. After all we've been through, I could sure use a vacation." Sighed Ezra, already looking forward to taking a dip in a nice warm spring.
"You took the words right out of my mouth. Let's get through this place as quick as we can, and then we can set up for the night. Tomorrow, we arrive home!" Grinned Carys.
The two, pumped for their return home, nodded and started traversing the rocky dungeon.
2F
As soon as they spawned on this floor, a Boldore came to ruin the party.
"Um, excuse me, but we're trying to get outta here. Could you let us by, please?" Inquired Carys.
The Boldore answered with a Smack Down, crushing her.
"Ow! A simple 'no' would've sufficed! Take my Razor Leaf!" Stormed Carys, sending the leaves at the foe at point-blank range. Normally an attack like this would've instantly KO'd a rock-type enemy, but for some strange reason the Boldore hung on by a thread.
"Ugh, Sturdy is annoying!" Carys sighed in annoyance, dodging a Mud Slap.
"What's Sturdy?" Asked Ezra as she finished it off with an Ember.
"Boldore's Ability. It prevents it from being one-shotted. An attack that would normally be a one-hit KO instead leaves it with only the tiniest sliver of health." Carys explained.
"Ah. Would one of our combo attacks trigger Sturdy, or since we're technically using two attacks—albeit at the same time—not activate it?" Asked Ezra thoughtfully.
"I…I'm not sure, to be honest. I've never come across a combined attack before, so I really don't know. Next time we run into a Boldore, we'll see." Replied Cary
3F
"Staaaaaiiirrrrssss…" Breathed Carys.
4F
They ran into another Boldore just as Ezra was eating an apple she found lying on the ground.
"Now we can see if a combo attack works on Pokemon with Sturdy!" Carys exclaimed excitedly. Ezra finished her apple and came to join her friend as the foe drew closer.
"Shall we do a Razor Leaf/Night Shade combo this time?" She asked.
"Sounds good. On three…one…..two…..three! Razor Leaf!" Shouted Carys just as Ezra announced her attack.
Razor-sharp leaves and red waves of energy hit the Boldore at the exact same time. The Boldore stumbled and fell….and stoically got back up again.
"Aw, Sturdy triggered." Pouted Ezra. Carys quickly finished it off with a Shadow Sneak.
"I guess since the attacks hit at the same time, it counted as one. Oh well, it was worth a try anyway." She sighed.
"Yeah. I guess. Come on, who knows how many more floors we have in here?"
5F
They had just defeated a Machoke in a chamber and were nonchalantly walking towards a corridor when Ezra triggered a Sticky Trap. Slimy goo sprayed upwards and onto them and their bag.
"Ugh! Disgusting!" Stormed Ezra, wiping gunk off of her body.
"It got all over this Oran Berry, too. I'm definitely not eating this thing, not after it was sprayed with who knows what." Carys made a face as she tossed out the offending berry.
"Looks like we need baths." Winced Ezra as she looked down at her dirty body.
"Or a Cleanse Orb." Agreed Carys as they grudgingly moved on, trying not to get slime on each other or anything else.
6F
"Here they are." Said Ezra, noticing that they had spawned with the Stairs yet again.
7F
After traversing through a labyrinthine floor, they finally found the chamber with the Stairs.
"About time!" Exclaimed Ezra, whose feet were sore after what felt like miles of wandering through the floor. The halls were long and mazelike, and the chambers were few, tiny, and situated at the outskirts of the floor. Plus they had fought enemy after enemy in this confusing place.
She walked to the Stairs, but was surprised when she felt herself being teleported elsewhere. She looked down just in time to notice that she had triggered a Warp Trap.
"Argh!" She shouted as she teleported to the opposite side of the floor. She knew it was the opposite side because they had found and ignored a Special Band in this tiny room a while ago. Annoyed at her luck, she waited impatiently for Carys to ascend the Stairs without her.
8F
At least this floor wasn't a labyrinth like the last one had been. The only caveat was that they had spawned with a Machoke, Boldore, and Golbat.
"I'll take Golbat and Machoke. You can have Boldore." Said Ezra, not wishing to deal with a rock-type.
"'Kay. This'll only take a second, and then I'll help you." Said Carys as she dodged a Smack Down from the Boldore.
Ezra, on the other hand, was hit by a Wing Attack from Golbat, but she managed to dodge a Vital Throw from Machoke.
She returned with a Hex at Machoke, but was knocked off of her feet by an Air Cutter.
"Ouch! Ohhh, you're gonna get it now." She growled at the Golbat as she got to her feet.
It responded with a Confuse Ray, making her vision go blurry. She tried to focus, but her head was spinning too much. She felt a great pain in her side, which caused her to fall down. She tried to get up, but another great pain knocked her right back down. Presently, her vision cleared, and she saw that the Machoke was gone and Carys was tangling with the Golbat.
"Trick-or-Treat!" She shouted, making candy appear. Golbat responded with an Air Cutter, which made Carys hiss with pain.
"That hurt! Shadow Sneak!" She stormed, sending her shadow at her foe.
"And Night Shade!" Added Ezra, getting to her feet. The Golbat fell.
"Thanks for that." Grimaced Ezra as the last of the confusion wore off.
"No prob." Returned Carys.
9F
They entered a chamber to find a Kecleon Shop waiting for them.
"Greetings, explorers. How may I be of service?" He greeted them.
"Hi. Um, do you by any chance have any Cleanse Orbs? As you can see, we hit a Sticky Trap a few floors back." Ezra asked.
"Or any Luminous Orbs?" Chimed in Carys.
"As a matter of fact, I do! 1600 Poke total, for one Cleanse Orb and two Luminous Orbs." Said the Kecleon, holding out the items.
"How much money do we have?" Whispered Ezra to Carys.
"Uhh…..10, 458 Poke." Carys whispered back, checking.
"WHAT?!" Ezra screamed, astounded. That was an insane amount of money!
"We've traveled through eight dungeons of varying lengths without running into a bank. How are you not surprised?" Explained Carys quietly.
"...Deal." Said Ezra to Kecleon, still amazed at how much money they had accumulated.
"Excellent. Will there be anything else?" He asked as Ezra handed over the money.
"No, I think we're good. Thanks though." Carys shook her head.
"Very well. I hope to be seeing you soon. Oh, and could you please activate that Orb away from my wares? I don't want them to get wet." Asked Kecleon.
"Will do. Goodbye." Said Ezra as they left the chamber.
In the next chamber they found, they immediately activated the Cleanse Orb. A huge torrent of water gushed down on them from above, washing away all of the gunk. Ezra's flame temporarily went out due to the water, but reignited once the cascade ended.
"Ahh…that feels better." Ezra sighed happily, enjoying the feeling of cleanliness.
"You said it. Now let's go undo all of that by fighting with this Ariados." Said Carys, noticing an Ariados entering the chamber.
"I would like that." Responded Ezra, grinned wickedly.
10F
"Stairs." Said Ezra.
11F
"Wanna use a Luminous Orb?" Asked Carys as they discovered they were back in a labyrinth again.
"Yes." Emphasized Ezra, who hated this type of floor. Carys broke the Orb at her feet.
"….Okay, the Stairs are on the other side of the floor. There are a bunch of enemies in between us, though." She warned.
"I don't care. As long as we exit this maze, I'm fine." Dismissed Ezra.
12F
"Ember!" Shouted Ezra, attacking an Ariados blocking their way. It chittered angrily and returned with a Poison Sting. Unfortunately, Ezra was poisoned.
"Ugh!" She muttered, feeling the effects course through her.
"If you can handle this Ariados, I'll wall-travel ahead and see if I can find the Stairs." Offered Carys.
"Y-yeah, I think I can handle it….just hurry." Mumbled Ezra as she dodged a Spider Web.
"Okay. I won't let you faint, Ez." Said Carys as she disappeared into the wall.
Ezra managed to rouse enough energy for a Flame Burst, which thankfully ended the Ariados. Sluggishly, she moved through the corridor, hoping Carys would find the Stairs soon.
Fortunately, Carys found the Stairs shortly after the fight.
13F
"Oh good. Stairs." Carys sighed in relief as they spawned.
Mt. Zephyr Peak
As Ezra had predicted earlier, it was indeed sundown when they exited the dungeon. They arrived at the top of the mountain, where they could see much of the land around them.
"Whoa…." They said in unison, awed at the view.
Down below they could see lakes, forests, small villages, and hills dotting the area. The wind was noticeably stronger up here, but it wasn't enough to threaten to knock the two off their feet. The sky was streaked with pastel shades of pink, orange, and purple. It almost looked like an artist had splashed buckets of paint onto the sky, each bucket aimed lower than the last. It was a comforting picture, and the two were loath to leave this spectacular scene.
As they climbed down the mountain, they looked for suitable crevices to set up camp for the night. Down near the base of the mountain, they found a medium-sized cave that looked like it had once been occupied, but had since been abandoned.
Stale hay was stacked in the corner, making a makeshift bed, and there was a small stream running through the cave. In the middle of the chamber was a charred spot, as if there had once been a fire there. Ezra and Carys decided to make this their temporary home for the night, and briskly set out to forage for fresh rushes, firewood and berries. Once they had found what they were looking for, Ezra set the wood alight and they ate apples and Oran berries for dinner. It wasn't overly filling, but it was enough to satisfy their bellies for the time being. Eager to get an early start the next day, the two fell asleep together on their makeshift bed of leaves and ferns.
Ezra woke with a splitting headache early the next day. It felt like she was being DynamicPunched in the head over and over again. What was strange, though, was that the pain didn't feel like it was coming from her. It was definitely coming from inside her head, but it almost felt like it was being generated by something else, something in her mind.
Voice? She thought tentatively, just as Carys was starting to stir. She thought she felt a slight recognition come from the maelstrom that was her headache, but she couldn't be sure.
"Hey Ez…What's up?" Murmured Carys sleepily, noticing she was awake. Ezra ignored her.
Voice? Is that you?
**Aaaahhhh…..** Came Voice's barely-audible reply.
Voice! You're there! What happened? Why are you doing this to me? She asked as another wave of pain washed through her head.
"Ez?" Asked Carys, rising.
**I….I…can't do this anymore…**
What do you mean?
**I don't know if I will make it out alive anymore.** Voice said miserably.
What?! What do you mean?
"Hello? Earth to Ezra…" Trailed Carys, floating in front of her.
**I'm…..dying. My captors have taken too much of my life source from me. I started with 18 shards, and now I only have five. And they will only continue to take them from me until I am no more…..**
Well, tell me where you are and I'll save you! Ezra exclaimed, worried.
**It wouldn't matter if I did. My prison is hidden, and you don't have the key to find it. I don't know where the Dark hid the key.** Voice said sadly.
I have to do something! Tell me, is there anything I can do?
**Well…..I'd hoped it wouldn't have come to this, but…You're going to need to tell your friends about me and my predicament. It'll officially make you enemies of He Who Is, but if it would save me and save the Light…** Voice trailed off uncertainly.
"Ezra! What are you doing?" Demanded Carys.
It will?
**Yes. He will…..hunt you down relentlessly, but…..**
I'll take that risk. I can't—won't—just stand aside as someone is slowly killed. If I can do something—anything—to help you, I will. I know I've never met you before, but….my heart is telling me it's the right thing to do. Ezra resolved.
**Such a kind soul. I knew I could have faith in you, Ezra. Very well. When you arrive home, I will help you tell your friends about me. You'll have to be my spokeswoman, but I'll do my best to explain everything as best as I can under the circumstances. You'll need your friends' help to find the last of my shards. Start with Carys. …I'm going to leave for now. I'll be with you soon, Ezra.** And with that, Voice vanished from her mind, bringing most of the pain with it. Her head still ached, but it was much tolerable than it was a few seconds ago. Ezra looked up, and jumped in fright when she saw that Carys was right in her face.
"Palkia's teeth, Carys! What are you doing?!" She exclaimed.
"What are you doing? You were in trance for half an hour! I kept calling your name, but you wouldn't answer me!" Carys retorted.
"Half…an hour? It took that long?" Ezra said, confused.
"What took that long? Ez, what's going on?" Demanded Carys.
Ezra took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she was about to say. This was as good a time as any to reveal her secret to Carys.
"I was having a mental conversation with another Pokemon." She admitted. Carys snorted.
"Yeah, and I'm the queen of Lily Town."
"No, for real, I was! Listen, ever since I got here, I've been periodically having conversations with another Pokemon in my mind. It told me to come to Lily Town with you, to keep the Mysterious Shards we find, and to become an explorer with you." She said, cursing herself for how crazy she must be sounding to Carys.
"It's true, Carys." Said Voice, but this time the sound came from outside of Ezra's mind.
Ezra must have looked equally as startled as Carys did.
"Who was that?!" She demanded.
"That was Voice, aka the Pokemon I converse with. It's never done that before, though…" Ezra trailed off.
**Takes too much energy. Don't make me do that again unless you absolutely have to.** Begged Voice, this time from within the confines of Ezra's mind.
"'Voice'? You don't even know his or her name?" Carys asked skeptically.
"No, it told me that to speak its name was to invite the attention of Him. But I do know that Voice is the Pokemon that was being kept prisoner by the Darkness. Do you remember what Uxie told us?" Asked Ezra.
"Yeah, that a powerful Pokemon was being kept hostage by Him. You're telling me that this Voice character is that very prisoner? How can you be sure that it's not Him instead?" Protested Carys.
At least she finally believes me about Voice….Thought Ezra. "I have a feeling in my gut, is all. I've actively felt its pain before. Its agony was true, not something self-inflicted or done on purpose. Also, Uxie addressed the Dark leader as 'him'. Voice is an 'it'. It also told me that the Mysterious Shards actually belong to it; that's why we need to find them. There are 18 total. Voice only has five left with it. The Dark is slowly killing it, Carys. Once the last five Shards are severed from it….I guess it dies. Just now, when I was in a trance, it told me that." She explained in a rush.
Carys thought for several minutes.
"…..Why haven't you told me about it before?" She asked finally.
"It told me not to. I think it was worried about Him finding out and killing it right then and there. Plus, it doesn't know you and our friends as well as I do. Sure, it knows about them, but it hasn't had the experiences we've had with them. But now…now that it's truly in danger of dying, I think it's forced to take a big risk and ask for more help." Ezra said.
Again, Carys was silent for a long time.
"I believe you." She said simply.
"What?"
"I believe you. I heard it myself, and what you've said certainly answers a few of my questions. This isn't the first time I've noticed you in a trance, Ez. I figured something was up, but I decided not to pry. And I have wondered why you were so adamant about finding the Shards. A mysterious captive kept by the Dark that holds 18 Shards and needs your help….It makes sense now. So, I will help you and A—Voice find its Shards and save it from the Dark." Carys explained, a small, knowing smile on her face.
Ezra felt as if a large burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She embraced her friend, tears coming to her eye.
"Thank you." She said simply, knowing that no words could ever hope to express how touched by the level of trust Carys held for her.
"You're welcome." Replied Carys warmly. They held their embrace for a few minutes more, and then they set off for home.
They were just starting to leave the mountain range when the sound of wailing rang out through the air. The two raced to find a weeping Mismagius and Weavile.
"What's going on? What's wrong?" Asked Ezra kindly, coming over near the two. Her headache was completely gone by now.
"Oh…It's nothing." Said the Mismagius, sniffling.
"Obviously not, if you're crying. We're an exploration team; maybe we can help?" Offered Carys.
The Mismagius and Weavile shared an uncertain look.
"Well…okay. My name is Luna, and this is Umbra. We're members of an exploration team named Team Lunar Wind. We are the disciples of a majestic lady whose name I dare not say, not in these times. Do you see that cave over there?" Asked the Mismagius looking at a small cleft in the mountainside.
"Yeah." Said Ezra.
Unexpectedly, a small tremor coursed through the land. A few pebbles fell loose from the cave's entrance. Doubtless a good quake and the entire cave would collapse.
"That's the entrance to a dungeon called Rigid Cave. Not too long ago, our rivals came and took our third teammate into the dungeon with them, intending to use her as a hostage. These hooligans, who call themselves the Unknown, plan to use our teammate to lure Our Lady close, so they can take her to their own wicked master, who is Our Lady's most hated rival. We'd go in to save her, but as you can see, Rigid Cave is perilously close to collapsing forever. Also, we are awaiting a message from Our Lady, so we dare not leave this area, lest the message fall into the wrong hands." Said Umbra, looking sadly at the entrance.
"We'll go and rescue your teammate." Said Carys after a moment.
"You will? But…the cave…" Umbra trailed off, sharing a bewildered look with his teammate.
"We'll pop in and rescue your friend real quick, before it collapses. Don't worry about us." Ezra dismissed.
"….You are too kind. Words cannot express the gratitude I feel." Luna bowed her head in respect.
"Don't mention it. By the way, what species is your friend?" Asked Ezra.
"She's a Lumineon named Selene. You can't miss her." Supplied Umbra.
"Thanks. We'll be out lickety-split!" Beamed Carys as she and Ezra raced into the dungeon, just as another small tremor shook the land.
Rigid Cave ( watch?v=0rQYLxWwB6A)
B1F
The area was dark and the air clammy. The ground was made of dark gray stone, and the walls a jet black obsidian.
"Let's get this over with. I'd hate to die in here." Ezra said grimly.
"Yeah. By the way, we never asked Team Lunar Wind what species the Unknown were." Said Carys.
"Well, I guess they'll be the Pokemon holding a Lumineon hostage." Replied Ezra.
B2F
"Oh good, an easy floor. Why can't all floors be like this one?" Carys sighed in bliss, seeing the Stairs with them.
"I agree, but only because we need to save Selene." Said Ezra shortly as a small earthquake shook the dungeon.
B3F
"I wonder what Pokemon the Unknown and Team Lunar Wind work for." Wondered Ezra, just after they had finished fighting Gastlys.
"I dunno. But if Lunar Wind was afraid of speaking their employee's name, then I guess she works for the Light, and the Unknown works for the Dark." Speculated Carys.
"That would make sense. I guess He is looking for her as well, so He had the Unknown try to lure her into the open." Agreed Ezra.
"Well, we're not gonna let them win!" Grinned Carys.
B4F
They were casually walking across the chamber when Ezra activated a Gust Trap. The trap spun under her feet—then flung her straight into the arms of a newly-spawned Exploud.
Angered, it used Uproar, but fortunately the effects were lessened due to Ezra being a ghost-type.
"Nice try." She said, recovering from the unexpected twist by using Flame Burst. Carys flung a Razor Leaf from afar as well, angering the foe even more. It used Hyper Voice, which gave Ezra a headache.
"You've made me very angry." She stormed, not wanting to deal with another headache. In response, the Exploud used Crunch on her, causing her to scream with pain.
She was released, and she felt rage shoot through her. Luckily, the Exploud had been burned due to Flame Body.
"Very angry indeed!" She shouted, KOing it with a final Flame Burst.
"Easy there, girl." Said Carys as she walked over.
Ezra said nothing, only channeled her rage into one last Flame Burst, which harmlessly hit the wall. Rage expunged, she turned back to Carys.
"I'm okay now." She said as they moved on.
B5F
"Stairs are always nice." Grinned Carys.
B6F
They didn't spawn with the Stairs, but a Spiritomb and Haunter arrived with them.
"Spiritomb is part dark-type. Be careful around it." Warned Carys as Ezra started the fight with a Night Shade directed at Haunter. It dodged, and threw a Shadow Ball at Carys, who was too slow to avoid it. Spiritomb followed up with a Sucker Punch onto the Pumpkaboo, who wailed in pain.
"Carys! Ergh, Hex!" Stormed Ezra, hitting the Haunter. It growled and Licked her, causing her to be paralyzed. Carys finished it off with a Shadow Sneak, then traded blows with Spiritomb. It dodged her Razor Leaf, but was caught by a Blast Seed. As it was recovering from that, Carys ended it with a Razor Leaf.
Presently, Ezra regained mobility, and they set off once more.
B7F
"Ugh, I'm glad we have you here, otherwise I dunno how we'd ever get outta here." Grimaced Carys. Ezra's flame was providing the only source of light in this wretched place.
"Yeah." She agreed absently, worried about the cave collapsing.
They entered a chamber, only to find a Monster House waiting for them.
"Argh!" Ezra shouted. A Monster House was the last thing they needed right now!
"Turn and run into the walls! Let's split up!" Said Carys as they backed out of the dungeon.
"I'll distract any ghost-types that follow you! Find the Stairs!" Said Carys, nudging Ezra into a wall.
"What?" Ezra protested.
"Just go! We can't deal with a Monster House right now!" Gritted Carys as she took out a Gastly with a Shadow Sneak.
"O-okay…." Said Ezra, turning into the wall and searching for the Stairs.
After ducking into chamber after chamber, she eventually found the Stairs.
B8F
Another tremor shook just as they spawned. A few rocks were jarred loose from the wall. Ez and Carys looked at each other worryingly.
"Luminous Orb?" Offered Carys. Ezra nodded and broke the Orb at her feet, pausing as the image of the map entered her mind.
"…The Stairs are just in this next chamber." She reported.
B9F
"I see Stairs." Pointed Ezra.
B10F
"Hah!" Shouted Carys as she threw a Gravelrock over Ezra's head and onto the Spiritomb Ezra was fighting in a corridor. It was enough to defeat it, but an Exploud came to take its place.
"Leave us alone! Flame Burst!" Snarled Ezra, who was sick of this crumbling dungeon. The Exploud returned with a Stomp, which Ezra nimbly dodged.
"That Exploud is holding a Luminous Orb!" Reported Carys as she lobbed another Gravelrock at the foe.
"Your Ability telling you that?" Asked Ezra after she used Ember.
"Yup." Confirmed Carys as the two finished the Exploud off with a Shadow-Burst.
Ezra picked up the dropped Orb.
"Should we use it now or later?" She asked.
"Hmm….We've come pretty far into the dungeon already. Let's use it on the next floor, if there is one." Said Carys.
"Alright then." Ezra said as she put away the Luminous Orb.
As luck would have it, the Stairs were in the next chamber they came into.
B11F
"Luminous Orb time." Said Ezra as she broke the Orb.
"…Over here." She said as the image came into her mind.
Rigid Cave Depths
They arrived at the end of the dungeon just as another tremor shook the land.
"Argh! Luckily we've come to the end. Let's find Selene and get outta here." Ezra winced as more rocks fell from the ceiling.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible." Said a sinister voice.
An all-black Bisharp came out of the shadows, along with a Shiny Delphox wearing a witch's hat and red Feraligatr. The latter two were holding a frightened-looking Lumineon between them.
"Selene!" Called Ezra.
"That's me, but who are you?" She asked, confused.
"We've come to rescue you! Luna and Umbra are waiting outside the dungeon." Said Carys.
"They wouldn't even come to rescue their own teammate? Some friends you have." Said the Delphox, shoving Selene a little.
"Hmph." Selene snorted. No doubt she knew the real reason why her teammates aren't rescuing her. To them, their duty was more important than their lives.
"Well, anyway, you two aren't the one we seek. Move along before you get hurt." The Bisharp made a shooing motion with his hand.
"Never! We're Team Banshee! It's our job to put outlaws like you in your place!" Exclaimed Ezra, gearing up for a fight.
"…..Very well. If it's a battle you want, then a battle you shall get!" The Bisharp snarled.
"Release Selene; My Lord will be much more interested in these interlopers. Perhaps they know where we can find our most hated foe." The Bisharp said as his teammates released the poor Lumineon, who fled the dungeon.
"Good luck, friends!" She shouted as she left.
"Swoooorrrddd, why did you do that? We could have kept her and these kids." Protested the Delphox.
"Your job is to obey me and not question me, Fire. Now, let us destroy these two." The Bisharp—Sword?—snarled, bringing his blades up.
"Do we really have to fight?" Sighed the Feraligatr.
"Yes." Sword and Fire chorused together.
Boss Battle!
Fire immediately kicked off the fight by using Magic Room, which confused Ezra and Carys.
"Oh no, I can't use my Stamina Band. Whatever shall I do?" Carys called mockingly over to her.
"Shut up. She was just taking a precaution." Snarled Sword as he dove in with a Night Slash aimed at Carys. She dodged, and Ezra took advantage as he recovered by hitting him with Flame Burst in the back.
He turned, snarling, and leapt at her. She was too slow to dodge, and was hit with an Assurance that sent her flying until she eventually crashed into the wall, dislodging a few rocks in the process.
"Do you mind?! I'd rather we not bring the walls on our heads!" She shouted at Sword after she got back to her feet. He said nothing, only prepared a Night Slash. Meanwhile, Fire was using Tail Whip, lowering Ezra and Carys' defense.
"War! Help me!" She hissed to the Feraligatr, who was standing by and doing nothing.
"Do I have to?" He complained.
"Yes." She and Sword chorused again. Grumbling, War halfheartedly sent a Hydro Pump at Carys, who easily dodged.
"There. I helped." He said, sitting back down.
"Useless! Ugh. Never mind." Sword sighed in annoyance, leaping at Ezra again. She tried to counter by hitting him with Flame Burst as he dove at her, but the Bisharp tanked the blow and hit her with another Night Slash.
"Ahh!" She cried.
"Ezra! Here!" Said Carys, tossing an Oran Berry at her.
"No." Said Sword, glowing red. The Oran Berry glowed red for a second as well, and suddenly it was too hot to hold. She shrieked in pain and dropped it.
"Embargo. We can't use items." Carys said grimly, just before she was hit with Will-o-Wisp from Fire.
Ezra gritted her teeth, and shot a Hex off at the annoying Fire. She howled in rage and glared at her, but otherwise did nothing in return. Taking advantage, Ezra used Night Shade, but this time Fire countered by using Light Screen, shielding herself from most of the blow while upping her team's special defense and special attack at the same time. Ezra fired off another Hex, but it didn't do much damage to the protected Fire. She retaliated with another Tail Whip, and Ezra was so absorbed in her that she didn't notice Sword coming up behind her. He hit her brutally with Assurance, and it was enough to knock her out.
Although Embargo was in place, it fortunately ignored Reviver Seeds, as Ezra was revitalized by a white light. She grinned wickedly at the two foes. War was busy writing what looked to be a musical piece nearby, ignoring the battlers.
"Ugh, Reviver Seeds. So unfair." Fire grimaced.
"I can defeat them as many times as I wish. I am not worried." Sword told her.
"Trick-or-Treat." Said Carys in response, aimed at Fire.
Ezra hit her with a Hex, and surprisingly this was enough to knock her out.
"So weak." War said idly, looking up from his notes for a minute before going back to them.
"I agree. No matter, I can defeat you by myself/" Sword agreed as he launched himself at Carys. She was subsequently knocked out by his buffed-up Assurance, thanks to Light Screen and Tail Whip.
"Carys! Ergh…" Ezra scowled and hit Sword with an Ember, hoping to burn him. It didn't work, and it only made the Bisharp angrier.
"War! Help me!" He roared at his teammate. War looked at Sword, then at Team Banshee, then back at Sword.
"Nah." He said eventually.
"Why?!" Demanded Sword.
"I don't like fighting. I'd rather be playing piano and making daisy chains in the sunshine." War said simply.
"I'm going to make a daisy chain out of you if you don't fight them!" Threatened Sword.
War's reply was lost as another earthquake struck. This one, however, was much powerful than the others, and a fissure was opening up in the ground.
"Change of plan. We get out of here!" Sword amended, seeing as the dungeon was finally collapsing. He and War picked up the fallen Fire, and hastily ran towards the exit.
Meanwhile, Ezra and Carys were being tossed and turned all over the place from the shaking. The fissure was opening wider and wider, and the ceiling rumbled from the oncoming landslide. The two could not for the life of them get to their feet. They were entirely at the mercy of the earthquake, which eventually tossed them into the ever-growing fissure in the ground…
The next thing Ezra knew, she was lying on soft grass, and there was something tickling her face. She opened her eye to find that a flower petal had fallen on top of her. She sat up to find that they were now outside in a strange place, covered in small pink flowers. The sun was shining high up ahead, and the terrain was starting to dip downwards. She felt for broken bones, and found only large bruises. Carus was beside her, still unconscious. It was a lush place, and they seemed to be under a small rocky alcove. In every direction except forward and down lay part of the mountain range. A dungeon of sorts seemed to be ahead. High above, Ezra could see the fissure that had pulled them down, and it seemed to be holding the ceiling from Rigid Cave, which was no more.
She heard Carys stir beside her.
"Ohh….what happened?" She asked, getting up.
"We fell from Rigid Cave and into this…secret valley. Are you okay?" She asked.
Carys moved her body a little bit.
"Yeah, just bruised. You?"
"Bruises too. We sure were lucky." Ezra remarked looking back up. Carys followed her gaze.
"Whoa, that's the ceiling from the dungeon! Wow." She marveled. The two turned towards the land in front of them. The only direction they could move was forward.
"I think a dungeon is up ahead. Where do you think it leads to?" Asked Ezra.
"I dunno. I guess we'll find out." Carys replied in a small voice.
Bracing themselves, they moved forward.
Thanks to Magnet Man for the Unknown! (Team Lunar Wind belongs to me)
Note: I received this OC a long time ago, so I am not breaking my own no-more-OCs rule. I had planned to have this OC appear at this time when I first started this fic. I had a role I needed to fill, and they fit nicely. A few more new OCs will appear in the future, but again, I have received them prior to my announcement.
The next post will contain: A dungeon, sinister siblings, and a confession.
The next post is also the Chapter 8 finale, but remember, I will dive straight into Chapter 9. See you then~