Journey of the soul chapter 62

Well, we now have double the amount of chapters as we did during the finale. Gotta say, I didn't think I'd get this far.

Hunter: does that mean that the champions arc is longer than the original arc?

Ha! That's a good one. The original arc ended with chapter 40. We still gotta ways to go.

Spinax: So when we hit chapter 78 it'll be even.

I said 40 Spinax. You can do basic addition.

Spinax: are we really counting "update of the soul" as its own chapter?

Touché. Speaking of chapters that will become regrets, say hi to Hunter being an idiot!

Spinax: hi

Hunter: hey, wha-

Enjoy!

Fossil battles are a part of every person's life at the caliosteo islands. So when a round in the biggest tournament in about twenty years gets postponed for a third time due to criminal activity, it leaves the people with not much to do. Some competitors review vivosaur teams, others spend their off days relaxing. As for Hunter, he chose to spend his time sitting in a snow drift while an alien lectured him on how to keep calm.

"If you keep scowling like that, this will take much more time." Duna commented.

"It distracts from how wet my butt is right now." Hunter sat with his eyes closed on a snow mound in hot spring heights. Duna was standing next to him with a small tablet. The tablet corresponded to a black band that was snapped onto Hunter's wrist. Duna was able to monitor his heart while he tried to relax. In reality, it was just a reminder that there was no point to this other than whatever crapshot reason that Alvis probably wasn't going to tell him.

"I don't even get why I have to do this," he relayed his frustration to Duna, as Spinax was so deep in meditation he had probably ascended to a higher plane of existence by now.

"No offense, but you're nowhere near a therapist and I'm not even close to patient enough to sit through something like this right now. It's been three days and Alvis still calls me 'emotionally charged'" after getting back from mt. Krakanak, Rupert had strangely insisted on reporting to joe. Hunter had gone to find Duna in the meantime and the two of them had been at the whole "meditation" thing for a while now.

"Perhaps that is the problem, Alvis. Your heart always quickens when you talk about him."

"Quicken? Good, maybe I'll have enough evasion to avoid him then." Duna went on, ignoring him.

"Tell me, why does he bother you so much? From what I have seen of him, he is not a bad person."

"I don't think he's a bad guy either, it's just…" he silently deliberated over telling the truth, "…he's actually the one that asked me to come here. He wanted me to be Lila's mentor since I'm…decent at fossil battles. The frustrating part is when he tries to railroad all my choices with no explanation like a parent."

"And your parents don't normally act that way?"

"My parents are dead," for the first time in three days, he got a genuine reaction out of Duna. Her eyebrows flew up.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be so blunt."

"Think nothing of it. What you should be thinking about is keeping your heart from beating in triples like it did just now." Just like that, the conversation was over. He had tried to at least be friends with Duna once again, but she obviously hadn't fully forgiven him for lying and apparently keeping secrets about…himself.

"Honestly, Lila doesn't need me to be a good fighter." He said to no one in particular, "she'll be great on her own."

"And exactly what do you know about Lila?" Duna pretended to act like she was just making conversation, but Hunter knew her well enough to hear the anxiety in her voice.

"Well, she's pretty strong-willed, and definently cares about people she likes. There's also the fact that I think she likes playing with vivosaurs more than fossil battles. And…well…she can do some strange things sometimes. Like this one time I swear I could see sparks coming from her." Hunter could see Duna's shaken expression through a half-closed eye.

"That is…certainly interesting. Anything else?"

"Oh yeah, the fact that she's standing behind you with a snowball." Duna instinctively turned around.

"Gotcha." Hunter smirked…for about two seconds before he was clocked in the head with a snowball from Duna, "you are just the epitome of assisting in relaxation aren't ya?"

"Honestly, I am surprised you did not immediately throw one back."

"I just didn't feel like it," he shrugged. Apparently, this was what tipped Duna over the edge.

"And there is the crux of your problem, a lack of energy. I have seen how you behave around others. Aside from Todd, Lila, and sometimes myself, you act disinterested and distant at best, and rude at worst."

"Huh." Hunter shoveled fresh snow out off the ground and bit into it while he pondered, "I guess that…there just hasn't been a lot to enjoy lately."

"And what do you enjoy."

"That's an easy one. Fossil battles."

"That much is obvious, anything else?"

"Well, teaching Lila, digging for fossils when there's new ones to be found, cleaning fossils."

"That all ties back to fossil battling."

"Because it's awesome!" Hunter jumped up with more energy then he's had in a while, "I've had a lot of great memories being a fossil fighter, and I want to keep making more. That's why I'm gonna win the cup and then become the greatest fighter in the world!" He pointed a finger towards the sky and Spinax snapped out of ascension with a loud cracking noise. Hunter heard silent whimpers as the vivosaur tried to keep himself from roaring with passion.

"That is certainly…ambitious." Duna commented. Hunter suddenly felt very paranoid. Did he just reveal too much by getting caught up in the moment?

"Sorry, I bet that sounds kinda stupid."

"Don't be, I have learned that dreams are an integral part of what a person is."

"Did you just use a contraction?"

"…what?"

"Never mind." Tell her, tell her now. He struggled internally for a few seconds.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Yes."

"Why do you want to win the cup? What's your dream?" Duna closed her eyes for a moment. Hunter watched snow cling to her hair and slowly float back down as she turned.

"I am actually here at the request of Alvis as well. I was convinced by Rosie to join in the cup. As for my dream…a world where people don't have to run or hide from anything, and aren't treated wrongly for past mistakes." The words hung in the air for a moment.

"Duna, I…" a loud beeping noise cut Hunter off and sent him falling back into a snowdrift. His paleopager had went off yet again.

"The 5th round of the caliosteo cup will now begin. Competitors Hunter Cloud and Duna Nichs, please make your way to the fossil stadium." Of COURSE that was the matchup.

"Well, I suppose I shall see firsthand why you enjoy fossil battles," Duna extended a hand to Hunter and he shook it.

"Best of luck to you, Hunter Elwood."

"Yeah, you too." Hunter waited until Duna left, then shoved his head into the snow.

"Dammit! I was this close! Every time I try to tell her, something stops me!"

"The universe has spoken," Spinax said in an airy voice, "then again, the universe can go screw off." Hunter nodded in agreement.

"Alright, game plan. Duna's transformation is a water vivosaur. You might be seeing some action as long as I can keep it under control.

"I'm always up for action with another man's girl, now what about the other two vivosaurs?"

"I'm going to choose to ignore that and just say that I don't know what the other vivosaurs could be, but we gotta win this one If we want to move on to the semi-finals."

"Yes, that usually is how a tournament works, now let's go keep your girlfriend safe by beating the crap out of her!"

"…My life is unnecessarily complicated." Hunter stood up and began to make his way out of the dig site. Today, he told himself, he would tell her today. The thought of keeping secrets any longer kept eating away at his soul. Hunter climbed into the teleporter and in an instant, was back at illum village. He walked back up to the fighters station and was surprised to see the scene before him as the automatic doors opened.

"C'mon! It's a great idea!" Todd was enthusiastically gesturing to Rupert as the two had a conversation by the front desk. Pauleen was also there and looked excited…maybe? Hard to tell with the mask.

"For the last time Todd, I don't have the time to join your patrol team. I'm much too busy."

"Busy with what?" Hunter inserted himself into the conversation, "training vivosaurs? Trust me, you'll get plenty of practice on the patrol team."

"Must you all be so persistent?" Rupert sighed, "I've already said I can't-"

"Oh please," pauleen scoffed. Rupert seemed moderately surprised that he got cut off, "the great Rupert can't handle a little side work?"

"It's not that. My fa-er…schedule would not allow this." Hunter, incredulously, felt a bit of pity towards Rupert.

"Hey, we aren't gonna force you to join, but I know that you want the cup to continue just as much as we do. So what'd you say?" Hunter put his arm in the gap between the group. Todd followed shortly and pauleen put her hand in as well. Rupert sighed again, but there was a hint of laughter underneath it.

"You all really are the oddest bunch I've ever met."

"Watch it pal, I'm still in the cup," pauleen was probably mock-glaring under the mask. Rupert put his hand in the group and they all broke away with a small shout.

"So, does this make me a mascot now?" Spinax chimed in, "cause I'm not dressing in some costume and breakdancing for you all."

"I don't think you'd need a costume." Hunter replied. The celebration was cut short however, as Rupert's father had walked into the station.

"Rupert. Come here, now." Was all he needed to say. Rupert immediately stopped smiling and walked over with his ear tilted downwards. Hunter and Todd exchanges looks.

"I gotta…" Hunter started. Todd nodded.

"We'll go try and talk to Rupert's father, you go ace your match. Good luck!" They exchanged a quick fist bump before Todd jogged away to try and catch up to Rupert. Pauleen shook her head, but jogged after them as well. Hunter turned around and walked towards the common room. As he let the automatic doors open, a chill shot down his spine.

"I don't know why, but I feel like something important is about to happen."

"Why?" Spinax asked, "you're only fighting your girlfriend who doesn't know that she's your girlfriend in a tournament that decides whether or not you'll be a wanted criminal for the rest of your life. Along with the fact that if you get too emotional in this fight you could not only start acting completely different but also reveal a dead giveaway that you are, in fact, a wanted criminal. What could possibly be significant about that?"

"Thanks for the sarcasm."

"I try." Surprisingly, only Duna was in the common room. Usually, other fighters would be preparing as well. He walked up next to her as they waited for the doors to open. Spinax completely shut down, trying make as little noise in the confines of Hunter's mind as possible.

"Alright, let's do this." Hunter cracked his knuckles in mock competition.

"I assume you will not be withholding strength in this battle, because I do not plan to either."

"Of course, I want to win this just as much as you do. Probably more though," he added that last part in his head. Duna sighed and, surprisingly, laughed.

"You are a strange person, Hunter,"

"I've heard."

"Yes, but now especially so, when you insist on keeping up this farce." The words hung in the air for a moment. Realization hit him square in the chest, right in the scar. As the door to the arena opened, both Hunter and Duna walked silently out to greet the roaring crowd. Hunter could feel the eyes on his back as he began to walk to the opposite end.

"Please, let me-"

"Hunter, don't." The words didn't come from Duna's mouth, they rattled in his head like pieces of a puzzle he had just put together. She knew, Duna knew all along. Of course she did. She always knew.

"I can't do this Spinax." Hunter slumped downwards as he turned to face her down.

"You don't have to, not alone anyway." Hunter felt the medal spin in his holder. Hunter didn't share that excitement. Duna was obviously mad at him, but he couldn't talk to her, not here. He watched as Duna transformed into a beautiful raptor like vivosaur. He felt his body move as he pulled spinax's medal out of the holder, but his mind was elsewhere. The two vivosaurs stared each other down on the field.

"I waited," the fight began as Duna spoke into His brain. He could feel the weight of the words.

"I waited for quite a bit, but you never came back." Hunter saw water splash around through his blurry vision.

"I could understand why of course. There was no way you could be safe back at the island."

"But still, I waited."

"Eventually, waiting turned into hoping, and then not even hope was left."

"I was certain you were captured, or possibly worse."

"And then the preliminaries of this wretched tournament arrived."

"Those memories are blurry, but I remember dark blue eyes in the crowd of participants."

"That is why I came here, because I knew you would be as well." Spinax roared in fury as Duna ran her claws down his tail, he fired a cyclone that sent her careening into the wall.

"At first, I did not think it was you. Merely a boy named Todd with his friend. And then we spent more time together. The way you smiled whenever I spoke, your wistful look at the ocean. Underneath the facade, you were there."

"But that person was buried under so many lies. I tried to stop you. I told you you shouldn't be acting this way. You always would tell me that if a human was lying for themselves, they weren't to be trusted."

"It did not work. You opened up to Dynal, I could see that much, but not me. Do you know how that feels? To be cast aside? I suppose you might, but that person was not the one I wanted to find."

"For a while, I tried to convince myself that I could live with the lies. That I could be happy spending time with you as long as the lies ended at some point. Then I realized the truth. It would not help. The person I knew was gone, replaced by the person standing against me now. Tell me, what is your name? Can you say it?" Spinax knocked Duna to the ground, she reverted back to her dinaurian form. However, that didn't stop her. Duna looked forward until she was a few feet from Hunter. Both of them had tears in their eyes. Duna grabbed Hunter's shoulders and violently shook him.

"Say your name. Now, I need to hear it!" Hunter felt the words form in his mouth, but they wouldn't come out. It was as if something was physically stopping him.

"I…I..," he struggled through strangled breaths.

"Say it you damn liar!" Duna practically screamed.

"I…can't."

"Then Hunter Cloud really is dead." And with that, both of them collapsed into the ground, losing conscious.

(The next couple chapters will have no intros)