Chapter 4: Braving the Labyrinth.
YAY next chapter and time for Clearway Labyrinth! I see that this fanfic is definitely getting more attention than my previous one. I'm kinda bummed I haven't gotten a review yet. But hey once they get passed the hieroglyphs, that's when the story is really gonna get good! Now it's time the foursome to brace the mysterious maze from which they are trapped. Its ways are not for the faint of heart. Only the strongest of wills and the sharpest of minds can find their way through. They all have strong wills but if one of them falls, who will be the first to go? You could say the labyrinth sees this as a game. Its them vs its maze and its rules are if one loses, they all do. And you'll see what Clearway does with its losers.
Enjoy!
Clearway Labyrinth.
Branch slowly began to regain conciseness, lying flat on his back on a cold rocky ground. The last thing he remembered was trying to talk Poppy and Storm out of going any further on this adventure. Then that weird magic fog was somehow able to push them into the maze. Remembering that last part Branch realized where he was. A dangerous, only one way out death trap!
"GUYS!" Branch bolted up. He looked around getting back onto his feet. Luckily he heard the others groans as they were recovering from the fall. With the see through walls he looked over to see where they were. Unfortunately they were pretty spaced out from each other. "You guys okay? Anybody hurt?"
"I'm okay!" Poppy sounded off, sitting up, rubbing her head from the fall. When she looked around, she noticed they were each in some blue glowing square carved into the ground.
"I'm good!" Thunder sounded off, snapping his back.
"I've been better!" Storm groaned. She seemed to have gotten the worst landing. In her square she was upside down, her back up against a clear wall. Flopping over onto her belly to get up.
"Poppy!" Branch called out worried. "Stay there! I'll be right over!" Branch felt around for the walls and was about to exit his square. Until Thunder stopped him.
"Branch stop!" Thunder yelled. Thunder called out just in time too. Branch's leg was almost outside the square. "One thing I know for sure about this place, we have to start it together." Hearing Thunder's words Poppy looked again at the glowing squares they were standing in. That's when she understood, those spaces were starting points.
"He's right Branch!" Poppy stood up. "If we don't leave these spaces all at once, we lose." Seeing what they were talking about. Branch got to thinking of a way out.
"In that case I say before we start we should figure out this riddle." Branch suggested. "If we can figure it out maybe it'll get us out of here."
"Makes sense, sounds good to me." Storm popped her neck.
"Uh that's not happening." Thunder said.
"Why's that?" Branch questioned.
"I was going to do that first time." Thunder explained. "But after a certain amount of time, if we don't start soon the labyrinth will fail us."
"How do you know that if you're still alive?" Branch asked. His questioned was more or less answered, when the blue glowing squares they stood in all turned red.
"Call it a hunch!" Thunder panicked. "We gotta move! We'll have to figure this riddle out on the way!" Thunder felt around preparing to start the labyrinth.
"Trial by fire!" Storm readied herself.
"This place really doesn't pull it's punches." Poppy commented it's strict elaborate rules, all ready to start.
"First 5 minutes and I already can't stand this place!" Branch complained. "Alright everyone step forward in 3, 2, 1 GO!" With that, the four of them all at once stepped out of the starting points. The squares stopped glowing altogether and disappeared.
"Ok from here on we can't stop." Thunder ordered. "We'll have to walk and think at the same time." Then he bumped into a clear wall. "OW!" Thunder rubbed his nose but continuing anyway. "And make sure you really feel your way around."
"Despite the life threatening part of losing, this might actually be fun!" Poppy cheered. Like always she tries to look at the bright side of things.
"Give it about an hour." Thunder warned. "That's when it starts getting frustrating."
1 hour later.
"Yeah this isn't fun anymore." Poppy sighed. After an hour of invisible twists and turns. The four were indeed getting frustrated and tired.
"How big is this Labyrinth?!" Branch shouted to the cloudy sky. Along they're paths Poppy noticed oddly shaped crystals along the way. Many of them looked kinda like critters and creatures. Some were whole, some were worn down, in pieces or in halves. The others thought best to ignore them and move forward. But Poppy wondered what the nature of those crystals being there was. "I've been leaving a trail of bread crumbs to mark my path but it's becoming tedious."
"Any of you guys figure the riddle at all?" Storm slumped forward tired. "Cause so far I've got nothing."
"Well the 'Your path is clear with one way through' part is obvious." Branch said pointing through the clear walls to the out of reach exit. "But what does 'With every 100 will take its due' mean? A 100 what?" Another question of his was answered after asking it. After they took their next step, another glowing blue square form underneath each of them and a small tremor occurred. The four stopped but luckily nothing happened, whatever occurred was an exception allow them to stop. Poppy, Branch and Storm looked around confused. "What just happened?"
"Is this place giving us a break?" Storm hoped.
"This isn't working, I'm following my bread trail back and finding another way through." Branch was about to follow it. Until he was met with another invisible wall. "OW!" He held his nose. "What? But I came from this way!"
"Oh another thing I forgot to mention." Thunder began, him leaning up against a wall to take a breather. "Every now and then walls shift and change to a completely different format."
"I feel like this is information you should've shared with us PRIOR to the maze!" Branch shouted.
"Shoulda, coulda, woulda, didn't." Thunder said. "If I told you before you would've whined and complained. Plus I really don't like this place, I try to forget it." Poppy got to thinking. The Labyrinth changed after they took that last step together. She never put a lot of thought to it, but then it clicked.
"I got it!" Poppy shouted happily, gaining the others' attention. "I figured out the first part of the riddle."
"Great!" Storm cheered gaining some hope. "Does it give us a hint how to get out of here?"
"Um no." Poppy dropped her smile. Her answer made the other groan frustrated. "But I get it 'With every 100 will take its due'. With every 100 steps the Labyrinth changes its shape!"
"Well that explains a lot!" Thunder was happy to hear. "Kuddos Poppy! You just resolved a lot of confusion my first time through here."
"Thank you Thunder!" Poppy smiled.
"But the first time I came through the walk seemed longer the second round." Thunder remembered. "Maybe after the first hundred it goes to 200." Thunder guessed.
"By now that makes sense." Branch wasn't surprised. "Just another way this place makes it the longer you're here the harder it is." After Branch finished the blue squares turned red once more.
"Breaks over!" Storm panicked, as her and the others felt for the path. The four of them like it or not were all ready to continue. "3, 2, 1 Go!" The four then started their next round of walking. "Okay we really need to figure this out!"
Time skip.
It had been about another hour or two and the four only got more tired. Storm having not been in the mood to think anymore, started counting their steps to indicate the next Labyrinth change and to try and hold on to whatever sanity she had left. Poppy was also really starting to lose it. Not mentally but physically.
"I'm starving, can't I eat and walk at the same time?" Poppy asked either Branch or Thunder to answer. She really wanted to grab some food from her backpack, which was heavy making walking harder.
"Bad idea." Thunder answered. "If you walk and eat you'll get a cramp, stop and we all lose. It's like the riddle says 'Wills of steel the Labyrinth will test.' You can eat when we get out."
"If we get out!" Branch yelled.
"Could you be any more pessimistic?" Thunder asked the stickler.
"Yes." Poppy and Storm answered in unison. Poppy really started to slow down at this point.
"Poppy are you ok?" Branch worried, noticing her trudging.
"Not really." She answered. "How close is our next break?"
"Not close enough in my opinion." Storm answered, having counted. Storm also noticed and got concerned for Poppy. "You can do this Poppy! You're one of the strongest people I know."
But even the strongest of people can be weathered down over time. Poppy tired, wasn't feeling for the walls anymore walked into one. Even worse after she did, she slumped down on the ground exhausted. Giving the others grave looks.
"Poppy!" Branch called to her.
"Don't stop!" Thunder panicked.
"Poppy you need to keep going!" Storm tried to encourage her. All of a sudden the blue rocky terrain of the labyrinth all turned red, sensing that one of its players has stopped. "If you don't get moving we'll lose and we'll never get out of here!" Then she felt a weird sensation. "Hey, why can't I feel my foot?" When Storm glanced to see why. She was terrified to find the answer. Her foot was slowing being encased in crystal and creeping up the rest of her leg.
"Either I'm hallucinating or this place is literally growing on me!" Branch panicked, the same thing was happening to each of them. He tried to yank his foot free but the crystal continued to grow. Thunder tried clawing at it but found it was too strong to break. Branch looked over to see crystal creeping up on Poppy where she sat. It occurred to him what the last line in the second part of the riddle meant. "Slow down and stop then forever indeed we'll rest, in crystal!" Out of desperation Branch even tried chewing his leg off. Until the crystal had covered their whole leg, while for Poppy was up to her waist sitting down.
"This is a terrifying side to this place I didn't need to see!" Thunder still tried striking the crystal. "How are we supposed to keep moving if we're being frozen in place?"
"Maybe if we want to keep going, the one who stopped has to get going again?" Storm guessed looking back at Poppy. The crystal was growing slower on her then the rest of them and didn't seem as strong in density. "Poppy you need to keep going! Otherwise we'll be a bunch of shiny rocks!" Poppy still just sat there breathing heavily.
"Yeah I like rocks, but that doesn't mean I want to be one." Thunder breathed his fire on the crystal. By this point he was desperate enough to try fire breathing on himself. But the crystal while protected him from his own fire still wasn't yielding.
"C'mon Poppy you can't give up now!" Branch encouraged, while the crystal was up to his waist and going down his other leg. "When you put your mind to something it happens. If anyone can get back up again it's you!" That last line was able to get Poppy attention but she still felt too tired.
"He's right Poppy." Storm agreed. "You still have a dad, friends, and a village to go back too. Plus you're sure to have an awesome future. Think of what you might have ahead of you!"
Storm's last words made Poppy remember the last part of the riddle. To move forward, don't look ahead. Then to the exit you will be lead. Don't look ahead? There definitely wasn't anything to gain looking ahead since the walls were so see through. You always see the exit but that doesn't mean you can easily get to it. Looking up didn't help, all Poppy could see was the cloudy sky the overlook the labyrinth. When she looked down she noticed something. Around certain parts of the ground she could make out something faintly glowing. That was it! Along the ground was faintly lighted lines along the correct path to guide them out.
"Guys I figured it out!" Poppy gasped. Finally knowing how to get out and with the motivation her friends gave her, Poppy got her second wind. She planted her hands on the ground pushing herself up as the crystals that grew on her cracked and fell off her. With Poppy getting back up to move, the crystal holding the others lost its strength allowing them to break free.
"You did?" Storm burst her legs free.
"Yes! If you look at the ground there's a lighted path that'll show us the way out!" Poppy answered following along her lighted path.
"Really?!" Thunder brightened, looking and saw his correct path. "Yes! Let's get the heck out of here" Thunder bolted through the labyrinth.
"Finally something we can agree on!" Branch made his way down his.
Even though Poppy figured out how to get through the maze. It still took about another hour to get through. While Storm and Poppy were pacing themselves, Thunder and Branch being tired of that place were in a rush. In their rush they bumped into more than one wall along the way. But finally the four were graced with the reliving sight of the labyrinth's exit.
Outside Clearway Labyrinth.
Finally being lead to the labyrinth's canyon exit. The foursome found their way outside the rocky crystal landscape. Finding a beautiful low tree populated lush green meadow. Having exited the labyrinths cloudy skies, the sun's position would suggest it was late afternoon. The moment they reached the meadow grass, all four of them plopped onto the soft grass out of exhaustion and relief. "Finally!" Branch sighed.
"That place was amazing-" Poppy started. "-ly horrible. But the non-critter turned crystals were pretty!"
"On the up side we only had to go through it once." Thunder said muffled with his face in the ground. "When I made my way back the first, it was as it the place wasn't even there!"
"One mystery that place has I have absolutely no complaints about!" Storm flopped onto her back. She raised her head seeing how tired everyone was. Obviously none of them were in any condition to continue at the moment. It'd probably be a good idea to set up camp so they can regain the strength Clearway took from them. Forcing her tired self up so she can get a lay of the land. Luckily Storm spotted a pond nearby. "Alright come on guys!" Storm clapped for them to get up. "There's a pond nearby. We can rest once we set up camp." Branch and Thunder both whined but got up regardless. Poppy on the other hand was still too exhausted to move. "Poppy being the exception." Storm proceeded to pick Poppy up and carried her over to the pond while the boys followed.
"Oh that's ok Storm I can help." Poppy insisted.
"No." Storm denied. "You solved the riddle, got us out of Clearway and is the most tired out of the four of us. You're resting!"
"Agreed." Branch seconded, laying a sleeping bag for Poppy to rest. "I know you're not one to let others do all the work. But that place was a nightmare and you took the worst of it." He said to Poppy as Storm put her down on the sleeping bag.
"Here you can scrap about our venture through Clearway." Storm handed Poppy her scrapbook supplies from her bag. "It'll be productive, fun and make you stay put." Storm whisper that last part.
"Good idea Storm!" Poppy sat there, arranging her supplies.
"Right, cause I totally want a scrapbook to remind me I almost turned into a sculpture." Thunder said sarcastically, setting up a fire pit.
"Think of it more of others can read about that place so they know what they're in for." Storm clarified, pulling food out of their packs.
"Good to know our near petrified deaths will help others avoid it." Branch rolled out his sleeping bag for later.
While Poppy started scrapbooking their Clearway experience, Branch and the tragons continued setting camp up. The meadow seemed nice and peaceful enough they didn't need to set the tent up. Once everything was ready the boys decided to relax with a fishing contest and Storm decided to help Poppy with her scrapbooking, lying curled up behind her looking over her shoulder helping.
"Nah the crystals were brighter than baby blue, I'd use cyan." Storm suggested. Poppy nodded taking her advice cutting the paper, gluing them to others making scrap crystal. The whole thing still needed something.
"Aw cupcakes! I'm running low on glitter." Poppy saw her cup was less than half. "Storm your wings are covered in glitter, could you help?"
"I guess but my glitter is all purple." Storm pointed out. "That place was mostly blue. So do you want it to be pretty or accurate?"
"Yes!" Poppy answered, meaning she'd like both. "But I see your point." She stop to try and think of something.
"Thunder's wing glitter while a little purple is much closer to blue then mine if it helps." Storm offered. "I'd say it's indigo. At the very least it'll be more accurate than mine."
"Sure that'll work." Poppy accepted.
"Hey Thunder!" Storm called to her brother who was standing in the pond fishing. "Could you please come here? We need to borrow your glitter!"
"In a moment!" Thunder called back, his eyes focused on the water beneath him. "I'm busy taking Branch to school." A second after he said that, Thunder jerked his head into the water pulling a fish out in his teeth. Thunder then tossed it on his large pile of fish.
"I already have a fishing license." Branch said annoyed. Branch's pile only had two fish while Thunder's consisted of ten. Thunder's method of fishing was definitely more effective than Branch's fishing rod. "Maybe you should be disqualified for not having one?"
"Like critters do in the wild." Thunder gave Branch a look. As a tragon Thunder is a critter meaning not all troll rules apply to him and Storm. Although unlike Thunder, Storm lives in Troll Village and follows through with their rules anyway. To honorably be part of their community. And as far as the village was concerned she was just another troll. A troll with wings, fangs, claws, horns, a tail and fire breathe. Which is basically what a tragon was anyway.
"Come on guys!" Poppy called to them. "You've fished long enough and I think it's safe to say Thunder won Branch." She gestured to the tragon in questions pile.
"Fine." Branch sighed in defeat, gathering his only two fish. Thunder waded his way out of the pond, gathering his fish. The two piled their fish together by the fire pit. While Branch got to starting a fire to cook them, Thunder went over to help the girls.
"What do you guys need?"
"Those indigo colored reflective particles biologically attached to your wings." Storm described, pointing at his wings.
"Sure thing!" Thunder said gladly. He was about to flap his wing to get the glitter off, till Storm stopped him.
"No!" Storm yelled in alarm. "Glitter flaps should only be used offensively."
"Oh right, sorry." Thunder sheepishly apologized. Instead he used his claws to gently scratch his glitter off into Poppy's cup.
"Thank you Thunder!" Poppy thanked him, picking up the cup sprinkling the glitter on her scrapbook.
"No prob!" Thunder blushed. "To be honest it's nice to use my glitter in a non-offensive way."
That gave Poppy a curious look. "What do you mean?"
"Well I myself am not very scrappy." Thunder shrugged. "The only times I really use my wing glitter is as means of distracting enemies. I don't really use them for nonfighting craft."
Storm rolled her eyes. "Seems like a nice change."
That part of the conversation gave Branch an idea. "Speaking of fighting craft." He gained the others' attention. "Another thing you've missed since last time Thunder. Poppy and Storm have taught me a thing or two about Hair-Jitsu."
"Yeah your DJ friend mentioned that." Thunder recalled. "What, you aren't challenging me to a Hair-Jitsu dual are you?"
"And what if I am?" Branch crossed his arms.
"Trap-offs, sing-offs and fishing contests are one thing. But when it comes to the physical and follicle strength of Hair-Jitsu, nothing beats a tragon. Plus I know Storm's rookie moves, which I'm certain she taught you first."
"Hey, I've given Storm a run for her money!" Branch protested.
"I wouldn't say run." Storm added. "More like a light jog." Branch shot her a glare and signaled her to zip it.
"Nonetheless it'll take a few minutes for the fish to cook." Branch gestured to the freshly caught fish roasting over the fire. "I say I can take you." Branch gave Thunder's chest a poke.
Thunder chuckled at Branch's challenge. "Oh, bring it!"
"I guess competition is just how they work things out?" Poppy guessed, watching the two males walk over to a clearing.
"Pretty much." Storm nodded. "It's not all that different how you and Branch work out arguments." She pointed out, giving Poppy a smirk.
"Touché."
Branch and Thunder began to circle the clearing. "You're not gonna go out and use your fire to burn whatever hair moves I use are you?" Branch asked his opponent.
"No way!" Thunder strictly answered. "Using wings in a trap-off is different. Hair-jitsu battles must be fair and honorable. You can't fly or breathe fire, so I won't do either against you. But I can't just use none of my tragon skills so tails are fair enough." Branch shrugged seemingly okay with that at least.
"That's so nice and sporting of Thunder!" Poppy commented.
"Honor and Hair-Jitsu is like snow and winter." Storm summarized. "What's the point of having them if they're not together?"
Thunder stopped circling and finally charged at Branch, lunging to pin him with a hair-jitsu tackle. Branch thinking fast ran back at him to slide underneath Thunder's tackle. As Thunder missed Branch took the opportunity to grab him with his hair. Branch swung to slam him into the ground, but Thunder caught himself before he could. Thunder used his tail to grab Branch's hair, flipping himself back onto his feet pulling Branch over. Thunder then swung Branch's hair around him, tying him up in it and used him as a troll yo-yo. That move got Poppy and Storm to laugh.
"So is this all you got or do you want some more?" Thunder snickered as he was yo-yoing Branch. To who which Branch growled at.
"I'm not done with you yet!" Branch unraveled himself. Getting back on his feet. Branch tried to push Thunder back with a 'stamp the bow'. Thunder braced himself and stood his ground taking the hit. After being push back. Thunder used the long distance to roll himself up into a giant hair ball jetting straight for Branch. Branch used 'harvest the mushroom' to dodge. But Thunder's hair spin turned around after Branch again. Branch made sure to try dodging every time Thunder came back around. After a lot of hair spinning Thunder started to slow down. So Branch used his hair to stop Thunder in his tracks. Thunder unrolled himself, stumbling dizzily. With Thunder vulnerable, Branch hair-jitsu tackled him. Branch sat on Thunder's neck and used his hair to hold Thunder's hands together, pinning him down. "You ready to give up Thunder?"
Thunder shook his head to shake off the dizziness. "No way! I'm just getting started!" Thunder rolled over onto his back and onto Branch, using his body to pin him back. With the weight of Thunder on him Branch was having a hard time breathing. So to counteract Thunder, Branch wrapped his hair around Thunder's neck. "You let go!" Thunder gagged.
"No, you get off!" Branch choked.
"I can't breathe!" Thunder began to turn blue.
"Neither can I!" Branch turned… bluer.
"I'm not yielding!"
"Well I'm not yielding!"
Seeing that neither one of them was giving up, Storm got up to intervene. "Okay unless you two want to suffocate each other. I suggest you consider this one a draw." Neither of them liked the idea. But considering no air was entering their lungs. It seemed like the better option. Branch let go of Thunder and Thunder got off of Branch. The two gasped getting back on their feet allowing air to refill their lungs.
"This isn't over!" Branch signaled he'll be watching Thunder.
"Likewise." Thunder made his way to the pond, splashing some water on his face. After Storm broke them up, she laid back down by Poppy.
"Boys." Poppy and Storm complained in unison, watching the two storm off from each other. To blow off some steam.
Time skip.
After a few hours the sun was beginning to set, marking the evening. Branch and Thunder were finally able to chill. Allowing the four of them to all settle by the campfire. Branch having been distracted by their battle, left the fish cooking a little too long. But overdone a bit or not they were still good fish. Since the boys caught twelve altogether, Branch divided them evenly among the four of them. Three fish each way. The tragons gladly took the more overcooked ones. Having not being as bothered as the trolls would've been. Storm and Thunder ate their fish straight up gnawing on them. While Poppy and Branch ate theirs on sticks.
"I gotta say Branch that was a great use of 'harvest the mushroom' during your guys' dual." Storm commented, swallowing a bite of her fish.
"Thanks Storm." Branch blushed.
"So you guys taught him?" Thunder asked the girls. "I didn't think Branch had the patience for hair-jitsu."
"I know right?" Poppy agreed.
"That's what I thought too." Storm also agreed. Of course their agreed assumption on Branch's impatience made him frown. "He was pretty eager to learn though."
"A little too eager at times." Poppy added. "But regardless he turned out pretty well." That however put a smile on Branch's face. "With enough practice he might make a great hair-jitsu master someday." And he dropped it.
"Wait I'm not a master?" Branch asked. "But I got a black hairband."
"Oh, no the black hairband just obligates you to learn hairball-duken." Storm explained. "I don't think there's any official way to determine if ones a master or not. I guess just practice enough till you can do it with ease?" Storm glanced at her brother. "I'm sure mom and dad had some way of knowing. Too bad we never got to complete our training."
"I don't even know if I'm actually a master." Poppy admitted. "I mean I've been doing it for years and it's come pretty easy to me. But like Storm said we've had no official way of knowing."
"Well then hopefully this hair-jitsu journey will be enlightening." Branch sighed at this relavation, continuing to eat his dinner.
"Not regretting coming along now huh?" Thunder nudged Branch's shoulder. Branch swatted Thunder to go away.
"Can we please eat the rest of our dinner in silence now?" Branch asked annoyed but politely. The three agreed continuing with their meals.
One hour later.
After an hour the four of them had finished their fish dinner, washed up at the pond and decided to watch the sunset together. The view the meadow allowed showed a beautiful end to the day. The sun was occupied by a light number of clouds. The sun's angle on the horizon shining on the clouds painted an amazing picture. After a few minutes Branch yawned stretching his arms.
"Well I don't know about you guys." He started, getting up. "But I'm still beat from that maze and sore from being squashed by a tragon." He finished squinting at Thunder. "I'm gonna turn in. If you guys could be quiet, I'd really appreciate it." He walked to his sleeping bag getting under its covers.
"Yeah I'm out too." Storm readjusted her spot by Poppy. "Watching you two strangle each other is pretty tiring."
"Me too." Poppy got comfortable in her sleeping bag, laying up on Storm like a pillow. Which the tragon gladly welcomed. If there's one thing tragons are good at, it's cuddling. Poppy even took Storm's arm to cuddle.
"Looks like we all have the same idea." Thunder yawn and curled up by the fire.
Branch raised his head. "Shouldn't someone keep watch?"
"Don't worry this meadow is pretty and peaceful." Thunder answered. "I've been here before remember. The hieroglyphs are really nearby. When we get up in the morning, it won't take us long to get to them."
"If you say so." Branch mumbled, laying his head back down.
"Goodnight guys." Storm said.
"Night." Branch and Thunder replied. Poppy had already fallen asleep. She was still the most tired and cuddling Storm didn't make staying awake any easier.
Nighttime.
This time around for Storm. Her dream started out the same as usual but this time continued differently. Once again a guitar appeared before her. While it was still dark and edgy looking, this one was different then the same one that appeared the last two times. Storm knew better than to reach for it after her last dreams. For a few moments she just quietly studied it. Not the same one or not, it had the same nature as the previous. It still wasn't like any guitar back home in Troll Village.
Storm was scared by a shadow suddenly appearing next to her. She silently and feardully stepped away from it getting a better look. The shadow that stood there was in the shape of another tragon. But judging by the shape of its horns, wings and ears. It wasn't Thunder, her parents or her. All she could see was its left side but whoever this tragon was, she didn't know. The shadow slowly walked towards the guitar and grabbed it. After it did, a red aura creeped from the guitar onto it. The shadow then opened to reveal red glowing eyes. Storm was getting more startled at was she was witnessing. When she started to back away, the shadow turned its head to face her. Being face to face revealed the shadow had dual scars over its right eye. The shadow stepped forward, narrowing its eyes, growling at her. Storm would've backed away further but she bumped into a wall. Cornered, the shadow lifted its hand and took a single powerful shred at the guitar it held. The noise and what felt a powerful push from the guitar shocked Storm awake.
Storm looked around regaining herself. Branch and Thunder was still asleep but she didn't feel Poppy lay against her. She looked to see Poppy sitting by the pond.
"Poppy, are you okay?" Storm walked over and sat next to the young queen.
Poppy was startled by Storm at first. "Oh hi Storm! I guess." She answered, returning her gaze to the pond. "I just had a bit of a nightmare." An idea came to her, looking back at Storm. "Storm you have a head and a tail. Do you think you could make heads or tails what it might've meant?"
"That's a metaphor but I'll take a crack at it."
"Well there was this weird guitar, then this-"
"Scary red-eyed, scarred shadow appeared, took the guitar and threateningly strummed it right at you?" Storm guessed, finishing Poppy's sentence. Poppy had a surprised look so she was probably correct.
"Y-yes! How'd you know? Tragons can't sense what others are thinking can they?
"We're not psychic. Anyway, I had the same dream!"
"It can't be a coincidence we both had it could it?"
"No clue. I feel as if the further we go on this adventure, the more intense these dreams are getting."
"So you've already been having dreams like it? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want you to worry. I thought they'd go away. Something tells me they have something to do with this trip. I'm willing to bet whatever we find on it might clarify what we saw."
"If you really think so." Poppy stood up. "But if that's the case, we should get back to sleep. If we want to find answers, we'll need to be well rested for it." She walked back to her sleeping bag.
"Whatever you say your highness." Storm teased, she got up to join Poppy but she could've sworn she saw something glow over the pond. But when she looked again there was nothing there. Storm decided to dismiss whatever it was, walking over to continue sleeping, cuddling Poppy. After the two fell back asleep, a small mysterious wisp of pink fire appeared over the pond. The wisp unnoticeably danced above the two before disappearing once again.
To be continued.
We're really getting into the story now! I hope that dream and that wisp brought a good mystery element to this. If you want to find out the nature of their appearance. You'll have to stick around for it. I also hope Clearway Labyrinth had a good mysterious but threatening feel to it. I'm glad I got a hair-jitsu battle into this. It'd be weird if a fanfic revolving around it wouldn't have one. Don't worry there'll be plenty later. Just wait and see!
Please leave a review!
Purple-Eyes Out!