-CHAPTER 3: An Unlikely Harvest-

The underground showed almost total darkness, with only light shapes of stalactites from up ahead showing the path in front of both Globox and Yura. Then... a light glimmer of light came into view, leading into an opening. He made his way towards it - the view of voodoo items hung upon the walls caused his hands to shake slightly.
"Sure looks cold down here...!"
"That's what you get when your daily hobby is stopping intruders to get into my den", Yura nodded.
With a wink, she went into the opening herself. The view of her den was brought up into full - a rug across the floor, a tattered sofa to her right, a curtain with random lums on it hanging at the back of the room, and several pointed spears sent out towards the floor were seen in front of them both.
"Within the past few years," she started, "I've had terrorists try and smuggle their way into here, stealing my possessions. Which is why I think you should be careful around this de-" she instantly turned to Globox with shock. "No, don't stand on the rug!"
Globox's pupils shrank at the response, and then he looked down. At that stage, he seemed to almost accidentally step upon the rug in the middle of the floor. He placed his foot safely on the ground next to the other, and lifted the rug up, showing a wooden block with a hook holding a springing device.
"A giant mouse trap?" he pondered.
"Trust me, it's the only way to get them cheesed off around here", Yura replied with a wink.
The remark caused Globox to show some sort of agitated look about him. Then, the pair shifted away from the rug and onto the sofa. At this stage, Yura's face started to show that of very deep concern. This left her to look up towards him, whom soon gave out a question back towards her.
"So have you thought about a way to get back with the male teensies?"
She gave out an agitated sigh. "Tried several discussions, but they still can't see past my face and shabby clothes."
She took a hard tug upon her gown, before jumping off and pacing up and down the room walking in small fairysteps and with her hands behind her back. At several instances, her hair started to hide her worried face before rebounding off her nose and falling right behind her head once again.
"And here I am wondering where baby Teensies come from", she muttered to herself. "If only if I knew, then I'm sure to find people like myself around here."
She then started to shake her head, before she walked right around the room. When she came towards the sofa, she jumped onto it, with a face filled with despair. She soon buried her face with a combination of her hair, the arm of the furniture, and the flab brought around Globox's stomach.
"Could you remember who created you?" Globox asked her.
"I don't know. It was like I couldn't remember anything one minute, but the next, I was looking around some marsh, being watched over by a bunch of fairies."
She looked up towards Globox, who started to show a more curious look back. The thoughts about the fairies and the marshes sprung to mind, and as he did that, he brought his hand right underneath Yura's mass of hair, giving her what felt like a massage around her neck.
"Don't feel bad", sympathised Globox. "If we find the fairies, then we should get some hamsters! uh... answers!"
That cry caused him to slap himself across the head with his own hand, before looking back down at Yura, whose face started to get more lightened. Soon, silence came between the pair, and that left him to jump off the sofa and softly approach the curtain.
Yura's eyes widened. "Why are you going in there, Globox?"
There was no answer. He placed his hands upon the fabric, feeling the soft textures brought upon it. A light smile came across his face. Then, he lifted some of it up, instantly showing some crates across the floor inside the opening. Meanwhile... Yura's face started to turn red.
"Hands out, this is my private store!"
She jumped off from the sofa and took a hold of Globox's hand... but while that happened, the curtain was ripped away from its bar. That left then motionless for a while, as... in front of them, aside from the crates, was a rose with multicolored petals.
"Is that..." he paused, "the Blossom of Time?"
"Yeah, so it is. Got a problem with that?"
She folded her arms, and started tapping her feet. Then, she turned in Globox's direction, whom happened to show a determined look upon his face. That caused her to start scratching the tip of her head lightly with one of her fingers.
"Someone came and sent me to get it, to bring me back with my wife", he said with a straight face. "I've been trusting her since we were young children..."
As he spoke, a vision started to creep over his mind, showing a picnic site. He and Uglette were seen as toddlers, coming together... but Globox accidentally tripped and rammed his head into her back, causing her to start crying and running away from him.
"Although it didn't quite go to a good start," he continued speaking, "we've managed to get along better over time."
Other visions of their childhood life were brought to his view, gradually getting better. Their late childhood forms had them sharing toys to each other, but... Uglette ended up with the head of the Teensie plushie she received falling off. Their teenage aliases were brought into a romantic kiss, when suddenly, they ended up with their heads smacked by a tree because of a wandering greenbottle.
"Without her, I have no one to love and respect", he frowned. "I hope the flower can help me with that."
Their much younger adult forums then had them at the back of their home, successfully embracing each other. Then... the memories faded out, and that left him showing some of himself looking on at the flower, and another part of himself feeling a bit on the depressed side, with a tear falling down his face.
"Awww, come here", Yura smiled with a reassuring look.
She stroked Globox sweetly upon the stomach, and then she climbed up towards his head, taking a light hug around it. That caused him to look back at her, with a smile brought upon his face. Then, she climbed back down, and stood near the crates.
"I would have loved it for you to take it, but I've been told that it hasn't been budged for centuries. I don't know what would happen if it would eventually get removed!"
At this point, her fingers started to shake with anxiety. She soon started pacing up and down the room again, trying to hold her bubbling expressions within her. As that happened, Globox tried to open his mouth to speak, but... the sound of a few foosteps caused him to stop in mid-action.
"Shhh, you can speak later!" Yura whispered. "Quick, hide!"
She pointed back at the sofa, and that was where they both took cover behind it. They then brought their heads slightly above it, and into their view, a few shadows were seen coming into the room. Then... the figures holding the shadows came in, showing themselves as Ly and her party.
"There's the flower! Let's retrieve it, for the primordial core!"
Behind her, both Murfy and Clark gave each other a high-five. Then, the three started approaching it together. At this time, Yura's hands started to shake again, leaving her with no other choice but to jump out from behind the sofa and in front of the three of them.
"Oh, look what's shown up - a pint sized Joan of Arc for our viewing pleasure", said Murfy, rolling his eyes.
"If you want the flower," the Teensie started, "you have to get past me first! Besides, I don't know what will happen if you take it from its undisturbed spot!"
She posed like a hockey goalkeeper, and brought her whole self over the flower with a leer in her eyes. The others then looked at each other, knowing that she might have made a mistake in guarding the flower. Then, Ly turned away from the others, and brought her eyes to a more graceful appearance.
"Let me just take a close look at this."
She then walked over to Yura, bringing a part of herself inside the cavern. Then, she crouched down onto one knee, and brought one of her hands around her nose. The teensie's looks started to show more nerve upon contact, with her feet starting to curl tighter.
"Listen little girl, as a fairy I can be able to control over this without causing much damage. It won't bite."
"Magical being or not, you're still not taking it!" snapped Yura. "Why do you need it?"
"Besides," shouted Globox's voice, "you ain't the only one that needs it!"
All of a sudden, Globox jumped out from behind the sofa, and looked on at all four of them. Then, he brought up his chest and walked over to the two girls; Ly just blinked at him back, while Yura started jumping up and down with her fists clenched tight.
"Globox, I told you to stay there!"
"But I'm more worried about Uglette than ever! If you take it, how can I be able to love again?"
He brought his head down, showing a look that combines failure and desperation. Ly's face started to show more deep concern with every second at looking at him, while back with Murfy, he was seen with his arms folded at their tightest and his teeth almost gritting each other.
"He's got a touching story, but should we believe him?"
He brought his eyes over to Clark, hoping to expect an intelligent response back, but... the first thing he saw on him was a tear being brought down his face. The greenbottle's face started to show shock at the sight of this change in personality.
"Okay, what's the matter, you big baby?" he asked with a growl.
Clark couldn't help but sniff at this point. "I... can't love as much as I used to without my grandma!"
Without any second thoughts, he brought his arms around Murfy as tight as he can, trying to hold back his incoming sorrow. That left the greenbottle struggle to break free, bringing his arms up and down against the surface of Clark's fist. Back with the girls, Yura came closer to Ly and stroked her lightly upon her hands.
"Okay, if you want the flower so badly then how about we come to a compromise?" Yura asked. "Surely there's something else to show apologies to, and there's also something out there to restore energy back to your so-called "Primordial Core", so how about you get out and leave this flower al-"
Before she could finish, a bright blue puff of smoke showed up into the room. Then, it faded out, showing a figure standing there. A rather tall figure with its familiar blue body and long purple hair. That caused Ly to look over at it with surprise.
"Sacha!"
"Ah, I see you've located the blossom, Ly. Now if you can hand it over, we'll make sure that the core is healed."
Still taken aback by the surprise entry, she went towards the flower, with Yura still guarding it. By then, she felt so hesitant and naive, she just had to lower her head and get out of the way. There was now only one footstep between her and the flower.
"Okay, it's here like you promised", Ly smiled.
She took a hold of the flower's stem, and pulled it up from the rock, revealing lengthy roots which faded from green to a dark brown color at the bottom. Then, she walked over to Sacha, and placed it within his hands. Somehow or other... a strange smile started to come across his face.
"Why, thank you Ly. You have been most helpful when dealing with all this."
"Uh... Sacha," Clark began to ask, "why are you grinning like that?"
He brought up one of his muscular muscles and started scratching the tip of his head with it, looking confused. Then, Sacha turned around to face the group, and held tight upon the blossom, before giving a now shifty look across his own two eyes.
"It's just based on the reward I want to give you. Your eternal reward...!"
With his looks starting to look much more devious, he then brought out one of his hands, and within it, something started to charge - a bright purple energy sphere. Its cackling energy started to show reflections to everyone's eyes, whom have now started to show fear.
"Sacha, what are you doing?" Ly asked with a high pitched voice.
He placed the flower inside, and once in the sound of cackling of energy was heard. A few seconds later, he pulled it out, and the blossom was then completely black. That caused Yura to gasp and pounce at him, but... he teleported out of her way before she could touch his body. She fell onto her stomach, and looked back at the others, whom were looking much more nervous. On top of that, a few rocks started to fall down, getting much bigger as time passed.
"'Scuse me miss," Globox started to ask Ly, "but what did he want with the flower?"
"He said it was for restoring peace to the core. Now... if this keeps up, the world will be in pieces!"
Murfy couldn't help but give out a short squeal. "Only one thing for it - RUN!!!"
He instantly flew out of the room, holding onto his face as he did so. Then, the others started following him, trying to keep up with the pace. By then, the boulders started to fall down much faster, leaving them to swerve against them from time to time. However... Yura was having a few problems, stopping several times to get away from the stones falling right in front of her.
"Come on Yura, you're dragging us behind!" Ly shouted towards her.
"I'm trying my best!"
She jumped forward, and a boulder dropped down where she once stood. That caused her to scream, sending Ly into running towards her and dragging her to the others. Once there, she climbed safely onto Globox's shoulders, and held on with fear and determination.
"I think we're going to be caved in at this rate!" Ly started to shout with panic.
Clark gave out a light chuckle. "Not today...!"
Right in front of him, a large boulder fell down towards an opening, blocking their path. Most of the group gasped, but Clark showed a smirk, as he went towards it with his right fist raised into the air and running at his fastest speed.
"YEAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
He sent the fist towards the rock, breaking it into several hundred pieces of rubble brought in a heap across the ground. And with a bigger smirk, he kicked them aside, bringing everyone else through the path created, whom responded with waves and smiles.
"Thank you Clark!" Globox exclaimed.
As Globox approached him, he patted him on the shoulder, causing Clark's eyes to widen. Then, he started following the others out towards the next room. In there, the floors started to crumble, and several spikes made of stone started to pop up from the ground unexpectedly, causing massive thuds as they did so.
"Where are all them stalacmites coming from???" Yura asked Murfy.
"Calm down, sweetcheeks, as long as we can swerve past them it'll all be okay!"
Holding his hands together, Murfy started to swerve through the stalacmites with elegance and beauty. Then, Ly came behind him, running on all fours, and jumping from time to time to avoid several more spikes. And then... both Globox and Clark came through together, but their problems lied in skidding at the sight of more of them popping up.
"They're getting faster!" Globox shouted. "I can't cope with this!"
He brought himself into a crouching position, leaving Yura to stroke him on the head to calm him down. In the meantime, Clark started breaking some of the stalacmites with his fists, causing a path for the three to run through. And then, right in front of him, was Ly and Murfy waiting over at the bottom of a slope leading to another cavern.
"Quick, take the slope!" exclaimed Clark.
He then started to dash up it, getting up with grace and speed. Murfy then got round to flying up it, with Ly making a giant leap up to the top. This left Globox with Yura at the bottom. Looking nervous, he took a step back, and started running up the slope himself, but... he soon stumbled onto all fours, with panic.
"I can't climb - my hands are too slippy!"
"Just hold on!" cried Ly.
Ly brought herself forward, and had her hand outstretched towards him, whom now seemed to face a struggle to get up. No matter how hard he tried, he kept on slipping down, with his face showing less determination as time passed. But Yura's expresisons, however, were on the edge of confidence.
"Globox, take the hand! She won't bite!"
She then started chanting in his direction, and it wasn't until five seconds later, when... he froze, and slid down the slope, before looking back at Yura with a smile on his face. Again, he brought himself back, and ran up the slope again, with his arms outstretched towards Ly. And this time... their hands were locked together, and he was pulled up.
"Okay," Murfy cheered. "Now out we go!"
He pointed towards a stream of light ahead, and this left all five to run almost side by side. By then, the amount of rocks were heavily increased, leaving them to barely escape from them. They were then about a metre away from the opening, when... a bright light surrounded their very eyes.
---
Up on a cliff overlooking Whale Bay, the view showed the cave starting to gradually break up into nothing more than a large heap of rocks upon the ground. Sacha came into view, and looked on at it, with the reflections of the sunset brought into his eyes. A few seconds later... the quake stopped, and everything seemed so still. All that he could do now, was show a smirk upon his face, when he brought out the now completely blackend Blossom of Time into view.

-end of Chapter 3-