ObsidianSpires
2004-09-14
ch 3, signed There was an old lady who swallowed a spider! It wriggled and jiggled and wiggled inside her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don't know why she swallowed a fly but I think she'll die. !Que triste! I never heard that saying before! Quite interesting. Quite a twinge of bad luck, but determination pulls through once more! Tobias's such a pig. ;P. I think showing his fear was an awesome addition, though. Makes for quite a lot of openings in later plots, too (not that I'd know what they were). After all, nobody's TOTALLY bad... except... hmm... anyways! I loved that fear in Topaz's eye here at the end! So human, so real! Unlike those blindly trusting, ooey gooey emotional trainers! shudder, I loved this part. Tezza's first real part of trainer PAIN! Hope things get better for her... NOT! (kidding) Btw, I suppose you're not updating original WOC, right? I don't think so. Will it follow basically the same plotline, though, like this one has? I'm just curious, you know, like you said the later stuff that would be coming up, I suppose if it came after Original WOC's events, it'd take a while, eh? . This is such a spectacular improvement now, (and it was great THEN) that I wouldn't mind at all, just curious. THnx! Miroku004
2004-07-21
ch 3, signed Aw, CRAP! Sorry I'm so late, but I just checked my mail for the first time in months, so... Yais... Anywho, great stuff! Also, I want your opinion on something. Should I start my revamped version of "The Journey", which will have new titleness, in Kanto, Johto, or Hoenn?

I'm going to your site to check out WOC there right now! (You've probably got a bazillion chappies...ugh...this is gonna take forever, but it's worth it!) The Mad Tortoise
2004-04-19
ch 3, signed COOLIES! Chappie 3... It's great! What can I say? Well, I like the screen time you're giving Charlie - the character fleshing in this version is really good. It gives a far better impression of her personality. I may have missed it in the chapter (like you, I'm a quick reader) but does Maverick have a translator? I'd like to see his personality developed. Such a cute little thing to run around chomping everything As for Fury and Topaz, I can't help but think Fury seems somehow nicer in this version. More trusting and less sarcastic. Personally, I like the sarcastic one better, but that's just by opinion.
I have to say I'm really looking forward to the next chapter. Labyrinths are so much fun! Sounds great. Good luck.
The Mad Tortoise.

Once again my three most dedicated reviewers come through for me! Thanks guys! Gods among gods! If you ever need a website, give a yell!

ObsidianSpires You've never heard it? The second last verse goes "There was an old lady who swallowed a cow, I don't know how she swallowed a cow. She swallowed the cow to catch the dog, what a hog, to swallow a dog! She swallowed the dog to catch the cat! Fancy that to swallow a cat! She swallowed the cat to catch a bird, how absurd to swallow a bird. She swallowed the bird to catch the spider that wriggled and jiggled and wiggled inside her. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly, I don't know why, she swallowed a fly but I'll think she'll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a horse, she died of course.
I can remember singing it on car trips to annoy my parents, tehehe!
Miroku, A review is never late, and always appreciated. Of course you should, don't quit because you don't get something right the first time. I'll be with yis all the way. Same goes for anyone else who wants help
The Mad Tortoise: I love Mave too, he does have a translator, although he didn't in the first version. He gets his moment in the spotlight soon soon my prrreeeetty! Sooon!. Unfortunately in the coming chapters Fury becomes sappy, but she'll be real snippy by the end of Belsprout Tower.

Alright, lets hit it!

Chapter 4a

It was there, in and out of every dark passage way, down every midnight hall, through every obsidian black corridor. Water, the maddening sound of running water. It echoed off the walls, a rushing gushing sound. I could almost believe we walked above it, were surrounded in it, and were slowly being suffocated by it. The sound of running water just out of reach.

My gawd it made me thirsty, but I had to ration the round yellow waterbottle hanging around my neck.

And, above it all, no matter how much I tried to drown it out came the incessant gurgling whine of a totodile. Charlie's totodile to be precise, which as I pause to think, had been this close to being my own. A totodile dubbed Maverick.

"It's there Topaz! I swear, it keeps touching my shoulder. Sumtin's following me!"

Combing the fingers of both hands through my now pitch coloured fringe, I restrained an aggravated sigh. Instead I let the pent up air whistle through my flared nostrils. That was safe enough. Resting my laced hands on top of my head I strained my eyes through the gloom.

Fury lead our ragtag group, her head crest and back issuing pale yellow flames barely illuminating half a foot in front of her. The harder I looked the more I saw how tired she was as she forced herself to keep her dim torches burning. Her bright garnet eyes drooped and teared, her foot falls were heavy and close together, and most of all her sweat slicked coat pressed against her ribs as she laboured to suppress her heavy breathing as she hid her exhaustion.

Another thin squawk erupted with claws scraping on lacquered wood and a clamour of cries drew my much needed attention from my poor quilava. My hands jumped to my ears, the air driven in made them ring as I waited for the echoes to die away. As I did so I tried to pick out Maverick's bottle-blue silhouette amongst our mottled crew sprawled like bowling pins.

Only six hours ago we had stood in a brightly lit chamber under the scrutiny of Kazuma the gate watching fella of the Belsprout Monastery. The first thing he ordered was that we hand over our Pokeballs, empty of Pokemon.

Your whole team must brave the labyrinth free of confines, he smiled in a very venerable, Yoda like way. Secondly, you must also leave your bags behind. They are too heavy and cumbersome to trust. Take what you need and put them in your pockets. Make sure one of these is a water source. Third, step lightly, there are many traps active, dangerous but not fatal, he assured. Oh yes, right now I felt mightily reassured stumbling in the dark having almost fallen down five or six trap doors. And lastly, be aware, on each of the four levels, one below ground and three above, there is a task to complete and the award will aid you very much in completing the next level. After the completion of a level you will be given a good meal so your concentration does not wane, but that is all.

He then opened a door leading downwards, bid us a cheery 'Good luck' and nicked out as fast as his skirt-pants would let him. And, with him went all light. Our troupe clambered like a stampede of Tauros to the bottom, apparently with a good amount of dirt and wood groaning above our heads.

Oh yes, safe as Skitties!

If those Skitties happen to be in an underground tunnel just short of collapsing.

"Don't worry, I have this figured out," I heard Charlie smirk almost immediately as I flapped my hand in front of my face, thinking it couldn't possibly be as dark as I thought it was. "I've got it all figured out. Nina's got keen night sight and tunnel instinct, being a ground type. She'll get us somewhere quick smart!"

She flourished her arm like a woman on a game show. You've won this fabulous car!

Well, I guess I have to be honest; Charlie's female nidoran did get us somewhere quick smart, so perfectly and completely lost, it was a piece of art. I couldn't have done it better!

The rodent Pokemon began cautiously at first with an enthusiastic Fury trotting beside her, bathing the thin and tangled corridors in red and gold. Talon and Target frisked about, the pidgey and the sentret bantering casually back and forth with Charlie's other Pokemon, Mave, sentret and spearow. We were all pretty optimistic, despite the booby traps that must have been designed specifically to trap short, ill-tempered midgets who weren't paying attention, and especially so when Nina started to pick up the pace.

But after a while, I picked up a pattern to her choices. That, and I stubbed my toe on the same rock four times in twenty minutes. I swear! I saw the blood marks!

I let loose my infamous temper on the little tyke, and though I regretted it second they left my mouth, it didn't stop Charlie loosing her own battalion of colourful words. I think we screamed for five full minutes to keep our voices down!

So we trekked on by our own wits.

Was it any wonder we didn't get anywhere?

Nidoran cowered out of my line of sight and I made a mental note to corner the little sheila later and apologise- while Charlie wasn't watching of course. Couldn't' let her see I was -er- what's that word? Wrong? Me? Wrong? No, that' couldn't be it! Why the earth would collapse in on itself!

And now here we were, deep in oblivion.

I dwelled pessimistically on the mistakes made so far as I watched the Pokemon haul each other up from their little pile, muttering darkly at Maverick the totodile. They'd had enough too.

"Oh for Mew's sake!" snapped Javelin the spearow, gnashing his beak menacingly at Mave as he shovelled him off his outstretched wing. "Grow up, there's nothing there!"

With another flash of his beak he chased Maverick away and set about rearranging his mussed feathers. Maverick skittered further out of reach with a sniffle, turning his back on us. I pitied the poor bugger but as much as I wanted to comfort him, or to be more precise, give Fury enough time to get her wind back, I couldn't. We needed to press on and navigate down these miserably dark halls chasing his own half mad trainer as she stalked out a path.

I squinted hard ahead, griping a beam about elbow height that had run along each wall since the beginning, and when it wasn't there, you had to tread carefully. It was probably intended for trainers such as ourselves.

"Where the bloody heck is Charlie?" I wondered aloud.

Fury's said softly, "Last time I saw her she disappeared down that T-junction ahead."

I squinted harder. There were a lot of halls peeling off from the one we were currently on. "What T-junction?"

"It's there."

"You know," I heard Talon on my right say thoughtfully to Target. "Now would be a great time for that whining Hoothoot."

My shoulders slumped morosely, feeling everyone's little stowaway, self-pity creep in and whisper in my ear.

Wuss, wuss, wuss! It rasped in a singsong voice. If you had stood up to that Tobias kid you'd be fly'n high right now, wouldn't cha?

I ignored it, pressing it away. I could beat myself till ragnarok came but right now I was the only human around and that meant I was responsible.

Hmm, I'd never thought I'd hear 'I' and 'responsible' used in the same sentence without 'not' to accompany it.

Well there you are, things are changing already, Charlie's bright mental voice told me.

While these voices nattered on and on inside my head, a third telling me in a very convincing voice that schizophrenia could be a very real possibility, I plodded on watching the pale gleam of Mave's pebbled skin out of the corner of my eye, little more than a skinny bluish crescent off his haunch. His bright dish eyes were also in discouraged slits but quickly he fell back to far out of the lights flicker and I settled into a state of Zen blankness, letting the beam under my nail gnawed fingers guide the way.

"I GOTCHA!"

My thoughts scattered as Maverick's high gurgling voice rose like a racing steam train whistle down a tunnel. I screeched too! Shoving my back to the wall out of harms way with the beam burrowing into my back and let out a savage cat like hiss, warning away anything coming for me! Finally I got a grip of my cowardice and stepped into the middle of the hall. Another furred fleeing Pokemon skittered under my legs and knocked one askew.

"Fury!" I barked frantically, scanning futilely through the dark to follow Maverick's angry struggles. His screams of high pitched rage bumbled around, scraping and scratching the floor bounced off the walls each time louder but with a congested snarl, Mave's wails became muffled.

"Fury!"

"Here!" Fury's breathy voice shouted, her claws clacking the floor as she slid wildly between my legs and bounded to her feet radiating a skinny aura of yellow, just in time to see the totodile smack unceremoniously into the wall and land on his back with one foot twitching and his eyeballs rolling.

"Maverick!" We all blurted clustering around him uttering a chorus of apologies. I gathered him into my lap, looking at him helplessly while sparing a quick look around the briefly illuminated hall. Ahead was a lane leaving this one, and another further up, and a T-Junction far ahead. I sighed in frustration. Where was Charlie!

Fury nosed her way under my arm, the light extinguishing with her crest flame and nuzzled under his chin. In the faint glow of her tinder pads, where her flames came from, I saw a thin red ribbon trickling down his chin as he sobbed and sniffled.

"There there!" I said in a panicky squeak, trying to catch hold of his tail whipping back and forth. I grabbed at it but it slicked through my fingers and I yanked my hand instinctively back, knowing what the wet substance was. Luckily growing up amongst my brother and the Kath kids, I was no stranger to blood, both mine and others.

I ordered the sentrets to keep on look out for what it was, wondering which pocket I shoved the first-aid kit in. My dad had drilled it deep into my subconscious that that was the second most important thing to have on you at all times, after a water source.

While the other Pokemon assured him, I slung aside the canteen draped over my shoulder shuffling through my bulging back pocket to fish it out. An old pencil case filled with bandages, antiseptic medtape, gauze and aspirin. I contemplated taking an aspirin but decided against it, simply taking out the gauze and medtape.

"Light Fury," I asked reluctantly. She shuffled out of the circle and ignited her crest again. I shooed the others out of the light and held Mave's quivering tail up to it. There, three pairs of punctures oozing long drips onto my bare leg.

"Hang on," I mumbled with a sneaking suspicion already forming in my mind. Carefully taking his bottom jaw between my thumb and forefinger I exhaled in a whoosh that was partly in relief, and partly to stop me from exploding. It had been his tail following him the whole time!

"Okay. You can stand down fellas, false alarm."
Both Target and Charlie's sentret gave a disgruntled squeak and lowered themselves off their raised tails.

"You wuss," muttered Talon, eyeing the totodile blackly.

"You're mean!" Mave whispered. "I bith my tongue! I hath thith plathe! Ith dark and sthcary! I wanth Charlieeeeeee!"

He broke off with hiccuping sobs and wails.

"Mave! Maverick what's wrong?" From out of the darkness finally rushed Charlie, sliding from around the first corner with her long braided hair chasing her like a bright green snake. Barely panting she scooped him, waiting with wide blue arms, up ignoring the little spatter of red droplets for the moment. She shushed and fussed over him, taking the gauze and tape, attending to the punctures like a trained nurse. I stared at her questioningly and she shrugged. "Pre-Journey Amateur First Aid Class."

"Smartarse," I muttered, with a good deal of Metonia's famous cutting down the tall poppy syndrome. I had skipped that one, letting Nurse Joy do the job she was paid to do. In fact, I had skipped a lot of them. Most of the teachers Journey days were long behind them. I mean, I may as well have asked my Pokedex teacher to programme my VCR! As they say, those who can do. Those who can't, teach.

Meh.

Still sitting cross-legged. I leaned back letting my elbows support me. Gawd, I was tired, this Journey thing was way too hard. I could just nick home with the Pokemon I had.

Out of the darkness floated a heavy sigh.

"Fury, are you all right?" I asked, jerking my head every which way.

"Yeah," her voice drifted surreally back. "Sorry, I just need a minute or two, then I'll be back on track."

"Take your time, Fury," I soothed. "We can go on without a light."

"No we can't," objected Charlie sharply without looking up. She rose to her feet, shifting her weight and looking down the tunnel indecisively. "Fury, light up."

"Um, No." I snapped. "Who's Fury's trainer here? Me or you? In case you can't tell, with your oh so brilliant medical expertise, she's karked it for the day. We can't go any further."

"Karked it?" she repeated wonderingly at my slang, but then returned sternly to the matter at hand with certainty. "We can't stop for the day, we have to get to the stairs or we don't have food. That means if we sleep now, we'll be even more tired tomorrow, no concentration and a smaller chance of finding the stairs, and then another day without food. That means we have to go on, and to go one we need light!"

Charlie struck the wall beside us with the flat of her hand for emphasis while I spluttered incredulously at Miss High and Mighty. "Look mate, I don't know why you think you're running this three ringed circus, cos I've got just as much a hand in leadership as you do! I reckon you're right about finding the stairs by tonight, but I'm not having Fury faint from exhaustion just because Maverick is afraid of the dark!" Then with a forced cheeriness that disgusted me, I blurted, "My night eyes are finally kicking in anyway, we don't need a light!"

I pushed myself upright using the guide rail and stalked past Charlie bumping her roughly aside. My confident stride stomped heavily on the floorboards, fuming furiously at the fact Charlie had the nerve to order my Pokemon around! If she wanted Fury she should have chosen her!

But, like Jimity Cricket my father's half laughing, half chiding voice interrupted. Jeeze, with all these voices going on in my head I was a regular ventriloquist.

"Inka Tninka Pitjikala, Tezza! A thousand feet! Is this so big you gotta waste your energy on it?"

"Yes," I growled under my breath, sounding childish. I waited for the voice to reply, but my father's wisdom spoke true, as always. My steps lost their angry thud and I was now able to hear the stunned scuffle of my mates behind me.

All of a sudden I felt a faint eddy of cold moist air sift up from my left and that odd gushing sound riding on it. I pondered it for a second before calling back down the passage way, "I found the T-junction!" with only a smidjit of I told you so!

Only a little...

"No! Topaz! Don't rush down there!" Charlie shouted urgently from behind. But way too focused on being right to listen, I belted down the hall as if it had been encouragement instead.

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

Reckon'd she could tell me what to do!

The rest of my resentful thoughts severed with a high tearing screech as my front foot plunged into nothingness. My body lurched into the abyss before me, pin-wheeling my arms wildly as the blustery sound of running water whooshed around my ears.

Just in time the patter of feet pounded towards me and in the lead like a comet ablaze was Fury loping sloppily engulfed in fierce sallow light.

I uttered a squeak and my arms stopped their pedalling and instinctively clutched to shield my eyes from the glare.

I toppled.

"Gotcha!" My scalp screamed as Charlie grabbed a hunk of my ponytatail and yanked me back onto solid ground. "You alright? You should have listened," she asked with concern, no touch of I told you so in her voice at all.

"Ow," I whimpered, rubbing my head pitifully and still panting in tandem with Fury so that we sounded like a pair of dying steam pressers. Oh gawd that was way too close, but with morbid curiosity I peeked over the edge of the lacquered wood.

Splashes of light danced off in slim silver ripples of a great inky ribbon, so black it could have been the river Styx. I shivered at its smooth glassy surface.

"What the?" I mumbled, if a little incredulous to Fury. "That can't be the little creek we saw outside."

"It has to be an underground river," Charlie mused to herself, but her straight shoulders and brimming confidence looked like trouble. "How clever!"

To me, that's the most irritating thing about the optimists of the word, they refuse to give up.

"This is going to be a problem," I said morosely, chewing my thumbnail frustrated. We were just beginners for bloodysake!

"Nonsense! Problems are just solutions in work clothes," Charlie laughed, leaning over my head and squinting into the dark. "See, there's a gleam in the darkness, rails or screws or something. It must be a platform!"

"Now, you see I have my own proverbs I use at a time like this, Try, try, try again- then quit. Don't make an arse of yourself. What if those gleams of yours are actually metal spikes ready to spear us!"

"Nonsense!" she repeated cheerily.

"Please." I looked around for the source of the shaky voice, and was astonished that it was actually Fury's. Gone was its spirited bluster, little more than a tremor in the moist flush of air. "I'm so tired. Can we rest?"

"That's it!" I barked. "I am putting a stop to this until Fury is rested and strong."

"We don't have the time!" urged Charlie with alarm but the other Pokemon chorused their tired agreement, a miserable sound. Charlie relented, letting her back slide down the wall till she sat amongst her team.

With a discouraged sigh, I reached into my pocket again, past the first-aid case and withdrew four bars, three incredibly expensive Rarecandy bars and a simple choc covered oat bar for myself. My little savings fund was quickly running dry so I was desperate that the pay off of this tower would be worth it or we'd be up the creek without a paddle. Still, trying to keep a brave face, I blindly passed out the snack bars and I heard them munch in silence. I however turned mine over in my hands, grudgingly knowing what I was going to do. I was absolutely ravenous, but Fury was our life line.

"Here Fury," I said gently, holding it beneath her nose. After a moments hesitation I felt her paw pad brush my palm.

I stared into the nothingness again, everyone left to their own taciturn thoughts, the slow chewing sounds made it seem as if I was huddling amongst a herd of cattle bedded down for the night.

I began to worry as I flipped the lid of my PokeGear strapped to my wrist. The red digital numbers 4:17 glowed back tauntingly. If we were this demoralised little more than six hours in, how would we cope? If one floor takes more than 12 hours, we could clock up a week in no time.

"Okay, are we ready?" Charlie asked, peevishly shuffling to her feet without waiting for an answer.

"How 'bout you mate?" I murmured to Fury. I can't say that her crest leapt up like an erupted volcano but at least she looked a bit keener. I smiled, stroking her under her chin and she gave an easy-going Quiiiiilll.

"Okay, let's do this," I groaned not quite as whole hearted. "But let's do this the smart way. Talon, flutter over there and see if that's really a platform. See if its firm and try to gauge how far away it is."

"Righty-oh," he chirped, his pidgey body being buffeted by the cool gusts emanating from below. Moments later his brash voice floated back. "Yep, definitely a platform. It's pretty big, five wing lengths one way, and three the other. It can hold my weight, but I guess that doesn't say anything 'bout you, eh Topaz?" he goaded playfully.

"Ha-dee-ha," I said dryly, unable to keep from smirking.

"It's also about 10 wing lengths away."

Charlie and I pondered over this together. "So that's about three metres away, or three and a half-"

"Three or four metres, you gotta be joshin!" I squeaked. "I sucked at long jump. In fact I sucked at athletics, fullstop!"

"See, no problems, Tez. Can I have full light, please Fury?" Fury obliged slowly warming up and I could now see the platform ahead now. I could also see how far we actually had to jump.

I was gonna be sick.

With ease the long legged Charlie picked up nidoran in one hand and her sentret tucked in her armpit around its plump belly. She strode back for a run up, and "Alioop!" sailed across the divide landing with her legs bowed. I winced, half expecting the flimsy looking boards to splinter and her crumpled body to plunge into the river with barely a splash never to be seen again.

"See, easy!" She sprang nimbly back across. I marvelled at her strength but that just terrified me even more. It wasn't the height above the water, heck no! I could spring from one tree to another as easily as a Clairvora, a rodent Pokemon with flaps of skin between its limbs allowing them to glide, but never could I clear anything over three metres and I would drop as sure as Sunday.

I blinked away my thoughts to see them land on the platform again, wobbling on one leg before planting the other leg to steady herself and let Target and Mave slip beneath her arms onto the platform.

Target rose on his tail, his long ears twitching. "Come on Topaz! Its fun!"

"Sorry ta bust your bubble sweetie," Charlie said with amusement. "But I really don't think I could carry your trainer under my arms, no matter how small she looks."

"Oi!" I exclaimed insulted, fumbling for a comeback. "Yeah, well, um... Muscles weigh more then fat and I am 100 pure muscle!"

Charlie vaulted across the gap, now showing slight fatigue. Where on earth did this kid come from? She straightened quickly and before I could stop her finger dipped under my stubbornly folded arms and pinched my ribs teasingly.

"You keep telling yourself that!" she giggled gleefully, dancing out of reach as my fingers snapped on thin air, aiming to break off the offending finger like a twig. She laughed again, her arms swooping around Fury's middle backing down the corridor for a run up. The quilava's flames dimmed to allow Charlie easy grip and now barely a bolt pin was visible. My heart leapt to my throat as the two launched into the gloom.

"Drop her and I'll turn you double jointed!"

Ka-splooosh!

"No!"

"What! What! What!" I cried, charging forward with ears strained, barely catching myself from diving into midair. My head wagged frantically from side to side, gripping the lip of the gap thinking hysterically. It swallowed her! Styx swallowed Fury in one big gulp!

I almost mistook the double thump for my own rabid heart beat tugging on my aorta like a dog on a leash. A familiar peel of laughter rang over the water and the unsteady yellow glow once again suffused the corridor revealing my Pokemon sitting upright with one paw hiding her eyes and the other just barely keeping her from falling over in convulsions.

I stared wordlessly then asked, forming the sounds with difficulty. "What about the splash?"

"My $40 hairbrush!" Charlie said, looking crushed.

"You spent 40 bucks on a stupid brush?" I asked, testing the words on my tongue but still couldn't believe it. Then it made another circuit connection. "Wait, Ol'mate guard fella said take only what's necessary, and you brought a clunky hairbrush?"

"I can't very well concentrate with my hair in my eyes!" she retorted, eyes shifting defensively. "Forget it! Jump!"

"I can't," I mumbled in a small voice.

"If you fall, its only shallow, barely a ripple!"

"What, are you crazy? That's an undertow City-Kid."

Two summers ago in Kyeema there was a scorcher if ever there was one, the kind where you lived in a pool and dined entirely on ice-cream and watermelon, but we had spent the last of our pocket money at the Kyeema store and the local swimming hole, the Cascades were chocked full of kids to be even bothered so we had taken to roaming through the sclerophyll forest on Farmer Bucket's property in search of the strange Pokemon the extreme weather had brought out.

While ducking in and out of the trees, keeping a lookout for the Arcanine at the same time we stumbled onto Bucket's irrigation channel. With squeals of delight we bolted for it and quickly stripped down to the bare essentials on the grainy bank. As I stared at the surface, the surface exactly like the one below us 'cept the smooth mud and discarded plastic chip packets rushing by at a tremendous pace. Those alone should have set off warning bells but I was just as excited as everyone else and to me there was nothing ominous or foreboding, only a gift sent from Halo, the legendary Hummingbird Pokemon.

While I was tangled in the straps of new thongs, the shoe kind people, Matty had oozed out of his like a slimy fish and bombed into the glassy beige water. Almost instantly there was a sickening sllleeewwp sound, like sucking jelly through a straw, and he was gone.

For a moment we stared at the spot, legs half out of shoes and arms twisted in sleeves, immobile, expecting him to breach the water with his wicked aipom grin calling us slowpokes. We waited, and waited, and waited forever, plus one. Suddenly, barely two seconds after he hit the water he resurfaced with a gurgling hysterical scream 10 metres away. Another faint slewp! and he was gone again.

"Matty!" we screamed as one. With one foot half raised I stretched out to chase after him but my other foot caught the strap of my thong and I crashed nose first into the dirt. But much more sure footed, Jarrod absolutely flew, tossing his shirt aside with my brother Scotty doing the same, his large frame hiding surprising agility.

Now Matty struggled to bob up and down, a mop of brown hair suspended in brown ice, his gaping mouth swallowing air and water in equal amounts.

Jess and I gawped in childish bewilderment as her brother rushed further and further away, and as the realisation finally caught up to our poor short circuited brains, they kicked into gear and we bolted. The two boys began to run away from the channel. I yelled after them that they were Scaredyskitty's but suddenly glimpsed what they had, the massive splintered limb of a gum tree, lightning struck by the last monsoon storms. Both grabbed a sturdy branch and they tried to drag it after them.

Too slow!

As I ran on still tracking Matty, time was precious. Only about a hundred metres down the channel disappeared underground and if Matty disappeared down there we'd have a lot of explaining to do to Maria, their mum.

Too panicked to consciously think, I darted back, snatching up Matty's shirt and then the boys. Ahead Jess had joined Jazz and Scott's fevered tugging and was now on a roll, the dry crispy leaves raking the sand behind them. As I raced over, knotting the boys T-shirts together, I ordered Jess for hers and wretched my own off. This was no time for modesty and we were too young to have anything to be modest about anyway.

Now with less than fifty for the storm drain, I pissbolted. If there had been an Olympic trial I would have blitzed everyone because the second I took off, I was there mirroring Matty. He looked sick and exhausted, his scruff of brown hair plastered over his cheeks and swirling around. He was no more than a doll in a washing machine.

"Matty, catch!" I screamed as he ducked under again, flinging the line of shirts into the water, and they were sucked under too! My heart popped and my head moaned, No-way-no-way-no-way! but as if I had a huge cod on the other end I was yanked forward and Matt spluttered to the surface with Scotty's blue polo in a death grip. But the current was strong, too strong for my scrawny arms; it just kept dragging me in!

I jabbed my heels into the earth and threw my weight back, now balanced but the current battered Matty, tumbling him over and over, wringing the shirt taunt like a Rockatile in a death roll. I strained against it grunting and groaning, my arms aching and behind me the frantic scrape of leaves and Jarrod's voice urging them to "Go! Go! Go!" drew closer.

As my strength waned, my feet slithered and skidded on the sandy bank and Matty was being sucked beneath for longer at a time.

Suddenly there was a slip and my legs buckled. Opening my eyes screwed shut with exertion, to my horror the knot hitching Jazz's and Matts shirt together were pulling apart. The water sloshed and Matty bobbed above again.

"Hurry!" I moaned, struggling for purchase again but the other three had already hoisted the immense branch upright and with a terrific splash it sent a spray of droplets high into the air. The catcher was in place.

"Leggo Matt!"

He didn't have to because the knot gave way first. Like a vengeance he was dragged down and we all held our breath but moments later a limp arm poked up through the branches and seconds later he sprawled like a drowned cat over the main branch. I threw myself spread eagled on the dirt, brushing off the clods caking my heels while the sun heated sand blistered my bare back, but I just couldn't believe what had happened.

Laughingly Scotty butted my ribs with his toe, still panted. "Remind me not to trust your knots."

I gave a breathy chuckle, wanting to amputate my arms to relieve the throbbing but in the distance I heard the baleful howls of Bucket's Arcanine was drawing closer like wildfire, so skiddadling was foremost on our to-do list. Scotty hefted the soggy noodle Matty had become onto his back and we lumbered through the trees for the fence line.

The sounds and phantoms of the day faded away, except of course for the sucking and popping and gurgling of the underground river below. I could now even smell the heavy, mineral richness of the water. I blinked away the last few desperate moments of Matty's dramatic rescue and stood up with a firm "Nu-uh."

"Oh for gawds sake Topaz, stop being such a baby!" Fury cajoled from the middle of the platform, perfectly safe.

"I'm not being a baby," I shot back lying magnificently. "I'm looking out for my own neck! I can't jump that!"

"Of course you can," Charlie patronised.

Those little talons of fear clutching my heart shrank back when my customary spitefulness reasserted itself. "Fine, you think you know what my scrawny-" Fury gave her customary snort, -" I'll ignore that, legs are capable of, that's just fine! I'll jump just so you can see me plummet and get all swallowed up by that river down there. Then you'll be sorry!"

"What are you, five?"

"Shutup!"

I strode back for a run up, looking over my shoulder and then went further back. I heard little comments of exasperation but ignored them going further still. Fury's flames sent ghostly red shadows flickering up the sides and across the slopping roof of the broadening corridor, giving the illusion that even I could touch the roof. I inhaled a slow meditative breath and galloped down the wooden floor, slamming my heavy tread down and pushing off again. The drop off loomed closer and like an idiot so consumed to prove Miss 'Let's-have-a-picnic!' wrong I almost jumped short on purpose but Matt's short gurgled gasp floated across realities and at the last second my toes inside my sandshoes curled over the edge and VWOOOM! I was in mid air with limbs akimbo like a doduo trying to fly.

"YAHHHH!" I warbled, crashing heavily onto my feet but momentum still carried me forward and I needed a couple of extra steps to right myself. Unfortunately our island platform didn't have those extra large steps. But once again a hand snatched my suspenders and yanked me flat on my arse, again and I whimpered, rubbing my jarred tailbone.

"You have to stop doing that!" I whined up at her.

"Your welcome!" Charlie said blithely ignoring the tone. Did she even hear me? "Hey, what's this?"

"What's what?" I muttered, mulling over my bruised dignity and I really didn't care about the tall cement pylons jutting out higgilty piggilty with the water slapping angrily at their bases. Algal growth clung to the aged greenish concrete with dozen's of marks scoring their round bodies. On top I could vaguely make out carved holes, like donuts or something.

Mmm, I could have really gone for a donut.

"Hmm, I guess that's what these are for," Charlie mused aloud, moving behind me to the left wall. The clatter of wood made me turn and pay attention. The lime haired trainer folded her arms across her chest and tapped her foot as she peered at stacked mounds of planks while the sentret pair clambered over them, inspecting them playfully. These too had been altered. On top were holes drilled through and on the bottom directly beneath were knobs so that they stacked easily, fitting on top of each other like jigsaw pieces, so it didn't take a genius to realise what they had to do with the pylons.

"Okay," I ventured slowly, standing up and brushing myself off. I directed our little posse into a cluster so I could address them all seriousness intended. "It's pretty clear what we have to do, use these planks to build a bridge across. I reckon we have a couple things we have to be sure of. One, once we start, we don't stop," I said solemnly. "Like Charlie said, times getting away from us and I honestly think we're meant to complete each level in a day and its, ten to five now. Ol'mate said at the end of each level he'd give us a solid meal so he didn't intend for us to starve. 'Gree?"

Slow, inquisitive nods answered.

"'Kay. Two, Fury expends as little energy as possible. Her input is welcome but her main job is to keep a steady light, no matter what. I'm not over the moon with confidence in these planks here." I gave the pile a gentle kick. A few of the Pokemon grumbled but they knew it was sensible. Who knew how much of this idiotic challenge was left.

"Lastly, I vote rather than a democracy we go for a, um, whadaya-callums? Dictatorship. We chose a leader and we do everything they say, no questions asked."

"Good thinking, Topaz," Charlie smiled coolly. "Any nominations? Each of the Pokemon's limbs shot up, waving round eagerly like a kid dying to answer a teacher's question. Reluctantly, very very reluctantly, I raised my own and I said apathetically, "Charlie should."

Target and Talon looked shocked, their wings and paws slowly coming down.

"I'm impatient," I admitted sheepishly. "I always sucked at jigsaws, and this is just one big dangerous jigsaw."

I looked out over the gap, observing the smattering of pylons. It was if a painter had pulled back the bristles of his brush and let the flecks fly. I was suddenly glad to pass the responsibility of a screwup. Were it left up to me I'd be pacing agitated like a tiger in a cage and all my ideas trying to escape through my nostrils.

"-over there. Tez?"

"Huh?" I said dully.

Hmm, note to self, dwelling on faults leads to looking stupid. Maintain that you are perfect in everyway.

"I mean, right!" I would just watch what the others were doing and fluke it.

The Pokemon bustled diligently from side to side on the narrow platform with Fury in the corner looking weary but comfortable. Back in Kyeema, if either our parents or the Kath's mother had a job to be done, all five kids were drafted, whether it was simple gardening or cleaning out the abandoned spearows nests out of the shed rooves. And every time Jazz would stand back with that same laid back grin. When demanded what did he think he was doing, he would answer glibly from the shade. "Sup-vise'n. Tough job but someone has to co-ordinate!"

"Topaz!" Charlie rebuked a second time as she was measuring the planks in wingspans.

"Right, right!" I grumbled, squatting down beside her and doing the same. After a bit we had a fair idea what we had to work with.

Eight planks altogether, each 20cm in width, not particularly dry but solid, except for the slight flex in the middle. There were one 1m boards, two 2m boards, three 3m boards and a single four metre boards. From one end to the other it was 20 meters. Charlie had really taken charge, ordering the bird Pokemon to see if there was any 'rhyme or reason' to the positions of the posts. Came back with nadda so we'd be using everyone's favourite, trial and error.

Very time consuming.

"Alright, oh mighty leader, what next?" I prodded as we all stood bemused on the edge of the platform. It seemed we'd hit a road block, with no logical way to begin. After more meticulous exploration of the platform we'd discovered five notches carved into the edge of the drop off, for using instructions I guess.

"Well," Charlotte said slowly, squinting and making out the dull coin flicker of the bolts of the platform opposite. "I think we need someone on the other side, just in case we distort distances and stuff. One of the sentrets."

"Maybe take nidoran over too. She's too small to help with the planks, and I don't want to trip over her."

She nodded approvingly, scooping the rodent Pokemon up and explained to Talon and Javelin the plan. They each took one of Target's plump round arms and hefted him up, but it was like watching a little kid picking up a full bucket of water between his legs, puttering and weaving drunkenly before letting him fall with a muffled clunk. I could barely make out his cream and brown stomach as he picked himself up chittering indignantly at his heavily panting couriers, slumped on the dusty wood.

"Okay, now Nina!" Charlie's voice floated across the gap impatiently.

Of course this abrupt order didn't go over well and Javelin's raucous laughter came cheekily back. "Then flap your wings and get a move on!"

"Hadeha," she said humourlessly. I could practically see her staring down at the faint incandescent numbers of her 'Gear, magicked from the pouch on her waist, as if willing it to stop its dutiful march. The spearow quickly got the idea his trainer wasn't joking, flapping back to allow the female nidoran to scuttle aboard and taxied her across without a lot of fuss.

"Sorry guys," she tried to sympathise with them when they both sank their podgy feathered bodies down. "But it looks like you'll have most of the work. Now find the three closest posts."

That wasn't too hard, I could see one on the left side, barely a metre out, so close I could have stepped out onto it. The others were two metres out on the far right with Javelin preening, and Talon resting on one four metres out from the second notch. Each called out where they were in a riddle of wing-lengths and heart-side or non-side and it took more than five minutes to figure it out, even though we could fairly clearly see where they were.

"This isn't working," Charlie muttered, taking of her bright red goggles and polishing their lenses, studying her reflection in their blackish glass. It was the first time I'd seen her anything but cheerful. "Okay guys, come here, I'm teaching you the metric system."

In Fury's wavering torchlight, she scratched out a metre into the platforms smoothed surface with the tip of her black and white pendant attached to her necklace and the Pokemon still on our side crowded over it taking note. I smirked knowing from my avid Pokemon study at least partly about the Pokemon brain.

In humans a specific chemical floods the myelin, the insulation of the nerve cell, which allows impulses to cross more easily without escaping, resulting in faster learning. But as people age, they don't produce as much, which is why they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

In Pokemon however, they seemed to produce this chemical prolifically through out life, perhaps an adaptation to defend themselves against humans or maybe even to help them rapidly adjust to their devices like the Pokeball.

Whatever the reason, the Pokemon clucked smugly; using both the left and right commands as well as the metric system with ease. We had also numbered the notches from one to five, from left to right. Something else Charlie felt the need to scratch into the wood. I felt acutely uncomfortable as she did this, having a stern upbringing to respect others property but Charlie waved away my objections, blithely insisting it was necessary.

"So, lets see. We have posts here, here and here," she mused, carving a miniature diagram.

"Now that isn't necessary," I sniffed with arms folded beside Fury.

"Pish posh," she said absently, but at least stopped what I blatantly thought as graffiti. I mean, it was a temple for gawd's sake! "We'll start from the left, get a one metre plank Tez."

I did so obediently, spreading the planks like a palm of cards, slotting it into place listening for a distinctive thunt sound as the knobs fitted in like a glove.

"Done." Charlie looked at me expectantly with her hands on her hips. "What?"

"Well you need to test it, you're the smallest."

"I resent that, and in that case, shouldn't the heaviest go first?" I batted my eyes innocently, unfurling my arms and spread my hands while shrugging.

Charlie's sparkling brown eyes and wide irrepressible grin suddenly narrowed dangerously. This simple body language was far more frightening than anything Tobias could throw at me. "Do it."

Bouncing up like a coiled spring from my squat I made an eager exaggerated salute. "Aye captain!"

I considered the board between my sandshoes, little more than a handspan and would bow in the middle. Add to this the distractions of the wavering shadows and the roiling waters. Sucking in a tight breath I snapped inwardly, "For bloody sakes girl! Its one –freakin- metre! If anything happens, just step right back!"

More easily said than done, I can tell you that. I could feel the others waiting anxiously, their beady little eyes digging into my back, so tangible it was like twisting a broomstick between my shoulder blades.

I slowly let out my pent up air and cautiously placed one foot into the middle, light as a Nymbis, a fluffy cloudlike Pokemon of Metonia that had a habit of following ill tempered people home and literally raining on their parade. Yes, that is from experience.

I shot a worried look over my shoulder at Charlie. She made a crisp shooing motion, no help there.

With a one, two, three I planted my other foot stiffly beside it feeling like one of the guards of Buckingham palace wobbling on a surfboard. Just as we predicted, the thin board dipped slightly in the middle and in the longer ones this would be far more pronounced. With my ankles glued together my balance was pretty shot, so I shifted them shoulder width apart, watching the splashes of light on the smooth cascading water between my toes.

I bounced up and down a little with more confidence, feeling the slight shift of the knobs in the notches, but even I had to admit it was safe.

"Yeah, no worries," I confirmed. "This one at least. Now what?"

"How far away is the next one?"

"'Bout two and a half metres, 25, maybe 50 degrees to my right."

"Well at least we have a guide," she said, sounding pleased. "Method to our madness, I guess. Unless it's exact it's the wrong way. Get off, we'll try the two metre one."

With a playful bounce I hopped back onto the platform, pulling the board out with a bit of effort, as my, dare I say it; weight, had jammed it in further. It was alright here I guess, where I could yank as hard as I wanted and weave from side to side to get it loose, but what about being stuck in the middle. I suddenly had a clear vision of me squatting on a board and grunting as I struggled to free a knob when it came loose with a cartoony pop! and me capsizing over.

"I'll let her do that part," I muttered with the plank under my arm as I passed behind her back as she crossed her arms.

Charlie already had the two metre one ready and pushed it into my hand. Oh, now I saw! I was the packhorse on this expedition!

"What was that?" she asked pleasantly.

"Nothing!" I said with a perfectly straight face. "Not a thought in my pretty little head!"

"I'd believe that," squawked Talon, huddled on a pylon with his feathers fluffed out and his beaky grin barely visible, but I paid no attention, wedging the board in and nonchalantly strolled out to the other side, standing stiffly on it feeling far more vulnerable further away from Fury and her dim little halo.

"Talon, my smarmy friend, get over here," I cooed, and he glided warily up to my outstretched arm. I pointed to a far out post nestled against the right hand wall. "You're my little messenger pigeon, so how far away is it? And don't show off your barrels rolls, you'll be doin' a lot of flappin' buddybird."

"Wha!" he grumbled as he swooped onto it latching on with his talons outstretched and wings flared. "Four metres."

"Bugger!" I swore, thumping my thigh with my fist. I stared across the gap with stormy concentration when something nudged my back making me wobble.

I turned around glaring and Charlie was holding out the four metre plank and quickly tried to thrust it out to its full length. As its end fit into my fingers, loose splinters pressed weakly into my hand, but snapped off without piercing. Gripping it tighter and running my hand lightly over the moist surface I realised this one had been on the bottom and exposed to more moisture. Damnit!

The further I threaded it out, the less I trusted it, brushing my fingers against a furry moss growth and the middle had an almost pulpy surface. I wouldn't go so far to call it death incarnate, but I sure as hell wasn't head over heels with confidence. Without a word I stopped passively receiving it and locked my elbow which sent me askew again as Charlie tried to force more down.

"What now?" she huffed, glancing at her 'Gear again. I levelled her with my specialty, usually reserved for people I wanted to tell politely to piss off, a dead pan stare I could hold for as long as it took without blinking. "What? Oh come- Wuss! I mean, please? No? Fine." She trailed off with deep muttering as I passed the four metre plank back. I plucked up the two metre one and we laid the four'er down, almost at 90 degrees. Charlie chirped how this one should have been the logical choice from the start and after using a metre board we developed a simple method. The sentrets spied out the long term, checking with them every second plank and the birds to wheedle if the choice was any good. I lead the way and Fury right behind, Charlie's sentret between with Maverick and thy lord dictator Charlie, well, dictating.

Even so we managed one major bugger up, within, say six metres or seven from the end when we found ourselves snookered, nuzzled against the left wall and all three clustered choices not complete metres. We had no other choice but to backtrack. I kept my temper bridled but I was damn mad I would have grabbed the planks and hurled them into the great big ink blot below and waste the last of my energy. Instead Charlie mustered her undiluted enthusiasm and carefully, planned where to go with this, 'newly explored perspective'. Why is it that optimists have a way of making everything sound like its from a lifestyle magazine?

So we trundled back and paved our way with reasonable ease. I had my sea legs and Charlie practically skipped when she fetched a board back, but Fury crouched low to the plank and shuffled down with her scruffy and dusty cream fur, but her light remained stead.

Despite my conscience I hardened myself to her weary grimace; it was the only way we'd get to the end.

But then we hit a wall, two stuff ups for the price of one. We were 4 and 14/15th metres – don't ask- from the end without another post close enough to make it an easy transition, and, we were out of planks.

Of course there was the simplest of solutions and it didn't' even need to be spoken. Charlie merely trotted back and with a grunt hefted it out. As she came back she looked like a manic Charlie Chaplin carrying his oversized ladder fused with the Cheshire cat's crazed grin. The whole time she had been humming the first 14 bars of "It's a small world after all" over and over because it was stuck in her head and she couldn't remember the last line. That alone would have made me choke her had I been on firm ground. So with her obsession with that last line occupying her mind, was it any wonder that her tall prissy boots tripped her up?

She sucked in a tight breath that floated over the water and the dull gleam of her reflective goggles pitched forward. The plank see sawed up and down as she reeled violently back and forth so hard that her head almost met her knees. The wood slipped from her hand and we all let out harsh gasps, clutching our ears as wood grated across the wood. A dull splash resounded as it dipped into the water like a gondolier's pole.

In a single swift movement Charlie kicked up her leg impossibly high and arched so far back I could practically hear the grinding of her vertebrae, and snatched the plank before it bobbed out of site. Her whole body seemed to shudder but the leg frozen at head height swung back down like a pendulum. Her body skewed violently and the planted foot gave way, and her body dropped.

The board crunched with splintering fibres but she sat with the plank straddled between her legs, safe, with a grimace of eye watering pain.

Although I felt relief that Charlie was alright, a greater wave washed over me when I saw the four metre plank was laid safely on her lap, one end dripping silvery drops plish, plish, plish into the once again seamless water.

"Wahoe!" she breathed with tears still gathered in the corner of her eye. Carefully extracting herself she walked briskly back with a little less skip in her step.

Only a little.

"I think I'll lay the way, Lil' Tez. A bit to big for you're little arms!" After a bit of a shuffle, Charlie eased her way over the companion Pokemon and around me, then passed down the soggy pulpy board.

"Are you sure we should be investing our lives on this," I pestered peevishly as she tried to plug the furthest knob into the platforms donut hole. "Look, it ain't gonna work. Its that bloody fourteen fifteenths or what ever!"

"Sure it will," she chirped attempting to gain a bit more leeway. "Almost got it!"

I shook my head. There is a very well defined line between persistence and denial.

To my surprise it was Mave who got her to mosey on, complaining his tail hurt. Both of us could see the fresh spots appearing on the bandage and I had a feeling that Charlie gave up hers in favour of that damned brush.

"Its okay, we're almost there," she murmured. Stupid, stupid city kid! She caught my dirty look and winced. "I'll go first," she said standing up right. Placing her first foot down, she walked recklessly across without looking down, her head stiff on to of her neck trained on the nothing in front of her.

The plank rocked left and right unsteadily with each step as the far end balanced on the knob thing, scribbling on the platform with its wet butt. Oh gawd I've stood on tree branches as thick as two fingers safer then that, but Charlie fearlessly kept going, even as the long board dipped dangerously in the middle, she hitched in her breath and kept going. My lungs were going on strike just looking at it.

"Your turn," she laughed weakly as she got to the other side, a subtle sense of relief blooming on her pale cheeks.

I licked my lips. "Go Fury, be careful."

"I will Topaz, jeeze you nag."

My mother's voice spoke breathlessly in my head, right after one of our attempts to explore the pull of gravity from the Kath Kid's roof, and the words were on the tip of my tongue. I nag because I care. But my mouth stayed sealed, watching with stern, frozen features. She padded confidently out into what was practically thin air, nothing between my best mate and her death in the icy water but a flimsy peace of board. I closed my eyes, the rubbing sound of the knob like torture in my ears, and each creak of the board was followed by a phantom splash.

"Easy peasy!" My heart almost collapsed with relief but I shunted away the urge to say something to give words to the feeling. I stared stonily at the board.

Mave followed, grinning foolishly with the tail of his white bandage fluttering after him and Charlie's sentret took a bit of coaching but he made it across too. I stayed immobile.

"What are you waiting for, Topaz?" Charlie asked with annoyance. I could hear the tick, tick, tick in her voice again. Time, time, time.

"An invitation," supplied Talon with a cackle, plonked down on the corner of the firm ground like a discarded feather duster. I shot him an icy glare but I was frozen.

"I," I started, but flapped my lips shut. Don't be a bloody 'fraidyskitty! Do it!

I obeyed the voice without question, stabbing my foot at the board and the other after it. It rocked suddenly and my arms flew ramrod straight to balance.

"Its okay," Charlie coaxed.

"I am okay," I snapped.

I took another defiant step forward feeling the knob twitch on the wood, but I couldn't see it clearly enough to see how close it was to the edge of the platform. The idea lent the scenario in my head of me being dragged under the water more credibility. I stayed there, waiting for my nerves to untangle.

"See, its okay. You're almost there, no need to be scared," she eased; her infuriating milky voice prodded a nerve.

"I'm not scared!" I shouted suddenly, raising my voice to the roof and to prove just how at ease I was, I swivelled my hips make the board shudder violently under my feet.

"Don't be stupid Topaz!" Fury yelled fretfully.

Like an idiot I jerked my hips like a skateboarder just to prove I wasn't afraid, and the inevitable happened. The knob gave a sharp squeak, carving the smooth lacquer and jerked off the platform, and fell.

I screamed as the surface beneath my feet vanished and for an instant I felt like Wile E. Coyote after the cliff jag falls from under him. And like Wile E. I twisted back the way I'd come with my legs pedalling the air. Clutching furiously the end still imbedded in the pylon seesawed and plummeted in with slapping splash, a heavy spray of droplets spread like a beaded peacock's tail splattering my back and drenching my shorts.

My stomach crunched on the pylon and all the air went out of me like a bike tyre with a puncture, a long pained psssstt. I struggled, legs kicking to balance myself as everything wavered behind the gauzy film of tears sprung up at the corner of my eyes.

Huffing and puffing and dragging in laboured, hiccuping breaths, I dragged one knee up onto the pylon and hunkered over it, feeling like a mushroom cap on a stiff, unyielding stalk. After a moment bringing my panic back under the yoke, I became aware of the others shouting at me.

"Topaz, get up! You have to get up!"

"Duh you dumbarses!" I squalled back in one bursting gasp, crawling feebly onto the previous board. Still using one arm pushing against the pylon for balance, I used the other to mop up the wetness on my cheeks and push my fringe from my eyes. Then, to no one in particular I yelled out hoarsely, "I'm only fourteen, just bloody leave me alone!"

Thinking the outburst was directed at her Charlie snapped back, "No you're not! The moment you signed the contract to be an official trainer you were elevated to the status of an adult! That means all the rights, reasons and responsibilities that go with it."

"WHA!" I squealed trying unsuccessfully to see over my own stuck out arse.

"Didn't you read the contract?"

"Um…yes?" Oh come on! The whole bloody thing had been twelve pages long, both sides in a font that needed a microscope to be read! "Forget it."

With a tussle I eased myself into a position a little more comfortable, sitting on the pylon with my ankles hooked behind it and my nails scratching the surface for a bit extra stability. "Now what, oh mighty leader," I growled with my chin on my chest. My huge ponytail had flicked over my head and I didn't trust myself to let go. I couldn't see a damn thing.

"Well," she drawled, stalling for an idea to come, sounding anxious and frantic. Serves her right for making me look like an idiot! "Um, well! Oh I have it! What about that Ash and Friends Episode! He's with that Richie kid and they use their flying types to slow their momentum!"

"YOU'RE RISKING MY LIFE ON THE BASIS OF A DUMB CARTOON!"

"Why not, if you jump, all you need is just a little bit of extra momentum and," she snapped her fingers, "you're here!"

"I can't believe it," I moaned dolefully. "A) That is a cartoon. B) He had a Pidgeotto, which has a developed keel bone for muscle to attach to, therefore the bloody strength to do such a thing. C) The cartoon had a headwind…. Oh gawd what am I babbling about? What it comes down to is we have a fat-arse 14 year old, two pre-volved Pokemon and stale air! That won't work!"

"What it comes down to," she mimicked. "Is that so called 14 year old is shorter than my ten year old brother, two pre-evolved Pokemon who wouldn't be doing most of the work, you would as you jumped and-"

"I could help," Fury interrupted. Many pairs of eyes turned to the slouched and weary Pokemon curiously. "Hot air rises, right? So if I aim my ember attack at the water, steam would rise and would help Talon and Javelin."

The pidgey and the spearow exchanged circumspect glances, as if having a silent conversation, weighing up the possibilities.

"It could work," Javelin finally said cautiously.

"There's no other way Topaz. Do it."

"You gotta be kidding me," I muttered, glaring through a thin slice free of hair. I studied everyone's face, one by one and without a word I grudgingly tried to stand on the small space provided by the pylon. Turning over with my bum up first, shuffling my feet onto the space trying to work out a balance between them, then grunting I stood upright with my arms out still wobbling like a blob of jelly. The two bird Pokemon fluttered up each grasping a chain attached to my gloves.

"Ready."

"Me too."

After offering a prayer to the deity that protected blue-haired midgets, I shambled backwards along the board for what was laughably called a run up, no more than two large steps. Keep you're brain quiet, Tez, and no worries. Just don't let it think what will happen if you mis- crap. I shoved that cheery little vision aside and waved to Fury on the other side signalling I was ready, forgetting Talon was perched on my wrist. I grinned sheepishly and but he only puffed out his feathers indignantly.

With arms out like a demented scarecrow I flung forward, my legs covering the two steps in less then I anticipated and with reckless abandon I hurtled up and out over the river. The moment my toes left the pylon I knew there was no way I could make it on my own. My whole body tried to stretch, to reach for the platform only just out of my grasp.

Then with swift yank gravity grabbed me. I screamed in fear, but then like a kid on the monkey bars, my faith was in Talon and Javelin and my arms were wrenched from their sockets.

Another agonised moan gripped me as mean as the fist of gravity as a thick spiralling coil of black and burning whiter sparks struck the water in a huge bubble of boiling air enveloped my body, but we were lifted, if only a little. I struggled and sobbed, huge red welts erupting up my legs like a chain of volcanic islands breaking the surface of the ocean. Any lift gained by the great mushrooms of steam spewing up from the surface was countered by my own throes.

My own feathered friends refused to give up as I dragged them down with me, their tiny, ill muscled wings hammering, their little tail feathers twitching and manipulating the plumes pummelling their weight, their whole bodies shaking with effort to get me to the other side, so close.

Lower and lower we jerked, and I knew as my eyes rolled, glimpsing the huge bubbling froths of the water that if I didn't make it, I would boil and cook like a krabby.

"Higher," I groaned as tears evaporated off my cheeks.

In answer the glowing coil, writhing and wriggling like it was alive thickened into a roiling twister of embers, dancing over the steaming surface and again the hot water surged upwards, and in one great boost we almost met the ceiling.

And then it was gone.

With a breathy Laaav the light vanished like a crushed firefly in someone's palm and we were left in blind panic with monotones stamped inside our eyelids. A soft thump was almost lost amongst the showering hisses twirling below but I heard it.

"Fur-!" I choked out but it was severed as my right buddy let go.

"Talon!" Javelin snarled, as he strived to carry me alone.

"My grip slipped!" he babbled, as his wings thrummed by my air, his little talons clutching sightlessly for a hold.

"Forget it! Topaz SWING!"

And I swung. I kicked out my legs as if I were on the playground swing, jerking them back and with a great umph! as I reached the zenith of the oscillation, Javelin's claws released me and I flew out and away. My arms thrashed out to grip anything in the lightless oblivion as I fell with the speed of a plummeting Onix. Splinters grazed my fingers, and it was gone.

I was dead.

"I have YOU!" Charlie's hysterical bawling clashed against my ears as her cheek brushed mine and two hands seized my wrist, strangling it with an audible crunch.

Shoulders jerked, and I swung limply, wheezing as my ribs constricted my air. Charlie, breathing just as hard as she knelt, bent like an aged willow and hauled me up, hugging each other for a moment before I flopped onto the wood. More blistered burst and oozed but I was beyond it, simply lying and quivering, staring blankly.

Finally, after what felt like eons I pushed my face off the wood, feeling the condensation of the steam drift down, making us cold and damp. I squinted hard and for the longest time still couldn't see anything. But eventually I could see the dimmest of outlines, two tiny little bundles, heaving heavily, two sentrets, one poised on the tip of its tail, the other comforting Charlie's hunched figure with little spines that were probably the female Nidoran.

And then a lump, a perfectly still, silent lump.

"Fury!" I croaked, scuttling over to her. My hand went to her neck, feeling slightly below her ear where the carotid artery laid over one of the vertebrae. A pulse. Oh gawd it was a pulse! Not dead, fainted.

With a soft whimper, I lifted her into my lap, stroking her clammy fur feverishly and resting my face on her back, as if that alone could make her conscious again.

So there we huddled for the night, cold, starving, lightless, without my best friend to keep my spirits up.

And we had yet to even accomplish the first level.