(A/N) Kaijuu/pokemon aren't my creations, and I'm not getting any money for it. Paws off my original ideas and characters!

The Adamant Key

Chapter 14: Through the Mountain

By Trivnar Silversword

"Rowan!" Kepa shook his head and hugged her tightly. "How, in the name of creation, did you end up here!"

She chuckled. "I could ask the same of you. It's a long story, can it wait a bit? I'm exhausted."

The blaziken peered down at her more closely and saw the fatigue in her eyes, numerous scrapes and scratches and the way she kept her weight off her right leg. She looked down at Thavron and his visible bruises, as well as his torn clothes.

"You guys don't look much better than me," she said ruefully. "I'd heal you, but I'm afraid I don't have a drop of energy."

Kepa helped her sit down, smiling as she leaned her head against his shoulder. Thavron sat across from them, staring at them with a funny expression on his face which Rowan didn't care to interpret.

She sighed heavily. "There is still... a very large problem to take care of. But first... I need to rest. Can I sleep for awhile?"

"Don't worry. It'll be alright."

Rowan sighed softly and lay down, her head in Kepa's lap. She was asleep in seconds, easing the lines of strain from her face. The kaijuu smiled tenderly and pushed a stray strand of hair from her eyes.

"I'm going to get some sleep too," said Thavron abruptly, lying on his side with his back to them.

Kepa looked up at him in surprise, then grimaced slightly, guessing the source of the other's discomfort. "I was human once, you know. Loth imprisoned me in this body. Although... it has been so long now, I hardly remember what having a human body is like."

Thavron made a noncommital sort of noise, so the kaijuu let the matter drop. He stared at the river vaguely, thinking the reflexion on the water were rather hypnotic. He really didn't mean to fall asleep, but the sound of the river was so soothing...

It was the sudden dimming of the perpetual light that woke Kepa. He cursed himself for falling asleep, then summoned a handful of flames to light the room, before waking Rowan and Thavron.

"How long did we sleep?" Rowan asked, yawning.

Kepa shook his head. "No way of knowing."

She sighed. "Well, it can't be helped. Listen up, and I'll tell you about what I went through." The story took quite a while to tell, long enough for the light to fade completely and would have left them in darkness if not for Kepa's fire. "The Ancient was so powerful," she finished, "it just plowed through the mountain to get free and caused all the tunnels and stuff to collapse."

Thavron looked around their little bubble of stone. "That's fine for him... but how are we going to get out?"

She shrugged. "I have no idea. All I can do is heal your wounds." So saying she slid over to Thavron and placed her hands on his shoulders. The bruises and cuts faded from his skin, leaving it dark, tanned, and healthy. She moved back towards Kepa and did the same, drawing from his energy and using it to heal the skin. As she gave him a quick probe to see if he had any more injuries that she couldn't feel, she felt a strange sensation. There was a gaping void within him, one that threatened to draw in all her healing energy. She drew back quickly, staring at her hands in surprise. What... was that?

Neither Kepa or Thavron noticed her look of surprise, so she put it out of her mind and healed her leg, doing a better job of it than she had the previous time.

"I feel great!" Kepa grinned, standing and stretching. "Which is good. If we're going to get out of here, I'm going to need all my strength."

Thavron glanced sharply at him. "You have a plan?"

"Well... not really," he admitted sheepishly. "More like... a thought." He walked around their prison, placing his hand on the rock and feeling his way around their half of the chamber, then jumped over the river and did the same before returning.

"Right, the rock is thinnest where the water sweeps out of the 'bubble'. I'm not really sure how this is going to work... since I've never done anything on such a large scale, so it would probably best if you both went to stand as far away from me as you can get. It's going to get really hot, anyways."

Rowan frowned, worried. "Alright... be careful."

The traders scuttled over to the furthest wall and sat down with their backs against it.

"What's he going to do?" Thavron asked, puzzled.

"I think..." Rowan hesitated. "I think he's going to try and melt a path through the rock.

"What!" He stared at her in shock. "He can't do that! Think of the heat that would be needed!"

She shrugged. "If he can get the initial heat, the rock will preserve it and melt what's behind it on its own; he'll just have to control and guide it."

"He's crazy," Thavron murmured. "He'll burn himself out! What he's going to do is hard for the Ancients! You love him don't you? Go stop him!"

"I do," she said softly. "Which is why I can't."

Thavron moved to rise but Rowan's hand reached out and grabbed his arm. He looked at her and saw she was white as a sheet. As he watched a stray tear slid down her cheek. "Stay... please..." Groaning he slid back down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Kepa planted his hands against the rock and took a deep breath, letting the heat build within him until he could bear it no longer then shoved it into the rock. Wave after wave of heat he sent until the rock glowed red and seared even his hands. Yet he kept summoning more and more of his element, setting his blood afire as it rushed through his veins.

The shimmering waves of heat radiating from the stone blurred his vision until he had to close his eyes to keep them from drying up. He sensed his fur start to singe at the tips, releasing a acrid scent. But his face was fixed in a savage grin as he sensed the rock begin to move.

At first the molten rock moved sluggishly, dripping down on the river and releasing clouds of steam. But it began to move faster as Kepa directed even more heat into it and started demanding a path, pushed by the force behind. The rock ahead started to melt as well, dragged along with the rest, while some remained and hardened into a shell.

Bubbling and boiling the mass sought its way through cracks in the rock causing the whole side of mountain to groan and shift as the red hot spear was forced through it. Then, suddenly, all resistance was gone and the molten rock slowed and began to harden once more.

Rowan sprang up and rushed towards Kepa, ignoring the heat that still radiated from the stone. She pried his hands from the stone, no small task, since the heat had practically fused them against it. He half opened an eye weakly. "I'm sorry... you'll have to crawl through. The inside should be smooth, though."

Kepa attempted a smile and then went limp, slumped against the floor. Rowan held a hand to his forehead. "He's so hot... his temperature isn't going down!"

Thavron knelt beside them and frowned. "He called up so much heat, it's burning him up from the inside. You're the only one who can save him, I'm afraid."

Rowan shuddered, remembering the void into which she had almost fallen last time she had healed him, then grabbed his arm and forced her healing energies into him. The heat swirled about her as well, searing her soul. She drew back hastily, rubbing her arms.

"I don't know what to do... I'm getting pushed back!" An image of her brother, frail and sickly, life ebbing from him as she watched sprang unbidden into her mind. Rowan snarled and grabbed Kepa's arm again. "Never again!" She sent out a mental cry for help as she plunged into the flames again. Scucca, if you're listening, help!

The empath answered almost instantly, his presence shielding her from the flames. Well, well, well, what kind of mess have the two of you gotten into?

This healing! I don't have the strength!

Rowan could almost see Scucca shake his head. Very well, I'll help.

She felt his mental presence settle around her like a pair of hands, guiding her through the flames, dousing and cooling them, chasing them back to the core of the blaziken's being, where they belonged. Suddenly she felt the pull of the void and felt it open up from under her feet. Scucca hauled her back from the brink and both stood, peering into it.

What is it? She asked finally.

This is what Loth did. Or rather, what she told Lorelei to do. The alakazam took Kepa's life-code and tore it apart, replacing bits of it with those of a blaziken. The torn human bits are still lying there, trying to get back with the life-code and this is what you sense as a void. He sensed her next question before she could phrase it. If you tried to heal it, you would get sucked in and vanish. I think perhaps you should only use typical remedies on Kepa from now on. Come, go back now; you've done enough, he will be fine.

Rowan slowly drew back from Kepa, feeling Scucca slip away as well. She opened her eyes to see the blaziken's grey ones fixed on her. "Thank goodness," she whispered and fainted from exhaustion.

Thavron lifted her off Kepa and slung her over his back. "We should get out of here as fast as possible. The tunnel has cooled enough for us to pass through."

Kepa rolled onto his side and peered at the hole in the rock. "So it really did work... I'll go first."

The blaziken scrambled into the tunnel on all fours. Sure enough, a trace of fresh air lingered in the tunnel. He started forward, hearing Thavron crawl in after him. It was a long journey, scrabbling on their bellies like tunnel snakes but at least Kepa had done a good job; the floor and sides were smooth and left their skin relatively intact.

"We're there," Kepa said finally, sliding out into the light and standing slowly, stretching out cramped muscles.

"It's so nice to see real sunlight again!" said Rowan fervently as Thavron followed. He jumped, almost dropping her.

"How long have you been awake?"

"A good ten minutes. I would have crawled on my own, but I was so tired..."

"It's alright." He crouched down so she could slide off and stand on her own.

"You alright, Kepa?"

"Thanks to you," he said, smiling.

Rowan shook her head. "I couldn't have done it without Scucca. Thank him next time we meet."

Kepa was about to answer when a happy screech echoed through the morning air.

-Kepa Nur! You made it out alive a second time! The Ancients must be watching over you. I'm glad to see you brought the healer this time.-

The blaziken introduced Stonejaw and translated her words to the humans. "Can you carry all three of us?"

-As long as I don't have to go too far, I should be able to manage.-

Rowan nodded. "Good. I have a mess to clean up."

Stonejaw chittered incoherently, causing Kepa to grin widely. "Let's hurry, they're waiting for us."

"Who's waiting for us?"

He didn't answer, motioning for her to mount Stonejaw ahead of him. Sighing in exasperation she scrambled up, using her legs to hold herself in place. Kepa seated himself behind her, followed by Thavron. Once they were all seated the aerodactyl lunged herself into the air, fanning the air with her strong wings.

Flying above the mountain, Rowan got a clear view of the damage the Ancient had caused with his precipitous exit. The whole north face of the mountain had collapsed on itself, leaving a bare scar of overturned rock behind.

Stonejaw flew them around to the other side of the mountain where, sure enough, a small group awaited them.

Scucca was there, his blue hair quite visible. So were Gwyn and a few other half-kaijuu from the Temple whom Rowan did not know. Ismitta towered over the group, white hide gleaming brightly.

Rowan grinned and waved at Scucca, who nodded. Kepa jumped down beside her and looked around the group curiously. Ismitta met Rowan's eye, who flushed.

"I-I'm sorry... I suppose it's my fault the seal was broken. Please, Kepa and I will do our best to-"

Do not worry, it has already been explained. No blame was passed on to you. From around Ismitta walked Path and Inali, the abra still translating. Rowan blinked when she saw them, then glared. "Y-you left me to die!"

Path shook his head. Not to die. We cannot interfere, that is all. We hoped very much that you would make it out safely.

"Not interfere? Then why did you release the Ancient? It seemed very much like interference, back there!"

It was our duty. And now it is time for you to complete yours. Find Thinien and end it.

Rowan stared, openmouthed, at the dragonite. She couldn't believe the nerve of the thing! "I am a healer, not a mercenary! Get one of the Free Riders to do it, or something. Why the heck does it have to be me?"

Thinien heals flesh wounds instantly. It is impossible to kill it with brute strength. Yet since the very essence of the kaijuu is corrupt, your healing touch will destroy it.

"My touch... destroy it?" Rowan shuddered, not sure she liked the idea.

Now you see why we need you. Only you can destroy Thinien and give it the eternal rest it seeks. Ismitta and the others from the temple shall help you.

"What happened to Loth and Viridian?" Kepa asked, before anyone could say anything further.

"They were lost when the mountain collapsed," Scucca explained. "I only got out because I was with this lovely lady." he gestured towards Ismitta and bowed. "They perished still locked in battle, and all their kaijuu with them."

Inali's eyes closed briefly and Rowan remembered Kepa telling her that Lorelei was her mother.

"Dammit, I'll do it," Rowan growled, shoving her hands in her pockets.

"I'm coming," said Kepa, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"So am I," Thavron mumbled, his dark looks daring anyone to forbid him.

Ismitta ducked her long neck in acceptance and extended her wing so that they could climb up on her back. Rowan, Kepa and Thavron settled there, while Scucca mounted Stonejaw. Gwyn climbed on to the back of her charizard and the other two from the Temple spread their own wings, one a golbat's and the other a fearow's.

The four winged beings lunged into the sky, wings beating in tandem. Good luck! Path called from behind them.