A Sequel to Crossing of the Paths
By MMM/AJ
A/N: Wow, the last few weeks have been school sponsored insanity. This writing had to take a back seat to the grueling schoolwork load. It won't improve either, unless there's a sudden lull in the barrage of tests and homework. I hope you enjoy this next chunk, it could be the last one for awhile again.
Chapter V – A2
Ashley hadn't been so stressed since the day of her Calculus finals. As she dragged Tanis' unconscious body back toward the lab and the med bay, she wondered what else could go wrong today. She had met Tanis and then been thrown right into a fight with some strange ninja-like men, and now a golden triangle had assaulted Tanis' skull. She wondered what her father Ash would think if he could know what was happening. A low, almost unperceivable rumbling reverberated through the tunnels, and Ashley stopped to rest in the central chamber of the cave. Tanis was extraordinarily heavy, and her back ached from carrying him almost as if she were carrying her school bags again.
Feeling the rumbling in the stone floor underneath her, Ashley wondered what could possibly be going on outside now. The heavy rain might have caused a landslide on the mountain's surface above her, but it felt like the rumbling was coming from below. Shrugging it off, she proceeded back down the hallway to the main lab. Halfway down, she noticed that the light of her flashlight was starting to dim. The indicator now read twenty minutes, and her pulse quickened. She picked up her pace, knowing that having no light in a cave like this meant death. The faint orange light of the lab ahead was a beacon that she homed in on like a crazed moth.
Finally making it into the lab, Ashley carried Tanis over to the glass tube of the Med bay and put him inside it. She pushed the activation button and the door slid closed. The machine hummed to life and a few minutes passed as Ashley turned her flashlight off to conserve the batteries. The flickering, dim orange light of the few remaining ceiling lights in the lab cast a ghostly glow over every object in the lab. Fiendish looking shadows were cast by rows of jagged broken glass, and large metal plates hanging out of the ceiling swung eerily. The vibration in the mountain caused them to swing and creak, and as the rumbling became more audible, Ashley became more and more nervous. A jolting crash was heard as one of the hanging panels broke free and fell to the floor, creating a jolting din. Ashley jumped, feeling her heart pounding in her chest.
"Come on Tanis, be alright!" she whispered to herself. "I don't think I can stay around much longer."
The shaking began to become loud in Ashley's ear, and the pools of liquid on the floor left over from Tanis' tank were quivering madly. Ashley was on the tips of her nerves, ready to bolt at the slightest provocation. When the door to the med bay slid open behind her, she jolted around expectantly.
Tanis still sat there unconscious, but the small LED screen on the device read "No unfixed medical anomalies detected."
"Holy crap! What am I going to do now?" Ashley said aloud. She pulled Tanis out of the tube and began to hobble back over to the door, but whatever was causing the rumbling finally snapped. The tunnel outside the door collapsed with a great booming sound. Rock met rock forcefully and a cloud of dust rushed into the lab to further panic Ashley.
"God no! I'm going to die in here!" Ashley shouted, dropping Tanis and rushing over to the rock pile outside the door.
Ashley frantically grabbed and pulled smaller stones away, tossing them randomly, not caring where they went. But it became clear her efforts were futile, there was one large rock that eclipsed the entire tunnel, it would take a jackhammer yto break through it. The rumbling clamored up again through the stone, strong enough to cause Ashley to lose her balance and fall backwards. There was a great slamming sound on the other side of the obstructing boulder and Ashley felt the ambient heat in the room rise considerably. She stood back up and felt the boulder; it was now hot to the touch. Doubting what her mind knew to be true, Ashley continued to try to pull rocks away from the boulder to break free despite the signs that magma now laid on the other side.
The heat became more and more intense as Ashley scrambled at the rocks, and once it became strong enough to make her feel the signs of heat stroke coming on, she slowed and decided to stop after pulling one more rock away. When she did, she saw a faint red glow underneath it. The rocks under it were glowing hot at the threshold of melting, and Ashley finally accepted the fact that there was no way out. She stepped back away from the pile and into the lab, looking on in despair. The red glow increased in intensity, catching her attention. She looked over at the control panel for the lab's thick steel door, and decided it would be wise to close it. She pressed the arrow button pointing downwards and the three inch plate of solid steel slid down soundlessly and clicked with the floor. It was cooler inside the room, but Ashley wondered how much time she had bought herself to live.
Ashley had her first real nervous breakdown as she sat inside the lab, waiting for her death to come. The ambient temperature steadily rose in the room, and the door to the lab emitted heat. The rumbling in the floor would occasionally crescendo into a great roar and then quickly subside again, as if teasing Ashley to make her think her death were coming sooner. Tanis remained limp and comatose on the floor, his robotic arm twitching off and on. The mountain groaned and rumbled around them, threatening to collapse at any moment. An especially loud crash just outside the door to the lab made Ashley tightly squelch her eyes closed, expecting to be bather in lava. When it didn't happen, she opened her eyes to see the door still intact. But it had begun to glow faintly, a muted red light that was stronger at the seams of the door. The lava must have broken through the boulder and been stopped at the door. Ashley's mind teetered on the brink of losing control, her terror gripping her mind and soul. She could only watch as the door's glow slowly gained intensity and brightness. Her deathly concentration was broken when she heard Tanis suddenly gasp behind her.
Tanis slowly sat up and looked at Ashley, bewilderment in his deep purple eyes. "What happened? What's going on?" He asked, his voice echoing in Ashley's mind without sound.
"We need to get out of here! We're trapped in the room and lava's about to break through our only escape rout to boil us alive!" Ashley said hysterically.
Tanis simply glanced over at the glowing red door, and Ashley's mind failed to comprehend what he was thinking. "Don't just sit there! You've got to do something! You're the one with the amazing powers, not me!"
"Though a portion of my abilities has been restored by my rest, I'm afraid I am still unable to stop such a mighty lava flow." Tanis said.
"Then what are we going to do?" Ashley screamed.
"I'm going to do something my father taught me in his recording messages, I'm going to teleport us out of danger. But before I can, I need to have seen the place I am going to. I'll need to read your mind to see a place that is safe." Tanis said, still remaining calm as the steel of the door began to soften.
"Don't dawdle then! Do it now! We're about to die!" Ashley said, her voice going out of control.
Ashley felt a cool, calm presence enter her mind. It was like someone had injected her with ice water. It flitted through her memories and then was gone. The steel door began to distend and morph inward as the pressure of the magma warped its softened form.
"Does the place known as Saffron City suffice?" Tanis asked.
"It doesn't matter! You could take us to Cinnabar Island if you wanted to, just get us to safety! Ashley screamed again.
"Very well then." Tanis said, and they were suddenly gone. A blink of energy lit up the lab for a brief moment and then was gone. But a few moments later the door gave way and thousands of gallons of molten rock poured into the lab, finally reclaiming it all for the Earth once more.
Chapter VI – R2
Kalana and Ruru sat at the Elder's Common Table in the center of the Gerudo Castle. Over the years of Gerudo advancement and strenuous labor, the people of the Desert had slowly converted their arid homeland into productive farmlands The lands west of Gerudo Valley had been painstakingly converted, pushing sands out and replacing them with workable soil. The Gerudos were able to pursue professions other than thieving and trade, and as they became more docile people they had no need to keep their fortress. So they converted the fortress of the olden days into a splendorous Castle that rivaled Hyrule Castle itself. In the main hall of the Castle, Ruru watched as her older sister contemplated the political quandary that lie ahead of all of them.
"I honestly don't know what to do." Kalana said sighing and pressing her face into her hands. "I don't believe that Sirpala would sacrifice a long standing alliance with our people just because of a few empty threats, but now she's acting like she might actually do just that. If war were to break upon these fair lands, both of our people could lose everything we've worked for over centuries."
Several thoughts ran through Ruru's mind. It seemed to her that there was more at work here than just political intrigue, but her mind couldn't put a finger on it. She could sense something odd in the atmosphere, something unbalanced in the energy around her. She knew Kalana could sense it as well, they were both descendants of the Spirit Sage, and they were more attuned to the world around them than typical people. Whenever she tried to pinpoint it however, it was if her mind was suddenly swaddled in mists, and her thoughts became muddled and distracted. She turned to her sister to see if she were having the same problem.
Kalana stared blankly into the air before shaking her head again. "I can't feel anything, just confusion in my thoughts." She said.
Ruru sighed and stared down at the Common Table. The rich maple wood imported from the Kokiri forest was varnished handsomely and had a deep, rich amber color. The tantalizing smell of sweet potatoes drifted through the air, catching both sisters' attention and making their stomachs grumble to life. A sudden creaking sound pierced the calm air as the door to the Elder's chamber opened. Three Gerudo women arrived, followed by three men of unknown race or creed.
"Elder Kalana, my I present you Anmor Issyth, Emissary of the Kingdom of Iress." The leading Gerudo said and stepped away.
Anmor was a stunning man, and not as much for his handsome charm. His hair was flaming red, his skin tanned almost as much as a Gerudo's, and he had deep purple eyes that seemed to pierce the soul. He was wearing a full set of plate mail armor over his body with a crimson red cloak that flowed across the floor like a river of blood in his wake. The handle of an extraordinarily large sword was at his side. His two bodyguards had the same red hair, dark skin and purple eyes, but they did not wear the same garb as their leader.
"The wise Elder Kalana, I presume." Anmor said, and bowed respectfully before the still seated Kalana.
Kalana practically popped out of her seat and bowed to the Emissary in return. "It is an honor to meet you sir. Please, take a seat."
Anmor sat in the seat on the opposite side of the rounded table facing Kalana. Ruru felt magic power emanating from him, and she held an air of awe around her. Anmor's two bodyguards sat on either side of him, and he smiled at Kalana casually as if he had known her for years.
"Iress, I have never heard of your kingdom before. Might I ask if you have traveled far?" Kalana asked professionally.
"Quite a long distance actually," Anmor said pausing slightly. "Only across the vastness of the what your people call the Western Sea."
The tension in the air became palpable as Kalana was totally thrown off of her thought process. Ruru felt herself start to sweat and she couldn't stop staring into Anmor's eyes. Those unbelievably purple eyes had seemed innocent, even affable at first, but now Ruru saw something underneath their appearance. She saw a shiftiness like that of one who is plotting in his head, and Anmor was staring straight at Kalana with enough power in the empty expression on his face to frighten children.
"So, you've met with Sirpala, the leader of our Nation wide alliance?" Kalana asked, obviously straining to restrain her emotions.
"Oh only once, she seemed flippant and disrespectful at best. However, I have not come here to discuss the hospitality of politicians, I am here to make a proposal to you and your people. I am willing to offer your people recognition as an official government if and only if you throw off your old alliance with that savage Abaim and his band of ruffians."
This was all that Kalana could take. It was plainly obvious that the Iressians were trying to cause a war within Hyrule, and Kalana wouldn't stand for it.
"What do you take me for?" Kalana shouted, jumping to her feet and slamming the table with her fists. "Hyrule has been a united realm for hundreds of years, and here you would ask me to throw that away for fickle friendship from a country that is hundreds of miles across a sea?"
"Do not take my words lightly." Anmor said, his cheerful tone replaced by a cold, chilling growl. "You cannot possibly comprehend the death and destruction that teeters above your head. My leader and King, Lord Rirsh, commands a standing army of over 30,000 men on ships not too far out to sea. Should you do something unfortunate, then a tide of devastation will wash out from sea and onto your lands."
"Do you expect me to believe such an exaggeration? It is impossible to send an army that large over such distances! You are clearly bluffing and I can see through it clear as day." Kalana shouted.
Ruru could see Anmor fingering his sword, and chills of panic ran down her spine.
"Very well then." Anmor said, suddenly standing up and regaining his composure. "I have made you my offer and you have refused. I have no further reason to stay and talk with you. Your band of thieves and dirty farmers are not worthy of survival."
Before Kalana could react, Anmor and his men had already gotten up and swept out of the door. His cape swept through the door, falling to the ground in an undignified manner, almost like a pool of draining gore. There was silence for a moment before Kalana spoke.
"We need to talk to Sirpala, right now."
Chapter VII – I2
"There it is, the telltale signature." Kraden said, pointing down at the bottom of the stone tablet.
Three simple letters had been etched into the ancient relic, "AWH". It was Alex's way of taunting Isaac and his party as they pursued him across the land.
"I can't believe it!" Jenna said furiously, her crimson hair flowing around her in the wind. "We've been chasing the maniac for three months since the collapse of Mt. Aleph, and with our flying ship we still can't catch him!"
The winds blowing through the inner sanctum of Air's rock whipped at Isaacs band of weary adventurers, and each felt the frustration and disappointment of having failed to catch the villain Alex once more. His plot to collect the four elemental psynergies from each corner of the world was about to be complete, he had now visited every one of the elemental mountains except Magma rock. Time was running out now for them, if Alex obtained the fourth and last psynergy from Magma Rock he would be powerful enough to conquer Weyward.
"We'd better leave now if we hope to catch Alex before he reaches Magma Rock." Felix said, frowning at the crude letters that had been carved in the monolith which contained the Reveal psynergy. "He will already have gotten a significant head start by now."
"No matter how fast we fly or how quickly we run, he always keeps one step ahead of us!" Jenna fumed as the 9 adventurers turned to leave Air's Rock.
"It's not our fault though Jenna," Isaac said, "He has that unique teleportation psynergy. No matter how limited it is, he can still use it to elude us. He might very well be jut outside Air's Rock right now."
"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst." Ivan said, smiling over at Jenna and Isaac.
Once Isaac and company finally made it back through the mazes inside Air's rock, they found not trace of Alex. Isaac remained quiet, sighing and worrying about what would happen to his family if he should fail. He had left his parents in the Town of Vault near the Aleph Crater, but they would not be safe from Alex even if he hid them in the deepest tunnels of Ancient Lemuria.
Another two days of sailing passed as the party flew West toward the continent of Gondowan, and another day was spent flying North over the continent itself. Magma Rock loomed in the distance, promising a last minute success or total failure. When they finally reached the base of the Fiery Mountain itself, they landed their ship on the flat terrain making use of its flattened belly. Once inside the mountain, they found a scene of destruction that shocked and horrified them.
The once ordered and methodical channels and mechanisms designed for harnessing the lava flows had been utterly destroyed. Steel lock doors were literally ripped off of their hinges and tossed crumpled to the steaming ground. Control mechanisms were shredded and scattered like confetti. One whole room had completely collapsed, lava had crashed through from the ceiling and hardened into stone. Isaac was unsure what could have done this, but Kraden knew.
"It was Alex." Kraden said morosely.
The other eight party members turned and stared at the wizened old scholar. "How is that possible?" Piers asked, confounded.
"Surely he's not this powerful already?" Sheba said, still staring down at a steel door that had been used to crudely prop a boulder up to open a passage.
"I'm afraid so. I'm afraid this is only a sample of what will happen if we don't get to the final tablet before he does." Kraden said, sighing in worry.
"We must hurry, we may be too late already!" Felix said, grabbing onto Garet's arm and pulling.
The party moved as quickly as they could through the devastated rooms. The tests that had been designed here to deter those unworthy had been simply crushed under the power that Alex now possessed. Isaac and his companions were able to run through the mazes quickly because they had been solved brutally via holes through the walls. Panic began to set in as the companions neared the inner sanctum of the mountain where the Fire psynergy blaze rested. As they turned round the corner and saw the pathway to the ancient door, the familiar blue haired figure of Alex was trying to force his way into the chamber. There were great scorched marks on the door, and the rock wall had been chipped and smashed at, but apparently the door's seal had defeated Alex so far. The ruthless Mercury Adept turned and faced his party of pursuers.
"So you've finally caught up with me? It took you long enough!" Alex laughed. "I suppose you'll be wanting the Stone of Sages then?"
"You know what we're here for!" Jenna shouted.
"My, you don't know what you're up against now do you my dear Jenna? I've changed a lot since we last met in battle." Alex said, smirking at Jenna as she burned with rage.
"It was obvious by what you've done to this hallowed place!" Isaac said. "I wonder how you have the courage to spit in the face of greater powers like this."
"My friend, the only greater power here is me." Alex said. "I've become even more powerful than the Wise One himself now! If you wish to spend your lives trying to stop me now, then I won't object. Just don't say I didn't warn you."
The battle began in the blink of an eye. Alex handled the sword blows from all eight fighters with ease, throwing them backwards and slashing at them with a deadly grace that none of them had ever seen. Kraden could only watch in horror as Isaac's friends were cut down one by one before hardly any time had passed. In desperation, Garet called upon his Djinni to summon a meteor from deep space. The four glowing red spirits danced happily and wisps of red energy left their physical bodies swiftly.
"Garet no!" Isaac shouted, but it was too late.
A colossal sphere of stone the size of a house rocketed down from the atmosphere, screaming down toward Magma Rock. Alex roared in anger and made a dash for the inner sanctum door and tried to smash through it again. He needed to get the last fire psynergy and escape the mountain alive. The door did not budge and Alex felt the breath leave his lungs in shock as a cold blade entered the flesh of his back. He looked back to see Jenna holding the Masamune sword in his spine, and his legs suddenly gave out underneath him. In a rage he used his psynergy to create a great spire of ice and flung it at Jenna. Jenna was impaled over the cold spear, she flew backwards and hit the wall hard. The ice shaft shattered and shards punctured her further inside and out. With a roar of Revenge Isaac charged at the disabled Alex with the Darksword. The blackened blade emitted a chilling tone as it cast the spell of Acheron's Grief. The spiritual embodiment of the first river of hell appeared as a great purple sword that pierced Alex's body through. As Alex slowly raised his hand to deal a return blow to Isaac, the meteor struck the summit of Magma Rock.
The natives of Kibombo to the East and the Settlers on the Western shores of Gondowan all watched in awe and terror as the great ball of fire descended upon the holy landmark of fire's power, and the ground shook for miles as the secrets of the blaze psynergy were lost forever in an ironic fate.
Chapter 8 – T2
The majestic spires of the human city gracefully appeared to Tanis as he and Ashley appeared in the streets. He stared up in marvel at the great steel and glass towers, enthralled in seeing them in person for the first time in his life. He could feel the energies of all the humans around him, the air teeming with their thoughts. Their life energies pulsed steadily around him, their thoughts echoed in his head. He was jerked out of his trance by someone pulling on his left arm.
"Tanis, we need to make ourselves inconspicuous! People are staring at you!" Ashley said urgently.
Indeed it was true. Tanis saw humans driving past in their vehicles turn to gawk at him. It wasn't an unexpected reaction either, Tanis's physical form alone was terrifying to any witness. The fact that he had a robotic right arm didn't help either. People gaped through storefront windows and stopped in their cars to see.
"Then where shall we go?" Tanis asked.
"Read my mind again and find a less populated place to take us to. I understand you didn't have the time to find a safe location, but now that we don't have magma about to cook us, take the time you need." Ashley said, grabbing him by the arm and taking him away from the street down an alley.
Tanis again reached into the young girl's mind, fighting off the emotions that existed there. Her mind's feelings and memories seemed into his mind as he searched it, and it was the ultimate experience in taking a walk in another's shoes. He found a beauteous blue lake buried deep in the farthest recesses of her memory. Without consulting Ashley on it, Tanis teleported the both of them there. He was very eager to see the splendor of this world that his father had mentioned.
The dark alleyway melted away around them as they moved through minor dimensions for instantaneous travel. The lake smeared into being and solidity and Tanis marveled at the exquisite scene before them. Rows of mountains formed a gigantic circular wall around them, and inside these walls was a great forest that spread all the way down to the shores of the lake. In the center of the lake was a very small island with a pointed top. The sun shone down intensely from the middle of the sky, and brooding storm clouds hung in the distance to the west.
"I know this place." Ashley said mutedly. She stood silent for a moment to take in the sights. "My father took me here four years ago, this is Purity Canyon!"
Something rang a bell in the back of Tanis's mind, but he could not place it.
"This was where my father took me to tell me his story of his encounter with your father. I don't remember much of the tales except that the Canyon had been obliterated on the outside by Mewtwo in order to destroy the Team Rocket forces in the area. He took the lake underground and then left for many years, not to be seen by a living soul. Then one day my father is passing through and he discovers that somehow, the lake and its surrounding forest were restored to their original places here in the Canyon Crater."
"Yes, I remember now. He told me the tale in one of his recorded messages while I was asleep in the lab. He said that it was his last gift to humanity, to allow them a second chance for using the springs potent healing properties." Tanis said. "I'm surprised the place has not yet been overrun by the sick and dying seeking aide from the springs."
"I'm sure the government has figured a way to distribute the water evenly."
There was a long, strained pause as both girl and Pokemon searched for something to say next. Tanis wondered if Ashley would go her own way now that they had no further purpose of being together. He had saved her life from the magma, and she had found him a safe spot to stay in the world away from prying eyes. The silence was unbearable for both of them as the forced themselves to gaze upon the lake.
"So... where to now?" Ashley asked.
"I think that it would be wise to seek the other two golden triangles that we encountered in my father's burial chamber. I felt an extraordinary power coming from them, and it appears to me that those black clad men were attempting to steal them." Tanis said, reflecting on his first few hours of life and wondering how his next few would turn out.
"Well, I have already succeeded in my goal to defeat the Elite Four, and there will always be another chance to capture Entei." Ashley said, staring wistfully at nowhere.
"Do you consider me your Pokemon and yourself a trainer?" Tanis suddenly asked, his mind riddled with curiosity. Though his father had told him about the way Pokemon training worked, Tanis had never witnessed the system in action.
"Would that sort of thing make you happy? My father said that of what he remembers of Mewtwo was that he despised the thought of even associating with human trainers until his later years." Ashley replied tentatively.
"I'm not sure about it, I would like to see how the social interactions in such a relationship function," Tanis said. "But I have drifted from the subject. I am going to pursue the two golden triangles, would you care to accompany me?"
"It sounds like an impossibly hard task, and how can you know where to look for them?" Ashley asked, wondering what was going on in the cryptic creature's head.
"When I was unconscious, I heard voices. They told me that I had only earned the right to the Third of that artifact that represented courage. If I wanted to find the other two pieces, they were scattered across two other lands and one in a completely different time period. They said that I had to find these worlds myself, but there were still clues yet to be found here on Earth as to their location." Tanis said.
"I bet those clues are somehow connected to those strange men who were raiding your father's burial chamber!" Ashley exclaimed. "Could you trace where they were sent from with your powers?"
"Even my father's powers had limits at their peak, and I have yet to grow as powerful as him. I'm afraid we're going to have to figure this out on our own." Tanis said.
"Ok ok, these people were obviously organized," Ashley said, working into a strain of thought. "They weren't random or opportunistic grave robbers, they had a mission on their minds and they seemed awfully determined on getting into your father's sarcophagus. Did your father in his messages tell you about any people who might have done something like this?"
Tanis sat silently, running through his few memories like one flips through a binder full of papers. "He told me of the men who created him originally, those of the Criminal Syndicate Team Rocket. He told me of their unparalleled greed and evil, but he said that he had wiped all of their memories. I don't think it would be them."
"Are you sure?" Ashley said, her face brightening suddenly. "If they created your father in a laboratory, then they must have kept extensive records of him that would be recovered after the memory wipe. Suppose they rediscovered your father and searched for him? Perhaps they just finally found his grave after we found each other?"
Tanis frowned in thought and blinked his deep purple eyes once. "I suppose that is possible. From what father said, they are power obsessed enough to dedicate these amounts of time to finding him or even his remains."
"Then we should do an investigation," Ashley said, standing energetically. "We should find someone related to Team Rocket, disarm his little belt bomb before he can use it, and then you can read his mind to find out more!"
Tanis stood up as well and smiled. "It is a fine plan. My father would be glad to see me doing good in the world."
A/N: Many interesting developments here, writing parallel storylines is so much fun! What will happen next? Will Isaac and co. make it out of Magma Rock alive? Will Iress incite war between the nations of Hyrule? And just what will Ashley and Tanis uncover about Team Rocket? Keep the reading and reviewing up, it's good to know you guys are enjoying the stories!
