Last time our heroes descended into the mineshaft towards the base of the Naz'riak. While traveling down the tunnel, Will recounted a weird dream she had the previous night, involving a strange man with glowing blue eyes. Upon reaching a split in the tunnel, Will, along with Matt; Cornelia; Caleb, Naruto; Saske; Sakura; Ino; Shikamaru; Choji; Taranee; Nigel; Nami; and Zolo took the left path, as designated by the Heart of Candracar. Luffy however, having misunderstood what Will said, took the right path, along with Irma; Hinita; Shino; Kiba; Akamaru; Hay Lin; Rock Lee; Sanji; Usopp and Chopper. Just as Will and her group realized that Luffy and the others were missing, She and everyone with her were knocked out with sleeping gas, while Naruto seeing the Naz'riak choosing several of the group, before he passed out. We now continue with Luffy and his group just as they realize thay they took the wrong tunnel. On with the show!
Chapter 20: Separated in the Dark
Back in the other branch of the tunnel, it had finally dawned on Luffy that things were not as they should be. "Hold on!" he exclaimed, "Where are the others?" "I thought they were behind us." Said Kiba. "Well they're not," said Sanji, "And they're not in front of us either." "Oh crap!" exclaimed Usopp, "We're lost!"
"We're not lost!" exclaimed Hay Lin, "We just went the wrong way. It's a simple matter of just turning around and coming back to the fork in the tunnel." Usopp however, wasn't listening, for he was having a panic attack, for he was running back and forth along the tunnel, yelling at the top of his lungs and waving his arms about like a mad chicken.
"Is he always like this?" asked Kiba. "Not always," said Sanji, "Just when it looks really bad." "It's not that bad!" exclaimed Hay Lin who was trying her best to keep control of the situation, "This is totally not a big deal." "This is a big deal!" exclaimed Usopp, "It's a very big deal! We're gonna be stuck down here forever!'
Meanwhile, Hinita was crouched down by the tunnel wall, her arms wrapped around her legs. "Are you alright?" asked Chopper. "This may sound crazy," said Hinita in a shaky voice, "But I don't do so well in confined spaces." "Your claustrophobic?" exclaimed Irma, "You're telling us this now? When we're several hundred feet underground? Are you crazy or something!"
"Irma!" exclaimed Hay Lin, "You're not helping! And somebody smack him, please!" she was referring to Usopp. "Gladly," said Irma as she delivered a loud slap to Usopp's face. "What'd you do that for!" exclaimed Usopp. "One," said Irma, "You're annoying. Two, you're making too much noise." "You're all making too much noise!" exclaimed Hinita, "You're sucking up all the air!"
"Just calm down Hiniat," said Hay Lin, "Everything's gonna be alright!" "My Lungs Are Imploding!" yelled Hinita, just before she was slapped Hay Lin. "Everybody just shut the f#ck up!" exclaimed Hay Lin, "We're not gonna die down here, there's no shortage of air, and we're certainly not lost. We'll just go back the way we came, and make sure we take the right tunnel, and by right, I mean correct tunnel."
"I'll lead," said Luffy, but was stopped by Kiba. "You expect us to follow you?' asked Kiba, "You who can't even tell his right from his left?" "I do know my right from my left!" exclaimed Luffy, "I just get confused sometimes." "That's not all you are," said Kiba, "I think you're a few eggs short of a dozen."
"Are you calling me crazy?" asked Luffy. "No," said Kiba, "I'm calling you stupid!" "Don't call me stupid!" raged Luffy as he made ready to hit Kiba, "Gum Gum Blast!" His arm stretched out to hit Kiba in the face, but Kiba moved out of the way. Kiba then made ready to slash Luffy with his kuni, but both were slammed against the tunnel walls by two, well-placed gusts of air from Hay Lin.
"If I have to tell you one more time to shut up," said Hay Lin, "I'll rip out your tongues and make you eat them! Now, we're going back the way we came, and we're gonna catch up with the others." At that, Hay Lin began back the way she and those with her followed.
Soon after, they reached the branch in the tunnel. "Now, Luffy," said Hay Lin, "We're going down that tunnel," she pointed at the one to the left, "Is that clear?" "Absolutely!' exclaimed Luffy. "Good," said Hay Lin, "Let's go."
After another twenty minutes of walking, those in the group with sensitive noses(Kiba, Chopper and Akamaru) began to smell something odd. "Am I the only one who smells that?" asked Kiba. "What do you smell?" asked Rock Lee. "The same thing I smell," said Chopper, "And I smell poppies." "The bastard demons are using Opium gas!" exclaimed Shino. "It's faint," said Kiba, and Akamaru barked in agreement, "Like it has already dissipated."
"Well just in case," said Chopper as he pulled out a small glass jar from his bag, "Everyone rub some of this under your noses, it'll keep the gas from affecting you." "What is it?" asked Hay Lin as she took a small bit of white paste from the jar, and applied it to her upper lip. She winces as she breathed in through her nose. "Good god!" exclaimed Irma as she finished rubbing her paste to her lip, "What is this stuff?" "Essence of garlic, onion and a little bit of stink-weed," said Chopper, "Works every time."
"No way I'm putting that crap under my hyper-sensitive nose!" exclaimed Kiba. 'You think you've got problems," said Usopp, "My nose is bigger than yours." "It's not how big it is," said Sanji, "It's how you use it. I don't mind the smell. If it weren't for the stink-weed, I'd enjoy it." "If he can take it!" exclaimed Usopp as he took an extra large glop of paste, "Then so can I!" He applied the paste to his lip, and almost fainted. "Forgot to mention," said Chopper, "A little of this stuff goes a long way. "Now he tells me!" groaned Usopp.
"Well," said Kiba reluctantly as he prepared to apply the paste to his lip, "If you can't beet them, join them." He rubbed the paste to his lip, and shuddered instantly. Kiba then applied some of the paste to Akamaru, "Come on boy, it's all go or no go."
Once everyone has their lip pasted, they proceeded down the tunnel again, only at a much quicker pace. Within five minutes, they had reached the cavern where Will and her group were gassed. Chopper passed around two more jars of the paste to help wake up those who were gassed. Within seconds, those who were gassed were coughing awake. "God!" exclaimed a groggy Naruto, "What's that smell?"
"Don't ask," said Rock Lee, but he was interrupted by an annoyed, and probably hung-over Ino, "No! Please ask! I'm sure we'd all like to know what this sh$t is that's been rubbed under our noses!" "Essence of garlic, onion and stink-weed." Answered Chopper. "Well lucky us!" said Shikamaru sarcastically. "Not bad," said Choji, "Take away the stink-weed, add some essence of tomato, cheese, maybe some pepperoni and olives and you'd have a great pizza."
Just then Will noticed that not everybody who was with her when gassed, wasn't there. "Where's Taranee? Where's Nigel?" "Where's Cornelia?" exclaimed Caleb. "They took them," said Naruto, his temper rising, "The demons, they also took Saske, Sakura, Nami and Zolo." "They took Saske?" exclaimed Ino. "My beloved Nami has been kidnapped!" exclaimed Sanji. "Why them?" asked Naruto, "Why them and nobody else?" "Who cares!" exclaimed Ino, "They took Saske!" "They took Nami away from me!" exclaimed Sanji
"Oh shut up!" exclaimed Shikamaru, "You're winning is giving me a headache!" "Actually," said Chopper, "It's a side affect of the gas." "I don't care about the gas," said Shikamaru, "I'm just plain tired of listening to her (Ino) pinning and crooning over Saske, 'Saske this' and 'Saske that,' day in and day out. It's enough to drive a man mad." He then turned to face Sanji, "And you, I've had enough having to listen to your crooning. Well get this pal; she'll never love you!"
There was a moment of silence as Sanji sat down against the tunnel wall, a stunned look on his face. "You insensitive bastard!" exclaimed Ino, "That was uncalled for and below the belt!" "Well it's the truth," said Shikamaru, "And inconvenient truth, but the truth nonetheless. And here's another; the only two reasons you're crooning after Saske is that he's got a pretty face, and that Sakura likes him. You're so jealous of Sakura it boils your blood."
"Me!" exclaimed Ino, "Jealous of that pinked haired billboard-brow! I think not!" "And what about me?" asked Caleb, his sword drawn and ready, "You want to start on how I croon and pine over Cornelia? Because if you start with me, it'll be the last thing you do!" "I have no intention to start with you," said Shikamaru, "My problem is with her because I've had to put up with her for so long, and with 'Loverboy' there because he croons the loudest."
"Since you've opened up the door on inconvenient truths," said Ino, "Here's one for you; you are think you're better than everyone else, just because you think ahead. Well you're not! I've had it with your arrogance and pride! In fact, I've had enough of you!" "I've also had enough of you!" exclaimed Shikamaru, "You bleached haired bitch!" Exactly one second later, Ino slapped Shikamaru across the face. Two seconds later, Shikamaru slapped Ino in return. Three seconds later, the two were kissing passionately, and were locked in a passionate embrace.
Naruto, Choji, Shino, Hinita, Kiba and Rock Lee each looked like a donkey kicked them each in the head. "Well f#ck me running!" exclaimed Shino, "How long has this been brewing?" "At least since the Chûnin exam three years ago," said Choji, "Or so I think."
"Oh get a room!" muttered Irma. "You thin Martin kisses that passionately?" asked Hay Lin. "That had nothing to do with passion!" said Irma, "And I'd thank you to never mention it again. I'll never kiss Martin Tubbs like that, not in a million years!"
Back on the surface, Elyon was anxiously pacing back and fourth, waiting for the return of her friends, ands the children. "They've been down there for over two hours," said Elyon, "What's taking so long?" "Have patience my Queen," said Vathek (he being too tall to fit in the tunnel) "It'll take as long as it has to take." Suddenly, Martin violently sneezed twice. "Bless you," said Elyon, "you okay?" "I just have this feeling," said Martin, "That someone's talking about me behind my back."
"I seriously doubt that," said Elyon as she idly looked up at the sky. Something troubled her as she asked Vathek, "Is there supposed to be an eclipse today?" For the moon above was rapidly making it's way to cross the path of the sun. "Not to my knowledge." Said Vathek. "I know what I'm about to say has been said a lot," said Martin, "But I've got a bad feeling about this."
Down in the cavern, Ino and Shikamaru were still locked in passion. "I hate to end this tender moment," said Hay Lin, "And really I do, but we should be moving on. You know, friends and children to save, demons and biots to kill, and an Empress to punish."
Reluctantly, Ino and Shikamaru broke from their kiss, both gasping for air. With each giving a look for more 'fun' later, they got up. "Before we continue," said Will to Shikamaru, "I believe you owe someone an apology." "You're right," said Shikamaru as he turned to Sanji and held out his and, "I'm sorry." "No need to apologies," said Sanji, "I should have realized long ago that I'd have no chance with Nami."
"Oh don't say that Sanji!" exclaimed Luffy, "I'm sure she likes you." "No," said Sanji calmly, "I'm just a hopeless romantic who can cook." "Cook yes," said Hinita, "Hopeless, not likely. There's always hope, you just have to know where to look for it."
With these words, our heroes continued their decent into the darkness, not knowing the fate of their friends, or if they're still alive.
The end of chapter 20. Don't worry, Cornelia and the others are still alive. Next chapter, the identity of the Empress is finally uncovered. See you next time!
