Chapter 36: Where the Origin Stone is even closer.
Team Purple, Red and Blue ventured deeper and deeper down the path, which son turned into a labyrinth like Mystery Dungeon. The further they went in, the fewer mushrooms grew from the ground and the wall, to the point where there weren't any more of them. To light the team to the complete darkness, Axel made his back fire up as he lead them.
"I wonder if the other are okay.", Amy said, sounding sad.
"I would be more worried about if the other others are catching on to us.", Mo commented.
They did not met any feral Pokémon, for now at least, but this clearly was a Mystery Dungeon, a Mystery Dungeon no one knew existed and was seemingly untouched for eons. It was not the right time to think about it, but Mo suggested to give this dungeon a proper name, because they were the one who discovered it. Because of what the dungeon looked like and what hopefully will await them at the end, Mo suggested the name: "Origin Stone's Temple"
No one objected, Aaron was even quit alright with Mo's idea. But probably no one cared at all about what Mo was talking about.
Throughout on their way, the walls had hieroglyphs painted on them. They were in the shape of Unown. Mo tried to read them a few times, but what they were supposed to tell made no sense to him. Weird gibberish without any seeming sense, with one large Unown in the middle of this letter mess.
"It's like they're watching us.", Aaron said as he saw how Mo looked at them.
"They're just paintings! Get going you two, or they really catch up to us!", Ziggy argued with both of them, so they hurried as told.
As Mo did, he noticed that nya was looking at the wall and the symbols on it. No a fascinated look, rather horrified and confused, starring at the drawing of an Unown in the shape of an "N".
"Nya, we need to hurry up.", Mo reminded her.
"That one just blinked!", Nya told.
"... what?"
"That Unown just blinked at me!", she said again.
Ziggy took Mo aside.
"That can't be.", he said.
"It did! Ihat Unown just blinked! I saw it!", Nya said again, more aggressively.
"Oh no, it isn't!", Richard commented at laughed it off.
Ziggy kneeled down and rubbed Nya's back.
"We're all just nervous right now, and SOMEONE is not making it better by constantly looking at it."
Ziggy turned his head and looked back at Mo, Aaron and Charlotte. Mo turned to Aaron and shrugged.
Taking one last, worried look back at the Unown, Nya went with Ziggy back to the rest of the group.
Being at the very end of the group, Mo got curious and checked out the symbol more closer. Seemingly just a drawing of an Unown on the wall. But Nya is not the kind that would freak out like that.
"Mo, darn it! Come here!", Ziggy shouted as they and Axel's light went farer away.
Mo decided to just "forget it". He reached out with his claw and just scratched the drawing on the wall, leaving a permanent mark on that spot and a reminder that something was once here.
Mo turned around.
Suddenly, a light appeared behind him, almost as strong as Axel's. Mo froze in shock.
"Mo, what did you do now?!", Ziggy shouted again. Everyone turned around.
Out of the spot where the Unown drawing was, the light and something else slowly came out of this spot. The N-shaped Unown on the wall came out of it as an actual Unown. The spot where it has been was now empty, the scratch marks where the Unown was now without scratches.
The Unown grunted in pain and went to the ground. It had scratch marks where Mo had scratched the wall.
Both team looked in shock and surprise at the Unown on the ground.
The Unown looked up slowly and suddenly shouted:
"They're onto us!"
That moment, all the big lettered Unown symbols from parts of the dungeon they had been and parts they still had to pass came out of the walls left and right, revealing themselves as actual Unown, guarding this place. Said Unown now had their eyes on the three teams, looking at them meanly.
"Run!", Axel shouted. As fast as each of them could, they followed Axel, trying to get away from the guardians.
The eyes of the Unown glow up red as the teams passed by them and they shot red laser beams at them, coming out of their eyes.
"Aaaaaahhhh!"
"Mo!", Axel told him. "You need take care of the Unown in front of us!"
"Eh?! Why?!", Mo asked back.
"Unown are psychic-type! You know Shadow Claw, don't you?!"
Mo slowly realised what he mend, his yes glow up bright and underneath his cloth, he grinned sinister. He charged at two Unown floating in their way and screamed with his demon voice. Their pupils shrunk as the knew what was about to happen.
What happened the time after that was of trance like to Mo, not really remembering it all. Overall, Axel lead the way while Mo was beating down Unown left and right and left and right and left and right. The next thing Mo was fully aware about was him, looking down the dark path, knocked out Unown scattered everywhere. He was breathing heavily from both exhaustion and aggression, with Aaron and Charlotte looking at him like confused parents who's child just threw a massive tantrum.
"Don't say anything to him. He calms down by himself.", Aaron told the others.
The three teams were now standing by a large, two winged stone door, in comparison to the walls blank and simple and covered in dust.
"It seem we're close.", Amy said.
"Then let's hurry!", Axel added.
Axel started pushing against the door, to no avail. Amy quickly joined in and helped pushing, but the door still did not moved an inch.
Exhausted, Amy looked over her shoulder.
"Don't just stand there and watch! We need to work together!"
The other teams did not waited and they all began pushing against the same door wing, except Charlotte, who actually still sat there holding her log, not giving a thing.
Despite their combined efforts, the door still won't open to them.
"Maybe we push in the wrong direction?", Mo suggested.
"The word you're looking for is: Pulling.", Axel answered. "And how are we supposed to pull anyway?" There is nothing to pull!"
"We can try."
"How?!"
"I heard stories about doors open to magic words.", Nya suggested.
"If that's so ...", Axel started. "Then I have no idea what kind of words."
Mo, slowly coming down again, looked the walls again. If these were the magic word, he had no idea how to pronounce them. Mo thought about suggesting to ask one of the Unown if they knew it, but he quickly realised his mistake when he remembered there may be no Unown left to ask, and it may was his mistake.
The silence was broken rather sudden and very loudly as Charlotte, not noticed by anyone, used her rollout attack and smashed through the other door wing, leaving a Komala sized hole on ground level.
The teams turned around in shock and astonishment.
"You okay, Charlotte?", Mo asked.
"Or like that.", Amy said.
Despite some size differences from the different Pokémon, mostly from Aaron as a Sylveon, all the team members managed to walk, or crawl, though Charlotte's hole one by one. Charlotte herself was fine, but covered in dust now.
What presented the teams on the others side was not what they had expected. A chamber, filled with nothing but mirrors on the walls. No further paths, no symbols on the walls.
"What is this place?", Nya asked.
Then, a voice called out to them. Not one they remembered and it was not the one from Luminous Cave. A voice sounding rather aquatic.
"Welcome, you, who seek the Origin Stone! The fact that you've made it this is impressive, but this does not mean you are worthy to posses the stone of origins! Three tasks will await you to prove yourself! As you can see, this room is filled with many, many mirrors, all showing different things to the one who looks into it. Behind one of mirrors is the path to the second task, behind the others ... death! You need to choose the mirror that shows you who you really are! This ... is your first task!"
Silence.
"Showing you who you really are?", Amy asked.
"So, a regular one?", Nya asked.
"There MUST be a clue.", Axel thought out loud.
Curious, Mo carefully walked up the first mirror on the left wall. Looking into it, he saw is normal self, nothing special.
"What does 'you really are' even mean?", he wondered, then he noticed something in his reflection.
His wooden, fake tail was carved at the tip, making it kind of shaped like a heart, similar how female Pikachu got heart shaped tail tips. He quickly checked if his tail was still alright. It had no carvings on it, same old, wooden tail. Looking back into the mirror he realised it. His reflection was a female version of himself!
"Guys, ... you need to check this out!", he called out to the other teams without breaking eye contact with his reflection.
The others came, Mo could see them walking towards him and the mirror in the reflection. They too seemed all a little different, having more either masculine or feminine appearances.
"What is it?", Amy asked him and looked into the mirror as well.
Ziggy noticed the tip of his tail being different and checked it quickly.
"These mirrors show ... things.", Mo said and further explained that they all had the opposite gender in their reflection.
Nya tried to not looked turned on her male self.
"Maybe, the mirrors show different versions of ourself.", Amy concluded.
"And we just have to figure out which one shows our *true' self.", Axel added and ordered the teams to check and see if any of them was different in some way.
Some mirrors were seemingly just plain mirrors. In one mirror, the one looking into it was reflected as his or her younger self, in Ziggy's case turning him into a Pichu, still in bandages, and Aaron became an Eevee again. In another mirror, for some strange reason, Charlotte appeared as a Shupped, while Richard was a Porygon. And in yet another one, it just showed everything in a kind of colourless and sketchy tone, while still remaining three dimensional. ... everyone was confused about THAT one. Aaron had to be pulled away from one that showed him to be tall and muscular.
Checking every mirror one by one, seeing if they missed something, Mo saw something in one that almost shocked the daylight out of him:
Mo appeared in his reflection without his disguise! He was shocked by both his own appearance and that everyone could see him like this at any moment, so he quickly rushed away from the mirror.
After checking if no one else was watching in his direction, Mo checked the mirror again. Still himself, just without his cloth. Mo often saw himself how he really was, a sight he disliked a lot, but for some reason, something Mo could not explain to himself, something was different on him, he just could not tell what it was.
Behind him, he could see Charlotte and Richard, facing the other direction. While Richard still appeared as normal, Charlotte appeared to be a little different as well. She was still quiet the normal Komala, wearing her purple coloured scarf, but it addition to that she also wore something on her head. Something appearing to be like a crown. A Ring with different gemstones on it.
"Guys!", Mo called out to the others again, then realised that everyone could see his real self in the mirror now and dashed to the side again, calling out to them again afterwards. "What about this one?"
The Pokémon approached the mirror, then suddenly were shocked and they dashed away from Axel in fear.
"What's wrong?", Mo asked.
Axel stood there like frozen. He then slowly approached the mirror by himself. Amy and the others slowly followed him as Axel gently reached out to touch the mirror itself. He trembled, Mo could not tell what emotions was running through this Cyndaquil.
"It's ... me!", Axel said. The mirror was showing a young human boy, having shoulder long blonde hair, wearing a red t-shirt and blue jeans, while everyone else, except Charlotte, who hid behind Aaron after seeing herself in the mirror, appeared to be normal.
"This mirror showed me, without my disguise.", Mo told them.
That moment, Axel touched the glass of the mirror, and it immediately began to crack. Everyone stepped aside from it as it cracked more and more, until it simply fell apart, revealing another hallway behind it.
Axel still stood there, with his arm reaching to were the mirror once was. Tears rolled down his face. Amy hugged her partner from behind, holding him tight.
"I remember ... everything.", Axel said- He went down on his hands and knees, sobbing. "I want to go home."
Amy softly began to tremble as well, her eyes starting to water.
"We need to get going.", Ziggy stepped forward. "We're almost there."
Axel stood up and whipped his tear away.
"We'll get that stone, and then we'll get Axel home.", Mo added.
Aaron took both Amy and Axel with his ribbons and put them in his back, and together, they continued their journey down this new way.
Aaron quickly put Axel down when he had to use his fiery back again due to the complete darkness.
The new path felt very linear and the walls were way rougher than they were in the dungeon before. Every single noise echoed. They walked a path that felt to Mo like a eternity, and he wondering what the next two tasks might be, and if the last task was even solved right and this was not just their "death".
With his mind in thoughts Mo bumped against Aaron's behind, who stopped.
"Something wrong?", Mo looked behind Aaron at Axel.
"There is something blocking the way!", Axel answered. From what Mo could see with Axel's fire, they were standing in a small room now, with two pillars in front of them.
"Wait! There is a door behind the pillars!", Amy called out.
"But these rocks are blocking it!", Ziggy told.
Next to Mo, in the darkness, Charlotte smiled and cracked her knuckles.
"I was not told there would be more than one seeking the legendary stone!", a deep, echoing voice called out to the teams.
Many lights appeared, most of them red dots, starring at them. In front of them, to be more precisely above them, some in a green colour, like eyes, like symbols and like a scar. The lights shines just enough to make out what they were. The three teams were surrounded by Unown, looking at them and ready to attack. What they thought to be pillars was a large, grey, Golurk.
The teams formed a circle to protect themselves from the probably upcoming battle.
Axle stepped forward.
"My name is Axel! I am the Chosen One who should bring the Origin Stone in his possession! And these are my friends who came to help me on this journey."
Silence.
"... hello?"
"I have heard you, fire mouse!", the Golurk told him. "And I see you really are not what you seem to be, but be aware, if you do not speak the truth and if fail the second task I will give to you, your friends will suffer the same fate as you will!"
A part of Mo thought about to make a run for it.
"Your second task will be to answer my riddle!"
"What ... is your favourite colour?!", Richard called out in a cranky, fake voice, and he was slapped on the back of his head by Ziggy for it.
"Only the one, chosen to receive the stone can solve this one, for only the chosen can answer it!"
"Well!", Ziggy answered. "That will be easy! Because this guy here is not only chosen, he is THE Chosen ONE."
Axel slowly turned his head towards Ziggy and Amy. He looked pale and sweated.
"I ...I have no idea what he meant with riddle."
"... you serious? ... oh, no."
The Unown came closer.
"You have only one answer!", the Golurk spoke.
Silence. The Golurk looked at Axel. He kept staring at him hard and didn't moved at all, not making a sound either.
"That riddle ... is ...?", Axel asked.
Silence.
The Golruk began to remind Mo of his mother. She tended to do the same thing often when she had something important to say. The reason: He had to think about what she wanted to say first.
"I don't know anymore.", the Golurk finally said.
The Unown stopped staring at the teams and were all now looking at the Golurk.
"You say, you don't know the riddle of our second task anymore?", Amy asked.
The Golruk slowly began to sob.
"I don't know how long I've been down here!. I was tasked to guard this door and was told the riddle to this task and the answer. I still remember the answer, but not the riddle to it. For it, I can not ask you the riddle. I had one job ..."
He then sat down, held his face and began to cry in his deep, echoing way.
No one, not even the Unown, knew what to say.
Mo stepped forward, even though he was unsure if that was a good idea.
"Now that this riddle cannot be answered by anyone, can .. or ... will you let us through now?"
The Golurk looked up again.
"Hope.", Axel said. "The answer is: Hope."
Silence.
"This truly is the right answer.", the Golurk spoke, sounding happier than before.
"Then ... can we pass now?", Amy answered.
The Golruk stood up.
"You may! My purpose is now done!"
Stepping over the teams with large steps, the Golruk left the room, followed by the Unown.
"Where are you going?", Aaron asked.
"I don't know, but I'm not needed here anymore!", Golurk said and vanished into the darkness of the path.
The teams were once again in total darkness, except for Axel's fire. The large door was now free. A two winged door, but made out of decaying wood and with handles to pull on.
As Aaron tried to open one, he ripped the handle right of, leaving a hole in the door, followed by the door simply collapsing on it's own into a pile of rubbish, presenting the teams yet another and complete dark room. Only in the corner of the room, on a certain spot, glowing mushrooms grew like they did at the entrance.
Upon entering this room, two blue fountain of fire shot out of the ground at the other side of the room. Left and right. And in the middle they presented a huge pedestal. Stairs, made out of material as the pedestal and the room itself, solid and smooth rock, lead up to it and to a an old, wooden chest, presented underneath a gate.
"Is that it?", Mo asked. "Is that what I think it is."
Ziggy smiled pleased.
"I guess so!"
Like in a trance and fixed to it, Axel stepped forward, slowly walking towards the pedestal.
Like it was a reflect, Mo dashed forward and grabbed Axel's arm.
"No!", Mo shouted.
He got everyones attention, while Axel looked shocked, Amy turned aggressive towards Mo. She grabbed him and lifted him up as her paws glowed with her aura.
Mo struggled.
"It's to easy!", Mo defended himself. "The third task! What is the third task?!"
Realising her mistake, Amy let Mo down again.
Back down, Mo walked over to Aaron and took a fistful of coins out of their team bag.
"I'd like to test something.", Mo said and threw the coins across the room and onto the floor.
... nothing happened.
"... we still need to be careful." Mo suggested.
"It's to late for that!", a familiar voice called out to the teams.
Turning around, Team Red, Blue and Purple saw Bao and the Spiritomb from before, blocking the exit and ambushing them.
"Bao!", Amy called out in surprise.
"Thank you for leading us here.", the Spiritomb snickered sinister.