A/N: Hey, guys! Now that Rayman has saved Globox and Carmen, they will help him get to the second mask, the Earth Mask, guarded by Umber, the Guardian of the Sanctuary of Stone and Fire.

Chapter 10: The Earth Mask

The next morning, Rayman woke up, and the Grand Minimus told him that Ly the fairy was waiting for him on her stele, so he joined her.

''Good morning, Rayman.'' said the fairy.

''Hi, Ly. Did you had something to tell me?'' asked the hero.

''It's about the second mask, the Earth Mask. The mask is guarded by Umber, a stone colossus. I was able to get in touch with his spirit, I told him about you and I let him know you're coming, so he will help you.'' said Ly.(1)

''Great! Thanks, Ly. You're helping me a lot.'' said Rayman, happy about the good news.

''I'm glad about it. Be careful though: the place is full of molten lava, you will have to find a way to cross it without being reduced to ash. Good luck.''

After that, Ly disappeared. The limbless hero went to Globox's house, since he needed his help.

''Good morning, Globox!'' he greeted him.

''Oh, good morning, Rayman!'' said Globox.

''Come with me to the well, I need your help.'' said the hero without limbs.

''What is it?'' asked his friend.

''I need your rain dance to get to the Sanctuary of Stone and Fire. In here, there's the second mask. Will you help me?''

''Sure! I rested a little, so now I will go with you.''

Rayman and Globox went down to the well and went to the right, where they saw Carmen, who had got rid of the tentacle. The amphibian used the rain dance, making a flower grow, which allowed Rayman to reach the entrance.

''Thanks, Globox! Now I'm going to look for the mask. See you soon!'' he said.

''Good luck, my friend! See ya!'' shouted Globox, before his friend left.

Meanwhile, at the Prison Ship, Razorbeard was truly unhappy with the failure of the Warship's attack on the Canopy, and he felt surrounded by idiots. Then came a Robo-pirate with a different design. It was dark brown in color, with golden accents on the legs, a bandana, an eye patch, a golden hook on the right hand and a cannon on the left one. It was Ninjaws, the chief of the Ninja Henchmans(2), who had returned with around 5,000 slaves.

''Ninjaws! You have come at the right time!'' he said.

''Killing is a pleasure, Admiral. Just an order and it will be done.'' replied Ninjaws.

''I want you to bring that damn Rayman's lifeless body to me!'' ordered Razorbeard, fed up with the limbless hero. Ninjaws accepted and disappeared, while the Admiral chuckled, thinking that Rayman would have no way out against the Ninja Henchmen.

At the same time, Rayman was on a mountain, where he glimpsed a cliff full of lava.

''The Sanctuary of Stone and Fire is somewhere around here. There, you will find the second mask. You must also find eighty Yellow Lums and save eight Familiar spirits.'' said Murfy.

Rayman glided using the helicopter and found five Yellow Lums, then read a sign that said about the presence of a maze. He was then attacked by three yellow pirates, who hit him twice with an incendiary bomb, causing him to lose the energy of his Power Shot, but he managed to defeat them and found another using two Purple Lums, and shortly thereafter, two other purple pirates and a red one attacked him, which he defeated without taking damage, then found a plum.

''Look, Murfy! A plum! I remember using them on my adventure against Mr. Dark.'' said Rayman.

''With plums, you can move not only on water, but also on lava. Shoot in the opposite direction from where you are facing to go forward.'' said Murfy.

Rayman used the plum to access a tunnel where he found five Yellow Lums, then skewered one on a pole, finding eleven more and saving a Familiar spirit, then he went back were he previously was before having taken three more Lums. Shortly thereafter, when he found another plum, he found a crossroads, and went first to the left, where he took two Yellow Lums and entered a temple.

Yellow Lums found: 27/80, total 451/1000

Saved Familiar spirits: 1/8, total 37/80

Inside the temple, Rayman used his Magic Fist to drop stalactites to use them as platforms and rescued four Familiar spirits, which strengthened his defense. In the process, he faced large and small spiders, and even bats, then rode a missile, which he used to take thirteen Yellow Lums and destroy a stone door.

''Rayman, I have the feeling that we are about halfway with the Yellow Lums to find and the Familiar spirits to save. I'll explain everything about the world soon.'' said Murfy, as the two left.

Yellow Lums found: 40/80, total 464/1000

Saved Familiar spirits: 5/8, total 41/80

Rayman came out of the temple with a log, and realized he had gone back.

''Apparently, this wasn't the right way.'' he thought. He just hoped the pirates hadn't anticipated him. On his way back to the crossroads, he defeated a purple pirate,saved the sixth Familiar spirit and went to the right, but when he reached a particular surface, it collapsed, causing him to fall into the depths of the Sanctuary of Stone and Fire.

Using a plum, Rayman crossed a river of molten lava and found fourteen Yellow Lums, then reached a room full of spider webs that acted as trampolines and one usable as a net, finding three more Lums and saving the seventh Familiar spirit, then descended with the helicopter and fell into a passage where he had to carry a yellow sphere from one platform to another, and took eight more Lums in the process.

''Now here comes the hard part. You have to try to take this sphere to the other side using that plum over there.'' Murfy warned. It was not easy, but after some unsuccessful attempts, he managed to bring the sphere to the other side and reached the room where Umber, the guardian, was, where he put the sphere in position. This opened a passage, and Rayman entered it.

Yellow Lums found: 66/80, total 490/1000

Saved Familiar spirits: 7/8, total 43/80

In another area of the temple, Rayman used a plum to cross another river of lava, taking four Yellow Lums and saving the eighth Familiar spirit, saw a Purple Lum near a slope and followed it, also collecting the last ten Yellow Lums before grabbing onto the purple one, returning to the previous room. The Purple Lum followed him, and the limbless hero grabbed it again, thus finding the blue sphere, which he placed in its base, and Umber moved from his place.

''I am Umber, the Guardian of the Sanctuary of Stone and Fire. Rayman, your fairy friend told me about you. The Mask of Earth is beyond that lava river just ahead. Jump on my head and I'll help you pass.'' said the colossus.

Rayman, grasping the purple Lum for the third time, landed on Umber's head, who led him over the lava.

"Thanks, Umber!" he thanked him.

''It is an honor to serve an hero like you, your back: a killer is coming. I identified him: He is Ninjaws, the leader of the Ninja Henchman.'' said the Guardian.

''Ninja Henchmens?'' asked Rayman. He had never faced them before.

''Ninja Henchmens like Ninjaws are very dangerous, but they have a weak point. Their hooks are heavy and hard to use, so if they miss you, they will be wide open, and if you defeat them, the Mask of Earth will be yours.'' explained Umber.

''I get it. Thanks!'' said Rayman, who climbed the stairs that led him to the mask room, and as predicted by Umber, Ninjaws arrived.

''Prepare to die!'' yelled the henchman, who started shooting with his cannon, hitting him once, and also hit him with his hook, causing serious damage to him. The limbless hero didn't give up, and when Ninjaws was about to hit him with the hook, he dodged and fired a fully charged Magic Fist, which combined with the energy of the Power Shot, caused him a lot of damage, but a shot made him lose the Power Shot. After about a minute of fighting, Ninjaws was defeated, and Rayman went up another flight of stairs and his symbol interacted with the pillar, bringing out a mask. The mask was grey and had a serious expression.

''The Earth Mask!'' exclaimed Rayman.

''Great! You found the second mask! Now only two are missing, you're already halfway!'' shouted Murfy, beaming, while the two teleported to Polokus.

''A Ninja Henchman ambushed me, but I managed to find the second mask.'' said Rayman.

''Very good, Rayman, you are approaching your goal. If you can find the other two masks left, I will awaken.'' said Polokus, who placed the Mask of Earth to the Water Mask's left.

''During the search, I met Jano, the Guardian of the Cave of Bad Dreams. Who is he?'' the hero asked.

''It's a long story. Everyone knows that I created the world, but before there were only Lums. Yellow Lums make up the Heart of the World, Red Lums are full of energy, and pirates often steal them, Purple Lums make everything solid and visible, and Blue Lums are the origin of all life.'' began Polokus.

"Like oxygen?" asked Rayman.

''Exactly. Each creature receives a blue Lum at birth and holds it until its death.''

''One day, the Lums concentrated on thoughts, and from their consciousness, I was born with a power that made my own thoughts and dreams come true. I started to create creatures, starting with the fairies, who created the Silver Lums, from which your powers originate. Then, I created the Teensies, who, according to legend, are considered my children, but my beautiful wife, the Muse of Poets, was so ashamed of their appearance that she abandoned us and ran away to a remote forest, where she hid.''

''Jeez. That wasn't a nice gesture.'' the hero thought, bewildered that Polokus' partner had left her family because of the appearance of her descendants.

''I know, and this made me very sad. Anyway, the Teensies, despite their appearance, are old and wise, and know all the secrets of the world. I then started to create non-magical creatures, starting with Clark, who, with his strength, made the world as we know it, Carmen the Whale protected sea life with her air bubbles, and then I created Globox by getting inspired by my sense of humor, followed by other creatures, including Murfy, the flying encyclopedia, and the Eig, an aquatic creature that spends its time getting drunk in the Marshes of Awakening. However, I also had nightmares, which created the bad guys.'' continued the spirit of the world. ''Do you remember Betilla the fairy?'' he then asked.

''Yeah. She helped me when I faced Mr. Dark.'' replied Rayman.

''Maybe you don't remember it because you weren't old and mature enough, but an accident occurred, the First Bad Dream, which generated Jano, and he created creatures like Antitoons, the negative variant of the Electoons and followers of Mr. Dark. The situation worsened so much that Betilla and her younger sisters had to summon a hero. The ritual was supposed to be performed with many Lums during the summer solstice and under the moon's rays, but the nymphs were attacked by zombie chickens, which made them lose one of the bags of Lum they were carrying, so they arrived late and with much less illumination. This is why you are missing your limbs and neck, and your hands, feet and head are floating, and Betilla was your creator. In your first adventure, you defeated Jano, who was forced to imprison those creatures and become their guardian, thus creating the Cave of Bad Dreams. At the same time, I created one last thing: time, and to do it, I fell asleep in a place where I gathered together with the gods of other worlds and we began to dream of the future. Before I fell asleep, I created the four Elemental Masks of Water, Earth, Fire and Air and told the fairies that whoever brought them back could awaken me. However, I didn't want to be called back by anyone, so, in order to protect the masks, I created powerful Guardians, each with weaknesses that only a true hero could discover. And that hero is you, Rayman. You are the only one I have never dreamed of and the one who receives powers from fairies, and some consider you the chosen one of the gods. You are our only hope.'' Polokus concluded.(3)

''It's all up to me, isn't it?'' asked Rayman.

''Yes. By now you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, and you are the only one who can do something, so don't die, otherwise there will no longer be anyone able to stop the Robo-pirates. Be careful, the pirates already know that you've got the second mask, and the rest of your mission will be even harder!'' said Polokus, while creating a magic spiral door.

''Don't worry, Polokus. I'll find the masks and make you return. I promise!'' said Rayman, as the spiral door began to descend on him.

''I know you will. I have faith in you, Rayman.'' said Polokus, before the hero disappeared.

Yellow Lums found: 80/80, total 504/1000

Saved Familiar spirits: 8/8, total 44/80

Rayman returned to the Stone Circle, but first returned to the Minisaurus Plain to go to the Fairy Glade, where he had left behind three Yellow Lums and a cage. Beyond the gate, he clung to the Purple Lum and took the Yellow Lums, saved the Familiar spirit and went back.

Yellow Lums collected: 80/80, total 507/1000

Saved Familiar spirits: 10/10, total 45/80

After this brief pause, Rayman returned to the Globox House, where the Teensies were waiting for him.

''Hey, Rayman! Were you able to find the mask?'' asked the Grand Minimus.

'Yes, I found the second mask. Only two left.'' replied the hero.

''Great! However, the number of pirates continues to increase over time, and they know you've found the second mask. Clark has found a passage that will take you to the third mask. You will find him in the cave located at the bottom of the well.'' a Teensie informed him.

''All right. I will go there immediately.''

A/N: This seems to be the longest (except one-shots) chapter I've ever written so far. Anyway, Rayman has found the second mask, but his adventure will be more difficult. What will await him later? Find out in the next chapters. Thanks for reading and see you in the next chapter!

(1): In the PS1 version, it is explained that Umber helps Rayman get the second mask because Ly contacted his spirit.

(2): This scene is also in the PS1 version. I decided to add this battle for a greater level of challenge, especially since Ninjaws will appear just before Rayman takes the mask.

(3): These informations come from the Knowledge of the World, and you can learn more about it in the game by collecting the Yellow Lums. Rayman's creation is explained in the Rayman Origins manual and the Muse of Poets is described in the official Rayman 2 Guide.