"This dumb mountain… How high is it?" San asked, shaking his head.
"Don't ask me, if I could fly up it, I would have." Cherry stated, both of them were worried about Jeremy, he refused to speak, and was sad for the entire trip so far. San looked over to Jeremy and Cherry shook her head.
"It's best if we leave him alone for now, he'll heal with time." Cherry said, frowning, "He's been through a lot. We should do this, just to ease his time."
"So wait, there's nothing we can do?" Asked San, tilting his head.
"Not right now, we can at least help him complete his task. It should be simple enough for now. He collects the cube, we move on. We move on until we hit the final wall. Then we let those who can move on, win us the day." Cherry stated, frowning.
"That's…" San started, not able to finish his sentence.
"I know, it makes me feel inadequate too." Cherry shook her head. After noticing that Jeremy was much further ahead, Cherry sped up in order to catch up.
"Trust me, it's just fine, I always feel inadequate when I see you fly, and I'm so scared of it. Inadequacy is only in the eye of a beholder. We're doing our job in this perfectly." San said, shaking his head.
"I know, but time and time again, I wonder if what we're doing will effect the world any more than just sitting around. It seems pretty lifeless when we tin about to collect objects that may or may not help. This ain't no place for no hero after all." Cherry said shaking her wings, it was getting cold, she was starting to worry for San.
"Do you seriously believe in that 'prophecy?" San asked, moving closer to the charizard. The quills on his back shaking.
"Not always, but when things go unusually close to the lines, I start wondering." Cherry said, not noticing San.
"It's really cold, do you mind if I come closer?" San asked, shivering, the temperature was too cold for a ground type. It would have been tough for Team Blanket to push through this.
"Oh, erm, s-sure!" Cherry said, if she was able to blush, she would have. She had more feelings than she admitted to.
"Thanks, it would have been tough to heat up otherwise." San said, moving closer than really necessary.
"N-no problem." Cherry stuttered, embarrassed that her partner was being so forward about the feelings they had.
"Well, if you are done with your affections, can we move forward?" Jeremy said, his voice was colder than the air, it hurt the two emotionally. They cringed, his voice was anger and rage. He muttered under his breath, "I will get revenge on he who caused my sister's death. That bird was a minion, I felt it."
"Alright then." San said, pushing away from Cherry, "Let's move on then."
"Yes, lets." Cherry said, shaking her wings.
"Then why aren't you walking yet?" Jeremy's voice was further away now, the two started running to Jeremy, putting off their feelings for a little while.
"So wait, it's just us crawling around these waters?" Pikachu asked.
"I'd say so, using this telescope, there doesn't seem to be any Carvanhas. Let alone the named Sharpedo." Gina said, shaking her head.
"That's crazy, it shouldn't happen like that. I have never heard of that, usually these waters are absolutely filled with the Carvanhas and Sharpedos." Pikachu replied, looking to the deep blue seas. The gentle whooshes of waves and wind calming her nerves. Gina instead spent her time thinking of what lies beneath. Gina didn't want this leg of the journey to be disastrous because the other team wouldn't be able to continue their journeys.
"Must be related to our objective, it is unusually timed." Gina said, almost impossible to hear, "It seemed that even a hard mission might turn simple due to the 'virus' in this land."
"I was kind of looking forward to the punishment, I enjoy being tested." Pikachu said, shaking her head.
"That's… Also unusual. Why do you desire this?" Gina asked, tilting her head.
"It's an old tale. No one really want's to hear it." Pikachu wrung her paws, rubbing them and looking away.
"We'll talk about it in the dungeon, but until then, I'll drop it." Gina said, shaking her head.
"You've become very forward. What's this all about?" Pikachu asked.
"I can trust myself with you, we've been spending our time surviving deadly tasks. If I can't trust you, no one can. I'm only shy around those I don't trust." Gina shook her head.
"Remember that we're trying to work through it though." Pikachu said.
"Yeah, yeah." Gina shook her paw at Pikachu, thinking about what Pikachu said to Cherry and San.
"Well, when we get this done and over with I'm sure we can get back to working on it. I can't really delay the dungeon, so let's get it over with." Pikachu sighed, she didn't want to tell the tale.
"You still aren't moving!" Gina yelled. Trying to convince Pikachu to get moving, they argued, Pikachu wasting the time away. "WAIT, why am I arguing with you, we should get moving." Gina said, glaring, Pikachu giggled, she had to wait that much longer before telling her tale.
"Oh my… That's a deep hole." Jordan said, peering into a hole known as Crusty Crevasse.
"Yeah, I wouldn't fall in. At least not willingly, I might fall in on accident." Urist said.
"We're trying to reach the bottom right?" Derrek asked, shaking his head, he didn't want to make small talk, "It would be better should we just move. If we get the Dream Cube we can swap stories and fears back home. If, and only if, the others get their Dream Cubes as well. Otherwise we're spending our time getting that cube."
"Is it that desperate?" Jordan asked, tilting his head.
"I can't tell, but we should treat it like it is." Derrek responded flatly.
"That's sad, it hurts me that we have to do this so heartlessly. I want to be able to take my time." Jordan replied.
"So do I, but we can spend all the time we want after pushing through this series of events." Derrek looked to the ground and sat down. Jordan looked back down the hole.
"There's so much of the dungeon that we can see. How come we can't see any enemies? Shouldn't it be possible from here?" Jordan asked.
"If I fly down, I should be fine so long as I land back up here… I'll scout it out. We should be okay though…" Urist stated, starting his descent. The flutter of his wings echoed softly off of the walls of the lower depths of the dungeon, but as he went down, he saw nothing that even slightly suggested that there was once intelligent life in these empty halls. He quickly flew up to the top of the hole, and shook his head, "Nothing, there's no one, there aren't any items either…"
"We should be quiet the entire time then. Don't want to risk any sort of noise waking the dungeon." Derrek said.
"Waking the dungeon?" Jordan asked, "Don't be absurd!" Urist started laughing.
"But… IF it was possible we should avoid it, as it seems the dungeon is in a sort of dormant state, right?" Derrek replied, Urist fell over in laughter.
"If it was possible, then yes, there's no way in this life, or any other, I'd want that happening." Urist literally cannot stop laughing, his laughing could be heard up and down the dungeon. So much for the dungeon being awoken.
"Let's move, I don't really care about silence now." Derrek glared at Urist, now quieting his laughter.
"Yeah, let's I had a good laugh!" Urist kept giggling. Derrek growled, his anger echoed throughout the dungeon.
"Don't find it funny, you need to stop. You went directly against our leader's wishes! Although I must say, stupid as they were." Jordan shook his head after speaking.
Derrek started the adventure walking into the Mystery Dungeon. It was dusty and dry, but not unbearable. The air smelt finely of ground eggs, and burnt bread, but it was only a hint. The earth around their feet were hard along the well traveled paths through the center of the rooms, but soft the moment they stepped off of the well trodden paths. It was almost as if the paths were solidified by people walking on them. This dungeon was historically a rock-type, but no such Pokémon were to be found. There was an ominous feeling, just a hint, but noticeable. This place was like Flower Meadows, it was dead. Derrek shook his head and moved forward, this world had some dark twists hidden beneath it's thin veils. The lighting from the hole in the center proved to be a gracious offering from whichever gods made this place, as it would have been difficult to see for Urist and Jordan otherwise. The group remained completely silent, there was an air to this place, one that breathed do not disturb. The monsters that would be here know that the bottom floor has a guardian, a particularly tough one. The group would have to fight it, as it is the guardian of the Dream Cube. Those are quite rare, the other three had already been defeated. By the first heroes who needed to collect those, no less. This one was spared by them because he just gave them the desired object. This time he will not, his heart was steeled this time.
"So how long will it be? I mean to the bottom?" Urist asked, shortly after entering the long forgotten corridors.
"Anywhere between three and fifteen floors. You can't always tell, but something itches me that this one is going to be strange." Derrek shook his head, almost desiring something else. He feared that the more this happened, the less they should try to bother with this.
"Yeah I can feel it too, let's just get to the Final Floor and get this over with." Jordan was constantly looking over his shoulder fearing that the next step would be his last.
"So if the next floor is the last, we just don't question and move on?" Urist asked.
"Yeah, let's move." Jordan said, shaking his head. They picked up the pace, a sense of pain pierced the rest of the group, but Derrek remained unaffected. The stairs were right there, it was a common sight and Derrek recognized the seemingly perfect ratio on the bricks along the side wall.
"Who dare enters my asylum?" A vaguely familiar voice said, causing a shiver down all of the friends' spines, it was protective of whatever treasure it held.
"Team Blanket, all we desire is that of which is held on the bottom floor of this dungeon, we mean no harm!" Jordan cried out, they only heard the voice, never actually saw the user.
"Really? Well you're here, and you shan't escape with my sheltered prize!" The now strikingly feminine voice yelled, almost motherly in protection.
"We need it for our quest! We must take it for the good of the region! Nay, might I even say the world?" Jordan yelled, making him sound like a cliché.
"For if we don't do it who might! I've heard that gist before, and it was a poor one. Last ones who took this used it only for their own betterment! En garde!" The voice yelled, flying overhead. The sudden speed made them duck as the wind whooshed over them. When Urist looked back up he noticed a familiar flygon, in fact it was his mother, Urist gasped.
"MOM! It's me! Just give us the Dream Cube! It's okay! Trust us!" Urist cried.
"No, this is my job. I just took a small break when I had you! I must not relieve my duties again!" His mother cried, her sorrow was obvious, she didn't want to fight her child.
"Fine, I'm sorry. We must do this." Urist sight, "Mother, I'm SORRY!"
Author'sNote
Well, sorry for the cliff hanger, but I'm just gonna write the fight later, I have spent too much time writing this chapter as is. Thanks for every read, this chapter just broke page 100. Or so, I may have written a few chapters just offline. ;-) Don't worry, I'll make sure some of the next chapter is about the other two people.