Depths of Death

Chapter Five

"This is the first challenge," Runningwind said, pointing with his tail. "The challenge is to get across without falling into the pits."

"That's it?" I said, stepping toward the board across the gigantic pit. "No problem."

"Wait, I should tell you-"

I was halfway across when a gap appeared in front of me, making me loose balance.

"Holy-" I cut myself off, freezing. "This would have been good information to have!"

"I tried telling you! But would you listen? No! You mouse-brain!" Runningwind growled, flicking his tail in annoyance. "Come back, the next one is the one you're standing on."

I ran back, and I saw Remus. His face was paled and he was sweating bullets.

"Moony?"

"I didn't even realize..." he said, shaking his head. "Runningwind, did Dora make it across...?"

"It doesn't open for the troubled and the lost. It tries to drive the sane to insanity."

"How do you know?"

"Experience," Runningwind seemed distant, as if remembering a lost soul. "Come on, I'll teach you the gaps."

We spent hours practicing. I hoped that Sira knew we were safe. I couldn't tell why, but I hoped with everything I was. (that bit there is called foreshadowing, if you couldn't tell. :D) I walked across a hastily-drawn path of wood, stepping to a count, soon that count fading into my head as I walked it without a single misstep, over and over again.

"Okay, I'm ready to try again."

"I hope so. If thirty times perfectly isn't enough, then there never will be."

I stepped to the beat stuck in my head, like a broken record. One two three. One two three. One two three. One two three. One two three. Then I was across. I watched Fili, Zoe, the Thorins, and Remus go across with no issue, but I had to grab Kili's collar to keep him from falling through the hole. Runningwind bounced across in three leaps, and landed safely beside me.

"Come on. There's still many more challenges." Runningwind said, copying my sullen mood in his voice. "I know how much that Twoleg means to you."

"She means everything to me," Remus confirmed. "It would be miserable here without her."

Stab. I nearly had to kneel and clutch my chest to stop my heart from flying out of my chest in pain. His words stabbed me in places I didn't know I could be stabbed. Stab. Stab. Stab. Every heartbeat was a new wave of pain, and I didn't know why. Or maybe I did, and I refused to admit it. Maybe it was a certain maiden who had been refused love... or it was that I had loved Tonks once upon a time.

Maybe I was just crazy.

We worked our way down the narrow tunnel, Runningwind in the lead. I wanted out of there. I didn't want to find Tonks anymore, just go back and know Sira or hang out with James and Lily. Or just be alone... eternally alone.

I wanted to stop right there and pound on the walls in frustration, grab and break rocks with my bare hands... just to get rid of the pain that clouded my head.

"Challenge two." Remus said as we looked across a room. "Looks safe."

"Not quite," Runningwind said. "If you touch an unsafe piece to make the key..." he pointed up with his tail. "...you go up there, and it's a world of hurt when that happenes."

"Key?"

"The door is locked," I noted. "And the key needs to be built... of what?"

"The blue pieces," Runningwind replied. He pointed to a wall, saying, "It's up there. Eight pieces, all different shades of blue. But there is nine blue pieces. Two are the same, just slightly different shapes. You get sent back into your story if you pick the wrong one."

"Delightful," I said dryly. "Do you know which one is not right?"

"Of course," Runningwind said. "The one on the upper left corner. Don't even go over there, just each pick up one piece and carry it to the spot in the center of the room."

"Why not you?"

"Because I am not part of the quest," he replied, and curled up, head on his paws. "Go on, open the door."

I wanted to snap at him, but I refrained. Something was telling me that it was getting late outside of the caverns, so I called, "It's late, guys. Let's go through this... in the morning? I don't know. But we need sleep. I just about snapped Runningwind's neck here in anger... which I would not have done if I wasn't so freaking tired!"

Maybe I was being dramatic. I was known for that in my group of friends. But maybe this time I wasn't. I usually say it like it is, but maybe this time the pain inside had gotten so bad that I was starting to hide things behind masks. Or maybe I was saying what I meant in a dramatic way. All that I knew was I needed to get out of here, fast. Or I would start going insane.

"Sir Black is correct," Zoe said, pulling Kili and Fili by their collars from the big spongy room. "We rest for a little while, then continue on... around the time of the morn."

"Just what I need..." Remus said, laying down. "Time to dream of Dora."

I laid on my back, images that I had created flying through my mind. Who was I kidding? I was never going to be able to sleep again, unless I knew the truth. But what was the truth I was looking for? I hadn't been lied to. But my heart was broken, and it wasn't ever my time to be heartbroken. What had happened to the fantasy images in my head? Why was I letting them fly away, off into the distance where I could never get them back. Why was I doing that?

XXXXXXXX

In the "morning," we gathered the pieces. Unfortunately, Kili was a bit over-excited, and well, he accidentally threw the key into the only hole in the entire room- where it dangled on the edge of dropping back into a story.

Let's just say that Remus was not happy. The three Thorins and I had to sit on him to stop Kili from getting pounded to a pulp by Remus.

"Runningwind," I said, sighing, "can you get the stupid key? I don't trust Thing One and Thing Two over there to not drop it into the story."

"Sure thing," Runningwind said, and retrieved the blue key. I kept a firm grasp on Lupin's arm to keep him from flying at Fili and Kili, who would have been sent back to the stories. And that would be bad.

"Think of Tonks," I said. "We're going to save her. Remember that. Saaaveee Tonks."

"Sir Black," Oaksheild said. "While you're calming Sir Loo-pin down..."

"I shall take care of this," Zoe said. I noticed that she was losing her old-time talk as she lived here. Thousands of years on Earth and it takes death to change the way she speaks. Go figure. "Sir Oaksheild, thou need not take command. Sirius is quite capable."

I was struck by a thought of Sira. I imagined her saying that, and smiled largely. But it was noticed.

"Uh, Padfoot, you okay?" Remus said, looking at me. "That smile is... creepy."

"Err... yeah, sure," I said lamely. "Totally fine."

This cavern was super long. Just a long thing of nothing for almost an entire day. I wanted to get out, back to the light and air and Sira, but Remus needed help.

We had to stop for another night. Zoe offered to watch for Tonks, so I laid down to sleep. But what exactly did I dream of?

Sira.

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Not-So-Short Author's Note: Whelp, is that not enough foreshadowing there? HINTHINTHINTHINTHINTHINT!

Ahem.

Anyway, sorry for the long wait! Life decided to spring into action as of late, so I am up waaay too late finishing and uploading this. I should have gone to sleep many hours ago. Darn fandoms and inspiration to have a new look on a character! (I've been drawing Wind Waker Tetra almost nonstop recently.)

I hope you enjoyed! Please review, and suggestions are at least considered if not used! Thanks!

~Zabria Rose~