Chapter 13: Dungeon of New Power, Part 2

Ash has entered the shrine and forced to accept the trials. He had passed four of the eight trials, those being Earth, Fire, Water and Wind Magic. While he journeyed to each room, he noticed skulls and bones strewn among the floor and leaning on the walls. He reached the next room which was full of holes in the walls. "Okay, I assume this is the Dark Trial?" he believed. "All I need is that voice again…"

"THE FIFTH TRIAL IS DARK MAGIC," the voice spoke up. "HIDDEN AMONG THE WALLS IS THE GEM TO PASS THE TRIAL. YOU MUST USE ONE SPELL. FIND IT, AND YOU WILL PROCEED ONTO THE NEXT TRIAL. FAILURE, AND YOU WILL FORFEIT YOUR LIFE."

"And there it is." He started to look around, finding the holes big enough to fit two gems side-by-side. "It's not enough that all the holes appear the same." That's when he had an idea. "I just need one summon for this, and I think I know what to use." His hands to his side, he focused on the spell. "Come forth, Dark! I seek the proud beasts wrapped in silver… Silver Wolf!" The summoned complete, a Silver Wolf appeared. It barked happily before pouncing onto Ash and licked his face. "Nice to see you, too… Listen, can you find this with your nose?" He pulled the green gem from his pocket. The Silver Wolf sniffed it before turning around and smelling the air. It started to walk to a far wall before picking up the pace. It found a hole before sniffing and barking. "In here?" The Silver Wolf barked to confirm. Ash trusted the wolf before digging into it. He felt two things, one hard as stone and one squishy. Soon enough, he grabbed the hard item and pulled it out, being a purple gem. "The gem!" He turned to the wolf and petted it. "Good girl! You found the gem!" The wolf gave Ash puppy kisses to the face, tickling him. "Okay! Yumina will give you something special!" That's when he felt inside again before using two hands. He pulled out a green bubble-like slime. Ash seemed astonished while the wolf growled. "Settle… It's okay…" Ash felt around the slime after placing it down. "You don't look that bad. Maybe you're here for a reason." Suddenly, a flash of a black circle formed in Ash's hand. It astounded Ash. "You formed a contract with me?" The slime stretched two wings out before sloshing off. "I guess I got a new spell in the mix." The wolf barked before vanishing.

"IF YOU HAVE FOUND THE GEM, PRESENT IT AT THE END OF THE ROOM," the voice presented. Finding the end of the room, Ash placed the gem onto the pedestal before waiting a moment. The wall opened before he took the gem and left the room. Waiting in the large room, Touya, Pikachu and the girls saw the Dark emblem appear at the next doorway. "TRIAL #5… SUCCESS." The more they heard of Ash passing the trials, the more confident the girls became.

"This is all well and good," Linze mulled. "But does Ash have a chance to get through it all?"

"Ash isn't one who gives up," Touya assured. "I'm sure he has what it takes to get pass the rest of the trials."

("I hope you're right,") Pikachu wished while in Sue's arms. Ash found himself in a new room where there were a series of mirrors on turnstiles. He stood above the floor of the mirrors and in front of a control panel with knobs on each.

"Okay, this is new," he gulped.

"THIS IS THE LIGHT TRIAL," the voice spoke. "USE THE MIRRORS TO REFLECT A BEAM OF LIGHT TO POWER THE GEM AT THE END. YOU MUST USE ONE SPELL. POWER IT, AND YOU WILL PROCEED TO THE NEXT TRIAL. FAILURE, AND YOU WILL FORFEIT YOUR LIFE." Ash heard and looked to the panel. He twisted the knob closest to the dimmed gem. The mirror closest to the gem turned 45.

"Oh, I see," he realized. "So, I need to use the mirrors to shine a light from here to the gem." He traced the gem to the panel's base. Quickly, he hatched an idea and turned the knobs. "So, if I align the mirrors like this, and then like this…" Each turning of the knobs rotated the mirrors. He turned some of the mirrors clockwise while others he turned counterclockwise. Each turning of the knobs, he traced the pathway. It was a maze for the light. He had one chance to light the gem or die like the pile of bones that were by him. He stepped out and faced the path, the small square under his feet. "So, I can't step beyond this point to make it work. Here we go…" His hand open and out, Ash focused from the designated spot to the mirror ahead. "Come forth, Light! Tiny illumination: Light!" An orb formed from his hand and shot a light beam at the mirror in front. There, it reflected to another mirror, then another and it continued to bounce off mirrors before the last one in front of the gem. The light made the gem into a golden yellow hue. Ash slalomed his way through the mirrors to see the gem return to its luster.

"IF YOU HAVE ENLIGHTENED THE GEM, PRESENT IT TO THE END OF THE ROOM." Ash picked the gem before going to the end of the room and placing it on the pedestal. A minute later, the wall opened, and Ash walked through with the gem. Back with the party, they saw the Light emblem appear. "TRIAL #6… SUCCESS." The confidence grew on everyone.

"This is going a little too smoothly for Ash," Elze pondered. Worried, Sue came to Elze.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"All of the trials involve using all sorts of magic, but we don't know how many trials there are," Elze thought. Sue started to show concern when Pikachu crawled up Sue and stroke her hair. This made Sue look back to Pikachu.

"Are you comforting me?" she guessed. Pikachu nodded. "You're so kind." Pikachu nodded to the praise. Meanwhile, Ash reached the next room which was actually smaller than the rest of the rooms in the temple.

"Okay, this is a bit cramp," he muttered. "And it doesn't help that I don't seem to see any more skeletons."

"THIS IS THE NULL TRIAL," the voice rang out. "IN FRONT OF YOU IS THE GEM. RECREATE THE GEM WITH ONE SPELL. IF YOU CAN RECREATE THE GEM, YOU WILL PROCEED ONTO THE FINAL TRIAL. FAILURE, AND YOU WILL FORFEIT YOUR LIFE."

"How generous of the temple to give me the gem." He looked to the table in front of him that glistened. It was covered in shattered gem shards. "Or at least what remains of it. So, I have to recreate this gem from its pieces." He cupped his chin before he brought out the other six gems. He scooped everything to the center of the table. He palmed the green and purple gems. He closed his eyes before picturing the gems' shape. Finally, he held his hands over the pile of shards. "Modeling!" There was a glow beneath Ash's hands. A minute later, Ash removed the hands to find a pearl-white gem underneath. "Lovely…" He lifted the gem before seeing the pedestal.

"IF YOU HAVE RESTORED THE GEM, PRESENT IT TO THE END OF THE ROOM. ONCE YOU DO, ACCEPT THE POTION THAT WILL RESTORE YOUR MAGIC FOR THE FINAL TRIAL."

"Oh, I get a bonus?" He placed the new gem on the pedestal before waiting a minute. The wall opened where a compartment opened on the side. It was a vial of a green formula. "Is this it?" He took the formula before drinking it. The formula entered his throat in one gulp. Tasting, Ash's face contorted. "Bitter…." There was a green glow on Ash before he felt re-energized. "Oh, that feels better." He exited before seeing the rest again.

"TRIAL #7… SUCCESS." Seeing Ash and the seven emblems on the doorways, everyone came to Ash once more.

"You did it!" cheered Linze. "You passed all of the trials!" She felt the barrier still up. "What!?"

"Not quite," Ash clarified as a staircase flipped over. A doorway opened above it.

"How many more trials do you have to complete?" wondered Yumina.

"One more, but whoever made it gave me a formula to restore my magic," Ash pointed out. Touya heard it before thinking of a reason.

"It must be a big trial if they're giving you a chance to restore your magic," he assumed with his arms crossed. "Are you ready to go?" Ash took a deep breath.

"I've already gotten this far," he reminded. "And Misty has called me stubborn from time-to-time… I'll be back out here with the trial finished." Sue mulled, not allowed to give Ash anything.

"I want to give you a kiss for good luck," she wished. Ash nodded, understanding Sue's wishes.

"When I pass this last trial, I'll give you one for an apology," he offered. "How's that sound?" Sue had a smile.

"Okay…" she accepted. Ash turned around and raced up the stairs for the final trial. As he entered the room, the door to the last trial closed with a thud. Suddenly, Pikachu's ear twitched. He turned to the entrance as Arma viewed.

"Did you hear something, Pikachu?" she wondered. Pikachu pointed the way where everyone turned.

"Stay right where you are," a man warned. Shadowy figures infiltrated the temple to face Touya and the crew.

"I think we have company," he mulled. He, Pikachu, Elze, Linze and Yumina prepared themselves to defend Sue, Arma and Olga. Ash entered what seemed to be a coliseum.

"I don't mind a lot of room, but this is huge!" he gulped. He looked around before noting the second level above him.

"I SEE THAT YOU HAVE PASSED THE TRIALS BEFORE NOW," the voice spoke up. "THOSE WHO HAVE ALL OF THE ELEMENTS: EARTH, FIRE, WATER, WIND, LIGHT AND DARKNESS; AND THE ABILITY OF NULL MAGIC CAN REACH THIS FAR. HOWEVER, YOU WILL FACE A TRIAL LIKE NEVER BEFORE!" Suddenly, a large statue began to move, walking from the other side of the room. Ash looked disappointed at the sight of the statue, believing that it was the trial.

"I get through all of the trials beforehand to take on probably the most generic boss possible?" he nagged with throwing his hands up.

"DEFEAT THE GUARDIAN, AND YOU WILL BE FREE. FAILURE, AND YOU WILL FORFEIT YOUR LIFE."

"Okay, but this shouldn't take long." He aimed an open hand to the guardian. "Come forth Ice! Grand frozen mass: Ice Rock!" A blue circle formed before a large ice boulder shot out. It struck the guardian, but it shattered into pieces while the guardian continued to move on. "Okay, so much for saying that it's easy." The guardian came closer. "How about this… Burst forth, Fire! Crimson Eruption: Explosion!" A red circle appeared and a bomb looked shot out of it. The bomb exploded with a massive concussion. The smoke cleared, but the guardian looked to have no damage. Ash gawked to the detail, or lack thereof. "Explosion did nothing!?" The guardian was in reach and down came its hand. Ash dove clear from the hand, not going to know if was to grab or strike. He tried another spell. "This has to work or I'm in deep trouble." His hands were in front as the guardian turned to him. "Shred, O Wind! A thousand blades born from the gale: Cyclone Edge!" The green circle appeared before a tornado enveloped and caught the guardian. Sounds of blades slicing through the air made Ash believe he had the target damaged. However as the winds died down, the guardian remained unscathed. "Okay, I'm now believing the reason I was given that formula to restore my magic was that this thing is fully resistant." Then, a thought. 'Hold on! Maybe I need to get a different angle to how to attack!' Looking up, he viewed the higher spots. 'If I can get to the upper floor, I can get an idea on how to stop it for good. Maybe this can help.' He ran to and underneath the guardian. He turned before the guardian turned itself. An arm stuck out from Ash. "Strike forth, Earth! The Fool's Abyss: Pitfall!" The orange circle appeared and struck where the guardian stood. The ground gave way, creating a hole that got the foot to step through it. The guardian fell through, but it caught itself to a knee. As it tried to stand back up, Ash got to and jumped on the guardian before climbing to the head of it. 'Now, why didn't I think of that before. I'm usually good at thinking outside the box.' The guardian was back on its feet before reaching for Ash on its head. Seeing the platform above, Ash had an idea. He sprinted up the arm as his arm aimed at his feet. "SLIP!" A large circle appeared beneath the guardian's foot. That's when the foot gave way and the guardian was in the air. Ash saw the ledge and set himself up. When the guardian was at its highest, Ash leaped off as the titanic living stone fell onto its back with a crash. Ash was in the air for seconds as dirt, dust and debris fell from above. He reached and caught the edge of the ledge. When the room settled, he pulled himself up to find the symbols of the elemental magics. He gasped at the sight. "That's it! The goal wasn't to beat the guardian! It was to get the gems into the holes!" He raced and put the gems into the designated slots as the guardian stood back up.

"NO! YOU HAVE VIOLATED THE TRIAL! YOU WILL FORFEIT YOUR LIFE!"

"Only one way to find out!" Inserting the last gem, a shine illuminated from the ledges. Suddenly, thunderous roars. Emerging was a giant lion with a mane made of fire. It faced the guardian. Suddenly, a caw as a giant eagle with green feathers at the head flew above. There was a horn sound as a bluish-gray elephant appeared with icicles for tusks. A howl echoed before a black wolf joined. Hoots boomed before a monkey with a golden mane wearing a yellow sash leaped down with a red pole. Squeaks sounded as a giant brown mole leaped from above. Lastly, a roar echoed more before a white dragon swooped to the lower level. Ash gasped to the sight of the creatures that appeared.

"THIS IS A VIOLATION OF THE TEMPLE'S RULES! AIDES DO NOT HELP THE ONE ON TRIALS!"

"You have changed the rules every time to rule in your favor, demon!" the lion growled. "We've waited long enough to be freed from your treachery!" He charged with a blaze of fire before striking the guardian. Behind it was the elephant who crashed its tusks, bulldozing the guardian to the mole.

"Can you dig this, buster!?" he mocked before a sandy tornado pushed the guardian up. The wolf howled again before a three-headed vicious-looking dog emerged from a large purple circle in midair.

"Cerberus, show this monster what we do to those who flaunt the people!" it barked. The dog breathed fire to burn the guardian. The eagle spotted Ash watching from above.

"Jump down, kid!" she cawed. Ash nodded before leaping onto the eagle's back.

"Thanks!" he accepted. The monkey tapped his red pole, causing it to extend.

"I gotcha, kiddo!" he hooted. Ash leaped and grabbed the red pole, sliding down to meet with the monkey. "Are you okay? I got some fruit if you need to replenish."

"Nah, I'm not hurt," Ash assured. The dragon had an idea as he flew to Ash.

"Kid, get to the demon and use Apport!" it roared. Ash grabbed the dragon's talons before flying to the guardian.

"Here we go!" shouted Ash before he released his hold from the dragon. He landed on the guardian's head. "APPORT!" A flash from Ash's hands and the guardian's head. Ash kicked off where the eagle caught him. The guardian fell flat. Ash held a red diamond that was glowing an incredibly eerie energy.

"THIS DOES NOT COUNT!" the gem bellowed. "YOU HAVE FORFEITED THE TRIALS! THE REWARD IS NOT FOR YOU!"

"You never specified what I needed to do to pass the trial!" grinned Ash. The dragon braced for the handoff.

"Toss the demon to me!" it called. Ash lobbed the diamond to the dragon. "Take a nice long lava bath! GATE!" The Gate opened to where the diamond screamed in fear before it entered. The Gate vanished just as quick. Soon enough, everything settled down. Ash was on the ground to see the beasts that he awoke.

"Man, you have no idea how grateful I feel," he chuckled. The lion came forward to see Ash.

"As are we, child," he chuffed. "It is thanks to you that we are freed from the demon that has entrapped, slain and siphoned their life forces."

"We don't know how long we have been imprisoned," the wolf barked. "But the taste of the air from hundreds of years in those gems is a worthwhile feeling." Ash felt something off.

"Now, did I have to beat that statue or demon to pass the last trial?" he asked.

"No, your goal was to overcome the golem that stood in the path," the elephant corrected. "By vaulting to deliver the life forces to all of us, any 'violation' the demon proclaimed have been absolved. For our freedoms, we are in your debt."

"And that as Divine Beasts," the monkey pointed out. "We are now your servants." Ash giggled while shaking the monkey's hand.

"Seven Divine Beasts as servants?" he realized. "I now have more than Touya, but I'd rather have you as friends, not servants."

"Regardless, we will be by your side," the eagle eased. The mole felt something off.

"What we can do is exit this arena," he voiced. "I'm feeling something beyond here and it's not good." Ash gasped, knowing those beyond the door.

"Pikachu!" he irked. "Sue! Touya!" They raced out of the room with the elephant's spear-like tusks smashing through the door. They reached the main lobby, but it was empty. "This isn't good!" Ash raced to the entrance of the temple. What awaited him when he gets outside?

TO BE CONTINUED...