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treatian · 4 years

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The Chronicles of the Dark One: The Dark Curse

Chapter 126: A Quiet Winter Evening in the Great Room

It was getting colder outside. Snow had begun to invade not only the mountain but also the little village below, evidence that it was no longer Fall, but certainly Winter. It was his slow season; the time of the year when no one dared trek up the mountain to make deals. He usually spent more of his time away, simply because it was warmer and busier outside his home. But this year he didn't. He couldn't. After what had happened with the "Queens of Darkness", as he called them, he found himself too spooked. Not for himself, but for Belle. She seemed to have recovered from her ordeal fine enough, but leaving more often meant leaving her alone in the cold castle and he didn't like that. It bothered him, thinking of her stranded by herself in a chilly stone castle, even if he had provided all she needed for the cold weather. Complete isolation for too long seemed cruel, even for him. Of course, the problem with that meant it wasn't one of them enduring the solitude, but the both of them.

Since the incident with Robin, they'd fallen into a schedule that separated them for most of their day. They saw each other at breakfast, at tea, and then from dinner and until they got tired. That had always worked well in the past. They'd been busy doing their own things; her with looking after the castle and its grounds and him with his work. But now, with the Winter, he found himself growing tired of the solitude. Without his deals or trips and the near blizzards that happened daily, he was bored. Nearly as much as Belle was. She wasn't done with cleaning the castle, but with the cold weather taking away her abilities to go outside, her work had slowed significantly. He'd stopped spying on her through the cauldron, just as he'd promised himself he would, and he'd tried to stop teasing her for his own entertainment as well and what he found was that it produced a comfortableness between them that he hadn't had with another human since he'd lived with Baelfire before the curse.

But that was only when they were in the same room.

Lately, once he ran out of work to do in the day and wanted something to combat the boredom, he found himself going to the Great Room to spin. And while months ago, he would have been happy to come into the room and find it empty of her, now he found the emptiness unsettling.

He told himself he sought her out because he was paranoid. He no longer looked in on her from the Cauldron, and unfortunately, the first time he'd done that, she'd been kidnapped. If he wondered where she was for too long, the fear he'd felt on that day when he couldn't find her came back all over again and he wandered the castle in search of her. He always checked the library first, but since the snow had begun, she'd taken to reading outside of her library, finding new nooks and crannies to hide in for reasons he couldn't understand. Sometimes the places he found her in were cozy and warm, other times, they made no sense at all. Like today…

"Oh!" he exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his bones as he found her in another of her unexpected spots. There was a little alcove where the previous King had placed a statue of a gargoyle. He couldn't imagine it was very warm, but there she was, shoved between the stone statue and the stone wall, her legs curled up under her, and her book in her lap. "I, uh…I wondered where you'd scurried off to?" he questioned, using his hands to imitated the practice before wondering why he had. That was a silly thing to do. Nevertheless, she smiled up at him in his awkwardness, and he felt his stomach tighten. He had nothing to say to her. Again. How had he not learned yet?! Time and time again, he came to find her, and time and time again, he found her only to find that he had nothing to say to her once he located her.

"Dusting the books again, I see…" It was a safe comment, a private joke between them. Her favorite method of dusting the books seemed to be reading them.

She smiled at the comment and gave a little nod. "It's, uh…it's my favorite," she admitted with a small blush. What, he wondered, might that be for?

"Oh?" She'd closed the book, but held the cover against her chest. He wanted to get a look at the spine. She had thousands of books up there, it seemed impossible to simply pick one as a favorite. He was curious, which one was it that she was so in love with?

"Yes, the uh…" she cleared her throat, shook her head almost nervously before looking back up at him. "The girl has my name. And it has all the elements that truly make a story great, you know. Far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, even a prince in disguise."

"It seems to have found a good home then," he concluded, wishing she'd given him a title. It didn't matter that she hadn't. She'd given him a lot to go on, and it was going to be a long Winter. Perhaps sometime after she went to bed, he could make his way up to her library and figure it out for himself. It might keep the boredom away for a few hours.

"Did you, uh…did you…did you need something?" she asked, sitting forward eagerly, as if she wanted him to say "yes".

His mouth went dry. They were back to the same problem already, after barely one conversation. He had nothing to say to her, no reason to tell her why he'd been so curious about where she'd been. Only the knowledge that she looked small sitting in that little space, and cold as well. From this place, he could see snow falling out the window, and it made their Great Room look far more comfortable than this place. Sitting in the Great Room and spinning as she read seemed like a wonderful way to spend the rest of the afternoon until dinner. But how to get her there? He couldn't very well tell her to come and read. She was getting lazy enough on her own. He didn't want her to start thinking that she wasn't here to do chores.

"Ah…the table! In the dining room! It looked a bit dusty to me," he proclaimed suddenly thinking of something quickly enough. It was a lie. One that he had a feeling she knew he was making as she smiled and nodded. She blushed as she marked her page before standing up and running her hands over her long dress to take the wrinkles out. He wanted to offer his hand to help her out of the alcove, so instead, he took a step away. When she was out he led her through the halls and back to the Great Room. Once they were there, she fell out of step behind him as he went to the wheel, and she inspected the table. If she hadn't known he was lying before, then she did now. She'd just cleaned that table and the way she kept the castle, especially this room, it would be spotless. Still, he tried not to look at her as he worked wool on his wheel, and she left the room. A moment later, she returned and made herself busy. She dusted the table that wasn't dusty, and he continued to spin. She made her way around his collection and then dusted it as well as he continued to spin. She brought order to an already ordered room, and he continued to spin, ever aware of every move that she made around him. But it was only when it appeared that she was finishing up that he held his breath. Would she retreat? Go back to the library? Pick a new place to hide? Or would she stay? Perhaps read her book in the chair just like she did after dinner?

When she came back after returning her tools, he was hopeful, but even she seemed torn. He spun on and pretended not to notice, but it was impossible not to take note of the way she looked around the room, then from him to the door, over to his chair, then to the door that would take her down to her own chambers.

"I'm uh…I'll go grab dinner," she finally commented, wiping her hands on her skirt and leaving. He didn't respond to her comment, merely rejoiced at the thought that food was on its way, and that meant that she'd be spending the remainder of the day shut up in the room with him.

He finished off the batch of wool he was working on and checked the thread on the spindle, making sure it was well done. It was perfect, just as always. He sat down at his place at his table and stared into the fireplace. Considering the thread he'd just spun, he'd probably give this spool to Belle. She often did mending, this would be good thread for her to work with. But dinner meant that her work was done for the day. Maybe she'd make that her job tomorrow, that was a simple chore she could do in front of the fireplace, perhaps if she didn't think to do it he could suggest it, or maybe he could put a few holes in some of his shirts to ensure it. That was a good plan. But, of course, it would only take up one day. With the weather the way it was, they'd probably still have a few more weeks like this.

The clinking of china forced his gaze up from the fireplace to the doorway. Belle had returned. And with food in hand. He sat back in his chair, welcoming her service, and tried hard not to smile at her. He did that far too often as it was.

"I uh…I made stew," she declared, setting the table for him. "Should ward against the cold.

He nodded, but again tried not to smile and pulled his arm away so he wouldn't accidentally come into contact with her. When she was done she picked up her own bowl, as she usually did, and sat down to eat. Only she didn't eat. He heard a sharp hiss from her mouth as she sat down and set the bowl down on her legs before flapping her hands in the air. A burn? He'd only just started to shovel the stew into his mouth, but he knew he didn't usually take note of hot and cold the way normal people did. He supposed it was hot. Had she hurt her hands? Did she need healed?

She didn't seem too bad. She kept the bowl balanced there on her lap and stared into the fire, perhaps just giving it time to cool down. He ate another spoonful and tried to focus on something else, anything other than the potential that she was hurt.

He sighed and his mind went back to the conversation they'd had by the statue. Far off places, daring swordfights, magic spells, a prince in disguise…he'd read in his time. He could think of more than a dozen books that had those elements. But only one was her favorite. The woman in it shared her name. That was the biggest hint. Which of the dozen that he'd read had the name "Belle"?

A flinch at the fireplace drew his gaze and his mind back to her. She'd picked up her bowl, but flinched again at it as she squirmed in her seat. Was it that bad? Out of curiosity, he withdrew some of his magic and reached out a finger to touch his own bowl. He removed it quickly. Yes. It was that bad. It wasn't that she'd burned the soup, she must have just pulled it off the fire and not allowed it time to cool. That was his fault, he'd brought her down too early, disrupted her schedule. She was the one who was paying for it now. Ironic, in this place surrounded by snow and ice the worst thing for her was something-

Without warning, Belle was up and out of her seat. The bowl was in her hands but only for a second as she strode quickly to the other side of the table and set it down. He felt his heart stop and stared, watching her actions without inhibition. To pretend to ignore her at a time like this would have been foolish. What did she think she was doing?

As if in answer, he watched as she went back to the fireplace, placed her hands on the chair that she sat in, then gave a tug. And then another. And then another. He tried not to laugh. She was small, so small, and he knew that these chairs were heavy. They weren't the easiest thing in the world to move, and it scraped against the floor with every tug that she gave it in the direction of the opposite side of the table. Her intention was clear. After months of eating in the room with him by the fire, today was the day she dared to do more. Today was the day she dared to take a place at the table.

And he didn't know if he should laugh at her intentions, or shout at her. She was a servant, afterall. There was bold, and then there was brazen. This was both. Taking this step was…courageous? Stupid? Hilarious? He honestly didn't think there was a single adjective that described it. But he knew that it left a feeling in his mind that reminded him of the day he'd first met her at her father's palace. She was an unconventional one. Odd, not only for her age but also for her status, both her present and her former. Odd, outcast, strange…it had been a hundred years since people had called him those names to his face, but as he watched her struggle, it felt like it was only yesterday. Maybe that was why he felt admiration for her. Perhaps she reminded him of himself long ago when he'd wanted nothing more than a hand.

It seemed to take forever for her to move the chair, but she wasn't one to give up. Eventually, she had it in a place that she was happy with. She stood up to full height, and he watched as she rubbed a hand across her forehead, then lowered herself into the seat at the opposite end. She put a napkin gracefully across her lap, avoided his eyes, and picked up her spoon to eat. He watched as she took a few mouthfuls, wondering if she would look up at him as she ate, if she would dare to make eye contact or small talk. He wondered what he would do in such a situation. Would he say something to her? Smile? Frown?

But she never looked up. She just ate. And so he did too.

He stopped watching her, focused on his food, and ate as if there were nothing out of the ordinary even though everything seemed out of the ordinary. He pretended it was normal. When he finished with his dinner, he got up as he normally would, left his dishes behind for her to take care of, and went back to the wheel to finish the spool of thread for her.

When she predictably got up, gathered their dishes back on her tray and left, he let out a sigh he didn't know he'd been holding in. Was he sweating? He hadn't sweat since he was human, why did she make him feel like he was? Why was it that after he'd spent an entire meal watching her and wishing for dinner to be over, all he wanted was to have her back in the room. He shook his head.

Cabin Fever. That was all it was. Being stuck here together during the Winter was bound to have some strange effects on the mind, and this was one of them. They'd be fine as soon as the snow melted, and they could resume their ordinary activities. Activities that would no doubt have him spending less time in her company…

At that sad thought, he looked over at the table and observed the two chairs. It hadn't been like that since Baelfire was here. He hated to admit it, and never would out loud, but he liked it. He liked the time they spent together in this room in the quiet. He liked her boldness and her company. He liked their evenings together by the fire. When the Winter was over, he would be sad to see it go. But it was what it was. It had been well over a hundred years since he'd last enjoyed the company of another human. Perhaps, just this one time, it would be fine to enjoy it.

Before she returned, he rose from his spot at the wheel. He used his magic to put her chair back by the fire, just as she liked it. Then he summoned into his hands the book that she'd been reading, the one she said was her favorite. La Belle et la Bete…interesting. At the sound of feet on the stairs, he set the book on the cushion and quickly returned to his spot at the wheel. Behind him, the windows rattled with wind, reminding him that it was colder out than he could potentially feel. But she might be able to feel it, he realized. With a smile, he summoned a blanket and left it nicely folded on the back of her chair. He started to spin his wheel just as she came into the room, but shifted his eyes from her to the wool in his hand.

She was not as subtle as he was. He knew the second she realized what had been done because she stopped in her footsteps and looked it all over. He averted his eyes when she glanced suspiciously over at him, but returned them when he sensed she wasn't looking. She was beaming, smiling at what he'd left her as she crossed the room to her chair. He felt a fire of pride blaze inside of him as she took the blanket and wrapped it around herself before sitting down to read.

And just like that, all was well again. All was right and ordinary. She read. He spun. The wind blew, the snow fell, and Winter went on. She continued to read. He continued to spin. They relaxed, content in the company they created for one another.

#Rumbelle #Rumple #Rumpelstiltskin #Dark One #Belle #ouat #ouat fanfiction #fanfic

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quest-draws · 6 years

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Excerpt from The Story of the Seven: Reconstructed, an archival initiative seeking to recreate Madame Lucretia’s original notes with as much accuracy as possible. The following has been compiled by comparing post-Story accounts from dozens of dedicated chroniclers, with oversight from Madame Lucretia and the available members of the Starblaster’s crew.

Excerpt begins

Cycle 36, day 6

We’ve finally found a sign of civilization, as well as plausible evidence that we are all blind idiots. As we flew over yet more icy foothills, Merle (Of all of us!) noticed that one of the mounds appeared to be smoking. Under more careful examination we realized that these ‘foothills’ were actually snowed-covered buildings, meaning it is quite likely the other foothills we’ve seen the past few days were also actually buildings.

We, the best and brightest of our deceased world, saviors of multiple realities, the last and only line of defense against the relentless malevolence of the Hunger, wasted nearly a week looking for signs of life when there were entire cities directly under our hull. At the risk of sounding pessimistic, I think this world may be fucked.

Now that we’ve realized our mistake, Captain wants us to backtrack and see if we can find a settlement closer to Lup and Barry’s original prediction of the Lights trajectory. However, Lup’s trying to convince him that we should do some reconnaissance in this village first.

LT: Look, there’s no point going backwards in this fuckin’ blizzard if we can just-

CD: -We are way, way off, the- they’re your calculations? Do you-

BB: [crosstalk] They’re our calculations, Lu

LT: [crosstalk] I know.

TT: [crosstalk] You calculated ‘em. calc-calculated the shit outta-

[LT puts up a hand to silence the others]

LT: Look I’m not dunking on my calculations, cause they’re tight as shit, ‘natch; outside looks like someone put a flock of doves through a woodchipper. You wanna fly through that?

CD: [crosstalk] I’m not-

MB: [crosstalk] Gross?

LT: [crosstalk] Been flying six days straight, you wanna keep, keep flyin’-

CD: I don’t wanna fly through the scenario you just made me visualize, no. This is just snow.

[MB raises his hand kind of awkwardly. Mags, c’mon, you’re not 12]

MB: Uuum, Cap’nport? No offense but you look kinda beat, are you sure?

CD: Wh- excuse me. Are you questioning my piloting abilities, Magnus?

MB: [crosstalk] ‘Course not, just-

CD: [crosstalk] I’ve flown us through, through literal eldritch death pillars -

MH: [crosstalk] ...do look a little tired -

MB: I know!

[captain gets out of the pilots seat, oh dear]

CD: What was that? Merle?

LT: It’s been nearly a week, Captain. You haven’t slept.

CD: Neither have you!

LT: Yeah, and I’m pissed about it!

BB: look everyone’s a little frazzled-

MH: I’m fine.

BB: [crosstalk] Merle, oh my-

LT: [crosstalk] Merle!

TT: [crosstalk] Hahaha holy fuck Merle! Not the time?

CD: You know what, okay, fine! Okay, we’ll vote. Let’s vote. Who thinks we should go down there?

[Lup, Mag LT, MB, and BB all put up their hands]

CD: All right, and who says we should turn back?

[CD, TT, and MH put up their hands]

CD: Lucretia.

TT: Lu- Baby-Lu, fuckin’ put dowait I forgot to put myhandupfuck

LC: I’m not answering to that, but I do thin k

[TT attepts to take my fuckin

Taako tried to take my journal, and while I understand his intentions it’s imperi

BABY LU NEEDS TO STOP WRITING OUR CONVERSATIONS IN REAL TIME AND PAY ATTENTION TO THE WORLD AROUND HER

BABY LU WILL GET HER JOURNAL BACK WHEN THE GROWN UPS DECIDE WHAT WERE DOING IN THIS FROZEN FUCKING HELLSCAPE

After my journal was so rudely stolen, we decided that it would be best to have some of the crew investigate the settlement while the others got some rest. Captain landed the Starblaster just out of sight (not far with the weather) and Lup, Magnus and I made our way into town on foot. We were ushered into the smoking building Merle first noticed almost as soon as we were in sight of it. It’s apparently some sort of tavern/town hall, with one long, open room punctuated by tables and some truly massive support beams.

Chiana, the innkeeper (or possibly Mayor? Chief? They are definitely some measure of authority figure) was quite unsettled by our sudden appearance. It’s apparently unusual for people to travel between communities at this time of year, especially in the middle of the night (which it apparently is. We seriously lost track of time with the storm blocking out the suns). They’ve insisted on putting us up until the storm settles some. We have of course accepted, but we decided that it might be best not to mention our true intentions here. They were spooked just by us appearing in a blizzard, we don’t need to bring up the rest of it. We notified Capn’port that we’ll be staying a few days to gather info, and since then Lup and Magnus have been having quite the time chatting with the assorted patrons/guests.

This really is quite a spectacular building. The ceiling is only about 7 ft. high (Lup and Mags can both touch the ceiling), but it’s so wide and long it doesn’t feel cramped. It’s hard to estimate how large it is exactly; the hall is a patchwork of additions, none of which quite match up. Here an extra nook were the hall was widened, there a slight indent were an old support must have collapsed. Wood flooring giving way to tile, tile being overtaken by carpet, and then carpet receding back to wood again. The support beams are the only consistent element, solid blocks of wood punctuating the room at even intervals.

But the room’s really dominated by the kitchens and the dance floor. The kitchens are spaced along the northern wall about 50 ft. from one another, one in each corner and the last right in the center. The latter is the only one operational at the moment, and Chiana’s not making anything more complicated than some mulled cider (which, for the sake of accurate chronicling, I must say is delicious). I thought at first the stove here was heating the hall, and while it’s fairly large on closer inspection that doesn’t seem plausibe. It’s far too warm, even in the farther corners. I suppose the surrounding snow might provide some insulation?

Besides that, there’s a raised dance platform in the center of the hall, in front of the middle kitchen. Lup’s dragged Magnus and a two middle aged women onto it, though there isn’t any music at this hour. She's currently waving at me to come join them. I’ve been nursing the drink Chianna gave me so I’d have an excuse to stay seated, but I think I’d better relent before Lup tries to physically drag me up there. They’re really acting silly tonight, but I suppose we all needed to blow off some steam.

Alright. Okay. I probably should have noticed this when I first started drinking, but the alcohol here seems to be quite a bit stronger then I’m used too? Or what Lup and Magnus are used too. I didn’t notice until I went out on the dance floor and I kind of tripped but at first I thought that was just me being clumsy or tired, but then when I started actually dancing it was worse like, I’m usually a good dancer. And Lup was acting especially silly and so was magnus, even though he should have a better constitution than us because he’s not a squishy wizard he’s a beefcake. Lup said that.

Fuck okay I am definitely a little tipsy here I should stop writing. But I was going to write somethig down it was important? we were dancing, and then I was stumbling and I said like Lup I feel kinda tipsy but I only had one drink and she said Aaaaaww ‘Creesha, you are suuuuuuuuuch a lightweight lol but then she fell over and Magnus laughed and one of the ladies we were dancing with asked how much she’d had and shed had three, which made them laugh because apparently threes a lot here. And then we all sat down for a bit and we were talking about travelling and it was kind bullshit because we are trying to blend but we mentioned THE LIGHT THAT

THAT WAS IT LIGHT LIGT light the light what was that aaaaah what was OH MY GOD I CAN’T REMEMBER THE REST FUCK I [[handwriting becomes illegible]]

okay okay I went back to talk again and I had a few more drinks because chiana gave me more drinks they are actually super sweet i mean chianna. Chianas super sweet. They actualysaw the light when it landed sorta they saw a flash through the storm but not in the direction we came. Lup’s been trying to redo her calculations on some napkins she thinks the blizzard had something to do with it but shes still really smashed I dont think now a good time for math Lup

Lucretia darling are you gonna nag me or are you gonna oh my god I dont know how to spell half those words Lup Im a fucking drunk journalist dont pull the fucking jargon out on me

Barry please tell me what Lups saying in words drunk journalist understands

A drunk? Lucretia? Whats going on?

Lup: Baaaaaarrry holy shit did you remember to to do the thing for the storm

BB: Lup? Lup you’re- Lucretia give your stone to Lup I can hardly understand her

LT: hiiiiiiiiiiiii barold, hiiiiiiiii, we fucked uuuuuup

BB: oh wow youre super smashed

LT we fucked up Barry! we didnt-interference! the storm created interference and we fucked up the direction and

BB Lup that doesn’t make anysense? our equipment relies mostly on magical energy unless the storm has arcane origins

LT: oh hey, MORRISON DOES THE STORM HAVE ARCANE ORIGINS?

Morison: MS: (shes one of the dancing ladies) I dunno where arcane is but the storms local. amma constein cursed the whole country side bout 20 years ago after liddy halloway dumped her

SEE BARRY

BB: okay yeah that would definitely throw off our readings but its not like we could have known that beforehand. I mean we know now, so I suppose its a good thing you guys went down there even if you also got fucking wasted, for some reason

?: whose fucking wasted (oh its taako

TT: heeeey chucklefucks whats this about you getting crunk on your uuuuh super important potentially, world saving info gathering mission?

MB taako taaaaaakoooooooo booze is super cool down here? I had a bunch

TT: eh yup I could guess

MB: but not like a super bunch? A little bunch. Its suuuuper strong its great

TT hahaha oh. oh you are so lucky cap’nports asleep. What about you, baby lu? tell me-tell me you, at least are treating this mission with the uh, gravity and maturity it fucking-fucking nesessitates fuck you taako im 58

TT whelp haha BB please just give m emy stone back

im 5 fucking 8!!! Im not a baby godamnit. Im a grown ass women ill get as crunk as I fuckin wanna on this sweet ass booze and you cant have any taako you bitch hahahahha oh my god lucy someone please tell me shes still writing this down I nee

taakos a jackass im a grown fucking ass women an he wasnt even really a hundred when he joined cause hes a LIAR and A JERK comparatively in terms of relativ ageing im more an adult then him but he still calls me baby lu he could call me lucy or creesh like Lup calls me that i love her she? so nice Lup brought me another drink and we danced more but not well cause everthings floaty and I lay down so my head wouldnt float to high the ceilings still really low Lup lay down with e and magnus came in he was screaming cause he went out in the snow he was trying to do the dip thing were you go in a hot spring right after but theres no spring only cold magnus. everythigs only cold magnus why do you do this to yourself?magnus. chiana is making him sit by the stove in the kitchen and they wont give us any more drinks i told them i was 58 and also an alien but that didnt convince them which is probably fair. they dont know. taako knows he has no excuse

chianna gave us a room and its really dark its in the basement it super warm I think there actually is a hot spring but like underneath sorry mags that probablywhat you were thinking but still. super dumb. god Im gonna be so bad in the morning. the storms clearing up a little so well probably go then I hope captains not mad Im not sure he knows but we proly found the light so he cant be too mad. I need sleep. I need to sleep. good night journal Ill miss you love Lucretia

Cycle 36, day 7

Firstly, I am never drinking again. Ever. Secondly, as soon as I get back to the ship, I am burning these pages. Posterity is not worth this level of embarrassment.

Cycle 36, day 8

Lup, Magnus and I had some trouble getting back. Though we weren’t nearly as intoxicated as the previous night, we weren’t precisely sober either. Between Magnus stopping to puke every five minutes, Lup’s persisting lack of balance, my truly excruciating headache, and all the motherfucking, goddamned snow, we nearly got lost on the mile-long hike back to the ship. The others had a field day teasing us, and I can’t even be mad at them for it. Looking over my own notes is literally, viscerally painful. To reiterate: I am never. Drinking. Again.

I am not going to destroy those pages, however. It’s the only written account I have of what Chiana and the others told us about the Light, and it would be irresponsible to get rid of them before we’ve properly found it. Besides, Lup and Taako both practically begged me to keep it in. I don’t understand why Lup want’s this reminder of our idiocy to remain in tact, but damn she is hard to argue with. She’s also tried to insist that “baby-Lu” is a compliment, but won’t explain how so. I take back all the nice things drunk me said about her.

Maybe later I’ll go back and just stick a summary were those pages are, but for the mean time they’ll have to stay.

I spent most of yesterday just resting, once we got back. I don’t think I honestly realized how tired I was until then. It’s only been 8 days since the last apocalypse, most of which we spent searching, frantic and blind in a literally cursed blizzard. Much as I hate to say it, I may need to take Taako’s advice and stop chronicling in real time. Just for a bit. I’ll pick it up again when we find the Light.

Time to go save another world.

End of excerpt.

[editors note: Can I just formally request that, should we ever see Fisher and Junior again, I be permitted to feed these pages to them, in hopes that they might be erased permanently this time? Please?

- LC ]

[editors note: Madame Lucretia’s request is noted and denied.

- TT ]

#lucretia #madame director #taz #taz balance #lup taako #Taako Taaco #davenport #magnus burnsides #barry blujeans #merle highchurch #ipre crew #adventure zone fic #The Adventure Zone #i wrote a fic for once!!#I have no idea if it's good!#but also if you read this i need you to please imagine #the staff of the bob having their elegant regal directors drunken rant #about taakos stupid nickname for her #injected directly into their brains

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returnerofthewrites · 7 years

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Drenched! Soaking Spelunking Through the Bluff!

"Are y'sure that this is th'place, Bill?" Cyan thought aloud, peering all around as we strode towards the Drenched Bluff, the damp, mossy dirt squishing and squelching messily underfoot, the sounds of trickling water drifting through the otherwise-silent air. I glanced over my shoulder at the Samurott, my gaze briefly lingering on the sun as it gradually peeked above the eastern mountain range, its fiery light spreading throughout the teal-tinged sky. The water type lightly smacked his fan-shaped tail against the ground, leaving a slight indent in between his pawprints. "But why would th'Chronicler want t'meet us here? This place's jus' a couple hours from home!"

"Heh, when I had the Dimensional Scream, someone else asked the same question," I replied with a shake of my head, reaching back to brush my aura tassels back behind my shoulders afterward. My ears twitched when I heard Rose stifle a laugh, and I turned to look at my partner, narrowly seeing her duck her head into her blue scarf. My tail wagged, and I tugged on the straps of our treasure bag, giving our Exploration Team badge a quick polish with a paw. "But yeah, the voice said the Chronicler was going to be hiding out here in the Drenched Bluff... for, uh, for some reason."

"Well that's just silly!" Erin exclaimed matter-of-factly, her whiskers twitching as she shook her head. The Mienshao hastily tied her fur sleeves up, then pulled a smooth stone from her fanny-pack, slipping it into her makeshift sling to test the weight. She paused for a moment mid-whirl, then giggled quietly under her breath. "Heehee, or maybe it's just so super-duper important that letting any other Pokemon find out about it wouldn't be good!"

"That sounds more likely to me..." Rose trailed off, lightly pawing at a moss-covered rock as she spoke, her nine fluffy tails waving up and down in the air as she pawed lightly at the soft lichen. A faint, damp breeze sweep down from the top of the bluff and bluster over us, and I looked over at the Ninetales when she trotted over to me, a slightly-anxious expression on her muzzle. "Nobody knows who they are exactly, after all, even though they've written books and everything. I hope that we're not putting them in any danger..."

"I'm sure it'll be fine, Rose," I said, reaching out to give her a reassuring pat, and she let out a low sigh, smiling gratefully at me before focusing back on the path leading into the bluff itself, winding up and around past tunnels and outcrops. Peering around the area again, I folded my arms and idly tapped my pawspikes against my torsofur. "We've been here plenty of times anyway, so it shouldn't take that long to sniff him out, wherever he is."

"Mmm, that's true." Rose padded forward, her ponytail of headfur slipping over her side in the breeze, and she craned her neck to look skyward, the very top of the hill coming into view slowly, but surely, as morning came. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then smiled a bit more warmly, turning around to look at Cyan, Erin and I. "Yeah... yeah, we can do it. Is everyone ready, then?"

"I've been ready!" Cyan grunted, balling his front paws into fists and rolling his eyes, eliciting a giggle from Erin in the process. "Now let's quit gabbin' an' get goin'!"

The water type stomped forward, pushing past us and heading towards one of the trails, and I strolled up to my partner even as they both headed onward. We both shared a determined nod before following after our two younger teammates, breaking into a brisk jog to catch up with them, trickles of water coming down from high above us.

Drenched! Soaking Spelunking Through the Bluff!

I hunched forward, ducking underneath a few rocks jutting out from the walls as we made our way up the trail, moss and tiny flowers caked between the cobbled stones. An hour had already passed since we first entered into the mystery dungeon, but the waterlogged hillside seemed to blend together, small paths leading to small clearings with more small paths leading away again. A couple of gray, misty clouds had rolled in as we walked, blocking the sun and thankfully keeping the weather from getting too hot. Cyan and Erin splashed around a couple steps ahead, the latter scooping stones and other things up from the damp ground and slipping them into her belt pouch.

"Finding anything interesting, Erin?" I called out, reaching up to rub at our Exploration Team badge as I spoke, and the Mienshao swiveled around on her heels, nearly losing her balance as she started to walk backwards.

"Not really!" She cheerfully replied, lifting her paws and holding a couple of water-smoothed pebbles up above her head, waving them back and forth a few times before tucking them into her tied fur sleeves. She gave the stones a quick spin to test their weight, nodding afterward. "No orbs or seeds or anything, it's all rocks."

"Just be careful and watch where you're stepping, okay?" Rose chimed in, cocking her head slightly as she looked towards the younger Pokemon, gesturing at her to turn back around with a shake of her muzzle. Erin smiled and nodded earnestly, then spun back around, her tail and whiskers swishing through the air as she jogged ahead to hunt for more stuff.

Turning my head, I glanced at the Ninetales out of the corner of my eyes, watching her walk slowly and daintily behind me, being cautious to move from one patch of moss to another in order to keep her footing. Slowing my pace somewhat, I waited until my partner had caught up with me, scanning around the Drenched Bluff in the meantime. The sunlight waxed for a moment as the clouds drifted away, only to darken again not a second later; I glanced up when a quiet screech caught my ear, chuckling under my breath when I spied a few wild Wingull circling about.

"So, uh..." I started lamely, bringing my arms back behind my head, aura tassels bumping and slipping out between my pawspikes as I glanced at my partner. "Mind if I ask something?"

"Mmm?" Rose perked up, then smiled and nodded at me, her tails swishing back and forth, their orange tips brushing up against my side. The cream-furred fox relaxed a little bit, cocking her head in curiosity as she replied. "Bill, you know you don't need to ask that, hehe. What is it?"

"The Chronicler," I answered without missing a beat, taking a deep breath of the misty morning air and sighing, briefly checking on Cyan and Erin – the former crabbing at the latter about something as she scampered about – before continuing. "What all do you know about him?"

"Oh!" Rose's face brightened in understanding, her expression turning thoughtful as she mulled the question over, digging her paws into a couple clumps of grass and soil as the path started to slope higher. I crouched lower and bent my knees as I pushed against the rising hill, my ears flicking as I heard Rose dig her paws in, her tiny claws scraping against the rocks. "Well, I already told you most of what I know. They study ancient ruins, and they've written some books about their research. They know a lot about humans in particular, though nobody knows exactly how they found everything out."

"Huh," I grunted, my tail wagging back and forth as a shadow suddenly passed over us, a large chunk of slate jutting out from the side of the bluff above us. I looked up at it, furrowing my brow when I spotted a crumbling hole just underneath the slab, a miniature, underground brook flowing from the gap and cascading down the mountain in a sparkling waterfall. "He's clever enough, planning on me having a Dimensional Scream to figure out where we are, at least. First time anyone's tried that to get our attention, huh?"

"Yeah... though it still spooked me when you just up and fainted like that." A bashful blush flared onto the Ninetales' cheeks, and she bowed her head. I chuckled at that, bringing a paw over to tousle her headfur, and she leaned into my touch, looking forwards as the slope finally evened back out. "It's been so long since you last had a Dimensional Scream at all, I'm amazed that the Chronicler even thought to try and contact us that way. They must have been planning this for a while..."

"Either that or he's desperate to keep all this a secret," I replied, looking over the edge of the cliff at the ground below, the trail having risen just above the low-hanging mists. Water swirled its way down the outcrops, and feral Pokemon gathered around the ponds that formed at the very bottom of the mountain. "Last time we tried to keep something a secret that badly, it, uh... it nearly didn't end well."

"Mmm, that's true," Rose hummed under her breath, but she smiled shortly afterward, a couple of her tails swishing sideways and curling around mine. "But things turned out okay in the end, right?"

"Whooaah-!"

We both jumped at the sound of a yelp, followed by a loud, crashing splash, and Rose and I looked up in concern, then broke into a jog, water slowly splashing around our legs as the path through the gorge descended into a flowing, ankle-deep creek. It didn't take long before Cyan and Erin came back into view, and I winced internally when I spotted the Mienshao laying flat in the puddles, a pained expression on her snout. Rose gasped quietly, then pushed past me, slowing to a stop at the fighting type's side and scooping one of her arms up onto her back.

"Oh no, Erin...!" My partner cooed comfortingly, nudging the pink mink with her backside as she and Cyan helped her get back up off of the ground. Erin whimpered under her breath, but shook her head a few times to snap herself out of her stupor, staring down at her now-sopping-wet front afterward. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I think so!" The younger explorer replied hastily, cocking her head a bit as she watched the water drip from her fur and get caught up in the stream. I walked up behind them, giving Erin a firm pat on her shoulder as she shimmied a few times, giving herself a quick once-over. It didn't take long for her to regain her usual cheer, her mouth curling into a bubble smile as she stomped around in circles. "The water feels a lot stronger here than it did before so I guess it must have tripped me up, heeheehee!"

"Y'sure you're goin' t'be alright?" Cyan grumbled, letting go of his friend and letting his front paws drop back into the drink, his gaze wandering as he looked over the crevice trail leading further into the bluff. "Hmph, maybe you'd be better off stayin' on my back if th'current keeps getting' stronger an' stronger!"

"But then I'll have to get off anytime I want to pick up a-" Erin halted mid-sentence, her tail twitching this way and that as she looked around the area. Not a second later, she started to skip away, her damp fur sleeves and her whiskers bouncing as she splashed her way through the shallow puddles. "Ooh, look look look, over here!"

"Erin, wait-!" I yelled at the Mienshao, but she simply turned around and beckoned us to come with her; I shook my head, unable to keep myself from chuckling, and the three of us gave chase, sunlight glittering against chunks of rock as the pink mink ducked her head into a modest gap that had been carved out of the hillside. She paused and waited for us before going any further, though, rocking back and forth on her heels as Cyan, Rose and I caught up to her.

"See?" She said triumphantly, wiggling her paws at the ground. I turned where she pointed, folding my arms as I looked at the audibly-burbling brook that flowed around us. "I betcha this'll take us somewhere, right?"

"Hmm..." I scratched at my chin, then dipped one of my paws into the water, feeling the current whip and swirl around my wrist as it rushed out of the tunnel. Taking a deep breath, I concentrated, feeling energy flow down my arm as I focused my aura, a small sphere forming in the palm of my paw. It gave off a faint light that reflected off of the rocks, and I glanced at Rose as she stepped up to me. "The flow's pretty darn strong, so this tunnel probably goes right through to the deepest part of the dungeon, or at least it'll bring us in the right direction. What do you think, Rose?"

"It's worth a shot," The fire type replied with a short nod, nosing at her blue scarf to press it flat against her scruff of neckfur. "Let's go and see where it leads!"

I nodded in turn, sidling up against the wall and gesturing at her to lead the way. With a smile, she blew a few strands of her headfur out of her face, bent her legs low, and started to shuffle forward, her tails curling tightly against her back as if to avoid the water at all costs. Erin energetically hopped in place a couple times, then went after her, the two of them quickly crawling out of sight. I glanced at Cyan, who grunted and pointed forward, and I nodded, crouching down and heading after our teammates, keeping one paw pressed firmly against the wall as I held the aura sphere aloft.

"Sheesh, this is a tight fit," I muttered to myself, feeling the tips of my ears graze against the stones as I waddled along, glancing over my shoulder to make sure that I hadn't left Cyan behind. The Samurott, thankfully, was squirming close behind me, laying completely flat on his belly as he struggled to drag himself along, his hiking pack scraping on the ceiling of the tunnel. Despite myself, I grinned, reaching my free paw out towards him. "Need some help?"

"Bah, jus' keep movin'!" The blue-furred sea lion rolled his eyes, giving me a dismissive wave before going back to crawling, scrabbling at the ground and pulling forward. My grin widened at that, and I turned back around, holding my aura sphere out and moseying onward, hearing Rose and Erin's paws padding through the water all the while.

"Hmm..." Rose hummed in thought. "How long do you think we've been in here?"

I glanced over at the cream-furred fox as she spoke, my ears flicking as we waded through the cave system, her eyes shining slightly in the dim light. The tunnel had opened up, if only just slightly, rising up higher and higher and carrying white, foamy froth down from wherever the brook was flowing from. Sunbeams streamed in from tiny gaps in the ceiling, illuminating the thicker clumps of moss growing over the submerged rocks, and I dug my pawpads into the soft plants as they squished underneath our footpaws. Cyan and Erin kept hot on our heels, the former's shell helmet occasionally scraping against the ceiling and making us jump.

"Not sure," I replied, trying to stand up somewhat, only for my ears to fold over against my head as I bumped right into the top of the tunnel; grunting and rubbing my scalp, I crouched back down, feeling a slight ache throb through my thighs. "Seems like it's been a while, though, so we're probably getting close to the top."

"I don't remember the Drenched Bluff being so big..." The Ninetales said, her tails still curled up tightly to keep them from getting wet. I reached out and gave them a quick fluff, chuckling when they twitched in approval. "I know we're going upward, but it feels like this tunnel just keeps going."

"Well, we usually don't take the underground route, either," I remarked, brushing my aura tassels back behind my shoulders, then tugging on the straps of the treasure bag as I felt it weigh against my back. Rose tilted her head from side to side, nodding in agreement afterward, starting to raise her legs out of the creek as it started to deepen. "Who knows, maybe this is actually a shortcut-"

Before I could finish my sentence, I felt my footpaw thud against something smooth and prickly – much smoother and pricklier than the grainy rocks and moss – and I froze right in my tracks. A nervous twinge ran through my veins as the thing dislodged from the ground and loudly scratched against the rocks, my partner giving a start and snapping her head towards me.

"Huh?" I peered over my shoulder at Cyan when he barked out a grunt, his voice echoing around the passage as he reached for his seamitars. "What th'heck was that?"

"I think I hit something." I waved circles with one paw and gestured into the darkness with the other, the aura sphere's gentle light shining down on the bluish rocks below us. Cyan held the handle of his blade a little bit longer before relaxing, Erin rocking back and forth on her heels in the meantime. "Didn't feel like a rock, but I think it was clinging on and I knocked it loose. Anyone want to check and see what it was?"

"Ooh!" Erin chirped, bending over a bit and reaching into the water with gusto. When she hopped back up, she was holding a small, wild Pokemon with both paws, her tied fur sleeves swishing around as it wriggled and writhed against her grasp. I turned around and brought my aura sphere over, the light reflecting against the creature's silvery shell, with a purple front, tail, and two thin antennae dangling from its forehead. "Is this it?"

"Yep..." I quirked an eyebrow upward as I leaned over to stare at the weird little Pokemon; it stared right back at me with frightened yellow eyes, his stubby legs audibly, and nervously, clattering inside of its shell. "A Wimpod... I guess it must have been sleeping down here, probably thought nobody was going to bother it so deep underground."

"C'mon, Erin, put the poor thing back down," Rose added, trotting up to my side and gazing worriedly at the unfortunate Pokemon, giving it a comforting smile. It stared blankly at her, even as she continued. "Can't you see how scared it is? If we let it be, it'll probably leave us alone, too."

"Aww, okay..." Erin gave the small and quite spooked Pokemon a quick pat before easing it back down into the water, giggling under her breath as it let out a series of awkward, hopeful chirps. "There you go, little guy!"

The moment she loosened her grip on the Wimpod, it bolted right into the current, crashing face-first into my knees before rushing past me and disappearing into the darkness up ahead. Its tiny legs sloshed about, loud enough to be heard even after it had vanished from sight, and I narrowed my eyes, trying to catch any last glimpses of it as it skittered away. Smiling confidently, I glanced back at my teammates, shaking my head in the direction the wild Pokemon had fled to with a quick shake of my head.

"Well, that's a good sign," I said, giving the ceiling a quick tap with my pawspikes before crawling further into the tunnel again, trying to pick up the pace as I listened to the Wimpod's splashing. "Let's keep moving and tail it, it'll probably lead us right to the exit!"

The four of us quickly formed up, listening to the echoing splashes as we waded up the gentle slope, the light from my aura sphere flickering against the dark, wet stones. My ears twitched when a rush of air swept between them, and I glanced towards the ceiling, which was starting to open up more and more the further up we went. Nudging Rose, I jabbed an elbow skyward to point it out, and she looked, then nodded, a sparkle of realization playing in her eyes. Standing up bit by bit, the both of us led the charge, sharing a mutual sigh of relief when the cave widened enough for us to stop crawling.

Soon enough, a tiny pinprick of light appeared in the distance, the splashing of the Wimpod drowned out by our own movements, and we sped up just a little bit more, Erin cheerfully humming to herself as she hopped between Rose and I. Cyan gave her tail a quick tug to keep her from running off, and I chuckled... then blinked when I caught a glint of light out of the corner of my vision. Slowing down for just a moment, I turned to check on the thing, sucking in a breath at the sight of another sleeping Wimpod.

"Woah, hang on, look..." I dropped my voice to a whisper, or at least as much of one as I could, considering the noise we were making. As we passed the wild Pokemon by, I pointed my free paw at it, only to spot another one, and then another one, clinging to the walls of the tunnel. As we drew nearer to the sunlight, the more of the shelled bugs we saw.

"More o'these things?" Cyan said gruffly, supplies shaking and clunking in his hiking pack, and he hunched forward, his eyes flicking this way and that as he, too, noticed the feral, nesting Pokemon. I narrowed my eyes, the sunlight growing blindingly bright as we neared the end of the tunnel, and Rose, Cyan, and Erin ducked their heads or looked away, all of us making a mad dash for the outside. "But if they're all stickin' 'round here, then th'tunnel mus' lead right into-"

I let out a loud, sputtering yelp when the ground suddenly disappeared out from under us, feeling myself tip right over from the momentum, my eyes going wide and then scrunching shut from the sun glaring down on the water's surface. Rose squealed in surprise as well when she bumped into me, followed by Cyan and Erin both barreling into our backs and sending all of us into the drink.

Plunging into the depths of the pool – my aura dissipating as I lost my concentration – I simply floundered for a few moments, nerves tensing up as I went completely under. The others flailed about all around me, kicking and splashing, and I opened my eyes just a crack, staring blearily at the deep, clear blueness. Reaching out with both arms, I pushed into a breaststroke, swimming a short ways away before turning and kicking higher, my chest growing tight from the exertion.

A sharp gasp escaped my throat the moment I surfaced, a jolt running through my muscles as they relaxed, and I wheezed, content to do nothing but tread water as I caught my breath. Rubbing trickles of water from my face, I surveyed the clearing, nodding to myself when I noticed Rose doggy paddling over to me, her now-soaking tails dragging along behind her.

"Bill!" She called to me, trying in vain to blow a few damp strands of her headfur out of her eyes, and I leisurely swam over to close the gap, our heads gently and affectionately bumping together. The cream-furred fox was breathing hard, but smiling, glancing this way and that as she looked around the pool. "Phew... are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," I replied, giving the Ninetales a quick, tender nuzzle before brushing her ponytail back behind her ears, earning a grateful chuckle for the trouble. Peering past my partner, I smiled and waved to our two younger teammates, watching Cyan glide smoothly over to us while Erin clambered up onto his hiking pack. As we grouped back up, I looked around the pool again, a circle of solid rock rising just an inch or two above the calm, sun-warmed water, with the rest of the bluff surrounding us on all sides. "Wet, but okay. So where'd we end up?"

"Looks like some kind o'basin, or somethin'," Cyan answered, adjusting the fit of his shell helmet somewhat before thumbing towards the stone barrier. He threw Erin a half-glare when she reached out and tugged on the ends of his mustache, but shook his head and pointed outward at a small path leading up towards the peak. "Looks like we can get out o'here that way, though!"

The four of us nodded and swam for the ledge, pulling ourselves up... and then sliding down a rounded hill, tumbling into a heap onto the lower ground.

"Blaugh-" I spat out a mouthful of grit, wincing as my blunted chestspike skidded against the cobblestone, feeling my backpack bump against the back of my head as I finally came to a stop. Blinking a couple times, I glanced up at the mountaintops, then back down to the ground. Then, I groaned. "Oh, great...!"

Flowing bowls of water stuck out from the walls of the Drenched Bluff, streams and rivers surging over the edges and splashing down onto the ground, and high up above us, the misty clouds had at last disappeared, letting the sun shine brilliantly down onto the mystery dungeon. A pleasant, tranquil noise settled over the secluded pools, the sound of the water and distant, chirping birds melding together in quiet harmony. And spread across the lowest point of the canyon were numerous napping Wimpod, basking in the heat, one of them even laying just a hair's length from my muzzle.

"Ergh..." I heard Cyan grunt, and I hastily scrambled to get back onto my footpaws, easing myself away from the sleeping bug type before turning towards Rose and Erin and helping them up as well. The Samurott made an irritated growl when he noticed the silver shells littering the area. "Oh, y'gotta be kiddin' me! We're in a nest o'th'blasted things?"

"Shh, Cyan...!" Rose whispered pointedly, nudging the sea lion to get his attention, and she ducked her head into her sopping blue scarf for a second, shaking her paw to get him to quiet down. The Samurott let out a sigh, but relented, leaning low a bit and glancing around suspiciously, while Erin hopped on top of him again. "Keep your voices down... you might wake them up."

"Maybe if we ask nicely, they'll tell us where the Chronicler is, huh?" I quipped airily, spreading my arms and huddling the team together, and I stole a quick glimpse of the trail leading out of the canyon. Erin pulled a sling stone from her belt pouch and put it in one of her sleeves. It nearly slid off of her wet fur, and the pink mink pulled a silly face, putting the rock away before looking back at me. "Just take it slow and follow my lead. As long as we don't get too close to them, we should be alright."

Carefully, we began to sneak our way through the Wimpod nest, moving almost at a snail's pace as we stepped over, around, and in-between clusters of the wild Pokemon, leaving a trail of wet pawprints in our wake. Loose rocks and clumps of mud wiggled and crumbled under our weight, scattering about as we moved through the area, and I glanced towards one of the lower, nearby basins, a few rocks jutting up from the depths. Climbing up onto its ledge and stepping over a couple dozing Wimpod, I furrowed my brow when I spied an open patch of ground, bouncing on my tiptoes a bit before springing into the air.

I nearly lost my balance when I landed, sliding a short ways ahead on the damp cobblestone, swinging my arms in circles as I teetered and tottered. Then I felt a damp, but soft, coat of fur graze against my tailbone, propping me up and keeping me from falling over yet again. I sighed in relief and leaned forward, tracing a line with my eyes as my partner walked around to face me.

"Thanks, Rose." I smiled at the Ninetales, then looked back at our two other teammates. Erin jumped off of her friend's back, scampering cheerfully across the ledge before bounding over to Rose and I, leaving Cyan to stand and shoot an annoyed stare at the masses of sleeping bug types. I gave the younger explorer a quick wave as he scratched his chin in thought. "Can you make it, Cyan?"

"Yeah, yeah, don' get all wound up!" Cyan replied in a half-yell, half-mutter, stomping over to the basin, hopping up, and diving in with a loud. Waves rippled outward from the water type, flowing over the tiny, rocky islands poking up into the air and spattering into the cliffside.

I flinched at the noise, aura tassels slipping in front of my shoulders as I scanned around, making sure that none of the Wimpod had been shaken out of their slumber. My partner followed suit, stepping to Erin's side and turning around, checking back the way we had come. Thankfully, none of the little buggers seemed to stir at all, contentedly sleeping the afternoon away, and after a few tense seconds, I relaxed, letting go of a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Scratching my head, I grinned sheepishly at the Ninetales before looking back at Cyan.

An icy dread spread through my nerves when I saw one of the ridged rocks inside of the basin start to move, cutting through the surf like a blade through a berry and making a beeline for the Samurott. That was when I noticed the familiar, metallic sheen covering the silvery plates, and I inhaled sharply. Throwing caution to the wind, I raised my voice and yelled. "Behind you!"

Cyan turned his head and glared when he saw the wild Pokemon sneaking up on him, raising his hips and preparing to lash out with the bladed end of his tail. Before the creature could get close enough to strike, however, it burst out of the pool with a mighty leap, cresting high into the air and growled out an ear-splitting cry. The nest of Wimpod reacted almost instantly, shaking themselves awake and scuttling every which way, fleeing into the various water basins and squeaking in fear as they went.

"Scatter!" I blurted out, crouching low and taking a dive to get out of the feral Pokemon's way, Rose and Erin quickly rushing away as they, too, ran for cover. I slid across the damp rocks, feeling droplets pitter-patter down onto my tail and legs as our angry foe flew over us, and I hastily rolled onto my back, eyes narrowing.

The armored creature landed right in front of the trail leading out of the canyon, hunched over with its biggest arms spread wide; two other pairs were held close to its purple underbelly, protecting it from harm. Its silver shell gleamed had some visible wear and tear, but still gleamed menacingly in the sun. I glanced at Cyan for a moment as the water type get back out of the pool, drawing both of his seamitars and snorting.

Turning back, I took a defensive stance, digging my footpaws into the ground and bringing my arms up. Erin skipped a short distance away, trying to wring and wave her fur sleeves dry, while Rose shot our foe a determined glare from the opposite flank, energy flowing from the ground and the water and forming into a glowing, green ball between her jaws.

The Golisopod stared us down for a moment... and then it dashed forward with an angry snarl.

I swiftly stepped to the side, grimacing when the wild Pokemon slammed its fist into the ground where I had stood, bits of rock splintering into the air. Focusing my aura, I readied a metal claw and jabbed out, chipping away at its armor. The bug type chittered, rearing an arm back, but its eyes flicked elsewhere when it heard Cyan stampeding forward, his seamitars raised high. Jabbing a leg out instead, it swiveled in a circle; I barely had enough time to hop over its foot as swung around to deflect the incoming slash.

Both of the scallop blades clattered off of the Golisopod's wrist, the Samurott stepping back and readying another strike, and the wild Pokemon hissed, slamming its other set of claws into Cyan's face. The Samurott growled as he tried to get his balance back, teeth clenched in a defiant snarl; I ducked underneath the bug type's other arms and swung out with a couple more punches, taking a deep breath when I saw a few scales chip off of its sides. Its claws grazed against my ears, and I quickly zipped backwards, narrowly avoiding its grab.

An explosion of green, natural energy crashed into our foe's back, causing the feral creature to stagger somewhat, the energy leaving a heavy mark on its armor, and undoubtedly a bruise underneath it, too. I grinned and looked at Rose, her nine tails flared out dangerously as she ran towards us, embers spilling onto the ground as she readied a flamethrower next-

WHAM! The Golisopod rammed its knee into my midriff, winding me hard and knocking me away. The metal claws sprouting from my pawspikes dissipated instantly, and I felt myself fly backwards, the wet, rocky ground scraping against my fur before I finally skidded to a stop. "Ugh...!"

I stared, dazed, as the silver-shelled Pokemon roared furiously, spreading its multiple arms wide, then whirling back around and spewing a gout of water from its mandibles, faint wisps of steam rising from the liquid. Rose blanched, losing her concentration with a gasp as the wave of water crashed into her. Cyan, on the other hand, just ducked, letting out a cocky laugh as the scalding stream flowed over his helmet.

"Bah! Nice try, y'overgrown shrimp!" The sea lion roared, dragging the tip of his seamitars against the rocks before stomping forward and bringing them right into the wild Pokemon's exposed underside with a weighty smash. "I'll thrash y'til you're black an' blue!"

The Golisopod hissed in pain and stumbled a couple steps away from the Samurott, clutching its smaller arms close to its wounded stomach. Shaking myself back to my senses, I hopped back onto my footpaws, running towards Rose as our foe spewed out another torrent of scalding water. Scooping my arms underneath my stunned partner, I hefted her up – wincing as an ache pulsed through my bruised belly – and quickly got out of the water's way, letting Cyan hold his own in the meantime.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked hurriedly, setting the cream-furred fox down and kneeling at her side, quickly checking her over to make sure she wasn't too hurt. She didn't reply at first, simply and I brushed the flats of my pawspikes down her sides, hoping the cool metal would help take the edge off of any pain. "C'mon, Rose, speak to me."

"Y-Yeah... yeah, I'm okay," Rose finally stuttered after a second, flinching when I touched a spot on her hing leg, and I jerked my paw away, both of us standing up and turning to look at the wild Golisopod again. It held Cyan in a bladelock, the Samurott's seamitars trembling against the bug type's armored claws as they pushed and shoved each other. "What should we do...?"

When I opened my mouth to answer, a rock suddenly shot into view, thumping hard against the creature's silver shell. It blinked, briefly peeking to the side to see what was going on, only to let out an awkward cry when another pebble struck one of its eyes. I twisted around, grinning when I saw Erin whirling another stone around, her fur sleeves looking quite dry, if also more than a little ruffled.

"Take that, you big jerk!" The Mienshao cried, stomping on the ground a couple times, her tail and whiskers twitching as she ran over to us, waving her free arm all the while. "Now now now, go!"

The distraction was all Cyan needed, and the younger Pokemon let out a growl as he slammed his seamitars right between the creature's antennae. It crowed in pain, shards of its armor scattering about as it reached up to massage its face; Rose and I looked at each other, and when I nodded, she smiled knowingly. Stepping back, I brought my arms back, my aura swirling between my paws as I focused hard, while my partner bowed low, her throat rumbling as she stoked her inner fire.

"Cyan! Out of the way!" I shouted to my teammate as I felt my aura tassels hover up into the air. The water type snapped his head towards us, seamitars held up and ready for anything, but when he noticed our stances, he spun around with a thump, quickly marching a few paces away.

Just a couple seconds more, and I felt a instinctive twitch run through my nerves, the swirling blue energy getting blindingly bright in the corner of my vision. Rose shook for a moment, her nine damp tails lightly nudging against me, and I nodded as she let out a determined yell. "Now!"

I reared back and flung the aura sphere with all my might, while my partner stood up tall and proud as she let loose a massive plume of fire. The two attacks bumped and collided with each other, circling around each other until they seemed to meld together, forming a massive, rolling fireball.

The Golisopod had no time to get out of the way, only realizing what was happening when it was already too late: the blaze crashed right into the bug type's stomach and erupted with a loud bang, sending the wild Pokemon hurtling across the canyon. It let out a short screech as it crashed into the wall of a lower basin, flipping over the ledge and crumpling into the water in an unconscious heap.

After a few seconds, I exhaled, my shoulders slumping and my aura tassels flopping back down atop the treasure bag, the adrenaline of battle slowly starting to drain away. Rose leaned against my side, our fur brushing together as we relaxed, and Cyan and Erin grouped back up with us not long after, the Mienshao rooting through her belt pouch as she ran up to us. "Are you okay, Bill, Rose, Cyan? Here, lemme get some oran medicine out really fast-"

"Hold up now," I replied with a shake of my head, stopping the fighting type right in her tracks. As Cyan sheathed his seamitars, I pointed over to the trail leading out of the canyon, the others turning that way as well. "Let's get out of here first, huh?"

And with that, I started to stagger forward, one arm held around Rose's back as I led the way.

The four of us shared an enormous sigh of utter relief when, at last, we crested the hill leading up and away from the Wimpod nest, spotting a smaller, cozier clearing just a short ways away. Small oaks grew out from the cliffside, their roots and trunks slanting through the dirt as they formed a natural canopy. The now late-afternoon sunlight filtered through the leaves, forming a mottled pattern on the ground, and I sighed, dragging my footpaws as I plodded underneath one of the trees and sat down against the wall.

"Ahh... hoo..." I took a deep breath, feeling Rose ease down and rest her head on my lap, and I smiled gratefully at Erin when I saw the pink mink tug her belt pouch around her waist again, opening it up and pulling out a vial of deep blue liquid. "I'll take that medicine now, Erin, thanks. What an exhausting trip."

"If you could get my hind leg, too, Erin, that would be great," Rose chimed in, flopping onto her side and looking up at the blanket of branches above us. I opened my mouth as Erin poured in a small dose of the oran concoction, shuddering happily as I gulped it down, and our younger teammate moved on to my partner afterward. "Whew... it's just been one thing after another today. I hope we haven't gone too far inside..."

"Aww, I bet that everything'll be just fine!" Erin said cheerfully, pressing a bandage against the mouth of the bottle and quickly turning it up and down, staining the gauze with the processed berry juice. Cyan scratched at his short mustache a little bit, then strode over and sat down, plucking his shell helmet off and lightly spraying it with a water gun. "You'll see, we'll take a rest and perk right up and find 'em in no time flat! After all, that's what explorers do!"

As if on cue, a low, menacing growl rang out from somewhere in the distance, accompanied by a sudden rush of wind blustering down from the very top of the bluff, the higher boughs shaking and rustling from the breeze. "GARURURURURUHHHHH..."

Cyan tensed up, then grabbed his helmet by the horn at the front, brandishing it like a club as he roared out, making his exhaustion evident. "For Arceus' sake, what now!?"

The growling faded away at that, a quiet settling over the clearing again... and then someone new yelled back in response, sounding unnaturally rough, though unmistakably male. My ears flicked at the noise, and I sat up a bit, an eyebrow quirking upward as I listened intently, curling my paws into fists. "Hey! Did I hear you say you're an exploration team?"

"Yeah!" Erin piped up, hopping up and down as she called out in turn, jamming both paws into her belted pouch when she realized it was still open, making sure that nothing had accidentally flown out. Quickly closing her medicine bag back up, she climbed onto Cyan's back and stood up on her tiptoes, looking around the mossy, rocky valley. The Samurott narrowed his eyes halfway and shot her an unamused stare. She didn't notice. "We're one of the best exploration teams ever!"

"You are, huh?" The unseen Pokemon replied, voice layered thick with skepticism. "Well, quit whatever you're doing and get lost! This is my territory now!"

"Oh yeah? An' who decided that?" Cyan barked back defiantly, slipping his shell helmet back over his stubby ears and slapping his tail against the ground. "'Sides, we've taken down outlaws an' been all 'round th'Southern Continent! So unless you're lookin' for a fight, how 'bout y'bug off!"

The conversation trailed off for a few seconds, but then the other voice spoke up again, this time scoffing quite clearly. "Hmph! Those are some big claims. But I bet you're in no position to go running your mouth if you were taking a rest!"

Cyan and Erin both opened their mouths to reply, then slowly closed them back up again when the truth of the remark sank in. Instead, Rose was the one to reply this time, slowly rolling around and standing back up, trotting a couple steps away before calling out firmly. I couldn't help but crack a smile as she spoke, my heart skipping a beat at her declaration. "We're Team Returners, the ones who saved the world five years ago! We're here searching for someone who wants to meet with us, so if you let us rest, we'll be out of your way shortly, I promise!"

Silence reigned, the wind whistling through the clearing, a faint, peachy glow shining down from the sky as the late afternoon gave way to evening. Rose stood resolute, her matted ponytail of headfur falling down the side of her neck, and I rolled onto my footpaws, dusting myself off, then giving our Exploration Team badge a quick shine.

"You're..." My eyes widened as the hidden Pokemon paused – the deep, rough accent was gone, replaced by a smoother, more natural sound that I recognized. "You're Team Returners?"

"Yeah," I said, bringing my arms up to my muzzle as I called out. "And you are?"

The sound of footsteps echoed down from one of the trails, and soon enough, a blue-plated Pokemon hiked his way down from one of the other trails, pushing his way through the shrubbery and into the little opening. Red-and-white feathers fringed his upper body, his eyes poked out from the sides of his head, and he idly tapped one of his claws on a large messenger bag slung around his neck. I grinned, folding my arms against my blunted chestspike as I nodded at him – he certainly looked like who we were looking for.

"So you really did find me..." He breathed out, briefly looking at Cyan and Erin before locking onto Rose and I, his expression a mixture of joy, nervousness and sheer wonderment. "Well, er... hello there, Team Returners. My name is Armaldo, and I am the Chronicler."

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