Xaden woke up and stretched his arms high above his head. He looked over and saw that Arian was missing. For a minute he panicked, but when he gazed at Roxanne, he saw that she was sleeping on her lap. He sighed with relief.
"You awake?" Xaden saw Roxanne peek over her shoulder to look at him.
"Not really..." Xaden yawned and cracked his back. "That crystal is nice looking...But it's not a real good sleeping area..." He got to his feet and walked over to Roxanne only to sit back down beside her.
Roxanne shrugged. "Suck it up butter cup."
"That's cold..."
"That's my job..."
Xaden and Roxanne stared at each other. Roxanne eyes were filled with amusement as Xaden glared.
"Uh..." Roxanne and Xaden looked down at Roxanne's lap as Arian started to show some life. She lifted her head and sat up. When she realized she was sleeping on Roxanne's lap, she jumped back a bit. "S-sorry!" She exclaimed.
Roxanne shook her head. "I don't mind. I don't think Xaden would of either."
"HEY!" Xaden shouted. The three of them heard someone cough.
"SHUT UP I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!!"
They looked behind them and saw Alex sitting up and glaring. Arian laughed as Xaden opened his mouth. "Roxanne made me do it!" He pointed to her accusingly.
Roxanne rolled her eyes. "He's lying."
"AM NOT!"
"Xaden, you know that you don't have to reply back to her comments..." Alex said with annoyance to his tone.
Xaden chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "uh...." He saw Alex get to his feet. "Wait no please do-" Alex smacked his head. Xaden yelped and held his head. "That was harder than the last time..." He whined.
Arian shook her head. "Suck it up buttercup."
Xaden looked at her. "Didn't Roxanne just say that?"
Alex crossed his arms and looked down at Lia who was still sound asleep. "Well...Who wants to wake her up?"
"Oh oh!" Xaden raised his arm and waved it wildly in the air. "Me me! I do I do!"
"I think we should just leave her." Roxanne suggested.
Alex shook his head. "She'll cause trouble that way...Even though I should consider that idea..."
"Can I wake her up now?"
"Go ahead."
"Cool!"
Xaden jumped to his feet and ran over to her. He got down to one knee and examined her for a bit. Then he lifted his hand and smacked her head. Lia screamed and suddenly sat up. Xaden leaned back before she smacked her head against his own.
"OW! Teach what was that-" She looked at Xaden. "Wait...You're not Teach!" She jumped to her feet. "WHY DID YOU JUST HIT ME YOU MEANIE?!"
Xaden shrugged and walked away. Lia waved her arms. "I'm not done talking to you!!"
Xaden stood beside Arian. Arian stood up and chuckled. Roxanne also stood up and walked a little ways from everyone.
Lia glared at Xaden. "Big Blue you are not nice at all! That really hurt!" She rubbed her head. She then glared at Arian. "And you, Flicker! You just laughed! And I know you did don't you deny it!"
Arian blinked. Then she burst into laughter. "That's not funny!" Lia snapped.
Alex coughed into his hand. "Okay you guys that's enough." He said. "Now let's just get out of this forest."
"Yes sir!" Xaden straightened up and did a soldier salute.
Alex shook his head and sighed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Lalalala...Da dae de de da laaaaaaa!!!!!!" Lia sang as they walked.
Xaden had enough. He suddenly stomped his foot and yelled, "WILL YOU STOP DOING THAT?!"
Lia jumped at his sudden harsh tone. She did stop, but she was still rocking back and forth, almost dancing. Xaden annoyingly glared.
Arian kept staring at Lia and glaring also. "WILL YOU JUST WALK LIKE A NORMAL PERSON?!" She demanded.
This time, Lia fell on her back from the shocking voice. She looked up at Arian and nervously smiled. "I'll stop now Flicker..." She said.
She jumped to her feet and made her way over to Alex where she hid behind him, glancing over at Xaden and Arian every once in a while.
Alex suddenly pointed without stopping. "The exit is right there!" He exclaimed.
The group suddenly started running. They wanted out of this place...Like, right now. As soon as they steeped onto grass, they smiled. Xaden knelt down and touched the grass. "I forgot how soft grass was..."
"Uh....Xaden?" Arian said.
"Yea?"
"It's only been a day and a half since you've touched grass...I'm sure that has happened to you before in like, the winter or something."
Xaden shrugged. "Oh well. Whatever."
"So...What now?" Roxanne asked as she crossed her arms.
Alex gazed around. "Well, there is a secret passage that'll lead us back to town. So, if we go through there, we'll be able to go back without going all the way back inside Crystal Forest."
"Okay!" Lia agreed quickly.
"Then let's head there...."
"Ugh...More walking..." Xaden whined.
"Such it up butter cup!" Arian told him.
Xaden gave her an annoyed look. "Will you stop saying that....?"
------------------------------------------- After lots of walking later....
They approached a large, red door that was carved inside a large rock. They looked at it, wondering how to get it opened.
"Oh I think I know!" Lia knelt down and pressed her ear against the door. She knocked on it once, but stood up. "Here, do what i do!" Her hand suddenly glowed a bright white as she touched the door with it.
When everyone hesitated, Lia stopped, but her hand was still glowing. "Will you guys hurry up?!"
"We don't know how..." Alex shrugged.
Lia rolled her eyes. "It's easy! Just think of power is really the key. Now hurry up!"
They stood in front of the door, and they all thought of power...Any kind of power. Alex's hand suddenly glowed a very faint brown. He gasped with surprise.
Xaden looked down at his hand and realized it was glowing a bright blue. He lifted an eyebrow, wondering how he could do that.
Arian looked at her. "Whoa!" She tried to get away as far as possible from her red hand.
Roxanne lifted her hand up to her face as it glowed black. She made a face at it, then her face changed as she remembered something....
-----------------------------------------------Flashback!
Roxanne slowly lifted her head after her Master had beaten her to see what his problem was. He was staring at her with wide eyes and a foot behind him just in case he needed to run. Roxanne gave him a questioning look before she looked down at herself...She was...Covered in some kind of mist. It was all black...Black mist was coming from her. But as soon as she stood up, it vanished just as quickly as it had come.
----------------------------------------------End of very short flashback
"Is this that same mist that appeared on me before?" She wondered to herself.
"Roxy!" Lia's yell snapped Roxanne back to reality. "Hurry up and touch the door will ya?!"
Roxanne stepped forward and touched the door with her hand. Once they all touched it, their hands stopped glowing and the door faded away into nothing. They all glanced at each other as Lia proudly placed her hands on her hips. "See?"
"How did you know that?" Xaden asked.
"I am a world-class treasure hunter after all! I study really hard!" She exclaimed. "Legend has it, that six element, Fire, Water, Earth, Air, and the two most power, Light and Darkness can open up some door that will destroy the world! Together, the six of them can open any door, any gate, anything they wanted to as long as they are together!"
"Then we can't be that six." Roxanne shook her head. "We're missing one."
"Oh..." Lia rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Good point"
Roxanne sighed then turned and peered into the Darkness of the passage. She took a few steps inside and realized that torches were lighting the way down the path. "It's lit guys." She said without turning around.
They all gathered around her and looked down at the path. Lia ran inside. "Whoa! It's not even dirt! It's like..." She knelt down to one knee and knocked on the ground. "Like....Marble."
"Marble?" Arian also knocked on it and ran her hand down it once. "That's really strange..."
"There's no time to waste." Alex got them to pay attention. "We need to go."
"Oh whatever Teach." Lia said and sprung up. "Then let's hurry."
They walked down the steps of the marble ground until they got to a large opening to the left. They walked into there and realized the floor was just plain stone now. Pillars were holding up the ceiling that were also made out of stone.
"How about we rest here for a bit?" Alex suggested when he saw Lia collapse on the ground.
"But we can't!" Xaden snapped. "I just wanna go back to town and sleep in an actual bed!"
"But everyone is tired!"
"Oh come on let's just keep going!"
The two of them kept arguing. Arian attempted to break them up as Lia watched. Roxanne on the other hand stepped away to the corner so she wouldn't be involved. After a long time, Roxanne started to get annoyed. She was about to break it up herself, but a tiny voice got her attention.
"Ors?"
Roxanne looked to where the voice came from. She didn't see anything. So she just shrugged it off and sighed.
"Ors, ors?"
This time, Roxanne looked down. She gasped. "W-what the-"
"Ors!"
Roxanne looked from the arguing people, to the creature next to her, and back to the arguing people. She lifted an eyebrow, not knowing what to do at all.
"Ors ors!" The creature exclaimed loudly.
Xaden and Alex stopped arguing and looked to where the noise was coming from. As soon as they saw the creature, they gasped. "What the-"
Lia and Arian looked at it. "Whoa! No way!" Lia exclaimed with surprise. "It's an otter! Wearing...Clothing...."
The otter stood about to Roxanne's knee. It wore a little hat with a feather attached to it. It had a green long-sleeved shirt on with a seashell around its neck. (Pic to right)
Lia smiled. "It's so cute!!!"
"Hello! I am Pippo of the oresoren!"
Lia screamed and fell. "Aaahhh! It talks!"
"Have you come to visit our village?" It asked. "Awww I'm sorry, but the village has already moved."
"Why did they move?" Alex asked as if it were a normal person.
Pippo sighed. "The Long Long Demon chased us away. We couldn't live here anymore with that around."
"Long Long...Demon?" Xaden repeated. "What the heck is that suppose to be?"
"It's an evil monster!" Pippo exclaimed.
"I don't wanna run into it though...." Lia said as she slowly got back up. She scratched the back of her head. "But my knowing Life and all...We'll end up running into it."
"Agreed." Roxanne said with a nod of her head.
"And who may you all be?" Pippo looked up at everyone.
"I'm Lia!" Lia said quickly. "And that's Teach," She pointed to Alex.
"I'm Alex." Alex glared at her. "That's Xaden, Arian, and Roxanne."
"Boooo...." Lia said, placing her hands on her hips.
"Oh yea!" Pippo tugged at Roxanne's clothing. "Will you escort me out of this passage? I need to get back to my village before my brothers worry about me."
Roxanne picked Pippo up and let him sit on her shoulders. "What do you guys think?" She slightly blushed and looked up at him. "I think they're kinda...Cute."
"Ors?" Pippo looked at them with huge, round, puppy eyes.
Everyone collapsed. "Those big round eyes...And the way he tilts his head...." Lia stuck out her bottom lip. "Yes!! We'll escort you!"
"Great!" Pippo pointed to another opening in the wall. "It's that way."
Roxanne chuckled. "Then let's go people."
Xaden helped Arian to her feet as Lia and Alex got up on their own. They then headed to the way Pippo was pointing to. Now that led to a dirt floor with a bunch of metal and wood all over the place.
"This is where our village used to be." Pippo explained. "But there's nothing really to see here. So let's just keep moving."
------------------------------------------------------------------Minutes of walking later.... -_-
When they reached a thin path of dirt, Lia once again, fell. "Man I'm so tired..." She whined.
"The exit is just up ahead!" Pippo told them. Roxanne looked up at him.
"Maybe this would be a good time to take an actual break..." Alex suggested once again. This time, Xaden didn't argue. He fell on the dirt and laid down. Arian walked away from him for once and stood next to Roxanne. She looked up at Pippo and smiled.
"He is kind of cute..." She said.
Roxane turned away playfully. "He's mine." She joked.
Arian laughed. "I didn't know you were into cute things, Roxanne."
Roxanne blushed. "I-I'm not always so mean and nasty..." She replied.
Roxanne and Arian sat down. Roxanne placed Pippo on her lap as Alex was plainly sat down. "Man...I have to admit, I'm kind of tired." Arian said with a yawn.
"I'm not." Roxanne snickered.
"How do you do it?!" Arian demanded. "You haven't slept for two days and yet, you're like, fully awake!" She poked at her arm. "Are you a robot or something?"
"N-No!" Roxanne slapped her hand away. "I'm just used to things like this."
"Why is that?" Arian got close to her.
Roxanne leaned back a little. "I don't want to discuss it."
Pippo looked up at her questionably. "Ors?"
"No." Roxanne said.
"Sorry..." Pippo said sadly. His ears suddenly went up as he jumped out of Roxanne's lap.
"What's wrong?" Roxanne asked as she sprung up.
"I hear the long Long Demon!"
Roxanne went quiet, trying to hear it. "I don't hear-"
The ground suddenly started to shake as a screech split through the air. That got everyone's attention and made them get to their feet. Pippo turned around and pointed to behind them. "It's behind us run!"
Roxanne looked behind her. She gasped. "Oh man..."