***** I do not own Sailor Moon or Pokemon. In fact, now that I
think of it, I don't really own anything - but I will not willingly
part with anything I do not wish - except my life, except my life
(prances off)
Eevee muse: All right Zoo! No more Hamlet for you!
By the way, I edited the previous chapters (03/12/02) so that they
now all have "Zoo says" ^^
***********
Haruka couldn't believe it. It had taken the pair over five
hours just to get to the next city. This wasn't because Haruka or
Minako were slow, in fact, the pair were both excellent athletes,
with enough endurance to out-rival certain pokemon. The REAL
problem was...
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Minako screamed at
the top of her lungs, running in the opposite direction away from a
slithering Ekans, which glanced at the blonde curiously before
continuing on its path.
.... That.
Sighing for the two-hundredth time, Haruka took out her
Scizor, watching the claw pokemon neatly dispose the Ekans as far
away as possible from the path. Upon seeing the disappearance of
the offending "beast" - as Minako liked to put it -, the long-haired
blonde immediately scooted back to her position beside Haruka,
still hyperventilating a bit.
The tall dirty-blonde sighed, returning her pokemon, and
half-wondering if she should just keep it out. Already, her Dodrio
and Pidgeot were unable to fight, due to the nausea from being
summoned and returned to their pokeballs too many times.
"I don't understand how you could be scared of an
Ekans." Haruka scolded the younger girl, thoroughly fed up.
Minako shuddered. "I don't like anything that's slimy and
slithery and squirmy."
Haruka thought for a moment. "Ekans aren't slimy!"
"Well, anything slithery and squirmy then." Was the
blonde's reply.
"That Spinarak about 3 meters back wasn't slithery!"
"Well, anything that squirms then."
Haruka blinked, and then sighed. That didn't really help
cure Minako's phobia, considering that a good one-one of
pokemon squirmed to some extent. After arriving at that result,
Haruka had only one critical conclusion to make.
"Just be really glad that I have a really good temper
Minako. Others might not hesitate to give you what you deserve."
Minako blinked, confused. "Deserve what?"
Haruka remained silent.
The long-haired blonde tried again. "What do I deserve,
Haruka-kun?" She asked, continuously poking the older girl on the
side.
That was the last straw for Haruka.
~The forest seemed almost sleepily alive, the very edges
of the trees tinted with glowing hues of crimson and golden
orange. Scattered flocks of bird pokemon flew overhead, their
wings fluttering, allowing them to soar and mingle with the lush
green canopy. It was a breath-taking sight, filled with the sanctity
of inner peace.
And somewhere, within that beautiful forest, a voice
screamed, loud enough to cause a miniature earthquake. ~
Let's just say that WHAT Haruka screamed about will be
left to the reader's imagination.
*********************************
"Welcome to." Minako made a face as she read the city's
sign. "What type of city is called 'Welcome to'?"
This time, Haruka didn't even bother to tell Minako about
the "BLACKTHORN CITY" sign written in bold black letters
right below 'Welcome to'. She had sort of lost her voice on the
way.
"Oh well." Minako skipped happily down the pathways,
humming a bit absurdly to herself. "Hmm... I wonder if they have
a Pokemon Center here."
And again, Haruka said nothing as Minako blithely
skipped past a building that said in large letters "BLACKTHORN
CITY POKEMON CENTER".
Finally, Minako came to a halt. "You know, Haruka, if I
didn't know you any better, I would have thought that you had lost
your voice or something." She paused, putting one finger on her
cheek thoughtfully, "But I know that truly you're just shy, but
don't be worried! Minako here will make friends for you with
everyone!"
All Haruka could think was 'what type of medication is
this girl on?' Much to the older girl's sheer embarrassment, the
younger blonde had indeed began to run around, asking everyone
for their names and generally making quite a big fool of herself.
Soon, Minako was developing an empty radius of a good ten
meters (30 feet), despite the large crowd of people.
"Is your friend always this hyperactive?" A voice asked
from the background.
Haruka nodded. "She can be even worse sometimes."
Only after the dirty blonde had said that did she realize that she
was replying to a complete stranger.
"You don't need to be that surprised." Said the stranger,
who had noticed Haruka's startled expression. The stranger was a
woman, at least in her late twenties, with midnight blue hair done
up in a floppy ponytail, that somehow still gave her a proud and
regal look. Her eyes were a misty black, and her expression quite
solemn for a person who would just randomly make conversation.
Haruka had grown up on the basis of never trusting
strangers. "What do you want?" Haruka demanded, keeping her
voice neutral.
The woman smiled, faintly. "Don't worry. If you're
concerned with me being part of Team Rocket, you are clearly
mistaken. I am a good friend of Setsuna, and have come here to
deliver you a message."
Haruka blinked. "Then, how did you know that we would
be here right now?"
The woman gave Haruka a blatant look. "I'm sure you
know Setsuna better than that." She replied, the answer driven into
her words.
The tall blonde nodded slightly, understanding. "So....
What is the message?"
"You shall find the secret in the Dragon's Den." The
mysterious stranger then pointed to a sign, showing a path that led
to the infamous Blackthorn City Dragon's Den.
"Is that all?" Haruka asked.
"Search deeper than the tourist entrance otherwise you
will never find it." The woman added. And, with those words, she
turned away to leave.
"Wait!" Haruka called back to the back of the woman.
"What's your name?"
For a moment, the woman paused, as if not sure whether
to answer or not. "Claire." She finally replied. "Everyone knows
me by Claire."
Minako had bounded back to Haruka, just to miss seeing
the conversation between the taller blonde and Claire. She pouted.
"Aww... the people here are SO mean! I mean, NO ONE would
talk to me!"
***********************************************
Evening found the two girls walking inside a dark cave,
warily looking around. After Haruka had explained to Minako
about the significance of this trip, the two had hastily prepared for
an overnight excursion to the Dragon's Den. It was said that
legendary dragon pokemon lived there, and often, lucky pokemon
trainers had told stories of seeing the elusive dragon pokemon
Dratini. However, catching these highly rare pokemon were
another story altogether.
As dark as it was outside at this hour, inside the cave
inside was darker. The duo had long sneaked past the tourist
entrance (and 'closed' sign) and into the depths of the caves, which
were sealed off from regular visitors. And, they soon realized,
through the dank and twisted pathways, why the area they were
heading in had been sealed off.
Haruka waved her flashlight about, spotting several
sleeping Zubat and the occasional Golbat. Just a moment ago,
Minako had almost stepped on a Slugma, an overly large red slug
pokemon, much to her disgust.
However, now the winding and equally narrow path
seemed to have dwindled and tapered off, until it was more-or-less
a path in the dark. Minako looked around, swallowing a bit and
trying her best to not be nervous - she was even doing a good job
of it, dropping her regular "clutzy-Minako" face, as if sensing the
tension in the atmosphere.
Haruka was as impassive as always, one hand on the
flashlight and the other close to her belt of pokeballs, wary for
danger.
Minako cleared her throat. "Haruka, do you think I'm
annoying?" She finally asked, her voice penetrating the silence
with a hollow resonance.
Haruka blinked. Where had that comment come from?
"Well Minako, you often act a bit... uh... irrationally, but I think
that...well..."
"Well...?" Minako prompted.
"I guess you're okay." Haruka finally admitted. "For one
thing, you're smarter than you look."
Minako grinned. "Then I must not look very smart."
"You got that right."
"Hey!!"
A chorus of laughter between the duo ensued, helping
break the barrier between them.
****************************
Haruka blinked as she abruptly stopped.
"What is it, Haruka?" Minako asked, not able to see in the
dark.
The older girl frowned. "Something's blocking our path."
With that, Haruka lifted her flashlight to reveal the bulk of the
offending barrier.
Brief bursts of light revealed a gigantic statue, a good ten
feet in height, sculpted out with a rough granite structure. More
light caught the appearance of a snout and horns, as well as a
scaled belly. Wings sprouted from the back of the statue, carved
from the stone in an arced elegance.
Minako stared at the brief sight. "What is that statue?"
She finally asked.
"I think it's a Dragonite." Haruka answered back, her
voice falling quiet again.
"Umm... what exactly is a Dragonite?" Minako finally
asked.
Haruka sighed. "It is a rare Dragon pokemon, more a
pokemon made by legends then reality. It is said to be the guardian
and protector of hope and truth, and many legends depict this
pokemon as a symbol of fortune and love. "
"Love?" Minako echoed. "How could a pokemon
represent love?"
Haruka simply shrugged, although the other blonde
couldn't see it. "Don't ask me. I'm no expert at legends. I think it
has something to do with a goddess of love owning a Dragonite or
something," the taller blonde paused, trying to bring back a
forgotten memory. "I can't really remember, though."
"Hmm.." Was Minako's only reply. Suddenly, she jerked
her head back, as if stung by an invisible wasp, although her
expression was more of shock than pain. "Hey! Did you hear
that?"
"Hear what?" Haruka was clearly confused.
Minako frowned. "I could have sworn I heard something.
Like a low buzzing."
Haruka strained harder, trying to make sense of the
silence within the hollow cave. "There's nothing." She finally
confirmed.
"But I was sure that..." Minako's voice trailed off as she
neared the gigantic statue of the Dragonite, rubbing one hand
against the cool stone in appreciation. The blonde closed her eyes,
as if in great concentration. "It gets louder when you touch the
statue." She proclaimed, stumbling a bit to walk around to the
other side.
Wondering if this was just another of Minako's "crazy
bouts", Haruka followed, unsure of what to do next. Her flashlight
fell on Minako's path, making sure that the girl didn't trip or
stumble too often.
There came an audible yelp from the younger blonde, one
that resonated across the silence of the gigantic cavern, with an
eerie quality, ceaseless.
Haruka sighed over the dull hollow ringing. "I wish you
wouldn't do that. Knowing how unstable this cavern might be-"
The tall blonde never finished her sentence, as she was
abruptly interrupted by a low rumbling, clearly distinct and
different from Minako's echoing voice. She froze, her body rigid,
face tense and grim. For a moment, the sound seemed to fade and
disappear, only to return again, twice as loud.
"Minako." Haruka exclaimed in a very calm voice. "I
would suggest that we both run. Now."
"Why's that?" Clearly, Minako hadn't gotten the
message.
Haruka sighed. Well, now was the time to be direct. "You
ever gotten buried alive before?"
Minako giggled in response. "You're silly Haruka. Of
course not!"
"You're about to be if you stay here." Haruka finished.
And, to the younger girl's credit, Minako immediately
caught the message. "I-" She wanted to say more, but then
clamped her jaw down. "Nevermindletsgo."
Suddenly, a stalactite fell just feet away from both girls,
which, combined with the uneasy rumbling of the ceiling and the
pieces of debris falling lose, proved to be a very good stimulant.
And any imaginary speculator watching would have sworn that
humans were capable of running faster than light.
After sensing that the entire area was completely unstable,
Haruka had pushed Minako in front of her for safety, now
navigating the younger girl down the winding and dangerously
rumbling passages. The shaking was getting worse now, as pieces
and chunks of the stalactites began breaking off, falling
haphazardly around - and on - the two girls.
"LEFT!" Haruka screamed, after watching a chunk of
stalactite, easily as big as a Rhyhorn, falling directly in their path,
the dirt and grime from impact momentarily blinding both girls'
views. It was getting harder to see now, the dust collecting into
clouds of dirt
"RIGHT!" Haruka screamed again, as another massive
shard fell and embedded itself on the ground, nearly impaling her
arm in the process.
"LEFT!"
"LEFT!"
"NO RIGHT!"
This continued on for quite a strain, until Haruka had
finally realized, through the bucking and shaking mayhem, that it
was easier to simply preserve her voice (assuming she would need
it if she survived) and simply steer the younger blonde the right
way.
Minako was getting tired now, legs unable to support her
trembling body, as her burning lungs raked heavily for each breath.
She had never been really good at long distance stuff, although she
did have above-average skills athletically in everything else. The
blonde took another jarring breath, struggling to at least force her
legs into a few more steps. Already, she could feel a cool breeze
through the stagnant odour of the caves, marking their freedom.
But.... She was so tired....
Haruka jolted in surprise as Minako suddenly collapsed
onto the ground. She mentally cursed, knowing that the younger
blonde probably never had the time to work on her endurance.
Haruka had always enjoyed running, her passion and her hobby
consisting of only racing. To run like the wind. True, Minako had
been able to keep up for the first couple of minutes, but as time
proceeded, even the younger girl's adrenaline rush began to show
signs of serious fatigue. And Haruka had only enough time to
mutter one curse as the cavern buckled and shook some more,
roaring with rocky protest before tumbling a storm of rocks and
hard debris.
"Get up!" Haruka screamed, one arm vainly trying to
block the sand and dust from her eyes, ignoring the cuts and
bruises that each rock and broken sedimentary material fiercely
pummeled.
Minako seemed to have worked herself into a coma, and
showed no reply. "So peaceful..." She muttered, reaching out a
hand towards something invisible.
Haruka could have screamed at the delusional girl, but the
panic and fear gave her no room for other emotions. "Look. If we
don't run, we'll get buried alive!"
Minako didn't even respond. "Pretty." The girl crooned,
and Haruka was sure that there and then, Minako was insane.
True to the older girl's words, the cave gave a last rumble,
and suddenly, the ceiling began to break apart, cracking into large
chunks of solid rock. And, relentlessly pressed by the force of
gravity, the large chunks and sheets of rock, enough to cover a
stadium field with, fell, enclosing everything with blackness.
Haruka didn't even have time to scream, as she and
Minako disappeared under the falling rubble, the older girl's body
raised protectively over the younger. And Minako continued to
stare. But not at what was happening...
... and time again stopped, holding its fragile pulse for
just a moment...
Even now, Minako could still remember those scars on
her back, for some of them were permanent. Her childhood abuse
itself was an ugly scar, but one she hid with determination,
reasoning and cajoling herself that she had a perfect life, that she
was as happy as everyone else. And the price of that had been...
ignorance. She chose not to believe. Yet, was that what she had
wished?
:What DO you wish?: The tone rang out loud and clear,
like a deep brass bell.
"What... do I wish?" Minako repeated the voice, unsure
of what to say.
:Why are you still sad?: The voice asked, trying again.
Minako sighed. "I guess everyone is sad. It happens to us
all."
:But why are YOU sad?:
"Because... because..." Minako ran out of words.
The being's voice became gentle, softly lecturing. :I'll tell
you why. Because in your heart, you know there is something not
yet fulfilled, because you haven't reached that love that you yearn.:
Minako gasped, blushing a bit. She had never told anyone
her dreams or personal desires. Who was this strange mysterious
voice who could sense her every thought and bring to her the truth
of her inner self.?
:I cannot tell you who I am, Minako.: The voice
answered. :That is left for you to discover.:
Discover? Discover what? Who was it?
The image of the shooting star that had fled past twelve-
year-old Minako's window reappeared in the blonde's mind, this
time, larger and brighter than ever. The star had wings, and seemed
to almost be almost shaped like a...
...a flashback to a previous incident hit Minako's mind.
~"It is a rare Dragon pokemon, more a pokemon made by
legends then reality. It is said to be the guardian and
protector of hope and truth, and many legends depict this
pokemon as a symbol of fortune and love"~
Or so, Haruka had said. And, the older girl was right.
Because Minako knew.
"Come out and help me. Aid me in my time of crisis! I
Summon you with my heart..."
"... DRAGONITE!"
...And time once again began spinning its web.
*******************************************
Just when Haruka thought it was the end of it all, she
realized, that suddenly, everything had stopped moving.
Cautiously, the blonde looked up, and with utter surprise,
saw herself looking into a pair of large, intelligent, amber-
orange eyes.
A gigantic pokemon, a good ten feet in height, stood,
towering its massive frame and creating from its single
horn a barrier, one that expanded and shoved all the
falling rock away. As the remaining bits of the ceiling
fell, sealing the cave exit, Haruka heard Minako's voice
command in a steady tone.
"Dragonite! Use your Hyper Beam attack and let
us escape this hideous place!"
Haruka decided to stop contemplating over whether or not
to be more stunned over the appearance of the Dragonite
or the Minako's use of a legitimate attack, and watched,
awe-struck as the leviathan of a pokemon emitted a
gigantic beam of energy from its horn. The attack rushed
out in a brilliant burst of light, and blew a clear-cut hole
into THROUGH the roof of the cave.
And both girls, with courtesy of their flying (or half-
flying) pokemon, quickly rushed out of the cave, never to
be seen in this city again.
Somewhere, a woman with midnight-blue hair, one hand
on her twin Dragonairs, smiled. Before disappearing into
the shadows, patting her pokemon for their good work.
*****************************
Zoo says:
(Image of a blank screen)
Eevee muse: Ara... sorry... Zoo seems to be gone at the moment.
(Angry twitch). YOU BETTER COME BACK ZOO, OR ELSE
I'LL DO A MORAL FOR YOU!!!"
Zoo: (holding a rather large bag and panting a bit). Geez, you don't
need to scream. I was just visiting Toei Animation studios.
Eevee muse: (eyeing the squirming bag, which is currently
emitting muffled noises). JUST visiting?
Zoo: (little innocent kawaii face with Eevee ears) Hai...
Eevee muse: Zoo.. there's something called 'tact' which you might
want to try and practice...
Meanwhile:
Sailor Moon: (in the middle of her Gorgeous Meditation attack
sequence) Hey! What happened to Sailor Chibi-Moon?
An equivalent comment is heard about Yuugi somewhere in the
YuGiOh! world...
**********************************
Anyway, that was just a little spoof I had to add, with a little hint at
the end about the next crossover I might try to attempt ^^...
By the way, HAPPY (albeit a bit belated) BIRTHDAY, MYST
LADY! And keep up your good work, 'specially on your newest fics! Nup, that's all ^^...
think of it, I don't really own anything - but I will not willingly
part with anything I do not wish - except my life, except my life
(prances off)
Eevee muse: All right Zoo! No more Hamlet for you!
By the way, I edited the previous chapters (03/12/02) so that they
now all have "Zoo says" ^^
***********
Haruka couldn't believe it. It had taken the pair over five
hours just to get to the next city. This wasn't because Haruka or
Minako were slow, in fact, the pair were both excellent athletes,
with enough endurance to out-rival certain pokemon. The REAL
problem was...
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Minako screamed at
the top of her lungs, running in the opposite direction away from a
slithering Ekans, which glanced at the blonde curiously before
continuing on its path.
.... That.
Sighing for the two-hundredth time, Haruka took out her
Scizor, watching the claw pokemon neatly dispose the Ekans as far
away as possible from the path. Upon seeing the disappearance of
the offending "beast" - as Minako liked to put it -, the long-haired
blonde immediately scooted back to her position beside Haruka,
still hyperventilating a bit.
The tall dirty-blonde sighed, returning her pokemon, and
half-wondering if she should just keep it out. Already, her Dodrio
and Pidgeot were unable to fight, due to the nausea from being
summoned and returned to their pokeballs too many times.
"I don't understand how you could be scared of an
Ekans." Haruka scolded the younger girl, thoroughly fed up.
Minako shuddered. "I don't like anything that's slimy and
slithery and squirmy."
Haruka thought for a moment. "Ekans aren't slimy!"
"Well, anything slithery and squirmy then." Was the
blonde's reply.
"That Spinarak about 3 meters back wasn't slithery!"
"Well, anything that squirms then."
Haruka blinked, and then sighed. That didn't really help
cure Minako's phobia, considering that a good one-one of
pokemon squirmed to some extent. After arriving at that result,
Haruka had only one critical conclusion to make.
"Just be really glad that I have a really good temper
Minako. Others might not hesitate to give you what you deserve."
Minako blinked, confused. "Deserve what?"
Haruka remained silent.
The long-haired blonde tried again. "What do I deserve,
Haruka-kun?" She asked, continuously poking the older girl on the
side.
That was the last straw for Haruka.
~The forest seemed almost sleepily alive, the very edges
of the trees tinted with glowing hues of crimson and golden
orange. Scattered flocks of bird pokemon flew overhead, their
wings fluttering, allowing them to soar and mingle with the lush
green canopy. It was a breath-taking sight, filled with the sanctity
of inner peace.
And somewhere, within that beautiful forest, a voice
screamed, loud enough to cause a miniature earthquake. ~
Let's just say that WHAT Haruka screamed about will be
left to the reader's imagination.
*********************************
"Welcome to." Minako made a face as she read the city's
sign. "What type of city is called 'Welcome to'?"
This time, Haruka didn't even bother to tell Minako about
the "BLACKTHORN CITY" sign written in bold black letters
right below 'Welcome to'. She had sort of lost her voice on the
way.
"Oh well." Minako skipped happily down the pathways,
humming a bit absurdly to herself. "Hmm... I wonder if they have
a Pokemon Center here."
And again, Haruka said nothing as Minako blithely
skipped past a building that said in large letters "BLACKTHORN
CITY POKEMON CENTER".
Finally, Minako came to a halt. "You know, Haruka, if I
didn't know you any better, I would have thought that you had lost
your voice or something." She paused, putting one finger on her
cheek thoughtfully, "But I know that truly you're just shy, but
don't be worried! Minako here will make friends for you with
everyone!"
All Haruka could think was 'what type of medication is
this girl on?' Much to the older girl's sheer embarrassment, the
younger blonde had indeed began to run around, asking everyone
for their names and generally making quite a big fool of herself.
Soon, Minako was developing an empty radius of a good ten
meters (30 feet), despite the large crowd of people.
"Is your friend always this hyperactive?" A voice asked
from the background.
Haruka nodded. "She can be even worse sometimes."
Only after the dirty blonde had said that did she realize that she
was replying to a complete stranger.
"You don't need to be that surprised." Said the stranger,
who had noticed Haruka's startled expression. The stranger was a
woman, at least in her late twenties, with midnight blue hair done
up in a floppy ponytail, that somehow still gave her a proud and
regal look. Her eyes were a misty black, and her expression quite
solemn for a person who would just randomly make conversation.
Haruka had grown up on the basis of never trusting
strangers. "What do you want?" Haruka demanded, keeping her
voice neutral.
The woman smiled, faintly. "Don't worry. If you're
concerned with me being part of Team Rocket, you are clearly
mistaken. I am a good friend of Setsuna, and have come here to
deliver you a message."
Haruka blinked. "Then, how did you know that we would
be here right now?"
The woman gave Haruka a blatant look. "I'm sure you
know Setsuna better than that." She replied, the answer driven into
her words.
The tall blonde nodded slightly, understanding. "So....
What is the message?"
"You shall find the secret in the Dragon's Den." The
mysterious stranger then pointed to a sign, showing a path that led
to the infamous Blackthorn City Dragon's Den.
"Is that all?" Haruka asked.
"Search deeper than the tourist entrance otherwise you
will never find it." The woman added. And, with those words, she
turned away to leave.
"Wait!" Haruka called back to the back of the woman.
"What's your name?"
For a moment, the woman paused, as if not sure whether
to answer or not. "Claire." She finally replied. "Everyone knows
me by Claire."
Minako had bounded back to Haruka, just to miss seeing
the conversation between the taller blonde and Claire. She pouted.
"Aww... the people here are SO mean! I mean, NO ONE would
talk to me!"
***********************************************
Evening found the two girls walking inside a dark cave,
warily looking around. After Haruka had explained to Minako
about the significance of this trip, the two had hastily prepared for
an overnight excursion to the Dragon's Den. It was said that
legendary dragon pokemon lived there, and often, lucky pokemon
trainers had told stories of seeing the elusive dragon pokemon
Dratini. However, catching these highly rare pokemon were
another story altogether.
As dark as it was outside at this hour, inside the cave
inside was darker. The duo had long sneaked past the tourist
entrance (and 'closed' sign) and into the depths of the caves, which
were sealed off from regular visitors. And, they soon realized,
through the dank and twisted pathways, why the area they were
heading in had been sealed off.
Haruka waved her flashlight about, spotting several
sleeping Zubat and the occasional Golbat. Just a moment ago,
Minako had almost stepped on a Slugma, an overly large red slug
pokemon, much to her disgust.
However, now the winding and equally narrow path
seemed to have dwindled and tapered off, until it was more-or-less
a path in the dark. Minako looked around, swallowing a bit and
trying her best to not be nervous - she was even doing a good job
of it, dropping her regular "clutzy-Minako" face, as if sensing the
tension in the atmosphere.
Haruka was as impassive as always, one hand on the
flashlight and the other close to her belt of pokeballs, wary for
danger.
Minako cleared her throat. "Haruka, do you think I'm
annoying?" She finally asked, her voice penetrating the silence
with a hollow resonance.
Haruka blinked. Where had that comment come from?
"Well Minako, you often act a bit... uh... irrationally, but I think
that...well..."
"Well...?" Minako prompted.
"I guess you're okay." Haruka finally admitted. "For one
thing, you're smarter than you look."
Minako grinned. "Then I must not look very smart."
"You got that right."
"Hey!!"
A chorus of laughter between the duo ensued, helping
break the barrier between them.
****************************
Haruka blinked as she abruptly stopped.
"What is it, Haruka?" Minako asked, not able to see in the
dark.
The older girl frowned. "Something's blocking our path."
With that, Haruka lifted her flashlight to reveal the bulk of the
offending barrier.
Brief bursts of light revealed a gigantic statue, a good ten
feet in height, sculpted out with a rough granite structure. More
light caught the appearance of a snout and horns, as well as a
scaled belly. Wings sprouted from the back of the statue, carved
from the stone in an arced elegance.
Minako stared at the brief sight. "What is that statue?"
She finally asked.
"I think it's a Dragonite." Haruka answered back, her
voice falling quiet again.
"Umm... what exactly is a Dragonite?" Minako finally
asked.
Haruka sighed. "It is a rare Dragon pokemon, more a
pokemon made by legends then reality. It is said to be the guardian
and protector of hope and truth, and many legends depict this
pokemon as a symbol of fortune and love. "
"Love?" Minako echoed. "How could a pokemon
represent love?"
Haruka simply shrugged, although the other blonde
couldn't see it. "Don't ask me. I'm no expert at legends. I think it
has something to do with a goddess of love owning a Dragonite or
something," the taller blonde paused, trying to bring back a
forgotten memory. "I can't really remember, though."
"Hmm.." Was Minako's only reply. Suddenly, she jerked
her head back, as if stung by an invisible wasp, although her
expression was more of shock than pain. "Hey! Did you hear
that?"
"Hear what?" Haruka was clearly confused.
Minako frowned. "I could have sworn I heard something.
Like a low buzzing."
Haruka strained harder, trying to make sense of the
silence within the hollow cave. "There's nothing." She finally
confirmed.
"But I was sure that..." Minako's voice trailed off as she
neared the gigantic statue of the Dragonite, rubbing one hand
against the cool stone in appreciation. The blonde closed her eyes,
as if in great concentration. "It gets louder when you touch the
statue." She proclaimed, stumbling a bit to walk around to the
other side.
Wondering if this was just another of Minako's "crazy
bouts", Haruka followed, unsure of what to do next. Her flashlight
fell on Minako's path, making sure that the girl didn't trip or
stumble too often.
There came an audible yelp from the younger blonde, one
that resonated across the silence of the gigantic cavern, with an
eerie quality, ceaseless.
Haruka sighed over the dull hollow ringing. "I wish you
wouldn't do that. Knowing how unstable this cavern might be-"
The tall blonde never finished her sentence, as she was
abruptly interrupted by a low rumbling, clearly distinct and
different from Minako's echoing voice. She froze, her body rigid,
face tense and grim. For a moment, the sound seemed to fade and
disappear, only to return again, twice as loud.
"Minako." Haruka exclaimed in a very calm voice. "I
would suggest that we both run. Now."
"Why's that?" Clearly, Minako hadn't gotten the
message.
Haruka sighed. Well, now was the time to be direct. "You
ever gotten buried alive before?"
Minako giggled in response. "You're silly Haruka. Of
course not!"
"You're about to be if you stay here." Haruka finished.
And, to the younger girl's credit, Minako immediately
caught the message. "I-" She wanted to say more, but then
clamped her jaw down. "Nevermindletsgo."
Suddenly, a stalactite fell just feet away from both girls,
which, combined with the uneasy rumbling of the ceiling and the
pieces of debris falling lose, proved to be a very good stimulant.
And any imaginary speculator watching would have sworn that
humans were capable of running faster than light.
After sensing that the entire area was completely unstable,
Haruka had pushed Minako in front of her for safety, now
navigating the younger girl down the winding and dangerously
rumbling passages. The shaking was getting worse now, as pieces
and chunks of the stalactites began breaking off, falling
haphazardly around - and on - the two girls.
"LEFT!" Haruka screamed, after watching a chunk of
stalactite, easily as big as a Rhyhorn, falling directly in their path,
the dirt and grime from impact momentarily blinding both girls'
views. It was getting harder to see now, the dust collecting into
clouds of dirt
"RIGHT!" Haruka screamed again, as another massive
shard fell and embedded itself on the ground, nearly impaling her
arm in the process.
"LEFT!"
"LEFT!"
"NO RIGHT!"
This continued on for quite a strain, until Haruka had
finally realized, through the bucking and shaking mayhem, that it
was easier to simply preserve her voice (assuming she would need
it if she survived) and simply steer the younger blonde the right
way.
Minako was getting tired now, legs unable to support her
trembling body, as her burning lungs raked heavily for each breath.
She had never been really good at long distance stuff, although she
did have above-average skills athletically in everything else. The
blonde took another jarring breath, struggling to at least force her
legs into a few more steps. Already, she could feel a cool breeze
through the stagnant odour of the caves, marking their freedom.
But.... She was so tired....
Haruka jolted in surprise as Minako suddenly collapsed
onto the ground. She mentally cursed, knowing that the younger
blonde probably never had the time to work on her endurance.
Haruka had always enjoyed running, her passion and her hobby
consisting of only racing. To run like the wind. True, Minako had
been able to keep up for the first couple of minutes, but as time
proceeded, even the younger girl's adrenaline rush began to show
signs of serious fatigue. And Haruka had only enough time to
mutter one curse as the cavern buckled and shook some more,
roaring with rocky protest before tumbling a storm of rocks and
hard debris.
"Get up!" Haruka screamed, one arm vainly trying to
block the sand and dust from her eyes, ignoring the cuts and
bruises that each rock and broken sedimentary material fiercely
pummeled.
Minako seemed to have worked herself into a coma, and
showed no reply. "So peaceful..." She muttered, reaching out a
hand towards something invisible.
Haruka could have screamed at the delusional girl, but the
panic and fear gave her no room for other emotions. "Look. If we
don't run, we'll get buried alive!"
Minako didn't even respond. "Pretty." The girl crooned,
and Haruka was sure that there and then, Minako was insane.
True to the older girl's words, the cave gave a last rumble,
and suddenly, the ceiling began to break apart, cracking into large
chunks of solid rock. And, relentlessly pressed by the force of
gravity, the large chunks and sheets of rock, enough to cover a
stadium field with, fell, enclosing everything with blackness.
Haruka didn't even have time to scream, as she and
Minako disappeared under the falling rubble, the older girl's body
raised protectively over the younger. And Minako continued to
stare. But not at what was happening...
... and time again stopped, holding its fragile pulse for
just a moment...
Even now, Minako could still remember those scars on
her back, for some of them were permanent. Her childhood abuse
itself was an ugly scar, but one she hid with determination,
reasoning and cajoling herself that she had a perfect life, that she
was as happy as everyone else. And the price of that had been...
ignorance. She chose not to believe. Yet, was that what she had
wished?
:What DO you wish?: The tone rang out loud and clear,
like a deep brass bell.
"What... do I wish?" Minako repeated the voice, unsure
of what to say.
:Why are you still sad?: The voice asked, trying again.
Minako sighed. "I guess everyone is sad. It happens to us
all."
:But why are YOU sad?:
"Because... because..." Minako ran out of words.
The being's voice became gentle, softly lecturing. :I'll tell
you why. Because in your heart, you know there is something not
yet fulfilled, because you haven't reached that love that you yearn.:
Minako gasped, blushing a bit. She had never told anyone
her dreams or personal desires. Who was this strange mysterious
voice who could sense her every thought and bring to her the truth
of her inner self.?
:I cannot tell you who I am, Minako.: The voice
answered. :That is left for you to discover.:
Discover? Discover what? Who was it?
The image of the shooting star that had fled past twelve-
year-old Minako's window reappeared in the blonde's mind, this
time, larger and brighter than ever. The star had wings, and seemed
to almost be almost shaped like a...
...a flashback to a previous incident hit Minako's mind.
~"It is a rare Dragon pokemon, more a pokemon made by
legends then reality. It is said to be the guardian and
protector of hope and truth, and many legends depict this
pokemon as a symbol of fortune and love"~
Or so, Haruka had said. And, the older girl was right.
Because Minako knew.
"Come out and help me. Aid me in my time of crisis! I
Summon you with my heart..."
"... DRAGONITE!"
...And time once again began spinning its web.
*******************************************
Just when Haruka thought it was the end of it all, she
realized, that suddenly, everything had stopped moving.
Cautiously, the blonde looked up, and with utter surprise,
saw herself looking into a pair of large, intelligent, amber-
orange eyes.
A gigantic pokemon, a good ten feet in height, stood,
towering its massive frame and creating from its single
horn a barrier, one that expanded and shoved all the
falling rock away. As the remaining bits of the ceiling
fell, sealing the cave exit, Haruka heard Minako's voice
command in a steady tone.
"Dragonite! Use your Hyper Beam attack and let
us escape this hideous place!"
Haruka decided to stop contemplating over whether or not
to be more stunned over the appearance of the Dragonite
or the Minako's use of a legitimate attack, and watched,
awe-struck as the leviathan of a pokemon emitted a
gigantic beam of energy from its horn. The attack rushed
out in a brilliant burst of light, and blew a clear-cut hole
into THROUGH the roof of the cave.
And both girls, with courtesy of their flying (or half-
flying) pokemon, quickly rushed out of the cave, never to
be seen in this city again.
Somewhere, a woman with midnight-blue hair, one hand
on her twin Dragonairs, smiled. Before disappearing into
the shadows, patting her pokemon for their good work.
*****************************
Zoo says:
(Image of a blank screen)
Eevee muse: Ara... sorry... Zoo seems to be gone at the moment.
(Angry twitch). YOU BETTER COME BACK ZOO, OR ELSE
I'LL DO A MORAL FOR YOU!!!"
Zoo: (holding a rather large bag and panting a bit). Geez, you don't
need to scream. I was just visiting Toei Animation studios.
Eevee muse: (eyeing the squirming bag, which is currently
emitting muffled noises). JUST visiting?
Zoo: (little innocent kawaii face with Eevee ears) Hai...
Eevee muse: Zoo.. there's something called 'tact' which you might
want to try and practice...
Meanwhile:
Sailor Moon: (in the middle of her Gorgeous Meditation attack
sequence) Hey! What happened to Sailor Chibi-Moon?
An equivalent comment is heard about Yuugi somewhere in the
YuGiOh! world...
**********************************
Anyway, that was just a little spoof I had to add, with a little hint at
the end about the next crossover I might try to attempt ^^...
By the way, HAPPY (albeit a bit belated) BIRTHDAY, MYST
LADY! And keep up your good work, 'specially on your newest fics! Nup, that's all ^^...