Devastation of the Underground

Tachiguy was scanning the ground below for any sign of Achikochi, he surveyed the ground as best he could and suddenly a sound like tearing cardboard and saw the ground open up, he didnt know anything for sure, but a gut instinct told him that the metronome had done that so Achi would have to be down there, "Go down!" he said to Zauros franticly, and then deciding that his descent would be too slow he wriggled out of his 'sons' grasp and fell down into the snow, landing on his front with a "WHUMP" he shook the snow from his face and was immediately up and bounding towards the crack in the earth.

"AAACHI?" he called, looking around everywhere, he was trying to scent her out, but the cold was making it hard, as was the wind, the weather was deteriorating and he wanted to make sure he found her before it got worse, she was probably still weak from the stress of yesterday, and may not survive in really bad weather, he looked down the crack and seeing only black yelled "AAACCCHHHHIIIIKKKOOOOCCCHHHIIIIIIIIII!" at the top of his lungs, hoping for all he was worth that she hadn�t fallen in....

Achi had stopped screaming. She shivered mid-air and cried. The only thing she had left to do was to wait for the impact of her death.

Achi hit sidelong into the surface of an underground river with a large splash. Oddly, the river was warm.

"Maybe I'm dead and the warm is the beyond" She thought to herself.

The nidoran was carried to a shoreline, and deposited onto a strange glowing stone. It too was warm to the touch. It had a strange magnetic energy in it. Achi heard something buzz high pitched from the TM in her leg. It had been deactivated.

Tachiguy was leaning over into the hole, and thought he heard Achi crying..but it was very faint, he looked up and yelled "STUPID WIND, SHUSH PLEASE! I�M TRYING TO LISTEN!" but that was inneffectual so he leant down further, hoping to hear her again so he would know if he would have to go down or not, but as it was the choice was made for him as he leaned to far and fell anyway. He was falling and thought "Ahh, man this is bad.. I can�t find her or help the lake if I�m squashed..." but as he fell he heard running water right below him so he rolled up into a ball and hoped like heck that he landed in it, which he did. The warmth was great after being so cold above, he broke the surface laughing, he hadn�t realised earlier just how cold he had been, he tried fighting the current, but it was flowing semi quickly and he couldn�t see to well as his eyes were still getting adjusted to the dimmness.

Achi shook herself off. She couldn't see very well in the darkness but noticed the stone below her was glowing. Frightened, tired and feeling quite helpless, she lay down.

Her eyes were hungry for light and greedily focused on the glowing of the stone. Achi tilted her head to one side and pressed as close as she could against it. The stone seemed to pulse with conflicting energy. She could feel them and could heard a faint humm from deep inside.

Her eyes adjusted to the dim light. Achi could hardly belive what she saw. The stone beneath her was conglomerant. Inside the tiny flecks she cold see images of fire, water, lightning, leaves, the moon, and the sun. "Too bad I'm not a Nidorina" Achi mused at the irony.

The stone reacted to her words. The feeling of fire merged with her body. Achi felt like a furnace from the inside out. Something was happening to the TM inside her. It was slowly being disolved into her body with the aid of the supernatural heat. Achi fell asleep in the warmth.

**

A kangaskhan huddled behind a tree. He was cold, and very sick. He coughed, looking out at the bitter cold darkness. He hears crying, he blinks, and disregards it. Then he heard it again, bounding toward the noise. A lizard-like pokemon (Zarous) and a de-evolved Mew. He hid behind a tree, seeing the crying lizard-thing. He wished he could help, but he was really shy and afraid of being attacked. He hid behind a tree. He sniffed and sneezed loudly, giving his location away.

**

Tachiguy saw the light coming from the stone, "Something to see by..." he said swimming toward it, as he got a little closer he saw a familiar figure on the rock and he yelled out "Achi! Yer safe!" he lengthened his strokes and reached the rock, clambering out he looked at Achi, she seemed asleep, he toddled over carefully, "Achi?" he asked, the glow giving him the creeps, but making him warm, "What�s goin� on here...."

The stone began to react to the Otachi. It's hypnotic pulse lengthened until it resembled the breathing calm of waves breaking on shore. It was the calm familiar sound of lake Eerie's shore, The TM had been completely dissolved inside the nidoran's body. The mystic fire began to make her sweat. In the dim light, a new shining was being born. Not quite metallic, but definately silvery. Achi's fur was changing colors as tiny beads of metal infused sweat travelled through her skin and into the fine coat of hair on her body.

Achi's fur had completely changed color. She was now the color of the fabled unicorn on a moonlit night. Her white-silvery blue body shimmered with each breath she took. The TM was gone, now infused with her fur.

She now slept peacefully on the stone. In her sleep she sensed the presence of Tachi. She smiled.

The stone changed its flow of energy again. Now the power of the Solar stone was in effect. The glow was soft yellow and produced a hum like a mellow brass instrument. It was healing Otachi and Achi with warmth and solar energy.

Achi's eyes fluttered. She saw Tachi was next to her and hugged him tightly.

"What did I do this time?" she asked.

Tachiguy looked at her as she spoke and grinned, "Um...well, ya sorta made a REALLY big hole...but ya know what? I think you did good this time to!" he hugged her and gave her a kiss on the forehead (Avoiding the horn) "See, that guy said just as we were leaving that a huge blizzard is comin�, but the thing is that we now have shelter down here! And its WARM!" he said huginh her even tighter, "But how are you feeling? You must be feeling kinda in bad shape after the fall and the breaking of the earth and such? I�m feeling real good actually, I think it�s this rock, but are you? Ya don�t need anything do ya?"

Achi looked herself over. "I'm ok " she said rather surprised. She noticed her fur was a funny color, but figured maybe it was the lighting. She snuggled Tachi, "I'm just glad no one was hurt." she turned to glare at the TM, The wires were gone.

Achi turned in circles, looking hard at the place the wires had been. "Tachi.... what happened to the wires?" she asked in surprise.

Tachi was surprised, he looked at her leg, and tapped where they used to be, "Um...not there thats fer sure...." he looked at her again, "Uh....Achi..you have changed color..." he wiped her fur with a paw, and then with his tail, "When I got here you were covered in a weird colored sweat, and its turned you an AWESOME color! You�re even prettier now!" he grinned, and looked at her leg again. "Well, can you feel the thingie in there? Other than the wires was there any other way to tell it was there?"

"Then it wasn't just the light" Achi admired her new color then twitched her leg this way and that..." I don't feel anything at all" her voice carried elysian relief. She clung to Tachi with a joyful twinkle in her eyes and kissed him on the cheek.

"How are we going to get the others down here?" She asked the Otachi," I'm not even sure how to get out of here and we won't know how long we'd be stuck after the storm. "

"Ya think its gone..." he said looking kind of awed, then he smiled, then grinned and picked her up and spun a cicle "YAY!" he said happily, "I�m so happy for ya!" he set her down again and returned the kiss. "Now, as for getting out, I do believe maybe Sonny boy up there can help, he flew me here before, maybe he can fly us out again, if not then maybe PicoMyuu could teleport us or something, as for getting the others down, we just need a burrow from there to the banks here that can be bloked off to ward off the blizzard, we have plenty of time to organise that!" he grinned, "and also the huge crack can be blocked up with some trees n stuph, we'll be safe as anything down here! Warm to, which will be a change!"

*

As if on cue, Zaurus clambored onto the rock where Tachi and Achi were sitting. As it touched the rock, however, its body started to glow. It's wings grew huge and seemed to merge with its arms. It's legs melted into its body, which in turn melted in with its tail so that its whole body was one, fluid shape up to its head. The little dragon's neck grew longer and slimmed, as did its head, which also became more angular and melted in with the horns. It's size had now tripled. Its body turned a soft pearl colour and its eyes turned a smokey purple. Now the legless dragon hovered effortlessly over the two other Pokemon. "I seem to have evolved..." it said in a rather amused tone, "Greetings, I am Amphiptere."

*

Picomyuu spiraled and flipped through the water, its child-like giddieness returned with the feel of water and the soothing influence of the moonstone. She swam along happily until she sensed Tachi, Achi, and something else...she flipped up onto the strange rock they all were gathered on or around and upon plopping down closed her eyes in a broad grin and giggled, her tail swishing happily.

*

The kangaskhan peered down the crack that Picomyuu jumped down, he leaned over, sniffed. He looked deeper in the hole, finding that he was falling. He lands in the water the drifts the Tachiguy, Achi, picomyuu and the dragon-thing. Scared, the kangaskhan hides behind the rock.

*

Achi flicks her ears around behind her. In a close whisper she stutters," I th-think we've b-been followed" Her hair stands on end, unsure of who or what has followed them to the stone.

"Oh, dont worry Achi, thats just Zauros...our Kid..remember?" he grinned and shot her a wink, "Hey, how ya feeling after the ole evolution there? Gawd, its been a big day for you eh son? You were born only a few hours back, and evolving already...*sniff* im so proud...."

Achi shot Tachi a puzzled look. "I didn't mean them.... I thought..... I heard something from beyond that rock over there"

The kangaskhan shuddered. He hopped noone would look to see if the Nidoran was right.

Achi moved away from Tachi and towards her 'son' "Zarus, would you be willing to fly out and let the others on the lake know there is a warm place to hide untill the blizzard has past?"

Tachiguy looked around to where she had gestured, "Ya think?" he asked peering into the gloom. "Would you like me to go and see if you are right? Never know what kind of stuph could be down here and we need to know if we are going to bring others here, dont want to put them in danger." he said in a grimmer tone than one would expect from the usually happy pokemon.

Amphiptere stretched its wings out and nodded almost regally to Tachi. "I would not mind bringing the other Pokemon here at all...but first, would you like me to investigate what happens to be down here with us? It will not be a bother to me and I sense that it wishes us no ill."

Picomyuu blinked, her restored child-like demeanor showing plainly in her bright blue eyes, "Achi? Tachi?" she asked, "What d'you think? I don't think its such a bad idea...oh, and Achi...I like your fur." The de-evolved Myuu shot the Nidoran a friendly wink.

Tachi looked at him, "We can both go see." he said smiling and heading off in the direction of the stranger.

*

A tattered looking Zubat flits through the air. She is excited and upset. Something terrible has happend to her home. One moment she was roosted snugly to a stalagtite, the next she had been blasted across the cave.

'Shitake must hear of this!'

::::::

Miles deep below the surface a fresh water spring bubbled close to a river of magma creating a geothermal hot spring. The area around its entrance into the labyrinth-like caves below Lake Eerie was sheeted in thick steam. The conditions were unbearable for most pokemon, but one Pokemon had made it her home.

Long ago she had found this place and made it her home away from those who would prey upon her kind. She particularly despised flying Pokemon. Zubats she tolerated as they were useful messangers in her underground world.

Shitake basked in the steamy warmth. A tiny diglet bobbed through the ground towards her.

"Oh wise and generous one, a lowly Zubat has come here to spread news of a break in from the big overland!"

"Fetch the Dugtrio brothers, instruct them to bring these outsiders to me!"

The diglet nodded, then gulped, "I almost forgot to mention...... they landed on the Stone"

"THEY DID WHAT!!!!!!!!!!" Shitake roared. The diglet messenger ducked into it's hole just in time to miss the flailings of Shitake's claws.

"Forget bringing them to me... alive" Shitake disapeared behind a curtain of steam issuing her last orders," get my assasins!"

**

Again, Amphiptere gave his usual regal nod and began casually flapping his wings in trail of the Otachi. Picomyuu's ears wiggled as she looked around her. Soon the little Pokemon's attention was drawn to her reflection in a small pool of water on the stone. Her eyes shone and her tail swished slowly in total facination. "Pretty..." she said softly, as if she had never seen her own reflection before.

**

The diglet shook in fear. The tribe assasins were terrifying and unpredictable. "Why me?" Diglet sighed.

The tiny mole pokemon began his journey to the Assasins lair. He had many miles to travel to get there.

"Why didn't she send the Trio brothers instead?" the little guy lamented as he pushed his way through the underground maze. "I don't stand a chance if they are in a bad mood!"

The diglet continued to babble his worries as he channelled his way to the outer portion his rocky domain.

The Assasins lived under the mountain by Lake Eerie. The ground there was freezing cold and dry. The emaciated remains of pokemon who had blundered into this section and got lost were scattered like toys in a child's room. It was a terribly frightening place.

Up ahead were two shield-like disks set in the wall of the tunnel. The diglet gulped.

**

Not wanting to be left behind, Achi jumped up onto Tachi's back, piggy-back-style, and clung on. " You didn't think I'd want to sit on that rock all day did you?"

Amphiptere leaned down and smiled at the Nidoran and the Otachi. "If you wish, you can both ride on my back," he said, "It may be more comfortable." Amphiptere extended a clawed wing, inviting them to come aboard if they so wished.

Tachi made sure he had a firm hold of her and bounded off in the direction they were heading "Nah, tho if its anyhtin dangerous yall gotta get outa there quickly like! Ill hold whatever it is off while you vamoose K?" he grinned, the dragon had said it meant them no harm, but he wanted to look brave anyway. ~_^

The kangaskhan peered over the rock, seeing the Otachi, bird-thing, and the nidoran walking toward his rock. He huddled close to the rock, hoping they wouldn't see him.

"Uh, I dunno..." said the Otachi looking at how high it was they could be going, "Like, uh...." he looked at Achi, "Um, what do you think Ach?"

The kangaskhan looked out, he hoped they weren't going to leave him, to die.

"WAIT!!!!" A little squeal came from behind the rock. " Don't leave me here!!!" Although he was letting them hear him, he was still hiding behind the rock.

"Tell us who and what you are and we'll see..." said tachiguy, he bounded to the rock and stoiod in front of it. "Come out, its not like we will hurt you or anything....do you need help?

Achi eyed the eternal darkness above, twitched an ear and thumped her foot.

"Yah know, uh son, I think I'd rather stay on the ground" The thought of flying was not sitting well with the Nidoran.

The scared voice caught her attention. She joined Tachi in attempts to coax the unknown pokemon from its hiding.

"If you aren't feeling well , you can sit on that glowing rock..... it helped me and Tach here and appears to have evolved our adopted son."

"Yea, that�s one very cool rock, ya know it?" said the Otachi smiling, he was looking forward to seeing who was behind the rock now it had been established as being friendly (The thought of trickery didn�t even cross the pokemons mind) "And also we are tryin� to figure out how to use this place to help our friends stay safe from the blizzard, if you know anything that may help we'd all be eternally grateful..."

**

Diglet was about to approach the twin shields when a bone club was stuck in his face. At the other end of it stood a very nasty tempered Marrowak.

"And just what is a little dirt clod like you ding in his part of the underground?!" She snared at him.

Diglet gulped hard "I .... ha-vvve...to wake..the..assasins...for... a ..mission...." The diglet sweated visibly.

"You don't seem so certain of yourself" The Marrowak forced the boneclub roughly against the diglet's neck. Her eyes narrowed ,"Are you lying to me?!"

"Nnnnoo! I-I-I reealy d-do haf-have to wake them!" Diglet stammered as bravely as he could.

Marrowak released the tiny pokemon from under her grasp. She sauntered over to the twin shields and grined evily. Raising her bone club like a large drum mallet she glared at the unfortunate messenger, "You DO know what happens to those who wake them up the wrong way?"

Diglet's eyes shot wide open as he realized what the horrid Marrowak was about to do!

The Marrowak slammed her bonecub into the twin sheilds, ringing them like a set of gongs. She very quickly ran and hid behind a stalagmite.

The twin shields began to move away from the stone wall. Each shield revealed a set of sharp scyth-like claws. A low menacing growl reached the Diglet in stereo.

Diglet was frozen with fear.

"Oh mud!"

The Kangaskhan looked at the big dragon thing. " I-i-ii'm sorry to worry you" he says, shaking.

Tachiguys ears perked up "Theres something else here?" he asked, moving closer to Achi. "What kind of something? Would we be best to leave now or find out exactly what it is?" he looked at Amphiptere "If you want I can ride on your back and we go check it out..or I could go solo."

"WHO DARES TO AWAKEN US IN SUCH AN INSOLENT MANNER!!!!!" one of the two 'shields' had come out completely. The two scythe-claws positioned ready to strike out. The second 'shield' joined the first. "WHO DARES TO AWAKE THE KABUTOPS WARRIORS!"

Diglet shook so much the ground around him vibrated. He gulped timidly " me".

The two Kabutops set upon him like a wolf after a gopher. Diglet ducked blow the surface to avoid each swing of their deadly claws.

Having said all of that while avoiding each swing of the assassin's claws, diglet tunnelled like mad to get out of there. One of these days he'd get that Marrowak back for doing that to him!

The two asssins were in foul moods.

'Sooo, brother, are you ready for a little hunt?"

"Yes, my sister, we will have to bring down the ones who dared to touch the sacred stone. But, we must first, go to the temple and purify ourselves"

The twin Kabutops shuffled off down the mountain corridors towards a section of the Underground where a large crystal cavern had grown. Another spring burbled there above the roof of the quartz encrusted pocket. The water showered down into a basin that had been carved by unknown pokemon long ago. Around the basin were carvings and statues of pokemon legends. It had even fortold the crisis of Mewtwo.

**

Amphiptere's eyes narrowed as it looked in the direction its adopted mother had. "Going solo is not an option," it said bluntly. "I'm going too!" Picomyuu chimed, "I may not be too big, but I can take down a Machamp no problem!" Her sweet little face was hardened by a look of total determination and she jumped lightly onto Amphiptere, settling just between his horns, "Tachi, get on and lets move!"

**

Shitake was pleased to hear that her assassins had been deployed, but troubled that one of her kingdom's subjects would attempt to hurt another.

"This will not be tolerated!" Shitake patted the diglet on the head, "Not ever in the span of 200 years have I ever heard of anyone in my kingdom try to hurt another. That kind of foolery is for Uplanders."

The giant form of Shitake lumbered off a rock she had been perched on. "Come little one, I will see to this personally!" Shitake motioned to some paras foot soldiers to join them and followed the Diglet back up the trail to the Asasins' lair.

:::::::

Marrowak had made her way to a secret tunnel. She met up with a Dugtrio, some cubone, a flock of Golbats and one nasty looking Nyura at the front of the crowd.

'Did you get rid of the diglet messenger,nyah?" The dark cat pokemon hissed.

'No sir, he escaped' Marrowak replied with embarassment.

A red-silver flash criss-crossed the Marrowak. Her bone club was shattered and her bone mask slid off her face. The mob averted their eyes, for it was bad luck to look upon the face of a Marrowak. The pokemon hid in shame.

"Hear thisss! I Red-fang will rule the underlands of Lake Eerie, and after that, the Overlands as well! Shitake is wrong about being protected down here! That stone of hers may provide us with the food and healing we need, but for how long? We must overthrow her rule and break free of this place!"

The mob all nodded in agreement.... the reign of Shitake was nearing it's end!

:::::

The Assasins sharpened thier claws on he crystal surface of the cavern. They then dipped their deadly tools into the waters of the basin and meditated on the carvings. If outsiders had come into the underlands , then there may be a reason for it.

:::::

Red-Fang left to be in private. He slunk around in the darkest cavern to find a place to rest. A pair of dark red eyes followed him. Red-Fang settled down to sleep.

A large clawed foot set up on Red-Fangs throat, squeezing the air from his lungs.

"Don't forget who runs the show!" a dark voice menaced him, then, with its grip, faded away.

Red-Fang wiped blood from his neck where the claws had penetrated, and snarled.... "I know damn well who's running things!"

**

"Fine by me." Tachiguy said smiling, he hadn�t wanted to go solo, but if he had to he would have. "Are you wanting to come Achi, or stay behind, I doubt ya like flying do ya?"

"There's and secret passage, to your right." The little Kangaskhan mutters. "It's fully ground, not flying necessary."

"Oh, no flyin? Well, that�s cool." said the Otachi who wasn�t exactly thrilled with the idea himself. Not that he didnt trust his adopted son, it was just something he had never done before and it made him a little edgy.

"Ohhh, we wouldn�t do that!" said the Otachi smiling kindly "Would we Achi?" he asked then looked back at the pokemon "We'll all go look at this thing we're sposda be lookin at together hey? Safety in numbers n all. Sound right by you guys?"

Achi sighed with relief. "I'll go with you as long as we don't have to fly, but give the Kangaskhan a couple minutes to heal itself with the stone. I'm sure I heard him sneeze!"

"Okay" He replied, taking his seat on the stone and closing his eyes, feeling better.

"Yer, thats a good plan there" said the Otachi smiling at the kangaskhan. "The rock will make ya feel a ton better, if not more!" he looked at Achi "And it made her that beutiful shiney bluey silver color!" he said admiring her new fur coloring.

Achi blushed once again. She leaned against Tachi and sighed happily.

Tachi nuzzled her and echoed her sigh. He never thought he would be this happy ever, but he was. He looked up and smiled at her, "I guess we should go check out that thing now..." tho he would have rather just rested and talked, he knew there were more important things to worry about than that at the moment..

'Okay, I guess I'm ready to go now' Achi stretched out and smiled. She looked down the dark desolate path before them. 'Uhh, anyone have a light?"

"Umm, nah..." said the Otachi peering into the gloom. "are there any small pieces of that glowing stone laying around? If so we could use some of those..." he said turning to look.

Achi searched all around the rock, scratching at the ground here and there looking for a shard of loose stone. "I don't see any loose pieces of this stone," she frowned. "Do you think we should break a piece off?"

Picomyuu sighed...although she usually thought this kind of thing was cute, the time for sweet nothings and amorous nuzzling was definetly not now. "Listen..." she said slowly, "I can use my psychic powers to guide Amphiptere through the dark, so we'll go alone. You two can stay here and take care of the Kangaskhan...if there's any trouble, Amphiptere and I can teleport back and warn you...how does that sound?" For her, it was a very pretty way of saying she wanted the lovebirds to stay behind for the sake of their own and her own safety. They were far too enamored in each other, she felt, to be anything but a burden in a fight. Amphiptere glanced at her for a moment, obviously reluctant to leave his other parents behind. After some consideration on the subject he nodded, as if Picomyuu's underlying message had come through to him. "It sounds like a good idea to me...besides, I do not think breaking off a piece of the stone will be wise. I don't know why, but I feel it is of some importance to somebody."

Tachiguy looked at the stone. "No...i don�t think that�s a good idea, its so pretty, I dun have the heart to break it. Besides which, it may be the thing that got rid of that human thing in yer leg, and it made me feel 100% after everything that happened today. Breaking it seems.....somewhat ungrateful to me." he said hoping he didnt sound like a complete idiot. "If we cant find any shars yaing about maybe theres some other way. Um, Pico, ya dont think you could like, Psychicly project some sort of light or something like that do ya?"

"Here" The kangaskhan says, breaking off a piece like it was nothing and handing it to Achi.

"Uhhhhh......I dunno about splitting up though..." said the Otachi doubtfully, "I think maybe sticking together is a better idea if there is some sort of danger around." he looked at the Mew. "I�m sure we can keep our minds on the job, right Achi?"

Tachiguy looked a little sad, "Well, I guess now we have a piece we may as well use it, thanks kanghaskhan." he said.

"Oops" The kangaskhan says, then puts his hands to his face and cries, seeing he did something wrong.

"Aaawwww! Hey its alright, ya dun have to cry!" said tachiguy patting the creatures shoulder "You did a good thing I guess, maybe I was bein stupid." he said trying to ease the pokemon into stoopping its crying, "Hey, and if worse comes to worse, we can just slot it back in there, it will be OK bud."

Achi looked at the Mew straight faced. "I can do anything that is required of me. THAT was my purpose when I was in captivity." Achi handed the stone piece back to the Kangaskhan. "Keep this with you, and come with us if you're feeling better"

The nidoran turned to Tachi, "Think you can keep up with me?" Achi dashed circles around the Otachi.

**

The assassins had finished their meditation and purification. They knew their course to follow, the stones f the crystal basin had given them all the needed to know.

"We search for a nidoran, an otachi, a dragon, an de-volved mew and a kangaskhan" the female recited the image's contents to her brother.

"We will find them" the male nodded to his sibbling," and we must before another one does"

The kabutops walked out of the crystal temple and down into the main channels of the tunnel network.

**

"Hah!" said the Otachi grinning and jumping over the nidoran as she ran "I can keep up easily!" he stopped "But ill try not to outdistance ya!" he looked at the Un evolved Mew and smiled, "We will be fine, there�s no need to worry about us."

Picomyuu sighed and shook her head, "Tachi, the only thing on your mind right now is Achikochi. This is no mental condition to fight."

The little pink Pokemon then turned sharply to Achi, but her expression was far colder. "As for YOU, Nidoran creature, I don't care how good you were when in possession of the humans; it means NOTHING to me. The fact of the matter is you were not in love then and you are now. New love is like a powerful drug�it makes you stupid and blind. I am a Myuu, and uncapable of such emotions as love, but I tell you I have seen its effects. I am trying to protect you, not myself. You are both my friends and I couldn't stand seeing my friends be hurt."

Amphiptere remained hovering, but inched back into the tunnel a little. He wanted them all to stay together but at the same time he didn't want Tachi or Achi to be hurt.

"Hey, don�t raise yer voice at her, she isn�t stupid or blind and her name is Achikochi, not Nidoran Creature. I�m sure we'll be fine..." said Tachiguy in an annoyed voice "Actually if you must know iI�m happy you are thinking of our welfare, but we are able to think of our own welfare yanow..." his newly furrowed brow smoothed again "So, basicly I�m goin whether ya want me to or not so BLEH!" he winked at Achi and smiled at Pico, "So any further argument is useless preddy much."

Achi grinned broadly and snorted agreement. "Besides, If we care about each other, we are more likely to watch out for stuff. And I don't mean just me n Tachi, I mean all of us."

She turned to Tachi and spoke to him in hushed tones, "It's too bad about the Mew not feeling things like 'love'. No wonder she's so serious!"

Tachi grinned "That�s right! Gotta take care of those you care for!" and he whispered to the Nidoran "I think its sad, how can anyone not be able to love? How empty that would feel...."

"I'd caution you to remember that these ears do more then just adorn the sides of my head," Picomyuu commented, her tone slightly amused. "I am incapable of love...or regret...or anger. I did not say love itself is bad, what bothers me is new love. This relationship of yours is fresh, and very intriguing for the both of you. You are so wrapped up in each other that something could easily catch you unawares before making itself known." Amphiptere decided there was only one thing to do to totally end the conversation. "Teleport," he said softly and in an instant had disappeared.

The Kangaskhan nodded. He puts the stone in his little pouch then turns to Achi. " I was alone when I first could see, but I remembered having a name....but my memory is gone.....do you think you could make a name fer me?" He asks, sort of embarrassed

The little Kangaskhan growled at Picomyuu. " Dun be mean tu them, they can fight...so can I!"

Picomyuu turned to the Kangaskhan, her face totally devioid of expression. "I was not intending to be rude," she said, "As I have stated many times. Very well then. If you can all fight and take care of this yourselves then by all means do so. I take it I am no longer needed here, is that so?" She looked at all of them placidly and awaited an answer.

"I don't know..." The kangaskhan says, starting to cry.

*

Amphiptere elegantly tested the air. It smelled something that it did not recognize...but all of a sudden a name came to it...Kabutops..." Its tail swished back and fourth as it hovered in the air on perfectly silent wings. The only way to make them all happy was to destroy whatever was distressing them - and that was exactly what the dragon intended to do. Amphiptere moved into the shadows and waited.

*

Achi patted the kangaskhan reasuringly. "It's ok."

The nidoran addressed the Mew, "Friend, I doubt anyone amoung us wants you to leave, but in turn, because you are a friend, we wouldn't want to see you hurt either"

Achi turned back to the Kangaskhan as if suddenly inspired, "I remember a machine humans had, they watched it and it told them stories with little people inside the glass tank. I will name you after one of the best little fighters I saw in it. I dub thee 'Rocky�!"

Rocky suddenly forgot his sadness. "Oh! Rocky's a cool name! I'm Rocky!!!" He says, gives Achi a big hug and smiles.

"Rocky? Thassa cool name!" said the Otachi grinning "Nice one Achi!"

**

The dark one had returned to the depths of the molten river under the catacombs beneath Lake Eerie. He submerged his body in the lava to rid it of any blood or debris on his black skin.

His dark mind delighted itself with thoughts of total rule over the world. He would consume the souls of every living thing in his path until he became a god in the stars. From there, he dreamed of controlling the universe as one by one, he picked the locked secrets it held. The dark one closed his demon-fire eyes and sunk completely under the river of fire.

:::::::::::::::

Shitake and her followers were nearing the resting place of the Assasins. A piece of a bone mask lay at the entrance of a side passage. Shitake sent a paras in to investigate.

The soldier scuttled in, obeying his orders. There was a muffled 'umph' from the smaller corridor as the paras bumped into an unknown creature.

He looked up...... then ran.

"In there... in there..... a maskless Marrowak!!" the paras sputtered to his ruler.

::::::::::::::::::

The assasins had made their way out to the common tunnels near the center of the underground labyrinth.

"Sister, what do you make of all the signs the temple revealed?" the kabutops asked in a contiplative tone, "Do you think -they- are the ones who will fullfill the stone's destiny?"

"Brother, the crystal of the temple has never missled us before. The reigning one has kept the balance of this world's people very well , but even the best weaved fabrics will unravel and fray. The time is nearing"

**

"And this arguing is kinda counterproductive wouldn�t you say?" said the Otachi looking a little worried "I don�t want to offend you, I like ya ok? Yer my friend, but we are comin and there is no point in arguing as its wasting time and we are more wrapped up in defending ourselves from you at the moment than we would be in each other once the journey has started, now lets just Go?" Tachiguy said plaintively

Tachiguy looked at the Picomyuu sadly "Thats not what we meant at all Pico, I�m glad you are here, everyone is, but please, just don�t try and tell us what we have to do OK? You�re our friend, we don�t want you to go at all!" he looked for Amphiptere and couldn�t see him "Hey, whered Amphiptere go? Achi? ya see him leave? Pico...where is he?"

'I didn't see him leave." Achi felt a lump welling up in her throat," We should go find him!"

"I did" Rocky says. " He disappears....

"It�s the arguing, it must have scared him off." said the Otachi sadly "He IS only a little kid, he evolved well before his time so he looks older, but he was only born this morning..." he looked around and then tried to scent him out. "I cant smell where hes gone, he must have teleported..." he said to Achi "So he could be anywhere."

Picomyuu remained floating silently in the air. "Perhaps it was the arguing...but I believe it was largely because he found truth in both sides. I feel the same way, but like I said, if I can I would prevent anyone from being seriously injured and it is therefore my nature to point out any handicap one might have. I have lost friends who were so enamoured of each other in a time it was critical to be alert that they didn't see the danger that surprised and killed them. I know that you will come and that I cannot convince you otherwise...but promise me this; watch your backs, not each other."

"Maybe so." said the Otachi sadly. "I wish he had of said something tho..." he looked at the Picomyuu "Well, lets just get going and hope he finfds us, if he teleported he wont be anywhere he can hear us call anyway." he looked around one last time. "Cmon, lets head off."

*

Fei-Lin was walking in the woods. "hmm, strange for the weather to be like this during the summer..." she thought. All of a sudden she heard shouting behind her. ~hmm?~ She turned around and saw a bunch of humans walking towards her. "what do they want?" she said to herself.

"There�s a wild pokemon!! get it!!" one of them yelled.

"Uh oh....something tells me that they aren't happy..." Fei-Lin thought before she turned tail and ran away....FAST. She leaped over frozen creeks, tree branches and rocks. all of a sudden she stumbled and tripped, falling into a rather large hole in the ground. After a few minutes of falling, she hit the ground, HARD. "Ouchhh...that hurt. I'm gonna have a large headache tomorrow." She said to herself, looking around. There were hot springs everywhere. "now where have I gotten myself into?" the pure white meowth thought.

*

Tachiguy heard a *WHUMP* and looked to the left where it had come from "Uhhh....Achi....? What ya supppose that was?"

Achi spun around with a twitchy jump (like rabbits or guinea pigs do) and sniffed in the direction of the sound. "I think...... another pokemon has fallen down here"

"I'll be going along with them, I'll keep a look out" Rocky says, smiling.

Picomyuu breathed a sigh of relief. Not only had the Nidoran and Otachi taken her advice, but with another Pokemon to watch their backs should something happen took quite a load off her little shoulders. "Well, then we should go and she if its alright..." she lifted her nose and tested the air, "A Meowth, I believe..."

Tachiguy looked at Achi, then looked into the Gloom and shuddered. "I dun like this dark so much. I like bein able to see what�s goin on...."

/Rocky turned around and held up his fists.

"Righto." said the Otachi bounding off in the direction of the noise "HALOOOOOOOO? Ya OK?" he called

Achi tapped the kangaskhan's foot, "Rocky, could you hold that stone out into the darkness so we can see what has landed in the shadows?"

"Aahhh! Good plan there!" said the Otachi grinning as he peered out into the Gloom.

"Okay" Rocky says, pulling the glowing stone out, and holding it to show the white Meowth. "Hello Stranger"

Fei-Lin's light gray ears perked up, hearing someone yelling if she was alright. She turned, her aqua blue eyes looking around. She saw a bunch of other pokemon, one looked like it was holding a glowing rock. "um, hello....." she said, shyly coming over to the group.

"Oh! Pico was right! Ya are a Meowth!" Tachi grinned remembering his pals Ivory and Shoo.

"Hello, I'm Rocky" Said the Kangaskhan bravely. He hold the glowing rock out to see if anybody else was there.

Now that she was able to see what had fallen into the cavern, Achi dashed forward to see if the fallen pokemon was ok. "Hey, Are you ok, stranger?" the Nidoran asked tenderly, "That must have been a nasty fall!"

"Yea..." tachiguy looked up and shuddered "Man, ya didnt even alnd in the water like we did." he smiled "Yer walkin so ya seem Okish, can ya breathe OK No busted ribs?"

Fei-Lin sat up on her hind legs, and wiped the dust and dirt off of the charm on her head with her paw. Unlike other meowths, which had a gold charm, hers was sterling silver. She rubbed her head in pain. "eh, I'm fine, other than a bad headache. Names Fei-Lin. Nice to meet ya!" she said cheerfully.

"Hello, I'm Achikochi..... Achi for short, over there is Tachi the Otachi and Rocky the Kangaskhan..... and Mew" Achi turned to the Mew,"Yah know, we never really exchanged names....."the nidoran turned back to the Meowth," and somewhere down here in a tunnel, is my adopted son.... if you see a large dragon, that's him."

"Im Tachiguy, this is Rocky, Picomyuu, Achikochi and we did have another with us, mine and Achis adoopted son, but he telepotrted away..." said the Otachi simultaneously "You didnt see him outside did ya? Hes a kinda dragon type"

Achi noticed the Meowth rubbing her head."Hmmm, about a minute that glowing slab right there should set you right!"

"Ooooh yea!" said Tachiguy smiling "The stone there will heal ya up pretty good, makes ya feel 110% it does!"

**

Shitake waved one of her claws around inside the narrow passage, fishing for the Marrowak. The ground type pokemon inched against the wall as flat as she could. She did not want to be caught.

Shitake was wise to this kind of desparation. With a shrug and a skake, Shitake sprayed sleep powder into the mini-tunnel. Marrowak shivered and yawned, eventually slumping forward. Shitake removed the pokemon and let her lay face down. She had diglet make the maskless pokemon a clay disguise for her face. Once the mask was placed upon the pokemon's head, Shitake gave the Marrowak and sharp shake to wake her up.

"Fww..snuuuh.... I-i-it's you!!!" The Marrowak woke up surrounded.

"I believe you owe this diglet an appology!" Shitake said coldly, "AND you on all of us an explanation!"

Marrowak sighed," I- I'm sorry, diglet.... as for an explanation..... I... I can't say why" Marrowak looked all around, shifting her gaze from one side of the tunnel to another, as if looking for someone.

The ground pokemon inched closer to Shitake....." They have my little brother... so I can't say"

Shitake motioned for her guards to open up a bit, and allowed the Marrowak to leave. Shitake quickly concluded that the Marrowak's behavior was being changed for the worse by an outside force.

"Ok, troops, lets move out... there are still strangers in the tunnels to find."

Shitake and her guards travelled onward, hoping to catch up with the assassins.

::::::::::

Red-Fang grinned..... he had seen it all. The dark pokemon ran to his master's side.

::::::::::

The assasin siblings continued along the path to the Stone in their usual shuffling gate.

The male raised a sharp, fine edged claw to the under side of it's shell. "Shhhhhh sis, I can feel the breathing of another close by."

**

Fei-Lin smiled. "nice to meet you all. hmm, I wonder why those people were after me...I mean, i'm a rare kind and all, but it looked liked they wanted to kill me, much less catch me. Oyy....people used to be so friendly here....i wonder what has gotten into them. Anyways, what are you guys doing down here?" she said, gesturing to the cave with her paw.

Picomyuu giggled and hovered over the Kangaskhan's head, placing a comforting little paw on the Pokemon's shoulder. "Oh - you know what might help..." She closed her eyes and tucked herself into a ball, "Flash!" Picomyuu shrieked and at the same time thrust her arms and legs out. The cavern was instantly lit by a brilliant light. "There!" she said, smiling, "I completely forgot I could do that!" She then turned to the Meowth, "Hello, stranger...I'm Picomyuu, but you can call me Youko. Its my name, but its not often used. Yes...Amphiptere is Tachiguy, Achikochi, and my adopted son...a rather strange situation..." the last comment was stated with a musing tone in the Myuu's voice.

Achi looked up at Youko and raised an eyebrow," You forgot you could make a ball of light?" she blinked as her eyes re-adjusted themselves.

The light was a big change for Rocky. Unlike other Kangaskhans, his eyes and ears were very large. He closes his eyes and rubs them. " Owwwww.."

**

Amphiptere's eyes narrowed and he turned to a far wall. This place had an echoing quality...perhaps he could confuse the Kabutops before attacking them. He reared his head back and then thrust it forward, making a much louder breathing sound with a slight growl. Sure enough, the echo made it seem as if it came from all corners of the tunnel. Amphiptere smiled in triumph.

**

The Otachi grinned "Yea! he was only born this mornin and he evolved already n hes soo cool, but now he�s gone missing."

"It's a long story, but here's the shortest I can make it...... you see, I used to be a lab animal until I excaped to Lake Eerie. The humans had placed some kind of device in my body..... that thing caused me to make a huge hole. When it did I fell in here. My friends followed me. The stone got rid of the machine in my body and changed my fur's color too!" Achi explained what she could, quickly.

Tachiguy hugged her "Look at the reeeeeeal pretty color it made her!" he said

**

The kabutops were used to echoes reverberating off the cavern walls. The two of them dropped down to the floor to feel for vibrations in the ground........ there were none. The female tapped her brother," Flying"

He nodded back at her and prepared himself to use an ice-attack if it was necessary. The female was prepared to use 'Reflect".

*

Amphiptere frowned, the ploy hadn't worked as he'd planned, but it had bought him the time he needed none the less.

"DRAGON'S BANE!" Amphiptere yelled, and a blue mist poured from his body. It formed itself into a dragon and decended upon the female. He knew that if the attack worked she would be paralyzed for about 30 minutes...but he had never fought this kind of Pokemon...or ANY kind for that matter...before and was unsure.

*

Centuries of battles' skill was on the Kabutops' side. The female used 'Double Team' and cast 'Reflect' on her brother. The male use 'Haze', filling the area with a fine, mood altering mist to calm the dragon pokemon down.

"That should cool this young one's heels" the female's eyes flashed bright, then dimmed. apparently , she hadn't been fast enough, or age was catching up with her.

The male shielded his sibling with his own body. He would wait until she was better. He only hoped that his attack's effects would set in soon. He did not like to battle with out his sibling

*

Amphiptere shielded himself with his wings and decided to put the male out of comission. The female was no longer a threat to him, but her partner was fully capable of attacking.

"FLAME SNIPER!" He shrieked, brilliant, pale green fire pouring from his jaws and heading for the male.

*

The Kabutops male's eyes turned bright red. The foolish youngster was still trying to attack him. Kabutops returned the attack with 'Aurora Beam'

*

Amphiptere shrieked as the ice attack hit him. The dragon groaned; that attack had severely weakened him, but he decided to fight fire with fire...or ice with ice, in this case, using the last of his strength. "Mimic," he said easily, and his jaws again flew open, this time releasing an exact duplicate of Kabutops's Aurora Beam.

*

Picomyuu gasped, "Amphiptere is hurt!" she exclaimed, forgetting the others and flying ahead. "Come! We must move quickly!"

*

Rocky ran ahead, than saw the fight. He growled, knowing he can't take them all, but he jumped in anyway. He hit the Kabutops with a bite.

*

Fei-Lin watched the fight. "oh dear, Rocky looks like he needs some help!!" she said, dashing up to the Kabutops. She jumped, and swiped her long, razor sharp claws twice at the attacker.

*

Rocky smles, seeing the Meowth. He jumps back. " Take this you filthy Kabutops!" He yells, thrushing his small fist into the Kabutops stomach.

*

Shitake and her guards were closing in on the source of the vibrations from the Kabutops.

Diglet paused," There's more there than just the Assassins, wise ruler, it feels like a battle"

Shitake waved her claws to signal a halt. "Let the assassins do their job. We will advance once the fighting has stopped."

*

The Kabutops male's eyes flickered with satisfaction when he saw the dragon drop from the air. This quickly turned to moderate surprise when the Aurora beam attack hit him. The Male Kabutops slumped forward, shivering from the sudden cold.

"And here I thought -I- was a master of ice!" he thought to himself as his body trembled to keep warm.

The female Kabutops was shaking off the paralysis. She blinked her eyes to wet them and tried to assess what was going on. Her brother and their attacker had both been hit with ice attacks.

The female sighed. It would be useless for her to get information from them in this state.

"You are lucky mother was a healer!" the female Kabutops hissed and used 'Soft-Boiled' to repair the damage done to both pokemon.

*

Diglet was motionless, feeling for vibrations.

"Your highness, the battle is over" Diglet announced.

"Good." Shitake motioned to two of the paras guards. "Cappie, Stemlong go ahead of us and find out what happened, then report back to me. Do not let yourselves be seen!"

"Yes, mam!!" the two paras guards saluted Shitake smartly and skittered down to the end of the passage to gather information.

*

Amphiptere looked down at himself. Aside from a scar running beneath his left eye and over half of his nose, nothing was wrong...the female had...helped him? He looked up at her in wonder. "You...helped me? But why?" he asked, totally mystified.

*

"He's alright!" Youko exclaimed, performing a backflip, "Achi, don't worry! Amphiptere is fine!" Nevertheless, she sped happily after the beautifully coloured Nidoran that loped through the tunnel.

*

The female Kabutops looked at the Dragon oddly, "We don't kill in the underground, it is not permitted"

"You attacked us first! Why?" The male rubbed his head. It still stung from the icy-attack.

Unnoticed by any of them, a pair of paras scuttled away, back to their leader.

*

Achi halted the moment she heard the news. "He's ok? I'm glad, but we should try to find him soon! I don't like the thought that he's out there and lost in the underground!"

*

"He�s OK?" said Tachiguy still running and panting, he wasn�t used to this much exertion, he was used to sorta bounding around all happily, not sprinting at full tilt through a dark tunnel littered with hard rocks and such, but he kept going anyway.

Tachiguy slowed "Yea, we gotta catch up." he said smiling slightly at the thought of him being OK for the time being "Let�s keep it moving, tho� I guess I can slow down a little."

Achi felt as if she was still winded from running. More likely it was the thin air they were all breathing. The nidoran sniffed about, trying to see who was still with the group.

"Tachi? Youko? Rocky? Fei-Lin? Are you all still close by?" Achi stretched out onto her hind-feet, hoping to make out the shapes of her friends against the backdrop of the cave's dark walls.

*

Amphiptere returned the male's odd look, "Why, I thought you would have known! You were talking about hurting my friends...something about a sacred stone. I thought it probably was the enormous one that evolved me." He nonchalantly rubbed the scar with one clawed wing, still looking thoughtfully at the pair of Kabutops, "We had no idea it was so special to you...you see, my adoptive mother accidentally tunnelled down here and we all fell on it. So we didn't MEAN to do anything wrong...but we did anyway, and I'm very sorry. In any event, that's why I attacked you. I was actually hoping that ice attack had freezing properties and would just put you out of commission temporarily so I could leave...I suppose I was wrong, and I'm sorry for that, too."

*

Youko grinned back at the Otachi, tempted to let him ride on one of her bubbles. However he seemed to be doing just fine on his own so she let it pass. "We're almost there!" she said cheerfully

*

Tachiguy leapt back to her and wrapped his tail around her "Yea, ikm here. Im sorry, I shouldnt have raced away so fast, ill stick close by now." he said smiling "Lets get moving again though ok?" he was getting anxious, even though it would seem Amphiptere was doing OK who knows how long it would stay that way....

Achi nodded in agreement. "I hope we find him soon. I'm begining to feel a little lost down here!"

Achi walked within a whisker's length away from Tachi. The scent of his thick, downy fur was reasuring in the dark cavern's dry thin air.

"Me too actually, Otachi werent meant for caves. Burrows yup, cuz they are small n ya can get out easily, but this place is sorta different...its all big and ya never know what is around..." he stopped talking realising that he was scaring himself a little and maybe scaring her too.

"Speaking of who may or may not be around, where did the others go? I hope we haven't lost them!" Achi swiveled her ears front to back, listening for the others in the darkness.

"Um, helooooo?" called the Otachi into the darkness "Everyone still like, there and stuph?"

Achi shuffled nervously from one foot to another. "Tachi, if we're lost we'd better start looking for some one really quick!" The nidoran slowly extended her body forward, sniffing and listening, her whiskers a'twitch. "It's so quiet."

*

The Kabutops looked at each other, then at Amphiptere. The female spoke first." You are very young, yes?"

"Young ones make mistakes often" the male muttered.

"The stone is very important, and very, very dangerous at the same time." The female spoke.

"It will lead to our destruction, or be the thing that saves us," the Male countered.

"We know what you are, and what creatures you are with" the female spoke.

"The crystals of the temple are never wrong" The male finished.

"We were seeking you out to protect you" The female explained.

"There are those who would want to bring you harm" The male added.

"I am called Palladin" The female introduced herself.

"I am known as Krill" the male bowed.

"And by what name may we call you?" they asked in unison.

Amphiptere frowned, unsure of wether to consider the Kabutops' kindness genuine. "I am known as Amphiptere," he said simply. "My friends are approaching...I believe they will be interested to meet you."

*

"Your highness!" Cappy scuttled over to Shitake to relay what he and Stemlong had seen."The Assassins are harboring an uplander dragon!"

"From the looks of things, it can breath fire and ice" Stemlong added.

"This is too strange for my liking" Shitake's eyes glowed with anger. "We will follow them in the parallel tunnels." the ancient pokemon retreated a few yards and, with her guards, slipped quietly into one of the side passages.

:::::::

The dark one sniffed the ground around the tracks of an enormous Parasect. A thin smile curled his lips. "So, you have finally left the safety of your throne." The dark one was on the hunt!!

**

Tachiguy moved closer to her "Yea, I dont like this one itty bitty bit...." he said sweatdropping, he had never been afraid of the dark, or of silence, but this place was just eerie. "Youko? Fei-Lin? Hellooooo????"

Echos were becoming more frequent in the tunnel system. Achi inched around, feeling for their source. "Tachi, if we keep our senses sharp to the source of these echos, we're bound to find someone soon!"

"Hey! Cool plan! Yer not just a prety face then!" said the Otachi winking, tho he doubted she saw it.

Youko set herself aglow and went back in seach of the Nidoran and Otachi. "There you are!" she exclaimed upon finding them, "I was worried! He's not far now! Follow me!" The Picomyuu flew off, her glowing body shining like a beacon. This was one of her favourite forms of the flash technique.

"Yea!" said the Otachi lovin the light "Yeay! We can see now!" he siad grinning He bounded off after the mew.

Achi followed behind Youko and next to Tachi. As the group travelled through the underground catacombs, she couldn't help but wonder about what other kinds of pokemon live below the surface.

"Tachi, tell me what you know about underground pokemon." Achi asked her wild lived friend. Surely he would know something.

"Um, weeell, I know there are a lot of underground types. Um, Sandshrew, they are cool, they be mice, and mostly are likeable, the evolved form is sandslash, and they are cool lookin, tho I only ever saw one from a distance, I hear they can be feisty. Um, there are Digletts, they are cool, sorta like worms, but with button noses, they can move very fast and ya never see the whole thing cuz they are ALWAYS partly unnerground. Ive heard of Geodudes, tho never me tone, they are like a rock with a face n some arms and I hear they are always good fo a laugh, if not the sharpest tools in the shed. Lemme see...Oh! Paras and Parasact! They live underground to, Ysee they are a bug type but they have fungus growin on thier backs that needs the darkness of the underground, so thats where they live mostly."

He paused to think "Um, I have met an Onix, they are HUMONOMOUS! Man, I never saw anything that before! Like a giant Ekans made of rocks, and there are also Zubat, which are real common and kinda annoying, I met some once at night, they bite hard!" he said frowning and rubbing his arm where under the fur there were a set of teeth marks from a nightime excursion gone wrong. "I know there is an evolved form of Zubat to, but I dunno what its called and I never met one." he smiled at her "I�m sorry, I lived a pretty sheltered life up there, I had a small patch and thats where I stayed pretty much, this last year is the only time ive ever done any real living so im sorry if im not a fountain of info, tho ill try n fill yer in on what I do know." he looked around "Yknow, this place is pretty wet, maybe we'll see some water types here to. I heard once that a type pf pokemon called Seel is fond of life in wet caves, and that ya can often find Crabby to, I met one of those once, my mother wanted me to eat it, that was one winter when we had nothin else to eat, but I doidnt want to so we didnt and it stayed in our burrow fer a few days, we made feiends actually." he smiled "He left a looong time ago tho, I wonder where he got to? O well, anthin else ya wanna know about?"

"Uhm... yes" Achi pointed to a small beige colored pokemon with a skull mask. It was sitting on a rock and crying. "What's that?"

Tachiguy halted and stared. "Um...now wait a sec..." his brow furrowed in thought, he remembered someone telling him about something like that. "I know its a ground type, um, and this one looks sad." he looked at her "Shall we go see why its crying? Maybe we can help and maybe it can help us navigate these tunnels!"

"I don't think it will harm us. Poor little thing" Achi strayed to the edges of the light cast by Youko.

"Err, hello little one. Are you ok?" Achi asked kindly.

"Who 'a you. Notta me kind!" The tiny pokemon jumped behind the rock," Go 'a leave. Scarra' me!"

Achi had a hard time understanding the little one's speach. "Uh Tachi, you try talking to it."

"ooo! he be talkin like I used to as a littlun!" grinned Tachiguy who walked over to the rock and peered over smiling "Hiya! Im Tachiguy! Um, ya have a name? Yer a cute li'l thingamie, someone must love ya enuff to have named ya!" he grinned and sat on top of the rock facing the little creature

"Bigga' fur go' a way" the little pokemon jumped back on top of the rock and puffed his little chest out to make himself look bigger, " Bigga' Sissser tella me norra talka' stanger!"

The toddler pokemon paused, "... but I no finda' bigga' sissser norra ware"

**

The dark one was hot on the scent of the Parasect ruler. Ever since the day she had defeated his father and banished him to the molten pits of the volcano heart, he had longed for revenge. Time had been generous with him. He grew from cubhood to the dark feind he is now.

The dark one paused to relish in memories of his triumph in the firey hades he now ruled. His first battle with the Magmar clan and his first taste of pure victory.

The dark one recalled the day he had learned of the stone and its power. A feeble aged Umbreon had tried to bargain for his life with the information. The fool! the dark one thought to himself.

The dark ones thoughts returned to the stone, and his goals. He stood up and sniffed the stones and sand of the cavern floor. He would find her soon enough.

:::::::::::::::::::::

"Good for your freinds to join us" Krill nodded in ernest.

"Many things are happening" Paladin spoke.

"The stones of the Crystal temple have predicted much turmoil and warn of dark threats" Krill looked about for signs of other creatures.

"Hush now" Paladin cautioned.

~The walls can hear~ Krill now spoke telepathicly.

Amphiptere nodded, "And we're glad to join you, since we seem to have the same goal in mind. Tell me, are you the only ones who live down here?"

:::::::::::::::::::::::

Red-Fang enjoyed his prey's flesh at its natural temperature. He crunched on a few finer bones to extract the marrow. He got up and left the fleshy litter behind a crag in a wall.

The Nyura was still bothered by his master's indifferent treatment of him. " Knowledge is power" the dark cat reminded himself, " and perhaps it's time for my own power to grow"

Red-Fang made a descision not to tell another bit of important news to the Dark One again. "If that hell's hound wants to rule, he will have to do it with out -my- help!"

**

Sensing the two stray, Youko wheeled gracefully around and floated between Achi and Tachi. "A Cubone," she mused, "There's no sense in talking to it if it refuses to be friendly...although it does seem rather dangerous to leave such a young Pokemon all alone."

The tiny cubone heard what the Mew had to say. He stamped his tiny foot defiantly, "Norra byselfa'! Havvuh' bigga' sissser. Jus can't finda' wherra' she beeing at."

The baby cubone observed how the Mew's body seemed to illuminate the cave. A thought slowly entered his young mind. "You'a glowwa' shine! You'a make'a alla' place easy-see! Helpa' me finda' bigga' sisser pwease?"

The Cubone's words struck a chord in Youko's heart and she smiled. "I could try, little one...can you describe her to me? Or do you just want to come along?"

"Yea?" said the Otachi somewhat sadly "Well, im not actually that strange, and do ya have any idea where yer sis might be?" he queried, "By the way, im pretty impressed! Yer pretty brave fer a leedle keed!"

"yea, we gotta help him, hes so tiny, but pretty brave, sides which he'll know this place better than we ever could."

"Ok, well heres the deal buddy." said the Otachi, "Heres an idea, why doont you help me and Achi find our son, and then we can help yall find yer sis Hhmmm? See, he is a powerful pokemon and im sure he'll find her simple as pie. Waddaya think keed?"

The cubone kit looked from Tachi to Youko to Achi then turned a few paces. He stood next to Tachi and sized the Otachi up.

"Bigga' sisser bigger tall dan bigga' fur. Bigga' sisser havva' brayva' bone mask an' she havva' bigga' fighta' club-bone!" The toddler tried the best he could to describe his elder sibling.

When he was certain they had all heard him, he turned to Tachi. "Bigga' fur, an' glow'a shine helpa' me finda' bigga' sisser an I showa' you sayffa' path an helpa' you find your baby-son!"

Achi smiled " Thank you, little one!"

Tachi grinned and rubbed the youngsters skull cap "Yea! Thats the spirit! So I guess yer bigga sis is just a real big version of you? Well, shouldnt be too hard to find. And thanx for offering to help find Amphiptere (sp?...gawd I cant even spell my own sons name proply...>.<!!) its a great help li'l guy!"

Youko grinned again, spiraling around the Cubone's head. From the perspective of the Picomyuu, the Cubone was not small, but rather a bit larger than herself. "I'm guessing she's a Marawak, then!" the round, pink Pokemon said. "All right, I can work on that. Come with me, young one." She floated head first a little down the cavern, signalling the Cubone to follow her.

**

The sibling Kabutops looked at each other then at the young dragon pokemon. "There are many, many kinds of pokemon down here" Krill started. "We have lived here for centuries, watching them come and go" Paladin continued. "Our purpose here is to protect the balance" Krill stated. "Our ancestors before us did te same." Paladin added. "We sleep untill some one wakes us" Krill explained. "Sometimes it is good, sometimes it is bad. Sometimes it is an accident" Palidin spoke. "Long ago, when the world was in it's first ice, our ancestors found a large stone from the sky. It was warm, yet cold .... always in conflict but also in harmony" Krill's eyes glowed with memories of the tale. "As the world changed, the land and animals changed as well. But our Ancestors remained with the stone, guarding it and guiding those around it" Paladin continued the story. "They were always there to keep the balance of good and evil, light and dark, warm and cold, and life with death. The stone has that power" Krill settled himself to the ground and relaxed his pose. "We are the last of the tribe who stayed to protect the stone. In these caves there are two main forces who have used the stone. A dark beast who used it for death, and a kinder hearted mushroom-bug who used the stone to build life." Paladin began to sharpen a claw on the stone ground. "It has been almost 2 centuries since our last awakening. We were aroused from our slumber by the dark Lord to despatch a growing nusance of peace loving pokemon spreading their ideals through his kingdom." Krill mused over the history. "We consulted the crystal cavern temple, as our ancesters once did. We saw the balance was tipped to one side and set out to right it." Paladin added. "Now we have seen what must be for the balance to remain for ever. The stone's time is almost done. Its very essence is filled with the energy of those who have lived in the past. We have forseen the Underground rulers' death" Krill spoke solomly

Amphiptere nodded slowly, "A bad omen indeed...but tell me, what will happen when this ruler dies? Will another come fourth or will this entire place fall to ruins?" The dragon looked around, his smokey purple eyes glittering like metal ore in the darkness.

Krill looked at his sibling, then back at Amphiptere. "The temple did not say. It lists a ruler of good, a ruler of evil then darkness overthrowing evil and ends with oblivion."

"We are certain the stone itself, is what must be destroyed to keep the balance" Paladin added.

. :::::::::::::::::::::::::

Shitake was very alarmed at this news. Surely the assasins had lost their minds!! 'I have at least a hundred more good years left before I hand over the throne to one of my children!' Shitake thought to herself.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Red-Fang had taken a few side passages around the main tunnel networks to where the stone lay. He dared not touch it. Its solar stone peices would cause him unnessesary pain! He noted the scent of several uplanders around the stone. He also noticed a chunk of the stone was missing!! 'HA!, let's see if the hell hound can rule the world with part of the stone missing!!! ' Red-Fang snickered to himself. He would -not- pass this information on to anyone! Expecially not his ungrateful former master!

**

The cubone looked at Youko suspiciously. "Howwa' shine n' glow know what bigga' sisser growed to?"

Without waiting for a response, the cubone cub pointed to a passage on the left. "Thissa' way tayka' us to water-stream. Bigga' sissser alla' say walka' by water-stream keepa' self-noise covered. I tayka' you to place I see bigga' sissser last. Mosta' poke-mon go there... finda' 'dopted baby, I bet!"

Achikochi knelt by the toddler. "You are smart for one so small. Would you like to ride on my back?"

"I walka' by self!" the cub crossed his little chubby arms across his chest in refusal. Achi looked hurt, and surprised. The little cubone relaxed his pose, " I havva' be strong like'a my bigga' sissser!" he explained.

"Well , if you say so" Achi moped. After all the nice pokemon she had met, and after she had thought she had wild, free pokemon figured out, the cubone had just seeded some doubts in her head about the true nature of this journey.

"You'a nice'a twinkle-furra'." the cubone patted Achi's paw and walked ahead of the group, under Youko.

"Twinkle-furra?" Achi smiled and followed along. A thought crossed her mind. "Uhm, guys, what happened to Rocky and Fei-lin?"

Fei-Lin wanders out of the shadows, over to where Achi and the others were, blinking her eyes, trying to adjust to the light. "Hey, there you guys are....i was lost back there in the dark. What's going on?"

"Oh thank goodness!" Achi sighed with relief. "This baby cubone is going to help us navagate through the tunnels until we find mine and Tachi's baby dragon"

Achi's eyes still had a worried expression. If only she knew that Rocky was ok as well....

"Yer, walkin makes ya tuff." said Tachiguy to the little kid and looked at Achi, seeing she was somewhat hurt by his refusal. "Um...." he didnt know what to say so just put an arm around her. "Yer, my Twinkle furra." he said smiling at her, he knew she had been surprised by the little ones attitude, but hoped she would come to understand that this kid wasnt the usual Lake Eerie sort, they were mostly very friendly. He was about to whisper as much when her words struck him "Oh yea! What happened to those two?"

Youko nodded politely to Fei-lin, now hovering at the little Cubone's shoulder. She would have said something to Achi, but Tachiguy seemed to be taking care of the job quite well. She sensed that the only reason the Cubone was nice to her was the fact that she was the only one who could help find his sister. As she moved on, remaining at the toddler's shoulder, she began to sense fear in the air...superstitious, yes, but fear nonetheless. Her oversized ears twitched in agitation. "I don't think Amphiptere will be down here, little one..." she said slowly, "But we may find you're big sister."

"Um, thing is..." said Tachiguy reluctantly "Well, as much as I wanna help lilla waarriorra here, I think maybe finding Ampiptere 1st is a better plan, whose to say that he and his sister wont abandon us after we re-unite em and we will be left alone to find him and deeper into the tunnels than we are now..." it wasnt like the Otachi to be so mistrustful, but the Cubones snubbing of Achis offer had made him wonder about how trustowrthy they were....

**********************************************************************

Amphiptere frowned, "Interesting...but why destroy the stone? Will it be able to quell this prophesy?" He looked up and around him, "I would be interested to meet this ruler you speak of..." His tail swished thoughtfully against the floor, and the beat of his wings was steady and gentle.

Krill answered the first question, " The stone is too much power. As long as it exists, it will be sought after. It must be destroyed"

Paladin took on the next question," The predicions are never wrong. The balance has been tipped already by one side, and like all things in motion , it will sway to the other extreem before it is righted again. "

Krill and Paladin looked at eachother then back at the young dragon before answering the thrid question.

Krill spoke, " What would you have to say to her? "

**

Tachiguy heard a distant splash "Um, ya dont think that someone else fell in? That was a biig spalsh...."

the cubone cub nodded at Tachi, "Tougha' tougha'! Bigga sissser say havva' be tougha' or be hurted bad by darka' mean ones."

Achi thought about what the baby cubone had to say. She whispered to Tachi, " You know , I think maby, he's been raised to take care of himself in the underground. I think they have to be tough to live here. I doubt you or I could survive very long down here."

After listening to Youko's suggested trail to follow, the cubone sat down to think a few moments. He stuck his thumb in his mouth and played with a foot while swishing his tail. He looked at the meowth, then at the nidoran, at the otachi and lastly at Youko. "Shine n' bright maybe keepa' darka' meanies away with sunny fur. Darka' meanies vewy scary!" the baby made the best scary sound and posed his tiny form to look mean...... but it turned out to look more cute, "Darka' meanies donna' like'a pretty shine"

Achi stiffled the giggle that threatened to explode from her lips as she watched the antics of the baby.

Then the splash was heard (ooc: geez that growlithe must be huge to hear it this far in the cave!! 0_o, no offence growlithe's player!) The cubone jumped up. "Splasha' wetts ?"

Achi heard the splash as well.... "I hope that wasn't Rocky falling into the river!!"

"Ya think it could be?" asked tachiguy fretfully "Lets go see...?"

Achi sat down, feeling rather upset. "I know Rocky is our new freind, but our 'baby' needs to be found too. We don't even know if it is Rocky, but I want to help him if it is..... but if we go back and something happens to Amphiptere.... I..... I..... I just don't know!!" the Nidoran tried not to cry.

**

Red-Fang the Nyura, looked intensly up river. The dark cat had heard the splash and caught the scent of an uplander.

"Hmm, a fire type...... it will be weaker than normal when it washes up. " Red-Fang licked his lips and tested the tips of his fangs' sharpness on his tounge."Perr-fect!"

The dark cat hid in the shadows cast by the stone's strange light. He waited for the uplander's arrival. He had a plan.

**

Tachiguy looked down the tunnel and looked at Achi and then around the group of pokemon "should i..maybe I could go look for Rocky while you guys go and look for ampi?" he sat down next ta achi and hugged her, wrapping his arm and tail around her, "Ampi is my 1st priority, but then we cant leave Rocky woithout help if he is drowning or something...i know id never forgive myself if he drowned..." he looked at the rest "Does that sound like a plan? Ill go back to the stream and catch up with you guys later once ive seen what it is, iffn its Rox then ill be able to fiind ya by scent easily enough I hope."

A tear ran down Achi's cheek. What Tachi had said made some sense, but another fear now weighed into her mind. The fear of losing Tachi, whom she had grown truly and deeply fond of.

She leaned in closer to the Otachi's warm embrase. " I'll keep my ears alert for you. Just, don't get hurt"

Achi really wanted to say no... but knew there was no other posible choice if the Kangaskhan was in danger.... they had to split up.

He looked into her eyes, and wiped the one tear away with a claw. "Ill be fine, you just concentrate on findin Ampi. 1st sign of trouble im gone OK? I promise, yer not gonna lose me..not that easily anyways." he gave her a kiss and broke the embrace. "Right, im off. You guys get to finding Ampi, ill get Rocky and sniff ya out, then we can find leedle warriors bigga sissa." he siad smiling with a bravado he really ddint feel. "Laters." he said bounding offinto the dark. He slowed his pace, sniffing his way back to the river and going slow to allow his eyes to adjust.

Achi stood there and watched Tachi leaving. An empty shiver welled up in her gut. She would have given anything to freeze time and stop him. Four words came into her head, "Tachi, I love you." They came out, but she was not sure if she had realy said them whispered or just thought them.

The baby cubone binked a few times, them turned to Achi, "Whyya' bigga' furra go'a way?"

Achi snapped from her trance-like meloncholny, "He's going to help a freind."

"Helpa' freind?" the toddler asked, "Whatta' word 'freind'?"

Achi looked at the tiny pokemon with a bit of surprise, " 'Freinds' are people you like and don't want to see hurt. Don't you have some one like that?"

The cubone looked like he was thinking had to understand. "Couwd bigga' sissser be'a "freind'?" he asked slowly.

"Yes, she can be called your freind" Achi smiled. The cubone understood.

Youko nodded and continued down the passage. "Yes...you're big sister could be a friend...but she could also be much more than a friend if you're very close to her. Don't worry...I'll scare all the big meanies away!" She giggled and puffed her chest out. However, she felt something slightly wrong...possibly Rocky. No matter; the Otachi was a fairly experienced fighter and a young Kanghaskhan wouldn't give him much trouble.

**

Hiromi washed up onto the rocks after who-knows-how-long, soaked to the bone but satisfied of the warmth it had. Opening her emerald green eyes wide open once again, she glanced at the stone that surrounded her. This wasn't... normal; as soon as she glanced at the glow emiting from it, she thought for sure she was dead and had passed on to the afterlife. Some kind of strange presence was felt, but her thawing nose couldn't sniff anything out yet. She shook herself off- the warm water did feel good but there was no reason to let it weaken her even more - and sat down low for a rest.

Red-Fang examined the creature who had washed up onto the stone. He smiled....

The dark cat strutted into the light in front of the dark colored growlithe. Her green eyes glittered with the nieveté of so many others he had encountered. His smile broadend.

"Why hello there," Red-Fang's voice was filled with deep welcome, oozing with cultured airs, "I am called 'Red-F.." he paused, "Red-Freind. How did you happen to be washed onto this very odd stone..... and more importantly, by what name may I call you?"

The Nyura made an elegant bow and offered a paw up from the stone.

**

:::::::::

Shitake was getting edgy in the crammed hall that ran parrallel to where the Asassins were. She waved a claw over to the diglet.

Diglet quietly crept over to her and bowed, "Yes?"

"Go find out what is going on over there" Shitake pointed to the wall between them and the Assasins.

Diglet gulp and nodded. He really did NOT want to see the Assasins again .... not after the last time. He ducked way under the ground and tunneled anyway.

:::::::::::

The Kabutops were concentrating on finding the Parasect ruler by feeling fo vibrations her body put off when she moved.

"Something is coming" Krill popped up from the ground.

"It's the diglet!" Paladin warned.

~Young one, be silent..... the diglet could be a anger to you~ Krill communicated telepathicly to Amphiptere.

:::POP!:::
Diglet surffaced in front of the Kabutops. "H-her m-majesty w-w-ished to know wh-why you h-harbor th-the uplander?"

Diglet was answered with a slash attack from Paladin. "You nasty thing..... aren't you the one who woke us up!!!?"

Diglet sweatdropped and burrowed back towards the wall, facing the Kabutops who were closing in. "I-IT wasn't m-me! It t'was a-a-a- Marrowak!! ...... your highnesss!!!"

Diglet broke through the cavern wall. On the other side, Shitake and her guards looked on with surprise.

Krill communicated to Amphiptere telepathicly once more , ~ Dragon, watch your tounge, this is the Undergroud ruler....... she hates uplanders~

Amphiptere smiled, "I am no uplander in the truest sense of the word. I shall explain if she wishes me to...and thank you for the warning." Amphiptere's wings beat faster as he prepared to follow whoever was going to lead him. As it stood he felt rather like a rat in a maze.

Amphiptere looked around warily. He could smell something...but he didn't know what. In any case, it could be dealt with later. He concentrated on following the Kabutops in the dim light. He sencirely hoped the journey wasn't going to be long.

**

The baby cubone followed alongside Achi, who dragged her claws on the ground as she walked. She was terribly worried about what kinds of trouble Tachi might get into.

The cubone toddler looked up at Youko. "Shine n' brwight an twinkle furra can being mine freinds?" His voice was filled with the excitement he had over this newly discovered concept.

Achi smiled weakly, "Yes, we can be freinds"

The cubone skipped and hopped, then waited for the mew to answer.

Achi walked on, under Youko's glow, and quietly prayed to any higher power she could name for the safety of Amphiptere , Tachi and Rocky.

*

Fei-Lin wandered around aimlessly in the dark yet again. She sighed. "oy, thats the second time i've been separated from the group today....i must be going for a new record or something..." Just then, her night vision kicked in (hey, shes part cat aint she??) and she spotted a striped figure in the darkness. She sniffed the air, then almost instantly her fur stood on end. "A growlithe..." she grumbled, her natural insticts to fear canines kicking in.

While waiting for a response from the dark colored Growlithe, Red-'friend' caught the scent of another uplander traveling in thier direction.

"Hmmmm, at this rate I'll have a whole army of uplanders" he mused to himself.

Hiromi blinked at the Nyuura's appearance, still incompletely unaware of where the heck she was. A nice fellow, the cat seemed however... "My name's... Hiromi," she cleared her throat a bit. "I was travelling through a chilly wind, musta' died of the frost out there. Not even a dark-furred fire-type can handle it fully..." She accepted the lift up on to higher ground. "Thanks. What is this place anyways? Some uncharted area?" She looked down to the shimmering stone below. "Or did I really die, and reach the afterlife...?"

"Hiromi? What a delightful name" Red-'freind' coated every word with dripping sincerity," You have fallen to the Underground. You're not passed on at all, in fact, that rock you are sitting on should have healed you"

The Nyura grinned with gentalmanly airs, "Are you hungry? I could get you something to eat if you like. How do you feel about Rattata or other small meals?"

"Hungry? Am I definitely! Anything would be nice, thank you."

Hiromi's mind was clear of confusion, many thanks to cat. Despite his devious appearance, he really did seem to be the warm-hearted kind...

Red-'freind' dissapeared for a few moment, returning with a freshly killed Golbat. His teeth flashed in an overly freindly smile.

"These are harder to catch than Zubat," he winked at Hirome, "But I'm a bit hungry myself." The Nyura lay the golbat before the smokey colored growlithe. The bat had been cleanly killed with very little damage to it's body. The flesh was warm and tender.

Red-'freind' waited for Hirome's approval of the kill.

**

Shitake was in shock, then just horrified.

"YOU assasins.... YOU are supposed to PROTECT the underground.... and here you stand in peace with thissss - thisssss UPLANDER!!!" The Parasect was enraged!!!

" We -DO- protect the underground. There is no need for us to destroy the Uplanders when they come here by accident" Paladin tried to reason with the angry monarch.

"They touched the stone... they must be punnished!!!" Shitake was adamit about her laws.

"The stone must be destroyed" Krill announced boldly.

The hush was intense. No one with the queen would dare to think of destroying the stone!! It was like destroyng the sun!

A hot sulfuric tasting wind sucked through the passage. The Dark one was coming!!!!

Shitake became very afraid.... and ran. She had to get to the stone!!!

Krill and Paladin both knew what was going to happen. "Come with us" they spoke to the dragon as they began to follow the vanishing sounds of the royal guards in flight behind their queen.

Diglet, who was too afraid to move, was left behind.

*

The dark one could almost taste the Queen's flesh between his wicked teeth as he tore into an unlucky paras. It was nothing more than a mere snack to the devil dog.

Warui Oni continued down the halls of the maze he would soon rule under his dark claw. He sniffed the ground. There was the taint of blood in the dusty rock and the scent of his Nyura informant.... "Good to see he's thinning the Marrowak population."

The dark one continued his hunt. He was certain his prey was close.

*

Shitake was racing as fast as she could to reach the stone. It was a great source of power that would help her set things straight in the underground. There was no way she would allow things to be otherwise.

Her soldiers scuttled behind her.... afraid of being caught by the Assasins, but more afraid f their ruler's wrath.

::::::::

Krill and Paladin turned a corner in the tunnel. The passage was warm and wet.

"Follow us if you can swim!" Krill called to Amphiptere and jumped into the underground river. They had to get to the stone and destroy it!

::::::::

Achikochi was suddenly feeling ill. Not really sick, just uneasy and nautious. Something in her gut told her things were not right.... something in the air.... felt wrong.

:::::::

Shitake caught the sent of uplanders in the breeze..... She halted her group and sent forth the Trio brothers.

"Find them and get rid of them!!" Shitake ordered.

The Trio Brothers marched forth.... ready to carry out thier commands.

*

tachiguy paused, he had heard more unnatural splashing in the water, and was that...scuttling? Both were a long way off he knew, but the noise reverberating in the tunnels was catching the pokemons sensitive ears. "Right, Rocky, we are gonna have company soon...be in the lookout OK..."

*

Youko shuddered; something was VERY wrong. She could tell Achi felt it too. "I want to get out of here..." she murmored. The little Pokemon glanced sympathetically back at Achi, wishing she could help. The trail she had been following was getting thicker, when suddenly she peeked into a cavern and saw what she had dreaded. A Marawak's skull lay battered and broken on the stone floor. "Achi...you'd better come have a look at this..."

*

The sounds from the water became louder. "Something is swimmin this way..." thought the Otachi. "Roclky, lets get to the River, where that big bright healing rock is, Cmon!" he said bounding off, back sniffing thier path throught the mazey caverns. He could smell achi on the rocks and gravel "I hope she is doing OK...."

*

Amphiptere grinned and dove in after the Kabutops, spreading his wings so they acted like fins. His tail swished easily back and fourth, acting roughly like a rudder.

"Is it far?" he asked, "I can swim, but I don't know for how long. I'm not a fish, you know."

:::::::::::::::

"Let the water carry you" Paladin instructed. "The warm waters are thick with minerals from the ground. If you stop moving you will float"

"This is a short cut to the Stone.... we Have to get there first!" Krill paddled his way forward in the heated waters.

*

Achi saw the grim mess that lay on the cavern ground. She quickly turned to shield the babe's eyes from viewing it , but was too late.

The pint-sized pokemon stared wide eyed and trembling. His tiny tail drooped and his shoulders went stiff. Rivers of tears flowed from him.

Achi slowly approached the shocked little pokemon. "Maby... it wasn't her" she tried to comfort the little one.

The Cubone refused to talk. His small form went pale and he threw up.

"Youko... " Achi asked in tearful despairation ," can you do anything to help him?"

*

Tachiguy was running full speed towards the river and the stone, he didnt know exactly why, he just felt that was where he was meant to be, the noises from the river had quieted down, as if whatever it was in the water had stopped its swimming "Geez, I hope its not someone else falklen in and drowned and I didnt get there in time..." he thought as he nearred the stone...and stopped as the scent of two unfamiliar pokemon assaulted his nostrils, the stone was in view, but he ducked behgind a rock, seeing the Nyuura and Growlithe, both pokemon species he had never seen before. "Man, what am I gonna do....friend or foe? Could they help us??" he thought as he crouched behind the rock watching the two pokemon as they were surveying waht looked like a meal of some sort.

*

Red-'freind' smiled slyly. He caught the scent of the uplander and heard it dive behind a rock.

"Excuse me a moment" the Dark cat bowed away from the growlithe, leaving her to eat the meal he had provided.

He walked over to the darkness where the uplander had hid himself.

"Uplander, show yourself if you be the freindly type or leave!" The Dark cat demanded in an even, authoritive, but non-threatening voice.

::::::::::

Diglet gasped..... it was the last sound he ever made. Warui Oni licked the blood off his claws and left the body behind. He never did care for the little dirt dwellers. He continued his advancement towards the scent of Shitake.

:::::::::

The Trio Brothers appeared before Achi and Youko. The saw the sick little cubone and the Marrowak skull and grew very angry.

"Um, hello?" Achi tried to be freindly, but had a feeling she was wasting her breath.

Shoving the cubone aside, the Trio brothers charged Achi. The Tackle attack knocked the wind from the Nidoran and sent her tumbling.

The baby cubone still stood motionless and unresponsive.

Achi coughed and tasted blood in her mouth. She snarled weakly and lowered her horn to the Dugtrio's direction.

"Care to try that again!" she spat.

"You Uplander will never see the light of your world again!" One of the trio snarled. The Three attacked the Nidoran again, this time with Tri-Attack.

Achikochi was knocked silly by the blow. Her silvery body shuddered ander mind clouded over. "Fight" she commanded herself.

The Cubone cub stared out, blankly.

Achi roused herself to stand. She lowered her horn again. " I won't let you win!" she panted the threat.

The Trio Brothers laughed sadisticly. "Who ever said we needed your permission!"

The three brothers grabbed Achi by the leg and sent her flying into a cavern wall with 'Seismic Toss'

Achi hit the wall with a hollow thud and fell limply to the floor.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" The tiny cubone underwent 'Rage' and set upon the Dugtrio with 'Rock-Slide' Two of three brothers excaped most of the potentail danger with 'Dig' They disapeared from battle. The remaining Diglet would remain for eternity.

The tiny terror would give no quarter. He was determined to beat this Trio at all costs. He had to defend his freinds. He grabbed the fist thing he could find for a weapon. It was the larger half of an old Aereodactyl bone, part of his elder sibling's beloved bone-club.

*

Youko gasped and her face immediatly hardened. Her body started to glow with a pink light. "PSYBEAM!!!!" She screamed, aiming the attack at one of the Dugtrio.

*

Amphiptere did as they suggested, and his body lifted to the surface of the water. For a brief moment, he thought he smelled his father...but could he be sure?

*

Shitake could hear nothing more from down the way. "The Trio Brothers are quick" She smiled to herself. "Move out!" Shitake ordered her crew to advance.

:::::

The two remaining trio brothers saw the attack coming at them just a little too late.

Youko's Psybeam cut the diglet population down by one more. The remaining diglet snarled and used his last resort.

'Toxic'

The entire passage was filled with a deadly cloud of gas. The diglet dropped out of site and ran. He would never be able to show himself to the world he had known again.

The baby Cubone sputtered in the poisoned air. Achi was still out, but appeared uneffected by the poison.

::::

Shitake could hear nothing more from down the way. "The Trio Brothers are quick" She smiled to herself. "Move out!" Shitake ordered her crew to advance. :::::

Krill and Paladin's wedged shaped form sliced through the waters at a good even speed. Up ahead was a huge shaft of light and a cold chilling wind where the 'Fissure' to the underground had been created. It was near sunset... possibly past that hour.

"We are almost there" Paladin communicated to the young Dragon Pokemon.

"When we arrive, you must not interefere with the affairs of the underground. Protect your Uplander freinds if you wish, but do not fight unless its in defence" Krill was strangely aggressive in his tone.

"The Crystal Temple has shown us what will happen to the monarch, and the evil one who follows. Your part will come to play near the end..... but you must be strong enough and wise enough to avoid the main battle" Paladin explained further.

Krill quieted and focused his mental communications to just his sibbling, "Are you ready to see mother and father again?"

Paladin's eyes flashed breifly and she paddled ahead of her brother without responding.

*

Tachiguy rose up on his big tail. "Im Tachiguy and im of the freindly sort yea." he said looking at the Cat. "Tho im in kind of a hurry to find my child, yall havent seen a big Dragon type around the place have ya? If you could tell me where he is ill be forever in yer debt." he looked at the cat pokemon, it wasnt anything like any pokemon he had seen before bar meowth, and with a very slight resemblance to Mew, but this one looked...not as nice as the other afore mentioned ones, but then was anything down here as nice looking? He decided that he had best be on his guard, but not make it apparent, after all it was unfair to judge on appearance alone and the cat seemed friendly enough in its mannerisms...

"No, I have not seen a dragon type wandering in the halls of my home." The Nyura looked at the Uplander pokemon with a puzzled expression.

"Pardon me, but you do not look like a dragon type at all .... perhaps your mate is?"

Tachiguy blushed somewhat at the mention of Achi as his mate "Um, well actually......" an idea hit him, "..eh, theres more to me and her than meets the eye good sir..." he smiled knowingly. Perhaps if things did get nasty something of a more impressive image may help. "Anyway, if you havent seen him i dunno where he is, and i need to find out." he started to look worried, "Perhaps your friend, that thing over there could tell me? ya think it knows?" he said pointing at the Growlithe.

Red-'freind' tipped his ears to one side. "That uplander, is a Growlithe and she wouldn't know any more than you would about these caves. She just washed up from the river not too long ago."

The dark cat walked in a swaggering gate up to the odd looking Uplander. "What are you? .... you don't smell of the dragon type at all!"

The Nyura made sure he was between the Uplander and the Growlithe.

The Otachi was a little worried. He used his tail like a spring and landed on the opposite side of the cat. "I dont?" he said innocently "Well, that is odd." he changed the subject. "So, that Growlithe i think ya called it, is an 'uplander' to? Cool. He turned his back on the cat and ran over to the Growlthe "Hey there! You fell down here to eh?"

Rocky turned to Tachi. " Who are they?"

"Ummm, one is a Growlithe apparently..." said the Otachi, "The other one is a Cat..thing."

"Oh, I think I hear Ampi" Rocky mummbles, picking up his ear.

Red-'Freind' watched the Otachi with distrust. He didn't like what the Uplander had called him, nor did he want the Otachi near his young new freind.

"I am NOT a "cat-thing" "the Nyura hissed, "I am a Nyura. A master of dark and ice!!"

The dark feline got up into Tachi's face. "I see you keep those rouge Kangaskhans as company. DID you know they have been destroying -MY- world just by living down here??!!!"

Red-'Freind' shoved passed the Otachi. "You over-grown rats!!! You'll eat the underground out of their entire food supply!!" he shouted at the Kanaskhan then turned back to the Growlithe. "My dear, we may have to show them who's boss around here!"

"You can't talk to them or Tachi that way!" Little Rockly cires, staring at the Cat-thing. " We are more Wallabys, as Tachi put it, than Rats!"

Red-'Freind' snarled and bared his teeth, "Meh... I bet you don't know what either of those creatures are you over-grown pack-rat!"

Red-'freind's eyes turned to glowing magenta orbs. He readied to bare his huge razor-like claws at any given moment.

"1st of all what do you care what they eat?" asked the Otachi, "From what i can tell you eat other pokemon, Khangas there be vegetarians, im an Omnivore meself, but anyway thats beside the point." he walked over to the Nyuura. "I dont keep them as comapny as you well know, im an 'uplander' so why o why would you think i hung out with a bunch of creatures that live down here, Rocky is an uplander to." he disliked this Nyuura, his attitude had changed from smarmy niceness to hissing aggressiveness to fast to be natural, or a good thing. "Anerways, it was very nice to make your aquantance mr Nyuura, but me and my friend will be off to find my son now. Later." he looked at Rocky "Ya say you heard him? Where Rocky? Please, lets hurry?"

*

Amphiptere nodded, "I shall do as you bid to the best of my ability...you know the ruler and this entire place far better than I, so I will gladly trust you're judgement on the matter." He continued his almost gliding motion through the water as he followed his guides.

*

Youko coughed as the effect of the poison took hold of her. She sank to the ground and her little body slouched against the wall. The little Pokemon coughed again, but this time it was much worse. "This...::cough:: is not ::cough:: good...::COUGH::..."

*

"Of course I care what -they- eat!!" The dark cat hissed." The things I eat live off of plants or bugs. The bugs live off of plants. But if those Kangaskhan keep eating all the plants, my prey can't find food!! And when they don't eat, I don't eat... get it!!!" Then the Otachi had turned around to leave.

Red-'freind' growled. "Good, leave and go find your 'dragon-son' ..... and if you find a way out, take those oversized gerbils with you!!"

Tachiguy smiled. "Maybe i will at that. Up there is a heckuva lot nicer than down here anerways." he looked at the Nyuura. "How come ya seem so tense? Its almost like yer all hyped up Like, tense, calm yerself a little, make life easier. Later." said the Otachi heading for the river close by.

The Nyura eased the tension in his claws. Perhaps he wouldn't need them after all. He turned back to the dark Growlithe. "Are you enjoing dinner?"

"Ain't the best-tasting, but I'd eat anything at this rate!" Hiromi was too focused on her meal to notice any other conversation. "Many thanks for offering somethin' to rid of my hunger, pal!" Obviously, she didn't know the cat's true way of life.

*

The mushroom bug inhaled the air that surounded the pokemon she saw when she advanced into the cavern. The Trio Brothers had used Toxic. She smiled. No Uplander could survive this!.

"Your highness, a cubone cub has been affected!" Stemlong pointed at the tiny babe.

"Carry him, and the others. When we get out of this hall I will heal the cubone. It won't do him any good to be healed just to get ill again by breathing the gass here." Shitake ordered.

The Paras guards lifted the downed pokemon and followed thier queen down the path leading to the stone.

Achi's eyes fluttered open. The Mew's body was bareley glowing, but she could see that they were being carried away. She remained relaxed and kept her ears alert for clues.

"Oh, majesty. What will we do with the bodies of the uplanders?" Cappy asked as they trudged along.

"We'll make sure the Toxic attack has done its job, then get rid of their bodies at on of the exits." the Parasect answered.

"Ah, so that' what happened" Achi thought to herself. "I don't think the leader knows I'm immune to the 'Toxic' attack" (ooc: it never works on my gameboy!)

The mushroom bugs were clear of any hint of the gas, and several hundred feet from the last corrador to the stone. The underground river flowed there. Stemlong thought he saw a few large shapes flow by.

Shitake called the group to a hault. "Wash them off in the river" she commanded.

The Paras did as they we told. Scrubbing the residue of the Toxic gas off each of the Uplanders and the baby Cubone.

The Nidoran and Piccomyuu were left to one side, and the baby cubone brought before the parasect. Achi kept her eye on the monarch, watching her every move.

The Parasect reached to the left of her mushroom cap and clipped a peice of it off. She clipped the peice into smalled peices and fed them to the baby cubone.

The wee litte cubone fluttered his eyelids open. "Bigga' sissser say seeing you soon" the cubone murmured and fell asleep.

Shitake lay the tot down on a mossy covered rock and motioned for her guards to pick up the other two and follow.

'I've got to get some of the Parsect's mushroom cap to save Youko" Achi thought to herself. The air was becoming very familiar. "Tachi? Rocky?" she thought she recognised thier scent.

*

Tachiguy was at the river bank, testing the air for signs of Ampi. *sniff*" Where could he be? I know i heard SOMETHING here, i hope hes OK..." then something different caught his attention "Achi....?" he whispered and smelled again, there it was! He perked up his ears and listened..

*

The Kabutops glided through the waters with just their eyes above it. They saw the Mushroom bugs parading down the hall towards the stone. The current of the river ushered them along quickly.

"We are almost at the Stone, just a few feet more" Krill announced.

"Wait a second," Paladin cautioned, "Look! There are other pokemon there."

Sure enough, the forms of several pokemon could be seen milling around the stone. But they weren't any of Shitake's crowd.

::::::::::::::::::::

Warui Oni had picked up his pace down the cavern passages. He was hot on the Parasect's trail.

The remaining Trio Brother ran smack into the devil dog.

*

Tachis ears did indeed pick up movement in the water, and he could see something to...tho not clearly, the dark was making it nigh impossible to doistinguish what was coming, one thing was for sure, it wasnt Achi, there were at least 2 of em, and they were big.

*

Red-'freind' smiled, "I'm glad I could quell your hunger, m'lady. I appologise if you are not used to this kind of fare. I'll try for something more familliar to your tastes next time"

It was becomming appearent that this young, midnight colored Growlithe had struck a strange chord in the dark cat. He wasn't sure of what it was, but something made him want to hide her from the world.... and leave his own world and past behind.

Hiromi nodded to Red-'friend's apology. "'Tis alright. I mean, I don't suspect there be the most savory food down here..."

She abandoned what was left of the kill, laying down to take a much- needed rest, completely disregarding the other voices that rang out in the area. "Eh... any well-kept parts of this cave nearby to take a good rest in? I'm definitely in for a snooze after what's happened earlier..."

*

Amphiptere could smell his mothers...and his father. However his father was much closer...wait, no - he was at the stone! With a easy, graceful motion of his wings he rose from the canal, his body glistening with water droplets. His bright purple eyes moved from his father to the Nyuura, and then to the Growlithe. Before moving, however, he waited for Paladin and Krill to surface. Dispite himself, he had developed a profound respect for the pair of ancient warriors.

*

Youko's body slumped against a rock and with the shred of conciousness she had the little Pokemon could feel her life being sucked away. Mentally she cursed herself for not using Barrier fast enough, but no matter. ::Achi...I can use Recover on myself to keep alive for a period of time,:: she said mentally to the Nidoran, ::However, it will only work for so long. I need that antidote, and you'll have to get it, but remember that you don't need to rush and make a foolhardy move.:: She used Recover and instantly felt her conciousness return. She was, however, careful to keep the glow of her body down. She even went so far as to dim it.

*

"I think I heard him over to my left....AMPI!!!!!" He screamed, then covered his ears. " Wow, load echo"

Amphiptere grimaced at the echo. He had been communicating by telepathy for so long that the sound was hard on his hears. "Yes...I am here, and I'd thank you to stop referring to me as "Ampi"."

"YEA!" yelled the Otachi, not to loudly so as not to make a worse echo, he dashed along the bank and got as close to his son as possible "Hey! Man, am i glad to see ya! Geez, whered ya go? I was so worried!" he curled his tail beneath himself and used it like a spring to leap and land on his sons now very large back and hugged him. "I oughta tell yall off fer dissapearin that way, ya had everyone else worried sick, but im over the moon yer OK! Um, ya are arent ya? No broken bones? Cuts or anythin?"

"Tachi, now really!" said Amphiptere with a laugh, "You're my FATHER! You can call me Ampi if you want...and so can my mothers, but I'd prefer if only you 3 called me that." He turned and gave Rocky a friendly wink, "I didn't think you'd want to call me by a nickname seeing as we've hardly met, but if you DO want to how's Tere?"

Tachiguy griinned "Ok, thats cool. Its cute anyway." he hugged his son again "Geez, i cant WAIT for Achi ta see ya! Shell be over the moon! Lets go find her?" Tachiguy saw the Meowth "Hey Fei-lin! ya seen Achi or Youko?"

**

Krill and Paladin surfaced from the river . The water hissed as micro rivers off thier bodies. Their shield-shaped heads rose high above the pokemon by the stone.

Their eyes glittered red. The glow of the stone gleamed brightly off the cruel shaped scythes carried under their head.

The pair of assasins stepped forth.

Red-"freind" made himself scarce. The dark cat hid in the blackest shadows. The reputation of the Twin Assasins was enough to spook him away.

::::::::::::

"Just where are you going?" Warui Oni had the remaning Trio brother pinned with a claw to the diglet's nose.

"N-no where" the brother squeaked.

"You're in too much of a rush to be going 'nowhere' "the dark canine snarled, " Where is your queen now?"

"I- I don't know" the diglet squirmed, trying to excape.

Warui Oni tightened his grip on the Diglet.

"Ack...she...gat...huh....ssto" the brother coughed and gasped for air.

The devil dog smiled, showing off his wickedl sharp fangs. "Enjoy the afterlife"

The Trio Brothers were reunited.

*

Achi watched the Parasect and her kin exit the tunnel to the chamber with the stone. She silently padded over to Youko.

"I'll be back soon, I promise!" she nudged the tiny mew reasurringly.

Achi crept up on the mushroom bug clan as quetly as possibly. Shitake had sent her troops up ahead of her.

Achi would have the perfect opprotunity to attack the queen from behind.

Up ahead she could smell the familliar scent of Tachi, and their 'son' Amphiptere.

The mushroom bugs halted just at the entrance to the Stone's cavern. Shitake was waiting to see what was going on between the outsiders and the Assasins.

:::::::::::::

Warui Oni was on the trail again. He entered a cavern filled with Toxic gas. He breathed it deeply, then ignited the rest with the hellish flames of his own breath.

He watched withfull satisfaction as the noxious fumes burst into purple-red flames, then dissapeared. The devil dog picked up the scent of the Parasect and followed it. He knew he was very, very close

*

"Oooh...." siad the Otachi looking at the two Kabutops. "Um...oooo." they were big, and they looked mean to. "Um, Ampi? Who are they? And like, are they sorta, well friendly n such?"

*

Krill and Paladin both ignored the tiny uplanders in their path They walked over to the stone and moved any of the pokemon near it away.

The twin assassins lifted their claws.......

:::

Shitake watched with horror as she realised what was about to happen.... "Noooo you can't!!!"

The parasect charged forward , bowling over her guards and rushing to the stone.

Achi was left to deal with the confused paras left behind. She bolted through the lot of them in hopes of catching the queen. She -HAD- to get the antidote of the poison to Youko.

:::::

Baby Cubone had awaken from his sleep. A vision he had was knawing at him to get up and find the Shiny uplander.

::::::

Warui Oni was almost there.

*

"WAAH!" Yelled the Otachi looking at the Kabutops "Whatre they DOING?" he yelled leaping from Ampis back and landing on the bank, he watched as they raised thier slashing blades...and then another pokemon ran out of the tunnels, floowed by a familiar scent. "Achi...."

*

Amphiptere grinned, "Uncle Rocky? Hey! I can go for that! Now hold on tight!" He beat his wings and raised himself to the far top corner of the cavern. "Krill! Paladin! Watch out! I need a clear shot on the stone!" Noticing Achi run in, he bit his lip. With the Parasect and two of his parents running around, using the Dragon's Bane attack to destroy the rock was going to be dangerous...but wait...he frowned, where was Youko?

*

Youko groaned, her energy wavering again. She could tell that her ability to use Recover was fading fast. Unconciosly testing the air, the Picomyuu could smell something she hadn't smelled for a long time....a Heruga. She managed to open her eyes enough to see the little Cubone. He seemed alright...but she wasn't strong enough to make sure.

*

Tacghiguy saw Achi and grinned. He ran along and pounced becide her "Ya miss me?" he gave her a big hug and he looked around "Im giuessing now isnt the time for a big re-union tho..." he saw the Kabutops with raised blades, the huge parasect running towards them full speed, Red Friend ahd become scarce but the Growlithe remauned......and he could smell something else headed theirer way to...something he didnt like the smell of at all... "Im guessin it aint safe here, what shall we do? Whats goin on?"

*

Baby cubone found Youko by the archway to the Stone's cavern.

"Shine n' bright notta looky well. Looky yucky-sick" the toddler clumsily grasped the Piccomyuu and dragged her to a hidden pocket in the hall.

"Shine n' Bright hava' take cure. Make-ka' better" the cubone sat worried over his ill freind. "I no havva' cure dough."

:::::::::::

Achi half accepted the hug from Tachi. She was very happy to see him , but more focused on getting the Parasects' mushroom cure.

"Tachi, Youko's been poisoned! We have to get a peice of that Pokemon's mushroom from the left side" Achi continued her skittered pattern across the rocks and gravel towards Shitake.

:::::::::::::

Shitake had her claws busied by the Assasins. She struck out at both of them with flailing Slash attacks.

"You can't destroy the stone! It's the underground's source of life!! " she bellowed at them.

"It must be destroyed, it's power creates chaos and greed!" Krill blocked on of the rampaging royalty's claws.

Achi took this as the perfect time to jump onto the Parasect and get the cure she needed for Youko.

::::::::::::::

Warui Oni arrived in a torrent of flame. The wet grounds hissed where ever he stepped. The Hell hound either killed or badly burned the paras guards. He had missed baby cubone and Youko in their hiding spot , or he would have gotten rid of them too.

The devil dog saw the monarch's back was to him. She was too busy battling with the Assasins. Warui Oni took a deep breath and exhaled a massive Fire Blast attack onto the Parasect, aimed for her unprotected back.

Tachiguy saw Achi heading for the parasects mushroom to get the cure "She might need backup.." he thought as he ran behind...and saw the fireblast attack head straight for her "Awwww crud..." he said as the flames got closer. "Umm...waddo i DO!!!" he thought franticly as time seemed to slow to an almost painful syrupy speed, he thought of throwing himself in front of it, but it was much bigger than he was, he may stop the worst of it, but hed never survive, and it wouldnt stop her getting severely burned. The frantic feeling peaked in his stomach and he thought he would faint, but suddenly an eerie calm came over him. The world for a second became sharp and bright as a diamond, every edge and curve like the facets of some huge jewel, his body quickly took new form and he leapt in the path of the oncoming flame and dissapated it with an enormous slash attack. Jets of flame shot ut in all directions, but were quickly dissolved in the dank underground air, and the Ootachi stood stock still, with a smouldering paw raised, and a smouldering look in his eyes. Through gritted theeth he made a grunting sound, he was still not recovered from the battle with Rocky, and his paw was hurting like crazy...all in all he was not happy. "Careful where yall aim those bud..." he grated at the Dog pokemon. "Someone could get hurt...." his blue eyes locked with those of the Dark pokemons. "Like i just did..."

*

The Assasins and Shitake were still dukinig it out over the stone.The titans shoved and grunted in a powerful struggle to take control.

Achi succeeded in getting a peice of the Parasect's mushroom. The nidoran lepted off the moving bulk of the queen and found herself landing next to a strange looking , but familliar smelling Pokemon. "Tachi?"

Warui Oni snarled at the Ootachi. "This has nothing to do with you ...... yet."

The demon cur passed them up and headed for the stone. He made to pounce the queen, but was halted by Paladin.

"You will not posses the stone!" the Kabutops spoke sternly and lashed out at the Heruga with her deadly claws.

Warui Oni caught the strike in his teeth and shattered the limb. The crunch of bone and the tear of flesh could be heard by all.

Paladin shreiked in pain and withdrew in shock. Krill instantly ignored Shitake for the sake of his sibbling. Shitake's claw pierced the back of Krills' leg with 'Poison Sting'. Krill wavered as he huddled his sibbling.

The Mushroom bug queen and the Prince of the Volcano stood face to face at last.

::::::::

Achi needed to find Youko and give her this cure....... then she wanted most to get out of the Underground!!

*

Tachiguy grinned, tho that was the last thing he felt like doing. "Yup, its me Achi. Hows the new look?" he flinched as the pain in his paw inrtensified, he remebered the healing powers of the stone and said "Excuse me for a moment please Achi, i have to fix my hand or we be both in trouble." he then scooted over, laying the paw on the rock he felt an instant softening of the pain, and the relief was so intense he made a small whine. He was within feet of the Parasect Queen, and hoping that no-one would notice him there. He was trying desperately to think of how to get all his friends out of this mess, he looked around and couldnt see them all, there was Rocky and Achi, Ampi was up near the top of the place and Youko was no-where to be seen. He was still in pain but it was growing less by the second and his mind was slowly clearing.

*

Warui Oni and Shitake circled eachother near the stone. Their eyes were locked and thier bodies tensed for a battle only one of them could survive.

All the world seemed to shrink into nothingness between them. The sound of the river's passage and the gritting slide of sand with each foot step was multiplied in volume to an almost deafening sound.

Shitake's breath was slightly hurried. She knew she had little chance. Her years were too many and her body too worn.

Warui Oni was calm, patient and waiting. His body moved with a machine-like smoothness, cold and unfeeling. His eyes glinted with the knowledge of a battle that was allready his!

The two continued to circle eachother. Pressure to make a move increased. Both were waiting for the first attack, and the fatal mistake. Each one calcuated and stratagizing a million tangents to the game before it is played out.

The Kabutops looked up from thier huddle. Poison ran hot through Krill's veins. His body began to sweat and shake. Paladin grew cold as she body fell into shock from the loss of blood.Both had a duty to see the prophosy through. They had to wait untill the end.

::::::::::

Achi wandered down the scorched tunnel to find Youko. She called out to the Piccomyuu, "Youko, are you there?"

The Baby Cubone peered from the rock alclove. "Twinkle furra' comma quick. Shine n' bright notta good. Verry badda' sick!"

Achi ran to Youko's side. "I have the cure, please eat this."

*

Tachiguys paw was mostly healed, the pain subsided to a dull throb and the damage looked to be moinimal, and even the close proximity to the stone had healed his body somewhat and he smiled. "Man, i feel so much stronger now." he thought, "Id beter go find Achi." he sprinted off down the corridors, admiring his sleek nrew shape and how easily he could run now. "Achi?" he called

Achi didn't turn back to look for Tachi, she was too involved with trying to get Youko to eat the mushroom.

"I'm over here Tachi! Help me with Youko, please."

Baby Cubone peered out once more, this time to loo for Tachi. He dived back into the hole in the wall, slightly excited.

"Twinkle furra, no Bigga' furra there. Mucha' bigga Longga' furra calla' name!" the babe squeaked about.

"Cool!" said Tachiguy hearing Achis voice and heading over to her, looking down at Youko he grimaced "aww dang, that cant be good, she looks terrible!" he ran a paw over her forehead "And that fever is skyrocketing." he looked around and saw a deepish puddle, he sniffed it and it smelt clean, so he dipped his tail in it and wrung it out, and placed the cold wetness on the baby mews forehead. "That should help."

"Oh, that's a good ideal" Achi grinned. "Too bad I don't have a big tail like you do" Achi paused, now taking in the full extent of Tachi's new form, "Wow... you seem to be all tail now!"

The baby cubone tugged ruffly on Tachi's hindfoot. "Who-a' you is ? You notta' bigga furra!!" He was clearly confused.

"Um, yea! Im all tail i guess!" he smiled, then the smile faded "Um ya dont mind do ya? Like uh, i still look OK to you...dont i?" he was all self concious now. He looked at the baby cubone "Yup, im still Bigga Furra, but i evolved, Y'know, grew up?"

Youko's eyebrows fluttered but she didn't have the strength anymore to open them...much less speak. Her ability to use Recover had been used up, and she felt her conciousness slip away.

*

Amphiptere floated down, hovering protectively over the stone and the Kabutops twins. He HAD to destroy the stone...and fast. He reared his head back and let his jaw loose.

" D R A G O N ' S B A N E ! ! ! ! "

*

Achi could see that Youko was begining to fade. The nidoran popped the mushroom peice into her mouth and chewed it into a mush. The fungus had a spongey wood texture and left a numbing bitter taste in her mouth. Achi loaded a claw with the paste and dabbed it into Youko's lips. "Come on Youko, you have to get better!"

Achi waited to see if the cure would work.

The nidoran sighed and turned to Tachi. The pokemon's new look was still new to her. His body had changed from small and rounded to sleek and long. She even felt a bit intimidated and clumsy next to him. She looked at him face to face. Tachi's eyes were the same eyes she had known before.... and the familliar tuft of hair stood out from his head.

Achi smiled and threw herself into the Ootachi's chest. The nidoran broke down into sobs. "Tachi, what are we going to do? Those giant pokemon are destroying each other around the corner, and Youko is three paws onto the Raibow bridge! I don't want her to die down here in the dark!"

The baby cubone was sitting quietly next to Youko, stroking one of her hindfeet in a rhythmic compulsive way. He rocked his body back and forth and seemed to be mumbling some sort of lullaby.

Stone na deepa'
Family keepa'
Dissa warra
Safe-fa' heerra'
Darka' stay
Farra' way
Dissa warra
Safe-fa' heerra'

*

The heat of the dragon's attack only empowered the Fire and Sun stone particles in the evelution stone mass. It glowed white hot, shining as bright as a small sun.

Warui Oni winced and squinted his eyes. The light hurt. Shitake felt a breif ray of hope for her struggles. She began to soak in the rays of the Sunstone, preparing to use "Solarbeam".

::::

The Kabutops were weakening further. Paladin continued to pale further as Krill turned deeper crimson with fever. The laboured rasp of their shallow breathing was the only noise they could muster.

*

Tachiguy enfolded the Nidoran in his arms and breathed deeply. "Im sure she'll be fine, you gave her the cure, i can help keep her temperature down, its not hopeless, just hard." he kissed her and smiled "Also im pretty sure she's a psy type right? Well arent they supposed to have some natural defence agains poison? I think ittle wear off fast, we just have to let her know we are here and ready to care for her." still hugging Achi he redipped his tail in the cooling water and shook off the exess, placing it back on the picomyuus head gently. "Well," he thought to himself "at least Achi doesnt seem to dislike my new shape, id hate for that to happen, but still, will things be the same now?" he began to hum in rythym with the cubone, even though he didnt know the words, he quickly caught onto the melody and hummed it softly in the dark.

Fei-Lin caught up with Tachi and the others. ~always lagging behind....oy.~ She thought to herself. "Finally caught up with you guys.....i keep...." she stopped, staring at Tachi, who looked different, obviously. "Tachi....is that You???" she said, blinking in disbelief.

"Yea! Heya!" said tachi smiling. "Its me alright, i evolved n stuph!"

Achi very quickly rubbed away her tears at the sound of the Meowth's voice.

"Hey Fei-lin! Glad you're ok! Youko's been poisoned , but I gave her a cure. I'm waiting to see if it will work" Achi hugged Tachi tightly," Yeah, it's Tachi! He evolved! "

Achi kissed Tachi's cheek then added, "Isn't he just too handsome now!!"

Tachiguy blushed a deep scarlett under his fur "Rilly? aawwwwww!" he siad embarrassed somewhat and grinning like an idiot he kissed her back

Achi closed her eyes and leaned fully into the warm bulk of Tachi's dense fur. "Mmmmm-huh!" she purred in agreement," I think you've become the most handsome pokemon I've ever seen!"

*

The Parasect was fully charged with the Sun Stone's power. She aimed her attack for the head of Warui Oni. The demon dog was still blinded by the light from the stone.

~:~:~:~SOLARBEAM~:~:~:~

The attack met it's mark, striking the heruga between the eyes. Warui Oni Thrashed about in retaliation. His extended claws ripped at the Parasect. She was too spent to defend herself complealy and took quite a bit of damage.

Warui Oni could not see. Everything was whiting out and hazed in his eyes. The hell hound would have to depend on his sense of smell to track his prey.

The two titans of the underground circled eachother once more. Both hurting from the first exchange, and both still determined to win.

:::::::::::::

Krill and Paladin had retreated into their minds. The sounds of thier psychic voices were tiny whispers.

"Explosion is the only way." one said to the other.

"We must meditate and prepare"

*

Amphiptere shielded himself from the light with his wing. There had to be SOME way to save the Kabutops. Then he remembered the talk of the mushroom on the Parasect's back...could it help them? He looked towards the ugly, bug-like Pokemon and frowned.

*

Youko's conciousness was beginning to return to her, but she still wasn't strong enough to fully awaken. Voices swam about her head. ::Tachi, is that you?:: ::Aaaaw...rilly?:: ::I think you're the most handsome Pokemon I've ever seen!:: Her eyelids twitched some more, and she began to place the voices. One was the oddly coloured Meowth, Fei-lin...another was Achikochi, and the third...she thought on this for a moment, and then realized what had happened. Tachiguy had evolved, and the voice belonged to him. Evolution...the word turned itself over in her mind.

Tachiguy was shoclked out of his stupor by a slight movement from Youko that he felt with his wet tail, "Hey, achi, i think her eyes are opening!" he moved his tail a little so more of thre mews face was visible

Achi turned her attention to Youko as the piccomyuu twiched and stirred.

"Youko? Youko? are you awake? Please say something...." Achi looked on with a worried expression on her face.

the Cubone toddler contuneud to pet Youko's foot. His chanted lullaby was repeated over and over. If the song wasn't for Youko's comfort , then it at least seemed to comfort him. It was the lullaby his sister once sange to him. Parts of the lyrics were missing, but the simple tune was all there.

Tachiguy gently ran a paw over her forehead. "The fever has gone down a lot, think that there mushroom thing be werkin, but only time will tell." he smiled and patted the cubone on the head. "Hey there li'l guy, thats a nice song, wanna teach me the words so i can sing along?"

*

The Baby Cubone stared at Tachi with an almost blank expression.

"Bigga' Long furra wanna learn singa' sleep song?" the cubone youngster statred over again...

"Stone na deepa'
Family keepa'
Dissa warra
Safe-fa' heerra'

Darka' stay
Farra' way
Dissa warra
Safe-fa' heerra'

Warma' 'round
Kin surrounds
Dissa warra
Safe-fa' heera'

Sleepa' tight
'till Morn'n light
Dissa warra
Safe-fa' heera'

the cubone trailed off ...."Sorry Bigga long furra' I notta' know da' resta' songa' words. Biggas sisser allways knowed them. Alla-ways singa' sleepy songa' to me when I donna go sleep. "

The tiny cubone's eyes teared up at the thought of his sister , who was now gone. He snuffled beneath his mask. The toddler had so many things he had to think about now... and he had to do it on his own.

::::::::

Achi felt a deep longing for something well up inside her as she listened to the cubone's lullaby. His words were speaking of home and family..... two things she never realy had yet. ~Maby when this is all over... I'll be able to live in peace here at Lake Eerie~ she thought to herself.

Tachiguy listened and repeated the words in the same rythym, he studied the babies expression and guessed that maybe things hadnt gone so well in the hunt for his big sister. The tears touched him, it was only a baby, and in this dark horrid place it mustnt be easy for the very young, especially alone. "Its a beutiful song." he said placing a paw on the childs head "Thanx for teaching me, ill remember it always." he hugged achi tighter sensing her sadness, he doubted anyone had sung her a lullaby back when she was with the humans. Well, he was going to do the best he could to rectify that. Maybe, if his suspicions were riight about the fate of the youngsters big sister he could help thm both on that score..

The little Cubone's song echoed through Youko's head. She opened her bright blue eyes a fraction - that was the most she could do. She laughed very softly upon hearing and sensing the sadness. "Well then, little one, and you too, Achi, we do seem to have something in common. My mother was taken for her power when I was very, very little...and I never knew my father. I could never really make any friends, being a Myuu many Pokemon were frightened of me. The few Pokemon I could relate to will be long dead now...I was asleep at the bottom of that lake for over 200 years." Her voice was hoarse with sickness, but still soft and almost comforting in tone.

"I havent got a sad past im afraid." said the Ootachi sheepishly "I just had a pretty normal family life, mother, father, a few siblings i didnt see so often." he smiled "I, well i guess im one of the lucky ones." somehow though this made him feel guilty so hejust smiled at Youko. "Im glad to see you are getting better buddy." he grinned "We thoiught for a while ya werent gonna make it!"

Achi sniffed." I remember my mom, sort of. She was warm. I liked to be near her and my sibblings. The humans took me from her as soon as I could walk really good. I knew she was close for a while... but then one by one, my family disapeared from my world."

The nidoran shook with anger, hate and sadness. Her spines stood out sharp and her breath was filled with heated emotion. She became very quiet again.

The cubone babe had listened to the Kangaskhan.

"Who'a you being, Stone-na' bounce? You learnna' sleepa' songa' fast quick"

**

Warui Oni was far from beaten. Though stripped of his vision , her could sense the Parasect's every move through smell and sound.

He could tell the Queen had gotten weaker from using the Solarbeam attack. Her footsteps were slower.

The demon dog readied another attack, one of Dark Fire. It was a strange combination of dark and flame attacks which left the victim with a burn that poisoned the body...... never healing on its own.

::::::::::::

Paladin and Krill were praying in deep meditation. They were the last of their great clan, so no one would be there to perform the ancient last rights upon them. The painful deliberate moments were barely detectable to an untrained eye.

The Kabutop's path to a safe afterlife was opened. The twins turned back to the stone. Their strength was fading from them. They had to hurry.

~Amphiptere... get the innocents out of here~

*

Tachiguy had to stifle a grunt as he felt her spikes rise near his belly, he knew those things were sharp so he shifted a tiny bit so as to be out of thier way, but hugged her even tighter. "I cant even begin to imagine how that must have felt..." he said to Achi. He wanted to comfort her, but felt more thna a little useless, he wasnt able to erase her past after all, and thats what it would take to heal those wounds he feared.

"Let us stop discussing the matter, it is doing more harm than it is good." Her eyes opened a little lighter and she looked around. "We should get out of here...something not entirely pleasent is happening."

*

Amphiptere nodded grimly, ::As you wish,:: he replied. With that, he made a single flap of his wings and turned, heading down the tunnel towards Tachiguy, Achikochi, Youko, Rocky, Fei-Lin, and the little Kangaskhan.

*

Warui Oni unleashed his furied flames upon the Parasect. Shitake cried out in anguish as the flames engulfed her form and wilted the symbiant fungus on her body. With the loss of the mushroom, her pain would soon be over. Somehow, Shitake had the strength to retaliate. She cast a spell upon the devil dog.... a spell she had learned long ago from a strange fairy pokemon. She grabbed Warui Oni by the forpaw and sang the 'Song of Destruction'.... the two were now destiny bonded. The Kabutops sibblings painfully crawled over to the Stone. Using 'Absorb', they began to soak in the energy that had been stored in the large slab over the centuries. The Kabutops' bodies glowed a fantastic spectrum of colors as the power of each kind of stone was sucked into their bodies. Krill placed a scythe claw upn his sister's. "Soon we shall rest for all eternity" Paladin's pain filled smile gave Krill the courage he would need.

*

Amphiptere wheeled around, a paniky feeling welling inside his heart as he saw Tachi, Fei-lin, and Stone-na Flecka (sp? O.o) so close to the Heruga and the Parasect. The dragon swooped down, grabbing the Meowth in his jaws by the scruff of her neck, Tachi in the hand-like claws of his wings also by the scruff of his neck, the little Cubone was small enough for the claws on his other wing to encircle the waist. "It's very dangerous here," Amphiptere said, "Krill and Paladin asked me to take the innocents out of here...so come! now!" With that, he headed down the tunnel once more.

*

Youko's ears perked and she sat up. The little Picomyuu winced a little and slumped back down. "Not as well as I thought..." she sighed. "Achi, Amphiptere is close."

*

Stone-na Fleck squealed with surprise. "AHHHHHHHHH !!!!! Bigga'Long'Furra helpa' me!!! Flappa Scale Giant gotta' meeeeeee!!!!!!

::::::

Achi's ears perked forward, "Somethings coming up the tunnel!"

The Nidoran stood poised for attack. She couldn't let anything happen to Rocky, Youko or ... wait! Where was the baby cubone?!

*

Amphiptere laughed lightly, turning to the little Cubone. "Tachiguy is right...I will not harm you." Just then he swooped in over Achi, placing Fei-Lin, Stone-na Fleck, and Tachi on the ground. He looked over at Youko, who still appeared sick. "Is she going to be all right?" the white dragon asked, sounding concerned.

*

Achikochi ran out to the arriving party with her arms spread wide. "TACHI!! AMPHIPTERE!!!! STONE-NA FLECK!!!!! FEI-LIN!!!! You're all ok!!!!!"

Achi grabbed them all in a big hug n' kissed Tachi, Amphiptere and Stone-na Fleck all on the face.

"Youko is still weak from a battle with Dugtrio. They used a toxic attack on her. She's had an antidote , but it takes some time." Achi informed Amphiptere about Youko.

::::::::::::::::

Warui Oni and Shitake lashed at eachother with futile attacks. Every strike that landed hurt them both. Thier drive to extinguish eachother was feirce.

Krill and Paladin's bodies had absorbed the energy of the stone. There forms glowed with onflicting powers surging through them. Thier minds were filled with the feelings and thoughts of all who were affected by the stone's touch. The emotional cocktail drowned out thier own thoughts of pain and suffering. Waves of joy, sadness, dispair, love danced with the rythm of the stone's chaos. Deeper under all these vibes, a steady hum of encouragement sung out from the past. It was the sound of thier ancestors calling them home to the stars.

::::::::

Red-'freind' grabbed his Growlithe freind's paw. "This can't be good! Let's get out of here!" Hoping the midnight colored canine would follow him, Red-'freind' picked his way through the battle feild and followed what he thought was the path of the Uplanders.

*

Tachiguy grabbed her and swung her around kissing her. "Yer! We're fine, those guys are still battling and Ampi here was told by the cutty paw guys to get us down here." he grinned "Stony Warrior here was makin a lotta nose, but hes a brave li'l guy. He be tuff like me." he noogied the skull cap of the small pokemon friendily and looked at the Picomyuu, "Yer lookin a little better to!"

*

Hiromi followed her Nyuura companion swiftly; something... strange was going on down there, and her instinct's extent told her to follow the one that took care of her when she fell into the crevice in the first place. She never thought about anything but escape as she sped through with Red-'Friend'.

*

Achi was glad everyone was back in the group, but the thoughts that other Pokemon may not have been sheltered from the storm bothered her a bit. It seemed that they could not go the way they had come in , because of a terriblely powerful battle in the Stone's chamber. "Maby we could find another way out?" Achi suggested, " I'm sure there are other exits from the underground" Stone-na Fleck 'tackled' the Ootachi's tail. "Haha! I gotta you're'a longa' furra tail! Getta' you backa' fu rubba' head game"

::::::::::::::

Red-'Freind' caught site of the Uplanders and carefully examined each one. They seemed weak enough to him, and appeared to be compleate strangers..... untill he noticed the cubone. That one would know him for certain.

"You can join the Uplanders if you like," the Nyura hastily offered the growlithe, "But I can't go there. Uhm... the Mew might get hurt if I get to close.. you know how psychic types are weak against dark types like me. But I'll stay nearby, in the shadows."

There was no way to tell if Red-'freind' would indeed stay near with the truth of what he was really like so close to exposure, but he did want the growlithe to be safe.

**

Krill and Paladin watched from thier perch on the rock. The evil Warui Oni had struck Shitake with the final blow. His claws severed the mushroom bug to bits. Shitake's curse of destiny bond began to take hold of the wicked devil dog. He trembled with severe pain racing through his limbs. The dark one felt his skin boil and his innards clench. Warui Oni gasped for air. No matter how hard he fought, Death was winning. Moments later, the last spastic flick of the Heruga's paw marked the end of his battle.

"It is time" Paladin stroked the hard shell of her brother.

"Our ancestors await our arrival" Krill nuzzled his dear sister one last time.

The Kabutops bodies glowed with the light of a thousand stars. Thier bodies fused with the stone as the heat increased. There was an eerie silence in the cavern, then a hushed gasp of wind sucking towards the Kabutops.

The explosion caved in the cavern of the stone and forced a jetting cloud of dust in all directions. The waters of the undergroung river churned and swirled as they tried to reach around the obstructing rocks and back into thier beds.

All that remained of the Kabutops was one shield shaped plate and the sharp sword's edge of one of thier claws.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

Outside the caverns, high above the icy rage of the blizzard's clouds, a new Binary Star took its place in the sparkling heavens.

***********************************