CHAPTER XXXIII: Passing to the Fire Springs
"Ness?"
He woke slowly, looking over at the door to the guestroom. The window was still darkened, so the unnatural night was still in play. Paula was in the doorway, framed by the light from the next room.
"Paula?" He asked quietly. "What...?"
"Ness, we need to talk. Come with me."
He threw aside his sleeping bag, and followed her outside, pulling on his sneakers as he went. Paula opened the door, and stalked out into the still night air.
"What is it, Paula?" Ness asked curiously.
She whirled to face him quickly. "Ness," She said quietly. "I want you to tell me what's going on, and don't try saying 'nothing', because I know you too well, and I can see it in your eyes. Now be honest with me, Ness..."
The young man folded his arms in a show of innocence. "No, really, there's nothing wrong!" he sighed. "Nothing at--"
She slapped him across the face as hard as she could, knocking him back a step. A small drop of blood leaked out of the corner of his mouth. He looked up at her, wiping it away. Strangely, he wasn't very mad about this. He was just curious.
"What," He asked, a bit surprised. "What was that for?"
The hand that had slapped him was clasped to her chest, and tears were standing in her eyes. Paula threw herself to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She sobbed into his chest.
"Ness," She whimpered. "Please...don't lie to me..."
He sighed, then spoke. "The talking stone took me to some kind of time loop," He said. "We talked for about five minutes, but apparently, it was four hours here. He told me where to find the last Sanctuary, and he told me some...things...that I'd rather you didn't hear...and don't slap me for that, Paula, because I have my own reasons for not telling you that."
She looked up at him, her tears wiped away on his shirt. Slowly, she leaned up, pressing her lips to his for a moment, then tuned to go inside.
"Get some sleep, Ness," She said quietly, then went inside.
He stood frozen in place, the memory of her lips lingering with him, his eyes wide, his face red.
"Oh boy," He recovered. "Gotta stop doing that..."
They made ready to leave three days later, their backpacks full of food, and their muscles full of vim and vigor. They bade a swift farewell to the friendly Tenda, and started walking to the west. A huge mountain range rose up from the ground, some invisible in the strange, gaseous cloud layer on the ceiling.
Ness said little as they walked towards the mountains. His mind was too full of the talking rock's speech. The first night they traveled, he didn't even eat dinner. Something about the way it had spoken had frightened the young man badly, but he couldn't place it. Finally, after the third day, he cheered up and became the regular, cheerful, determined leader of the four Chosen Ones.
A week after leaving Tenda Village II, they found a large-mouthed cave. There was a huge wave of heat coming from inside, blowing their hair back. Ness steeled himself, taking point, and striding head-on into the cave.
Lava flowed freely in the cave, creating a natural, winding path up the top of the calm, indoor volcano that dominated most of the large chamber. Ness sighed as he gazed up at the huge mound of rock.
"Now we have to climb that?" He asked. "Come on! Jeez, we have to do just about everything, don't we?"
Jeff tried to scrabble up the smooth face. "This is hopeless," He mumbled as he slid down on his butt. "It's completely smooth on all sides!"
Ness sighed, looking at one clenched fist. "I have an idea," he whispered. With a primal yell, he drove his fist directly into the wall. Sliding his hand into the hole, he punched again with the other hand, a bit higher.
"That works," Poo smiled. "A very good idea, Ness, if I do say so myself."
"Thanks," The young man grinned, driving his hands into the rock face over and over, and climbing up using the holes as handholds. He hauled himself up inch by inch, his friends climbing up after him.
They reached a terrace about a third of the way up, and they stopped to explore for the Guardian. The immense heat had sapped their strength as well, and Ness had to actually wring out the Mr. Baseball cap. Sweat trickled out of the wrinkled hat, forming a surprisingly large puddle at his feet.
Paula, who had gone off to explore, suddenly flew around the corner, rolling onto her back, and nearly flew off the terrace. She grabbed the side, hauling herself back up quickly. A floating head came around the corner.
"It's a Vengeful Spirit," Poo growled, drawing his sword. "A lost soul that mercilessly slaughters travelers. Watch your step, my friends!"
The Vengeful Spirit wailed towards them. Ness cleaved it in half with his bat, rolling past, and catching Paula. She had a long cut on her stomach. The young man closed his eyes, touching his finger to her forehead.
"PSI LifeUp Gamma," He whispered quietly. Her wound closed slowly, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thanks, Ness," She sighed quietly, then drawing her frying pan from her hip. Another Vengeful Spirit sailed around the corner, followed by three more. Ness' group, however, had a tactical advantage--the leader's mad dive to rescue Paula had put the Spirits' in a pincer attack, with Ness and Paula on one side, and Jeff and Poo on the other. The Spirits split ranks, and took on the teenage warriors.
Poo easily cleaved his enemy with the Sword of Kings. He launched into a backflip, landing while sheathing the sword, holding the sheath in his hand while folding his arms. He leaned against the wall, tossing his ponytail.
Jeff fired a few shots at the first one, but it dodged all of the laser blasts. The young man leapt back, spinning, and kicking it in the temple. With wail, it flew from the terrace. Jeff calmly twirled his gun, setting it inside his coat, and leaned against the wall next to Poo.
Paula grinned at Ness, leapt over the Vengeful Spirit attacking her, then spun, calling forth a tremendous amount of power.
"PSI THUNDER OMEGA!" She shouted, putting her hands on the ground. A lightning bolt flared through the ground, rising up under the Spirit, frying it immediately. Paula smiled again, and sat down next to Jeff.
Ness was toying with his enemy. He dodged the biting attacks easily, moving quickly, bending and moving as the Spirit failed to lay its teeth on him. Finally, his bat flew in a wide arc, dropping the thing where it floated, making it slowly vanish.
He twirled his bat, setting it away in the starched ring on his backpack. He grinned at his friends, and raised his eyebrows.
"Let's go," he smiled, raising his eyebrows (which were, because of the heat, slightly singed).
He continued to plow holes into the cliff face, climbing even higher. They were beset by a small number of Vengeful Spirits on the way up, but with Ness busy making footholds, Paula, Jeff, and Poo had to fend them off. By the time they had made it to the top of the volcano, they were all panting like dogs.
Ness raised his head weakly, looking forward. A dog-like creature was in front of him. The dog's fur was a dark, brimstone red, and flames were flaring around it like a blossoming, burning flower.
"The Guardian..." The young hero whispered to himself.
The dog's ears perked forward. "Correct," It growled, it's voice rough, evil. "I am the Carbon Dog, you young fool...and I hear that you have the Sound Stone."
He nodded, rising to his full five-foot ten height. "You're right, you flaming methane mutt," He said grimly. "Now get out of my way, before I hose you down!"
Paula, Jeff, and Poo made it up behind him.
"Is that the Guardian?" Jeff asked, catching his breath.
"Darn straight," Carbon Dog replied. "You will all burn in the stinking pit of the Fire Springs! DIE!"
It launched itself at Ness, teeth bared. The chosen one held up his arm, feeling teeth and flame biting deeply into his supple flesh. With a yell, he spun, kicking the flaming canine across the plateau. It rose, laughing in that same evil voice. It spit out a small chunk of Ness' arm skin.
"Fool," It grinned. "Your blood is sweet. I will enjoy killing you."
"Just try it!" Jeff dropped to his knees, pulling his bazooka from its case. "Take this!"
He fired round after round at the Carbon Dog, but the blazing mutt streaked between the prophetic warriors, slamming it's blazing head into Jeff's chest. The bespectacled young man fell back, crying out as Carbon Dog began tearing into him. Poo rushed over, swinging the Sword of Kings in a controlled wave, slashing off the tip of the evil dog's tail. It laughed, jumping, it's flaming claws scratching the young prince across the face. He fell back, holding his face.
Paula swung her frying pan at her foe, but it was way too fast for her. It's massive jaws clamped on her shoulder, sending a spray of blood into the air, then leapt back.
Ness took a quick note of injuries. He had a chunk taken out of his arm, which as slowly healing over thanks to his LifeUp skill. Paula had a torn shoulder, Jeff's chest had a few tooth marks on it, and Poo had several scratches across his face.
Paula growled, holding up her hand. "PSI Freeze Omega!" She shouted, throwing her hands out. The chilling wind wrapped around Carbon Dog, encasing it in a thick chunk of ice. She grinned, jumping up with elation.
"We did it!" She cried. "We'll get the final melody!"
"Not yet, you won't!"
The frozen form of the Carbon Dog slowly began to move, the ice seeming to melt into its flesh, suddenly becoming a diamond-like material.
"I shouldn't have underestimated you," Diamond Dog growled, the light from the lava reflecting from it's skin into a rainbow. "Now, you will truly die! See my real form!"
A bright, rainbow beam fired from its mouth, splitting into four, and slamming into their chests, sending them all back. Jeff flew over the cliff, but Poo caught him in the nick of time. Diamond Dog grinned wolfishly, attacking the four friends with lightning speed. His diamond teeth ripped into them, leaving bloody cuts and sore bruises wherever it went.
Finally, Ness grabbed its throat as it ran towards him. With a growl, he leapt into the air, carrying the wailing dog with him. He landed with a splash into a bubbling river of molten lava.
Silence. Paula gazed at the spot where he had disappeared.
"Ness?" She asked quietly. "No..."
More silence. Nobody could have survived that lava.
Except Ness. He exploded from the lava, surrounded by a shimmering blue sheen. He levitated over the red river for a moment, then landed softly next to his friends. He coughed, looking rather weary.
"The Guardian...?" Jeff whispered.
"Dissolved in the lava..." Ness coughed again. "We won."
Paula helped him to his feet. "Let's go get that melody," She said quietly.
The Fire Springs were a small range of volcanoes, bleeding magma from their tops. Ness held forth the Sound Stone, the wounds of himself and his friends healing over slowly. As he stood there, smiling at the glowing blue stone, he seemed to hear Buzz Buzz's words in his head.
"You must cleanse yourself of all doubt and fear," It said softly. "And you will face the greatest of enemies--yourself."
The full, complete song of the Sound Stone flowed through his body. He felt his feet lift from the floor, and the power flow directly into him.
Suddenly, the song's notes began to go flat, then break apart. He felt a hideous burning in his mind, and began to scream, holding his head, bending into a fetal position.
And about then, he blacked out. His last vision was the Sound Stone glowing that same bright blue...