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  "description_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>An old story depicting how Lynda Eldora, the fiery monk Mawile, and Caria Isole, the icy magician Kirlia, first met. A revamp may or may not happen in the future.<br /><br />Story icon by Fisdunction, originally and now posted with permission.<br /><br />(Inkbunny won&#039;t embed subsequent text files, so you&#039;ll have to download them to see them. Sorry! Just how Inkbunny works.)</span>",
  "writing": "[center]To Cross Frost and Flame, Chapter 1[/center]\n\n\"Ah, you see, when I left the dojo...I had very little in terms of survival skills. Very little food. The only thing I knew at the time was how to fight. But after so many fights with others defending their territory, or whatever reason they had, it was wearing on my body. It was pretty rough living out in the wild alone, going to sleep at night fearing that some creature might find me. I was desperate for anything that would help me survive, so much that I would go to lengths that were beyond my morals if it meant living at least one more day. On that fateful day, years ago, I finally reached a mountain - or, was it a volcano...? - that seemed to draw me in. If any place could house a Flame Plate, that was the place. The problem was that I didn't have enough energy to make the climb. ...But then, I saw a chance to increase my odds of survival...and by all means, I took it.\"\n\n---\n\nIn a rather flat, circular area between a forest and a mountain, where many cave entrances permeate the tall wall of rocks and dirt, a camp is set up. A few tents, a fire with a pot, and two sitting logs on opposite side of the fire furnish the scene. Coupled with the trees casting their shadows upon the camp and the mountainside thanks to the sunset, it seems as though the inhabitants - a Cranidos and a Gothita - were ready to have their last meal for the day with a splendid view of the mountain above. While the Cranidos tended to the pot, cooking what seems to be a stew of different berries naturally found in the nearby forest, the Gothita was reorganizing items in a bag, sitting close to one of the tents. The dinosaur called out to her, and the petit psychic 'mon laid the bag down near the tent to eat with her team member.\n\nIn the bushes near the tents, a rustling sound alerted the Cranidos. Before he could react, a Mawile had dashed out and grabbed the bag! It held its maw threateningly at the duo with its other hand, its teeth clicking together.\n\n\"Don't move! Don't you dare move,\" the deceiver yelled out, backing up towards the mountain. The team was about to jump up to defend their bag - one of their essential tools to survive in the wilderness -but the Mawile fired off a warning shot at the duo. The Incinerate hit their campfire, raining fiery logs and their pot and stew all over the two explorers, prompting both to duck out of the way of the blast. With the distraction and bag in hand, the attacker ran towards the mountain, jumped, and used another Incinerate to boost their height further to reach a cave mouth. A few beams of psychic energy clipped the nearby rocks as the deceiver made their way inside the cave, not daring to look back now. The calls of the two vowing that they will catch the thief grew faint as the Mawile ran deeper and deeper into the system...\n\n[center]Chapter 2[/center]\n\n\"...Alright, I suppose I can spare the time to tell my story. See, I was...separated from my parents when I was oung. It was during a massive snowstorm up in the mountains we were traveling in. I don't remember much about how that happened, but luckily, a Froslass that was kind enough to nurse me back to health took me in. I'm guessing I spent months living with her, 'cause I lost track of time being her...accolade, I guess that's what you'd call it. When it came to when we had to part ways, she gave me an Ice Gem as a parting gift, along with some supplies for my travels. And, she told me of another item that, when combined with it, will let me control ice. Though I had little to go off on, I set my sights on what seemed to be a snow-capped mountain in the distance, and made my way to its base...\"\n\n---\n\nCaria made her way through the shrubs of the forest at the foot of the mountain. With every bush passed, every tree she spun around on her way, it wouldn't take long for the Psychic-type to reach it. It was getting quite dark within the dense forest, the setting sun not cooperating with her visibility. With only a few rays of light to go on, the Kirlia made her way to what seemed to be a bright spot...She had found the camp of the Cranidos and Gothita, and upon closer glance, it seemed an altercation had taken place. The two were cleaning up around their campfire, their pot lying on its side in the grass nearby. An urge to help them rose from within Caria, making her way out of the shrubbery, waving out to the two.\n\n\"Hey, err...\" she started. The two explorers looked up at her and almost panicked, thinking she was ambushing them. The Kirlia remained motionless upon receiving their gaze, and her heart jumped for a brief moment. The duo stood up once they realized she wasn't a threat, but the Cranidos stomped up to her, fuming.\n\n\"You got a lotta nerve sneaking up on us! I reckon that was your friend that gone and-\"\n\n\"Ahem! Charlie, manners,\" the Gothita interrupted. The petit goth stepped forward, to her partner's side. \"You're...an explorer like us, right?\"\n\nThe Kirlia nodded. \"I suppose you can call me that. I'm Caria, by the way. I'd hate to intrude on you two when you seem to be having problems of your own...but, do you know anything about this mountain here?\" She pointed upwards at the mountain.\n\nCharlie crossed his arms, kicking the nearby turned pot back upright. \"Yeah, only that it's super-hot if you go down and super-cold if you go up. You can't win with it! You'll either freeze or melt going either way!\"\n\nThe Gothita rolled her eyes. \"I'm Lisa. Don't mind him; he's a bit...wild.\" She sighs. \"We're kinda in a tough spot. Some jerk just stole our explorer's bag that had all our tools and identification in it.\"\n\n\"No way,\" Caria gasped. \"Did they go in the mountain with it?\"\n\nLisa nodded, a solemn look on her face. Charlie stomped about around the pot. \"Great! We're gonna starve, how're we gonna go back to base without our IDs?! Arrrgh!\"\n\nThe Gothita pointed up at the entrance the attacker took. \"They jumped up there, but...there's a thing about this mountain. It's peculiar, in that a few of these caves loop back around to the real entrance. I remember seeing that on one of our maps, but I couldn't tell you which one's the actual entrance without it. Sorry.\"\n\nCaria smiled, adjusting the strap on her own bag. \"No, don't be. That's helpful information! I've got a hunch that what I need is in this mountain, so any little bit helps.\"\n\n\"You're going in by yourself?! You won't make it! You'll be good as dead if you head in there, just like that Mawile! If the both of us couldn't-\"\n\n\"Charlie, please! Look, err, Caria...we can't go anywhere without our explorer's bag. It'd be too dangerous for us to chase that Mawile in that mountain, and we'd be the laughing stock of our guild if we returned home without it. So, I'm asking on behalf of us...could you retrieve our bag from that thief?\" As sincere as Lisa was, the Cranidos seemed on edge about asking a stranger a request.\n\nCaria paused. She looked over at the camp the two had set up. Perhaps, she thought, this is where her new life began. After all, she had no idea how to contact her parents, or know just how far away they are. It was by Arceus' blessing that Caria was at the right place and at the right time - so why refuse?\n\n\"Sure, I'll help. But, in return...when I come back, could you point me to the next town?\"\n\n[center]Chapter 3[/center]\n\nIn the depths of the mountain cave, all was pitch black except for a small flame lighting the way forward for a thieving Mawile. Such a flame she kept in the palm of her hand, a testament to her skill with the element despite her typing's weaknesses. Yet, the flame was small and was threatening to flicker out, only lighting up a few feet in front of her. With her vitality low and her power fading even only minutes after her robbery, she slowed to a walking pace until her legs gave way.\n\nLynda felt right at home in the cave due to her species, even as her eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness. As her will to trudge on through the twisting and turning corridors diminished, she sat down against a wall with a huff. The firebrand ensured her flame was still lit and that she still had the bag that she pilfered as she placed it in her lap. Before she took the chance to open it, she looked around and listened for sounds in the cave.\n\nHer rapid breathing and heartbeat made it hard to tune in to the sounds of the wild Pokemon in the area. The quietness of the cave was only interrupted by the pitter-pattering of a few wild 'mon scurrying by. The only hints of their presence were the glints in their eyes from Lynda's flame...yet none approached her outright.\n\nThinking she was far ahead of anybody that were to chase her, the Mawile propped up her maw against the wall beside her. She placed the fireball she was holding in its mouth, keeping a steady light source and freeing up both of her hands. She opened the lid and began rummaging through its contents. It was half-filled with seeds and berries, and it was quite obvious which were just picked up inside the forest. Chomping on a particularly plump Oran berry, the Mawile checked the bag for extra compartments.\n\nOn the back of the bag was a zipper in the shape of an arc, starting from the bottom left and ending in the bottom right. Praising herself for her luck in her thievery once more, Lynda undid the zipper and let the flap fall. In the flap were two silver egg-like medals with small nameplates underneath, no doubt belonging to the two she stole from. A small collection of documents in a pocket caught Lynda's eyes. Taking them out one by one, she realized these were notes on the area, and one paper even had a sketch of the mountain's caves! Excited by this discovery, she fist-pumped the air and came short of giggling with her grin.\n\nKeeping the map of the area out, she packed the rest of the papers back into their pocket and took another Oran berry out. With the recovery properties of the berries, she would last quite a while even if she were to get lost. Still using the light inside her maw, she was able to locate approximately where she was on the crudely-drawn map.\n\nIt seemed incomplete, but from the details marked in...it seemed she would come to a room with multiple exits deeper in the cave. One went higher up into the mountain, another went deeper down below the ground; both paths were not detailed. A fourth path, counting the one Lynda is in, was a shorter path leading to the entrance of the mountain. Seeing this, she realized that if anybody were to use that shorter path, they could set up an ambush for her in that room.\n\nLynda cursed her split-second decision making in fleeing the scene of her crime earlier. Yet, she could also take the time traveling to this intersection to prepare for anyone that may have come in after her. The two that she pilfered from didn't seem the type to be all that organized, but they did seem resourceful enough to have a back-up plan. Crunching on another Oran berry and feeling her power return to her, Lynda mentally prepare herself to fight if she had to. She got this far already, so what's one or a few more opponents to test her strength?\n\n[center]Chapter 4[/center]\n\nFor Caria, the cave within the mountain was vastly different than the small icy cave she grew up in. Whereas the little crack within the mountain that she called her abode was lit by ice crystals reflecting sunlight, there were no such crystals within this particular cave. The only thing lighting her way was a makeshift torch from a branch from right outside the entrance, which the Kirlia pointed at any new object that reflected its light. Spying eyes in the blackness of the cave seemed to wear on her nerves with each step she took.\n\nBy the time she had lost vision of any ray of light from the entrance behind her through the bending corridors, Caria took a moment to collect her thoughts. She didn't know what foe she was up against, where they might be, or how strong they were. Perhaps she was in over her head in taking on a task that she wasn't equipped to handle. Though she couldn't just leave those that needed help behind, if it would mean she'd get introduced back into society. With her abilities not fully brought out thanks to her upbringing and stunted from her experiences, fighting was a low priority. Yet thanks to her heart, she's now expecting to fight. The least she could do, then, is to prepare mentally for it.\n\nBecoming more inspired by her thoughts with each step, Caria didn't notice that she was out in the light again until she was standing right in it. She had walked into a circular room, the ceiling of which seemed to have caved in, leaving the sun to brighten up some of the innards of the mountain's cave. Curious and rather awestruck by the unique sight, the Kirlia walked towards the center of the room and looked up and around at the rocky walls that gave way to the sky above.\n\nThat is, until something whizzed past her, exploding on the ground behind Caria with a small flash. She yelped and took a defensive position, alerted by the attack, and looked around for its source.Upon a ledge, opposite of the entrance she had entered through, a figure from the shadows held out an appendage, looking like a giant mouth. Smoke poured from it, and it lowered after a few moments. A figure behind it took a step forward, the light from the hole above now able to reach the body, clad in black and with a bag around its shoulder that seemed to clash with their clothes.\n\n\"You...t-that's no way to welcome someone, you know!\" Caria exclaimed, knees wobbling visibly. The figure, now fully in the light, was a Mawile about the same stature as the Kirlia herself. It stared down at Caria menacingly for a few moments, still as stone, as if waiting for one or the other to make a move.\n\n\"...Why are you here?\" The Mawile spoke with a rugged voice. Caria, still unsure of the motives of the figure for attacking her, and more so if they were to attack again, held her position.\n\n\"To...to retrieve something.\" Caria answered, trying to be unspecific - the Mawile could be an honest-to-goodness traveler, after all. She didn't want to attack if she didn't know they were the thief.\n\n\"I see...\" The Mawile muttered. \"...then, I can't let you leave here alive.\"\n\n\"What!? You're...\" Before Caria could question further, the Mawile fired off another fireball towards her, barely ducking away to the left to dodge. As she got back up, the deceiver mon jumped down to the ground, quickly getting right into a stance with one hand in front of it and another holding its maw. Caria readied psychic auras around her hands, staring down her foe intently. She had to fight, after all...\n\n[center]Chapter 5[/center]\n\nThe two stared at each other. Both had their reservations about fighting, though neither had a choice now. The moments seemed to tick by as they stood firm, but one of them would have to make a move.\n\nLynda would be the first to move, rushing forward and readying a punch. She couldn't last for a full fight, so her best bet was to end it as fast as possible. Even if she were to fall, she still felt a few berries moving about in that bag, so she could rely on those.\n\nCaria felt her muscles tense up for a moment, freezing out of fear. She's not had to face many dangers before, but now, someone was coming at her with the intent to harm her. It felt surreal, but she knew she had to act, even if she wasn't used to fighting. She let her psychic powers take hold of her and whisk her off to the side before the punch connected. Extending her arms, a chilly wind surged from her body towards the Mawile.\n\nLynda chased after her target, believing this weak attack wouldn't stop her. With each step in this wind, she could feel her reaction time slow down, her steps slowing down in their rhythm. The chill was an annoying side-effect, and was one thing she'd need to avoid if she were to survive after the fight. Still, her speed wasn't impaired too much, so she caught up to the Kirlia and threw another punch.\n\nNoticing this strategy was working out for her so far, Caria again let her psychic carry her away. Again, she blew a chilly wind towards the Mawile's direction. This time, the thief didn't chase; instead, they launched a fireball from their maw! It traveled unfazed by the icy wind and struck its target, with Caria recoiling back a few feet from the impact. She seemed surprised at how well she took this attack, but she had little time to assess the situation. The Mawile was charging again, seeing an opening and taking it!\n\nWithout the wind to slow her down, Lynda ran straight up to the would-be hero and stopped a few feet short. Whirling her head around, she battered the Kirlia with her maw! As before, Caria tried using her psychic powers to save herself. This time was too little too late, and Caria was flung across the room, rolling to a stop on the ground.\n\nLynda kept her distance, feeling as if she should let her attacker get up. Though she had committed a crime, it was not in her morals to attack a prone enemy. The Kirlia struggled to get up on their feet, clutching their side where the maw struck. Both shared the same fighting gaze, and Lynda dropped into another fighting pose.\n\n\"Give up. You're outmatched.\" Lynda charged forth once more, intent on putting an end to the fight.\n\n\"I won't...let...\" Caria was just now figuring out how frail she actually was, and she readied her psychic powers to strike...\n\n...but then, a beam shot down from the opening in the ceiling of the cave, landing between the two! Caria slammed against the wall behind her, while Lynda was sent to the opposite side of the cave from the blast. A roar followed, and from the light above descended a monstrous blue beast. It flapped its red wings, aiming towards the Mawile, and dove straight for her. She barely had time to get to her feet before jumping off to the side onto her belly to avoid the attack. The blue-scaled Pokemon flew straight into the wall behind her, causing the cave to shake. Boulders dropped from above, threatening to crush the two - or trap them.\n\nCaria stood up using the wall as leverage, noticing the dragon that had swooped in. She could tell its power was too great for them to stop, and its anger wouldn't quelled without a fight. Either way, the two of them wouldn't last unless they fled.\n\nThe dragon-type recovered from its hit and turned towards the Mawile. It loomed tall above her, gathering energy in its mouth, likely the same attack from before. Caria, thinking selflessly, used her psychic to fly full speed towards the beast. Once close enough, she fired off the strongest gust of icy wind that she could muster. Ice quickly formed on its body, and its attention turned to the Kirlia, the energy fizzling out of its mouth.\n\n\"Run!\"\n\nLynda didn't need to be told twice, nodding and running past the Kirlia. She continued blowing the wind, trying to slow it down as much as she could before fleeing herself. Despite this, the ice forming on the beast's body melted off quickly and it didn't seem to be affected much by the attack. The dragon appeared to coil its body together, its long blue tail wrapping around itself. Noticing this, Lynda seen that Caria was within striking range of the tail.\n\nPast transgressions were forgiven.\n\nLynda leaped forward, the blue tail whipping towards her being the last thing she sees before blacking out.\n\n\"No-!\" Despite her efforts, the Mawile wasn't able to push Caria fully out of the way of the tail's reach. The impact from just the tip of the tail and the floor she collided with was enough to knock her out.\n\nLynda's body flew straight into one of the room's exit holes, bouncing and rolling down a long slope before coming to a stop deeper in.\n\nThe dragon roared in victory, the cave still rumbling and boulders still falling about. It took Caria's limp body into its mouth, and flapped its wings to make its escape...\n\n[center]Chapter 6[/center]\n\n\"...still resist...\"\n\n\"...won't...\"\n\n\"...defeat... \"\n\n...\n\n\"...ortal, your...no longer exists.\"\n\n\"...I will...\"\n\n\"...no more...\"\n\n- LYNDA! -\n\n\"GAAH!\" Lynda abruptly rose up from the ground. The surroundings were once again dark, although she could see a dim light illuminating a pathway ahead in the distance. She coughed, still hurt from the previous battle.\n\n'Was that a dream...?'\n\nGroggy, the Mawile forced herself up and over to the light, noticing it flicker. Heat seem to flow in from the path, though it twists down to where she can't see the source of the light. As she got closer, she reached into her still-stolen bag, eating one of the few remaining Oran berries left inside.\n\nThe warm glow felt oddly familiar to Lynda, getting to where even her steel typing was making her feel vulnerable. When she turned the corner, facing an expansive open room, her speculation is confirmed: lava. A room spattered with pools of lava and rock formations, with no exit further down in sight. Lynda walked along the widest path in the room, not sure what to expect. No wild Pokemon seem to be living this far down, at least. She hadn't seen a Zubat since fighting...\n\nA rumble shook the room, and Lynda fell to a knee. Bubbles in the lava popped, and from the largest pool of lava in the back, a bump formed. And grew. From it, a figure began to form, the hot liquid pouring down its large red scale-like armor.\n\n\"IS IT YOU...THAT HAS BATTLED THE GUARDIAN?\" It spoke with a loud, deep voice, the room filling with its echos. Despite a good portion of its body appearing above the pool, the parts of its body that weren't red were blackened, even against the light of the lava.\n\n\"Guardian? You mean that...beast?\"\n\n\"YES...IT IS GOOD THAT YOU APPEAR MOSTLY UNHARMED.\" Its mouth didn't seem to move much, despite it talking. Lynda gets the feeling that it's not actually talking out loud, despite clearly hearing it.\n\n\"Mostly? What's that supposed to mean? Guardian of what, exactly, and why'd it need to fight me in the first place?\"\n\n\"HOLD. HOW MUCH...DO YOU KNOW OF THIS PLACE?\"\n\n\"Well...not much. All I really know is I'm supposed to look for something called a 'Flame Plate'.\"\n\n\"THE GEM YOU HOLD...I FEEL ITS PRESENCE. IT LED YOU HERE. THAT PLATE IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS PLACE...AND IT IS MY ROLE TO PROTECT IT. A GEM HOLDER IS A PERSON WORTHY ENOUGH OF ITS POSSESSION.\"\n\n\"Worthy enough? That Guardian of yours wiped the floor with me. I'm not sure how I survived, or else I'd have been its food.\"\n\n\"THE FAULT IS NOT YOURS. THERE IS A DARK POWER AT WORK...SALAMENCE USED TO KEEP INTRUDERS AWAY MORE DILIGENTLY. HE HAS BECOME IRRATIONAL. HE HAS ABDICATED HIS DUTIES TO ATTACK CIVILIANS MORE THAN ONCE. WE FEAR HE WILL FLEE AND HURT MORE INNOCENTS...\"\n\n\"We? There's more than one of you?\" Lynda briefly remembered the two campers she had stolen from...those badges, were they explorers? Were they investigating the attacks?\n\n\"YOUR FOOTSTEPS...I HEARD THEM ABOVE. THE BATTLE YOU WERE IN INCLUDED ONE MORE THAN YOU. IT IS THEY...THEY TOO HAVE LIKELY COME FOR THE SAME REASON AS YOU.\"\n\n\"They...you don't mean, that jester girl?\"\n\n\"INDEED. THIS MOUNTAIN IS SPECIAL AMONG THE PLATE LOCATIONS. TWO ARE HELD HERE. YET, OUR GUARDIAN IS ONLY ONE. IT IS BEYOND MY KNOWLEDGE AS TO WHY. BUT AS IT STANDS, OUR GUARDIAN IS NOT FIT TO SERVE. YOU AND THAT GIRL MUST TAKE YOUR RESPECTIVE PLATES AND DEFEAT HIM WITH YOUR COMBINED POWERS.\"\n\n\"Me? Team up with her? I...ergh...\" Lynda choked up. Certainly, if this being knows so much, they also know of her misdeeds.\n\n\"WORRY NOT. YOU TWO REQUIRE EACH OTHER. THERE IS A POWER WITHIN YOU THAT HAS YET TO BE UNLOCKED. SHE WILL HELP YOU. TRUST IN HER TO HELP YOU AND YOU WILL GAIN THAT POWER. HOWEVER, KNOW THIS...SEEK NOT THE POWER OF PLATES YOU ARE NOT READY TO HOLD. THAT INCLUDES...HERS.\"\n\n\"Alright...I guess. If these Plates gives as much power as you say, sizzling an overgrown lizard won't be a problem. But how DOES the Plate make me stronger?\"\n\n\"THE PLATE AND GEM CAN BE MELDED TOGETHER TO FORM A CATALYST FOR YOUR STRENGTH. IN OLD TIMES, BLACKSMITHS WOULD TEMPER SUCH PLATES INTO WEAPONS OF WAR. THESE TWO ITEMS TOGETHER ENHANCE THE POWER OF FIRE. FIRE BRINGS HEAT, ENERGY, AND IS THE SPARK OF LIFE...BUT, FIRE DOES NOT JUST CREATE. IT DESTROYS. CONSUMES. YOU MUST TEMPER IT TO YOUR WILL.\"\n\nThe cave rumbles again. In front of the monstrous creature, a platform rises from the lava, adorned with a small pedestal with a rectangular red piece of metal inserted into it.\n\n\"I HAVE SAID ENOUGH. ARCEUS WILL TELL YOU THE REST.\"\n\n\"Arceus...\" Still feeling confused, but glad to see that she had accomplished what she had set out to do, she approached the platform, and placed a hand on the Plate. The creature stared down at her, its shadow casting down onto her...\n\nAll at once, Lynda felt her mind being ripped from her body and being transported...elsewhere. Her eyes saw both bright white light and the blackest darkness at once, lasting for a few seconds before she felt some sort of stability. She tried looking around, but couldn't see her body. Her sight was filled with only the complex colors making up her surroundings, and the new being in front of her that seemed to reflect the colors, barely recognizable beyond an outline.\n\n\"To the Plate's chosen one, you have done well to obtain your destined Plate. With it, you are now a part of the Battle for God's Favor tournament.\"\n\nLynda tried to speak, but without a body, it was quite hard. She couldn't even seem to process her own thoughts, as she seemed to be in a place where space and time didn't exist. Yet, she could parse the words of this being just fine.\n\n\"You need not do anything further but train yourself for the events to come. When all have gathered their Plates, I will contact you again.\"\n\nLynda couldn't move, couldn't speak. There had to be a way to let this...thing, know about her questions.\n\n\"Ah, I suppose I should tell you a bit about the rules while I'm at it. The tournament is free-for-all, no holds barred. Total defeat of your opponents is required. And while I do like a good showing, I am not against there being...unfortunate accidents...before the tournament even begins. No-shows or otherwise.\"\n\n\"Each combatant will have their own Plate, as you might have guessed. So long as you have something relating to it on your person, you may enter. If you don't want to use its power to win, you're free to scrape some dust off of it or something and keep it with you when you come.\"\n\n\"And one more things...this is a free-for-all. That means...absolutely NO teams.\"\n\nLynda felt her subconscious travel again. As her vision took hold once more, feeling like only seconds had passed if at all, she felt overtaken by a shadowy force.\n\n\"YOU WILL SURVIVE...LYNDA...\"\n\nShe took the Flame Plate into her hands and held it tight. Then the pain took over, and everything became dark once more.\n\n[center]Chapter 7[/center]\n\nThe wind...\n\nThat was all Caria could feel, until she opened her eyes. She was high up in the air, flying close to the mountain she was in, noticing the hole on top surrounded by ice for a ways down. Then the pain hit, and she felt clamped. Looking around, she the noticed she was still in the clutches of the beast she had just fought.\n\nA searing, light blue beam shot forward from behind the beast, and she felt her captor veer off away from it. Despite her movements, the Kirlia didn't seem to concern the Salamence for the time being, as whatever had shot that beam was the bigger threat.\n\nAnother beam blew past, closer than the last. Caria could feel a chill coming from it, and the next one that the Salamence quickly rose up to avoid. It growled, circling around to face the attacker. It flapped its wings faster, intending to blow them out of the sky.\n\nCaria got a good look at what was firing upon them: a beautiful blue bird with a white beard and a flowing tail. Was it after her, or was this territorial? She feels as if she'd had enough of being targeted for one day, but if it wasn't for them, she might be Bagon food by now.\n\n\"Can you escape? I will catch you if you can!\" A voice...Caria isn't sure where it came from, but it sure wasn't the monster that had her in its mouth. The bird flew against the wind caused by the Salamence, not making any headway. With it distracted, she figured now would be the best time to make an escape.\n\nConsidering her situation, she didn't know how to begin freeing herself. Being so far up, and in the condition she's in, she can't wrestle its mouth open. She felt trapped...scared...too much about this situation reminded her of that day. The day where her own stupid decision forever changed her fate. Her decision...to...\n\nCaria vanished. The Salamence's mouth clamped shut with no Kirlia inside, and stopped its attack to investigate. The blue bird flew down in a dive; Caria had teleported herself a few feet away from the Salamence, and was now in freefall.\n\n\"Grab on!\" the voice ordered, Caria being hesitant to do anything as fear had taken hold. Still, she held her arms out, and when the bird got close enough, she hugged its neck as best she could. She held her eyes shut, and the stress caused her to momentarily pass out.\n\nBy this point the Salamence was diving after them. The bird quickly reversed its direction and fired another icy beam towards it. Its dive was too fast: the beam struck its mark, and the beast was instantly frozen. Deftly flying up to avoid the incoming hunk of ice, the bird, with Caria in tow, flew over to the mountain's peak. The Salamence's frozen form crashed into the rocky section of the mountain and rolled down it, eventually falling out of sight beneath the treeline and cloud of dust from its tumbling.\n\nThe two landed on a clearing close to the summit, and the Articuno gently let the Kirlia's body down onto the fresh snow. It was not long before she came to, and shot upright with the cold surroundings hitting her. She quickly got up, looking around, then at the large blue bird standing nearby. \"You...helped me. How did you know...?\"\n\nThe Articuno extended a wing towards the lower part of the mountain, looking towards it and the horizon; at such an altitude, the view was quite spectacular. \"The dragon that attacked you was once a Guardian, set to test the strength of those that wish to claim the plates they, and we, the Legendaries, guard. But that is all they are meant to do, a test that those must pass. Those that come before Guardians do not forfeit their lives in the pursuit of meeting us or obtaining the plates we guard. Yet, ours has disobeyed, and has been causing trouble for the surrounding area for a few weeks now.\"\n\nCaria could clearly hear its feminine voice, though she assumed from looking at it that it must be using telepathy. She spoke back, using the same telepathy as a Psychic-type, though she could tell just from trying to pry into the Articuno's mind that she was nowhere near its level. \"What of the person with me? Are they safe?\"\n\n\"Unfortunately,\" the Articuno shook its head and looked down, closing its eyes, \"I did not see anybody else. Only you. But fear not; listen to your feet.\"\n\nStumped, the Kirlia looked down. \"Huh? What do you...?!\" She stopped her thoughts, and focused on a new sensation. It was a rumbling...growing stronger. Eventually the mountain was clearly shaking, and a deep earthly sound echoed from underneath. Caria looked around, flustered and looking for the cause of the shaking. It eventually settled, but not before the Articuno spoke up again.\n\n\"That is my friend, Groudon, deep below us. We send messages to each other based on these quakes. Allow me a moment.\" The bird began doing an odd dance, holding its wings up. Its talons scratched and pattered against the ground in a distinct tapping rhythm. After a few moments of this dance, it jumped and landed on both of its feet at once. \"Forgive me if that looked...silly, but it's much easier for us to do this than to meet face-to-face. Perhaps one day you'll meet him and see for yourself, but for now, what he's told me is that someone has claimed his plate.\"\n\n\"What?!\" Caria said aloud. \"Then, that means...wait, what does that mean?\"\n\nThe Articuno seemed to smile. \"It means that destiny has chosen you. But, just to be sure, show your Gem to me as proof of your claim.\"\n\nCaria nodded, still quite puzzled at the situation. Didn't the Guardian soundly defeat her effortlessly, regardless if it was being more wild than usual? What reason could there be for her to claim the plate with that loss? Either way, she procured the Ice Gem from her pocket and held it out for the Articuno to inspect.\n\n\"Ah...very good. The freezing energy flowing through that jewel gives you the right to claim the plate. Follow me.\" The Articuno began walking up towards the very peak of the mountain, having to pull its feet up above the snowline to get a foot forward, as did Caria as she followed behind. \"Usually there are more formalities, but there isn't time for that now. Your destiny is with the girl below. The Salamence will thaw before long, and you two must face it together.\"\n\n\"B-but she...She's...\" The cold was getting to Caria, clearly not dressed for the occasion.\n\n\"Do not worry. She knows to trust in you. Trust in her, and you can overcome anything together.\" The Articuno opened up its wings, and flew upwards. A stone pedestal beset by spires of ice lay in front of Caria, and behind this structure lay a great crater. The bird hovered above. \"Touch the plate. Arceus will explain the rest.\"\n\nNot one for hesitating, and rather inclined to be in the freezing cold for as short a time as possible, Caria nodded and made her way to the plate, and placed her hand on it.\n\n[center]Chapter 8[/center]\n\nNothing seemed to happen. Seconds passed by...and then a great horror washed over Caria's body. Something was terribly wrong here. Where the plate once was a mere second ago, a dreadful black energy began forming.\n\nA pulse of purple and black energy shot out from the plate, knocking Caria away into the snow face-first. Before the Articuno flying above could respond, a black tendril extended from the plate and grabbed the legendary Ice-type with a misshapen, enlarged hand. The tendril connecting the hand was constantly vibrating, and the entire appendage seemed to have a white outline no matter what angle one looked at it from.\n\nHaving not been knocked out, but simply surprised, Caria got over her shock and propped herself up with her arms, looking up at the plate. A whirlwind of dark energy seemed to flow from a portal right where it sat, with a completely black snake-like figure rising partway through it after a few moments. Shining red eyes stared at Caria. Fear coursed through her at the sight of this dark figure, rendering her unable to move. A slight rumbling sound accompanied its appearance.\n\n\"C-Caria! Run! It's G-ggrrrk!\" The Articuno was cut off by the hand tightening its grip on her. The snake seemed to move its head, and to Caria's horror, the bird vanished without a trace in a flash of white light. The hand slinked back into the shadows of the figure.\n\n\"You...! What are-?!\" Caria couldn't bear to look at the figure for long. An incomprehensible fear seemed to strike her to her very soul with every glance she gave to its ruby eyes. The rumbling grew louder, and the world felt like it was shaking to Caria. She closed her eyes, hoping that her Psychic powers were still strong enough to keep her safe, even when blind.\n\n\"WHO I AM IS NOT IMPORTANT. IT IS YOU WHO DESERVES REMARKS, CHILD.\" The rumbling was getting to be more violent than the quake before. The voice was grating, and even hearing it made Caria feel more than uneasy.\n\n\"HOW FORUNATE FOR ME TO ARRIVE TO MEET A DESCENDENT OF HIS...\" A pillar of magma shot up from the crater behind the plate's pedestal.\n\n\"YOUR DESTINY IS NOW MINE TO GUIDE...\" Riding atop the lava column was a large, bipedal monster clad in red, and on its head...\n\n\"AND WITH HIS POWER ON MY SIDE...\" A figure jumped down from above, poised to attack the snake from behind. The bipedal creature was swallowed in the lava column, smoke billowing out of the main volcano vent.\n\nAs the figure reached the snake figure, time slowed for the three of them: Caria, the shadowy creature, and the figure behind...Lynda. \"IT IS FUTILE TO ATTACK ME IN THIS STATE. HOWEVER...\" The Mawile was still mid-punch, passing straight through the shadow, proving it to be intangible.\n\"IN YOU, I SENSE...THE OTHER. FATE HAS WOVEN THE DESCENDANTS OF THOSE TWO HERE.\" A single second to the Mawile was passing by as if it were ten. She was so focused on the punch that she didn't think how she'd recover from it, intent on letting her momentum carry her wherever she landed.\n\n\"I SHALL AWAKEN SOME OF THE ANCIENT POWER IN YOUR BLOOD.\" By this point, Lynda was right in the middle of passing through the shadow. Dark energy flowed into the Mawile, darkening her body's contrast. All of a sudden, time flowed normally for her, and she flung forward. Having lost control in the time shift, she crashed against the snowy ground and gashed the side of her torso on a particularly sharp rock as she tumbled to a stop, the dark energy taking effect.\n\nThe Mawile writhed, curling up in a fetal position, clutching her head and screaming. \"No...! Get out! Get OUT!\" Whispers of horrible curses echoed in her mind, her emotions twisting and turning. She groaned in agony, feeling a strange power course through her veins, and trying to stay in control. The snake figure looked on unblinkingly, and Caria merely stared in shock, trying to process what's still happening.\n\n\"CHILDREN, BEAR WITNESS TO THE POWER OF GIRATINA...THE FUTURE KING OF THIS WORLD.\" Lynda managed to prop herself up on her legs, but only to throw her head back and howl to the sky, deep and bellowing, as if a second voice was with her. Beams of black energy shot her eyes, mouth, and the fresh wound on her side. The image of her body was warping with her immediate surroundings, distorting her pained voice further than it already was. The shadow of Giratina began laughing ominously.\n\nThe dark energy shooting from her body changed color to a fiery red, with the distortions peaking before slowing down. After a few moments, energy stopped flowing from her, and with her voice finally giving out, her eyes became visible again. The gash on her side seems to have clotted with a black substance. Her arms fell limp to her side, and she collapsed, falling forward unconscious. Caria's muscles finally started responding as the Mawile fell, rushing forward to her aid.\n\n\"IF YOU VALUE THIS WORLD, YOU WILL NOT LEAVE HER, CHILD. DEFY YOUR 'GOD' AT YOUR OWN PERIL.\" The image of Giratina's shadowy form began to distort and fade away, leaving behind the Plate on its pedestal, and the erupting volcano behind. Its eerie laugh continued on even after its form disappeared from the world. As Caria tended to the fallen Mawile, she racked her brain with what to do. Things were moving too fast.\n\nDestiny? Fate? Was she really meant for this life? What would happen if she were to leave this person that was so clearly cursed in front of her? Did she even want to be around this person...who she previously thought of as a thief? And yet, they were bound to this fate just as she was.\n\nFate. The plate. She's yet to claim it as her own. Suddenly, the Articuno from before reappeared with a bright flash of light, falling onto a nearby rock landing. Answers. She needed answers.",
  "writing_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'><div class='align_center'>To Cross Frost and Flame, Chapter 1</div><br /><br />&quot;Ah, you see, when I left the dojo...I had very little in terms of survival skills. Very little food. The only thing I knew at the time was how to fight. But after so many fights with others defending their territory, or whatever reason they had, it was wearing on my body. It was pretty rough living out in the wild alone, going to sleep at night fearing that some creature might find me. I was desperate for anything that would help me survive, so much that I would go to lengths that were beyond my morals if it meant living at least one more day. On that fateful day, years ago, I finally reached a mountain - or, was it a volcano...? - that seemed to draw me in. If any place could house a Flame Plate, that was the place. The problem was that I didn&#039;t have enough energy to make the climb. ...But then, I saw a chance to increase my odds of survival...and by all means, I took it.&quot;<br /><br />---<br /><br />In a rather flat, circular area between a forest and a mountain, where many cave entrances permeate the tall wall of rocks and dirt, a camp is set up. A few tents, a fire with a pot, and two sitting logs on opposite side of the fire furnish the scene. Coupled with the trees casting their shadows upon the camp and the mountainside thanks to the sunset, it seems as though the inhabitants - a Cranidos and a Gothita - were ready to have their last meal for the day with a splendid view of the mountain above. While the Cranidos tended to the pot, cooking what seems to be a stew of different berries naturally found in the nearby forest, the Gothita was reorganizing items in a bag, sitting close to one of the tents. The dinosaur called out to her, and the petit psychic &#039;mon laid the bag down near the tent to eat with her team member.<br /><br />In the bushes near the tents, a rustling sound alerted the Cranidos. Before he could react, a Mawile had dashed out and grabbed the bag! It held its maw threateningly at the duo with its other hand, its teeth clicking together.<br /><br />&quot;Don&#039;t move! Don&#039;t you dare move,&quot; the deceiver yelled out, backing up towards the mountain. The team was about to jump up to defend their bag - one of their essential tools to survive in the wilderness -but the Mawile fired off a warning shot at the duo. The Incinerate hit their campfire, raining fiery logs and their pot and stew all over the two explorers, prompting both to duck out of the way of the blast. With the distraction and bag in hand, the attacker ran towards the mountain, jumped, and used another Incinerate to boost their height further to reach a cave mouth. A few beams of psychic energy clipped the nearby rocks as the deceiver made their way inside the cave, not daring to look back now. The calls of the two vowing that they will catch the thief grew faint as the Mawile ran deeper and deeper into the system...<br /><br /><div class='align_center'>Chapter 2</div><br /><br />&quot;...Alright, I suppose I can spare the time to tell my story. See, I was...separated from my parents when I was oung. It was during a massive snowstorm up in the mountains we were traveling in. I don&#039;t remember much about how that happened, but luckily, a Froslass that was kind enough to nurse me back to health took me in. I&#039;m guessing I spent months living with her, &#039;cause I lost track of time being her...accolade, I guess that&#039;s what you&#039;d call it. When it came to when we had to part ways, she gave me an Ice Gem as a parting gift, along with some supplies for my travels. And, she told me of another item that, when combined with it, will let me control ice. Though I had little to go off on, I set my sights on what seemed to be a snow-capped mountain in the distance, and made my way to its base...&quot;<br /><br />---<br /><br />Caria made her way through the shrubs of the forest at the foot of the mountain. With every bush passed, every tree she spun around on her way, it wouldn&#039;t take long for the Psychic-type to reach it. It was getting quite dark within the dense forest, the setting sun not cooperating with her visibility. With only a few rays of light to go on, the Kirlia made her way to what seemed to be a bright spot...She had found the camp of the Cranidos and Gothita, and upon closer glance, it seemed an altercation had taken place. The two were cleaning up around their campfire, their pot lying on its side in the grass nearby. An urge to help them rose from within Caria, making her way out of the shrubbery, waving out to the two.<br /><br />&quot;Hey, err...&quot; she started. The two explorers looked up at her and almost panicked, thinking she was ambushing them. The Kirlia remained motionless upon receiving their gaze, and her heart jumped for a brief moment. The duo stood up once they realized she wasn&#039;t a threat, but the Cranidos stomped up to her, fuming.<br /><br />&quot;You got a lotta nerve sneaking up on us! I reckon that was your friend that gone and-&quot;<br /><br />&quot;Ahem! Charlie, manners,&quot; the Gothita interrupted. The petit goth stepped forward, to her partner&#039;s side. &quot;You&#039;re...an explorer like us, right?&quot;<br /><br />The Kirlia nodded. &quot;I suppose you can call me that. I&#039;m Caria, by the way. I&#039;d hate to intrude on you two when you seem to be having problems of your own...but, do you know anything about this mountain here?&quot; She pointed upwards at the mountain.<br /><br />Charlie crossed his arms, kicking the nearby turned pot back upright. &quot;Yeah, only that it&#039;s super-hot if you go down and super-cold if you go up. You can&#039;t win with it! You&#039;ll either freeze or melt going either way!&quot;<br /><br />The Gothita rolled her eyes. &quot;I&#039;m Lisa. Don&#039;t mind him; he&#039;s a bit...wild.&quot; She sighs. &quot;We&#039;re kinda in a tough spot. Some jerk just stole our explorer&#039;s bag that had all our tools and identification in it.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;No way,&quot; Caria gasped. &quot;Did they go in the mountain with it?&quot;<br /><br />Lisa nodded, a solemn look on her face. Charlie stomped about around the pot. &quot;Great! We&#039;re gonna starve, how&#039;re we gonna go back to base without our IDs?! Arrrgh!&quot;<br /><br />The Gothita pointed up at the entrance the attacker took. &quot;They jumped up there, but...there&#039;s a thing about this mountain. It&#039;s peculiar, in that a few of these caves loop back around to the real entrance. I remember seeing that on one of our maps, but I couldn&#039;t tell you which one&#039;s the actual entrance without it. Sorry.&quot;<br /><br />Caria smiled, adjusting the strap on her own bag. &quot;No, don&#039;t be. That&#039;s helpful information! I&#039;ve got a hunch that what I need is in this mountain, so any little bit helps.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;You&#039;re going in by yourself?! You won&#039;t make it! You&#039;ll be good as dead if you head in there, just like that Mawile! If the both of us couldn&#039;t-&quot;<br /><br />&quot;Charlie, please! Look, err, Caria...we can&#039;t go anywhere without our explorer&#039;s bag. It&#039;d be too dangerous for us to chase that Mawile in that mountain, and we&#039;d be the laughing stock of our guild if we returned home without it. So, I&#039;m asking on behalf of us...could you retrieve our bag from that thief?&quot; As sincere as Lisa was, the Cranidos seemed on edge about asking a stranger a request.<br /><br />Caria paused. She looked over at the camp the two had set up. Perhaps, she thought, this is where her new life began. After all, she had no idea how to contact her parents, or know just how far away they are. It was by Arceus&#039; blessing that Caria was at the right place and at the right time - so why refuse?<br /><br />&quot;Sure, I&#039;ll help. But, in return...when I come back, could you point me to the next town?&quot;<br /><br /><div class='align_center'>Chapter 3</div><br /><br />In the depths of the mountain cave, all was pitch black except for a small flame lighting the way forward for a thieving Mawile. Such a flame she kept in the palm of her hand, a testament to her skill with the element despite her typing&#039;s weaknesses. Yet, the flame was small and was threatening to flicker out, only lighting up a few feet in front of her. With her vitality low and her power fading even only minutes after her robbery, she slowed to a walking pace until her legs gave way.<br /><br />Lynda felt right at home in the cave due to her species, even as her eyes struggled to adjust to the darkness. As her will to trudge on through the twisting and turning corridors diminished, she sat down against a wall with a huff. The firebrand ensured her flame was still lit and that she still had the bag that she pilfered as she placed it in her lap. Before she took the chance to open it, she looked around and listened for sounds in the cave.<br /><br />Her rapid breathing and heartbeat made it hard to tune in to the sounds of the wild Pokemon in the area. The quietness of the cave was only interrupted by the pitter-pattering of a few wild &#039;mon scurrying by. The only hints of their presence were the glints in their eyes from Lynda&#039;s flame...yet none approached her outright.<br /><br />Thinking she was far ahead of anybody that were to chase her, the Mawile propped up her maw against the wall beside her. She placed the fireball she was holding in its mouth, keeping a steady light source and freeing up both of her hands. She opened the lid and began rummaging through its contents. It was half-filled with seeds and berries, and it was quite obvious which were just picked up inside the forest. Chomping on a particularly plump Oran berry, the Mawile checked the bag for extra compartments.<br /><br />On the back of the bag was a zipper in the shape of an arc, starting from the bottom left and ending in the bottom right. Praising herself for her luck in her thievery once more, Lynda undid the zipper and let the flap fall. In the flap were two silver egg-like medals with small nameplates underneath, no doubt belonging to the two she stole from. A small collection of documents in a pocket caught Lynda&#039;s eyes. Taking them out one by one, she realized these were notes on the area, and one paper even had a sketch of the mountain&#039;s caves! Excited by this discovery, she fist-pumped the air and came short of giggling with her grin.<br /><br />Keeping the map of the area out, she packed the rest of the papers back into their pocket and took another Oran berry out. With the recovery properties of the berries, she would last quite a while even if she were to get lost. Still using the light inside her maw, she was able to locate approximately where she was on the crudely-drawn map.<br /><br />It seemed incomplete, but from the details marked in...it seemed she would come to a room with multiple exits deeper in the cave. One went higher up into the mountain, another went deeper down below the ground; both paths were not detailed. A fourth path, counting the one Lynda is in, was a shorter path leading to the entrance of the mountain. Seeing this, she realized that if anybody were to use that shorter path, they could set up an ambush for her in that room.<br /><br />Lynda cursed her split-second decision making in fleeing the scene of her crime earlier. Yet, she could also take the time traveling to this intersection to prepare for anyone that may have come in after her. The two that she pilfered from didn&#039;t seem the type to be all that organized, but they did seem resourceful enough to have a back-up plan. Crunching on another Oran berry and feeling her power return to her, Lynda mentally prepare herself to fight if she had to. She got this far already, so what&#039;s one or a few more opponents to test her strength?<br /><br /><div class='align_center'>Chapter 4</div><br /><br />For Caria, the cave within the mountain was vastly different than the small icy cave she grew up in. Whereas the little crack within the mountain that she called her abode was lit by ice crystals reflecting sunlight, there were no such crystals within this particular cave. The only thing lighting her way was a makeshift torch from a branch from right outside the entrance, which the Kirlia pointed at any new object that reflected its light. Spying eyes in the blackness of the cave seemed to wear on her nerves with each step she took.<br /><br />By the time she had lost vision of any ray of light from the entrance behind her through the bending corridors, Caria took a moment to collect her thoughts. She didn&#039;t know what foe she was up against, where they might be, or how strong they were. Perhaps she was in over her head in taking on a task that she wasn&#039;t equipped to handle. Though she couldn&#039;t just leave those that needed help behind, if it would mean she&#039;d get introduced back into society. With her abilities not fully brought out thanks to her upbringing and stunted from her experiences, fighting was a low priority. Yet thanks to her heart, she&#039;s now expecting to fight. The least she could do, then, is to prepare mentally for it.<br /><br />Becoming more inspired by her thoughts with each step, Caria didn&#039;t notice that she was out in the light again until she was standing right in it. She had walked into a circular room, the ceiling of which seemed to have caved in, leaving the sun to brighten up some of the innards of the mountain&#039;s cave. Curious and rather awestruck by the unique sight, the Kirlia walked towards the center of the room and looked up and around at the rocky walls that gave way to the sky above.<br /><br />That is, until something whizzed past her, exploding on the ground behind Caria with a small flash. She yelped and took a defensive position, alerted by the attack, and looked around for its source.Upon a ledge, opposite of the entrance she had entered through, a figure from the shadows held out an appendage, looking like a giant mouth. Smoke poured from it, and it lowered after a few moments. A figure behind it took a step forward, the light from the hole above now able to reach the body, clad in black and with a bag around its shoulder that seemed to clash with their clothes.<br /><br />&quot;You...t-that&#039;s no way to welcome someone, you know!&quot; Caria exclaimed, knees wobbling visibly. The figure, now fully in the light, was a Mawile about the same stature as the Kirlia herself. It stared down at Caria menacingly for a few moments, still as stone, as if waiting for one or the other to make a move.<br /><br />&quot;...Why are you here?&quot; The Mawile spoke with a rugged voice. Caria, still unsure of the motives of the figure for attacking her, and more so if they were to attack again, held her position.<br /><br />&quot;To...to retrieve something.&quot; Caria answered, trying to be unspecific - the Mawile could be an honest-to-goodness traveler, after all. She didn&#039;t want to attack if she didn&#039;t know they were the thief.<br /><br />&quot;I see...&quot; The Mawile muttered. &quot;...then, I can&#039;t let you leave here alive.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;What!? You&#039;re...&quot; Before Caria could question further, the Mawile fired off another fireball towards her, barely ducking away to the left to dodge. As she got back up, the deceiver mon jumped down to the ground, quickly getting right into a stance with one hand in front of it and another holding its maw. Caria readied psychic auras around her hands, staring down her foe intently. She had to fight, after all...<br /><br /><div class='align_center'>Chapter 5</div><br /><br />The two stared at each other. Both had their reservations about fighting, though neither had a choice now. The moments seemed to tick by as they stood firm, but one of them would have to make a move.<br /><br />Lynda would be the first to move, rushing forward and readying a punch. She couldn&#039;t last for a full fight, so her best bet was to end it as fast as possible. Even if she were to fall, she still felt a few berries moving about in that bag, so she could rely on those.<br /><br />Caria felt her muscles tense up for a moment, freezing out of fear. She&#039;s not had to face many dangers before, but now, someone was coming at her with the intent to harm her. It felt surreal, but she knew she had to act, even if she wasn&#039;t used to fighting. She let her psychic powers take hold of her and whisk her off to the side before the punch connected. Extending her arms, a chilly wind surged from her body towards the Mawile.<br /><br />Lynda chased after her target, believing this weak attack wouldn&#039;t stop her. With each step in this wind, she could feel her reaction time slow down, her steps slowing down in their rhythm. The chill was an annoying side-effect, and was one thing she&#039;d need to avoid if she were to survive after the fight. Still, her speed wasn&#039;t impaired too much, so she caught up to the Kirlia and threw another punch.<br /><br />Noticing this strategy was working out for her so far, Caria again let her psychic carry her away. Again, she blew a chilly wind towards the Mawile&#039;s direction. This time, the thief didn&#039;t chase; instead, they launched a fireball from their maw! It traveled unfazed by the icy wind and struck its target, with Caria recoiling back a few feet from the impact. She seemed surprised at how well she took this attack, but she had little time to assess the situation. The Mawile was charging again, seeing an opening and taking it!<br /><br />Without the wind to slow her down, Lynda ran straight up to the would-be hero and stopped a few feet short. Whirling her head around, she battered the Kirlia with her maw! As before, Caria tried using her psychic powers to save herself. This time was too little too late, and Caria was flung across the room, rolling to a stop on the ground.<br /><br />Lynda kept her distance, feeling as if she should let her attacker get up. Though she had committed a crime, it was not in her morals to attack a prone enemy. The Kirlia struggled to get up on their feet, clutching their side where the maw struck. Both shared the same fighting gaze, and Lynda dropped into another fighting pose.<br /><br />&quot;Give up. You&#039;re outmatched.&quot; Lynda charged forth once more, intent on putting an end to the fight.<br /><br />&quot;I won&#039;t...let...&quot; Caria was just now figuring out how frail she actually was, and she readied her psychic powers to strike...<br /><br />...but then, a beam shot down from the opening in the ceiling of the cave, landing between the two! Caria slammed against the wall behind her, while Lynda was sent to the opposite side of the cave from the blast. A roar followed, and from the light above descended a monstrous blue beast. It flapped its red wings, aiming towards the Mawile, and dove straight for her. She barely had time to get to her feet before jumping off to the side onto her belly to avoid the attack. The blue-scaled Pokemon flew straight into the wall behind her, causing the cave to shake. Boulders dropped from above, threatening to crush the two - or trap them.<br /><br />Caria stood up using the wall as leverage, noticing the dragon that had swooped in. She could tell its power was too great for them to stop, and its anger wouldn&#039;t quelled without a fight. Either way, the two of them wouldn&#039;t last unless they fled.<br /><br />The dragon-type recovered from its hit and turned towards the Mawile. It loomed tall above her, gathering energy in its mouth, likely the same attack from before. Caria, thinking selflessly, used her psychic to fly full speed towards the beast. Once close enough, she fired off the strongest gust of icy wind that she could muster. Ice quickly formed on its body, and its attention turned to the Kirlia, the energy fizzling out of its mouth.<br /><br />&quot;Run!&quot;<br /><br />Lynda didn&#039;t need to be told twice, nodding and running past the Kirlia. She continued blowing the wind, trying to slow it down as much as she could before fleeing herself. Despite this, the ice forming on the beast&#039;s body melted off quickly and it didn&#039;t seem to be affected much by the attack. The dragon appeared to coil its body together, its long blue tail wrapping around itself. Noticing this, Lynda seen that Caria was within striking range of the tail.<br /><br />Past transgressions were forgiven.<br /><br />Lynda leaped forward, the blue tail whipping towards her being the last thing she sees before blacking out.<br /><br />&quot;No-!&quot; Despite her efforts, the Mawile wasn&#039;t able to push Caria fully out of the way of the tail&#039;s reach. The impact from just the tip of the tail and the floor she collided with was enough to knock her out.<br /><br />Lynda&#039;s body flew straight into one of the room&#039;s exit holes, bouncing and rolling down a long slope before coming to a stop deeper in.<br /><br />The dragon roared in victory, the cave still rumbling and boulders still falling about. It took Caria&#039;s limp body into its mouth, and flapped its wings to make its escape...<br /><br /><div class='align_center'>Chapter 6</div><br /><br />&quot;...still resist...&quot;<br /><br />&quot;...won&#039;t...&quot;<br /><br />&quot;...defeat... &quot;<br /><br />...<br /><br />&quot;...ortal, your...no longer exists.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;...I will...&quot;<br /><br />&quot;...no more...&quot;<br /><br />- LYNDA! -<br /><br />&quot;GAAH!&quot; Lynda abruptly rose up from the ground. The surroundings were once again dark, although she could see a dim light illuminating a pathway ahead in the distance. She coughed, still hurt from the previous battle.<br /><br />&#039;Was that a dream...?&#039;<br /><br />Groggy, the Mawile forced herself up and over to the light, noticing it flicker. Heat seem to flow in from the path, though it twists down to where she can&#039;t see the source of the light. As she got closer, she reached into her still-stolen bag, eating one of the few remaining Oran berries left inside.<br /><br />The warm glow felt oddly familiar to Lynda, getting to where even her steel typing was making her feel vulnerable. When she turned the corner, facing an expansive open room, her speculation is confirmed: lava. A room spattered with pools of lava and rock formations, with no exit further down in sight. Lynda walked along the widest path in the room, not sure what to expect. No wild Pokemon seem to be living this far down, at least. She hadn&#039;t seen a Zubat since fighting...<br /><br />A rumble shook the room, and Lynda fell to a knee. Bubbles in the lava popped, and from the largest pool of lava in the back, a bump formed. And grew. From it, a figure began to form, the hot liquid pouring down its large red scale-like armor.<br /><br />&quot;IS IT YOU...THAT HAS BATTLED THE GUARDIAN?&quot; It spoke with a loud, deep voice, the room filling with its echos. Despite a good portion of its body appearing above the pool, the parts of its body that weren&#039;t red were blackened, even against the light of the lava.<br /><br />&quot;Guardian? You mean that...beast?&quot;<br /><br />&quot;YES...IT IS GOOD THAT YOU APPEAR MOSTLY UNHARMED.&quot; Its mouth didn&#039;t seem to move much, despite it talking. Lynda gets the feeling that it&#039;s not actually talking out loud, despite clearly hearing it.<br /><br />&quot;Mostly? What&#039;s that supposed to mean? Guardian of what, exactly, and why&#039;d it need to fight me in the first place?&quot;<br /><br />&quot;HOLD. HOW MUCH...DO YOU KNOW OF THIS PLACE?&quot;<br /><br />&quot;Well...not much. All I really know is I&#039;m supposed to look for something called a &#039;Flame Plate&#039;.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;THE GEM YOU HOLD...I FEEL ITS PRESENCE. IT LED YOU HERE. THAT PLATE IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS PLACE...AND IT IS MY ROLE TO PROTECT IT. A GEM HOLDER IS A PERSON WORTHY ENOUGH OF ITS POSSESSION.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;Worthy enough? That Guardian of yours wiped the floor with me. I&#039;m not sure how I survived, or else I&#039;d have been its food.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;THE FAULT IS NOT YOURS. THERE IS A DARK POWER AT WORK...SALAMENCE USED TO KEEP INTRUDERS AWAY MORE DILIGENTLY. HE HAS BECOME IRRATIONAL. HE HAS ABDICATED HIS DUTIES TO ATTACK CIVILIANS MORE THAN ONCE. WE FEAR HE WILL FLEE AND HURT MORE INNOCENTS...&quot;<br /><br />&quot;We? There&#039;s more than one of you?&quot; Lynda briefly remembered the two campers she had stolen from...those badges, were they explorers? Were they investigating the attacks?<br /><br />&quot;YOUR FOOTSTEPS...I HEARD THEM ABOVE. THE BATTLE YOU WERE IN INCLUDED ONE MORE THAN YOU. IT IS THEY...THEY TOO HAVE LIKELY COME FOR THE SAME REASON AS YOU.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;They...you don&#039;t mean, that jester girl?&quot;<br /><br />&quot;INDEED. THIS MOUNTAIN IS SPECIAL AMONG THE PLATE LOCATIONS. TWO ARE HELD HERE. YET, OUR GUARDIAN IS ONLY ONE. IT IS BEYOND MY KNOWLEDGE AS TO WHY. BUT AS IT STANDS, OUR GUARDIAN IS NOT FIT TO SERVE. YOU AND THAT GIRL MUST TAKE YOUR RESPECTIVE PLATES AND DEFEAT HIM WITH YOUR COMBINED POWERS.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;Me? Team up with her? I...ergh...&quot; Lynda choked up. Certainly, if this being knows so much, they also know of her misdeeds.<br /><br />&quot;WORRY NOT. YOU TWO REQUIRE EACH OTHER. THERE IS A POWER WITHIN YOU THAT HAS YET TO BE UNLOCKED. SHE WILL HELP YOU. TRUST IN HER TO HELP YOU AND YOU WILL GAIN THAT POWER. HOWEVER, KNOW THIS...SEEK NOT THE POWER OF PLATES YOU ARE NOT READY TO HOLD. THAT INCLUDES...HERS.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;Alright...I guess. If these Plates gives as much power as you say, sizzling an overgrown lizard won&#039;t be a problem. But how DOES the Plate make me stronger?&quot;<br /><br />&quot;THE PLATE AND GEM CAN BE MELDED TOGETHER TO FORM A CATALYST FOR YOUR STRENGTH. IN OLD TIMES, BLACKSMITHS WOULD TEMPER SUCH PLATES INTO WEAPONS OF WAR. THESE TWO ITEMS TOGETHER ENHANCE THE POWER OF FIRE. FIRE BRINGS HEAT, ENERGY, AND IS THE SPARK OF LIFE...BUT, FIRE DOES NOT JUST CREATE. IT DESTROYS. CONSUMES. YOU MUST TEMPER IT TO YOUR WILL.&quot;<br /><br />The cave rumbles again. In front of the monstrous creature, a platform rises from the lava, adorned with a small pedestal with a rectangular red piece of metal inserted into it.<br /><br />&quot;I HAVE SAID ENOUGH. ARCEUS WILL TELL YOU THE REST.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;Arceus...&quot; Still feeling confused, but glad to see that she had accomplished what she had set out to do, she approached the platform, and placed a hand on the Plate. The creature stared down at her, its shadow casting down onto her...<br /><br />All at once, Lynda felt her mind being ripped from her body and being transported...elsewhere. Her eyes saw both bright white light and the blackest darkness at once, lasting for a few seconds before she felt some sort of stability. She tried looking around, but couldn&#039;t see her body. Her sight was filled with only the complex colors making up her surroundings, and the new being in front of her that seemed to reflect the colors, barely recognizable beyond an outline.<br /><br />&quot;To the Plate&#039;s chosen one, you have done well to obtain your destined Plate. With it, you are now a part of the Battle for God&#039;s Favor tournament.&quot;<br /><br />Lynda tried to speak, but without a body, it was quite hard. She couldn&#039;t even seem to process her own thoughts, as she seemed to be in a place where space and time didn&#039;t exist. Yet, she could parse the words of this being just fine.<br /><br />&quot;You need not do anything further but train yourself for the events to come. When all have gathered their Plates, I will contact you again.&quot;<br /><br />Lynda couldn&#039;t move, couldn&#039;t speak. There had to be a way to let this...thing, know about her questions.<br /><br />&quot;Ah, I suppose I should tell you a bit about the rules while I&#039;m at it. The tournament is free-for-all, no holds barred. Total defeat of your opponents is required. And while I do like a good showing, I am not against there being...unfortunate accidents...before the tournament even begins. No-shows or otherwise.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;Each combatant will have their own Plate, as you might have guessed. So long as you have something relating to it on your person, you may enter. If you don&#039;t want to use its power to win, you&#039;re free to scrape some dust off of it or something and keep it with you when you come.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;And one more things...this is a free-for-all. That means...absolutely NO teams.&quot;<br /><br />Lynda felt her subconscious travel again. As her vision took hold once more, feeling like only seconds had passed if at all, she felt overtaken by a shadowy force.<br /><br />&quot;YOU WILL SURVIVE...LYNDA...&quot;<br /><br />She took the Flame Plate into her hands and held it tight. Then the pain took over, and everything became dark once more.<br /><br /><div class='align_center'>Chapter 7</div><br /><br />The wind...<br /><br />That was all Caria could feel, until she opened her eyes. She was high up in the air, flying close to the mountain she was in, noticing the hole on top surrounded by ice for a ways down. Then the pain hit, and she felt clamped. Looking around, she the noticed she was still in the clutches of the beast she had just fought.<br /><br />A searing, light blue beam shot forward from behind the beast, and she felt her captor veer off away from it. Despite her movements, the Kirlia didn&#039;t seem to concern the Salamence for the time being, as whatever had shot that beam was the bigger threat.<br /><br />Another beam blew past, closer than the last. Caria could feel a chill coming from it, and the next one that the Salamence quickly rose up to avoid. It growled, circling around to face the attacker. It flapped its wings faster, intending to blow them out of the sky.<br /><br />Caria got a good look at what was firing upon them: a beautiful blue bird with a white beard and a flowing tail. Was it after her, or was this territorial? She feels as if she&#039;d had enough of being targeted for one day, but if it wasn&#039;t for them, she might be Bagon food by now.<br /><br />&quot;Can you escape? I will catch you if you can!&quot; A voice...Caria isn&#039;t sure where it came from, but it sure wasn&#039;t the monster that had her in its mouth. The bird flew against the wind caused by the Salamence, not making any headway. With it distracted, she figured now would be the best time to make an escape.<br /><br />Considering her situation, she didn&#039;t know how to begin freeing herself. Being so far up, and in the condition she&#039;s in, she can&#039;t wrestle its mouth open. She felt trapped...scared...too much about this situation reminded her of that day. The day where her own stupid decision forever changed her fate. Her decision...to...<br /><br />Caria vanished. The Salamence&#039;s mouth clamped shut with no Kirlia inside, and stopped its attack to investigate. The blue bird flew down in a dive; Caria had teleported herself a few feet away from the Salamence, and was now in freefall.<br /><br />&quot;Grab on!&quot; the voice ordered, Caria being hesitant to do anything as fear had taken hold. Still, she held her arms out, and when the bird got close enough, she hugged its neck as best she could. She held her eyes shut, and the stress caused her to momentarily pass out.<br /><br />By this point the Salamence was diving after them. The bird quickly reversed its direction and fired another icy beam towards it. Its dive was too fast: the beam struck its mark, and the beast was instantly frozen. Deftly flying up to avoid the incoming hunk of ice, the bird, with Caria in tow, flew over to the mountain&#039;s peak. The Salamence&#039;s frozen form crashed into the rocky section of the mountain and rolled down it, eventually falling out of sight beneath the treeline and cloud of dust from its tumbling.<br /><br />The two landed on a clearing close to the summit, and the Articuno gently let the Kirlia&#039;s body down onto the fresh snow. It was not long before she came to, and shot upright with the cold surroundings hitting her. She quickly got up, looking around, then at the large blue bird standing nearby. &quot;You...helped me. How did you know...?&quot;<br /><br />The Articuno extended a wing towards the lower part of the mountain, looking towards it and the horizon; at such an altitude, the view was quite spectacular. &quot;The dragon that attacked you was once a Guardian, set to test the strength of those that wish to claim the plates they, and we, the Legendaries, guard. But that is all they are meant to do, a test that those must pass. Those that come before Guardians do not forfeit their lives in the pursuit of meeting us or obtaining the plates we guard. Yet, ours has disobeyed, and has been causing trouble for the surrounding area for a few weeks now.&quot;<br /><br />Caria could clearly hear its feminine voice, though she assumed from looking at it that it must be using telepathy. She spoke back, using the same telepathy as a Psychic-type, though she could tell just from trying to pry into the Articuno&#039;s mind that she was nowhere near its level. &quot;What of the person with me? Are they safe?&quot;<br /><br />&quot;Unfortunately,&quot; the Articuno shook its head and looked down, closing its eyes, &quot;I did not see anybody else. Only you. But fear not; listen to your feet.&quot;<br /><br />Stumped, the Kirlia looked down. &quot;Huh? What do you...?!&quot; She stopped her thoughts, and focused on a new sensation. It was a rumbling...growing stronger. Eventually the mountain was clearly shaking, and a deep earthly sound echoed from underneath. Caria looked around, flustered and looking for the cause of the shaking. It eventually settled, but not before the Articuno spoke up again.<br /><br />&quot;That is my friend, Groudon, deep below us. We send messages to each other based on these quakes. Allow me a moment.&quot; The bird began doing an odd dance, holding its wings up. Its talons scratched and pattered against the ground in a distinct tapping rhythm. After a few moments of this dance, it jumped and landed on both of its feet at once. &quot;Forgive me if that looked...silly, but it&#039;s much easier for us to do this than to meet face-to-face. Perhaps one day you&#039;ll meet him and see for yourself, but for now, what he&#039;s told me is that someone has claimed his plate.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;What?!&quot; Caria said aloud. &quot;Then, that means...wait, what does that mean?&quot;<br /><br />The Articuno seemed to smile. &quot;It means that destiny has chosen you. But, just to be sure, show your Gem to me as proof of your claim.&quot;<br /><br />Caria nodded, still quite puzzled at the situation. Didn&#039;t the Guardian soundly defeat her effortlessly, regardless if it was being more wild than usual? What reason could there be for her to claim the plate with that loss? Either way, she procured the Ice Gem from her pocket and held it out for the Articuno to inspect.<br /><br />&quot;Ah...very good. The freezing energy flowing through that jewel gives you the right to claim the plate. Follow me.&quot; The Articuno began walking up towards the very peak of the mountain, having to pull its feet up above the snowline to get a foot forward, as did Caria as she followed behind. &quot;Usually there are more formalities, but there isn&#039;t time for that now. Your destiny is with the girl below. The Salamence will thaw before long, and you two must face it together.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;B-but she...She&#039;s...&quot; The cold was getting to Caria, clearly not dressed for the occasion.<br /><br />&quot;Do not worry. She knows to trust in you. Trust in her, and you can overcome anything together.&quot; The Articuno opened up its wings, and flew upwards. A stone pedestal beset by spires of ice lay in front of Caria, and behind this structure lay a great crater. The bird hovered above. &quot;Touch the plate. Arceus will explain the rest.&quot;<br /><br />Not one for hesitating, and rather inclined to be in the freezing cold for as short a time as possible, Caria nodded and made her way to the plate, and placed her hand on it.<br /><br /><div class='align_center'>Chapter 8</div><br /><br />Nothing seemed to happen. Seconds passed by...and then a great horror washed over Caria&#039;s body. Something was terribly wrong here. Where the plate once was a mere second ago, a dreadful black energy began forming.<br /><br />A pulse of purple and black energy shot out from the plate, knocking Caria away into the snow face-first. Before the Articuno flying above could respond, a black tendril extended from the plate and grabbed the legendary Ice-type with a misshapen, enlarged hand. The tendril connecting the hand was constantly vibrating, and the entire appendage seemed to have a white outline no matter what angle one looked at it from.<br /><br />Having not been knocked out, but simply surprised, Caria got over her shock and propped herself up with her arms, looking up at the plate. A whirlwind of dark energy seemed to flow from a portal right where it sat, with a completely black snake-like figure rising partway through it after a few moments. Shining red eyes stared at Caria. Fear coursed through her at the sight of this dark figure, rendering her unable to move. A slight rumbling sound accompanied its appearance.<br /><br />&quot;C-Caria! Run! It&#039;s G-ggrrrk!&quot; The Articuno was cut off by the hand tightening its grip on her. The snake seemed to move its head, and to Caria&#039;s horror, the bird vanished without a trace in a flash of white light. The hand slinked back into the shadows of the figure.<br /><br />&quot;You...! What are-?!&quot; Caria couldn&#039;t bear to look at the figure for long. An incomprehensible fear seemed to strike her to her very soul with every glance she gave to its ruby eyes. The rumbling grew louder, and the world felt like it was shaking to Caria. She closed her eyes, hoping that her Psychic powers were still strong enough to keep her safe, even when blind.<br /><br />&quot;WHO I AM IS NOT IMPORTANT. IT IS YOU WHO DESERVES REMARKS, CHILD.&quot; The rumbling was getting to be more violent than the quake before. The voice was grating, and even hearing it made Caria feel more than uneasy.<br /><br />&quot;HOW FORUNATE FOR ME TO ARRIVE TO MEET A DESCENDENT OF HIS...&quot; A pillar of magma shot up from the crater behind the plate&#039;s pedestal.<br /><br />&quot;YOUR DESTINY IS NOW MINE TO GUIDE...&quot; Riding atop the lava column was a large, bipedal monster clad in red, and on its head...<br /><br />&quot;AND WITH HIS POWER ON MY SIDE...&quot; A figure jumped down from above, poised to attack the snake from behind. The bipedal creature was swallowed in the lava column, smoke billowing out of the main volcano vent.<br /><br />As the figure reached the snake figure, time slowed for the three of them: Caria, the shadowy creature, and the figure behind...Lynda. &quot;IT IS FUTILE TO ATTACK ME IN THIS STATE. HOWEVER...&quot; The Mawile was still mid-punch, passing straight through the shadow, proving it to be intangible.<br />&quot;IN YOU, I SENSE...THE OTHER. FATE HAS WOVEN THE DESCENDANTS OF THOSE TWO HERE.&quot; A single second to the Mawile was passing by as if it were ten. She was so focused on the punch that she didn&#039;t think how she&#039;d recover from it, intent on letting her momentum carry her wherever she landed.<br /><br />&quot;I SHALL AWAKEN SOME OF THE ANCIENT POWER IN YOUR BLOOD.&quot; By this point, Lynda was right in the middle of passing through the shadow. Dark energy flowed into the Mawile, darkening her body&#039;s contrast. All of a sudden, time flowed normally for her, and she flung forward. Having lost control in the time shift, she crashed against the snowy ground and gashed the side of her torso on a particularly sharp rock as she tumbled to a stop, the dark energy taking effect.<br /><br />The Mawile writhed, curling up in a fetal position, clutching her head and screaming. &quot;No...! Get out! Get OUT!&quot; Whispers of horrible curses echoed in her mind, her emotions twisting and turning. She groaned in agony, feeling a strange power course through her veins, and trying to stay in control. The snake figure looked on unblinkingly, and Caria merely stared in shock, trying to process what&#039;s still happening.<br /><br />&quot;CHILDREN, BEAR WITNESS TO THE POWER OF GIRATINA...THE FUTURE KING OF THIS WORLD.&quot; Lynda managed to prop herself up on her legs, but only to throw her head back and howl to the sky, deep and bellowing, as if a second voice was with her. Beams of black energy shot her eyes, mouth, and the fresh wound on her side. The image of her body was warping with her immediate surroundings, distorting her pained voice further than it already was. The shadow of Giratina began laughing ominously.<br /><br />The dark energy shooting from her body changed color to a fiery red, with the distortions peaking before slowing down. After a few moments, energy stopped flowing from her, and with her voice finally giving out, her eyes became visible again. The gash on her side seems to have clotted with a black substance. Her arms fell limp to her side, and she collapsed, falling forward unconscious. Caria&#039;s muscles finally started responding as the Mawile fell, rushing forward to her aid.<br /><br />&quot;IF YOU VALUE THIS WORLD, YOU WILL NOT LEAVE HER, CHILD. DEFY YOUR &#039;GOD&#039; AT YOUR OWN PERIL.&quot; The image of Giratina&#039;s shadowy form began to distort and fade away, leaving behind the Plate on its pedestal, and the erupting volcano behind. Its eerie laugh continued on even after its form disappeared from the world. As Caria tended to the fallen Mawile, she racked her brain with what to do. Things were moving too fast.<br /><br />Destiny? Fate? Was she really meant for this life? What would happen if she were to leave this person that was so clearly cursed in front of her? Did she even want to be around this person...who she previously thought of as a thief? And yet, they were bound to this fate just as she was.<br /><br />Fate. The plate. She&#039;s yet to claim it as her own. Suddenly, the Articuno from before reappeared with a bright flash of light, falling onto a nearby rock landing. Answers. She needed answers.</span>",
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