ToT Intermission 4-3

App. Team Pathfinders

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Sonya frowns with a small groan. "I'm not a fan of going in to an unknown place without knowing more. Last two times we did that we faced our worse fears for a couple of accessories and a light orb and nearly lost our lives in the process."

Yang laughs nervously. "C-Correct. Y-Yet, it was still a fun adventure. A-And aren't you a tad curious to meet this spirit? I-I kinda am."

Sonya sighs still frowning. "Not if it's leading us into a trap or another trail with our lives on the line. But fine, lets go on. This temple was easier to find than the last one."

Yang walks in after behind Reef and looks upward at the same symbol. Tilting her head curious at the unique looking symbol while saying, "I-I think, it's because compared to last time this spirit lead us here."

Yang looks closely to the unique symbol with an intrigued look in her eyes. "I-I think, it wanted us to come here to its temple. S-So I think it's been leading us here with its presence."

"Ah, so I wasn't the only one who felt that way," Reef seemed to be glad that Yang thought the same. "Unlike The Temple of Willpower, this temple feels surprisingly more, honest," he wasn't sure how to put it into words, but he tried his best to regardless. "I don't get this vague and hazy feeling like I did with the last one. This temple feels more solid, like it has a clear reason, you know?"

Proceeding forward past the archway, Reef continued as his eyes laid on the interior. It was decorated in a color scheme of yellows and oranges, even dabs of white, giving off a very colorful yet tribal vibe in the designs and layout of the temple.

"Hello?" Reef called out, his voice echoing throughout the room. "Hey uh, spirit? Sorry to intrude if we are, but if you're here could you show yourself to us?" The boy tried to sound as polite as possible as he addressed the guardian in perhaps one of the most causal ways possible. "We have a feeling you lead us here, so...We'd like to know what you wanted from us. Could you tell us please?"

Sonya looks to Reef uncertain when he tries to speak to the spirit. Only silence meeting Reef’s question for the moment.

Sonya is hesitant to enter further due to their past experiences with these temples as she looks around from her spot near the entrance. Yang though is still curious to see more of the place as she walks in further after Reef, passing the archway while looking to the markings on the wall.

She goes to the wall then reaches out to lightly trace the markings engraved in the stone.

Suddenly she sees the symbols glow for a split second and looks alarmed with a sharp gasp. "W-Wha-"

She begins to say only to be interrupted as from the ground level water suddenly sprays out from below, appearing to be coming out of the symbols near the ground.

Yang is caught off guard as the water hits her legs and takes a few steps back from the light force of the water. Though due to the water, her wrappings become soggy and loose. Falling off slightly and making her catch the end of it and trip over her feet.

She yelps softly as she falls back and splashes in the water starting to build up in the chamber Reef and her are standing in.

The chamber they're in is slightly dipped in that the water begins to form a small pool. It reaches just below their ankles but stops there so no worries of it filling up.

Everything had happened so fast, Reef had no clue what was going on. The sight of seeing Yang trip and fall was enough to send him sprinting to her side, sliding in as he got on his knees to examine Yang with a worried expression plastered over his face.

Sonya alarmed seeing the water suddenly gather and more so seeing Yang and Reef ahead of her standing in it.

"Yang! Reef-!" She starts to say getting ready to run to them but stops seeing something on the walls. She looks over and can faintly see yellow sparks gathering and growing quickly.

Her eyes widen in alarm and she yells forward, "Out of the water! Now!"

The young Lucario looks alarmed at Sonya’s cry beside Yang, only to look towards the walls and notice the small sparks of electricity that Sonya seemed to pick up on. The shiny Mienfoo doesn't seem to hear Sonya's warning as she looks at the water around her and to her soaked through bandages with fear. The material already starting to tear and fall apart like wet paper.  

Reef didn't have much time to react.

In one swift motion, he picked up Yang off the ground. Cradling her in his arms as the strong muscles in his legs tensed up.

Yang doesn’t have time to process everything as she cries softly at being picked up by Reef. Holding the Mienfoo closely, Reef immediately ran straight for the exit. His speedy steps making large splashes as he ran like his and Yang's life depended on it. When he was a few meters from the outside of the chamber, he felt a slight tingling crawling up his leg that threatened to paralyze him.

Sonya worried if they can't make it before the sparks activate, recalling before what the note mentioned and mentally hits herself for not paying better attention.

As Reef runs Sonya hears a noise behind and sees a door suddenly come from above and slams shut before she can do anything. She growls seeing they're closed in once again and looks forward to her friends. "Hurry!"

In that moment, he leapt. Water particles shooting up into the air as Reef jumped high and out of the pool, landing on the brick just outside the reach of the sparks dancing on the water in the chamber. The water and electricity now blocking their way deeper in to the sanctum.   

A slight rainbow had formed due to the splashing and reflection of light on the water. But Reef still hugged Yang closely to himself, checking her state.

"Yang?! Are you alright?" He asked, feeling worried about her.

Yang starts to shake softly in Reef’s arms, her bandages torn and wet falling off her legs. She glances to them in fear breathing heavily.

"No no...." She whispers softly gripping Reef’s cloak tight in her paw. The edges of black markings starting to appear beneath the flimsy wrappings.

Sonya goes to them and looks then over quickly. "We’re locked in here now. At least here the electricity can't reach but we can't go back or forward now. You two ok? Did the electricity get to you?"

 She asks only to look alarmed seeing Yang’s wrappings falling apart. "Shit!" She mumbles and looks to the bag she brought with them. "I didn't bring extra." She mumbles referring to extra wrappings to replace Yang’s now ruined ones. Sonya knows Yang won’t calm down easily with her marking exposed like this.

"Hey," Reef started, kneeling down to support Yang onto one of his legs, "Hey, Yang. It's alright," he spoke, holding her head in his paws as he tried to keep the Mienfoo's eyes focused onto him.

"Just keep your eyes on me and get a feel for my aura, alright? Just stay calm," the young Lucario patted the older Fighting-type's back, doing his absolute best to try and calm her down.

"I'm here," he repeated what he had told her when the boy had first seen the timid Mienfoo react like this. "I'm here. I'm right by your side, Yang. I'm not going to go anywhere."

Yang closes her mouth tight, trying to control her breathing, appearing close to hyperventilating, and not focus completely on her legs, but on Reef and his aura like he said.

Suddenly the same cry they heard before that was guiding them sounds again making Sonya and Yang look up alarmed.

In the center of the room filled with water and electricity a being forms. It's not solid since they can see right through it, obviously being the spirit, yet it merely floats there watching them.

Sonya's eyes narrow seeing the spirit now. Even Reef's gaze was torn away from the panicking Yang to look in awe at the spirit before them. Even though it was clearly not physical, they could see its form clear as day.

Never seeing a being like it before as it appears in the same colors as the symbols around the walls, having long, orange feathers on top of its head with what looks like shields attached to its arms.

It's strange but unique looking eyes stare at the three closely, more so Yang and Reef than Sonya who crouches down on all fours defensively.

"Are you the spirit that guards this place?" Reef spoke first, noticing that it seemed to be focused on himself and the Mienfoo in his arms.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't ignore my request, but I have to say I'm not particularly happy that you nearly electrocuted my friend," he gave off a slight growl, showing his disapproval.

"What is it that you're looking for? You lead the three of us here for a reason, I take it." The spirit that slowly comes towards them. Sonya growls in warning but remains in place beside her friends.

Yang glancing to it fearfully but mild curiosity she had before still present. She still shakes softly, one paw holding what remains of her wrappings on her legs. It's not helping but it at least makes her feel a little secure while in reefs arms.

The spirit stops near them, it doesn't answer Reef at first as it tilts its head curiously appearing to glance at Yang’s legs with a soft curious cry. Yang noticed this and flinches bringing her legs closer to herself with tears in her eyes.

It goes back straight and looks to Reef and Sonya, appearing to be observing the three of them closely. Suddenly with incredible speed it moves backwards back across the water and up near the inner part of the sanctum. Sonya looking shocked at the almost blinding speed it has.

You came all this way to my temple when you could of gone back. If you wish to enter deeper. A voice suddenly projects out startling the three. Then fight.

Sonya looks alarmed realizing right away it's the spirit talking to them. Even Yang surprised but also concerned hearing what it wants.

"How-?!" She says shocked then glares with a growl. "Never mind. Guess this time we have to fight it to get out of here."

"N-No...." Sonya glances to a still shaking Yang who looks concerned and scared. "I-I think, it wants us to fight, e-each other."

Sonya looks confused then groans, figuring Yangs right.

"What?" Reef spoke out again, sounding shocked. "You want us to fight each other?" he almost sounded like it was an insult towards himself and his friends, though he kept himself together as calmly as he could.

There was no way he was going to fight Yang or Sonya, especially not Yang in her current state. Reef had to admit, he was really curious what else this temple had. But the price to pay was to fight his friends? That wasn't going to happen.

"I'm not gonna hurt my friends just to get past a door," Reef said bluntly, making it sound like an absolutely horrible trade off. Even still, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind saying he wanted to press forward. He wanted to see what sort of treasures could lie within. From what Seymour had said, there'd probably be something rather valuable deep within that could help in the battle against Gilgamarsh. What was he supposed to do?

"There's gotta be another way," Reef mumbled. His eyes shifting from one side to another as he thought about what else could appease the spirit.

"Would anything else convince you to open up the inner sanctum? Because, I'm sorry to say, but I will never hurt Sonya or Yang. Not for something like this."

 Sonya looks unsure glancing to Reef at his answer to the spirit then to Yang. Yang shaking softly as she keeps glancing to her legs with fear. The wrappings still falling apart as the edges of her mark become easier to see.

Sonya tsks angrily then looks back to it. "I'm not either. My friend is in distress and I'm not going to fight when she's like this."

Usually she'd think of this as a spar for her and Reef, yet Yangs wrappings will make her shake and freeze like this until they're covered again. She'll be distracted by Yang in distress along with Reef so there’s no way they can focus on fighting each other.

And like Reef said, she won't fight to hurt him just because some 'spirit' said they should.

Yet she too is curious with Yang what exactly is farther inside that they have to fight each other for. This spirit is definitely different.

It just floats above watching the three quietly. Like it's waiting for them to make a final decision. Perhaps it senses their uncertainty to leave without trying something else first. Or curiosity to see what other offering they'll give.

Sonya and Yang try to think quickly. Yang still in fear but has a clear enough mind to hear Reef and Sonya's voice and what's going on.

She does her best to try to think through the haze of fear threatening to overtake her. Suddenly a thought comes to her and it involved a lesson she and Sonya went through with their Mentor.

You do know this isn't just to make you both learn to cooperate right? This wasn't just used to teach rhythm and balance, it was also used for other things as well. Don't give me that look runt! I'm telling the truth. Even back then old civilizations used-

"D-Dancing as means of praise and offerings." Yang thinks out loud as an idea comes to her. She looks to Reef. "T-That's it. R-Reef, you can dance. I-I remember we watched you at the Artisans stage."

Sonya looks to her confused then in realization recalling the same lesson. "That's right! Dancing! It can be used as a form of praise!"

She looks to the spirit unsure. "Whether that's a good enough offering is still the question."

------
Yup, time to find out more on Yang and why exactly she wraps her legs. And the reason for why she's so timid and traumatized when it comes to her legs, witches, or bandits.
Also quick thinking on their parts for thinking of another way to give an 'offering' Next part coming up soon.

Collab with who owns Reef
Sonya and Yang belong to me