This chapter is dedicated to TheWingedWolfDen

$----$-----$-----$-----$-----$

   Chapter 4: The Cave

   Going to be Edited

   All Travis could see was pure darkness, but then his senses began awakening. The sounds of dripping water was soothing to his ears. But the smell eggs was so deep down in his nostrils, and was terribly unbearable. He opened his eyes, but immediately squint them as a light pierced through them. He felt scales and a tight squeeze around his body.

   Wait? Scales?!

   His heart began racing as remembered what happened last night. His eyes showed the most white it could as they widened. He looked down to see his whole body wrapped around by snake like creature. He looked up and screamed when say the smiling jaws of serviper.

   "He must be awake."

   "No shit, Sherlock."

   "Hey, chief, he's coming around!"

   Travis saw the whole gang before him. Gift was assembling what looked like was gear, but then stopped to look at Travis. The German's smirk was way less then welcoming. "I hope you've enjoyed your sleep with my serviper. She love to cuddle." Gift chuckled.

   "Who the hell are you?! And where is my brother?! I demand to know." Travis could only feel anger and fear coursing through him. His fierce brown eyes stared down on the man.

   "Ask questions laters, my little friend. Ju have a job to do."

   He squirmed to try to get himself out of the serviper's death grip. He growled and gritted his teeth as if he was a wild pokémon. But the serviper's eyes twinkled in amusement and tightened her grip. The teen stopped when he realized he won't be moving an inch anytime soon.

   "I won't do anything you say unless you let me go and answer me!"

   He gazed at the boy with a sad smile and shook his head. "Show him, Poisintongue." He snapped his fingers.

   "Yes, sir!" Poisintongue went into a tunnel. When he returned, he had the blond over his shoulders. Daniel had his hands tied behind his back, and his feet was wrapped in endless amount of rope. His mouth was covered in dutch tape.

   "Daniel!" Travis screeched.

   Daniel lifted up his head and tried to yell something, but it all sounded like muffled speech. Poisintongue placed him on the ground.

   "If ju don't cooperate, zen."

   He took out Daniel's stolen switch blade from out of his pocket. He lift up Daniel's head and placed the switch blade on his now exposed neck. Daniel began weeping. His helplessness overwhelmed the poor blond.

   "Zen jor little friend vill meet his doom."

   "No, please! What do you want me to do? Just don't hurt him!" Tears Rand down his cheeks. Daniel is the last thing Travis holds dear to his heart. If he's gone, then what will the meaning of life be? He can't afford to loose him!

   "Good, let's get going. Ze cave is nearby."

$----$----$----$----$----$----$----$----$

   The gang had curried the brothers to the cave entrance. Gift was carrying gear of his own.

   They finally made it to the cave entrance.

   Travis was just baffled on how many red crystals there were. They were absolutely gorgeous.

   But he soon stopped being mesmerized by the crystals when the gang released him, and he tumbled onto the ground.

   "Watch it!" He growled at them. He then got up and dusted himself. Atleast it was good to feel free from the grasps of scales and giant meaty hands. He turned to Gift. "What do you want me to do?"

   Gift placed the gear before the teen. Travis examined the material: scuba gear with an oxygen tank, a water tight package, a waterproof flashlight, along with a ultra poké ball for catching pokémon.

   "Ok? So what's all of this?"

"All ze stuff ju need, my friend," Gift said, "but ze task is actually fairly simple."

   "Go through the crystals, an-"

   "You mean like just walk through them? You're more nuts then I thought."

   "Just do as I say! Ju don't vant to have jor dear friend hurt, don't ju?" Gift teased.

   Poisintongue pressed the blade against his brother's neck, but not hard enough to draw blood, but it was still painful. Daniel began sobbing.

   Travis heart ached and he screamed. "Stop!"

   "Zen listen! You'll have the gear on before anything. Go zrough ze crystals. Go into ze water and swim until ju reach a surface. Get out of ze water. Take ze pokémon food from ze package and place it on the ground. Once ju see a little pokémon eating it, zrow ze poké ball at it vhen it falls asleep. Once ju do so, exit ze cave zrough ze secret exit and go to a tree vith an 'X' carved into it. Ju'll find us zere. Got it?" Gift instructed. Thank goodness a good friend in Loren Forest told him every inch about this cave.

   "Ok, then."

   Gift snapped his fingers. The gang members each had a piece of the gear and began putting it on the teen. They attached the poké ball, the package, and flashlight to his strap around his waist.

   "Now ju're ready! Don't just stand zeir, get going!"

   Travis headed towards the crystals, but then stopped when he heard Gift's voice.

   "Oh! And one more zing. If ju fail or don't come back, jor brother vill be dead in a split second." Gift smiled wickedly. He waved slowly in such a psychotic. "Bye, bye!" He cheerfully said.

   Travis sighed. I can't mess this up. I have to do this for Daniel. He walked towards the crystals. Evey second he got closer, the crystals started glowing and emitted a pink aura. He was scared out of his wits and stepped back, but Poisintongue pushed him forward.

   As Travis tumbled towards the crystals, he could see that they were slightly transparent and saw water swishing around. He slipped on a rock and yelled as he fell through the crystals. He dived head first into the water.

   "Yes! We vill have zat pokémon in no time!" Gift giggled and rubbed his hands together greedily.

   The gang cheered on and gave eachother high fives.

   Arceus, may I pray to you to keep my brother in one piece. Please, please, please, Daniel looked up to the cave ceiling, hoping that Arceus will reply to his pleading calls.

$----$----$----$----$----$----$----$----$
    (Play song for added effect)

   Travis couldn't control himself.

   He was being tossed and turned in every direction by the water's current. And he couldn't grab anything because he couldn't see anything under the darkness.

   He certainly couldn't go back now since the water was dragging him at a tremendous speed. He became dizzy from being tossed around like this.

   But then he felt his stomach uncountably shift as if he was on a rollercoaster. The reason why he felt this was because he was going down a waterfall.

   A waterfall?! Travis yelled as he was literally falling like a rock. It was certain doom for him.

   But surprisingly, he survived the fall, but his body was stinging when he slapped against the water's surface, even though he was in scuba gear. (Water's surface is harder then concrete, especially if it was undisturbed. If you fall into it at such a high height and fall at a fast speed, good luck.) Travis caught his breath since the water was calm and had a much slower current now. He was able to relax, but then was frightened once more when he bumped into something.

   He got out his flashlight from his strap and shined it on the object he bumped into. It was a tall limestone wall. He trailed the light up the wall until it a roof. "Well, now what?!" He growled in frustration. There's a wall and it doesn't seem to be another way.

   Travis pointed the flashlight everywhere. He pointed the light below him and say a dark pit underneath him.

   Oh Arceus, I'm really not liking this. Please don't be anything dangerous. Travis sighed and dived downwards. He used his flippers to propel him through the water. It felt like being aqua man, but you certainly don't want to be in this position to experience that. Oh no! Who knows what might in their deep in the darkness. Especially when he was all alone which made him even more nervous.

   Travis swam and the felt the water pressure squeeze his body slightly. He shined his flashlight and say it was a skinny tunnel. He traveled down the tunnel full of stalagmites and stalactites, and they were heard to pass by them.

   What was most odd was all these transparent rainbow crystals that hid among the stalactites and stalagmites. Some flashed lights of their own, some shifted form, and they all emitted a colorful aura as Travis passed by. He didn't need his flashlight, and so he put it back on his strap. It was all like a sci-fi movie, but it actually became true. He was mesmerized by the spectacular show the crystals were putting out. He swam slowly to examined every little speck this small tunnel had to offer.

   The teen continued to swim until he saw a bright blue light coming from above. That's probably it. He swam towards the light and made it to the water's surface. The water pressure lifted from his body and he was able to comfortably breath without it pushing down on his lungs. He looked up to see the light was coming from a

   Travis was so relieved, but then he felt more relieved when he saw rocky land.

   "Yes! Freedom!" He yelled and raised his fist in triumph.

$----$----$----$----$----$----$----$----$

Words: Over 1,400

Author's Note: I wish I had see that cave also. It just looks so much fun. I just love underwater caves, so I had fun writing this one! 😄 What do you guys think of underwater caves?