Quiet Burdens

Chapter Twenty-Nine

So long...

So

Long..................

Chapter Start!

"Emmy?" Cole gave her a look, and the girl turned to him. "Oh! Hey!" She smiled, "I didn't know you where here! What's happening?"

The team looked at her, "We're sightseeing" Was all Cole said.

She smiled big; "Same!"

After they eat breakfast, the team made their way outside. Heading down the long winding path to the Norwich Ruins.

Cole didn't feel easy with leaving Emmy there, but shrugged it off as he walked with his friends.

The group made it through the snow filled forest, and found themselves heading up a mountain path.

It lead to an old golden gray shining shrine.

Pillars rose from the snow, and it shined like diamonds.

"Wow..." the team looked upon it with wonder.

They walked over to the front door, and looked at the Shrine's seal.

Written upon the door were words lost to time.

"Oh No!" Silvia basically yelled, "We Can't Get It Open If We Don't Know What It Says!"

"Dang it" Gil looked at the seal, the letters where clean, and easy to see, but they didn't know what it said.

"Silvia, how did they get the fire one open?" Gil turned to his friends, she blinked, "ka-boom" was all she said, this meant they blow it up.

"I Can Blow It Up!" Jaylen quickly smiled.

"No!" Cole came running up, sketch book still open. He ended up dropping to his knees, and instantly started drawing the shining temple when they got there.

"Dang it" Hector looked down upset.

"Don't Destroy It! I'm Not Done!" Cole showed them his drawing so far.

Everyone gave him a look, but Rita's eyes follow to the picture.

"Wait a second" she said, taking Coles sketch book, and looking at the picture.

Rita turned, and looked at the Temple, then at the sketch...

"Cole" she said taking a breath, "Can you read the ancient writing?"

Everyone turned quickly over to Cole, who blinked, "Well, I don't know, it just happens! Like when I go to Crytinia's shrine! I know what that says, kind of, those words are all scratched out, but these are much easier to see"

Gil stepped forward, "Well Why Didn't You Say Something Sooner!?"

"I Didn't Know It Was Important!" Cole stepped back from Gil yelling.

Ralph laughed slightly, with Ryan sighing, "Well read it for us"

Daisy gave him a weird look, but Jaylen and Hector where too much in thought to question everyone one.

Cole soon went over to the front, and read out what the score said; "One Who Has Come From Water, Blue Seen Well, Will Be The One To Open Thee Seal. With The Swirl Of Water, Let Thee Water Open My Door, And See The Shapes Of Beginning."

They thought for a moment...

"So" Ryan stepped up, "Water Right?" he looked around, "Who has water magic?"

Silvia jumped to this "Gil Does!" she shoved him forward.

Gil walked over, and looked at it, "Go on, do your water thing!" Ralph called from behind.

Gil shot him a look, then turned back, taking a deep breath.

Gil thought for a moment, then twirled out a bubble of water, and played with it in one hand, the other on his chin, thinking.

He wandered over to the door, inspecting it...

"What if I..." he thought out loud, then shoved his bubble into a small key whole.

A loud clinking sound shot though the forest mountain, and Gil smiled.

"OH!" he did the same thing to another whole; another loud sound shot though the air.

He giggled.

Doing it again, and again, Gil then formed a large ball of water, and shoved it into the largest whole in the door.

This one clicked, and it slowly opened, Gil had a big grin on his face, "That was... Actually really fun!" he beamed.

The door opened to a hall way, with glowing lights that shined a dim blue.

Standing in the hallway was a figure...

The team stepped forward to it.

"What the..." Jaylen leaned into the dark figures form; it then looked up, scaring the boy, making them fall back.

"Hello!" it was an old woman, her voice was scratchy.

Everyone jumped.

"Hello?" Silvia said back, the woman smiled to her.

"I see, so you are the ones that will save us~ how nice" she gave a kind smile, "Now, did you like the opening system Gilbert?" Gil jumped from her knowing his name.

"Yes, but how did you know my name..?" he questioned.

"Ah, well Lady Crytinia left us a book" the woman pulled out an old book from her sleeve, "That told us what to expect" the woman shrugged.

Then looked around, "Now where's that ninja?" everyone was taken aback, Ninja? They didn't have a –"Oh! There you are!" the woman smiled, using water magic, she grabbed a figure from behind a tree, and brought it closer; it was Emmy.

"Found you~" the woman laughed, "Children, this is Emmy"

"We know Emmy" Ryan spoke up from the back.

"Ah! Wonderful!" The woman smiled.

She set the squirming Emmy down next to Cole.

"What are you doing here?" He asked the ninja.

"Well when I said sightseeing, I wanted to... Explore the ruins... and didn't know how to get there, so I follow you guys..." The girl shrugged; lying.

The old woman gave her a look, took a deep breath, sighed, then started talking again; "Anyway, I Am Tabitha, The Keeper Of The Water, and I have been entrusted in putting you all through the trail of the Gems" she spoke.

"And what does that mean?" Rita glared.

"It means I'm going to make you all become like water, and take different shapes!" the woman laugh.

"Now who would like to go first?" she opened her eyes, they where dark, with a glimmer of evil.

No one moved...

The woman looked around...

"Fine" she through her hands up, "I'm going to line you all up" she flicked her hand, and water forced everyone into a line.

There were a lot of "Hey!" "What Are You Doing!?" and "Stop That's"

"Now" she walked up the first one in line; Ryan.

"The Prince Of Clyden..." The woman looked at him... then smiled.

"How about I make you..." she giggled "A Water User!"

She snapped her fingers, and the prince was engulfed in water, when the water fell from his form, his burning red hair was now a shade of blue and he fell to his knees, looking at himself in the glassy water.

"Alrighty! Next!" The woman said, shoving the blue prince down a water slide like whole that opened.

Cole jumped from his place, "What Did You Just Do!?" he basically screamed, "Oh, nothing~ I'm just making the water maze more fun~" she giggled.

"NEXT!"

The woman walked to the next in line, who was Rita.

She looked her up and down, "Please don't do something stupid" Rita said, thinking of what happened to Ryan.

"Oh, no no, you're a sailor, and a strong woman, you wouldn't have to worry about magic! I would... Never do something like that!" Tabitha laughed to herself.

"I'll make you..." she made the water surround Rita, "Young!"

When the water settled, Rita was as tall as Jaylen and Hector. The elderly woman had made the 30 year old Rita into a child.

Hector through his hands in the hair, "I'm No Longer The Shortest!" he cheered. Jaylen then high fived him, in victory.

"Hey!" Rita yelled back, her voice small, and innocent.

The elderly lady then wisped the young Rita down another water slide.

Rita screamed on the way down.

Tabitha then pulled the next of the group forward.

This time it was Gil's turn.

"Hi" she smiled.

"Nope" was all he said.

"N-nope? Well, remember when you where young? Like, I don't know, seven, and Cole over there was four? Remember what you said to him?" the woman started to laugh once more.

Gil gave her a look, "I don't rememb- Wait, when we were talking about magic?"

Tabitha nodded, "and you said if you could have Any kind of magic other than Water, you would rather had fire?" Gil followed with this, and stepped back slowly.

The water engulfed him, and when it fell, his blue tipped hair was now orange. When he opened his eyes they where a shade of yellow.

"Can I go home now?" was all he said when she dropped him down the water slide shaft.

"Gil!" Silvia yelled.

The woman laughed, "Don't worry, You'll see him again princess."

Tabitha made the next person come up.

Silvia looked at the woman. "We're here to say" she started, but looked at the princess. "Yeah know what?" Tabitha flicked the water, "You'll go find Gil no matter what I do, might as well make it easy for you"

The water covered Silvia, and when it fell, she was a tiny wind sprite.

"Enjoy" Tabitha opened a water slide, Silvia looked at her, "What?" her tiny voice said.

"Fly down, I can't drop you if you can fly" Tabitha was annoyed.

Silvia shrugged, then dived down, to go find her friend.

After sighing once more, Tabitha forced the next up.

This time it was Daisy, who had stayed quiet through most of this.

"Hello sweety" Tabitha said kindly.

"Hi" Daisy sinked.

"Now, I was thinking of turning you into an animal, but you would probity love that... So I have a better idea!" The elderly woman beamed, "I'm going to make you older!" She laughed evily.

The water consumed the 18 year old, and when it fell, she was a tall, strong looking 30 year old.

"Wait..." Tabitha stopped, "Did I just make you Stronger?"

Daisy blinked.

She was taller, and had a more elaborate outfit, it was still blue, but she had a cape, and instead of a plain blue tunic from her home, she had a long coat, it shined on the ends, and her weapons where golden.

She looked at herself, twirling, a smile graced her face.

"Nah, its fine" the woman flicked her hand, and Daisy fell yelling, "I'll Find You Jaylen, Hector!"

The boy waved, yelling "Okay!"

After the woman turned to Jaylen and Hector, who where next.

"Alrighty Boy! You two are easy!" Tabitha giggled.

"Wait, aren't you going to say Hi!?" Jaylen yelled.

"Not this time!" She laughed, already having the water engulf the child.

When it lowered, there were two people standing there, one was of course Jaylen and Hector, looking normal, With their black hair, purple glasses, yellow shirt, light tan shorts and flats.

But when he opened his eyes, they where blue.

The other one looked just like the boys, but this one had silver hair, yellow glasses, a purple shirt, darker brown pants and flats.

When he opened his eyes, they where red.

They looked at each other, and instantly throw up.

She had split the boy into two.

Tabitha smiled, "Alrighty! Now to separate you two!" she laugh insanely.

"Jaylen, Hector!" Cole yelled, as the two slipped down two different slides, they were quiet, and mostly dizzy.

When they were gone, the woman looked happily to Cole, who stood next.

He looked down the line to see Emmy then Ralph.

When he looked back to the old woman, she smiled wide.

"Hi" was all he said.

"Hello child of light" she looked him up and down. "I have a good one for you"

She had the water go up slowly, "I just have one request"

"What?" Cole said, a little scared.

"Draw yourself honey. You'll want to see it later." she let the water eat him, and when it fell, Cole's hair was long, and he was now a she.

He looked himself up and down. Then shot a look at the woman.

Tabitha instantly started laughing, Emmy joined in.

"Hey!" was all Cole said, before being dropped into the maze. His voice was higher.

And he screamed then entire way down.

After that, Emmy continued to laugh, until water eat her as well, and when it fell she was a man.

Emmy stopped.

"How dare you" her deep voice said as she fell.

Ralph stood there.

"Yes?" Tabitha gave a smirk, "I know you want to say something"

"Can I just be me?"

"Nope!" she snapped her fingers, and turned him into a Scarecrow.

"Have fun~"

And Ralph fell down to the rest of the group.

Into the Maze Of Water.

Chapter End!

AAAHHH 2000 Words!

This was actually a really fun chapter! ^u^

Who do you want to follow first?????? COMMENT!

Now!

*Flops onto bed*

Time

To

Sleep.