Living in the Shadows: Bonus Features

MUNNA'S PLEA

*Just to be clear, I wanted a picture of Munna from Gates to Infinity where she is talking to the MC through his/her dreams.*

(Jenna)

Again, I did not take off the cloth. I was afraid I would put out too much energy and make us easy to spot by glowing. When I entered the dream space in my mind, I could feel Cresselia keeping a sharp eye on everything that was happening.

". . . Ear . . . me . . ."

That faint voice from before was back. In the place I was in, I had to walk to a rippling light. I stopped when I got to the source of the ripples.

"Ca . . . hear . . . e . . ."

"Try again!" I shouted. "I'm standing in front of a rippling pool of light!" After I said that, the ripples got larger and more frantic.

"Can you hear me now?" the voice asked; it was clear as a bell.

"Yes."

"Oh thank goodness!" the voice exclaimed in relief. "You have no idea how hard it was getting through to you."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Munna."

"Why have you been trying to talk to me, Munna?"

"I need- We need your help!" she exclaimed in a somewhat panicked tone.

"'We'?"

"Yes! There are others here, but I'm the only one who can talk to you."

"What do you need my help with?"

"We're prisoners! Many of us are trapped in Dark Castle's dungeons!"

"How can I help?"

"There is a huge pink crystal in the castle. It powers all the smaller ones, including the ones on our cell doors." She paused, and it sounded like she was trying to catch her breath. "You have to find the main crystal somewhere in the Shadow Mountains and destroy it."

"Not that I'm complaining, but why ask me and not someone else?"

"Three very good reasons. One, you are the only one I can reach. Two, we share a common enemy: Malamar. And three, I was told you could help us escape."

"From who?"

"Lunala."

"Ah," I said while nodding. "That explains why she told me to tell Cresselia to let you talk to me."

"W-what!?" The surprise in Munna's voice caused the ripples to turn into small waves, and I couldn't hear what else she had to say until the surface smoothed out.

So, a Pokemon called Munna was trying to ask for my help. Something didn't sit right with me so I asked her some more questions. "Munna, how come you and the other Pokemon didn't simply break the crystal locks on your cells?"

"These are Reikon Crystals." Sensing my puzzlement, she continued. "They have the power to weaken Pokemon of certain types."

"I know. Meditite said they were dangerous for Dark-types, but aren't you a Psychic-type?"

"Yes, I am, but that isn't the point. The point is that as long as Malamar has the main Reikon Crystal, he can control how strong or weak a Pokemon is."

"Malamar's a Dark and Psychic-type. How can he keep or make himself stronger without making others of similar or identical types the same way?"

"These crystals don't work that way. Once a delivery has been accepted, the Sableye refine them then Mismagius casts a spell on them when they're done."

"In other words, each crystal has a different purpose."

"Exactly." The ripples started getting smaller. "My time is almost up!" Munna said frantically. "Please come to Dark Castle! Please save us from Malamar!"

"I have to find my friends and family first!" I told her. "Once we're all together, we'll make our way to Dark Castle. By the way, what does the main Reikon Crystal look like?"

"It looks like . . ." Munna's voice was fading.

". . . Munna? Munna, I can't hear you. You're fading."

". . . he . . . me . . ." Now it sounded like it did before I got here.

"Munna!" I yelled. There were no more ripples, she was gone. "Well, that's just great!" I exclaimed in irritation.

"It's not because of distance or these crystals," Cresselia said. "It's because you're waking up."

"What?"

Suddenly everything faded and I jolted awake.

"Finally!" Meditite expressed irritably. "I told you these crystals would drain you if you used your powers!"

I looked from Meditite to Gothita to Grovyle and the Researchers, the last three all had dark circles under their eyes; though it was hard to tell with Umbreon's black fur.

"We've been trying to wake you up for the past five minutes," Umbreon said after he yawned; it was barely dawn.

"We need to get moving!" Zorua exclaimed as she turned towards us; she had been watching something down the summit's hill. "Malamar and his bellhead goons are coming!"

"Where are we supposed to run?!" Gothita exclaimed. "We're surrounded!"

I looked out over the summit. Sure enough, Malamar and the Beheeyem were coming up on all sides. "We use the crystals again," I told everyone. When they all gave me incredulous looks I added; "Would you rather fight and fall under Malamar's hypnosis spell?"

That spurred them into action. Espeon, Meditite, Gothita, and I all used our combined powers to light up the crystals then we touched an individual shard on this crystal that looks like an open fan.

However, there were only five individual shards so some of us touched the same one. I don't know about everyone else, but it felt like I'd been roughly pulled into someplace and unkindly dropped in another.

Zorua and Meditite were still with me, but I didn't see anyone else nor could I find them anywhere; either by shadow-spying or psychic scanning.