The Legend of the Diamondus Blaster: Book 1


It had been an abnormally hot day on the planet of Carrotus, and everybody in the castle was taking it easy. Jazz was with Eva in the Throne Room. Calie, Stu, Baeauman, Ducky, and the other knights, as well as Princess Lori, were playing poker in the Game Room, while Elias was busy in the Royal Library.
"Man! So much to learn about Carrotus, and so little time to do it in!" Elias said, reaching for another book.
He opened it up.... However, this book wasn't about Carrotus at all. Instead, it had all sorts of stories and legends about the planet Diamondus.
"Hmm... Precious Gems: Legends of Diamondus. This looks interesting." Elias mumbled as he started to read it.
Elias got so involved in the book that he completely lost track of the time. He got halfway through the book before Eva came down. "Elias... what are you doing? It's almost midnight!" she told him.
"Huh? Oh, Eva! I was reading this fantastic book! It has all sorts of neat stories and legends about Diamondus!... I guess I got so involved that I lost track of time...."
"That's odd...." Eva replied as she walked over to Elias. "I've never seen that book before. Must be one of Jazz's."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that... this book does have the Royal Crest of Carrotus imprinted on the inside front cover."
"Well, I'll be-- it does!" Eva replied. "Well, anyway... it's almost midnight. You might want to get to bed."
"All right," Elias said, closing the book.

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At around 7:45 A.M. the next morning, Elias got out of bed and quietly crept down the stairs, trying not to wake anybody else up.
His efforts failed. As he sneaked past Tiff's room, she woke up with a start. Noticing that Elias was already awake, she decided to follow him.
"Psst! Elias!" Tiff whispered as she quickly exited her room. "What's going on?"
"Oh! Hi there, Tiff!" Elias replied in a soft voice. "I'm going to the library to finish that book that I started reading last night."
"The library?!! Is that where you were all day yesterday??!"
"Yep. I'm trying to find all sorts of information about Carrotus' history! You would not believe some of the secrets about this planet! Secrets that not even King Jazz knows about!"
"Coolness! Can I come too?"
"Sure! I could use the company!"

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"WOW!! This place is HUGE!!!" Tiff said as she looked around the library.
"Isn't it, though?... Huh?!"
"What is it, Elias?"
"I don't know-- I'm getting this cold feeling that we're being watched."
"It must be your imagination. I don't see any cameras around here."
"Tiff... this is a castle! There are NO security cameras anywhere!"
"Oh... right.... So, about this book--"
"It's right over there!" Elias stated, pointing to the table where he sat the previous night.
The duo sat down. Elias opened the book and turned to the exact page where he had stopped at the other night.
"Hey... what's this for a story?" Tiff asked. "The Legend of the Diamondus Blaster...sounds corny."
"I know... but I was just about to start in on this story when Eva came up to me and told me that I needed to get to bed, seeing how late it was."
Elias turned the page and read for a little bit. "Hmm... INTERESTING!!!"
"What? What is it?" Tiff wondered, trying to read over Elias' shoulder.
"It says here that the legendary Diamondus Blaster was made of magical diamonds found inside one of the planet's temples! The diamonds enabled scientists to create a powerful blaster, enabling whoever possesses it to..."
"Well? Keep going!!!"
"I can't! Some of the pages have been ripped out! Now who would do a thing like that?"
"Probably someone who wanted to keep it a secret." Tiff replied.
Elias turned the page and noticed a old, brown, and tattered piece of paper. "Hello... what's this?"
"Careful! That thing looks old!!"
"No problem! I can easily make it look like new!"
"How?"
"Simple!" Elias said, taking out his blaster.
"Oh no-- you're not gonna do what I think you're gonna do, are you?"
"You bet I am!"
Elias turned the setting on his blaster to something that had never been seen before on any other... an option to turn back the clock on whatever he shot at. He then fired a strange, blue ray onto the paper.
Like magic, the paper started to look as if it had just been made.
Within seconds, Elias could make out certain details of the paper.
"Let's see... there's a bunch of trees, a desert, a strange-looking building, and an X."
"An X?!!"
"Yep... oh, my gosh!" Elias said, realizing what the paper was. "This is some sort of map!"
"Cool! Let's show it to the gang!"
"Show what?"
Elias and Tiff looked behind them and saw Jazz standing right behind them.

"Oh! Hi there, Jazz!" Elias meekly said. "Did we wake you up?"
"No, not at all! I just thought about looking at some of the books down here. When I walked down the stairs, I saw you two here and decided to see what you were doing." Jazz explained.
"I see... anyway, you should see what we found in this book!"
"What do you mean?"
Tiff grabbed the map off of the table and showed it to Jazz.
"What's this?" Jazz asked.
"It's a map... what else?" Tiff replied.
"I know it's a map, but from where?"
"Diamondus...."
"Oh, come on, Jazz!" Elias suddenly said. "Don't tell me you haven't heard of the legendary Diamondus Blaster!!!"
"Is that what this is?!! I can't believe it!"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"That blaster is the most powerful weapon in the entire universe! It may be the final key to Devan Shell's defeat!"
Elias whispered something to Jazz at that point.
"Hmm... I guess that's true. We do need to have him available for others to use in their stories."
"So... how do we go about finding this Diamondus Blaster?" Tiff said, scratching her head.
"First... we have to find out the rest of the legend." Elias replied.
"What do you mean?" Jazz asked, confused.
Elias then showed Jazz the book... with the missing pages.
"Oh..." Jazz said.
"Unless someone wants to keep this a secret, then we'd better--"
"What's wrong, Elias?" Tiff questioned.
"I don't know... YIPE!!!"
"What happened?!!"
"I don't know!... I thought I felt a cold hand on my shoulder... a cold, ghostly hand!" Elias answered, now gasping for breath.
"Elias... I think you'd better get some more sleep. Your mind is starting to go wild!"
"Yeah... you might want to slow down... we don't even know if this legend is true." Jazz said.
"It must be! Otherwise, these pages wouldn't have been torn out!" Elias shouted, now getting engrossed in the legend.

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Despite his best wishes, Jazz and Tiff finally managed to convince Elias to go back to bed. They then closed the door behind them as they left. Tiff began to speak to Jazz.
"I wonder... you don't suppose that the Diamondus Blaster is real, do you, Jazz?"
"I don't know, Tiff... but that doesn't give Elias a good enough reason to start shouting.... To tell you the truth, I think the death of his parents is getting to him royally."
"Yeah... to lose your only living relatives at such a young age-- I guess no one can ever forget that."
"I know I wouldn't, but death is just part of life. We have to learn to accept it."
"You should talk. You faced it every day when you fought Devan's minions."
"I still face it.... I mean, just because I'm a king now, that doesn't mean I can't help the realm like I did when I was a prince!"
"I see... well, I sure hope Elias gets over it soon enough."
What neither of them realized was that Elias was in a very deep sleep. It was as if his soul was taken to another world-- and as a matter of fact, it was....

Elias' soul had been taken to another world... a world where war was not an option. He could not believe it... everywhere he looked, he saw rabbits that had given their lives while fighting Devan Shell.
"Where am I?!!" Elias asked to himself.
"Why, you're in the Spirit World... where else?"
Elias turned around to see a red and black Angora Rabbit looking at him. Red covered his entire body, except for the upper part of his face and back. He was holding twin LFG 1.1's in both of his hands, and strapped to his back was, not a backpack, but a Hindu-type sword and shield. He walked over to Elias.
"Hi there-- and who might you be?"
"I'm Elias... what about you?"
"My name's Night Fire... I'm the Guardian of the Spirit World. Pleased to meet you, Elias!"
"Likewise, I'm sure.... By the way-- why am I here?!!"
"We've been watching you very closely for the past couple of years."
"We?!"
"Yeah... me, Haze, and Talec, as well as the only HUMAN that had ever lived on Carrotus, DeraldSny."
"HUMAN?!! Are you kidding me?!!"
"Nope-- anyway, we've been watching you very closely..."
"You said that, already," Elias interrupted.
"Oh... so I did. Sorry about that."
"No problem... but WHY AM I HERE?!!"
"Simple! You're looking for the Diamondus Blaster, aren't you?" Night Fire asked.
"Well, not the blaster itself... you see, we don't know all of the legend behind it. Some prankster tore the pages out of the book!"
"I knew that... as a matter of fact, we have a copy of that same book over there!"
Night Fire pointed to a HUGE building. "That's our library. It has every book ever made in the entire UNIVERSE!!"
"Coolness! But... how will I be able to find the book I'm looking for?"
"Here-- take this."
Night Fire then handed Elias a library card.
"We made this especially for you. Just show it to the receptionist and she'll be glad to help you!"
"Thanks, Night Fire!" Elias said, taking the card.
"No problem... hope you find what you're looking for!"

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"Um... excuse me!" Elias said in a low voice.
"Yes? May I help you?"
"I'm looking for a book... it's called Precious Gems: Legends of Diamondus. You wouldn't happen to know where it's at, do you?"
"I need to see your library card first."
Elias pulled it out and showed it to the receptionist, who in turn scanned it. "Oh! Night Fire told me to expect you! Welcome to our library, Elias!" she said, giving the card back to him.
"Thanks... now, about that book--"
"We have a floor for every type of book ever made: Mysteries, Action, Drama, Suspense, Legends..."
"I think I get the idea... could you tell me what floor it's on?"
"The Legends are on the 25th Floor. You should ask the man at the counter to help you find what you're looking for once you get there."
"Thanks!" Elias said as he rushed toward the elevator.

The elevator doors opened. Elias walked out and immediately went to the counter. Upon reaching it, he noticed that the rabbit behind it was just a youngster... about his age, to be exact. He was blue in some areas, purple in others, and green on yet other areas! His blaster was the color of the rainbow... something that REALLY floored Elias!
Suddenly, the stranger spoke. "Excuse me, sir... but do you need something?"
"Um, yeah!" Elias replied, remembering why he was here. "I'm looking for the book Precious Gems: Legends of Diamondus. Do you know where it is?"
"I need the card first... sorry, but it's mandatory."
Elias once again let his card get scanned.
"Elias? Is that really you?!!"
That's when Elias remembered where he had seen this rabbit before. "Yeah! Is that really you, Elim?"
"Yep! How did you get here?!!"
"I don't know! First thing I know, I'm resting in bed, and the next... I'm here! How'd YOU get here?!!"
"I sacrificed myself while trying to save some of my friends from Devan Shell. Do you know how PAINFUL it is falling into a lava pit?!!"
"No... how painful is it?"
"Actually, not all that painful! You just feel intense heat for a sec, and before you know it, it's all over."
Elias rolled his eyes. "Whatever... anyway, about that book--"
"Ah, yes! You'll find it over there, where all the Legends about the Jazz Jackrabbit Universe are. The book you're looking for is under the 'D' section, beside a book called DethMan the Intrepid: Legends of a Master."
"Talk about service! Thanks, Elim!"
"No problem! Just remember to put it in the book return when you're done!"
"I will!"
With that, Elias headed toward the Jazz section of the Legends. "For my sake, I sure hope that the pages haven't been torn out like they were at the castle!" he thought to himself.
It felt like an eternity for young Elias as he searched the shelves of the Jazz Legends. He was having major trouble finding the book he was looking for.
"Hmm-- now where could that book be?!! I'm in the right section, the right area... I see the other book that Elim talked about, but no Precious Gems!"
"Hey, Elias..."
Elias nearly jumped out of his fur as Night Fire spoke to him from behind. Turning around, Elias looked at him with a sinister scowl on his face.
"Don't you EVER scare me like that again! You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Sorry..." Night Fire replied. "Anyway, how are you doing on your search?"
"Not too well. I can't find that book!"
"Hmm-- well, I'm sure you'll find it sooner or later! I've noticed how persistent you are."
"Yeah... you can blame Devan for that!"
"Yes-- it's a shame that what happened couldn't be stopped. If only I could've helped you...."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I could've soared down from the skies and saved your parents, but it was fate that kept me from doing so."
Elias furrowed an eyebrow. "So-- what you're saying is that you have the power to save lives, but if fate intervenes, there's nothing you can do about it?!!"
"Unfortunately, yes."
"I see... now, back to the business at hand."
"Ah yes! The book! I believe that person over there is reading it."
Night Fire then pointed to a black rabbit with a grey chest. He had a white band around his arms and head, while a strange, silver-handled object sat next to him on the table, which Elias found unusual.
"OK... who is that guy?" Elias asked.
"That is Qui-Gon... a Jedi Knight as well as Second-in-Command to me in the Spirit World. Whatever you do, Elias, don't become one of his enemies!"
"Why not? Does he have psychic powers or something?"
"Um-- you could say that. He uses mind trickery to gain better control of his enemies."
"Where's his blaster?"
Qui-Gon, as if he had heard Elias, suddenly got up, walked over to him, and spoke. "I don't carry one. I find them troublesome and complicated."
"OK... sorta!"
"Qui-Gon... I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. His name is Elias."
"Pleased to meet you, Elias!" Qui-Gon replied, shaking Elias' hand.
"Likewise, I'm sure..." Elias answered.
"So, Night Fire... why is he here?"
"He's looking for the legend behind the Diamondus Blaster... you wouldn't happen to be reading the book Precious Gems: Legends of Diamondus, would you?"
"As a matter of fact, I am! Why do you ask?"
"You wouldn't mind if Elias read it, would you?"
"Why, of course not! I'm always willing to lend others a hand... even though that's how I got killed."
"OK... I won't even ask about that." Elias said to himself.
"Come... sit down, read, and learn! That's what libraries are all about, you know!" Qui-Gon suddenly said, heading back toward the table.

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"Hmm-- this is interesting."
"What is?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Well, the Diamondus Blaster was made out of magical diamonds that were hidden deep within one of the planet's temples. Scientists used the mystic properties of the diamonds to create a powerful blaster, enabling whoever possesses it to... oh, my gosh!"
"What? What is it?!!"
"It says that whoever possesses the Diamondus Blaster has the power to become practically invulnerable... as well as grant immortality!!"
"No way... that kind of power is forbidden!"
"I know... it makes me wonder-- what if Devan managed to get a hold of it?!!"
"Kid, before you get too engrossed in that, you might want to read the rest of the legend."
"Yeah. I think I'd--"
Suddenly, a bell chimed, and everybody started to leave.
"I think you'd better wait until this afternoon. The library is closed until 1:30 P.M."
With that, Elias and Qui-Gon left... too bad they didn't know that they were being watched....

Chomp... chomp... chomp... *GULP!*
"Say! This is one of the best sandwiches I've ever had!" Elias commented, taking another bite out of his Carrot BLT. "But I thought nobody had to eat up here...." he continued after swallowing it.
"Don't believe that myth, Elias-- after all, we need our energy too, you know," Night Fire replied.
"Oh... I guess I never gave THAT much thought before."
"That's OK, Elias... nobody ever does. It's something that they discover when they arrive here," Qui-Gon explained.
Despite the fact that Elias was listening, he couldn't help but look at Qui-Gon's silver-handled object. "Pardon me for asking, Qui-Gon... but what is that?!!" he asked, pointing to it.
"This? This is my trusty lightsaber!"
"LIGHTSABER?!!"
"Yeah... don't tell me you've never seen Star Wars before!"
"To be honestly truthful, I've seen the first three episodes, but this new Episode 1 is getting too much hype!"

(No offense to you Star Wars fans out there, but in my opinion, Episode 1 has gotten WAY too much hype! I apologize to those who I may have offended.)

"Why did you act so surprised, then?"
"Well," Elias started, "it's just that I've never actually seen one before...."
"I see. Do you want to hold it?"
"Um-- thanks for offering, but no thanks! I don't wanna accidentally cut someone's hand off."
Both Night Fire and Qui-Gon chuckled.
"I understand... after all, a lightsaber can be a dangerous weapon if it's in inexperienced hands."
"Thanks-- I think."
That's when Elias turned his head to one side. "WHOA!!! WHAT'S THAT?!!" he shouted, pointing to a huge building.
"That's our Spirit Temple." Night Fire stated.
"Spirit Temple?!"
"We use it to worship the Spirit spirits.... (Geez... what a play on words!)"
"Is that all?!!"
"Of course. After all, that's what keeps us from disappearing from the face of the earth. If it was ever torn down or destroyed, we would no longer exist, and neither would this place."
"I guess that's true...."
"In fact, the Spirit Temple and the Diamondus Blaster are connected to each other... but I think you should find out how." Qui-Gon explained.
"Why don't we find out now?" Elias asked, looking at his watch. "It's 1:30. The library should be open again."
"Great! Let's go!" Night Fire stated.
With that, our heroes left the cafe and headed back to the library.

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Meanwhile, in the fiery depths of Hell, a hooded stranger watched on. Not Devan Shell, but somebody much worse!
"Yes... yes... go on, Elias! Find out how the Spirit Temple and the Diamondus Blaster are related. After all, whatever you discover will also be kept in my memory!"
The stranger lifted his hood....

"Ok... now where was I in this book?" Elias questioned, sitting down at the table. "Oh, yeah! The part about what the Diamondus Blaster can do to the person who owns it. Now all I have to do is find out how to get it."
"Good luck...." Night Fire said. "Finding that part out is a mystery to those still in the Mortal World."
"I see...."
Elias read for a few minutes until he came to a strange poem; it read something like this:

"The quest for the Blaster
Will never be done....
It sits in the Diamondus Temple
Waiting for the Chosen One.

The strength of the Blaster
Is equal to that of the heart.
And when the Chosen One obtains it,
They will never grow apart.

The key to the Blaster
Is in a temple where no mortal has been...
But the Chosen One shall fight for it,
And she will eventually win.

The bond between the Blaster
And the Chosen One will grow strong.
Soon, they will become unstoppable...
For she can never do anything wrong!"

Elias looked up toward Qui-Gon and Night Fire. "The Chosen One is a girl? Hmm! That's never happened in a story before!"
"That's right... but we've never seen her before... all we have is a picture of the dame... look on page 433." Night Fire replied.
Elias turned to the page instructed... and nearly flipped out of his seat! "OH, MY GOSH!!!" he quietly shouted.
"Do you know this girl?" Qui-Gon asked.
"You bet I do! That hot pink color... that purple star on her forehead... this has GOT to be Tiff!!"
"Hmm... interesting! Do you know where she is?"
"Yeah... she's somewhere inside Castle Carrotus. The only way to know for sure, though, is if I went back to the Mortal World."
"Well, then... you'd better take this with you." Night Fire replied, handing Elias a gold bracelet.
"Why do I need this?"
"If she is to receive the Diamondus Blaster, she has to come to the Spirit World. This bracelet will allow you to bring up to 5 other people into the Spirit World in their mortal form."
"Ok... well, I'm outta here!" Elias said as he started to dissapear.
"Good luck, Elias!"

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"So... this Tiff character is the Chosen One, eh? Well, this will give me plenty of time to get to the Spirit Temple and swipe the Diamondus Blaster before she can get it!"
The stranger turned around as if he was facing a camera.... He was a black rabbit with grey stars on the palms of his hands. He had a jet black medallion around his neck with an etching of a jaguar on it-- you could say that he was a dark version of none other than...
ELIAS!!!

Elias slowly opened his eyes, immediately noticing that practically everyone was surrounding him.
"Thank goodness! For a moment there, I thought you weren't gonna ever wake up!" Spaz said, relieved, but still as insane as ever.
"We didn't hear anything from you, not even a breath, for over THREE HOURS!!! What happened, kid?" Jazz asked.
"Yeah! Did something happen?" Lori questioned.
Elias slowly sat up on the bed.
"Whoa there, Elias. Don't hurt yourself!" Tiff warned.
Elias then noticed another rabbit at the foot of his bed. Except for his chest, which was a light grey color, his entire body was a much darker grey... almost black, to be exact. He wore a red headband and had orange wristbands on his arms. "Who are you?" he asked the stranger.
"Me? My name is Falcon X5... but everyone calls me Falco."

(I hope you don't mind if I give you a nickname, Falcon....)

"Uh-huh... man! What a dream! It almost seemed real."
"What almost seemed real?" Lori questioned.
Elias looked at Lori. "I don't think even YOU would believe... me--"
That's when Elias noticed the gold bracelet was still around his wrist. "Um-- could you all leave, please? That is, except for Tiff."
Everyone respected Elias' request and exited the room. Tiff then went to Elias and sat down on the bed next to him.
After a long silence, Elias finally spoke up. "I'll bet you're wondering why I asked you to stay here with me."
"Yeah-- I am." Tiff replied.
"Well, this dream that I'm talking about... it actually WAS real-- this bracelet proves it!"
"You didn't have that before you went back to sleep, did you?"
"No...."
"Who gave that to you?"
"Some rabbit by the name of Night Fire. He's the Guardian of the Spirit World."
"The Spirit World?!! I thought that place was just a legend!! Is that where people go when they die?"
"Yeah.... The odd thing is, I'm not dead. But I do know this... I found out the rest of the legend behind the Diamondus Blaster."
"Oh?"
"It says that whoever possesses the Blaster will be granted the power to become invulnerable... as well as immortal!"
Tiff's eyes widened. "Oh, my gosh! That makes me think... what if Devan got a hold of it?!!"
"I don't even wanna know! But I also know this... the only one capable of possessing the Diamondus Blaster is known as the Chosen One... guess who that Chosen One is?"
"How many guesses do I have?"
"Three... and the first two don't count!"
"OK... is it one of the Jackrabbit Brothers?"
Elias shook his head.
"Lori?"
Tiff got the same response.
"You?!!"
"Not even close! Think! It's the only other person in this room besides me!"
"You mean... I'M the Chosen One?... GET OUTTA TOWN!!!" Tiff yelled, laughing.
"It's true though," Elias replied, his voice unchanged.
Tiff immediately stopped laughing. "You're serious, aren't you?"
"If I'm not, then may a bolt of lightning come down and stike me!"
Nothing happened.
"You ARE serious! OK, then... how do I get this blaster?"
"Well, I'm gonna need you, the Jackrabbit Clan, and Falco to meet me in the castle gardens at midnight tonight! I expect all of you to be there!"
"OK... I'll tell the others."
"Go... do it now!"
"OK, OK, OK! I'm going!" Tiff said, leaving the room.
Elias gulped. "I sure hope this works!" he thought to himself.

Time: 11:57 P.M.
Place: Castle Gardens

"Man! Where could she and the others possibly be at? I told her to meet me here at precisely midnight!"
Elias was pacing around the gardens, checking his watch every few seconds... he was VERY impatient, something that he'd never been before....
Elias checked his watch again. "C'mon, Tiff! You shoulda been here by now!"
Suddenly, Elias heard a slight rustling in the bushes. Turning toward the noise, he saw none other than Tiff rushing towards him, with the others quickly following her.
"Is everyone here with you?"
"Yes... but I brought a couple extra people, just in case."
"Who are they?"
"Baeauman and Charge! Who else?
"Charge? That name sounds familiar.... Isn't he that rabbit who carries a sword around-- the same sword that can deflect ANYTHING?!!"
"The very same," Tiff replied.
"Well, to tell you the truth, it's nice that you want to bring them along, but this bracelet will only allow me to take five others with me to the Spirit World...."
Tiff looked at Elias with a stern look on his face. "You mean, they can't come with us?"
"I'm afraid not...."
"No way! Either they come with us or I stay here!" she told him.
Elias sighed. "All right, I'll try. I'm not sure if Night Fire's gonna be happy about this, though."
"C'mon, kid! We didn't get up in the middle of the night just to look at the stars, you know!" Spaz complained, kicking a rock.
"All right! Everyone... sit down around the fire...."
"What fire?" Lori asked.
"That one!" Elias replied, pointing to a campfire.
"That wasn't there a few seconds ago, Elias! Where did it come from?"
"Never mind that. Just do as I tell you and sit down around it!"

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Elias closed his eyes and concentrated. Soon, Night Fire came up from the flames of the fire.
"Are you ready?" Night Fire asked.
"We are... I sure hope you can accommodate for a couple of extra rabbits, though."
"Elias, I told you that you can only bring five others with you...."
"It was either this or Tiff stayed here...."
Night Fire rolled his eyes. "Girls... always wanting their own way! It's a good thing I never got married!... All right, but I'm not sure if my bracelet can handle this!"

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Time: 12:07 A.M.
Place: Spirit World

"Wow! It worked!" Night fire exclaimed.
"Of course it worked! I'm the Chosen One, remember?" Tiff asked.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah... whatever! So, Night Fire-- how do we reach the Spirit Temple?" Baeauman asked.
"Just head west across the desert. It'll take a couple of nights to cross it.... Or, if you want to get there ASAP, it's a one-day trip! Be careful of quicksand, though-- especially YOU, Tiff!" Night Fire warned.
"Thanks, Night Fire!" Elias said. He then turned to the rest of the group. "So, should we reach it in a day, or should we only trek at night?"
"Doesn't matter to me..." Charge replied. "Maybe you should ask Tiff."
"All right then, Tiff... how soon do you want to get there?"
"I knew we'd have to travel across a desert, so I brought plenty of fresh water... not to mention a bunch of SANDwiches!"
Everybody groaned at the joke. "That was horrible, Tiff!" Spaz said. "I liked it!"
Jazz and Lori rolled their eyes.
"So, I guess this means we travel during the day, right Tiff?" Elias asked.
"Right... now let's go!"
With that, the eight brave souls headed out for the desert, with Tiff leading the way.

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At that very same moment in the Spirit Temple, Dark Elias had just made it inside the central chamber.
"It's mine at last! The Diamondus Gem (no relation to the one on Eva's ring...) the key to the Diamondus Blaster-- is mine at last!!!"
He put the Diamondus Gem into his backpack. "Let those fools come here! I'll destroy them all-- and once I do, then no one will be able to stop me! MWA-HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

"Tiff... are you sure it was wise for us to trek through the desert during the daytime? I'm DYING out here!!" Elias complained as he continued to sweat up a storm.
"Elias-- you've done nothing but complain ever since we started this journey! What is wrong with you?!!" Lori questioned.
"I've never traveled across a desert before, and after this, I never want to do it again! If I had known it was going to be this hot and dry out here, I would have never started reading that book!"
"C'mon, Elias!" Charge said. "I've never trekked through a desert before in my life either, but you don't see me complaining, do you?"
"No, but you don't have the thick fur like I do, either!" Elias replied.
Suddenly, the winds picked up dramatically, kicking sand up in everyone's face.
"This is ANOTHER thing I don't like about deserts!" Elias moaned, putting some sunglasses on. "One minute it's calm, and the next, the winds kick sand up in your face!"
"Elias, will you PLEASE stop complaining, for everybody's sake?" Baeauman asked.
"Gimme one good reason why, Baeauman!" Elias snapped.
"Quicksand... need any other reasons?!!"
"Oh... right. OK, I'll try to be cooperative, but I won't guarantee it!"
Just then, out of nowhere, several rabbits appeared before our heroes... as well as a human!
"HALT!!!" the human shouted, his voice echoing across the desert. He had brown hair and green eyes, and he wore a blue headband around his head.
Alongside the human was an orange rabbit with a red headband, purple wristbands, and a blue double-barreled blaster. For such a young rabbit... around 11 years old, he sure looked formidable!
Unfortunately, no one could make out any of the other rabbits, since they were just shadows... why this was so, no one knew.
"Who are you?" the human asked.
"Um-- er, ah..." Tiff stuttered.
Elias then stepped forward. "That's what we want to know! How dare you stop Tiff in her quest for the Diamondus Blaster?!!"
"OK, then, I'll introduce myself! My name is DeraldSny, the only human that ever lived on Carrotus. Alongside me is Gold Viper, one of the most feared of the rabbits in both the Mortal World and the Spirit World."
"Now, answer Derald's question, or I'll blast you all to bits!" Gold Viper ordered, aiming his blaster right at the group.
"All right, then... I am Elias--"
"Elias?!!"
"Yeah... and this rabbit beside me is Tiff, who has been chosen to obtain the Diamondus Blaster!"
"Who sent you?" DeraldSny questioned.
"Night Fire and Qui-Gon... who else?"
The two rabbits looked at each other, then nodded their heads. "All right... you can pass through here. Just remember this... we're watching you every second of the way!" Derald replied.
With that, the spirits disappeared, allowing our heores to continue on... or so they thought.
"Hey, guys and gals... are you getting that sinking feeling for some reason?" Jazz asked.
"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I am!" Tiff answered.
Elias took off his sunglasses and immediately glanced down. He then put them back on in a hurry, with a look of terror rushing through his face. "Um, everyone-- don't look now... but we are officially in--"
"Yeah? What are we in?!!" everyone asked at once.
"We're in trouble, that's what!"
"Why?" Lori asked.
Elias, still terrified, didn't answer for a few seconds, then suddenly spoke. "We are in-- QUICKSAND!!!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
Everybody was panicking, trying to find a way out of the sand that was slowly engulfing them.
"We could ask the gods for help!" Tiff said hurridly.
"We could, but we could also use my magic to help us get out!" Baeauman replied.
"That would be great, Baeauman... except for the fact that you actually need your hands free to do that, and your hands have been swallowed by this sand!" Elias shouted.
"What about using our RF Missiles?" Lori asked.
"...And get our feet scorched? No way! Besides, I don't have any RF Missiles ready!" Jazz replied.
"We could try squatting and jumping. It might get us out of here!" Spaz suggested. "Oh, wait a sec... I don't know HOW to do Jazz's Super Jump!"
"What about that bracelet?" Charge asked.
"It's gone... I gave it back to Night Fire."
"WHAT?!! YOU IDIOT!!" Tiff shouted!
"Thanks... I think." Elias sarcastically replied.
"C'mon, everybody... think! There's gotta be a way!" Jazz ordered.
Just then, a light bulb flickered on inside Elias' head. "Everybody... STOP PANICKING... NOW!!!" he ordered.
Everybody stopped and looked at Elias. "What are you talking about?" Jazz asked.
"I saw this on a survival show once. If you start to panic while in quicksand, you'll only sink faster. Staying calm will keep that from happening!"
"OK... so now what?" Tiff asked.
"Tiff, can you reach my backpack?"
"Yeah... why?"
"Open it up. There should be a rope in there somewhere."
Seconds later, Elias was tying a knot in the rope, forming a lasso. "If I can just get this around that tall, slender boulder, we just might be able to get out!"

First Attempt: Miss
Second Attempt: Miss
Third Attempt: Miss

"So much for the third time being the charm!" Elias grumbled.

Fourth Attempt: Miss
Fifth Attempt: Miss
Sixth Attempt: SUCCESS!

"All right everybody... if possible, grab the rope! If you can't, move nice and slow until your hands are free!"

---------------------------------------------

It felt like an eternity as Tiff, Elias, and the rest of the group pulled themselves out of the quicksand. As soon as Lori was out, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
"Am I glad that's over!" Tiff said, exhausted. "Who wants some water?"
"ME!!!" everyone shouted at once.
"OK, then... drink up!"

---------------------------------------------

"Ahh... now THAT was refreshing!" Jazz said. "Now, are we going to continue on to the Spirit Temple?"
"May as well." Tiff replied.
Everyone followed Tiff as she led the way. It's as if by gut instinct, she knew exactly where the Spirit Temple was.
Suddenly, Elias, who was at the back of the pack, cried out in pain. "OW!!! WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!!"
"What's wrong, Elias? Did you stub your toe on something?" Lori questioned.
"You bet I did! It seems like some sort of chest!"
"Chest?!! As in TREASURE CHEST?!!"
"I don't know... but I'm gonna find out!!"

Elias started digging like crazy, trying his best to get the chest out of the deep sand. Everyone was curious as to what was inside.
"I'll bet it's some sort of cool weapon!" Jazz exclaimed.
"No way, bro! It's gotta be diamonds or something!" Spaz replied.
"I think it's a bunch of gold bars!" Lori said.
"No, no, no... it has to be some sort of awesome-looking tool!" Falco answered.
"Maybe it's a magic book! I could always learn more magic spells!" Baeauman stated.
Just then, Elias managed to get the chest out of the sand. He dragged it to a level spot and stared at it. "Not very big for a treasure chest, is it?" he asked.
"Never mind that! Just open it!" Tiff ordered.
Everyone huddled around Elias as he slowly opened the chest....

---------------------------------------------

Elias reached into the chest. Inside of it was indeed a treasure, but not the type everyone expected.
"What are those?!! Some fancy-looking gloves or something?!" Jazz questioned.
"Whatever they are, they sure have a nice silver color to them!" Elias replied, holding the open-fingered gloves in his hand.
"Some treasure! As far as I'm concerned... get rid of them!" Charge said angrily.
"No way!" Elias started, putting the gloves on. "They look kinda cool to me!"
"Well then, you can keep them, for all I care! I was hoping it would be gold or precious gems... not this!"
Just then, Lori, who hadn't been paying attention because of the book she was reading, gasped.
Everyone turned toward Lori. "What's up, sis?" Jazz asked.
"Oh, Night Fire gave me this book shortly before we left. It has all sorts of interesting info on legendary stuff... guess what Elias is wearing right now?!!"
"Um-- silver gloves... what else?" Spaz answered.
"These aren't just ordinary silver gloves, Spaz... those are the Silver Gauntlets!"
"Silver Gauntlets?" everyone asked at once.
"It says here that the Silver Gauntlets will allow the one who wears them to lift heavy objects like they were feathers!!"

(Oh, brother! Now I know I've been playing too much of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time!)

"Whatever... I'll believe it when I see it!" Falco stated.
"Enough of this stuff about legends and that!" Tiff suddenly yelled out. "I've got a blaster to claim, and I don't want to be late for my date with destiny!"
"All right, then! Let's go!" Elias answered.
With that, everyone continued toward the Spirit Temple, which was now just barely in sight.

---------------------------------------------

"WOW!! Is this place huge or WHAT?!!" Falco yelled, impressed at the size of the temple.
"I'll say! It must be at least 300 feet high!" Jazz replied.
"Actually, it's 547 feet!" a mysterious voice answered.
Everyone turned toward the direction of the voice and saw a grey rabbit with dark blue equipment.
"Who are you?" Elias asked.
"Me? I am Wizard. I've been searching for the Diamondus Blaster for 10 years."
"Oh, you've heard about it too, eh?"
"Yes... but I can't even get past the first room of the Spirit Temple, even with my incredible strength!"
"That's probably because you aren't the Chosen One." Tiff said, stepping forward.
"Oh, and I suppose you are?"
"Actually, she is!" Elias replied.
"Prove it, then! If you can successfully get the Diamondus Gem (no relation to the one on Eva's ring,) you can HAVE the Diamondus Blaster for all I care!"
"Would you like to join us?" Tiff asked.
Wizard thought for a few moments, then spoke again. "All right... but I sure hope you ARE the Chosen One!"
That having been said, all nine of our heroes slowly stepped into the Spirit Temple, not knowing of the dangers ahead....

"WOW!!!" Lori shouted upon entering the temple. "This place looks even bigger on the inside!"
"Isn't it amazing? Even I couldn't believe it when I first saw it!" Wizard replied.
"So, like... what's your problem? What's keeping you from advancing?" Elias asked.
"That is!" Wizard answered, pointing to his right.
"Whoa! That block is HUGE!!" Spaz yelled out. "No wonder you haven't been able to get past this room!"
Spaz immediately went to the block and started to push it... well, at least he TRIED to push it! "I could use some help here!!" he told the others.
Everyone except Elias went over to help Spaz. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to move, let alone push, the block out of the way.
"Man! Who would've thought that such a simple object could be used to keep people from exploring this temple?!" Tiff said, gasping for air.
"We can't budge it!" Baeauman declared.
"Move it, you guys!" Elias suddenly ordered.
"Elias, if we can't move it as a group, then YOU won't be able to do it by yourself... unless those gloves really do what that book says they do!" Falco exclaimed.
"Watch me!"
With that, Elias started pushing the block. At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then, all of a sudden, the block began to budge, slowly but surely.
"I see it, but I don't believe it!" Charge said, astounded by Elias' strength.
Suddenly, the block fell into a hole, allowing our heroes to advance further into the temple. Wizard then walked over to Elias.
"How in the Spirit World were you able to move that block when the rest of us put together couldn't even budge it?!"
"Must be these things!" Elias answered, showing Wizard the Silver Gauntlets.
"Well, anyway, let's go! Tiff has a blaster to claim, if I remember correctly!"
"How did you know about that?!"
"Heh... I read part 12 of this story!"
Elias rolled his eyes.

---------------------------------------------

Around two hours had passed, and our heroes had made it past rolling rocks, dangerous enemies, perilous puzzles, and other hazards, all while finding keys that allowed them to advance even further into the temple. Soon, they had arrived at the door that would take them to the Central Chamber.
"Wow! Look at the size of that lock!" Spaz exclaimed.
"Yeah! It must be what this big key is for!" Elias replied as he put it into the lock.
"Finally, we're gonna be able to get the Diamondus Gem, which is the key to obtaining the Diamondus Blaster!" Tiff said with some excitement in her voice.
CLICK!!
The door slowly opened. Our heroes walked inside.
"HEY!! WHERE IS IT?!!" Tiff shouted, now getting frustrated. "We came all this way, only to discover that the Diamondus Gem is gone! Who could've possibly gotten here before us?!!"
Just then, the sound of a sword being pulled out of its sheath was heard across the room. Everyone turned toward the noise and saw a dark stranger. "Maybe I can answer that for you-- TIFF!!"
"Who are you? How do you know my name?!!"
"You might say that Elias told me...."
Everyone looked at Elias with a look of death.
"Hey, don't look at me like that! I have no idea what he's talking about!" Elias stated, trying to defend himself.
"Oh, come on, Elias! Of course you do... after all, whatever you learn in real life, I learn as well in the darkest depths of Hell!"
"DEVAN!!" everyone shouted at once.
"Not even close!" the stranger replied, lifting his hood.
That's when Elias noticed the jet-black medallion hanging around the stranger's neck. "That medallion-- it looks exactly like..."
"Yours, Elias?"
"Yes... who are you, anyway?!" Elias questioned, pulling his sword out.
"I am your worst nightmare, Elias...."
"...And this is because?"
"I know all of your darkest secrets, from the day your parents were killed, to when you first set first foot on Carrotus, to when you first met Lori, etc."
"WHAT?!! All right bub... who exactly are you, and what do you want?"
"I want your friend... after all, she's the only one capable of obtaining the Diamondus Blaster... and you, Elias-- you can call me..."
"I can call you what? Who are you, already?!!"
"I... am the being known as-- DARK ELIAS!!!"
With that, almost as if a switch had been thrown, both Elias and Dark Elias leapt toward each other, content on destroying their twin self!

The clashing of swords could be heard throughout the room as Elias and his dark self fought furiously, each one intent on destroying the other. Elias fought with courage unlike any other, but Dark Elias could mirror his every thought. This allowed him to defend himself by being able to block every one of Elias' moves.
"Good grief!" Jazz shouted over the clanging swords. "It's like fighting your shadow-- but the shadow is fighting back!"
"I know!" Baeauman replied. "Every time Elias makes a move, Dark Elias seems to be able to block it!"
"Well, duh!" Lori yelled. "He IS Elias' shadow, after all! Whatever Elias is thinking, his dark self is thinking the exact same thing!"
"I was wondering why he didn't have a shadow after saving you, Lori...." Spaz stated.
"What in the devil are you talking about?!!" everyone asked.
"You mean that I was the only one who actually NOTICED?!!" Spaz replied.
"Notice what?" Falco questioned.
"After Elias saved Lori with that Herb of Rejuvination, I noticed that he didn't have his shadow.... I was wondering why--"
SLASH!!!
"HA!! How do you like THAT?!!" Elias shouted.
"A small scratch... nothing to worry about compared to what I'm about to do to YOU!!!"
Elias was caught totally off guard as his dark self slashed him in the chest. Screaming in pain, he clutched his chest, gasping for breath.
"NO!!!" Lori shouted, running over to Elias.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Night Fire appeared, sword in hand and ready to use it! "Uh-oh... somebody broke a rule!" he stated, looking at Dark Elias with a sinister face.
"Get back... Night Fire! This-- is MY battle!" Elias gasped, falling to the floor.
"What? Are you nuts, Elias?"
Elias didn't answer. Instead, in his (supposed) last breath, he uttered a mystical incantation... it went something like this:

"Sun's mighty... rays, I-- summon thee...
Do as I ask... and-- answer my plea!
Bring... your soothing rays down-- upon me...
And allow me to fight-- for justice and peace!"

(Anyone recognize where THAT came from?)

Rays of sunlight suddenly came down upon Elias, healing him instantly.
Dark Elias watched in awe as his lighter self slowly got up off of the floor. "I don't believe it... even I didn't know that!"
Elias got up and put his blaster away. He then reached into his backpack and grabbed his bow and arrows. He slipped the quiver over his shoulder and took an arrow out.
Dark Elias, knowing what was about to happen, immediately grabbed his medallion. At the exact same moment, Elias grabbed his medallion and started transforming. Within seconds, both combatants had morphed into jaguars, and both were intent on slashing each other to ribbons!
However, Dark Elias had not noticed what had happened while he was transforming. His eyes had been closed so tightly that it allowed Elias to sneak over to him, reach for his cloak, and snatch the Diamondus Gem right out from under his nose!
"Hey, Dark Elias!" Elias shouted upon finishing his transformation. "Look what I've got!"
Dark Elias looked at his lighter self, shocked at what had happened. "How did you get that?!!" he yelled.
"That's for ME to know and for YOU to find out!" Elias replied, tossing the Diamondus Gem to Tiff.
"Why you--"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah... save it for later!" Elias shouted, running back to our heroes. "Quick! Get on my back and we are outta here!"
Everyone did so. Within minutes, our heroes were out of the temple and on their way back to the city.

"Hey, Elias!" DeraldSny shouted as the group of nine entered the city. "How did it go?"
"Great! You should have seen the battle!" Tiff replied, still holding the Diamondus Gem in her hands.
"What battle?"
"The battle between Elias and his dark self! Aw man, you talk about awesome! Dark Elias could block every one of Elias' moves! I thought it would never end! I--"
"All right, Tiff... settle down before I have to hurt you." Elias, still in his jaguar state, interrupted.
"Sorry, Elias."
"So, now what do we do?" Jazz asked.
"Well," Gold Viper started, "we would GLADLY take you to the Diamondus Temple, but I'm afraid only Night Fire and Qui-Gon have the power to do that."
"I see..." Spaz replied. "But can't you do that?"
"They just said that they couldn't!" Wizard replied, rolling his eyes.
"OH! Sorry..." Spaz answered, grinning.
"So..." Lori started, pacing, "where are those two when you need them the most?!!"
Lori's question was answered when Night Fire and Qui-Gon appeared out of nowhere, with lightning and thunder announcing their presence.
"Right here, my dear Lori!" Night Fire replied.
"Hey... watch it with the 'Dear Lori' stuff... OK?" Elias growled.

(Methinks Elias is being protective of Lori... good thing he's not NORMALLY like that!)

"Whoa... what's up with that?!!" Night Fire asked Elias.
"Nothing, except for the fact that..."
"Oh, Elias! We may be in love with each other, but that-- OOPS!!" Lori shouted, covering her mouth with her hands.
Jazz and Spaz looked at Lori, then at Elias, then at Lori again. "So THAT'S why I caught the two of you kissing after Elias saved you!" Jazz said, a sinister tone dominating his voice.
"Well, um... er, ah-- I mean..." Lori stuttered.
"HEY!!!" Tiff shouted in a deafening tone. "I've got a blaster to find, and I'm not gonna let Dark Elias, or love, for that matter, stop me from getting it!!"
"Sheesh, Tiff! What a voice!" Elias replied, covering his ears with his paws.
"Well, then, I suggest we get going!" Baeauman said. "But, how do we get out of here?"
"Simple!" Night Fire answered.
Just then, Night Fire lifted his arms up and started to utter one of his mystical incantations... but nobody could hear it because of the fact that he was doing it psychically. (Yes, that is a real word!)
Before any of our heroes knew it... everything went black....

Tiff was the first one to wake up. "Ugh... anyone get the license number of that cement mixer?!!" she moaned, getting up.
"It felt more like one of Devan's ships to me..." Elias replied.
"Hah! I feel like a tiger has stripped me of all my fur and muscles, leaving only the bones behind! Anyone else feel like that?!!" Falco asked.
"Um... pardon me while I go throw up somewhere!..." Elias, now sick to his stomach, answered.

---------------------------------------------

By the time Elias returned, everybody had regained their consciousness. "Falco... please don't get into such gruesome detail again, OK?"
"Why, Elias?"
"I got sick to my stomach, that's why! I can stand the blood... but when it comes to total mutilation, just thinking about it makes me wanna--"
"All right, already!! I get the picture!" Falco interrupted.
"Man... where are we?" Lori questioned. "I've never seen THIS part of Diamondus before! It's so... depressing...."
That's when Elias FINALLY felt the rain pouring down onto his fur. "Oh, great!" he grumbled....
"What?" Baeauman asked.
"NICE GOING, NIGHT FIRE! YOU'VE TELEPORTED US TO THE WRONG PLANET!!!" Elias suddenly shouted in his loudest voice.
"What are you talking about?!!" Wizard questioned.
"Can't you feel the rain? Can't you see the castle in the distance?! Can't you see that there's no PLANT LIFE on this planet?!!"
Jazz suddenly noticed all of these things the moment Elias mentioned them. "Your friend needs some work on his teleportation skills! He's sent us to Medivo!!"
"...And for good reason!"
Everybody turned toward the voice just in time to see Night Fire appear before them.
"All right, Night Fire... what's the deal here?! Why are we on Medivo?!!" Elias shouted.
"Simple... you need to raid the castle over there!" Night Fire answered.
"Why?!!"
"The Diamondus Gem is only one of three keys to the Diamondus Blaster... you'll also need the Medivo and Tubelectric Gems if you wish to obtain it."
"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Spaz asked, confusion in his voice.
"If I told you, then this wouldn't be much of a story, right?"
Elias sighed. "So, what you're saying is that 3 GEMS are required to obtain the Diamondus Blaster!"
"Yep! However... this time, I'll be helping you along the way."
"Ok, then... you can help us now by teleporting all of us to the castle gates!" Elias ordered.
"Done!"
In less than a minute, all ten heroes were silently walking into the castle... only Night Fire knew of the traps and hazards that haunted it, so he led the group.
"Follow me..." he whispered.

Night Fire led the group of (if I can remember correctly, ten?) rabbits into the dark, forbidding castle of Medivo.
"Brrr... I think I was better off OUTSIDE the castle! At least there's light showing out there!" Elias complained.
"I know..." Tiff replied, "but we need to keep moving. I want that Diamondus Blaster so badly that I can taste it!"
"Oh, REALLY? What flavor is it?" Elias sarcastically asked.
"Hmm... vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup, topped with a lot of whipped cream, nuts, and a few cherries!" Tiff replied sarcastically, smacking her lips.
"Very funny, Tiff...." Jazz grumbled to himself.
Suddenly, Baeauman interrupted the conversation. "Night Fire... I don't know why you had to come along with us! I mean... it's as clear as day!" he said, moving forward, in front of everyone.
"Baeauman! Stop... NOW!!!" Night Fire shouted.
"Why? There's nothing-- YIPE!!!"
"BAEAUMAN!!!" Elias shouted, watching in horror as Baeauman suddenly disappeared beneath the floor.
"OUCH!!! Talk about hard landings!" Baeauman said upon hitting the floor below him.
Elias and the others went to the spot where Baeauman fell through the floor. "That's odd... it looks like a normal floor to me," Lori commented, putting her hand on it.
Well... she TRIED putting her hand on it. Instead, it went right through the floor, causing Lori to lose her balance.
"WHAT TH-- YOWSA!!" Lori shouted as she fell through the floor. A few seconds later, she hit the ground with the same hardness that Baeauman felt. "Ouch... talk about a pain in the tail!"
Elias stuck his head through the fake part of the floor. "Are you two all right?!!"
"Yeah... kinda!" Baeauman replied.
Tiff, Night Fire, and the rest then jumped down the hole, one by one, until everyone was with Baeauman and Lori. "Now do you see why I told you to stop?!!" Night Fire told Baeauman.
"Yeah... but where are we?" Baeauman asked.
"All I see is a number of switches... 9 to be exact," Wizard commented.

(Hey, I'm TRYING to remember to put all of you in so I won't forget who exactly is in it... I'll tell you this... it ain't easy!)

"Well... I'll tell you this much. You've got to figure out which combination will open that door over there." Night Fire replied, pointing to a door at the far side of the room.
"Combination meaning which ones stay up and which ones go down, right?" Tiff asked.
"Correct."
"Nine switches and too many combinations! We may never get out of here!" Falco complained.
"Well, we certainly won't unless we start trying!" Lori answered.
"Right! Let's get to it!" Elias ordered.

"Dang! Which combo will get us out of here?!!" Spaz asked in a state of confusion. "We've been in here for 45 minutes, trying every single possibility... but nothing has worked! We may never get out of here!!!"

(That's the most I've heard Spaz TALK in this story... I'm impressed at him!)

"We've tried every possibility... including putting all of the switches down. What are we doing wrong?!!" Elias questioned.
Suddenly, Tiff was struck with an idea. "Move it, people!" she ordered as she stepped up to the puzzle.
Almost by instinct, Tiff started randomly flipping switches. By the time she was done, it looked something like this:

Up, Up, Down, Down, Down, Up, Up, Down, Up.

The door suddenly opened, allowing our heroes to continue onward into the castle.
"What th--?!! We tried that combination, but it didn't open for us!! How did you do it?!" Wizard asked.
"Don't forget, Wizard... I AM the Chosen One... which just might mean that I possess a special touch that allows us to get out of the most hopeless of situations!" Tiff explained.
"OK... sorta!" Elias mumbled.
Suddenly, Night Fire interrupted the conversation. "HOLD IT!!!" he ordered in his loudest voice.
Everyone covered their ears. "Geez, Night Fire!" Falco shouted. "What are you trying to do? Blast our eardrums to bits?!!"
"No... I just wanted you all to notice the floor." Night Fire replied, pointing to it.
"Hmm... it seems that there are all sorts of different colors on this floor. Green, purple, pink, yellow, red, orange, blue..." Elias commented.

(Anyone notice the connection between the colors and our heroes? I sure hope so!!!)

"Only ONE of those colors is safe to step on." Night Fire explained. "Any other color will cause a poison dart to zip out of the wall, leaving no time for the unfortunate victim to react."
"I've got a BETTER idea!" Elias said, reaching into his backpack.
"Don't bother... it can tell what color you're over and activate the trap anyway."
"Drat!" Elias replied, kicking a stone.
"So, how are we gonna tell which color is safe to step on?" Lori asked.
"Trial-and-error... what else?" Tiff replied.
"Oh... heheheh...."
"Well, then, I suggest we get to work!" Elias stated, heading for the multicolored floor.

Taking a long stick, Tiff started tapping the tiles. She hit a red one... not very hard, but the pressure was enough to cause a dart to come flying out of the wall. "Ok... red isn't the color," she mumbled.
"I'm gonna try yellow..." Lori commented.
Lori tapped a yellow tile with her blaster....
ZIP!!!
Another poison dart came flying out of the wall, just barely missing Lori's hand.
"What about the green?" Jazz asked, tapping one with his long blaster.
"No luck, either..." Elias replied when another dart came out.
"I've tried the purple and the pink, and neither of them are it either!!!" Tiff shouted.
"That leaves only orange and blue... we have a 50/50 chance of picking the wrong color and getting killed." Elias mumbled to himself.
Just then, everybody noticed that Tiff was getting ready to cross the floor.
"TIFF! STOP!!! We don't know which color it is, yet!!!" Night Fire warned.
"I have a feeling she does, Night Fire..." Elias commented.
"Are you NUTS?!!"
"Nope... because if I'm right, she's going to step on... BLUE!"
At that very moment, Tiff stepped on a blue tile....
NOTHING!!! Tiff had stepped on the right color!
"Great job, Tiff! How did you know?!" Elias questioned as he and the others followed Tiff to the other side of the room.
"To tell you the truth, Elias... I didn't!"
"WHAT?!! You mean to tell me that you took a wild guess?!!"
"Yep!"
Elias nearly fainted....

---------------------------------------------

After crossing the lethal floor, our heroes soon came to a small room with two glowing gems.
"Wow! Which one do we grab?!!" Elias questioned, sctatching his head. "Both of them look exactly alike...."
"I know..." Night Fire started. "However, one of them is a fake! If you choose that one, the entire castle will explode."
"EXPLODE?!! COOL!" Spaz yelled out.
"It is if you wanna be splattered all over the surface of Medivo, Spaz..." Wizard and Baeauman replied.
"Double cool!" Spaz answered.
Everyone rolled their eyes at once.
"So, which one is it?" Elias asked.
"Neither of them are!" a voice answered.
Elias turned around and saw his dark self once again... this time, with a few friends!
"YOU AGAIN!!! What do you mean neither of them are real?!!"
"Simple... I took the actual item!" Dark Elias told his lighter self, holding the Medivo Gem in his hand.
"Give that back!" Tiff yelled, running toward Dark Elias.
"Not so fast, Tiff!" another voice said, swatting Tiff in the side of the face.
"OW!!! Who are you?!!
"Try... DARK TIFF!!!"
"Another fight?!!" Elias mumbled to himself.
Sure enough, Tiff and her dark self started fighting... only one of them would reamin standing....

Tiff quickly grabbed her blaster and started firing at her dark self. At the same time, Dark Tiff pulled out a bow and arrow set and started firing arrows at Tiff. The arrows flew around to the other side of the room, just barely missing Elias and the others.
"YIPE!!" Baeauman yelled out as one of the arrows barely missed his leg. "All right... this means WAR!"
Baeauman suddenly threw a smoke bomb onto the floor. It exploded on impact, causing the room to fill with smoke.
Despite all the coughing going on, Falco, Wizard, Charge, and Baeauman managed to sneak over to where Dark Elias was... but when they tried to snatch the Medivo Gem from him, he suddenly warped to another part of the room.
"Nice try, you fools! But I learn from past mistakes!" Dark Elias growled. "Everyone... ATTACK!!!"
At that very moment, everyone suddenly had their dark selves to deal with. Elias fought furiously, trying to teach his dark side a lesson.
Baeauman, on the other hand, was running out of ideas.... "Oh, geez! What a nightmare!" he mumbled to himself.
"BAEAUMAN!!! BEHIND YOU!!!" Lori suddenly shouted as she dealt with her own darkness.
Baeauman quickly turned around and saw his dark self with a double-edged sword, ready to slash his throat. He managed to jump up just in time before Dark Baeauman had the chance to grab his neck.
Falco, on the other hand, was having major problems.... "Grr... if only there was some way I wouldn't have to deal with this guy..."
Elias, suddenly getting what Falco was saying, pushed his dark self to Tiff. "Everyone... CHANGE PARTNERS!!!" he yelled out.
Everyone did so, and within seconds, the dark side of our heroes found themselves with somebody else!
"Normally, I wouldn't hit a lady..." Elias commented, punching Dark Lori in the jaw. "But you're no lady, lady!"
Baeauman had managed to end up with Dark Tiff. Crossing his hands into a cross shape, he dealt a dose of punishment to her, knocking her out. "Take that, you creep!"
Wizard, Spaz, Jazz, and all the others managed to knock out their new opponents within seconds of receiving them. The only one left was Dark Elias, which Tiff was having a hard time nailing.... After all, it's kinda difficult to nail a guy who's teleporting from one spot of the room to the other.
"What's wrong, Dark Elias? Too scared to fight like a man?!!" Tiff taunted.
"WHAT?!!"
"You heard me! You're scared of me because of the fact that I'm the Chosen One, aren't you?!!"
"Grr... take THIS!!!"
Dark Elias immediately cast a web of darkness around Tiff, leaving her completely immobile. He then started pulling her toward him.
Wizard, noticing what was happening, tried to rescue Tiff. But the web had an electric force field around it, shocking anyone who tried to get close. Wizard found out... the hard way!
"Elias! Baeauman! Jazz! Somebody... HELP!!!" Tiff shouted.

(Note: No, Tiff... you're not suffering from the "Damsel in Distress" syndrome! It's just that sometimes, even I don't know what's going to happen! That's my brain at work!"

Elias ran toward Tiff, intent on rescuing her, no matter how many times he shocked himself! He lunged toward the web, but it was too late. Dark Elias had disappeared, taking Tiff with him!

(Note: This is gonna require some strong language.... Viewer discretion is advised!)

"Why that no-good-for-nothing BASTARD of a dark self! Now he's got Tiff as his prisoner!! What's worse, he's also got the Medivo Gem!"
"I wouldn't say that," Night Fire replied, holding up the gem.
"How did you--"
"Never mind that... we now have to locate your dark side and rescue Tiff! If she's killed, the Diamondus Blaster is free for the taking!!!"
"Oh, shoot!" Elias yelled.

"So, if I were my dark self and I had a prisoner with me, where would I go next?" Elias asked, scratching his head.
"I don't know..." Jazz replied. "But I do know one thing... we won't have to deal with OUR shadows again!"
"You got that right!" Lori declared as her shadow reappeared.
"Never mind that!" Falco ordered. "We have to find out where Elias' dark self is gonna go next!"
"Well..." Spaz started, "since he's got Tiff, who happens to be the Chosen One... wouldn't it be natural that he would go to Tubelectric next?!!"
Everyone looked at Spaz, dumbfounded.
"Hey... I'm not as insane as everyone thinks I am, you know!!!" Spaz shouted.
"Hmm... Spaz's got a point." Falco said. "I mean, that's the only gem that we haven't gotten yet. However, chances are... he's planning to use Tiff as bait-- you know, to lure us into a trap."
"As if Tubelectric wasn't already hazardous enough!" Charge declared. "I've been there! To tell you the truth, I HATED that planet! All that high-tech stuff can really get to a guy!"
"I know, but we have no choice... Tiff is one of my best friends! It would be uncivilized of me to abandon her in her time of need!!!" Elias replied.
"Well, then... maybe we should get there ASAP!" Night Fire said, holding his arms up.
"Whoa, there!" Jazz interrupted. "Are you SURE that you'll take us to Tubelectric?!!"
"Jazz... quit worrying about that! Worry about Tiff!" Elias ordered. "Besides, I know that Night Fire will get us there!"

---------------------------------------------

Sure enough, Night Fire had managed to transport everyone to Tubelectric.
Elias was shocked at the sight before him. "I've been to Tubelectric before, but I've never seen this part of the planet!"
"It's the Tubelectric Temple... one of the most heavily guarded of all temples in the Jazz universe!" Night Fire declared.
"Uh... right. Anyway... forget about that fact... let's just get Tiff while we still can!"
"Got it!"
With that, everyone advanced into the brightly-lit temple....

The first thing our heroes saw upon entering the temple were a bunch of Super Sparks.... (You know, from Jazz 1? I wish I knew why they weren't included in Jazz 2!) Their electrified eyes burned at the sight of our heroes, and they immediately attacked, trying to electrify them.
"YOWCH!!!" Elias yelled out as one of the Super Sparks zapped him in the arm. "That hurt!!!"
"All right... now I'm mad!!" Night Fire declared, aiming his Lightning Rods at the Super Sparks.
"Wait a sec, Night Fire... are you NUTS?!! Those Super Sparks will only absorb the bolt!" Jazz yelled out.
"Yeah! Don't you have anything else?" Elias replied, fighting back at the Super Sparks.
"Well, I have been working on a new kind of ammo-- but I don't know whether it'll work or not...."
"Never mind about whether it works! Use it!!"
"All right...."
With that, Night Fire took out his newest kind of arrows... Fire Bolt Arrows.
"If this works," he started as he aimed at one of the Super Sparks, "it'll cause these creeps to have such a third-degree burn that they'll have to classify it as a FOURTH-degree burn! Heheheh!..."
Night Fire fired his Fire Bolt at the Super Spark. The shot connected, incinerating the creep. A loud, shrill cry filled the air as the Super Spark choked it's last breath.
The other Super Sparks, noticing what happened, immediately took off.
"What's the matter?!! SCARED?!!" Elias taunted as the Super Sparks hid themselves. He then turned to Night Fire. "Man... those things are POWERFUL!!!"
"Aren't they, though? The Guardian of the Spirit World is the only one allowed to carry such weapons of power."
"I can see why... you only use them when you have to...."
"Yep! The best part about these, though, is the fact that they act like those heat-seeking missiles."
"COOL!!!"
"Excuse me, but don't we have someone named Tiff to find somewhere in this temple?" Lori suddenly asked.
"Yeah... let's move it!" Elias replied.
"Hold it, Elias!" Wizard said, pulling Elias back.
"What? What is it?"
"Didn't you see this?" Falco questioned, pointing to a strange hallway.
"So what? It's as clear as day...."
"That's what they'd like you to think...."
Falco pulled out a coin and tossed it into the hallway. There was a sudden zap as the coin melted into oblivion.
"Yeep... I almost suffered that fate?!!"
"Yep.... So, how do we get past this?" Faclo asked, scratching his head.
"Hmm... looks like this temple will require careful planning," Elias replied. "Everyone, huddle around me...."
"OK... we need to short-circuit that barrier... any ideas?" Elias asked as the group huddled around him.
"Well... there might be one way." Night Fire replied. "I could use my Lightning Rods to overload the amount of electricity flowing through the barrier."
"Hmm... that's a good point. Any other ideas?"
"I say... go for it, Night Fire!" Jazz replied.
Everyone agreed. Within seconds, Night Fire had one of his Lightning Rods aimed at the barrier.
"Pray that this works!"
Night Fire launched the Lightning Rod at the barrier. Upon impact, it created a power surge so powerful-- that the entire temple went black.
"Nice idea... too bad that we can't see now!" Elias mumbled to himself.
"Geez, Night Fire! When you said that you'd overload the flow, I didn't expect this much!!" Falco stated.
"So now what?" Wizard asked. "We need to find a light source...."
"No problem..." Elias replied.
Elias reached into his backpack and started feeling around.
"What are you doing, Elias?" Falco asked.
"I'm trying to find my makeshift torch...."
"Huh?"
"Never leave home without it... AH! Here we go!" Elias declared, pulling a club out.
"Here, Elias!" Night Fire said, pulling out a Flame Bolt.
"Thanks, Night Fire...." Elias replied.

---------------------------------------------

"So... now what?" Falco asked.
"We find our way through this place...." Elias answered.
"How?!! The only light we have is coming from that torch! Unless the power comes back on, we're victims of anything and everything!" Spaz declared.
CLICK!
"Um... people? Did you hear that?" Night Fire asked, fear dominating his voice.
"Unfortunately... yes!" Falco replied.
Suddenly, the floor beneath our heroes gave way, causing them to fall down a deep pit.
"WHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" everyone shouted as they fell.
It was only a few seconds before our heroes hit the ground, but it felt like an eternity!
"OUCH!!" Lori shouted as she came into contact with the hard, stone floor. "That's gonna hurt for a while...."
"Hah! That's nothing! How are we gonna get outta this place?!!" Falco shouted.
"Elias... what about that rope?"
"We fell about fifty feet down-- my rope isn't that long...."
"Oh, shoot!"
"Hmm... I've always wanted to try one of these..." Night Fire mumbled.
"Try one of what?" Falco questioned.
"In addition to the Flame Bolts, I've also been working on some Signal Flares... you know, like the kind they use whenever a ship is sinking?"
"What?!!"
"Just watch...."
Night Fire aimed up and fired one of his Flares toward the top of the pit. It zoomed up and eventually burst into flames.
"Now... let's hope that someone saw that."
"Night Fire... I don't mean to be rude or anything, but we're in a temple! No one hardly enteres these places! How on Tubelectric do you expect to--"
"Did someone here send up a distress signal?"
Everyone looked up and saw a rabbit shrouded in a dark cloak... not Dark Elias, but someone else....

"Who in the devil are you?" Jazz asked upon seeing the stranger at the top of the pit.
"Me? I'm the Guardian of the Tubelectric Temple... call me Sabin." the stranger replied.
"Hey... I know you! You're the one who knows everything there is to know about the Jazz Universe, aren't you?" Night Fire questioned.
"Guilty as charged." Sabin answered.
"Enough with the chit-chat! How about getting us out of this pit?!!" Elias yelled.
"OK..."
Sabin raised his arms, and within seconds, a force field surrounded our heroes and started lifting them up out of the pit.
"What th-- how is he doing that?!!" Baeauman asked, surprised at what was happening.
"Heh... I'm actually able to mimic any one of you guys and use your own unique abilities. That's why I'm as powerful as I am... good thing I don't let it go to my head!"
Elias rolled his eyes.

---------------------------------------------

After everyone was out of the pit, Elias turned to Sabin. "You say that you're the Guardian of this temple, right?"
"Right...."
"Um-- what are you doing?"
"You know, you look a lot like another rabbit that rushed in here. The only thing different about him was that he was jet black in color... and he had a black medallion. He also had a girl with him--"
"Say no more..." Elias interrupted. "That HAD to be my dark self that you saw! He has one of my friends, and he's using her to get to the legendary Diamondus Blaster..."
"I kinda suspected that... she DID have a frightened looked on her face. She was as scared as a rabbit! (No pun intended....)"
"We've got to stop him, no matter what the cost! I'll even get myself killed trying to save her!"
"I see... well, go on ahead. I'll be around in case you need me again."
"How will we contact you?" Lori asked.
"Simple... just have Night Fire send up one of those signal flares! Better yet, use one of those Lightning Rods.... Since you cut the power to this place, I'm having a little bit of trouble seeing. After all, I'm a rabbit, not a cat!"
Elias chuckled upon hearing this remark.
"Huh? What's so funny?" Sabin asked.
"I happen to be both!" Elias answered.
"?!!"
"Don't worry. You'll see it soon enough!"
"Oh... OK. Well, good luck!"
With that, Sabin disappeared, allowing our heroes to venture deeper into the temple.
"Hang on, Tiff... we're coming!" Elias thought to himself.

End of Book 1


Go to, The Legend of the Diamondus Blaster: Book 2.