Hieghtend fears

(19 - 11 = 8 energy)

Rouge Looked around the top of the steps they had just climbed, the leaves were all colored in orange and yellow hues. 'Beautiful' he thought to himself as he stepped forward to inspect some of the fallen leaves. They were a rare sight to him as he had lived in the mountains sense his banishment. He breathed in the cool air and marveled at the fact that this place was supposedly in perpetual fall, as if to enrapture the singular moment that time of year. This seemed like it would provide more than just an adventure as Noel had told him, but a place of near perfect beauty. if only there was a mountain or high cave near by of which to settle in to come here often, if there was, Rouge had not seen head nor tail of such a thing. He sighed contently before looking back to Noel, ready to begin.

Noel stretched her arms, it had been a while since she really did anything like exploring just for some fun with someone, normally it was just her wandering around and finding someone random wandering also then they team up and the rest is history. Noel didn't feel like saying they were here, it was quite obvious. Noel pulled her scarf making sure it wasn't dragging on the ground, the area seemed a bit muddy around the entrance due to the surrounding lake, she folded her scarf up once making it go closer to her back rather then the floor.

Noel noticed Rouge look back at her. Noel took the sigh as a sign he was ready. "Let's go." Noel said with a smile and started walking expecting Rouge to follow her.

[51] [62-11]

Rouge followed promptly, his club resting lazily on his shoulder. He stayed silent just marveling at the beauty of the dungeon as they walked. Surely nothing too horrible could be in this place, could it? with out warning his foot it a rock forcing him to stumble. He caught himself and carried on, being more weary of rocks hidden in the leaves on the ground. sure he had let his guard down, but who wouldn't the first time they saw such a place?

Rouge shifted his helmet slightly to allow him to see the ground better as they walked. It obscured his views of the tress slightly, but would serve him well in the time to come.

Noel calmly started to walk, she did like the beauty of this place but she knew it was still a dungeon, still dangerous in every way the previous ones were, but with at least a great scene while you were getting attacked. Noel shook her head lightly, they wouldn't get attacked that much plus she was here, ever since she evolved she'd been having a hard time actually finding things that can keep up with her, it almost made her sad in a way. Noel was still alert glancing around every now and then but nothing so far, nothing was ever around the beginning of a dungeon, she'd explored enough to know that.

Noel noticed Rouge trip and catch himself. "You alright?" Noel questioned asking on pure instinct, it was just natural to her now for some reason.

"Y-ye-es" Rouge replied. He wondered how far they would go in. Rouge looked at his club, a few scratches here and there, nothing but regular wear. He was feeling ready for what ever came up, be it a trap or a fight, he'd run in full force. Last time he was afraid, unsure of this Pokemon he traveled with, and more unsure of himself. After the last place they visited he felt more confident in Noel, though he wasn't sure about himself. This time, he would prove himself worthy of being a proper Pokemon and not some wild beast.

Noel looked at the dungeon while she was walking, she knew it wasn't that hard to get lost it was surrounded by a lake, at the end they'd just find it and walk around the edge till they got back to the stepping stones. "How far do you want to head in?" Noel asked seeing as he wasn't as glad last time considering how far they went in the ruins, she had no real reason for being here and if he said whenever she'd like to leave she'd start questioning when that is.

Noel explored a bit with Rouge and got a good reading on his limits, or what she thought was his limits, just don't push past those or abandon him and everything should be good.

"D-dee-ee-p a-s p-po-osi-i-bl-le." Rouge replied. He was bound and determined to do better this time. He looked up as if trying to get a read on the suns position, but couldn't see it though the trees. at least he wasn't near the lake's edge currently, as large as the island was, the lake was larger, and he hated seeing that much water. He shuddered at the thought of what could happen if he fell in. Rouge pushed those thoughts out of his mind and pressed on, catch up to Noel a little, staying to her left. his grip on his club tightened slightly.

Noel gave a small nod, deep as possible it was then. Noel almost thought she could feel the determination Rouge had. "Alright then." Noel said looking up, she couldn't see the sun's position but she could see that it was still around morning. "If all goes well we'll go until it gets later, then we'll turn around and look for the entrance and get out before it gets dark." Noel said planning out what to do. "If need be we'll adjust the plan as time goes on." Noel said seeing as nothing ever went the way she wanted, well not all the time sometimes her plans worked.

Noel felt like this was going to be a good day, nice morning no real danger nearby as far as she could tell, maybe they wouldn't even get attacked that'd be nice.

Rouge continued to walk behind Noel like this, the cool air filled his lungs as he have a happy sigh. This dungeon was already going much better than the last. He hadn't lost his club, they hadn't been attacked yet, and they may even find something worth while to take back. His mind started to wonder about Noel. what was her story? why did she explore so much? and why was she so nice to him? Pokemon here on the outside had only recently began being nice to him. there was even that one strange black and red Pokemon he had never gotten the name of.

"N-n-oe-el S-st-or-ry?" he asked, hoping she would understand that he was curious about her past.

Noel stopped for a moment looking at Rouge, she was a bit used to the way he talked now, only stuttering something she could easily nitpick through. Noel was a bit thrown off when he said story though. "Story, my story?" Noel asked figuring that must of been it, no other story she could think of. "Nothing much to say really, I've been a wanderer ever since I was born really. I grew up with my mother training me wandering place to place, dungeon to dungeon in a hope to get stronger." Noel said thinking a bit about her home, it made her feel weird inside having not thought about this for so long.

"Eventually I wanted to explore alone, I could never surpass my mother by just doing the same things she did." Noel said stopping completely and looking up. "Though now I'm not sure what I want to do." Noel said thinking about it, in the end she had no idea what she wanted out of her life, where she was going and how she'd go about it.

Rouge nodded, so she was always doing this? He wondered about himself. He had always been told a Pokemon should root them selves in one location, stick to their work and do what their good at. His feet had always been itchy, yet he wanted to hunker down just as badly. Perhaps others felt this way too? he shook his head pushing the thought aside to clear his mind. He really needed to learn to communicate better so that he could tell his story with out much trouble if someone asked. Then again why would anyone ask? He was just some cubone tagging along with others. Nothing special about him. He gently slapped himself to get his mind focused on the dungeon again.

Noel silently thought about this then it she thought about Rouge. Noel knew he wasn't the best at speaking but she'd like to hear exactly what his life was like. "What about you, what's your story." Noel asked with a small smile, nothing bad was happening at the moment and she had told him hers, it seemed only fair that he spill his. "Or you could not say, that's an option also." Noel added, she never liked making people assume she really wanted to know, who knows what the past holds.

Rouge was surprised by the question, but figured it would come after he had asked. he thought for a moment silently before speaking.

"f-fa-ai-l-ed t-t-te-es-t, E-ex-xi-iled.... F-fo-oun-nd m-mo-ou-n-ta-in... b-bi-ig p-po-ok-ke-mo-n d-d-es-t-tro-oy h-om-me... s-a-ve-d... r-a-an f-ro-m t-o-own... m-e-et y-yo-u.." He hopped it was clear enough, as adding onto that would be hard at this rate. he might be able to draw what happened out rather than speak it, but he'd cross that river when it comes. For now, he enjoyed the slightly sweet scent in the air.

Noel took a moment to figure out exactly what he meant, Noel closed her eyes trying to make sense of the words in her head. Noel was a bit shocked to hear that, normally she'd repeat it just to make sure she got it right but she didn't feel like doing that now, she knew what she thought was most likely right. "Oh, well." Noel said not sure what to say. "Well, I know it doesn't mean much but I'm sorry that happened." what else could she say. "At least we met, that's a good thing." Noel said trying to look on the bright side.

Rouge nodded, he was happy to have met Noel. He thought to himself before speaking again.

"T-te-es-t... k-i-il-l... C-h-ha-ar-i-z-ar-d.." Rouge looked down, slightly embarased by that. it was such a simple task, yet he wasn't strong enough to complete it with his classmates. Even thought he had failed, the class seceded and the village was safe. or at least he believed it was safe. he couldn't say for sure, but it made him feel better thinking that it was. Rouge silently yawned, not from exhaustion but from habit. he always yawned in the morning.