Elsewhere, a cloud car was speeding by, followed by several Primids being taunted by Jigglypuff.
"Looks like they have their hands full," Rita said, watching the others fight Dark Swimmer. "I still think we should help them."
"First of all," Mallow began, "there are so many of them fighting the same thing that no matter how well we can fight, any more of us would probably just get in their way. Secondly, getting rid of a bunch of these small guys is helping them. The more of these we take care of, the less they have to worry about in the end, and more importantly, they can fight that bigger thing better with less distractions from this horde."
"Don't act like you're doing all this only for these strangers," Rita said, with a smile.
"Okay fine. So I want US to survive this too."
"Too?"
"So I care the most about my friends! So what? Gosh Rita, you always were the perceptive one. Sometimes I wonder if your sixth sense is to blame."
"I wouldn't exactly call it a fault," she said, nudging him. "Besides, I can only sense danger and ill intent; me being perceptive is simply me being more observant."
"I see," Mallow replied. He looked behind him to see the Primids trailing as he had expected, but he also saw something that he didn't expect at all: they were gaining on them. When Mallow turned around, Rita had followed, and she shouted, "Can't this thing go any faster?"
"This thing is a "cloud car," not a thing," he retorted. "And I'm flooring it now."
"About the first part of your first statement-" Rita began, then she stopped. "Nevermind."
"I think I see it!" Mallow exclaimed. "Is that opening over there?"
"Yeah, that's-" but that was as far as Rita got before collapsing from loss of blood.
"'Yeah, that's' what?" he asked before taking his eyes off the course and looking at her lying in a blood soaked part of the cloud car. "Rita!!!" he yelled and started braking suddenly and the cloud car slowed down.
"Don't stop. Keep going- too close- we'll all- if you stop," she said weakly, since she hadn't fully lost consciousness.
Mallow understood her and had to think fast. He wasn't going to lose his friend. "Jigglypuff, take the wheel."
"Jiggly!?"
"I know you can't reach the steering wheel and the air pedal so I set the accel. Get over here. After all this, I don't think they'll stop chasing us now," Mallow said, and actually picked Jigglypuff up and set her on the driver's seat, but unfortunately, she couldn't even reach the wheel. Mallow didn't have any more time to ponder. He actually put her on the steering wheel itself and said, "Look straight ahead and just turn your whole body to steer. She started to interject, but he ignored her and stood over Rita. He raised his hands. "HP Rain!" A cloud started forming over him and he concentrated so that it hovered over Rita. "I only have one forth of my Flower Points left. I need to make this count so I can keep protecting us." As the cloud started to pour down its healing rain on Rita, Mallow concentrated right as it opened up, and he heard an extra surge of power. "Phew. I managed to increase its effectiveness. It won't heal her completely, but at least she'll get the full power of my spell." Rita's wounds didn't close completely, but they started mending fast enough to stop most of the bleeding right away. It was a suspenseful moment seeing how Rita would recover, but the scene was cut short- literally.
"Jiggly!" she cried.
"Huh?" Mallow said, turning around. The end of the path was almost right there. "Move!" Mallow commanded, taking her off the wheel, grabbing it himself, and releasing the accel. He jammed on the brakes and luckily, Rita and Mallow didn't going flying out smack into a wall. If only the same thing could have been be said for Jigglypuff.
"Jiggly..." she said, dazed.
Rita managed to stand up, but was still very weak. "Thank you Mallow. You saved my life. I hate being a burden to you."
"That's not true Rita! You always come thr-" Mallow stopped as he saw the Primids almost upon them. "We'll talk later. We have to get inside." Rita leaned on him as they walked in, while they stopped for Mallow to pick up the dazed Pokemon. They entered a large room with very little light, but enough to vaguely see around the place. "I know you're hurting Rita, but you have to keep talking to me. Where should we go? Is there a safer place from below in here?"
"Yeah. If we keep going through this tunnel, we'll come onto a ledge that hangs over he entrance where you first walk in," she said in a low voice.
Mallow was very concerned, but kept her speaking and followed her directions until they got to the ledge. By now, Jigglypuff had come to her senses and was getting tired of being held, so she jumped from Mallow's hold and landed on the edge of the ledge. By now, a large number of Primids had entered the Cave of Many Voices. They looked around and couldn't see the trio. "Okay, Jigglypuff, start Singing."
She turned away and said, "Jiggly Jig Jig."
"What are you doing? Go for it!" Mallow said, but a little too loudly and the Primids heard him. They spotted the trio and started to climb up the ledge to get to them. Mallow was getting frantic. "Psychopath!" he yelled, looking at her. His mouth dropped open. "You've gotta be kidding! "We're all gonna die!"
"Jig."
"Okay fine," he said very quickly. "Jigglypuff, will you please Sing for us? We would really appreciate it," he said through clenched teeth. But that was good enough for her. Mallow covered his ears and Jigglypuff sang, "Jigg-aly-puff, jigg-aly-puff, jig, jig, jigg-aly-puuuuf." It echoed through out the entire cave, and all the Primids who had been practically upon them, not prepared for such a power, had heard the song very clearly, lost their grip, and fell to their doom. Mallow didn't even have to use any more magic as he had thought, so he had some for later, just in case.
"We did it Rita!" he said, turning to the longneck, only to find her out cold. He smiled, knowing how hard it is for a longneck to cover his of her ears. "She needs the rest anyway. This has been quite the ordeal." He couldn't carry her down; she was too heavy. But he knew that she would be safe up there. Mallow and Jigglypuff were pretty beat too anyway. Mallow slowly slid down the steep incline and called up to Jigglypuff, "I'll stay by the entrance and keep watch," as he looked out. He was surprised at what he noticed. After all the fighting those other guys had done, and after what the trio just did, there were hardly any Primids left to deal with. But he also noticed the battle heating up with those strangers battling that creature radiating all that dark energy. "We've done all we can for now," he said to no one in particular. "The rest is up to those strangers. Good luck you guys." And with that, even though he was "keeping watch" Mallow fell asleep as well, as Jigglypuff soon did the same, leaning against Rita's warm, but still wounded body.
Author's Note:
As the cloud started to pour down its healing rain on Rita, Mallow concentrated right as it opened up, and he heard an extra surge of power. "Phew. I managed to increase its effectiveness. It won't heal her completely, but at least she'll get the full power of my spell."
Allow me to explain that to those who haven't played Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Every single special attack that the five main playable characters from that game- and Mallow is one of them- can use, has the option of being used to its full capacity by pressing the right button or set of buttons at the right time. Since this isn't a video game but is now "real," I simply had Mallow concentrate to boost the effect. The weakness of him being able to do that in this Role Playing Game is that if he is being attacked or gets distracted while using his magic, he will miss the small opportunity he has to do this. And since he only has so many Flower Points- energy to use magic- between getting a full amount sleep- not just a quick nap- he simply can't keep redoing a spell for as long as he would like to. Just letting you all know. Later!
