One Piece: A Sea of Endless Possibility

[Craftsdwarf]

The Devil's Seas: beyond the World Government's capital of Mariejois lies this stretch of chaotic ocean. Storms of fire and hail of arcing lightning tour the skies while pockets of acid sprays and waves freezing before you eyes tear the sea. Such a living hell was once though impassable, and yet the brave, or foolish, have attempted to traverse it regardless. Now, the ocean serves as the battleground of pirate crews and the excursions of the most formidable Marines in history as they try to tame this sea.

But none have made as much ground as the infamous Gol D. Roger, fated to be given the title of Pirate King before his execution in six years time. Though he is rumored to be getting ever closer to the end of the world, this story starts seas away, in much calmer waters...

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Chapter 1: Racket on Recursi Island

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A bright sun, tranquil waters, a calming breeze...nothing less was acceptable on Recursi Island. The 123rd​ Marine Branch Base stood tall, keeping the docks peaceful, allowing the island to become something of a trade center in the South Blue. However, beyond the bustling port town and dock of workers was the den of competing resorts, eager to please its customers coming to the picturesque isle to relax.

However, as the Marines were loudly unloading an important shipment in the civilian docks, deeper in the heart of the port town where the sun didn't shine quite right, a meeting was taking place in one certain basement, lit by numerous candles and a single cigar. Sitting in one large chair, the burning tobacco was clenched between the needle sharp teeth of a large goblin shark fishman with light blue skin, a red and green aloha shirt, tan shirts, and a pudgy stomach, his nose pointed grossly, his beady eyes at the side of his head.

A stream of smoke hissing out from his mouth, the fishman asked, "So, wadda ya say, kid? You look tough, and if ya do a good job I might consider letting you on full time. This is a real important trade ya know."

Sitting in a small wooden chair across from him, the younger man receiving the offer clicked his tongue, the action making one of the silhouettes behind the fishman stir. The tall horned man, his dark gray hair going to his shoulders, his dark red blazer jostling as he moved, seemed uninterested as he stretched. Tapping the tip of his heavy brown boots on the ground, he grumbled, "Ah, knew it would be a waste of time..."

Leaning forwards, the fishman sighed, "Waste of time? Don't try to tell me a scummy looking brat like you in a ratty ship like that has plans here."

Glaring, the horned man hissed, "Huh? What's scummy looking about me?" Leaning down a bit to stare the fishman in the eyes, he further grumbled, "And if you say its the horns, I'll lay you flat."

From behind the fishman, two burly humans took cautious steps forwards, but their leader didn't budge from his seat. Rolling his cigar in his fingers, he wondered aloud, "Then what are you up to then? Gonna join the Marines? Get a job at one of the resorts?" As if amused by his own prattling, the fishman gave a few wheezy chuckles.

Turning to the door behind him, the horned boy explained, "Nah, I'm not gonna let you or anyone else boss me around: I'm a pirate!"

The fishman snorted, "You're gonna get someone to get on that floating coffin with you!" Letting out a few roaring laughs, he stomped his feet on the ground as the pirate walked off, heading through the door and up a set of stairs to the alleyways outside.

Scratching his head in disappointment, Avalon Bell, would be Captain of the Coal Pirates, grumbled, "Not sure what I expected really..." Wondering where to start next, he made his way forwards, one step at a time.

 

[Lady B]

"...The Regorgia is found only in the underground caves of Recursi Island, as the frail flower depends on rich, moist soil and a lack of sunshine in order to grow. Moreover, it is only able to bloom once a year, during the..."

Coffret reread the passage in her book, which was more of a collection of hundreds of age old notes several times before the ship was finally moored at the docks. She stuffed it into her backpack, which was sitting next to her on the wooden bench, and then heaved it over her shoulder. Most of the passengers were people headed to one of the many luxurious resorts on the island, and were seated in the gaudy staterooms up front. The purpose of Coff's journey, however, was not for luxury or relaxation. As such, she had bought a budget ticket, and had been placed in a simple cabin in the back of the lower deck. She had to wait a little while longer before the upper class passengers had all disembarked the vessel before she herself could set her feet on land.

Walking out onto the docks, the harsh sun stung Coffret's eyes, after she had been confined in her small cabin for so long. She raised her hand, blocking out the worst rays, but she eventually got used to it. Looking around, the impressive Marine Base caught her eye, as did the massive Marine Ship being unloaded further down the docks. The Marines certainly seemed to be a prominent feature around these parts, which was to be expected. What with all the pirates running around causing mayhem, harsh supervision by a well-known authority was needed in order to maintain the peace and quiet needed in a getaway place like Recursi Island. Coffret made her way further into town, in search of someone who could help her find what she was looking for.

Looking at a large map of the island on display outside a travel agency's office, a frown spread across Coff's face.

"That's weird, the entrance to the caverns isn't marked anywhere on here..." She looked around, noticing someone who looked like a local window shopping outside the next store. She walked up to him, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir, could you point out on that map where the entrance to the underground cavern is? I don't know if I'm just not seeing it or what, but..." As soon as the man heard her request, he gained a slightly panicked expression, excused himself, and then proceeded to virtually run away from a confused Coffret.

"Huh, I wonder if I said anything inappropriate?" Shrugging her shoulders, Coffret decided to step inside the office of the travel agency and ask for some professional help.

"Good afternoon, miss! Lovely day, isn't it? Tell me, what can I help such a fine lady as yourself with?" She was immediately greeted by a sweaty, round-faced man with a greasy comb-over.

"Well, see, I want to get to the underground caverns, but the location of the entrance isn't marked on your map outside, and when I tried to ask someone he ran away from me... Do you think you could set me up with a guide, or something?"

The man, who had been smiling excessively up until now, started sweating even more than before. He seemed very stressed out by her request, and started rubbing his hands together anxiously. "Ah, miss, we uh... We don't arrange trips there, hehe..."

"Oh, really, how come? It's really important for me that I get there." She looked at him inquisitively. Her innocent stare only made him sweat even more.

"Look, miss... You seem like a good person, but those caves, they mean nothing but trouble." The man rubbed his hands tightly, and signaled for Coffret to lean in. "Surely, you've noticed all the Marines scurrying about?" She thought back to the docks, and nodded slowly.

"See, ever since the current Commander took charge over the base, he's essentially kept the entrance under lock-down. No one is allowed inside anymore, not even the locals who have been here for longer than he ever will. He says it's dangerous, but everyone knows it's not. We're all just too scared to say anything..."

Coffret smiled understandingly. "Well, I think I understand. Thanks for the help, it was much appreciated." She waved goodbye to the nervous man, who was finally able to breathe again, and left the travel agency.

Having walked around for a while, trying to find some more clues about the caves whereabouts to no avail, Coff decided to have herself a breather and gather her thoughts. She had even made her way to the shadier parts of town, but alas, even that went without any luck. She went inside a bar where rowdy sailors, and undoubtedly at least couple pirates, blasted sea shanty's at the top of their lungs, swinging large jugs full of beer despite the sun maintaining its high position in the sky. Having a seat away from the crowd, she picked the book up from her backpack and flipped through the pages.

"Nope, as I thought, it doesn't say anything about how to get inside the caves..." She sighed heavily while leaning against her arm, brooding.

 

[Craftsdwarf]

Boots clopping against the cobbled ground, Avalon felt anxious as he returned to the busier parts of the port town. He'd only been here a few short hours, but being back in a good sized town wasn't exactly therapeutic for the horned boy. It might not have been the horns, but he'd never done well with crowds. He wasn't sure whether the berths he received were from his imposing physique or intense expression, but the looks he kept receiving certainly weren't calming him any. In the past, he'd donned a cloak to hide himself some, but screw that! He wasn't some monster!

Baring his teeth and letting out a confident snort, Avalon heard a lone whine from nearby, glancing over to see a small girl with pigtails burying her face in her father's leg, the scrawny looking man fearfully averting his eyes. Unable to contain himself, he snarled, "The hell did I do!?" The pair quickly moved off, not wanting to rile the man further.

Resting his forehead in his palm, Avalon was feeling the strong desire to cool himself down, thankful that he'd already been heading somewhere that could appease that need. Keeping away from the calm and ritzy establishments, which were a tad slow at this hour, he let himself get a bit deeper into town again, finding one rowdy looking place, stomping into the bar as softly as he could. Glancing around, he didn't receive many more than a few glances, and no one looked twice, most being too immersed in their drink or rancor. Glad he still had a little stash of cash to use, he went straight for the bar, the tender looking portly as he stocked the wall behind him with fresh bottles from a crate out of sight. Slapping a few coins on the counter, he requested, "A bottle of mead." Clearly busy with other things, the bartender didn't even look twice at him, taking the payment and slapping a clean bottle down for the pirate. Avalon didn't mind the impartial service, popping open the bottle and taking a swig. As he began to feel some relief, he couldn't help but feel that he was at peace in this rowdy locale... Now if only someone here would fly under his flag!

As he took another sip, he almost sucked it into his lungs upon spotting something of an odd one out. Excluding herself from the grizzled and weathered sailors was a thin, casually clothed girl with light colored hair, going over a book with a glum expression on her face. Blinking, Avalon was far more baffled than anything. Scratching his head in contemplation, he headed over. Avalon didn't give the book more than a glance before he looked around the bar again, noting with the same air of confusion that brought him there in the first place, "Hey, miss, there've gotta be better places to read around here..."

 

[Lady B]

Coffret was startled as someone suddenly approached her. She didn't expect to be approached in a place like this, because she thought everyone was too busy getting drunk to mind her. "Oh, haha, well I wasn't exactly reading. I know the contents of this book at the top of my head, and I just had to confirm something."

She turned around to face the approacher, and was quite frankly startled by the sight. It was a man, carrying a prominent scar on one of his already very prominent horns. But, Coffret wasn't one to be prejudiced, and decided to give him a fair chance at conversing with her. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Coffret, but most people just call me Coff. You are?..." She asked with a gentle smile.

 

[Craftsdwarf]

Avalon blinked at the simple greeting: the glance towards his horns didn't escape his notice, but the combined fact that she didn't seem to mind and her name, unlike any he'd ever heard, left him flustered. Scratching his head awkwardly, he began to mutter, "Er, I'm Avalon, I'm..." Stopping himself, he shook his head, tightening his grip on his bottle before taking another swig, swallowing before saying firmly, "I'm Avalon Bell, no one you'd have heard about yet."

Trying to relax, the pirate dared take a nearby seat, glancing over at the girl's book. It wasn't a standard novel: the pages were various sizes, as if formed of notes. Avalon had seen something like that before, and wondered aloud, "Are you some kinda scholar?" The horned man briefly entertained himself with the idea that this girl was researching this rowdy hole in the wall...

 

[Lady B]

Coffret chuckled lightly over Avalon's assumption. "Ha ha, no, not exactly... Well, somewhat, but I've never had any formal practice or education." She ran her finger across the open page, containing information about the Regorgia. "This was a gift from my late mother..." Embarrassed, feeling like she had said too much, Coffret decided to change the subject. "So, Avalon, was it? If you're someone I haven't heard of yet, then that must mean you're planning on becoming famous sooner or later. Tell me, what kind of person have I been privileged enough to have encountered today?" She said in a bit of a playful, inquisitive tone.

 

[Craftsdwarf]

Pretending he didn't hear the comment about Coffret's late mother, Avalon smiled lightly as taped his fist on his chest and began, "I'm a pirate! I'm free to do whatever I want, and with my eyes on the Grand Line, I wouldn't be surprised if I got some infamy here or there." Bitterly, he mentally remarked, I always end up in some kinda trouble... Feeling a little boastful, he continued, "Land, sea: hell, sky if I can walk up there! If it exists, I can get there, and if there's treasure, I just might." Grinning, he took chugged a gulp of his drink, wiping his lip before glancing at the book again, a bit curious as to what she was studying.

 

[Lady B]

"A pirate, eh?"

Coffret remarked in a kind of faked amazement. Being a pirate had always appealed to people of adventurous nature with bloated egos, but few of those who dreamed of entering the Grand Line ever made it there. Either they gave up, or died trying. Coffret didn't particularly have any problem with pirates, in fact, pirates have helped her on numerous occasions, but there was a sense of hubris hovering over most of them that she didn't care for. Herself, she wanted to enter the Grand Line desperately, but for entirely different reasons than gaining infamy.

Then, an idea struck her. She held the book up towards Avalon, displaying the open page to him. All the text was written in an intricate, italic font, barely eligible to anyone who wasn't used to that kind of handwriting. The ink was faded, making it even harder to read. But, at the bottom of the page, there was a tracing of a flower with hundreds of thin petals, each drawn individually.

"This is the Regorgia." Said Coffret, pointing to the drawing of the flower. "It is a treasure said to possess potent healing properties, and I'm very interested in obtaining it. However, it only blooms in a certain location once a year, and only one flower is produced at a time, so it is very rare, and the price it fetches on the market is of the kind that only the World Nobles can afford it... Now, I've pinpointed the location to an underground cave system right here on this island, and the time for it to bloom is tonight during the full moon, but, alas, the whereabouts of the entrance to the caves has eluded me. No one on the island dares tell me where it is, because apparently the local Marines have prohibited them from doing so. Moreover, the Marines are guarding the entrance, so even if I were to find it, my chances of making it inside are slim. On my own, that is..." She looked up at Avalon with a glint in her eye. "See what I'm getting at? If you helped me find and retrieve this flower, which is a very important treasure to me, I'd be indebted to you. Anything you ask of me, I'd agree to. I may not look like it, but I am, what do you call it... A woman of a certain stature, and while I cannot afford this flower, I'd be more than happy to pay for a new ship for you. Or supplies, weapons, anything of the sort that might aid an up-and-coming pirate such as yourself in his rise to the top. So, what do you say?" She looked with anticipation at Avalon.

 

[Craftsdwarf]

Avalon backed up slightly when the book was shoved into his face. He blinked at the image of the flower before Coffret burst into a long explanation, the word 'Regorgia' sparking recognition. Avalon's mind ran back to that ugly fish as Coffret continued, stealing his attention back with the mention of being willing to pay for something to help him along. Heart filling with excitement, he burst out, "Of course!"

Glancing around as a few eyes turned there way, the horned pirate leaned back in his seat, clearing his throat as he began, "A job like that shouldn't be a problem, I mean. Believe it or not, some scummy types wanted to hire me as muscle, so I'm guessing they're planning something like that too. Best part is..." Leaning in, he whispered, "He let slip that there's an entrance to the tunnel on a rocky piece of coastline, but a boulder was placed there to hide it. There was also a walkway there built out of driftwood, so I'll bet we can find it no problem. You're going to need to take the flower yourself though, so bring something to dig it up, or whatever. I'm no good with delicate stuff like that." Crossing his arms, he waited for an answer, looking over Coffret again. He'd have never guess in a million years that this unassuming girl was thinking of such a major heist...

 

[Lady B]

"Excellent!" Coffret clasped her hands and smiled. She truly lit up, exuding an aura of pure glee. "Oh, I'm so happy I could kiss you!" Her expression turned into one of embarrassment for a short moment as she realized her wording might have been slightly inappropriate. "But I shan't... Unless, of course, it is what you would like as payment for helping me, in which case I would oblige." Her cheeks flushed, since she only seemed to make things worse. "Anyway! Of course, I'll take care of the handling of the flower myself. I'm sure you understand that I wouldn't trust anyone else with such an important task, in case they'd run away with it."

Coffret shut the book and put it back into her backpack, then turning to Avalon with a slightly more serious face. "So, for our game plan... As soon as the sun sets, you'll take me to the coast side cliffs. Then you'll help me get inside the caves, find the flower, and get safely back out before sunrise. Sounds good to you? Oh, and we should discuss payment beforehand. I have other places to visit, so I can't stick around much longer. Have you thought of anything you'd like, yet?"

 

[Craftsdwarf]

Avalon could only blink vacantly at Coffret's initial reaction, not minding the return to the main subject in the least. After going over the plan, Avalon repeated, "Payment? Hmm..." Mulling it over for a few seconds, he finally said, "Well, let's wait on that. I really don't have an idea yet." Standing up, he recalled those criminals again, before stating, "We might want to put it off till later though: that flower is super valuable, right? We're gonna want to leave as soon as we can then." Nabbing his bottle, he added, "I'm going to find the place, the move my ship over so we have an escape route. We could go to another island afterwards if you have a suggestion, but I'm no good at navigating. It's kind of a miracle I made it here..."

 

[Lady B]

While Coffret would've appreciated it if Avalon had thought of something already, she had to oblige. He was vital to the operation, after all, and she didn't want to rush him.

"Very well, then. You do that, I have some things I need to gather in town. Let's meet up here, outside this bar, at dusk." She propped the backpack up on her shoulder, getting ready to leave. "I could probably take us to the next island over, but you should seriously consider hiring a professional navigator. See you later, then." With that last remark, Coffret made her way out of the bar, and back onto the main streets of the city.

 

[Craftsdwarf]

"Will do," Avalon nodded, the pirate watching as Coffret took her leave. Staring at the door blankly, he couldn't help but wonder, What did I just get in to?

Finishing the whole of his drink, Avalon steeled himself before moving forwards, jobs to be done. He wasted no time as he moved through the town, his determined walk allowing him to ignore the occasional gazes he got from the regular city folk. It took him some time, but he made his way out of the city limits and down some of the hiking trails. Upon reaching the coastline, the short cliffs elevated above the ocean, tree roots holding the dirt and stone in place, he made his way along towards the high cliffs, in hopes of finding something. In not even a half an hour he came across a more open area in between two of the cliffs, a bit closer to the city than he'd thought, as he could see a few buildings below in the distance. What really caught his eye, however, was the rickety pathway formed of gray, uneven pieces of wood jutting out of the side of the cliff. Looking beyond, he could see a small landing in the shadow of the island.

Looking over the pathway, Avalon swallowed, knowing he'd have to make this trek sooner or later. Figuring he'd give it a shot, he took a breath, before taking a step out onto the first piece of wood. It groaned from his weight, but didn't budge too much. Taking another few steps, he couldn't help but glance down at the sea below: it wasn't a far drop, but that wasn't what worried Avalon. Turning his gaze forwards, he made his move again, stepping quickly, glad the that path was surprisingly well built. In his focus, he also spotted planks that were a bit less sturdy looking, taking larger steps over them.

At the end of the path, he hopped onto the sturdy landing at the end, taking a breath and wiping his forehead now that he was back on solid ground. Seeing movement, he looked over to see and bald old man in a coat watching him, a fishing pole in hand. A bit awkwardly, Avalon muttered, "Uh. Exploring..." Blinking, the man said nothing, turning his head back to the ocean. Trying not to be obvious, Avalon glanced around again, spotting a conspicuous boulder against the rock wall not too far away. Grinning, he paced the area a bit, not seeing anything else out of place, before heading back over the path of planks, his steps lighter than before. As thoughts of the planned heist, the sizable reward, and Coffret flashed through his mind, his determination only grew, his pace quickening as he seemed to fly over the rest of the path, hitting the trail, and making his way back into the city hastily, returning to the port.

The horned pirate wasn't even winded when he reached the docks, locating his ship easily and hopping aboard the small vessel. It only had one cabin and a small deck, the plain and slightly ragged sail not even decorated. Heading inside, he saw the lazy setup of a single hammock, a wooden chair, and a chest. Reaching the container, he gave it a look and saw that what little goods he had were untouched. Double checking, he slid the chest aside and pulled up a plank. Reaching in, he pulled up a sack, testing it to find that the small amount of wealth and cloth flag were still there. Relieved, he replaced everything before heading back outside, ready to set sail.

Unfurling the sail on the lone mast, he used the helm attached to steer, ungracefully moving the boat out of port. The wind didn't favor him, but he still had little trouble reaching a spot underneath a cliff a short ways away from the wooden walkway. Praying the ship would be out of sight in the shadows, he rigged it to a stone poking out of the sea before looking up at the landmark he was going to use: a particularly large tree, half of its roots suspended in the air. Said landmark proved to be helpful as he used it to climb his way back up. Back on land once again, returning to the bar by evening was all that remained.

 

[Lady B]

Making sure she had everything she needed had taken longer than Coffret expected, so when she arrived at the rendezvous point, it was already pretty dark. People were stumbling about, too drunk to pay attention to her on the dimly lit street. Still, Avalon was nowhere to be seen. She was a bit worried that she had been stood up, but all she could do was anxiously await his arrival. Fiddling with the leather strap of her backpack, she took a deep breath. It was only then that she realized how nervous she was; and how fast her heart was beating.

 

[Craftsdwarf]

"Ready to go?" Came a voice from behind Coffret. Avalon gave a grin as the pair made eye contact, nodding, "I don't know when that flower will be ready, so let's get there as soon as possible." Looking around, he noted, "Guess I was a little late, but I wanted to eat, so..."

Clearing his throat, he led the way, the town easier to navigate in the dark with the streets less busy in the low light. Their trail led them to the outskirts, and a short trip down a dirt path led them right to the area in between the two cliffs with the wooden walkway. As he made his way across, Avalon warned, "Some of them are a little shaky, so be careful..." The pirate made to charge across, but instead took a step back, suggesting, "Ladies first."

 

[Lady B]

Coffret jerked slightly as Avalon suddenly appeared behind her. "Oh, you startled me!" She smiled at his explanation as to why he was late. "I don't mind, let's just go."

She followed Avalon as he led her all the way to the outskirts of town, and down a small, winding dirt path. "I see, so this is where the entrance was..." Coffret curtsied as Avalon offered her to cross the rickety bridge before him. "Oh my, who knew a pirate could be such a gentleman?" She turned to face the walkway and took a deep breath to calm down, but she could still feel her heart in her mouth.

Slowly, she began to make her way across. One small step at a time, making sure they stopped breaking before putting her full weight down on any of the planks. The further she came to the other side, the more confident she grew, and picked up the pace. But, with confidence comes foolishness. She stepped on a plank, not testing it to see if it could hold her weight. Suddenly, it gave in underneath her, and she was about to tumble down to the rocks below with it. "Ah!" She let out a small shriek as she realized her mistake. But, she wouldn't let it be the end of her. Stretching her arm out towards the other side, a vine suddenly sprouted from the cliff. Quickly and silently, the vine went across the walkway, picking the plank up before it could fall, supporting the bridge from underneath. Coffret sighed audibly once the danger was over, turning around to face Avalon, who was now further away than the side with the entrance to the caves. "I'm fine!" She shouted while waving her arms, then continuing across the walkway.

Finally on firm ground again, Coffret analyzed her surroundings. Right in front of her was a large boulder, conspicuously leaning against the cliff wall. She wanted to remove it immediately and dash in, but decided against it. She had to wait for Avalon first.

 

[Craftsdwarf]

Avalon watched carefully as Coffret made her way across, hanging back so that he could take the trip in one fell swoop. The pirate nearly had a heart attack when one of the planks broke, making Coffret cry out. He'd made to move, but the girl had saved herself somehow: Avalon didn't have the best view in the darkness. Sighing in relief, he waited until she said she was clear, rushing forwards once she called out. The pirate hopped across the wooden planks, the ocean below barely visible in the low light. Planks creaked in protest, but Avalon wasn't on them long enough for them to break, and when he began to use one hand to push himself along from the wall, the weight was eased even more.

Reaching the end, Avalon hopped onto solid ground again, taking yet another sigh of relief, admitting, "Whew: I don't know about you, but I don't do swimming..." Turning towards the boulder (the vine on the ground escaping his notice in the dark), Avalon cracked his knuckles, stepping to the side and leaning down, shoving his whole weight against the stone. It came free easier than he'd figured it would, gravel shifting as it was moved aside, revealing an entry way, lit by a small amount of glowing moss on parts of the ceiling. Moving to head in, Avalon realized that the boulder had actually been pushed up a small incline, and would likely roll back over the entrance if he let go. Jerking his head, he suggested, "Alright; get in and I'll follow you!"

 

[Lady B]

"Impressive!" Coffret applauded Avalon's quick skip across the walkway.

As Avalon pushed aside the boulder, revealing the entryway, Coffret went inside. She thanked him for letting her in first, and had a look around. "Luminous moss... A rarity, in and by itself. She knelt, putting putting her backpack down on the damp, rocky surface of the cave floor. She pulled out two things; a small oil lamp, and a glass jar. She took the lid of the jar off, and scraped some of the moss into the container with it. Securing the lid tightly, she put the jar back into her backpack, and stood up. Lighting the lamp up, she turned to face Avalon. "Luminous moss can be handy, but it's not exactly a reliable light source. At least not for now... Anyway, are you ready?"

 

[Craftsdwarf]

Once Coffret had moved into the cave, Avalon gently took a step back, letting the boulder fall back into place over the entrance. The horned pirate nodded in satisfaction, knowing they'd be able to get out no problem either way. Turning, he saw that Coffret brought a better light source and had contained some of the moss, sharing it's name with Avalon. The pirate admitted, "I've never seen anything like that where I came from. Regular moss sure... Anyway, we should get moving!"

The pair made their way through the twisted, slightly lit tunnel, which tightened in some spots and widened in others. It was several minutes before it began to open up more, spilling into a much larger chamber. There were a few other gaps intermingled between stone spires. Some from above trickled water, which seeped into some parts of dirt in between the stone. Others seemed empty, glowing from a bit of moss or showing nothing in the darkness. One tunnel seemed to give off a slightly brighter, less natural light, but Avalon didn't mind it, suggesting, "That flower's gotta be here, right?"

 

[Lady B]

Coffret was silent. With a serious look on her face, she examined the chamber they had entered. Walking up to one of the trickles of water, she wet her hand with it, feeling the temperature, and even smelled it. She looked up at the ceiling, seemingly fixated at a point right above her.

It took a while before she spoke again, exclaiming "Yes... Yes! This is it!". Suddenly, she seemingly fell to the floor. Feverishly, on all fours, she scanned the cold rock surface "I found it! Come here!" She waved for Avalon to come look. Sprouting from a small patch of dirt, directly under a tiny hole from which a sliver of moonlight seeped, was a small bud. It was almost unnoticeable, but it was important nonetheless. "Look, it's happening!" Coffret couldn't contain the excitement in her voice. Slowly, but surely, the bud was growing. It stuck out more and more from underneath the soil. Ever so slightly, it opened up, revealing a flush of purple. Coffret was scrambling with her backpack, trying to pull out all the necessities, when suddenly, there was a noise.

"Do... Do you hear that? Doesn't it sound kind of like... Footsteps?"