"I wouldn't hold back just because they're guardians. Fight until they are down, but don't kill them. I have dealt with them enough to know they will not hold back against anyone," Deniigi said, watching as cracks formed in the wall leading to the puzzle, "Looks like Midnight is making good progress in there. She's doing pretty well for someone with the equivalent of a hatchling's mind."

"She was lucky enough to retain some of her knowledge after being reconnected with nature. There's still a lot of things she''ll have to relearn  for multiple reasons, but she's not a completely blank slate," Ahnah said, looking over to her uncle, "She's got plenty of time to learn though."

Goldenscale gave a nod of agreement to what Deniigi had said, then smiled as she saw the progress that Midnight had made with her puzzle.  She was doing well, like Ahnah had pointed out.  But as she watched the cracks begain to form more and more, she began to get fidgety and nervous.  She had never had to solve a puzzle before that could be a life or death situation.  She was the youngest creature there by quite a bit and she knew she didn't know as much as the others.  He knew things they didn't know sure, but she was still very unexperienced, and it made her uncomfortable.  What if she failed and she unleashed the yeti upon them and she couldn't help.  She noted the door that had closed behind Midnight and wondered if the door would open if she failed.  Just the thought made her tense and she took a sharp intake of breath.  She let it out and relaxed to try and keep the others from worrying.  They had enough to worry about, and she didn't need to add her claustrophobia to it.  

"There's no need to worry Goldenscale. No matter what happens, I promise you that we'll make it out of here safe and sound," Ahnah said, feeling Goldenscale tense up, "Nothing says we have to fight the yetis should a puzzle be failed. It may be easier to just dodge around them should we come up against one."

Once Ahnah had finished talking, the wall let out a loud snap, the cracks crossing the wall before causing the wall to crumble. Standing in the center of the opened area, Midnight stood holding a small red stone and covered in a thick layer of frost.

Goldenscale gave a nod, both to agree with Ahnah and in relief that none of them understand her true reason for tensing up.  She didn't want to or was afraid to fail, but she didn't want anyone getting hurt because of her.  Her head snapped towards the wall and quickly saw how much frost was covering her.  Thinking quickly, she untied the blanjet around her and warmed it before going over and brushing the frost off with her tail and wings so she could keep the blanket warm.  Once she finished quickly, she draped the blanket on her.  "You did good, Midnight." she said.  Now she felt chilled, but she didn't let it show.  Midnight needed it more than her.  "You want me to hold onto that Midnight so you can warm up?" she offered.

Shaking her head, Midnight held the stone close to her chest as she shivered. After warming up for a moment, she looked back up with a look of relief. "I'm... I'm alive. the voices said, I would die so you all could live," she nearly creid.

"That beings up a good thing to know here. No matter what happens in the puzzles, they will never kill you. The only things that will  bring you fatal harm is the yetis and the passage we took in, " Deniigi said, taking out some of the larger stones he had heated earlier and handing them to Midnight, "No matter how dangerouse that puzzle seems, they will never cause you physical harm. The only physical threat you have in there is the unrelenting cold."

"Seeing as Midnight is a bit shaken by her experience, I'll take on the next puzzle. Deniigi should be able to keep the both of you warm for the time being," Ahnah said, taking her blanket and draping it over Goldenscale, "With any luck, I'll be able to complete this puzzle in a timely manner."

Goldenscale gave Midnight a worried look, then hugged her, though she would probably only make her colder.  "Well, they're mean for saying that.  You had the will to live, and thus you are.  As long as you tyhink you'll live, you will." she said.  She then turned to Deniigi as he spoke.  She stepped away and sat, so that she could let Midnight warm up, then began to think.  Though she was strong mentally, she wondered if the spirits would be capable of breaking her sanity long enough for her to freeze.  With the though, she tucked her arms in and wrapped her wings around her, puffing her feathers up to keep in the warmth like a bird.  She was scared , though she just looked toasty and content from what everyone else was seeing.  She had learned long ago how to put on a false face so no one would see her thoughgs, and she masked them then.  Now she would just wait for Ahnah to finish, worrying though she did not have to.

Stepping through the next door way, the door slammed shut behind Ahnah as it had done with Midnight.

"You are alive, and there's nothing this place can do to change that without a fight. Just try to calm down, things will be OK so long as we're here," Deniigi said, wrapping his wings around Midnight like he would for a hatchling, "Like Goldenscale said, your will to live will always win against those that wish for your death. You are the champion of shadow, Shadowbinder  will protect you from spiritual assailents just like spirit of the moon protects Goldenscale."

As she slowly calmed down, Midnight leaned into Deniigi.  "I just don't want to be alone again. I was alone all my life until Goldenscale saved me. All I've ever ben told is that I will be alone in death ," she said once she had calmed down enough, "I Don't know if that's true or not, but I don't wish to ever find out."

Goldenscale smiled, though her eyes turned dark with the memories of her own lonliness.  "Lonliness is a terrible thing.  No one should have to feel it.  Not Ahnah, not you Midnight, no one.  At least you here and no longer alone." she said, turning her head and smiling at Midnight, her eyes back to their normal cheerfulness.  "No one is alone when they die for others will remember them, and in turn they will remember others." she said with a nod.

"You're only alone in death if you wish it to be. Unless you've achieved everything your spirit was meant to, you will likely spend a year or two wondering as a spirit before taking on a new life. In that time, those closest to you will be able to contact you, and you them," Deniigi said, looking over to see the first cracks forming in the wall, "So long as there's someone you love, you will never die alone."

"With friends like this, you will never die alone. No matter what happens, they will never forget you. As the champion of shadow, you will also have Shadowbinder to remember you," Kaden said, "Each of the elemental spirits hold their champions as close as they would family."

Goldenscale had lost track of the conversation by then and had her eyes closed, dozing off.  She fluffed her feathers again as she opened her eyes, quickly realizing she shoukdn't be sleeping.  The cold was settling on her and was making her very sleepy.  Normally she would be hibernating in this weather like the other animals, but she had to keep herself awake.  She gave a loud snort, watching her breath condense into fog, then tried to entertain her.  She did hear what Kaden said, so she turned to him, completely missing what Deniigi had said, though cshe guessed they were still talking about never being forgotten.  "See?  There are a lot of people who care about you and would never forget you." she said with a smile.  She then turned away to look at the wall as she sae the cracks appearing on it.

Looking back to Goldenscale, Deniigi gave a nod. "I may not know your past, but  by the sounds of it, you're in much better company than before. Between Goldenscale and Ahnah, I think you made some of the best friends you could have run across, " he said, shifting over and offering a wing for Goldenscale to warm up under, "I can't think of any group better to be traveling with, especially for one such as yourself."

"I.. I don't know what to say. Until Ahnah and Goldenscale came along, all I ever knew was soul crushing obedience and lonliness. You can ask Goldenscale, when she found me, there was almost nothing left to save," Midnight said, shivering at the memory, "I can't thank you all enough though."

While Midnight spoke, the cracks along the wal slowly began to creep across as progress was made within.

Goldenscale was shivering just to try and keep herself from falling asleep again.  She then loooked over at Deniigi and smiled slightly, moving her frost covered wings and shaking them off before giving a large yawn and walking over to Deniigi.  She then fluffed her feathers again and tucked her head in.  She then gave a chuckle at what Midnight had said.  "Don't thank me.  If my family back home hadn't found me, I would be all alone too.  They were my salvation, and without them, I wouldn't have ever freed you.  I can't take credit." she said with a warm smile.  She watched the wall and smiled as more cracks began to appear.

"Still, it was you who freed me.Even if it was motivated or because of past events, it was your decision to do it," Midnight said, nuzzling into Goldenscale's side when she was within reach, "Should I ever meet your family, I will thank them for saving you, but I wil settle for thank you for the time being."

"While we're on the subject of family, what is your family like Goldenscale," Deniigi asked, puffing his fur our to shar his warmth, "They must be very proud of you. What stumps me, is that I sense that you are on this journey because of them. I can't say that with complete certainty since it's been a long time since I was the clan shaman, but there are some things I have managed to maintain."

Goldenscale gave a giggle when Midnight nuzzled her, squirming a little bit before purring.  She then turned to Deniigi as he spoke.  She then looked at the wall and smiled.  "Well, to be completely honest, I hatched without a family, so the oneI have now is my adoptive ones.  Besides, I have never seen another dragon that looks like me before.  Maybe it was just because I mainly got recessive genes.  But my adoptive family is very proud of me.  My father was the one that had found me, then he married my mother and adopted me.  They called me a miracle and I am glad to have them as a family.  My father died though from unknown causes, so now it's just my mother, her children and me." she explained.  She hoped that they wouldn't ask her about her being alone, because there were somethings there that even Ahnah didn't know and would freak about if she knew.  SHe didn't let her thoughts show though.

"I still sense there being more to your past, but I figure you'll share that if you want to. Anyways, I'm sorry to hear about your father. adoptive or blood, it is hard loosing someone that close," Deniigi said, holding two claws to his chest before continuing, "So, if you don't mind me asking, how did you and my niece meet? I'm kind of interested in knowing where she ended up all these years."

Letting out a yawn, Midnight leaned back into Deniigi with her eyes closed. While no longer at risk of freezing to death, the chill had drained her of most of her energy.

As the cracks began to connect acroos the wall, the origin points of each one began to widen. After a few moments, the wall gave a rumble before collapsing like the first had.  Standing frost covered, Ahnah gave a sigh of relief before falling to her side with exhaustion.