Dwarves scattered all about the city streets, bracing items, barring
doors and windows, and generally preparing for the worst.  Edge and Timon
got to their feet and began to stagger downstairs to the ground floor.  A
Dwarf bumped into Edge and said, "Don't be goin' down there, it's the
epicenter of the quake!  You'll be killed!"
	Timon slumped beside a house and shouted, "What's an epicenter?" to
Edge.  Edge shouted in return, "It's where the most shakin' is going on!  It
is also the source of the quake!"
	The cavern floor ripped itself open, pouring lava and ash into the
city.  Luckily, noone lived on the bottom floor.  However, the lava was
rising... and fast.
	The Dwarves suddenly stopped running all about to look at the newer
and more threatening problem.  "The lava has broke!  It's only a matter of
time now before we're all swallowed whole!" one of them shouted.
	As quickly as it had began, it was over...
	The lava rose several feet, but did not break the surface of the
second floor of the city.  The quake had stopped... all seemed quiet.  The
Dwarves raised a cheer, thankful that their city had not been destroyed.
Edge and Timon joined in the cheer; they were thankful THEY had not been
destroyed.
	"That wasn't so bad, now was it?"  Edge said happily.
	From the centre of the laval bed, a large pillar of lava rose and
grew until it reached the top floor of the city.  It then shifted, took
shape.  It appeared to grow arms, a head, a face... wings.  Suddenly, the
huge mass dropped back into the lava pool, leaving a hideous demon in its
wake, leering at the Dwarves.
	The demon appeared to be insectoid in nature.  Upon its back, it
sported four slender wings.  Its massive arms resembled pincers.  Its ugly,
bulbous head bore fangs and large, rounded eyes that seemed to burn from
within.  The whole of the creature was made of liquid lava; its body shed an
immense amount of heat.
	"I am PyroMantis!" the demon chortled, droplets of lava spittle
falling from its jaws.  "I sense the Mana Sword is present!  Surrender it to
me, and your city will be spared!"
	Timon looked to Edge, who looked to Timon.  "W-What should I do,
Edge?  I can't just GIVE him the Sword, can I?"
	Edge put a hand on Timon's shoulder.  "This is a choice I can't help
you with, Timon... It's up to you what to do.  Remember, though, you NEED
that sword to finish your quest."
	Timon lowered his head to his shoes in thought.
	"I have little patience for delay..." PyroMantis continued.
	Timon nodded to himself, then stepped forward to face the creature.
	"I am Timon..." he began, but his voice cracked.
	PyroMantis bowed his head to glare at the young Knight.  "And what
have we HERE?  A little boy?  How... sweet."  PyroMantis chortled evilly.  "
Tell me, little boy... do you have something for me?"
	"I am Timon," he tried again, "and I have been chosen to guard the
Mana Sword.  If you want it, you will have to face me to get it!"  Timon
drew the Mana Sword and held it menacingly at PyroMantis' throat.
	"Oh HO!  Do I detect a certain flippancy in you, little boy?  I am
in no mood for childish games..." PyroMantis reached out for the Mana Sword,
but Timon leapt backward out of its reach.
	"I assure you, Bug-Eyes, I'm not kidding around.  I know how to use
this, and I will, if you make me."  Timon frowned and put on his best hero
face.
	"Very well then, upstart.  A shame I will have to end your life when
it has yet to begin!"  PyroMantis rose to his full height and stepped onto
the top floor of the city.  PyroMantis was at least six times as tall as
Timon, and most likely more menacing than he.  Timon turned to Edge.
	"Ready?"  He asked in a quivering voice.
	Edge drew his Spear, and grinned.  "Ready."
	Timon began to concentrate on the Mana Sword, building its power to
strike.  Edge immediately lunged at the creature, thrusting out with his
Spear.  The PyroMantis leapt backward out of harm's way.  PyroMantis then
rushed at Edge, pincers flailing.
	Edge anticipated the attack, and used his Spear as a pole vault to
leap out of the PyroMantis' way.  The PyroMantis ran by, only to have Timon
unleash his power on the PyroMantis.  Twirling the Sword for momentum, Timon
lunged at the creature.  The Sword connected, tearing a gash in the
creature's side.  Lava flowed freely from the wound, spattering the floor.
	Hissing, PyroMantis thrust both his pincers at Timon.  Timon was too
slow to dodge; the creature's pincers bit into both of Timon's shoulders.
Timon cried out in pain.
	Edge lunged at the creature from behind, planting the tip of his
Spear directly between the space where two of the creature's wings met.  The
creature withdrew its pincers and turned to face his new adversary.
	The PyroMantis rubbed its forelegs together.  Pillars of flame rose
from the ground and encircled Edge, engulfing him.  Edge felt his skin
catching afire, and dropped to the ground, trying to smother the flames.
	Timon came from behind the creature to slash at its leg.  He
connected at the spot behind its knee.  Sinking the Sword to the hilt, the
creature's leg gave out from under it, and it collapsed, sqealing in anger.
	Timon took the opportunity to swing again, and he connected a
glancing blow across the creature's armoured chest.  PyroMantis lashed out
with its pincers again, stabbing Timon through the foot and the side.  It
then lifted Timon above its head and hurled him across the chamber and over
the edge of the floor... into the lava pit below.
	Edge cried out, "NO!"
	Edge weaved his fingers and chanted, "FLOOD!"
	The necklace thrummed of its own accord and added a new power, the
power of ice.  "FREEZE!"  Edge heard himself shout.
	The flood waters spilled in from one of the cavern walls, spewing
forth and over the lip of the floor.
	Globules of coldness slammed into Edge's flood, turning the waves
into solid ice.
	Timon hit the frozen water and slid back onto the floor.  The
weakened ice ramp shattered and melted.
	PyroMantis chanted aloud, "CURE FIRE!"
	A droplet of lava seemingly fell from nowhere and covered the form
of the fiery creature.  When the lava dissipated, the PyroMantis stood at
full strength.  It hissed in triumph.
	"You cannot hope to defeat me..."
	Edge's Talisman thrummed.
	<You need a weapon that can counter the fire beast's element.  Use
my power to grant this...>
	Edge weaved his fingers, drawing strength from the Talisman, and
chanted, "ICE SABRE!"
	Motes of coldness surrounded Edge and Timon.  When they vanished,
their weapons appeared to be coated with a thick layer of ice.
	"W-Wha?!"  Edge stared at his weapon, dumbfounded.
	PyroMantis rubbed his forearms together, and pointed at Edge.
	"Nuh-uh, not again, you don't!"  Timon leapt at the demon with a
huge overhead slam.  The icy Sword tore a nasty gash down the creature's
chest.  Steam rose from the wound, and crystals of ice could be seen around
its edges.
	PyroMantis looked at its wound, taken quite aback.  "HOW?!"
	Timon grinned.  "How?  Simple.  I'm a hero; heroes always win."
	Edge laughed.  "That's my boy!"
	Timon slashed again and again at PyroMancer, each wound causing more
and more of the creature to become solid ice.  PyroMancer attempted to call
the Cure Fire.  Most of the ice melted, but the wounds remained.
	"Impossible!"  PyroMantis wailed.
	Edge grinned evilly.  "And now... the finishing blow..."  Edge
twirled the Spear about in his hand, and brought the point to bear on the
creature.  With all his might, he sent the Spear hurtling toward the
PyroMantis with incredible speed... and accuracy.  The Spear impaled itself
through the creature's chest with a sickening thud.  Its tip could be seen
protruding from the creature's back.  With a hiss, PyroMantis collapsed to
the ground, and disintegrated.  Not a sound could be heard, save for the
Spear which clanged to the ground.
	Timon leapt into the air, spun full circle, and landed.  Raising a
triumphant fist to the sky, he yelled, "YEAH!  We did it!"
	Edge withdrew a pair of sunglasses from behind his Kung Fu suit and
placed them on his face.  Blowing a two-handed kiss to the sky, he then
crossed his arms in triumph.  A smug smile could barely be seen from beneath
his mask.
	"Way to go!" a girl's voice said.
	Timon and Edge walked over to the girl that they had seen earlier at
the show.  Standing beside her was a Dwarf wearing a sash made of golden
silk.
	"Yes, congratulations to you both!  We owe you a great debt of
thanks!"  The Dwarf said.
	"Hey, it was no biggie,"  Edge said.
	"Yeah, all in a day's work for REAL heroes."  Timon slapped Edge a
high-five.
	The girl rolled her eyes.  "Anyhow, I just came out here to... to..."
	The Dwarf glared up at her.  "Go on..."
	The girl sighed.  "I wanted to apologize for trying to rip you off.
The real story is, I'm a princess from the Kingdom of Pandora.  My father
sent my boyfriend into the Evil Forest because he didn't want me to be
around him.  I got mad and ran away."
	"Boyfriend?"  Timon asked sadly.
	"There, there,"  Edge patted Timon jokingly on the head.
	The girl nodded.  "Anyhow, I got lost.  Goblins managed to find me
and throw me in a stew pot.  Luckily, a Dwarf happened by and rescued me.  I
wanted to repay them somehow, and since I didn't want to go back and ask
Daddy for some money, I came down here and tried to raise some."
	"Well, hey,"  Timon said, "We just repaid your debt for you.  We
saved the town from a big nasty!  Right, Edge?"
	Edge shrugged.  "Sure, kid, you're the HERO..."
	The girl smiled.  "Thank you.  My name is Kymber."
	Timon said, "I'm Timon, and this is my friend, King Edge."
	Kymber looked Edge up and down.  "Royalty, huh?"
	Edge nodded.  "I don't let it go to my head, though," he said,
smiling.  "I'm not from this world, so I'm as much a king as Timon is right
now."
	"I see." Kymber said.  "Say... would you two help me find my
boyfriend?  I bet if we all went together, we could do it!"
	Timon looked up at Edge.  "Hey, that'd be a great idea!  Once we
find your boyfriend, you could come with me 'n' Edge 'n' save the world!
Don'cha think?"
	Edge laughed.  "Hey, you're the boss.  Just make sure you keep your
hands to yourself."  Edge winked to Timon.
	Timon winked back.  "Practice what you preach, dirty old man."
	Edge flushed, then everyone laughed.
	"This calls for a celebration, of course!"  The Dwarf said.  "I'll
make arrangements immediately!  After all, that's my job...!  I AM the
mayor, after all!"  The mayor ran into his office.
	"Can you fight?"  Timon asked Kymber.
	"Yeah, I can fight.  My Dad gave me these before I left and made me
train in them.  Told me that I might need them someday."  Kymber removed a
set of brass knuckles from her hands and gave them to Timon.  Timon's Sword
glowed as he tried them on.
	"HEY!" he said excitedly, "These are Mana Weapons!"
	"No kiddin'?"  Edge looked at the brass knuckles.
	Kymber shrugged.  "I don't know... they just let me do kung-fu
fighting."
	"WOW!"  Edge said.  "Trade ya those for this Spear!"
	Kymber shrugged.  "Hey, sure, whatever.  Friends can share, right?"
	Edge recovered the Spear from the ground and gave it to Kymber.
Timon tossed the Knuckles to Edge, who put them on.  Edge did a few kung-fu
manoeuvres to test them.  "Heh, these are neat.  They actually magnify what
I already know about martial arts!  Mana is really neat stuff!"
	Watts suddenly ran up to the group, and said, "Hey, young one, I'm
having problems with that Axe... think you can come and take a look at it?"
	"Sure..." Timon said.
	With that, the three companions made their way to Watt's smithy.