darkSpyro

"Er... No." Jay said "Trust doesn't come that easily."

"So how CAN I gain your trust?" Nega questioned.

Persephone pulled on Jay's shirt sleeve and whispered about the test that her pack followed to prove trust.

Jay nodded. "Good idea" Jay whispered to Persephone.

"Hmmm? What are you talking about?"

Persephone turned to Nega, folding her small, slim arms.
"We have a test around here. A test of truth. Pass that, and we will be able to trust you."

Xander's eyes widen.
"Persephone! That's beyond dangerous!"

Nega looked Xander straight in the eyes and said, "What's the test?"

"That's the point deary" Jay said to Xander. "I don't want another Jake running around near me"

Serge is grinning.
"Ragin will eat him. My what a smart sister I have." He laughs.

Persephone looks at Serge.
"Then you will be one of the scouts, won't you brother?" She puts simply.

Xander shakes his head.
"I'll be the scout, Serge can follow with me. Jay, you stay here. It's dangerous."

Nega stood pondered about this.

Jay groaned "As long as the duck goes away, I'll stay." She said, not too fond of the idea of staying.

"Goes away?? Why?"

Xander and Serge had already started walking.

"Let's go!" Barked Serge.

Persephone flapped her wings.
"They should be okay, Jay." She said.

"Hey wait, what're you all leaving for?"

Jay waved to the duck "Good bye birdy!" She said as she hopped into a tree and disappeared.

"Hey wait, what test? Come back!"

"Just follow us." Xander said to Nega.

Persephone flew up into the tree and sat on a branch next to Jay, swinging her legs back and forth.

Jay turned to Persephone with a small nod

Persephone smiled sympathetically.
"You're worried. About Xander. He's taken this test before. He knows how it works. The only thing to worry about is Ragin."

Nega picked up their track and followed fast

The three reached a steep mountain with not many easy footholds.

"We'll get you up a little ways, but you're on your own for the rest. This will test both your mind and strength. There will be a flag you must get in the Lost Caverns. Don't get lost." Serge growls as they begin the hard climb.

"What are you, some kind of mind reader" Jay sighed. "Alright. As long as the duck either gets hurt, or something else happens, I'll be happy. He reminds me too much of Jake"

Nega climbed the steep rocky mountain obediently to Xander and Jay.

The rocks only seemed to get steeper as they climbed. Somehow, Serge and Xander were able to keep such solemn faces and didn't seem to get as tired as Nega would be.

Persephone smiles, then cocks her head.
"Who's Jake?"

Nega had tons of patience to go by of course.

"Er.. Someone who tried to kill me, but he was a friend. He called Serge, Xander, and I, all not-normal. I've had trust issues ever since. I don't like him anymore, I haven't seen him a while also" Jay said

"Haven't seen who? Is he a traitor?" asked NegaDuck

They reached the maze of Lost Caverns.

"Good luck." Serge says. "You'll need it."

Persephone grins slyly.
"Shall he go through that test as well?"

"When do we start?" Nega asked. "Oh, and call me Drake Mallard."

"You start now. Try not to get lost." Serge says.

"No. It'd be pointless. There's no way for him to gain trust. We never know when he'll snap again." Jay said

Drake (NegaDuck) went towards the direction and went right.

Persephone looked at Jay.
"I'm sorry. Have you ever tried to hurt him? It seems he deserves it."

Xander heard footsteps, no paw steps, coming down the tunnel that Nega had gone down.
"Serge, it's Ragin. He's down there."

Serge looked at Xander.
"No, I thought he was dead!" He said worriedly.

Xander nods.
"This is bad."

A roar filled the chamber with Drake in it. Loud crashing paw steps followed.

Drake turned and got out his weapon.

"I might have, but I think Serge did the most damage" Jay said

Drake got out his chainsaw and revved it up at the beast.

Ragin roared and smashed the weapon. He snapped his jaws.

"Get out of the way!" Serge snarled as he leapt at Ragin in his hellhound form.

Persephone laughs.
"Serge is scary."

"Sometimes" Jay said with a laugh

Persephone cocks her head in thought.
"Serge can be shy though too. Plus, it may not seem like it, but Serge can be scared."

"I believe it" Jay said with a laugh

Persephone looked at the sky.
"He's a bit like you Jay."

"How is that?" Jay asks

OOC: Lol I was planning a reply for this situation

Persephone smiled.
"Because when he was younger, Serge worried about everything. 'The sun disappeared! Will it come back?!' 'The stars aren't shining! Is it an omen?!' Back then, Serge looked toward Xander like an older brother because Xander seemed to know everything. All the answers. One day when those two were training, Serge injured Xander really bad. Serge started crying because he thought Xander would die. Yes, Serge was crying. Serge worries about Xander just as much as you now, Jay."

"Wow" Jay said, slightly shocked

Persephone nods.
"Yeah. Does that surprise you? I never thought Serge could cry. He seems like such a tough brother."

"It does surprise me" Jay said with a laugh

Persephone looked at Jay.
"Those two didn't become friends until they were twelve. You want to know why? This will be surprising too. Serge used to bully Xander."

"But I thought Serge thought of Xander like a brother?" Jay said, a little confused.

Persephone nods.
"Serge had been Xander's bully from six years until ten. Xander got so upset he threatened to jump a ledge. Serge's group had laughed at him, and they were going to beat him up, but Serge took all the blows. He stepped in front of Xander and those kids beat him senseless. He was covered in wounds."

"Oh wow" Jay said, shocked that Serge would take the blow for someone.