The Desert is Cold in the Dark [Dark Data]

[Dr. McNinja]

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

Ogong groaned loudly as the trio trudged through the desert. He was holding a small plastic bag (the anachronism of plastic bags in prehistoric China lost to him). In it was ice that was no longer frozen. As the warm water crinkled inside the plastic, Ogong dragged his feet in the sand.

"You know," the monkey whined, "When I said you were strong... And that I'd follow you?"

Ogong wiped another torrent of sweat from his forehead with his palm. He rubbed that palm against his sweatpants.

"I thought we'd be going somewhere nice."

The soldier, Jim, was trudging along right next to him. Ogong thought he was suited before, but his gear was even more impressive... and quite large. Next to Jim, Ogong and whichever the one that was looked like sentient rags that were following along. Still, Sonny had an air of nobility around him. Sun Ogong had an air of humid stench.

"Aren't you hot?" Ogong mumbled to Jim, his lips chapped to the point of bleeding.

Ogong couldn't tell if Jim was looking at him under that skull-visor of his. As the man clunked along, he heard Jim respond.

"Nope. Air-conditioned."

"Air-con-what?"

"Air-conditio- What, have you never heard of it?"

The monkey didn't respond. At another time, he would have been glad to try and sync up timelines, but right now the sun seemed very intent on melting him down.

"And you're not hot, either?" Ogong mumbled to Sonny.

"I feel we might move faster with a vehicle," Sonny murmured, ignoring the whining monkey entirely and hoping to change the conversation.

Jim replied, "Not in these sands. Too loose."

"Seriously, Jim," Ogong sighed, "Air conditions or not, why are you still wearing that thing? You expecting to be attacked?"

"You never know, Ogong," Jim replied absentmindedly, "You never know."

Sighing wordlessly, Ogong stopped. He could barely focus his magic, but finally he summoned the character for "Cold". Casting the complex spell, he summoned another bag of ice. Each subsequent bag of ice looked a little more pitiful than the last. His first bag was a triumphant cluster of ice that kept the back of his neck cool. This one had three sorry-looking and already half-melted pebbles.

"Are we there yet?" the monkey sputtered again.

The monkey couldn't tell, but Raynor was glowering under his visor. Sonny squeezed 

"Listen, Ogong," the storm spirit snapped, "This is the hottest point of the day. It will only become cooler. Stop complaining."

"What do you mean it's the hottest point of the day?"

Jim pointed at the sky. "Look at it. It's high noon."

Inexplicably, a small ball of shrubbery bounced along past them. Ogong sighed in relief.

"Okay, alright, I'll shut up."

The trio continued to trudge in silence for another five minutes until Ogong broke the silence once more.

"Are we there yet?"

The other two loudly groaned in tandem.