A/N: I know, I know. Sorry. My Beta isn't getting back to me on the Spirit's Lament. Here you go. To those of you who are new, welcome! This is the sequel to my other story, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Lake, a PokemonxWarriors crossover. I highly recommend reading it before reading this. Even if you know nothing about Warriors, you should skim it, just to know how the six heroes got together and wound up here. You don't have to, of course, but it might take some time to adjust.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, save perhaps a couple. Nor do I own the worlds. Essentially, I own next to nothing, and I'm not profiting off what I do.

And now…

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Rings

Arc I

The Fellowship of the Ring

Prologue

The World has Shifted

The world was changed.

I could feel it in the Water.

I could feel it in the Earth.

I could smell it in the Air.

Much that once was, was lost. For none now live who remember it.

But now the world is Shifted once more. That which would have been, may no longer be. That which cannot be, will be.

And the world will be cast to the Nightmares.

But even in the darkest of times, there is always hope.

Yet sometimes fear clouds our vision. Sometimes our strength gives out.

It is at times like these that a Hero is called for.

Now we have one. Better; we have five.

The Destroyer of Stars, and the Soul of the Worlds have come to our aid.

Yet can even they meet this void?

Can they stand tall against the power of the Nightmare Lord?

Who can say; who can say.

Grovyle POV

I knew next to nothing about Tannhauser wormholes, but I could tell something was wrong. The electric vortex seemed to be fracturing around us, the violet walls disintegrating, purple bolts dissipating into nothingness.

"What's going on?" I heard Celebi scream.

"The Tannhauser's going through interference!" Star shouted back. "If we're lucky, it's just natural turbulence!"

As though his words were a cue, the Tannhauser tore apart. A rip opened in the side, and we were all sucked out of the safety of the wormhole into the black abyss.

3rd Person Interlude

Arceus looked down onto the six wanderers as the wormhole was broken. "Are you certain… of the wisdom… of this plan, Giratina?"

"Wisdom?" whispered the Lord of the Dead, chuckling slightly in his sibilant, hissing voice. "Far from it. This cannot truly be called wisdom. But the Nightmare cannot be allowed free reign. These six are the only champions to which we can trust his defeat. It is not wise, to send Dialga, Celbi, Starbane, and three mortals into the mazes of Yggdrasil, but we have no choice. Darkrai must be quelled."

"Yes… yes… and he will be…"

"Yes, my Lord."

Star POV

I swore. All of the others had fallen unconscious in the breach. I had not only because I was used to traveling through the Void unaided by a Tannhauser.

My bad temper didn't last long, of course. For at last I could, once again, hear the music of the stars.

Smiling, I suddenly felt a conscious mind near to me. I turned, expecting to see that one of my companions had awoken, but instead, I came face to face with my old guardian, Gardevoir. "Star." She murmured happily. "It's been a long time."

"Gardevoir!" I cried, and embraced her. "It's been too long. Have you rejoined Giratina as a Servant of Spirit?"

"Yes!" she said. "He accepted my request! But listen. Another world has hooked you. Soon you'll start moving. You must do your duty there, Star. All of you. It's destined."

"My duty is unending," I said, smirking. "I serve you always, my Lady."

"Oh, shut up!" she said jokingly, "You silly old fool!" She quickly kissed me then. "Listen. This world you're going to, it's called Middle Earth. It's under threat of destruction by the Dark Lord Sauron. That's how it should be. Unfortunately, Darkrai just got there, and joined that Dark Lord. Your job is to unite with the heroes of Middle Earth and counteract Darkrai. Can you do that?"

"For you, Gardevoir, I can do much, much more than that," I said, smiling at her.

She smiled back and kissed me again. "Then go. Tell none of the others about this. The fewer of you that know, the less likely it is Darkrai will find out that you know about him. Oh, I just remembered!" she added. "Rayquaza said to wish you well. He also wanted me to remind you that you owe him a battle and a flight together through the Stratosphere."

I grinned "Tell him I haven't forgotten," I said. "And ask him why he nevr comes calling. I never see him around anymore! You neither."

She looked down. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Giratina's had me going everywhere. But we will talk later. I promise."

"So do I," I said, hugging her tightly.

She hugged me back, and said softly, into my ear. "Good luck, and with that, I expect to see you again when all this is over."

"As you wish." I whispered back as she vanished in my arms.

3rd Person Interlude

Rivendell. The Elven city. Always in the shadow of the goblin-infested Misty Mountains.

Elrond was standing in the central courtyard of the Last Homely House West of the Mountains when it happened. The event that would change history.

An orb of golden light appeared before the Elf-Lord. It grew until it was the size of a small child. Then it split into six. The six orbs all grew to different sizes, and then dissipated. Their cargo, six beings, all but one unconscious, fell to the earth.

The Heroes Galadriel had prophesied had come.

A/N: First, explanations. How could they breathe in space, you ask? Simple: they weren't in outer space. They were in the extraplanar reality. The 4th through 6th dimensions, istead of the 1st through 3rd, like normal. The Music Between the Stars is the staff roll song from PMD1. And the times Star vanished in the games is when he got experience in Tannhauser-free travel. Thanks. Read and Review!