Next chapter. Yay. Took me a while to think of how I was going to do this one. That, and I got banned from the computer for a while. Oh well, I'm back now. Now, for the answers to last chapter's review(s)!

Jugendfrei.: Dead, Waverunner? tsk tsk, then how would she be singing her song? lol and you'll see what happened to her in this chapter. And yes, the lullaby is Lugia's song. I got that one on my iPod too. x3

Now, onto the chapter!~


Stormbringer

Mandy's body forced itself over to where the Lugia's head lay on the sand, her song fading into the night like it had never existed. Harsh, shallow breathing replaced the song, alarming the teenager more than she had been before. She collapsed on her knees beside Waverunner's snout, reaching out with a trembling hand to touch the blood-stained feathers.

"Oh, god, Waverunner! Can you hear me? Can you answer?" Mandy asked her through her tears, hoping that she'd be able to discover exactly how her old savior had become so gravely injured.

She felt the slightest stir under her hand, and looked up in time to see Waverunner's deep blue, nearly black eye open, filled with pain and confusion. Mandy feared that the Pokemon wouldn't recognize her for a few seconds, but then she heard that voice in her mind, much older and more mature than when they had last met.

'You played my lullaby...the one I used before...'

Nodding, Mandy scooted closer to that open eye, running her hand gently through the blood-stained feathers, not caring that she was getting the red all over herself. "Of course...I couldn't forget it if I tried. Waverunner, what happened to you? How did this happen?"

Waverunner took a shuddering breath, then gave a jumbled noise of pain. Mandy flinched at the sound, feeling the hurt in her own heart at the Legendary's suffering. All she could do was stroke the head slowly, even though it wouldn't do any good. Leaning closer to her, the blonde teenager listened when Waverunner spoke, her voice weak.

'I heard the song...I thought it was another of my kind waiting for me...before I could leave, I was attacked...I decimated most of them, but their leader...he came and injured me more...' Waverunner's breathing became more ragged, like it pained her to take in air. Mandy guessed that whoever that leader was, he did some massive internal damage to her old friend.

"Who attacked you?" The girl knew that she should be patient, but when the life was clearly draining from the Lugia's body, she needed to get every detail that she could before it was too late.

'Pokemon hunters...but not the normal kind. They are after others like me...more Lugia...to control. He demanded that I hand...my most precious thing over...one I keep with me...I refused and fought to flee...all of them attacked, and tore my body...' The Lugia shifted her massive bulk, like she was trying to get more comfortable. Mandy leaned the side of her face next to the Pokemon's eye, watching her and crying quietly.

'I escaped, obviously.' A spark of humor appeared briefly in that eye. 'But I only made it this far...to the place where I had heard my lullaby...being played. Then the waves washed me up, me and my treasure...' Another pained breath was inhaled before she continued. 'The leader...he said something before I escaped...'

Mandy looked at Waverunner's eye. "What did he say?"

'That he would find me and my treasure, then go to the Isle of Eternal Song...and capture the other Lugia who call the island home, and use them to gain power over all Legendaries.'

Mandy's blue eyes widened in horror. "Wh-what? No, they can't do that!" Fingers clenched the white and red feathers beneath as the girl stiffined, anger appearing to mingle with the grief.

Waverunner moved her head enough so that she could see Mandy clearly, the one eye peering at the teen with the harshest judging look she'd ever recived. Not willing to wither under that look, Mandy looked right back, hiding any sense of fear she felt at the gaze. Waverunner may be injured, but she could still be deadly.

'...I saved your life once before. Now it is time to repay me for doing so.'

"Anything, Waverunner. I'd do anything to help you." She ment every word.

The Legendary blinked. 'Then listen to what I wish you to do. You must warn the others on the Isle of what is to come.'

"Where is the island?"

'On the other side of the Kessho Region.'

Mandy paused for less than a second. "I can go as soon as I gather everything that I need. Which isn't much."

'And you must take something with you. Something that you must guard with more than your life.'

Now the teen blinked. More than her life? How much more was there to give? She didn't ask, though. "What is it?"

Waverunner very slowly, and very painfully, lifted the wing that was on the side Mandy sat on. 'Look there, quickly. My strength is fading.'

Nodding, Mandy got up and limped under the giant wing, searching for whatever it was that she needed to find. And find it she did, a small white and blue thing that the waves caressed gently. She bent over and lifted it up, and limped over to Waverunner's head, gritting her teeth against the twisted ankle that she now remembered having. Once she sat down, Mandy looked at what she held, and gasped.

An egg. A perfect blue and white egg, with a pattern like the waves decorating the shell. It glowed pure in the soft moonlight, and Mandy immediatly fell in love with the egg and what it carried, now understanding exactly what Waverunner ment when she said her most precious thing.

'Take that to the Isle with you, and give it to the others. But...if my first child hatches before you arrive...give it the name of Stormbringer. Male or female, the name shall fit.'

"Stormbringer..." Mandy murmered, looking at the egg with soft eyes, running her finger over the smooth shell delicatly.

Waverunner's wing crashed back to the beach, and another pained cry left the Lugia, wrenching Mandy's attention back to her dying friend. "Waverunner?"

'I'm fine...my time is almost here. But promise me, child. Promise me that you'll do what I asked of you.' Her voice was fading, barely more than a whisper inside the girl's mind.

Mandy nodded, and put her hand next to Waverunner's eye once more. "I promise. And you should know...my name is Mandy."

Her eye curved in a slight smile. 'A very pretty name for a very pretty girl...'

Then the eye closed, and the Lugia gave a great sigh and grew still. Mandy felt the life vanish from the feathers under her hand as they dulled, no longer filled with vitality and power. They became normal.

Starting to tremble, Mandy opened the silver case on her necklace, and saw that the feather there was the only one that remained bright. Like Waverunner's soul had chosen to keep that one alive, like a beacon of hope for the girl.

Clutching the beautiful egg and feather to her body, Mandy curled up against the body of her friend and savior, and screamed her grief and pain out into the still night air.


The moon was high in the sky directly overhead, casting a cold yet soft light on the teenage girl as she leaned her back against the cold body that she sat next to. Blue eyes that had long stopped crying, yet had remained moist with tears, looked up at that perfect full moon, wondering.

Wondering why this had all happened. Wondering what would come in the future. Wondering if what was promised could be accomplished.

Mandy stayed silent, as she had since she'd stopped sobbing. She'd told herself to stay with Waverunner's body and watch over it, like a vigil. It was the least she could do to honor her friend's passing. Even though she was tired, Mandy forced her eyes to remain open, staring up at the cold, aloof moon.

But if she didn't know any better, the light from the moon had just gotten stonger.

Blinking, Mandy realized that it wasn't coming from the moon, but from the body behind her. Holding the egg close to her, she scrambled to her feet and backed up. Her eyes widened as the Lugia's body glistened brightly, emmiting its own blinding glow, much like the feather had done once Mandy had completed the lullaby.

This time, Mandy forced herself to shield her eyes, only allowing her the briefest glances every few seconds to see what was happening. If she didn't know any better, the body was beginning to fade into the moonlight...!

"No, wait!" Uncovering her eyes and breaking her silence, Mandy took a few steps towards Waverunner's body, but when she reached where it had lain, the last few traces were already floating up in the trails of light, heading for the moon itself as it shone on them. Hugging the egg to herself tightly, the girl watched as her friend disappeared into the sky.

"...I hope you'll be happy up there..." she whispered up at the hanging orb. "Because I need you to be. And I hope you can watch me."

Looking down at the egg she still held, Mandy allowed herself a small smile.

"Me and Stormbringer."