Merry (early) Christmas, everyone! Thank you Antex-The Legendary Zoroark, Kauris Azurai, LeTantris, and YoshiEmblem for reviewing last chapter!

Chapter Ten: That Brings Death

"I told you!" a voice squawked. "I told you that place was cursed!"

Yveltal lifted his head. Two noivern swooped into his cave. One carried Eris in his claws. He tossed her on the ground, her hair splayed around her, her clothes disheveled. Honedge clattered nearby, its eye half-closed and dulled. Yveltal bent to examine her. "The Mark acted up."

The noivern looked pensive, seeming to sense the words were more a statement than a question. He said anyways, "Yeah. She destroyed part of Geosenge." The dragon shivered. "I'm telling you, you couldn't pay me to go back there. Kill me if you want, but I'm not going there again."

"Why would I kill you over something so trivial?" Yveltal nudged Eris. She didn't stir. "Return her to her quarters. When she awakens, I request that she be sent to me."

"Yes, Master." The noivern bowed their heads and left, Eris balanced carefully between them.

- Absol awoke to find himself in a building. He jolted. What is this?

Hands rested on his side. He winced. "Easy. You've taken a lot of damage."

Absol stared. A human woman smiled kindly at him, white covering her frame. She turned, continuing working on something at his side. His breath hissed out between his teeth. His head thudded against the 'bed.'

He examined his surroundings. The walls were a bland yellow. A glass window separated him from another room, this one filled vaguely with what seemed to be pokeballs. But why am I here? He knew that, on occasion, humans would take injured wild pokemon to centers - which is where he assumed he was. But something felt different. He felt tamer; as if he had a connection to something-

No. His eyes widened. It couldn't be. He jerked up.

"Stay down!" the nurse protested.

"Why am I here?" he barked, desperate. "Who brought me?"

He knew the effort was futile; to the nurse, his words probably sound unintelligible.

Someone tapped on the window. "Looks like he's doing better."

The nurse looked back. "Well, he's energetic, at least."

Absol stared. The boy was stocky, glasses adorning his face, his hair unruly. The 'connection' he felt; it stemmed to this boy. He stopped struggling, a growl rising in his throat. No. No, no, no! Wind whipped around him. The nurse yelped as he released his razor wind, shattering the window.

He was free in an instant, his claws pressing on the boy's shoulders, his face near the human's. "Why did you capture me? Because you were fortunate to find me when I'd been weakened by someone else?"

The boy's eyes were terrified. A chespin appeared from a pokeball. "Don't hurt him, mister," she pleaded.

Absol turned his glare. "I don't appreciate being captured."

The chespin shifted. "He just wanted to help you."

"He could've done that without a pokeball, couldn't he?" Absol released the human, padding away, wincing as he walked.

"Mister! Where are you going?"

"Come back! You're still injured!"

"I'm leaving. I don't have time to be sitting around." He left the building without further obstruction.

-When Eris awoke, her head was throbbing. She groaned. "What did-"

"Noii."

Eris blinked. A noivern sat in the cave's entrance. It took her a moment to realize it wasn't Eon. "What are you doing here?"

The noivern tilted its head. It glanced over its shoulder, its throat warbling with a "Screee!"

Two more noivern appeared, hovering in front of the cave. They communicated briefly. The noivern still grounded looked expectantly at Eris. She stood, her legs shaky.

"…edge…"

Eris jumped. For a moment, she'd forgotten about Honedge. She lifted the sword pokemon. It looked tired, as out-of-sorts as she was.

A noivern butted her back. She held its leg as it launched itself from the cave, spiraling down the sheer rock face to Yveltal's cave. She traversed the now-familiar paths, stepping into the red glow of the massive pokemon's cavern.

The avian lifted his head. "Miss Eris. How are you feeling?"

"Um, like I hit my head."

"Perhaps that is to be expected." He lifted a claw. "Here. This was retrieved." He tossed Honedge's sheath. She hadn't even realized the sword pokemon had been missing it. She helped Honedge slide it on. "Do you remember what happened?"

Eris paused. "Um." She scrunched her eyes in thought. "I remember going into some ruins with Lysandre - that's a man I met who was exploring them - and touching something. Then-" She shrugged, her mind a helpless blank.

"I see. How fascinating. I didn't imagine memory loss would be associated with such actions. But perhaps that is for the better."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Miss Eris, your Mark malfunctioned while you were at Geosenge."

Her arm throbbed. "It did what?"

"It's nothing to concern yourself over. But it brings to my attention that you don't yet know how to utilize your Mark."

"There's a method to that?"

"It appears so."

She realized abruptly that Yveltal sounded just as uncertain as she was. "Is this your first time Marking someone?"

"Yes. I never had a reason to before now." Yveltal's milky, half-dead eyes narrowed. "Perhaps we should consider what could trigger it. Miss Eris, could you possibly try and reach for its power?"

"Reach for its power?"

"Yes."

She realized she'd get no more assistance, and sighed, closing her eyes. How do I 'reach' for this? She frowned, mentally imagining herself sliding into the Mark, grasping its power. Her arm tingled. Is that good? "Okay. Now what?"

"See if you can use its power."

Eris willed, Power, go. She scrunched her eyes tighter, listening, willing something to happen.

"That is enough."

Eris opened her eyes. Nothing had changed.

Yveltal looked disgruntled. "It appears we will have to try something different."

Honedge shot up. "Honedge!" It flailed its blade.

"Honedge?"

"Hmm? You are upset with me?"

"Hone!"

Eris tilted her head. "What's the matter?"

"I'm afraid I couldn't tell you. It seems your companion is angry that I Marked you, but I'm not sure I understand the reason."

"Companion?" Eris asked dryly.

"It is until I can free it from you, Miss Eris." Yveltal released a gusty sigh. "At any rate, do you remember what happened the first time your Mark activated?"

"I was attacked by an absol."

"I see." Yveltal paused, a thoughtful look on his face. "Miss Eris, I think I should advise you to interact with anything relating to Xerneas or I, for the moment. Moreover, be careful when you get into a battle."

"You think those things are what causes it to activate?"

"Yes. At least, that is the theory for the moment. Now," he examined her, "did you learn anything of Xerneas's whereabouts?"

She flushed. "Ah, no. I learned about Kalos's war, but-"

Yveltal exhaled a heavy breath smelling of decay. "Still no sign."

Eris swallowed, uncertain. "Um, Yveltal. You said you wanted me to be a natural disaster."

"Yes."

"But why? I mean, you said you were 'created' for it, but why is it…?" She trailed off, uncertain how to finish.

"Necessary?" A rumble sounded in his throat. "You wouldn't be the first person to ask." He seemed to contemplate his answer. "Miss Eris, perhaps I have gone about this the wrong way. I will show you what it means to be Oblivion."

"Show me?"

"Yes. You seem to be full of questions today."

Eris shrugged, looking away.

"I may not have much energy, but I believe I have enough to return to the outside world, at least for short periods. But, Miss Eris," his eyes turned deadly, "you will still be required to perform the acts required of you."

She wondered at his change in attitude. "O-okay."

Honedge quivered against her side. "Hone."

Yveltal stretched. "Well. I suppose it will be in our best interest to begin."

"Now?"

"Yes. We cannot afford to waste time." Yveltal spread his wings. A sound that resembled bones cracking echoed off the walls. He moved past her, nearly filling the tunnel.

Eris swallowed. She fingered the cell phone in her pocket. I wonder if Mom got my message? She guiltily remembered she'd forgotten to call again. She shook the thought away, following Yveltal.

-Honedge tried not to worry about what had happened at Geosenge. That task proved harder than it thought, especially when it came to Yveltal. Why didn't he tell Eris what she did? The answer presented itself easily: she would've broken. Reality, at this point, would be something she'd be unable to cope with.

But Honedge saw this course as foolish. It understood Yveltal was trying to show compassion, but wasn't it better to simply provide the truth? It would have no problem revealing the situation.

Then again, it supposed, it was hiding a lot of things, too.

And what of this 'Mark training?' Will I lose myself then, too? Perhaps it simply wanted Eris to know the truth so she'd be so traumatized it'd never have to worry about activating its blood lust again. But it also knew that wasn't what it wanted. A catatonic partner is no partner at all. If Eris stopped functioning, it would have to find a new partner. And, truthfully, it had no interest in going on another search.

Honedge was jolted from its thoughts when they arrived in the entrance cave. Yveltal waited at the entrance. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Eris said.

"Then hold on. We won't be going far, but we will need to descend from the mountain."

Honedge braced itself. Eris hesitantly latched onto a leg. Honedge dangled a moment before the human picked it up. For that, it was grateful. I suppose I'll have to deal with the situation. And pray that I won't descend into that state.

Yveltal took off, dragging Honedge and Eris to their fates.

And that…was shorter than last chapter. Hmm. Anywho, review responses:

Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Haha, I suppose this chapter at least shed SOME light on it.

Kauris Azurai: Haha, yes, everyone's a bit clueless right now. Or are they?

LeTantris: Yes, Honedge's anxiety was finally (mostly) shown. Glad you like where it's going!

YoshiEmblem: Haha, I'm glad I could surprise you.

As always, if you have anything you want to say, drop a review!