is telepathy
I stood in shock. I had no idea that Lucario had been through so much, suffered through so much. He'd lived in a psychic-type village, and when Finn refused to give him up, they'd come after Finn. He'd sacrificed himself for his master.
The legendries all stood in shock, and slowly made their way back to the meadow, reforming the circle. A low murmur was maintained the whole time, and though Kyogre cast him a furious look every now and again, they all seemed calm. Arceus stepped forwards.
"Lucario, why don't you come forth and tell us why you came here?"
Lucario gulped and stepped forwards, and instantly all eyes were snapped on him. Not many Pokémon could say they have had every legendary listen to what they had to say. He swallowed the lump in his throat, and opened his mouth.
"I came here for the same reason I came to Dialga's temple," he began, looking nervously at the group. "I want to travel through time and help my past self-escape with Finn. Then I'll take him to the future, and Celebi says that this will destroy a small piece of time. By the way, when was that?"
I looked at him with eyes filled with tears. "The day Sam and I became friends."
He looked confused, but every other legendary there gasped. They all knew the story of how I had taken Sam beyond his time and into the future, and without him, I would have been rendered evil forever by a hunter who had captured me in a Dark Ball while I was distracted. I would have destroyed and killed many people and Pokémon if it wasn't for him.
There was a sudden uproar. Xerneas was yelling at Yveltal while Yveltal was screeching back, arguing about what they should do. Zekrom and Reshiram were in a full-on fistfight and Mew and Mewtwo were throwing bombs of pink-and-blue fire at each other, Mew screeching furiously that Sam needed to be left safe in his time while Mewtwo was roaring that they needed to help Lucario.
Even if he didn't care about the Pokémon before him, he had an obligation to family and Mewtwo certainly believed that not all family is related by blood, him being a clone.
"ENOUGH!" a voice roared through the madness. Everyone froze, even Mew and Mewtwo, balls of energy poised. Arceus, backed up by Deoxys and Rayquaza, was standing in the centre of what had been the circle, eyes blazing. "What has become of the Legends who protect the Pokémon World? Have we been reduced to scrabbling antagonists?"
Everyone lowered their heads in shame, except the Regis, who really didn't have much of a head to lower. Arceus looked furious as everyone ambled back to their places in the circle, glares being sent like daggers across to each other. I was worried, so I decided to help.
I began to sing.
A soothing song, the embodiment of calm, rang through the island like rippled on a pond. Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf all rose into the air behind me and started singing too, their sweet harmony echoing across the island. Everyone closed their eyes involuntarily, the sweet melody of the Voice of the Forest accented by the unbreakable harmony of the Lake Guardians.
Celebi? I felt Mesprit say in my head. I think they're calm enough to talk reason now.
I nodded. Okay.I responded, say what you want telepathy is awesome.
All at once, the spell was broken, and the circle was reformed for the second time. I breathed a sigh of relief as I fluttered back to my space and gave Lucario a look that could slice up steel like butter. He shrank back. It's all your fault. I said in his head. He looked surprised, but obviously couldn't reply into my head. So I listened to his thoughts.
'It's- It's not! I didn't- I didn't-'
Yes it is. I said coldly. No meeting has ever gone this badly, none of us have ever fought tooth and nail so hard. It's your fault. It's all your fault.
I tuned out from his head but I could tell he was thinking a million thoughts he wanted me to hear, but I was done. He'd ruined my reputation, threatened my family's safety and destroyed a sacred meeting which had gone untouched by conflict for centuries. I was done. Whether he missed his owner or not.
But my song's power didn't last for long. Arceus sent us all back and ended the meeting, but the unrest stayed. I could taste it in the air as I arrived back in the 'present', but when I arrived at my Ilex Forest, without bothering to go to the past, I found a spectacular sight.
Dozens of legendries. So many of them. I looked in amazement at this mass of legends, all of them looking expectantly and determinedly up at me.
"We're here to choose sides," growled Zekrom. "I need a fight and I need one soon. Celebi, I'm going to help you keep Sam safe."
I looked and felt moved, and several other legendries nodded.
Xerneas has fire in her eyes as she moved forwards. "Seeing a memory makes no difference!" she cried. "Lucario's family was lost long ago. Why, if they believe so much in family, are they killing one? Celebi's family still lives and she can still visit it in the past. So I do not understand why they would kill one family at the cost of one that has already died once!"
Moltres, Zapdos and Articuno had been silent until this point. They all shared one glance, looked at each other, and then at me. Articuno stepped forwards.
"Celebi, quite often, Moltres, Zapdos and I are arguing or at war," she said quietly, in a soft voice unlike her normal sharp, icy tone. She looked at me with soft blue eyes and smiled kindly. "This is the first thing we have ever agreed on. Your family still lives. To us three siblings, though we fight, family can take many forms. We will fight alongside you. Because family is often all some people have."
Uxie, Azelf and Mesprit floated gently forwards and came to stand in front of me. They all looked at me with their wide, vivid eyes and smiled.
"Family takes many forms," said Uxie.
"And though trainers and friends are one of them," said Azelf, looking pointedly at a mental image of Lucario only the Guardians and I could see.
"True family saves the past and present, all the way to the future," finished Mesprit.
"We will not allow Celebi's family and the entire timeline," said Azelf quietly.
"To be destroyed by the greed and selfishness," said Mesprit.
"Of one Pokémon who can't let the past go," completed Uxie.
"Well, I know what family is," said Suicune. I looked at her hopefully. She looked at each of us, Raikou and Entei on either side of her.
"I will always feel the need to save my family," she continued. "And if Lucario is willing to sacrifice the timeline to do so, then so be it. Family is family." Entei and Raikou looked at each other and nodded. They trusted Suicune's judgement and seemed to have each had a personal experience with it. They bounded away northwards, towards GoldenRod city and the Lake of Rage.
"The Timeline is a sacred thing," said Yveltal, rising from his position. "But though Xerneas and I are opposites and strive for different things, we are family. But family can disagree. And I disagree with Xerneas. The Timeline is worth sacrificing, because what time without people to share it with is." His massive hulk rose off the ground he flew in the direction which Suicune had headed.
Kyogre and Groudon had both remained silent up until this point, and Kyogre had a cool, calm firmness in his voice. He rose up, towering over every other legendary there, his massive hulk shining under the brightness of the stars.
"Celebi has a right to defend the Timeline and her family. Lucario is being stupid and selfish, destroying something as sacred as a family because he can't let something that happened years ago – which was his choice – lie in peace!" His voice rumbled across the forest, shaking it like an earthquake. He flew over and behind me, his enormous hulking body blocking out the moon behind us.
Groudon, on the other hand, was instantly opposing Kyogre. "Why shouldn't he go back for HIS family? What make Celebi's right to protect her family more important than Lucario's?" he roared. "Should Kyogre be in trouble in the past, I would save my, brother!"
"But what if by doing so you were destroying me?" Kyogre roared back.
"Why should Celebi's family be considered more important than Lucario's? You're telling me if Sam was in trouble you wouldn't change time to save him?" Groudon shut his trap and started lumbering after Yveltal.
One by one, the legendries chose who they would support. Every single legendary had someone they supported, for one reason or another. My supporters were Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Mew, Ho-Oh, Latias, Latios, Kyogre, Uxie, Mesprit, Azelf, Cresselia, Jirachi, Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, Regirock, Regice, Registeel, Regigigas, Meloetta and Zekrom.
The others had disappeared, but Mesprit quickly closed her eyes and joined hands with the other Guardians of the Lake, and spoke.
"The others have gone to Lucario. They are waiting at the Lake of Rage, forming a plan. They want to steal something that looks like a… it looks like a map, only without anything marked and some… some words in the corner, we can't quite make ou-"
"The Time Map," I whispered, my face turning pale. When the other legendries looked confused, I reminded myself that only Dialga and I knew about the Map.
And Lucario. Lucario knew too.
"The Time Map can tell someone where - and when - the Pokémon of time are. Lucario accidently stole it from Dialga, but returned it to me not very long ago. It remains in 1778, and I think if I can draw on my Time Tree then I can bring you all there to help me guard it. Whatever happens, we cannot allow Lucario and Dialga to gain control of that map."
"Why?" asked Xerneas, looking worried. "What harm can knowing when and where you and Dialga are do?"
I took a deep breath. "The Time Map can also take someone back in time."