AN: Pretty sure this chapter will break the ceiling for "Longest-Continuous-Story" I've written. I'm tentative to say that, considering how many breaks I've taken. Life has not been good to my writing career, and these days I find myself struggling just to put pen to paper. Today though, I will at least try drawing from my inspirations (Monogatari and Dune lately) to see what I can produce. R&R

The climb up the scarred landscape was rough and unforgiving. From the bottom of that chasm, Thali and Grovyle hiked, taking turns carrying Aru. After coming out of the pass, the world stretched out into a vast expanse of darkness enshrouding a rocky quarry. Stone jutted out in places, with hexagonal, crystalline structure.

They walked around the bend of one column of stone. At the edge of the quarry, where the sun might have risen, there was a sheer cliff, and only darkness below. Walking along the edge, Thali peered over the edge. "What's down there?" she asked.

Grovyle paused and watched her. The unconscious Riolu was heaved over his shoulder, and he watched Thali. He hoped she didn't lean too far over. "A realm of fear and madness," he answered. "You will find no answers down there; only pain and sorrow."

Thali gulped, beginning to feel fear herself. She never knew if Grovyle's answers were literal or metaphorical, but staring into that black pit, she knew fear was as corporeal down there as the air she breathed. Thali stayed close to Grovyle, promising herself to avoid peering down there again.

The quarry broadened as they climbed up out of it. The faint blur of a forest ridge formed in the misty air over the lip of the quarry. Thali hopped up a rock, then another, and Grovyle huffed over each rock as he carried the Riolu.

When at last they came over the lip of the quarry, they stood at the edge of a sinister wood. Tall trees leered over at odd angles, bearing grey and deep purple leaves. "This is Dusk Forest," Grovyle explained. "My friend lives here." For a time, he set Aru down and searched through the pack the Riolu bore. Maybe something edible…

"Ah, here we are," he mumbled, pulling out two apples. They were bruised from age and wear, but they would fill their stomachs nonetheless. "Have one," he said, tossing an apple to her. Thali caught it in her maw, chewing into it. "It would be best to keep your strength up."

"Thank you," Thali mumbled, her mouth filled with fruit. It was a bit bitter, but she would eat anything by then.

When she'd worn the apple to its core, she tossed it aside and looked up at Grovyle. His gaze seemed far off. "You never told me what your friend is like," Thali noted. "Is he nice?"

"She," Grovyle minded immediately. "And yes, she's nice. Though she is a bit… odd."

"Odd?"

"She is an eccentric Pokémon, with a strange demeanor," he said, smiling at some memory. Thali wondered what it was. "But she's been helping me for as long as I remember. Her and…"

Why did he stop? Thali leaned forward, seeing some dark frown crest his face, and knew it was someone he'd lost. She did not inquire about it out of respect. "I hope she'll be able to help us."

"I have no doubt she will," said Grovyle confidently. "She's got healing powers, time travel, and she's a competent fighter. I haven't figured out something she can't do yet."

"You must admire her a lot."

"One might say that I do."

Rocks crashed in the distance, and over the breadth of that wide plain, the haunting sound of Sableye laughter.

Grovyle stood up, gathered the pack, and darted his eyes around. "We must hurry," he said. "Grab your friend."

"Right," Thali mumbled. She maneuvered herself beneath him, tugging his arms around her neck so he would stay on.

"You've got a hold of him?" Grovyle clarified, leading on. "Good. We don't have much time."

^/\^|v\/v

Beyond the Sky

Chapter 21

The Passage of Time

^/\^|v\/v

The forest had a thick air, and was teeming, but not with life or energy or any semblance of what might have been happy. Every leaf on every tree seemed divisive, blowing its own direction in the hollow wind, looming down and casting glares. The Dusk Forest teemed not with life, but with death and decay.

Thali carefully watched her step, looking out for thorny vines and undergrowth that threatened to trip her. Grovyle moved effortlessly though. "You must be used to this," she mumbled.

"You might say that," mumbled Grovyle. "You never really forget after you've lived here for so long. I wish I could say I was horrified by all these things that you see here, but I've been alive too long to be afraid."

"Oh…" Thali mumbled. She had formed this foggy image of what Grovyle might be like in her head, but she felt like every time he told her something new, that foggy image changed again and again. "Grovyle, what is it like? Living here?"

Grovyle turned to her, a powerful question in his brow. Thali blushed. "A-assuming that I believe you, of course." His fast grin only prolonged her embarrassment. Trust and honesty wasn't something Grovyle took lightly, but even he couldn't help but laugh. She was trying to play aloof, but it failed miserably.

"Living here, huh?"

Grovyle seemed to take a long draw, as though he were smoking a pipe of memories and mulling over the flavor. He looked into the shadowy air, frowning. "Before going back, I had never known the light. Ever since I hatched as a Treecko, I'd only known the perpetual darkness. My mother lived among a few other Pokémon, and we formed a sort of tribe. The last of the sane ones."

He opened his mouth as though to speak, then stopped, biting his tongue. Residual pain lingered over his lips, the mere memory still abrasive.

Thali felt guilty, and stared down in the dirt at her plodding footsteps. "I'm sorry… that was rude of me."

"Don't worry yourself," Grovyle responded, leading her further into the wood. He remained watchful. "What's in the past is in the past. Or at least, it would be if time persisted."

Grovyle stopped, held a hand up by his lips and motioned for her to get down. They squatted down, peeking through some bushes along the path. Through the brush, they could see two Gabite in the depression below. They clashed, the sound of claws against scales screeching and ringing. One had eyes that glowed red with primal instinct. The other howled a lonely sound of pain.

Thali was fearful, hoping the two would notice them. She looked to Grovyle, wondering if he felt her worry, but found something else in his eyes: Pity. "This is what happens to Pokémon in this timeless expanse," he explained, his feelings muted as he guided her onward. "Insanity claims them. They no longer remember who they were. They become like base animals, relying solely on instinct."

Thali gulped down a breath, imagining herself in that position. She felt terrified. "Will that happen to us?"

Grovyle chuckled and shook his head. "Don't bet on it," he said. "You still have hope. Cling onto that."

Stepping through the brush, they down into another depression, like a bowl in the land. Bushes surrounded the rim, and violent flower bloomed in the field below. To some extent, it was even beautiful. "Alright. We're here."

Thali looked around. No one was to be seen. She laid Aru down in the bed of flowers and stood beside Grovyle sheepishly. "Where is she?"

"Just a moment," Grovyle muttered to her. He looked out into the open air, but before long, he too worried. "Celebi!" he hissed. "It's me, Grovyle! Reveal yourself." They waited more…

"Is this… Celebi supposed to be here?" Thali asked.

Grovyle nodded and wiped away the sweat on his brow. "Yes. It was here I met her last," he mumbled. "Though, if Primal Dialga knows of her existence, he would hunt her down, and she would have long since fled from here."

There was just silence. Not even the wind blew. Thali was restless and began to pat her paws in the dirt. "You don't suppose she's been captured, do you?"

"Captured? Me? Don't be so silly! As if I could ever be captured."

Before them in the field of flowers, a small light began to shimmer and twinkle. Then, warping in from places unknown, a small, pink, spritely creature arrived, with bright green eyes and a smile playing on her lips. "It's been too long, my dear Grovyle."

Grovyle managed a chuckle. Flashy and extravagant. Yes, it was her alright. "Indeed it has, Celebi."

Thali wasn't impressed, but rather appalled. She leaned up to Grovyle, hissing, "This tiny thing is Celebi?"

The pink sprite scoffed, crossing her arms. "Tiny? Now that is downright rude!" she said, twirling around to get a better look at herself. "Poking at my petite proportions; how uncouth!"

"I-I…" Thali was at a loss for words. "I'm sorry. Just, when Grovyle told me about your ability to cross time and heal others, I expected something more… legendary."

Celebi's cheeks visibly puffed in response. "Didn't your mother ever teach you never to judge a book by its cover? Why, I never!" Taking in a breath, that same, impish smile played across her lips as she did another twirl, for that small aesthetic touch. "I forgive you though. After all, you must find me cuter and more special than you imagined!"

The lightest "Tee-hee," sounded from Celebi in a tiny giggle, and Thali couldn't help but marvel at this supposed legend's profound bubbliness. Grovyle pushed Thali forward with his foot, nodding over to the limp body of her friend lying in the flowers.

She understood immediately. "Celebi, I have come to ask a favor of you," she said. Thali assumed a prostrated position, bowing deeply to gain favor. "My best friend was struck by a Spiritomb that exploded. I don't know how much longer he'll last. If you could, I…"

Thali peeked up, but Celebi had already fluttered off. She was circling around Aru, staring inquisitively. At that moment when the fairy's eyes seemed to be so full of question, Thali was no longer sure that getting her help was a good idea.

"This is your friend?"

Snapped from her thoughts, Thali nodded. In the dark, Aru seemed pale now, and it made her blood run cold. "He doesn't have much longer. Grovyle was wise to bring you here," Celebi appraised their comrade with a smile. Grovyle just turned away. "I will do everything in my power to save him, but I fear it may attract undue attention in the future."

Grovyle wondered if that would change her opinion. Thali knew as well as he did that the Sableye were on their trail. She feared going back to the prison; her paws were shaking. Still, she stood her ground. "Please. Heal him."

Celebi wore a playful grin, gathering light in her hands. It was so bright; Thali squinted to avoid the power of it. She hadn't witnessed light in so long. "It would be my greatest pleasure," the sprite giggled as she raised the light above Aru. It descended on him, causing him to float, filling him with light. The air around him seemed to rush, and his lips parted, as though taking a breath. He began to glow.

Then, there was the slightest sound; the sound of chimes and bells in the air singing hymns, laying a graceful cadenza down over the forest as the young Riolu was laid back onto the bed of flowers. The bells persisted even after the light was completely absorbed, lulling Aru into a peaceful, dreamless rest.

Thali's heart raced. When Celebi backed away, she rushed towards her partner, laying her head down on his chest. She could feel the strong breaths he took, hear his pulse renewed. She slumped down, exhausted and relieved that her worry had finally been put to rest.

"You ought to prepare until your partner awakes," Grovyle suggested as Celebi pat the Eevee's head. "When he is ready, we must leave."

Celebi felt for the two. She watched Thali nod an empty, tired nod as she brushed down her friend's fur, feeling sadness well in her. This world lacked in many things—light, wind, food, time—but it seemed to never lack in grief. She could not tell them that they would be able to relax. They didn't have the time.

"Celebi. I need your help again."

Celebi just sighed. As forward as always. "I know," she admitted. "Seeing you back here tells me everything I need to know."

Grovyle looked down in shame, his fist clenched. "You failed your mission in the past; is that true?" she asked.

"Yes, that's right," Grovyle grimaced.

Celebi fluttered down to a rock and sat down. She crossed her legs and leaned back, leering at him. "I pray you manage this time," she said, turning her lustrous gaze to the sky. "I've had quite enough of this. Living in this dark, dreary world is so depressing."

Grovyle sighed and tapped his foot impatiently. "He'd better wake up soon," he mumbled. "Sableye are on our tail, and I'd hate to have brought trouble on you."

"Huh! You must have a poor opinion of me if you think I'll be bested by some brute Sableye," she huffed, swinging her feet. "There's no need to be worried; not for now, at least."

"That's just like you," laughed Grovyle.

Celebi couldn't help but smile as well. "Naturally," she said, flying in a small loop. It was a shame Grovyle couldn't return the Time Gears to Temporal Tower, but in a way, she was still happy that he had been able to come back safely.

She glanced down at the two who were resting. "Your friends…" she whispered, staring intently at Aru. While she was healing him, she felt a sensation from his soul, something she recognized. "Who are they?"

"Don't know. We haven't had the time for names," Grovyle said sadly. "When we return to the past, I'll ask them."

"Well, ask them now!" Celebi huffed. "I may never see them again. I'd like to know!"

Again, Grovyle just laughed. "Let them rest, Celebi. Later."

"Fine."

The air rose into the night, and Celebi sighed. She felt drained of energy, drained of hope. "Grovyle, what happened to your partner?"

Thali, who had been listening furtively, twitched her ear at that detail. She lay low, pondering, hoping they wouldn't notice.

"Him? We lost contact after going through the Passage."

"Oh? I see. Do you suspect he's still out there?"

"Naturally. Probably lying low after all the attention I had drawn; at least, that's the smart thing to do. When we go back, I intend to find him again. I'll need his help if I'm to get the Time Gears back."

Celebi sighed and settled down onto a rock. "Of course. His ability was phenomenal. I doubt you'd have found the Time Gears in the first place without him," she said. "I hope you find him again. For now though, at least try to rest."

Grovyle leaned back against the trunk of a tree nearby. He hated to admit it, but even he was exhausted. "Don't need rest," he mumbled, closing his eyes for a brief moment.

Before he realized it, he was asleep.

"All of you need rest," Celebi mused, fluttering over them. "Dear young ones," she mumbled, looking down on Thali and Aru, "How cruel that two sweethearts like you were dragged into this."

She looked at the Riolu, frowning. "And you…" she mumbled, shaking her head. "Must be my imagination." She settled down in the grass, remaining watchful over these friends who were resting, well aware of the threat that loomed in the trees along the ridge.

^/\^|v\/v

"Hey, want to hear a secret?"

Thali was more than curious. The green-eyed pixie was close to her, giggling a bit to herself. Aru had finally woken up, and right when he got up, Grovyle pulled him away to run reconnaissance on the rim of their flower field. Just her luck; she wanted to see how he was feeling, fraught with worry as she was.

Now that Celebi had grabbed her attention, she seemed to forget about all that though. "Go on," Thali encouraged her.

Celebi's innocent smile belied her mischievous intentions. "Just between you and me, I've always found Grovyle to be a bit too hasty and impatient for my liking."

Underwhelming was the word here. "You don't say?" Thali responded.

"You never noticed?" Celebi asked.

Thali didn't dare break her expectation. "Not in the slightest," she said.

Celebi giggled. "Men, I know; always ready to go off and get themselves hurt," she said, swinging her legs back and forth in the air. "Your partner is like that too, if what I heard is true."

Thali blushed. "Well… maybe."

"Still…" Celebi mumbled, thought consuming her briefly. "I know Grovyle wants to hurry and complete his mission, but I do wish he'd slow down, you know?"

Where is she going with this? Thali wondered.

Celebi's words were stumbling out of her mouth a bit now. "I mean, even just a little slower; that'd make me happy at least," she said. "I want to spend as much time as I can with him."

Deadpanned by the confession, Thali was silent. The rosiness in her pink cheeks suggested that maybe Celebi didn't want to say that. She must have known what Thali was thinking by her expression. "U-uh, oh! No, that's not how I meant it, not at all!" she said, blushing. "It's not as though I have any special feelings for him or anything!"

That couldn't be further from the truth. "Of course," Thali hesitated, watching the temperamental pixie with a wary eye.

"As long as we understand." Celebi looked over Thali, into the distance. "T-there's absolutely nothing going on."

"Right."

Neither Celebi nor Thali seemed convinced by each other's convictions, and it was a relief to them both when Aru and Grovyle returned from scouting. "Have you spotted anything?" asked Celebi, worried. Thali rolled her eyes forcefully, and Aru narrowed his gaze at her for her rudeness.

"Nothing we can see, but he," Grovyle gestured to the Riolu, "says he can sense something in the distance. I get the same feeling; like we're being watched. We should go immediately."

"So hasty," huffed Celebi as she led the way up, out of the flower field. "The hill continues upwards through Dusk Forest. I will guide you as far as the Passage of Time, and only that far."

"I heard you talking about that before," Thali blurted as she followed beside Aru. "This passage, what is it exactly?"

Grovyle and Celebi exchanged a look before Celebi answered: "The Passage of Time is an old portal in this land, made in the shadow of Temporal Tower. Before the planet's paralysis, Pokémon used to go there to glimpse into the past and future, and sometimes travel if I allowed them to."

"So you have control over time then?" Thali asked. "Like Dialga does?"

"Like Dialga did," Celebi remarked. "His power is not as it used to be, and neither is mine, unfortunately. I can still make small jumps on my own, but if I need to go back generations, I can activate the Passage."

Thali hung back, suddenly struck by that idea again. They were in the future; something about that didn't sit right. The bleak air around her felt more grey than it did before.

Still trekking beside her, Aru patted her head. "Hey. Don't think about bad things right now," he reminded her, chuckling. "We still have to get back."

She was amazed in a way. Even after all that suffering he must have endured, he still maintained such a positive outlook. How? "Aru… are you feeling okay now?"

The Riolu paused. "I'm doing fine—never better, actually," he said, looking at his paws. "I've gotten more rest than I have in a long time. Even the guild never let us sleep in that long."

She didn't laugh. Aru looked down into her eyes and saw that fear he hadn't seen since the first time he'd met her. So awash with worry, afraid of what she had to lose. "Hey," he said, shaking her shoulder. "I'm right here."

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

Aru rubbed her head, and she responded with a familiar, characteristic pout. "Come on, Thali," he said with a winning grin. "Let's catch up."

They hurried up the hill, following closely behind Grovyle and Celebi who seemed to walk carefully into the footprints they'd laid once long ago. "We're almost there now. It won't be long," Grovyle assured them.

Celebi flew upward just as they were cresting a hill, smiling brightly. "Here it is!"

They crested the hill and saw it: an ancient, worn stone portal sitting atop an altar with steps leading up to it. The images of gears and were inscribed in the stone all around the altar and on the ring itself. Behind that was a cliff face which overhung, and beyond that was surely another abyss into a deep, endless pit.

The hill thrummed with energy, a palpable force that was more ancient than time itself. No concrete proof existed, just a glimmer of insight, a feeling, that this antediluvian altar was not just a gateway through time, but a landmark upon which the Legends once stood, something that spanned beyond time itself. Aru gulped down a breath, his heart racing. This place… he wondered. It's that same feeling again. That feeling of familiarity.

"This is the Passage of Time," Celebi said as she began to focus on it, drawing white light around. Energy flowed through her arms and hands, erecting them towards the portal. "Give me just a moment to activate it."

Her eyes flashed brilliantly, and the portal suddenly stirred to life, the image behind it twisting until it became a swirling vortex of color and non-Euclidean shapes, descending and shrinking to an illusionary point which seemed infinitely far away.

"I've opened the portal," Celebi alerted them. "This will take you back to your time. I warn you, Grovyle; you have less time to complete your task now."

"Noted." Grovyle was gruff, respectful. "Let's go then."

They took three paces out into the open. The air grew darker.

"Stop there! That's far enough"

They stopped short when they heard the voice and a rumbling. Out from the bushes, behind pillars, around cliff faces, Sableye sprung out like waiting bear traps, their teeth gnashing, locked on target. Then, down from the top of the cliff behind the portal, down floated a maiden, former ally and current enemy.

"It can't be," Thali whimpered, stepping back as they were surrounded.

Grovyle glared, placed himself between the descending Pokémon and his friends. "Froslass."

"Well Grovyle, how chance that I get the opportunity to see you again," Froslass said, sneering down at him as she landed. "A shame we have to meet under such regrettable circumstances, really. Thali, you and your partner seem to be doing well. How was your jaunt in the future?"

They refused to answer. Aru kept an eye on Thali, watching her expression morph between something like horror and anger. She was still conflicted, even now.

Froslass sighed, taking on a more casual glare. "Sorry to say this, but your dreams of escape die here."

Grovyle stood poised, eyeing the Sableye carefully. They wouldn't strike, not till Froslass gave the order herself. They were fiercely disciplined. "How crafty of you, Froslass," he analyzed. "You let us go, but kept your eye on us this whole time so that when the time was right, you could capture Celebi as well."

Aru felt his heart grow cold. The realization made was logical, and that logic struck him like a cold arrow in his lungs. "So you mean, this whole time we were followed?"

Grovyle gulped down a breath, sighing. "I did not forsee this," he mumbled. "I'm sorry, Celebi."

"My dear Grovyle, apologies really don't suit your style," Celebi laughed, looking around. Somehow, Aru noticed, those two maintained a strong sense of confidence. "As if I could have be caught. How laughable."

The Sableye began to close in, claws bared. Their backs pressed against each other's. "Ready to fight?" Grovyle asked.

Thali gulped down a breath, raised her back end, poised to strike. "To the death," she muttered.

"We'll smash through them and dive through the portal in one swift motion," Grovyle planned on the dime, glaring at Froslass as the Sableye approached closer still.

"Don't be so stupid," said Froslass. "Resisting now will only prolong your suffering."

Grovyle shook his head. "We won't know that until we try, now will we? Froslass! You and me, right now!"

Froslass too seemed ready to brawl for a moment, her figure tensed and her arms cold with frost. She raised her hand to her mouth and began to giggle rather than fight. "Silly Grovyle," she chuckled, fixing an equally harsh gaze in return. "Did you really think I'd come alone?"

Grovyle's head swiveled, his eyes wide with shock. "What?" Aru didn't need his aura vision to see his fear.

Froslass turned around and gestured towards the hill. "Now is the time! Show yourself, Master Dialga!"

All light vanished, and the formerly dim cliff was shrouded by darkness. "What's going on?" Thali shouted. "I can't see anything!"

Energy like lightning crackled and swirled in the sky, flashing with a residual omnipotence that lit up the hilltop. At the peak of the cliff, the quaking sound of gargantuan footsteps thundered down. In the midst of the darkness, red eyes flashed, and a red jewel in the chest glowed sinister. The darkness thinned, revealing a towering, quadruped giant with diamond skin and steel scales, a mountain of power. He opened his mouth agape, tilting his long head back, roaring so mightily, it shook the earth and changed the wind. This creature with weary orange in its veins, with monumental, evil power, could only be a Legend spoken of in tales.

Grovyle took a step back, choking on words he couldn't say. All he could do was confirm their peril. "Primal… Dialga," he grumbled slowly, hope draining out of his voice.

"That's Primal Dialga?" Thali gasped.

Froslass just laughed, watching them quiver. "What's the matter, Grovyle? Where is your bravado now?" she asked. Grovyle only gulped down a breath, trying to steady himself.

"My dear…?" Celebi whispered, resting her hand on Grovyle's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Grovyle clenched his fists, his face hidden when he turned it toward the ground. "I'm sorry, everyone," he mumbled, defeated.

"This is it for us."