Jaret King belongs to aggies2015

Viola Almach belongs to Ariesbird

Juliet Grey belongs to Dolcebrio

Seria Day belongs to Kittynip

Ryuu Sinclair belongs to Tendou Souji

Cody Frost belongs to Hodge Podge '97

Victoria Reed belongs to Lord Farquaad

Marus flicked the blood from his blade casually. The city seemed to comprise mostly of the craggy mountain face. He was impressed however that modern humans were able to live in such an area and still live comfortably. Ironically, most of the civilians remained put.

"And here I was expecting the hardest of fights…" He grunted at that. The Rainbow feather had been easy enough to claim, now he only needed the two enshrined fires before he would be able to return to Ecruteak. He looked down to the young trainer that had tried to stop him and for a moment, thought of himself. It was a shame that he had died so young.

Victoria whistled behind him, striding up to his side. "First blood and he wasn't even a resident. You know, most people would have a problem with killing newbie trainers. How old do you think he was?"

"Couldn't have been older than eleven. Does it matter?" Marus grunted. "Young rogues are normally the stupidest."

"Are you sure you're our age?"

"Near there…physically at least." Cody sized him up then.

"You're my age, and you're that built!?"

"Shut it." Cody frowned.

"Lighten up," Cody then looked to the trainer splayed out before them. "At least he was just a random nobody, right?" Marus kept his quiet and Victoria continued on.

"Still, I'm surprised that you couldn't find the place on your own." Marus ignored her with a casual grunt. She annoyed him with her constant commentary. She was so surprisingly—for lack of a better word—fragile. To let herself be crushed by another was beyond Marus's understanding.

"The landscape changes with time."

"Well, at least you are our age…in body or whatever. I mean, look at you: medium-length hair, that makes you look like the dream guy right outta' the TV, ridiculously built, aaaand…" He chuckled a bit. "You're a real jerk sometimes. Girls these days would go nuts over you!" Cody would've laughed at his own joke a little more but caught wind of Marus's blade sitting at his throat.

"We don't have time for jokes." He turned to Victoria, meeting her anticipated scowl head-on. "We're here to find the Holy Land. That's all we're here for."

"And if I don't feel like it?" The words were misguiding and Victoria was soon sliding beneath his swing and sweeping for a kick toward his ankle. He, however moved as if it were expected and stepped just out of reach before plunging his blade into her shoulder; he was impressed when she only grunted in pain and grinned soon after. Marus then turned to Cody with a smug look, whose jaw dropped slightly at the and soon he was moving for a poke-ball.

"Cody!" Victoria's voice stopped him cold. "Don't fight him. I don't want you ending up like that moron over there."

"B-but-"

"Oh shut up. This isn't really so bad." Cody frowned and his brows lowered somberly before he stepped back without a word, placing the poke-ball back at his waist. Marus turned back to Victoria then, leaning in as if to pick at Cody, though he made a face of intrigue as he caught the slightest sliver of exaltation in her face.

"Then I'll kill you." The words made Victoria grin all the more.

"If that ever happens, then I'll be looking forward to the attempt." Marus yanked the blade free and Victoria stood with little difficulty though the wound did sting. She made note that he didn't wipe the blade.

"I'm so honored," Her grin was in place. "It looks like my bloods the only thing fit to stain that blade." She laughed when Marus wrinkled his face in distaste at the sarcasm.

"It's strange how much you understand the warrior. It almost reminds me of that man I should've killed." He grinned then, seeing that Victoria's laughs muted. "I wish I could remember his name," he said with a grin.

"Stay away from Ryuu. He's mine, and mine alone." Marus shrugged arrogantly.

"It doesn't matter. Go find the Holy Land. That's an order, bitch." Victoria sniggered in frustration before he gave a yank of Cody's wrist, pulling him along with her to comb through the city.

"Something's really up his ass," Cody said with a frown, yawning just seconds later. "The guy should learn how to take a joke."

"I don't really know, nor do I care."

"Sis, he stabbed you in the shoulder!"

"It doesn't really matter. We have our reason for dealing with people like him."

"Ryuu?" He taunted. He saw Victoria flush a bit.

"Shut up Cody."

"But it's true!"

"Yeah but the whole doesn't need to know."

"Not that they'd care."

"Yeah, but in case they do, shut up Cody."

Blackthorn was an open place, and nearly impossible to get lost in. Since most of the town consisted of simply the rock face, there was only so much expansion the city could do., not to mention that the two main attractions of Blackthorn were the gym and the Dragon's Den, though the place did offer its own locales. Victoria turned to some of the residents, all of whom either scurried away or froze under her eyes. They had more than likely seen the event when she entered alongside Marus. Why was she the bad person? It was the kids fault for getting in the way anyway.

"What did he say to look for again?" Cody asked.

"Some 'Holy Land' or something." Victoria's eyes scanned lazily over the building. She could almost feel the eyes of the people watching her and the fear that radiated from them. "How interesting…" So far, the City of Dragons seemed to be nothing more than a haven for cowards. She sighed in boredom. She heard a slight screech then and seconds after, the city erupted with impact.

She had felt her ears pop and for a moment, all she heard was a monotone ringing in her ears. She shook her head in a futile effort to get rid of it and went to get up, becoming wholly aware that she was on the ground. Whatever had erupted had knocked her from her feet. She ached a bit but smiled at the pain. Her face dropped then.

"Cody!" She searched her area frantically, finding that the very buildings she had been gazing at were laid to ruin and some of the mountain face had actually been chipped by the impact, chunks able to crush her in an instant had missed by some miracle. She heard the same screech from moments before, albeit softer in emission.

She heard Cody whistle and looked above her instinctively, finding that he clung on to the small form of his Vibrava. The Pokemon was without a doubt strong. Cody on the other hand, seemed to be the awkward one dangling by an arm. She let out a sigh of relief as he made a motion in a direction, which Victoria promptly assumed was to the Holy Land, or so she hoped.

She went to her wrist, observing the Xtransceiver. The screen was cracked and she made a grumble of annoyance, taking it from her wrist and nearly discarded it but paused.

"Ryuu…" She held the accessory for a little while longer in remembrance before completely crushing it in her hand, some of the glass from the screen getting caught in her palm. Cody landed next to her then, returning Vibrava into his ball.

"Hey, your Xtranceiver…"

"I won't be needing it."

"Ryuu didn't get that for you-"

"I know. But still…"

"It reminds you of him…?"

She suddenly went to get to her feet, but instead stumbled pitifully into the gravel. She tried again before Cody could say anything and she fell once again. She heard Cody's voice catch then.

"H-hey…sis…" Victoria looked to him. His eyes carried disbelief, shock even and she traced them to her ankle where a piece of the bone protruded slightly from the skin.

"You've got to be kidding…" Cody knelt down to her. She saw emotion in his face, fiery and ablaze as he struggled with it, attempting his best to not be overwhelmed; it was steadily becoming an uphill battle. His voice came out cracked.

"V-Vicky…what happened…?" She grinned but winced quickly afterward. She refused to cry out in pain even when the pain pressed her to her utmost limits.

"You better not be fighting tears, Cody." She tried her best to smile but it came off as a grimace. He touched his cheek then, finding that he wasn't fighting tears. In fact, they were pouring from him.

"We gotta' fix it!"

"And how would you do that?"

"We'll think of something!"

"I'll be fine-"

"Like hell you will! Just listen to me! These people saw what Marus did to that kid back there! If you're hurt then—"

"No, you listen to me," her voice carried that certain edge he always noticed, the certain edge that told him that she would probably hurt him to get her point across. The odd thing was that she never had that tone whenever she was in danger. "Just because you've never seen me hurt like this never meant it wasn't going to happen."

"But you never—"

"Shut up. I hate that word. The word 'never' doesn't exist because anything's possible in this world. Believe me, I used to use the word all the time, remember?" He nodded timidly. "So, shut up and get going. I'll be fine. And wipe your face" She gave him an elder sister's smile. "It's okay. You'll see me again. We still gotta' kick Ryuu around." Cody half-smiled, wiping his tears away.

"Then…I guess I'll head towards the gym…"

"That's where that direction leads?" He nodded, though his eyes wouldn't meet with hers.

"Don't get yourself killed…or like this."She made a gesture to her ankle."

"You mean be careful?" She smiled lovingly. He hugged her close then, careful not to bump her ankle. He hugged her tighter than normal.

"Yeah. Be careful little brother." He nodded and turned on his heels. She watched him run off, Arcanine forming at his side. The two were soon gone out of sight.

"Heh. Little Brother my ass…" She laughed at herself. "Look at him," she thought "Caring about someone when you're not even related at all." It wasn't the fact that he cared, but the fact that he cared so much. Her eyes were rooted to where he had been standing. His reaction replayed in her mind. He was actually brought to tears over who she was now, and he had seen who Victoria Reed once was. Now, she preferred just Victoria. She found it interesting that someone who had a piece remaining of themselves could care for not just a lone wolf, but an exceedingly vicious one at that.

And then, Ryuu returned to her mind again, but for once in a long while, it wasn't just the two of them, it wasn't her standing over his body in a convergence of both triumph and despair, but of the three of them.

"We met when we were young," The words themselves were ancient. When was the last time she had even vocally recalled when they met? "You had already been on the road for two years, and I was only scavenging the Castelia slums. I was so driven to prove my father wrong, that the pampered could adapt and survive on their own… and somehow, I had found Cody, huddle under some sunshade to protect himself from the rain. He was a newbie on the street and probably hadn't eaten in days, so I grabbed him and took him under my wing and told him to refer to me as his 'big sister'."

She could imagine Ryuu's face, where she felt as though she were among the few, if not only, that had seen his face with emotion before he became experienced. She was one of the few who saw him when he still had some innocence left, unlike that Seria girl, who was wholly innocent and seemingly a few years younger. She could remember how cue he was when his face would light up in expectation and drive, when he still had that brashness that most young trainers had.

"And then we had met you, Ryuu. And for whatever reason, I had the dumbest grin on my face. I was so happy to see you. Not because it was you, but that there were actually people who understood the lows. Cody and I had actually just stolen a few bags of food and we had just lost him until…" Until they had bumped into him.

She shook her head clear. Her "family" existed only in the past. What she dreaded the most was that it was more than likely going to stay that way. They had fallen apart; the one-whole had become three entities, all because of one necessity had shamelessly become a habit.

Marus shook his head, discarding the broken sword.

"I find it interesting that there are people like you." His opponent remained suspended in the air atop his Salamence.

"Why are you here?" What business do you have in the Holy Land?" Marus's mouth curled. Didn't they know anything?

"It's none of your business. But for supposedly being so fluent in their history, you fools have no idea what I am or where I originated." The dragon tamer gave a derisive wave of his hand.

"I've already been told by Clair and Morty that you are some kind of anomaly, though we have no idea what. He saw Marus's form tense up slightly.

"Is that right? This 'Clair' you're talking about, does she know anything about the legend of Silver Village?"

"It's a famous tale."

"Good. Does she know anything about the pyre that burned there?"

"If she does, you will not live to ask it. I can't allow you to keep destroying the city enough as is, and considering you don't have a Pokemon, this may be easier than I hoped for."

"Confidence and overbearing pride in your element? You must be that wench's father." There was a string of recognition there. In truth, Marus had only guessed, but he drew on his memory of his dormancy within Virgil. He remembered the Violet City "contests". Seria had been on screen, bubbly and somewhat overbearing. She had been very much in her element, taunting her opponents and feinting, baiting them into submission with either her Absol. Eevee, or Swablu.

"You've…met with my daughter…?" Marus grinned. It was always so easy for people to give themselves away.

"Don't worry, I've done nothing to her, and will need her unharmed anyway. As such, I don't have reason to battle you or kill anyone here. I've left as many alive as I was able. Any who got in my way I cut down, and I would be appreciative if you allowed me passage to the Holy Land."

"So you can steal the fires of the Holy Land? Without it, the Holy Land will wilt away until nothing's left! The Pokemon and dragons will have no place to go!" Marus responded with a nonchalant shrug.

"I don't care. Now move." Will rubbed his chin in contemplation. Marus seemed worlds different than the version that Morty had described who was angry and volatile. The one that stood before him was patient and was strikingly as pacific as possible. But he was no fool.

"I'm quite surprised that a boy with seemingly no abilities could re-direct a Dragon Rush so effortlessly." Marus grunted.

"No need to play dumb. If Morty's told you about me, then you should know about the perception shifting." Will scoffed.

"I do, though I find that to be in theory rather than fact."

"Also, I don't know why avoiding a charging lizard is impressive. It seems to be the only attack that weak dragon tamers resort to." Seria's father let the word go.

"Dragonbreath!" And Salamence obliged with a powerful exhale of breath, blowing away the litter of the city and the like.

But Marus remained put.

Marus watched as Will gave a flick of his hand and the Salamence dropped lower. Will felt something sting the side of his arm, tearing through his dragon tamer garb and warmth spread over his arm. It was a clean cut, like the blade from a weapon.

"So perhaps the 'shifting' does mean something." But he wasn't ready to believe it just yet. "Salamence, close in!" The dragon did so and Marus rolled under the wings responsively and turned to attention, finding the Salamence climbing higher, flying at a straight angle before arcing sharply and diving toward Marus. Marus chuckled at the scene, more so that the name came to mind.

"Viola…" The Salamence spiraled onward then abruptly switched course with a sharp turn to the right. Marus's eyes followed the dragon only for him to hear the wind tap him and he turned to face forward again and for a moment, he was distinctly surprised.

Will had somehow launched himself launched himself from the spiraling Salamence, aiming directly for him. Weight shifted as another sword formed in Marus's hand. Will moved in closer and another ball sprang to life, just as Marus knew it would. Will was distinctly focused on him at that one moment.

"They'll never learn…" He felt the expected slither of a tail to grab hold of him and he turn with his weight to cut into the Pokemon, a Dragonair, but it simply burst into smoke. "A fake!?"

"Dragon Pulse!" A pressure on his right sent him from his feet and skirting away on his side, Sliding to a stop, Marus focused his blurred vision. He saw faintly. Dragon Pulse had to have been a well-placed shot. Will and his Salamence landed and the dragon trainer stepped from Salamence with an air of majesty and his dragons fanned out behind him. From left to right were his Salamence and two Dragonair. "Double Team worked perfectly. Were you unable to act fast enough?"

Marus's countenance shifted. He was openly interested in his opponent and his usual mocking glare of amusement settled for one of puzzlement.

"How did he get by me? What happened? I should've been able to get away from that…"

Will caught the pensive expression.

"I'll enlighten you. Deceit is sometimes the best weapon we have at our arsenal." Will nodded in satisfaction as he saw Marus's gaze shifted with understanding and a slight bit of foolishness. "That's right. I knew all about your perception shifting beforehand. You strong and quiet types usually fall for it." Marus didn't respond. "Anyway, why do you want the flame of the Holy Land? Is it only to summon Ho-oh? What's your goal? Even if you were to summon him, anyone that Ho-Oh deems unfit are usually killed for their incompetence."

Marus cracked his bones then, stretching out his arms. He held Will's antagonizing stare; never once did either of their tones change.

"Eternal is a word befitting of a phoenix, is it not? Do you really believe a dragon could even hope to cast an eternal fire?" He paused. "You're strong, that much is true. And you hold on to your tradition and heritage as tightly as you can." He grinned. "Those are usually the ones that know more than they let on." He moved his shaggy bangs from his eyes. "You must know as well as I do that the Enshrined Flame is a fires of Ho-Oh."

Marus knew so much yet he appeared as if he could be no older than Seria.

He possibly even could've been younger.

"The Legend of Silver Village?" There was a contradiction, Will had realized. "Marus" was the disputed name of 'the boy' that was rumored to have fought Ho-oh and was an essential part of the Silver Village Legend, even if he was just an alleged folktale.

But there was a young boy who stood before him with the name of "Marus", who was an exceptional fighter as well. Then there was "perception shifting". Where on earth did that come from?

"So…that was me..." Will looked to Marus, an expression of awe and disbelief flooding over him. That was confirmation. Marus had essentially read his mind, even though he had focused entirely on the "Marus" in the folktales. "What I don't understand, is if that's true, then how did I end up here, in this time?"

"You…can't be the same Marus!" There was the smallest hint of hysteria in Will's voice then. "The dead aren't meant to walk here, and unless Ho-oh wishes it, nothing makes sense!"

"Afraid so. I am here." Marus held his small half-grin in check.

"But…you're…dead…" Marus grinned.

"You can't say that. I feel a pulse, a heartbeat. I can't be dead, not at all. I'm alive and in the flesh." The half grin became full then. Marus left Will to his shock and continued behind the gym. There had been an entrance in the mountain face behind the gym and it was somewhere he hadn't checked. Within the mountain seemed the most feasible anyhow.

He turned then and a Dragon Pulse struck out at him but he turned the shockwave on its head and crashed it into the earth near him. Wind rushed by him and he responded. Dragonair slithered expertly aiming for his legs, but the Pokemon bounced away from his blade.

He felt the tail seize him during the recoil and he toppled from his feet. The other Dragonair closed in then and Will gave his command.

"Flamethrower!"

"I think not…" Marus flipped the blade on its side, attempting to stem the tide for as long as possible. He cursed. He should've been able to cut through that. If just believed he could, then he could do it. If he could focus.

But the sole fact that he was dead, yet alive at the same time confused him. Not even he knew. He knew many things. He knew that he had somehow gained knowledge from when he had fought Ho-Oh, when he was supposed to die but didn't even though "Marus" was dead.

He just couldn't focus.

The blade limped back a bit and the hot metal seared his skin. He was quick to remove it, but only moments later, he would be engulfed in fires. He would be reliving his own life. He could see the images flashing before him. He and Bitey had fought their way loose of the Genesect. Had fought together since he had found him. Had been a part of his village along with his closest friend, whom the Pokemon later died with.

"You humans feel so entitled to everything." The phoenix had mocked him, had allowed other to speak of legends of his power but had crushed him down to size and had taken everything else but left him alive.

Mira.

Bitey…

My people…

My home…!

Will watched the scene distantly. Dragonair obscured the sight of Marus and he was unable to see much.

"Well, that's that. But it seems almost too easy…huh?" Will's eyes widened. He saw Marus's free foot twitch, shaking a bit as if rage were consuming him. There was a glint of gold from the sword and a dark feeling rose within.

"Dragonair, get away!"

"I will cut through!" The fire parted before Marus's blade, coming full-circle over his right flank and hacked cleanly through the first Dragonair. He expertly disentangled himself from the limp Dragonair and was on his feet faster than what he could see. Will went for a command but was too slow as the second Dragonair found itself flat-footed before Marus passed through the Pokemon, its head severed from its body. Marus wiped the blade then, cleaning it so that it shone silver, as if nothing had even happened.

Will and Salamence suddenly appeared then on his flank and the dragon struck him with a powerful swipe of his claw. Marus felt bones snap as he was flung away. He stood steadily to his feet, his gaze deadest on his opponent. Will gave a nod then.

"That's the Marus that I knew you were. Feral. Deranged. Violent—"

"You think I care about you!?" His rage drowned out Will's voice. "Those two were nothing more than fodder in my path!" He held the blade up towards Will. "And I can see now that I can't get by without spilling a little blood; I suppose I always knew this though. You know, it's always best to avoid war, but humans just can't seem to get that through their fucking skulls!" Will's demeanor was aloof. His eyes passed over to the two fallen Dragonair and back to Marus, who went to rush him.

Will leapt back, just beyond range. Marus was relentless and charged once again.

"Dragonbreath!" Salamence responded and Marus was swept away with a gust of wind, slamming him into the mountain. He fell to the ground then.

But he stood again and Salamence met him with a subsequent Dragon Claw, pressing Marus back into the mountain face.

And again, he came to his feet. A vague sheet of sweat beaded his dirtied face. Will cursed inwardly.

"What is he?"

"I realize now, that you people of Blackthorn are simply defenders of that damn bird and will do whatever they can to help protect it, even when he's done completely wrong!" Marus ran his fingers along the edge of his blade in an almost sadistic rage. "And you know what? I think I'll just kill everyone here and I'm going to start with you first. "He grinned maliciously. I'm going to gut you. And I'll make sure I'll take my time." Will said nothing and was glad that his daughter had actually taken off when she did.

"I'm impressed…" The words of reason caught Marus off guard and his anger suddenly subsided. "No one's ever taken down a dragon so easily in my lifetime." Marus curled his lips at that. His cool mask had slipped back into place and he kept his breath low. The man hadn't broken, but he was undoubtedly shaken at how fast and meaningless the dragon's deaths seemed. He was like Victoria in such a manner, but she had already broken.

"And I'm certain you'd thought you'd never see such." Marus cringed inwardly at the at what he saw as the man's moment of weakness and then nearly laughed despite himself as Ryuu's words floated back to him, the ones about losing his humanity. "Heh."

"It's true." Marus's brow rose. "I had thought I'd never see something so powerful die so meaninglessly…" His voice calloused over and grew unmistakably in conviction. "However, if one dies for a cause greater than himself, then death is nothing to fear, to grieve over." Something shifted in the man. "I'll show you the power of dragons." Marus stared distantly; his lips curled upwards in a smile.