Chapter 29 – Keldeo's Resolution
The aurora storm showed no sign of receding, as N continued to stare upon its ominous beauty from the cottage window. As he continued to gaze up at it he couldn't help but wonder if Hilda and the others were okay, and at times regretted his decision staying behind. It was of course responsible of him to stay and take care of his father, who still needed help performing daily tasks with him now without the drive to do it himself. His sprit had been broken by dreams failed and unfulfilled.
But even if staying behind for his father was the right thing to do, N still couldn't help but feel the need to go out and help. His involvement may not be much, but at least it would be something…. Sending Reshiram with them was not enough – not enough to satisfy his anxiety for the safety of his allies, friends, and more importantly Hilda.
"You're just twitching to leave aren't you? I can tell by that stern pose that you just wish to be among the action – to see if everything is alright and if you can do anything to help. You truly are a hero… it's how I raised you after all."
Hearing his voice made N look back with an expression of surprise with eyes startled. His father… his father just talked! What's more he was standing. Supporting himself with a personalised cane, Ghetsis stood under the doorway to the room staring at his son with a soft smile. His eyes stilled looked tired and vacant yet were filled with a kindness never seen within them before. His father was healing… and for the looks of things for the better.
"You should go… I will be fine now. Go out there and become the hero I raised you to be."
Never in his life had N heard such encouraging words from his father. They were words encouraging him to go and do what he wanted and do it for himself. With this N was symbolically set free, and in a way Ghetsis also. The healing has begun, however it will take much time for this father-son relationship to become a positive one.
N approached him and laid a yearning hand upon his shoulder. "Come with me."
"Me… go with you?" Ghetsis laughed. "Look at me. Do I look like I'm in the shape to keep up with a young hero such as you? I'm past my prime and will only slow you down. They need you now. Go and be the man I failed to be."
"You haven't failed – not yet. As long as you're alive there's still time. You can still redeem yourself. You can do that by coming with me. Be at your son's side while he fights for the future of our proud land. Fight with me!"
After a moment silence deliberating with himself, Ghetsis smiled in conceit of his son's wishes. "I'm too tired to be arguing with such a spirited young man – to be fighting at all for that matter. I'll only be a spectator. That's all the strength I have for I'm afraid…"
N smiled. "As long as you're with me then that's good enough. Now let's go."
It hadn't been long since Dawn, Dialga and the others arrived on board the Champion Princess. Heatran had in fact been expecting them. From the moment he saw the aurora storm he figured they would retreat on board his ship sooner or later. But what he didn't expect however was Giratina being carried on within Dialga's arms, absent of a soul and his self-consciousness.
This was indeed an extreme case. If not soon resolved, then there would be no one equal to challenge Kyurem and his unlimited binary powers of universal balance. Victini and his Unova brethren could only do so much. When they are defeated – and they will be considering the rather unbalanced odds – there'll be no one to challenge Kyurem, thus leaving the opportunity open to him to achieve his destructive goals. They need Giratina to keep him in line until the hero arrives, but in the state he was in now he was utterly useless… and hopeless.
With his head finally clear of assessing thoughts, Heatran opened the door to one of the cabins to find everyone surrounding Giratina's bedside. The closest to his side were Dawn and Shaymin, who were still miserable and mourning for their fallen angel. Giratina just continued to lie there sleeping peacefully and unaware of Dawn's upmost misery and Shaymin's weeping. It was a dark time for everyone.
Never did they think they would feel so lost without their Renegade. The monster that threatened the world eight years ago and once haunted their dreams had become their strongest pillar of support. It was amazing how much perceptions could change in over a year – how much people could change in over a year. The same could be said for gods.
"Still no sign of change, eh?" Heatran said approaching them. His words were received with silence that spoke more volumes of the mood than words ever could: hopeless and miserable. He cleared his throat. "Perhaps Uxie it's time you explain to everyone of what's happened to our dark champion."
"His mind and soul have been shifted," Uxie replied. "His astral force has been taken from his physical form and now resides within a realm unknown and out of our reach. I actually mentioned this during our trip to the past. For those of you who were there, do you remember when I mentioned that the most powerful and experienced of us had the power to take away the minds and souls of our colleagues… this is what I was talking about. I never would have thought Kyurem would actually do it; it's a taboo ability and a sign of disrespect."
"Yeah, I think you did mention something like that," Gary said jogging his memory. "It was just after we saw Huge deliver the final blow in his battle against Kyurem. It was when we found out legendary Beings suffer just was much pain as humans do when mortally wounded if not more. You're all immortal so there's no death for you guys - not even if you get stabbed in the heart. You gotta experience that slowly heal. That's gotta be hell!"
"It is and Huge realised that. That's how he beat Kyurem. But we're going off topic. Giratina's physical body is now no more but an empty shell – absent of soul and consciousness. His physical form is now but a sleeping husk with his metaphysical force now residing within a place unknown. Only Arceus knows where he is now…"
"That's it!" Cyrus spoke up with his mind jogged with memory of recent past. "That's what Mew was talking about! 'If the Renegade should fall into the void of endless slumber, then seek for the holy light atop of the sacred mountain'. This is what she meant!"
"Mew…?" Dialga wondered, "When did Mew appear?"
"It was during our battle with Team Plasma inside Iccirus City," Johanna replied. "Arceus had sent her down with a message, as well as gave us a hand when we were in a pinch."
Uxie began to muse on Mew's message deciphering it within his mind. "Hmm…. 'If the Renegade should fall into the void of endless slumber, then seek for the holy light atop of the sacred mountain.' Her message was a clue to a way in awakening Giratina if he should fall victim to this terrible fate. The 'holy light' is obviously Arceus and the 'sacred mountain' must be Mt. Coronet and Spear Pillar. Only Arceus can access the void where Giratina's life has returned to so it makes sense that he'd have a way to restore him."
Regirock smiled. "Even if he is not here in body he is always assisting us in spirit. He must have foreseen what would happen and sent Mew down to warn us. But as always he speaks in riddle to test us and strengthen our resolve. He trusts in us to solve his puzzles. Now it is time he helps us in body."
"We need to call him down to help Giratina and we need the treasures to do it. But they're scattered across the globe – stored way from our last adventure. So how do we go about re-gathering the treasures, get to Spear Pillar, and then get to Victini and the others in time before they're exhausted from Kyurem? These factors don't leave much of a window for us to act."
Barry scoffed. "Who needs time when you have gods on your side? I'm sure with all your special abilities you guys can up with something to avoid the obstacle of long-distance travel... like Palkia with her power over dimensional space. I'm sure you can rip a hole in the space-time continuum to allow instant access to Spear Pillar…"
"… You have a point," Palkia replied, although she and the others were quite surprised to hear Barry of all people talking sense being the spaz that he is. "I can certainly do that… however I can only open two dimensional rips at a time. Anymore and it will would cause trouble."
"In that case I will escort May to Hoenn myself to collect the Sword of Arceus," Rayquaza said. "With my speed the journey should take no less than an hour."
May nodded agreeing to ride upon Ray to quickly get back home. "Right. I'll call Drew now and have him prepare the Sword of Arceus for us."
"Alright then, I guess I'll use one of Palkia's dimensional holes to jump into Kanto and get the orbs," Ash added. "Too easy!"
With action now seeming to be taken to restore Giratina to his normal state, the mood in the cabin had lifted from hopeless misery to one of hopeful aspiration. This shift in the atmosphere had affected Dawn also as she no longer grieved for her fallen immortal lover, instead feeling the need to take action rising from her seat next to his bedside.
"I will head for Spear Pillar now," she said to Ash and May. "Please be as quick as you can."
"Don't you worry," Ash replied with a confident grin. "We'll have Giratina awake in no time."
"As for the rest of you, you all should head back to the chasm and assist Victini and the others," Dialga said. "Only a few are required to fulfil this task while the rest of us can buy some time. I will go with Dawn escorting Giratina to Spear Pillar."
"Right. Let's all get to work."
The battle raged on inside the depths of Giant Chasm. Chaos reigned in the forms of deafening explosions, falling ice and rubble, as the Legendary Pokémon of Unova continued to wreck the place taking no notice of their surroundings. They were after all in an intense all-on-one match against their most powerful colleague, who showed no sign of letting up as he continued to attack them all with ease. Kyurem was an overpowering force to be reckoned with, but as long as Victini and his allies continued to fight they still had a chance of victory… even if they should fall in defeat. It was the arrival of the hero they were holding out for; only the hero could end Kyurem's rage.
The odds soon changed as Kyurem's pair of allies decided to pick out their opposing siblings from the overall fight to begin separate ones against each other. These legendary Beings still had scores to settle. Cobalion and Virizion thought this was a good time as any to settle their familial disputes upon the field of battle.
Terrakion had no qualms with this obvious, yet also personal move to distract from the main battle. Their fight began almost instantly, with Cobalion's resolve fuelled by anger of betrayal, whereas his brother battled to prove himself right in his decision of leaving them. No words needed to be exchanged; these hardened warriors knew exactly what they and the other were fighting for.
Meanwhile, Keldeo and Virizion just continued to stare each other down. The all-out war raging above them made the silence between them intense, which in turn fuelled Virzion's drive to defeat her traitorous sister once and for all. Keldeo needed to pay for her arrogance – arrogance for disobeying their brother's creed. For Virizion, this fight was more about honouring her brother than for herself. Keldeo however needed to prove her worth – her worth as a warrior and a god worthy to serve the great Arceus.
"Are you ready to suffer, traitor?"
"My suffering has already ended," Keldeo replied, standing tall facing her sister with eyes filled with resolution. She hadn't felt this determined for such a long time – not since her years fighting alongside Huge. "Today I fight not for myself, but also for the salvation of my land. As Sir Huge would always say: 'I will not back down I will not give up and I will fight to the very end!'"
"As will I."
The sounds of battle lingered with a hindering echo as professor Juniper, Hilda, and her fellow Unova trainers trekked inside the cold icy corridors of Giant Chasm. Victini had sent them away from the fighting for their own safety, as well as to search for the Unova Sword. He and his Unova brethren were keeping Kyurem occupied so they could search for it undisturbed. However there was one problem: they had no idea where to look first.
"This sword could be anywhere in here," Cheren said. "We could be searching for it for days! Even if they are legendary Pokémon, I'm certain it would be impossible even for them to hold out for that long."
"Okay, then let's try and think about this from another perspective," Juniper replied, trying to think of a way to ease their search. "Okay, then how about this: if you were Huge, where would you think would be the best place to hide a sword?"
Silence fell upon them as they began to wonder about possible places to where the sword may be. But it seemed that Hilda had more pressing thoughts on her mind, with her posture reserved and stiff as a board. The bleak expression upon her face reflected the troubled emotions inside herself.
Bianca noticed it. "Hilda... Is something the matter?" Hilda didn't hear her; she was too caught within her own thoughts to pay mind to her friend's concern. "Hilda!"
It took the second time to catch her attention. "Oh... Sorry. What's up?"
"You is what's up. You look rather troubled. It's not about the sword is it?"
"I'd say it has something to do with Kyurem," Cheren said. "I'd say his antics are beginning to rub on her - he did kidnap her after all."
"Hilda... What did he do?" Hilbert asked.
Hilda sighed, about to tell what was concerning her. They were quite the inquiring lot... Guess that's what friends are for. "It's not about what he's done, but what I couldn't do. I couldn't do anything. All I could do was run…. Run like a coward."
"Hilda..."
"A part of me wants to fight him - to challenge him head on. It's an irksome urge that always appears every time I'm faced against him. I just want to fulfil that urge but I know I'm not strong enough. I need to be smart... But at the same time I just want to beat him to a pulp for behaving so badly. But I just can't do it. I know I can't do it…. And it makes me feel useless."
"Oh, Hilda..." Juniper sighed. "If there is one thing I know, it's that you're not useless."
Hilbert agreed. "Yeah she's right, so don't say such stupid things! You're not weak. You're the strongest person I know - in strength as well as heart. And when it comes to wanting to give Kyurem what for you're not alone; I want to give him a thorough ass kicking too! I'm sure a lot of us feel like that. But we're also not dumb enough to go through with it. He's a monster Hilda, and unless you have a damn good plan to beat a monster then you run. Run like hell and never look back! What you did was smart, not weak. You live to fight on with your friends. That's what matters."
Hilda smiled softly at her cousin. What he said was true and just what she needed to hear.
"Thanks cuz. You know... you're a hero yourself when you want to be…"
"Nah," he laughed. "I just tell it like it is. Now let's get back to the matter at hand eh? Where would you think this sword would be?"
Hilda thought silently for a moment, before smiling getting an idea. "The sanctuary – Kyurem's sanctuary. It's where I came to after he knocked me out. Maybe… just maybe… the sword could be somewhere inside there."
Juniper gave Hilda's theory some thought. "Hmm… it's a long shot but it's a good place to start. You know where it is?"
"It's above us. Just follow me."
Sitting upon the Rayquaza's long emerald dragon back, May flew high above the ocean towards her homeland of Hoenn. There she would meet her partner Drew just outside Lilycove City, who would be waiting for her with the Sword of Arceus in hand. Eight years ago, the Sword of Arceus was one of the four treasures used to open the gates of Heaven at Spear Pillar atop Mt. Coronet. With Heaven's door open, Arceus was able to descend from his holy realm to punish Giratina; only he had the power and authority to control his dark other half. This time Arceus was needed to not punish Giratina, but to save him.
They arrived above the Cliffside outside Lilycove where the ocean crashed and enveloped far below. Standing close to the edge was Drew waving up at them with a long wrapped package in his possession. She and Rayquaza wasted no time quickly landing and exchanging formalities with the seasoned co-ordinator champion of the Hoenn region. He was very happy to see May after so long. Video calls were never enough.
"So, I hear that you and your friends are in a pretty bad spot over there," Drew said making conversation. He then held out the sword that was wrapped and packaged tightly for a safe journey across the seas. "Will this help?"
"More than you know," May replied, happily taking the sword out of his hands. "Without this we can't bring our strongest player back onto play… and we need him now more than ever. Thanks for making the trouble to come out here."
Drew smiled lovingly at May. "Not at all. But you know… who'd ever thought that we'd come to rely on that monster so much. Seems a little pathetic of us to depend on something that was once our enemy, don't you think…?"
"However that's the thing, Drew…" Ray began to point out. "We was our enemy. Now he needs our help. Since his time with Dawn he has been trying ever so hard to redeem himself, and in doing so proving to us that he not just a powerful being, but a man with the courage to change himself. This effort can be measured with the love he has for Dawn, which is vaster than any open sea."
Drew smirked. "You're right about that. Not even mine and May's passion can compare to theirs. Gods can make anything look easy – love particularly."
"Well, if you concentrated more on us than your skills as a co-ordinator, then maybe things would be better in that department!" May pointed out with a smirk of her own devilish and smug. "Tell me, how many competitions have you entered while I was gone…?"
Drew became sheepish. "Uhhh… it's best you didn't know." She just shook her head sightly dismayed. "What!? My rival and only real competition was off playing hero. Of course I would take this opportunity to win as many easy medals as I could! Wouldn't you…?!"
"You still have a problem, Drew."
Ray nodded. "I agree."
As May and Rayquaza continued to tease Drew about his competing obsession, Ash had already arrived at his home in Kanto and was searching for the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs. The Sword of Arceus was 'the beacon' to call him forth after the Adamant, Lustrous and Griseous Orbs opened Heaven's door acting as 'the keys', unlocking the holy realm upon the living plain. He was certain that he had safely stored away the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs inside his bedroom closet after he had used them. But that was eight years ago. Now he wasn't sure if they were indeed inside his closest, or if he had hid them somewhere else.
Lugia, Ho-oh, and Misty were also inside Ash's room assisting him in his search for the all-important orbs. They soon paused in their frantic search to notice Ash rubbing his chest. It wasn't his chest exactly where he felt the sudden strain, rather, it was the Griseous Orb fused within his flesh making its presence known… and reminding him and the others of eight years past.
It was eight years ago during their time in the Hoenn region on their quest gathering the legendary Pokémon to rage war against Giratina. It was during that time when emotions began to run high and tension began to show within the group – more so between Ash and Misty. The results of this led Ash to fall victim to Giratina's hand with his heated emotions leaving him vulnerable for easy manipulation. Ash became a slave… a 'puppet' for the evil Renegade's desires, in addition receiving his Griseous Orb to 'improve' his effectiveness and tighten his grasp on the poor boy's mind. The orb was fused into the flesh upon his chest symbolically sealing his fate, as well as gifting him with powers simular to Giratina.
He was eventually saved from this dark fate by Misty, who after given time to revaluate her feelings and admit to herself of her love for him, was able to break him out of Giratina's spell. It was after this when their love truly blossomed. However, the Griseous Orb still infused upon him remains a horrible reminder of mistakes made eight years ago, and of the trials they had to endure. Why Giratina never took it back remains a mystery… even now eight years later.
"Ash… are you okay?" Misty asked. "It's the Griseous orb isn't it…?"
"Yeah, but I'll be fine," he replied with a reassuring smile. "It's nothing really."
"It seems more than nothing…" Lugia said. "It is as if the Griseous Orb is reacting to something."
"Actually, it's been like this ever since Giratina fell asleep. It's as if he's somehow calling out using this to maintain his presence to me. Every time it feels heavy… as if simulating an emotion of sadness. He needs our help."
Ho-oh smiled. "If that is that case then it means that he is not completely lost to us. We need to hurry to insure his suffering kept brief and in time to stop Kyurem. The orbs are obviously not here. Is there anywhere else you can think of where you may have put them?"
"Let's try the basement. We'll turn this house upside down if we have to!"
Lugia then smirked. "Well then, let's get to it. But I wonder how Delia would feel in turning her house 'upside down?'"
"Are you kidding; she would be the first to turn up the couch! You should know my mother by now Lugia…"
"The Being of the Seas laughed. "Of course."
The lower depths of Giant Chasm had become a malicious battlefield for multiple clashes. The greatest of the three conflicts was against Kyurem and Victini, who with a handful of Unova brethren at his side struggled, against the powerful mad ice dragon.
The second battle was against Cobalion and Terrakion, who both constantly weaved throughout the main fight without concern of interrupting the others. The already chaotic surroundings were none of their concern either; the only important thing was each other – their enemy. The third battle was Keldeo against Virizion, who within their Pokémon forms kept to the ground making the icy floor their battlefield.
It was all happening at once and it made the Giant Chasm presently the most dangerous place within the Unova region – more so than it was considered before. The lights and explosions from their all-out rumble could be seen from Castelia City, making the hearts of those who paused to recognise it nervous. Just who or what was making their land tremble with the sound of thunder… gods? For those who asked that question, they had no idea how right they were.
Things were not looking good for Keldeo, with Virizion seeming to have the upper hand. Not only had the vengeful being have an elemental advantage, but her bitter desire to see her sister suffer for her betraying sins enhanced her abilities through sheer willpower and resolve. With a very close Leaf Blade she had Keldeo cornered, weak and defenseless.
Virizion was about to make the final blow, readying her side horns for a Sacred Sword attack. "This is it traitor. You're finished!"
"I'm not done - not yet!" Keldeo protested.
"Tch! Are you kidding - look at you! You can't even stand!"
Keldeo's battered Pokémon form was then suddenly swallowed within a powerful white glow. Was she reverting back into her human form? Why? In her Pokémon form she was stronger. So why transform in the middle of a battle? This confusing behavior made Virizion curious, and so she just stood there watching perplexed. Just what was her sister up to?
The light upon Keldeo eventually faded to reveal she had changed. However she was not in her human form. Her Pokémon form now looked different. Keldeo seemed taller, stronger, and fiercer than ever before. The long blue horn on her forehead presided with warning: if you mess with this horse, then you're going to get speared!
Virizion was not impressed. "What is the meaning of this?" She was unimpressed less at the fact that Keldeo's form had changed, but more so that she could feel that she had become much stronger than before. Perhaps allowing her to change would be a decision she would soon regret. "I never knew you to have another form..."
"This is the result of walking your own path," Keldeo replied. "Mine was a treacherous one filled with pain and suffering but a path that was my own. And for enduring all that suffering I was reward with strength, along with a new form that represents my resolution for enduring all that pain and sadness! This form is the result of the actions done by you, Cobalion and Terrakion. Now it's time you experience those results for yourself. I am Resolute! You cannot defeat me!"
"Ha! We'll see about that, you traitor!"
She began round two charging for Keldeo armed with her already prepared Sacred Sword attack. But just before the attack could connect Keldeo she disappeared evading. She was like a blur. In her new Resolute form Keldeo's speed had dramatically increased. Not only that but she was rather nimble bouncing off the walls and running circles around her sister. Virizion could not keep up, and as a result could not see Keldeo's attacks or precisely land one herself. Trying just made her exhausted. Things were not looking good for the vengeful Being of the Grasslands.
Keldeo eventually decided that it was time to end this battle. It was clear that she had Virizion beat and to just continue would be pointless. She readied her long blue horn for her finishing move the Secret Sword – a move only she could perform and only in her Resolute state. Her horn glowed with an intense red reflecting her strength, courage and her resolve for victory. She charged for Virizion the moment her attack was ready and easily landed the final blow spearing her sister in her side.
With an agonising screech Virizion collapsed to the icy floor defeated. She also reverted back to her human form now too weak to hold her Pokémon shape. In the end her anger and undying loyalty left her blind – blind to Keldeo's potential and in essence the bigger picture. Perhaps this was just what she deserved. If only she were stronger – strong enough to defeat her sister and more importantly… strong enough to leave Cobalion's side. He had kept her weak. She could clearly see that now…
She tried to raise her upper body from the ice. Her trembling arms were only just able to let her sit up so she could see the damage done to her flesh. She was battered and bruised, as well as gushing blood from her opened side left by Keldeo's finishing spear-headed move. Just what was that attack? It was similar to the Sacred Sword and yet differed so much in strength and effect.
With weak eyes Virizion looked up to her victorious sister, who stared down upon with eyes filled with pride.
"Virizion… from now on I will never heed to you or Cobalion. I will never allow for the both of you to assault me ever again. From here on will never defeat me."
"A-are… are you saying you just allowed us to beat you…?" Keldeo just proceeded to walk away leaving no reply. "You did, didn't you? You weren't weak at all! You just allowed us to assault you making you stronger! We were playing into your hand the entire time! You were never afraid of us!"
"No, I was never afraid," Keldeo then spoke, looking back to see her sister sulking upon the ice. "It wasn't fear that held be back… but sadness. You say that I betrayed you. Well… I always felt that you all betrayed me. That pain kept me weak but it is also made me yearn to become stronger. At times it made me feel very alone and that loneliness also kept me meek. But not anymore. I've had had enough! I will now fight and no one – not even you or Cobalion – will ever defeat me!"
"Is that so? Well then, let's see if your actions are true to your words. Prove that you can defeat me here and now."
Cobalion approached Keldeo ready to test her newly revealed strength for himself. He was in his human form, meaning he was that exhausted he could no longer hold his stronger Pokémon familiar. He didn't show his exhaustion however, approaching ever so boldly with only his anger fuelling his drive. He looked the bill of health; showing weakness was never his strongest attribute.
Keldeo also noticed that he had defeated Terrakion, who lay upon the cold ice battered, bloodied and unable to move. It must have taken Cobalion all he had to defeat the tank that was the Being of Caverns. Their strength had always been equal… it's just that today, Cobalion's hatred proved stronger than Terrakion's heroic will.
"Two-faced as well as cowardice . How your path as steered you so far from the one of righteous and honour. You presented to us a goddess broken and unwilling, yet in truth you were using us to further your corrupted goals. Not only that, but you also manipulated my brother to turn down the wrong path."
"Cobalion, it wasn't like that!"
"Enough!" He unsheathed his Sacred Sword ready for battle. "I now clearly see that there is not an inkling of redemption for you. You have clearly chosen your path! I'll be to make sure that you never recover from this final onslaught!"
Keldeo knew that Cobalion would never see reason through words, but instead through the clashing of swords. As it currently stands victory would be hers for she could still hold her Pokémon form, meaning she still had the strength to fight. Cobalion however, was in his human form with not enough strength to change his shape. It was a fight he will never win. Maybe he realised that.
But even so Keldeo thought this to be unfair, and so decided to even the playing field a little reverting back to her human form. Even that seemed different for she looked less like a goddess and more of a warrior. She was ready to fight and defeat her beloved brother.
With a war cry Cobalion leaped into the air with his sword held high. Keldeo unsheathed her sword and prepared for impact. It was her Secret Sword attack now physically embodied into a special katana with her now fighting in human form. With her special blade she blocked her brother's attack and from there a fiery sword battle raged. Their speed and strength seemed equal, with Cobalion's attack like a blur to normal eyes and Keldeo with her improved speed keeping up with his blows, blocking and avoiding with little effort.
Even when he was weak Cobalion remained strong. It was no reason why he was considered their leader, for even when weak he could still put up a fight. Perhaps at his weakest was when he was at his strongest; if he were going to go down then he will do so kicking and screaming. It was a stubborn trait he always had, needing to be greater than everyone else and to be the role model for his siblings to look up to. However Keldeo could see that something else was obviously pushing him to prove his strength and superiority; it had been driving him for almost five hundred years: hatred.
It didn't take too long for them to begin using their special attacks, seeing that their blades were doing nothing but simply bat with one another. Cobalion attacked with Metal Burst successfully hitting Keldeo with immense amount of damage, however not enough to take her down. She was next to attack hitting her rage-filled brother with a Hydro Pump, just able to blast him with enough heavily pressured water sending him off his feet and crashing onto the ice. She was certain that would be enough to keep him down… or so she thought.
There was still fight left in him – enough strength and resolve for one final assault. With his stubborn refusal to lose and hate driving him, Cobalion rose from the ice and charged towards Keldeo as fast as he could. He then attacked her Close Combat, exhausting very last ounce of his energy into overpowered physical blows. Keldeo had no choice but to endure his attacks for he was too close to counter. She could feel his hatred and rage with every punch and his power and resolve with every kick.
With a final boot to her stomach Cobalion shoved her to the floor. It seemed the tables had turned with her brother once again demonstrating his strength and authority. Cobalion was never wrong; how could he be with the virtue of honour at his side seeing him through every victory. Her new strength was all for nothing under her brother's iron hand… or so it seemed.
As he approached her to finally nail her to her ultimate fate she quickly charged her blade for a surprise Secret Sword attack. Unlike her brother Keldeo still had life left in her, and it was this life which fuelled her speed and accuracy in performing her last attack. She quickly leaped from the icy floor with her sword burning aflame and impaled the glowing blade into his stomach.
Virizion, who had been watching their entire battle from afar as she nursed her wound, gasped in horror as Keldeo sealed Cobalion's fate.
"COBALION!"
Never in her life had she seen Cobalion look so vulnerable before… to be in so much pain and agony. Keldeo did it… she had defeated Cobalion – something that has never been done before and especially not by his own siblings.
Before he blacked out he heard Keldeo whisper…
"I love you dear brother… but you will never defeat me. Never again."
Victini only had a second to witness this moment before having to evade the exhausted body of yet another comrade thrown into the ice, defeated and down for the count. Whilst Keldeo overcame her fears and defeated her own demons below, Victini and the others had been having a whole lot of trouble above in the meantime. It was now only down to himself, Reshiram and Zekrom against the evil before them within the form of Kyurem.
The poor little mouse could only watch as the strongest of his allied brethren were slowly beaten to a pulp. Yes, the two of them indeed put up a good fight; considering that they were once part of Kyurem's being it was sort of a given. However Kyurem was a titan compared to them with powers limitless and incomparable. But in the end they weren't expecting to come out victorious from this; all that they were doing was stalling. However they could only hold out for so long for a nameless hero with no sign of showing up any time soon.
Reshiram's last stand was his signature move the Fusion Flare. With a giant flame Kyurem was engulfed within the wrath of his 'half of truth'. However that attack only proved to do so little, as the flames dissolved into harmless embers, revealing not a single singe upon the ice monster's frozen body. Even though Reshiram had the elemental advantage it proved nothing against Kyurem's powers of universal balance – the powers of Black and White.
Kyurem retailed with a Glaciate, freezing his 'self of truth' within a block of ice.
"Reshiram – the one who represents my White," Kyurem began to speak. "The one that represents all things to do with the light and who embodies the truth of the universe. For a Being who is responsible for these virtues… I assumed that you would be more righteous and wholesome. But you're nothing but an obnoxious flamboyant flirt. How you are a part of me is beyond logical understanding."
He was then interrupted from his mocking evaluation, having to dodge a hazardous Fusion Bolt attack. Zekrom was still in the game and she took offense to Kyurem's ignorance of her. As far she was concerned she was the one he needed to worry about most; he will pay for taking Hilda the way he did and cost will indeed be high.
"Oh, Zekrom… I had forgotten you were there," the ice dragon said with a mocking smirk.
"You pompous bastard!" Zekrom roared. "I am the one you should be worrying about the most here! Hilda is not your play thing! I'll see to that you become so paralysed that you won't be able to move for the next thousand years for causing her such misery!"
Kyurem laughed. "Oh, how feisty… and how ideal of you to believe you can defeat me! I can accept that my half of the Black and Ideal are represented by such a snarky femme fatal…. But really, my little warrior princess has more chance being protected by a Patrat than by the likes of you! You know, if you came crashing in later other than sooner… than she would have been nothing but mincemeat – devoured by yours truly!"
"What?!"
"Oh yes… I was just about to devour her pathetic little frame of flesh, but you flew in just in a knick of time and destroyed any dream of savouring her bones in-between my jaws… for now anyway."
"MONSTER!"
Kyurem's banter had succeeded with Zekrom now enraged by his words of eating her precious Hilda. She had lost any self-control and was now in a frenzy of Fusion Bolts and fits of Outrage. Meanwhile Kyurem just continued to mock her dodging her attacks. She rampaged throughout the lower depths of the chasm destroying everything in her path. She was creating more chaos than the overall battle itself had accumulated. At this point the chasm will crumble!
Again all Victini could do was watch. He lost any control he had over the situation a long time ago and it was pointless to do anything about it now. It wasn't too long before he watched Kyurem turn around and retaliate a thousand-fold with a series of Glaciate attacks, as well as Outrage into frenzy himself. Zekrom was more or less screwed.
It was this moment when Kyurem began to attack back did the small Being realize just how powerful his former friend truly was. He had always known Kyurem was strong – stronger than anything he knew on this planet with acceptation of Giratina. It was on rare occasion when Kyurem had to physically demonstrate his force, and Victini could only remember one time in which he did. That was when testing Sir Huge five hundred years ago. Back then Victini used to awe in admiration at his friend's power but now… it only made him very tense… as well as doubtful of the future.
Kyurem finished Zekrom off by slamming her down onto the icy ground. She was out cold fainted and defeated. She was the last of his allies. He was the only one left. Kyurem had discarded her before his feet as a symbolic gesture of his pointless endeavour against him. Victini was screwed… but that fazed him none. He looked up towards his former friend who floated above him with a mocking smirk. They were the only ones left. This battle wasn't over yet!
"You think I'm scared of you…?" Victini then said, replying to his enemy's symbolical declaration of victory by throwing a defeated comrade at his feet. "You may be powerful but I don't give a shit! You will be defeated!"
"Oh will I… and just who or what will defeat me… You? Forgive me my old friend, but compared to my power now yours is that… well… shall we say that of a mouse?" He cackled, laughing at his own joke.
But all the said mouse did was smirk at the mad ice dragon's mocking retort. "Who said that it would be me that will defeat you? I'll admit I'm nothing compared to you. In fact I'm nothing but fodder – so had been everyone else fighting here. But that doesn't mean that I'm not gonna try! I may be a mouse but I'm gonna try and kick your ass anyway! As Huge would say: 'I will not back down, I will not give up and I will fight to the very end!'"
"And this indeed will be your very end. It is just such a shame that it had to come to this my old friend..."
"Spare me the sympathies Kyurem; by the time this war is finally over it will be you who will need the condolence. But for now I'm gonna give it my all! Hell, I might even win."
"You always were quite the optimistic fellow my little Vicky… but here that optimism is misplaced. You will never leave this place in one peace! This shall be your end!"
"Heh, we'll see about that?"
The air was cold atop Mt. Coronet, with the wind's breath chilling upon Dawn's skin. Gazing out towards the landscape of Sinnoh lain below she, Shaymin, Palkia and Dialga awaited silently amongst the ruins of Spear Pillar. Ash and May had yet to arrive with the compulsory treasures needed to bring Arceus forth into the mortal plain.
Their sole purpose for doing this was sleeping peacefully upon the ancient stone, his body empty of soul and mind of consciousness. Where these metaphysical components were right now was a complete mystery. All they knew was that Giratina was gone – returned to the void where only Arceus could bring him back.
Dawn turned away from the lovely afternoon view to see her immortal lover still lay dormant upon the cold sacred stone. She began to slowly approach wanting to be closer to him. Dialga and the others watched with heavy hearts, as Dawn lay down with him with her head pressed upon his cold chest. She couldn't hear a single heartbeat. He may as well be a dead corpse. It broke her heart.
"Do not fear, Dawn…" Dialga softly spoke. "He will return. Once Arceus arrives I am certain he will know what to do."
"I know," Dawn replied. "I know that he will be all right, but right now with the way things are… it just makes everything seem bleak. He doesn't even have a heartbeat. It's as if he is dead. I feel as if I have lost him and it makes me so sad and helpless."
"Dawn…"
"Last night he said something to me that caught me completely off guard. It was something I thought I would never hear him say or even think of. He said he was afraid of losing me – afraid of my mortality. When I eventually die I would be leaving him behind alone in this world." She could help but giggle as she tried to keep the tears at bay. "Well it's seems the tables have turned and I have lost him. That's how all of this feels to me."
"But he is not gone Dawn… not completely. He can still come back and that is what we are trying to do here. At least he can return… which you cannot when your time is up."
"Dialga…"
"He is not the only one afraid of your mortality; I am also. When we gods open our hearts to mortals this is what we need to accept: that one day you will leave us in death. We know this yet we do it time and time again. For some it's for friendship, while for others it's for love. Each time we deal with the pain of loss differently. For some it is to grieve in solitude… while for others it is to go mad. I wonder how Giratina will take your death when it is time…? I wonder about that sometimes."
Dawn sat up from Giratina's sleeping body slowly paying mind to what Dialga was trying to say. This was the first time Dialga had confessed to something like this such as fearing for a mortal's life. From the way he spoke of death, it was a ticking time bomb which every immortal feared – not for them, but for those they chose to let in. Humans they'll only get to know for a brief moment… before they disappear forever. Dialga was no stranger to that cold hard fact.
He then continued, this time with a kind assuring smile. "… However, there is one thing that I know for certain now and that is his love for you. His love for you keeps him sane – keeps him grounded. He would do anything for you Dawn. He is not a monster to you. And I can see that when he is with you… he doesn't seem like a monster himself. Don't give up on him Dawn. Don't give up on the one man that can truly make you happy in this world. He needs you to be strong, so stay strong for his sake. Don't be fooled by our present predicament no matter how bleak it seems."
Dawn smiled. "Thank you Dialga… you truly are my brother."
Her response made the Being of Time go bright red; that was not quite what he was expecting. He anticipated a simple "thank you", not to also recognise their relationship of familial compassion. Even if he did like the sound of it, having Dawn call him 'brother' outright like that embarrassed him a little.
But even after all that, Shaymin still could not accept this current predicament. "But even so… he was supposed to be strong. He was supposed to be unbeatable. Just how did this happen…? Just how was the once feared and all-powerful Being of Distortion able to find himself so vulnerable, without a mind and soul and absent to this world?"
Palkia rested a consoling hand upon the young goddess' shoulder. "Even the strongest of titans can fall victim for fools. He had dropped his guard leaving him open for Kyurem to trick him. It may be that without any equal, Giratina eventually became aloof to his own power and immortality. He became blind to the potential of others around him and this is the consequence for that carelessness."
Shaymin understood what Palkia was trying to say. "I guess it's lonely at the top, huh… or maybe in Giratina's case a little boring…?"
A shadow over the horizon soon caught their attention. It charged towards them like a missile fired. It soon to be revealed as May riding upon Rayquaza flying towards them with the Sword of Arceus in hand. The mood among them lifted at this site, and it soon became more joyous as Ash and his party stepped through Palkia's dimensional rip safely placed nearby. They were just in time seeing May dismount off her fatherly legendary partner, who soon reverted back to his spectacled middle-aged human form. It was amazing what great timing they had to arrive at the same time.
"Greetings Dialga…" Rayquaza began. "Hope we not kept you waiting for long…"
Dialga smiled. "No, your time is impeccable." He then turned to Ash and his associates. "Do you have the orbs?"
Ash presented the Being of Time with the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs held tightly within the grip of his hands… as well as the Griseous Orb infused upon his chest.
"Check!"
Dialga then looked back to May and Ray. "And the sword…?"
"Right here, Mr. Dialga sir!" May replied holding up the sword still securely wrapped. "Just give me a sec to get it ready."
"Good. Now let's act quickly; we do not know the state of affairs in Unova right now and we cannot keep Victini and the others waiting. They need Giratina now…. We need Giratina now."
Hi everyone,
Well it took me over a couple of months, but I finally uploaded chapter 29! I am so, so, so sorry it took so long to finish :(
Having to rewrite this chapter I assumed it would take extra time to complete. But what also hindered the process this time was study. I had a block of study I needed to do, which led me no choice but to push this fan fic to the back burner yet again for a while. With that out of the way, I can focus on this story a little more, but each chapter will still take a while to upload. Also, this chapter is very long. It was 18 pages in my word program when I was finally done.
There is one thing for certain though, and that is that this fan fic will be completed... even if it takes me another whole year lol
Once again, I thank you all for your patience, for taking the time to read my slow work and hope that you continue to read in the future :) xx
