Reshiram and Luke said nothing as they watched Kyurem fly away, pondering heavily on the dragon's words. Once the Dragon of Ice had faded from sight, Luke turned his back to the cliff and shifted his gaze between Reshiram and the stone he now held.
"That stone looks…familiar to me," Reshiram calmly whispered.
"It should," Luke replied with a laugh. "It is the Dark Stone, after all."
"Of course," the Dragon of Truth replied, chuckling softly.
"Reshiram, I'm really sorry I was so tough on you before. Just as Kyurem said, I had no right to speak to you the way I did."
"It's fine, Luke."
"Well, now that that issue's been resolved, are you ready to see your brother again?"
"Are you kidding me?! If you can bring him back, THEN BRING HIM BACK! Um…I mean, 'Please bring him back.'"
Luke did his best retain his balance as well as his grip on the Dark Stone as he stared at Reshiram.
"I'm…sorry about that," the white dragon laughed.
Luke shook his head and once he regained his composure, he closed his eyes in concentration.
Zekrom, he mentally began, come back. I've done what you asked me to do; I've kept my promises. Reshiram and I are both eager to see you again, and your sister would also like to apologize for what happened before.
After what happened with Reshiram, I wasn't so sure I could save her as you had asked, but with some help and encouragement, I did it. I made it to Kyurem and he agreed to help me with the task at hand. As I said already, my mission was a success, but if not for Kyurem's help, and the help I received before that, I would've failed miserably.
I can't wait to see you again so I can tell you about that journey. It can't be said enough that I've missed you, but it's safe to say your sister misses you even more. Zekrom…my friend… Please come back.
"Luke?" Reshiram asked with concern. "Is everything…alright?"
"Yeah," Luke replied as he opened his eyes and stared back at the Dark Stone.
A short moment later, the stone began to glow. In anticipation of what was about to happen, Luke carefully stepped away from Reshiram, putting a reasonable amount of distance between the two; Reshiram, sensing Luke's anxiety, stepped back toward the remains of the shrine.
As the light emanating from the stone grew brighter, the mysterious object began floating, eventually hovering to a central position between Luke and Reshiram. Almost immediately after the stone took that specific placement, lightning began to surge from within the artifact itself. Luke and Reshiram could only shield their eyes from the light, but at the same time, they could sense that there was no danger, which enabled them to remain calm. As best as they could, Luke and Reshiram watched as the lightning grew more and more frantic and, after mixing with the light from the stone itself, began to take on a familiar form. In a manner similar to what had happened to Kyurem, the light disappeared, and in its place stood a familiar figure.
"I can't believe it…" Reshiram happily whispered.
"I know what you mean…" Luke sighed in agreement.
Where the spectacular display of lights had just taken place, Zekrom now stood, having the same majestic and imposing stature Luke had witnessed upon his first encounter with the Legendary Dragon. Unable to contain her emotions, Reshiram swiftly pulled her brother into a heavy and remorseful embrace and wept bitterly.
"Zekrom…" Reshiram cried. "My brother… I'm— I'm sorry… I'm so sorry for what I did… Please, please forgive me… I never wanted to hurt you or Luke, but I— I couldn't— I just couldn't control myself. I'm so sorry…"
"Reshiram," Zekrom calmly whispered, "everything's alright now; no need to cry."
"I'm sorry," Reshiram whispered. "I'm sorry I hurt you. You have no idea how happy I am to have you back."
"I feel the same," Zekrom replied. "Things turned quite grim back there; trust me, I know. Reshiram, though your actions were…uncalled for, the grief behind those actions was understandable. It's all in the past now; I forgive you, and I'm sorry for what I said to you before."
Reshiram smiled as her brother held her, and slowly, her breathing returned to a normal pace and she stopped crying. Once the white dragon was fully calm again, she took a step away from her brother and wiped her eyes. As the two dragons faced one another, Luke calmly approached the pair and spoke.
"You know…" Luke began, "I was really worried that my mission was a failure after what had…happened to you, but with some extra help and encouragement, I was able to pull myself back together. It took a while, but I kept the promises I made to you."
Zekrom nodded and addressed his friend's statements.
"I am aware of your struggles," the black dragon stated. "I could sense everything that you had experienced, but it was your strong heart and your conviction that truly made that possible."
"So you could sense everything that happened while you had the form of the Dark Stone, and even after the meeting with Kyurem?" Luke asked, a hint of concern present in his voice.
"That's right," Zekrom answered. "Call the Dark Stone a sort of hibernation that I take; while I can't actually interact with the world around me in that form, I can still witness it in a way, such as if someone were to wish for my guidance. That was especially true while I was a part of Kyurem. Whatever he witnessed, I witnessed, and whatever he heard, I heard as well. Even so, I could still sense the world around me, and Kyurem's energy has actually restored my own energy to a level I can't quite recall it ever reaching."
"Well," Luke replied, "I appreciate your kind words, Zekrom. I guess it's safe to say that you weren't in any kind of pain during that whole episode; that addresses that concern, at least." He looked over to Reshiram. "That just makes me wonder about what happens next."
"I will do whatever I must in order to restore my domain to its former glory," the white dragon replied. "But what will you do next, Luke?"
"First off, Zekrom and I need to get back to the Village of Ideals so we can tell everyone that you're back to your normal self, then my father and I need to get home and let everyone know that this mission was a success," the young adventurer admitted. "Unfortunately, I'm not too sure of where to go from there."
"What about the earthquakes?" Reshiram asked. "There haven't been any here for a little while now, but there is still the chance of them happening elsewhere."
"That's right," Luke sighed, crossing his arms and looking off to the side. "Since you're calm again, I need to get back to the issue of finding out what's causing all these earthquakes, but I just…don't know where to begin that search."
Reshiram laughed in response to Luke's words. Zekrom met his sister's merriment with a concerned glance, a head shake, and a sigh.
"What am I going to do with you?" the black dragon asked, giving his sister a look of admonishment similar to the kind of look one would give a hyperactive child.
"Forgive me," Reshiram said. "That was out of place; I'm sorry."
"It's fine, I guess," Luke said.
"Anyway," Reshiram began, "in order to address this problem, you need to seek out one who is in sync with the land itself."
"What the heck does that mean?" Luke asked, somewhat annoyed at the odd turn the conversation had taken.
"You'll find out once the puzzle's been solved," Reshiram answered, adopting a cheerful, almost child-like, tone of voice.
"Reshiram, what are you talking about?" Luke snapped, fully irritated at the lack of a real answer to his questions.
"You need to find the pillars of the land," Reshiram explained, "and once you find all three, the answer to the puzzle I'm referring to will reveal itself."
Luke took a moment to think about what Reshiram had just said before facing the white dragon again.
"I don't really know what that means, but I'm sure my dad will know," the young adventurer calmly said.
"Whatever you must do in order to solve this," Reshiram said, smiling. "In the meantime, I shall assist with the task of cleaning things up here. It'll be quite some time before the village and the shrine are rebuilt, but no doubt you'll be informed of when that's done. Even so, you are more than welcome to visit any time you wish."
"Thank you so much," Luke happily replied. "I'll definitely be sure to stop by whenever I can."
After the exchange, Reshiram approached Luke, knelt down, and pulled him into a heartfelt embrace, just as she had done before.
"Luke, I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for caring about me and helping me. I'd also like to thank you for your courage and your conviction, especially in the face of such tremendous odds," the white dragon gratefully whispered, "and I'd also like to sincerely apologize again for putting you in such a ridiculous level of danger."
"I accept your gratitude and your apology," Luke whispered in response, "but danger is just a part of my job, so there's no need to be upset about that."
As gently as possible, Reshiram pushed Luke back enough to get a good look at him, especially making sure to take in the look of pride and courage his face held.
"I don't even want to imagine what would've happened here had you not showed up," Reshiram calmly admitted.
"I know what you mean," Luke replied. "I feel exactly the same."
The white dragon smiled and spoke again.
"I wish you the best of luck on your journey, Luke," she beamed. Afterward, she stood up, pulled out one of her feathers, and presented it to the young Pokémon.
"What…?" Luke asked in surprise.
"Consider this a sign of my appreciation for what you've done," Reshiram answered.
"Thanks…" the adventurer replied in confusion, "but…what am I supposed to do with it?"
"It's far more than just a mere token of my appreciation or a personal memento," Reshiram explained. "As long as you keep that feather with you, if there is anything that you need, all you have to do is ask, and I shall be there to assist you in any way I can."
"That's very nice of you, but…how will it work?" Luke wondered.
"As long as you have that feather with you, I'll be able to sense whatever is in your heart, similar to what Zekrom had described before," Reshiram clarified.
Having his spirits lifted higher than they had been in a while, Luke gave the white dragon a hug of thanks, put the feather in his backpack, and turned to Zekrom.
"Well, Zekrom," Luke began, "I'm ready to get back to my father, and the sooner we get back and let everyone know about what happened here, the better. I'll also need to start preparing for the next part of my journey."
Without a word, the black dragon nodded in understanding and knelt down to allow his friend aboard.
"Luke, Zekrom, take care," Reshiram said.
"We will," Zekrom replied.
"And I'll definitely make sure to keep you in my heart," Luke added. "I'll be sure to visit you, first chance I get; I promise."
"In the meantime, remember what you've learned on your journey," Reshiram cut in. "Don't ever give up, no matter how tough things get."
"I promise," Luke replied.
Once all concerns had been addressed, Luke and Zekrom were airborne and headed for the Village of Ideals.