A few hours had passed before Kia returned. He gave both Formora and Firnen a great scare when out of nowhere he shot past them, crashing to the ground in a dust-covered heap. He rolled for a good distance before coming to a stop on his side, panting for breath and covered head to toe in bruises, especially on his underbelly.
"Wow! What happened to you?" Firnen whistled, coming over to give him a hand. Kia didn't seem to notice or hear, as he didn't make a move or a sound.
"Well?" Formora demanded.
Kia gulped, opened his eyes, and rolled onto his stomach. He muttered something under his breath, but it was impossible to decipher.
"Speak up, man," Firnen said, crouching next to his friend.
"I'm sorry…" Kia whispered in the faintest tone.
Cold numbness erupted from Formora's core, where it began to encase her heart.
"They got away, didn't they?"
"I'm so sorry…" Kia repeated, accepting an Oran Berry from Firnen. He took a bite and stood.
"I was about half an hour from the island when I heard a noise above me, then all of a sudden Ezra and Carys were ripped away from me. Next thing I knew—BAM, I'm eating dirt. I got up to fight back, only to be smashed repeatedly against the ground by Unbound Hoopa's Psychic. He must have been watching after all…I tried to stop him, I really did…but there was nothing I could do against that kind of power. If I were you, then I'd've creamed him, but I'm only me. Lady Formora, please, I beg you—"
"It's fine," she replied with a shrug. Her heart was completely numb, leaving her with only the feeling of a cold, lonely void.
Kia and Firnen stared at her, jaws agape.
"You're…not mad," Kia said slowly, backing up a few steps.
She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I'm actually absolutely livid, thanks, but it always happens. Every time I have Ezra, she slips away. Every time I beat her black and blue, she manages to escape. Because she's not meant to be mine yet, not until Celestial Spire. Whyever should I get to be happy for more than five minutes?"
"You have a lot to be happy about, though," Firnen said.
She whirled on him, her own mouth agape this time. She hadn't realized she'd spoken that last part out loud.
Her teammates flinched at her sudden movement, and she paused. How delusional of Firnen to think that. These past few months together, and this is his sage wisdom? Had he not been there with every escape of a hated target, every time someone didn't meet her standards, every time she had to stab and maim and destroy in order to feel?
"You don't understand me, do you?" she said quietly, turning to watch her reflection in the water. Funny, she couldn't quite remember what she'd looked like as a human. Didn't she have red hair? …Or was it brown—no, black. It had been black, with red highlights.
"We'll set up camp for the evening," she decided.
All three spent the night in silence, with Formora staring into the river, munching on dandelions. She remembered foraging for them back in…the city. What had its name been again? It didn't really matter; she was in this realm for the rest of her life. She lay back onto the grass, watching the stars shine and twinkle above. Did these same stars shine down in the human world? No, that was utterly ridiculous. She was going soft and sentimental.
Formora shoved the weak-minded thoughts out of her mind, and closed her eyes.
However, it would be many hours before she would fall asleep.
Sunlit Jungle ( watch?v=zWSPOydbkDU)
They arrived at the Jungle early in the morning, following a little dirt path to an abundance of plants enshrouded in bright sunlight. Formora pushed past ferns as tall as a Charizard and came face-to-face with the entrance. She hadn't noticed it behind the ferns as well as the thick vines that hung from above.
"Think they're in already?" Firnen asked, stopping to get a quick drink from a nearby pond.
"Giratina would've told us if they were. Let's go, the sooner we get to the end, the more time we have to prepare," she shook her head before entering.
1F
Weather Condition: Sunny
For a second Formora thought she was back in Inferno Gate. A searing heat enveloped her, threatening to burn her to a crisp.
I've dealt with your kind before, she grimaced as the sun shone down upon her.
Thankfully, the dungeon provided ample shade; she just happened to be in an unlucky spot. Large trees towered above them, growing so close to one another and guarded by more of the giant ferns it was impossible for even a Joltik or Flabébé to squeeze past. Vines as thick as Firnen's arm hung down from the canopies, and a cautious tug proved them to be able to support Team Renegade's weight if need be. An abundance of tropical flowers grew near the edges, and especially close to a small stream that ran across a corner of the room. Most of the grass grew to a more familiar size, but there were some areas where it grew high enough to tickle Formora's lower half. Firnen was completely enveloped, while Kia merely flew above it.
The two landbound Pokemon tried to avoid the tall grass, especially when a Lombre had popped out of a patch…
2F-4F
Onward they went, trekking through the sweltering jungle as fast as they could. None of the Sunfloras, Tropiuses, Linoones, Lombres, Ariadoses, or Grovyles who challenged them ever came close to standing a chance.
5F
"I don't think Giratina's ever come into our dimension to directly assist in a mission before. At least, not while I've been alive," Kia was saying to Firnen.
"He has that little faith," Formora grumbled, crossing her arms.
"What? No, no. Countless Pokemon have tried to catch Cresselia and Xerneas before, always to no avail. But since the final fight's drawing closer, we need them gone. Today will be a historic moment for us. Who wouldn't want to partake in it?" Firnen responded hastily, putting a hand on her shoulder.
She smacked it away. "Then why hasn't he intervened before?"
"The stakes haven't been as high," Kia replied.
"I heard that," she said over her shoulder.
"Heard what?"
"That note of doubt."
"I'm afraid you're mistaken."
"I'm afraid your tongue has gotten too loose. Want to cut it out?"
He closed his mouth tightly as her hand strayed up towards her Bow.
6F-10F
They continued along in silence, trudging through the humid jungle as fast as they could. Formora drove them at such a pace partially so their quarries wouldn't pass them, but mostly because the sooner they got out of here, the better.
11F
Weather Condition: Sunny
"Ergh!" Firnen gasped as he was struck head-on by a Linoone's Double-Edge. He tumbled across the ground before coming to a halt at the base of a tree trunk.
"I got it!" Kia yelled, taking out the offending party with Boomburst.
"Ha…thanks," Firnen said, accepting Formora's hand in one and Kia's offered Oran Berry in the other.
As he was eating, a panicked look suddenly came to his face, and he whipped all around, searching the ground frantically.
"Wait, where is it? Where is it?!" he wailed, patting the grass.
"What?" Formora asked innocently.
"The doll-! The doll Sonya gave me! Oh no, if she finds out it's gone…Help me look!"
She and Kia did, but obviously to no avail.
"When did you last see it?" Kia asked.
"I'm not sure…I know I had it on me when we left home. It could be here, or in the volcano, in the cave, in the ruins, anywhere!" Firnen said. He sat down, his head buried in his hands. "What am I going to do? She'll hate me because of this, you all know how she feels about dolls! And we were getting along so well, too…"
Formora sat down next to him, putting a sympathetic look on her face.
"I think she'll understand. I mean yeah, she'll be hurt at first, but you two have a solid foundation. You could try making her a doll yourself as an apology."
Firnen stared up at her. "You think so, huh?"
There was something odd about his tone, but she couldn't quite place what it was. "I'm certain."
Firnen sniffed before standing. "Well…if you say so. Let's keep going, I'm only slowing us down."
12F-14F
He was oddly reserved for the next couple of floors, lost in his thoughts and not as animated. Formora ignored it all; it was better that there be a divide between him and that awful Banette who thought she understood suffering.
15F
A muffled voice came from their bag right as they stopped for a quick rest and meal.
"Good morning Team Renegade. I'll be brief, I just wanted to inform you that Xerneas and Cresselia have now entered the Jungle. Be careful, and I shall see you soon." Giratina said. Before they could respond, he signed off.
A chill ran down their backs. The battle was drawing near. They were ready.
—Waypoint—
When Team Renegade arrived on this floor, they were surprised to find that most of the room had been taken over entirely by plants. There was almost to room to maneuver, and they had to either squeeze past or destroy any bush or tree trunk that thought it could keep them boxed in.
In the enter of the room was an oddly-shaped moss-covered rock, surrounded by a thin moat of crystal-clear water.
"Wait…is that…?" Formora trailed off, hopping over the rail-thin stream. She tore off some of the moss to reveal a familiar statue.
"As I thought. We're taking a brief break," she said, kneeling down to drink some water and splash it on her face. The water was the perfect temperature in this humid, sunny place.
Once she'd drank her fill, she bade her team forward.
Sunlit Overgrowth ( watch?v=HvsOsIq5F0s)
1F-3F
Just like in the waypoint, the jungle had taken the growth up to an 11. All sorts of vines and thick-leaved plants grew everywhere, blocking movement in most directions. The team ended up putting Firnen up front, as his razor-sharp claws and tusks cut through the plants like butter.
More streams ran through the dungeon, but curious bridges made of woven vines were already provided. As Formora crossed, she eyed the water below warily. It seemed shallow, and the current was slow, but…
She made sure to always cross as quickly as she could.
In addition to the curtains of vines and leaves, Sceptiles and Meganiums appeared amongst the enemies. While they were stronger than their brethren, they too proved to be no match against Formora's ice.
4F
"Xerneas. Cresselia. Mimikyu. The Lunar Wind," she was listing tonelessly as she meandered through the halls, not really paying attention to her surroundings.
"What are you doing?" Kia asked with a cautious tone.
"Listing all my failures. . Ezra, multiple occasions. I wonder what she's doing right now? Celebrating with friends, probably. Pokemon who adore her, love her. And why wouldn't they? I bet she's never wanted for anything."
A scathing laugh cut through her thoughts.
Feeling sorry for ourselves again, are we? Jealous of the love and care people have for your "ultimate" rival? We both know no one back home feels the same about you. Why would they, since you're you?
"Why can't you just leave me alone?!" she snapped, stopping in her tracks. Her team bumped into her, making her stumble forward. She straightened, balling her hands into fists until she felt her skin break.
"And that's not my home," she added, ducking her head as she marched forward.
To their credit and her gratitude, her teammates did not acknowledge her words.
5F-7F
Thankfully, both her father and teammates were silent for the rest of the dungeon. She didn't speak except to give an order, and Kia and Firnen were graciously taciturn.
Sunlit Lake
After pushing past two humongous ferns, the trio arrived at the site. The sun was shining directly over a clearing, and this time there were no trees to shade them. They all grew around the clearing, snaking from the exit to create a perfect ring 2/3 across the clearing's circumference before stopping at the edge of a large lake that lined the right side of the area. Kyogre could probably make a somewhat-comfortable home inside it, and its surface reflected the sky above with only a few lilypads to disrupt the reflection.
While flowers and a few normal-sized ferns grew inside the clearing, most of the growth lay inside the treeline. Out of the corner of her eye, Formora spotted a lilypad flowers begin to bloom at an abnormal rate.
"They're coming, get ready!" she hissed, whirling to face the exit. They spread out so they were on either side.
Xerneas shot out like a Zubat out of hell not a moment later, with a panting Cresselia behind him. Firnen moved behind them, blocking the exit, while Formora got the legendaries' attention with a Blizzard to their flanks.
"Helloooo~"
Boss battle! ( watch?v=ViGRo1rzJpk)
"Great. Just great," Cresselia hissed, twirling to throw a Psycho Cut at her.
Formora intercepted with a quick Shadow Ball that exploded on contact with the purple crescent and began walking casually past Cresselia towards the only legendary that truly mattered.
"Keep her away from us," she said mildly, waving a hand in Cresselia's direction.
Firnen dove for Cresselia, forcing her to move father away from Xerneas and more towards the treeline. The sounds of battle soon erupted behind Formora, who ignored it and focused on her hated foe.
"Hot today ain't it?" he said amiably as she approached.
She hurled an Ice Beam in response, he jumped towards the lakebed, glowing green with Geomancy.
"Not talkative today? Aww, c'mon, where are all the 'I hate you's and 'suffering awaits, O Handsome One's?" he said, his green glow dissipating while his antlers remained bright with power.
"SHUT UP!" she roared, diving at him with a Blizzard in hand. He stumbled backwards, yelling, "There she is!" as he did. However, there was a large tree root in his way and he tripped backwards, tumbling comically into the lake.
Oh, I am going to enjoy this far more than I should.
"Now there's one for the history books. The obnoxious, loud-mouthed co-leader of a movement dedicated to preserving the status quo, the Ever-Returning Legendary of Life, killed by tripping over a root and drowning," Formora laughed.
Xerneas stumbled back out of the water, shrugging while somehow simultaneously shaking water out of his fur.
"Eh, that wouldn't even be my dumbest death. There was that time I died like two minutes after I resurrected—stupid volcano—the one where I ate a poisoned cheesecake. I knew it was poisoned, just didn't think Amy had put in that much…Oh, and there was that one where I got shredded by a small bird. Now that was embarrassing. And my personal favorite—okay, you'll need some backstory for this to make sense. So, I was crawling through the desert—"
Having grown bored with his monologue, Formora tossed a rock at him. Though he was seemingly caught up in his narrative, he swiftly moved his neck sideways—too late, for the side of the rock grazed him, slicing open part of his cheek.
"Agh, no, my face! My precious modeling career!" he complained, taking a step back. In the opposite direction of the root, Formora noticed with an inward smile.
"There's much more than a little scratch waiting for you, Xerneas. You may not believe me, but you're not getting away like you have before. Honestly, if you knew all the agony that was to come, you'd be frozen in fear," Formora said, spreading her hands and smiling faintly.
"Believe me, I am. More than I've ever been in all my lives," Xerneas replied somberly as he shook his head, sending a few droplets of blood and water flying through the air.
"Oh? And why would that be, I wonder~?"
"Prolly 'cuz I just realized I'm all out of peanut butter."
"…I'm going to drown you. I'm going to drown you like a sack of dumb Lillipups," she snarled, trembling with rage.
"Why would you do that to Lillipups?!" Xerneas demanded, his face paling.
"Because they're cute and cuddly," she hissed, spreading her hands and summoning her Blizzard as Xerneas bent to leap away.
At this, he paused mid-jump, turning to look at her is utmost confusion.
"Are…you coming on to me?" he asked, tilting his head quizzically.
Her rage climaxed, and half a millisecond later Xerneas was blasted deep into the lake by her Blizzard. One moment passed, then, two, then ten. For a second she thought he actually did drown when his head popped up near the center.
"I take that as a 'yes'?" he called out, paddling to shore. She summoned another Blizzard, but before she could chuck it he jumped high into the air, sailing over her head, where he landed neatly a few meters away. He shook himself, spraying water everywhere. "Look, girl, you're fun and all, but I'm not really the dating type."
She opened her mouth for a retort, but it was lost as a great roar came from inside the lake. The blue water was replaced by a deep dark purple, and a maelstrom of energy began churning, turning the lake into a whirlpool as Giratina entered the realm with another ear-piercing shriek. His white silhouette twisted and writhed as his streamer-like wings fused together and his body grew legs.
He stepped onto the land as the lake settled and returned to normal. With one sweep of his tail, Giratina knocked Xerneas off his feet, sending him flying through the air before landing roughly on his side.
Cresselia gasped and she started to run to Xerneas's aid. Firnen and Kia blocked her path, preparing Draco Meteor and Guillotine in warning. She stepped away, eyeing the powerful attacks warily.
In two strides Giratina reached Xerneas, lifting a trunk-like foot and slamming it down on his lower half. Xerneas choked out a scream, raspy and shrill. Formora's heart sang, and quick as a flash she was at Xerneas' side.
Let's see…something to dull the emptiness…
Grinning so wide she felt as if her face might split, she grabbed one of Xerneas' legs and slowly began bending it to a 90-degree angle.
"That doesn't bend that way! That doesn't bend that way!" Xerneas hissed through gritted teeth.
With a giggle, she wrenched his leg upward so it was completely perpendicular to his body. There was a delightful pop as his leg was completely dislocated.
"NOT THAT WAY EITHER!" he roared, writhing and shuddering in agony. Giratina held him firm.
"That's enough, Formora," Giratina rumbled.
Instead, she pulled out her switchblade. She danced the tip of the blade along his ribcage, feeling the space between each of his ribs. Finding the spot where his heart was, she began raising the blade above her head.
"That's enough, Formora," Giratina repeated with a huff.
She brought her arm down.
But the blade bounced harmlessly off the green dome of a Protect instead. She looked up at Giratina, who had a faint green aura around him, now fading.
"I said, enough," he said in a tone the brooked no argument. She stared daggers at him, wishing she could stab him and get away with it, but put away her blade.
"Aw, c'mon, G…you're better than this," Xerneas wheezed in between pained gasps. Giratina chuckled.
"You know fair well I'm not. Leave her," he said, the latter to Kia and Firnen. Formora looked over to where her teammates were. There was no sign of Cresselia. Had she…actually ran?!
"We can catch her!" Kia protested, flying a meter higher in emphasis.
"This region is much too densely-wooded and shrouded from the sun for effective tracking. I have another idea."
After securing Xerneas' legs (minus his dislocated one) and tying the other end of the surprisingly-sturdy vine to Giratina's tail, they set off for Sealed Abyss. As Giratina had explained over Xerneas' ceaseless "Are we there yet—ow—are we there yet—ow"s, they'd use Xerneas to lure in Cresselia to Yveltal, whom the former would be utterly defenseless against. She was bound to bring at minimum the Lunar Wind to offset her disadvantage, and should they gain an edge against Yveltal, the entire base was to swarm the intruders and assure the defeat of at least five dangerous enemies.
However…Sealed Abyss was miles away, forcing Formora to listen to Xerneas for hours. She threatened to cut out his tongue multiple times, each time earning only a moment or two of precious silence before the Arceus-damned legendary started up again.
"A moment," Giratina rumbled eventually, nudging Xerneas' perpendicular leg back into place with a trunk-like foot.
Xerneas howled, but gingerly wiggled his leg, shocked at finding it was moveable again.
"Do be quiet now. Or else I'll entertain the thought of repeating what happened to it," Giratina said mildly before continuing their trek.
"Huh, you do have a heart," Xerneas grimaced, but blessedly fell silent.
"…So, why did you eat a cheesecake you knew was poisoned?" Kia asked after a few more minutes.
"I wanted to gloat about my Superior Legendary Powers—trademark pending—but it seemed she already knew. Other than that, it was a perfectly good cheesecake. I wasn't about to let all that hard work go to waste," he replied in an amiable tone.
A low rumble came from Giratina's throat, and both of them hushed.
Yveltal and company were already waiting at the entrance of the Abyss when they finally arrived. He could not stop gloating and mocking his brother, who turned a well-practiced deaf ear and gazed up at Team Renegade.
"Welp, seems like this marks the beginning of an end. Is it weird if I say I'm gonna miss you guys?"
"I did warn you it'd end up like this. I'm just sad it's not me down there with you," Formora said half-heartedly before ushering her team back to their own base.
"Mind if we take that boat off your hands?" Cradily asked once they came to shore. The rest of Team Miasma were with him, all kitted up.
"Sure. Where are you three heading so late?" Kia said as he handed the oars to Sonya.
"Mission. Agents have been reporting movement up on Rainbow Mountain," Binacle said, shrugging.
"Rainbow Mountain? But there shouldn't be anyone around, not after we took Ho-oh," Formora frowned. Team Miasma nodded in unison.
"Yup, that's why we're off to check it out. How'd your chase go?" Cradily inquired as he started lumbering into the ocean, each step creating a distasteful squelch as his Suction Cups kept him tethered to the ground.
"Oh! You haven't heard?! We caught Xerneas!" Firnen beamed.
All three Miasmas stopped dead in their tracks, turning to stare at Firnen before breaking out into a loud cheer.
"You're keedding!" Sonya exclaimed, jumping up and down.
"No, we finally got him. Cresselia ran off, but she's bound to try and rescue him. And when she does, the entirety of the Sealed Abyss base will be waiting. She can't do anything against Yveltal," Firnen said.
Sonya dropped the oars and gave him a big hug. He seemed surprised at first, then grinned and returned the gesture.
"Cresselia actually ran?! Wow. What a coward," Binacle chuckled, shaking his heads.
"Oh yeah, you should have seen the whole thing. Once Giratina appeared, they were done for. She panicked after he practically smooshed Xerneas with one of his feet," Kia laughed.
"Ahh…you'll have to tell us the whole thing in detail once we get back," Cradily sighed. "But unfortunately we were hoping to make it to the mountain before dawn."
"I'll go too," Formora said. Partially because she wasn't ready to go back to the building, but mostly so she could tell Team Miasma the true story. She was the one who'd rendered Xerneas unable to fight, not Giratina. Also, there was something Sonya ought to know…
So close…
The next installment shall contain: a missing veil, a maroon cloth, and a deathly cocoon.
