Chapter 14. Fate Looming Over
Rainbow Mountain ( watch?v=jIjAUYK5xeE)
As the four desired, they arrived at the mountain's base just as the first few rays of sun began to peek through the horizon. A quick but thorough search of the surrounding area yielded no sign of the mystery intruder, and there was a chance he or she had already left.
With that in mind they entered in the hope that their quarry would be present somewhere inside.
1F-3F
It seemed forever ago when Formora had first stepped inside this place, but in reality it had only been…what, a month or two? Not long enough to purge her distaste of Ho-oh's decorations, that's for sure.
As before, each wall was painted with a shining rainbow against a blue sky with big puffy clouds towards the bottom.
"What is this, a kid's bedroom?" Cradily snorted, shaking his head in disgust. At least Team Miasma shared her thoughts.
"Floor's pretty, though," Binacle shrugged, looking at his color scheme reflected on the translucent floor. The smart members, at least.
"Who cares?" Sonya huffed, racing down the hall in front of them.
"Slow down, Son!" Cradily called after her as he and Binacle ambled after her as fast as their species' could. To Formora he said, "You weren't very descriptive of the fight yesterday. Tell us every single detail, from Xerneas' quips to the trip to the Abyss!"
She did, making sure they knew exactly how this great victory could not have been achieved without her.
4F
"Alright, team: who is it? I've got five hundred Poké it's an enemy," Cradily announced out of nowhere, stopping in his tracks to turn and face the rest with a solemn expression.
"Three hundred on some curious exploration team!" Binacle piped up even before Cradily had finished the last syllable.
"Seven hundred un another legendary!" Sonya exclaimed. All three Miasmas looked at Formora expectantly.
"What are you doing?" she blinked, feeling oddly on edge against their stares.
"We're taking bets on who we'll find at the end. It keeps us grounded, you know?" Cradily explained.
Formora didn't quite understand, but she certainly had plenty of money to throw around. "Tell me exactly what your reports have said about our mystery guest."
"Less than you'd think. Just sightings of a vague silhouette moving around this area. Whenever someone tried to get a closer look, they'd scurry away," Cradily sighed.
"Size?" Formora prompted, crossing her arms and tilting her head.
"Small. Like, my size give or take," Binacle said.
"Hm…Obviously it's someone who doesn't want to be seen…A thousand Poké it's Ezra," she decided.
"Your rival, huh? Alright team, let's hope we're right!" Cradily declared.
5F-7F
Formora hung back from Team Miasma, watching how they fought. For a team with two slow members, they took down their foes with surprising quickness. At the start of every fight they'd suppress their foes, either with statuses or arena effects before someone—usually Sonya—took them down with a flurry of blows. Considering her teammates' bulk, it wasn't surprising to see her as the heavy-hitter of the team. Be it Minior, Florges, or Vivillon, each and every one fell victim to her shadow attacks.
8F
During a lull in fighting, Formora sidled up to Sonya, an open smile on her face.
"You're awfully chipper today."
"Why wouldn't I be?" she replied, giving her an odd look.
"Well, with everything with Firnen, I was under the impression you'd be a lot more pissed at him. He must have given you one hell of an apology!"
"What? What about heem? What apulogy?" Sonya asked.
Formora gave her a startled, panicked face. "Oh no, I'm so sorry…I thought he told you already…"
"Told me about what?! I haveen't had the chance to tulk to heem!" Sonya exclaimed. Binacle and Cradily looked back at them, inquisitive and concerned expressions on their face.
Formora bit her lip and looked away. "It really shouldn't be coming from me…"
"Tell me!" Sonya urged, grabbing Formora by the shoulders.
"Alright, alright! But promise you won't shoot the messenger?" Formora exclaimed, pushing Sonya's arms out of the way.
Sonya nodded warily.
"He lost your doll," Formora said, as gently and kindly as she could. It was an unfamiliar tone, but judging by Sonya's face, she'd pulled it off.
"WHAT?!" The Banette screeched, making Formora wince. Her face crumpled, then a moment later became filled with rage.
"How dare he?! I gave heem a geeft, one I hand-made just for heem, and he just loses it?! The nerve!Ohh, that poor doll…eet must be so lust and frightened…Where deed he lose it?"
"I dunno," Formora shrugged. "He only noticed it was gone yesterday."
Sonya punched the wall beside Formora, leaving behind an impressive dent.
"Sonya—" Cradily began, taking a step towards her. Sonya shook her head and buried her face in her hands.
"Leave me alone. Fight weethout me. I…need a moment."
"As you wish," Cradily nodded, and went back to navigating the dungeon as if nothing happened.
As Sonya's shoulders began shaking with muted sobs, Formora put a sympathetic hand on them, cackling inwardly.
9F-10F
Sonya was despondent for the next couple floors, staring down at the floor with a mix of emotions. Sometimes it was anger, other times sadness. Formora made sure to play the sympathetic friend in the light of this 'betrayal', all the while struggling to keep herself from bursting out laughing. Sonya pushed her away every time she tried to touch the Banette, but Formora could tell her ploy had cut just as deep as she'd wanted. With each dig at the Fraxure, the more unraveled his budding relationship with Sonya became.
—Waypoint—
Team Miasma gasped collectively in wonder at their new surroundings. Sunlight shone through the new prism glass walls, showering the entire room with rainbow light. Formora, having seen it all before, merely stomped ahead, not even bothering to tap the Kangaskhan statue.
"Huh, is this what it feels like to be Shiny? Not bad. Hey, Formora, wait u—" She heard Binacle say right before she entered the upper peaks.
Rainbow Mountain Peak ( watch?v=YeFFdqwrx6c)
1F
Team Miasma appeared beside her a couple moments later.
"Jeez, are you trying to lose us or something?" Binacle huffed.
"So how'd the original fight up here go? From what I heard, you weren't even fazed by Ho-oh's fire," Cradily asked, washed in shades of blue and purple.
Formora snorted. "Hardly. Fighting Magikarps is more difficult than fighting Ho-oh. He started with the usual spiel of 'I'm going to stop you!'s before attacking…"
2F-5F
To her amusement, clouds began rolling in, turning off most of the color effects. The lights hanging from the ceiling provided some faint hues to appear, but their radius was rather paltry. Team Miasma were disappointed, as for some strange reason they thoroughly enjoyed being rainbow Pokemon.
Formora had half a mind to destroy all the lights, but rejected the idea on the basis of being a waste of time, which she could not afford.
6F
Sonya had recovered from her emotional outburst. She was much more perkier, happily slashing opponents to pieces and joking around with her teammates. The hell?
"You look a lot perkier. Feeling any better?" Formora smiled, cozying up to the Banette's side.
"Nut really, no!" Sonya smiled right back. Formora's nonplussed stare was genuine.
"I am merely sehving my rehge for whoever's at the tup. I compartment better than a compartment store!"
"Department store, Son," Binacle called back.
"Oh. Well, you get the idea."
7F-9F
On they went, with the clouds outside fast approaching the mountain, and the Pokemon inside just as quickly heading towards the one who lay at the summit.
10F
"Last floor, then we'll reach the top," Formora announced when they arrived.
"Is that so? Look alive, team. Anyone could be waiting for us," Cradily warned.
"What approach are we using?" Sonya asked, cracking her knuckles.
"All-Out Assault," Cradily responded. Sonya and Binacle shared wolfish grins with each other. To Formora, he explained, "The strategy is to pile on the debuffs ASAP, then go ham after we buff ourselves. It gets rather messy at the end, but I feel you'll fit right in. Do you prefer eating seeds or throwing them?"
"Neither. I win my fights through sheer brutality alone. Items are for spineless cowards," Formora snorted, pushing past Cradily to lead the party.
How could Cradily have the audacity to use items?! Seeds and Orbs were fine to use during dungeon exploration, but boss battles?! They were a contest of strength, not who can cheat their way to victory. He ought to resign as leader…
"Well, uh, alright then. There's plenty for you if you change your mind."
"I won't."
Rainbow Summit
Last time there'd been a triple rainbow in the center of a perfect, cloudless sky. Today, rainclouds had arrived, preventing any other color besides gray from dancing across the heavens.
The summit was as bare as ever; only a flat top with some colored pillars lining the edges. No finery, no life.
Just as it should be.
"Lady Formora and the assassins? Dear me, I have been blessed today!"
Formora's skin crawled at the sound of a certain educated, bourgeois tongue.
To her far upper-right was Mimikyu, standing at the edge looking back at them over his shoulders, hands clasped leisurely behind his back.
"Good morning, darlings. I can only assume you are here for me? Ah, what am I saying? Of course you are," he continued, turning back to stare at something in the distance.
"Mimikyu?! It was Mimikyu?!" Binacle exclaimed, shaking.
"Hah! You all owe me 500 Poké!" Cradily crowed.
"Oho? I'm afraid I've no currency on my person. Would you accept an IOU?" Mimikyu joined in, not moving from his spot at the edge.
"No, but I'll take your payment in the form of blood, you wretched ragdoll," Formora snarled, striding forward with her knife already raised above her head.
He stood there, still as a statue, as she loomed above him. She plunged her knife downwards upon his skull—only to receive a vicious Thunderbolt mid-swing. Mimikyu pirouetted over her head as she stood there twitching.
"Apologies, my sweet, but I do not intend to die today. I am much too busy…" he said mournfully.
Formora regained control of her body—albeit her fingers were still a bit jumpy—and whirled on him with a Shadow Ball.
Boss Battle! ( watch?v=qbMPHa-ncZk)
"You're not meddling in my life anymore!" she snarled as he deftly jumped away from the attack, ever the graceful ballerina.
Weather Condition: Rainy
"How have I meddled? I've only helped you," he said, Mimicking the Ball right back at her as the rain soon began to pick up intensity. She took the attack head-on, letting the pain give her strength. "I've only ever offered you assistance and gave you valuable knowledge."
"Sure, at the expense of getting her to turn against her own side!" Cradily snorted from the other side of the battlefield. He'd been placing Stealth Rocks all over the summit and was returning to the main fight.
Sonya, eyes red as blood, sent out her Will-o-Wisp at Mimikyu's back, while Binacle glowed red and gave him an intimidating glare. Formora dove for him, knife hand outstretched.
Mimikyu shut his eyes against Binacle's Swagger, and rolled away from the obviously-Violent Seeded Sonya's purple flames. Formora's knife clanked harmlessly against the ground and she soon joined it.
"We're ending this once and for all! Pray to Arceus for our mercy!" Cradily snarled, retching up purple Gastro Acid onto Mimikyu. He allowed himself to take the hit, probably because he saw Formora begin to glow light blue and float into the sky.
He must have known Hail would trigger his Ability anyway, she figured while willing the power of ice to give her an edge against this dangerous, cunning enemy.
Weather Condition: Hail
A tennis ball-sized chunk of hail flung itself from the heavens straight onto Mimikyu's "head". The neck immediately broke, almost ripping it off the rest of the costume entirely.
The force from the impact made him stumble backwards, directly into the waiting stones of Stealth Rock. He sucked in a breath and opened his eyes to see Will-o-Wisp enveloping him. The largest of the flames dissipated against the back of his palm, leaving an already-oozing burn.
With an annoyed grunt he Mimicked Sonya's attack, throwing it right back at her, who disappeared via her Phantom Force instead.
Binacle began Dancing with Swords while Cradily sent out a wave of pale green energy at Mimikyu. He didn't even need to dodge the Giga Drain, for a bonk on the head from Formora's Hail made him undershoot by accident.
Speaking of, Formora reappeared directly in front of Mimikyu, sending him flying across the summit with Shadow Ball. He skittered across the ground before stopping a few inches from a pillar.
"My goodness, you three are certainly going all-out! 'Tis heartwarming to be taken so seriously!" he laughed, whirling around to Thunderbolt a diving Binacle, claws outstretched for a Razor Shell. Binacle collapsed, and not a second later Mimikyu turned around, raking the air behind him. A scream rang out, and Sonya reappeared from her attack where Mimikyu had slashed.
"Nice try, Miss Ivanova," he said before Sonya thrust the Shadow Ball she had hidden behind her back into his solar plexus.
The point-blank attack sent him careening into a pillar, sending spiderweb cracks throughout the stone. He fell to the ground, but got back up a few seconds later.
"Hm, I see you've learned a few new tricks since Roaring Waters," he said amiably, cracking his neck.
"Do you even feel pain…?" Cradily muttered as he threw an Iron Thorn. Mimikyu hit the floor, not a moment later the deadly-sharp spike pierced the remnants of the stone pillar.
"You know, Lady Formora…Cresselia would be of great use to you," he said, getting to his feet.
Took him long enough to try sleazing his way out, Formora thought inwardly with a roll of her eyes.
Binacle and Sonya dove for Mimikyu, but the predictable attack only earned them a stern Thunderbolt. Both fell to the ground in a heap, where they were immediately set upon by Mimikyu. Both were knocked across the battlefield by the final, brutal swing of his Play Rough.
"Pardon me, but I was in the middle of a conversation!" he admonished, as if speaking to unruly toddlers while he brushed himself off.
"And I was in the middle of ignoring it!" Formora shouted, using her Ability to surprise him with Ice Beam. The blast hit him directly in the chest and he stumbled back. He recovered just in time to parry her incoming Shadow Ball with his Shadow Claw.
"She heals nightmares. That extends to those in the real world…Including voices."
Formora paused in the middle of summoning her Blizzard. "What are you saying?"
"She can make a certain—someone? Something?—Be silenced forever."
Mimikyu doesn't lie. He never lies. He doesn't tell the whole truth but he doesn't lie is this real? Could Cresselia really get rid of—
"Of course, 'tis rather probable that Yveltal will kill her today…"
With a primal screech of hopes dashed she dove for Mimikyu, knife aimed directly at his heart. He caught her wrist with his Shadow Claw primed just as the tip of the blade pierced his disguise. Before the shock even registered he then batted her knife away with his other Claw.
Sonya caught it between her fingers, then vanished with a whoosh.
Shoving Formora away, Mimikyu whirled around, raking empty air with his Shadow Claw.
"'Tis disappointing to see the same trick again, Miss—HKKKT!"
Mimikyu's body jerked as Sonya reappeared not where he'd slashed at but from behind, and with Formora's knife currently stuck hilt-deep inside his abdomen.
She gave it a quick twist before yanking it out and tossing it in Formora's direction with a clatter.
"You…stabbed me…!" Mimikyu choked out, taking a wobbly step backwards as his costume soon became stained a deep dark red.
Formora picked up her jaw off the floor along with her knife, licking the side of the blade. The familiar metallic tang of blood erupted onto her tastebuds, ever so delightful. This was, in fact, actually happening.
Weather Condition: Rainy
"We-he-hell, what a day this has been!" she guffawed, coming closer for a better look. The rain had turned into an awful downpour. Mimikyu was actively shuddering now, his attempts at staunching his wound utterly useless. Sonya must have nicked an artery from the amount of blood gushing through his now thoroughly-soaked cloth.
"Oh, you've no idea-!" he agreed in between ragged breaths. He took another step backwards, just barely managing to stifle a moan from the movement.
Team Miasma and Formora stepped forward, fanning outward to prevent any sudden movements. It was purely a perfunctory motion, as their quarry was in no shape to do anything but bleed out.
A sudden explosion in the far distance interrupted the mood, and a moment later a slight tremor rocked the land for only a second.
"What in the world…?" Cradily trailed off, looking out over the peak towards the northeast, where the sound had come from.
Mimikyu burst out laughing, which quickly turned into agonized coughs. "Oh, I was wondering when he'd get around to that…!"
"What are you talking about?!" Formora demanded, taking another step closer.
Mimikyu collapsed to the ground, his breathing coming fast and labored. A few moments passed before he responded. "Did you ever question what I was doing here…?"
"Not really." "Yeah." "I guess?" "Kind of."
He leaned backwards, his hand pausing when it touched nothing but air. "Yesterday, Team Renegade captured Xerneas…and brought him to Yveltal," he began. A minute passed. "…A-a trap was set. And Cresselia, Carys, and Ezra walked right into it."
"Wait, what? When?! How do you know this?" Cradily demanded, placing a Stealth Rock all around Mimikyu.
"I can see all…" he replied with a trancelike lilt as he lay down, his left arm hanging over the edge.
"Sealed Abyss must be visible from here, it's not terribly far…" Cradily surmised.
"So Cresselia brought Team Banshee with her? What about the Lunar Wind?" Binacle prompted quickly. Mimikyu's true body was getting rather gray…
"No clue, no clue…But I know that Yveltal hates his brother," Mimikyu replied.
"Common knowledge. Your point?" Cradily said.
"Should the enemy win, would Yveltal allow it…?"
Realization dawned on Formora. "You don't mean…" she trailed off.
Mimikyu raised his fingers in lieu of a nod, the only motion he could manage from his spot on the ground. The slight movement was difficult to see amidst the downpour, and Formora nearly missed it.
"No…he wouldn't. Not with all the other members inside!" Cradily gasped, racing to peer helplessly over the edge.
"Would he…?" Mimikyu laughed, as softly as he could manage. "He was dead-set on dying. As am I..."
"You've lost a lot of blood, but there's still a slight chance you'll make it. We're very good at keeping death away to those that want it. Formora, give me your knife, or a stick, or your Bow," Binacle warned.
"So I've heard. But I do not intend to live today," Mimikyu said.
With a screech of utmost agony, he rolled over the edge.
"NO!" The four shouted, running over to watch helplessly as Mimikyu tumbled into the depths below before being lost to sight amidst the downpour.
"Come on!" Formora roared, sprinting for the exit.
The four searched the rocks surrounding the mountain for hours, but Mimikyu's body seemed to have disappeared. There was always the chance he landed higher up the mountain, but none of them had the capability to check. They did find one thing, though.
Caught between a boulder and the side of the mountain was his Pikachu costume, bloodied and torn to ribbons. Formora kept tight hold of it, as if at any moment it would dance out of her hands, laughing politely and calling her little pet names.
Eventually, Cradily called off the search, saying Mimikyu obviously wasn't going anywhere and flying-types would have a better chance of finding his body. They spoke not a single word on the trek back.
Giratina was standing in the cafeteria when they returned, along with most of the base.
"What happened?" he asked upon spotting their drenched forms.
Formora merely held up Mimikyu's disguise in lieu of an explanation.
Giratina's mouth dropped open, and quickly shut. "So Mimikyu is—"
"Dead," Cradily interrupted. "Sonya stabbed him and he threw himself off the mountain. But before he did, he mentioned Sealed Abyss. Did…?"
Giratina sighed heavily, his great wings drooping nearly to the ground. After a moment he recovered, spreading them wide across the room and standing to his full height.
"Earlier today it became apparent that our trap was set off, though not in the way we were expecting. It appears Yveltal sent every single member aside from himself far away from Sealed Abyss in preparation for his murder-suicide. Nothing but ruin remains, except for his cocoon, which is safely inside my own dimension. He will not be disturbed until he resurrects. We can only hope Xerneas was too weak to shield the intruders from the blast."
Everyone began murmuring to each other worriedly, but hushed when Giratina stomped a trunk-like foot.
"It is clear that the day of fate is drawing near. We must begin preparing ourselves for the worst while striving for the best. Make sure each and every one of you are at your physical peak form from here on out. Arceus is taking Its final breaths, so the enemy will strike very soon. But we have the home advantage, and we are the brightest and strongest minds to ever grace this planet. In my eons of living, never before have I seen such dedicated souls willing to lay down their lives for what they believe in. Stay alert, and together we shall change history for the better," Giratina decreed, ending his speech with a great SNAP of his wings.
The crowd erupted into cheering, but Formora had left the cafeteria a while ago. Indeed, she could hear the thunderous roar of the crowd as she stopped before the door to her room.
Wonder what he said to rile them all up like that. Probably called them all strong and more than capable of winning. Idiots, she snorted internally as she twisted her key into the knob.
"Now, what to do with you…?" she said aloud, holding up the Pikachu disguise she still held.
She looked around her living room before settling on the spot her vanity to used sit at. The mysterious holes in the wall were still there, and they gave her an idea. Grabbing a butcher knife from the kitchen, she hung the scrap of cloth over the holes and stuck it there with the knife.
She took a step back to admire her work.
"Now I can stab you whenever I want, Mimikyu!" she giggled, giving "him" a playful swipe with her switchblade for good measure.
Satisfied, she then promptly locked herself in her room and went to bed, drawing her curtains tightly against the glare of the noonday sun peeking out from behind the clouds.
The next post will contain: a hermit surrounded by wind and flowers.
