Ezra woke feeling very excited. Today was the day! Underneath the full moon, she was going to verbally abuse Cresselia to her heart's delight. Oh, and figure out what the heck's going on, too. Everyone else was excited for her as well, but for the latter reason. They had no idea about the former.
All she had to do was get through one more day. She was eager to take a job, as it would presumably make the day go faster. The job Team Banshee picked was an item-finding job in Scorched Cape, Azelf's home. A Swirlix needed a Pecha Berry, and one could presumably be found on the 7th floor of Scorched Cape. Why he couldn't just buy one, they didn't know. All they knew was, they needed to kill some time before nightfall, and here was a way to do it.
Scorched Cape ( watch?v=w3aUsxAGRFM)
B1F
Since the dungeon was situated almost on top of a volcano, the air was warm and humid, and the blue walls had burn marks and steam vents. The ground was made of purple stone, with darker rocks embedded at equal intervals. There was also a Charmander in the room with them.
It only took a Night Shade followed up by a regular attack to defeat it. Ezra was much stronger than she had been when they had first come here to talk to Azelf about his brother Uxie's location.
"I'd say we go say hi to Azelf after this job, but he's living in Hoopa's old place with his siblings." Commented Carys as she watched Ezra pummel the foe.
B2F
"You know what we haven't done in forever? Anger The Wind." Carys said with a mischievous grin.
"We already know it can't be defeated. Why would you want to do that?" Ezra still remembered the sheer panic she had felt when the malevolent entity had finally appeared.
"Just to see if it's still around. Let's find the Stairs, then we'll run laps around it until The Wind starts to rear its ugly head. We'll leave long before it actually arrives." Carys assured her.
Ezra sighed.
"Fine." She said grudgingly. She didn't exactly have a lot going on this floor.
They wandered around until they found the Stairs. After that, it was a matter of doing laps around the chamber and defeating any Pokemon that wanted to tangle with them.
After about half an hour, the telltale evil started to stir.
"Something's stirring…" Warned Ezra, sensing a faint malevolent force coming towards them.
"And that's our cue to go!" Exclaimed Carys as they hurried to the Stairs.
"Let's never do this intentionally again." Said Ezra as they ascended.
"Deal." Replied Carys.
B3F
As they were walking along a chamber to the other side where the exit lay, Ezra triggered a new trap. Two Wooper and a Krabby suddenly appeared beside her, and the trap underneath her feet disappeared without a trace.
"Summon Trap." Sighed Carys as she blasted the Krabby with a Razor Leaf, KOing it.
"Joy." Grumbled Ezra has she was hit in the face with a Mud Bomb.
It hurt, but it was nothing she couldn't bounce back from. She attacked a Wooper with a Flame Burst, knowing that the blast would hit the other Wooper as well. The first Wooper dodged, but as she'd hoped, the volley managed to hit the second one. Carys finished the second one off with a Shadow Sneak, and Ezra ended the fight with a Night Shade.
"I'm glad we triggered it in a dungeon we haven't been to in a while, as opposed to, say, Destiny Ridge." She said gratefully, not even having broken into a sweat.
B4F
"Whoever invented Stairs needs to be given a medal." Laughed Carys, upon noticing they had the Stairs with them.
B5F
Much to their surprise, they found the Stairs to a Secret Bazaar.
"We have 132 Poke. We can buy a grab bag, and it'll be a free trip to B6F as well." Carys said eagerly, looking pleadingly at Ezra.
Knowing how much her friend wanted a grab bag, Ezra agreed.
"Welcome!" Laughed Kirlia as they entered.
"Hi Kirlia!" Called Carys as the two headed over to the southeastern corner, where Swalot held his shop.
"Welcome, explorers! Have a wonderful, amazing grab bag for only 100 Poke!" He greeted them as they approached.
"We'll take one!" Beamed Carys, handing over the money. Swalot handed her a wonderful, amazing grab bag. Inside….was an Oran Berry.
Ezra saw the disappointment in Carys' eyes. To her credit, Carys did a great job at appearing enthused.
"Wow!" She said. Ezra could hear the hollow note in her voice, though.
"Come back again soon!" Grinned Swalot.
"Yeah….we will." Carys mumbled as they exited the bazaar.
B6F
"Sorry about the grab bag, Carys." Ezra hugged her friend in comfort.
"100 Poke, and all for something I could get for 5 Poke, or for free if we find it in a dungeon? Wow." Carys said bitterly, looking down at the ground.
"Maybe next time will be different, though. Maybe next time, you'll get a Luminous Orb or an X-Eye Seed!" Ezra encouraged her.
"Possibly." Carys didn't sound so convinced.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ezra noticed a Krabby enter the chamber.
"Do you need something to take out your rage on?" She asked.
"Yes." Carys replied.
Ezra moved out of the way, revealing the foe that was heading towards them.
"Well, today's your lucky day!" She beamed. Ezra then turned around, not wanting to see the destruction Carys was about to unleash.
From the sounds of it, she was glad she did so. She thought she heard bones break.
B7F
Ping! went their badges, confirming their job description. The Pecha Berry was here somewhere. Now all they needed to do was find it.
They searched the entire floor, but there was no Pecha Berry to be found, much to their consternation.
"Ugh, an enemy must have picked it up. Luckily, I have item-finding Abilities. When we find the idiot who made off with it, I'll let you know." Said Carys.
With that said, they went off in search of enemies. They fought a Krabby, a Magby, and two Wooper before Carys alerted her that their objective was with the Charmander Ezra was one more hit from taking down.
Ezra absorbed an Ember from her foe, then defeated it with a regular attack. As it fell, it dropped the berry. She grabbed it, and they exited the dungeon.
Lily Town
"Thanks fer findin' the Pecha Berry," Swirlix said back at the Lofts. "Here's yer reward, a Reviver Seed." He handed them the seed.
"No problem. Have a good day." Ezra nodded.
He inclined his head in agreement, then walked out of the building with his berry.
After he left, Carys turned to Ezra.
"It's only 3 o'clock, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?" She asked.
"I dunno. Wanna see how Wanda's doing? After that, we can see if Hoopa or anyone in the Lofts are up for a game." Ezra replied.
"Sounds good." Carys said as they headed for the library.
Eventually, it was time. The plaque on the dais at the end of Clifftop Resort never specified a location for the meeting. Ezra figured Cresselia already knew of her location, somehow. She and Carys waited in a small clearing about a mile away from town. They didn't want to spook Cresselia by being around Pokemon she didn't know.
Nine o'clock passed, then ten, then eleven, and still no sign of Cresselia. Ezra was starting to think that this was all one major joke.
Midnight passed, with the full moon bathing the duo in silvery light. There was still no sign of Cresselia.
"I don't think she's showing, Ez. Do you wanna—ack!" Carys started to say, but a pink sphere was thrown into the center of the clearing from somewhere in the trees surrounding the clearing. When the sphere broke, pink mist swirled out and enveloped the area, trapping the duo. As Ezra inhaled it, she began to feel incredibly drowsy. She tried her hardest to stay awake, but eventually, sleep dominated her.
When she woke, she was back in Lily Town. Everyone was gone, off to their beds. She looked around, and sighed in relief to see Carys nearby.
"Ezra!" "Carys!" They said, running to embrace each other.
"It's about time you two fell asleep." A wry voice said from behind.
They turned to find the Pokemon depicted in the Canyon Cliff statue floating next to the black Pokemon Mew had turned into during their fight. Cresselia….and Darkrai? What was going on?
"You're Cresselia." Said Ezra. It wasn't a question.
"Indeed, I am the current co-leader of the side of Light. And you two are Ezra and Carys, the Champion of Light and her teammate." Acknowledged Cresselia, inclining her head. She had a deep, soothing voice, and wore a pink shawl that gleamed of power. She gestured to Darkrai. "This is Darkrai. Don't worry, he's on our side."
"But you two are mortal enemies! What's going on?" Protested Carys.
"And why did you make us fall asleep if you were only going to take us back to Lily Town? Do you know what a rip-off that stunt at Clifftop Resort was? Do you know what a burden it is to walk around with amnesia? And what's that thing around your neck?" Demanded Ezra, getting her rage speech started. But Cresselia only held up a paw.
"Allow me to explain. You two are in a dream. Your actual bodies are still in that clearing. Don't worry, my disciples are keeping watch on them. I thought that a familiar background would relax you. My actual body is far, far away from here. It's only in the realm of dreams where we can talk safely. And this is my Lunar Veil. Whatever I do to me, happens to my allies. For example, if I were to use Moonlight, my allies' health would be restored as well. As for your predicament….it's much more complicated than you think." She said calmly.
"Sorry for throwing that Slumber Orb at you, but you wouldn't fall asleep." Said another voice. Ezra turned, and jumped to see Team Lunar Wind and the Unknown enter the dream!
"You six? But…" Ezra was confused. Just what was going on?
"It was no coincidence you met us all at Rigid Cave. We wanted to test the Champion of Light, test her heart. And you passed! Do you remember when we said we served a great lady? Cresselia is that lady. The Unknown are Darkrai's disciples. We were once enemies, but the war has forced us to be temporary allies." Explained the leader of Team Lunar Wind, a Mismagius named Luna.
"I would never actually allow myself to be kidnapped like that." Snorted Selene, the Lumineon, in indignation.
"And we'd never hold back as we had been during our fight." Agreed Sword, the Bisharp leader of the Unknown.
"And we'd never leave one of our teammates in their hands. Crumbling Cave and message or not, we'd dive in to save our friend!" Exclaimed Luna.
"Hi Ezra!" War, a Feraligatr from the Unknown, beamed, putting a daisy chain on her and Carys' heads.
Ezra turned back to the Lunar Duo, utterly confused.
"In order for me to answer your questions, I shall tell you the tale leading up to now. First, though, you must know the identities of He Who Is and the one Ezra calls Voice. You might be afraid of Him listening in. For the longest time, you were told that you couldn't get your answers, as He listens for certain names. Well, I am a master of dreams, the one realm He can't infiltrate." Cresselia said with a malicious smile. "And during the full moon, I am at my strongest. I may glow prettily during the crescent moon, but it is during the full moon where no one but I can control who is invited to this audience. Now, let me begin the tale…"
Ezra held her breath. This was it. After this, she would scream at Cresselia for trolling her.
"He Who Is….his true name is Giratina, master of antimatter and dimensions." Cresselia began. "Eons ago, he tried to usurp Arceus, the Original One, but Arceus managed to defeat him, and seal him away. Over the course of time, he subtly distorted the fabric of time and space, enough for both to start unraveling, but not enough for Dialga and Palkia, his siblings, to detect until it was too late. And too late it is…They have been driven insane by the dimensional distortions. Giratina bided his time until his prison was weak enough for him to break out of. He manipulated many Pokemon into joining him, including over half of all known legendaries. A few months ago….he openly declared war when he took down Arceus and took over as supreme ruler of the universe. Arceus and Voice…they are one and the same." Cresselia said, bowing her head.
"Voice…..is the creator of the world…?" Ezra whispered, not believing what she was hearing. "But…how was It defeated, when It's so much stronger than H—Giratina?"
"From what I understand, Giratina managed to sever a Shard from Arceus during their fight, giving him enough of an edge to encase Arceus in a bubble of antimatter. After that, it was just a matter of waiting. You see, as long as Arceus doesn't have all eighteen Shards, It gets progressively weaker and weaker, until…..I don't like to think about it." Cresselia shuddered.
Suddenly, three Pokemon appeared nearby, all in a row. The first two were almost alike, but the last was vastly different. The first Pokemon was as tall as the Lofts, with six legs and great black wings with red spikes. Its body was mainly gray, with black stripes and a gold head. The second Pokemon had the same color scheme, but it had no legs, no wings, and gold spikes everywhere on its body. The third Pokemon, however, looked nothing like the other two. It was much shorter than the other two, but bigger than Cresselia. It was light gray, with a dark grey underbelly and a gold ring surrounding its waist. There were green gems set in the ring, and its eyes were the same shade. The tips of its feet were gold as well.
"This is what Giratina and Arceus look like," Cresselia explained, turning to face the figures. "Don't worry, they aren't real. The first figure is what Giratina looks like when he is in our dimension. He was originally banished to another realm, and the figure in the middle is his true form, when he is in his own realm. The third figure is Arceus' natural form."
Ezra stared, fascinated, at the three illusions. Giratina, Him, was as intimidating as Ezra expected him to be. His face was set in a permanent scowl, and his eyes seemed to pierce her own. Arceus, Voice, was so...majestic. It looked exactly how a benevolent deity should be. Ezra could easily see her Voice being this awe-inspiring being.
"Anyway, shortly after the fall of Arceus, Giratina overheard a mental conversation between It and the other co-leader of our side, the life legendary Xerneas. Arceus was planning on bringing a human to this world to be Its Champion. …That human is you, Ezra. Giratina decided to fight fire with fire, and brought a human of his own to be his Champion about a month before you were brought here. You know her already. The thing is….Formora remembers her life as a human. She remembers everything." Cresselia continued.
"Wait….how does she remember her old life, and I don't?" Demanded Ezra, feeling her flame swell angrily.
"I was getting to that. I believe Hoopa lives in town with you? So you know the dangers of dimension-hopping. The effect is harsh on anyone not meant for warping through dimensions, meaning everyone who's not Arceus, the Creation Trio, and Hoopa. At the very least, you'll be knocked out for a day. At the worst…well, be lucky you only lost your memory. Getting back to the point, Giratina was delicate with his extraction of Formora. He easily took her from your world, and just as easily turned her into a Froslass. Her only side-effect was being out for about a day. As for you….Arceus had very little time to bring you here and turn you into a Litwick before Giratina or Yveltal could stop It. It couldn't afford to finesse the operation. So, as a result of that clumsy extraction, you were out for a few days and lost your memory." Cresselia explained.
Ezra felt strange. She lost her memory…..because Arceus—Voice—was desperate enough to risk torture in order to bring her here? That was…..awfully brave of It…
"You mentioned someone named Yveltal. Who's that? And who's Xerneas?" She heard herself continue.
"Yveltal and Xerneas…the Mortality Duo. Yveltal is Arceus' jailor. He guards Arceus from the Light, and used to transport Shiny Dark captives over to It. As I understand, they kidnapped Shinies in case one of them was the Light Champion. Giratina didn't know who or what the Champion would be, only that it would be Shiny." Explained Cresselia.
"Ben mentioned a Y-shaped Pokemon bringing him to Voice….that must be Yveltal." Carys said to Ezra. Cresselia nodded.
"Yes. Yveltal is cruel, and a monster. His only purpose is to kill all life. It's only natural he be a part of Giratina's army. Xerneas, however….." Cresselia made a face as if she were sucking on a lemon.
"Xerneas takes the phrase 'life is a mystery' to a whole other level. He's flamboyant and cocky, but can be serious when he needs to be. As you may have guessed, he is the Pokemon of Life. He can heal others, and can even revive a dead Pokemon." Selene cut in for her lady.
"He's fun. The life of the party." Darkrai rumbled, speaking for the first time. He had a voice that sounded like rocks tumbling down a mountain.
"He's an idiot is what he is." Cresselia muttered under her breath. She recomposed herself. "But, while he acts like everything's a game, he is driven to defeat the Dark and is as powerful as I am. Going back to the tale, it was shortly after you entered the world when I began to set up the statue and dais. I knew it was unlikely I could meet you when you arrived at the end of Clifftop Resort, so that is why I set up the bell. When you rang it, it meant that you were ready to face the truth. You see, Arceus could only speak to you for short periods of time, as Yveltal and Giratina guard It closely. There was never enough time to fully explain everything to you. You weren't strong enough to handle the truth, so that is why I never contacted you. If I were to have told you what I am telling you now when you first got here, you would have panicked. You would have doubted yourself and would have shied away from the task Arceus brought you here for. By finding your own way through this world, you saw firsthand how bad we need you. Through adventuring, you found your inner strength and confidence. …As for the events two days prior, I could not make the journey to the bell. I am currently in the middle of my own mission…I set up the dais beforehand, in anticipation of this." The Pokemon explained further. She allowed a few moments for Ezra and Carys to think.
And did Ezra think. So she had to have found her own way before she would be told anything? ….She could sort of see the sense in it, but she wasn't quite ready to forgive Arceus and Cresselia for not telling her. As for the bell….her frustration was justified, but her grudge was petty. It was unfair of her to expect Cresselia to drop everything and run to her. She no longer felt the desire to yell at the solemn Cresselia.
"What are Team Renegade up to right now? Why are legendaries flocking to Giratina's side? Why would anyone join him? What's the next step for us? Why are you and Darkrai working together?" Peppered Carys.
"Preparing to cause great pain, the desire for a better life, finding the last of the Shards, we understand our lot in life." Said Sword.
"To elaborate…something's changed in Formora. I can dip into Pokemons' dreams whenever I want to, you see, and I have the ability to sense nightmares and other mental hells. An operative told me that Team Renegade are planning on taking down a Light legendary. Formora…she doesn't dream that often, but when she does…It's not a happy picture. Before, she started out as a cold, calculating lass. Lately, though…well, I'll let Umbra explain." Cresselia nodded sadly to the last member of Team Lunar Wind, who had been hiding behind the others.
He came out from behind his allies, and Ezra gasped quietly as she saw his left arm was in a sling. She looked closer, and saw that all three members were bruised and bandaged all over. Luna had a cloth tied over her right eye, and one of Selene's fins was torn.
"We fought them three days ago," The Weavile began, wincing at the memory. "They were brutal. They did not hold back at all from their assault, and eventually I was defeated by Formora. Right before I was about to faint, she went up to me, and snapped my arm like it was a twig. She was laughing the entire time. The pain was enough to knock me out. We barely won that fight…..You can see what they did to us." He ended, nodding at himself and his team.
"Xerneas has fought them many times before, and each time he's reported strong teamwork and cold precision in their attacks. LW's report, though….Formora's crueler, more reckless. She actively seeks causing pain to others, and her ways are getting increasingly life-threatening. We have a few operatives in their base. Darkrai and I visit their dreams to hear their reports. One spy has told me that in the beginning, Formora used only enough force to get what she wants. From what happened three days ago, she now hurts others simply because it causes her great joy. I fear she's getting addicted to the pleasure she feels whenever she inflicts pain…..Ezra and Carys, take great care next time you meet them. They are not the same as before." Cresselia warned.
"Moving on, Giratina is a master manipulator. He preys on others' weaknesses and exploits them relentlessly. He sensed the discontent in other Pokemon's lives, and has told them that he is fighting to give them a better life. You must understand, most of his forces came from horrible backgrounds. They were ignored, abandoned, forced to fend for themselves. Giratina convinced them that it is the Light's fault that they had to suffer while others lived better lives. He played on their jealousy, their desire for a good future, their need for love and support. He gave them homes, lives, futures. It is easy to understand why an outcast would want the more successful to suffer as they did. That is the basis of their fight. They want the Light to suffer, to know the hardships that they faced." Cresselia ended.
"The next step for you two is to find all of Arceus' missing Shards. I sense there are five Shards left. Arceus only has three more with It, and Giratina will continue to sever them from It until It is dead. Arceus can survive for a few days if all eighteen are gone, but It will die soon if it doesn't have all of them. The time is coming quickly for you to defeat Formora." Warned Darkrai.
"As for your last question, it is true Darkrai and I are bitter enemies. But…" Began Cresselia.
"We understand our lives. We accept that we are enemies. I bring nightmares, but they are only effective if there are good dreams to balance them out. You see, true chaos and true peace are unachievable. There are times when the balance is tipped in one side's favor, but there will always be an opposite. Even if there was no war going on, there would be Pokemon suffering. If Giratina wins the war, then he and his forces are in paradise. No matter what, someone is having the opposite effect. Separate, Light and Dark are indeed enemies, but together they bring balance to the world. Take Cresselia and I. We are opposites, and yet our work balances each other out. I am new moon, she is full moon. Together, though, we make up the entire moon. And that is the way we like it. We understand how we fit in to the scheme of things. That is why we have teamed up. War makes for strange allies." Explained Darkrai.
"Anything else you would like to know? We have only half an hour left." Asked Cresselia.
"Uh…Oh! We once spoke to seer who told us of a final battle between me and Formora. Do you know of it? And why was I turned into a Litwick?" Asked Ezra, feeling overwhelmed. It was a lot of information to take in.
"Yes. Soon, you and her will fight for the outcome of the world. We know not how this fight determines the outcome, but it will, somehow. But…..the outcome comes at a price: one of you will die in the fight. Again, we don't know how or why. All we can do is hope." Cresselia warned, looking up at the dream-sky. Up above, the sun was starting to rise. "As for your transformation, it was to disguise you from Giratina. A human in this world would be incredibly easy to find, plus in Pokemon form, you are better adapted to fighting. I believe you were turned into a Litwick because it looks like a candle. A candle lights the way for others when it is dark. It provides light when there is none. I believe Arceus turned you into a Litwick because It sees you as a light in the darkness, a beacon of hope for all."
"I see...As for the prophecy…I don't know if I can bring myself to kill another being." Ezra sighed.
"Perhaps it is an accident. You hit her just a little too hard with a Flame Burst, or maybe something else happens. We don't know for sure that you actively cause her death, should you win. All we know is, someone will die." Fire, the Delphox from the Unknown, shrugged.
"The sun is rising, and the moon is fading. We must leave." Cresselia warned, looking up sharply at the sky, which was quickly becoming lighter.
"Wait! How can I contact you again?" Cried Ezra, going to grab Cresselia's arm. The legendary paused for a moment, then yanked a feather off of her body. She gave the yellow-and-green feather to Ezra.
"That is a Lunar Wing. It dispels nightmares, and will help protect you from Giratina. Whenever you need to speak with me, hold onto it as you fall asleep. I will come. …Actually, bring it with you wherever you go. If you start to get inexplicably sleepy, then that means I need to talk to you immediately. We have to go now, but we will see each other soon. Goodbye, Ezra and Carys." Cresselia explained, retreating further into the dream until the landscape turned gray, then black.
Why do Cresselia's feathers have green on them, when there is not a single speck of green on her? I would like to know.
Chapter Ten has come to an end, and now the heroes know all about the war, and why things are the way they are. They have a new quest, which will commence in Chapter 11….Things will really begin to pick up, friends, for better and for worse. I, for one, can't wait. I'll see you next week~
